by that reason wherby they suppose to auoyd Popery most of all and that is by the erection of their Consistories Vnto which if the people or the Seniors or the cheefeste in the congregation were inclined they might do much more hurte then now they are able to doe Or if it bred not Popery it might breede and nourish as great errours pride and oppressions as Popery hath done if not a great deale worse And as vppon ignorance and poperye the thirde followed that is to say an inclination to rebellion so it may bee feared that his alteration being thus asmuche subiecte to the two former euils it would not be free from daunger of the thrd especially the peoples intermedling in the gouernement being so much enlarged except some greater vigilancie be had then as yet by our brethren is fore-séen or then in the estate of gouernment already established is to be feared For of this gouernement established wee haue seene already the experience and therefore beeing orderly looked vnto if any such occasion as GOD forbid shoulde happen it might the sooner be repressed as God be praised it hath bene But if this vrged alteration should bee put in practise not onelie the Papists might sooner take occasion of newe tumultes as it many times falleth out in alterations especially of the forme of gouernement established but also it is not a litle to bee feared that our brethren disagreeing from vs and not agreeing among them-selues might in these licentious and factious dayes breake forth into more contentions and pertakinges then that the particuler Seniories of euery congregation or the Prouinciall Synods were able to compose Whilest our brethren withal in this Learned discourse reiecte and deride vniformity in Ceremoniall constitutions pag. 120. refuse and exclude the Princes authoritie in the decision of such matters pag. 117.141 c. The Papistes in the meane season beeing the lesse looked vnto and the more strengthened encouraged to blow the coales to make a blast on euery sparkle when they get any aduauntage by such occasions of our disagreements which whole matter it might breed and nourish to the preparation of RebellioÌ„ manie that are no euil-willers vnto these our brethreÌ„ do greatly feare the sequell if this vrged alteration should take place Neither may it bee sayde of them as Dauid sayde of the wicked Trepidauerunt vbi non erat timor For they feare God and wishe as-well both to the estate of the church and common wealth of this our Realme as any of our brethren do and are as farre from Popery as they are God bee praysed for it But whatsoeuer they feare or coniecture to and fro of the euent of these 3. euils IgnoraÌ„nce in the minist Popery RebellioÌ„ I for my part would fain know what our brethreÌ„ mean by these words that lie houering in the midst of this senteÌ„ce Amongst many other things of great importance what those other things be being many of great importance as though they were more to be auoyded then all these 3. and yet are namelesse nor dare shewe their faces I feare mée least in this darke cloud there is hidd some great tempest and daungerous thunder-claps if it were their tyme to breake forth Sed aliquid latet quod non patet and therefore let them go as they came for mee I will rather follow Pythagoras counsel Noli fodere ignem opertum it is shrewd waking the sleeping Dog For the viewe but euen of these 3. euils is already me thinketh more then inough We can fore sée little perfection of the estate of the Church or good of the common-wealth to arise by the vrging this alteration And thus much to their aunswere of the matter now to the manner The two foresaid obiections were these The one that this our brethrens challenge is not much vnlike the Papists the other that it shal be preiudiciall to the estate of gouernment established To this againe they aunswere Concerning the manner they call it to a suddaine and tumultuous reasoning where the readiest wit the beste memorye the moste filed speech shall carry awaye the truthe at least meruelously moue the vngrounded heaâ—ers Who are these they that do on this wise If the Papistes bee meant they vse indéed such worse practises in their tumultuous reasoning syea in their most solemne councels that they cal general But if by this they our brethren meane vs their brethren Protestants as it appeareth heerby that we shunne not the reasoning with them of these matters so if they complaine of any iniury offered vnto anie of them in the manner of reasoning they should haue done plainly to haue shewed who hath called them to reason in any such suddaine tumultuous or disordred manner I haue rather heard the contrarie that they their-selues haue oftentimes and not long agone called the matter to such reasonings But belike they fayled in their hoped successe of such suddain reasonings which notwithstanding themselues haue prouoked when they shoulde bee driuen to the strict and logicall order of disputing and therefore they call this a suddaine and tumultouse reasoning As for vs. we vse no tumultes or tumultuous reasoning neither God be praised need to vse any for defence of the estate of gouernment established they commonly startle rayse tumultes that finde them-selues greeued and would make alteration of the state of a gouernment that is established But I meruel they coÌ„plain of these things where the readiest wit the best memory the moste filed speech shall carry away the truthe at leaste meruelously moue the vngrounded hearers For euen by these things especially wherein also they glory not a little and not by any grounded matter or anie substantiall prooues our brethren carry away from the truthe of these points so many as they do But belike they haue founde in reasoning them-selues ouer-matched in these ornaments of witte memory and speech also Which thrée things we confesse are aduauntages of no smal force a readie wit a good memory and a filed spéech to set forth and perswade the matter when they are ioyned with the wissdome and feare of God with a sincere zeale and feruency of Gods truth with an humble moderate spirit cutting the word of God aright as best maie serue to his glorie to that hearers edifying their dutifull obedience to their superiors For our dram of discretion of these vertues is more woorth in reasoning of these controuersies then al the pregnancie or readines of wit then al the promptnes or fidelitie of memory then al the rowling of the tongue or filed speeche with the smoothest and most eloquent rhethoricke in the world shouldâ— bee compared there-vnto Wel may vngrounded hearers that desire still to heare of Nouelties with the Athenians and the vnstable hearts of new-fangled heades and itching eares of those men or weomen which are euer learning as saith the Apostle 2. Tim. 3.7 and are neuer able to come to the
alreadie written and by treatises lately and nowe published it may appeare we seeke that which at the least in the iudgement of all true Christians hath no small probabilitie as wee iudge necessitie of trueth out of the Scriptures it may please her most excellent Maiestie and their honors to appoint on both sides the best learned most godly and moderate men to debate al differences of waight betweene them and vs. So that first vppon sufficient consideration the Questions to be debated be without all ambiguitiâ— set downe the reasons of both sides without all outgoings shortly and plainely deliuered in writing ech to other that after vpon sufficient examination the reasons of both be continually confirmed and resolued till either by the euidence of trueth one partie yeelde vnto the other or the follie and madnesse of those which gaine-say it doe in equal iudgement become manifest in regarde of the contradictions and absurdities where-to they shall be driuen by the force of Gods worde It may appeare we graunt that our brethren haue both alreadie writâ—en bookes now lately published treatises but with what authoritie they could so doe that is another question if it be lawfull authoritie to do it both against lawe and authoritie we may shortly haue other vpon like ensample set out worse matters yea neuer so ill doctrine or matters neuer so much against the state For although they pretende their bookes and treatises to be neuer so good yet ought they not to be published but by good meanes also least if the good meanes be neglected ill thinges in like manner may be published But by what ill meanes soeuer they set out their bookes and treatises yet for the matter of them it may say they appeare we seeke that which at the least in the iudgement of all true Christians hath no small probabilitie as we iudge necessitie of trueth out of the Scriptures Fancie might make a man bowlt branne and thinke it is flower And euen so doe our brethren imagine in this necessitie But when we shall come to the examining of these bookes and treatises yea euen of this their learned discourse compiled in the name of all the faithfull ministers and of all their desires and of all that they say they seeke for we shall finde necessitie of trueth out of the Scriptures in no one thing of all their posâ—tions in controuersie except they vnderstande it so out of the Scriptures that is to say cleane without al scriptures or any necessarie consequence of scriptures And although probability ought not to carrie away the matter yet vpon better suruey thereof we shall finde not so much as any good probability that is grounded on the Scriptures but onely on the méere interpretations and sayings of some the chiefest persons in estimation on their side if at the least they agrée with them and are not caried away by their owne fancies as in the perusing of this learned discourse shall God willing appeare In the meane season sée héere how peremptorie our brethren are in their owne iudgement That which they seeke for is of no probability but as we iudge necessity say they yet they confesse that in the iudgement of all true Christians it is but of probability though saye they it hath no small probability So that they graunt at the least héereby that many if not al true Christians iudge that that which they seeke for hath no necessity of truth out of the Scriptures but hold themselues contented onely with probability For be it small or not small it is but probability of truth out of the Scriptures that they grounde themselues vpon yet think this hindereth not but that they still be al true Christians So that â—hey count them no true Christians in whose iudgement the thinges that our brethren seeke for haue not at the least great probability of trueth out of the Scriptures But if they can allow them to be al true Christians in whose iudgement these things stand but on the vncertainty of probability I trust we shal not léese our Christendome euer a whit the more â—or this but be true Christians yea their selues haue graunted vs euen in â—his Preface that we are their brethren and that we agrée in the substaÌ„ce of religion with them and therfore of necessity if they be true Christians we be true Christians also and yet we openly and constantly anow that the most and greatest of the things that they seeke for haue not at the least any probability of truth out of the Scriptures in our iudgements yea in my iudgement not one of them al any good probability but we al confesse they haue no necessity This therefore was too vnaduisedly and too peremptorily spoken and vpon too great a confidence in their cause as to hazard the truth of our Christianity for not iudging these things to bee at least probable But let the necessity or probability be tried in the debating and weighing of them let vs now sée how they woulde haue them debated and weighed It may please say they her most excellent Maiestie and their honors to appoint on both sides the best learned most godlie and moderate men to debate all differences of weight betweene them and vs. This is a good beginning that they will yéelde to her most excellent Maiestie and their honours yet at the least thus much if they woulde stande to this but when it shall come to the debating wayghing or determining they giue her Maiestie and their honours no authoritie at al. Yea they haue their selues alreadie debated weighed iudged determined and prescribed these thinges and that for necessitie in their iudgements before they come to this conference as shal also appeare by these their learned discourses and is it likely they will yéelde and reuoke this their principles set foorth in print and diuulged to all the worlde by our reasoning afterwarde with them howesoeuer by reasoning we should euict them Had it not béene better not to haue vaunted thus before hande on such necessitie and prescription But they say The best learned most godlie and moderate men on both sides should be appointed to debate al differences of weight betweene them and vs. For their partes they so glorie both of their learning and godlines that they giue this booke two titles in the one for godlinesse and moderatenesse A declaration of the desires of the faithfull ministers not prescribing but moderatly desiring in the other for their learning A learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment Thus haue they set foorth themselues for these vertues But thankes be to God that they graunt yet some of our side to be also both learned godly and moderate men What the learning is of many God be praysed on our side let the learned iudge Moderation is more easily discerned as the Apostle saieth Phil. 4.5 Let your moderate or patient minde be knowen to all men But since our brethren
occasion to search these fathers better And this was vsed to be done not onely in the seuerall treatises of the Fathers according to the councell of Vincentius Lyrinensis and as Theodoret vseth in his dialogues c. but also in all the best and most famous Synodicall assemblies and disputations holden in the auncient councels to cite the testimonies of the godly fathers deceased and of the most famous fathers consentes that were then liuing for their interpretations and iudgements of their controuersies Neither ought our Brethren to shunne this manner of charging them with men dead or aliue For it is a good not adorning only of the trueth but finding out of the trueth lightning of the iudgement and mouing mens affections driuing them as with a mightie streame to the loue of the truth and when the trueth commeth indéede thus adorned wee thinke that which wee also labour to confirme and defende as they labour to procure the contrarie that none we doe not say can iudge otherwise then we doe but that they which doe iudge otherwise then we doe in these matters may haue sufficient cause to iudge as we do and to thinke them to be honorable not onely before men but before God also Nowe when our Brethren haue set downe al their deuise how they would haue these controuersies to be debated then they enter into the aunswere of the obiections which they suppose will be obiected against them and say For if any shall obiect that the graue authoritie of Archbishops and Byshops shall receaue a checke whilest they are brought to deale with those whom they iudge fewe young vnlearned and not comparable to themselues or that it is a chalenge not much vnlike the papistes or lastly that it shall bee preiudiciall to the estate of gouernement established In good time our Brethren remember among other these thrée obiections Neither are they of small moment being rightly set downe as indéede they may be more pithily obiected and require euerie one of them a sounde and sufficient aunswere It is no small matter if any shall obiect but this first and lightest obiection of these thrée that the graue Authoritie of Archb. and Bishops shall receaue a checke whilest they are brought to deale with those whom they iudge fewe young vnlearned and not comparable to themselues Albeit I thinke that neyther our Archbyshops nor Bishops doe Iudge of these our brethren that they be so fewe as it were better they were but rather too many at the least farre moe in number than our Archbishops or all our Bishops are neyther do they iudge them to be so young although manie of them indéede be very young both in yeares in iudgement and in experience of these matters but that the auncienter sort of them might for their age and time haue had leysure ynough to haue sought out the state and grounde of these questions long a-goe saue that they are too much fore grounded in their owne opinions But in these matters their youth or age is not called into question Neither doe our Archbishops or Bishops estéeme our brethren at least many of them for vnlearned but rather wish that they would not thinke and vaunt too much of their learning and if they would followe the Apostles counsell sapere ad sobrietatem it would better become them That when all is done is the best learning which findeth out and submitteth it vnto the trueth Neither doe the Archbishops and Bishops as I suppose iudge that our brethren are not comparable to themselues Although our brethren may remember there be thrée degrées of comparison and it might well ynough beséeme our brethren so to compare with the Archb. and Bishops that they would not forget their owne callings nor the dignities of the Archb. and Bishops which they call here their graue authoritie Howbeit they giue that tenne but in a light mockage to thē whē as indéed they acknowledge the Archb. or B. not to haue anie authoritie at all but labour by all meanes besides their scoffe to be in all respects specially of authoritie so comparable to thē that they would not onely giue them a checke as their equalles but as their superiors euen checke mate vtterly to foyle and ouerthrow them Which if they can do by all their learning and in such maner as is requisite for the matter let thē not spare it a Gods blessing And if our Archb. and Bishops or any other of our partie that otherwise are as readie as any of our brethren to giue account of their hope and faith to anie orderly asking the same shal-be by her most excellent Maiestie and by her most honorable Counsell brought to deale with anie of all these our brethren I dare aduenture that they will not disdayne by any lawefull and godly meanes that can be deuised to deale with them if our brethren for their part would oblige themselues to stand there-to As for the second obiection it is of greater moment that this our bretherens chalenge is not much vnlike to the chalenge of the Papistes And can our brethren also foresée this that anie may obiect this vnto them that they make like chalenge to our Bishops as doo the Papists And are they neither afraid nor ashamed of it to drawe so neare the chalenge of the common aduersarie against their brethren and fathers in Gods church And yet the third obiection is the greatest that it shall- be preiudiciall to the estate of gouernment established which if it be sée what a hazard they put not so much the Archbishops and Bishops and manie other persons vnto besides the lawes and orders ecclesiasticall as the whole estate of the Church and realme of England and of all the gouernors as well as of the gouernement and so withall of all the ciuill and politike lawes established yea of her Maiesties owne estate gouernment and sacred person to be indangered Which obiection how they can sufficientlie answer vnto is an answer indéed worth the hearing For if now they can-not sufficientlie answer these obiections which here their selues before-hand presuppose will be or may be obiected against them it had béene better for them to haue suppressed these obiections Which will be a sore blanke to all their learned discourse following in the iudgement of the prudent and godlie reader Let vs now therefore sée their answer to the obiections And first in generall to them all thrée they say It may please their wisdomes who are to be iudges to consider what we haue to answer vnto these things which if they haue the truth of Gods word conteine the safest and best way in such cases tend to the full quieting of all and the remoouing of the plagues which are vpon vs and are likelie dailie further to come euen from the common aduersarie we may boldlie yet most humblie vpon our knees require them before God and all his elect Angels not to cast it awaie
Maiestie their honors and the Bishops may be assured hereof Or will they promise this on the worde of a faithfull minister that they will exercise their ministerie no otherwise But why then do they it not For there is no other thing required of them and it is their dutie so to doe it But what especiall regard of the peace of the Church publike orders if they had libertie to exercise their ministery according to their consciences is it likelie that our brethren would haue wheÌ„ as they were restrayned only for the abuse hereof being restrayned do thus disturbâ— the peace of the Church the publike orders of the same Yea all their especiall regarde and drift is against the publike orders And if nowe they should thus be with fauour allowed to exercise their ministery according to their coÌ„sciences what would our brethreÌ„ then spare to do against these publike orders I maruel therfore how they can thus coÌ„fidently say it is impossible but that they shall exercise their ministerie c. Whereas it is both against all sense and reason yea plaine impossible to bee graunted to them without we would with all graunt vnto them all their desires and deuises in these controuersies For the residue of this conclusion we say in part with our bretheren also Wherefore most Christian reader when thou shalt by these fewe take knowledge of these things which are contayned in this preface and in this Learned discourse praye vnto God for vs and as thy place is and so farre foorth as accordeth with thy dutie therein sollicite and furder so iust a cause as that the peace of the Church the publike orders gouernment established be not preiudiced to this end only that Christs kingdome may be perfectly established the consciences of all the godly quieted the happy regimeÌ„t of her Ma. honored with much peace ioy and quietnes both at home among vs and that it may ouerflowe to thâ— reliefe comfort and good example of other parts of Christes Church that are distressed in forraine countries To the which effects good Christian Reader cal vpon God our heauenly Father in the name of his sonne ouâ— Sauiour Christ for the illumining of his holie spirit that thy iudgement being not foreâ—talled in these matters and yet being desirous to sée the trueth and to search out the bothom of these doubtes thou mayest bee able to discerne the spirites aright to resolue and staye thy selfe on the very grounde of trueth in all these questions And so a Gods name enter nowe into the perusall and considering of this learned discourse The first booke of this defence against the learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment The argument of the first Booke THE first booke is of the principles of this learned discourses platforme of the Churches gouernment of their partition thereof into a Tetrarchie of 4. estates Doctors Pastors Gouernours and Deacons and of their necessitie and perpetuitie of the perswasion to leaue our own Estate and embrace the Estate of our neighbors and of their putting back the treatise of the Christian Princes supreame Gouernment in Eccl. causes and their reasons why they will not first treate there-on vntill they haue before assigned vnto all and euerie of these 4. Estates all their places with their seuerall and ioynt offices and authorities wherein is shewed not only what daunger and iniurie is offred vnto Christian Princes but also with what vnworthie contumelies and sclaunders they are reiected to the ende of this Learned discourse A learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernement prooued by the worde of God THis is the Title commendatorie of this booke besides the other title which they set before it A brief or plaine declaration concerning the desires of al those faithfull ministers c. But because this later title liked them better our brethren take the former part of this title prefixe ouer euerie leafe of all their treatise this commendation A learned discourse of eccl gouernment I referre the iudgement of the learning to the learned Me thinketh our brethren should haue done better to let the discourse commende it selfe whether it be learned or vnlearned vino vendibili non â—pus haedera But what soeuer the reader can iudge of learning let him stil haue his ayme to this point that is here auouched but not likewise set vp ouer euery leafe proued by the word of God For beit learned or vnlearned proue that we yéelde And if our brethren proue it not by the word of God then we craue of them that they will cease these contentious discourses and not stande so much vpon their learning But both their learned discoursing of Eccl. gouernment and their prouing the same by the word of God shall appeare God willing to the Reader by the discoursing The Church of God is the house of God therefore ought to be directed in al things according to the order prescribed by the housholder himselfe which order is not to be learned else-where but in his holie word The first of these principles or propositions is the very worde of the holy Ghost vttered by Paul The second followeth necessarily of the first The third is a manifest trueth beleeued of all them that acknowledge the scripture of God to be a perfect rule of all our life and able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes On these thrée principles our brethren lay their ground of al their learned discourse Which being rightly vnderstoode and building well vpon them are verie good principles or rather propositions as they terme theÌ„ Of this first is saide ynough alreadie concerning Dauids comparing him selfe to the stone in the corner of this mysticall houses building And most gladly we admit this our brethrens testimonie for the same as the verie worde of the holy Ghost vttered by Paule and that this house of God which is the Church of the liuing God is the piller and ground of truth Because it alwayes vpholdeth and maintaineth the trueth both in this matter of eccl gouernment and in all other so farre as is necessarie to saluation Albeit Christe in principall properly and absolutely is the onely ground and foundation of this house And heere by the way sith by this testimonie of S. Paul the Church which is the house of God is thus the piller and ground of the truthe If this gouernment that our brethren vrge be so necessarie and of so great moment to the house or church of God then is it likely the the Church of God though it hath not alwaies and in all places yet for the most part of time places or at leastwise in some ages and places had this gouernment maintained kept it or striued for it or else belike it was not thought so necessarie The second principle they say followeth necessarily of the first And so it doth which seconde was this and therefore this Church
fourthe yeare of Seuerus that is the yeare of our Lorde 199 other referre it to the fifte yeare of Seuerus Therfore he should haue beene in the ministerie especiallie in his Bishoprike about 23. yeares To the which if wee adde the yeares of his Priesthood or Eldership perhaps it will runne to 30. yeares And so at the least by their computation he was seauen yeares a Priest before hee was Bishop And this also did these Centuriographers confesse before saying Photinus being cruellie murthered in the persecution for the confession of the truthe of the Gospell Irenaeus hetherto being but a Priest or Elder in the same Churche was substituted in his place Whereby it is moste euident that Presbyter and Episcopus a Priest or Pastorall Elder or minister of the worde and a Bishop were not all one and equall in this holye and singuler learned Fathers dayes so néere vnto the Apostles that hee was scholler to Polycarpus which liued in the Apostles times And euen in Irenaeus time he telleth that neither the giftes of healings nor of speaking with strange toongs were yet ceassed Although I graunte we shall nowe and then finde where when he speaketh of Bishops he calles them Priests or Elders as lib. 4. cap. 43 wherefore wee must hearken to those priests or Elders that are in the Churche those that haue their succession from the Apostles as wee haue shewed who with the succession of the Bishoprike haue receiued the certeine gifte of the truthe according to the good will of the Father And in the nexte chapter But those that are indeede of manye beleeued to bee Priests or Elders and serue their pleasures and preferre not the feare of God in their heartes but vexe the residue with reproches and are lifted vp with the puffe of sitting highest and secretlye doo euill and saye none shall see vs shall be reprooued of the worde that iudgeth not according to glorie nor lookes on the countenance but on the heart c. From all suche therefore we must absteyne but cleaue vnto those that as wee haue saide keepe bothe the doctrine of the Apostles and the sounde worde with the order of their Priesthood or Eldership and expresse a conuersation without offence to the information and correction of the residue c Suche priestes or Elders the Churche nourisheth of whome the prophet saithe And I will giue thee princes in peace and thy Bishoppes in righteousnesse Although in these and suche like places of Irenaeus the worde bothe Priest and Bishop maye be taken the one for the other indifferentlie yet dooth not this debarre but that as Irenaeus him-selfe was a Prieste for a while before he were a Bishop so lib. 3 cap. 3. hee there speaketh all of the succession vntill â—is time of the Bishops of the Churche of Rome that cannot bee vnderstood of euerye Priest there And indéed among all other that were Bishops I haue chéeflie forborne the naming of these not so muche for any corruption in this pointe that at that time was in them more than in other Bishops for I take them rather to haue beene as sincere as any of all the other but that their successors since those times vpon the honor for their vertue and sinceritie giuen to them of this first age and for the dignitie of the place and for the number of them that then were martyrs there and with-all for the memorie of Paule and Peter supposed there also to haue suffered martyrdome and to haue established the Churche there and to haue ordeined a Bishop also ouer them bicause I saye their successors waxing insolent and abusing all these good occasions haue also abused the memorie and names of those good auncient Bishops of Rome with a number of forgeries fathered falslie on them I haue therefore mencioned none of them But bicause Ireneus as they were then the mirrors of other Churches and Bishops excelling in synceritie of doctrine in good order of discipline and integritie of life bringeth in all the Bishops of that sée vntill his time to confute the new deuises of the heretikes errors by their constant continuance in the truthe I will therefore also set downe some parte of Ireneus words for our further confirmation of this matter The tradition saith he therefore of the Apostles is made manifest in all the worlde It is present to beholde in the Churche for all that will heere the truthe And wee haue to reckon vp them which haue beene ordeined Bishops in the Churches from the Apostles and the successors of them vntill our daies Who haue taught no such thing neither haue knowne how these men doate For if the Apostles had knowne any such hidden mysteries which they taught those that were perfect by themselues and priuilie they would most especially haue taught them vnto those to whome they committed the Churches themselues For they would haue them to be verie perfect and vnreprooueable in all things whome they would also haue to be their successors Deliuering to them euen their owne places of maistership that they had who behauing themselues without faulte great profite might come thereon but offending great calamitie How beit bicause it is verie long in such a volume as this to reckon vp the successions of all Churches therefore of that Churche whith is the greatest and most auncient and knowne to all to be founded and ordeyned of the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paule declaring that tradition that it hath of the Apostles and faithe published vnto men comming euen vnto vs by the succession of the Bishops we confound all those which by any maner of meane or by their owne euill selfe liking or by vaine glorie or by blindnesse and euill opinion doo gather otherwise than they ought to doo For vnto this Churche bicause of the more mightie principalitie it is necessarie that euerie Churche agree That is they that are faithfull euerie where in the which alwaies of those that are euerie where the tradition that is from the Apostles is kept The blessed Apostles therefore founding and instructing the Churche deliuered vnto Linus the Bishoprike of administring the Churche Of this Linus Paule mentioneth in those Epistles that are to Timothie but vnto him succeeded Anacletus after whome in the third place from the Apostles Clemens obteined the Bishoprike Who also sawe the Apostles them-selues and conferred with them while as yet he had the preaching of the Apostles sounding in his eares and their tradition before his eyes For not hee alone manie at that time were yet aliue that were taught of the Apostles Vnder this Clemens therefore no small dissention falling out among the brethren that were at Corinth the Church which is at Rome wrote most forcible letters to the Corinthians gathering them togither vnto peace and repayring their faithe and declaring the tradition that they had euen of fresh receiued from the Apostles Which tradition declared that there was one God Almightie the maker of Heauen
the man and of the woman praying or prophecying vse his heade which was S. Paules principall conclusion If he be couered that is not aunswerable to the comelinesse of the man If he be vncouered that is lesse aunswerable if not more vnfit for the comelinesse of the woman What shall we here doe yea though we imagined this third were an Hermaphrodites that is of both genders Man and woman except the same party also had two heades the one to bee vncouered and the other to be couered What a straunge deuise therefore is this and what a number of impossible vnnaturall and monstrous absurdities do arise if a man woulde stande in examining this interpretation I speake not this for the dishonor of them whome I honour with good heart as singuler ornaments of Gods Church in our age And yet Luther so excellent an instrument of Gods trueth and glory when hee writhed some textes of Scripture by affection more then by considerate and indifferent weighing of them into what vnnecessary misconstructions and oppositions to the plaine and easy trueth and to his owne self did he fall and caused many by his too great estimation to fall with him And therefore we must take héede howe we depend too much on Men. And if wee will holde vs alwayes to Gods worde so take it that we cary not that also away after our owne construing If it be playne and easie not to lap it in ambiguities If it be harde and doubfull to way it with other places and consider all the circumstaunces groundes and occasions And if nothing be against the faith to go with the best with the mo the better in the sense that séemeth most probable Which Beza here doth not who though in many places he deserue singuler prayse yet in some places he is too singuler which deserueth so little praise that now and then he himselfe forsakes his former translation and either on better aduice comes to other mens or chaungeth his former translation with another of his owne euen where no necessitie nor sufficiēt cause doth enforce him as euen vpon this place 1. Cor. 14.34 cited by our Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the common translation is there true and playne ynough Mulieres vestrae in ecclesiis taceant Let your Women keepe silence in the Churches Where not onely Erasmus but Caluine also reteineth the vsuall deriued word euen from the very Gréeke in Ecclesiis whome all the commentaries of the newe writers that I haue looked vpon do follow And all our translations yea euen the Geneua translation also And yet doth Beza forsake it and translate it in Coetibus in companies or assemblies and he altereth this againe in conuentibus in meetinges together sayth that the vulgar translation in the Churches is not apt ynough in this place also in the vers following Because that a woman also is in the church that is of the number of the faithfull when she is at home Neither yet is she biddē to bee silent but in the publike assembly of the church And is this a sufficient reason to alter this word in the churches Who knoweth not that knoweth ought the this word church as it is commonly taken signifieth here not only the place where the sacred assemblies of the faithfull are made but also the faithfull persons so assembled was Beza in doubt least if this interpretation shold haue stood that women shold not speak in the Churches they shold haue bin thought to haue bin forbiddē to speak any where but to be continually in euery place silent because wheresoeuer they be yea though at home they be stil in the church that is of the number of the faithful What a néedlesse fear was this yet if he would haue mended the translation to stop this néedles fear shold he haue mended it to call it a cōpany or assembly or meeting together which though it séem to giue women some licence to speak wher no assembly or cōpany or meeting together is yet doth this indéed restrain them no further than the occasiō that Paul did speak on driues vnto True it is he afterward expoūds himself saying they are not biddē to hold their peace but in the publike cōpany of the church but these words the publike cōpany of the church are in neither of his translations For there is only said in companies or meetings together And yet what he meaneth by the publike companies of the church taking the church as heere he calleth it may not a woman speak in many companies or meetinges together of the faithful if the housholds of the faithful be called churches also may she not speake in her house neither nor to the assemblie of her houshold for fere she shold transgres this precept if they say that is but a priuate church Paul meaneth of the publike assemblies of the church although women then shall gain a great deal more liberty by this glosse then by this hard translatiō of the text yet how much better had it bin both for Bezaes estimation our edification especially for the matter trueth it self for Beza to haue left these nice poynts to haue yéelded to his M. Caluine that as necessity might require this precept of the ordinary course maketh no absolute debar to al manner of women but that nowe and then some may speake lawfully yea and their voyce is requisite euen in the most sacred publike and greatest assemblies or meetings together of the Churches I confesse as I sayd that other excellent men also vse this interpretation but they are more naked thereon then Beza is nor I accoumpt them comparable to him But neither he nor they do so satisfy the simplicitie of the text herein as Musc. and Peter Martyr do Musc. vpon these wordes euery woman praying and prophecying sayth they aske here howe a Woman shameth her heade if she prophecy bare headed when about the end of the 14. Chapter hee commaundeth them to holde their peace in the Church because it is a shame for a Woman to speake in the Churche and 1. Tim. 2. he sayth but I permit not a woman to teache What neede is there say they to bid a Woman not to prophecy bare-headed when shee may not doe it no not couered I aunswere he restraineth a Womans rashnesse that they shoulde not as often-times they are bablatiue leape foorthe to teache and prophecy beeing forgetfull of their sexe Neuerthelesse in the meane season hee doth not extinguish the spirite with the which some beeing inspired did prophecy by foretelling thinges to come Such as were Philip the Deacons daughters and many others which did prophecy according to the foretelling of Ioel Chapter 2. where wee reade this And after these thinges I will poure my spirite vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shal prophecy For such he pronounceth that they shall shame their head if they pray or prophecy bareheaded Of other he wold giue
