not close and inseparable among our selues we shal be found the vncleane vessels of dishonour Vnity is the beauty of the Church now and it shall bee her triunphant song in the end to cry as the Prophet had foretold of lattet times Venite ascendamus in montem Domini Come brethren let vs goe vp together to the mount of God Therefore these exhortations are to pray the Lord God who hath formed vs to make vs vnited vessels of honour and to that effect to rectifie our iudgements that wee may esteeme no names so sacred vnder heauen as the holy names of harmony peace and vnanimity within the Church in one thing and in all things that we may thinke no opinion more Christian in this age wherein wee liue then that of the venerable Zanchius one of the brightest stars of our owne Hemispheare in his treatise De verareformandarum Ecclesiarum ratione written for that part as followeth Whatsoeuer is in the Church of Rome or in any other Church it is either agreeable to the written word or contrary or adiaphoron indifferent Whatsoeuer is besides the written word either in the Fathers in the Councels or in the Papall decrees they are in like sort vnder the same distinction Pro contra or indifferent For the first that which is agreeable with the word is to be retained or if it be reiected it is againe to be receiued for the second that which is contrary is to be refused or if it hath been followed is againe to be forsaken for the third that which is indifferent we must not thinke that it doth of it selfe belong vnto saluation but in such a case we must follow the rule of the Apostle That nothing bee brought into the Church but that which doth tend to edification order or vnity All indifferent ceremonies therefore may bee securely followed for any of those respects but so to be followed as that we stil preferre things which bee more ancient vnto those which be more late aswell for the honour of antiquity as because that which is most ancient in the Church is most true for albeit nothing can binde the conscience but canonicall Scripture yet to introduce nouelties or to banish out of the Church any of those things which from the primitiue time hath beene allowed by common and Catholike consent and confirmed by the writtes of the ancient Fathers To reiect such things with out authoritie of generall Councell it is not lawful for any Christian man who feareth God saith he Can we maintaine more sound opinions either as good Christians or as good subiects then those of Zanchius for vnity tending to the strengthening both of Church State we especially of this Isle the condition wherof if we consider truely when it lay thousands of yeres of our ancestours diuided in weake and dismembred Kingdomes and as our owne eies haue seen it subiect to the ambition of so many forrain Pharaohs as haue pressed to bring it vnder their seruitude by practises now from France now from Spaine now from Rome we shall thinke this age wherein we are to be like to that fourth generation wherein God did predestinate as he foretold Abraham to bring his posterity out of Egypt for that same God called Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis miraculous in his Saints who raised that excellent Moses to lead his people through the troublesome deserts to a glorious state in the Land of Canaan hee hath also sent to vs a mighty and extraordinary instrument to lead vs through those perilous perplexities now past vnto the ioyfull Iubile of these conioyned Kingdomes making this Isle great and fortunate in his royall person as hee made his people of Israel most blessed for the time by the like coniunction of the tree of Ioseph with the tree of Iuda saying by the Prophet Ezechiel That they should bee all vnder one King and no more a diuided people So that they who delight in disiunction be they Aaron be they Miriam be they Core Daâ—…han or Abiraâ—… who rebels against Moses especially bee they Iesuited Papists or heteroclite Puritans I speak not of any good men who obey God and the Prince but of those who carry armed hartâ—… factious and vehement spirits against the State spirits contrary to God because as the Scripture saith Non in commotions Domâ—…us The Lord is not in commotion spirits not of peace nor edification but of destruction In spiritu vehâ—…ti câ—…nteres naâ—…es Tharsis saith Dauid Be who they will who grudge against Moses euery wel disposed member of the common-wealth hath great cause to grudge against them least they cut the thred of our felicity and bring vpon vs which God of his infinite mercy forbid by our constant murmurings that euill which befell the obstinate Israelites at the waters of contradiction whose wicked rebellions made Moses to offend the Lord grieuously euen that good Moses of whom it is said Delectus Deo hominibus Moses cuius memoria in benedictione est Though hee was dearely beloued of God and men and though hee was the most meeke of all liuing flesh yet they brought the Lords indignation vpon themselues and vpon him who both were preuented by death and were not suffered to enter into the Land nor to taste the fruits of their long and painefull voyage in the Wildernesse God of his goodnes grant you to loath these waters of strife and chiefly these waters which bee poysoned with Iesuiticall wormewood and gaul wherof so many millions of people haue died within these threescore yeres that you may cry in time with that Prophet