great liberalitie But this aide which the church getteth by encrease off godlie and hable Ministers receiueth litle thanck But the hatred off this cause draue yow headlonge vpon them as your aduertismentes vvhich followe doo declare As there are some among them that fauour this cawse so there are some that like not off it And yet seing they haue ioined togither yea vvhich is verie straunge made great sute vnto the Bishops that they might of there owne charges prouide suche as in seruinge off them might discharge that vvhich the bishop hath charged him selfe with your suspition off spoilinge the church might haue had a fitter lighting place then vpon the Innes off courte Thus muche against your disordered suspition not altogether from my purpose for it shall serue to shew wherupon I conceiued so good hope of them and off other the gentrie off the realme vvhich haue in diuerse places made the same contribution Yf any haue forsaken the ministerie withowt iust cause they are giltie off a horrible fault but I see yow accounte them forsakers off the Ministerie vvhich yow haue thrust owt suche is your equitie to vvhipp them owt and for going owt also And if they hould any off your tenthes and would be counsailed by me they should yelde them into your handes least in beinge partaker off your non residencie they drink also off plages which belonge therto Wher yow saie I haue not answered in deede if your one mā be wise ād godly and the hūdreth fooles and wicked I haue said nothinge nor meane not now to doo being worthier to be hissed owt then to be answered Yow saie that the 16. Actes ▪ sheweth how well Timothy was thowght off a noble interpretation This is allwaies your fashion either to corrupte the places of the scripture or els to tell that which no man dowbteth of But for what cause dothe S. Luke tell that he was so well thowght of dothe he not shew in the nexte ver to be the same which I haue alledged And therfore Master Beza regardinge the meaninge of S. Luke addeth the word therfore declaringe for what cause that testimoniall was giuen This is your reason S. Luke sheweth how well Timothy was thowght off therfore yt is vntrew that S. Paul to cut of all occasion off euill speache receiued him not but vpon commenmendation off the brethren bothe in Listra and Iconium I doe not saie that S. Paul would not haue receiued him vnlesse that euerie singuler person had giuē testimonie vnto him vvhich was in those places but I shewed how circunspecte S. Paul was in takinge any into any part off the ministerie and how it is not to be thowght that he would haue vppon the Testimonie off one proceeded vnto any election seing that in one which he him selfe was not ignorant what he was to auoid the euill speache off some he was carefull to haue the testimonie off the church As it cā not be proued ▪ that he would not haue receiued him if all had not consemed therto so may it easely be shewed that if the most part had not liked of him he would not haue taken him For besides that it was against S. Paules maner to doo any thing off his owne priuate authoritie in the church off God it had not bene aduisedly done to haue procured the testimonie off the church for the admitting off him into his companie if the churche not consentinge he would haue taken him for that would haue bred a great flame off displeasure betwene the church and S. Paul and should haue bene alwaies shot in the mouthe off the aduersaries against the authoritie of Timothes ministerie yea off Paules also vnto whom he was ioyined for that he had receiued one disaproued of the Christians them selues All which he might by your iudgement easely haue auoided iff either he would haue rested in his owne knowledge off him or els haue addressed him selfe to some one for his testimonie ād not to haue hazarded the alienatiō of the church by com̄ittinge the allowāce of Tim. vnto their testimonial But mine argument is nothinge worthe because it is drawen off an acte off the Apostle Yf this be trew S. Luke was euil aduised to in title his booke the act or deedes of the apostles For it is as much in the ans lāguage as a booke of deedes which christiā mē are not boūd to followe ād yet it was not withowt cause that whē there are cōteined in that booke bothe the doctrine and deedes of the Apost S. Lu. as off the greater parte intitled his booke the deedes or actes of the apostles wherfore dothe he in the begin̄ing of that booke repeating the sum̄e of his gospell by that transition or passage make one bodie of them bothe and bind them as it were in one volume was it not to giue the same authoritie vnto the one a◠to the other to shew that the church had wanted so muche of a perfecte directiō as it wanted of that storie Wherfore dothe he in the begin̄inge shew that our Sau. Christ instructed thē with the cōmaundementes thowchinge his kingdome was it not to teache vs that whatsoeuer they did in buildīge of the church they did it not of there owne heades but by his authoritie And if a cōmanndemēt vnto them be not a commaundemēt vnto vs then haue we no word in the Scripture to warrant baptisme with For the commaundement of baptisinge was spoken to the Apostles onely withowt any further lymytation Fynally vvherfore dothe S. Luke set owt the Apostles fylled vvith the holye Goste Was yt onely to gyue credyte vnto there doctryne that yt should be beliued and not vnto there Actes that they should be folowed yes assuredlie vnto there acres that they should of euerie one according to his vocation where they maye be folowed For the further confirmation wheroff yt ys to be consydered what S. Paul vvrote vnto Tymothe Whom he instructynge how he should behaue hym selffe towardes the troublers off the church dothe not onely call him to the regard off his doctrine but also his conduite or maner off doing Wherby he meant to note his order and maner off doyng in the church off God and publykly for yt could be smally otherwise to the purpose off that vvherfore yt ys alledged Sanct Paules pryuate doynges could gyue Tymothy lytle instruction how he should behaue hym selfe towardes the troublers off the Church To the Phillippians also he callethe the Bishoppes Deacons and whole church both to doing off that which they heard and which they had sene in hym Yf therfore S. Paul will haue the churches followe that vvhich he did amongest them yt ys manifest that the Actes off the Apostles are rules for vs to followe And vnlesse this be admitted I would gladly learne off M. D. Where in all the scripture he can proue the imposition of handes which I think he will not denie to be necessarie And this is that vvhich M. Caluin doth flatly
proue that As if I coulde no otherwise driue the bishopp from this sole election onles I coulde proue that the people can not erre in their electioÌ„ Or as if bishoppes elections were without danger off error so that he whiche will change them muste be driuen to seeke for suche electors as no error can take holde off And iff any barres were stronge enowghe to kepe yowr tonge from this vntrew dealinge my wordes which followe by and by after wherin I confesse the church maie erre had beene sufficient to restraine yt Againste my reasons here be bare wordes that the pastors are neuer the worse loued that are thruste vppon them I coulde haue as well as yow alledged the experience in other places if all men coulde haue seen yt and haue referred them to the manifolde fiâ—tes in lawe betwene the pastor and the people in our churches How often shall I tell him that the papistes are not the churche nor off the churche off Christe and therfore not to be suffred to haue to doo with the election off the minister this needed he not to haue asked if he had had his to be shorte which he repeteth so often in any commendation He asketh whether men allwaies continue in loue off those whom they haue chosen yt is easier to continew loue where loue is then bothe to fal into loue of him vvhom they coulde not awaie with and also to continew the course off that loue still And if the not seruinge off their affections breed hatered towardes him whom they loue yt will muche more make yt flame againste him againste whom yt was before kindled But still the A. imagineth off the churche as off dogges and which receiuinge meate at the hand off their pastor turne againe vpon him and reÌ„t him and not as sheepe vvhich heare the voice off their pastor And althowghe there be some hypocrites vhhich doo so yet all the church doth not so And therfore for their sakes and for the giuinge the deeper roote off loue in their hartes towardes the pastor yt is meete that this waie off free consente shoulde be taken As for the Hypocrites vvhen they shall ceasse to loue theyr pastors for rebukinge their faultes that shall be to the encrease of godes glorie Forsomuch as they are by so muche more inexcusable before God as they haue refused his admonition whom they them selues chose for that purpose And not that onely but the hatred conceiued off that dewtie off the minister shall be bridled and holden in rather by â—â—e remembrance off the iudgement vvhich he once in token off good will gaue off him For euen the earthely and naturall man hath this in him that whom he hath once loued hym if he hate afterwarde onles yt be for some thinge apparantly worthy off hatred he will be lothe to vtter it And althowghe for that his maners please him not he can not loue him yet leste he shoulde appeare inconstante and deceiued in his choise he will pretende to loue him still So that the consente off the churche in the election of the ministerie beinge profitable vnto the godlie and those vvhich are trewe sheepe that their loue maie abounde towardes their minister and in respecte off the Hypocrites and goates that they maie be more inexcusable before God and lesse hurtefull to men thes reasons stand still vntouched off the A. Yt is an easye thinge for M. D. Which neither proueth nor improueth any thinge by scripture to aske by what scripture proue that if the parishe choose an vnfitt minister the ministers and elders of the churches should aduertise c. The scripture I proue yt by ys that Saint Paule when he teacheth that all the faithfull are members off one misticall body off Christe which owghte to haue a mutuall care one off an other laide the foundations off this politie for as in the bodie off one particular church euery faithfull man coÌ„pared with an other in the same is a member one off a nother so in a more generall bodie off a whole Realme euerie particular churche coÌ„pared with other is likewise member of them therfore as nature teacheth my hande to helpe the disorder which is in another parte of my bodie so the spirite of God owte of his worde throwghe a fellow feelinge teachetche one churche to stretche owte her hande to put a waie as yt can the euill vvhich yt seethe approche vnto another And therfore when the scripture willeth that one shoulde admonishe another it is not onely a commaundement to euery singular man towardes his fellow but also to one whole companie towardes another societie And off this care extended so farr that one churche hath sente to admonishe another wee haue example in the epistle to the Corinthes where the Macedonian churches sente their embassadors with Saincte Paules Epistle bothe to moue the Corinthians to liberalitie towardes the poore and to receiue that vvhich vvas giuen by the churche vnto their vse And this maie serue to proue that one churche owght to admonishe a nother and therfore also those which are nexte as those which are fitteste for that pourpose That from the admonitioÌ„ off the churches yt is meete to come to synodes if the iudgemeÌ„t off the churches be contemned maie beshewed by proportioÌ„ from the place of our Sauiour Christe in Saint Mathew For as when one brother is not moued with the admonition of two or three the matter muste be referred vnto the churche to see vvhether the maiestie of it will moue him whom the authoritie off twoo or three woulde not euen so it is meete that the church that maketh lighte off the iudgement off twoo or three churches shoulde be pressed vvith the iudgementes off the diocese or prouince as shall be in that behalffe aduised And if I were in this poincte destitute off the worde off God yet the naked examples off the reformed churches owght to weighe downe a popish custome And that the magistrate owghte to laie to his hande iff the admonitions take not place it is manifeste by the reason which is alledged I haue looked maister Zuinglius Ecclesiast ouer and ouer againe The summe wheroff is that none shoulde take vpon hym any ministerie which is not called of some churche aÌ„d of the ministers nere abowte contrarie to the practise off the anabaptistes which entred into all churches and sometime put the pastor beside the pulpet from vvhich vvhether yow or vve be further let the reader iudge Where yow saie that I forgett my selffe which suppose now the churche maie err that said before yt was spirituall and iudgeth all thinges if yow coulde forget this vntrue dealinge I remembred my selfe well enowghe Thes cauilles which come so often without any colour off trewth are vtterly vnworthy off answer but as I haue saide in another place require rather a censor then a disputer Howbeit becawse there is nothinge so vnsauerie which some taste maie not be abused by I
trifling questions here albeit moste vnworthy yet are answered almoste all before And if there were a legion moe they are not onely confuted in that this manner off election by the churche confirmed by the magistrate hath bene vsed more then â—00 yeares together but also by the D. owne wordes wherby he leaueth yt in the princes pleasure so to order yt still For if there were such incoÌ„ueniences and absurdities as he imagineth how hath the practise continued so longe bene thowght good by so many good Emperours and so many learned men in all those ages Or if all they were a sleap or of so shorte sighte that they could not see thes inconueniences which the D. hath espied how commeth yt to passe that he leaueth yt in the magistrates pleasure to establishe this order encombred with suche inconueniences and absurdities For the chalenges wherby he would giue to vnderstand that I haue not faithfully alledged Musculus the firste is that I affirme that he vvente aboute to defend the election vsed vvhere he vvas by this that it approched to the election of the primatiue church which he saith is vntrue But the reason wherwith I confirme yt that Muscu saithe yt vavs made not by one minister but by al by the voices of the Senate vvhere some nomber off the people vvere He toucheth not The second that I call the choise off the minister by the churche the Apostolicall forme yet they are not my wordes but Musculus his authors vvhich calleth yt the oulde the fytteste the deuine the Apostolicall and lavvfull election Where he saith that Musculus dooth not call the other elections forced I woulde gladly knowe what difference there is betwene forced and thruste vpon For Musculus in the same tytle maketh all one a mynister thruste vppon the church and a minister which is not chosen off the church in thes wordes The forme off election vsed in the Apostles times is conformable to the libertie and priuiledge off the church vvherof Cyprian made mention and that forme off choise vvherby men began to be thrust vppon the people off Christe being not chosen off yt dooth agree to a church vvhich is not free but subiecte to bondage Hetherto yt hathe appeared that although Musc Iudgement be not wholy for vs yet the reasons vvhich he alleadgeth for this cause are suche as can not be shaken Now I will further shew that as there is some disagreement betwene ours and his Iudgement so there is further distance betwene hym and the D. First therfore he saithe that as the election by the church endured vntill the time off Christian magistrates so the election made by the church and confirmed by the christian magistrate endured vntill that time that the bishoppe off Rome hauinge wronge owte both from the Emperour and the people their right in the election tooke it all to him selfe The D. denieth this stoutly Secondarily Musculus maketh the disorders off electioÌ„s by chusinge vnmeete persons or by corruption throwghe giftes or parciall fauour to beginne then especially when the election taken from the people cam into the bishoppe of Rome and his suffragans handes The D. cleane contrary that thes disorders were especially in the elections by the people and beste auoided when the election is called to the will and becke off one bishoppe Thirdly Musc maketh yt an vnlawfull forme off election when yt is made of the prince but maister D. saith that yt is in the princes powre to make election off ministers him selfe if he will or committe yt to others iff he liste Fourthly Musc helpinge him selfe off the authoritie off Ierome saith that there was no election in poperie becawse they were made without the knowledge off the people and condemneth also the election of the bishopes made by the Canons for the same cause But M. D. saith yt is a moste conuenient and sufficient election which notwithstandinge in that poincte is all one with the election in poperie Last off all wherin lieth a great weight of this controuersie he dooth not saie simply that this forme off choise by the church is vnmeete and inconuenient for this age off he churche but that it coulde not be by and by and out of hand restored and after a litle that it could not be in al churches by and by restored Wherby he gyuethe to vnderstand that in some places yt might be forthwith restored and in other all men owght endeuour to bringe yt in againe withall coÌ„uenient speed So appeareth that although Musculus be pretended yet Pigghius and Hosius be his storers Here cometh to shewe the manner off the election off the Tigurine churche wheron the D. heareth hym selfe so much vvhich as Bullinger whom he cyteth for his author reporteth is this After he had shewed that in all lawfull ministeries off the worde there is required that with innocencie of life he shoulde be learned then chosen accordinge to the worde off God thirdly after he is chosen and presented to the church haue imposition of handes he addeth Heruppon the Tigurine church hauinge taken her leaue off the inordinate ordination off the popishe bishoppe chuseth off the learned and off the ministers off the Senators and off the councell off the 220. that is to saie off the common people vvhich out off the learnedest and honestest deacons should present certeine that are to bee made Bishoppes vnto the Senate and people Off vvhich vvhen the Senate and people haue chosen one they sende him vnto the church ouer vvhich he is set and vvith him a counseiller vvhich doth commend him vnto his church Then the cheifest off the bishoppes off that citie or other place vvhere this nevve bishop muste be maketh a Sermon and in publike praier made off the church in this behalfe layinge on his handes commendeth the church vnto him Wherin howe many thinges are fauouringe our cause and openly fighting against the D. vppon that I haue before noted of the election of the churches of Berne I leaue to be considered ALthowghe the D. as his vse is speaketh off one thinge so often and that in the same diuision and with spaces put betwene so that yt is harde to giue answer with any conuenient vnderstandinge off the reader yet I will as well as I can referre his scattered sayinges to certeine heades Wheroff the firste is that he did not meane to proue by thes places off Timothe and Titus that the election belonged vnto one man Wheruppon he chargeth me with willfull deprauinge off his answer Yt muste be therfore considered if we maie holde this wett eele by the mouthe The Adm. saithe in the primitiue church no minister vvas placed in the congregation but by consente off the people but novve that authoritie is giuen to the bishoppes handes alone the D. answereth by the place off Timothe and Titus Now this beinge a commaundement and by his iudgement both directed onely to Tim. and Tit. and to them as bishoppes yt followeth
