arise a quarrell for the principalitie not onely betwixt the Duke and the Byshop but likewise betwixt the Bishop and the people The contention or dislike betweene the Bishop and the people grewe heereof as I take it for that by the paynes and preaching of Farellus they beganne to dislike of Poperie and inclined to a reformation of Religion as diuerse Citties neere vnto them and with whome they were in some league had done Which inclination of theirs was altogether misliked ye may be sure by their popish Bishop Wherevppon as also in respect of the saide iarres betweene the Duke and their Bishoppe the Citizens receiuing some good incouragement diuerse waies I doubt not nouandae religionis studium ac reipub commutandae oblatam occasionem arripuerunt they tooke vpon them the indeuour of altering religion and omitted not saith Bodine the occasion offered of changing also the estate of their common wealth It resteth nowe to be considered by what meanes in part they brought their saide purposes to passe It appeareth by Caluins wordes to Cardinall Sadolet that if the Byshop woulde haue harkened at the first to Farellus for the abolishing of Poperie they would then haue been very well content to haue admitted still of his Episcopall iurisdiction But as I sayd hee would not And then both Farellus Viretus and all their fauourers did set vpon the Bishop withall maine might They said it was not meete for a Minister to haue so great a liuing They pronounced him clara voce furē esse with a loud voice to be a theefe The Byshop being at this time that I speake of in possession of the soueraigntie and ciuile gouernment of that Citie and hauing then in his hands as maister Caluin confesseth ius gladij alias ciuilis iurisdictionis partes the power of life and death and other partes of ciuile iurisdiction The said Ministers exclaimed against that ciuile authoritie in Bishops they taught it to be vtterly vnlawfull for a Byshop to haue anie such soueraigntie they said hee was an vsurper and what not By which proceedings and doctrine of the ministers no maruell of the Citizens acknowledging no right in the Duke of Sauoy ouer them beganne to think that then the Bishop by the word of God hauing none in like maner the soueraigntie of the citie must needs be in themselues In this contention therefore which Bodinus speaketh of for the principality betwixt the Bishop and the people how matters fell out I know not but such was the present occasion that as it seemeth the Bishop with many of his popish crue gat him thence Quo eiecto Geneuates monarchiam in popularem statum commutarunt who being cast out saith Bodinus the Geneuans did chaung theyr monarchy into a popular state In respect whereof the said Bodinus doth adde the cittie of Geneua vnto those citties of Heluetia which for the auoyding of the tiranny of their gouernours haue entered into a confederacy shaken them of Vpon the eiection of the said Bishop the citizens by such aduise as they liked ordained a newe forme of popular gouernement such a one as they themselues thought meetest for the state of that cittie A councell was chosen to consist of two hundred which councell hath the highest and a standing authority sauing that for the making of lawes for the choosing of their principall magistrates for decreing of peace or warre which were iura magistratis notes and rightes of soueraignty and regality these be reserued to the whole people and multitude of citizens They ordaine also two other councells the one of threescore and the other of fiue and twenty and likewise also fower Syndicks their chiefest magistrats to bee yearely elected with manye such orders as they thought conuenient for the better gouernement of the cittie Whilst they of Geneua were busyed in these affaires which were necessary for their state the Bishop with all his shauelinges and adherentes was not idle I assure my selfe He laboured as it seemeth by Simlerus a reconciliation with the Duke of Sauoy and by what meanes I know not did grow into such a frendship with him as that hee obteyned of him his assistaunce meaning to haue recouered by force and armes his saide right and authoritie They of Geneua vnderstanding of this course did fortifie themselues with the strength of Berne Insomuch as the Duke and the Bishop assaultinge the citty anno 1536. they were both of them discomfited Bernatibus illis auxilium serentibus they of Berne assisting them of Geneua And since that time the citty of Geneua hath bene ruled by such a kinde of gouernement as hath briefly bene touched I would not haue any man to thinke that I take vppon me to censure the doinges of the ciuile state either of Geneua or of any other place Onely I haue bene bolde to set downe the premises as I finde them reported by the authors mentioned because they conteine some such matters as are necessary to be vnderstood in some ouuert sort in respecte of that which followeth concerninge the first institution of the pretended consistoriall discipline Besides propounding to my selfe throughout this whole booke to deale with nothinge whether it bee good or euell further then as it concerneth the affaires of the Church I doubt not but that I may presume without any mans iust offence to speake my opinion as touching the Diuinity which was pretended by the saide Ministers of Geneua against their Bishop For in deede I doe dislike it If such dealinges were simply to be vrged by the worde of God they might reach further then would be conuenient Ineuer thought it agreeable to Diuinity for ministers to caste of their rulers at their owne pleasures M. Caluin writeth wisely to Cardinall Sadolet but the course which there hee sheweth was helde by the Ministers say what men list cannot be iustifyed I know one that hath written thus of that matter eum principatum euangelij lux ciuitati restituit the light of the Gospell did restore to the Citty that principality which the Bishop had But all the learned Diuines in Germany at their conferences with the Emperour about that time were of a contrary opinion as touching the Bishops in those countries who are greate Princes And surely it would seeme strange to me if the Gospell should wrest the sword out of any ciuile Magistrates hande let him be of what profession he list I doe therefore subscribe to Zanchius iudgemente for mine owne part where he sayth We deny not that such Bishops as bee also Princes besides their Ecclesiasticall authority haue also their politicke lawes and secular powers as other Princes haue vz. right in commaundinge in secular matters right of the sworde right of electing and confirminge of some kinges Emperours and right of ordayning and administringe of other politique affaires and that they haue right to compell the people their subiects to performe the duety of their subiection vnto them And
is so auncient and that the originall thereof is not founde it should seeme to haue come from the Apostles They tearme the bringing-in of these authorities the mouing summoning of Hell they saye those tymes were not pure and virgine-like but departed from the Apostolicall simplicitie and doe treade them all vnder theyr feete with as great facilitie as may be Clement Anacletus and Anicetus are discharged for rogues and men branded in the foreheads Epiphanius wrote according to the time he liued in about 380. and though the name of Archbishop was in his time amongst Grecians yet it followeth not thereby that it was in vse amongst the Latines For Ambrose when Cartwright writte his first Booke and that they were not so throughlie angred as now they are hee onely gaue him this brande Ambrose holdeth other thinges corruptlye and then hee expoundeth him that of likelyhoode the Archbishop hee speaketh of was no other then he which for the time ruled the action when Bishops were ordayned and after the action ended hadde no more authoritie then the rest But since his choller increasing first hee beganne as he sayth in his second booke to suspect the place alledged out of his booke de dignitate Sacerdotum to be corrupted whereuppon within a short time after he grew to bee so hardened against him by finding some other things also in the saide booke which hee misliked that he hath bored him in the eare for a Roge likewise and sent him a rouing amongst his fellowes making the author of that booke a false Ambrose which is an vnlearned shift Sozomenus and Volusianus they writt not according to that which was but according to the custome and manner of the age wherein they wrotte As though he should saye they lied And as touching Augustine his sentence is approued say they vnaduisedly and that thereby a windowe is open to bring in all poperie Which is a lewde reproch For the antiquitie of the name of Archdeacon are alledged by D.W. the testimonies of Damasus Ierome Sixtus Sozemene Socrates To whose authorities their answere is two of them are counterfeits Damasus spake in the Dragons voice Amongst men the best ground beareth thistles those times were corrupt And yet Sixtus liued Bishop of Rome about the yeare 265. and was a godly martyr A number of authorities being cited which affirme that Timothie was Bishop of Ephesus as Eusebius Dorotheus Nicephorus Ierome Isidorus Dionysius Areopagita Epiphanius Ambrose Chrisostome Oecumenius Theodoret c. Their aunswere is They esteeme him a Bishop indeed and not an Euangelist But what then if they were for one a hundred they cannot counteruayle much lesse beare downe the testimony of the Apostle As though they euer purposed anye such matter But it goeth hard when for a matter of historie all these worthie Fathers can find no better credit If Timothy were Bishop of Ephesus I trust he will not say that the Apostle is ouerborne And that he was Bishop all these affirme it who liuing neerer to the Apostles times shold know aswell as Cartwright what was in fact then and being both as religious and as learned as he wold pretend to be could as easily haue espied what repugnāces there was betwixt that practise and the Apostles writings and would as earnestly haue reprooued it if there had beene any as hee Sainct Ciprian and Sainct Ierome are of opinion nay S. Ierome saith it was the opinion and the iudgement of the whole catholicke Church for so I interprete his words the whole worlde that for the auoyding of schismes and heresies it was necessarie that there should be one Bishop in euery Diocese as our learned writers haue thought of those places writing against the Papists to gouerne and ouer-rule the rest of the Priestes within their charge least otherwise as by experience it was found amongst the Corinthians there would be in short time as many schismes altars as there were priests and heades and that euery one might not carry his schollers after him and so following their own fancies teare in pieces the Church of Christ. With them in like manner all the godly generall Councels since that time haue agreed finding daily new mischiefs to arise which were not before hatched haue for the meeting with them increased accordinglye the authoritie of Bishops and so kept the church in good order at the least for aboue fiue hundred yeares Since which time although the Pope with extreme iniurie to all other Bishops hath lifted himselfe by a false title aboue not only thē but aboue al kings Emperors in like manner neuer ceasing till he hath set himselfe in the seate of the beast yet with many other points of Christianitie this also hath beene preserued that the gouernment of the church by Bishops in euery Kingdome prouince and Dioces is Apostolical and not only in that respect to be for euer continued but necessary also in regarde of the causes before mentioned But now all this is reckoned nothing There are some two or three that do take vpon them to prooue forsooth that all the said Fathers of the primatiue Church all Councells and all whosoeuer that haue liked that ordinaunce haue been deceaued in their iudgements in that they haue accounted the institution of Bishops their gouernment to be a means for the auoiding of schismes or for the maintenaunce of the peace of the Church But how they prooue it I will not stand now vppon that poynt It is forsooth in a worde by discourse of reason whereof Cartwright braggeth and for that as they saie there were great controuersies in the church notwithstanding their institution c. And now it is their Eldership must weare the Crowne and reforme all that is amisse Well what wee are to thinke of their Elderships we partly haue seene and yet shall heare more before I haue done In the meane time it is euident how they oppose their owne iudgement to all the world since Christs time Cyrillus for calling the Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 high priest as Ignatius hadde done in effect before the prince or chiefe of priests and Tertullian also Episcopus est summus Sacerdos the Bishop is the high priest is wonderfully censured Hee that bringeth in a priest into the church saith Cartwright goeth about to burye our Sauiour Christ. And as for him that bringeth in an high priest into the church hee goeth about to put our Sauiour Christ out of his office This that he affirmeth here toucheth not only Cyrill but the most I am sure of all the auncient Fathers who were as carefull for the office and prerogatiue of Christ and haue written as manye notable woorkes against such Hereticks as haue impugned his Soueraigntie in any respect as euer he or his Sectaries haue written or I thinke will doe But his breath maye well blast himselfe they I doubt not are in heauen and
death were when they dyed in the same case that Crete was when Titus was sent thither and had therefore as much neede of a Titus as euer Crete had Furthermore who can bee accompted to be well in his wittes that will imagine that Christ should ordaine such an authoritie but for some threescore yeares especially the same causes continuing why it was first instituted that were before Nay I may boldly say that there was greater neede for the continuance of it afterward For the Apostles hauing so great power to worke myracles and by their praiers to procure from God such straunge executions of his pleasure vpon the contemptuous as did fall vpon Ananias and his wife and I doubt not but in like cases sometimes vpon some others their ruling and commaunding authoritie was not so necessarie then as it was afterwards when that power to worke myracles ceased But what should I neede to vse many wordes in a matter so apparant After the death of the apostles and of their assistants vz the Bishops placed by them as is mentioned the Ecclesiasticall hystories and the auncient fathers haue kept the register of their names that succeeded sundry of them and ruled the Churches after them as they before had ruled them Whereupon they were called from all antiquitie the Apostles and Apostolicall mens successors This inequalitie in the Ministery of the worde hath been approued and honoured by all the auncient fathers none excepted by all the generall Councelles that euer were held in Christendome and by all other men of learning that euer I heard of for many hundred yeares after the Apostles time sauing that Aerius the hereticke an ambitious person growing into great rage for that hee missed of a Bishopricke which he sued for first broached the opinion which is nowe so currant amongest his Schollers that there ought to bee no difference betweene a Bishoppe and a Priest Whereby he tooke vppon him to be equall with the Byshop that preuailed in the said suite against him chalenged to haue as great authoritie he being but a Priest as the other had being a Bishop In this latter age of the worlde when after a long darkenesse it pleased almightie God to restore vnto vs the light of his Gospell the chiefe instruments that God then vsed and adorned with most singular giftes for such a mightie worke were very farre from that conceite â—and rashe presumption which afterwardes possessed certaine persons of Aerius humour and yet doth boyle in many of theyr followers breastes It is true that many thinges are to bee found in their writings which at the first shew do make very greatly against Bishops But diuerse persons in these dayes not well considering the circumstances of those times doe greatly abuse the world in extending them further then they meant them It was farre from their intent that those thinges which they had written against Popish Bishops the ennemies of the Gospell should euer haue bene vrged against such Bishops as did willingly embrace it I will acquaint you a little with the proceedings of those times and then leaue this point to your wise consideration When the said learned men beganne to seeke the reformation of Religion in Germany it is not vnknowen vnto you into what subiection the Pope had brought all Christian Princes and states The Bishops as his vassals did then wholly depend vppon him They held their Bishoprickes by his authoritie and nothing coulde be done especially in Church matters but by the Pope and them So as when Luther and the rest beganne to disclose the enormities of Popery and desired some godly reformation of them you may easily conceiue the Pope and his Bishops being the chiefe maintainers of that corruption what little incouragement they found at their handes It is euident in their writinges howe earnestly and humbly at the first they dealth both with the Pope and with many other of the chiefest Bishops that they would be content and pleased to reforme such thinges as they found to bee amisse in the Church But all their indeuours to that purpose were in vain The Pope and his Clergy stood too much vpon their reputation If they should haue yealded they imagined the world would haue condemned them in that they had not in time of themselues preuented or redressed so notable abuses Whereupon Luther those learned men that ioyned with him were driuen to flie vnto the Ciuil magistrates to aduertise them of their dueties prouing it vnto them most plentifully out of the scriptures that in such an obstinate defection amongst the priests it appertained vnto theÌ„ euery one within their owne free states and territories to reforme religion themselues as the godly kings in the old testameÌ„t had done in the like cases And the rather to moue them thereunto they laboured by al the means they could to make the Popish Clergy most odious vnto them They inueighed against their pride against their superfluities against their tyranny and against their corruptions After much paines taking to these and the like effectes it pleased God to moue the hearts of many of the ciuile magistrates to thinke better of their duties plainly to perceiue how the Pope and his Bishops had formerly abused them The godly kings and magistrates in the scriptures wheÌ„ they reformed religion were euer most carefull that the liuinges appointed by God for the Priests might be throughly preserued If any by abuse had bin alienated they caused them to be restored againe And so I suppose the ciuile magistrates should haue done in this latter age But it hath faln out otherwise and all the other godly learned men in christendome do mislike it The perswasions to Princes that the Bishops and Abbots had too much was very plausible The free Cities notwithstanding their freedom in respect of the Emperor yet they were subiect all of them vnto Bishops were not discontented that so good an occasion was offred vnto theÌ„ to procure their greater liberty Luther and the rest of those learned men regarding nothing but that the light of the gospel might be restored were content to yeald much to beare against their minds with many vnequall conditions So as at the last by their wisdome and diligence they preuailed God moued the hearts of diuers ciuile magistrates to begin a reformation The Pope the Bishops and the chiefest of the Cleargy impugned it by all the meanes they could possibly Whereupon there being no other remedie their authoritie imployed to hinder those proceedinges was reiected and the most of their liuings which they had in any of those territories were seazed into the hands of the ciuile gouernors there vpon these many such like occasions great trobles did arise The bishops thoght theÌ„selues greatly iniuried Diuers great princes took their parts so did the Emperor They misliked the reformatioÌ„ which was proceeded in after that sort the authoritye of Bb s. was greatly insisted vpon Insomuch as notwithstaÌ„ding that the sayd learned
men had offered in the beginning to the Bishops to performe al due obedience vnto them if they would be content to reforme religion they were now againe constrained to make the same knowen more generally both to the Emperour and to all the sayd Princes still offering for their parts as much as they had done before and that if they would but cease to impose vppon them their intollerable burdens of single life of mens vnlawfull and wicked traditions which they did further specifie and to forbidde them to doe those things which God commaunded they should doe that then they would with all their hearts most willingly yeeld vnto their Episcopall iurisdiction and to the restoring of the same where it had beene abolished Vouchsafe I pray you to heare their owne testimonies to this purpose You shall thereby well perceaue that if they were now aliue in England and should finde their names so vsed as they are against the gouernment of our Bishops they would take it in very ill part and be heartily sory for it Thus the authors of the Augustane confession and all the learned men that haue subscribed thereunto in which nūber Caluin is cōprehended haue professed touching this matter The Bishops might easily retain the obedience due vnto them if they vrged vs not to keepe those traditions which wee cannot keepe with a good Conscience They impose a single life and will receaue none that will not swear neuer to teach the pure doctrine of the Gospell Againe we haue ofte protested that we doe greatly approoue the Ecclesiastical pollicy and degrees in the Church as much as lieth in vs doe desire to conserue them We doe not mislike the authoritie of Bishops so that they would not compell vs to doe against Gods commaundement Furthermore we doe here protest and wee would haue it so recorded that we would willingly preserue the Ecclesiasticall and Canonicall pollicy if the Bishops would cease to tyrannise ouer our Churches This our minde or desire shall excuse vs with all posterity both before God and all nations that it may not be imputed vnto vs that the authority of Bishops is ouerthrowen by vs. Besides I would to God saith Melanchthon I woulde to God it lay in me to restore the gouernment of Bishops For I see what a manner of Church we shall haue the Ecclesiasticall pollicy being dissolued Video postea multo intolerabiliorem futuram tyrannidem quà m antea vnquam fuit I doe see that hereafter will grow vp a greater tiranny in the Church then euer there was before Moreouer mira dissipatio erit Ecclesiarum ad posteritatem c. There will be a wonderfull confusion of Churches left to our posterity except they may now bee ioyned together againe and haue certain Bishops who may be enforced to gouerne the church and looke vnto them more diligently then in times past they haue beene looked vnto Againe by what right or law may we dissolve the Ecclesiasticall pollicy if the Bishops will grant vs that that in reason they ought to graunt Et vt liceat certe non expedit And if it were lawfull for vs so to doe yet surely it were not expedient Luther was euer of this opinion whom many for no other cause I see doe loue but for that they thinke they haue cast off their Bishops by means of him and haue obtained a liberty minimè vtilem ad posteritatem which will not be profitable for our posterity For tell me what estate will the Churches be in hereafter if all the olde orders be abolished and that there bee no certaine rulers ordained To the same effect also saith George Prince Anhalt Earle of Ascaine Lord of Sewest and Brewburge vtinam c. I would to God that those which carry the names and titles of Bishops would shew themselues to be Bishops in deede I wishe they would teach nothing that is disagreeable to the Gospell but rule their Churches thereby O quam libenter c. Oh how willingly and with what ioy of hart would we receaue them for our Bishops reuerence them obay them and yeeld vnto them their iurisdiction and ordination c. Id quod nos semper Dominus Lutherus etiam c which we alwaies and Maister Luther both in words and in his writings very often haue professed And Caluin himselfe writing to Cardinal Sadolet concerning the course that had beene held at Geneua as touching the reformation of Religion and in excuse thereof against his challenge doth shew himselfe to be of the same minde he was of when he subscribed to the said confession of Augusta professing that for his part he could haue beene well content that the Bishop there should haue kept his authority and iurisdiction still so that he woulde haue yeelded to the bannishment of Poperye For thus hee writeth Talem nobis Hierarchiam si exhibeant c. If they bring vnto vs such an Hierarchy or Priestly gouernment wherin the Bishops shall so rule as that they refuse not to submit themselues to Christ that they so depend vppon him as theyr only head and be content to referre themselues to him in which Priestlye gouernment let them so keepe brotherly society amongest themselues that they be knitte together by no other rule then by the truth then surely if there shall be any that shall not submitte themselues to that Hierarchy or Priestly gouernment reuerently and with the greatest obedience that may be I confesse there is no kinde of Anathema or curse or casting to the diuell whereof they are not worthy And againe in the same Epistle he vseth these wordes following tending to the great commendation of the authority of Bishops Statue quaeso c. Sette before your eyes I pray you the ancient face of the church as it was amongest the Grecians in Chrys. and Basils times and as it was amongest the Latinists when Cyprian Ambrose and Augustine liued and then behold the ruins of that face as now they are retained in the Church of Rome And there will appeare as great difference betweene them as the Prophets describe vnto vs betweene the excellent estate of the Church that flourished vnder Dauid and Salomon and that Church which in Zedechia and Ioachims dates was fallen into all kinde of superstition and had defiled altogether the purity of the worship of God This Epistle was written by Caluin to the Cardinal 1539. at such time as being remoued from Geneua he remayned at Strasburgh where hauing great acquaintance with Melanchthon Bucer and diuerse other learned men hee carried himselfe in such sort as was greatly to their likings Insomuch as whilest he remained at Strasburgh the Colloquies at Wormes and Ratisbone being appointed by the Emperour for the compounding of controuersies in Religion the learned men that were sent thither for the Protestants reckonned Caluin a meete man to take thither with them Which I thought good to obserue because hereby it will further
stand in their own c̄oceit that they feare not to speak euill of th̄e that are in dignitie authoritye likewise of those things that they know not that they vse swelling words of vanitie that they beguile vnstable soules that they seperate them selues from other and that they haue not the spirit It will not surely serue their turnes one day to saye that in such their wilfull opposing of themselues as it were against heauen in such their outragious rayling and bitternesse against so holy a calling they followed certaine of their bretheren the ministers in Scotland or in the lowe countries or in Geneua For in this vaine they haue exceeded them all especially them of the two countries last mentioned Maister Caluin although after his restitution to Geneua he might be thought to haue had some harder opinion of Bishopps then he had before yet if you compare him with these fellowes you would thinke him an especiall fauourer and defender of them He could well enough indure it◠to vse these honorable tearmes to Archbishop Cranmer Illustrissime domine clarissime presul et mihi ex animo reuerende commendinge his authoritie his wisdome and his integritie desiringe him to put them all in practise for the benefit of the Church And in his letter to the King of Polonia he sheweth himselfe to be far from Cartwrights minde vz. that the Popes authoritie is more necessary ouer all Churches then the authoritie of an Archbishopp ouer a prouince and that neither of them can discharge so great an office For there writinge against the pope he propoundeth to the Kinges consideration the auncient forme of church-gouernment by Archbishops tearminge it a moderate honor meaninge therby as I take it the preheminence and authoritie which Archbishops then had as beinge limited for the execution of it within the compasse of mans power wheras the Popes pretended authoritie beinge of so large an extent as comprehending the whole world could not possibly be executed by any man liuinge But yet I am short of M. Caluins moderatiō in this matter for discoursing of the state of the auncient churches before the time of popery of Bishops Archbishops and patriarches their authority and superiority in their circuites dioces and prouinces he vseth these modest speeches Although the Bishops of those times did set foorth many canons wherin they might be thought to expresse more then is expressed in the scriptures yet they framed their whole gouernement according to the onely rule of gods word with that caution vt facilè videas nihil fere hac parte habuisse a verbo Dei alienum that you may easily see there was nothing almost in this behalfe disagreeing from the word of God If there may be found any imperfection in the orders which they made yet they indeuoured with a sincere studie to keepe the institution of God from the which nō multum aberrarunt they swarued not much And a little after the elders that were ministers of the worde did choose one from amongst them-selues in euery Cittie vnto whom especially they gaue the title of Bishop Ne ex aequalitate vt fieri solet dissidia nascerentur least by aequalitie as it vsually happeneth dissentions should arise As touching the beginning of this order he agreeth with S. Ierome that it hath continued in the Church since S. Markes time And saith he that euery prouince had her Archbishop that also in the Nicene Councel Patriarches were appointed who were in order and degree aboue Archbishops Id ad disciplinae conseruationem pertinebat It did pertaine to the preseruation of discipline But his conclusion is yet more full and differeth but a little if it differ at all from that which the learneder sort in England doe now maintaine with all antiquitie For speaking of the forme of gouernment so framed as is said in the councel of Nice he vseth these wordes Si rem intuemur reperiemus veteres Episcopos non aliam regendae ecclesiae formam voluisse fingere ab ea quam Deus verbo suo praescripsit if we looke to the forme of gouernment it selfe we shall finds that the auncient Bishoppes would not deuise another forme of churchregiment differing from that which God hath prescribed in his word And thus you may perceaue what great difference there is betwixt our mens spirites and Maister Caluins their outrage and his modestie their pride and his humilitie their rashnes ignorance and giddines and his sobrietie learning and iudgment The forme of ecclesiasticall gouernment agreed vpon in the councell of Nice differeth not from that which God hath prescribed and who then but men that haue shamelesse foreheads dare so incounter it But it may peraduenture be sayd that howsoeuer Caluin did carrie himselfe in this cause yet Beza is of an other opinion Indeed he is so but it turneth more more dayly to his own discredit He succeeded Maister Caluin in place but neither in his learning nor in all his vertues And I do attribute it vnto his want of iudgment that he hath shewed himselfe such a busie body where he had nothing to doe It is chiefly he that hath set the pretended reformers in this whole land so much a gogge against Bishops by his secret letters and other disordered writinges of incouragement vnto them And yet forsooth he can write to other men and pretend the quite contrarie Consider the processe following and then if I be too blame thus to write of him tell me of it In one of his epistles dated 1570. he affirmeth that Archbishops Primates are a shadowe and image of the policy of Roome that they are petty tyrantes in respect of the Pope and that although the names be neuer soe auntient yet it ought to haue beene enquired whether it were lawful to bring them into the church c. It had beene a maruailous beneficiall matter to all posteritie that Beza had beene the commaunder at Geneua in the times of the Primitiue church that so the learend graue fathers of those ages might haue inquired this point of him knowen his pleasure In the yeare 1572. it seemed good vnto him as it hath beene said before to write his letter into this Iland to Knox the reformer in Scotland at what time the Bishops there had receaued the Gospell at the least many of them as I thinke though it woulde not serue their turne to keepe them in their places In which letter amongst many other good consistorian documents hee writeth thus But I would haue you and the other brethren to remember that which is before your eies as Bishops brought foorth the Papacy so false or counter set Bishops the reliques of Popery will bring in Epicurisme They that desire the churches good let them take heede of this pestilence And seeing you haue put that plague in Scotland to flight quaeso c. I hartily pray you that you neuer suffer it againe vnder any pretence or color of keepinge
