wisedome shall turne the truth aside but all shall stand in the euident demonstration of Gods spirit The waye which they haue before set downe although it be not able nor likelie without some moderators and determiners appointed by hir Maiestie and their honours to effect a perfect reconciliation and sure vnion yet the matters in controuersie being so in writing on bothe sides debated cannot well be saide to come naked in respect of the robes and ornaments of the scripture sithe the grounds of all their prooues should be taken either out of the expresse testimonies of the scripture or out of necessarie consequence of the scripture Except perhaps they meane by being richlie attyred with all robes and ornaments which the scripture giueth vnto the synodicall assemblies for such conferences their owne interpretations and rhetoricall exornations of the scripture But let the scriptures as they say be searched out for the true vnderstanding of them with as much reasoning as shall be thought necessarie and sufficient without all by matters quarrels euasions and coulours whatsoeuer and so a Gods name naked or adorned let the matter be further tried when it shall But what meane they héere that they adde yet further That there be much order when the spirit of euerie prophet shall- be subiect vnto the spirits of the other prophets Would they reduce this synodicall conference to the order of prophesying which they began of late in the imitation of that order which S. Paule mentioneth 1. Cor. 14 For that was not a strict and logicall reasoning nor a deliuerie of their assertions and aunswers by writing but a discoursing at large by mouth nor so properlie anie disputing one against another as an interpreting one after an other or exhorting instructing and comforting one another as the spirit which at that time wrought miraculouslie in them gaue them vtterance is this then that conference which our brethren desire Bicause they saye they would not be stopped of free and sufficient answer This is nothing agréeable to the waye whereof they saide before they could thinke of no waie but that which should be When the reasons on both sides without all out-goings are shortlie and plainelie deliuered in writing each to other And héere contrariwise they would haue the Iudgement of all sufficientlie heard and the spirit of euerie Prophet to be subiect to the spirits of the other prophets and that all shall stand in the euident demonstration of Gods spirit So that vnder pretence of the demonstration or reuelation of Gods spirit as though yet those miraculous reuelations and demonstrations of the spirit of God were still and in these matters to be expected and not the manifest euiction of Gods word if once they said that we on our side had not the spirit of God but onelie they either we must yeeld to them or else nothing shall- be determined betwéene vs. But if the matter shall come to the iudgement of the other prophets supposing all to be prophets in the synod or companie appointed for the conference our brethren might perhaps be deceaued of their hoped successe without anye lordlie carriyng awaie of the matter Neither is it méete we graunt that the matter should be stopped without such free and sufficient answer as is requisit for such a disputation or with lordlie carrying awaie of the matter with no substance of reason or by authoritie or pregnancie of wit or plausible persuasion of mans wisdome to turne the truth aside These spéeches are but byowse slaunders glaunsing at the Bishops and at the synodall assemblies in the conuocation house as though they out-countenanced the matter with such shifts which is neither charitablie nor truelie spoken by our brethren But who come néerest to these practises we shall sée afterward God willing when wee come to the treatise of Synods in this learned discourse Lastly say they that there be peace without all bitternesse reuilings suspitions charging of men dead and aliue whereby affections are moued iudgement blinded and men driuen as with a mightie streame from the loue of the trueth When it commeth thus adorned we thinke that which we labour to procure to be so honorable not onely before God but also before men that none can iudge otherwise of it than we doe Turpe est doctori cûm culpa redarguit ipsum Would God our brethren their selues would leaue off these practises which here they would haue to be lest off What is more bitter or bitternesse it selfe then are the spéeches which euen in their entrie into this meanes of reconciliation they haue here vsed And all this learned discourse is still besprinckled with this bitternesse with reuilinges with suspitions and with charginges of men both dead and aliue For not onely our Bishops and we that God be praysed are aliue be charged by our brethren but the charge burdeneth no lesse all those Bishops and ministers that first concluded vppon the Eccles. Lawes nowe in force Yea it includeth the Princes of so godly memorie that with their cleargie and the whole state of the Church and Realme established the same But perhaps our brethren here do meane that we vse to defend these Lawes with this argument that such and such most excellent men allowed of them and of all thinges they loue not to heare of this argument whereby they say affections are moued iudgement blinded and men driuen as with a mightie streame from the loue of the truth Indéede in a false matter it may so doe and hath doone much among the papistes and by our brethrens leaue they also are carried too much away with charginges of men dead and aliue and with too much forestabled