that mynisterie So that yf they vvoulde conclude any thinge off that example they muste conclude that the churche maie chuse one which yt thincketh vvill deceyue the truste that ys laide vppon him I coulde here dispute vvhether althowghe he repented trewlie yet forsomuche as he is subiecte to another suche fall as well as any other yt vvere boothe lesse daunger for hym and les hurte for the churche to receiue suche an ouerthrowe vnder an other capitayne neuer foiled then vnder him vnder whoÌ„ yt hathe already bene put to flighte But forsomuche as yt is not so cleare and requireth a longer discourse I am contente to let that passe Yet that maye not be omitted that as in the refusall off a minister which hathe defyled hym selfe withe Idolatrie prouision is made for the safety and securitie of the churche so an eye ys had to a more plentifull fruicte which maie redounde vnto it by hym that is placed in the ministrie And forasmuche as no smale portion off that shoulde be by greate likelihoode turned a waie by restoring suche one as hathe fallen so grieuously amongest other reasons that also hathe force to hinder his restirucion For vvhen S. Paule requireth aucthoritie in a deacon purchased by continuall tenor and as yt weere by an euen thread of a holye and innocente liffe that he might vvithe greater libertie and boldnes execute his office he sufficiently declarethe that suche a fall especially in the bishoppe and mynister taken in the race off his ministerie maketh a deepe wounde into that authoritie and freedome off rebukinge others which is necessary for hym for furtherance off hy mynistry to retaine And as yt taketh awaie from his freedome in reprehending so that which he reprehendethe hathe so muche lesse aucthoritye withe the hearer as yt is not onlye not confyrmed but contraried by his example And yf Tymothe beinge endewed with suche rare gyftes off knowledge and holynes off lyffe had muche a doo to mainteine his authoritie in the churche againste the contempte of his yowthe which was no faulte he had neede haue very extraordinarie gyftes which can deliuer hys mynisterie from contempte ten folde more occasioned by suche a fall then by wante of a fewe years Seinge therfore the vvounde beinge healed by repentance the skarr dothe yet remaine in the eyes of the churche to the blemishinge of his Mynistrie yt ys good he be taken downe and set in some les lightesome place off the churche off God. There was yet a thirde reason vvhiche no doubte moued the churches to keepe this order that this barre off hym from the mynistrie vvhiche had so fallen mighte serue for example vnto other mynisters to take heede For they consydered well that as common wealthes so the churches of God are preserued by rewarde and punishement and that as in the rewarde off some other are prouoked to make after those thinges vvhich are by that rewarde crowned so by the punishement off some other are terrified from doinge that for whiche they see them dishonored Therfore they thowghte yt vnmete that he which had faulted in the qualytie off a mynister shoulde no other wise be disciplined then a pryuate person but rather as his faulte exceded so his correction shoulde encrease Whiche thinge beinge so muche commended in common wealthes well gouerned I see no cause why yt shoulde not be as conueniente in the churche off God so farre and in suche kinde off corrections as are in the churches power And therfore yt appeareth that the commaundemente which is gyuen in Ezethiell and in the booke off the kinges for the separatinge off the Leuytes from their Ministerie which had fallen to Idolatrye was not a lawe for a tyme but drawne from the springe off that equytie which can not be changed And so farr is yt that the gospell hath made this lawe voide that yt hathe also confyrmed yt for yf the ministerie off the lawe were so gloriouse that yt vvoulde not be handled off those which had once fallen from yt by Idolatrie althowghe they did repente howe muche more owghte the mynystrie off the gospell which so surmounteth the mynisterie off the lawe as the gospell dothe the lawe be vntowched off suche as forsaking yt haue defyled them selues with that synne And if for a lesse faulte they were kepte from a lower place in the church for a greater faulte shoulde not they muche more be kepte from a higher dignitie for wheras nowe the seconde tyme he faithe that vnder the lawe there were certeine corporall pollutions which made a man vncleane for a tyme yt proceadethe of too great ignorance off the Scripture either in not knowing in what shorte tyme those polutions mighte be purged or els assigning anie cawse off the Leuytes putting forthe off their ministrie for euer for the polutions which were in so fewe dayes clensed Yowr allegatioÌ„n owte off maister Caluin towching the widowes is nothing for