the first place had an excellent gift and singular grace to interprete the scripture 1. Cor. 11.4 also they were such as were indued 1. Cor. 14.1 c. with great wisdome and readinesse well to prouide for the necessitie of the Church and to speake properly they were as interpreters of the will of God In this ranke or order were comprehended the Prophetes that had the gift to vnderstand foresee reueale things to come Act. 11.28 such a one was Agabus who by the holie Ghost foretolde that a great famine should fall throughout all the world which also came to passe in the Emperour Claudius Caesars dayes also that Saint Paul should be bound at Ierusalem Act. 21.10 c. Act. 13.1 There is mention made also in the thirteenth of the Actes of certaine Prophetes of the Church of Antioch to wit Barnabas and Simion who was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manahen which had bene brought vp with Herode the Tetrarch and Saul And in the one and twentie Act. 21.9 mention is made of Phillips foure daughters which did prophecie These degrees or this office of Prophetes was ordained by GOD to indure but for a time onely as the Apostles Euangelists Euangelistes generally are those which performe the office of an Euangelist that is to say which preach the Gospell Sometimes also this name Euangelist is referred to those foure who haue written the storie of the Gospell that is to say S. Matthewe S. Marke S. Luke and S. Iohn But in this order of the Church the question is of an other charge or office These men of whome we speake were as it were fellowe helpers to the Apostles whome they did followe and were almost continually in cōpanie with And their office came somewhat nigh to the office of an Apostle the difference was onely in the degree of dignitie Of this sort were Silas Timothie and such like In the one and twentie of the Actes Philip is called an Euangelist Act. 21.8 And Saint Paule admonisheth Timothie in one of the Epistles which he wrote vnto him 2. Tim. 4.5 to continue to doe the worke of an Euangelist These likewise had their time and are no more in vse at this present Pastors are they Pastors that haue the charge of some certaine flockes and of some certaine Churches to rule and gouerne the same preaching the Gospell administring the sacramentes and exercising discipline in those Churches This degree and office must haue his course and continue in the Church euen vntill the end of the world Doctors Doctors are they which the Church in olde time called Catechisers that is to say instructors or teachers whose charge and office was plainely and simplie to expound the scriptures that men might haue the right sense and vnderstanding thereof and namely to teach the Catechumini that is to say those that were yet to be instructed in the pointes and principles of Christian religion Of this sort are the Doctors and teachers of our age which teach youth in schooles expounding vnto them the scripture And their office consisteth herein carefully to prouide that sound doctrine may be kept published to the end that pure religion may continue and remaine in the Church Some suppose that the office of Pastor Doctor is all one as Chrysostome and S. Augustine yet there is no dout but that they are two distinct offices which men may not confound and mingle together For albeit that this be the charge and office of al Pastors to teach yet they go somewhat further than the Doctors do For first and formost they preach and exhort applying the doctrine to the necessities of the Church next they administer the sacraments and in the third place they haue the charge gouernement and execution of the discipline to which matters the Doctors charge reacheth not they being only ordained to expound the scriptures to the end that pure and sound doctrine may alwaies be preserued maintained in the Church And indeed such a one may be verie apt to execute the office of the Doctor as hath not the gift to preach such a one on the other side may very well haue the gift to preach as shall not at any hand be meete or fit to exercise the charge and office of the Doctor although that sometimes he that shall be the Pastor may also well be the Doctor but yet this is to be marked that they are diuers and seuerall charges or offices And these be the fiue degrees or orders of ministers to whome the Lord hath cōmitted the gouernement of his Church to feede the same of which fiue the last two onely remaine to be alwayes vsed in his Church Saint Paule indeede maketh mention in other places of some other names Bishops and Elders or Auncients as of Bishops that is to say watchmen or ouerwatchers and of Elders that is to say Senators or Ancients but these two names signifie one and the selfe same thing as the Apostle him selfe declareth Titus 1.5 writing to Titus For marke what he saith For this cause left I thee in Creete that thou shouldest continue to redresse the things that remaine that thou shouldest ordaine Elders that is to say Auncients in euerie citie as I appointed thee And afterwardes he addeth an excellent description of true Elders and Auncients For a Bishop saith he must be vnblameable as the guider or steward of Gods owne house and so foorth We see that those whome he named Elders or Auncients in one verse he nameth the same Bishops in an other verse Nowe these two names of Bishop and Elder and the name also of Pastor are taken in the scripture to signifie one and the selfe same estate For the charge and office of the Pastor is to feede the sheepe as appeareth by that which the Lorde saith in the foure and thirtie chapter of Ezechiel Ezech. 