Thus writeth this holy Councel which for antiquitie sake ought to bee reuerenced seeing Poperie long after that time had no footing in the Church And yet as we see by their Decrees he was in those dayes to be holden for an heritique that would appose himselfe against the Holy-dayes then obserued by the Lawes and ordinances of the Church For no Scripture prescribeth vnto Christians the observation of Pentecost which wee call Whitsontide For though the holy and auncient Councell speake of amending according to the Scriptures yet is it not that Councels meaning that the Scripture appointeth that festivitie to be observed in the Christian Church but that it is therefore according to the Scripture because the Scripture in generall termes hath giueÌ„ authoritie to the Church to make Lawes in all such indifferent things Let this point neuer be forgotten The Councell of Arles of Antioch and many others haue made the like decrees Saint Austin whom for vertue antiquitie and learning the whole world hath reverenced hath written so plainly and so effectually for the Churches authoritie in making Lawes for Holy-dayes that his Epistles to Ianuarius may suffice all such as can reade them and will bee satisfied with reason His wordes are alreadie alledged in the seuenth Chapter and third Aphorisme To which I am content for the better satisfaction of the Reader to adde the same holy Fathers wordes else-where Writing purposely of keeping holy daies against Adimantus a Manichee he hath these expresse wordes Nam nos quoque dominicum diem pascha solennitèr celebramus quastibet alias christianas dierum festivitates Sea quia intelligimus quò pertineant non tempora observamus sed quae illis significantur temporibus Haec anglicè redduntur postea The same holy father in another place hath these words Meminit sanctitas vestra evangelium secundum Iohannem ex ordine lectionum nos soâ—ere tractare Sed quia nunc interposita est solennit as sanctorum dierum quibus certas ex evangelio lectiones oportet in ecclesia recitars quae ita sunt annuae vt aliae esse non possint ordo ille quem susceperamus necessitate paululum intermissus est non omissus Your holinesse remembreth that wee were wont to intreate vpon the Gospell of S. Iohn according to the order of the lessons But because at this time there is interposed the solemnitie of Saint-daies vpon which daies certaine lessons taken out of the Gospel must be read which are so yearely done that they cannot be changed that order which we had taken in hand is through necessitie somewhat intermitted but not omitted For we also do solemnely celebrate both the Lords day and Easter and all other festival daies of Christians But because we vnderstand to what end they are referred wee doe not obserue times but the things signified by the times Out of these wordes I obserue first that in S. Austens time the Church obserued kept many festivall or Saints daies Secondly that the Church did allot speciall portions and parts of the holy Scripture to bee read vppon those Saints daies Thirdly that the Church obserued those daies for signification which is a point of great moment and therefore ought to be well remembred Matthias Flacius Illyricus after he hath distributed the obseruation of times into foure orders naturall ciuill ecclesiasticall and superstitious he addeth these wordes Ecclesiastica quae etiam decoro bono ordini servit quò facit quoque dies dominica tempora precipuarum historiaruÌ„ aut factorum Christi quae prosunt ad aedificationem rudium vt rectiùs meminerint quando sit dominus natus passus quando in coelum ascenderit ae de singulis illis historijs suo tempore taÌ„to commodius instituantur quod valdè rudium memoriae prodest The ecclesiasticall is that which serued for comelinesle and good order as is also the Lords day and other feasts wherein we celebrate the memorie of the chiefe histories or Acts of Christ which be profitable for the instruction of the simple that they may the better remember when the Lord was borne when hee suffered and when hee ascended vp into heauen and bee more fitly taught in due time concerning euery seuerall historie pertaining therevnto In which place the same learned Writer affirmeth that obscruation onely to bee superstitious when wee put a necessitie worship merite or righteousnesse in the obseruing of time Out of these wordes I obserue first that the keeping of saints-Saints-daies in the Church serueth for order and comelinesse in the gouernment of the Church Secondly that the obseruation of saint-Saint-daies is very profitable for the instruction of the simple people Which doctrine is agreeable to that which Saint Austen deliuered afore Illyricus was borne Thirdly that seeing we put neither necessitie nor worship nor merite nor righteousnesse in the obseruation of holy daies our keeping of them can no way be superstitious The reformed Churches in Germanie in their Articles which they exhibited to the Emperour doe allowe the festiuities of Saints and other holy daies And the famous Doctor Philippus Melanthon in his Apologie of the saide Articles hath these wordes Item vt ordo politia ecclesiae doceat impersios quid quo tempore gestum sit hinc sunt feriae natalis paschatis pentecostes similes hoc est quod Epiphanius ait politiae causa institutas esse traditiones viz. ordinis causa vt ordo ulâ— aamoneat homines de historia beneficijs Christi As also that order and pollicie in the Church may teach the ignorant what things were done and at what time hence come holy daies of the natiuitie Easter Pentecost and the lâ—ke Which is it that Epiphanius saith that traditions were ordained for pollicie sake viz. for to keepe order in the Church and that that order might admonish the people of the historie and benefits of Christ. Behold here how all Writers agree one with another affirming vniformely that holy daies are lawfully ordained and kept in the Church and that for signification sake and instruction of the people Maister Budinger a famous Preacher of the Church of Tigwie holdeth the selfe same opinion both in his Decades and in his commentarie vpon the Epistle to the Romanes Where hee alloweth the keeping of the holy daies and festiuities of the natiuitie circumcision and ascension the feasts of the Virgin Marie Iohn Baptist and many others Maister Zanchius is consonant to the former Writers deliuering his opinion in these wordes Post diem dominiâ—um non possum non probare illorum quoque dierum sanctifiâ—aitonem quibus momoria recurrit celebrataque in veteri ecclesia fuit nativitatis D. N. I. C. circumcisionis passionis resurrectionis ascentionis in coelum missionis speritus sancti in apostolos Reliqui diebus provt quaeque ecclesia expedire indicaverit sic etiam sacrum caetum convocet ad verbum ad sacramenia ad preces
and skinnes of their subiects because kings must prouide see that their subiects liue vertuously and in the feare of God yea he saith further that if the Ministers teach not aright or doe not administer the Sacraments orderly theÌ„ the Magistrate must reduce them into order and see that they teach sincerely and doe not abuse the Sacraments nor deliuer theÌ„ otherwise then Christ hath commanded And if they liue wickedly and disorderly he must depose them from the Ministerie Thus writeth this Doctor and much more he hath to the like effect but I studie to be briefe M. Bucer an other great learned Clerke in that worthy worke which he dedicated to king Edward the 6. of happy memorie telleth him resolutely that euery soule is subiect to his Empire aswell the Bishops as the rest of the Clergie and that therefore he must be the more vigilant and carefull to reforme them and their Ministerie And M. Caluin in his Epistle to Queene Elizabeth of happie memorie ascribeth vnto her the same prerogatiue in causes Ecclesiasticall very earnestly exhorting her Maiestie in the bowels of Christ Iesus to bee carefull in purging the Church from superstition and poperie See the xj Chapter in the sixt proposition in the answere to the first Obiection and note it well CHAP. V. Of the Degrees of Ministers Bishops Arch-bishops Metropolitanes and Patriarches and of their Antiquitie in the best and purest times of the Church Paragraph first of the degrees and superioritie of one Minister ouer an other SAint Austin that famons writer and strong pillar of Christs Church who liued aboue 1200. yeares agoe affirmeth resolutely and plainly vnto S. Hierome beeing then an Elder or Presbyter of Christes Church that his authoritie and degree was aboue S. Hieromes because hee was a Bishop These are S. Austins owne words Quanquam n. secundum honorum vocabula quae iam vsus ecclesiae obtinuit episcopatus presbyterio maior sit tamen in multis rebus Augustinus Hieronymo minor est licet etiam a minore quolibet non sit refugienda vel dedignanda correctio For although according to the wordes of honour which now are of force by the custome of Christes Church the degree office of a Bishop is greater theÌ„ the degree office of a Priest or Elder yet Austin is in many things inferiour to Hierome neither may the superiour disdaine to be rebuked of his inferiour Out of these wordes of S. Austin I obserue first that to be a Bishop in S. Austins time at which time it cannot bee denied but the Church was in good state and order was an higher degree then to bee a Priest or Elder Secondly that Bishops were in those dayes honourable and called Lord Bishops which I gather out of these words secundum honorum vocabula according to the wordes of honour Thirdly that this superioritie amongst Ministers had been a long time in the Church euen before S. Austins dayes because Saint Austine saith this superioritie came by the custome of the Church S. Hierome who liued in S. Austins dayes confirmeth S. Austins testimonie touching the superioritie of one minister ouer an other these are his wordes Nam Alexandriae à Marco Euangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium Episcopos presbyteri semper vnum ex se electum in excelsiori gradu collocatum episcopum nominabant quomodo si exercitus imperatorem faciat aut diaconi eligant de se quem industrium noverint archidiaconum vocent quid nâ—facit excepta ordinatione episcopus quod presbyter non faciat sequitur presbyter episcopus aliud aetatis aliud dignitatis est nomen sequitur quod Aaron filij eius at que Levitae in templo suerunt hoc sibi episcopi presbyteri diaconi vendicent in ecclesia For at Alexandria from Marke the Euangelist vnto Heraclas and Dionysius being both Bishops the Priestes did alwayes choose one among them whom they placed in an higher degree and called him Bishop as if an host of men should make a Generall ouer them or the Deacon chuse one of themselues whom they sawe more vigilant and should call him Arch-deacon For what doth a Bishop sauing the ordination that a Priest doth not Touching a Priest and Bishop the one is the name of age the other of dignitie That which Aaron and his sonnes and the Leuites were in the temple the same may the Bishops and Priestes and Deacons challenge in the Church Out of these wordes of this holy Father and learned writer I note first that a Bishop hath an higher degree in the Church then hath a Priest or Elder I note secondly that this superioritie among Ministers hath euer beene in the Church since the time of Saint Marke the Euangelist Thirdly that the name of a Bishop is the name of dignitie honour Fourthly that as Aaron had a degree aboue the Priestes in the time of Moses so haue Bishops now a degree aboue the other Ministers or Elders Fiftly that a Bishop onely ordeyneth Ministers Saint Chrisostome who liued in Saint Austines time had very great superioritie ouer Bishops for hee was not onely Bishop of Constantinople but also ruled many other Churches both in Thracia Pontus and Asia These are the expresse words of Theodoretus in his historie concerning this matter Atque hoc modo prospexit non illi solum civitati verum etiam totâ— Thratiae quae est in sex episcopatus divisa cunctae etiam Asiae quae vndecim habet antistites Ponticam praeterea ecclesiam quae eundem habet episcoporum numerum quem Asia eisdem legihus adornavit And Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople did by this meanes not onely prouide for that citie but also for all Thracia which is diuided into sixe Bishoptickes as also for the whole Countrey of Asia which hath in it eleuen Bishops He also ruled Pontus which hath the same number of Bishops with Asia and beautified it with the same Lawes Out of these words of this holy Father worthily surnamed the golded mouthed Doctor I obserue first that hee was the Arch-bishop of Constantinople Secondly that hee had also iurisdiction Archiepiscopall ouer 28. Bishops in Thracia Asia and Pontus And that the Reader may fully know what iurisdiction this holy Father vsed ouer these Churches two things must be remembred which are set downe in the place quoted in my Margent The one that he commaunded the Priests to liue after the Lawes The other that he did â—â—ptiue them of their Priestly function which did violate and transgresse the lawes So then it is cleare and euident that there are degrees of superioritie amongst Ministers yea that one Bishop hath iurisdiction ouer another as S. Chrysostome being a Patriarch had ouer 28. other Bishops S. Ignatius who was Bishop of Antioch and S. Iohns disciple and liued in the Apostles time A. D. 97 sheweth euidently that in his time one Minister had rule ouer another the Bishops ouer the
committed the managing of his house Which point is likewise proued aboundantly in the Chapters aforegoing The 4. Aphorisme of ceremonies vsed id Wed. locke or marriage IN the solemnization of Matrimonie two things are much reproued viz the Ring and the simbolicall signification To the former I answere that seeing Wed-locke is a vassible ciuill contract there is great reason that it should be assured with some ciuill permanent and externall signe Hereupon the Church which hath authoritie to ordaine ceremonies as is alreadie proued doth appoint a round Ring as a ceremonie best beseeming such a contract For the Ring being round and without end in it selfe is very fit and meete to signifie to the married couple that they ought to be ioyned in the perpetual band of loue the one to the other To the latter I answere semblahly that S. Paul may as iustly be reproued therein as the Church of England For after he hath discoursed at large of the high misterie of matrimonie assuming the husband and the wife to be one flesh hee foorthwith addeth that hee speaketh of the great misterie betweene Christ and his Church Which symbolicall signification â—s approued by Saint Austin S. Chysostome S. Ambrose S. Hierome and many others It shall suffice in this so cleere a case to alleage S. Ambrose his words for all the rest Thus doth bee write Mysterij Sacramentum grande in vnitate viri ac foeminae esse signifiâ—at sed aliam causam quae non discordet a memorato mysterio flagitat quam scit ad prosectum humani generis pertinere hoc est ecclesiae salvatoris vt sicut relictis parentibus home vxori suae adhaerdt it a relicto omni errore ecclesia adhaereat subijciatur capiti suo quod est Christus He signifieth that there is a great mysterie in the vnitie of the wife and her husband Neither doth hee reveale this onely but he also requireth an other cause which differeth not from the said mysterie which hee knoweth to appertaine to the profit of mankinde that is of the Church and of our Saviour That as man forsaking his parents adhaereth to his wife so the Church leauing all errour must adhaere and be subiect to her head which is Christ. M Bucer approveth and highly commendeth euery ceremonie which our church vseth coÌ„cerning holy wedlock Hieronimus Zanchius a most zealous and learned writer singeth the same song with Saint Ambrose These are his words Talis fuit eductio Evae ex latere Adae dormientis Item coniunctio Evae cum Adamo in matrimonium Res in se fuit visibilis sub sensum cadens sed aliam occultam representabat eductionem creationem ecclesiae ex latere Christi in cruco mortui vnionem ecclesiae cum Christo. Such was the eduction of Eve out of the side of Adam when he was a sleepe So also was the coniunction of Eve with Adam in the matrimoniall contract the thing in it selfe was visible and subiect to our sence but it did represent another secret thing euen the eduction and creation of the Church out of Christes side being dead vppon the Crosse and the vnion of the Church with Christ. The fift Aphorisme of the Symbolicall signe vsed in the confirmation of Children IT is greatly disliked and highly reprooued that our Bishops doe lay their hands vpon children to certifie them by this signe of Gods fauour towards them To which I answere that the fact and vsage of our Bishops in confirming children is according to the practise of the church in al former ages and therefore ought it not either to bee so lightly reiected or so rashly condemned S. Cornelius writing to his brother Fabius sheweth evidently how one Novatus being baptitized in his bed regarded not after his recoverie the rest of the ceremonies whereof he should haue bene partaker according to the rule of the Church no not so much as to be sealed or confirmed by the Bishop for that cause did he not receive the holy ghost Now this Cornelius liued above 1100. yeeres agoe at what time the church was free from all herisies errours superstition And yet did the church even then vse to confirme children in the selfe same maner now vsed in our English Church S. Augustin deliuereth the custome of the Church in his time in such golden excellent words as I verely thinke he is able to satisfie every one that shall with a single eye and vpright iudgement all parcialitie set apart duely ponder the same These are his words Numquid modo quibus impenitur manus vt accipiant spiritum sanctum hoc expectatur vt linguis loquaÌ„tur aut quando imposuimus manus istis infantibus attendit vnusquisque vestrum vtruÌ„ linguis loquerentur cùm videreâ— cos linguis non loqui ita perversocorde aliquis vestruÌ„ fuit vt diceret non acceperunt isti spiritum sanctum naÌ„si accepissenâ— linguis loquerentur quâ—aamodum tunc factum est si ergo per haec miracula non fiat modo testimonium praesentiae spiritus sancti vnde fit vnde cognoscit quisque se accepisse spiritum sanctum interroget cor suum si deligit fratrem spiritus Deimanet in illo Is it this day expected that they speake with tongues vpon whoÌ„ the Bishop hath laid his hands that they should receiue the holy Ghost or when we imposed hands vpon Infants did euery one of you marke if they spake with tongues and when he sawe they spake not with tongues was then any of you so way wardly affected as to say they haue not receiued the holy Ghost for if they had they would speake with tongues as it came then to passe If therefore we haue not the testimonie of the presence of the holy Ghost by miracles how knoweth euery one that hee hath receiued the holy Ghost Let him dispute the matter with his owne heart and if he loue his brother the spirit of God abideth in him Thus write these holy Fathers shewing plainly vnto vs the practise of the Church in their dayes and that the holy Ghost is giuen in confirmation as also that the imposition of hands is a signe thereof in Gods children though not giuen in such miraculous manner as in the Apostles-time Saint Hieromie teacheth the selfe same doctrine which Cornelius and Saint Austin haue deliuered These are his words Quod si hoc loco quaeris quare in ecclesia baptizatus nisi per manus episcopi non accipiat spiritum sanctum quem nos asserimus in vero baptismate tribui disce hanc observationem ex ea authoritate descendere quod post ascensum domini spiritus sanctus ad Apostolos descendit Et multis in locis idem factitatum reperimus ad honorem potiùs sacerdotij quà m ad legis necessitatem If thou heere demaund why hee that is baptized in the Church receiueth not the holy Ghost but by the hands of the Bishop which
church may be altered according to the circūstances of times places persons Fiftly that the English long expected presbyterie can not stand with our English Christian Monarchie For she challengeth that as her proper office which as Musculus truly saith doth properly pertaine to the ciuill Christian Magistrate I say thirdly that it cannot be concluded out of the holy Scriptures that any annuall vnpriested Elders had the rule of the Church with the Pastors and Bishops I say fourthly that for want of Christian Princes laicall Elders may be assumed to the Church-gouernment to help and assist the pastors Yea I further graunt that the said Elders may remaine vnder a christian prince so it be with his assent good pleasure and moderation But I constantly denie that such kind of gouernment must of necessitie bee had in and vnder a Christian Monarchie The first Reply S. Ambrose writeth plainly that the Synagogue and after the Church had Seniours without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church The which saith hee by what negligence it was left of I can not tell except happily it were through the slouth or rather the pride of some pastors because they alone would seeme to bee somewhat The Answere I answere first that S. Ambrose did not thinke those Elders of whom hee speaketh to be necessarie for the government of the Church I prooue it because hee being a most learned zealous and godly Arch-bishop would for his zeale and pietie haue laboured to restore them and could for his great authoritie haue effected the same Secondly that Saint Ambrose speaketh of Elders in yeares not of Elders in Office that is of wise graue and olde men of great experience whom the Bishops in former times tooke in counsell with them as did also the auncient Synagogue Our Church-wardens in this age doe in some sort resemble them It something grieued holy Ambrose that graue men auncient in yeares whom the Apostle would not haue reproued roughly did not remaine in like esteeme with the pastors of the Church as they were of old This is the true meaning and sense of S. Ambrose concerning those Elders he speaketh of I prooue it out of S. Ambrose his owne wordes which are these Nam apud omnes vtique gentes honorabilis est senectus For among all nations olde age is honoured For which cause both the Synagogue of old and the Church afterward had alwayes certaine old men without whose aduise nothing was done in the Church Loe he speaketh of honouring Elders and auncient men in regard of their yeares But he neuer meant to equalize them with those who were Elders in calling and gouerned the Churches vnder him No no the blessed man Ambrose that graue and holy Bishop of Millan neuer dreamed or once conceiued in minde that any order of the Ministerie set downe by Christes Apostles was worne out of vse in his time The 2. Reply S. Hierome who followed S. Ambrose immediately telleth vs most plainly that in his time the Presbyterie or Eldership was in the Church The Answere I answere first that if wee suppose your Presbyterie to haue beene in Saint Hieroms time and not in the dayes of Saint Ambrose it will fauour vs and wholy make against your helpes The reason is euident because that which may bee vsed at some time and be wanting at other times is not of necessitie to be vrged at all times and this is all that wee desire Secondly Saint Hierome speaketh of Priested Elders and not of men in no degree of the Ministerie His wordes are these Et nos habemus in ecclesia senatum nostrum caetum Presbyterorum And we haue in the Church our Senate a companie of Elders or Priestes Loe hee speaketh of Priestes and of Colledges of Cathedrall Churches I proue it by two reasons First for that himselfe telleth vs in his words afore-going that he speaketh of those Elders whose election Saint Paul describeth vnto Timothie Againe because it is vnpossible that those vnpriested Elders should bee in Saint Hieromes time who were worne out in Saint Ambrose his time because Saint Austin S. Ambrose and S. Hierome were all at one and the same time The 3. Obiection The long expected Presbyterie is no way preiudiciall to the Christian Monarchie but giueth to him so much as the Scripture alloweth The Answere M. Gualter a zealous vertuous and learned Writer of high esteeme in the reformed Churches sheweth plainly vnto the world what right and authoritie the new presbyterie ascribeth vnto Princes These are his wordes The Donatists of our time ought to consider these things more diligently which doe ouer rashly condemne whole Cities and Countries where the word of God is preached the sacraments rightly administred publique praier celebrated the poore sufficiently prouided for and vices by good and godly lawes for bidden and punished All these things they esteem as nothing except there be a certaine new magistracie appointed which should haue authoritie ouer Princes also The same learned writer in another place discourseth in this manner There be sundry that will needes institute Elders or an ecclesiasticall Senate according to the example of the Primitiue Church which also should haue authoritie ouer the Magistrates themselues if at any time they did not their dutie But it behooueth them first to shew that those their Seniours haue this power whereof Paul doth presently speake which thing seeing it doth by no meanes appeare and yet they deliuer vnto Satan whome they will they doe like as if some would goe about to cleanse the leaprous raise the dead and worke other miracles because these things were vsually done in the primitiue Church The same learned Doctor in another place writeth thus Their ambition is reproued which goe about to bring all Churches to the forme of their discipline and government cry out that there is no discipline there where all things are not agreeable to their traditions and orders But these mē receiue a iust reward of their arrogancy when they that come frō them to other countries goe beyond all men in fancinesse bring nothing from home but a vaine and intollerable contempt of all good men neither can they abide to be corrected by any admonition of others The zealous godly and learned Doctor Musculus hath these expresse words We thinke otherwise then they who denie to Christian Magistrates authoritie to make ecclesiasticall Lawes We boldly affirme that all power of making authenticall Lawes which binde the consciences of the subiects whether they be ciuill or ecclesiasticall doe neither pertaine to the multitude of the faithfull nor to the Ministers of Gods word but properly to the Magistrate onely to whom more power is giuen ouer his subbiects Wherevpon they are called in the Scripture Gods who doe execute the Magistracie which name of honour we doe not reade that it was giuen vnto the Priestes The very reason and nature of gouerning can not suffer that there be 2.
