of Constantinople and Chalcedon supplied the places of Bishops as their Legates and substitutes which in the Council of Chalcedon is more fully expressed But what need we rip vp these things at large which pertaine not so much to our purpose we seeke nowe for the antiquitie and authoritie of Metropolitanes and those we find not onely receiued and established in the foure first generall Councils but confessed by them to haue anciently continued in the Church euen from the beginning And surely if you graunt Prouinciall Synodes to be ancient and necessarie in the Church of Christ which you cannot denie Metropolitanes must needs be as ancient and requisite without whom the Synodes of each Prouince can neither be conuocated nor moderated If to auoid Metropolitanes you would haue the prerogatiue of calling and guiding Synodes to run round by course which order you fansied before in Bishops our answere is easie we looke not what you can inuent after 1500. yeeres to please your owne humours but what maner of ecclesiasticall gouernment the Church of Christ from the Apostles times established and continued by the generall consent of the whole world and that we prooue was not onely in euery Church and diocesse to haue a Bishop chiefe ouer the Presbyters but in euery Prouince to appoint a Mother Church and Citie and the Bishop thereof to haue this honour and dignitie aboue the rest of his brethren that hee might by letters consult or call together the Bishops of his Prouince for any question or cause that touched the faith or peace of the Church and not onely moderate their meetings but execute their decrees and see them perfourmed throughout his Prouince This was the ancient and originall vse of Christes Church long before any Princes professed the trueth and when they began to vse their swordes for the doctrine and Church of Christ then did Synodes serue for the direction of Christian Princes and Metropolitanes had the execution as well of Princes lawes as Synodall decrees committed to their power and care throughout their Prouince This course if you disdaine or dislike you condemne the whole Church of Christ from the first encreasing and spreading thereof on the face of the earth to this present age and preferre your owne wisedome if it be worthie that name and not rather to be accounted selfe loue and singularitie before all the Martyrs Confessors Fathers Princes and Bishops that haue liued gouerned and deceased in the Church of God since the Apostles deaths How well the heigth of your conceites can endure to blemish and reproch so many religious and famous lights of Christendome I knowe not for my part I wish the Church of God in our dayes may haue the grace for pietie and prudencie to follow their steppes and not to make the world beleeue that all the seruaunts of Christ before our times fauoured and furthered the pride of Antichrist till in the endes of the world when the faith and loue of most men are quenched or decaied we came to restore the Church to that perfection of discipline which the Apostles neuer mentioned the auncient Fathers and Councils neuer remembred the vniuersall Church of Christ before vs neuer conceiued nor imagined We want not the witnesse of auncient Fathers and stories that reprooue the ambicious and tyrannous dominion of Metropolitanes and Archbishops Socrates saieth The Bishoprike of Rome as likewise that of Alexandria were long before his time growen frō the bonds of Priesthood vnto worldly dominion Nazianzene not onely lamenteth the mischiefs which follow these diuersities of degrees but heartilie wisheth there were no such thing that men might be discerned onely by their vertues His words are worth the hearing For this presidencie of Bishops all our estatetottereth shaketh for this the endes of the earth are in a ielousie and tumult both sencelesse and namelesse for this we are in danger to be thought to be of men which in deed are of God and to loose that great and newe name Would God there were neither prioritie of seate neither superioritie of place nor violent preheminence that we might be discerned onely by vertue But the right hand and the left and the midst the higher and lower seate the going before and going euen with haue to no purpose done vs much hurt and cast many into the ditch and brought them to be goates and those not onely of the inferiour sort but euen of the shepeheards which being masters in Israel knew not this You may soone find of the auncient Fathers that misliked the contention ambition and pride of many Bishops in the Primitiue Church but any that misliked their calling you cannot finde The sharper they were in reproouing their vices the sounder witnesses they are in allowing their office If either Socrates or Nazianzene had opposed thēselues against the iudgement of the Nicene Council yea against the whole church of Christ before after them their credites would not haue counteruailed the weight of that antiquitie authoritie which the others caried but in deed neither of thē dispraiseth the wisedom of the Council or custome of the church only they taxe the vices of some persons ambitiō of some places which not content with the christian moderation of their predecessors daily augmented their power and their pride by all meanes possible Socrates saith the bishops of Rome and Alexandria were growen beyond the limits of their Episcopal function 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto power dominion The fault he findeth in that place with Celestinus bishop of Rome was for taking from the Nouatians their churches and compelling their bishop to liue at home like a priuate man But herein Socrates leaned a litle too much in fauour of the Nouatians to mislike more then he sheweth cause why Would God the bishop of Rome had neuer worse offended then in so doing He toucheth Cyrillus bishop of Alexandria with like words for the same cause how iustly let the wise iudge If otherwise either of them aspired aboue the compasse of their calling I am farre from defending any pride in them or in whomsoeuer Nazianzene lighted on very tempestuous troublesom times heresie so raging on the one side discord afflicting the Church on the other that he thought best to leaue all and betake himselfe to a quiet solitarie kind of contemplation Of the councils in his time he saieth I am minded if I must write you the trueth to shunne all assemblies of Bishops because Ineuer sawe a good euent of any Councill that did not rather encrease then diminish our euils Their contention and ambition passeth my speach not that hee condemneth all Councils for what follie had that bene in so wise a man but he noteth the diseases of his time the Church being so rent in pieces vnder Valens that it could not be restored nor reformed in many yeeres after Euen so in the wordes which you alleage he traduceth not the vocation or