34.2 Woe be to the sheepheards of Israel which feed themselues Should not the sheepheards feede the flockes But the Bishops and Elders are called to the same thing Act. 20.28 as both Saint Paule and Saint Peter doe declare Saint Paule speaking thus Take heede to your selues and to the whole flocke ouer which the holie Ghost hath made you Bishoppes or ouerseers to feede the Churche of GOD which he hath redeemed with his owne bloud And Saint Peter thus 1. Pet. 5.1.2 The Elders which are amongest you I beseech which am also an Elder with you Feede the flocke of Christ which is committed vnto you caring for it not by constraint c. If one would knowe the reason why the Pastours are called Elders or Auncients it is for honours sake not as though when in olde time they chose Pastours they were all auncient in age and yeares but bicause that they specially chose them from amongest the Auncients and also bicause they ought to be men both ripe wise and also verie well experienced Olde age
commonly hath more wisedome more experience and grauitie But yet it doth not alwayes fall out that white or grey haire maketh men wise yea sometimes we shall finde yong men which are farre more fit to exercise and execute the charge and office of a Pastour such a one was Timothie than those that be of greater yeares It is true that there are two sorts of Elders that is to say Ancients One sort haue charge and office to minister the worde of GOD and sacraments and to watch ouer the discipline and ouer the whole Church The other are ioyned vnto these to ayde them in the exercising and execution of discipline without medling any whit at all in the preaching c. Saint Paule setteth out this order when he saith to Timothie 1. Tim. 5.17 The Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour specially they which labour in the word and doctrine For in that he maketh mention of bearing rule he giueth vs well to vnderstand that those whome he nameth Elders or Auncients that is to say the Pastours and such as are ioyned vnto them are chosen to haue charge and office in the Church ouer the people And in that he more commendeth those which minister the word and doctrine than the other he euidently declareth that al haue not one and the selfe same charge We may behold this order euen at this day obserued in the reformed Churches Deacons The Apostle maketh mention likewise of Deacons which word is taken in holie scripture in two senses or sortes Somtimes generally for euerie minister or seruitour In which sense S. Paule calleth the Magistrate the Deacon of God that is to say Rom. 13.4 Ephe. 3.7 Rom. 15.8 the seruaunt or minister of GOD and hee nameth himselfe the Deacon that is to say the minister of the Gospell as also he calleth Iesus Christ the deacon of Circumcision that is to say the minister thereof Wherefore being so taken and referred to the estate calling of the pastor it is commonly translated and turned by this worde minister or seruaunt Coloss 1.7 1. Cor. 3.5 as in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians and the third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians But sometimes it is taken more straitely for thē which haue a charge and office to gather the almes to dispense or bestow thē among the poore The first occasion that was giuē to chose these deacons in the Church was this because the Apostles could not verie wel prouide for our furnishe both the charge of preaching the worde and of distributing the goods of the poore And for this cause were the seuen Deacons chosen Actes 6.2 of whom is spoken Actes 6. And the conditions and qualities which ought to bee in the Deacons that men will chose are there described and set out and also in the third chapter of the first Epistle to Timothie 1. Tim. 3.8 c. These are the degrees of the Church or ecclesiastical orders which Iesus Christ him selfe sette vp and his Apostles after him established for the regiment and gouernment of the Church which order was afterwardes in the Popedome by litle and litle not onely corrupted but vtterly ouerthrown For in that tyrannous king dome after that corruption had once craftilie ouertaken or stolne vppon the doctrine of the Church they diuised and forged a stewardshippe dispensation and bestowing of ecclesiasticall offices and charges which was altogether farre of and estraunged from the former simplicitie plainenes whereof we haue spokē Wherin first they made a sacrament without the warrant of Gods worde of the orders