absurdities laied vppon this foundacion as that the promesse off the assistance off gods spirit is as well gyuen to writers of homilies and their hearers as to studiers for sermons and those which heare them as if he had saied the Lord will giue testimonie to his word as wel by the meanes which mē haue deuised as that him self hath ordeined Likewise that sermons should be kept owt off the church as well as homilies if they should be shut owt because they are mennes interpretation considering that the preacher albeit he be a man yet in respect off his publicke ministery instituted and commaund of the Lord is as the angell off God yea as Christ him self which can not be saied off homily readers nor makers especially in that respect To that I alledge off the coustome off the Churches before our Sauiour Christes comming and after towching homilies not vsed in the church and that in such time vvhen there vvas greatest vse off them he answereth that the argument is of autoritie negatiuely where I leaue to the iudgement off the reader what likelihood there is that there were any homilies red in the church whē both holy and ecclesiasticall writers making mētiō of the forme of seruice of God in the church to the least and smallest ceremonies there is none diuers 100. yeares that ones vouchesafeth to mention homilies reading which the D. matcheth with preaching the highest seruice off God in his church Where he saith that I condemne thargument drawen off mennes autoritie yt is vntrue I said it constreineth not And I spake of it where yt is question off searching the truth off a matter wherin many easely deceiued none knoweth the full off it and not off reporting thinges doone in presence off him that writeth wherof he making profession to write can not withowt grosse ouersight passe by where he saith yt is an euill argument to conclude off a thing not doon that it shovld not be doon if the churches gouerned by the Prophetes and Apostles did it not it being put as a peece off the seruice off God and as the D. saith necessary ether they faulted in not vsing this meanes which is absurd or the D. which defendeth the vse off it He saith I can not but acknowledge one good sermon red to edify more then the Chalde paraphrastes so destitute off meanes to refute the reason I set downe why a short paraphrasis was meeter then homilies namely for that they approched nerer vnto the reading off the scripture vvhich is best he setteth his cause at my courtesie But if I graūt that he asketh he is nothing nerer onles he can proue that a learned homily is fitter then a learned paraphrase made now in this great light which the Chalde paraphrastes could not haue when they wrote So that although they expounding darckly according to the time they wrote in be not so fit now to reade as an homily yet yt standeth still that a pharaphrast is fitter to be red then an homily Where he saith I know that the Iewes haue thes paraphrastes yet red I shewed both by scripture ād otherwise that they had thē not openly red when there was greatest neede off them Yf they had them after when diuers corruptions were entred or now when they are the synagogue off Satan tha◠maketh rather for me They which tould hym that Ionathan was 42. yeares before our Sauiour Christ if they ment therby to confute that I set downe should haue gyuen him something to answer the autoritie I alledged Although he might be well 42. yearers before our Sauiour Christ and then too considering he was schoole fellow to Symeon off whom S. Luke maketh mention The testimonies off Denis and Clements Epistles red in the church to proue it vntrue which I affirmed off the churches practise towching reading off the scriptures alone after the Apostles tmes are in that respect idle considering that I onely shewed that that coustome continued after their tymes which were the best and purest Nether can the breaking off this order by some churches vppon some occasion let why it may not truly be saied both the coustome and practise Yf the Centuries coniecture were receiued that Denis epistles were red as Clementes yet that proueth not that they were red generally considering that Clements was red but in certeine churches But what if it be saied that they were red in those churches for that they were vntruly thowght of the Canon of the scripture Wherto serueth not onely that Denises were called Catholike but Clements weighty and wonderfull Likewise that Euseb esteeming Clement the canonicall translatour off the epist. to the Hebrues yt is not vnlike but he had that epistle in like estimation Last off all for that as he lightly reiected the true canonicall bookes off Saint Iames Iude and second off Saint Peter so he lightly held those for canonicall which were not yf I answer thus my coniecture hath better reason then yow yet shew and then the reading off these epistles helpeth yow not yow haue onely Soters which help nothing more being red onely at Corinth Howbeit it shall be sufficient answer that as other corruptions crept in then so the seed of this began to be sowen and that the credit which yowr cawse gaineth in that diuerse churches red them yt leeseth in that diuerse others receiued them not Likewise it maketh against him that the councell giueth no place vnto homilies but in extreme cases off sicknes c. off the minister where he maketh them the peoples ordinary food The councell as it were in a great drowght or snow when all is couered will haue the sheep holpen with this hard meat the D. will haue it their commen allowance Beside that it is the obiectiō which I myself im̄ediatly after preuented my answer wherunto the D. towcheth not but onely affirmeth it a good decree and no cawse off corruption which is grosse beggery considering that I shew how vppon occasion theroff in time came in the popish Legend and Gregories homilies which iustled owt the holy Bible Where I shewed that Bucers wordes secme counterfeit wherby he is browght exhorting to encrease the nomber off homilies when the Lord should blesse the realme with learned preachers forasmuch as there were then learned preachers able to make homilies which should haue exceded the volume of the Bible he answereth that there is no cause to suspect them but the reason he can not answer After he cyteth M Ridly but fondly for if the autority off all those which established that order be not able to make yt good much lesse his alone and being a party in this cawse he owght not albeit a singular mā be witnes Where I alledged the councell councell of Laodicea ordeining that nothing should be red in the church but the canonicall scripture he answereth the councell ment nothing vnder the name of holy scriptures which is an open and shamefull corruption for
but vpon gainsaying And in that Boniface which wrote vnto Zachary had appointed those three bishops in small parishes and townes all vnderstand that yt was no new thing then to haue bishops in such places But because he closethe his eyes and will not see thinges set before him at leaste let him grope them The false Damasus and verie Antichriste writing of this matter inueiethe vehemently againste the appointinge off Bishops in villages which he calleth countrey bishops And yt appeareth plainly in that Epistle that they had the selfe same autoritie in all thinges which citie Bishops had There he saith also that yt was forbidden that there shoulde be any bishop ether in small cytie or in village or Castell leste the name and autoritie of a bishop should waxe vile And therfore commaundeth that those bishops off villages being disgraded off their Bishoprickes shoulde be throwne downe to the order off preisthoode Heere the D. maie vnderstande that euen in the time off Antichriste this order off euerie churche hauing her bishop was not so abolished but that there were remnantes off it in diuers places and some which mainteined the libertie wherin God had sed them againste that owtrage off Satan who becawse he woulde make off bishops yong Princes and saw that euerie parishe was not hable to mainteine that pompe wente abowte with robberie off the reste to lifte vp the heade off one Heroff yt may be seene what cawse the D. hathe to charge me with the falsifiyng of the Popes wordes and how his habilite to defende the Popes decree doothe not answer his desire As for the reasons I browght to proue that the placingâ— off bishops in villages and small cyties coulde no more bringe them in contempte then the shininge of the sonne or falling off the raine in villages as vvell as in cyties breedeth contempte off those benefites or the name or autoritie of father gyuen to poore men as vvell as riche maketh that ordinance off God nothing set by he answereth not a worde Where I further alledged the foresight and wisdome of God which shoulde receiue a greate wound if in instituting for euery churche a Bishop he shoulde not haue foreseen this inconuenience which the Ans vppon the Popes autoritie meinteineth he askethe when and where I haue I truste shewed him now bothe althowghe he if he had ether vnderstoode or remembred what he wrote before twise or thrise when with Ierome he propoundeth vnto vs that Bishop and elder were all one by Gods worde he should not haue falleÌ„ into this extreme boldenes of denying euery thing which is enemie vnto his vnaduised assertions For yf yt be the institution off God that euerie churche shoulde haue a teaching elder and that elder according to Ieromes saying alowed off him were a bishop yt muste needes folowe that to haue a bishop in euerie churche ys the institution of god And because the D. boweth so casely vnder the autoritie of men that he estemeth it the beste proofe let him vnderstande that this was the iudgemeÌ„t off twoo of the moste famous meÌ„ which our lande browght forth thes manie yeares And the same also executed for the testimonie off the truth off god wheroff one of them amongest other thinges suffred also for this cause nowe in hande a The sixte Article which M. Barnes was condemned for is this I vvill neuer belieue nor can neuer belieue that one man maie by the lavve off God be bishop off tvvoo or three cyties yea off an vvhole contrey for that yt is contrary to the doctrine of S. Paul vvhich vvriting vnto Titus commaundeth that he should ordeine a bishop in euery tovvne prouing that by the worde elder the Apostell meaneth a bishop M. Hooper shewing that one man may not haue two lyuinges addeth but this is clavv me and I vvill clavv the. If the bishops permitted not their priestes to haue 2. benefices it may fortune the priestes vvould likevvise say the bishop should be bishop but of one citie And in deed so it should be and till magistrates bring theÌ„ to that point it shal he as possible to heare a bishop vvade godly and symply thorovvgh the scripture in all case off religioÌ„ as to driue a camell thorovvgh the eie of a nedle A great pitie it is to see hovv far the office off a bishop is degenerated from the originall in the scripture It vvas not so in the beginning vvhen bishops vvere at the best as the Epistle to Tite testifieth that vvilled him to ordeine in euerie citie of Crete a bishop And in case there vvere such loue in them novv as vvas then tovvardes the people they vvould say them selues there vvere more to doo for the best off them in one cytie then he could doo They knovv the primitiue church had no such bishops vntill the time off Siluester the first c. Off thes thinges partly and partly of that which shall be hereafter God willing spoken I leaue yt to be esteemed off the indifferente reader with how small ether knowledge or conscience the D. hathe affirmed that yt can nether be shewed by scripture nor confirmed by anie ecclesiasticall writer or practise off the primitiue churche that ether euery churche shoulde haue her bishop or that there should be bishops in villages and small Cyties Thother off the two questions remaineth whether yt can be shewed by scripture and by examples off the primatiue churche â–ª that there were in one churche moe bishops then one which we might in parte haue bene eased off if the answ hauing fallen owte with the trwth were not likewise falleÌ„ owte with him selfe For he approuing off the testimonie off Ierome which affirmeth elders and Bishops all one and that the elders off a churche chose one amoÌ„geste them which onely kepte the name of bishop dothe withall necessarily affirme that before the time that this ordinance was established there were diuers bishops in one church And in saying the word bishop is not commenly vsed but for him that in degree is aboue the rest he at vnawares confesseth that there were diuers bishops in some churches althowgh not commenly But becawse he hath a facultie in denying and affirming withowte shewing any reason and that his worde is no bonde to tie him with all when yt maketh againste him some thinge also muste be spoken towching this matter And seing I haue shewed that he is by S. Paules determination a Bishop which is apâ—e to teache and to exhorte to conuince false doctrine and reproue corrupte maners and that the Ans can not denie but one suche alwaies is not sufficiente for some churches especially where the commoditie of assemblies is so good that euery daie the worde off good ys to be preached yt can not be denied but that there bothe maie and owght to be moe bishops in a churche muche more in a cytie then one And that this was the institution off God it appearethe by the practise of the churches in
vttered off him in that Councell where an error was decreed wherof hs was cheif autor Where he might with as good right reiect all that euer Cypriā wrote For albeit this were spokē in that Councell yet yt no more perteineth nor hathe no more acquaintance with that error then this that we are iustified by faithe alone Yf he woulde conclude that Cyprians autoritie is no sufficiente proofe considering that being a man he might erre in this pointe as he did in another it is that we willingly graunte and therfore call and crie vpon the D. as loude as we can that the whole cause may be tried by the scripture from which he flieth as Darckenes before the face off the light His thirde is by thes wordes none taketh on hym to be the bishop off bishops he mente that one bishop shoulde not tyrannically rule ouer another which is vntrew for Cypr. addeth that as an either thinge likewise forbidden So that where he saith none dothe ether make him selfe bishop off bishops or bynde his fellovves by tyrannicall feare the D. off twoo sentences maketh one and Cyprians or he expoundethe that is to say But doeth he not see how still he ministreth weapons vnto the Papistes by this friuolous answer for vnto the godly learned writers alledging this place to proue that the bishops off Rome haue no autoritie ouer other bishops the Papistes may answer with the D. that all that is mente off tyrannicall autoritie Fouthly he saith thes wordes Euery bishop hathe ftee libertie and free iudgment off his ovvne povver are not mente off iurisdiction but of iudgement and opinion As if there were les daunger in letting a bishop holde what opinion he thincketh good withowt controlement of an other bishop then in letting him gouerne his churche as him semeth best withowte the same controlement So that herin the D. flying from the smoke falleth into the fire The vanitie off which answer appeareth also by that in an other place where he saith there is but one bishopricke vvheroff euery bishop holdeth one part vvholy fully in all respectes Likewise in an other place he saith he holdeth his bishoprick off Christ vvho is the cheif bishop And most plainly it is confuted by that I haue alledged owt off Cyprian Where in expresse wordes he referreth this freedome off power which euery Bishop hath not as the D. to the bishops opinion but vnto the gouernement off his church Where for confirmacion off thes answers he saith otherwise a bishop should be exempted from all controlement off Synodes and other as well as of archbishops the answer is easy For althowgh Cyprian say no one Bishop can be iudged off an other bishop yet he denieth not but he may be iudged off the church And althowgh no one bishop haue autoritie ouer him yet a Councell off bishops may correct him And that this is one off those iudgementes off Christ Cyprian ment off and that in those wordes he doth not reserue the iudgement off the bishop offending vnto the day of the general iudgemēt may be shewed by that he saith Christ set thē bishops in their charges As therfore Cyprian calleth the placing off a bishop in his charge by the churche by the elders theroff and the next bishops the placing of Christ so he meaneth that iudgement giuen against a bishop offending by the church and Synodes is the iudgement of Christ That owt off Cyprian wherin the weight off the argument lyeth euery Bishop muste rule his ovvne flock him self as he that shall make account off his deed vnto