Churches Of these things therefore I inferre That there was left of the Apostles Authoritie Apostolike to their successors whom they had disposed ouer many Churches and that partly for the establishing of such Churches as were throughly finished and partly for the finishing of such as were left not throughly formed and partly also for the planting of newe where as yet there was none founded And this was the cause why Paule beeing shortly to take his leaue of his life sent Crescens into Galatia and Titus into Dalmatia and sent for Timothie and Marke to make their repaire vnto himselfe Euen as the Lord himselfe being now readie to giue vp this life prouided for his Disciples in like manner the Apostles tooke great care for those Churches which were gathered and were to bee gathered from among the Gentiles otherwise how should the Churches haue receiued their so great increase after the Apostles Verely it is with teares to bee lamented that their holy Apostolike zeale is at this day so cooled amongst vs that no man so much as once thinketh of publishing the Gospell vnto Nations altogether estraunged from the faith of Christ But now seeing there were manie Churches lefte of the Apostles but newe begun and more not yet begun according to that power they had receyued of the Lord the work of the Gentiles conuersion which was begun by them was to be followed to the ende Of the which it followeth that the Apostolike power giuen of the Lord for the edifiying of his Church doth yet remaine in the Church And those parts of Apostolike gouernment as they were giuen of old to certain singular Bishops so are they to be giuen at this day where they are not giuen and so are they to remaine where they are giuen If any man desire some reformation to bee had in that kind for my part I am not against it The disposing of this power the Church hath as it alwayes had yet so as where the Lord hath giuen a Christian Magistrate hee bee not left out nor loose his part For they doubtlesse are those Seniors Auncients and Elders of the which there is so often mention in the Bible whom we read to haue beene ioyned of old with the Priests and Leuites in weightie matters for they are in stead of the whole people That the authoritie of Bishops ouer Priests or Elders is approued by the consent of the Churches throughout the whole world Chap. XX. THat which we read to be done of al Churches from the Apostles times and of the Fathers throughout the compasse of the whole earth and the same continued euen vnto these our daies I do alwaies holde as a sacred Canon of the Apostles not to bee repealed Neyther is it a smal presumption to abrogate that which hath beene receyued with so greate and vniuersall consent from the which to reuolt besides that it is in it selfe an vncouth declination of a conceit giddie and head-strong it will also bring with it a greater mischiefe and misery to the Church then many at the first will conceiue or any in the end can releeue Among the old Canons which for their antiquity are called the Apostles wee read this that followeth It becommeth the Bishops of euery nation to know who is the chiefe among them which is to bee accounted as it were the head without whose opinion these ought to do nothing of any great moment but that euerie man doe those things which belong vnto his owne parish and the villages which are of the same Neither let himselfe doe any thing without the knowledge of all for so there shall be concord and God shall be glorified through our Lord in his holy spirit This Canon a worde or two translated is renued in the Councell of Antioch in these wordes The Bishops which are in seuerall prouinces ought to know that he which is Bishop in the Metropolitane Cittie hath charge also of the whole prouince for that they which haue any businesse recourse from all places to the Metropolis or mother Cittie Wherefore it seemeth expedient that hee excell the rest in honour and that the other Bishops doe nothing of anie great moment without him according to the auncient decree of our Fathers but onely those things which pertaine vnto their owne precincts the Parishes subiect to the same For let euerie Bishop haue authoritie ouer his owne prouince and let him gouerne the same according to his owne deuotion and let him haue charge of the whole prouince which is subiect to his Cittie that hee may create Priestes and Deacons and dispose all things with iudgment besides this let him doe no other thing without the Bishop of the mother Church neyther hee himselfe without the opinion of the rest In which Canon renewed and reestablished I obserue two thinges the first is the Antiquitie of the Canon the other is That the prouince was not alwaies committed to the Bishop of the Metropolitane Cittie seeing a cause is added why Ecclesiasticall controuersies are to be presented to the Bishop of the Metropolitane Cittie rather then to any other of the which seeing the Apostles Canon made no mention the first Fathers seemed not alwaies to haue had that respect of the said Metropolis The antiquitie of this custome is sufficiently declared in the seuenteenth chapter of the Nicene councel as followeth Let the auncient custome preuaile which was in Egypt Lybia and Pentapolie that the Bishops of Alexandria haue an excellency supreme dignitie ouer all these Seeing that this is also the custome with the Bishop of Rome In like manner at Antioch and in other Prouinces primacie dignitie honor authoritie is giuen vnto those Churches But this is most plaine that if any man he made a Bishop without the consent of the Metropolitane The great Councell defineth that he ought not to be a Bishop Thus goeth the Law neither were it anye great matter to confirm the same with the Canons of other Councels and Ecclesiasticall histories But by this it may appeare what was the iudgement of all those auncient fathers concerning this matter That some are of opinion that Patriarches and Archbishops were first created of the Nicene councell or as some will haue it of the first Constantinopolitane Councell their opinion is their errour for the Nicene councell which was called about the twentie yeare of Constantine the great testifieth that it enacteth no new thing when it commaunded that the olde custome should bee continued so that it was no new thing at that time for some one Bishop to haue superiour authority ouer the rest of his brethren his authoritie being limited by certaine lawes But that some argue how that to be president ouer diuers Prouinces to haue charge of them belongeth to the office of an Apostle and an Euangelist and that one and the same man cannot bee an Apostle and an Euangelist and a Bishoppe for that these are distinct offices I may answere them that neuer yet any before these our
Priests rather by the custome of men then the constitution of God c. I aunswere that it was the priuate opinion of Hierome consenting with Aerius dissenting from the worde of God Wherefore we are now diligently to examin his reasons for that his assertion least wee might seeme without cause to haue forsaken him These therefore are his wordes Before that through the instigation of Satan there were parts taking in the Church and the people sayd I holde of Paul I of Apollo I of Cephas the Churches were gouerned by the common consent of Eldres but after that once euery man thought those that he baptised were his owne and not Christs it was decreede throughout the whole worlde that one chosen from among the Priests should be placed ouer the rest vnto whome the whole care of the Church should appertaine and by whom al occasion of Scisme should be taken away c. That here he saith how that at the beginning the Churches were gouerned by the common counsell of the Elders I will not greatly stand with him and yet that proueth not that the Bishops were not afterwards preferred by the Lord his institution For then might we not as well say and with as good reason that the Elders thēselues and the Doctors which the Apostles created were not according to the Lord his institution because at the first the Church was gouerned of the Apostles without Elders or Deacons when as yet there were neyther Elders nor Deacons But that the Apostles themselues gouerned the Churches by themselues and some other theyr coadiutors before there were any Elders there is no man but knoweth or may learne to know out of the Epistle to Titus And likewise whosoeuer is of any iudgement or hath not his iudgement blinded may easely gather of the thing it selfe that in those beginnings while yet the Churches might bee visited euer and anone of the Apostles themselues and theyr associats so long it was not needeful they should annoint any other Bishops ouer the Churches the Elders might serue the turne Who also so long as there were no other besides the Apostles might likewise be called Bishops So also I confesse that there was a time when the Churches were gouerned by the common counsell of the people as in Creete before the creation of Elders and at Corinth and at Rome which afterwards hauing theyr Elders as at Philipos and at Ephesus were then ruled by their more sacred counsel but yet vnder the care and ouersight of the Apostles and Euangelists Wherfore hitherto it followeth not of all this that rhe Apostles as God afforded able men did not prefer ouer seueral Churches seuerall Bishops them ouer the other Elders that they succeeding in place of the Apostles might performe those very same things which the Apostles them selues would if they could eyther haue liued alwayes or haue been euery where resident But in deede what need had they of Bishops so lōg as the Apostles themselues discharged the duty of Bishops And yet when as in the whole world the number of Churches did daily increase so that the Apostles could not stay in one place nor goe to all places of force and as soone as neede was they created Bishops vnto whome they committed that charge as were Titus and Timothy and many other no doubt with the same power and according to the same diuine institution of God by the which before they created Elders But that Hierom saith how that Bishops became greater then Elders of custome rather then of any diuine institution it hath no semblaunce of truth Which challenge I make good vppon him first from the time when he saith this custome began Before sayth he through the instigation of the diuell they began to make sects in the Church aad it was sayd among the people I holde of Paul I of Apollo I of Cephas the Churches were ruled by the common counsell of Elders c. But now those factions began vnder the Apostles and therefore that custome began in good time and the Apostles themselues for the auoyding of scisme altered if not abrogated the Lord his institution The which me thinks were more then absurde to say Our Sauiour no doubt who is the wisedome of his father knew much better then the Apostles what was needfull and commodious for the preuenting of scisme Whome as it did not beseeme to seeme more wise then their master so was it not theyr partes for the default of one Church to alter Gods institution Againe how knewe Hierome that before those scismes brake foorth the Church of Corinth had theyr Elders by whose councell they were ruled It is more likely by Paul his Epistles all circumstances considered that they had as then none especiall and peculiar Elders If any man come in and say that these thinges happened after the Apostles time and that Hierome did not so much respect the Church of Corinth as diuerse others and therefore speaketh not of Corinth but of the people who were fallen into diuerse scismes I come vppon him againe and tell him it is not enough for him to say so but it must bee proued out of approued Histories what those scisms were and how and where and when they began and how from that time this foresayd custome began We read in the Reuelation of seuen Angels the Prelates of seuen Churches of the which one was Ephesus the which as it is manifest had many Bishops before that time as were also at Philippos all which as I haue shewed were Elders also I say therefore that in the originall of the Church there was a time when they had nor Elders nor Bishops besides the Apostles themselues the Euangelists and theyr fellow-laborers as in Creete for the beginnings of all were alike Shall wee therefore say that those Elders were set ouer the Church of custome not of any diuine constitution because the Churches at the first vnder the Apostles gouerned thēselues without Elders or that after they had abused that their popular kinde of gouernaunce that thereuppon the gouernment was committed to the councell of Elders of custome Moreouer if this argument were good we might argue in like manner against the institution of Deacons and say they were not ordained according to any diuine institution because that in the beginning there were none of that order namely so long as the faithful were of one hart one soule and no man said the things he possessed were his owne but after that through the instigation of Satan the Greeks began to mutiny against the Hebrews For the auoiding of contention there were some chosen to be Deacons among them So therfore ordained of custome not of any diuine institution the which how wekely it followeth hee is but a weke man that cannot well iudge For albeit the Apostles alledge som other secundary causes yet it is most certaine the creation of Deacons did chieffy begin of that And therefore I say in like manner that albeit I should confesse
into bad Latine they call Superintendentes and generall Superintendentes But where also nor those good old Greeke nor these bad Latin names are in vse there notwithstanding are commonly certaine priuate especial men in whose hands in a maner is all the authoritie Wherfore now the controuersie is concerning names but seeing we doe agree in deed what doe we contend about names In the mean while as I haue not disalowed the Fathers in this matter which is nowe in question so also I cannot but loue the zeale of our brethren who therefore were out of loue with those names because they feared least with the olde names the olde ambition also and tyrannie should bee called in againe to the ruine of Churches Thus grauely diuineth that reuerend olde Zanchius with whom I could ioyne manie more testimonies if it were needfull of the best writers of our time to confirme this matter who are either wholie of our opinion or very sparingly of the contrary But for this time lonely Zanchius shal stand for the rest least I should ouercharge this smal volume with a multitude of witnesses Of one Bishop in one Diocesse Chap. XXIIII NOw that we haue proued that gouernement of the Church to be of God in the which Pastors are subiect to Pastors and Elders suppliant to their Bishops we are in the sequele of this our discourse to see and examine Whether one Church or diocesse is not capiable of two or more Bishops at the same time of the same tipe and authoritie True it is that the Church of Hierusalem had the twelue Apostles the seuentie two Disciples with the Prophets their Bishops neither are examples wanting of diuers churches which haue had ioyntly together diuers Bishops Epiphanius writing against the Arrian heresie falling into some mention of the Church of Alexandria seemeth to intimate thus much That in that age there was this custome in diuers Churches that they might haue two Bishops at once when as notwithstanding in the church of Alexandria he affirmeth there was no such custome To the which I thus answer First that the twelue Apostles the rest remained at Hierusalem for a certaine time but they were appointed Bishops Teachers not for that one Cittie onely but for the whole world Now for the custome of certaine Citties which at one time had their two bishops what manner custome that was how rare extraordinarie it was we may sufficiently learne by that one election of Augustine who was made Bishop while Valerius Bishop of Hippon yet liued The which thing was done as extraordinarie so contrary to the decree of the Nicene councel But what rule so general that suffereth no exception It is no sin I confesse for one Church to haue many Pastors of equall power but whether it be conuenient it should bee so experience will teach Indeed of old the Bishops being of great yeares sometimes would name their successor and assume a fellow-laborer in office with them and that partly to preuent the tumults which commonly infested their elections and partly also because sometimes the Bishops being disabled by age sicknes were not sufficing to discharge their duties in their owne persons for which cause it was lawfull for the new Elect to supply the aged his place sit together in the same chaire As for Valerius the Bishop of Hippon hee beeing moued thereunto by the example of foreine Churches got Augustine with