him he did not first conferre with flesh and blood neither went hee to Ierusalem vnto those that were Apostles before him least hee shoulde seeme to derogate from the voyce and trueth of Christ but straightwaie preached the Gospell which he learned by reuelation and stoode alwayes resolued that what the sonne of God had taught him the sonnes of men ought not to reuoke and could not amend Why then repaired he at length to Ierusalem to the Apostles and Elders to haue his doctrine examined confirmed vnto the Churches by their letters Many false brethren came from Ierusalem and pretending the Apostles names impugned both the credite and doctrine of Paul and taught that except the Gentiles were circumcised they could not be saued and by enforming the brethren that this course was obserued at Ierusalem for they counted Paul fa◠inferiour to the chiefe Apostles they hindred the weake from beleeuing and caused the strong to stagger at the truth of Paules doctrine To stop the mouthes of these seducers and to retaine the Churches in their stedfastnes and remooue this stumbling blocke from before the simple that Paul taught contrarie to the rest of the Apostles the holie Ghost willed him by reuelation to goe vp to Ierusalem and declare to the rest the Gospell which hee preached that by their generall confession and letters the doctrine which he preached might be acknowledged vnto the Gentiles to be sound and sincere This was the intent of Paules iourney thither Not to haue his doctrine reuised and approoued by their authorities but to haue it heard and acknowledged by their confessions that the false report of their discording euery where spread by those deceiuers might no longer trouble the mindes of the Gentiles I ascended saith Paul of that his iourney to Ierusalem by reuelation when he came thither what did he I declared saith he the Gospell which I preach among the Gentiles and particularly to the chiefest for the false brethrens sake which crept in to spie out our libertie which we haue in Christ Iesus to whō wee gaue no place by yeelding no not an houre that the trueth of the Gospel might remaine amongst you that are Gentiles And they that were chiefest added nothing vnto mee but contrariwise when they saw that the Gospel ouer the Gentiles was committed vnto me as the Gospel ouer the Iewes was vnto Peter when Iames Cephas and Iohn which are counted to be Pillars knewe the grace which was giuen mee they gaue to mee and Barnabas their right hands in token of fellowship What needed the presence of the Elders at this meeting Some of them had come from Iewrie to Antioch as sent from the church at Ierusalem and troubled the minds of the Gentiles with vrging circumcision Wherefore to knowe the reason of their so doing and to preuent the like in time to come the Apostles woulde not haue the matter priuatly handled but in the audience and presence of the whole Church and with a generall consent letters were written in all their names as well to disclaime the sending of any such as also to confirme the Gentiles in the course which they had begunne For these two points their letters importe The Apostles Elders and brethren which in the verse before are called the whole Church to the Brethren of the Gentiles at Antioch c. Because we haue heard that certaine comming from vs haue troubled you with words entāgled your minds saying you must be circumcised to whom we gaue no such cōmandement it seemed therfore good vnto vs when we were together with one accord to send chosen men vnto you with our beloued Paul and Barnabas which shall tell the same by word of mouth The Apostles wanted neither authoritie nor sufficiencie to determine the matter How many doubts doth Paul himselfe resolue to the Romans to the Corinthians to others without a Councell This very question when after this meeting it troubled the church of Galatia did Paul alleage the Apostles letters vnto them or the decision made at Ierusalem No he resteth on his owne Apostleship and saith Beholde I Paul say vnto you that if you be circumcised Christ shal profit you nothing For I testifie vnto euery man which is circūcised that he is bound to keep the whole Lawe ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the Law ye are fallen from grace The Councell at Ierusalem decreed it was not needefull for the Gentiles to be circumcised before they could be saued It seemed good to the holie Ghost and to them not to lay that burden on their neckes But Paul goeth a degree furder and telleth them they are cut off from Christ and fallen from grace if they seeke or admit circumcision Hee is so farre from standing on the credite of that assemblie that hee vtterly denieth they added any thing to him and auoucheth hee withstoode and reprooued Peter to his face for the same cause at Antioch Yea in that Councell who decided the controuersie but Peter Iames yet because it touched the whole Church of Iurie and for that many of the Elders then present were after to preach vnto the Gentiles and to liue amongst them with them the Apostles no doubt directed by Gods spirit brought y ◠matter to be fully discussed in the open hearing of the whole Church