as much authoritie as anye King maie lawfully challenge we abbridge her of nothing that the worde of God alloweth her and many other such ambiguous protestations they vse to make in this behalfe But they plav the deceitfull sophisters whom the Lord abhorreth For these are some of their grounds A man would thinke that they had taken them out of Hosius The Christian soueraigne ought not to be called the head vnder Christ of the particular and visible churches vvithin his dominions No ciuile magistrat hath prehemineÌ„ce by ordinary authoritie to determine of church-causes No ciuile magistrat in Councels or assemblies for church-matters can either be cheefe moderator ouer-ruler iudge or determiner No ciuile magistrat hath such authoritie as that vvithout his consent it should not be lavvfull for ecclesiastical persons to make any church-order or ceremonie No ciuile magistrat ought to receiue either tenths or first fruits of any ecclesiasticall persons The iudgemeÌ„t of church-matters pertaineth to God they ought ordinarily to be handled by the church-officers the principallitie or direction of the iudgement of them is by Gods ordinance pertaining to the ministerie of the Church As for the making of orders and ceremonies in the church they do vvhen there is a constituted and ordered church pertaine vnto the ministers of the church and to the ecclesiasticall gouernors and that as they meddle not vvith the making of ciuile lavves and lavves for the common-vvealth so the ciuile magistrate hath not to ordaine ceremonies pertaining to the church The ministers are to determine of controuersies as they arise and to make or abolish needfull or hurtfull ceremonies Herevnto may be added that which is before obserued how he ascribeth the same right in church causes to an infidel or prophane magistrat that he doth to any Christian princes and of their mutuall agreement with the Pope himselfe in the manner of both their excluding of Christian magistrats from hauing any thing to do as vnder Christ in his Church Hitherto then concerning all these puritane-popish assertious so much derogating from the lawfull authoritie of Christian princes There is but only this difference betwixt them the rankest Iesuits in Europe that what the one sort ascribe to the Pope and his shauelings the other do challenge to themselues and their Aldermen Vpon which occasion Cartvvright finding himselfe with his fellowes ranged to walke step by step with such a crue taketh vpon him like some dawber or bricklaier to make a high wall as he tearmeth it betwixt the Papists and them in this point But God knoweth it is a simple one and so thinne that you may easily looke through it and discerne them marching both togither First sayth he the Papists exempt their priests from the punishment of the ciuile magistrate vvhich vve doe not It is reason in deed you should not But if you doe not what doe these things mean The author of the second admonition desireth that he and his companions may be deliuered by act of Parlement from the authoritie of the ciuile magistrates as Iustices and others and from their inditings and finings Furthermore where Cartvvright sayth that the authoritie of christian Princes commeth immediately from God and not from Christ as he is mediator and that the authoritie of the svvord is the same ordinance of God as vvell in heathen princes as in Christians doth it not follow that in his iudgement Christian princes haue no authoritie ouer any of their subiects but only as they are men and not as they are either Christians or priests If you thinke it doth not then what T.C. wanteth I.B. doth supplie and that in proper tearmes as if it please you to peruse the place it will appeare vnto you Besides there goeth a letter from hand to hand written by certaine gentlemen of Suffolke to the Lords of her maiesties councell wherein there is great complaint made in the behalfe of certaine of the brotherhood as a matter fit to bee reformed that being ministers they had at their assises bene presented brought to the barre endicted arraigned and condemned Which dealing they tearme to be very hard and tending to the vtter discredit of the vvhole ministerie and profession of truth So that of all likelihood for all Cartvvrights saying both he and his fellowes could be well contented to be exempted from the ciuile magistrats But let vs heare the papists vpon this point or first part of Cartvvrights wall and peraduenture you shall find them as forward for their subiection herein as hee himselfe is or at the least as small a difference betwixt them as euer you saw though it were betweene two twiâ—nes Good kings may put bishops and priests in mind of their duties and bridle both their riot and arrogancie The prince by the vvord of God may make lavves for the obseruation of both tables and punish the trangressors I do here presently offer my selfe to receaue a corporall â—ath vpon the Euangelists that I do vtterly thinke and am persuaded in my conscience that the Queenes highnesse is the onely supreme gouernour of this realme and of all other her highnesse dominions and countries c. And further I shall presently svveare that her highnesse hath vnder God the soueraignty and rule ouer all maner of persons borne vvithin these her highnesse realms of vvhat estate ecclestasticall or temporall soeuer they be Fatemur person as EpiscoparuÌ„ qui in toto orbe fuerunt Romano imperatori subiectos fuisse VVe confesse that the persons of all the Bishops in the vvorld vvere subiect to the Romane emperour Rex praeest hominibus Christianis verum non quia sunt Christiani sed quia sunt homines quoniam ipsi episcopi sunt homines episcopis etiam ea ex parte rex praeesset The king ruleth christiaÌ„s not as they are christiaÌ„s but as they are men because bishops are men the king in that respect hath authoritie ouer them Harding also confesseth that if the causes be ciuile and temporall and all other causes our reformers do tie to their Elderships Bishops may be conuented before ciuile authoritie And it appeareth amongst all the learned Papists that the cheese prerogatiue they haue had in this point hath proceeded from the meere fauour and good will of Christian Princes the rather to couer and keepe from the people such faults in the Clergie as might breed their contempt Hitherto then this wall riseth vp but easily especially if I should adde in this place the brethren of Scotland their diuinitie for this matter when they not the Papists gaue the king and state occasion to make it by act of Parlement 1584 treason for any man to refuse to answer before the king though it were concerning any matter which was ecclesiasticall Now concerning the second part of Cartvvrights wall it is this The Papists sayth he vvill haue the Prince to
that question were resolued but that point standeth vppon an if Nay assure yourselues it is past peraduenture they would take it in great scorne that such a matter should rest vndecided Where it is held by the Churches of Heluetia that such Elderships as they of Geneua talke of are needlesse where there is a Christian magistrate and thereupon the now L. Archbishop of Canterbury for disputations sake reasoning that if there were any such Elders then yet it doth not followe they should bee receiued now Cartwright and his schollers are peremptorie that the offices of those Elderships are the rather to bee continued vnder a Christian magistrate And the learned Discourser sayth as confidently in the like case that the same authoritie which the Church had before there was a Christian Magistrate doth still continue when there is one or else as he addeth we would be glad to learne how this authoritie was translated from the Church in which it was once lawfully vsed vnto the ciuill Magistrate Agreeable to both which resolutions is that saying of Trauerse That Heathen Princes being become Christians doe receiue no further increase of their authoritie than they had before while they were in paganisme It is well By these rules then all is theirs They are Kings Princes the very immediate vicegerentes of Iesus Christ vppon earth And good reason they should then haue both the swords nay twenty swords if there were so many And besides seeing they haue to deale in all causes they must haue all lawes in the closets of their brestes at the least authoritate let scientia come by Cartwrights deuise vpon the suddaine into them how it may at leysure But hereof sufficiently Howsoeuer they crie our against our Bishoppes for intermedling with mo matters than they are able to discharge yet you see into what an infinite sea of affaires they would thrust their Elderships allowing generally that in themselues which formerly they haue condemned in others As by the next Chapter it will appeare more plainely vnto you CHAP. XXVI Those things they reprooue as vnlawfull in others they allow in themselues THere is nothing better knowne than with what contempt and bitternesse diuers amongst vs haue written against the authoritie of Bishoppes especially Archbishops and yet I perceiue that if they might attaine to such an authoritie it would bee well enough accepted For thus their Maister Beza writeth What was ordayned in times past concerning the appointing of prouinciall Synodes by the Metropolitane appeareth manifestly by the olde Canons Neither are we the men who if the ruines of Churches were repayred doo thinke eyther that order or some other like vnto it to be reiected So as these two things bee obserued That a tyrannie be not brought againe into the Church as though the holy Ghost were tyed to some certaine seate or person and that all thinges should be doone to edification c. Indeede hee is already the Primate Archbishop or Metropolitane in effect of all the prouince of Geneua or at the least hee easily foresaw that if anie such order should bee restored againe amongst them hee was the onely man for that great preferment When this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sixt Canon of the Councell of Nice is brought and vrged to proue the authoritie right and iurisdiction of the Bishop of Alexandria ouer the Churches in diuers countries there mentioned then it must signifie nothing in that place if wee shall beleeue Cartwright but onely a dignitie or preheminence in meetings to goe or sit before the rest But if you talke of the power authoritie and iurisdiction of their Eldershippes then sayth Danaeus Vox potestatis in hac disputatione significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of power signifieth as this Greeke worde doth properly import And what is that Forsooth Ius authoritatem alicuius gubernationis illi traditae id est alicuius reigerendae regendae Right and authoritie of some gouernment giuen vnto such a power that is of the gouernement and rule of some thing Nowe if this worde might haue beene so happie as to haue retained this signification in the sayde Councell of Nice where there is speach of Bishops Cartwright had beene put to his plunge and Bezaes annotation mentioned would not haue helped him a rush There is nothing more vsually obiected against the present estate superioritie and authoritie of Bishoppes than the place of Peter Neque vt dominantes in cleris Not as though yee were Lordes ouer the Clergie And that of Luke 22. Vos autem non sic But you shall not be so And it will not bee admitted in anie wise that wee should expound those places of ambitious affectation of tyrannous practise or of the abuse of such superioritie â—or iurisdiction But if you will speake of the right authoritie and iurisdiction of their Elderships the case is cleane altered There are some as it seemeth beyond the seas who seeing the pride of the consistorian gouernement doe affirme That the power of the Church is onely spirituall and not any external exercise practise and right of any authoritie power and gouernment With this opposition so much derogating from the dignitie of their Elderships Danaeus is mooued and answering that conceit sayth that although the power of the Church ad animarum salutem sit comparata be instituted for the health of soules yet notwithstanding it hath necessarily annexed vnto it an indissoluble band an externall exercise practise and vse iuris gubernationis of lawe and gouernment Against this aunswere replye as it seemeth is made with the same places mentioned that are vrged against our Bishops Whervpon Danaeus to make all thinges cleare addeth these wordes to his former aunswere and publisheth the same from Geneua Nam quod c. Whereas it may bee obiected out of Peter Non dominantes c. Not bearing rule c. And out of Luke Vos autem non sic but you shall not be so Facilè soluitur it is easily aunswered Damnatur enim partim abusus non vsus illius potestatis partim illius cum ciuili confusio for partly the abuse is condemned not the vse of that power and partly the confusion of it with the ciuill power Which is the verie aunswere that wee doe make and approoue beeing extorted from them by Gods good prouidence for the stopping of our mens mouthes who vppon pretence of those places haue opened them so wide against the lawfull authoritie of our Bishops It hath beene greatly grudged-at by these reformers that Bishoppes are allowed to bee of the vpper house of Parliament and saine they would haue them out if they knew how Notwithstanding for ought I can finde they haue enioyed that honourable prerogatiue euer since there was an high Court of Parliament in England And still the worde of God is made the pretence for whatsoeuer they desire so as euer you vnderstand that they
their setting vppe of their short plat of discipline bannished the cittie The causes before mentioned of this their bannishment were giuen out thus in generall termes Tyranni esse voluerunt in liberam ciuitatem voluerunt nouum pontificatum reuocare They would haue beene tyrants ouer a free cittie they would haue recalled a new papacy And here beganne the Consistorian humor which raigneth nowe amongst the factious sorte in England to shew it selfe but yet in a more secrete sorte by their priuate letters one to an other Their fauourers and partakers whome they lefte behinde them at Geneua presently after their departure entered into faction and refused to receiue the communion with vnleauened bread as it had beene ordered they should doe by the said Synode at Lausanna The ministers that remained in the cittie after them were greatly disgraced For in that they continued their ministery there without the newe Discipline they were said to hold otiosam functionem an idle function The Senate of two hundred that expelled the said three preachers was termed by Caluin tumultuos a perditorum hominum factio a tumultuoas faction of rakehells castaway es Beza saith that in that councell the greater part ouercame the better But then by the way they were not all of them such manner of men as Caluin reporteth The chiefest magistrates of the cittie euen the Syndickes were termed factionum et discordiarum duces the ringleaders of factions and dissentions They were resembled to Nabucadnezar and the exiles to Daniell And generally they gaue it out against all their backe frendes that they went about to ouerthrowe the Church and that they had obdurated themselues against the Lord Iesus Christ. These and such like speaches you must thinke were giuen out then secretly but since they are published in printe for other ministers instructions which may hereafter receiue any checke about that kinde of discipline Hetherto for ought I finde the pretended discipline had no great successe I must therfore proceede on forward These three preachers being thus banished their friendes at Geneua were maruailous earnest to haue them thither againe Many letters were procured from certaine churches and learned men to the magistrates in that behalfe as you shall partly perceaue by diuerse epistles set out vnder the title or together with Caluins epistles Euery one likewise in the Cittie that held for the discipline did his best with the people But Maister Caluin was the man whom they all of them most desired for the rest being else where placed they cared not much Vnto these endeuours may be added some very wise courses taken by Maister Caluin in the time that he discontinued from Geneua Cardinall Sadolet hauing written to the Geneuians in dislike of the alteration both of their state and of the Romish religion admonishing them to returne to their olde byace Maister Caluin aunswered him and iustified as he thought meete their proceedinges therein to their very good contentment Also where some that of his owne friends had greatly laboured to discredite the ministers of that cittie which were lefte to the griefe of the magistrates endeuoured to haue brought them vtterly into contempt for executing their ministerie without the pretended Discipline c. Maister Caluin staied that course by writing vnto them that he doubted not but that their ministers deliuered vnto them the chiefe heads of Christian religion which were necessary to saluation and that also they ioyned thereunto the right vse of the Sacramentes And then saith he where those two pointes are performed illic substantia ministery viget there is the substance of the ministerie and a lawfull honour and obedience is to be giuen to that Ministery Lastly the mutinie mentioned which was about refusall to communicate with vnleauened bread he likewise appeased by perswading the authours of it that it was a matter of indifferencie for the which they ought not to disquiet the peace of the Church By which occasions together with the former sutes mentioned the Citie as I iudge hauing conceaued a better opinion of maister Caluin then they had before and supposing that if he came againe amongst them he would vse a great deale more mildnesse and moderation in his proceedinges then hee had earst done they were at the last contented after two yeares bannishment and more to recall him vnto them vz in the yeare 1541. Whilest his friendes were labouring for him as you haue heard he himselfe perceiuing that hee shoulde returne thither was still harping to his friendes vppon this string how he might haue the Citie so bound to the forme of Discipline which he had in his head as that afterwardes they might not when they list start from it And therefore as soone as he was come thither hee imployed his studie that way especially At the first offering of his paines to the Senate he told him that the Church there could not possibly continue except there were same certaine forme of Church gouernement established Whereupon the Senate ordered at his request that he and fiue other of the Ministers should conferre together about such a forme as they thought meet and that hauing so done they should offer the same to the consideration of the said Senate Here then you shall see the strength of maister Caluins wit He wisely saw that notwithstanding the Bishops ecclesiasticall authoritie had been vtterly disgraced and was thereupon reiected as being forsooth Popish and tyrannicall yet it was not good for the Church that the ministers should bate the citie one ace of an ecclesiasticall authoritie aequiualent at the least to that which their Bishops formerly had enioyed amongest them Howbeit he well perceiued withall that for the bringing of this matter about there must be verie good pollicie and circumspection vsed or else that it would be a thing impossible to bring a people hauing gotten their libertie into the like or a worse seruitude then they were in before His plot therefore as I take it was as followeth He laboured to perswade the people and the Magistrates that as there was a ciuile Senate for the gouernement of the Citie and the territories thereof in ciuile causes so by the word of God there should be an ecclesiasticall Senate for the gouernment of the same Citie and territories conteining aboue twentie parishes in causes ecclesiasticall And to this purpose he wanted not I warrant you very many probable reasons The persons that should beare authoritie in this Senate I nothing doubt but that he could haue been very well contented they should haue been all of them ministers euen as the ciuile gouernment did then wholly consist of ciuile persons But by reason of the great authoritie that the preachers had before intituled the ciuile magistrates vnto for the bannishment of their Bishop for their dealing in Church causes wherewithall they were in some sorte possessed hee very wisely considered with Farellus and Viretus that if they tooke that course
they should finde vnresistable opposition And therefore they deuised a way which if they could obtaine should bee in effect all one as if they had been all Ministers and yet shoulde carrie such an outward shewe as though there had been no such matter intended And their deuise was that their ecclesiasticall Senate should consist of twelue Citizens to be chosen yearely not out of the baser sort of the people but out of the ciuile councels of the Citie all of them to be states men and but of sixe Ministers who were to continue for their liues except there fell out some occasion to remoue them With this inuention after many perswasions vsed both publickly in the pulpit and priuately vppon euery occasion the Cittizens at length were contented They sawe there should bee twelue of them continually as any matters should fall out to sixe ministers which was oddes inough They imagined that notwithstanding they yealded to such a platforme for the satisfiyng of their Ministers importunitie when they sawe that needes they would be some body amongest them yet they should in effect keepe the raines still in their owne handes and be able to curbe them at their pleasure Vpon these and what other such like considerations I knowe not but after maister Caluins very great paines taken about that matter insomuch as hee was therewith all almost oppressed the Cittie at the length was induced to admit of their platforme with the lawes and prerogatiues thereunto appertaining And this was the first time for ought I finde that the pretended consistorian Discipline euer drew breath Maister Caluin hauing thus as you haue seene preuailed in this attempt it was not long after but that the wiser sort of the Citie perceiued their owne ouersight For vnder pretence of ecclesiasticall causes there was nothing done in the Citie which this newe Senate misliked but by one meanes or other they drewe it vnto their cognizance They would say that this and that was an offence to the godly and then forthwith it was a cause for the Consistorie Besides the maner of their proceedings in such causes as were brought before them was altogether misliked They endeuoured by all their deuises to winne the people vnto them If any of the Magistrates fell into their handes especially if they had no good opinion of them they were sure to pay for it A very rigorous course was held with certaine of the chiefe of that Citie about their dauncinges vpon a certaine time priuately in one of their friendes houses as you may read in the 26. chapter following And their especiall drift therein besides their affectionate dealing vpon a quarrell towardes one of them was as I take it to curry fauour with the multitude Oh saith Caluin writing how like men both he and his associates had proceeded in this dauncing matter exemplum valde proderit c. the example will do much good For now it is alreadie a common saying amongest the people nullam esse spem impunitatis cum primarijs non parcatur that there is no hope of impunitie seeing the chiefe men of the Citie are not spared But you will say howe came it to passe that the twelue Elders all of them states-men would suffer such things to be done in that Senate as should breede such discontentment amongest the Citizens You may remember that I tolde you howe maister Caluin in this matter shewed his great wit and ouerreached the Citizens notably He was not ignorant how easy a matter it would proue for him and his fellow ministers to ouer-rule twelue simple men all of them vnlearned as being either apronmen artizans or marchantes But his chiefest reach was that he knewe these twelue graund gouernours woulde certainely remember that their office was but annuall and that if they opposed themselues against their ministers being theyr superiours in office and whose authoritie was still to continue they might afterwardes peraduenture be caused to repent it And in deede according to his good foresight so it came to passe which encreased the cittizens generall discontentement and dislike of that manner of Church-gouernement Besides an other thinge there was that especially grieued them and disclosed their want of prouidence They saw their cittizens of that Senate not onely ouer-ruled by the said six ministers but likewise all the ministers so ouertopped by Maister Caluin as that in effect he was Domine fac totum tooke vpon him to doe all in all Wherevpon there were some that beganne to feare least as I suppose Maister Caluin sought by his cunning to bring them againe to the gouernement of one which they alltogether detested Thus he himselfe reporteth in effect of this matter vz. that there was a supplication found which was meant to haue beene exhibited to the people at their most generall assembly wherein these two propositions were contayned Nihil esse legibus vindicandum nisi quod rempub laederet that nothing was to be punished by lawe but that which did hurt the common wealth And the other periculum esse ne dum haec vrbs vnius hominis melancholici cerebro obtemperat excitata seditione perdat mille ciues that there was daunger least whilest the cittie obeyed the brayne of one melancholy man vppon some rebellion raysed it might ouerthrowe a thousand cittizens But it will be said that Maister Caluin reporteth this as a slaunder I confesse he doth so And yet for my part this I belieue was true that in effect he ruled there in that Senate as peremptorily as euer the Byshop of that cittie did before him by vertue of his ecclesiasticall authoritie And I am led to iudge so by his owne wordes For in the time of his banishment when he was vrged by sundry ministers to admit of equall conditions and to returne to Geneua for the good of that Church hee aunswered them partly thus Ad tantam multitudinem regendam qui sufficerem how should I be able to rule such a multitude Againe desuetudine oblitus sum artis regendi multitudinem through want of practise I haue forgotten the art of ruling a multitude And to Viretus speaking of his going to Geneua Cerno quam arduum sit munus ecclesiasticum regere I perceiue howe hard a matter it is to mauage an ecclesiasticall function Againe I am nescio quid factum sit vt animo incipiam esse inclinatiore ad capessenda eius gubernacula I know not how it now commeth to passe that I am of a more inclininge minde to take the gouernment of that Church vpon me What doe all these speaches meane I pray you but that notwithstanding his pretence of assistantes yet hee meant so to lay his plot as that they should all be constrayned all the sort of them to daunce after his pipe But howsoeuer these thinges may be interpreted this is most apparant that as I sayd such were the Consistorian proceedinges as that both he and his Consistory did grow into
will improoue the vse of it where it is He also goeth further and protesteth that whilest he sustaineth the person that then he did meaning belike whilest he should be the chiefe pastor at Geneua hee would striue to the death for that forme of Discipline But yet toward the end he tempereth all againe in some sorte For else it had been a ridiculous matter to haue referred their doubtes to those Cities and withall to haue signified vnto them that thus and thus we are resolued and if you shall iudge otherwise we care not for your iudgements for we will surely sticke to our owne He therefore thus qualifieth this point saying nec morositate nostra fiet vt loco potius cedamus quam sententia we will not bee so wilfull as that wee minde rather to leaue our places then our opinions Meaning as I take it that seeing they had put their cause into their hands they would be content to stand to their directions You do looke I am sure to know to what purpose maister Caluin vsed all this Rhetoricke and what the matter was which hee desired at their handes He himselfe shall tell you as he told maister Bullinger Breuis summa est c. The summe thereof briefly is this that your honourable Senate may giue this aunswere vz that the forme of our Discipline which heretofore we haue followed is consentanea verbo dei agreeable to the word of God deinde nouitatem improbet and then let them reproue the newsanglenesse of our Citizens Indeed if he can get that aunswere it is to the matter and of likelyhood will serue his turne But what do the magistrates of Geneua all this while you will say Surely I tolde you before As soone as they could they writ and sent their letters to the said foure Cities Of those that came to Zuricke maister Bullinger writeth that they were but short and so I thinke we may iudge of the rest The effect of which letters was vz that they of those Cities would resolue them 1. How excommunication was to be vsed by the worde of God 2. Whether it might not be vsed by some other meanes then by a consistorie 3. What the practise of their Churches was in that point Vppon the receite of these letters euen as maister Caluin foresaw it would come to passe there were appointed in Zuricke foure the Consull and three Senators to consult with three of their learned Ministers what aunswere was meet to be giuen to the said three questions If the magistrates of Geneua had met with as good an orator as M. Caluin was that would haue layd open the qualities and proceedings of the Consistorian faction how they intermedled in all the common affayres of the citty how they vsed to keepe men from the Communion without yeelding any other reason why they do so but because soome of the godly bretheren forsooth were offended with them how if a man haue committed any offence for the which hee is punished and professeth his harty repentance for the same yet they will keepe him from the Communion vntill it please them to say that he is penitent inough which they doe as they affect the party If in their letters they had infourmed how vpon any light displeasure or rash information their wiues their children and seruauntes were called into the Disciplinarian Consistory a place for criminall persons so as thereby they were infamed how they affected popularity wholy which might endaunger the Magistrates of the Citty vppon any displeasure conceiued against them how they of the citty had beene compassed in the framinge of the platforme of the Consistory how although there was a pretence of a Senate yet one man did all and the rest were but attendants of his pleasure how by experience they found that theyr Bishop did neuer tyrannise more ouer them by his spiritual iurisdiction then now some one man did how the autority which had bene taught to belonge vnto them beeing ciuile Magistrates was wholy taken from them againe nothinge lefte vnto them but to bee the executioners of their Consistoriall mens pleasures If they had foresene how likely it was that M. Caluin would seeke to discredite them all to his vttermost had therfore signifyed vnto the Magistrates of these foure citties that there were as honest religious men in the Cittie of Geneua that misliked that forme of Church-gouernment as there were that spake for it that if in their letters they depraued any their euill wordes ought not to preiudice the cause committed vnto them for that it is their custome to slaunder all those that do impugne them that they for their partes the magistrates of that Cittie rested all of them as fully resolued to continue the preaching of the Gospel amongst thē as euer they were glad at the first to procure admit it If they had giuen some round intimation that they the cittizens were resolued to haue their Church reformed according to some of the platformes of the Heluetian Churches and that they would no longer endure to be so ouer-looked and hampered in their owne free Cittie by such a pragmaticall and intermedlinge Discipline If I say their letters had beene penned after this or some such like sort as I suppose there was good cause the proceedings of that Consistory being such at that time as since they haue beene in other places I doubt not but that the ministers of those citties would haue aduised their magistrates to haue giuen an other kinde of aunswere then they did For they the saide ministers belieuing Maister Caluins information that all was true which he had reported vnto them and considering what a small matter it was which hee and the rest of his associates required at their handes that the satisfying of them therein might breake the backs of such a wicked conspiracy as was pretended to haue beene made euen against Christ himselfe and his Church and not onely preuente that mischiefe for that time but procure the establishinge of the Gospell there for time to come hereafter they dealt no otherwise for the sayde aunswere then I am perswaded all the Bishops that now are in England if then they had liued woulde haue done in the like case And that was in effect as Maister Caluin wished sauing that whereas he woulde haue had them to haue sayde that the forme of the Geneua discipline was consentanea verbo dei agreable to the worde of God they refused to write in that sorte but were content to say that it did accedere ad verbi dei praescriptum that is that it drewe towardes the prescript of gods worde or looked that way But you shall heare Maister Bullinger himselfe report the aunswere of their Senate which was that they were grieued theyr Church was so troubled as that one quarrell and contention did begette another that they had lately heard of the consistoriall lawes of that Church for Caluin had sent such of them as he thought good