much adoe to be ioyned with him but how vnwillingly hee vndertooke that place albeit hee were importuned therunto as well by the praiers as by the presidents of others he expressely testifieth in his 110. Epistle Wherein are reported what things were done at the assignement of Eradius Priest to succeede Augustine in his Bishoprike as they were taken by the notarie the people consenting and confirming the same to whom hee thus speaketh I know that you know saith he Eradius to be a fit man and worthy of a bishoprike but I would not there should bee that done by him that was done to me but what was done your selues can many of you witnes they onely cannot tel which either were not as then born or as yet had not the capacitie to know While as yet my Father and bishop Valerius of famous memory liued in the flesh I was ordeined then bishop and I sate together with him the which thing I then knew not that it was inhibited by the Councel of Nice neither did he know Wherefore that which was reprehended in me I would not should be reprehended in my sonne And thus saith Augustine Gregorie Nazianzen in an epistle to Gregorie Nyssen writeth of this custome in these wordes But if anie man contend that whilest one Bishop is liuing an other ought to bee elected let him knowe that these thinges are of no force against vs. For it is manifest and apparant vnto all the worlde that wee are president not onelie at Naziantz but also at Sosrie and that setting apart the reuerence of our auncient Fathers and graue Doctors and those that laboured the same of vs with their vrgent prayers we tooke vpon vs that presidencie as straungers Thus saith Nazianzene By the which we may vnderstand how insolent and extraordinarie a thing it was that one Church should haue two Bishops Epiphanius also made some small mention of this custome that he might shew the cause why Athanasius did not immediately succeed Alexander seeing hee was deputed thereunto by Alexander namely for that the custome of the Church of Alexandria did not permit that hee should be chosen Bishop while their Bishop yet liued Most true it is indeed that both the Bishops and the people were perswaded of this That one Church did admit but one Bishop when it was otherwise Necessitie which hath no lawe did excuse it When Constantius at the request of certaine noble Matrons had called Bishop Liberius from exile and would haue had him to gouerne the Church of Rome together with Foelix who was then surrogate and substitute in his place the people hearing the Emperours letters and scorning the contents thundred together with one voice One God one Christ and one Bishop Cyprian also writing of the lawfull election of Cornelius Seeing that after the first saith he there cannot bee a second whosoeuer is made after one who ought to be one and alone he is now no more second but none at all like manner Ignatius who was in the age before Cyprian and is accounted the second or third Bishop of Antioch after the Apostles reducing the gifts of the onely one God to an vnitie in the Church writeth thus There is one flesh of the Lord Iesus one bloud that was shed for vs also one bread which is broken to vs all and one cuppe which is giuen to vs all there is one Altar for the whole Church and there is one bishop with the companie of Elders The Fathers reason was this because God would whose will is a law to vs that there should bee
left in our power to vse them as time occasion shal require An indifferent thing is commonly that whatsoeuer is nor cōdemned nor commended in the word of God is left free to euery mans choise either to vse or not vse vnles some other thing interchaunce which altereth the vse of that which otherwise was free by reasō of the time or place or the person wher the same is in vse For my part I think things mediat indifferent might better be defined thus if we shall say those thinges are indifferent which by no law either Gods law or mās law are bidden or forbidden For by the command of him which hath the authority ouer our persons the vse of a thing which otherwise is free may many waies vppon many occasions be restrained or ouerruled But of these things in this place we are not now to discourse at large Onely thus much I chiefly note would haue iust notice taken of it that indifferent thinges may bee vsed of vs although the same things haue ben abused by the bishop of Rome or any other Antichrist Is our liberty to be preiudiced by an other mans religion specially where publique authority hath any thing to do in the matter suppose it either giueth vs in charge or putteth vs in choise to vse those things which the superstitious haue abused Wherfore whensoeuer anything shal come in question among vs that hath bene vsed among the Romanists or other enemies of the truth it is our part to examine and consider the matter as it is in selfe not as it was with them There are some in England at this day who take vpon thē more sowrely then seuerely against outward vestementes cap surples musicke and organs and such like rites of the Church the which because they were of some vse in the Romane Church now out vppon them they are sacriligious prophane In like maner and with no lesse modesty do they proceede against Bishops Archbishops their honors and reuenews Al the which vnles they could be proued contrary to the word of God what reason is this they bring and it is al they bring for the abolishing thereof when they say the author or inuentor therof was Antichrist No doubt indifferent things which he abused for his tyranny may be returned to a better vse for the good of the Church Now as for contētious natures such in whose brests this error hath taken fast footing namely That the authority of Bishops is a thing pernitious in itself and preiudicial to the church I know this my aunswere as it fitteh not their humors so it serueth not their turns Neither yet will they vouchsafe of that which I haue said of the natural signification of words compound with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherfore albeit the plainest interpretation of the names of Patriarchs and Archbishops like me best yet notwithstanding I dare say thus much further if we should grāt that which they shal neuer euince that by force of composition a kind of principallity were to be inferred yet doth it not theruppon follow that it is therefore a title abhorring from the state of our BB. For let it be lawfull for men to vrge the signification of euery sillable in this sort it shal forthwith be vnlawful for any to be called a monarch or to be inuested with the title of an Emperour for why forsooth these names in theyr proper sense are common to none but to God onely These and such like titles of lawful and necessary vse among vs must vppon this quirk be vtterly abolished neyther may it be lawfull for vs from henceforth to call our Ministers as the Scripture doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rectors or Rulers Prelates or Presidentes nay we shall not be able to auouch the name of Elders because this and these all in sacred Scripture are proper to Magistrates and Princes and the Nobles of sundry prouinces and and yet for all this we see that Ministers of the Church are called by these names Last of all if the authority of the Fathers may be of any preuail let vs hear what great dainty they make of the name of Prince in the titles of the cleargy Origen reprehending the clownishe sourenes of some Bishops writeth thus A man may see in some Churches especially in the greatest Citties how the Princes of the christian people shew no manner affability to any esteeming thereof as a thing nothing at all pertaining vnto them c. And aftewards againe We speake not these thinges as if we meant to discharge the Ecclesiasticall Principality In like manner vppon the Epistle to the Romanes the thirteenth Chapter By the which it appeareth saith he that the Iudges of the world do performe the greatest part of Gods law For all the defaults that God would haue punished he punisheth not by the Prelates and Princes of the Church but by the Iudges of the worlde And vpon the twenty seuen Chapter of Numbers the two and twenty Homily Let the Princes saith hee of Churches learne not to appoynt their successors after them such as are allied vnto them eyther in affinity of kindred or consanguinity of bloud neyther that they ought to make the Principality of Churches hereditary c. Ignatius no lesse godly then grauely My Son saith hee honour God and the King and I say further honor God as the author of al things and the owner and honor the Bishop as Prince of the Priests bearing the image of God by reasō of his principality the image of Christ by means of his Priesthood He that honoreth the Bishop shall be honored of God as also he that dishonoreth him shall be punished of God c. Besides many other things in the same place to the same sence The same man in an other place Therefore saith he let all things be performed among you according to a direct order in Christ Let Lay men be subiect to Deacons Deacons to Priests Priests to Bishops the Bishop to Christ as he is also to the Father Againe to the Church of Antioch You Elders feede the flocke which is committed vnto you vntill God manifest him which shal reign ouer you For I am now sacrificed that I may gaine Christ c. By which words the holy Martyr hath sufficiently testified the authority of a Bishop ouer the rest of the Elders Doubtlesse in auncient time the authority of Bishops was great in the Church theyr reuerence great and theyr fauour great among the people the which of al other things made most for the benefit and increase of the Church Euen as in the common wealth the fauour of the Magistrats and authority is beneficiall to the people so likewise of Bishops in the Church And therefore for good cause thought Hierome that the welfare of the Church did depend of the honour of the chiefe Priest c. Neyther in deed is this the least slight of Satan when he
to be reputed for Doctors of what estate soeuer they be the king shal derogat no more from his royall Maiesty if for the edifying of Gods people he compose any godly worke then did Dauid or Solomon of old who in there time were no les renowmed for their heauenly wisdome then for their princely power Although the Apostle forbid a woman to speake in the congregation yet if shee bee learned shee may write and priuately instruct her familie Wherefore now if we will come to the true vnderstanding of the Apostolike writings wee must with sound iudgement put difference between Pastors Doctors who besides the teaching interpreture of the word did not otherwise intermedle with any thing in the church For albeit in the infaÌ„cy of the church those first christiaÌ„s had no publik professed schooles yet was it alwaies lawfull for Prophetes and Doctors to teach publicklie in the church vnto whose graue aduice the faithfull were no lesse bound to obey then to their Pastors But all this while they had not the power of the Church censure nor the right to redres whatsoeuer was amisse Wee read of Stephanus Fortunatus and Achaicus that they taught in the church of Corinth but wee finde not that they had there the authority of Bishoppes and Elders And therefore no woonder though the corruptions and abuses which raigned among them were not giuen them in charge to correct or that it was not layde to their charge that they did not correct for there was no remedye they must suffer that they could not remedy and in the meane while expect Paule his comming amongst them Likewise in the Epistle to Titus a man might well wonder why Paule ioyned not in like commission with Titus Zenas and Apollos expounders of the lawe they beeing then also in Creat except it were for this that they were Doctors onely for hee was not ignorant that they were then also with Titus Doubtlesse had they bin of the same order and power they should also haue receiued the same charge And might it not better haue bene performed of three then of one But yet wee see that the Apostle gaue the charge of Teaching there to many the power of Ruling to one alone By the which it appeareth that the Doctors and Prophetes of those times were an aide vnto the Pastors that they taught vnder their direction For indeed it chiefly concerneth the dutie of a Bishop to teach the church committed to his charge by himselfe and by others 〈…〉 such things are there in the Apostles writings 〈…〉 we may take no smal view of the beginnings of 〈◊〉 and of that forme of gouernment which was vsed of the Apostles and receiued of the next immediate ages deliuered to Apostolique men their successors It is very wel â—â—â—ed of Epiphanius that there are certaine histories hidden in the Apostles writings the ignorance whereof many times hath bene the cause of much error in the church But thus it came to passe that the Bishops gaue liceÌ„ce to teach the scriptures vnto those which the Grecians call Lay-men The which thing Eusebius recordeth in his sixt booke the 13. chapter concerning Origen That when as yet he was not priested hee did notwithstanding set vp schoole at Caesaria and was there in treated of the Bishops there abouts not onely to dispute but to open the scriptures also The which thing Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria Origen his riuall did greatly reprehend when as notwithstanding himself was the man that had sent him before into Arabia to the same end neither yet did hee except against him when hee was catechiser in his owne church But when as of mere enuy he cold no longer indure that the renowmed fame of Origen should daily increase seeking all manner occasions to picke a quarrell against him he laid blame in the Bishops that they would seeme to licence a Lay-man publikly to professe the scriptures To the which his malitious cauils Alexander then Bishop of Ierusalem and Theodistus Bishop of Caesaria make answere in these words For that you vrge in your letters that it was neuer hard of before nor is vsed as yet that lay-men should dispute and expound the Scriptures in the presence of Bishoppes In that thing you seeme I know not how to auouch a manifest vntruth For where fit and able men are found that may be any aid to the brethren in the word they are requested of the holy Bishops that they would instruct the people in the same as was Eusebius of Nero at Larandy Paulinus of Celsus at Iconium and Theodorus of Atticus among the Synadines all the which were blessed godly bretheren and it is verie likely although it bee vnknowen to vs that the same thing is done in other places Thus for Eusebius Wherefore albeit the Primatiue churches had not their vniuersity schooles like vnto those we haue at this day yet that they were not altogeather without schooles Alexandria alone is witnesse sufficient which brought out Doctors before Origen Pantaeus and Clemens Alexandrinus and many others Neither is it to be doubted but that custome also was deriued from the Apostles We know the knowledge of scriptures to bee the gift of Gods spirite but shall that therefore take away the exercises and the traueils of deuoted students Amongst the people of God the Prophets had their Colledges in the which Samuell and Elias and Elizeus and such others were Maisters neither was it any disparagement for the other Prophetes to liue vnder their discipline God was neuer the authour of tumultuous confusion but of order nor were the men of God a company of furious bedlames but a societie of sage and wise men of a milde and a moderate spirite They which at this day holde schooles and their orders in contempt are franticke in their owne conceit and ignorant of al good societie and godly ciuilitie nor do they know nor can they conceaue what infinite good they onely doe in all estates Who can sufficiently commend the religious purpose of those men which were the first founders of Vniuersities Are they not the fruitfull seminaries of all good litterature and the holsome nurses of al honourable virtues The which being taken away all humanity and ciuill curtesie would languishe togeather and not that onely but within a short space we our selues nowe learned and religious should strangely degenerate into minds and manners more sauadge and barbarous then are any of the nations But no neede I should digresse any further into the praise of our well renowmed Vniuersities onely this I say that the Doctors and Teachers they send forth into the Church of Christ and whosoeuer els by their priuate labours and diligent traueils in the scriptures haue attained to the knowledge therof ought not by any means to take vpon them any thing in the Church against the good will or without the good leaue of their BB. 〈◊〉 why They are priuate men vnder their gouernance But yet being requested or