yow nothing to the cause For what if he saye that the Apostell requireth that they shoulde be benyficiall doothe yt therfore followe that respecte shoulde not be had into their vvhole life Yt may be easely vnsterstaÌ„ded that the apostel hauing drawne the office off a wydowe throwghe diuers sortes of good workes becawse yt had bene to longe to recyte all shutteth vp vvith that clause as yf he shoulde saie that I stande not in rehersall off all I will haue her suche as hathe exercised her selfe in euery good worke But I desire the reader to obserue the vnfaithfullnes and open corruption that he vseth in cyting off maister Calu. For his iudgement being not called for but answere required to the wordes of S. Paule he hath taken that which serueth not to the purpose and hathe lefte owte that in the exposition of the same verse which is directly againste that he alledgeth maister Caluin for Whose wordes are these There is no dovvbte bâ—t there vvere vvorshipfull and very reuerent colledges or companies off vvidovves therfore Paule vvill haue none chosen thether but such as be commended by a notable testimonie off their vvhole former lyfe And wheras he asketh howe coulde that be when they had but one parte off theire lyfe knowen Christe not to speake off the Iewishe widowes which might haue led their whole life in good and holy worckes in deede he muste learne that S. Paule dothe not there speake onely off good workes which are the fruictes of faithe but callethe those good workes whiche are cyuilly and in owtewarde shewe and estimacion off men good So that he requireth that those onely be chosen emongest the weomen which were neuer detected off any notable cryme but haue allwaies lyued in an honeste cyuill behauiour amongest their neighboures And thus S. Luke calleth those vveomen religious and honeste which were moued to persequte S. Paul. There was nether trewe Religion nor honestie in them but so he calleth them because they were so estemed S. Paul also saithe off him selffe when he was the enemy off
saied that it ingendreth knowledge off the doctrine off saluacion Where I alledged that the consideration off the creatures may nourish faith not able yet to breed yt he answereth then let vs haue images that they may be lay meÌ„nes bookes Which beside the coÌ„men fault off being nothing worth is a wicked and popishe answer For if I had made the consideration of the creatures equall vnto reading off the scriptures in that teinement off saluation as I compared them onely in that both nourishing faith nether could ordinarily breed yt had yt bene lawfull therfore for hym to match instruction by images with that which cometh by beholding the creatures ys there ether the same or like proportioÌ„ between the schoole of Imagery and of the creatioÌ„ of the world are thes bookes of the same print the one coÌ„ming froÌ„ the lordes presse the other owt off the deuils printing howse the one giuing a good report off the Lord and setting owt his glory the other dishonoring him the one teaching the truth the other being Doctors of lies and vanity finally the one being commaunded the other forbidden But thus must the iudgement off God be fulfilled against the ennemies off his truth in closing vp their eyes which seing will not perceiue The like blindnes yt is that he accounteth an image a visable creature making therby a carpentour a creator In graunting that preaching is the moste ordinary meane to worcke saluation by his opinion shaketh a token that yt will fall flat in the end For if it be the moste ordinary and the moste ordinary ordinarily moste effectuall then it is vntrue he saith that the word simply redd is as effectuall as preached Where vppon lifting vp off our Sauiour as Moses lift vp the serpent following Caluins interpretation which expoundeth yt off the preaching off the gospell I shewed that the word preached being lifted vp higher then when yt is redd is easelier seen of the eie of faith this trifler frameth first my reason of the â—â— ver wheroff I make not a lettre mention Secondly bringeth an other interpretation off the place I alledge but answereth not Caluins reasons who coÌ„futeth it Thirdly he saith that although the interpretation be graunted which I followed yet the cause is not proued therby for that Christ is lifted vp by symple readiÌ„ng â–ª which is no sufficient answer onles he had added that it is lifted vp as highe For when I affirme the word set in a lowe place I meane not that all reading symply and in it self considered is on the ground but in comparison off that when it is expounded by preaching And if preaching doo make yt better vnderstanded and easelier seen then when yt is redd onely which at vnawares he manifestly confesseth then yt is true which I haue set downe that preaching in respect off reading doth as yt vvere set