opinions of such and such men as to say Caluine being dead Beza or Daneus being aliue were of this or that opinion in these thinges And therefore I haue also labored some what the more to lay before the reader amonge all other especially their opinions that the reader may better weigh their proues and sée howe far they agrée or disagrée about thinges And the like we all doe with Swinglius Peter Martyr Bullinger Musculus c. With Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper Iuell c. being dead besides Gualter Zanchius others being aliue Not to vse the opinions or sentences of these most famous men to carie away the affections and blinde the iudgementes of men to be driuen as with a mightie streame from the loue of the trueth God forbid Amicus Plato amicus Socrates magis amica veritas But to confirme men better in the truth as we also alleage the holie auncient fathers Ireneus Tertullian Cyprian Clemens Alexandrinus Origene Eusebius Epiphanius Basill Theodoret Chrysostome Ierome Ambrose Augustine c. As witnesses only to the trueth in doubtfull matters and to heare their iudgementes and consentes in these questions what was the vse or opinion of them in their dayes And this doe our Brethren themselues and giue vs
euen in this sorte as I haue saide of Pastors not stande vpon méere speculation of doctrin which moueth coldly of it selfe by reason of the hearers dulnesse or hardnes but let him ioyne such application thereof vnto his doctrine as may best redound to their profite and aedification And now as this was Paules continuall teaching both by mouth writing and moouing all others to do the like euen the Doctor so well as thâ— Pastor as appeareth in all his Epistles so Barnabas if the Epistle to the Hebr. be his not rather as it is coÌ„monly accepted S. Paules though the argumeÌ„t stand most of doctrine aboue all the other epistles yet doth he stil among the greatest points of doctrine inserte application adioyne sundry singular exhortations admonitions repreheÌ„sions coÌ„solations c. to his doctrin And the like doth Peter both in all his preachings recorded in the Acts of the Apostles in both his Epist. And Iohn Iames Iude Stephen Act. 7. c. For they all learned this order of Iesus Christe the chiefe Doctor and both their our M. of all our doctrine of all our teaching of it Who euer ioyned exhortation application c. to his doctrine And sent out both his 12. Apostles his 72. Disciples to kéepe the like maner of teaching and neuer taught or enioyned other to teach in other order Which is eueÌ„ as much as so to seuer the letter the spirit in seuering the doctrine froÌ„ al application of the same that the liuely and quickning sense thereof is damped neither only to say that a man may do so vpon occasion or in time place as some Doctors in the scholes in their lectures now then but to make a rule theron a seueral office of such Doctors that ordinarie perpetual distinct froÌ„ Pastors and that they must not exhort nor rebuke nor coÌ„fort nor apply but only teach without all these things and that such Doctors must be in euery congregation must so teach the common people who of all other are most moued by affections and that if the Doctor should perswade or apply he is an intruder into other mens functions a confounder and breaketh off the ordinance of Christ I do not only sée how this is not yet sufficiently prooued but that as me thinkes and I will speake it vnder correction of better proofe than is yet brought either in the Frutefull Sermon on 1. Cor. 12. or in the Counterpoyson or in this Learned discourse I take it not agréeable to the Apostles precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cut a-right the worde of God nor fitte for the man of God which is his minister nor according to the effectuall woorking of his worde which is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue it which is written to our consolation which is profitable to reach to improoue to correct to enstruct c. which is liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then anie two edged sworde and entereth through euen to the diuiding a-sunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioyntes and of the marrawe and is a discerner of the thoughtes and ententes of the heart All which and all other principall vertues therâ—of are no lesse wrought by the apt and right application then by the true interpretation of the same And thus much for these examples of these Doctors teaching or rather neuer teaching without applying of their doctrine But softe wee haue yet an-other example that if all these will not proue it as on the contrarie they plaine confute it to sée if that will yet at length inferre it Likewise Apollos which was an eloquent man and mightie in the Scriptures first at Ephesus but afterwarde being more perfectly instructed in the way of God by Aquila and Priscilla in the Church of Aâ—haia exercised the office of a Teacher with great profite of them which had beleeued and to the great confusion of the stiffe-necked Iewes while he prooued plainely by the Scripture that Iesus was the Christe Actes 18.28 Apollos was an eloquent man I graunt but can you my Learned Masters with all the eloquence and learning ye haue prooue this that Apollos did exercise the office of such a Teacher as you haue here described Which if ye could doe yet one swallowe would not make a spring But euen this example of Apollo maketh as much against you as the residue For Apollos being so eloquent and mightie in the Scriptures so seruent in the spirite and so diligent in his teaching as Luke testifieth do ye not