is decreed amongst themselues that must be called the determination of the whole Synode I meruell that our Bretheren shamed nor feared not to stuffe their learned discourse with so many manifest vntrueths It is most euident that nothing is or can bee decreed in the name of the whole Synodes determination without the whole Synode comprehending at least the greatest number for the whole haue decreed and determined the same So that say they no man must bee suffered to speake any thing agaynst it bee it neuer so reasonable or agreable to the worde of God This is another most great and manifest vntrueth sclaunderous to the Bishoppes and reproachfull to the whole Conuocation There is none of the house but that may in any matter that is propounded to bee debated vppon yea any other though not of the house being knowne to be a reuerent godly wise and learned person either of the Ministerie yea in some cases though he were not any Ecclesiasticall person yet might he also bee freely admitted according to the auncient Canons to speake before the house in such sorte and manner as the order of the house requireth for those that bee or should bee learned men to speake their minde in the Latine tongue for feare some young Sir Iohn lacke latine would bee ouer busie and so to reason freely pro contra obseruing alwaies that modestie and reuerence which beseemeth the assemblie of graue and learned men And in this maner many haue propounded and reasoned vpon diuers matters as those that are auncients in the Conuocations heretofore can witnesse Yea saye they whosoeuer will not subscribe to all such thinges as they decree must bee excluded out of the Conuocation as was practised and threatned in the Conuocation at the foresayde Parliament vnto diuers godly and learned Preachers that offered to speake agaynst diuers grosse and palpable errors that had escaped the Bishops Our Bretheren hauing so often broken the squire of trueth in these matters doe here waxe bold to rappe out vntrueths now by huddles What one Preacher hath bene excluded out of the Conuocation for this that he would not subscribe to all such thinges as the Bishoppes among themselues haue decreed Or can they bring any instance but of such one threat made vnto them And albeit a threat differeth from the putting it in practise yet this also is a notorious sclaunder There was no such thing either practised or threatned at any tyme in our Conuocations namely at that tyme they mention which I remember well and so doe many others when some speaking in English began to bee ouer busie and to vse disordered behauiour with vnreuerent termes they were by the Prolocutor as moderator commaunded to silence or els to departe and not to disturbe the house nor alter the lawdable orders thereof except they would and that in seemely modestie speake in Latine which these godly and learned Preachers that our Bretheren commende liked not to doe Neuerthelesse other being indeede godly and learned Preachers did very reuerently and with great learning discusse those matters And so with generall consent either of all or which sufficed of the most and best parte those Articles were condescended vpon and approoued for good and sound doctrine And so I hope will stand for any thing that our Bretheren or any other shall euer bee able to say agaynst them As for any and much lesse diuers grosse and palpable errours that escaped the Bishops I remember none nor can learne of any The Decrees conteyned in the articles aforesayd are published to the open viewe of of euery man if our Bretheren as yet can burthen them with any grosse or palpable errour or with any errour at all though not grosse nor palpable or but with apparance or suspition of errour it were worth the hearing But if there bee no such errour in them who are then worthie the punishing or at least worthie to acknowledge with repentaunce and reuoking this so great a sclaunder For it toucheth not our Bishoppes and the Conuocation onely but béeing established also as is aforesayde by act of Parliament and so the professed doctrine of all the Realme and Church of England how are wee not all hereby defaced to maynteyne grosse and palpable errours and that in no small poynts of doctrine If Papistes had sayd this it had bene lesse meruell which hate our doctrine and count it stuffe full of errours and heresies too But they neuer were nor are nor euer shall bée God willing able to prooue that we mainteyne any one errour in any one article of doctrine but agree in all the substance of Religion with the true and syncere worde of God Yea our Bretheren their selues bearing vs witnesse who in the Preface of this learned discourse confesse that for the substance of Religion it is resolued and now publikly maynteyned for our true and holy faith How could this bee true if those articles namely these which here they note being matter of faith and publikely maynteyned and resolued by all the Church of England to bee true and holie were grosse and palpable errours But to shewe both vnto them and to all the worlde least the Papistes should take holde hereon when they heare of this our owne Bretherens accusation which will bee euen meate and drinke to them béeing glad to feede vppon such sclaunders that as wee are sounde GOD bée blessed for it in all other articles of doctrine so in these wee maynteyne no errour at all but a most sure and syncere trueth let vs come to the viewe of these two Articles that here they mention for example As for the distinction saye they of Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes Although this bee a matter wherein good and godly Fathers haue had some difference yet for our Bishoppes and Conuocations decree thereon I see not how our Bretheren shall bee able to finde that wee holde any error in that matter It is the sixth Article the wordes whereof are these Holy Scripture conteyneth all things necessarie to saluation so that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may bee proued thereby is not to be required of any man that it should bee beleeued as an article of the faith or bee thought requisite or necessarie to saluation In the name of the holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and newe Testament of whose authoritie was neuer any doubt in the Church Of the names and number of the Canonicall bookes Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numeri Deuteronomie Iosue Iudges Ruth The first booke of Samuell The 2. booke of Samuell The first booke of Kings The 2. book of Kings The 1. booke of Chroni The 2. booke of Chroni The 1. booke of Esdras The 2. booke of Esdras The booke of Hester The booke of Iob. The Psalmes The Prouerbes Ecclesiast or preacher Cantica or songs of Sal. 4. Prophets the greater 12. Prophets the lesse And the other bookes as Ierome
gouernment are nowe ioyned together in her Maiesty And the right and honesty hereof hauing place heere it is not so onely in Spayne and Scotland but it may be so not as Danaeus sayth in diuers other regions but quoad ius euery region if they haue not other as good municipall and peculier lawes and those not feigned to debarre the naturall right of any Woman princes regiment Neyther hindreth it this right and honesty that Spayne or any of these diuers other regions not specified by Danaeus haue not yet receyued as we haue God make vs thankfull for it the light and liberty of the Gospel for neyther in some of these regions where this right and honesty of womens regiment holdeth they haue as yet receiued so much as the title and profession of Christs name Notwithstanding as their mariages and other ciuill lawes or morall behauior may otherwise bee good and honest in their kindes so their authority of Magistracy and the person that their Lawes allowe the same authority vnto may likewise be good and honest neither against the generall lawe of nature nor against any speciall Lawe of God For then it were méerelie naught in all regions and with vs in Englande worst of all that knowe the written Lawe of God And therefore I conclude vpon this saying of Danaeus that if it bee righte and honest with vs then it is not an vnnaturall wrong monstrous or vnhonest thing in it selfe or against any of these places Genes 3.1 Corinth 11. and 14.1 Tim. 2. or any other places in all the scripture What meaneth therefore Danaeus heere by specifying onelye of these thrée regions England Spayne and Scotland restraining his generality not to all regions but to diuers other For if it be honest and right in any one except some other region haue other priuate and speciall Lawes against the same such as before I sayde are godly and not made to the iniury of any princes or persons former right then is it by the Law right of God and nature honest and right in all regions But I am affrayde hine illa lachimae that not only Danaeus but euen Caluine also did a litle too much patrissare and were caried away in this matter with the deuise that of later times hath bin set foorth to defeat the naturall right and title of the soueraigne Princes of England by the colour of a lawe Salike as they call it But because vnder pretence of this supposed Lawe the defenders of it toke vpon them not onely to maintaine it and the state of their Country but insult thereby vpon all other Nations and impugne generally the right of Womens regiment as an vnlawfull and vnnaturall state of gouernment therfore crauing pardon not to offend any nor so much impugning as defending it shall be requisit either to remooue out of the way this obiection of the sayde surmised Salike lawe or else it woulde still remayne as a stumbling blocke vnto the reader and a speciall argument vnto all them that not onely among our aduersaries but among our selues by all meanes impugne and vnderâ—â—â—e Womens regiment And because Fraunce onely and that lawe Salike is so much vrged Let vs onely in this our so necessary defence consider better the state thereof and the cheefest arguments for the same And â—â—rst whosoeuer shal peruse the ancient histories of the french natioÌ„ as he shal soon perceiue al this deuise of the law Salike to be vnturue by the pedegrée of diuers of their Princes so shall he find that diuers women haue also had the gouerning of the realme of Fraunce euen with the Kinges their husbands and after their deceasses As Batillidis the widow of Clodoueus which reigned together in the administration of the Kingdome with her sonne Clotharius as witnesseth Aimonius de gestis Francorum lib. â— cap. 43. The french men doe ordeine Clothayr to bee their king the eldest of the three children cum ipsa regina matre regnaturum that hee should reigne together with his mother Blanche the Mother of him whome the French call Saint Loyes which bothe by the Testament of her Husbande as Aemilius testifleth while her sonne was young and after in his captiuity in Syria had the gouernment of the Realme of Fraunce and notably gouerned the same maugre all the nobles in France that conspired against her As for the reasons of Caenalis in the defence of this pretensed Salike lawe how odiousle he being a popish Bishop enucigheth beyond al modesty against womeÌ„ is to apparant And how fondly he craketh of the french for this matter aboue all the nations in the worlde Whome he acknowledgeth for the most part further than Danaeus doth to admit succession and so the regiment of women And therefore he calleth them all Gallinaceos dunghill cocks or hennish cocks in respect of the french lib. 1. Perioche 10. But most of all howe shamelesly he wresteth the scripture thereunto For hauing alleaged Munster to proue the Salike lawe from Pharamund that the succession shoulde not come vnto the distaffe as he contumeliously tearmes it that is saith he women shoulde not be permitted to be made heyres of the kingdome to the which alludeth that Euangelicall sentence Consider ye the Lylies of the field how they grow they labor not in bringing foorth neither spinne they in drawing their taskes of wooll as is peculier vnto that weake sexe whereby it comes to passe that neither Solomon in all his glory is clothed as one of these For that Iewish nation were it right or were it wrong did sometimes will they â—il they sustaine the gouernment of women kinde Which thing is by experiment found in Athalia and in the issue of the Machabees What an impudent wresting of the Scripture is this to prooue the glory of the French Lylies not to admit the regiment of women And yet this bald argument or rather impious in wresting the scripture doth so please the bluide B. that he flourisheth againe vpon it fol. 113. b. saying Gallia in times past was Fennish as appeareth by the armes of the toads but nowe it is turned into a Cuntrie adorned with Lylies by an heauenly benefite vnder Clodoueus the first Christian King thereof Heereunto alluded Esdras lib 4. Cap. 9. saying Such as the Feelde is such are the seedes such as the Flowers are such are the colours Such as is the husband-man such is the tilth And the same Esdras Cap 5. Of all the Flowers of the worlde thou haste chosen to thee one Lyly The Lyon is fierce the Eagle is rauenous the Lyly is capable of the heauenly dewe Is not this a straunge applying of the scripture although this booke of Esdras be not canonicall But nowe where he addeth these two examples If hee had looked further he should haue found more and farre better examples in the Scripture Especially Debora But it séemeth he makes al one reckoning when hee sayth were it right or were it wrong that
