be said of the church which is the Lords kingdome temple and house this being a matter agreeing to euery societie especiallie hauing a wyse gouernour and the societie being such as may haue nothing done confusedlie disorderly and offensiuelie in it but all with peace order and to edification and whiche is to abide cōtinue for euer But such a societie the Church is For some short time it maybe some small societie may continue in tollerable maner without certaine prescripte lawes to gouerne it yet hardlie can it long so continue without sundrie suche disorders as in the ende must needes ouerthrowe it But a common wealth and a kingdome and that such a one as is spreade ouer all the worlde and to continue to the ende of the same to be like an Inne of Court without written lawes and orders for the gouernement of it for euer can not stande with the wisedome of God with the offices of our Sauiour Christ with the nature of the Church nor with the edificatiō peace order and perpetuitie of the same Further the whole externall forme of th'administration of the Church consisteth in the kindes and charges of offices vpon whose care and direction the church in such matters is to depende in the things which concerne their lawfull vocation to such places due execution of that belongeth vnto them but all these pointes are particularly set downe in the worde of God in the seueral charges of Ministers of the worde of Elders of Deacons and of the ioint care of Eldershippes and Synodes as is to appeare in the proofe of euery seuerall part hereafter therefore it is to be acknowledged that such an externall forme of Discipline and direction of the Church is appointed of God Besides all this the things which cōcerne the kingdome of Christ wherof such an external forme is not the least the Euangelist Luke writeth that full fortie dayes the Disciples were instructed by our Sauiour after his resurrection 1. Cor. 11.23 1. Cor. 14.37 Mat. 28.20 Actes 1.2 1. Tim. 6.14 Matt. 18.15.16.17 Actes 11.30 euen as Moses had bene taught of God in the mountaine concerninge the like For which respect in diuers places of the newe Testament sundrie principall partes of the Discipline and externall order of the Church are saide to haue bin deliuered of the Lorde and are called preceptes and commaundements yea and sometimes commaundements of the Lorde Finallie the same externall order of the Church in offices for doctrine conuersation and for the poore was setled by the Apostle in all churches where he came and in some before he had conferred with any of the other Apostles and had the Gospell only by reuelation of the Sonne of God It is deliuered also by him for a generall doctrine to all Churches in the 12. chapter to the Romanes and the 1. to Tim. with most earnest charge to haue it kept without fault till the glorious comming of Christ It was likewise established by the rest of the Apostles in all places where they came as appeareth by the speciall and expresse mention of Ministers of the worde Elders Deacons for these offices in the due execution whereof the whole Discipline consisteth were established in the Churches of a 15.4.16.4.6.6 Ierusalem of b Act. 13.1.14.23 Antioche of c Phil. 1.1 Licaonia and d Philippi e Act. 20.17 1. Tim. 3. Ephesus f Rom. 12.6 7.8 Rome g 1. Cor. 5.16.1.2 Corinth h Col. 1.7.2.5 Colossi i Thes 1.5.12.10 ch 2.3.14 Thessalonica k 1. Tim. 1.5 Candie and all the Churches of the dispersed straūgers in l 1. Tit. 5.1.2.3 Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bythinia and generallie in all the churches of the m He. 13.17 Iac. 1.1.5.14 1 Co. 16.1.2 Hebrewes Whiche consent of the Apostles in ordering the churches which they gathered togither by one vniforme externall order of Administration in Ministers of the Worde Elders and Deacons declareth that they receyued the same from the Lord and by his appointement deliuered it to the Churches Thus at the first the churches were setled n Colos 2 5 Mat. 16.19.18.17.18.19.20 a goodly thing to behold all after one and the same order by the Apostles accordinge to that our Sauiour had taught them concerning this matter the commission they were charged with at his going vp from them into heauen which was to make disciples and to teach them to keepe all things that he had commaunded them In the time next succeding the Apostles the same order in a great part continued as may appeare by many notable testimonies in Jgnatius not onely mentioning and saluting in all his Epistles often times the Ministers of the worde by the name of Bishops Elders and Deacons but also earnestly exhorting to the continuance and respect of them as a most necessarie order appointed for the preseruation of Gods Church Be subiect sayeth he to the Bishop meaning the Pastour as appeareth by the particular respect he is said to haue to that church as to the Lorde for he watcheth for your soules as one that is to giue his account thereof to God c. Be subiect also sayeth he to th'Eldership as the Apostles of Jesus Christ and please the Deacons A litle after he sayth The Bishop resembleth God vnto thē and the Elders the assistance of God and colledge or bande of the Apostles of Christ a comparison in sundrie other places vsed by him without these an elect Church a holy assemblie a Sinagogue of Saints is not c. In the same Epi. He that is within the Church is cleane therefore obeyeth he the Bishop and the Elders but he that is without doeth any thing without Bishoppe without Elders and Deacons such an one is vncleane for what is the Bishop but the follower of Christ what is the Presbiterie or Eldership but a holy assemblie Councellours and assistantes of the Bishops what are the Deacons but followers of the Aungelles c. He therefore that disobeyeth these is surelie an Atheist and vngodlie despising Christ and setting at nought his ordinance In his Epistle to the saintes at Tharsus vsing the same exhortation I loue them saieth he as mine owne soule that obserue this good order and the Lord be with them for euer To the Ephesians he saieth The Presbyterie is to the Bishop as the string is to the Harpe as no doubt their holy concorde is acceptable to God like the song of the golden harpes mentioned in the Reuelation Apoc. 5. Justinus maketh mention of such an order of lethargie vsed by the Christians in their holy ecclesiasticall assemblies as may seeme to haue bin as there was good cause it should the paterne of the best reformed Churches of this age for th' order of publique prayer vsed amongst them Tertullianus testimonie in his excellent Apologie of Christians is worthie to be written with a pen of gold in pretious marble which is that certaine approued Elders were set
ouer their Churches ecclesiasticall assemblies who had obtayned that honor not by mony but by good testimonie For no matter of God is obtayned with vs by money Many and notable witnesses are in Cyprian of the ministerie and their equall power and dignitie and of so great necessitie of executing the censures and discipline of the Church as that feare of death ought not to hinder it The presumption of man in deede began betimes by degrees to degenerate from this order of Discipline so as the Elders who were men chosen out from the rest of the people to assiste the Ministers of the word in the execution of the Discipline of the Church began to fayle whereof Ambrose complayned in his time Ambros in 2. Tim. 5. So it came to passe that some of the Ministers of the worde not by the ordinance of God whereby they were all equall but as Ierome noteth by custome and humane disposition began to be greater then other Ministers Iero. in epi. ad Tit. so as they onely were called Bishops which name is giuen to all the Elders of the church of Ephesus and tooke vpon them firste all the care of the Church then of other Ministers also and that by degrees Act. 20.28 of so large circuites as for their helpe and to serue for steppes to rayse them selues by other officers were appointed vnderneath them till at last it grewe to this perfect image of the beast spoken of in the Reuelation that is of the Romane Empire that of long time hath tyrannised the Church of God Reue. 13.14 euer to this age But in this age of the regeneratiō of the gospell the Churches haue openlie and plainlie discouered these abuses and declared both their iudgementes what they iudge and beleeue touching the kindes of the ministeries offices ordayned of God to be in the Church and their indeuour desire to returne to the same former order appointed by our Sauiour Christ and first deliuered to the Churches by his holie Apostles In the latter cōfession of the churches of Heluetia wherunto besides the Heluetiās that is the churches of Zurich Bearne Shaphonse Sangall Rhetia Millynse Bienna there subscribed also the Churches of Geneua and of Sauoye Polelande Hungarie and Scotlande after a declaration of the names of the Ministerie that are mentioned in the holy scriptures it is thus written But moreouer in the tymes which followed manie more names of Ministers of the Church were brought in for some were ordayned Patriarkes other Archbishops others Suffragans Metropolitanes also and Archepriestes or Arch-presbyters also Subdeacons Acolythes Exorcistes Singers porters and I knowe not who els as Cardinalles Prouostes Priors Fathers and orders greater and lesse But of all these we are nothinge carefull what they were in times past or nowe are the doctrine of the Apostles concerning Ministers suffiseth vs. And a little after in the same confession one and equall power or office was giuen to all the Ministers of the Church Surelie at the beginning the Bishops gouerned the Church by their common labour none preferred him selfe before other or vsurped to him selfe larger power or dominion ouer Bishops for they were mindefull of the Lords wordes Hee that will be first amongst you let him be your seruaunt and so forth with confirmation of this equalitie amongest the Ministers of the Church shewing this to haue bene so amongst the Apostles by Cyprian and Jeromes testimonie affirminge that the Bishoppes are greater then other Ministers more by custome then by the ordinance of God and that they ought to rule the Church togither they adde these wordes this writeth Ierome Therefore say they no man can lawfullie forbid vs to returne backe agayne to the auncient ordinance of the Church of God Artic. 29. and to receyue that rather then a humane custome The Churches of France write yet more directlie to this purpose in their cōfession saying We beleeue the true Church ought to be gouerned by that pollicie and discipline which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath ordayned namely so that there be in that Pastours Elders and Deacons that the purenes of doctrine may be retayned vices may be suppressed the poore and other in miserie may be prouided for and that holie assemblies may be helde for the edification both of small and great In like maner write the Churches of the lowe Coūtries Artic. 30. We beleeue say they that this true Church ought to be ruled and gouerned by that spirituall pollicie which god him selfe hath taught vs by his worde so as there be in it Pastours and Ministers who may purely preache and administer the Sacramentes Also that there be Elders and Deacons who may make the Seniorie of that Church that by these as meanes true Religion may be preserued true doctrine may be retayned euery-where and spead abroade c. as followeth in the same place of the vse of this order Wherein it is verie worthie the obseruation that these Churches wherein there are an infinite number of godly learned men and many for their iust desertes famous reuerend and honourable in all the Church of Christ and the same being in persecution and therefore seeking more carefullie to please God in such a cōfession as they declare their faith in haue thought it a necessarie Article to set downe this point of the pollicie or discipline of the Church and that in declaring of it they saye not what they suppose but what they beleeue vsing the same worde which they doe vse in the articles of fayth doctrine Further also it is to be marked that they professe they beleue the Church ought to be gouerned by that policie and Discipline which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath ordayned and God him selfe hath taught vs by his worde plainlie affirming that there is a certayne forme of policie to gouerne the church by and that the same is ordeyned of our Sauiour Christ and further that it is declared in the worde of God And last of all that they declare that policie or discipline which GOD hath taught vs in his worde to be this in effect That there bee Ministers of the worde Elders and Deacons by whom as by the meanes which God hath ordeyned holy doctrine and honest life may be preserued in the Church and the poore relieued The same is likewise affirmed by the Church of Scotlande as appeareth in their treatise of the Discipline of the Church Vpon all which proofes and testimonies I conclude with the declaration That God hath giuen to the church which is the house of the liuing God a certayne order for the direction of it in all outward matters that belong to the good gouuernement of the same Whereof if they shall yet doubt whome it most importeth the Chureh to be persuaded of it it is to bee sued for by continuall supplications and prayers to God and them that they would heare what we haue to say further on Gods behalfe in these causes and to
to teach the Disciples to obserue all things that he had commaunded Which tenor and course of speache sheweth that he spake to them of the Discipline For besides the ministerie of the worde and of the Sacramentes what other thinges are there belonging to the kingdome of Christ but the Discipline This being then thus sufficientlie proued that the Discipline of the Church is a part at the least of those things which our Sauiour Christ in this place is saide to haue commaunded his Apostles to teache their Disciples to obserue I proceede further to shewe the perpetuitie of these foresaide publique charges of the Church which is the thing I haue in hande The Euangelist sayeth that our Sauiour added to his former charge and commaundement a most comfortable promise saying Beholde I am with you alwayes to the finishinge of the worlde Which wordes can not be vnderstood of the Apostles onely because they as it is saide of Dauid after they had serued their tyme they died Whereby it is of necessitie to be vnderstoode that our Sauiour promiseth to bee with them for their time after also with such as by their doctrine should be his Disciples to the ende of the worlde Nowe to bee with them is a promise of prospering and blessing to his Church the ministerie of such holy thinges as hee had commaunded them to teache the Disciples to obserue Which may appeare by the Euangelist Marke who declaring the performance of this promise to the Apostles sayeth That they went and preached the Lord working with them and confirming the worde by signes that followed The meaning therefore of the promise is that the Lord would blesse the Ministerie of the worde th'administration of the Sacramentes and the obseruation of the Discipline which hee had deliuered them to the good of his church in their handes for their time in such sort as the qualitie of their Apostolicall calling did require in extraordinarie giftes and assistance and after in the handes of such as should be apointed for the ordinarie seruice of his people according as their ordinarie functions should neede euen to the ende of the world Which can not be if the offices he appointed were but temporarie and not perpetuall Therefore I conclude that the ministerie of the worde by Pastours and Teachers the ouersight of the church by Elders th' attendance of the poore by Deacons being the necessarie and ordinarie functions and offices which our Sauiour hath instituted and ordained in his Church and hauing promise of blessing from the Lorde in their due administration to the ende of the worlde they are also perpetuall and to continue for euer which may bee further also confirmed in that our Sauior in the 18. of Matthewe declareth the effect of this promise to belong particularlie to the executiō of the Discipline For there our Sauiour appointing a proceeding for the remedie of offences sayeth And if he refuse to heare them tell it vnto the Church and if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and as a publicane Verilie I say vnto you Whatsoeuer ye binde on earth shal be bounde in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Agayne Verilie I saye vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth vppon anie thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shal be giuen them of my Father which is in heauen For where two or three are gathered togither in my Name there am I in the middes of them Whereby as it is manifest that the execution Discipline is of the things which our Sauiour hath commaunded who saieth expreslie tell the Church so is it plaine to be within this promise of his presence assistance directlie promising that when they shall meete togither in his name that is by his authoritie for such purpose and call vpon him he wil be in the middest of them authorize their due proceedings binding and loosing in heauen that which vpon earth they shall so do according to his appointment Moreouer for further proofe of the perpetuitie of these foresaide publike functions in the Church it is playne that the Apostle writing to Timothy to teache him howe to behaue him selfe in the Church which is the house of the liuing God instructeth him of all these offices that is of the Ministers of the worde both Pastours Teachers and of the Elders and Deacons For the Ministers of the worde it is cleare in that he requireth in euery one to bee called to that ministerie an abilitie to teache which is as hee expoundeth it to Titus to deliuer sound that is holy true doctrine That both kindes of Ministers are heere to be vnderstood may appeare by this that the Apostles rules there are generall of all the Ministers of the worde as his indifinite speach in a generall matter declareth But Pastours and Teachers also are the ordinarie officers appointed for the ministerie of the worde to the Church as appeareth by the 12. to the Roman Therefore both Pastours Teachers are cōprehended there by the Apostle Further it will not bee denied but that this speach in the 1. to Tit. is of the same ministers which he speaketh of here but there he noteth both kindes as it may apeare by mention of exhortation the special propertie of the Pastor of conuictiō a peculiar part of th' office of the Teacher therfore in the place mentioned to Tim. both kindes of Ministers of the word Pastors Teachers are cōprehended That in the other name of Deacōs they are included whose special name this is in the church I think it is not doubted Now that elders are there also cōprehēded by that name thus I proue The Elders office is an ordinary office in the Church as appeareth in the 12. to the Rom in the 5. of this epist where it is playnlie noted that there are Elders which name particularly is neuer giuen to such as by their proper name are called Deacons for direction of the Church who deale not with the Ministerie of the word as if the Apostle had said but only with the ouersight of cōuersation If it be so then in an instruction whiche th'Apostle would giue to Timothy how to behaue him selfe in all matters of charge in the church they can not be pretermitted But they can not be here cōteined vnder the name of Bishops because teaching is required of them which belongeth not to the Elders as is declared in the 5. chap. following Therefore it must needes be they are to be vnderstood vnder the name of Deacons Moreouer in so generall an instruction for ordering the house of God it is to be confessed that in these two names of Bishops Deacons the Apostle cōprehendeth al the offices of the church as in the 1. to the Phil. ver 1. Paul and Timothy the seruants of Iesus Christ to all the Saints in Christ Jesus whiche are at Philippi with the Bishops Deacons
that one of those foure should toppe the rest to make him selfe lorde of all and vniuersall Bishop ouer the Church Which disorder increased after this Hierarchie for multitude of causes brought to them out of so large circuites began first to slacke their preachinge and to growe negligent and in the ende to giue it ouer and preache seldome as vpon hye and solemne dayes or not at all After also that Emperours Kings began to be Christians and they to growe in fauor with them and to receyue so great giftes and honours of them as to beare the port and state of worldlie Princes and to meddle with ciuill causes and mannage the state growing thereby not only to neglect but euen to despise the hye and most holy seruice of God the preaching of the Gospell after all this I say what remayned but that the most ambitious of the foure Patriarkes should by practise with some mightie Potentate set his foote vpon the heads of th' other Patriarkes and rayse him selfe into the seate chaire of Antichrist Which notwithstanding two of them who were seated in the two chiefe Cities of the East and West Empire Constantinople and Rome did striue togither for a whyle yet in the ende the Bishop of Rome preuayled being Bishoppe of that citie which had bin Lady of all the Earth for a lōger time and hauing fitter occasions seruing to it as first of th' absence the Emperours after by meanes of the decay of the Empire in the East and of his more ambitious diligence who had diuers ways attempted it before especially because it was prepared for him that was placed in the Citie that standeth vpon seauen hilles Which was brought to passe by practise with Zimri the murtherer of his Lorde and Maister that is with Phocas the murderer of Mauritius the Emperour by whose fauour the name and title of vniuersall Bishop was obteyned After whiche time the Bishops of that seate by wicked practises and cunning meanes setting th' Imperiall Crowne vppon whose head it seemed good to them increased them selues exceedinglie by the donation of Pepin and others in ritches lands temporalties and in worldlie Dominions and state Whereby enlarging their power in church matters and nourishing parasites for the purpose at the last not onely by temporal power but by yoke of conscience vnder pretence of Peeters primacie giuen to him by our Sauiour and of succession to Peeter this man of sinne seated him selfe in the middest of the temple of God that is of that people whiche sometimes had bin the temple of God and exalted him selfe aboue all that is worshipped or called God Loe the seate of all abhominations 2. Tes 2.4 and the stayres degrees and steppes from the lowest to the highest whereby Sathan made way in chaūging Gods ordinance as it is saide in the Declaration to Antichrists pride and after he had so done brought in all manner of false doctrine and confusion This way to Antichristes pride in chaunging the ordinances of GOD the Replier is careful shoulde not bee vnderstood in anie sorte of Bishops and Archbishops as if any ordinance of God had bin chaunged in creating such offices as are exercised by them or that Antichrist could haue any thing the readier way to his seate by them and would cast this vpon the publike charges instituted of God to bee in his Church His firste reason to proue this is that Bishops and Archbishops were in the primitiue Church Whereof notwithstanding this be not the fitte place to speake and that I haue alreadie refused for this cause to make him any answere till he come orderly where it is to bee debated yet because I see he dreameth still of Bishops and Archbishops and that both vnseasonablie and importunatlie he calleth vppon it it shall not peraduenture be amisse to giue some answere in the meane time till he bring forth the rest that he hath to speake in their behalfe It is to be remembred here first howe litle reckoninge hee hath made of the proofes alleadged for th' office of Elders the which yet are such as that the holy Scriptures make mention of such an office to haue bin in the Church in those times declare to what vse it serued and that there were such appointed in all the churches of the Apostles who to them and to the Ministers of the worde committed the standing and ordinarie care ouer the churches Which proofes being so smallie accounted of by the Replier as they are we are vndoubtedlie to haue from him sufficient and strong argumentes authenticall recordes and authorities playne and cleare euidences for anie matter he will vndertake to prooue But especiallie as his issue is greater so his euidences are to be clearer the higher th' offices are in dignitie and power aboue the office of Elders of so much more certaine and chiefe authoritie are his rolles to be and his pleas mightie and forcible seeinge there are great royalties and regalites belonging to those offices whose patentes he would iustifie The first entrance into his proofe is such in deede For he pleadeth the donation of god the writing and instrument of our Sauiour Christe signed with the great seale of Heauen and Earth the power whereof the Lorde declareth to be giuen vnto him Which if it be so surely then could these offices neither receyue any chaūg nor consequentlie the chaunge of them bee any way to Antichristes pride But let vs heare what his reasons are A man would thinke breaking so often and so violentlie into this cause that from Moses throughout all the Prophetes he would shew vs this matter and after by the whole colledge of th'Apostles as by a cloudde of witnesses without all exception he woulde haue oppressed for euer all that dare say as he speaketh that these offices of Bishops and Archbishops Pag. 78. wrought any waye to Antichristes pride But for all witnesses he bringeth in the Apostle Paule A witnesse in deed without all exceptiō though he be alone notwithstanding euery matter was wont to bee confirmed by two or three witnesses for the highest authoritie of God whose secretarie he was in that he wrote Deut. 19.5 Mat. 18.16 so as all creatures both men and Angells are to rest in that which hee by the will of God hath deliuered let vs heare therefore what the Apostle speaketh in this cause In the primitiue Churche sayeth the Replier Titus was made an Archbishoppe and had many other Bishops vnder his gouernement If it be demaunded by whom hee was created this was sayeth hee Saint Paules acte whose acte no doubt was approued of God him selfe No doubt in deede but what that Apostle and the rest did concerninge a setled order to gouerne the Church by in all time to come but it was the acte of God him selfe But if Archbishops bee instituted of God in the Church I demaunde whether this institution be alterable or no and whether Princes or the Church aduising of some other
order which they shall thinke better may put downe the Archbishop and set vp an officer of another kinde for that purpose If they may then is the wisedome of God subiect to the will of man and they made wiser then hee who is onely wise who taketh wise men in their wyles confoundeth them by those whom they esteeme as simple 1. Tim. 1.17 when they would bee wisest doeth make them starke fooles If it may not 1. Cor. 1.19.20.27 Rom. 1.22 as I suppose the Replier will do god that honor not to make his ordinances subiect to the will of man nor to adore fleshe and bloude aboue God blessed for euer Amen then doeth he playnely confesse whiche in all his treatise he impugneth that there is an externall order and forme of gouernement ordayned of God for the guydance of the church If hee be perswaded of in conscience as hee would seeme to bee by going about to prooue their authoritie as by the scripture let him as francklie confesse it as they doe that mainteyne the supremacie of the Pope to be due to him iure diuino and which necessarilie followeth hereof lette him denie that Princes or any creature may lawfullie cause this office to cease to be exercised in the Church And then our question being ended of the generall whether there bee any certayne externall order for all ecclesiasticall matters established of God as confessed and agreed on both partes let vs then debate whiche onely remayneth Whether that whiche hee affirmeth to bee the order of GOD consistinge in Bishops and Archebishops bee that in deede whiche God hath appointed or the order sett downe in the Declaration of Ministers of the worde Elders and Deacons There are Bishoppes who notwithstanding peraduenture they can bee as well content to suffer him to perswade that their authoritie is from GOD as the Bishop of Rome is that some doe the like for him yet in them selues will scorne this simplicitie as knowing vndoubtedly whiche they haue also confessed that they holde onely of the donation of Princes and by ciuill statutes that power and authoritie whiche they exercise But to returne to his reproofe Howe maye it appeare that Paule whose acte no doubt as he sayeth was approoued by GOD him selfe did create Titus an Archebishop It is a maruell that hee beginneth with an Archbi hop whereas good order would haue required hee should first haue prooued the instituting of a Bishop ouer other Pastours ere hee had come to shewe an Archebishop ouer Bishoppes But to take it as it hath pleased him to deliuer it whereby maye it appeare that Titus was made an Archebishop and exercised as hee sayeth Arch-episcopall iurisdiction For proofe hee referreth him selfe to another place sayinge wee haue seene this partlie alreadie We are therefore to returne to the place where hee spake of this before and to looke what is to be seene there In that place which is as I take it in the pages 64. and 65. hee sayeth what ecclesiasticall office Titus had the verie subscription of Saint Paules epistle vnto him doeth declare being this to Titus the firste elected Bishop of the Church of the Cretenses This is the Recorde he bringeth out to prooue the office of an Archbishop Wherein yet it is apparant that here is no mention at all neyther of the office nor of the name of an Archbishop It is sayde in deede that Titus was first elected Bishop of the Church of Candie but of his Archiepiscopall iurisdictiō or name here is no worde If our profes for the offices we affirme to be necessarie and perpetuall in the Church were not more pregnaunt then this and if when we vndertake to prooue a Pastour we should bring out euidences for a Teacher the nexte officer in the Churche vnto him or if when we would prooue a Teacher we should shewe proofe for an Elder who is next him or pretendinge to prooue the function of Elders should alleadge testimonies that doe concerne Deacons as the Replyer heere goinge aboute to shewe and prooue an Archebishoppe bringeth a place that speaketh onely of a Bishop who in his Hierarchie is next in place and dignitie to the Archbishop such proofes were worthie all the scornes wherewith he hath vnworthily and without cause scorned the sounde and sufficient testimonies produced for euery publique charge and office in the Church But yet if he come so neare it as the office of a Bishop such as he pretendeth to mainteyne though hee finde not th'Archbishoprike he seeketh yet if he get a Bishoprike at Paules handes his labour in seeking is largely recompenced What force therefore this euidence may be of for a Bishop let vs examine In the ende of the Epistle vnto Titus where copies of greatest credite haue onely this clause the Epistle to Titus is finished some other haue this additiō whiche he produceth which yet neyther the Syrian nor the olde Latine interpreter doe reade Wherevppon Master Beza the best interpretour of the newe Testament sayeth That this is a playne forgerie For further proofe he addeth three reasons one from the mention of a Bishop in this subscription wheras sayeth he that tyrannie of the Episcopall degree had not yet forceably entred into the Church So as the difference of the time sheweth this could not bee Paules writing nor bee truely sayde of Titus in whose life time and longe after no such office was knowen in the Church Another is from the diuers office of Titus which was of an Euangelist the nature whereof is wholy repugnant to a Bishop that being not to staye in any place but to followe the Apostles and by their direction to order the Churches and the Bishops beinge to sitte still and to ouersee onely his owne circuit The thirde is a playne contradiction to the vndoubted writing of the Apostle subscribed in deede with his owne hande for so he signed all his letters to preuent all fraudulent and deceytfull practises of attributing to him that which was not his whiche contradiction appeareth thus Towarde the ende of this Epistle to Titus the Apostle sayeth Endeuour to come to me to Nicopolis for there I haue determined to winter In whice verse it is to be noted that the Apostle sayeth not for here I haue purposed to winter which he should haue done if hee had bin at Nicopolis when he wrote this But I haue purposed to winter there as being in another place at the writing of his letter and declaring his purpose to goe from the same vnto Nicopolis where he meant to tarie the winter 1. Cor. 16.21 Colos 4.18 2. Thes 3.17 This being playne to be thus vnderstoode in the wordes of th'Apostle this fayned subscription sayth Tit. 3.12 Written from Nicopolis of Macedonia as if the Apostle at the writing of this letter had bene at Nichopolis directlie contrarie to the wordes and sense of the Apostle Whereby it is playne that this subscriptiō was none of Paules but added to his letter by some