the most cleare light of his confession and aduanced with the honour both of vertue and faith who by his exhortation hath sent before him a plentifull number of Martyrs with stones fire Which ioyfully behâ—lde his wife that cleued to his side wheÌ„ as together with other she was burned He himselfe being halfe burned and ouerwhelmed with stones lefte for dead While that afterwardes his daughter with a carefull seruice of godlines seeketh the corps of her father where he being founde almost dead refreshed and drawen out from his companions whom he had sent before him remained against his will But this as wee see was the cause of his remayning that the Lorde would ioyne him vnto our Clergie and woulde adorne gloriosis Sacerdotibus with his glorious Sacred Priests the abundance of our Elders being desolate And verily he shall be promoted as time shall permitte vnto a more worshipfull place of his religion when through the Lordes protection we shall come in presence In the meane season let this be done that is declared that we may receiue this gift of God with thankes giuing hoping that by the mercie of the Lord such ornaments shall be also furnished that renuing the strength of his Church he wil make our so meeke and humble consistories to flourish in honour Whereby we plainlie see not onely the Bishoppes authoritie ouer the consistorie of the Elders in making this Elder Numidicus an Elder in the cleargie and consistorie of Carthage but also that he was a Preacher exhorter of the people And that Cyprian vseth the name of Presbyter and Sacerdos indifferently as betokning one and the same office for the which we in English wanting a proper name for Sacerdos vse the contraction of the other better and lesse offensiue terme Presbyter calling them Priestes signifying héere Elders ministring the woorde and Sacramentes And of other sortes whom Cyprian calleth Presbyteros Priestes or Elders assistent to the Bishop in the gouernement of the Eccles. discipline I finde no mention nor inkling of them in all the Epistles of Saint Cyprian Neither cite I him in those editions that the Papistes haue of late corrupted him And therefore I maruell not a little that such an excellent man as Beza is God be praysed for his gifts in him was so ouershot to cite these Epistles of Cyprian for a Consistory or Colledge of such Elders gouerned by a Bishop which together with him should haue the spirituall iurisdiction and the gouernment of Eccl. discipline that were not ministers of the worde and Sacraments As for that which Gellius Snecanus citeth also out of Cyprians Epistles Epist. 2. lib. 1. there is no mention there at all of any other of the Clergie then onely of Bishops or of such Priestes as hee calleth Sacerdotes Pastores Which Epistle being written to Cornelius Bishop of Rome by Cyprian and a great number of other Bishops of Aphrica ioyned in counsell with him he vseth there this terme Colleagues meaning other Bishops that were of his owne function But if sayth he there shall bee any of the Colleagues which when persecution vrgeth them thinketh the peace should not be giuen to our brothers and sisters let him in the day of iudgement render a reason to the Lorde eyther of his importune censure or of his inhumaine roughnes Is this any thing to any gouerning Elder in the Church that is not a minister of the worde and Sacramentes As for any other Colleagues eyther of those that hee wrote of or wrote vnto or that wrote with him in this or anie other Epistle I finde none Nor our Brethren can shew any such Elders as they vrge vnto vs in all these Epistles or any other worke of Cyprian But because Gellius Snecanus adioyneth also the testimonie of Tertullian in his Apologie against the Gentiles cap. 39. which wee haue likewise alreadie séene for the manner and forme of the primitiue Churche in their publike prayers neuerthelesse to the fuller serch of these Elders which our Brethren would haue let vs againe consider what Tertullian sayth especially he going not onely immediately before Cyprian about the yeare of our Lorde 200. but being in such estimation with Cyprian that he alwayes called him his Maister I will nowe my selfe sayth Tertullian set foorth the affayres of the Christian faction that I which haue refuted the euill thinges may shewe the good We are a bodie of the conscience of religion and of the truth of discipline and of the couenant of hope We come together into an assembly and congregation that praying vnto God as though by prayers wee strined for workes this force is acceptable vnto God We pray also for the Emperours for their ministers and powers for the state of the worlde for the quietnes of their affayres and for the prolonging of their ende We are gathered together to the reciting of the diuine scriptures if so be that the qualitie of the present time doe compell vs to giue fore-warning or to reknowledge it Certainely we feede our faith with the holy speeches we erecte our hope we fixe our confidence Neuerthelesse we thicken or encrease the discipline of the maisters or of the praecepts by prouocations or inculcations At the same place are also exhortations chasticements the diuine correction for the iudgement is giuen with great waight as among them that are sure that God beholdes them And it is the chiefest foreiudgeing of the iudgement to come if any man do so trespasse that he be banished from the communicating of prayer and of the assemblie and of all the holy partaking The Praesidents or Gouernours are all of them approoued Seniors hauing obteyned this honour not with price but with testimonie What is there here in any of these wordes to prooue that these Elders which as hee termeth it praesidebant did gouerne the congregations medlâ—d not with teaching Or rather doth he not ascribe teaching to theÌ„ When 〈◊〉 saith Wee are a corps of the conscience of religion of truth of discipline and of the couenant of hope When he saith their comming together was for praiers and for recording the Scriptures When hauing added how they fed their faith with the word of God erecting their hope and fixing their confidence they ioyne this withall that neuerthelesse they do increase the discipline of the maisters by their inculcations or often calling vpon them Or if we should conster these wordes Disciplinam praeceptorum for the discipline not of the maisters but of the precepts so that we take it not that they did increase the discipline of mens commandements And doth he not also ioyne exhortations together with castigations of the diuine censure By all which and much more we may well gather out of this place that these Praesidents or gouernours of these congregations were not such as medled not with teaching For if the Elders not teaching were gouerned as Beza said in their Colleges and corporaâ—ions
these thinges before The Synode preaching with more eloquence and knoweledge too than many of these our Learned Discourses and yet bee no Preachers of the same vnto all others But what is their reason that they imagine none is able to knowe these thinges but teachers and Preachers of the same vnto all all others For say they it is absurde that they shoulde bee taught by such in these small thinges as ought to learne the trueth of them in all matters To an humble minded man and glad to learne this is no absurditie A godly and learned Preacher may eyther bee as ignoraunt or not so skilfull expert or prouident in some thinges yea nowe and then in some of these small things as some other may be that are no Preachers And if controuersies of them be mooued in the Synode consisting of Pastors it is a signe that all the Preachers haue not such knowledge of them but that they also may be to seeke and learne Yea the smaller things they be the Preachers may perhaps haue lesse imployde themselues in the study or search of of such smal thinges or not remember themselues so well as an other lesse learned which is no preacher may And a lowly spirit will not disdaine to learne great matters of his inferior in learning though he be no Preacher Moses learned of Iethro how to dispose his iudgemeÌ„ts more orderlie both in small matters and in great Neither is there indeede if the Preacher set aside all haughtie conceits of his owne singular doings and deuises any absurditie at all or shame herein but that it may beseeme him wel inough and he were better then he is sometimes to take notice and to bee taught of some godly wise learned and experient men that are no Preachers yea and of some women too now and then not only in some such small things but also in matters of great importance as Iudith taught the Elders and Pastors of Bethulia Although I graunt they againe ought to learn of the Preachers the trueth of Gods word in all matters Neither in these diuers kindes of teaching is any absurditie so long as their manner of teaching is not opposite nor that these laâ— persons be take vpon them as an ordinarie office nor do it of arrogancie and controulment nor do it as publike teachers preachers vnto the publike preachers and teachers of them nor do it to defaceand blemish the estimation or authoritie of their teachers and preachers nor doe it in all things but in these thinges Which heere their selues confesse are but small thinges being done in this order they ought to take no scorne to be reueuerently remembred or to be taught of them were it neuer so true that they which are no teachers and preachers ought to learn the trueth of them that are teachers and preachers in all matters which notwithstanding thus again generallie to auouch is a great ouer ouershot For there are many and those good matters besides religion and Eccl. matters and there is also a truth of them and yet men are not bound to learn the truth of them onely at the mouth of the preacher no nor the preacher is bound to know them or can or if he could ought to teach them And therefore this again is too largely spoken for all matters and seemeth to proceede of too great a reach and too high a liking of them-selues and too much incroching vpon others But what now is their conclusion hereupon This authoritie therefore cannot bee graunted vnto anie ciuill Christian Magistrate that without consent of the Learned Pastors and Elders yea against their consent of whome as in some respect hee is a feeling member hee may lawfully make caeremoniall Constitutions whereby the Church must bee gouerned in meere Ecclesiasticall matters Is there no meane but the drift of this conclusion must needes hee directed against the Ciuill Christian Magistrate howe chaunce our Brethren did not looke a litle neerer among them-selues and then they shoulde haue séene howe they had throughly payde and cleane ouerthrowne their Gouernours that are not teaching Elders whome they make to bee a greate part of the Synode in examining and determining Ecclesiasticall causes and Ecclesiasticall regiment and that the pastors can doe nothing without them But when this question commeth blustring in Who shoulde bee able to knowe what order comelinesse and aedification requireth according to Gods worde but they that bee teachers and Preachers of the same vnto all others Dare these Seniors nowe peepe out their heades and say like Gouernours indéede who shoulde we shoulde You what are you we wit ye well we are the Gouernours of all the Ecclesiasticall Discipline and regimeÌ„t Tush tush are ye teachers preachers of the same vnto al others No indeede that wee be not wee can not preach nor teach but wee can rule the matter with you that be teachers and Preachers No no go seeke your rule and Gouernment in other matters If yee bee no Teachers and preachers ye meddle not heere No wit yee well againe yeâ— are not able and much lesse worthie so much as to know what order comelinesse aedification requireth according to Gods worde and so least of all to examine decide and determine the same What ought not you though yee bee Seniors and gouernours to learne of vâ— that are your teachers and preachers wee tell you plainly and roundly at a worde It is absurde that they that are teachers and preachers shoulde be taught by such in these small thinges and it were much more absurde in greater thinges as ought to heare and learne the trueth of them in all matters Loe Howe these bigge and loftie wordes haue vtterlie blanked and giuen checke mate to these our gouerning Elders that we not teachers and preachers But whust wee pray you no more of this for we meant not this against our gouerning Elders though they be neither Preachers nor teachers but wee direct it altogether against the Ciuill Christian Magistrate Yea forsooth my learned Brethren macte virtuâ—e now ye shewe your selues indeede Yerke at the ciuill Christian Magistrate and euer so far as ye may do it with safetie spare not but still come in with one byous â—ling or another at the prince For this is plauâ—â—ble to the people as thogh ye were no accepters of persons in daring to speake almost any thing against the ciuill Christian Magistrate And doth your teaching and preaching tend to this that for feare the ciuill Christian Magistrate shoulde teach you though hee preach not to you another lesson you woulde haue it thoughâ— absurde that they shoulde teach you that shoulde be taught by you as heere you say in all matters yea that they are not able to know what order comelinesse and ediffcation requireth according to Gods worde except they them-selues were teachers and preachers I looked all this while when yet now at the length our Br. would begin to enter in
euerie Diocese and particular parish in the Realme the erection of a new Tetrarchie in euâ—ry seuerall congregation of Doctors Pastors Gouernours and Deacons by which fower estates offices all matters should be directed and all crimes eccl or ciuill censured by their discipline Yea they mount vp to the highest toppe euen of the Princes supreme gouernment Since that therefore these contentions haue aspired thus farre to the imminent daunger of all our whole estate though in an other sort than do our aduersaries in religion it is more than high time against these though otherwise in Christe our well meaning but misweening Brethren to enter into the necessarie defence of these be they matters or manners of such moment I am not ignorant that vnto many this labour wil be thought superfluous either of those that would haue these matters go forwarde without misliking or of some also that allowe them not Howbeit because they haue eyther before beene sufficiently trauersed in by other alreadie both pro contra or that now these controuersies if they be not dead and buried long ago yet the feruour of them is meetly well slaked therefore according to Pythagoras wise counsell ignem opertum noli fodere it were much better to let it alone than to rake abroade the fire that is couered in the cinders these men thinke this to be the best aunswere not at all to aunswere them but to passe theÌ„ oueâ— in silence and contemne them Whereby eyther the parties contending hauing wearied themselues in vaine will the sooner giue ouer or at least other will thinke the matters not worthy to be vouchsafed any aunswere And that to aunswere yea to confute them is but to prouoke further controuersies of which wee are pestred with too many and those not a little raysed or enkinled by often and intemperate disputing aunswering and replying one to an other And in very deede with them that thinke thus in some matters and manners of proceeding I my selfe am of their opinion For this licentiousnesse of writing such reciprocall inuictiues hath bred and breedeth much vnnecessarie trouble Notwithstanding as the Preacher among all other thinges that keepe the reuolution of their seasons reckoneth vp this there is a time to keepe silence and a time to speake when a matter groweth to importance and is vrged too importunately admitting it be a wrong and daungerous errour and yet on all sides it winneth fauour to let it so passe without all controlement what were silence then but grosse negligence the very yeelding to the errour and danger yea the wilfull betraying of the truth and consenting to the ouerture of our state And euen so fareth it in this matter The Papists from whose grosse errors in doctrine we both dissent and against whome in the vnitie and substance of Gods truth we both agree and for a while conioyntly we impugned their errors idolatrieâ— and superstitions at the first in defence of them they began to write freshly and stoutly against vs but when they saw they were not able that way to mainteine the badnesse of their cause they left off writing and followed for the most part this policie to seeme to despise all further triall by disputing and writing of the matter and would seeke to vphold it onely or chiefly by countenance and authoritie but finding againe the experience of this that Voluntas non potest cogi the will of man must be perswaded can not be compelled and that nullum violentum est perpetuum the thing that is only with violence coacted can not possibly continue and that in these controuersies all men are most desirous to be satisfyed with some aunswere or other they fall againe to writing though hardly driuen thereto vsing all the shifts they can to bodge vp the insufficiencie of their cause But in a good matter there neede no such practises True it is as I sayd before that the poynts to be discussed betwixt our Brethren and vs be nothing of such waight as those are wherein our Brethren and we do varie from the aduersaries in the mayne and principall standerds of our faith but are questions most what of discipline and of the Churches gouernment Neuerthelesse since that heerein also our Brethren haue not only made a breach from vs but they haue bred such further contention for them as in which a pacification is fo requisite that without it we see what broiles and daungers dayly growe to the disturbing of our owne estate to the aduantage of the publike aduersarie to the hinderance and obloquie of the Gospell It is necessarie therefore that as God be praysed we haue the truth in doctrine and defend it well not only by the authoritie of the Magistrate but by the words owne authoritie â—â—enly in writing by the Ministers thereof set foorth to all the world against all the resisters of the same so hauing as we trust a good established forme of the regiment discipline of our Church of England if any eyther of our professed aduersaries or of our malecontented Brethren shall withstand or write against it we are all obliged after the measure of each ones calling and habilitie to maynteyne and defend it and that not onely against the breakers of it by the Magistrates execution of authoritie but the Ministers no lesse in their vocation when it is openly written against are bound by their writing againe if the goodnesse of the matter be able so to iustifie it selfe to lay open all the whole state thereof by detecting and confuting all the paralogismes and fallations of the gaynesayers and by defending it euen with the firmenesse of the grounds and the owne good nature of the cause which manner of defence being not destitute of lawfull authoritie to see it obserued not only represseth the resisters bodie but satisfyeth or conuinceth his minde which is chiefly in these contentions to be respected And although this also be true that both our aduersaries in the controuersies of our religion and our Brethren in the questions of our regiment for such matters as then were moued haue beene by other of excellent learning sufficiently aunswered alreadie yet must we be still as ready to aunswere in defence of both these causes as either of them are ready to oppugne them seeing that God be thanked we mainteine nothing in our doctrine or in our regiment whereof we can not render a sound reason and sufficient proofe from the verie foundation of Gods word to mainteine it with a good conscience Howbeit sith that our Brethren cease not but as they first began these controuersies so they hold not yet themselues contented but Plus vltra they proceede further and to further matters and as they rise higher so more eagerly they presse vpon them not onely declaiming in the Pulpits as they get any oportunitie thereunto and exclaime if they be put to silence but also put vp billes and supplicationâ— at euery Parliament compile and scatter abroade their printed treatises insomuch that
full well discerne how farre our verball contentions with our ouer zealous Brethr. differre from their verberall persecutions of them our ouer furious aduersaries and are indeede no sufficient cause to confirme or stay them in their errours Albeit I graunt they do so of the which I am the sorier if it otherwise pleased God And would to God our Brethren with vs wou'd better thinke hereon that wee might both of vs being Brethren once againe bâ—â—therly ioyne and combine our selues together 〈◊〉 in the vnitie of â—â—r doctrine so in the vniformitie of our discipline against the professed aduersaries of the Gospel and of vs both either to their conuersion or confusion And I doubt it nor but that if our brethren shall yet now at length enter with vs into a more aduised viewe and circumspect examination of these matters either they will remitte their further contention or debate them with more deliberate moderation to the better stopping of the â—duersaries mouthes and to our owne fuller resolution Which sequele if it please God to effect I haue thus farre hazarded in this iust and necessarie defence to expose my selfe to the hartburning hard speaking God knowes of howe many a one whome in the Lord these opinions herein set aside I loue and honour in all duetie and glad would I haue beene that some other had employed their trauailes in this businesse wherof many on our side the Lord be praised for them had beene able to haue discharged the same a great deale better And I lingred the longer expecting if any would preuent me but when none did it or did vouchsaâ—e it and I was drawen into the action on the foresaid prouocation and was afterward of diuers requested not to withdrawe my selfe from this occasion considering withall that I had before opposed my selfe against the publike aduersarie in the like argument of the Christian Princes supreme gouernement in Ecclesiasticall causes which our brethren here also though in another manner but no lesse perillous call againe in question that nowe I should likewise beare my selfe on euen hand yea were it against mine owne deare brethren in Christ and her maiesties loyal and louing subiectes though greatly ouer reached in the heate preposterous earnestnes of their pursuite herein How leuelly I haue borne my selfe without gaule or splene in affection or stile my duitie to God to his trueth to his church and to her maiestie reserued hauing my quarell onely to the matters not to the persons I referre me to the equitie of the reader My purpose God he knoweth is not wittingly to giue iust offence to any of our brethren Which if notwithstanding any shall take for that I spare not to discouer the defectes of their arguments for that I admonish them albeit I trust in spiritu lenitatis of their vntempered speaches aswell against our and their most gratious Soueraigne and all Christian Princes soueraignetie as against the authoritie and persons of our prelates and of vs their fellowe ministers in the Gospell and against our ministerie and prescribed forme of prayer and sacraments or for that I obserue more narrowly now and then their absurdities and contâ—adictions to them selues and their dangerous positions to our state or for that I sende home againe vnto themselues those foule-mouthed slaunders wherewith vntruely they burden our church and vs or for that I dissent from the iudgement or interpretation of those famous late writers whome our brethren stand so much vppon or for that I go to the pitche of the controuersies and so largely prosecute the chiefest of them If our brethren shall thinke these things too hardly followed their owne importunitie being the cause and their full at least their further satisfaction being my drift I hope they will the easilier affoord me their excuse And I humbly beseech all our good meaning Brethr. that are otherwise persuaded herein than we are to suspend their sentence but for the while that they shall with indifferencie and without partialitie read and ponder these debatings to and fro betwixt our brethren and vs and then a gods name giue their verdict as God shal moue them hauing the feare of God before their eyes and a right zeale of his trueth and glorie in their hearts with â—n vnfeined loue and reuerence to his church Which done if I for my part haue herein â—ffended any I hartily crie them mercie and shall be readie by the grace of God on all â—ue warning and conuincing to the vttermost of my skill and power to retract or amend 〈◊〉 and so I trust and craue of all our brethren that they will not disdaine to doe the like Not regarding the person of the defender but the proues of the defence whereby God â—illing we shall the sooner finde and the better conclude the cleere true and full deterâ—inations of all these questions And to the intent gentle reader thou shouldest the readilier finde out anie of the â—ointes here in controuersie I haue distributed all this answere to our brethrens learned â—iscourse into seueral books prefixing their arguments to euery of them besides the titles of the pages and the marginall quotations which in stâ—ede of an Index may serue 〈◊〉 lead thee And though directly it pertaine not to me yet I craue the Printers and 〈◊〉 owne pardon for a great number of petit and some grosse escapes in the impression 〈◊〉 haue fallen out the more for the difficultie of my coppie vnto him and by so often â—â—terchanging of the character either in citing our brethrens wordes or some other testimonie or the text it selfe of scripture as Pag. 146. lin 34.35 Pag. 227. lin 6.7 where the letter of the text is not distinguished Besides the Hebrue wordes for the most part some Greeke with wrong letters And many wordes and sentences which the composer nor corrector did well conceiue and haue so passed I being not alwayes present at reuising the prooues But the learned and discreete reader may discerne them of which escapes the chiefe and most are noted The residue I pray the reader vouchsafe to amend with his penne sith I cannot do it with mine in all the copies And so committing it to the good successe that God shall send it and to the gentle construction of all our learned and other good brethren in the Lord and of euery indifferent Christian reader that is rightly desirous in the feare of God and loue of his trueth for tâ—â— benefite of his Church and stay of him selfe to fadome the bottom of these controuersies and wisheth the final pacification of them I conclude with the holy Apostles most godly prayer Phil. 1. And this I praye that your loue may abound more more in knowledge in all iudgement that ye may discerne things that differ one from another that ye may be pure without offence vntil the day of Christ being fulfilled with all the fruites of righteousnes which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie praise of
graunt they can be godlie to and yet dissent from all these thinges that our brethren seeke for it argueth that they are not of such necessitie but that men may be learned moderate and godly to though not onely they haue not these thinges that our Brethren seeke for but that also they be of a contrarie opinion And if this may be so among the learned I sée not why it may not be so likewise among the vnlearned and so among vs all in generall Our learning our modestie our godlinesse is no whit preiudiced by the want or refusall of these things that our brethren seeke for And if it be no preiudice to these thrée vertues no more is it preiudice to any other and so these thinges that our brethren seeke for may be altogether as well spared as receiued nor haue anie necessitie at all in them But nowe since they on their side which likewise we denie not in thē but so farre foorth congratulate the same vnto them shall haue both learned godly and moderate men also yet would wee gladly vnderstande this whether this shal be counted a péece of their moderation to vse such broade language as hath passed alreadie euen in the giuing this aduice nay would God it might cease here but all this learned discourse is pestered with such and with more immoderate spéeches against the poore ministers against all the Bishops and against all vs their brethren yea against the Prince and all the whole state of the Church Me thinketh if we should haue moderate men on their side also that wee might make good exception against all these that call themselues here all the faithfull ministers as not moderate men But vpon hope of their better moderation on this moderate admonition our request vnto them is that at leastwise for the time of this debating they would lay aside al this so peremptorie vrging of necessitie with all these and such other vndecent termes and violent demeanour in this conference Well nowe when her Maiestie and their honours shall haue agréed vpon the men how shall they procéede in handling the matter So that first say they vpon sufficient consideration the questions to be debated be without all ambiguitie set downe This first point so farre as it stretcheth is right good reason and we holde well with it that the questions to be debated should be set downe vpon sufficient consideration had of them and then beeing sufficiently considered to be matters requisite to be debated vppon to be set downe without all ambiguitie But here-vpon ariseth another question and me thinketh no lesse to be also sufficiently considered who shall haue this sufficient consideration of the questions that are to be set downe whether they be fit questions or no And who shall cut off all ambiguities that the questions may be cleare and plaine What shall anie of the parties themselues or both the parties that must debate and dispute vppon them Or shall her Maiestie and their honours that appointed the parties appoint the Questions Or some other learned godlie and moderate men but also appointed by them to be the moderators of the disputation betwéene them If now such moderators shall- be agréed vpon also to allow of the questions that shall- be set downe how shall they begin to procéed in reasoning The reasons say they of both sides without all out-goeings shortlie and plainelie deliuered in writing each to other What And shall they doo it then all by writing Indéed that is a sure way for by that meanes there shall be lesse escapes of the partie reasoning and lesse euasions from his aduersarie and lesse moouing the affections of the hearers with the action of the person when the reasons are deliuered in writing And the other partie so receauing the arguments shall againe with more aduisement and lesse perturbing peruse and weygh the force of the reasons and more shortlie and plainelie without all out-goings graunt denie or distinguish the same And they againe receiuing this answer in writing which the partie auoweth to stand vnto may better perceiue what they haue to confirme or to impugne and still on both sides with the lesse explication of their senses by mouth goe more roundlie and resolutelie to the argument it selfe setting aside all circumstances till at length the one side be driuen to a demurre or issue that all that argument must relie vpon and looke for the finall sentence and determination of the matter But what shall we héere doo Who shall now determine that issue betwéene them Shall the foresaid moderators or anie other iudges For their spéeches séeme to allow none But that the disputers among themselues it all determine all the matter or without anie determinations take it for a cleare case as though it were determined For saie they That after vpon sufficient examination the reasons of both be continuallie confirmed and resolued till either by the euidence of truth one part yeeld vnto the other or the follie and madnesse of those which gainesai it doo in equall iudgement become manifest in regarde of the contradictions and absurdities whereto they shall be driuen by the force of Gods worde And might we conceiue anie assured hope that if our bretheren were by this meanes conuicted that then they would yeelde Or if they or we had anie such madnesse or follie not to yeelde but still to gaine-saie the euidence of truth and incurre contradictions and absurdities wherevnto they or we should be driuen by force of Gods word should none betwéene them and vs haue this equall iudgement to make this become manifest This therefore were to leaue the matter still vndetermined except there were also some appointed to be in equall iudgement betwéene the parties the determiners of the matter As for our parts we neuer refused or by Gods grace shall refuse anye waie that her Maiestie and their honors shall thinke méete whereby our brethren might be satisfied But we shall sée in this learned discourse how their selues except they also be the onelie determiners of the questions betwéene vs reaching euen to the highest pointe of the Princes authoritie vtterlie reiect both this and all other waies for the finall determination of them But now supposing all will fall out well on their side they procéed saying Which waie though it should come naked vnto vs cannot well be refused but being richlie attired with all robes and ornaments which the scripture giueth vnto the synodicall assemblies for such conferences as namelie that there be much searching of the truth by sufficient reasoning without all by matters quarrels euasions and coulours whatsoeuer that there be much order when the spirit of euerie prophet shall be subiect vnto the spirits of other prophets and the iudgement of all shall be sufficientlie heard without stopping of free and sufficient aunswer without lordlie carrying awaie of the matter with no substance of reason where no authoritie pregnancie of wit plausible persuasion of mans