the vvord in a more sightly and therfore higher place As for Caluins interpretation which I followed becawse yt is dowbtfull and the conference off an other place semeth rather to confirme Augustines who referreth yt to the crosse off our Sau. Christ to spar owt the D. from his owt courses let him follow that he bringeth I will not striue especially seing the same sense off lifting vp our Sauiour by preaching appeareth otherwise where by yt he is saied to be crucified before our eyes Vnto that I alledge off the sauour off the vvord svveeter and more nourishable vvhen it is braied and cut then vvhen yt is by reading giuen as yt vvere vvhole and in grosse towching the first he asketh whether the word redd is not a sweet sauour in steed that he should haue sayed as sweet which he durst not In the second whether there be no discretion required in reading yes but more in preaching Although thus he towcheth not the matter for vnto the point of breaking and cutting off the scripture doone by preaching which applieth the generall doctrine to the particular circumstance wherin it is like vnto aromatique spices sweeter broken then whole and vnto holesome meat apter to nourish when yt is chewed or cut then when yt is not he answereth nothing For as thinges aromatiquall and meates both broken and who le haue the same sauour and vertue off nourishing in regard off them selues yet in regard off vs are sweeter and more nourishable broken c so the word off God off the same vertue in yt self both redd and preached ys vnto vs more profitable preached then redd wherunto perteineth that Saint Luke calleth the interpretation off the scriptures an opening of them which in the second edition because yt was leo figuratiue then the comparison off aromatique thinges that being a metonimy off the preacher for preaching I put in the place theroff for if interpretation off the scriptures be the opening off them as Saint Luke declareth calling yt opening in one verse which he called interpreting in an other yt followeth that the word redd in respect off being preached is as it were shut and clasped for this cawse are the ministers off the word saied to haue the keyes off the kingdome off heauen for that withowt their ministery off preaching the kingdome off heauen ys as yt were locked Where he asketh whether I thincke the praise of preaching the dispraise of reading all vnderstand that it is easter to strike water owt off a flint then to finde honest dealing in this man For is this to dispraise reading to prefer preaching before yt In commending preaching before praying and priuate meditation of scripture more then priuate reading and practising more then both doo I dispraise priuate reading or meditation and yet the word off God is the same redd meditated and practised But this is a Popish practise which vpon that we prefer faith to good worckes concludeth that we make no account off good worckes Where vpon that preaching is called both planting and watering yt is shewed that as the hovvsbandman receiueth not fruict onles both be doone so no saluation to be looked for vvhere is no preaching he answereth that there is shewed how the word off God is not effectuall onles God gyue encrease which is to no pourpose For he not onely sheweth that but that God gyueth his encrease through their preaching and that they be the howsbandes by whose preaching the Lord maketh his orcheyard He answereth further that in this place there is no comparison betwene reading and preaching but considereth not how the scripture giueth this as also those before cited vnto simple reading therby singulary exalting preaching aboue bare reading So that although some off thes in some degree or all extraordinarily may be doone by bare reading yet by thes coÌ„mendations as it were by a more precious apparell is aduanced the grace off God more richly rached vnto vs by the hand off preaching then reading Last off all he answereth that tilling and watering may be applied also vnto
by this meanes from the maiestie off the scriptures and making them dâ—â—â—e c. amplified in the next diuis by asking why the scriptures were then written with other suche too too idle questions which I am ashamed to defile my penne with is vnworthy the name of a reason As yf in that reading maketh meÌ„ fitter to heare the word preached and to seeke after yt in that yt helpeth to nourish faith engrended in that it confirmeth a man in the doctrine preached when by reading he perceiueth yt to be as the preacher tawght in that it renueth the memory off that was preached which otherwise would decay I say as if in thes respectes and such like the profit off reading and committing the word to writing were not singular and inestimable beside that it is not denied but the Lord may extraordinarily gyue faith by reading onely although the