sayth the Church doth reade for example of life and instruction of maners but yet doth it not applye them to establish any doctrine Such are these following The 3. booke of Esdras The 4. booke of Esdras The booke of Tobias The booke of Iudith The rest of the booke of Hester The booke of Wisdome Iesus the sonne of Syrach Baruch the Prophet The song of the 3. children The storie of Susanna Of Bell and the Dragon The prayer of Manasses The 1. booke of Machab. The 2. booke of Machab. All the bookes of the newe Testament as they are commonly receiued we doe receiue and account them for canonicall This is the whole article especially for the distinction of Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes And is there any grosse and palpable errour or any errour at all in this distinction that any godly and learned Preacher should haue offred to speake agaynst in the Conuocation Well if he could not be suffered to speake then let him do it yet doing it in seemely order Yea if it be a grosse and palpable errour that all we grossely maynteine in this distinction he is bound to shewe it orderly comiter monstrarier viam erranti if he will be a faithfull Minister And if wee cannot bee able to defend this distinction we will then by Gods grace yéeld it to be an error and forsake it But I meruell if it be so grosse and palpable that we cannot yet feele nor vnderstande it which were indeede a great grosnesse in vs all But because I confesse my selfe to be but grosse that cannot so quickly find out this palpable error neuerthelesse since that it is palpable or may be groped and yet out learned Bretheren will not vouchsafe to set it downe I will therefore grossely grope after it if perhaps I may finde it and giue others warning of it For by the grace of God wee shall not be so grosse as defend any error if we may finde it and perceiue that it is indeede an error that is to say a wrong and false opinion Is this grosse error in these wordes holie Scripture conteyneth all things necessarie to saluation so that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may bee proued thereby is not to bee required of any man that it should be beleeued as an article of faith or be thought requisite or necessarie to saluation I trust they will acquit this parte of the article from all error Neither is it properly of the distinction of Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes which are to bee accounted of the one sorte or of the other but of eithers validitie or inualiditie in the articles of faith and matters requisite or necessarie to saluation What then Is this grosse and palpable error for the distinction of Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes in the wordes of the article following In the name of holy Scripture we doe vnderstand those Canonicall bookes of the olde and newe Testament of whose authoritie was neuer any doubt in the Church What grosse and palpable error or any error at all is in these words that wee doe vnderstand those bookes in the name of holy Scripture of whose authoritie there was neuer any doubt in the Church Is there any reason to the contrary why wee should not vnderstand these bookes for holy Scripture If they replye that is true indeede for those bookes but not for those bookes onely then are these wordes also of the article acquit by their owne mouthes As for the so vnderstanding of them onely to be accounted in the name of holy Scripture of whose authoritie was neuer any doubt in the Church this article hath no such worde as this word onely nor any such meaning Yea least their meaning or wordes might be misconstrued they goe also particularly to worke and booke by booke till which is to be vnderstoode for the holie or canonicall Scripture and which not in the olde Testament And in the newe Testament they haue reckoned all for Canonicall If they yet replye that diuers bookes of those which the articles name and vnderstand for the holie and canonicall Scripture haue bin doubted of I graunt it and the articles doe confesse as much in these playne wordes All the bookes of the newe Testament as they are commonly receiued we doe receiue and account them for canonicall Do they not here plainly enough inferre that there hath bene some doubt and not receiuing of some of them when they say as they are commonly receiued so doe wee receiue them though some doe not so receiue them And will our learned Bretheren bee so â—â—remptorie that if they had not so fully or cléerely expressed their meaning in the former wordes they will not giue them leaue to bee their owne expositors but bee so cutted and short with them that they may not tell out their owne tale but a worde and a blowe or euer they haue tolde halfe their tale to crye out by and by errour errour yea grosse errour and palpable errour Ha bretheren ye are a little to hastie to bée Parrish Priestes yée giue too short and too sharpe a iudgement in this matter Take the whole article together to conferre the later woordes with the former and if a worde escape incommodiously What my Maisters will yée take vauntage of euery sillable or if ye will néedes prie so narrowly goe to it then hardlye and spare not I mislike not your industrye therein spye a Gods blessing èuery mote in your bretherens eyes and note euery tittle in their writinges and weigh their woordes euen in the Goldesmithes balance Yet when yée haue all done ye confesse your selues it is but a scape whereas indéede weighe it well and trulye it is not so much But admitte it were a scape will ye make a mountayne of a mole hill that it is a grosse and palpable errour Verely whether we shall weigh the woordes with graue and indifferent iudgement as we ought to doe or but euen grossely or sleightly consider of them except our opinion be too grossely forestalled against them wée coulde neuer giue so grosse a iudgement of them as for a grosse and palpable errour to condemne them for in very déede there is no errour at all in them But it maye be such is my grosse pate that yet wee haue not light vpon this grosse and palpable errour indéede there are other woordes also especiallye these after the cataloge of the Canonicall bookes in the olde Testament And the other bookes as Hierome sayth the Church doth reade for example of the life and instruction of manners but yet it doth not apply them to establish any doctrine Is there any thing heere that our Bretheren can challenge of errour Is the sence of Hierome cyted amisse Or is Hieromes sentence it selfe Erroneous The words of Hierome in his praeface on the bookes of Salomon are these as therefore the Churche readeth indeede the bookes of Iudeth Tobie and the Machabies but receaueth them not among the canonicall
Scriptures so also it maye reade these two volumes hee speaketh of Iesus the sonne of Syrach and the booke of wisdome to the aedification of the people not to confirme the authoritye of Ecclesiastical opinions or decrees Or are they offended that yet thus much should be giuen to the apocryphall Scriptures that they should bee read at all in the Churche for a dification in example of life and instruction of manners but to be vtterlye neglected or defaced as some haue not spared to bestowe very grosse speeches on all the apocriphall Scripture but bicause this againe is not so much for the distinction of Canonicall and Apocriphall bookes as for the estimation of them I thinke they meane not of anye grosse or palpable error in these words If they doe by the grace of god wee shall the eaâ—â—ier cleare them by the testimonie of manye whome our brethren I hope wil not burden with so grosse speeches Especially when the whole Frenche Churche in their confession goeth as far foorth héerein as we doe where hauing reckoned vp the whole Canonicall Scripture of the olde Testament and the newe agreeing in all the particuler bookes with vs in the fourth article they saye These bookes wee acknowledge to bee canonicall that is wee haue them as the squire and rule of our Fayth and that not onely by the common consent of the church but also much more by the testimonye and inwarde perswasions of the the holye ghoste by whose suggestion we are taught to discerne them from other Ecclesiasticall bookes which as they may be profitable neuerthelesse they are not of that sort that any article of the faith may be established out of them To whome accordeth the confession of the churches of Bâ—lgia or the lowe Countries Who after their lyke enumeratioÌ„ of the canonicall bookes in the fiue and sixe articles saye on this wise These onelye bookes wee receaue as holy and canonicall vppon which our fayth may staye bee confirmed and established c. Moreouer wee make a difference betweene these holy bookes and those which they call appocrypha that it to wit because the appocryphall may indeede be read inthe church and it is laweful also so farre foorth to take instructions out of them as far as they agree with the canonicall bookes Howbeit they haue not that authoritye and force that any opinion of the fayth and christian Religion can bee certainelye builded on their testimonye So farre is it off that they can infringe or diminishe the authoritye of others And if after these I maye alleage any priuate mans confession I commend the Reuerende Zanchius Who in his confession chap. 1. Aphorisme 4. after the like particular rehersall that our Articles make of the bookes canonicall and not Canonicall in the olde Testament he sayth Thus much of the olde But out of the newe Testament wee except none For although there bee some of them of which it was doubted in the olde tyme notwithstanding euen they also were afterwarde no whit lesse acknowledged than were the other to bee the writinges of the apostles vnto whose iudgement we also subscribe Of the former sorte are the Gospels after Matthew Marke Luke Iohn the actes of the apostles the Epistles of Paule the former of Peter the former of Iohn Of the later sorte are the Epistle to the Hebrues the Epistle of Iames the later of Peter the seconde and thirde of Iohn the Epistle of Iude the Apocalypse For although they maye seeme after a kinde of sorte to bee of a certayne greater authoritye of the which it was neuer doubted than those of which sometymes it was doubted notwithstanding wee beleue as well the one as the other euen as the certaine word of God As for the Apocryphall bookes that are conteyned in the Bybles volume wee giue them the firste place after the Canonicall And therefore wee vse onelye the Canonicall bookes to prooue the opinions or decrees of Fayth and with the Fathers wee teache that they are to bee vsed as for the other wee thinke that they haue no small authoritye to confirme afterwarde those thinges that already are prooued Thus writeth Zanchius agreeing with our articles And heereto also he quoteth Hierome in Praef. in Salo. Cyp. in Symb. pag. 377. conc Load cap. 59. But what neede I labour thus to cléere our Article herevpon when the Geneua Bible it selfe hath as much as this comes too saying the bookes that followe in order after the Prophetes vnto the newe Testament are called Apocrypha that is bookes which were not receaued by a common consent to be read and expounded publikelye in the Churche neyther yet serued to prooue any poynte of Christian Religion saue in as much as they had the consent of other scriptures called canonicall to confirme the same or rather whereon they were grounded but as bookes proceeding from godlye men were receaued to be read for the aduauncement and furtherance of the knowledge of the historie and for the instruction of Godly maners Is not this as muche héere as is in anye thing conteyned in these wordes of our bookes article for the vse and credite of the Apocriphall bookes and wherein then for these wordes doeth lye suche grosse and palpable errour as they burthen this article withall for nothing remayneth nowe therein not examined but the enumeration of the bookes themselues which are counted of vs for Canonicall which for Apocryphall And doe not these Articles keepe the same accompte both for the number and for the Bookes of both sortes that all these aforesayde and the verye Geneua translation doth except they will take aduauntaâ—e heerein that where the Geneua calleth Ezra and Nehemiah as Zanchius calleth them the two former of Esdras our article reteyneth still the vsuall calling of them the firste booke of Esdras the seconde booke of Esdras because it treateth also muche of Esdras But I trust that our Bretheren will not in anye wise accounte of that for a grosse and palpable or anye Errour at all considering howe ordinarilye it hath gone by these names and in Ieromes preface hee saythe Neyther let it mooue anye bodye that one booke is of vs set foorth nor let him bee delighted in the dreames of the third and fourth booke Bicause also among the Hebrues the speeches of Esdras and Nehemiah are straightened into one Volume c. As the bookes matter we keepe iust reckoning if their offence be bicause wee counte none Appocryphall in the newe Testament what do wee otherwise than Zanchius doth Than the Geneua Testament doth yea than the Frenche the Heluetian and the Dutch reformed Churches doe and therefore where these grosse errours and palpable shoulde bee in this article they are so grosse and palpable that we can yet neyther see nor feele them When our bretheren can shewe and prooue them I for my parte will by Gods assistance wilfullye defende no knowne errour Now since we cannot find this let vs come to their
Whether our bretheren theÌ„selues satisfie the godlie meaning of the statute The Statute Anno 13. The godlie meaning of the statute flâ—â— against our Bretherens discourse How our Bretheren ouerthrow their own ministery How our Bretheren are in daunger of losing their lyuinges by the godlie statute Our bretheren impugning the booke of articles Our brethereÌ„s aduised impugning the articles and maintaining doctrine contrarie thereunto The 34 article of the traditioÌ„s of the church The 35. article of homilies The 36. article of consecrating of Bishops ministers Two pastors in euery congregation How directlie our bretherens learned disc is against these articles The learned disc pag. 130 131. Bridges Two Pastors at least in euerie congregation One Doctor also at least in euery congregation The Number of the gouernors and Deacons not determined At whose charges all theâ—e must be maintayned The factions arising by 2 equall pastors A new disposing of all the parishes in England New disposing of parishes The learned disc pag. 131. Bridges Our Bretheren hauing all thinges at their pleaâ—ure Abuses creeping in after our bretheren haue all thinges at their pleasure Grounds of Gods word Difference of the order grounded vpon gods word and abuses rising of mans corruption What grouÌ„des of Gods word our bretheren alleage The pastors members of the synod The learned disc pag. 132. Bridges What the pastors haue as members of the synod The reformation of the corruptions in Poperie Reteyning corruptions How we reteine anyething that hath bin corrupted The learned disc pag. 132 â—33 and 134. Particular Synods Bridges Corruptions of paâ—ticuler Synods Ordinarie fees of officers The endes of liuings offices and fees The fault of the officer and not of the office Our Brethrens pitie on the poore ministers Our Brethrens mockerie Faultes in Officers Extorting money for â—eâ—ing letters of Orders The dutie of lawefull fees in Registers c. Our bretheren loth to shewe their letters of orders Buying of Bookes For dinners such like matters Selling buying of bookes The presentâ—eâ—â—s not â—eformed PresentmeÌ„â—â— The presentment no more hearde of Reformation of faultes The Summoner caryinge forth the citations and excoÌ„muications The presentment hearde of Bribes not preuayling General coâ—â—â—â—â—ions Absolution not for money The learned disc pag. 123.125.136 137. Choosing of Clearkes of the conuocation house Act. 15. 2. Cor. 4. Bridges Our generall conuocations Our Brethrens contumelious speaches of Chauncelors Lawyâ—â—s Chauncelors and Lawyers Chauncelors or Lawyers in our conuocationâ— Whether our Chauncelors or Lawyers in conuocations be more lay vnlearned in diuitie then our bretherens gouernors our brethenâ— obiecting to chauncelors Lawyers The Bishops seuerall place that th◠〈◊〉 learned 〈◊〉 ninitie Chauncelors Lawyers beare not the greatest sway in our conuocations The Bishops seuerall place in the conuocation Seuerall place The Apostles example Act. 15.6 The Apostles were seuerall by themselues and yet ioyned with the Pastors and the multitude The Bishops higher in thoritie The decrees arâ— of the whole synod not of the Bishops â—â—lie Speaking in the conuocation How euery oÌ„e of the house may speake in the conuocation None excluded the house for not subscribing to the Bishops dâ—cree Subscribing to the articles Whether the booke of articles conteyne any errouâ— Our Brethrens owne acquittaunce for the truth of our religion The distinctioÌ„ of the Canonicall and Apocryphall booâ—es The booke of articles not erroneus The names number of the Canonicaâ—l bookes The numbeâ— and namâ—s of the Apocâ—yphall bookes in the old testâ—ment The canonicall scripture In what words this grosse error should lye The bookes that were neuer doubted of Some of the canonicall doubted of The apocrpha Our Brethrens to quicke censure Ieronimus in prefarioneÌ„ in libros Salamo The eâ—â—â—matioÌ„ of the â—pocâ—phall bookes In 〈◊〉 confesâ—ion 〈…〉 1 de scâ—iptura pag. 10. Aâ—t 6. 