course if it be diuine how is it accidental if it be accidentall howe is it diuine And the electing of a President or Bishop if it be humane howe is it commanded if it be commanded how is it humane This is the way to call sweete sower and sower sweete to make light darknesse and darkenesse to be light I must see better coherence then I do before I call this a diuine Discipline You mistake vs. we say it is Gods ordinance for a Pastour to gouerne the Colledge of Lay Elders but for one chiefe to gouerne the Colledge of Pastours we holde is mans inuention Would God you did not mistake your selues Your Presbyteries must consist either of lay men aloue or of clergy men only or of both indifferently If of Lay Elders only who shall succeede the Pastour in the ruling thereof when his course is ended for example as you say when his weeke is out His Presidentship must be perpetual which by your rules is against Gods ordinaÌ„ce vnles you will haue the lay Elders in course to do pastoral duties rule pastor al which is more absurde and more against Gods Law then the former Wil you mixe your Presbyteries of both then yet by Gods law as your selues inforce it one Pastor must be chiefe of the rest of the Pastors and if by the Scriptures his superioritie must be perpetuall as after his election it must be what differeth this chiefe Pastour for his life from a bishop you would limit his gouernement to a weeke or a moneth but where doth Paul so shew vs that rule in Scripture or Father and set vp your Lay Presbyteries If not you walke in the wildernesses of your own fansies you would prescribe vs rules of your owne making in place of Gods ordinance which is dangerous to your selues and iniurious to others if it be not presumptuous against God Will you haue none chiefe Then breede you confusion and lay the Church open to be torne in peeces with euery dissention besides your selues auouch it is an essentiall and perpetuall point of Gods ordinance to haue one chiefe ouer the Presbyterie These be the brambles and briars of your discipline which force you to say and vnsay with a breath but we take your assertion as good against your selues and thence we frame you this argument It is an essential and perpetual part of Gods ordinance that one should be chiefe ouer the Presbyterie But the Presbyteries of eche Church and City where the Apostles preached consisted of Clergie men and Preachers I hope then it is Gods ordinance to haue one chiefe ouer the Preachers and Labourers in ech Church And if election be Gods commandement as you also confesse and consequently the Electee once lawfully placed must not be remoued without iust and apparant defects I trust the chiefe Gouernour of the Preachers and Presbyters of eche Church must continue whiles he liueth and ruleth well for as hee was chosen for his worthinesse so may he not be depriued till he proue vnworthy Now a chiefe Ruler or Pastour ouer the people and Presbyters of eche Citie elected by Gods commaundement to continue that charge so long as hee doeth his duetie commeth as neere to the bishops calling which we maintaine as your head to that which is aboue your shoulders If youthwart vs with Lay Elders we haue this faire Supersedeas for them First prooue them then place them where you will If you talke of going round by course it is the order of good fellowes at a feast it was neuer the order of gouerning in the Church of Christ. The Priestes of the olde Lawe were after a time eased of their paines but neuer changed their prerogatiues If you say they differ not in degree but in honour and dignitie from the rest I haue alreadie prooued that singularity in succeeding the Apostles and necessitie in ordaining distinguith them from Presbyters If you quarrell with their iurisdiction and dioceses the place now serueth to discusse those things forsomuch as wee finde their function was deliuered them by the Apostles and is restified in the Scriptures The shute Anker is if all this were so that the power of Bishops by Gods law should be nothing else but a right to call the Presbyters of eche place together and to aske their voices and performe what the most part decreâ—â— and this to extend no further then their owne Churches and Cities This I thinke be your meaning if you cannot tie them to your fansies to binde them fast to their chaires that they shall not wagge and if they must needes be highest in the Session yet to make them lowest in the action and to doe one lie what shall please others to determine But your pleasures vnlesse you were more indifferent are little regarded the Church of Christ more then foureteene hundred yeeres before you were borne hath considered of their power and charge the Councils both prouinciall and generall are extant to decide the doubt But if you will trie their right by the Scriptures I am wel content so you take to your Presbyteries no more then you can iustifie to be theirs and leaue vnto Bishops that interest which wee prooue by the word to belong to their calling CHAP. XIIII The fatherly power and Pastor all care of Bishops ouer Presbyters and others in their Churches and Dioeceses I Take it to be a matter out of question confirmed by the Scriptures and confessed by the olde and newe Writers that the Sonne of God willed S. Iohn the Apostle in his Reuelation to write to the seuen chiefe Pastours of the seuen Churches of Asia calling them by the name of Angels By the diuine voyce saith Austen the Ruler of the Church of Ephesus is praised vnder the name of an Angel Angels he calleth Bishops saith Ambrose as wee learne in the Reuelation of Iohn Angels hee calleth those that be Rulers of the Churches saith Ierom euen as Malachie the Prophet doth witnesse the Priest to be an Angell And Gregorie The Preachers in the Scriptures are sometimes called Angels as the Prophet saith the lippes of the Priest should keepe knowledge and they should aske the Law at his mouth for he is the Angel or Messenger of the Lord of hostes The new Writers with one consent acknowledge the same The Angels saieth Bullinger are the Embassadours of God euen the Pastours of the Churches The heauenly letter is directed to the Angel of the church of Smyrna that is to the Pastor Now the stories witnes that Angel Pastor of the church of Smyrna to haue bin Polycarp ordained Bishop there by the Apostles themselues I mean by S. Iohn He was made bishop of Smyrna 13. yeres before the Reuelation of Iohn was written Marlorat Iohn beginneth with the Church of Ephesus for the celebritie of the place and speaketh not to the people but to the Prince or chiefe of the Clergy euen the bishop Seb. Meyer To the Angell
Whatsoeuer the Apostles did that had a most plentifull measure of Gods spirite farre aboue Pastours Prophets and Euangelists yet their followers for example Timothie and Tite were not to impose hands without the people and Presbyterie concurring with them I haue heard this often and earnestly asserted but I could neuer yet see it prooued The greatest ground of this presumption is for that the Apostles themselues did so from whose example their scholers would not rashlie depart But as we finde by better view the Apostles did not so by lots and by Prophets directed not by mens wils but by Gods spirit the Apostles choose Elders or rather by laying on their hands as the holie Ghost guided them they did furnish such as before were neither meete nor able to sustaine that charge with the gifts of the spirit fit for that calling by the voyces and liking of the people they made no Pastors nor Prophets that I read and therfore I must haue leaue to thinke that Tite and Timothie vsed rather the helpe of Prophesie to finde whom the spirit would name theÌ„ the consents or suffrages of the people for in their times the gifts of the spirite were not quenched yea the Prophets that were vnder the Apostles continued vnder them and these two gifts the reuealing of secrets and discerning of spirites which the Prophets and Euangelists had though in lesse measure then the Apostles serued chiefly to distinguish who were fit or vnfit for the seruice of Christes Church WheÌ„ Prophets failed the Church was forced to come to voices but so long as the spirite declared by the mouthes of the Prophets whom hee had chosen the consent of the people or Presbyterie might not be required The Apostle giueth rules to Timothie and Tite what maner of men must be chosen how they must be qualified before they be elected Paul doeth not teach the people whom they should elect but appointeth Timothie and Titus whom they should admit To preuent ambition and emulation in the competitors affection and dissention in the electors lots were first liked by the Apostles and retained a long time after by S. Iohn and to disappoint seducing and lying spirites then crept into the world and into the Church these rules were prescribed as a touchstone for Timothie and Titus to discern the spirit of trueth speaking sincerely from the spirit of errour flattring and admiring the persons of men for aduantage sake for as God gaue the power grace of his spirite to his Church in great abundance to illustrate the glorie enlarge the kingdome of his sonne so the deuill ceased not to intermixe whole swarmes of false and deceitfull workemen to obscure the brightnes and hinder the increase of Christes Church and therefore the Apostle setteth downe what manner of men Tite and Timothie shall lay hands on whom they shall refuse left they be partakers of their sinnes Paul could not feare lest the holy Ghost speaking by the Prophets would name men vnworthie the place Paul saw the nuÌ„ber of false Prophets already risen and euery day likely to rise and foresaw the poyson and danger of their deceits and pretences and for that cause setteth down a perpetuall canon to the Church for euer what vices must be shumed and vertues required in a Pastour and Preacher Such did the holie Ghost name whiles hee ruled the mouthes of the Prophets and such for euer should be called euen when the gift of prophesie was decayed The Primitiue Church vsed alwayes to elect her Pastors by the suffrages of the people and Cyprian saieth it is none other then a diuine tradition and Apostolike obseruation I shall haue place and time anone to speake of the custome of the Church and opinion of the fathers till then I reserue the handling of both I am now searching the Scriptures and viewing the word of God whether it can thence be prooued that Pastours and Elders were or ought to be chosen by the consent of the people and for my part I professe I finde none I see some men men zealously bent to authorize it by the will and commandement of God I dare not professe to bee sopriuie to his will without his word In the old Testament Aaron was called of God and al the Leuites according to their families were like wise assigned to their places the children succeeded in their fathers roumes the Prophets were inspired from aboue and none elected Moses Ioshua and the Iudges were appointed by God as also the Princes of the twelue Tribes The seuenty Elders were such as were knowen not chosen to be Elders and Rulers of the people and to make Captains ouer 1000. 100. and 10. Moses tooke the chiefe of euery Tribe to Saul God gaue the kingdome by lottes and after to Dauid by voyce their successours inherited or intruded I see in all these neither amongst the rest of the Gentiles which till then the spirite had deferred but he receiued no power from them to be an Apostle nor to preach vnto the Gentiles Paul saith of himselfe that he was an Apostle neither of men nor by man and that the chiefest gaue him nothing or added nothing vnto him that is neither authoritie nor instruction much lesse did these three of a meaner calling then the Apostles lay hands on him to make him an Apostle that power belonged onely to Christ. Againe he receiued his Apostleship of the Gentiles long before as he saith When it pleased God to reueale his son in me that I might preach him amongst the Gentiles I did not straightway conferre with flesh and blood but went into Arabia and after three yeeres came first to Ierusalem He had beene at Ierusalem and was presented by Barnabas to the Apostles before he came to Antioch For after the first sight of the Apostles he went from Ierusalem to Tarsus and thence Barnabas fet him as a chosen vessell to carrie the name of Christ vnto the Gentiles when he first brought him â—â— Antioch And at Antioch where he preached a whole yeere â—â—fore he receiued this imposition of hands to whome preached he but to the Grecians that is to the Gentiles Wherefore they did not impose handes on him to giue him authoritie to preach to the Gentiles he receiued that commission from Christ long before had then twelue moneths and more preached vnto the Gentiles in the very same place where they imposed hands on him To what ende then did they impose hands on Paul and Barnabas They had preached there a good time and furnished the Church with needful doctrine and meete Pastours to take charge of their soules and then the holie Ghost minding to haue them do the like in other places willed the Prophets and Teachers there to let them go for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie and the words following import as much that the Prophets and Pastours laying hands on
Hypotyposeon writeth thus Peter Iames and Iohn after the Assumption of our Sauiour though they were preferred by the Lord before the rest yet did they not chalenge that glorie to themselues but made Iames the Iust Bishop of Ierusalem Eusebius The feate of Iames the Apostle which was the first that receiued the Bishopricke of the Church of Ierusalem from our Sauiour himselfe and the Apostles whome also the diuine Scriptures call the Lordes brother is kept to this day and euidently shewed to all men by the brethren which haue followed him in ordinarie succession Ierome Iames the Lordes brother surnamed Iust straight after the Lordes passion ordained Bishop of Ierusalem by the Apostles wrate one onely Epistle which is one of the seuen Catholike Epistles Egesippus that liued neere to the Apostles times in the fift Booke of his Commentaries speaking of Iames saieth James the Lords brother surnamed Iust receiued the Church of Ierusalem in charge after the Apostles Chrysostome writing vpon these wordes of the fifteenth Chapter of the Actes After they held their peace Iames answered saieth Hic erat Episcopus ecclesiae Hierosolymitanae This Iames was Bishop of the Church of Ierusalem Epiphanius Iames called the Lordes brother was the first Bishop in Ierusalem Ambrose Paul sawe Iames the Lordes brother at Ierusalem because he was made Bishop of that place by the Apostles Augustine The Church of Ierusalem Iames the Apostle was the first that gouerned by his episcopal office From Iames to Macarius that sate in the Councill of Nice were forty bishops of Ierusalem succeeding eche other in a perpetuall discent and sitting eche for his time in that chaire in which Iames the Apostle sate wheÌ„ he taught gouerned the Church of Ierusalem Their order and succession froÌ„ Iames is collected by Eusebius Epiphanius out of elder former Writers which now are perished by the iniurie of time The succession of Bishops at Antioch and Alexandria began in the Apostles time as we find testified by ancient incorrupt witnesses Euodius was the first that succeeded at Antioch after Peters departure of whom Ignatius that was next to him writeth in this wise to the Church there Remember Euodius your blessed Pastor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which first receiued from the Apostles the chiefe ouersight or regimeÌ„t of vs. So saith Euseb. Of those that were bishops at Antioch Euodius was the first that was appointed Ignatius the next who not only conuersed with the Apostles but also saw Christ in the flesh after his resurrection when he appeared to Peter the rest of the disciples His own words as Ierom alleageth them are Ego verò post resurrectionem in carne â—um vidi quando venit ad Petrum ad eos qui cum Petro erant I sawe Christ in the flesh after his resurrection when he came to Peter those that were with Peter said to them handle me see A spirit hath not flesh bones as you see me haue Of him Origen saith Ignatium dico episcopum Antiochie post Petrum secunduÌ„ I meane Ignatius the 2. bishop of Antioch after Peter Ierom maketh Ignatius to be the third bishop of the church of Antioch froÌ„ Peter the Apostle reckoning Peter for the first after whom succeeded Ignatius in the second place as Eusebius writeth Ignatius so much spoken by most men to this present day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the second that enioyed the Bishopricke in the succession of Peter at Antioch Touching the Sees of Antioch Alexandria and Rome Gregorie saith Petrus sublimauit sedem in qua etiam quiescere praesâ—ntem vitam finire dignatus est ipse decorauit sedem in qua Euangelistam discipulum misit ipse firmauit sedem in qua septem annis quamuis discessurus sedit Vnius atque vna est sedes cui ex authoritate diuina tres nunc Episcopi praesident Peter aduanced the â—eate of Rome where he thought good to rest and end this present life he also adorned the seate of Alexandria to which he sent his disciple Marke the Euangelist he fastned the seate of Antioch in which he rested seuen yeares though with purpose to depart It is one seate and of one Apostle in which three Bishops now sit by diuine authority For the first bishop of Alexandria Ierom Eusebius concurre with Gregory Marcus interpreâ— Petri Apostoli Alexandrinae ecclesiae primus episcopus Marke the Interpreter of Peter the Apostle the first bishop of the church of Alexandria who dying 6 yeeres before Peter left his church place vnto Anianus as Euseb writeth Nerone 8. regni annum agente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nero being in the 8 yeere of his raigne Anianus a very godly man euery way admirable first vndertooke the publike administration of the Church of Alexandria after Marke the Apostle Euangelist And as the succession at Antioch began in Euodius that was ordained by the Apostles so at Alexandria they continued the same course from Marke downeward by Ieroms owne confession Alexandriae à Marco Euangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium Episcopos Presbyteri semper vnum ex se electum in excelsiori gradu colloâ—atum episcopum nominabant At Alexandria froÌ„ Mark the euangelist vnto Heraclas Dionysius the Presbyters did alwayes choose one of theÌ„selues whoÌ„ being placed in an higher degree they called their bishop Of the succession at Rome Irenoeus saith Fundantes igitur instruâ—ntes beati Apostoli ecclesiam Lino episcopatum administrandâ— ecclesiae tradiderunt Succedit ei Anacletus post cum tertio loco ab Apostolis Episcopatum sortitur Clemens qui vidit ipsos Apostolos contulit cum eis The blessed Apostles Peter and Paul founding and ordering the Church of Rome deliuered the ouersight or charge of gouerning the Church to Linus Anacletus succeeded him and in the third place after the Apostles Clemens which sawe the Apostles themselues and conferred with them vndertooke the Bishops office Next to this Clement succeeded Euaristus after Euaristus Alexander and then in the sixt place from the Apostles was appointed Sixtus then Telesphorus then Higinus then Pius after whoÌ„ was Anicetus Next to Anicetus succeeded Soter now wheÌ„ Irenaeus wrote in the 12. place from the Apostles Eleutherius hath the Bishoprike And likewise Optatus Negare non poteâ— scire te in vrbe Roma Petro primo Cathedram episcopaleÌ„ esse collocatam c ergo Cathedra vnica sedit prior Petrus cui successit Linus Lino successit Clemens Clementi Anacletus c. Thou canst not deny saith he to Parmenian but thou knowest that in the city of Rome the episcopall chaire was conferred first to Peter c. In that chaire which was but one sate first Peter whom Linus succeeded and after Linus Clemens after Clemens Anacletus after Anacletus Euaristus then Sixtus Thelesphorus Iginus
coÌ„fortably in it she like wise put a differeÌ„ce betwixt her Bishops and Presbyters Which of these things can you chalenge as vnchristian and vnlawfull or what warrant had Aerius to reproue the whole church of God for so doing Iust as much as you haue now to defend him which is none at all He reprooued praying and not thanks giuing for the dead He reprooued the naming of the dead and would needes know to what end they rehearsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the names of the dead To whome Epiphanius answereth As for the repeating of the names of the dead what can be better or more opportune then that they which are yet behind in this world beleeue the deceased liue and are not extinguished but are and liue with God and as the diuine doctrine hath taught that they which pray haue hope of their brethren absent as in a long voiage from them We also make mentioÌ„ of the iust as of the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Euangelists Martyrs Confessors Bishops and of all sortes to separate the Lord Iesus from the order of men and to giue him his due honour and worship Thus farre Epiphanius speaketh soundly and giueth good reasons why the Church named her dead euen her hope of their welfare and faith of their life with God and separation of al men from the Lord Iesus the Redeemer and Sauiour of the world Chrysostoms liturgie sheweth what commemoration of the dead was vsed in the Greeke Church We offer this reasonable seruice that is the Eucharist of praise and thankesgiuing vnto thee O Lord for all that are at rest in the faith of Christ euen for the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Euangelists Bishops Martyrs Confessours and euery soule initiated in the faith But chiefly for the most holy vndefiled and most blessed virgin Marie He that thinketh all the Patriarkes Prophets Martyrs Apostles and the virgin Marie were in Purgatorie had neede of purgation himselfe to be eased of his melancholy yet for these and specially for the blessed virgin the Church offered hir praiers and sacrifice to God It is therfore most euident y â— church meant the sacrifice of thanksgiuing howsoeuer Epiphan Austen and some others to extend the prayers of the Church to all Christians departed doubtfully suppose their damnation might be mitigated though their state could not be altered But these priuat speculations were neither comprised in y â— praiers of the church nor confirmed by them and for that cause Aerius is iustly traduced as frantikely impugning the religions and whole some customes of the primitiue catholike Church of which Saint Austen saith Siquid tota hodie per orbem frequent aâ— Ecclesia hoc quin ita faciendum sit disputare insolentissimae insanâ—ae est If the whole Church throughout the world at this day obserue any thing to reason for the reuersing of it is most insolent madnes If you thinke S. Austens censure too sharpe for the matter in question betwixt vs heare the iudgement of the general Councill of Chalcedon where were assembled 630. Bishops and marke what they determine of your assertion Photius Bishop of Tyrus had ordained certaine Bishops within his Prouince whom Eustathius his successour for some secret displeasure remoued from that degree and willed them to remaine Presbyters This case comming before the Councill of Chalcedon the resolution of Paschasinus and Lucentius was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To bring backe a Bishop to the degree of a Presbyter is sacrilege Whereto the whole Councill answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We all say the same the iudgement of the fathers is vpright You may do wel to make more account of the Martyrs and Fathers that were in the Primitiue Church least if you condemne all men besides your selues posteritie condemne you as void of all sinceritie sobrietie for my part what I finde generally receiued in the first Church of Christ I wil see it strongly refuted before I wil forsake it God forbid I should thinke there was neuer Church nor faith on the face of the earth since the Apostles times before this miserable age wherein though I acknowledge the great blessing of God restoring vs to the trueth of his Gospell farre aboue our deserts yet I cannot but lament the dangerous factions eager dissentions and headie contempts whereby the Church of God is almost rent in sunder whiles euery man will haue his deuise take place and when they want proofes they fall to reproches We make that account of the primitiue Church that Caluin and other learned men before vs haue done You do not No learned meÌ„ of any age haue shewed themselues like to the spiteful disdainful humors of our times And of all others you do Caluin wrong who though in some things he dissented from the Fathers of the Primitiue Church in expounding some places that are alleaged for this new discipline yet grauely wisely he giueth them that honor and witnes which is due vnto theÌ„ His words treating of this very point are these It shall be profitable for vs in these matters of discipline to reuiew the forme of the ancient or primitiue Church the which will set before our eies the image of the diuine ordinance for though the Bishops of those times made many Canons in which they seeme to decree more then is expressed in the sacred Scriptures yet with such warinesse did they proportion their whole regiment to that only rule of Gods word that you may easily see they had almost nothing in their discipline different from the word of God I could wish that such as seeme to reuerence so much his name would in this behalfe followe his steps He declared himselfe to beare a right Christian regarde to the Church of Christ before him and therefore is woorthie with all posteritie to be had in like reuerend account though hee were deceiued in some things euen as Augustine and other Fathers before him were The wisedome of God will haue no man come neere the perfection of the Apostles and therefore no blemish to him that wrate so much as he did to bee somewhat ouerseene in Lay Elders and other points of discipline being so busied as he was with weightie matters of doctrine and interpreting the whole Scriptures But such as haue had better leisure to examine this matter since his death persist still in the same opinion that he did But not in the same moderation they would else not charge the primitiue church of Christ with inuenting and vpbolding an humane bishop this is deuised by man and not allowed by God whereas Caluin granteth the ancient regiment of bishops was agreeable to the worde of God and rule of the sacred Scriptures If wee looke into the thing it selfe he meaneth the gouernment of the Primitiue Church we shal finde the ancient Bishops neuer intended to frame anie other forme of gouerning the Church then that which God in his word prescribed Now what kind of gouernment
power which you giue to your Presbyters but because you turne them all ouer the barre as tainted with humane pollitie and neglecters of Gods ordinance let vs see whether wee can say more for the power of Bishops ouer Presbyters by the Scriptures then you haue done for your Presbyteriall censures which in my iudgement are very flenderlie and weaklie prooued All that wee can say for the power of Bishops aboue Presbyters out of the Scriptures is this That the holie Ghost by the mouth of S. Paul hath giuen the Bishop of each place authoritie to ordaine such as be woorthie to examine such as be faultie and reproue and discharge such as be guiltie either of vnsound teaching or offensiue liuing Thus much he saieth to Timothie and Tite and in them to their successours and to all other Bishops of Christes Church for euer The places bee plaine and neede no long discoursing till we heare your answere Of admitting Presbyters Paul saieth to Timothie Lay hands hastily on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes And to Tite For this cause I left thee in Creete that thou shouldest ordaine Elders in euerie Citie such as I appointed thee Of conuenting them hee saieth Receiue no accusation agaynst a Presbyter but vnder two or three witnesses those that sinne rebuke openlie that the rest may feare Of dismissing them hee saieth I prayed thee to abide at Ephesus to commaund certaine that they teach no strange doctrine Their mouthes must bee stopped that teach things they ought not for filthie lucre The Presbyters that doe their dueties let them bee counted woorthie of double honour Staie foolish questions and contentions An heretike after one or two warnings reiect These things speake and exhort and rebuke with all authoritie See no man despise thee I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without carying any preiudice or inclining to either part The wordes bee singular the charge is vehement the parties were Bishops to whome the Apostle wrate the case therefore is cleare that the Bishops power ouer Presbyters in these pointeâ— is ratified by the expresse commandement of the holy Ghost You be mightily deceiued This power belonged to Euangelists not to Bishops and therefore it dured but for their time and exceeded not their persons to whom the Apostles â—rate See you how easilie the very foundations of your Prelacie are shaken and ouer throwen If your replie be sound you say somewhat to the purpose but if it be false absurd repugnant to the very Text and refuted by your own positions then take you heed what answere you will make to God for disturbing his Church despising his ordinance and deriding his messengers that himselfe hath placed and authorized with his own mouth And here I must pray the Christian Reader aduisedlie to marke what is said and answered on either side This in deed is the maine erection of the Episcopal power and function if our proofes stand or subuersion if your answere be good For if this faile wel may Bishops claime their authoritie by the custome of the Church by any diuine precept expressed in the scriptures they cannot But if these rules be deltuered by the Apostle to Bishops as we say they are and not to Timothie and Tite in respect of their Euangelship as the Presbyterists affirme then can there be no question but this new discipline is a very dreame and the auncient and Primitiue Church of Christ held the right and Apostolicall fourme of gouerning the house of God according to the prescript of his word Out reioinder therefore is as foloweth No power proper to Euangelists is or ought to be perpetual in the Church of Christ their calling was both extraordinarie and temporarie but power to ordaine fit ministers to conuent and discharge vnfit is and ought to be perpetuall in the Church of Christ. This therefore was no power proper to Euangelists which S. Paul in these places prescribed vnto Tite and Timothie Againe your Presbyters may not claime Euangelisticall power since your Presbyters are no Euangelists but your Presbyteries claime this power which Paul here committeth to Timothie and Tite euen to ordaine examine censure and depriue Pastours and Teachers ergo this power was not proper to Euangelists Let all this bee nothing if Saint Paul in expresse wordes say not as much I charge thee saith he to Timothie in the sight of God and before Iesus Christ that thou keepe this commaundement without spot and vnrebukeable VNTIL THE APPEARING of our Lord Iesus Christ. For Timothie to obserue these things vntill the comming of Christ in glory was vtterly vnpossible hee was to die long before these preceptes therefore are deliuered to him and those that should succeed in his place vnto the ende of the world Ergo Timothies power and function in this behalfe must be perpetuall in the Church of God and not faile before the day of iudgement With great vigilancie and prouidence saieth Ambrose vpon this place doeth the Apostle giue percepts to the Ruler of the Church for in his person doeth the safetie of the people consist He is not so circumspect as fearing Timothies care but for his successours that after Timothies example they should obserue the ordering of the Church Now let the Christian Reader iudge whether this were a temporarâ—e function in Timothie that died with his person or a perpetuall charge to him and his successors for euer Surely Timothie was an Euangelist Timothie was no Bishop You say he was no Bishop Eusebius Ierome Ambrose Chrysostome Theodoretus Epiphanius Oecumenius Primasius affirme he was a Bishop and in that respect S. Paul by this epistle directed him and all other Bishops in him how to impose handes on Presbyters and receiue accusations against them yea the whole Church of Christ since the Apostles times without exception hath so constred and obserued the Apostles words in suffering none but Bishops either to ordaine or degrade Presbyters yet all this with you is nothing your bare fansie must ouer beare both fathers were they neuer so learned and Churches were they neuer so auncient And though you auouch this power must not exceed their two persons to whom S. Paul wrate yet you are so liberall and beneficiall to your Presbyteries that against all trueth and authoritie you make them succeede Timothie and Tite in their Euangelisticall power And so according to your maner you will haue this power to be proper and yet common to be extraordinarie and yet vsuall to cease with their persons and yet to dure for euer with your Presbyteries Fire will better agree with water then you with your selues except you leaue this rolling too and fro at your pleasures We say the Euangelists had this power for a time the Presbyteries for eâ—er What you say no wise man will regard vnlesse you make better proofes then I yet
THE PERPETVAL GOVERNEMENT OF CHRISTES CHVRCH Wherein are handled The fatherly superioritie which God first established in the Patriarkes for the guiding of his Church and after continued in the Tribe of Leui and the Prophetes and lastlie confirmed in the New Testament to the Apostles and their successours As also the points in question at this day Touching the Iewish Synedrion the true kingdome of Christ the Apostles commission the Laie Presbyterie the Distinction of Bishops from Presbyters and their succession from the Apostles times and hands the calling and moderating of Prouinciall Synodes by Primates and Metropolitanes the allotting of Dioeceses and the Popular electing of such as must feed and watch the flocke And diuers other points concerning the Pastorall regiment of the house of God By THO. BILSON Warden of Winchester Colledge Perused and allowed by publike authoritie 1. Cor. 14. Came the word of God first from you or did it spread to you alone Iren lib. 3. ca. 3. We can reckon those that were ordained Bishops by the Apostles in the Churches and their successours to this present which neuer taught nor knew any such thing as these dreame Imprinted at London by the Deputies of CHRISTOPHER BARKER Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie An. Dom. 1593. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER IHaue bene very vnwilling good Christian Reader to enter into these controuersies of Discipline that haue now some space troubled the Church of England I remembred the wordes of Abraham to Lot Let there I pray thee be no strife betwixt thee and me nor betwixt my men and thine for we be brethren and did thereby learne that all strife betwixt brethren was vnnaturall I could not forget the saying of our Sauiour Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue you and so collected how carefull we should be to keepe the vnitie of the spirite in the band of peace Prophane writers could tell me by concord the weakest things growe strong by discord the mightiest states are ouerthrowen and that made me loath to increase or nourish the dislikes and quarels that haue lately fallen out in this Realme betwixt the Professours and Teachers of one and the same Religion yet when I sawe the peace of Gods Church violated by the sharpnesse of some mens humours and their tongues so intemperate that they could not bee discerned from open enemies I thought as in a common danger not to sit looking till all were on fire but rather by all meanes to trie what kind of liquor would restinguish this flame Another reason leading mee to this enterprise was the discharge of my duetie to God and her Maiestie for finding that some men broched their disciplinarie deuises vnder the title of Gods eternall trueth and professed they could no more forsake the defence thereofthen of the Christian faith and others defaced and reproched the gouernement of the Church heere receiued and established as vnlawfull irreligious and Antichristian for what lees are so sower that some hedge wines wil not yeelde I was mooued in conscience not to suffer the sacred Scriptures to be so violently arrested and ouer-ruled by the summons and censures of their newe Consistories as also to cleere this state of that iniurious slander as if not knowing or neglecting the manifest voyce of Christes spirite we had entertained and preferred the dregges of Antichrists pride and tyrannie These causes of great and good regard led mee to examine the chiefe groundes of both Disciplines theirs and ours and to peruse the proofes and authorities of either parte that by comparing it might appeare which side came neerest to the synceâ—itie of the Scriptures and societie of the auncient and vncorrupte Church of Christ. The which wholie to propose by way of Preface woulde bee exceeding tedious shortely to capitulate that the Reader may knowe what to looke for will not altogether bee superfluous The maine supportes of their newe deuised Discipline are the generall equalitie of all Pastours and Teachers and the ioyning of Lay Elders with them to make vp the Presbyterie that shall gouerne the Church On this foundation they build the power of their Consistorie that must admonish and punish all offences heare and determine all doubts appease and ende all strifes that anie waie touch the state and welfare of the Church Against these false groundes I shewe the Church of God from Adam to Moses from Moses to Christ and so downeward vnder Patriarkes Prophetes and Apostles hath beene alwayes gouerned by an inequalitie and superioritie of Pastours and Teachers amongst themselues and somuch the very name and nature of gouernement do inforce for if amongst equals none may chalenge to rule the rest there must of necessitie be superiours before there can bee Gouernours It was therefore a ridiculous ouersight in our new platfourmers to settle an ecclesiasticall gouernment amongst the Pastours and Teachers of the Church and yet to banish all superioritie from them Some finding that absurditie and perceiuing confusion of force must follow where all are equall and no Gouernour endured confesse it to bee an essentiall and perpetuall part of Gods ordinance for each Presbyterie to haue a chiefe amongst them and yet least they should seeme to agnise or admit the auncient and approued maner of the Primitiue Church retained amongst vs which is to appoint a fitte man to gouerne each Dioecese they haue framed a Running regencie that shall goe round to all the Presbyters of each place by course and dure for a weeke or fome such space for the deuise is so newe that they are not yet resolued what time this changeable superioritie shall continue With this conceite they maruelouslie please themselues in so much that they pronounce this onely to be Gods institution and this ouerseer or Bishop to be Apostolike all others they reiect as humane that is as inuented and established by man against the first and authentike order of the holie Ghost Thus farre wee ioyne that to preuent dissention and auoid confusion there must needes euen by Gods ordinaunce bee a President or Ruler of euerie Presbyterie which conclusion because it is warranted by the groundes of nature reason and trueth and hath the example of the Church of God before vnder and after the Lawe to confirme it wee accept as irrefutable and laie it as the ground-worke of all that ensueth But whether this Presidentship did in the Apostles times and by their appointment goe round by course to all the Pastours and Teachers of euerie Presbyterie or were by election committed to one chosen as the fittest to supplie that place so long as hee discharged his duetie without blame that is a maine point in question betwixt vs. Into which I may not enter vntill we haue seene what the Apostolike Presbyteries were and of what persons they did consist at the first erecting of the Church Certaine late writers men otherwise learned and wise greatlie misliking in the gouernement of the Church the Romish kind of Monarchie and on the
more particularly and effectually then Pastours doe or may by their doctrine Such labyrinths they leape into when they seeke for those things in y e sacred Scriptures which were neuer intended But were the word of God in this point indifferent which for ought I yet see is very resolute against them the generall consent of alantiquitie that neuer so expounded S. Pauls words nor euer mentioned any laie Presbyters to gouern the Church is to me a strong rampire against all these new deuises I like not to raise vp that discipline from the dead which hath lien so long buried in silence which no father euer witnessed no councill euer fauoured no Church euer followed since the Apostles times till this our age I can be forward in things that be good but not so foolish as to thinke the church of Christ neuer knew what belonged to the gouernment of her selfe till now of late that the sonne of God hath bin spoiled of halfe his kingdome by his owne seruants and Citizens for these 1500. yeeres without remorse or remembrance of any man that so great wrong was offered him I can yeelde to much for quietnes sake to this I can not yeelde They must shewe mee their Lay Presbyteries in some ancient Writer or else I must plainly auouch their Consistories as they presse them to be a notorious if not a pernicious nouelty Ierome Ambrose and others are brought to depose that the first Church had her Senate and Elders without whose aduise nothing was done but how wrongfully the deuise of Lay Elders is fathered on them I haue declared in a special discourse I wil not heere repeate it onely this I say if any of them affirme that in the Primitiue or Apostolike Church Lay Presbyters did gouerne Ecclesiasticall affaires I am content to recall all that I haue written of this present matter if not it is no great praise nor good policie for them to abuse the names and wordes of so many learned Fathers to the vtter discredite of themselues and their cause in the end Since then the Church of Christ in and after the Apostles times was not gouerned by Lay Presbyters as this newe discipline pretendeth it resteth that we declare by whom both the Apostolike church and the Primitiue after that were directed ruled which I haue not failed to performe in many chapters as farre foorth as the Scriptures doe warrant and the vndoubted Stories of Christs Church do leade In the Apostles I obserue foure things needefull for the first founding and erecting of the Church though not so for the preseruing and maintening thereof and foure other points that must be perpetuall in the Church of Christ. The foure extraordinary priuiledges of the Apostolike function were Their vocation immediate from Christ not from men nor by men Their commission extending ouer all the earth not limited to anie place Their direction infallible the holie Ghost guiding them whether they wrate or spake and Their operation wonderful as wel to conuert and confirme beleeuers as to chastice and reuenge disobeyers Without these things the Church could not beginne as is easily perceiued but it may well continue without them for now God calleth labourers into his haruest by others not by himselfe Pastors take charge of those Churches that are already planted they seeke not places where to plant new Churches The Scriptures once written serue all ages for instruction of faith and the myracles then wrought witnesse the power and trueth of the Gospell vnto the worldes ende Wherefore those thinges had their necessary force and vse to lay the first foundations of the gospel before Christ was knowen but the wisedome of God will not haue his Church still depend on those miraculous meanes which serue rather to conquere incredulitie then to edifie the faithfull signes being as the Apostle saith not for such as beleeue but for such as doe not beleeue The other foure points of the Apostolike delegation which must haue their permanence and perpetuitie in the Church of Christ are the Dispencing the word Administring the sacraments Imposing of hands and Guiding the keys to shut or open the kingdome of heauen The first two by reason they be the ordinary meanes and instruments by which the spirite of God worketh ech mans saluation must be general to al Pastors and Presbyters of Christs Church the other two by which meete men are called to the ministerie of the word and obstinate persons not only repelled from the societie of the saints but also from the promise and hope of eternall life respect rather the cleansing and gouerning of Christes Church and therefore no cause they should be committed to the power of euery Presbyter as the word and sacraments are for as there can be no order but confusion in a common wealth where euery man ruleth so woulde there be no peace but a pestilent perturbation of all thinges in the Church of Christ if euery Preshyter might impose handes and vse the keyes at his pleasure How the Apostles imposed hands and deliuered vnto Satan and who ioyned with them in those actions I haue handled in places appointed for that purpose whereby we shal perceiue that though the Presbyters of eache Church had charge of the worde and Sacraments euen in the Apostles times yet might they not impose handes nor vse the keys without the Apostles or such as the Apostles departing or dying left to be their substitutes and successors in the Churches which they had planted At Samaria Philip preached and baptized and albeit he dispenced the word and sacraments yet could hee not impose handes on them but Peter and Iohn came from Ierusalem and laide their hands on them and so they receiued the holie Ghost The Churches of Lystra Iconium and Antioch were planted before yet were Paul and Barnabas at their returne forced to increase the number of Presbyters in each of those places by imposition of their handes for so the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth with al Greeke Diuines and Stories as I haue sufficiently proued and not to ordaine by election of the people as some men of late had new framed the Text. The churches of Ephesus and Creete were erected by Paul had their Presbyteries yet could they not create others but Timothie and Tite were left there to impose handes and ordaine Elders in euerie Citie as occasion required Herein who succeeded the Apostles whether all Presbyters equally or certaine chiefe and chosen men one in euerie Church and City trusted with the gouernment both of people and Presbyters I haue largely debated and made it plaine as well by the Scriptures as by other ancient Writers past all exception that from the Apostles to the first Nicene Councill and so along to this our age there haue alwayes bene selected some of greater gifts then the residue to succeede in the Apostles places to whom it belonged both to moderate the Presbyters of ech Church and to take the