same Canon is confirmed as very authenticall both by the councell of Antioch and by the first councell of Nice celebrated in the time of Constantine the great The auncient and famous councel of Sardica hath these wordes Hoc quoque omnibus placeat vt siue diaconus siue presbyter siue quis clericorum ab episcopo suo communione fuerit privatus et ad alterum perrexerit episcopum et scierit ille ad quem confugit cum ab episcopo suo fuisse abiectum non opertere vt ei communionem indulgeat Let vs all agree hereunto that if a Deacon or a Priest or any of the Cleargie be excoÌ„municated of his own Bishop and shall flee to an other Bishop then he may not giue him the communion if he knewe that his owne Bishop did excommunicate him The secoÌ„d councell holden at Carthage hath these words Placet vt si presbyter excommunicatut aut correctus a suo episcopo sacrificare praesumpserit anathematizetur We agree that if a Priest being excommunicated or punished by his owne Bishop shall presume to celebrate accursed be that man And the selfe same decree is to be read in the sixt councell of Carthage Ex Patribus Saint Ambrose that graue learned and holy Bishop did alone excommunicate the Emperour Theodosius Theototus Bishop of Laodicea did himselfe alone excommunicate two Apolliâ—aries the father being a Priest and the sonne being a Reader The cause thereof was this viz. because they kept companie with a prophane Sophister Epiphanius and heard his vngodly rimes which he had made in the honour of Bacchus Alezander that godly and famous Bishop of Alexandria did by himselfe alone excommunicate Arrtus as both Sozomenus and Nioephorus doe contest in their stories Nicephorus hath these expresse wordes Alexander illum et cum eo qui partes cius sequereÌ„tur clericos omnes excoÌ„munie avit Alexander did both excommunicate Arrius and all the clerkes that held his opinion Yea this was a rule so receiued and a practise so common in the auncient Churches that when a controuersie arose about the celebration of Easter Victor that zealous Bishop of Rome about one thousand and foure hundred yeares agoe would haue excoÌ„municated all the Bishops of Ausâ— if Irenaeus the good Bishop of Lyons had not disswaded him from that attempt The first Obiection Saint Paul did not alone excommunicate the incestuous Corinthian but together with the whole congregation For he saith when ye are gathered together and my spirit The Answere I answere first that though Christ gaue the keyes and the power of remitting and retaining sinnes vnto the whole Church yet did he commit the vse and execution of that power vnto his Apostles and their successors til the worlds end Secondly that the Apostle himselfe alone did excommunicate the Corinthian and required the presence of the people no otherwise then the same is this day required in our English Churches viz that the sentence be pronounced in the hearing of the congregation that they may therby auoid his companie that is excommunicated and be terrified from the like offence I proue it because Saint Paules words are these for I verely as absent in body but present in spirit haue determined alreadie as though I were present By which words it is most apparant that the determination of the matter resteth onely in himself and not in the people For otherwise he could not haue dicided the matter in their absence and without their assent And it is confirmed to be thus because he alone excommunicated Alexander the Copper Smith and the same may bee thought probably of Hymeneus and Philetus The second Obiection Theodosius confessed his fault before the congregation and asked forgiuenesse of the same and thereupon was obsolued And so it appeareth that Ambrose alone did not excommunicate the Emperour The Answere It is the vsuall practise in our English Church that no excommunicate person be receiued into the Church again vntill he haue made publike confession and asked pardon for his offence And this notwithstanding the Bishop alone doth excommunicate as S. Ambrosius did the Emperour The Replie You say that the execution of excommunication pertaineth onely to the successours of the Apostles so consequently it must pertaine to all Ministers of Gods holy Word and Sacraments and not onely to your lordly Bishops The Answere I answere first that no such consequence can be inferred vpon my graunt For though I graunt and that truly that none but Ministers of Gods word and Sacraments can lawfully denounce the sentence of excommunication yet will it not follow thereupon that I giue the same power to euery Minister in generall For it is one thing to say that none but Ministers can doe it an other thing to affirme that euery Minister Promiscuè may doe it Secondly that all Ministers haue power habituall to excommunicate but those Ministers onely haue actuall power to doe it to whoÌ„ the Church hath committed that iurisdiction For seeing the Church hath all the power graunted to her dispensation shee may giue to this or that Minister more or lesse as shall be thought conuenient in her discretion CHAP. XIII Of Preaching and other things coincident The first Section of the vocation of Ministers which cannot Preach ALthough it were to be wished that all Ministers of Gods worde and Sacraments should be able to Preach and to deuide Gods word aright vnto the people yet where and when sufficient men of that abilitie cannot be had others of meaner talents and honest behauiour may not be reiected And to hold that none may be ordered and admitted to administer the Sacraments and to reade the Scriptures and godly Prayers in the Church for the comfort and edisication of the people is not onely against Christs institution but also against the vsual practise of the church in all ages Neither is it possible to alledge for the ground of the contrarie opinion either any sound reason out of holy Writ or any one testimonie of any of the holy fathers or any canon out of any ancient councell The latter member viz. that it is against the continuall practise of the church is as cleere as the Sunneshning at noone day therfore I deem it a thing needlesse to spend wordes in that behalfe The former member viz. that it is against Christs holy ordinance I prooue out of Christs owne words in his last supper when he said to his Disciples Hoc facitè in mei memoriam Doe this in my remembrance By these wordes as all the holy fathers and Doctors affirme constantly Christ made his Apostles Priests or Ministers giuing them power and authoritie onely to consecrate the blessed Sacrament of his body and blood and to deliuer the same vnto his people Neither could they lawfully haue either baptized or preached remitted and retained sinnes vntill they had receiued further authoritie so to doe which was not granted to them indeede vntill Christs
Priests For writing to the people of Smyrna in Asia he hath these expresse words Honorate Deum vt authorem omnium dominum Episcopum autem tanquam principem sacerdotum imaginem Des forentem principatum quidem secundum deuÌ„ sacerdotium verò secundum Christum Honour God as the authour and Lorde of all things and a Bishop as the Prince or chief of Priests bearing the image of God superioritie according to GOD. Priest-hood according to Christ. And in the same Epistle hee reckoneth vp seuerall degrees of Bishops Priests Deacons and Lay-men The same Ignatius in that Epistle which he wrote to the Church of Trallis in Asia hath these words Quid est n. Episcopus nisi omnem principatum potestatem omnium illorum tenens quemadmodum deceat hominem tenere imitationeÌ„ des factum secunduÌ„ virtuteÌ„ For what is a Bishop but one that hath power and rule ouer them all he speaketh of Priestes and Deacons as it becommeth a man made according to vertue to keepe the imitation of God Thus writeth this holy Father who suffered a most cruell death for the testimonie of Iesus Christ beeing cast out to wilde beasts to be torne of them in pieces for the truths-sake Of these his Epistles and Martyrdome S. Polycarpe S. Hierome and Eusebius Caesariensis doe all three yeede a most lawdable and constant testimonie such as is able to penetrate any mans heart that shall seriously peruse the same S. Epiphanius and S. Austin doe both of them enroll among heresies this opinion of Aerius that a Priest or Pastor was equall to a Bishop Cum esset presbyter inquit Augustinus doluisse fertur quod Episcopus non potuit ordinari Sequitur dicobat etiam presbyterum ab Episcoponulla differentia debere discerni Aerius saith S. Austin being himselfe a Priest is reported to haue bene very sory that hee could not be made a Bishop The same Aerius held also this opinion that there was no difference betwixt a Priest and a Bishop S. Epiphanius affirming that Aerius held the same errour confuteth it by many sound reasons amongst which this is one Dicere n igsum Episcopum Prosbyterum aequalem esse quomodo erit possibile Episcoporum n. ordo patrum generator est patres n. generat ecclesia Presbyterorum verò non potens generare patres per lavacri regenerationem generat filios ecclesiae non tamen patres aut doctores For to say that a Bishop and a Priest are equall how is it possible For the order of Bishops is the begetter of the Fathers for that order begetteth Fathers to the Church But the order of Priests is not of abilitie to beget the Fathers but it begetteth sonnes to the Church by the regeneration of Baptisme yet not Fathers or Doctors This auncient Father liued aboue 12. hundred yeares agoe at which time it was holden for a grosse errour generally to say affirme or thinke that a Priest was equall to a Bishop in degree dignitie or iurisdiction This reason which S. Epiphanius maketh touching the begetting of Fathers to the Church is invincible and neuer can be answered It is the very same in substance with that of S. Hieromes which I haue set downe alreadly viz. that a Bishop differeth from a Pastorall Elder by the power of ordaining and making Ministers And to proue the superioritie of a Bishop aboue a Priest or Pastorall Elder that which Saint Austin telleth vs of Aerius is a flat and euident demonstration For Aerius being a Priest sought by all meanes to bee a Bishop and was sorie that hee could not attaine and accomplish his desire For greife whereof hee opposed himselfe against the prudent and godly setled order of the Church affirming very desperately as Saint Epiphanius saith that a Priest was euery way equal to a Bishop Now I pray you who knoweth not this to bee true that a wise man will neuer besâ—â—â—e and busie himselfe to attaine that which he hath alreadie But 〈◊〉 it is as you haue heard already that â—â—erius being a Priest 〈◊〉 under with might and maine to be made a Bishop Ergo it must needs be granted that to be a Bishop was 〈…〉 a degree dâ—gnitie aboue a Priest But to â—hat end should 〈…〉 point and question which â—â— is a position to constant 〈…〉 generally received in the dayes of S. Hierome S. Austâ—â—e S. Chrysostome S. Epiphaniâ—s Eusebues Policarpus 〈◊〉 is I haue already proue 〈◊〉 Reader shall thinke better of moderne writers then of these auncient holy and learned Fathers I am content for his better satisfaction to alledge the â—lâ—t testimonies and expresse wordes of the best approued writers in this last age M. Caluine hath these expresse wordes Quamvis nâ— commune sit omnibus verbi ministris idemque officium sunt tamen honoris gradus For although there bee one Office common to all the Ministers of the word yet are there degrees of honour among them Againe in another place he hath these words Diâ—cimus quidem ex hoc loco non eam fuisse tunc aequalitateÌ„ inter ecclesia ministres quin vâ—us aitquis authoritate consitio praeesset nihil tamen hoc ad tyranmcum profanum collationum morem qui in Papatis regnat longe n. diuersafuit apostolorum ratio We learne by this place that there was no such equalitie among the Ministers of the Church in those dayes but that one was preferred before an other in counsell and authoritie Yet this is nothing like to that tyrannicall and prophane custome of ruling in Popedome which is faire different from the manner of the Apostles The second Paragraph of the artiquitie of Bishop Archbishops Primates Metropolitans and Patriarches in the Christian Church of God THe truth is that the Church of Christ was sometime both without the names degrees of Arch-bishops Metropolitans Primates and Patraâ—ches yet it did not long so continue but was altered in the kind of gouernment euen in the time of the Apostles This affirmance S. Hierome maketh so manifest that I cannot but wonder how any without blushing doe denie the same These are S. Hieroms owne words Quod autem postea vniâ—â—â— electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in 〈◊〉 remedium factum est ne vnusquisque adse trabens Christi ecclesiam rumperet Nam Alexandriae a Marco Evangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium episcopos presbyteri semper vnum exâ—e electum in excelsiors gradu collocatum episcopum nominaâ—bant But that afterward one was chosen to beare rule ouer the â—â—est it was done to auoid schisme least euery one should â—â—â—aw companie to himselfe and so breake the vnitie of the Church For at Alexandria from S. Marke the Euangelist vnto the Bishops Heraâ—las Dionysius the priests or elders did euer cloose one among them whom they placed in an â—agher degree and named him Bishop The same Father in an other place hath these expresse wordes Idem est presbyter qui
episcopus antequam diabeli iâ—stinctu studia in religiene sierent diceretur in populis ego sum Peuli ego Apolio ego verò Cephae communi presbytererum 〈◊〉 ecclesiae gubernabantur Postquam verò vnusquisque eos quoâ— baptizaverat suos putabat esse non Christian toto orbe accrâ—â—um est vt vâ—usde presbyteris euctus svperponeretur caeteris ad quem omnis ecclesiae cura pertineret sâ—â—iâ—matum scmina tellereâ—tur An Elder and a Bishop are all one and before dissention by the diuels procurement arose in the Church and the people began to say I am of Paul I of Apolle and I of Cophas the churches were gouerned by the common consent of the Pastorall Elders Ministers or Priests But after that euery one did thinke those to be his and not Christs whom he had baptized it was decreed throughout the whole world that one of the ministers or Priest should bee chosen and set ouer the rest to whom the whole care of the Church should appertaine that the seeds of schisme might be taken away Out of these plaine aslertions of this holy learned and auncient father I obserue first that in the very beginning of the primitiue church al the ministers were equal in degree and did gouerne the church with a general coÌ„mon consent Secondly that in very short time the diuell raised vp such dissention in the church that it was thought meete to alter the kind of gouernment to set one minister ouer the rest Thirdly that this was done to take away schisme Fourthly that this alteratioÌ„ was made euen in the Apostles dayes viz. wheÌ„ one said he held of Paul an other he held of Peter an other he held of Apollo at what time S. Marke the Euangelist was made the Bishop of Alexandria Fiftly that this superioritie among the ministers of the church was decreed by a settled lawe throughout the whole world S. Irenaeus hath these wordes Omnes n. hij valaë posteriores sunt quam episcopi quibus Apostoli tradiderunt ecclesias For all these come farre after Bishops to whom the Apostles committed the charge of churches Maister Zuinglius a famous and zealous defender of the Gospell is wholy consonant to these holy and ancient Fathers His wordes shall be set downe at large when I come to the ordering of Ministers Saint Timothy and S. Titus had superioritie ouer all other Ministers both at Ephesus and at Creta and consequently they were made Arch-bishops by Saint Paul himselfe This is constantly affirmed both by Saint Crysostome Theodoritus Oecumenius and many other famous writers Saint Chrysostome hath these expresse wordes Vnus ex Pauls socijâ— hic fuit vir probatus nequeâ—n profectò ills integram insulam permisisset neque ea quae aeerant praecepisset imâ—lenda tam multorum episcoporum iudicium commisisset nisi multùmilli confideret This worthy man was one of S. Pauls fellowes for doubtlesse he would neuer haue committed one whole Iland vnto him neither haue commanded things wanting to be accomplished nor yet haue coÌ„mitted the iudgemeÌ„t of so many Bishops vnto him vnlesse he had had great confidence in him Thus writeth this holy learned and ancient father touching the superioritie of Titus Of Timotheus the same father writeth thus Quaeri mevitò potest quomodo Timotheum adse vocet cui ecclesiae gentisque totius crediderat gubernacula It may worthily be demaunded how hee calleth Timothy vnto him to whom he had committed the gouernment of the Church and of the whole nation Marke well these wordes gentis totius of the whole nation and these wordes likewise integram insulam the whole Iland and these wordes withall Muitorum episcoporum iudicium the iudgement of many Bishops For out of the said wordes it is cleerely and euidently deduced that both Timotheus and Titus were Arch-bishops in Saint Paules time the one hauing iurisdiction ouer all Asia the other ouer all Creta two great and large countries Illyricus a very famous late writer and a most worthy defender of Christian truth iumpeth with S. Chrysostome in his iudgement and opinion These are his expresse words Harum autem tres priores scriptae ad duos praestantes doctores plurimarumque ecclesiarum episcopos Timotheum Titum potissimùm informant episcopum aut superintendentem per cum etiam totam ecclesiam ab ipso gubernandam ac instruâ—ndam But the three former of these written to two excellent Doctors and Bishops of many churches Timotheus and Titus doe specially informe a Bishop or superintendent and by him the whole Church also which must be gouerned and instructed by him Loe here gentle Reader Timothie and Titus were Arch bishops that is to say the Bishops of many Churches I here let passe the wordes of Theodoretus Oecumentus and others in regard of breuitie Saint Cyprian that holy learned and auncient Father who liued aboue one thousand and three hundred yeares agoe was not only the Bishop of the famous citie of Carthage but he had also the gouernment both of Numidia and of Mauritania two goodly regions in Affrica So doth S. Cyprian himselfe write of himselfe and therefore the storie is of good credite Many Councels of Nice Antioch Carthage Mileuitane Chaicâ—doâ— and others make mention of Arch-bishops Metropolitans Primate and Patriarches It shall suffice in regard of breuitie to relate onely master Calnius testimonie of the famous Councel of Nice These are maister Caluins expresse words Quod autem singulae provinciae vnum habebant inter episcopos archiepiscopum quod item in Nicaena synodo constituti sunt patriarchae quiessent ordine dignitate archiepitscopis superiores id ad aâ—sâ—iplinae conservationem pertinebat Quanquam in hac disputatione praeteriri non potest quod rarissimi erat vsus Ob hanc igitur causam potissimum iustituti sunt illi gradus vt si quid in ecclesia qualibet incideret quod non posset bene a paâ—cis expediri ad synodum provincialem referretur Siâ—nagnitudo aut difficultas causae maiorcÌ„ quoque discussioâ—â—◠〈◊〉 adâ—iâ—ebantur patriarchae vaa cum synodis a qubuâ— esset provocatio nisi ad vniversaie concilium 〈◊〉 sic constitutam non ulli Hierarchâ—am vocaruÌ„t nomine 〈…〉 improprio â—erè 〈…〉 veteres episcâ—pos non aliam regendae ecelesiae formam volnisse fingere ab ea quam deus verbo suo praescripsit That euery prouince had an Arch-bishop among their Bishops and that the Councell of Nice did appoint Patriarches which should be in order and dignitie aboue Arch-bishops it was done for the preseruation of discipline Although in this discourse wee may not forget that it was a thing of very rare vse For this cause therefore were those degrees especially appointed that if any thing should happen in any particular church which could not there be decided the same might be referred to a general Synod If the greatnesse or difficultie of the cause required yet greater consultation then were added
