preachers and of their preaching hee mentioneth still in other places and not in this treatise of the Sacrament nor in anie place burdens them herewith and therefore it is not like that he thought preaching to be alwayes so necessarie at the celebration of these mysteries But not to looke on their abuses but on the order and vse of the Apostles theÌ„selues and of all the faithfull at Ierusalem that euen presently after they had receaued the holy Ghost Act. 2.42 And they continued sayth Luke in the Apostles doctrine and communion or fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer of which breaking of bread sayth the Geneua note which was the ministration of the Lordes supper Caluine giuing a reason heereof sayeth Why I had rather that the breaking of bread in this place should bee interpreted for the Lordes supper this is the reason Because Luke mentioneth those thinges wherein tho publike state of the Churche is conteyned Yea rather hee expresseth here foure notes whereby the true and naturall face of the Churche may be iudged Doe wee therefore seeke the face of the Churche of Christ The image therof is here liuely pictured vnto vs. And indeed he beginneth with doctrine which is as it were the soule of the Churche Neither nameth he euery doctrine but the Apostles doctrine that is that which the sonne of God deliuered by their handes Wheresoeuer therefore the pure voice of the Gospell soundeth throughly where meÌ„ abide in the profession of thereof where they exercise themselues in the ordinary hearing of it there vndoubtedly is the Churche Now as doctrine is the first note so the text placeth their communion or felowship next in order Which sayth the Geneua note standeth in brotherly loue and liberalitie In communicating this member sayth Caluine and the last meaning prayer flowe from the first as fruites or effectes For doctrine is the bonde of brotherly communicating and also openeth vnto vs a gate to God that he may of vs be called vpon But the supper approcheth to the doctrine in steede of confirmation Wherefore Luke reckoneth not vp foure rashly when as hee will describe vnto vs a state of the Church orderly instituted And it behooueth vs to put our endeuour vnto this order if we desire to be truely accounted the Church before God his Angels not to boast only before men of a voyde name thereof Now if we must not onely kéepe these foure but also haue so great a consideration to the order of theÌ„ insomuch that Marlorate addeth to these wordes of Caluine For the Iustitiaries of workes doe inuert this order and gather thus of the later good workes are to bee doone and then righteousnesse will followe O blindenesse worthy of great iudgement For how can workes be good without faith gooing before Without which whatsoeuer is done is sinne Rom. 14. d. 23. If then such a straight respect is to be had of the orderly placing these foure notes and this coÌ„municating of fellowship consisting in almes brotherly loue and workes of mercie come betwéene the hearing and beléeuing of the doctrine and the breaking of the bread that is the communicating of the Lords supper it argueth that although preaching the doctrine haue gone before yet the sacramentes are not so immediately ioyned especially to the preaching of the doctrine but that other godly exercises might goe betwéene them Not that any of these notes was altogether destitute of any of the other the supper of the Lorde had euermore doctrine ioyned with it but not alwayes preaching of the doctrin And so it had both vnion in fellowship and prayers but yet might all these bee also publikely exercised though at that instant of the doing of them the supper of the Lorde were not administred Now this being the manner in the Apostles dayes that although they had many times sermons at the administration of the supper as Act. 20. ver 7. 11. at that solemne confluence where S. Paule preached vntill midnight and yet as these were seuerall actions sée howe euen by the prouidence of God albeit no doubt to confirme the doctrine preached and to be a warning to the negligent hearers when they had minded presently vpoÌ„ the sermon to haue procéeded to the supper of the Lord what an occasion senered the coniunction of these two actions by the younge mans fall out of a windowe from the thirde lofte that was taken vp dead Whereupon Paule being the Preacher descended downe laide himselfe vpon him embraced him saying trouble not your selues for his life is in him So when Paul was come vp againe and had brokeÌ„ bread and eaten he communed a long while till the dawning of the day and so departed Now as they had these sermons sometimes preached at the celebrating of the Lordes supper howbeit heere this interruption deuided these actions some space of time and yet this is that onely place that bringeth them néerest together so if they had not a sermon preached therat notwithstanding they no more discontinued the administration of this Sacrament than they did the publike exercises of their prayers or than they did absteyne from baptizing as wee haue alreadie at large prooued And euen so that this custome did thus continue in the primitiue Church not onely their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is their loue feastes which they made at this supper doe declare whereof diuerse authors especially Tertullian and Iustinus Martyr doe make mention but also the whole order thereof is by Iustinus fully described both of this sacrament administred with a Sermon and without it In the Apologie that he made for the Christians vnto the Emperour Antoninus Pius he hath these wordes wee bring him that is thus washed meaning baptized and instructed vnto those whom we call Brethren where the assemblyes are made that we might praye as well for our selues as for those that are newly illumined That they may be founde by true doctrine and good workes to be worthie obseruers and keepers of the commaundementes and that wee mâ—y obtaine eternall saluation After the prayer we salute one another with a mutuall kisse After which the bread the cup alayed with water is brought vnto the chiefest brother as Gelenius translates it but in Iustine himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And here is our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouer those Brethren which brethren are not onely the faithfull people but also the ministers as is before by Beza confessed Which being of him receiued hee offreth vp prayse and thankes giuing vnto the father of all by the name of the sonne and of the holy Ghost and so for a certaine while he doeth celebrate the Euchariste After the prayers and the Euchariste all the whole assemblie singeth together Amen And the worde in the Hebrue tongue signifieth the same that doth Sobeit or lâ—t it be done The thankes giuing of the Prelate and the well wishing of all the people being
the Lawe written or as we might call them Masters of the Rolles which were after called Scribes were instituted of Moses in the Wildernesse first by the authoritie of Iethro his Father in lawe and afterward by commaundement of God For when Moses the first yeere in the Wildernesse sate to heare causes hee was warned by Iethro his Father in lawe that he should spare that labour and appoint wise men skilfull and prudent to iudge in his steede and reserue to himselfe onelie the vnderstanding of matters that were of more importance He therfore appointed them the Princes of whome after shall be spoken Tribunes Centurions Gouernors of fiftie Gouernors of ten or as the Greeke setts them out Chiliarks Hecatontarks Pentecontarks Decadarks to bee introducers of the causes to the Iudges or preferred them to be Grammatoisagogeos the Chauncelors or the Primitories or the enterers in writing of the actions Exod. 18. And choosing valiant men out of all Israel he appointed them Princes of the people Tribunes and Centurions and Captaines ouer fiftie and Captaines ouer ten which should iudge the people at all times Wherefore after the 40. yeare rehearsing to the people the actes that he had done he alleadgeth in the first of Deuteronomie I said vnto you I am not able alone to sustaine your businesses and burden and brawlings giue ye out of your selues wise men and skilfull and whose conuersation is approued in your Tribes that I might place them to be Princes Then ye aunsâ—ered me It is a good thing that thou wilt doo And I tooke wise men and noble out of your Tribes and appointed them to be Princes Tribunes and Centurions and Rulers ouer fiftie and Rulers of tenne which should teach you all things And I commaunded them saying Heare yee them and iudge ye that which is righteous whether he be a citizen or bee bee a straunger let there be no difference of persons Ye shall as well heare the small as the great neither shal ye accept the person of anie whosoeuer because it is the iudgment of God But if anie thing shall seeme difficult vnto you referre that to me and I will heare it But the Graecians haue it more plaine and more apte to vnfolde the manner of these Iudgements And I appointed them to rule ouer you Chiliarkes or Rulers of thousands Hecatontarks or Rulers of hundreds Pentecontarks Quinquegenariens or Rulers of fiftie Deacharks or Rulers of tenne and Grammatoisagogists or the enterers in writing or inrollers of the pleas vnto your Iudges For in steede of that which the latine interpreter translateth which should teach you al thinges the greeke rehearseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the informers in writing vnto your Iudges the text it selfe is and Gouernors to your tribes Afterward the law of God came hereunto wherein concerning these iudges it was enacted chap. 16 in these wordes Thou shalt ordeine vnto thee Iudges and Maisters in all thy Cities which the Lorde God shall giue to thee according to the Tribes And they shall iudge the people with righteous iudgement neither shall they wrest the iudgement neither shall they acknowledge the person of anie neither shall they take giftes And in this place for Maisters the Greeke setteth out Grammatoisagogeos the informers in writing or of the Lawe written This Law Iosephus so rehearseth that he sheweth the Iudges were also chosen by lot Let those also which by lotte haue come foorth to iudge be in chiefest honor in the cities let no reproches be spoken in their presence Let the iudges haue the right of pronouncing that which they thinke except that anie shall shew that they haue receiued rewards to iudge or shall alleadge anie other cause of wrong iudgement But as Moses ordained them so afterward king Iosophat confirmed them in the kingdome of Iuda as is declared in the 19. Chap. of the second booke of Chronicles Hee ordained Iudges of the lande in all the dedefenced Cities throughout all places And commaunding the Iudges hee sayde Take heede what yee doo for yee exercise not the iudgement of man but of the Lorde And whatsoeuer you shall iudge shall redound vppon your selues Let the feare of the Lorde bee with you and doo all thinges with diligence VVith our Lord GOD there is no iniquitie nor accepting of persons not desire of rewards After this the iudgements beeing disturbed in the lande of Babylon the Iewes when they returned into their Countrie as they did other matters so they restored these Which thing that it shoulde come to passe Esaie Chap. had forewarned when as hee vttered these speeches of God And I will restore thy Iudges as they were before And after that the king Artaxerxes commaunded that it should be so done For so he wrote in the sixt of Esdras Ordeine thou Iudges and Scribes that they might iudge all the people For he called them Scribes whome wee haue named Grammatoisagogeos the informers of the writings or written Lawe Wherevpon that they were restored the Psalmist reioyced as saith Saint Athanasius which when the citie of Ierusalem was reedified and the iudgementes restored euen as it was foretolde of the Lorde breaking foorth for ioy he song in the Psalme 121. I was gladde in those things that were spoken to me wee will goe into the house of the Lorde our feete standing in thy Courts O Hierusalem Ierusalem which is built as a Citie whose participation is in it selfe For thether the Tribes ascended The Tribes of the Lorde the testimonie of Israel to confesse the name of the Lorde because they set the seates there in iudgement or into iudgement as the Greeke hath it the seates vppon the house of Dauid And so afterwarde euen vntill the laste times of the Iewes But these Iudges seeme to haue bene chosen out of the bodie of the Senators of euerie citie Euen as from the first times also among the Romanes the iudgements were executed of the Senators The Lawe it selfe in many places teacheth it Deut. 19. If the smiter shall flie into one of the foresayde Cities the Senate of that Citie shall sende and take him out of the place of refuge And in 21. VVhen a corps is founde and the slaier shall not be knowen the Senate of the Citie shall go out and measure from that place c. Whervppon Ruth 4. â—ooz taking ten men of the Seniors of the Citie of Bethleem sayd vnto them Sit yee heere and be witnesses The people that was in the gate and the Seniors answered we are witnesses and before them hee tooke the possession of Elimelech Moreouer Philo in lib. de Iudice gathereth out of the Law four conditions of good Iudges c. Furthermore that the Iudgements were exercised in the gate of the Cities that was called the gate of Iudgement the Lawe Deuteronomi 21. declareth c. and 25. and also Iosue 8. c. and Ruth 4. c. Prouerbes 22. and 31. and Psalme 126. c. These Iudgements were made
those that brooke not womens gouernment surmount our BrethreÌ„ that are subiectes Danaeus his high praise if he had stayed here Faire praises and foule practises Danaeus ioyneth wih Caenalis The inuinciâ—le instance of her Maiesties gouernment Danaeus Bridges In coÌ„ferring the sexes the man to be preferred The sexes conferred Personall imbecilitie no barre to right of gouernment Sicknesse Viceroyes deputies in personall absence Deputies more allowed in womeÌ„ than in men The ordinance of God 1. Pet. 2.13 Saint Peters wordes stretch to men and women Caluine in 1. Pet. 1. Examples of deâ—uâ—ies Danaeus his exceptions Princes deputies Two functions of a Prince to gouerne an armie and to sitte in iudgment Azarias though for his sicknesse by himselfe he could not yet by his deputies be administred these thinges Dauids deputies The Senate and people of Rome did all by deputies A Princes functions Though a Prince can not decide controuersies yet he ceaseth not to be a Prince How a woman Prince may do these actions Iael Iud th To gouerne an armie Gouernance of an armie Debora The Queene of Sabaea Candace Alexandra Sitting in iudgement The wise woman of Abele Sitting in iudgment Debora The queeneâ— of Sabaea of Ethiopia Danaeus Bridges The ciuill lawe Iudgement of women Vlpian Of what women matters Vlpian speaketh Holda Iudith Montholonius in promptuario diuini veriusque iurishum The frenche Queenes iudgement The custome the fâ—ench lawe for women hauing iurisdiction In what respect a woman may be a Iudge Aug. wrested Debora Custome the ouerruler of this question S. Aug. wrested by Danaeus Why one man was rather for that time permitted to haue mo wiues than one woman to haue moe husbands Mans principalitie in mariage ouer the woman 1. Cor. 11. The plaine meaning of S. Aug. Aug. true meaning Danaeus striketh out the verie words that shew S. Aug. meaning S. Aug. alloweth womens principalitie ouer men Aug. for womens gouernment Another obiectioÌ„ Tom. 4. Aug. 45. Quest. ex vettest Whether man woman were both made to che Image of God and to gouernmeÌ„t Wherein the Image of God confisteth In what respect womaÌ„ is Gods Image and in what the mans S. Aug. allowaÌ„ce not only of the Q of Sabees gouernment but also of Semiramisses reigne Danaeus Bridges The practise of womens gouernment Empresses A woman hath bin Empresse Q of Rome as cheef gouernor A viewe of the women gouernors in Italy and the Roman state Empresses of Rome The occasioÌ„ of Vlpians lawe against women iudging Dominica Augusta Eudoxia Pulcheria in the nonage of her brother Theodosius Theodora in the lunacy of Iustinian Sophia widowe of Iustinus Irene