and degrees of ministers Afterwards they diuised a certaine kinde of creame or oyle to anoint thē as they say but indeed it is to grease or smeare them fetching that though a false zeale from Aaron and that which was done in olde time vnder the lawe Also shauing or sheering specially of the crowne of the heade against the custome both of the Apostles and of the primitiue Church Actes 18.18 It is true indeed that S. Paul did once cause his heade to be shorne in Cenchrea after the manner of the Iewes but it was by reason of a vow which he had made and not that he was then ordeined into some ministery but a great while after his calling And in that hee caused himselfe to be shorne he did it not for any other purpose but to applie himselfe thereby to the Iewes who were as yet verie rude and not well instructed 1. Cor. 9.20 as hee himselfe protesteth in the Epistle to the Corinthians That of his owne accorde and willingly hee became vnder the Lawe although hee were deliuered therefrom to the end he might winne the Iewes Orders of the Romish Church Next they established or made seuen orders of the Church the first Porters or doore keepers the second Readers the thirde Exorcistes or in playne english Coniurers who as they faine had power giuen them to lay their handes vpon mad men and men possessed with diuels and to heale them the fourth Acoluthes that is to say followers who waited vpon the Bishop in his houshold seruices and did continually accompany him first for honours sake and then that no suspicion should arise of them the fifth Subdeacons or vnderdeacons the sixt Deacons and the seuenth Priestes of which last sort they haue made many degrees whereof they call some simple or single Chaplaines Others Curates and Vicars others Bishops others Archbishops or Metropolitanes other some Cardinalls And afterward they came to the foure Patriarches and lastly to the Pope himselfe But from whence commeth this goodly hierarchie or order of Priests who hath established it set it in nature or being Did Iesus Christ or his Apostles the scripture maketh no mentiō therof But let vs discourse a little vpon the fountaine and beginning of these goodly degres I say and meane onely of those which they conteine vnder the name Priest For the others keepe not the place of true Bishops and pastors of the Church as these would seeme to doe And yet notwithstanding hee that will heare speach thereof Theod. Beza lib. Confe Punct 7. cap 11. let him reade the confession of Theodorus Beza As concerning Chaplaines Durandus in his booke called Rationale diuinorum offic alleageth two reasons to shew why priests were so called The one is because the kings of France in time heretofore when they went to warre were wont to carrie with them Saint Martins capp or hoode which they kepte vnder a tent which of the cap kept in it was named Capella that is Chappel and the Clerkes or Priestes that had the keeping of this Chappel were called Chaplaines and afterwardes in continuance of time this name was in some countries giuen generally to all Priestes And these litle Cabbines or corners or rather high places which were in the Popishe Temples wherein the Chaplaines saide their masses were called Chappels The other reason
that must rule and guide others that must bee guided and gouerned In man there are two thinges the soule which gouerneth by reason the body which submitteth it selfe and obeyeth otherwise if in an armie all were souldiers or all Captaines what hope were there of victorie and good successe If in a ship all shoulde bee alike all marriners who shoulde stande at the Helme who shoulde guide the compasse If in a Citie all were equall who shoulde make decrees prescribe lawes and execute the same If the whole bodie were a head what disorder Or if the members were without a head what confusion The learned therefore send vs to learne order to the heauens to the earth to the angels amongst whom there are degrees Angels Archangels vertues potestates principatus dominationes throni Cherubin Seraphin to the Sun to the moone to the stars which in glory brightnes excell one another To the Bees which haue their graūd captaines at whose buzzing they go forth they follow cluster together to the trees wher you see of a great stocke many braunches arise and spring Our naturall appetite and affection acknowledgeth the gouernmēt of reason vnderstāds And so in the Church of God ther hath been alwayes gouernours and they gouerned chiefly and souerainly as in the ciuill estate Seth Enos Sem ruled the Church in their time the Church acknowledged obeyed their gouernment The best writers affirme that the first borne had the rule of the whole familie Noah alone ruled in making and ordering the Arke in which there were cleane and vncleane beastes tame and sauage of all kindes to signifie the church gathered together of both Iewes Gentiles and gouerned by Iesus Christ only as by a second Noah The Church vnder the lawe had diuersitie of orders as may appeare in sundry places In the third of Numbers where the Tribes