and more-ouer he commandeth that the execution of their iudgements be done by his ciuil iudges By reason of the statute of Praemunire as they call it against the which whosoeuer offend they are punished with is a matter of verie great daunger in England for Church-men to inuade the office of the ciuill Magistrates and therefore there is kept a most circumspeact distinction betweene the affaires of the Ciuil and the Ecclesiastical Court If at anie time anie of the Bishops or anie other of the cleargie are thought meet men to vndertake any ciuill charge they doe it not by the especiall commaundement and commissiō of the King vnder the broad seale of England But those charges are alwayes accompanied with some honour so that they may be accounted rather a help then a hurt to the proceedings of the Gospell as are the offices and dignities of a priuie Counseller a Commissioner a Iustice of peace and such like Neither as I doe thinke will any man of sound iudgement say that those charges are eyther imposed vpon any Cittizen without the chiefe Magistrate or if they be so imposed that they can of any man be deposed or laide aside If any man except that this is more abhorring from the office of a Bishop then was of olde the charge of the poore from the which notwithstanding the Apostles did abdicate themselues because they could not attend vppon that and their owne charge too and therfore vrge that it is not possible for Bishops that they should discharge both charges well for which cause they ought to sequester themselues from the one I answer first that the Apostles did not so far foorth discharge themselues of the poore mans boxe that that they thought it not appertaining to them to haue any further care thereof for they alwayes continued patrons of the poore as doe the Bishops also whom we will not so intangle with ciuill causes that they forsake their owne but that as it especially concerneth their office vpright dealing and sincere charitie may bee maintained among them whose soules health is committed vnto them But how much a godly and diligent Bishop may doe in this matter Austine alone may serue for many examples who wrote so many excellent volumes when as yet he imployed no small part of his time in these troublesome affaires Whose words I will heere infer for that they inforce a sufficient confutation of this their cauill I call the Lord Iesus witnesse to my soule saith hee in whose name I boldly speake these thinges that for so much as concerneth my commoditie I had rather worke euerie day with my hand as it is vsed in wel ordered Monasteries and reserue the other houres free to read and to pray and to exercise my selfe in the Scriptures then to sustaine the tumultuous perplexities of other causes in determining secular controuersies by iudgement or in taking them vp by arbitrement To the which troubles the same Apostle hath appointed vs not of his owne will but of his that spake in him The which notwithstanding we read not that he himselfe susteined for indeed the course of his Apostleship stood not with it Neither did he say If therefore you haue any secular controuersies bring them before vs or appoint vs to giue iudgement of them but those which are least esteemed in the Church set them vp saith he And I speak to your shame is it so that there is not any wiseman among you which can iudge betweene his brother but the brother goeth to lawe with the brother that before infidels Wherfore those wise men which were resiant in some certaine place beeing faithfull and godly not those which discoursed this way and that way for the Gospel sake I say such would hee haue to bee the examiners of those matters For which cause it is no where written of him that he at any time attended vpon any such busines from the which notwithstanding we cannot bee excused albeit wee bee of the number of those which are least esteemed because he would haue those also set vp if wise men were wanting rather then that the controuersies should bee brought into the open and ordinarie Court The which labour notwithstanding we vndertake not without comfort in the Lorde for the hope of eternall life that we may bring forth fruit with patience Thus saith Augustine whose reasons in my iudgement may satisfie any reasonable man verely they satisfie mee neither can I finde anie thing to mislike in this action of his This is one generall maxime in the rules of Christianity That whatsoeuer wee reade in the word of God eyther forbidden beeing not euill of his owne nature or commaunded beeing of it selfe not good in those thinges Christian charitie dispenseth and disposeth of the matter as the time the place and the cause doth require Vnto the which whosoeuer doth refuse to subscribe he doth it of stubborne and froward hypocrisie not of any religion or deuotion he hath of the precept Neyther is the Diuines rule vnknown concerning those things which are bidden or forbidden in the word of God namely That some thinges are forbidden because they are euill and some thinges are euill because they are forbidden suppose for some especiall purpose And againe on the contrary part That there are some things commanded because they are good and some thinges therefore to bee accounted good because they are commaunded by God who requireth such thinges of men for some especiall causes Now those things which are of the first sort and section are vnder a constant and perpetual law and not to be changed by any means but there is not the like condition of the other sort neither do they bind anie man any further then the reason and occasion of the law doth require Examples of this matter wee haue in the obseruation of the Sabaoth and the vse of the Shew-bread of the which it was not lawfull for any man to eate but the Priests onely besides many other things of like nature which we read to be either commaunded or condemned In this our case it is no crime to be a King nor to be a Magistrate a capitall sinne And therfore the reason of the commandement abating the thing it selfe abideth free and it remaineth lawfull for Princes and other Magistrates to be of power to command the Bishops of the Church in a Christian common-wealth those things which would rather be an aide and an ornament then any hurt or impediment to their holy calling I speake of calling in generall not of any one mans calling which haplie may be hindred and shall haue neede of others which may helpe him but of all theirs which are in the same calling vnto whome there ariseth any honour and authoritie from the rest So that if all things be throughly examined and all commodities with all discommodities compared together which may any waies accrue vnto the Church and common wealth I doubt not but that which wanteth in one parte shall be requited
common wealth least at any time the kingdom of Christ should want his due increase But do learned BB. vnderstand lesse what belongeth to the good of the cōmon wealth then illiterat Burgreeues rank chapmen Very vnprofitably haue they consumed thēselues in their head-paine vigils and heart breaking studies if they haue learned nothing whereby they may benefite the common wealth I but Ministers are of priuate estate Burgreeues are Magistrates It is not conuenient that the same man should vndertake both an Ecclesiastique and a politique office Truth it is neyther doe I knowe any ignoraunt except them selues what is decent in this matter and what is not But to be present at the sacred Parliaments to giue a voyce and to giue aduice is not to be a Magistrate The books of the Prophets are plentifull in the precepts of peace in the policies of war and in the best counsels for al things which concerne the common wealth and sacred histories doe record of purpose how the people of God neuer aduentured vppon any action of weight and moment before they had well consulted with the Priests and the Prophets Such was the custome also of other countreis wheresoeuer there was any religion or reuerence of God What need I now againe put you in mind of the Chaldees and theyr Wise men the Egyptians and theyr Priests the Grecians their Prophets the Romaines and their Sooth-saiers the French with theyr Druidists without whose more sage aduice it was alwaies thought a thing ominous once to attēpt any notable thing in the common wealth Neither were they deceiued in their opinion For was the neglect of God euer left without reuenge Yea the opiniō of false gods contemned hath found the true God a sharp reuēger wherfore al antiquity thought well that nothing could goe well in the common wealth without due reuerence done to Religion they began theyr wars with Religion they ended their wars with Religion But whence in Gods name if it can be in Gods name is this error sprong vp among those which glory in the true religion that they disdayn in their counsels to take counsell of religion Verily where God is banished publike assēblies religion is made but a scorn to the wicked the commō wealth a priuate gayne to euery varlet happy Bishops happy Ministers of the Church which are farthest off from such Godlesse and irreligious conuenticles Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly and hath not stood in the way of sinners hath not sit in the chair of the scornful The time hath ben vnder our Lord Christ when Bishops thought it not agreable with their honor to sit in the counsels of Emperors whether it were of any superstitious error of thēselues or of any contagious misdemeanor of the consistorians I cannot wel tell but this I am sure of that it is no indecorum for the seruāt of Christ to be seen in the congregations of God God standeth in the congregation of Gods the iudgeth among Gods But it ther the counsels were held for priuat gain or priuy deceit for wicked treasons or bloudy murthers no wonder though the godly BB. were ashamed to stand in the vngodly assemblies For albeit God be there also as iudge reuenger yet the diuel is ther present as Presidēt of the coūcel otherwise ther was no reasō why it might not be a thing decent conueuient too for a B. to stand in the consistory Admitte him as a Doctor to giue aduice according to the word as Legat for the Prince or the estate as a Solicitor for the widow the orphan for the poore the oppressed for the traduced and condemned This was then also a religious custom among the most ancient best conceiued Bishops What Ambrose did what he thought in this case himself witnesseth of himselfe in his first Booke the 27. Epistle who euen then whē as he excused himself to the Emperor Valentinian for that he would not dispute with Auxētius the Arriā B. in his Pallace yet euen ther also he acknowledgeth his duty in that behalfe saing Wherfore take it in good worth gratious Emperour that I can not now come to the Consistory For I haue not acquainted my selfe to stād in the Consistory but on your behalfe Neyther can I willingly contend within the compasse of your Court who nor know nor seeke to knowe the the secretes of the Court. So that albeit Ambrose thought it not beseeming the dignity of a Bishop to stand as an ordinary man in the throng of the consistorians yet he thought it pertaining to his duety to be there present in the Princes causes and the affaires of the cōmō welth Wherfore whencesoeuer this perswasion sprong whosoeuer they be which thinke it either an vnlawfull or an vnseemly thing for any Minister to intermedle in ciuill causes they doe greatly wrong the honour of religion the welfare of Princes and the publique state whome they enuy the good vse graue aduice and louing fidelity of so necessary Cittizens and subiects of the common wealth If the honest examples of ancient Bishops might be of any autority at this day I would reckon vp many honorable Legacies vndertaken by most reuerend Bishops in ciuil causes but ther are two presidents which may sufficiently serue for our purpose The first is that of Ambrose who was twise Embassador for the Emperor Valentinian to the Tirant Maximus that not without great successe the other is that of Marutha Bishop of Mesapotamia whom the Romaine Emperour sent Embassador to the king of Persia as Socrates recordeth in his seuēth boke of Ecclesiasticall histories the which his one Embassee was aboundantly beneficiall both to the Church and also to the Emperour himselfe By these reasons and examples I am drawen to this conclusion that it is both lawful and requisit for Princes to demise certaine ciuil causes affairs to the ancients of the Clergy and that it is but the error of them which lust to go alone though they goe awrye that thinke that the Minister ought to bee sequestred from all ciuill affayres in a christian common wealth As for those wordes of our Sauiour and the tradition of the Apostles they teach vs no other thing then this That no publique ciuil authority is ioyned with the Eccesiasticall Ministery as any part thereof But the state of the Church being altered where the Church is the Common-wealth and the Common-wealth the Church there the state of the Euangelique Ministers may lawfully bee the same which was of olde in the Priests and Leuites among the people of God CHAP. XXVI Where the Church is the Common-wealth the same man as Bishop may take charge of the Church for the Lorde Iesus and render fealtie and obeisance to the King as one that holdeth by faith and homage SOme there bee which thinke that the Churche is in the Common-wealth as a certaine part thereof that the whole Common-wealth it selfe
D. SARAVIA 1. Of the diuerse degrees of the Ministers of the Gospell 2. Of the honor vvhich is due vnto the Priestes and Prelates of the Church 3. Of Sacrilege and the punishment thereof The particular Contents of the aforesaide Treatises to be seene in the next Pages Iob. 8. 8. Inquire I pray thee of the former age and prepare thy selfe to learne of the Fathers 9. For we are but of yesterday and are ignorant 10. Shall not they teach thee LONDON Printed by Iohn VVolfe and are to be sold by Iohn Perin at the signe of the Angell in Paules Church-yard 1591. The Contents The first Booke 1 WHat the Ministery of the Gospell is and what be the parts thereof 2 Of ordinary and extraordinary calling to the Ministery 3 Of the twelue Apostles 4 Of the seuenty Disciples 5 Of Prophetes 6 That the names and titles of Apostles Euangelists Prophets were giuen also vnto other Pastors and Doctors of the Church 7 Of Deacons 8 That the Churches in their beginnings had no other Bishops and Elders besides the Apostles them selues their fellow-laborers 9 Of Priests or Pastors and Bishops 10 Of two degrees of Pastors 11 That the doctrine of the Apostles acknowledgeth no annuary Elders to rule onely and not to teach in the Church 12 The place of Ambrose expounded 13 The place of Paul expounded in his first to Timothy the fift Chapter what it is to labour in the word and doctrine 14 That that order is of God which appointeth superior Elders Bishops and that but of man where all Pastors Elders are alike 15 That our Sauiour by no statute repealed the supereminent authority of Pastors among them selues 16 That the forme of the Apostles gouernement did not end with the death of the Apostles 17 That the commaundement To preach the Gospell to all nations the Apostles being now receyued vp into Heauen doth in like manner bind the Church to the which the authority Apostolique is also requisite 18 That the Apostolique authority is as necessary for the conseruing and confirming as for the founding first planting of Churches 19 By testimony of Eusebius his Ecclesiasticall history the former Chapter is confirmed 20 That the authority of Bishops ouer Priestes or Elders is approued by the consort of all Churches throughout the whole world 21 That Bishops are ordained by a diuine institution and Apostolique tradition 22 That it was the opinion of Aerius That there is no difference betweene a Bishop and a Priest which opinion was condemned for an Heresie by the Fathers 23 Hierome his opinion confuted 24 Of one Bishop in one Diocesse 25 Of the names of Patriarches Archbishops and Metropolitanes 26 Of Doctors The second Booke 1 THat by a certaine Law of nature among all nations the Presidentes of Religion were esteemed worthy great honor 2 How great the reuerence of Priestes hath beene in all nations 3 What the honour of the Priesthood was among the people of God 4 Of that double honor which is due vnto those Elders which rule well and the argumentes of those which thinke the contrary 5 An answere to the arguments of the former Chapter 6 That the honour which is giuen to the Pastors of the Church is ioyned with a certaine Religion towardes God 7 Certayne other reasons confuted and the truth confirmed by many testimonies of Scripture 8 That the good examples of our fore-Fathers prescribe a Law to theyr successors 9 That the oblations of Christians are part of Gods worship 10 An aunswere to certaine obiections with the which it is confirmed that the