which was the first Bishop ordayned vnto you euen of the Apostles And anon after speaking to the Priestes or Pastorall Elders that he left at Antiochia behinde him hee sayth Ye Priestes or Elders feede the flocke that is committed among you vntill God declare who hee shall be that shall be the Gouernour among you As for me I nowe make haste that I may gayne Christe Let the Deacons acknowledge of what dignitie they be and studie to be vnreproueable that they may be the followers of Christ. Let the people be subiect to the Priestes or Elders c. And after he hath saluted manie and doone salutations from manie both Bishops Pastors and Deacons c. that accompanied him for he was of highe estimation ouer all Asia I salute him sayth be which in my place shall be-come your Prince Primate or chiefe Prelate whome I haue also begotten in Christe Which hee meant of Heron that did succéede him in the Bishoprike who was a Deacon in the Churche of Antioche These Epistles of what credite euerie thing conteyned in them is I will not pleade for them But thinke verilie that there are some Popish foystinges crept into them as also is founde out in the woorkes of other famous men But that the whole Epistles should bee vtterlie denied or suspected especially those that are not onely mentioned but parts of them also worde for worde set downe according to their manner by other Ecclesiasticall writers both by Ierome that was verie curious in finding out forgeries and also by Eusebius that was within two hundred yeares of Ignatius yea Irenaeus that was Polycarpus Scholler to whome Ignatius writeth one of these Epistles and diuerse other auncient Fathers of greate credite make mention of some of the woordes contayned in them it can not bee that they should all be forged especially this point for the distinction of the Bishops from Priestes or Pastorall Elders and the superioritie of the Bishoppe ouer them béeing concordant with all the other writers And especially to bée obserued almost in euerie one of these Epistles In the Epistle ad Trallianos hée sayeth I knowe yee haue an vndefiled minde and without deceite in perseuerance not on doubtfulnesse but on the possession of sayth as Polybius your Bishop hath signified to mee who came to Smyrna by the will of God the Father and of Iesus Christe his sonne by the woorking togeather of the holie-Ghoste and did so congratulate vnto mee beeing bounde in Christe Iesu that in him I might see all fulnesse Receauing therefore him according vnto GOD I haue by him acknowledged your beneuolence finding you to bee the followers of Iesus Christe our Sauiour Bee yee subiecte to the Bishoppe as to the Lorde for he watcheth for your soules as he that shall giue account to GOD. For which thing yee shall seeme vnto mee not to liue according to the fleshe but to liue according to Iesus Christe who dyed for vs that wee beleeuing in his deathe might by baptisme bee made partakers of his resurrection For it is necessarie that you shoulde doe nothing nor take ought in hande he meaneth concerning Ecclesiasticall causes with out the Bishoppe But submitte your selues to the Priestes or Elders as to the Apostles of Iesu Christe our hope in whome abiding wee shall be founde in him you must also therefore by all meanes please the Deacons which are for the Ministerie of Iesus Christe Eor they are not ministers in meate and drinke he alludeth to the Tables whereon they attended but they are the Ministers of the Churche of God Yee must therfore obserue that which they commaund you euen as if it were fire burning As for them let them be suche And as for you reuerence ye them euen as the Lord Iesus Christe For they are the keepers of his place Euen as the Bishop is the forme or type of him that is father of all But the Priests euen as the assemblie of God and the coniunction of the Apostles of Christe c. And againe after he hath warned them to take héede of Scismes of Seducers and those that are puffed vp with pride and exhorted them to humilitie he saithe and yet reuerence your Bishop euen as Christe according to which the blessed Apostles haue commaunded you For hee that is placed betweene the altare which worde altare is often vsed of the auncient Fathers for the Lords Table and is héere meant for the participation of the holye Communion he is cleane For the which obey your Bishop and Priests or Elders For he that is placed without the aultar is dooing somewhat without the Bishop the Priests and the Deacons Hee that shall be suche an one that is excludeth him-selfe from the participation of the diuine misteries deliuered by the Bishop the Priests and Deacons is polluted in his conscience and is woorse then an Infidell For what is the Bishop but one holding a principalitie and power ouer them all thus farre foorth as becommeth a man to holde that is made the follower of God according to vertue What is Priesthood or the Eldership but a holie institution of a counsellor and confessor of the Bishop What also are the Deacons but the followers of Christe ministring to to the Bishop as Christ to the Father and working vnto him that cleane and vndefiled worke as S. Stephan to the most blessed Iames and Timothie and Linus vnto Paule and Anacletus and Clemens vnto Peter Therefore he that shall be disobedient to these shall be altogither without God and wicked and contemning Christe and an abaser of his ordinance And in the next Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians Howbeit I deserued to haue seene you by the worthie in God your Bishop Damas and the woorthie in God your Priests or Elders to witte Bassus and Appollonius and my ghest Socion whome I haue nourished bicause he is subiect to the Bishop and to the Priests in the grace of GOD and in the lawe of Jesus Christe and it behooueth you also not to contemne the age of the Bishop and according to God the Father to giue him all reuerence according to which I haue also knowne the holye Priests to haue yeelded it him Not thinking him to be contemned for the age that appeareth in him but in the wisedom of God to obeye him Sithe that not the auncient in yeares are the wisest neither the old men vnderstand prudence but the spirite which is in men c. And in the next Epistle ad Tharsenses Yee Priestes or Elders be subiect to the Bishop Ye Deacons to the Priests yee people to the Deacons And in the Epistle to the Philadelphians Yee Princes be subiect to Caesar or to the King Yee Souldiors to the Princes Deacons and to the Priests or Elders as to the administrators of the holye things But let the priests and the Deacons and all the cleargie togither with all the people and with the souldiors and
is no reason at all The Doctor both is and may as-well be called a minister of Gods worde And yet will you brethren distinguishe a Doctor from a Pastor whome yes call a Minister as we do Yea the Deacons name in the naturall signification thereof signifieth a Minister and yet wee commonlye call not the Deacon a Minister But that the name bishop should not be shunned and turned to Minister bicause the name and dignity hath beene long time abused If this reason were good we may take away the name and dignity of Doctor too and the name of pastor would not be farre behinde Yea the name both of Church and Gospell Yea the name of Iesus and the names of many things else haue beene both as long and as much abused as euer the name and dignity of bishop hath bene But since Danaeus hath héere graunted that their is a name and a dignity of it in the Scripture mée thinkes it were good reason that we should rather seeke to retayne both the dignity and the name in such order as is not contrary to the Scripture and so without the abuse growne since to vse both the dignity and the name of the Euangelicall bishop that is of God than thus cleane to cast off both dignity and name of bishop for the abuse of them But what now is this so long and great abuse A bishops office is counted at this daie for a name of honor onely of gaine but not of burden and of labour That it is of honor I aske no better witnesse then Danaeus himselfe vpon 1 Tim. 3. ver 1. Who after he hath saide that priestes or Elders bishops are all one he saith Deacons are heere distinguished and plainly seuered from bishops The name of priest is in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore it is a Greeke word But this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differ as in Latine do vetus and senex For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a name of age and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also of dignity as may be gathered out of Plutarke in Nicea If now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee all one how is not the name of Bishop a name betokening an office of honour Yea. the very Etymologie of the name signifiing an Ouerseer who séeth not it conteyneth an honor and preferment Yea Hierome also whome Danaeus alleageth in his Epistle ad Euagrium saith A Priest and a bishop the name of the one is of age the name of the other is of dignity But to say as Danaeus heere doth that the office of a Bishop is counted at this day a name of honour onele and of gaine but not of burden of labour or paine I know no Papistes muchâ— lesse Protestants so caried away with honor and gaine that euer said it or mee thinkes can thinke it S. Augustine saith I graunt it is a name of worke not of honor yea God saith I will haue mercy not Sacrifice Such negatiues are not simple but comparatiue God requireth both howbeit the one more than the other As he saide of iustice and of tithing Haec oportet facere illa non omittere And if Elders bishops be al one doth not S. Paule say 1. Tim. 5. The Elders that rule wel are worthy of double honor chiâ—fly that labor in the word doctrine But what saith he saith Chrysost vpon 1 Tim. 3. If any saith hee desire a bishoprike I reproue it not I disallowe it not for it is a worke of gouernment If any therefore desire this not with the pompe of principalitye and lordlines but with the care of gouernment and affection of Charitie I improoue it not for hee desireth a good worke For Moses also coueted that matter how beit he sought not such power and ambition of gouerning but he sought the matter so that it was saide vnto him VVho made thee a Prince and a Iudge ouer vs If anie therefore desireth it so he desireth it well For thereupon is it named a bishoprike because hee looketh vpon all men and vieweth all thinges But of what bishop did S. Augustine speak when he said A bishops name is of worke not of honor spake he it not of such a bishâ—p as had a superior dignity and gouernment ouer pastorall Elders as all the holy bishops long before his time had and himselfe also Or did he condemne theÌ„ all and himselfe and his calling when he so said I maruell much bee it spoken still with meete reuerence of so Learned a man what Danaeus and our brethren meane so often to alleage the Fathers Ambrose Augustine Hierome Theodoret Cyprian Bernarde For all those Danaeus alleageth in this chapter and approoueth their sayings for the name and office of bishops And yet all such of these as were bish yea Archbishops vsed theirselues this superior dignity and authority ouer pastors This sentence of Augustine heere also alleaged Epistola ad Valerianum 143. There is nothing in this life especially at this time more comfortable and acceptable vnto man than is the office of a bishoppe of a prieste and of a Deacon if the matter bee handled sleightlye and flatteringly but then before God nothing is more miserable and also in this life and chieflie at this time nothing is more hard and daungerous than the office of a bishop But with God nothing is more blessed if we go to warre as our Emperour that is Christe would haue vs. Is not héere by the way a plaine distinction of al these 3. offices bishops priests and Deacons Again Ambrose saith Danaeus doth say that in a bishop is the power of all the Ordinations And as saith Cyprian a bishop is sette to bee a watchman ouer all Did they meane héereby that they had no more authoritie than all other Ministers of the worde had Or not rather that they had a greater then they all But now to come to our triple distinction that must aunswere al that is alleaged in all the fathers In the Gospell they are all one I denie that In the Gospell is mention of Bishop for Apostle and in that kinde of Bishoprick all the Apostles were Bishoppes But in the Gospell I meane in the recordes and state of the newe Testament some were Bishops that were not Apostles And therefore all were not all one And doth not Beza and the Geneua translation take the name of Bishoppe euen in the places cited by our Learned discoursing Brethren for those vnpreaching Prelates or Elders not teaching whome they call Gouernours And if it bee so then againe all the Euangelicall Bishops are not all one And if the difference laye onely in the pride and vitious life were all Bishops good that are mentioned in the Gospell and by S. Iohn in the Reuelation But the Euangelicall bishoppe is where there is moste greate aequallity among all the Pastors of Gods Church Neither can that be For if it
Tit. De gubernatione ecclesiae Sect. 12. Hée descendeth further vnto the particular Titles and degrees which these our brethren especially doe forbidde saying Moreouer sithe that the Kingdome of Christe is gouerned by the worde and spirite of Christe the Monark there are therein two kindes of men that is to witte the setters forth of the worde and the hearers of them who no otherwise than the Fathers and the Sonnes reuerence and worship the one the other And although the spirituall iurisdiction of these setters foorth of the worde of which iurisdiction wee shall speake afterwarde bee all one notwithstandinge the Degrees of dignitie bee not equall and that partly by the Lawe of GOD and partly by the approbation of the Churche For as Christe ascendinge from on high gaue Gyftes to men Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Doctours and Pastors So gaue hee vnto his Churche power to edification By this power the Church ordeyneth Ministers for her profite that all thinges might bee doone orderly to the encreasing of the bodie of Christ. Hereupon the pure Churche following the times of the Apostles did ordeyne some Patriarches some Bishops some Bishops Coadiutors whō Iustine the Martyr calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom we call Prepositors some Pastors and Catechisers The reformed Churches after the darkenesse driuen awaie which the Pope brought into the Churche are content with fewer degrees least by little little the matter might passe into a tyrannie They haue Bishops Doctors Pastors and Ministers inferiour vnto Pastors whom by a fonde terme they call Chapleyns Among these he that excelleth in the excellencie of giftes in the greatnesse of labours and in the degree of calling is preferred before other in dignitie Not indeed that he should exercise a dominion vpon other but that he should rule other in wisedome and Counsell so be that he shall shewe the reason of his Counsell drawen out of the word of God and out of the lawfull ordinance of the Churche For when Christe onely in his kingdome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free from rendring anie account it is fitte that they which be subiectes to him should render a reckoning of their doings Thus reuerently writeth this Reuerende and learned man Hemingius on these titles and difference of dignities in the offices promotions of the pure and primitiue Church succéeding the time of the Apostles and of the reformed Churches in these dayes Vnto whom also accordeth Herbrandus a famous Protestant writer nowe liuing though differing frō vs in the controuersie of the sacrament who in Compendio Theologiae loco de ministerio Vpon this question whether there are or ought to be degrees among the Ministers of the Church Yea sayth he for God himselfe made and ordeined these degrees with different giftes Ephes. 4. Hee gaue some Apostles but some Prophets but some Euangelistes but some Pastors and Doctors to the filling vp of the Sayntes into the woorke of the Ministerie to the building of the body of Christe Also Paule nameth Bishops Priests or Elders and Deacons Moreouer by reason of order for good order or discipline sake and to preserue consent concorde and vnanimitie let some be superiour vnto other Least there should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dissolute state without gouernement in the Church orders were ordeyned among the ministers by a profitable Counsell As among vs meaning the Germaine reformed Churches are Subdeacons Deacons Pastors Super-intendentes speciall ouer whome doe rule Super-intendentes generall as we vse the names of Bishops and Arch-bishops after the olde and vsuall name Vnto these other chiefe and choise men as wel Ecclesiasticall as Polyticall adioyned do make the chiefe Senate of the Church But this primacie is not of power that for his higher degree a greater authoritie licence and power should be graunted to anie man of decreeing anye thing or of commaunding in the Church or of ordeyning at his pleasure or of determining in the controuersies of Religion for heere as much preuayleth and ought to preuaile the sentence of the lowest as of the highest which resteth on better and firmer testimonies of the holie Scripture and of argumentes brought from thence in what place or degree soeuer any man bee placed But it is a Primacie of order in the residue of the gouernement and polycie of the Church Thus sayth Herebrande of the Germaine Churches But if now for admitting a bishop and distinguishing him from Priest or Elder for allowing Sub-deacons which we do not for hauing Super-intendents speciall and generall and for making this distinction for primacie of power and order in this sense that this power of order is of a standing and continuing degree of dignitie superiour to Elder or Pastor if for these pointes Herebrande and all those reformed Churches in this matter be reiected let vs then come euen to Caluine himselfe who doth yet more reuerently write of these titles and dignities of order where they are not reteyned then these our Brethren do among vs be they neuer so godly vsed For Caluine in his Institutions cap. 8. de Fide sect 51. Hetherto sayth he we haue treated of the order of gouerning the Churche as out of the pure woorde of God it is deliuered vnto vs and of the ministeries as they are ordeyned of Christe Nowe to the ende that all thinges may bee made manifest more clearely and more familiarlye and may also be better fixed in our mindes it shall be profitable to recognize the forme of the auncient Churche in those thinges which shall represent vnto vs before our eyes a certaine Image of the equall diuine Institution For although the Bishops of those times haue sette foorth manie Canons wherein they might seeme to expresse more then were expressed in the holie-scriptures they composed notwithstanding all their whole domesticall administration with such heedefulnesse to that onely leuell of the woorde of God that you may easily see they had in this parte almost nothing varying from Gods worde Yea if anie thing might be wished for in their ordinaunces not-with-standing because they endeuoured with a syncere studie to conserue the institution of the Lorde and swarued not much from the same it shall very much auayle here briefely to collecte what manner of obseruation they had According as we haue declared three kindes of Ministers to be commended vnto vs in the scripture so whatsoeuer Ministers the auncient Church of God had she distinguished thē into three orders For out of the orders of Priests or Elders partly were chosen Pastors Doctors the other part gouerned the censure or controlement of manners and corrections The care of the poore and dispensation of the Almes was cōmitted to the Deacons as for the readers and Acolytes were no names of offices that were certaine But those whō they called Clerkes they acquainted thē with certaine exercises to serue the Church whereby they might better vnderstande whereunto they were appointed and in time might come the more
theÌ„selues it is in this their humor for this Presbyterie What is héere for so excellent and godly learned men to haue alledged this tyrannical Decree or rather this very doctrine of Diuels in this superstitious Council against the law of God against the lawfulnesse of Bishops Elders and Deacons mariage against the verie Antiquitie of the Church which they pretend â—ind yet what is there in this Decree to inferre that this power and Censure of excommunication apperteineth onelie and alwaies to a Presbyterie ioyned with the Bishops But since Danaeus hath alledged this CouÌ„cill let vs sée how this CouÌ„cill directlie euen in this matter of excommunication maketh cleane against him For in the 8. chap. following it is sayd Alipius the B. of the Church of Tagasta the Legate of the Prouince of Numidia did say Neither must that be praetermitted that if perhaps anie Priest or Elder which is corrected or excommunicated of his B. being puffed vp with swelling or pride shall thinke that Sacrifices are separatelie to be offred vnto God or shall beleeue that anie other altare should be erected contrarie to the eccl faith and discipline let him not go vnpunished Valentinus of the first seate of the Prouince of Numidia said The thinges that our brother Alipius hath prosecuted are necessarilie agreeable to the eccl discipline and faith Declare ye therfore what thereupon seemeth good vnto your louingnesse Whether if anie Priest or Elder shall make a scisme against his B he should be accursed It was said of all the Bishops If anie Priest or Elder shall be excommunicated or corrected of his Prelate he ought to complaine to the Bishops adioyning that his cause may be heard of them and by them he may be reconciled to his B. Here both we sée what these Presbyters Priests or Elders were to wit such as celebrated the L. supper also that vpon iust occasion the B. himselfe might excom eueÌ„ these Priests or Elders And if we may gather an argument of absoluing or recoÌ„ciling to the Church which is equiualent to excoÌ„municating we might haue séene before in the 4. chap. that not onlie a Bishop by himselfe but also anie particular Priest or Elder in some cases might doo it Aurelius the B. that propâ—â—ded the decrée against Bishops Priests Deacons wiues which Danaeus citeth said If any man shal be in danger shal desire to be reconciled to Gods altars if the B. shal be absent the Priest or Elder ought to take couÌ„sell of the B. so at his coÌ„mandemeÌ„t to recoÌ„cile the partie that is in danger If the Priest or Elder can absolue the repeÌ„tant partie at the coÌ„mandement of the B. being absent is it not likelie the B. could doo it himselfe being present And if the B. or anie one Priest could thus absolue coulde neither Priest nor B. by theÌ„selues not haue excoÌ„municated the said partie being a manifest notorious offeÌ„der So that by examining this couÌ„cil further it maketh more against Danaeus in this point thaÌ„ for him The like Decrée vnto this for a Priests absoluing restoring a penitent in the absence of the B. is also in the 3. CouÌ„cil of Carth. cap. 32. These CouÌ„cils being about the time of Siritius which Siritius was in the time of Ambrose as Danaeus coÌ„fesseth Ambrose himself without any Presbyterie ioyned with him excoÌ„municating the Emperor Theodosius how is it not apparant that in those daies a B. by himself might excoÌ„municate his excoÌ„municatioÌ„ holdeÌ„ for good lawful But Danaeus to coÌ„firme it better that a B. might not excom by himself addeth the 4. Council of Carth. chap. 22. 23. where it is said that a B. shal not ordeine Clearks without the Council of his Clerkes so that he seeke the assent the sufferance and the testimonie of the Citizens Againe that the Bishop heare the cause of none without the presence of his Clerkes otherwise the Bishoppes sentence shal be frustrate except it bee confirmed by the presence of his Clerkes What is héere that the Bishop may not by himselfe excommunicate The former chap. is onlie of ordeining Clearks yet it doth not take the power of ordeining from them but it manifestlie giueth the power thereof vnto him Though in ordeining a Priest the Council say that all the Priests present should lay their hands also on the head of him that is ordeined But the B. hand onelie on a Deacon c. chap. 3. 4. c. As for this Decrée chap. 22. is but of the Clearkes counsel to the B. And though they say also hee should seeke the assent sufferance testimonie of the Citizens yet in the action of ordeining they haue no power As for the 23. cha requireth onelie the presence of the Bishops Clerkes in the processe of his iudiciall sentences But this proueth not that they ioyne with him in the authoritie of the Iudiciall proceeding and giuing the sentence There is no Iudge can iudiciallie heare and determine anie causes temporal but he must haue his Clearkes and Registers about him to witnesse and recorde the same but neither their presence nor yet their inrolling of the acts giueth them anie authoritie in the Iudgement He is Dominus Iudex for all their presence And that doth the 28. declare saying The vniust condemnation of the bishops is voyde therefore to be retracted of a Synode But what is this to excommunication it is said euen in the next Decrée to that Danaeus héere citeth chap. 24. that the sacerdotall priest making â— speech or preaching in the Church he that shall depart out of the audience shal be excommunicated Might neither the priest nor the Bishop if they saw anie person to vse this dooing obstinatelie mainteine the same pronounce this sentence of excoÌ„munication on him But that the Bishop might so doo in this and in other greeuous crimes we may well conclude by the 55. chap. of that Council that a Bishop shal excommunicate those that are the accusers of their Brethren if they shall amend their fault he may receaue them to the Communion not to the Clergie Héere â—o is the excommunication and absolution made by the Bishop without anie ioyned with him in these actions were they present at the dooings neuer so much And that this was allowable by the ancient custome of the Church the Councill of Eliberis holden almost an 100. yeres before anie of these CouÌ„cels approoueth the excommunicating made by a Bishop himselfe saying chap. 53. It pleased them all that euerie one should receiue the CoÌ„munion of that Bishop of whom being in anie fault hee was Abstentus that is put backe separated or excommunicated But if so be anie Bishop shall presume to admit him he being not yet willing or consenting of whom he was depriued of the communion let him knowe that he shall aunswere these causes among the Brethren with the danger of his estate Concerning Cyprians Epistles we haue perused them
denie the habilitie of many of our brethren to be able to interpret the scriptures in the deliuerie of the doctrine thereof to be equall either with the Bishops or with any other For it is not the accesse of the Bishops dignitie that maketh the person a better interpretor then he was before he was called to the dignitie it sufficeth if being in the dignitie he imploie himselfe in his former faithfulnesse And would God our brethren also would restraine their emulation to this comparison to be equall or better in interpreting and in the deliuerie of the scripture then the Bishops as Ierome contended with Augustine And though Augustine were a Bishop Ierome but a Prieste which Ierome confesseth and yet euer sharplie threatned the conflict with Augustine if he were prouoked thereunto Neuerthe-lesse Augustine reuerently aunswereth Quanquam c For although according to the tearmes of honour which the vse of the Church hath now obtained the office of a Bishop be greater then the office of a Priest or elder notwithstanding Augustin is in many things lesse then Ierome yea correction is not to be fled from or disdained though it come from any that is the lesser And in this behalfe of interpreting the scripture Cyprian honored Tertullian and diuerse Bishops specially Alexander Theoctistus reuerenced Origen And yet these men for all their giftes in interpreting the Scriptures and deliuery of doctrine being farre superiour to the most part of the Bishops did not therefore encroch further into any superiority or equallity of authority and dignity with the Bishops Let our brethren interprete the Scriptures and deliuer the doctrine sincerelie and therein excel the Bishops as they may easily do both by cause of the Bishops great age and great imploying in the gouernment and iurisdiction of the Church As Augustine modestly confesseth of himselfe vnto Ierome saying Nam neque in me c. For I neither see in my selfe so much knowledge of the diuine scriptures yea or that now there can be as I see there is in you And if I haue any facultie in this matter I imploy it as I may to the people of God But to apply my selfe more diligentlie to my studies then for the furniture of the thinges that the people heare I cannot by any meanes for the Ecclesiasticall businesse So that héerin the inferior as these our brethren may haue more opportunity in interpreting and deliuery of the Scripture And I warrant then the Bishops will not refuse them euer a whit for their so doing but helpe encourage and defend them Which although any Bishop fore-slowed or enuied to doe yet ought not any of our brethren hauing such equal giftes with the Bishops in the interpreting of the scriptures and deliuerye of doctrine and withal being lawfully called by the Bishops into the ministery to exauthorate and withdrawe themselues from the ministery for these controuersies of equall gouernment with the Bishops But sée how captiously our brethren deale in citing the testimony ofthe Arch. for where he saith It is not to be denied but that there is an equallity of al ministers of Gods word quoad ministeriuÌ„ touching the ministery for they haue all like power to preach the word to minister the sacraments that is to say the word preached or the sacraments ministred is as effectuall in one in respect of the ministery as it is in an other But quoad ordinem politiam towching order and gouernment there hath alwayes bene and must be degrees and superiority amongst them These words do our brethren drawe to this obiection that they are not comparable in learning to the Arch-bishops and Bishops at leaste say they let their owne opinion that in interpreting the Scriptures deliuery of doctrine we are equall with them perswade them But who seeth not that these words of the Arch-bishop do not inferre an equallity of the giftes in the ministers as hauing these giftes equally but an equalitie of their ministery in the hability to haue them and doo distinguishâ— onely betweene the power of order and of iurisdiction And therefore this is but haled to aunswere the obiection of this comparison betwéen the learning of the Arch-bishops and Bishops and the learning of our brethren in the interpreting the scriptures and deliuery of doctrine to be equall But our brethren saie Who if they could straine their consciences to subscribe to the Archbishops articles they would gladly receaue them to be the Embassadors of Iesus Christ. These words againe are somewhat intricate so that wee might misse our brethrens meaning while they neither plainly expresse who they are that would gladly receaue nor whome nor what neither yet to whome these wordes to be the Embassadors of Iesus Christ are referred whether to them selues or to the Arch-bishops and Bishops But I coniecture their meaning to be this that if these our brethren could straine their coÌ„sciences to subscribe to the Arch-bishops articles they would gladly receaue those articles that they might thereby haue liberty to preach and so to be the Embassadors of Iesus Christ. If our brethrâ—n héere meane by the Arch-bishops articles the articles where-upon it was by the Arch-bishops and bishops of both prouinces the whole Cleargie in the conuocation holden at London c. 1562. Put forth by the Queenes authority some of which articles our brethren afterwarde in this learned discourse pag. 135. do roughly challenge for diuerse grosse and palpable errors how truly or falslie and with what gâ—â—d conscience they burden them therewith I reserue to the examination of the proper place But bicause they séeme not so much to meane those articles for then they should straine their consciences apparantly to farre in calling those articles the Arch-bishops articles which were the articles not onely of Arch-bishops but also of the bishops and of the whole Cleargie and sett forth by her Maiesties authority therfore I rather take it that our brethren meane by the Arch-bishops articles The Articles where-unto all such as are admitted to preach reade cathechyse minister the sacrameÌ„ts or execute anie other Eccl. function do agree and consent testifie the same by the subscription of their hands viz. 1. That her Maiestie vnder God hath and ought to haue the soueraigntie and rule ouer all manner of persons within her realmes dominions and countries of what state either Ecclesiasticall or temporall soeuer they be and that none other forraine power prelate state or potentate hath or ought to hâ—ue any iurisdiction power superiority preeminence or authority Ecclesiasticall or spirituall within her Maiesties said realmes dominions or countries 2. That the booke of common prayer and of ordering Bish. Priests Deacons contayneth in it nothing contrary to the word of God that the same may lawfully be vsed And that I my self who do subscribe wil vse the forme of the said booke prescribed in publike prayer and administration of the Sacraments and none other 3.