order which God hath put is to saue by folishenes as it is esteemed off preaching beside also that yt is absurd that the D. asketh why els the gospell should be writter as yf there were no other cause of writing off it then that it should be simply redd or as though the principall cawse was not â–ª that yt should be preached But to retourne to the D. exposition First it ouerthroweth the argument off the Apostle For the Iewes offended that he and other preached to the GeÌ„tils prouing first that the inuocation off the name of God perteineth vnto them he concludeth therupon that preaching vnto them was lawfull considering that they could not otherwise come to call vpon the name off God where by the D. expositioÌ„ the Iewes might haue excepted that his mynistery towardes them was not therby iustified forasmuch as they might come to inuocation by reading onely withowt his and others ministery off preaching Furthermore the Apostle S. Paul affirming in plaine wordes that the preaching he speaketh off can not be made but by him vvhich is sent yt is first manifest that reading priuately is cleane shut owt from being conteined vnder this preaching For faith comming onely by that preaching aÌ„d that preaching onely lawfull by the sending of God and publicke calling it followeth that except he will say that the scripture may not be redd priuately onles a man be publikely called therunto that both priuate reading of the scripture can no be conteined vnder the Apostles word of preaching and that faith onles by extraordinary worcke of God can not be engendred by priuate reading Forasmuch as it is engeÌ„dred only by that preaching vnder which priuate reading is not conteined And so goeth to the ground one peece off the D. assertion Now if priuate reading onely can not ordinarily engender faith I would know how publike reading onely can doo yt Beside that when publike reading may be by a simple reader which hath no other charge in the church and off whom this solemne fending can not be vnderstanded yt followeth that faith can not by publike reading onely be engendred Forasmuch as he being none off those sent his reading can not be that preaching by which faith is engendred I say that a reader onely can not be off those sent the Apostle speaketh off not onely because he hath regard vnto the ministeries off the word appointed by God but also for that the place off Esaie owt off which he proueth that faith cometh not but by preaching will by no meanes suffer to cary the word preacher vnto a simple reader For beside that it were friuolous to refer the lifting vp off the voice off those preachers wherunto the Prophet exhorteth vnto a loude reading which is vnderstanded of earnestnes and diligence in preaching that voice he speaketh off is the voice off the churches vvatchmen â–ª which title when yt can not agree vnto a simple reader that hath no further charge then to reade in a booke according to the prescript off others yt is manifest that a simple reader can not be conteined vnder S. Paules preacher seing he can not be conteined vnder Esaies which is the same with S. Paules For when the title off vvatchman draweth a continuall care and circumspection ouer those he watcheth and the reader for any thing his office requireth may occupy him self in any worldly busines sauing onely the time off his reading yt is cleare that he is no church watchman Nay the reading mynisters which haue charge off sowles committed vnto them can be none off this order of watcheman seing they can not onely not see the ennemy a far of but not hard by much les discry him yt perteining to an instructed pastor which according to the circumstance off the inuasion knoweth to apply his watche word Now seing simple reading nether priuate nor publicke can be conteined vnder the preaching S. Paul speaketh off Rom. 10. which is an interpretation and laying open the scriptures by a publike mynister apt and autorised therunto yt followeth that faith which the Apostle teacheth no otherwise to come but by that preaching cometh not ordinarily by symple reading I omit heere that the Apostle vseth to expresse this preaching both by crying and telling good nevves wheroff when yt can not be shewed owt off scripture or as I am perswaded owt of any other autor that ether of them much les both together is vsed for simple reading yt followeth that simple reading can not be vnderstanded by the word preaching To proue that bare reading ingendreth faith he citeth Iohn 5. repeted pag. 574. 2. Timo. 3. whereto perteine Math. 7. Act. 17. 