Saluum me fac Domine quoniam intrauerunt aquae vsque ad animam meam Deliuer me O Lord because those waters haue gone vnto my Soule God grant that like vnto the holy Doue you finde no resting place among them vntill you enter into the Arke and vnitie of the Church that we may liue together in one hope to see the further mysteries of this happy time the seale whereof is already opened to the great admiration of all the world It was forbidden anciently to sacrifice a Swan because her plumes are white and her heart black so would I wish that from this peace offering might be debarred all such whose hearts are incurably blacked with pride of stricktnesse and singularity and that it should bee onely handled of those meeke and ingenuous spirits who will bee contented to found their iudgement thereof vpon those three grounds without the which our knowledge cannot be sure as S. Augustine faith Contrarationem nemo sobrius contra scripturâ—…s nemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pascificus That no sober man should make opposition to reason nor no Christian man to the Scriptures nor no peaceable man to the Church And so hoping that the modest Reader will obserue these grounds I doe submit my selfe to his discretion beseeching him that he would not looke vpmy paines with his sinistrous eye nor receiue with the wrong hand that which
he shal trauell through strange Countries where he may try the good and euill among men and when the great God will he shall be filled with the spirit of vnderstanding that he may poure out wise sententences which is the reason why in men who haue trauelled we doe looke commonly for some accession of knowledge for that cause it is that I who also among others haue brought the eyes of people vpon me in this kind of expectation doe find my selfe bound by some vertuous discharge to iustifie my peregrination beyond Seas esteemed by many in that season of my age and in so meane a state as I doe possesse to haue beene vntimemous temerary perillous and vnprofitable And which hath beene most vildely calumniated by diuers of your Lordships profession among whom a certaine one of good worth did as I was enformed giue this iudgement of me that I had gone abroad the voyage of King Saul to bring home my Fathers Asses which bitter insectation with many such like tempests of mens tongues I haue sithence like a true and vpright Asse borne foorth with no other armour then patience vntill now being curious in what sort I might best pay this expectation of good men and best emancipate my selfe from this persecution of malignant mouthes I haue chosen to assay if I can inspire into erroneous mindes specially into your Lordship some disposition to better opinions in this time of your so great exigence and necessitie you stand in to resolue First the vniuersall and seruent desires of our Countrey euen from his Maiestie our most gracious Soueraigne to the beggar to see your Lo reduced to a saithfull sympathy and communion with the rest being otherwaies so noble a member of this kingdome as you are tam grauis constans tamque bonarum partium in Rempublicam this doth make it a good seruice to God and to the common wealth secondly the great honour and dutie which I owe to your Lordship for the great honour which I haue by you to be sprung from that ancient and famous bloud of your house doth infinitely tye mee to this endeauour who if I were a meere stranger to your Lordship must yet thinke it my honour to be sufficient for your seruice thirdly the opportunity which I haue by this publike discharge to render vnto the world an ingenious accompt of my selfe it doth conioyne with these a priuate respect of mine owne So it is that the Prelates and Preachers of Gods word who bring in their mouthes the medicine of Christian soules they cannot moue your Lo nor enter vpon your minde so haue you intrenched the same within the common subterfuges of vniuersality Antiquitie and succession of the Church of insufficiency of the holy Scripture of authority of humane supplement and traditions and while you are brought to the Fathers now quarelling the edition of bookes and now againe betaking your selfe to your Implieita fides like vnto that Marriner who hauing lost his loadestarre in a darke night he wandereth but knoweth not his course The Israelites had no other guid through the deserts then the pillar of fire which was in the cloude who once looseth the cleere light of the Euangel which is a bright starre placed to conduct vs through the wildernesse of humane wisdome he shall neuer finde out his right course into the land of holinesse And whiles your Lordship remaines thus inflexible against so many learned and graue Diuines It would like enough be thought presumption and arrogancie in me to deale with you if the spirit of God did not testifie that in great workes the helpe of weake instruments is not to be despised When Mosci builded the Tabernacle of God there came vnto him not onely all the wise men to whom the Lord gaue wisdome saith the text Sed quemcunque etiam extulerat animus vt adid opus accederet but euen euery man whose heart did encourage him to furder that businesse The voice of a goose did once preserue the Capitol of Rome I confesse I haue gotten no more of Theologie then serueth for my owne prouision yet who knowes but by my dealing it may fall foorth to your Lordship which hath happened to