common wealth is more subiecte to censure excommunication and other punishment then the Pastours and Teachers yea they are more sharply in case they offende to be proceeded against then other men are for the great offence their euill example may giue to the wicked But this ouersight and power to censure them is not committed of God to any one man bearinge ecclesiasticall office For howe light a matter soeuer it be with Bishops Archbishops to suspende many Ministers from their preaching ministerie the worde of God teacheth another maner of proceedinge in a cause that concerneth the staying of the preaching of the gospell which in highest degree importeth the honour of god and saluation of his people It is vntrew also that he saith that the Bishop hath the ouersight of the people if he vnderstande as I doubt not but he doeth such an ouersight as by his owne power he may censure any of them For the keyes whereby is noted that power wherein the censures of the Church are contayned are not giuen to any one man Our Sauiour sayeth not if he that hath offended thee be obstinate hearken not to thee nor to the aduyse of one or two witnesses tell the Bishop of him Matt. 18.17 and whatsoeuer he shal doe I wil ratifie it in heauen but hee saieth tell the Church and if he heare not the Church and so forth plainlie committing this power not to any one but to many To which purpose it is sayd in the same place Where two or three are gathered togither in my name there am I amongst them and in the middest of them saith the Lorde Whereby it is playne Mat. 18.19 that they who haue power to binde or loose are a companie assembled togither by the ordinance of our Sauiour Christ for that purpose by meanes of their calling In like maner to the Corinthes the Apostle saith not of the incestuous tell the Bishop that hee may excommunicate him which no doubt he would if as the Replier sayth he created Bi hops for Cities and Diocesses and Archbishops for Prouinces a fancie without all manner of appearance or colour but you being gathered togither in the name of Christe c. appointing that by such order as our Sauiour Christ had ordained 1. Cor. 5.4 and with all their free consentes he that had committed that abhominable offence should be cast out of the midst of them And if no man haue or can haue lawfully this power ouer the people or the least of the Congregation how should he be ouerseer of the greatest in it which are in regarde of their calling the pastours of the flocke Nowe concerninge the being their ordinarie as he sayeth or ordainer it is a power not agreeing to any man liuing but in like manner belongeth to many Timothy whom the Replyer dreameth to haue bin a Bishop was ordayned to be an Euangelist by the layinge on of the handes of the Eldership that is 2. Tim. 4 5. the assemblie of the Elders yea notwithstanding the Apostle as it seemeth 1. Tim. 4 1â— was present And if the Apostle tooke not this power to him selfe alone what Bishop is he that notwithstanding hee bee bolde ynough to take it can with right and lawfully take such power to belong vnto him And again if the Apostle did not chalenge this to him selfe to ordaine Timothy alone sure he appointed neyther Bishoppe Timothy nor Archbishop Titus as it pleaseth the Replyer I thinke meerily according to his maner to call them to ordayne Ministers of the word by their owne power Which further appeareth in that he willeth Titus to deale with that busines as he had giuen him order before to deale in it Tit. 1.5 2. Tim. 3.10 To Timothy he writeth that hee had thorowly seene and obserued and knowne his maner of dealinge in the Church and his course of life which is commended in him to encourage him still so to followe his course and cariage as that he might in like maner both in the rest of his life and principally in the seruice of the Church gouerne him self as he had seene him to doe before him in like causes Nowe Timothy hauing seene this president and experience in his person of ordayning to the Ministerie of the Gospell not by anie one man no not by the Apostle but by the assemblie of Elders obserued it no doubt and was so taught by the commendation giuen him of the Apostle not to bee th' ordinarie of any as he speaketh or to ordayne anie Ministers of the worde alone though he were I say not a Bishoppe as the Replier imagineth but an Euangelist Which it were nothinge to say is to be greater then a Bishop or Archbishop who are no body in the church by the ordinance of God but creatures of earthly Princes but greater then Teachers Pastors or Prophetes and next to the Apostles the highest degree of ministerie in the Church And if Timothy an Euangelist could not doe it then Titus whom he maketh but an Archbishop whiche at most is yet farre vnder an Euangelist could not doe it And it is playne that he is willed to deale in that seruice according to the instructions and order whiche the Apostle had giuen him for it which can be no other then such as he exercised him selfe And thus much for the ordinarie and ouerseer both of the people and of the Pastours and Teachers with which point his two argumentes to proue Bishops and Archbishops to haue bin in the primitiue Church are answered Nowe followeth his conclusion which is as glorious triumphant as his premisses haue bin weake and slender And shall we nowe sayeth the Replyer dare to say that this office of Bishop and Archbishop did worke a waye to Antichristes pride and so forth with sundrie amplifications of the matter Whereof the first is that it is his iudgement and he sayeth he liketh his iudgement the better because Saint Paul was of the same minde these offices were the best way to haue stayed repressed Antichristes pride if sayeth hee referring to Princes their supreme gouuernement they had accordinge to Gods worde directed their Consistories Synodes and Councells in all matters which are commonly called ecclesiasticall This is his first amplification wherein he giueth the direction of all matters ecclesiasticall to Bishops and Archbishops Hee addeth in deede according to Gods worde placing it doubtfullie that it may be taken either that their offices are according to Gods worde or that they should in them carie them selues according to Gods worde But whether of both it be importeth not for according to Gods worde there is no such office in the Church as I haue shewed alreadie and being no suche office what interest can they haue whyle they continue such either to direct or to haue any place at all in such Synodes and Councells So farre of is it if the matter may bee ordered by Gods worde that they should cary all matters
fiue hundred yeares after Christ or are nowe founde to bee vsed in anie of the reformed Churches And thus much vppon the occasion here offred of this booke Agayne hauing thus answered the Replie to these wordes all rightly reformed churches I am now to proceede to the examination of his exceptions to the frute alledged by the declaration to come of this order of discipline prescribed in tbe word the want of the like where it is not receiued The declaration herein saith that the foresaid order is now restored againe in all rightly reformed churches with such daily encrease glory of the kingdome of Christe suppression of the tyrannie of Sathan that the only experience of it might be a sufficient persuasiō to vs to leaue this disordred state of ours wherein we haue so long labored with so litle profit The reply to this beginneth with a tale out of Aesops fables of an Asse lodē with salt which is vnsauorie I dout not to the discrete reader howsoeuer he wold make it tast with his moral I wishe he did as well cōsider Balaams asse the reproof wherwith the dūbe beast speaking with mans voyce 2. Pet. 2.15 reproued the madnes of Balaam who desired the reward of iniquitie that is of cursing the people of god a warning to al prophetes to take heede they be not caried away with hope of rewards althogh they might hope thereby to atteine to greatest honors to oppose them to god his people to curse that whiche is blessed of god be an occasiō of the fall of Israell The next point in this reply is a matter of no coherence with that which was propoūded of the frute of discipline where it is established but a denial that we are boūd to folow their examples herin yea or that of the primit church it self for these are his very words which declare saith he what we may do but bind vs not by any law or cōmandement of Christ his Apostles Which because he saith it is the very point he demureth vpō I will shew him such bookes for it as he shall haue cause to say the law of god is cleare to demurre no more vpon this matter What good exāple there may be any wheresoeuer wee are boūd to folow it by the Apostles rule saying What things soeuer are true reuerend iust pure amiable cōmēdable Phil. 4.6 if there be any vertue or any praise thinke of these things doe these things which ye haue learned receyued heard seene in me the God of peace be with you Whiche rule not being of particular persons onely but extending it self also to the Churches as concerning here as well the body of the Church of the Philippians as any speciall member in it declareth that Churches are bounde to followe the good examples of other Churches To the Corinthes the Apostle saieth in a matter that concerned a part of the gouernement of the Church Jf any seeme to be contentious we haue no such custome nor the Churches of God Which I thinke leauing the consideration of it to the christian Reader because it is commonly taken otherwyse may carie this sense that besides all the former reasons which he had vsed in that matter they should alleadge to such as were contentious his contrarie custome and the contrarie custome example of the Churches meaning that both hee in his person and also all the Churches so vsed that order of an outwarde decencie in the presence of the publike ecclesiasticall assemblie whereof he there speaketh as he willed the Church of Corinth for to vse it In like maner doeth hee presse them with the examples of the Churches in another poynt of Discipline alleadging the same as binding them to correct and reforme their abuses by the exāple of the good order in such pointes which was vsed in other churches Came the worde of God sayeth the Apostle from you or is it come to you onely By which wordes the Apostle presseth them as constrayned by cōtrarie example of the churches to reforme their disorders except they would be singular and esteeme them selues onely wise Wherein it is also to bee obserued that the first sayeth Came the worde of GOD from you for notinge hereby the Church of Jerusalem planted by t'haduyse and counsel of the Apostles he declareth that other Churches were to cast their eyes as vpon all the churches that were at that time to conforme them selues like vnto them so especially that they were to haue care to be like the church of Jerusalem From which church as the worde of God came as it was sayde The Lawe should come out of Syon and the worde of God from Ierusalem Act. 1.8 according wherevnto charge was giuen to the Apostles to testifie of our Sauiour in Ierusalem firste then in all Iurie after in Samaria and from thence to the endes of the world so did also the Discipline of God and the order appointed by our Sauiour Christ to be kept in all the churches So as there seemed the paterne to be which all the churches were to followe as Moses was to expresse that which was shewed in the mountayne To like purpose in another place the same Apostle sayeth speaking of an order to gather for the churches of Jewrie So I haue appoynted in all the Churches of Galatia 1. Cor. 16.1 Agayne by the example of other churches vrging the church of Corinth to that whiche was duetie for them to doe All which testimonies prooue that the examples of the churches in that wherein they are set before vs in the worde of God to followe and especiallie of the primitiue Church whiche is by the Replyer expounded to be the Church of the Apostles times and of their planting whose example for that ende is reported to vs in the worde of God doe binde other churches to conforme them selues vnto them There were in deede some things extraordinarie in them which are easie to be discerned and belong not to our example But that whiche was ordinarie in them for the same reason it was deliuered vnto them bindeth the churches of all ages to the like Nowe the holy storie reporteth that the Apostles them selues and by the Euangelistes setled the Churches in an ordinarie course wherein they were to continue after their departure from them Whiche for what cause all should not bee bounde vnto I see no sufficient reason that can be alleadged For the reasons for which such order was giuen to them were the same for which we haue no lesse neede of that order then they had There were ordayned Teachers in the ptimitiue Church because men are by nature ignoraunt of the will of God Pastours or Exhorters because by nature men are disobedient and rebellious euen to the knowen will of God Elders as watchmen of the Citie of God because there are daungers without daungers within Rom. 7. that may hazarde the good estate thereof The assemblie of Elders that the
gouernement of the people of God amongest the Iewes wherein God him selfe ordeined not onely both powers but appoynted seuerall lawes and persons for th'administration of them both which being of God and most perfect in euery respect it must needes be cōfessed that eyther was perfect in his kinde and for such purpose as hee had appoynted them To the good gouernement of that people for all purposes both powers were necessarie and neyther the ciuill perfect without the ecclesiasticall nor the ecclesiasticall without the ciuill but eyther of them perfect for that end and purpose for which eyther was appointed of God Nowe our Sauiour Christ altering the forme of the ecclesiasticall gouernement and so much of the ciuile as depended vpon it or onely concerned that people is to be thought to haue giuen as an administration of his church no lesse perfect for like vse then that was which before was giuen to the Fathers Wherevppon it followeth that the ordinarie ecclesiasticall gouernement of the Church was perfect before there were any Princes become Christians Moreouer th' ordinarie externall administration and regiment of the Churches is then perfect when all ordinarie externall things belonging to the Church haue their officers orders meete for the due administration of them But the primitiue Church before there were any soueraigne Princes become Christians had their officers and orders meete for all the ordinarie and externall regiment of the Church For what is belōging to the outward ordinarie regiment of the church But the ministerie of the worde of the Sacramentes of the Discipline and the reliefe of the poore For all whiche vses the primitiue Church was sufficientlie and perfectlie furnished hauing Pastours Teachers Elders Deacons Whereof as the Church of Ierusalem is a perfect president and the rest of the Churches planted by the Apostles so was namely that of the Colossians of whom the Apostle sayeth That he reioyced to see the stayednes of their faith and the order that was amongest them If it had bin otherwise the church for the space of about 300. yeares should haue bin left vnperfect beinge without anie perfect ordinarie extetnall regiment for so long time and that also such as most of all required such an order by reason of the persecutions which could not stande with the wisedome and loue of our Sauiour Christe towardes his church As it can not stande with his office of Mediatour that to the perfection of the outwarde ordinarie regiment of the Church there should be requisite any other officers then such as he by vertue of that office appointed which are only ecclesiasticall officers as hath bin saide the temporall powers being ordayned by him onely as God and not depending of his office of mediation and redemptiō of mankind When he did so blesse his people as that both the ciuill ecclesiasticall gouernement procedde immediatly frō him selfe yet was eyther of these perfect in their kinde for such vse as they were appointed without the other which appeared in the ecclesiasticall regiment as in other ages so in the times of Phineas and Jehoiada For conclusion of this poynt I adde that such outward ordinarie regiment of the Church must needes bee perfect as is established according to all the commaundements and ordinances of our Sauiour Christ and such as sufficeth for the due full and perfect execution of them and whiche bringeth these who are gouerned by it to hyest persecution namelie to the saluation of their soules But all these things did the outwarde ordinarie regiment of the primitiue Church performe before there were any Christian Princes Therefore before such time the outwarde ordinarie regiment of the Churche was perfect Concerning the seconde poynt that notwithstanding the outwarde ordinarie regiment of the Church was perfect before Princes became Christians that followeth not therefore that the Church hath no benefite helpe nor comfort by their conuersion to the faith of Christ but is to bee acknowledged that exceeding great and gracious is the fauour whiche GOD doeth to his Church when Princes are ioyned to it The outwarde ordinarie regiment of the Church for the time of the Lawe which was shewed to Moses in the mount according to which he was commaunded to see all things performed and is saide to haue accomplished it accordinglie was so perfect as proceeding immediatlie from God wholy onely perfect could not bee made any more perfect by anie creature whatsoeuer It was perfect therefore when that the Arke was at Silo in the time of the Judges after in the time of Dauid when it was brought to Syon But yet can it not bee saide that the Church receyued no increase of comfort by Salomon For when in steede of a Tabernacle Salomon had buylded a Temple of stone for the buylding and for all the furniture of it for the matter and for the workmanship of as great magnificence and state as nature and any skill of man was able to worke it although there was nothing added to the perfection of the paterne giuen to Moses yet was the ioy and comfort of the Church exceedingly increased In the time of the Apostles whyle the Church was yet in Ierusalem onely the regiment established in it was perfect and after when Churches began to be settled amongest the Iewes in the lande of Jurie and in other partes before the conuersion of the Gentiles the regiment outward and ordinarie established in them was perfect and receyued no increase of perfection in it selfe by addition of all the worlde vnto the faith But yet infinitely was the ioye and comfort of Gods people increased by it For if Angells in heauen reioyce at the conuersion of one sinner howe great doe we thinke the ioye of heauen and earth of men and Angells must needes haue bin for the conuersion of the worlde Neyther was it onely so great an increase of the comfort of the church but withall of infinite benefite and helpe For by this meanes the Church and the regiment established in it obteyned as manie protectours friendes and mainteyners of it as there were soules amongest the Gentiles that receyued the obedience of faith who all brought with them to mainteyne honour the faith they had receyued to the blessed hope of euerlasting lyfe all the giftes which God had bestowed vpon them The ritche their ritches and treasure the strong their strength the wyse their counsell and aduyse the eloquent their persuading speache the learned their knowledge the Magistrates their authoritie Whereof the Prophetes foretolde sayinge Reioyce Esay 54.1.2 ô barren that diddest not beare breake forth into ioy reioyce thou that diddest not trauayle with childe for the desolate hath moe children then the married wyfe saith the Lorde Enlarge the place of thy Tentes and let them spreade out the curtaynes of thine habitations spare not stretche out thy cordes and make fast thy stakes For thou shalt increase on the right hande and on the left and thy seede shall possesse the
Wherevpon he gathereth that either the Discipline declared in the booke which he laboureth to confute is not necessarie or else that the Church at least in some ages and places as a pillar of trueth hath vpholden and mainteyned it or striuen for it which he alleadgeth impertinentlie altogither to the especiall matter he was to intreate of yet agreeing with his generall purpose to laye in all places some stone of offence which may hinder the Reader to receyue the right and onely lawfull Discipline of the Church in such sort as by the word of God appertayneth In the former point whereof it is to be obserued that the Replyer graunteth the matter of Ecclesiasticall gouernement in some part thereof as well as other matters of doctrine to be necessarie to saluation which is worthie to bee obserued here because some other impugners of the holy Discipline and order appointed of God for the guydance of his Church make it no matter of such importance wherevpon it must needes followe by his owne rule that the Church at least in such pointes of it hath kept and ought to mainteyne the trew and right Discipline of the Church Furthermore for clearing of another point which he implyeth by his wordes that is that there is some trueth of God in matters of Ecclesiasticall Discipline and in other pointes of doctrine which are not necessarie to saluation and therefore not mainteyned by the Church it is to be vnderstoode that in some sense of necessarie in their place and degree all trueth both in the matter of Ecclesiasticall gouernement and also in all other Articles of Christian Religion is necessarie to saluation True it is that some pointes are so necessarie as that in the ordinarie dispensation of God no man can be saued without such meanes of whiche sorte also there are some euen in the Discipline of the Church as is the ministerie of the Gospell by such as are sent of GOD therevnto and such like There are othet whiche are not so simplie absolutelie and immediatlie necessarie but yet necessarie as meanes ordayned of God for the better furtherance of our saluation both in their owne vse and in the helpe they yeelde to make the other degree of meanes more fitte to doe vs good and more seruiceable and effectuall when they are duely prepared therevnto For example hereof to beleeue the promises of the Gospell in the ordinarie dispensation of God is simplie and absolutely necessarie to saluation and because there can be no faith of it except it be declared to men by such as are sent of God for that purpose this meanes is also alike necessarie Now for the better furtherāce of mens saluatiō hereby God hath apointed that there should be Pastors of it and Doctors in the Church for the ordinarie work of the ministerie of the Gospell He hath also declared howe suche Preachers ought to be qualified and in what manner they are to preache He hath appointed also his holy Sacramentes to be administred censures and corrections of offences to bee vsed with many other such like ordinances Which notwithstanding they be not all necessarie in the same degree that the former meanes are yet are they necessarie to prepare the same that they may be the fitter to doe vs good So the preachinge of the Gospell is the fitter to profite vs when it is preached as by the orders appointed of God it ought to be that is soundlie and sincerily without mixture of fables and phansies of men when it is preached by men of pitie and learning in the Scriptures that are able to teache to conuince to exhort and applie it in euery sort as it ought to be applyed And because God giueth not such men to his Church extraordinarilie the meanes whereby God hath prouided for the furnishing of the Church with such as their due ordination election examination and such like are in their degree also necessarie Whereof it were to be wished that wee had not so euident and certaine proofe as we haue in the daunger of so many amongest vs as are hazarded for want of sufficient Ministers of the Gospell and the necessarie meanes by the ordinance of GOD to haue such as may be worthie to beare the name of Christ before his people The same may be saide of the due execution of the censures of the Church Whiche howe necessarie it is in his place degree for the bringing of the obstinate sinner to the knowledge of his faulte and to repentance seeking by faith for pardō in Christ Iesus to saluation I thinke by former examples and daily experience of such as haue bin recouered by that meanes and of other that haue died in their sinnes for want of the same may easilie be discerned Besides these respectes they are also necessarie in regarde of Gods holie ordinance and appointement the contemptuous breache of whose commaundementes be they great or little in our account is damnable to all those that doe despise them Thus much may suffise to cleare these wordes of the Replyer so farre as is necessarie to saluation Vpon this glose he gathereth that the Discipline declared in the booke he would confute eyther is not necessarie or else at least in some ages and places hath bin mainteyned and kept or striuen for to bee established I answere that in such sense of necessarie as I haue mentioned it so to be the Discipline sett downe in the declaration is necessarie to saluation and further that it hath bin mainteyned in sundrie times and places and is at this day exercised and laboured for in the middest of the Church In the Apostles times and those which followed next after them it was exercised and mainteyned in all the places where the Apostles settled established any Churches as appeareth by their owne exercises and the storie of their Actes as it is alleadged in the Declaration and sundrie other bookes of like argument After that time it began in deede to decline in some partes as did other pointes of the Gospell But notable euidences are to be shewed of sundrie partes thereof in the writings of the auncient Fathers exercising some partes of it and lamenting the decay of some other In this age it is not vnknowen to be receyued mainteyned exercised in all the Churches of France of the lowe Countries and of Scotland for many yeares togither In this Church it hath bin laboured for nowe many yeares of the Ministerie by writing and preaching and by petitions offred to the Conuocation house of some of the commons in Parliament nowe three sundrie times by such meanes as to that high Court appertayneth by manie of all degrees and callings by most humble supplications to almightie God and all authoritie whiche he hath sett ouer vs and by sundrie other christian dueties and is not to be giuen ouer till God may heare vs and the righteousnes of Syon may come forth as the light of the day and hir saluation shine like a burning
