not onely in the fleshe but also in the Lorde is more deare and precious to vs then that we may depart from them for whose sake wee ought to bee readie to want euen that so great a blessing as from our harte we acknowledge it to be as to liue in a church reformed both in doctrine and discipline and wholy in euerie respecte vnder the gouernement of our Sauiour Christ Moses and the Apostle Paule were caryed so farre beyond this in a like zeale and loue of their people Exe. 32.32 Rom. 9.3 as whatsoeuer the Replyer thinke they that suppose any parte of their spirit to bee in vs neede not maruell although for some like cause we should depriue our selues of such a blessing as we want in not being in those churches Further also as the worthie seruauntes of God the Ministers of the Gospell there left not their countryes because they wanted this full reformation in the beginning but knew it to be the calling of God that they should labour by all good dueties to procure it So likewise doe we vnderstande that we are charged with like duetie to our church to further as much as by any godly meanes agreable to our callings we may possiblie doe the further reformation of our Church that wee may see and enioye the fulnes of the glorie and mercie of god vpon it Wherein howsoeuer the hinderer of reformation that stoode at the right hande of Jehosuah Zach. 3.1 haue hindred vs hitherto yet doe we hope in God that hee will shewe vs mercie in time to take away all things whiche hinder the glorie of God in his Church as those garmentes whereof Zacharie speaketh did in Jehosuah and the restoring of the auncient honour of that Church was figured in the putting on of his holy garmentes which were according to the lawe of God put vppon him so likewise doe we hope pray that the Lord will cause the honour that sometimes shined in it to be seene agayne that holy Zach. 3.2 seemely only lawful gouernement of the church which he hath commaunded to be restored For restoringe of which comfort and glorie as the Lorde hath begon to rebuke Sathan the Prince of the Angells of darknes and ministers of iniquitie and hinderers of the full reformation of the church and hath taken our Church as a brande out of the fire wherein it consumed so hath he giuen thereby iust cause of hope that he will in his good time doe it all honour In which hope we stande before the Lord and wayte still vpon him till hee may giue order and commaundement for the taking away of all vnholy and profane ceremonies superstitions and vsurpations from his Church especiallie ignoraunce negligence couetousnes and ambition from the Ministers of it which as vnseemely and defyled garmentes dishonour the glorie of the same and for the furnishing of the Church with lawfull and holy orders offices and authoritie and the ministerie of it chieflie with godly wisedome and faithfulnes which may bee vnto both as the ornament of Aarons head promised to Iehoshuah This is the aunswere that I haue to make to this sober exhortation of the Replyer Zach. 3.5 and to all such as being herein no better aduysed then he is shall at any time vse the like The next quarell is about the sense of ciuill Magistrates vnder whom the Declaration sayeth the Church is so blessed notwithstanding they bee not the greatest fauourers of the Church Wherein firste inquyring whether this bee meant of hir right Excellent Maiestie a question voyde of all reasonable iudgement and vnderstanding the wordes being most direct to the contrarie he gathereth after sundrie thinges whiche vncharitably he would impute to the Declaration But the Declaration in all places speaketh reuerentlie and duetifullie as it becommeth one that is well instructed of the honour that is due to that highe and soueraigne authoritie whiche God hath honoured hir Maiestie withall to the great comfort of all hir faythfull and loyall subiectes although in deede it vse not that glosing style nor palpable flatterie neyther in mention of hir highest estate nor of the estates neare vnto it which is vsed by ambitious suters for benefices and Bishoprikes The speache of the Declaration being such as I haue saide and hauing no eye to the soueraingtie which God hath set ouer vs yet as one that will not leaue to vse wringing and violence till he drawe bloud so ceaseth he not but strayneth and wringeth till he may drawe out some bloudy accusation of slaunderous and vnduetiful speache of her Maiestie Prou. 30.33 Which because it needeth no aunswere on our parte and the very repetition of his vnseemely speaches and stryuing about them can not but be offensiue to the duetifull subiect I stand not vppon it But whereas he would proue both by other places and by the Prophete Esay that God doeth a great fauour to his Church when he raiseth vp Princes to fauour and perfect them he is to vnderstande wee no les acknowledge the goodnes of God herein then any other The words of the Prophet which he alleadgeth are these Esa 49.23 Kings shal be thy nourcing Fathers and Queenes shal be thy Nources they shall worship thee with their faces towardes the earth and like the dust of thy feete and thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wayte for me Wherein the Prophete noteth by the similitudes of Foster fathers and Nourses the loue care faithfulnes watchfulnes and diligence that Princes shall haue to preserue mainteyne nourishe and comfort the Church and in the bowing the heade to the