are mustered the three families of the Gersonites Kohathites Merarites had their Prince or head which they called Nescha In the first of Kings the 4. Azaria is called the Prince of the Leuites Obadiah that worthie Counceller meeting with olde Heli disdaineth not to call him lord Gregorie Nazianzen writeth to Gregory Nissien which supposed him to be angry because they had ordeined one without his consent saide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no mā bely vs nor any of my lords the brethrē Good Gregorie an humble and simple man weighed not titles nor cared for any worldly honour but was carefull that order should bee prescribed in the Church and that one should goe before an other in honour S. Iames saith Be not yee many masters And Chrysostom saith that equalitie of dignitie and place bringeth forth schisme Likewise Ierome writing to Euagrius saith that from Marke to Dionisius and Heraclas there was one alwayes set in higher place of dignitie aboue the rest and this he saith was to auoid schismes which seeing they lacke skill and be in the Church and shal be to the end sith the disease remaineth still what great folly is it to condemne or refuse the remedie In the Counsell called Gangrensse the holie fathers assembled there writing to the Bishops of Armenia vse these wordes Honoratissimis dominis To our most honourable Lordes The late writers most of them allow and affirme a primacie of order though not in degree of ministration M. Caluin writing vpon the 2. Cor. 10. Etsi omne commune sit c. Although one and the same office be common to all yet be there degrees of honor And the same Authour writing vpon these wordes out of the 2. to the Philipp Sicut patri filius ita mihi Timotheus seruiuit in Euāgelio As a father his sonne so hath Timothie serued mee in the Gospell Wee learne saith hee in this place that no such equalitie was amōg the Ministers but one did rule and gouerne the rest by counsell and authoritie Againe in his 4. booke 8. Chapter sect 54. He saith that euerie prouince had among their Bishops an Archb. and that the Councell of Nice did appointe 4. Patriarches which shoulde be in order and dignitie aboue Archb. it was for the preseruation of discipline Wherefore it is apparant by testimonies of holie scripture by light of reason and by practise of the Church by the necessitie of the thing that distinctiō of degrees superioritie is necessarie in the church as without the which law would soone grow to libertie faith wold soone be deuided the coat of christ Iesu which is his church rent and torne in sunder so many fancies so many faithes would follow Nowe whereas many make much adoe about the titles of Bishops Metropolitans Archb. and the scripture is still alledged as an aduersarie in this quarell containing expresly no such names Thus may they make our Sauiour Christ inferiour to his father concerning his diuinitie because the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no where literally expressed although the same by sūdrie places may be well and iustly gathered Therefore to conclude to them that list to be contentious Vbi de re constat puerile est de verbolitigare And to the discreete Reader that hee peruse this booke to profite his conscience and not to please his affection Seeke peace and the God of peace shall blesse you increase his grace amongst you to the terrour of your enemies and comfort of your soules Amen A TREATIE OF the Church containing a true discourse in which a man may clearely behold and see what is the nature forme gouernement and guiding of the true Church together vvith the infallible markes and tokens by vvhich a man may knowe it and discerne the same from the Romish Church and all other false and counterfeited congregations CAP. I. Of the diuers significations and acceptions of this word CHVRCH and how the Church is commonly distinguished MEN are accustomed to say that euery worde which may be taken in many senses and in diuers significatiōs shuld rather be distinguished then defined For a man can not otherwise rightly declare the nature vertue and disposition of any thing vnlesse he be first resolued of the sense and meaning in which it ought to be taken For as much therfore as this word Church is of that sort being a Greeke word which signifieth an assemblie or congregation is taken or deriued from a word which in that tongue signifieth to call or to cause to come it is meete and necessarie that before we giue the definition thereof we declare after howe many sortes men vse to take it 1 Nowe men sometimes take it for a companie or assemblie of wicked persons as Psalme 22.16 Psal 22.16 The Church or the Synagogue of the wicked haue inclosed me and in Psalme 26.5 Psal 26.5 I haue hated the Churche of the wicked that is to say the companie For there is in the Hebrue text two words which the Greekes haue turned Synagogue and Church which doe signifie as much as a companie troupe