thereby to satisfie quiet the consciences of those Iews that were zealous of the Lawe though they beleeued and wholy to quench if it were possible the heart-burning and detestation the beleeuing Iewes had of the Gentiles which well appeared by their striuing with Peter for entring into the Gentiles and eating with them and by their owne report made to Paul long after this Councell was ended The last thing wherein the people or Presbyterie seeme to ioyne with the Apostles authoritie is the putting the wicked from among the faithfull and deliuering them ouer to Satan of purpose to reduce them to repentance or by their example to feare others from the like offences Of the incestuous Corinthian Saint Paul writeth thus I verely as absent in bodie but present in Spirite haue already decreed as if I were present that he which hath doone this when you are gathered together and my Spirite in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ by the power of our Lorde Iesus Christ to deliuer such a one vnto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirite may bee saued in the day of the Lorde Iesus Put away therefore from among your selues that wicked man By this it is collected that the Apostle alone could not excommunicate nor deliuer vnto Satan but the Church must ioyne with him and then for not hearing the Church the offendor might be taken for an Ethnike and a Publicane This place breedeth two great doubts first what it is to deliuer vnto Satan next by whome this incestuous person was deliuered vnto Satan whether by Saint Paul or
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
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
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
because thou art gouerned by theÌ„ S. Augustine vpon the same words saith in like maner The Apostles begate thee they are thy fathers Is the Church forsaken by their departure God forbid In stead of thy fathers are children borne vnto thee The Apostles were fathers in stead of the Apostles Bishops are appointed Those the Church calleth fathers yet those she begate and those she placeth in the â—eates of her fathers If we should grant you that a difference was obserued in the primitiue Church betwixt the Presbyters and Bishops as well for ordination as succession yet that difference grew onely by the custome and vse of the Church and not by any diuine precept or ordinance And so much is affirmed both by S. Austen and S. Ierome in those very places which you alleage for the Church as they say and not Christ or his Apostles placed Bishops in the seates and roumes of the Apostles WheÌ„ S. Austen and S. Ierome doe say that the Church createth and placeth Bishops in the Apostles seates they do not meane as you misconster their wordes that the Church hath altered the fourme of the Apostolike gouernement which she receiued and of her selfe deuised an other kinde of regiment by Bishops that were to charge the Church of Christ with a voluntarie defection from the Apostles discipline and an arrogant preferring of her owne inuention before Gods ordinaunce With which though some in our times can bee content to chalenge the whole Church of Christ and euen the Apostles Coadiutors and Scholers yet Augustine and Ierome were farre from that humour Their meaning is that albeit the Apostles bee departed this life who were worthilie accounted Fathers because they were called immediatelie by Christ himselfe to conuert and congregate his Church yet the Church is not destitute for so much as shee hath power from Christ to create and appoint other of her children in their places which are Bishops Thinke not thy selfe forsaken saieth Austen to the Church because thou seest not Peter and Paul by whom thou wast begotten of thine owne ofspring a fatherhoode is growen vnto thee In steade of the fathers children are borne vnto thee thou shalt make them Rulers ouer the whole earth Hee saieth not the Bishops are strangers or intruders on the Apostles possession but they are lawfull children and rightlie placed in their fathers roumes whose heires and successours they are though their vocation be not immediate from God as the Apostles was And if Saint Austens iudgement in this case may preuaile hee applieth the next wordes of the holy Ghost to warrant the placing of Bishops as Gouerners ouer the whole earth And so doeth Ierome Thou shalt make them rulers ouer all the earth Christ hath appointed his Saints ouer all people for in the name of God is the Gospel spred into all the quarters of the earth in which the Rulers of the Church that is Bishops are placed And because you shroud your opinion vnder the shadow of S. Ierome and S. Austen heare what account they make of this position that by Gods law there should be no difference betwixt Presbyters and Bishops Ierome rehearsing these wordes out of Iohn of Ierusalems letters Nihil interest inter Presbyterum Episcopum c. There is no such great difference betwixt a Bishop and a Presbyter their dignitie is all one maketh this answere Hoc satis imperitè in portu vt dicitur naufragium This is ignorantly enough spoken a ship wracke in the hauen as the Prouerbe goeth that is an errour in the first entrance Else-where instructing Marcella against the fantasticall nouelties of the Montanists and shewing wherein Montanus dissented from the Catholike Church Ierome saieth Apud nos Apostolorum locum Episcopi tenent apud eos Episcopus tertius est atque ita in tertium id est penè vltimum locum Episcopi dè uoluuntur With vs the Bishops haue the place of the Apostles with them a Bishop is the third degree and so the Bishops are tumbled in the third that is almost the lowest place And giuing his censure of this and the rest of Montanus conceits he saieth Haec sunt quae coargutione non indigent perfidiam eorum exposuisse superasse est These things need no refutation to expresse their perfidiousnesse is enough to ouerthrow it S. Augustine maketh this report of Aerius The Aerians haue their name from one Aerius who being a