Ministers of the Gospel are worthy no lesse honor then were the Priests of old among the people of God 11 The iudgement of the Fathers concerning the oblations of the faithfull 12 That the Church had no small reuenewes and certayn places in the which they did celebrate theyr assemblies before the time of Constantine 13 A distinction of Church goods 14 That the Prelates of Churches are not maintayned of almes but of the due reward of theyr labours 15 Of those landes which are held in fee and haue annexed with them any ciuill authority or iurisdiction 16 That Bishops and other Pastors are not forbidden to be Lordes of Fees and sometimes to vndertake secular and ciuill charges 17 What a Fee is and what are the lawes and conditions thereof 18 A distinction of Fees 19 An aunswere to the obiection that ciuill iurisdiction outward pompe and honors which are annexed with these Fees doe not agree with the simplicity of the Euangelique Ministery 20 That it is lawfull for Bishops to heare ciuill causes and to determine vppon them 21 An exposition of that place of Luke the two and twenty Chapter 22 That the Pastors of the Church for the necessity of the common wealth may attend some times vppon worldly affaires 23 That diuerse functions are not confounded albeit vndertaken of one man 24 That Dauid and Solomon vsed the aide of Priests and Leuites in ciuill affaires 25 Theyr error confuted that think no ciuill affaires of the common wealth ought to be committed to the Bishops and Pastors of the Church 26 That wher the Church is the common wealth the same man as Bishop may take charge of the Church for the Lord Iesus and render fealty and obeisance to the king as one that holdeth by faith and homage 27 An other argument against the endowment of Fees confuted 28 Of the honorable titles which are giuen vnto Bishops 29 Of the Bishops family and retinue 30 Whether it be better for Ministers to liue of the stipends of the Magistrate or rather of the oblations of the faithfull 31 The Stipendaries cald to account and confuted 32 Certain reasons why Stipendaries are disproued The third Booke 1 OF Sacrilege the punishment therof 2 What Sacrilege is 3 The reasons with the which they commonly excuse theyr Sacrilege 4 An aunswere to the reasons of the former Chapter 5 A distinction of those Church goods which the Church of Rome possesseth at this day 6 That the goods of Monasteries are not al of one kind 7 That it is another thing to come from Paganisme to Christianity then to come from Popery or some other Heresie 8 How greeuous and incurable the sin of Sacrilege is 9 Certaine examples of Gods vengeance against Sacrilegious persons FINIS To the Reader YOu will say what neede all this wast this labour might haue beene well spared For seing the same argument hath ben handled long since and of late learnedly and at large by men of our ownes what neede this foraine ayde In such aboundance of wits and writings to transport Sarauia out of Latine into English is to bring owles to Athens and to carry stickes to the wood as it is in the Prouerbe True it is the cause hath ben vndertaken long since but it was late first and of late but it was long first And the same hath ben maintayned learnedly enough if not with learning too much
are so far from turning stones vnto bread that they will make stones of bread and that which I haue done to relieue their weakenes they will account as deuised to vndermine their estate and so take that with the left hand which I proffer with the right And in deede what other thing shoulde I looke for at their hands who in lieu of my well deseruing towards them haue sought heretofore rather to cast me off with disgrace then to giue me vp with reward How desirous I haue alwaies beene of publique peace and howe zealous ouer them that layd snares for my life I dare appeale vnto God and men and yet for my good will what great reward haue I receiued at their handes but sharp reuenge or what better meede for my paines then bitter malice But no reason I should take this kinde of cruelty vnkindly seeing it is so common a case and commonly incident to me with many my betters And therefore far be it from me that the iniuries of a few though no fewe iniuries should so far preuaile with me that I should therefore lesse regard the better health of the whole Church Should I be for priuate wronges so far inraged beyond all sence and besides my selfe as to study to bee reuenged vppon many good men being offended but of a few bad fellowes After I was last called frō hence by the Belgike Churches I conuersed among them in diuers places ten whole yeares together in what time I found by aduised experience that there were two thinges of great moment greatly missed in those Churches the which I could not then without grief and cannot now without sin conceale namely That the ministery of the Gospell receiued of them by publike authority is not adorned by them with due honor And againe That wealth and worshippe in the order of the ministery is thought a needlesse thing to aduaunce the estimation thereof in a ciuill society Men that we are misconceauing is the cause of all this For now a daies for sooth no Church is thought reformed vnlesse First all Church dignities be either thrust out at the Church porch or thrust downe to the belfry and then all the Church goods be either put in the great bagge or giuen to the greedy baggage The which errour if it doe proceed as it will if it be not nipt in the head it will one day reuele not only vpon the church but also vppon the whole state a greater misery then can easely be driuen into euery common mans head To the which this also may be added that there are many of opinion and they are of many opinions That the abolishing of Bishops is not the least part of reformation and That their authority in the Church is crept in not of any diuine institution of Gods word but that which not any Church before this time did euer auouch of the onely errour and ambition of mans wit Our elders all auncient diuines for the preuenting of Scisme and conuenting the head-strong and giddy headed rashnes of many helde the prudent moderation of one in one Citty or prouince to be ordained from aboue And they knew very well that albeit the quirke of speaking for so they speak be found in many yet the art of gouerning and the rule of well ruling is knowen but of a few How great a stay a godly and prudent Bishop may bee to any troubled or distressed State auncient histories doe plainly teach present experience might make vs learne Doe you not knowe I know you are not ignorant howe that many times many things betide in a christian common wealth which require the aduise of Ecclesiastical Prelates As also where the Gospell is publiquely authorised that there are many thinges requisite for the Church which cannot be effected with out the ciuill Magistrate And how then are not they in a peeuish and a peruerse errour which either exclude the Magistrate from causes Ecclesiasticke or sequester the Minister from affaires politike silly men that they are as if either the Christian Magistrate were no part of the Church or the sacred Minister not Cittizen of the same common wealth And yet neither the Magistrate if he be Christian is to neglect the safety of the Church nor the Minister if he be godly not to regard the safegard of the state But these two the Magistrate and the Minister so long as they shal be distracted into partes and as it were diuorsed in state the one from the other and shall not take sweete counsell together like friends or not communicate in consent for their common benefite they cannot but conceiue diuers and doubtfull surmises fonde yea and some times false opinions of each others gouernement The Magistrate that keepeth fresh in memory the new broken yoke of the Popes tiranny feareth least by any meanes he should fall againe into the like though vnlike And therfore is iealous ouer the counsels and conuenticles of the Cleargy suspecteth alwaies some snare to be laid in them to entangle his liberty Of the other side the Pastors so many as are or will bee accoumpted faithfull in their Ministery cānot but be careful for the welfare of their flocke and therefore seeke by all meanes to benefite the Church and to shun those things which may preiudice the same who when they see diuers kindes of people to preuaile in the Common-wealth and they some of them open professed enemies to the Church some but suspicious and suspected fauorites few faithfull and vnfeined friendes no woonder though they dare hardly commit their cause and their credites them selues and their safeties to such Gouernours Besides they being ignorant of the common counsels how should they bee good interpreters of such thinges as are done in the Common-wealth neither can such counsels be well communicated to the common people and yet reason would they should seeing they are common If the States in the Low-countries brought to lowe estate had their learned and reuerend Bishoppes in that estimation they ought to be in euerie well ordered state no doubt with their vigilancye and moderation they might more easily haue remedied their present miseries I did complaine not without cause to see the Church goods pilde and pilferd and learned Pastors set to their stipēds Of the which some in deed do liue releeue their families though porely God knowes and some againe for the moity of their stipēds the multitude of their familiars are by no means able to keepe open shop windowes I speake not or neede not of them which are denied their wages or serue like our soldiers for cheese flemish if that they can get it But by this meanes when as to the griefe of al good men I did see the most sacred studie of Diuinity to languishe that young wits were affraid of it and old heads a weary of it Churches without Pastors Schooles wanting professors I lamented with my selfe and sorrowed for these mischiefes and those wee might easily coniect would
reserued yet notwithstanding when they beholde on euery side the most partes rotted and ruinated and those good partes to hang togeather by putrified and imperfect ioyntes they are in dispaire that the house can not bee well turguised except the whole frame should be ouerturned Euen so the reformers of gods house albeit they did see to their greife manye excellent things which might well and well worthie bee reserued yet perceiuing them to be either vtterly disteined with superstition or doubtfullie entangled therewith and consequentlie dispairing that they could not roote out the grounded superstition and tyrrany of the pope vnlesse they plucked vp by the roots many singular ornaments of the church in the anguishe of their zeale they cried at once downe with it downe with it euen to the ground And so is it come to pas that togeather with impietie and Idolatrie if not before them both such and so many instruments are taken away as might haue beene verie great helpes to the Church both for the preseruing of Discipline and also for the retaining of that dignitie to the Ministerie which is decent and requisite in a ciuill societie But to the purpose although in materiall thinges that which we haue exemplified before many times must be so of necessitie yet in morall causes there is no such necessity The state therefore of this question friend reader is not of thy faith in Christ or of thy souls health but by what guides especiallye and gouernours thou maist bee best lead in the way of truth and kept in the path of eternall life And vpon this point is all this variaunce For there are some of opinion that all discipline of maners is to be referred to the Magistrate and that the Minister is to be restrained to the bare Preaching of the worde and ministring of the Sacraments The which fancie of men seeing it hath neither the word of God to confirme it nor any president of our Elders to giue countenance to it I can but wonder howe so friuelous an opinion could once either creepe in or peepe out of the heads of Diuines But there are other which yeild as they ought to doe the power of Ecclesiasticall censures to those Bishoppes and Elders which are such both in name and indeede vnto whome they deny not that authoritie which God gaue vnto his Apostles and their successours the Bishops And last of all there is a third kinde of them which reiecting the order of Bishops ioyne with the Pastor certain annuall Elders vnto whome they commit the regiment or the Church and the ordering of Ecclesiasticall Discipline Thus did the Philosophers of old when it came in question what kinde of Gouernment was best Of whome some preferred the Monarchie of one and that as it is indeed they iudged the best yet others maintained that an Oligarchy or ioynt gouernment of a few was as good as the best again there were others who for a Democratie or state popular would yeeld to none of the rest And last of all there were some who to the former three added a fourth which they indifferently not equally mixed of all three and that they would make good to be as good as they al and better then any of the rest But in the meane while they considered not this that any kind of gouernment as it is in it selfe is not so much to bee considered in gouernance as is the nature and condition of them who are to be gouerned and for whose good that kind of gouernment is ordained So that nowe that forme of pollicie is to bee accounted best not which is such in his owne nature but that which is most necessary for the people the time and the place For which cause as I conceaue GOD himselfe in the secrecie of his wisedome hath not set downe vnto any nation any perpetual forme of gouernment the which it was not lawful to alter according to the incidencie of time place and persons But in the gouernment of the which we dispute the case is far otherwise for in that it proceedeth immediatly from God men maye not alter the same according to their fancies neither is it necessary For the wisedome of God hath so tempered the same that it repugneth no form of ciuil gouernment In deede where any one whole state is become Christian the gouernment happelie may receiue some kind of alteration but not such as shal alter the nature of it Were they before in gouernment diuerse and in no one thing alike nowe they consort in one and lend each other their mutuall aide Wherefore whatsoeuer other men thinke in this matter doubtlesse the Christian Magistrate in a well ordered state ought not to bee held as a priuate person either in Church or common-wealth The which distinction beeing not sufficientlie looked into hath distracted vs into diuerse errors in Church Discipline For my part and the best wil take my part I hold that the state of Bishops is necessary in the Church that Discipline is best and from aboue in the which godly Bishoppes with the not nick-named Elders do sit at the helme And yet when I consider with my selfe the badnes of these times and the badde condition of some places in the which it hath pleased God by the hands of learned and religious men to gather togeather his dispersed flocke out of the captiuity of Babilon I doe not see indeed how the true Bishops could haue bene restored In the Churches of Flanders and Holland my selfe haue susteined the office of a Pastor but shall I tell you I cannot easily tell how many impediments I there found in this busines But shal that which was done extraordinarily and partly of necessity and that but in a certaine fewe places and that but in our age onely prescribe a law to the world besides This diuorce of minds and opinions had neuer bene were it not for the tyrrany of some misrulie Bishops a nouell opinion is crept vp opposing it selfe against all antiquitie which holdeth all Bishops generally in iealousie and yet the like and no lesse suspicion is raised of our newe consistories also wheather rightlye or wrongfully I will not say Wherefore he that will vndoubtedly attaine to the certaine knowledge of these thinges indeed must bee sure that he examine and try the cause him selfe deuoyd of all passion or preoccupation of affection Many times within these sixe and twentie yeares haue I deliuered my minde vnto my friends in familiar conference though not at all times nor to all concerning the gouernment of Bishops What they would conceiue of mee for so doing I might easily coniect by others who had in like maner reueiled themselues vnto their brethren For as it happened a certaine disputation fel out between certaine Ministers concerning the same position in the which M. Doctor Villerius whose name I cannot remember without due reuerence assumed that the authority of Bishops was not so rashly to haue bin reiected But Lord how they were netled and