grounde the honour they shall doe to our Sauiour Christe the heade of the Church and consequentlie to the Church it selfe in him For in bowing them selues to lowe as doeing homage to the Sonne of GOD they promise all faythfull duetie seruice and obedience vnto him The performance whereof is to renounce in them selues and to aboli he from amongest their people all false worship and idolatrie with like zeale as Ezekiah and Iosiah did and to establishe in all partes the trew worship of God as our Sauiour Christ hath taught it and commanded it to be obserued We ought to reioyce when any yeeld any maner of obedience to our Sauiour Christ and should we not much more reioyce to see any obedience in Princes But when they bow so lowe before our Sauiour Christ and doe that honor to him as that at his cōmandement most notorious superstition idolatrie is publikely cast out of their kingdomes and countreis and the doctrine necessarie to saluation is authorised to bee preached published to their people Exceeding great cause of comfort reioycing ought it to be to all the Church Which is yet increased as their obedience and seruice shall abound and when the Church doeth see them bowe downe so lowe to the Sonne of God as to honour serue and obey him in
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
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
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
bin sayde setting out the obiection of treating in the firste place of the soueraigne power of Christian Princes with two sortes of men and opinions that may seeme to require the same the firste whiche referre all Religion to that power and the other more reasonable which referre onely indifferent matters to their disposition addeth that these men haue more colour of reason then the other but yet are not indifferent Iudges in determining what is indifferent Here vppon would hee gather that the Declaration acknowledgeth this latter poynte for trewe if they whiche mainteyne it iudged rightlie of indifferencie Wherein he is to consider that the worde but whiche hee would ground vppon is not to bee referred to the allowance of their opinion but to the qualifying of their former commendation as if it had bene sayde in referring onely indifferent matters to Princes they are more reasonable but in determining what is indifferent they are also to bee blamed vpon that the declaratiō sayth they are not indifferent Iudges in determining what is indifferent the Replyer asketh howe they can bee anie Iudges at all if the dispositiō of such things bee referred onely to the disposition of the Prince Wherein he taketh that graunted by the Declaration whiche is not graūted and discerneth not the word iudges to be taken here not in his proper significatiō but to be spokē as by similitude cōparison in which sense many a weake chaplaine may be said to take vpō him to iudge of indifferent not indifferent and of other waightier matters of Religion whereof hee vnderstand th no more then to reade within a booke of them that which is layde before him In which place the Declaration is charged also as going about to take awaye from the Prince some right that iustlie appertayneth to the Crowne wholy without anie other reason but this that the cause debated by it might partake with our Sauiour Christ in that respect as in other whereof it is saide I payd or was charged with that which I neuer tooke For sauing of the Prince from whiche wrong the Replyer verie soberlie sayeth hee dare hazarde thus farre of all good Christian Princes and will presume by hir Maiesties leaue to giue warrant for our most gracious Soueraigne that she will not abuse hir authoritie nor hath done nor would mainteyne or allowe them that so doe if any doe so What a needles palpable flatterie is this Doeth the Declaration call any Princes vsing their authoritie into question If it doe shewe in what wordes if not why doeth he take vpon him to mainteyne that which the Declaration no where depraueth but as is meete in all Christian duetie speaketh reuerentlie and duetifully of it where any occasiō serueth for that purpose yet against all good reason and modestie the Replyer concludeth this section noting it also in the margent least any man should not attentiuely take heede to it that hir Maiesties right and doings are vnworthilie defaced Neith r contented with this he followeth this matter still in his replie to the next sentence wherein he noteth a want of reuerence and duetie that the Declaration vseth this terme of ciuill Magistrate which is a worde both in Scripture and all good writers and dailie speache commonly vsed and he him selfe vseth in this his replie oftentimes more homely more vnsitting then this is a great deale yet is this being spoken generallie as in a generall treatise and doctrine increased aggreeued by circumstances from the person of hir Maiestie and also of those whom he supposeth to haue bin authours of that treatise or for whose sakes it was published whom he exhorteth to humble confession of their fault and crauing pardon for so great offence committed against hir Maiesties Royall state and dignitie as in the generalitie of the ciuile Magistrate he supposeth the Declaration here to haue fallen into For euicting whereof he taketh vppon him to pleade for the Declaration and to speake what might be saide in the iust defence thereof and after counterpleadeth him selfe