1. Iohn 4. Gal. 1. disorderly placed pag. 717. but to no pourpose For when our Sauiour biddeth the Iewes search the scriptures he referreth them by that search to iudge off the doctrine he had preached before which proueth no fruict off reading when there is no preaching beside that it will be hard for him to refer the word search to reading onely as if one could not search the scriptures when he attendeth to them alledged in sermons yea he is confuted by the place him selfe hath alledged Where he would proue that the scripture red in respect off making the hearers more apte to discerne off preaching is better then preached for when the Apostle teacheth the Galatians to hould them accursed which preache other doctrine then they had receiued by his preaching he dooth flatly make his preaching the rule to examin other preachings by The place off Tim. being as I haue shewed off the proper duties off the minister off the word in preaching making no manner off mention off reading is alledged withowt all iudgement Hether refer Bucers Testimony in his former diuision which maketh for that set downe in this For Bucer setting him self to commend reading in the churche saith twise bare or onely reading confirmeth in the knovvledge off the Doctrine which necessarily presupposeth a knowledge foreplaced or euer yt can be confirmed by reading onely Where as if he might it is to be thowght he would haue
their vnder bishops The next diuision I will not answer The next vnto that I report me to the reader whether I haue faithfully and allmost seruilely bound my self vnto his wordes in translating thes peeces of his latin pāphlet For the next also I hauing shewed that yow placing the Apostles function in preaching and ministring the Sacramentes not in gouernement and assigning to tharchbishop both Administratiō off the word and Sacramentes and order and discipline must needes lay greater weight vpon tharchbishop then vpon the Apostles yf yow now reuoke yt I am glad Howbeit ashamed to speake it in so many wordes euen yet the course off this treatise doth breath nothing els This is no answer vnto my reason For if the church withowt the Archbishop and Archdeacon be a bodie consisting of all the partes comely knit together wherin nothing wanteth nor nothing is to much then it followeth that thes offices bring nether ornement nor accomplishement to the church but make onely an vnprofitable knob and lump off flesh to the both disfuguring and hinderance off the growght off the bodie And the ministrie off order and policie of the church being one part off this bodie if it be not whole and complete but need to be peeced owt with archbishops and Archdeacons it must draw with it this absurditie that there being one member vnperfect withowt them the bodie also off Christ is not perfecte And where it ys saied that as in the Apostles times the church was not perfect withowt them and Prophetes c. so it is not now meaning therby as both before and after hath appeared that tharchbishops should supplie the roume off the Apostles I answer that the Argument holdeth not For considering that the perfection off the bodie must be measured by the will off him whose the bodie is that is Christ as when he gaue Apostles Euangelistes c. he made it appeare that he would not haue his bodie perfect withowt them so when he tooke them away from his church he made it knowen that the bodie was perfect withowt thē Yf Apostles and Euangelistes had bene put downe by autoritie of man then yt might haue helped yow that as men put downe Mynisteries so they might supplie them with other But seing they were taken away by the Lord this yowr reason in effect becawse God taketh away therfore men may administeries hath no strenght in it And where all this drift is that yow vvould haue tharchbishops office come in for the Apostles and therfore say that their autoritie ouer the pastors doth and must remaine in such places as there be churches besides my former answer vnto this point yow are againe taken in the wordes off yowr owne lippes For if it must remaine then the office off the archbishop which yow make the vessell to receiue this autoritie in and whose office yow say consisteth in the rule off other pastors is not variable and depending off circūstance off time c. but perpetuall and constant Yf Bucer speake as yow make him I can by no meanes subscribe vnto him For S. Luke saith plainly that there were many bishops at Ephesus and gyueth the name off bishop to many That the name off bishop did properly remaine in one off them ād improperly in thother if it haue so good autoritie as the former I will belieue that too if not I hould me vnto the wordes off S. Luke And if the name off bishop doth vnproperly belong vnto those whom Saint Paul saith the holy gost had appointed bishops ouer the church I confesse that I can not tell what autoritie is sufficient to make that name off bishop proper vnto them And if the name off bishop did not properly belong vnto them all but vnto one onely yt followeth that the name also of an Elder did not properly belong vnto them For the one of them ys