seuenth yeere of their Empire and Irenaeus testifieth that he came to Rome vnder Anicetus the tenth Bishop there declared the trueth which he had receiued from the Apostles Did he through ambition retaine the place to which the Apostles called him longer then he shoulde and so altered the Apostolicall kinde of gouernement I had rather chalenge the Consistorians for mistaking Ambrose then Polycarpe for inuerting the Apostolike Discipline The Church of Smyrna called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostolicall and Propheticall Teacher of their times Irenaeus saith of him Hic docuit semper quae ab Apostolis didicerat quae ecclesiae tradidit sola sunt vera hee alwayes taught those things which he learned of the Apostles which he deliuered vnto the Church and they onely are true And if he were not a man of farre more authoritie and certainer fidelitie then any that contradict him yet haue we al the Churches of Christendome their successions of Bishops from the Apostles and all histories and monuments of antiquitie to concurre with him that Bishops liuing in the Apostles daies made by the Apostles hands continued their places til they died neither is there any man liuing that is able to shewe one example to the contrary Let the Christian Reader then say whether it be not a vaine and false surmise which some in our age so mightily maintaine that the Bishops which the Apostles ordained to rule the Presbyteries dured for some short space changed by course that superioritie going round in order to euerie Presbyter the election of Bishops to gouerne the Churches and Presbyters committed to their charge so long as they did it carefully was mans inuention and no Apostolike institution The domination of bishops wil be their last refuge otherwise in elections of Bishops to continue whiles they do their duties the best learned of them confesse there is nothing that can or should be reprehended onely they repine that a Bishop shoulde haue iurisdiction ouer his Copresbyters And heere they are plentiful with places of Scripture as if we went about to make Bishops Lords and Masters ouer the Church and all the rest to be their seruants They alleage the words of Christ Great men exercise authoritie you shall not doe so and of Peter Feede the flocke not as Lords or commanders ouer Gods inheritance but to what purpose I see not Meane they by these places to prooue that the Apostles had no superioritie nor authoritie in the Church of God or that Pastours haue no power ouer their flockes It were more then childish to impugne one trueth by another They themselues do agnise that the Apostles had superioritie and authoritie by Christs owne commission aboue and ouer all other degrees to erect and order the Churches where they preached and they yeelde Pastours authoritie ouer their flockes to commaund in the name of the Lord. Then neither these places nor any other in the Scriptures doe barre Pastoral power ouer the flocke nor distinction of degrees betwixt the Teachers Superior and inferior degrees if Christs wordes did exclude no man might admit them or defend them as lawfull If the Apostles to whom and of whom Christ there spake did not withstanding his speech retaine diuersities of degrees in the Church it is euident our Sauiour did not forbid Superiority but Imperie not Pastorall but Regall authoritie not Fatherly but Masterly preeminence and that in respect aswell of the people as of the Presbyters Peter calling the people Gods heritage and before and after naming them the Lords flocke And how should it possibly be otherwise for since the holy Ghost requireth the faithfull to obey their Leaders and to bee subiect to them no Scriptures do crosse the authoritie and inspection which the guiders of Christes Church shoulde haue ouer their flockes and God by his eternall Lawe comprising Pastours vnder the name of Fathers and assigning them the honour due vnto Parents we may not by colour of any wordes bereaue them of obedience and reuerence no more then of maintenance which are the parts and effects of Fatherly power and honour So long then as wee giue Bishops no charge but Pastorall no power but paternall wee are not in danger of violating either our Sauiours or his Apostles precept and consequently this kinde of superioritie may not bee called or supposed to be Dominion nor Imperie without wrong to the spirite of trueth that hath confirmed it as needefull and healthfull for the house of God euen from the first foundation of the worlde They will easily grant fatherly moderation and Pastorall power vnto Bishops ouer the people but not ouer the Presbyters on this they set vp their rest that no Pastour shoulde haue power ouer others of the same calling and hope assuredly to haue the victorie But they must first reconcile their owne contrarieties they will triumph else before the conquest for ech Presbyterie as themselues confesse must haue a President by Gods essentiall and perpetuall ordinance I aske now whether God giue any man a bare title without any trueth and a Regiment without all authoritie or whether in Gods Lawe deedes and wordes concurre and he be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a President that is appointed and authorized by God to execute that office The mouth of God intendeth not for mockeries as mans doth and therefore the name neuer goeth without the thing he is iust in his speach and wil not vtter the worde that shall delude the hearer If then by Gods Law there must be Presidents ouer Presbyteries ineuitably there must be Gouernours and Superiours ouer them If some must moderate the meetings of Presbyters and execute their decrees of force they must haue power and authoritie ouer Presbyters and so it is mainly consequent out of their owne positions which they most refuse Againe when Paul left Timothie at Ephesus to impose hands to receiue accusations against Presbyters and openly to rebuke such as sinned did hee not giue him power ouer Presbyters and euen the selfe same that is challenged at this day to belong to Bishops if it were lawful and needful at Ephesus for Timothy to haue that right and authority ouer the Presbyters that were ioynt-Pastors with him how commeth it now to be a tyrannical and Antichristian power in his successours Timothie they will say was an Euangelist and coulde haue no successours If none could succeede him in that power how come their Presbyteries to haue it will they be Euangelists what Lay Elders and all and shall the Presbyteries of the whole world succeede Timothie in his charge at Ephesus That were newes in deede if this authority to impose hands to receiue accusations and rebuke sinnes must remaine in the Church for euer as it is euident it must then was it no Euangelisticall authoritie but a generall and perpetuall function in the Church of Christ that might and did admit others to succeede
teâ—â—ests of this world Order then and discipline the very nurse and mother of all peace and quietnesse as well in diuine as in humane societies and assemblies though it be not the life or spirite that quickneth the Church yet doeth it faâ—en and knit the members thereof as ioints and siâ—e wes doe the partes of our bodies in so much that the vnitie of the spirite is not kept as the Apostle noteth without the band of peace and where there is dissention nourished or confusion suffered no peace can be preserued or expected Hence we must not frame what kind of regiment we list for the ministers of Christes Church but rather obserue and marke what maner of externall gouernment the Lord hath best liked allowed in his Church euen from the beginning The externall regiment of Pastours and Teachers among themselues and ouer their flocks I distinguish from the internall that God hath by his spirite and truethih the hearts of the faithfull which cannot be varied and is not questioned in the Church of England That I acknowledge to he the true kingdom of Christ whereby he inwardly and effectually worketh in his Saints the faith of his trueth and feeling of his grace according to the purpose of his owne will for the prayse of his glory in which no earthly creature concurreth or ioyneth with him yet câ—â—se he hath left the sound of his word and seale of his Saâ—râ—ments as externall meanes for vs to be made partakers of his heauenly graces there must be sitpersons to teach the one and dispence the other and a power in them to admit the woorthie and remooue the vnwoorthie least holy things be defiled whiles they â—e proiected to dogs and swine Hence riseth the necessitie of externall gouernment in the Church of God which respecteth the appointing of meete men and repelling of vnmeete to be trusted with these heauenly treasures as also the good vsing and right diuiding of sopreciousie wels committed to their charge What kinde of externall gouernment God setled in his Church euen at the first beginning will soone appeare if wee consult the Scriptures FroÌ„ Adam to Iacob as the Church was contained in certaine families mentioned by Moses so was the discipline of the Church Domesticall and the gouernment Paternall God leauing the father to be teacher and ruler of his houshold and of spring and changing the children and their issues to honour with reuerence and obedience their fathers deliuering and prescribing vnto them the true worship of God agreeable to his will reuealed to their fathers The right and power the father had ouer his children and houshold before the Lawe is expressed in these wordes I know saieth God that Abraham will command his sonnes and his house after him to keepe the way of the Lord which no doubt all the Patriarkes that were faithfull euen from Adam carefullie performed and the children that were religious reuerently obeied the blessing of God passing by the fathers mouth vnto the children in reward of their submission or curse in reuenge of their rebellion So Noah blessed Sem for couering his nakednesse and by that blessing made him heire of the promise and cursed Cham for deriding the shame of his father and insulting at it So like wise Isaac and Iacob transmitted the blessing of God to their children and childrens children that were duetifull and pronounced his heauie iudgements on their children that were wicked and obstinate As the Patriarkes were Prophets to declare to their children the promises and menaces of God so were they magistrates to rule their families with fatherly coercion such as God best allowed in the first world to gouerne his Saints And for that cause did God comprehend Princes vnder the name of Parents in the Decalogâ—e of Moses and euery where in the olde Testament chiefe men and gouernours are called Fathers and to this day by Gods lawe Princes ought to haue the same care and respect of their subiects that fathers haue of their children by reason the first fountaine of princely power by Gods allowance was fatherly regiment Neither were the Patriarkes onely Princes within their tentes and dwellings but also Princes in the Church of God God alwayes reseruing the eldest and chiefest in those generations to serue him with sacrifice and thanksgiuing To which end God did consecrate the first borne of their familie as holy to himselfe to be Priests in his Church and encreased their dignitie with this princely prerogatiue that they should be Lords ouer their brethren and honoured of their mothers children as succeeding their fathers in the gouernment and Priesthood vnlesse they were repelled from that honour by Gods secrete counsels or manifest iudgements and others named by God himselfe to sustaine that charge In Isaac shall thy seed be called sayd God to Abraham when hee refused Ismael The elder shall serue the yonger said God to Rebecca when he preferred Iacob Ruben mine eldest sonne said Iacob the beginning of my strength excelling in dignitie excelling in power thou shalt not excell because thou wentest vp to thy fathers bed For otherwise this was the blessing due to the elder brother in the first world and part of his birthright as well before as after the flood which Isaac vttered to Iacob when he tooke him for his eldest sonne Be Lord ouer thy brethren and let thy mothers children honour thee Which priuiledge of the first horne God renewed and confirmed in the lawe of Moses throughout the common wealth of Israel that as they were eldest so should they be chiefest in their fathers houses except their impietie prouoked the contrary This then was the regiment of Gods Church from Adam to Sem the most ancient was alwayes the most excellent both in priesthood and ciuill gouernment in the Church of God and in his roume deceasing succeeded his eldest sonne vnlesse he were reiected from it for his wickednesse as Cain was that killed Abel And to the first Patriarkes God gaue so long life that they might witnesse his trueth by word of mouth vnto their children and childrens children that would heare and regard the will of God for this precept expressed in the law Teach them thy sonnes thy sonnes sonnes was the perpetuall charge of all fathers as well before as after the deluge and then most needfull when children had no teachers nor gouernours saue fathers as whiles the worde was yet not written but the true worship of God was deliuered by hand from the father to the sonne During which time as each father that inherited the promise was eldest so was he chiefest in directing and commanding his ofspring that beleeued of whom the Church then consisted Adam gouerned the Church 930. yeeres confirming to all posteritie the creation and fall of himselfe and all mankind with him and likewise redemption and victorie by the promised seede that should come of the woman Seth the sonne of Adam
of halfe his kingdome because their Laie-elders are not suffered to sit Iudges in euery parish together with the Pastour and Teacher of the place I dispute not as yet whether euer there were any such Elders as they talke of in the Church of Christ from the preaching of our Sauiour to this present age I reserue that to a further inquirie but though there were such suffered or setled by the Apostles in the Primitiue Church yet were they no part of Christes kingdome which is proper to his person and by many degrees excelleth all other gouernments for the diuine force and grace that are eminent in the spirituall fruits and effects of his kingdom I doe not denie but God hath ordained and established on earth many kinds of externall gouernments as in spirituall causes the Minister in domesticall the master of the familie and superior to them both the Magistrate what is prescribed or exacted by any of those that God hath set ouer vs for a quiet honest and Christian course of life in this world according to his word and their charge he doeth ratifie and confirme in heauen accepting the submission and punishing the rebellion of all that disobey in each degree but neither Prince Pastour nor Parent can search or change the heart much lesse can they endue it with any heauenly grace and vertue or settle it with expertance of life to come They moderate and direct the outward actions which may bee soone dissembled further they neither see nor iudge they haue not to doe with the secrete affections of the heart with the sacred giftes of the spirite the stedfast trust of future glory these alwayes belong to the kingdom of Christ and of God which worketh all things after the connsell of his owne will vnto the praise of his glory Since then this king is set at the right hand of God in the heauens farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and dominion and euery name that is named not in this world onely but also in the world to come and all things are subiected vnder his feete he appointed head ouer all vnto the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all and declareth daily from heauen what is the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints and exceeding greatnesse of his power toward vs which beleeue by lightening the eyes of our vnderstanding and scaling vs with the holy Spirit of promise the watchmen and leaders of his flocke though their seruice bee needfull and fruitfull in his Church and they trusted with the keyes and mysteries of the kingdom of heauen yet may they not arrogate any part of Christes honour or power as incident to their calling or function but leaue all entire and vntouched to the sonne of God whose right it is much lesse may the seuerall or Synodall assemblies proceedings or censures of the supposed Presbyterie be reckoned the halfe deale of Christes most righteous and glorious kingdom CHAP. III. The Synedricall iurisdiction which some men thinke our Sauiour in the Gospell restored and recommended to his Church AS I auouch that Christ reserued to himselfe the mightie force and heauenly grace of his spirituall kingdome so am I out of doubt he left the superuision and moderation of externall things and actions which respect the peace order and comelinesse of his Church to such as hee called to bee the guiders of his flocke and stewards of his houshold Who they were is not so wel agreed on Some men imagine Christ did reinfuse the Iewish Synedrion and thence extracted the Laie-Presbyterie that should gouerne his Church Their proofe they take cut of these wordes If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him betweene thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast gained thy brother if hee heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euerie word may bee confirmed And if hee will not vouch safe to heare them tell it vnto the Church if hee refuse to heare the Church let him bee to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane Hence they collect first that our Sauiour spake to the Iewes by reason hee sayd let him be to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane whom the Iewes and no people els abhorted and shunned next that he preseribed no new nor vnknowen forme of Iudiciall proceeding but referred them rather to the vsuall and accustonâ—ed maner of their Countrey then generally receiued and euery where practised amongst them which was by the Elders of euery place to determine their matters or els to transmit them vnto the Sanhedrin or councill of Ierusalem which was the highest court in that common wealth Thus fame they seeme to haue some ground to support their opinion but that our Sauiour appointed the like order to take place for euer in his Church I see neither mention of it nor reason for it in the Scriptures and assure my selfe it can neuer bee prooued For if our Sauiour meant to transferre any kind of regiment from the Church of the Iewes to his owne it is certaine he would not choose out the corruptions of time nor inuentions of men but ascend to the originall ordinance of God and thence deriue his platforme He would not follow much lesse authorize in his Church any breach of Gods lawe growen by deprauation and vsurpation of wicked men that hated and pursued both him and his trueth that were with them to transgresse the commaundement of God for the traditions of men from which he was farre but if hee purposed to deduce any forme of gouernement from the lawe to the Gospell it was the same that God by Moses erected and allowed Nowe that cannot be vrged and vsed in the Church of Christ without apparant violence to the word of God euident iniurie to the Christia magistrate as by the view thereof we shall easilie vnderstand Firâ—t therefore let vs shortly see what kindes of gouernements were authorized and established by Moses in the first erection of the common wealth and Church of Israel and consequently what coherence or resemblance there may bee betweene those Councils and Synedrions of the Iewes and the Presbyteries in euery parish which some men labour to impose on the Church of Christ in euery christian kingdom and countrey The sorts of regiments setled amongst the Iewes by Gods law were these Under Moses the chiefe magistrate by the counsell of Iethro consent of the people allowance of God were y â— knowen and wise men of euery tribe set to be rulers and captaines ouer thousands ouer hundreds ouer fifties ouer tens they iudged the people at all seasons and brought the hard matters vnto Moses iudged all small causes themselues When matters of importance grew many wearied Moses God willed him to bring seuentie men whom he knew to be Elders gouernors of the people and they should beare the burden
Thou beginnest to account thy brother as a Publicane thou doest binde him on earth When thou doest correct and make agreement with thy brother thou hast loosed him on earth and when thou loosest him on earth hee shall be loosed in heauen Which of these twaine be preferred I force not so the first be not impugned as disagreeing from the Text. Some thinke our Sauior would not prescribe how the Iewes should proceede in their priuat suits and quarels that care belonging rather to Counsellers at the law then to Preachers of y â— word I conclude then there can be no proportion nor imitation neither of the higher nor of the meaner Synedrion amongst the Iewes expected or admitted in the Church of Christ and as for the words of Christ in the 18. of Mathew whereon some new writers build the foundation of their laie-Presbyterie they be free farre from any such construction or conclusion and the Catholike fathers expounding that place be further from the mention or motion of any such regiment CHAP. V. The Apostolicall preheminence and authoritie before and after Christes ascention ALbeit the sonne of God assembled no Churches whiles he liued on earth nor setled the Iewes Synedrion to remaine amongst the faithfull for ought that we find by the sacred Scriptures yet least the house of God should be vnfinished and his haruest vngathered in his own person whiles he walked here he called and authorized from and aboue the rest certaine workemen and stewards to take the chiefe charge care and ouersight after his departure of Gods building husbandrie for which cause he made when as yet hee was conuerfant with men a plaine distinction betwixt his disciples choosing Twelue of them to be his Apostles and appointing other 70. to goe before him into euery Citie and place whither he should come and to preach the kingdom of God giuing those Twelue larger Commission perfecter instruction higher authoritie and greater gifts of his holy spirite then the rest of his disciples which hee made labourers also in his haruest and messengers of his kingdome The Twelue not the 70. were the continuall and domesticall hearers of all his sermons and beholders of all his wonders as chosen to witnesse his doctrine doings and suffrings to the world the Twelue and no more were present when he did institute his last supper and they alone heard and had those heauenly praiers and promises which then he made To the Eleuen apart from the rest was giuen in mount Oliuet the Commission to teach all Nations and looke how God sent his sonne so sent he them as Apostles that is Ambassadours from his side not onely to preach the trueth and plant the Church throughout the world but in his name to commaund those that beleeued in all cases of faith good maners to set an order amongst them in all things needfull for the gouernement continuance peace and vnitie of the Church sharply to rebuke and reiect from the societie of the faithfull such as resisted or disobeied to commit the Churches to sound and sincere Teachers and ouerseers to stop the mouthes of those that taught things they should not for filthie lucres sake and to deliuer them to Satan that persisted in their impieties or blasphemies As for the gifts of Gods spirite they were so great in his Apostles that they both preaching and writing deliuered infallible trueth to the Churches of God and that in all languages of the world and euen the shadowes and the napkins that had touched their bodies did heale the sicke and cast out deuils these miraculous workings of the holy Ghost not onely themselues had in greater measure then any others but they gaue them vnto others by laying their hands on them When Philip had conuerted and baptised the people of Samaria in the name of the Lord Iesus yet none of them receiued the gifts of the holy Ghost vntill two of the Apostles came downe to them praied for them and laid hands on them and then was the holy Ghost giuen them through laying on of the Apostles hands Philip though he preached and baptized the beleeuers as well as the Apostles did yet could he not bestow on them the gifts of the holy Ghost that was reserued to the Apostles as to persons of an higher calling in the Church of Christ then Philip was and yet was he one of the seuen deacons also an Euangelist as S. Luke witnesseth and wel appeareth by his dispensing the word Sacraments WheÌ„ Paul laid his hands on the 12. disciples at Ephesus they straight way spake with diuers tongues and prophesied So that our Sauiour as well liuing on earth as ascending on high kept a differeÌ„ce betwixt his Apostles the rest of his disciples that were preachers both in hauing them alwayes with him the better to acquaint them with the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen and in leauing vnto them at his departure the conuerting and instructing of all nations and in powring on them after his ascension a greater aboundance of his holy spirite then on the rest for the better execution of the charge committed vnto them For the plainer proofe whereof we may remember that when our Lord and Master elected 12. Apostles to be with him other 70. disciples to goe before him at the first gathering of his Church hee did imitate the choice which God made in the wildernesse of twelue chiefe Princes and seuentie Elders to guide and gouerne the people of Israel by their two seuerall numbers distinguishing their two seuerall degrees and when Iudas by transgression fell from his Apostleship an other was taken out of the 70. to supplie his roome which needed not if the 70. had had before equall place and calling with the Apostles Ierome saieth Qui prouehitur de minore ad maiâ—s prouehitur hee that is promoted is promoted from the lesse to the greater Now that Iudas successor was taken out of the 70. and not out of the Laitie appeareth by this that euery Apostle was to haue his calling from Christ as the 70. had and not from men and on Matthias the Apostles imposed no hands which argued that hee was called before by Christ himselfe amongst the 70. And so saieth Ierome Matthias being one of the 70. was chosen into the order of the eleuen in the place of Iudas the traitour And Epiphanius Christ sent 72. to preach of whose number was Matthias which in Iudas place was numbred amongst the Apostles Eusebius also confirmeth the same report that Matthias which was chosen to be an Apostle in the place of Iudas the traitor had before that the calling of one of the 70. Paul numbring the diuersities of gifts and administrations in the Church saieth God hath ordained in the Church first Apostles next Prophets thirdly Teachers then those that do miracles after that the gifts of healing helping gouerning c. reckoning
elect Angels that thou obserue these things without preiudice or parcialitie And in the very close of his epistle I charge thee before God and Iesus Christ that thou keepe these precepts without spot or reproofe In like maner to Titus an other of his helpers and coadiutors in the Gospell For this cause I left thee in Crete to supplie those things y t want orrectifie those things which remaine to ordain Elders in euery city as I appointed thee There are many vaine talkers deceiuers of minds whose mouthes must be stopped that subuert whole houses for filthy lucres sake Rebuke y â— Cretians sharply that they may be sound in faith not take heed to Iewish fables coÌ„mandements of meÌ„ These things speake exhort reprooue with all authoritie Let no man despise thee Reiect him that is an hereâ—ike after the first second admonition By these the like precepts she wing himselfe euery where to speake as Christes embassadour and in matters of faith good behauiour and needfuâ—l discipline to be the Apostle and Teacher of the Gentiles for in all these things not onely the people that were beleeuers but euen the godly Pastours Prophets and Euangelists perceiuing his sinceritie and reuerencing his authoritie obeied the Apostles voyce as hauing the spirite of Christ giuen him for the perfect directing and guiding of the Church amongst the Gentiles Much more might be sayd to this effect but by this it is euident that the Apostles function and calling was superiour to all other degrees and offices of the Church of Christ were they Deacons Doctors and Pastours Prophets or Euangelists or of the 70. Disciples and this their superioritie was giuen them by Christ himselfe whiles he liued on earth and confirmed vnto them by the mightie gifts and power of his holy spirite after his ascending into the heauens and acknowledâ—ed and honoured by all the faithfull so long as the Apostles liued none spurning at it or contradicting it but such as drew disciples after them to raigne ouer their brethren or seduced the simple to serue their owne bellies S. Iohn noteth Diotrephes for not acknowledging his Apostleship in this wise I wrote to the Church but Diotrephes that loueth to be chiefest among them receiueth vs not wherefore when I come I will declare his workes which hee doeth prating against vs with lewd wordes Farre otherwise were the godly Pastours and Teachers minded in the Church of Christ yeelding with all submission vnto the Apostles as vnto the expresse messengers of Gods will and disposers of his mysteries and putting a great difference betwixt the Apostolike function and theirs as Ignatius confesseth in his epistle to the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I prescribe or enioyne nothing vnto you as Peter and Paul did they were the Apostles of Iesus Christ but I the least And agayne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I commaund not as an Apostle but keepe my selfe within my measure Whereof we neede no further nor surer proofe then this that the whole Church then and euer since did and doeth hold all the precepts rules orders and admonitions of the Apostles contained in their epistles for authenticall oracles of the holy Ghost and partes of the Canonicall Scripture and they no doubt had the same authoritie speaking which they had writing and consequently no Pastour or Teacher might then more resist or refuse the Apostles doctrine decrees or doings then we may now their letters sermons or epistles This Prerogatiue to be best acquainted with the will and meaning of our Sauiour and to haue their mouthes and pennes directed and guided by the holy Ghost into all trueth as well of doctrine as discipline was so proper to the Apostles that no Euangelist nor Prophet in the new Testament came neere it and therefore the stories written by Marke and Luke were not admitted to be Canonical in respect of the writers but for that they were taken from the Apostles mouthes and by the Apostles perused and confirmed as true and sincere So saieth Luke of his owne Gospell As they deliuered vnto vs which from the beginning were eie witnesses and ministers of the word as soone as I searched out perfectly from the first all things it seemed good to me in order to write them And those his writings S. Paul saieth were ratified and receiued in all Churches I haue sent the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the Churches which could not haue so generally bene accepted with good liking but that the Apostles who then gouerned and directed the Churches had first viewed approued the same els neither would the faithfull haue so esteemed it nor S. Paul so commended it The Gospel of Marke had the like approbation froÌ„ Peter as Ierome others doe testifie Marke the disciple interpreter of Peter according as he had heard Peter make relatioÌ„ wrote a short gospel being therto desired by the brethren at Rome The which Gospell when Peter heard he allowed it by his authoritie published it to be read of y e church as Clemens in his first booke Hypotypωseωγ writeth Can any man doubt reading the words of S. Paul which I haue cited but the Apostles had in the Church of Christ right to require and command power to rebuke and reuenge authoritie to dispose and ordaine in all such cases as touched the soundnesse of faith syncerenesse of life or seemlinesse of order amongst the faithfull and that in so doing they did not vsurpe vpoÌ„ their brethren nor tyrannize ouer them but were guided by Gods spirit and obeied as Christes messengers and Legates in euery place where the trueth was admitted Neither did Paul resolue conclude in such cases by number of voyces or assent of the Presbyterie but as himselfe speaketh so I teach in all Churches if an Angel from heauen teach otherwise hold him accursed some are puffed vp as if I would not come to you but I will come to you shortly by Gods leaue and know not the wordes but the power of those that swell thus if any man obey not our sayings note him by a letter and keepe no companie with him Under the Apostles were a number of their disciples whom the Apostles caried with them as companions of their iourneis and helpers of their labours and whom when they had perfectly trained and throughly tried they left any where behind them at their departure or sent any whither in their absence to finish things imperfect to redresse things amisse to withstand or preuent false prophets and seducers to suruey the state of the Churches and to keep theÌ„ in that course which was first desiuered by the Apostles These men for their better instruction serued with the Apostles as children with their fathers So Paul saieth of Timothie Yee know the proofe of him that as a sonne with his father he hath serued with me in the Gospel Touching
these the Churches had commandement if they came to receiue theÌ„ that is to beleeue them trust them as men sincerely minded sent from the Apostles yea to admit them with all gladnesse and highly to esteeme of them From their mouthes as perfectly vnderstanding the Apostles doctrine doings and meaning by reason of their continuall societie with them were other Pastours of the Church to be directed and instructed Persist thou saieth Paul to Timothie in those things which thou hast learned and are committed to thee knowing of whom thou hast learned them And what things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses the same deliuer to faithfull men that they may be able to teach others And againe I haue sent vnto you Timotheus which is my beloued sonne and faithfull in the Lord who shall put you in remembrance of my wayes as I teach euery where in euery Church These were charged by Paul to require and command the Pastours and Preachers to refraine from false doctrine and to stop their mouthes or reiect them that did otherwise to ordaine Elders according to the necessitie of the places and receiue accusations against them and sharplie openly to rebuke them if they sinned and that with all authoritie These things the Apostle earnestly requireth and before Christ and his elect Angels chargeth Timothie and Tite to doe It is then euident they might so doe for how vaine and friuolous were all those protestations made by S. Paul if Timothie and Tite had onely voyces amongst the rest and nothing to doe but as the rest How farre was the Apostle ouerseene to adiure them and not the whole Presbyterie to keepe his prescriptions inuiolable if the Elders might euery houre countermaund them and ouer-rule them by number of voyces Since then they were willed and consequently warranted by the Apostles to ordaine examine rebuke and reiect Pastors Elders as iust occasion serued equal ouer equal hath no power nor preheminence It is certaine that as wel the Apostles authorizing as their disciples authorized so to do were superiors in the Church of Christ to Pastours and Elders and likewise that they might and did perfourme and execute the Apostles rules and prescriptions without expecting the consent of Pastours or Presbyteries and the Churches of Christ knew they were bound to obey and bee subiect to them in those cases guided by the Apostles mouthes or letters as well as if the Apostles had bene present and that to resist them was to resist the order which the holy Ghost had approoued in gouerning the Church CHAP. VI. What dominion and titles Christ interdicted his Apostles THe power and prerogatiue of the Apostles aboue Euangelists Prophets Pastours Doctors and all others in the Church would the sooner bee granted were it not that certaine places in holie Scripture seeme repugnant to it as where Christ forbade his Apostles all dominion ouer their brethren and the Apostles in electing to offices assembling in councell to determine of faith imposing of handes and putting the wicked out of the Church seemed not to chalenge all to themselues but to associate others with them as if the right thereof appertained so well to the Church Presbyterie as to the Apostles which particular actions cause many men to thinke that alone the Apostles could not execute these things but iointly with others It shall therefore not be amisse to consider the places In the contention amongst the disciples for superioritie wee must obserue the occasion of their strife and the affection of the striuers The occasioÌ„ was ministred by Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebedee who by their mother importuned Christ that in his kingdome her sonnes might be the chiefest men about him and sit the one at his right hand the other at his left These two dreamed as the rest of the Jewes and also the other Apostles did whiles they were weake vntill they were endued with the power of the holy Ghost from heauen that the Messias should restore the temporall kingdom to Israel and sit as an earthly prince in great glorie on the throne of Dauid his father and rule all nations with a rod of iron receiuing of them subtection seruice and tribute as other Princes vsed and whatsoeuer the Prophets foretold of the wonderful plentie tranquilitie excellencie of the kingdome of Christ these two not sauouring as yet the things that were Gods nor vnderstanding any thing of the spiritual kingdom of Christ applied to fit their earthly desires hoped for great promotions by seruing their master and looked to beare rule to be chiefe men about him when he came to his glory The other ten being deceiued with the same error caried with the like hope though not expressed in so ambitious maner disdained the two brethren the neerer their master drew towards his death y â— sharper grew the strife amongst them who should be greatest chiefest about him when he came to his kingdom which they supposed should be earthly This vaine expectation and contention of his disciples the Lord vtterly suppresseth at his last supper for there the strife reuiued by assuring them that his kingdom was no worldly kingdom and therefore they might not looke to be great Commanders and Rulers ouer others for so his words import Princes of the Gentils beare rule ouer them and great States exercise authoritie on them with you it shall not be so that is you shall not haue any such rule or dominion as they haue He doeth not say you shall haue no prerogatiue nor preheminence aboue others but you shall haue no such or it shall not be so with you as it is with them By this all ciuill iurisdiction power of the sword to command compell punish by losse of life liâ—â—â—e or libertie is secluded from the ministers function and reserued to the Magistrates but Christ neuer meant by those words to barre all degrees and diuersities of gifts and administrations in his Church he rather expresseth the coutrarie euen in the same place Ye are they saieth he to his Apostles which haue continued with me in my tentations and I for recompense appoint you a kingdom as my father hath appointed to me that you may eate drinke at my table in my kingdom and sit vpon thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel And not depriuing them of that honour which he had or would bestow on them to be chiefe in his kingdome but instructing them how to vse it without offending God or grieuing their brethren he addeth He that is greatest amongst you let him be as the least and he that is chiefest as he that serueth In which wordes the Lord noteth amanifest distinction amongst his of some greater some lesse some chiefer some lower and chargeth his Apostles to vse that greatnesse and authoritie which they had in
Churches In the Gospell he nameth his Apostles The Salt of the earth and Light of the worlde The Scripture which cannot be broken calleth them Gods to whome the word of God came How beautifull are the feete of them saith Paul which bring glad tidings of peace Our eies if it were possible are not too deare for them We owe them not onely honour but euen our selues And to speake vprightly if euery man on earth be measured by the degree of his master and dignitie of his seruice I see no cause why Christs Embassadours and the Stewards and Rulers of Gods houshold should be contemptible in the eyes of their fellow seruants that should obey them and be subiect to them as vnto their spiritual Leaders Teachers and Fathers Is this assertion strange or new in the Church of Christ Esto subiectus Pontifici tuo quasi Parentem animae suspice Be subiect saith Ierome to thy Bishop and reuerence him as the father of thy soule For good cause ought we saith Chrysostome not only to stand in more awe of Priests then of Kings and Princes but also to giue them more honour then our naturall Parents The king saith Austen beareth the Image of God euen as the Bishop doth of Christ. As long then as he holdeth that office he is to be honoured if not for himselfe yet for his order And Ambrose Honor sublimitas Episcopalis nullis poterit comparationibus adaequari The honour and height of a Bishops function can be matched by no comparison the sheep that are committed to Priests or Pastours are truely said to be vnder their Leaders the Gospel determining that the Scholler is not aboue his Master And againe Haec cuncta c. vt ostenderemus nihil esse in hoc seculo excellentius Sacerdotibus nihil sublimius Episcopis reperiri All this to shew that no condition in this world can be found more excellent then a Priests no calling higher then a Bishop If you compare it to the brightnes of Kings or diadems of Princes that is more inferiour to it saieth Ambrose then lead vnto gold yea they haue that power giuen them saith Chrysostom which God would not giue to Angels nor Archangels Iesus Christ saith Cyprian our King Iudge and God euen vnto the day of his death yeelded honor vnto the Priests and Bishops of the Iewes though they retained neither the feare of God nor knowledge of Christ teaching vs lawfully and fully to honour true Priestes by his behauiour vnto false Priests These Fathers in your iudgement doe not meane that externall and ciuil honour should be yeelded to the persons of Teachers and Bishops but spirituall and inward reuerence to bee due to their calling Much lesse doe they meane that contempt and reproch should be requited them for their paynes If wee sticke at titles Christ himselfe calleth them Starres Angels and Gods if wee doubt of their power or honour they haue more power then the Angelles as Chrysostome sayeth and must haue more honour then the Fathers of our flesh If anie like not the conclusion let him reade Chrysostomes probation more at large in the place afore cited As for the distinction of outward or inward honour due to their persons or professions if the men bee good it is superfluous wee must honour both if the men bee badde their vocation must bee honoured though their vices bee condenmed and that honour as I saide before must appeare in heart worde and deede For if one of these faile it is not honour but neglect and contempt which God will reuenge Non te reiecerunt sed me They haue not reiected thee but mee is an ancient verdict of Gods owne giuing Hee that despiseth you in heart worde or deede despiseth mee Honourthy father bindeth the whole man not this or that parte of man and duetie to Parentes and superiours is violated euen with wordes and lookes But godlie Teachers must looke for reward and honour at Gods handes and not from men I knowe it well the worlde shall vse them as it vsed their Master yet doeth not that excuse the neglecters and contemners of them yea rather it is an euident signe hee loueth not God that despiseth his Prophets and reprocheth Christ that dishonoureth his Ministers God is my witnesse I smoothe no mans pride I seeke no mans fauour I wade as sincerely as my simple learning will suffer mee and by that as I finde Christ for biddeth his Disciples all affectation of honour and desire of superioritie and requireth the greatest after his example to serue the lowest so I see no reason why it shoulde grieue any godlie minde to heare a Bishoppe called by that name with which Saint Peter willeth euerie woman to houour her husband For to mee it is strange it shoulde bee a prowde and Antichristian Title in a Pastour which may be giuen to euerie Artisant with duetie and humilitie Howbeit what externall appellation or honour is meete or vnmeete for the Pastours and Fathers of Christes Church I leaue it wholie to the wisedome and consideration of the State who are fit Iudges therefore and not euerie curious head or couetous heart to order the Cleargie at their pleasures With trueth and sobrietie I may affirme this that the first Christian Princes and Emperours to cause religion the more to flourish did what they coulde to make the people honour and reuerence their Bishops permitting them to heare and determine all quarrels and strifes betweene man and man for debts goodes or lands and confirming the iudgements of the Bishops euen in such cases by publike Lawes and by their owne example teaching all men to submit their heads vnder the Bishops hands Place you such a one in the Episcopall seate saith Valentinian to the Synode assembled for the choise of a Bishop of millan to whom we our selues the Rulers of the Empire may sincerely or willingly submit our heads and whose reproofes we may receiue as an wholesome medicine Thou mayest see saith Ambrose the necks of Kings and Princes bowed downe to the Priests knees and kissing the right hands of Priests thinke themselues garded with their prayers To a King saith Chrysostome are bodies committed to a Priest Soules the one hath sensible armor the other spiritual he fighteth against the Barbarians I against Diuels This is the greater soueraigntie therefore the King submitteth his head to the Priests hands Constantine the great by his Lawes gaue leaue that those which would decline the ciuil Magistrates might appeale to the iudgement of their Bishops and commaunded the sentence of the Bishoppes to take place before the sentence of other Iudges as if it had bene pronounced by the Emperour himselfe and to be put in execution by the Presidents and their officers And lest wee shoulde thinke this Lawe reached onely to spirituall things Saint Augustine sheweth in his time with what matters they