lampe and till the lawfull authoritie set ouer vs may attende our pleas in Gods behalue and giue sentence with vs. Nowe followeth the second proposition or principle set downe in the Declaration and affirmed by the same to rise from the former the Replyer agreeth that it doeth so and that this rule is also true but in such sense as he maketh of it and not in the sense of the Declaration The sense he maketh of these wordes is that in all things that God hath prescribed the Church is to be directed by his order but denieth all things belonging to the externall regiment of the Church to be appointed by him which the declaratiō taketh necessarilie to followe of the former sentence This is the effect of his replie to this point But because hee had eyther read it in some booke written of the Discipline of the church or thought of him selfe the place might be alleadged for such purpose though it be not mencioned here hee laboureth to shewe that the verse of the 9. Chapter to the Hebrew proueth not that our Sauiour Christ hath appointed a certayne and necessarie order for the outwarde direction of the Church in all Ecclesiasticall matters which he sheweth in this maner The Apostle sayeth he referreth not this of the Tabernacle to the Church applying it after in the 9. chap. much lesse to the externall regiment in all Ecclesiasticall matters no not before in the 3. where yet he speaketh of Christe and of his Church but teacheth vs that in the inwarde and spirituall regiment of the Church wee are to acknowledge Christe the Lorde the Apostle and high Priest of our profession and to confirme our faith in him if we holde fast not this or that externall order of ecclesiasticall gouernement but the confidence and reioysing of hope vnto the ende Thus passeth hee ouer this second point wherin it is to be obserued that he confirmeth not his owne opiniō which is that our Sauior Christ hath not set downe anie certaine rule for the direction of the Church in all Ecclesiasticall matters neither aunswereth the reasons that are by diuers alleadged to this purpose but only laboureth to shewe that the 8. of the Hebr. 5. verse doeth not proue it Which howe he hath performed may be considered by this which followeth In exodus chap. 25. ver 40. whence the wordes alleadged out of the Epist to the Hebr. are taken after a particular rehearsall of the charge giuen to Moses concerning the making of the Tabernacle the furniture thereof the Arke of couenant the Table the Candlestickes with the Instrumentes necessarie for it and with speciall direction both for the matter fourme and measure of the same in the ende of all the charge giuen him is generallie rehearsed in these wordes See that thou make them according to the fashion paterne of the things which was shewed thee to see in the moūtayne In like maner in the next Chapter after a particular rehearsall of the thinges that belonged to the Tabernacle Towarde the ende of the Chapter it is saide So set thou vp the Tabernacle according to the likenes of that whiche was shewed thee to be seene in the mountayne Whereby it is manifest that the charge giuen to Moses was of making the thinges of the externall and outwarde Tabernacle whiche were in deede figures as the Apostle sayeth of better euen of heauenly thinges noted by the shewing of the same in the mountayne but the charge giuen to Moses was concerning the outwarde Tabernacle and externall order for making the same Which appeareth also by the 39. chap. of the same booke where it is written That all these thinges were made accordinge to all the charge that God had giuen to Moses In whiche respect the faithfulnes of Moses is commended by the Apostle in the 3. chapter to the Hebr. because he had performed all things according to the charge he had receyued Nowe the Apostle setting out the dignitie and honour of our Sauiour Christ by preferring him before Moses in the administration and gouuernement of the Church declareth Moses in deede to haue bin faithfull in all the house of God but yet as a seruant in the house whereas our Sauiour Christe was not as a seruaunt in the house but as the Sonne and heire gouerning and rulinge ouer his owne house Forasmuch then as euery one is more faithfull diligent and carefull of that which is his owne then anie that dealeth with that which is anothers it must needes be that our Sauiour Christ hath shewed him selfe more faithfull then Moses who was but a seruant in his house he being the sonne and heire gouerning ouer his owne house But if the faithfulnes of Moses appeared in all the house of GOD that is in all that belonged to the administration of it in euerie respect for that time to a sufficient direction euen in outwarde and externall regiment in all Ecclesiasticall matters as well small as great it must needes followe that he who hath performed incomparablie greater faithfulnes to the Church hath as farre as was necessarie for it left certayne and sufficient direction euen for the outwarde administration of it in all like matters But the Replyer seemeth to affirme that no certaine externall forme of ecclesiasticall gouernement is necessarie in that he noteth vpon the 3. to the Hebr. thus Wee are his house or Church if we holde faste not this or that externall forme of gouernement but the cōfidence and reioysing of hope vnto the ende Wherein hee considereth not that a certaine outwarde order is necessarie for the keeping and holding fast of that confidence and reioysing of hope vnto the ende For the administration both of the Worde and of the Sacraments is outward aswell as is the order For the calling of suche as are to beare anie charge in the Church or the order for execution of the same this being a parte of the Pastors duetie no lesse nay more publique open and outward then sundrie other dueties are which-belōg to his Ministerie But a certaine order for the administration of the worde and of the Sacramentes was necessarie to be left to the Church by our Sauior Christ For Apostles and Prophetes Pastors and Doctors are set in the Church for the worke of the Ministerie till all the faithfull attayne to the vnitie of the faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God Which being necessarie to saluation the meanes in that the ordinarie dispensation of God are absolutelie necessarie thervnto must needs be in like maner by him appointed Zuencfeldius in deede and some of the Anabaptistes make small account of the preaching of the worde or of the Ministerie of the Sacramentes as beeing outwarde matters fitter for children in their opinions then for men of vnderstanding imagining such a perfection in themselues by immediate reuelations from God as needeth not anie suche helpes of outwarde meanes But they which discerne of this vngodly presumption and vanitie must needes confesse the
Ministerie of the worde and Sacramentes to be necessarie for them Mat. 7.6 Mat. 16. Actes 1.8 and that therefore it was needefull the Lorde should leaue a certaine order for the directing of his Church in that administration and ministerie Which also because it was so needefull the holy Scriptures declare him to haue done Mat. 28.19 For touching the worde what should bee preached and by whom and vnto whom with all other necessarie circumstances euen in outwarde things he gaue certaine order vnto his Disciples Likewise for Baptisme both before his death Matt. 18 2◠and at his ascension into heauen he instructed them in what outwarde maner they were to administer it and vnto what persons Of the Lords supper the Apostle sayeth That whiche I receyued of the Lorde I haue deliuered vnto you plainly declaring that the Lorde had deliuered vnto him a certayne order for the outwarde administration of his Supper These things and the like which might be saide of the other pointes of the outwarde Discipline of the Church the Replyer against it did not well consider in making no externall forme of gouernement necessarie but perseuerance in fayth and hope Nay it may seeme hee did not well remember that in other places the necessitie of continuing the present gouernement of BB. and Archbishops Priestes and Deacons such as wee haue amongst vs is affirmed to haue ground and cōtinuance from the very Apostles who also are sayde to haue made Timothy and Titus such For which cause also at the ordination of euerie of them certayne places of the Scripture are appointed to be read as cōteyning their Institution and ordinance in the Church But howe truelie and faithfullie such places are alleadged for that purpose there are but fewe but vpon the reading of those textes of Scripture may discerne Yet howsoeuer they fayle in their proofe that seeke the confirmation of the Hierarchie so commonly called this appeareth by their owne allegations that sometimes and in parte they would perswade men that there is an externall forme of administratiō of the Church appointed by our Sauior Christ Which would to God they did not onely sometimes and in parte but alwayes and altogither perswade them selues and others as the trueth is in deede that God hath set downe in his holy worde a certayne forme of gouerning the Church of Christ necessarie and perpetuall by particular directions in all the chiefe and principall pointes and by generall rules for time place and such like circumstances and that they would rather labour with vs to shewe what the same is by the worde of God then to striue for the contrarie that there is no certaine forme at all The proofe of this point that there is a certayne and perpetuall order set downe in the word of God for the guyding of the Church in ecclesiasticall matters hath bin often made by diuers who haue trauayled in this cause as appeareth in their bookes But because the Replyer denieth it to haue bene proued yet it shall not bee amisse to laye downe brieflie such reasons in this place as may serue for that purpose From the beginning of the world there hath bin ordayned of God a certayne externall forme for directing the Church such as seemed good to his heauenlie wisedome and agreed best with that time for which it serued both before and vnder the Lawe euen from Adam to Christ Whiche for suche time was not to be altered by anie liuing creature Therefore there is also some certayne forme of administring the church of God from the time of our Sauiour Christe to the ende of the worlde which is not alterable nor to be chaunged by anie power of man For God being as able and as willing to doe this good vnto his Church in these last dayes as in anie time before and there being no sufficient reason to be rendred of such difference why those times should be so regarded and this not it must needes be that there is a certayne forme sett downe in the worde of God for the outwarde administration of the Church Againe the externall administration of the church vnder the Law was such as had proceeded from God and was not altered nor to be altered by any King or Priest whatsoeuer For the first plat was giuen in the mount what alteration after was made by Dauid or others was not of them selues 2. Chro. 8. and 25.26 2. Chr. 29.25 but by speciall and particular direction of God by the Prophetes Therefore if no iust reason of difference be to bee shewed to the contrarie as there is not it must be confessed that God hath ordayned a certayne externall forme of gouuernement for the Church in this time and not left it to the arbitrarie direction and lawes of any men whatsoeuer Further where there is a Ministerie and dispensation of holy things ordayned there must needes bee an order sett downe for the deliuering and disposinge of them Otherwise they must of necessitie be exposed to certayne prophanation therfore such ordinances accompanie such administrations and haue both their beginning and ending with them So in the Lawe the Priesthoode being appointed for the ministerie of things that were holy there was withall a lawe of ordinances giuen for certayne direction of their office whiche lawe also ceased and was abolished when the Priesthoode was translated and taken away from the house of Leui as wee are taught in the example of the Hebrewes In like maner Hebr. 7.12 seeing that in the Church of Christ since the abrogatinge of the Priesthoode of the Lawe there is instituted a ministerie of holy things and officers for the purpose it must needes bee that there is also a certaine order set down for the guiding of them in the execution of their Ministerie Which is the whole Discipline consisting onely in the execution of such dueties as they are to performe which are called to beare any charge in the Church of God as the regiment of euery cōmon wealth standeth in the offices and dueties of the Magistrates those that haue authoritie in it Moreouer the Names of Christ and his Church the peace order edification and perpetuitie of the church doe proue that there is a certain externall forme of administring it For if Christ be a King a High Priest an Housholder and the Church his Kingdome his Temple and his House then must it needes be that he hath giuen though spirituall in regarde of the ende they haue as his kingdome is spirituall yet some certayne externall meanes constitutions and orders for the good gouerning and guyding of the same For this is incident to euery wyse man of authoritie especiallie when he him selfe shall not personallie remayne amongst those that belong vnto him And so our Sauiour noteth his purpose to doe Mat. 25. Luke 19.12 Lu. 12.42.43 in the parable of the Talentes deliuered to diuers seruantes and of the Steward left with charge of the house till his comming The same is to
church these other pointes like vnto them being declared in the worde of God to be the ordinances of the almightie for the guydance of his Church and this being the vse of the reformed Churches no doubt but they were mainteyned by a booke agreeing with them both Which being so what should I say of them that would endeuor to the vttermost of their power by all good and duetifull meanes the receyuing of a booke so fitt for the aduancement of the honour of God and promising so great good vnto his people but as it is in the Psalme Peace and prosperitie be in thee ô Ierusalem thou citie of God and the Lord prosper those that loue thee Psal 122.6 The Almightie suffer them not to feare the feare of the wicked but shield them from all euil as the naturall and noble sonnes of Abraham Gene 15.3 and whosoeuer they be dealt with here the Lord recompence them with an exceeding great rewarde Hee remember them for good according to the prayer of that worthie restorer of the Citie seruice of God Nehemia Nem. 5.19.13.12.29 and what soeuer they haue done for this people their endeuour to take away the pollutions of the ministerie to set the Lords watch at his gates again euerie Leuite to his worke according to his place the Lorde spare them according to the greatnes of his mercie and remember them and their seruice for good so as their childrens children may receyue at their handes an inheritance of blessing from the Lorde And if any should be otherwise minded the Lord forgiue it them and graunt that they also in his good time may haue this trueth opened to them and be noble and elect instrumentes chosen and appointed of God to the furtherance of the same Thus farre haue I bin bolde to folowe th' occasion offered me in mencion of a booke of common prayer and administration of Sacramentes agreeable to Gods worde and the vse of the best reformed Churches The whiche I am for their sakes who seeke all aduantages to stirre vp the higher powers against vs truely and vnfeynedlie to protest that I write not with purpose to offende anie God being witnes and least of all any that are in authoritie For I bowe my face downe to the grounde before them all of whom it is saide Ye are Gods and in all reuerent duetie acknowledging the most humble and faithfull duetie which I owe to the great power that God hath giuen them to the punishing onely of the euill doer but to the protection maintenance and comfort of all that doe well in the lande yea further as conscience and duetie bindeth mee in that respect I doe not cease to lift vp my harte and my handes to Almightie GOD day and night for them all that it maye please him dailie more and more to increase in them all the princelie giftes that their high places and authoritie doe require and namely that their hartes may bee more enlarged towardes this so necessarie a cause of Gods seruice the comfort of his people which I doe also as my most straight bound and obligation requireth especiallie for our soueraigne Ladie the Queene that as God in his mercie hath honoured hir right excellent Maiestie with these honors th'extinguishing of the fires wherewith the Church consumed the ouerthrowe of idolatrie and false worship of God the establishing of the free professing and preaching of the Gospell of Christe the harbouring of exiles for the gospels sake the deliuering of the Churches of Scotlande from captiuitie patronizing of the Churches of the lowe Countries ayding and assisting of the Churches of France and the comforting in a manner of all the Churches which professe the gospell that I say to these so manie and so highe and chiefe pointes of true honor this also may be added that hir Maiestie by Gods speciall fauour assistance of his holy Spirit may establishe in this hir happie raigne the same order for directing of the Church and publishing the gospell of saluation to all the people within hir Dominion which almightie GOD hath appointed for this purpose to the great aduancement of the honour of GOD the exceeding ioye of all the good people in the lande and hir owne vnspeakeable comfort and glorie with God and men Thus praying not to be misconstrued in that I haue bin bold vpon occasiō to speake a little to the incouragement of Christian and noble mindes in godlie and duetifull maner to sollicite almightie God and th' authoritie he hath set ouer vs in Syons sute being so necessarie and so importinge the good both of the Church and common wealth amongest vs the happie estate whereof dependeth vpon the fauour of God I returne to the Replier To whom for his replie of agreeable I answere that agreeable is not that which is contrarie but whiche hath a correspondence and harmonicall concorde with that wherewith it agreeth And so is it to be vnderstood in the place whereof he maketh question but such a sence woulde he fayne make of agreeable to saue all vpright in an other place which yet will not serue for sundrie repugnances cōtrarieties which are there with the word with the vse of the best reformed Churches And thus farre to his replie to the matter set downe in the thirde part of the foundation Nowe to his replie to the reason wherewith it is confirmed The proofe alleadged for this thirde point he admitteth not so easilie as the matter it selfe Which being graūted to be true it importeth the lesse whether it be fitly proued by it or no yit peraduenture hee would better haue discerned of the consequence from that place if he had considered the man of God there to note not the ciuill Magistrate nor euery one of the faithfull but only the Minister of the word as both the terme it selfe and the dueties of his calling there mentioned doe testifie Whereby it is playne that the wordes of the Apostle doe more particularlie concerne matters of the Church then they doe ciuill pollicie or morall life as he obiecteth Nowe it being saide that the minister of the worde whose calling is the greatest in the Church is fullie and throughlie instructed by the holy scriptures for euery duetie belonging to his office Surelie the Elders and Deacons whose charges are lesse may be taught by the same what belongeth vnto them and if they furnishe and direct him that requireth most furniture and direction surelie then they can not want that neede lesse And if all that are of publike charge in the Church be fully instructed and inabled of God for euerie parte and pointe of their dueties by the holy scriptures what one concerning the discipline of the Church can be saide not to be taught in the word of God seeing the whole Discipline is administred by those that beare publique charge in the church If this proofe content him not he is to be satisfied further in the proofes of the seuerall pointes
which are shewed after to be fullie grounded vpon the worde of God In the meane time this I adde for his further satisfaction It being necessarie to be directed in these matters from God it must needes be that God hath left vs this direction in his worde otherwise he must confesse there are necessarie truthes not written in the worde but this popishe opinion of vnwritten verities is worthilie reiected of all professors of the gospell long agoe For we can not nowe say to anie as Dauid said to Abiathar take the Ephod 1. Sam. 23.9 and aske of the Lord we haue no other Ephod nor other Vrim Thummim left vs from the Lord whereby we may be certified of his good pleasure in anie thing but onely the bright glistering pure light of his H. Scriptures wherein as in the brest of our hye priest Iesus Christ we may see and reade the will of God for our direction Nowe that we neede in these matters to be directed by God appeareth by this that of our selues wee can not by any natural vnderstanding attayne to this knowledge For the naturall man comprehendeth not Act. 7.20.21 the spirituall things of God For which cause Moses a man otherwise of great giftes of nature and of studie as one in whose face the grace of God appeared and who had bin brought vp in all the learning and knowledge of the Egiptians and that by such excellent masters and meanes as were meete for him that was respected in his education as graūd-childe to the King of Egipt yet stoode he in neede to be instructed of God in as small matters concerning the outward guydance of his church as are any mencioned in the declaration and much smaller Further also the Apostle affirmeth that the thinges he wrote to Timothie hee wrote them that he might knowe 1 Ti. 3.14.15 how to behaue him self in the Church which is the house of the liuing God 2. Tim. 4.5 And if Timothy an Euangelist one of whose ministerie the Prophetes had spoken before 1. Tim. 1.18 one that had receyued the faith from his ancestors 2. Tim. 1.5 whō the Apostle for the likenes he had of his Apostolical spirit calleth his naturall sonne stood notwithstanding in need to be informed by writing from the Apostle 1. Tim. 1.2 howe he should behaue him self in the church and that in so many particulars as he instructeth him in sure it must needes be cōfessed to be necessarie for all other to be taught also by writing which is the most certayne way of instruction howe they ought to behaue themselues in the same If it were not needfull to be taught by the Apostles howe a man should behaue him selfe in guyding the house of God why did the Apostle write to Timothie to this ende to direct him in that he had to doe in the Church And if it were needefull for Timothie why is it not as necessarie for all others This reason mouing the Apostle to write of this matter to Timothie no doubt did cause him likewise for the same ende to write to Titus of the like matters And if so excellent personages vnderstoode not what to doe nor howe to behaue them selues in the Church for that which appertayned to them in the administration of it without certaine direction in writing concerning it from the Apostles I can not thinke but the like direction should be needfull for all those who haue anie charge in the church When Nadab and Abihu sonnes of Aaron the high Prieste Leui. 10.2 had bin consumed with fire from before the Lorde for misgouerning them selues in an outwarde thinge concerninge their Ministerie in a matter as it might seeme to fleshe and blood of small importance Moses tolde Aaron his brother that this was so come to passe according to that the Lorde had saide Leui. 10.3 I wil be sanctified in those that come neare vnto me glorified in the sight of all the people meaning thereby that God had forewarned the Priestes that if they misbehaued thē selues in their ministerie he would glorifie him selfe in their examplarie and grieuous punishment Which being so surelie the fault and punishement can not be small nor to be despised if anie of those who come neare to the Lorde to stande and minister before him in the time of the gospell shall misgouerne them selues in their charge Therefore necessarie it is and that moste necessarie that there bee direction for them in the worde of GOD. And thus much also to this point In the next section which the replier maketh of the declaration it is gathered of the former sentences that wee are to searche the Scriptures that we may finde that order whiche is left in them for the guydance of the Church The first thing the Replyer reproueth in this section is that it is saide The gates of hell shall not preuayle against the foundation before mencioned Who may easilie satisfie him self for this obiection because the meaning of the Declaration was not to alleadge those wordes as spoken of that it intreates of it being apparant to be meant of the Church buylded vpon the Prophetes and Apostles Christ Iesus being the foundation-stone thereof somewhat otherwise then he hath taken it who expoundeth it of Christ him selfe but by these wordes although vsed in that place to another ende it declareth the sure stedfastnes of that doctrine which was a litle before mencioned whiche being as the declaration intendeth and as it is in deede a part of the heauenlie trueth of the worde of God whiche can not fayle in any part of the same it was trulie spoken also of the matter it is applied vnto Of the word foundation he taketh occasion to set downe the 1. Corinth 3. ver 10.11.12.13.14.15 where mencion is made of the foundation Christ Iesus and of buylding vpon it straw or stubble which he sayth they doe that vrge anie outwarde order of ecclesiasticall gouernement as matter of saluation After where it is saide in the declaratiō vpon former proofes that we ought therefore diligentlie and reuerentlie to searche the holy Scriptures to finde what the order is whiche GOD hath appointed for his Church he answereth with scoffing reprochefull speaches without any iust matter of rebuke And in the ende of his replye to this section because it is said in the declaration we are to search in Gods worde that order by which God would haue his Church directed in all thinges appertayning to the saluation thereof He replyeth that this were to condemne all the Churches where this order hath not bin obserued which eyther if it be necessarie to saluation could not be the Churches of God without it or if it bee not necessarie it is saith he vnnecessarie to saluation then our Church may remayne gouuerned as it is without either being deformed maymed or no church as some affirme whō he nameth as in reproch For answere to these thinges and to begin where he leaueth
barre of Iron till such time as by the iust iudgement of God the state of that people became worse and worse falling from one degree of sinne to another till at last they denied the Prince of life crucified the Lorde of glorie Then the Lord in part reiected them for their vnbeliefe brought in the Gentiles that beleeued But till that time the Lord acknowledged them for his euen as a Father doeth his childe notwithstanding he be maymed or deformed Which comparison the Replier without cause is offended at Heb. 12.13 this being an vsuall thing in the scriptures to resemble sinnes and offences to imperfections deformities of the body For which cause the Euangelist Matthewe mentioning the healing of bodilie infirmities by our Sauiour Christ noteth that therein as being a visible euidence of th' other was fulfilled that whiche was written by the Prophet Esaie saying He tooke our infirmities and bare our diseases vpon him Matt. 8.17 Likewise also the Apostle exhorting to holy exāple of lyfe sayth Make straight steppes vnto your feete that that which is halting be not turned out of the way but may bee healed rather And howe long sayeth Elias to Israel doe you halte betweene two Jf God be God followe him 1. Kin. 18.21 and if Baal be god followe him I adde further which toucheth the matter yet more neare The Apostle compareth the Church vnto a body 1. Cor. 12.27.28 and the particular persons of it to the partes and members of a body and the guydes of the Churche and such as haue publique charge in it to the more noble and principall partes of it whereof Christ our Sauiour is the onely head As therfore the body is blinde that wanteth eyes to see withall lame maymed or deformed whereof the shoulders armes handes or other principall partes are wanting or displaced and disordered so that body of a Church can not be said to be perfect entier wherein there are not Ministers of the worde who by the light thereof may direct the people in the wayes of God or Elders that may discouer descrie euery matter that may threaten anie daunger to the body or Deacons who may distribute liberallie according to that is in their handes for the reliefe of the poore Nay I doubt not to say the necessarie vse of these offices being considered that no body naturall hath so much wante of any of these as the body politike of the church hath of the other Therefore I see no iust cause why this comparison should greatlie offende him A man maye liue in deede many yeares with such wantes and imperfections none of those partes being necessarie for life but shal liue a heauie and vncomfortable life because hee wanteth partes that are necessarie for many great vses whereby a Man may liue the better and more comfortably as being preserued in health in strength and in beautie which thing they well discerne of who wanting by anie occasiō such partes vse a hand or a legg of woode or helpe the imperfections of other partes as well as they can So likewise a church may liue and be the Church of God whilest the faith of Christ as the breath and spirite of life is in it but wanting these offices or in place of these which God hath made and are the natural partes of the body hauing a supplie and helpe such as Man hath deuised shall so liue as one neither hauing beautie in the sight of god and his holy Angelles nor force and health to performe in good order the actions belonging to it but pineth wasteth away with discomfort one part decaying after another till in the ende the spirit of life the doctrine of the Gospell in the iust iudgement of God forsaking it leaue a dead corps vppon the ground to warne and admonish other Churches by such example to be carefull in time of the meanes whereby thorough the blessing of God vppon his owne holy ordinances according to the promise he hath made in the vse of them not of anie humane deuise to like purpose bee it neuer so pollitique and reasonable to flesh and bloud they may be in health strength beautie and honor preserued and mainteyned for euer There remayneth yet to aunswere his misapplying of the wordes of the Apostle in the 3. of the former epist to the Corinthians concerning the laying of stubble and strawe vppon the foundation which he sayth is done by those who holding Christ and the doctrine of the Gospell will vrge a necessitie of the outward regiment of the Church in all Ecclesiasticall matters Wherein howe iustlie hee chargeth such as seeke a further reformation of our charge may appeare by that whiche hath bin sayde alreadie and is further to be made playne by the rest of this treatise Wherin euery parte of the doctrine set downe in the declaration being sufficienlie proued by the worde of God the day will witnes for vs that wee haue layde vpon the most riche and precious foundation nothinge but fine golde of Ophir and siluer refined seuen times in the furnace On the other parte the same light will make manifest their worke that vpon Christ the corner stone layde in Syon elect and precious laye thinges altogither vnsuteable to it matter of no value and whose ende is to bee consumed with fire Of this sorte is the administration of holy thinges as Baptisme and the censures of the Church by Women lay men such as are Chauncelours Commissaries Officialls and such like the confusion of both powers ecclesiasticall and ciuill in persons called to the ministerie and preaching of the worde of God In Ecclesiasticall matters so immoderate a power as that one man at his pleasure should make Ministers should giue out and call in agayne licenses to preache should suspende excommunicate and doe what he list in the church which is the house of the liuing God Of like sorte are confirmation with laying on of handes in signe of grace increased the crosse in baptisme in signe of seruing like a good soldiour of Christ the wearing and bearing in publike administration of Albe Surplesse Coape pastorall staffe commonlie called the Crosier staffe These and a number of such like worse then some of these which some laye vpon the foundation if they be their golde siluer it may be well said nowe as was sometime The golde of Syon is turned into drosse hir fine siluer is like the base cure which a man being abused shall laye vp for a time vnder many lockes and esteeme it as some great treasure but after discouering th' abuse he will cast awaye in displeasure and indignation with the drosse of the furnace The Lorde burne out the drosse till it be pure and take away all the base mettall but with the fire of his gracious worde if it please him and not with that the Prophete speaketh of that the Iudges of Syon may bee restored as at the first and their Councellours as