What a strange and sleeuelesse answer haue we heere to so direct and important obiections I referre it to the iudgement of whosoeuer shall be Iudges of this their answer And I beléeue it will pose their wisedoms to iudge and misse nâ—t what the meaning is of this our brethrens answer For first whome doe they meane héere in these wordes It maye please their wisedomes who are to be Iudges to consider what we haue to answer vnto these things Doe they meane the Readers of these their writings Or doo they meane some to be appointed to be iudges of thâ— controuersies in the foresaid conference and debating But when they set downe all the order of that conference they so little mentioned anyâ— iudges that they would haue the matter so examined onelie on both sides till by the euidence of truthe the one part yeeld vnto the other or the follie and madnesse of those which gaine-saie it do in equall iudgement become manifest Héere is mention indéed of equall iudgement but it appeareth that they would haue the parties onelie not anye iudge or vmpiere betwéne the parties to determine the matter which is the thing that we thinke verie necessarie But they thinke the matter would be so cleare that it should néed no such iudges nor in yâ— conference they arâ— answerers or defendants but chalengers as here they confesse â— yet herâ— they speake of those that are to be iudges of their answer vnto these things which I vnderstand for their answer vnto these three obiections And so I like wise make the same request with them That it may please their wisedomes who are to be iudges that is to saye as I vnderstand them the readers of their answer to consider indéed and to weigh well what they haue to answer vnto these things at least-wise what they dâ—â— answer vnto them For if they haue to answer anye thing else whie diâ— they not héere set it downe Except they reserue somewhat for a further answer which the readers wisedome cannot nor is not to consider vntill they shew it In the meane season the readers or iudges wisedomes whosoeuer and their owne wisedomes too that made this answer shall â—ndâ— them-selues worke inough to consider of this their answer héere maâ—â— vnto these things which if they haue the truth of Gods word conteine the safest and best waie in such cases c. Sée how they make these things to hang together they desire the iudges wisedome to consider what they haue to answere vnto these things What are these things that the readers or iudges should consider Are they not héere desired to consider of their answer to these their obiections which them-selues say may be obiected against them Now when they say on these things that is these three obiections which if they haue the truth of Gods word c. Then say I let their wisedomes consider who are to be iudges what our brethren can answer that shall be able to confute euen these things that is these three obiection Except our brethren will take vpon them to confute the truthe of Gods word Sed magna est veritas praeualet But if they shall not meane by this their answer vnto these things their answer vnto these three obiections how shall the iudges wisedomes be able to knowe what they should consider if our brethren meane by these things the waie of reconciliation that they set downe before how saye they héere these things conteine the safest and best waie in such cases if they vnderstand by these things which they speake of héere the waye it selfe that before they spake of â— And if they meane those things that they set downe in that waie what meane they héere in saying they will answer vnto these things when them-selues set those things downe as meanes and rules to be obserued in the conference and not as questions or as obiections mooued either of vs or yet of themselues or of any other to be by them answered at all vnto But the safest and best waie me thinketh in such cases as these vncerteine spéeches are which tend neither we nor I thinke themselues that wrote them can well tell whervnto is to let them alone without aâ—ye answer nor to comber anie readers or iudges wisdomes in further considering of them except their selues shall- be able and will vouchsafe to tell what they ment by these things and by these words that they vtter as it were in riddles so confusedlie that Magis opus est Oedipo quam iudice to decide them As for that they adde that they tâ—nd to the full quieting of all where-vnto soeuer these things and these words also of our brethren tâ—nd the full quieting of all is a good thing so it be a quieting in goodnesse and doone by good order Would God our brethen that haâ—â— begun these troublesome contentions would yet nowe at length submit themselues to a full quieting of all But they tell vs of one thing and go about in this discourse the cleane contrarie Yea to make all the wholâ— estate more out of quiet then we be The setting out of such discourses aâ— this is tendeth so little to any full quiet of all that it is the verie readiest waie to disturbe all with a soule disquieting And the remoouing saye they of the plagues which are vpon vs and are like dailie further to come euen from the common aduersarie We haue no greater plague vpon vs then these ciuill wars that our brethren haue begun And her Maiestie their honors besides the Archb. Bishops and all we to our habilities with all lenitie hetherto haue laboured to remooue Would God our brethren that began this plague would not continue and encrease it But they prognosticate that there are more plagues that are like dailie further to come euen from the common aduersarie The more haue our brethren to answer that knowing or fearing this will not cease plaguing both themselues and vs with these vnnecessarie contentions If they would needs haue begone them they should at least haue forborne till we had ouerpast all the dangers comming from the common aduersarie But saye they We may boldlie yet most humblie on our knees require them before GOD and all his elect Angels not to cast it awaie How doo they make this conclusion depend on the premisses And who are they whom thus boldie yet most humblie on their knees they may require them Is it the Archbishops and Bishops But neither they require such humilitie of our brethren nor our brethren will make any request in such humble manner to them Or is it those of whome before they said who are to be iudges not telling who those iudges were whether some appointed by hir Maiestie and her most honorable counsell or the readers nor whereof they should be iudges whether of the conference or of these things to wit of these obiections or of their answer there-vnto or of the controuersies in this
knowledge of the truth be eastly caried away from the truth by such perswasions But thanks be giuen to God we vse no such practises but plainly speak the words of truth and sobernesse and are readie when we shal at anye time be called there-unto to render an aunswere to euery one that asketh a reason of the hope that is in vs or of any thing pertayning to our vocations without tumults as becommeth both faithfull Christians and obedient subiects to our prince and superiors in defence of the gouernement established But we say our brethren meaning for them selues and excluding vs we require that where both sides may vppon mature and sufficient deliberation be heard without any of these shewes and the matter deliuered vnto her Maiestie their honours and whosoeuer they shall choose to receaue and examine the allegations of both sides so that it neede not to be communicated vnto the people vntill the manifeste lighte of the truth first appeare vnto them This then is the manner that our brethren set downe whereby they would vrge the alteration and as the obiection saith be preiudiciall to the estate of gouernment established But let the preiudice thereof fall out as it should if our brethren woulde indéede content them-selues with this manner of triall Neither do we nor I hope shall we at any tyme being lawfully called there-unto refuse this manner Yea euen according to the prescription of this manner for the principall points there-of haue we already procéeded long ago Where the estate of the gouernment before established in popery and the estate of the gouernment now established vnder the Gospell hath on both sides vppon mature and sufficient deliberation bene heard without any of these shewes if any were vsed either of the one side or the other And the matter also hath beene deliuered to her Maiesty and to their honours or to whomsoeuer that were chosen or appointed by her Maiesty and them to receaue and examine the allegations of both sides and so was this estate of gouernement by her Ma. and their honours yea by al the estates of the realme determined decreed approued ratified confirmed practised mayntayned continued and by all these fore-said meanes and manner established And this was done also partlye in the time of the most renownieâ— Prince King Henrie the eight and again better in the reigne of the moâ—â— godly Prince King Edward the sixt But chieflie in the beginning and some parts ther-of in some other Synods and Parliaments besides other more particuler conferences deliberations since the happy reigne of our most gratious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth And yet all this will not now satisfie our brethren but they will haue the matter fetched again about as though it were fresh to beginne or had neuer yet by so good a manner and meanes as these bene hetherto disputed examined or deliberated vpon But would once more serue their turne No nor I think one hundred or thousand times moe except it were concluded in al points euen as they themselues would haue it But how they would agrée amoÌ„â— them-selues and when and how long that agréement would hold God hâ— knoweth For my part I sée little hope of reconciliation in the matter by this manner which they héere set down God forgiue me if I think amisse Neither do I speake it of euill will vnto them to whom I wish in Christe as to my self nor for that I would shunne the conference in such manner if I poore soule were worthy to be called among other ther-vnto but only to shewe that in very déede this is but a meere pretence to countenaÌ„ce the matter howsoeuer their entent I graunt be good zealous in the alteration of the estate of gouernment established But if they intend indéede such a manner of deliberation as they haue héere declared who shal determine al the matter Her Maiesty is named and their Honours and whosoeuer they shall choose But whereto are they named Or wherto shal they choose anie Forsooth to receaue and examine the allegations on both sides What meane they hereby would they haue her Maiestye or them to be scrutators and noters of the voyces who giueth on this side who on that and so to examine which side hath mo voices or meane they by receauing and examining the allegations to take to marke and examine their reasons yet neither to determine any thing at al of them nor to ratifie that which the appointed iudges shall determine But how then shall the manifeste light of the truth first appeare vnto them except they shall so farre forth determine of the matter that either on this or on thâ—â— side the truth consisteth But when the matter is thus determined what shall now be done it shall then be communicated to the people And what now shal the people doe shall they determine againe on the matter after her Maiestie their honours or others whosoeuer by her Maiesty and vnder her Ma. by their honours assigned or chosen shall haue once determined of the matters and communicated the same vnto the people Shall they vndoe all that hath bene done if they mislike it or cannot agree vpon it wherto then serued all this manner of their doing No her Maiestie onelye in this manner or their Honours assigned by her Maiesty or they whosoeuer are chosen by her Maiesty and them must be not onely the receauers and examiners of both sides but also the iudges and determiners as to whome the light of the truth shall first appeare and then it must be committed to the people to knowe only what they must obey and stick vnto without any further gain-saying and there an ende This is the manner as I take it that here our brethren desire of their disputation If now it be thus hath not her Ma. vppon mature deliberation of the allegations on both sides and that not by her selfe but with their Honours and by them whome she with their honours hath chosen determined on the approbation of the matter and divulged her and their determination or approbation to the people alreadie and where are our brethren then Wil they desire to haue it yet once againe examined better because perhaps al these learned discoursers haue not beene called to anie such disputation conference or deliberation But what now if her Ma. their honours and those that are by her Ma. and their honours chosen shall thus determine or approue and ratifie againe that which is already determined will our brethren then for euer héereafter stand any more to her Ma. and their determâ—nation then now they do If they wil whie stande they not now to that her Maiesty hath already established and to her constant auowing still of the same Nay rather why haue they clean already forsaken in this their learned discourse following all this deuise both for manner matter where-of they make all this so glorious pretence and shewe in this their Preface there-unto For
Iudges at home in our seuerall Congregations bicause S. Paule prescribed the Corinthians so to haue and that all such publike Iudges to serue a whole realme or countrie were not lawfull or were néedlesse bicause in the Primitiue Church they had no suche publike Christian Iudges for a whole realme or countrie might not this growe to the manifest iniurie not onelie of th◠Iudges but of all the whole common-weale Yea might not the Christian Prince feare that by the same rule if it were true that ye saye there was no Christian Prince then when the Churche was perfect in all her regiment he might be driuen cleane out of his ciuill regiment too and out of all not supreame onelie but anye authoritie at all among the Christians and cleane dispossessed of his kingdome except he would content himselfe to be a Iudge chosen in one particuler citie So that neither inheritance nor a whole Realme or Realmes to bee ruled by anye one christian Prince could hold any plea if such rules might be coined on such examples And then forsoothe the churche of GOD as before there was anye christian Prince so after they are all thrust out or reduced to that state that they were in might be saide to be perfect in all hir regiment once againe And that the Churche of God may stande and dooth stande in moste blessed state where the ciuill Magistrates are not the greatest fauourers nor beare the greatest rule but all is brought againe to the estate it was in before in the Apostles time Doo ye not sée what a most blessed estate the churche of God would come vnto by this rule And I pray you bretheren what warrant haue you more or so muche for the prescription of your Seniorie in euerie congregation as is héere prescribed by S. Paule for the choosing of this Iudge or ruler among the perticuler congregations of the christians We must take héed therfore how we stand on such examples or how we enlarge any rule that was particuler to the time or state then or to the place or persons there to be-come an ordinarie generall absolute or perpetuall rule to vs and to the whole Churche whether it be by S. Paule or by S. Peter or by any or by all the Apostles or by our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe him-selfe practised yea or commanded For diuerse examples and commandements were but for certeine times states places and stretch no further As the Disciples to carrie neither golde nor siluer nor money nor scrippe nor two coates nor shooes nor staffe Matth. 10. To abstaine from things offered to Idols and from bloud and from that that is strangled Acts. 15. And that men should praye bare headed c. 1. Cor. 11. And albeit that in the commandements and rules prescribed of these things and of the like neither Christe nor his Apostles tell that they were to continue but for a time yet leueling the same by the analogie of our faithe and by the proportion of our Christian libertie we find no such necessitie in these thinges nor of any other such like orders as in the regiment of the Primitiue churche was vsed For though they were vsed as orders or as ornanaments to beautifie the blessed estate of the Churches regiment then yet neither the blessednes nor the estate therof consisted in them when they had them And if any church that now flourisheth haue any of them it is neuer the more blessed for them as of anye necessitie to the estate thereof And if any haue them not and haue other good orders of regiment established among them it is neuer the lesse blessed of God for the not hauing of them If they haue what is necessarie that sufficeth Prooue either this Seniorie to be necessarie for vs imagining there had béene any such or els all this most blessed estate resolues to nothing But neither of these is yet prooued nor I feare mee euer will bee that there were any such Gouernours at all or that we are bound in euerie particuler congregation to obeye or to haue suche a Segniorie But we are bound to haue and to obeye in all lawfull ordinances our Princes and Magistrates especiallie being Christians and fauourers and fosterers of the Churche of God defenders of the faithe setters foorth and professors of the Gospell Where suche Princes are as wee muste néedes confesse we haue except we be too vnthankefull there indéed the Churche of GOD may stand and standeth at this day in farre more blessed state with-out this Segniorie then where this Segniorie standeth and the Ciuill Magistrates are not the greatest fauourers or to speake plaine English are no fauourers at all but haters and persecuters of the Gospell And thus wee sée how weake and vntrue both these propositions of these reasons are by the which as a notable great reason in the end scars◠woorth a little currane these our Learned Discoursers auouched that it might be to euerie man so plaine that it was neither needfull nor agreeable to good order of teaching to begin first to treate of the supreame authoritie of Christian princes in ecclesiasticall causes Now a◠we thus haue séene the valor and truthe of these two propositions whereon their reason is made so let vs sée their conclusion of this reason Their conclusion is this By which it is manifest that the regiment and gouernment thereof dependeth not vpon the authoritie of princes but vpon the ordinance of God who hath most mercifullie and wiselie so established the same that as with the comfortable aide of christian Magistrats it may singulerlie flourish and prosper so without it it may continue and against the aduersaries thereof preuaile For the churche craueth helpe and defence of Christian princes to continue and go forward more peaceablie and profitablie to the setting vp of the kingdome of Christe but all her authoritie she receaueth immediatlie of God Is this then the conclusion of their reason What is this to the present question Or how hangeth this vpon the premisses Maye not th◠princes supreame authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes be first treated vpon except this must streight be concluded on it by which it is manifest that the regiment and gouernment of the churche dependeth not vpon the authoritie of princes but vpon the ordinance of God Wherefore is this so farre fetched conclusion brought in héere Before you sai◠it seemeth not yet telling to whome but now it seemeth that it seemeth so to you and that for a manifest and plaine conclusion that if the princes supreame authoritie be first spoken of then all the churches regiment dependeth on it But I cannot tell how it seemeth to you to be a manifest and plaine consequence I promise you it séemeth not so to me Nor I thinke to any man that will way the reason with any reason And yet you threape such kindnesse on vs that are God be thanked reasonable creatures also that it now goeth beyond it
offices that Christe did institute yea all those that the Apostles added to be simplie so holden for perpetuall offices that neither they nor the Church euer after might take away some of those offices nor alter and change some that were instituted euen by Christe himselfe yea and established by the â—â—ostles themselues in their times but that this must be thus roughly censured to be in effect to peruert and ouer-turne all Christian and Ecclesiast policie which was builded vpon the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles Iesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone And did S. Paule I pray you in this place mentioning building on this foundation either speake of or meane all Christian and Ecclesiasticall policie If he did not howe dare you adde this sense vnto the Apostles wordes Which speaketh there altogether of our mysticall incorporation into Iesus Christ by the spirit of God and preaching of his word building vâ— into his Churche and habitation and not of any externall forme and order of offices in the Churche builded whether they were perpetuall or to be altered Of the which orders that all were not perpetuall but some to be altered and changed though Instituted by Christe and established by his Apostles for that time the olde Fathers that succéeded the Apostles did so little peruert and ouerturne anie materiall part of the Church of God builded vppon the foundation of the Prophetes and the Apostles Iesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone letting go those orders and offices which were not perpetuall that some of those olde Fathers rather did offende succéeding the primitiue Church in that they laboured to retaine some of those orders and offices still holding and vrging them as necessarie and perpetuall And howe much more then should they offende that when one of these offices presupposed so maniâ— hundred yeares hath ceased in all the whole Churche would nowe goe about and that of necessitie to vrge prescribe the same to all Churches Yea what offence then should we call this when to bring in those offices that haue béene out so long wee should thrust out thâ—se that haue béene continually in to wit the offices of Bishops which were instituted and established in the Apostles times and haue continued euer since notwithstanding any corruptions and abusinges of them euen as well as the office of Pastors and Teachers hath doone which haue likewise béene corrupted and abused And nowe after so manie hundred yeares establishment to remoue the office of Bishops and take it away what were this but to peruert and ouerthrowe a great part of the Christian and Eccles. policie which remaineth But howe vnhaâ—â—ie a successe this good intent as they call it of theirs deserued to haue of God who alwaies abhorreth al good intents of men that are contrarie to the good pleasure of his will expressed in his holie worde the age before vs alas hath felt the present time doth plainely see and we pray God the posteritie warned by examples of their auncestors may take heede of it We defende not nor stande vpon these good intentes of men that are contrarie to the good pleasure of God or his â—â—ll expressed in his holie worde Thankes be to God we knowe God abhorreth it and God be praysed we abhorre it and confesse it hath had and still will haue vnhappie successe But whie speake ye this more to the blemishe of the state of Gods Churches gouernement amonge vs then among your selues Doe we maintaine and enforce as you doe anye such intent Name it If ye say it is this our order of gouernment in Ecclesiasticall matters Prooue it As yet in this your Learned discourse you haue not proued it And if ye can not proue it how do not these your own wordes then with a recumbentibus returne on your selues If ye haue no good intent that is worse If ye haue a good intent as I hope ye haue and can not prooue that this your platforme of Eccles. gouernment is prescribed necessarily vnto vs in Gods worde and ought to be perpetuall in all Churches wil your good intent thinking it so to be excuse you Take you also heede therfore we pray God for you as you for vs that we may both of vs and all of vs be warned by such examples of the vnhappie successe of good intentes of men contrarie to the good pleasure of Gods will expressed in his holie worde But what are these ill euents of these good intentes ye speake of For where there are especially 2. things propounded in the Church of God Doctrine Discipline as if a man would say knowledge and practise by which the glorie of God is sought shineth therin in steed of true doctrine followed all manner of corruptions of the same both in the whole and in euerie part therof as ignorance heresies Idolatrie superstition c. the Discipline degenerated vnto intollerable tyrannie external Domination cleane coÌ„trarie to the coÌ„mandement of Christ whereof ensued all vnbrideled licence of vngodly liuing To be shorte the exchange of the ordinance of God and Christ brought in nothing else but the Deuill and Antichrist This diuision here of Doctrine and discipline which notwithstanding I speak vnder correction séemeth to me somwhat intricate to make these 2. membra diuidentia doctrine discipline answerable to knowledg and practise Which latter twaine knowledge practise make indéed a good diuision For as the one is not coÌ„founded with the other so they 2. do part the whole betwéen theÌ„ knowledg practise But so do not Doctrine discipline Of which the one may be included in the other so they deuide not nor coÌ„prehend the whole betwéen theÌ„ Except ye conclude regimeÌ„t in discipline Where discipline rather should better be conteined in regiment as a part appertaining thereunto But let your diuision goe vnderstand discipline in your own sense which now theÌ„ is made a part of doctrine it selfe here parteth stakes with doctrine albeit it is good to goe plaine euen especially in defining diuiding vpoÌ„ the importance of which two hangeth the greatest moment both of truth perspicuitie in al controuersies that arise And many there be eueÌ„ in these controuersies betwéen vs that talke much of discipline and God wote full litle know they what it meanes Now although Discipline conteine not all the actions practise of the life of maÌ„ which is MembruÌ„ dividens here with knowledge or Doctrine nor coÌ„taine all the regiment of the Church but a part thereof yet because discipline as it is vsually taken is a necessarie part of Regiment true it is that both in doctrin in discipline the glory of God is sought and shineth And this also is verie true that when the good intentes of men are contrary to the good pleasure of Gods wil expressed in his holie worde there is deserued this vnhappie
discipline whom they call Gouernours in the Ecclesiasticall state of this their desired regiment Yea their Pastors and their Deacons to For in such order as they prescribe them I thinke they will be all founde a newe kinde of ministerie howsoeuer they pretende to bring all thinges to that most perfecte and absolute order which God himselfe hath established by his worde But to set aside these termes of perfect and absolute what doe these men meane by so often inculcating of these sayinges Would they haue vs looke for Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes againe For they were the chiefest that were then of God himselfe established by his worde If they say they meane of such established as should be perpetuall let goe the perfection and absolutenesse of them and prooue the perpetuitie and necessitie of these offices And because all offices of the Church are so linked together as the members of one bodie whereof Christ is the head we will so describe one parte as the description of them all may be sufficiently comprehended therein As if a man would set foorth the manifold office vses of the hand he should declare what it doth alone and what it doth with the helpe of the other hande or with the arme with the brest with the knee or with the foote c. what it can doe with diuerse kindes of tooles and what without all manner of instrumentes This order wee thought good to obserue in describing the ministerie of the Church as by which both the distinction and communication of all offices seruices in the Church might most plainely appeare Otherwise we force not by what Methode so the same truthe bee plainely set foorth by any man And as we controll not other mens Methodes by ours so wee would not that other mens manner of teaching should bee preiudiciall to ours This we say because of them which eyther for lacke of wit or through too muche wilfulnesse if they see anie difference in the forme and order of teaching of diuerse men though in matter and substance they all agree they exclaime there is no vnitie and therefore no truthe among them That all offices of the Church are so linked together as the mēbers of one bodie whereof Christe is the head I thinke may be further called in question howe it may be rightly vnderstoode For the members of one bodie are so linked together and especially the officiall partes therof that if any of them be disioyned from the bodie beit hande or arme or brest or knee or foote the whole bodie is maymed Yea without th◠breast I take it it can not liue And as for the mysticall bodie of Iesus Christe whereof he is the heade though this communion bee in suche a mysticall sorte as the life of this head dependeth not vppon the mayming or taking away of anie parte or member of the mysticall bodie not taking anie life at all of anie parte of the bodie but giuing all th◠life they haue vnto all the partes thereof as the Apostle sayth Ephes. 4. that we should growe vp in him which is the head that is Christ by whō al the body being coupled knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture therof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part receaueth encrease of the bodie to the edifying of it selfe in loue So that no true part or liuing mēber of this mysticall bodie can indéede be seuered from Christ their head as Christ himself saith I am the vine ye are the branches c. except they be such vnfruitful branches of whō he saith If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they burne But if they be◠members of the mysticall bodie indéede then may they safely boste with Paule Rom. 8. and say Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christe shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sworde As who say no. For saith he I am perswaded that neyther death nor life nor Angelles nor principallities nor powers nor thinges present not thinges to come nor heighte nor depthe nor anie other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lorde And shall we nowe say that all offices of the Churche are so linked together as the members of one bodie whereof Christe is the heade For my parte I dare not anowe it of all offices of the Church Neither onely of those offices that are ceased as the Leuiticall Priestes or as the Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes and diuerse others no nor yet of all the offices of the Church remayning and that haue continued and be still among vs as Pastors and Deacons which are two of these your foure offices For if we had no Deacons at all as we haue yet might the Pastors and Teachers office still continue entier in the substance of the office and much lesse empayred without anie such necessitie of these supposed Gouernours that are so importunately required But this cannot be eyther in all the members of a naturall bodie and muche lesse in anie of the members of the mysticall bodie where-of Christe is the head that they can be separated one from an-other and remaine entier and therefore all offices of the Churche are not so linked together as are the substanciall partes thereof As for these our Learned discoursers description of the Churches offices promising so to describe one part as the description of them all may be sufficiently comprehended therein although it be not materiall yet I sée not also howe they haue discharged this promise of theirs in describing euerie one of their foure officers after this manner as wee shall plainely perceaue in their treatise euen of their first office of Doctor immediately following Wherein they neither deale with nor speake of eyther their Deacons or their Gouernours or shewe howe their Doctor hath anie intermedling with them at all And therefore they faile both in the manner of this description that here vnnecessarilie they tye themselues vnto nor they do not after this example as if a man would set forth the manifold office and vses of the hand he should declare what it doth alone and what it doth with the helpe of the other hande or with the arme with the brest with the knee or with the foote c. What it can doe with diuerse kindes of tooles and what without al maner of instruments This order that here they affirme they thought good to obserue they haue not obserued Although if they had obserued the same the truthe and substance of the matter had béene neither the further nor the nearer saue that the perspicuitie of the order maketh the truthe of the matter more plainely appeare Otherwise as they say euen so say we we force not by what Methode so the same truthe be
plainely set foorth by any man Prooue the necessitie of the matter and we will not greatly stick vpon your Methode And would to God that which you say here of yâ— Methode ye would say it or rather obserue it of the plaine truthe it selfe and for the matter of the regiment concerning these offices that except yee can hereafter shewe which is yet not done that we are bounde by any commaundement of Christ or his Apostles vnto this your regiment of all and onely these 4. offices ye would say likewise with vs for the Gouernement established in the Church of Englande that as wee controll not other mens gouernement by ours so we would not that other mens manner of gouerning should be preiudiciall vnto ours But if ye will not haue vs controll your Methode vtter the same also in plaine wordes Our controuersie is all of the gouernement of the Church and you tell vs what Methode ye will obserue in describing the ministerie of the Churche as by which both the distinction and communication of all offices and seruices in the Church might most plainly appeare What doe ye make all offices and seruices in the Church to be of ministers Or al the offices seruices to be of gouernors How the distinction or communication of these may plainely appeare woulde haue béene somewhat more distinctly and plainely spoken As touching the reason of your request why ye would not haue your Methode controlled nor other mens methodes preiudiciall to yours I thinke it reasonable if there were no further difference then in the sorme and order of teaching of diuerse men when in matter of substance they all agree Anâ— yet in such matters as these are and so precisely vrged an vniformitie not onely of matter but also of the Order and Methode in teaching of them might perhaps haue made the matter lesse offensiue Howbeit if they all agree in matter of substance and the matter of substaunce bee true be good be necessarie which they all agree vpon so that they séeke the truthe indéede and plainnesse in their Teaching then is as they say it is but either for lacke of wit or through too much wilfulnesse if any exclaime there is no vnitie and therefore no truthe among them But when in matter and substance they differ not onely one from an-other but from themselues also then blame not men nor impute it to them that either for lacke of wit or that through too much wilfulnesse they say there is not so much vnitie and truthe among them as in matters so earnestly vrged there ought to be But now to the particuler viewe of these 4. offices Let vs then proceede in our purpose The office of Teaching is the chiefe and principall office that is in the Church By that we are taught to knowe God and howe to serue him and what benefits to looke for at his hande without which knowledge there can be no felicitie but only destruction looked for according to the saying of the wise man where prophecying faileth there the people perish Albeit the office of teaching in these respectes as to know God and how to serue him and what benefites to looke for at his handes as the ordinary cause sine qua non without which there is no knowledge and without knowledge there can be no felicity but c. may wel be said to be the chiefe and principall office that is in the Church yet in respecte of the Ecclesiasticall gouernment which is the title of all this Learned discourse vnderstanding the same truly and plainly for the gouernment in of or ouer al Ecclesiastical causes how they should be ordeined directed or disposed I take it that this office of teachers admitting it were such a distinct office by it selfe from the office of Pastors as they woulde haue it is not the chiefe and principall office in the Church In Christe him selfe are the offices of a King of a Prieste and of a Prophete And in that he was a Prophete he was a Teacher also or Doctor Which office was so necessary to reueale the will of his heauenly father that both God the father said from heauen This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him Mat 17 And Christ of himselfe Luc. 4. did reade this sentence The spirite of the Lord is vppon mee because he hath anointed mee that I shoulde preach the Gospell to the poore c. So that where no man saw God at any time except the onely begotâ—en Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father had declared him Io 1 As he saith also Io. 17. I haue giueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ the words which thou gauest mee and they haue receaued them and beleeued them c. without the which teaching there can be no felicitie but only destruction looked for as he said before in the same prayer This is life eternall to know thee to be the onelie very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ yet not-with-standing the chiefe and principall office of gouerning the Churche of God was neither this high and necessary office of his teaching nor yet that of his Priesthoode which was as necessary yea and higher in the actions of the office then the other But his royall and kingly office was and is the chiefe and principall office in him And much morâ— is it in the outward regiment of the Church in Ecclesiasticall causes wherein Moses was aboue Aaron Iosue Dauid Solomon c. were aboue the high-priestes them-selues And so remaines it still except ye can shew the order of these offices of the church inuerted Of which the Papistes would be glad and vrge it harde especially from Peter wrestling there-to the thréefold saying of Christ to him Ioan. 21. Feede my Lambâ—s feede my sheepe feede my sheepe Meaning not only his gouerning but his office of Teaching which was his especial feeding of them and they driue it all to gouerning aduauncing them-selues before all Christian Princes And yet we graunt that in the action of their seuerall Ecclesiasticall function or Church ministery they are aboue all Christian Princes representing God vnto them teaching and admonishing them and all other But not aboue them in gouernment of all Ecclesiasticall causes Which is the question in controuersie now betwixt vs on the one parte and the Papists and these our owne Learned discoursing Brethren seuering them-selues from vs and adhering though not to them yet to their errour by a new deuise on the other parte The Ministery is deuided into two functions they that exercise the firste are called Pastors the other are called Doctors or Teachers I pray you my Learned discoursing Maisters for my learning héere againe let me aske this When ye desired not to bee controlled for your methode differing from others did ye include this not to be controlled though ye differ from your selues also and speake yee care not what contradictions both one against an-other and against your