sée how all these things do manifestly infer that he vsed applicatioÌ„ perswasion with his teaching He was excellently wel learned which he calleth mightie in the Scriptures which point more properly indéede doth appertain to doctrine and he was diligent also in his teaching which thing like-wise belongs to doctrine and yet was not he so mightie in the scriptures for all his diligence in his teaching but that he was God wâ—t a verie meane and insufficient Teacher till hee was taught further euen by a poore meane learned handie-craftes man and his wife So that his Eloquence was more in perswasion then in doctrine and his feruencie of the spirite to mooue affections as much as his diligence in his teaching And what I beséech you were the matters he taught Were they not those thinges that are of the Lorde And is not life and manners and exhortation thereto dehortation from the contrarie pertayning also to the way of the Lorde But only the teaching of the articles of religion and the confutation of the contrarie And what was the doctrine that he onely knewe and taught Is it not here named Iohns Baptisme And did he not then administer the Sacrament that he taught Yea was not the Sacrament of Baptisme that Iohn vsed vnto repentance And did not Iohn in ministring it exhort and applie saying Repent ye for the kingdome of heauen is at hande Did he not applie when he pointed out Christ with his finger When he sent them to Christ that came to him Did hee not applie and exhort and rebuke euen in particuler almost all sorts of persons when they came to be baptised of him And doeth not the name of Iohns Baptisme comprehende all his ministerie And howe was Apollo then such a Doctor as is here imagined without all ministring of the sacramentes or preaching or exhorting or applying But nowe when Apollo was instructed more perfectly and was minded to goe into Achaia and the brethren exhorting him thereunto wrote to the Disciples to receaue him when he was come he helped them much who had beleeued through grace For mightilie he confuted publikely the Iewes with great vehemencie saith Luke shewing by the scriptures that Iesus was Christ. Now as though he did nothing there but onely teache and confute you leaue out these
Caluine that as wee haue alwayes soone kindes and that effectuall of preaching the Lordes death at the Ministration of the Lordes supper so though wee haue not alwayes the kinde of preaching which our Br. vrge vnnecessarily as meere necessary and we graunt also to be conuenient and wish it could in euery place bee had yet wanting this maner of Preaching hauing all the other we may boldly and safely auowe that it is a consecration as Cal. calleth it a right administration of the Sacrament as we vse it But say our Brethren And forasmuch as the spirite of God compareth the sacramentes to seales that are added for confirmation of writings we know well that a word or writing may be auaylable without a seale but neuer a seale without a writing Howe can this be rightly alleaged against vs that haue both the seale and the writing ioyned together but rather make for vs against our Brethren For if this confirmation of writinges by the seale added therevnto and this auaileablenesse of the seale ioyned to the writing be of the spirite of God Sith wee haue both of them in the Sacramentes iointly together and vse the seale neuer without that worde or writing that Gods pen-men by the inspiration of his holy spirite did set downe in authentical recorde of writing Howe can our Brethren maintaine their sayings that we sacrilegiousely seperate and pull the writing from the seale or the seal from the writing and giue a dead beggerly and worldly Element or bare seale that is not auaylable but against Christes institution and againste Gods spirite Surely in this and such like slaunders our Brethren do not a little sinne euen against the spirite of God in them and against their owne spirites and knowledges that knowe well ynough and can not bee ignoraunt but that we ioyne alwaies the writing to the seale whensoeuer we deliuer the seal and that in as ample manner as the writing is left written vnto vs. Neither do we deliuer onely the writing with the seale and read the whole writing at the deliuery but read it in such plain clear manner that euery one which receiueth the same may well perceiue the content of the writing the validity of the seale and all the mystery purport and effect of the whole deede Only this no large voluntary Discourse is at euery time of the deliuery made thereupon And is this so necessary also in all déedes written sealed deliuered and withall bréefely and plainly declared in whose name and act and to what vse end it is so passed that ther must be always besides al this a large treatize vttered by the deliuerer to the receiuer or else the deed is not an autenticall deede nor auailable our brethrens fallation is to open a secundum qâ—id ad simpliciter Wee haue not the writing preached at the action in such maner as they wold haue it preached therefore we haue not the writing in this action but the seale without the writing Hereupon our brethren againe conclude Therefore in this behalfe wee haue had great default so long time to commit the administration of the sacramentes to those men who not onely haue bene knowne to be vnable but also haue bene forbidden to preach the worde We do not excuse the default of any that haue admitted any such into the Ministerie that haue bene knowne to be vnable to administer the sacraments Neither defend we any such vnable Ministers or would haue them them to be allowed