Patriarches together with the Synodes from whom there could be no appeale but onely vnto a Generall Councell This kinde of gouernment some called a Hierarchie a name improper and not vsed in the Scriptures as I thinke For the holy Ghost would not haue vs to dreame of any dominion or rule when question is made of Church gouernment But omitting the name if we consider the thing it selfe we shall find that these old Bishops would not frame any other kind of gouernment in the Church then that which God prescribed in his word Thus writeth Maister Caluin of the antiquitie of degrees and superioritie amongst the Ministers of the Church Which whosoeuer shall ponder seriously all partialitie set apart together with the constitutions testimonie and approbation of the most sacred and renowned generall Councel of Nice which Councel was euer to this day highly reuerenced throughout the Christian world that man doubtlesse cannot but approoue and allowe our Bishops and Arch-bishops with their names and authorities this day established in the godly setled gouernment of the Church of England For first Maister Caluin graunteth willingly the truth it self plainly leading him thereunto that in the time of the famous Councell of Nice there were both Arch-bishops and Patriarches Secondly that that patriarches were in order dignitie aboue the Arch-bishops and consequently that there was euen then viz. aboue one thousand two hundred and fortie yeares agoe superioritie Episcopall Archiepiscopall and Patriarchall among the ministers of the Church one minister hauing iurisdiction ouer and vpon an other More then which doubtlesse our Bishops and Arch-bishops doe not this day challenge in our Church of noble England Thirdly that this superioritie and dignitie among Ministers was ordained for the preseruation of discipline in the Church and consequently that as it was then godly conuenient and necessarie for the Church so is it this day in our Church of England Fourthly that the kinde of gouernment by Arch-bishops and Patriarches was agreeable to that forme of gouernment which God prescribed in his word This is a point of great moment which may not bee forgotten To which I also adde which the Reader must obserue seriously with mee that the Councell of Nice telleth vs plainely that this superioritie of one Minister aboue and ouer an other which the Brownists cannot endure was not then first appointed but had beene time out of minde by an auncient custome of the church which the Councell confirmed and established by her decree But how doe I proue it doubtlesse by the expresse wordes of the Councell For the Councell in the sixt Cannon hath these wordes Mos antiquus perduret Let the olde custome continue And in the seuenth cannon it hath these wordes Quoniam mos antiquus obtinuit vetusta traditio Because an olde custome and auncient tradition hath preuailed c. Which olde custome had beene in the Church euen from Saint Marke the Euangelist and from Saint Timothy and Saint Titus as is already prooued And if any one will yet bee obstinate and denie that this olde custome whereof the holy and auncient Councell speaketh beganne in the Apostles time let that man or those persons which so shall say or affirme name the time before the Nicene Councell when Archbishops and Patriarches first beganne And if any man can this performe I promise to bee of his opinion If otherwise both reason and true humilitie would aduise that man and those persons who shall so say or thinke to yeelde all due obedience to their superiours and willingly to subscribe vnto the truth Which doubtlesse they will doe that heretofore haue refused to embrace the ceremonies of our English Church if this Text of the Gospell bee not truly verified in them for they loued the praise of men more then the praise of God But howe is this possible I will vnfold the case Gentle Reader protesting that I doe it of charitie and for edification sake The truth I will plainly and sincerely set downe concealing the parties name because I loue the man and haue regard vnto his credite Talking with a Preacher of mine acquaintance a man otherwise both godly learned and of singular gifts concerning the cannons of Anno. 1604. and the kinde of gouernment of this our English Church when hee seemed to mee to haue nothing of moment to say against the same hee answered mee thus that hee would neither loose his liuing nor weare the surplesse nor yet make the signe of the crosse in the childs forhead And when I demaunded how that could bee hee answered that hee would keepe one to doe it but not doe it himselfe When I replied that hee might as lawfully doe it himselfe as procure an other to doe it hee vttered these wordes How can I doe that against which I haue so often preached I proceeded and told him as a friend that his refusall seemed to tast of the spirit of the proude Pharise and not of the humble Publican c. Well I hope the partie wil be obedieÌ„t But certes I thought afore that all their proceedings had been of meere conscience which now I perceiue to be of pride in a great many of them through which manner of dealing I wil not say hypocrisie the simple sort become disobedient and are deepely drowned in errour and our Church pitifully turmoyled with schismes dissention The godly learned and zealous Patron of pure religion maister Bucer deriueth the superioritie of Arch-bishops euen from the Apostles themselues These are his expresse words I am ex perpetua ecclesiarum observations abipsis apostolis videmus visum hoc esse spiritu sancto vt inter presbyteros quibus ecclesiarum procuratio potissimùm est commissa vnus ecclesiarum totius sacriministerij curam gerat singulareÌ„ eaque cura solicitudine cunctis praeerat alijâ— Qua de causa episcopi nomen huiusmodi summis ecclesiarum cur atoribus est peculiaritèr attributum Now we see by the perpetuall obseruation of churches euen from the Apostles themselues that it pleased the holy Ghost that among the ministers to whom especially the gouernment of the church is committed one should haue the chiefe care both of the churches and the whole sacred ministery that he in that care and sollicitued should be aboue al the rest for which cause the name of Bishop is peculiarly giuen to such chiefe gouernours of churches Thus writeth maister Bucer Out of whose words I note first that the superioritie of Arch-bishops and bishops proceedeth from the holy Ghost Secondly that this superioritie was euer in the church eueÌ„ from the Apostles The same author hath in that same Chap. much more matter to the same effect The famous doctor zealous christian Hieronymie Zanchis us in the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of his faith granteth freely that there were Arch-bishops Metropolitans and Patriarches before the Nicene Councel These are his words Cum hanc coÌ„sâ—riberem fidei confessioneÌ„ omnia ex bona
his own iudgemeÌ„t but by his iudgement who spake in him which troubles for al that himself did not vndergoe because his course apostolicall had an other respect Which labour notwithstanding we endure with consolation in the Lord for the hope of eternall life that we may bring forth fruit with patience for we are seruants of the Church and especially to the weaker members how mean members so euer we are in the same bodie I let passe innumerable other Ecclesiasticall cares which perhaps none will beleeue but he that hath tryed the same We therfore doe not binde grieuous burdens together and impose them on your shoulders which we doe not touch with our finger seeing we had rather do those things which we exhort you to do then which we our selues are compelled to doe if we could so doe with the discharge of our dutie as knoweth God the searcher of our hearts Thus discourseth this holy auncient and most learned Father Out of whose doctrine I obserue many golden worthy and very necessarie documents for the instruction of all indifferent Readers First that he delt much in secular causes and affaires of the world Secondly that he had rather haue wrought with his hands and haue done much bodily labour in the monasterie then to haue beene so tossed and turmoyled in hearing and determining ciuill causes of his people Thirdly that he vsed sometimes to ende matters by way of intreatie as a friend and sometime by absolute authoritie as a Iudge Let this point be well marked because it is of great moment Fourthly that the Apostle had bound him so to deale in secular affaires Fiftly that the Apostle did not impose that secular charge vpon him by his owne iudgement and authoritie but by the counsell and iudgement of God himselfe who spake in him Which charge he proueth out of the Apostles doctrine in the place and chapter quoted in my Margent Sixtly that S. Austin did vndergoe the molestations of secular businesse because hee hoped thereby to attaine eternall life Seuenthly that hee could not doe his bounden dutie vnlesse hee were sometimes occupied in deciding ciuill causes So farre was this holy Father from their opinion who more rashly then wisely affirme it a damnable thing and an Antichristian marke for a Bishop to be a Iustice of Peace or of Quorum and yet cannot any learned writer be named for the space of a thousand and two hundred yeares who reputed not S. Austin for a very holy man and a most graue learned writer Let all such persons therefore consider better of the matter and either wilfully condemne that holy Father and mighty pillar of Christes Church or else let them henceforth be more sparing of such savage loquacitie and approue the Christian and laudable offices of Iustice of Peace and Quorum in the reuerend Fathers the Lord Bishops of the English Church For Saint Anstin was both a Lord bishop and as it were a Iustice of Peace as is apparant by that which is already said since the beginning of this discourse The same Saint Augustine in the presence of Religianâ— and Martinianus his fellow bishops and Saturninus Leporius Barnabas Fortunatianus Ructicus Lazarus and Eradius Priests declaring to the people what paines hee had taken many yeares for them being greatly occupyed molested and troubled in their secular affaires earnestly required of them for Christes sake that now in his olde age they would bee content that hee might commit some part of his secular care vnto one Eradius a yong man but a vertuous Priest to which request when the people had yeelded Saint Austin added these wordes Ergo fratres quicquid est quod ad me perferebatur adilluÌ„ perferatur vbi necessariuâ— babuerit consilium meum non negabo auxilium absit vt subtraham Therefore brethren whatsoeuer was wont to bee brought to my hearing let it hence-foorth come to him and when he shall haue neede I will not denie my counsel God forbid I should with-drawe my helpe By which words of this Holy father it is most apparaÌ„t to euery child that hee was very much encombred with secular busines both in the foore-noone and in the after-noone and yet for all that he durst not wholy withdraw himselfe no not with the consent of the people least in so doing he should of fend God And therefore he said Absit God forbid Let the word absit be well remembred Saint Epiphanus the Bishop of Salamina a Citie of Cyprus behaued himselfe so worthily and Christianly while hee was occupied in politique and ciuill affaires that is short time he became famous among many Nations Hermias Sozomenus in his Ecclesiastical Historie writeth of the said Father in these words Nam cum in multitâ—dine hominum in vrbe ampla eaque maritima sacerdotâ— fungeretur ob praestantiam virtutis qua etiam negotijs civiliâ—â— occupatus vsus est breâ—i cum civibus tum peregrinis cuiusâ—â—â— nationis notus factus est illis quidem vt qui eum coram vidissent eiusque piae vitae fecissent periculum his autem vt qui iâ—â—â— idem de eo narramibus fidem adiunxissent For when hee executed his priestly function in a most populous and large citie which was an hauen towne neere vnto the Sea in a short space he was famous among all Nations for his great vertues which he made vse of while hee was busied with secular affaires To the Citizens he became famous because they knewe him familiarly and had made good tryall of his holy life To the Strangers in that they beleeued the constant report of the Citizens Loe this auncient writer holy Father and learned Doctor who liued aboue one thousand two hundred yeares agoe was either a Iustice of Peace when he was the Bishop of Cyprus or else had some other ciuill office equivalent to the same Dorotheus a vertuous and learned Priest of Antioch did serue the Emperour in ciuill affaires Eusebins Caesariensis writeth of this auncient Priest who liued more then one thousand three hundred yeares agoe in these wordes Dorotheum dignitate sacerdotali tum Autiochiae donatum virum sanè disertum cognovimus Hic in sacris literis exquisitè eruditus fuit linguae hebraicae diligentèr navavit operam adeò vt scripturas hebraicas scientèr posset intelligere Erat honestis ac liberalibus parentibus prognatus humanioris literaturae neutiquam expers eunuchus reverà natus vti illum imperator propter incredibilem eius naturam in suam familiam a sciverit praefectura purpura tingendae quae apud Tyrum est honorificè donarit We knowe Dorotheus a Priest of Antioch an eloquent man in deede He was very skilfull in the holy Scriptures he had profited so in the Hebrew tongue that he could perfectly vnderstand the Scriptures in Hebrew hee was descended of honest and liberall parents not vnseene in humane literature He was indeede an Ennuch borne so that the Emperour rauished with his excellent nature receiued him
into his Court and gaue him an honourable charge to ouersee his house where his purple was dyed at Tyrus Nicephorus Callistus in his Ecclesiasticall Historie telleth vs of one Philaeas a famous Bishope and blessed Martyr who as hee reporteth got great credite for his dexteritie in deciding ciuil causes committed to his charge But to let others passe let vs heare what a famous late writer saith who fauoured the presbyteriall Discipline so farre foorth as either by learning or safe conscience hee could agree therevnto These are his expresse wordes Interim non diffitemur episcopos qui simul etiam principes sunt praeter authoritatem ecclesiasticam sua etiam hebere iura politica seculare sque potestates quemadmodum reliqui habent principes ius â—â—perands secularia ius gladij nonnullos ius eligendi confirmandique reges imperatores aliaque politicae constituends administrandi subditosque sibi populos ad obedientiam sibi praestandam cogendi Ac proinde jatemur politicis horum mandatis quae sine transgressione legis divinae servari possunt a subditis obtemperandum esse non solum propter timorem sed etiam propter conscientiam Neuerthelesse wee doe not denie that Bishops which are also Princes may besides their authoritie ecclesiasticall haue also politicall right and secular power like as other Princes haue right to commaund secular matters authoritie to vse the sword authoritie to choose and confirme Kinges and Emperours to constitute and administrate other ciuill affaires as also to compell their subiects to yeelde obedience to them in that behalfe And therefore wee graunt that their subiects must obey their civill commandes which may be kept without offence of Gods law and that not onely for feare but also for conscience sake The same Zanchius in an other place hath these wordes Quis autem illis omninò obediendum esse quo iure quaque iniuria principes suerint creats ex testimonijs a me allao us non videat apertè demonstrari cur n. qui subdits sunt Moguntino Colontensi Trevirensi principibus imperij simul archiepiscopis in rebus cum pietate christiana non pugnantibus non obtemperent seditiosorum certè fuerit non obtemperare Quodsi istis cur non etiam Romano ijsdem in rebus candem ob causam qui sub eius vivunt imperio eadem n. horum omnium est ratio And who cannot see it euidently proued by the examples which I haue alledged that they must bee obeyed vndoubtedly whether they be by right or no right created Princes For why shall not subiects obey in things not against Christian pietie the Princes of the Empire being also Arch-bishops of Moguntia Colen and Trevers it is doubtlesse the properietie of sedicious persons not to yeelde obedience vnto them And if these must bee obeyed why not also the Bishop of Rome in the same matters and for the same cause of those that liue within his Empire for there is the like reason of them all Thus writeth the famous and great learned Doctor Zanchius Out of whose resolution I obserue these points for the good of the gentle Reader First that Ecclesiasticall and Civill iurisdiction are compatible and may both be in one and the same subiect at once Secondly that Bishops which are also Princes may together with their Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction haue also secular power and authoritie to vse the sword and such like Thirdly that the people within their dominions and liberties are bound to obey them Fourthly that they must obey not onely for feare but euen for conscience-sake Fiftly that whosoeuer shall disobey such Bishops and Arch-bishops doe shewe themselues thereby to be seditious fellowes To which I adde that this doctine of this great learned man who was a most zealous professour of Christes Gospell doth flatly confound and euen strike dead pronouncing a sharpe vae vobis to all such as shall obstinately refuse to obey our Bishops and Arch-byshops here in England For whatsoeuer can be obiected against our Bishops why wee shall not obey them the same may be alledged against those Bishops of which Zanchius speaketh in this place Yea our Bishops are as lawfully created Barons and doe this day as lawfully enioy their temporall Baronries for ought I know by the free donation of the Kings of this Realme of famous memorie as doe the Bishops of Germanie I therefore conclude from a good foundation surely layd that Bishops and Arch-bishops aswell concerning their names and titles as their authoritie iurisdiction and superioritie ouer other Ministers are both lawfull necessarie and agreeable to the practise of the Catholique Church in all Ages and consequently that none will or can denie the same but such as are either wholy ignorant in the auncient Councels holy Fathers and ecclesiasticall histories or else maliciously bent to speake against their owne knowledge and wittingly and willingly to oppose them selues against the knowne truth Yea Maister Calvin graunteth freely that hee which is Lorde of a Village or Citie may exercise the office of teaching CHAP. VII Of the Churches authoritie in things indifferent The first aphorisme of things de facto altered in the Church MAny things being in their owne nature indifferent haue beene changed in the Church by her authoritie as the circumstances of times places and persons did require First our Lord Iesus did celebrate the holy Communion and memoriall of his sacred passion in the euening after Supper Yet the Churches custome this day is and euer was to celebrate the same in the morning before Dinner Secondly Christ did celebrate the same vsing vnleauened bread therein but the reformed Churches doe this day vse leauened bread without offeÌ„ce in so doing Thirdly Christs Apostles receiued the blessed Eucharist fitting but the custome of the Church hath euer beene to receiue the same kneeling And they that would seeme to haue most spiced consciences will not sticke to receiue it standing or walking Fourthly Christ washed his Apostles feete willing them to followe his example and to wash one anothers feete Fiftly the Apostles made a solemne Decree affirming it to proceede from the holy Ghost to abstaine from blood that which is strangled And yet the church many yeares agoe haue wholy altered that holy ordinance and Apostolicall constitution Sixtly Saint Paul after hee had willed the Corinthyans and vs in them to be followers of him euen as he was of Christ telleth them and vs plainly that euery man praying or Prophesing hauing any thing on his head dishonoureth his head And yet at this day smalaccount is made therof This point will be made more plaine when I come to speake of the oath Ex officio The second Aphorisme of things not expressed in the Scriptures and yet decreed by the Church to be obserued and kept IN the church of the Hebrewes wee read of many approoued constitutions for which there was no warraÌ„t in the written word First King Salomon appointed a solemne
festiuitie for the dedication of the Temple which continued for the space of seuen whole daies Secondly Queene Hester and Mordicai appointed the Iewes to keepe a solemne feast for the remembrance of their happy deliueraÌ„ce from Hamans crueltie Thirdly the Machabees Iudas and his brethren ordained that the dedication of the Altar should be kept from yeare to yeare by the space of eight daies with mirth and gladnesse Fourthly in the daies of Nehemiah the Captaine and of Ezra the Priest the Iewes were appointed to keepe the dedication of the wall at Hierusalem with thankes-giuing and with songes Cymbals Violes and Harpes Concerning which dedication instituted by Iudas Machabaeus Christ himself honoured it with his presence and maister Caluin affordeth it this explication Ac si diceres innovationes quia templum quod pollutum fuerat de integro consecratum fuit auspicijs Iudae Machabaei ac tunc institutum fuit vt quotannis festus ac celebris esset dedicationis novae dies vt dei gratiam quae finem Antiochi tyrannidi imposuerat memoria repeterent Tunc autem in templo Christus promoâ—e apparuit vt in frequenti hominum conventu vberior esset praedicationis suae fructus As if thou shouldest say innouatioÌ„s because the Temple which had bene polluted was coÌ„secrated a fresh by Iudas Machabaeus his authoritie then was it ordained that there should be yearely a feast and a solemne day of the new dedicatioÌ„ that they might remember Gods grace and mercy which had made an end of Antiochus his tyranny At which time Christ was present after his maner in the Temple that in so great a concurse of people his Preaching might haue the better effect Yea maister Caluin granteth that the Iewes instituted their Sanheâ—rim after their returne from Captiuitie This libertie the Church hath this day as may appeare by the freedome in altering the Saboth-day For as I haue proued at large by the testimonie not onely of the ancient Fathers but also of the best approued late writers Philippus Melanction Erasmus Roterodamus Iohannes Caluinus Petrus Martyr Pellicanus Bullingerus and Vrsinus in my booke of Suruey though it be constant perpetuall to haue one day in the weeke assigned for diuine seruice that being the morall part of the Sabaoth and vnalterable yet whether this or that day ought to bee appointed for that purpose it is a thing that respects the time and may bee changed by the church If any shal hold the contrary doctrine he must perforce fall into flat iudaisme tye himselfe to the obseruaÌ„ce of dayes moneths yeares against the Apostolike doctrine For to be tied of necessitie to the time is a flat Iewish superstition intrinsecally ceremonial as all the aforenamed learned men doe will testifie with me yet I neither wish nor deeme it a thing conuenient to change the Lords day or Saboath The third aphorisme of the rules which the Church must obserue in all her constitutions ordinances and decrees THe first rule which the Church must obserue in her lawes decrees constitutions is this viz. That shee prohibite nothing which God commandeth neither coÌ„mand any thing which God prohibiteth Ye shal put nothing to the word which I coÌ„mand you neither shal ye take ought there-from Take heed therfore that yee doe as the Lord your God hath commanded you turne not aside to the right hand nor to the left Let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou maiest obserue and doe according to all that is written therein The second rule is this that the decrees and constitutions of the Church bee not made a part of Gods worship nor holden as necessary vnto saluation For as our Sauiour saith they worship him in vaine who teach for Doctrines the precepts of men And therfore doth the Apostle condemne Ethelothrescêian all voluntarie worship deuised by man The third rule is this that the decrees and constitutions of the Church be onely made of things indifferent and for one of these three endes viz. either for edification or for decencie and comelinesse or for order sake and peaceable gouernment of the Church Of these endes speaketh the Apostle where he willeth all things to be done vnto edifying and to be done decently and orderly These three Aphorismes seriously obserued duly pondered all Ceremonies Ordinances Decrees and Constitutions of our English Church will find ready and sufficient approbation The Demonstration The corollarie and illation deduced out of the precedent Aphorismes may be made cleare and euident by three inuincible and irrefragable reasons Wherof the first is taken from the authoritie of the holy Scriptures the second from the practise of the Catholique Church The third from the vniforme consent of best approued late Writers The 1. reason drawne from the holy Scriptures HOly Writt teacheth vs that the Church De facto hath altered many things which Christ himselfe did both institute and put in practise That the Church ordained and Decreed many things whereof the Scripture maketh no mention And that the Church may make decrees Lawes ordinances and constitutions in all things Adiaphorois which are of their own nature indifferent so the same tend to edification comelinesse or peaceable gouernment of the Church This reason is proued throughout all the precedent Aphorismes And it will be more plaine when I come to speake of the election of ministers The 2. reason drawne from the practise of the auncient Church IF the gentle Reader shall call to minde what I haue in this discourse alreadie set downe out of the Decrees of the auncient and holy Councels out of the holy Fathers and best approoued late Writers hee cannot rest doubtfull or stagger any longer in this behalfe Saint Austen writeth so grauely and so copiously of this matter in many of his bookes extant in the world as hee is well able to satisfie euery one that will be perswaded with reason In his Epistle to Ianuarius to omit all other his manifold testimonies he telleth vs that that Catholique Church by her freedome and authoritie hath instituted certaine solemne feastes of the passion resurrectioÌ„ ascension of Christ and descending of the holy Ghost to be yearely obserued throughout the Christian world He addeth these most golden wordes Nec disciplina vlla est in his melior graui prudentique christiano quà m vt eo modo agat quo agere viderit ecclosiaÌ„ ad quamcunque fortè devenerit Quod. n. neque contra fidem neque contra bonos more 's iniungitur indifferentèr est habenduÌ„ et pro eorum inter quos vivitur societate servandum est Neither can there be any better discipline in these matters for a graue and discrete christan then to doe so as hee shall see that Church doe to which hee hath occasion to come For that which is neither against faith