this side of the seas amongst vs. If Maister Caluin but especially maister Beza could haue been content to haue contained themselues within the limites either of Geneua or Fraunce to haue intermedled raigned there only and to haue vrged their platforme and deuise no further they might the better for vs in England haue been borne withall But nowe seeing they haue not so done who can be offended that I should make mention of it to the end that if they dealt amisse therein theyr examples and proceedinges might haue the estimation which indeed they deserue I omit how in K. Edwards time certaine malecontents grew vp in the Church of England because sundry matters might not bee ordered as they were at Geneua maister Caluin hauing written sundry letters into England to some suche like effect In Queene Maries time assoone as certaine of our Countreymen were come to Franckforde they were assaulted with the orders of Geneua Quarrels arising about the communion booke and forme of the seruice of England in Kinge Edwardes time there were particulars collected out of it by Knox Whittingham and such as had already tasted of that intoxication and sent to Geneua to bee censured by M. Caluin Who vpon the receit of them returned his answere concerning the sayde Booke compiled confirmed before by such men and such an authorititie as he ought to haue reuerenced In Anglicana Liturgia qualem describitis multas video fuisse tolerabiles ineptias I see that in the English forme of seruice as you describe it there were many tollerable foolleries When Knox and Whittingham had gotten this letter they published it to the Congregation Which being read it so wrought in the heartes of many sayth the discourser of the troubles at Franckford that they were not before so stoute to maintaine all the partes of the Booke of England as afterwardes they were bent against it If you haue Caluins Booke of Epistles I pray you reade it Although Beza thought it meete to be published in print yet shall you finde it to containe no one point of substance in it able to perswade a childe So as thereby you may iudge of their giddinesse who were moued so greatly with it When some of the sayd parties Whittingham diuerse others of a more violent humor came first to Franckford they fel also presently into a very especiall liking of the Geneua discipline as finding it to containe such rules and practices as did greatly concurre with their owne disposions In England poperie was restored and much crueltie vsed whereby they were constrained for the sauing of their liues to leaue their Countrye their liuings and theyr friendes In which case a man may easily gesse how acceptable these pointes were vnto some kinde of humors vz. that if Bishops and Princes refused to admit of the Gospell they might be vsed by their subiects as the Bishop of Geneua was vsed that is deposed and that euerie particular minister with his assistants according to the platforme of that discipline was himselfe a Bishop and had as great authoritie within his owne parish as any Bishop in the world might lawfully challenge euen to the excommunicating of the best aswell the Prince as the Pesaunt And indeede accordingly these positions as afterward it will appere were so pleasing to Whittingham and his consortes as it had beene a very meane forme of discipline I suppose that hauing such principles annexed vnto it wold at that time haue beene refused by them Howbeit many there were and that of the learnedest of those that then departed the Realme as Doct. Cox Doct. Horne M. Iewell with sundrie others who perceauing the trickes of that discipline did vtterly dislike it So as when they came afterwardes to Franckford they wholy insisted vppon the platforme of England and in short time obtayning of the Magistrates the vse thereof they did chose either D. Cox or D. Horne as I gesse or some such other as had beene of especiall account in K. Edwards time to be as it were their Superintendent For the bringing of which matter to passe one maister Clanbourge a chiefe magistrate in that Citie hauing shewed them some especiall fauour complaint was made thereof as it seemeth to M. Caluin Whereupon the sayde M. Clanbourg did write to him as it should appeare that he was induced to yeald to such a choyse the rather because the sayd Superintendent had some such like superior place in England before he came thither Vnto the which point maister Caluin that he might thrust his oare into euerye mans boat to disgrace the sayd platforme of England as much as lay in him and to incourage the factious company at Franckforde that were besotted with his pretended discipline did returne this answere If Beza hath set out his letter truely I would one point had beene omitted which was suggested vnto you I doubt not by that one partie I thinke he meaneth the sayd superintendent For otherwise it would neuer haue come into your cogitation as though he had still kept his whole estate in England to haue established his former ministerie there with you in a perpetuall possession of the authoritie therof Peraduenture there is nothinge that from the beginninge his meaninge is since the Englishemen came thither hath stired vp more contention or at the leaste displeasure so hath kindled strife then this emulation in that the greater part did thinke themselues to be thrust from their equall degree and to bee contumeliously excluded from the common societie if the Church which had receaued intertainment with you meaning the companie that had receiued his forme of discipline before the saide learned men came to Franckford should receaue their lawes from the other parte or side Within some short time after this that the sayd order of the English Church was established as you haue hard at Franckford diuerse of those men who had beene earnest for the Geneuian discipline deuided themselues from that Church as Whittingham Gilby Goodman and others and went to Geneua Where to the great discredit of the estate of the Church of England in Kinge Edwardes time to the greate griefe of such godly men and afterwardes worthy Martirs as remayned here in Queene Maries time in England and to the greate discouragement of sundry weake professors then also in England they reiected the whole forme of our English reformation the booke of common praier our seruice the order of our sacramentes and of all thinges els in effect there prescribed and conformed themselues altogether to the fashions of the Church at Geneua Where they had not beene longe when they had sucked and disgested the whole doctrine before mentioned to be as the appendants necessarily annexed to that forme of newe discipline and which was afterwardes enlarged by Beza as I take it Hotoman others of the disciplinarian humor in their bookes intituled De iure magistratuum c. Vindicia contra tirannos Franco-gallia c. The generall summe
long they account it since it was in any good reparation saith plainely not as Cartwright affirmeth that it flourished most in Constantines time but thus we must needs confesse in deede that this gouernement of the Church fell to decaye long before the Councell of Nice But yet one step further after maister Cartwrights dubling where speaking in his second booke of the corruption as he tearmeth it that one Bishop had a preheminēce giuen him aboue other ministers which he cannot deny to haue been an ordinance in Alexandria from Saint Marks time c. he saith from the first day wherein this deuise was established corruption grew in the Church c. And the first resistance by any setled Church against that corruption was by those that abolished that deuise of man and receaued the order in the Apostles times touchinge the equality of Ministers as the Bohemians Merindols the Churches in Germany and Geneua See what carieers are here From Geneua to the Apostles times and thence backe againe to Geneua at a leape From Saint Markes time till the time here limited the pretended Presbitery with all the complements thereof as nowe it is vrged hath lyen alla-mort No one setled Church that is in Cartwrightes language no one particular parish in all the world for a 1500. yeares did euer account it vnlawfull for a Bishop to haue authority aboue other Ministers Or thus there hath not bin vpō the face of the earth within the space of a thou sand fiue hundred yeares so much as in any one parish such an equality amongest the Ministers of the worde of God as is now pretended to be in the Presbitery at Geneua and so consequently in all that tyme not suche a Presbitery Or thus within the compasse of the Heauens there hath not beene one Church for aboue 1500 yeares that euer dealt so with Bishops as of late they haue beene dealt withall especially in Geneua and in some other such places as haue followed therein the example of that Citty Well hitherto then you see that since we came from Geneua vz the yeare 1541. the men themselues that talke so much of their Geneua platforme cannot finde it flourishing in the daies of all the auncient fathers nor in all the world for the space of aboue 1500. yeares The fathers alas some of them were but simple men some were ambitious and some were ignoraunt They poore men had small experience and lesse pollicie They wanted iudgement and zeale either to discerne or to keepe in her virginitie this gallaunt Dalila They chopped and chaunged the institution of Christ at their pleasure Any examples that shall be fet from them are very dangerous They were but men But if you will leape ouer all them and come to Geneua there you shall finde wise men learned men humble men zealous men nay rather Angelles then men there you shall see the glorious rankes of Elders sitting vppon their thrones the worshipfull company of Deacons attending vpon the contributions the well Disciplined multitude bringing in the price of their lands and goods and powring all downe at the Deacons feete there Christ carrieth hys owne scepter in Bezaes hand there this pretended holy Discipline so disgraced by the fathers so corrupted and so defaced there she raigneth there shee flourisheth and there she is magnified The Church of Geneua saith a good fellow is the purest reformed Church forsooth in Christendome Againe Geneua is the chiefest place of true comfort in Earth Now what is here said of Geneua and her Ministers except you extend it to all other Churches and Ministers that follow the Geneua platforme they will be angry with you and thinke themselues as I suppose to be very greatly disgraced But I will leaue them clawing one of another and come to the Apostles times to see if the Geneua Church-gouernment may be found out amongest them For either there or no where The Apostle Saint Iohn liued much longer then any of the rest of the Apostles did Saint Ierome saith that he liued after Christes passion threescore eight yeares So as the Apostles times after the largest accompt are not further to be extended Now as Baronius collecteth out of Eusebius Saint Marke was Bishop of Alexandria about 19. yeares and died about the thirtith yeare after Christes ascention So as Saint Iohn out-liued Saint Marke some 38. yeares After this reckoning if the Church of Alexandria should haue departed from Christes institution and so cleane haue disgraced the glory of this fained Eldership when there was a Bishop made there according to Cartwrightes assertion then before wee can finde the Geneua platforme in such perfection as it is in that Citie we must cut of the said 19. yeares wherein Saint Marke had departed so grossely from Christes ordinance from the before mentioned 68. yeares the full extent of the apostles time which being done you haue but eleuen yeares wherein there is any hope for the pretended puritie and practise of the Geneua Discipline to shadow or shrowd her selfe Yea but where Saint Ierome saith that there were Bishops in Alexandria from Saint Markes time c. Cartwright hath this shift vz that the wordes from Saint Marks time may be taken exclusiuely to shut out Saint Marke Whereby to saue Saint Markes credite that an Euangelist should not be thought to haue broken the necke of Christes gouernement he woulde haue this great defection to haue been presently after Saint Markes time and so hee excludeth Saint Marke after the Geneua fashion quite and cleane out of his Bishopricke and will needes suppose that hee was neuer Bishop contrary to Saint Ieromes expresse wordes in sondrie places and contrarie to the full consent and agreement of all the auncient fathers and of all the ecclesiasticall histories But be it as hee would haue it yet let the reckoning be newly cast vp againe and it falleth out that this supposed departing from Christes institution was about thirtie and eight yeares before S. Iohn died Which standeth hardly with the reputation of the Apostles times in my opinion But that is no great matter We know saith the authour of the foresaide booke that was sent vs from Scotland Diotrephes to haue been in the Church euen in the Apostles times and we are assured he could neuer be gotten out of it since the first houre that he set his footing therein And therefore we cannot greatly maruaile though euen in their time there had been a diuerse gouernment from this of the Lordes appointment which we labour for For euen in the Apostles times the mistery of iniquitte beganne to worke And what will they say of Saint Iohn the Apostle and of all the rest of them that out-liued Saint Marke as they haue done of all the auncient fathers was there so small intelligence amongst those most prouident and wise holy men that there could be so notorious a defection in Alexandria so famous a Citie and they neuer to heare of it Or
Geneua at the least that of all likelyhood as diuers housholdes by his owne rule do concurre together to make one conuenient parish So diuerse parishes in one citie suburbes and territorie thereof may be vnited and rightlye beare the name of the church Except wee shall thinke that Christ referring as they suppose his Apostles to the imitation of the Iewes church gouernment they were so negligent workemen as there being at that time 400. Synagogues in that one citie they had erected in all their times but one congregation christian church or parish answerable to one Synagoge it being lawfull for them by the square of that platforme to haue erected if they had could 400. But let this passe as a thing impertinent and to returne to the maimed pining Parishes at Geneua You will say did not Cartwright know the ecclesiasticall gouernment of that citie when he writ his bookes or shall we once conceaue that he thought to condemne that regiment which in other places hee doth so greatly extoll certainly for mine owne part although I do not greatly respect what he will saie that hee either knoweth or thinketh yet I suppose he will neuer for shame denie it but that he misliketh that forme of church regiment For first besides the premises being vrged with Caluins authoritie who thought the church of Geneua with all her sayde Parishes to make but one body of a church his answere to that point in effect is this Admit Caluin so thought I am of opinion that if Caluin had not soe thought hee would neuer haue erected vp such an Eldership And if Beza did not thinke so still I iudge hee would alter it Secondly also vppon another occasion he resembleth the order of certaine reformed churches which in this sence must be necessarily either of Scotland Flaunders or Geneua vnto the custome in S. Ieromes time when Bishops besides their one onely church had certaine other congregations belonging to their ouersight c. and in mislike thereof sayth for parte of his answere to this pointe being pressed by his aduersary against him I appeale to the institution of God and vse of the purer times after the Apostles But amongst other qualifications which he maketh least we should thinke that where such reformations are made as haue diuers parishes belonging to one Eldership there the old Diocesse and Bishops are in effect not abrogated but a little altered he sayth that one in such Eldership is aboue the rest but for a time as Caluin was chosen thereunto euery two yeares and not during his ministerie Which authority ouer many parishes but for a time although he will not plainly condemne it in the reformed churches which hee fauoreth yet speaking against the order of the church of England both he his companions doe make it a steppe whereby Sathan did aduaunce the kingdome of Antichrist Lastly as hitherto you haue found M. Cartwright with his friendes opposite in this matter vnto Geneua and Scotland differing also much from the churches in the Low countries so he seemeth to mee to crosse himselfe For in his second booke hee sayth that particular churches are nowe in steed of Synagogues and that their Synagogues were the same that our particular churches are And in his third booke he writeth thus For my part I confesse that there commeth not to my minde whereby I could precislie conclude out of the olde testament that there was an eldershippe amongst the Iewes in euery of their Synagogues If that can not then be shewed out of Moses who was so faythfull in setting downe all that was committed to his charge and that Christ commaunded no new thing but such as Moses instituted how hath hee vrged so mightely that we must haue his Elderships in euery Parish We shall see peraduenture that in shorte time M. Cartwright will giue ouer this holde and betake himselfe to the citie consistories framing new Diocesses to bee subiect vnto them as in other countries you haue heard they are Well I would wishe that before their Elderships were graunted vnto them they should agree together where they ought to place them But nowe to the seuerall partes of euery Eldership CHAP. 8. Of Bishops generally of the pretended equalitie of Pastors or new parish Bishops and how the chiefe impugners of Bishops beginne to relent IN the olde testament the high Priest besides that he was a figure of Christ had also vnder Moses Iosua the Iudges and Kinges for the better ordering and gouernment of the church authoritie and iurisdiction ecclesiasticall within that countrie of Canaan vnder whom for the same purpose were other Priests at least 24. that were called Principes Sacerdotum Princes of the Priestes all of them inferior to the high Priest but superior to the rest In the new testament our Sauiour Christ whilst hee liued on the earth had his Apostles and in degree vnder them his 70. Disciples After his ascentiō the same inequality of the ministery of the word continued in the Church by all mens confession as long at the least as the Apostles liued In the Apostles times Saint Marke was Bishop of Alexandria Saint Iames was Bishop of Ierusalem Timothy was Bishop of Ephesus and Titus was Bishop of Crete if the ancient fathers and Ecclesiastical histories be of any credite The Apostles hauing receaued the promise of the holy Ghost after a short time dispersed themselues by aduise into diuerse regions And there by painefull preaching and labouring in the Lords haruest they planted no doubt very many Churches As the number of Christians grew and had their particular assemblies and meetings in many Cities and countries within euery one of their circuites they placed pastors in euery congregation they ordained certaine Apostolicall men to bee chiefe assisters vnto them whom they placed some one in this particular countrey another in that and some others in sondry Cities to haue the rule and ouersight vnder them of the Churches there and to redresse and supply such wantes as were needefull And they themselues after a while and as they grewe in age and escaped the crueltie of tyrantes remained for the most part in some head Citty within their compasse to ouersee them all both Churches Pastors and Bishops or Superintendents and to giue their directions as occasions required and as they thought it conuenient When any either of these Apostolicall assistantes or of the Apostles themselues dyed there were euer some worthy men chosen and appointed to succeede them in those Cities and Countries where they had remained For wee may not idlely dreame that when they dyed the authoritie which was giuen vnto them ceased no more then we may that the authoritie of Aaron of his naturall sons expired and ended with them Besides it is manifest by all Ecclesiasticall hystories that many Churches were planted after theyr deathes And furthermore it coulde not be but that some Churches especially vnder those Apostles that were soonest put to
appeare what minde and iudgement Caluin still carried concerning Bishops so as they would admit the reformation of Religion contrary to Cartwrights shameles assertion that Caluin would haue shakē at the name of an Archbishop and haue trembled at the office of a Bishop For in the articles agreede vppon at that time by the saide learned men Caluin being amongest them for a reconciliation in the behalfe of the Protestants thus they declared theyr iudgements of this matter Vt omnia ordine fierent in Ecclesia c. That all things might be done orderly in the Church according to S. Pauls rule c. For the auiding of Schismes there was a profitable ordination that a Bishop should be chosen out of many Priests who should rule the Church by teaching the Gospel and by retaining the Discipline qui praeesset ipsis Presbyteris and who should gouerne the Priestes themselues Afterward also there were degrees made of Archbishops aboue them of Patriarches c. These ordinations if those that gouerne do theyr duty as preach ouersee the doctrine and manners of their Churches correct errors and vice practise Ecclesiasticall censures c. are profitable to preserue the vnity of the Church And againe in their additions to the sayde Articles As concerning ordination we especially approoue the auncient custome of the Church that those that are to be ordained should first bee tried instructed and vppon the publicke testimony of some godly and learned men c. admitted into the Ministery This difficult and necessary charge for the Church it is to bee wished reformatiō being made that the Bishops would take vpon them And we heare that our learned men haue expressely so yeelded ordination vnto those Bishops si praecedat reformatio if first there may be a reformation Likewise also in another treatise that was then made by Maister Bucer with the aduise of the said learned men and offered to the Emperour it is thus written Annitendum est c. We must indeuour that that forme and distribution of Ecclesiasticall gouernement which the Cannons doe prescribe to Bishops and Metropolitanes be restored and kept And after in the same Treatise Concerning names and titles and all those things wherewithall that externall power and dignity ought to be adorned and established and the lawfull obedience of such as be vnder them confirmed it will easily be agreed vpon Much more passed in those Colloquies and treatises to this purpose Caluin himselfe as it hath beene sayd being then present and in company whith those learned men And the reasons that moued them so to offer agree and protest at that time in this behalfe I thinke besides the former reasons mentioned were these and such like which Bucer a principall man then amongest them hath else-where sette down When speaking of Bishops and Metropolitanes and of their authoritye ouer the Churches and ministers within their Dioces and Prouinces hee saith thus Hoc consentiebat legi Christs fiebatque ex iure corporis Christi This was agreeable to the law of Christ and was done by the authority of the body of Christ. And in another place I am ex perpetua c. Now by the perpetuall obsexuation of all Churches euen from the Apostles times we doe see that it seemed good to the holy Ghost that amongest Priests to whom the procuration of Churches was chiefly cōmitted there should be one that should haue the care or charge of diuerse Churches and the whole Ministery committed vnto him and by reason of that charge he was aboue the rest and therfore the name of Bishop was attributed peculiarly vnto these chief rulers of Churches Nay he goeth further and sayth that in the Apostles times one of the Priests or Pastors was chosen and ordained to be the Captaine and Prelate ouer the rest who went before the rest and had the cure of Soules and the administration of the Episcopall office especially in the highest degree And this he proueth by the example of S. Iames Act 15. after concludeth in this sort The like ordination hath beene perpetually obserued in other Churches likewise as farre as we may learne out of all the Ecclesiasticall histories and the most auncient Fathers as Tertullian Cyprian Irenaeus Eusebius and others Hereby then it may appear vnto you what was thought of Bishops of their authority by the learned men of those times who sought as narrowly into that calling what was lawfull and what was vnlawfull and were aswell able to iudge thereof I may speake it I trust without offence as either Carwright or all his complices There were some busie bodies indeede a little before or about the time of the Colloquies mētioned who were very angry with the sayd learned men especially with Melanchthon for yeelding so much concerning Bishops Of whom he himselfe writeth in this sort Hoc malè habet scilicet quosdam immoderatiores c. This forsooth doth anger some immoder at men that the iurisdiction and pollicy Ecclesiastical is restored interpreting the same to be the restitution of the Romish souerainty And thus also to Luther you do not belieue into what hatred I am growen with them of Noricum and with certain others for the restitution of iurisdiction vnto Bishops Ita de regno suo non de Euangelio dimicant socij nostri Our fellowes doe so fight for their own kingdome and not for the Gospell Camerarius to the same purpose in like maner maketh this report Audiui quosdā c. I haue heard some accuse Phillip in that respect inhumanissimè most barbarously when one of them said that if he had beene hired with a great summe of money by the Romane faction to haue defended their state he could not in his opinion haue dealt more effectually for them then he did in maintaining of Bishops and that Phillip was not to be accounted a Patrone of his owne part but of his aduersaries and that a chiefe and a singular Patrone c. These things diuers other more slanderous they vttered without shame quorum magnopere postea paenituit puduit plaerosque Whereof many afterwards repented and were ashamed of them But notwithstanding all these and such like slaunderous hare-braines the grauer sort the best learned the godliest and the wisest men amongest the Protestants that then liued did follow and proceede as Phillip had begun euen accordingly as before I haue mentioned And since that time for any thing I can find to the contrary although the bishops still cleauing to the Pope and opposing themselues against all kinde of reformation further then it pleased them were thereupon euen of necessitie reiected as before I haue signified yet as soone as the saide learned men grewe to be able to establish their churches in any reasonable maner they ordained amongest themselues the very same offices in effect throughout the most of the reformed Churches in Germanie chaunging onely the old Greeke names as
Zanchius reporteth of Archbishops and Bishops into new and worse Latine names of superintendentes and generall superintendentes Erneste the Duke of Brunswick presently after the assembly of Augusta procured Vrbanus Regius to go home with him ecclesiarum in toto Ducatu Episcoparum ipsius gubernationi permisit and coÌ„mitted vnto his gouernment the Bishopricke or superintendencie of all the Churches within his Dukedome One Sydonius being thrust as it seemeth from the Bishopricke of Mersenburge as cleauing wholly to Popery was afterwardes vppon his leauing of the Pope and vpon promise made to maintaine the reformation of religion made in his absence restored to his bishopricke And after him succeeded as I take it in that bishopricke George the Prince Anhalt before mentioned being chosen thereunto as hee saith himselfe vniuerso capitali consensu by the consent of the whole chapter He had been brought vp in learning and was at the time of the saide election a Priest or Cannon in the Cathedrall Church of Mersenburge Of whom being bishop Henricus Stenius saith règebat ecclesias in Mersenburgensi diocaesi hee ruled the Churches in the dioces of Mersenburge And againe praesuit ecclesijs vniuersae ditionis Mysorum he gouerned the Churches of all the dominion of Mysya Agreeable aswell to these examples as to the saying of Zanchius before specified is that which Ia Haerbrandus a verie learned man and in his time Diuinitie reader of Tubinge writeth in his common places Debent gradus esse c. There ought to be degrees amongest Ministers c. as with vs in the Duchy of Wirtenberge there are subdeacons Deacons Pastors special superintendentes and ouer them generall superintendentes And in another place the same Haerbrand shewing his iudgement generally Saluberrimum esset c. It were a most profitable order for the welfare of the Church if euery particular prouince had her Bishoppes and the Bishops their Archbishop And Iacobus Andreas hee is muche of the same opinion as certaine Ministers of Heidelberge doe reporte vz where hee saith that it is a difficult matter to defend the peaceable estate of Churches except there be some chiefe ruler and Byshop amongest them to whome rerum summa deferatur the full ordering of matters may be referred To this purpose in like sorte Osiander writeth euen as though he had spoken of the Church of England Although in the Primitiue church when she flourished with myracles there were diuers degrees and orders of Ministers some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelistes and some Pastors and Doctors yet as now the state of the Church is the Ministers may be deuided into three orders or degrees vz Deacons Pastors and Superintendentes c. To the Pastors particular Churches are committed Nec dubitatur c. and it is not doubted but that euery one of them may rule the Church committed vnto him sine collegae concilio without the Councell of any fellow Those pastors we call superintendents who are so set ouer other pastors that they may visite the state of their Churches and punish both the Pastors and the people if any thing be done amisse or if any thing fall out that they cannot correct then they referre it vnto a higher court consisting of deuines and politick men who by the ciuile Magistrates authoritie or approbation doe amend such defects c. Hemingius also affirmeth that there are dispares dignitatis gradus in the ministery that partly by the law of Cod partly by the approbation of the Church that as Christ ascending into heauen gaue gifts vnto men Apostles Prophets Euangelists doctors and pastors so he gaue to the Church authoritie for edification that the Church by vertue of that power ordained ministers for her profite that the purer churches following the Apostles times ordained some Patriarchs some Bishops c. some Pastors and some Catechists c. That the reformed Churches haue their Bishops doctors Pastors and vnder them chaplains we call them curâ—tes as I thinke That the Churches in Denmarke doe acknowledge degrees of dignitie amongst Ministers that they iudge it meet that other Ministers should obey their Bishops in althings which tend to the edification of the church according to the word of God the profitable gouernment of the Church and that they iudge Bb s. to haue authoritie ouer other Ministers of the church ius non despoticum sed patrium Ieremia Hombergus a worthy man in the Churches of God about Styria Carinthia and Carniola but now remoued thence through the persecution which the Iesuits haue kindled in those parts affirmeth in his commoÌ„ places of diuinitie reuiewed allowed at Ratisbone with very direct termes that God himselfe hath appointed degrees of ministers in the church euen amongest those which haue a mediate calling vt concordia inter ministros coÌ„seruetur c. that concord amongst ministers might be preserued the workes of their ministery performed more easily and more decently And after he hath specified the common duties both of Bishops and ministers he setteth down those which he thinketh are peculiar to Bishops and to bee executed by them vz excommunication ordination and confirmation And with him agreeth the Diuinitie reader at Lauinge Phill. Haylbronner writing vpon the first Epistle of S. Paul to Timothy Where he sheweth that the Apostle appointed Timothy to be Bishop of Ephesus that accordingly there are and ought to be degrees and orders of ministers of the Church hauing described the common duties likewise of all ministers generally he saith thus Episcopus c. Besides the said common offices to Bishops was commended the publicke ouersight and gouernment so as it belonged to them to appoint fit ministers for the churches neere them also to heare the accusations and complaints which are made against the Pastors of theyr churches and to decide them c. Sic enim Paulus scribit Timotheo Ephesorum Episcopo for so Paul writeth to the Bishop of Ephesus lay thy hands rashly vppon no man and against a Priest admit not an accusation c. Of the same iudgement in like sort is Egidius Hunius the diuinitie professor at Marpurge in his commentarie vpon S. Pauls Epistle to Titus He affirmeth that the Apostle appointed Titus the generall superintendent for the gouernement ouer the Churches of that large and noble Iland of Crete that his dutie was to ordaine Pastors in euery parish and likewise to make Bishops that the Bishop or superintendent hath his dioces the Pastor his parishe or church as Paule commaunded Titus to place priestes in euery parish That thereby it appeareth God doth require that there should bee orders and degrees amongest Ministers vt alij praesint alij subsint that some may rule and some obey that this order is not newly deuised but receaued in the church from the Apostles times and that God himselfe made a distinction betweene Ministers and appointed degrees according to that hee gaue some Apostles