or tollerated Let such being known a Gods name be orderly remooued and prouided for But we stand now vpon the absolute necessity of this ability that our brethren vrge to be in euery Minister to whom the administration of the sacraments may be committed that he must néedes be withall a Learned Preacher of the Worde Which though we also like off so farre as stretcheth to conueniencie yet we dare not nor can admitte this absolute necessity vnderstanding preaching as is aforesayde But sée héere on whome moste of all our Brethrens accusation of this so great default will light They doe wel before hand to enclude themselues in the number saying in this behalfe wee haue had great default for although they meane nothing lesse in this wee that héere they speake of than to charge them-selues with any part of this default but with a mannerly tearme reach at others yet how will they acquite them-selues héereof For if we haue had great default in this behalfe to commit the administration of the sacramentes to those men that are knowne to bee vnable to preache the worde vnderstanding preaching in that sense that our brethren here do for frée extemporary or premeditate exhortation admonition application c. How do not they incurre the same default except they will denye Doctours or Teachers to bee Ministers of the Word and so by their own confession Ministers also of the Sacraments and yet by their former principles they permit them not to exhort admonish nor apply c. Which things are most necessary vnto preaching namely to that preaching that is vsed at the administration of the Sacramentes If they say these Doctors notwithstanding be not vnable for they can do it though they may not doe it What booteth this shift for if they may not then in all right which is as good as in all might they be vnabled to preache and yet not vnabled to minister the sacraments Either therefore let our Brethren deny that they may minister the sacrameÌ„ts or deny this to be so great a default that a sacrament may be administred without this manner of preaching Or else whether shall wee bee found more faulty that suffer Ministers to administer the sacraments that are vnable to preach at the administration of them wishing not withstanding they were able and helping their vnabily what wee can and prouide as many able as wee may or they which doe vnable many Ministers that are able and say they can doe it but they must not And so both committe a greate default heerein and quite and cleane ouerturne themselues and all their owne principalities on this matter And see againe how this in the nicke commeth in that they adde of our forbidding to preach Doth not this also most of al euen in this point fouch theÌ„selues in not permitting Doctors teachers to exhort apply is not this al one as if they forbad them preaching as for our forbidding it is not so absolute nor so peremptory but either it is because they haue not the gift of publike exhortation and application c. Which if they had and would vse the same as they should accordingly none of vs woulde forbid them And yet may they notwithstanding be Ministers of the Word else how should euen our Brethrens Doctors be Ministers of it Or perhaps they are forbidden because of some defect in the parties life or some other occasion that might make him offensiue
euerie particular congregation to the assemblie of the common people yea to the finall consent and confirmation of the whole multitude of the congregation It is much to debase the authoritie and gouernment of these matters to the popular state But I feare verie much a worse estate and more horriblie confused For why may we not here again feare as horrible confusion in the whole multitudes dissent or confirmation of that which these Seniors haue determined as our Brethren before feared it in hearing and determining such matters But to put vs out of this feare and to confirme this confirmation of the whole multitude that the people can confirme this themselues without anie horrible confusion our brethren alleage vs an example Whereof Saint Paule speaketh touching the execution of excommunication because the fact was manifest VVhen you are gathered together with my spirite in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ to deliuer such a one vnto Sathan Although this example is but of one matter wheras the question is of al matters for so sayd our Brethren before that there ought to be in euerie Church a Consistorie or Segnorie of Elders or gouernours which ought to haue the hearing examination and determining of al matters pertaining to discipline and gouernment of that congregation and so this example touching the execution of excommunication reacheth not home yet is this example so little to the present purpose that it is rather cleane contrarie Which example if it should directlie proâ—e that which our Br. affirmed for so their wordes would séeme to inferre saying Whereof S. Paule speaketh touching the execution of excommunication they should proue this that when the Consistory hath trauailed in examining of causes pertaining to Ecclesiastical discipline agreed what iudgemeÌ„t ought to passe vpon the matters they propound it to the whole multitude that it may be confirmed by their consent So that this example of some matter at the least heard examined and determined by the Consistory by them propounded to the whole multitude to be confirmed by their consent might drawe neerer to their purpose But can they shew vs anie such example whereof Saint Paul speaketh As for this touching the execution of excommunication Who did execute the same