Presbyter is said to haue taken displeasure that he could not be made a Bishop and falling into the Arrian heresie added certaine opinions of his owne to wit amongst others Presbyterum ab Episcopo nulla differentia debere discerni that a Presbyter should not be distinguished from a Bishop by any kind of difference Ierome saith it is a shipwracke Austen saith it is Aerianisme to say that there should be no difference betwixt Presbyters and Bishops Austen therein folowed the report of Epiphanius and enquired no further into the reason of Aerius speech For matters of fact what particular opinions heretikes held Austen haply might trust Epiphanius or Philastrius that wrate before him of the same argumeÌ„t but whether their opinions were repugnant to the doctrine of the Church or no S. Austen had learning iudgement enough to discerne that matter He is inexcusable if contrary to his owne knowledge conscience he pronounce a truth to be an error vpoÌ„ an other mans credite And therefore neuer make S. Austen a pupill vnder age to be miscaried with Epiphanius false information He concurred in iudgement with Epiphanius Philastrius and repelled that assertion of Aerius as repugnant to the doctrine and vse of the whole church And that confirmeth Epiphanius opinion touching Aerius positions which were not Christian Catholike as some men in our dayes begin to maintaine but rather arrogant erronious Indeed Epiphanius is somewhat vehement reiecteth Aerius assertioÌ„ in this verie point as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ful of follie nugacitie error a foule fal of one subuerted by the diuel S. Austen putteth him his followers in the ranke of false teachers for that besides the Arrian heresie into which hee fell hee added certaine positions of his owne against fasting vpon set days keeping of Easter rehearsing the names of the dead at the Lords table distinguishing of Bishops from Presbyters which things the whole Church of Christ obserued no man euer impeached but Aerius and his Disciples Thinke you that Aerius was worthely condemned by Epiphanius for denying prayer for the dead not rather that Epiphanius himselfe erred in that point I distinguish y e publike actions of y e whole primitiue church froÌ„ the priuat constructions of this or that father The church had her set daies of fasting celebrated the memoriall of Christs resurrection gaue thanks to God in her open praiers at the Lords table for her martyrs others that died either constantly for the christian faith or
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
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
places forced the Bishops to assemble but once in the yeere so the Councill of Toledo determined for Spaine This holy generall Council decreeth that the authoritie of the former Canons standing good which command Synodes to be kept twise in the yere in respect of y e length of the way and pouertie of the Churches of Spaine the Bishops shal assemble once in the yere at the place which the Metropolitane shal appoint The 2. Council of Turon tooke the same order for France in cases of necessity It hath pleased this holy council that the Metropolitane the bishops of his Prouince shal meet twise euery yere in Synode at the place which the Metropolitan by his discretiō shal chuse or if there be an ineuitable necessitie then without all excuse of persons and occasion of pretences once in the yeere shall euery man make his repaire And if any Bishop faile so to come to the Synode let him stand excommunicate by his brethren of the same Prouince vntill a greater Synode and in the meane time let no Bishop of an other Prouince presume to communicate with him There is no Christian Realme nor Age wherein the vse of Synodes hath not bene thought needfull as well vnder beleeuing magistrates for consultation and direction as vnder Infidels for the stopping of irreligious opinions withstanding wicked enterprises and procuring the peace and holynesse of the Church as appeareth by the Councils that haue bene kept in all kingdoms and countries since the Apostles times when any matter of moment came in question which are extant to this day and likewise by the Synodes that euery Nation and Prouince did yeerely celebrate according to the rules of the great Nicene and Chalcedon Councils which can not be numbred and were not recorded Neither is the continuance of Prouinciall Synodes prescribed onely by Councils the Imperiall lawes commaund the like That all the ecclesiasticall State and sacred rules may with more diligence be obserued we require saith the Emperor euery Archbishop Patriarch Metropolitane to call vnto him once or twise euery yeere the Bishops that are vnder him in the same Prouince and throughly to examine all the causes which Bishops Clerkes or Monkes haue amongst themselues and to determine them so as what so euer is trespassed by any person against the Canons may bee reformed The lawes of Charles alleaging the Councils of Antioch and Chalcedon that the Bishops of euery Prouince with their Metropolitane should assemble in Councill twise in the yeere for the causes of the Church commaund that course to be continued and twise euery yeere Synodes to be assembled And vnlesse you giue the Pastor and Presbyters of euery parish full and free power to professe what religiō they best like to offer what wrongs they will to vse what impietie and tyrannie they themselues list without any restraint or redresse which were an heathenish if not an hellish confusiō you must where there is no christian magistrate as oftentimes in the Church of Christ there hath bene and may be none yeeld that libertie to the Church of Christ which euerie humane societie hath by the principles of nature to wit that the whole may guide each part and the greater number ouer-rule the lesser which without assembling in Synode can not be done We neuer meant to denie the authoritie or vse of lawfull Synodes we confesse they are a sure remedy against all confusion but this we dislike