some Prophets some Euangelistes some Pastors and Doctors for the repayring of the Saintes for the worke and the Ministerie and for the edification of the body of Christ. And againe vppon these wordes A Bishop must be vnreproueable c. hee meeteth with the common obiection for the equalitie of Ministers because euery Minister is called a Bishope sometimes in the Scriptures and sayth that the word Bishoppe notwithstanding it be oftentimes vsed by S. Paule for euery pastor of the church of God who haue a kinde of ouersight ouer theyr seuerall charges and so may suo modo after a sort bee called Superintendents and Bishops c. yet heere it signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primarios illos ecclesiarum pastores c. Those chiefe pastors to whom the ouersight of the liues and manners of the other ministers is committed whom according to the force of the Greeke appellation we in these dayes do call Superintendents Hitherto then it appeareth as I take it what is both the practise of the reformed Churches in Germany and the iudgemēt also of the chiefe learned men there since Melanchthon Bucers times concerning Bishops or Superintendents with their preheminence charge and authoritie Some there are indeed beyond the seas who followinge the immoderate proude and slaunderous humor that Melanchthon Camerarius spake of before haue vttered their great mislike of the Germaine Superintendents and that with lesse modestie a great deale then doth well become them In reproofe of one of them Gerlachius a learned man of Tubing writeth in this sort Licet titulos ordinum c. Although thou beholdest with disdaine as it were from aboue the titles of orders after the fashion of hypocrites and of the Anabaptistes yet with a vaine perswasion of knowledge foolish arrogancye whereby thou contemnest our countrymen in respect of thy selfe and dost chalenge especiall knowledge to thee and thy fellowes onely Plus turges quà m omnes Doctores et Superintendentes nostri Thou swellest more with pride then all our Doctors and Superintendents And what commeth into thy minde that thou shouldest cauill at the degrees of ministers as though it were not lawfull to ordayne such degrees for the building and gouernment of the Church Did not God himselfe in the old Testament appoint a chiefe Bishop Priests and Leuits And in the new Testament gaue hee not some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists and some Pastors and Doctors Had not the primatiue church accordingly Bishops Priestes and Deacons And againe a little after in the same booke whilest thou a proude man girdest so often at the title of Superintendent I affirme that thou reprehendest the Apostle Paule himselfe who hath giuen this name to a distinct order of ministers of the church And our Auncestors following this Apostle haue thought it meete that for the edifying of the church and for orders sake there should be certaine Superintendentes that is ouerseers not onely of the flocke but of the nisters in like manner Thus farre Gerlachius who if hee were in England knewe into what an extremitie the like persons are growen vnto in the same case amongst vs It would peraduenture moue him For nowe there is no remedye with our ministers of that consorte but they must all bee equall They cannot endure it no the meanest of them to haue anye of their owne coate their Superior They are fallen into the contradiction of Chors and doe tell both Moyses and Aaron that they take to much vpon them All Pastores saye they are and ought to be of equall authoritie in their seuerall Parishes and no one to haue power ouer another Euery parish Priest with them must bee a Bishop and haue as full iurisdiction in his Parochiall dioces as it is lawful for any Bishop in the world either to haue or to execute For orders sake they are content that in their Classicall prouinciall or Nationall assemblies some one minister bee chosen from amongst thēselues to be the moderator for the propounding of matters gathering of voices c. But his office preheminence is to continew no longer then whilest those assemblies last Otherwise or for any further authoritie either of Bishops or Archbishops whether they haue abolished popery reformed religiō maintained the gospell abandoned superstitiō or whatsoeuer they haue done or yealded vnto they holde it altogether vnlawfull do raile against them all against their callings and against all that defend them and that with more then heathenish scurrilitie Cartwright is the chiefe man that began this course in Englande and you shall see howe pretily his schollers follow him Archbishops Bishops sayth he are new ministeries neuer ordayned by God The first step to this kind of Bishopricke beganne at Alexandria and not at Syon The name and office of an Archbishop is vnlawfull his function is of the earth and so can do no good but much harme in the church he is a knobbe or some lumpe of flesh which being no member of the body doth burthen it and disgrace it Whereupon foorth come his schollers crying out amaine that Archbishops Bishops are superfluous members of the body of Christ and that they mayme and deforme his body making it by that meanes a monster That they are vnlawfull false bastardly gouernors of the church That they are the ordinances of the Diuell That they are in respect of theyr places enemies of God that they are petye Popes pety Antichristes Bishops of the Diuell and incarnate Diuels that none euer defended this gouernmēt of our Bishops but Papists and such as were infected with Popish errours That the Lawes that mayntaine the Archbishops and Bishops are no more to bee accounted of then the Lawes that mayntaine Steves and that the true church of God ought to haue no more to do with them and their Synagogues then with the Synagogue of Sathan All which Consistorian and modest assertions aswell for the equalitie of Ministers as against the calling of Bishops being ioyned together are wholy opposite to all that which hitherto I haue writt̄e touching this matter Euen as though they should haue cast downe their gauntlets proclaymed an vtter defiance to all the Churches that euer were established in the world for much aboue three thousande yeares the Churches whilest the law continued the churches in Christs time the Churches in his Apostles times the Churches throughout all christendome for a thousand fiue hundred yeares against all the generall Councels all the auncient fathers all ecclesiasticall histories against al the chiefe reformers of religon in this latter age against all the learned mens iudgements before mentioned and against all the reformed churches whersoeuer in christ̄edome that eyther haue BB. or Superint̄edents God forgiue th̄e this great sin of pride presumption deliuer th̄e out of the number of those of wh̄o it is said that their mouthes speake proud things that they dispise gouernment that they
of vnitie which pretence deceaued the auncient fathers euen many of the best of them But least any man shoulde imagine that I doe Beza iniury in applyinge his wordes to the purpose for the which I bring them and that he writ not thus against such Bishops as did imbrace and maintaine the true religion which we all professe but against Popish Bishops Cartwright him-selfe wil cleare both me and Bezaes meaning For he a man of the same spirit hath brought both those places and vrged them for Bezaes iudgment against our Bishops nowe in England Beza saith he is so farre from allowing Archbishops that our kind of Bishops he calleth counterset Bishoppes reliques of Poperie such as will bring in Epicurisme and soe he proceedeth on with the rest of Bezaes wordes to Knox as before they are set downe But I shall not needed to labour much vpon this point Beza will himselfe vouch safe you shall see to deliuer his mind as plainly as one would wish In his treatise that he writ into Scotland about the yere 1579. of three sortes of Bishops mentioned in the third Chapter vz. the Bishops of God of man and of the deuill He writeth thus by no good direction I am sure of that ancient and the most godly Councell that euer was helde since the Apostles times vz. the honourable councell of Nice The Nicene Councell pretending ancient custome confirmed the patriarchship and made a way for the horrible papacy of Rome sliding on and vnderlaid the seate for the harlot that sitteth vpon seauen hils And afterward where M. Caluin spake as you haue heard of the forme of Church gouernment which was then concluded vppon that it differed not from that which God had prescribed Beza is bold if Field his translator haue dealt well with him to call it a deuillish Oligarchie making the fathers of the said Councell to be the deuisers or at least the aduancers of the Bishops of the deuil Vnder which member of his diuision hee bringeth all the Bishops in Europe excepting his owne parochiall Bishops notwithstanding anie reformation of religion whatsoeuer And therefore aduiseth all godly Princes that at once they abolish them Neither is hee in effectanie thing more gratious or bountifull to his second sort of Bishops the Bishops of men But before you heare his censure of them you shall vnderstand how he describeth such a kinde of Bishop The Bishop of man sayth he brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God is a certaine power to one certaine pastor aboue his other fellowes yet limited with certaine orders or rules prouided against tyrannie They which did beare this office of Bishop are called Bishops in regard of their fellowe Elders and the whole Cleargie as watch-men set ouer the Cleargie And I maruell why the ministers after the Apostles time shoulde not haue as greate neede of such watch-men as they had when the Apostles themselues liued who were then their watch-men by all their confessions But nowe let vs see what Beza will doo with these kinde of Bishops Surely by his aduise down they must as wel as the former or to vse his translators phrase they must bee chased awaie And his chiefe reasons are these First because that vnlesse this roote also be plucked vp it wil come to passe that the same fruit will sprout and bud forth againe Secondly for that Christ as he falsely supposeth hath shut this superiority out of the church And thirdly because as hee saith Where the remnants of this gouernment by a few are not cleane taken awaie the word of the Lord is openly hindered Hee meaneth I thinke his counterfet platforme of discipline for the inordinate vrging whereof some few disordered persons haue beene put to silence But what hath he to do with that You see then the mans boldnesse and with what presumption hee aduanceth himselfe against all the learned Fathers against all the generall Councels against all the flourishing Churches that haue beene in the worlde since Christs time against the iudgementes of all the chiefe learned men almost of ourage that which is most with him euen against the iudgement of his superior master Caluin and you see also the pit and smoke from whence the Locustes amongest vs of late yeeres came that with their venemous libels and railing discourses haue infected the harts of many good men with a dislike of the holy calling of our Bishops That some haue been mis-lead heeretofore with the violent streame of this faction I wonder not But for mine owne parte I shall little pittie anie of them heereafter if when they shall see these things they will notwithstanding yeld ouer themselues to bee seduced by so grosse so palpable so childish illusions but especially if they shall heare Beza himselfe begin to alter his mind and to sing a new song I will not affirme much for his alteration but when hee hath opened himselfe a little further vnto you account of him as God shall moue your harts Surely he will not proue a man in my opinion for anie to build their faith vppon In his confessions he once affirmed that the constitutions of the auncient fathers concerning Bishops Metrapolitanes and Patriarches their seates limites and authoritie were made optimo zelo with the best zeale It was then I trust a zeale ioined with knowledge And hauing both such zeale and such knowledge did they agree in the Councell of Nice vppon such a deuillish Oligarchie Of late yeres he hath written two or three Letters to the now Lord Archbishop of Canterburie with an other manner of stile then I suppose hee woulde haue done if he had thought him to haue been the Bishop of the deuil For thus he indorsed them Reuerendissimo viro et in Christo patri Domino Archiepiscopo Caentuariensi serenissimae Reginae Conciliario et totius Angliae primati To the most reuerend man father in Christ the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie Councellor to the Queenes maiestie and primate of all England And one of them was thus subscribed Amplitudini tuae addictissimi in Christo Theodorus Beza A. Sadeel nomine totius nostri caetus nec non totius Ecclesiae Geneuensis Most addicted to your greatnes Th. B.A.S. in the name of our assembly and also of the whole Church of Geneua But it is of especial consideration that hee writeth in the other Letter It should seeme that the sayd now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury hath written somwhat vnto Beza as concerning his ouer-busying of himselfe about our Church without anie lawfull commission And in defence of himselfe he answereth thus Caeterum reuerende mi Domine But my reuerend Lorde in that you thought it meet to moue vs in your Letters that wee should thinke well of that kingdome and likewise of your Church and the gouernment thereof surely it troubled both mee and Sadeel in some sort as beeing greatly afraide least anie sinister rumours are brought to
you of vs or least those things which we haue written of Ecclesiasticall policie properly against that Antichristian tyrannie as necessitie required are taken by some in that sense as if euer we had meant to compel to our order those churches that thinke otherwise then we doo of it and the gouernors of them agreeing els with vs in the truth of doctrine agreeable to the word of God and that except they followed our order we accounted otherwise of them then their godlines and dignitie and mutuall brotherhood doth require c. Farre be this arrogancie from vs. Quis vllum nobis in vllam Ecclesiam imperium tribuit Who doth giue vs authority ouer anie church Far be it from vs that we should thinke so the substantiall matters be kept there ought nothing to be graunted to antiquitie nothing to custome nothing to the circumstances of places times and persons c. Againe in his booke against D. Sarauia hauing spoken of the tyrannie of Popish Bishops hee maketh this exception Neque tamen But wee doo not therefore accuse all Archbishops and Bishops now so called of tyranie For what arrogancie were that Nay so as they doo imitate the examples of the olde holy Bishops and indeuor as much as they can to reforme the house of God so miserably deformed according to the rule of Gods word why may we not acknowledge al of them now so called Archbishops and Bishops obey them and honor them with all reuerence So far we are from that which some obiect vnto vs most falsly and most impudently as though we tooke vppon vs to prescribe to anie Church in anie place our examples to be followed like vnto those vnwise men who account wel of nothing but of that which they doo themselues And to the same effect a little before If now the reformed Churches of England being vnderpropped with the authoritie of Bishoppes and Archbishops do continue as this hath happened to that Church in our memorie that she hath had men of that calling not onely most notable martyrs of God but also excellent pastors and doctors Fruatur sane ista singulari dei benificentia quae vtinam illi sit perpetua Let her truly inioy this singular blessing of God which I wish may be perpetuall vnto her Furthermore it should seeme that Zanchius as moderate and learned a man as euer fauoured the pretended Elderships was appointed some 12 or 16. yeres since to draw a confâ—ssion of religion for the Churches of France others as Melanchthon had done the Augustan confession for Germanie Accordingly hee drew it and in the same speaking of Bishops he vseth these wordes Non improbamius patres c. Wee doo not disalow the fathers in that after a diuers waie of dispensing the word and gouerning the Church they multiplied diuerse orders of Ministers seeing it was lawfull for them so to do as it is vnto vs and seeing it appeareth that they did it for honest causes appertaining at that time to the order decencie and edification of the Church And in the next article Hac ratione c. By this reason vz. that the nurseries of dissentions and of schismes may be taken away wee thinke that these thinges which were ordained before the Councell of Nice concerning Archbishops nay as touching the foure Patriarches may be excused and defended When this booke was perused and this clause found in it then forsoth a deuise was had for the staying of it vnder pretence that now it was thought more meete that there should be a harmonie made of all the confessions of diuers churches But Zanchius himselfe maketh this the chiefe cause if I vnderstand him why his booke dyd mislike some of them for that hee had written as before is mentioned of Bishops For so hee sayth Magnus quidam vir c. A certaine great man meaning Beza as it is supposed did write vnto mee of this matter as followeth Your confession was read by mee and N. others with great delight It is written most learnedly and in a most exquisite methode and if you except that which you adde towards the end touching Archbishops and the Hierarchie mihi summopere placuit it pleased mee exceedingly Vpon this occasion as it seemeth Zanchius printed his said confession with certaine annotations In the which annotations he sheweth three reasons for his allowance of Archbishops Bishops The first is grounded vpon the practise of the primitiue church presently after the Apostles times the second is for that hee thought it his dutie in the draught of his said booke to haue regard to those reformed churches which retaine both Bishops Archbishops and the third because all the reformed Churches generally although they haue chaunged the names yet in effect they doe keepe the authoritie as where they haue superintendents and generall superintendents Nay saith he where these new base Latine names are not admitted Ibi tamen solent esse aliquot primarij penes quos fere tota est authoritas yet there are in those places vsually certaine chiefemen that doe in a manner beare all the sway But I pray you be pleased that I may deliuer vnto you the maner of his setting down of his first reason and that in his owne words for they carry with them a notable condemnation of other mens great pride rashnes Cum haenc conscriberem fidei confessionem c. When I writ this confession of faith I writ all the thinges in it of a good conscience and as I beleeued so I freely spake the scriptures teaching men so to doe And my faith first of all and simply doth rely vpon the word of God then somewhat also vpon the common consent of the whole ancient Catholicke Church if the same bee not repugnant to the scriptures For I beleeue that what thinges were defined and receiued by the auncient Fathers assembled in the name of the Lord with a generall consent of them all and without any contradiction of the holy Scriptures the same surely although they be not of the same authoritie with holy Scriptures yet did they proceed from the holy Ghost Heereof it commeth to passe that those things which are of this nature neither would I neither dare I with a good conscience disallow them And what can be shewed more certainly out of histories out of the councels out of the writings of all the ancient fathers then that those orders of Ministers of the which we haue spoken haue bene ordained and receiued in the Church by the generall consent of all christian common-wealths And who then am I that should presume to reproue that which the whole Church hath approued This is true and religious humilitie Thus all graue and discreet godly men haue euerwritten Those that contemne all the learned Fathers that went before them doe open a windowe to their owne discredite by those that shall come after them That which this godly and great learned man ascribeth to the
bold to build vpon it for a truth that they are so constrained to yeeld vnto And then to ende this chapter Forasmuch as God himselfe appointed an inequalitie amongst the Priestes in the olde Testament Forasmuch as Christ though he calleth himselfe a Minister to minister vnto others was yet the Maister ouer his Apostles and Disciples Forasmuch as by Christs institution and in his owne time the Apostles were superior vnto the seuentie Disciples Forasmuch as the Apostles when the gospell began to spread it selfe appointed sundry Timothies Titus to gouerne the Churches in diuerse countries and territories Forasmuch as all the ecclesiasticall histories doe record the superioritie of Bishops and doe sette downe the Catalogues of many of them and which of the Apostles and Apostolicall Bishops and in what cities countries they succeeded Forasmuch as all the ancient generall Councels all the ancient and godly learned Fathers haue allowed of Bishops and of their superiority ouer the rest of the clergie Forasmuch as Bishops haue been accounted generally throughout the world to be the Apostles successors haue continued in the Church euer since the Apostles times Forasmuch as there was neuer any one of all the auncient Fathers nor any learned man for 1500. yeres but Aerius the heretike that euer held that there ought to bee no difference betwixt a Bishop a Priest I meane an ordinary Minister of the word and that his opinion was imputed vnto him 1200. yeeres since by Epiphanius and S. Augustine for an heresie Forasmuch as all the chiefe of the learned men that were the principall instruments vnder God in this latter age for the restitution of the Gospell allowed fullie of Bishoppes and of their authoritie and would not willingly haue submitted themselues to their obedience if they might haue bene receiued with anie tollerable conditions Forasmuch as all the reformed Churches in Germanie that doo imbrace the Augustane confession haue for the most part their superintendents and generall superintendents the same in effect with our Bishops Archbishops Forasmuch as the chiefest of the Germain writers now liuing do iustifie the calling offices of their superintendents and generall superintendents by the word of God Forasmuch as none of later times euer condemned the calling and authoritie of such Bishops and Archbishops as imbraced the Gospell for ought I finde but Beza and his schollers Forasmuch as Zanchius a fauorer of the Elderliship equalitie and now Beza himselfe ioyning with him do both of them confesse that the calling and authoritie of Bishops and Archbishops may be defended that they did proceed frō the holy Ghost and that there is nothing more manifest in all the Ecclesiasticall histories all the ancient councels and in the writings of all the ancient fathers then the allowance of them throughout all christendome Forasmuch as Beza for his own part hath written so honorably to the now L. Archbishop of Canterbury and so generally of all our Bishops now professing the Gospell condemning those of great arrogancie that shall presume to speak against them Forasmuch as you perceiue by Bezaes confession that there ought to be Bishops or Prelates such as were in the Church from S. Markes time for the auoiding and staying of contentions and schismes And forasmuch I saie as all these particular points are in sort as you haue heard the most of them confessed the rest by diuerse learned men proued to be true so still alwaies to be iustified with as ful consent and authoritie as may satisfie anie men either of learning or iudgement I see no reason why this Anabaptisticall dreame of equality amongst pastors should not be sent backe to the place frō whence it issued why the vrgers of it with such bitternesse ought to bee accounted otherwise off than hereby I trust you may see they deserue why Cartwright and his libelling generation against the present forme of our Church-gouernment should be anie longer indured or why any calling in the world next vnto the calling of euery Moses and soueraigne within their owne dominions should be more esteemed cherished reuerenced or honored by all true christians then the callings offices authoritie of Bishops and Archbishops hauing so generall continuall an allowance both of God himselfe and of all godly and rightly zealous men euer since there was any outward forme of church gouernment appointed CHAP. IX They disagree verie greatly concerning Doctors IT is now become to be a receiued opinion especially amongst those that desire to haue the kingdome of the pretended Elderships to raigne ouer them that S. Paul in the fourrh to the Ephesians doth make the Doctor a distinct office from the Pastor contrarie to the iudgement of S. Augustine Hierome Chrisostome Bullinger Musculus c. who make them but one office euen as feeding and teaching are all one Of this deuise for ought I do remember Caluin was the first author whose conceit Beza followeth And then it may not be meruailed though all the rest of that humor do faithfully imbrace it Of this office our reformers all of them ioyntly do carry this resolute opinion that it is a distinct ordinance of Christ to continue in the Church for euer that there ought to be a Doctor in euery Parish wheresoeuer there is a Pastor that the doctor is one of the members of the body of Christ that the doctor is one of those officers to whō the gouernment of the Church by Christs appointment is cōmitted that cōsequētly he hath by the same authoritie his place voice in the Consistorie as wel by as good right as either the pastor or Elder So as if there be anie reformed churches in the world where there are pastors that haue not these doctors which do not admit them to haue anie such authoritie nor giue thē either place or voice in their consistories then surely all those and many such like speeches following do euen as properly fall vpon them as they do vpon our church against the which they were first coined and vttered They refuse the ordinance of God They depriue the Church of the free gift of Christ they purpose not to haue the Church flourish in true knowledge They want some necessarie guifts which are tied necessarily to that office The knowledge of the son of God being necessarie to saluation The meanes thervnto are absolutely necessarie which is the hauing of pastors and doctors so long as men are subiect to ignorance The church is miserably destitute that wāteth the doctor They cānot take awaie those ministeries that God hath placed in his Church No christian Churches ought to swarue from the officers he nameth doctors that God hath appointed If they do they maime the Church they take away a member from the bodie of Christ they maime his bodie and deforme it Which after the manner of their amplifications is a matter of as great importance as the addition of anie new officers