the Lord he passeth by After to the wordes off Cyprian that nether he nor his fellovves vsed compulsion tovvardes any appointed any lavv to any seing that euery one set ouer the church hathe in gouernement theroff free disposition of his owne will werof he shall gyue accoumpte vnto the lorde he saith I left owte that which gyueth the solution and therupō according to his coustome picketh a quarell to translate the whole sentence Yet nether sheweth one word nor can shew lefte owte to make for him against me Onely he saithe vndowtedly Cyprian in saing he would not deale with other bishops c. meaneth those churches and bishops which he had nothing to doo with which is very straunge seing he hath before made him archbishop almost ouerall the world After he saith he would not haue suffered them if they had bene off his owne charge which is a grosse begging off that in question for yt is debated whether he had any bishops vnder his charge And what manner off interpretacion is this vve do violence to none nor appointe lavves to none that is to none in other Prouinces and euery bishop hathe povver of the gouernment of of his ovvne churche that is euery bishop owte off Cyprians prouince what a kold saying should this be that nether he nor any of his fellowes vsed violence towardes bishops off other Prouinces With whom they hauing so small intercommuning could scarce vse violence if they would Or to say they appointed no lawes to vvhom they had no coulor to gyue any And as this interprepretacion hauing lien in the Ans rack is pulled owt of all the ioyntes so that it is vtterly false may appeare by that before alledged owt off the Councell off Carthage Where wordes of like effect are vttered by Cyprian vnto the bishops off the same Prouince he was of Last of all becawse I may not haue that credite which the Ans to vnderstand this place off Cyprian yet I trust he vvill belieue Musculus Who of this place and others concludeth that vvhen Cyprian vvrote he did neuer so much as think off the povver off Patriarches off Metropolitanes off the bishop off Rome but esteemed that all bishops ovvght to haue like care and povver euery one in his ovvne church So beside this testimonie that Cyprians priest was nether Patriarch nor Metropolitane he hathe also that he was bishop of one church which is that I haue affirmed For the autoritie vvhich the archbishops and bishops haue ▪ there is an other place yt is sufficient here to shew that they had no iurisdiction one ouer an other in Cyprians times That owt off Cyprian towching ministers sacrificing is before answered To Cyprian saying the vnitie off the church is interteined by consent off bishops one vvith an other the D. answereth they agree neuer the worse by hauing a superior aboue them Albeit they agree neuer the worse yet if they agree neuer the better he owght as an vnprofitable tree which occupieth place in the lordes orchard be rooted owt Althowgh it shal God willing appeare that the Archbishops office is the knife which cut the cordes off vnitie which both was and otherwise might haue bene mainteined amongest the bishops The first reason why tharchbishop is necessarie is because there may be one to assemble them together As thowgh that was not doon before that office was
it hath some smale force in humane sciences for as muche as naturallie and in that he is a man he maye come to some rypenes off Iudgement in those sciences Which in diuine maters hathe no force at all as off him which naturally and as he is a man can no more Iudge off them then a blind man off colours Yea so farre is it from drawing credite if it be barelie spoken withowt reason and testimonie off Scripture that it carieth also a suspition off vntrewth whatsoeuer proceded from him which the Apostle did well note when to signifie a thing corruptlie spoken and against the truthe he saith that it is spoken according vnto man he saith not as a wicked or lying man but symplie as a man And althowghe this corruption be reformed in manye yet forsomuch as in whom the knowledge of the truthe is most advāced there remaineth bothe ignorance and disordered affections wheroff either turneth him from speaking off the truth no mans authoritie withe the church especiallie and those that are called and perswaded off the authoritie off the word off God can bring any assurance vnto the conscience So that iff all that the D. affirmeth were trew as it is vntrue and iff all those authorities which are alledged were faithfullie and according to the meaninge off the writers cited as they are almost all writhen and falsified yet being for the most part vpholden by the bare authoritie and credite off men they can giue no reste to any Christian conscience which shall leane vppon them And iff he saye that those men haue not spoken withowt reason and warrant off the word of god then besides that he is greatly to blame that bringeth not the reasons which moued them to thinke so and wherupon as vppon certen pillers that sentence might stand it falleth owt still against him that the argument off authoritie hathe no force as that which hathe no credit off it selffe but as altogither lame is faine to borowe feete off an other And then the D. should haue considered that for so muche as the reason off authoritie standeth for the cause and sake off an other that is to saye for the argument off causes and other places it must needes be worse then the arguments wherupon it hangeth for that for whose cause another thinge is is better thē the thing which dependeth vpon it And therby further followeth that forsomuch as reason withowt authoritie is good and authoritie withowt reason nothing worthe that those argumentes whiche are grounded vpon reasons are better then those which are grounded vppon authoritie And wheras peraduenture he will seke some colour of defence off his absurd speache in the wordes which he addeth of suche learned men as do rightly interprete the scripture that addition as it taketh not awaye from the absurditie so it addeth to the folie and impropretie of speche For besides that he taketh that for graunted which is the question that is to saye whether it be rightlie interpreted or noo he should haue vnderstanded that the rightnes of the interpretation depēdeth not vpon the authoritie of the man or in that suche a godlie or learned man did so interprete it but in that the place is expounded agreablie vnto the suite of the texte And that the D. which vnder the name off auncient authoritie would oppresse the truthe may vnderstand that euen in this magnifiyng of authoritie he is not so good a scholer o◠disciple off his pretended masters of diuerse sentences off the fathers them selues wherby some haue likened them vnto brute beastes withowt reason which suffer themselues to be led by the iudgement and authoritie off others some haue preferred the iudgement of one simple rude mā alledging reason vnto companies off learned men I will content my selffe at this time with two or thre sentences Ireneus saith Vvhatsoeuer is to be shevved in the scripture can not be shevved but of the scriptures thē selues 3. l. 12. c. Iero. saith No man be he neuer so holie or eloquent hathe any authoritie after the Apostles Augustin saith that he vvill beleue none hovv godly and lerned so euer he be vnles he confirme his sentence by the scriptures or by some reason not cōtrary to them And in an other place heare this the Lord saith heare not this Donatus saithe Rogatus saithe Vicentius saith Hilarius saith Ambrose saith Augustin saithe but harken to this the Lord saithe And againe hauinge to doo withe an Arrian affirmeth that neither he ovvght to bringe forthe the councell off Neece nor the other the councell of Arimin therby to btinge preiudice eche to other neither ovvght the Arrian to be houlden by the authoritie off the one nor him selffe by the authoritie of the other but by the scriptures vvhiche are vvitnesses proper to neither but common ro bothe matter vvith matter cause vvith cause reason vvith reason ovvght to be debated And in another place against Petiliane the donatian hereticke he saith Let not these vvordes be heatd betvvene vs I Saye yovv Saye let vs heare this Thus saithe the lord and by and by speaking off the scriptures he saithe there let vs seeke the churche there let vs trie the cause Here yt is manifest that the argument of authoritie off man affirmatiuely is nothing worthe which the answerer notwithstanding maketh so great accounts off likewise that reason whiche is not directly against the trewth is preferred to authoritie which the A. denieth and if Augustin thowght that in a matter off controuersie the authoritie off so manye godlie and learned fathers as were assembled at that Councell off Nece interpeting the scriptures rightlie owght not to be alledged not onelie to condemne and conuince but not so muche as to preiudice an heresie long agoo condemned iff he would haue the trewth tried by the scripture onely let all men iudge how euill a folower off Augustin the D. is which in the authoritie of one or two men layeth so great weight that he thinketh that kinde off proufe to be the best proufe off his and ouerthrowe off his aduersaries cause And iff at any time it happened vnto him as it did against the Donatistes ▪ and others to alledge the authorite off the auncient fathers which had bene before him yet that was not done before be had layed a sure foundation off his cause in the scriptures and that also being prouoked by the aduersaries off the treuth who bare themselues highe off some Councell or off some man off name that had fauoured their parte And therfore iff the A. would salue this with the example off Augustin in other places yet for that he neuer in any cause laieth any foundation either of any scripture or colour of scripture ād being prouoked flieth still from it as from the rocke and sandes o his cause it is clere that if he had that authoritie which he pretendeth vntrulie on his side yet the vse off it in this sorte were bothe by the rule off
off the Scriptures then expressed in the vvordes off the Scripture Here the answerer may lerne that certaine off the cheiff pillers off our Religion by the Iudgement off this councell are not expressed in the worde off God and yet notwithstanding bothe conteined in the worde off God and commaunded to be beleued And where he saithe that he couÌ„ntethe that expressed in the scripture when yt is either in manifest wordes conteined or theroff gathe red by necessary collection I answer that I suppose that there was neuer writer holie nor prophane that euer spake so and that yt byddethe defiance bothe to de vinitie and humanitie being forged as yt is to be feared contrary to his owne knowledge onely that he might giue some colour vnto that absurdytie which he woulde so gladlye fasten on me I saie that it is against his owne knowledge forasmuche as in his former booke and euen in the nexte diuision which is in the 78 page off this his later booke he confessethe this difference off being expressed in the worde and gathered off it which is the same in effecte which I haue saide For he saithe that nothing owght to be tollerated in the churche ' c. onles yt be expresly conteined in the worde off god or maye manifestly therof be gathered Here he plainely opposeth as member off one diuision expressely conteined and manifestly gathered now in this later booke cleane contrarily he maketh gathered to be a part of expressed And in an other place off his former booke as it appeareth in the 24. page off his booke he saithe and none off these circumstances are commaunded in the scripture or by necessarie collection theroff may be gathered Where he supposeth some thinge necessarie to saluation which is not commaunded namely which may be necessarylie gathered of the scripture And iff those wordes commaunded in the scriptures which are generall will not conteine al that which is necessary as his diuision teacheth how much les will thes wordes expressed in the scriptures compas them and iff commaunded and forbidden be all one with expressed as he here affirmeth then did he absurdely to make gathered off the scriptures to be an opposite member vnto commaunded That which I sayed off the argument off authoritie off a man to be neither good affirmatiuely nor negatiuely farther then to induce thereader into somelikinge or mislikinge and not to haue force to compell is apparaunt vnto al which haue any sparcke of iudgement That which is brougâ— out off Aristotle is to no purpose and it maketh also against the A. Forasmuche as where Aristotle saithe that credite is to be giuen to him that is cunninge he speaketh off thinges which haue a likelihoode and may be disputed off on bothe sydes and not of thinges which are to be receiued without gainesaying And I merueile that the A. will not see that amongest men the cunningest in any profession haue in diuerse thinges bene off those which followed them iustly founde fauls with And if he will bothe sticke to Aristotle and interpretâ— him as he dothe that a man ought to beleue euerie one in that as to and profession where in he is conninge then euerie learned Deuine in his profession is to be beleued whatsoeuer he saithe Which beinge absurd and seinge it hathe bene before shewed that an argumeÌ„t of the authoritie of maÌ„ affirmatiuely is not good let vs holde that for somuche as maÌ„ caÌ„not come through his infirmitie vnto the perfectioÌ„ of any thinge which reason being assigned of me is vntouched of the A. and forasmuche as the giftes off god are giuen in measure and not in perfection that an argument off â—he authoritie off man can not enforcevs and that it is proper vnto the Aposties and Prophetes whom the Lorde had chosen to be his notaries and whose handes he helds continually to be without the hazarde off errour To the places which I alledged owte off the worde off god to proue that an argument drawne of the authoritie off the scripture negatiuely is good he answereth that the examples which I bringe be of thinges of great importance and forbidden in other places of the Scripture I graunt they are so and that maketh much against hym for that the Lorde hauinge this aduantage against the Israelites off charginge them that they had doone contrarie vnto his commaundement chose rather to saye after this sorte that they had doone that vvhich he had not commaunded therby to teache his to hange vppon his mowthe And the answerer owght to haue considered that the reason is generall whiche the prophetes vse which otherwise shoulde be no reason at all And it maye be shewed that the same manner off argument hathe bene vsed in thinges which are not off the substance off saluacion or damnation and wheroff there was no commaundement to the contrary In Iosuah the children of Israell are charged by the Prophete that they asked not counsaile off the mouthe off the lorde when they entred into couenant with the Gabeonites and yet that couenant was not made contrarie vnto anie comÌ„aundemeÌ„t of god For howsoeuer yt seemeth to some that vpon the wordes off Moses they owght to haue bene put to deathe being of those nations which dwelte in the inheritaunce off the people off god yet iff yt be considered what the causes were why they might not enter in to league with them which was lest they dwellinge amoÌ„gest them shoulde drawe them to a false worship of god yt will not be harde to vnderstande but that withe condition off yelding themselues bothe to the subiection of the Iewes and to their institution in the Religion of god as thes did they might be receiued There was in deede difference betweene these nations which dwelled in the lande off the inheritaunce off the children of Israel and which dwelt rounde abowte them For where the Iewes might make league with the nations rounde abowte them withowt anie their submission vnto Religion they coulde not doo so with the Cananites c. And where in other nations after peace refused the children off Israell hauing taken a cytie owght to kepe a liue women and children in these ether resistinge them or not submitting themselues vnto the seruice of god it was not lawful to spare ether wemeÌ„ or children But that it was simplie vnlawful for theÌ„ to make league with them vvith any condition I thinke yt can not be shewed for theÌ„ Iosue aÌ„d the princes shoulde haue doone euil to haue kepte their othe with them after they had vnderstanded their frawde cosidering that all othes made againste the comÌ„aundement of god are to be brokeÌ„ And if it be saide that Iosue and the princes did euil in keping their othe the approbation off that facte is apparant in an other place where the vengeance for the lorde fell vppon all Israell by famyn and vpon the housse off Saul particulerly by executing those off his familie because the gabeonites had bene coÌ„trary to the tenure of the