that you giue the power to cal Synodes from the Magistrate to the Metropolitane thereby maintaining a needelesse difference amongst Bishops and suffer none but such as you terme Bishops to haue voyces in Councils whereas euerie Pastour and Preacher hath as good right to sit there and by consent and subscription to determine as they haue What right wee yeelde to Christian Magistrates to call Synodes within their Territories shall soone appeare in the meane time you must tell vs who called Synodes in the Primitiue Church before Princes fauoured Christian Religion was it done by Magistrates who then were Infidels or by Metropolitanes And when Princes protected the truth did they moderate prouinciall Councils by their substitutes or was that charge committed to the Bishop of the chiefe and mother Church and Citie in euerie prouince you challenge to bee men of learning and reading speake of your credites who called in ancient times prouinciall Synodes or at any time who moderated them besides Metropolitanes If your Presbyteries by Gods essential and perpetual ordinance must haue a President to rule their actions for auoyding of confusion howe can Synodes be called gouerned without one to prescribe the time and place when and where the Pastours shall meete and when they are met to guide and moderate their assemblies perceiue you not that men liuing in diuers cities and countries and assembling but seldome haue more neede of some chiefe to call them together then those that liue in one place and euery day meete And if confusion and disorder in Presbyteries be pernicious to the Church is it not far more dangerous in Synodes Wherefore you must either cleane reiect Synodes and so make the Presbyters of eache parish supreme and soueraigne Iudges of all Ecclesiasticall matters or if you receiue Synodes you must withall admit some both to conuocate and moderate their meetings The Magistrate may callthem together and themselues when they are assembled may choose a director guider of their actions But when the Magistrate doeth not regard but rather afflict the Church as in times of infidelitie and heresie who shall then assemble the Pastours of any prouince to deliverate and determine matters of doubt or danger Shall error and iniurie ouerwhelme the church of God without any publike remonstrance or refusance In questions of faith cases of doubt matters of faction offers of wrong breach of all order and equitie shall eche place and Presbyterie be free to teach and doe what they please without depending on or so much as cōferring with the rest of their brethren Cal you that the discipline of Christes Church and not rather the dissolution of all peace and subuersion of all trueth in the house of God I thinke you be not so farre besides your selues that you striue for this pestilent kinde of anarchie to be brought into the worlde our age is giddie enough without this frensie to put them forward Howbeit we seeke not what newe course you can deuise after fifteene hundred yeeres to gouerne the Church but what meanes the ancient and Primitiue Church of Christ had before Princes embraced the trueth to assemble Synodes and pacifie controuersies as well touching religion as Ecclesiasticall regiment and if in the Church stories you finde any other besides Metropolicanes that called and gouerned Prouinciall Councils name the men and note the places and we yeeld you the prize Metropolitanes were first established if not deuised by the Council of Nice before that we reade nothing of any Metropolitane
consist of the Pastors and some graue wise Lay Elders there dwelling to determine matters emergent within a circuite to be appointed vnto them and from them appeales to be made to the Synode of Pastours and Elders residing in some Principall and chiefe Citie within this Realme so that vnlesse the matter were of verie great weight the Pastours at large shoulde not bee troubled to assemble together and when they assembled their abode not to bee long for sauing of time and charge which men of their calling neither shoulde loose nor can spare lest wee busie them rather as Iudges of mens quarrels then Stewardes of Gods mysteries The chiefe ground of your Discipline is your owne deuise as may well appeare in that no part of it is ancient or was euer vsed in the Church of Christ and the ioyntes of it hang together like sicke mens dreames The Pastours and Lay Elders of euerie Church serued at first to fill vp your Presbyteries and now your bessels are so low drawen that you vse them for Synodes And where you could not abide that Bishops shoulde haue Dioceses nowe you be pleased that Presbyteries shal haue circuits and Ecclesiasticall regiment without their Church and Citie Metropolitanes were not long since the height of Antichristes pride and nowe you are forced for repressing of disorders and enormities in euery parish to allowe some chiefe and mother Cities and to yeelde their Presbyteries Metropoliticall iurisdiction ouer whole prouinces And all this your selues being priuate men take vpon you to deuise and establish without precedent to induce or authoritie to warrant your doings and yet you thinke it not lawfull for the Prince and the whole Realme to imitate the example of the Primitiue Church nor to followe the steppes of religious and godly Emperours that appointed Metropolitanes to call and moderate prouinciall Councils and for ease of all sides to examine such matters before hand as were not woorthie to molest and trouble full Synodes Wherein what else do you but shewe your inconstant and inconsiderate humours that woulde haue the Church guided by Presbyteries and Synodes parochiall and prouinciall and admit Presidents and chiefe Gouernours of either and yet cannot abide that Princes shoulde retaine the ancient and accustomed fourme of Ecclesiasticall regiment by Bishops and Metropolitanes settled so long agoe in the Church and euer since continued without interruption But I pray you what places or voices haue Lay Elders in Synodes what