〈…〉 Aphoris â— The 1. 2. booke of Esdras Hieronimi pâ—satio in 1. Esdras 〈…〉 Our Brethrens 2. challeng of of the booke of articles for grosse and palpable errours The 17. article of predestination electioÌ„ Election Nothing in this article of Predestination and Election but sounde doctrine The 16 article of sinne after Baptisme Departing from grace How we may depart from grace Diuerse graces of the holy ghost may bee geuen to those that are not elected How the elected may depart or fall â—rom grace The state and coÌ„fidence of the elected Our Brethrens sclaunder of the Bishops for diuers grosse palpable errours The articles with proues The learned disc pag. 136. Bridges Article 6. The articles briefelie set down without their proues testimonies Articles not erronious Satisfying the ignoraunt How any in the conuocation house may be heard How our bretheren ofâ—eâ—ed to be satisfied Satisfiing our Bretheren Confuting the Bishops How â—arâ—e of our bretheâ—en are from those partes wherewith they burden the bishops The state of our brethrens new pastorship The true pastors description Our Brethrens accusation of our Bishops Our Brethrens commendatioÌ„ of themselues Defacing our Bishops Learning Longe studie Our Bishops accusation Sound iudgment The best example Determining in Synods Determining Ecclesiasticall matters The Pastors determining How our bretheren deale in synods with their owne gouernors Our Brethrenâ— wordes returned home Preiuaâ—ceâ—â— the synod Whether our Bishops or these Pastors do more preiudice the synod Our brethrenâ— conclusion The whole ministrie The learned disc pag. 137. Bridges The whole ecclesiasticall ministerie and all the duties and authorities pertayning The diuersities of our Bretherens discâ—â—ries The reâ—ders dutie in these controuersies The treatise of the princes authorithie Our Brethrens entrie into the treatise of the Princes authoritie Our Brethrens dealing with Christian princes in these matters The learned disc pag. 138. Gods soueraigne Empire Bridges The title of the Princeâ— supremacie The vnderstanding of the title of supremacie Our Brethr. exception of Gods soueraigne Empire Gods Empire entire Gods empire kept whole by the Princes supremacie Our Brethr. graunt of the Prince to be highest ouer the persons The Eccl. Gouernors How farre our Brethr. graunt the Princes supremacie ouer their Eccl. gouernors Supremacy ouer all persons Our Brethr. reseruation of the Princes supremacie in the matters The learned disc pa. 138. 139 Bridges The Clergies temporalties The Christian Princes supremacie farre different from the Popes The blasphemous chalenge of the Pope 〈…〉 and these Tetrarkes yoake The Clergies holding their temporalties of the Prince Our Brethr. gouernors incroching on the Prince Euery prince ought to cast off the yoake of the Popes and of these new tetrarks subiection The learned disc pa. 139. 140 The Princes supremacie in Eccl matters Bridges The Princes authoritie for Eccl. matters Our Brethr. speeches against Princes dealing in eccl matters How our Brethren incâ—rre the lâ—ke dealing that they repâ—chende in the Pope for nâ—iâ—sing Princes and the Clâ—â—gie The Pastors supremacie in Eccl. matters Our Brethr. owne sayings rightly returned on themselues These Gouernors Pastors not in Script
learned discourse following And what is it that they heere require of them not to cast it awaie Whereof meane they this Of the state of the gouernement established that it should not be cast awaie And good reason too Or do they meane it of the conference or of the obiecting the three obiections or of their answer But when they sâ—all tell vs plainer their owne meaning then may we better tell them what is our answer This in the meane season is all that they answer héere in generall to these obiections which doone they procéed to the particulers of them Wherefore for the first let vs graunt the great difference â—hich they make of yeares and learning yet the speech of Elihu giueth them sufficient aunswere that this vnderstanding is not tied to such outward respects but to the reuelation of Gods spirite and to accept in such cases the persons of men or to giue titles is but to prouoke God to destroy vs. Yea let the memorable examples of Ezechias and the Priestes of the Apostles in their counsels of Paule in his Epistles and euen of Peter in yeelding to the challenge of some not so well instructed moue them who not only not refused the Leuites and elders but accepted the people in some manner to be heard to speake and to authorise their determinations and writings At least let their own opinion that in interpreting the scriptures and deliuery of doctrine wee are equall with them perswade them not to refuse those who if they coulde straine their consciences to subscribe to the Archbishops articles they would gladly receaue them to be the Embassadours of Iesus Christ. The first obiection consisted of thrée pointes that our brethren werâ— but fewe young vnlearned to be accounted comparable to the Archbishops and Bishops To this they say wherfore for the first let vs graunt the great difference they make of yeeres and learning This is wel done of our brethren if they meane as they say that they would yeeld to the Archbishops and Bishops in these two things and for the moste parte of these our brethren they yéeld but in the thinges that otherwise are most apparant Yet say they the speech of Elihu giueth them sufficient aunswere that this vnderstanding is not tied to such outward respects but to the reuelation of Gods spirite I graunt the speech of Elihu giueth sufficient aunswere for the respect of yeares to all them that relie thereon But our Arch-bishops nor Bish. neither wee do measure the truth of the matter by the age of the men Neither we ascribe it to the title of age or dignity but acknowledge that which Elihu saith in the same chapter verse 9. Great men are not alwaies wise neither doth the aged alwaies vnderstand iudgement and yet they all the world doth knowe that wisdome in youth is but the séeldomer example as Elihu said before ver 6. I am young in yeares and yee are auncient and therefore I doubted and was afraide to shewe you my opinion For I saide the dayes shall speak and the multitude of yeares shall teach wisdom And in manie places the young are willed to reuerence their auncients and to learne wisdome of them so that they be wise and reuerend persons Notwithstanding if anie younger can make demonstration of the reuelation of Gods spirite not reuealed vnto the elder therin we confesse both Archbishops and bishops and all are to hearken and yeelde vnto those yoÌ„ger Young Samuel is to be preferred before old Helie and al the Priestes and young Daniel before all the elders of Israel and héere-of Christe also gaue example euen in his childhood And S. Paule gaue this precept that none should despise Timothy for his youth and yet was Timothy an elder in his office yea an Archbishop as God willing shal be sufficiently shewed in the debating of this learned discourse But as our Archbishops Bishops must not and I hope do not reiecte any of our brethren for their younger yeres so must these our youÌ„ger brethreÌ„ take no lesse if not much more héede that to supply their defect in yeres they presume not on pretext of Elihu to father any of their owne or other neuer so excellent mens deuises on the reuelation of Gods spirit except they can make apparant proofe thereof For so both they in preteÌ„ding it and we in beleeuing it might runne into a great daunger as did many auncient Heritikes and as do the common aduersaries to vs both besides the Anabaptistes which when they can not proue their assertions by cleare and inuincible testimonies of the Scripture they alwayes runne to this that they haue it by reuelation of Gods spirit But though our Arch-bishops and Bish. vawnt not of any speciall reuelation of Gods spirit yet I trust that in this matter as S. Paule said of his owne iudgement 1. Cor 7.40 And I think also thâ—t I haue the spirit of God so they with good testimony of conscience may say also that although all haue not like measure yet they are not destitute of Gods holy spirit Which howe farre hee hath warranted vnto them in his word for the grounde of their function I referre to the examining of this learned discourse The memorable examples that our brethren here alleage releiue theÌ„ nothing Yea let the memorable examples say they of Ezechias and the Priests of the Apostles in their counsels of Paul in his Epistles and euen of Peter in yeelding to the chalenge of some not so well instructed moue them who not onely refused the Leuites and Elders but accepted the people in some manner to speake and to authorize their determinations and writinges For proofe hereof in the example of Ezechias theâ— quote 2. Chro. 30.1.5.23 vers In the 1. verse sayth the text And Ezechias sent to all Israell and Iudah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh that they should come to the house of the Lorde at Ierusalem to keepe the passeouer vnto the L. God of Israel What is here any thing for proofe of any Priestes Leuites or pastorall Elders in office but younger in yeares or in learning inferiour to haue any controuersies reuealed by the spirite of God vnto them that were not reuealed vnto the Bishops Priests and Leuites which in learning and age were their auncientes For if they bring not their examples to this point they alledge them amisse for instances to answere the two former parts of the first obiection for the difference of yeares and learning betwéene our brethren on the one partie and the Archb. and Bishops on the other Likewise in the 5. verse And they decreed to make a proclamation through out all Israell from Beer-sheba euen to Dan thâ—t they should come and keepâ— the passeouer vnto the L. God of Israell at Ierusalem for they had not done it â— great time as it is written Likewise the 23. And the whole assembly tooke Counsell to keepe it otheâ— seuen
Maiestie their honors and the Bishops may be assured hereof Or will they promise this on the worde of a faithfull minister that they will exercise their ministerie no otherwise But why then do they it not For there is no other thing required of them and it is their dutie so to doe it But what especiall regard of the peace of the Church publike orders if they had libertie to exercise their ministery according to their consciences is it likelie that our brethren would haue wheÌ„ as they were restrayned only for the abuse hereof being restrayned do thus disturbâ— the peace of the Church the publike orders of the same Yea all their especiall regarde and drift is against the publike orders And if nowe they should thus be with fauour allowed to exercise their ministery according to their coÌ„sciences what would our brethreÌ„ then spare to do against these publike orders I maruel therfore how they can thus coÌ„fidently say it is impossible but that they shall exercise their ministerie c. Whereas it is both against all sense and reason yea plaine impossible to bee graunted to them without we would with all graunt vnto them all their desires and deuises in these controuersies For the residue of this conclusion we say in part with our bretheren also Wherefore most Christian reader when thou shalt by these fewe take knowledge of these things which are contayned in this preface and in this Learned discourse praye vnto God for vs and as thy place is and so farre foorth as accordeth with thy dutie therein sollicite and furder so iust a cause as that the peace of the Church the publike orders gouernment established be not preiudiced to this end only that Christs kingdome may be perfectly established the consciences of all the godly quieted the happy regimeÌ„t of her Ma. honored with much peace ioy and quietnes both at home among vs and that it may ouerflowe to thâ— reliefe comfort and good example of other parts of Christes Church that are distressed in forraine countries To the which effects good Christian Reader cal vpon God our heauenly Father in the name of his sonne ouâ— Sauiour Christ for the illumining of his holie spirit that thy iudgement being not foreâ—talled in these matters and yet being desirous to sée the trueth and to search out the bothom of these doubtes thou mayest bee able to discerne the spirites aright to resolue and staye thy selfe on the very grounde of trueth in all these questions And so a Gods name enter nowe into the perusall and considering of this learned discourse The first booke of this defence against the learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment The argument of the first Booke THE first booke is of the principles of this learned discourses platforme of the Churches gouernment of their partition thereof into a Tetrarchie of 4. estates Doctors Pastors Gouernours and Deacons and of their necessitie and perpetuitie of the perswasion to leaue our own Estate and embrace the Estate of our neighbors and of their putting back the treatise of the Christian Princes supreame Gouernment in Eccl. causes and their reasons why they will not first treate there-on vntill they haue before assigned vnto all and euerie of these 4. Estates all their places with their seuerall and ioynt offices and authorities wherein is shewed not only what daunger and iniurie is offred vnto Christian Princes but also with what vnworthie contumelies and sclaunders they are reiected to the ende of this Learned discourse A learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernement prooued by the worde of God THis is the Title commendatorie of this booke besides the other title which they set before it A brief or plaine declaration concerning the desires of al those faithfull ministers c. But because this later title liked them better our brethren take the former part of this title prefixe ouer euerie leafe of all their treatise this commendation A learned discourse of eccl gouernment I referre the iudgement of the learning to the learned Me thinketh our brethren should haue done better to let the discourse commende it selfe whether it be learned or vnlearned vino vendibili non â—pus haedera But what soeuer the reader can iudge of learning let him stil haue his ayme to this point that is here auouched but not likewise set vp ouer euery leafe proued by the word of God For beit learned or vnlearned proue that we yéelde And if our brethren proue it not by the word of God then we craue of them that they will cease these contentious discourses and not stande so much vpon their learning But both their learned discoursing of Eccl. gouernment and their prouing the same by the word of God shall appeare God willing to the Reader by the discoursing The Church of God is the house of God therefore ought to be directed in al things according to the order prescribed by the housholder himselfe which order is not to be learned else-where but in his holie word The first of these principles or propositions is the very worde of the holy Ghost vttered by Paul The second followeth necessarily of the first The third is a manifest trueth beleeued of all them that acknowledge the scripture of God to be a perfect rule of all our life and able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes On these thrée principles our brethren lay their ground of al their learned discourse Which being rightly vnderstoode and building well vpon them are verie good principles or rather propositions as they terme theÌ„ Of this first is saide ynough alreadie concerning Dauids comparing him selfe to the stone in the corner of this mysticall houses building And most gladly we admit this our brethrens testimonie for the same as the verie worde of the holy Ghost vttered by Paule and that this house of God which is the Church of the liuing God is the piller and ground of truth Because it alwayes vpholdeth and maintaineth the trueth both in this matter of eccl gouernment and in all other so farre as is necessarie to saluation Albeit Christe in principall properly and absolutely is the onely ground and foundation of this house And heere by the way sith by this testimonie of S. Paul the Church which is the house of God is thus the piller and ground of the truthe If this gouernment that our brethren vrge be so necessarie and of so great moment to the house or church of God then is it likely the the Church of God though it hath not alwaies and in all places yet for the most part of time places or at leastwise in some ages and places had this gouernment maintained kept it or striued for it or else belike it was not thought so necessarie The second principle they say followeth necessarily of the first And so it doth which seconde was this and therefore this Church