and yet not slaine and not what are the meanes which the lorde hathe appointed for a whole and wholesome constitution off the bodie of the churche And iff excommunication or the one forme off gouernement were not necessarie for the churche because the churche which wanteth them maie be the churche by the same reason a man maie saye that the holie sacrament of the supper of the lord is not necessarie for the churche seing that in that companie where the worde of god is onelie preached and receiued there is the churche off god And hereof also the practise is to be sene in some places where the magistrate according to the churches the preaching off the word off god for certeine occasisions will not accorde the ministring off the supper Last off all M. Beza shewing the true markes of the churche addeth to the two former the discipline framed accordinge to the word con 5. 7. so that whatsoeuer necessitie commeth vnto the worde and Sacraments in that they are notes the same commeth also to the discipline by M. Bezaes Iudgement Where he quarrelleth with me as thowghe I had concluded off particulars onelie beside that he owght to know that man maie conclude a particular either affirmatiuely or negatiuely in any figure not onelie off particulars but off singulars he must vnderstand that a particular instance ouerthroweth him which opposeth matter of ceremonies and gouernemēt vnto matters off faithe and saluation generally and withowt exception His accusation against me for callinge the holie Sacramentes ceremonies considering that kind off speache is receiued amongest the diuines and I had no further occasion to speake off them then to shew they were ceremonies is vtterlie vnworthie any answere To the third Diuision pag. 81. The Answerer broileth thinges togither off the infinite mercie off god and of repentance in a moment of his vnsearchable iudgementes hauing neither heade nor fote in his talke And althowghe he would seme to saie somewhat against me yet in deede he confirmeth that which I haue set downe For when he saithe that the doctrine of free will being damnable of it selffe dothe not preiudice the mercie off god iff he meane that the merrie off God embraceth him that being infected with that error dothe by no especiall repentaunce call it backe as that which is vnknowen vnto him then he fullie agreethe with me Iff he meane that vppon speciall repentance and chaunge off minde in that pointe he obteine mercie he speaketh truelie but to no purpose off that matter whiche we haue in hande Therfore to bringe some light vnto those thinges which the A. withe his disorder darkeneth it is to be vnderstanded that first off all euerie transgression off the law be it neuer so litle off it selffe and in the owne nature is dānable Secondlie it is to be obserued that no synne vnto those whiche are throwghe faithe grafted into the bodie of Christ can bringe damnation as also withowt faithe I speake off those whiche haue vnderstanding there is none which bringeth not certaine deathe the mercie off god althoughe neuer so infinite being shut vp against all vnbeleuers Which I therfore add because the D. speaketh so confusedlie off the infinitenes off Gods mercie In the third place it must be seene what faultes vtterlie destroye the faith which is in Christ For it is cleere that those that doo not pull vp the rootes and rase the foundations of faithe can by no meanes shut the kingdome of heauen against those which are infected with them althowg he they do neuer come to the knowledge off them Wherin I thinke that no man off any Iudgement will denie that errors not in the hearers onelie but also in the teachers maye be suche as do not destroye the foundation And this thing maie be easelie shewed by diuerse places off scripture where this distinction off errors which destroie the foundations and which do not which hold the heade and which do not which are deadly and which are not may be easely gathered It remaineth onelie to see whether the erorr off fre will be amongest them whiche do not rase the foundations as I haue alledged or no. And when as one which mainteineth fre will maie holde the fre remission off sinnes in the grace off god and likewise holde that that grace is shewed vnto him for Christes sake these being the growndes off our saluation it must needes folowe that fre will dothe not rase the foundations For there is no necessitie that he who saithe that the spirite off God by the new birthe hathe giuen him power to die to synne and to liue vnto righteousnes should also affirme that it is giuen him off merite In the opinion that S. Peter had of his owne strenght and habilitie to die for Christ entangled as it may seeme with ignorance off this pointe off Religion touching the bondage off mans will he ceased not therfore to haue a true and iustifyinge faith in the sonne off God wherunto our sauiour Christ himselfe had giuen testimonie And if their were not sufficient holde in this example off Peter against the A yet in the greke doctors and some also off the latin as in Ierome especially which did not by one acte or two as Peter but by argumentes and open sayinges declare there liking of fre will this is manifest for dare the. A. saie of all thē that they beleued not the fre remission off syn̄es For Iesus Christes sake or helde not the foundation of religion all that time that they taught in the churche of god ād helde that opinion And if he graunt that they had faithe then I conclude that euen then when they helde fre will they helde the foundations which is not so in the example off beleuinge that the masse is a sacrifice for the quicke and the deade whiche he vnskilfullie comparethe withe this error off free will consideringe that that ouer throweth and turnethe vppside downe the materiall cause off our saluation which is the sacrifice off the sonne off god that he once for euer in his owne person offred for the sinnes off the worlde And therfore that error can not be in any in whom there is faithe I brought three reasons off comparison to proue that the worde off god is a rule to square out whatsoeuer thinge is to be doone in the orderinge off the church and the A. in callinge them bare wordes hathe made a quicke dispatche off them sauinge that his marginall note dothe kepe the wonte off vntrue surmisinge which vpon that I compare the gouernement with chaines and bracelets saithe that I account yt more pretiouse then the doctrine As iff the apparell which clothethe the nakednes were not alwayes more necessarie ād sometime also more preciouse then those iewels And if I had not this defence yet if I had fallen vppon an aduersary which had not bene disposed to trifle the lawe off comparisons which exacteth not likelihood in all thinges but onely in that where in
compasse off the law as can be the A. in imagining that vve haue no word for diuers thinges wherein the Iewes had particular direction presupposeth gteater perfection in the lawe gyuen vnto the Iewes then in that vvhich is left vnto vs And that this is a principal vertue off the lawe may be seen not onely by that I haue shewed that a conscience well instructed and towched with the feare off God seeketh for the light off the word off God in the smallest actions but euen by common reason the masters whereoff giue this rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie that yt greatly behoueth those lavves vvhich are vvell made as muche as can be to determine of all thinges and to leaue as fevve thinges as may be to the discretion off the iudges Where he saithe that the examples I browght off orders vvhich the Iewes did vvell obserue vvhereoff there was no expresse mention in the lawe off God make not to the pourpose for that he spake off ceremonies vsed abowt the worship off God I answer that that vvhich I haue alledged is a manifest confutation off those wordes which he hathe set downe nether was ther the least thing to be doon in the church omitted in the lawe For are not these thinges vvhich I browght example off to be doon in the church are they not Ecclesiasticall orders yea are not part off them which he denieth perteining to the seruice off God Yf these orders off the howre for the morning and afternoone sacrifice off preaching the vvord off God in a place vvhere yt may be best hard off fasting for the better humbling off the people before the lord in praier be not orders and Ceremonies perteining to the worshipp off God then the daylie sacrifices preaching the vvord off God and calling vppon his name vvhereunto these belonged are no partes off the worshipp off God then the vvhich there is nothing more absurde And verily this is not by iugling or sleight off hand to deceiue the eyes off the reader but by flat facing to endenour to make hym tourne them from the truthe That vvhich I said off the Iewes Ecclesiasticall gouernement by the morall and Ceremoniall lawe onely and not by the iudiciall as that vvhich may be cast downe with reasons owt off the vvord of God vvhich is here onely doon by autoritie of men I am vvell content it fall So that I haue no fault to finde vvith the Ans in this behalfe but that the vveapon he strooke this vvith all vvas not sharp enoughe Diuision 5. pag. 120 c. Of the nomber off thinges vvhich the Iewes had not particulerly decided by the lawe the reason is apparant vvhich I haue assigned that this hyndereth not but that there is a vvord and generall commandement to direct them by hath bene shewed that it is a vaine cauill that maketh doubt whether in saying that vve haue the same lavves to direct vs in the seruice off God vvhich the Ievves had I meane the Ceremoniall lawe or no appeareth by that vvhich I set downe in the third diuision p. 118. vvhere I receiuing the morall lawe for our direction left the Ceremoniall and of the same sort is that vvhich he vvrangleth in becawse I saie the nevve Testament is a noble addition vnto the ould considering that I adding vvherein namely that it maketh the ould more manifest and bringeth greater light shut owt all euen the least occasion off suche trifling And this maner of speach that I haue vsed Maister Caluin vvhich is here opposed hath him selff vsed Where he calleth in this respect the gospell an addition vnto the lavve yt remaineth to see vvhether in the matter off the iudiciall lawe that vvhich I haue set downe be straunge and daungerous as the A. surmiseth or no. It is not as the A. surmiseth vntruly that the magistrate is simply bound vnto the iudicial lawes off Moses but that he is bound to the equitie which I also called the substance and marrowe off them In regard off vvhich equitie I affirmed that there are certen lawes amongest the Iudicialles which can not be chaunged And hereof I gaue example in the lawes vvhich command that a stubbern Idolater blasphemer murtherer incestuous person and suche like should be put to death For the first point that the equitie of the iudicialls doth remaine ād therfore owght to be a rule to direct al lawes by to let passe the autoritie of M. Caluin M. Beza and other writers off our time that haue writen with any iudgement off this matter which doo in plaine wordes affirme that there is a perpetuall equitie in them and that our lawes albeit they differ in forme yet owght to reteine the reason or ground of them I saie to let that passe yt is to be considered that all these lawes morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall being the lawes off God and by his reueled will established must so far forth remaine as yt appeareth not by his will that they are reuoked And seing that the alteration which is come in this behalfe is by the comming off our Sauiour Christ onely yt is to be inquired what those lawes are which he put end vnto Which thing may be considered in that diuision which Saint Paul vseth where he saith that our Sa. Christ came to make peace first betwene God and men and then betwene men and men that is to say betwene the Iewes and Gentils The Ceremoniall lawe therefore beinge a lawe of enimitie which as a wall held owt the Gentils from ioyning them selues vnto the Iewes was necessary amongest other cawses in this respect to be taken away The curse off the lawe for the breache of any the lawes of god ether perteining to the Iewes in tymes past or vnto vs nowe being that which maketh the wall betwene the Lord and vs was for our reconciliation with his maiestie necessarily to be remoued Wherevppon followeth first that the morall lawe as that which nether hindereth our reconciliation with the Lord not our good agreement with men is in as full strenght as euer it was before the comming of our Sauiour Christ For the curse off the lawe beside that it is in regard off the elect rather fulfilled and executed in the persone off our Sa. Christ then abrogated beside that also yt hath a necessary vse as yet towardes the elect not onely to driue them to the faith which is in Christ Iesus but also to kepe vnder the remantes of rebellion euen of them which haue already beleued and beside that the force thereoff is daily ād shal be for euer execured vpon the wicked beside all this seing this curse was annexed not onely to the breache off the morall lawe but also off the Ceremoniall and Iudiciall there is no iuste cause why the morall lawe should be sayde to be abrogated At the least it can not stand which the Ans hathe very daungerously set downe that the whole lawe off god generally is
saying haue not answered the trust committed vnto them But if all godlie mindes doo abhor these absurdities there is no cause vvhy they should like of this corruption off the Doctor vvhereupon all these depende Na in that the Apostell putteth a sword in the hande off the Magistrates and in the vse off it maketh him a Minister and seruant off the vengeance and iustice off the Lord against sinne he striketh thorowe this opinion which imagineth that our sa Christe came to hange the sword off the Lordes iustice vpon the pleasure and vvill off men For the Magistrate being the Lordes officer as the Sheriff is the Magistrates yt is no more in his choise to vvithold the sword vvhich the lord hath put in his hand to drawe then in the power off the Sherif to staie the execution off that iudgement vvhich the magistrate him selfe hath lawefully commaunded Nowe seing there is a sword in the Magistrates hand by the doctrine off the Apostels and that also vvhich the magistrate must of dutie draw I vvould gladly knowe off the A. where that necessitie can be found if it be not in these crimes of blasphemy c. Which I haue set downe And if he saie that S. Paul by the sword vnderstandeth all manner off ciuill punishements as vvel by the pourse as by other bodelie chastisementes vvhich spare the life I graunt it but by an vsed maner off speache vvhich noteth the vvhole by the part he rather chose to vtter those punishemets by the sword thē ether by the vvhip or by the pourse Wherby he did not onely not exclude this necessitie off punishing malefactors by death but laied rather a streighter bond vpō the magistrate to execute those vvhich committ thinges vvorthie of death Hytherto generally of putting those to death vvhich commit thinges against the lawes remaining still in force as they vvere in times past established off the lord in the bloud off the transgressors Nowe I vvil come to the particular crimes vvhich I haue set downe And first for the crime off adulterie it is to be considered that yt is a breach off the most holy and auncient both institution and solemne couenant off the lord Then that it is an iniurie doon vnto the innocent part in the moste pretious possessiō that can be in thinges perteining to this present life ioyned with dishonour caste not onely vpō the person but vpō all his children and in a maner of al those which belōg vnto hī Thirdly that this fire doth not onely vvaste the familie vvhere yt is but maketh a breach into the cōmon vvealth vvhilest the right of inheritance ether of landes or offices is oftētimes thus translated frō the true inheriters vvhilest the children vvhich are so begotten hauing oftentimes les care and coste bestowed vppon them in their education become hurtefull members off the common vvealth Wherby all men may clearly see the perpetuall equitie off the lawe off God in the reuengement off this sinne by death And vvhen the lord addeth this for a reason off putting the adulterer to death that the euill may be taken ovvt off Israel vnto the heape off incommodities before rehersed for fault off exequuting his Iudgement off death he threateneth the whole common vvealth vvith mischeif to fall vppon yt And the equitie off this punishement by death hath so ligthsome colours vpon it that euen in this glymmering sight vvhich remaineth in the accursed nature off men it hath vpholden it self against the ignorance and iniustice off all vvhich haue not vvillingly put forth that sparkle vvhich standeth in the discretion of honestie For euen before this candell light of the lawe off God vvas set vp not onelie the Godlie as Iob vvhich vvere in some part reformed of the Generall blindenes but euen those vvhich vvere not of the church of god as Abimelech the king of Gerar ād the very Cananites as longe as there vvas any step off equitie amongest them did see that the filth off this sinne vvas such as ought to be vvashed away vvith the bloud of the offenders For vnhereas Isaac feared the assault both of his life ād of the chastitie of Rebecka the king ordeined that vvhosoeuer ether laide violent hand of him or had to doo vvith his wife should dye And in that Iuda called for Thamar to be led forth to death in the land off Canaan vvhere him selfe vvas but a priuate man for that she being made sure vnto a housband plaide the harlot he gaue to vnderstand that the Cananites vvhich had euen then filled a Good part off that measure off sinne vnto the brincke whereoff they came afterward did notwithstanding poursne adulterers vnto death And when the Lord did afterward gyue testimonie vnto this punishement by the expresse wordes of his lawe yt is manifest that the lawe which God hath written in the table off the hartes of all men pronounceth the sentence off death agaynst adulterers So that onles men will like Gyantes fight agaynst the light of nature or saye that our Sa. Christe came to abolishe that which in all times and with all nations not alltogether spoiled off the discretion off honestie and dishonestie was obserued yt foloweth that the punishement off death against adulterers and consequently muche more against incestuous meetinges standeth in as full force nowe as euer yt did before the cōming of our Sa. Christe And when as adulterie being the least off those faultes which I haue set downe is found worthy of death Yt is easye to see what is the iudgement off the reste Howbeit hauing spoken somewhat before off the ciuill punishement off those which offend against the seruice off God and more being to be saide vppon occasion afterward that the necessary punishement off murtherers by death may haue with the rest some particular defence let some thing be said thereoff Firste the consent off all nations were they neuer so sauage in punishing this sinne with death teacheth that yt is the lawe of nature which can not be broken nor dispensed with yt is further to be noted that the causes remaining whereupon that necessitie off punishement by death was grownded in the lawe the punishement must still remaine The Lord sheweth these causes of not sauing the life off a murtherer at any hand first because the bloud vvhich his hand hath shed poluteth the land so that there can be no purgation off yt but in the bloud off the murtherer secōdly because the Israelites whiche were the people of God ād thirdly because the lord him selfe had his abode there cōsidering first that the strenght of this sin̄e in polluting a land is as great as euer it was onles for grace giuen to one murtherer men will call the wrath off God vppon a whole people the necessitie off putting murtherers to death remaineth vnshaken Then forasmuch as Christian cōmon wealthes are the people off God amongest whom he maketh speciall residence beside the common obligation whereby all men