Act. 16.3 so he trauelled with him till he came to Boerea Acts. 17. verse 14. and 15 there abiding when Paule went to Athens he came at his commaundemeÌ„t vnto him to Corinthe Act. 18.5 And so went with Paule abode with him at Ephesus Acts. 19. vntill verse 22. he sent him and Erastus into Macedonia Whither when Saint Paule came Acts. 20 and trauelled from thence to Greece he sent againe Timothie with diuersâ— other to Troas where while Timothie abode Saint Paule as it is likelie wrote his First Epistle to the Corinthians in his returne to Macedonia at Phillippos Act. 20 verse 3. and 6. Determining to send Timothie with that Epistle backe againe to Corinthe which of likeliehood hee did when he came to Troas where Timothie with other abode his comming Who when he came thether sent Timothie accompanied with Stephanus Fortunatus and Achaicus with that Epistle as in the ende thereof 1. Corinthians 19 verse 8. appeareth I will tarrie at Ephesus vntill Pentecoast for a great doore and effectuall is opened vnto me but there are manie aduersaries Nowe if Timothie come see that hee bee without feare of you For he worketh the worke of the Lord euen as I doo And euen so saithe Luke Act. 20. verse 16. Paule had determined to saile by Ephesus bicause he would not spend the time in Asia for hee hasted if he could possiblie be at Ierusalem at the daye of Pentecost Whereas before he had minded to tarrie at Ephesus till the drawing néere of that feast So that if I coniecture not amisse which if I doo I will be readie in all humilitie to reforme my computation it appeareth that Timothie was at that time none of these Bishops nor among them whome Saint Paule called from Ephesus to Miletum Howe then was Timothie the firste Bishop ordeined of Ephesus Not firste in time for if anye at all in time then muste hee néedes haue béene ordeyned Bishoppe after them Neyther yet that all the other Bishoppes were not at all ordeined or were now all dead but that in dignitie hee was the firste that is to saie the cheefe or Archbishop among and ouer them all And to confirme this let vs sée the iurisdiction and authoritie by S. Paule giuen him ouer all the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie in this Citie For whensoeuer Saint Paule wrote his firste Epistle to him which some take to be during the time that hee taried for the assemblie of these Bishops aforesaid in the meane while stepping ouer to Laodicia which is about the same distaÌ„ce from Miletum that Ephesus was as appeareth by the charte or mappe therof and there at Laodicea he wrote that Epistle Other suppose and it is farre more likelie that it was after he had béene at Rome and was by Nero set at libertie in which time of â—0 yeares space as he visited againe which the Centuriographers note the Churches of Syria Asia and Greece so hauing a great care of this Churche of Ephesus and kéeping his former course of visitation as hee did Act. 20. from Ephesus to Macedonia and so backe againe as before hee had doone he writeth from Laodicea vnto Timothie whom 〈◊〉 had before ordeined Bishop there giuing him this charge 1. Tim. 1. vâ—â—sâ— 3. As I besought thee to abide still in Ephesus when I departed into 〈◊〉 so doo that thou maiest commaund some that they teach none other 〈◊〉 neither that they giue heede to fables and genealogies Whereby 〈◊〉 appâ—â—reth that hee had authoritie giuen him by the Aposâ—le to 〈…〉 controll and commaund such Bishops Pastors and Doctors as were at Ephesus both for the matter and the manner of their teaching Vpon which sentence saith Caluine The worde of denouncing signifieth power for Paule would furnish him with power to restreine others And this power he giueth him not onelie that they shoulde teache no other doctrine but also not the same Doctrine otherwise So that the manner of setting foorth doctrine as well as the doctrine it selfe apperteined to his charge and ouer-sight In the 2. chapter he shewes him some orders that he would haue obserued in the Churche concerning prayers and the publike Ministerie of the worde In the 3. chapter he describes the office and duties of Bishops and their wiues of Deacons and their wiues so that although the name of Bishop bee there taken indifferentlie for the Pastors of the worde and Sacraments yet still hath Timothie an authoritie giuen him ouer them bothe to make such Bishops as should so be qualified and to ouer-see that they being made should behaue themselues accordinglie Wherevpon after hee hath described them hee saithe to Timothie verse 14. These thinges write I vnto thee trusting to come shortelie vnto thee but if I tarrie long that thou maiste haue knowledge how to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the Churche of the liuing God the piller and grounde of truthe In which wordes he plainelie giueth him an authoritie and iurisdiction of ordering and gouerning these offices in the policie and regiment of the Church In this speech saith Caluine he commendeth the weight and dignitie of the office bicause Pastors are as it were Stewards vnto whom God hath committed his house So that Caluine héere maketh Timothie a Pastor whome ye call a Bishop and he giueth him authoritie ouer other Pastors or Bishops there And how doth not this plainlie inferre that though all in the pastorall office may be a like and equall yet in dignitie one may haue charge and gouernement ouer another In the 4 chapter verse 11. and 12. he saith Commend and teach these things Let no man dispise thy youth but be vnto them that beleeue an example c. As though he woulde haue him become a myrror and patterne not onelie to the people but to the Pastors Wherevpon saith Caluine we also acknowledge that Timothie was a yoong man whoe notwithstanding farre surmounted manie Pastors And on the 15. verse he saith Grace was giuen him by prophesie How To witte for bicause as we haue said the Holie-ghoste by oracle had appointed Timothie that he should be chosen into the order of pastors Yea your selues haue clearelie confessed pag. 19. that Timothie was but a yoong man and yet had the office of an Elder If then a Pastor an Elder a Bishop be all one then must Timothie néeds be a Bishop if a pastor must haue a charge flocke assigned him then must Ephesus be his pastorall or Episcopall charge and flocke Which charge that it stretched aboue his other felow Pastors or Bishops is most apparant in the 5. Chapter where besides his authoritie in chusing and ouerseeing the widdowes for his authoritie ouer these Pastorall Elders or Bishops rebuke not an Elder rigorously saith the Apostle to Tim. v. 1. but exhort him as a Father And ver 17. the Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour especially they that labour in the woorde
it had béene small So they seing the truth would neuer be caried away against their consciences for worldly superiority in the which many of them were most humble But not only I say those holy learned fathers that were theirselues Bishops but those also that were no Bishops yea Ierome that was much offended with some Bishops and was a man also very passionate where he tooke offence when he saw this controuersie hote in his dayes by reason of the insolencie of some Bishops did he euer like and allow of this opinion that Bishops and Pastorall Priestes should stil be counted as names indifferent and their authoritie be alike equall in all things And but all one Or but alter and differ by toornes and on occasion of some present actioÌ„ this Priest chosen to be Bish. or be Superiour to day or at this assembly and to morrow or at the next assembly another Superiour chosen and no Superior standing Did Ierome euer like of this No read al his works ouer and whersoeuer he writeth as he often toucheth this matter many times is very vehement against bishops and fauouring Priestes himselfe being one so he alwayes acknowledgeth thâ—s difference of bish and Priest that though in substance of the Ministery they be both all one yet in degree of dignitie the bishop is superiour and the Priest is inferiour to the bishop Yea where of purpose most fauorably he setteth forth the Priests authority as in his epistle ad Euagrium wherâ— he alleâ—geth euen these examples heere alleaged 1. Phil. Act. 20. concluding thus Wherein most manifestly it is proued that a Bishop and a priest are the same c. Yet euen there also hee determineth the matter saying But that afterwarde one was chosen which should be placed before the residue it was done for the remedie of schisme leaste euerye one drawing the Church of Christ after him should breake it For also at Alexandria euen from Marke the Euangeliste vnto Heraclas and Dionisius Bishops the priests did alwayes name the Bishop one chosen from out themselues whom they placed in a higher degree euen as if an army should choose a Cheftaine Or that Deacons shoulde choose from out of them him whom they knew to be industrious call him Arch-Deacon For what doth a Bishop that a priest doeth not except it bee the giuing of Orders By which it appeareth that howsoeuer the names were taken indifferently and as all one at the first originall of them for a while in the Apostles time though there were no institutioÌ„ of the Lord for the change héereof yet as it was done for a most excellent and necessary cause so it was done in the time of the most of the Apostles euen S. Paule and S. Peter and many other of the Disciples as yet lyuing Marke deceasing as the same Hierome noteth in the 8. yeere of Nero Yea if we shal consider Ieromes wordes furder we shall fynde this change both before and also fully confirmed and begunne vniuersally to bee practised in the Apostles times And euen there also where hee alleageth all these selfe-same examples and testimonies out of the Scripture to the contrary of that which these our brethren and all on the other side at this day alleage therein As Phil. 1. Act. 20. Heb. 13. 1. Pet. â— euen as though S. Hierome had led them to these places And his wordes are their owne conclusion Therefore a priest is the same that is a bishop and before that by the instinct of the Diuell studies or factious pertakings were made in Religion that it was saide among the people I am of Paule I am of Apollo but I of Cephas the Churches were gouerned by the common councell of priestes or pastorall Elders for so Ierome taketh the name Presbiter and not for such Priestes as onely gouerned and were not Teachers but after that euery one did thinke those whom he had baptized to be his not Christs it was decreed in all the worlde that one of the priestes beeing chosen should be set aboue the reste vnto whome all the care of the Churche should appertaine and the seedes of schismes shoulde bee taken awaye And when he hath alleaged for proofe that Bishops and priests were first all one al our brethrens examples afore-said he concludeth againe saying These to this purpose that we might shewe that among the auncients priestes were the same which all were bishops But by little and little that the plants of dissensions might be plucked vp all the carefull prouision was giuen vnto one As therefore priestes know that they by the custome of the Church are subiect vnto him that is placed ouer them so let Bishops know that rather by custome than by the verity of the Lords disposing they are greater than priestes And that they ought to gouerne the Churche in common following Moses who when he had in his power to rule the people of Israell alone he chose 70. with whome he would iudge the people Héere is your former example also Numb 11. but not as you alleage it that the office of the Eldership in the one is an imitation of the Eldership of the other meaning there the Ministers of the word and Sacramentes For these offices are nothing like the one being méere temporall the other méere Ecclesiasticall Neither like your other not Teaching Elders as we shall after see And yet if they were alike it would cleane beat down your aequality of dignity For though Moses took these to be assistants in Gouernment to him yet were they not equall to him but his inferiours And thus the Bishop should haue his assistant priests Minister of the word and Sacramentes in preaching and ministring the Sacramentes in ordeyning Ministers and in making any Ecclesiasticall constitutions and so rule in common but not that euery Minister or those that were chosen to be assistants should be hayle fellow wel mette equall and all one in dignity with him or else there is no imitation but manifest breach of the example of Moses and the 70. Elders his coadiutors in the burthen of the gouernment Thus equally in this controuersie then did Ierome beare him selfe both to the Bishops and to the priestes being himselfe a priest and fauouring their cause and pleading for them so farre as possibly he could Neyther would these testimonies being not taken by the way but of set purpose thus set downe be sleightly considered For if we list not to be contentious it may bee a notable paterne vnto vs sithe wee sée this controuersie so hote in these auncient and holye Fathers dayes that were néerer the time of the originall of this change then we are what was their opinion that were the best learned and holiest Fathers thereon what reasons and resolutions moued them thereunto to be the more perswaded to follow their iudgemeÌ„t or at least to beware how far we stirre moue factions and scismes for the same as then Aërius and
Elders as were Ministers of the word and Sacramentes whom our brethren cal Pastors was with one consent allowed and practised without any interruption reclayming or misliking of any person either of the Cleargie or of the people by a continuall succession from in the very Apostles dayes To the which purpose I haue not vrged such authors as are suspected to be forged in those holy and auncient Fathers names but such as euen our brethren theirselues do acknowledge to be the true authors of those bookes and stories whence I cite them As for the holy Fathers following Cyprian Athanasius Cyril Basil c. doe not onely all of them agrée héereto and for the most part were such bishops themselues but also vpon anie occasion offered in their times do defende and maintaine by the authoritie of the worde of God this superior dignity and authority that they had and exercised as shall yet furder God willing appeare in that which followeth But héere because our brethren may seeme already to haue aunswered al that can be alleaged out of the anciēt fathers I am now to craue licence of the reader to set a-syde for a while our brethrens Learned discourse that we may heare and marke for our furder satisfaction what our other Learned brethren aunswere heereunto And firste they aunswere to all this by distinction of the order of bishoppes in a little booke late come forth called The iudgement of a most reuerend and Learned man from beyonde the Seas concerning a threefold order of bishops c. Which aunswere beeing so briefly and plainely perused as may satisfie and conferred with the resolutions of our other brethren from beyonde the Seas also we shal the readier returne to this Learned discourse of these our brethren at home for the titles and equalitye of the Pastors The Argument of the 4. booke aunswering that parte of a Booke late come foorth called The iudgement of a moste reuerende and Learned man from beyonde the Seas c. that concerneth the superiour Authority of the Bishops THis Booke contayneth a diuision of three kindes of Bishops to wit of God of Man of the Deuill With Danaeus proues of this triple diuision Treating first of the lawfull vse honorablenes of the name B. Of Daneusand the moste reverend mans Definitions and their confuting the definition of the Bishop of man Of the power that the most Reuerend yeeldeth vnto Of the continuing Assemblye at Ierusalem vnder Iames Of their office that are called the Angelles of the Churches in the Reuelation and of the churches Moderators Of the greatnesse of Peter notwithstanding the rendring accoumpt of his doings and of one going before the other Pastors Of the impugnyng and defending the argumentes of Epiphanius against Aerius And of the Fathers report that Timothie was Bishop of Ephesus with the shifte for his beeing an Euangelist and what the word Eldershippe importeth Of the Order and authority of one laying on of handes and of the differences betweene ordayning electing with the prerogatiue of one euen in the elections Of one or moe Bishoppes in one Citie and of the schismes in the auncient Churches where moe haue bene and withall of the lamentable schisme by the Meletians Of Cyprians defence for Bishops to succeed the Apostles and Ieromes defence for the originall of B. superiority in the Apost times and of the Apostles remayning superior although they ioyne other with them in their actions as Paul Softhenes and that one was superiour in excommunicating and that all this superiority of Bishops was no priuy custome but the continuall and vniuersall practise of all Christendome This booke intituled The iudgement of a moste reuerende and learned man from beyonde the Seas c. beginneth vvith this prefixed distinction WE must needs make three kindes of Bish. of God of Man of the Diuell WHO this most reuerend and learned man should be sith his name for what purpose I knowe not is not dicouered by our Brethren I minde not to pull off his visour but with all due reuerence both to his person and learning I may take the aduauntage with lesse enuie in a namelesse person the better to consider the reasons of his iudgement Howbeit bicause the reuerende and learned Danaeus professing openly his name doth vse also this selfesame distinction from whence this namelesse moste reuerende man might séeme to haue barrowed it I would therefore a little higher beginne with him that began before with this distinction and so one aunswere serueth both Danaeus in his Christian introduction 3. parte cap. 8. after he hath brieflie referred vs for the dignity and office of Pastors to Bernards sermons on the Canticles 41. 77 saith on this wise Haec breuissime verum iam latius Episcopi c. These things briefly but now more at large bishops and Pastors are one in the holie Scripture 1. Pet. 2. v. 25.5.2 Wee at this daye name them Ministers of Gods worde because men haue now long since abused both the name and dignity of bishops And at this day the name Episcopatus of a bishoprike or bishops office is esteemed to be the name of honor onely and of gaine but not of burthen and of labour Albeit contrariwise Augustine in the 9. booke of the Citie of God chap. 19. saith The name of bishop is of worke not of honor For of the office of a Bishop or bishoprike which in Paules time was one and Euangelicall was afterwarde made a threefolde bishoprike that is to wit a Bishopricke Euangelicall Humaine and Sathanicall Euangelicall where is greatest equalitie among all the pastors of the Church of God Humaine when vnto some one of the Pastors a power and prelacie or preferment not indeede the greatest howbeit some power is giuen ouer the other men of the same order that is to say ouer other pastors and Elders Sathanicall when vnto one pastor is giuen vppon other Churches an Emperors or Dictators power as in popery are bishops Archbishops the Pope Be it spoken with protestation of all duetifull reuerence I wonder at so renowmed and learned a man How zeale against the corruptions of Popery maketh now and then such a notable man also and yet but a man Homines sumus labi possumus We are all but men and may ouerslippe to confounde and carrie things awaye in presupposals cleane from their right course and places euen where they woulde moste preciselye distinguishe and dispose them Howe bishops and Pastors are all one in the Scripture wee haue séene alreadye at large though not yet out of that place of S. Peter héere quoted which because our brethren Discoursers doo afterwards mention we shall God-willing in order come thereto For the name of Minister of Gods word vnderstood both for Pastor bishop it is a good name and a good reason But that we should so cal B. and Pastors ministers of Gods word that wee shoulde cleane exclude either the dignity or the name of bishop it
shoulde either there must neuer bee assemblies and Councels such as were at Ierusalem among the Apostles for then their-selues confesse there can-not bee aequalitye Wee confesse say the Learned discoursers pag. 114 that in euerye assemblie or company some one of necessitie must haue this prerogatiue to order and dispose the same with reason So that if one muste haue preeminence aboue the residue then is there not so much equality as before and after And so for that time wherein of all other they shoulde bee moste Euangelicall by this moste greate aequality among them beeing left off they should not bee Euangelicall at all And therfore they may be Euangelicall well inough both in suche assemblies and without them hauing not suche most great aequality as is héere imagined Neither can I sée how this summa equalitas this most greate aequalitye can at anie time consist among the Pastors For if Caluines reason bee good vpon Galath 2. ver as we haue heard that greater honor speaking there of the honor of dignity should be geuen to those Pastors that haue greater gifts and all the Pastors in one Citie haue not giftes alike then not onely this inequality of dignity must bee of the Pastor to the people but also of the inaequality of the Pastors ariseth an inequality of the honor in dignity among the Pastors The reasons that our little English booke of the iudgement of a most reuerend and Learned man c. alleageth for the Bishop of God to bee all one with Pastor are the places cited already by our owne Learned discoursers alleaged as Ephes. 4.11 1. Tim. 3. Phil. 1.1 and therefore I passe them ouer to the places where they are aunswered come to the 2. kinde of Bishop the Bishop of man for on him lyeth now all the controuersie The humain saith Danaeus is when vnto some one out of the pastors there is giuen vpon the residue of the men which are also of the same order that is vpon other pastors and priestes of the Church a power or prelacy which is not indeed the chiefe but some it is If the bishoprick of man be no worse than this definition maketh it I sée not but that it is a good bishoprick yea why may it not be counted all one with the Euangelicall bishopricke Shall I say as much nay more then that which is most equall with all the pastors For this wee haue shewed by manifest prooues out of the word of God it self euen in the example of Tim. by the example of Iames Act. 15. 21. Gal. 2. euē out of Caluine Beza and by the exposition of manie the auncient and best approued Fathers by the track of the vniuersal practise from in the Apostles times by the testimonies of more than 2. or 3. most auncient credible witnesses that the bishop of man as he is héere defined is the very bishop of God also As for the 3. bishop of the Diuell let him go to the Diuell from whence he came We haue God be praised nought to do with him And howsoeuer our Br. might warble at the bishop if any were so euil a man that he might be called the Diuel himself as Christ called Iudas yet was his bishoprike of God We haue none to whome is giuen the summa potestas We acknowledge it to be only in Iesus Christ which is the only high bishop of our soules If he be the bishop of the Diuel to whom alone is giuen ouer other churches imperatoria dictatoria potestas an imperiall dictatorial power then be our bishops in England no bishops of the Diuel which haue no such most high imperial or dictatorly power Whosoeuer should so say of them should most manifestly slaunder them of whom a sclaunderer is that let the Etymology of the name Diabolus tel you As for our bishops they are of the number of those bishops of God Of whom this most reuerend man saith That the same were subiecte to Magistrates thoughe prophane appeareth not onely by the example of Christ the highest Prieste and of the Apostles but also by the expresse words of Paule 1. Tim. 2 Luke 12.13 and such God be praised bee our bishoppes and such were all these holy and auncient bishops that I haue mentioned Howbeit though the Pope may go in this crewe whether this definition suffice for all Popish Arch-bishops and Popish B I doubt mée of it For they haue no such highest power though they would But they are rather his slaues that hath it so it comes all to one reckoning for them so long as they like it and maintaine it in him and serue vnder him and as néere as they can or dare aspire to some part of his tyrannicall pride and diuelish vsurpation But God forbid that we shoulde so thinke when we cannot so say except we say amisse of any of our Reuerend Fathers bishops ouer vs that haue renounced him nor taken anie such power on them ouer either prince pastor or people in their gouernmēts But to annswere Danaeus with the iudgement of as reuerend and learned a man as is himselfe Let Danaeus his selfe aunswere himselfe what manner of superiority he alloweth in Bish. For writing vpō the 5. chapter of the 1. Tim. ver 22. Vnto whome the election of a pastor doth belong After hee hath taken it from prince from patrone from praelate neither yet that it perteyneth to all the Church alike whiche were to disturbe all thinges neither to anie one because none in the Church saue only Christe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gouernour by himselfe alone but of his arguments of election we shall sée God willing afterwarde at the length he saithe Neque eriam obstat c. Neither also doth this let it that the Bishop is of the fathers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 President as though hee onely might order the whole Church after his fancy and therein aduāce whome he pleased for that worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Praesident declareth onely an order that he which was called the Bishop ought to sitte among his colleagues and fellow Priestes or Elders but it giueth not vnto him a kingly or a chiefe and Pretor-like power vppon the Church Ambrose in lib. de dignitate Sacerdotum cap. 6. doth confirme that whiche wee saye If thine eye shal be simple thy whole bodie shal-be cleare that is If that the B. which deseued to rule the bodie be bewtified with holy simplicitie and innocēcie all the Church shineth with the brightnes of the light But if thy eie be euil c. That is if the B. which seemed to giue light to the body subiect to him be shadowed with the blindnesse of wicked behauiour what shal the other mēbers do that are bereft the light of the eies That is to say what shall the seculer multitude do whē with vnlawfull actions forbiddē the B. shal prouoke the