Danaeus Bridges Irenees gouernment lawfull notwithstaÌ„ding her faultes The prayse of Irenees administration Irene the meanes to haue the Empire reunited Theodora The Grecians willing admission of Womens Gouernment Eudochia Theophania the Mother of Otto Empresse or Queene The gouernment of women in their states Danaeus If other staâ—es that haue royalties be coÌ„petible to women thaÌ„ Danaeus hath assoyled al his owne arguments Magistracie patrimoniall Danaeus Bridges Danaeus ouerturnes al his own arguments Danaeus Bridges This position toucheth too neere the grounds of our faith besides the spoyle of all princes and kingdomes Verie slanderous dangerous speeches How Christâ— kingdoÌ„ was patrimonial Danaeus still confutes his own positions The dangers of turning out patrimoniall magistracie bringing in election Hottoman The OccasioÌ„ of this digresâ—â—on froÌ„ womens gouernment Bodinus Hottomannus Bodi nus against womens gouernment Hottomannus in Franco gallia cap. 19. Bodinus de Repub. li. 6. cap. 5. How much Bodinus is blame worthie How much Bodinus is worthy praise Bodinus arguments Bodinus Bridges Nature vnreformed and reformed Bodinus Bridges Bodinus examples confute himself Bodinus Bodinus Ptolomeus Lagi filius AnaxaÌ„drides Pyrrhus The lâ—we of natioÌ„s ought not to be broken for the vertues or defects of the minde or bodie Colomans deformitie Bridges Bodinus argument â—â—dinus Bodinus argument froÌ„ Gods lawe Bridges The difference of the oeconomicall and politicall gouernment Bodinus Bodinus argument for GODS plagues Bridges Bodinus double mistaking Bodinus Bodinus argument froÌ„ the Romane lawes and the reason thereof Bridges The excellencie of diuerse women in prâ—dence Bodinus Bodinus argument a minore ad maius and his examples Bridges Moses Dauid SalomoÌ„ and other Princes permitted women in the assembly of iudgements Bodinus his Dilemma Bridges Bodinus example of Fabius Maximus and his sonne Bridges The ciuill law mis aleaged by Bodinus Vasthi Bodinus argument of the Salike lawe The Salike lawe Bridges Bodinus Bridges The foule practises of Philip for the vpholding of the Salike lawe Bodinus his sorie conclusion of the Salike lawe Hottoman Hottoman confuting the great error of the French historiographers lawyers in misinterpreting the Salike lawe The verie wordes of the Salike lawe * Feudorum * AllodioruÌ„ A weake hold and often interrupted The reason why leuing the learned discourse I haue discoursed thus farre on this matter Ceremonies The learned disc pag. 72. We vse no wresting of the Apostles wordes We haue no maintenaÌ„ce of idle and hurtfull ceremonies What cermonies how we vse them Confirmation The learned dâ—â—c Pag. 73. Bridges Whâ—thâ—r confirmatioÌ„ Churching of Womâ—n and 〈◊〉 may bee thought to belong to a Pasâ—or What confirmation we vse to what purpose Chrysme Melancthon Heshufius Cap. 19. sect 4. de confir Epist. 3â— Epist. 77. The learned disc pag. 73. Bridges Our confirmation displaceth not but maintaineth catechising Wee prefer not nor make equal â—onfirmation with baptisme Confirmation maybe well said to be grounded on the Apostles example since the apostles gaue such example thogh they prescribed it not We permit not women to baptise Why the B. confirmeth Womens churching The learned Dis. Pag. 74. 1. Tim. 2.15 Bridges It sauoureth nothing at all of any popisherror or superstition The woman for so speciall a benefit and preseruatioÌ„ bouÌ„d to make a speciall thankesgiuing Not going abroad before she goe â—o the Chuâ—h How commendeble an vse this is The Pastors office in this Churching of women A white rayle on her head The ancient matrones attyres The midwifes attendance the Clerkes Conceiuing superstitious opinioÌ„s hereupon Buriall The learned Dis. Pag. 75. Buriall of the dead Bridges Our Brethr. fauour to burie the dead that it may be retayned with a certaine honestie Whether our mannes of buriall may so be reteyned The Pastors office in buriall How other may burie the dead How burial as and howe not the Pastors part Distinction of burials The grouÌ„ds to burie in Aretius in problem desepult The originals of buriing in churches Any place of buriall may be subiect to supeâ—stition The Church-yeard Pompe in Burials Distinction of burials some with more solemnitie than other both in the olde and new Testament Burying towardes the East Bucerus in Epitome Eccl. Argent cap. 27. Caluini Epist. 51. No contention for
graunt they can be godlie to and yet dissent from all these thinges that our brethren seeke for it argueth that they are not of such necessitie but that men may be learned moderate and godly to though not onely they haue not these thinges that our Brethren seeke for but that also they be of a contrarie opinion And if this may be so among the learned I sée not why it may not be so likewise among the vnlearned and so among vs all in generall Our learning our modestie our godlinesse is no whit preiudiced by the want or refusall of these things that our brethren seeke for And if it be no preiudice to these thrée vertues no more is it preiudice to any other and so these thinges that our brethren seeke for may be altogether as well spared as receiued nor haue anie necessitie at all in them But nowe since they on their side which likewise we denie not in thē but so farre foorth congratulate the same vnto them shall haue both learned godly and moderate men also yet would wee gladly vnderstande this whether this shal be counted a péece of their moderation to vse such broade language as hath passed alreadie euen in the giuing this aduice nay would God it might cease here but all this learned discourse is pestered with such and with more immoderate spéeches against the poore ministers against all the Bishops and against all vs their brethren yea against the Prince and all the whole state of the Church Me thinketh if we should haue moderate men on their side also that wee might make good exception against all these that call themselues here all the faithfull ministers as not moderate men But vpon hope of their better moderation on this moderate admonition our request vnto them is that at leastwise for the time of this debating they would lay aside al this so peremptorie vrging of necessitie with all these and such other vndecent termes and violent demeanour in this conference Well nowe when her Maiestie and their honours shall haue agréed vpon the men how shall they procéede in handling the matter So that first say they vpon sufficient consideration the questions to be debated be without all ambiguitie set downe This first point so farre as it stretcheth is right good reason and we holde well with it that the questions to be debated should be set downe vpon sufficient consideration had of them and then beeing sufficiently considered to be matters requisite to be debated vppon to be set downe without all ambiguitie But here-vpon ariseth another question and me thinketh no lesse to be also sufficiently considered who shall haue this sufficient consideration of the questions that are to be set downe whether they be fit questions or no And who shall cut off all ambiguities that the questions may be cleare and plaine What shall anie of the parties themselues or both the parties that must debate and dispute vppon them Or shall her Maiestie and their honours that appointed the parties appoint the Questions Or some other learned godlie and moderate men but also appointed by them to be the moderators of the disputation betwéene them If now such moderators shall- be agréed vpon also to allow of the questions that shall- be set downe how shall they begin to procéed in reasoning The reasons say they of both sides without all out-goeings shortlie and plainelie deliuered in writing each to other What And shall they doo it then all by writing Indéed that is a sure way for by that meanes there shall be lesse escapes of the partie reasoning and lesse euasions from his aduersarie and lesse moouing the affections of the hearers with the action of the person when the reasons are deliuered in writing And the other partie so receauing the arguments shall againe with more aduisement and lesse perturbing peruse and weygh the force of the reasons and more shortlie and plainelie without all out-goings graunt denie or distinguish the same And they againe receiuing this answer in writing which the partie auoweth to stand vnto may better perceiue what they haue to confirme or to impugne and still on both sides with the lesse explication of their senses by mouth goe more roundlie and resolutelie to the argument it selfe setting aside all circumstances till at length the one side be driuen to a demurre or issue that all that argument must relie vpon and looke for the finall sentence and determination of the matter But what shall we héere doo Who shall now determine that issue betwéene them Shall the foresaid moderators or anie other iudges For their spéeches séeme to allow none But that the disputers among themselues it all determine all the matter or without anie determinations take it for a cleare case as though it were determined For saie they That after vpon sufficient examination the reasons of both be continuallie confirmed and resolued till either by the euidence of truth one part yeeld vnto the other or the follie and madnesse of those which gainesai it doo in equall iudgement become manifest in regarde of the contradictions and absurdities whereto they shall be driuen by the force of Gods worde And might we conceiue anie assured hope that if our bretheren were by this meanes conuicted that then they would yeelde Or if they or we had anie such madnesse or follie not to yeelde but still to gaine-saie the euidence of truth and incurre contradictions and absurdities wherevnto they or we should be driuen by force of Gods word should none betwéene them and vs haue this equall iudgement to make this become manifest This therefore were to leaue the matter still vndetermined except there were also some appointed to be in equall iudgement betwéene the parties the determiners of the matter As for our parts we neuer refused or by Gods grace shall refuse anye waie that her Maiestie and their honors shall thinke méete whereby our brethren might be satisfied But we shall sée in this learned discourse how their selues except they also be the onelie determiners of the questions betwéene vs reaching euen to the highest pointe of the Princes authoritie vtterlie reiect both this and all other waies for the finall determination of them But now supposing all will fall out well on their side they procéed saying Which waie though it should come naked vnto vs cannot well be refused but being richlie attired with all robes and ornaments which the scripture giueth vnto the synodicall assemblies for such conferences as namelie that there be much searching of the truth by sufficient reasoning without all by matters quarrels euasions and coulours whatsoeuer that there be much order when the spirit of euerie prophet shall be subiect vnto the spirits of other prophets and the iudgement of all shall be sufficientlie heard without stopping of free and sufficient aunswer without lordlie carrying awaie of the matter with no substance of reason where no authoritie pregnancie of wit plausible persuasion of mans
wisedome shall turne the truth aside but all shall stand in the euident demonstration of Gods spirit The waye which they haue before set downe although it be not able nor likelie without some moderators and determiners appointed by hir Maiestie and their honours to effect a perfect reconciliation and sure vnion yet the matters in controuersie being so in writing on bothe sides debated cannot well be saide to come naked in respect of the robes and ornaments of the scripture sithe the grounds of all their prooues should be taken either out of the expresse testimonies of the scripture or out of necessarie consequence of the scripture Except perhaps they meane by being richlie attyred with all robes and ornaments which the scripture giueth vnto the synodicall assemblies for such conferences their owne interpretations and rhetoricall exornations of the scripture But let the scriptures as they say be searched out for the true vnderstanding of them with as much reasoning as shall be thought necessarie and sufficient without all by matters quarrels euasions and coulours whatsoeuer and so a Gods name naked or adorned let the matter be further tried when it shall But what meane they héere that they adde yet further That there be much order when the spirit of euerie prophet shall- be subiect vnto the spirits of the other prophets Would they reduce this synodicall conference to the order of prophesying which they began of late in the imitation of that order which S. Paule mentioneth 1. Cor. 14 For that was not a strict and logicall reasoning nor a deliuerie of their assertions and aunswers by writing but a discoursing at large by mouth nor so properlie anie disputing one against another as an interpreting one after an other or exhorting instructing and comforting one another as the spirit which at that time wrought miraculouslie in them gaue them vtterance is this then that conference which our brethren desire Bicause they saye they would not be stopped of free and sufficient answer This is nothing agréeable to the waye whereof they saide before they could thinke of no waie but that which should be When the reasons on both sides without all out-goings are shortlie and plainelie deliuered in writing each to other And héere contrariwise they would haue the Iudgement of all sufficientlie heard and the spirit of euerie Prophet to be subiect to the spirits of the other prophets and that all shall stand in the euident demonstration of Gods spirit So that vnder pretence of the demonstration or reuelation of Gods spirit as though yet those miraculous reuelations and demonstrations of the spirit of God were still and in these matters to be expected and not the manifest euiction of Gods word if once they said that we on our side had not the spirit of God but onelie they either we must yeeld to them or else nothing shall- be determined betwéene vs. But if the matter shall come to the iudgement of the other prophets supposing all to be prophets in the synod or companie appointed for the conference our brethren might perhaps be deceaued of their hoped successe without anye lordlie carriyng awaie of the matter Neither is it méete we graunt that the matter should be stopped without such free and sufficient answer as is requisit for such a disputation or with lordlie carrying awaie of the matter with no substance of reason or by authoritie or pregnancie of wit or plausible persuasion of mans wisdome to turne the truth aside These spéeches are but byowse slaunders glaunsing at the Bishops and at the synodall assemblies in the conuocation house as though they out-countenanced the matter with such shifts which is neither charitablie nor truelie spoken by our brethren But who come néerest to these practises we shall sée afterward God willing when wee come to the treatise of Synods in this learned discourse Lastly say they that there be peace without all bitternesse reuilings suspitions charging of men dead and aliue whereby affections are moued iudgement blinded and men driuen as with a mightie streame from the loue of the trueth When it commeth thus adorned we thinke that which we labour to procure to be so honorable not onely before God but also before men that none can iudge otherwise of it than we doe Turpe est doctori cûm culpa redarguit ipsum Would God our brethren their selues would leaue off these practises which here they would haue to be lest off What is more bitter or bitternesse it selfe then are the spéeches which euen in their entrie into this meanes of reconciliation they haue here vsed And all this learned discourse is still besprinckled with this bitternesse with reuilinges with suspitions and with charginges of men both dead and aliue For not onely our Bishops and we that God be praysed are aliue be charged by our brethren but the charge burdeneth no lesse all those Bishops and ministers that first concluded vppon the Eccles. Lawes nowe in force Yea it includeth the Princes of so godly memorie that with their cleargie and the whole state of the Church and Realme established the same But perhaps our brethren here do meane that we vse to defend these Lawes with this argument that such and such most excellent men allowed of them and of all thinges they loue not to heare of this argument whereby they say affections are moued iudgement blinded and men driuen as with a mightie streame from the loue of the truth Indéede in a false matter it may so doe and hath doone much among the papistes and by our brethrens leaue they also are carried too much away with charginges of men dead and aliue and with too much forestabled opinions of such and such men as to say Caluine being dead Beza or Daneus being aliue were of this or that opinion in these thinges And therefore I haue also labored some what the more to lay before the reader amonge all other especially their opinions that the reader may better weigh their proues and sée howe far they agrée or disagrée about thinges And the like we all doe with Swinglius Peter Martyr Bullinger Musculus c. With Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper Iuell c. being dead besides Gualter Zanchius others being aliue Not to vse the opinions or sentences of these most famous men to carie away the affections and blinde the iudgementes of men to be driuen as with a mightie streame from the loue of the trueth God forbid Amicus Plato amicus Socrates magis amica veritas But to confirme men better in the truth as we also alleage the holie auncient fathers Ireneus Tertullian Cyprian Clemens Alexandrinus Origene Eusebius Epiphanius Basill Theodoret Chrysostome Ierome Ambrose Augustine c. As witnesses only to the trueth in doubtfull matters and to heare their iudgementes and consentes in these questions what was the vse or opinion of them in their dayes And this doe our Brethren themselues and giue vs