Church may be instructed truly and let him meditate that onely that he may make the Churche more learned by his doctrine For he is a Doctor that formeth and bringeth vp the Church in the worde of truthe He that excelleth in the power of exhorting let him looke to this ende that he exhorte effectually But these offices haue a great affinity and also a knitting together betweene them-selues albeit they leaue not be diuerse No man indeed can exhorte but with doctrine neuerthelesse he that teacheth is not straight wayes indued with the gifte of exhorting Now no man either teacheth or exhorteth but he ministreth But as we see also and acknowledge in Gods gifts it is enough to be fitte for the order Ecclesiasticall Thus modestly doth Caluine mitigate the matter euen where he maketh them diuerse offices Not that he which teacheth can not nor may exhorte as our brethren here peremtorily permit him not but that straight waies he is not endued with the gift of exhorâ—ing As who say in time he may be and many are and it is enough if he be fitte for the Eccl order of the ministerie Peter Martyr saith on these wordes He that teacheth in teaching The Apostles gaue a moste fayre example of this precepte when they saide It is not meete that we should leaue the word of God and minister at the Tables For sith they were instituted of the Lorde to teach the world their will was to be done in doctrine Now if this be the fairest example of this precept of Paule concerning teaching Did not the Apostles alwayes intermingle exhortation with their doctrine But let Peter Martyr procéede on these wordes He that exhorteth in exhorting These two are of very neere affinitie between themselues to teach and to exhorte and sometimes both of them are graunted to one man Notwithstanding now and then and for a great part they are deuided For ye may see some that can teach aptlie and clearely set forth most cunning matters and expounde hid thinges manifestlie and yet for all that euen the same men are meruelous colde in exhortations Some there are whose dexterity and forciblenesse is wonderfull in exhortations who notwithstanding to teache are of all other most vnfitte Out of the words of the Apostle to the Corinthians a little before alleadged wee see how the giftes of Prophecie are distinct We haue in the first place He speaketh edification which appertayneth to doctrine Secondly exhortation wherby men are stirred to do good and to shunne euill In the 3. place is added Consolation For it often commeth to passe that some are broken with aduersitie who thereupon may seeme eyther that they wil dispayre or that they will fall away from the truth Wherfore it is necessary that they be helped with consolation this part Paule heere doth not prosecute I suppose bicause hee comprehendeth it vnder exhortation But howe much doctrines and publike exhortations were in vse accustomed in the Church in the auncient time may be gathered of that chapter to the Cor. 14. Yea these were neuer left off no not in the Synagogues of the Iewes so often as the sacred assemblie was Which may be proued of that that when Christ sat among them in the Sinagogue a booke was sent to him to expounde somewhat to the people And when Paule and Barnabas came to Antiochia of Pisidia as is conteyned in the 13. chapter of the Acts and when they came to the Synagogue with other Iewes the ruler of the Sinagogue said vnto them If yee haue the word of consolation for the people saie on Whereby it is apparant that consolation being contayned vnder exhortation and by these examples of the Doctors and the Teachers thus intermingling consolation with their doctrine and teaching that although in some excelling in one of these giftes and not in both yet the ordinary vse was aswell to ioyne exhortation vnto doctrine as doctrin vnto exhortation And this doth Gualter set out yet more plaine In the 3. place saith he he setteth Doctors These he willeth to bee diligent and industrious in teaching to witte that they should instructe the people committed to their trust diligentlie and edifie all in true faith and godlinesse c. To conclude let them apply euery thing vnto their hearers that they may perceaue these things to be spoken vnto them and to appertayne vnto them And so shall they be true Doctors and cutte the woorde of God aright when they shall remember that there is no lesse neede of prudence then of faith if they will performe these thinges In which wordes he maketh not onely the doctrine of true faith but godlinesse prudence and application to the hearers to bee necessaryâ— pointes and no lesse néedefull than the other appertayning to the office of the Doctors In the fowrth place saith he he setteth exhortation vnder doctrine For althoughe these 2. maye seeme to bee ioyned together moste neerely betweene them-selues yet are they diuerse giftes Neither is hee alwayes furnished with both of them that hath the one of them For such there are that haue an excellent perspicuitye and facilitye of Teaching and when they come to Exhortation those men arevery colde especiallye if they light vppon such as are stubborne and such as will aunswere them againe and vpon great personages and on suche as are aduaunced with publike authority Againe yee shall see others who when they can do lesse in teaching if at any time they must dispute of darker matters and yet are they most vehement in exhorting and with a certaine maruelous waight of argumeÌ„ts do pierce euen the most obstinate mindes But howsoeuer things are we ought alwayes to remember that in the Church of God there is neede not onely of meere doctrine but also of exhortations and that for the disposition of the froward flesh which often is woont to looke backe yea and to stay in those thinges which it knoweth to bee holye and wholesome For there is such negligence of men saith Hemingius yea euen in the businesse of their owne saluation that except they bee prodded with the goades of exhortations and chydings the doctrine remayneth vneffectuall Let therefore the Pâ—eachers of the worde in this place be admonished that not only they shoulde thinke it is their office to teach those things that are right but also to applie the doctrin to the hearers Which thing is done when as according to the example of Christ of the Prophetes and of the Apostles those things which they haue taught they do as it were instill them by exhorting stirre vp diuerse motions of affections Let him teache in doctrine exhorte in exhortation saith Bullinger that is to say let him so teach and exhorte as godlinesse perswadeth and becommeth the Christian doctrine to be Of the which also the Apostle Peter saith If any man speak let him speak as the words of God In which wordes he maketh both these actions of teaching and exhorting to
Act. 16.3 so he trauelled with him till he came to Boerea Acts. 17. verse 14. and 15 there abiding when Paule went to Athens he came at his commaundemeÌ„t vnto him to Corinthe Act. 18.5 And so went with Paule abode with him at Ephesus Acts. 19. vntill verse 22. he sent him and Erastus into Macedonia Whither when Saint Paule came Acts. 20 and trauelled from thence to Greece he sent againe Timothie with diuersâ— other to Troas where while Timothie abode Saint Paule as it is likelie wrote his First Epistle to the Corinthians in his returne to Macedonia at Phillippos Act. 20 verse 3. and 6. Determining to send Timothie with that Epistle backe againe to Corinthe which of likeliehood hee did when he came to Troas where Timothie with other abode his comming Who when he came thether sent Timothie accompanied with Stephanus Fortunatus and Achaicus with that Epistle as in the ende thereof 1. Corinthians 19 verse 8. appeareth I will tarrie at Ephesus vntill Pentecoast for a great doore and effectuall is opened vnto me but there are manie aduersaries Nowe if Timothie come see that hee bee without feare of you For he worketh the worke of the Lord euen as I doo And euen so saithe Luke Act. 20. verse 16. Paule had determined to saile by Ephesus bicause he would not spend the time in Asia for hee hasted if he could possiblie be at Ierusalem at the daye of Pentecost Whereas before he had minded to tarrie at Ephesus till the drawing néere of that feast So that if I coniecture not amisse which if I doo I will be readie in all humilitie to reforme my computation it appeareth that Timothie was at that time none of these Bishops nor among them whome Saint Paule called from Ephesus to Miletum Howe then was Timothie the firste Bishop ordeined of Ephesus Not firste in time for if anye at all in time then muste hee néedes haue béene ordeyned Bishoppe after them Neyther yet that all the other Bishoppes were not at all ordeined or were now all dead but that in dignitie hee was the firste that is to saie the cheefe or Archbishop among and ouer them all And to confirme this let vs sée the iurisdiction and authoritie by S. Paule giuen him ouer all the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie in this Citie For whensoeuer Saint Paule wrote his firste Epistle to him which some take to be during the time that hee taried for the assemblie of these Bishops aforesaid in the meane while stepping ouer to Laodicia which is about the same distaÌ„ce from Miletum that Ephesus was as appeareth by the charte or mappe therof and there at Laodicea he wrote that Epistle Other suppose and it is farre more likelie that it was after he had béene at Rome and was by Nero set at libertie in which time of â—0 yeares space as he visited againe which the Centuriographers note the Churches of Syria Asia and Greece so hauing a great care of this Churche of Ephesus and kéeping his former course of visitation as hee did Act. 20. from Ephesus to Macedonia and so backe againe as before hee had doone he writeth from Laodicea vnto Timothie whom 〈◊〉 had before ordeined Bishop there giuing him this charge 1. Tim. 1. vâ—â—sâ— 3. As I besought thee to abide still in Ephesus when I departed into 〈◊〉 so doo that thou maiest commaund some that they teach none other 〈◊〉 neither that they giue heede to fables and genealogies Whereby 〈◊〉 appâ—â—reth that hee had authoritie giuen him by the Aposâ—le to 〈…〉 controll and commaund such Bishops Pastors and Doctors as were at Ephesus both for the matter and the manner of their teaching Vpon which sentence saith Caluine The worde of denouncing signifieth power for Paule would furnish him with power to restreine others And this power he giueth him not onelie that they shoulde teache no other doctrine but also not the same Doctrine otherwise So that the manner of setting foorth doctrine as well as the doctrine it selfe apperteined to his charge and ouer-sight In the 2. chapter he shewes him some orders that he would haue obserued in the Churche concerning prayers and the publike Ministerie of the worde In the 3. chapter he describes the office and duties of Bishops and their wiues of Deacons and their wiues so that although the name of Bishop bee there taken indifferentlie for the Pastors of the worde and Sacraments yet still hath Timothie an authoritie giuen him ouer them bothe to make such Bishops as should so be qualified and to ouer-see that they being made should behaue themselues accordinglie Wherevpon after hee hath described them hee saithe to Timothie verse 14. These thinges write I vnto thee trusting to come shortelie vnto thee but if I tarrie long that thou maiste haue knowledge how to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the Churche of the liuing God the piller and grounde of truthe In which wordes he plainelie giueth him an authoritie and iurisdiction of ordering and gouerning these offices in the policie and regiment of the Church In this speech saith Caluine he commendeth the weight and dignitie of the office bicause Pastors are as it were Stewards vnto whom God hath committed his house So that Caluine héere maketh Timothie a Pastor whome ye call a Bishop and he giueth him authoritie ouer other Pastors or Bishops there And how doth not this plainlie inferre that though all in the pastorall office may be a like and equall yet in dignitie one may haue charge and gouernement ouer another In the 4 chapter verse 11. and 12. he saith Commend and teach these things Let no man dispise thy youth but be vnto them that beleeue an example c. As though he woulde haue him become a myrror and patterne not onelie to the people but to the Pastors Wherevpon saith Caluine we also acknowledge that Timothie was a yoong man whoe notwithstanding farre surmounted manie Pastors And on the 15. verse he saith Grace was giuen him by prophesie How To witte for bicause as we haue said the Holie-ghoste by oracle had appointed Timothie that he should be chosen into the order of pastors Yea your selues haue clearelie confessed pag. 19. that Timothie was but a yoong man and yet had the office of an Elder If then a Pastor an Elder a Bishop be all one then must Timothie néeds be a Bishop if a pastor must haue a charge flocke assigned him then must Ephesus be his pastorall or Episcopall charge and flocke Which charge that it stretched aboue his other felow Pastors or Bishops is most apparant in the 5. Chapter where besides his authoritie in chusing and ouerseeing the widdowes for his authoritie ouer these Pastorall Elders or Bishops rebuke not an Elder rigorously saith the Apostle to Tim. v. 1. but exhort him as a Father And ver 17. the Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour especially they that labour in the woorde
Bishoppe he meaneth not onely a Pastor but a Doctor and not onely a Doctor but also a Priest or Elder whose office ye say consisteth onely in gouernement and not in publike teaching Ergo a Doctor and a Pastor and a gouernour for so ye call your not teaching Priest or Elder are all one and equall Which is the cleane ouerthrowe of all this your Learned discourse of Ecclesiast Gouernment Likewise as on this former worde Bishop Beza and the Geneua Testament comprehend Doctors Pastors and Elders not teaching but only gouerning so also on the other word Deacons But saith Beza he vnderstandeth Deacons to be the stewards of the Eccles. treasurie and the college of the widdowes And 1. Tim. 3 Deacons These are they that haue the care of the poore c. And the Geneua note By Deacons such as had the charge of the distribution and of the poore and sicke Yea Beza here procéedeth further and saith when otherwise this name is sometime vniuersall in so much that it comprehendeth euen the Apostles themselues also So then we must againe conclude that the name Deacon comprehendeth the treasorers the widdowes the Apostles yea and all the Ecclesiasticall ministers and so Doctors and Pastors too Ergo all together are but all one office and all alike equall in the same Who séeth not the euill sequence of this conclusion And surely though your argument faile and your selues also are not comparable to the excellent Learned Master Beza yet of twaine in my iudgement ye holde the truer opinion in not vnderstanding here by the name of Bishops Elders those that are onely Gouernours and not Teachers but vnderstanding thereby Pastorall Elders contrarie to Beza and to the Geneua Testament And as we will all ioyne with you thus farre-foorth herein that by the name of Bishops he comprehendeth Pastors and not those that were not Pastors so shall wee haue Caluine on our side yea and Danaeus too who is also of Geneua and a most earnest fauorer of your opiniō and one that hath written best in my fancie of all our side for the maintenance of it And yet where he goeth about of set purpose to 1. Tim. 3.1 to prooue Bishops and Pastors to be all one and maketh your last example Act. 20 his seconde argument and this your present example Phil. 1. to be a part of his fourth argument and where he distinguisheth of Elders as you do euen there saith he of these Elders therfore that haue here their name of dignitie not of age there are two sortes in the Scripture The one of thē that watch on manners onely the other of them that attende both on doctrine and on manners and labour in both The which may be easily gathered out of this Epistle cap. 5. ver 17. Concerning therefore the first sorte as it is distinguished from the second so it is to be seuered frō the Bishops and Doctors And so he entreth into his processe the whole beginning whereof was this which I should haue set before But Paule in all this chap. treateth of Bishops and Deacons Howbeit there are other Ecclesiasticall and necessarie dignities besides Deacons Bishops as are Elders of whom some thinke that Paule spake nothing at all in this place But reiecting their opinion distinguishing of these two sorts of Elders he encludeth only Pastorall Elders as you doe in the name of Bishops The like doeth Caluine in this place Phil. 1. vppon the worde Bishops He nameth the Pastors by themselues for honours sake Moreouer it is lawefull to gather hereon the name Bishop to be common to all the ministers of the worde when he attributeth manie Bishoppes to one Church Therefore the name of Bishoppe and Pastor are Synonyms or diuerse wordes meaning one thing c. And on the name Deacon he saith also in the saide place This name may be taken two wayes eyther for the ministers and carers for the poore or for the Elders that were appointed to gouerne the manners But because it is more commonly taken of Paule in the former sense I rather vnderstande it for the stewardes that had the ouer-sight of distributing the almes Thus you and we herein haue these two most famous men of our side against Beza and the quoters of the Geneua Testament And to say the truth all respect of persons set aside our opinion is the better hauing the manifest not example onely but rule of Gods woorde in both places that the Bishops there mentioned Act. 20.28 must feede which ye say inclusiuely is as much as Pastor And 1. Tim. 3.2 he must be apt to teach which appertayneth not vnto an onely Gouernour Nowe although ye doe well herein to dissent from Beza and from the notes of the Geneua translation vnto whom if ye would haue agréed you might easilier perhaps haue founde manie Bishops both there in one Citie and here in another but then must you eyther amende this your argument or else ye should confound all offices in one and make all equall yet still your argument euen as theirs also is not of sufficient force that because Pastors are there named included vnder the name of Bishop therefore simplie Bishop and Pastor are all one and yet I will gladlie graunt both you and them also more than the argument can make good That in the nature of the Pastorall Eldership and Episcopall ouer-sight though ratione they differ in this or that consideration one from the other yet re and indéede they are so ioyned together in one office that the one might then verie well till the name Bishop grewe to a more proper signification yea may yet well inough interchangeablie be spoken the one of the other a Pastor is a Bishop a Bishop is a Pastor notwithstanding it doth not followe hereupon that in all respectes they are now or were then simplie and absolutely all one and the same offices and especially that in dignitie they were all a like and equall For that is the chiefe point that should herein be prooued Must al that be of one order or office of necessitie be of one equall dignitie in the same What degrée or calling haue you of Gentlemen Esquiers Knightes Barons Lordes Earles Dukes Princes or Kinges but that being in any one of these estates orders degrees or offices as they may be equall so one may haue dignitie authoritie gouernement and superioritie well-inough ouer another euen of the same estate order degree or office that themselues be If ye say we must not bring examples of offices in the ciuill policie and applie them to Ecclesiasticall though your selues brought in such examples a little before out of Numb 11.16 how God ordeyned 70. auncients to assist Moses in his gouernment which were ciuill Seniors and applie them to these Ecclesiasticall and Pastorall Elders yet will not you graunt this that when it shall come to anie assemblies of Synodes or Councels one of these equalles may
with the princes yea and with Caesar also obeye the Bishop and the Bishop Christe as Christe the Father and so is an vnitie kept by all What can be plainer spoken bothe for the difference and for the superioritie of these ecclesiasticall offices I vrge not these Epistles as approouing all things in them nor auouching the credit of them and therefore passe ouer the residue seruing also to this purpose Neither yet dare I discredit them in all points namelie in this for the distinction of these three offices Bishop priests and Deacons and for the superioritie of the Bishop in anye citie ouer all the cleargie there Bicause these things accord with all the other writers and state of that age immediatlie following the Apostles In Asia also about the same time was Papias of whom Ieromie saith Papias the hearer of Iohn the Bishop of Hieropolis in Asia and diuerse other famous Bishops of that age of whome saithe Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 20 c. At Antiochia about the same time Theophilus helde the Bishoprike of the Church being the sixt from the Apostles where Cornelius was the fourth after Heron Ignatus successor whome in the 5. degree Heron succeeded At the same time also was Egesippus holden famous of whome wee haue spoken before And Dionisius Bishop of Corinthe Pimitus was the most noble among the Bishops of Creta Phillip also and Apollinaris and Melito Musanus and Modestus And the cheefest of all Iraeneus of which men most excellent monuments of the Apostolicall faithe and sounde doctrine are come euen vnto our age Egesippus in the firste booke of his Commentaries where hee sets downe the sentence of his beleefe with most full proofe declareth also this that when he trauelled to Rome hauing conferred in speech and amitie with the Bishops in all places he founde them all Preachers and Teachers of one faithe and also in the Epistle of Clement written to the Corinthians he mencioneth somthings that I thought necessarie to insert into this worke He saithe therefore And the Churche saithe he of Corinthe euen vntill Primus the Bishoppe whome sayling to Rome I sawe and abode with him at Corinthe manie daies being delighted with the sinceritie of his faith but when I came to Rome I abode there vntill Soter succeeded Amcedus and Eleutheims succeeded Soter But in all these their ordeinings or in other things that I sawe in other cities all things were in such sorte euen as the law from of olde had deliuered and the Prophets had iudged and the Lorde had appointed Moreouer the saide partie recordeth certeine suche sayings also of the Heretikes that arose in his time And after saithe hee that Iames called the Iuste was martyred euen as the Lorde also himselfe bare witnesse to the truthe Simeon the sonne of Cleopas the vnckle of Christe was by the diuine election ordeined Bishop chosen of all in regarde that he was the cousine of the Lorde the Churche then was called a virgine bicause that as yet shee was not defiled with the vndermining of the adulterous worde But one Theobatus for that he deserued the repulse of a Bishoprike began euen in the beginning to disturbe and corrupte all things c. Héere we sée againe by Egesippus that liued in Iustines time not by the suspected Egesippus that we haue but by the fragments of the true Egesippus taken out of Eusebius another firme testimonie that Iames was Bishop of Ierusalem and Simeon after him Yea Eusebius reckoneth vp lib. 4. cap. 5.25 Bishops of Ierusalem one succéeding another from the Apostles times vntill that destruction of Ierusalem vnder the Emperor Adrian besides all the other Bishops in other places and yet that the Churche continued still vndefiled So that this superioritie was no defiling of the Churches discipline but the godlie gouernment of it and as Egesippus noteth euen the appointment of the Lord being practised and approoued by the Apostles And that all the disturbance and corruption entred indéed as Beza and our Brethren note on occasion of striuing for this superioritie but yet this superioritie was not the cause but their diuilish ambition and pride as in this Theobutus and Simon Magus and Diotrephes c. who could abide no rulers ouer them but would themselues be rulers ouer others and when they had repulses then as the for dispraised the grapes they brake out into schismes and heresies So that this rather confirmeth this superioritie then makes against it And these godlie Fathers that gaue not this offence though other tooke it continued this order of superioritie in Bishops and were the greatest defenders of Gods truthe and Churche against these Scismatikes Heretikes and disturbers of it But nowe at length saith Euseb. procéeding ca. 23. we must come to the mencioning of the blessed Dionysius Bishop of the Church of Corinth whose learning and grace that he had in Gods worde not onelie those people enioied when he tooke vpon him for to gouerne but those also that were farre off to whō he gaue his presence by his Epistles There is extant an epistle of his cōcerning the Catholike faith written to the Lacedemonians in the which most florishingly he treateth of peace cōcord And an other to the Atheniās wherein he mooueth thē to beleefe of the Gospell stirreth vp the sluggish withall reprooueth certeine as almost falne frō the faith whē as their B. Publius had suffered martyrdom And also he mencioneth Quadratus that in the Sacerdotall Priesthood succeeded Publius And he telleth how that by his labour and industrie a certeine reuiuing or quickning warmth of faith was renewed in them Héere this Quadratus is said by this Dionysius to succéed Publius in Sacerdotio in the Sacerdotall Priesthood not that the Priesthood and the Bishoprike was equall and all one for then hee had not succéeded him being a Priest or pastorall Elder in Publius time But that which Ruffinus translateth in Sacerdotio Eusebius himselfe calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Publius that was Bishop before him he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Quadratus was also a Prophet as saithe Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 37. For hauing reckoned vp Ignatius and Heron that gouerned the Churche of Antiochia he saithe Among them flourished Quadratus who togithee with the daughters of Philip was most famous in the grace of prophesieng and also manie other Disciples of the Apostles were aliue at that time Who vpon the foundations of the Churche laide by them did build vp moste worthie buildings increasing in all things the preaching of the worde of God and scattering more abroade through all the earth the wholesome seeds of the kingdome of Heauen To conclude manie of them kindeled with more feruent desire of the diuine Philosophie did consecrate their soules to the worde of God filling vp the wholesome precept of perfection that distributing their goods to those that had moste neede they might be made readye to preache the
the Church confessed his sinne and was receaued into the communion or fellowship of the Laitye Yea the people making intercession for thus much But into the place of the other twain that laid their handes vpon Nouatus were other bishoppes ordeyned and sent He therefore that claimed to himselfe the Gospell knew not that in the Catholike Church in the which he saw there were 46. priests and seauen Deacons and seuen subdeacons or inferior Deacons 4◠acolytes or wayting seruants Exorcistes and Readers with Dore-keepers 52. Widowes with needy persons 1500. all whom God nourisheth in his Church that there ought to bee one bishoppe or ouerseer of them What can be playner to shewe the difference and superioritie betweene priest or pastorall Elder and bishop then this story I stand not vppon their diuersitie in the offices then whereof I haue spoken before out of Kemnitius against Trident Councell But to the present purpose of these 2. degrees now in questions bishop and priest in that age while the bishop of Rome tooke not vppon him any such supreame authoritye as now he claimeth but onely as bishop of Rome or as chiefe bishop in those parts of Italy about Rome what a number of priestes or Elders he had vnder him how he called them and other bishops and priestes or Elders when this controuersie fell to consult with them vpon the matter how he in the name of his Church and of this Prouinciall Councell sent about to other chiefe Bishoppes in other Prouinces to shewe what they had done not prescribing nor commaunding but brotherly requesting them to do the like in their Prouinces Which sheweth that as he at Rome so all other chiefe or inferiour bishops had likewise authority ouer their priestes or Elders And so long as this order was thus maintained their was neyther tyrannie in this superiority but verye good necessary order nor such schismes errors and heresies nor such Hypocrits as were the broachers of them coulde peepe out but streight they were founde examined and so much as could be were suppressed I graunte they could not vtterlye suppresse them in those dayes whē their-selues were yet suppressed by Heathen Princes And among these bishoppes also that had this superiour dignitie in some places some simple ignorant bishops did creepe in As what age was euer free no not the Apostles times And this Superioritie did tickle some also that had not the feare of God by suche ill practises as heere Nouatus vsed to attaine by newe deuises to this dignitie vnder pretence of reformation of Ecclesiasticall discipline of the puritie and sincere profession of the Gospell and all this geare and that there shoulde bee moe Bishoppes than one in one churche Yea as Nouatus did of whom saithe the former Epistle that in the time of persequution when hee hidde him-selfe in a little cell was by the Deacons according to the māner requested to come and helpe at their departure those that were learners of the faith hee fearing to come foorthe denied him-selfe to bee a Prieste And that when hee deuided the Sacramentes vnto the people hee would holde faste the handes of the receauers nor suffer them to take it before that euerye one of them had sworne by those thinges that they held in their hands that they should neuer forsaking him return to Cornelius Though counterfeit Puritanes were then and some suche mnght euen nowe also disturbe the peace of the churche of Christe and good order of gouerning the same and by these practises deceaue many euen such as haue beene moste earnest Confessors of the Gospell in the time of persecution and are most zealous of Gods truth and glory Yet if good Bishops follow Cornelius his steps that at that time was bishop of Rome and was also a most constant Martyr when the time of trial came suffering death for the Gospell and yet retayning with good conscience as nothing against the Gospel his right of his calling in Superiour dignity and iurisdiction ouer all his people and his Cleargie he shall finde out these imagined Bishops made in corners pretending puritie well inough And al the godly zealous that haue beene or bee deceaued by thē wil I hope on better aduising of them and of the matter forsake them acknowledge their fault as Maximus Vrbanus Sidonius Celerius here did yea although they had vowed and sworne and receaued the sacrament of the holy Communion thereupon to the contrarie and returne to the due obedience and acknowledgement of their lawefull Bishoppe Although this by the way I must confes that the Bishops then of Rome were worthely punished in this man for hee was made Priest all of affection and beyond all order For Nouatus hauing beene vexed in his you thewith an vncleane spirite when hee had consumed sometime with Exorcists fell into so grieuous a sickenes that his health was past hope and euen for necessity lying in his bed he was baptized he had so long deferred the time of Baptisme But afterwarde recouering when hee was of priuate fauor so loued of the Bishop that hee would make him Priest albeit all the Cleargie and verye manye of the Laitye stopped it saying it is not lawfull for him to bee a Clerke which in extremity receaued grace lying in his bed Yet the bishop besought them of a speciall fauour that this might be graunted vnto him for this man onely So that he whome the Bishop so extraordinarily aduaunced and made so much of he of all other reuolted from him and caused the people also to disobey him And though he differed not from his bishop Cornelius and other true beleeuers in matter and substance of faith and religion yet vnder pretence of reforming discipline and reducing all thinges to the Purity of the Gospell he bredde this faction and schisme in the Church that afterward brake out into foule heresies And therefore let all Magistrats Bishops and all the people that feare God take héede to this matter Wee must not onely abstaine from that which is euill but from all shewe of euill so néere as God shall geue vs grace therto The very God that is the authour of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus haue I runne through the most part of this Primitiue age from the very Apostles times ere euer the bishop of Rome vsurped any suche supremacie as he now most falsely challengeth saue one ouer rasheexcommunicating which Victor pronounced not for that he claymed anye iurisdiction gouernment or authority ouer those bishops whom he excommunicated but bicause they dissented from his opinion in those matters Wherein we haue séene how all this while in all partes of Christendome at least-wise in the most famous parts at that time this peculier applying of the name and this superiority of bishopps in dignity authority ouer such Presbyters Priestes or
the worde of God and that the rule is false which concerning this matter doeth attribute it to the Apostles which may be shewed by the ordeyning of Timothy by the Eldership It séemeth that this Learned man accounteth all the reasons which he hath already alleaged out of Epiphanius to be no reasons Else how saith he here Nowe the reasons of the same Epiphanius are these c. But howe then saide he before that Epiphanius doth bring foorth three reasons two as it were out of Gods worde c. and when he hath alleaged them in the order afore sayde the first place is 1. Tim. 5.1 c. another place is out of the same Epistle c. and traueiled as wee haue heard to confute them then as though all this while he had yet alleaged or confuted no reason he commeth in saying Nowe the reasons of the same Epiphanius are these c. What reason is in this dealing especially of such a most reuerend and learned man But if these following are his onely reasons good reason he should report them right and not make them other than they be Bishops sayth he beget the Fathers of the Church but Elders the sonnes in as much as Bishops and not Elders ordayned Bishops Doth Epiphanius reason thus Or to this purpose His wordes are these To say that a Bishop and a Priest or Elder are equall howe is it possible For the order of Bishops is the begetter of the Fathers for it begetteth the Fathers of the Church But the order of Priestes or Elders is not able to beget the Fathers it begetteth the sonnes of the Church by the regeneration of the washing but not the Fathers or the Doctors And howe was it possible for a Prieste or Elder to obtaine not hauing the laying on of handes to elect Or to say that he is equall with a Bishop The plaine meaning here of Epiphanius is this the Bishops beget that is ordayne Pastors and ministers of the worde and Sacramentes which Pastors or Ministers hee calleth Fathers or Doctors of the Church But these Pastors or Ministers whom he calleth Fathers or Doctors being no Bishops doe not againe beget that is ordaine or make other Fathers or Doctors but doe onely sayth he begette the sonnes of the Church that is the faithfull people by preaching the word and baptizing of them the Bishops therefore hauing a further authoritie to wit of making ministers then haue the ministers whom they make howe iâ— the Bishops and the ministers authoritie equall This is indéede the truâ— meaning of Epiphanius his reason He that can doe more hath more power than he which onely can doe lesse But the Bishop can do more than the Priest or Elder can doe for the Bishop can make Priests and Elders which the Priestes or Elders can not doe Therefore the bishop hath more power than the Priest oâ— Elder that is no Bishop This being in effect the argument of Epiphanius this Learned man tourned all to this that Epiphanius should say Bishops beget the Fathers of the Church but Elders the sonnes in as much as Bishops and not Elders ordayned Bishops As though he spake onely of ordayning Bishops or by Fathers ment onely bishops and by sonnes Priestes or Elders of the Churche Whereas Epiphanius confesseth bishops and Priestes or Elders both of them to be Fathers and Doctors of the Church But in this behalfe of ordayning anie of these Fathers eyther Bishops or Priestes the Bishops had a prerogatiue aboue the Priestes and so their authoritie is notequall This is the verie argument and reason that Epiphanius maketh Nowe what saith our most Reuerende and learned man to this argument But what is this else saith he then to aske to haue that which is in question And why so Epiphanius here asketh nothing The question heere iâ— this Whether Bishops and Priestes be in dignitie and authoritie equall and all one Epiphanius proueth they be not by this argument They that be equall and all one in dignitie and authoritie the one can doe in all thinges as much as the other and not one more than the other But the Bishops can make Bishops Priestes which the Priests theÌ„selues can not doe therefore Bishops Priests are not equall and all one That the B. can or the Priest can not do this which is héere auouched this is not the question but dependes vpon it or else he could make indéede no reason If nowe this assertion be vntrue improue it and neuer say what is this else than to aske to haue that which is in question But go to now What reason hath this Learned man to improue it For it may be and ought to be answered that the Bishops tooke that authoritie vpon them without warrant of the worde of God I thinke it may be indéede thus aunswered of a man that would vnreuerently sclaunder hee cares not whome and aunswere contrarie to all truthe and learning but that it ought to be aunswered so of any man and especially of a most Reuerende and Learned man be it spoken with reuerence I thinke the cleane contrarie Did not this most reuerend and learned man himselfe graunt before but euen on the other side the lease that Timothie had the authoritie of the laying on of hands And what here was that but ordeyning Bishops Pastors Except therefore all those prooues be improoued that inferre Timothie was B. of Ephesus and this of Timothy conferred with Iames and Simeon after him at Ierusalem and Titus in Creta it is apparant that Bishops tooke not that authoritie vpon them without warrant of the worde of God But thiâ— that he sayth it may be and ought to be aunswered stayeth not héere for he addeth And that the rule is false which concerning this matter doth attribute it to the Apostles Here is a rule indéede for this matter of ordeyning ministers Did not the Apostles take vpon them the authoritie to ordaine Bishops and Elders Doth not S. Paule confesse that he tooke that authoritie on him The most reuerendes far more vnreuerend deniâ—ng the manifest scripture And is Gods worde it selfe also become a false rule which is the rule of truth that attributeth this matter to the Apostles What could the open aduersaries of the word of God haue spoken worse against the word of God And how now shall this be shewed that the worde of God doth not attribute this to the Apostles Which may be shewed sayth hée by the ordeyning of Timothie by the Eldership And haue we not hearde euen by Caluine the matter clearely and at large shewed that not onely the ordeyning of Timothie was doone by Paule alone but also that it was the common vse to bee doone by Paule alone And that this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eldershippe signifieth in that place not the Colledge Consistorie or companie of Elders but the office of the Elders Yea Beza also yéeldeth so