the deposition of any that is reserued onely to the prouinciall Synode It should seeme that in these places they haue not the same word of God that our men haue Or otherwise if our reformers say truely that election and abdication doe belong to the Eldership and that it is as the sinne of Chore Dathan and Abiram for any that are not of the particular Eldership to intrude themselues and meddle with the matters which are there to bee handled and so consequently to take vpon them to deale in such thinges as are not prescribed vnto them particularly by the Lord himselfe Alas in what great daunger are all those Elders both Classicall and Prouinciall in swaruing so greatly from our mens platforme to the vnspeakable preiudice of the presbyteriall Aldermen in euerie particular Eldership I might heere shewe the sillie proofes which are brought by our reformers out of the newe testament to confirme their iudgement But I haue a more fit place for that So as nowe I will proceede to that which followeth of their imposition of handes A man that is no minister to haue an interest in the ordaining of a minister by imposition of hands was it euer heard of by the space of a thousand fiue hundred yeares in the Church of God The Papistes at the first did trouble vs much with an obiection that we had no Priests nor Ministers because wee had no Bishops to ordaine them Whereupon aunswere was made that a Priest or Minister of the worde and a Bishop was all one and that Luther Zwinglius Oecolampadius and diuerse others being Priests euen after the Popishe order had therefore authoritie to ordaine ministers Marke the reason because they were Priestes These vnpriestly Elders were not then hatched If they had the aunswere woulde haue beene thereby much more strengthened But will these men bee constant in this point Is imposition of handes allowed of by them at all or not It is the ordinance of God saith Cartwright and may not for anie abuse bee taken awaie The Apostles continuall obseruation of imposition of handes in ordaining of Ministers praecepti vice nobis esse debet ought to bee as a precept vnto vs sayth maister Caluin And manie reasons are brought by the Demonstrator and Trauerse for the proofe and profite of the continuaunce of it Indeede the olde doctrine hath beene no ordination by imposition of handes no minister But all this will not serue the turne away it must We are oft called to the example of Scotland and there the Discipline is so purely practised that imposition of handes as a fruitelesse ceremonie is quite and cleane bannished thence Heare the historie of the Churche of Scotlande published in the name of their ministerie Albeit the Apostles vsed imposition of handes in the ordayning of Ministers yet seeing the myracle is ceased the vsing of the ceremonie we iudge it not necessary And what ceremony haue they insteed thereof Surely if I vnderstand them such a one as good fellowes doe vse when they meet at the alehouse They take them by the handes and bid them hartely welcome into their society Iunius who is charged by Thyreus to neglect the Apostolicall order of imposition of handes doth call this Scottish new order or where else so euer it is vsed if it be vsed in any other place porrectionem dextrâ—e societatis in caetu presbyteroruÌ„ a giuing forth of the right hand of society in the assembly of the Elders Maister Caluin is dead And therefore too them Cartwright with your schollers Will you suffer your owne crue to tread downe gods ordinance in this sort vnder their feete or if they doe well therein out with it presently forth of your bookes But you may not as one said yeald in any thing for feare of discrediting the rest of your deuises It is well Defend your selfe then and your schollers as well as you can in that you make imposition of handes a ioynt duety to be performed by the Eldership that is as well by your only ruling Elders as by the ministers of the word For Maister Caluin will not endure it but sheweth himselfe to be of a contrary opinioÌ„ doth withal extort the only place you account of in effect for your purpose out of your hands as altogether insufficieÌ„t to serue your turnes Hoc postremo habendum est non vniuersam multitudinem manus imposuisse suis ministris sed solos pastores c. This also is to bee vnderstood that the whole multitude did not lay their handes vpon their ministers but the pastors onely What is become then of these vnpastoral AldermeÌ„ Quanquam incertum est an plures semper manus imposuerunt nec ne Although saith he it is vncertaine whether more then one did alwaies impose their handes or not This is much onely ministers and vncertaine whether one or manye Bring out your euidence Maister Cartwright But in the meane while giue eare to Maister Caluins reasons It appeareth saith he that diuers pastors did lay their handes vppon the Deacons Paule and Barnabas and some other Sed Paulus ipse alibi se non alios complures Timotheo manus imposuisse commemorat c. But Paule in an other place reporteth that he himselfe alone without any other did lay his handes vppon Timothy But nowe he pincheth the brotherhood Nam quod in altera epistola de impositione manuuÌ„ presbtyerij dicitur c. For that which is spoken in his other epistle of the imposition of the handes of the Eldership non it a accipio quasi de Seniorum collegio loquatur c. I take it not as though Paule did speake of the college of Elders but by these words I vnderstand the ordinatioÌ„ it selfe as though he had said Fac vt gratia quam per manuum impositionem recepisti cum te presbyterum creaui non sit irrita See that the grace which thou receiuedst by imposition of handes when I created thee a priest be not in vaine Now that this place is thus wrested from you all the packe of you bring one other out of the newe testament for your vnsanctified Aldermens imposition of hands Nay you see allready that Totnam is almost turned into french and there is nothing why our Bishops might not for any thing that they theÌ„selues doe bring to the contrary vse imposition of handes Besides all our reformers shiftes in one respecte are hereby cut of For when we euer alledged for our Bishops authoritie in this point the example of Saint Paule who saith that Timothy was made priest by the imposition of his handes they still would tell vs but of their own heades without any further warraunt that he did not so as by his owne authoritie but in the name of the Eldership Which cannot in anie wise be true for that which may bee done in their names may bee done by themselues In that therfore they might not doe it themselues they
coulde not depute it to the Apostle So as it remaineth that he did it by his owne authoritie or at the least in the name of the rest that were ministers of the word which will not agree with our mens platforme If here exception be taken to Caluin as that in some other of his writings he is of an other minde you must bee aduertised that he beginning to write betimes did in diuers thinges vpon better aduise change his opinion And therefore in one of his epistles desireth those that wil reade his workes that they would first take the paines to reade his institutions as conteininge in them for those things there set downe his verie mind and setled iudgment But what if Beza doe in sort agree herin with Caluin Surely if I vnderstand him he doth For vpon these wordes Cum impositione manuum presbyterij id est saith he ordinis presbyterorum qu◠nomine caetus omnis ille significatur qui in verbo laborabat in ea ecclesia that is the order of Priestes or Elders by which name all that company is signified which did laboure in the word in that Church Disburden then for shame your counterfet Aldermen of this ioint-dutie in your Eldership or at the leaste let them rest vntill you be better resolued amongst your selues howe to imploie them least yow bring them within the compasse of the punishment of Corah Dathan and Abiram as I haue said before CHAP. 17. Of their Aldermens ioynt office with the ministers in binding and loosing of sinnes and of their disagreement therin COncerning their pretended authoritie equall with their ministers for their procedings are by voyces in excommunication of the stubborne and absolution of the repentant will they trouble themselues thinke you with any testimonies out of the old testament Indeede they affirme that these censures were resembled there by the authority of discerning bettwene the cleane and the vncleane betwene the holy vnholy of shutting vp the leprous and releasinge them of purginge the vncleane of cursing resembling bindding of blessing resembling loosing c. And be it so But where is there mention in any such places that your pretēded Elders had any authoritie to intermeddle with these matters Are they not throughout the whole olde testament euermore ascribed to Aaron and his sonnes Nay might any that were of other tribes then of the tribe of Leui deale heerwithal Speake franckly truly might they so Beza could find no answere to this question but Probabile est it is probable they might whereas I am perswaded there are fewe assertions of greater absurditie or of lesse probabilitie For the Leuites themselues that were not of the sonnes of Aaron had nothinge to doe in these thinges Trauers defininge what suspension is saith it is a commaundement or prohibition of an Elder of abstaininge for a certaine time from the receauing of the Sacraments For the proofe wherof he groundeth himselfe vpon this shadow as hee termeth it That by the law the vncleane and vncircumcised were prohibited the celebrating of the Passeouer entrance into the Temple Which caused saith hee Ioiada the priest to appoynt certaine porters to the gates of the Temple By which testimonies what hee else proueth then that his Elders were of the number of these Porters I finde not And that surelye agreeth best with Bezaes opion mentioned Horum proculdubio partes erant c. It was out of doubt the dutye of the Arch-rulers of the Synagogues not to admitte excommunicated persons into the Synagogues With which offices if they of that consorte will bee content to infeoffe their Aldermen and goe no further I see no cause why any man should greatly enuie them that preferment But when from dore-keepers they must be so aduaunced as that they must bee abdicators and comforters as they terme them that is more then vpon such weake collections is fit to bee allowed of For where they giue them these iointe offices with the Minister of abdicating the stubborne and of consolation of the repentant if they would speake out it is as much as though they should saie that they haue equall authoritie with them of suspension and excommunication of bindinge and loosing of retaining and remitting of sinnes No no they maie sende them to Parishgarden to loose and bind beares for they are farre vnmeet to haue anie such authoritie ouer mens soules That those which were not Bishops or Priestes that is ministers of the word and sacraments should haue that authoritie which they speake of is a matter that was neuer heard of in the Church of God for a 1500. yeares Cartwright in handling this pointe was able to bring for his purpose but one pertinent authoritie in shew out of all the auncient Fathers vz. out of Tertullian of certaine Presidents that shut offenders from praiers in the Congregation which presidents as hee well knoweth the same Tertullian saith expresslie in an other place were Ministers of the worde and sacraments in these wordes speaking of the Lordes supper Nec de aliorum manu quà m presidentium sumimus neyther do wee receaue at the handes of any other but of the gouernours It is worthie the consideration to see into what extremities men do commonlie fall that will presume to builde the Church vppon the straw and stubble of their owne deuises All the world cannot perswade the papists but that the keies of the kingdome of heauen were onely giuen to Peter and so to his successors and that from him the rest of the Apostles were to receaue them and so must their successors from the Pope Against whom we insist with the auncient Fathers that what was saide to Peter appertained to them all as namelie for one reasō in that where the keyes were promised to Peter tibi dabo I will giue them to thee when this promise was performed Christ gaue them vnto all the Apostles alike and to their successors Whose sinnes yee remit they shall be remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they shall bee retayned which is the true vse of the keyes Now who are to be termed the Apostles successors if wee will belieue the said auncient Fathers that were in my opinion as honest and learned men as those that oppose themselues against them wee must confesse that they were at the least Ministers of the worde and sacraments and so we haue pleaded in this cause against the papists But now on the other side the world is so come about that whereas the papistes doe giue the keies but to Peter only and so to the Pope where the auntient fathers doe giue them to all the Apostles equally and so to their successors ministers as I said at the leaste now these newe start-ups will needes thrust their aldermen into that number and they must be also the Apostles successors If men will be seduced wilfully by such falseteachers they maie What a ridiculous sayinge is this of Bezaes That In persona Apostolorum the keyes
in their printed Supplication against all the new Iulianistes and Atheists mentioned CHAP. XXII They take from Christian Princes and ascribe to their pretended regiment the supreme and immediate authority vnder Christ in causes Ecclesiasticall IN the beginning of the reformation of Religion in Germany the learned men there opposing themselues verie mightely against the Popes vsurped iurisdiction did verie learnedly and soundlie shew and proue to their aduersaries the soueraigne authority of Christian Kinges and Princes in causes Ecclesiasticall within their owne dominions and countries Which authoritie vppon the banishment of the Pope as well there as after also in England was both there and here vnited by diuerse laws vnto the interest of their Crowns and to the lawfull right of ciuile regiment This doctrine since that time hath beene so very throughly maintained by sundrie notable men as Brentius against Asoto Bishop Horne against Fecknam Bishop Iuell against Harding and many other learned men against such other Papistes as haue taken vppon them to impugne it that I am perswaded had it not beene that newe aduersaries did rise opposed themselues in the matter the Papists before this time had beene vtterlie subdued For either vppon the attempt in Geneua for the erecting of the Consistorian gouernment which cannot endure any superior authority ouer it in causes Ecclesiasticall when Caluin and Viretus were banished the Citty or else vppon their restitution and after they had preuailed in their said attempt the Ministers there whether in reuenge of their banishment or least their Magistrats should at any time to come giue eare to the aforesaide Doctrine I will not saye but vppon some such occasion they did presentlie thrust themselues into this question that with such spitefull railing and bitternes as though they had conspired with the Pope and his Proctors against al other reformed churches that reiecting their pretended Discipline or new Papacie indeed had submitted themselues vnto the said lawfull authority of Christian Princes in causes Ecclesiasticall And hereof it came to speake the trueth plainelie that Caluin could not abide that King Henrye the eight should bee tearmed the head or supreme gouernour in Earth of the Churches of God within his Dominions And writing to one Myconius how certaine men in Geneua perswaded the Magistrates there Ne potestate quam illis Deus contulisset se abdicaerent that they woulde not depriue themselues of that authoritie which God had giuen them he tearmeth them according to the Consistorian language prophane spirites and mad men whom saith he if we speaking of himselfe and his fellowes shall ioine together to encounter and with a valiant and inuincible zeale fight for that holy authority vz. CoÌ„sistorian c the Lord with the breath of his mouth will destroy The saide Myconius in like sorte reporteth to Caluin from Basill how some in those borders did write to the like purpose in the behalfe of Christian Magistrates alledging the examples of Moises Dauid and other godlye Kinges which saith hee in effect is to make them Popes and then addeth quid si laici huiusmodi argumentis fuerint persuasi what if lay men shall be perswaded by such argumentes Indeede that will cutte the throate of all your soueraigntie But of all others that haue opposed themselues to Christian Princes in this matter besides Martin-Marre-Prelate and some such like companions amongest vs Viretus for rayling scoffing and biting passeth and excelleth Those that stand in defence of the Magistrates authoritie he resembleth to white Diuels and saith They are false Christians though they couer themselues with the cloake of the Gospell and the reformation of the same And againe The Ministers that haue forsaken the Romish Church in seeking to get the Magistrates and peoples fauour against the Pope Priestes and Monkes haue so despised the state of Priestood and Ministery of the Church and so magnified the state of the Magistrate that they now feele the fruict thereof he meaneth that the goods of the Church are thereby gone and wasted Further saith he they thought it a goodby reformation in the Churche to abolishe all the Canons and decrees with the good Statutes which the auncient Fathers and Doctors hadde ordayned to maintaine good Discipline in the Church They haue put all into the Magistrates handes and haue made them maisters of the Church which he tearmeth to be nothing else but the changing of the Popedome the taking away of both swordes from the Pope and giuing them to Princes the euerthrowing of a spirituall Pope and setting vppe a temporall Pope which vnder another colour will all come to one end Nay hee taketh vppon him to prooue that these Temporall Popes as hee tearmeth them are more to bee feared if they take roote and will be worse theâ— the Spirituall Popes and that so the olde Popishe â—yr 〈◊〉 is not taken awaie but onely changed and disguised And his reasons are First that the olde Pope had not the Temporall sworde in his own hand to punishe with death but was fayne to praye aide of the secular power which the neâ—e Pope's need not to doe Secondly that the olde Popes had some regarde in their dealinges of Councelles Synodes and aunciente Canons c. but the newe Popes will doe what they list without any Ecclesiasticall order bee it right or wronge Thirdlye because it chaunceth ofte that these newâ— Popes haue neither learning nor knowledge and yet these shall bee they that shall commaund Ministers and Preachers what they list on paine of their sworde and ministerie and shall appoint them lawes touching their estate and ministery and likewise to the whole Church Giue him also the hearing a little further I praie you Who so vseth such meanes to reforme the fault of the Pope doth not reforme the Church but deforme is more then it was before c. This I dare say that I see already in some places that vnder title of reformation by the Gospell some christian Princes haue in ten or twentie yeares vsurped more tyranny ouer the Churches in their Dominions then euer the Pope and his adherentes did in sixe hundred yeares And lastly If there be any Magistrates in these daies which vnder the title of authority and power that God hath giuen them c. will make the Ministers of the Church subiect vnto them as the Pope hath made them subiect to him and his c. the same doe verily set vp a newe Pope changing onely his coate and maske And thus far Viretus in his thirde Dialogue of white Diuels which was not written I feare by the instinct of anie good spirite nor without some euill direction translated into English of purpose to seede the seditious fier that our turbulent Copper-smiths following this Dâ—sciplinarie tract haue kindled alreadie amongest vs. I haue omitted his earnestnes in the behalfe of his own and Caluins Discipline that the authority thus denied to Princes might be yeelded to them and
their followers and that all men both Princes and others would be content to submitte their neckes vnder that yoke Which were to make Princes saith Erastus trulie quasi carniâ—ices as it were the executioners onely of their pleasures quemadmâ—dunâ— in Papatu factum videmus as we see it practised in the Papacy and in truth is nothing els but that I may vse their phrases to banish one Pope and admitte of thousands or to deliuer their Scepters from the tyrannie of the old Pope and to subiect them to the tyranny of these new Popes euen to excommunication as Cartwright with his English crue doe affirme and so consequently to depriuation or death as Buchanan the Scottishe Consistorian teacheth My purpose is only in this place to make it knowne from whence our brotherhood haue furnished themselues with their inuectiues against the authoritye of Princes in causes ecclesiasticall and that whatsoeuer they pretend in words yet they are of the same minde that Viretus is if they durst so plainly vtter it Or if they be not let them confes in print that the premisses cited out of his sayde dialogue are false and then for that pointe let them be credited But that I am perswaded they will neuer doe I am sure if they should that besides their opposition with Geneua they should also recant their owne assertions which directly exclude the ciuile magistrates from dealing in ecclesiasticall causes As for example The whole gouernment of the Church is to be committed to Ministers Elders Deacons The church is now to the worldes end to haue no other offices in it but of pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons They which are no Elders of the Church haue nothing to doe in the gouernment of the same They deuide the Church wherein anye Magistrate King or Emperor is a member into those which are to gouerne vz. Pastors Doctors and Elders and into such as are to obey vz. magistrates of all sortes the people Indeed Beza will haue the ciuile magistrate one of the Church-officers But Cartwright will not consent for his part to yeald them so much For saith he as Pastors cannot bee officers of the common wealth no more can the magistrate bee called properlye a church-officer And in truth what Beza graunteth it is in effect nothing sauing for a shew and to serue their own turnes forsooth vt tranquillitatem ecclesiae procurent â—t tueantur Their office is to procure and defend the peace of the Church whereas else where hee agreeth with Viretus yee may bee sure and in his Booke against Erastus peremptorily affirmeth That Princes haue no more to doe with matters of the Church then Ministers haue with the affayres of the common wealth Which by their doctrine generallie is none at all But saide I hee agreeth with Viretus I might saie rather with Cardinall Allen and Saunders if he bee the author of the Booke intituled Vindicie contra Tyrannos as it was reported For there hee saith that if anie Prince shall challenge to himselfe both Tributes that is authoritie aswell in Ecclesiasticall causes as ciuile as by the circumstances of the place it is euident hee doth as if hee would like the old Giaunts scale heauen and surprise it and is guiltie of treason and doth thereby forfeite his fee that hee holdeth no lesse than a subiect or vassall shall that vsurpeth the kinges royaltyes and in this respect such kinges are very often depriued thereof much more iustlye then a vassall or subiecte maye bee insomuch as there is some proportion of comparison betwixte a vassall or subiect and his Lorde but betwixt God and the king betwixt a wretched man and the Almightie there can bee no proportion at all Furthermore Cartwright and some others with him do affirme that Kings and princes do holde their kingdomes and dominions vnder Christ as hee is the sonne of God onlye before all worldes coequall with the father and not as hee is mediator the heade and gouernor of the Church Whereuppon they doe first builde that all Kinges aswell heathen as Christian receiuing but one commission and equall authoritie immediately from God haue no more to doe with the Church the one sorte then the other as being in no respect deputed for Church officers vnder Christ otherwise then if they bee good Kinges to maintaine and defende it And secondlye that as God hath appoynted all Kinges and Ciuile Magistrates his immediate Lieutenants for the gouernment of the worlde in temporall causes so Christ as hee is mediator and gouernour of his Church hath his immediate officers to rule in the Church vnder him and those they saie are no other then Pastors Doctors and Elders to whom they ascribe as large authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall And all this as I take it they haue learned of the Papists For whereas maister Harding saith that the office of a King in it selfe is all one euerie where not onely amongst the Christian Princes but also amonge the Heathen and thereuppon concludeth that a christian Prince hath no more to doe in the deciding of church-matters or in making ceremonies and orders for the Church then a Heathen Cartwright alloweth of his iudgement and doth expresly affirme that hee himselfe is of the same opinion professing his mislike of those who teach another right of a Christian and of a prophane magistrate Whereat Trauerse his scholler aymeth in like sorte when hee saith in effect that heathen princes being conuerted to the fayth receiue no further increase of theyr power whereby they maye deale in causes ecclesiasticall then they had before And lastly it is no lesse agreeable vnto their seconde assertion that whereas the Papists saye the Pope with his Cardinalls and Bishops are a true representation of the Catholicke Church of Christ vnder whom the Pope being Peters supposed Successor is the ministeriall and immediate chiefe gouernour of it here vppon earth now Cartwright and others doe affirme that euerye particular parish hauing such an Eldershippe in it as they desire is a liuelye patterne and representation of the whole and catholicke Church of Christe vnder whom saye they their Pastors Doctors and Elders are the ministeriall and immediate gouernours by right of euery such Catholicke parish-Church vppon earth And thus if I bee not deceiued that playnelye appeareth which was in the beginning of this Chapter propounded vz. that for all their protestations they derogate from Christian Princes and arrogate to their Elderships the supreame and immediate authority vnder Christ in causes ecclesiasticall CHAP. XXIII In the oppugning of Princes authoritye in causes Ecclesiasticall they ioyne with the Papists THere is nothing will lightlye anger our pretended Brotherhood more then if ti be tolde them that they denie in effect with the common aduersaries her Maisties lawefull stile and prerogatiue Royall in causes ecclesiasticall Oâ— saye they wee doe not wee are slaundered wee yealde vnto her Highnes
execute vvhatsoeuer they conclude be it good or bad vve say that if there be no lavvfull ministerie as in time of necessitie Dauid did eat the shevv bread vvhich vvas othervvise lavvfull for the priests only to eat of that then the Prince ought to set order and that vvhen there is a lavvfull ministerie if it shall agree of any vnlavvfull thing the Prince ought to stay it Surely you are very proper and right liberall sayers Doth not your admonisher affirme that if your platforme were once on foot all men must stand vnto the determinations of your maiesticall church officers that I may vse maister VVakes tearme except it should happen in some matter of faith they should make decrees against the vvord of God And I pray you if any such thing should happen how could the king reforme it or as you say stay it He iudgeth their sayd orders to be erronious and perceaueth the mischiefes that do depend vpon them but how shall he redresse and preuent them Shall he compell the authors of them to assemble themselues together againe and to retract and condemne all such their decrees They are of that humor as experience hath told vs that it is vnlikely they will be compelled to any thing No it were too great a disgrace for them to yeeld in any thing that once they haue broached were it good or bad but especially when it is decreed in any of their worshipfull meetings And besides if the king should presse them too far in such a matter he might find them peraduenture but very ticklish subiects Cartvvright to shuffle vp some blundering answer to these points sayth That if in such a case the church ministers should shevv themselues obstinate and vvould not be aduised by the Prince they should thereby prooue themselues to be an vnlavvfull ministerie that vpon such an occasion the Prince might remooue thē Remouethē How By any ordinarie authoritie which you do allow to the christian magistrats in causes ecclesiasticall But you haue told vs before your mind herein In effect that it must be done by an extraordinarie authoritie euen by the same right that Dauid did eat of the shew-bread which were it not in such a case of necessitie none but the Priests might in any wise eat of For otherwise as it is before mentioned where such a platforme is in execution as they seeke for the Prince hath not any thing to doe by their doctrine God knoweth either with placing or displacing of church ministers Or if Cartvvright will say that I wrest his words to the worst construction and that he meaneth plainely as purposing thereby to confirme for his part her maiesties ordinarie supreme authoritie in those maner of causes I am content he make the best of his owne words that he can whether he meant ordinarie or extraordinarie authoritie so that when he hath done he will stand vnto it But let him say what he is able yet he hath a woolfe by the eares and shall neuer be able so to shift his hands but that it will follow that both he and all the pastors doctors and elders that are combined with him are by his words both obstinate and vnlawfull ministers except he shall withdraw this part of his wall as being to weake to make such a separation from the papists as he pretendeth For notwithstanding that the present gouernment of the church of England is established and confirmed by a nationall synod with the generall cōsent of the whole land to be a most lawful godly forme of gouernment notwithstanding that her Maiestie doth so thinke of it and hath shewed herselfe many waies as by her acts of parlemēt her proclamatiōs her sundry speeches yea by the punishing imprisoning of some certaine persons vtterly to dislike of their pretended discipline as being in her princely iudgement a meere forgerie vaine conceit of busie restlesse heads cōtrary to the word of God and ancient practise of all the godly churches in the world for 1500 yeares all these things I say notwithstanding yet they haue rayled libelled raged against the said present gouernmēt They haue and do still neglect as well her maiesties setled iudgment of the vnlawfulnesse of their decreed platforme as also her lawes her pleasure and many commandements that they should desist hereafter from that their erronious deuise and submit themselues quietly to the forme established Nay they are so far from yeelding in this point to any authoritie of her maiestie whether ordinarie or extraordinarie as that they haue attempted by very vnlawfull and seditious means to aduance their purposes against her highnesse will and do plainly giue it out that they wil not desist they will not hold their peace they will haue their desires though they be driuen to vndertake such means for that end as will make their hearts to ake who are their cheese impugners Stand now to your words maister Cartvvright if you meant plainly vz. If the ministerie shall agree of any vnlavvfull thing the prince ought to stay it and then are not all the packe of you concluded by your said answer to be obstinat persons and a false ministerie If you haue any refuge in the world it is this that whatsoeuer the said nationall councell the learned mens opinions that do impugne you the lawes of this realme all the ancient churches and her maiestie relying vpon them whatsoeuer they altogether do thinke iudge to be lawfull you care not or you are sory for it but all that notwithstanding you are sure for that you haue decreed amōgst your selues vz. that you haue not therein erred and therefore they must all beare with you though you rest your selues vpon the truth of your own decrees giue no place either to councel law prince fathers learned men or any other authoritie whatsoeuer that maketh against you And will not H.N. and Barovv will not al hereticks schismaticks say as much where is then the princes authoritie you spake of For staying such kind of proceeding what course shall he take These ministers as I sayd conclude vpon their owne deuises The king considereth of them and findeth them vnlawfull but they denie it what shall hee do Your refuge Cartvvright is euerie Heretickes refuge If her Maiestie with all the reasons mentioned cannot stay you and your sect let neuer any king or ciuile magistrat looke by any authoritie which you do giue vnto them in causes ecclesiasticall to stay the fancies of any such fellowes But the substance of all their deuises is nothing but pretences of things that are not And agreeable therevnto is this second part of Cartvvrights wall of the difference betweene him and the Papists who in effect for ought I see are as franke to Christian Princes euen in this point as either he or his fellowes Princes extraordinarily sayth Harding haue laudably intermedled vvith Religion as iudges and rulers of spirituall causes Good Christian Princes euer tooke into their