numbers of diseased persons who hauing spent much time and much money among the Physicians and neuer a whit recouered they haue in end by good fortune attained vnto their health by hearing some trauelling beggar relate that which hath been done to himselfe or to some other man in such a case euen so I being no Physitian but bringing some Empiricall medicine to your Lordship who haue renounced your physitians I may possibly as God grant it proue so doe some good to you by a faithfull narration of that which in the like disease hath befallen vnto my selfe and of the chiefe things which hath bread to mee distaste of the Church of Rome after I had so diligently and painefully considered the same But before I will enter into this discourse Empiricall or of exeperience my conscience doth moue me to say this by the way of the authority and power of Gods blessed word that as it would be reputed a strange dulnesse and ignorance in nature not to preferre those physitians who knowing the right simples vse no medicaments vnto those others who flying the simples and practising by filthy and composed drugges doe more often prooue murtherers then Physitians Euen so in spirituall eures what a pitie is it that your Lo should thinke the Preachers of Gods word who minister no other food of the soule but the pure and simple Scripture to be insufficient to helpe you that this liuely and incorruptible Word should be reiected of you to embrace in place thereof a word composed and mixed with humane inuentions that nourishing word whereof it is said Nor in solo pane vinit home sed in omni verbe quod procedit de ore Dei And which in effect did feed Moses fortie daies in the mountaine That pure and simple word whereof it is said Comedetis panes azymos non firmâ—…tes You shal eat simple bread and not that which is leauened to shew that it cannot endure the drosse and mixture of humane wisdome That word of true life Verba quâ—…â—…go loquor spiritus vita sunt the words which I speake are Spirit and life saith our Sauiour in Saint Iohn That word of healing and curing whereof Dauid saith Miâ—… verbum suum sâ—…it 〈◊〉 That word which restoreth to life againe those who be already dead Ossa arida ossa arida audite verbum Domini and presently life entred into them as the Prophet doth testifie That word of finall safety whereof Saint Iames saith Suspicâ—… 〈◊〉 quod potest saâ—…re animas vestras That word which is so entire so plaine and like vnto it selfe in old and new Testament that they bee no other then a perfect harmony of spirituall musike The former the prophesie of our Sauiour and the latter his exhibition the one
which albeit they bee seuerally distinguished by nature yet can we make no vse of them but when they are conioyned The ciuill Magistrate among the Iewes certaine it is hee might not offer sacrifice or performe religious Ceremonies things proper vnto the Priest as againe militarie discipline matters of the fisk and such like went peculiarly vnder the name of the Prince but in points of pietie and iustice the rule of the people Iudicatura â—…orum their obedience to Gods Law they were not onely conioyned but in the hand of that gouernment the ciuill Magistrate had that place of the finger which is called the key of the hand Into Ierusalem there was two Sanedrim for so was their great Councell called one suâ—…reme in Ierusalem consisting of 70. together with the Prince and Priesthood another small Sanedrim in euery Citie of reasonable importance contayning 23. wise men together with a number of the Priesthood which was done by a generall ordinance of God himselfe Populo mandauit vt Iudices constitueret secundum tribus suas in omni Ciuitate That they should in euery Citie appoint Iudges according to their Tribes and againe in the next chapter he made a Law of Appellation commanding In omni re dâ—…fficili constituere Sacerdotes Leuitici generis Iudices To appoint ouer all difficile causes some of the Priests and some of the Iudges hee hath not saide onely the Priest nor onely the Iudge as neither did Moses when hee went into the Mountaine make any separation but left the spirituall and ciuill Magistrate coniunct Ecce Aaron Hur. That the ciuill Magistrate hath a diuine charge and was so counted among the Iewes there it is seent where after Iudges were constitute in euery towne the King saide to them Uidetâ—… quid agatis non enim pro Homine sed pro Deo iudicia 〈◊〉 Behold sayd Iosua what you doe because you doe not iudge for men but for God Againe to shew this coniunction he doth subioyne omnis causa qua venerit ad vâ—…s de fratribus Euerie cause which commeth from your brethren vnto you dwelling in the countrie where he maketh no separation of spirituall from ciuill causes euen as Moses hath done before where he or daines the people to goe to the Leuites and the Iudges si aliqua difficilis causa natafuerit if any difficile question 〈◊〉 in the gouernment of King Dauid those coniunctions are cleerelie expressed for he did absolutely distribute the peculiaâ—… charges of the Leuites Hebroniâ—…s vltra Iâ—…rdanem prâ—…cit in omni negâ—…tio diuino ministeriâ—… Râ—…gis he did promoue the Hebronites beyond lordeâ—… to all the functions appertayning to Gods house and to the seruice of the king and â—…ine in the laâ—…t verse of the same hâ—…s prefecit Dauid sâ—…per 〈◊〉 Gadâ—… in omni negâ—…tio Dei omni negotio Regis which power of constitution