then possesse the Churches as the lawe commandeth With which confutation when he had stopped his mouth hee sayde that hee maruelled at Apollinaris that so impudently resisted the trueth when as he knewe well enough that the famous Damasus auouched that God the word did take vpon him our whole nature to whome he alwayes taught the contrary For sayth he thou depriuest our mindes of saluation which accusation if it be false then deny thou now this impe of thy newfanglenesse and receiue the doctrine of Damasus and obteine the diuine Churches Thus did the most wise Flauian allay their boldnes by the trueth of his speech But Meletius of all men the mildest sweetely and gentlie calling Paulinus sayde because the Lorde of this flocke hath set me also ouer the custodie of the sheepe and other are committed vnto thee sith there is a community of godlines among the sheepe let vs freendly ioyne our foldes and let go the contention of Mastership and attend in common to the sheepe that go in common in the pastures But if the seate itself doe stoppe the concord I also will endeuour to remooue this contention Let vs set I pray you in the seate the booke of the diuine gospell and let vs either of vs sitte together on eyther side it And if so be that I shall dye before thee be thou O freend alone the Sheepes master But if this shall happen to thee before me then will I to my ability take vpon me the care of the flock When as Paulinus allowed not these his sweete and gentle speeches the Duke deciding the cause commended the Churches to Meletius the great But Paulinus reteyned the mastership or remained bishop of these Sheepe that had long before deuided themselues Here agayne is another notable story of another Meletius where moe in one city tooke vpon them according to their factions to be bishops and what offer was made to appease the strife of two at one time to haue ruled together vntill the decease of the one or the other and how in the end it was determined vnto one Thus much to this most reuerend and learned mans aunsweres to Epiphanius for the superioritie of one bishop in one citie The residue of his argumentes because they are chéefely on the sentences taken from Ierome Chrisostome Theophilact and Theodorete whose sentences we haue before at large perused I will héere for this time passe them ouer saue that which he sayth of Cyprian as yet vntouched And whereas Cyprian sayth he not in one place calleth the bishops successors of the Apostles whose authority is from God and if we take it so as though by the very commaundement of God these Bishops are the same that in time past were the Apostles the thing it self doth confute that seeing there was alwaies a certaine portion assigned to euerye Bishop But the Apostles by the direction of the spirite of God though not confusedlie didde exercise their Ministery throughout the whole world The meaning of Cyprian is plaine without cauiling as the like saying of many other the auncient fathers that bishops are the successors of the Apostles bicause they succéeded both in the places Churches by the Apostles fownded and in the chiefest dignity of the Churches orders as in their times the function of the Apostles was As the Magdeburgēses note Cent. 3. cap. 6. tit de ratione gubernandi pag. 150. The firste and cheefest authority belonged to the Bishops whome also Cyprian lib. 3. Epistola 14. calleth Praepositors placed ouer the residue who in gouernment sustayned the chiefest parte of the Ecclesiasticall administration After them the next in dignity belonged to the Priestes or Elders and the third to the Deacons And that Bishoppes were then aboue the Priestes or Pastorall Elders is apparant by Cyprians owne wordes I haue long helde my patience moste deare bretheren as though our bashfull silence should help to quietnesse But when immoderate and abrupt presumption by the rashnes thereof shall attempt to disturbe the honor of the Martyrs and shamefastnesse of the Confessors and tranquillity of the whole people I must no longer hold my peace For what daunger of the offense of the Lord ought we not to feare when as some of the Priestes or Elders neyther mindefull of the Gospell nor of their place no nor thinking of the Lords iudgements to come neither that now the Bishop is placed ouer them do with contumely and contempt of him that is placed ouer them claime the whole to themselues which thing was neuer done at all vnder the auncestors Yea and would to God that casting flatte downe the saluation of our brethren they woulde not challenge all thinges to them selues I can dissemble and beare the reproches of our Bishoprike as I haue still dissembled and borne them But now there is no place of dissembling whē as our brotherhoode is deceaued by some of you who while without meanes of restoring the saluation they desire to be plausible they rather hinder such as are fallen c. Whereby as it plainely appeareth that the Pastorall Elders were inferiour to bishops so euen then there were of the Cleargie some Priests or Elders that enuied and slaundered this their B. Superiority and woulde haue had the dealing as far forth as they in restoring the poenitents and in all thinges equall authority to the bishoppes Which thing by Cyprians iudgement how plausible a shew of reformation soeuer it had was very offensiue vnto God and neuer before attempted of the Ministers And so consequentlie this superioritye of Bish. placed ouer the Priestes or Pastorall Elders had continued euen from the Apostles times And thus might they well of him bee called the successors of the apostles Not that Cyprian ment that there was no difference betwéene the Bishops and the Apostles And therefore this is a manifest mistaking to say If wee take it so as though by the very commaundement of God these Bishops are the same that in times past the Apostles the thing it selfe dooth refute that seeing there was alwaies a certaine portion assigned to euery Bishoppe But the Apostles by the direction of the spirite of God thoughe not confusedlye didde exercise their Ministerye throughout the whole world Although héerein and in other poyntes moe the Apostles were distinguished from and aboue Bishops yet might they also be Bishoppes well inough For as this Learned man saith they did it not confusedlye so their charge to goe into all the world and preache the Gospell vnto all nations was not so that euery one of them shoulde trauell ouer all the world and preach vnto al nations But that by the world being name◠per fynecdochen the whole for the parts and that among them all some héere and some there by the direction indéed of the spirit of GOD they dispersed themselues at length in diuerse parts of the world And there also diuerse of them did settle themselues so long as they liued
to bee allowed of the apostle but also the allowance of a faithful substitute in the absence of the Bishop and pastor Secondly the office of pastors is not onely to teache the same trueth in their seuerall Flockes but also to applye it to the time and persons of whome they haue charge with exhortation and reprehension with consolation of the afflicted and threatning of the obstinate c. This in fewe wordes is set foorth by saint Paule speaking of the diuerse giftes of God in his Churche hee sayth whether it bee hee that teacheth in his doctrine or hee that exhorteth in his exhortation The Doctor therefore teacheth without exhortation The pastor teacheth and exhorteth withall More at large hee setteth foorth the same office in his exhortation vnto the pastors of Ephesus willing thâ—m to followe his example who supplied that office vntil they were able to succeede in his place Also very breefely and yet fully hee describeth the same vnto Timothy shewing first that all his foundation must bee out of the scriptures which were sufficient for all partes of his charge and then moste earnestly commaundeth him to practise the same withall diligence his wordes are these Al scripture is inspired of God and prositable for Doctrine for exhortation for reformation and for enstruction which is in righteousnesse that the man of GOD may be prepared to al good workes therefore I charge thee before God and before the Lorde Iesus Christe which shal iudge the quicke and the deade at his appearing and in his kingdome preache the worde bee instant in season and out of season improoue rebuke exhort withal long suffering and doctrine Nothing of all this is in controuersie vnderstanding teaching according to the measure of euery pastors gift saue this sentence that the Doctour teacheth without exhortation which wée haue before at large confuted The first part therefore and the cheefest of a pastors office or duetye is to feede with wholesome Doctrine the flocke that is committed to his charge and therefore saint Paule describing what manner of men are meete for that charge vnto Timothie requireth that a Bishoppe or Pastor bee apt or able able to teache For if a man haue neuer so much knowledge and bee not apt or able to teache hee ought by no meanes to be admitted vnto this vocation And vnto Titus writing Chapter 1. the firste verse 9. he requireth that hee bee suche a one as holdeth faste the faythfull woorde accordinge to doctrine that hee also may bee able to exhorte with wholesome doctrine and improoue them that saye againste it Weereupon it followeth necessarily that whosoeuer is him felfe ignorant in the knowledge of Gods woorde therefore vnable eyther to exhorte with wholesome doctrine or to confute them that gaine-say it is altogether vnmeete for the office of a pastor or Bishop Albeit we might héere inquyre how it was said before First he maye no more lawfully haue charge of 2. or three Churches c. and then Secondlie the office of pastors is not onely to teach c. And nowe to conclude vpon this second saying The first part therefore and the chiefest of a pastors office is to feede with wholesome doctrine Notwithstanding not to stande on such reckonings though we with they had reckoned more orderly for our Brethrens sake professing ouer the head of euery page A Learned Disc. as also for the vnlearneds better perceauing their lear discourse thereon to come to the materiall point here required that the Bishop or the Pastor should be apt and able to teach to exhort and to confute c. This we yéeld vnto considering withall the diuersities of mens giftes euen in the Ministerie how some haue ten talents committed vnto them some fiue some two and some but one so that all emploie them after their abilitie to the Lords aduantage we hope the Lord wil not condemne but commend the poore trauaile of that seruant so that hee haue not hid his one talent in the napkin And admitting also that which Saint Paule saith 1. Cor. 12. ver 7. c. so often by our brethren otherwise remembred The manifestation of the spirit is giuen to euery one to profit to this man is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedoÌ„me to another is giuen the word of knowledge according to the same spirit to another faith in the same spirit to another the gift of healing in the same spirit to another faculties of powers to another prophesies to another discerning of spirits to another the kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues and all these things worketh euen the selfe same spirite distributing to euerie man seuerallie euen as he will and ver 28. c. And God hath ordained some in the Church as first Apostles secondlie Prophets thirdlie teachers then them that do myracles after that the giftes of healing helpers gouernors diuersities of tongues Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all teachers are all workers of myracles haue all the giftes of healing doe all speake with tongues doe all interpret Neither also forgetting that place Rom 12. that our brethren themselues entering into this matter on the other side of the leafe put vs in minde of Seeing then we haue giftes that are diuerse according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether wee haue prophesie let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith or an office on the office or he that teacheth in teaching or he that exhorteth in exhortation he that distributeth with simplicitie he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercie with cheerefulnesse All which places dulie considered and conferred that though these offices be not so distinguished but that one may haue mo of them as we haue alreadie proued against our brethrens too precise seuering of them before which now in the Pastor they woulde ioyne together for many of them and that of necessitie yet heereby we may plainlie see there is no such necessitie of the coniunction of these seuerall giftes in all Pastors but although some haue them all some are not so furnished but that notwithstanding they want some of these giftes by our brethren here so necessarilie required yet are they not to bee cleane excluded out of the Ministerie And how do our brethren here then saie If a man haue neuer so much knowledge be not apt or able to teach meaning by teaching not onelie such teaching as they ascribe onelie to Doctors but also publike preaching which conteineth both teaching and exhortation as they sayd eueÌ„ in their last Section the Pastor teacheth and exhorteth with all except he can teache thus he ought by no meanes to be admitted into this vocation And yet if he could do this and were not able to confute them that gainsay the wholesome doctrine he is altogether vnmeete for the office of a pastor or Bishop This were very harde to be vrged with such a peremptory necessity
Which if it were perchance many of these our Learned brethen Discoursers theirselues might fail especially in this last point being not able what soeuer they perswade theÌ„selues to defend these their owne desires and to confute vs iheir Brethren whome they take in hande to confute not of any vnholesome Doctrine which they confesse that wee professe so well as they and as for those whome they shoulde rather confute indéede as the papistes the Anabaptistes the Arians the libertines the brethren of Loue and such like mainteining not wholesom doctrine it would not onely appose them but many other yea otherwise good preachers to confute them in such order as the Apostle there requireth In the famous Nicene Counsell were assembled many notable learned Bishops and Elders and yet when it came to disputation one simple ancient father who was no preacher neither did more good in confuting a sophisticall and wrangling Phylosopher euen by the plaine recitall of the onely Creede than al the the eloquent and Learned bishops were able to doe For as the Arian philosopher sayd while they striued with words he had wordes ynough for them all But when vertue came words gaue place to vertue If it be sayde this fact was not of a Pastor but of a lay Confessor as Socrates mentioneth Hist. Tripart lib. 2. cap. 3. Which notwithstanding in Sozomenus seemeth another like fact to bee done by a Preest or Elder being also a Confessor to defend the other preests his fellowes whome another philosopher insulted vpon yet euen in the next Chapter Sozomenus mentioneth a Confutation also not much vnlike betweene a pagane phisosopher and Alexander Bishop of Constantinople For when diâ—tra of the phylosophers desired to dispute before the Emperor with the bishop and he being vnexpert in such exercise of wordes c. Notwithstanding tooke vpon him the conflict by the commandement of the Emperour When all the philosophers would speak he required them to appoint out one whom they would choose and coÌ„manded the other to hold their peace and marke what should bee spoken of them twaine Whervpon one of them vndertaking the dealing of the whole disputation the blessed Alexander saith vnto the philosopher in the name of Iesus Christ I command thee that thou speake not and as soone as he had sayd the word the deed was performed For sodainly so soone as he heard the speech his mouth being closed vp hee became speechelesse This bishop was of great vertue of life and had the gift as it appeared of myracles He could not dispute and confute the gainsayer of wholesome doctrine yet could he stop their mouthes pretily wel But if our brethren had bene there if they durst not speake for feare their mouthes had beene stopt likewise yet they woulde after haue sayde of him that being vnable to confute he was altogether vnmeete for the office of a Pastor or a byshop But those that woulde say so of suche a man were meete ynough to haue their mouthes also if not by myracle yet by authority to bee stopped rather than to open them thus at randon against many good playn and simple pastors who though they haue not the gifte of GOD with any audacitye and grace of vtterance in the pulpit make a plausible sermon to the people yet in priuate admonition in sound knowlege in sincere constant profession of the trueth can teach and perswade with their example and confute more effectually by theire life though otherwise in publike action they can doe little without their booke and yet shall some of these perhaps do more good among the people than some other eloquent and famous Preacher or Disputer or Confuter shal be able to doe I graunt these high and moste excellent gifts are to be honored with duble honor but the other are not so far to be despised as to be called altogether vnmeet for the office of a pastor or bishop Howbeit I confesse if any be altogether ignorant of the knowledge of Gods worde the same is also altogether vnmeet for the office of a pastor or bishop Hereupon our brethren set down their resolution saying Wherefore if wee euer minde such a reformation as God shall thereby be glorified his Church edified we must vtterly remoue al the vnlearned pastors as men by no means to be tollerated to haue any charge ouer the Lordes flocke and also prouide that heereafter none bee receiued into that office but such as are sufficient for their knowledge ability in teaching to take so waighty a charge in hand What a great vnthankfulnesse is this to say If euer we minde sucha reformation as God shal thereby be glorified and his church edified As who shoulde say it was neuer yet hetherto in all this Reformation of the Church eyther endeuored or so much as minded And is all this that hath béene done nothing to the glorifying of God nor to the edifying of his Church or hath it so fallen out that both God hath bene glorified therby and his Church edified and yet was neuer minded with charity to our bretheren beit spoken this their censure is too too vncharitable both of her Maiest her Maiest Brothers and Fathers mindes and reformation with all their godly Counsels endeuours and all their learned bishops and preachers trauels to these especiall purposes that God might bee glorified and his Church edified and too iniurious euen to the Glorye that God hath already gotten and the edification that the Churche namely of England hath enioyed and other Chuhches that haue in part felt no small comfort and edification therby Gods name bée more and more glorified and praysed for it But nowe imagining if wee may so harden our heartes and benumbe our senses as not to féele nor acknowledge these good blessings of God that Gods glory and his Churches edification was neuer yet sette foorth among vs nor so much as minded what is the thing they woulde haue vs doe If euer we minde such a reformation as God shal thereby be glorified and his Church edified we must vtterly forsooth remoue all the vnlearned pastors as men by no meanes to bee tollerated to haue any charge ouer the Lords flocke and also prouide that heereafter none be receiued into that office but such as are sufficient for their knowledge and ability in teaching to take so waighty a charge in hand Concerning the prouision for heereafter it is very good counsell But for those that are in office already only for that they caÌ„not publikly preach and exhorte and confute though otherwise they haue neuer so muche knowledge there is no remedy but that they must euery one be remooued and that vtterly remoued and that by no meanes to be tollerated no not to haue any charge though it be not the pastorall charge no not to be a Deacon nor a Reader nor yet a Dore-keeper ouer the Lordes flock this is a hard censure Indeede nothing so harde as one of them with more eager zeale
than the moste of the residue wrote of late in his aunswere against M. C. for ioyning with the English Churches saying Wherefore I woulde say there were holinesse in the dumbe Ministerye for that is their vsuall and mildest tearme they afforde the Ministers that are not publike preachers if all the dumbe Ministers were hanged vp in the Churches and publike assemblies for a warning and terror to the reste that are ready to enter such a function then indeede there were a holy signe and remembraunce of iudgement against such wretches but other holinesse haue they none in them This iudgement is farre more rigorous and extream than this of our Learned brethren Discoursers Yea by this bloudy sentence some of our brethren perhaps their-selues that are more Zealous than learned or more Learned then able with any gift of persuasion to make any publike exhortation and confutation might be called into daunger not nowe of their liuings but of thei◠liues and although they would tell a fayre tale to saue their liues and would rather preach such slender stuffe God wotte as they had yet if they were vnlearned they must be counted dumb dogs they must trusse also the cord would not suffer them to vtter it So soone might this Iudgement be reuersed on some of their own wel-willers who spare not to cast foorth such vncharitable and bitter spéeches saying of the poore Ministers of Christ we say not but that that our dumbe Ministers may be heard for if standing on the galowes to bee executed they say woulde come downe I knowe we may heare them Do these spéeches sauour of Christian charity If not rather of the spirite of those cried Crucifige Crucifige and hauing crucified Christ so these speak of hanging vp his poore Ministers And as they in scorne bad him come downe from the crosse so these speaking of hearing his Ministers doe say they may indéede be heard when they say they would come downe from the Gallows Yet well fare these our Brethren the Learned Discoursers that are somewhat more pitifull to the poore vnlearned pastors not to hang them vp by the neck as Theeues and Robbers Traytors and Rebelles for so they commonly call them for a warning and terror but to turn them out to shake their eares and beg their Bread with their wiues and children like wretches Roagues and Vagaboundes Yea they are fayre dealt with that they haue their liues And this is the mylder sorte of these our Brethren And vntill the poore Ministers that bee not Learned preachers be at leaste thus gently handled wee shall neuer minde suche a reformation as God shall thereby bee glorified and his Church edefied Alas poore soules which heretofore euen for their zeal of Gods word thogh not al yet many of them in time of so great necessity when the tyranny of Antichriste had wasted and taken away so many Learned pastors and when the popish massing sacrifices were also remoued then these good Zealous men being of some readier skill and ability than were the most part of the residue in those dayes did forsake their former trades whereby before they honestly liued which if they had continued might yet thereby haue mainteined themselues and with hatred and hazard of their liues the most part being then aduersaies of the trueth in many places haue wholly dedicated them selues to the Ministery of Gods worde and Sacramentes beeing also lawfully both by the best pastors then of the church of England yea many of them assent desire and election of by their brethren Protestants with testification of their good conuersation albeit not so Learned nor trayned in schooles as godly zealous nor able to preach to expounde to exhort to confute learnedly in publike auditory though otherwise sufficient to giue godly counsel admonition and instruction in all priuate though in the open Congregation not daring knowing their owne simplicity to hazard themselues further then the distinct reading of the scriptures with such fruitefull Interpretations and Homelies as by authority are approoued and assigned with the publike forme of common prayer prescribed and the reuerent administration of Christs sacramentes and haue nowe in the continuall exercise of these thinges besides their priuate studies aboue this twenty yea some aboue thirtie yeares spent all their time and nowe in their old age should be vtterly remooued and by no meanes tollerated to haue any charge ouer the Lordes flock nor any other prouision so much as spoken of for their mainnance though not called in question whether they would be hangd or no Me thinketh these thinges if they were a little better considered and digested should it least more moue the bowels of mercie yea the remorse of conscience and thankfulnesse in our learned brethren than to deale so extreamly with them It may be that a number of such withall are crept into the Ministery altogether so ignorant and perhaps so criminous and offensiue who might worthily sustaine so sharpe a iudgement that it were better they were vtterly remooued than by any meanes to bee tollerated to haue any charge of the Lords flock For such I pleade not But no reason that their causes of entering into and continuing in the Ministery being so different they should passe al alike so hard a censure But what reason induceth our brethren héereunto What man hauing but one hundreth sheepe woulde make such a mā a shepheard or Ouerseer ouer them as were a naturall Idiote or otherwise altogether vnskilfull or vnable too performe the thinges that belong to a shepheard if no man haue so little care of bruite beasts what brutish negligence is it to commit the people of God redeemed with the precious bloude of Iesus Christe to suche vnskilfull and vnsufficiēt Pastors as neither themselues knowe the waye of saluation neyther are able to lead other vnto it whereof they are so cleane ignorant themselues If our brethren meant only of such persons as they now speake of it were more than a brutish negligence in very déede to commit the people of god to such vnskilfull and vnsufficient Pastors But before they spoke of such as had neuer so much knowledge and now they come in with naturall Idiotes with altogether vnskilfull vnable and vnsufficient Pastors and such as neither themselues know the way of saluation neither are able to leade other vnto it whereof they are ignoraunt thēselues Is there no difference betwéene these those that are both wise godly and learned and diligent to leade the people of God bothe by counsell instruction and example though they haue not the gifte of open preaching publike exhorting of the people and effectual confuting of the gainesayer These are those that we woulde haue more fauorablye delt withall As for the other naturall Idiotes and altogether vnskilfull vnable and vnsufficient Pastors we pleade not for any tolleration of thē And we hope there be not many suche hope-losts that these words should thus in generall
and enricheth the word wherby the word becoÌ„meth effectual to animate enrich the element without ascribing vertue to the bare word Is it not theÌ„ of sufficient vertue to baptize clense the infant wheÌ„ besides the element of water these words In the name of the father of the sonne of the holy Ghost that Christ hath coÌ„maÌ„ded those to vse which are his ministers appointed therunto besids the promise there declared of washing away our sinnes of newnes of life and that we shal be saued which promise where Gods spirite worketh by his worde is annexed to the element is not all this sufficient and effectuall to baptise an infant except a sermon also heereof be made at his baptisme Nay though he that were to be baptized were of ripe yeares to heare vnderstand and beleeue all these thinges yet sithe that he is not to be on a suddaine baptized before he be catechized in a sufficient vnderstanding and beleeuing both of all the mysteries of that sacrament and of all the necessary articles of our Christian faith shall wee say that euen then when such a one should come to be baptized hee must haue also a sermon made vnto him at the celebrating of this sacrament or else the element of water is but a worldly a dead a beggerly element and the word neuer so plainely pronounced is but a magicall murmuring And what if there be yet besides al this a godly and learned forme also most plainely expressing all the pointes conteyned in that mysterie and that all the couenant betwixt God and vs be so fully expressed that the best preacher in the worlde cannot in effect say more and all this so clereset out that all of vnderstanding may vnderstande it shall it yet be saide that the element is héere dead and beggerly and separated from his life and spirituall riches And all this haue we besides godly learned homilies and many other sermons set out for that purpose yet all this will not serue our Breth without a sermon preached at that instant And for the supper of the L. haue not wee likewise most pithie godly exhortations before we approch vnto it with prayers and thankesgiuing and publike confessions the whole institution also layd foorth before vs when we come thereto And the wordes of Christ not vsed with a magicall murmuring nor any such vertue ascribed to the wordes but all to Christ the instituter and to the vertue of his death and passion whom and whose passion we recorde and take the elements with the word in remeÌ„brance of him of his body giuen for vs of his bloud shed for vs shew foorth his death by this action feeding by faith in our harts on his flesh and bloud as effectually truly in spirituall manner as our bodies féede on those bodily elements and that hereunto these elements are coÌ„secrated as holy liuely signes pledges to confirme our faith relyin at 〈◊〉 the promise of the same our Sauiour that by eating his fleshe drinâ—â—ng his bloud we shal haue life euerlasting And all this is clearely set out eueÌ„ as it is conteyned in the scripture gathered together in so excellent disposed a forme as all the world cannot amende nor is inferiour to any of our Brethrens formes Yea all thinges considered our forme is farre more conuenient for vs than is any of theirs to enflame confirm our faithes in our Sauiour Christ in the merites of his passion to make vs repentant of our sins to comfort vs in the forgiuenes of them to knit vs in loue and charitie all to God in a communion with Christ our head in the communion of saintes one to another to prouoke vs to leade a new life to offer vp to God a spirituall sacrifice of our soules and bodies besides that of our lips by praysing glorifying God for all these benefits sealed vp thus vnto vs in these mysteries of our Sauiour Christ and withall vnfolded vnto vs by this so cleare setting out of all these thinges that euery coÌ„municant may vnderstande them and be moued by them And can now our Breth say if they wil say the truth that here wants the promise and worde of God and that it is separated and not set forth that heere is but a dead beggerly element that here is but a part and that but the outwarde part of the sacrament and so no sacrament as the bodie of a man without the soule which animateth and giueth life to the body is not a man but a dead corps And dare our Brethren beyonde all this be thus bolde to demand what can it be better than sacrilege For if it be no better than sacrilege then is it no sacrament at all We dare not burden the Papists so farre for their baptizing notwithstanding all their incantations superstitious toyes and materiall additions to the element of water besides their daungerous errours about baptisme that the baptisme which their Popish and Idolatrous sacrificers ministred no what heretike soeuer he were so long as he and they obserue the forme and matter of baptisme by our Sauiour Christ prescribed we dare not say they are not baptized at all and take vpon vs to baptize them againe nor I thinke our Brethr. dare attempt it or auouch it And can they auow these spéeches then of our baptizing now that kéepeth the méere and simple institution of Christ without any of those corruptions Howe farre more modestly writeth Caluine in his 265. Epistle Rogant quidam c. There are certaine that inquire if it were lawefull for the Apostles at the houre of prayer to ascende into the temple and moreouer for Paule to performe the solemne rite of sanctificatioÌ„ why may not we also intermingle prayers with the Papistes We must first holde this that the prayers which were in vse among the Iewes were pure formed to the lawes prescription Neither yet if the Papistes did conceaue a pure forme of praying would I make any religion to enter with theÌ„ into the â—eÌ„ple But nder became not them to ioyne theÌ„selues vnto their assembly that had â—deâ—â—fied Christ I answere a godly holy action is not corrupted by the vice of the men As I am wont to say that If all the Angels were present at the Masse they are not able with their holynes to clense the filthinesse therof Nor yet again are al the deuils able with their presence to bring to passe that the holy supper when it is celebrated according to the institution of Christ should not reteyne the puritie thereof Since therfore we haue the very institution of Christ both in his supper and in our baptisme so clearly set forth as we haue séene shall the ministers insufficiency to preach the things the he after so good a forme prescribed both to him vs declareth be such a pollution that these holy sacramentes should be defiled