ceased And Sathan hath â—â—wayes béene sowing newe kindes of false doctrine and I doubt wâ—â—ther all his kindes of false doctrine be yet brought in or no. But if ye said it was exercised in the primitue and pure Church vntill the mysterie of iniquitie beganne to worke a way to Antichrists pride and presumption although neither this be true for all these foure offices and kindes of ministerie in such manner as you vrge them yet in saying so you should better limite your selues within the boundes that you chiefely stande on But when trowe you that mysterie of iniquitie beganne to worke Was it not begunne when S. Paule sayde 2. Thess. 2.7 The mysterie of iniquitie doth alreadie worke Was it not begunne when S. Iohn saide 1. Iohn 2.18 Babes it is the last time and as ye haue hearde that Antichriste shall come euen nowe are there manie Antichristes whereby we knowe that it is the last time But what inferreth this had there béene then such a Seniorie of Gouernors that this office should remaine in the Church perpetually For in the primitiue and pure Church were the Apostles must we therefore perpetually haue Apostles Nay say they it was not onely exercised in the primitiue Church which may be called the time while the Apostles liued but also in the pure Church Not verye pure I wisse in some pointes within short while after the Apostles times But what time assigne ye to the exercise thereof Date some time Vntill the mysterie of iniquitie working a way for Antichristes pride and presumption changed Gods ordinance This is an vncertaine limitation But what is this Was Gods ordinance changed then in so necessarie and perpetuall an office And howe was this office changed Was it taken cleane away from the Church so that the Church was altogether without it It hath had Pastors Teachers and Deacons such as they were good or bad alwayes hetherto and neuer wanted as yet vntill this houre And was this seniorie of Gouernours appointed to remaine as long as they and haue al they held out perpetually and hath onely this Seniorie fayled But still would I faine knowe some more certaine ghesse of the time when this change hapned For here are neyther Archbishops nor Bishops named but onely these 4. Eccl. offices Pastors Doctors Gouernours and Deacons by which they say the Church of God may according to his word be directed in all matters c. And was there no exercise of Archbishops nor Bishops in the primitiue and pure Church Or doe they include Archb. and Bishops in anie of these termes because they are Gouernours of the Church and are Pastors and Teachers and such as haue béene Deacons too As S. Ambrose comprehendeth in the name of Bishops as we shall afterward God willing sée all the inferiour Eccl. offices And our brethren where they should graunt that all Bishops are Pastors graunt that all Pastors are Bishops though their chiefe drift be against our Bishops but they impugne not onely the office but the verie name and all of the Archbishops and make them to be other offices or kindes of ministerie besides these that they say are appointed and approued of God himselfe exercised in the primitiue and pure Churche and therefore the instituting and ordayning of them to be but mens following the deuices of their owne brayne and to bee as vnlawefull so vnneedefull and the changing of Gods ordinance But if Bishops and Archbishops made this change then was that ordinance changed euen in the primitiue and pure Church For euen then was Titus made an Archbishoppe and had manie other Bishoppes vnder his gouernement as we haue séene partly alreadie for the order in Creete appointed by Saint Paule whose act was no doubt approued by God him selfe and the Archiepiscopall iurisdiction exercised by Titus And was this deuised of Saint Paule or Titus following the deuises of their owne braines as a needelesse and vnlawfull thing as a thing done without and besides the warrant of Gods worde Or haâ— he not good warrant from God to institute and ordaine other offices or kindes of ministerie then these fower So that this conclusion of our brethren There remaineth therefore of these before rehearsed onely in the Church these Ecclesiasticall offices instituted of God namely Pastors Doctors Gouernours and Deacons by which the Church of God may according to his worde bee directed in all matters c. is nothing so nor so For heere ye sée is another office appointed ouer all these offices nether is it vnlawfull nor vnneedefull nor the institution or ordinance of men following the deuises of their owne brayne or without the warrant of Gods worde or not appointed and approoued by God himselfe or not exercised in the primitiue and pure Churche or anie chaunge of Gods ordinance or anie working a way to Antichristes pride and presumption that the Bishoppes and Archbishops were brought in and that this Tetrarchie was dissolued if indéede therâ— had béene anie such Quadripartite or foure quartered gouernement As for the office or kinde of ministerie of Bishoppes or Archbishops though it be not in the substance thereof anie other office or kinde oâ— ministerie different from the office of Pastor or Teacher for notwiâ—â—standing it followe not that euerie Pastor or Teacher bee a Bishoppe as our brethren saye or an Archbishoppe yet euerie Bishoppe or Archbishoppe is in his office and kinde of ministerie a Pastor and Teacher neuerthelesse sithe hee is their ordayner or ordinarie as wee terme it and the ouerséer euen as well of them as of the people accorto the diuisions of Regions Cities and Townes distributed and limited to his gouernement he is in dignitie of an other office and kind of ministerie different from them And shall wee nowe dare to saye that this office of Bishoppe 〈◊〉 Archbishoppe doeth worke a way to Antichristes pride and presumption Nay rather it was the readiest waye to restrayne and represse it if it had beene alwayes kept accordingly that Bishoppes in their Cities and Dioceses Archbishoppes in their Prouinces and Regions distributed and limited vnto them as Creta was by Saint Paule to Titus reseruing to Christian Princes as their Soueraignes their Supreame gouernement should according to Gods worde direct in their Consistories Synodes and Councelles all matters which are commonly called Ecclesiasticall This was and is in my iudgement euen the best waye that could be deuised and I like my iudgement the better because of this appoyntment and approbation of Saint Paule to haue stopped the way to Antichristes pride and presumption Which way of Saint Paule when one Archbishoppe afterwarde vnder a name and pretence of S. Peter to haue an higher office then all these Bishoppes or Archbishoppes had yea to haue an vniuersall Bishopricke ouer all and to represent Iesus Christe the head-shep-hearde and chiefe Bishoppe of our soules aboue all other Bishoppes and Archbishoppes which were distributed and limited in Regions Cities and Townes tooke vpon
entirely retaine their supreame authority in Ecclesiasticall causes Neuerthelesse there is no reason to the contrary but it may be thought of some or of moste if not of these Learned discoursers that they shoulâ— haue treated first on the Supreame authoritie of Christian Princes that the reader might first haue knowen what Gouernement perteyneth to them and howe farre it extendeth by the worde of God that haue the Supreame authoritie of Eccl. causes and then to haue treated on those in their orders dignities and places that are vnder them and séene likewise the differences of their inferiour Gouernements And so should the reader of these controuersies haue eastly plainely perceaued whether any of their inferior Gouernments authorities had incroached on the Christian Princes Supreame gouernment authoritie yea or no. This mee thinketh had béene the better the simpler and more direct Methode then first to bring in all the other inferiour persons and to assigne this and that Gouernement vnto euerie of them and when all haue had their places offices and gouernementes assigned to them then to come to the Christian Princes and tell them this is the place and office of Supreame Gouernement left for you Your Maiesties come late these 4. are your Seniours ye are but their punies and therefore be content there is no remedie you must take that which by them is not forestalled howe farre your Supreame authoritie extendeth we shall haue better occasion to entreate hereafter when we haue described the Eccl. state Me thinketh that Christian Princes may take griefe hereat yea euerie indifferent Reader may suspect that Christian Princes might haue great wrong offered them by this dealing But whether our brethren Discoursers meane thus or no by bringing in first all the inferiour persons and taking vp before hande ere the Princes be so much as mentioned the direction of all Eccles. matters to bee directed onely by them and bid the Princes be content they shall haue the Supreame place of authoritie that is the last place as they perhaps meane it and the Princes vnderstande it for the chiefest place let them now go on and tell their owne tale and shewe their reasons for thus placing of the Christian Princes Where-uppon it seemeth that all the regiment of the Churche dependeth Where-upon And where-upon I pray you brethren speake you this eyther vpon the giuing to Christian Princes the first treatise or vpon the Supreame authoritie of Christian Princes The supreame authoritie you haue graunted But the first place of the treatie yee will not graunt Where-upon it may be taken that this your where-upon seemeth as if ye sayde If we should first intreate of the Supreame authoritie of Christian Princes then it might seeme that all the regiment of the Church dependeth on them But construe your owne words wherevpon ye please eyther vpon the one sense or the other Here is nothing yet alleaged but that onely it seemeth that all the regiment of the Church dependeth on it But if it be vnderstoode for the onely first place of the treatie it can not so much as seeme to depende all vppon the first treating of the same If it be vnderstoode of the Christian Princes supreame gouernement in Ecclesiasticall causes which you haue graunted and we take holde thereon and that some what yet in time least all be cleane giuen from them if all be not giuen away alreadie but yet will wee take as good holdfast as we can for the Princes right that Christian Princes haue supreame authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes which once beeing graunted then whether yee treate there-upon first or last whatsoeuer would seeme to fall out will seeme so still But what is this that would seeme to fall out hereupon That all the regiment of the Church dependeth on the Christian Princes supreame authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes Would this seeme if the Prince had the first place Doeth it seeme that all the regiment of the Church dependeth on the Pastor And yet here you assigne the Pastour the first place Though afterwarde vppon further aduisement you put him backe and make him come downe with shame and take the lower roome giuing the first place to the Doctor notwithstanding your selues doe thus heere for a while exalt the Pastour But it seemeth ye haue a greater Iealousie of the Christian Prince then of anie of all these foure Tetrarkes For howsoeuer yâ—â— set them one before or after another the Christian Prince must come behind them all for feare it might seeme that the regiment of the Church dependeth thereon But shall the Christian Princes be debarred of the right of their place in the treatie of their authoritie because it seemeth that there-upon the Regiment of the Church dependeth It seemeth that these wordes are suspitiouslie cast foorth as though her Maiestie would haue all the Ecclesiasticall functions and all their ministerie of the worde and sacraments and all the mysticall state of Christes militant Church in her Maiesties Dominions to depende on her Maiesties supreame authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters It seemetht his is not verie good dealing to burthen her Maiestie with suspition of such thinges But we will suspende our iudgâ—ment for all this that seemeth to depende for if wee shoulde not but streight condemne a thing because it seemeth this or that what if this dealing of our brethren seemed harde to the Christian Prince What if it seemed to her Maiestie that the bringing in of all these foure Estates before her Maiestie and the giuing vnto them onely the direction of all Ecclesiasticall matters might be greatly preiudiciall to the state of gouernement established to make a mutenie in the common-weale to sâ—â— vs all together by the eares to make an infinite number of factions and alterations yea to take from her Maiestie the best part of her supreame authoritie and to bréed many mo mischiefes and inconueniences then she or you or we or any yet sawe If I say it should seeme so vnto her Maiestie and to a great number besides which thinke themselues as sounde Protestantes and as good subiects as you either would seeme to be or are would ye not straight wayes aunswere What though it seemeth so yet it is not so it is but onely your surmise and though it seemeth so to you yet it seemeth not so to vs ye will say nor to many other But sure it is not so whatsoeuer it seemeth vnto anie If nowe we replie well yet it seemeth not so of nothing There can be no smoake where there is no fire and if it be not smoake indéede yet since it seemeth to be smoak it is not amisse to feare fire We must abstaine from all appearaunce of evill 1. Thes. 5. Would ye be content to haue the matter ouerruled thus against your Learned discourse for this Tetrarchie because these daungers might so seeme to insue yea to depende there-upon And I pray you brethren what stronger reason call ye this It may