in the beginning and it renowmed for a faithfull Citie Esai 1.25.26 Thus much may suffise to haue sayde to this Section of his Replye For I leaue his iestes and scoffes to him selfe to consider of with remembrance that the Apostle sayeth These are thinges not seemelie and reckoneth this pleasaunt humour amongst a number of other things whereof all professours of the Gospell and much more the Preachers of it shoulde bee ashamed Ephe. 5.4 The Declaration groundinge it selfe vppon the former sentences as pillers of rocke that can not bee shaken the firste that the Churche is the house of the liuinge GOD the seconde That therefore GOD hath appointed a certaine order for the gouuernement of it and last of all that both these beeing so it must needes bee that this order is taught in the holy Scriptures beginneth out of the same to shewe and declare what that order is Wherein the firste pointe whiche is made the next Section is that our Sauiour IESVS Christ hath ordained an holy Ministerie of men to the building vppe of the Church whiche is his body in vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of GOD. Which is confirmed by two places of Scripture The fourth to the Ephesians and the 12. chapter of the former Epistle vnto the Corinthians The Replyer to the firste of these places taketh this exception that it is impertinentlie alleadged and that it toucheth not the question in hande whereof hee rendreth his reason for that the thinge spoken of in that place is diuerse altogither from the matter to bee proued because the proofe as hee supposeth is to bee made of orders prescribed and sett forth concerninge ecclesiasticall gouuernement for the Churche to bee directed by in all thinges and the matter whiche the Apostle speaketh of is of giftes and functions the ende whereof is referred to vnitie in doctrine of faith and to holy and honest conuersation of lyfe not to the externall orders of the Churches Ecclesiasticall gouernement This is the effecte of his Replie to this point Wherein hee hath fayled in makinge diuerse those thinges that are of great agreement togither For the purpose pretended is to shewe what that order is that the holy Scriptures declare our Sauiour Christe to haue appointed for the guydance of his Church Nowe to performe this there is proofe made of all the Church offices of publique charge that are appointed of our Sauiour Christ for the directing of his people Whiche proofe if it bee sufficient as it is to shewe that the Ministerie of those that are appointed for the preachinge of the worde both Pastours and Teachers and also of other seruinge for other necessarie vses that is both of Elders ordayned and appointed for the care of honest and godlie lyfe and manners and of Deacons instituted for the necessitie and reliefe of the poore and needie is appointed to bee in the Church then is all the pollicie and the Discipline of the Church sufficientlie proued For this being the ordinance of our Sauiour Christ as it is proued by these places that there should be Pastours Teachers Elders or Gouernors and Deacons in the Churche the whole Discipline of the Church standing in nothing els but the due calling of them to such charge and the execution of such dueties after they be called as belong therevnto it is euident that the whole order which concerneth the externall and outwarde guyding of the Church is hereby plainlie shewed what it is and that it is ordayned by the Lorde Where the question were of a king gone to a farre countrey whether he had left anie certayne forme of policie for the regiment of his kingdome in his absence what playner proofe could be made that hee had lefte certayne order for their gouernement in his absence then if it could be shewed by authentike and sufficient recordes vnder his hande and great seale that hee had appointed Magistrates for the mannaging of state causes and other for due execution of iustice amongst his people But this doeth the Declaration in the proofes alleadged For the question being whether our Sauiour Christ haue set anie certayne order for the guyding and directing of his Church till his cōming againe the Declaration answereth that he hath because he hath ordayned Ministers of the word Pastours and Teachers for procuring the aduancement of the faith of the Church Elders for the censure of their conuersation and life and Deacons for the comfort of the poore and afflicted Therefore I take it this allegation is most pertinent and fitteth so neare the matter as the Replier can not by this pretence nor by anie other remoue it But the cause of this errour of his to take that to be from the matter that is so neare vnto it seemeth to bee the abusing of him selfe in th'ambiguitie of the word orders So as where the Declaration vndertaketh to shewe a certayne order to be left by our Sauiour Christ for th'administring of all ecclesiasticall matters the Replyer belike looketh here should be shewed some orders for things indifferent For this place sayeth he referreth all to vnitie in doctrine of faith to holy conuersation of life and not to th' externall orders of the Churches ecclesiasticall gouernement Whereby he sheweth that he looked not to heare proofe of anie matters that are referred to faith or life but to other externall orders and what can they be but of things indifferent Whiche yet that they may remayne indifferent could haue no order appointed by our Sauiour Christ for then should they bee no more indifferent the commaundement of our Sauior binding to a necessarie obedience to doe that which he should command so as this exception can not serue For what orders may more clearely proue our Sauiour Christe to haue taken order for the gouerning of his Church in all ecclesiasticall matters then they which are referred to doctrine and maners Is there anie matter ecclesiasticall that is not referred to one of these And if this place shewe th' order he hath set for all things referred either to faith of doctrine or conuersation of life surely it proueth a certen order for all ecclesiasticall matters Which if the Replyer will denie to followe yet is it to be remembred that he plainlie confesseth here that the place alleadged is referred to matters of vnitie in doctrine of fayth and to holy conuersation of life Whereof whosoeuer he denie it I doubt not but euery indifferent and aduised Reader will easilie discerne that hereby he hath graunted the whole cause except he shew some ecclesiasticall matter that is not referred to one of these Another shift he hath but it is such as he dareth not trust vnto him selfe and yet seemeth to point other to vse it if they lift Whiche is that he sayeth th'Apostle there speaketh of giftes and functions meaning as I thinke cōstruing his meaning out of other places and to his best aduantage that this place cōcerneth not anie kindes of offices or charges but of
giftes fūctions in the Church For in his speach he taketh these two wordes for one thing as after shal apeare groūding him selfe herein as it seemeth vpon that which is sayde in the same place that Christ being ascended gaue giftes vnto men some Apostles and so forth But if this misleade him he is to vnderstande that these may wel stande togither that they may be offices and yet giftes When a King graunteth a Charter to a people to be a corporation and a Citie and setteth officers amongst them for their good gouernement are not such offices the Princes giftes and yet offices too Wee reade of Paules knowledge wisedome diligence in preaching sufferings for the Gospell of his tongues of his power to worke miracles and many such like excellent graces worthie an Apostle of Christ Iesus When the Lord gaue vs Gentils such a Teacher appointed his name to be brought vnto vs in that vessell of golde enriched with so many goodlie graces of god more precious then anie iewell bestowed he no gift vpon vs It is manifest that greater giftes haue not bin giuen to men then were these offices whereof the Apostle speaketh Therefore howe soeuer hee point another to it he did well not to trust to much to this shift him selfe Therefore notwithstanding there appeare not anie such order giuen for ceremonies as what stuffe what fashion what colour this or that garment should be on on which side of the church the Minister should stande in his ministration North or South nor such like yet this is manifest euen by the Replyers owne confession that orders necessarie for the church to vnitie in like precious faith of the same holy doctrine and good conuersation by and in obedience to that doctrine by the ministerie temporarie of Apostles Prophetes and Euangelistes and perpetuall of Pastours and Teachers are established by our Sauiour Christ To the other place alleadged by the declaration which is the 12. of the former epist to the Corinthes hee taketh the same exceptions Wherein confessing as he must needes expresse mention of gouernours yet he would not haue this neither to be to the purpose because sayeth hee here is mencion of Gouernours but what kinde of gouernours and whether anie more gouuernours then the rest here mentioned or by what kinde of gouernement they are to direct the Church it is not sayde True it is for all things are not spoken in euerie place but here appeareth that there are Gouernours appointed for the Church Which being so it necessarilie followeth that there is a gouernement left vnto the Church For his seconde question the name of gouernours peculiarlie giuen to these sheweth that they are rather appointed for gouernement then the rest which being frō God it is plaine the gouernement must be according to his worde whiche is aunswere to another of his questions For his other question which gouernours are here meant Master Beza sayeth By gouernours are meant the Elders who had the charge to see this ecclesiasticall Discipline kept and obserued But to satisfie him not with authoritie but with proofe and reason he is to consider that as gouernours are here only named without further mention of their office or maner of gouernement so are also Apostles Prophetes Doctors and other like giftes and offices For the purpose of the Apostle is here to exhort to such a vse of all the giftes and ministeries and powers bestowed vppon the Church for all these are generallie named in the beginning of the chapter as might most further loue edification and good order in the church whiche being the purpose of the Apostle in this place he was not to stande vppon euery seuerall gift ministerie and facultie to shewe what they were and to declare whatsoeuer might be saide of them This had bin wholy from the matter he intended So as it suffiseth him to name onely the things to the right vse whereof hee exhorteth For the things them selues were sufficiently knowen by their names to those to whom he wrote and needed no further discourse to make them vnderstande him If a letter were directed to a Citie in the behalfe of their Prince whiche declaring to them that the offices and powers they haue the Mayor Aldermen Sheriffes and such like they are graunted and giuen them by free donation and by charter from the Prince and that therefore they are not to abuse their places to the oppressing or enuying one of another but to the furtherance of the seruice of their Lorde and the mutuall benefite ayde one of another which were the endes for whiche those priuiledges honours haue bin bestowed vpon them no Man of the citie could doubt at that time who were meant by the Mayor Sheriffes and other Officers named in the letter notwithstanding the office of the Mayor and the rest were not layd out wherein they stoode and what dueties belonged vnto them with such like matters but by their names would easilie vnderstand what offices were meant But if many yeres after the gouernement of the citie being altered and the state of it oppressed and tyrannised by ambitious men who by still and soft motions had cunninglie turned all the course of it ere they were espied the Citizens in the time of a gracious Prince should sue to haue their Charter renewed againe and alleadge that they had of auncient time such Officers A Mayor Sheriffes and such like in their Corporation prouing it amongest other Recordes by such a letter in the Reigne of such a King sent vnto them then in deede might grow question what offices were noted by those names and what their gouernement and office had bin in times past Which being so doubted of could no way more readilie be aunswered then by auncient Rolles Charters and Recordes of that age shewing in such a time a Mayor lawfullie by vertue of his office to haue done such and such things Whereby it might appeare what maner of office that had bin This case is as like ours here in question of Pastours Teachers Elders and Deacons as any mans countenance may bee like another For the Churche as the Citie of GOD had offices sometimes bestowed vppon it which Christ IESVS the King thereof had giuen it soone after his ascension into heauen at the time of his Coronation and entringe into the possession of his kingdome whiche offices it enioyed for a season but afterwarde was subtely oppressed and tyrannised by those who shoulde moste of all and chieflie haue preserued the libertie thereof But nowe the Citizens of Sion with vs discerninge of the gracious Prince and tyme that GOD hath giuen make their sute for renewinge their Charter agayne and that the offices whiche by our Sauior Christe were of auncient time graunted to the Church may bee restored In whiche sute to shewe that such offices were sometymes in the churche wee shewe this Recorde of the Apostle who exhorting all to vse their giftes and offices whiche they haue receyued of one GOD
this place and the subscription of that Epistle because it is impertinent to this place and that he promiseth not to let this holde of a Bishopricke or Archbishopricke goe thus but to take better holde of it in another place I thinke good to let him alone till he haue taken his sure holde that he doe not complayne that he was taken at an aduantage Thus we haue nothing in this Section but impertinences ouersightes which are too many and to grosse though no mā but him selfe had looked to this busines and none other had regarded a defence that concerneth the whole Hierarchie and their Iurisdiction The next point set downe in the Declaratiō is of the sundrie kindes of Ministerie that are in the Church This the replyer diuideth into three Sections whereof the first propoundeth the number of all such ministeries as haue at any time bin in the Church of Christe the seconde proueth some of them to haue bin temporarie and ordayned to continue but for a season and the thirde concludeth which are perpetuall and appointed to abide for euer To the first parte the only replie that is made is that more offices and giftes then are named in the Declaration haue bin in the Church Wherevpon he concludeth nothinge to the present matter but resteth contented with this that he haue anie thing wherein to reproue the declaration But what iust cause of reproofe he hath may be considered by his reason His reason is that the number of giftes and offices reckoned vp in the Declaration agreeth not with the texte wherein there are more named If this were true it importeth smallie the matter in question except they be of other sorte kinde then these are of which are mentioned But howe proueth he more In the 12. to the Romanes sayeth he there are reckoned seauen by the Apostle whereof he rendreth no reason in this place where it had bin fittest but in his Replye to the next section sheweth howe he would rayse vp sixe out of that wherein he seemeth to haue forgotten hee had before reckoned seauen Of the sixe he taketh foure which the Declaration noteth that is Pastours Teachers Elders and Deacons the other two he maketh office and shewer of mercie But for office he is to vnderstande it is there no name of anie speciall charge but a generall name comprehendinge vnder it two speciall kindes of Ministeries whiche are not Prophetes that is Gouernours and Deacons For as Prophesie is in that place the generall name to contayne the two offices of the Ministerie of the word so is the name of office or as the Apostle there calleth it Deaconshippe a generall to the other speciall charges which deale not with the Ministerie of the worde So as he might as well haue reckoned prophesie as office or Deaconshippe and haue had his whole number of seauen But there is no cause for the reason I haue shewed why he should alleadge eyther of them both The other which he bringeth in to make vp his account of sixe is of those that shewe mercie who did beare no seueral office but were such of the Deacons as regarded especiallie those poore ones that beside their pouertie were also in some affliction by sicknes or other like miserie Thus can there not bee founde in this place any more speciall and seuerall kindes of offices then onely the Pastour noted by the name of Exhorter the Teacher the Elder called Gouernour or Ouerseer and Deacon termed Distributor The next place alleadged for the proofe of these offices set downe in the Declaration is 1. Corint 12. vers 28. Wherein because he findeth not besides the other named in the other places quoted in the Declaration but onely three which are there also mentioned that is the giftes of healing of powers or miracles and of tongues hee sayeth that beginning at the 8. verse of that chapter hee findeth nine more which were not before named in the 12. to the Roman and in the 1. Cor. 12.28 two or three not before mencioned and in the 4. to the Ephesians 4. or 5. more and so sayeth he there are more then as many more agayne as are reckoned in the Declaration to bee founde euen in these places besides those that are mentioned in the other In which Replye hee did warilie not to name them as he did in the 12. to the Romanes which he taketh to be mencioned by the Apostle and pretermitted in the Declaration For them hee might soone haue bin aunswered as he hath bin of the other that eyther he mistaketh generalls for specials or maketh a difference of sundrie kindes of offices where none is Nowe therefore till he shewe what they are this may suffise him for answere In the next Section the Declaration hauing alreadie sayde that the giftes offices giuen to the church were these Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes giftes of healing of miracles of tongues Pastours Teachers Elders and Deacons proceedeth to shewe which of these were temporarie and giuen but for to continue a certayne time and whiche were perpetuall to remayne for euer Of the former sorte are shewed to haue bin the sixe here first named which is proued by the ceasinge of the giftes and the vse of those offices both which ceasing manifestlie declare that such offices were but to continue by the ordinance of God for a ceason These are the generall reasons which in the handling of the particulars are inforced by sundrie other proofes agreeing to the speciall offices of the Apostles Euangelistes and the rest The first matter he excepteth against here is that such offices and giftes as haue bin saide to be but temporarie and to haue ceassed since the time of the primitiue Church were not such neyther haue ceassed but haue bin since that time and some sayeth he returninge to this point againe after he had left it are yet remayning For instance of that he speaketh of here in this place hee nameth power to worke miracles which diuers sayeth hee of the papistes had he nameth also the gift of speaking strange tongues without studie which one Anthonie he saieth was indued with c. Of prophecie whiche diuers had amongest the Fathers the Papistes and vs which is much more true of the gift of healing For answere to this I say he needed to haue shewed good authoritie for these matters our credulitie being not so great as vpon his bare worde to beleeue matters so straunge and almost incredible But I suppose he thought he should bring small credit and honour to his proofe by alleadging his Authours For what other Authour coulde hee name vs for popish miracles but the lying Legende as it is commonly and truely named A booke as one worthily saide of it whose authour was of an yron face and a leaden harte that is a foolish and an impudent man And for the rest what other authour but eyther the same or some at least in some pointes as fabulous and of as little trueth as that except
as are in miserie so long as there continewe such in the Church which wil be to the ende of the worlde There must needes be vse of the helpe and seruice of the Deacons who may relieuet hem But of this publique Ministerie and charge the necessitie and perpetuitie of it the Replyer seemeth to make no great question or rather to confesse it The great question is of the Elders concerning whom it is to be considered that they are appointed in their speciall charge to keepe good watche ouer the life and conuersation of the people to see what fruite they yeelde of the teachinge exhortations and such like dueties which are done to them by the Ministers of the worde to the ende that they being well instructed of the proceeding staye or slyding backe of anie may the more fitlie applye them selues and their labours for their instruction and stirring vp to goe forwardes in the wayes of the Lorde Likewise also they are to vnderstande what offences arise in the Congregation that order may be taken for them as appertayneth These such like dueties are incident into the charge of the Elders as may appeare by the places where mention is made of them and namelie by the 12. to the Romanes and the 5. of the first epistle to Timothie wherein being termed Elders and Ouer-seers or Gouernours and expreslie shutte out from the ministerie of the worde it appeareth their charge standeth in matters of life and conuersation there being no other thing but doctrine or life whereof there should be Ouer-seers or Gouuernours Nowe as they haue these dueties especiallie lying vppon them so as necessarie partes of the Seniorie or Eldershippe they haue power to deale in the chiefest matters belonging to the Church as in the censures and in the calling of the Ministers of the worde and in making constitutions and orders meete for the Church whereof they are Elders whiche dueties are shewed to belong vnto them both by auncient presidentes of th'Elders that were of the Sinagogues of the Iewes and by expresse places of the newe Testament where these things are attributed vnto them namelie in the 18. of Mat. the 15. of the Actes and the 4. of the second epistle vnto Tim. Whiche being so the necessitie of this calling in the Church must needes be exceeding great For otherwise what shall become of these dueties which are so necessarie in the Church it being not lawfull to haue them done by anie other then such as God hath appointed for that purpose Thus the necessitie and perpetuitie of these offices doe appeare But if this doe not suffice let him looke vpon the 28. of the Gospell written by the Euangelist Matthewe and the 6. of the former Epist to Tim. In the former of these two places it is thus written 18.19 and 20. vers Iesus came and spake vnto them saying All power is giuen me in heauen and in earth goe therefore and teache all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Teachinge them to obserue all things what soeuer I haue commaunded you and loe I am with you alway vnto the ende of the world Amen Wherein the time when our Sauiour spake this is to be considered which was after his resurrection and vpon his ascension into heauen after he had 40. dayes long as it is written in the first of the Actes instructed his Disciples of such thinges as concerned his kingdome Whereinto it can not be denied but the whole pollicie and Discipline of the Church belongeth conteyning the lawes and statutes of our Sauiour for the calling of any to charge in his Church and the due execution of the same For as the lawes of a kingdome appointing all the officers of the Crowne and all other inferior Magistrates with declaratiō of the order of their calling the dueties of their places and the maner of proceedinge in the execution of the same can not be denied to belong to the state of that kingdome no more can the Discipline be sayde not to pertayne to the spirituall kingdome of Christ Otherwise the greatest and most weightie matters that are done by his authoritie shal be sayde not to belong to his kingdome as to appoint and execute publique charges to censure to excommunicate and such like In a temporall and earthlie kingdome it would be an absurd thing in the iudgement of all men of vnderstanding to saye the appointing of Magistrates their nūber the boundes limitations of their power their order to proceede by to the casting of subiectes into prison the putting of them to death did nothing belong to the state of a kingdome whereas in deede these are principall effectes of the power and authoritie of the King and most naturallie and essentiallie belonging to the state of his kingdome So can it not be lesse absurde to denie the like to pertayne to the power and kingdome of our Sauiour Christ For the Ministers of the worde the Elders appointed for ouersight and the Deacons for the poore are the officers whiche our Sauiour Christ hath ordeyned to guyde the Church vnder his authoritie the censures are the punishementes of his disobedient subiectes separation from the Lordes table as commaundement out of his presence to warde excommunication as sentence of death Wherefore it must needes be that the appointing of the number and kindes of publike charges in the Church the limiting of their power the order for their proceeding to separation from the Lords table and to excommunication must needes be things belonging to the kingdome of our Sauior Christ Which being as I thinke it must needs be confessed then it followeth that our Sauiour Christ within those 40. dayes next before his ascension into heauē wherin as the Euangelist Luke sayeth he instructed his Disciples of those things that belong to his kingdome informed them what publike functions he appointed for the gouernance of the Church how many and of what power euery one should be and in what order and vpon what causes they should proceede to excommunication and the other censures Whiche graunted as in any sounde iudgement it can not bee denied then consequentlie these are also of the things which our Sauiour Christ commaunded the Apostles to teache such to obserue as they should make Disciples Further it may appeare that our Sauiour Christ in these wordes teache them to obserue all things which I haue commaunded you comprehendeth also the policie of the Church by the order of the matters here mentioned by the Euangelist For it is sayde that our Sauiour first speaking of his fulnes of power whiche hee had giuen him in heauen and earth to assure them that hee had authoritie to commaunde them to doe these things and abilitie to assiste and prosper them in so doing Firste charged them to preache the worde then to minister the Sacramentes for that is expreslie saide of the one is of like to bee gathered of the other in this respect and in the ende