residue of the Scripture both of the old and new testament as in the chap before ver 16. Paul charged theÌ„ Let the word of Christe dwell in you plentâ—ously in al wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalmes and himnes and spiritual songs singing wiih grace in your harts to the lord and likewise Eph. 5.19 Speaking vnto your selues in psalmes himmes spirituall songs singing making melody to the lord in your hearts sith therefore they vsed to speak to sing these prayers praises of God in their publike not only banquets as some expound it but also assemblies of their diuine seruice as appeareth plain by S. Paules teaching the Corinthians the vse of these psalms prayers 1. Cor. 14.26 What is to be done then brethren when ye come together according as euery one of you hath a Psalm or hath doctrine or hath a tong or hath reuelation or hath interpretation let al things be done vnto edifying It followeth heereupon that howsoeuer the Corinthians abused this order of their publike praiers and psalmes euery man to sing or say his owne psalme or prayer in straunge languages bréeding confusion and no edifying yet that in the godly vse thereof they vsed some prescribed forme as of the Scriptures which they red or interprepated so of the psalmes hymnes or prayers that they saide or sung besides the Lords prayer and were not the makers conceiuers of all the publike prayers that they vttered Plinius secundus hauing examined certaine of the reuolted Christians that were brought before him what the maner of the Christians was in their assemblies because they were accused of high crimes and such numbers murdred writeth to the emperor Traiane that their maner was this that on a day appointed they vsed to come together beefore the day light Carmenque Christo quasi deo dicere secum inuicem and to say among themselues a verse or a prescript prayer vnto Christ as vnto God and to bind themselues with a sacrament or othe not vnto any mischieuous deed but that they should neither commit theft nor robbery nor adultery that they should not break their faith that being called vpon they should not deny the pledge committed vnto them which things beeing done it was their maner to depart Wherebye it plainly appeareth that both their custome was not alwayes to haue a sermon at the receiuing of the sacrament which it shold séeme Pliny aimeth at yet that in their publike praiers they vsed some ordinarie prescribed form among them Tertullian in the end of his booke De velandis virginib hath these words How great chasticement shal those virgins deserue which among the Psalmes or in any mention of God continue vncouered do they not worthily yea that in the prayer lay gently a welt a hair or any thred vpon their brain imagin they are couered By which saying though in mocking of those women again it appeareth that not only the men but women and maideÌ„s all did say or sing psalms were present at some form order of publike prayers Which though he set not down the form yet the chéefe points he reckoneth vp in his apologie against the Gentiles ca. 39. wher defending the assemblies of the Christians against the slanders of the heathen he saith I wil now my self set foorth the businesses of the Christian factioÌ„ that as I haue refuted the ill thinges to wit the thinges that the heathen slaundred them withall I may shewe the good thinges Wee are a bodie of the conscience of religion and of the trueth of discipline and of the couenaunt of hope Wee come together into an assembly or congregation that praying vnto God we might by praiers make sute for deeds or good workes This violence is acceptable to God Wee pray also for the Emperours for their Ministers and powers for the state of the Worlde for the quiet of the affaires for the prolonging of their ende Wee are gathered together to the commemoration or rehearsing of the diuine scriptures If that the quality of the present â—imes doe enforce as either to giue forewarning or to reacknowledge them Verilie with holy voices or sayings wee feede our faith wee erect our hope wee fixe our trust Notwithstanding wee thicken or close fast with inculcations or often repeating the Discipline of our teachers There also are exhortations chastisements and the diuine censure she meaneth Excommunication And before cap. 30. The Christians looking thither to wit vp to God in heaueÌ„ with their hands cast abroad because they are vnhurtful with their head bare because we blush not to conclude without an admonisher because we pray from the heart we are all alwayes praying for al the Emperours that they may haue a long life a safe Empire a sound house strong armies a faithful senate a godly people a quiet worlde and what soeuer are the desires of man and of Caesar. c. Whereby we may well perceiue that they had both in behauiour and in matter some certaine vsuall formes of publique prayers Especially by that hee sayth they needed no admonitor of them Which seemeth to cut of this that all their prayers depended on the pastors conceiuing Which also we may well gather of that we heard before out of Iustine howe they brought him that was baptized vnto the Brethren where the assemblies were That we might pray say they as well for our selues as for those that are newely illumined whereby wee might bee founde through true Doctrine and good workes worthy obseruers and keepers of the commaundements that wee may obteine eternall saluation Such were the ordinary formes of publique prayers in the most ancient Churches Bullinger vpon 1 Tim. 2.1 Concerning the auncient form of publike prayer writeth on this wise And leaste in this matter I shoulde dissemble any thing the Ecclesiasticall assemblies before a 1000 yeares agoe were on this manner The people flocked together into the holy house to the entent to worship God But while they were entring into the Churche certaine psalmes in some Churches were sung of those that were already come in other they were onely recited vntil the whole assembly was fully come together And this beginning of the Diuine seruice they called the Introit of entring Nowe when the Church waâ— come together all of theÌ„ cried with one consent Kâ—riele-eison Lord haue mercy To the which was added of some the hymne which is called the Angelles whose beginning Glory bee to God on high This hymne perteyneth to gratulation or to deprecation This being ended some minister of the Church recited the Collect the same was a kinde of prayer wherein the desires of the whole Church and their necessities collected together were recited vnto God Then was there red before-hand of the more learned Deacons some place either of the propheticall bookes or of the apostolicall Epistles chosen out according to the consideration of the time of the place or of
that thus farre forth besides heâ— commendable constancie and open profession of Christ she was neither improued of Christ nor discommended of anie protestant writer namely for lifting vp her voice beeing a woman in the audience of the publike congregation Likewise the woman that had the bloudie flixe Matth. 9. ver â—0 when as being a weake and bashfull woman by reason of her disease she durst not come openlie before Christ and in so great assemblie open her voice pray to him for succour but came behinde him and touched the hem of his garment For she said in her selfe If I may but touch his garment onelie I shall be whole Did Christ like this that she shuld receiue this benefit of him thus in silence because a woman might not speake in the congregation No saith Luke chap. 8. verse 44. VVhen shee came behinde him and touched the hemme of his garment immediatlie her issue of bloud staunched Then Iesus said who is it that hath touched mee VVhen euerie man denied Peter sayd and they that were with him Maister the multitude thrust thee and tread on thee â—nd sayest thou who hath touched me And Iesus sayd some one hath touched me for I perceiue that vertue is gone out of me VVhen the woman sawe that she was nâ—t hid she came trembling and fell downe before him and told him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed imediatlie Was not this then the purpose of Christ that this woman should speake and declare this worke of God before all the publike assemblie of the people What shall we saie of that woman Matth. 15.22 the Cananite that came crying to Christ and said Haue mercie on me O Lord thou sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a diuell Here this woman cried out in an open praier and spared not to speake speake aloude before all the assemblie But he answered her saith Matthew not a word What Was he angrie that she being a woman durst make her praier so openly before the multitude of the people Indeede the Disciples were offended at her importunitie and came to him and besought him saying Send her awaie for she crieth after vs. But he answered and saide I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel So that hée findeth no fault for that she being a woman would presume to make this open praier but pretendeth that she was not such a woman as he was sent to help that if she had bene such a woman he woulde haue liked of her crie well inough and haue helped her Yet came she saith Saint Mathew and worshipped him saying Lord helpe me And he answered and sayd It is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to whelpes And she said Truth Lord howbeit the whelpes eate of the crums which fall from their Maisters table Did Christ here like her replying vpon him hauing such an answere Yea verilie and that most singularliâ— well Then Iesus answered said vnto her O woman great is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou desirest her daughter was made whole at that houre Neither is it vnworthie to consider the storie so diligentlie described by Saint Iohn chap 4. concerning the Samaritane Woman Not her bolde talke with Christ alone at the Well but that verse 29. she said of Christ vnto the people Come and see a man that hath tolde me all things that I haue done is not this Christ. Yea Caluine who compareth her so dooing to this saying in the Psalme I beleeued and therfore I spake Psal. 116. v. 10. And saith he this vehemencie and cheerefulnesse of the woman are so much the more to be noted of vs because an onelie small sparke of faith kindled them For shee had scarce tasted Christ when shee setteth him forth throughout all the Citie c. But this sayth he seemeth in the woman rather worthie reprehension that beeing as yet rude and not thoroughlie taught she passed the boundes of her faith The answere is she shoulde haue done inconsideratlie if shee had taken vpon her the parts of teaching but now when shee desireth nothing but to stirre vp her Citizens that they should heare Christ speake we will not saie that beeing forgetfull of her selfe shee proceeded further than became her Onelie she doth the office of a Trumpet or of a Bell to call them vnto Christ And yet was this a kind of preching to theÌ„ as Musculus calleth it saying The woman did so much by her preaching that the people of this Citie went out to Christ of whome as yet they knew nothing Yea Aretius saith But as concerning that she preacheth the name and the person of Christ she testifieth by example how much she had profited At the beginning she acknowledged him onelie to be a Iew after that a Prophet placing him in a higher degree at the length she perfectlie acknowledgeth him to be the Messias and such a one vnto her Citizens she preacheth him to be Which also is for an example of regeneration wherof the order is this First to come to the knowledge of ones owne selfe then diligentlie to search concerning the true worship of God Last of all to become carefull of the profite of our neighbour Thus she wherein she profited woulde haue her fellow Citizens to profite also least she should inioy so great a benefite all alone Thou hast therefore a woman an Euangelist She exerciseth the office of a Doctor or Teacher she that came for an harlot returneth an Euangelical mistresse This is the meruailous goodnesse of God choosing base contemptuous things in the world that he might confound the wise men of this world Héerevpon Marlorate concludeth out of Bucer Therfore there is not so much consideration to be had of the partie that speaketh as we must ponder what is spoken to vs. And Alesius the Scot hereon making this his 16. place doth saie The ministerie of the Gospell is not tied to the ordinarie power And the doctrine of a priuate man and of a woman which bringeth forth the worde of God is to bee preferred before the iudgement of the multitude and of them that take vpon them the name authoritie of the Church as the Samaritanes beleeue at the testimonie of a woman concerning Christ. To conclude these examples in the new Testament Luke mencioning Philip the Euangelist Act. 21 verse 9. sayth Now had hee foure daughters virgins that did prophesie But this example Caluine woulde séeme on the other side to cut off saying But how these maidens exercised the office of prophesieng it is vncertaine except the spirite of GOD did so moderate them that they troubled not the order of him set downe But when hee permitteth not women to sustaine a publike person in the Church it is credible that they prophesied either at home or in a priuate place out of the common
in such virulent and treacherous manner as doe the aduersaries of the Gospell which her Maiestie defendeth and setteth foorth and wherein chiefely consisteth this her happines bâ—t in an other way-warde and not contented sorte as maintayning such a disordred corrupt and deformed state of the gouernement and discipline of Christs Church As though her reigne suppressed the reigne of Christ and the syncere aduauncing of his kingdome which in the Lordes prayer we desire If her Maiestie did thus what happinesse were there or rather what vnhappinesse were there not in her reigne But now when such as worthily are accounted to be the most learned professours of the Gospell in other Nations and suche as so hardly can brooke womens gouernment smackering too much of the frenche humor as we haue shewed shall notwithstanding giue this honorable testimony of her Maiesty and of her reigne And I hope they do it no more for flatterie than they néede for feare but euen for the truth sake it selfe for except they would suppresse it they can in conscience say no lesse shall now her Maiesties owne subiectes and those Protestantes too that féele the benefite whereat other reioyce so muche for the hearing thereof shall not they confesse as much as doth a straunger What a great ingratitude should this be Howbeit Danaeus confesseth not so much but wée finde much more the experience and benefite of this her most happie reigne God make vs with like thankfulnesse to acknowledge it For certainly if we shall consider al circumstances we shal not choose at leastwise in our consciences though we would not with our mouthes but confesse as much as doth Danaeus that the whole compasse of the worlde hath seene nothing at any time that is more happie or more to bee wished for than is her reigne or gouernement Neither the gouernement vnder the Quéene of Saba or of Gods people vnder Deborah neither yet vnder the most excellent men Dauid Salomon Asa Iehosaphat Iosias or Ezechias no not in Christendome vnder Constantine the greate or the great Charles though their reignes did in some thinges excell her Maiesties reigne yet all thinges pondered especially those kinde of good thinges wherein true happinesse most consisteth Danaeus spake heere a great word but we may well vpholde it for a truthe that the whole circle of the worlde sawe nothing at anie time more happie or blessed and a thing more to bee wished for if men might haue their wishes than is the reigne or gouernement of her Maiestie The Lorde I say againe and againe make vs thankefull to him chiefely and after him to her for the same and vouchsafe to continue and encrease this her most happie and wished reigne still among vs to his further glorie to our aunswerable thankefulnesse and to the refuge succour and comforte of other kingdomes where his Churche also is dispersed and yet by the seducinges and oppressions of Antichriste haue not atteyned to this happinesse and wished state for all their Kinges that wée in Englande vnder our Queene Elizabeth his most happie hand-mayde and our most gratious Soueraigne haue all the time of her reigne and yet God be magnified therefore doe enioye And still shall a straunger say these spéeches and our selues burie them in dumbe silence or if we speake thereof denie it or depraue it This is much to our shame to the great commendation of Danaeus if happily he had staied euen here so concluded vp this question For what could he or anie haue sayde better that coulde more fully confirme the supreme gouernement of a woman to bee lawefull in the Churche of Christe than this so manifest example and present instance of Gods so happily blessing her Maiesties supreme gouernment ouer vs his people But what shall wee foade our selues with all these goodly spéeches when the matter for all this is still impugned For to what purpose doth Danaeus driue all these great prayses of her Maiesties reigne To confirme and establish a womans gouernement Or not rather in the end euen as our Bretheren do but with a more cunning compasse to vndermine it And yet our Brethren as we haue heard cast foorth now then very fayre spéeches of her Maiestie of her happie reigne of her lawfull gouernmeÌ„t also But when it commeth to the very point they not only refuse to obey her Maiesties lawes and gouernmeÌ„t but they so cry out vpon the same as a most deformed corrupt state of gods Church that all their praysings are nothing comparable to their dispraysinges What a strange kinde of dealing is this in so high matters and with such great and noble personages It is an old saying Non est bonum ludere cum sanctis And shall wee dally thus in the chiefest matters of estate with Princes What could haue béen more auouched for confirmation of a womans lawfull gouernement then this so high recommending to all the worlde her Maiesties gouernement Solemnely pronouncing Verily for Elizabeth the Queene of Englande that nowe most happily raigneth the circuite of the worlde hath seene nothing at any time more happie or blessed and more to be wished for then is here reigne If here Danaeus haue not flattered as he had no cause but spoken as indéede we finde it the verie trueth what then can he afterwarde or all the circuite of the worlde alleage against this so excellent a president of Gods approbation for womens supreme gouernement In very déede nothing can be rightly opposed that shall euer be able to ouerturne this instance And verily if Danaeus shall nowe alleage any thing against the lawefulnesse of a womans supreme gouernment ouer Gods people he shall but contrarie and werie himselfe in vaine as we sawe howe Caenalis did And in the ende we shall sée likewise how Danaeus fayre and softly driues the matter not only to the same but to a farre worse pitche though in better spéeches and with more learning For Danaeus hauing gone thus farre dare not nowe say that the gouernement of women is a naughtie vnhonest or monstrous thing which terme Caluine vsed for then all the worlde would haue straightway séene it and cryed out vpon it as a grosse and manifest contradiction But he so fetcheth it about by little and little vnder hande that in the end it comes all to one passe as if had flat and plaine denied it And first here as he hath so highly commended her Maiesties raigne so will he not séeme to discommend but to giue at least some sober commendation to those that will admitte no such gouernment Notwithstanding sayth he those people seeme to haue wisely looked vnto their profite which haue taken heede vnto or prouided by their lawes and by a right or lawe publike least that women should rule among them and ouer them and should haue the chiefe right and gouernement If we conferre the sexe of the woman with the mans because that vnto manie offices which the
Ladie mistresse and gouernour of her owne householde goods and of all the persons in that her family but that another must be her gouernour in the same And yet there are many things in a familie and in the lawes and administration of an householde that she in her owne person is as vnfit and perhaps as vnable to doe or exercise as in a common weale neuerthelesse this letteth not by Gods lawe but that shee not hauing anie husband is the chiefe gouernour of her householde But for the common weale Bodinus addeth And almightie God so often as he testifieth that he will most sharplie reuenge himselfe on the enimies of his name hee threatneth that they shall be subiect to the gouernments and lawes of women as though that were the most extreame of all euils and calamities Bodinus being no great nor sound diuine may the more be borne with in misquoting the Chapter and perchaunce that is not his default but his misreporting of the holie Scripture is in him lesse excusable In the 8. of Esaie God indéed threatneth curses and most dreadful reuenge on the enimies of his name but no such curse of womens gouernment but a curse of the gouernment of such as were men If he meane the third Chapter of Esaie we haue answered the same vnto Danaeus and the same answere may serue him though no Protestant Yea I thinke that when he came into England he wished in his heart if he loued his Countrie that Fraunce were cursed no worse of God vnder their king than England God bée praised for it is vnder our Queene The Prophet speaketh indéede not of anie curse threate or plague of God to come to the state by heroicall women but by effeminate men Yea he that promised that curse promised and that by the same Prophet this blessing And Queenes shal be thy Nurses It were better for that state of Gods Church in France if they felt the comfort of this blessing Moreouer sayth he the Romane lawes haue withdrawen women far off from all ciuil offices and publike functions not onely for that they want prudence as Martian thought when among all women hee sayde onely Pallas wanted a mother beeing begotten of Iupiters braine that it might bee vnderstoode wisedome could not follow from women but also that mens functions are contrarie to the sexe and shamefastnesse of women If Bodinus had anie shame or grace or truth or wisedome or wit but so meane as might beséeme such a man hee woulde neuer haue let these wordes escape him Doth he thinke to plaie out the matter thus with this vnfauourie iest that Minerua had no mother of whome for her wisedome the Poets fained that she sprong out of Iupiters braines Was not Bodiuus brainlesse or had he more braines than wit when hee wrote this What Martian iested whether he meane Martian the Emperour or Martianus Mineus or Martianus Rota is to little purpose If Martianus the Emperour had not found that the Empresse and virgin Pulcheria had had both wit wisedome and prudence in gouernment of the Empire hee had not come to the gouernment of it Haue not diuerse women both Quéenes subiects excelled in prudence If Bodinus did not leauer delight to alleadge Poets than Scripture hee shoulde haue found many commended for their great wisedome and prudence farre passing Pallas If the Poets also did not rather giue vs to vnderstand in the person of Pallas that not onelie in man but also in woman wisedome and prudence namelie of gouernment in peace and warre was the onelie and speciall gifte of God comming not by the parents father or mother but that God of his méere influence inspired this gifte of prudent gouernment not onelie to man but vnto woman euen as he pleased and as wée reade the examples and finde the present experience in our Pallas such another indéede as France could neuer shewe the like and therefore Bodinus braines did lesse conceiue it As for that hee sayth of the Romane lawes and the practise of their estates wee haue verie sufficientlie inough séene the quite contrarie And haue likewise discharged that shifte that for Women to deale in mens functions is contrarie to their sexe and shamefastnesse The publik supreme gouernment of a kingdome is no such peculiar function of a man but that it is competible both to man and woman and the calling and gifte of God in which estate they whosoeuer represent God and his power in regarde whereof neither person nor sexe of male or female is respected as wee haue séene not by Poettes fictions but by cléere testimonies and examples of the Scripture And yet euen Poets recommende vnto vs some wise women for their gouernment besides Pallas But here Bodinus comming to examples telleth howe nothing troubled the Romane Senate more than that the Emperour Heliogabalus brought his mother into the Senate not to giue her sentence but to beholde that most holie assemblie of the Citie Which also sayth hee seemed newe vnto our auncestours when Mawd the Countesse of Arthoise was present while the Councell iudged Robert Arthoise his cause But if it seeme absurde and ridiculous for women to intermeddle in the functions and assemblies of men much more absurde ought it to seeme that those things which appertaine to the maiestie of the gouernment should be laide open to the lust of women but most absurd to beare the Scepters If Bodinus would tell the truth I thinke he woulde saie that the Senate of Rome although at that time God wot not verie holie was a little more troubled with the presence of that effeminate and monstrous Emperour and with his most dissolute gouernment than with his mothers onelie comming into the Senate house and there so much as but looking on them If neither she nor he had attempted farre worse things than that neither the Senate nor the state had béene much troubled or hurt by them Moesia both the graundmother of him and of Alexander Seuerus and Mammea Alexanders mother did more than thus in the state of gouernment and that without offence vnto the Senate or detriment vnto the state But whatsoeuer they did haue wee not heard of many farre better examples than that wicked mother of the monstrous Heliogabalus As of Debora sitting in iudgemen of Iudith making her oration before all the assemblie of the Elders and people and of diuerse others Doth Bodinus come in with such an outcrie and amazement at the onelie comming of a woman into an assemblie and but beholding or hearing of the Iudges Neither Moses in his sitting in iudgement nor Salomon in all his roialtie was euer so daintie but that euen women also might looke vpon them yea and priuate Women come themselues and pleade theyr rightes before them and heare their inditements But it was newes in Fraunce to sée a woman but to come into the place onelie and standing by in silence to
consented vpon to be done And it is one thing to doe or how to doe the things that are consented vpon to bée done and another thing to consent that such things should be done For the Churches regiment in these matters consisteth most in the consent as heere is sayde to authorize them to bee done and the Bishoppes or the Pastors regiment in the authoritie of dooing or executing of them But for the consent of them to be done what is this that they call here a consent of his householde seruants Is it requisite that expresse consent be had of all those that are Christs householde seruants that is to saie of euerie particular person in the Church What if it séeme otherwise to some one or few that will giue no consent thereto but dissent Doth this cut off the Churches regiment No. For our Brethren to proue that all thinges must be done with the Churches consent alleadge this sentence If two of you consent vpon earth vpon anie matter whatsoeuer yee shall aske it shall be graunted you of my Father which is in heauen And must this consent then of the regiment of the Church be contracted to anie two of the householde seruants though the most part of all the other that bee no lesse seruants and faithfull seruants of the Lordes household doe dissent from them But wherefore doe our Brethren alleage this sentence to this matter To confirme their regiment in the Church being in comparison but two to two thousand that haue consented to the orders of the Churches regiment now established and they dissent from our consent herein Indéede were it matter of faith in doctrine and substance of religion or anie thing alreadie prescribed not onely the consent of two and the dissent of one is better than the consent of all the rest in errour as wee alleadge Gerson and Panormitane against the Papists when they boast of consent and Councels against the manifest truth of Gods word but when wee all therein agrée with full consent against all the errours and superstitions of the Papists and yet in some matters of Ceremonies of their owne nature indifferent and of those pointes in the Churches regiment that concerne comelinesse order and edification some seruants of the householde dissent from other some whether is it better that many and almost all and the most experient and that in matters of regiment and counted as learned as anie of the other and the chiefest also in authoritie yea the Prince also hauing the supreame authoritie and that in the publyke regiment of Ecclesiasticall matters shoulde giue place to two or three or to a few persons dissenting or that these fewe shoulde leaue their dissention giue place and consent to the greater and better parte of the companie And will God graunt the requests consented vppon by two or thrée and not their requestes consented vppon by so manye thousandes when they are also gathered in the name of Christe as not onelie the people are in our publik praiers but also all the estates of the whole realme and chiefe partes of the Church of England all which haue often bene assembled and giuen alredy their consent to the establishment of this forme of the Churches regiment that we haue And therefore this promise of our Sauiour Christ if it may be drawen to matters of publike Ecclesiasticall regiment doth more and more confirme vs in our forme established that God approues it and was in the middest of them that consented on it and is still in the middest of our assemblies gathered in his name when we direct our actions according therevnto And now seeing that our Sauiour Christ hath neither authorized nor promised to blesse anie other forme of regiment than that which consisteth of the consent and gathering together of his seruants in his name we holde vs content with this simplicitie and therefore we are bolde to saie that God hath promised to blesse and as we haue found the experience if we haue grace in thankfulnesse to acknowledge his manifolde blessings hath diuerse wayes alredie blessed our forme of regiment which with such consent and gathering together of his seruants in his name is established And our brethren haue not to be ouerbolde but rather to feare bethinke thēselues how they gather themselues in consent and consort against this authorized form of regiment least their gathering together bréed a banding in factions of themselues to dissipate the vnitie of the Church to make scismes amongest vs. And nowe where our Brethren conclude this Section saying And therefore wee are bolde to saie that the authoritie of a pastor in publike regiment or discipline separate from others is nothing at all I will be bolde also to saie thus much that it is nothing at all against our pastors authoritie in publik regiment or discipline For as they haue described it he hath none such giuen him nor exerciseth anie such by anie authoritie in this Realme established that is separate from others that is to saie as before our Brethren haue expounded their meaning a Monarchiall authoritie or sole absolute gouernment But that is referred peculiarlie to our Sauior Christ onelie 1. Tim. 6. v. 7. Iude. 4. Otherwise if they meane not such authoritie I dare be bold again to saie thus much that not onlie this exception of Christs Monarchical or sole absolute authoritie is alleaged here in vaine is nothing at all vnto the abridging of the Bishop or Pastors authoritie but that also in manner and matter afore rehearsed a Bishoppe or Pastor hath a greate authoritie separated by himselfe as the foresayde examples and preceptes to Timothie haue declared Let vs then see what is his authoritie ioyned with others first who are so ioyned in Commission with him that without their consent hee can doo nothing We saie therefore that the authoritie of Christ is lefte vnto his whole Church and so to euerie Church that none maye chalenge Episcopall or Metropoliticall authoritie as it is with vs at this day ouer other without great tyrannie and manifest iniurie That the Pastor or the Bishop can doo nothing by his authoritie in the gouernment of the Church without the consent of others ioyned in commission with him for euerie particular act that he must doo our brethren haue not yet proued Yea wee haue shewed the cleane contrarie both in making Ministers and in admitting hearing iudging and determining of their caused by their owne authoritie without anie ioyned in commission with them Not that they did all thinges alone but vsed the counsell and consent of others and perhaps of the whole Churches but that they were not ioyned in cōmission with them nor were their equals in the authoritie of those doings Neither is this conclusion better than the antecedent We saie therfore that the authoritie of Christ is left vnto his whole Church and so to euerie Church c. For my parte I dare not bee thus bolde to affirme
It behoueth therefore to keepe their precepts euen as the burning fire And let them be such but as for you reuerence ye them as the Lord Iesus Christ because they are the kepers of his place as the bishop is the forme of the Father of al but the Elders of the consistorie of God and ioyning together of the Apostles of Christ for without them it is not the elected church nor the collection of the Saints nor the holie Congregation And again What is the Eldership but a holie institution of a counsellour or confessour of a Bishop What also are the Deacons but followers of Christ ministering to the Bishop as Christ to the Father and working vnto him a cleane vnspottrd work euen as Saint Stephen vnto the most blessed Iames and Timothie Linus vnto Paul and Anacletus and Clement vnto Peter And in the 4. Epipistle to the Philippians Yet I saie to the Bishop and to the Elders in the Lord that who soeuer shall keepe the Passeouer with the Iews or take vp the solemnitie of their feast daies shall be compartner with them that haue killed the Lorde and his Apostles These and such other spéeches of the Presbyteral Elders do declare that whosoeuer in Ignatius name wrote theÌ„ for I dare not so boldly as our Br. doe affirme them to bee his yet in writing thus of the Consistorie of the Elders yea of the Deacons vnder them hee thought them both to meddle with teaching and with the administration of the Sacraments As for the Epistle that is adioyned in the name of Polycarpus the Elders with him it is most manifest howe they ioyned teaching to their gouerning Let the Elders bee simple in all things mercifull conuerting all from errour visiting all the sicke not neglecting the widowes the fatherlesse and the poore but alwaies prouiding good things before the Lorde and before meÌ„ As for anie other that is more suspected stuffe I cite not But be they suspected or be they not as I graunt they are verie auncient so we can finde in none of them such Elders mencioned as our Br. threape vpon vs that there were neither yet in anie ancient autentike Ecclesiasticall historie For as for that Danaeus writing of the office of Elders in Christ. Isagog part 2. cap. 10. citeth saying Lites â—utem dirimere c. But to decide debates and as out of Socrates lib. 7. cap. 37. may be gathered to behaue themselues as Iudges and arbiters I neuer read that it was the function of Elders or parte of their office This proueth nothing at all that the Cleargie of whome Socrates there speaketh were not Ministers of the worde and Sacraments but rather séemeth to inferre that theâ— were and that the Bishop of whome Socrates speaketh woulde not hauâ— them drawe too much awaie from their function to the hearing and determining of such controuersies Albeit Socrates telleth that Siluanus the Bishop did it when as hee sawe the Clarkes to make a gaine by the controuersies of the striuers that from thence forth hee permitted none of the Cleargie to be a Iudge but taking the bils of those that made supplications he preferred one faithfull laie man whom he knewe to fauour that which was â—ight and good to haue the hearing of those matters and so he set free the striuers from contention and controuersie Here the Cleargie that had the dealing in those matters the Bishop by his superior authoritie tooke it froÌ„ theÌ„ appointed it not to the consistorie of Elders but to one laiâ— man But to shew more fullie and plainlie that Socrates alwaies vnderstands by the tearme of Elders onely such as we call Priestes to wit Ministers of the worde and Sacraments Let vs also sée some testimonies out of Socrates because Danaeus citeth him for these Elders And I would gladly search all the testimonies examples generallie if that Caluine Beza Danaeus or anie other author haue ought for the proofe or but probabilitiâ— of these Elders In the 3. Chap. of his first booke he saith And on a certaine time the Presbyters Priests or Elders being present which were vnder him he speaketh of Alexander Bishoppe of Alexandria and the residue of the Cleargie hee treated somewhat more curiouslie and subtillie of the Trinitie and philosophicallie proued that in the Godhead there is the vnitie in the Trinitie But Arius beeing one of the number of the Elders which in that degree were placed vnder Alexander a man not ignorant of the quirkes of Logicke because he suspected that he would afresh bring into the Church the errour of the Affricane Sabellius being kindled with the desire of contention declined to an opinion cleane contrarie to the opinion of that Affricane and affirmed that if the Father begat the sonne he that was begotten had a beginning of his being And that thervpon it is cleere that there was a time when the sonne was not that necessarily it followed that he had his being of nothing When he had concluded with this new kinde of reason and neuer before heard of he stirred vp many of them to seeke after those matters and of a little sparke was kindled a great great flame c. Wherevpon Alexander calling a councell of many Bishops he deposed saith Socrates Arius and the fautors of his opinion from the degree of the Eldership By which it plainly appeareth that these elders were ministers and teachers of the worde And to this not onelie accordeth Ruffinus lib. 10. Eccl. hist. cap. 1. saiâ—ng A certaine Elder at Alexandria named Arius a man more religious in shew and forme than vertue began to set forth certaine wicked points concerning the faith of Christ c. And Theodoretus lib. 1. cap. 2. yet more plainlie In these times saith he Arius which was in the companie and order of the Elders and had the authority of interpreting the diuine Scriptures When he saw the gouernment of the Sacerdotall Priesthood or Bishopricke to be committed to Alexander being impatient of enuie wherewith he was chafed he began to seek occasions of prouokements of discords and striuings And albeit the dignity of the man and his laudable administration brake off the web of all slaunders yet coulde not enuie let him rest The enimie therefore of truth hauing gotten this fellow he moued and stirred vp the waues of the Church and so prouoked him that he durst openly gainsay the Apostolical doctrine of Alexander As for Alexander he auouched the speeches of the diuine Scripture that the sonne is of the same dignitie with the Father and hath the same essence with his begetter But Arius fighting against the truth called him a creation and a worke made Adding those wordes that there was some time when he was not Which things may better be knowen out of the Scriptures themselues These things did he not only in the Churches continually but also in other outward assemblies and meetinges and treating vpon them house by