to admonishe those to whom the election off the ministers belongeth to tell them what maner a one owght to be chosen if that be not yet ys not this necessary to commend the election of the minister of the worde to the praiers of those whiche are presente at the election And where as he saithe that yt being extraordinary is not off necessitie to be followed he should haue saide that being extraordinary yt owght not to be followed Now vvhen he graunteth them to be suche as may be vsed althowghe not necessaryly he concludeth against him selfe that they are not extraordinary for as those thinges whiche are ordinarie in the worde off God owght to be followed so those thinges that are extraordinary are by no meanes of vs withowt an extraordinary spirite to be followed thinges whiche may be doone or lefte vndoone are nether ordinary nor extraordinari but haue a meane nature betweene bothe But as it is in in prouerbe the egle ketcheth no flies Maister D. hathe greater matters in hande then thes and yet to keepe the proprietie of speche profiteth muche to the keping off the pure nes of doctrine But the wordes off maister Caluine saithe he are plaine So they are in deede plaine to shewe your great vntreuth and plaine to shewe that which I contende for that is that althowghe some thinges are not to be followed yet other some thinges in this election are and owghte to serue for the direction off the election off the ministers nowe And because you shall not abuse the reader nether with the deniall off thinges to be so which are manifest nor guilfull escapes wherwithe yow goe aboughte to defeate the autorities which I alledge although yt be muche against my will to lenghthen my booke with translating so thicke and three folde of other mens sentences into mine yet being driuen to yt I had rather be somewhat troublesome to the reader then that yowr vnhonest practises shoulde not appeare to all that will not willingly close there eyes against the truthe But before I cum to maister Caluine I will set downe Cyprians wordes which are there commended by maister Caluin Cyprian therfore speaking off the election of a Minister writethe amongest other thinges thus God commandeth that the preyst shoulde be placed before the face off the vvhole congregation off the Ievves that is to say he dothe teache and shevve that the ordeininges off the ministers ovvghte not to be made but vvithe the knovvledge of the people standing by vvherby they being presente either theyr faultes shoulde be discouered or their vertues commended and so it may be a iuste and a lavvfull ordination vvhich is by the voyces and iudgemētes of all examined The vvhiche after vvard according to the dyuine mastershippe or authoritie is obserued in the Actes off the Apostels vvhere Peter speaketh vnto the people off ordeining a bishop into Iudas place Off which place fyrst yt appeareth that the people not onely had but oughte to haue to doo in the appointing off there minister and that not by any custome or decree off men but by the eternall worde off God bothe in the olde and newe Testament Also that theyr right consisteth bothe in examining the life off him which is to be chosen and in the approbation off him yff they like off him or refusall iff they like him not which Cyprian proueth bothe by the 20. off the numbers by this place and the sixte off the actes which he also citeth Now I come to maister Caluin After he hathe in the 13. section shewed that the election off the Apostell into Iudas place is no certaine rule for our elections he sheweth further whearin yt is no rule namely for that the election there was committed to lotte the vocation off an Apostell so requiring that by the iudgement off the lotte as yt were by Gods owne mowthe a successour might be appointed in steed off Iudas But in the 14. section he sheweth the lorde so approuethe off the iudgment off men vvhich he after expoundeth the churche that euen in the Apostels appointement vvhich haue this prerogatiue that they shoulde be created immediatly from God the iudgment off the churche shoulde not be passed by and to that endecitethe the 13. off the actes and 2. verse and this place off the first off the actes and 23. verse and off those places gathereth a perpetuall document to establishe the discipline and order off the churche in elections for euer Whearby appeareth that maister Caluins minde is not as the doctor woulde make vs beleue that ther can nothing be gathered out off this place perteining to our elections Afterward confuting them which vppon the places off Timothy and Titus gooe abowte to proue that the election off the ministers is in the Bishopps powre he saithe thus VVel therfore sayd CyPrian vvhyle he contendeth that yt commeth off the authoritie off god that the minister shoulde be chosen the people being presente in the eies off all and shoulde be by the cōmon iudgment and testimonie approued vvorthy and fitt And forth with reciting Cyprians vvordes before alledged and quoting this place off the Actes he concludeth in this sorte vvee haue therfore saith he that this is the lavvfull vocation by the vvorde off God vvhere those vvhich are chosen are appointed by the consent and approbation off the people Here againe yt is manifest that Maister Caluine vseth this place off the Actes to proue that the election owghte not to be withowte the approbation and consent off the people Furthermore speaking against the popishe election for that in yt all is in the pleasure off the bishoppe He citeth Leo and Cyprian which proue that by the worde off God the church owghte to haue her interest in the election off the minister and many Synodes which dooe severely prohibite suche elections and if they be made commaund that they shoulde be off none effect Then concludeth yff thes thinges be trvve there is this day in poperie no canonicall election nether by Godes nor by any ecclesiasticall lavve And if there vvere nothing els hovve can they excuse them selues that they haue spoiled the churche off her righte And so goeth forthe with confuting off the same reasons off the Papistes which are afterwardes alleadged off the doctor This may be sufficiente to let the reader vnderstande howe the Ans woulde shamefully abuse him with the authorytie off M. Caluin Wherin I doe not forget that in going abowte to proue that this place off the Actes hathe place in diuers pointes in the ordinary election I haue together with those places belonginge to the examinatiō pressed also those which touche the election yt selffe Which I did pourposely that I myghte not be compelled to set downe thes places againe a litell after Where yt beinge alleged for the election which is here alledged for the examination receiueth the same answere off the S. which this doothe Vnto my reason in the second Diuision that if an
haue answered yt before There is nothinge so easie which is not harde to him that is vnwillinge And therfore the A as Salomons sluggard saith that the Lion whose delighte is in the foreste and in the wildernes is in the highe streat or in the burse that is to saie maketh difficulties wher none is And as this partly cometh of his vnwillingnes so diuers of thes questions if he doo not dissemble come of wante off knowledge not onely of the gouernemente of the churches nowe but off all aunciete tymes For he asketh who shall complaine off the faulte committed in the election to the churches by if the elders to vvhom that care especially apperteineth doo not others owght whō that disorder offendeth Ther needeth no callinge together and therfore no danger off tumulte disorder confusion charges partes takinge runninge vpp and downe losse off time offence quarels yt is enowghe that yt be doone by the eldership off the churches and if were needfull to haue the churches who le consente it might be doone in ordinarie meetinge for the seruice of god without anie of those things which the D. imagineth The churches maie admonishe by their seueral or cōmen letters emōgeste thē But aske me not who shall carie the letter what he shal haue for his paines whether he shal ride or goe a foote whiche yow might as well as those fonde questiōs which you haue moued It is meete the prouinciall Synodes be certeine and standinge as often also as maie be conueniently and it was ordeined as I thinke in one of the Africane Councels that their shoulde be at the leste twoo or three euery yeare So there shall be as spedie prouision off a pastor for the churche in suche cases off difference as now when they be without a pastor six whole monethes For the questions who shall summon the Synodes and in what place they shall be holden they perteine not to this questiō onles the A. will haue no Synodes at all for if he admitte them the sum̄oner and the place which are meete for the assemble generally and for the decidinge off all causes which fall into the consideracion off the Synod are meete also for this cause And where he asketh what if the prince doo not his dutie then yt is as if there vvere no godly magistrate then yt is vvith them as if suche a disorder shoulde happen vnder an vnchristian prince and then the people shall perishe in their sinnes but their bloud shall be required at his hand But still the A. seethe not how hee reasoneth againste hym selfe For if none of the bishoppes off the foresaide parishes none off the elders neither those bishoppes and elders vvhich emongeste the reste and in the name off all are chosen as the flowres oute of the prouince ād sente to the Synode nor the magistrate I saie if none off all thes nor all thes together doo their dutie how shall we thinke that the bishopp vvill doo it And iff hee doo yt in appoinctinge a fitt bishopp for the parishe and the parishe will not admitt him but take one vvhich is vnmeete off their owne choise what remedy hath he when he is forsaken off the magistrate Thus as shortly as I coulde I haue answered this legion off questions and if my answer in speakinge off thinges so commen be tedious take thy selfe good reader vnto the A. which merueileth at them as if they came oute off India Where he saithe I thus appointe the Prince a good office I haue shewed that the scripture appointeth yt and not I and it is the moste honorable office which the Prince can haue to see the churches be kepte in good order nether taketh yt any thinge from the royall estate that he muste obey and serue the lorde And where he saithe by this meanes the Prince muste stande and loke on all this while and in the ende laie to his hande I answer that wheras thes waies off admonition by the churches and Synode are sente before his authoritie yt serueth not onely for the ease off the magistrate whilest that after this sorte oftentimes the difference is ended before it come to him but also agreeth better with the maner off Phisicke which owght to be vsed in such diseases For that vvhich may be conueniently wonne vvith a vvorde shoulde not be gotten by the sworde and that vvhich maye begotten to bee doone with conscience shoulde not be essaied by compulsion Yowr slaunder that wee gyue no more to the cyuill magistrate then the papistes so often repeted is already and god willing shall be more apparante Yt is also a notable and an impudente slaunder that the Magistrate muste onely at the cōmaundemēt of the seniors execute suche lawes as they haue deuised wher as wee holde that if al the bishopes and elders in the realme woulde decree vnlawfull thinges the Prince owght to make them voide ād that he may ād owght to punishe all ecclesiasticall persons which walke disorderly Likewise yt is a fond dreame of surcharginge the Prince with thes matters as thowgh the Princes authoritie necessarily deriued vnto diuers in euery shire for other affaires off gouernment maie not likwise depart also this care vnto them Therfore if yow haue no better exceptiōs then these I am not afraied stil to cōmit my reasons to the iudgement not onely of the godly vvhich rest in authoritie of the word but euen off the wise ād reasonable man which maketh his account of likelihoodes THes highe wordes that he remembreth no learned writer new nor oulde which denieth that there were fewe professors of the gospell in the Apostels times in respecte off those professe nowe what haue they beside a crake And in respecte off the oulde writers yt is absurdly saide For howe coulde they compare the nomber of the professors of our times with those which were in the primitiue churches onles they shoulde prophecie seinge they were dead long before And maketh yt for yow if the newe writers doo not denie this Iff it he no good reason from the scripture negatiuely in those thinges which yt professeth to speake off is it good from other vvriters and frō one parte off them in thinges which they make no profession of ▪ I looked therfore yow shoulde haue browghtesome vvhich by affirming that yow saie mighte if not make it true yet at the leste seeme true I could off yowr chalenge take occasion to bringe all the peregrination off Sainct Paul declared in the Act. Epistles and especially in the 15. Rom. drawen to my hand by which appeareth that he for his parte onely had caused the Gospell to sounde in more then halfe off the worlde I coulde also fetche in Euseb and Ierome which testifie vvhat the other Apostels did for their parte I propounded that which I saide withoute proofe because the thinges are manifestly knowen and suche as can not be denied yow affirme withowte all proofe that in controuersie and wheruppon yowr cause in yowr
worse and that it was not able to put this order off the church to flight vntill yt approching vnto her full age had gotten greater strenght off wickednes What Ierome hath of this matter I haue shewed In the next Diuision beside this question whether yt be conuenient for a minister to take wages which can liue off his owne which I will not enter into there is nothing but bare repetition and open petition of that in controuersie The next chap. of Ceremonies in ordeining is answered before That functions off Apostels Euangelistes and Prophetes are not ordinarie Chap 3. pag 229. TO th end it may be better vnderstanded that the D. hath here in maintenance of his Anabaptisticall dreame so confusedly turned vppon heapes I will first mainteine the argumentes which I haue set downe after answer vnto his reasons taken out of the scripture thirdly shewe howe impudently he hath abused the autoritie both of elder and later writers to couer this phrenesie Which shal be doon so much the shorter as he is vnworthye any answer at all First to nip at the distinction off ordinary and extraordinary functions receiued off all which haue but a sparkle off iudgemente he saith that the gift off foretelling thinges to come was for the tyme wherin yt was ordinary Which beside that yt is senseles yt being ordinary in this part which is doon by a setled order and rule appointed off God vnto his church yt ys also from the pourpose consideringe that the question is not off an ordinary function in the beginning off the Gospell but off the gospell symply which reacheth to the whole estate off the church vnder the Gospell Therfore forasmuch as he can not deny but such Prophetes if any were should nowe be extraordinary the distinction standeth After to that I set downe off the vvord Apostel extended in the proper signification to all Ministers that are sent which the knowledge of the Greek word might haue led him to he opposeth Caluin which saith in the proper signification it onely comprehendeth the nombre off 12. Wherin he declareth himselfe but a trifler For onles he be at defiance vvith his grammer he shal be constreined will he nill be to confesse it to be true which I haue set downe That which Maister Caluin saith is not contrary considering that vvhere I spake off the generall vse off the worde he spake of the vse off it in the newe Testament where it is most vsually taken in that sense As for that he saith it is the proper signification he meaneth not the naturall as I ment and expressed but the particular in which sense proper is also taken which appeareth in that he calleth the other generall Where I assigned a proper note off an Apostell to be called immediatly off God he setteth him selfe to confute it when a litle before he had statly confessed that yt is a thing proper vnto the Apostels to be called off God immediatly His first exception is of Matthias which he saith was not so chosen which is vtterly vntrue where he saith also that I confesse the same that is an open vntruth For I shewed that the election out off those two was permitted vnto lot that thereby the Lord might from heauen declare whom he would haue to be an Apostell So that the church chose no Apostle but onely chose twoo off the which one was taken by the Lord to be an Apostle His other exception is off Barnabas which being an Apostle as he saith appeareth by the 11. off the Actes not to haue bene called immediatly where there is not a word which confirmeth that and therfore he durst not note the place whereoff he gathered yt Where he saith it can not be proued by the scripture that he was so called he beggeth the thing in controuersie not able to answer the reasons alledged For where he saith that S. Paul doth not say that he sawe Christ to proue that he was an Apostel but to proue that he was not inferiour to other Apostels he is manifestly confuted both by the wordes going before and folowing after For hauing propounded this for his question am I not an Apostell ād not as he saith am I inferior to any Apostel he addeth for a reasō haue I not seen Christe And in the next wordes that followe yf I be not an Apostell vnto others yet I am to yovv he declareth that the estate off the question is there whether he were an Apostel or no. To that I alledged off the protestantes prouing that the Pope can not be Peters successour because there is no succession into the office off an Apostell he aswereth not To that I alledged off Epaphroditus called an Apostel not in respect of the ministrie of the vvord but as sent vvith relief vnto Saint Paul he patcheth out an answer almost of as many coulors as he alledgeth autorities out off the Centuries that he was an Apostel in that sense that Paul and the rest off the Apostels were Which beside that yt is false they onely affirming that he was an Apostel is cleane contrary to that he alledgeth out off Caluin that it is taken there generally for any sent to preach and therefore it can not be taken in that signification off Apostels in which the 12 and Paul. yt is contrary also to that owt off Ambrose which saying that he was therefore called an Apostel because he was sent off Paul confirmeth in part that which I haue set downe that he was called an Apostle not in respect off any dignitie off ministery aboue others Ministers off the word but onely in that he was sent Finally contrary to that alledged owt of Theodoret which so calleth hym an Apostle that forthwith also he maketh him to be a Bishop When as if he be a Bishop he can not be such an Apostell as the 12. considering that they be twoo seuerall members off the ministers off the Gospell differing by the D. owne cōfession at the least in the place of exercise off their misterie the bishop hauing an especiall bonde to his Bishopricke and the Apostel preaching Where he thincketh need Where he saithe also that it confirmeth his side that he is called the Apostell off the Philippians and other the Apostels off the churches for that thereby it may appeare that one may be Apostel off a kingdome or off a prouince he dalieth with his reader For in that place I alledged out off the 2. Corinthes 8. the Apostels off the churches are not so called in respect off any ministery off the word but off the almes which they were sent with And beside that the church off the Philip. was nether prouince nor kingedome but a particular church Epaphroditus is not called their Apostel in that he was sent off Saint Paul vnto them but in that the Philip. sent him to Saint Paul as the wordes which followe immediatly after obserued off Maister Beza doo declare So that yf that place