or house of God ought to be directed in all thinges according to the order prescribed by the housholder himselfe Which principle is true within the boundes thereof that is to say in all thinges that he hath prescribed But if he haue not prescribed all thinges appertayning to the externall gouernment of his Church or house then are those thinges which are not prescribed by the housholder himselfe not to be so vrged as that they ought necessarily this way or that way to be alwayes directed The Apostle Hebr. 8. verse 5. saith out of Exod. 25. verse 40. Moses was warned by God when he was about to finish the Tabernacle See sayde he that thou make all thinges according to the paterne shewed to thee in the mount But the Apostle proceeding in the ninth Chapter verse 11. applying this first Tabernacle to the second which he calleth a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with handes that is not of this building meaning the naturall bodie of Christe referreth not this to the mysticall bodie which is the Church or house of God and much lesse to the externall forme of regiment in all matters ecclesiasticall or belonging to the Churches gouernment No not when before chap. 3. verse 1. c. he speaketh both of Christ himselfe and of his house or Church also Therefore sayeth he holy brethren partakers of the heauenly vocation consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Iesus who was faithfull to him that hath appointeâ— him euen as Moses was in all his house For this man was counted woorthie of more glorie thâ—n Moses in asmuch as he that hath builded the house hath more honour than the house For euery house is builded of some man and hee that hath built all thinges is God Nowe Moses verelie was faithfull in all his house as a seruant for a witnesse of the thinges which should be spoken after but Christe is as the sonne ouer his owne house whose house wee are if we holde fast the confidence and the reioysing of the hope vnto the ende Here againe we sée that this faithfulnesse in all his house as Moses was faithful is not to be reckoned as though he went about to shewe vs that all pointes of the externall regiment of the house or Churche of Christe haue a prescribed order by which they ought to bee directed in all thinges but that in the inwarde and spirituall regiment thereof we should acknowledge Iesus Christ the sonne of God to be the Lord and owner of this house and to consider him as the Apostle and high Priest of our profession that is of our Christian faith and religion and to confirme our faith in him that wee are his house or Church if wee holde fast not this or that externall forme of Ecclesiastical gouernment but the confidence and reioysing of hope vnto the ende And thus farre foorth and not furder we admit this second principle or proposition And this is necessarie to be obserued because this principle is here set downe in such captious order as insinuating that Christ had prescribed an order in all thinges in his house or Church according to the prescription whereof all thinges ought to be directed In which sense it is no principle but a question betwéene vs which wâ— denie and our brethren affirme but as yet they haue not prooued it The thirde saye they is a manifest trueth beleeued of all them that acknoweledge the Scripture of God to bee a perpetuall rule of all our life and able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes Here againe another caption is to be taken héede of in this their thirde principle which order is not to bee learned else-where but in his holie woorde For if they meane it of the order that in his holie worde he hath prescribed true it is that order is not to be learned any where else as anie necessarie prescription otherwise then as an exposition of the same order for our more cleare and fuller learning thereof And so alwayes kéeping the foundation the godlie fathers and expositors may builde there-on and the godlie gouernours of the Church may beautifie and adorne the same so that all be doone to Gods glorie and to the true edifying of the Church And so this third proposition is a manifest trueth beleeued of all them that acknowledge the scripture of God to be a perfect rule of all our life and able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes But it followeth not héere-upon that all generall or particuler orders in the externall gouernement of the Church are not else-where to bee learned but in Gods holie woorde except they meane by Gods holie worde such as are inclusiuely comprehended and not expresselie specified in his holie worde For they their selues haue not all their orders expressely mentioned and in all thinges prescribed in Gods holy worde For example their owne communion booke entituled The forme of Common prayers administration of the Sacramentes c. They dare not auowe that all thinges therein conteyned haue not beene learned else-where but in his holie worde and are there to be founde eyther in plaine woordes or necessarie implication but because they thinke that they are not contrarie they dare auouch thus farre to call them Agreeable to Gods worde And yet as though the agreeablenesse also might be called in question they adde héere-to And the vse of the reformed Churches And as their owne booke of Common prayers vseth all these helpes to saue all vpright for feare they might be chalenged in this poynt euen so this booke which our bretheren commende vnto vs to be A learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment prooued by the worde of God wee shall finde in the discourse thereof that the learned discoursers learned not all the orders prescribed there-in out of Gods holie worde but somewhat else-where Except they will likewise say it is agreeable or not contrarie to Gods holie worde Wherein also we shall God willing sée how they faile But if that answer may thus serue them I sée not whie it may not as well serue vs if we haue no other gouernement established but such as is agreeable and not contrarie to the holie word of God although it be not in his holie word expresselie prescribed Neither dooth this text of S. Paule 2. Tim. 3.17 anie more infringe euerie order in the churches gouernement that it maye not be learned else-where but in Gods holie worde then it dooth infringe euerie other order in the ciuill policie or administration of euerie mans morall behauiour that their orders also are not to be learned else-where but in Gods holie word Bicause thiâ— is a manifest truth beleeued of all them that acknowledge the scripture of God to be a perfect rule of all our life and able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes But it sufficeth for such orders as
not thinke héere vpon that bicause this gouernement is not héere mentioned among the gifts which our Sauiour Christ gaue to his church on earth when he ascended into heauen He was vnmindfull of his church or that S. Paule was vnmindfull of his giftes or that the church hauing not had this now desired gouernment for so manye hundreth yeares should haue béene so long time vnmindfull or destitute of the same if it had béene any matter wherein the perfection of the church consisted or the want thereof had béene any impediment to those ends that the Apostle héere citeth But we may rather thinke the contrarie that it was no such important matter and therefore not necessarie to be minded Well yet if it be not in the one place héere quoted it maye be in the other Let vs therefore likewise sée the other 1. Cor. 12.28 And there indéed are gouernours mentioned in expresse termes For where S. Paule had said Verse 27. Now are ye the bodie of Christ and members for your parte it followeth And God hath ordeined some in the church as first Apostles sâ—condlie Prophet thirdlie Teachers then them that doo miracles after that the giftes of healing helpers gouernors diuersities of toongs Héere are giftes reckoned vp Apostles and Prophets mentioned before and héere among other are gouernors named but what kind of gouernors Or whether with anie ordinarie forme and order of gouernement for the church alwaieâ— to be directed by any more then by anye other of the residue héere mentioned except Teachers which are alwaies necessarie for the instructioÌ„ oâ— doctrine and documents of life this place helpeth to our brethrens purpose no more then did the other Neither was the purpose of S. Paule héerin directed to any such bent but to exhort the Corinthians vnto edifiyng in vnitie and loue and not to distract themselues in faction about thesâ— giftes as he procéedeth saying Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Arâ— all Teachers Are all workers of miracles Haue all the giftes of healing Doo all speake with toongs Doo all interpret But desire yoâ— the best giftes and I will yet shew you a more excellent waie And so hâ— entreth into a lerned discourse indéed chap. 13. Not of this our brethrenâ— plotforme of ecclesiasticall gouernement as tending to the perfection of the church But of the excellencie of loue or charitie aboue all thâ— giftes and offices that he had named and maketh this the waie to tend vnto the perfection of the church concluding thus And now abidetâ— faith hope and loue these three but the cheefest of these is loue Thiâ— was the full drift of S. Paule in this place concerning the mysticall bodiâ— of Christe which is his church or house and that the building vp thereof euen where he speaketh of Gouernors and of the waye tending to perfection where he citeth many giftes and offices and yet can we nâ—t héere finde this platforme of ecclesiasticall gouernement which our brâ—thren desire seeke for now in the beginning of this learned discourse and afterwards againe and againe in these placeâ— And yet had there béene then in the church of Christ anye such plotforme S. Paule had in this place notable occasion to haue treated thereof But héere is no mention of it or of any peâ—petuall forme at all prescribed of ecclesiast gouernement saue onelie of Teaching except they wil include that in gouerning So that finding nothing hetherto to satisfie their desires in searching these two testimonies of the scripture let vs now procéed to search further with them for this matter We finde also that as the offices are diuerse of this ministerie so they are not generall vnto all the church but as order and necessitie require for executing of their office distributed and limited vnto certeine places or particuler churches according to the diuision of regions cities and townes For we read that Paule and Barnabas ordeined at Derbie Lystra Iconium and Antiochia c elders by election in euerie church with praier and fasting and so commended them to the Lord in whome they beleeued Also Paule left Titus in the Isle of Creta that he should ordeine Elders in euerie citie as he had appointed What our brethren did finde in the two foresaide testimonies of the scripture we haue alreadie séene that is to saye they haue found out in them for the confirmation of the question betwéene vs what more what lesse méere nothing Héere they tell vs they finde also that the diuerse offices of this ministerie are not generall vnto all the church But they finde also this so doubtfullye that we can scarce tell howe to finde also what it is that they saye héere they haue found For what meane they by these words that as the offices are diuerse so are they not generall vnto all the church Whether meane they not generall vnto all the church in respect of all the persons of whom the church consisteth that is to say not generall or coÌ„mon to all men Or meane they it in respect of the time that is to say they are not generall or perpetuall to all the continuance of the churche to the worlds end And if they do so why do they then alledge these places for them Sithe they can neither finde by them all the offices of eccl gouernmeÌ„t that they desire nor those places do diâ—â—inguish which diuerse offices of this ministerie are generall or perpetuall and which are not Or meane they generall in respect of all places wheresoeuer the church is through-out all the world dispersed And although this last sence seemeth to draw néerest to the coherence of their words following but as order and necessitie require for executing of their office distributed and limited vnto corteine places or particuler churches according to the diâ—isions of regions cities and townes yet â—re these wordes me thinkes as darke or darker then the other And â—â—ill 〈◊〉 correction I wishe they had for their owne sakes set downe their words more plainelie For my part I gather this of themâ— that for the executing of anye of those diuerse offices not speaking of those that are alreadie ceased but of those that are ordinarie offices which our brethren also make diuerse offices these cannot execute their offices but that for order sake and of verie necessitie these offices or officers must be distributed and limited either vnto certeine places or particuler churches where they may gouerne feede or teach the people and these certeine places or particuler churches are to be assigned or appointed vnto these diuerse offices or officers according to the diuisions of regions cities and townes that is to say some of these diuerse offices or officers to wit Gouernors Pastors Teachers to be distributed and limited some ouer regions other ouer cities and other ouer townes Is not this their meaning that these diuerse offices should be thus distinguished and limitted and that for order sake yea that verie necessitie dooth