nor against good manners may be indifferently obserued for their societie amongst whom we doe conuerse In the same Epistle the same holy Father telleth vs Saint Ambrose his iudgement concerning the varietie of fasting These are his wordes Cum RomaÌ„ venio ieiuno sabbato cum hic sum non ieiuno sic etiam tu ad quam sortè ecclesiam veneris eius morem serva si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquaÌ„ tibi WheÌ„ I come to Rome saith Saint Ambrose I fast on Satterday when I am here at Millan I doe not fast Euen so must you doe when you come to any other Church you must doe after the manner of that Church if you will neither scandalize others nor haue others to scandalize you Heere is a most golden rule how to behaue our selues in things indifferent viz to conforme our selues to the time place and persons when where and with whom we doe conuerse If our brethren would seriously ponder and duly weigh this golden aduise of this holy Father they would abandon all contention doubtlesse about the signe of the Crosse the Surplesse and such like indifferent things and for that dutie which they owe vnto the magistrate whom they are bound to obey in all lawfull things euen for conscience sake they would conforme themselues to his lawes and their brethren and not to scandalize the whole Church as they doe To this graue testimonie of Saint Austen and Saint Ambrose it shall suffice for the second reason to adde this memorable obseruation viz. that our brethren who labour so busily to enforce vs violently to receiue their newe discipline are not able to make demonstration to vs either out of the Scriptures or generall Councels or the holy fathers or ecclesiasticall histories that any Church in the Christian world from two hundred yeares before the famous Councell of Nice vntill maister Caluins daies that is for the space of a thousand foure hundred yeares together to say nothing of former times had either the same newe discipline in practise or any pastors made after their manner Which if it cannot be done they wil I doubt not after mature delibration had therein confesse willingly and truly at least in their hearts that in this Church of England there is this day a lawfull ministerie consisting of lawfull Ministers and Bishops according to the practise of the Church in all ages The third reason drawne from the vniforme consent of best approued late writers MAister Caluin hath a very large and learned discourse of this question some part whereof shall suffice at this present These are his wordes Quia autem in externa disciplina ceremonijs non valuit sigillatim praescribere quid sequi debeamus quod illud pendere a temporum conditione provideret ne que iudicaret vnam seculis omnibus formam convenire confugere hic oportet ad generales quas dedit regulas vt ad eaâ— exigantur quaecunque ad ordinem decorum praecipi necessitas ecclefiae postulabit Postremò quia ideo Nihil expressuÌ„ traeâ— didit quianec ad salutem haec necessaria sunt en prc moribus vniuscuiusque gentis ac seculi varie accommodari debent ad ecclesiae aedificationem provt ecclesiae vtilit as requiret tam vsitatas mutare abrogare quam novas instituere conveniet Fateor equidem non temerè nec subinae nec levibus de causis ad novationem esse decurrendum Sed quid â—oceat vel aedificet charit as optimè iudicabit quam si moderatriceÌ„ esse patiemur salva erunt omnia But because in externall discipline and ceremonies hee would not particularly prescribe what wee ought to followe because he foresaw that this depended vpon the state and condition of the time and did not deeme one maner to be agreeable to all ages here we must haue recourse to his generall rules giuen vs and make triall by them of what things soeuer the necessrie of the Church shall require for order and comelinesse Lastly because hee therefore deliuered nothing expressely for that they are not necessarie to saluation but must be applied diuersly to the benefit of the Church as the manners of euery nation doe require it shall therefore be convenient as well to chaunge and abolish the olde ceremonies as to institute newe as the good of the Church shall require I confesse freely that we must not vse innouation neither rashly nor often nor vpon light occasions But what shall bee hurtfull or profitable charitie shall best discerne which if we shall suffer to rule vs euery thing shall be well The same author in an other place hath these wordes Ego autem non nego quin aliquae fuerint apostolorum traditiones non scriptae sednon concedo fuisse doctrinae partes nec de rebus ad salutem necessarijs Quidigitur quae pertinerent ad ordinem poluiam Scimus n. vnicuique ecclesiae liberum esse politiae formam instituere sibi aptam vtilem quae dominus nihil certipraescripserit But I denie not that the Apostles deliuered some traditions which are not written Yet I doe not grant that they were either parts of doctrine or necessary to saluatioÌ„ What were they then doubtlesse such as pertained to pollicy and order For we knowe that euery Church hath her fredome and libertie to institute and ordaine such a kind of pollicie discipline as shall be thought meet profitable for the same because our Lord prescribed no certaine rule therein The same author in an other place hath these words Altos omnes ritus illic non vsitatos noÌ„ tantùm restuebant sed andactèr etiam damnabant Talis morosit as deterrima est pestis quum morem ecclesiae vnius volumus provnivsrsali lege valere They did not onely refuse all other ceremonies not vsed in that place but did also malepertly condemne them Such Morositie is a most noysome plague when wee will make the manner and discipline of one onely Church to be a generall rule for all Thus writeth this learned Doctor Out of whose wordes I may truly gather so much as will euidently make good the question I have in hand For First he telleth vs plainly that the holy Apostle did not set downe any certaine rule or lawe concerning things indifferent Secondly that hee lest that freedome and libertie to the Church and that for this ende and purpose because forsooth he foresaw in his wisedome that such things depended vpon the condition of times and that one manner of discipline was not conuenient to all places and persons Thirdly that euery Church may either chaunge her olde ceremonies or institute new as the necessitie of the Church requireth Fourthly that charitie is the best rule to follow herein and that euery thing is lawfull which is agreeable to the same Which rule S. Augustine appointed before him as I haue proued already Fiftly that the Church hath received many vnwritten
is granted to the Church in the Election of her Ministers This veritie may easily be proued by foure reasons of great importance viz. By apostolicall practise decrees of auncient Councels the testimonie of the holy Fathers and the consent of best approoued late Writers The first Reason drawne from the practise of Christ and his Apostles CHrist himselfe as his holy Gospell teacheth vs did of himselfe alone without the consent and voices of his people both call and choose his Apostles And in like manner himselfe alone did cal choose his disciples whoÌ„ he sent abroad to Preach the Gospell into euery citie and place whither he himself should come But most certain it is that we are bouÌ„d to imitate Christs facts deeds before all other mens For euery his action is and ought to be our instruction For this cause doth the Apostle exhort the E phesians and in them all other Christians to be followers of God as deare children And the same Apostle willeth vs to be followers of him euen as he followed Christ. The Apostles themselues in their Elections of ministers did not euer obserue one and the same manner For in one place we reade that they presented two Barsabas Matthias whereof the one was chosen by Lot In an other place we find that this course was altered For the people presented seuen to the Apostles who all were chosen without Lots vpon whom the Apostles also laid on their hands Wee reade in an other place that this forme was like wise changed and that the Apostles Paul and Barnabas ordained ministers in euery citie in which ordaination they neither obserued casting of Lots nor yet any presentment by the people We find in an other place that S. Paul Elected and ordained both Timothy and Titus and gaue them authoritie to ordaine others Hereupon I inferre this euident conclusion that there is no certaine forme prescribed for the Election of ministers which is to be obserued for euer in the Church but that euery Church is free to change the same according to the circumstances of times places and persons Which doctrine wil better appeare when I shal come to the fourth Reason The second Reason drawne from the Decrees of auncient councels THe Councell of Laodicea holden in the yeare of our Lord 370. hath these wordes Non est permittendum turbis electionem eorum facere qui sunt ad sacerdotium promovends The people may not be permitted to haue the Election and choise of them who are to be preferred to the Ministerie of the Church The Councell of Cabilon hath these wordes Si quis episcopus de quacunque civilate fuerit defunctus non ab alio nisia comprevâ—ncialibus clero civibus suis alterius habeatur electio Sin autem huius ordinatio irrita habeatur If any Bishop shall dye of what citie soeuer he be let not an other be chosen by any other saue onely by the Citizens Cleargie and bishops of the same prouince If it be done otherwise the ordination shall be of no effect The Councell of Antioch teacheth the selfe same Doctrine The councell of Nice after it hath pronounced the Election of the people to be voide and of none effect addeth these wordes Oportet n. eum qui est promo vendus ad episcopatum ab episcopis eligi For he that shall be made a Bishop must be chosen of the Bishops And this second Councell of Nice alledgeth the first Councell of Nice vpon which they ground this their Decree This reason therefore is consonant to the former that there is no certaine prescript rule for the Election of the Ministers of the Church The third Reason drawne from the Testimonie of the holy Fathers SAint Hierome in his Epistle to Evagrius hath these expresse wordes Nam Alexandriae a Marco evangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionisium episcopos presbiteri semper vnum ex so electum in excelsiori gradu collocatum episcopum nominabant For at Alexandria from Marke the Euangelist vntill the Bishops Heraclas and Dionisius the pastorall Elders did alwaies choose one among them whom they placed in an higher degree and called him Bishop Marke these words well Saint Hierome saith heere that the Priests or Pastorall Elders did in Saint Markes time which was in the time of the Apostles choose one of themselues to be their Bishop He maketh no mentioÌ„ at al of any interest that the people had in that Election He that can and list may reade in the Ecclesiasticall Histories that when Anxentius the Arian was depriued of the Bishopricke of Millan then Valentinianus the Emperour called the Bishops together and willed them to place such a one in that Bishopricke as was fit for the place Which motion of the Emperour did no sooner sound in the eares of the Bishops but they forthwith humbly requested the Emperour that he himselfe would choose one whom hee thought most meete in that behalfe Yet the Emperour both grauely prudently and most Christianly answered that it were much better for them to choose one for that they were best able to iudge and discerne of his meetnesse for that place In the ende the good Emperour seeing the people tumâ—â—tuously deuided aboâ—t the Election was content to interpose his authoritie and to commaund Ambrose to be ordâ—ined Bishop there These are the wordes of Theodoretus Hac dissensione cognita Ambrosius vrbis praefectus veritus ne qui â—novarum rerum molirentur propâ—re ad ecclesiam coÌ„tendit Illi sedâ—tione compressa vno ore omnes postulant vti Ambrosius qui adhuc sacris Baptismi mâ—sterijs non erat initiatus ipsiâ— designetur episcopus Quare audua 〈◊〉 iubet illum egregium virum extemplo initiari episcopum ordinari So soone as this dissention was knowne Ambrose the gouernour of the Citie fearing least they should 〈◊〉 some new tumult commeth with speede vnto tâ—e Câ—urch The people beholding him made an end of their variance and all with one assent desired that Ambrose not as yet Baptized with the holy Lauer might bee designed their Bishop Which when the Emperour heard hee commaunded that forthwith that worthy man should be Baptized and then created their Bishop Thus writeth this auncient and learned father Out of these wordes I obserue first that in the time of Theodoret who liued almost 1200. yeares agoe the people had voices in the Election of the Ministers of the Church Secondly that such vsage of popular Election was the cause of great tumults and sedition in the Church Thirdly that it was lawfull for the Bishops to haue kept the authoritie and interest of Election in themselues Fourthly that the confirmation of Bishops was then in the power of the Emperour Fiftly that it greatly skilleth not who doe chose so fit men be chosen for the places Eusebius Caesariensis affirmeth constantly that two excellent Bishops in Palestine Theoctistus Bishop of Caesarea and Alexander Bishop of
Hierusalem did of themselues make the famous Doctor Origen Minister of the Church Many like testimonies are euery where to be found in the historie of the Church but I studie to be briefe The fourth Reason drawne from the vniforme consent of late Writers MAister Caluin whose onely testimonie were sufficient in this dispute is so plaine and resolute that whosoeuer shall with iudgement and indifferencie peruse his Doctrine cannot but yeelde vnto mine opinion in this behalfe These are his expresse wordes Est quidem ilâ—ud fateor optima ratione sancitum in Laodicensâ— consilio ne turbis electio permittatur Uix n. vnquam evenit vt tot capita vno sensu rem aliquam benè componant This I confesse was with very great reason decreed in the councell of Laodicea that the Election should not bee permitted to the common people For it is very seldome or neuer seene that so many heads can agree to conclude any matter well Loe this great learned man who was the greatest patron of the new discipline graunteth freely and roundly that the Church may change the maner of election and consequently that no one certaine kind of election is de iure diuino decreed by Gods law to be perpetuall Againe in an other place the same Doctor hath these wordes Verum in caeteris consentanea fuit ipsorum observatio cum Pauli descriptione In eo autem quod tertio loco posuimus quinam scz ministros instituere debeant non vnum semper tenerunt ordinem But in all the rest their obseruation was agreeable to the discriptioÌ„ of the Apostle And touching the third point who ought to choose the Ministers they did not alwaies obserue the same order Loe the maner of chusing the Ministers was not the same in euery place but varied according to the circumstances of times and places as seemed best to euery Church Maister Beza is so plaine in this controuersie though he be deemed one of the chiefest patrons of the Presbyterie that I thinke his words indifferently poâ—deâ—ed will sufficiently confirme mine opinion and the Doctrine I defend These are his expresse words Quoniam plerumque multitudo imperita est intractabilis maior part saepe meliorem vincit ne in democratia quidem legitimè constituta omnia permissa sunt effrent vulgo sed constituti sunt ex populi consensu certi magistratus qui plebi praeeant inconditam multitudinem regaÌ„t Quod sihaec prudetia in negotijs humanis requiritur multo sanè magis opus est certa moderatione in ijsrebus in quibus ho-mines prorsus caecutiuÌ„t Neque causa est cur quisquaÌ„ sani iudicij homo clamitet nullis hic esse prudeÌ„tiae locuÌ„ nisi hanc prudeÌ„tiaÌ„ de qua loquor ostendat cum dei verbo pugnare quod sanè non arbitror Sequitur neque n. simplicitèr spectanduÌ„ quid sit ab apostolis factum in politia ecclesiastica quum diuersissimae sint circumstantiae ac proinde absque Cacozelia non possint omnia omnibus locis ac temporibus ad vnam eandemque formam revocari sed potius spectandus est eorum finis scopus invariabilis ea deligenda forma ac ratio rerum agendarum quae rectaeo deducat Because the multitude is for the most part ignorant and intractable and the greater part doth often preuaile against the better there cannot bee found euen a popular state lawfully appointed where all things are commited to the vnruly multitude but certaine magistrates are appointed by the consent of the people to rule them If this prudence must be had in humane affaires much more is a moderation required in those matters wherein men are altogether blinded Neither is there any cause why any man of sound iudgement should exclame that in such a case there is no place for pollicie vnlesse he can shewe this pollicie whereof I speake to bee repugnant to the word of God which I thinke he can neuer doe For we must not alwaies looke what the Apostles did in Church gouernment seeing there is so great diuersitie of circumstances that a man cannot without preposterous zeale reduce all things in all places and times to one and the selfe same for the but it is sufficient if respect be had to their end and purpose which is not variable and that manner and forme in Church-matters be vsed which leadeth directly thereunto Thus writeth Maister Beza Out of this Doctrine which maister Beza hath freely deliuered to our consideration I obserue these worthy documents which I wish the gentle Reader to keepe alwaies in his good remembrance First that the common people are ignorant and intractable and so vnfiit to beare any â—way in matters of great moment Secondly that in worldly matters the vnâ—uly multitude are euer gouerned by others in euery well managed common-weale Thirdly that a greater care must be had in Church-gouernment and that the vulgar sort must haue lesse dealing therein Fourthly that no wise man will or can denie that the Church must vse great pollicie in these affaires Fiftly that no private man may speake against the Churches pollicie vnlesse hee can prooue the same to bee against the word of God Sixtly that the Church is not alwayes bound to follow that in her pollicie and gouernment which the Apostles did practise in their time Which sixe points if wee shall ponder them seriously we can not but finde our English church gouernment to bee agreable to Maister Bezas doctrine Who I verely thinke if he were here and did behold the same would with applause subscribe therevnto M. Bullenger a man of high esteeme in Christs church hath these wordes Quamobrem hinc efficitur ecclesiam habere potestatem mandatum eligendi ministros Hoc autem facere potest vel tota ecclesia vel fidi homines ab ecclesia ad hoc elects provt commodius vtilius ad pacem conscrvanaam aptius videtur pro locorum personarum temporum ratione Nam cuncta haec ad Pauli regulam dirigenda sunt vt omnia decentèr ordine fiant Sequiturâ— ita Paulus Bernabas presbyteros seu ministros elegerunt in ecclesus Asiae Et Titus in Creta Timotheus in Ephesi ecclesiarum ministros ordinarunt Habent autâ—miâ—â—â—uam potestatem ex eo quod a tota ecclesia delecti sunt quae ex verbo dei potestatem mandatum habet eligendi ecclisiae ministros Wherfore hence it commeth that the Church hath power and commandement to choose Ministers And this commission may be performed either by the Church her selfe wholy or by some faithfull persons chosen by the Church to this ende and purpose as shall be thought more convenient profitable and sit for the peace of the Church regard being had to the places persons and times For all these things must bee referred to Saint Pauls rule that all things may be done decently and in order So Paul and Bernabas choose Ministers in the