not be called the prince or chiefe of priestes or the high priestes or any such other like thing but only the Bishop of the first seate and that he himselfe shoulde not bee called vniuersall Bishoppe whiche laste clause Peter Grabbe the compiler or gatherer of the Tomes of the Councelles hath lefte out either by deceit or negligence I know not whether You see testimonies inowe gathered out of the most approued olde Doctours and such as bee best worthie of credit by which you may easily perceiue that this rule or authoritie ouer all Churches was not in their time attributed to the bishop of Rome and that the Churches themselues had not anie superioritie or authoritie one of them ouer an other but that they were all associated and vnited together that some obteyned not neyther more or lesse power then othersome yea wee reade that when the Romish Bishop woulde sometimes haue vsurped more authoritie than did appertayne vnto him other Bishoppes did stronglie and stedfastly resist him which appeareth by the historie following that Socrates an ecclesiastical historiographer writeth in his seconde booke and fifteenth Chapter and Sozomenus in his thirde booke and eight Chapter A certaine man named Athanasius one Paulinus being deposed from their charges by the Bishoppes of Asia assembled and mett together with their Metropolitane would needes complaine to the Bishop of Rome who easily gaue thē letters by which he did place them againe in their firste offices and did greeuously reproue and chide them who had put them therefrom But the bishops of Asia tooke this in such sorte that they obteyned of the councel of Antioch that letters should be written to Iulius Bishoppe of Rome by which there should be declared vnto him that he did attribute and take vnto himselfe an authoritie which did not at anye hande belong vnto him and that in so doing hee offered greate wronge to other Churches and other Bishoppes And there was added to the letters that he should no more meddle with them whom they had deposed thē they medled with those whiche were deposed by the Bishop of Rome and others which were ioyned with him therein To which purpose they alledged the example of Nouatus which was as yet verie freshe and newe For when this Nouatus was reiected by the bishoppe of Rome none of the rest of the Metropolitanes and Bishops of other prouinces did gainesay the same neither any manner of way intermedled therein Furthermore if that which is maintained and practised at this day amongst the Romish Catholikes touching the large iurisdiction soueraigntie of their Pope were in force by Gods lawe as they would persuade the simple people therof should not then all the foresaid Bishops all others together with their Councels and Churches which haue not at any time confessed the Bishop of Rome for their head be verie grieuously censured or punished and worthie of a verie seuere and sharpe reprehension It is true that men may find that some amongst the auncient Fathers haue sometimes called the Bishops of Rome high Priest Pope but they did heretofore call after the same sort all Bishops For as touching the name high Priest Theodo lib. 2. cap. 7. Theodoretus in his second booke chap. 7. speaketh on this maner that two hundreth and fiftie high priests were assembled together in Sardis And Athanasius in his first Oration against the Arrians Athanasius oratio 1. cōtra Arrianos doth not only cal Iulius and Liberius the Bishops of Rome high Priests but also he calleth by the very same name the Bishops of Grecia Dacia Cappadocia Affrica Ruffin lib. 2 cap. 26. Italie Sicilia and Armenia Ruffinus also in the second booke sixe and twentie Chapter calleth Athanasius the great high Priest As concerning the name Pope we wil speake thereof by Gods grace and aide hereafter in the ninth Chapter Moreouer let vs consider by what tokens and markes the Pope of Rome saith that he is Saint Peters successour It is say the Romish Catholikes bicause that Saint Peter had his seat and chaire in the Church of Rome being there the Pastour and hauing borne rule there a long time and that after him there came in order his successors the Bishops of Rome hauing the same authoritie which he had before But touching the first it is vncerteine whether Saint Peter was Bishop of Rome or no at the least whether he bare rule there and helde the seat They are not able plainely to proue the same neither to approue it as truth at what time it was neither vnder what Emperour neither howe long bicause that out of the holie scriptures they are not able to bring so much as one onely probable coniecture Caluin li. 4. Instit cap. 6. sect 14. but rather the contrarie as Caluine hath well sufficiently declared in his Institutions Secondly if S. Peters abode at Rome hath giuen this authoritie to the Romish Bishops to the heads of the Church and vniuersall Bishops from whence commeth it Concil Nic. Can. 6. Concil Antioch Can. 13. that the Councels haue limitted to all the Patriarches who were many diuers yea euen after that thei were brought to foure their seueral charges making them Metropolitanes euerie one in his own prouince the Bishop of Rome hauing no