multitude to the like gulf of mischiefs For what other thing should a B. be interpreted to be but an Ouerseer chiesly when he siateth in a higher seate in the Ch. and so looketh vpon al that the eies of all may looke on him So that héere at least the bishop is made a Praesident that sitteth though among them yet higher then all his fellowes And is this sitting higher onely to looke on them or this beholding and looking on them for no gouerning of them But let Ambrose tell his whole meaning who after he had highly commended the honor and dignity of the high calling both of Bishop and Prieste both aboue the prince and people in his spirituall function cap. 2. and shewed the daunger if their life were not aunswerable thereunto cap. 3. Therefore brethren saith he vnto the Bishops Priestes vnder him as the Roab setteth forth the Senator as the tillage the Husbandman as the Barbarian his armour as the skill of sayling the shipman and the qualitye of euerye Artificers worke declareth the Authors So nothing betokeneth a Bishop but a bishoplie worke That he might be knowne rather by his good worke than by his profession and more to be a Bishop by his wel deseruings than by the name whereby he is so called For as wee haue saide there is nothing more excellent then a Bishopp so nothing is more wretched if the Bishop be in hazard of his holy life And as it is lighter to runne on the plaine so is it more heauye when one falleth from highe dignitie For the ruine that is from an high is frushed with the more waighty fall Indeed the bishoply honor before men is renowmed but if it sustaine a fall it is a great griefe For how much the degree of a bishoppe is higher than others so much the more greeuous is the fall if that by negligence he should slippe A great height muste haue great heede The greater honor must be enuironed with the greater circumspection To whome more is of trust committed of him as it is written is more demaunded For the thinges that are mingled are with the worste And in an other place The mightie shall suffer more mighty tormentes And to him that knoweth the Lawe and doeth it not the sinne is heighnous And the seruaunt that knoweth the will of the Lorde if he shall not doo it shall bee muche beaten For it is another thing that God requireth of a bish and another that of a prieste and another that of a Deacon and another that of a Clerke and another that of a laie man either else of euery singuler man And albeit GOD shall examine in his iudgement the workes of all men yet shall more bee required for of him to whome more is committed For he shall suffer greater punishmentes to whome a cure hauing greater multitude of people to bee gouerned shal bee committed Thus muche saith Ambrose in that Chap. of this matter not onelye for the honor and charge of a bishoppe more than other but also of the seuerall and distinct degrées of bishoppe of priest of Deacon of Clerke and of the Laye people In the Chapter following hee describeth thė properties of a bishoppe out of S. Paule to Timothye And in the◠1. Chap. he inueigheth most against the Arch-bi in his time that made bishops for money and the bishops also for money made priests Deacons All which as it sheweth their abuses so it necessarilie inferreth both their degrées and also their dignities to bee different and euen confuteth that that Danaeus in the same place principally defendeth Last of all S. Ambrose commeth to this sentence by Danaeus cited For thou art called of all men a Bishop without doubting Especially when thou art esteemed by the very name if so be that the action agree to the name and the name associate it selfe vnto the action For what other thing doth he interprete Bishop but an ouer-looker vpon chiefly whē he sitteth in a higher seate and so looketh upon all men that the eyes of all men also do looke on him This is in very déede both the sentence and meaning of S. Ambrose that he is set in a higher seate than other in the Church because of his higher dignity in the Church And that his action should so aunswere to his name that as he ouerlooketh whereon he hath his name so should he ouer-rule them in the discipline of the church And therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a president or one that sitteth highest as Hierome confesseth in his epistle ad Euagrium For also at Alexandria from Marke the Euangeliste vnto Heraclas and Dionysius Bishops the Priestes doe alwaies take one chosen among them-selues whome being placed in a higher degree they called the Bishop Whereby withall it manifestly appeareth that this Bishop of man as they tearme him is of good antiquitie euen from Marke the Euangelist and so an Ecclesiasticall Bishop so that if he could pleade for his higher chayre no better title but onely so faire a prescription from S Marke mée thinketh he should be delt too hardly withall to be turned out now Neither was this first begunne at Alexandria from S. Marke There is yet a more auncient recorde than Ieromes testimonie For saith Eusebius lib 7 cap. 15. To conclude also the Chayre of Iames who was euen of our Sauiour himselfe and of the Apostles in Ierusalem elected the first Bishop in the earth whom bookes do note to be the brother of the Lord is yet to this day there kept And in the same chayre do all they sitte which vntill this present time do enioy the sacred Priesthood of that Seate It is kept therefore with great diligence as a memory of holinesse deliuered from the auncestors and is had in due reuerence either in pretence of the antiquity or of the first sanctification of the sacred Priesthoode Neither doth Eusebius write this of the common estimation of the people and his owne assertion whereof he also spake before libro secundo cap. 2◠That vnto Iames an Episcopall seate in Ierusalem was geuen of the Apostles but also cited out of Clemens which likewise he ha◠done more at large before lib. 2. cap. 1. and hee addeth for furder confirmation héereof saying But Egesippus which was straightwayes after the very first successions of the Apostles with more assured searche rehearseth of him in the fifte booke of his commentaries after these woordes Iames sayth hee the brother of the Lorde who of all men was called the Iuste receaued with the Apostles the Church who endured from the verie times of the Lorde vntill our dayes And so at large Egesippus declareth the maner of his Martyrdome and in conclusion sayth These thinges more at large but agreeable vnto Clement hath Egesippus recorded that Iames was so meruelous a man and among all men so highlie thought of in the obseruing of all righteousnesse that all that were wise among
the Iewes beleeued that this was the cause of the siege of Ierusalem foorth-with following that they had againe on him layde their wicked handes And that Iosephus did thinke euen so hee euidentlie declareth by these woordes all which thinges sayth hee hapned to the Iewes for the reuenge of Iames the Iuste which was the brother of Iesus that is called Christe whome they killed beeing by the confession of all men the most righteous and most holy man So that this Bishop which Danaeus calleth the Bishoppe of man and his Episcopall chayre wherein he sate among his fellowe Brethren and thereupon was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the president of them is of man indéede but of such men euen of the holie Apostles of Iesus Christe that we must néedes confesse it is of God also Except wee will disavowe the Apostles doinges of the same or call in question the credite of these Historiographers that were so néere and as it were euen in their times which doe auowe it of them But nowe that we haue hearde Danaeus iudgement let vs heare also the iudgement of this most reuerende and learned man from beyonde the seas that is nowe ariued in Englande For we Englishmen loue manie times to heare of newes beyond-sea where in sooth are manie most reuerend and learned men and it is good to heare the iudgments of them to sée if they agrée with these mens iudgementes For if he be neuer so much most reuerende and learned a man yet I perceaue héereby hée is but a man and so is the Bishop of man as well as he And wee haue heard for this one mans iudgement the iudgement alreadie of a great manie moe and that as reuerende and as learned men as this one most reuerend and learned man who so euer he be But is he not some Archbishop himselfe For this stile most Reuerend sauoreth much that waies if the stile of Archbishops be not by you misliked for that hee is called a most reuerende Father and your stile is to be well allowed of that calleth him but a most reuerende and learned man But as we haue heard other most reuerende and learned men from beyond the seas also and from the most famous partes of all the worlde and all of so manie hundred yeares before our times yea and before the vsurpation of the Pope so let vs now heare also the iudgement of this most reuerende and learned man and conferre it with the other and with the best learned euen of our Brethren themselues and so returne to procéede vppon our Learned Discourse The Bishop that is of man saith this most reuerend learned man that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God is a certaine power giuen to one certaine Pastor aboue his other fellowes yet limited with certaine orders or rules prouided against tyrannie In this definition of the B. of man made here by the iudgment of this most reuerend and learned man except in the partie himself that is here defined I sée as yet in my simple vnlearned iudgement no great matter to be misliked in him or cause that he should mislike in the B. of man Saue that here me thinkes he defines an other B. of man then we defend or know of to be among vs. And this is principally to be marked that definitum definitio doe so agrée that whatsoeuer is spoken of the partie defined be aunswerable to the definition of him and whatsoeuer is put in the definition be in all pointes answerable and neither more nor lesse than is proper to the partie that is defined or else it is no good definition of the partie For here concerning the B. of man are adioyned these words that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God Where here this most reuerend and learned man taketh on him to define such a B we take not vpon vs to defende or maintaine such a Bishop as is brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man For the alone wisedome of man is méere foolishnes before God Yea sayth S. Paule 1. Cor. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisedome of the spirite is life and peace because the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeede can be But it is such wisedome as S. Iames speaketh of earthly sensuall and diuelish Iac. 3. while therefore this most reuerend and learned man speaketh héere distinctly of the B. of man from the Bishop of God he confoundeth him with the B. of the Diuell For what is the alone wisedome of man without the wisdom of God but the very wisdome of the diuel For when man would be wise without God he became a foole lost the Image of God and was deformed with the image of the diuell till by the liuely character of Gods expresse Image Iesus Christ the Image of God was renewed in him And if he do any thing of himselfe without the wisdome of God which is Iesus Christ though in some respect it may be said his owne yet it is the Deuils from whō all sinne first came So that here this triple distinction is confounded neither indéed can it well be maintained that he saith we must needes make 3. Bishops There is neither need nor truth in this distinction and sauing the reuerence of euerie reuerend and learned man it is but a captious distinction Where with séeing they dare not for very shame nor indéede can condemne all these holy fathers that mainteined it as mainteining a B. of the deuill they turne that cunningly to the Papistes that are the open aduersaries and deuise a meane betwixt Gods Bishops the diuels and that for sooth is the B. of man Wherein good simple men or rather well wéening fooles brought in a B. of their only or alone wisedome that for sooth is not the diuels B. but whose is he then Is there halting here betwixt God Baal and a meane betwéene Christ and Beliall Was not Saules alone wisedome without God witchcraft And is not witchcraft of the diuel Doth not Christ say he that gathereth not with me is against me And is not he that is against Christ with the deuill Why then do ye séeke out these figges leaues not plainly say if ye can so say if ye dare so say that this Bishop which all these holie fathers did acknowledge was the diuels B if ye say it was the diuels B I pray you looke vpon the fathers a little better that brought this B. in into the Church And marke whether they looke not like Gods childrē yea the notable excellent most reuerend most learned saints of God manie of them And would all these set vp such an Idoll puppet as the diuels B. to be gouernour
ouer-seer of Gods Church and many of them be such their selues If ye say it was not the diuels Bishop For he was not yet come but that as Beza and Danaeus saye hee made notwithstanding a way for the diuels Bishop to followe after The reuerence still reserued of so learned and reuerende men I dare not thinke so hardelie of them For what is that but to be the diuels Bishops gentle-men vshers preparers and fore-runners of his Antichriste And so all comes to one they were all the diuels Bishops saue that the lesse hurtfull diuels went before and the more perillous diuels came after But all of them diuels incarnate and no better then the diuels Bishops But God forbid that euer we should so say or thinke of them It is no charitable iudgement of any be he neuer so reuerende and learned man vpon so manie holie auncient as good and perhaps better Bishops of God then is himselfe But if to mollifie all this he will defende this part of his distinction they are of man but not of the diuell thē let him put out these words brought in by the alone wisedome of man yea then let him confesse for in the end he shall be driuen vnto it that this B. of man is euen the very B. of God also If he say it can not be the B. of God because it is besides the expresse worde of God that which is included can not well bee called besides but within And then who séeth not that if it were so besides yet that is no barre if it be not debarred by the expresse worde of God but be eyther of necessarie consequence included or a matter left at libertie and not expressed Neither is this any whit enclining to the errors of the Popish Bishops of the diuell that would bring in anie doctrines of diuels or diuelish traditions of man into the Church of God besides that is without and against the Scripture For if the Papists can prooue any of those thinges though not expressed yet of necessarie consequence included in the scripture we refuse them then had they matter indéede to be iustly offended with vs. But where their doctrines and traditions which we refuse are such as are neither expressed nor included in Gods word what are they but in effect against it Prooue this Bishop that ye call of man to be of that stampe and then indéede Out on him yea and out with him He is then of man I graunt but he is of the Diuell also and we will God willing with you renounce and defie him But as for those holie auncient Fathers they brought in no other Bishop but such as had good warrant both inclusiue and also expresse in Gods word And we haue none I hope nor defende anie but that accordeth with these holie Fathers and is not onely of man but of God also And as we say thus for the partie defined so for the definition that this Bishop of man is a certaine power giuen to one certaine Pastor aboue his other fellowes yet limited with certaine orders or rules prouided against tyrannie That the partie to whom power is giuen may be called figuratiuely the power it selfe is indéede in the expresse worde of God Rom. 13. Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers Now-beit for such a learned man in a definition to set down in the front of anie treatise to expresse the nature of a thing vpon the light and truth whereof all the treatise dependeth he should me thinkes auoide such figures speake plaine and not say a Bishop is a power giuen to a Pastor for this is rather a definition of the Bishops office then of the Bishop that enioyes it But because they be so néerely conioyned and haue relation one to the other let that goe And although this difference heere set downe that applyeth this definition to the partie defined bee so large that it stretcheth to other persons as well as to a Pastor and so conteyneth more than doth a Bishop yet let that goe too But doe ye thinke that a power limited with orders or rules prouided against tyrannie is not a good and lawefull power Or is such a power of the Diuell If all power that is indéede power be of God is not this much more of God and acceptable to him Yea but say you be it neuer so good yet the same to be giuen to one certaine Pastor aboue his fellowes that is the point this learned man denyeth Yea is that the matter And what if he himselfe or euer he turne the leafe in expresse wordes do say all thinges ought to be done orderly in the Lordes house and therefore that some one shoulde be president in euerie assemblie And can this bee doone with-out a certaine power bee giuen to one Pastor aboue his other fellowes Yea but that will hée saye is not giuen him to continue but for the continuaunce of the assemblie But this was lesse out of the definition and he was called simplie the Bishop of man that had a certaine power giuen to one certaine Pastor aboue his other fellowes yet limited with certaine orders or rules prouided against tyrannie So that hée that hath this power giuen him for a time of an assemblie is by this reckoning the Bishoppe of God And he that hath giuen him for longer time than an assemblie is the Bishop of man But I praye you haue me reuerentlie commended to this most reuerende and learned man and desire him to shewe mee this in the expresse worde of God For I feare not but that where-soeuer he shall finde the one I will hazarde to finde the consequence of the other And if this power may be giuen of man for a time it is not then I take it the difference of the power it selfe so much nor of the competencie of it to the persons as the difference of the time howe longer the person shall enioy this power that we contend for We agrée that such a power as is limited with certaine orders or rules prouided against tyranie is good and lawefull and of GOD. We agrée also that it may be giuen of man to a Pastor aboue his fellowe Pastors for a time and hee still remaine a Pastor and they still remayne therein his fellowes but in respect of this his limited power giuen him he is aboue them for the time Is nowe the limitation of time of the substance to make such difference and that before God But I doubt not if there bee no worse matter in the power it selfe wee shall easilie obtaine a little longer time than of a short assemblie that our Bishop of man being the man of God may be Bishop of GOD also and not so soone made a quondam and an-other placed in his Bishopricke Since be-it shorte or long there is no daunger at all of anie tyrannie in it But as hee limiteth him for the time so he addeth after this definition a limitation
how is it possible sithe that the order of byshops is the begetter of the Fathers For that order begetteth the fathers to the Church but the order of Priestes is not of ability to beget the fathers but begetteth sonnes to the Church by the regeneration of baptisme but not the fathers or Doctors And howe was it possible to ordeine a priest nor hauing imposition of handes for to elect or to say he is equall vnto a byshop But his trifling and his enuy deceiued the foresayde Aerius But he alleageth for his error and the error of them that harken to him that the Apostle writeth to the Priests and Deacons and writeth not to the Byshops and saith to the bishop despise not the gift that is in thee which thou haste receiued by the handes of the priesthoode or eldership and againe in another place he writeth to the Byshops and Deacons Therefore sayth hee a byshop and a priest is all one and he vnderstandeth not beeing ignoraunt of the consequence of the trueth and hath not read the moste profounde hystories that while as the preaching was new the holy Apostle wrote according to the occasion of the matter euen as it was For whereas byshops were ordeyned there he wrote to byshops and Deacons For the Apostles coulde not ordayne all thinges foorthwith for it was needeful to haue priests and deacons For by these two the ecclesiasticall thinges may be filled vp But whereas there was not founde any worthy of a byshoprike the place abode without a byshop but where as neede was and there were that were worthy of a byshoprick ther byshops were ordeyned But when as there was no multitude and there were not founde among them that should be ordeyned priests or elders there were they content with a bishop only ordayned in that place alone But it is impossible possible for the Byshop to be without a deacon And the Apostle prouided that Deacons should be made vnto the Byshop for the ministery Thus did the Church receiue the filling vp of the dispensation thus were the places furnished at this time for euery thing had not all thinges at the first beginning but in the processe of time those thinges were prouided for that are requisite to the perfection of things necessary Indeede Moses was sent into Aegipt as hath the olde Testament onely with a rodde but beeing sent of God when he should goe forth into Aegypt his brother Aaron was added to bee an helper vnto him and then after he had giuen his commission to his brother a senate was gathered to him and the princes of the people of that time And after these thinges the worke being corroborated and a company to followe him being gathered together hee passed through the sea and as yet thinges were not according to the Lawe till the Lorde called him into the mount and then he gaue him the foldinges or tables of the commaundementes and shewed vnto him howe he should build the tabernacle and promote Princes and Captaynes of tenne of fifty of hundreths and tribunes of the souldiers And thou seest howe thinges are enlarged Thou shalt doe all thinges sayth hee according to the forme shewed thee in the mount Sinai And thou seest how the cansticke hauing seuen lightes is added the vestiments reaching downe to the feete the preestely garments the belles the cloakes the little coats the capppes the miters the setting of the precious stones the Cuppes the morters the censers the Basons the Alters the dishes Masmaroth which are colanders Midicoth which are called gobbettes Mechonoth which are steps and whatsoeuer the Lawe reherseth Cherubins and other thinges The Arke of the Testament the staues the rings the tent the collars the skinnes died red the pottes and other thinges porters Trumpets cast and crooked golden and of siluer brasen and of horne and other thinges that the Lawe nameth diuers sacrifices and doctrines For whereas these things were not at the beginning did not these thinges therefore after the order was made put men to businesse and euen so those thinges that are written by the apostle vntill such time as the Church was enlarged vntill she came to her proper measure vntill she was most rightly gouerned with the ornature of vnderstanding by the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost And downe fell the saying of Aerius And that it cannot be all one the diuine saying of the Apostle teachet◠who is a Byshoppe and who is a priest or elder When as hee sayth to Timothy that was a Byshoppe Rebuke not a Prieste or an Elder but exhort him as a Father What shoulde a Byshoppe haue to doe not to reprooue a priest or elder if he hadde no power ouer a Priest or elder euen as hee sayth agayne Admitte no accusation lightlie against a preeste or elder evcept before two or three witnesses and hee sayde not to anie Prieste admitte no accusation againste a Byshoppe Neyther wrote hee to any Preeste that hee shoulde not chide a Byshop And thou seest that all the ruine of him that is shaken of the deuill is no small ruine These are the argumentes of Epiphanius agaynste Aerius on this matter Nowe let vs see howe This most reuerende and learned man doth aunswere the argumentes of Epiphanius Epiphanius sayth hee against the Arians defending the contrary opinion namelye the byshoppe ordeyned by man as ordeyned by God doth bring foorth three reasons to the contrary Two as it were out of the worde of God the thirde out of the historye of those times the first place is 1. Timothy 5.1 Rebuke not an elder c. It is straunge to sée howe these our Brethren vnder countenaunces and Titles forestalling the credite of moste reuerend and learned men woulde carry away the matter against these reuerend and learned aucient Fathers Yea and that againste the manifest worde of God And firste concerning this Father Epiphanius hath hee heere brought forth but three reasons If this moste reuerend and learned man him selfe in prosecuting Epiphanius reasons doe alleage more then three then blame him selfe for this so manifest an vntrueth Except hee will peraduenture salue it thus What though hee brought foorth threescore yet we may say hee brought foorth three And thinke yee wee may thus dally with these Fathers But as hee handleth the number of the Reasons so likewise hee proceedeth in the order of them Hee saythe the first place is 1. Timothy 5.1 If by the first place hee meaneth the firste reasonne that Epiphanius bringethe foorthe Epiphanius is moste playne to the contrarye and hee manifestlye inuerteth Epiphanius Order But lette vs take his aunsweres as it pleaseth him to aunswere them The first place is 1. Timothy 5.1 Rebuke not an Elder c. Whereby hee gathereth that Timothy had some authoritie ouer the Elders that is the pastors of the Church of Ephesus but be it spoken with the fauor of so worthy a man he should haue marked that here an elder is