there anye thing in the Fathers for some especiall cause moouing vs misliked of vs By and by we haue this theoreme at our fingers end We must remember they were but men and because men may easilie erre we muster whatsoeuer we mis-conceiue of them among the errors of that age In the meane while wee neuer remember our selues that we also are but men and therfore may erre with them yea we are such men neither are we exempt from the common infirmitie of men who may then er when we thinke amisse of them and in that verie thing may wee erre for the which we condemne them This is once that against the constant and consonant conclusions of the ancient church we ought not to attempt or admit anie innouation without a plaine commission from Gods holie writ and this also I dare boldly say that whosoeuer taketh away al authoritie from the Fathers he leaueth none for himselfe Indeed it must bee confessed that the Fathers were men and that they had their wrinckles yet can it not be denied that to haue our Fathers to bee our Patrons in the principal points of faith and externe pollicy of our church things controuerted betweene the Popelings and vs is a matter of no small moment and of especiall account And albeit the vniforme consent of Gods children from the Apostles times vnto this day may not be compared with the eternall word of God Notwithstanding of right it may come in and stand for the second place The custome of gods people receiued of all Churches thorow out the whole world is in maner of a lawe sacred and inuiolable Neither is there any likelihood that there could euer haue beene an vniuersall consort of all Churches and ages without either the authoritie of gods word or the tradition of the Apostles Notwithstanding for as much as no consent no custome no auncient prescription can or ought to preuaile in the Church of Christ against the word of God Therefore those reasons are to be weighed and those Scriptures to bee examined which mooued the Fathers to intertaine and continue that Church gouernment which our newe reformers will in no case agree vpon that we may certainelie know whose is the error theirs or ours The time hath bene when no good men disallowed of Bishops and Archbishops but now in despite of the Popes tyranny his complices it is come to this passe that their very names are called into question and that of diuerse men for diuerse causes Some because they are as they suppose the deuises of Antichrist or his fore-runners thinke them vnworthie thee Church and worthie to be cast ouer-boorde Others yet more modest in some reuerence of antiquitie thinke they may be borne with all for a time although in the mean time they allow not of them vntill such time as commodiouslie the names may bee antiquate with the thinges themselues In the meane while for that they know neither can they be ignorant to what singular effect the Church of God hath bin gouerned by graue and godlye Bishops they haue not the face to condemne them openly yet because they see certaine reformed Churches of this age to be gouerned without Bishops It is enugh they haue not the power any longer to tollerat the more auncient gouernment O the regiment of Pastors and Elders passing all antiquitie our soules haue longed for thee and we haue a desire vnto thee for that thou alone art grounded vppon the Lord Iesus his institution and thou if any art wholy purified of all tyranny and ambition O but by your leaue good brethren the shadowe you imbrace is no substance neither is the plot you conceaue a priueledged place Are you so far in loue with your liuelesse Pigmalion the worke of your owne hands I know who is not hee hath reason for his why not For neither is your newe draught of straunge gouernement sufficientlye prooued by the word of God neither is it yet or can at any time bee confirmed by the example of our Elders And how should it if we should iudge aright of it seeing it was partly vnknowen vnto them as a thing insolent and not heard of and partlie condemned of them as a thing Heriticall and not approoued of Wherefore to speake the plaine truth without flatterie or partialitie I thinke of this new forme of Church gouernment as some thinke of our Bishops regiment Namely that it is but a deuise of mans conceit and there to be tollerated where a better cannot bee obtained And contrariwise that which is disallowed of some as deuised by man seemeth vnto me to bee the verie ordinance of God and the onely true gouernment of the Church as that which hath his institution from God not only in the old but in the new Testament But because it is defiled with the manifolde abuses of men that which were to be layd vppon the person is imputed to the function as if forsooth no such miscariage might befall this their nouell kinde of gouernement The Romish Antichrist with his Bishops Archbishops Patriarches and Metropolitanes hath so troubled and intangled the Church of Christ that tyranny it selfe is thought to bee masked vnder those honest and honorable titles It is most true He that is once stong of a Serpent suspecteth euery stone and once bitten of a dog is affraid of euery cur Some therefore that they might apply some remedy to this maladie haue reuersed those names and yet retained the same things and for Bishops haue anoynted Superintendents and for Archbishops generall or prouinciall Superintendents as if the controuersie were not for the thing it selfe but for names sake But wise as we are seeing the signification of wordes is variable and voluntarie when we agree in truth what neede these garboyles about termes If the formes of gouernment which are signified by those termes are contained in gods worde Is there anie reason or sense that in disgrace of those names these formes should not be retained of vs If any man obiect that in the gouernment of Bishops there are many corruptions I make no question of that So wee might cauill with the gouernment of the ciuill Magistrate hath it not his corruptions Haue they not their infirmities Yet was there neuer anye that had his fiue wits who thought that a sufficient reason to remooue those from their place that are president in the state Wherefore our question is not how the Bishops haue abused their authoritye but whether the Lorde hath so forbidden this their Primacy that there may bee nor Pastor ouer Pastor nor Bishop ouer Bishop in the outward pollicie of the Church As for the rest if any will accuse the Bishops or their Consistories either of neglect dutie or corrupt dealing no man will be their hinderance why they may not prosecute that and persecute them before the chiefe Magistrate I take not vppon mee the apologie of anie Bishop I am not so worthie they are not so weake as that they need my Patrocinie
daies did euer either so think or write The Fathers haue testified in their writinges what they receiued of their fore-fathers that Iames an Apostle was ordained of the rest Bishoppe of Ierusalem The which thing also seemeth to haue bene done vpon iust and necessarie occasion namely for the necessary good of the Church For when as that was the mother of all other churches that the Iews resorted thither out of al the parts of the world it ought not but to haue an Apostle resiant among thē so long as might be who might resolue the brethren in such doubtes as were likely to arise among them Although indeede to pilgrime through diuers regions to preach the gospel is most properly appertaining to the office of an Apostle so that they may not abide in one place but where necessitie requireth As therefore the Apostles discharged the duty of a Bishop when as they took vpon them the particuler charge of some on special church namely when the necessity of the church vniuersall did so require neither did thinke they did anye thing therin contrarie to their Apostolik calling so likewse if that which wholy pertaineth to the Apostles be cōmitted to the Bishops it need not seme a thing either vnreasonable or not profitable when the good order of church gouernement doth require the same But whereas the Canon sayth that we should keepe the old custome not the Lords institution it may seme that the power of Patriarks crept into the church of a contrarie custome rather then of any diuine institution I answere that the canon doth not gaine-say that the power Apostolique in church-gouernment was not left vnto the church of the Apostles but that besides or aboue the rest these or they shuld inioy it as namely he of Antioch Alexandria Ierusalem Rome that indeed was of the mere custome and at the sole disposition of the church For those particular Bishops did not receiue their Apostolique power immediatly from GOD as did the Apostles but from the church and by the church the which as it is not restrained to any certaine situate places or persons citties or Bishops so neither is the autority Apostolik Who doubteth but that the Nicen coūcell or any other like to that might haue translated the Patriarkie of the Romain BB. to some other place haue giuen it to the BB. of Rauenna or of Aquiline for good cause if their had bene any The like I say of the Patriarks of Antioch and Alexandria But that the councels of Bishops had this authority they declared then sufficiently when as they made him of Constantinople com-peer in all things with him of Rome By the which also it may euidently apeare that the prerogatiue of the power Apostolique was not giuen by succession but as it was best befitting the commodity of the church by those especial cities And therfore in that the Canon giueth that to custome it doth not therby take from it the diuine institution But that I may return to the next successors of the Apostles and Euangelists Titus and Timothy and the rest whom sacred writ recordeth were ioyned with the Apostles as assistants that they were Bishops had charge of many churches the most ancient and authentike tradition approoueth the same neither are those thinges so far at variance betweene themselues as some would haue them to be a Bishop to do the worke of an Apostle or an Euangelist For this is the common consent of all the fathers that the office of a Bishop and an Apostle or Euangelist are all one onely that the office of the one is more ample and augustious Cyprian in his 10. epistle writeth thus The Deacons ought to remember the Lord himself did chuse Apostles that is Bishops Prelats but the Apostles themselues ordeined them Deacons after hee was receiued vp into heauen Thus saith Cyprian out of whose words we may learne that a Bishoprick is an Apostleship as also an Apostleship is a kind of bishopricke Herevpon the Apostle Peter in the Acts calleth the Apostleship of Iudas a bishopricke And in like maner speaketh Augustine For no man is ignorant saith he that our Sauior ordeined bishops in the church For before he ascended into heuen he layd his hands vpon his Apostles made them bisheps And Ambrose vpon that in the 4. to the Ephesians some were giuen to the church Apostles writeth thus The Apostles are BB. but the Prophets are expounders of the scriptures which may now be called Priests For in a BB all the orders are contained becaus he is first a priest who is chiefe of ths priests and a Prophet an Euangelist to the furnishing of the rest of the offices of the church Theodoret also vpō the 1. to Tim. cap. 3. saith thus Of old they called the same men Priests and BB. but those that are now called BB. they then called Apostles but long since they left the name of Apostles to thē which were indeed apostles but the additiō of BB. they imposed vpon such as of old were called Apostles so was Epaphroditus the Apostle of the Philip so Titus of the Cretensians Timothy of Asia All the fathers which succeeded the Apostles were not of opinion that the forme of gouernement they had receiued of the Apostles should euer haue bene altered or exauterate the which verelye they could neuer haue perswaded themselues had they knowen that the gouernement of Titus and Timothie had bene but Temporarie and Extraordinarie But is it credible nay is it possible that Timothie Titus and others vnto whome the like prouince was demised should be ignoraunt of this themselues Augustine expounding that in the 44. Psalme Instead of thy Fathers thou shalt haue children sheweth that our Bishoppes inherited the Apostles as children their fathers And were it not a point of frontles and vngracious in solencie to deny that our fathers had their Bishops and Prelats euen from the Apostles times and a part of needles and superfluous diligence to proue a thing so manifest I might easilie and would willingly staie vpon the citing summoning of many more fathers vntil we were fully compassed with a cloud of witnesses But this is not the question but rather it is nowe doubted whether the ordinance of Bishops bee of God or of men as an order that slipt into the church rather of humaine custome then diuine cōstitution Wherfore of things confessed granted let vs decide and determin things doubted and in question That Bishops are ordained by a diuine institution and Apolique tradition Chap. XXI THere is nothing more certaine then this That the Apostles ordained nothing in the Church which they receiued not of the Lord. But they created Bishops as Titus and Timothie wheresoeuer need was in the Church And indeed had not the Apostles created Bishops as they dispersed themselues thorough out the whole worlde how could euer the calling of Bishoppes haue bene so vniuersallie approoued by so general an assent of all
that the first occasion of creating one Bishop ouer aboue the rest of the Elders was by reason of scisme notwithstanding it therfore followeth not that it was done for that cause onely or that it was not done of any diuine institution But the occasion of creation of Bishops alledged by Hierom is a coniecture but too vncertain grouÌ„ded vpon no likelihood of reasoÌ„ that for the offence of one Church the Apostles contrary to the Lord his institution should place one Bishop ouer al the Churches which had not offended that throughout the whole world This were very hard Neyther doe wee read at any time that the Elders of the Church of Corinth gaue the occasion of this scisme but that it was taken of the people by reason of that opinion they had of their Pastors and Elders by whome they were eyther baptized or brought to the faith But for men to swell in the vanity of theyr humors with an ouer-prised conceyt of theyr Teachers as also of theyr parents and place of theyr naâ—â—uity and such like singularities it is as you know an ordinary thing among men And yet they for whose sake this scisme was set abroache at Corinth were not at Corinth so that for the auoyding of this scisme the Elders which were to be set in som better order vnder one Bishop were Paul himselfe Apollos and Cephas and such disordered fellowes by whome the people were drawen to such a singularity Without doubt me thinks this was a vayne motion and an idle conceite of Hierome as is also that which he addeth of a decree made throughout the whole world Good now let me aske him this question When or of whom that decree could be made or at least wise how or by what possible means so generall a consent could be obtained agaynst the will of the Lorde in the first ordinaunce of Elders For presently in all the Churches throughout the whole worlde Bishops were aboue Elders both in honour and authority That blessed Paul would change the Lord his own institutitutioÌ„ or if he would that he could it is not likely The other Apostles dispersed throughout diuers regions were ignorant of those thinges which were done at Corinth so that they cannot be suspected to haue giuen theyr voyces to the ratifying of this decree But that we may imagin that this scisme at Corinth came to theyr knowledge at the length that after some miraculous manner they all met together from diuerse foreine and the farthest partes in the worlde I say to imagin all this yet can any man euer imagine that for the auoyding of this one scisme they all would conspire together for the ouerthrow of the Lord his owne institutioÌ„ And much lesse could this be done after the Apostles time that all Churches should assemble and consent to alter and exautorate that which was both ordayned of the Lord and deliuered of the Apostles At the least some of them would haue still receyued the first institution But of the antiquity of this custome we will call Hierome himselfe for a witnes and we shall finde him not onely in this place but also in his Epistle to Euagrius At Alexandria sayth he euen to Heraclas Dionisius Bishops the Elders chose one from among themselues and placed him in a higher degree and named him their Bishop In like manner as if an armie should name them an Emperour And yet by the way I would not the people should here be deceaued thinke by these words of Hierome that the Elders alwaies placed one of their owne companie ouer them There are innumerable examples where the Elders being discarded the people and the cleargie