This rule therefore that because it is first in time before another it is in order to bee first treated vpon before an other or because other as yet were not therefore that which was before made a perfect regiment is no perfect nor good argument Which argument being grounded on so vncertaine and weakâ— foundation all that is built thereon is easily shattered The Papistes for the traditions of the Church which they call the vnwritten worde or veritie vnwritten vse the like argument against the authoritie of Gods written word and veritie of the Scripture The word was deliuered by tradition of preaching before it was deliuered by writing therefore traditions are of no lesse authoritie nor lesse to be beleeued then the written worde and holie scripture yea the Churches authoritie is aboue the scriptures and is the iudge thereof Thus doe the Papistes encroche from the time to the authoritie as our brethren heere doe Nowe as this reason faileth both for the Senioritie of time and forestalling the order of place and much more for claiming any prioritie in dignitie and most of all for inferring any such honour as perfection of regiment so for the truthe of this proposition that The Church of God was perfect in all her regiment before there was any Christian Prince I can not yet sée howe directly it can be iustified For if this were true then there neede no regiment of Christian Princes at all And howe then haue the Christian Princes anie authoritie at all in Eccl. causes Or â—f they haue anie howe came they by it if the Churches regiment were perfect or the Church perfect in all her regiment before there were anie Christian Prince Or whereto serueth the Christian Princes supream authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes if not to make the regiment of the Church in better estate For otherwise the Church were as good without it if she be no better in her Regiment by it then she was before shée had it But it is not so both the church and her regiment is bettered by it Which your selues are faine in part to confesse euen heere in the conclussion of your argument saying of God who hath most mercifully and wisely so established the same to wit the churches regiment that as with the comfortable aide of christian Magistrates it may singulerlie prosper and flourish c. And againe for the church craueth helpe defence of christian Princes to continue and go fore-ward more peaceablye and profiâ—ablye to the setting vp of the kingdome of Christ. Although héere ye will affoorde no more but this yet if there were no more this is inough to ouerthrow your saying that the church of God was perfect in all her Regiment before there was any christian prince For if this comfortable aide helpe and defence to continue and goe forewarde in so great matters as more peaceably and profitably to the setting vp of the kingdome of Christe were taken awaie then the church of God though I graunt it may continue and against the aduersaries thereof preuaile Yet should she not be perfect in al her Regiment needing this comfortable ayde help and defence of christian Princes And the setting vp of the kingdome of Christe shoulde with more trouble and lesse profit go fore-warde yea rather it should go back-warde and he hindered though it continue and not so singulerly flourish and prosper but decay And is this so smal a matter in your eyes brethren as that it nothing appertained to the Regiment of the church but that crauing all this of christian princes and so without them wanting the same ye dare so boldly auouch that she is perfect in all her Regiment without it Doth she craue that she wanteth not Then is she a wanton Doeth she want it then is she not perfect in all her Regiment Or doeth it not greatly pertaine vnto her Regiment Or doe yee thinke that this shall salue the matter because the churche may continue and againste the aduersaries thereof preuaile without it Our question nowe is not of the substance and beeing of the church but of the Regiment of it Neither yet simply of the Regiment but whether she were perfect in all her Regiment before any christian princes were or no The church I graunt was then and shall continue euer and she had euen then a Regiment also Yea and that Regiment in soone respectes might be called perfecte for that time while there were not such open professed christian princes to be foster fathers and noursing moothers of the church as God bee praysed now there are For concerning the Rectors of the church then as they were then more perfect and singuler persons so had they more perfect and singuler extra-ordinary offices and withall more excellent giftes to be able to gouerne it the better But this argueth so little the churches perfection then in al her Regiment vnderstanding the same of all her ordinary externall Regiment whereupon our question is which Regiment shee was not then so perfectly come vnto that rather their extra-ordinary gifts and offices of Apostles Euangelistes Prophetes c. were added for that time to supplye furnish that part of the Regiment thereof that was afterward to be made more perfect concerning the ordinary state by the accesse of the Christian Princes following Except therefore our Brethren intende vtterlie to shake off all Christian Princes and account their supreame authority in Church causes if not now to be nought yet to be nought worth and altogether vnnecessary to the perfection of the Churches Regiment how can this be any good argument to infirme it now because admitting this also were true there were no ChristiaÌ„ Princes theÌ„ what do they inferre here-upoÌ„ that there is no more néede héerein of Christian Princes now then there was then presupposing that then héerein there was no néede at all of them that were a very suspitious and perrilous conclusion For although theÌ„ there were the lesse néede of them because that néede was then other-wise supplied yet those supplies not continuing and malice increasing both of aduersaries without and of Hipocrites within and the giftes also that remaine decreasing there is now farre more neede of the Christian Princes supreame gouernment to the perfecting of the Churches Regiment And so the state of the time for the regiment of the church differing the argument of the Regiment from the time then to the time now is defectiue But if they néeded then héerein the helpe of christian Princes as they do nowe then was not the church perfect in all her Regiment otherwise than as it was extraordinarylie supplied before the christian Princes helpe and comfortable aide was added Before which time those temporary supplies comming to the church as the Manna and other extraordinary helpes made the Iewes estate to flourish prosper and goe fore-ward in the Desertes though they ceased when they came to the land of promise So the church might bee
Wherevpon also it appeareth againe that we said before the estimation of the giftes are to be esteemed according to the profit edification of the church which is set in the confirming of faith religion And Musculus to the same purpose saith Wherfore euen as he there said he that prophesieth speaketh to men to edification exhortation and consolation so heere also when he had said except I speake to you he addeth either by reuelation or by knowledge or by prophesie or by doctrine c. Or by doctrine saith he hee that speaketh by reuelation or by science or by prophesie serueth to informe vs in our faithe and vnderstanding of things either hid or to come But he that speaketh by doctrine serueth to compose our life and frame our manners Thus farre I thinke this terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place may not vnfitlie be seperated from the generall doctrine by the which all things in the word of God are taught Hierome also thinketh so for he expoundeth it with this paraphrase except either I interprete it vnto you or make plaine those hidden thinges of the lawe that I know or expound prophesies or teache you morall institutions I knowe that Ambrose diuides not these thinges For he saithe all these signifie one thing For none can teache except it be vnderstood neither indeed can they be Reuelation knowledge prophesie and doctrine except they be vnderstood Wherefore to speake by Reuelation by knowledge by prophesie or by doctrine is altogither to speake with vnderstanding And so dooth Châ—â—sostome expouÌ„d it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But that which he faith is on this wise Except I shall speake that which may of you bee easilie conceiued and is cleere Notwithstanding in the meane time he forbiddeth not that we may not by a fitte diuision and perteining to the purpose distinguish betweene these things and giue to euerie one his proper sense For as when he said before he that prophesieth speaketh to men to edification to exhortation and to consolation hee expressed the profit of generall prophesiyng so heere he setteth downe certeine parts and instruments thereof or rather founteines For that whereby is one thing and that wherevnto is another thing that the Prophet speaketh in the Churche And therfore saith Gualter Paule setteth doctrine after these things which applieth euerie one of them to the hearers according to the consideration of the places and times that they may serue for the instruction of euerie one And to conclude for the amendment of their life and maners And this is that parte wherein the edification of the Churche and of euerie member thereof doth cheefelie consist c. And to this purpose speaking of these gifts as instrumeÌ„ts to edificatioÌ„ Paule bringeth in the similitude of musicall instruments Whereon saith Gualter we will not thinke that Paule doth rashlie vse this similitude For verie well and elegantlie it shadoweth out the vse of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and office of the Ministers The Pipe admitteth manie and diuerse waies of tuning and the Citheran or Harpe consisteth of diuerse chordes and stringes and euen so the maner of preaching the worde of God is not one but often in one Sermon with a marueilous harmonie do concurre doctrine admonition exhortation rebukings threatnings and consolations c. This was Saint Paules doctrine for a Doctor whome héere hee calleth a Prophet and for Prophesiyng And which your selues call teaching saying The office of teaching is the principall office that is in the Churche By that wee be taught to know God and how to serue him and what benefits to looke for at his hand Without which knowledge there can be no felicitie but onelie destruction looked for according to the saying of the wiseman Where prophesing faileth there the people perish So that as your selues confesse also that by Prophesiyng is meant this your firste office of Teaching which is indéed being vsed as it ought to be an excellent office But as Gualter saithe on the verse 24. concerning the vse thereof it is not a simple reciting and interpretation of the scripture as you would make it But as we haue heard in the beginning of this chapter suche another as is applied with exhortation consolation to the edification of the whole Churche and of euerye one And therefore it ought so to be exercised that it should pearse into the mindes and conuince them of sinne which propertie Christe sayde should be the worke of the Holy-ghoste in the Apostles And to conclude that it so worke that all may perceiue that they are spoken of But of this chapter you giue more occasion to note héereafter Onelie this now at large for the office of Doctors or Teachers of Doctrine called heere Prophets and interpreters of Scriptures that they were not thus limitted onelie to teach true doctrine and to confute all heresies false opinions by the worde concerning all articles and principles of Christian Religion without applying their teaching to anye particuler state of time of persons or places And nowe let vs sée howe yee can prooue this by examples The example or practise of this office is set foorth Acts. 13.1 where it is recorded by S. Luke that Paule and Barnabas before the Holie-ghoste commanded them to be seperated for the worke whervnto he called them were in the number of Prophets and Doctors with Simeon Niger Lucius of Syrene and Manahen in the Churche of Antiochia where they continued in that office a whole yeare in which Citie the Disciples were firste called by the name of Christians Act. 11.26 Likewise Apollos which was an eloquent man and mightye in the Scriptures firste at Ephesus but afterward being more perfectlie instructed in the waye of GOD by Aâ—uila and Priscilla in the Churche of Achaia exercised the office of a Teacher with great profite of them which had beleeued and to the great confusion of the stiffe-necked Iewes while hee prooued plainelye by the Scriptures that Iesus was the Christe Acts. 18.28 For the practise mentioned in the Scripture this might suffice that is noted by Sainte Paule in this chapter 1 Corinth 14. with the iudgements of all these writers yea of themselues concerning these prophets that were Doctors and of the manner of their teachings But now bicause for this practise and example héereof these our Bretheren the Learned Discoursers haue héere set downe some other examples also to prooue this practise let vs follow and peruse the same And first note this that these examples héere alleaged mention no perpetuitie much lesse prooue it nor any prescribed rule vnto themselues much lesse to others And bicause of all the persons héere named Act. 13. Barnabas is first and Paule is last the other haue little record saue the bare names let vs looke vpon this first and last as the more notable by whom we may leuell the others as lesse knowne And héere at the entrie in