and excommunicate this incestuous person Did not S. Paule himselfe by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ giuen vnto him What doe they make Saint Paule an Elder not teaching And did he it not first alone At leastwise without anie Consistorie of the church of Corinth ioyned with him As he himselfe saith ver 3. For I verilie being absent in bodie but present in spirit haue alreadie iudged as present him that hath so done this thing In which words he plainly declareth that he had passed the sentence of excoÌ„munication vpon him before he wrote to theÌ„ therof Neither doth it appeare that anie of their CoÌ„sistorie ioyned with him in pronouncing that his iudgement on him Yea he saith that although he was in bodie absent from them yet because hee was in spirit as present with them his iudgement should stand as effectual as though he had ben bodily present at the denouncing of his sentence And who were these that he writeth thus vnto what he had done Was it to a Consistorie among the Corinthians to make relation vnto them of his doing and then they to take vpon them the hearing examining determining of the matter and then to propouÌ„d it to the whole multitude This had bene yet somewhat néerer to our Brethrens moderation But here is no such order Paule first doth the déede and that imediatlie both in his absence and vnwitting to them of his proceeding Which done he writeth not thereof to anie Consistorie or Segnorie of Elders or Gouernours ouer them nor in anie place of either of his Epistles to them he maketh anie mencion or inkling of anie such among them nor yet Saint Luke that mencioneth Act. 18. verse 11. how he tarried a yéere and a halfe teaching the word of God and planting a Church among them But he writeth of this matter as of the residue to them to whom he writeth the whole Epistle indefinitlie to the Church of God beeing at Corinthus sanctified in Christ Iesu called Saintes with all that cal vpon the name of our Lord Iesu Christ in all places both their Lord and ours 1. Cor. 1.2 So that hee writeth to the wholde multitude But did he write vnto them thereof to haue his dooing so confirmed by their consent that if they woulde not haue consented to this his manner of excommunicating the person before hand by himselfe alone but that he shoulde first haue made them priuie thereto or euer he proceeded so farre that then vppon this their dissenting though not for the person matter yet for the manner of his proceeding his iudgement should haue ben frustrate reuersed No but his signification thereof vnto them was rather to commaund theÌ„ to obey his sentence and to put the same in execution as our Brethren saie well herein touching the execution of excommunication for when they were gathered together as Saint Paule had and that some Pastor or Minister among them did before the whole multitude pronounce this sentence which Saint Paule had giuen forth against the incestuous person they al approued it so confirmed S. Paules former sentence of excommunication But our Breth adde this parenthesis because the fact was manifest wherefore they adde this they doe not shew But the more manifest the fact was the lesse neede had the Apostle to haue proceeded so far if in a manifest fact an Ecclesiasticall iudge may not proceeâ—e separatlie his selfe to the sentence of excoÌ„munication without the consent of a Segnory of that Congregation But although the fact heere was manifest yet the wickednesse of the fact was not manifest inough vnto them At leastwise not this manner of the punishment for it vntill Saint Paule did thus reproue them of it and thus proceede against it But had it ben neuer so manifest what doth that giue him authoritie to deale so farre therin separatly by himselfe without and before anie authoritie of theirs ioyned with him but onely to make them afterward to put that in execution that he had before ouerruled iudicially concluded vpoÌ„ Since therfore this was a good excommunication that all they coulde not reverse this sentence as otherwise passed than it ought to haue bene because they ioyned not in the doing of it but onelie in the obedience of putting the same in execution as he commanded them and withall since this was not written as an information to any Senate Consistorie or Segnorie of Seniors or of gouerning Elders among them but written as a charge to the whole multitude What is this for the proofe of anie such Elders Either else to inferre that no excommunication in a manifest or not manifest fact can
my dutie and then am I cleere and thou shalt giue an account to him that commaunded me to binde But tell thou me if the King sitting in presence one of the Sergeants standing by be commaunded to binde one of those that stande in the rowe and to lay fetters on him but he not onelie thrust him backe but also breake the bonds is it the Sergeant that hath susteined the iniurie or is it not much more the King that did commaund it For if when anie thing is done against the faithful he account the same done against himselfe how much more when he which is appointed to teach susteineth iniurie will he be mooued as though he himselfe had susteined the contumelie But God forbid that anie of them that are in this Church should come into the necessitie of these bondes For as it is a goodlie thing not to offend so is it profitable to beare the rebuke thereof Lett vs therefore beare the reprehension and let vs endeuor neuer to offend but if we shall haue offended let vs susteine the reproouing For as it is good not to be striken which notwithstanding if it shall happen it is necessarie