not simply as he is the second person in Trinitie God aboue all but as he is the sonne of God manifested in the flesh Nay he goeth further and sayth that Christ hath all this authoritie not only as he is both God and man but that he hath it euen as he is man Cartvvright sayth that our sauiour Christ in the gouernment of kingdoms and common-vvealths and in the superioritie vvhich he hath ouer kings iudges hath no superior But if we shall beleeue the sayd motioner he is as directly contrarie vnto him in this assertion as he was in the former For sayth he our sauiour Christ as he is King of kings Lord of lords and the ruler and disposer of all kingdoms of the earth he hath receaued that authoritie of his father and so hath it 1. Cor. 15.24 If it shall be maruailed that the humble motioner peraduenture some swaine in respect of Cartvvright dare thus presume to incounter with such a Goliah especially hauing an whole armie no doubt that will and his vizgerent Trauers that dooth already assist him he may be easily satisfied in that Beza on the other side a man of farre greater account in Scotland than Cartvvright is in England hath promised and pawned his iudgement to backe the motioner in these points For hee is wholy of the motioners opinion Pater non nisi in persona filij manifestati in carne mundum regit God the Father sayth he doth not gouerne the vvorld but onely in the person of his sonne manifested in the flesh And agayne he alloweth of the Fathers where they hold that Proprie humanae naturae respectu dicitur datum esse filio potestatem coeli ac terrae vvhen it is sayd that povver is giuen to the sonne of heauen and earth it is spoken properly in respect of his humane nature receaued The world is gouerned only by Christ as he is manifested in the flesh therefore not onely as Cartvvright sayth as he is God The gouernment of the world is committed to the sonne of God as he is manifested in the flesh therfore contrary to Cartvvright he hath therein a superior Christ the sonne of God hath the gouernment of heauen and earth assigned vnto him properly in respect of his humane nature which he hath receaued and therefore not only as he is the sonne of God coequall with the Father as Cartvvright affirmeth So as whatsoeuer either Cartvvright Trauers or any of their followers shal enforce against the authoritie of christian princes in respect vz. that they with all the heathen gouernors do hold their scepters immediatly vnder christ as he is God only and not as he is their mediator it is all but as vntempered morter nothing fit for the purpose as other of their friends do iudge and as it seemeth by Beza in the place quoted might peraduēture if it were thorowly followed touch them neerer then they are aware of as men not fully persuaded of the most high and mighty prerogatiue of the person of Christ Iesus But let that go I am glad to heare that christian magistrats may haue somthing to do vnder Christ as he is their mediator And what if it may appeare that holding their gouernment vnder him as mediator they may haue some authoritie also vnder him as he is the head of the church I know that would come quite cam to Cartvvrights humor Neuerthelesse it is reason that men should be heard The humble motioner affirmeth that the Lord Iesus hath the regiment and povver ouer all principalities either in heauen or earth not simplie as hee is God but as he is Christ God and man and so the head of the church Let these places of scripture Ephesians 1. vers 20 21 22 23. and Colossians 1. vers 16 17 18 19 20. be effectually considered where there is speech of the great prerogatiue which Christ hath in the world as he is head of the church and they do wholy run that way In so much as Caluin writing vpon one of those epistles Ephes. 1. ver 23. sayth Nihil impedit quo minus de vniuersali gubernatione accipias There is no impediment vvby you may not vnderstand it of Christs vniuersall gouernment But more fitly to this purpose Beza where speaking of Christ as the head of the Church and of such officers as he hath appointed vnder him he accounteth the ciuile magistrat for one as before it hath bene noted But Snecanus is resolute and accounteth them aduersaries Anabaptists that shall denie it affirming that by rulers and gouernours Rom. 12. and 1. Cor. 12. where the Apostle speaketh of the body of Christ the ciuile magistrats are vnderstood as well as their Aldermen that they are to be reckoned inter officia ecclesiae nay inter dona ecclesiae Ephesi 4. though they be not there named and that it is therefore great rashnesse to exclude the ciuile authoritie out of the church Nisihanc simul tollere velint Except they meane to abolish it altogether Indeed I like this exception well and so I do also of his opinion For me thinketh that if kings and princes be ioint cōmissioners vnder Christ the head with their pastors doctors and aldermen assigned by the Apostle for the gouernment of the church they might be well content and reckon it no disparagement vnto the best of them that the prince their soueraigne should beare the chiefest and the greatest sway amongst them And all this maketh directly against Cartvvright euen as though men of purpose should haue studied to haue disgraced him which surely needeth not For if his own writings were narrowly looked into there is sufficient in thē to discipher him in his colours I meruaile what he meaneth when he writeth that a king was necessarie for the Israelits to shadow out to them the kingdome of Christ. Would he leaue his scholers at libertie to reason as the Apostle doth whē they should see their time Christ is now come in the flesh being our high priest hath performed the worke of our saluation therfore the priesthood of Aaron being but a shadow of Christs priesthood ought now to cease And euen so they when they list The kingdome of Christ is now come vnto vs therefore the hauing of a king being but a shadow of Christs kingdome ought now to cease Surely this commeth neare to Snecanus cōiecture vz. Nisihāc simul tollere velint But to omit surmises many such thinges els which I maruel at in him you shall find him so violent in this cause as rather then he will graunt that Christian magistrats may bee subordinate heads or cheefe gouernours in church affaires vnder Christ their sauiour within their own dominions he can be cōtent to reason as if he were a notorious S winkfeldian and meant to abolish all the ministers of the word as needlesse instruments vnder Christ for the building feeding and comforting of his church For thus he argueth
sibi persuasit papa diaboli vicarius The pastors themselues shall not be Christ's vicars as he is priest vvhich office notvvithstanding the pope the diuels vicar tooke falsely vpon him The pastors he saith shall not be Christs vicars as he is a priest And thē ther is no remedie They shal not How shal they hold then immediatly of him as he is a prophet That is it They are his substitutes or vicars saith hee onely as he is a prophet Did any man euer say so before Surely not to my remembrance Maister Fenner in his diuinitie perused by maister Cartvvright and allowed of at Geneua can find but two kinds of offices appertaining to Christ vz. his priesthood and his kingly office and therfore he maketh prophesie a part of his priesthood It is much what also to the same purpose and directly contrary to I. B. that the diuinitie grounds printed at Geneua do affirme by the mouth of one Abraham Henric where they say Pastorū ministeriū vt olim sacerdotum c. The dutie of pastors as in times past of the priests consisteth in three things teaching administring of the sacraments publicke praier So as either I.B. must be content that ministers may be Christs vicars as he is a priest or else I see not how he will bestow them You will say peraduēture that they may be Christs vice-gerēts as he is a king but that as I sayd he will not indure If any might be Christs vicars sayth he as he is a king the Apostles Prophets Euangelists Ministers and Doctors might be his vicars At ne hi quidem quia rex est dicendi sunt vicarij But they neither are to be called Christs vicars as he is a king Well some place they must haue there is no remedie I dare say you would smile if it should so fall out that all our consistorian ministers will needs bee Christs substitutes in that he is a king Surely I must tell you it proueth so For as touching I. B. they reckon him I perceaue but a simple politian Christs kingdome it hath bene truly vrged is not of this world it is plea good enough against our bishops but it holdeth not to impaire the estimation of our petit consistorian kings A distinction will helpe thē at a pinch Christs kingdome is not of this world but it ought to be in this world Do you not here desire to know what this kingdome is That I may not keepe you long in suspence it is the Geneuian Eldership and euen the very same kingdome saith our counterpoizer vvhere of Christ spake many times after his resurrection by the space of sortie daies as the Iesuits themseluss are compelled to confesse See the seducer Who cōpelled the Iesuits to say so would not a man haue thought that this place had bene vrged by some protestants against the papists for the ouerthrow of some especiall points of poperie wher vpon after much paines the Iesuits bad bene driuen in spight of their heads to admit of the interpretatiō mētioned But it is clean contrary the Iesuits do abuse this place of purpose in the behalfe of the Antichristian Romish form of church regimēt so doth the Counterpoizer following the Iesuits therin for the setting forth of their Geneuian papacy or Regalitie I could adde here a number of strange sayings whereof you shall here anon in some other chapters following concerning this new presbiteriall kingdome But now it is more pertinent to make the point I haue in hand more apparant vnto you Christ as a king prescribed the forme of ecclesiasticall gouernment saith Cartvvright not as a priest nor as a prophet but as a king With Cartvvright his scholler Dudlie Fenner doth agree in this point setteth downe the first part of his kingly administration to be about the building and continuance of the church by the officers appointed Eph. 4.11.12.13 Maister Beza also he runneth the same course how Christ being a king the head of the church doth administer his kingdome Per legitime vocatos pastores by pastors lavvfully called And Sonnius in like manner affirmeth that Christ doth execute his kingly office in the collectiō of the church by the ministerie of the word and sacraments and by the internall gouernment of his spirit and the external of the ministerie Here is indeed very roiall preferment for al the ministers of the word But I meruaile how the ruling elders do hold their authoritie They are neither priests nor prophets of likelihood then they must be little kings Wel then Christ is the king the presbiterie is his kingdome his immediat vice-gerents they are all of them What Surely by the due course of degrees which are acknowledged the pastors must be all of thē as it were emperors the doctors kings the elders dukes and the deacons lords of the treasurie c. And for the authoritie of euery such kingdom it must needs fal out to be very soueraign For if euery presbiterie as it is before noted be properly to be called the body of Christ and the true portraiture of the catholick church that euery one of thē is of equall authoritie now that the officers in them are Christs immediat vice-gerēts within their own kingdoms who shall controll any of their doings or whither should a man appeale if he found himselfe iniuried I remember maister Bezas saying That euery eldership is the tribunall seat of Christ. Which is all one almost with the assertion of some Romish parasits that the pope and Christ haue but one consistorie They tell vs of appellations from an eldership to a classis from a classis to a prouinciall synod from a prouincial synod to a nationall from a nationall vnto a generall councell But as the papists do make euery appellation from the pope to be as absurd and all one as if the appeale were made from Christ so must it necessarily follow to be as vntollerable to appeale from any consistorie it being as it hath bene affirmed the tribunall seat of Christ and the officers in it Christs immediat gouernors And because it is pretended that the regiment they speake of is in the best perfection at Geneua I would gladly know whither a man might appeale vpon occasion from that eldership there The churches of Bern or Zuricke haue no more to do with the church of Geneua they will say then Geneua hath to do with them or an eldership in Scotland with another of the low countries But I haue taried too long vpon this matter in collecting vpon their contrarie assertions Therefore to conclude I would wish all christian and godly magistrats that haue as yet in their hands the lawfull authoritie in church-causes which belongeth vnto them by the word of God to keepe it stil vntill at the least these disciplinarie deuisers be fully resolued whether we must account thē priest prophets or kings priests if they be Christs substitutes as he is a
themselues are excepted Whereof it commeth that the very same proiect is made to the Lordes of her Maiesties most honourable Councell which was deuised by Beza for Scotland vz. that in place of the Bishops there might be present in the parliament house some wise and graue Ministers of especiall gifts learning sorted out of all the land to yeld their Councell according to Gods heauenly lawe euen as the ciuill Iudges are readie to giue their aduise according to the temporall law and for matters of greater difficultie But would they sitte there as the Iudges doe and haue no voices I take it they would scorne that greatly For I nothing doubt but if they were there they would account themselues the wisest in the companie And therefore it was more substantially considered of by him who penned a Supplication to her Maiestie and wished That foure and twentie Doctors of Diuinitie to be called by such names as it should please hir highnes might be admitted into the Parliament house and haue their voyces there in steade of the Bishops And would they bee called Lords if it pleased her Maiestie for the honour of that house to appoynt it so Their wordes doe import so much and I make no doubt of it but that to gratifie her highnesse they would bee content to humble themselues so farre In the hope which they haue conceiued to ouerthrow the state of Bishoppes and to haue their deuise allowed of and established in the lande they inueigh most bitterly against the Bishoppes and the Conuocation house misliking that the dealing in ecclesiasticall causes should bee committed vnto them in sorte as now it is affirming that the liberties of the Parliament are thâ—reby betrayed and that it appertaineth to that Court to order matters of religion But what if the Bishops were excluded and none admitted into the Conuocation house but such as they woulde chuse from amongst themselues how then Indeed saith the Supplicator If the Conuocation house were such as it ought to bee c. then were it not lawfull for the Parliament to establish any thing in the matters appertaining to the pure worship of God but by theyr direction Which is this in effect if I vnderstand them that the Parliament should prouyde theyr new pretended gouernours of sufficient maintenance and set vp theyr Eldershippes and then enact it likewise that whatsoeuer they should ordaine in their assemblies and meetings for the time to come concerning Church causes should be in full strength and for euer obeyed vntill it might please them to make some alteration Which is the point that Knox aymed at in his Exhortation to England wherein for the good instruction of her Maiesties subiectes he sendeth them from Geneua these Allobrogicall rules That the pretended discipline ought to bee set vp that all Princes ought to submit themselues vnder the yoke of it that what Prince King or Emperour shall disanull the same he is to be reputed Gods enemie and to be helde vnworthie to raigne aboue his people and then sayth if such order were once established as there he prosecuteth and the discipline well executed accordingly theyr yearely comming to the Parliament for matters of religion shall bee superfluous and vayne And this also is playne by Cartwrights newe forme of discipline subscribed vnto by himselfe and his fellowes Which forme they haue auowed vppon theyr oathes to bee such as that they purposed to haue beene suitors to her Maiestie for the generall establishing of it In which their purpose if once they may preuayle there shall neuer Parliament bee troubled againe in matters of religion otherwise then as I sayde for making of lawes that the people may obey their orders For the whole gouernement is there ascribed vnto their Elderships other assemblies insomuch as the ciuill Magistrate is not once mentioned in it It is well knowne how vehement they haue been and still continue against the now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury in that he is one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Councell accounting it vnlawful for a Bishop or Minister of the worde to holde anie such roome and authoritie And yet notwithstanding it is greatly allowed of liked that Beza in Geneua should be one of the Councel of that state there one of the threescore and they admit not anie into theyr Consistory so much as the meanest of their Aldermen but hee must bee eyther a Syndicke or one of the Councell of threescore or one of the Councell of two hundreth Now I cannot possibly be brought to thinke that the worde of God should deale so partially but that it may bee as lawfull heere as there if it please her Maiestie to haue a Bishop to bee one of her most honourable Councell It is apparant in the former Chapiter what little account they make of generall Councels The best are censured by them and reprooued It is not well borne by Cartwright that the Councell of Nice should be tearmed a famous Councell And for other Councels or Synodes they are scarcely reckoned to bee worthie the mentioning If you presse one of that forte with the authoritie of them all though hee be not thirty yeares of age hee will not sticke to make a tush at them and tell you that himselfe is of another opinion No decrees made by them will bind these fellowes And as touching our owne nationall Synodes and Parliaments they are prosecuted with the greatest contempt The reformation of religion made by that authoritie is tearmed a deformation The articles of religion are misliked in diuers points The Iniunctions Aduertisements Canons Orders Ceremonies and all thinges in a manner are despised by them For they are but mens preceptes forsooth euery man must trie them and keepe or allowe what he list at the least if hee will but pretend that hee dooth it of conscience Howbeit if they may haue once authoritie to establish their Elderships and to meete together in theyr classicall prouinciall or nationall assemblies there to make such lawes and orders as they shall thinke good then see I praye you how they chaunge theyr song Touching my departure from that holy assembly without leaue c. Icraue pardon Holy assembly It was a Conuenticle in London about the yeare 1584. I am ready to runne if the Church commaund according to the holy decrees and orders of discipline Holy decrees and orders The matter was for his going into the Lowe Countries with the Earle of Leicester and for his absence from his benefice To the determination of a nationall Synode men shall stande as it was at Ierusalem except it bee in a great matter of fayth or a great matter expressely against the Scriptures It was agreede vppon in the Northampton classis that concerning any matters of doctrine or about the sense of any place of Scriptures the brethren within that compasse must stande to the determination of that clâ—ssis And these are the
Bishoppes grounding themselues vppon one of Cartwrightes principles That any increase of authoritie being added to a Church-Minister dooth cleane chaunge his Ministerie and maketh it a new Ministerie Whervpon they conclude that Archbishoppes and Bishoppes hauing receyued an increase of theyr authorities by diuerse Councelles c. are become to bee of a newe Ministerie neuer ordayned by Christ nor his Apostles and so consequently vnlawfull and to bee abolished The follie of this collection hath beene shewed manie wayes both by reasons and by examples but yet they haue not beene satisfied But nowe you shall see they are put to silence for euer For Beza is peremptorie to the contrarie of that which they haue so inforced In his booke agaynst Doctor Sarauia speaking of a place of Ieromes how Bishoppes were ordayned for orders sake c. hee sayth in effecte That when they had such authoritie giuen then for orders sake Mutatio non suit in re ipsa id'est in ipso ordine sed tantùm in ordinis modo There was no chaunge made in the thinge it selfe that is in the order but in the manner or measure of the order And afterwards more plainely where hee setteth downe another manner of principle than Cartwrightes vz. That wee must distinguish betweene the nature of a thing and that which adhereth vnto it accidentally because Eo in aliud cōmutato vel sublato res ipsa permanet The accident beeing chaunged or taken away the thing it selfe remaineth Whereupon if I vnderstande him he groweth to this issue That the increase of any such authority as is before mentioned or the alteration of the manner or order is not of the essence of the Ministery but a thing that is accidentall and may be chaunged according to the circumstaunces of times and places And hee bringeth this example Accidentale fuit c. It was accidentall c. Vt vnusquispiam iudicio caeierorum compresbyterorum delectus presbyterio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esset permaneret That one beeing chosen by the iudgement of the rest of his fellow-priests or Elders should be the President or the Prelate ouer the presbytery and so continue You will aske mee perhaps how this geare comes about that Beza is so opposite to Cartwright I will tell you my conceit I suppose that matters of their pretended Discipline are growen to greater ripenes in Geneua then they are thankes be to God in England and that therfore Beza is more franke to let vs see what they generallie shoote at then Cartwright dare bee as yet For howsoeuer Cartwright presumed to tell vs as it seemeth vntrulie that their moderator forsooth should be chosen but for one action only and that Caluin being chosen to that office for two yeares so as I take it from two yeares to two yeares misliked that small preheminence should so long remayne with one which in time might breede inconuenience and that Beza also misliked it for that cause Yet now you see that Beza is far from that base conceit thinketh that that office maie bee permanent and further saith that to ordaine it so now certè reprehendi nec potest nec debet it neyther can nor ought surely to bee reprehended And his reason is this for that it hath beene an order that one should bee so chosen to haue such a permanent preheminece in the Church euer since Saint Markes time Nay he is come to this that he is content to yeald in effect that the institution of an Archbishop is agreable to the word of God vz. ex illa generali et verissima Apostolica regula c. according to that generall true Apostolicall rule which appoynteth that all thinges should bee done orderly in the house of God Est igitur or do c. There is therefore saith hee an order in it selfe and by it selfe prescribed by God but the reason or vse of that order and the manner of it dependeth vppon the circumstances of times places and persons and is as men speake according to Lawes positiue Nowe if these thinges that Beza writteth bee true and that he himselfe peraduenture could bee well inough pleased to enioye such an office if the sayde circumstances of time and place might serue his turne to obtaine it then we perceaue that such additions of titles and preheminence so he and his fellowes may haue them do make no such alteration of the essence of the ministerie as with vs is pretended There is great barking against the church of England for that by Act of parliament some partes of the Canon Law are retained and to bee vsed by our Bishops for the better gouernment of the Church insomuch as the very name of the Canon law is become odious the commō sort of simple men of the factious crue verily supposing that the name of such a law rule or institution is popish vnlawfull and diuelish and therfore they crie out crucifie it crucifie it awaie with it wee will not be ruled by it we will none of it As though they shoúld saye we are lawlesse men for rules and orders we detest them whatsoeuer seemeth good in our own eyes that we will doe at the least if we euer yeald our obediēce to any churchlaw it shall bee surelie of our own making sie vppon all former Councels sie vppon all those decisions which the auncient fathers made sie vpon all old and auncient constitutions And thus in effect they write speake in their libels and ordinarie table-talke whereas notwithstanding if there be anie thing in the Canon-law that will serue their purposes they can be contēt to steale it thence to take to themselues thereby the commendation which is due to the true authors fathers of it Cartwright his fraternitie in their essentiall draught of discipline haue drawen more then seuen partes of eight of it out of the Canon-lawe and auncient constitutions Viretus perceiuing but too late what hindrance grew to the platforme of their new discipline by the vtter abolishing of the Canon-law at once and as it were in a furie which he supposed did wold still haue bridled princes if it had been retained and still in force sheweth his dislike of such rashnes in these wordes They thought it a goodly reformation in the Church to abolish all the Canons decrees with the good statutes which the auncient fathers and Doctors hadde ordayned to mayntaine the good discipline in the church The chiefe point indeed that grieued Viretus as there it appeareth at large was this because Princes by that meanes had drawen their necks frō vnder the yoke of discipline A matter so much misliked by them as that he is flatte of opinion that it had beene better for the Church to haue kept the old Pope still then by abrogating of the Canon law and in giuing to Princes so great authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall so to haue subiected her selfe to a new kind of papacie
mentem vobis veniebat amplissimus ille Nicenae c. Did you not remember the moste worthy assemblye of Nice of Ephesus of Calcedon quo nihil vn quā sanctius nihil augustius ab Apostolorum excessu sol vnquam aspexit The Sonne it selfe hath neuer beheld since the Apostles departure out of this world any thing that was more holy or more excellent then those assemblies were Thus I say both Beza Cartwright and the rest of the Disciplinarie humor doe write both of the auncient Fathers and of the olde Councels when they please them in any matter But otherwise let anie of them all naie iointlie al of them together impugne anie part of the new pretended Discipline or crosse them there Oh they touch the apple of euerie one of their eies they care not for their authorities they despise their decrees they cannot endure them as now it shall be shewed in the next Chapter following CHAP. XXVII How they deale with the auncient Fathers Ecclesiasticall Histories and generall councels when they are alledged against them WHen for the proofe of sundrie matters impugned by them they are vrged with the testimonies of the auncient Fathers and of the Ecclesiasticall Histories they either shift them off with their owne false gloses or if that serue not their turne they disgrace them as much as they can and so reiect them Where Ignatius ascribeth verie much to a Bishop as that nothinge should bee done in the Church without his consent and saith that hee hath a principality and power ouer all ascribing vnto him in that respect the title of Prince of Priestes they expound the word Priestes to signifie both Ministers of the word and ruling Elders the saide power ouer all to extend but onelie to the saide kindes of Priests in one parish and the name Prince to meane no more but as it were a moderator chosen out of those Ministers for one meeting onlie to propound such matters as were then to be handled to collect the voices and to moderat that action Which interpretation is onely framed according to the practise of Geneua and such great Churches as Cartwright tearmeth them which haue saith he diuerse Ministers and ruling Elders in them and is God knoweth as far from Ignatius meaning and words as falshoode is from the trueth And yet either thus he must speake or els if you presse them further then they shall well like of the poore old Father is straight way reiected as a counterfaite and a vaine man It being shewed according to Ireneus wordes vz. that the Apostles committed the Churches in euery place to the Bishops and that euerie one of the Apostles seuerally did appoint Bishops in those Churches which they had planted as S. Paul did at Ephesus and Creta Cartwright answereth thus For the explositiō of Ireneus which interpreteth They euery one seuerally if they seuerally ordained Bishops euery one in his circuit so it be vnderstood with the Churches consent as is before declared I am well content Are yee so Surely it is great ioy of you And what is before declared Forsooth Maister Beza in effect saith that the Apostles did not appoint any Bishops that is any Pastor Doctor or ruling Elder by their owne authority but the choise of euery Church-officer being first made by consent of the whole parishe Then any Apostle that was present did consecrat the saide partie so chosen vnto the Lorde by laying his handes vppon him nomine Presbyterij in the name of the Presbyterie This is then the issue that Ireneus must stande to Except hee will frame his speach after the newe cutte euen according to Bezaes pleasure Cartwright you see will not allowe him If he were now aliue hee might well thinke scorne to be thus vsed by either of them both contrarie to his owne meaning Iustinus Martyr being brought to witnes for Bishops and their authoritie in his time about the yeare 130. which was some nine yeares after Sainct Iohns death where he calleth euerie such B. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is prelate because the ruling of the Ministerie people within his circuit appertained chiefly to his charge Cartwright termeth this seeking into the fathers writings to find out the historical truth of this cause so much by him impugned a raking in Ditches and laboureth in this sort to rid his handes of him saying First this Prelate was but as a moderator to propound matters c. Secondly that he was Prelate of the people not of the Ministers which is contrarie to his first exception except he will say the people had then the gouernment of the Churche amongest whom he should be moderator Which being obserued as I thinke by Beza he alledgeth this place of Iustinus to prooue Timothy in Ephesino Presbyterio fuisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Antistes vt vocat Iustinus to haue been Prelate in his pretended Eldershippe at Ephesus Cartwright hath also a thirde aunswere in his second Booke bee it graunted that Iustinus president had superioritye ouer the Ministers yet how fondlye is it concluded that it is lawfull because it was But his maine Barricado for defence is this in the daies that Iustine liued there began to peepe out in the Ministerye some thinges which went from the simplicitye of the Gospell as that the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was common to the Elders with the Ministers of the word was as it seemeth appropriated vnto one For the proofe of the antiquitie of Bishops Ieromes testimonie is brought that at Alexandria from Saincte Marke the Euangelist there was a Bishop placed in a higher degree aboue Priestes as it were a Captaine ouer an Army About which wordes they busie themselues wonderfully First saie they thinges being ordered then by the suffrages of the Ministers and Elders it might as it falleth out oftentimes bee done without the approbation of Sainct Marke How it falleth out amongest them it is no great matter That they should euer agree were more to bee maruailed But to laie such an imputation vppon that church Sainct Marke himselfe being present I thinke it a lewd part and too full of presumption Besides Saincte Marke might haue appealed by their conceites vnto some Classis if hee had disliked that ordinaunce But if this shifte will not serue then they haue another that the wordes from Sainct Marke may be rather taken exclusiuely to shutte out Sainct Marke and the time wherein he liued then inclusiuely to shut him in the time wherein this distinctiō rose Wherein he sheweth his ignorance for Ierome calleth Saint Marke the Bishop of Alexandria In the ende he vseth this fond quirke It is to bee obserued that Sain ct Ierome saith it was so in Alexandria signifying thereby that in other Churches it was not so and we are rather to follow Ierusalem that kept Christes institution then Alexandria that departed from it