more authoritie ouer others than others ouer him For at that time the Bishop of Rome might verie wel haue alledged S. Peters seate and the other Bishops Councels would very wel haue confessed and allowed the same if it had bene true and if the same could rightly haue giuen the title of primacie to the Bishop of Rome On the other side what an argument is this S. Peter was Bishop of Rome there suffered martyrdome therfore it followeth that this Church is the mother and mistresse of al the rest and that the Bishop therof is the vniuersall and general head of all Christendome Verily if in this respect the question be to establishe and set vp a primacie it ought rather to be placed at Ierusalem than at Rome For Saint Peter preached there Act. 2.14 Act. 2.12 yea the first after Christes ascention where he together with his fellowes and brethren builded vp the Church Act. 4.3 did great miracles was imprisoned Act. 5.18 and sundrie times persecuted The Prophets likewise preached there and all the Apostles yea which is more Iesus Christ him self Ioh. 2.13 7.14 8.2 c. 18.20 died there and rose againe and from thence ascended vp into heauen There also was the first Synode that euer was held in the Christian Church assembled of all the Apostles There also Iesus Christ sent downe his holie spirit vpon his Apostles and disciples Act. 15.6 c. Act. 2.1 c. And to be short from thence it was that the doctrine of saluation should come foorth to be spread abroad throughout al the world Isai 2.3 Michah 4.2 euen as the Prophets had before told which
or seeke newe places to offer their sacrifices oblations in but to come and to staye them selues within the Court of the tabernacle or of the temple Iesus Christ woulde not despise this place But wee knowe that whatsoeuer corruption was there no faithfull man was inforced to cleaue or sticke to anye superstitious manner or custome which is not practised at this day in the Church of Rome For as all there is of superstition and manifest idolatrie so they will constraine and enforce the faithful by fire and sworde to consent thereto and to pollute and defile themselues therewith against their owne consciences and gods expresse forbidding Lastly to what point did Iesus Christ bring the Church of Ierusalem when the high Priestes Scribes and Pharisees shewed them selues great madde men not doing their duties towardes it did hee not take his vineyard from these husbandmē who did not giue him the fruites whiche belonged vnto him and committed the same vnto others that is to his Apostles and their successors to yelde him fruite in their seasons Euen so likewise hath the Lorde done therewith in the Popedome He hath not destroyed his Church but hath only chaunged the estate thereof taking it out of the hand and guiding of the Bishoppes and Popishe Priestes and placing it againe vnder the gouernement and charge of other guiders and leaders who can see more clerely and be of better trust as it is spoken in Saint Mathewe Matt. 22 4◠vnder the similitude or parable of the vineyarde To conclude if they aske what shall become then of our predecessors who died in the faith of the Romish Church are they condemned I aunswere that wee leaue the iudgement thereof vnto GOD for it belongeth not to vs to determine iudge of that which is hidden from vs which indeed passeth our knowledge and calling It is verie true Ioh. 3.18.36 that the holy scripture pronounceth that they which die without the faith of Christ are damned and we cannot but say amen and giue our consent to this Neither serueth it to any purpose to alledge ignoraunce and to say that it excuseth the sinner before GOD For the scripture is plaine and manifest therein Luk. 12.47.48 The seruaunt saith Iesus Christ that knew his masters will prepared not him selfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many strippes But he that knewe it not and yet did commit thinges worthie of stripes shall be beaten with fewe stripes Also Matt. 15.14 if the blinde leade the blind they shal fall both into the ditch Saint Paul saith also As many as haue sinned without the lawe Rom. 2.12 2. Thess 1.6 shall perishe also without the lawe and as many as haue sinned within the lawe shall bee iudged by the law And againe it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest and deliuerance with vs when the Lorde Iesus shall shewe himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendering vengeance vnto them that do not know God and which obey not vnto the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christe which shall bee punished with euerlasting destruction c. These places doe openly inough declare what is the ende of those that die without faith although they bee ignorant for their ignorance can not excuse them nor serue them for a cloake or couering to absolue and set thē free from the iudgement of God for confirmation proofe wherof wee may alledge also and put downe that which is written in Leuiticus Leui. 4.2 touching the offering commaunded by God for the sinnes which were committed