were troubled Men saith he desiring to finish their secular causes by our iudgement call vs holy and the seruants of God about golde and siluer landes and chattels quotidie submisso capite salutamur wee are euery day saluted with lowe bowing the head to determine the strifes of men I alleage not these things to haue them reuiued too much honor inflameth ambition as too little engendreth contempt I onely obserue in the best ages how careful good Princes were in their owne persons to honour the Bishops of Christes Church and by their Lawes to make them acceptable to the people where as in our dayes some wayward spirites thinke it a great point of pietie by despising and reproching their state and calling as vnchristian and vngodly to make them contemptible odious to the meanest of the multitude A better way to reforme the faults of Bishops is that admonition which Ambrose gaue them when he said Ne sit honor sublimis vita deformis Ne sit Deifica professio illicita actio Ne sit gradus excelsus deformis excessus Nam quanto prae caeteris gradus Episcopalis altior est tanto si per negligentiam dilabatur ruina grauior est Magna sublimitas magnam debet habere cautelam honor grandis grandiori debet solicitudine circumuallari Let not the honour of Bishops be loftie and their life loathsome their profession diuine and their action vnlawfull their state high and their excesse shamefull For the higher a Bishoppes degree is aboue the rest the greeuouser is his fall if hee slide by negligence Great dignitie ought to haue great warinesse Much honor should be kept with much carefulnesse To whome more is committed of him more shal be required Hee impeacheth not the honour of their calling but assureth them their iudgement shall be encreased and punishment aggrauated if their care and diligence doe not answere that honor and reuerence which they haue in the Church of God aboue their brethren Then as they that affect this dignitie because they woulde be honoured before men are condemned before God so this is the cause of all euill saieth Chrysostome that the authoritie of ecclesiasticall Rulers is decayed and no reuerence no honour no feare is yeelded to them Hee that is religiously affected to the Priest will with greater pietie reuerence God and hee that despiseth the Priest commeth by degrees to this at last that hee waxeth contumelious against God him selfe The summe of all is first that our Sauiour interdicted his Apostles and consequently the Pastours of his Church by vertue of their Ministerie to claime any ciuill dominion to commaund and compell which is the power that Princes and Lordes vse ouer their subiects and seruants Next they must neither desire nor delight any titles of honor and praise from men but expect the comming of the Arch-pastour when euery one shall haue praise from God Thirdly howe great soeuer they be they must serue the lowest of their brethren to doe them good and watch ouer them for the sauing of their soules yet this nothing hindereth the rule and gouernement that pastours haue ouer their flocks by the word of God neither doth it barre them or depriue them of that honour and obedience which in heart word and deed is due to the Fathers of our faith the Embassadours of Christ and Stewards of Gods houshold CHAP. VII Who ioyned with the Apostles in election of Presbyters and imposition of hands IN choosing of Elders and Deacons and laying hands on them many thinke the whole Church or at least the Presbyterie ioyned with the Apostles and to that ende sundrie Precedents are alleadged as namely the choice of Matthias of the seauen Deacons of the Elders of Lystra Iconium and other Churches in the 14. of the Actes and of Timothie all which seeme to prooue the Apostles did nothing of theÌ„selues but with the consent concurrence of others To come by thetrueth what the Scriptures resolue in these two points the best way will be to examine the places in order as they lie In the choice of Matthias it is not expressed that the Church intermedled Peter acquainted all the Disciples that one must supplie y â— roume of Iudas but who named those two that were appointed whether the Apostles or all the Disciples it is not decided in the Text the force and coherence of the words conuince neither For thus they stand And they appointed two and they prayed saying and they cast lottes If prayers and lottes were perfourmed by the Apostles as by the principall directors of that action and thereto ledde by the instinct of Gods spirite consequently it was their deede to present them both to God that hee might them which of theÌ„ he had chosen Besides an Apostle might not be chosen by men much lesse by the people and therefore no question the spirit of God made this election and the Disciples afterward acknowledged it for Gods doing and accounted Matthias with the eleuen But Chrysostome saith Non ipse â—os statuit sed omnes Pèter himselfe did not appoint those two but all did it Yea hee saith further Considera quà m Petrus agit omnia ex communi Discipulorum sententia nihil authoritate sua nihil cum imperio Marke how Peter doth al things by the common consent of the Disciples nothing by his owne authoritie nothing by commandement He saith so in deed but the Text saith not so only the verbe is the plural number which may be referred to the Apostles aswel as to the rest of the Disciples yet the reason why Peter did it not was not for that it was not lawfull for him without the multitude to doe it but as Chrysostome noteth lest he should seeme to gratifie the one and not the other as also that as yet he had not receiued the holie Ghost An non licebat ipsi eligere Licebat quidem maximè verum id non facit ne cui videretur gratificari Quanquam alioqui nondum erat particeps spiritus Might not Peter haue chosen him He might most lawfully but he did it not lest he should seeme to gratifie either part Aibeit as yet hee was not partaker of the holie Ghost And for that cause as Chrysostome thinketh they cast lottes Quontam non-erat spiritus sortibus rem peragunt Because the holy ghost was not yet powred on them therefore they determine the matter by lottes The choice of the seauen Deacons was referred to the multitude the approbation of them reserued to the twelue and that not without cause For by this choice the Deacons as they say receiued not charge of the word and sacraments but a care to see the Saints prouided for and the collections and contributions of the faithfull sincerely and vprightly employed according to the necessities of the persons Now that the people shoulde very well like and fully trust such as shoulde bee Stewards of their goodes and dispensers of their
substance had euident reason and the Apostles in so doing staied the murmuring of the Disciples and freed themselues from al suspition of neglecting their widowes which was the cause of their dislike by praying them to choose out of themselues such as they best trusted to care for their tables distribute their store By the circumstance of the Text it seemeth that where the beleeuers liued in one place and had al things in common selling their lands possessioÌ„s goods they brought the price thereof and layed it downe at the Apostles feete to be distributed to euery man according as hee had neede the Apostles had put some in trust to bestowe the Churches treasure I meane the Disciples goodes who of like being Iewes regarded the widowes that were Iewes more then the Grecians widowes And hence arose the grudging of the Grecians that their widows were neglected The Apostles then excused themselues for that they might not leaue the preaching of the word and attend for tables to see their widowes indifferently vsed and willed the whole multitude to look out from amongst theÌ„selues such as were replenished with the holy ghost with wisdom best reported of for fidelitie and industrie to take the ouersight of that businesse This is all that can bee pressed out of this storie For answere hereof first by your owne doctrine the parties there chosen receiued not power to preach and baptise but to dispence the goods of the Church for the dayly prouision of the Saints who then liued together and yeelded all their abilitie to be vsed in common at the discretion of these parties appointed by themselues And though Philip did preach and baptise at Samaria and did the like to the Eunuch of Ethiopia yet you auouch he did that not as a Deacon but as an Euangelist both which titles indeede Saint Luke giueth him in the one and twentieth Chapter of the Actes Next if it be true that Epiphanius writeth of them these seauen were all of the number of those seuentie Disciples which Christ himselfe called while she liued on earth and sent to preach aswel as Matthias and Barnabas that were named to succeede in the roome of Iudas the traitor and then by this election they had no ordinarie function in the Church but an extraordinarie charge to prouide for the widowes since none of the 70. Disciples could beginne againe at the lowest degree and become Deacons Chrysostome reasoning what office they had by this imposition of handes saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What dignitie these seauen had and what maner of imposition of hands they receiued it shal not be amisse to learn Was it the office of Deacons This now is not the Churches but this charge to looke to widows beloÌ„geth to Presbyters and as yet there was no bishop but the Apostles onely Wherefore I thinke it was neither the name of Deacons nor Presbyters expressely and plainely which these seuen receiued If these seuen were expresly neither Deacons nor Presbyters as Chrysostome thinketh they were not and the Councel in Trullo ioyneth with him in the same opinion then can their election be no proofe that others ioyned with the Apostles in the choice of Presbyters or Bishops If with Ignatius Cyprian Ierome and others we take these seuen for Deacons such as serued in the Church and attended on the Lords table when the mysteries of Christ were dispenced yet the Apostles made this no perpetuall rule for all elections otherwise neither Paul nor any other Apostle could haue imposed hands but on such as the people named and elected which is euidently repugnant to the Scriptures as in place conuenient shall appeare Againe this singular example concludeth no more for electing by voyces then the choice of Matthias doth for retaining of lots For since two sortes of elections were vsed by the Apostles presently the one vpon the other who can determine which of those twaine was prescribed to the Church as of necessity to be continued Lastly examples are noprecepts and the reasons that mooued the Apostles to referre the choice of those seven to the liking of the multitude admit infinite varieties circumstances which being altered the effect must needes alter according to the cause And therfore no general rule can be drawen from a particular fact without a strong reason to maintaine the coherence much lesse may you leape from the choice of Deacons in the Apostles time to conclude the like of the election of Presbyters and Bishops which then did and now do greatly differ both in giftes and calling from the Deacons That the Ministers and Elders of Lystra and Iconium and of the Churches confining were ordained by Paul and Barnabas can be no question the Text doth cleerely aâ—ouehit onely the signification of the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there vsed is forced by some to prooue that those Elders were chosen by the consent of others besides Paul and Barnabas because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they is to choose by lifting vp of handes which was the vse amongst the Grecians for the people to doe in their elections The aduantage taken vpon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not so sound as they suppose For first if that were the right Etymologie of the word yet as most words in Greeke Hebrew besides the externall action and circumstance which they first importe do signifie the effects and consequents depending on that action and circumstance and are by translation generally and vsually applied to other things so this worde doeth signifie to elect and appoint though no handes bee helde vp because electing and appointing was the effect and consequent of lifting vp the handes To prooue this wee neede go no further then the tenth chapter of this verie Booke where Saint Luke without all contradiction vseth the word in such sorte and sense as I mention This Iesus of Nazareth God raised vp the third day and shewed him openly not to all the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to vs witnesses chosen or appointed before-hand of God It were more then absurde to imagine that God did choose the Apostles to bee witnesses of his sonnes resurrection by lifting vp of handes God hath not hands to lift vp the Apostles neither were nor could be chosen by the peoples hands wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie simply to choose and appoint though it â—e not doone with holding vp of hands nor by the people Againe were the word in the 14. of the Acts vsed in that signification which they vrge as namely to consent or elect with holding vp the hands yet the Text doth manifestly restraine it to Paul and Barnabas that they did elect and appoint by stretching out their hands such Elders as the Churches then needed For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is for a man to holde vp or stretch out his owne hand and not other mens hands and no example will euer be brought
dismisse Paul and Barnabas that they might attend the worke whereto hee had appoynted them Simeon Lucius and Manahen that prophesied and preached at Antioch together with them fasted prayed and laied their handes on them and let them goe When the seuen were chosen to see the whole assemblie prouided for and the goods of the faithfull well distributed the Apostles praied for them and laied their hands 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Here first appearâ—th the or 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 in whose election for the traill of their vprightnesse discretion and diligence to dispose the goods and almes of the Church the people were consulted as for maâ—â—ers not exceeding their reach and appertaining to their 〈◊〉 but on the seuâ—â— the Apostles and none els laied haâ—â—es though the senentie disciples and Elders were then in place with theâ—â— Noâ—â— though the multitude were meete Iudges of those things which were then required in the Deacous yet could they no more iudge of the gifts and habilities of Pastours and Prophetes then blinde men of colours Knowledge directeth ignorance 〈◊〉 and disableth a Iudge In the worde and Sacramentes the people are to follow their leaders not to judge of their talents Of maners you thinke they may iudge and in that respect their consent needefull to the choosing of Elders Thereof hereafter in place more oportune wee nowe speake of the giftes and graces that were requisite to the function of Pastours and Prophets and those I say the multitude neither could neither can discerne or examine Howbeit this is not out question who could best iudge of euery mans giftes but who then could giue them for at the first planting of the fayth the Apostles were to make men fiâ—te whome they found vnfitte and not to discerne the giftes of such as were fitte and to that ende had they power with imposition of handes to giue the holy Ghost to such as otherwise without those giftes and before those giftes were most vnfitte An example will make it playne When the people of Samaria beleeued the preaching of Philip and were baptized in the name of Christ The holie Ghost came on none of them till Peter and Iohn came downe and prayed for them and laied their handes on them and so by laying on of the Apostles handes the holy Ghost was giuen them The miraculous giftes of the spirite to speake with strange tongues to heale all diseases but specially to preach pray and prophersie by reuelation without all humane learning or labour it pleased God at the first spreading of the Gospell to bestowe on many for the edifying of â—nd Church and worke of the ministerie for so the Apostle writeth that the manifestation of the spirite is giuen to euerie man to profite the Church withall These giftes the Apostles gaue with laying on of handes not to all that beleeued or desired them but to those persons whome the spirite pointed out and prepared for the spreading of the trueth and guiding of the Church and in such measure as the spirite pleased to comfort exhort and edifie the Church withall In Samaria Peter and Iohn found no meete men to vndertake the charge of the Church after their departure for they were latelie conuerted and skant yet trayned in the mysteries of Christian religion much lesse acquainted with the Scriptures by which their doâ—teine should bee directed and they enabled to teach conuince and instruct in righteousnesse but by imposition of handes they did furnish such as the holie Ghost named vnto them with all things needfull for their calling making some of them Prophetes some Pastours some otherwise and enduing euery one of them with graces answerable to their functions In which case wee may not bee so foolish as to thinke the people did elect on whom Peter and Iohn should impose handes but contrarywise the holie Ghost did name by voyce or by prophesie on whome hee would bestowe his giftes and on those the Apostles laied handes The like did Paul at Ephesus to the Twelue disciples that neuer heard of the giftes of the holy Ghost before Hee laied his handes on them and the holy Ghost came on them and they spake with congues and prophesied that is they were endued with giftes and graces meete for the gathering of the Saints together and worke of the ministerie Wee must confesse faieth Beza that in this place is described the first founding of the Ephesine Church whereas before this there were no orderly assemblies of the godly there and therefore the Apostle asketh them concerning those gifts with which God vsed speciallie to furnish such as were admitted to the gouernement of the Churches to wit whether handes were laied on them or they endâ—â—d with those giftes of the holy Ghost by which it might be gathered they were called by God to the sacred ministerie as namely the gift of tongues of prophesie The iudgement of Beza I take to bee very sound and good in this place and thence if I bee not deceiued I rightly conclude that Paul called these Twelue and laied hands on them to make them Prophets and Teachers in the Church of Ephesus when as yet there was neither assemblie to elect them nor Presbyterie to ioyne with him and consequentlie the imposition of Pauls handes alone without the Presbyterie was most sufficient to make Euangelists Prophets and Teachers in the Church of Christ. Yea what if the Presbyterie might not ioyne with Paul in that action but to giue the giftes of the holy Ghost with imposing handes was the peculiar signe and honour of his Apostleship At Samaria was Philip and euen there hee conuerted and baptized the citie and yet Philip there present might not ioyne with Peter and Iohn in laying on of handes but they two did it without Philip. Paul neuer trauelled alone and at this time Timothie and others did minister vnto him and yet hee alone laied handes on these Twelue to make them Prophetes That which hee saieth to the Romanes I know when I come I shall come vnto you with the abundance of the blessing of the Gospell of Christ may very well beare this sense that he should come vnto them with the plentifull giftes of Gods spirite to bee powred on them by his handes That which he saieth to the Corinthians can haue no other meaning The signes of an Apostle were wrought among you with signes wonders and powers for what is it wherein you were inferior to other Churches proouing himselfe to be an Apostle by the gifts and graces that God bestowed on them by his handes Thus much and more is confessed by Beza a man of no small account who grounding his opinion on the promise of Christ made onely to the Twelue accordingly performed saieth All the Twelue assembled on the day of Pentecost expecting the promise made for the good of the whole Church but not vnto the whole Church nor to all the Disciples but properly peculiarly to these twelue Luke 24.
Christes resurrection without either Presbyterie or people to concurre with them O you blessed and holie men saith Hilarie speaking of the Apostles that for the desert of your faith gate the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and obtained right to binde and loose in heauen and earth I suppose then it is not much to be contradicted that the Apostles had from their master a larger commission fuller instruction higher power and greater gifts then the rest of the Doctours Pastours Prophets and Euangelist in the Church of Christ and that the Churches in their time were not gouerned by the voyces and consents of the greater part concurring with them before any thing could be done but by their precepts and rules deliuered by speach or expressed by writing which the faithfull in euery place as well Pastors as people with all readinesse obeyed And that in appointing and ordeyning Pastors and Elders as likewise in reteyning sinnes and binding offenders by deliuering them vnto Satan or reiecting them from the felowship of Saints they needed not the helpe or agreement of the people or Presbyterie but had power sufficient with imposing their handes as the Spirite directed to make Prophets and Pastors by giuing them the gifts of the holy Ghost needefull for their seuerall callings and by the same power coulde yeeld the bodies of such as sinned and repented not to be punished and afflicted by Satan or remooue them from the Communion of Christes Church and exclude them from the kingdome of heauen as their wickednes or wilfulnes deserued This superioritie they reteined whiles they liued so moderating their power that they sought rather to winne the euill disposed with lenitie then represse them with authoritie saue when the wicked might no longer be endured lest others should be iufected and vsing such meekenes and mildnes towards al that no schisme disordered the Church by their rigour nor soule perished by their default labouring more to profit many with their paines then to preferre themselues before any by their priuiledge and vtterly forgetting their owne dignitie whiles they serued and aduanced Christes glory I obserue as well their patience as their preeminence lest any man should thinke I goe about to make them Princes in the Church of Christ to commaund and punish at their pleasures and not rather faithfull Stewards and careful Shepheards to feede and guide the Church committed to their charges CHAP. IX What parts of the Apostles power and charge were to remaine in the Church after their decease and to whom they were committed IT will happely be graunted the Apostles had their prerogatiue and preeminence aboue others in the Church of Christ but that limitted to their persons and during for their liues and therfore no reason can be made from their superioritie to force the like to be receiued and established in the Church of Christ for all ages and places since their office and function are long since ceased and no like power reserued to their successours after them I doe not denie but many things in the Apostles were personall giuen them by Gods wisedome for the first spreading of the fayth and planting of the Churches amongst Jewes and Gentiles that all nations might be conuerted vnto Christ by the sight of their miracles and directed by the trueth of their doctrine yet that all their gifts ended with their liues and no part of their charge and power remained to their after-commers may neither be confessed by vs nor affirnted by any vnlesse we meane wholy to subuert the church of Christ. To be called by Christes owne mouth and sent into all nations to be furnished with the infallible assurance of his trueth and visible assistance of his spirit not onely to speake with tongues cure diseases worke miracles know secretes and vnderstand all wisedom but to giue the holy Ghost to others that they might doe the like these things I say were needfull at the first preaching of the Gospell to conuert infidels that neuer heard of Christ before to confirme the beleeuers compassed with diuers temptations and to store the whole world then presently with meete Pastours and Teachers but to maintaine the Church once setled and faith once preached there is no cause why either the immediate vocation or generall commission or mightie operation and sudden inspirations of the Apostles should alwayes endure The Scriptures once written suffice all ages for instruction the miracles then done are for euer a most euident confirmation of their doctrine the authoritie of their first calling liueth yet in their succession and time and trauell ioyned with Gods graces bring Pastours at this present to perfection yet the Apostles charge to teach baptize and administer the Lordes Supper to bind and loose sinnes in heauen and in earth to impose hands for the ordaining of Pastours and Elders these partes of the Apostolike function and charge are not decaied and cannot bee wanted in the Church of God There must either be no church or els these must remaine for without these no church can continue The Gospell must be preached the Sacraments must be frequented for which purposes some must bee taken to the publike seruice and ministerie of the Church for how shall they inuocate in whom they haue not beleeued or how shall they beleeue in him of whome they haue not heard or how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they bee sent without sending there can bee no preaching without preaching the word there is no ordinarie meanes for faith and without faith there is no Church Neither onely the lacke of the word and Sacraments but the prophanation and abuse of either how greatly doethit endanger the state and welfare of the whole Church of Christ yea the casting of holy things vnto dogges and of pearles before swine how dreadfull a iudgement doeth it procure as well to the consenters as presumers A little leauen so wreth the whole masse So that power to send labourers into Gods haruest and to separate prophane persons for deâ—iling the mysteries and assemblies of the faythfull must be retained and vsed in the Church of Christ vnlesse we will turne the house of God into a denne of theeues and make the Temple a cage for vncleane and hatefull birdes As the things be needfull in the Church of Christ so the persons to whom they were first committed cannot bee doubted Goe teach all Nations baptizing them sayd our Sauiour to the eleuen in mount Oliuet whenhe ascended Doe this in remembrance of mee sayd hee to the twelue that sate at supper with him After his resurrection when hee appeared to the eleuen sitting together hee sayd As my father sent me so send I you Receiue yee the holy Ghost whose sinnes yee remit they are remitted whose sinnes yee retaine they are retained for though the Lord before his death promised the keyes of the kingdome of heauen vnto Peter and as then sayde nothing vnto the
to doe must needes bee theirs you must free them from both or leaue both vnto them If it shall be required at their hands they may not be forced by others if none can excuse them none may compell them We may plainely perceiue as well by their calling which they haue from God as by the account they shall yeeld vnto God that the deliuering or with-holding the Sacraments is in the Pastours power and charge and not in theirs which haue neither vocation nor commission to meddle with the word or Sacraments No small punishment saieth Chrysostome to those that ministred the Communion hangeth ouer you if knowing any man to be wicked you suffer him to be partaker of this Table His blood shall be required at your hands If he be a Captaine a Consul or a crowned king that commeth vnworthily forbid him and keepe him off thy power is greater then his If any such get to the Table reiect him without feare If thou darest not remooue him tell it me I will not suffer it I wil yeeld my life rather then the Lords body to any vnwoorthy person and suffer my bloud to be shed before I will graunt that sacred blood to any but to him that is woorthie Againe it cannot be doubted but the moderation of the keies and imposition of hands were at first setled in the Apostles and exercised by them as I haue already made proofe by the Scriptures and neither the people nor laie-Elders succeed the Apostles but onely the Pastours and ministers of the worde and Sacraments They can haue no part of the Apostolike commission that haue no shew of Apostolike succession They must looke not onely what they chalenge but also from whom they deriue it if from the Apostles then are they their successours if from Christ as Colleagues ioyned with the Apostles wee must finde that consociation in the Gospell before wee cleare them from intrusion No man should take this honour vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as the Apostles were If they be called by Christ read their assignation from Christ if they bee not surcease that presumption But in deede how should they bee called to denie the Sacramentes that are not licenced to deuide the Sacramentes or what right haue they to staie the seale that haue no power to affixe the seale The worde of God is sealed by his Sacramentes and whom he hath sent to denounce the one those hath hee chosen to annexe the other If in preaching the word laie-men were no publique parteners with the Apostles in directing the Sacraments which are the seales of the Gospell they could not bee linked with the Apostles They must be trusted with both or with neither And so are Pastours receiuing by succession the power and charge both of the word and Sacramentes from and in the first Apostles and messengers of Christ. The Elders that are among you I exhort saieth Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Co-elder with you feede yee the flocke of God committed to you Pastours then which feede the flocke haue coparcinerie with the Apostles Laie-men haue not and consequently the power and right granted by Christ to his Apostles and their successours may not be chalenged or communicated to them that haue no fellowship with the Apostolike function God forbidde saieth Ierome that I should speake any euill of those who succeeding the Apostolike degree make the body of Christ with their sacred mouth by whome we become Christians who hauing the keies of the kingdome of heauen in sort iudge before the day of iudgement A monke hath one calling a Clergie man another Clergie men feede the flocke I am fed It is not lawfull for me to sit before a Priest he may if I sinne deliuer mee to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirite may be saued With imposing of hands it may be the people had nothing to doe but the electing of Pastours when they came once to bee chosen pertained chieflie wholie to them as the storie of the primitiue Church declareth and so the retaining and remitting of sinnes the multitude might not chalenge but with casting notorious and scandalous offenders out of their company the whole Church did intermeddle as appeareth by Pauls wordes written to the Church and not to the Pastours or Elders of Corinth I come not yet to the maner of electing Pastours vsed in the primitiue Church when prophesie failed and the miraculous gifts of the spirite ceased I reserue it as time and order lead me to the next age after the Apostles but with the Apostles as there was no cause the people should so is there no proofe they did concurre in choosing their Pastours for the people might not appoint on whom the holy Ghost should bestow his gifts that were to tie Gods graces to their pleasures but if they were to choose they must elect such as were meete and able which then were none vntill by the Apostles handes they had receiued the wonderfull and extraordinarie giftes of the spirite to prepare and fit them for the care and charge of the Churches where the holie Ghost would make them ouerseers Against this if any thing can be obiected out of the Scriptures I would gladly heare it as yet I finde there neither example of it nor reason for it The election of the seuen Deacons is the onely precedent that can bee found in the word and that conuinceth vtterly nothing for the choice of Pastours With money matters not onely at Ierusalem but in all places the Apostles refused to meddle auoiding thereby all occasion of sinister reports and suspicion that they did any way increase or regard their priuate gaine and for that cause Paul would not so much as carrie the beneuolence of the Gentiles to the poore saints at Ierusalem without some specially trusted and chosen by the Churches to see it faithfully done All seeke their owne and not that which is Christes had poisoned so many thinking gaine to be godlinesse that Paul to cleare himselfe of that suspicion and to shew that he sought them and not theirs did not vse the power he might in liuing on the Gospell where he preached the Gospell but his owne hands ministred to his necessities And for the same reason the Apostles at Ierusalem would not haue the goods and lands of the disciples passe through their hands but to be dispensed by some such as the people liked and named to that purpose Now for choosing of Pastours or rather making them fit to be Pastours which before were not fitte the people had litle to say and lesse to doe but the holy Ghost directed the Apostles by prophesie or otherwise on whom hee would bestow his giftes and they should lay their handes in which case I cannot so much as imagine how or why the people should ioyne with the spirite of God to powre his heauenly giftes on such as hee furnished for the
seruice of his Church or limite the Apostles on whom they should laie their handes siâ—ce not man but God made choise of those persons As for excommunication if you take it for remoouing the vnrulie from the ciuill societie of the faithfull vntill they conforme themselues to a more Christian course of life I am not altogether auerse that the whole Church where there wanteth a Christian magistrate did and should concurre in that action for thereby the sooner when all the multitude ioyne in one minde to renounce all maner of conuersing with such will the parties bee reduced to a better minde for shame and griefe to see themselues reiected and exiled from all companie and the whole Church shall declare their innocencie before men by auoiding and shunning the doers of wickednesse and encrease their zeale and loue of holinesse before God by hating and detesting vnrighteousnesse in others and by keeping themselues cleane and vnspotted from the like offences If any man that is called a brother bee a fornicatour or couetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such an one eate not Yet count him not as an enemie but admonish him as a brother This rule as I could wish euery Christian man did for his owne part duely obserue so I iudge it not amiffe if the whole congregation in defect of a christian magistrate ioyne with the Pastor in misliking rebuking and forsaking such disordered vsuall offenders as will neither be reclaimed nor ashamed of their lewdnesse but for deliuering or denying the Sacraments I take that to be the Pastors charge and not the peoples Yet Pastors shall do well after the example of the ancient godly fathers Cyprian and others not only to prouoke repentance in the malefactors but to tender the offence taken by the multitude so farre that as the minds of the godly are grieued by notorious impieties so they may be satisfied and contented by the earnest and vnfained sorow of the repentant before they be receiued to the Lords table Against these rules of Christian moderation circumspection I dispute not I onely enquire whether by the word of God any laie persons haue any interest to withhold or yeeld the Sacraments without the allowance and liking of the Pastour And to expresse what I thinke I finde no warrant in the Scriptures for it and the maine consent of the Catholike fathers and course of the Primitiue Church against it Some places are detorted and wrested to that effect but they must be very partiall that will be led with such weake proofes The words of our Sauiour If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane which are the onely ground-worke of this opinion I haue before handled examined as far forth as needed If by those words the church of Christ were ment which no circumstance there enforceth yet the rulers gouernors of the Church are thereby intended as Chrysostome affirmeth and a soule error it is as Beza thinketh to say the whole multitude is there comprised In deed it is no new rule neither with the Scriptures nor with other writers for the chiefer and worthier part to beare the name of the whole The fathers who often attribute excommunication to the Church by no meanes endure that laie-men should vse the keies deliuered to the Apostles and their successors That right is permitted only to Priests as Ambrose saith It is the Priests band that toucheth the soule and reacheth vnto heauen as Chrysostome teacheth When they which chalenge the place of Bishops and receiued the keies of the kingdom of heauen from our Sauiour teach what they bind is bound in heauen what they loose is loosed in heauen we must acknowledge they say wel if withall they haue those things for the which it was said to Peter The gates of hell must not preuaile against him that will binde and loose for if he bee bound with the ropes of his owne sinnes in vaine doeth he offer to bind or loose saith Origen Shal it not be imputed to vs saith Cyprian with the rest of the Bishops his Colleagues if so good a souldier should die without peace and without the Communion Shall not great slacknesse or cruell hardnesse be ascribed to vs in the day of iudgement that being Pastours we neither in peace would heale the sheepe committed credited vnto vs nor arme them in the battell How doe we teach or prouoke them to shed their bloud in the confession of Christes name if wee denie them the bloud of Christ when they be entring the conflict or how doe we make them readie for the cup of martyrdome if first in the Church we admit them not by right of Communion to drinke the Lordes cup It hath pleased vs therefore the holy Ghost directing vs that vpon examination of euery mans cause such as fell in persecution should be reconciled or receiued to the Lords table and if there be any of our Colleagues which doth not thinke it good to giue peace that is the Communion to the brethren or sisters persecution approching he shal in the day of iudgement render account to the Lord of his importune censure or inhumane rigor And so againe when as in smaller faults a man may not come to the Communion except the Bishop and the Clergie first lay their hands on him in signe of reconciliation how much more should the discipline of the Lord be obserued in these most grieuous extreme sinnes Likewise Basil Confession of sinnes must necessarilie be made to them to whom the dispensatioÌ„ of the mysteries of God is committed for so they which in former times repented amongst the Saints are read to haue done It is written in the Gospel that they confessed their sinnes to Iohn Baptist In the Acts they all confessed their sinnes vnto the Apostles of whom they were baptized Power to forgiue sinnes is not absolutely giuen but limited to the obedience of the penitent and agreement with him that hath the charge of the soule Apud Deum non sententia Sacerdotum sedreorum vita queritur Quomodo ergo ibi leprosum Sacrdos mundum vel immundum facit sic hic alligat velsoluit Episcopus Presbyter With God saith Ierome not the sentence of the Priest but y e life of the partie is respected As therefore in the law the Priest did make that is pronounce the Leeper cleane or vncleane so in the Gospell the Bishop and Presbyter bindeth or looseth And againe formicator adulter homicida caetera vitia per Sacerdotes de Ecclesia propelluntur The fornicator the adulterer the homicide and all other transgressours are cast out of the Church by the Priest S. Augustine Hee that willingly iudgeth himselfe least against his will he be iudged of the Lord Veniat ad Antistites per quos illi in Ecclesia claues ministrantur à Praepositis sacrorum