called he that is such by age not hee that is a pastour which is declared by the opposition next following of yong men I deny not but that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place is aptlye and moste commonly vnderstoode in the naturall sense for Elders in respect of age But to denye that Epiphanius or any other maye not also apply it to Elder in office which on the Gréeke by contraction is called Priest is too hard a challenge of so worthy a man especially since he makes the key of his reason on the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying what should a byshop haue to do not to reprooue a priest or elder if hee had no power ouer a priest or elder And vnderstanding elder in his natural sence for elder in age as also yonger in age that Timothy shoulde not rebuke them doth not this presuppose that he had some power ouer them so to do if then Saint Paul anone after in the same chapter would haue Timothy openly reprooue them that sinne and there without all exception hee especially speaketh of the elders in office and pastors and this inferreth an authority that Timothy had ouer the pastorall elders whereby hee might or might not so rebuke or reprooue them howe then is not this reason that Epiphanius maketh a good reason That being forbidden to abuse it he had authority for to vse it and so therin had some power ouer them And that this may be applied not onely to the elder in age but also to the elder in office as Epiphanius sets downe the whole sentence rebuke not an elder but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exhort him as a father So Peter 1 Pet. 5 1. for this latter part vseth the same worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Elders to whome notwithstanding he was Superior that Paule prescribeth here to Timothy To conclude sithe Caluine and Beza both confesse that the 20. verse of this chapter is vnderstoode of those that are Elders in pastorall office what differeth it in effect from this sentence and howe holdeth not Epiphanius reason He might reproue pastors Ergo he had some authority ouer them and so one pastor had at that time a superior authoity ouer other his fellow pastors Another place saith this learned man is out of the same Epistle receyue not an accusation against an elder 1. Tim. 5.19 Whereby hee gathereth that the elders were subiect to the byshops and tribunall seate but who will graunte him that Timothy was bishoppe of Ephesus Epiphanius heere doth mention no tribunall seate at all nor gathereth his argument in this loose manner and me thinks by good reason and law of Logike if this learned man would deny Epiphanius reason he shoulde set downe his wordes and make some argument of them and deny or graunt or distinguish some part of the argument For yet at the least he did so before But now he letteth the argument go cleane away onely denyeth another assertion that Epiphanius had set downe before he made the former argument where onely speaking of Timothy that was sayth he a byshop These wordes this learned man catcheth vp for halting And as for the argument that Epiphanius gathereth on Saint Paules wordes to Timothy he medleth nothing with it Wherein me thinkes he goeth wiselie though not so learnedly to worke to slinke ◠awaye from the wordes of the argument and make as thoughe hee sawe them not For if hee had but looked on them hee shoulde playnelye haue seene howe fully they prooue the matter nowe in uestion those Pastors that haue authority giuen them to admit or not admit accusations made against other pastors are superior pastors or Byshops vnto them And on the contrary they that haue no such authority giuen them are not superior pastors But Timothie a pastor in Ephesus hath authority giuen him 1. Tim. 5. ver 19. to admit or not admit accusations made against other pastors and contrariwise the other pastors in Ephesus haue no such authority giuen them ouer him Ergo Timothy was a superior pastor in Ephesus ouer the other pastors That is to say their Byshop This being the effect of the argument this learned man denieth onely this that Timothy was Byshop of Ephesus But goe to let vs sée howe hee denies the same or prooues his deniall Who will graunt sayth hee that Timothy was Bishop of Ephesus Forsoothe that will I for any thing I sée yet Nay rather not who will but who can rightly deny or elude the force of this and other arguments that inferre it But sayth this most reuerend and learned man For the history will easily refell that which the fathers doe report as certaine And doe the Fathers then report it and that as certayne and doth this most reuerend and learned man so confidently aske who will grant it when he himselfe confesseth that the fathers graunt it and that as certayne Doe they report it as certayne and yet denie it or is the report that the reuerend and learned fathers make as certayne of so light regard with him this me thinkes be he neuer so much his selfe a most reuerend and learned man is a little too muche liking of his owne and too little estéeming of the learned fathers iudgements But what reason hath he why we should thus discredite the Fathers report and credite his For the history sayth he will easily refute it And what historie the history of the Actes by S. Luke recorded And did not the fathers know or did they reiect the credite of this history but let vs sée how the history will easily refell them For no man sayth he can deny that Timothy was one that accompanied Paule and therefore no Bishop assigned to any certayne place who was sent one while to this place another to that for the establishing of the Churches and finally that he was an Euangelist and not a byshop of any one certayne flocke I haue desired thee sayth hee to abyde at Ephesus whilest I went into Macedonia And why so namely to looke to the Churche which he had begun to establish vntill hee were called for agayne which he doth in the other epistle What and did the Apostle robbe the Ephesians of their Byshop without asking their Church at the leaste Surely when hee went last to Hierusalem neuer minding to returne to Ephesus eyther he woulde haue restored Timothy vnto them or the Ephesians woulde haue required him agayne of the Apostle when hee put them in mind of the great danger at hand or if another were to be put in his roome hee woulde haue made expresse mention in that his diuine Sermon but hee is sayde to haue sent for the elders onely and to haue warned them of the dutie belonging to them all To al this saue that which is inserted of his being euangelist I answere with the old rule distingue tempora concilias loca Distinguish the times
the worde of God and that the rule is false which concerning this matter doeth attribute it to the Apostles which may be shewed by the ordeyning of Timothy by the Eldership It séemeth that this Learned man accounteth all the reasons which he hath already alleaged out of Epiphanius to be no reasons Else how saith he here Nowe the reasons of the same Epiphanius are these c. But howe then saide he before that Epiphanius doth bring foorth three reasons two as it were out of Gods worde c. and when he hath alleaged them in the order afore sayde the first place is 1. Tim. 5.1 c. another place is out of the same Epistle c. and traueiled as wee haue heard to confute them then as though all this while he had yet alleaged or confuted no reason he commeth in saying Nowe the reasons of the same Epiphanius are these c. What reason is in this dealing especially of such a most reuerend and learned man But if these following are his onely reasons good reason he should report them right and not make them other than they be Bishops sayth he beget the Fathers of the Church but Elders the sonnes in as much as Bishops and not Elders ordayned Bishops Doth Epiphanius reason thus Or to this purpose His wordes are these To say that a Bishop and a Priest or Elder are equall howe is it possible For the order of Bishops is the begetter of the Fathers for it begetteth the Fathers of the Church But the order of Priestes or Elders is not able to beget the Fathers it begetteth the sonnes of the Church by the regeneration of the washing but not the Fathers or the Doctors And howe was it possible for a Prieste or Elder to obtaine not hauing the laying on of handes to elect Or to say that he is equall with a Bishop The plaine meaning here of Epiphanius is this the Bishops beget that is ordayne Pastors and ministers of the worde and Sacramentes which Pastors or Ministers hee calleth Fathers or Doctors of the Church But these Pastors or Ministers whom he calleth Fathers or Doctors being no Bishops doe not againe beget that is ordaine or make other Fathers or Doctors but doe onely sayth he begette the sonnes of the Church that is the faithfull people by preaching the word and baptizing of them the Bishops therefore hauing a further authoritie to wit of making ministers then haue the ministers whom they make howe iâ— the Bishops and the ministers authoritie equall This is indéede the truâ— meaning of Epiphanius his reason He that can doe more hath more power than he which onely can doe lesse But the Bishop can do more than the Priest or Elder can doe for the Bishop can make Priests and Elders which the Priestes or Elders can not doe Therefore the bishop hath more power than the Priest oâ— Elder that is no Bishop This being in effect the argument of Epiphanius this Learned man tourned all to this that Epiphanius should say Bishops beget the Fathers of the Church but Elders the sonnes in as much as Bishops and not Elders ordayned Bishops As though he spake onely of ordayning Bishops or by Fathers ment onely bishops and by sonnes Priestes or Elders of the Churche Whereas Epiphanius confesseth bishops and Priestes or Elders both of them to be Fathers and Doctors of the Church But in this behalfe of ordayning anie of these Fathers eyther Bishops or Priestes the Bishops had a prerogatiue aboue the Priestes and so their authoritie is notequall This is the verie argument and reason that Epiphanius maketh Nowe what saith our most Reuerende and learned man to this argument But what is this else saith he then to aske to haue that which is in question And why so Epiphanius here asketh nothing The question heere iâ— this Whether Bishops and Priestes be in dignitie and authoritie equall and all one Epiphanius proueth they be not by this argument They that be equall and all one in dignitie and authoritie the one can doe in all thinges as much as the other and not one more than the other But the Bishops can make Bishops Priestes which the Priests theÌ„selues can not doe therefore Bishops Priests are not equall and all one That the B. can or the Priest can not do this which is héere auouched this is not the question but dependes vpon it or else he could make indéede no reason If nowe this assertion be vntrue improue it and neuer say what is this else than to aske to haue that which is in question But go to now What reason hath this Learned man to improue it For it may be and ought to be answered that the Bishops tooke that authoritie vpon them without warrant of the worde of God I thinke it may be indéede thus aunswered of a man that would vnreuerently sclaunder hee cares not whome and aunswere contrarie to all truthe and learning but that it ought to be aunswered so of any man and especially of a most Reuerende and Learned man be it spoken with reuerence I thinke the cleane contrarie Did not this most reuerend and learned man himselfe graunt before but euen on the other side the lease that Timothie had the authoritie of the laying on of hands And what here was that but ordeyning Bishops Pastors Except therefore all those prooues be improoued that inferre Timothie was B. of Ephesus and this of Timothy conferred with Iames and Simeon after him at Ierusalem and Titus in Creta it is apparant that Bishops tooke not that authoritie vpon them without warrant of the worde of God But thiâ— that he sayth it may be and ought to be aunswered stayeth not héere for he addeth And that the rule is false which concerning this matter doth attribute it to the Apostles Here is a rule indéede for this matter of ordeyning ministers Did not the Apostles take vpon them the authoritie to ordaine Bishops and Elders Doth not S. Paule confesse that he tooke that authoritie on him The most reuerendes far more vnreuerend deniâ—ng the manifest scripture And is Gods worde it selfe also become a false rule which is the rule of truth that attributeth this matter to the Apostles What could the open aduersaries of the word of God haue spoken worse against the word of God And how now shall this be shewed that the worde of God doth not attribute this to the Apostles Which may be shewed sayth hée by the ordeyning of Timothie by the Eldership And haue we not hearde euen by Caluine the matter clearely and at large shewed that not onely the ordeyning of Timothie was doone by Paule alone but also that it was the common vse to bee doone by Paule alone And that this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eldershippe signifieth in that place not the Colledge Consistorie or companie of Elders but the office of the Elders Yea Beza also yéeldeth so
that the Church is kept by order and lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by lacke of order For which cause he hath instituted many also and diuerse orders of ministers not onely in times past in Israell but also after-wardes in the Church gathered together of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and also for the same cause hee hath left it free vnto the Churches that they might adde moe orders or not adde them so that the same may be done to aedification Whereas therefore when all the Ministers of the worde were called equally both Pastors and also Bishops also Priests or Elders and whereas they were of equall authoritie one afterwarde beganne to be preferred aboue all his Colleagues howbeit not as their Lorde but as the Rector in the vniuersitie aboue his other Colleagues to this man in principall the care of the whole Church was cōmitted whereupon and by a certaine kinde of Excellencie hee alone was accustomed to be called by the name of bishop and Pastor the residue of his fellow Ministers being contented with the name of Priests or Elders in so much that in euery City there began to be one onely Bishop and many Priestes or Elders This thing we iudge cannot be dissalowed Of which matter the declaration and the sentence of Ierome both otherwhere and also in the epistle to Euagrius and in the commentaries of the Epistle to Titus chap. 1. is of vs approued Who saith all this came rather of custome than of the verity of the Lordes disposing that the plants of dissensions of schismes might be taken away Verily by this reason those things also that were ordeyned concerning Arch-bishops yea and of the 4. Patriarkes euen before the Nicene Councell it selfe wee thinke may be excused and defended although that all thinges in successe of time afterwardes were drawen awaye vnto the greatest tyrannie and ambition which is the cause why that the neerer wee approche in those orders to the Apostolicall simplicitie so muche the more is it also of vs allowed And we iudge that euery where they should endeuour to approch thereto Nowe when Zanchius hath added certaine other Aphorismes concerning the Church and the lawfull Ministers thereof he setteth downe Aphorism 20. their authoritie saying We beleeue also that great authoritie is of Christe giuen vnto the lawfull Ministers to wit to performe those thinges whereunto also they are called to preach the Gospell to interprete the holy scriptures according to the analogie of the faith to catechise to teach the people what is the will of God to reprooue and rebuke as well the great as the small to remitte or reteyne sinnes ministerially to binde the impenitent and to loose the repentant to administer also the Sacraments which Christ instituted and according to his manner deliuered to exercise Discipline after the prescription of Christe and also by the expounding of the Apostles to conclude to all those things also which though they be not expressed in the holy scriptures notwithstanding do appertaine to order and to comlinesse and make to edification but not to destruction according to the generall rule deliuered of the Apostle That all thinges ought to be doone in order decently and to aedification For neither doe we beleeue that any authoritie is giuen to the ministers that ought to be stretched beyonde the boundes of Gods worde or vnto anie other ende than to the aedification of the Church And therefore we vtterly deny that any Bishop yea or that all of them together haue authoritie of ordeyning any thing contrarie to the scriptures of adding any thing vnto them or of takeing any thing from them of making newe articles of the faith of instituting new Sacramentes of bringing into the Church new worships of setting forth lawes that should bind the consciences and that should be made equall in authoritie to the lawe of God or of hauing dominion in the Church and consciences of the faithfull of forbidding those thinges that God hath graunted and would haue to bee free Or finally of commanding any thing that is without the worde of God as though it were necessarie to saluation sithe that it can not truely be sayde that indeede the whole Church hath not this authoritie Hauing thus in euery particuler set downe and limited the authoritie of the lawefull Ministers of the Church according to the worde of God he procéedeth Aphorisme 21. vnto this that the politike authoritie of Bishops which also are Princes is not to be denied for any thing before restrayned In the meane season we denie not that Bishops which with-all are also Princes besides the authoritie Ecclesiasticall should also haue their lawes politike and powers seculer yea euen as the rest of Princes haue the right of the commaunding seculer thinges the right of the sworde some of them the right of Electing and confirming kinges and Emperours and of ordeyning and administring other politike thinges and of compelling the people subiecte vnto them to yeelde them obedience and there-upon we confesse that vnto their politike commaundementes which with-out the transgression of Gods lawe may be kept their subiectes ought to obey not onely for feare but also for conscience For we knowe that all power is of God and who-so-euer resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God And that moreouer kinges are to be honored and we ought to be subiect to Princes and Lords in all feare not onely to those that are courteous and modest but also to the froward and wicked To conclude when he commeth to Ecclesiast Discipline which Aphorisme 36. he deuideth into popular and clericall in the 3. part of the clericall discipline Aphorisme 38. he saith The third is that they should promise peculiar obedience in things that are honest vnto their Bishop and to the Metropolitane of the Bishops Nowe although by all these Aphorismes of this excellent Learned man and great light of our age Zanchius it is most apparant what his Iudgement is of the superioritie of Bishops and with what reasons he prooueth and confirmeth the same to be in all pointes agréeable to Gods worde Yet for the further confirmation of these thinges and to satisfie all suche as shoulde or did mislike anie thing conteyned in them let vs also not thinke it tedious to peruse certaine other obseruations that he hath lastly adioyned to these Aphorismes in the foresaid confession of the faith with the preface of his reasons for the same The obseruations of the same Zanchius vpon his confession Neither fewe nor light are the causes with the which I was drawen that I had leauer adde these obseruations to my confession apart by thē selues than to alter any thing therein There are not a fewe vnto whom it is knowen on what occasion at what time by whose commaundement in whose name and to what ends I being indeede vnwilling and compelled wrote the summe of the Christian Religion But although ech man seeth that this
attempted to take vpon him Of which contention very many Epistles among the Epistles of S. Gregory lib. 5.6.7 are extant At the length vnder Phocas the Romayne obteyned this Title of the vniuersall Bishop Which title by little and little the bishops of this sea began more to abuse vntil vpon occasion first by the diuision of the Empire vnder Charles the greate afterwards by the discordes of Princes and nations whereby they brake the power of the Emperor of the West and of other kings They haue lift vp themselues into that Anti-Christian power whereof now they vaunt hauing firste oppressed the power of the Bishops and then also of the kings and Emperoures Thus therefore hath Sathan ouerthrowne all the healthfull obedience gouernment of the clerical order For the Romaine Antichriste hath taken an immediate Empire vnto himselfe ouer all the Cleargy and also ouer the Laity hath dissolued the custody of the Bishops when they were good and their care towards those that were commended to their truste But because it is altogether necessary that euery of the Clerkes should haue their proper keepers and carers for them the power and authority as of Bishops so also of Archdeacons and of all other by what meanes soeuer they be esteemed vnto whome any portion of keeping and gouerning the Cleargie is committed is to be restoared and also their vigilancy and heedfull regarde or correction leaste any should bee at all in this order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnkept Thus farre Bucer not onelye faithfully reciting but also praysing the custome of the auncient church in diuers orders of Ecclesiastical functions to be ordeined of the which we haue before spoken Moreouer I ought also to haue had consideration of those churches which although they haue embraced the Gospel notwithwanding both in matter and in name they haue retayned their Bishops and Archbish. Besides that in the Churches also of the Protestants there want not in very deede Bishops and Archbishops whome hauing chaunged their good Greeke names into euill Latine names they call Superindentes and generall Superindentes but where also they neither obteine these old good Greeke names neither these newe euill Latine names euen there notwithstanding some principals or chiefe are wont to bee vnto whome almost al the authority doth belong Poynting out as it should séeme to Geneua c. The controuersie therefore should haue beene of names but whenas we agree cōcerning the matters what do we brawle concerning the names In the meane season euen as I haue not dissallowed the Fathers in that matter whereuppon the quaestion is so can I not but loue our mens zeale Who haue therefore hated the names bicause they feare least with the names the olde ambition also and the tyrannye with the ruine and desolation of the Churches might be called againe Thus reuerently writeth Zanchius of these Ecclesiasticall orders of this superiority of Bishops and Arch-bishops yea and of the Patriarkes also before the pride and tiranny of Antichriste came and that it came not by these orders and dignities but by the ambitious breaking and violating of them and he neither disalloweth but highly commendeth these Fathers and these orders and dignities as good and necessary and nothing preiudiciall to the word of God nor condemneth the zeale of these our brethren though he shewe withall that albeit they shunne and hate the name of Bishop and Archbishop yet they haue the matter and retain still such principall or chiefe ministers among them to whom almost all the authority doth belong Now as hee hath thus at large defended and confirmed his 10. 11. Aphorismes so comming to the 12. he proceedeth against the ambition tyrannie of the Pope to shew that none of al these orders and dignities no not of the Patriarkes were any occasion therunto saying For neither Christe ordeyned such an head neither the auncient Fathers would admit it bicause it was not expedient for the Churche But they were contented with 4. Patriarks the Romain the Cōstantinopolitane the Alexandrine and the Antiochien who all of them should be of equall authority and power and ech one should bee content with his owne bowndes euen as it was defyned in the Nicene Councell confirmed in others and that not without great waighty causes Of the which this in my iudgement is not the laste to wit leaste the dores should be opened vnto tyrannie in the Church but rather that if one should dare to attempt any thing contrarye to the sownde doctrine of Christ and contrary to the liberty of the Church The other Arch-bish being of no lesse authority with their bishops might oppose themselues and dawnt his boldnes breake his tyrannie The Church in respecte of Christe is a kingdome In respect of men that are in the same eyther do rule or be ruled it is a gouernment of the best persons This is Zanchius graue iudgement euen of these Patriarkes that if they had beene kept as they ought to haue béene and according to the good purpose of their institution they were so litle occasiōs to any popish pride or tyranny that they were the most especiall suppression of it and of al errors and factions in the Church and that it impeacheth nothing Christes kingdome And what hath Zanchius said héerein saue for the bare title of Hierarchie that Caluine himselfe doth not anow who saith Institut Chr. cap. 8. de Fide Sect. 54. But that al the particular Prouinces had one Arch-bishop among the Bishops and that in the Nicene Councell Patriarks were ordeyned that in order and dignity should be superiour to the Arch-bishop that thing appertayned to the conseruation of discipline Albeit in this disputation it can not be ouerpassed that these degrees therefore were chieflye instituted for this cause that if any thing should happen in any Church which coulde not be well dispatched of a few it should bee referred to a prouinciall Synode If the greatnesse and difficulty of the cause required also a greater discussing that Patriarkes were adhibited together with the Sinodes from the which there should be no appeale but a generall Councell The gouernment being thus constituted some called it an Hierarchie an holy gouernment or sacred principalitye by a name as seemeth to mee vnproper verily vnused in the Scriptures For the holy Ghost would take heede least any should dreame of principaiity or Domination when as the gouernment of the Church is treated vpon Howbeit if omitting the name we shall looke into the matter we shall find that the old Bishops would not faigneanother forme of gouerning the Church different from that which the Lord by his word prescribed Thus also doth Caluine his selfe confesse besides that which he before cōfessed And what shoulde wee then as Zanchius saide brawle about the name the matter whereof is thus of al these so excellent learneed men both the auncient Fathers and also the late or yet lyving moste
behaue themselues as the lawes of God and the godly ordinaunces of the Church and realme hath in that behalfe prouided And that those which forgetting their calling are puffed vp with anye ambitious desire of exercising Lordshippe shoulde bee repressed and if they haue any suche title or office shoulde exercise their Lordship in humility without ambition or pride But this simply debarreth not the exercise of all kinde of Lordship in any competent dignity reuerent title of honor and superiour authority which is the question but rather confirmeth it so to be exercised with painfull diligence and ready care without slouthfulnesse with hospitalitie loue of the flock without couetousnesse of lucre with modeste humility without ambitious desire of exercising Lordship We allow here this collection out of Peter that he eahorteth them to painfull diligence because â—hey were B or Ouerseers to a ready care bicause they were Pastors â—herefore should labour for loue of the flocke not for lucre like hyrelings to modest humility because their chiefe dignity in that they were Elders was to excell in godlines that they might bee an example to the flock All this likewise is true their excellencie in godlinesse is aboue al the excellencie in any dignity or Ecclesiastical honor that they can be exalted vnto but that that followeth which can-not be except they submit themselues and their liues to the common rule of other men is somewhat darkely and straungely spoken For if our brethren meane by this submission of themselues and their liues to the common rule of other men that they should haue no superior Ecclesiastical authority ouer other men but that all other men were aequal and alike in all Ecclesiastical gouernment vnto them or rather that the ouerseers of other men shoulde in their rule ouersight be vnder inferior to the rule and that also to the common rule of other men this were a manifest absurdity in al reason and a plaine contradiction to it selfe Neither did Peter or any of the Apostles so submit themselues neither were Timothy or Titus bidden by S. Paul so to submit themselues neither doth Peter here or any where els wil any Bish. Pastors or Elders so to do But for al their humulity of minde and diligâ—nce of body in teaching c. neuerthelesse to ouersee to commaund to rebuke to rule gouerne other men Ministers and all according to their place of calling and authority of God committed vnto them And they that thus do and embrace withall these most excellent vertues they should be sure to bee plentifully rewarded by him who only as here is truely said deserueth to be called the chiefe of all Elders Pastors Bishops Neither is there any at least that I know or I thinke that our Brethren can name except that man of sin the Pope which claimeth any such title to be called the chiefe of al Elders Pastors and Bishops sure I am none deserueth so to bee called As for any of our Arch-bishops whose dignitye as it conteyneth no such absolute either power or title so it stretcheth nothing néere to all or to halfe or to a quarter and but scarse to a handfull in comparison of all Elders Pastors and Bishops and is bownded onelye to this little corner and portion of the Church in the realme of England both they and all we still acknowledging this that our Lorde Iesus Christe only deserueth to be called and onely is indeede the chiefe of all Elders Pastors B. as heere is said And also if these wordes following bee likewise so absolutely generally vnderstood To whome only these honorable names of Archipresbyter Archiepiscopus Archipoimen and such like do properly agree we agree also that they agree only in that proper sense to him As Christ in an absolute vnderstanding of good saith Luc. 18. None is good but onely God And as S Paule saith to the Rom. 16. namely to Timothy 1. Tim â— â—7 To the King eternall immortall inuisible wise onely be honor glory for euer and euer And 1. Tim. 6 15- 16. speaking of the comming of the comming of our L Iesus Christ whome in his times he that blessed one and only Prince King of kings and Lord of lordâ— shall shew who only hath immortality c. And as the same our sauiour Christ willeth vs not to be called father or Maister For we haue one Father and Maister which is in heauen to whome onely these honorable titles do indeede properly agree speaking properlye of proper agreement in the fowrth and highest manner of propriety But if we make al these honorab titles so properly to agree vnto Christ that none of them may be vnderstood included or communicated to any of the Eccl. Politicall nor oeconomicall Ministers of Christe so that none at al may be called either good or King or Prince or Wise or Father or Maister by participation of any portion of the goodnes power wisdom fatherhoode Maistershippe c. of God as offices gifts or graces imparted to vs while we should hypocritically or zealously pretend to honour him and to séeke his only glory we should both vnthankfully indéede not acknowledge his goodnes and gratious giftes whiche recommende to vs the more glory in him and disobedientlie dishonor him in his ordinances and higher powers that he hath placed ouer vs. But where now doth God in this or any other expresse or inclusiue place of all the Scripture challenge to himself all these honorable names to agree onely and properly vnto him The honorable name that Saint Peter onely Heere ascribeth to Christe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cheefe or principall pastor Which Title I neuer hearde of any other that it was giuen vnto or taken vpon him As for Archipresbytor a principal priest or elder which tearme it is not in vse with vs nor Arch-priest as our aduersaries cal it bicause in the office of Priesthoode Eldership or Pastorship we acknowledge all to haue one office vnder the high-pastor of our soules and auncient of daies Iesus Christ. Onelie sith that the name Archbishop signifiing a chief or principall ouer-seer is no where in the Scrip. properly nor not properly applyed vnto him shall we dare to say as wee maye of some other peculiar titles and names of God Iehouah Omnipotent c. when as God now then of his goodnes vouchsafeth to coÌ„municat to some his especial Minist so honorab names belonging to himself Adonai Ellohim the name of the Lordes Christ or anoynted c. that these hon names Archipresbyter Archiepis do so only properly agree vnto Iesus Christ that none other in no other conditional sense may be called by them I thinke this can not wel be prooued by scripture nor any reason or argument will inferre it If we think this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Prince by contraction prefixed and in corporate to the other words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