as well verified of them as the other and there is no more restreint off the name off bishop then of an Elder vnto any one singular person amongest them And how is this sentence off Bucer here pulled in by the heare for albeit it were concluded that one bishop should beare dominiō ouer the ministers of one churche yet yt followeth not which is here in question that one also owght to rule ouer all bishops in a prouince The rest is answered In deed I denie but yow affirme that there be still Apostles Prophetes c. ād therfore by yowr saying that order which was then owght now also to be continued And although yowr archbishop vvere vnder gownde yet order in ecclesiasticall mynistries remaineth that the teaching Elders should be a degree aboue those vvhich gouerne onely and they aboue the Deacons The marck I shoot at is certein that is to confute yowr distinction off mynisteries off the word and Sacramentes onely and ministeries off gouernement and order and it seemeth I shot so nigh that I haue driuen yow away from the marck For yow wander and tell vs of thinges that haue nether head nor foot and which if they were true make nether whot nor kold vnto this question For if your learned interpreters haue well defined S. Paules rule the Elders vvhich rule are vvorthy c. when they say yt is to serue Christ and his church faithfully in doctrine and integritie off life c then it must suffice yowr Archbishop to doo so and no more For if yow thinck that euery minister in his church is barred by that definition from further gouernement then which consisteth in preaching administring the Sacramentes vncorrupt life c it followeth that he medling with moe then those breaketh the boundes off good gouernement After yow make an other rode owt off the question bearing the reader in hand that I would conclude owt off that place equalitie off ministers when as my pourpose was as I haue shewed to confute yowr vaine distinction Which although yow here denie yet the print off yowr hand is deeper then yow can wipe owt by thes so strong but litle honest denials For onles yow refer this word onely to the secluding off the ministeries mentioned to the Ephesians from the gouernement and policie off the church yowr answer falleth as is before declared Considering that yow labouring to make a difference betwene those mynisteries and the Archbishops make none if they together with administratiō off the word and Sacramentes handle also order and gouernment And although yow had quite left owt the word onely yet thes wordes the Apostle doth recite those ministeries which are occupied in praier the word and Sacramentes not off them which are instituted for order and discipline haue that sense which I haue gyuen them For if he speake off those which minister the word and Sacramentes not off those instituted for gouernement c. yt followeth that he speaketh off those which minister the word and Sacramentes onely As he that saith a man is iustified by faith and not by worckes saith
away the infamy of this nether can it of that and if the auncieÌ„t traditioÌ„ of the church doo not autorise the one nether can auncieÌ„t coustome autorise the other The Ans before for one onely error touching rebaptising casteth away the vvhole councell of Carthage I will not deale so rowghly with the councell off Nice onely I desire that their autoritie be lifted vp no higher then yt hath state off the vvord off god Howbeit it must not be let goo in this canon off Nice vvhich is the ouerthrowe of all that the Ans hath said before that saying this vvas oulde coustome it confesseth therby that it vvas no ordinance of God vvheras if it came from S. Peter Paule c. they vvould haue said according to the institution off the Apostles it is also vvorthy to be obserued that the iurisdiction the Metrapolitanès had in their prouinces was before onely voluntary and vncoÌ„strained for that this was the firste time that any lawe passed of yt which noted off me in an other place is here well confirmed so that thes wordes the old coustome which the D. putteth so great affaince in if he make his accoÌ„pts well shall be found to haue bene a reed of Egypte vnto him wherupon he leaning is not staied but pricked To proue that the name off archbishop was not before the councell off Nice nor within three hundred yeares after the ascension off our Sauiour I shewe that there is no mention off him in Theophilus Ignatius Clemens Alexandrinus Iustine Martyr Ireneus Tertullian Origine Cyprian in the histories owt off which Eusebius gathereth his storie nor in Eusebius nor in a word in no alowed writer nether greeke nor latin within that space The D. asketh whether the councell off Nice Antioche Epiphanius c. be not as good all which are bothe later writers then those I alledged and after the 300. years before assigned So that to