through ignorance Lo what wee haue to say for one point But to that which remaineth touching our fathers and predecessors God might well shewe mercie vpon them at the end of their dayes making himselfe knowne vnto them by the secrete vertue and power of his holy spirite and putting it into their harts to beleue in Iesus Christ his sonne that so they might be saued For God is almightie to saue his owne people yea without vsing any of these meanes which he is accustomed cōmonly ordinarily to vse to plant faith in vs and to ingraue it in our harts to our owne saluation And this is S. Cypriā his answere touching those that die in some false opinions Cypri lib. 2. epist 3. If some one of our predecessors saith hee either by ignorance or through simplicitie hath not kept and helde that which the Lord hath taught vs to doe by his example and authoritie the mercie of the Lord may pardon him But wee cannot helpe the same being admonished instructed by him Behold what S. Cyprian pronounceth herein It is true that hee speaketh properly touching the matter of the holy supper but nothing letteth but that wee may applie his speach generally to the matter of all the other articles of the faith The IX CHAP. Of the degrees of ministers in the Church where mention is made of the orders of the popish clergie and of the offices and dueties of true pastors Matt. 9.38 WE haue sene and heard heretofore that it apperteineth vnto the Lorde of the haruest to sende foorth workemen into his haruest For it belongeth not to any what giftes soeuer he hath receiued from the Lord to thrust himselfe into the worke of the ministerie vnlesse he be lawefully called thereto Ephes 4.11 Now the Apostle Saint Paul writing to the Ephesians sheweth vs what workemen the Lorde hath sent into his haruest that is to say Apostles prophetes Euangelistes Pastors and doctors Apostles Touching the Apostles they were chosen immediately from Christe and their office was to sowe and spreade the Gospell abroad throughout all the world neither had any one of them any limites or borders set thē or some certaine Churches appointed to them Matt. 28.19 Matt. 10.2 Gal. 2.8 but Christ would that in euery part or place where so euer they came they should do their message before all peoples and nations Such were the twelue named in the Gospell to whome Saint Paule was added who was specially appointed to beare the name of Christ among the Gentiles Nowe bicause this degree of Apostles was instituted and ordained by God for the establishing of Churches those Churches being planted and established this name of Apostle ought not any more to be vsed among the ministers as to be giuen and communicated to them And yet we read that sometime it is taken generally in the scripture for a Pastor and preacher of the Gospell As Epaphroditus is called the Apostle of the Philippians Philip. 2.25 Act. 14.14 and Barnabas is named an Apostle Act. 14. Prophetes are distinguished into two sortes or orders Prophets Some were vnder the old Testament and in that time who being instructed and taught by a speciall reuelation from God did foretell things to come the other were in the newe Testament who in
the aduauncement groweth proceeding of his kingdome he did somewhat estraunge himselfe from vs insomuch that beeing alreadie almost wonne by some coūsellers he moued persecution against vs great bruit or noise was thereof him amongst vs. Notwithstanding euen then when hee was readie to persecute vs and had as it were subscribed to the decree which they were to publish against vs a certain vengeaunce and wrath sent from God sodeinly ouertooke him which caused this pernicious and hurtfull crueltie to cease The tenth persecution was vnder Dioclesian and Maximianus Hercules Dioclesian was established Emperour about the yeare of our Lorde 288. and associating vnto him Maximianus in the gouernment of the Empire hee reigned twentie yeares Pomponius Laetus in the abridgement of the Romane stories reciteth That Dioclesian forgetting that he was a man and naming him selfe the brother of the Sun and the Moone as though there had beene in him some diuine or heauenlie Maiestie made an edict and lawe by which hee commaunded that they should worshippe him as God and that all without difference of what rase and condition soeuer they were shoulde kisse his feete and for this ende hee had shooes stuffed and beset with golde and precious stones The selfesame Pomponius saieth also That Maximianus was openly cruel raging terrible to beholde without faith or trustinesse Nowe this persecution which they moued against the Christians lasted tenne yeares and was the greatest and cruellest of all Vincentius in specul lib. 12. Cap. 2. Vincentius in his Glasse speaketh of a whole legion of Christians called the legion of Thebes in Egypt which was all cut in peeces because they would not sacrifice to Idolles as the Emperour had commaunded Vincen. in specul lib. 12. Cap. 136 He saieth also that at Trieres which is a Citie situated by the Riuer Mosella one Rictionarius exercised