of God by the armour of righteousnesse on the right hande and on the left by honour and dishonour by euill report and good report as deceauers and yet true as vnknowen and yet knowen as dying and yet behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed as sorowing and yet alwayes reioysing as poore and yet â—aking many riche as hauing nothing and yet possessing all thinges The state of the primitiue Church striuing thus against all these temptations and calamities but by the grace and power of God surmounting them in this respect was in more blessed state then when afterwarde enioying peace and prosperitie and abusing the same contentions and other corruptions arose thereuppon in which respect the state was not so blessed Is therefore persecution and al these troubles better for the regiment of the Church of God then peace prosperitie Yea was not that regiment that the Church had then abused also in those that had the gift of tongues the gift of healing the gift of prophecieng Which gifts not only many among the Corinthians did abuse but also there were maniâ— false Apostles many â—uill Pastors many Teachers of false doctrine some Deacons not all the best And no doubt their Segniories were as much corrupted as the residue if they had anie suche standing officers amonge them as these Discourses doe conceaue and as wherein they saye the Churches regimeÌ„t most consisted with the Pastors Teachers the Deacons So that the Churche of God no not at the time no not in that regiment that she was gouerned by was then so perfect in al her regiment nor in most blessed estate for all that the Apostles were then liuing and for all the extraordinarie giftes and offices that then she had And may we thinke if there had bin such Gouernours among them at that time that eyther they if they had not theÌ„selues béene infected would not haue reformed so manie foule abuses Or did not their authoritie stretch so farre Or would not the residue be rather ruled by such gouernors among themselues then to trouble and endanger themselues being Christians before Infidell Iudges Or if they had had any such gouernors among them would not S. Paul chiding theÌ„ for going to lawe before infidell Iudges not rather haue exhorted yea charged them to haue referreâ— those matters to the Segniorie Gouernors the he had appointed ouer thée If he had appointed any hauing builded so great and famous a Churche of God among them continuing at Corinthus a yeare and a halfe togither or to those that they had chosen among themselues to be their Gouernours if that were the onelie order of the Churches regiment then and of such importance and necessitie Or how chance Saint Paule finding these inconueniences in his absence from them to haue fallen out perhaps bicause there wanted such Gouernours among them dooth not will them among so many precepts perteyning to the regiment of the churche in one place or an other of both his Epistles to chose and ordeine such Gouernours ouer them Or mencioning Gouernours and other giftes and offices 1. Cor. 12. Would not say these Gouernours are those Seniors that either ye haue to direct these matters by or at least if yée haue them not ye ought to haue them But as though they neither had anie suche nor vrging them to haue any such Consistorie of Gouernours ouer them speaking of their hauing busines one against another he saith vnto them 1. Cor. 6. Doo ye not know that the Saints shall iudge the world If the world then shall- be iudged by you are ye vnworthie to iudge the smallest matters Know ye not that we shall iudge the Angels How much more things that perteine to this life If then ye haue iudgement of things pertaining to this life set vp them which are least esteemed in the churche I speake it to your shame Is it so that there is not a wiseman among you no not one that can iudge betweene his bretheren By which wordes it appeareth that not onelie in those matters whatsoeuer they were but that also in other matters perteining to the regiment of the churche being matters perteining to this life they had no such Consistories of Iudges or Gouernours among them Nor S. Paule enforceth any such vpon them but onelie to haue some one or other wise and godlie man to be chosen among themselues and that also without any preiudice to the authoritie of the gouernement then established to bee their Gouernour For they being without a Christian Prince to be their Gouernour and being at that time also giuen to such corruptions and contentions either they must go before Infidels or bréed a confusion among themselues So necessarie at all times is it to haue a Gouernour that euen the primitiue Churche could not be without hir Gouernours And yet neither the thing that S. Paule persuades them to being one of the greatest Christian churches in those daies was to set vp a Consistorie among them but some one Gouernour Neither the matter that he diswades them from is anye other thing more then for bringing their brethren and causes before Infidell Iudges So that this is not to be stretched beyond the state of the Corinthians then nor any rule prescribed to any particular churche of GOD now liuing vnder a prince or Iudge that is a Christian That anye churche may otherwise then by waye of priuate arbitrement as charitable neighborlie and blessed peace makers take authoritie to elect or ordeine hereby among themselues any one or other publike Iudge or Gouernour and much lesse elect among them-selues and set vp a Segniorie or Consistorie of Gouernours in matters perteining to this life as are all indifferent matters perteining to the Ecclesiasticall regiment of the Churche but that when any controuersie ariseth about them in the churche if they be not alreadie prescribed in Gods word we must all after all our deliberations on them bring them to the finall determination and disposition of the godlie christian Princes iudgement and censure how they shall be vsed of the subiects And thus maye we kéepe anye other good order of Iudges and iudgements euen as well in ecclesiasticall as ciuill controuersies according to the gouernement alreadie established with out any more néedâ— of reuiuing those consistories whatsoeuer that were then in any christian churche vsed than of reuiuing this constitution of S. Paule for Iudges For although S. Paule gaue such a prescription of Iudges to them in the wante of other Christian Gouernours yet we that haue now Christian Princes and Christian Iudges and I hope godlie and righteous Iudges also are not bound to chose Iudges in our owne Parishes If we could indéed take vp manie néedlesse controuersies among our selues at home it were well doone and would saue much trauell veration and expenses and perhaps the Iudges might be eased to But if we should therevpon make a rule and say that we must néeds haue
plaine and expresse terme we méete in all these persoÌ„s with those that are intituled by the name of Teacher or Doctor on which title our Bretheren take holde And albeit the Text setteth it downe not in the name of Doctor onelie but calleth them Prophets and Teachers or Doctors yet that makes no matter For as speaking of teaching they alleaged prophesie before so héere they take these names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as diuerse names betokening one matter For if they doo not so either they speake contrarie to themselues or nothing to the purpose Contrarie if the Doctors intermeddle in other mens functions distinguished from theirs Nothing if they meane not they were suche Doctors as héere they take vpon them to prooue vnto vs whose office is onelie to teache true doctrine and confute all heresies and false opinions by the word of God concerning all articles and principles of Christian religion without applying their teaching to any particuler state of time of persons or places But it followeth The example or practise of this office is set foorth Acts. 13.1 c. So that their meaning is to prooue all these héere recorded by Saint Luke to be suche and no other sorte of Doctors To which purpose how truelie these examples fitte let vs sée besides the conference of the Scripture howe they contrarie in these examples the Doctors that their selues most estéeme Caluine vpon these words Acts. 31.1 writeth thus What Doctors differ from Prophets at the least-wise in my iudgement I haue expounded on the fourth chapter to the Ephes. 11. And on the twelfe of the former Epistle to the Corinthians 28. In this place these two are synonyms that is diuerse wordes signifiyng all one thing that Luke might signifie there were manie men in that Churche indewed with a singuler grace of the spirite for to teache Truelie I see not how it agreeeth to take prophets for those that excelled in the gifte of foretelling But rather I suppose it is noted that they were excellent interpreters of the Scripture But such did exercise the gifte of teaching and exhorting euen as Paule dooth testifie in the foureteenth of the former to the Corinthians 29. Wee must regarde the drifte of Luke Paule and Barnabas were ministers of the Churche of Antioche from thence God now calleth them to another place Least any should thinke that Churche to be stripped naked of good fitte Ministers that God prouided for others with the damage thereof Luke preuents it and teacheth that there was such plentie that helping the neede of others notwithstanding it had a residue left so much as was inoughe for the vse of it selfe Wherevpon it appeareth how liberallie the grace of God was powred on that Churche from whence Riuers might bee drawne hether and thether So also dooth God enriche certeine Churches aboue others in our time that they might bee Seminaries to spread abroade the doctrine of the Gospell By which iudgement of Caluine it appeareth that those Prophets of whome wee haue spoken 1. Cor. 14. were these Doctors being Interpreters of the Scriptures How-be it not bare interpreters but suche as ioyned the gifte of exhorting with their teaching Gualter saith on the same place Act. 13.1 But they are called Doctors who do publikelie instruct the Churche and doo orderlie applie the holie Scriptures to the institution of all whome at this daye we call either Pastors or Ministers of the worde Therefore there was not at Antioche onelie a Churche but also a Schoole out of which the learned Ministers were sent to other Cities c. Beza also vpon the second verse Act. 13. When as they ministred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is while they exercised their office to wit of teaching of Prophesiyng For a little before he had said they were Doctors Prophets Therefore Chrysostome rightlie interpreting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while they were ministring that is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while they were preaching Wherevpon saithe the Geneua note The worde signifieth to execute a publike charge as the Apostleship was so that heere is shewed that they preached and prophesied While they preached saith Bullenger while they redde holie things interpreted and taught others and while they were occupied with holie thinges For holie things are preaching the reading of the Scripture interpretation doctrine and suche other matters So that by all these learned mens iudgements and by the apparance of the verie text it selfe concerning the example and practise of this office it appeareth how vntrue this is that the office of Doctors is onelie to teache true doctrine and to confute all heresies and false opinions by the worde of God concerning all articles and principles of Christian religion without appliyng their teaching to any particuler state of time of persons or places But to sée this practise better by these perticuler examples let·vs begin with Barnabas which in the text is firste named And whose verie name saithe Saint Luke Acts. 4.36 is the sonne of consolation On which Beza saithe they that are skilfull of the Chaldie deriue it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bar which is Sonne and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephesh that is Soule as though yee would saye he that refresâ—eth the Soule Vatablus saithe Full of consolation that is one moste apte to comfort And trowe yee this Surname giuen him of the Apostles for other-wise his proper name was loses or as some copies haue it Ioseph euen as Christe had giuen surnames to some of the Apostles as Peter signifiyng a Stone and Boanerges signifiyng the sonnes of Thunder was giuen him by them for anye greater cause then for his comfortable and effectuall kinde of Teaching And if it were so can we suppose his Teaching was with-out application and exhortation But let vs not stand vpon coniectures nor on his name but on his dooing Dooth not the text expresselie say Acts. 9.26 When Saule was come to Ierusalem he assaied to ioyne himselfe vnto the Disciples and they were all afeard of him beleeuing not that hee was a disciple but Barnabas tooke him and brought him to the Apostles and declared to them how he had seene the Lord in the waye and that hee had spoken vnto him and howe he had spoken boldlie at Damascus in the name of Iesus Can we conceaue that Barnabas could doo all this or be-it that Paule did declare some parte thereof with-out application of the particuler state of the time of the persons of the places But what say you to this place conteyning the foure verses 22.23.24 and 25. immediatlie precéeding that place that is cited by your selues Act. 11.26 Then tidings of those things to witte that a great number in Antiochia beléeued and turned to the Lorde came to the eares of the Churche which was in Ierusalem And they sent foorth Barnabas that he should goe to Antiochia Who when he was come and had seene the
colleague with Paule whome wee neuer read to haue exercised the office of teaching Yea who alwaies him-selfe holding his peace yeelded the partes of speaking to Paule I answere he had manie occasions inowe of speaking offered him in Paules absence that there was businesse inough for them bothe for one could not be alwaies present in all places There is no doubt but that hee faithfullie went about the parts that God commaunded nor was a dombe looker on Neither is there any cause that we should maruell whie the Sermons that he made are not in plaine wordes expressed of Luke sithe that hee scarse reciteth the thousand Sermon of those that Paule made Thus saithe Caluine Whereby it appeareth that as Paules Doctorship and Apostleship was all one bothe before and after the difference being onelie this commission of dooing the same thing in common to the Gentiles the which also was foretold before bothe to Ananias that baptised him and to himselfe in his traunce at Ierusalem as he declared after in his Sermon Act. 22.21 But héere it was enioyned vnto him And being a Doctor before he was héere made the Doctor of the Gentiles euen so his manner of teaching and executing this doctors office was euer one and the same manner that is to saye euer ioining exhortation admonition consolation rebukeing or some kinde or other application to his doctrine And this appeareth euen in the selfe-same 13. chapter verse 14. c. But when saithe Luke they departed from Perga they came to Antiochia of Pisidia and went into the Synagog on the Sabaoth daye and sate downe and after the Lecture of the Lawe and of the Prophets the rulers of the Synagog sent vnto them saying yee men and Bretheren if yee haue anye worde of exhortation for the people saye on Heere saithe Caluine is no mention made of praiers which notwithstanding it is certeine were not omitted nor neglected But bicause Lukes purpose was to rehearse the Sermon that Paule made there it is no maruell if hee onelie mention those things that apperteine to the order of teaching But this is a notable place out of which wee learne what was the manner of treating on doctrine among the Iewes in that age The firste place was giuen to the lawe and the Prophets For it was not lawefull to propound any thing vnto the Churche which was not drawne out of that founteine Heerevpon also we gather that the Scripture was not suppressed among a few but all were indifferentlie admitted to the reading thereof After this they that excelled in the grace of teaching and exhorting had the second partes as interpreters of the Scripture that was read Notwithstanding last of all Luke dooth shewe that all were not permitted to speake least of that licence confusion should spring But the office of exhorting was committed vnto certeine men whome he calleth the princes of the Synagog or the Maisters Paule therefore and Barnabas doo not by and by shooue themselues foorth to speake least they should disturbe with too muche haste the accustomed order but they modestlie expect vntill leaue bee giuen them for to speake and that by the permission