Haue you seene a Biâ—de in a lime-bushe But yet he plungeth and when all comes to all if these shiftes shall be thought insufficient this is the last both for this point and certain other of the profite which the Church receaueth by Bishops c corruption groweth in time as the times are so are men that liue in them there is not such sinceritye to bee looked for at Ieromes handes in his times as from others that went before him besides his other faultes he might in this matter haue spoken more soundly And Beza shameth not to giue him the lie in effect and to deride him For where Sainct Ierome saith that when some would needes holde of Paul some of Apollo and some of Cephas it was ordained for the auoidinge of Schisme totius orbis decreto by a decree of the whole worlde that one shoulde bee chosen by the Priestes to bee aboue the rest That is not so saith Beza And in another place quod tandem istud decretum quando a quibus factum what decree was this when and by whom was it made It is most apparaunt and cannot bee denied but that Ireneus Cyprian Tertullian Ambrose Ierome Augustine and diuerse other auncient writers doe call Bishops the Apostles successors In so much as some of them especially the authors of the Ecclesiasticall Histories doe drawe long Catalogues of the particular Bishops names that succeeded the Apostles and other Apostolical men whom they made Bishops Which Catalogues and manner of speach of the said fathers being vsed by them verie fitly against such Heretickes as did rise vp in their daies haue since in our time beene greatly abused by the Papistes Vnto whome the learned men that haue stoode for the trueth against them by writing haue continually aunswered That the fathers arguments drawen from the said personall succession by Bishops were verie effectuall so long as the succession of the Apostles doctrine did concurre therewithall and that the fathers in vrging of the first had euer an especial eie to the second some point of Doctrine being euer called in question by the saide Heretiques And this answere as it is in it selfe most true so it hath ben hitherto generally receiued Yet now another must be sought For whereas in our daies the verie calling it selfe of Bishops is so brought into question that men are enforced to seek their original amongst many reasons for the iustifying of it do bring the said fathers to testifie in this cause that the Apostles themselues appointed BB. that they were generallie accounted in their times to be the apostles successors Now Cartwright with his crue commeth forth amongst vs telleth vs that in all such places where the Fathers and Ecclesiasticall writers doe saie that the Bishops succeede the Apostles we must vnderstand them that by Bishops they mean euery Pastor in his own parishe whom he affirmeth to be onlie the Apostles BB. and that where they call them the successors of the Apostles that is to bee vnderstood because they propound the same doctrine that they did In this sence saith he in another place I grant it true that all Bishops that is Pastors succeed the Apostles So as then the said personall succession is here quite excluded And besides for his other successioÌ„ of doctrine Sadeil being verie desirous to make the said places of the fathers to seem as though they were greatly to be insisted vpon sticketh not much to grant to euery laie man that feareth God as great a priuiledge as Cartwright doth to his Pastors callinge them likewise the Apostles Successors quatenus Apostolorum doctrinam retinent et Apostilicis vestigiis insistunt as farre as they holde the Apostles doctrine and doe walke in their pathes And thus wee must expounde the Fathers euen as the Father of all such Expositions did that of the Psalme Angelis suis mandauit de te or else they will tell vs that they were but men that they speake as the times required wherein they liued that they writ vntruely and manye things to like purpose As if wee were to account no otherwise of them but as of time-seruers men-pleasers deceauers and ambitious persons Though Ierome being an earnest man for the abating of the Deacons pride at Rome in preferring of theÌ„selues before the order of Priestes whereof hee himselfe was one doth speake as much as he could deuise to suppres their insolencies and to aduance his own orders as that Priests were once called Bishops c. yet he was content in other places and vppon other occasions to confesse that Bishops are in respect of Priests as Aaron was in respect of his sonnes that Esay did foretel that Bishops should be chiefe gouernours of the church that the Priest was contayned in the name of Bishop 1. Tim. 3. as the lesse in the greater that Bishops did holde the places of the Apostles and euen in the verie heate of his said disputations against Deacons hee willingly and expresselye graunteth to Bishops one great prerogatiue vz. the ordination of Priestes which did not belong to his order Now it is not vnknowen what aduantage is taken against all Ieromes words which may be with any shew of trueth vrged against Bishops And it will not be admitted of in this case which in some other the best of them are enforced to admit vz. that such his wordes were vttered in heate of disputation and not dogmaticè But whatsoeuer hee hath written in anye place either in his commentaries vpon the scripture or in his letters when he had laid aside the person of a partie that had interest and stoode not vppon euerie thing that might giue anie aduantage as the maÌ„ner is in disputation all I saie whatsoeuer it must yeald and stoope to that which maie in any sorte impaire the credit of Bishops or else woe be to poore Ierome hee writeth contraries and I wot not what And there is one that hath sent vs worde in his booke from Rochell that he knoweth a knacke how Ierome may be expounded that hee shall not leaue to the Bishops so much as ordination Where we reade in Ierome Quid facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus quod non facit Presbyter What doth a Bishop excepting ordinatioÌ„ that a priest doth not Now saith this fellow vide candide Lector num legendum sit accepta ordinatione vt sensus sit ille qui ordinatus est a compresbyteris Episcopus nihil facit quod presbyter non facit Obserue gentle reader whether wee may not reade hauing receiued ordination that the sense may be He that is ordayned of his fellow-Elders a Bishop doth nothing that a priest maye not doe Which is too too childish To prooue the antiquitie and lawfulnes of the name of an Archbishop there being alledged the authorities of Clement Anacletus Anicetus Epiphanius Ambrose Sozomenus and thereuppon a conclusion inferred with a saying of Augustines that seing the name
it cannot touch them Wee vppon earth are to honor theyr memories and for all proude and wicked censure are to learne from them that such names not being giuen to anie minister in respect of anye office peculiarlie belonging to Christ may lawfullie bee retayned in the Church of God Whereas to approoue the lawfull vse of some holydaies allowed and appointed to bee kept in the Church of Englande amongst diuerse reasons this is one the continuance of them in the times of Ignatius Tertullian Ciprian Ierome Augustine and sondrie others together with theyr good lyking and approbation of them They complaine that trueth is measured by the crooked yarde of time and therefore doe appeale from these Examples vnto the Scriptures and to the Apostles times As though the saide auncient Fathers the churches in their times had not knowen the scriptures aswell as he or his Sectaries and that notwithstanding the fourth commaundement it was lawfull for the church to appoint obserue such daies which vpon that only ground contrarie to the practise of the whole church since the Apostles times he vtterly denieth to be lawful induced therunto no doubt because Geneua hath abolished theÌ„ vz. Christmas-day Easter-day Ascention-day Whitsontide with all the rest A fact that in the time of the ancient fathers would surely haue beene accounted a tricke of Paganisme Iustinus Irenaeus Tertullian Ciprian Ambrose Ierome Basile Augustine Socrates Sozimene the Counsell of Auricanum of Neocaesaria of Nice of Gangrene of Orleaunce being cited to prooue the churches authoritie in things of indifferencie and for the obseruation of many thinges accordingly not mentioned in the scriptures Cartwright first complaineth that he is so pestred with such kinde of authorities in steed of Esay Ieremy S. Paule S. Peter and then he shaketh theÌ„ off altogether because the things which they affirm are now called into questioÌ„ vz. by him his fellows So as wheÌ„ it pleaseth theÌ„ to call any thing into questioÌ„ that all the fathers held away they must there is no remedie Cirill affirming that the lawe of Moses for punishing adulterie by death is not now in force Cartwright answereth as for Cirill I can at no hande allow his opinion his sentence is corrupt Chrisostome Oecumenius doe vnderstand the place of Timothy for the imposition of handes there mentioned of Bishops not of Priests Cartwright therunto saith I aunswere at once that it seemeth violent Eusebiâ—s giuing Iosephus this great commendation that hee was Historicorum qui sunt apud Iudeos facilè Princeps the principall man amongst the Iewes for a writer of histories Maister Beza disgraceth him in this sort in his oration when he was first chosen to be Rector of the Schoole at Geneua Iosephum c. I doe reckon Iosephus not onelye amongst the prophane but also in the number of ridiculous and foolish writters And whereas Origene Chrisostome the Creeke scholiast Theodoret Theophilact Ambrose and Ierome doe expounde Rom. 12.8 He that distributeth let him doe it with simplicitie not of Deacons that giue other mens almes but of all christians generally such as do giue almes théselues Cartwright disliking this exposition determineth of them after this sort They often strayne the text to drawe them to the present vse of theyr churches by reason whereof in steed of milke they somtimes draw blood He measureth the Fathers by his own falsehood When they are told that the auncient histories are against theÌ„ concerning a point by them denied about the chosing of BB. in Ciprians time they confesse it that they are so indeed and thus they auoyd them that except it can be shewed out of some ecclesiasticall history of like auncientie with Ciprian it is nothing By which one blowe all the ecclesiasticall histories that are now extant of name since Christs time so far as I do presentlie remember except it be Philo Iudeus are quight cut off as insufficient witnesses of any thing before their own times that is of any thing for the space of 300 yeares at the least after Christ. There were Ecclesiasticall writers before as it may appeare in diuerse places of Eusebius out of whom both he and others after him borrowed much but now they are lost and we haue them not Where it was saide in the behalfe of the auncient Fathers and generall Councelles for the first 500. yeares being charged with corruption and I wotte not with what building working to make a way for Antichrist c that they laboured to keepe out Antichrist c they aunswere the Fathers imagined fondly of Antichrist they dealt like ignoraunt men they were ouer-mastered of their affections they had many errors c. And all this is spoken by a man much more fond ignoraunt affectionate and erroneous as I am perswaded then they were But yet heare the man and his maister a little further It is a daungerous thing to ground our order or pollicy of the Church vppon men Again Although the louuer of this Antichristian building was not then sette vp yet the foundation thereof being secretely laide in the Apostles times you might easily know that in those times the building was wonderfully aduaunced and growen verie high And Beza also The Fathers in the Councell of Nice vnderlaide the seate of the Harlot that sitteth vppon seauen mountaines Againe Maister Cartwright Those times were not pure nor virgin-like the Churches were then much departed from the singlenes wherein the Apostles had left them Lastlie Examples cannot be without great daunger set from those times And thus all but Caluin Beza and himselfe are men there is no good building but their owne nor anie purity to be found but in them their fauourers their deuises and platformes It is alleadged out of Theodoret that Sainct Chrisostom being Bishop of Constantinople had the care not onely of that Church but of the Churches also in Thracia in Asia and in Pontus and out of Sozemenus that he deposed thirteen Bishops for Simonie in selling of benefices Vnto which testimonies they aunswere First that this care was no other then such as euery godly Minister ought to haue ouer all the Churches in Christendome For example as Beza hath of the Churches in Fraunce and so Chrisostom was Bishop onely in the Church of Constantinople and hadde an eie and care to those other Churches Which aunswere proceedeth from grosse ignorance or malice Secondlye that if Chrisostome had charge ouer all those Churches he had as large a dominion as euer the Pope had Wherein also he sheweth his grosse ignorance in taking Asia there for the third part of the world Thirdly that if he hadde any such authority he was guilty of the breach of many Canons and Councels Fourthly that he could saie he was a prowde man Fifthlie that it might be aunswered that Chrisostom deposed the said Bishops not by his authority but by his
against him doth traÌ„slate for dioces parish as in this place he doth it with a most brasen forehead The councell of Nice of Antioch of Carthage and of Sardis directly prouing that Bishops only had authority to excommunicate Cartwright giueth no other answere vnto them but this that Maister Caluin saith how Bishops in excommunicating after that manner dealt therein ambitiously Athanasius saith that Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria had the Churches of Pentapolis committed to his care Cartwright saith that care importeth not iurisdiction and so as to the Councell of Nice and of Antioch Cyprian saith the cause of heresies and schismes is this that Priests wil not obey their BB. Cartwright that answereth that is iu effect if his vnpreaching Aldermen will not obay their Pastors Epiphanius speaking of one Peter a Bishop of Alexandria saith this is the custome that the Bishop of Alexandria should haue the Ecclesiastiasticall gouernment of all Egipt Thebais Mariota Libia Ammonica Mariotes Pentapolis Whereupon Cartwright gloseth thus that is besides his own church he procured the good of other churches rouÌ„d about him Again Epiphanius of one Miletus an Archbishop that he was subiect or vnder the said Peter Archbishop of Alexandria Cartwright saith that euery Bishop of name was called an Archbishop And where it is said Miletus was vnder Peter that is vnder him in honour and not subiect vnto him saith Cartwright contrary to the manifest words and meaning of the author Theodoret Bishop of Cyprus saith of himself that he had the gouernment ouer 800. Churches Cartwright saith in effect that he lied that his words coÌ„cerning his care in gouerning those churches being spoken of himselfe want not suspition and that hee was condemned for writing against Cirill neuer mentioning how hee was wrongfully condemned in his absence and afterward restored I omit a number of their other shifts and presumptuous dealings with the fathers As of Epiphanius For him it is knowen of what authority he is c. it were better to laie his words against Aerius vpon some counterfaite and false Epiphanius to spare his credit Likewise of Ambrose Many errors corrupt expositions are found in his works in his exposition vpon the place to the Philippians a child may see how violently he forceth the Text. And also their reiecting of Councels by heaps c. wher they haue no coulor how they may peruert them But yet I may not let this escape my fingars that Cartwright whether for his owne glory or else that God would haue him to be the instrument of his owne shame is well content rather then he will want testimonies to encounter with the authority of Bishops to sort both himselfe all his followers in the number of those that euer since the Apostles times haue repined at that authority thereupon haue beene ouerruled by all the auncient Fâ—thers and Councels as busie bodies Schismaticks You shall heare his wordes and then iudge whether I haue mistaken them To what ende both in the Nicene councell and in many other holden more then two hundred yeares after are there found so manie canons for the acknowledging of the authority of one Metropolitane in euery Province for the honor which he should haue the name he should be called by for the place where hee should sit at their meetings for the bounds of their circuit Doe not all these declare that there were some which were ennemies to that authoritye c. To this I might adde his defence to Aerius and his confutation of Epiphanius not without some discredit to Sainct Augustine Lastlie whatsoeuer is saide or may be said hereafter out of all the auncient Fathers and Histories and out of all the generall Councels concerning the saide gouernment of the Church by Bishops Archbishops and Patriarches of their institution authority title circuites and prerogatiues Cartwright doth take vpon him most boldlie most falsly to prescribe vnto vs certain rules how we must vnderstaÌ„d them or otherwise there is not one of them that will be allowed of I blush in his behalfe I assure you to sette it downe and am ashamed that anie man bearing the name of a Christian shoulde deale so like an Impostor But this it is That it maye appeare saith he what the Fathers and Councelles doe mean when they giue more to the Bishop of anye one churche then to the Elder of the same church and that no man bee deceaued by the name of Gouernour or ruler ouer the rest to fancy any such authority and domination or Lordship as wee see vsed in our church it is to bee vnderstoode that amongest the Pastors Elders and Deacons of euery particular church and in the meetings and companies of the Ministers or Elders of diuerse churches there was one chosen by the voyces suffrages of them al or the most part which did propound the matters that were to be handled whether they were difficulties to be soluted or punishments censures to be decreed vppon those that had faulted or whether there were elections to be made or what other matter so euer occasion was giuen to intreate off the which also gathered the voyces reasons of those which had interest to speake in such causes which also did pronounce according to the number of the voyces which were giuen which was also the mouth of the rest to admonish or to comfort or to rebuke sharply such as were to receaue admonishment consolation or rebuke which in a worde did moderate that whole action which was done for that time they were assembled c. And must we thus vnderstande the Fathers generall Councels Hee might as truely saie that the present forme of our ecclesiasticall gouernment in England vnder her maiestie by Archbishops and Bishops is euen the very same maÌ„ner of church-gouernment that he his followers looke for the right platform of those Elderships which haue so mightely bewitched them Men that once haue passed the limits of modestie may afterwards saie write what they list The ancient Fathers haue deserued farre otherwise of the Church of Christ then that for the maintenaunce of such a forgery as the pretended form of discipline is they shold be vsed after any such manner I would wish all men that are of this proud presumptuous humor to peruse the books which S Augustine hath written against Iulianus the Pelagian There they shall find the very same contemptuous spirit in Iulianus that raigneth in theÌ„selues exalteth it selfe so greatly against the godly learned fathers as also on the other side they shall there see the fruites of Gods spirit vz. in what reuerend account verie high estimation S. Augustine had such worthy holy men by name as here you haue heard very contumeliously disgraced childishly neglected disdaynfully contemned and most proudlie reiected Ita intellexit Ambrosius ita Cyprianus ita Gregorius c. So Ambrose vnderstood such a place of the
scriptures So Cyprian so Gregory c. did carry some weight in S. Augustines opinion Those things which diuerse notable men haue alledged out of the auncient Fathers for the iustification of the present ecclesiasticall gouernment in the church of England ought not so lightly to bee regarded with euery princox What the Fathers haue written that agreeth not with our Phantasticall giddye headed fellowes pleasures they write it not of parciality either to grieue them or to gratifie vs but as trueth led theÌ„ Quod inuenerunt in ecclesia teneruÌ„t quod didiceruÌ„t docueruÌ„t quod a patribus acceperunt hoc filiis tradideruÌ„t that which they found in the church saith Augustine they held that which they had learned they taught that which they had receaued of theyr fathers they deliuered to theyr children Though Cartwright his companie do carrie so base a conceit of those times wherein the auncient fathers liued yet the Fathers themselues did not so thinke of theÌ„ Iulianus the heriticke did speake as it seemeth insuch a scornfull sorte of theÌ„ as our Sectaries do But S. Augustine laieth it to his reproch as an apparant argument of his great folly presumptioÌ„ thinking it a most absurd point for him so to vse them Vsque adeò permiscuit imis summa longus dies c. hath time so confounded all things saith Augustine is darknes growen to bee such light and is light it selfe turned into such darknes vt videant Pelagius Celestinus Iulianus et caeci sunt Hilarius Cpyrianus Ambrosius that Pelagius Celestinâ—s and Iulianus can see and Hilary Cyprian and Ambrose are become blind And surely I do not perceaue why I may not without offence applie the same wordes to those men in these daies which treade in the saide fellowes steppes concerning this their contempt pride Were there neuer learned men before you were taught the principles of the Geneua discipline was wisdom dead till you were borne Doe you know what was in the Apostles times better then they did who succeeded the Apostles were the auncient Fathers able to defende the greatest misteries of our saluation against so many pestilent heretiques and were they ignorant in the matters of the externall gouernment of the church Knew they the distinction of the three persons in the blessed Trinitie could they not find what difference Christ allowed off to be continued in his Church betwixt a Bishop and a priest Is the darknes which pride carieth with it groweÌ„ to be so light and is the light that shewed it selfe so many waies in the ancient fathers as in their singular learning great humilitie become such darknes that Cartwright Trauerse Fenner and such like but the shadows of learned men in respect should be thought so clearly sighted shall Ireneus Tertullian Cyprian Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Augustine Gregory Hilarye and all the rest of those worthie men be reckoned blind Surely he is a bussard that thinketh so And therefore I will coÌ„clude this chapter with another saying of S. Augustines against such busie innouators as you are oportet vt populi christiani vestris prophanis nouitatibus anteponant c. It is meet that all christian people should preferre the auncient fathers before your nouelties eisque potius adherere quà m vobis rather sticke fast to their iudgements then to runne after your phansies CHAP. XXVIII Theyr dealing with all the new writers and many reformed churches when they make against them THis is a grounde layde downe by Cartwright that few men that are of any stayde or sounder iudgement in the scriptures and haue seene or read of the gouernment and order of other churches are against them in such matters as they haue broched vnto vs. And agreablie to this ground his answeres are framed when any thing is vrged against him out of anie of the new writers except Caluin and BeZa If either of them do happen to crosse him it is strange to see how he doubleth shifteth As for any other they are but a puffe with him hee careth not greatly howe hee handleth them Pellicane Bucer Bullinger Illyricus and Musculus affirming with all the auncient Fathers that Timothye was Bishop of Ephesus what then sayth Cartwright If they were for one a hundred they could not beare downe the Apostle As though they hadde euer ment it Luther expoundinge a place of Zacharie contrarie to his liking his exposition sayth Cartwright is out of season Musculus affirmeth that the places 20. of Sainct Mathew 10. of sainct Marke and 22. of sainct Luke vos autem non sic doe not condemne Superioritie but an ambitious desire and tyrannicall vsage of it but Caluin as learned as hee sayth Cartwright is of my iudgement Bucer holdeth that the sayde 20. of Mathew doth propound a generall rule to all magistrats and christians Where Cartwrights extenuating the authoritie of man braueth out Bucer with this that his iudgment hath counterpoise of other as learned Whereas Peter Martyr Bullinger and Gualter do bring diuerse reasons for the lawfull vse of the surplise and such other apparrell as is appointed with vs for Ministers Cartwright is so farre from being moued with their authoritie as that he aduentureth to confute their said reasons after his manner very sophistically affirming in effect but falsely that either they vnderstoode not auncient fathers alleadged by them for that purpose or that they peruerted their meaning Bishop Ridly and Maister Bucer approouing that where there are no preachers there should bee godly learned homilies read in those Churches Cartwright thus dismisseth Bishop Ridley being a partie in this cause hee ought to be no witnesse And for Maister Bucers wordes he saith they are not to be weighed insinuating that his booke concerning his iudgement in king Edwardes daies vppon the communion booke is counterfeited Againe of maister Bucer for his allowing of priuate baptisme and of the signe of the Crosse likewise of the ring in marriage and that the parties married should receiue the communion he saith Bucer hath other grosse absurdities to this authoritie I could oppose other men of as great authoritie sometimes Homer sleepeth his reasons are verie ridiculous verie slender and colde and sauour not of the learning and sharpnesse of the iudgement of maister Bucer Maister Fox in like sorte setting downe his full approbation of the present state ecclesiasticall that Archbishops should be in degree aboue Bishops and Bishops in degree aboue other Ministers and relying for this his iudgement partly vpon the scriptures and partly vppon the primatiue Church and concluding that this is to keepe an order duely and truely in the Church according to the true nature and definition of order by the authoritie of Augustine he is I say thus censured Maister Fox writing a storie doth take greater paine and looketh more diligently to declare what is done and in what time and by whome then howe iustly or vniustly how
at another time and when they haue forgotten themselues they will of purpose I feare it to abuse the worlde stand very much vppon the auncient fathers and bragge of their authoritie exceedingly As Cartwright doth in these words most vntruly We propound nothing saith he that the scriptures doe not teach the writers both olde and newe for the most part affirme and the examples of the primitiue Churches confirme Did euer any manne regard Cartwrightes credite who considering what hath beene noted out of his bookes in this whole processe doeth not pittie him with all his harte to heare him so farre to forget himselfe Hee is a manne of good learning which maketh mee to woonder at him It is surely great pittie that euer hee was so maried vnto his Eldershippe For it hath vtterly ouerthrowne all the good partes that bee in him The best lawyer that is when hee giueth himselfe to shiftes and to feed his clyentes with quirkes refusing not to brabble in anye cause be it neuer so false he looseth his estimation and with the grauer sort is little regarded Howe truely Maister Cartwright affirmeth that he and his fellows do propound nothing but that the old writers for the most parte doe affirme and the examples of the primitiue church confirme I trust it hath in part already appeared vnto you in sundry places but especially in the 5. as I saide and in the 27. Chapters I haue heard some Councellers at lawe vse the verye like course of speach when notwithstanding the cause hath falne out most directly against them yet they haue cried out Oh my Lord wee haue these and these olde euidences to shewe such and such depositions doe make for vs verye manifestly wee haue yet many witnesses to bee examined and thus they will proceed with many cracking wordes as though there had beene nothing which had made against them Is Cartwright able trowe you to finde his Parish Bishops and his counterfeit Lay-Elders which two pointes are in effecte all in all with him in the auncient fathers and primitiue Church Hee maye say as truely that the Sonne shines at midnight But yet hee sayth that Ignatius and Cyprians Bishops were but as our pastors or parsons arein euery parish For his vnministering Elders hee alledgeth the same Ignatius and Cyprian and for a surcharge hee bringeth in also Tertullian Hierome Possidonius and Socrates where they make mention of priests I was once purposed to haue set downe the places themselues which they so violently peruerte to bolster out such theyr apparaunt falshood and to haue aunswered them But then I remembred howe effectually that had beene done allready by diuers learned and woorthie menne and of late more fully and largely by two especiall persons whose books one of them is in printing and the other presently comming to the presse and therevpon I altered my mind in that point And yet something thereof agreeably to the course which hetherto I haue obserued that may peraduenture amaze some of them Vppon some occasion falling out maister Cartwright affirmeth that if the now Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury had read the ecclesiasticall stories hee shoulde haue founde easiely the Eldership most florishing in Constantines time vz. in hauing then such Bishops and Elders as hee fancieth to himselfe For he must bee so vnderstood To whome replie being made that he should bring but one ecclesiasticall historie that affirmed so much after some three or fower yeares hee brought two vz. the historie of Magdeburge and Eusebius His testimony out of the first he setteth down in these words The centuries must needes haue told him that the same orders and functions of the church were in that time which were before And what would he inferre hereof Surely if hemeane honestly and doe not dally with the word before refering it further then the Centuries meant it which was but to the age that succeeded the Apostles he could not haue directed a man to any history now extant that doth more directly confound his assertion For there the authors of that history doe most plainely affirme that by and by after the Apostles death necessitas coegit personarum gradus aliquos constituere et conseruare necessity compelled the fathers then liuing to ordaine certaine degrees of persons in the church and to conserue them This is most directly against Cartwrights assertion although for mine own part to note it by the way I thinke the Apostles knowing the necessitie mentioned had taken that order before But to follow the said historie There were three degrees then ordained say the said authors vz. Episcopatus presbyterium Diaconatus the degree of Bishops of priesthood and of Deaconship For the proofe whereof they cite Ignatius Eusebius Theodoret c. and the very place of S. Ierome where he sheweth how for auoiding of schisme one was chosen amongst the ministers to haue preheminence ouer the rest and to whome the name of Bishop was peculiarly then attributed And as concerning the priests or Elders they doe shew it out of Eusebius Nicephorus Irenaeus Iustine c. that their office was to preach the Gospell and to administer the sacraments c. The Centuries thus we see will not serue M. Cartwrights turne to the iustifying of the florishing estate of his Eldership in Constantines daies I wil therfore come vnto his sec̄od authority which he bringeth out of Eusebius It is manifest saith he that the churches were gouerned vnder Constantine by Bishops Elders and Deacons by that which is recited of an infinit number of Elders and Deacons which came to the Councel of Nice with the 250. Bishops It is manifest indeede And it is also as manifeste that there were at that time both Archbishops and Patriarches But there were at that Councel both Bishops Elders and Deacons And what then I know that many men haue wrested many places directly contrarie to the authors meaninge but I doe not remember anie one place within the compasse of my small readinge that is more grosly peruerted then this place is For M. Cartwright running still his old biace would haue men to thinke that by Bishops Eusebius meant so many parishe-ministers and by priests or Elders his said counterfaite Aldermen And his authoritie is so greate amongest his sectaries who professe their Gleaninge after him that what-so-euer he bringeth they take it vpon his credit and so runne on with a conceite that not onely all other authorities brought by him out of the auntient Fathers mentioned are truely by him expounded and applyed but that also euen this place of Eusebius is to bee vnderstood as here he woulde haue it Wherein surely they are much to blame to depend so much vpon any mans credit If they them-selues had euer read either the Fathers or the ecclesiasticall histories they coulde neuer possibly haue beene miscarried so palpably A frinde of mine hauinge some talke not many yeares since with Maister Cartwright about this place of Eusebius