should bee giuen but to satisfie their consciences and to preuent schismes In offering the sacrifice of a troubled heart let the deuote and suppliant doe not onely that which helpeth for the recouering of his owne saluation but that also which may doe others good by example when his sinne hath greatlie hurt himselfe and scandalized others atque hoc expedire vtilitati ecclesiae videtur Antistiti and the Bishop or chiefe Priest thinke it expedient for the good of the Church let him not refuse to repent in the sight of many yea of the whole people How daungerous it is to offend the least of those that beleeue in Christ the Gospell doeth witnesse Great reason then had those godlie fathers to see the whole Church satisfied before they released the sentence of excommunication or time of repentance and in so doing they shewed not what right the multitude or laie-Elders had to sit Iudges with the Bishop but what care themselues had to remooue from the people all occasions of stumbling diligentlie teaching their flockes neither to stagger at other mens falles to their owne subuersion nor to bee straight laced agaynst repentance through presumption of their owne standing which were nothing els but to insult at other mens miseries The like course S. Augustine aduiseth to bee vsed for auoiding seditions and factions When any mans fault is so knowen to all and abhorred of all that it hath no partakers or not such by whom a schisme may rise slacke not the seueritie of discipline And then may it bee done without breach of peace and vnitie and without harming the corne when the whole multitude of the Church is free from that â—inne for which the offender is excommunicated for then the people rather helpe the Gouernour or Pastour nebuking then the guiltle resisting Then do the people keepe themselues from his societie so as not one of them will eate with him not of an hostile rage but by brotherly correction Then the offender is striken with feare recouered with shame when seeing himselfe held accursed of the whole Church he can finde no number to ioyne with him to insult on the good and reioyce in his sinne But all this not withstanding the censure proceeded from the Bishop and Pastour of the place and not from the people or laie-Elders associated with him in pronouncing that iudgement Examples and testimonies whereof are euery where to bee had both in Austen and Cyprian When Rogaâ—ianus a Bishop contumeliously abused by his Deacon complained vnto Cyprian and others of that iniurie Cyprian wrate backe in this wise You did vs great honour and shewed your accustomed humilitie in that you choose rather to complaine of him to vs Cumpro Episcopatus vigore Cathedrae authoritate haberes potestatem quia possis de illo statim vindicari whereas by vigour of your Episcopall function and authoritie of your chaire you had power enough to bee straightway reuenged of him And after a long discourse that honour and obedience is due to the Priests and Pastours by Gods law he concludeth Therefore the Deacon of whom you write must shew himselfe penitent for his boldnes and acknowledge the honor of your Priesthood and with full humilitie satisfie you being his Bishop Gouernour And if he shall offend prouoke you any more with his contempts vse against him y e power of your calling honor either in deposing or excommunicating him And because you wrate of an other that toke part with your Deacon in his pride and stiffenes him also and if there be any more that set themselues against Gods Priest you may either represse or remooue froÌ„ the Communion Yet we wish desire with mild patience to conquere the reproches and wrongs of euery one potiùs quà m sacerdotali licencia vindicare rather then to reuenge them in such sort as it is easie for Priestes to doe Speaking of himselfe and his owne cause hee saieth The Church here is shutte agaynst no man the Bishop with-holdeth himselfe from none my patience facilitie and mildenesse are open to such as come I remitte all things I conceale many things I doe not examine trespasses against God with a religious and exact iudgement for the verie desire and care I haue to keepe the brethren together I my selfe doe almost sinne with remitting offences more then I should Auxilius a fresh yoong Bishop hauing excommunicated a person of good account with his whole family for infringing the liberties of his Church as he supposed Saint Augustine treateth with him by letters to know what ground he had out of the Scriptures to excommunicate the sonne for the Fathers the wife for the husbands the seruants for their masters offence and amongst others vseth these wordes Loe I am readie to learne an olde man of a yong a Bishop of solong continuance from my Colleague not yet a yeeres standing what good reason we may yeelde to God or to men if for another mans sinne we indanger innocent soules with a spirituall punishment If you can giue a reason for it vouchsafe by writing to acquaint me with it that I may be able likewise if you cannot what is it for you to doe such a thing vpon an vnaduised motion of the minde whereof being asked you are not able to yeelde a iust reason Neither thinke that vniust anger cannot ouertake vs because we are Bishops but let vs rather remember wee liue dangerously amidst the snares of temptations because we are men Saint Austen blameth neither people nor Presbyters for the deede but the Bishop whose hastie iudgement it was and willeth him not them to be thinke himselfe what account he can yeelde to God or man for that Ecclesiasticall censure And that excommunication pertained to the Pastorall charge and proceeded from the Episcopall power and seate the same Father euery where witnesseth Upon the wordes of Saint Iohn I sawe seates and some sitting on them and iudgement was giuen he writeth thus Non hoc putandum de vltimo iudicio dici sed sedes Praepositorum ipsi Praepositi intelligendi sunt per quos ecclesia nunc gubernatur Iudicium autem datum nullum melius accipiendum videtur quà m id quod dictum est quaecunque lig aueritis in terra erunt ligata in caelo c. This must not be thought to be spoken of the last iudgement but the seats of the Presidents and the Presidents themselues by whom the Church is now gouerned are thereby to be vnderstoode And iudgement giuen can no better way be taken theÌ„ for that which is spoken of in these wordes Whatsoeuer you binde in earth shalbe bound in heauen what you loose in earth shalbe loosed in heauen May not the word Praepositi signifie the Lay Elders aswel as Bishops since they also are set ouer the Church to gouerne the flocke in their kinde as well as Pastours The Fathers vse many words to expresse the calling and office of
he had required them to remooue that euill one from themselues in not allowing consenting or fauouring so wicked a fact in their hearts Take which you will I stand indifferent howbeit by the wordes of his second Epistle it should seeme he spake not to the whole Church of Corinth but to the leaders and teachers there when he willed them to remooue that wicked one from amongst themselues For this he writeth of the very same person Sufficient for this offendor is the punishment or reproofe that proceeded from many not from all Wherfore I pray you confirme your loue towards him For this cause also did I write that I might see the proofe of you whether you would be obedient in all things So that in excommunicating the incestuous sinner Paul asked not their consents but tryed their obedience and they with all care and zeale shewed themselues ready to execute his precept At least yet the Presbyterie ioyned with the Apostle in excommunicating that malefactour and of this Presbyterie the Lay Elders were no small part so that by this precedent of the Apostolike discipline the Pastours cannot exclude any men from the Sacraments without the liking of the Lay Elders and Presbyters What the Presbyterie might doe cannot well be resolued vntill it be first agreed of what persons this Presbyterie consisted Some thinke certaine skilfull and discreete men as well of the Laitie as of the Cleargie were appointed by the common choice of the people to deliberate and determine of manners and all other matters pertaining to the regiment of the Church and that by their aduise and consent as it were by the decree of an Ecclesiasticall Senate the power of the keyes was directed and handes imposed For this assertion they shewe the witnesse both of Scriptures and Fathers so cleare as they suppose that they cannot be auoyded Some others confesse there was a kinde of Presbyterie in the Apostles times and long after in many Churches but thence they exclude all Lay persons as no partes thereof and account in that number none but such as had charge of the worde and Sacraments and ioyntly labored the conuerting of vnbeleeuers to the faith and preseruing of the Church in trueth and godlines Which of these two positions is the sounder in processe will appeare CHAP. X. What the Presbyterie was which the Apostles mention in their writings and whether any Lay Elders were of that number or no. IT is not to be doubted that in the Apostles time euery citie where the Gospell was receiued had many Prophets Pastours and Teachers not only traueling to and fro to exhort and confirme the brethren but abiding and persisting in the same place all labouring to encrease the number of the Church and continue the faithful in their profession At Ierusalem fifteene yeeres after Christes ascention were Apostles and Elders At Antioch in the Church were Prophets Teachers Barnabas Simeon Lucius Manehen and Saul besides Marke and others In Rome when Paul wrate thither were many approued Labourers and helpers in Christ whom he knew before besides such as the citie it selfe yeelded of whome hee had then no such experience and therefore passeth them ouer vnsaluted by name as men vnknowen After when hee came thither he sheweth who were his worke fellowes vnto the king dome of God to the Church of Corinth he saith Let the Prophets speake two or three and the restiudge Being â—t Miletum he sent for the Elders of Ephesus whome the holie Ghost had set to watch and feede the Church of God He writeth to the Saints at Philippi together with the Bishops and Deacons S. Iames saieth to the Iewes dispersed If any be sicke let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him nothing there were in euery Church not one but many Elders whose office it was to pray ouer the sicke relcase their sinnes and ease their infirmities This number of Teachers and Helpers in the Gospel was not superfluous but very requisite in those daies by reason they were forced to exhort and admonish as well priuatly throughout euery house as openly when the Church was assembled for feare of seducers that secretly crept into houses leading away women loden with sinnes and subuerted whole houses teaching things they ought not for filthy lucres sake and also for that they were daily to win those to Christ that yet beleeued not In which case they were to refrain no place nor slack no time to make Christ knowen to euery particular person and house that was ignorant of him And to this end they needed more aide then otherwise to guide and direct the Church at such times as the Saints mette together Neither ceased this necessitie with the Apostles it dured manie hundred yeers after them which was the cause that in euery great citie the Pastors and Bishops had many Ministers helpers ioyned with them to labour the conuersion of miscreants to strengthen and encourage the Martyrs and Confessours that suffered by thousands for the name of Christ to visite the sicke and comfort them in their extremities to cate chise the Nouices to attend the seruice and Sacraments of the Church to examine the faith and suruey the behauiour of all that repaired to the Lordes Table and to performe a number of such sacred duties which for one Pastor or Bishop alone to do in so populous cities and assemblies as they had was vtterly impossible A Presbyterie then of Prophets Pastors and Teachers the Apostles in their times had and vsed in euery Citie where they planted the Faith and setled the Church but that lay Gouernours or Elders were part of that Presbyterie concurred ioyntly with the Pastors Prophets in imposing hands exercising the power of y t keys censuring both doctrine maners I find no such thing commaÌ„ded or warranted by the Scriptures the patrons of y t Lay Presbyterie must vndertake the burden to proue their assertion The very foundation of the Lay Presbytery so strongly conceiued eagerly pursued by men in our dayes is the place of S. Paul 1. Tim. 5. The Elders that rule well are worthie of double honor chiefly they that labor in the word doctrine Hence it is resolutely inferred ergo there were some Elders that labored not in the word and docrine and those by comparison of other places are supposed to be Gouernours which office Paul nameth amongest the spirituall functions of the Church when he saieth Hee that ruleth let him do it with diligence It is a matter of nosmal weight to giue Lay men power in euery parish to impose handes and vse the keyes yea to haue the full and whole gouernement of the Church aboue and against the Pastours by number of voyces if they differ in iudgement and therefore the ground that shall beare the frame of the Lay Presbyterie had neede be sure especially when it is vrged as a
from the Church which is apparantly false and the Pastors which labour in the worde may not meddle withguiding ouerseeing and ruling the flocke committed to their charge which is as manifest an vntruth as the former If the functions of ruling and teaching be two distinct offices then may none intrude on both if they be coincident what neede two sortes of Elders to execute one charge Set this place aside in which I see vtterly nothing for Lay Elders and where else in the new Testament shall we finde I say not a sentence but a syllable sounding for them He that ruleth let him do it with diligence Doth he say the Lay man that ruleth the Church let him doe it with diligence No but he speaketh of diuers functiōs in the Church so some must rule that may neither teach nor exhort which must needs be lay Elders He speaketh indeed of diuers gifts graces of y ◠holy ghost for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doeth import of diuers offices hee speaketh not for then they might not concurre in one man and consequently neither might the Prophet teach nor exhort nor the Deacon distribute nor shew mercy Many gifts may conioyne in one man many offices cannot Paul speaketh of offices to be executed by those that had giftes according and to that ende bringeth in the example of mans bodie where the members haue seuerall powers and seuerall actions I see the comparison and thence I prooue he speaketh of particular gifts and not of publike offices in the Church As in one bodie saieth he we may haue many members and all the members haue not the same action so we being many are one body in Christ and euery one an others members I aske now whether onely the officers of the Church or the whole multitude of beleeuers bee the the body of Christ The whole no doubt is the body and not this or that part though excelling the rest Then as in mans body euerie part hath his action so in Christes bodie which is the Church euery member must haue his gift and not a publike office in the Church But Paul nameth here onely those giftes that had their publike vse in the Church and no where els as prophesie teaching exhorting distributing gouerning helping Which of these gifts in the Apostles times was not common as well to the people as to the Pastours and to women as well as to men Prophesie which is the greatest and vnlikeliest to bee found in all sortes was it not a common gift to old and yong men and maides Shall Ioel make alie that foretold it After that I will powre out my spirite on all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie and vpon the very seruants and handmaids in those dayes will I powre out my spirite Shall Peter be a false witnesse that saith This was performed when the giftes of the holy Ghost were poured on the Church after Christes ascension All those that heard Peters sermon in Cornelius house receiued the gifts of the holy Ghost to magnifie God before they were baptized The foure daughters of Philip did they not prophesie Euery woman saieth Paul praying or prophesying bare headed dishonoureth her head If then prophesie were a gift of Gods spirit common to all sortes and sercs as well as a publike office in the Church and Paul in the 12. to the Romanes prescribeth and teacheth the right vse of those giftes which God gaue to euerie man that all the members of Christes body might haue their peculiar actions according to the measure of fayth what reason haue we to conuert this place from the priuate giftes of euery member to the publike offices of some few in the Churches which were not here intended Teaching and exhorting seeme not to be priuate gifts and therfore stand rather for ecclesiasticall functions We are so violent in this conceit of discipline that we neuer remember the Scriptures that contradict it be they neuer so often or euident Priscilla the wife of Aquila did shee not instruct and teach Apollo a Preacher the way of the Lord more exactly and doeth not Paul call her his helper in Christ as well as her husband The women that laboured so much in the Lord did they goe idlely vp downe or did they teach and exhort as they trauelled If the women will learne anything let them aske their husbands at home saieth Paul then might the husbands teach them Let the worde of God dwell in you plentifully in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord is a rule for all Christians of all sortes and degrees and not for Pastors and Elders onely Exhort one an other and edifie one another euen as you doe admonish them that are vnrulie comfort the feeble minded beare with the weake bee patient towards all men These be general precepts for all beleeuers to all are they prescribed and by all to be performed If then prophesie doctrine and exhortation be priuate graces of Gods spirit to be vsed of all according to the measure of each mans gift as time place require for the good of our selues others what probabilitie can there be that the Apostle in this place should reckon Church offices not rather moderate direct the gifts of Gods spirit poured out on his church and parted amongst all the members of Christes mysticall body Distributing is no gift of the spirite but plainely an office in the Church and so gouerning and shewing mercy ioyned therewith doe fairelie resemble the Deacons Elders and widowes that were three ecclesiasticall and publike functions Distributing of our owne in singlenesse of heart is a farre greater gift of Gods spirite then distributing of other mens as the Deacons did and here the Apostle speaketh of spirituall gifts Againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a ministerie or seruice is before vsed and had bene the fittest word for the Deacons office if the Apostle had purposed to treate thereof But if we seek for the true meaning of S. Paul in this place and not to please our owne humors S. Peters words vttered to the same effect that these are will helpe vs. Be harbourers one to another without grudging As euery man hath receiued the gift minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God If any man speake let them bee as the words of God if any man minister or giue any thing to an other let him doe it as of the abilitie that God hath giuen him that in all things God may bee glorified This place as well as the rest I finde is racked to serue for the supposed discipline but if wee marke whereabout Saint Peter goeth wee shall learne as much of S. Peter here in fewe wordes as of Saint Paul there in larger speach and more plentifull partes As euerie man
saieth Peter and not euerie Pastour or Deacon hath receiued the gift of Gods grace and not an office by mans choice so minister the same one to another for the benefite of each other If any man speake let him speake to comfort and edifie as the wordes of God if any man minister that is doe good not in wordes but in deeds to an other let it be according to the abilitie that God hath giuen him not according to the contributiōs he hath receiued of other men that in all things euen in all our words deeds God may be glorified S. Paul with alonger circuit of words expresseth the same sense As all the parts of our bodies haue diuers actions tending all to the vse and profite not of themselues but of others so euery man saieth hee and not onely Teachers and Elders according to the grace giuen by Gods spirite and not by mans election should be soberly content with their measure and vse to the good of others whether it were prophesie teaching and exhorting which consist in woordes or gouerning and seruing with diligence relieuing and helping with cheerefulnesse which consist in deedes for all the members of Christes bodie though they can not teache exhorte and guide yet may they serue relieue and shewe mercie and these are the giftes of Gods Spirite not so miraculous but as precious in his sight as the former and proceed from the most excellent gift of Gods spirite passing all gifts which is vnfained loue and charitie The Text may more kindly and currantly be referred to the publike offices of the Church First then you must point vs foorth seuen such offices for here are seuen diuers parres Next you must prooue that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these gifts of the spirite belong to the officers of the Church onely and not to the rest of the faithfull Thirdly we must know whether these offices must be diuided or may be combined in one person if they bee distinct no Prophet may teach or exhort no Teacher may exhort or prophesie if they may meete and agree in one subiect then are they no offices but graces and he that hath one may haue all and so are you further from your purpose then you were be fore Lastly make them euen ecclesiasticall functions if you list how then can you chalenge them or any one of them to laie persons Clergie men may not gouerne the Church You must leaue that error for your credites sake as crossing the Scriptures which maketh Pastours to be Shepeheards Watchmen Ouerseers Rulers and Guiders of the flocke and infringeth your owne positions who say that Pastours doe rule and gouerne the Church If he that ruleth must do it with diligence the Pastours by these words are appointed to bee watchfull as those that shall answere for the soules of their flocke and not the laie Elders If it be a priuate gift to whom doeth it appertaine To euery man that hath charge or familie The father with diligence is to guide his children the master his seruants the husband his wife He that hath cast away the care of his household is worse then an Infidel To feed them and not to rule them and traine them in the feare of the Lord is grossely to neglect them He that ruleth not well his owne house by S. Pauls prescription must not bee trusted with the Church of God It is therefore a speciall vertue and grace of Gods spirite to rule well the persons committed to our charge Let it be gift or office priuate or publike it maketh nothing for laie Presbyters There remaineth yet one place where Gouernours are named amongst ecclesiasticall officers and that is 1. Cor. 12. The answere is soone made if we bee not contentious Teachers are there expressed but Pastours omitted and therefore well might Gouernours be mentioned in stead of Pastours If this content you not I then denie they be all ecclesiasticall functions that are there specified Powers gifts of healing kindes of tongues what functions shall we call them in the Church of Christ They were ornaments to the Pastorall and Propheticall calling And so was gouernement To gouerne is a duetie and no gift To gouerne wiselie is a great gift of the holy Ghost more needfull for the Church then tongues healing or miracles To the gouerning of the Church belonged more then censuring of maners or examining of witnesses wisedome to preuent dangers to direct doubtful cases to discerne spirites to calme strifes many other weightie graces were requisite for the gouerning of the Church This is therefore a principall gift of the holy Ghost but not a different office from those that goe before The Apostles Prophets Teachers in the Church had they not power to doe miracles to cure the sicke to speake with tongues if these three be no diuers offices but graces and all three found in euery Apostle in many Prophetes and Teachers why should not gouernement being reckoned in the midst of them be a gift likewise of the holy Ghost bestowed on such Prophets Pastours and Teachers as pleased the spirit of trueth and grace to vouchsafe that honour To make vs vnderstand that we must not confound the functions in the Church with the gifts of the spirite much lesse mistake the one for the other let vs number the gifts of the spirite that are noted in this one Chapter and see whether the publike functions of the Church can any way be proportioned to them To one saieth S. Paul is giuen by the spirite the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another faith to another the gifts of healing to another the operation of great workes to another prophesie to another discerning of spirits to another diuersities of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues Here are nine gifts of the holy Ghost numbred in the ende of this very chapter are named two more helping and gouerning that were not reckoned before To the Romanes are fiue different frō these rehearsed in all sixteene I trust there were not so many distinct offices in the Church The Apostle euen in this chapter setting downe eight degrees and dignities of spirituall gifts and placing them as it werein order cleane smitteth Pastors Deacons as being rather standing offices in the Church then miraculous gifts Many Pastours and Doctors were furnished with many of them the Apostles had them all and that in greater measure then any other which in offices could not be in gift might bee These were therefore neither vsuall nor perpetuall functions in the Church as Pastours and Deacons must bee but miraculous and extraordinarie gifts and graces during onely for a time and giuen in what measure and to what persons it best liked the holy Ghost for the ouerthrowing of Satans kingdome and gathering of the Saints together at the first planting of the Church What were Gouernours then in the Primitiue Church for my part I am not
vpon vrgent necessitie I haue finished In the like case writing to the Presbyters Deacons and whole people of Carthage he saieth of Caelerinus that openlie professed Christ and valiantlie endured the rage and furie of the heathen persecuters Exult and reioyce with vs at the reading of our letters by which I and my Colleagues which were present signifie vnto you that Caelerinus our brother is receiued into our Clergie not by the voyces of men but by Gods acceptance because it was neither lawful nor seemely that he should be without ecclesiastical honor whom the Lord so honoured with the excellencie of his heauenly glory He and Aurelius were appointed for a time to be Readers but now know you that we haue assigned vnto them the honour of the Presbyterie to haue the same allowance with the Presbyters to sit with vs wheÌ„ they come to ripe perfect yeeres Of Numidicus we spake before why he was taken by Cyprian into the number of the Presbyters of Carthage and that without the consent or knowledge of the people or Clergie I suppose it to be cleare by these examples which are your owne that as Cyprian for his discharge did take the liking and aduise of the Clergie and people for the better examining of their liues and behauiours that were to serue in the Church of Christ so when he found such as in his conscience he knew to bee fit and woorthie hee and other Bishops his Colleagues imposed hands on them without expecting the assent or agreement of the people or Presbyters of Carthage where he was bishop These be the Fathers which your selues picked out to muster before her Maiesties presence as pregnant witnesses for the Laie Presbyterie and these if you suffer them to tell on their tales most clearelie refute your Laie Elders Other places I know are alleaged or rather abused to the same purpose but the mistaking of them is so palpable that children will not be deceiued with them for what if the word Presbyter in Greeke signifie an aged man as well as a Priest hath it any sound or shew of reason where the Councils and Fathers vse the word Presbyteri you should straight enforce they were laie Elders To innouate the discipline receiued and established euer since the Apostles times you should haue better grounds then these you will otherwise hardly discharge your credites before men howsoeuer you will your consciences before God For my part though I compare not with their giftes which first began and now maintaine this deuise yet by perusing their proofes I finde that the preiudice of their owne opinion rather enclineth them to this conceite then the weight either of Scriptures or Fathers For were they not ouer willing to embrace this fansie where there is one place for them to stumble at the ambiguitie of the worde there are an hundred faire and plaine testimonies to recall them and direct them to the ancient and true discipline of Christes Church So that in this question whether there were any Laie Elders to gouerne the Primitiue Church no diligent or indifferent examiner of the Fathers can long erre the case is so cleare that vnlesse we affect rather our wils then the trueth we cannot be led away The summe of all that is sayd touching Laie Elders resteth in three pointes which I wish the learned aduisedlie to consisider and the rest carefully to remember First it cannot bee prooued either by Scriptures or Fathers that in the Apostles times or after any laie Elders were part of the Presbyterie or that any such were authorized or acknowledged to bee Gouernours in the Church of Christ. Secondlie if there were such Censors of maners appointed by the whole Church to remooue the vnrulie and banish them from the fellowship and companie of the faythfull least their offensiue behauiour should be a shame and slaunder to the Gospell yet no Text nor title can be shewed in Scripture Councill or Father that they gouerned the power of the keyes imposition of handes or any other ecclesiasticall duetie which concerned the dispensation of the worde and Sacramentes In those things they were to obey and not to rule their Pastours Thirdlie though the ouersight and restraint of euill disposed and disordered Pastours were then committed to such Elders for want of beleeuing Magistrates to take care thereof yet since by the lawe of God the gouernement of such causes as well as of ciuill affaires belongeth to Christian Princes and they haue straighter charge higher power and better meanes to represse such disorders and refourme such abuses in Pastours and others whatsoeuer pretence may bee made for Laie Elders and Gouernours in time of persecution they must vtterlie cease and giue place where the Magistrate receiueth the fayth and vpholdeth the Church His power not onely includeth but excludeth theirs since they bee Gouernours by consent of priuate men and the Magistrate hath his power and sword deliuered him immediatelie from God to which all men Pastours Laie Elders and whosoeuer must be subiect not onely for feare of vengeance but for regard of Gods ordinance As for the Iewish Synedrion to which some men flie for helpe it cannot bee as I haue touched before eyther Rule or Refuge for the Laie Presbyterie God erected that as the plot-forme of the Iewes common wealth and made their Elders ciuill Magistrates to execute the Iudiciall part of Moses lawe as well without as vnder the king And therefore as they might not alter it so wee must not vrge it in Christian kingdomes it contradicteth the trueth and freedome of the Gospell to tye all Christian common wealthes to the paterne of Moses pollicie yea that position if it bee stiffelie stood too maymeth all Monarchies and reduceth them to popular or at least to Synedricall Regimentes the consequents whereof are so desperate and dangerous to all Christendome that I trust of your selues you will forbeare and if need bee disclayme that assertion It is agreed on both sides there was a Presbyterie in euery Church but those you say were Clergie men Not in euery Church but in euery Citie there were Presbyters assisting and aiding the Bishop and those were Clergie men The Churches in villages and countrey townes had neither Bishop nor Presbyterie but were subiect to the Bishop of that Citie within whose precincts the villages were and had a Presbyter or Priest ordained by the Bishop or sent from the Bishop to teach them and yeeld them diuine Seruice and Sacraments And where the Bishops of the Cities were content to ease their owne trauell and supplie their absence or sickenesse that in certaine countrey Townes bishops should bee appointed whom they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these countrey Bishops were so restrained by the Canons that without speciall leaue of the Bishop of the Citie to which they were subiect they might execute no part of Episcopal power and prehemâ—nence and in short space after were abolished for presumption and intrusion vpon
All lay persons vpon repentance might be reconciled with imposition of hands No Presbyters depriued for anie grieuous sin might be reconciled with imposition of hands therfore no Presbyter was a Lay person The fift general Council kept at Constantinople He that taketh a second wife after baptisme or marrieth a widowe or a woman diuorced or a bond woman cannot be either Bishop Presbyter or Deacon or in any other sacred order No lay Elders were tied to these rules all Presbyters were there was great oddes then betwene lay Elders and Presbyters If you trust not these Councils for y â— vse of the word Presbyter the lawes imperiall will direct you The Christian Emperors giuing many priuiledges to Clergie men doe likewise expresse who shall enioy them Presbyteros Diaconos Subdiaconos Cantores Lectores quos omnes Clericos appellamus Presbyters Deacons SubdeacoÌ„s Singers Readers al these we cal Clergy meÌ„ all these accordingly had the prerogatiues immunities of Clergie men by the Romane lawes Now if no laie Elder could claime anie Clericall priuiledge in the Romane commonwealth vnder the name of Presbyter as vndoubtedly he could not I much maruell how by force of y â— very same word in y â— Fathers who vse it as strictly as the Emperours do Lay men should claime to haue y â— gouernment of y â— church But indeed it is a meere conceit of our age transforming Clergy men into lay men contrary to y â— words meaning aswel of Fathers as of laws and canons rather then they will loose their holde of the Laie Presbyterie which they haue framed after their owne fansie and not by the direction or deposition of any Council or Father For they all with one consent vse the worde Presbyter as the ciuill Lawes and sacred Canons do In what sort Ignatius Tertullian Cyprian and Athanasius vse the word Presbyter we haue seene before the rest doe fully concord with them Irenaeus We must obey those Presbyters in the Church which haue their succession from the Apostles and with the order of their Presbyterie yeelde wholsome doctrine to the information and correction of others Such Presbyters the Church doth nourish Origen There are in the Church of Christ that loue the chiefe places and labour much first to be Deacons not such as the Scripture describeth but such as deuoure widowes houses vnder pretence of long prayer And such Deacons couet to attaine the chiefe chaires of those that are called Presbyters And some not there with content practise many ways to be called bishops by men which is as much as Rabbi Howbeit he that exalteth himselfe shal be humbled Which I wish al would marke but specially the Deacons Presbyters and Bishops which thinke these things are not written to them A Deacon being already in sacred orders coulde by no meanes become alay Elder the roumes therefore which they aspired vnto were the chaires of Clergie men these were called the Presbyters of the Church Of these he saith else-where Though I bee taken for a right hand and bee called a Presbyter and seeme to preach the true word of God yet if I do anything against the Discipline of the Church or rule of the Gospell the whole Church with one consent must cut mee off being their right hand and cast me from them Then were Presbyters not only right hands in the Church but also preachers of the word and that not some but all All Bishops and all Presbyters or Deacons do teach vs and in teaching do reproue sharply rebuke Quatuor genera capitum sunt in ecclesia Episcoporum Presbyterorum Diaconorum fidelium There be foure sorts of men in the Church saieth Optatus Bishops Presbyters Deacons and the beleeuers Out of which of these foure will you fetch your laie Elders From the beleeuers Then were they no Presbyters will you comprise them in Presbyters Then were they no Late men For Optatus in the same place chargeth the Donatists with subuerting of soules for making Presbyters to be Lay men Inâ—enistis Diaconos Presbyteros Episcopos fecistis Laicos Agnoscite vos animas ouertisse you founde Deacons Presbyters and Bishops you made them Lay men Acknowledge then you subuerted soules If you doubt I force his wordes against his meaning heare what himselfe saith touching those foure parts of the Church Quid commemorem Laicos quitunc in Ecclesia nulla fuerant dignitate suffulti Quid Ministros plurimos Quid Diaconos in tertio quid Presbyteros in secundo sacerdotio constitutos Ipsi apices principes omnium aliqui Episcopi instrumenta deâ—inae legis impiè tradiderunt What shall I reckon Lay men which were then aduanced with no dignitie in the Church What neede I repeate the Seruitours of the Church The Deacons in the third the Presbyters in the second degree of Priesthoode The chiefe and toppe of all euen many Bishops wickedly deliuered the instruments of Gods Lawe to the fire Lay men had no degree nor dignitie in the Church much lesse the honour or office of Presbyters For they were plainely Priests Had you but one such place for Lay Elders as heere is against them we would neuer striue with you about them Nazianzene telling howe the goodnes and prouidence of God brought that learned and famous man Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the sacred seates of the Presbyterie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the order and course that should be obserued in spirituall climing saieth Hee first read the sacred bookes to the people and expounded them not disdaining this place of the Chancel and so came to the chaire of the Presbyters and after of the Bishops The Seates then of the Presbyterie in Nazianzens time were not onely sacred and seuered from the people but the right orderly way to ascend vnto them was first to passe through other Ecclesiasticall Degrees and Offices as Cyprian calleth them and so to rise to the highest and noâ— for Laie men to sit in them as fellowe Presbyters with the Bishops No Presbyteris quidem adesse permittitur in mysterijs quum tamen ipsi quoque sacrorum administri sunt The Presbyters themselues are not permitted to be present in the mysteries and yet they doe administer the Sacraments saith Iulius to the Bishops at Antioch I am a Bishop saieth Hilarie to Constantius continuing in the Communion of all the Churches and bishops of France though I be in banishment ecclesiae adhuc per Presbyteros meos communionem distribuens and still distributing by my Presbyters the communion of the Church or to the Church Presbyteri Episcopi vna est or dinatio vterque enim sacerdos est The ordering of a Presbyter is the same that a Bishops is saith Ambrose for both are Priests Aut igitur ex Presbytero ordinetur Diaconus vt Presbyter minor Diacono comprobetur in quem crescit ex paruo
no Presbyters but Clergie men and of such their Presbyteries consisted and not of any Laie men whom they particularly and perpetually exclude not onely from the name but also from the order office seates power and honour of Presbyters Though they were not knowen by that name yet were they called Seniores the Elders of the Church as Tertullian Ierome Ambrose Austen and Gregorie doe witnesse yea though wee should graunt the Church had no such laie Elders in Ieroms and Ambroses dayes yet they both confesse there were such in the first Age of the Church and that the Church should be gouerned by their aduise and counsell Their wordes are so plaine they cannot be shifted And thence I make this demonstration Laie Elders in Ambroses time were out of vse as himselfe affirmeth through the slouth or rather pride of Bishops but Clergie Presbyters were not out of vse in Ambroses time there were therefore laie Elders in the first Churches without whose aduise nothing was done besides the Presbyters that continued in Ambroses dayes this Argument is insoluble You are vsed to make fewe good Arguments that take this to bee so strong The force of these places I haue examined before and there shewed that they were wrested cleane against the intent of the writers but because I am to end the discourse of laie Elders and so to relinquish them to their inuenters I will not bee grieued to recapitulate the strength of your authorities and search out the surenesse of this last syllogisme The first thing that I obserue in your authorities is this that with your owne proofes you ouerthrow your owne purpose To conuince that laie Elders dured in the Church til Gregories time which was 600. yeeres after Christ you produce amongst others S. Ambrose who saieth that in his time 230. yeeres before such Elders were out of vse If there were no such Elders in Ambroses age how could they dure till Gregories dayes that liued more then 200. yeeres after him This knot is more insoluble then your syllogisme Another of your witnesses I meane S. Ierome in the verie same place that you cite laieth the whole plot of your laie Elders in the dust for both touching the persons that ruled the Church and the time which they continued be crosseth all your assertions The persons by whose common aduise the Church at first was gouerned were Presbyters and those by your owne confession were no laie men Or if you make any bones to confesse so much S. Ierome will auouch nolesse I must alleage his wordes once againe and some of them in Latin because you shall the more sensiblie see your errour and the rest not distrust my translation Antequam fierent studia in religione diceretur in populis ego sum Pauli ego Apollo ego autem Cephae communi Presbyterorum consilio ecclesiae regebantur Postquam verò vnusquisque eos quos baptizauerat suosesse putabat non Christi in toto orbe decretum est vt vnus de Presbyteris electus superponeretur caeteris ad quem omnis ecclesiae cur a pertineret Schismatum semina tollerentur c. Before there were factions in religion and the people began to say I hold of Paul I of Apollo and I of Cephas the Churches were gouerned by the common aduise of the Presbyters But when euery man thought those whom he had baptized to be his owne and not Christes it was decreed in the whole world that one chosen out of the Presbyters should be set aboue the rest to whom all the care of the Church should appertaine and the seedes of diuision rooted out These wordes are so plaine they neede no demonstration to helpe them Before Schismes grew in religion the Churches were gouerned by the common aduise of Presbyters but when the baptizers drewe the people into factions Bishops were throughout the world elected and aduaunced aboue Presbyters to take the whole care of the Church They were both Presbyters and baptizers that gouerned the Church before Bishops were decreed ergo they were no laie Elders This were enough but Ierome to shew what Presbyters they were alleageth foure places of the Scripture and thereby prooueth they were Teachers and Pastours I must set downe his words but as short as I can that men may be perswaded or ashamed of their errour in this part committed The very next words in Ierome ensuing the former are these Putat aliquis non Scriptur arum sed nostram esse sententiam Episcopum Presbyterum vnum esse relegat Apostoli ad Philippenses verba dicentis c. Doeth any man thinke this is not the position of the Scriptures but ours that a Bishop and Presbyter are both one Let him read the words of the Apostle to the Philippians where he saieth Paul and Timothie to all the Saints that are at Philippi together with the Bishops and Deacons In one Citie there could not be many Bishops as we name them but because they called the same men Bishops that were Presbyters therefore he speaketh of Bishops as of Presbyters without any difference In the Acts the Apostle at Miletum sent to Ephesus and called the Presbyters of that Church to whom he sayd Looke to your selues and to all the flocke where the holie Ghost hath made you Bishops to feed the Church of God Here marke diligently how calling for the Presbyters of Ephesus only he afterward termed them Bishops In the epistle to the Hebrewes the care of the Church is equally deuided amongst many for he saieth to the people obey your Rulers and bee subiect to them they are those that watch ouer your soules And Peter in his epistle saieth The Presbyters that are amongst you I beseech my selfe being your fellow Presbyter feede yee the Lordes flocke that is with you These things I bring to shewe that anciently Presbyters were all one with Bishops and that in tract of time to plucke vp the rootes of dissention all the charge of the Church was committed to one The Presbyters that gouerned the Church in the Apostles times did ATTEND and FEED the flocke and WATCH OVER SOVLES as those that should giue account for them and had all those qualities that the Apostle required in Bishops The same charge and the same grace conclude the same function And therefore if any were Clergie men in the Apostles times these Presbyters were not Laie men But these gouerned the Church as Ierome saieth Laie men therfore they were not by Ieromes owne confession that did then gouerne the Church The persons we see who they were now for the time how long they continued Gouernours of the Church Before schismes did arise the Church was gouerned by their common aduise but schismes and diuisions grewe euen in the Apostles times as it is euident by Pauls owne report and by Saint Iohns like wise Wherefore Ieromes wordes doe not inferre that Presbyters ruled the Church any longer then the Apostles times nor so long neither