euen in this sorte as I haue saide of Pastors not stande vpon méere speculation of doctrin which moueth coldly of it selfe by reason of the hearers dulnesse or hardnes but let him ioyne such application thereof vnto his doctrine as may best redound to their profite and aedification And now as this was Paules continuall teaching both by mouth writing and moouing all others to do the like euen the Doctor so well as thâ— Pastor as appeareth in all his Epistles so Barnabas if the Epistle to the Hebr. be his not rather as it is coÌ„monly accepted S. Paules though the argumeÌ„t stand most of doctrine aboue all the other epistles yet doth he stil among the greatest points of doctrine inserte application adioyne sundry singular exhortations admonitions repreheÌ„sions coÌ„solations c. to his doctrin And the like doth Peter both in all his preachings recorded in the Acts of the Apostles in both his Epist. And Iohn Iames Iude Stephen Act. 7. c. For they all learned this order of Iesus Christe the chiefe Doctor and both their our M. of all our doctrine of all our teaching of it Who euer ioyned exhortation application c. to his doctrine And sent out both his 12. Apostles his 72. Disciples to kéepe the like maner of teaching and neuer taught or enioyned other to teach in other order Which is eueÌ„ as much as so to seuer the letter the spirit in seuering the doctrine froÌ„ al application of the same that the liuely and quickning sense thereof is damped neither only to say that a man may do so vpon occasion or in time place as some Doctors in the scholes in their lectures now then but to make a rule theron a seueral office of such Doctors that ordinarie perpetual distinct froÌ„ Pastors and that they must not exhort nor rebuke nor coÌ„fort nor apply but only teach without all these things and that such Doctors must be in euery congregation must so teach the common people who of all other are most moued by affections and that if the Doctor should perswade or apply he is an intruder into other mens functions a confounder and breaketh off the ordinance of Christ I do not only sée how this is not yet sufficiently prooued but that as me thinkes and I will speake it vnder correction of better proofe than is yet brought either in the Frutefull Sermon on 1. Cor. 12. or in the Counterpoyson or in this Learned discourse I take it not agréeable to the Apostles precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cut a-right the worde of God nor fitte for the man of God which is his minister nor according to the effectuall woorking of his worde which is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue it which is written to our consolation which is profitable to reach to improoue to correct to enstruct c. which is liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then anie two edged sworde and entereth through euen to the diuiding a-sunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioyntes and of the marrawe and is a discerner of the thoughtes and ententes of the heart All which and all other principall vertues therâ—of are no lesse wrought by the apt and right application then by the true interpretation of the same And thus much for these examples of these Doctors teaching or rather neuer teaching without applying of their doctrine But softe wee haue yet an-other example that if all these will not proue it as on the contrarie they plaine confute it to sée if that will yet at length inferre it Likewise Apollos which was an eloquent man and mightie in the Scriptures first at Ephesus but afterwarde being more perfectly instructed in the way of God by Aquila and Priscilla in the Church of Aâ—haia exercised the office of a Teacher with great profite of them which had beleeued and to the great confusion of the stiffe-necked Iewes while he prooued plainely by the Scripture that Iesus was the Christe Actes 18.28 Apollos was an eloquent man I graunt but can you my Learned Masters with all the eloquence and learning ye haue prooue this that Apollos did exercise the office of such a Teacher as you haue here described Which if ye could doe yet one swallowe would not make a spring But euen this example of Apollo maketh as much against you as the residue For Apollos being so eloquent and mightie in the Scriptures so seruent in the spirite and so diligent in his teaching as Luke testifieth do ye not sée how all these things do manifestly infer that he vsed applicatioÌ„ perswasion with his teaching He was excellently wel learned which he calleth mightie in the Scriptures which point more properly indéede doth appertain to doctrine and he was diligent also in his teaching which thing like-wise belongs to doctrine and yet was not he so mightie in the scriptures for all his diligence in his teaching but that he was God wâ—t a verie meane and insufficient Teacher till hee was taught further euen by a poore meane learned handie-craftes man and his wife So that his Eloquence was more in perswasion then in doctrine and his feruencie of the spirite to mooue affections as much as his diligence in his teaching And what I beséech you were the matters he taught Were they not those thinges that are of the Lorde And is not life and manners and exhortation thereto dehortation from the contrarie pertayning also to the way of the Lorde But only the teaching of the articles of religion and the confutation of the contrarie And what was the doctrine that he onely knewe and taught Is it not here named Iohns Baptisme And did he not then administer the Sacrament that he taught Yea was not the Sacrament of Baptisme that Iohn vsed vnto repentance And did not Iohn in ministring it exhort and applie saying Repent ye for the kingdome of heauen is at hande Did he not applie when he pointed out Christ with his finger When he sent them to Christ that came to him Did hee not applie and exhort and rebuke euen in particuler almost all sorts of persons when they came to be baptised of him And doeth not the name of Iohns Baptisme comprehende all his ministerie And howe was Apollo then such a Doctor as is here imagined without all ministring of the sacramentes or preaching or exhorting or applying But nowe when Apollo was instructed more perfectly and was minded to goe into Achaia and the brethren exhorting him thereunto wrote to the Disciples to receaue him when he was come he helped them much who had beleeued through grace For mightilie he confuted publikely the Iewes with great vehemencie saith Luke shewing by the scriptures that Iesus was Christ. Now as though he did nothing there but onely teache and confute you leaue out these
that the Church is kept by order and lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by lacke of order For which cause he hath instituted many also and diuerse orders of ministers not onely in times past in Israell but also after-wardes in the Church gathered together of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and also for the same cause hee hath left it free vnto the Churches that they might adde moe orders or not adde them so that the same may be done to aedification Whereas therefore when all the Ministers of the worde were called equally both Pastors and also Bishops also Priests or Elders and whereas they were of equall authoritie one afterwarde beganne to be preferred aboue all his Colleagues howbeit not as their Lorde but as the Rector in the vniuersitie aboue his other Colleagues to this man in principall the care of the whole Church was cōmitted whereupon and by a certaine kinde of Excellencie hee alone was accustomed to be called by the name of bishop and Pastor the residue of his fellow Ministers being contented with the name of Priests or Elders in so much that in euery City there began to be one onely Bishop and many Priestes or Elders This thing we iudge cannot be dissalowed Of which matter the declaration and the sentence of Ierome both otherwhere and also in the epistle to Euagrius and in the commentaries of the Epistle to Titus chap. 1. is of vs approued Who saith all this came rather of custome than of the verity of the Lordes disposing that the plants of dissensions of schismes might be taken away Verily by this reason those things also that were ordeyned concerning Arch-bishops yea and of the 4. Patriarkes euen before the Nicene Councell it selfe wee thinke may be excused and defended although that all thinges in successe of time afterwardes were drawen awaye vnto the greatest tyrannie and ambition which is the cause why that the neerer wee approche in those orders to the Apostolicall simplicitie so muche the more is it also of vs allowed And we iudge that euery where they should endeuour to approch thereto Nowe when Zanchius hath added certaine other Aphorismes concerning the Church and the lawfull Ministers thereof he setteth downe Aphorism 20. their authoritie saying We beleeue also that great authoritie is of Christe giuen vnto the lawfull Ministers to wit to performe those thinges whereunto also they are called to preach the Gospell to interprete the holy scriptures according to the analogie of the faith to catechise to teach the people what is the will of God to reprooue and rebuke as well the great as the small to remitte or reteyne sinnes ministerially to binde the impenitent and to loose the repentant to administer also the Sacraments which Christ instituted and according to his manner deliuered to exercise Discipline after the prescription of Christe and also by the expounding of the Apostles to conclude to all those things also which though they be not expressed in the holy scriptures notwithstanding do appertaine to order and to comlinesse and make to edification but not to destruction according to the generall rule deliuered of the Apostle That all thinges ought to be doone in order decently and to aedification For neither doe we beleeue that any authoritie is giuen to the ministers that ought to be stretched beyonde the boundes of Gods worde or vnto anie other ende than to the aedification of the Church And therefore we vtterly deny that any Bishop yea or that all of them together haue authoritie of ordeyning any thing contrarie to the scriptures of adding any thing vnto them or of takeing any thing from them of making newe articles of the faith of instituting new Sacramentes of bringing into the Church new worships of setting forth lawes that should bind the consciences and that should be made equall in authoritie to the lawe of God or of hauing dominion in the Church and consciences of the faithfull of forbidding those thinges that God hath graunted and would haue to bee free Or finally of commanding any thing that is without the worde of God as though it were necessarie to saluation sithe that it can not truely be sayde that indeede the whole Church hath not this authoritie Hauing thus in euery particuler set downe and limited the authoritie of the lawefull Ministers of the Church according to the worde of God he procéedeth Aphorisme 21. vnto this that the politike authoritie of Bishops which also are Princes is not to be denied for any thing before restrayned In the meane season we denie not that Bishops which with-all are also Princes besides the authoritie Ecclesiasticall should also haue their lawes politike and powers seculer yea euen as the rest of Princes haue the right of the commaunding seculer thinges the right of the sworde some of them the right of Electing and confirming kinges and Emperours and of ordeyning and administring other politike thinges and of compelling the people subiecte vnto them to yeelde them obedience and there-upon we confesse that vnto their politike commaundementes which with-out the transgression of Gods lawe may be kept their subiectes ought to obey not onely for feare but also for conscience For we knowe that all power is of God and who-so-euer resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God And that moreouer kinges are to be honored and we ought to be subiect to Princes and Lords in all feare not onely to those that are courteous and modest but also to the froward and wicked To conclude when he commeth to Ecclesiast Discipline which Aphorisme 36. he deuideth into popular and clericall in the 3. part of the clericall discipline Aphorisme 38. he saith The third is that they should promise peculiar obedience in things that are honest vnto their Bishop and to the Metropolitane of the Bishops Nowe although by all these Aphorismes of this excellent Learned man and great light of our age Zanchius it is most apparant what his Iudgement is of the superioritie of Bishops and with what reasons he prooueth and confirmeth the same to be in all pointes agréeable to Gods worde Yet for the further confirmation of these thinges and to satisfie all suche as shoulde or did mislike anie thing conteyned in them let vs also not thinke it tedious to peruse certaine other obseruations that he hath lastly adioyned to these Aphorismes in the foresaid confession of the faith with the preface of his reasons for the same The obseruations of the same Zanchius vpon his confession Neither fewe nor light are the causes with the which I was drawen that I had leauer adde these obseruations to my confession apart by thē selues than to alter any thing therein There are not a fewe vnto whom it is knowen on what occasion at what time by whose commaundement in whose name and to what ends I being indeede vnwilling and compelled wrote the summe of the Christian Religion But although ech man seeth that this
confession was neuer as it was hoped for set foorth in their name for whose cause it was written notwithstanding how this was done and vpon what causes it was done all men do not clearely vnderstande while many men marueile at the dooing but are ignoraunt of the true causes of the matter Heereupon howe diuerse suspitions might haue hapned vnto many howe diuerse iudgementes might haue beene made both of me and of the confession it selfe I will not say of priuate persons but also of the very Churches to conclude howe diuerse and sinister reportes might haue beene scattered among the common people what one is he among men that doth not knowe It behooueth me therefore before I shall die to stoppe the sinister naughtie supitions iudgements reports concerning my doctrine Which thing I iudged could of me be done by no better meane than if I should prouide that both my confession euen as it was of me written should be set foorth seuerally by it selfe and also seuerally by thēselues my obseruations theron by the which if any things were dark they might be made plaine if any things were doubtful they might bee confirmed and that I should leaue the iudgement of the whole busines vnto the whole true Catholike Church Moreouer I thought that to remoue false suspitions out of mens mindes if any were conceaued I should doe no little good if what iudgementes were made of learned men concerning the cōfession I should euē by their owne letters make them knowen to all the godly especially sithe that also out of the same euery man might easily vnderstande for what causes the confession was not set foorth in that manner that it was purposed A certaine greate man wrote vnto me of that matter in these words Concerning that which you write of your cōfession it was read ouer of me and of N. and of others with great pleasure Which both was written most learnedly with a most excellent Methode And if so be you except that which in the end you adde concerning Archb. the Hierarchy it liked me exceedingly well But when we did deliberate with our brethren N.N. the which are heere concerning the way and manner of entring into a concord among al the Churches of our confession they with one consent did iudge that this was both the only the safest the reddiest way that the cōfessiōs of faith already receiued set forth by the Churches of euerie Prouince should be composed compacted into one harmony because they are all of them one most like another so farre as appertaineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the substance of faith and that their confession was refused of none of the Churches This their counsell when they proued it by many reasons we haue written therof vnto you and to the Reuerende brethren N.N. and to other Churches neighbors to vs who all of them greatly like the selfe same counsell These thinges out of the letters of that great man To the same opinion almost we might produce out of other mens letters also writing of the same matter But sithe it is not necessarie for breuitie sake wee omitte them Zanchius nowe being thus mooued by these considerations to iustifie all these his former Aphorismes in these pointes aforesaid setteth downe among other these obseruations following Vpon the 25. Chap. Aphorism 10. 