and in the 12. to the Rom But he conteyneth not Elders vnder Bishops for the reason alleadged therfore vnder Deacons And to make all playne in the 12. to the Rom. the Apostle conteyning all the functions vnder Prophets Deacons diuideth Prophets into exhorters teachers and Deacons into Elders distributers expreslie noting when the name of Deacon is opposed to another name cōteyning the Ministers of the word and is taken generally for all the offices not dealing with the Ministery of the word that th'elders are cōteyned vnder this name Furthermore in the 5. cha of this epist he maketh mention of Elders that haue ouersight ouer the cōgregation both in things that concerne the worde and also of other thinges besides the worde whiche must needes bee of conuersation and lyfe there being nothing but these two doctrine and life whereof generall direction and care should bee taken Being then expreslie named by the Apostle in the aforesaide 5. Chapter as one kinde of publike charge in the Church it can not be that the Apostle forgot or pretermitted this kinde in the third going before where he giueth rules for the qualifications requisite in euery one that should be called to publique charge in the Church But in the name of Bishopps they can not be vnderstoode for the propertie of teaching required in them which is not so in the Elders as it is in the 5. chapter therefore they are comprehended vnder the general name of Deacons Howsoeuer it be yet can it not be denied that Elders are named in the 5. chap. as a kinde of publike charge in the Church Nowe I adde that the instructions whiche the Apostle had giuen to Timothy concerning the ministerie of the worde both Pastours and Teachers vnder the name of Bishops and concerning Elders and Deacons partly vnder the name of Deacon common to them both particularly by the name of Elder touching such as are so speciallie called are perpetuall and to be followed kept without default in any part to the glorious comming againe of Christ to iudgement For proofe whereof I rehearse the very wordes of the Apostle I charge thee in the sight of God who quickeneth all things 1. Tim. 6.13.14.15.16 before Iesus Christ which vnder Pontius Pilate professed a worthie profession That thou keepe these commaundements without spot and vnrebukeable vntill the appearing of our Lord JESVS Christ. Which in due time he shall shewe that is blessed and Prince onely the King of Kings and Lord of Lordes who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto whom neuer man sawe vnto whom be honor and power euerlasting Amen I am not ignorant what exceptions are taken to this place but the answere to them cleareth all such doubtes So as I doubt not but the indifferent Reader consideringe the reasons on all partes will finde that this so earnest charge and obtestation is to be extended to all the pointes of that Epistle Especiallie concerning the ordering of the Church For whiche ende as the Apostle plainlie declareth that he wrote it so hauing finished his instructions concerning that matter sealeth them vp with such a seale as declareth that hee whiche shall offende against them shall sinne against the cōmaundement of the Lord of life against the example of the lord Iesus both whose vengeance punishment he is to feare at the glorious cōming of the lord againe to iudgement And again if any man for the duetiful keeping of those cōmandementes shall suffer yea though it be to death he is to be assured to receyue his life againe of the Commaūder of these things who quickeneth the dead and following the example of that worthie profession made by our Sauiour Christ is to receyue immortalitie and honour for euer at his glorious appearinge which shal be as certainlie performed as he in whose name these things are denounced and promised is the blessed and onely Prince King of Kings Lorde of Lordes onely immortall to whom belongeth honour and strength euerlasting Amen Thus the perpetuitie of these offices is proued by these reasons and authorities I would to God the necessarie perpetuall vse of them were not also manifest by the wofull and lamentable experience of such Churches as doe want them according as their wantes are eyther of all or of some in part or altogither Of the ignorance of the people in things concerning godlines and religion what other cause can be assigned it but that they wante godly learned Ministers of the worde amongst them Teachers to instruct them in sounde holy doctrine and Pastours to exhort them according to it If it be life euerlasting to knowe the onely true God Iohn 17.3 whō he hath sent Christ IESVS and if the wante of the knowledge of God be damnable as it is sayde That the seruaunt not knowing his Maisters will Luke 12. and therefore not dooing it shal be beaten and againe That the Lord when he shal come with his mightie Angells in flaming fire shall punishe those who haue not knowen God surelie then the meanes whiche God who would haue all men saued and come to the knowledge of the trueth hath appointed for that purpose 1. Tim. 2.4 is moste needefull to continue both for the honour of GOD and the saluation of the people Whiche meanes being the offices of Pastours and Teachers nothing can be more necessarie then th'establishing of them in all places and continuing of the same successiuelie to the ende of the worlde The same is to be saide of th' other offices All manner of offences are committed and remayne without redresse at the least without redresse sufficient and such as God hath appointed to the infinite dishonour of God and disedification of the Church where there are not Elders nor Ouerseers that in conscience of the calling and ordinance of God may looke vnto it In like manner the poore can not by anie neuer so wise and politicke lawes of men be prouided for where the Deacons Fathers Tutours of the poore appointed of God in conscience of his commaundement and their most bounden duetie to him attende not vpon the poore Whiche apparauntlie testifieth the necessarie and perpetuall vse of them Therefore to conclude this point I saye th' ignorance the offences in euerie sorte most lamentable to beholde Atheisme profanenes securitie blasphemie horrible othes not farre blasphemie neglect yea contempt of the Sabboth day the dishonour of all to whom honour is due the murders adulteries robberies periuries the swarmes of rogues and beggers their dying in the fieldes vnder hedges and in Townes and Cities at the dores crye with a loude voyce vnto God and all lawfull authoritie vnder him that for wante of the preachinge of the worde they perishe for lacke of it they dye in their ignorance and diuers sinnes for default of the meanes that should bring them to the knowledge of God and to repentance default I saye both of the
worde taught and preached and spiritual correction yea their soules and their bodyes are destroyed for wante of the meanes which God hath ordayned for the saluation and comfort of them both Whose crie the Lorde in mercie heare in his good time and giue to the higher powers also to heare it and to take such order for it as may be most acceptable vnto him and most comfortable to his people Thus farre haue I laboured to shewe the necessarie and perpetuall vse of the offices of the Ministers of the worde both Pastours and Teachers of Elders also and of Deacons Wherwith I would ende the aunswere to this section but that heere is offred an occasion to speake a worde or twoo more to an other matter in it The Declaration shewing that God withdrawing th'extraordinarie giftes of healing and such like hath withall shewed that the offices depending vpon those giftes should cease rebuketh it as a vanitie in the papistes to keepe still Exorcistes and extreeme Vnction and to speake with straunge tongues which they haue not by inspiration and that without any interpretation which is expreslie forbidden The Replyer letting passe the rebuke for the two former pointes for the third sayeth he belie not the Diuell Their fault was not that they spake with straunge tongues which they had not by inspiration for if they had not had them by inspiration and yet had they vnderstoode them and the people also then had this bin no fault except in speaking faultie matter These are the Replyers wordes wherein he hath little cause to vse this homely prouerbe against the Declaration For it reporteth not vntrulie of them but chargeth them with vanitie for doing that which they doe in deede So as if there be anie fault here it is not in speaking vntruely of them but in making that whiche is truelie sayde they doe to be a fault which is none But this was onely a quarell picked to mainteyne speaking of Latin in the pulpit which the Replyer thought to be a litle touched in that the Papistes are charged with vanitie for speaking with tongues whiche they had not by inspiration Which if it be for that cause a vanitie in them then the replier thought it would be gathered to be as vayne a thing in anie other that hauing not the gifte by inspiration no more then they but onely by studie and ordinarie meanes yet doe vse to vtter sentences in Latine and other tongues but cōmonlie in Latin for it is not euery mans gift to vnderstand greeke and Hebrewe which he had good reason in deede to suppose But howe doeth he answere the Declaratiō which resteth vppon this reson why it should be a vanitie in them namely bicause they haue that tongue by studie and not by inspiration Which is as if it had bin more at large saide that being an extraordinarie gift there might be yet some vse for the miracle to giue credite and doe honour to that doctrine which such a beleeuer did professe but for a man that had bin trayned vp in schoole all his life and had spent many yeares in the Vniuersitie to speake Latine in his sermon as if it were a miracle for a man in twentie or thirtie yeares so bestowed to speake of him selfe or repeate out of other a fewe sentences in Latine could haue no such grace nor vse no nor any good vse but onely sheweth the vanitie and follie of the partie that so speaketh To this reason he maketh no aunswere but onely sayeth it was no fault in them although they had them not by inspiration if both they and the people vnderstoode them to speake with straunge tongues But it is not ynough for him to saye so with a bare worde he had neede to haue shewed some good reason to mainteyne it the argument of the Declaration being so strong to the contrarie as it is Hee coulde not also be ignorant that th'Apostle reproueth this ostentation in those of Corinth who yet had it by extraordinarie gift as a childishe follie in them saying Brethren be not children in vnderstanding howe much more then is it worthie of that reproofe in such 1. Cor. 13.20 as haue it not by that meanes In the same place th'Apostle noteth out of the Prophete that it was a punishment 1. Cor. 14.21 Esai 28.11 threatned from God to speake to men in a strange tongue so litle cause they had to glorie in that abuse After also he saith 1. Co. 14.22 that the vse of tongues was to the infidell vnbeleeuer as by the miracle to worke in him some sence and reuerence of the doctrine so authorised but not sayeth he to the beleeuer for whom prophecie that is exposition of the holie Scriptures in a tounge vnderstoode of all is appointed In the Church therefore it is impertinent to speake with strange tongue I speake tongues sayeth the Apostle in the same place more then all you doe yet had I rather speake in the Church fiue wordes to instruct other with them 1. Cor. 14.18.19 then a thousande in a strange tongue Wherein the modestie of the Apostle and his care of edifying of the Church appeareth To which purpose also he sayeth in another place That he regarded not to bee esteemed to knowe any thing amongst them but Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 2.1.2 and him crucified The contrarie therefore is not to seeke as a man ought to doe the honour onely of Christ and the edification of his Church but sauoureth of fleshe and blood For as it is well obserued by Maister Caluin of worthie memorie the Apostles voluntarie absteyning from speaking with tongues Caluin cōmenta in 1. Cor. 14.19 who could haue triumphed herein ouer them all and his seeking to edifie the Church without all maner of pompe conuinceth their swelling ambition who affect the shewing of them selues whose authoritie ought to drawe them from vanitie In like maner ought the perpetuall and constant examples of all the Prophetes of whom diuers as it appeareth had skill of sundrie languages and of all the Apostles who excelled all others herein Of all which not one appeareth at any time to haue spoken in his publique ministerie in the Congregation with anie other tongue then the vulgar tongue of the people No more did our Sauiour him selfe whose perpetuall example in this concerning their Ministerie ought to bee a rule to all those who with modestie seeke th'edification of the Church It may be added also herein that the Fathers vse it not nor the reformed Churches of this age therefore hauing not bin so done by the Prophetes nor by the Apostles nor by other in the primitiue Church nor by the Fathers thēselues nor vsed by the best reformed Churches It were to be wished that they in whose fauor the Replier maketh this answere would rather conforme them selues to the examples of all those then to the Church of Rome where almost only this ostentation is vsed That part in the declaration which is
the Pope resembling Augustus Caesar the Emperour and such as succeeded him the Cardinals are the image of those by whose helpe he had oppressed the former state of the Romanes and continued his tyrannie ouer it parting the spoyle with them Archbi hops and Bishops other Magistrates of Prouinces and Countries Which as it began in like maner with oppressing the onely lawfull pollicie and administratiō of the church so the end of it hath bin the most proude and ambitious tyrannie that euer was in the worlde From this the Replier passeth to that which is inferred vppon the conclusion that is that because these only are appointed of God it is not lawfull for men to ordayne any other besides these In his replye to this after he hath played a little as he is often wont to doe with the lawlesse needles pointes and demaunded againe warrant for these foure publike charges of the Church that wee may haue our quietus est of him and such like pleasantnes of speache he repeateth againe a reason before alleadged Why these foresaid functions are not therefore to be esteemed perpetuall because they were ordayned of God His reason is that the Priesthoode of the Law the hie charges of Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes were also of God and yet not perpetuall But he should remember the conclusion riseth not of this only that these offices of Pastours Teachers Elders and Deacons were sometime appointed of God but that they were appointed for the certaine standing and ordinarie offices of the Church to abide for euer Shewe this sayeth he and forthwith we yeelde It hath bene alreadie shewed and yet he yeeldeth not for it hath bin proued that whereas these are of the giftes bestowed by our Sauiour on the Church all the rest were extraordinarie but for a time as appeareth by their vse and the giftes agreing to such offices But both the vse and the gift agreeing to these foure is for all times and giuen of GOD by ordinarie meanes and therefore these and these onely are perpetuall The vse of the Teacher is to teache true religion and doctrine of the Pastor to applie the doctrine by exhortation reprehension consolation and such other meanes as may serue most fitte for th'edification and as the occasions of the Church require Elders are to looke to th' obedience and practise of the same in the life of the people and they altogither to guyde the publique assemblies in a reuerend order and to carie the care of the state of the Church to call and dismisse to and frō publique charge in it by due order to censure offendours according as their offence is to be censured Finallie the Deacons are to relieue the poore and in miserie These being I say the vses of these charges it is playne they are no extraordinarie things for whiche they are appointed but necessarie and perpetuall therefore the offices which God hath ordayned for such vses must needes be esteemed alike perpetuall and necessarie The same is to be saide of their giftes which are all such as God giueth vnto men by ordinarie meanes But such are none of the other offices neither for their vse nor for their giftes and therefore these and onely these are necessarie and to cōtinue for euer Further also the Apostles setting by them selues and by the Euangelistes these functions amongest the Churches doe plainly declare they did it in this regarde that whereas neither they nor the Euangelistes for the dueties of their callings could tarie still with any one particular church these should be their guides to continue and remaine with them for euer Vpon these and such like reasons declared afore the conclusion groweth and not barelie vpon this that they were sometimes ordayned of God Thus passeth he forwarde yet so as he looketh backe againe to an amplification of the conclusion wherein the declaration gathereth togither certaine principall reasons confirming these offices as of the Authour preseruers of them with the good fruite that followeth where they are established and the contrarie where they are not The firste reason hee denieth but standeth not much vpon it The seconde of the Churches exercising this Discipline is of two partes whereof the firste is of the primitiue pure Church enlarged by note of the time it continued it it which is till the misterie of iniquitie working a way for Antichristes pride and presumption changed Gods ordinance and so brought in all kinde of false doctrine and confusion To these wordes he taketh manie exceptions and first scorneth at it that the primitiue churche which he him selfe calleth that time while the Apostles liued is named the pure Church and replyeth to it that it was not very pure soone after the Apostles Which is a replie of no value For it suffiseth for the matter in hande that it was exercised by the Apostolicall Churches which are called pure not in regarde of obedience in life but of that order for the guyding of the Church which by the Apostles was deliuered vnto them We acknowledge that no assembly of men yea that no particular man is or can be or euer was the Lorde him selfe onely excepted free from all charge of sinne in the sight of God according as it is saide There is not one that doeth good no not one And agayne Psal 14.3 Rom. 3.10 Psal 53.3 Psal 130.3 Psal 143.2 Ephe. 2.1.3 Jf thou Lorde shouldest looke narrowlie what is done amisse no flesh should be iustified in thy sight Yea further We acknowledge all to be borne in sinne and by nature children of wrath and not ceasing continuallie to transgresse from the mothers wombe and beleue to be saued ‡ Rom. 3.24 freely by grace and onely by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus This I say we acknowledge notwithstanding that thorough the same grace according to the measure of the gift thereof in the dutie of thankefulnes which we owe as the Lords redeemed we endeuour to walke in a good conscience without offence and to approoue our vnfayened desyre of obedience and well-doing in all things both to God and Man This I haue thought good to professe because the Replyer by a scornfull obseruation of pure Church would cast vppon all such as desire a further reformation of our Church an infamous spot of puritanisme A name which some popish or Samaritane priest well content that poperie and the Gospell be ioyned togither as they were sometime 2. King 17.32.33.34 to mingle Iudaisme and Paganisme haue deuised to reuile them with that seeke any further reformation and nowe commonly taken vp by Atheistes to disgrace and discountenance all that desire to liue godlie Which if it proceede as of some time it hath done it is not vnlike but ere it be many yeares pietie and the feare of God wil be as odious as any heresie This may suffice to let the Replier vnderstande that the primitiue Church is not called pure in the Declaration in regarde of their life
and conuersation nor any signification giuen thereby that there is or can be in this worlde in that sence any Church pure and free from sinne But as touching the order giuen to the Churches by the Apostles and receyued of them for the rule to guyde them selues by in the administration and direction of ecclesiasticall affaires the primitiue Church was pure in the Apostles time and so had it bin at sundrie times before the Apostles and may be also in this time for any impossibilitie that is in this matter The heauenlie paterne shewed to Moses in the mountayne can not be denied to haue bin pure Exod. 25.40 Heb. 8.5 Heb. 3.5 But Moses was faithfull in all the house of God and did all things according to the paterne whiche was shewed him For hee was faithefull not onely in the things that concerned the holiest place of the house of God or the Sanctuarie next vnto it but also in the outwarde Sanctuarie or court yea in the things of the lowest Court of the Lordes house Neither thought he it inough as many doe nowe to regarde onely the principall things as the Arke of Couenaunt wherin were the two tables of the Lawe and other precious holy memorialles of the noble actes of God Exod. 36. nor both them and the next vnto them as th' Altar the Table cap. 37. and the golden Candlesticke but also all the vessels implementes cap. 38. and furniture of the Tabernacle euen to the basons and beesomes to euerie pinne of the ioyned worke cap. 39.42 to euery ringe of the curtaynes to the skinnes that couered it and to euery inche of length breadth and depth as the Lorde had appointed And not in the place onely that was appointed for the seruice of God but for the whole order and maner of the seruice declaring the kindes of Ministeries and what duetie was to bee done by euery one This was a perfect and pure order of a Church receyued of God by Moses and by him settled and continued in his time amongst that people It continued also such all the time of Joshua Ioshu 24.31 of the Elders that ruled with him and had seene the famous actes of God whiche hee had done for Israell In Dauids and Salomons time for many yeares the same was restored and after by other vertuous and noble Princes as Ezekiah Jehoshaphat and others reestablished after that through the wantes of all degrees and speciallie of the Priestes it had bin decayed The Apostle testifieth in one place that which is to be extended alike to all the rest of his Ministerie 1. Co. 11.23 That he had receyued of the Lorde that which he deliuered to the Church And in another place Jf there bee amongest you a Prophete or spirituall man 1. Co. 13.37 let him acknowledge that the thinges I write vnto you are the commaundements of the Lorde and sayeth of him selfe that which agreeth to th' other Apostles that is That the Lorde of mercie had giuen to him to be faithfull and so accounted him and they were all true witnesses of Iesus Christ. Whereby it can not be doubted but th' order which they taught the Churches to keepe for maintenance of the faith exercises and obedience of the Gospell amongst them being as perfect and pure as that which the same Lord had shewed to Moses in the mountaine and the Apostles being as faithfull as Moses it can not bee doubted I saye but that the Churches in regard of that administration and pollicie were pure and perfect And not onely in their time as in the former had bin in the time of Moses and Joshua but also in the time of such as with them had gouerned the church and seene the mightie hande of God working with them in the aduancement of the Gospell as the like had bin before in the Elders that ouerliued the noble worthie Ioshua Whiche being so I can see no cause the same order being left vs from point to point in their holy writinges but that the Tabernacle of Dauid being fallen downe the ruines of it may be reedified and all the strength and beautie of the house of God in that behalfe restored againe if there be that religion vertue and zeale which ought to be in those at whose handes the Lord doeth require it And thus much to shew what is meant by the primitiue and pure church and withall that there may be a pure church in regarde of the order for directing guyding of all ecclesiasticall matters notwithstanding the corruptiō of the nature of man be such as were the order most perfect yet wil administer and execute it with many humane infirmities But then the rule it selfe can not be blamed but onlie they that by their owne faulte are not willinglie ruled by it From this reason that these ministeries haue bin retayned in the primitiue church he proceedeth to the note of the continuance of it in the same which is saide by the Declaration to haue bin till the ministerie of iniquitie working a way for Antichrists pride presumption chaunged Gods ordinance and brought in all kinde of false doctrine confusion Nay who there maisters mine not so sayth the Replier such is his vain that I say no more according to which dallying a whyle about the sence he resolueth that if it had bin such till the misterie of iniquitie began to worke a way c. the Declaration had kept better within boundes This doubt of the sence might haue bin spared it being not hard for him at the firste to haue conceyued it so as he did at the last this being the playn sense that till such time as Sathan began to make a way to the kingdome of Antichrist to all kinde of false doctrine and confusion this order continued For the pride of that kingdome of Antichrist being so great as it is this day and hath bin now for many ages and the false doctrines confusions being so many as they haue bin now a long time this kingdome could not be set vp in one day nor al the abhominable superstitions and idolatries of it brought in vpon a suddain all the holy ordināces of god in the whole order of the church being against it Therefore these one after another and by litle and little that the fraude might not appeare were chaunged and altered that by such proceeding it might bee easilie ouercome in the end which at the beginning if it had bin openly at once attempted could not haue bin conquered by any violence As in the siege of a strong citie the enimie entreth not at first and at once into the gates but by mines batteries ouerthroweth some principall bulwarkes places of defence to the citie offence to thē that so he may after the more quietly scale the walles or force the gates therof So the citie of God being fortified by the rules of discipline as with walles towres bullewarks the enimie
of later yeares and of meane vnderstanding that could not discerne so palpable a repugnancie betwene the epistle it selfe and such a subscriptiō This then being all the profe that the replyer for this present notwithstanding his importunate and vnseasonable beating vpon this cause is able to make to prooue the office of an Archbishop the Reader may perceyue what authoritie it ought to haue in the conscience of any Christian man the best euidence witnes that can be produced for the maintenance of it being a razed rolle and a suborned witnes and as they speake in Westminster hall A knight of the Post euen suche another as the Bishop of Roomes proctours would haue proued his vsurpation and vniust authoritie by if the Fathers of that time in Africke had not discouered his fraude and follie Thus we see what cause he hath to breake so often into this matter for any thing he can prooue by this euidence But if this fayle him to proue Bishops and Archbishops to haue bin in the primitiue Church he hath another sure argument that can not disappoint him There were Pastours and Teachers in the primitiue church the Declaration sayeth Elders also and Deacons but sayeth the Replier the office of a Bishop or Archbishop is in substance the office of a Pastour or Teacher so as Bishoppes or Archbishops in the substance of their office are Pastours or Teachers in the Church and as hee addeth in the next page before such as haue bin Deacons too For answere herevnto I denie that they are either Pastors or Teachers for the reasons folowing Such offices as may not be executed by vertue of the forme of ordination of Pastors and Teachers but require another forme of ordination diuerse from it doe themselues differ in substance from the offices of Pastours and Teachers For thus the Apostle to the Hebrewes Heb. 7.16.17.21 proueth the priesthoode of our Sauiour Christ to be diuers frō the Leuiticall priesthood because the forme of ordination differed the one being without an othe and for a time the other with an othe and for euer But the offices of Bishops and Archbishops are such as by vertue of that calling of Pastours and Teachers can not be exercised but require a further particular forme of ordination diuers from the other as appeareth by the booke of their consecration Therefore the offices of Bishops and Archbishops are in substance diuerse from the offices of Pastours and Teachers Agayne All Pastours and Teachers are by bonde of their office and calling to preache the worde with all faithfull diligence Luke 12. 2. Tim 2.3 Act. 6. But Bishops and Archbishops stande not bounde by bond of their calling to preache it for which cause either they leaue it altogither or preache seldome and vpon high and solemne dayes and then onely at their pleasure when they preach and not by any bond of their calling Therefore Bishops and Archbishops are not in their offices Pastours and Teachers Further all offices that are the same in substance are of like and equall power Therefore if the offices of Bishops Archbishops be the same in substance with Pastours and Teachers then is their power one and equall with theirs at the least in Ministerie of spirituall grace as also in worde they pretende them to be That they are not equall appeareth in that no Pastour nor Teacher may doe sundrie thinges which are esteemed by them selues to be and some of them in deede are in their due administratiō ministeries of spirituall grace For Cōfirmation is saide to be a meanes of increase of spirituall grace and strength Absolution is a ministerie of spirituall grace as testifying and assuring the absolued in the worde of the great King of Kings that his sinnes are forgiuen him Ordination to the Ministerie is also a ministerie of spirituall grace not onely in regarde of the office but also of the encrease of grace bestowed vpon such as are duelie ordayned to it the Lorde him selfe authour of the calling giuing according to his promise to such as in faith thereof and in obedience to his good pleasure yeelde vnto it such increase of grace as the newe charge by the will of God layde vpon him and vndertaken in hope of Gods assistance doeth require In all which ministeries Pastours and Teachers whom yet GOD putteth in trust with the worde and message of reconciliation and life and with his holy Sacramentes the seales of God to giue further assurance of the same may not deale by vertue of such their calling but onely Bishops and Archbishops Therefore their power and ministerie being so diuers th' offices them selues must needes also differ Moreouer all Pastours and Teachers are to be ordained to the attendance vpon a certen particular Church and congregation or Parishe as we vse most to call it For so the Apostles Paule and Barnabas did and the rest T it 1. So Paule gaue charge to Titus to ordeine them and so were all they ordained of whom we reade in the holy Scriptures Which also the verie ende vse nature and relation they haue to the Church where they are to serue doeth declare Therefore it is saide to all the Elders of Ephesus Actes 20.28 that they should looke to that Churche whereof the holy Ghost had made them Bishops or Ouerseeers so to all the Elders of the Churches of the Iewes dispersed 1. Pet. 5.2 that they should feede the flocke of God whiche depended vpon them Which point also some of the auncient Coūcels esteemed so materiall as they decreed the ordination which was not to the certaine charge of some particular congregation should be voyde and of none effect But this being so necessarie in all Pastours and Teachers is cleane contrarie in Bishops and Archbishops For their ordination is not to anie particular Church but to a whole Dioces or Prouince And if before such ordination they had charge of any particular Church or were beneficed as the most common speach is such benefices are then voyde and they discharged by law so as they are to be giuen to another So incompatible the true duetie and office of a faithfull Minister of the worde is in lawe esteemed to bee with the office of a Bishop or Archbishop I might adde also that Pastours and Teachers as all other functions Ecclesiasticall deale onely with ecclesiasticall matters such as agree to their seuerall kindes and places For our Sauiour testifieth his kingdome not to be of this worlde Iohn 18.36 And from the beginning to the time of our Sauiour since the Priesthoode bestowed vpon Aaron the two powers haue bin in the ordinarie gouernement of Gods people by the Lords owne ordinance sundred not onely in persons houses and kinreds but in their tribes so as none of the tribe of Juda might exercise the Priesthoode but onely they that were of the tribe of Leui and the tribe of Leui was to cōtent themselues with the seruice of the Tabernacle and were neyther to