certaine Rites which our Lord ordained as for examples sake bread and wine are the signes of the Supper by our Lords owne institution Where therefore there is either no vse at all of bread and wine or else great want for a time shall we celebrate no Supper of the Lord Yea it shall bee celebrated aright if that bee taken in the place of bread and wine which either by common vse or in regard of the time is vsed in the stead of bread or wine For this Christ intended when he chose bread and wine for these mysteries that by proposing before our eyes the signes of those things with which our bodies is nourished he might represent the true foode of our soules Therefore he swarueth not at all from Christes meaning who hauing no desire of innovation vseth in stead of bread and wine those things which though they haue not equall yet haue they like proportion of nourishment with bread and wine There wants also water and yet Baptisme neither ought nor can be differed with edification my selfe doubtlesse would baptize in any other liquor no lesse lawfully then I would in water This is maister Bezaes iudgement euen in the essentiall parts of the Sacraments Out of this doctrine thus deliuered by these two learned Doctors M. Calvin and M. Beza I observe these most important documents First that the authoritie of the church is so great that it can alter the matter of the Sacraments both of Baptisme and the Lordes supper if credit may be giuen to these great Doctors doctrine Secondly that the vse of the Lords Supper and of Baptisme is of such necessitie that this chaunge may and ought to be admitted rather then wee bee defrauded of the benefite thereof Thirdly that neither the practise of the Apostles nor the examples of Christ nor yet Christes owne institution No not in the matter of Sacraments is of such force and moment but that the church vpon good and necessarie cause may alter and chaunge the same And consequently it must needes be graunted neither can it with any colour of reason bee denied that the Church may chaunge the maner of choosing her ministers as necessarie circumstances of times places and persons shall require Especially seeing there is neither example commandement or institution of Christ to the contrarie CHAP. X. Of the ordeining of Ministers and the Ceremonies thereto apperteining THat Bishops haue and euer had authoritie to make order and admit Ministers of the Church it is so cleere and evident by the Scriptures Councels Fathers and continuall practise of the Church that I cannot but admire their audatious temeritie that doe oppugne the same Marke well the answers to all the Obiections in this Chapter Saint Paul chargeth Bishop Timothie not to lay his hands rashly on any man And the same Saint Paul telleth vs that he left Bishop Titus at Creta that he might order and make ministers in euery towne Now that Timothie and Titus ordained Ministers it is cleere by the Text it selfe But two doubts remaine The one whether Timothie and Titus had more authoritie then other common Ministers or not The other whether they alone ordained Ministers or with the ioynt-authoritie of others Touching the former I haue prooued alreadie by many testimonies that both Titus and Timotheus were Arch-bishops and had superioritie ouer many other Bishops I will heare adioyne the testimonie of Hemingius whose wordes are these Attamen Paulus gradu digns tatis ordine Timotheo Tito erat superior Timotheus gradu ordine excelluit reliquos Ephesmae vrbis presbyteros Et Titus Cretensihus praecrat Sequitur inter hos ministros agnoscit etiam ecclesia nostra gradus dignitatis ordines pro diversitate donorum laborum magnitudine ac vâ—cationum dignitate ac iudicat barbaricum esse de ecclesia hunc ordinem tollere velle Iudicat caeteros Ministros suis episcopis oportere obtemperare in omnibus quod ad adificationem ecclesiae faciunt iuxta verbum dei ac vtilem ecclesiae oeconomium Iudicat episcoposius habere in caeteros ministros ecclesiae non despoticum sed patrium But Paul in deegree and order of dignitie was superiour to Timothie and Titus Timothie in degree and order excelled all other Presbyters or Priestes of Ephesus and Titus was gouernour ouer the Cretions Among these Ministers our Church also acknowledgeth degrees of dignitie orders according to the diuersitie of giftes labours and calling and deemeth him to bee a plain rudes be that once hath but a minde to take this order out of the Church Our Church also iudgeth that all other Ministers must obey their Bishops in all things which pertaine to edification according to the word of God and the profitable dispensation of the Church Shee iudgeth that the Bishops haue a soueraigntie ouer all other Ministers of the Church yet not despoticall but paternall Touching the latter the scripture is plaine that none but Bishops did ordaine Church-ministers at any time And these Fathers of the Church affirme coÌ„stantly that this was a speciall knowne prerogative of Bishops that they and none but they could order and make Ministers of the Church S. Hierome hath these evident expresse words Quid enim facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus quod presbyter non faciat For what doth a Bishop which a Priest doth not the ordering of Ministers excepted Loe in this one thing doth a Bishop differ from Priests and inferiour Ministers because no other Minister saue onely a Bishop can ordaine and make Ministers of the Church Saint Epiphanius who liued aboue one thousand and two hundred yeares agoe affirmeth plainly that Bishops onely make Priests that is begetteth fathers to the Church and both he and Saint Austin enrolled the contrarie opinion among flat heresies censuring all them for Heretiques that held or defended such absurdities Saint Irenaeus who liued next to the Apostles and so could not bee ignorant what was the Church practise in their dayes maketh this my doctrine without question and beyond all exception that Bishops euen in the Apostolique time were different in degree from Priests and did create and make Priests but neuer were created of Priests No no if Priests could make Priests or if it were not an Apostolicall tradition that that charge doth appertaine onely to Bishops as it is this day laubably obserued in the Church of England then doubtlesse Aerius could neuer haue beene censured for an Heretique Adde hereunto that which I haue alreadie deliuered in the fist Chapter in the first and second Paragraph and thou shalt finde this Doctrine to be agreeable to the practise of Christs church in all former ages See Zanchius and note well his wordes Note well also the Answere to the second Obiection The first Obiection It appeareth by Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Evagrius that one minister was made superiour to an other onely by the ordinance of men The Answere I answere First that
Saint Hierome calleth that mans ordinance which was done by the Apostles immediately for that they were men indeed as we our selues are Secondly that superiority of one Minister ouer and aboue an other was in the Apostles time and proceeded from authoritie apostolicall This is alreadie proued Thirdly that a thing may bee called de iure diuine a diuine institution or ordinance two waies First because it is of God immediately Secondly for that it is of them who are so directed by Gods holy spirit that they cannot erre This phrase of speach Saint Paul vseth in these wordes to the remnant I speake and not the Lord. Where we may not doubt but all that Saint Paul spoke was from the Lord and that his ordinance was diuine and not meere humane And in this sense the superioritie of Bishops ouer other inferiour Ministers of the Church may bee called De iure diuine or an ordinance diuine Saint Hierome calleth it an humane ordinance rather then Diuine because it was De iure diuine onely in genere and mediately and De iure humano in specie and immediately The second Obiection In the primitiue Church there was neither Arch-bishop Patriarke nor Metropolitan and yet no Church did or can excell the same in gouernment beautie or perfection The Answere I answere First that though in the very beginning of the primitiue Church there were no Arch-bishops Patriarches or Metropolitans yet were such very shortly after euen in the time of the Apostles as is alreadie proued Secondly that though Arch-bishops and Metropolitans were not expressely named yet were they equivalently implyed in the Apostles Thirdly that as the Church for a time wanted Arch-bishops and Bishops so did it also want Deacons and vnpriested Elders And as the defect of the latter did not argue the imperfection of the Church for that time so neither did the want of the former inferre any such necessarie consequence Fourthly that as the Church had authoritie for the circumstances of times places and persons to ordaine Deacons and vnpriested Seniours if any such euer were so also had it then and this day hath like authoritie to ordaine Arch-bishops and other Ministers of the church for the common good vnitie and peace of the same Whosoeuer shall read attentiuely Maister Bullingers wordes against the Anabaptists of his time shall finde and perceiue very euidently that hee constantly defendeth this my opinion and doctrine Maister Bucer maketh this case most euident whilest hee sheweth the libertie freedome and authoritie of the Church in these most pithy and golden wordes At vero de â—aeteris signis quae in sacris adhibita sunt a veteriâ—â—â— veâ— hodiâ— adhibentur a multis vt sunt ignis ad oxorcijmes catechi mos alba vestis baptizatorum sacer panis qui dabatur catechumenis pleraque alia sic sentio Siquae ecclesiae essent quae puram Christi tenerent doctrinam sinceram servarent disciplinem hisque signis vterentur simpliâ—itèr purè absque omni superstitione vel levitate praecise ad pias admonitiones easquo probè ommbus intellectas eas ecclesias non possem equidem propter signorum talem vsum condemnare Sequitur hinc fit vt homines sicut in privatis publicis actionibus faciunt ita vtilitèr etiam pleraque signa adhibeant sacris ceremorijs Iterum ibidem signum impositionis manuum etiam episcopi soli prabebant non absque ratione Sive n sic faedus domini baptizatis confirmandumâ— sive reconciliandiij qui gras viù◠peccarunt sive ecclesijs ministri ordinandi haec omnia ministeria maximè decent eos quibus summa ecclesiarum cur a demandata est Touching all other ceremonies which were vsed of ancient time in the holy misteries or are this day in vse with many as fire to Exorcismes and Catechismos the white garment of the Baptized holy bread giuen to the Catechumenes and many other things my opinion is this if there were any Churches which retained pure doctrine and sincere discipline and did vse these signes and ceremonies simplely and purely without all superstition or leuitie precisely to godly admonitions well vnderstood of all the people I verily could not condemne those churches for the vse of such signes or ceremonies Hence it commeth that as men doe in priuate and publique actions so also may they adde many signes vnto their holy ceremonies and that not without profit The signe also of imposition of hands was giuen by Bishops onely and that not without reason For whether the baptized were to bee confirmed with the couenant of the Lord or they who had sinned grieuously were to be reconciled or Ministers were to be ordained vnto Churches all these ministeries doe especially partaine vnto them to whom the chiefest charge of the church is committed Out of these golden wordes of this great learned Doctor and renowned Writer I obserue these worthy lessons First that in the auncient approued Churches were many Ministeries with which inferiour Ministers then called Priests as our Church this day vseth the same names had not to doe withall Secondly that onely Bishops who were superiours in degree could make order and consecrate Priests and other inferiour Ministers of the Church Thirdly that onely Bishops and not Priests did confirme the baptized by imposition of hands Which thing our English Church doth this day lawdably obserue howsoeuer some mal-contents more rashly then wisely impugne the same Fourthly that the Church hath authoritie to constitute symbols signes and ceremonies and to adde them vnto the holy misteries Fiftly that we may not condemne those Churches which for godly considerations without superstition doe vse such signes and ceremonies as were not knowne or heard of in the primitiue Church Oh that this doctrine were well marked and remembred for then doubtlesse all dissention would cease and all mal-contents would yeeld obedience to the godly settled Lawes of our English Church Maister Zuinglius a very learned and famous Writer and a most zealous professor of Christs Gospell is able to satisfie all indifferent Readers These are his expresse wordes Simul illud notari debet quod apostolorum nomen deposuerunt vt primùm vni alicui ecclesiae affixi illius curam continuam habuerant cum nimirum vel senecta impediti vel morbis afflicti peregrinationum molestijs periculis amplius sufficere non potuerunt Tunc n. non apostoli amplius sed episcopi dicti sunt Possumus autem huins rei exemplum imo testem adducere D. Iacobum quem nos minorem ab atate dicimus Hunc n. Huronimus omnes simul vetusti patres Hierosolymitanorum episcopum nominant non aliam ob causam quam quod ea in vrbe sedem fixam posuisset Cum n. antea vt reliqui apostoli peregrinationibus deditus fidem vbique terrarum docuisset tandem abipsis apostolis constitutus est qui Hierosolymitanae ecclesiae curaÌ„ ceu diligens aliquis speculator ageret idem de
Iohanne euangelista christi discipulo dicere possumus Cùm n. multis varijs periculis obiectus apostolieam functionem longo tempore administravisset tandem Ephesiorum episcopus factus in ea vrbe anno ab ascensione domini sexagesimo octavo è vivis excessit This also must be marked that they laid away the name of Apostles so soone as they were tyed to any one church and had the continuall charge thereof To wit when they being either hindered with old age or afflicted with diseases were no longer able to endure troubles and molestations of trauaile For then they were no longer called Apostles but Bishops We may bring Saint Iames the yonger for an example or rather for a witnesse of this matter For Hierome and all the auncient Fathers call him the Bishop of Hierusalem and for no other cause saue onely that he had placed himselfe in that citie For when in former times hee as the rest of the Apostles being giuen to peregrination had taught the faith euery where the Apostles made him as a diligent watchman the Bishop of Hierusalem The same we may say of Saint Iohn the Euangelist and disciple of Christ. For when he being exposed to many dangers had executed the apostolicall function a long time hee was at length made the Bishop of Ephesus and died 68 yeares after our Lords ascension Out of these words of this excelleÌ„t discourse I note first that in the Apostles something was extraordinarie and temporarie and something likewise ordinarie and perpetuall This is an obseruation of great moment well worthy to be engrauen in Marble with a Penne of Gold Secondly that the Apostles were some time Bishops and that their function in that respect was perpetuall Thirdly that so soone as they betooke themselues to an ordinarie calling they ceased to bee called Apostles and were named Bishops And this their ordinarie calling remaineth this day in the Church and shall continue vntill the worlds ende Hence commeth it that all the holy Fathers affirme with vniforme consent that Bishops this day succeede the Apostles in their ordinarily calling This graue Writer deliuereth his opinion for ceremonies most plainly and prudently in these expresse wordes Iam obijciebant odiose nimis salem butyrum salivam lutum alia id genus imo ipsas quoque orationes quae super infantibus fiunt quod neque Iohannes neque apostoli legerentur orationibus baptismo praeivisse Ad quae sic respondimus primùm ad ceremonias Christum interim caecos quosdam visui restituisse mediantibus tactu aut luto interim solo verbo respice neque tamen eos minùs vidisse qui tactu vel luto mediante aciem recepissent quà m qui solo verbo at nihil morari nos externa ista si ecclesia iubeat resâ—indi factumque est vt protinus iuberet non ignorantibus nobis qui verbo praesumus iam inter exordia ecclesiae horum fuisse vsum tametsi eis non tantum tribueretur atque his nostris temporibus vndè citrà negotium recidimus Now they obiected too odiously Butter Salt spittle Cley and such like yea the very praiers made ouer infants because neither Iohn nor the Apostles are read to haue preuented baptisme with prayers To which wee answered and first to the ceremonies that Christ sometime cured the blinde by touching and Clay sometime by his word onely neither for all that did they see lesse who receiued sight by Clay and touching then they which sawe by his onely word but we make no reckoning of these externall things if the church command them to be taken away and wee obeâ—ed as shee appointed albeit wee ministers are not ignorant that in the beginning of the church these ceremonies were vsed though not in such sort as now adaies and therfore without contradiction we reiect them Out of this dicourse we may learne sufficiently howe to behaue our selues touching ceremonies viz. to vse or refuse signes and ceremonies as beeing thinges indifferent as the church shall thinke it expedient and appoint to be done Hemingius an other famous late writer hath these words Augustinus Ambrosius non offenduntur ex coque aliae Remae aliae Mediolani essent ceremoniae Nam inter se iunguntur pij spiritis Christi non humanis ceremonijs Vt pios gubernatores ecclesiarum velim magno studio cavere ne ceremoniae scandalo sint infirmis it a privatos nolim quicquam mutare in ceremonijs gravi authoritate a maioribus institutis approbatis Neque est quod exactissima ratio singularum ceremoniarum inquiratur modo non manifestam superstitionem impietatem redoleant Quidam offenduntur ceremonijs nostris quas clamitant papisticas esse Dicunt nos habere sacerdotes altaria vectes candelos imagines exorcismos signationes crucis planè papistico more His ego respondeo ecclesiam veram a falsae dictingunendam doctrina cultu non ceremonijs quae per se adiaphorae sunt Neque n ceremonias adiaphoras tanti momenti esse indicamus vt propter illas schismata moveantur in ecclesia Retineatur doctrinae sinceritas retineatur purus dei cultus Alia serviant partim tranquillitati partim infirmitati hominum relinquamus prudentia quberuatorum de his rebus dispiciant Austen and Ambrose are not offended that Rome had one kind of ceremonies and Millan an other For the godly are lincked together by the spirit of Christ not by humane ceremonies As I wish the godly gouernours of Churches to be very circumspect that ceremonies doe not scandalize weakelings so would I not haue priuate persons to alter any thing in ceremonies which our auncestors with graue authoritie haue ordained approued Neither is there any cause why we should require an exact reason of euery ceremonie so that they imply not any manifest superstition and impietie Some are offended with our ceremonies crying out that they are papisticall They say we haue Priests Alters Vestures Candels Images Exorcismes Crossings euen after the Popish manner To these good fellowes I aunswere that the true Church is distinguished from the false in doctrine and worship but not in ceremonies which are of their owne nature things indifferent For we thinke not ceremonies indifferent to be of such moment that for them wee may make a Schisme in the Church Let vs retaine the sinceritie of Doctrine and hold fast the pure worship of GOD. Let other things serue partly peace and tranquillitie partly the infirmitie of men and let vs leaue these things to the prudent consideration of our superiours and let them dispose thereof Out of these wordes of this great learned Writer wee may gather all things necessarie for the decision of all controuersies about rites and ceremonies of the Church For first hee telleth vs that the varietie of ceremonies at Rome and Millan did not offend Saint Austen and Saint Ambrose Secondly that priuate persons must bee obedient to the lawes of their superiours and
not to take vpon them to alter those ceremonies which higher powers haue appointed Thirdly that wee must not be curious to demaund reasons for euery ceremonie Fourthly that all ceremonies are tollerable which containe not in them manifest superstition and impâ—etie Fiftly that Copes Vestments Candels Exorcismes Crossings and such like are not things of suffâ—cient moment to cause Schisme and dissention in the Church but that all such things must be left and wholy referred to the consideration of higher powers And both Bucer and Zuinglius teacheth the same doctrine as is alreadie proued The third Obiection Now the Church is troubled with Chauncellours Commissaries Officials and such like for defence whereof no reason can be yeelded The Answere The antiquitie of Chauncellours and Officials or of the Substitutes and Vicars of Bishops which is all one in the thing it self is such of so great authority in Gods church that both old and late writers of best iudgement moderation and learning haue acknowledged and approued the same The auncient Councell of Ancyran which was afore the Nicen councell euen almost 13. hundred yeares agoe hath these expresse words Vicarijs Episcoporum quos graci corepiscopos vocaÌ„t non licere vel presbyteros vel diaconos ordinare sed nec presbyteris civitatis sine episcopi praecepto ampliùs aliquid imperare nec sine authoritate literarum eius in vnaquaque parochia aliquid agere We decree saith this councell that it is not lawfull for the Vicars or Substitutes of Bishops whom the Greekes call fellow-bishops or coadiutors to order either Priests or Deacons neither yet to bee lawfull to the Priests of the Citie to command any thing else without the Bishops authoritie or without the authoritie of his letters to doe any thing in any parish The auncient councell of Neocaesarea and the Councell of Antioch being likewise of great antiquitie doe acknowledge and approue the saide Vicars or Substitutes of Bishops Hemingius agreeth with the Canons of the afore-named councels deliuering his opinion in these wordes Hac potestate ecclesia ordinat ministros pro commodo suo vt omnia ordinatè fiant ad instaurationem corporis Christi Hinc ecclesia purior sequuta tempora Apostolorum alios patriarchas alios episcopos alios corepiscopos alios pastores catechistas instituit Sequitur decori partes sunt duae Prior vt excitemur ad pietatem illis adminiculis Posterior vt modestia gravitas in pietatis tractatione eluceat By this power the Church ordereth Ministers for her owne good that all things may bee done in order for the instauration of the body of Christ. Hence the pure church which followed after the dayes of the Apostles appointed some to be Patriarches some to be Bishops some Coadiutors Vicars or fellow-bishops othersome Pastors Catechists Comelinesse hath two parts the first that we may be drawen to pietie by these helpes the other that modestie and gravitie may shine in the ordinance of pietie Out of these words I note first that the Church may make and constitute diuerse degrees of Ministers for her owne peace and for the building vp of Christes mysticall body Secondly that Patriarches Arch-bishops and Substitutes or Suffragans of Bishops and such like were ordained euen then when the Church was in her puritie A most worthy observation remember it well gentle Reader Thirdly that Ceremonies are some helpes to bring men vnto pietie M. Bucer M. Zanchius and M. Calvin the greatest Patrons of Presbiterie doe all agree vnto this my doctrine acknowledging it for the doctrine of the best and purest Churches next after the Apostles-dayes In regard of brevitie I surcease from recital of their words The Reply The Church of Geneva where M. Calvin was the chief in his time hath neither Patriarches nor Arch-bishops nor Suffragans or substitute vicars The Answere I answere with M. Calvin himselfe whose wordes are these Talis morositas deterrima est pestis quum morem ecclesiae vnius volumus pro vniversali lege valere Such morositie is a pestilent mischiefe when we will haue the manner of one Church to be in place of an vniversall law Yea if M. Calvin were this day liuing he would not affirme the vsage of Geneva to be a fit paterne for the gouernment of our English Church Many Ceremonies and constitutions agree well to our Church which were nothing convenient to some other Hence commeth it that the Church hath authoritie as I haue alreadie prooued to constitute make and publish such Canons Rules and Ordinances as tend to the common good and peaceable government thereof The 4. Obiection The Bishops take vpon them to giue the holy Ghost when they ridiculously make Ministers For they say Receiue ye the holy Ghost The Answere I answere that the manner of ordering Ministers vsed in our English Church descended by tradition from the best most auncient and purest Churches Which thing Saint Ambrose Saint Augustin Saint Hierome and all the holy Fathers doe constantly affirme with vniforme assent Neither doth the Bishop take vppon him to give the holy Ghost but humbly and reuerently pronounceth Christes wordes according to the vsuall practise of all Churches in best approoued times thereby signifying vnto the newly ordered Ministers their principall charge and dutie and assuring them of the assistance of Gods holy Spirit if they labour in their calling as they ought to doe Which vsage of our English Church is consonant aswell to the practise of auncient Churches as to the doctrine of Saint Paul himselfe to Timothie when hee saith Wherefore I put thee in remembraunce thou stirre vp the gift of GOD which is in thee by the putting on of mine hands For albeit all things necessarie for our salvation bee contained in the Scriptures either expresly or by neceslarie consequence yet are many other things very profitable for the externall gouernment of the Church which are partly receiued by tradition from the Apostles and partly added by the authoritie of the Church as circumstances of times places and persons did require Of this point of doctrine M. Zuinglius disputeth very learnedly in a large discourse against the Anabaptists His wordes are these Apostolos baptizatos fuisse nusquaÌ„legimus nisi quod de duobus tantùm mentio fiat Iohan. 1. Vbi tamen idem hoc non disertè expressum est sed obscuriùs innuitur Quod si ergo vestro more nihil eorum factum esse dicemus quae scripturis sacris non continentur iam D. virginem Mariam ipsos quoque Apostolos baptismi signo nunquam inauguratos fuisse fateri cogemur quoa ab omni pietate religione est quà m alienissimum Sequitur caeterùm quòd ad dogmata fides spectat eas res quae fidem nostram internum hominem informant perpetuò hoc ceâ— presenti antidoto vtendum est quod Deus non praecepit credere vt credamus adsalutem necessarium non est Cultum hunc non descripsit