11. When I wrote this confession of faith I wrote all thinges of a good conscience and as I beleeued so I spake also freely as the holy scripture teacheth vs to doe But my fayth first of all and simplie dothe rely on the woorde of God after which somewhat also on the common consent of the whole auncient Catholike Churche so bee that the same consent striue not with the holy scriptures For I beleeue that those thinges which were of the holy Fathers beeing gathered together in the name of the Lorde determined and receaued with a common consent of them all without any contradiction of the holy scriptures that those thinges albeit they bee not of the same authoritie with the holy Scriptures are also of the holy Ghost Hereupon it commeth to passe that those thinges that are of this sorte neither would I neyther dare I with a good conscience disallowe them But what is more certaine out of the stories out of the Counselles and out of the writinges of all the Fathers than those orders of Ministers of the which we haue spoken to haue beene ordeyned in the Church and receaued by the common consent of the Christian common weale But who am I that I should disalow that which the whole Church hath allowed No neither all the learned men of our time durst disallowe For why they knewe that both these thinges were lawefull vnto the Churche and that all those thinges proceeded and were ordeyned both of godlinesse and to good endes for the edification of the elected And for the cause of confirming this matter I thought good here to inserte suche thinges as Martine Bucer of godly memorie a man moste famous for singuler godlinesse and learning hath left written vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians As for the administration of the woorde when it is doone by the reading and reciting of the deuine scriptures finally by the interpretation and explication of the same and by exhortations taken frō thence and also by repetition and by the Catechisme which is perfourmed by mutuall questions and aunsweres of him that is the Catechiser and of the party that is catechised and by holy conferences and debatings of the harder Questions of our religion according to this manifold dispensation of wholesome doctrine the giftes or offices of this function are also multiplied For whatsoeuer belonged to the moste perfect māner of teaching that in the administration of the doctrine of saluation is to be applied with most great study because that sith thou art a man the knowledge of seeing God or liuing according vnto God which as of al other it is most diuine so also most difficult ought to be set forth they now that teach artes diligently contayned in some certain books as if a man woulde purpose out of Euclide to teach the Mathematicalles first of all they will reade and recite the booke proposed and streight waies they wil expound the particuler words that are not commonly knowe as euery Art hath his proper wordes and names and then if anye collection or argument be more breefely made they expound it by resoluing the partes thereof and make it cleare by many examples out of the generall preceptes they teache particulers and they do enforme them how farre foorth they stretch This it is properlye to teache But he that is indeede a sure or faithfull Doctor is not contente to teache these thinges although by a faythfull deliuerance of the Doctrine but also hee repeateth it and exacteth the thinges that he taughte and offereth him selfe readye to his schollers that they might demaunde a playn explication of
scriptures which are able to make thee skilfull concerning the saluation by the fayth which is in Christe Iesu. The whole scripture inspired from God is profitable to Doctrine to reprehension to correction to institution which is in righteousnesse that the man of God may bee perfect being perfectly enstructed to euery good worke 2. Tim. 3. And this wee confesse against the aduersaries of the scripture and with our Brethren that the diuine and Canonicall scripture as the onely rule that conteineth all thinges perfectly concerning fayth and the saluation which is in Iesus Christ to make the man of God perfect vnto all good workes but that the holy scripture is the onely rule whereby the Churche of God ought to bee gouerned vnderstanding by these wordes that the scripture hath set downe a perpetuall and generall rule of all the onely order of the Churches forme of externall gouernment as well as it hath of faith and of the morall part of mans actions and conuersation if we search the scrpture neuer so much neitheir we nor our brethrē shal euer find it For the church of God may safely admit according to the diuersities of the states thereof diuers formes and orders whereby it may be gouerned So that nothing be withall admitted preiudiciall to the Law to the Gospel that is to say neither against faith nor good manners as S. Austen termeth it Neither is all the Gouernment of the Church in the gouernment or authority of the pastor Bishop or Elder For the Christian Prince and ciuill Magistrate hath a gouernment of the Churche of God also and there be diuers approoued formes whereby princes and Magistrates gouerne the Church of God in the diuers parts and states thereof besides the ecclesiasticall gouernment of pastors And as for that heere our Brethren say the pastor Bishop or Elder hath no authority by himself separated from other These spéeches are spoken ambiguously It is true in one sense that neither pastor nor yet Bishop for I distinguish these tearmes that here are confusedly clapped together hath any authority by him selfe separated from other in the regiment of the Church but that he hath the same in common with all other in the church that bée of his calling and not like a pope as an A-per-se as though none other shoulde haue it but hee onely and all other from him Neither hath any pastor or Bishop or Elder any such authority by himselfe that can properly be sayd to be seperated from other For if it be seperated from other thē it hath no gouernment of thē nor dealing with thē Yea we graunt that whatsoeuer authority and Pastor or B. or elder hath it is the Churches authority because it is giuen vnto them that are the partes and members of the whole Church and to the Churches vse and profite As S. Paule sheweth Ephes. 4.11 c. Hee therefore gaue some to be Apostles other prophets other Euangelistes other pastors and Doctors to the growing together of the saints to the worke of the Ministery to the edification of the body of Christe And the Apostle 1. Cor. 12. after he hath shewed how the spirite of God giueth seperately his spirituall giftes saying vers 11. But all these worketh one and the self same spirite distributing priuately euen as hee will he addeth for as the body is one and hath many members but all the members of one body whē as they are many are one body so also Christe For by one spirite we are al baptised into one body whether Iewes or Grecians whether seruants or free and all haue drunke one drinke into one spirite For the body is not one member but many If the foote say I am not the hande I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body and if the eare saie I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therfore not of the body If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing If the whole were hearing where were the smelling But nowe hath God placed the members euery one separately in the body euen as he would But if all were one member where were the body but nowe there are many members and yet but one body Thus doth S. Paule reason from the resemblance and proportion of the naturall body and the regiment thereof to the misticall So that although what gift facultie power or gouernment soeuer they haue it is not so seperated from other by themselues that it hath no Community with the other nor is pertaining to them For it pertaineth to the whole in common as we say also in the schooles of the soule or life of man anima est tota in toto in qualibet parte The soule or life is whole in the whole body and in euery part But yet euery faculty and power of the soule and life is not in the whole body nor in euery part therof but in the member onely that is the proper organe to the same And so hath euery Bishop or pastorall Elder some authority by him-selfe in the regiment gouernment of the Church so separated from other that other which haue not the same office haue not the same authority So that the community in respect of the benefite barres not the separation in respect of the exercise of the authority and therefore faith S. Paule 1. Cor. 12.27 You are all of the body of Christe and members in part And some hath God ordeined in the Church first Apostles thē Prophetes thirdly Doctors then powers then the giftes of healing helpings gouernmentes kindes of tongues Are all Apostles are all prophets are all Doctors are all powers haue all the giftes of healing Doe all speake with tongs doe all interpret So that as in the first and second degrées heere mencioned the Apostles and Prophets had some power and authoritie in the regiment and gouernance of the Church by themselues separated from other so may we safelie conclude of the Doctors heere mencioned also by which name our Brethren doe here comprehend both Bishops and Pastors that they had some power and authoritie of regiment and gouernaunce in the Church by themselues separated from other in lyke manner And this manifestlie appeareth in their practise The Apostle Saint Paule by his Apostolicall authoritie in the Ecclesiasticall regiment and gouernance of the Church setteth downe in diuerse places diuerse rules some temporarie some perpetuall concerning orders rites and ceremonies of the Churches without anie ioynture of those Churches authorities to whom he inioyned them Yea without so much as asking anie counsel of them or deliberating with them And 1. Cor. 11.34 he saith in generall other things well I set in order when I come Hee saith not you and I together in ioynt authoritie and yet no doubt he had the ioynt consent compromitted to him before and declared after of all good men in al those ordinances that he had made or should make amongest
expounde it that Elders are heere called those vnto whome the office of teaching was enioyned For that there were certaine which were onely censors or controllers of manners appeareth out of Paule 1. Tim. 5.17 So that euen here where Caluine alleageth the other testimonie that our Brethren also doe yet he clearely cutteth off this Testimonie Act. 14. 23. to inferre any profe at all of these Consistorie gouernors and Elders that are not teachers Neither do our Brethren here thus violently draw in their Gouernors vnder the name of Elders where it is apparant that Pastors are ment onely but also the word which should yet better proue that it is ment of Pastors that is to wite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ordeyning of them by handes to carrie the better shewe that it was not of Pastors onely but of Gouernours they translate it thus They did ordeyne Elders by election of the congregation Where the worde neither speaketh of nor necessarily inferreth any election at all and much lesse of the congregation but onely of ordeyning or creating with handes signifying the consecration of them by laying on of handes vppon them Which ceremonie was not vsed in those that were Gouernours onely as were these controllers of manners For although there might be suche at that time ciuill Elders the people being in such case elected among them yet can it not be shewed that they had also the imposition of hands Although peraduenture that prophane or ciuill order of holding vppe their handes among the Grecians for which Beza citeth Cicero might be well vsed in the election of them And albeit Caluine also interprete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quum creassent suffragiis when they had by suffrages or voyces created Elders and mention also as we haue séene before the heathen manner of holding vp of the handes yet as noting this to bee too prophane he sayth notwithstanding the Ecclesiasticall writers vse the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of ordeyning by handes in an other sense to wite for the solemne custome of ordeyning that in the Scriptures is called the laying on of handes And therefore where he applyeth this to election and that also to the peoples election although he giue the moderation of the election not to the people but to the Apostles yet if the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be vnderstoode Ecclesiastically as the Ecclesiasticall writers vse the name for the solemne custome of ordeyning that in the scriptures is called laying on of handes then cannot this woorde betokening ordeyning be drawen to election and much lesse to the election of the people that had no authoritie of the laying on of hands neither in ordeyning nor in electing This therefore may suffice hetherto to aunswere the minor of our Brethrens argument But they as though all were safe and sure if they only strengthen their Maior goe about to confirme it by an other place saying Because the name of Elders is common to both to Pastors and Gouernors and is vsed in the scripture to comprehende both at once as it appeareth manifestly by S. Paule 1. Tim. 5.17 those Elders that gouerne well are woorthie of double honour especially those that labour in the word and doctrine This confirmation of the maior is here néedles to proue that the name of Elders is common to both that is to wite Pastors and Gouernors and to comprehende them both at once For as we haue sayde euen so it doth in euery place where the pastors are called Elders Because that in the nature of their Pastorship an Eccl. gouernement is comprehended Especially Hebr. 13. ver 7. and 17. Where the pastorall Elders are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gouernors So that pastors and Gouernors may both of them at once be very well comprehended in the name of Elders But our Brethren meane it here not onely so but that the name also comprehendeth sometime as well Elders that were Gouernours and not Pastors as Pastors and Gouernours For I thinke they will not say Pastors are not also Gouernors though no such Gouernours as they meane Neither doe we denie that the name of Elders comprehendeth Gouernours that are no Pastors For as we haue sayde before the name of Elders was an ordinarie and generall name for the iudges the head officers and Magistrates of the people But that either this place 1. Tim. 5.17 confirmeth that place Act. 14. 23. to be vnderstoode of both sortes of Elders especially of Elders that were Gouernors and not Pastors as it is of Pastors that were Gouernors that will be too harde I thinke for our Brethren to proue Yea to let alone the confirming of that place Act. 14. I doubt it will bee somewhat harde also except they will presse me with the authoritie of our Brethren onely themselues that so thinke to proue any necessitie of vnderstanding this place 1. Tim. 5. vnderstanding Ecclesiastical officers for such a double kind of Elders some medling with teaching and some not medling with teaching as they gather thereupon and inferre saying Of which testimonie wae learne these three thinges first that there be Elders in the Church which meddle not with teaching but are occupied altogether in gouerning Secondly that the Elders which labour in teaching otherwise called Pastors are ioyned also in gouernment with them which teach not And thirdly that the name of Elders comprehendeth both sortes of Elders Oportet discentem credere The learner must beleeue And we are bound and that of necessitie to learne and to beléeue all that the holie Scripture teacheth vs but not all that men shall gather thereon except they proue vnto vs with all that their teaching followeth in necessitie of consequence thereupon This place neither in expresse wordes teacheth these three thinges nor they teache nor can teache that these three thinges which here they sette downe followe by any necessitie of consequence on this testimonie And howe then doe wee learne thereon these three thinges For my part I will offer my selfe to become their scholler to learne them gladly if they substantially as Learned discoursers should can teach them And thus forewarde as one readie to learne I will shew my selfe before hande concerning the first and chiefest point that here in this inuersed order of these three thinges is proposed that I denie not but fréely graunt Saint Paules woordes may indéede bee well inough vnderstoode of suche Elders in the Churche as meddled not with ordinarie and publike administration of teaching the woorde but onely with gouernement beeing chosen among them-selues in those dayes as their ciuill Christian rulers or petite Magistrates to compose and take vppe their controuersies that they should not striue and goe to lawe before the heathen superiour and publike Magistrates to the obloquie of the Gospell And that they were not onely as Caluine calleth them controullers of manners onely but meddling also in the ouersight of Ecclesiasticall causes as the ciuill Christian Magistrates doe