nothing here worth the answering most of this speach being spent in a tale or two out of Aesope Of a Dogge and a Foxe with much gybing and iesting vppon the same matters fitter for some other stage then he is nowe vpon For nowe he is vppon a Theatre where men and Angells looke vppon him yea the Lorde blessed for euer Amen And where the Church especiallie amongst vs attende to heare of him whether it be in good state such as may promise the continuance and the increase of the blessing of God vpon vs or in an euill estate and such as may threaten the wrath of God and such grieuous punishmentes as in his anger he chastiseth the disobediences of his people with if being warned and called vpon to reforme them they doe not redresse nor amende them Whiche presence and expectation requireth a farre other speache and style then is here vsed Therefore I wishe he may take this warning hereafter to leaue this kinde of speache except hee will occupie him selfe with making playes as he was wont to doe but if he will deale with matters of grauitie and diuinitie to intreate grauilie of them and as becommeth a Diuine Nowe let vs come to his reasons Hee argueth that the order of the primitiue Church is not restored nowe in the best reformed Churces for his first reason hee alleadgeth that the offices of Apostles and such like are not restored Wherein knowing his answere to be readie that it is to be vnderstoode of that order which was setled in the primitiue church to continue these being but temporarie and extraordinarie he maketh him selfe this answere and then replyeth to it that so were also the Elders whose office is restored or if it bee otherwise that they were to remayne alwayes why then did they not alwayes continue but haue ceased so many yeres till they were nowe in this age restored agayne Wherevnto it is to bee answered as he partlie teacheth that most of the principall poyntes of the doctrine were not knowen in the publike ministerie of the Church for many yeares at the least not so as all partes might take knowledge of it I am not ignorant that there are many notable testimonies that in all ages the trueth of Religion was through the goodnes of God made knowen to some and so was it also I doubt not in the matters of the Discipline of the Church But as in the most publike and apparant visible Churches in all partes the holy doctrine it selfe ceased and the true worship of God was turned into superstition and idolatrie So in the order and guydance of the churche the right meanes and onely lawfull instituted and ordayned of God ceased in them This yet doeth not satisfie the replyer because he sayth of the rest Pastours Teachers Deacons we are able to shewe that there were in all ages good badde why then should not the like bee shewed of the Elder if it were alike perpetuall In which replye it is by the way to be obserued that he acknowledgeth the perpetuitie of the Teachers office and so good witnesse to warrant it For the continuance of these in the church he did wel to shuffle good and badde togither But lawfull Pastours Teachers and Deacons such as our Sauiour appointed to be in his church where will hee shewe them to haue continued I doubt not but he will alleadge the popishe Priestes Doctours and Deacons but he is to remember thar hee set downe in an other place that the Churche of Roome doeth ouerthrowe the foundation whiche hee declareth to bee Christ IESVS in an other place without whom neither can any particular man bee saued nor anie assembly bee the visible Churche of Christ And if the church of Roome haue not bene for many yeeres a trewe visible Church of Christ then could not the priestes and other their Cleargie-men be true and lawfull Pastors or officers in any place of the Church This hee thinketh to take away with sayinge good and badde In deede if their euill had bene onely in lyfe or in some one principall point of doctrine it were something hee saide But their defect was in the very calling For Christ being the dore and GOD that openeth to the Pastours that enter by it and all that enter otherwise are theeues and murderers What reckoning can bee made of their callinge to bee lawfull since the time that the doctrine of saluation by Christe IESVS and by faith in him onely was condemned But to deale more easilie with them and not to bringe them to the triall of the worde which they are in no sorte able to endure and to iudge them by the Cannons amongest so many as they were where can hee shewe anye for many yeeres togyther lawefully called accordinge to the best Cannons whereby a dewe examination of learning and lyfe going before the free consent of the Church whom it concerneth and ordination or layinge on of handes by those to whom it appertayneth is so required as if default bee made eyther in the examination or election the whole action is disanulled and made voyde Nowe if the Symoniacall compactes and bargaynes the brybes to procure fauour for benefices the buyings of aduousons and resignations whiche are generall mischiefes in the popishe Church And I would to God it might be sayde they are only there and the agreede authorized default of due election in all be compared with these Cannons it wil be founde that for many yeares no one of their Priestes hath bene by those Cannons lawfully called But if the manner of calling them were lawfull howe vnlike are the offices and functions exercised with them to those which our Sauiour hath appointed Their Priestes are ordayned not to preache the Gospell or to any other duetie of a true Pastour but to offer vppe Christ in sacrifice for the liuing and for the dead Teachers they haue none at all but schoole Doctours and created by the Popes writte which is nothinge like the Teacher of the Church set in it by our Sauiour Christe for the worke of the ministerie A Deacō by the first institutiō should be the disposer of the liberalitie and bountie of the Church bestowed for the reliefe of the poore such as are in miserie whereof no shadowe appeareth in their Deacons and I woulde this were onely trewe of theirs Whereby appeareth that in the Romish Church if he meane that as I take it hee must needes doe he shall not finde in it for many yeares any lawfull Pastour Teacher or Deacon neyther by the worde of God nor by the better Cannons that haue bin made concerning their calling yet nowe the thirde time the Replyer helping him selfe with good and bad tagge ana ragge mainteyneth that Pastours Teachers and Deacons haue alwayes continued in the churche that by such pretence he might seeme to saye somewhat agaynst the Elders office because as hee sayeth it did not so continewe But I haue alreadie shewed this was no continuance of the
solemne and publique meetinges of the faythfull for the seruice of God may be caried with a holy and reuerend grauitie offences censured and fitt men appointed for the publike charges of it Last of all Deacons were ordayned because wee are to haue the poore alwayes with vs and because that God naming him selfe the Father and the protector of the poore and enioyning his people to haue care of them This ought principallie to appeare in the publique assemblies of Gods people gathered togither in his name Of all which poyntes and of the rest of the Discipline of the Church what one is there that wee for the same reason haue not neede of as well as they and therefore stande bounde to conforme our selues to their example Which being constantlie and vniuersally practised and vsed in all the primitiue Churches by order from the Apostles for reasons which concerne vs as much as they did them is sufficient to proue that such examples of the primitiue Churche doe binde all later churches although wee had no worde of commaundement otherwyse to constrayne vs. But because he resteth vpon this poynt to see commaundements for these thinges let him consider that which followeth The generall doctrines of the Apostles whiche they taught the Churches to obserue doe so commaunde the churches as in duetie and obedience of God they are to obey them according as it is sayde He that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you or your doctrine despiseth me But the Discipline of the Church is a part of the doctrine of the Apostles whiche in generall appeareth by the 12. to the Romanes the Epistles to Timothy and Titus and in particular in the seuerall members and braunches of it shall god willing hereafter appeare Therefore it is playne to be necessarie by the Law and commaundement of Christ that the churches keepe that discipline which was deliuered them by the instruction and doctrine of the Apostles Further it is a playne commaundement of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 18.17 Tell the Church Agayne our Sauiour is sayde with charge and commaundement that they should be obserued Actes 1.2.3 to haue deliuered to his Disciples such things as for the space of fourtie dayes he declared to them concerning his kingdome A part whereof it hath bin alreadie shewed must needes be vnderstoode to haue bin of the gouernement of his Church which necessarilie dependeth on his kingdom The Apostle likewise calleth the instructions which hee gaue to Timothy for guyding of the Church commaundements 1 Tim. 6.13 and chargeth him with most earnest charge and obtestation as he will answere it to God who giueth lyfe to all things and consequentlie withdraweth it at his pleasure and to his sonne Iesus Christe by whom he will iudge the worlde and who bare witnes to the trueth euen vnto the death that they should be kept without any default to that glorious cōminge againe of our Lord Iesus Christ Further of sundrie particulars the Apostle sayeth This sayeth the Lorde 1. Cor. 7.10 1. Co. 11.23 1. Co. 14.37 This I haue receyued of the Lorde and these are the commaundements of the Lorde with such like speaches Which being not alwayes spoken of the most weightie and principall pointes of the Discipline sufficientlie shewe that which is spoken of them to belong to other which are greater then they or like vnto them And thus much to his demurre vpon the poynt of the lawe Nowe proceedeth he to the effectes and fruites of this Discipline mentioned by the Declaratiō to be seene in the churches where it is established and not to be seene where it is not receyued Concerning the first poynt he maketh instance of the troubles of the reformed Churches and supposeth they would say Amen to him wishing therein as he speaketh good lucke and that their case were no better then ours on condition it were no worse which speach is smallie to the purpose For the fruites of the Discipline noted by the Declaration are these the encrease of the kingdome and glorie of Christ and suppression of the tyrannie of Sathan which is not disprooued by this reason that they are persecuted for the Gospell in troubles but rather confirmed For when was euer the kingdome of Christ more encreased in greater glorie then in time of persecution This glorie is in deede spirituall and not worldlie but yet so truely glorious in the sight of God his Angells as all the glorie of this life is not to be compared to it 1. Pet. 1.7 The triall of faith sayeth the Apostle Peter is much more precious then of golde that perisheth Agayne it is sayde That golde and siluer and precious stones yea all maner of ritches are not to be compared with wisedome and the true knowledge of God Psal 19.11 Psal 119.14 Pro. 1.9 Pro. 4.9 Pro. 3.10.11 1. Pet 3.4 Matt. 13.44 The same Salomon in his wisedome sayth That the feare of God doeth more grace those that are adorned with it then brooches or chaynes carcants or bracelettes or any other ornamentes The like the Apostle Peter affirmeth of a meeke and quiet spirite The kingdome of heauen sayeth our Sauiour is like the fielde which had a hidden treasure in it a veyne and a myne of golde for purchasing whereof a man solde all that he had that he might make that fielde his owne And agayne It is like a pearle orient Matt. 13 45. and so fayre that it stayned all other and so rauished the marchaunt Ieweller with the loue thereof that hauinge many iewelles of great price he solde them all to buye that one that so farre passed and exceeded all other In respect of which incomparable but yet spirituall glorie of this kingdome in the Prophete Esaie and in the Reuelation the Citie of God is thus described Esa 54.11.12 Beholde I will lay thy stones with carbuncle and thy foundation with Saphires And I will make thy windowes with Emeraudes and thy gates shining stones and all thy borders of pleasaunt stones Esay 54. ver 11.12 In the Reuelation thus Hee shewed me the great Citie holy Jerusalem descending out of heauen from God Apoc. 21. ver 10.11.12 ver 18.19.20.21 hauing the glorie of God and her shining was like vnto a stone most precious as a Jasper stone cleare as Christall And had a great Wall and highe and had twelue gates and at the gates twelue Angells and the names writ ten which are the twelue Tribes of the children of Israel c. And the buylding of the wall of it was of Jasper and the Citie was pure golde like vnto cleare glasse And the foundations of the wall of the Citie were garnished with all maner of precious stones the first foundation was Jasper the seconde of Saphire the thirde of a Chalcedonie the fourth of an Eneraude the fift of a Sardonix the sixt of a Sardius the seuenth of a Chrysolite the eight of a Beryll the ninth of a Topaze the tenth
of a Chrysoprasus the eleuenth of a Iacinth the twelfth an Amethist And the twelue gates were twelue pearles euery gate is of one pearle and the streete of the Citie is pure golde as shining glasse Apocalip 21. ver 10 11.12 c. 18.19.20.21 By all which places it appeareth that the glorie of the kingdome of Christ is not in outwarde things but the glorie of his kingdome is in the conquest of sinne and of Sathan it is in the preaching of his worde the ministerie of his Sacramentes and Discipline it is in fayth in the knowledge feare of God in the obedience constancie pacience of his saintes These are not in deede orient pearles of the East Indies but pearles of heauen and golde and siluer out of the Lordes own treasurie And in this respect Daniel in the Lyons denne Dan. 6. for calling vpon God was more honourable then Darius in all his Persian pompe and Maiestie Paule in his chayne wherewith he was bounde for the Gospells sake was of more trewe honour with God and all that belonged to him then Nero with his imperiall Diademe persecuting the Church and bearing him selfe as a monster in nature Matt. 27.29 The crowne of thornes wherewith our Sauiour was crowned vpon the Crosse was in regarde of his obedience to God in that kinde incomparably more royall then the crowne of Tiberius Caesar vnder whose debite he was crucified or of any other profane Prince yea thē the crowne of Salomon a most wyse and at that time Cant. 3.11 a moste vertuous Prince which his mother prepared for him agaynst the day of his maryage Therefore the glorie of the Kings of this worlde is one and the glorie of the kingdome of Christe is another The honour of th' one is in worldlie peace ritches strength and glorie The honour of th' other is when our Sauiour Christ reigneth in the middest of his enimies when his sworde diuideth the Father from the Sonne and the sonne frō the Father yea and a man from him selfe parting the sowle Heb. 4.12 and the spirite the ioyntes and them arrowe Doe yee thinke sayeth our Sauiour that I came to bring peace into the worlde J tell you nay but a sworde And agayne I came to set the worlde on fire and howe am I in payne till it bee kindled Not that his doctrine is of it selfe ennemie to outwarde peace Luk. 12.49.51.53 for it teacheth the right and most happie peace with GOD and is the onely assurance of all good peace amongest men as it is in the song of the Angells Glorie to God and Peace vppon earth in the Prophete Luk. 2.14 who speaking of the kingdome of Christ sayeth That daye they shall turne their speares into sythes and their swordes into spades And agayne That the Lambe shall without hurte lye with the wolfe Esa 11.6.7.8.9 and the chylde playe with the serpent and that in all the mountayne of the Lorde there shal be no warre Esa 60.18 But by reason of th'iniquitie of menne opposinge them selues to the worde of GOD except all should conspire togither with Sathan and his complices against GOD and his annoynted to their most certayne and irrecouerable destruction it can not be otherwise but that the zealous profession and exercise of true Religion will bee mightilie opposed vnto by the vngodly and so procure their great trouble and affliction in this worlde This is the most ordinarie state of the true Church of God notwithstandinge that it pleaseth God sometime to giue a little quiet According wherevnto if some of the best reformed Churches be nowe and haue bene of many yeares in great troubles and persecuted with all outrage and extremitie for the gospels sake yet the kingdome of Christ may bee and is more glorious and more increased by them then in other which enioy outward peace and vse it not to the right ende for which it is giuen In France the troubles haue bin exceeding great by open warres by pretence of lawes by most vnchristian and barbarous practises whereby men that for wysedome valewe and all maner of vertue and honour were to bee reckoned with the worthiest of the Earth Psal 44.23 yet were slayne as sheepe appoynted for the slaughter Their bodyes as it is saide in the Psalme were cast out to the fowles of the ayre Psa 79.2 Psa 79.3 and the beastes of the fielde and the streats haue runne with their Noble blood powred out like water But yet is not the glorie nor the increase of the kingdome of Christ therefore the lesse The most precious blood of our Sauiour Christ the sonne of GOD was also spilt and shedde as water which was worthie to haue bene receyued by Angells in vessells of golde and his body cast downe to the grounde but not without great increase of his kingdome and glorie for his blood became as the foure springes that went out of Eden to water all the earth his body after it was cast Iohn 12.24 as a most precious seed into the earth it broght forth more fruite then it had done before When did Sathan full like the lightening from heauen Luke 10.18 at any time more or when did the glorie of the kingdome of Christ more increase then in the time of persecution When was there euer the like knowledge faith zeale obedience righteousnes peace vnitie through the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 wherein the Apostle sayeth The kingdome of God standeth and not in meate and drinke or other like outwarde thinges as there hath bin in the primitiue Church Then were the windowes and gates of heauen opened to powre downe aboundantly to raine vpon the earth the spirituall giftes without measure to comfort saue the world as sometime they had bin opened for pouring downe water to destroye it euery head was crowned with one grace or other euery hand receiued some gift Then was there but one hart Act. 4.32 one soule of the multitude of those that beleeued Then the kingdome of Christ so increased as in some one day three thousand were adioyned to the Cōgregation The like in a degree may be said of the times ensuinge Act. 2.41 for some hundred yeeres But not to seeke so farre In the coūtryes that are yet vnder the sword for the Gospels sake and of whose present troubles the Replyer speaketh notwithstandinge their outwarde trouble the kingdome of our Sauiour Christ hath bin mightilie aduaūced What churches are there this day in the world where the gospell is so thorowly soūdlie in all poyntes established They wanting the fauour of their Kings the benefite of Schooles and Vniuersities yet departe they not from the ordinance of God to make any ministers of Sacramentes that are notable in some profitable measure to edification to expounde the worde For all Ministers with them are Preachers The doctrine taught by them as it appeareth by the confession signed by them all is
namely the priestes were they whose lippes were fined from earthlie corruption and sett on fyre with the coales of the Lordes altar by an Angell of heauen and whose mouth was sanctified of God Esa 1.10.11 Heare the word of the Lorde sayeth Esay yee leaders or Princes of Sodome and hearken to the doctrine of God ô ye people of Gomorrah What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the lord I am full of the burnt offringes of the Rammes and of the fatte of the fed beastes and I desire not the bloud of Bullockes nor of lambes nor of goates And agayne Their watchmen are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are all dumbe dogges they can not barke they lye and sleepe and delyte in sleeping Iere. 8.10.11.12 Likewise Ieremie sayeth I will giue their wiues vnto others and their fieldes to them that shall possesse them for euery one from the least euen to the greatest is giuen to couetousnes and from the Prophete euen vnto the Priest euerie one dealeth falselie For they haue healed the hurt of the doughter of my people with sweete wordes saying Peace peace when there is no peace Were they ashamed when they had committed abhomination Nay they were not ashamed neyther could they haue any shame therefore shall they fall among the stayne when I shall visite them they shal be cast downe saieth the Lorde If it be obiected that these Prophetes might liue in some wicked Kings dayes wherein the holy worship of God was wholy suppressed and superstition only Idolatrie tooke place I answere that they exercised in deede their Propheticall office ministerie in diuers kings times whereof though some were wicked yet some also were godlie and ouerthrewe idolatrie and sett vp the true worship of GOD yea some of them namely Iosiah and Ezeckiah were the two rarest Princes for pietie and zeale that euer after Dauid were kings ouer that people yet did no honest man much les any true Prophete esteeme their most iust reproofe of the iniquitie of all states to be iniurious or derogatorie to the honor of those noble Kings no nor anie of the Priests that did their duties They were in deede hereby warned as by the voyce of God to looke to such enormities and to see them reformed otherwyse they were to feele as they were threatened with the wrath of God who would require it at their handes if for default of employing the authoritie whiche GOD for such purpose had giuen them notorious transgressions chieflie in things belonginge to the seruice of God were not redressed yet did those Prophetes honour and loue their Church their Countrey their Princes and all estates of the people as we doe the Lord bearing witnes to vs that we speake the trueth and as wee ought to honour all lawfull authoritie and power in the common wealth or in the church In deed they had not sworne Canonicall obedience to any of their Priests as the Replyer sayth peraduenture some of vs haue done for this is an othe whiche God neuer commaunded and howsoeuer it be suffered if it might be duely examined would be founde meete and necessarie to be reformed both in regarde of God of the crown and dignitie of the Prince But to returne to my former purpose howe deare were the Churches of Corinth of Galatia and other places to the Apostle Paule who loued them to liue and dye with them to deale vnto them not the Gospell of Christ onely but euen his owne soule yet howe sharpely doeth he rebuke them Was he therefore their enimie because he did so and tolde them the trueth In the Reuelation Iohn writeth by commaundement to the Churches of Asia without derogation to anie thing that was in good state amongst them yea to the commendation of that which was such but yet so sharpely reprouing them for certayne enormities that were amongst them as that he threatneth the remouing of their golden Candlesticke and the goodly light of the Gospell of Christ whiche shined amongest them If then the writer of the Declaration haue rebuked in a worde the disorder of the policie and Discipline of our Church in that good sorte that is meete or if any of vs doe the like are we therefore as the Replier woulde haue vs not thankfull nor faithfull Ministers to God or not louing and obedient subiectes We may I hope truly professe that we both feare God and honour the Prince and loue his Church amongst vs and are faithfull and obedient according to Gods word vnto both But the feare of God our most bounden duetie to our dread soueraigne Ladie the Queene our zealous loue to our Church doe constrayne vs to rebuke that which is reproueable by Gods worde not to dishonour our church or any whom the state thereof may concerne but to procure the further reformation of it and thereby to encrease the honour of it incomparably more then euer heretofore both with God and in all the Churches I would to God we had cause to saye with the Apostle We reioyce to see the stayednes of your faith and the order that is amongest you I would to God we might say it were without spot or wrinckle and might truely speake of it all the most honourable thinges that are spoken of the Church of God and saye Jt is cleare as the morning fayre as the Moone pure as the Sunne and that what els Salomon according to his wisedome in his excellent Song commendeth the Church by or any other of the Prophetes or whatsoeuer the Apostles doe prayse any of the churches for might be verified of it This should be our comfort and our ioye our honour and our crowne And therfore doe we not cease by earnest prayer and most humble sute to God and to the authoritie which he hath set ouer vs and by all dutie agreeable to our callinge to procure the increase of the good and honour of it with all power But it being subiect to a curse to call euill good and iustly reprooued in former times to say all is well where GOD is displeased with many things that are not well but neede most speedie reformation conscience to God and louing duetie towarde the Church seeme to haue moued the authour of the Declaration to note that disordre which he esteemed to bee in the state of our church ought to enforce vs to do the like vpon iust occasiō If all things be ordered according to the worde of God in our Church then surely was the authour of the Declaration deceyued in iudgement but in affection and purpose of hart committed nothing against it But I demaunde If by the worde of God vnlearned men of all occupations and trades be sufficient Ministers to take charge of the holy thinges of Gods worde and Sacramentes and of the soules of the people Is the state of the Church well ordered whiche hauing the fauourable countenance of a gratious Queene according to the promise Queenes