nec iniunxit Dominus ergo illi placere acceptus esse non potest Ceremoniarum autem ratio longè alia est Nec enim dicere licebit de ceremonijs istis in Scriptura nihil proditum est ergo ceremonijs istis vsi non sunt quod ipsum in exemplo divae virginis Apostolorum abundè satis demonstratum est We reade in no place of the holy Scripture that the Apostles weare baptized saue onely that mention is made of two in S. Iohn Where for all that the same is not plainely expressed but obscurely infinuated If therefore wee shall follow your manner and denie all things which are not conteyned in the holy scriptures then certes we shall bee compelled to graunt that neither the blessed Virgin Marie nor the Apostles them selues were euer baptized which doubtlesse is a strange assertion and farre from all pietie and religion But touching doctrines of Faith and those things which informe our faith the inward mā we must ever vse this as a present preseruatiue what God hath not cōmanded vs to beleeue to beleeue that is not necessarie to our saluation Our Lord neither appointed nor inioyned this kinde of worship therfore it can neither please nor bee acceptable to him But touching ceremonies the case is farre different For wee may not say there is no mention made of these Ceremonies in the Scripture therefore the Apostles vsed them not which thing is prooued abundantly by the example of the blessed Virgin and of the Apostles Out of this must excellent discourse I obserue these worthy documents First that all things necessarie for our saluation are comprised in the holy Scriptures Secondly that many other things necessarie for Church-gouernment are receiued by tradition Thirdly that it is not a good Argument to reason after this manner there is no mētion of these things in the Scriptures therfore the Apostles vsed them not or therefore they are not lawfull This doctrine is agreeable to Saint Austins rule who calleth it insolent madnes to withstand and contradict that which is receiued by the custome of the whole Church Yea it is consonant to S. Pauls practise against the malapert saucinesse of contentious persons CHAP. XI Of the Presbyterie and Seignorie SOme otherwise learned doe this day labour with might and maine to proue that our English church ought to be gouerned with a Presbyterie that is with Pastors Teachers Laicall vnpriested Elders and Deacons These 4. as they contend are the lawfull Gouernors of euery particular congregation Pastors and teachers for procuring the aduancement of the faith of the Church Elders for the censure of their conuersation and life and Deacons for the comfort of the poore That that the truth of this controuersie of which many talke but very few vnderstand it aright may be laide open to the indifferent Reader I haue thought it good to proceed therein by way of Propositions The 1. Proposition THat kinde of gouernment which may bee altered for the circumstances of times places and persons is neither necessarie nor perpetuall But the gouernment by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons if euer there were any such kind of gouernment in the Christian world may be altered and chaunged Ergo it is neither necessarie nor perpetuall the Argument is in forme and the Proposition most cleare euident to euery childe The difficultie or doubt if there be any resteth in the assumption But I haue prooued it at large where I disputed of the Churches authoritie in things indifferent Yea there was a time euen in the dayes of the Apostles when the Church had no Deacons There was also a time euen in the dayes of the same Apostles when the Church had no vnpriested or vnpreaching Elders Who so readeth seriously the Acts of the Apostles and S. Pauls Epistles can not bee ignorant in this behalfe The 2. Proposition CHrist did not translate the Sanhedrim Synedrion or Consistorie of the Iewes vnto his Church in the newe Testament I proue it first because both their lesse kinde of Sanhedrim and their great as they did afterward diuide it was onely in one place for all the Realme viz. First at Sylo then at Hierusalem their chiefe citie vntill the worst and last alterations therein but the seekers of the newe English Presbyterie would haue the like if not the very same to bee erected in euery congregation Againe in both Consistories of the Iewish Sanhedrim aswell in the greater of the 70 as in the lesser of the 23. they were all either Priests or Doctors of the Lawe the King and the Peeres of the Realme only excepted Thirdly then Sanhedrim had partly politicall partly eclesiastical iurisdiction both together but our Presbyters haue onely ecclesiasticall seeing as they graunt to be Iudges in ciuill places is onely the Office of the ciuill Magistrate The 3. Proposition THe English supposed Presbyterie is not compatible with a Christian Monarchie but must perforce despoyle her and bereaue her of her royall soueraignitie I proue it because the sayd Presbyterie challengeth vnto her selfe all authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall the supreme ouer-sight of which causes pertaineth to the ciuill Magistrate as is already proued The 4. Proposition THE English desired Presbyterie is not grounded vpon the word of GOD. I proue it because the Scriptures alledged by the Patrons thereof doe conclude no such matter The Textes are fiue in number being all that any way seeme to make for their purpose The first is out of the Gospell tell the Church To this Text I answere in this manner First that wee for the true meaning of this portion of Scripture will giue credite to Saint Chrysostome and the rest of the auncient Fathers The Church to which this complaint must bee made doth signifie the Bishops and gouernours of the Church who according to all generall Councels auncient Canons and the continuall practise of the Church were euer to this day reputed acknowledged and taken for the Church representiue Secondly that if we will be ruled by M. Calvins censure Christ doth not here say any thing of the church of the New Testament but alludeth to the order of the Church of the Iewes Thirdly that by the iudgement of the graue and learned writer M. Bullinger a great Patron of the Presbyterie Christ speaketh here of the whole congregation and not to a fewe persons of whom consisteth the supposed Presbyterie And this exposition is so agreeable to the Text as none with right reason can denie the same Yea this sense is indeed agreeable to the verdict of S. Chrysostome and of all the auncient Fathers and to the continuall practise of the Church in all ages These are M. Bullingers wordes Quamobrem hinc efficitur ecclesiam habere potestatem mandatum eligendiministros Hoc autem facere potest veltota ecclesia vel fidi homines ab ecclesia ad hoc electi prout commodius vtilius ad pacem
conservandam aptius videtur prolocorum personarum temporumratione Nam cuncta haec ad Pauli regulam dirigenda sunt vt omnia decentèr ordine fiant Wherefore hence it commeth that the Church hath power and commaundement to choose her Ministers And this may bee performed either by the whole Church or by faithfull men chosen of the Church for this ende and purpose as shall bee thought more commodious profitable and fit for the conseruation of peace respect being had to places persons and times For all these things must bee reterred to Pauls rule that all things be done decently and in order And a little after the same Writer hath these wordes Habent autem istisuam potestatem exeo quod a tota ecclesia detecti sunt quaeex verbo Deipotestatem mandaâ—nÌ„ habet eligendi ecclesiae ministros But these men haue their authoritie for that the whole Church hath chosen them which by Gods word hath power and commandement to choose the Ministers of the Church Thus writeth this learned man Out of whose words it is most apparent cleare that all power is graunted vnto the whole Church who to auoyde confusion and for order sake committeth her authoritie to certaine chosen persons Which persons are the Bishops and Prelates of the Church say I and all antiquitie will confesse the same with me For neither Councels Fathers nor auncient Canons doe make any mention of the late vpstart presbyterie The Second text is fathered vpon Saint Paul where he saith let him that ruleth doe it with diligence The third text is drawne from the same Apostle where he telleth vs that God hath ordained in the Church some Apostles some Prophets some teachers some workers of miracles after that the gifts of healing helpers gouernours To these two texts which are of one and the same effect for the establishing of the presbyterie I answere in this maÌ„ner First that the Apostle in both places may be vnderstood indifferently either of ciuill gouernours and gouernment onely or of ecclesiasticall onely or of both ioyntly consequently that the text cannot be racked so that it must perforce be vnderstood of the vnpriested Seniors of the Presbyterie especially seeing it may as fitly if not more truly be vnderstood of Kings Monarches and other ciuill christian Magistrates to whom the chiefe care and ouersight appertaineth of all persons and causes within their kingdomes territories and dominions Secondly that the original Greek word Cubernesejs signifieth gouernments not gouernours So that thereupon cannot be inferred necessarily any distinct gouernor from the afore-named Apostles prophets and Doctors For diuers offices may bee and often are coincident in one and the same officer And for this respect when the Apostle commeth to the repetition of his former assertions and should by order haue mentioned the gift of gouernance he passeth it ouer in silence albeit he reckoneth vp the other seuerally Wherby hee giueth vs to vnderstand that hee containeth the same either in all or in some one of the former offices or gifts Thirdly that none of the holy Fathers in their Commentaries did euer gather out of these texts or the like any vnpreaching Seniors Fourthly that both maister Caluin maister Bucer and maister Martyr doe extend these places to all kinde of gouernment The fourth text is taken from the Epistle to the Ephesians which proueth nothing at all because there is no mention made in that place of any gouernours saue onely of Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors and Doctors None of which doubtlesse can be their vnpriested Elders The Fift text is borrowed from Saint Paul to Timothie where he saith the Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour specially they which labour in the word and Doctrine This text I graunt hath some colour though no truth of that which is in question But I answere that the Apostle vnderstandeth by Elders such as are ministers of the word or else of the Sacraments I proue it first because Saint Hierome Saint Chrysostome and Saint Ambrose yea and maister Caluin himselfe where hee speaketh purposely of Seniors doe so vnderstand the word Elders Secondly because the originall Greeke worde Coptôntes which signifieth to labour painfully doth argue a differeÌ„ce betweene Elders of the same calling whereof some laboured more painfully then others did the meaning of the Apostle is this and no other that laborious and painfull Elders are so much the more worthy to be graced with greater honours by howe much greater paines and troublesome turmoyles they vndertake in their ministerie For by the word labour Saint Paul vnderstandeth no ordinarie vulgar and meane exercise but an extraordinarie vehement and most painfull labour such as Timothie Titus Luke Marke and others were well acquainted withall Thirdly because the Apostle if hee had meant that some Elders did neither preach nor administer the Sacraments would haue added which labour in the word and administration of the Sacraments for it had been as easily said as which labour in the word and doctrine but because there were some that laboured onely in the word and doctrine and other some likewise who laboured in administring the Sacraments hee saide Coptôntes which labour painfully to distinguish them from such as laboured in the same kind and office though not in so laborious and painefull maner The fift proposition THe constitution of the earnestly wished and long expected English presbyterie doth ouerthrowe it selfe and can no way be defeÌ„ded I proue it first because diaconesses or widowes are no lesse required in the holy scripture then are Deacons neither are the one more extraordinarie or temporarie then are the other And consequently the frame or building of the presbyterie is not perfect seeing it consisteth onely of these foure Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons And to answere as some doe that there must bee godly poore widowes when they can bee gotten is not to the purpose For if Gods appointment and order may bee altered in widowes because sit women cannot bee gotten euen so may wee excuse the want of their ruling vpriested Seniors as also the want of their Preaching Ministers For the necessitie and want of sit persons is equall in them all I proue it Secondly because Pastors and Doctors or Teachers are not distinct officers but are taken in holy Writ for one and the same For Saint Paul hauing seuered Apostles Prophets and Euangelists addeth to them Pastors and Teachers by a coniunction copulatiue which hoe would not haue done doubtlesse if hee had deemed them to bee different orders Saint Hierome is iumpe of mine opinion and reasoneth after the selfe same manner And Saint Austen beeing demaunded of Peulimis what difference was betwixt Pastor and Doctor a pastor and a Teacher answered in this sort viz. That they were all one because hee cannot bee a pastor who hath not Doctrine wherewith hee may feede the flocke committed to his charge Maister Bullinger decideth the controuersie in plaine tearmes
glorious resurrection Whereupon it followeth by a necessarie and ineuitable consequâ—tion which neuer can be answered that the Preaching of GODS word and the administration of his holy Sacraments are not so inseperably vnited and linked together but that the one may stand intiere and peâ—fect without the other For Christs will and holy ordinance is that onely rule by which and after which all the actions policie and gouernment of his Curch must be measured ordered and disposed And this reason ab authoritate legislatoris is confirmed by an other argument drawen ab exemplo Wedlocke or Marriage instituted for a triple ende viz. for procreation of children for the avoyding of fornication and for mutuall helpe and societie is perfect and lawfull for the secondarie ends though the first cannot be atchieued For marriage is lawfull in old women quib desinunt muliedria which are past the date of bearing children as all learned men doe graunt Ergo the institution and ordering of Priests or Ministers for a triple end viz. for Preaching of Gods word for administration of his holy Sacraments and for reading of the holy Scriptures godly prayers for the comfort edification of the congregation is godly perfect lawfull for the last second ends albeit the first caÌ„not be attained The same argument is further confirmed by the testimonie of the reformed churches in Helvetia whose iudgement I think the patrones of the English desired presbyterie wil not easily reiect or coÌ„demne Their expres words are these domnanius ministros ineptos non instructos donis pastori necessarijs Interim agnosâ—omus quorundam in veteri ecclesia pastorum simplicitatem innocuam plus aliquando profuisse ecclisiae quam quorundam eruditionem variam exquisitam delicatamque sed paulo fastuo siorem Vnde ne hodie quidem reijcimus simplicitatem quorundam probam nec tamen omuino imperitam We condemne vnmeete Ministers which are not indewed with gifts necessarie for a shepeheard Howbeit we acknowledge that the harmelesse simplicitie of some shepheards in the olde Church did sometime more profit the Church then the great exquisite and delicate but a little to proud learning of some others Wherefore we reiect not now adayes the good simplicitie of certaine Ministers so that they be not altogether ignorant Loe the great learned men the maisters and rulers of the reformed Churches in Helvetia allow and approue as much as we desire The cass is cleere it cannot be denied The first Obiection Saint Paul commandeth expressely that euery Bishop or pastor should be able to teach and to conuince the gainsayers Ergo no mortal man can dispense with vnpreaching Ministers The Answere I answere first that if euery pastor must of necessitie be able to conuince the gainsayers so as otherwise he caÌ„not be a lawfull pastor then doubtlesse must many of those who are of high esteeme with the fauourrs of the presbyterie be vtterly forsaken and deposed from their ministery Secondly that hospitalitie is required in a Minister euen as is his preaching and aptnesse to conuince And yet many pastors are allowed within the presbyterie which for all that can keepe no hospitalitie Thirdly that by Saint Pauls canons he is as vnlawfull a Pastor that is an angry Minister as he that cannot Preach For Saint Pauls wordes are as plaine for the one as they are for the other me orgilon not angrie But if all bee vnlawfull Pastors that be angrie howe can wee bee assured to finde any lawfull Pastors either in the presbyterie or else where Many other conditions doth Saint Paul require in pastors which will hardly be found in the elders of the Presbyterie The true sense and meaning of Saint Paules wordes is this and no other viz. that it is meete and conuenient that a Pastor of the Church haue those qualities and conditions which he reckoneth but withall he meaneth nothing lesse then that he is no lawfull Pastor which wanteth some of the saide conditions Yea the originall Greeke word doth confirme this mine exposition For deioun ton Episcopon doth onely signifie vnto vs that a Bishop or Priest should of congruitie and if it may be haue such conditions and qualities as the Apostle reckoneth vp to Titus and Timothy not that none can be true and lawfull pastors of the Church which are not indewed with all the aforenamed qualities No no the latin word oportet and the Greeke word dei haue no other sense and meaning but that it behooueth or that it is meete and conuenient not that it must of necessitie be so or else no lawfull ordination The second Obiection Christ sent his Disciples forth to preach the kingdome of God and to cure the sicke The Answere I answere that this was a speciall charge giuen onely to the Apostles and that it proueth as well that all Ministers must be curers of diseases as Preachers and conuincers of gainsayers The second Section of Preaching without licence and authoritie The patrons of the Presbyterie affirme those canons ordinances and constitutions to be vngodly wicked and plaine diabolicall which prohibite all Ministers to preach Gods word that are not lawfully licenced thereunto And they cry out against the most reuerend Fathers because they put som to silence whom they had licenced to preach in former times But I answere to these vnworthy complaints and vnchristian exclamations first that no man may take vpon him the ministerie but he onely that is lawfully called therunto Secondly that the Church to whom this authoritie is graunted may place and displace giue licence to preach and prohibite from preaching as it shall be thought most conuenient for the peaceable gouernment thereof and for edification of the people For this cause did King Salomon Depose Abiathar the high Priest and placed Sadock in his roome But doubtlesse he that hath power to displace the Minister which is a greater thing hath power a fortiori to suspend the Minister from execution or to prohibite him to Preach seeing that is a thing that requireth lesse authoritie Againe if the Church had not power to displace suspend and prohibite Ministers from Preaching as their demeanours and circumstances of times places and persons shall require then doubtlesse would the Church abound with schismes confusion and all ataxia contrarie to the Apostolike canon which prescribeth all things to be done decently and in order Yea I protest vnto the world that I deeme the prohibition of Preaching without licence to be one of the most necessary and profitable Canons that euer were ordained constituted and established by this our English Church For since euery man tooke vpon him to Preach at his owne pleasure and was permitted to doe it when and where he would lawfull authoritie hath binso impugned new-sangled conceits so vsuall vnsound doctrine so coÌ„moÌ„ the text it self either scantly touched or so rawly vnclerkly handled that the auditors were as ignorant of the true meaning of