being not so apt to admit such a superior title of dignity among the Pastors priests or pastoral Elders which are titles common to them al signifting rather the substance of the office than any quality of degree therein and substantia non dicitur secundum magis minus Which reason though it sufficeth vs to vse the title of the one not of the other because Arch-priest which indéed is lesser in respect of degeee is the greater or at leaste in both is al one in respect of the office or order of the Ministery and therefore wee vse it not yet for any thing héere alleaged by our brethren not only wée might vse it but euen the Papists might still vse the title of Archprieste as they do vnderstanding not the name Prieste for sacrificer For where our brethren say that the name of Archipresbyter or chiefe of Elders parteyneth to no mortall man neither they nor anie other except the Pope himselfe who said also he was the B. of Bishops did so vse the â—earme Archipresbyter in this sense thus indefinitely and in generall spoken as chiefe of Elders but as a chiefe person in some subalternall respectes among a certaine number and appointed companie of his brethren Priestes or Elders And so it may well appertaine to a mortall man yea to a man framed after our brethrens owne deuising to be a chiefe man among his brethren Elders for a time or for an action in the assemblie of them Yea in this restrainte they admit the name of Archbishoppe also And if as they say Episcopus and Presbyter bee all one then in that sense admitting Archbishop how far will they differ from admitting also the title of Archipresbyter but nowe let vs sée their argument against this title that is héere alleaged out of Peter The argument is this If any man coulde S. Peter that excellent and high Apostle might as well as any haue challenged that name Arch-elder But S. Peter durst not call himselfe other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellowe Elder no not when he sought authority to himselfe by that name to be bolde to exhorte the Elders of the Church Ergo No mortall man that is an Elder can or ought to dare to challenge that name Archipresbyter or to call himselfe other then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning héere our brethrens Maior in this argument wee gladlye allow it both that S. Peter was so excellent and high an Apostle and also that if any méere mortall man could he might as wel as any haue challenged that name But by the way because of these words more than I looked for had S. Peter in any respecte any superiority aboue his fellow Apostles Did he then excell the residue in any dignity or were not the residue as high as he but that he by an excellencie is heere saide to bee high more than all they Were not our brethren afrayed least by these speeches they might seeme to confirme the Papists opinion that S. Peter was the head of the Apostles yea diuerse of the Fathers cal S. Peter the Prince of the Apostles as doth Origen in his 17. homily vpon Luke and Cyprian lib. 1. Epist. 3. lib. 4. Epist. 9. that Peter was the foundation of the church and yet doth neither Origene allowe anie primacy of the B. of Rome or of the church of Rome from Peter And Cyprian De simplicitate Praelatorum saith The Lorde speaketh vnto Peter I saith he saie vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gates of Hel shall not ouercome it I will giue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the thinges that thou shalt binde vppon the earth shal be bounde also in heauen And to the same party after his resurrection he saith Feede my sheepe And although after his resurrection he gaue his power alike euen or aequall to all the Apostles and say As the Father sent mee so send I you also receaue ye the holy Ghoste If ye shall remit sins vnto anie they shal be remitted vnto him if you shall holde them they shal be holden Notwithstanding that he might make vnity manifest he by his authority did dispose the originall of the same vnity beginning from one Certeinlye this were the other Apostles also that Peter was endewed with like consorte both of honour and power but the beginning commeth from vnitie that the Churche mighte bee declared to bee one So then though the honor and power in respect of their office of Apostleship were aequall in them all and of like consort yet in this respect that in all numbers and orders there muste euer bee a beginning from one therein was Peter in the Apostles company the firste and cheefest And so is he called of the Euangelist Mat. 10.1 by the name of first Neither is he set down first for order only but also for some other preeminence depeÌ„dant thereon And therfore we may safely gather that Christ made a speciall choise of these 3. Apostles Peter Iames Iohn more than of al the residue Whereupon it should séeme that these 3. were as S. Paule noteth Gal. 2. esteemed as pillers seemed great among theÌ„ And though Iames had the prerogatiue of being made the B. of Ierusalem not Peter yet as it is very well said here by our brethren in respect of the felowship of the Ap. Peter not Iames was that excellent and high Apostle that excelled and surmounted all his fellowes as ring-leader and though not as head yet oftentimes as mouth of all the residue And could there be these differeÌ„ces degrees of excellency height and greatnes in this one fellowship of the Apostles the honor and power of like consort in the office of the Apostleship still remayning may there not be so among the Elders yet one to be B. and among the Bishops yet one be Archb. without the impeachement of the honor and of the power of like consort in the office of Eldership Bishoprike If one among them notwithstanding the equality of their Apostleship was and might be rightly called that excellent high Apostle why may not one likewise amoÌ„g the Elders not withstaÌ„ding the equality of their Eldership be indéede so be called that excellent and high Elder one B. among the B. that excelleÌ„t high Bishop But let this go as a scape by the way yea let S. Peter be neuer so excellent and high an Apostle yet say our brethren he durst not call himselfe other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow Elder No durst hâ— not so how then durst he euen at the first dashe and the very firste wordes of his Epistle call him selfe Peter the Apostle of Iesus Christ. lo héere he called himselfe other then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow Elder Yea but say they he durst not when he sought authority to himselfe by that name to be bold to
is a far vnlike and vnséemely spéeche for Protestant Minist to bestow vpon their brethren Minist in the Gospell True it is that by the Non residence of some Pastors and the pluralities graunted vnto them some Curates and Ministers of lesser giftes are maintayned and as I take it reason too For as we haue shewed out of Caluine the giftes of the Pastors being not alike there may well bee difference in them both of superiority of maintenance Which may accord also wel inough with the saying of the Apost The Elders that gouerne well especially in the work of the word are worthy of double honor And therfore if some more Learned pastors hauing also a greater gift of the spirit of gouernment haue moe parcels of the Churche of god to gouerne than other haue and thereupon are permitted in consideration of their greater labours in the word to do good in moe places and for their better prouision to haue other besides them and in their absences to attend continuallye to those congregations while their more fruitefull trauailes are other where emploied if these also by order of lawe and by authoritie of Magistracie bee prouided for and yet cannot bee permitted but by the lawe and magistrate so that it is not free to euerye one that liste but to choice and more able men and onelie to so good purposes and alwaies with sufficiēt prouisions for euerie place and person so permitted Is it lawfull for euerie or anie priuate subiect on this publike fashion to exclaime against it and also to inueigh against the Magistrates for maintaining of it But there is a mysterie in this thing more than euerie bodie wéeneth Pluralities and non residents are pretended which if they bee abused are not so maintained but that vpon proofe thereof they are punishable or to bée restrained or reuoked but other matters are shot at to wit the liuings of the Bishops of the Colledges or of anie that haue anie portions of the Church impropriated and allotted vnto them Howbeit our Brethren faile herein of their chiefe purpose for if all these were taken away yet may the power and superiour authoritie remaine though weakened when the liuing is gone and so al Pastors notwithstanding al these byouse deuises are not equall As for that our Brethren adde of the pretence of these thinges which they call grose corruptions of Pastorall office to omit the reconciliation of these sayings that as they may haue some honest pretence so they can haue no better pretence than had the exchangers of money the grasiers and poulterers to make a burse or shambles or a poultrie yea a den of theeues of the Temple of God which were indéede no honest pretences at al This is also too rough a censure of our Brethren so flatlie to condemne all the Magistrates and Ministers in the Church of GOD which in manner aforsayd permit these things to haue no better pretence nor conscience than these deadlie enimies of Christ had The Texts alleaged out of Matthew Marke and Iohn stande onelie on a ranke for a bare shew and proue nothing at all that these matters haue no better pretence and conscience than those grose corruptions of those wicked Iewes had And is this now that which our Brethren meant when they sayde euen the last sentence before they would rather praie to GOD to lighten their heartes than by anie long discourse to discouer their palpable darknesse Indéede Breuis oratio penetrat coelum But this short Prayer pearceth beyond all Gods forboad and this short discourse Si breuis grauis it were better be longer and be leuis Howbeit the burthen of it is but a faburthen of a foule mouth and of an heauie irkesome slander vnfit for our learned Brethren to haue vttered And yet not content therwith our brethren procéede and saie But especiallie while the whole office of a Pastor shall be thought to consist in reading onelie a prescript number of Psalmes and Chapters of the Scriptures with other appointed formes of praier and that hee may be allowed as a sufficient Pastor which dooth the things which a childe of ten yeeres olde may doe as well as hee so long shall wee neuer lacke vnlearned pastors ignorant and vngodlie people simonicall and sacrilegious patrones so long the building of Gods Church shall goe but slowlie forwarde Besides other superstitious fantasies mayntained in the peoples heartes which for shortnesse wee omitte to speake of Of what estimation reading hath béene accounted in the auncient and primitiue Church and the office of readers both of the Psalms and Chapters of the Scriptures we haue alreadie declared out of Zanchius citing Bucer at large for the same And how auncient and allowable appointed formes of Praier haue bene in the Church of God among al the holie Fathers are yet euen in those reformed Churches that are most now commended vnto vs of our Breth yea their selues also haue in print set down vnto vs appointed formes of Praier though with what warrant and authoritie they may prescribe and appoint formes of praier to their Prince and to the whole Church of Englande and reiect that which is by lawfull authoritie of the Prince and of all the states of the Realme and Church of Englande alreadie appointed I doe not yet knowe and faine woulde I learne how they are able to iustifie these dooings and how their owne prescribing vnto others their appointed formes of prayer and ministration of the Sacraments they hauing no sufficient authoritie therevnto dooth not much more confute themselues that controll other for prescribing appoynted formes of Prayer vnto them As for that they saie the whole office of a pastor shall bee thought to consist in reading these things I know none that saith or thinketh so or that hee may bee allowed as a sufficient pastor which dooth the things which a child of ten yeeres olde may doe as well as hee Who alloweth such a one for a sufficient Pastor And what are those things which a child of ten yeeres olde may doo as well as hee May a childe of tenne yeeres olde minister the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Lordes supper or pronounce the publike absolution to the people But they meane perhaps that such a childe may reade the appointed formes of prayers Psalmes and Chapters of the Scriptures as well as he Maie hee so in the publike Congregation and haue no lawfull calling therevnto And yet may hee doe it as well as hee that is lawfullie called If they meane onelie in the respect of his reading I easilie graunt it them that anye priuate man woman or childe although younger than tenne yeeres olde if his sight be quicke and his voice cleere he be wel enured to reading may both reade as well farre better than many an old Doctor yea than the most zealous and best learned Pastor in the world when his tongue foltreth or his eies waxe dim or age or
scriptures which are able to make thee skilfull concerning the saluation by the fayth which is in Christe Iesu. The whole scripture inspired from God is profitable to Doctrine to reprehension to correction to institution which is in righteousnesse that the man of God may bee perfect being perfectly enstructed to euery good worke 2. Tim. 3. And this wee confesse against the aduersaries of the scripture and with our Brethren that the diuine and Canonicall scripture as the onely rule that conteineth all thinges perfectly concerning fayth and the saluation which is in Iesus Christ to make the man of God perfect vnto all good workes but that the holy scripture is the onely rule whereby the Churche of God ought to bee gouerned vnderstanding by these wordes that the scripture hath set downe a perpetuall and generall rule of all the onely order of the Churches forme of externall gouernment as well as it hath of faith and of the morall part of mans actions and conuersation if we search the scrpture neuer so much neitheir we nor our brethrē shal euer find it For the church of God may safely admit according to the diuersities of the states thereof diuers formes and orders whereby it may be gouerned So that nothing be withall admitted preiudiciall to the Law to the Gospel that is to say neither against faith nor good manners as S. Austen termeth it Neither is all the Gouernment of the Church in the gouernment or authority of the pastor Bishop or Elder For the Christian Prince and ciuill Magistrate hath a gouernment of the Churche of God also and there be diuers approoued formes whereby princes and Magistrates gouerne the Church of God in the diuers parts and states thereof besides the ecclesiasticall gouernment of pastors And as for that heere our Brethren say the pastor Bishop or Elder hath no authority by himself separated from other These spéeches are spoken ambiguously It is true in one sense that neither pastor nor yet Bishop for I distinguish these tearmes that here are confusedly clapped together hath any authority by him selfe separated from other in the regiment of the Church but that he hath the same in common with all other in the church that bée of his calling and not like a pope as an A-per-se as though none other shoulde haue it but hee onely and all other from him Neither hath any pastor or Bishop or Elder any such authority by himselfe that can properly be sayd to be seperated from other For if it be seperated from other thē it hath no gouernment of thē nor dealing with thē Yea we graunt that whatsoeuer authority and Pastor or B. or elder hath it is the Churches authority because it is giuen vnto them that are the partes and members of the whole Church and to the Churches vse and profite As S. Paule sheweth Ephes. 4.11 c. Hee therefore gaue some to be Apostles other prophets other Euangelistes other pastors and Doctors to the growing together of the saints to the worke of the Ministery to the edification of the body of Christe And the Apostle 1. Cor. 12. after he hath shewed how the spirite of God giueth seperately his spirituall giftes saying vers 11. But all these worketh one and the self same spirite distributing priuately euen as hee will he addeth for as the body is one and hath many members but all the members of one body whē as they are many are one body so also Christe For by one spirite we are al baptised into one body whether Iewes or Grecians whether seruants or free and all haue drunke one drinke into one spirite For the body is not one member but many If the foote say I am not the hande I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body and if the eare saie I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therfore not of the body If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing If the whole were hearing where were the smelling But nowe hath God placed the members euery one separately in the body euen as he would But if all were one member where were the body but nowe there are many members and yet but one body Thus doth S. Paule reason from the resemblance and proportion of the naturall body and the regiment thereof to the misticall So that although what gift facultie power or gouernment soeuer they haue it is not so seperated from other by themselues that it hath no Community with the other nor is pertaining to them For it pertaineth to the whole in common as we say also in the schooles of the soule or life of man anima est tota in toto in qualibet parte The soule or life is whole in the whole body and in euery part But yet euery faculty and power of the soule and life is not in the whole body nor in euery part therof but in the member onely that is the proper organe to the same And so hath euery Bishop or pastorall Elder some authority by him-selfe in the regiment gouernment of the Church so separated from other that other which haue not the same office haue not the same authority So that the community in respect of the benefite barres not the separation in respect of the exercise of the authority and therefore faith S. Paule 1. Cor. 12.27 You are all of the body of Christe and members in part And some hath God ordeined in the Church first Apostles thē Prophetes thirdly Doctors then powers then the giftes of healing helpings gouernmentes kindes of tongues Are all Apostles are all prophets are all Doctors are all powers haue all the giftes of healing Doe all speake with tongs doe all interpret So that as in the first and second degrées heere mencioned the Apostles and Prophets had some power and authoritie in the regiment and gouernance of the Church by themselues separated from other so may we safelie conclude of the Doctors heere mencioned also by which name our Brethren doe here comprehend both Bishops and Pastors that they had some power and authoritie of regiment and gouernaunce in the Church by themselues separated from other in lyke manner And this manifestlie appeareth in their practise The Apostle Saint Paule by his Apostolicall authoritie in the Ecclesiasticall regiment and gouernance of the Church setteth downe in diuerse places diuerse rules some temporarie some perpetuall concerning orders rites and ceremonies of the Churches without anie ioynture of those Churches authorities to whom he inioyned them Yea without so much as asking anie counsel of them or deliberating with them And 1. Cor. 11.34 he saith in generall other things well I set in order when I come Hee saith not you and I together in ioynt authoritie and yet no doubt he had the ioynt consent compromitted to him before and declared after of all good men in al those ordinances that he had made or should make amongest
house hee drue awaie as many as hee was able And yet to shew further not onely that this order of Elders was aboue the Deacons but that of Deacons they were made Elders Sozomenus li. 1. cap. 14. saith Of these disputations Arius was the author an Elder of the Church of Alexandria which is in Aegypt Who although at the beginning he seemed very studious of the doctrine of Christ yet was hee a furtherance to Meletius attempting new matters Whos◠parts when he forsooke he was of Peter Bishop of Alexandria ordained Deacon And afterward of him cast out of the Church whē Peter deposed the fautors of Meletins and improued Baptisme This Arius inueighed grieuously against the Acts of Peter and could by no meanes bee quiet But when Peter had suffered martyrdome Arius crauing pardon of Achillas was not onely permitted to exercise his Deaconship but also was exalted to the degree of the Eldership Afterward Alexander had him in great estimation c. By this it may not onely appeare that the orders and Senates of Elders in such great Churches as these were Ministers of the worde but also were thereto promoted hauing before ben Deacons When therfore we reade in Socrates as in the restoring of Athanasius lib. 2. cap. 18. th◠Letters of the Emperour Constantinus directed vnto the Bishops and to the Elders of the Catholike Church saying Moreouer vnto the benefit bestowed on him this also we thought good to bee noted that all those that are inrolled into this holie number and companie of the Cleargie may vnderstand that securitie is giuen vnto all be they Bishoppes or bee they Clarkes that haue holden with him it argueth that there was indéed such a companie of Elders whom heere hée calleth Clearks but we cannot gather hereupon that they were such as ministred not at all the word and Sacraments but rather the contrarie For else if Athanasius the Bishop had beene the onely Minister of the word and Sacramente◠all the people of Alexandria had beene destitute of the worde and Sacramentes all the while of Athanasius banishment And to confirme this that these Elders about the Bishops had not onely the publike ministration of the word but also that some one or other of their number was appointed to heare the cōfessions of such as wer penitent and in token of their vnfained repentance to inioyne them to submit themselues to some bodilie chastisement which therevpon was called penance At that time saith Socrates li. 5. ca. 19. the Church thought good that the Elders which had the gouernment of the order of inioyning penitēce in euerie Church was takē awaie And that on this occasion frō the time wherein the Nouatians separated themselues from the Church refused to communicate with those which in the time of the persecution raised in the raigne of Decius had fallen the Bishops of the Churches added vnto the Canon that in euerie of the Churches there should bee one certain Elder which shuld be ouer the Penitencies to the end that those which after Baptisme were fallen should before the Elder appointed for that purpose confesse their offences This Canon as yet among other sects remaineth ratified and firme They onely which confesse the Father and the Sonne to be one in substance and the Nouatians that consent in faith with them reiected this Penitenciarie Elder The Nouatians would neuer from the beginning suffer this to be so much as a hanger by The bishops which now gouern the Churches althogh for a good space of time they haue held this institution notwithstāding in the times of the Bishop Nectarius they chaunged the same by reason of such an offence as then by chance was committed in the Church a certaine noble womā came vnto the Penitenciarie Elder confessing particularlie such faultes as after her Baptisme she had committed The Elder commaunded the woman that she should giue her selfe to fastings and to continuall praiers Wherby together with the acknowledgment of her sinnes shee shoulde declare a worke meete for her repentaunce The woman proceeding further in confessing accuseth her selfe of another fault and declareth that a Deacon had laine with her For the which offence by this meanes beeing made manifest the Deacon was driuen out of the Church and a tumult was made among the multitude of the people For they grudged not onelie against the offence committed but also for the note of the grieuous slaunder and reproch that thereby was raised on the Church Whē as therefore the sacred Priests were verie much euill spoken on for this cause Eudaemon a certaine Elder of the Church a Countrieman of Alexandria gaue counsell to the Bishoppe Nectarius to remoue the Penitenciarie Elder and to giue free power that euery one according to his own conscience should come to the participation of the mysteries For by that onelie meanes it should come to passe that the Church shoulde bee voide of all spot of infamie These things because sayth Socrates euen I my selfe had them of Eudaemon I doubted not plainly to commit them to this our historie In which wordes these Elders hauing this office among them which pertaineth especiallie to the ministration of the worde and all of them indifferentlie called Sacerdotes as well as Presbyteros it is againe apparaunt by Socrates whom◠Danaeus citeth that these Elders were not such as héere our Brethren doe conceiue or pretend but Ministers of the worde and Sacramentes which in the next Chapter saue one following doeth yet more fullie appeare Where Socrates shewing the diuersities in diuerse places concerning Easter daie Fasting Marriage Diuine Seruice and other Ecclesiasticall obseruation amongest other matters saith on this wise Moreouer I my selfe haue knowen another custome to haue growen in Thessalia that there he which is a Cleark if after he be made a Cleark he lie with his wife whom he married while hee was a laie man is deposed from his Cleargie Whereas all the famous Elders in the East yea the Bishops and all are by no lawe compelled to abstaine from their wiues except it please themfelues For euen while they gouerne their Bishoprikes not a few of them beget children of their lawfull wiues Hee that was the author of that custome in Thessalia was Heliodorus of Trica a citie of that region of whose making are the amorous bookes which hee composed when he was a young man and intituled them The Aethiopian historie hee meaneth that of Theagenes and Cariclea The same custome is kept also at Thessalonica and in Macedonia and in Hellas Besides this I haue knowen another custome in Thessalia to wit that they baptize in the dayes of the feast of Easter onely For which cause all of them except a very few die without baptisme The Church of Antioche in Syria is set contrarie to other Churches for the Altar or Communion table is not set Eastward but Westward In Hellas and at Hierusalem at Thefsalia the prayers are made while the candles are lighted after