alledged and expounded by him as you haue heard vrged him verie earnestly that he woulde indeede tell him truely whether hee beeinge a man of learninge and so coulde not bee ignorant of Eusebius meaninge did not sinne euen against his owne conscience when he cited that place to such an ende and purpose as hee had done His aunswere was that hee did not and that hee was still of the same minde therein that hee was before Why Sir replyed my friende As Eusebius sayeth that there were an infinit number of Elders and Deacons which came to the Councell of Nice with the 250 Bishops So it is reported by Socrates that in the sayde Councell it had beene decreed by the Bishops c. but for Paphnutius that Bishops Elders Deacons shoulde haue companied no more with their wiues Quas cum erant laiui in matrimonium duxissent which they had married when they were lay-menne And now must wee expound Socrates in this place as you doe expounde Eusebius doth Socrates meane by priestes there your manner of lay Elders was the Councell bent to haue debarred such men from their wiues Speake your conscience truely I pray you Maister Cartwright aunswered againe that hee verily thought in his conscience that by priestes there Socrates vnderstood the saide Elders and that the Councell meant to haue seperated them from their wiues And this reason was because within a while after there was some question whether Subdeacons might marrie My sayde friende replied againe that hee was verie sory to heare his aunswere and that he verily thought the like interpretation of Socrates wordes was neuer made before nor would euer be made hee hoped by anie after him And so they parted Afterwardes my sayde friend findinge that when hee told some persons of great place how M. Cartwright did expounde the said words of Socrates they would hardly beleeue him but supposed rather that he had mistaken them did write a letter vnto him desiringe him most earnestly that if he c̄otinued in the same mind he left him he would be content to returne vnto him in writing some further reasons thereof then formerly he made at his being with him Maister Cartvvright hereupon writ backe againe vnto my friend I haue his letter in my custodie excusing himselfe that through want of bookes he could not satisfie his expectation so fully as he would But for the point I speake of thus he writ Touching that it seemeth strange vnto you that the gouerning elders should haue bene in danger to haue bene forbidden mariage in the councell of Neece I thought I had satisfied you in alleaging that not long after there vvas great hold amongst the councels vvhether Deacons yea Subdeacons should be married So as now that which before stood only vpon the credit of the relator is readie to be shewed vnder maister Cartvvrights hand as it hath alreadie bene to diuers of this disciplinarie disposition who as I haue bene informed and partly do know all of them haue vtterly signified their great dislike of that point And yet either he must of necessitie so interpret Socrates or els be driuen to giue ouer Eusebius and so both he and all his Aldermen to take their leaue of the Ecclesiasticall histories and bid them adieu But yet there is another thing in maister Cartvvrights sayd letter which is very fit for you to vnderstand that so you may see how he foileth himselfe One thing sayth hee vnto my sayd friend in your letter I thinke you mistake me in that you esteeme that I should hold a bishop and a minister of the vvord all one in the times of the Nicene councell For notvvithstanding that I hold that in the Apostles time and vvith S. Paule it is all one to be a bishop and to be a minister of the vvord yet it vvere a foule ignorance in me if I should not haue knovvne that long before the councell of Neece the name of bishop vvas for the most part appropriated to one in a church C̄osider I pray you how the man was mistaken If by elders Eusebius should haue meant his counteirfet laie rulers must he not then by his 250 bishops most necessarily haue meant so many parish ministers pastors or parsons except he will say that there was no such ministers there which were as new a paradox as the rest But how agreeth this of the difference he confesseth betwixt a bishop and a minister of the word long before the councell of Neece with some other of his sayings else-where in print such as there are The bishop that Ignatius speaketh of vvas but the minister of a particular congregation Againe Ciprians Bishop vvas nothing els but S. Pauls bishop that is one that had cure and charge of one flocke Again the bishop vvhich S. Ciprian speaketh of is nothing els but such as vve call pastor or as the common name with vs is Parson and his church vvherof he is bishop is neither diocesse nor prouince but a congregation vvhich meet together in one place and bee taught of one man Now ioine these things together and see what a Gallimawfrie ye haue May not a man misdoubt that maister Cartvvright is not yet resolued of his owne opinion Haue not his scholers great cause to reioyce in glaining after so constant an author What can he pretend to salue his credit withall Hee will neuer secke a refuge for shame out of these words vz. For the most part As though he should thus expound S. Ierome where he saith that when some began to hold of Peter some vpon Paule and some vpon Apollo which was as I take it in the Apostles times it was then decreed throughout all the world that for auoyding of schismes one minister who was called a bishop should haue authoritie and iurisdiction ouer all other ministers in his diocesse that is true should Cartvvright say throughout all the world except at Antioch and Carthage two little hamblets where Ignatius and S. Cyprian were but plaine parsons euen like the parsons of Hitchin and Newington Not many yeares since a friend of mine was commanded for a certaine purpose to contriue the cheese matters in controuersie about the pretended discipline into certain questions And it is pertinent to the matter I now speake of to acquaint you with two of them The first because of the pretence which is made as you haue heard of the ancient fathers was this VVhether can it bee shevved out of any ancient father out of any councell either generall or prouinciall or out of any ecclesiasticall historie for the space of 1500 and od yeares euen from the Apostles times till of late that in the ordinarie distribution of church-officers since that time euer vsed into Episcopos Presbyteros diaconos Bishops priests deacons vvhether can it I say be shevved that this vvord Episcopus that is Bishop vvas at any time taken there and vsed by the churches in any countrie for a common and vsuall
name to all ministers of the vvord and sacraments vvithout distinguishing thereby any one of them from another or vvas it not euer vvithin the time limited taken and vsed only in the said distribution for one amongst the ministers of the vvord and sacraments that gouerned the rest both of the ministers and people vvithin their circuits limited vnto them This question with the rest was sent to maister doctor Raynolds in Oxford to the intent he might returne his opinion of them which he forbare at that time to do in respect of certain other businesse that he had in hand Howbeit maister doctor Robinson his especial most familiar friend being acquainted as it seemeth with the sayd questions hath written in this sort vpon another occasion not dissenting therein as I take it from maister doctor Reynolds I haue sayth he mainteined it in the pulpit that the titles of honour vvhich vve giue to bishops are no more repugnant to the vvord of God then it is for vs to bee called vvardens presidents prouosts of colleges And in my iudgement they may vvith as good conscience be gouernours of their diocesse as vve being ministers may be gouernours of colleges of ministers Neither do I thinke that this vvas a late deuised policie For I am persuaded that the angell of the church of Ephesus to vvhom S. Iohn vvriteth vvas one minister set ouer the rest For seeing there vvere many pastors there vvhy should S. Iohn vvrite to the angell of the church of Ephesus and not rather to the angels if there had bene no difference amongst them And if this presidencie had had that fault vvhich is reprooued in Diotrephes as S. Ierome proueth that the Ievves had not corrupted the originall text before Christ his comming Quod nunquam dominus Apostoli qui caetera crimina arguunt in Scribis Phariseis de hoc crimine quod erat maximum reticuissent So I may say neither vvould our sauiour vvho by his seruant reproueth those disorders vvhich he found in the seuen churches haue passed ouer this great fault in silence Therefore as Titus vvas left to reforme the churches throughout the vvbole Iland of Crete so I am persuaded that in other places some of that order of pastors and teachers vvhich is perpetuall in the church euen in the time of the Apostles had a prelacie amongst their bretheren and that this preheminencie is approoued by our sauiour And if vve come any lovver though the vvord Episcopus signifie that care vvhich is required of all in scripture be applied to all that haue charge of soules yet I do not remember any one ecclesiasticall vvriter that I haue read vvherein that vvord doth not import a greater dignitie then is common to all ministers Neither do I thinke that any old vvriter did vnder the name of Bishop meane the pastor of euery parish VVhen the emperors vvere persecutors vve read of seueral elders but neuer of more then one bishop at once in Rome the like is to be sayd of other great cities and the churches neere adioining And to meet vvith that offence vvhich is taken at the name of Archbishop because that name is so appropriated to Christ in scripture that it is no vvhere giuen to any other I take it that there is no substantiall difference betvveene archbishop and archbuilder Either therfore the Apostle offended in taking too svvelling a title vvhen hee called himselfe an archbuilder or cheefe builder or it must be graunted that this title may in some degree be giuen to men vvithout derogation to Christ. And thus farre doctor Robinson with whom if maister doctor Reinolds do agree I see not whither the factioners will turne them for as I take it they will not reiect his opinion They haue bragged much of him indeed and of his iudgement in sundrie of their writings as though he were wholy on their side and that they held nothing but he would iustifie it Howbeit they haue done him therin I doubt not exceeding great iniurie For requitall wherof I would wish him neuer to seeke any other reuenge but to turne them to his booke against Hart where hee hath written his mind as touching this point now in hand In the Church of Ephesus sayth he though it had sundrie elders and pastors he vseth these two words in one signification as by the sentence going before it is manifest to guide it yet amongst those sundrie vvas there one cheefe vvhom our sauiour calleth the angell of the church and vvriteth that to him vvhich by him the rest shâ—uld â—novv And this is he vvhom aftervvards in the primitiue church the Fathers called bishop For c. the name of Bishop common before to all elders and pastors of the church vvas then by the vsuall language of the Fathers appropriated to him vvho had the presidentship ouer elders Thus are certain elders reproued by Ciprian Bishop of Carthage for receiuing to the communion them vvho had fallen in time of persecution before the bishop had aduised of it vvith them and others Here then you haue two for Oxford touching the language of the ancient fathers when they speake of bishops Now you shal haue a Cambridge mans opinion no moe but of one I tell you at this time marry he shall be such a one as the brotherhood if they bee of the painters mind before mentioned in the chapter may well bee compared with the other two seeing his iudgement is layd in equall ballance there both with Caluins and Bezaes and that without any disparagement vnto them you know whom I mean it is maister doctor Fulke who in his confutation of the Rhemish notes vpon the new testameÌ„t writeth thus Amongst the clergie for order and seemly gouernment there was alwaies one principall to vvhoÌ„ by long vse of the church the name of Bishop or superintendent hath bene applied vvhich roome Titus exercised in Creta Timothie in Ephesus others in other places Therfore although in the scripture a bishop and an elder is of one order and authoritie in preaching the vvord and administration of the sacraments as Hierome doth often confesse yet in gouernmeÌ„t by ancient vse of speech hee is onely called a Bishop vvhich is in the scriptures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 12. 8. 1. Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13.17 that is cheefe in gouernment to vvhom the ordination or consecration by imposition of bands vvas alvvaies principally coÌ„mitted c. VVhich most ancient forme of gouernment vvhen Adrius vvould take avvay it vvas noted amongst his other errors Hitherto doctor Fulke so as hereby I trust it may appeare to maister Cartvvrights reproch and to all their shames that shall pretend any authoritie froÌ„ the ancient fathers to impugne the right honorable lawful calling of Bishops not parsons in euery parish but Bishops in their diocesse and prouinces appointed in the Apostlestimes for the right order and gouernment of
the church of Christ. The second question before mentioned being as concerning priests or elders was as it followeth VVhether can it be shevved out of any ancient father out of any councell either generall or prouincial or out of any ecclesiastical historie for the space of 1500 od yeares euen frō the Apostles times till of late that in the sayd ordinarie distribution since that time euer vsed of church-officers into episcopos Presbiteros Diaconos Bishops priests and deacons whether I say can it be shevved that the vvord presbyter priest or elder vvas at any time taken and vsed for certain meere lay men as craftsmen husbandmen citizens gentlemen or noblemen such as should be chosen for a yeare or tvvo to be assistants vnto the ministers of the vvord for the better gouernment of the church as to haue authoritie vvith others to ordaine and impose their hands vpon a minister of the vvord and sacraments to bind and lose sinnes c. vsing in the meane time their seuerall vocations as they did before and ceasing after the said one or tvvo yeres vvithout any offence cōmitted by thē to be any longer presbyteri Or vvas it not euer vvithin the time limited taken vsed only in the said distribution for the ministers of the vvord and sacraments Vnto this questiō one hath made this answer The vvord Presbiteri vvas neuer othervvise takē since the Apostles times in that distribution but for the ministers of the vvord and sacramēts as it is most euidēt to any that shal peruse the ecclesiasticall histories or vvill take any paines to read the vvritings of the ancient fathers But of this point before it be long you shall heare more by one who as he hath done euery thing he dealeth with so hath hee handled this very notably Now in the meane while according to the order which hitherto I haue kept it shall be sufficient for me that the three sayd doctors men well accounted of with maister Cartvvright and his adherents and such as will not bee thought to speake any thing partially may deliuer their opinions as touching this matter For to my vnderstanding they are as direct in this point what the word Presbyteri should signifie in the ancient fathers as they were before in the other of Bishops If in the sayd ancient Fathers the name of Bishop be appropriated to one that had a greater dignitie than was common to all ministers and that by the name of Bishops they neuer vnderstood the pastors of euery parish as doctor Robinson sayth If in the primitiue church and in the Fathers language they were called Bishops that were the cheefe and presidents ouer the rest of the priests or elders euen such as our Sauiour himselfe by the holy Euangelist S. Iohn doth call angels as doctor Reynolds affirmeth If by ancient vse of speech he was onely called a Bishop which in the scriptures is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the elders that were subiect to these gouernours were of one order and authoritie with them in preaching the word and administration of the sacraments as doctor Fulke hath written against the Iesuits doth it not follow most necessarily that all the Clergie being deduced into three degrees vz. of Bishops priests or elders and deacons that by priests the ancient fathers must needs vnderstand the rest of the ministers of the word and sacraments that were no bishops except any will be so impudent as to say that they were none of the clergie He that will doubt hereof let him doubt for me whether the sunne be vp at noone Besides doctor Raynolds sheweth that Ciprians elders did administer the sacraments And for doctor Fulke after he had once incountred with the papists and amongst many other points was come to this whereof I speake concerning the name of priests as it is a distinct degree vnder bishops though before and peraduenture then also hee had a great fancie to the consistoriall Aldermen yet then that hee was driuen to deale directly and truly consider how he was inforced to alter his disciplinarie stile Those priests or ministers that are made among vs are the same elders that the scriptures in Greeke calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the bishops letters of orders they call them by the name presbiteri vvhich tearme though in English you sound it priests elders ancient seniors or ministers it is the same office which is described by the holy ghost Tit. 1. and in other places of scripture Againe VVe refuse not the name priest as it commeth of presbiter c. it is odious to some that knovv not the true Etimologie thereof Againe The name priest as it is deriued of the Greeke vve do not refuse it Again It appeareth by many places of VVicklifs vvorks and namely in his homilie vpon Phil. 1 that hee acknovvledgeth the destinction of bishops and priests for order and gouernment although for doctrine and administration of sacraments they are all one Againe In the fathers Episcopus and Presbiter Bishop and Priest are tvvo distinct degrees And againe In the fathers the vvord Presbiter is one degree only that is subiect to the Bishop Whereas therefore maister Cartvvright with his followers do pretend that they propound nothing which the writers both old and new for the most part do not affirme and the examples of the primitiue churches confirme As that where the ancient fathers and ecclesiasticall histories make mention of bishops and priests they vnderstand by bishops his parish parsons and by priests his counterfeit Aldermen beleeue both him all that glaine after him therein as they deserue and as by the premisses you shall iudge there is cause CAP. XXXI Hovv and vvith vvhat disagreement they vvrest and misconster the scriptures in the behalfe of their pretended discipline ABout the yeare 420 there fell a great contention betwixt the bishops of Affrike and Zosimus the bishop of Rome The point in question was this whether it was lawfull for them of Affrike to appeale from the proceedings of their owne bishops to the bishop of Rome Vpon which occasion partly there was a councel held in Affrike tearmed the sixt councell of Carthage wherein S. Augustine was present The bishop of Rome hearing of this councell and that it was assembled especially about that matter sent thither his factors Faustinus bishop of Potentia with other two priests of Rome Philippus and Asellus In this councell when the sayd question began to be debated the bishop of Romes factors being for their wit and learning three of the especiallest men that Zosimus could find out for such a purpose did deale most expresly against the bishop of Affrike for the prerogatiue and iurisdiction of the see of Rome In all the which contention notwithstanding the sayd factors were such excellēt men vsed the strēgth of al the wit and learning that was in them yet they could not find any one argument in all the
scriptures nor in all the fathers nor in all the world whervpon they might insist but did wholy rely vpon a pretended cannon of the councell of Neece Which cannon after much trouble many letters written and answers receaued was prooued to their faces by the said AffricaÌ„ bishops to be a most false and a counterfeit cannon At this time these arguments for the Popes authoritie had neuer bene heard of Neyther thou art Peter nor confirme thy bretheren nor feed my sheepe nor vnto thee vvill I giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen nor any of the rest which now are alleaged out of the scriptures As the bishops of Rome by their practises did grow in greatnesse so their parafits by their flattering did draw and wrest the scriptures to maintain their pride In as much that of later times euen as children do imagin that the bels do ring whatsoeuer they will sing so there is almost nothing in the scriptures meÌ„tioned no not from the sunne in the firmament to a peece of siluer found in the mouth of a fish that was catched with an angle in the sea but that the scholemen and other popish writers do presently conceaue with themselues that it tendeth to the setting forth of the popes great power glorie You haue heard in the second chapter by what arguments M. Caluin induced the ministers magistrats of Zuricke and so likewise as I take it of the other three cities there mentioned to write as they did for the obtaining of his presbytery at Geneâ—a It thâ—n sufficed him that they were content to say but thus much for his sake that this platforme of discipline did cast but an eye as it were toward the word of God He neither vrged them with the Iewes Sanedrim nor with their sinagogues nor with tell the Church nor with the elders that rule wel nor with any such persuasioÌ„s It is true that although when hee first deuised that platforme 1537. I suppose he had not thought of many places in the scriptures wherevpon he might build it yet before his sayd practises with them of Zuricke 1553 c. hee had in some of his commentaries and other writings made mention of those places specified but yet hee had done it very modestly rather thereby to prooue his owne platforme to be lawfull than to impeach the forme of church-gouernment allowed of and established in any other reformed churches So as when he dealt with them of Tigurine for as much as he himselfe was persuaded that the forme of discipline then at Geneua was not onely in it selfe lawfull but for that place also most fit and conuenient he alleaged not any one text of scripture for the continuance of it there but onely shewed what mischiefe would ensue in that place if it were abolished and therefore craued their assistance in manner and forme as he gaue them direction Marrie after it was by his means more fully established then for the better preseruation of it you would hardly bethinke it what wringing and wresting there hath since bene made of the scriptures to vnderprop it with this translation with that note with such an interpretation and with such a collection In so much as now there is seldome mention made of elders in the old or new testament of the words congregation and church of the greatest and cheefest iudges of bishops of rulers of thrones and of the kingdome of Christ but maister Beza Iunius Danaeus Cartvvright Trauers and all their schollers do thinke they heare a sound that ringeth out most plainly in their eares a formall peale of their presbyteri platforme Hauing occasion to talke vpon a time with an artizan of Kingston about his refusall after the purest fashion to be examined vpon his oth because I saw how peart hee was rapt out text vpon text full ignorantly God knoweth I was so bold as to examin him in the second petition of the Lords praier demaunding of him what he thought was meant by this word kingdome therâ— mentioned Whereunto he made in effect this answer without any staggering VVe pray sayth hee that our heauenly father vvould at the last graunt vnto vs that vve might haue pastors doctors elders and deacons in euery parish and so be gouerned by such elderships as Christs holy discipline dooth require And surely as it was with this fellow so is it with the most of those that talke so much of reformation as well with the schollers as with very many of their maisters put them out of their theame of rayling against the orders of our church and of extolling the pretended platforme of their counterfeit discipline and for other points which are of the substance of religion you shall find them most ignorant And as I take it the reason thereof is this because they haue found this phantasticall deuise magnified and extolled so exceedingly by a most lewd application of all those places of scripture in a manner vnto it which are written of the spirituall gouernment of the holy ghost in the harts of the faithfull as hereafter it will further appeare vnto you that they almost care for no other points so as they can bable of discipline and whet their tongues like rasors to wound all those that do impugne it You may remember that in the fift chapter for the finding out of the beginning and institution of this pretended eldership we were carried by degrees first to the return of the Iewes froÌ„ their captiuitie theÌ„ to Mâ—ses time thirdly almost to the daies of Noah they might as well haue brought vs within a generatioÌ„ of AdaÌ„ Now according to these deuises the scriptures are framed to serue euery one of their purposes For the manifestatioÌ„ where of I wil take no very long course nor enter into any ful discussing of those places which I find to be peruerted that worke being performed alreadie in diuers learned mens writings and as it wil appeare to al the world more fully hereafter only my meaning is that ye might perceaue and still obserue how agreeably al things concur together in the building setting out of their disciplinary Babel It is nothing els but as oft I haue sayd a meere fantasticall dreame And therefore by Gods prouidence that men might the better discern it and so take heed least they should be deceiued with such a vanitie it is framed according to the nature of such a fancy with discords contrarieties disagreements nouelties with stretching straining the scriptures as ech maÌ„ is disposed I know not with how many paltries vnlearned deuises Cartvvright who hath out-run his fellowes a very great way pretendeth that he is able to hammer his eldership out of the 4 of Exod. because Moses and Aaron when they came into Egipt did cal together as God had coÌ„manded theÌ„ the elders of the children of Israel Here you heare indeed that there is mention made of elders Wherevpon Cartvvright finding that name after one or two vnlikelihoods brought
euerie king prince being as he saith a new Pope by that meanes much worse then the olde So that hereby you see what is the drift of our factious cōsistorians in laboring to make the name of the Canō law odious You may not think that they differ in substance frō their M. Viretus but they are growē more crafty The matter that pincheth thē is this that in the acts of Parliament which are in force there is euer a Prouiso that nothing therof shal be in force which is contrary to the laws of this Realme or to the prerogatiue roiall of the prince If euer anie K. in England should be so far seduced as that he would yeald to establish their counterfeit elderships in this Realme with all the royall authoritie which they challenge of right to belong vnto thē changing the two former prouisoes should enact it that all the canō-law shold be in force sauing so much as should bee contrary to the orders prerogatiue of their elderships If I shold then be aliue as I trust I shall not I durst before hand hazard a great wager vpon it that they would most readily with a great applause receiue it almost worship it For as I said you may not imagine but that Viretus hath disclosed their verie hartes You know there is in euery church for the most part a distinctiō of places betwixt the cleargie the laity We terme one place the chauncell the other the bodie of the church which manner of distinctiō doth greatly offend the tender consciences forsooth of the purer sorte of our reformers Insomuch as M. Gilby a chiefe mā in his time amongst thē doth tearme the Quire a cage reckoneth that separatiō of the ministers from the congregation one of the hundred points of popery which hee affirmeth do yet remaine in the church of England Howbeit admit but of their elderships into euery parish thē you haue thē who will proue it out of the word of God that there ought to be such a separation of their Aldermen euery one of thē though he be but a Cobler from the rest of the Idiots that is all the other parishioners of what state soeuer Hic or do in ecclesia seruetur c. Let this order be obserued in the church saith Danaeus he sendeth vs the rule frō Geneua that these who do beare any office in the church distinguātur et separentur a reliquo populo may be distinguished separated frō the rest of the people c. It a fieri decorū est et vtile For it is decēt profitable that it should be so The Bishop he meaneth euery minister must stand or sit eminente loco alofte c. and let the elders sit by him tum vt populo appareant that the people may beholde them tum vt ministri concionantis doctrinam facilius intelligant et obseruent and that they maye the more easily heare the doctrine of the Minister preaching and the better marke it For of likelihood they are to be the preachers Censors You wil saie peraduenture wher there is some L. Maior some Councellor of state or some other great Magistrate Nay the King himselfe for he must bee of some parish where shall he or anie of them sit That is wiselie prouided for I warrant you For how should it otherwise be seeing the Prouiso commeth from Geneua Magistratus pius c. Let the godly Magistrate who is an honorable member of the Church sit in an honourable and perspicuous place where the Church may neither seeme to fauoure the arrogancy and pride of men nor the contempte of Magistrates And great discretion therein surely If the Magistrate should sit too high it would make him proude if too low it would bring him into contempt Ergo modus in loco illi concedendo seruetur c therefore let a mean be kept in appointing of a place vnto him Knight Lorde Earle Duke King or Emperour the holie Discipline respecteth no mens persons that he may both vnderstand he is preferred before the rest and yet withall that he hath no dominion ouer the word of God In deede excesse in anie thing is nought Sedeat itaque inferiori subsellio let him therfore sit in a lower seat then the preacher of the word of God and the Prophet that he may both see and acknowledge himselfe to be subiect to the threats of the word The parson or Bishop of euerie parish with his Artizan Elders must sitte in the highest place that the people may feede themselues with the sight of them the ciuile Magistrates of what degree soeuer must content themselues with inferior roomes and the rest of the people are to sit super mattas sedilia inferiora vppon pesses and little lowe formes I am perswaded it would greatlie trouble the subiects of England to see such a Metamorphosis in her Maiesties Chappell But see what a notable thing Discipline is and how the Ministers of Geneua can plaie the Herralds in marshalling of euerie state into their due places according to their callings If these men were then in England and should suruey our Quiers I suppose nothing would offend them but that that they are too low The place where the Roode-loft was would bee thought peraduenture more sutable for their Elders Indeed there the people might best behold them Lastlie because I will end this Chapter if Cartwright can get but one Scholiaste that doth in shew make for anie thing he liketh it is notable to see what reuill hee maketh with it And in like sort Maister Beza when the Fathers do fit him as in some points they doe against Erastus then these manner of phrases are common Rectè obseruauit Augustinus Augustine wel obserued it c. Againe an vero Chrys. c. what doe you thinke that Chrysostome and all the old Churches not one excepted saw not this Againe Hic te obtestamur frater c. we do here besech you brother that you would wel consider in whose behalfe and against whom you dispute cum rem ipsam ab vsu non distinguas when you distinguish not the thing it selfe from the abuse of it Againe Haec Chrysostomus quae tibi satisfacere rectè debent These thinges Chrysostome affirmeth which ought to satisfie you fully Again Nunquam aliter fuit hic locus in Ecclesia explicatus This place was neuer otherwise expounded in the Church And againe A temporibus Apostolorum ad haec vsque secula nunquam illa caruerunt Ecclesiae From the Apostles times euen vnto the age wherein we liue the Church did neuer want autoritie of Excommunication And as at times they are content to accept of the Fathers so will they also vpon the like occasion allow of generall Councells Whereas certaine persons in Transiluania beganne to reuiue diuerse old Heresies about the person of Christ Maister Beza writeth in this sorte An non in