Euangelists more to these then to those Nowe therefore forsomuch as yt ys manifest by the subscription of S. Pauls epistels that he writing did the office of an Apostle it is also cleare that both S. Mathew and Iohn being Apostels in writing the storie off the Gospell did the same and that the committing off the Gospell to writing was not the proper difference off any speciall office but according to thoccasions offered and mouing of the holy spirit off God commen to other functions off that time And as the Pastors off our time which both preach and write differ not in ministerie from those which preach onely and are oftentimes more excellent pastors then they so the wâ—sting off Saint Iohn and Mathew being Apostels off Saint Lucke and Marck Euangelistes might paraduenture make them more excellent Apostels or Euangelistes then those which wrote not but to chaunge their ministerie it could not Last off all off this answer followeth thabsurditie before noted that one man at the same time should be first and second before and behinde himselfe That an Euangelist at one time may be a bishop at an other maketh litle for the D. considering that we shewe that Timothe was euen then at Ephesus an Euangelist when he supposeth hym to haue bene bishop Howbeit it is vnlike that they which were ordeined Euangelistes and set in higher degree aboue the Pastor were without their fault thrust downe vnto the order of Bishops Men nowe a daies peraduenture may chuse to an office off charge one whom vppon better triall as not altogether sufficient they may cause to rise out off his chaire and sit in a lower place but in the Apostels ordinatioÌ„ especially of Timo. in whom they were directed by the voice off God it could by no meanes comme to passe This being vntrue in the Euangelists cast down to thoffice off bishops ys yet more vntollerable in the Apostels For they are by this meanes not let but cast headlong downe from the highest staier in the ministerie vnto the lowest almost yea by the D. saying which maketh the Pastor and the Doctor all one euen vnto the lowest But it can not be that they which were appointed by the voice off Christe immediatly to the Apostelship can ether off theyr owne or any other autoritie in yearth be put from that ministerie And therefore our men doo substantially dispute against the Papistes which would haue Peter bishop of Rome for that being ordeined an Apostel he could not betake him vnto thoffice off a bishop which the Answ with diuers other groundes would to mainteine his phantasies gladly shake The reason pretended out off Zuing. for that they abode in one place yf it be his is vnsufficient For to omit that it is easy to shew that Iames immediatly after he was ordeined to the Apostelship at thascension off our Sauiour exercised his charge in one place namely Ierusalem during his whole life whereby should follow that he was neuer any Apostell and to let passe that Eusebius citeth out off Clement that all the Apostels remained by the space off xij yeares in Ierusalem after our Sauiour Christes ascension whereby they all should be bishops during that time to say nothing also off Saint Paule which teaching at Rome and there looking to end his life eueÌ„ from thence writeth him self an Apostle aÌ„d not a bishop I say to let all this passe which notwithstaÌ„ding casteth downe this opinioÌ„ the Ans must know that thabiding long in one place doth not make a bishop differ froÌ„ an Apostel but the necessitie and bond to abide in one place by reason of his particular function Which when it nether can be shewed off any Apostel and is as hath bene shewed directly contrary to his function yt can not be that the abode in one place should proue a chaunge off the Apostelship into the function off a bishop Whereby is also answered the last reason off the D. that Tim. was bishop becawse he retourning to Ephesus died there For yf that were graunted what reason is there that whereas by the biscours off the scriptures before alledged it appeareth Timothe tawght in diuers churches he should be saide bishop off Ephesus becawse that was the last church he instructed why not off the first or second as well as off the last it is all one as yf a man being a straunger in diuers places should be saide to be Cytisen of that were he laieth his bones Wherein the D. againe approcheth vnto the absurditie off the Papistes which against that the Protestantes alledge that Peter is saide off writers as well bishop off Alexandria and Antioche as off Rome answer that the differeÌ„ce is great because he died at Rome Nether helpeth it him any thing which he alledgeth in an other place out of Cal. that Tychicus was sent to supplie Timothies absence For beside that the Apostle doth not goe so far and whatsoeuer can be saide in that point is coniecturall Calu. wordes do not necessarily enforce a deputie considering that absence may after a sort be supplied by a successour And if beside the first ordination off Timoth. vnto the function off an Euangelist which is vnlimited we will consider the manner off his embassage towardes the Ephes there can nothing les be gathered then this that Timothe was off Saint Paul instituted bishop off Ephesus whereby he should need a deputy For in that he sent him desyring him to tary for him there he declareth that he was not sent to remaine alwaies but for a tyme But if the Answ take exception that I haue found out this newe translation to make the place serue for my turne fyrst I trust that those which haue still in the greek will easly graunt that the word will bear this sense then it hath some confirmacion of that which Saint Paul writeth off diligence to be vsed in his caling there vntill his coÌ„ming Which word vntill although not alwaies yet for the most part maketh an eÌ„d of that whereunto it is applied Last off all it appeareth by Augustin which vseth this translation that yt was off auncient tyme receiued which testimonie off antiquitie cast in when the skoles are euen on both sides may cary it away Thus I leaue it to the Iudgement off the indifferent reader what truth it hath that the Answ affirmeth of Timothes being bishop at Ephesus I returne back to the generall treatise off the Euangelist Where I shew that if there vvere Euangelistes yet the bishops could not ordein theÌ„ being their inferiors he answereth that yt can not be proued that an Euangelist is of higher degree theÌ„ a bishop Yf O. Paules autoritie be not sufficient which setting the ministries off the word so precisely in order preferreth the Euangelist and Prophet vnto the Pastor or bishop nor the Iudgement off writers whereoff although some make an Euangelist next in honor vnto an Apostle some the Prophet yet both sortes prefer the
may better appeare for that in other places where S. Paul deuideth the whole mynistrie of the churche the ministrie off the word which he vttered here by the word off Prophecie he there attributeth not vnto Prophetes but vnto Bishops And when as the prophecie which the D. phansieth is a simple Ministrie off the church that Prophecie mencioned there being compounded muste needes be diuers Likewise that a Prophet to the Corin. is taken generally for any which instructeth with any word off exhortation yt is apparant both by that S. Paul attributeth prophecying to all which haue any gift off teaching and in that he doth so often oppose it to the fruteles speaking in a straunge toung amongest the assembly of the faithfull His testimonies out off writers remaine wherein amongest the auncient he hath onely a counterfeit sentence off Ambrose as I haue before declared which as yt ys full of confusion and disorder so yt maketh nothing for the D. for if Apostels be bishops and Euangelistes and Euangelistes be Deacons c. what maketh that to proue that there are beside the bishops and Deacons seuerall functions of Apostels and Euangelistes which is the question But how this fable is beaten down by all auncient antiquitie that may be a sufficient argument that the auncient writers in great consent speake off the whole ministrie off the church as deuided into thes three orders Bishops Elders and Deacons After that other ministries entred as doorkepers subdeacons c. yet there were none but such lightheaded spirits as I haue before spoken off that durst peint out any their mynysteries with the names off Apostels Euangelistes and Prophetes For the new writers that the D. if his forhead be not of yron may learn to blush I will towch their Iudgment onely which he hath alledged for him self Maister Caluin diuiding the mynistrie off the word into Apostels Prophetes Euangelistes Pastors and Doctors affirmeth that the tvvo last onely that is to say Pastors and Doctors are ordinary Bucer likewise deuiding them into perpetuall and for a tyme affyrmeth that these perteine vnto thestate off the former church and correcteth the D. Ambrose for appliyng them to his times by the true Ambroses sentence to the contrary in the fyrst of his Offic. Peter Martyr vsing the same diuision sheweth that the function off Apost and Prophets are not in vse and that the ministrye of Prophets is not onely expyred in respect of telling thinges to come but also for the manner off interpreting the scripture That he speaketh not the same off the Euangelist was for that the Apostle maketh no mention off him in that place Musculus deuideth the mynisteries off the vvord into those vvhich serued for the beginning off the gospell as Apost Euang. Proph. and those vvhich cōtinue for euer as Pastors Doctors Elders Bishops Bullinger saith the office off Apostleship Prophetship and Euangelistship were instituted off the Lord for a tyme and that thes many ages euen synce the foundacion off the kingedome off Christ both Apostels Euangelistes and Prophetes are ceassed into vvhose place are come bishops Pastors Doctors and Elders Last off all the confession off the churches hauing spoken off all mynisteries off the word mencioned off the Apostel concludeth that off all those now it is lawfull to esteeme mynistries off the churche Bishops Elders Pastors and Doctors Thes autors affirming that thes mynistries be extraordinary that they were for a time that other are come into their places the reader may see how the D. dealeth with him Let yt now be noted how he hath haled thes sentences taken from them Out off Maister Caluin he alledgeth that God hath stirred vp Apostels or Euangelistes synce the time of the primitiue churche and hath doone so at this tyme. Within a lyne after he addeth yet I call that extraordinary because in churchs vvell dressed it hath no place Of the like sort yt ys that he alledgeth owt off my booke whereas vpon Maister Caluin so of my wordes which affirme that God hath raised vp sometimes Euangelistes immediatly by his spirit vvithout any calling off men he woulde conclude that the office is ordinary and perpetuall then which bouldnes what can be greater Out of Bucer he alledgeth that there be now Euāgelists Where if his maner of speach that there are found Euangelists could not yet that which he addeth that God doth it by merueilous meanes ought to haue kept him from that allegacion except he thinck that a miraculous calling be perpetuall and ordinary Out of the Confess is brought that thes offices off Apostles c. are mynistries off the new Testament els should they haue great iniury seing they were both in tyme and dignitie first but who the D. set a part would euer conclude therof that they are perpetuall ministeries especially considering it addeth immediatly in plaine wordes that the Apostles are ceased and Pastors come into their places which could not be yf it had any such meaning as the D. phansieth Where it saith that there are yet Prophetes yf that were not which I alledged out of it towhing the shutting owt of those three ministeries from them which are now in vse yet the manner off speaking there are yet found the same with that of Bucer before alledged declareth that they ment therby an extraordinary calling For so we vse to speak of thinges rare and not in commen vse Last off all where yt is alledged owt off Bullinger that the wordes mentioned to the Ephe. are confounded yt doth not make for him but is answer both against the most places brought to proue Timothe a bishop and against those which he hath cited in the 3. and 4. Diuision off this chap. for if those ministries being separate one from an other their names notwithstanding be confounded yt muste follow that not euery one which is called an Apostle or bishop c. hath that function which is by some proprietie seuered from other and which the Apostle mēt to the Eph. for where one man being an Apostle is sometimes called a Prophet Bishop Doctor Elder and Deacon yf he will say that because he is called by thes titles he did therefore all those functions proper vnto those mynistries beside thabsurdities before shewed the vntruth doth manifestly appeare in the office off disposing off the churches money Whereoff the Apostles discharging them selues ceassed not therefore sometime to be called by the same name off Deacons And to vse those authorities which he hath brought Ierom calleth I say the Prophet both Euangelist and Apostel Yet I think the D. doth not esteme Ierom to haue had so litle iudgement as to think that he was ether off them in that signification they are taken of Saint Paul. likewise where he hath cited out off Caluin that Timothe was a Pastor when Caluin calleth him also an excellent Doctor and maketh that a seuerall function from the Pastor yt is cleare that he spake not off
he hath off one vvhen that one is able to mainteine him and his familie honestly he answereth not yet was it necessary to be answered considering that therby the peinting of that Zeale vnder pretence whereoff they spred their nettes ouer so many churches is washed away Where he accuseth me whotly other of deceiuing or being deceiued in that the Councell off Nice is put withowt the addition off Second wherby yt might be seuered from the purer Councell off Nice I can not precisely say whether the leauing owt off Second were my fault or the fault off some other but that I meant to deceiue none there be which can witnes by that that in the second edition howsoeuer yt was omitted I gaue a note wherby that should be corrected His reasō wherwith he would proue that I ment to abuse the reader for that I set it before Damasus is to friuolous considering that that conterfeict Damasus mentioned in the first Tome off councels was not before this second Councell and yt is not vnwonted to put the iudgemēt off a councell before that off a particular person As for the corruption off the Councell I haue shewed how that maketh more against the D. then if the testimonie had been fetched from the first Councell And where he saith the Councell ment that one should not haue permitted vnto him moe great cyties then one yt is a shameles corruption off the minde off the Councell Considering that the drift theroff is that one should not haue more to liue one then is needfull to mainteine him self competently and therfore is cōtent as it were to wincke at those which are placed in poore churches not able to mainteine their Pastor albeit it inclineth rather to this that he should supply that which is wanting by some honest occupation That he addeth that Gratian him self doth so expound it all men vnderstand how vnsauourly yt is spoken As yf it were any meruaile that Gratian so expounded yt which is knowen to be an open corrupter off the Councels and manifestly in this point off hauing many benefices not onely in this councell but in that off Calcedon For where the Councell decreed that no man might be ordeined in tvvo cyties he doth impudently dally with it saying he may be notvvithstanding Archebishop of one cytie and bishop of an other prouided that he enioy the one as intituled to yt and the other by vvay off commendation Which is but a toy to mock an ape As if a man should say that yt were not lawfull to haue two wiues at ones but yet he might haue two weomen one vnder the title off a wife an other of a lem̄end This interpretation off the Councell is yet made worse by the D. for he addeth that a Pastor may not be ordeined in moe great cities then one as thoug the Councell would permit one to be ouer diuers small cyties The proofe browght by the Councell that euery one ovvght to tary in that vocation vvherin he is called is fit The reason against yt that the Apostle speaketh off the kinde off vocation and not off the place is fonde as thowgh yt were not a mannes calling to doo that he hath to doo in one certein place or as thowgh yf the soldier or embassadour commaunded to serue in one place serue in an other he offended not against this rule off the Apostle Where fault is found that I set downe councels in the plurall numbre alledging but one he dealeth very streightly which will not suffer me to speake as other doo but that there may be councels let