Ministerie especialy as they were thē in practise may be imploied otherwise both for the attendance on the Pastors in the Ministerie of the word and Sacraments and also to prepare themselues to become fit Pastors afterwards whereupon now and then as necessitie or occasion hath serued and they found to be méete thereto the Ministerie also of the word and Sacraments hath béene permitted vnto them in the auncient yea in the Primitiue Church and at the very time of their institution or immediatly after as appéereth both by Stephen and Philip by whome we may iudge the like of all the residue for Stephen so soone as euer he was chosen Deacon was set vpon with diuers aduersaries in matter of doctrine who disputed with Stephen but they were not able to resist the wisedome and the spirite by the which he spake Actes 6.10 Whereupon saith Gualter Et quamuis de publicis concionibus c. And although nothing be spoken of his publike Sermons notwithstanding it is euident by the context of the hystorie that he had these both often and effectuall and very serious Wherefore by the way and as it were by digression we may heere see that the Deacons of the Primitiue Church were not altogether estraunged from the ministerie of the word but although they were chiefelie occupied about the dispensation of the Churches goodes neuerthelesse they imployed their labour also so farre as they might in the other ministeries of the Church that by this meanes according to the sentence of S. Paule they might get vnto themselues a good degree 1. Tim. 3. what a notable Sermon he made and what a rare and singular gift of the spirit of God in his preaching he had the 7. Chapter at large witnesseth Aretius vpon the 3. verse of the properties that Peter required in these Deacons saith Fourthly he returneth againe to the vertues to wit such as are meete for them to haue Full of the holy Ghost That they should haue certayne most sure notes of the holy Ghost such as at that time were to speake with tongs that they had not learned to worke miracles in the name of Christ to teach boldly in this teaching to ouercome the enemies and such like Also Full of wisedome that is that they be prouident and warie least they cast pearles to any dogs or swine but teach them that are to be taught but chiefely prudence was necessary for the Ecclesiasticall dispensation whereunto they are to be called And on the 5. verse of Stephens disputation with his aduersaries which saith he was of the Christian doctrine he saith Stephen no doubt did execute faithfully and constantly the office of a Deacon no lesse then Lawrence did afterward vnder Sextus and Vincentius vnder Valerius who bestowed the treasures of the Church vpon the poore But vnto these do come new vertues first he is full of faith that is of feruencie in teaching that faith c. The like we reade in the eight Chapter following of Philip one of the same companie of Deacons whome Aretius calleth the Doctor of the Samaritanes secondly sayth he heereunto perteineth a singuler example of Philip who happily instructed the Samaritanes First heere may be considered who that Philip was for there haue beene that haue thought him to be the Apostle but two strong arguments are against them in the context first that the Apostles were not dispearsed but aboade at Ierusalem but Philip was among those that were dispearsed therefore it was not Philip the Apostle Moreouer the Apostles onely could giue the holy Ghost but Philip could not do it And heereupon Iohn Peter are sent to the Samaritanes wherefore it can not be Philip the Apostle it is therefore the Deacon of whome we spake before Chap. 6. And Gualter affirming also the same addeth further First he teacheth whose ministery God vsed in conuerting Samaria it was that Philip not he that was the Apostle but he that before was reckoned vp among the Deacons as the auncient writers of the Church do testify with one consent chiefely Epiphanius writing of Simon and of the Simoniacks for although the parts of the Deacons were to beare the care of the common goodes of the Church and of the poore notwithstanding it was withall permitted vnto them to take on them the preaching of the Gospell if at any time necessity so required the which we haue hitherto seene in Stephens example And perhaps there was not so great vse of Deacons at Ierusalem when the Church was dispersed with the tempest of persecution and therefore they which before dispensed the publike goods of the Church gaue themselues wholy to the ministery of the word Yea and Paule admonished afterward that the Deacons by ministring well should get vnto themselues a degree vnto a greater function 1. Tim. 3. And as the ministration of the Sacraments followeth the preaching of the word so Philip baptized those whome he had by his preaching conuerted Neither is it noted that they did these things by reason of any other office annexed vnto them but as Gualter noteth verie well that in generally as they had gifts competent and occasion conuenient it was not impertinent to their office of Deaconship so to imploy themselues Whereupon also the Magdeburgenses note Centuria 1. lib. 2. cap. 7. pag. 508. saying Other were Deacons The office of these was to minister to the Table at Ierusalem so long as the community of goods was there Acts. 6. but neuerthelesse that they also taught and shewed foorth signes appeareth out of Stephen Actes 6. and Philip Actes 8.21 and euery where in other Churches it was the office of the Deacons to teach and to minister And the same Magdeburgenses in the title Deratione acforma gubernationis pag. 510. do say These were the works in common of the Apostles and Prophetes Pastors Doctors Priestes Deacons They taught the Church purely and sincerely concerning euery of the head points of the christian doctrine c. and that Deacons also taught appeareth out of the 6. and 8. of the Actes they interpreted the holy Scriptures c. they deliuered the Catechisme c. they did cut the word of truth rightly into the Law and the Gospell c. they vsed the forme of sound words in teaching c. they vsed also in teaching a simple kind of speech c. they studied to keepe the puritie of doctrine c. they opposed themselues sharply against false teachers and Hereticks and confuted their false opinions For Stephen Act. 6. confuted them that were in the synagog of the Libertines c. they preached repentance that is they reproued and blamed sinners for the Apostles Act. 2.3 and 4. did openly obiect vnto the Iewes this sinne and for the same reproue them that they had killed Iesus of Nazareth the iust and holy one the sonne of God and the Messias and Stephen Actes 7. calleth them murtherers and betrayers of
life to execute anie part of a Deacons office neither are chosen for that ende For although there be not now such vse of this office concerning the distribution of goods to the poore and attendance on the tables as was then in vse yet séeing that Stephen can not be said to haue gone beyond the bounds of his office in preaching the word being but a Deacon for other publike Ecclesiasticall function we read of none that he had either before or after if he then that is now made a Deacon haue the purpose as manie haue by the grace of God to become afterward a Preacher or Minister of the word and in the meane time purpose withall for a while to giue his attendance on the Ministers that they may the better imploy themselues in the Ministerie of the word of and their selues learne to become the readier to be made Pastors can it be trulie said of these that they neuer purposed in their life to execute anie part of a Deacons office neither are chosen for that ende But they say this differeth nothing in the worlde from the superstition of Poperie where the office of Deacons was conferred onelie as a steppe vnto Preesthood That this was not Poperie vnderstanding Priesthood not as the adversaries vnderstande it for a Sacrificing Ministerie although wee haue séene sufficient proofe out of Gualter Aretius the Magdeburgenses and Hyperius out of Ambrose that teaching and ministring the Worde and Sacraments as the parties were able and occasion serued was a parte also of the Deacons office notwithstanding let vs héere sée further what Kemnitius saith thereon And because saith he the Apostles did afterwarde take out of the Deacons into the Ministerie of teaching those that were tried as Stephen Philip it is gathered that this is the vse also of these degrees or orders that they shoulde bee prepared and tried before in the lesser that afterwarde the more weightie offices of the Ministerie might the safelier and with more profite bee commended vnto them And this is that which Paule saith 1. Tim. 3. Let them be first tried and so minister And againe They that in the Deaconship haue ministred well shall get vnto theÌ„selues a good degree Thus notablie saith Kemnitius euen in confuting the Poperie that was vsed in the abuse of this office This therefore can not be called Poperie nor ought to be misliked to make it one ende and that an excellent ende and purpose of making Deacons to bee a steppe vnto the Priesthoode or Eldership in the Word and Sacraments And so vnderstanding necessarie for conuenient or expedient it may be well auouched that it is necessarie that euerie one which is ordeined a Priest or pastorall Elder should first be a Deacon The wordes of our Brethren following And yet when he is made a Deacon hee is but an Idoll yea scarce an Idoll of a Deacon hauing no resemblance at all vnto a Deacon indeed but that he is a man are but words of passion which the apparance of the truth yea the contradiction in the wordes themselues doo sufficientlie confute For if he be made a Deacon then he is a Deacon or else he is not made a Deacon And how is he become an Idoll Is there anie Idolatrie committed vnto him Or whereof is he an Idoll They say he is scarce an Idoll of a Deacon Do they meane by scarce an Idoll that he is not an Idoll For quod vix fit non fit Or that he is somewhat an Idoll of a Deacon But howe is he anie part an Idoll of a Deacon if he haue not indeede so much as anie resemblance at all vnto a Deacon but that hee is a man What and are all men Idols too But as though there were héerein a great prophaning of Gods Institution they tell vs how God will not suffer it vnpunished especiallie when it is not mainteined of ignorance or infirmitie but defended against knowledge and vpon wilfulnesse They should haue first proued that we prophane Gods institution of the Deacons office then brotherlie admonish vs of these threates God be praised considering the state and times of the Church now our vse of this office is not prophane but holie If anie prophane it it is a personall not a reall prophanation So did Iudas prophane the Apostleship and Nicholas the Deaconship We vsing it no worse than to the ende and purpose to make it a triall and preparatiue or as they terme it a steppe vnto the Priesthood or Eldership of the Word for anie thing that they alledge to the contrarie wee néede so litle feare their threates of Gods punishment in this behalfe that we rather hope in God to continue it with his fauour blessing Neuerthelesse if any errour can be shewed and prooued for my part I may erre of ignorance and infirmitie but by Gods grace I will defend none against knowledge vpon wilfulnes so it be cléerelie proued out of the worde of God not of men be they neuer so famous For if they bring men as Caluine Beza Danaeus c. Whome I confesse in all thankfulnesse to be in manie and great thinges most singular instruments of Gods glorie in this our age yet as we haue séene wee maye well oppose them to their owne selues or as easilie reiect them as admit them alledgâ—â—g not the scripture it selfe but their onelie interpretation of it except they firmelie prooue their interpretation Now on these slender premisses our Br. verie looselâ—e conclude saying Therefore the Collectors are more like to Deacons a great deale than those that the Bishops make Deacons For first they haue after a sort election of the Church whereas the other haue but the approbation of one man And secondlie they gather and distribute the common almes vnto the poore which the other neuer thinke of But yet we may not allowe them for lawfull Deacons indeede because they are not alwayes indued with such qualities as the Apostle requireth 1. Tim. 2. For they ought to be men of good estimation in the Church ful of the holie Ghost and of wisdome that should be chosen Act. 6. For as it is an office of good credire so ought the person to be of good reputation Therefore saith Saint Paule that those Deacons that Minister well doo get vnto them selues a good degree and great libertie in the faith which is in Christ Iesus Insomuch that Saint Paule himselfe dooth salute in speciall wordes the Deacons next to the Bishops or ouerseers in the Church of Philippi We read also what worthie men were chosen to be the first Deacons as Stephen the firsâ— Martyr and Philip which afterward was an Euangelist when the Churche was dispersed through the persecution raysed about Stephen So that euerie ignorant contemptible person is not to be allowed vnto this office but as godly wise and worshipfull as may conueniently be found in the congregation may not thinke themselues too good to
to be appointed and howe they shoulde afterward be kept Of the difference betweene necessary and not necessarie matters Of the signe of the crosse at baptisme Of baptising in the Font. Of kneeling at the communion And of wearing the Surplesse Whether the recusant ministers be displaced onely or cheefely for these ceremonies Of those ministers commendation by our brethren For their moste diligent preaching their moste feruent praying and their moste reuerend Ministration of the Sacramentes Lastly of the pure caeremonies that the councell should ordeine expedient for the time and persons and the punishing of the breakers of them WE haue declared before that there is a double authority of the pastor the one ioyned with the Elders of the Church whereof he is pastor the other with the synode or holy assemblie whereof hee is a member Of the former we haue intreated hetherto Now it followeth that wee speake of the later WHen our Brethren beganne to enter into their Learned Discourse of these last Officers in their Tetrarchie to witte the Deacons they sayde page 100. Wee must therefore returne to the authoritie of the pastor which hee hath ioyned with the Elders of the Church whereof hee is pastor And heere nowe after their Treatise of Deacons telling vs of the double authority of the pastor the one ioyned with the Elders of the Church whereof he is pastor the other with the synode or holy assemblie whereof he is a member of the former wee haue intreated hitherto nowe it followeth that wee speake of the later except their Deacons be pastors or at leaste haue some part of their office and authoritie ioyned with the pastorall Elders of the Church I woulde faine learne howe these sayings hang together but to passe ouer this let vs come nowe to the later authoritie of the pastors that with the synode they say followeth There ariseth oftentimes in the Church diuers controuersies which cannot bee otherwise expressed pertaining to the state of the whole Church then by a generall assemblie of the pastors of that Churche which is called a synode or Generall counsell That diuerse controuersies oftentimes and to oftentimes arise in the Church with heartie greefe thereat and with present experience we cannot but confesse it and lament it And if licence be permitted thus to preach and print what euerie one please in Discoursing vpon the Ecclesiasticall Gouernment when will controuersies ceasse if not increase dailie more and more but what meane they by this can not these controuersies bee repressed nor yet expressed otherwise than by a general assemblie of the pastors of that church which is called a synode or generall counsail Can they not be so much as expressed without a synode nor without a Generall counsaile Howe coulde they haue arisen into controuersy if they had not beene before expressed Yea the light and trueth of them by other meanes also then by a synode and that a generall Counsayle maye bothe bee expressed and the controuersies of them repressed too as many haue bin oftentimes by the Learned Discoursers writings of the Fathers And what meane they againe by these wordes There ariseth oftentimes in the Church diuerse controuersies which cannot be otherwise expressed perteining to the state of the whole Church than by a generall assembly of all the Pastors of tâ—at Church which is called a Synode or generall Councell If those controuersies pertain to the state of the whole Church why say they that they can not bee otherwise expressed than by a generall assemblie of all the Pastors of that Church Are all the Pastors of that Church where the controuersies pertaining to the whole Church doe arise the whole Church or doe they meane that a generall assemblie of all the pastors of that Church which Church is called a Synode or Councell is the whole Church and are they also the Pastors of the Synode or rather Pastors of their particular and seuerall Churches as they sayde better before but members onely of the Synode or holy assembly and so do they say this is a Synode or generall Counsell Euery generall Counsell may be called a Synode but euery Synode cannot be called a generall Counsell These things me thinks beit spoken vnder their correction might haue beene if not more Learnedly Discoursed yet more clearely expressed that wee might haue better vnderstood their meaning and so wee might giue them if neede bee further aunswere Also there bee diuerse cases wherein seuerall Churches are driuen to pray the ayde of the Synode where matters can-not bee determined among them-selues For this cause the holy Ghoste hath ordeyned these holy assembles with promise that they beeing gathered together in the name of Christe hee him-selfe will bee among them In case this our Brethrens platforme were in place wee shoulde then haue more than good store of these diuerse cases in euery seuerall Church and might soone bee brought into such a doubtfull and pitifull case that wee shoulde bee driuen to pray the ayde not of the Synode so much as of any body if any but God allonely in so diuers cases coulde relieue vs. But nowe put case that in diuers cases the seuerall Churches are driuen to pray the ayde of the Synode where matters cannot be determined among them-selues will the seuerall Churches be all of them content with whatsoeuer that Synode shall determine of whome they pray ayde And what if the Synode can not agree among them-selues and some determine this way and some that way or one Synode determine the cleane contrarie to another when shall the cases bee fully determined among them and hath it not beene so I speake not against Synodes or Counselles generall or Prouinciall of which there is and hath bene in the Church for determining of diuers cases and controuersies very needefull and very excellent vse and remedie Howe soeuer Gregorie Nazianzene sayde that hee neuer sawe good effect in any But I speake onely of the state of them as our Brethren woulde haue them ordered and for that when euerie seuerall Church had set vp this Ecclesiasticall Gouernment and tetrarchie that that they haue here in this Learned Discourse prescribed when wee shoulde haue diuers cases diuers controuersies diuers wayes still arising It is not their Synodes that coulde determine appease or stoppe them if they made them not more diuers and contentious then before or raised not diuers controuersies and cases more among them The holy Ghoste I graunt ordeyned holy assemblies And the promise that they beeing gathered together in the name of Christe hee him-selfe will bee among them stretcheth also vnto the holy assemblies of Godly Synodes and Councelles But did not our Brethren heere apply this sentence of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 18. Pag. 81. Vnto the seuerall assemblies consistories of the Gouerning Elders Yea that place descendeth downe euen to two or three and that also wheresoeuer And yet may two or
denouncing the finall determination of it But to stoppe this they say to whome that prerogatiue was graunted not of singular authoritie but for order sake Ergo he had héerein a prerogatiue and if a prerogatiue then it was aboue all the residue and if aboue all the residue then was it singular in him But not say they of singular authoritie If of any authoritie at all as they confessed before the Pastor hath authoritie then of singular authoritie else no prerogatiue Yea but say they that prerogatiue was graunted to him And I graunt that also for had it not beene graunted him it had not beene authoritie but vsurpation and therefore the graunt confirmes the authoritie Yea but say they it was graunted but for orders sake All the better say I that it is for orders sake and euen therefore and go no further for all the Pastors to be equall in authoritie is to bring all Synodes and Counselles and all cases and controuersies arising in them or to be determined by them both in matter of Doctrine and in the regiment of the Church into all disorder and confusion which our Brethren beginning now a little better to perceyue and to yeeld yet somewhat at least heereunto they are driuen at length to confesse and say And this place doth admonish vs to intreate somewhat of the preeminence of one Elder or Pastor aboue the rest We confesse that in euery assemblie or companie some one of necessitie must haue this prerogatiue to order and dispose the same with reason or else great confusion is like to follow But this gouernment is onely of order and not of authoritie as to propound matters to be decided to gather the reasons and consent of the rest and so to conclude c. as we see in this place Iames did of whome also we reade that he had this preeminence Actes 21.18 c. and we may gather the same Galath 2.9.12 not that Iames had greater authority in his Apostleship than Peter or Paule or Iohn or any other of the Apostles but bycause hee was chosen of the rest to haue prerogatiue of order which some one must haue in euery assemblie and such was the prerogatiue at the fyrst which was graunted sometime to the Byshop of Rome and sometime to some other Byshops to be President or Prolocutor in the generall Counselles beeing chosen thereto for the tyme by consent of the rest as the Prolocutor is chosen in our Conuocations that are called with Parliaments Therefore as it were an absurd thing for our Prolocutor in our Conuocation to take vpon him to be a controller of the whole Synode and to challenge that office to him and to his heyres for euer so vnreasonable is the authoritie that the Pope claymeth ouer generall Counselles One therefore is to be chosen by consent to be as it were the Prolocutor or moderator of order but not authoritie in euerie assemblie whose prerogatiue must so be tempered that in all things tyrannie be auoyded which we see by experience easily creepeth in vppon prowde natures to whome if you graunt an inch they will be readie to take an ell according to the prouerbe Concerning the preeminence of one Elder or Pastor aboue the rest we haue sufficiently séene alreadie at large the proofe thereof against the prooues that our Bréethren haue before alleaged for Pastors to haue no superioritie ouer theyr fellow Pastors but be all of equall dignitienitie and authoritie Pag. 23. c. Yet héeâ—e now at length in theyr treatise of the Synode they say this place meaning Actes 15. doth admonish them to intreate somewhat of one Elder or Pastor aboue the rest Thanks bée to God that they will yet acknowledge be it but this place onely to admonish them of it And yet if they search the Scripture somewhat further they shall fynde moe places than this to admonish them of this preeminence if they wyll take admonishment by them as not onely that which theyr selues haue héere noted in Peter and Iohn besydes Iames Galath 2. but also in the authoritie aboue other Pastors that Sainct Paule giueth to Timothy and to Titus and Sainct Iohn to the Angells of the seauen Asian Churches But to leaue these and other places béeing before touched since now they are content to take admonition onely of this place Actes 15. to intreate as they tearme it somewhat of the preeminence of one Elder or Pastor aboue the rest let vs heare what this somewhat amounteth vnto We confesse say they that in euerie assemblie or companie some one of necessitie must haue thys prerogatiue to order and dispose the same with reason or else great confusion is lyke to follow This is a good confession and a prettie somewhat to begin withall fyrst that among all the other assembled a prerogatiue aboue the rest belongeth not to some many or to some few but allonely to some one Secondly that this prerogatiue of some one aboue the rest is not to be in some assemblyes as in the assemblies of Synodes and Counsels onely but in euery assemblie or companie Thirdly that it is not voluntarie in euerie assemblie or companie neyther yet of decencie or conueniencie onely but it must be so and that of playne necessitie Fourthly that this preeminence and prerogatiue of some one in euery assemblie or companie stretcheth not onely to declare to moue to persuade to examine to discusse and to determine but also to order and dispose the assemblie or companie that is not only to set them in their places but to direct and appoynt vnto them how to demeane themselues in all their actions Yea but say they to order and dispose the same with reason God forbid else say I for it were vnreasonable to ouerrule in any thing against reason which were with more reason to be called disordering and dissoluing then ordering and disposing if without reason Well then say they all this must néedes be confessed or else great confusion is like to follow And is this then our Brethrens frée confession though in very good reason if they will confesse the truth they muâ—t of necessitie confesse no lesse though they will confesse no more and how then did they say before speaking of the name of Byshops that it is neuer vsed in the Scriptures for such Byshops as clayme and exercise dominion ouer whole regions and all the Pastors of the same but onely for those that be Pastors of euery seuerall Congregation hauing no superioritie ouer theyr fellow Pastors but bee all of equall dignitie and authoritie pag. 22 23. for to remitte the defence of theyr superioritie ouer whole regions to the prooues before alleaged how haue not our Brethren abused so many places in the Scripture as they cite héereto in this theyr Learned Discourse from the foresayde 23. page till the 29. concluding thus these testimonies of Scripture directlie condemne the authoritie of one Pastor aboue another
contrary And shall wee dare to saye on the other side finding both the example heere alleadged by themselues Acts 14. and Saint Paules preceptes to Timothie and to Titus of ordeyning pastorall Elders to bee made without mentioning of the Churches elections that the Apostles durst not ordeyne any Pastors with the Churches elections no wee dare not say so but that the Apostles might haue done it with them or without them as they thought best hauing the warrant of Gods Spirite and as the occasion serued for their ordeyning of the Pastors And therefore I meruell how our Brethren durst so boldly affirme that the Apostles not only did it not but durst not doe it Secondly say they that they giue an office without a charge and sende him to seeke a flocke where he can finde it Our Bretheren here begin to descant vpon the names of Pastors and office Neither doe wee denye but that the name Pastor betokeneth an office whether wee vnderstande it as hee is onely a Minister of the worde and Sacramentes and so he is sayde to haue taken Orders or as he hath a peculiar flocke to minister the worde and Sacraments in as we commonly call the Rector Parson Vicar or Curate the pastor of such and such a Church or Parish The worde Pastor in both sences may bee comprehended in the name of an office And yet here if wee should goe as strictly to worke as our Bretheren doe which curiositie I mislike not in them to finde out all the quirkes in the worlde to beate out the trueth more throughly wee shall easely see great differences in the proprieties of these names and words of an office and of an order Albeit they may well bee taken and oftentimes are vsed indifferently But the question is here whether any office can bee giuen and the man truely called an officer without a charge of a place or a flock giuen withall vnto him whereof he is and may bee called the officer They denye it and I say he may and my reason is this The word office hath not alwaies relation to the charge of a place onely and that specially of a certeyne place where or of persons among whome the office is exercised but of the matter it selfe and â—uetie whereof the office consisteth in resâ—â—t of which matter the other are as it were but accidentall which our Bretheren here make all or principall The Prophetes were Prophetes before they had any certeyne places were they prophecied The Apostles were called and in office were Apostles before they were sent into any message of their Apostleship And Saint Paule calleth all both Apostles and Pastors Ministers 1. Cor. 4.1 though all of them had no certeyne standing places designed to them to minister in and yet were they all of them in the very office of the Ministerie full Ministers of the worde and Sacraments if wee may so properly call the Ministerie of the worde and Sacraments an office as an order In deede Saint Paule sayth of an office Rom. 12. vers 7. or an office on the office That is to say he that hath an office let him bee diligent in his office But he assigneth not any certeyne places and charge of flockes to all the offices that he there reckoneth vp Although as it is an old saying so it is not vntrue Priesthood and Knighthood are orders rather than offices And Priesthoode I meane not the Popish sacrificing Priesthoode but the Pastorall Eldership may well be called an order when the making of a Priest or pastorall Elder is called the ordering or the ordeyning of him and our Bretheren themselues do well call it the giuing of orders Knighthood now being likewise more properly called an order than an office when a man hath receiued the order of Knighthood it followeth not that he must be a Knight of this or that place as were some Knightes namely the Knightes of Prussia or the Knightes late of the Rhodes and now of Malta neither followeth it that he that made him Knight must alwaies withall giue him landes and liuing and yet all the better for the Knight if hee so doe and more fitte for his order to haue sufficient maintenaunce and though hee had but xl pounde a yeere which was called a Knightes fee. Howbeit hée mâ—ght bâ—e a Knight though a poore Knight without any such fee. For the order is one thing and the maintenaunce of him in his order yea his charge to doe his duetie iâ— his order is another thing and not the order it selfe But say they this is as vnreasonable a thing as iâ— one were chosen not to be a Knight but to bee a Churchwarden and had neuer a Church to keepe or made a Constable that had neuer a Towne or place appoynted whereof he should be Constable The similitudes of these two offices and of Church-warden and of a Constable are not a like to the order or if they will so call it to the office of the ministerie for bicause that these two Offices haue a necessary relation in them selues not onely to the office but also to the place where the paâ—tie is the officer so that if no place be assigned them there is no such officer made To which kinde of officers the old distinction serueth that the office the place be distincta ratione non re They cannot in the act of them be separate though they be distinguished in the reason of them And yet we see that in some such offices as in which besides the office there is ioyned with all a degree of honour and dignity though the relation of the office in respect of the place where the office laye doth cease as either the place being wasted or possessed by another and he dispossessed yet may his degree of dignitie not cease or be in him vtterly exstinguished so long as the right of the office is in him though the exercise and action of the office together with the place and other appendices of the office bee taken from him as a Kinge Duke Earle or Lord though he loose be it not by his own demerite resignation or lawefull depriuation his Kingdome Dukedome Earledome or Lordshippe but by an others intrusion or occupation yet is he still both called and is in deedâ— a King a Duke an Earle a Lord by reason he still holdeth the right of the office and capacitie to repossesse it though he haue neither possession action nor exercise of it at this instante Notwithstanding as it is sayd in the old verse on fortunes wheele regno regnaui regnabo sum sine regno He may be rex sine regno euen the lowest degree of them all and yet rex still Yea to descend to baser offices also not only a professor of liberal sciences but euen one professing mechanicall artes or as we commonly terme him a handicrafts man although he exercise not alwaies the action of his Function nor occupie in his occupation or