the manner of the Nouatians that are at Constantinople In like manner at Caesarea of Cappadocia and in Cyprus the Elders and the Bishops expound the Scriptures euermore on Saterday and on Sonday at euening by candle light The Nouatians that are at Hellespont keepe not in all pointes the like manner as doo the Nouatians that are at Constantinople but for the more parte they followe the order of the chiefe Church among them To conclude in all the formes of religions sects you shall neuer finde two that in the maner of their praiers agree among themselues Furthermore at Alexandria an Elder preacheth not which custome hath had his beginning since the time that Arius disturbed the Church And here at length is noted where onely and vppon what occasion the Elders preached not Howbeit he saith not that heerevpon they were prohibited vtterlie the ministerie of the word and Sacramentes For as hee shewed before lib. 2. cap. 8. the verie Deacons out of whole order the Elders were made did saie the publike praiers before the people But this the Elders ceasing of preaching how long tiâ—e after Arius troubles it began at Alexandria how long time it continued he declareth not But in noting the same as such a strange and diuerse order different from al other Churches it declareth that it directly belonged to their office and that in al other Churches the Elders were such as were not prohibited to preach that they preached there also before that occasion did fall out And whereas as a little after hee citeth for not troubling the Church about indifferent things the decree made by the Apostles the Elders and the brethren Act 15.23 it appeareth that Socrates tooke also those Elders that are therâ— mencioned to be no other kinde of Elders than such as medled with teaching And so doth the verie text insinuate that those Elders were when it saith Act. 15.6 The Apostles and Elders came together to looke to this matter Which matter was a great controuersie in doctrine And Caluine himself saith tâ—ereon Luke saith not that the whole Church was gathered together but those that excelled in doctrine and iudgement they that by reason of their office were lawfull Iudges of this cause it may be that the disputation was holden before the people but least anie shoulde thinke that the people wer admitted indifferentlie to meddle in the cause Luke expresly nameth the Apostles and the Elders as those that were more fit to take notice therof And to shew further who these Elders were he saith on these words When there was great disputing when as the graue men and publike Doctors of the Church were chosen neither yet could they agree among themselues c. And to shew that these Elders in all other Churches werâ— still of thiâ—â—orte Socrates procéeding to his 6. booke chap. 2. telleth that when the Bishoprick of Constantinople was vacant by Nectarius decease which tooke awaie the penitenciarie Elder aforesayde and that they laboured much about the choosing of a Bishoppe and some sought one and some another for that office that they had consulted often thervpon at length it was thought good to call from Antioche for Iohn an Elder of Antioche For the fame of him was great that he was meete to teach them very skifull in the gift of vtterance And in the seuenth booke which Danaeus citeth cap. 2. speaking of Atticus which was afterward likewise made Bishoppe of Constantinople he saith When he first obtained the degree of the Presbyterie Priesthood or Eldership the Sermons which he recited in the Church he made them with great studie and conned word by word afterward by often vse and diligence getting more audacitie he beganne to preach ex tempore on the sodaine occasion and attained to a more popular manner of teaching And in the 5. Chapter he â—eâ—â—eth of Sabatius an Elder among the Nouatians preaching in his Sermon this false doctrine Cursed bee he who soeuer celebrateth the feast of Easter without vnleauened bread In the sixth Chapter be telleth of two Arian Elders preachers and interpreters of the Scriptures Besides that Chap. 16. hee telleth of three Elders Philip Proclus and Sisinius that â—tooâ—â—or the Bishoprike of Constantinople of which Sifinius by the desire of the people hee beeing an Elder not ordained in anie Church within the Citie but of Elea a suburbe of the Citie obtained the Bishoprike Wherby it appeareth also that these Elders had seueral Congregations and Churches in and about the Citie and were Ministers of the worde and Sacraments in them And although Proclus was afterward made Bishop of Cizicum whom the Citie would not receiue but chose onâ— Dalmatius a Monke and so Proclus went not thether but continued in preaching at Constantinople and afterward was made Bishoppe of that Citie after Maximianus which did leade a monasticall life yet by degree of dignitie he was an Elder So that these Presbyters Priestes or Elders were not as Danaeus supposeth a Senate or a Consistorie chosen from among the people assistant to the Bishop and much lesse to euerie Pastor as our Brethr. affirme gouerning onelie the discipline of the Church but not medling with teaching Socrates neuer speaketh of such kinde of Elders but simplie and plainely of such as we call Priests and our brethren call Pastors To conclude this no lesse appeareth in the last Capter saue two of all Socrates Historie euen in Paulus the Bishoppe of the Nouatians Who before his death calling together all the sacred Priestes of the Churches that were vnder him sayde vnto them Prouide yee while I am yet aliue that a Bishoppe may bee appointed vnto you When they aunswered The power of choosing the Bishoppe is not to bee permitted vnto vs. For saie they while one of vs thinketh this another that we shal neuer name one and the same man But wee desire that you woulde designe whome you would haue vs choose Deliuer me then sayd hee this your promise in writing that yee will choose him whom I will name vnto you Which writing beeing made and subscribed with their hande raising vp himselfe a little in his bedde he secretlie they that were present not priuie thereto wrote therein the name of Martian which was one that had obtained to the order of the Elders and therein had learned a rigorous kinde of life and at that time by chance was absent And when hee had sealed vp the writing and had brought the chiefe of the Elders to confirme the same also with their seales he deliuered it to c. I note this onelie that these Nouatians also which were a kinde of Praecisians in that antiquitie hauing for their precise austeritie of life cut off and diuided theÌ„selues from all other Churches albeit in substance and groundes of faith and doctrine not dissenting but in profession of more seuere discipline not onely had their Bishops in the chiefe Cities and many Elders vnder them but
example of goodnesse or humilitie but with all his indeuour onely seeking honours promiseth him-â—elfe witte and wisedome to springe out of his power Whereupon that of Demosthenes is true to atchiue a matter luckily besides woorthinesse is an occasion for fooles to imagine and thinke euill But our Basill as he is made a rule and example vnto other of his other vertues so also of a Priest and of the Ecclesiasticall ordination For euen froÌ„ the first swathing-bands of the Sacerdotall offices he grew vp by little and little in-so-much that hee disdayned not in anie wise to be made a Reader of the holie scriptures and then to bee made an interpreter and expounder of them euen as Dauid sayth Let those of the chayre of the Elders prayse the Lorde and so at length deserued he to be made a Bishop Which place he neuer at any time sought nor euer wished In which sentence we not onely sée the complaint of Gregorie howe many came to be Elders yea and Bishops also in those dayes as in all ages like corruptions and complaintes haue béene but especially it grewe then of the disordered and factions elections of the people so for the purpose nowe in hande we sée heereby that these Elders were the sacred Priestes whose office consisted not in gouerning only but with â—ll in the ministerie of the worde and Sacraments And how by degrees 〈◊〉 â—xâ—â—cising theÌ„selues in matters tending vnto teaching they attayned or ought to haue attained vnto this Eldership from thence such as excelled were or ought to haue béen promoted to be Bishops Except it fel out otherwisâ— by extraordinarie occasion in some rare and singular men as in Ambrose and Thalassius euen in Caesarea where Basil was Bishop c. and of other Elders than these here is no mention Nowe when Basil was thus ordeyned an Elder Gregorie sheweth how he exercised himselfe vnder Eusebius B. of Caesarea how he laboured against the Heretikes in exhorting and teaching of the people how hée sent for Gregorie to come helpe him And here Gregorie setteth downe Basils example vnto him For sayth he euen as Barnabas in times past was present with Paule to make manifest the trueth of the Gospell and common conflict of the faith so came I then vnto my Basil as his fellowe against his fight with the Arians Listen to the Epistle where-with he called me Make readie thy selfe haue regarde to deliuer me in this present conflict and with vs to meete them which desire vtterly to ouerthrowe vs whose boldnesse thou shalt bridle onely with thy countenaunce and shalt cause that they shall not make our matters goe to wracke and therefore all shall knowe howe thou onely by the grace of God dost gouerne our congregation and that thou shalt eâ—sily represse euery wicked mouth and the insolencie of them that speake against God But sayth Gregorie to returne my speech to my purpose Basill returning to Caesarea regarded nothing more than to pacifie Eusebius to the end that he might ouer-throw the Heresie and wholly to serue him and be ready at his hande in all those thinges that were of God that hee might make apparant to all men that all thinges which hee had suffred of him for Eusebius had béene heauie before vnto him proceeded from the instigation of the Diuell that the common enemies of the fayth might haue the greater aduauntage by their rageing as the Papistes get nowe by our Brethrens and our Bishops falling out though the Bishops doe all they can to pacifie them whereas Basilius laboured all that he could to pacifie his bishoppe but he when as he knewe very well the lawes of obedience and of a spirituall life hee was attendant on him in all thinges in hearing in consulting and in doing he employed his spirituall and diligent endeuour for the bishop And to say at one word he grewe as much into his fauour as before he seemed to be farre from it For which cause Eusebius helde indeede as bishop the chiefe place in the Church but Basill had the power of the Church and the authoritie The one fate in the chiefe dignitie the other went about all the businesse For there was a singular and wonderfull concorde betweene them The one helping the other and taking strength the one of the other the bishop growing strong by the counsell and wit of Basil and Basill by taking authoritie of the bishop To conclude the bishop had the people and he the bishop And euen as he that tameth a Lyon being inferiour in strength doth handle him gently and make him tame by a certaine arte by which meanes well neere he asswageth molifieth the violence and fiercenesse of the wilde beast so Basill the greate behaued himselfe about Eusebius For when he hauing ben of late a laie man and ignorant of Ecclesiasticall matters was exalted vnto this dignitie especially at the same time that the flame of Arius heresie did beare the swaie he was not fit inough for this burthen Wherevpon hee wanted Basil to be his guide and helper chieflie by whose vertue there was hope that the matters would haue prosperous and good successe And therefore it was not as some suppose that Basil was vnder the Emperor IuliaÌ„ but he was bishop after the death of Valens But wheÌ„ as he receiued the gouernmeÌ„t administration of the Church of Caesarea vnder the bishop Eusebius he appeased all discords hee remooued all priuie grudges he established their manners not onelie with his words and excellent Sermons that he vttered but also by the example of his life For hee endeauoured to helpe the people both with his spirite and his bodie with his body by labour and exercise careing for them by walking about euery waye by courteous behauiour and by helping theÌ„ with his riches spiritually by teaching by admonishing and by giuing to all men a measure and institutions of their life Thus doth Gregorie set foorth the ecclesiasticall gouernement of Basill and of his owne gouernement also being Elders vnder the bishopp in the Churche of Caesarea consisting as muche and more in teaching than in the correction and composing of manners and censures of discipline And that these were not distinct offices in the diuerse kindes of Elders but they medled with both together and both vnder the bishop â—nâ— hâ—wâ— God blesseâ— this ecclesiasticall gouernement vntill Basill him-selfe after the decease of Eusebius was made their bishop And then sayth Gregorie after hee had praysed Basill in this promotion â—s for mee all men thought when they hearde of his promotion that I would foorth-with departe he meaneth from the place where he then was and that I would goe to him and that I should haue equall power with him they knewe that there was such friendshippe and beneuolence betweene vs. But I when as I shunned enuie leaste I shoulde seeme to occupie the places of those that were neere him and with-all least they shoulde falsely iudge that Basil hauing
it or of the like vnto it but that the thing it selfe which they their selues woulde applie the wordes of Christe vnto were most different and cleane contrarie from the Seniors which vnder the name thereof they woulde erect nor their selues could pretend whatsoeuer they entend to haue the like erected which if they should they could not without the great alteration manifest danger of all Christian Princes estates and gouernments and of all their Lawes Policies and Common-weales what shall we then thiâ—â—e not so much of the great ouershooting of our Brethren as of the full stay â—nd resolution of our selues from all these deuices and casting thus about to séeke some ground and warrant for these Seniors And first for Christes wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tel the Church Héere he plainlie speaketh of the Church but of no Synedrion or Sanedrin nor anie of the auncient Fathers that I can finde dâ—â— so expound his wordes or gather any such meaning of them Chrysostome saith Tel the Church that is to say the Bishops and Presidents but of Sanedrim or Consistorie he maketh no mention Neither said he saith Chrysostome vnto the Bishop binde this man with bondes but if thou shalt binde him Hierome vpon these wordes But if he wil not heare the Church saith Hee giueth power vnto the Apostles that they which are condemned of such might knowe that the sentence of man is confirmed by the sentence of God Hilarie indéede maketh an allusion of this word the Church vnto the comming of Christe but not to anie Sanedrin or Senate but rather contrarie in ascribing the keyes to the Apostles Theophilact expoundeth it as dooth Chrysostome and as for the Churches excommunication he thinketh Christe speaketh not of it but onely saith If thou saith he being offended holdest him which hath done thee iniurie as a Publicane and Heathen hee shall bee so holden also in heauen but if thou losest him that is if thou forgiuest him it shall be also forgiuen him in heauen For not onely those thinges that the Priestes doo lose are losed but whatsoeuer we also being iniured shall either binde or lose the same shall be also bound or losed So that he applieth this either to the Priests action or to the priuate partie iniured The olde Glosse expoundeth it thus Tell the Church that is the whole Church that he may sustein the greater shame As for the late Writers Vatablus expoundeth these wordes Tell the Church that is the assemblie or publike Congregation or the multitude And so saith Aretius The third degree hath a prouocation to the whole Church that is vnto the assemblie of the faithfull whereof ye are members But the Church is the assemblie of the faithfull wherin the word of Christ and the Sacraments are rightlie administred This forme afterward the Apostles followed 1. Cor. 5.2 Cor. 2. But neither of those Epistles neither that matter was written to any chosen Consistorie but to the whole multitude Munsterus saith Dic Ecclesiae Let his frowardnesse be shewed to the Church And if he shal not heare the Church being warned of manie let him be holden of them as an Ethnicke and a a Publicane And whatsoeuer they shall so binde shall be holden bound in heauen that is whome they hauing so warned shall haue cast out of their companie they also shall bee holden cast out before the Father and againe whom they shall lose and receiue being penitent into their Companie that shal be ratified with the Father Of this power of binding and losing that is of thrusting out of the Church and receauing into the same we haue said somwhat before ca. 16. Where also he sayd But for that which followeth of the keies it hath this sense By the kingdome of heauen is vnderstood the Church of Christ and this is opened by the key of Gods word But the kingdom of heauen is opened to the beleeuers that is forgiuenes of sinnes and eternall life is promised by the word of God And this is to forgiue sinnes as contrariwise to them that beleeue not the key of heauen is shut by the word that is remission of sinnes is denounced So that all this excomm is referred to the denouncing of the Minister of the word and this execution of thrusting out to the Church And so saith Bucer But and if he shall contemne this let the frowardnesse of this man sinning and not willing to repent be shewed to the Church that hee may the third time be admonished of the whole companie among whom he is conuersant But Caluine expoundeth these words Tell the Church farre otherwise Quaeritur quid per nomen Ecclesia intelligat c. It is demanded saith he what he meaneth by the name of the Church For Paule commandeth it not of any chosen nuÌ„ber but of the whole assembly of the faithfull to excommunicate the incestuous Corinthian 1. Cor. 5. b. 6. And therefore it may probably seeme that the iudgement heere is referred to the whole people But because as yet there was no Church which had giuen her name to Christ nor any such manner appointed but the L. himselfe speaketh according to the vsuall and receaued custome there is no doubt but that he alludeth to the order of the olde Church Euen as also in other places he applieth his speach vnto the knowen custome When as he commaundeth the gift which we will offer to be left at the altare vntill we shall be reconciled with our offended brother Mat. 5. d. 23. There is no doubt but that out of the present and legall forme of the worship of God he woulde teach vs that wee can not orderly pray nor offer any thing vnto God so long as wee are at discorde with our bretheren So now therfore he looked vpon the accustomed discipline of the Iewes because it shoulde haue bene absurde to haue proposed the iudgement to the Church which as yet was no Church Furthermore where the power of excommunication appertained to the Iewes that were Seniors which sustained the person of the whole Church aptly dooth Christ say that those which sinned shoulde then at the length be publikely brought footh vnto the Church if proudly they contemne the priuate admonitions or that they elude them skoffingly We knowe that from the time the Iewes returned from their exile in Babylon the censure or controllment of manners and of doctrine was committed vnto a chosen Councill which they called sinhedrim in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Counsel Session or Assemblie of Senators or Iudges This gouernment was lawfull and approoued of GOD and this was a bridle to retaine in dooing their duetie the frowarde and such as woulde not bee taught If anie shall except that in the Age of Christe all thinges were corrupted and peruerted insomuch that nothing ought lesse to haue bene accounted the iudgement of the Church than that tyrannie the aunswere is easie although the manner were
then corrupted and peruerted notwithstanding Christe dooth worthelie praise the Order such as it was in times past deliuered of the Fathers But when as a little after he erected a Churche taking away the corruption hee restored the pure vse of excommunicating But there is no doubt but the manner of discipline which flourished vnder the kingdome of Christe succeeded in the place of the olde discipline and verelie when as the prophane Gentiles also helde a shaddowed custome of excommunication it appeereth this was euen of God engrafted from the beginning in the mindes of men that if there were anie impure and defiled they shoulde bee put backe from the sacred thinges It hadde bene a foule thing therefore and a shamefull for the people of GOD to haue bene altogether voyde of that discipline whereof some steppe remained among the Gentiles But that which was kept vnder the Lawe Christe hath passed ouer vnto vs because the reason or manner is common vnto vs with the auncient Fathers For neither was it the counsell of Christe to sende his Disciples to the Synagogue which when as in her bosome she gladly nourished filthie flatteries shee excommunicated the true and simple worshippers of God whereof wee haue example in that man that was blinde from his natiuitie Iohn 9. f. 34. But hee warned that the order shoulde be holden in his Church which long agoe was holilie instituted vnder the Law If anie either stubbornelie refuse the former admonitions or by going on in his former vices doo shew himselfe to contemne them when as with witnesses brought hee hath bene warned the seconde time Christe commaundeth him to bee called to the iudgement of the Churche that is vnto the Sessions of the Seniours there to bee more greeuouslie admonished as it were by publike authoritie that if hee reuerence the Church hee may submit himselfe and obey Thus sayth Caluine for the proofe of this Segniorie to bée authorized instituted and commaunded in these woordes of â—ur Sauiour Christe Tell the Churche Whole interpretation Beza Stephanus in his newe Glosse alleadging also these reasons of Caluine besides Danaeus and diners other of our Brethren since haue followed and more at large vrged But because Caluine beganne this interpretation as I take it and all their Discourses chiefely stande on these his Reasons and Assertions therefore I haue so fullie and wholly sette him downe And if wée shall finde that this his Interpretation and these his Reasons prooue not this matter wée must crane the same pardon that their selues yeelde to Beza and to other our Reuerend and and Learned Brethren when they also in their interpretations dissent from Caluine or Caluine from other godlie auncient and approoued Fathers Otherwise of all the excellent Interpreters of our Age I professe the honour of Caluine with the chiefest bringing sound proofe and reason of his Sentence Let vs nowe therefore a while consider howe he prooueth this interpretation of the worde Church to be héere necessarilie vnderstoode for a Consistorie of these Seours And first he confesseth that the former place 1. Corinthians 5. concerning The excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian A place which our Brethren applyed to this Consistorie was spoken of Saint Paule to the whole assemblie and multitude of the people and not to anie chosen number of them So that that place is in this place cléere acquited from this Consistories excommunication But if Christe hadde héere before as Caluine sayeth sette downe an order that excommunication shoulde bee made by a Consistorie or Session of such Elders as Caluine héere pleadeth for howe can wee thinke that Paule woulde haue dealt heerein with the whole multitude of the people and not with a certaine number chosen out of them for the gouernance of such matters And therefore this is one good steppe to prooue that héere Christe sette downe no such order But Caluine woulde driue this but to a probable Argument That because Saint Paule referreth it to the whole number and not to anie chosen number therefore it is likelie that Christe also heere should so referre it But Caluine thinketh not this Argument of anie force And whie Forsoothe because then as yet there was no Churche that did professe Christe nor anie such manner ordeined And lesse reason as I thinke to gather it on this place that this name Church shoulde héere signifie a Segniorie or a certaine number chosen out of the Churche when there was yet no such order in the Churche And yet there was a Church of Christe euen when Christe spake these thinges But the Corinthians and diuerse other Churches afterwâ—rdâ— did both openlie professe the name of Christe and had Orders also among them If therefore this order of Discipline for the Gouernment of Seniours had bene héere of Christe founded and ordeyned Saint Paule woulde neuer haue broken it at leaste if he had thought it necessarie Except wée shoulde excuse him by ignorance but that haddâ— béene too grosse an excuse in him if this hadde béene héere ordeyned and that so necessarie as our Bretheren and Caluine â—oâ— pretend the same to be Bucer writing upon these wordes Tell the Church alleadgeth the samâ— reason that Caluine héere doth that There was no such order in the Church when Christ spake these wordes But what Doth he gather thereupon that Christ had an allusion to the Seniors of the Iewes No such thing Moreouer that saith he Tell the Church let no man vnderstande it thus as though it were of Christ commaunded to accuse him in the publike Sermon of them that come together to heare the word of God that shall haue despised two admonitions and then to haue him there openly reprehended of the preacher for when Christ taught these thinges there was no such face of the Church Furthermore the power of binding and losing is not giuen except to them that come together in the name of Christ and that in a certaine order and those going before whome the holy Ghost hath ordeined in the Church the Pastours and the Bishops Whereupon Paule woulde namely also haue those to exercise this power that are gathered together in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ and his spirite present with them 1. Corinthians 5. Now our meetings together are yet too impure and truely there is a small number of them that haue wholly giuen themselues to Christ. Neither is it lawfull by reason of the publike peace to expell from the assemblies of the Church those that are not tried Wherfore in the publike assemblies of the church as for the most part at this day the matter goeth excommunication can not publikely bee exercised except where the Lorde hath bestowed such grace that the greater part of the whole people with the Magistrate shoulde bee conuerted vnto Christe with a full heart Where that is not graunted it is necessarie that they which haue receaued Christe more fully reduce this most holy and most healthfull institution of Christe among