gouernours Aunswere to that he sayeth of the Elder he nedeth none alleadging no reason and th' authoritie of the Apostle calling them Gouernours is so weightie for it as if he had put all the reasons hee could alleadge into the counterballance they would way no maner of weight against it That which he speaketh of Wydowes 1. Cor. 12. sheweth he hath not bin of anie long time exercised in these poyntes but for some purpose hath drawen and forced him selfe Now to seeke an occasion three or foure yeares after the publishing of the booke hee dealeth with to be seene to be a Defendour of the present state of our Church For otherwise he might haue vnderstoode that Deacons are not accounted gouernours much les Wydowes but onely Pastours Teachers and Elders to whom onely the guyding of the publique state of the Church belongeth In the next place with as much agreement with the matter of the sentence which he discourseth vpon as the former were hee compareth Elders with syde-men church-wardens whereby it seemeth he had before apprehended the matters so as if none should be esteemed ecclesiasticall persons but such as were within some degree of priesthoode and had taken orders as they call it But he vnderstandeth it better nowe for as hee compareth it they are no more of the ministerie then sydemen and Church-wardens are The next poynt is of the sence of ecclesiasticall gouernement if by it sayeth hee be meant that hir Maiestie taketh vpon her to minister the worde and Sacraments For that I take it he would say in his dark speach this is a slaunder of the papistes If her gouernement in or ouer ecclesiasticall causes we admitte your sense and proceede to the obiection and aunswere I aunswere the Declaration meaneth neither of both which are as farre from the matter spoken of in the Declaration as if with his long wandring he had both lost his way and him selfe too There was no cause why he should stand thus guessing at the meaning the sense being playne to be this that in a treatise of ecclesiasticall gouernement shewing th' order which God hath appoynted for the directing of his church it may be some would looke such a treatise should treate first of the supreame power of christian Princes So as ecclesiasticall gouernement is that whiche the Declaration sayeth to be appoynted of God and neyther concerneth the slaunder of the Papistes nor his construction and therefore notwithstanding that be not the sense it were time he proceeded to that which followeth In the first sentence of the Declaration wherein the foresayde obiection whose answere followeth is layde out the Replyer chooseth certayne wordes to discourse vpon before he come to the substance body of the matter contayned in the sentence According to which purpose of his hee hath spoken firste of but whyle the two first wordes of the sentence in this place of the Declaration and then of ecclesiasticall gouernement being of the next nowe he proceedeth to the worde some it being sayd in the declaration that it may bee thought of some and playeth with some and many and such like speache After it being sayde in the same sentence that it may seeme to some wee should treate firste of the Supreame authoritie of Christian Princes hee standeth vppon the wordes Supreme authoritie and demaundeth whether it be so called by waye of supposition or assertion then resoluing him selfe of the latter he demaundeth agayne howe this agreeth with that which was sayd before that all ecclesiasticall matters are to bee directed onely by foure officers of the Church which he scornefullie calleth Tetrarkes He might easilie haue discerned the aunswere to this with a little consideration For the wordes of the Declaration are these There remayneth of these before rehearsed onely in the Church these ecclesiasticall offices instituted of GOD namely Pastours Doctours Gouernours and Deacons by which the Church of God may accordinge to his worde be directed in all matters which are commonly called Ecclesiasticall Wherein it is playne that the Declaration speaketh of such officers as should deale in their owne persons in preaching the worde ministring the Sacramentes executing the power and censures of the Church and relieuing of the poore and sayth that of all the giftes and offices as Apostles Euangelistes and such like which God gaue to his Church in the beginning there onely nowe remayne these ordinarie officers for directing and dealing in these cases of the Church Which although it be as farre of as the East is from the West from excluding the supreme power of the ciuill Magistrate by the ciuill sworde to protect or punishe such as in those callings acquite them selues well or fayle in duetie yet hee not only moueth this question but prosecuteth it in this maner First hee demaundeth whether the Prince be one of those foure and if no because they are all ecclesiasticall officers and the Prince not but a supreme Gouuernour yet howe can they direct all causes and the Prince bee supreme Gouuernour except there be some quircke founde out betwene direction and gouernement And then they directing and the Prince gouerning according to their direction they giue the name to the Prince and keepe the power to them selues as the Pope of Roome dealeth with the Emperour whiche were but a mockerie But if they truely and vnfaynedly acknowledge Princes supreame Gouernours in all ecclesiasticall causes then stoupe gallant all these foure estates are topsie turnie ouerturned And then why yeelde they not to the ecclesiasticall gouernement by such authoritie established And if they haue the first degree in dignitie why may they not haue the first place in the treatise except the last place be greatest with them in power as in Parliament the voyce of the Prince And then a Gods name proceede on let them say as the Gentlemen-Vshers doe before Princes On afore my Lordes let all these foure estates take their places before because these our learned discoursers so assigne them We will not striue about the roome so the right bee reserued yet no reason to the cōtrarie but that they should first haue intreated of the supreme authoritie of Princes and after of the rest that so it might haue bin perceyued whether they had encroched vpon their power or no. And this me thinketh had bin a better order then where all are placed to saye Your Maiestie is come late these foure are your Senyours you are but their punyes be content you must take that whiche is left And thus farre vpon the sundrie wordes and partes of the first sentence conteyning the obiectiō which is answered To books which are full of such matter as this is may it be fitlie applyed that Salomon sayeth There is no ende of making them and that they are a wearines to the fleshe Eccle. 12.14 What fruite may there bee of all this wast speach that is nothing to the purpose and what a wearines is it to followe one that runneth at no
and so holde it needles to speake anie more to this matter howe often soeuer the Replier shal charg vs and proceede on to the consideration of such other matter as in the rest of this his first booke he hath layde before vs. Proceeding on with this sentence He rayseth like hues and cryes vpon the declaration for the wordes what pleaseth them after for these of all men and last of all vppon these without all further inquirie naming many idle questions and pulling harde to strayne this to reache to all politike matters The effect wherevnto he tendeth is that nothing is vrged for indifferent amongst vs that is not indifferent and that things being once so established as they are all men should rest in such determination without further question Which things he is content barelie to affirme but it may appeare by the petition presented to the Conuocation house for resolution that sundrie godlie learned and faithfull Ministers not finding many poyntes so cleare as they are made in this place desired to be resolued vpon what good warrant of the worde of God they might reade in their publique ministerie Apocrypha bookes for Canonicall Scripture and that for this respect as more edifying the church then some Canonicall like assurance they desired to haue for to reade sundry most euident apparant abuses of the holy Scripture directlie in sense and in wordes cōtrarie to the text Likewise also how as indifferent or not repugnāt to the word they might holde the reading ministerie the exercise of ciuill power in the Bishops and their so large and immoderate power in causes ecclesiasticall and their forsaking the worke of their calling and the seruice of particular Congregations the iustifying of baptisme by Women cases of necessitie for priuate administration of them rytes misticall and with signification of doctrine besides those which are instituted of our Sauior Christ an office of Deacon without all charge of the poore and for reading of diuine seruice and ministring only the one Sacrament of Baptisme Of these and many other like pointes debated at large both in that petition and in the first part of this defence they desired to bee resolued vpon what grounde of Gods holy worde they might holde them indifferent or not repugnant to the word of god And yet without any aunswere to their peticion without any warrant of the Lawe eyther of God or man A subscription is vrged vpon them not onely as the Replyer setteth it down but as it liketh him whose it is though it beare neither his image nor superscription and sometime in this forme to promise faithfullie by it neyther priuatelie nor publiquelie directlie nor indirectlie to depraue reprooue or reprehende anye gouernement order ryte or ceremonie established c. What cause therefore the Declaration hath to esteeme some not indifferent in shewing what is indifferent appeareth by these Articles Now whereas secondlie he would haue no inquirie of things established let him shewe eyther that all thinges established once by authoritie are well established and ought without anie question to be receyued of all or els he must needes leaue it to the Church and to all the people of God to examine and trye orders setled and established by authoritie But the former can not be prooued by any sufficient or likely reason For that were to continue poperie and paganisme and euery false worship amongst men for euer And to enforce men so without all inquire to receyue what soeuer religion or matter in religion is ordeined by the ciuill Magistrate were to make euerie state established as abhominable an idoll as was the golden Image of Nebuchadnezzar and exalteth Princes of the earth aboue the heauenly King blessed for euer Therefore he must needes leaue it free to the people of God to consider of the ordinances of authoritie Which being lawfull as it is and not lawfull onely but also duetifull and necessarie then in case that any eyther of the Ministerie or other calling shal discouer any thing to haue bin otherwyse decreed then by Gods worde appertayneth it must needes be graunted that such in a reuerent duetiful maner may offer the cōsideratiō of it to the higher powers that reuisiting their owne former actes vppon further knowledge of the will of God they may amende and reforme whatsoeuer by the worde they shall discerne necessarie to be reformed And thus farre to the effect of the rest of his discourse vppon the sundrie wordes of this sentence The laste sentence of this section wherein the Declaration referreth ouer the intreatinge of the Supremacie till that be declared that concerneth Ecclesiasticall officers the Replyer after hauing played withall a whyle and sought to make him selfe and his friendes merye with vnseasoned iesting speache without any grace of edificatiō or matter worthie answere passeth on to the next section In that parte which he maketh the next section the Declaration first affirmeth it not needfull nor agreeable to good order of teaching to begin in that treatise First with the Soueraigntie of Princes and after argueth it by reason that that the Church was perfect in all hir regiment when no Princes were Christians and at this day is in good estate where it hath small fauour of them Wherevpon it concludeth that the regiment of the church dependeth not vppon the authoritie of Princes but vpon the ordinance of God Which cōclusion is enlarged by this that god hath so established the Church that as it may greatly prosper with the cōfortable ayde of christiā Magistrates so yet it may cōtinue or preuayle against the aduersaries of it without that helpe For the church receiueth helpe of the same to proceede more peaceably and profitably but receyueth all hir authoritie immediatly of god The Replier beginneth with the first of these sentences wherein it is affirmed to be neither needfull nor orderly in teaching to begin to intreate of the supremacie in a discourse of this nature that the Declaration is of And in this sentence he firste vndertaketh to reprooue that it is sayde not to be needfull Wherevnto he entreth with an vntrueth affirming the Declaration to haue alreadie alleadged for one cause of this order to bee least the opinion of such as giue the disposition of all Religon or at least of all indifferent matters in religion to Princes might be otherwise fauoured whereas the Declaration made not mention in anie sorte of those opinions for that purpose but to take occasion from them to satisfie all men concerning the order followed in that treatise His reply to that the Declaration saith it is not needfull to begin with the Supremacie is in effect of no valewe but yeeldeth to the iudgement of the declaration For the Replier confesseth in playn termes it is not needful as of necessitie after alledging Peter the Apostle speaking first of Magistrates sayth likewise that that order is not so needful neyther that it should prescribe Which if it be so what a friuolous reply is
this when cōfessing that to be true which is said yit he resteth not in it but will reply to it and say somewhat to disproue it The colour he shadoweth this withall is that notwithstanding he graūt it not needefull as in necessitie yet that it should bee needfull for conuenience duetie reuerence to the Prince and to auoyde suspition both of the Prince and others the rather for the prophecie of the Apostle Paule 2. Timothie 3. and the experience of such in the Papistes and Anabaptistes Wherevpon he concludeth that in a treatise of the gouernement of the Church next after Iesus Christ the christian Princes power should be spoken of Which cōclusion he renforceth with the example of the Apostle Peter settinge out firste dueties to Magistrates and after to Husbandes Wyues c. Which argument is increased by this that if the Apostles at any time did so when Princes were not Christians much more ought it nowe to be done when they are Christians and in possession of their Supremacie This is the effect of his allegations the rest is but sporting with like sounde of needfull and heedfull and needles and deedles and a difference of his owne making betweene needefull and necessarie with such like toyes As for his allegations if it were needfull for the reasons he alleadgeth it were in deede needfull to keepe such order But we denie that eyther conuenience duetie reuerence of Princes care to auoyde suspicion of the faultes prophecied to abounde in the latter time the example of them in Papistes or Anabaptistes or the president of Peeter bindeth herevnto If it doe then all they whiche haue not kept that order which Peter doeth in that place haue offended against all these thinges which were most absurde to acknowledge For of the good Writers that haue written of the Church how many keepe a diuers order from this Surelie so many as I thinke I may truelie saye not one that followeth this order which for so many respectes he holdeth needefull to bee followed And to attaint so reuerende a companie as there is of these who haue written of these matters of such a number of the crymes he noteth I thinke no Iurie in Englande woulde doe it except he take them of the Hierarchie of their Doctours Proctours Registers and Sumners The triall of our duetie and allegeance to the Prince standeth not vppon this whether in our bookes we first speake of the Supremacie Our seruice of hir Maiestie in the places wherevnto wee are called and our readines to serue hir not with our trauell onely but with our goods and with our liues with our children with our friendes doeth and will so testifie of our most duetifull loue and loyall deuotion to hir Highnes as for a poynt of Logike what order and methode we keepe in our bookes we feare no preiudice of it neyther with our gratious Soueraign nor with any other that haue but as smal a sparke of heauenlie grace as the least starre in heauen seemeth to be For the crymes of the latter age noted by the Apostle and the accomplishment of that prophecie in the papistes and Anabaptistes they could giue the authour of the Declaration nor those in whose names it is published any iust cause to haue kept the order he liketh better Not onely for that if there were cause of suspition of such thinges this is a poore aduyse of his for the taking of it away but especially because they whom this his speach cōcerneth may truely say I hope God and man bearing them witnesse herein that they speake the trueth that they are as free from these crymes as the whitest Surplesse or Rochet that he may be boldest to boast of Pieters example is to small purpose alleadged as is all the rest of this speach he him selfe confessing it not to prescribe Whiche if he did not confesse were to be euicted from him by manie contrarie examples both of Prophetes and Apostles Whereof I will take at this time but one or two for all and such as may fitte best that he alleadgeth The Apostle Peter in the same exhortation he speaketh of passinge from publike dueties to domesticall and priuate beginneth firste with the dueties of seruauntes and then proceedeth to the dueties of maisters And after in the Chapter following firste with the dueties of Wyues then of Husbandes Whereby appeareth that his owne example proueth directlie against him that the order of speache is not needefull to be according to the worthines of the persons Likewise the Apostle Paule in the like argument Eph. 5.22.25 Chap. 6.1.4 Col. 3.18.19 20.21.22 both to the Ephesians and to the Colossians firste exhorteth Wyues to their dueties and then the Husbandes first to children and then the parentes first the seruaunts and then the Maisters whereby it map appeare howe small a quarell this is and what good regarde the Replyer hath in alleadging of the Apostles Nowe whereas he would enforce an argument that if the Apostles did thus sometimes when Princes were not Christians much more ought it to be done nowe by vs they beinge Christians and in possession of this supremacie this may be of his refuse that he serueth vs now For it is nothing worth For it importeth not the honour or authoritie of the Prince one grayne in what place of a treatise their estate and power bee spoken of Therefore well might hee haue spared him selfe and the Reader and the Defendant of the Lordes right in his kingdome the good time that might haue bene better bestowed then about this vayne and friuolous cauill The vnreasonable grossenes whereof is so much the more apparaunt in this that the Declaration followeth in this order the Apostle Saint Paule steppe by steppe who after that in the twelft Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes hee had spoken of all the officers of the Church in the beginning of the thirtienth intreateth of Magistrates and the dueties whiche are due vnto them This therefore may suffice him for needefull Nowe is it to be considered what good reasons he hath to oppose to the Declaration saying also that it is not agreeable to good order of teaching to beginne firste with this matter But for reason hee falleth to a reproche of ambition which he setteth out by comparison of our old popish Archbishops striuing for places In deede many a bitter and bloudy bickering hath bin amongst the Bishops and Archbishops whom he mainteyneth Canturburie striuing with London and Yorke for the hiest roome and many such like ambitious quarrels which hee had no cause here to mention but that he would euen with his owne losse and hinderance of the cause he dealeth in rayse some suspition of the offices appointed of God For how soeuer he adde for caution that this was amongst popishe Archbishops yet could he not without disgrace of that grace whiche hee speaketh of a little after note their seates to haue bene the seates of fierie contentions for ambitious roomes It is not
the Church should be before Princes in the opinion of the Declaration graunteth that in time they were before but denyeth that in a treatise that should be alwayes first which is firste in time his reasons for it are these Though Moses did so describing the maner how things began in the creatiō yet we are not tyed to this order this is an obiectiō against him selfe whereto he maketh a slender answere Caluin beginneth with the knowledge of man so ascendeth to the knowledge of God If this example be regarded by him then why doeth he charge the Declaration with treason for not treating first of Princes when as Caluin whose example he setteth for a president and not without cause was bolde to treate first of man and after of GOD which in his diuinitie must needes be blasphemie if the other be treason A thirde reason that Paule teacheth not the Romanes amisse saying that the inuisible things of God beinge vnderstood by his workes through the creation of the worlde are seene that is both his eternall power and godhead Wherby he meaneth that although God were before things created yet he teacheth them not amisse to knowe God by his works Wherein he hath forgotten that he vndertooke to proue that in a treatise that which is first in time ought not alway to bee first in place Which if he had shewed in the Epistle to the Romanes to haue bin obserued although it were nothing to the Declaration yet had hee hit his marke that he hath chosen to roue at But in bringing vs for an example of a whole treatise not halfe a treatise no nor one whole chapter nor half a chapter but one single sentence he is farre from his owne marke he shot at Such an other example of a sentence out of the fourth to the Ephesians he alleadgeth whereto this aunswere serueth Last of all that the declaration maketh Elders before Apostles yet place Apostles after in the treatise which were nothing to his owne purpose if it were trewe But that Elders in the Church of Christ are sayde by the declaration to haue bin before Apostles is not trewe This is his discourse of time fitter as a great deale of the rest for some homely vse then to spende good time about His next poynt concerneth prioritie of honour wherein he reasoneth wholy against him selfe and for the Declaration For his discourse of it is to this effect that that which is before other in honour ought not alwayes to be treated on before but may be handled first or last notwithstanding the preeminence of honour which he examplifieth in treatises of morall and naturall philosophy and which is aboue all in God of whom he saith that although he bee afore all things in time in honour and in all respectes yet firste or last may be treated vpon by good order of teaching Which if it be trewe why draweth he the Declaration to the Kinges benche and enditeth it of treason onely for that the first place of that treatise is not of the power of soueraign Princes in ecclesiasticall matters If it be no treason against God but good order to treate of him first or last is it treason so to treate of earthly and mortall Princes O more then palpable flatterie The Lord so direct all christian Princes and chiefly our soueraine Lady the Queene to be so farre frō aduaūcing those that shal thus lift vp any flesh bloud aboue the liuing immortall god as that cōtrariwise they may seuerily punish those that shall dare to speake or write things for pleasing of them that are so vnmete to be spoken and written of the hiest Maiestie This shall be the honour of Christian Princes to endure no such thing to be attributed vnto them but to prouide that God may be honoured aboue all things to whom onely all glorie and honour appertayneth His conclusion of this parte should haue bin that thinges are not necessarie to be treated vpon according to their worthines and honour but hauinge forgot him selfe agayne he falleth vpon the former poynt alreadie dispatched of the prioritie of the time The reason whereof seemeth to be that by such errour he might yet vent a newe argument concerning the necessitie of treating first of that which is first in time which is that this is the papistes argument for traditions For sayeth he they saye that the word was deliuered by tradition before it was written and therefore of no lesse authoritie If any man may make a chayne of sande and cause it to hange by linkes togither he may happilie make some coherence of this argument with the matter he is in hande to prooue All the helpe he giueth the Reader to discerne howe this is to bee applyed to his purpose is this The papistes encroch from the time to authoritie as our brethren here doe Where doe the brethren so We are brethren with him in a maner at euery worde but yet we are with him like papistes like Anabaptistes vnduetifull to Princes nay traytours to them and what not Such brethren had Joseph who deuised to kill him Gen. 37.2.18 because he tolde their Father of their euill deedes as we discouer theirs to th' authoritie that is to reforme them Of such brethren the Church complayneth by Solomon saying The sonnes of my mother were angry against me Canti 1.5 c. It were to be wished you were more naturall brethren then you are But for the matter where in what wordes doeth the Declaration gather any such thing not a little that soundeth that way In deede he will needes force vpon them that they gather so because they saye that the Church was perfect in all hir regiment before there were any Christian Princes But what authoritie is collected from this yet if it had bin so is euery argument proouing a thing to bee better because it is order a popish argument Doeth not our Sauiour reason thus when he sayeth It was not so from the beginning but in the beginning it was thus And the Apostle to the Galathians directlie reasoneth thus from the time saying that the Lawe which was giuen 450. yeares after the promise could not make it voyde and of none effect The places of arguments are as the light of heauen and the water of the riuer common to all whereof some vse them to lawfull and good vses and some vnlawfull vngodly If anie hereticke haue reasoned from the causes shall therefore the arthodoxe and sounde in faith bee barred from vsing at time an argument from the causes This is as simple a poynt in diuinitie as he hath handled all this whyle in Logike concerning the methode and order of a treatise If wee vse their argumentes to the same purpose let him disproue it which yet he and whosoeuer taketh in hande the defence of the Hierarchie must needs doe For all their principal reasons to proue Bi hops and Archbishops are the same that Turrianus and other popish writers
alleadge for the Popes supremacie as in deede they must stande or fall togither Thus at the last hath he done with the question of methode order of a treatise whereby it appeareth for all his double order of Synthesis and Analysis that hee vnderstandeth little more of it then to sweepe things togither to make a heape of them Now followeth his examination of this sentence of the declaration that the Church of God was perfect in all hir regiment before there was any Christian Prince This hee sayeth is not trewe For proofe whereof hee taketh a double course First admitting that there were then no Christian Princes and so denyeth he that the Church was then perfect in all hir regiment without them vnderstanding it of the ordinarie externall regiment and not of the temporary extraordinarie supplyes of Apostles and such like His reason for this repeated infinitely in sundrie confused questions shufled according to his methode togither is in effect but this that thē there shold ryse no benefite nor commoditie to the church by Princes receyuing the faith of Christ I answere that this argument foloweth not for the benefit may be exceeding great as it is in deede in euery respect when Princes become according to the Prophete Nurses and Fosterfathers to the Church although the Church without them be saide to be perfect in all hir outwarde and ordinarie regiment And firste what reason he may haue to denie the ordinarie externall regiment of the Church of Christ to haue bin and to be perfect in it selfe before there were any Princes Christian let him consider of this that followeth That ordinarie externall regiment of the Church is perfect which proceedeth from our Sauiour Christ as Mediatour For in that respect he is sayde to be our Lorde and to be the head of his Church and to haue receyued all power both in heauen and earth Nowe he that is a Lorde gouerneth sufficientlie and perfectlie his seruauntes and the heade ruleth the body especiallie being such a one as hath all power But that ordinarie externall regiment of the Church whiche is meerely ecclesiasticall and consisteth in th' offices of such onlie as are ecclesiasticall officers proceedeth from our Sauiour Christ as Mediatour For the administration of the Church tending to bring all things subiect vnto God and which shall be giuen vp in th' end that God may bee all in all proceedeth from him only as Mediatour and not as God blessed for euer in which respect he abydeth for euer Therefore the ordinarie externall regiment of the church which is meerely ecclesiasticall and consisteth in the offices of such onely as are ecclesiasticall officers is a perfect ordinarie and externall regiment of the Church The power of Magistrates dependeth in deede also vpon him but in regarde of his Deitie and Godhead and not of the dispensation that was committed vnto him for our redemption Further euery thing is then perfect in his owne nature being seuerallie considered when it cōsisteth of all the partes that are naturall necessarie proper and essentiall vnto it and requireth not to the making of it perfect in his kinde any thing not necessarie nor essentiall to it but of another and diuers nature So euery creature in his owne nature is perfect when it hath all such partes and properties as are necessarie naturall to it The heauens in them the Sunne the Moone the starres In the earth a Man a Lyon a tree and such like are all perfect in their owne kinde when they are furnished with all such partes as are naturall and essentiall to them To the perfection of the world in deed any one creature is not inough because the world consisteth not of one creature onely nor of many but of all but considered in it self euery thing is perfect when it hath all things requisite to the constitution of his owne nature which being so in all other things muste needes be so likewise in diuerse societies powers and gouernmentes so as powers and administrations that are diuerse are euery one perfect in their nature when they haue all such things as are requisite for their nature But the ciuile and ecclesiasticall societies powers administrations and regimentes are distinct diuerse one from another For the ciuile is of God only it is onely temporall and ciuill yea euen when they deale with things ecclesiasticall yet is it but ciuilly and is giuen by ciuill constitutions The other is of our Sauiour Christ as mediatour it is meerely ecclesiasticall spirituall euen in ciuill things dealeth but in a spiritual maner and is bestowed by an ecclesiasticall maner of calling appointed by our Sauiour Christ for that purpose Further also in the time of Moses as touching the ordinarie gouernement these two powers were distinguished not only in persons families but in their tribes Therefore being in so many and some other respectes so diuers it is playne that the perfection of the one state and power dependeth not vppon the other For the gouernement of a people both in ciuill and ecclesiasticall matters in deede they are both requisite and the one must needes concurre with the other and helpe to the perfection of the other to that same ende But for their seuerall natures eyther of them may be perfect in their kinde without the other And whereas so many states of the heathen and other superstitious kingdomes haue bin and are yet at this day as perfect in their ciuill estate and gouernement for that whiche is essentiall to the same as any other where the perfect ecclesiasticall regiment is receyued Why of the other part should wee not esteeme the ordinarie regiment appointed for the church to be perfect in it selfe without the ciuill Wereby it is not to be vnderstoode that the ecclesiasticall gouernement is perfect without the ciuill so as the ciuill Magistrate should not bee needefull for gouernement of the people but the ecclesiasticall so perfect as for all purposes it onely should be needfull For the power of the Magistrat is most needfull in his kinde although the regiment of the Church be neuer so perfect that is as touching the ordinances and lawes whereby it should be ruled neuer so agreeable to the worde of god yea although the Magistrate were not Christian and much more if hee bee christian Because the people of God hauing bodyes goods as well as soules and spirituall benefites stande in neede of a ciuill power to protect and defende them with an arme of fleshe and bloud from iniuries in that kinde and to mainteine them for the things that properlie concerne this life according to a course agreeable to entertayne preserue the good estate thereof Whiche is not onely of men whose necessities enforce them herevnto but it is so th'ordinance of Almightie God But for ecclesiasticall gouernement and th'administration of things which belong to that power the order appointed by our Sauiour Christ is sufficient and perfect This may best appeare in the