seruice to bee obedient to Christe yea to serue God is indeede to reigne And especially it is to bee noted where S. Paule commaundeth prayers and supplications to be made for the conuersion of Kinges vnto the knowledge of the truth and their owne saluation that hee alleageth this reason That wee may lead a quiet peaceable life in al godlinesse and honestie vnder their protection A godlie honest life we may liue vnder enemies of the church and persecutors but a peaceable and quiet life in all godlinesse and honestie onely vnder a Christian prince This thing therefore the Church most humbly desireth of the prince for this end the Church continually prayeth to God for the prince in this respect the Church most obediently submitteth her selfe vnto the prince as a childe to his Nursse that both Prince and people may honor God in this life and after this life reign with Christ euerlastingly We shall nowe haue after these reasons some testimonies of the scripture alleaged but if we shall still holde vs to the point in controuersie whether the Christian prince hath authoritie with the aduise and counsell of his learned clergy to make and set foorth ecclesiasticall decrees and lawes for all persons in his dominion to obserue not one of all these three testimonies here cited out of the scripture do gain-say it yea rather euery one of them doth confirme it The Papistes also alleage this Testimonie of Esay for the superiority of the pope and of the Church ouer all Christian princes and will our Brethren abuse it likewise for their newe clergies authority but who may not see that euen in the resemblaÌ„ces of these metaphors a great authoritie not vnder but ouer the Church is giuen here of God to Christian princes yea eueÌ„ as much in the new testament as was in the olde but by our Brethrens drift they shoulde haue lesse See what an interpretation they make of this prophecye as though the Prophets meaning were altogether to abase the authoritie of Christian princes and not rather cleane contrarie to exalt and extoll it though withall in some respects it be inferiour For except he had called Kinges and Queenes Fathers and Mothers by what neerer title could the Prophet haue called them than Kings to be the nourishing Fathers and Queenes to be the nourishing Mothers of the Church Ioseph was but a nourishing Father vnto Christ and yet sayth the text as well of him as of the Virgine Marie his naturall Mother Luke 2. verse 51. that hee was Subiect vnto them So honorable is the title of a nourishing Father and comprehendeth in it such authoritie Not but that the Princes againe in respect that the Church is the spouse and wife of Christe do humble them selues as Children vnto her And so as they acknowledge God to be their Heauenlie Father they reacknowledge her to bee their mysticall Mother Which not onely they but euerie Ecclesiasticall person also must doe as well and as farre foorth as they though in some other respects the pastors are again spirituall Fathers euen as well to the Princes as to any other of Gods people And so are both the partes of this Prophecie ioyned together that the Princes superioritie is declared in the former part of the sentence Kinges shall bee thy nursing Fathers and Queenes shall bee thy Nurses that neuerthelesse in the other respect they againe bee the Churches Children and therefore it is added They shall worship thee with their Faces towardes the earth and licke the dust of thy feeete But both these partes of prophesy are againe referred to a thirde that followeth And thou shalt knowe that I am the Lorde for they shall not bee ashamed that waite for me As though he sayde to the Church Doe not thou ascribe this vnto thy self but vnto mee by whom and for whom it is done neyther let the Princes bee ashamed as though they did abase them-selues in doing this to thee for they doe it to thee not for thee but for me for whome they waite and haue respect vnto therefore this reciprocall obedience neither of thee to them nor of them to thee for mee shall be anie shame or dishonor either vnto thee or vnto them nor any abasing of their Soueraigne authoritie ouer thee for they shall not bee ashamed that wayte for mee Which last wordes of the sentence our Brethren cleane cut off and leaue out And thus doth Caluine him-selfe expounde the wordes For they shall not be ashamed c. I take this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a particle causall for it is a continuing speeche which of some is ill cut off and by this argument hee prooueth it to bee equitie that Princes shoulde cheerefully addict them-selues to the Empire of God nor bâ— agreeued to humble themselues before the Church because God doth not suffer them to bee shamed that put their trust in him But hee ioyneth his trueth with our health as though hee should say this shall be an amiable and pleasant subiection c. So that this is no diminishing nor abasing of the Princes authoritie and therefore Caluine also called them before vpon the first words And Kinges shall bee thy noursing Fathers Patrons and Tutors Whereupon sayth hee it is to bee noted that a certayne singular matter is heere required of Princes besides the vulgar profession of the fayth because authoritie and power is of God giuen vnto them that they shoulde defend and procure the glorie of God This in-deede pertayneth vnto all but Kinges howe much greater their power is so much the more ought they to employ them-selues and more studiouslie to haue care thereof And this is the reason why Dauid by name calleth on them exhorteth them to be wise and serue â—he Lorde and kisse the Sonne Heereupon it appeareth howe madde their dotages are which affirme that Kinges can-not bee Christian except they renounce that office For these thinges were fulfilled vnder Christe when as by thâ— preaching of the Gospell Kinges beeing conuerted vnto GOD they atteyned vnto this moste noble degree of dignity wherewith all kinde of Dominions and principalities are excelled that they shoulde bee the noursing Fathers and Tutors of the Church The papistes doe vnderstande that Kinges are noursing Fathers of the Churche none otherwise then that they haue left vnto their sacrificing preestes and Monkes moste large reuenewes wealthie possessions and wide demaynes by which they are fedde fatte as Hogges in a Stye But this education tendeth to a farre other matter then to glutte such vnsatiable gulfes For neyther treateth hee heere of enritching their houses that vnder a false pretext vaunt them-selues to bee the Churches Ministers which was nothing else but to corrupt the Church of God and to destroy it with deadly poyson but of taking away superstitions of remoouing all wicked and naughty worship of promooting the kingdome of Christe of conseruing the purity of Doctrine of
say wee are not able so much as to knowe them No nor yet their owne Consistorie gouernors able to knowe them but onely the teachers and preachers of the same to all others And what will they then allowe to vs If the Parliament heare this man speake thus may they not thinke that man speaketh reasons and that there was little reason in troubling them continually with those matters in the Parliament house whereof they may not according to the libertie of that most honorable assemblie speake their mynds in reuerent maner pro contra freely and no man debarred of his speech or iudgement or els the house would better aduise themselues how they permitted such fellowes to come among them or to bring in such billes or bookes among them of which they must be restrained of their libertie both of speech and iudgement Yea what if now another waxing bolder in the Parliament house would tell these faithfull ministers that the matters conteyned in this learned discourse being Ecclesiasticall matters were to be consulted vpon and determined by those that were the Bishops Pastors of the Realme and Church of England and that they had a Conuocation Synodall assemblie among themselues and that they must go to them and be tryed by theÌ„ and bee as well content to submit themselues to the determination of the Bishops and Pastors lawfully and orderly there assembled as they would to haue it tryed in the ParliameÌ„t if they were all such Eccl. persons as were the other And that if they would flee froÌ„ their owne coate Eccl. company to such as were but ciuill and politick persons saue that they were ChristiaÌ„s as other of the people were they should giue an ill example preiudice their matters and make themselues and their bookes to be more mistrusted as not daring to abide the censure of the chifest professors of those matters Tractent fabrilia fabri Ecclesiasticall matters to be tryed by Ecclesiasticall persons And that this is according to their owne â—ositions For who should be able to knowe at least wise who ought better to knowe what order comelinesse and edification requireth according to Gods worde than they that be teachers and preachers of the same vnto all others For it is absurd that they should be taught by such in these small things and much lesse in greater things as ought to learne the trueth of them in all matters And therfore go to theÌ„ and let theÌ„ determine those controuersies If our Bretheren shall heare this tale and their owne words thus duelie returned on themselues may they not then thinke they haue well helped themselues by putting vp these matters to the Parliament And if the Parliament should aunswer them thus should they not aunswer theÌ„ aright But if now they had rather reuoke some of their positions giue the ParliameÌ„t authority to deale herein than to haue them be determined by the Bishops what on the other side would they haue the Parliament do without the authoritie of the Prince Yea how chaunce they put not vp their bookes writings first to her Maiestie mooue her first for if they accounted her Maiestie indeed the supreme gouernor of all persons in al her dominions in all causes so wel Eccl. as temporall would they haue the Parliament decree those things without her Maiestie Or the Parliament wherof her Maiestie is the supreme gouernor to determine these things without any debating of them Or if they should be debated vpoÌ„ who should rather do it theÌ„ the Clergie And haue not al that haue bin assembled together alreadie both the Bishops the whole Conuocation consulted debated and determined alreadie on the matter And if they would haue her Maiestie the Parliament to deale further therein haue they not done that also Hath not her Maiestie ratefied and authorized al their articles that the Conuocation agreed vpon And hath not the whole Parliament also approued allowed so ratefied and confirmed al the Communion booke besides the acknowledgement of her Maiesties supremacie all the articles agréed and decréed vpon all or the most or chéefest of the lawes and orders Eccl. now standing in force and established amongst vs And would they haue them reuoke cancell all that they haue doone in these matters or what else would they haue the Parliament herein to doo If they offer to dispute of these matters either before the whole Parliament or before anie by the Parliament deputed to heare the disputation betwéene vs of these controuersies doo they hope to dispute better and with more deliberat iudgement of that they shall saie ex tempore than that they haue with aduisement written or can write thereon or that we can dispute woorse or not so well as they persuade themselues they can Or doo they thinke as Aeschines said Quid si ipsam belluam andissetis they shall better persuade and mooue the hearers of them more by their liuelie spéeches than by their learned writings and so win it that waies Verelie wée refuse no waie what it shall please our most gratious souereigne and hir most honorable counsell or the high court of Parliament to appoint if that would serue the turne for anie further triall of renewing neuer so often these matters by disputing and calling them in question againe and againe for God be praised in so good a cause we néed not feare the euent they that could so win the garland let them weare it But we maie easilie sée before the disputation shall begin that all this would not serue their turne in these controuersies which the word of God hath not expreslie decided but in generalitie referred to these thrée heads comlinesse order aedification Who shall iudge and determine of our disputation they haue before hand debarred the prince and all that are not teachers and preachers and both the parties in controuersie are teachers and preachers and they saie it were no reason that we being the parties in controuersie on the one side though we be teachers and preachers should be determiners iudges what is comlinesse order and edifieng in these things and maie not we saie the same to them againe that they being also parties in controuersie on the other side though they be teachers and preachers it is no reason that they should be determiners and iudges what is comlinesse order and aedifieng in these things and when shall then these matters be iudged and determined Except we would yéeld to them or they would yéeld to vs or both to some other as to hir maiesty and the ParliameÌ„t But if they shall so doo they should conuince themselues before hand that the forme is vntrue and false which they haue alredie before hand not onlie auowed to be true but so determined alredie and so before hand peremptorily prescribed both to vs and to the Parliament to the Quéens maiestie also that we must all yéeld of
l. 1. than 830 l. 6 are not 831 l. 13â— is 836 l. 22 dele the heaâ—ing 839 l. 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 840 l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 841 l. 1 1. Tim. 4.844 l. 9 some gouernement in the church seperated both from others and from this sole 85 1 l. 46 neither 855 l. 42 vnpreaching 856 l. 8. perusall 876 l. 28 proportion ib. margi Theophilact 787 l. 9 life 883 l. 13 the. 914 l. 13 Epistle 922 l. 37 yee 923 l. 40 of elders 924 l. 26 them 938 l. 21 driueth 942 marg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 943 l. 36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 962 l. 21 driue vs. 972 l. 3 chosen counsels 975 l. 3 dele for 993 l. 13 whosoeuer 994 l. 6 is 996 l. 37 assessors 1002 l. 35 they 1003 l. 8 Sari 1007 l. 28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1029 l. 4 that 1037 lâ— 35 any thing 1044 l. 19 is 1048 l. 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1052 l. 10 meere 1057 l. 4 confute 1062 l. 24 and him 10â—3 l. 42 disputed 1114 l. 33 to be 1116 l. 27 or shee 1120 l. 17 communion 1138 l. 32 them 1144 l. 2 discourses and. 1152 l. â— all alike 1164 l. 1 seate l. 14 came l. 32 confirme 1176 l. 26 as 1182 l. 25 then no. 1295 l. 14 distractions 1198 l. 28 dele worthie 1204 l. 13. humor 1209 l. 36 to 1216. l. 9 still 1236 l. 4 seuerelie 1243 l. 12 is 1244 l. 6 which 1251 l. 37 crie 1254 l. 21 dele pro. 1255 marg proiudiciall 1256 l. 22 without 1261 l. 3 reference 1266 l. 2 no. 1287 l. 13 Seigniorie 1317 l. 28 the. ib. l. 39 40 Lord Bishop 1325 l. 3 reference 1348 l. 2 they â—350 l. 41 seate 1357 l. 2â— God 1361 l. 16 be 1365 l. 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1366 marg artic ib. marg reference These lines following are to be referred vnto the endes of their seuerall pages as they are here quoted thus as they ministred before by preaching vnto his beautie which hath there for the time bin vnworthilie defiled here committed the churches consent yet that the regiment is a consent of them is doubtfully Gal. 5. â— 1. Pet. 5.8.9 Psal. 133. Prou. 6.16 Ioh. 54.27 Ioh. 15.11.12 Ioh. 16.33 Gal. 4.15 Math. 12.28 1. Esd. 3.35 Phil. 4.5 Eccl. 4.28 Rom. 12.18 Phil. 1.9 10 11. The Preface 1. Pet. 1.9.10 Lamen 1.2.3 4. Ioel. 2. Bridges Our BrethereÌ„s abusing of the spirit of God and of the Propheâ—s lamâ—tations S. Peters Testimony wrested The acknowledgement of our sins and Gods wrathe The fault in our selues not in our Lawes and Orders The True Causes of our ioye mourning 1 Iohn 2. The causes of our brethrens mourning Preface Bridges Her Mâ— his most ho. counsell wrongfully challenged Her Maiest reigne not tempestuous Her Maieâ—â— comfort to the ministery Her Maiest her moste hon counsels zeale care wrongfully burdened of our brethreÌ„ for not driuing out of the Cananits c. How farre christians are charged with that coÌ„mandement Difference of the opeÌ„ couert obstiuare and weake papists Her Ma. her moste hon counsels zeale care in planâ—ing pruning and hedging of the L. vineyarde Our bretherens restraining the authority of her Maiesty VVhom our brethren meane by Cananits Foxes The impediments of endâ—ng this ciuill warre The raisers of this ciuill warre The Preface Nehem. 4.2.3.4 Nehem. 4.7 Neh. 6.5.6 Neh. 10.11.12 Ioel. 19. Amos. 8.11.12.13 Bridges VVhom our brethren cal Cananits foxes How these termes redounde on themselues The peaceable and reasonable way that our brethren deuise of reconcilement The regiment cannot be christian and happie wheral the godly learned and faithfull ministers sâ—ffer affliction Our brethreÌ„ graunt the church of Eng. regiment to be christian happie Our brethrâ— causers of their ownâ— afflictionâ— The afflictions whereof our brethreÌ„ complaine Our Bretherens vnbrotherly sclauÌ„ders Our bretherâ—ns and our building Our bretherens nearer imitation of those Hammonits c. Who are lyker to vnder miners RevYlinge The displacinge of our Bretheren Our Brethâ—rens Learning godlines The Priestes mouâ—ning The famine prophesied of Amos. 8 11.12 13 How we are rather glutted then famâ—shed with Gâ—ds word Our bretherens contentions make the worde the searser Preface The way that our brethreÌ„ seâ—ke of reconcilement The inconuenience of publishing bookes without authority The thinges that our brethren seeke for haue no necessity of truth out of the Scripâ—ures No good pâ—obability of truth out of the scriptures Preface Bridges How farre forth they yeeld autority to her Maiesty The learning godlinesse moderation of the debaters If the debaters shoulde be moderat men then should our brethren vse more moderation in their tearmes not be so peremptory in their dealing The debating of the questions the allowing of them The manner of the debating Who shal be the determiner Preface Act. 15.7 1. Cor. 14.13 32. 1. â—or 2.4 Bridges The naked triall of the matter Our brethreÌ„s desire to conferre by waye of prophesying Lordlie carriyng awaye the matter Preface 1. Cor. 14.33 Act. 14.16 Bridges Bitternes to be left off Charging of men dead and aliue Mouing affections The alleaging of the late and ancient writers Preface Bridges Our bretherens presupposal of our obiections The 1. obiection of coÌ„parison betweene the Archb. B. our bretheren ComparisoÌ„ of age and youth CoÌ„parison of learning CoÌ„parison of authority The 2. obiection of our bretherens chalenge to be not vnlike the papists chalenge The 3. obiection of preiudice to the estate of gouernement established Bridges Our brethrens answer to these three obiections The ambiguitie of this answer The quieting of all The remoouing of the plagues Our brethrens bold and humble request vpoÌ„ their knees Preface Ioh. 32.7.8 Ioh. 32.21.22 2. Chron. 30.1.5.23 ver Act. 15.23 Gal. 1.1 Act. 11. â— 2.3.4 c. Doctor Whitegiftes book p. 389. Bridges Our bretherens aunswere to the first obiect in yeelding for yeares learning Their exception of the reuelation of Gods spirit Our Replie Our bretherens examples Ezâ—chias The Apostles and Elders Act. 15. S. Paul Gal. 1. â— Ezechias dealing with the priests and Leuites The exaÌ„ple of Hezechias and the Leuites coÌ„ futeth our brethren The example also of the apostles and elders Act. 15. is cleane against theÌ„ Our bretherens gifts in interpreting the scriptures not denied Though diuerse doctors in learning excelled yet in gouernmeÌ„t they were inferiour Our bretherens haling of the Archbishops wordes Our bretherens intricat speeches Our bretherenâ— refusall to subscribe to the Arch. aâ—ticles The articles 1. Article of the supremacy the 2. article of the communion booke The 3. Arti. of the book of articles Ano. 1562 The inconueniences of refusing to subscribe to the â—se â—seâ—â— articles The cleargâ—es subscription in K. Ed. time How dangerous our brethrens pretence is of straining conscience Preface Bridges ComparisoÌ„ of number for fewnesse or multitud Our bretherens exceptions from our nuÌ„ber Of ignoraÌ„t
Whether our bretheren theÌ„selues satisfie the godlie meaning of the statute The Statute Anno 13. The godlie meaning of the statute flâ—â— against our Bretherens discourse How our Bretheren ouerthrow their own ministery How our Bretheren are in daunger of losing their lyuinges by the godlie statute Our bretheren impugning the booke of articles Our brethereÌ„s aduised impugning the articles and maintaining doctrine contrarie thereunto The 34 article of the traditioÌ„s of the church The 35. article of homilies The 36. article of consecrating of Bishops ministers Two pastors in euery congregation How directlie our bretherens learned disc is against these articles The learned disc pag. 130 131. Bridges Two Pastors at least in euerie congregation One Doctor also at least in euery congregation The Number of the gouernors and Deacons not determined At whose charges all theâ—e must be maintayned The factions arising by 2 equall pastors A new disposing of all the parishes in England New disposing of parishes The learned disc pag. 131. Bridges Our Bretheren hauing all thinges at their pleaâ—ure Abuses creeping in after our bretheren haue all thinges at their pleasure Grounds of Gods word Difference of the order grounded vpon gods word and abuses rising of mans corruption What grouÌ„des of Gods word our bretheren alleage The pastors members of the synod The learned disc pag. 132. Bridges What the pastors haue as members of the synod The reformation of the corruptions in Poperie Reteyning corruptions How we reteine anyething that hath bin corrupted The learned disc pag. 132 â—33 and 134. Particular Synods Bridges Corruptions of paâ—ticuler Synods Ordinarie fees of officers The endes of liuings offices and fees The fault of the officer and not of the office Our Brethrens pitie on the poore ministers Our Brethrens mockerie Faultes in Officers Extorting money for â—eâ—ing letters of Orders The dutie of lawefull fees in Registers c. Our bretheren loth to shewe their letters of orders Buying of Bookes For dinners such like matters Selling buying of bookes The presentâ—eâ—â—s not â—eformed PresentmeÌ„â—â— The presentment no more hearde of Reformation of faultes The Summoner caryinge forth the citations and excoÌ„muications The presentment hearde of Bribes not preuayling General coâ—â—â—â—â—ions Absolution not for money The learned disc pag. 123.125.136 137. Choosing of Clearkes of the conuocation house Act. 15. 2. Cor. 4. Bridges Our generall conuocations Our Brethrens contumelious speaches of Chauncelors Lawyâ—â—s Chauncelors and Lawyers Chauncelors or Lawyers in our conuocationâ— Whether our Chauncelors or Lawyers in conuocations be more lay vnlearned in diuitie then our bretherens gouernors our brethenâ— obiecting to chauncelors Lawyers The Bishops seuerall place that th◠〈◊〉 learned 〈◊〉 ninitie Chauncelors Lawyers beare not the greatest sway in our conuocations The Bishops seuerall place in the conuocation Seuerall place The Apostles example Act. 15.6 The Apostles were seuerall by themselues and yet ioyned with the Pastors and the multitude The Bishops higher in thoritie The decrees arâ— of the whole synod not of the Bishops â—â—lie Speaking in the conuocation How euery oÌ„e of the house may speake in the conuocation None excluded the house for not subscribing to the Bishops dâ—cree Subscribing to the articles Whether the booke of articles conteyne any errouâ— Our Brethrens owne acquittaunce for the truth of our religion The distinctioÌ„ of the Canonicall and Apocryphall booâ—es The booke of articles not erroneus The names number of the Canonicaâ—l bookes The numbeâ— and namâ—s of the Apocâ—yphall bookes in the old testâ—ment The canonicall scripture In what words this grosse error should lye The bookes that were neuer doubted of Some of the canonicall doubted of The apocrpha Our Brethrens to quicke censure Ieronimus in prefarioneÌ„ in libros Salamo The eâ—â—â—matioÌ„ of the â—pocâ—phall bookes In 〈◊〉 confesâ—ion 〈…〉 1 de scâ—iptura pag. 10. Aâ—t 6. 〈…〉 Aphoris â— The 1. 2. booke of Esdras Hieronimi pâ—satio in 1. Esdras 〈…〉 Our Brethrens 2. challeng of of the booke of articles for grosse and palpable errours The 17. article of predestination electioÌ„ Election Nothing in this article of Predestination and Election but sounde doctrine The 16 article of sinne after Baptisme Departing from grace How we may depart from grace Diuerse graces of the holy ghost may bee geuen to those that are not elected How the elected may depart or fall â—rom grace The state and coÌ„fidence of the elected Our Brethrens sclaunder of the Bishops for diuers grosse palpable errours The articles with proues The learned disc pag. 136. Bridges Article 6. The articles briefelie set down without their proues testimonies Articles not erronious Satisfying the ignoraunt How any in the conuocation house may be heard How our bretheren ofâ—eâ—ed to be satisfied Satisfiing our Bretheren Confuting the Bishops How â—arâ—e of our bretheâ—en are from those partes wherewith they burden the bishops The state of our brethrens new pastorship The true pastors description Our Brethrens accusation of our Bishops Our Brethrens commendatioÌ„ of themselues Defacing our Bishops Learning Longe studie Our Bishops accusation Sound iudgment The best example Determining in Synods Determining Ecclesiasticall matters The Pastors determining How our bretheren deale in synods with their owne gouernors Our Brethrenâ— wordes returned home Preiuaâ—ceâ—â— the synod Whether our Bishops or these Pastors do more preiudice the synod Our brethrenâ— conclusion The whole ministrie The learned disc pag. 137. Bridges The whole ecclesiasticall ministerie and all the duties and authorities pertayning The diuersities of our Bretherens discâ—â—ries The reâ—ders dutie in these controuersies The treatise of the princes authorithie Our Brethrens entrie into the treatise of the Princes authoritie Our Brethrens dealing with Christian princes in these matters The learned disc pag. 138. Gods soueraigne Empire Bridges The title of the Princeâ— supremacie The vnderstanding of the title of supremacie Our Brethr. exception of Gods soueraigne Empire Gods Empire entire Gods empire kept whole by the Princes supremacie Our Brethr. graunt of the Prince to be highest ouer the persons The Eccl. Gouernors How farre our Brethr. graunt the Princes supremacie ouer their Eccl. gouernors Supremacy ouer all persons Our Brethr. reseruation of the Princes supremacie in the matters The learned disc pa. 138. 139 Bridges The Clergies temporalties The Christian Princes supremacie farre different from the Popes The blasphemous chalenge of the Pope 〈…〉 and these Tetrarkes yoake The Clergies holding their temporalties of the Prince Our Brethr. gouernors incroching on the Prince Euery prince ought to cast off the yoake of the Popes and of these new tetrarks subiection The learned disc pa. 139. 140 The Princes supremacie in Eccl matters Bridges The Princes authoritie for Eccl. matters Our Brethr. speeches against Princes dealing in eccl matters How our Brethren incâ—rre the lâ—ke dealing that they repâ—chende in the Pope for nâ—iâ—sing Princes and the Clâ—â—gie The Pastors supremacie in Eccl. matters Our Brethr. owne sayings rightly returned on themselues These Gouernors Pastors not in Script
calling or wealth for S. Paule meaneth not by contemptible a man for vnworthinesse deseruing to be contemned be as well a Deacon that is a minister or seruant to collect and distribute these things as to be a iudge of them And héere our Brethren alleage that very sentence 1. Tim. 3.13 which we haue séene out of so many Protestant interpreters how it serueth to proue that the office of Deacons was not only for collection and distribution of almes or attendance on the poore but also a triall and preparatiue to the higher calling of the Pastorship as God willing we shall yet further sée anone The other testimony héere cited Phil. 1. vers 1. insomuch that S. Paule himselfe doth salute in speciall words the Deacons next to the Bishops or ouerseers in the Church of Philippi is nothing against vs but much against themselues Haue not they alleaged this testimony pag. 24. for Pastorall Elders and how chance then that they place their gouerning Elders next these Pastorall Elders that they call Bishops and not rather the Deacons before them confessing themselues that S. Paule doth salute them in speciall words next to the Bishops had they rather follow the order of Danaeus in placing the Deacons then the order of Beza if they had how chance they preferre in their Tetrarchie the Gouernors before them and place not the Deacons also next the Bishops What and wil they now recant and with Beza make their gouernors Bishops what constancie and what order is in these things The examples also of Stephen and Philip are both against them whome we confesse to be worthy men and that none but worthy men are worthy to be chosen Deacons if it fall out otherwise it is in that defect wherein if very Apostles themselues were deceyued as it is sayd of Nicholas the conuert and afterward a peruert much more may other be deceyued being nothing comparable to the Apostles and hypocrites being more cunning now then Nicholas then was to nicholl and cousin euen the most watchfull persons But as we haue shewed Stephen the first Martyr was a preacher of the word and Philip ministred the sacrament of Baptisme But they except against Philip that he was afterward an Euangelist And why do they not except it as well for Stephen as for Philip I am sure if they could alleage but the like testimony for Stephen as héere they snatch at for Philip we should be sure to heare of it But they can not prooue that euer Stephen was an Euangelist vnderstanding the word for a distinct function or office But if Stephen might preach and of consequence minister the Sacraments why might not all the residue of the Deacons preach as lawfully as Stephen though we should except Philip as an Euangelist and yet it was no more debarre in him then in Stephen or in the other For if Stephen might preach being no Euangelist but only a Deacon why might not Philip too were he Euangelist or not So that to make an exception by reason of his being an Euangelist were but a sophisticall euasion And yet if we shall examine the matter better I thinke it will be ouer-hard for them to iustifie these wordes Philip which afterward was an Euangelist when the Church was dispersed through the persecution raysed about Stephen Can they prooue that he was an Euangelist then In déede it appeareth Actes 21. verse 8. that he was an Euangelist and entring sayth Luke into the house of Philip the Euangelist which was one of the seauen we abode with hym but thys was many yéeres after that tyme when the Church was dispersed through the persecution raysed about Stephen but thys Philips preaching and baptizing was immediately after that persecution for so saith Luke Actes 8. verse 1. c. And at that day there was a great persecution raysed against the Church which was at Ierusalem therefore they were all scattered abroade throughout all the Regions of Iudaea and Samaria except the Apostle◠and religious men dressed Stephen together and they mourned sore for him but Saule made hauock of the Church and entring into houses and drawing thence men and women he cast them into prison and they beeing dispersed went about preaching the word of God and when Philip came into the City of Samaria hee preached Christ vnto them Whereby it is manifest that vpon that Persecution Philip was one of them that béeing so dispersed presently fell to Preaching And héere vpon sayth Caluine verse 5. Luke said that they all preached the word of God now he maketh mention of Philip alone both bycause his preaching was more fruitefull effectuall than the preaching of the rest c. Who the rest were that Luke saith were all scattered abroade and being dispersed went about preaching except the Apostles Luke telleth not but the name all comprehendeth no doubt besides other that were Elders of the word the other Deacons also that were Philips fellowes As for Philips Euangelistship the text Acts 21.8 doth not inferre any necessitie that he was Deacon and Euangelist both together at one time which being admitted notwithstanding is not materiall except to confute our Brethren further that these offices are not so distinct but that they may be both at once in one man without confusion Howbeit vnderstanding it as Caluine noteth thereon by this we may easily gather saith he that that Deaconship was an office which continued but for a time bycause otherwise it had not beene lawfull for Philip to forsake Ierusalem and to go to Cesarea and in this place he is sent before vs not as a voluntarie forsaker of his office but as one to whome a greater and more excellent charge was committed The Euangelists in my iudgement were in the middest betweene Apostles and Doctors for it was a function next to the Apostles to preach the Gospell in all places and not to haue any certaine place of abode onely the degree of honor was inferior For when Paule describeth the order of the Church he doth so put them after the Apostles that he sheweth that they haue more roomth giuen them where they may teach than the pastors who are tied to certaine places therefore Philip did for a certaine time exercise the office of a Deacon at Ierusalem whome the Church thought afterward to be a meete man to whome the treasure of the Gospell should be committed By which testimonie of Caluine it should appeare that Philip was not Euangelist while he was Deacon but that his Deaconship ceassed when he was promoted to be an Euangelist after his effectuall preaching was tried in that extraordinarie occasion of his dispersion being but yet new made a Deacon and so as S. Paule saith in the testimony that our Brethren before cited of those Deacons that minister well he gate himselfe a good degree and great libertie in the faith which is in Christ Iesus The consequence that they gather héerevpon for the former part
thereof saying so that euery ignorant contemptible person is not to be allowed vnto this office is for the truth of the matter a good part of a good conclusion but no whit for any part of the matter in question For we defend not that euery or any ignorant contemptible person vnderstanding contemptible as they héere do farre opposite to men of good estimation good credite and good reputation in vertue of life or that want all or any of these qualities ought to be allowed vnto this office As for the other part of this consequence but as godly wise and worshipfull as may conueniently be found in the congregation may not thinke themselues too good to minister vnto Christ in his members and in the name of the Church This is too farre concluded not but that they should be godly and wise but that it is neyther necessarie nor expedient that as worshipfull as may conueniently be found should be made Deacons neyther Sainct Peter Actes 6. nor Sainct Paule 1. Tim. 3. among all the qualities of Deacons that they mention recken vp worshipfull I déeme not but that there are many worshipfull and as we tearme them right worshipfull to both wise and godly yet were it not fit they should be made Deacons For although they say as godly wise and worshipfull as may conueniently be found yet there is no conueniencie in it to séeke out persons of such worship for this Ecclesiasticall office And what meane they héereby to haue as worshipfull persons as conueniently may be found to be made their Deacons would they promote our Gentlemen Esquiers and Knightes for these we call worshipfull vnto this office But as worshipfull men as they would haue to be made Deacons they must be vnder those presbyters priests or Elders that they call gouernors And what persons should these gouerning priests or Elders be that are no teachers but onely gouernors what should they be as godly wise and honorable as may conueniently be found when those that must be made the Deacons vnder them must be so worshipfull But our Brethren sayd not so much of these gouerning Elders but pag. 84. where they described what persons they ought to be they said First that the Elders be elected and chosen by consent of the whole congregation men of godlynes and wisedome in whome the whole Church reposeth c. Héere for these gouernors qualities is but godlines and wisedome mentioned But they will heere haue the Deacons to be both godly wise and worshipfull and in déede in most congregations there are some worshipfull so that for worshipfull in most congregations we neede not want Deacons But of honorable there is not such store among vs and yet say they in the same pag. 84. There ought to be in euery Church a Consistorie or Seniorie of Elders or gouernors which ought to haue the hearing examining and determining of all matters perteining to discipline and gouernment of that congregation So that those Seniors in the congregation beeing perhaps neâ—ther honorable nor worshipfull yet must they be the gouernors and the worshipful being made the Deacons must be gouerned vnder them But in conclusion be they worshipfull or be they honorable Deacons gouernors and all must be vnder the Pastors and the Pastors must be all equall with the Bishops and euery one of them a Bishop too and this should be the promotion of the worshipfull Deacons to be made their gouerning Seniors and thinke themselues well promoted too And why not should they thinke theÌ„selues to be too good to minister vnto Christ in his members and in the name of the Church No in déede there ought not any to thinke themselues too good to minister vnto Christ were it in a meane officer were it but as Dauid said to be a dorekeeper in the house of the Lord. Howbeit considering that God hath vouchsafed to call them either to a higher or to an other ciuill Ministerie vnder Christ or to such vocations as that withall they can not or it is not so fitte they should intend to the attendance of such contributions and distributions of money their calling and worshipfull estate is not to be embased héereunto Albeit peraduenture some would the gladlyer dispense a while with their worship to be come with all their hearts such Deacons as to haue the collecting distributing and dispensing of the Church goodes in their fingering Of which worshipfull Deacons I am afrayd that there be already some somewhere too many and somewhat too busie in these deuises The election also of our Collectors they say is too prophane for so holy an office And why then do they so prophanely liken it thereunto only bicause in this part thereof concerning collecting and distributing money there is some likenes not considering the difference in the other parts but making them no parts at all of this office as to be trials and preparatiues vnto the Pastorship which S. Paule requireth euen in the testimony that they cite 1. Tim. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they that haue ministred or Deaconed it well get vnto themselues a good degree which as we haue séene is also vnderstood for the degree of the pastorall Elder though Caluine expound it only for greater honor As for the grauitie reuerence and religiousnesse wherewith the Deacons were ordeyned of the Apostles was good and goodly We also vse prayer and imposition of hands at the ordeyning of them with grauity reuerence and religiousnesse which religiousnesse and imposition of hands argueth more and more holy vses of this office tending to religion it selfe than the only collecting or distributing of worldly goodes reacheth vnto And therfore we conclude thus farre with these our Brethren that for these and such like causes although the ordinary Collectors haue some resemblance with the Deaconship of the Church yet we can not in all poynts allow them for Deacons Thus farre we agrée saue that in this resemblance they presume too farre to enter comparison with our Deacons But in that which followeth we flatly dissent when as they say whose office truly consisteth only in the ministration vnto the poore as we haue shewed in that they be Deacons This indéede they haue sayde in effect before but shewed it they haue not by any one necessary proofe testimonie or example thereof and thereon I put me againe to the indifferent readers verduit Neither must they thinke héere to carry away the matter thus by anouching it for the more persuasiue credite of the reader with this asseueration truly for it is not truly sayd of them but verie vntruly be it spoken with their reuerence that the Deacons office consisteth only in ministration vnto the poore in that they be Deacons for besides the manifest examples not only of Philip in whome they finde a shift that he preached not in that he was a Deacon but in that he was an Euangelist which shift serueth them