the text in the end as in the beginning of the sermon Hereupon it followed of necessitie that some for want of skil who euer were most desirous to haue the place some for disdaine of superioritie in their betters and others vpon licentious saucinesse did destroy more and withdrawe moe people from liking of the Gospell in one moueth then graue Preachers of great learning and rare gifts were able to builde vp againe in one whole yeare I will not disclose all I knowe in this behalfe for that I haue no pleasure therein Onely I wish that all Preachers will hereafter studie seriously how and what to Preach before they take in hand that most excellent and heauenly exercise And so I wil conclude this section with the graue censure of Maister Musculus His words are these Habent ministri Christi indeterminatam quandam potestatem quam in ijs rebus esse dicimus de quibus nihiless expresso verbo determinatuÌ„a dominâ— tamen aliqua ratione ad hoc conducunt vt ministerium ipsorum velcoÌ„modius vel vtilius impleatur The ministers of Christ haue a certaine vndetermined power which consisteth in those things of which our lord hath determined nothing expressely in his word and yet the same things serue to this end that their Ministerie may be either more commodiously or more profitably accomplished Loe the Church hath power freedome to order those things which our Lord hath not expreslely determined in his holy word Now it is most euident and apparent to all that read the Scriptures that our Lord hath not expressely appointed this minister and that minister when where and in what habit he shall preach and consequently the disposition and ordering thereof pertaineth to the gouernours of the Church The third Section of reading of Homilies in the Church The reading of learned Homilies in the Church pronounced by vnpreaching Ministers so termed scornfully are vehemently impugned by the patrons of the long expected presbyterie To whom I answere first that father Latiâ—â—r that blessed Martyr compiled a whole booke of godly and learned Sermons my selfe haue seene the same which hee would neuer haue done if hee had thought it a thing vnlawfull to read or pronounce his Sermons in the Pulpit The like may be said of Saint Augustine Saint Ambrose and many others whose Sermons are this day extant in print in the greater part of Europe Secondly that the distinct reading of one of the godly and learned sermons or homilies setforth to be read in our English Churches is able to edifie and no doubt doth edifie the congregation more then doe many of their sermons who inueigh most bitterly against vnpreaching ministers But these men are therefore enemies to reading because they are carried away with a vaine Philantia and loue nothing better then to heare theÌ„selues talking For which end they wander abroad many times leauing their owne charges either distitute or onely supplied by vnpreaching Ministers whom otherwise they condemne And this they effect with desire euen in those places where their presence is neither necessary nor yet much desired I speake not this either in defence of vnpreaching ministers for I wish with all my hart that euery church in England were furnished with a godly learned preacher or in dislike of their zeale who endeuoure themselues to preach often so that be done with eutaxia obedieÌ„ce of higher powers with such reuerence ripenes due preparatioÌ„ as appertaineth to that heaueÌ„ly exercise Thirdly that one of the homilies or sermons aforenamed pronounced by an vnpreaching minister as they odiously tearme him is intrinsecally and formally a sermon or a preaching consequently that he is truly said to preach who publikely and orderly pronounceth the same I proue it because to be vttered with a shrill or meane voyce with this or that gesture vpon the booke or without the booke and other like circumstances are all and euery of them mere accidentall and extrinsecall to a Sermon Whosoeuer shal hold the contrary opinion must perforce admit grosse absurdities flat contradictions and plaine impossibilities Fourthly if an vnlearned Minister shall receiue a learned SermoÌ„ learnedly orderly peÌ„ned by his learned friend shall cunne the same without the booke and after the rehearsall of his text shall pronounce the same distinctly and orderly in the Pulpit all the learned that heare him and know not the truth of the matter will say and that truly that he made a learned Sermon although he were but calvus comatus in rei veritate And euen so say I that he preacheth in the Pulpit who readeth Homilies penned to his hand Howsoeuer that be this is out of doubt that many reading the Homilies doe more edifie the congregation then many others that preach their owne collections I will not say inuentions and fansies and thinke themselues no fooles It is likewise out of doubt that the same Ministers doe preach Theologica though not theolagicè and consequently that is accoÌ„plished by them which is principally intended by their aduersaries Homelies be pithâ—e and sound but Sermons are often vnlearned and errours The fourth Section of reading of the Apocrypha in the Church The patrons of the presbyterie make most bitter exclamations against the reading of the Apocryphall bookes in the Church and they haue preuailed so farre with some of the simple sort and vulgar people that they will not once vouchsafe to reade or looke vpon those Bibles which haue the Apocrypha in them To whom I hope in God so to answere as shall be able to satisfie them if they will be satisfied with reason I Therfore say first that the word apocryphos in the original Greek tongue signifieth hid or secret and thereupon certaine books contained within the corps of the holy Bible and deliuered to the primitiue and auncient Churches succeeding were called Apocrypha for that they were not acknowledged of the Church to be canonicall that is to say to be the canon or rule of faith as the other Scriptures are Secondly that these Apocryphall bookes were euer in high esteeme in the Church of God as the holy wrytings of holy men and were also thought meete to be read in the Churches as containing sit and necessarie matter aswell for the knowledge of the hystories as for the instruction of Godly manners This to bee so will bee cleare and euident to all those that can and 〈◊〉 to peruse seriouslie the ancient Councells the holy Fathers and the histories of the churche Whereof I shall here in briefe recounte some sâ—we for the helpe of the simple and thankfull Reader And hereby the way the gentle Reader shall vnderstand that maister Iunius a great learned man and of high esteeme in the reformed churches hath published notes vpon the Apocryphall bookes Saint Hierome hath these expresse words Siâ—utergo Iudith Tobyae Machabaeorum libros legit quidem Ecclesia sedinter Canonicas scripturas non recipit sic haec
duo volumina legit ad aedificatitonem plebis non ad authoritatem Ecclesiasticorum dogmatum confirmandum As therefore the Church readeth the books of Iudith and of Tobye and of the Machabees but receyueth them not amongst the Canonicall Scriptures so doth it also reade these two volumes for edification of the people but not to confirme any Ecclesiasticall doctrine Saint Augustine is of the same opinion and deliuereth the matter in these expresse words Hanc Scripturam quae appellatur Machabaeorum non habent Iudaei sicut Legem Prophetas Psalmos quibus Dominus testimonium perhibet tanquam testibus suis dicens oportebat impâ—eri omnia quae scripta sunt in Lege Prophetis in Psalmis de me Sed recepta est ab Ecclesia non invtiliter si sobrit legatur vel audiatur maxime propter illos Machabaeos qui pro Dei Lege sicut veri Martyres a persecutoribus tam indigna atque horrenda perpessi sunt The Scripture which is of the Machabees the Iewes repute not as they doe the Lawe and the Prophets and the Psalmes to which the Lord gaue testimonie as to his witnesses saying It behooued all things to be fulfilled which are written in the Lawe and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes of mee but the Church hath receiued it not without profite if it bee read or heard soberly especially for those Machabees who for the Lawe of God as true Martyrs suffred of their persecutors so vnworthy and horrible torments Saint Cyprian Saint Ambrose and other Fathers teache the same Doctrine and the continuall practise of the Churche in all ages doth yeelde a constant testimonie therevnto Nowe seeing the Churche of God hath thought it meete and profitable to haue the Apocryphall books read in the Church and seeing withall that Saint Austen Saint Hierome and other holy Fathers do commend the same I see no reason why a few young heads without gray beards whose authoritie is no waye comparable with the practise of the Church neither their reading experience and iudgement to bee equalized with the auncient holy Fathers should take vppon them so rashly to controll the Churche of England and to condemne her for following the practise of the Church in all ages Let these men weigh well with themselues what the holy most reuerend and learned Father Saint Austen saith to this and the like questions These are his expresse words In his n. rebus de quibus nihil certi statuit Scriptura Diuina mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda sunt For in those things touching which the holie Scritpure hath left no certaine rule the custome of Gods people and the ordinances of our ancestours must be holden for a lawe Behold here gentle Reader a most excellent rule indeed giuen vs by this holie Father and great learned Doctor Which if they who this day impugne the governement of our English Church the Prownists and their â—â—herents I euer meane would duely ponder and regarde they would doubtlesse surceasse to vexe and distourbe the peace of our Church and receyue the ordinances of their auncestours with all reuerence and humilitie For the Church of England doth make a flat separation in which it doth in plain and expresse tearms seuer deuide the Canonicall books from the Apocryphall so as no simple Reader can but perceyue and vnderstand the same And it is not to the purpose to obiect as some haue done that the Rubricke in the booke of common prayer calleth the Apocryphall bookes holy Scripture For first when the Rubrick saith the rest of the holie Scripture it may be vnderstood fitlie of the bookes Canonicall following especially seeing it nameth not the Apocryphal expressely but quoteth some of them afterwards Secondly the Apocrypha may truely and lawfully beecalled holie Scripture Analogicè though not Univocè that is to say the wrytings of holy men or bookes conteyning holie and good matter And in this sense speaketh the Rubrick as I iudge and sundry of the holie Fathers I am well assured doe so tearme the bookes Apocryphall Howsoeuer the Rubricke be expounded or wrested two things are apparant Th' one that the Rubricke doth not call them Canonicall scripture Th' other that the Church meaneth not to equalize them with the Canonicall books of holy writ I prooue it because shee hath plainely distinguished the one from the other and preferred the authoritie of the Canonicall Neyther will it serue their turne to say as some haue done viz. That nothing may be read in the Church but onely the Canonicall scriptures For first no text of holy writ doth so affirme and consequently the Church hath power to determine thereof as is alreadie prooued Secondlie the ancient councell of Uasco which was holden aboue one thousand and one hundreth yeares agoe decreed plainlie in their publique assembly that the Deacons should read the Homelies made by the holy Fathers These are the expresse words of the Councell Hoc etiam pro aedificatione omnium Ecclesiarum pro vtilitate totius populi nobis placuit vt non solum in Ciuitatibus sedetiam in omnibus parochijs verbum faciendi daremus Presbyteris Potestatem ua vt si presbyter aliqua infirmitate prohibente per seipsum non potuerit praedicare Sanctorum Patrum Homiliae a Diaconis recitentur Wee haue also decreed for the edification of all Churches and for the good of all the people that the Priests should bee licenced to preache and not in Cities onely but also in euery Parish Churche so that the Deacons may read the Homilies of the holy Fathers if the Priest cannot preache himselfe by reason of some infirmitie Thirdly it is voyde of all reason and farre from all Christianitie to affirme it vnlawfull to read testimonialls made to signifie the distresse of our honest Neighbours that thereby wee may bee styrred vppe to releeue them more bountifullie Yea if it be true that some haue written it is a lawe amongst them of the Presbyterie to haue their orders for gouerning the Church reade publicklie once euery quarter And I knowe Expropria scientia that some of them haue done more Well now-adayes euery vpstart yongling that can rawely pronounce some Texts of the holie Byble though hee but meanely conceyue the true sense will roundly take vpon him I warrant you to reuile our most Reuerend Fathers the Archbyshops Byshoppes and to controll the gouernement of our Churche as if hee had a Commission from Heauen to doe it If I should disclose what my selfe haue heard herein and how I haue beene saluted sometimes for speaking my minde in the defence of the Reuerend Fathers and of the Godly setled Lawes of this Church of England time would sooner faile mee then matter whereof to speake CHAP. XIIII Of certaine extrauagants very offensino to the Patrons of the Presbyterie The first member of Christs Baptisme and the circumstances thereof IT is sharply reprooued that
the booke of common prayer hath in it these wordes that by the Baptisme of his welbeloued Sonne God did sanctifie the floud Iordane and all other waters to the mysticall washing away of sinne By these words say they the Minister is caused to testifie of God that hee hath done that which hee neuer did For answere herevnto I say first that I wonder at the temerarious audacitie of these men who presume to set abroach Quie quid in buccam venerit Truly saith th' Apostle of such qualified people they would bee Doctours of the Lawe and yet vnderstand not what they speake neither whereof they affirme Secondlie that if maister Caluin say traielie as he saith most truelie in deede that it is a pestileut mischief when the maner of one church must bee made a Lawe to all the rest Then doubtlesse may I say truely that it is a mere pestilent mischiefe when the gouernment of all the Churches in a whole Monarchy must be squared and measured by the fancie and conceyte of euery priuate man Thirdlie that when our Sauiour Christ was baptized in Iordan of his precursor Saint Iohn then did he sanctifie all waters for the mysticall washing away of sinne Neither is this mine opinion onely neither yet the Doctrine of the Church of England onely but it is the constant and vniforme affirmance of the holy Fathers Tertullianus whose rare learning Saint Cyprian admyred and therefore was daily conuersant with his works giueth this censure of Christs Baptisme in Iordan Baptizato n. Christo idest sanctificante aquas in suo baptismate omnis plenitudo spiritalium retro Charismatum in Christo cessauit For when Christ was baptized that is to say when Christ sanctified the waters in his Baptisme then all the fulnesse of former spirituall gifts ceased in Christ. Saint Hylarie hath these words Non ille necessitatem habuit abluendi sed per illum in aquis ablutionis nostrae erat sanctificanda purgatio Sequitur Atque ita Prophetae testimonio lauacro non eget exempli sui authoritate Humanae salutis Sacramenta consummat hominem assumptoine sactificans lauacro Hee stoode in no neede of washing but in the waters of our washing hee was to sanctifie our purgation And so both by the testimonie of the Prophet hee needeth no washing and by the authoritie of his example hee doth consummate the Sacraments of Mans saluation sanctifying Man both in his assumption and in his washing Saint Ambrose is consonant to the rest and deliuereth his minde in these words Baptizatus est ergo Dominus non mundaeri volens sed mundare aquas vt ablutae per carnem Christi quae peccatum non cognouit baptismatis ius haberent Our Lord therefore was baptized not desiring to bee purged but to cleanse the waters that they beeing washed by the flesh of Christ which knew no sinne might enioy the right of baptisme Saint Hierome hath these words Ipse Dominus noster Iesus Christus qui non tam mundatus est in lauacro quam lauacro suo vniuersas aquas mundauit statim vt caput extulit de fluento spiritum sanctum accepit non quod vnquam sine spiritis sancto fuerit quippe qui de spiritu sancto in carne natus est sed vt illud nobis monstraretur verum esse baptisma quo spiritus sanctus adueniat Our Lord Iesus Christ who rather cleansed all waters by his washing then receiued any cleansing came no sooner out of the floud but hee receiued the Holy Ghost not that hee was any time without the Holy Ghost who was conceyued by the Holy Ghost in the fleshe but that wee should vnderstand that to be true baptisme in which the Holy ghost is giuen Saint Bede who for his great vertue and rare learning was surnamed Venerablis Venerable or Reuerend hath these expresse words Baptizatus est Dominus non ipse aquis mundari sed ipsas mundare cupiens aquas quae ablutae per carnem eius peccati vtique nesciam Baptismi ius iuduerent quod tam innumera sub lege baptismata non poterant contra prauaricationis malum vim regeneratiua sanctificationis coni ciperent Our Lord was baptized not for desire to cleanse himselfe but to cleanse the waters that they being washed by his flesh which knewe no sinne might put vpon them the right of baptisme and receiue the power of regeneratiue sanctification against the euill of preuarication which all the washings vnder the Law could not performe Thus write the holie Fathers For the better vnderstanding of whose words three things must be seriously obserued touching the sanctification they speak of viz. The time the manner and the ende The time when they were sanctified the manner how they were sanctified and the end for which they were sanctified Concerning the time wee must knowe that Christ instituted holie Baptisme two wayes First exemplarilie by fact then expressely by word Examplarilie when hee was baptized in Iordan about three yeeres a halfe afore his Passion at what time hee was about 30. yeeres of age Expressely after his Resurrection about thirtie dayes before his Ascention vp into Heauen At which time Christ gaue commission to his Apostles that they should teache and baptize all Nations Concerning the manner hee did not instill any inherent sanctimonie or holinesse into the waters but onely did consecrate and depute them vnto an holie ende viz. To be the fit and ordinarie matter of holy baptisme like as God is saide to haue sanctified and blessed the seuenth day not by putting any holy inherent qualitie into it but by deputing and ordeyning it to his owne seruice and holy worshippe Now that he ordained exemplarilie both the water of Iordan and all others to bee the vsuall matter of the Sacrament of Baptisme it may appeare by manie circumstances of the Text aswell for the matter of Baptisme as for the forme and effect thereof First hee determined water to be the matter of baptisme when he touched it with his owne most pure holy flesh and yeelded to be Baptized therewith Secondly hee determined the forme of Baptisme when in his Baptisme the whole Trinitie appeared sensiblie for the voyce of the Father was heard from Heauen the Sonne was present in our flesh assumpted and the Holy Ghost appeered in the shape of a Doue And as Saint Hylarie saith the effect of Baptisme was declared for that the Heauens were opened in the celebration thereof Concerning the ende Baptisme is affirmed of Christ himselfe to bee our second byrth In another place it is said to washe away our sinnes Sacramentally In another place it is called the lauer of Regeneration and Renouation of the Holie Ghost And in another place it is made the seale of our iustification by faith of remission of our sinnes and sanctification in the Holy Ghost To this effect wryteth the golden mouthed Doctor
order at his comming Yea M. Caluin vpon that Text admitteth vnwrytten Traditions in things not necessarie to Saluation Thirdlie that Saint Austen Saint Ambrose and other auncient Fathers who liued in the pure ages of the Church make mention of Godfathers and Godmothers and of the interrogatories which our Church vseth in the Baptisme of infants Saint Austen beeing demaunded howe they that being an infant to baptisme are bolde to answere that hee beleeueth and so to all other demaundes seeing they dare promise nothing of his behauiour when hee commeth to mans state answereth in these expresse wordes Si. n. Sacramenta quandam similitudinem earumrerum quarum Sacramenta sunt non haberent omnino sacramenta non essent Ex hac autem similitudine plerunque etiam ipsarum rerum nomina 〈◊〉 Sicut ergo secundum quendam modum sacramentum corporâ—s Christi corpus Christi est Sacramentum sangumis Christi sanguis Christi est ita sacramentum Fidei Fides 〈…〉 aliud credere quam fidem habere Ac 〈…〉 credere qui fidei nondum habet 〈…〉 habere propter fidei Sacramenâ—â—◠〈…〉 propter conuersionis sacramentâ—◠〈…〉 Celebrationem pertinet Sacra 〈…〉 nondum fides illa quae 〈…〉 tamen ipsius fidei Sacra 〈…〉 facit Nam siâ—ut credere respondetur ita etiam 〈…〉 non 〈◊〉 annuâ—ndo sed ipsuâ— rei 〈…〉 For if Sacraments had not a certaine similitude of those things whereof they bee Sacraments they were no Sacraments at all And by reason of this similitude they are often called by the names of the things themselues As therefore after a certaine manner of speaking the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ and the Sacrament of the bloud of Christ are the bodie and bloud of Christ so the Sacrament of faith is faith Neyther is it any other thing to Beleeue then to haue Faith And therefore when answere is made that the infant beleeueth which as yet hath not faith in deed it is answered that hee beleeueth for the Sacrament of faith and that he doth conuert himselfe to God for the sacrament of conuersion because the answere it selfe perteyneth to the Celebration of the Sacrament Therefore although that faith which consisteth in the will of the beleeuers doth not make the childe faithfull yet doth the Sacrament of that Faith make him faithfull For euen as it is answered that hee doth beleeue so is hee also called faithfull not by signifying or graunting the thing it selfe in his minde but by receyuing the sacrament of the thing Thus writeth S. Austen that auncient learned Father out of whose words I obserue against rash heads young Diuines these most excellent instructions for the humble and Godly readers First that this holy learned father whose vertue and learning all the Christian world hath hitherto honored and admyred relyeth stayeth himself vpon the practise of the Church which nowe adayes euery proude Brownist and vnlearned Martinist contemneth at his pleasure Secondly that it was the custome of the Church in S. Aust. time which custome he reuerenced euen as it is this day in our Church of England to propound interrogatories to the suerties or Godfathers Godmothers in the behalfe of the childe as also they did lawfully and truely answere and promise as the manner is nowe in our Churche and that their answeres were to bee iustified by vertue of the Sacrament The first Obiection The suerties which you call Godfathers and Godmothers cannot performe that which they promise in the name of the child ergo it is a vaine and rediculous exercise The Answere I answere that the suerties are well able to performe all that they promise as who promise nothing absolutely but with a condition vsually vnderstood in all such kinde of promises viz if we liue if Gods will be so to the vtmost of our power and so forth And so much may be gathered out of the expresse words in the booke of common prayer The second Obiection Not the infants but the Godfathers and Godmothers are baptized and so rebaptization is admitted For not the child but they say I renounce the diuell that is my desire The Answere I answere first with the auncient father Areopagita in these words Non. n. hoc ait ego pro puero abrenuncio aut promitto sed puer abrenuntiat profitetur id est profiteor me huic puero suasurum cum intelligere sacra per aetatem poterit diuinis meis institutionibus vt nuntium remittat adversarijs atque ab eis deficiat profiteatur exolvatque diuina promissa Neither doth hee say this I renounce or promise for the child but the childe renounceth and professeth that is to say I promise so to instruct the child when he commeth to yeares of discretion with my godly instructions and exhortations he shall renounce all things aduerse professe and performe those heauenly promises which he maketh Secondly mwith Saint Austen in these words Miror sanè quod ita volueris vt de his quae varie per diversa loca observantur tibi aliqua conscriberem cum non sit necessarium vna in his saluberrima regula retinenda sit vt quae non sunt contra fidem neque contra bonos more 's habent aliquid ad exhortationem vitae melioris vbicunque institui videmus velinstituta cognoscimus non solum non improbemus sed etiam laudando imitando sectemur si aliquorum infirmit as non ita impedit vt amplius detrimentum sit I maruell why you would haue me write to you touching those things which are diuersely obserued in diuers places seeing that it is not necessarie that in these things we must hold this for a constant and sound rule that what things soeuer are neither against faith nor against good manners and are some helpe to the furtherance of honest life whersoeuer we see such things to be ordained we must be so far from reprouing them that wee must praise imitate the same vnlesse some weaklings bee so scandalized that hurt commeth thereupon Thirdly with the zealous and learned Writer maister Zuinglius in these expresse words Hic vero singulis videre liâ— cet quaenam sit contentiosi istius Satanae caliiditas qui huiusmodi rixis propter externa quaedam institutis papatui amplissimas fenestras denuò aperire voluit In huiusmodi vtique rebus Pauli Apostoli regula nobis obseruaÌ„da est 1. cor 14. sequitur quoruÌ„ vsum administrationem in nostro arbitrio potestate sitam esse ait sic tamen ne quid cum dei instituto pugnans committamus ne pacem publicam cuius nobis praecipua cura esse debet propter externa haec interturbare libeat licet ergo vel hodie quoque paedobaptismun etiamsi hactenus in ecclesia vsurpatus non esset de novo instituere si aliquod inde commodum pacis concordiaeque frustus inde promanaret Here euery man may