agayne enforcing such poyntes as he thinketh to bee somewhat worth to charge the Declaration in some degree with offence of highest nature as if the tyrannous vsurpation of the Pope were noted in that sacred soueraigne power by the declaration and as if such excuse in that behalfe as hee can affourde it were but like the pretence of rebels who notwithstanding they seeke the subuersion of the highest estates yet pretende but to blame some neare vnto them Loe the discreete wordes and charitable spirit of the Replyer In deede I perceyue if he might appoynt the writer of the Declaration his atturney his learned counsel and his Iudges or might be all this him selfe to him he were like to receyue such sentence as a whole court of iniustice might afforde For by the title set vpon the toppe of sundrie pages togither which is The Prince slaundred and sundrie other like speaches in his margent and in his text to like purpose it appeareth what sentence he were like to giue in this matter Of which crime if there hath neuer bin founde any guylt nay anie colour or shadowe of a colour in any of those in whose names the Declaration is published no more then was in Naboth who was most innocent although he were charged with like offence then what may the Replyer differ from one of Nabothes witnesses who deposed against him that hee had spoken euill of the king Many such also were there that misinformed of Dauid of whom he often complayneth in the Psalmes But Ionathan his brother 1. Sam. 19.4 Cap. 21.14 and Achimelech the priest answered for him and sayde Dauid hath not offended against the King nay rather his doinges are exceeding good and seruiceable vnto them For he hath put his lyfe in hazarde for them against the enimies and hath procured a great safetie to all Israell thou hast seene it and reioyced in it And agayne who is amongst the Kings seruauntes faythfull and louing in allegeaunce and duetie as Dauid is In like manner doe wee hope notwithstanding the Replyers misinformation that all that feare the Lorde aright as did Ionathn and Achimelech may answere for vs that wee haue committed no offence against hir Maiesties Royall person state or dignitie but are of the most faithfull louing and duetifull of all hir subiectes or seruauntes not holding our goods or our liues or any thing we enioye deare or precious vnto vs in comparison of the duetie we owe in that respect euen of conscience of the ordinance of God and of most loyal hartes to the maintenance of hir Maiesties right excellent estate and royall person Whereof hauing testimonie in our owne consciences and in the sight of all iust and indifferent men and which is principall of Almightie God who seeth the secrete of our hartes beareth witnes to our sinceritie in this behalfe I rest well satisfied herewith against all the false and slaunderous accusations of all our aduersaries
was any christian Prince Beholde what wordes of Gellius hee citeth to proue it But they obiect sayeth Gellius that in the time of Christ and of Paule there was no Christian Magistrate If this be their obiection howe is it the selfe same reason that is vsed by the Declaration which speaketh not of all Magistrates but onely of soueraigne Princes Further Gellius beginneth his aunswere therevnto thus as he him selfe hath translated him The authoritie of the Magistrate is not therefore weakened albeit in the time of Christ and of Paule Emperours Kings set in high estate were aliens from the faith Could any thing be spoken more directly against that which he would prooue by this testimonie or more expresselie for that which the Declaration sayeth and he would improue Yet from this page he beginneth to set these wordes in the toppe of the page in a diuers letter Christian Princes from the beginning and so continueth in the next Christian Princes in the Apostles times from these being the 136. and 137. pages to the 145. in whiche and the next he hath Christian Princes from the beginning All which conteyne litle els but Gellius wordes worde for worde translated A preatie way to make a shewe to the state of hauing taken great paynes to mainteyne the ecclesiasticall gouernement of it If he can helpe him selfe thus with stuffing his booke with other mens writings We haue heard how Gellius entreth into that discourse playnlie disauowinge the proofe of that in the very beginning for whiche hee would haue him speake Vpon which place it serued wel for his purpose to make that note in the margent but surely modestie and shamefastnes neuer aduysed him to set so direct an vntrueth so hye in his booke that all men might see it For in all the rest of Gellius wordes in so many leaues as I haue noted rehearsed by him there is no such matter intended nor proued Onely in naming such Magistrates as were called to the faith of Christ he reckoneth vp the a Mat. 8.5 Cēturion in the gospel and b cap. 27.57 Ioseph of Arimathea c Luke 1.3 Theophilus to whom Luke dedicateth his writing of the Gospell d Iohn 3.1 Nichodemus e Actes 13.7 Sergius Paulus the f Actes 8.27 Treasurer of Candaces g Captain Cornelius with certaine other of Asia of Rome and of Caesars house Wherein let euery thing be enforced to the vtmost yet will he come short by many degrees of a soueraigne Prince of the faith of our Sauiour Christ in that tyme. Which principall purpose notwithstanding he misse of yet supposed he not to leese his labour in writing out so many leaues