so great crueltie that the Riuers were redde with the blood of the Christians that were slaine and besides that hee sent Postes vp and downe hither and thither with decrees and expresse commissiōs to this end that in whatsoeuer place any Christian was founde they should presently put him to death Sabellie Sabellicus reciteth That in the Citie of Alexandria Peter the Bishoppe of the said place was beheaded besides more than three hundred other Henrie of Erforde Henric. Erford maketh mention of Gereon Bishop of Colen who as hee saieth was also beheaded with three hundred and eighteene companions Otto of Phrysingia reheatseth Otto Phrysing lib. 3. Cap. 41. that Mauricius a conductour or Capitaine of a christian legiō was slain with him 1666. persons of his owne people that Victor was put to deth in the citie of Troy which is nowe called Panthus with 366. of his companions or fellowes Chroni Martin The Chronicle of Martin the booke which is intituled Fasiculus temporū Fasicul tempor doe witnesse that so many Christians as were in England were all put to death Euseb lib. 8. ca. 3. Eusebius saieth That by the Edictes of these Emperours commaundement was giuen that the Temples shoulde be rased and pulled downe to the grounde the holie scriptures burned and all Christians perseuering in their religion made infamous and depriued of all their liberties and of all their offices and dignities Also that all Prelates Bishoppes and Pastors shoulde bee in euerie place straightly imprisoned and afterwardes with all crueltie constrained and inforced to sacrifice to Idolles otherwise that they should be put to to death Euseb lib. 8. Cap. 11. Hee sayeth also that the Emperour hauing sent certaine commaundements to a certaine Citie of Phrigia the commaundementes tending to this ende that the inhabitauntes shoulde offer sacrifices to the Gods and shoulde worshippe their Images they not minding to obeye beeing all Christians yea euen the Magistrate the Treasurer and the Capitaine the Citie was besieged and all it with all the people therein were burned together Nicephorus writeth Nicepho lib. 7. Cap. 6. That in one Citie at once there were burned in one temple on Christes birth day twentie thousande persons by the commaundement of Maximianus To bee short the persecution was in euerie place so cruell and so sharpe that the christian fayth was almost extinguished and put out as wel in the East by Dioclesian as in the the West by Maximianus And as concerning the fashions and manner of tormentes they were sundrie and diuers yea and verie straunge Euseb lib. 8 Cap. 3.6.7.8.9 They did beate the Christians with roddes they racked them they murthered them they burned them they threw them by thousandes into the depthe of the sea they cast them to wylde Beastes as Leopardes Beares Lyons Bullockes and Bulles prouoked agaynst them by fires and sharpe prickes or goades they hanged them on Gibbettes they put them to death on Crosses they tied them to postes with their heads downwarde they lifted them vpon forkes vpon the which they kepte them aliue vntill famine and hunger caused them to dye they spoiled them all naked and they tyed them by one of their feete and lifted them vp into the ayre which was a cruell and vilainous spectacle specially in the women so cruelly handled they tied them to braunches and to trees and they made men bowe downe the strongest boughes to drawe and teare in sunder the members of the poore faythfull people who were tied thereto they beheaded them they choaked them with smoake which proceeded from a litle fire they cut of their handes their eares and other members they roasted them vpon the coales not to the ende to make them dye sodeinlie or quicklie but to torment them more longe they pricked them vnder their nailes at their fingers endes and toes with Reedes other sharpe instrumentes they powred vpō them boiling lead they fleied them all aliue and afterwardes cast vpon them Vinagre and Salt Sabellic Eunead 7. Cap. 8. and so killed them most cruellie In summe there were so many Martyres so many deathes so many sortes of punishmentes in this generall persecution and these so cruell vilainous and horrible that there is no tongue which can suffice to rehearse the same But aboue all this is to be noted that this persecutiō as Eusebius reciteth came thorowe the iust iudgement of God Euseb lib. 8. Cap. 1. because that the Christians abusing the libertie which God had giuen them to serue him withall became slow sluggish full of hypocrisie and false shewes and dissembling seditious contentious persons pursuing one an other for small iniuries that thorow deadly hatred The Bishops and Pastors inflamed with enuie hatred and yll will puffed vp with ambition and pride hauing also reiected the rule of godlines charitie lifted vp them selues one against an other prouoking and outragiously threatening one an other insomuch that they seemed rather to holde and possesse the seate of tyrantes than of Prelates an example certeinly which ought verie well to teach vs to walke in