example or reason can you pretend for it If they may iudge in Presbyteries why not in Synodes Belike you woulde haue none but Bishops haue decisiue voyces in Councils according to the Romish order of celebrating Synodes If you were as farre from noueltie as I am from Poperie wee shoulde soone agree howbeit euerie thing vsed or beleeued in the Romish Church is not rashlie to be disclaimed You make it a resolute conclusion that Lay Elders were part of the Presbyteries in the Primitiue Church but when wee come to examine your proofes we find theÌ„ as weake as your imagination is strong Nowe though the Pastours of each parish when they are single might happilie neede as you thinke the aduise and assistance of Lay Presbyters yet that Pastours assembled in Synodes where their number is great their gifts of all sorts should stand in like neede of Lay Elders to leade or direct them is neither consequent to reason nor coherent with the rules of the sacred Scriptures for to whome hath the Lord committed the teaching of all Nations to pastors or to Lay Presbyters who by Gods law are appointed watchmeÌ„ in y â— house of Israel Stewards ouer his familie Bishops ouer his Church and Leaders of his flocke Lay Elders or Christes Ministers If in the Church the sheepe must heare and follow their sheepeheardes as well for trueth of doctrine as holinesse of life by what commission bring you Lay Presbyters into Synodes where the Teachers and Pastors of an whole prouince or nation are assembled Shall your Lay Elders by Christs commandement be scholers in the Church and teachers in the Synode Or do the gifts and graces of preachers so change that in pulpit eache one must be beleeued and obeyed in Councill all ioyning together must'be restrained and directed by Lay Elders If you haue reason or authoritie for it let vs heare it if neither you trouble the Church of God with a pang of your wilfull contradiction and take vpon you to ouer-rule Christian princes and churches with greater surlines then euer did Patriarke or Pope In the Apostles Councill were not onely the Presbyters but all the brethren of the Church of Ierusalem and the letters of resolution were written in all their names and now you disdaine that anie Lay men should be present at your Prouinciall Synodes and Councils which you see the Apostles did not refuse To be present at Synodes is one thing to deliberate and determine in Synode is an other thing If you thinke that either Presbyters or Brethren were admitted to the Apostles Council to helpe and aide the Apostles in their debating or deciding the matter there questioned you be much deceiued The Apostles singled were sufficient to decide a greater doubt then that was much more then the whole assembly of the Apostles able to search out the truth thereof without their assistance The reason why al the church was admitted to be present to ioine with one accord in sending those letters I noted before not only the gainsaiers but the whole Church were to be resolued in a case that touched them all Otherwise aswell the people as the teachers of y â— Iewes would sâ—il haue abhorred the GeÌ„tiles though beleuers as prophane persons vntil they had bin circuÌ„cisÄ™d which was the high way to euacuate the crosse of Christ and to frustrate his grace And therefore not for deliberation or for determination but for the satisfaction of contradictors and instruction of the rest was the whole Church assembled and vpon the full hearing and concluding of the question by the Apostles the rest ioyning with them acknowledged by their letters and messengers that it pleased the holie ghost the Gentiles shoulde not be troubled with circumcision nor the obseruation of Moses Law but that the partition wall betwixt them was broken downe by the blood of Christ and they which were Aliens from the common wealth of Israel strangers from the couenants of promise were nowe citizens with the Saints of the houshold of faith without the legall obseruances of Moses Law S. Luke himselfe witnesseth that to discusse the matter the Apostles and Elders assembled together and after great disputation on either side Peter and Iames concluded the cause whereto the rest consented Yet then Elders were admitted to deliberate with the Apostles in that Synode whereas you suffer none but Bishops to haue voices in Councils I make no doubt but Presbyters sate with the Apostles in Synode to consult of
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
part of Christs spiritual kingdom without the which no Church can be Christes no more then it may without the trueth of his doctrine But whether the wordes of Saint Paul 1. Timoth. 5. inferre any such thing or no this is the matter wee haue now in hand Some learned and late writers do so conceiue of that place for my parte I see so many iust and good reasons against their supposall that I can not yeelde to their iudgement The first reason I haue of the weakenes of this place to vpholde the Lay Presbyterie is that many learned and ancient Fathers haue debated and sifted the force of these wordes and not one of them euer so much as surmised any such thing to be contained in this Text. Chrysostome Ierome Ambrose Theodoret Primasius Oecumenius Theophilact and diuers others haue considered and expounded these wordes and neuer dreamed of anie Lay Presbyterie to be mentioned in them If then the wordes of Saint Paul stand faire and cleere without this late deuise as in the iudgement of these learned and ancient Writers they doe What reason after fifteene hundred yeeres to entertaine a newe platforme of gouerning the Church by Lay men vpon a bare conceit that the words of Saint Paul may sound to that effect as some imagine The second reason of my dissenting is for that Saint Paul naming the Presbyterie but once in al his Epistles excludeth al Lay Elders from that Presbyterie Neglect not the grace which is in thee which was giuen thee by Prophesie with the imposition of hands of the Presbyterie This is the onely place in all the