Gentiles and dwell in the desolate Cities Whereby it is manifest that the Gentiles maruelouslie increased the ioye of the Church by their conuersion to the faith of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and brought exceeding great helpe benefite strength protection defence and furtherance to the holy faith which they receyued notwithstanding that they made no newe orders in the Church nor were not to make anie but rested as it was duetie in them in that perfect order which our Sauiour Christ before had established amongest his people Wherein they caried them selues according to that duetie whiche the Proselytes yeelded and were to yeelde to the auncient church and Synagogue of the Iewes For if anie in that time adioyned them selues to the people of God to worship the trewe God as he had declared it to his people he would be worshipped They adioyned them selues as members to keepe followe and obeye the orders they founde alreadie settled amongest his people by the ordinance of Almightie God and not as maisters or Lordes ouer the holy Religion they embraced to take away the least curtayne-ring that was mentioned in the Lawe of Moses nor an inche of the height length or breadth the iust measure whereof was alreadie set downe nor to adde anie newe office ryte order or ceremonie or to alter in anie sorte whatsoeuer was accordinge to the Lawe of the Lorde Whiche is to bee vnderstoode not onely of the common people of other countries that should bee conuerted to the faith and religion of the Iewes but of the most Noble amongest them such as was Naaman the Syrian vpon whom the King his Maister leaned when he worshipped his idoll 2. Kin. 5.18 or the Noble man that was Treasurer of Queene Candaces Queene of the Aethyopians Nay I adde further Actes 8.27 that if Naaman had persuaded his maister the King of Syria or that noble man the Queene of Aethyopia to haue receyued the religion of the Iewes and to haue turned their whole people with them to the same or if Cyrus that great Monarche or the Queene of Saba famous for hir wisedome and ritches 1. Reg. 10.1 who both had dealinges with Gods people had so receyued their fayth and would haue established it amongest all their people in all their Dominions it had not bene lawfull for them to haue altered the least iote or title of the Lawe of Moses but euen they must haue yeelded them selues and all their people obedient to all thinges prescribed in it notwithstanding their soueraignitie whiche they had ouer their people and which should haue continued with them and neyther haue diminished nor increased for their conuersion to the faith but remayned altogither such as it was lawfullie at anie time before ouer their people Onely they were to mainteyne that holye profession whiche they had so receyued not as other priuate men but as Soueraigne Magistrates honouringe GOD in the maintenance of his trewe Religion with that power and authoritie whiche they had receyued at his handes For as no man that him selfe is sufficient for wisedome and all other respectes taketh a seruaunt into his house or adopteth him a sonne or being a Prince receyueth a forreyner and incorporateth him into his people by making him free whatsoeuer qualitie or condition hee were of yea although hee were a Soueraigne Prince and Gouernour to alter anie order of his house or anie lawe or statute in his kingdome but to enioye the comfort and benefite of his house or kingdome the orders and lawes thereof such as hee hath thought meete and conuenient for the gouernement thereof So neyther Cyrus that Persian Emperour nor Candaces the Ethiopian Queene being receyued by such profession of true religion into the house and kingdome of God who is onely wyse and all sufficient to gouerne his owne were to alter any order of Lawe of the same for all their Princelie Soueraigntie but to keepe in their persons and to enforce their people by their ciuile power to obserue all such orders lawes and statutes as God had commaunded to be obserued in his house and kingdome For howe great soeuer their power were they had a Lord paramont ouer them in respect of whom they were vassalls and seruauntes who being compared with their people were Lords and Princes ouer them Whiche appeared in those who were not sinners of the Gentiles but Iewes by nature of whom when any attempted the alteration of anie thing as diuerse of the Kings of Iuda did namely Achaz and Vzza 2. King 16.1 2. Sam. 6.7 they were reprooued and grieuouslie punished for it Notwithstanding which matter that they who were naturall Princes of the Iewes or if any of the Gentiles had bin conuerted to their faith had no power to adde or take away or in any sorte to alter the least thing whiche God had appointed yet both exceeding great was the benefite of the King amongest the Iewes And very profitable the conuersion of the Princes of the Gentiles would haue bin vnto them The same is to be sayde of Christian Princes For our Sauiour Christ before the conuersion of any of them hauing settled offices orders and lawes for the guydance of his church in a perfect maner their conuersion getteth them no power to alter any jote of that he before had established Who if they haue beleeued in him is their Lorde to whom they owe all homage seruice and obedience but are in as great duetie as any other to keepe and to maynteyne them obseruing the same in their owne persons which belongeth vnto them and by their publique authoritie enforcing ciuillie all such as are subiect vnto them to like obedience Which seruice being done to the Sonne of GOD who is King of Kings and Lord of Lordes is no vnseemely thing for them but both profitable honourable for them and for all their people Yet is not therefore the conuersion of Princes to the faith of Christ a matter of no benefite or cōmoditie to the Church Nay the commoditie is infinite to the Church of such a Prince as I haue spoken of as entreth into the Church not as a Lorde and maister ouer Gods house to alter and chaunge at his pleasure but as a duetifull childe to keepe and see other to keepe in Gods house that which God hath commaunded to bee obserued For bringing togyther with him selfe the whole people that is subiect to him not onely the comfort but the helpe and benefite of the church is vnspeakeably increased Which is playne in that there is added to the maintenance of the Church and the trewe seruice of God in it the wealth the strength the wysedome the fauour and all the abilities of a whole people Of whom such as are truelie conuerted vnto God will holde nothing deare nor precious vnto them no not their owne lyues in comparison of the maintenance of Gods true Religion and worship and the faithfull professours of it but will employe all the good meanes which God hath blessed them
withall to encourage and mainteyne the same In all whose giftes dedicated so to God as the Church hath great helpe and comfort so especiallie in those which most yeeld that helpe and comfort such as are the blessing of authoritie and power bestowed of GOD vpon soueraigne Princes which being sanctifyed and consecrated to the seruice and honour of God that gaue it the wicked both in the ecclesiiasticall and ciuill state are by ciuill power and punishment enforced to doe their dueties and the godlie in both estates are protected in their innocencie and well-doeing from all such as would oppresse them The holy storie declareth that religious and noble Kings of Iuda haue made sundrie ciuill statutes to th'enforcing of all to worship God in general and by their power haue punished false prophetes and idolatours haue commaunded the priests to doe such dueties as they stoode charged to performe that the true seruice of God might be restored and established agayne amongest his people Iere. 26.16 We reade that when the Priestes would most wickedlie and vniustlie haue condemned Jeremie to death diuers of the Kings counsell came vppon them and by their authoritie deliuered him out of their handes Ierem. 38.11 12.13 Another time a noble mā hauing fauour with the king deliuered him out of prison And an other time the King him selfe relieued the Prophete by remoouing him from Iehonathans prison Iere. 37.15.16.17 Like examples reade we many of the Emperours Christians to the immortall prayse of God for it and the perpetuall honour of such Princes We see diuers such Josias Constantins in this age of which spirit the Lorde poure out yet greater aboūdance from aboue for the exceeding great helpe and comfort that we finde and vppon such a largesse hope yet to finde in greater aboundance by the sanctifyed power of Christian Princes For they looking into former presidentes of auncient times and seeing cause of like duetie to bee performed by them selues no doubt will be carefull that all ecclesiasticall offices and orders not of God nor agreeable to his worde be abolished and all such established as he hath commaunded Then not onely Princes shall receyue honour of their style of Supremacie but the Church shall receyue also great comfort and benefite by it in punishinge such as shall without iust cause saye to the Prophete Prophecie not and to the Preachers preache not a matter not onely in highest degree offensiue to the Maiestie of Almightie God and against the saluation of mens soules but also vnprofitable for their Crownes seeing ignorance is the mother of all rebellion the knowledge of God of all trew loue and obedience If any of them beate their fellow-seruauntes ☞ or sitte downe to drink with the drunken and neglect the Lords housholde they will take knowledge of the abuses and wronges offred to the seruauntes of God and graciouslie heare and redresse their iniuries So great difference is there betweene Gallio suffringe a man to be beaten at his barre and profanely neglecting it and caring for no such things as were questions of Religion a Christian Prince fearing God in trueth and in deede In questions amongest the Ministers according to the example of Constantine and others they would cause the matters to bee hearde and debated in a soly and free Synode and assemblie and without respect of persons authorize that which should be most agreeable to Gods worde In cases of publique calamities threatning or lying vpon the Church if the ecclesiasticall officers were negligent carelesse in it they would cause by due order a publike fast to bee kept by all their subiectes that the wrath of God might be turned away and his fauour reconcyled agayne vnto his people Finallie their ciuill power would enforce all men to honour God and liue in duetie one to wardes another as they ought defending the godlie against the mightie oppressour the staffe of the wrath of the good and the violent man and punishe the iniquities of the wicked according to their desertes in iustice and equitie These and many more which by these may be considered are the helpes commodities and benefites which the Church of God doeth and may receyue by meanes of Christian Princes Notwithstanding they make no other lawes officers nor orders in the Churche then our Sauiour Christe hath alreadie made and established Which may suffice for a number of the Repliers questions and other speaches tendinge to this that there should be little or no vse of christian Princes if the regiment of the church be perfect without them In which discourse allowing in some sorte the regiment of the primitiue Church perfect because of the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes whom then God gaue to the church he sayeth those offices were giuen as temporarie aydes to supplie th'aydes of Christian Princes which can not be so in anie sorte For there is no maner of proportion betweene their offices the one being for preaching the worde and other such like ecclesiasticall functions th' other for ciuill gouernement the one by a spirituall power the other by a temporall besides a number of other differences whiche may easilie shewe the one could in no sorte serue for supply of the other Further if it had bin so then should the Apostles and the rest of those extraordinarie officers who he sayth were giuen for supplie of the wante of the ordinarie authoritie of Princes they should then haue continued about 300. yeares longer then they did euen to Constantines time Nay then they should haue bene alwayes such to this day and shal be to the ende of the worlde in such partes of the Church where the former are enimies to Religion otherwise wanting both them and the supply the Church might seeme weakelie prouided for But as the noueltie of this poynt nowe first deuysed the vanitie is so easilie manifest as I shall not neede to tary longer vppon it wherfore nowe I procede to that which foloweth in his reply Hitherto the Replyer hath laboured in vayne to shewe that if it were graunted that in the primitiue Church there was yet no Prince become Christian notwithstanding the regiment of the Church was not perfect before there was any christian Prince Nowe he pretendeth to proceede further to prooue that proposition vntrew which sayeth there was not any christian Prince then For this vntowardly hath hee set it down so as it can not be plainlie vnderstood to what time his then is to be referred and chaungeth the wordes of the declaratiō whiche are these That all the regiment of the Church was perfect before there was any Christian Prince Which proposition hee should haue vndertaken to haue spoken to if he would haue sayde any thing to the Declaration But after hee hath sette downe this proposition to him selfe to prooue it vntrewe that there was not any Christian Prince then hee leaueth the matter he vndertooke and turneth asyde to another thing saying albeit so this be no good argument
all things which he hath commanded For exceeding great increase is it of the honor of our Sauiour Christ and therefore consequentlie also of the comfort ioy of the Church when the house kingdome of God is guyded by those ordinances and lawes onely which the onely Lord thereof hath appoynted When no offices haue place in his Church but such as he hath ordayned and when all such are placed in it as hee hath commaunded When they are called to these charges by such order as he hath prescribed and walke duetifullie in the same as aperteineth the establishing of these things in their due order in euery competent congregation of Gods people and the obedience of all estates of the same is so great a benefite as he were worthie to sorrowe that should not reioyce at so great blessings Whiche being as in all other partes of the Lande so more carefully obserued in euery place as it excelleth other both for the honor of them whom God hath so exalted and their good example amongst the people must needes be a ioyfull and cōfortable spectacle to all the church But yet a more heauenly sight all men must needes acknowledge it to see the Royall house court of a soueraigne Prince to haue such order established in it that is the holy Gospell of our Sauiour Christ vpon the Sabboth day and other conuenient times in the weeke to be soundly sincerely preached in it by ministers not charged with any other people but appointed for the seruice of that chief part of the Church and therefore also of greatest graces of godly wisedome and faithfulnes and euerie good and heauenly gifte meete for so precious a charge the holy Sacramentes duely administred the Lords watch carefully set for the preseruation of the chiefe towre of Ierusalem his holy Treasurie regarded and all those sacred assemblies caried with a godly reuerence In all which high solemnities and heauenlie meetings for the worship of Almightie God Howe great a ioye to see present there the soueraigne Prince as Dauid Salomon Hezekiah Iosiah and other Kings of Juda 2. Sam. 6.15.16.1 1. Kin 3.1.5 2. Kin 19.1.2 14.15 2. Chr. 29.20 2. Chro. 34.29.30 are reported to haue bin and to haue had their place for the purpose prouided for them where to present them selues before the Lord to increase in the knowlege obedience of his wil by the ministerie of his seruantes How great a ioy to see their right honorable coūsell of estate keping the Lords Sabboth in such order all the Princes Nobles which for any honorable seruice giue their attendance with all other officers of the housholde togither yeelding audience worship to Almightie God and his onely Sonne Christ Iesus accordinge to the golden saying of that famous and worthie Joshua I and myne house will serue the Lorde and accordinge to the exhortation which sayth Be wyse nowe therfore ye Kings Psa 2.10.11.12 be learned ye Judges of the earth Serue the Lorde in feare reioyce in trembling Kisse the Sonne least he be angrie and ye perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenlie burne blessed are all that trust in him To see these things would be greater ioy then the ioy whiche the Queene of Saba had for the like sight in Salomons Court and the greatest that the Church can haue till it be taken vp into the heauenly Jerusalem Heb. 12. ver 22.23.24 to the most solemne glorious assemblie of the spirites of the iust that are perfited in heauen to the thousandes of Angels and to the presence of the liuing God and of our Sauiour Christ his onely begotten Sonne the Mediatour of the newe Testament and the Reconciler of vs to God his Father by his precious bloud Loe the benefite the comfort that we acknowledge the Church of God receyueth when that prophecie of Esay is fulfilled Therefore in vayne to no good purpose doeth the Replier aske whether this blessing be turned into a curse and whether we can conclude because the golde is finer that is tryed seuen times in the fornace and the persecutions of the Church redounde in the ende both to the greater glorie of God the better confirmation of the church Whether I say for this cause wee can conclude that in persecution the church is more perfect in all hir regiment and in most blessed estate applying corruptly herevnto that place of the Apostle because where sinne abounded grace did more abounde Shall we therefore abyde in sinne that grace may abounde Rom. 5.20 Rom. 6.1 So if by an extraordinarie mercie of God the church semed in some respects to be in most blessed estate in persecution shall wee say that persecution is better for the Church then peace and prosperitie vnder a Christian Magistrate The answere wherevnto is playne that all other things being alike and the difference of the Church stande onely in this of being defended by a Christian Prince or persecuted by an Enemie it is to be esteemed a speciall and hye fauour of God to be so shielded and comforted and fitter for the generall and ordinarie course of gouerning the Church then tymes of trouble which are subiect to a thousand inconueniences But this nothing concerneth the Declaration which only shewing by experience of former and present times that the regiment of the Church was is and may be most perfect euen where it wanteth the great comfort of the fauour of an earthlie Prince argueth thereby the order which is followed in that treatise to be lawful and good So as if he would haue spoken to the poynt that the declaration standeth vpon he had bene to shewe that the regiment of the Church neuer was nor can be perfect without a Christian Magistrate Which poynt hee would seeme also to growe nearer to in that which followeth wherein he laboureth to shewe the imperfection of the regiment of the primitiue Church by these reasons The regiment sayeth he was abused in those that had giftes of tongues of healing c. Which is not so for the abuse of a thing proueth not t' him perfectiō of it The light of the Sunne by day of the Moone and starres by night yea all the creatures of God are abused yet this proueth not the light of the Sunne to be imperfect or the state of other creatures in their originall creation at which time also they were abused The word of God is abused diuerslie Phil. 1.15 some preaching it for contention some for vayn glorie some for couetousnes to attayne to great worldly liuings and dignities yet is the worde perfect 2. Cor. 2.17 as the Prophete sayth in the Psalme So in the primitiue church Psal 19.7 the regiment and the order of it set downe whereby it was to be gouerned might be perfect as it was in deede notwithstanding it were trewe that some abused it but that also is not shewed that the regiment is abused For the abuse of the spirituall
giftes was a disorder of particular persons not any imperfection in the regiment Where by when the disorder brake out it was corrected redressed The perfectiō of the regiment of the church can not make that offences and disorders should not be committed which thorowe the infirmitie and corruption of our nature will be and hath bin at all times but it may remedie and reforme them when they breake out The same is to be sayde of his next reason that at that time there were false Apostles Pastours Teachers and Deacons which being graunted argueth not the imperfection of the regiment of the Church at that time but rather it being playne that they who were such were by that regiment discouered and corrected as appertayned proueth the perfection of it His third and last reason is that there were no such gouernours in the primitiue Church to guyde it as the declaration affirmeth there were or els their authoritie extended not to correct so many fowle offences as were in that time or els they did not their duetie or the people would not be ruled by them Any of which latter poyntes being such as might fall out and yet the regiment perfect as if his proofe rested wholy vpon this whether there were any such Elders in the Church at that time or no he leaueth all the other and goeth about onely to proue that one poynt Which because he doeth it most impertinentlie by alleadging 1. Corinth the 6. Chapter whiche serueth nothinge willinglie his purpose but is drawen and haled to it by violence And because I doubt not but if he thinke in deed there be any thing in that place for him wee shall heare it agayne and especiallie because he hath a whole booke after of that matter I leaue it till we may come to it in order In his discourse vpon this place besides the chiefe purpose of handling it alreadie touched he noteth that vnder Christian Princes we are not bound to set vp priuate men to iudge our causes as they were wished and herevpon gathereth that it were a daungerous thinge to followe the primitiue Churches regiment in so doing Wherein if there bee a sparke of true light in him he might perceyue that they were willed to doe so 1. Cor. 6.1 to auoyde pleading before infidells Which cause being taken away where God giueth his Church Christian Magistrates it is playne that ought to cease with the cause Further that was no parte of the ecclesiasticall regiment that the Apostle there speaketh of yet he groweth from this particular to a generall caution of not making ordinarie rules of particular examples or commaundements of the Apostles nor of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 10.9.10 examplifying it by the cōmaundementes to the Disciples of not taking any thing with them in their iourney to preache of absteyning from Idoles bloud strangled where I knowe not why he hath lefte out fornification which is also mentioned with the rest in that text and of praying bareheaded as he translateth it 1. Corint 11. But sayeth he although there be no expresse mention howe long these things should continue yet leaueling these by the analogie of our faith and Christian libertie we finde no necessitie of these or any other such like orders whereby he would implye the like of the regiment of the Churche then vsed and leaue it nowe to our selues to deuise an order that may bee thought meete Which reason if it were good would ouerthrowe all Christian Religion For if it bee so as hee teacheth what shall binde the church If neyther examples nor cōmaundement neither of our Sauiour Christ nor of his Apostles shall binde vs but he will saye hee speaketh of particular examples and rules but I aunswere he would applye this to generall perpetuall examples and commaundements such as that Discipline set downe in the Declaration is grounded vpon as hath bene shewed before And for those that are particular he leuelleth fayre but commeth not neare the marke by a myle for none of those he mentioneth were contrarie as they were commaunded either to the analogie of faith or to Christian libertie for if they had they could not haue bounde those to whom they were giuen at that time Therefore to hitte his marke he must take another leuell and consider the reason of such rules and commandements which caryeth in it the light and the lyfe of the cōmaundementes For where that reason holdeth not there are we free from the cōmaundement but where the reason is in force there are we no les bounde to the substance and effect of such particular commandement then they were So if there could be like reason as caused that commandement to the Disciples we were in such case to keepe it where the same offence is iustlie to be feared in eatinge of meates forbiddē as was then may be in many like cases now to the end there that order of the Apostles bindeth As for the last place out of the 1. Corinth 11. if he looke better vpon it hee shall finde that the Apostle groundeth that order there prescribed vpon so generall and necessarie reasons of the ordinance of GOD the glorie of our Sauiour Christe the regarde of Angelles and the voyce of nature and the custome of all the Churches as hee hath taken his leuell farre amisse to leaue it at libertie whether a man keepe it or no prouided that hee vnderstande the Apostles meaninge aright which is that men and women especially being present in the publike assemblies of the church should carie the marke of their creation agreeable to the sexe whereof they were the woman wearing vpon hir head a vayle or kerchief or such other attyre according to the lawfull custome of their Countrey and place of aboade as declareth her sexe and subiection to man by such couerture of her head And the man by not wearing any such attyre vppon his head as is proper to womankinde but by wante of any such vpon his head hewe the glorie of Christ and the honour that in the order of creation is bestowed vpon men Therefore notwithstanding his caution or any thing here alleadged to the contrarie it remayneth firme and stable that the constant and perpetuall examples of the Churches the orders rules and commaundements of our Sauiour Christ and of his Apostles both for the poyntes of doctrine to be beleeued and also for such as are to bee obeyed and practised in the publique gouernement of the Church and in the priuate lyfe of euery one doe binde the conscience of all the people of God to keepe and to obey them yea the most particular rules the like case and reason being in vs that was in them to whom they were giuen There followeth a little needles proofe that Magistrates are necessarie whiche being knowen sufficientlie and confessed of all I proceede to that which followeth That which followeth is a replie to the conclusion which the Declaration gathereth of the former reason set