haue elected either Deacons or some others which were not reputed among the cleargie By the which also it may appeare that the churches were not acquainted at all with that generall decree or that they had any such regard therof in their elections of Bishops that they must alwaies choose from among their Elders their ordinarie Bishop Yet be it so and let vs yeeld thus much to Hierome that there was such a decree made then must wee needes say that either they made the same contrary vnto the Lord his institution and so wee must also say that al those fathers al their councels shamefully erred which wee cannot saye they did in anye other thing and we haue shewed they could not do in this or els we must say that they made it in a thing indifferent neither with the institution of God nor against it but in the meere power and sole disposing of them from whome it proceeded And then what are we sillie men that we should once dare to condemne that decree vnto the which all Christendome did condescend Wherefore as before I now againe inferre that this censure was but the priuate conceit of Hierome repugnaunt to the generall iudgement of all the fathers which either went before him or liued after him And therefore when as he knew full wel that it would be obiected against him that this was but his bare censure not the sentence of the holy Scripture he assaieth to make good the same with scripture and therupon he first pawneth Paul his Epistle to the Philippians in the which hee greeteth the Byshops Deacons of that church as also the 20. of the Acts and the 1. of Titus where they which were Elders are called Bishops To the which places before I make any further answer it shal not be amisse to heare what Theodoret saith of this matter he expounding this place of Paul writeth thus they call Bishops Elders for that at that time they had hoth the names as it well appeareth in the 20. of the Acts and the 1. to Titus For with Bishops he ioyneth Deacons when he had made no mention of elders neither could it otherwise be that there should he many Bishops the Pastors of one citty by which means it commeth to passe that they were the Elders of one cittie whom he calleth Bishops But in this Epistle hee calleth the blessed Epaphrodite then Apostle for hee saith your Apostle and my companion in labour So that he manifestly sheweth that he had the dispensation of a Bishop committed to him when he had the denomination of an Apostle Thus much Theodoret Now you shal vnderstand that the error of Hierom and Aerius grew of the not different and confused vse of these titles a Bishop and an Elder as they were then in vse But when as the same thing befalleth the title of an Apostle also is it not strange that they should rather erre in the one then the other For where as Barnabas Epaphroditus and manie others are called Apostles yet no man thereby euer thought that there was no difference betweene them and the twelue Apostles but because the history of the calling of the twelue Apostles and those other which were likewise called Apostles is better knowen vnto them and more familiar with them then is that of the
but one high Peiest in the old Testament with whome so long as he liued no other might bee surcharged vnlesse haplie hee had defiled himselfe with anie notorious crime or by chaunce had fallen into some vncleane disease which might make him eyther vnapt or vnable to perform his sacred dutie The which although it contained in it a secrete mysterie of the which the Church at this day retaineth no present memorie yet the policie of this mysterie which by no meanes is to be diuorsed from it ought not to be controlled of any that professe Christianitie If anie man heere suppose that by this reason the tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome may bee maintained to him I say that he taketh the matter amisse For there is great ods betweene a pastoral prefecture ouer one region and an emperiall prerogatiue ouer the whole world So ample and augustious is that his supreme empire and superlatiue degree in the Church as that it dilateth it selfe ouer all Christian churches wheresoeuer throughout the whole world but was the whole world at anie time demised to anie one Apostle Peter had the sea Apostolike ouer the circumcision and Paule ouer the vncircumcised but yet so as they excluded not their compeers and copartners in the same power with them For Iames also was the Apostle of the Iewes which liued at Hierusalem and in all Iudea but Peter ouer those which were dispersed among the Gentiles onely So likewise Paule limited his sea Apostolike among the Greeks of Asia and Europe leauing in the meane while other prouinces for other Apostles If in like manner the Bishop of Rome had contented and conteined himself within the precincts of his owne territorie how should any man haue accused him of any impious or vsurped tyrannie Againe for as much as it appeareth that the Apostolike traditiō so much as concerneth the regiment of the church and the outward policie thereof was taken of our Sauiour and afterwards also of the Apostles from out of the old Testament so far forth as the condition of time and place the state of the people and persons might permit can there bee any errour in this if the Fathers their successors seeme in like manner to borrowe from the same foundation certaine politike constitutions for the edifiyng of the Church Vpon this occasion Hierome thus writeth to Euagrius And in that we knowe that the Apostolike traditions were taken out of the old Testament that which Aaron and his sons and the Leuites were in the Temple the same are the Bishops Elders and Deacons in the Church I conclude therefore that ouer euery seuerall prouince or precinct which make as it were one Cittie they verie well and worthily placed seuerall Bishops and likewise ouer euery whole cuntry or regiō either Patriarchs or Archbishops or Primates or Metrapolitanes call them as you please moreouer that this was done of the antique Coūcels Fathers to singular purpose well consorting with Gods holy ordinance With the which that I may at the last determine this controuersie of those things which I haue already declared and concluded as well of the offices of the Gospell which were ordeined of the Lord and left vnto the Church by his Apostles as also of the vniforme consent of the Councels and continuall practise of the Church in all ages it shal be easie for all men to know That that gouernment is not of man or from man in the which the Elders ar subiect to their elder Bishops the Bishops to their higher Patriarchs Metropolitanes but contrarywise that the same is diuine and ordeined of God and that as well in the old as the new Testament Of the names of Patriarchs Archbishops Metropolitans Chap. XXV HAuing laid downe my reasons and proofes by the which I am taught to dissent from them vnto whom in other things I yeeld not a litle I take it now time to answere the cursing and cursed slanders of some who casting aside the modestie of ciuill Christians and neglecting the mediocritie of all learned writers do teare like mad dogs and torment the most reuerend names and religious functions of Bishops Archbishops Patriarches Metropolitans as pampred and proud titles antichristian prophane But wil you heare the reasons of vnreasonable men They alledge that the Apostle Paul in recounting the degrees of the Ministers of the Gospell in his Epistle to the Ephesians the 4. chap. maketh no mention of Patriarches Archbishops To the which before I goe any further I make them this answere That those offices are there comprised and contained in the names of Apostles Euangelists and in the 12. to the Rom. verse 8. in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruler or he that ruleth and in the first to the Corinthians the 12. chap. and 28. verse in the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gouernors by all which tearmes and titles the sacred order of superior Pastors are vnderstoode But that the aforesaid offices of Apostles Euangelists are perpetuall wee haue already proued and it may also sufficiently appeare by the sequele of that enumeration of those offices namely when he setteth down to what end our Sauiour gaue to the Church some Apostles and other Euangelists Was it not for the work of the Ministery for the edification of the body of Christ So that so long as the Church is to be edified so long those offices are to be continued in the Church which are there conteined If the Church could haue beene edified without them they should neuer haue ben ordeined in the Church But againe that part of them are thought to be temporal part particular that thought is ouerthrown by the onely end of that for the which they were ordeined which end is to be sought for continually of all the faithful euen vntill the comming of the Lord. For are they not still to edifie by these offices to grow together into one mystical body of Christ Now albeit the office of bishops archbishops primates patriarchs doth not extend it selfe so far as did the office of the twelue Apostles neither are they inriched with the like treasure or measure of the holy Ghost yet are wee to consider that this difference is in the qualitie not in the quidditie of the same function in the measure not in the matter of their commission And therfore whom at this day we call Bishops Archbishops Paul the Apostle called Apostles for that as we haue said they are ioyned in the same combinatiō made partakers of that cōmission And for this cause the calling of Archbishops Patriarchs hath beene alwaies called and is yet to be accounted Apostolike in all places Yet for as much as these names and titles doe seeme in some mens eyes to be puffed vp with the tumors of pride and ambition let vs take a further view of those principall obiects and friuolous obiections by the which they are cast into this no lesse straunge then strong
conception Their first argument is forced from the composition of the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as they take it signifieth that principalitie and power which is proper to the ciuill Magistrate only impertinent to that modestie and simplicitie which the doctrine of the Gospel requireth of a Pastor To the which they also adde the sentence of the Councell of Carthage which forbad anie Bishoppe to bee called Prince of the Priests The wordes of the Canon are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The which Gratian in his ninetie nine distinction translateth thus The Bishop of the chiefe place shall not be called prince of the Priestes or high Priest or any other such thing but onely Bishop of the chiefe place Besides all this say they the word Archbishop differeth nothing from the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prince of Pastors the which name or title seeing it is only proper to Christ alone we cannot see how he should bee excused of heinous sacrilege that doth any way vsurpe the same And therefore all such names are to be cast ouer bord and vtterly to be exiled the Church of Christ Neither is the arguing of these names to be taken for trifling when as they seem so greatly to derogate from the name of Christ And last of all those names which Antichrist himselfe or the spirit of Antichrist hath either inuented or inuested into the Church are to bee auoyded but that Antichrist was the forger of these titles it is a plaine case and therefore to be auoided To that I answer That the sence true meaning of these names titles by way of composition with the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteineth nothing in it eyther arrogant for ambition or for custome insolent For I will teach them if they bee to learne that the greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not onely signifie Principality and Magistracie but also the first the beginning and original cause of any thing and besides this that in composition it foloweth the nature of that word with the which it is compounded and so seeing the name of a Bishop doth signifie of it selfe and in his owne nature nothing that is insolent or ambitious take the name Archbishoppe which way you wil it cannot any waies sound of any vaine or vain-glorious sense as it plainely appeareth in other wordes of like composition as Architectos Archiatros Architriclinus Archibubulcus which signifie a Maister-worke-man a Arch-phisition a Gentleman-vsher a chiefe Herds-man and such like By all which we may manifestly see that the name of Bishop being in nature good the name of Archbishop cannot be in composition euill seeing that thereby it signifieth rather the first and chiefe Bishop then the Lord and Prince of Bishops Albeit I would not nor need I greatly sticke with him for the name of Prince neither were it in vse with vs as in sense it is with the Latines onely for a chiefe and principall man But now seeing that name is aduanced to a more roiall and imperiall sense from hence-forth I will either not vse it or vse it verie thriftely The like may wee say of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that among good Grecians it doth not alwaies signifie a Magistrate or a man in authority but many times also it standeth for the first author or originall cause of any thing So that Patriarche doth no more signifie him which gouerneth in the Magistracy or exerciseth authoritie ouer others then doth Heresiarch who is so called for that hee is the first brother and brocher of that heresie not that hee exerciseth anye dominion ouer the rank kamiel of that poysonous rable In very deed a Patriark signifieth the first parent of any people or ofspring in which sence also the same word is deriued to our vse to signifie an Archbishop because that he among the other Bishops which are counted Fathers is as it were the Graundfather and that thereby also wee might further conceiue that the gouernement he hath ouer others is meere father-like not tyrannik So that for modesty sake wer they called rather Archbishops and Patriarkes then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princes of the Priests that all the world might know that their power ouer their brethren and fellow-bishoppes was no other then that which Paule had ouer Titus and Timothy and they ouer others And thus at the last it may appear at the ful that here is no name giuen to the Bishop of the chief place which was forbidden by the Carthaginian Canon seeing that a Patriarke Archbishop in their proper sense doe signifie no other then the chief Bishop who if he be called Prince of the Bishops among them which write more pure Latine no man ought to bee agreeued therfore for that as I haue alredy noted the word Prince among them is no more but as principall and chiefe among vs. And this is that which Ambrose hath written vpon the fourth of the Ephesians In a Bishop saith hee are all the orders contained because hee is the chiefe Priest that is the Prince of Priests and a Prophet and an Euangelist But now againe that they say the word Archbishop doth signifie the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Peter which signifieth the Arch-pastor I can but greatly wonder and yet not sufficiently that any such thing should proceed from men that would bee accounted learned and linguists too I shewed but euen now what this worde Archbishoppe signified and what might be made of the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in composition Wherefore seeing that in the construction of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also in other wordes it may bee taken as well for the first and chiefe Pastor of any people as for the chiefe Lord and Prince of all Pastours I see no reason why that also may not bee giuen to that man which obtaineth the chiefe place among the Pastors of any place But when as it signifieth Christ and that for his supreame gouernement which he alone hath ouer all Pastors as the Lord of all both people and Pastors the sense is altered and the case so that in that sense there are none of our Archbishops which in any case will suffer himselfe to bee called Archbishop Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Archpastor absolutely aboue al comparison beyond all exception without any limitation when as our Archbishoppes are not so called simply and absolutelie but such and such Archbishops Archbishoppes of this or that sea whose Suffraganes and Sub-bishops of such or such a Prouince are sufficientlie known Among whome onely they are accounted the Primates or principall moderators and ouer whom onely and not ouer all absolutely they are called Archbishops Wherefore seeing that by this name is onely signified the chiefe and principall Pastour of some one Prouince it doth no more derogat from the glory of Christ then when wee call other Elders and