Scriptures where the Presbyterie is namely mentioned and Lay Elders are most plainely remooued hence as no parte of this Presbyterie For this Christian Presbyterie gaue imposition of haÌ„ds to ordaine Ministers but Lay-Elders had no right to impose hands to that purpose Ergo. Lay men were no part of this Presbyterie That imposition of hands to make Ministers is a kinde of Sacrament and reserued solely to Pastours if Saint Austens authoritie were not sufficient Caluins confession is very euidâ—nt which I noted before They must be Ministers of the worde and Sacraments and succeede the Apostles in their Pastorall charge and function that must ordaine others by imposing handes and giue them power and grace to dispence both the word and Sacraments This Lay Elders in the Apostles times neither did nor might do they were therefore no part of that Presbyterie which Saint Paul speaketh of in his writings Must we take the worde not for the Colledge of Elders but for the degree and office which Timothie receiued Neither so is the force of my reason auoided For choose which you wil to be the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either collectiue for the whole coÌ„panie of Elders or distributiue for the degree office of euery Elder if collectiue none could be of that Colledge that might not giue imposition of hands if distributiue none might take that function and calling on him but must receiue imposition of handes as Timothie did Then Lay men which neither did giue nor receiue impositioÌ„ of hands are barred both from the degree and from the societie of Presbyterie which was in Saint Pauls time Beza thinketh best to take it for a nowne collectiue and addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est ordinis Presbyterorum quo nomine coetus ille omnis significatur qui in verbo laborabant in ea ecclesia vbi hoc factum est The Presbyterie that is the order or company of Elders by which name the whole company is signified that laboured in the word in that Church where this was done Then the whole Eldership or company of Elders in S. Pauls time labored in the word Where now were the Lay Elders that laboured not in the worde What Presbyterie were they of Had euerie Church two Presbyteries I trust not This whole Presbyterie consisted of Pastours and Teachers An other Colledge of Lay Elders and no Pastours will neuer be found My third reason is for that the Text it selfe doth clearely refuse the sense which they inforce For as they conclude there were ergo some Elders that did not labour in the word and doctrine and yet gouerned well so the wordes are more euident that they all were worthie of double honour whether they laboured or gouerned Which by Saint Paules proofes presently following and by the consent of all old and new Writers is meant of their maintenance at the charges of the Church Honour in this place saith Chry sostome Paul calleth reuerence and allowance of thinges needefull Paul will haue the rest yeelde carnall thinges to them of whome they receiue spirituall because being occupied in teaching they can not prouide thinges needefull for themselues Good faithfull Stewards saith Ambrose ought to be thought worthie not onely of high but of earthly honour that they bee not grieued for lacke of maintenance Paul willeth maintenance to be chiefly yeelded to the Pastours that are occupied in teaching For such is the ingratitude of the world that take small care for nourishing the Ministers of the worde As the poore so the Elders seruing the whole Church are to be mainteined by the goods of the Church Paul mentioning the Church treasure presently exhorteth the Ministers of the Church to be thence maintained By the name of honour is signified al godly duty and reliefe after the vse of the Hebrewe speach Now that Lay Iudges and Censors of maners were in the Apostles time found at the expenses of the Church or by Gods Law ought to haue their maintenance at the peoples hands is a thing to me so strange and vnheard of that vntil I see it iustly proued I can not possibly beleeue it S. Paul hath laied downe this rule They that serue at the Altar should be partakers of the Altar and by Gods ordinance they that preach the Gospell must liue of the Gospell Where shall we finde the like for the Lay Iudges that laboured not in the worde They were if any such were as the sagest so euery way the sufficientest men that were amongest the people for feare of faction contempt and corruption which easily grow when the weaker and baser rule ouer the richer and better sort If the Apostle will not haue the poore widowes so long as they might otherwise be succoured or employed grieue the Church would he then put the burden of the Lay Iudges and Elders in number many in state able to relieue others on the necks of the meaner and poorer brethren there is neither cause nor commandement in the word so to charge the Churches of Christ with maintaining the Lay Senate which yet must be done before this construction can be admitted The fourth reason that holdeth me from receiuing this construction is that I find diuers and sundrie interpretations more agreeable to the Text and more answerable to S. Pauls meaning then this which is