If I seeme to take a nice aduantage of the time let Ierome expresse his owne meaning In his epistle to Euagrius debating at large that bishops and Presbyters were all one in the Apostles time and alleaging both the same and sundry other proofes for his intent he addeth Quod autem postea vnus electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in Schismatis remedium factum est ne vnusquisque ad se â—rahenâ— Christs ecclesiam rumperet Nam Alexandriae à Marco Euangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium Episcopos Presbyteri semper vnum exse electum in excelsiori graducollocatum Episcopum nominabant That after one was elected and aduanced aboue the rest this was to remedie Schismes least euery man drawing the Church of Christ to himselfe should rent it in pieces So at Alexandria from Marke the Euangelist to Heraclas and Dionysius Bishops there the Presbyters alwayes chose one of themselues and placed him in an higher degree and called him a Bishop Laie Elders Ierome neuer knew any to bee Gouernours of the Church the Pastours and Teachers that vnder the Apostles gouerned the Church by common aduise were forced for the preuenting and repressing of schisines to transferre the whole care of the Church to one whom they called a Bishop this began at Alexandria euen from Marke the Euangelist Ieromes testimonie you haue heard Now choose whether Ambrose shall contradict him and giue him the lie or rather be reconciled and expounded by him Ambrose saieth the Church had Seniores quorum sine consilio nihil agâ—batur in ecclesia Elders without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church These say you were laie Elders If wee aske you how you prooue they were Laie you be at a non plus They were Pastours and Teachers say we If you aske how we prooue our assertion wee first shew you the iudgement of Ambrose else where that in matters of faith or any ecclesiasticall order Laie men should not iudge and gouerne Priestes which yet the Gouernours of the Church must doe I speake still of the priuate regiment of Elders not of the publike power of the Magistrate Next we shew you the verdict of Ierome confirming his resolution by many places of the Scriptures that the Churches at the first were gouerned by Presbyters which were Pastours and Teachers Made we no further proofe then this I conuent your owne consciences which of our auouries standeth on the surest ground yours that leaneth onely to your owne wils and wordes or ours that besides the confession of the same father hath a most euident attestation of another father as ancient and learned as the former You would seeme to be religious and wise craze not your credites with a non obstante that your fansies must preuaile whatsoeuer Councils or fathers say to the contrary For the rest we need no better expositor then Ierome in the very place which your selues alleage Nos habemus in ecclesia Senatum nostrum coetum Presbyterorum We haue in the Church our Senate euen the assemblie of Presbyters Els where he saieth Iudices dòmâ—s Israel non sunt alij nisi Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi The Iudges ouer the house of Israel are none other but the Bishops Presbyters and Deacons And these three wordes when they come together import the order and degrees of ecclesiasticall offices Episcopus Presbyter Deaconus non sunt meritorum nomina sed officiorum Bishop Presbyter Deacon are not names of desertes but of offices and those Clericall not Laicall Fit Clericus per solitos gradus Presbyter saieth Ierome of Nepotianus He became a Clergie man and so a Presbyter by the accustomed degrees And againe Qui pascitis greges Episcopi Presbyteri omnis ordo ecclesiâ—sticus You Bishops and Presbyters and all the ecclesiasticall order which feed your flockes If therefore Gregorie call the Presbyters Seniores ecclesiae the Elders of the Church in respect of the rest of the Clergie or if Austen write vnto them Clero Senioribus to the Clergie and Elders or if Tertullian writing to the Ethnikes who vnderstood not the order and offices of the Church say in commendation of the Christian meetings Praesident probati quique Seniores The Rulers of our assemblies are certaine approoued Elders what inference can hence be made that they ment laie Elders since they vse neither words nor circumstances but such as will agree to the grauer wiser and Elder sort of the Clergie otherwise called Presbyters Yea Ambrose himselfe will tell you that amongst the Clergie the Presbyters were called Seniores the Elders as next in honour age and iudgement to the Bishop Speaking of ecclesiastical officers and ministers he saith Viduarum â—â— virginum domos nisi visit and gratia Iâ—nâ—â—tos adire non est â—pâ—is hoc cum Senioriâ—as hoc est cum Episcopo vel sigrauior est causa cum Presbyteris Quid necesse est vt demus obtrectandi locum Secularibus There is no cause for the yongers to resort to the houses of widowes virgins except it bee to visite them and that with the Elders I meane with the Bishop or if the matter be vrgent with the Presbyters What need wee giue occasion to secular or Laie men to backbite How thinke you were there not Elders amongst the Clergie and those the same men that were otherwise called Presbyters Yet my demonstration is vnanswered Your mistaking of Ambroses both meaning words is a very simple kinde of demonstration you do not marke the Text which you bring Ambrose doeth not say the Church had once Elders which now are vanished but nothing at the first was done in the Church without their aduise which now is out of vse whiles the Pastours wil seeme alone to be wise The men remained that were before but lesse regarded and lesse consulted then at first And so your demonstration is nothing els but a misconstruction of your Authors words Since you leaue me no better handfast in Ierome and Ambrose for laie Elders I will requite you with the like for Bishops which is this that as the Church at first was gouerned by Presbyters without laie Elders so was it likewise without Bishops If I forgoe the one you must also forgoe the other and then gaine you litle if Bishops must be remooued from the gouernement of the Church as well as late Elders And this is so cleare that no cunning can obscure it I did all this while looke when you would reuiue your spirits with this Mythrâ— date you were euen at last cast with your laie Elders But if wée cannot iustifie the state of bishops by the Scriptures and Fathers better then you doe laie Elders we will quietly disclaime them Ieromes wordes are wonderfull plaine that Bishops in the Apostles times did not differ from Presbyters and are nowe aboue them rather by the custome of the Church then by the trueth of the Lorde disposition and ought
to rule the Church in common I am so farre from reiecting or declining Ieromes authoritie in this point though he seeme very fauourable to you that if you will stand to his censure I will doe the like but before wee wade deeper let vs laie foorth the state of the question that we may thereby perceiue what the sacred Scriptures and auncient Fathers doe confesse or confute CHAP. XII To whom the Apostles departing or dying left the gouernement of the Church whether equally to all Presbyters or chieflie to some and how farre the conceites of late writers herein varie from the auncient Fathers whose wordes they pretend to follow THat order and discipline are not onely profitefull but also needfull in the Church of God and as well amongst Pastours and Teachers as learners and hearers might many wayes be confirmed if it were not on all sides concorded They that most dissent in the kind of gouernement doe first agree on the vse of gouernment they would els not striue for that which might still be wanted and neuer missed in the Church of Christ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Order saieth Nazianzene is the mother and preseruer of all things The vtilitie and necessitie whereof as in all states and creatures so specially in the Church of God and in the Pastours and Gouernors thereof hee that liketh at large to examine let him read Nazianzens oration plentifully and purposely written of that Argument Onely I aduise with him that vnder a shew of religion and zeale No man bee wiser then hee should no man vprighter then the lawe clearer then the light straighter then the rule nor forwarder then the commandement If order and discipline be necessarie for all persons and ages in the Church of Christ the gouermnent of the Church must not cease with the Apostles but dure as long as the Church continueth that is to the worlds ende and consequently so much of the Apostolike power as is requisite for the perpetuall regiment of the Church must remaine to those that from time to time supplie the Apostles charge and succeed in the Apostles roomes Afore we enter to intreat of the first institution of Bishops we must carefully distinguish these there points The things which must be deriued from the Apostles to their helpers and successours in all Ages and Churches the persons to whom they were committed and the times when If we wander in these wee shall neuer get any certaine resolution of the matter in question What the things are which must abide for euer in the Church I shewed before it shall suffise now to rehearse them namelie power to preach the word and administer the Sacraments the right vse of the keies and imposition of hands for the placing of fit men to vndertake the cure of soules and remoouing of vnfaithfull and vnfit men from infecting and offending the Church These must not faile in the Church so long as there is a Church for the want of any one of them is the confusion if not subuersion of the Church These foure partes in this chapter for breuities sake I often reduce to two branches which are Doctrine and Discipline Comprising in doctrine the deuiding of the word and dispensing of the Sacraments and referring the rest I meane the publike vse of the keies and imposition of hands to the discipline or regiment of the Church The parties to whom these ecclesiasticall duties might possiblie be committed wee then also numbred and found foure sortes of them the people the laie Elders the Presbyters the Bishops The people must needs be excluded from intermedling with Pastorall duties for if all should be Teachers who should be hearers if there were none but shepeheards what should become of the flocke Hee that hath put a difference betwixt the Stewards and the household the labourers and the haruest the watchmen and the Citizens the builders and the stones the Sower and the ground the husbandmen and the tillage the leaders and the folowers euen the same Lord hath prohibited these degrees to bee confounded which he hath distinguished Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all teachers I thinke not If the whole bodie were the eie where were the hearing if the whole were hearing where were the smelling Intrusâ—â—n vpon men is iniurious vpon God is sacrilegious The examples of Korah whome the earth swalowed of Vzzah â—â—riâ—en to death and Vzziah plagued with the leprosie for affecting and inuading the Priests office are well knowen Chrysostome saieth of the last Hee entered the Temple to vsurpe the Priesthood and hee lost his kingdome He entred to become more â—ener able and hee became more execrable So euill a thing it is not to abide within the boundes that God hath appointed vs either of honour or knowledge What I say of the people I say likewise of laie Elders for so much as they are but a part of the people and looke what the whole is prohibited euery part is interdicted If Laie men may intermeddle with ecclesiasticall functions why not the people If the people may not why should the Elders since both are Laie If they renounce the execution and chalenge the superuision of ecclesiasticall dueties they flie from one Rocke and fall on another they cleare themselues from the worde and entangle themselues with the sword Gouernours of the Church that bee neither ministers nor Magistrates I yet conceiue none if any mans skill bee so good that hee can describe vs a gouernement betwixt both that shall wrong neither I would gladly giue him audience Howbeit wee need not trouble our heads with the maner of gouernement that laie Elders must haue distinct from the Priestes and Princes calling before we haue better proofe for the persons that shall enioy this priuiledge When you make it appeare there were such officers in the Church of Christ wee will then intreat you to bound out their office by the word of God or writings of the auncient fathers till then wee stand resolued there were neuer such Gouernours nor gouernement established by the Apostles nor acknowledged by their after-commers in Christes Church The places pretended both in Scriptures and Fathers for such Elders wee haue leasurablie perused and examined and wee finde not so much as the footesteps of any Laie Elders Presbyters we find and Rulers but no reason to leade they were laie Presbyters or Rulers Against theÌ„ we find all the Christian ancient Councils lawes and fathers y t euer mentioned any Presbyters If I shuffle any writers wordes or dazel the Readers eies shew me the place I will yeeld to mine errour In the meane time I take him to witnesse that is Iudge of all secrets I endeuoured to walke soundly and simplie without swaying or leaning to either side more then the euidence of the trueth enforced me Two sortes are left for I still professe that laie Elders were neuer admitted to meddle with any such
matters to whom the Apostolike power and charge which must alwayes remaine in the Church may be communicated and imparted and those are Presbyters and Bishops By Presbyters I meane those whom all the Catholike Fathers and Councils with one consent call Presbyteros placing them in the middle betweene Bishops and Deacons when they deuide the Clergie into Episcopos Presbyterosâ— Diaconos Bishops Presbyters and Deacons Laiâ— Elders I ouerskip as meere strangers to all antiquitie So that when I speake of Presbyteries I vnderstand thereby the assemblies of such Presbyters as were Clergie men and in euery Citie assisted the Bishop in the seruice of God and aduised the Bishop in all other affaires of the Church Thus much I premonish least the often vse of the word Presbyter in this chapter should either perplexe or vnsettle the Reader The times must like wise be remembred The Apostles both in teaching and gouerning the Churches when they were present had helpers when they were absent had substitutes after their finall departures or deathes left successours So that the things originally descending from the Apostles and continuallie remayning in the Church are the charge of the worde and Sacraments and the power of keyes and handes the persons to whom they were committed either Presbyters or Bishops the times when the presence absence departure or death of the Apostles If wee neglect or confound these partes wee shall but roaue in the aire at the right gouernement of the Church if wee obserue them wee shall force the Question to an Issue that will not deceiue vs. And first for the worde and Sacraments It may not bee deuied but as the worde and Sacraments are the most essentiall seedes of the Church so the handling and sowing thereof in the Lordes ground must bee the generall and principall charge of all Pastours and Presbyters that eyther feede or rule the flocke of Christ. for whether they be Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastours or Teachers I meane such as Paul reckoneth to the Ephesians for the worke of the Ministerie or as the holy Ghost in other places calleth them Bishops and Presbyters this power is common to them all Without the worde and Sacraments the Saintes are not gathered the Church is not edified faith is not perfited heauen is not opened wherefore in preaching the worde and administring the Sacramentes the Scriptures know no difference betwixt Pastours and Teachers Bishops and Presbyters Had not our Sauiour deliuered both in one ioynt Commission to his Apostles when he willed them to goe and teach all Nation baptizing them Paul sheweth that preaching the worde was of the twaine the greater and woorthier part of his Apostolike function Christ sent mee not to baptize but to preach the Gospell not that hee might not or did not vse both but the latter was the chiefer So Iohn preached the baptisme of repentance not deuiding the offer of the worde from the confirmation of the Sacrament but ioyning them both together as coherent and consequent the one to the other for God doeth not send his messengers to make emptie promises but ratifieth the trueth of his speach with the seales of his word which are the Sacraments And therfore hee that hath charge from God to preach the one hath also leaue to performe the other Whom God hath placed in his church that by his mouth we should beleeue by his hands also we may bee baptized as appeareth by Philip conuerting and baptizing not onely the Eunuche but the whole Citie of Samaria and for that cause S. Austen iustly calleth as well Presbyters as Bishops Ministers of the word and Sacraments A newe distinction is lately deuised that Pastours in Saint Paul were such as had not onely the word and Sacraments but also the Church and charge of soules committed vnto them and Teachers those that laboured in doctrine but receiued no charge neither of Sacramentes nor soules In deede Ambrose taketh them for Catechizers of Infants and at Alexandria there were moderators of Schooles resembling our Uniuersities for the training and instructing of such as in time were likely to profit the Church of God but these were not ecclesiasticall functions in the Church they were profitable members of a common wealth that so did but no necessarie workemen in the ministerie And though there were such for a season at Alexandria yet all other Cities and Churches had not the like and they that gouerned those Schooles and taught the Catechumes there as Pantenus Clemens and Origen were Laie men and neuer vsed at Alexandria to teach the people in the Church as appeareth by Demetrius wordes then Bishop of Alexandria finding great fault with the Bishops of Ierusal in and Cesaria for suffering Origen after hee had bene Catechist at Alexandria to expound the Scriptures before the people in the Church His wordes are these It was neuer heard nor euer suffered that Laie men should teach in the Church in the presence of Bishops With no face could the Bishop of Alerandria haue disliked Origens fact if it had bene vsuall in his owne Church and the Bishops that wrate in defence of the matter doe not auouch it was a generall or perpetuall rule in the Church of Christ for a Catechizer to teach in the Church but alleage three instances where they sawe the like vsed and confesse they knew no more Wherefore vnlesse their examples and reasons were stronger and surer I preferre the iudgement of Ierome Augustine Chrysostome Theodorete and others before this late conceite who thinke the Apostle expressed one office by two names to shew what things belonged to the Pastorall charge Austen Pastours and Doctours whom you greatly desired I should distinguish I thinke to bee all one as you doe not that wee should conceiue some to be Pastours others to bee Doctours but therefore he subioyned Doctours to Pastours that Pastours might vnderstand doctrine pertained to their office Euery Pastour is a Doctour saieth Ierome Pastours and Doctours saieth Chrysostome were they to whom the whole people were committed and they were inferiour to those that went about preaching the Gospell because dwelling in more quietnesse they were employed onely in one place Paul calleth them Pastours and Doctours saieth Theodorete which were deputed and fastened to a Citie or village Oecumenius by Pastours and Teachers Paul meaneth Bishops to whome the Churches were committed But grant Pastours and Doctours were distinct offices in the Church as you imagine what gaine you by it You may thereby prooue an inequalitie of ecclesiasticall functions you prooue nothing els Obey your Ouerseers saieth Paul and bee subiect to them they watch ouer your soules to giue account for them Obedience and subiection to the Pastour is due from the whole flocke and all degrees thereof which are no Pastours but Teachers as you say were no Pastors they were therfore inferiour to Pastors and subiect to their ouersight Now take your choice if Pastors
were all one with Doctors you haue lost one of those offices which you affirme to bee perpetuall in the Church if they were distinct from them they were superiours vnto them and so betwixt ministers of the word for such were Teachers by Saint Pauls rule you establish a difference of degrees Thus much for the worde and Sacraments the dispensing whereof no doubt was common to all Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastours and Teachers and so to Presbyters and Bishops not withstanding the moderatioÌ„ and ouersight of those things were still reserued to the Apostles as well absent as present euen when the power and charge thereof was imparted to others The discipline and gouernement of the Church I meane the power of the keies and imposing hands are two other partes of Apostolike authoritie which must remaine in the Church for euer These keyes are double the keie of knowledge annexed to the word the keie of power referred to the Sacraments Some late writers by vrging the one abolish the other howbeit I see no sufficient reason to counteruaile the Scriptures and Fathers that defend and retaine both The keie of knowledge must not bee doubted of our Sauiour in expresse wordes nameth it Woe be to you interpreters of the lawe for yee haue taken away the keie of knowledge yee entered not in your selues and those that were comming in you forbade The keie of power standeth on these words of Christ to Peter I will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen And likewise to all his Apostles Whatsoeuer ye binde in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen And after his resurrection in like maner to them all Receiue ye the holie Ghost whose sinnes soeuer yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whose sinnes yee retaine they are retained And least we should vnderstand these places of the preaching of the Gospell as some new writers doe Saint Paul hath plaine wordes that cannot be wrested to that sense Speaking of the incestuous Corinthian that was excommunicated and deliuered vnto Satan he saieth Sufficient for that man is this rebuking of many so that now contrary wise yee ought rather to forgiue him and comfort him least hee bee swallowed vp with too much sorowe To whom you forgiue any thing I also forgiue for if I forgaue ought to any I forgaue it for your sakes in the sight of Christ. As Paul deliuered this offender to Satan and shut both the Church and heauen against him so now vpon the detesting and forsaking of his sinne hee restored him to the peace of the Church communion of the Lordes table and hope of Gods kingdome from which before hee was excluded And this Paul did not by preaching the word vnto the penitent for as then hee was absent from Corinth but by forgiuing him in the sight of Christ and his Church as by his Apostolike power hee might Both these keyes the one of knowledge the other of power Ambrose mentioneth in his 66. Sermon and likewise Origen in his 25. tractate vpon Matthew adding a third keie where hee saieth Blessed are they that open the kingdome of heauen either by their word or by their good worke for liuing well and teaching rightly the word of trueth they open the kingdom of heauen before men whiles they enter themselues and prouoke others to follow The meaning of these late writers it may bee is not wholie to cast away the keie of power but onely to drawe the wordes of Christ spoken to Peter and the rest of his Apostles rather to the preaching of the Gospell then to excluding from the Sacraments and yet to the Church or Presbyterie they reserue the power of the keies that is ful authoritie to excommunicate notorious and rebellious sinners These men foresee that if the power of the keies bee giuen to the Apostles and their successours then haue laie Elders who doe not succeed in the Apostles roumes and functions nothing to doe with the Apostles keies Because this was enough to marre the Laie Preâ—â—â—terie therefore the Patrones thereof conueie the wordes of Christ to another sense and builde the ground-worke of excommunication vpon the 18. chapter of Saint Matthewes Gospell where the Church is named and not the Apostles But this deuise is both a preiudice to the Apostles and a Preamble to the laie Presbyterie which all the Catholike Fathers with one voyce contradict as I haue before at large declared Omitting the Laie Burgesses of the Church as hauing no interest in the Apostles keies it resteth in this place to bee considered to whom those keies were committed whether equallie to all Presbyters or chieflie to Pastours and Bishops The like must bee done for imposition of handes whether that also pertained indifferently to all or speciallie to Bishops Before wee make a full resolution to these questions we must search the time when Bishops first began and by whom they were first ordained and authorized In which inquisition wee will begin with the report and opinion of the auncient Fathers and so descend to the positions and assertions of such as in our age impugne and gainesay the vocation and function of Bishops Epiphanius report is this The Apostles could not suddenlie settle all things There was present need of Presbyters and Deacons for by those two the necessities of the Church might bee supplied Where there was none found woorthie of the Bishoprike the place remayned without a Bishop But where there was neede and fitte men found for the Episcopall function Bishops were ordained Euerie thing was not perfect from the beginning but in processe of time things were fitted for the furnishing of all occasions the Church in this wise receiuing the perfection of her gouernment Ambrose somewhat differing from Epiphanius saieth Apostolus Timotheum Presbyterum a se creatum Episcopum vocat quia primi Presbyteri Episcopi appellabantur vt recedente eo sequens ei succederet Sed quia coeperunt sequentes Presbyteri indigni inueniri ad primatus tenendos immutata est ratio prospiciente concilio vt non ordo sed meritum crearet Episcopum c. Paul calleth Timothie created a Presbyter by himselfe or with his owne handes a Bishop because the first Presbyters were called Bishops so as the first departing the next succeeded him But for that the Presbyters which followed beganne to bee found vnwoorthie to beare the chiefe regiment the maner was chaunged a Councill prouiding that not order but desert should make a Bishop appoynted by the iudgement of many Priestes least an vnfitte person should rashlie vsurpe the place and bee an offence to many Ieromes opinion is euident by his words which I repeated before in effect hee affirmeth thus much Before there were factions in religioÌ„ a Presbyter a
places and offices distinguished or digested they tooke an other order then at beginning And why The first regarde the Apostles had was to gaine vnbeleeuers to Christ the second to gouerne such as were gained And these two respects might best be perfourmed by two contrarie courses To encrease the Church the more workemen the better For when the Haruest is great if the Labourers bee fewe the roumes can not be filled To guide the Church the fewer the better except it bee with counsell to aduise For diuerse men haue diuers minds and diuers meanings and in a multitude of Gouernours emulation and dissention are no rare springs Wherefore no maruell though the Apostles tooke besides themselues as many helpers as they coulde to conuert the worlde vnto Christ and yet tooke not vnto themselues as many Rulers as they coulde in euerie place to gouerne the beleeuers By order of nature men must bee gotten together afore they neede bee gouerned and so in the building of the Church the number of Preachers at the first was more requisite then the choice of Gouernours And for that cause Epiphanius second position is verie true That Presbyters and Deacons the one to labour in the worde and dispence the Sacraments the other to releeue the poore and attend to diuine Seruice were euerie where appointed by the Apostles These were sufficient to beginne the Churches and these were fittest to increase the Church And therefore in many places the Apostles left none other but these If you aske who then gouerned the Churches in those beginnings I answere the flocke was both augmented and directed by the Presbyters that laboured in the worde The chiefe gouernement to impose handes and deliuer vnto Satan rested yet in the Apostles who often visited the Churches which they planted and ordained Presbyters as they passed to supplie the wantes of euerie Church The third point in Epiphanius reporte is this that although it be not extant in the Apostles writings that in euerie place where they came at first they left Bishops yet the Scriptures do witnesse that Paul furnished some places with Bishops as Ephesus and Creete with Timothie and Tite Thus farre I see not what you can refell in Epiphanius Perchance you will deride Epiphanius simplicitie that coulde not discerne betwixt an Euangelist and a Bishop for as you maintaine Timothie and Tite were Euangelists and not Bishops and had an extraordinarie and no ordinarie calling You can not charge Epiphanius with ignoraunce in this behalfe but you must doe the like to the eldest and best learned Fathers of the Primitiue Church namely Eusebius Ambrose Chrysostome Ierome Oecumenius Primasius and others which affirme as Epiphanius doth that Timothie was a Bishop ordeined by S. Paul but thereof anon as also whether an Euangelist might bee a Bishop or no which conclusions of yours though they be most feeble and vnsure yet they be lately taken up for Oracles That which may be doubted in Epiphanius is this The cause why Bishops wanted in some places was saith he the lacke of fit men to beare the office It may be some will thinke it strange that amongest so many Prophets Pastours and Teachers as were in most of those Churches which Paul planted not a fit man could be found for the Episcopal function and yet afterward meete men were found for all the Churches in the worlde but as that which Epiphanius saith might be some cause of wanting Bishops at the first so if I be not deceiued there were other causes that mooued the Apostles not straight wayes to place Bishops in euerie Church where they preached which I will specifie when the testimonies of Ambrose and Ierome be throughly perused Ambrose at first sight seemeth somewhat to dissent from Epiphanius in that he thinketh the Churches had both Presbyters and Bishops left them by the Apostles and the Presbyters were placed in an order according to the deserts and worthines of eche man by the Apostles and others that founded the Churches and this rule deliuered that as the first and chiefest Presbyter who was Bishop in name and superiour in calling to the rest failed so the next should succeede in his roume and enioy the Episcopall chaire and power after his departure And when some Presbyters did not answere the expectation which was had of them but scandalized the Church that course of standing in order to succeede was changed and Bishops were chosen by the iudgement and liking of many Priests to cut off vnworthie and offensiue men from the place I could admit this report of Ambrose but that he expresseth not when and by whome this change beganne he saieth Prospiciente Concilio A Council fore seeing or prouiding that not order but merite should create a Bishop but what Council If he meant a Councill of the Apostles which is not expressed but may well bee intended for the wordes stand indifferent to any Councill no testimonie can be weightier for Bishops then this of Ambrose which is brought against them If he meant others after the Apostles deaths what authoritie had they to change the Apostolike gouernment or by their decree to bind the whole world But this I reserue till Ieromes witnesse bee repeated and examined Ierom in his words before cited auoucheth three special things first that til dissentions sprang in the Church Bishops and Presbyters were all one and the Churches were gouerned by the common aduise of Presbyters amongst whom the care of the Church was equally diuided Next that to roote out schismes rising verie fast through the Preachers and Presbyters factions by a decree throughout the whole worlde one of the Presbyters was chosen in euery Church and set ouer the rest and to him the whole care of the Church did euer after appertaine Thirdly that this subiection of the Presbyters vnder the Bishop and maioritie of Bishops aboue Presbyters grewe rather by the custome of the Church then by the trueth of the Lords disposition for they should rule the Church in common These wordes of Ierome may be either verie true according to the time that they be referred vnto or verie false If you so conster Ierome that all the while the Apostles liued Bishops were al one with Presbyters and had no more charge nor power in the Church then Presbyters you make Ierome contradict the Scriptures himselfe the whole aray of all the ancient Fathers and Apostolike Churches that euerwere since Christs time for all these affirme and proue the contrarie But if you so expound Ierom that the Apostles for a time suffred the Presbyters to haue equall power and care in guiding the Church themselues alwayes sitting at the sterne and holding the helue whiles they were present in those parts of the worlde till by the factions and diuisions of so manie gouernors the Churches were almost rent in peeces and thereupon the Apostles forced did set an other order in the Church then was at first and with the good liking of all the
Churches either troubled with contentions or iustly fearing the like euents in time to come did commit eche place to one Pastour leauing the rest to consult and aduise with him for the health and peace of the people and by this example taught the whole Church what perpetuall rule to obserue after their deaths Ierome saieth as much as I can or doe desire I come nowe to the quicke let the Christian Reader marke this issue well in Gods name and what side bringeth soundest and surest proofes there let the verdict go Ierome prooueth by many Scriptures that a Presbyter and Bishop were names indifferent and often vsed to the same persons Paul calling for the Presbyters of Ephesus saide vnto them Take heede to your selues and to all the flocke in which the holie Ghost hath set you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ouerseers or Bishops to feede the Church of God Inscribing his Epistle to the Philippians he saieth To all the Saintes which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons And so to Tite I left thee in Creete to ordaine Presbyters in euery Citie if any be vnreprooueable for a Bishop must be vnreprooueable Peter like wise writing to the Iewes dispersed saieth The Presbyters which are amongst you I beseech which am also a Presbyter feede the flocke of God committed to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouerseeing it not constrainedly but willingly All the Presbyters that fed the flocke are in these places called Bishops I grant it fully the words are cleere What hence conclude you ergo the offices were then all one Nay ergo the names then were common Otherwise how thinke you by this argument Peter calleth himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow Presbyter with the rest are therefore the Apostleship and the Presbytership both one office Of Iudas Peter saieth in the Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Bishoprike let an other take Will you grant that an Apostle doth not differ from a Bishop Admit you the one and I will receiue the other Names may be common though offices be distinct There were then at Ephesus and amongst the dispersed Iewes no Bishops but such as were Presbyters and they many not one Distinguish the times and the Scriptures will agree There was a time as Ierome telleth you when the Churches were gouerned by the common aduise of the Presbyters In this time spake Paul to the Presbyters of Ephesus in this time wrate Peter to the Presbyters amongst the Iewes After this the factions of the Teachers caused the Apostles to establish an other kinde of gouernement and to commit the chiefe care of eche Church which they had planted to some chosen person that should ouersee the flocke as Pastour of the place the rest being his helpers to disperse the word and aduisers to gouerne the Church If you prooue that you say somewhat to the matter If I prooue it not better then you doe your Laie Elders I am content to renounce the one as I doe the other Will you prooue it by the Scripture I will so prooue it as you shall not refuse it vnlesse you reiect both the Booke and Church of God What will you prooue That the Apostles in their life time did institute one Pastour to take the chiefe care of one Church and consequentlie the change which Ierome speaketh of from the common and equall regiment of Presbyters to the particular and preeminent moderation of the Churches in eche place by Bishoppes was not made after the Apostles were dead but whiles they liued and then of force by their decree for during their times none might interpose themselues to change and alter the fourme of the Church Discipline setled by them without their leaue and allowance If it were euer decreed by them it would bee founde in their writings and that it can not Besides had it beene their doing it might iustly be called Gods disposition and ordinance which Ierome saieth it may not Their doctrine in deede doeth plainelie appeare by their writings their successours doe not For howe should the Apostles declare by their pennes who succeeded them after their deaths Is not the whole Church of Christ a lawful and sufficient witnesse in that case If wee beleeue not the Churches that were directed and ordered by the Apostles preaching and presence nor their Schollers that liued with them and next succeeded in their rouines who that wise is wil beleeue our bare surmises seelie coniectures of things done 1500. yeeres before we were borne Yet if the Scriptures do not signifie so much we wil loose it But before I enter to proue it I wil search out the right cause why the Apostles did not not in euery place where they came presently erect Bishops to gouerne the Churches which they planted The reasons why the Apostles did not at the first preaching of the Gospell commit the Churches to the regiment of Bishops I finde were these three First they reserued the chiefe power of imposing hands and punishing notorious offendors to themselues whom Christ made bishops ouerseers of his Church For though to feede leade and attend the flocke they tooke the Presbyters to be their helpers yet the weightiest matters of the church as giuing the graces of Gods spirite and deliuering vnto Satan they retained in their owne handes so long as they were in those places or parts of the worlde The second is that which Epiphanius noted that although there were many endued with excellent gifts to preach the word yet the Apostles would trust none with the chiefe charge of the Churches till they had fully seene and perfectly tried as wel the soundnes of their mindes as greatnes of their gifts Thirdly lest they should seeme to seeke the aduancing of their followers more then the conuerting of vnbeleeuers they suffered the Churches to take a triall what equalitie of many Gouernours would doe and when the fruites thereof prooued to be dissention and confusion the Apostles were forced to commit the Churches at their departures to certaine tried approoued men to be chiefe Pastours of the seuerall places and the Churches were all as willing to receiue them finding by experience what continuall schismes and heresies grew by the peruersnesse of Teachers and could not be repressed by the confused gouernment of the Presbyters which were many in number and equall in power None of these things are expressed in the Scriptures If the fathers alone did witnesse them say we not much more for Bishops then you do for Lay Elders but you shall see the grounds of their reports testified euen in the Scriptures That the Apostles at the first planting of the Churches kept to themselues the power of imposing hands and deliuering vnto Satan which the Fathers call Episcopall power is no newes in the Scriptures they could not loose that vnlesse they lost their Apostleship withall you must shew by the Scriptures where they committed this power to the Presbyters of euery place or else our assertion
with the Churches at the first erecting thereof is that which Epiphanius remembreth and Paul toucheth in many places I trust to send Timotheus shortly vnto you I haue no man like minded who will faithfully care for your matters For all seeke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christes And to Timothie This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia bee turned from me At my first answering no man assisted mee but all forsooke mee Demas hath forsaken mee and embraced this present worlde Wherefore Epiphanius surmise that the scarcitie of tried and approoued men was some cause why euerie place was not furnished at the first with a Bishop is neither vnlikelie nor vnpertaining to the purpose The third reason I take to be this that as Presbyters to labour in the word and augment the Church were presently needefull the haruest being no lesse then the whole world and Bishops to moderate the number of Teachers and to ouersee as well the feeders as the flocke were not so requisit whiles the Apostles who tooke care of those things themselues preached in or neere the places so the wisedome of God woulde not impose that fourme of gouernement on the Church but after long triall and good experience what neede the Churches should haue of it This course he obserued with the people of Israel not straightway to associate the seuentie Elders vnto Moses but to let them alone vntill Moses was wearied with the burden and the multitude grieued for want of dispatch and Iethro seeing the Iudge afflicted with paines and the people discontented with delayes aduised an other way which the whole assemblie liked God confirmed and Moses executed In like manner Christ suffered his Church to trie whiles his Apostles yet liued what equalitie and plentie of Gouernours would worke in euerie place and when it fell out in proofe vpon the Apostles absence that so many leaders so many followers so many Rulers so many factions out euerie Church in sunder the Apostles were forced the world as Ierom faith decreing it that is the faithful throughout the world being therewith contented and thereof desirous to commit their places and Churches not to Presbyters in common and equall authoritie but to their Disciples and followers whome afterward they called Bishops in a superioritie leauing vnto them as vnto their successors the chiefest honor and power of imposing handes and vsing the keyes and resting specially on their care and paines to ouersee both Teachers and beleeuers though the Presbyters were not excluded from helping and assisting them to feed and guide the flocke of Christ. This you say but Ierome saith It was not the Lords disâ—osition by his Apostles but rather a decree and custome of the Church that first made Bishops to differ from Presbyters Ierome saieth it was decreed throughout the world to change the equalitie of Presbyters into the superioritie of Bishops by whome it was so decreed hee doeth not mention in this place but if I prooue as well by the Scriptures as by Ierome himselfe and the rest of the Fathers that this change began in the Apostles times and was both seene and approoued by them I euince it to bee an Apostolike ordinance Then must it also be diuine which Ierome denyeth What Ierom meaneth by the trueth of the Lords ordinance I wil after examine I must prooue in order I shall else but confound both myselfe and the Reader In the meane time I make this reason out of Ierome When the schismes of Presbyters beganne dangerously to teare the Churches in peeces then were the Churches committed to the chiefe and preeminent charge of one but those schismes and factions troubled all the Churches euen in the Apostles times vnder them therefore beganne the change of gouernement which Ierome speaketh of At Corinth indeede there were contentions who were baptized of the greatest men which Ierome doeth exemplifie but the factions must be more generall and deadly that should cause an alteration of gouernement throughout the world So there were euen in the Apostles times To those of Corinth he saith When you come together in the Church I heare there are dissentions amongest you and I beleeue it in part for there must be heresies euen among you that they which are approoued amongst you might beknowen And wheÌ„ he saith there must be heresies amongst you to manifest the good from the bad he meaneth not only at Corinth but euery where which came to passe accordingly To the Romanes he saith Marke them diligently which cause diuisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which yee haue learned and auoyde them Amongest the Galathians were some that intended to peruert the Gospel of Christ and to carrie them into an other doctrine bewitching them that they shoulde not obey the trueth To the Philippians Beware of dogges beware of euill workemen many walke of whome I tolde you often and tell you now weeping that are enemies of the crosse of Christ whose ende is damnation whose God is their bellie and glorie to their shame which minde earthly things With the Colossians were some that burdened the Churches with traditions euen with the commaundements and doctrines of men and holding not the head aduanced themselues in those things which they neuer sawe and rashly puft vp with fleshly mindes beguiled the simple with a shew of humblenesse and worshipping of Angels At Thessalonica the resurrection of the dead was impugned and some troubled the people with visions with fained messages and forged letters in the Apostles name as if the day of Christ were at hand It came to passe in euery place which Paul foretolde the Presbyters of Ephesus This I know saith he that after my departure shall grieuous wolues enter in amongst you not sparing the flocke Yea of your owne selues shall rise men speaking peruerse thinges to draw Disciples after them Neither were the Gentiles onelie subiect to this danger but the Iewes also as Peter forewarned them There shalbe false teachers amongst you which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them many shal follow their damnable waies through couetousnes with fained wordsshal they make marchandise of you And so Iohn Euen now there are many Antichrists many false prophets and deceiuers are gone out into the world To preuent these deceiuers and represse these peruerse Teachers Paul was forced whiles he liued laboured in other places to send speciall substitutes to the Churches most endangered and by their paines ouersight to cure the soares heale the wounds which these pestilent and vnquiet spirits had made So at Ephesus when the teachers and doctors began to affirme they knewe not what euen prophane and doting fables whose word did fret as a canker and crept into houses leading captiue simple women laden with sinnes and led with diuers lusts and others hauing itching eares gate them teachers after