proue the antiquitie off the name off Archbishop and Metrapolitane he saith in effect yt is all one to alledge the stories and writers which came after as those which wente before and to proue that thes names were with in 300. yeares after Christ he alledgeth stories and other writers which testyfie thes titles to haue bene after 300. yeares which how absurde yt ys all men vnderstand And what likelihoode off trwth yt hath that thes names were within 300. yeares and od when as not one onely writer hauing so often occasion to speake off them doth once name them it may be considered partly of that the bishop writeth For as he asked Harding vvas there no man in the vvorld for the space off 600. yeares hable to expresse the name off vniuersall bishop So I aske the D. was there none in the world by the space off 300. yeares and od hable to expresse the metrapolitans name no man for the space almost of 400. yeares hable to expresse the archbishops name partly also I leaue yt to be considered off that I haue saied before Then he must vnderstand that as those stories and writers he alledgeth make nothing to proue that antiquitie which he supposeth so they being further from the Apostles times and nearer vnto the time off Antichrist are not off so good credit to proue the lawfullnes off that ether office or name as if they had had testimonie of the purer times moreouer off thes sixe autors which he maketh mention off two wroote after 400. yeares all the rest wrote from abowte 350. yeares vnto the prick off 400. And althowgh he hath browght owt so smale a number yet he must be faine to cut off halfe off them as those which make no mencion off the archbishop for nether Chrysostome nor Ierome no not Ambrose as shall appeare in their so great workes make any mencion off him Where I shewed that as the cedâ—â— off Liban can not be hydden amongeste the Box trees so the archbishop coulde not haue bene hydden in the ancient vvritinges amongest the other Mynisters and further that if he vvere he vvas contemned off them vvhich once vvoulde not defyle their pen by vvriting off him the Answ as thowghe thes perteined not to the matter vnder coulor of calling them frumpes passeth by them wheras a few such frumpes vvill breake the archbishops backe if they be not better looked vnto The Ans can neuer be holden in the railes off any lawfull forme off disputacion All men see that vvhatsoeuer he heapeth vp toucheth not my reply For he owght to improue the signification vvhich I haue set downe off the word Metrapolitan bishop which is to be nothing els then bishop of that cytie vvhich yt pleaseth the Emperour or Prince to make cheife and therfore that â—f the office swell no more then the name there is great differeÌ„ce betwene his and tharchbishops name This becawse he could not doo the signification being so cleare he starteth a syde and goeth abowte to proue that Metropolitane and Archbishop are taken for the same when the question is not here how they are taken but what the wordes signifie If he had shewed that the word metrapolitane bishop is as loftie in signification as the word archbishop then he had spoken to the pourpose Beside this in a matter that is in controuersie amongest writers he maketh his profes by bare autorities the controuersie being not onely betwene the Ciuiliâ—â—s and Canonistes but also betwene others off our tyme. Likewise it is to be obserued how cuill he hath peeced thes together bringing in M Caluin contrary vnto Maister Fox in that the one maketh a Metrapolitane and Archbishop to differ from a Patriarck the other maketh them all one M. Fox also to differ from himselfe which in the second place alledged out off him maketh difference betwene a metrapolitane and primate in the third maketh them all one Beside that also he is beside the forowgh off his cawse he gaineth not that vvhich he goeth abowght For let vs admit that a metrapolitane and Archbishop are taken for the same yet therof foloweth not that the name off an archbishop was in the church as soone as the name of Metrapolitane For althowgh a Prophet and a seer be all one astranger and an ennemie in war betokened one thing yet nether haue the wordes the same signification nether were they all at one time but came one after another For I would gladly know whether yt seeme vnto him that all thes titles Metrapolitane Archbishop Primat and Patriarch came in at a clap if there be no likehoode in this yt foloweth that his autors meaning is not that thes names were all at the councell off Nice but after they crepte into the church were attributed vnto one and the same office off metrapolitanship specified in that councell For the autoritie ouer other bishops which is gone abowte by this Nicene councell to be proued like to that of our archbishops that I make not vvith the Answ a confusion off all