their owne lusts and turned their eares from the trueth to fables Paul sent Timothie thither to stay these prophane and vaine bablings to commande that they taught no strange doctrine to impose hands on such as were fitte to receiue accusations against sinnefull and vngodly Presbyters and to rebuke them openly according to their deserts to reiect yong and wanton widowes and to see true Labourers in the word honored and cherished and finally to ouersee the whole house of God and euerie part thereof as well Teachers and Presbyters as Deacons widowes and hearers And not onely instructed him how he shoulde behaue himselfe as a Gouernour in the Church but charged him before the liuing God and his elect Angels that hee obserued those things without respecting persons or any inclining to partes Likewise in Creete when many vaine talkers and deceiuers of minds subuerted whole houses and loaded the Church with Iewish fables and commaundements of men Paul left Tite there to redresse things amisse to stop their mouthes that taught things which they ought not for filthie lucres sake to stay foolish questions and contentions about the Law to reiect heretikes after one or two admonitions and sharply to rebuke with all authoritie not suffering any man to despise him as also to ordaine good and religious Presbyters and Bishops in euerie Citie that shoulde be able to exhort with wholsome doctrine and improoue gainesayers And here first did Paul by writing expresse that he placed substitutes where need was with Episcopall power and honour to guide and rule the Church of God These examples make nothing to your purpose for first they did none of these things but with the aduise and consent of the Presbyterie which Bishops do not Next they were Euangelists and no Bishops and in that respect might haue this speciall deputation from the Apostle It may bee your learning will serue you to say that Paul left both these to rule the Church in Creete and at Ephesus for a weeke and in their order as the rest of the Presbyters did but such tests if you dare aduenture them will cracke both your cause and your credite Paul belike prayed Timothie to stay at Ephesus to call the Presbyterie together and to aske voyces and to doe iust what pleased the rest to decree but if you elude and frustrate the wordes of the Apostle with such additions not onelie besides but against the Text you can deceiue none saue such as will not beleeue Saint Paul himselfe if hee shoulde speake against the Lay Presbyterie For our partes wee take the wordes as they stand and so did the Catholike Fathers before vs being persuaded that Paul had witte enough to discerue to whome hee shoulde write for the performaunce of these things and not to mistake Timothie for the Presbyterie If Timothie had nothing else to do but to consult what pleased the Presbyters to determine in euerie of these pointes howe childish an ouersight was it for Paul to skip the whole bench of them and to charge and adiure him to see these preceptes inuiolably kept without sparing or fearing anie man For thus you must expound or rather imprison and fetter euerie worde that Paul speaketh in those three Epistles Commaunde with all authoritie receiue not an accusation against a Presbyter but vnder two or three witnesses rebuke them that sinne reiect heretikes after two warnings refuse yoonger widowes staie vaine contentions and vnprofitable questions ordaine Elders in euerie Citie impose handes hastily on no man that is as you interprete call the Presbyterie together and aske them whether they be contented it shall be so or no. And so I adiure and charge thee before God and Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these precepts inuiolable and vnblameable that is obserue them if the Presbyterie will consent and agree vnto thee else not But I thinke you dare not stand to these mockeries of the Scriptures and therefore you will rather flie to the second part of your answere that they were authorized to do these things as Euangelists and not as Bishops We expressed so much that they were Euangelists and no Bishops Euangelists you should say and Bishops for when they left following the Apostles and were affixed to certaine places with this power and authoritie which I haue mentioned what els could they bee but Bishops They assisted the Apostles present and supplied their absence and did continue the Churches in that state in which the Apostles left them Nowe if the Apostles in respect of this power and care were Bishops when they staied in any place much more the Euangelists If the same â—idelitie and authoritie be still needful and therefore perpetuall in the Church of God they did these things not by their Euangelisticall calling which is long since ceased but by their Episcopall which yet doeth and must remaine for if this power and preheminence descended from them to their successours it is euident this commission and charge was Episcopal since no part of their Euangelship was deriued to their after-commers We cannot endure to haue them called or counted Bishops In deed if succession of Episcopall power came from the Apostles to them and so to their successours we shall soone conclude that Bishops came from the Apostles and therefore you doe wisely to resist it but by your patience you must endure it the best Stories and Writers of the Primitiue Church doe make them Bishops and likewise Pauls precepts to them the very paternes of Episcopall charge and duetie Timothie saieth Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the stories reported to bee the first that tooke the bishoprike of Ephesus as Tite also did of the churches in Creete Ierome whose wordes you strongly presse to prooue there were no Bishops in the Apostles times but such as were equall with Presbyters and not superiours vnto them saieth Timothie was ordained Bishop of Ephesus by blessed Paul and Tite Bishop of Creete preached the Gospell there and in the Islands round about Ambrose Paul by his epistle instructeth Timothie now created a Bishop how he ought to order the Church And so of the other The Apostle had consecrated Tite to be a Bishop and therefore he warneth him to be carefull in ecclesiasticall ordination Chrysostome Paul saieth in his epistle to Timothie Fulfill thy ministerie when he was now a Bishop for that Timothie was a Bishop Paul declareth by his writing thus vnto him Laie hands hastilie on no man And againe which was giuen thee by the imposition of handes of the Presbyterie for by no meanes Presbyters could ordaine a Bishop And shewing how Euangelists might become Bishops he saith Why doeth Paul write onlie to Timothie and Tite where as Silas and Luke were also his Disciples and endewed with marueilous vertues Because hee had nowe deliuered to them the gouernement and charge of the Church the others as