him learne that the same was decreed in the councell off Toledo Wherunto I ioyne Maister Hopers iudgement which saith that no man off vvhat giftes soeuer may haue tvvo liuinges and therfore he is not so much a shepherd which hath many flockes as the D. saith as a theef seing not able to doo the office of a Pastor towardes them he pilleth them Towching Damasus that his pourpose was nothing les then to condemne idle bishops him selfe idlest off all shal be seen in an other place when yt shall appeare that he had no good meaning in thes wordes Notwithstanding the comparison which likeneth the Pastors that put ouer their charge vnto harlots that gyue their children to other to nourse that they may sooner gyue them selues to lust being apt I tooke as a good stone set in an euill place In the next diu the first part that it is better that one should haue diuers flockes then any be vntawght is answered in that yt is both better that one church be sufficiently fed then all insufficiently and it is alledged before and after how the want off preachers is in part becawse they are not sought after in part because they are driuē owt which were placed The other part is also answered All the Answer witnesses browght in to proue that Denis the Monkish pope fyrst deuided parishes and Dioceses are suspected Polidore whom he hath chosen to speake in the name off the rest doth as the D. hym selfe hath doon falsifie the wordes off the Monke Considering that he saith not that he appointed dioceses but parishes and churche yardes onely making no mention off dioceses Wherupon the Canonistes them selues say that boundes off bishoprickes were deuided long before Both which opinions shall appeare more at large to be false where I shall shewe God willing by what practises the bishoppes stretched owt their armes so far Afterward the man in going abowt to shew mine proclaimeth his owne ignorance For where he saith ther was no limitation off place in the Apostles tyme he is greatly deceyned For beside that there is almoste in euery story before the Apostles often mention off prouinces wherinto the gouernementes were deuided Cicero maketh mention off the diuision off prouinces into dioceses The Romans likewise before the Apostles had their Curias the same with the greeke word wherof our word parish is taken Also towching the very word parish by that Eusebius reciteth owt off Apolonius a Senator off Rome who liued about the yeare off our Lord 180. of Montanus vvhich could not be receiued not so much as of his ovvne parish vvhence he vvas yt appeareth that it was both in vse and in the same signification that we take yt long before Denis off whom the D. would father this diuision off Parishes was bishop So yt is manifest thes diuisions were before the Monkes tyme yea before the Apostles time And where he saith all men may know that limitation off Parishes and dioceses could not be made but off men in authoritie and theruppon concludeth that it could not be made by the Apostles yt is very true towching the precise limitacion but how is he so blinded that he can not also therby see that yt is an idle dreame that he so greatly stryueth for that Denis limited dioceses parishes c considering that the Denis he supposeth lyuing
them His proofes comming a mile after are first that a mans meaning is commenly better expressed by writing then by word Which beside that it is confuted by commensense all men knowing that there is more certeine vnderstanding by word off mouth thē by lettres which if any doubt arise in any word can say nothing to the resoluing off it as yt is alledged it can not tend but to vtter subuersion off the lordes order and to proue that commenly and for the moste part it is better to haue reading then preaching The other is that writing remaineth as if the question were wether canonicall writing off the scriptures were better then preaching and not whether there be more fruict in bare reading that which is written then preaching vppon yt In this chap. which supposeth reading preaching beside straunge asseuerations and begging of that in controuersie there is nothing sauing that as absurdities are fruictfull this beggetteth other for pressed he shameth not to say that a child off 4. yeare olde is a preacher off the gospell And why not also a popeniay tawght to pronounce some sentences off scripture for the D. reason because preaching 10 Rom. 14 is all publishing off the gospell by externall voice serueth for one as for the other And beside that it is friuolous that off that God speaketh to vs by reading he would conclude that he preacheth to vs as though all speaking were preaching yt is absurd that he saith the scriptures are not preached in respect off him that readeth but in respect of the spirit of God worcking in the hearers For if reading were preaching yt should be preaching although it wrowght to condēnation wheras by the D. all which hearing the word preached profit not are not preached vnto Which as it is a grosse error so it is a shamefull derogation to the ministery off the word worcking mightely not onely to the saluation off the elect but also throwgh their fault to destruction off the reprobate To the places prouing that it is necessarily required in a minister that he should not onely be sufficiently learned but haue also the gift off vtterance he answereth not Towching that the priestes lippes should kepe knowledge and not his papers he answereth that he shall haue it readier in his lippes if he haue yt in his papers which is not to pourpose seing we spake off those which haue yt onely in papers Then he hath a childish cauill that if he reade he must vse his lippes as if the Prophet contented him self if the priestes were able to reade onely and did not note therby the aptnes to teach as by vncircumcised lippes is noted heauines or vnreadines off speache That a Preacher able for vtterance and learning to preach may reade a sermon if he meane priuately is not in question if publikely yt belongeth to the question off Homilies His case off a man pronouncing an other mans sermon withowt booke beside the fondnes is from the cawse That the reading of Ieremies and Baruchs bookes was preaching becawse the bookes were sermons ys to dreame and not to dispute The 15. 16. verses Rom. 15. make nothing to proue reading preaching but make rather against him in that the Apostle shewing that his writing to them was grownded off Gods calling sowght a more generall word off worcking for the gospell which agreeth to any action the minister doth by reason off his ministery ether in ministring the Sacramentes or otherwise The difference Sainct Paul putteth between his preaching is apparant althowgh the D. hath lost his sight That S. Paul ment he could not personally preach vnto them is his addition corrupting the minde off the Apostle For where shewing that he had great desire to be personally with them form spirit he was not absent he addeth for a cawse that he might preach the D. by this answer drowneth the effect in the cause ād so maketh the Apostle assigne cawses which cawse nothing nor haue any thing to be referred vnto Where I shewe that S. Paul vvriting is no more preaching then his hand or penne he vvrote vvith be his toung lightes or other instrumentes he spake vvith he answereth not for that as he saith it is a iest Where if his cause could speake it woulde complaine that he maketh no more account of it then to esteme her head stroked when it is cracked a sonder for the reason is of the efficient cause seing they can not be the same which can not be made by the same instrumentes To mainteine his ridiculous demaunde was not reading off Deut. preaching he should haue shewed that the reading off yt is rather preaching then reading off Exodus which he doth not Howbeit he concludeth that the reading theroff was preaching becawse the Lord commaunded that the priestes should reade yt that the people might learne to feare God which is as ridiculous For so peinting and grauing off the scriptures is preaching and peinters and grauers which sometimes knowe neuer a lettre off the booke shall be come preachers Considering that the Lord cōmaunded that the lawe should be grauen in the entrance of their land and writtē vpō their cytie gates and howses to this end that the people might learne to feare God c. After he asketh why Iosia should cawse the lawe to be redd if reading had not bene off at great force to perswade as preaching which phrensie belonging to another question is answered before Where he concludeth that for that reading is as effectuall as preaching therfore it is preaching beside the falsehood off the antecedent the conclusion is too bad for if the raine be as effectuall to cawse the fruictes grow as the sonne and meat as effectuall to perserue the life as drincke it followeth not therfore that the raine is the sonne or meat drincke Where vppon Nehem. 8. he would proue reading preaching there is not a word wheron it may be gathered but contrariwise they are manifestly distinguished in that chap. For beside reading there mentioned he setteth forth preaching by all these wordes that the Leuites cavvsed the people to vnderstand the lavv gaue the sense off the lavv cavvsed them to vnderstand the reading And where pag. 91. he saith that the wordes translated off some they gaue the sense signify nothing les thē that there was any exposition ioined with reading bearing him self vppon learners interpreters seing he seeth no further into this then with other mennes eies why should not he haue followed the iudgement off the Geneua translation which he pincheth they being learned men and moe in nombre then as I thincke he can alledge Which I say not to iustify that translation throwghowt or to shut vp the way gainst a better but because it seemeth an vnworthy thing to refuse their iudgement vpon bare autoritie I haue none off his learned men to looke their iudgementes howbeit for that I finde one off the Hebrues so expounding the wordes
officers bringe singular fruict vnto the commeÌ„ wealth For whilest they conquere by the word riote adultry couetousnes pride idlenes c. wherby diseases beggery translations off inheritance from the right heires needles dearthes seditions rebellions whereoff euery one is an engin able to pull downe the commen wealth they may be well called the horse and chariot of the coÌ„men wealth But yet as the pastors can not therfore be saied officers of the commeÌ„ wealth no more can the magistrate which by vertwe of his ciuill office giueth singular assistance vnto the churche be called properly the churche officer Yf as I see it like some to call magistrates a kind of officers in the churche because they being members by publike calling procure the quiet theroff they which are disposed may so speak I will not striue But why I esteme the title off head of the church not to agree vnto any simple creature etherin heauen or earth I haue shewed my reasons let the church Iudge The questioÌ„ is not whether the name of Archbishop is but whether it owght to be coÌ„tinued and if the coÌ„tinuance of it in our church draw such credit the putting downe of it in all other churches throwghowt ChristeÌ„dome must needes bring great preiudice But it is lawfull therin is the question Which althowgh he hath ofteÌ„ affirmed yet we are come to an end of the decisioÌ„ of this question by the scriptures and no word browght to confirme it Wherin ether he is litle beholding to his cawse which will minister him nothing to say or his cawse to him which leaueth it thus destitute For althowgh the reasons against yt should be insufficieÌ„t yet if he would haue this title continew in the church he should haue by shewing the lawfullnes of it owt of the word both perswaded those which haue an euill opinion of it and confirmed them which wauer For the sixt diuis let the Iudgement be the readers Before I come vnto the 7. I will for the cause alledged in the beginning off this treatise take in here the residue off the 20. off S. Math. Yowr transâ—ation the kinges off the Gentils wherby yow would prone that he putteth not a difference betwene the cyuil and ecclesiasticall power is faulty as that which withowt necessity goeth from the proper signification off the word For it signifieth naturally not the Gentils but symply any nation in which signification yt is taken oft in the ould and new testament and not onely when the Israelites are ioyned together with other nations but euen when the holy gost speaketh of the Iewes a part he calleth them by the same word here vsed Therfore it appeareth that there is nether any such meaning of the EuaÌ„gelistes and if there were yet he gaineth nothing For it is easy to answer that he therfore maketh mention off the Princes off the Gentils forasmuch as there was no King nor soueraigne ciuill principality amongest the Iewes Wheruppon our Sauiour was coÌ„pelled to take example off princely autority from the Gentils And if there were any small fragments of cyuill gouernement in the Iewes handes yt was the high priestes and other ecclesiasticall persons Which beside that yt was bastard and degenerate from the institution off God it was both more ambitiously sowght as may appeare by the ecclesiasticall stories and more tyranically administred as appeareth in scriptures then any the most disordered gouernement amongest the Heathen So that if our Sauiour would haue set forth a patron off ambition and tyranny in gouernment he needed not haue sowght it amongest the Gentils when he had it at home Yt may be saied further that he taking his example off the cyuill dominion off the Gentills would therby pull owt off the peoples heades that fond opinion amongest them and the rest off Iewes that they at the comming off the Messias should be Emperours off all the world and all the Gentills be their subiectes Especially considering this petition off the sonnes off Zebedy was grounded off that idlephansie And if neede required it were not hard to bring examples off diuers Kinges and principall magistrates amongest the Gentils which both came vnto their gouernement modestly and vsed yt with all equitie and commoditie off the subiectes as off the contrary part diuers off the Kinges amongest the Iewes whose entry hath not bene so honest nor gouernement so easy vpon which consyderations it may appeare that there was an other reason off making mention of the Gentils Math. 6. then in this place Last off all there is nothing answered to the example off our Sauiour Christ which doth manifestly ouethrow the D. interpretatioÌ„ For wheÌ„ as it is certeine that examples are browght to explane the rules which goe before and in the example our Sauiour Christ opposeth mynistring vnto others to this to be ministred vnto by others it must needes follow that the place which went before must be vnderstanded simply of domynion and not tyrannicall domynion for if the example had bene sitting vnto M. D. meaning he should haue saied as I came not tirannically to be ministred vnto or ambitiously to desyre it but modestly to rule The distinction also of the Magistrate and off the minister wherin the weight of this cawse lieth is not towched This diuision off domynion is altogether idle for it is plaine that when I say the cyuill Magistrate is seuered by bearing domynion from the ecclesiasticall person I ment lawfull and when as I deny that the ecclesiasticall person can exercise any domynion at all what place is there left to this diuision for what dominion soeuer he had proued to haue bene lawfull for an ecclesiasticall person had bene suffycient ouerthrow of that I set downe And as the diuision is superfluous so yt is vnskilfull For the two first partes the rule with oppression and the rule described 1. Sam. 8. be all one and the last member comprehendeth all that goe before And so it is not onely no good diuision but no diuision aâ— all Nether is he any happier in applying off it for where my second proposition was that the ecclesiasticall person is seuered from the cyuill by bearing domynion he saith that is true in the two fyrste significations Wherby muste follow that ether yt is lawfull for the cyuill magistrate to rule with oppression or els for the Bishop For if it be lawfull for nether of them theÌ„ one is not seuered from the other in those kindes off domynion The last section off the 62. page c. perteining altogether vnto the question off Bishopes bearing cyuill offices I will put ouer vnto the proper place Here the question is onely what belongeth to the mynister in respect off his ecclesiasticall ministery The autoritie off man in Gods cawse weigheth no further then weight is giuen by reason Therfore yow should not preiudice the exposition of this place by Bucers Iudgement especially coÌ„sidering it hath counterpois of other as learned Howbeit although