a secrete consent as it were of the whole world and so that certain portions were designed for the Bishops allowance others also for the other Priests and Ecclesiasticall persons which were in ordinarie residence in euery Cathedrall Church and last of all other Priestes also were ordained by the Bishops euerie where through the cuntrie ouer parish Churches with standing titles who were by that meanes called to a perticular part of the coÌ„mon charge with the Bishop least that which was to bee cared for by all should bee neglected of euerie one as it commonly commeth to passe there is no doubt had none of the Church goodes beene taken from the Cleargie but by this meanes the poore and needie should haue beene much better prouided for by the seueral Cleargie-men of euery particular territorie then when the fourth part of the remaines of the Church goodes were imployed to their vse in common and that also with more ease and much lesse murmure But the trumperie not the pouertie of the Church Munkes and Nunnes and such others which were called religious persons purloyning that fourth part vnder the title of Euangelike pouertie which they professed haue vtterly robbed both the Cleargie and the pouertie and haue brought in a straunge and wonderfull disorder into the auncient ordering of Church goodes so that that part which of olde was due vnto the poore is now in the winding vp deuolued to the rich that I may omit the manifold abuses of Impropriations and Commendams such other shifting sacrilegious titles Ambrose in his thirtie and one Epistle the fift booke The possessions saith he of the Cleargie are the prouisions of the needie and therefore let the Churches keepe reckoning of this how many captiues they haue redeemed how many poore they haue refreshed how many exiles they haue harbored For the Church hath golde not to purse but to disburse and to releeue the necessities of the needie What profite is it to keepe that which profiteth not Augustine also in his treatise vppon Iohn the one and twentith chapter disputeth of that right which the Apostles and Ministers haue by the worde of GOD to receyue carnall things of them vnto whom they minister spirituall things They giue gold saith he and they receyue grasse And in his tenth Tome there is extant no lesse then a whole Homilie concerning the paying of tythes as of dutie Hierome also in his third chapter vpon Malachie amongst other thinges which concerne this opinion hath these wordes That which we say of tythes and first fruits which of olde were giuen of the people to the Priestes and Leuites vnderstand yee also to concerne the people of the Church who are commaunded not onely to pay tythes and first fruites but also to sell all that they haue and giue to the poore and to follow the Lord. The which so great a matter if we will not performe yet at the least lets vs imitate the beginnings of the Iewes that wee may giue part of all vnto the poore and affoord the Priests and Leuites their due honour For which cause the Apostle sayth Honour the widdowes which are true widowes And That the Elder is to bee honored with double honour especially he which laboureth in worde and doctrine the which dutie who so now will not performe hee is proued thereby to defraude and supplant God himselfe and hee is cursed therefore of God in the penurie of all things so that he which soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and hee which soweth liberally shall reape liberally c. Many other thinges of like sort may wee read in that place to this sense But if I should repute vnto you whatsoeuer the Fathers haue written of this argument I should but repeate the same things and be tedious to the Reader in a matter of no controuersie Chap. XIII A distinction of Church goods THe goods of the Church are not all of one fort for there are some which coÌ„sist in the oblations of the people some in proper possessions some in rents and reuenewes some in lawfull fees and ancient roialties Al the which are commonly distinguished into two seuerall kinds whereof some are called Spirituall and some accounted Temporall But seeing these tearmes do neyther so fitly nor yet so fully expresse the nature of these things more proper words were to be deuised by more perfect Ciuilians For vnto that which is Temporall there is nothing in nature opposite but that which is Eternall and to that which is Spiritual nothing is contrary but that which is Carnal or corporal They therefore speak more aptly of these thinges who for the worde Temporall vse the words Ciuil and humane and for Spiritual the words Sacred holy and diuine Now albeit that ought generally to be accounted holy sacred whatsoeuer is consecrated to God and his Ministerie yet notwithstanding they cal oblations because they more nearely concerne God and his seruice more properly sacred and diuine thinges not so much for distinction sake as for that the condition and proprietie therof is such But humane and ciuil goods they account the fields and possessions of the Church for that in nature and condition they are not vnlike vnto those which other Citizens possesse and are therefore giuen vnto the Cleargie that not onely in the Church but also in the common-wealth they may be of good estate and wel able to maintaine the credit of the place and person they sustaine the which by no good meanes they can be able to vphold if in worldly welth they be so curtold and kept so thread-bare as that they cannot be in case to be as bountifull as other men Great matters are looked for at the hands of the Cleargie as hospitalitie releeuing the poore and such other thinges which Christ himselfe not onely taught but in person performed in some good sort And is it not a shame for a Bishop to exhort others vnto charitie towards the poore and needie and himselfe neither to put the same in practise nor yet to be able But least any man should thinke that this distinction came out of the Popes Mint and therefore to bee reiected he shal vnderstand by those things we haue now cited that it is the Fathers the autentike Fathers Ambrose in his Epistle de tradendis basilicis maketh mention of the collations of the people and the fields which the Church possessed Wherefore the gifts and oblations of the faithfull which they offer of their owne accord are to be accounted holy goods goâ—â—s sacred and diuine because in that case the chiefe respect is not of man but of God Vnder this kinde we comprise the paiment of tenthes and tythes also albeit there bee great difference betwene those tythes which eyther now the people pay of their owne voluntarie not constrained or haue of olde religiously vndertaken by a lawe imposed vpon themselues and their posteritie to pay vnto the Ministers those tythes which Princes gaue vnto them and laid out for them by their
the same not that which is necessary but that which is voluntary Vppon which ground I hold this for a sure principle that that Priesthood or Bishop doth both against the honor and the honesty of the sacred ministery whosoeuer without commaund of supreme autority or constraint of extreme necessity shal take vppon him any seruice of war eyther as leader or as souldier But when such time and places betide as shall exact this at our handes we are vnwillingly to yeeld to vnwelcome necessity Theodoret in his second Booke the third chapter writeth of one Iames Bishop of the Citty of Nisib which of som is called Antioche Migdon that he was vppon occasion both Bishop and Captaine of the same his Citty the which by the helpe of God he manfully defended against Sapor King of Persia and deliuered the same as well with his prowes as his prayers The same Theodoret in his fourth booke the twelfth Chapter recordeth as much and much more of the warlike power and prowes of Eusebius Bishop of Samosis who mannaging himselfe with all manner warlike abilements ranged along throughout Syria Phenicia and Palestine wher he erected Priests and Deacons and performed such other Eccesiasticall pensions Neyther did I euer read of any that found himselfe offended with this action or thought his action offended against that Canon I doe not so thinke nor will I say so much of Theophilus and Cyrillus Bishops of Alexandria who tooke vppon them a secular principality ouer that Citty the Emperour not noting it but not commaunding it As for the Canon which Cyprian citeth I must needs confesse that I cannot attayne vnto the reason thereof onely this I am assured of that it was but a particular and a prouinciall decree seruing onely for that time and that place For no doubt to take charge of Widowes and Orphanes is an especiall worke of piety and commaunded of God in euery place of his Lawe and so that they incurre no small blame that deferre to take vppon them not the patrimony but the patrociny of such For good cause therefore was the old custome continued in the Chuch that Bishops should be the patrons of Widowes and the Fathers of Orphanes and that they especially before all others were to take charge of them without any shame to theyr calling without any breach of the Canons You shall heare how the Councell of Sardis doth allowe and recommend the same in plaine wordes For this is the speeche which Osiris then Bishop there made Much importunity and too much confluence with vnlawful sutes hath brought the matter to this passe that we haue not so much either fauor or credit committed vnto vs whiles there are some which cease not to repayr to the Court of the Bishop and especially they of Africa who as we know reiect and contemn the wholesome directions of our most holy brother and fellow Bishop Gratus Who do not only present diuers and sundry matters not materiall to the Church as many times it commeth to passe that widows orphans and the poore might be succoured but they doe further craue for certaine secular dignities and ciuill offices This bad order therefore stirreth vp not onely much muttering but many offences also Notwithstanding this is a commendable thing that Bishops should be a meanes for those which are oppressed with wrongfull violence as if so bee a widow be molested or an orphan defrauded and yet so that these parties haue some iust cause of complaint and some honest petition to praesent Wherefore if it so please you my beloued brethren let this be a decree that Bishops come not to the Court except happely they whom the Religious Emperour shall by his letters inuite But because oft times it commeth to passe that they which suffer wrong flye to the Church for succour and they also which doe wrong and are adiudged therefore to some I le or exile or in deede what sentence of iudgement soeuer they receiue they ought here to be relieued and without al doubt their pardon to be craued Therefore if it so please you as I haue sayd so let it bee decreed They all gaue a placet and let it be enacted This Canon containeth a certaine exposition of the sixt Canon of the Apostles and it teacheth vs what secular cares a Bishop or a Priest may vndertake and what not The Bishops in this point were imitators of their Fathers the Prophets which alwayes gaue their helping hand to widdowes orphanes and other afflicted people Doe we not read how fatherly and friendly the Prophet Elizeus greeteth the Sunamite after his entertainment 2. Reg. 4. VVhat wouldest thou that I should doe for thee is there any thing to he spoken for you to the King or to the Captaine of the host Nor neede this seem to any man any such a strange duety of religion that Bishops or other Ministers should repaire to Princes to intreate for the distressed Ambrose vndertaking an honorable Embassee for Valentinian the Emperour being yet a child to Maximus the tyrant spake thus in his case as himselfe reporteth to Valentinian in an Epistle VVhom sayth he ought Bishops rather to defend then orphanes For it is written Iudge the cause of the fatherlesse and defend the widow and deliuer him that suffereth wrong and in an other place Ye Iudges of widowes and fathers of fatherlesse As for that which is vrged from the example of the Apostles ther is no childe so simple so to conceiue therof as if when the Apostles had once chosen Deacons the care of the poore and the widow did no more pertayne to them I noted before how the necessity of the poore was commended to Paul and Barnabas after that and we reade how Paul also caried the beneuolence of the Corinthians and other Churches to Hierusalem Wherefore to conclude if it be lawfull as it is for bishops and Pastors and that according to the rules of charitye to imploye their labour in outward affaires and to detract some what from that time which otherwise were to be spent in reading of holy writ and other sacred trauels and that onely for our priuate necessities or our neyghbours what labour shall we thinke too much or what paines not to be performed in the commendable affaires of the King or common wealth for a publique necessity and a greater commodity Chap. XVII What a fee is and what are the conditions thereof NOw it remaineth that I make answere for those Church goods which are held in Fee of which terme before the irruption of the more barbarous nations into into the Romain Empire there was no wher any mention that phrase taking his original frō the Goths Vandals and Longobards What may be the etimology thereof and what is signified thereby the learned at large discourse discusse whose iudgements and opinions it were now too long to repeate But for our purpose this is enough and this is a cleare case that a Fee with the Lombards doth signify a priuiledge
simplicity of the Euangelike ministery IF any man obiect that these tenures in fee are accompanied with certaine Royalties ciuill iurisdictions secular titles honors and retinewes in which thinges the auncient Nobilitie are an ornament vnto the King and the Countrey and therefore not agreeable vnto the simplicitie of the ministerie which thing the Lord him selfe taught as well by expresse doctrine as especiall example Because indeede such thinges they doe but intangle a man in extearne vanities and solicite their heartes with the cares of this world in the which it becommeth a Bishop to be secure And furthermore for that the Lord himselfe beeing requested to sit but as arbiter betweene two brethren denied the same And againe when the Apostles made the question which of them should bee the greatest hee made aunswere and sayd The Kings of the Gentils raigne ouer them and they which beare rule ouer them are called gracious Lordes but yee shall not be so but he that is greatest amongst you let him be as the least and he which is Prince as he which ministreth By which the wordes and examples of our Sauiour wee are taught that the Ministery of the Gospell hath nothing common with the Common-wealth It may suffice for an answere vnto this obiection which wee haue before noted namely that all this they talke of hath his place in that estate in the which our Sauiour and his Apostles liued not in that common-wealth in the which the chiefe Magistrates acknowledge Christ Iesus their chiefe Lord and soueraigne King For as the Magistrate is of an other calling now in the Church then before he had so is it reason also that the seruaunts of the Lorde should bee of better estate in the Common-wealth then before they were The Magistrate which before was an enemie and a persecutour according vnto the prophesie of Esaias is become a Foster-father of the Church and a religious worshipper of the Lorde Christ vnder whome were it not an absurd thing that the seruaunts of Christ should haue no more honour then vnder a persecutor But because it is not set downe expreslie in the Scripture what of what sort and how great the same ought to bee many mens mindes are heere at a maze and some are of mind so to leaue it as at a dead losse and yet notwitstanding the thing it selfe is not so hard to find out and it is in his owne nature wel enough knowen and that both by the written lawe of God and the vniuersall censure of all nations were it not for the awkewarde interpretation of those scriptures which I haue nowe cited Out of the which notwithstanding there is nothing els directie concluded but that it is not any part of the Ecclesiasticall function to intermedle in ciuil affaires the which indeed is out of all controuersie Neither is that the question but whether the same man that is a Pastor may not togeather with the ministery of the Gospell bee lawfully imployed in politique affaires for the benefite of the Church and good of the Common-wealth For when as the Minister of the church is cittizen also of the common-wealth he ought not thinke any thing not pertaining to him that pertaineth to the Common-wealth so that beeing lawfully called hee may not vndertake some part of the ciuill estate As for that which I lately cited concerning our Sauiour who refused to be an arbiter it is nothing to this question For the spirite