of those vnto whome the authoritie thereof by publike consent belonged Wee knowe howe corrupte the state of that people at that time was and Luke at length in the end of the chapter will declare how these Antiochians in refusing the grace of Christe were more then proud froward And yet notwithstanding this goodnesse remained among them that their assemblies were ordered comelie and honestlie c. Which saying of his is woorthie to bee the more considered for that diuerse of these our Bretheren doo make an argument of proportion for the offices and orders of the Churche vnder Christe correspondent to the offices and orders of the Iewes Synagogs vnder Moises That for their sacrificing Priests wee haue Pastors for their Leuites Doctors of the Lawe we haue teachers doctors of the Gospell for theyr rulers of the Synagogs wee haue Gouernours for their Leuiticall lookers to the treasurie wee haue Deacons for theyr presbyterie wee haue Elders c Which enumeration and proportion though it be very disordered and confused and the argument thereon more weake and faultie yet to make the best of it that mought bee it appeareth if wee goe no further then this place that these Iewes obseruing their ordinarie custome were not acquainted with suche a kinde of Doctors as vsed no applying nor exhorting in their teaching but suche as styll ioyned these togither For what did they else meane in this demaunde If yee haue anye worde of exhortation But that they tooke it to bee the office of a Teacher to vse to the people the worde of exhortation with the worde of Doctrine But perhaps they did this of ignorance of their owne orders and had not béene acquainted with suche Doctors But what-so-euer they thought or conceaued or demanded aright or amisse héerein let vs sée as we began Caluins iudgement Dooth hee mislike it No This speeche saithe hee dooth betoken that whatsoeuer grace is in men to edifie the Churche it is as it were pawned vnto them Although the particle in if there bee in you anye worde of consolation according to the Hebrewe phrase maye bee superfluous and therefore I vrge not stiffelye that matter Because the sense maye bee plaine if you haue anye exhortation that is apte and profitable to the people howbeit exhortation excludes not Doctrine But this name seemeth to come of the common vse that was receaued among them For properlie the office of a Doctor is not to bring foorth anye newe thing of his owne sense but the Scripture wherein all the wisedome of the godlie is comprehended and to make it fitte vnto the presente vse of the people By this meanes they do not so muche teache as they applie the doctrine taken from another matter vnto the edification of the Churche Which I suppose to be noted by the worde exhorting What can be spoken of the office of a Doctor more plaine then this And howe plaine withall this iudgement of Caluine bothe for the Doctors of the Iewes and the Doctors of the Christians is cleane contrarie to these Discoursers distinguishing and limitting of a Doctors office from a Pastors by exhorting and applying I referre me not onelie to anye Doctors but to any godlie Christian readers iudgement be he neuer so simple yea almost be he neuer so much affectionate And with-all let the Reader marke the Geneua note héereâ—n This declareth the Scripture is giuen to teache and exhorte vs and that they refused none that had giftes to set foorth Gods glorie and to edifie his people Belike then they regarded not the nice distinguishing of the persons office but onelie respected these ends in him Gods glorie and their edifiyng To which endes they required not bare teaching but teaching and exhorting wherevnto they thought the Scripture to be giuen them But whatsoeuer they
meane in the Gréeke verbe following when ye saye and in the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 call ye that also an appellation because yée saye it signifieth to feede or gouerne as a Pastor doeth his sheepe And howe chance then yee adde not the 3. appellation and of gouerning also call him a Gouernour Fuâ—ye adde onely as a Pastor doth his sheepe And whie not also as a Gouernour doeth his people For else the terme of Pastor might haue sufficed What doe ye shunne of purpose the appellation of Gouernour here also included and giue the appellation of Gouernour to your other Elders whome yée call as it were by their proper name Gouernours and pull it from Bishoppes least you might séeme perhaps to ouerthwarie your selfe and inferre by giuing them the name also of Gouernours that they exercised Dominion and authoritie yea perhaps ouer whole Regions and all the Pastors of the same Which is yâ— thing that of all other yee can-not brooke But let the proofe of that fall out after as it shall out of this place as yee prooue nothing to the contrarie so if yée meane by these three distincte appellations eyther plainely spoken or included that Bishoppes are Ouer-seers are Pastors and are Gouernours then it followeth that these thrée seuerall appellations haue thrée seuerall respectes Ouer-sight or superioritie of vewing and examining the states and dueties of them whom they ouersee as Ouerseers feeding by preaching the worde of GOD and ministring the Sacramentes the foode of the soule as they are Pastors and gouernement which what it implyeth besides these two former I referrâ— to euerie indifferent concluders iudgement If nowe ye would conteyne this thirde vnder the other two ye should both confounde your selues and these thrée concurring appellations So that the exercise of dominion and authoritie of iurisdiction and discipline in the Church of God appertayning to the office of Bishops is eyther plainely or inclusiuely to be inferred of this place euen by our owne obseruation thereon Which exercise of authoritie and dominion howe farce it reached whether ouer whole Regions and all or anie the Pastors of the same shall more and more appeare by further discussing that which followeth Where is to be noted that Bishops or Ouer-seers of one Citie were manie which plainely argueth that they were none such as nowe-adaiâ—s are commonly called Bishops which can be but one in one whole Diocesse much lesse manie in one Citie Although we néede not greatly stande on this whether those Bishops that were called together by Saint Paule were at that time moe than one there continually resiant being so headde and famous a Church as Ephesus was and so in that point were different from Bishoppes nowe-a-dayes yet may they well be such in manie other more necessarie materiall and nearer pointes to the point nowe in hande though in this or some other point they were not such Would to GOD all in Christendome that haue the name and office of Bishoppes nowe-adayes differed no more but in this The Popishe Bishoppes differ in manie moe and farre greater And yet all in all the offices of a Bishops differ not though they all abuse their office diuerse wayes As may an euill Prince and a good Prince and yet both Princes As Aaron and Caiaphas both Bishoppes as Peter and Iudas both Apostles And so may there be both Doctors Pastors Gouernours and Deacons so well as Bishops good and badde And much lesse difference being both good and differing only in number of the persons and not in the principall substance of their office In which point is not so great difference as these our Learned Bretheren wéene For diuerse times there haue béene two or moe Bishoppes at once in one sée Whereupon such were in the auncient time named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coepiscopi as Clemens Linus and Cletus by diuerse mennes opinions all Bishoppes of Rome together And as Hierome Catalogo scriptornm Ecclesiast telleth of Alexander Bishoppe of Capadocia comming to Hierusalem where Narcissus was Bishop he was made Bishop ioyntly with him and both of them together ruled the Churche of Ierusalem Although this haue the séeldomer happened and orders since â—aue beene made to the contrarie as at the Councell of Nice c. to auoyde emulations and contentions and the immitation of suffragranes yet to this day testifieth the same Nowe although this be plaine ynough to be no such materiall matter To conclude that Bishoppes be it they be more together in one Diocesse or in one Citie haue no authoritie ouer other Pastors but that all Pastors are of equall dignitie and authoritie yet if this were denied I meane for this place here alleaged Act. 20. can it be necessarilie inferred thereupon The text it selfe say you plainelie argueth it So are they named Actes 20. where S. Luke in the 17. verse calleth them Elders of the Church of Ephesus What say ye my Maisters dare yee auouch these woordes for the text it selfe in déede and in distinguished letters Reade the text better and you shall finde these wordes VVherefore from Miletum he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church Doeth this of necessitie inferre that they were the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Meaning by Elders only the Pastors or ministers of the worde and Sacraments to the which purpose yee alleage it and not the Elders that yée call Gouernours which as ye afterward say medled not with teaching for theÌ„ ye shold alleage it cleane amisse for Pastors And I pray you do ye thinke there were then the Church there being so lately founded manie Pastors or ministers of the word and Sacraments abiding at that one Church of Ephesus It is not likely considering that time For in the Chapter before saue one Chap. 18.19 is the firste mention made of Ephesus howe Saint Paule comming thether entered into the Synagogue and disputed with the Iewes who desired him to tarrie a longer time with them but he would not consent but bad them fare-well c. After whose departure came Apollos as is aforesaide verse 25. The same was instructed in the way of the Lorde and he spake feruently in the spirite and taught diligently the thinges of the Lorde and knewe but the baptisme of Iohn onely And hee beganne to speake boldely in the Synagogue c. After whom Cap. 19. ver 1. Paule returning came to Ephesus and founde certaine Disciples and saide to thâ—m haue ye receaued the holy Ghost since yee beleeued And they sayde vnto him we haue not so much as heard whether there be a holy-Ghost c. And all the men were about twelue ver 7. So that all this while there was yet no great number of sufficiently enstructed Christians much lesse of Pastors and all in the Synagogue of the Iewes at Ephesus But it followeth in the text of their encrease ver 8. Moreouer he went into the Synagogue and spake boldly for the space of three
part neuer haue geuen it to them nor the other haue euer taken it on them But it was geuen and taken yea but in Iustines time Well and Iustines time immediatelie succeeded the Apostles But what called they this one Superiour ouer his fellowe Bretheren Pastors in Iustines time Forsoothe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whye and who was hee that told vs not longe since out of 1. Tim. ver 19. That we ought to note out of that place that Timothie was then in the Ephesian Eldershippe vnderstanding there Elders for Doctors or Pastors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Must wee note it there and must we forgette it heere Was that in the time of Iustine or iust in Paules time yea but it was then in Paules time then and how long I praye you held that then Forsooth while Timothie taried at Ephesus And can you tel how long or shorte that was Well he aboade not there no did S. Paule requested him earnestly to abide there 1. Tim. 1.3 And did he neglect S. Paules request no but Paule sent for him afterward and where finde yee that If this Epistle bee doubtfull with Beza where it was written in my opinion it is more doubtfull when And if as is likelye after his libertye from prison as is afore-said then will it hardlye bee prooued that Paule after this Epistle written sent for Timothie to come to him from them whom so earnestly he desired to tary with them Well yet at the most in thâ—s aboade with them hee was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And carieth not this woord as great a force of superiour dignitie or rather of a certain Primacie or principalitie as the woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doothe wheâ—her yee call it Super-attendent ot Ouerseer But I praie you who expoundes this woord in the same place and saithe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Antistitem vt vocat Iustinus The interpretation of Gelenius calls him praecipuum fratrem and Praesulem and praepositum Which word praesul and especiallye Beza his owne woord Antistes is in Latin as I take it the verye selfe-same that wee commonlye call in Englishe a Bishop so that the Office at the least and superiour dignitie of a Bishop beganne to bee peculier vnto one among his felowe bretheren and pastorall Elders euen in S. Paules time by this reckoning Though this one that thus had the matter before beganne a little after that is to wit about Iustines time to be peculiarlye called Bishop Nowe if the matter were peculier to one before what neede so great adoo though the name folowed to be peculier after this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beeing indeede a greater and a higer title Insomuche that it is applyed vnto Magistrates and princes as well as to these superior Bish. As where Plato epist. 7. saithe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Praefecte Prince or Magistrate of the great City c. Now if this appellation were giuen to one ouer the Pastorall Elders as Beza saithe in the Apostles time which appellation notwith standing is often vsed in the Scriptures and applyed to Elders and to Bishoppes as 1. Tim. 5 ver 17. euen but 2. verses before this note of Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those Elders or Priestes well Rulers or that behaue them-selues well in their praefectshippe or principalitie let them be counted worthie of double honour chieflye they that labour in the word and doctrine Out of which wordes you gathered before pag. 21. saying Which place also testifieth of an other kinde of Elders of whom we shall haue occasion to speake more heare after whose office consisteth onelie in gouernment and not in publicke teaching the reuerence reserued of all those famous men from whom ye take this obseruation me thinks the wordes there inferre no such distinction but séeme rather to be referred to those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that such principall or prefect Elders as for al their godly paines trauell in this GouernmeÌ„t of other Elders and rule of the Chur. discipline intermit not the labor of the word and doctrine any more then do their fellow brethren Elders that are not such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where all generally are to bee honored they both for their dignity and good behauiour in the same besides that for their labour in the worde and doctrine as the others do more than any other as they haue a double greater care deserue a double or a greater honour And this rather seemeth to my simple iudgemeÌ„t howbeit vnder all correction and without all contention to be a good exposition of that place And of this Superiour gouernement in the vse of this word which is vsed also I graunt in many meaner matters he gaue before an example to be a Bishop in the gouernment of the Bishops owne children and familie by comparison to the gouernment of Gods Church 1. Timoth. 3.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which gouerneth wel his owne house hauing children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in subiection with all honesty For if he cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rule or stand as chiefe or be principall of his owne house howe will hee care for the Church of God But in euery house there may not be many Soueraignes and chiefe Rulers but one principall ouer all the other nor yet many stewards c. And therefore by the force of this worde and similitude the Church béeing compared a little after ver 15. to the house of God though we be all fellowe seruaunts in respect of Christ and al Pastors fellowe stewards of Gods mysteries yet in respecte of particuler Churches and the externall Ecclesiasticall pollicy and Gouernement thereof as it is also aptly compared to particuler families though there be diuers Pastors in the same Yet must one be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Prouost a principall a chiefe bayliffe vnder Christ that must there gouerne all his fellowe seruaunts and all the children within the Region Diocese or city limited vnto him and keepe them all in an orderly subiection euen as a Father doeth his children or else the Ecclesiasticall pollicy is disturbed And the same that héere is attributed to him ouer his children and house is attributed also vnto him for this his principal rule ouer the particuler Church of God 1. Thess. 5.12 We beseech ye brethren that yee acknowledge them that labour among you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And them that are chiefe ouer you in the Lord and admonish you Now if this were the name whereby he was called that had the Superiority not onely ouer the people but ouer his fellowe and brethren Pastors in any assemblies while the name Bishop was yet indifferent to them all and that the name Bishop began to become peculier to one as Beza saith while there was such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among them theÌ„ as the name was very well changed from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from one that had a