yet he did carrie about with him Epiphanius the diuine speach of the Apostle teacheth who is a Bishop and who a Presbyter in saying to Timothie a Bishop Rebuke not a Presbyter but exhort him as a father How could a Bishop rebuke a Presbyter if he had no power ouer a Presbyter as also Receiue not an accusation against a Presbyter but vnder two or three witnesses Theodoret. Titus was a notable Disciple of Paul ordained by Paul Bishop of Creete and authorized to make the Bishops that were vnder him Vincentius Lirinensis writing vpon some words of Paul to Timothie saith O Timothie that is O Priest O Teacher if the diuine grace hath made thee meete for witte exercise and learning be thou Beseleel that is a most skilfull workeman of the spiritual Temple Augustine instructing all Pastours by Paules words to Tite addeth Was it saide in vaine to the seruant of God now eminent amongst the members of the chiefe Pastour Shewe thy selfe an example of good workes to all Gregorie Paul admonisheth his scholler Timothie now Prelate of a flocke saying Attend to reading til I come Primasius Timothie had the grace of prophecie cum ordinatione Episcopatus together with the order of a Bishop And that grace was the blessing which Timothie at the time of his making Bishop receiued by the imposition of Paules hands Oecumenius interlacing the words of Paul to Timothie saieth Neglect not the gift which is in thee That is either Doctrine or the office of a Bishop for it was the grace of God that being yoong hee deserued to be made a Pastour Which was giuen thee by prophecie for by the commaundement of the holie Ghost Bishops were made and not at all aduenture With imposition of hands of the Presbyterie By Presbyters hee meaneth Bishops for Presbyters did not ordaine him being a Bishop Yea which of all the auncient Fathers doeth not with Tertullian confesse that the Epistles of Paul to Timothie and Tite were made concerning the ecclesiastical state or doth not with Chrysostome Ambrose and Oecumenius apply the words precepts of the Apostle written to them as spoken to all Bishops You say Euangelists could be no Bishops y e whole Church of Christ with one resolution said they were bishops whatsoeuer Paul speaketh to them pertaineth to all Bishops and Pastors and of al others Ieromes confession is most cleere in that behalfe Howe then coulde Ierom doubt but the vocation and function of Bishops was an Apostolike ordinance and consequently confirmed and allowed by the wisedome of Gods spirit in his Apostles Saint Iohn in his Reuelation will assure you that the Sonne of god willed him to write to the seuen starres and Angels of the seuen Churches of Asia that is to the seuen Pastours and Bishops of those seuen places Whereby it is euident that not onely the Apostles were liuing when one superiour gouerned the Churches but the Lord himselfe with his owne voice confirmed that kinde of regiment I do not feare lest with Origen you will wrest the place to the Angels in heauen say that in euery Church there were two Bishops one visible another inuisible S. Augustine hath learnedly quenched that error If the Lord woulde haue had those words vnderstood of the Angels of the higher heauens and not of the Rulers of the Church hee woulde not haue afterward added But I haue some what against thee because thou hast left thy first loue remember therefore whence thou art fallen and repent This can not be spoken of the heauenly Angels who always retaine their loue whence they that fell are the Diuell and his Angels Therefore by the diuine voice vnder the name of an Angell the Ruler or ouerseer of the Church is praised And againe The Angels of the Churches in the Apocalypse ought not to be vnderstoode to be any but the Bishops or Rulers of the Churches If Iohn in his time sawe those seuen Churches gouerned by seuen Pastours or Bishops then was the common and equal gouernement of Presbyters before that time changed If Christ called them Starres and Angels of the Churches they were no humane inuention after the Apostles were dead and buried You see Ierome saieth the regiment of Bishops came not into the Church by the truth of the Lords disposition You doe not alleadge Ierom because you admit or regard what he saith you onely snatch at some words in him which seeme to serue your humours otherwise you receiue no part of his report In the place which you bring against Bishops Ierome saieth that at the first when Presbyters gouerned Ecclesiae cura aequaliter inter plures diuidebatur the charge or care of the Church was equally diuided amongst many You say no there was neuer any such time it were lacke of wisedome so to thinke Your wordes be Neque enim ille quum diceret Ecclesias initio fuisse communi Presbyterorum consilio gubernatas ita desipuisse existimandus est vt somniaret neminem ex Presbyteris illi coetui praefuisse Ierome when hee said the Churches were at the first gouerned by the common aduise of the Presbyters may not be thought to haue bene So FOOLISH as to dreame that none of the Presbyters was chiefe of that assemblie Ierome saieth the care of the Church was equally deuided amongst them you say it were a dreame and a follie so to suppose And thus is Ierome rewarded for bearing witnesse to your Presbyterall regiment Againe Ierome saieth that vpon the primarie dissentious of Presbyters it was decreed in the whole world Vt omnis Ecclesiae cura ad vnum pertineret that the whole care or charge of the Church should pertaine to one This you cannot digest for if this bee true your laie Elders had nothing to doe with Church matters since Bishops began Ieromes whole tale therefore your selues reiect as vntrue onely you hold fast the latter ende which you vnderstand not and thence you would prooue that the gouerning of the Church by Bishops was mans inuention contrarie to Gods institution In all reason when you impugne the two partes of your owne witnesses deposition wee might refuse the third but wee will not presuming that Ierome would not so grossely contradict himselfe as to say the superioritie of Bishops aboue Presbyters was and was not an Apostolike ordinance Ieromes wordes then that the Bishops maioritie aboue Presbyters came rather by the custome of the Church then by the trueth of the Lordes disposition may bee two wayes construed First that by the trueth of the Lordes disposition hee meaneth a precept from Christes mouth and by the custome of the Church hee vnderstandeth a continuation of that regiment euen from the Apostles For Veritas is often taken with the auncient Fathers for a trueth written in the Scriptures consuetudo for a thing deliuered by hand from the Apostles which otherwise thep call a tradition And
so though there bee no precept from Christ in writing for that kind of gouernement yet the perpetuall custome of the Church prooueth it to be an Apostolike ordinance Another sense of Ieromes wordes may be this At the first for a time the Presbyters with common aduise and equall care guided the Church vnder the Apostles paulatim verò ad vnum omnem sollicitudâ—nem esse delatam but after Bishops were appointed the whole care thereof was by litle and litle deriued vnto one and so at length by custome Presbyters were vtterly excluded from all aduise and counsell whereof Ambrose complaineth and Bishops only intermedled with the regiment of the Church This maner of subiection in Presbyters prelation in bishops grew only in continuance of time not by any ordinance of Christ or his Apostles At first y â— Presbyters were left as in part of the charge of y â— part of the dignitie This seemeth to be the right intent of Ieroms speach by the words y â— follow for to reuoke the soueraigntie of Bishops ouer Presbyters to the trueth of y â— deuine ordinance he saith Nouerint in communi debere Ecclesiam regere imitantes Mosem qui cum haberet in potestate solus praeesse populo Israel septuagintaelegit cum quibus populum iudicaret Let the Bishops know that according to the trueth of the Lordes disposition howsoeuer the custome of the Church now be to the contrarie they should rule the Church in common with the Presbyters after the example of Moses who when it laie in his power to be Ruler alone ouer the people of Israel he chose seuentie to helpe him iudge the people What they ought to doe that was the trueth of the Lordes disposition now they ought to doe as Moses did What to haue all Gouernours equall no but when they might rule alone to ioyne with them others in the fellowship of their power and honour as Moses did Moses did not abrogate his superioritie aboue others but tooke seuentie Elders into part of his charge This saieth Ierome was the trueth of the Lordes ordinance although by the custome of the Church as it then was which grewe paulatim not when Bishops were first ordained but by degrees in decurse of time they had the whole charge of the Church without aduising or conferring with the Presbyters For the Presbyters might neither baptise without the Bishops leaue nor preach in the Bishops presence which subiection Ierome saieth was not after the trueth of the Lords ordinance howsoeuer the custome of the Church had then strengthened it This to be Ieromes true meaning in this place his owne words else-where doe fully prooue which are these Vt sciamus traditiones Apostolicas sumptas de veteri Testamento quod Aaron filij eius at que Leuitae in Templo fuerunt hoc sibi Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi vendicent in Ecclesia To make vs vnderstand that the Apostolike traditions were taken out of the olde Testament what Aaron and his sonnes and the Leuites were in the Temple that let the Bishops and Presbyters and Deacons chalenge to themselues in the Church The high Priest I hope was superiour to his sonnes not onely as a Father but as hauing the chiefest place and office about the Arke and after in the Temple And as it was there so the Apostles ordained saith Ierome that Bishops and Presbyters shoulde differ in the Church of Christ. Scanne this place a little I pray you and tell mee whether Ierome auouch that Bishops shoulde bee superiour to Presbyters by the tradition and ordinaunce of the Apostles or no If that point bee cleere adde these wordes of Master Beza which are verie sounde to Saint Ieromes to make vp the Syllogisme Certe si ab ipsis Apostolis esset profecta haec mutatio non vererer illam vt caeteras Apostolic as ordinationes diuinae in solidum dispositioni tribuere If this change to theregiment of Bishops proceeded from the Apostles I woulde not doubt throughly to ascribe it to diuine disposition as I doe other ordinances of the Apostles but Ierome expressely confesseth it was an Apostolike ordinance ergo without any staggering or doubting it must be acknowledged by you that it was Gods disposition Thus much for Ierome Nowe for Ambrose before wee goe to further proofe because some strange fansies of this fresh Discipline are fastned on him let vs likewise examine what he saith for either side There is one thing in Ambrose barely surmised but no way prooued and that is eagerly caught vp by the Disciplinarians and made a shipmans hose for their newe deuises there are foure other points in the same places that haue surer ground and more agreement with the rest of the Fathers and those are positiuelie repelled as friuolous and false by the principles of this pretended Discipline Ambrose imagineth for no proofe can bee made thereof either by Scripture or Storie that the first Bishops were for a while made by order as they sate in the Church so as the place falling voyde by the death or departure of the first the next succeeded in his roume This course was afterward changed into elections but when or by whome hee neither doth nor can tell from this supposall these three conclusions are drawen but all three farre from Ambroses speach or meaning First that this prioritie of place went rounde the Presbyterie euery man taking it in order for a season when his course came Next that the Priour or President for the time which they call a Bishop or Superuisour for his weeke differed not in degree from the rest but onelie in this honour to haue the chiefe place Thirdly that his office was to call the rest together and to guide their meetings that they shoulde bee orderlie and to propounde matters for the whole Presbyterie to consult and conclude with the consent of the greater number himselfe hauing but a voyce as one of the rest neither negatiue nor affirmatiue in any thing but as the most part did resolue This is the Bishop which they haue framed vs out of Saint Ambroses wordes and this Bishop they are content shall be perpetuall in the Church of Christ and an essentiall part of Gods ordinaunce This is the right description of the Maior and Aldermen of a Citie or Bailiffe and Burgesses of a lesser Towne with vs in England but this is no description of a Bishop in the Church of Christ. For howe long will it bee before ye be able to prooue I say not all but any one of these assertions What Scripture euer mentioned what Father euer imagined any such Bishop The fathers you will say were all infected with humane inuentions and Gods institution hath euer since the Apostles time beene neglected in all the Churches and of all the persons in the world till of late I heare what you say and did I not reade it with mine eyes I shoulde thinke they were deepely asleepe
that dreame so well of themselues but since it is printed I would gladly see how it can be prooued Ambrose you say leadeth you so to thinke for he affirmeth that euery Presbyter was a Bishop when it came to his course and their courses went round by order Ambrose contradicteth it as plainely as hee can speake and saieth that not euery Presbyter was a Bishop but he onely was a Bishop which was primus inter Presbyteros the first or chiefest amongst the Presbyters Nay first in order in whose place when he departed the next succeeded They were capable of the Bishoprike as they stood in order Now that order must goe either as they were eldest in standing or worthiest in gifts Which of these two orders did the Presbyters keepe can you tell Not I. Nor Ambrose neither He supposest that to sit in the Church and in other their assemblies they had an order and so no doubt they had but whether they were placed by the Apostles according to their merites or kept their places by senioritie as they were ordained or cast lots amongst themselues for auoiding of ambition and contention neither Ambrose neither any man liuing could or can tell But the first alwayes was the Bishop and consequently they differed not in degree but in order How now masters will you crosse S. Pauls words so flatlie who saieth that God hath ordained first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers Are these diuers degrees or no What els And were not all these when they taught in any place of the Presbyterie They were Then did the Presbyters differ not in order onely but in degree also We speake not of Apostles Euangelists and Prophets when wee say the Presbyters differed one from an other onely in order and not in degree but of Pastours that had their charge in that place where they liued The question is not of whom you speake but of whom Ambrose spake we examine his words not yours and he cleerly accounteth them all to be Presbyters For example Timothie that you say was an Euangelist Ambrose reckoneth him for a Presbyter and saieth he was a Bishop though hee were a Presbyter because there was none other before him And had not Ambrose specially named him I hope you will exclude neither Apostles nor Prophets nor Euangelists from the number of Presbyters wheresoeuer they were present Nowe choose you whether you will say all these were no Presbyters Saint Peter expresselie saying the contrarie or els admit that in the order of Presbyters there were diuers degrees of ecclesiasticall functions and so your distinction of ordo and gradus to be nothing neere Saint Ambroses meaning for hee by ordo vnderstandeth the ORDER OF their DESERT or SENIORITIE and either of those orders doeth euidently admit many diuers degrees of ecclesiasticall callings If Ambrose doe not affirme it we doe I can soone admit you to affirme what you list for when you haue done except you prooue it I will not beleeue it but I see no cause why you should ground that distinction on Ambroses wordes In place conuenient you shall haue leaue to say what you can to maintaine your distinction in the meane time I would haue you marke that you take Ambroses meere ghesses which can not bee iustified for your greatest grounds For tell me when euer or where euer were Bishops chosen by order as they were eldest Againe was Timothie chosen Bishop by his standing at Ephesus or did Paul leaue him there for the great affiance hee had in his sincere and vpright dealing When the Apostle first wrate to Timothie how to behaue himselfe in the house of God and on whom to impose handes did Paul will him to take them as they stoode in order or to choose men answerable to those conditions which hee prescribed The first rules that were giuen in the Scriptures for the creation of Bishops and Presbyters were by choice not by order before those how can Ambrose or any man els prooue that Bishops were ordained in order as they stood without choice Now if you could shew any such thing which I am assured you cannot yet this change from order to choice is the manifest commaundement of Gods spirite witnessed by Paul both to Tite and Timothie and therefore your kinde of going in order to make Bishops was and is repugnant to the Apostles generall and Canonicall rule of choosing the fittest men to be Bishops which euer since hath dured in the Church of Christ as a special and expresse part of Gods ordinance confirmed by the Scriptures But doe you your selues admit this imagination of Ambrose which you fortifie against Bishops are not you the first men that checke your owne witnesse and thereby shewe that though you alleage Ambrose you doe not beleeue Ambrose in this verie point which you bring him for A great learned man of your side saieth and in my iudgement saieth truely Aliud est electionis mandatum quod immatum non tantùm in Diaconis sed etiam in sacris functionibus omnibus seruaâ—um oportet aliud electionis modus The commaundement of election which must bee kept vnchanged not onely in Deacons but in all sacred functions is one thing the maner of electing is another thing Then is there a commaundement no doubt of Christ by his Apostle it could not otherwise bee inuiolable that to all sacred functions men should bee taken by election and not by order of standing If Ambrose spake of the time before this commaundement when that was no man knoweth And therefore I haue reason to say it was neuer prescribed in the Scriptures nor vsed in any Church or age that we read but onely surmised by Ambrose because he did not finde who were Bishops in euery Church before Paul wrate to Timothie and Tite to make choice of meete men to be Bishops and Presbyters Least you mislike that I say Ambrose roaueth at some things which can not be prooued and need not be credited tell mee your selues what you say to these reportes of Ambrose in the same place Primùm omnes docebant omnes baptizabant Inter initia omnibus concessum est euangelizare baptizare Scriptur as in ecclesia explanare Nunc neque Diaconi praedicant in populo neque Clerici vel Laici baptizant At the first all men did teache and all men did baptize At the beginning euery man was suffered to preach baptize and expound the Scriptures in the Church Nowe neither Deacons preach to the people neither doe inferiour Clerkes or Laie men baptize Beleeue you that all men or Laie men did preach and baptize at the first spreading of the Gospell I know you doe not your positions are most direct against it Yet Ambrose auoucheth it and the proofe he bringeth for it is as slender as the report Because Peter commaunded Cornelius and those that were with him to bee baptized and there came with Peter none from Ioppe but certaine brethren hee
concludeth that those were Laie men because they are called brethren and did baptize Cornelius and the rest Peter looking on and willing them to doe it How weake this collection is I doubt not but you quickly finde and the wordes which you bring are the next to these and proceed from the verie same perswasion that this did which was that all things at the first erecting of the Church were permiâ—ed and confused the paucitie of the persons and necessitie of the times so requiring and then it skilled not who were Presbyters and who were Bishops Yet if you presse Ambrose I will not reiect him for hee saieth no more but that the next Presbyter was to succeede after the place was voyde But that eyther they went round by course or did gouerne by weekes or monethes or that a Bishop should not differ from a Presbyter by power to ordaine others which are the things that you affirme to bee Gods ordinaunce in any of these if you prooue that Ambrose maketh with you wee will giue you the whole Besides this Ambrose hath foure speciall pointes in these verie places which you alleage against Bishops so contrary to your newe discipline as high noone is to midnight The FIRST is where hee shutteth your laie Presbyters out of doores in saying A Presbyter and a Bishop haue all one ordination for either is a Priest and so neither is Laie The NEXT that hee saieth Paul made Timothie the Euangelist both a Presbyter and a Bishop neither of which your discipline can abide that either Euangelistes should bee Bishops or that Paul should at any time consecrate Bishops The THIRD It is neither right nor lawfull saieth hee for a Presbyter which is an inferiour to ordaine a Bishop which is a Superiour and consequently your Presbyters may not impose hands on a Bishop as Chrysostome also telleth you The last is that where you say the people must haue the election of their Bishop or Pastour by Gods lawe Ambrose saieth it must be done by the iudgement of many Priests and not by the verdict of the people or laie Presbyters Thus see you that the auncient Fathers Ierome and Ambrose which are alleaged so constantlie not onelie for the Laie Presbyters but for the equalitie and Idemtitie of Bishops and Presbyters in the Apostles tyme come nothing neere your newe discipline The names were common but their callings different the wordes were not then seuered as nowe they bee but euen then Presbyters might not impose handes to ordaine Ministers that was reserued to some speciall and chiefe men trusted with the gouernement of others as well Teachers as hearers and appointed to succeede in the Apostles places as shall appeare in the chapter next ensuing with more euidence CHAP. XIII That some chiefe Pastours in and euer since the Apostles times haue bene distinguished from the rest of the Presbyters by the power of ordination and right of succession and placed in euerie Citie to preserue the externall vnitie and perpetuitie of the Church whom the auncient Fathers did and we after them doe call by the name of Bishops BEfore I demonstrate the vocation and function of Bishops to be Apostolike the ambiguitie of the name of Bishop and communitie of many things incident and appertinent both to Bishops and Presbyters vrge mee to lay downe and deliuer certaine peculiar markes and partes of the Bishops power and office whereby they are alwayes distinguished from Presbyters neuer confounded with them either in Scriptures Councils or Fathers Prerogatiues there were many appropriate vnto them by the authoritie of the Canons and custome of the Church as reconciling of penitents confirmation of Infants and others that were baptized by laying on their handes dedication of Churches and such like but these tended as Ierome saieth ad honorem sacerdotis potiùs quà m ad legis necessitatem to the honour of their Priesthood rather then to the necessitie of any lawe The things proper to Bishops which might not bee common to Presbyters were singularitie in succeeding and superioritie in ordaining These two the Scriptures and Fathers reserue onely to Bishops they neuer communicate theÌ„ vnto Presbyters In euery Church and Citie there might be many Presbyters there could bee but one chiefe to gouerne the rest the Presbyters for need might impose handes on Penitents and Infants but by no meanes might they ordaine Bishops or Ministers of the word and Sacraments Neither are these trifling differences or deuised by me The external vnitie and perpetuitie of the Church depend wholy on these As to auoyde schismes Bishops were first appointed so to maintaine the Churches in vnitie the singularitie of one Pastour ouer each flocke is commended in the Scriptures And as Bishops preserue the vnitie of each Church in that there may bee but one in a place so they continue the same vnto perenuitie by ordaining such as shall both helpe them liuing and succeed them dying Cyprian hath written an whole booke to prooue that the vnitie of each Church resteth on the singularitie of the Pastour whither I remit him that is desirous to read more at large as also to his first booke and third epistle intreating of the same matter and written to Cornelius The effect of all is contained in these wordes Who is so wicked and perfidious who so mad with the furie of discord that beleeueth the vnitie of God the Lords vesture the Church of Christ may bee torne in pieces or dare teare it Himselfe in his Gospell warneth and teacheth vs saying There shall bee one flocke and one shepeheard And doeth any man thinke there may bee in one place either many shepeheardes or many flockes In the foresayd Epistle speaking of himselfe not of the Bishop of Rome as fondly and falslie the Papistes conceiue hee saieth Heresies haue sprung and schismes risen from none other fountaine then this that Gods Priest is not obeyed nor ONE PRIEST in the Church acknowledged for the time to bee iudge in Christes steade to whom if all the brethren would be subiect according to the diuine directions no man would after the diuine iudgements after the suffrages of the people after the consent of other Bishops make himselfe iudge nowe not of the Bishop but of God Ierome saieth as much The dumbe beastes and wilde herdes doe follow their leaders the Bees haue their kings the Cranes flie after one like an Alphabet of letters One Emperour one Iudge of each Prouince Rome as soone as it was built could not haue two brethren to be kings Iacob Esau fought in one wombe Euery Church hath but one Bishop one chiefe Presbyter one chiefe Deacon and each ecclesiasticall order resteth on their Rulers In a shippe is but one that directeth the helue in an house but one Master in an armie neuer so great the signe of one Generall is expected Yea the very safetie of the Church dependeth on the dignitie of the chiefe Priest or
Bishop cui si non exors ab omnibus eminens detur potestas tot in ecclesijs efficienâ—ur schismata quot sacerdotes to whom if there bee not giuen a peerelesse power and eminent aboue all others there will bee as many schismes in the Church as there bee Priests thence is it that except the Bishop giue leaue neither Presbyter nor Deacon haue right to baptize The singularitie of one Pastour in euerie place preserueth the Peace and Unitie of the Churches and stoppeth Schismes and dissentions for which cause they were first ordayned by the Apostles And therefore is the conclusion generall both with Councils and Fathers that there coulde bee but one Bishop in one Citie where the Presbyters were many Cornelius Bishop and Martyr long before the Councill of Nice reporting to Fabius Bishop of Antioch the originall of Nouatus schisme saith This iollie inquisitor of the Gospell vnderstandeth not that there ought to be but one Bishop in that Catholike Church in which hee knoweth there are 46. Presbyters The great Nicene Councill tooke speciall care Ne in vna Ciuitate duo sint Episcopi that there should not bee two Bishops in one Citie Chrysostome when Paul writeth to the Bishops and Deacons of Philippi asketh this question What meaneth this were there many Bishops of one Citie and answereth By no meanes but by this title hee designeth the Presbyters for then the name was common in so much that a Bishop was called a Deacon or Minister Afterward each had his proper name and one was called a Presbyter the other a Bishop Theodorete Ne fieri quidem poterat vt multi Episcopi essent vnius Ciuitatis Pastores quo fit vt essent scilicet Presbyteri quos nominauit Episcopos In no case many Bishops could not be Pastours of one Citie Wherefore they were Presbyters whom he called by the name of Bishops Oecumenius Non quòd in vna Ciuitate multi essent Episcopi sed Episcopos vocat Presbyteros tunc enim nominibus adhuc communicabant Bishops Saint Paul nameth not that there were many Bishops in one Citie but the Presbyters he calleth Bishops for as yet the wordes were common to both The Latin Fathers giue the like testimonie Optatus Schismaticus peccator est qui contra singularem cathedram alteram collocat Hee is a schismatike and a sinner that against one Episcopall chaire erecteth an other Hierome Hic Episcopos Presbyteros intelligimus non enim in vna vrbe plures Episcopi esse potuissent Bishops heere wee vnderstand to bee Presbyters for in one Citie there could not bee many Bishops Ambrose referreth those wordes of Saint Paul to the Bishops that were with him and Timothie and not at Philippi With the Bishops which were saieth hee with Paul and Timothie who themselues were Bishops for had hee written to Bishops hee would haue named them and hee must haue written to the Bishop of the place as hee did to Tite and Timothie and not to two or three For as hee saieth elsewhere Aliquantos esse Presbyteros oportet vt bini sint per ecclesias vnus in Ciuitate Episcopus The Presbyters must bee some in number that there may be two in each Church and but one Bishop in a Citie This is a certaine rule to distinguish Bishops from Presbyters the Presbyters were many in euery Church of whom the Presbyterie consisted Bishops were alwayes singular that is one in a Citie and no moe except an other intruded which the Church of Christ counted a Schisme and would neuer communicate with any such or else an helper were giuen in respect of extreame and feeble age in which case the power of the latter ceased in the presence of the former And this singularitie of one Pastour in each place descended from the Apostles and their Scholers in all the famous Churches of the world by a perpetuall chaire of succession and doeth to this day continue but where abomination or desolation I meane heresie or violence interrupt it Of this there is so perfect record in all the stories and Fathers of the Church that I much muse with what face men that haue any taste of learning can denie the vocation of Bishops came from the Apostles for if their succession be Apostolike their function cannot choose but be likewise Apostolike and that they succeeded the Apostles and Euangelists in their Churches and chaires may ineuitably bee prooued if any Christian persons or Churches deserue to be credited The second assured signe of Episcopall power is imposition of handes to ordaine Presbyters and Bishops for as Pastours were to haue some to assist them in their charge which were Presbyters so were they to haue others to succeed them in their places which were Bishops And this right by imposing hands to ordaine Presbyters Bishops in the Church of Christ was at first deriued from the Apostles vnto Bishops and not vnto Presbyters and hath for these fifteene hundred yeeres without example or instance to the contrarie till this our age remained in Bishops and not in Presbyters Philip preached and baptized at Samaria but he could not giue the graces of the holy Ghost by imposition of hands to make fit Pastours and Teachers for the worke of the ministerie the Apostles were forced to come from Ierusalem to furnish the Church of Samaria with meete men to labour in the word and doctrine The like wee finde by Paul and Barnabas in the Actes who visited the Churches where they had preached and supplied them with Presbyters in euery place that wanted Paul left Tite to doe the like in Creete and Timothie was sent to Ephesus to impose handes notwithstanding the Church there had Presbyters long before Ierome where hee retcheth the Presbyters office to the vttermost of purpose to shew that hee may doe by the worde of God as much as the Bishop hee excepteth this one point as vnlawfull for Presbyters by the Scriptures Quid facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus quod Presbyter non faciat What doeth a Bishop saue ordination which a Presbyter may not doe He saieth not what doeth a Bishop which a Presbyter doeth not for by the custome and Canons of the Church very many things were forbidden Presbyters which by Gods word they might doe but hee appealeth to Gods ordinaunce which in his Commentaries vpon Tite hee calleth the diuine institution and by that hee confesseth it was not lawfull for Presbyters to ordaine any And why That power was reserued to the Apostles and such as succeeded them not generally in the Church but specially in the chaire Thence doth Chrysostome inferre verie precisely against your new Discipline that in Paules wordes to Timothie Neglect not the gift that was giuen thee with imposition of handes of the Presbyterie by the word Presbyterie in that place of Scripture must be vnderstoode Bishops not Presbyters and giueth this reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Presbyters
no cause why some Writers in our dayes should discredite the report and reason which Epiphanius maketh against Aerius that a Presbyter could not be equal with a Bishop for so much as the order of Bishops engendreth Fathers vnto the Church and the order of Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not able to beget Fathers by the regeneration of baptisme begetteth children vnto the church but not fathers or teachers and so no possibilitie to make a Presbyter that hath not receiued power to impose handes equall with a Bishop For what doth Epiphanius auouch in these words which Athanasius Ierom Chrysostome and Ambrose do not like wise auouch or what saieth he more then the Primitiue Church in her generall and Prouinciall Councils decreed against Colluthus Maximus and others and obserued without alteration euer since the Apostles died If wee reiect this assertion of Epiphanius that onely Bishops should impose handes to ordaine and not Presbyters wee reiect the whole church of Christ which interpreted the Scriptures in this behalfe as Epiphanius did and confirmed the verie same resolution with the continual practise of all ages and countries where the Gospell hath bene preached and beleeued for by power to ordaine the christian world hath alwayes distinguished bishops from Presbyters as it is easie to be seene by all the monuments of antiquitie that are extant to this day either of Councils Stories or Fathers And as by imposing oâ— haÌ„ds so by succeeding in the chaire haue Bishops euer since the Apostles times beene seuered from Presbyters in the Church of Christ which to all that doe not eagerlie seeke to captiuate the trueth to their owne desires is an argument vnrefellable that the first placing of Bishops aboue Presbyters was Apostolike Tertullian saith Constabit id esse ab Apostolis traditum quod apud ecclesias Apostolorum fuerit sacrosanctum It is certaine that came from the Apostles which is sacredly obserued in the Churches of the Apostles And Austen Quod vniuersa tenet ecclesia nec concilijs institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate Apostolica tradituÌ„ rectissime creditur That which the whole Church keepeth and was not appointed by Councils but always retained that is most rightly beleeued to haue descended from the Apostles Now that in the Churches planted by the Apostles their coadiutors one hath bene seuered from the rest of the Presbyters and placed aboue the rest in the honour of y t Episcopal chaire before there were any general Councils to decree that maner of gouernment so continued euen from the Apostles persons hands to this present age the perpetuall succession of bishops in those principall Churches where the Apostles their helpers preached and gouerned like wise in all other churches of the world following their steps will strongly and fully confirme If the Apostles placed bishops with their own hands if departing ordying they left bishops to succeede them if their Disciples and Schollers embraced vsed that course to set bishops aboue Presbyters for sauing the church from schismes left it to their after-commers I trust there are few men so deepely drowned in their owne conceits or wholy addicted to their fansies but they will acknowledge the first distinction institution of bishops from and aboue Presbyters was if not commanded imposed by the Apostles precepts on the Church yet at least ordained deliuered vnto the faithfull by their example as the best way to maintaine the peace and vnitie of the Church and consequently the custome of y â— church which Austen speaketh of that the bishops office should be greater theÌ„ the Presbyters the the decree of the whole world which Ierome mentioneth were deriued from the Apostles and confirmed by them and may not be reuersed and reâ—ealed after 150. yeers vnlesse we chalenge to be wiser and better able to order and gouerne the Church of Christ then the Apostles were Eusebius the first and best collector of auncient and Ecclesiasticall momunents Egesippus and Clemens being lost deriueth the successions of bishops in the foure principal churches of the world Ierusalem Antioch Rome and Alexandria from the Apostles age vnto his owne time by which as by a line we may be directed to see what maner of Episcopall successions the rest of the Churches had from whom the first originall of bishops descended I wil set them downe as it were in a Table euen from the Apostles their followers vnto the time they met in the great Councill of Nice about 320. yeeres after Christ and then examine more exactly whence they tooke their first beginning In the Church of Ierusalem Iames the Apostle Simeon Iustus Zacheus Tobias Beniamin Iohannes Mathias Philippus Sâ—nnecas Iustus Leui Ephrem Ioseph Iudas Marcus Cassianus Publius Maximus Iulianus Caius Symmachus Caius Iulianus Capito Maximus Antoninus Valens Dolichianus Narcissus Dius Germanion Gordius Narcissus iterum Alexander Mazabanes Hymeneus Zambdas Hermon Macarius Maximus Cyrillâ—s Iohannes Iuuenalis In the Church of Antioch Peter the Apostle Euodius Ignatius Heros Cornelius Eros Theophilus Maximinus Serapion Asclepiades Philetos Zebinus Babilas Fabius Demetrius Paulus Samosatenus Domnus Timeus Cyrillus Tyrannus Vitalius Philagonius Eâ—stathius Paulinus Miletius Flauianus Porphyrius Alexander Iohannes In the Church of Rome Peter and Paul Linus Anacletus Clemens Euaristus Alexander Sixtus Thelesphorus Higinus Pius Anâ—cetus Soter Eleutherius Victor Zepherinus Calixtus Vrbanus Pontianus Antâ—rus Fabianus Cornelius Lucius Stephanus Xistus Dionysius Felix Eutichianus Caius Marcellinus Marcellus Eusebius Meltiades Syluester Marcus Iulius Liberius Damasus Siricius Anastasius In the Church of Alexandria Mark the Euangelist Anianus Abilius Cerdo Primus Iustus Eumenes Marcus Celadion Agrippas Iulianus Demetrius Heraclas Dionysius Maximus Theonas Petrus Achilles Alexander Athanasius Petrus Timothius Theophilus Cyrillus These Catalogues of the Bishops of Ierusalem Antioch Rome and Alexandria Eusebius pursueth vnto the beginning of his owne time leauing off at Hermon Bishop of Ierusalem Tyranous bishop of Antioch Marcellinus bishop of Rome and Peter Bishop of Alexandria the rest are supplied out of others as in the See of Alexandria Achilles Alexander Athanasius and Peter out of Socrates Vitalius Philagonius and Eustathius out of Theodoret as also Macarius for Ierusalem In the See of Rome Marcellus and those that follow out of Optatus and Augustine The foure bishops of these Churches that met and sate in the Councill of Nice were Syluester for Rome by Vitus and Vincentius his Presbyters Sozomene faieth it was Iulius Alexander for Alexandria Macarius for Ierusalem and Eustathius for Antioch as appeareth by their subscriptions vnto the saide Council Now when these successions beganne and who were the first Authors and ordainers of them let vs see what proofe can be brought That Iames the Apostle was the first bishop of Ierusalem Clemens Egefippus Eusebius Ierome Chrysostome Epiphanius Ambrose and Augustine confirme Clemens in his sirt Booke
as the people that were under them Our answere is easie and readie to all that you haue brought first the Bishops of the Primitiue Church which succeeded one another in euery place were all one with Presbyters as Ierome telleth you and then we graunt without exception all that you haue alleaged out of these ancient Fathers and Writers Next â—hen they make any difference betwixt Bishops and Presbyters as sometimes they doe by Bishops they vnderstand all Pastours and Ministers of the worde and Sacraments and by Presbyters they meane the laie Elders which wee seeke to restore Thirdly if you could prooue that Bishops were aboue other Ministers of the worde and Sacraments yet that superioritie was nothing els but a power to call the rest together to propose matters in doubt vnto them and to aske their voyces and consents by which the Bishops of those times were directed and from which they might by no meanes diuert to their owne wils and pleasures I know how easie readie a thing it is with you to say what you list if you may be trusted without any further triall but if it please you substantiallie to prooue these things which you afffirme or but any one of them you shal find it is a matter of greater difficultie and longer studie then you take it for Did you pleade before the poorest Iurie that is for earthly trifles they would not credite your worde without some witnesse and in matters of religion that touch the peace safetie of the whole Church of Christ do you looke your voluntarie should bee receiued without all authoritie or testimonie to warrant it if your follie be such as to expect so much at other mens hands their simplicitie is not such as to yeeld it In deed to my conceiuing the summe of your answer is very like the form of your discipline for neither of theÌ„ hath any proofe possibilitie nor cohereÌ„cie Toprooue the Bishops calling to be different from the Presbyters that yet helped in the word and Sacraments I shew that Bishops ordained ministers which Presbyters by the iudgement and assertion of the Primitiue Church might not doe and that in euery Church there were or might be many Presbyters according to the necessitie of the place but no more then one Bishop in euerie Church did or might succeed the Apostles in their chaires Hence I conclude that Bishops euer since the Apostles times were distinguished from those Presbyters that assisted the Pastour of each place in the word and Sacraments You answere that either Bishops were all one with Presbyters or if there were any difference betwixt them Presbyters then were laie Elders In which words you close not onely a monstrous falsitie but a manifest contrarietie For in effect you say Presbyters were Bishops and no Bishops Presbyters were no Laie men and yet Laie men If Presbyters were Bishops they were no Laie Elders if they were Laie Elders they were no Bishops You must therefore choose the one and refuse the other as false and repugnant to the former Take which you will the choise must be yours what you will answere The Bishops which succeeded the Apostles were the Pastors and ministers of euery parish the Presbyters were the Laie Elders that together with the Bishop gouerned the Church in common Could you make any proofe for laie Elders either in Scriptures or Fathers you had some shew to mistake Presbyters for laie Elders but I haue alreadie perused the weakenesse of your ghesses and withall made iust and fullproofe for the contrarie that the Primitiue Church of Christ had no Presbyters but ministers of the worde and Sacramentes If you bee loth to turne backe to the place heare what the great Affrican Councill saieth wherein sate besides S. Augustine 216. Bishops In the former Councill saieth Aurelius We thought meete that these three degrees tied to a kind of continencie by reason of their consecration I meane Bishops Presbyters and Deacons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as becommeth Bishops Priests of God Leuites seruiters about the diuine SacrameÌ„ts shold be continent in all things All the Bishops answered we like wel that all which stand or serue at the aultar should bee continent Then Presbyters were consecrated and Priests to God and approched to the aultar and ministred the diuine Sacraments The Imperiall lawes say as much Touching the most reuerend Presbyters and Deacons if they be found to giue false euidence in a pecuniarie cause Sufficiat pro verberibus tribus annis separari à sacro ministeria it shall suffice for them in stead of whipping to be three yeeres separated from the sacred ministerie but if in criminall causes they beare false witnesse clero nudatoâ— legitimis poenis sub di praecipimus wee commaund them to bee degraded of their Clergie and subiected to the penalties of the lawe Then Presbyters in the Primitiue Church were both of the Clergie and sacred ministerie as the very lawes of the Romane Empire doe testifie Ierome on whose words you so much depend saieth Hac vt ostenderemus apud veteres eosdem fuisse Presbyteros quos Episcopos All these places prooue that in ancient times Presbyters and Bishops were all one And againe Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi debent magnoperè prouidere vt cunctum populum cui praesident conuersatione sermone praecedant Quia vehementer ecclesiam Christi destruit meliores esse Laicos quà m Clericos The Bishops Presbyters and Deacons ought greatly to prouide that they excell all the people which are vnder them in conuersation and doctrine because it vehemently destroyeth the Church of Christ to haue the Laie men better then the Clergie men And Augustine Quicunque aut Episcopus aut Presbyter aut Laicus c. Whosoeuer either Bishop Presbyter or Laie man doth declare how eternall life may be gotten hee is worthily called the messenger of God Then if Bishops were no Laie men no more were Presbyters You must therefore send your laie Elders to the New-found land the Christian world neuer heard of any such ecclesiasticall Gouernours before some men in our age began to set that fansie on foote As for Presbyters that were Clergie men and ministers of the word we shew you both by the Scriptures and stories they were many in one Church and yet was there in euery Church and Citie but one of them that succeeded the Apostles as Pastour of y â— place with power to impose handes for the ordaining of Presbyters and Deacons Those successours to the Apostles the Church of Christ euen from the Apostles age hath distinguished from other Presbyters by the two proper markes of episcopall power and function I meane Succession Ordination and called them bishops Thus much is mainlie prooued vnto you by all those Apostolike Churches that had many Presbyters as helpers in the word and neuer but one Bishop that succeeded in the Apostolike chaire At Alexandria this succession began from Marke the Euangelist and