not yet yt was hard for him to haue suche knowledge off so many churches wherby he might giue so precise a sentence especially if they be compared with ours which often haue heretikes euen vnder there nose and either see them not or looke throwghe their fingers Where to declare the vnlikelihoode off our bishops with thē in times past Theodoret bishop 26. yeares is shewed to haue had neuer a halfepennie c his answere is he professed voluntarilie pouertie Wherto I haue litle to replie but that the D. for aduantage spareth not the honour of his authors it being a great reproche in so great wealthe as the D. supposeth he might lawfully haue had to be so beggarly The next I leaue to the readers iudgement That the office off Archbishop and Patriarck by Caluin was nothing but to assemble the Synod propound the matter gather the voices c. I haue shewed condemning those names in the generall he must nedes condemne them in the particular for in bothe those names the word off dominion ys put which he condemneth That he condemneth the office with vs is clearer then the sunne and that in diuers sortes first generall in that vppon the Apostles wordes no man may take honour but he that is called as Aaron he denieth yt lawfull to set vp any gouernement in the churche at the pleasure off men vvithovvt vvaiting for the commaundement of God and that the church office deuised vvithovvt his commaundement and expresse ordinance is vnlavvfull Wherby appeareth that the admonitions allegacion which the D. other where calleth grosse is in effect as fyne as Caluins Secondly in that he dothe in flat wordes declare that the holie goste tooke great heede that one should not so much as dreame off principalitie and dominion in the gouernement of the churche Thirdly in that he dothe precisely mislike that any should haue postorall charge ouer a Prouince which he declareth yet more manifestlie when he saithe the gouernement of the highe priest vvhich vvas ouer one nation ▪ being a figure off our Sau. Christ ovvght not to be follovved Wherby appeareth how vntrwly he chargeth me otherwhere with falsifiyng Caluin for saying that his iudgement is that no one should be minister off a whole nation That onely which he liketh off and confesseth to haue bene done according to the word off God is that when there were controuersies to be voided one had the preheminence to assemble the companie c. which preheminence we haue before confirmed so far is yt from vs that we can not abide yt That it can not be drawen further appeareth by that in the beginning off this treatise where it is manifest he streineth him selfe to speake honorably off the maner off discipline in the elder churches yet he saith there vvas almost nothing againste the vvord off God. And further that althovvgh there may be some lack in their orders yet because they did it oft good mynd and erred not muche it is good to gather yt Moreouer towching that institution which off all other is most plausible and least princelike that one in a churche should haue the name off bishop which notwihstanding as hathe bene shewed had no dominion nor autoritie to commaunde the reste he saithe that autoritie had no institution nor ground ovvt off the vvord of God. Wherupon yt is manifest those wordes off Calu. the ould bishops did frame no kind off gouernement but prescribed in the lordes vvord can not be drawen further then I haue said Where he expoundeth Caluins wordes euery singular bodie off church a dioces or prouince yt is as all the rest off these diuisions a shamefull bouldnes considering that Calu. doth in expresse wordes shut forthe a prouince and in calling it a singular bodie vsed moste propre wordes to set forthe a congregation which assembled into one place may at once be fed at one mouthe Where also otherwhere he supposeth Calu. meant by Prouinces suche as are vnder diuerse gouernours because one Prouince in one particular church in one kingdome vnder one Prince is but one bodie c. to omit his absurd speache that a prouince is in a particular churche in stede that he should haue said a particular churche is in the prouince let it be obserued that in making the whole churche in a kingdome but that singular bodie Calu. speaketh off he maketh notwithstanding the churche in one prouince which is the halfe off that yea euery diocese to be that singular bodie So that one singular and vndiuisible bodie off a churche must be twentie and one off them also cōteining an other which is absurde yea by this meanes the church in a 100. Prouinces being vnder one Prince shall be but one singular bodie His reason that he can not meane a particular parish because euery one hath not many ministers is a cauill For it is enowghe that ther were diuerse in some churches as in the churche off Philippes wheroff he spake to draw him to that consideration Besides that there was as shall appeare in the particular churches appointed by the word off God an eldership amongest whom it was meete the same order shoulde be kepte Where he supposethe Caluin to haue thowght the churche off Geneua with all those belonging vnto yt to haue made but one bodie off a churche all see the D. pouertie driuen to leaue his wide workes to seeke some comforte in his thowghtes onely knowen to the lord If I shoulde vse the aduantage off that he spake and I hearde off vndowbted witnesses that althowghe he had no preheminence before the lowest Mynister but onely to propounde the causes gather the voices c. and was chosen therunto euerie two yeare yet he misliked that that small preheminence shoulde so long remaine with one as which in time might breed in conuenience likewise that I hearde my selfe off Maister Beza which misliked off yt for the same cause affirming it cōuenient that it shoulde be done by euerie Pastor off the same resort in his weeke wheroff there be also other witnesses I say yf I should vse this aduantage a great deale more honest then his all see how that chaunge of presidētes which he derideth and will haue my onely phantasie should beside the scripture alledged and vse off the churches in Fraunce haue the approbation off these godly learned men But when in deede he deride the their iudgement written I haue smale hope that he will beare any reuerence to it onely spoken Neither require I that he esteme any thing theirs which can not be conuinced owt off their writinges let him wreste and wring wind and turne his worst But that we be not streight with him admit Caluin so thowght dothe yt follow that becawse he estemed a singular bodie off a churche scarce 20. small parishes lying round abowt wheroff euery off the ministers at the least meete once a weeke bothe for exercise off prophesie or interpretacion off the
word and to hould cōmon consultation that therfore he estemed the whole dioces off London or Prouince off Canterbury where there are many thowsand parishes might conueniently grow into one particular bodie to be gouerned off one Pastor Truly this is but kolde reasoning Where I charged him with vnfaithefull dealing for leauing ovvt that vvvich Caluin noteth that the office off Archbis and Patriarck vvas rarely vsed to couer his vnfaithfullnes he alledgeth the later edition which hathe not that sentence Which is partly answered before but ad this also that euen the noted booke which he followed had thus muche off that sentence Althovvghe it may not be passed by in this disputation There wanted onely this it vvas very rarely vsed and that throwghe the printers fault considering that withowt yt there is no sence nor knot with that before or after Therfore if there had bene any loue of the trwthe in hym meeting with suche a gap he would haue sowght to haue made yt vpp in the later edition His shift Calu referrethe that to the patriarcke and not to the Archbishop because ther was smale cause off exercising his authoritie is onely said and in deede cōtrary to thanthors wordes ād meaning Wordes for that giuing that note off his disputation there which is bothe off the Archbishop and Patriarke yt muste follow by all likelihoode that the note also is of them bothe Against his meaning manifestly for he placing both their offices in propounding matters vnto the Synodes which for their hardnes could not be ended of few and gyuing them nothing to doo more then their fellowes but that it muste follow that the oftenest Synodes wherin the archbishop was president being rare and but twise a yeare his office also was off very rare vse Wherby appeareth that Caluins minde was to shew that the archbishops and Patriarches office endured onely but the time off the Synode which ended he had no autoritie but in commen with other bishops vntill the next synode So that althowgh they were not chosen at euery action yet Caluins iudgement standeth that both those offices were but off rare vse The D. onely trifleth in Hemingius For we affirme degrees off ministrie off the word graunt also that there were Patriarches but denie them to haue bene immediatly after the Apostles which Hemingius doth not as he vntruly saith affirme That that church abolishing the Patriarch and Archbishop kept the distinction betwene the bishop an other ministers off the word which the church browght in is confessed but that it owght not so to be is before declared althowgh the bishops there in respect off the height off ours are but dwarfes His answer to that Hemingius saith that S. Luke 22. putteth a difference betvvene the office off a Magistrat and ministers and that dominion is altogether takē avvay from these is very fonde His reason owt off the Hebr. is before answered so that his vnfaithfull dealing in Hemingius remaineth Yf there be no circunstance in M Fox alledged by the D. which gyue further answer I stand to that before made and refer it to the readers iudgement especially seing to that alledged where M. Fox flatly condemneth the degrees off primates metropolitanes and archbishops as ambicious the D. can not answer In saying he vvent about to corrupt him vvith his praise I doo M. Fox no iniurie yt being no fault to be assaulted but to be ouercome Whether I doo the D. any let the reader iudge The maintenance of the reply to the Bishop off Salisb answer towching certein Articles against the D. Chap. 4. Diuis 1. pag. 422. THat the Bishop is directly against the D. in affirming that there be no Apostles Euangelistes or Prophetes ys manifest his shift wherewith he would accord him self with the bishop is is before bewraied That the taking away off the Apostels Prophetes and Euangelistes hindreth not the perfect nomber off preaching ministers hath bene declared beside that yt is grosse to say that the diuision is not perfect because certein partes of it are not now extant as if the law of deuiding extended not it self to thinges both past and to come He that parteth the church into that before and vnder the Gospell doth he therfore make an euill particion because there is now no church before the Gospell that is vnder or before the law Here the D. leaueth the bishop to his owne defense towching that he affirmed a bishop not conteined in the place to the Ephes The diuision there being giuen as hath beue saied off those ministers onely vvhich vvith gouernement handle the vvord both here and in the fift diuision the D. doth but trifle in the examples off the elder and deacon seing we hould and will God willing shewe them not to haue to doo with the word Wher hereuppon he woulde bring in his archbishop and archdeacon yt is but repetition off that before where he hath āswer Yf there be a preaching elder not cōteined vnder a Pastor seing he maketh a Pastor and Doctor all one onles he fly to his phansie off Apostles c. there is by his saying a preaching ministerie not tawght in the scripture If there be let him shew it Where I gaue the Catechising vnto the Pastor I will haue it ment where there is no Doctor otherwise I haue in the second edition amended that assigning yt as more proper to the D. So that the Doctor being instituted to the Ephes he whom they called Catechist which tawght the groundes off religion ys likewise albeit S. Pa. calleth al māner of preaching Cathechising That publike reading in the church is as solēne a matter as Catechising the youth is a peece off the former phrensie reading is as good as preaching already confuted That a reader hath bene counted necessarie is saied withowt proof and if it were it was falsly counted there being no necessarie ministrie not specified in the scripture And when they were first notwithstanding them the church ministrie was as hath bene shewed deuided into bishops elders and deacons so that they came not then so much as into account of the ministries Yf they be conuenient at any time that there is scripture to warrant them euen as the Sexten that kept the church dore key hath bene shewed That the archbishops archdeacons and our bishops haue no succour by this being supposed the principalest ministeries and therfore such as owght to haue bene commaunded hath bene likewise disputed where thes colewortes are answered That the Deaconship as I take yt is no gouernement but a simple seruice is idly alledged cōtrary to nothing here set downe Yt may seeme against that alledged before where I comprehend it under the ministers which gouerne onely which I did not to set it in the same kinde off gouernement with the elders but for that yt ordering the church money and ouerseing the poore might in a generall signification be so called If the D. can
vse vnlawfull And especially in the tenth chapter he confuteth the verie selfe same reason which the A. towieth so roundlie with in this place which was that for so muche as the eatinge at the Idolles feast was but an owtward thing and went no farther then to the bellie therfore it was indifferent to be vsed or left at a mans discretion So the place then the which their is none stronger in the whole bodie off the Scripture to bind and kepe in the lauishe vse off Christian libertie that the A callendgeth for the enlarging of it betonde the boundes that God hathe set in his word And wheras he saith that S. Paule declareth their contentions which seperate them selues from the church for externall thinges S. Paule maketh no mention there either off contention or diuision from the church neither in deed they which abused then their libertie contended withe the weaker but contemned them Also off deuiding them selues from the church in that place is not a worde who soeuer will reade those places with a litle diligence shall easely perceiue that this is the matter which the Apostle giueth owt in that place As touching externall thinges for which the church of Christ may not contend they are suche as there being no commaundement of God directlie to vse them or not to vse them are left in the discretion of the faithful to be ordered the most to Godes glorie and edifiyng one off an other therfore as I thinke termed off learned writers externall for that they come not vnto the conscience nor bind not yt For otherwise that difference off externall and internall thinges is not sufficient to giue to vnderstand which are thinges indifferent or vnindifferent For neither are all externall thinges left to our discretion as I haue shewed and there are some internall thinges as off certeine inward thowghtes and opinions which are not imputed vnto vs for synne whether side soeuer we thinke or iudge of them As if I thinke in my selfe that there was neuer suche a Hector or Achilles or troye as is described off Homere and virgill I sinne not and if I thincke there was neither is that imputed vnto me for synne But these thinges which be in controuersie seing we offer to proue them commaunded and necessarie by the word off God how commeth it to passe that yow lashe owt so manie places owt off Bullinger and Zuinglius against those which trouble the church for indifferent thinges as thowghe yow had alreadie gotteÌ„ that which yow confesse by and by to be in triall that these things which we demaund are not necessarie What order of iudgement is this first to giue iudgement or euer the cause be heard iff yow will needes be bothe partie and Iudge at least yow should haue saued these vntill yow haue as yow promised shewed the vntreweth off our cause And therfore hereafter as often as yow doo importunatelie and vnstill fully heape so many places togither yow shall haue for answere â— plaine blancke To the 16. sect pa. 14. WHether yow haue either scripture or godlie learned author for your warrant in your assertions partely hath bene alreadie shewed and more shall appeare But yow must learne that the part of a faithfull teacher in the church of god is neither to propound any thing to the church neither to reiecte that which is propounded by other off credit off any godlie learned zelous man And althowghe this be to much yet that which he writethe in the 200. pag. is to farr owt of al square Wher he affirmeth that the argument off authoritie whether owt off the Scriptures or owt off the interpretors off the Scripturrs is the best reason that can be browght in diuinitie To bothe I will answere here in the beginninge that the reader may haue wherewithe he maye beware and know how to estenie bothe his and our proufes And first of all seing the Apostle teacheth Timothie that the Scripture inspired by the holie goste is the onelie rule for the minister which he calleth the man off god either to establishe or ouerthrowe what soeuer maye fall in question in the churche And S. Peter saith that who soeuer speaketh in the churche must speake as the wordes of god And seing all the godlie zelous learned men in the world are not able to authorise or displace any doctrine in the churche withowt the word of god I leaue it to be considered how dauÌ„gerouslye he mainteineth his answere to be good for that it hathe ground either of the word of god or the iudgement of some godlie iearned man and let it be waied whether this be to set vp an other Doctor in the church then Moses or our sauiour Christ Touchinge that the authoritie off the Scripture in diuine matters owght to preuaile I willinglie graunte but that the argument off the authoritie of men whiche haue interpreted the Scriptures is the beste reason in controuersies off diuinitie but off the Papistes whose strongest towers are in the testimonies off the Doctors was neuer hard off And thowghe there be nothing more Papistical then this assertion yet the doctor holding the name and profession of the gospell maye to the vtter subuersion off it cause this to be printed and flie abroade And that the authoritie off learned men should be the best proufe in diuine matters hathe more absurdities in yt then yt hathe wordes For first their authoritie is here set in the same ranke withe the authoritie off the Scripture in that as the authoritie off the Scripturr so it also is set in the superlatiue degree off the best proufe Then their authoritie being preferred vnto all reasons is preferred vnto the reasons drawen owt off the Scripture which in euerie diuinitie cause almoste besides the authoritie are diuerse drawen off the causes and off the effectes c. Thirdlie yt ys absurd to perferr the authoritie of any man which ys onelie his bare affirmation vnto his one reason and discours And seing the ende off proufes in controuersies off diuinitye is that faythe maye be engendred in mindes whiche onelye can be grounded on the worde off God what a miserable yea what â— cursed faith shall that be that is hanged off the authoritâ—â— off men which be they neuer so learned yet are they because they be men Lyers suche as deceyue and be deceyued And wheras he saithe that an Argument off authoritie hathe an other weight in our profession then yt hathe in humane sciences I confesse it hathe so iff the authoritie off the Scripture bee consydered But as for the authoritie off men for the which cause he alledgeth this yâ— is farr otherwise For yff the authoritie off man in humane sciences and in mens matters be off small force off how how muche lesse force owght yt to be in Godes matters yt is clene contrarie therfore to that the D. sayth For althoughe that Kinde off argument off the authoritie off men is Good neither in humane nor diuine science yet