the Iewes beleeued that this was the cause of the siege of Ierusalem foorth-with following that they had againe on him layde their wicked handes And that Iosephus did thinke euen so hee euidentlie declareth by these woordes all which thinges sayth hee hapned to the Iewes for the reuenge of Iames the Iuste which was the brother of Iesus that is called Christe whome they killed beeing by the confession of all men the most righteous and most holy man So that this Bishop which Danaeus calleth the Bishoppe of man and his Episcopall chayre wherein he sate among his fellowe Brethren and thereupon was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the president of them is of man indéede but of such men euen of the holie Apostles of Iesus Christe that we must néedes confesse it is of God also Except wee will disavowe the Apostles doinges of the same or call in question the credite of these Historiographers that were so néere and as it were euen in their times which doe auowe it of them But nowe that we haue hearde Danaeus iudgement let vs heare also the iudgement of this most reuerende and learned man from beyonde the seas that is nowe ariued in Englande For we Englishmen loue manie times to heare of newes beyond-sea where in sooth are manie most reuerend and learned men and it is good to heare the iudgments of them to sée if they agrée with these mens iudgementes For if he be neuer so much most reuerende and learned a man yet I perceaue héereby hée is but a man and so is the Bishop of man as well as he And wee haue heard for this one mans iudgement the iudgement alreadie of a great manie moe and that as reuerende and as learned men as this one most reuerend and learned man who so euer he be But is he not some Archbishop himselfe For this stile most Reuerend sauoreth much that waies if the stile of Archbishops be not by you misliked for that hee is called a most reuerende Father and your stile is to be well allowed of that calleth him but a most reuerende and learned man But as we haue heard other most reuerende and learned men from beyond the seas also and from the most famous partes of all the worlde and all of so manie hundred yeares before our times yea and before the vsurpation of the Pope so let vs now heare also the iudgement of this most reuerende and learned man and conferre it with the other and with the best learned euen of our Brethren themselues and so returne to procéede vppon our Learned Discourse The Bishop that is of man saith this most reuerend learned man that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God is a certaine power giuen to one certaine Pastor aboue his other fellowes yet limited with certaine orders or rules prouided against tyrannie In this definition of the B. of man made here by the iudgment of this most reuerend and learned man except in the partie himself that is here defined I sée as yet in my simple vnlearned iudgement no great matter to be misliked in him or cause that he should mislike in the B. of man Saue that here me thinkes he defines an other B. of man then we defend or know of to be among vs. And this is principally to be marked that definitum definitio doe so agrée that whatsoeuer is spoken of the partie defined be aunswerable to the definition of him and whatsoeuer is put in the definition be in all pointes answerable and neither more nor lesse than is proper to the partie that is defined or else it is no good definition of the partie For here concerning the B. of man are adioyned these words that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God Where here this most reuerend and learned man taketh on him to define such a B we take not vpon vs to defende or maintaine such a Bishop as is brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man For the alone wisedome of man is méere foolishnes before God Yea sayth S. Paule 1. Cor. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisedome of the spirite is life and peace because the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God For it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeede can be But it is such wisedome as S. Iames speaketh of earthly sensuall and diuelish Iac. 3. while therefore this most reuerend and learned man speaketh héere distinctly of the B. of man from the Bishop of God he confoundeth him with the B. of the Diuell For what is the alone wisedome of man without the wisdom of God but the very wisdome of the diuel For when man would be wise without God he became a foole lost the Image of God and was deformed with the image of the diuell till by the liuely character of Gods expresse Image Iesus Christ the Image of God was renewed in him And if he do any thing of himselfe without the wisdome of God which is Iesus Christ though in some respect it may be said his owne yet it is the Deuils from whō all sinne first came So that here this triple distinction is confounded neither indéed can it well be maintained that he saith we must needes make 3. Bishops There is neither need nor truth in this distinction and sauing the reuerence of euerie reuerend and learned man it is but a captious distinction Where with séeing they dare not for very shame nor indéede can condemne all these holy fathers that mainteined it as mainteining a B. of the deuill they turne that cunningly to the Papistes that are the open aduersaries and deuise a meane betwixt Gods Bishops the diuels and that for sooth is the B. of man Wherein good simple men or rather well wéening fooles brought in a B. of their only or alone wisedome that for sooth is not the diuels B. but whose is he then Is there halting here betwixt God Baal and a meane betwéene Christ and Beliall Was not Saules alone wisedome without God witchcraft And is not witchcraft of the diuel Doth not Christ say he that gathereth not with me is against me And is not he that is against Christ with the deuill Why then do ye séeke out these figges leaues not plainly say if ye can so say if ye dare so say that this Bishop which all these holie fathers did acknowledge was the diuels B if ye say it was the diuels B I pray you looke vpon the fathers a little better that brought this B. in into the Church And marke whether they looke not like Gods childrē yea the notable excellent most reuerend most learned saints of God manie of them And would all these set vp such an Idoll puppet as the diuels B. to be gouernour
in Ignatius or other auucient writers whosoeuer they be whatsoeuer they speake or write neuer so-good neuer so holie neuer so true what though it were when the bishop of Sathan was not yet founde out if it once be towching the authority of bishops Ouer-seers it is all to be reiected with this contumelie It is to be vnderstode of this kinde of bishoppe whiche is called The bishoppe of Man that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse word of God Thus doth this moste Reuerend and Learned man froÌ„ beyond the Seas in a round conclusion giue his iudgement of them and so he leaueth them Let vs now therefore leaue him also to returne a Gods blessing beyond the Seas from whence he came and with all due reuerence taking our leaue of him in expectation of other reuerend and learned Fathers Iudgements from beyonde the Seas also Let vs now for the present returne home to our Brethren where we left them in their Learned Discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment THE ARGVMENT OF THE FIFT BOOKE PROCEEding still further on the Pastors THis booke treateth specially on the Iudgements of other reuerend and godly learned men from beyonde the seas also in the late reformed Churches concerning this superiour authority dignity of one pastor in a citie or Diocesse or Prouince ouer his brethren and fellow pastors Which one was called in a citie or diocesse bishop in a prouince Archb. To the proofe whereof are alleaged vpon our brethrens allegation of Titus What superiour authoritie he had ouer all the pastors of Creta with the iudgements of Bullinger Caluine Aretius Hemingius Herebrande with the orders of other reformed Churches for their Superintendents speciall and generall The B. and Archb. of the fathers and other canons of the auncient churches regiment approoued by Caluine in Geneua with the approbation of Ieromes sentence and that this order was in the Apost times and not contrary to the Apostolicall Doctrine with Caluines epistles to diuerse B. and Archb. to the King of Polonia approouing this superior authority and his generall rules for all popish B. conuerted to the gospell The iudgement of Zanchius and Bucer for those olde orders specially of bishops Archb. for the old clericall discipline and regimente due vnto them of the obiections to the contrary out of Peter and of the Titles proper to Christe and whether the name Archb. be coÌ„petent to any Minist of Peters Title of fellow Elder and of Christs prohibitions of Titles rule of his example of washing his Disc. feet c. and of humility Lordship of bishops holding temporalities royalties of obedieÌ„ce vnto them in the same of Diotrephes with caueats for the Ministers lawful authority and against vnlawfull liberty by aequality lastly of Bezaes iudgement on these matters for the Apostles and the auncient orders of the renuing those orders in the state of Geneua The Learned Discourse IN the same manner of speaking he describeth the qualities of those which were to be chosen Bishops and Deacons Likewise vnto Titus 1.5 Hee calleth them elders and immediately after describing the qualities of such as were meet to be ordeyned elders hee calleth them bishops saying For this cause did I leaue thee in Creta that thou shouldest continue to redresse the thinges that remayne and that thou shouldest ordeyne elders in euery City if any bee vnreprouable the husband of one wife hauing faithfull children which are not accused of riot nor are disobedient For a bishop or ouerseer must be vnreprouable as the steward of God not froward c. COncerning the communicating of these names Pastors Priestes or elders and byshops indifferently or the being of the office all one and the same vntill furder order in the Apostles times were taken we haue at large before declared But as for the matter that among these Pastors Elders or bishops some one Pastor elder or bishop had a superior gouernment ouer many of the residue in the same order as wee haue plainly prooued it by Saint Paule through-out all the same his Epistle to Timothy héere alleaged and also out of the other Epistle vnto him so for this Epistle likewise vnto Titus 1.5 Which Epistle appeareth to be so late written by Saint Paule that there is no such iourney or aboade in any such place mentioned in all those iourneyes which Saint Luke so diligently in the Actes recordeth therfore it should rather séeme to be written after that time Bullinger in his Preface on this Epistle to Titus sayth when it was written eyther before or after the Apostle was taken it is not euident ynough Theophilacte thinketh it written before his bondes and before the later to Timothie were published Certainely hee that wil search it more diligently shall not want coniectures whereby it may be gathered that it was written after that by the sentence of Caesar hee was at Rome acquitted But were it written then or after or before or as Chytreus also in his Onomastichon gathereth yet maketh it no lesse if not much more vnto this purpose that euen at that time while the name of Preest or Elder and Bishop was yet vsed in common notwithstanding there was yea and that no small difference among these Preestes or elders and Bishops in the degree of superiour gouernment which is apparant by the text it selfe wherein Saint Paule giueth Titus beeing a priest or elder or pastor or Bishop a greate deale more authority and superior dignitie then ordinarilye appertayned to euery Preest or elder or Pastor or Bishoppe or by what name soeuer they were tearmed Which Caluine himselfe vpon these wordes For this cause haue I lâ—ft thee in Creta c. doth note saying This beginning doth clearely shewe that Titus is not so muche admonished for his owne sake as commended vnto others leaste any shoulde hinder him the Apostle committeth vnto him his owne turnes Wherefore it behooueth that hee bee acknowledged of all men for the Apostles Vicar and bee reuerentlye receyued For sithe that no certayne station was assigned to the Apostles but an office enioyned to them of spreading the Gospell through-out all the worlde whereas therefore they trauayled out of one city into another they vsed to substitute fitte men in their place by whose labour that which they beganne shoulde be finished So Paule boasteth that he founded the Church of Corinth but other were the master workman which ought to builde therupon that is to further the building This indeede belongeth to all Pastors â—or the Churches shall alwayes haue neede of encreasinges and of furderaunce so long as the worlde endureth But beyonde the ordinary office of pastors a care of ordeyning the Churche was committed to Titus for pastors are wont to bee placed ouer Churches that bee already ordeyned and formed in a certayne manner But Titus susteyned a certayne burden more that it is witte