receaued c. And afterward comming to the Ministers he saith the Ministers of excommunication were the Priestes and the churche approuing it Deut. 27. the Leuites shall pronounce and say vnto all the men of Israel with a high voyce accursed is the man that maketh a graâ—en and â— moultâ—n Image the abhomination of the Lorde the worke of the artificers and setteth it in a secrete place And all the people shall aunswere Amen In the seconde booke of Esdras chap. 13. Eliasis the preest separateth the straungers from Israell And likewise for the other Key of losing The key absoluing is a power ordeyned of God and committed to the Preestes and Prophetes of pronouncing to sinners beeing penitent the remission of sinnes for the Womans and Abrahams seede and the sonne of Dauid that is for the Messias c. The author and the Ministers are these Eyther God him-selfe immediatly hath denounced the forgiuenesse of sinnes as Genesis 3. When hee setteth foorthe the promise of the VVomans seede hee doth nothing else buâ— thaâ—â—ee mought absolue Adam and Eue from their sinne c. Or else by the Patriarkes So Genesis 30. God sayth â—o Abimelech of Abraham c. Or else by the Prophetes The seconde of Kings 12. Nathan said to Dauid the Lord hath translated thy sinne c. or else by the Preesâ—â— which offering sacrificeâ— expiatory for the people for their sinns afterward blessed them which what was it â—â—so 〈◊〉 a denunciation of the forgiuenes of their sinnes Leui. 4.5.6 9. Leuit. 19. And the Priest shall pray for him and for his sinne and it shall bee forgiuen him and his sinne remitted and Num. 6. Speake to Aaron to his sonnes thus shall ye blesse the children of Israel say vnto themâ— the Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord shew his face vnto thee and haue mercie vpon thee This waâ— the state of Excommunication and absolution in the old Testament denounced by the â—outh of the Minister of the worde For to whom the Absoluing belonged the Excommunicating belonged also The steps whereof sayth Aretius are in the newe Testament Ioh. 9.12 16. For although that Discipline was administred then of wicked men notwithstanding it is for an argument of the antiquitie And in the olde time the Institution was honest and profitable This corruption Christe corrected when he drewe backe this Discipline to his Church Math. 16.18 Ioh. 20. The Apostles also vsed it laudably as it is 1. Cor. 5.1 Tim. 5. Whereby also it appeareth that 〈◊〉 the wicked Iewes vsed it in Christes time Christe reducing into his church the olde Instituâ—ion of God for Excommunicating and absoluing he committed this spirituall censure to such onely as were spirituall Ministers of the Worde Howsoeuer the other that were not Ministers did allowe and approoue the same And this sentence Math. 18. Being ouer ruled by the other before Math. 16. 〈◊〉 Iohn 20. comming after and put in practise by these examples 1. Cor. 5. And 1 Tim. 5. â—here S. Paul being a Minister of the Worde pronounceth the sentence and the Iudgement If the vse of the other Apostles bee to be leueled by these examples it is cleare that in the Apostles times though the Church 〈◊〉 thereunto the action was 〈◊〉 by such onely as were Ministers of the Worde of God What the practise was of Excommunication in the Primitiue church succéeding the Apostles partly appeareth by that we hâ—â—e cited out of Tertullian saying There are also exhortations chasticementes and the Diuine censure For iudgement is there giuen with great wâ—ight as among those which are certayne that God beholdeth them And it is the cheefe fore-iudgement of the iudgment to come if any shall so offend If any be banished from the communicating of prayer and of the meeting together and of all the holy partaking euery of the approoued Elders haue the Gouernment Here is Excommunication mentioned and the Gouernment to appertayne to euery of the approoued Elders But in adding withall the publique prayers and Exhortations that he â—nneâ—eth to the gouernmeÌ„t of these Elders it is apparant that he meant none other but such as were Ministers of the Worde Which we haue also shewed yet more playâ—â— in his booke De Coronae militis where after he hath spoken of Baptisme receiued Sub antistitis vnder the Bishops and Prelates speaking of the Lordes supper he sayth Nec de aliorum manu quam Praesidentium sumimus Neyther receiue we it at the handes of any other than of the gouernors So that he maketh these Seniors and Gouernours to bee all one with the prelates and Ministers of the Worde and sacraments Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 24. telleth howe Victor Bishop of Rome Excommunicated the Churches of the East For keeping their manner of celebrating Easter day Wherein although he greatly abused this power of binding yet if he had rightly with discretion vsed it within his boundes Irenaeus nor any other did reprooue him but only for his rash ouer-reaching himselfe in the same For sayth Eusebius Irenaeus also writing with the other Bishops of Fraunce ouer whome hee had the gouernment for he was Archbishop of Lions Anno Domini 169. doth in-deede confirme it that the Mystery of the Lordes resurrection shoulde bee celebrated on the sunday Notwithstanding hee reprooueth Victor that hee did not well to cut off from the Vnity of the body so many and so great Churches of God that kept the custome deliuered to them of the auncient time And to shew this better that when he vsed this power better he was not misliked for the vse thereof Eusebius sayth afterward in the last chap. of the fift booke But howe can they lay a slaunder vnto Victor concerning this sith they knewe that Victor expelled from the communion of the Church Theodorus the tanner which was the prince Father of this their impiety which durst first at Rome auouche that Christ was but onely a man For if Victor as they say did so beleeue how did he cast out of the Church Theodorus the inuentor of this blasphemy So that Eusebius approueth this doing of Victor for his Excommunication of this heretike I heere passe ouer all the Canons and decrees mentioned in the councelles in the names of the Apostles and of diuers auncient Bishops because their credite may be called in question though diuers of them mentioning the Excommunications made onelie by Bishops and sacerdotall preestes be no doubt of great antiquity Onely I note that which Eusebius recordeth of the Emperor Philip. Of this man saith he It is reported vnto vs that he was a Christian. And on Easter day to wit euen in the Vigilles when he woulde haue beene present amongest them and communicated in the mysteries hee was of the Bishop of the place not suffered before he had confessed his sinnes and stoode among the penitent persons Neither by any meanes coulde hee haue leaue to receiue the mysteries
fellow B a B. of so many years of my Colleague not yet of one yeare am ready to learn how we may render a iust account eyther to God or to men if we punish with spiritual punishment the innocent soules for the offence of another of whome they take not as of Adam in whome all haue sinned originall sinne For if the sonne of Classicianus haue taken from his Father the sinne of the first man that is to bee washed away in the fountayne of baptisme Notwithstanding after hee begat him whatsoeuer sinne his father committed wherein he himselfe was not partaker who doubteth that it pertaineth not to him and what then of so many soules in the whole housholde whereupon if one soule by this seuerity whereby this whole house is accursed should perish in departing out of the body without baptisme the death of the bodies of innumerable men if they bee taken out of the church and killed is not comparable to this losse If therefore you can render a reason of this matter woulde to God you woulde also by writing againe yeeld it that we also might be able to do it But if you can not why shoulde you doe that by any vnaduised passion of your minde whereof if you shoulde be demaunded you can not finde a right reason I haue sayde these thinges yea although our sonne Classicianus hath committed ought that may seeme to you to bee moste iustly punished with accursing Howbeit if hee hath written true letters vnto me neither ought so much as hee alone in his house to haue beene punished with this sentence But hereon I meddle nothing with your holines But only request that you woulde forgiue him asking pardon if that hee shall acknowledge a fault But if you shall wisely acknowledge that hee hath not offended because hee is in the house of faith hath more iustly required that fayth ought to bee kept least it shoulde bee broken there where it is taught doe that which an holy man ought to doe that if that haue happened to you as to a man which thing verily the man of God speaketh of in the Psalme Mine eye was troubled for wrath you shoulde crye out to God Have mercy on mee O Lorde because I am weake that he may reache out his right hande and represse your wrath and caulme your minde to see and to doe righteousnesse For as it is written The wrath of Man worketh not the righteousnesse of God But let vs rather thinke that because wee are men wee liue moste daungerously among the snares of tentations Take away therefore the Ecclesiasticall actes that you haue done beeing done peraduenture more on perturbation And let that charity come agayne betweene you which you had with him while you were yet Catechumenus a scholler or Learner of the Catechism Remoue the strife and reuoke peace Leaste both the man that is your freende perish to you and the Deulll that is your foe reioyce ouer you But the mercy of our God is mighty who also graunt to here mee praying leaste my heauinesse ouer you bee encreased But rather that that which is already sprung vp may be healed and that he woulde erect me by his grace and reioyse your youth not contemning mine olde age I haue set downe this whole Epistle as well for the reuerende stile thereof one Bishop thus writing to another about this matter of Excommunication as cheefely that wee may the more fully perceyue what Saint Augustine dissoloweth and alloweth in this matter For although hee finde fault with this young Bishoppes ouer-hasty Excommunicating of this Gentleman and namely of his whole houshoulde condemning other for that which hee misse-conceyued was his fault yet doth hee not dissalowe his Censure for that hee beeing the Bishop did it him selfe and not others ioyned with him But hee alloweth thereof so it had beene done deseruedly and with mature deliberation and gone no further than to the offending party Yea being done as yll as it was hee entreateth him to vndooe this Ecclesiastical act and to release the Censure of his Curse ascribing the binding and the losing to the Bishop Although therefore Saint Augustine doe often affirme the power of the keyes for opening and shutting binding and losing to bee giuen to the Church yet hee maketh the execution of the same to appertayne onely to the Bishops and Ministers of the word Chrysostome likewise in the east where he ascribeth this power vnto the Church Homilia 2. De Dauide Saule speaking against them that went to the stage-playes from the sermon hee sayth Verily I thinke that many of those which forsooke vs yesterday and went away to the spectacles of iniquity are this day present But I wish that I might openly knowe who these are that I might driue them from the sacred porches Not that they should perpetually tarry without but that being corrected they should return agayn Sith that the Fathers also driue out of the doores and from the table their sonnes that oftentimes offend not that they shoulde bee alwayes banished from thence but that beeing made better by this chastisement they may returne to their Fathers housholds company with due commendation Truely the same thing doe the Pastors also while as they separate the scabbed sheep from the whole That they being eased of their wretched disease may returne agayne safe vnto the sound Rather than that the sicke shoulde fill the whole flocke with that their disease For this cause wee desired also to knowe these But although we bee not able to discerne them with our eyes the word notwithstanding that is the sonne of God will knowe them and will easily perswade them by reproouing their conscience that they shoulde returne of their owne voluntary and willingly teaching that he onely is within which can giue a mind worthy of this exercise As on the contrary hee that liuing corruptly is partaker of this congregation although he stande here present in body hee is cast out and is remooued hence more truely than those that are so shut out of the dores that they may not be partakers of the holy Table For they being expulsed according to the Lawes of God and tarying without are yet of good hope if so bee they will amende their faultes They are cast out by the Church that they may returne againe with a pure conscience c. Heere where hee sayth they are cast out by the Church yet hee wisheth that hee might openly knowe them to the ende that he might denounce the sentence of Excommunication against them and doe as the Father with his disobedient Childe and as the shephearde with his infected Sheepe So that this Censure by these comparisons doth properly belong to the Spirituall Father and Pastor of the people But for the better and more full consideration heereof Let vs see what Chrysostome saith in his seuenty Homily against the custome then of hiring Women mourners for the deade which Homilie he also inserteth into his
This also haue we shewed euen by Caluine that it necessarilie inferreth no such Colledge but may be well vnderstood for the office or function of the Presbyterie Priesthood or Eldership But Danaeus so calleth it Because saith he it coÌ„sisteth chieflie of those persons to wit Presbyters Priests or Elders that is they that are in the Church called Presbyters Priestes or Elders For it may also consist of Deacons if the Church so think it good or if the number of Presbyters in that place be small Héere againe Danaeus casâ—eth to our Brethren a fresh bone to gnawe vpon For if none of these offices in this Tetrarchie that our Br. would erect may be ioyned together in one person how shall it be lawfull for a Church to haue the Deacons to be the gouerning Elders yea the whole Consistorie of these gouerning Elders if they so thinke good to consist of Deacons And why not then the same to be Teachers and Pastors And so all to be resolued into one if they shall thinke it good at least if the Church shall think it good as our Church dooth there is no necessitie of these gouerning and not teaching Elders We say therefore saith Danaeus that vnto this Senate Ecclesiasticall or Colledge of the Presbyterie the moderation the administration the adiudging and the exercise of this power of the keyes doth apperteine and of consequence this power ought to be exercised by the Pastors Presbyters Priests or Elders of the Church as by men aduanced therevnto of God by the consent and suffrage of the people that is of his Church c. The administration and dispensation therefore of this power of it selfe in coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of the exercise therof perteineth not to euerie one of the people but to the Presbyterie that is to the Pastors and Priestes or Elders of the Church howbeit the right authoritie thereof perteineth to the whole Church because that that is done by them is done by the whole Church This is Danaeus iudgemeÌ„t for this power Which being thus set down in coÌ„ming to the proues héerof that better to sée what kinde of Presbyters or Priests all this while he meaneth he procéedeth saying But by these reasons is our sentence prooued First vnto them that is to the Pastors and Presbyters Priests or Elders perteineth the Churches regiment as to the publike Aduocates and Proctors of the Church Therefore they are euerie where called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gouernours or Guides in the Epistle to the Hebrues chap. 13. chap. 1 vers 24. They are first saluted of Paule to the Philippians Paule directeth to them the Epistle that hee writeth to the whole Church And Paule layeth downe the almes among them 1. Tit. 1. Therefore to them the care the medling and the administration of the right and matters of the Church dooth apperteine But this power and the medling and exercise thereof is a part of the Eccl. regiment therefore the same also perteineth to them This Argument grounded on these 4. testimonies dooth not onely admit well inough that these Presbyters Priestes or Elders may be also Ministers of the word but each one of theÌ„ expreslie prooueth that such they were As first that which is héere cited Hebr. 13. Remember saith the Apostle your Gouernors or Guides which haue declared vnto you the worde of God Héere are no other Gouernors or Guides named than such as are the Teachers of the word And what letteth but that after also vsing the same terme in his salutations Salute all your Guides and Gouernors he meaneth still such Guides and Gouernours as in the 7. verse before hée bad them obey that is the Teachers of the word As for those that S. Paule saluteth first in his Epistle to the Philippians he plainlie calleth them Bishops And what Caluine vnderstandeth by the name of Bishops to wit the Ministers of the word we haue heard sufficientlie alreadie And to take our Brethrens owne confession in this their learned discourse pag. 23. 24. where treating of Pastors to be al one with Bishops they say The same thing is to be obserued in the name of Bishops vsed by S. Paule Philip. 1.1 where he and Timothie send salutations vnto the Bishops and Deacons of the Churche which was in the Citie of Philippi which Bishops were the Elders or Pastors So that by our Brethrens owne testimonie this prooueth nothing for anie not Pastorall Elders As for the next testimonie 1. Tim. 1. mencioneth no Elders or any Eccl. Gouernors that were not Teachers Timothie himself to whome he wrote the Ep. was a teaching Gouernor And all the other were Teachers good or bad that there he speaketh of As I besought thee saith S. Paule to abide stil in Ephesus when I departed into Macedonia so doo that thou maist command some that they teach none other doctrine And ver 7. They would be Doctors of the Law yet vnderstand not what they speake So that whatsoeuer these were yet they took not vpoÌ„ theÌ„ anie eccl gouernment without teaching nor anie other there mencioned except peraduenture Hymenaeus and Alexander whom S. Paul excommunicated did take vpon them to be eccl Gouernors and not Teachers But were they Teachers or no it appeareth they were blasphemers The Elders that S. Paule mencioneth Tit. 1. what they were our Br. also in this their learned disc pag. 24 doo say Likewise vnto Titus 1.5 he calleth them Elders and immediatelie after describing the qualities of such as were meete to be ordeined Elders he calleth them Bishops c. And againe pag. 35 Hee requireth that he be such a one as holdeth fast the faithful word according to doctrine and that he also may be able to exhort with wholsome doctrine improoue them that gain say it Here our Br. applie these testimonies to Bishops Pastors And Daneus bringeth them in to prooue the Elders of the Consistorie How can we reconcile our Br. and Daneus but that the Elders of the Consistorie muâ—t be al pastorall Elders at the least and Teachers of the word But our Br. require a Consistorie of eccl Gouernors that are not Teachers and therfore all these testimonies doo cleane confute theÌ„ But let Danaeus procéed For why are they called the Bishops of the Church why the Prelates or those that are preferred but that we should vnderstande that the gouernment of the Church perteineth to them and is of them to be administred Act. 20. ver 18. And therefore they â—heir selues not euerie one of the people are called together if the Church bee to bee warned of anie matter or if anie thing be to be deliberated vpon in the Church they by reason of their office come together and deliberate as it appeareth Act. 20. ver 17. and 21. ver 18 15. ver 22. to them also it is to be deferred if anie thing be to be done or to be treated vpon in the
alreadie méetlie well to examine what the presbyters were which Cypian mencioneth and we haue still found them Ministers of the worde and Sacraments In none of his bookes of Epistles anie 12. Epistle toucheth this matter I graunt that in reconciling of Heretikes and those that were falne to Idolatrie he vsed to take the aduise of his priests of his Deacons of his Clergie and of all the people But this prooueth not that he neuer restored anie otherwise When he confesseth that not onelie a priest but a Deacon also may in necessitie restore the baptised peniteÌ„t to the churches peace But whomsoeuer Cyprian adioyned to him in anie solemne reconciliation he reserueth the power and authoritie of loosing to himselfe As for the first Councill of Antioch which was elder than those of Carthage before cited in the 23. chapter it is thus decréed It is not lawful for a Bishop to make vnto himself another successor although death approch vpon him But if anie such thing should be done the same constitution to be voyde But let the Ecclesiasticall lawe bee kept which is on this wise that a Bishop ought not to be made otherwise than with a Synode and Iudgement of Bishops who after the death of him that is departed haue power to promote him that shall be worthie What is here to abbridge the authoritie of a Bishop that he cannot excommunicate any offender without the consent and ioynt action with him of a Segniorie Where if Danaeus had but looked to the verâ—â— next chapter he should haue found another manner of matter where the Councill saith in the wordes following concerning the authoritie of him that is maâ—e Bishop Those things that perteine vnto the Church must be kept with all carefulnes and with a good conscience and faith that is in God who considereth and iudgeth all thinges Which are also to bee dispensed by the iudgement and power of the Bishop to whom the people is committed and the soules that are gethered together in the Church But to come néerer to the present purpose for excommunication The 4. chapter saith If anie Bishop being condemned of a Synode or a Priest or Deacon of his owne B. shall presume to meddle in anie thing concerning Priesthood or the holie Ministerie it shall not be lawfull for him anie more to haue hope of restitution neither anie place of satisfaction but al that communicate with him to be thrust out of the Church especiallie if they obstinatelie communicate with him after they haue knowen the sentence pronounced against him What can bee plainer spoken than this that the Bishop himselfe may excommunicate And in the 5. chapter If anie Priest or Deacon contemning his B. shal separate himselfe from the Church and priuatelie by himself gathering the people together shall dare to erect an Altare or Communion Table And albeit his B. exhorting him and once and twice reuoking him he shall remaine disobedient let this man by all meanes bee condemned nor let him hope at anie time to obteine helpe or to receaue his owne honour And if so bee hee shall persist to disturbe and sollicite the Church let him bee repressed by the outwarde powers as a seditious person And in the 6. chap. If anie man be excommunicated of his owne Bishop he ought not to be receaued of others before he be first reconciled to his Bishop c. And in the 12. chapter If anie Elder or Deacon of his owne Bishop or if anie Bishop of a Synode shall perhaps be condemned c Thus dooth this Councill also which Danaeus citeth prooue that vpon iust occassions a Bishop himselfe may excommunicate not onelie such among the people but also among the Pastorall Elders as bee notorious offenders Nowe when Danaeus hath thus farre procéeded on the parties that should exercise this power of the keyes giuen to the Church he coÌ„meth at length chap. 55. to this sentence of Christ Mat. 18. v. 17. Tel the Church Where traueling to comfort them that hold this word Church to be simplie meant for the People he pleadeth that it is meant for the Prelates of the Church And at length he coÌ„meth to this conclusion with this saying of Ambrose in librâ— dâ— dignitate Sacerdotali cap. 3. That which perteineth vnto all ought to bee done of all True it is howbeit according to the diuerse vocation of euery one in â—he Church of God By reason whereof the people are not equall to the ecclesiasticall Prelates So also Chrysostome lib. 3. de Sacerdot beyonde the middest of the booke Baptisme is giuen vnto the Church I aske therefore to whom perteineth the administration thereof and to haue the power of baptising Dooth it pertaine to euerie one of the people No but to the Pastors alone And yet this gift is giuen to the whole Church as also iâ— the power of the keyes But euen as when Baptisme and the holie Supper of the Lord is administred in the Church the force of Baptisme of the Supper is expounded to the people who all of them seeing it the seale is added to the healthfull promises of God and so the people is confirmed in their faith and each one of the people is taught and aedified To conclude when these thinges are done the Church out of the holie Supper and out of Baptisme feeleth receaueth the fruite which it ought to receaue euen so when hypocrites and wicked ones are cast out of the Church or when that the poenitent are receaued the same is done the whole people and each one of them withall perceiuing it consenting to it the authoritie of Gods word is ratified the reformation of manners in the Church established and the puritie of doctrine is conserued Which when it is done the Church and euerie one of the Church receaueth the fruite that they ought to receaue out of that power of the keyes that is graunted to the Church By this reason therefore these things the Supper of the Lord and Baptisme and the power of the keyes are of God giuen to the whole Church the administration whereof notwithstanding apperteineth not vnto euerie one but vnto them onelie that are lawfullie called in the Churche to doo these thinges Thus haue we séene at large the iudgements and reasons pro contrà of all these excellent men for these Elders and for their authoritie in this ecclesiasticall Censure Let vs now returne vnto the learned Discourse of our Brethren Therefore in euerie Church there ought to bee a Consistorie of Elders or Gouernors which with the Pastor may take charge of ecclesiasticall discipline and good order to be obserued in the Church to the punishment of vice and the aduauncement of true vertue These if they gouerne wel as Saint Paule doth testifie are worthie of double honor both that honour that is due to godlie men and that which is due to good Gouernors The premisses that our Brethren haue