of an other mans booke to stuffe his owne withall therefore hath scattered obseruations as he goeth in the margent which belike he thought the Reader should take as admonitions that such a matter serued for him and made against the Declaration Whereof one in his margent is A Church without a Magistrate neuer seene whereby hee would seeme to giue his Reader to vnderstande that Gellius should denie that euer there had bene seene any Church where the people haue not bene gouerned by christian Magistrates which is nothing the meaning of Gellius For hee speaketh of Magistrates in generall and the vse of it in the ordinance of GOD to punishe the wicked and to protect him that liueth according to his duetie what soeuer the Magistrate bee in regarde of his religion And in this sense denyeth that euer there hath bene seene anie Church where the people of it haue not bene subiect to Magistrates which is very trew For euen in the time of our Sauiour Christ and the Apostles the Empire of Roome flourished and ruled in a manner all the worlde as it is noted in the thirde Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell And as there were Magistrates that ruled then ouer men in all places so the ordinance of God in Magistracie What soeuer the religion of the Magistrates were was needfull and profitable vnto the Church Whereof the reason is euident for that thereby they were oftentimes in their innocencie deliuered frō those who would haue done them wrong as Paule was by appealing to Caesar Therefore whereas hee noteth in the next place that the godlie haue neede of the Magistrate is likewise trewe yea and the next to it whiche hee noteth out of Gellius that the vse of Magistracie is such as that it were rather to bee wished there were no common wealth without a trewe Christian Magistrate then the Christian Magistrate should be excluded from the Church of God that is that a christian bearing ciuill office should therfore be cut of from the church as the Anabaptistes would For this is plainly the meaning of Gellius howsoeuer he haue set downe the note of his wordes shortly and obscurely fitlie to make the reader gather another sense as if Gellius meant to say rather no cōmon wealth without a Christian Magistrate then a Magistrate excluded from the Church or not to bee reckoned an ecclesiasticall office But the sense as I sayde is playne In whiche meaning also is that written whereof hee maketh after this note in the margent The Magistrates office necessarie to the church not that the Churche cannot stande except the Magistrate where the Church is bee of the faith but that what soeuer hee bee in that respecte his office in the ordinance of GOD is necessarie and comfortable to the Churche To which ende Gellius addeth for proofe in the verie next wordes otherwise why did Paule and Peter write of that matter to the faithful that were subiect to the discipline of Christ For the Romanes to whom hee wrote were vnder Nero as were also at that time the other His next note in the margent vpon Gellius his wordes is that certayne of the Prophetes and Apostles exercised also the office of the Magistrate This is another of his impertinencies I might saye vntruethes for heere Gellius attributeth this no more to the Apostles then to our Sauiour Christ who directlie said His kingdome was not of this worlde Iohn 18.36 but I chieflie note his impertinencie For what is this to proue that he vndertooke to witte that there were Christian Princes in the Apostles times But he had a meaning to admonishe the Reader to staye consider of the poyntes here handled by Gellius wherevnto also tendeth his next note why God distinguished those offices For there Gellius shewinge that these functions are not contrarie so as for the contrarietie of their nature they could not meete togither but that the one should destroy th' other as fire and water seeing Melchisedech Eli Samuell exercised both and the distinguishing of them was not for their repugnancie but because one man was scarse sufficient to exercise both He might thinke peraduenture the Reader might gather here something by the way for the maintenāce of the cōfusiō of both offices in those that are of the ministerie
things that concerne religion that we may liue vnder them a peaceable and quiet life in all pietie and honestie For of such things haue they charge also especiallie Magistrates which are of good Religion For which cause the Kings were commaunded in the law of Moses to haue by them a copye of the lawe and charged to see the same obserued Deut. 17.18 not in one part onely which concerneth the dueties of the seconde table but also of the first All which things whyle Magistrates procure and further by their ciuill power and authoritie blessed are they in so holy and honourable seruice and blessed is the Church that receyueth so exceeding great helpe benefite and comfort by them A litle quarell here is in the next place against the wordes most blessed Wherevnto it is replyed that the Church can not be sayde to be most blessed till it be in heauen But he is to vnderstande that it is not spoken of the Church simply but in some respect Which also he graunteth a little after sayinge him selfe of the primitiue church that it seemed in most blessed estate in some respectes As therefore the Church may be sayde to be in most blessed estate when it is ordered in all thinges according to Gods cōmaundement whiche is