that was you shal heare his owne confession in the same place and thereby perceiue that many of the points which I haue before prooued are so sound and sure that no man learned can with any trueth resist them Habebant ergo singulae Ciuitates Presbyterorum Collegium qui Pastores erant ac Doctores Nam apud populum munus docendi exhortandi corrigendi quod Paulus episcopis iniungit omnes obibant Quibus docendi munus iniunctum erat eos omnes nominabant Presbyteros Illi ex suo numero in singulis ciuitatibus vnum eligebant cui specialiter dabant titulum Episcopi ne ex aequalitate vt fieri solet dissidia nascerentur vnicuique ciuitati attributa erat regio quae Presbyteros inde sumeret velu◠corpori ecclesiae illius accenseretur Euerie Citie had a College of Presbyters which were Pastours and Teachers for they all had the function of teaching exhorting and reproouing in the Congregation which Paul enioyneth vnto Bishops To whome the office of teaching was allotted they were all called Presbyters These in euerie Citie chose one of their owne number to whome they gaue the speciall title of a Bishop lest by an equalitie as is vsually found diuisions shoulde arise To euerie Citie was appointed a certaine region which tooke their Presbyters from the Citie and was counted part of the bodie of that Church First then Presbyteries consisted of Pastours and Teachers and were not had but in Cities Next lest equalitie shoulde breede confusion ouer these Presbyters in eche Citie as well as ouer the flocke was a bishop who in Dignitie and Authoritie was aboue them Thirdly euery Bishop had his region or Dioecese besides his Citie and the Presbyters that were designed for such Countrey Parishes as were within his Circuite were fette from the Citie and reputed to bee of the bodie of the Episcopall Church And all these thinges not onely were in the Primitiue Church as I haue alreadie prooued but they were also agreeable to the word of God as Caluin himselfe confesseth You should take all He telleth you that a Bishop should haue no dominion ouer his brethren but as a Consul in the Senate shoulde propose matters aske voyces goe before others in aduising warning exhorting and moderate the whole action with his authoritie and execute that which is decreed by common consent And this kinde of regiment hee saieth the Fathers acknowledge first entred humano consensu by the consent of men according to the necessitie of the times though it were verie ancient as at Alexandria euer since Marke the Euangelist I honour Caluin for his wonderfull giftes and paines in the Church of God and could easily be enduced to embrace his iudgement were it not that in this case a manifest trueth confirmed by the Scriptures Fathers and by himselfe enforceth me to the contrarie Ieromes wordes I haue examined before they do not import that bishops first beganne by humane deuise and policy Ignatius Irenaeus Egesippus Clemens Alexandrinus Dionysius of Corinth Origen Tertullian Eusebius Methodius and Ierom himself affirme the first bishops were made in the Apostles times and by the Apostles handes Saint Iohn in his Reuelation writeth to the seuen Pastours or chiefe moderatours of the seuen Churches in Asia Whiles Saint Iohn liued as Eusebius recordeth there succeeded at Antioch Ignatius after Euodius at Alexandria Abilius after Amianus at Rome Clemens after Anacletus and Linus at Ierusalem Simeon after Iames. Yea Saint Iohn with his owne handes made Polycarpe bishop of Smyrna as Irenaeus Tertullian Eusebius and Ierome affirme and that next after Eucharius as Socrates noteth he did the like in many other places as Clemens Alexandrinus writeth I can by no meanes forsake so many ancient and assured witnesses whereof some liued with Polycarpe and were his Schollers to followe the mistaking of a few wordes in Ierome by whomsoeuer Yea Caluin himselfe saith Nec humanum est inuentum sed Dei ipsius institutum quod singulis suas assignamus ecclesias Paulus ipse Archippum Colossensium episcopum commemorat It is not mans deuise but the very ordinance of God that we assigne to euery man his Church Paul himselfe mentioneth Archippus Bishop of Colossus That is Pastour of Colossus and so we grant eche Church ought by Gods law to haue a Pastour We must aske further whether by Gods lawe eche Church must haue one or many If one wee haue our desire if many there must yet be one chiefe to auoyde confusion Equalitie as Caluin noteth breedeth factions Ierome saith To suppresse the seedes of dissention one was set aboue the rest otherwise there would be as many schismes as there be Priests Beza maketh it an essential and perpetual part of Gods ordinance to haue one chiefe in eche Presbyterie His wordes are Essentiale fuit in eo de quo hic agimus quod ex Dei ordinatione perpetua necesse fuit est erit vt in Presbyterio quispiam loco dignitate primus actioni gubernandae praesit cum eo quod ipsidiuinitus attributū est Iure This was essential in the matter we haue in hand that by Gods ordināce which must alwais indure it hath bin is and shal be needeful that in the Presbyterie one chiefe in place and dignitie should moderate and rule euery action with that right which is allowed him by Gods lawe And in this he saieth right for a multitude vngouerned must needs be confused which should be farre from the Church of God and gouernement there can be none where all are equall When the shepeheardes leade into diuers pastures whom shall the sheepe follow when sundrie lords make sundrie lawes which shall the subiect obey Sure if no man can serue two masters no Church can endure two Pastours Whiles they consent they haue but one minde though many men when they dissent which in all persons is casuall and in all places vsuall then will there be as many sides as there be leaders You were as good set two heads on one bodie as two chiefe rulers ouer one companie If you confesse there must by Gods law be one chiefe Pastour in one church then the chiefe Pastour of eche Citie is the bishop which we seeke for and he by your owne positions is authorized as Pastour of the place by Gods ordinance This you shall neuer auoyde doe what you can Eche Church in the Apostles times had many Presbyters that laboured in the word The Scriptures do plainely witnes it In the Church of Ierusalem Act. 15. v. 6. and 23 of Antioch Act. 13. v. 1 of Ephesus Act. 20. v. 17. and 28 of Rome Rom. 16 of Corinth 1. Corinth 14. v. 29 of Philippi Philip. 1. v. 1 of Thessalonica 1. Thess. 5. v. 12 of other Churches the like is affirmed Hebr. 13. v. 17 Iames 5. v. 14 1. Pet. 5. v. 1. Now by Gods essentiall and
perpetuall ordinance as your selues confesse there must be one chiefe and Pastour of ech Church and Presbyterie to guide aswel the Presbyters that are Teachers as the flocke that are hearers with that power which Gods Law alloweth vnto Pastours Tell me now I pray you what difference betwixt chiefe Pastors established in euery City by Gods law as you are forced to grant and Bishops succeeding the Apostles in their Churches chaires as the Fathers affirme If you mislike the worde Bishop it is Catholike and Apostolike if you mislike the office it is Gods ordinance by your owne assertion We grant the name of a Bishop and regiment of a Pastor are confirmed by the holie Ghost but you yeeld more to your chiefe Pastours and Bishops then the word of God alloweth them as namely you suffer them to continue for life where they should gouerne but for a moneth or a weeke you alotte them Dioeceses which should be but parishes you giue them not onely a distinction from Presbyters but a iâ—risdiction ouer Presbyters who shoulde bee all one with Presbyters and subiect to the most voyces of the Presbyters all which things wee say are against the Scriptures You frame Churches to your fansies and then you straight way thinke the Scriptures doe answere your deuises If we giue Bishops any thing which the ancient and Catholike Church of Christ did not first giue them in Gods name spare vs not let the world knowe it but if we preferre the vniuersall iudgement of the Primitiue Church in expounding the Scriptures touching the power and function of bishops before your particular and late dreames you must not blame vs. They were neerer the Apostles times and likelier to vnderstand the Apostles meanings then you that come after fifteene hundred yeres with a new plot of Church gouernment neuer heard of before All the churches of Christ throughout the world could not at one time ioyne in one and the selfe same kind of gouernment had it not bene deliuered and setled by the Apostles and their Schollers that conuerted the world So many thousand Martyrs and Saints that liued with the Apostles would neuer consent to alter the Apostles discipline which was once receiued in the Church without the Apostles warrant Wherefore we conster the Apostles writings by their doings you measure the Scriptures after your owne humours Whether of vs twayne is most likelie to hitte the trueth As for your repining at the things which we giue to bishops we greatly regard it not so long as the Scriptures doe not contradict them wee smile rather at your deuises which say that a bishop should gouerne for a weeke and then change and giue place to the next Presbyter for an other weeke and so round by course to all the Presbyters What Scripture confirmeth that circular and weekely regiment of yours By what authoritie do you giue it the name of a diuine institution when it is a meere imagination of yours without proofe or trueth She we one example or authoritie for it in the newe Testament and take the cause Succession by course was ordained by God after the example of the Priests of Aaron Did the sonnes of Aaron loose their Priesthoode when their courses were ended No but they serued in the Temple by course and so were Bishops appointed by Gods ordinance to guide the Presbyterie Is this all the ground you haue vpon this slender and single similitude to make Gods ordinance what please you If such reasons may serue we can sooner conclude the perpetual function of bishops then you can the weekly for not onely the high Priest kept his honour during his life but likewise euery Priest that was chiefe of his order Indeede their courses being ended they departed home but they lost not their dignitie But what rouing is this in matters of weight Will anie wise men be mooued with such ghesses Make vs good proofe out of the Scriptures or leaue tying Gods ordinance to your appetites Ambrose is the man that affirmeth it If you come once to Fathers I hope we haue tenne to one that affirme otherwise If Ambrose did say so wee coulde not beleeue him against all the rest of the Fathers yea and against the Scriptures themselues election of Bishops being prescribed by Paul to Timothie and Tite and not succession in order but I denie that Ambrose saith anie such thing He saieth the next in order succeeded He nameth neither change nor course It is your owne deuise it is no part of Ambroses meaning Anianus the next after Marke that was Bishop of Alexandria sixe yeeres before Peter and Paul were put to death was hee made by order or by election Ierome saith expresly A Marco Euangelista Presbyteri semper vnum ex se electum c. they of Alexandria euer since Marke the Euangelist did alwayes choose their Bishop hee neuer succeeded in order Neither did Anianus gouerne for a weeke or a yeere hee sate Bishop there two and twentie yeeres as Eusebius writeth and Abilius the next that was chosen after his death sate thirtene yeeres more before hee died and then succeeded Cerdo and the rest in their times all chosen and all sitting in the Pastorall chaire so long as they liued The like you may see in the first Bishops of Rome who kept the Episcopall chaire during life and not by course Linus sate twelue yeres Anacletus twelue Clemens nine Saint Iohn the Apostle liuing and ordering the whole Church whiles the three first Bishops of Rome and of Alexandria succeeded by election and gouerned without chaunging for the terme of their liues Wherefore it is euident this vp-start fansie is far from Gods ordinance If you trust not me marke how your owne friends I wil not say your selues do crosse and confute your owne inuentions You say It is Gods disposition that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or chiefe of your Presbyterie should go by course and that order you call Diuine they say it is accidentall and no part of Gods ordinance Accidentale fuit quod Presbyteri in hac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alij alijs per vices initio succedebant It was accidentall that the Presbyters did in this chiefdome at the first beginning succeede one an other by course You tell vs the electing one to continue chiefe of the Presbyterie was an humane order but they assure vs that election in all sacred functions is the commaundement of God and may not be altered Aliud est electionis mandatvm quam immotaÌ„ non tantùm in Diaconis sed etiam in sacris functionibus omnibus seruatam oportuiâ— aliud electionis modus The commandement of election is one thing which must be obserued not onely in Deacons but in all sacred functions the maner of election is an other thing The precept cannot be immutable vnlesse it be diuine and Apostolike others haue no such power to command Now for my learning I would faine know this ruling by
touching Church causes from the Aposiles age to ours haue bene committed to Episcopall audience and execution the question is for Gods Law who shoulde be trusted with the execution thereof And who rather say we then hee that is authorized by God to be the Angel of his Church and steward of his house at whose mouth the rest should aske the Law and be rather subiect vnto him then perch ouer him The execution of Gods Lawe by no meanes wee grant to the Bishop for then wee yeelde him all but in that case though ech Presbyter be inferiour to him yet the whole Presbyterie is aboue him and may both ouer-rule him and censure him That is as much as if you had said when the sheepe list to agree I will not say conspire they must leade their sheepeheard and when the children are wilfull they must rule their father Otherwise if the bishop be Pastor and father to eche Presbyter hee is the like to the whole Presbyterie consequently they must heare obey him as Gods Angel so long as he keepeth within the bounds of his message Nay euery Presbyter is a Pastour and Father as well as the Bishop and equall with him neither hath hee by Gods Lawe any right ouer them but onely by mans deuise Fie on this wauering Sometimes the Bishop shall bee chiefe ouer the Presbyterie by Gods essentiall and perpetuall ordinance Sometimes againe euerie Presbyter shall bee equall and euen with him and hee not chiefe ouer them and when you are a little angrie hee shall bee subiect vnto them and bee censured by them This tapesing to and fro I impute rather to the rawnesse of your discipline not yet digested then to the giddinesse of your heades This it is to wander in the desert of your owne deuises without the line of Gods worde or leuell of his Church to direct you But can you shewe vs by what authoritie you claime this power of your Presbyteries aboue and against their Bishops if by Scriptures produce them if by Fathers then shrinke not from them when they tell you on the other side what power the Bishop had should haue ouer his Presbyters Wee haue both Scriptures and Fathers but specially Scriptures First the Apostles Peter and Paul acknowledge the Presbyters to be Pastours and giue them the feeding ouerseeing and ruling the flock Next the Presbyterie did excommunicate the incestuous Corinthian and imposed hands on Timothie Thirdlie they are the Church which if a man heare not he must bee taken for a Publicane and an Ethnike by Christes commandement Fourthly the common wealth of Israel had apparantly that kind of gouernment which Christ and his Apostles did not alter Lastly the fathers confesse the Churches at first were gouerned with the common counsell of the Presbyters and without their aduise nothing was done in the Church These be the fortes of your late erected Consistorie if these be taken from you you haue no place left whither your maimed discipline may retreat and these are most easilie razed to the ground in order as they stand For FIRST the same power which you claime by Peters and Pauls words vnto Presbyters as Pastours in respect of the flocke committed to their trust you must yeeld vnto Bishops as chiefe Pastors in comparison both of Presbyters and people and so you prooue against your selues for the Bishop is as well chiefe in the Church where he is Gods Angel as in the Consistorie where hee gouerneth the Presbyterie NEXT you cannot conuince that the Presbyterie did either excommunicate the malefactor of Corinth or lay hands on Timothie I haue cleared the inferments of both places before And if you could conclude any such thing which you cannot yet most apparantly the Apostle Paul with his owne mouth adiudged the one and with his owne hands ordained the other THIRDLIE what is meant by the Church in those wordes of Christ if he heare not the Church let him bee as an Ethnike vnto thee I haue alreadie discussed I need not reiterate If you will with the Fathers apply that censure to excommunication you must with the Fathers vnderstand by the Church the Bishops chiefe Rulers of the Church FOVRTHLIE neither had the Iewes that kind of gouernment which you would establish in the Church neâ—did our Lord and Master or his disciples euer prescribe to the Gentiles the iudiciass part or fourme of Moses Iawe more then they did the ceremoniall if Moses policie be abrogated Moses Consistor is may not be continued The Judges cease where the lawe faileth the change of the lawe ceremoniall worketh as the Apostle reasoneth a chaunge of the Priesthoode and euen so the disanulling of their penall iudgements dischargeth all their Iudges and Consistories And were it otherwise what winne you by that against Bishops If your Presbyters must be the Iewes Elders your Presidents must answere to their chiefe Priestes and then haue you spunne afair threed for where you thought to diminish the power of Bishops ouer Presbyters you triple it by this Argument It must be death to disobey the chiefe Priest in all points and parts of Gods Iawe Would you stand to your tackling I would neuer wish a better reason against you for the power of bishops then your owne comparison but you vse to giue backe so fast when you bee pressed that my labour would be but lost to follow you In deede Cyprian doeth vehemently vrge that precept of Deuteronomie and many others of the olde Testament for obedience to be yeelded to himselfe and other Bishops as well by Presbyters as people he that will may see the places LASTLIE for Fathers as your fashion is you take a paring of one or two of theÌ„ where they speake to your liking but reiect both the same and all other ancient writers whenthey mainlie depose against your new discipline That the aduise of Presbyters was at first vsed in the regiment of the Church Ierome and Ambrose seeme towitnesse but that they might ouer-rule or censure the Bishop they neuer said nor meant The safetie of the Church as Ierome thinketh standeth on the dignitie of the chiefe Priest or Bishop to whom except there be giuen a power without any equal and eminent aboue all there will bee as many schismes in the Churches as there be Priests And so Cyprian Thou makest thy selfe Iudge of God and of Christ which sayd to his Apostles and thereby to all Rulers that succeed the Apostles in being ordained their substitutes he that heareth you heareth me and hee that reiecteth you reiecteth me For whence haue heresies and schismes heretofore risen and dailyrise but whiles the Bishop which is but one ruleth the Church is despised by the proud presumption of some and that one Bishop he calleth the Leader of the people the Pastour of the flocke the gouernour of the Church the Bishop of Christ and Priest of God Infinite are the testimonies of the Catholike Fathers against the
see you doe You haue not a word nor a tittle in the Scriptures for the power of your Presbytefies and yet you pronounce so peremptorilie and resolutelie of theÌ„ as if there were nothing els written in the newe Testament but the power of your Presbyters Did not the Presbyterie impose hands on Timothie to make him an Euangelist did not they watch and feede the flocke in the Apostles times did not the holy Ghost make them ouer seers of the Church what would you haue more Of laie men your Presbyteries either wholie or chieflie consist then they also be Pastours and Bishops and watch feed the flocke the holy Ghost hath set them ouer the Church they also impose hands as wel as the best And to say the trueth what thing is there so peculiar to Pastors which you do not communicate to your Presbyters for wheÌ„ you be vrged y â— Presbyters in the Apostles times were by dutie to doe those things which belonged properly to Pastorall care and ouersight and therefore laie men were no part of thâ—se Presbyteries you answere roundlie that laie Elders in the Consistorie do watch and feed and ouerlooke the flocke as well as Pastours and so not onely their power but also their charge is the very same as you say that the holy Ghost gaue vnto Pastors and yet they no Pastours And touching hands laied on Timothie by the Presbyterie you answere your selves for when you alleage that the Presbyterie did impose handes on Timothie wee aske you whether all the Presbyterie had right and power to impose handes or onely some of them If all then Laie Elders must either impose handes which Caluine conclusiuely denieth hoc postremo habendum est solos Pastores manus imposuisse Ministris this wee must vnderstand that onely Pastours imposed handes on Ministers or be no part of the Presbyterie If some onely imposed handes and yet the Presbyterie is said to doe that which not all but some fewe or one of them did In like maner Paul saieth the Presbyterie laied handes on Timothie when himselfe did the deede who was one of the Presbyterie And thus much Caluine likewise auoucheth Paâ—lus ipse se non alios complures Timotheo manus imposuisse commâ—morat Paul witnesseth that himselfe and none others laied handes on Timothie And strange it is to see you build the maine foundation of your Presbytericall power on a place that hath so many sound and sufficient answeres as this hath First Ierome Ambrose Primasius and Caluine tell you the worde Presbyterie signifieth in that place the degree and function which Timothie receiued not the Colledge and number of Presbyters Next Chrysostome Theodorete Oecumenius and Theophilact tell you that Paul by the Presbyterie meant the Bishops their names at first being common for that Presbyters might not laie handes on a Bishop such as Timothie was Thirdlie the Scriptures tell you that the Apostles Euangelists Prophetes and the seuentie disciples were of the Presbyteries in the first Church and they might well impose hands on Timothie without any Presbyters Fourthlie Saint Paul telleth you as Caluine well obserueth and vrgeth that himselfe and none others laied handes on Timothie Lastlie your selues say Timothie was an Euangelist which function and vocation the Presbyterie of no particular Church could giue him but onely the Apostles What power had the Church of Iconium or Ephesus to make Euangelists I meane such as should accompanie the Apostles and assist them in their trauailes If you trust neither Scriptures nor Fathers for shame trust your selues and your owne positions Howe shall other men beleeue your assertions when your selues doe not beleeue them If Timothie were an Euangelist they must be Apostles and no Presbyters that imposed handes on him If the Presbyterie of any particular Church imposed hands on him Timothie must be a Bishop and haue a locall charge in some Church which you impugne vnder pretence of his Euangelship Choose which yyu will so you choose some what and stand to it whrn you haue chosen it Were they Presbyters or no that imposed hands on Timothie If they were yet they did it iointlie with Paul and so without the Apostle or his successor Presbyters may not impose hands and then must Timothie be a Bishop when Paul wrate vnto him for Presbyters could not make him an Euangelist Were they no Presbyters but Apostles or others of higher calling Then maketh this place nothing for the power of Presbyters either to ordaine or depriue ministers of the word and Sacramentes and setting this aside what one iote finde you in the Scriptures concerning your Presbyteries The conclusion is We shew you substantiall and full proofe that TIMOTHIE AND HIS SVCCESSOVRS are charged by Paul to obserue these precepts of the holy Ghost in the Church of Christ for euer touching the admitting of fit ministers and remouing of vnfit Thence we inferre this power must be perpetuall in Bishops for they succeed Timothie in the Church the Presbyteries doe not On the other side you claime this authoritie from Bishops to your Presbyteries but you cannot prooue either their succession from Timothie or ioint commission with Timothie by any sentence or syllable in the Scriptures That they should feede and watch the flocke you vrge and we graunt in teaching and exhorting they were ioyned with Timothie by reason the labourers must of force be many where the haruest was so great as in the Apostles times but in ordaining and gouerning the Teachers as there was no need of many so is there no precept for many least by the multitude of Rulers order should be rather confused then preserued Wherefore as Timothie was placed at Ephesus and Tite in Creete to ordaine moderate and rebuke as well Presbyters as people so was Archippus at Colossus so were the seuen Pastours in the seuen Churches of Asia to whom the sonne of God wrate by S. Iohns penne so in all the Apostolike Churches were Apostolike men throughout the Christian world left to guide and gouerne the Churches of Christ with like power and to leaue the same to their successours for euer And this our construction and exposition of of S. Pauls words to Timothie the learned and ancient fathers confirme with one consent and the Catholike Church of Christ hath continued and performed in all ages and places since the Apostles deaths Meane you that Bishops alone might doe what they would without the knowledge or consent of their Presbyters My meaning is soone understood You establish one chiefe in your Presbyteries by Gods essentiall and perpetuall ordinaunce to execute that which you decree whom you call your President How farre I ioyne with you you shall quickly perceiue To auoyd tumults and dissentions God hath authorized one in each place and Church able to haue maintaine a Presbyterie who with Pastorall and fatherly moderation should guide as well the Presbyters that assist him as the people that are subiect to him according to the lawes of God and
man the execution whereof is chieflie committed to his charge that is the Leader and ouerseeâ— of all the rest whom wee call a Bishop His power I call a moderation and not a domination because the wisedom of God hath likewise allowed and prouided Christian meanes as well to bridle him from wrongs as to direct him in doubts That is right the power which we giue to our Presbyteries Did you not put laie men instead of Pastours to bee Presbyters and make them controllers where they should bee but aduisers your Presbyteries might haue some vse in the Church of God though farre lesse now then when they first began but your disdaining Bishops and taking from them that which the Apostle giueth them and your exâ—olling Presbyteries the most part whereof if not all be laie Elders to determine all cases and censure all persons in the Church which the Scriptures neuer speake of are the spottes and staines of your discipline which you will neuer wash away Presbyteries wee acknowledge were in the Apostles times and in the Primitiue Church seruing to religious and needfull vses but no such Presbyteries as you pretend neither erected to any such end as you conceiue nor endued with any such soueraigne power as you imagine I finde many vses of Presbyteries ordained in Cities by the Apostles and after by them conioined in one Church with the Bishop whereof some are extinguished by the alteration of times others remaine in force to this day The first was the conuersion of the world vnto Christ. In great Cities where none yet beleeued how long would it be before one man should gain any great number vnto the faith persecutions especiallie growing so hote that none might publikely shew himselfe to bee a Christian without danger of life Wherefore the holie Ghost disposed and appointed many labourers in euerie Citie to carie the knowledge of the trueth from house to house As at Ephesus Paul at one tinie furnished twelue with the gifts of Gods spirite for the spreading of the Gospell in that place at Rome hee saluted twentie that were of his acquaintance besides those he knew not who planted themselues and their households in that Citie to winne the multitude to the obedience of the faith And so wheresoeuer the Apostle erected any Church they did store it with as many meete men to teach the worde as they could finde that the trueth of Christ might disperse it selfe not onely throughout their Cities but into the Townes and countries that bordered neere them The next vse of Presbyteries was to continue such as they had conuerted by instructing exhorting and encouraging the beleeuers from house to house and from man to man to stand fast in the doctrine receiued and neither to shrinke at the bloudie stormes of tyrants nor to giue eare to the wilâ—e charmes of Satan nor folow the deceitfull baites of this world but constantly with trueth and holinesse to serue God in spite of all aduersaries that exalted themselues against the knowledge of Christ. And as the people did encrease so did the paines in each place and consequently the number of Presbyters one man being no more able to serue the necessities of a great Citie then to beare the burden of the earth on his backe Wherefore the spirite of wisedome so guided the Church that to procure the conuersion and attend the saluation of men there was euery where as occasion required store of Pastours and Teachers and yet to mainetaine vnitie and keepe both Preachers and people in peace there was in each Church and Citie one chiefe amongst them that as principall Pastour of the place looked into all their doings staied them from dissentions rebuked the vnrulie and with the helpe of the rest reiected the vntollerable least many Teachers by chalenging vnto themselues such as they had conuertes should rent the faithfull into as many Churches as there were Presbyters in euerie Citie for which cause each place were it neuer so great had but one Church and one chiefe Pastour or Bishop elected to succeed in the Pastorall charge and chaire aboue the rest that were his brethren in office children in honour helpers in labour and assessours in counsell and iudgement The third vse was the trapning vp and trying of men that were meete to haue the care of soules committed vnto them and the regiment of the Church reposed on them At first the wonderfull power of the holy Ghost supplied all wantes and defectes of learning and knowledge so that by the laying on of the Apostles handes men afore vnfit were made meete ministers of the newe Testament but because these giftes were not alwayes to continue or not in so plentifull maner as at the Prime tide of the Gospell the Apostles setled in euery Church and Citie needing their seruice and able to giue them maintenance by reason of the populousnesse of the place a Presbyterie that is a conuenient number of Deacons to serue about diuine matters and mysteries and of Pastours to intend for the word and Sacraments from whence as from a fountaine both the Cities themselues might at all times after haue sufficient men to furnish their owne turnes and to helpe the smaller Townes and Uillages within their circuite which for the slendernesse of their state could neither maintaine Presbyteries nor nourish vp meete men to supplie their neede vpon the death of the former Incumbents This to vs that haue Uniuersities for that purpose founded by the bounteousnes of Christian Princes and other benefactours may seeme superfluous but the Church of Christ after her first supplie made by the Apostles handes had no meanes to continue the succession of fitte and able Pastours in each place but onely her Presbyteries in greater Churches and Cities that were her nurceries of learning and Seminaries of sound religion and holy conuersation which stored both the Cities where they were supported and the countrey round about that was vnder the charge and ouersight of the Bishop of each Citie The fourth vse of Presbyteries which you much grate on but neuer rightlie hit was the aduising and assisting the Bishop or Pastour of each Church and Citie in all doubts and dangers At first there were no Councils to make Canons nor Christian Princes to establish lawes for the good guiding and ordering of the Church but each place was left to direct it selfe Least therefore the Bishops onely will should bee the rule of all things in the Church the gouernement of the Church was at first so proportioned that neither the Presbyters should doe any thing without their Bishop nor the Bishop dispose matters of importaunce without his Presbyterie The Presbyters sate not with the Bishop as equall in power with him much lesse as superiour aboue him when the more part consented agaynst him you would faine haue it so but the Church of Christ from the Apostles to this present neuer vsed or endured any such presumption As Christ saith Ignatius doeth nothing without his
questions which before were examined in Presbyteries caused them to bee lesse needed and lesse regarded then before and charged the Bishop with the executiō of all lawes and Canons without assembling or consulting his Presbyters superiour Courts not submitting their acts to the iudgement of inferiour officers Wherefore when you raile at Bishops as vsurpers and tyrants ouer their brethren you forget that after so many hundred yeres all things being setled and guided by lawes which your Presbyteries neither may reuerse nor can correct your Elders were as good spare their paines as loose their labours More lawes we need not better you cannot make no man that hath his right wits will choose to liue vnder the discretion of the Presbyters rather then vnder the prescript of written lawes Frustrate them when you will to make worke for your Consistories and you shall find greater difference betwixt the equitie and certaintie of the Canons and the affectionate and inconstant headinesse of your Presbyters We would change no lawes but such as are Popish and where now the Bishop alone doeth all we would ioyne the Presbyterie with him The lawes that vpheld the Popes superstition or vsurpation are alreadie abrogated thanks be to God the rest that agree with the Canons of the Primitiue Church if you seeke to dissolue I would wish you did publish the new that men might see them before you did exauthorate the olde least you make the people as lawlesse as your Presbyters It is easier to euert or disturbe then to plant or establish a Church or common wealth If you take not the same lawes againe I dare warrant your childrens children to the fourth generation shall see neither order nor peace in your Churches And as for ioyning Presbyters with the Bishop to execute lawes that is the way to multiplie Bishops and where we haue one to make vs twentie but that is not the way to haue lawes more speedilie or sincerely executed In a multitude diuersitie of opinions breedeth delaies hindereth execution in one it cannot and if each man be subiect to affections I hope the more the worse But what reason we whether one or many shall execute the lawes when it is not in our hands to limite the law-makers to our choice They that haue power from God to make lawes haue like wise authoritie libertie to choose whō they wil charge w t the executiō of their lawes and therefore in Gods name let both Councils and Princes choose what persons they thinke meetest to see their Canons and Lawes obserued so long as they transgresse not the rules of pietie and equitie Our chiefest care is for the right execution of Gods law which we would not haue committed to the Bishop without his Presbyters Giue the Bishop that right and authoritie which Gods law alloweth him and the ioine with him whom you can What right is that You heard before he must haue Pastorall and Paternall power either wholie if by Gods lawe there may be but one Pastor in one Church or chieflie if there may bee more in the same place to aduise and assist hun in gouerning the flock More authoritie by Gods law we claime not for Bishops then to be Pastours of the places which they gouerne And Pastorall authoritie since you giue to euerie Rector in his Church what reason haue you to denie it to euery Bishop in his Diocesse We giue no man Pastorall power ouer the Presbyteries and as for Diocesses wee say they are intrusions on other mens cures If by Gods lawe you assigne one Church to one man as Pastour of the same then all the members of that Church be they Presbyters or people must be subiect to him as to their Pastour and he must haue Pastorall authoritie ouer them whatsoeuer they be And therefore this shift of yours that the Presbyters shall haue a President ouer them by Gods ordinance but no Pastour is a meere collusion repugnant as well to the worde as Church of God for what doe the Scriptures call your President in respect of the Presbyters if not a Pastour Shew vs either his name or his power in the new Testament and if it be not equiualent with Pastorall wee will exempt your Presbyters from all subiection The power that Timothie receiued to restraine them from preaching false doctrine and to conuent and rebuke such Presbyters as sinned was it not Pastorall And that charge was to remaine by the Apostles words to him and his successors till the comming of Christ. Your Pastours that you would erect in countrey parishes shall they not haue Pastorall power ouer your laie Presbyters shall your laie Elders be sheepe without ashepeheard shal no man watch ouer their soules If your laie Presbyteries must haue a Pastour ouer them in each countrey parish how commeth it to passe that your Presbyteries in Cities may endure no Pastours aboue them Are they not all of one and the same institution by your owne rules Is there one order in the Scriptures for rusticall Presbyteries and an other for ciuill I thinke your selues ran hardly shewe any such distinction Wherefore when we giue bishops Pastorall authoritie as well ouer their Presbyters as ouer their people wee doe it by the warrant of Gods word that maketh them chiefe Pastours ouer their Churches which includeth both Presbyters and people and wee therein giue them no more then by your wils you would giue to the meanest Rectors of countrie parishes Pastours we are content they shalbe ouer their flockes but not ouer their coequals and copartners Then no man may take or leade their flockes from them so long as they teach and guide them right and consequently your Presbyters may vse no Pastorall power in any bishops charge without his liking For he is Pastour of the flocke and by Gods law they must heare and obey the voice of their shepeheard And as for the rest of the Presbyters if you make thē copartners with him that is not helpers but equals you distract the flocke and rent the Church into as many peeces as there be pastors One flocke cannot haue many pastors except they be subordinate one vnder another but many pastors of equal power must needs haue many flocks Wherfore one Church must haue but one pastor to whom therest be they Presbyters or others must by Gods Law be subiect and obedient whiles he rightly directeth them and woorthely rebuketh them otherwise against God and his trueth we must obey neither man nor Angell Yet to temper the Pastourall power of bishops that it might be fatherly as it hath beene alwaies in the house of God euen from the beginning and not Princely for feare of raigning ouer the Lords inheritance the Church of Christ did in certaine cases of importance not suffer the bishop to attempt any thing without the consent of his Presbyters or a Synode The fourth Councill of Carthage prohibiteth the bishop to heare and sententiate any mans cause without the presence of his Clergie as also