occupie and what a charge is imposed vpon you Adde this that the enemies of godlinesse while in their clutterie darkenesse they can not abide the small sparkes of your godlinesse they as it were thrust you out of their faction which you voluntarily should haue fledde from Pardon me of your courtesie if in one worde I be more sharpe because that to profite you I must speake freelye that I thinke when you shall come to the heauenlie iudgement seate the offence of betraying can not be washed away except in time you with-drawe your selfe from that bande that openlie conspireth to oppresse the name of Christe But if nowe it bee greeuous to you to be diminished that Christ may increase in you thinke on Moses example which vnder obscure shadowes did yet not doubt to prefer the rebuke of Christ before the delightes and riches of the Aegyptians But although peraduenture I haue beene more bolde with your Excellencie then was meete not-withstanding sithe my purpose was to regard your saluotion I hope my libertye shall not be odiousto you c. Fare you wel most excellent man illustrious and Reuerend Lord c. But here againe least we might thinke hee goeth about to persuade him to leaue his B. as a dignitie that he could not lawefully retaine with the profession of the gospel which was not his drift but to haue himretain still his place and dignitie so farre as hee might doe it without houering betwéene the Papistes and the Epicures and thereto he willeth him to thinke on the place he occupied and what charge was layde vpon him and yet to renounce it rather than to ioyne with those enemies of the Gospel to shew this better Caluine setteth downe more fully in his Epistle to the King of that countrey of Polonia Epist. 190. what manner of superiour dignitie and authoritie he not onely alloweth to remaine in a Bishop but also in an Archb. so little shunneth he or disaloweth either the name or the office of them To conclude saith he onely ambition and pride hath forged that Primacie that the Romanistes oppose vnto vs. The auncient Church indeede did institute Patriarchies did appoint also to euery of the Prouinâ—â—â—â—ertaine Primacies that the Bishops by this bonde of concorde migh◠〈◊〉 better knitte together among themselues Euen as if so be at this day in the most noble kingdome of Polonia one Archbishop were ouer the residue Not that he should ouerrule the residue or snatching the right or Lawe from them arrogate it vnto him-selfe but that for because of order he should in the Synodes hold the first place and nourish an holie vnitie among his collegues brethren And furthermore there should bee either Prouinciall or Citie Bishops which peculierly should giue attendance to the conseruing of order Euen as nature suggesteth this vnto vs that out of al Colleges one ought to be chosen vp on whom the chiefest care should lie But it is one thing to beare a moderate Honor to wit so farre as the facultie or power of man extendeth it self another to comprehende thâ— whole compasse of the world in a gouernmeÌ„t vnmeasurable Thus doth Caluine most clearely though he condemne the Popes vsurpation approue both the superioritie of Pastorship not onely in Bishops ouer Cities and Prouinces where manie Pastors be but also of Archb. and of one Archb. the chiefe and primate of a mightie kingdome more thâ—n fiue times as bigge as Englande to bée ouer all the residue And this being well vsed without offring iniurie to the right of other bishops vnder him hee thinketh to be both good and necessarie So farre off is he as our Brethren here doe from condemning the very name of Archbishops No he alloweth both the office and the name euen here in Englande also as appeareth by his letter vnto the Archb. of Canterburie Epist. 127. Caluinus Cranmero Archiepisc. Cantuariensi salutem When as at this time it was not to be hoped which was most to bee wished that euerie one of the chiefest teachers out of diuerse Churches which haue embraced the pure doctrine of the Gospell shoulde come together and out of the pure word of God should set foorth to the posteritie a certaine and cleare confession of euerie one of the capitall pointes at this day in controuersie I doe greatly commende right Reuerende Lorde the counsell which you haue begunne that the English men might ripely establish religion among them that the mindes of the people should not sticke longer in suspence while thinges are vncertaine or lesse orderly composed than were meete To which purpose it behooueth all those that haue the gouernment there to apply in common their studies notwithstanding so that the chiefest parts be yours You see what this place requireth or rather what God according to the reason of the office which hee hath enioyned vnto you doeth by his right require of you In you is the chiefest authoritie which the noblenesse of honor doth not more procure vnto you than the opinion long since conceaued of your prudence integritie c. Thus doth Caluine where he still calleth vpon for increase and spéede of further and full reformation acknowledge both his title of Arch-bishop and his office of Primacie with the honour and authoritie thereof aboue all other in the Churches ministerie to be good and lawfull And to shewe further howe he alloweth the generall practise of Episcopall authoritie where when and whosoeuer Bishop shoulde receaue the Gospell whether he should giue ouer or reteyne still a Superiour authoritie in his Diocesse ouer the other Pastors in the same hée hath fully decided this Question Epist. 373. Si Episcopus vel curatus ad Ecclesiam se aediunxerit If a Bishop or a Curate shall adioyne himselfe vnto the Church Caluine aunswereth on this wise Being asked my sentence or opinion concerning Bishops Curates and others of like degree or whome they call Graduates if that the Lorde shoulde vouchsafe any of them his grace that they would adioyne themselues vnto the Church howe must they behaue themselues towardes them c. Here after his excuse for breuitie by reason of his rewme he sayth If therefore it shall happen that in Poperie anie to whome the cure of soules shall haue beene committed that is to wit a Bishop or a Curate shall receaue the grace of the Lorde so that he professe the pure doctrine of the Gospell if he shal be founde not to be so fitte for the office of a Pastor nor to be endewed with that knowledge and dexteritie that is requisite hee shoulde altogether doe very rashly if he would intermitte himselfe into so great a matter The fruite therefore of his conuersion shall consist in that if so be hee discharge him-selfe of all cure and doe so acknowledge that grosse abuse that he did beare before a voide title with-out matter and thereuppon giue place to a fitte successor that may lawefully be instituted it shall
be lauashly cast forth to the blemish suspition and slaūder of the Ministers But our brethren yet thinke harder of the matter as it were euen in pronouncing the sentence of eternall condemnation on many whole Churches in the realme they say If there be no way of saluation but by faithe and none can beleeue but such as heare the word of God preached O Lord how miserable is the state of manye flockes in this lande who either seldome or neuer heare the word of God trulie preached and therefore know not how to beleeue that they might be saued I meruaile now lesse if our learned Brethren bee so hard hearted against all those learned or vnlearned if they bee not preaching pastors as to thrust them cleane out of all the Ministerie since that in this their too earnest zeale they thrust withall so manie flocks in this land and in many other lands cleane out both of the state of saluation also of the meanes to be saued For first loe heere what a number at a clap by this thunderclap of theirs are flatlie pronounced to be perpetuallie damned whom we charitablie hope and verilie beleeue to be as safelie saued as our selues If there bee no waie of saluation but by faith how well might we then crie out indeede O Lorde how miserable is the state of all our infants dying not onelie before but also after Baptisme in their infancie The Papists as they pronounce that none are saued but onely such as are baptized so for Faith likewise they holde this opinion that there is no waie of saluation but by faith albeit adding other things thereto and séeing their infantes not capable of Faith they affirme that they are saued not by their owne faith but by the Churches faith and by the faith of their Godfathers or Godmothers as we call them that in baptizing vndertake and aunswere for them Luther and diuerse other following him perceiuing the grosenesse of this error vpon which sundrie inconueniences depend to be saued by the faith not of himselfe but of other affirme that our infants haue theyr selues the substance of faith although it be not able in act to shew it selfe and that as Saint Paule saith out of Abakuk ca. 2. The iust liueth by his owne faith they are likewise saued and iustified by their owne faith But Caluine séeing further into this matter and that this properly and in verie déede is not faith which requireth both an intellectual knowledge and an actuall assured persuasion and confidence on the truth of Gods promises and couenant in the mercies and merites of Christ Iesus which act of the minde infantes haue not and considering that saluation properlie dependeth not on the act or on the habit of our faith but on Gods eternal election and the performance of his promise and that faith being the gifte of God is indeede the onelie meanes and waie of saluation to those that are capable to vnderstand by beléeuing the same applie the promise of Christ his merites saluation to themselues but vnto those that are not yet growen to this capacitie their naturall defect or rather vnripenesse maketh not the promise of God frustrate nor defeateth the election that was before the children were borne yea ere the foundations of the worlde were laide purposed in Gods eternal decrée this foundation is sure God knows who are his Caluine therfore willeth vs not to applie these sentences of Christ that recommend faith vnto vs vnto the infants but vnto those that are growne to capacitie by the gift of God in them to vnderstande and apprehend the same And for the infants of vs which are faithfull and so included in the couenant betwixt GOD and his people admitting our infants to receiue the Sacrament of regeneration because though they bee not capable of knowledge and faith yet are they capable of the thing signified and of the fauour of God the Father of the grace of Christ the sonne of the inspiration of the holie Ghost yea although they die before they receiue the outward signe yet not to presume to iudge them cleane debarred and bereft of these inward graces but to relie vpon the promise of the couenant that he will not onelie be our God and so our sauiour that haue faith in him but the God and sauiour of our séede also although yet they haue not faith in him and that we and our séede shall be his people Neither onelie in an outward sanctification whereby as the roote so the branches are holie but by the inward sanctification and by saluation so farre as accordeth with his eternall election in Christ Iesu. So then except this which our Brethren héere saie If there be no waie of saluation but by faith be restrained to such onelie as are both of yéeres and of discretion also to vnderstād at the least in some measure by faith to applie the word of God vnto them we should finde a manifest errour and too hard a iudgement contained in this sentence that there is no waie of saluation but by faith Secondly héere followeth vpon this an assumption farre more hard and peremptorie concerning the word of God than this former proposition concerning faith in him And none say our Bre. can beléeue but such as heare the word of God preached Indéede the ordinarie meanes to faith is the word of God which in the meane while debarreth not anie extraordinarie meanes for God fréelie to instill his spirit and to giue his gift of faith by inspiration as Caluine saith on the 14. verse Rom. 10. vpon these words How shall they beleeue in him on whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher Hee placed heere no other word than that which is preached because this is the ordinarie meanes that the Lord hath ordained of dispensing the same If anie doo further contend thereon that God cannot instill into men the knowledge of him by other meanes than by the instrument of preaching we denie that is was the Apostles minde who onelie looked on the otdinarie dispensation of GOD but woulde not prescribe a lawe vnto his grace So that againe we sée that this saying of our Brethren heere is preiudiciall not onely vnto mens faith but vnto Gods grace thus flatlie to affirm that none can beleeue but such a◠heare the word of God preached But all this for faith and preaching our brethren thinke to warrant out of Beza in his Confession cap. 4. Artic. 35. where he saith thirdly sith that wihout faith entrance to Christ life aeternall is open to none and the preaching of the word is the ordinary instrument of the holy Ghost to engender faith in vs it followeth that the preaching of the word and the same effectual is to be required in all of ripe yeeres to this purpose that they may be saued except whē it hath pleased God extraordinarily to worke in their harts If our
after the confession pronounceth in the name of God the forgiuenes of the sins of man But our brethren apply this alonely to preaching and in very déede in the selfesame place which is not the 15. but the 24. and 25. verses S. Paule mencioneth prophecying and he maketh the comparatiue opposition not betwéene publike prayer and prophecying but betwéene the speking with tongs and prophesiing And as he maketh this an examplification of all that went before concerning this matter so not onelye hee stretcheth his whole treatise of edification as well to prayer as to prophecying and therefore not only in this châ—pter 1. Cor. 14. ver 14.15.16 17. he mencioneth also publike prayers which he would likewise haue as prophesying to be made to edification in a tongue knowne that the vnlearned may say Amen but also before in the 11. chapter ver 4 5. he ioyneth praying and prophecying together Euery man praying or prophesying hauing any thing on his head dishonoureth his head And euery woman that prayeth or prophesyeth bare headed dishonoureth her head Neither doth the prophesying that he so often mentioneth both in the 14. and before that in the 13. and before that in the 12. and before that in the 11. Chapters of this Epistle signifie onlye the function of preaching For speaking of euery mans prophesying cap. 11. verse 4. and of weomens prophesying verse 5 and of making Prophets distinct from Teachers Cap. 12. verse 28. and 29. and of making the gift of Prophecye to bee the knowing of secretes and knowledge cap. 1â— ver 2. and euen héere in this place Ca. 14. ver 24. speaking of the people whiche are not ordinary Ministers of the word and Sacramentes he saith But if all doo prophesie and there come in one c. So that properly he speaketh not héere of the only function that is ordinarily peculier to the Minister and whereof our brethren now dispute but besides the special gifte of foretelling things to come or of reuealing though thinges present yet secret as he saith héere of him that commeth in among these Prophetes that the secretes of his heart are made manifest as Peter made manifest the secretes of Ananias and Zaphira Or else of such exercises also in expounding the hidden mysteries and secretes of the holy Scripture as the gifte was then more peculier to that age of the Primitiue Churche and in their courses and places more common than nowe it is to all the faithfull But howsoeuer prophecying be héere vnderstood it debarreth not the like at least some parts of these effectes from the reuerent and attentiue hearing of Gods word it selfe openlie redde in the Church by the Minister though at that thme not expounded And perhaps the place that is reade be plaine inough to vnderstande and to moue the attentiue hearer of the same without a Preacher Neither debarreth it these effectes from the publike and ordinary prayers of the Church from other parts of the diuine seruice if they be so disposed as S. Paule there would haue all thinges done to aedification although no prophecying bee vsed nor sermon be preached at euery time when those publike prayers are made as already we haue at large proued But say our brethren that they cannot away withall being lyke vnto Felix the Liuetenant of the Romaines in Iewry Who when he heard Paule a poore prisoner that stoode before him bownde in chaynes preaching of righteousnesse of temperance and of the iudgement to come he was wearie of him because hee was a great oppressour and an intemperate person and therefore feared the iudgement of GOD for his sinne whiche hee purposed not to forsake Such is the maiesty of Gods worde when it is preached that either it boweth or breaketh the wicked in peeces Saint Paules preaching of righteousnesse of temperance and of iudgement to come made Felix tremble Act. 24. ver 26. and yet that trembling came to no perfect effect in him to his conuersion And manie moe heard S. Paules preaching at the same time that treÌ„bled lesse thereat than Felix did And yet this impayreth not the Maiestye of Gods word when it is preached Not that it wanteth power to doe that which our brethren héere saye that when it is preached it either boweth or breaketh the wicked in peeces but that it alwaies doeth it not For héere it neyther bowed nor brake in peeces a great many wicked hearers of it To which purpose our Learned brethren might haue brought out far better prooues But may not this be said also of publike prayer no doubt wee maye safely affirme thus much euen of our ordinary forme of the diuine seruice where the worde of God is also set forth with sundrie admonitions confessions exhortations and instructions besides the supplications and thankesgiuings that although not alwaies and euery man that is present at the same yet hath it often bowed moued pearced yea and conuerted many a great oppressor and intemperate person manye a blinde Papiste and superstitious Idolater and wonne them to God or rather God hath wonne them by it if not so much as by preaching yet very much by it And manie partly by the one partly by the other Yea by this hee hath so broken in peeces the rebellious hartes of the moste obstinate aduersaries that they had a great deale rather heare many Sermons yea they will come dogging after the preachers whosoeuer the Preachers be to entrappe their words as the Pharisies didde with Christe than to come to anie one assembly of our publike prayers and ordinarye seruice of the Lorde Wherewith in no wise they will ioyne with vs or giue the least hearing in the world whiche they will not spare to giue with all obseruation and noting of our preachinges And haue they so great feare of our diuine seruice and publike prayers and doe our owne brethren make so light account and so little regarde thereof What an hardening of the common aduersaries hartes and occasion of vtterly contemning all our profession of the Gospell is this vnto them Our Brethren nowe to close vp all this part against our Diuine seruice and publike prayer conclude it also with a prayer of their making and say God graunt therefore that in steede of ordinary formes of prayers we may haue preaching in all places And in place of Amen God forbid say I with an other prayer to the contrarie if it be his good will not so much good Lorde to punishe vs that this our brethrens prayer should be graunted For then not onely this that now we haue but simply all other formes of prayers should be quite and cleane abolished and taken from vs. If they had prayed that they might haue continued with preaching as before they said pag 67. there would be no ordinary prayer without preaching that had yet béene more tollerable But to praie that we might haue the one in steed of the other and that in all places what is this