â—et in Timothies person he gaue those precepts to all Bishops and Pastors wherein no other kinde of Elders ordinarily nor the congregation doâ— ioyne with the Bishops or Pastors in the authority of teaching though in obedience and consent of hearing And so in these matters concerning the hearing and determining of Ecclesiasticall Discipline and iudicial causes he giueth Timothy and in Timothies person other Bishops and such superior pastors as he was the charge and authority of a righteous Iudge But the Iudges authority is singuler to the Iudge and not communicated with other no though they sit on the Bench with him as his assistantes but such onely as are of his function Iudges as hee is and ioyned in the same commission with him How this authoritie was was not singular therefore S. Paule giueth to Timothy and in his person to Bishops and such Pastors a singular authority in hearing and determining of such matters Not singular I graunt as though none might heare them but hee alone or that hee might aske no counsell or consent of any other for such singularity were rather a deharre than a graunt of authority or were an insolent abuse thereof Neither so doth any Iudge if any assistants be on the bench with him But the Iudge onely hath the cheefe authority and that is his singuler authority though not absolute As for the Eldership whereof Saint Paul maketh mention a little before We haue heard also Caluines opinion thereon that it may be aswel vnderstoode in that place for the office of the Eldership as for any consistorie or company of the Elders And therfore vpon the vncertainty of that Worde they can builde little certaintie for their consistoriall Elders The conclusion which heere they make depending all vpon the premisses is no further to be graunted than the premisses do inferre The learned disc Pag. 98. 99. In steede of which Antichriste hath set vp a tyrannicall Iurisdiction of one Bishop to bee iudge of Excommunication which is practized neither for causes sufficient nor by sufficient authority insomuch as it hath bene already testified by the Scripture that the power of Excommunication is in no one man no not in an Apostle but is common to the whole Church and ought to be executed by lawfull delegats of the Church also The tyrannicall iurisdiction that Antichriste hath set vp we no more acknowledge Bridges than our Brethren But that all Iurisdiction of one B. to be Iudge of Excommunication which is practized for causes sufficient not onely to want sufficient authority but to be called tyrannical and set vp by Antichriste Is not truely spoken nor Christian like Except they will make S. Paul Antichriste As for that which they haue already testified by the Scripture doth manifestly confirme that one man as the Apostle and Timothy and in his person Slaunderous speeches Bishops and pastors in like manner may execute the power of excommunication For although this ecclesiasticall power be giuen to the Church as likewise the ciuil power is giuen to the assemblies and congregations of men How the power of Excommunication is giuen to the Church yet is neither of them common to the whole Church as our Brethren heere say but is proper to those persons in or of the Church and of the assemblies of men which persons are of God or man lawfully called therunto Neither are the persons that haue the practise and executing of the power of excommunication to be so properly calleâ— the Churches delegates as Gods delegates or Ministers in the same and represent God therein not the Church But admitting it be common to the whole church and yet ought onely to be executed by lawfull delegates of the church if that whole perticular church The Excommunicator is more properly Gods delegate than the Churches do make him that is their onely Lawfull Bishop to be also their onely Lawfull delegate in executing the power of Excommunication and doe not delegate a number of more with him then by their own confession some one man and that the Bishop may alone execute the authority and power of excommunication But so much that vsurped authoritie presumeth that the Bishoppe as an absolute owner thereof The learned discourse Pag 99. committeth it ouer to his Chauncellor or Archdeacon and the Archdeacon to his Officiall and he to his register and hee agayne to his substitute and his substitute to his seruaunts man or boy as it hapneth in so much that a learned Preacher may be excommunicated by a foolish boy If this matter seeme not to require speedy reformation God hath blinded our eyes that wee can not see the cleare light of the Sonne shining in our faces These terms of vsurpation presumption and to be as an owner and as an absolute owner of this authority Bridges are speeches considering the vntrueths and reprochfulnesse of them little beséâ—ming learned preachers And much lesse the other of committing this authorty to Registers and to substitutes and to the Substitutes seruantes man or boy I verily beleeue thad our Brethren if they were well apposed coulde not prooue any such Excommunication to bee made Which in-déede if it were done is no Excommunication at all Slanderous speeches if it bee not rather their bare surmise But perchance at the fourth or fift hand they heard of such a thing and they by and by for the good liking and opinion they haue of Bishops their chauncellers Archdeacons and Officials Charitas non est suspicax did beléeue it For the tale caried greate credit Some boy tolde them that some seruaunt tolde him that some Substitute tolde him that he had heard it tolde of some Register But who the Register Substitute Seruaunt man or boy was or is that we must go looke as the boy sayth to his dog séeke out It is proofe ynough for our Brethren that some boy tolde them that he heard say so And therefore as a matter nowe out of all doubt it must in all hast to the presse and be confirmed in print with this exclamation Insomuch that a learned preacher may be excommunicated by a foolish boy If a foolish boy had written this it had béene the more tollerable But should such Learned Preachers in the name of all the faythful Ministers Our Br. vnequall dealing in this slaunder that haue and doe seeke for the reformation of the Church of England in this their Learned Discourse of Ecclesiasticall Gouernment thus solemnly alleage such boyish slaunders or if there shoulde by corruption haue hapned any such like thing shoulde they thus heighnously burthen or chalenge the state and authority of the Bishops for such an abuse or odde escape stollen out which our Bishops doe no lesse detest than do our Brethren their-selues No likelihood in this slaunder and would punish and reform if they can name the parties and proue the offence but that I thinke before hand they can not do Nay there is
same Guthrune and Allfred had before made but belike not till then sette foorth which lawes were these Before all thinges they enact that one God onely should be honorably and holily worshipped dispising and renouncing all the barbarous worship And then because they certainely knewe that many would not be kept in the boundes of their dutie nor obey the Eccl. discipline without them they prouided humane lawes to be written out and they sette forth the lawes pertayning to Christe in common together with the lawes pertayning to the king that by these the rashnes of them might be restrayned that would not obey the commandements of the Bishop This therefore did they first decree That the peace of the Church within her walles and that the tranquillitie which is deliuered by the hande of the king should be kept godly and inuiolably And so they procéede against them that forsake the Christian fayth Against eccl persons that robbe the Churches that fight or periure themselues or commit fornication c. And against incest If anie being condemned desire to confesse himselfe to the Priest that all doo-earnestly and diligently promote all the lawes of God c. For payment of tithes for the money â—hat then was payde to Rome called the Peter pence for the Church lightes for the plowe almes or as I take it almes giuen by the rate of their plow lande and if any Dane denied or suppressed the diuine rightes or duties Of them that doe their businesses on the Lordes daye of fastinges And iudiciall swearinges on the festiuall dayes and against witches Of those that are entred into orders and are deceaued of their goods Next of these are the lawes of Ethelstane I Ethelstane the king by the prudent Counsell of the Arch-bishop Vlfhelme and of other my Bishoppes doe verie straightly charge and commaunde all the Gouernours that are in my dominion by the holie diuine powers of God and of all the Saintes and for my loue that I beare to them that before all other thinges they paye the iust and due tenthes or tythes of that that is mine owne in proper as well of liuing beastes as of the yearely profites comming of the earth which thing besides mee euerie one of my Bishops Senators and Gouernors shall do c. After Athelstane followeth Edmunde In the solemne feast of Easter king Edmunde did celebrate at London a great assembly as well of the Ecclesiasticall persons as of the Laye in the which were present Oda and the Arch-bishop Wolstane and many other Bishops to consult about the health of their soules and all them that they had care of First they that haue entred into holy orders and of whom the people of God ought to require the example of vertue to followe the same they shall leade their life chastly as the reason of their order shall suffer be they men or women which thing if they shall not doe they shall be punished according to the rules of their orders that is to witte they shall forfeit all their earthly possessions so long as they liue and beeing dead they shall not be buried with holy buriall except that they amended their manners Euery Christian shall religiously pay their tythes and the first fruites of their seedes and the money that is due for the plowe almes He that payeth it not let him be accursed Euerie Bishop at his owne charges shal repaire the house of God and may admonish the king that the other Churches may be decently adorned which is a very necessary matter Whosoeuer forswere themselues or make any barbarous sacrifices except they repent and amend their minde the sooner they shall for euer be debarred of all the diuine seruices I Edmund the King to all that are in my Dominion and power yong and olde doe clearely signify that I haue earnestly inquired of the moste skilfull of my kingdome in the assembly as wel of the Ecclesiasticall as lay persons by what meanes Christendome might be moste aduaunced and it seemed best vnto vs all that we should nourish loue and mutuall good will amongst vs through out all our Dominions for we are all wearie of these continuall fightinges And therefore we ordeyne in this manner And so hee procéedeth to Lawes for these matters After this follow the Lawes of Edgar The Lawes which Edgar the King decreed in the great Senate God to loue and him-selfe to preserue and to benefite all his Lordship or Dominion And so hee also procéedeth to the making of Lawes Eccl. Of the rightes immunities and tithes of the Church Of the manner of their tything to them that haue a place of buriall in the Church Of the times when the tythes of all sortes are due to payde of the Penie to Rome out of euery house Of the Feast dayes and fastings And then he commeth to humaine and politike Lawes Thus did all these Saxon Kinges with the aduice of their Bishops Cleargy make as well Ecclesiasticall Lawes as temporall with the aduice of the Lordes and other their officers temporall And this they did their selues and by their owne authoritie and not onely allowed of that which the Bishops and Cleargie before had decreed All which I alleage not to allowe of all those their Ecclesiasticall decrees for many of the thinges especially in the Kings following were full of superstition and error as by Gods permission the blindnesse of the time then was but I note them onely for the point in question of the Princes authoritie not onely in making Ciuill Lawes for Ecclesiasticall matters but in making Lawes of Ecclesiasticall matters and so in making Ecclesiasticall Lawes themselues And thus it continued heere in Englande till the Danes got the Kingdome Neither did Canutus the Dane take vpon him any whit lesse the dealing in Ecclesiasticall matters than the Saxon Kings had done but rather sheweth it more liuely than all the other as appeareth in the collection of his Lawes as well Ecclesiasticall as temporall The decree that Canutus King of the English men of the Danes and of the Norwayes to the loue of God to his own ornament and to the profit of his people enacted at Winchester on the feast of Mid wintertide or the natiuitie of Christe First that all men shall through out all ages honourablie and aboue all other thinges worship one God And holde religiously the onely Christian religion and loue the king Canutus with all fidelitie and obseruaunce Let vs maintain the temple of God with Godly continuall peace let vs all often frequent it both for the health of our soules and for the encrease and profite of other things for the onely peace of Christ comprehendeth all the Churches and therefore it is meete that all Christians holde the Church in greate worship and honour For the peace of God ought to bee desired and retayned aboue other thinges And next after that the kings peace ought to bee
Bish. to one in some parte the ordinaÌ„ce of God though in some parte the ordinaunce of man Aeriâ—s his impugning the superioâ—ity oâ— Bish. Aerius opinion S Ieromes opinion of the superiorite of Bish. IeromeÌ„s obseruatioÌ„ The obseruation of Ieromes sentence of Bishops originall Ieromes obseruation The Bishop among the Pastors coÌ„pared to Moses among the Elders Fiue things to be obserued out of Ieromes sentence 4. The good and necessary ende and effect therof 5. The approbation of it Augustineâ— rule of generall obseâ—uations Augustine his rule By this couÌ„cel of Aug. this superiority is allowable Bezaes coÌ„clusion against Bi. Some superiority among the Apostles Bezain Phil 1. Bezacâ— wrong conclusion against Bish Sequels of direct and indirect occasions Bâ—zaes mispre supposâ—l We must rather looke to the right end vâ—e of a thing theÌ„ to the wrong occasions and abuse it Thefathers interpretation The auncient Fathers iudgements of the name Bishop Phil. 1.1 Ieronimus in Phil. 1. The name Bishop Phil. .1.1 vnderstoode vnproperly Chysost in Phil. 1. Theodoretus in Phil. .1 Theophilactus in Phil. 1. Ambr. in Phil. The Churches practise The vniuersall practise of the primitiue Church Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 1. Iames B. of IerusaleÌ„ by the testimonie also of Clem. Alex. Ieroms testimonie of Egesippus for Iames to be B. of Ierus Hieron in catalog illustriuÌ„ virorum Clem. Alexander The offices that our Brethren make al one were distinguished and those that they distinguished were al one Pastors teaching in other Churches Howe neere Clem. Alex. that testifieth of Iames his Bishopricke liued to the Apostles Pantanus Eusebius testimonie of Pantaenus D. Euangelists Bishops superioritie Doctors Pastors vnder the B. gouernmeÌ„t Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 16. Hieron in catalog script eccl Policarpus primate of Asia Ignatius Ignatius ad Antiochenos The Pastoral Elders had a Bishop their Gouernor Howe farre the credite of Ignatius Epistles stretcheth Ad Trallianos Practise of Bishops superioritye The Bishop distinguished froÌ„ the Priest Ad Magnesios The Priests reuerenced the Bishop Bishop of Rome Ad Tharsenses Ad Philadelphios Our Priests obeye the B. Papias saint Iohns disciple Bishop The Bishops succeeding the Apostles Egesippus testimonie of the Bishops sinceritie The superitie of Bish. no alteratioÌ„ dissenting from the Lords ordinance Bishops superioritie The Bish. superioritie no defiling of the churche How corruption and disturbance entred about this superioritie Publius and Quadratus Bishops of Athens Dionysius B. of Corinthuâ— in the Apostles daies Philip Bish. of Gortinea his superioritie ouer the Pastors Theophilus Bishop of Anti-chiaâ— Irenaeus the scholer of Polycarpus How long Irenaeuâ— was Priest before he was Bishop The name of Priest Bishop now and then taken indiffâ—rentlie Bishop of Rome The succession of the Bishop of Rome till Ireneus time Ireneus lib. 3. cap. 3. Whom Peter Paul made Bish. of Rome How the Papists wreste this senteÌ„ce of Ieromes Bishop of Roâ—me This superiority no matter of vnwritten necessary doctrine or tradition How farre wherein Irenaeus pleadeth on succession The B. of Romes plea in these dayes CouÌ„terfeit workes in Clements name Pet. and Paule no Bishops of Rome The corruption of the B. of Rome Irenaeus plea of succession broken off How Paule and Peter were founders of the Church of Rome Paules continuance two yeares at Rome Peter not Bishop of Rome The likeliehood of the causes of Peters comming to Roome Christs prophecie of Peters death fulfilled Whom Peter Paul made Bish. of Rome This testimonie of Ireneus was within 80. yeares after Peters deth Clemens Epistles conuinced Eusebius testimonie of Pet. death at Rome Witnesses of Pet. Pau. death at Roome Eusebius his confirmation out of Caius An other confirmatioÌ„ out of Dyonisius Bish. of Corinth The Testimony of Ierome for these 2. witnesses How neere Ireneus was in place and time to the doing of â—hese things Peter not Bishop of Roome How Irenae argumentes proue the superioritie of one Bish. ouer all the other Pastors in that Church Eusebius Ieromes escape in misunderstanding Irenaeus Ireneus own acquittance for our disagreement How much to be giuen to the church of Rome Wherin the might and principalitie of the Churche of Rome consisted The church of Romes principalitie The gouernment of the Church of Rome not equall to euery pastor in the same Many priests or Pastorall Elders in Rome not Bish. there Bishops at the same time in other Churches Controâ—â—rsie about Easter The Bishop of Rome not vniuersall Gouernour of all The Churches not destitute of Pastors in the Bâ— absence CoÌ„trouersy about East Polycrates letter to the B. of Rome Controuersie of Easter The Bishop of Romes authoritie stretched no further then his owne prouince The authoof an Archb. How neere Polycraâ—es waâ— to Saint Polycrates Iohn how precise in anie thing not allowed by the Apostle The Bishop of Romes frowardnes Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 24. Irenaeus reprehension of the B. of Rome Irenaeus reprehension of Victor This gov of necessity or of no necessitie Howsoeuer this B. differed in other orders yet in this of B. superioritie receiued froÌ„ the Apostles they all agreed What they mislike and what they mislike not in Victor This question of gouernment whether of necessity oâ— no. If of necessitie we must needes haue it as these fathers had Feastes and Fastes The vse of feasts fasts Though diuersity may be in diuers states of Churches yet in one state one vniformitie The examples of the Doctors Pastors obedient knowledgâ— to their Bishop Origene Heraclas Origen When how of whom Origen was made priest How other B. honored Oâ—igeâ— Origen Tertullian The succession of the B. of Antioche Tertullian Bishops prerogatiue aboue priests and DeacoÌ„s Puritans Nouatuâ—the author of a sect of Puritans The author of the Puritanisme dissembling that hee would bee Bishop How hee suddainlye started out a new kinde of Bishop How he abused some simple Bish. How manie Priests in Rome besides the B. Ignorant Bishop The Author of this Puritanisme deemeth himselfe to be a Prieste The Bishop worthilye punished for making such Minist A caueat to all B. Magistrates and people in this matter 1 Thess. 5. Three kindes of Bishops The most reuerend Bridges Danaeus in Christ. â— sagog 3. par lib 2. cap 8. The name of Bishop honorable The name of Bishop not to be abolished though it hathe beene abused The name of Bâ—sh aswell of honor as of burthen The name of B. honorable In what sense S. Aug saith it is a name of burthen noâ— of honor Bishop Euangelicall The Bishop Euangelical or bishop of God The equality among al the Pastors maketh not the Magist. Bishops The Bishop of Man Thehumane B. or B. of man and his definitioÌ„ The definition of the B. of the Diuel Our Bish. in England haue no such powerâ— The. B. of mans power The superior authority that Danaeus alloweth to a Bâ— ouer the Pastors The Bishop of mans power The Bish. higher
Seate The chaire of S. Iames at IerusaleÌ„ The definition of the B. of man The authentike testimonies of Egesippus and Clement Alex. cited by Eusebius The stile of most reuerend man The triple distinction ouerthroweÌ„ The most reuerend Bridges Another B. of man defined than we defende If hee bee brought in by the onlie wisdome of man which is follie to God he is the verie B. of the diuel Tâ—e ouerthrowe of this most reuerend maÌ„s triple distinction The auncient Bishops were of God There is no B of man but either he is the B. of God or of the deuil VVhether the holy fathers in the primitiue ch set vp the diuels Bisâ— The B. that was among these holy fathers was not so besids but that he is included in Gods worde The Bishops power limited As the most reuerende misseth in the partie defined so likewise in the definition The most reuerend confutes himselfe and his owne defition The differenceof the time The most reuerend confesseth superioritie of the power but he differeth for the time The most reuerend Bridges The most râ—uerâ—â—â— The continuing assemblie Bridges The most reuerend Bridges The continuing of the assemblies at Ierusalem wheâ— Iames was president Marloraeuâ— in Apocal. cap. 2. The Angels of the Churches What office they had that are called in the Reuelation the Angels of the Churches A Moderator The most reuerend Bridges A Moderaâ—or The moderating the actions of the Church not the actions of the synodes onely The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerend Bridges How Peter Iames and Iohn were greater Caluine in Act. 8.14 Peters giuing accouÌ„t debâ—rreth not his superiorâ—tie Caluin in Act. â—â— 2 Peter rendring accounts How Peter submitted himselfe How Peters fact confuteth the Popes pride tyranny not any moderate superiority The naming of the superiors The most reuerend Bridges The naming of the superiors The moste reuerends argument on probability and of not naming the persons If the matter be proued it sufficeth The persons are named that had superior authority The most reuerends confession of one going beâ—ore the residue and that in auâ—hority Epiphanius oppugned and defended This B. of man had his beginning in the apostles times The most reuerendes confutation of the auntieÌ„t fathers for this B. of man The most reuerend Bridges â—piphanius against the Aerians Aerius Epiphanius contra hâ—res lib. 3.10.1 Her 75. The originall from whence Aerius conceiued this error against bishops Whome Aerius beguiled Emulation enuy the ground on repulse of promotion Aerius promooted to be master of an hospitall of the poore B. Eustathius flattering sawning on Aerius Aerius vnthankfull false slaundering and backbiting of Eustathius Eustathius error Aerius renouncing his liuing because hee woulde not liue vnder Eustathius Epiphan against Aerius Epiph. coâ—futation of Aerius The B the fathers of the pastors the pastors the fathers oâ— the people The occasioÌ„ of diffâ—rence in the apostles writing Defence of Epiph. argument The most reuerend Bridges Epiph. hath more arg then three The most reuerend Bridges Epith. vnderstandeth wel ynough the name of elder Defence of Epiph. argument The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerends il answering Epiph. argument Timothy Byshop of Ephesus The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerend Bridges The Fathers report and that as certayne The history of the Actes refelleth not the fathers report of Tim. to bee B. of Ephes. The most reuerend Bridges The time of Timothy being B. after the hist. of the Acts. Tychicus sent in supply of Timothy The most reuerend Bridges The shift of Timothies Euangelistship The shift of Timothies being an Euangelist How one person the head diuers functions at once Timothie did not accompanie Paule from place to place Zuinglius in Ecclesiast The office of an Euangelist the same that a Bishop Imposition of handes Timothies excelling the other Pastors in Ephesus not only in example of life but in superior dignitie authoritie and that continuing al his abode among them The most reuerend Bridges This most reuerends lieralitie i◠〈◊〉 Imposition of handes Timothieâ— superioritie in impositioÌ„ of handes Still the old shift of Euangelist helpes all The name of eldership His Euangelistship doubtful not necessarie in that matter The most reuerend Bridges Imposition of handes pertained to a superior Laying on of handes Caluine in 1. Tim. 4.14 Caluin Institut cap. 8. sect 50. The auncient custome of laying oâ— of handes The force among vs of this auncient ceremonie Laying on of handes The Pastors hands alone Caluine in 2. Tim. 1.6 Caluines iudgement for the laying on of handes by one only against the iudgement of this most reuerend man The laying on of hands was the ordeining The Eldership is the office of the Pastor Epiphanius argument The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerends contradiction to himselfe Epiph words and reasons misreported The wordes of Epiph. The plaine meaning of these words The most reuerends mistaking of Epiphanius wordes Epâ—ph doth not demand but prooue that that is in question The ground of Epiph. argument The most reverendes aunswere The most reuerends vnreuerend vntrue aunswere The most reuerends former graunt ouerthrows this answer The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerend Bridges Ordeyning electing The most reuerend Bridges The most Rev. flees froÌ„ the ordeining to the electâ—ng The grouÌ„ds causes of the election When the people elected yet were they neither superior nor equall to the Pastors Neither diâ— the electioâ— depende on the voices of the wholâ— companie difference of dignity and authoritie euen in the elections A negatiue voice in election How Titus moderated the electioÌ„s Interrex Superioritie in the election Caluines cleere coÌ„fession against the ministers equaliâ—ie in the time of the Apostles A principall gouernour in the elections what authoritie Caluin saith he had Our Breth ioyning with Aerius The most reuerend Bridges Our Breth allegations of the same places against the B. that Aâ—rius alleaged Epiph. reason Epiphanius depraued not the Apostles places All offices of the ministery not at the first in all places The good reason of Epiph. aunswere Ambrose in Ephes. 4. Difference of orders at the first Imbuere lâ—cti onibus All the orders are in the Bishop The difference of the orders at the first Optionem carcevis Why the Deacons the Cleâ—kes and the layetie do not now baptize The originals of primacies * ConsignaÌ„t Ambroses â—easons why the primacies and gouernement were coÌ„mitted to one The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerends deprauing of Epiph. The most reuerend Bridges Al Churches aswell as Alâ—xandria had but one B. at once exâ—ept vpon some rare occasion Superiority of Bishops Were the B. moe then one yet had they authority ouer other priestes The moste reuerendes alleaging Meletius sheweth a lamentable paterne of these contentions A schisme and sect made in the church not for religion but for discipline The repentance of theÌ„ had falne in the persecution desiring to bee receiued into meâ—cy The scisme of the Meletians