of Christ in the mouth of Paul doth plainly teach vs that the meanest of the church are good enough to iudge of earthlie causes for that one day they shall iudge the worlde yea the Angels themselues a iudgement farre greater then this The which seeing the Apostle affirmeth of any Christian is it to bee thought that onely Christ alone was no fit man to take vp a small matter betweene two brethren if they both had bene content to stand vnto his iudgement Wee cannot therefore imagine that our Sauiour Christ simplye refused the office of an arbiter but that hee denied himselfe to bee that iudge which might command both parties to stand vnto his arbiterment And is not this then a slight testimonie for to proue it not lawfull for a Bishop who is both a Cittizen and a subiect to exercise anye ciuill iurisdiction the Magistrate so commaunding him or to execute some other pension of the Common-wealth not abhorring altogeather from his profession beeing furnished with sufficient authority to discharge it That the foure-score and second Canon commandeth him to be disordered who vndertaketh both Prouinces the Ecclesiasticall power and the secular principality for my part I say not against it if so be that it bring no inconuenience vnto the Bishoppes of the Church and that it may bee done with the good leaue of the Prince and without anie great hurt to the Church and Common wealth And thereupon we are also bolde to say that Theophilus and Cyrill Byshops of Alexandria transgressed that Canon of whome Socrates reporteth that of themselues they tooke vnto themselues the principality of that citty In like manner doe the Bishops of Rome when as they improoue vnto themselues those things which are Caesars For when as they are the vassals and subiectes of the Emperour they haue notwithstanding extolled themselues aboue their Lords and aduanced the sheepheardes croysier aboue the royall scepter But for those Bishops which vaile their bonnet to their Soueraigne and obey their Princes in honest and godly things there is not the like reason And many things many times are done in the Common-wealth extraordinarilye so that there can no lawe bee published or made which it is not lawfull for to gain-say at some time or other for the good of the Common-wealth Neither is the other example that they vrge of anye force For had our Sauiour meant to haue inthronized himselfe in that earthly kingdome which he neuer ment yet would hee haue refused that tumultuous course For what power had that part of the people to annoint him King CHAP. XX That it is lawfull for Bishops to heare ciuil causes and to determine vpon them THat Bishops had to deale in ciuill causes when as the parties submitted themselues to their iudgement it is sufficiently known by the writings of the Fathers the works of Iustinian The which although it were a matter of no smal trouble vnto the godlie Bishops yet the iniquitie many times of secular Iudges their delayes demurs and cauils in lawe were such as that the Bishops of meere charity were moued vnto this labour Neither are they therein to be so censured as if they vsurped the place of the ciuill Magistrate for he did it by the consent of the chiefe Magistrate as it appeareth in the writings of Iustinian in his first booke de Episcopali audientia the fourth title where hee commaundeth that there should be that reuerence giuen vnto their iudgement which is due vnto the hiest powers from whome it is not lawfull to appeale
is not the Church But this distinction hath no place in a Christian people In times past when christians were mingled with the heathen as at this day they are among the Mahometists it was then of force a part by it selfe and it might be said the Church is in the Common-welth as the people of Israell were sometimes in Aegypt or at Babylon I touch not now that state of a Common-welth in the which the head-strong people are distracted into diuerse factions and the headlesse Churches are dismembred vnder the same Magistrate That is a waightie matter indeed and such as requireth a proper treatise of it selfe But where the whole nation hath giuen their names vnto Christ and there is no man which is not sprinckled in his Baptisme there doubtles the Church is the Common-wealth and the Common-wealth the visible Church vnder the which who so supplieth whether in respect of the one onely or in regard of both names the order appointed by God being kept and those things remaining diuerse which in nature are distinct there is nothing in the Gospell that forbiddeth the same In that a man is Pastor of the people or Bishop of the Church hee holdeth of Christ in that hee is a subiect and a tenaunt to the Common-wealth hee holdeth of the Prince that he may performe his dutie to both these he is not constrained to giue ouer either of these the same man may giue vnto Caesar those things which are Caesars and neuerthelesse performe that vnto God which is due vnto God A Bishop as hee is a Pastor doth owe vnto Christ a vigilant care ouer the flocke committed vnto his charge and as hee is a subiect and free Cittizen hee oweth vnto his Prince faithfull obedience dutiful homage and all other kinds of lawfull seruice If it should so fall out at this day as it hath doone full oft and full well that some noble-man holding in fee of the King should bee called vnto the Ministery as one which hath sufficient learning and no lesse deuotion the doctrine of the Gospell doth not prohibit that such a man should be made a Bishop and yet retaine his free holde and the royalties belonging there-unto Alwaies to bee considered that the lawes of the Common-wealth permit the same Neither is there any cause why any man should thinke that this Bishop would be caried away with his secular affaires from his pastorall charge For if there be any feare of God in him and if he haue any care of the Church hee will honestly and may easily prouide that such things be discharged by his seruants and wil gouerne his Church himselfe We see that noble-men haue the surplusage of as much time from their secular affairs to dispend in idle repasts as might well suffice a Pastorall charge And therfore it is not the possessions of the Kings farms and fees which do so alienate a man as that he cannot be both Lord of them and a good Bishop too And therfore if any christian King shal thinke it behooful either for the honor of his estate or the stay of the Cōmon-wealth that certain BB. of the church shuld hold in fee either manors or honors by their priuilege I cānot find that ether he is forbidden to grant demise or that they are commaunded not to receiue inioy the same And that which I read not to be prohibited I vnderstand to be permitted nether can that be preiudicial to the Church which is beneficial to the cōmon-wealth especially when the Church is the Common-wealth CHAP. XXVII An other argument against the donation of fees confuted IF so be any man vrge vs any further and say that the oblations which are made in the Church with the which as well God himselfe as his seruants are honored are vtterly opposit to the nature of fees because they are offered to testifie the gratefull memory of some benefite receiued But contrariwise a fee is graunted by the Lorde thereof vpon that condition that the tenant in fee acknowledge the doner in some kind of duty for a benefit bestowed And therefore seeing these two are opposite between themselues and in condition crosse each other it seemeth that Bishops and Pastors are not rightfully indued with the title of fees and this also is made good vppon them by this reason Those thinges which are giuen to the Pastors of the Church in regard of their ministery are in the nature of certain presents and are reputed amongst the holy actions of religion which are to be rewarded of God onely And therfore to require in lieu of them any temporal recompence or ciuil obsequie is a thing no lesse preposterous then irreligious but fees are granted vpon that condition that the feudatory recognize his Patron in some kind of personall or proportionable dutie therefore our auncestors haue not wel done to honor the Church with their indowments of fees The distinction of Church-goods which before I remembred doth containe a very easie plaine answer to all this namely that the goods of the Church are partly sacred and diuine partlie ciuill and humaine For fees are ciuil goods therefore not to be numbred among oblations but donations neither were those Cities and suburbs which were giuen by the people of God to Priests Leuits at any time recounted among their offeringes Besides this there is a difference betweene these things to offer som thing to God to giue any thing to the church Things mooueable which do perish togeather with their very vse are said to bee offered vnto God when they are giuen to his Ministers or to his poore members for Gods-sake albeit the one hath the name of a gift the other of an Almes The which thing for that the benefit thereof hath the nature of an oblation or sacrifice for neither are they giuen for any reward nor receaued vppon any condicion therefore in nature they are nothing alike vnto the donation of fees as themselues very well confesse I admit they also oblige a man to a gratefull memorie of that they haue receaued yet are they not giuen vppon that condicion that there-vpon some dutie should be performed Wherefore seeing that the donation of fees are neither in vse nor in sense like vnto the religion of oblations why shuld they be confounded with them Or how should a man honestly argue from thence that the Ministers of the church may not be endewed ther with Are they not Cittizens and subiectes and liue vnder the same lawe and obey the same Magistrate and beare the same burdens of the Common-wealth By what equity then can they be abridged the possessions of ciuill goods by the benefit of the Prince common-wealth Besides seeing it is thought but equall by the consent of the holy Fathers that the fieldes and farmes of the Church should yeeld a tribute vnder the most Christian Princes that the increase and benefite of those fees should serue for the good partly of the Church partly of the
citties But when as many Churches were infinitely distant from others is it not straunge that not any one Church retayned that diuine kinde of gouernement as it is thought which is adored at this day in some reformed Churches Doubtles Churches so diuerse and distant could not but greatly differ in things indifferent where there was no certaynty sette downe by the Apostles And therefore this could not bee without a miracle of eyther part Namely that eyther they should so vniuersally consort in this one gouernement if it were not receiued by tradition frō the Apostles or that with so generall a consent they should alter the same if it were For all the world knoweth that in all the world the gouernment was one and the same for all the world This is without question and beyond all exception that all the auncient autentike fathers so many as held the right faith were of this beliefe that in this onely plot they did follow the Apostolique tradition and diuine institution Ireneus in his thirde booke the third Chapter against Heresies writeth thus It is easie for all men to see that will see the truth the auncient tradition of the Apostles in the Church through the whole worlde and we can recken vp those which were ordayned Bishops of the Apostles themselues and theyr successors also euen vnto our selues which neyther taught nor knew any such thing as these men doate of Out of the which it appeareth That what thing was receyued in al Churches which were founded of the Apostles was an Apostolique tradition and diuine institution but the order of Bishops was receyued euery where in all Churches and therefore an Apostolique tradition and a diuine institution Ciprian in his fourth booke the ninth Epistle From whence sayth he are scismes bred and yet do breed but where the Bishop which is one and ouer the Church is condemned by the proud presumption of some and the man which is honored by the acceptance of God is dishonored by dishonest men c. The same Ciprian in his seuen and twenty Epistle according to the order of his Epistle citing that of Mathews Thou art Peter vpon this work c. he inferreth That euē frō thence according to the course of time and succession of ages the ordination of Bishops the computation of the Church doth run So that the Church may seeme to be grounded vppon Bishops and euery action of the Church to be gouerned by the same Presidents Wherefore seeing this is thus founded vpon the diuine ordinance of God I cā but wonder at som That it was the opinion of Aerius That there is no difference betweene a Bishop and a Priest which was condemned for an Heresie by the Fathers Chap. XII THus haue we heard of the acceptance of God the diuine ordinance vpon which the authority of Bishops relied as our Fathers beleeued To the which I now adde that had not the orthodoctike fathers belieued that the order of Bishops was grounded vpon the word of God they would neuer haue recounted the opinion of Aerius among other Heresies Who three hundred yeares long after the Apostles times was the first that durst affirm That there was no difference between the holy Bishop and an ordinary Priest Of whom Epiphanius recordeth that hee spake more like a fury then a man who as hee also reporteth was wont to say VVhat is a Bishop to a Priest there is no difference betweene them for there is but one order and one honor and one dignity The Bishop layeth on his hands the Bishop sitteth on his throne so likewise doth the Priest Thus sayth Aerius But of the other side Epiphanius first sheweth That a Bishop may create Priestes and that he cannot be created of Priests The order of Bishops sayth he is the begetter of Fathers for be begetteth Fathers vnto the Church but the order of Priests cannot beget Fathers by the regeneration of Baptisme it begetteth children to the Church but not Fathers or Teachers For how shoulde he create a Priest who hath not the power of laying on of hands in the election And he aunswereth Aerius for his cauels That his trifling emulation deceiued him and that he was ignoraunt of the nature of antique histories For that when the preaching of the word was but a new thing the holy Apostle writ according to the state of the thing as it then stoode And therefore where there were Bishops appoynted he wrote to Bishops and Deacons neyther could the Apostles doe all at once But they had present vse of Priests Deacons For by those two all Ecclesiasticall functions are to be performed But where there were not any found worthy a Bishopricke there the place was voyd of a Bishop but where neede was and there were that were worthy there they placed Bishops But where as ther were not many there were not many to be found among them to be made Priests and therfore they contented themselues with a Bishop onely in that place But it is not possible that a Bishop shoulde bee without a Deacon and the Apostle had an especiall care of that that he should not be without his Deacons And thus the Church receyued the fulnes of his functions according as the conditiō of time and place did require For euery thing was not furnished with all things at the first but in processe of time such things were prouided as were requisite to the performance of things necessary c. These things he confirmeth by the example of Moyses who finished hys common wealth not all at once but after a time But as of old he should haue taken a wrong course who to reform the Churche of Israell would haue taken his patterne from the imperfect and not composed state thereof So likewise at this day they maintayn but too foul an error that would bring the state of a Church well growen in yeares backe againe to the swathling clouts And therefore Epiphanius very well inferreth thus So likewise sayth he are those things which are written in the Apostle vntill the Church be enlarged vntill it come to her ripe years vntil it be most perfectly preyzed with the or-nature of wisedome by the Father Son and holy Ghost Epiphanius perceyued that there were many things wanting and that al things were not in theyr perfect temper that after a time one and the same man was not both Priest and Bishop as it well appeared by that which Saint Paul writ to Timothy who was a Bishop Against a Priest or Elder receiue no accusation without two or three witnesses He sayd not to any Elder receyue no accusation against a Bishop c. Augustine in like manner mightily confirmeth this the censure and sentence of Epiphanius who also mustereth this error of Aerius among the mid-ranke of olde confused Heresies Hierom his opinion confuted Chap. XXII THat which is obiected out of Hierome vppon the first Chapter of the Epistle to Titus namely that Bishops are greater then