with the weake And this likewise I graunt that no small consideration is to be had in the Synodes determination of bearing with the weake Howbeit we must vnderstande wherein and in what manner they be weake and how farre foorth they are to be borne withall For otherwise they may still pretende weakenesse to couer wilfulnesse May not the Synode determine that it is lawefull to eate so much as an egge on Fryday because some will take offencâ— and pretende weakenesse But it is a good hearing that our Brethren are become so carefull to haue offences auoyded and the weake borne withall Would God they would not giue so great offence as herein they doe both to â—he weake and strong with their vnnecessarie striuing for ceremoniall matters against those thinges which our lawfull synodes with the corroboration of the Prince and of the whole Realme haue alreadie determined and concluded Wherein our Brethren do not only offend the synode the realme the Prince in reiecting their lawfull authorities herein but euen for the weake the speciall consideration of whom they here pretende they haue beene through these contentions the greatest occasion that many which were before but weake amongest vs haue now not doubted any more of our ceremonies but of our faith and doctrine Yea where many were more than halfe wonne and metely well come on they are nowe cleane lost and vtterly reuolted from vs when they sée that we will not stande to the determination no not of our owne Churches synodes nor to the authoritie and decrées of our owne Prince Is this our Brethrens consideration of auoyding offences and of bearing with the infirmitie of the weake As for consideration of order and comelinesse and aedification it is neither orderly nor comely in my opinion for any priuate particular Ministers to controll and preindicate the determination of a whole godlie Synode such as I hope ours are that hath alreadie determined and concluded what is order comelines aedification in these things Paphnutius in-deede did gainsay in Priestes mariages and preuayled against all or the moste part of the famous Nicene Councell But that was done in the Councell and in the debating of the matter before any decrée determined and concluded And also though they had neuer so fully determined and concluded it with all the authoritie that they had since it was flat against the worde of God and an error in Doctrine he might and ought to haue spoken against it In which case not onely we but the Papistes them-selues as Gerson Panormitane and others do graunt that we must more beleeue one man neuer so simple yea a lay man more than the Pope or than a generall councell where hee brings the manifest Scripture against them If our Br. can do so against vs and not wrest the Scripture wee yeelde presently But in those ceremoniall matters that are neither of fayth and Doctrine nor are this way or that way commaunded in the Scripture but left to the Churche of Christe to vse with these three cautions of order and comelinesse and aedification when a godly Synode hath alreadie debated determined and concluded what vse of them tendeth best to these three ends and wherein the state of that Church may be best ordered adorned and edified it is not then and in â—hose matters sitting with the duetie of anie such lay or ecclesiasticall persons to controll that conclusion of the Synode If our Brethren sayde so late before on the other side of the lease that it were an absurd thing for our prolocutor in our conuocation to take vpon him to be a controller of the whol Synode How much more is it an absurde thing out of the Synode and after the Synode for a meaner person than our Prolocâ—tor to take vpon him not only to be a controller but a defacer and oppugner of the whole Synode and a canceller of all their authoritie and determination How much better shall it be for our Br. to call to their remembrance their own conclusion where before they speake also of ceremonies page 76. saying there But to conclude it is the duety of euerie true pastor to obserue those thinges that are concluded by the lawfull authority of the Church concerning ceremoniall matters for order and comelinesse sake and for aedification and not to controll publike order by his priuate iudgement except vpon great and waighty causes Although in deede while they be but such ceremoniall matters and they are concluded as they say by the lawfull authority of the Church and if lawfull then haue they not gone beyond their bounds there can no causes bee so great and waighty that shoulde make any true pastor to set vp him-self against this lawfull authoritie of the Churcâ— For if hee doe hee doth it vnlawfully and not like a true Pastor When the assembly or Synode of the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem which our Brethren héere alleage for an example did commaunde for a time abstinencie from meate offered to Idols otherwise lawful in it selfe for offences sake and for auoyding of all pollution and Idolatrie which the Euangelist noteth Actes 6. Luke 15. ver 20.29 Had it then beene lawfull for any particular Minister or Ministers to haue reiected the authoritie of this decree or to haue kept it and broken it at his or their pleasure and if this bee an example to followe though not to compare in like authoritie with this moste holy assembly and decree of the holy ghoste but as all good Synodes may take example from hence Now then is it now lawfull for any priuate ministers to reiect the authoritie of a lawfull Synode and the caeremonies rytes and orders therein decreed by the Princes and the realms authoritie alreadie established They say the Apostles and Elders commaundement was but for a time But coulde their authoritie haue reached to the forbidding that meate for any time which was otherwise lawfull in it selfe during all the time of the Christian libertie and can the authoritie of no Synode nowe restrayne our Br. for any time to forbeare that which otherwise is lawfull in it selfe but that they will needes vse still their libertie in caeremoniall matters or will they be the prescribers of the time for their continuaunce But they say that decree was made for offences sake and for auoyding of all pollution of Idolatrie So it was I graunt But that pollution of Idolatrie was not in the meate it selfe nor the offence so much in the strong as in the weake And yet the strong obeyed this decree onely to auoyde the weakes offence And to this end that the strong in fayth should not abuse their libertie by offending the consciences of the weake Saint Paule hath a notable treatise at large thereof 1. Cor. 10. Admitte therefore that any of those caeremonies being in them-selues otherwise lawfull because they haue beene offensiuelie abused and Idolatrouslie polluted yet the
giltlesse And of these I trust we haue sufficiently acquit our selues as for other we are to aunswere in our defence when we shall haue heard their accusation But and they be such as these bicause they tel vs before hand such like I hope in God we shall do well enough and had those matters that they suppresse bin worse than these I suppose they would not haue opened these and folded vp those on this fashion But if they be foorth comming wée neede not long to héere of them we shall haue them I warrant you with a recumbentibus all in tyme in the meane time welcome be the grace of God But let vs now sée how our brethren conclude and rattle vp our Bishops for these articles and for all the other matters that they haue charged them with If this say thâ—y be not to practise Lordship ouer Faith to set downe decrees of religion which must be accepted of all men without eyther reason or testimonie of the scripture to prooue them and no man permitted to shewe any reason or scripture that enforceth his conscience to the contrarie but onely to hang vpon the authority of bishops let some other declare what Paule meaneth 2. cor 4. where he denieth that he woulde exercise anye Lordship ouer the Fayth of the Corinthians Our bretheren shewe heere a manifest proofe howe true that Article is which they saye was set dowâ—e by the Bishops and the conuocation that the elect maye departe from grace For I account of our bretheren as of the number of Gods elected Yet if they had not in this their learned discourse departed or fallen to much from grace woulde they or coulde they haue so fallen from the truth heerein by such vntrue and notorious sclaunders thus to seeke the vtter disgracing and defacing of the Bishops haue they prooued or can they prooue anye one article or decree of Fayth and Religion wherein the bishops haue taken vpon them any such Lordeship or anye Lordeship at all ouer our Fayth doth not euen the very former article of these two last cyted by our bretheren themselues against the Bishops for the distinction of the Canonicall bookes fully discharge the Bishops of this sclaunder that holy Scripture conteyneth all thinges necessary to saluation so that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may be proued therby is not to be required of any maÌ„ that it should be beleued as an Article of Fayth or be thought requisite or necessary to saluation Doe they which with their bretheren in the conuocation doe set downe this decree for faith and Religion practise Lordeship ouer our fayth or set downe decrees of religion which must bee accepted of all men without eyther reason or testimonie of the Scripture to prooue them and no man permitted to shewe anye reason or Scripture that inforceth his conscience to the contrarie but onely to hang vpon the authoritie of Bishops When the Bishops in most plaine woordes renounce all such authoritie and referre it onely to the canonicall Scripture who may not see if he will not wilfully of too too much affection blindfold himselfe the apparance of this sclaunder But our Bretheren say they haue set downe the decrees without eyther reason or testimony of the scripture to proue theÌ„ I graunt it that for some they haue so done neyther is it the nature of briefe suÌ„marie Articles which in Synodes are agreed vppon after that they haue bin by reason and Scripture cléerely proued and are apparant to haue them set out with their proues annexed to them which is another point beside the Articles In the ordinances Ecclesiasticall of the Church of Genena and the orders of the schole of the said Citie set out in french An. 1578. of the which many are of faith and religion and in their summarie of the Christian Doctrine annexed do they still adioyne their prooues by reasons testimonies of the Scripture And haue not all the most auncient councels which are greater than our conuocations in all their articles and decrees kept the selfe same order most briefely and plainely to set downe the naked article by it selfe so thus haue they set downe also the articles of their créedes And so is the summary of our Faith commonly called the Apostles Creede set downe in most short plaine and simple wordes and sentences without annexing the reasons or testimonies of Scripture that confirme them For when these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or principles gathered as capitall conclusions and resolutions of the scripture are thus set downe if they bee not such nor haue the cléere proofe and grounde of Scripture for them they will quickelye appeare in this their nakednesse and quickelye shewe their shame to all the worlde as doe the Papistes decrees whiche they set foorth so soone as euer they come to the touchstone to bée examined and prooued by the Scripture they molter away and resolue to vanitie Let our bretheren nowe a Gods name take this our booke of articles and whette all their wittes and with all their learned discourses set vppon it examine and trye it peecemeale thorowe and through euerye sentence woorde syllable and tytle in it if they finde anye thing contrarye to good and sounde reason yea contrarye too our dissonant from the Canonicall Scriptures then saye our Bishops practise Lordeship ouer our Fayth and set downe orders of Religion which must bee accepted of all men without eyther reason or testimonie of Scripture to proue them and no man permitted to shewe any reason or Scripture that inforceth his conscience to the contrary but onely to hang vppon the authority of Bishops But if they cannot finde anye thing in these decrees orders and Articles nor anye coulde finde it then nor coulde euer since nor euer shal be able and there was then in the conuocation libertye enough and hath euer bin since and still is being vsed in that lawefull and reuerent manner that is requisite for the treaty of such matters which yet coulde neuer nor I hope shall euer be conuinced of errour then let our bretheren for verye shame or rather for loue of truthe yeilde and reuoke these soule sclaunders on the Bishops and indeede on all the conuocation and on all the realme and Churche of Englande that hath established the allowance of these articles or rather on the Articles themselues which they sclaunder to bée decrees of Religion without eyther reason or testimonie of the Scripture to prooue them and that they onely hang vppon the authoritye of Bishops and so are méere doctrines of men and that they are Errors grosse and palpable Thus through the sides of the Bishops are these Articles and our Faith and Religion wounded by these our Bretheren as though not onelye our Bishops but all the Cleargie the realme the doctrine and all were as ill or woorse than the Papistes so farre hath this immoderate beate of their inconsiderate zeale inflamed their passions and patience