the greatest blessing it may haue in this lyfe so the Declaration speaketh of the Churches which are blessed in that respect The state of the auncient Church of the Iewes was then in most blessed estate in such respecte when all things in it aunswered the paterne shewed to Moses in the mountayne and the primitiue Church when it was ordered according to the rules of our Sauiour Christ So are the Churches of this age sayde for the same respect to be in most blessed estate From this he returneth againe to his question so often mooued before what vse then there may be of the Christian Magistrate For which he is to be returned agayne in like maner to his former aunswere Which is that th' vse of them is exceeding great in euery sorte and would be yet a great deale more if their godly proceedings were not hindered by misinformations of such who for their place and the trust reposed in them ought both to knowe and declare the will of God to Christian Princes to the furthering of the reformatiō of such abuses the continuance whereof prouoketh the wrath of God against both the Prince the people Who mainteyning that all is well when in the gouernance of the Church so manie things are amisse and neede most speedy reformation abuse them selues and the Princes whom they ought faithefullie to serue as Azariah and Hananias the Prophetes did Asa King of Juda 2. Chro. 15. 1 Cap. 16 7. Ierem. 1. 2. Ieremie Josiah with sundrie other and so hasten vpō them their people the fierie flying vengeance that for such enormities may come so mightily and suddainly that there wil be no turning of it backe nor escaping from it Wherein God be mercifull and spare his sanctuarie that it be not made desolate for the Lordes sake but to returne to the seruice Dan. 9.17 whereby for my parte I may endeuour to procure so great a blessing in maintenance of the trueth of God in the cause of the further reformatiō needful in the discipline as it hath bin thorowe the goodnes of God made in the doctrine I proceed to answere his next poynt of reply to this argument This replie is an iniurious and a bitter discourse of the difference of the state of the Church in persecution and in peace which he affirmeth to be hir most blessed estate It is set out by opposition of Princes persecuting and protecting the Church as of Pharao and Moses Saul and Dauid Manasses and Ezechias the Turke Sophi and Cham and the Christian Princes in Englande Germanie Scotlande Denmarke c. The end wherof is to charge the Declaration with a grosse and foule absurditie as if it affirmed the Church in times past to haue bene in better state vnder Tyrants and persecutours then vnder godly and vertuous Princes and in this age vnder the heathen then vnder Christian Princes Wherevppon he cryeth out O blinde what should I call it malice no but selfe-willed opinion that to deface the good estate of the church of God wherein we are vnder such a right defendor of the faith defended and shielded from all our enimies in a farre more blessed estate then we deserue will make such an odious comparison as this is But as the olde saying is Itch and ease can no man please If a beame of a Bishoprike had not hindred his sight hee might haue seene more clearely both in many other places and in this that there is no such comparison made as he cauilleth about It is saide in the Declaration that the Church at this day standeth in most blessed estate where the ciuill Magistrates are not the greatest fauourers Whereat although he iestingly demaunde after his maner whether this be in Vtopia or where yet either he must be starke blinde or els hee must needes see that it is meant of the Countries neare vnto vs wherein the Churches are in some respect in most blessed estate Whiche blessednes if he scorne at for the persecution whiche they endure what will he answere to our Sauiour Christ saying Blessed shall ye be when men reuyle you Ma. 5.11.12 persecute you and say all maner of euill against you for my sake falslie Reioyce be glad for great is your reward in heauen For so persecuted they the Prophetes which were before you Further also in regard of the full reformation of the church both in the doctrine and discipline of our Sauiour Christ which the Lorde that is riche in mercie hath for their more aboundant cōfort giuen them to enioy in this their outward troublesome persecuted estate For these and such like respectes declared vpon occasion before in this treatise the Declaration calleth their estate most blessed In reproch whereof he exhorteth the Ministers zealous of the further reformation of our church to be gone into those coūtries if they iudge the estate of thē to be better then our owne I maruell not if the successours of Amazia would fayne haue the successours of Amos to depart both out of the Court Amos 7.12 and countrey too For then might they more freely abuse whome they would But the duetie of our calling wherevnto almightie God of his great mercie hath called vs whiche is to serue especiallie the church of our own nation people amongest whom we are borne and brought vp whose language is ours by nature with whom we are to haue all thinges common both blessings and punishmentes as the seruaunts of God in Iewrie had will not suffer vs to hearken to his rude motion least we should with Jonas fly from the presence of the Lorde Further as the terrour of God so the loue of our people nation our kinred and acquaintance