to lay a medicine to the wound euen so it is heere But God graunt that we neuer need anie such medicines for of you we hope better things and such as appertaine vnto saluation although wee speake thus We haue spoken perhaps more vehementlie but to your greater taking heede For it is better that I should be accounted of you bold cruell and insolent than that you should doo those thinges that please not God But we trust in God that this our admonition shal not be vnprofitable But that you shall be so changed that these speaches shall bee turned into your praises and commendations By this it cléerelie appeareth that not onelie the keies of knowledge and opening the word of God but the keyes of this discipline Censure of excommunication appertained chiefly to the Bishop and to Teachers of the word and not to a Segniorie of such Gouernors as were not teachers ioyned with him And as this was the practise of the Churches Excommunication in the dayes of these holy Fathers so cutting of all the later corruptions of the ages following especially in the time of the Popish tyranny that moste tragically abused these keyes and continueth and encreaseth those abuses of them Let vs come to the Protestantes and to our Brethren themselues in the reformed Churches and see their iudgements also in this Discipline When the late Trident Conuenticle had falsly burdened the Protestant Churches that we gaue this power of the keyes to all Christians indifferently Kemnitius answereth in his Examination of the sixt chapter saying This Chapter hath two partes the first disputeth of the Minister of absolution to whome appertaineth the ordinary ministery of the keyes The other part treateth what absolution is So farre as perteineth to the first part the matter may bee dispatched in fewe wordes For in the Examination of the tenth Canon of the Sacraments in generall those thinges that pertaine heereunto are expounded For although the keyes be deliuered vnto the Church as the auncient Fathers doe well set foorth notwithstanding we thinke that by no meanes euery Christian ought or may indifferently without a lawfull calling vsurpe or exercise the Ministery of the word and sacramentes But as in case of necessity the olde Fathers say that euery lay man may minister the sacrament of baptisme so also Luther sayde of absolution in the case of necessity where a preeste is not present Melancthon in his common places Tit. De Regno Christi Moreouer saith he we must also consider this that the pastors haue the commandement of Excommunicating with the Worde without bodily force those that are guilty of manifest crimes And in his annotations on his common places he saith But after that we haue known the true church by those signes that he haue spoken of that power whereof Christe speaketh Mat. 16. 18. and also Iohn 20. is to be applied to this onely church For neither hath Christ giuen that power to his enemies whom he commaundeth to bee excluded out of the kingdome of heauen according to that saying he that beleeueth not shall bee condemned but vnto this onely assembly that hath not onely his worde but also interpreteth it rightly and according to the proportion of the faith not ouerthrowing the foundation which the Apostles haue layde and before them the Prophets For neither said he to Peter as to the son of Iohn I giue to thee the keyes of the kingdoÌ„ of heauen but because he had sayd thou art Christ the son of the liuing God Therfore the B. of Rome claimeth to himself in vain the keis of Peter sith that he is most vnlike to Peter not a minister of Christ but of Antichrist Of whoÌ„ it is writteÌ„ that about the last time he shal be reproued with the spirit of Gods mouth Neither â—id Peter vsurp the power of binding losing to himself alone any more to him-selfe than to other but iudged the same to bee common to him with all the apostles and the whol church which professeth the same word Saue that for order sake hee committeth the publike administration of the keies to certain to fit persons that they should either absolue meÌ„ or not absolue theÌ„ with this choise that Christ him self hath ordeined that he should rightly distribute the word of God c. Thus doth Melancthon graunt that this power is committed to the church but the dispensation of the power is committed to the right distribution of the ministers And not onely hee speaketh of the power mencioned Math. 16. and Iohn 20 but also Math. 18. To which purpose hee procéedeth saying But it is vsuall to deuide the power of the church into the power of order into the power of iurisdiction The power of order they cal the right of teaching of administring the sacraments which the prophets and thapostles immediatly receiued of God the other doctors or teachers receiued it by men To this power we must hearken simply euen as to the voice of the gospel according to the commandement of God Heare him Howbeit the good doctors or teachers haue liberty of ordeining times of Instituting certain traditions for good order sake VVhich to obey it is the duty of a godly mind To which mind nothing is more ioiful than in all things to agree with the true church without offence of conscience The power of iurisdictioÌ„ is when as those which are defiled with manifest wickednesses being admonished do not desist are excommunicated from the society of the Church not onely the inward and spirituall society Which excom is made by the general voice of the gospel he that shal not beleue shal be coÌ„deÌ„ned but also froÌ„ the externall coÌ„munion of the church by a spirituall sentence to the intent the honor of God