in Dauid is sufficient to prooue that the regall function is negotium diuinum chieflie where it is Christian and orthodoxall may not Moses and Dauid serue vs for matter of light in gouernment to qualifie this coniunction of religion and empire which made the Iudaicall law to be accounted a parte of Theologie So that we may with great reason conclude that he is not Orthodoâ—…s Theologus no right meaning Theologue who would refuse vnto christian Kings that authoritie in Ecclesiasticall affayres which was not onlie graunted but commanded vnto the Kings of Israel and which godlie Dauid vpon his death bed did render into the handes of Solomon from the warrant who made doubt of it of the holy Scripture saying Eccâ—… autem distributiones Leuitâ—…um ad vâ—… qâ—…odque ministeriuâ—…â—…omus Deipenes te sunt ad oâ—…ne opus voluntary denique omnes Principes totus populus parati ad verba tua Behold sayd he the distributions of all Leuiticall offices in the house of God is in thy power and they be ready to obey thee as also the princs and people where in that example wee see no exemption of the Leuite more then laitiefrom the kingly authoritie howsoeuer princes may not vse priestlie function yet are they bound to superintend Christes vineyard and to guard it not onelie from forraigne inuasions but from intestine perrill and corruption which is more frequent and more pernicious of the two to stop ambition auarice and dissention from comming among the prelates who were neuer in any time able to rule nor shal not be to theend without their Pallas be armed with authoritie of good and lawfull kings who doth not see that of diuine functions vpon earth the preistlie office is the contemplatiue part and the princelie office practicall acting the honour and worship of God by making people to obey his Lawe Who was the first instrument of God for redeeming the Church from persecution and the crosse to establish her prosperitie was it kings or priests was it not Constantine the great by what meanes againe was the Church redeemed from the flood of the Arrian heresie was it not by the seculararme of Carolus Magnus and his predecessors Pipino and Carolo Martello so that to goe about to separate things which God hath knit together as the soule and bodie it is to make a sacriledgious diuorcement and specially to take from the prince that which is his due to giue it vnto the priests it is iust as the serpent did in Paradizeto seduce the weaker partie of the two in that coniunction it is euen as if we would send Aaron vnto the mount of God to learne the wisedome of actiue gouernement and leaue Moses with the people to his returning And since such is the impudent and arrogant malignitie of the Iesuiticall ambition in their doctrine about this point what if to meete them in their owne language and pay them home with their owne Coyne I should goe yet one degree higher in that particular to say that appearantlie God himselfe doth prefer the regall function when by his Prophet setting aside all sacrifices and ceremonies which was the Priests part hee did require the Office of the ciuill MagistrateÌ„ Quid affertis tanta sacrificia discite vos reges Principes qui populum regit is benefacere quaerite iudicium dirigite oppressum What shall I doe with so many sacrifices would God say that is not the substance of my worship being but religious ceremonies learne yee Kings and Princes to doe well aske iudgement to gouerne the people and to relceue the oppressed which would the Lord say is the matter of my true worship to practise my law and make it to be obeyed The Deutr. doth shew that the office of a Prince was not to frame his owne life after the deuteronomicall but to prouide that both Priests and people should keepe the same inuiolable If Priests debord and transgresse Gods law must not the Prince corect them yea if they shuld sow haeretical doctrins who could stop the growth of them other
and his tyranny againe intercepted by Henry the seuenth These were the infinite effusions of natiue bloud during that tempest of Naufrage wherein their Writers doe collect haue beene sixteene or 17 seuerall pitched battells the slaughter of nine Kings or Kings sonnes forty Dukes Marquesses and Earles 200000. of the popular And what extraordinary punishment haue wee in our time seene inflicted vpon the persons houses and states of diuerse disloyall subiects who haue attempted to abuse the sacred authority of our most gracious Soueraigne certaine it is a ground in reason a tryall in experience a conclusion of all politickes and warranted by Gods word in holy Scripture strengthened with the opinion of graue Doctors of the Church That Rebellon doeth euer moue greater mischiefe then Tyranny CHAP. X. A defence of Episcopall gouernment by diuerse most cleere and ingenuous reasons NOw wee come to conside◅ what affinitie the Church gouernment hath with those others whereof we haue spoken before the written Law of Moses God did elect so many Patriarckes to rule his first Church Enoc Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob and others And our Sauiour before the written Law of the Euangel or of grace hee did elect so many Apostles to rule the second whereof the former was the type when the numbers of the beleeuers did increase euen vnto Moses were adioyned seuenty to assist him in his charge so did Christ next his twelue Apostles elect seuenty Disciples