while the pastorall Elders could not vndergoe all the labours Loe Illyricus who vnderstood the Scriptures as well as our Brownists and Martinists affirmeth plainely and constantly that the office of Deacons euen in the Apostles time was not onely to attend on the poore but also to instruct and Preach the Gospell I proue it Thirdly because Philippe the Deacon did not onely attend the poore but was also occupied in Baptizing and in Preaching As also for that Saint Steuen another Deacon made a long learned and most godly Sermon vnto the obstinate and stiffe-necked Iewes in which he proued at large that he did serue and worship the euerliuing God aright euen that God who chose the fathers afore Moses was borne and before their Temple was built The first Obiection Steuen the Deacon did not preach at all but onely defended himselfe in a long Oration against the wicked and slaunderous accusations of the stiffe-necked Iewes which to doe is lawfull not for Deacons onely but also for all other Christians The Answere I answere first that Saint Steuen answered in the way of Preaching for edification sake not in the way of pleading for his owne defence albeit one may answere accusations in a Sermon For first hee sharpely reprooued them terming them stiffe necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares Secondly hee was in the sinagogue of the Libertines Thirdly the end and scope of his speech was to proue the true and pure worship of God neither to be affixed to the Temple nor to any externall ceremonies All which being put together it is cleere that Saint Steuen made a godly Sermon This my answere is confirmed by the verdict of Illyricus whose words are these Videtur autem hic Stephanus egressus esse metas suae vocationis qui magis apostoli quam diaconi munus vsurpaverit docendo disputando miracula edendo Sed sic deus solet suam quandam viam libere ingredi spirando suo spiritu vbi vult Steuen seemes here to haue passed the limits of his calling in vsing the function rather of an Apostle then of a Deacon teaching disputing and working miracles But thus God will vse his owne waies breathing with his spirit where he listeth Againe in another place the same Illyricus hath these words primum est longa concto Stephani vsque ad 53. Versum deâ—â—de est glortosum martyrium eiusdem First there is a long Sermon which Steuen made vntil the 53. Vers then followeth his glorious martyrdome M. Aretius and M. Gualterus doth both of them affirme constantly that Saint Steuen vsed to preach vsualy I answere secondly that if it be true which the obiection thereof supposeth that an Apologie cannot consist with a true and godly Sermon then will it follow of necessitie that Saint Paule did not Preach before Foelix the gouernour of Iurie which to hold is against M. Caluin and all learned Writers It will also followe thereupon that Saint Peter did not Preâ—ch when hee answered to those that accused the Apostles of Drunkennesse before the Iewes and all the strangers that did inhabite Ierusalem I answere thirdly that the custome of the church is of great authority for the true sense meaning of the doubtfull texts of Scripture By which custome it is euident that Deacons did Baptize and preache in the primitiue church and that both Steuen and Philip did the same although they were but Deacons Saint Hierome hath these words Non quidem abnuo hanc esse Ecclesiarum consuetudinem vt ad eos qui longè in minoribus Vrbibus per Presbyteres Diaconos baptizati sunt Episcopus ad inuocationem Sancti spiritus manum impositurus excurrat I doe not denie that this is the custome of the church that the Byshop should goe to those which in Villages a farre of were baptized by the Priests and Deacons and lay his hands vpon them with inuocation of the Holie Ghost Loe the custome of the church approoued the baptisme of Deacons which shall bee made more apparant in answere to the next obiection The second Obiection Philip that baptized the Eunuch was Philip th' Apostle not Philip the Deacon Besides hee was then an Euangelist and so baptized preached as an Euangelist and not by vertue of his Deaconshippe The answere I answere first that this Philip wherof the controuersie it made was not an Apostle but one of the seaue Deacons The reason hereof is euident because all th' Apostles as S. Luke writeth remained 〈◊〉 at Ierusalem and consequently it must needes bee Philip the Deacon who was dispersed with the rest and came to 〈◊〉 where hee now preached and baptized The words of the text are these they were all scattered abroad through the Regions of Iudaea and Samaria except th' Apostles Againe then came Philippe into the Citie of Samaria and preached Christ vnto them Againe thus Nowe when the Apostles which were at Ierusalem heard say that Samaria had receyued the worde of God they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn By these seuerall Texts it is most apparant to all indifferent readers that Philippe which baptized the Aethiopian was none of the Apostles but was that Deacon which came into Samaria Philippe th' Apostle being still at Ierusalem But the Patrons of the Eldershippe vse to shuffle vppe Scriptures they care not how so they may seeme to conclude their intent and purpose Let vs heare what Maister Caluin saith whose words are these Caesareae vsos fuisse dicit hospitio Philippi quem Euangelistam vocat licet vnus esset e septem Diaconis vt visum est capite sexto Diaconiam illam fuisse temporale munuâ— hinc conijcere promptum est quod Philippo alioqui liberumnon fuisset relicta Ierosolimae Caesaream migrare He telleth vs that they lodged with Philippe at Caesarea whome he calleth Euangelist although hee were indeed one of the seuen Deacons Hence wee may gather that his Deaconshippe was but a temporarie office for otherwise he could not haue left Ierusalem and haue gone to Caesarea Where I must needs wish the Reader to obserue by the way that seeing the office of Deacons was temporarie and mutable much more may the same bee saide of vnpriested Elders if anic such were in any age place or time I answere secondly that Philip which baptized the Aethiopian Eunuch was not onely once a Deacon but still remained so and that he was called an Euangelist because he did Euangelize and preach the Gospell In which sense eâ—â—ry preacher may thus be truelie called an Euangelist as both M. Bullinger other learned writers graunt This to be so the verie expresse words of the text doe prooue it so plainly that no denyall can be made therof Thus writeth Saint Luke Eiselthontes eis ton â—icon Philippou tou Euangelistou ontos ec ton hepta emeinamen par auto Entring into the house of Philip th' Euangelist being one of the seauen wee aboade with
him Loe S. Luke speaketh not in the preterperfect tense or preterplusperfect tense who hath or had bene one of the seaueÌ„ Deacons but he saith in the present tense who is euen now one of the seauen For so the Originall Greeke word ontos must needs be expressed seing it is a participle of the present time or time euen now beeing And the holy Fathers together with the practise of the church haue euer so vnderstood this text of Scripture Saint Epiphanius deliuereth his minde in these plaine tearmes Omnes verò praeter ipsum susceperunt magnorum A. postolorum praesentians per impositionem manuum ipsorum acceperunt Spiritum sanctum Nam quum Philippus Diaconus esset non habebat potestatem imponendi manus vt per hoc daret Spiritum sanctum They all hee onely excepted receyued the presence of the mightie Apostles and by imposition of their hands they enioyed the holy Ghost For Philip being a Deacon onelie had not power to impose hands thereby to giue the holy Ghost S. Austen hath these expresse words Iterum multum distare inter Diaconum sacerdotem liber approbat queÌ„ dicimus actus Apostolorum Cumn ex Samaria credidissent Philippo praedicanti Diacono ab Apostolis ordinato miserunt inquit ad eos Petrum Ioannem vt venirent his qui crederâ—t darent spiritum sanctum per manus impositionem Again the booke which wee call the Acts of the Apostles prooueth that a Deacon differeth much from a Priest For when they of Samaria had beleeued the preaching of Philip the Deacon ordeined of th' Apostles they sent saith the booke Peter and Iohn vnto them that they might giue the holy Ghost by imposition of hands to those that did beleeue Thus wee see the iudgement of S. Epiphanius and S. Austen who both iointly affirme Philip to haue bene but a Deacon and yet to haue baptized and preached Yea Maister Gualter Maister Aretius and the Magaeburgenses doe all constanthe and vniformely contest the same truth with the auncient Fathers and continuall custome of the Church in all ages They write plainely that although Deacons were chieflie occupied about the dispensation of the churches goods yet did they employe their labours so far forth as they might in the other ministeries of the church The fourth member of Deacons promoted to Priesthood The Church of England is charged to doe against the word of God while shee vseth to make one and the same person first a Deacon and afterward a Priest To which calumnie I answere in briefe in this manner First that it is not against the word of God but very consonant and altogether agreable to the same For no Scripture can bee alleadged to prooue that a Deacon maye not become a Priest Maister Caluin affirmeth constantly that Philippe was first a Deacon and afterward an Euangelist Priest or pastorall elder Secondly that the church of England vsing the Deaconshippe as a steppe or degree vnto Priesthood doth nothing against the iudgement of the auncient Fathers but followeth the vsuall practise of the church in all ages The reason hereof is and euer was this viz. that there might be some time of try all of their behauiour in the Deaconshippe before they were or could bee admitted to the order of Priesthood No Councell no Father no hystorie Ecclesiasticall no time no place no person since the Apostolike age can be named to the contrary To the continuall practise of the Church from age to age th' Apostles words may sitly be applied when he saith the deacons that haue ministred well get themselues a good degree For sun 〈…〉 writer of high esteem in the church do 〈…〉 the word Degree a steppe vnto the 〈…〉 or Priesthood This notwithstanding it is not of necessitie that euery Deacon become a Priest by any canon or constitution of the church For his behauiour in the Deaconship may be such that the church will deeme him vnmeete to be preferred vnto Priesthood And therefore I conclude with these words of S. Hierome Et si scripturae authoritas non subesset totius orbis in hanc parteÌ„ consensus instar praecepti obtineret NaÌ„ multa alia quae per traditioneÌ„ in Ecclesijs obseruantur authoritateÌ„ sibi scriptae legis vsurpauerunt Although they were no authoritie in Holy Scripture yet should the consent of all the Christian worlde haue the force and strength of a law in this behalfe For many other things which the church obserueth by tradition are become equiualent to the written law Loe S. Hierome affirmeth boldly constantly as do also S. Augustine M. Caluin and others as I haue already prooued that the custome tradition of the church must bee in steede of a lawe vnto Christians Which euer is to be vnderstood in things not repugnant to the word of God or as M. Caluin speaketh which are neyther partes of doctrine nor necessarie to saluation The fyfth member of the generall confession made by priuate persons in the Church The Patrons of the expected Eldership or Presbyterie exclame against the booke of common prayer because it giueth libertie to the Laycall communicants to make a generall confession of their sinnes before the congregation then present as if therby the Laicall communicants should presently become publique ministers of the church To these men I answere in this manner first that they seeme to theÌ„selues to be the onely wise men in the worlde to condemne all the rest of follie For otherwise they would not so roundly peremptorily take vpon themselues and that without either Scripture Councell or Father nay without all time or reason to controll condemne the book of publique praier which I verily think to haue bene composed by the assistance of the Holy Ghost consequently to condemne all the ancient Byshops those glorious martyrs of our Lord Iesus the most famous Byshop of Sarisburie the Iewell of England in his time the Byshops that now liue who are both wise vertuous learned all the residue of the learned Cleargie of this our English Church Secondly that by their grosse assertion ioyned with a most vnchristian reprehension the lowly Publican highly commended in the Gospell should bee made a Minister of the Church or haue intruded him himself into the function of publique Ministerie when hee knocked vppon his breast said O God be mercifull to me a sinner Thirdly that by the same reason the notorious sinners which were put to open penance in the primitiue Church and confessed their faults before the congregation should bee in the same predicament Fourthlie that publique penitents this daye who are for all that approoued of the Patrons of the Presbyterie should be caught in the same nette Fyftlie that the same may bee saide of Women singing Psalmes in the Church and that with more probabilitie who for all that are approoued in so doing not onely in this Church of England but
Saint Chrysostome in these golden wordes Neque ideo solum sed vt tu disceres quontam super te quoque cum Sacro Fonte dilueris Sanctus Spiritus veniat iam vero non visibils specie qua vtique non egemus cum nobis pro cunctis sola fides sufficiat Nam signa non credentibus sed incredulis dantur Neither did the Doue appeare onely for that end but that thou also mayst learne that the Holy Ghost commeth vpon thee when thou art washed in the holie Font bu that appearance is not nowe adayes in any visible shape whereof wee haue no neede seeing sole faith sufficeth for all For signes are not giuen to the faithfull but to the incredulous persons These things well pondered the obiection against the booke of Common prayer will bee to no purpose vnlesse perhaps it will bee a caueat for the Author which I heartilie wish to write and speake more circumspectly in time to come For I verily am perswaded that all things contayned in the booke of Common prayer are agreable to the holy Scriptures the practise of the Church in the purest times and composed with such Iudgement Pietie Learning and Religion that all the wisedome in the worlde is not able iustlie to controll the same In so much that I wonder and greatly admire the audacious temeritie of manie who being of small reading and learning and of no iudgment and experience if they bee compared to those auncient graue Godly wise and learned fathers that compiled the booke of common prayer dare presume to condemne the same with theyr bitter invectiues vntimely censures and vnchristianlike Anathematizations True it is that Saint Hierome saith Nec sibi blandiantur si de Scripturarum capitulis videntur sibi affirmare quod dicunt cum Diabolus de Scripturis aliqua sit locutus Scripturae non in legendo sed in intelligendo consistunt Neyther must they slatter themselues if they seeme in their owne conceits to prooue so much as they say seeing the Deuill himselfe alleadged Scripture against our Lord Iesus and the Scriptures doe not consist in bare reading but in true Sense and meaning Would God this graue aduise giuen by this holy auncient and learned Father might be a president and constant rule in this doleful age to all nouices superficiall diuines and young students in Diuinitie who more rashly then Clerklie take vpon them to controll not onelie our most Reuerend Fathers the graue wise and learned Byshops but euen the whole Synode assembled in the Conuocation house yea and the King himselfe to walke circumspectlie to liue obedientlie to think modestlie of their own gifts not to esteeme better of themselues and their iudgements then there is cause but to thinke that a learned Synode can see as farre as they and would as gladly goe to Heauen as they and consequently to ponder with themselues seriouslie that it is a too too malepeart saucinesse for young heads and superficiall Diuines of slender Iudgement and lesse reading of the holy Fathers auncient Councells and Ecclsiasticall hystories to censure and controll not onely the Godlie setled Lawes of our Christian Kingdome but euen of the continuall practise of the Churche in all ages I my selfe am about three score yeares of age I haue endeuoured by Prayer and painefull Studie to attayne good literature euer since I was fiue yeares of age I haue liued conuersed studied disputed in manie famous Vniuersities aswell in England as in forraine Countries I haue employed my whole care industry and diligence now for the space of thirty yeares and odde to vnderstand Gods word aright to know what hath bene the practize of Christes church in all former ages and for that ende and purpose I haue for the space of thirtie yeares and odde prouided all the auncient Fathers Councells Hystories Ecclesiasticall and Chronographycall so far forth as my abilitie was able to extend and reach and that nothing should be wanting in this behalf I haue borrowed bookes where I could and haue also had recourse to the best Libraryes both in the Vniuersities els where to the end I might gather notes out of such bookes as I was not able to buye and prouide In which behalfe not my selfe onely but all such as reape anie commoditie by my painfull labours are more then a little beholden to these most Reuerend Fathers Iohn the late Arch-byshoppe of Canterburie Richard now the L Arch-byshoppe of Canterburie and Tobye the L Bysh. of Durham who haue for themselues the good of others most excellent costly and goodly Libraries to which I haue found free accesse at all times when I desired All this beeing performed I haue verie seriouslie weighed pondered and considered what the Papists Arrians Macedonians Eutichians Nestorians Donatists Carpocratians Ebionites Tatians Manichees Brownists and other Sectaries doe and can say for their opinions and this notwithstanding I finde the Doctrine and the Godlie setled Lawes of this Church of England amongst which I place the late Canons of Anno. 1604. to bee consonant to Gods word to the vsuall practise of the Church in all former ages These things I vtter in these tearms because I heartilie wishe to perswade all such as are carefull of their saluation to yeeld obedience to higher Powers and not to bee carryed awaye with the Sugred words of superficiall Diuines but to learne that obedience is better then Sacrifice I am now likelie euen by the course of Nature shortly to forsake this worlde and therfore I doe not seeke any preferment for my paines which I neuer to this daye hunted after and much lesse doe I seek to draw men into errrours and so to make shipwracke of mine owne Soule No no my purpose God is my witnesse is farre otherwise as who am perswaded so fullie of the Doctrine which I deliuer that I am not affrayde to ende my life in the same The second member of certaine Rites and Ceremonies vsed in Baptisme New-fangled oddely conceited persons do scornfullie inueigh against interrogatories ministred at Baptisme against Godfathers Godmothers Fonts and otherlike Ceremonies as things vnknowen in the time of the Apostles To whome I answere in this manner First that manie things are this day lawfully done in the Church which were not in vse in the Apostles time This is already prooued Secondly that the custome of the Church in things indifferent is to be esteemed among Christians for a Law This is likewise prooued And let him that holdeth the contrarie opinion tell mee by what lawe hee can iustifie that formall coniunction of men and wemen in holy wedlock which is vsed not onely in our Church of England but also in purest reformed Churches euerie where Hee shall neuer bee able to alleadge any ground in that behalfe but the vnwritten traditions of the Church Of which traditions th' Apostle spoke as learned interpreters tell vs when he said he would set other things in