very body of your discipline in sunder for hardly can so many Pastours in euery parish be gotten as you must haue and more hardly maintained you are driuen to change the very substance of the Presbyteries that were in the Apostles times and insteede of Ministers of the word and sacraments who preaching the Gospell must liue of the Gospell to returne vs a quest of Lay Elders which you thought might be found in euerie place and woulde not be so costly as the former and to giue them power to impose handes to bind and loose sinnes in heauen and earth to censure doctrine and manners in all men euen in Pastours by depriuation excommunication or howsoeuer and rather then they should miscarry to make them Teachers and Watchmen Pastours and Bishops in the church of God contrarie to the whole church of Christ to all the ancient and learned Fathers and Councils and contrary no lesse to the Scriptures then to your owne positions But Masters you must either confound all and make no difference betwixt Pastour and people which nowe you are faire for or will you nill you you must exclude Lay Elders from these actions which bee proper to Pastours and so haue no Presbyteries but where meete men may be had and in Christian manner honoured and succoured for their paines And consequently countrie parishes which by no meanes can be prouided either of men or maintenance sufficient for such Presbyteries as the worde of God alloweth must haue their Pastours restrained by none and subiected to none but Pope-like if not Lucifer-like to be more then Princes or if that be not tolerable then must they be vnited and annexed to some citie that lieth neere them and be gouerned by the bishop and Presbyterie of that place euen as the churches in the citie are and so be part of his charge and diocefe How ancient Dioceses were in the church of God and howe generally receiued and approoued will soone appeare by the full consent of all antiquitie The Council of Antioch renued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Canon of their fathers anciently established that no Bishop shoulde vndertake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but those thinges onelie which pertained to his owne Church and the country towns belonging to the same Euery bishop hath full power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his own Church and in al the Countrie round about which is vnder the iurisdiction of his citie to make Priests and Deacons and dispose euerie thing discreetely The generall Councill of Constantinople saieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops must not inuade the Churches that are without the bounds of their Dioecese vnlessethey be called they may not passe the limittes of their own Dioecese eyther for ordering of Ministers or for any other Ecclesiasticalbusines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obseruing the Canon that is alreadie established of euerie mans Dioecese The generall Councill of Ephesus hauing reporte made vnto them that the bishop of Antioch presumed to order in Cyprus without the compasse of his Diocese and Prouince repressed that his enterprise being as they terme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An innouation against the Ecclesiastical lawes against the Canons of the holy Apostles and decreed the Bishops of Cyprus should hold their right vntouched vnuiolated according to the Canons of the holie Fathers and their ancient custome adding there withall that the selfe same rule should be obserued in other Dioeceses and Prouinces whatsoeuer that no Bishop shoulde inuade an others limites which were not anciently and from the beginning subiect to him or his predecessours The great Councill of Chalcedon determineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all rurall Churches and Countrie parishes shall remaine vnmooueable or without alteration to the Bishops that haue had them specially if they haue quietly possessed and gouerned them aboue thirtie yeeres for the enlarging of Dioceses vpon the returne of schismatikes and heretikes to the Church and parting them with the consent of the former Bishop where the circuite was too wide and troublesome or ioyning them where the people so desired he that will may reade the 57. 102. 103. 119. 120. 121. 122 Canons of the great Affricane Councill By which it is euident that the Bishop of euerie Citie besides his principall and Cathedrall Church had the villages and parishes of the Countrie round about that Citie belonging to his Diocese and iurisdiction and these partitions and distributions beganne euen from the Apostles and from the beginning as the Councill of Ephesus auoucheth and were confirmed and ratified by the foure great and Oecumenicall Councils and receiued and continued by all the godly Bishops and Fathers of the Primitiue Church Wherefore they be mightily deceiued that thinke cathedral churches and Episcopall Dioceses to be a part of Antichrists pompe and pride and his first inuention the wisedome of Gods spirit deuised setled that course even from the first enlarging of the church all the general and prouincial Councils liked allowed the same There is almost no Council that doth not mention confirme to euerie bishop his Diocese and inhibite all others to enter or intermeddle with any cause or person in an other mans circuite The Councill of Ancypra suffereth not the rurall Bishops to ordaine without the licence of the bishop of the Citie The Councill of Neocesaria prouideth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Presbyters of the same region shall not minister the Lords Supper when the Bishop of the Citie is present The Councill of Gangris accurseth all that assemble anie Congregation for Diuine seruice vnlesse a Presbyter licenced by the Bishop bee present with them The Councill of Laodicea forbiddeth anie Bishop to be made in Countrey townes and villages The Councill of Antioch callethit a Canon of their fathers that antientlie stoode in force euen as the Councill of Nice before them saide it was an ancient vse The Councill of Ephesus maketh it an Apostolike rule The Councill of Carthage kept by Constantines procurement inhibited Ne quis alienos fines vsurpet aut alterius plebes sine eius petitu quia inde caetera mala omnia generantur that no Bishop shouldvsurpe vpon an others borders or cures without his request because thence came all other mischiefe The Councill of Sardica like wise Illud prohibeat sanctitas vestra vt nulli Episcopo liceat alterius Episcopi Ciuitatis Ministrum ecclesiasticum solicitare in sua Dioecesi vel suis parochijs ordinare Let your Holinesse prohibite that no Bishop procure away any ecclesiasticall Minister of the Bishop of another Citie order him in his own Dioecese or parishes The third Councill of Carthage woulde haue no Bishop vsurpe ouer an othersflocks nor encroch on his Colleague within his Dioecese The fourth Councill of Carthage commaunded the Presbyters that guided Churches through the Dioeceses to fet Chrisme not from any Bishop but from their
own Bishop The Councill of Aurelia All the Churches that haue beene or are daily builded in sundrie places wee decree according to the rule of the former Canons that they shall be in the power of that Bishop in whose territorie they stand As the vse of Dioceses was antient so the reason that first occasioned them was ineuitable euen by the paterne of the Apostolike Discipline For when country townes and villages first beganne to receiue the faith howe were they furnished with fit Pastours and how were their Churches gouerned but by the Bishop and Presbyterie of some citie adioyning Lay Presbyteries the church of Christ neuer had any yea the Scriptures permit none to rule Pastourall actions other Presbyteries those places were neither able to haue nor to maintaine What nowe was left but onelie to submit and incorporate themselues to the Bishop of some Citie neere them by whome their Churches might be both guided and supplied when any neede required euen as the churches in cities were If to auoyde schisines rising euery where by the multitude of Teachers and Pastours Bishops were in the Apostles times placed throughout the worlde in all the cities that accepted the Gospell to guide and moderate the Presbyters that were many shall wee thinke this order was needefull onelie for cities and needelesse for Townes and Uillages Were not the Presbyters of so many parishes as one shire doeth yeelde as like to trouble the Region with Schismes and heresies as the Presbyters of the citie You lacke sense if you thinke that dissention and errour could not creepe as well into Uillages as into Cities or that the Apostles prouided one kinde of regiment for cities another for country parishes If all the churches in one citie which at Rome were aboue fourtie in Optatus time were gouerned by one bishop why might not the Uillages and Parishes conftning round about the Citie be gouerned after the same maner So that for Dioceses as well the necessitie as the antiquitie of them is euident It was not possible in the Primitiue church to haue Presbyters to succeede in the rounâ—es of such as died in countrie parishes but from the bishop in whose Diocese the churches were He supplied their wants out of his owne church and Presbyterie which serued to store the whole Diocese Otherwise within his circuite none other bishop coulde ordaine a Presbyter nor without his leaue might any Clergie man depart his church The Councill of Antioch A Bishop may not inuade an others Citie that is not subiect to him nor Countrie not pertaining to him to ordaine anie neither hee appoint Presbyters or Deacons in places that are vnder an other Bishop vnlesse it bee with the liking or consent of the Bishop of that Region or Countrie The Councill of Nice If any Presbyters or Deacons or other Clergie men not hauing the feare of God before their eyes nor knowing the Ecclesiastical Canon leaue their owne Church they must not by any meanes bee receiued in another Church And if any shall with-holde a Clergie man belonging to another and ordaine him in his owne Church the Bishop from whome hee departed not agreeing his ordering shall be vtterly voyde This was the generall and perpetuall discipline of Christs church in al the coasts and quarters of the worlde as may appeare to him that will take paines to view these places The Councill of Constantinople 1. ca. 2. and 3. of Chalcedon ca. 8. of Carthage the first ca. 5. the second ca. 11. the third ca. 20. and 21. the fourth ca. 27. of Orleance ca. 22. of Sardica ca. 18. 19. of Taurine ca. 6. of Aurenge ca. 8. of Venice ca. 10. of Tours ca. 9. 11. And so the Mileuitane Council ca. 15. Affricane ca. 21. Aurelian the third ca. 15. the Epaunine ca. 5. the Valentine ca. 6. and Aruernine ca. 9. and 10. If these rules were vniuersally and anciently obserued that no Presbyter might remoue from one church to another nor departe from the church where he was first called without the consent of his bishop neither might any other man impose hands on him or admit him and inuest him into any church without the liking and goodwil of the bishop in whose diocese the church stoode and of whose Clergie the partie was by no means could any country parishes in the primitiue church haue any Presbyters but from some city that not without the liking and assent of the Bishop which forced all country townes and villages to matriculate and incorporate themselues into the church of some city by whose bishop their Presbyters liuing were gouerned and dying were supplied euen as the churches in cities were The reason of their doings is as euident as their fact for if Bishops were placed by the Apostles handes to ordaine Presbyters and containe them in their dueties lest in so great a number emulation might breede confusion which all the Fathers were fully resolued was the Apostles deede they must needes bee of opinion the Apostles meant to haue Countrey Townes and Uillages guided and assisted the very same way that they left for Cities and the same men that gouerned the one all things considered were the fittest to be trusted with the other If you obiect that the bishops of the Cities could imploy no pastorall care but where they were present I answere that all the Councils and Fathers of the Primitiue Church were not so ignorant as not to vnderstand what Pastorall ouersight a bishop might yeelde to townes and Churches farre distant from him though hee were not present to dispence the word and Sacraments amongest them To see them alwayes stored with a sound and able Pastor that should watch ouer their soules to take care that they were rightly taught and soberly guided to keepe both Presbyters and people from schismes heresies and open impieties to direct in dangers and determine doubts without troubling the whole prouince to meete vpon euerie particular occasion and contention these be good parts of pastorall vigilancie and very needefull effects of episcopall regiment which may be performed as well in a Diocese as in a Citie In any mans haruest he that laboureth himselfe and ouerseeth the rest doth more good then any other In eche mans house the steward that well ordereth and guideth the familie is more profitable then any of his fellowes In Gods house and haruest shall the ouerlooking of others be counted either needelesse or fruitlesse Saint Paul himselfe knewe not these curious positions when hee appointed Tite to take the charge and ouersight of the whole Iland of Creete and saw no cause why one man might not performe many Pastorall and Episcopall dueties to all that were in the same Countrie with him But what seeke I more examples when we haue the paterne from the Primitiue Church that first allotted Dioceses to bishops and the liking and approbation of all prouinciall and generall Councils that ratified and confirmed as wel the partition as distinction of territories and
are manifest Thou Lord shew whether of these twaine thou hast chosen to take the roume of this Apostleship To the choise of the Seuen I haue oftentimes spoken I shall not need to distrust your memorie You haue not forgotten the Apostles words to the people It is not meete that we should leaue the worde of God to serue the tables They meant not the Lordes table the care thereof the Apostles did not transferre from themselues to any others but because the Grecians murmured that their widowes were neglected in the dailie ministring that care the Twelue committed to such as the people would like and elect What can be vrged out of these Scriptures let those that be wise iudge my capacitie is so slender that I see vtterly nothing euinceable by these examples Neither doeth Cyprian stretch the places to giue the people by Gods lawe the election of their Bishops hee sawe the precedents would enable no such consequent hee vrgeth by Scripture the peoples presence to this ende that their testimonie should bee had touching the life and behauiour of the partie that shall bee chosen least an vnworthie and wicked person should secretlie steale to the office and function of a Bishop Hee saieth it contineth from diuine authoritie vt Sacerdos plebe praesente deligatur that a Priest should bee chosen in the presence of the people and that ordinations ought not to bee made nisi sub populi assistentis conscientia but with the knowledge of the people standing by Nowe why the people should bee present hee noteth in these wordes vt vel bonorum merita praedicentur vel malorum crimina detegantur that as well the merites of the good might bee acknowledged as the faults of the lewd discouered by the presence of the people quae singulorum vitam plenissimè nouit vniuscuiusque actum de eius conuersatione perspexit which knoweth each mans life most exactly and hath tried his behauiour by his conuersation Though Cyprianâ— proofes doe not conclude the peoples presence by Gods lawe to â—ee required in the choise of Bishops yet Cyprians meaning is verie good and agreeth both with the order of the Primitiue Church and with Saint Pauls prouiso that a Bishop must bee well reported of euen of them that are without as also that hee must bee no follower of wine no fighter no brawler no filthie gayner no desirer of money but ruling his house honestlie and hauing his children in obedience in effect one whose lyfe and conuerâ—ation the whole Church commended and the aduersarie coulde not chalenge Notwithstanding you may not hence collect that the principall and essentiall right of electing by Gods lawe consisteth in the peoples voyces you nor no man liuing can deduce any such thing out of the Scriptures The Apostle that we read vsed no such fourme of elections as in the chapter before I was occasioned more at large to shew And since wee haue neither precept nor example of the Apostles for the people to choose their bishops I thinke you will hardly make any demonstration for your popular elections by the Scriptures Wee haue places ynow in the newe Testament but that you eleuate and elude them and besides wee haue the general and ful consent and vse of the Primitiue Church to iustifie our interpretation of those places to be agreeable to the trueth of the word but sometimes you do alleadge and esteeme the vniuersall custome of the Church and exposition of the Fathers when they make for you and sometimes when they please you not you reiect them as fast Do vs no wrong we refuse nothing that the ancient and Primitiue church of Christ vniuersally obserued and practised as expressed or intended in the Scriptures It is your maner it is not ours to thinke no churches councils nor Fathers euer vnderstoode the necessary points of doctrine and discipline mentioned in the word before your selues If the whole church of Christ made any such conclusion out of the Scriptures for the popular election of bishops as you doe we will presently receiue it if not stay your vaunts till you bring their warrants and by that time your heate will be well delayed you shew one that after his maner is eloquent and vehement for that he taketh in hand but his proofes are weake if not mistaken his purpose is to haue the peoples presence and testimonie to witnesse their liues that shall be chosen his confession is that this was not generall though in fauour of his cause he saith Apud nos ferâ— per Prouincias vniuersas tenetur It is so obserued with vs and almost in al Prouinces The whole Church afterward kept that order in electing their Bishops What course they kept wee shall quickely finde all the question will be whether they required the peoples voyces as necessarie by Gods commaundement which may not be broken neither for Prelates nor Princes or whether they vsed that kinde of election as an order in Christian assemblies fittest to preserue the peace of the Church and to maintaine the good liking of the people towards their Pastors It shall therefore be best first to consider where the holie Ghost layeth the burden and charge of these elections then what freedome the wisedome of God leaueth to the multitude or Magistrates of each Citie and Countrey These things well marked will deliuer vs from wandering and erring as touching Gods ordinance The Apostle writing to Timothie and Tite first describeth what maner of men must bee admitted to the office of a Bishop and then assureth the Ordainers that if they laie handes on any other then on such they communicate with the sinnes of as many as they aduaunce vnfit for that place Laie handes hastilie on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes keepe thy selfe pure Let the Bishops heare saieth Ierome that haue power to appoint Presbyters in euery Citie with what condition the order of ecclesiasticall constitution is tied neither let them thinke they are the Apostles wordes but Christes Whereby it is euident that they which contemning the Apostles precept giue any man an ecclesiasticall degree for fauour not for desert do against Christ. Chrysostome Paul meaning to intreat of a Bishops office sheweth what maner of man in all things a Bishop must be not giuing it as a warning to Timothie but speaking vnto all and by him directing all And againe vpon those wordes I charge thee before God and Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou keepe these precepts Laie hands hastilie on no man hee saieth Paul terrifieth Timothie and hauing so done hee mentioneth that which is most needfull and chieflie holdeth the Church together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen ordination Lay hands hastilie on no man neither communicate with other mens sinnes What is hastilie not vpon the first triall not vpon the second not vpon the third but oftentimes examining and exactlie sifting the partie The case is dangerous thou shalt beare the
punishments of his sinnes who art the occasion of them for remitting the former offences out of time thou shalt answere for those that are after committed as being the cause of them and likewise for those that are past as not letting him alone to lament and repent them And Ambrose Paul chargeth Timothie before God the father and Christ his sonne and the elect Angels Vnder this charge he commandeth those things to be kept which pertaine to ordination in the Church least easilie any man should get an ecclesiasticall dignitie but in quisition be first had of his life and maners that a meete and approoued Minister or Priest may be appointed neither any to be ordained whose faults deserue suspicion least the ordainer be defiled with his sinnes and offences for hee sinneth which ordaineth and trieth not Occumenius Where Paul saieth to Timothie I prayed thee to staie at Ephesus addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there had Paul ordained him a Bishop Let no man despise thy youth for a Bishop must speake with authoritie Hee giueth precepts not to Timothie alone but to euery Bishop And vpon these words Lay hands bastilie on no man Paul treateth of ordinations for he wrate to a Bishop And so writing on the epistle to Tite he saieth Paul left Tite to make Bishops in euery Citie hauing first made him a Bishop Primasius likewise Timothie was a Bishop and Pauls disciple to him by writing hee giueth authoritie to correct all ecclesiasticall discipline and to ordaine Bishops and Deacons And againe Be not partaker of an other mans sinnes Paul saieth It is a communion with another mans sinnes when one is ordained and not examined As therefore in ordaining euill men he is partaker of their sinnes which ordaineth such so in the ordaining of the holy he is partaker of their righteousnes which did make choise of so good men The perill of ordaining Bishops and Presbyters by Pauls owne confession lieth ineuitablie on such as impose hands and therefore by Gods lawe they must haue power to examine who bee fit and libertie to refuse those that be vnfit For as without them there can bee none ordained so if rashly or corruptly they lay hands on any they be partakers of their sinnes Further with elections of the Scriptures doe not meddle saue that Timothie as the Fathers affirme by occasion of Pauls words was chosen Bishop by prophesie that is by the direction and appointment of the holy Ghost and not by voyces Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the commaundement or appointment of the spirite were Bishops at first made and not at randon So Theodorete Thou vndertookest this order by diuine reuelation Chrysostome Paul to stirre vp Timothie putteth him in minde who choose him and who ordained him as if he had sayd Thou wast chosen of God hee himselfe put thee in trust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou wast not made by mens voices And Theophilact Anciently by the oracles appointment of the Prophets that is by the holy Ghost Priests were straight way ordained So was Timothie chosen to be a Priest Ambrose saieth Timothie was predestinated when he was taken by the Apostle to this end that he should bee ordained as iudged woorthie to be a Bishop This kinde of election I take was vsuall in the Apostles times the spirite of God directing them on whom they should lay their hands other election of Pastours and Teachers I read none specified in the sacred writings Popular election of Bishops I find afterward practised in the Primitiue Church but not mentioned in the Scriptures and therefore well may the peoples interest stand vpon the grounds of reason and nature and bee deriued from the rules of Christian equitie and societie but Gods lawe doeth not meddle with anie such matter nor determine more then I haue tolde you which is that such Bishops as ordaine them shall answere for them with the perill of their owne soules if they doe not carefullie looke into the abilitie and integritie of all that they authorize with imposition of handes to guide or teach the flocke of Christ. When I say the people can not chalenge by Gods lawe the right to choose their Bishop I meane no such thing is expressed and commaunded in the Scriptures excluding thereby the false conceites of some fanaticall spirites in our dayes which affirme our Bishops and Teachers to bee no true Pastours because they are not chosen by the particular voyces and personall Suffrages of the people and by consequent our Sacraments to bee no Sacramentes and Church no Church and so this whole Realme to bee drowned in confusion without assurance of saluation whose madnesse is rather to bee chastised by the Magistrate then to be refused by doctrine the authors being voyde not onely of learning which they despise but of reason to weigh what is sayde against them Otherwise I acknowledge each Church and people that haue not by lawe custome or consent restrained themselues stand free by Gods lawe to admit maintaine and obey no man as their Pastour without their liking and so the peoples election by themselues or their rulers dependeth on the very first principles of humane fellowships assemblees for which cause though bishops by Gods law haue power to examine ordaine before any may be placed to take charge of soules yet haue they no power to impose a Pastour on any Church against their wils nor to force them to yeelde him obedience or maintenaunce without their liking How farre authoritie custome and consent may preiudice and ouer-rule this libertie which Gods lawe leaueth vndiminished shall anone be handed when once we see what order the Primitiue Church obserued in her elections of Bishops and Presbyters The Churches of Christ had aunciently two wayes to bee prouided of Bishops and Presbyters the one Election the other Postulation When the Bishop of any Citie died whose Church had store of Clergie men to succeede the Bishops of the same Prouince that were neerest to the place by conference amongst themselues appointed a day to resort thither and aduertised both people and Presbyters thereof At which time the Clergie and Laitie assembling in the Church so many Bishops as conuenientlie might but vnder three they could doe nothing came thither and there heard both whom the Clergie named and whom the Citie liked If all or the most of euery sort agreed the partie was pronounced chosen another day prefixed to ordaine him the Bishops proposing his name and the time on the Church doores and requiring euerie man that could or would obiect any thing against him to bee then and there readie with his proofes and witnesses At their next repaire the Bishops that came to giue imposition of handes heard aduisedly what each man could charge him with and if in their consciences the elect prooued to bee such as the Apostle prescribed they ordained him in the eies of all men Pastour of that
suffered to haue the chiefe place amongest them Did euer Gods or mans Lawe preferre the feete before the head the rowt before the ruler or the people before the Prince The seruant is not aboue his Master no not in elections of bishops for if the rule be generall it includeth euen that particular Wherefore though there were no Princes christned in the Apostles times nor in 300. yeeres after to claime or vse their right yet against the head that it shall not bee head to rule and guide the feeâ—e can be no prescription by reason Gods ordinance for the head to gouerne the bodie is a perpetuall eternall law and the vsurpation of the members against it is no prescription but a confusion and the subuersion of that order which the God of heauen hath immutably decreed and settled And euen in the Primitiue Church when leisure from greater affaires and occasion of popular vproares put Christian Emperors in mind to vse their right they were by Councils acknowledged to haue good interest in the elections of bishops and by the whole Church suffered not onelie to haue a seuerall and soueraigne consent but by their Lawes to moderate restraine and punish the attempts and abuses as wel of bishops and clarks that were electors ordainers as of the people that were the likers and supporters of the parties so corruptly or disorderly chosen When Valentinian the Emperor vpon the death of Auxentius willed the bishops assembled to elect for the city of Millane such a one as should be fit for the place the Synode praied him being wise religious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to appoint a Bishop To whom he answered the matter is too great for me to vndertake you that are vouchsafed of the diuine grace shall better determine who is meete When Chrysost. was chosen to be bishop of Constantinople Sozomene saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The people Clergie determining on him the king approued it sent to fet him from Antioch After Sisimius was dead though many labored to haue Philip others to haue Proclus ordained yet it seemed good to the powers or princes to haue none of that church aduanced to the Bishoprike by reason of some vaine men but it pleased theÌ„ rather to call a stranger froÌ„ Antioch Upon the death of Maximian successor to Nestorius left againe in the election of a bishop variance should arise and the Church be troubled the Emperor Theodosius strait waies the body of Maximianus not yet being buried coÌ„manded the Bishops that were present to set Proclus in the episcopal seat Pelagius being chosen bishop of Rome without the princes coÌ„mandement for that the city was then besieged and no man could passe through y e enemies camp Gregory was afterward sent to excuse the matter appease the Emperor Nilenim tuÌ„ à Clero in eligendo Pontifice actuÌ„ erat nisieius electioneÌ„ Imperator approbasset for then the act of the Clergy in chusing their bishop was void vnles the Emperor approued the election Greg. that excused Pelagius witnesseth the like of his own choice of sundry others Of himself he saith Lo my most gratious Lord the Emperor hath coÌ„manded an Ape to be made a Lion Wherefore he must impute al my faults negligeÌ„ces not to me who was vnwilling but to his owne deuotion which hath coÌ„mitted the mysterie of strength to so weak an one as I am To al the bishops of Illyâ—iest he writeth Because I vnderstand by your letters that the consent of you al THE PLEASVRE OF THE MOST GRATIOVS PRINCE CONCVRRED in the person of Iohn our brother and fellow-Bishop I greatly reioyce To the Emperor Mauritius he saieth It can bee no small thankes with God that Iohn of happy memory being taken out of this life your godlines about the appointing a Bishop stayed a great while deferred the time and sought aduise in the feare of God Wherefore I thinke my brother and fellow-Bishop Cyriacus to be very fit for the Pastorall regiment whom your holinesse preferred to that order after so long consultation Neither had the Roman Emperors this authoritie to dash elections appoint bishops onely at Rome and Constantinople other places were in like subiectioÌ„ to them though their care were not so great for the smaller cities which were innumerable as for the principal Sees where themselues liued whither they often resorted yet their right was alone in greater lesser Churches If the chiefest bishops might not be chosen without the Emperours consent the meaner places had neither by the Canons nor by the Scriptures any more freedome from the Princes power then the greater So that what superioritie was then acknowledged and yeelded by the greatest and chiefest Churches as due to Christian Emperors in the elections of bishops the same could by no means be denyed them ouer other Churches though the Princes themselues sometimes neglected and sometimes refused to be troubled with the choice of so many thousand Bishops as were vnder their territories And therefore Adrian Bishop of Rome was not the first that did grant and giue this right to the Empire as some Romish stories would faine enforce it was receiued in the Church of Christ many hundred yeeres before Adrian was borne and vsed as well by other Christian kings in their realmes as by the Emperour in his dominions The Pontificall it selfe 580. yeeres after Christ noteth it as a new and strange accident that Pelagius the second was chosen Bishop of Rome without the Emperours commaundement and giueth this reason for that the Longobardes then besieged the Citie and Gregorie the first of that name that next succeeded after Pelagius two hundreth yeres before Adrian confirmeth it to be true by report of his owne election and Gregorie of Turon liuing at the same time and whose Oeacon was present at Rome when Gregorie the first was elected witnesseth as much in the tenth booke of his historie and first Chapter Wherefore Adrian did but either continue or renue this right when the Empire was translated vnto Charles the great and â—atified it with a curse on the transgressoins hee did not then first grant it the Romane Emperours long before enioyed it Adrian and a Synode of one hundred fiftie three Bishops and Abbatâ— defined that the Archbishops and Bishops of euerie Prouince should take their inuestiture from Charles so as vnlesse hee were commended or allowed inuested by the king he should be consecrated Bishop by no man and whosoeuer did against this decree they did wrap him in the band of excommunication Leo the eight in an other Synode more then 130 yeeres after Adrian with the Cleargie and people of Rome did reknowledge and confirme vnto Otho the first of that name king of the Germans and to his successors in the kingdome of Italy for euer power to choose and appoint the Bishop of the Apostolike See of Rome and consequently Archbishops
and Bishops that they should receiue inuestiture from him So that if any were chosen Bishop by the Clergie and people except he were also approoued inuested by the said king he should not be consecrated Which priuâ—lege to giue Bishoprikes and Abbeys by a ring and a staffe continued in the Romane Emperors more then 300. yeeres after Charles and was restored to Henry the fift 1111. yeeres after Christ by Paschalis the second not afterward wrested froÌ„ him his successors by the bishop of Rome but with extreme treacherie bloodshed and violence As the Emperours of Rome vsed this superioritie in elections of bishops foure hundred yeeres before Charles so the kings of France continually practised the same three hundred yeeres before the Empire came to their handes After Licinius the ninth bishop of Turon in the tenth place Theodorus and Proculus were surrogated by the commandement of Queene Chrodieldis wife to Chlodoueus the first christian King of France The eleuenth was Dinifius who came to the Bishopricke by the election of the said king The twelfth was Ommatius who was ordained by the commandement of king Clodomere one of Chlodouees sonnes At Aruerne foure yeeres after Chlodouees death Theodorike another of his sonnes commaunded Quintianus to be made Bishop there and al the power of the Church to be deliuered vnto him adding hee was cast out of his owne Citie for the zeale and loue hee bare to vs. And the Messengers straite way departing called the Bishops and people together and placed him in the chaire of the Church of Aruerne And when Quintianus was dead Gallus by the kings helpe was substituted in his chaire After whose decease Cato elected by the Clergie and most part of the people bare himselfe for bishop but when king Theodoualdus heard it certaine Bishops were called vnto Mastright and Cautinus ordayned Bishop and directed by the kings commaundement to Aruerne was gladly receiued of the Clergie and Citizens there The same Cato was afterward chosen by the precept of King Chlotharius to the bishopricke of Turon for so the Clergie tolde him non nostra te voluntate expetiuimus sed Regis praeceptione We desired thee not of our owne wils but by the kings commandement which hee refused and thereupon they of Turon suggested another to the King to whom the king replied Praeceperam vt Cato Presbyter illic ordinaretur cur est spreta nostra iussio I commanded that Cato the Presbyter should be ordained Bishop there and why is our commaundement despised They answered We requested him but hee woulde not come And whiles they were with the king Cato himselfe came and besought the king that Cautinus being remooued hee might be placed at Aruerne At which the king smiling hee then secondly requested he might be ordained at Turon which before he had neglected To whom the king saide I first commanded they shoulde consecrate you to that Bishopricke but as I heare you despised the place and therefore you shal be farre enough from it When Pientius bishop of Poicters was dead Austraphius hoped to succeede in his place But king Charibert one of Chlothaâ—ius sonnes turned his minde and Pascentius succeeded by the kings commandement The like precepts of diuers christian kings of France 1000. yeeres before our dayes for the making of Iouinus Domnolus Nonnichius Innocentius Sulpitius Promotus Nicetius Desiderius Gundegisilus Virus Charimeres Fronimius and other bishops of France in sundry churches of that realme he that liketh to see may reade in the storie of Gregorie made Bishop of Turon before Gregorie the first was placed to the See of Rome By which it is euident that other Princes besides the Romane Emperours haue from their first profession of Christianitie not onely ruled the elections of Bishops as they saw cause but appointed such as were meete for the places to be consecrated without depending on the voyces of the people or Clergie And what should hinder christian Princes to take this right into their owne handes from the people since there is no precept in Gods Lawe to binde the church that the people shoulde elect their bishops and consequently the manner of electing them must bee left to the lawes of eche Countrie without expecting the peoples consent Bullinger a man of great reading and iudgement alledging both the examples of the Scriptures and the words of Cyprian which are before repeated at large and also the vse of the primitiue Church in choosing their Bishops cócludeth thus Quanquam ex illis omnino colligere nolim deligendi Episcopiâ—us ad promiscuae plebis suffragia esse reducendum Utrum enim totius ecclesiae comitijs an paucorum suffragijs Episcopum designari melius sit nulla potest certa omnibus praescribi ecclesâ—is constitutio Sunt enim alijs regionibus alia Iura alij ritus instituta Si qui abutuntur iure illo per tyrannidem cogantur in ordinem à sancto Magistratu vel transferatur ab eis ius designandi Ministros Satius est enim eligendi munere seniores aliquot ex regis vel magistratus iussu defungi aduocatis consultisque c. Notwithstanding I woulde not collect by these that the right to chuse a Bishop should be recalled to the voyces of the people Whether it were meeter to haue a bishop appointed by the asseÌ„bly of the whole church or by the suffrages of a few there can bee no certaine rule prescribed to all Churches for diuers Countries haue different Lawes and customes But if any tyrannically abuse their right they may be punished by the godly Magistrate or the right of electing taken from theÌ„ for it were better that some graue men by the Magistrates or the kings commaundement made the election calling to them and consulting with such as know what belongeth to the function of a bishop what is fit for the people and church where he shalbe placed and how to iudge of euerie mans learning and maners Beza that holdeth hard for discipline giueth ouer popular elections as no part of Gods ordinance and confesseth that in Geneua it selfe though their state be popular yet they allow the people no such power The erecting of the Deconship saith he was essential neuer to be abrogated in the church of God And the maner of appointing some for that function in the Church to wit by election was likewise essential but that the whole multitude was called togither gaue their voices that was neither essential nor perpetual for after when experience taught that confusion ambitioÌ„ rising by occasioÌ„ of the multitude increased was to be preuented the Synode of Laodicea being indeed but prouincial yet approued by the sixt Oecumenical council prudently took order by their 13. canon that the electioÌ„ of such as were chosen to the sacred ministery should not be permitted to the multitude or to the people not
night he saide See my Lordes I pray you turne into your seruants house Rebecca when Abrahams seruant not knowen to her prayed he might drinke a little water of her pitcher answered Drinke my Lorde The places of Iohn as also that of Peter you suppose may be better translated Sir which is more familiar with vs then Lorde The word in Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the selfe same that the Scriptures euery where giue to God himselfe when they call him Lorde and Sarahs wordes alleaged by Peter cannot be translated Sir For thus they stand in Moses After I am olde and my Lorde also shal I lust where to say and my Sir also were some what strange to Englisheares Besides the Hebrew word is Adoni the verie same that seruants and subiects in the Scriptures alwayes giue to their Lords and Princes Lastly the selfe same Translatours retaine the name of Lord in Moses howsoeuer afterward they changed it in Peter And touching the signification of Sir by which they interprete the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though the honor thereof be some what decayed by reason it is now growen common yet anciently it was and originally it is as much as Lorde Sir is the onely stile wee haue at this present to distinguish a knight from lower degrees yea the French to this day call their king Sir and in former ages it was no disgrace with vs to say Sir King and no maruell For if it come from the French Syre which is all one in sound with Cyre C. being changed into S then it is a contractioÌ„ of the Greeke word for Lord as Cyre for Cyrie If we fetch it froÌ„ Seigneur by shortning it into Sieur as in Monsieur for Monseigneur My Lord yet so is it equiualent with the French word for Lord. If with the Germans and Italians we deriue it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as first Her then Sere Heros is he that for his valour and vertue commeth neerest to diuine perfection and honour But with titles and termes the Church of Christ should not be troubled onely this I say that if Syr be not as much as Lorde in all tongues saue ours the name of Lord is as common as Sin with vs and giuen to farre meaner men then Bishops both of the Cleargie and Laiâ—e and for the Hebrew tongue the Scriptures themselues do witnes no lesse The Prophets of God did both giue and receiue this title of honour without blemish to their calling Are not thou my Lorde Elias saide Obediah the Gouernour of Achabs house when hee fell on his face before the Prophet and said further I thy seruant feare the Lord from my youth hath not my Lord heard how I hid an hundred prophets in a caue when Iesabel woulde haue staine them and fedde them with bread and water The children of the Prophets both at Bethel and Iericho saide to Eliseus when Elias shoulde be taken from him Knowest thou not that God wil take thy Lord from thine head this day And wheÌ„ Elias was taken vp by a whirle winde the children of the prophets met him and fell to the ground before him and said Behold there are with thy seruants fiftie strong men Let them we pray thee goe and seeke thy Lord. The inhabitants of Iericho misliking the barennes of the soile saide likewise to Eliseus The situation of the Citie is good as thou my Lord feest but the water is naught and the ground barren O my Lorde delude not thine handmaid saide the godly Shunnamite when Eliseus first told her she should haue a sonne And when the child was dead she fell at his feete and saide Did I desire a sonne of my Lord The children of the Prophets intending to make them a larger place to dwell in saide to Eliseus Vouchsafe to goe with thy seruants And as one of them was felling a tree by the riuers side the head of his are fell into Iorden and he cryed to Eliseus Alas my Lord it was borrowed Hazael the great Commander of Syria vnder Benhadad when Eliseus wept foreseeing the euill that he should do to the children of Israel said Why weepeth my Lord And when Elizeus lay sicke on his death bed Ioash the king of Israel saide vnto him O my father my father the chariot of Israel and horsemen or safegard of the same Why then doth our Sauiour debarre his Apostles from all such titles by saying You shal not be so He doth not forbid his Apostles to admit that honour which God hath commanded and allowed to their calling the Scriptures should so be contrarie to themselues Feare God saith the Wiseman and honor his Priests They that gouerne well are worthy of double honour sayth Paul and againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue such in great estimation or honor Yea the Lord himselfe sayeth A Prophet is not without honour but in his owne Countrie If honour by Gods law must be yeelded vnto Prophets and Pastours honor by Gods law may be receiued by them but to admit titles of honour about and against their calling or to expect and affect that honour which is due vnto them this is it that Christ forbiddeth How can you beleeue saith he to the Pharisees when ye receiue honour one of another he meaneth greedely or gladly and seeke not the honour which is of God alone Beware of the Scribes saieth he to his disciples which desire to goe in long robes and loue salutations in the markets and the chiefest seates in the Synagogues and the highest roomes at feastes The desire and loue of these things is ambition and vanitie as Christ noteth in the Pharisees the accepting them when they are by others forced on vs or in respect of our place appertaine vnto vs so as wee neither seeke after them long for them or swell with them is not against the rule of christian modestie and humilitie Though Pastours by Gods Law must be honoured with reuerence and maintenance yet titles and appellations of honour you thinke are not incident to their calling Whom we must honour in heart and deede why not in wordes Can the lippes neglect whom the heart regardeth Is not the mouth made to expresse as well the reuerence as abundance of the heart Would God the contempt of the trueth did not so fast followe the contempt of the persons as we find by too much experience of our times The Clergie should you say be honored for their vertues and what for their profession and function Is learning wisedome and religion become so seruile in a Christian common-wealth that they deserue not the name of honour Paul commended the Galathians for receiuing him with such submission and reuerence as if he had beene an Angel of God The Lord himselfe in the Reuelation speaking of the Bishops of the seuen Churches in Asia calleth them the Starres and Angels of the seuen