In Israel there were many particular Princes and Elders of the people who did rule euery man his own Centuries and Chiliads but these seuenty were created to beare vniuersal rule as we collect frō the words of Moses Ego solus ferre omnem populum istum non possum I only cannot beare the charge of this people answere Congregatibi gather vnto you which is to be his Collegues and yet they were subordinate for while Moses went to the mountaine he left a deputation ouer the people Ecce Aaron Hur. If any man haue controuersie let him come to Aaron and Hur euen so these seuenty Disciples howsoeuer they were adioyned to the Apostles yet they were subordinate and inferiour the Apostles being still chosen to be conuersant with Christ constant witnesses of all his actions and onely intire with him like vnto Moses who onely went vp to talke with God We read in the twelfth of the Acts how the Apostles found Iustus and Matthias onely sufficient of all the rest to succeed in the place of Iudas argument enough of the Apostolicall superiority ouer them Luke againe and Marke were of good authorities among the Apostles because they were the Euangelical Historians yet were they not of the seuenty Euangelists being elected by men and not our Sauiour as Tertullian writeth of Luke Non Apostolus sed Apostolicus non Magister sed Discipulus vtique Magistro minor Not an Apostle but Apostolicall no Master but Disciple and alwaies inferiour to the Master That diuerse had the holy spirit as the Apostles who were not yet their equals it is euident after their dispersion Philip did Euangelize at Samaria but Peter Iohn were sent to constitute the churches The holy spirit without the ministery of S. Paul did come vpon Cornelius and his company for besides these two orders of Apostles and Disciples there was a third among the number of an hundred who were present at the choosing of Matthias besides the twelue Apostles and seuenty Disciples there were thirty eight who beene in neither ordination were Prophets as all the learned do affirme who treat of this point of which number was Annamas and Agabus endued with propheticall spirits to impart to the Church diuers reuelations which they had Touching these againe who were thereafter called Episcopi Presbiteri we see that in the Apostles daies the Church was a while without them the first mention of of that order we finde it in the Church of Ierusalem in the twelfth of the Acts for so long as the Apostles and Euangelists did remaine there was neither Episcopus nor Presbyter but after they were disseuered Iames being beheaded and Peter fled then did they enter from that forth Luke doth coniunctly report of them with the Apostles Saint Paul so like vnto himselfe in all his Epistles we cannot thinke that without a reason in his Epistle to the Philipians hee hath giuen salutation to the Episcopi and Diaconi and hath not done so in the rest of his Epistles In that Epistle to the Romanes hee salutes diuers whom he calles his co-operarij or fellow labourers as Andronicus and Vrbanus famous among the Apostles And of the Domestick Church which was some while at Ephesus and somewhile at Corinth to these hee giues them their owne praises yet doth he not call them Episcopi nor Presbyteri as hee doth Epaphroditus in that to the Philipians And Archippus in that to the Colossians when hee came to Rome we read how hee was receiued but by no Presbiteri which had not beene omitted if that ordination had beene then among them more then it is omitted in the 15. and 21. of the Acts where he is said to be receiued of Presbyters all this time there was no Presbiteri yet planted other then Timothy Titus Apollo Luke Stephen Fortun. Achai and a few others whom the Apostles did send vpon occasions nor these Churches had then no other Bishop but S. Paul In the meane time the Apostles and the Euangelists did at their commodities visit them as Epiphan and Ambrosiu◅ beare witnesse Epiphanius thus while the preaching of the Gospell was but resent the holy Apostle write according to the time and to things that were where there were Episcopi hee write to them and vnto Diaconi where they were for the Apostles did not ordinate saith hee al things vpon the sudden there was great neede of Presbiteri and Diaconi vnder the Apostles because by these Ecclesiasticall function is perfect Where none was found worthy of Episcopall charge that place did remaine without a Bishop for they being no great multitude of beleeuers saith he they were no great numbers found capable of the Presbyterat therefore the Church at that time did rest vnder the Apostolike Bishopricke till with time things grew to greater perfection in which words we doe obserue this that in the beginning while the Apostolicall mission was limited to Iudea Christ did onely chuse 12. Apostles and 70. Disciples but after the Legation was generall both to Iew and Gentile they tooke vnto them co-operarij Euangelists Prophets and others and when the Gospell beganne to spred they did institute Episcopi and Presbyteri So that Christs Church was planted by the like beginnings and had the like growth of policie as that of Ierusalem both hauing their originall in the persons of Moses the figure and Christ the man figured and both with time diuoluing by little and little into a diuersity of subordinate rulers of whom the Apostle setteth downe the cleere distinction and imparity giuing