that thus farre forth besides heâ— commendable constancie and open profession of Christ she was neither improued of Christ nor discommended of anie protestant writer namely for lifting vp her voice beeing a woman in the audience of the publike congregation Likewise the woman that had the bloudie flixe Matth. 9. ver â—0 when as being a weake and bashfull woman by reason of her disease she durst not come openlie before Christ and in so great assemblie open her voice pray to him for succour but came behinde him and touched the hem of his garment For she said in her selfe If I may but touch his garment onelie I shall be whole Did Christ like this that she shuld receiue this benefit of him thus in silence because a woman might not speake in the congregation No saith Luke chap. 8. verse 44. VVhen shee came behinde him and touched the hemme of his garment immediatlie her issue of bloud staunched Then Iesus said who is it that hath touched mee VVhen euerie man denied Peter sayd and they that were with him Maister the multitude thrust thee and tread on thee â—nd sayest thou who hath touched me And Iesus sayd some one hath touched me for I perceiue that vertue is gone out of me VVhen the woman sawe that she was nâ—t hid she came trembling and fell downe before him and told him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed imediatlie Was not this then the purpose of Christ that this woman should speake and declare this worke of God before all the publike assemblie of the people What shall we saie of that woman Matth. 15.22 the Cananite that came crying to Christ and said Haue mercie on me O Lord thou sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a diuell Here this woman cried out in an open praier and spared not to speake speake aloude before all the assemblie But he answered her saith Matthew not a word What Was he angrie that she being a woman durst make her praier so openly before the multitude of the people Indeede the Disciples were offended at her importunitie and came to him and besought him saying Send her awaie for she crieth after vs. But he answered and saide I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel So that hée findeth no fault for that she being a woman would presume to make this open praier but pretendeth that she was not such a woman as he was sent to help that if she had bene such a woman he woulde haue liked of her crie well inough and haue helped her Yet came she saith Saint Mathew and worshipped him saying Lord helpe me And he answered and sayd It is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to whelpes And she said Truth Lord howbeit the whelpes eate of the crums which fall from their Maisters table Did Christ here like her replying vpon him hauing such an answere Yea verilie and that most singularliâ— well Then Iesus answered said vnto her O woman great is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou desirest her daughter was made whole at that houre Neither is it vnworthie to consider the storie so diligentlie described by Saint Iohn chap 4. concerning the Samaritane Woman Not her bolde talke with Christ alone at the Well but that verse 29. she said of Christ vnto the people Come and see a man that hath tolde me all things that I haue done is not this Christ. Yea Caluine who compareth her so dooing to this saying in the Psalme I beleeued and therfore I spake Psal. 116. v. 10. And saith he this vehemencie and cheerefulnesse of the woman are so much the more to be noted of vs because an onelie small sparke of faith kindled them For shee had scarce tasted Christ when shee setteth him forth throughout all the Citie c. But this sayth he seemeth in the woman rather worthie reprehension that beeing as yet rude and not thoroughlie taught she passed the boundes of her faith The answere is she shoulde haue done inconsideratlie if shee had taken vpon her the parts of teaching but now when shee desireth nothing but to stirre vp her Citizens that they should heare Christ speake we will not saie that beeing forgetfull of her selfe shee proceeded further than became her Onelie she doth the office of a Trumpet or of a Bell to call them vnto Christ And yet was this a kind of preching to theÌ„ as Musculus calleth it saying The woman did so much by her preaching that the people of this Citie went out to Christ of whome as yet they knew nothing Yea Aretius saith But as concerning that she preacheth the name and the person of Christ she testifieth by example how much she had profited At the beginning she acknowledged him onelie to be a Iew after that a Prophet placing him in a higher degree at the length she perfectlie acknowledgeth him to be the Messias and such a one vnto her Citizens she preacheth him to be Which also is for an example of regeneration wherof the order is this First to come to the knowledge of ones owne selfe then diligentlie to search concerning the true worship of God Last of all to become carefull of the profite of our neighbour Thus she wherein she profited woulde haue her fellow Citizens to profite also least she should inioy so great a benefite all alone Thou hast therefore a woman an Euangelist She exerciseth the office of a Doctor or Teacher she that came for an harlot returneth an Euangelical mistresse This is the meruailous goodnesse of God choosing base contemptuous things in the world that he might confound the wise men of this world Héerevpon Marlorate concludeth out of Bucer Therfore there is not so much consideration to be had of the partie that speaketh as we must ponder what is spoken to vs. And Alesius the Scot hereon making this his 16. place doth saie The ministerie of the Gospell is not tied to the ordinarie power And the doctrine of a priuate man and of a woman which bringeth forth the worde of God is to bee preferred before the iudgement of the multitude and of them that take vpon them the name authoritie of the Church as the Samaritanes beleeue at the testimonie of a woman concerning Christ. To conclude these examples in the new Testament Luke mencioning Philip the Euangelist Act. 21 verse 9. sayth Now had hee foure daughters virgins that did prophesie But this example Caluine woulde séeme on the other side to cut off saying But how these maidens exercised the office of prophesieng it is vncertaine except the spirite of GOD did so moderate them that they troubled not the order of him set downe But when hee permitteth not women to sustaine a publike person in the Church it is credible that they prophesied either at home or in a priuate place out of the common
the gouernement of a kingdome is not so necessarie but that they might do it did it by their deputies or else these queenes did sit their selues in publike indgement yet no reproch or vncomlines vnto their shamfastnes But whatsoeuer they did then Danaeus will proue that this should not now be done And why not now From hence to wit that it is vtterly vnseemely for the shamefastnes of a woman sayth he by the ciuill lawe of the Romanes L. mulieres D. de regul iuris women are rightly repelled from administring the functions and offices belonging to meÌ„ such as also are those that ought to be exercised in publike And the same is the saying of Augustine Lt. de nuptâ—s cap. 9. Neither can it be doubted that men ought rather to be principall vnto women than women to men Here is both the autority of the ciuil law of this most famous Doctor of the Church S. Aug. alleaged against womens sitting in publike iudgment their supreme gouernment ouer meÌ„ To S. Aug. afterwarde in his order Let vs first consider the ciuill law hereon Not that I wil take vpon me lawyerlike to answere this rule of the law of maÌ„ in such learned full maner as the professors thereof would do it sufficeth me that I find sufficient warrant for womens supreme gouernment out of Gods lawe NotwithstaÌ„ding I deny not this law ciuill so far as it contrarieth not the law diuine which we all Christendom are more bound vnto thaÌ„ to any ciuil law of the Romanes Io. Ramus in his Inchiridion or manuel de reg iuris li. 2. axiom 50. de Faeus mentions this rule froÌ„ whoÌ„ Danaeus taketh it Vlpian sayth he doth say that women are remoued froÌ„ al ciuill or publike offices both because it is not commendable for the shamefastnes of the feminine sexe to be prouoked to do those things which appertain to men also because the counsell of women is feeble fraile and without the experience of matters Vlpian alleageth examples therfore womeÌ„ can be no iudges nor demaunde right nor appeare for other nor bee procurators Of the motiues that induced hereunto this famous lawyer Vlpian and yet but an heathen Idolater not knowing Gods law nor séeing such measure of his giftes among the heathen Romanes in those daies we shal after God willing sée further Danaeus leading vs to the enquirie what women haue also gouerned the Romaine Empire As for this law both properly is vnderstood of the personall actions of such offices or functions as appertaine onely to pleas for hereunto hee driueth all his examples and so no more restrayneth the principalitie of a womans supreme gouernement ouer a kingdome than it doth of a childes neither is it further to be stretched than serueth to the reasons here alleaged which only take place in the ordinarie sort of women But when as we haue shewed so many laudable examples to the contrarie and shall sée further in the practise of the greatest states in Christendome yea Danaeus also himselfe hath specified some such examples as in all points are aunswerable to all the vertues here required and to many farre more excellent besides as firme as constant and as expert counsell of most waighty matters as in the most best Counsellers among men not only such as Holda to whoÌ„ Iosias the high Priest and the grauest Counsellers resorted for counsell nor as Iudith that gaue most godly stoute and prudent counsell to the Priestes the Elders and all the people but God be praysed by Danaeus owne confession we are not vnfurnished in this behalfe And therfore such excellent women are to be excluded from this rule of the ciuill lawe but not from the rule of the ciuill gouernment But for our better proofe hereof to shew how this rule of the ciuill law debarreth not simply all women especially not Princes no not from publike sitting and pronouncing law in iudgement the promptuarie of the three lawes to wit the diuine lawe of God the Cannon lawe of the Bishops and the Ciuill lawe of the Emperours collected by Montholonius as comming next to hande may suffice mee thinkes both for the matter it self and for the lawes reaching to or restrayning of this rule Upon this sentence Iudg. 4. Debora the wife of Lapidoth was the Prophetesse which iudged the people at that time of Iabin king of Chanaan and shee fate vnder a date tree that was called by her name betweene Rama and Bethell in mount Ephraim and the children of Israell came vp to her for all iudgement c. Upon the woorde shee iudged sayth Montholonius By the lawe of man it is not permitted for women to iudge or to exercise the office of a partie that iudgeth The text is open in L. faeminae in princ ff de reg iuris in c. cum Praetor § 1. ff de iudi in C. 1. § tria sunt 3. quaest 7. in c. mulierem militem in fi 33. quaest 5. which notwithstanding proceedeth not in the case that is put in c. dilecti de arbi where it is sayde Dilecti fil Abbas c. Our beloued sonnes the Abbot and Couent of Sardinia of the Cistercien order haue by complaint declared vnto vs that whereas among them of the one partie and the hospitalers he meaneth those of the order of S. Iohn whome wee called the Knightes of the Rhodes or nowe of Malta of the other partie a question was mooued in sute of lawe about the vsage of a certaine woode it was by both parties compromitted to the Frenche Queene who vnderstanding the merites or rightes of the cause thought good the definitiue sentence to bee promulgated or published by arbitriment But although according to the rule of the Ciuil lawe women are remooued from publike offices and in an otherl place it bee sayde that albeit they be of most highe estimation if they take vppon them an arbitriment or else beeing Patronesses they interpose themselues in the hearing of matters among their Tenauntes manumised or made frée they are to bee separated from all iudiciall examining so that no penaltie nor any exception of couenaunt may bee taken against the contemners of them by reason of their prolation or sentence that they haue giuen foorth neuerthelesse because of the custome approoued which in the partes of France is holden for lawe women preexcelling are knowen to haue an ordinarie iurisdiction ouer their subiectes we therefore commande that by the penaltie decreed in the compromise the hospitalers obserue the same arbitriment euen as it is prouidently set foorth and receaued of either partie especially sithe it hath beene ratified with the presence and counsell of the Bishops These wordes hath the text Which well proueth that those which are preexcellent women or of great nobilitie may giue iudgement Hereupon sayth Angelus in his Counselles Consil. 270. that he sawe Queene Ioane sitting in the throne made for
the liuing because though the bodies only be there lodged as in a house yet their soules sléeps not but are liuing The Germanes call it Gottes acker of ager dei the aker or field of God And we terme it the Churchyearde as the measure of yearth pertaining to the Church deriued of the old worde kyrke-gerth yet vsed in the North as the yearth that is dedicated vnto the Lord not vnaptly fetched from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And what place fitter all superstition being disclaimed than is this ground if not of the Churche yet of this Churchyeard for our burials But as our Brethr. finde fault with this distinction of places so they finde fault with this distinctioÌ„ of our maner of burying the dead that we burie some with more pompe as singing ringing c. some with lesse If our Brethren take pompe in the better sense would they haue all persons buried with like pompe Or if in the worst sense would they haue no pompe nor solemnitie vsed at al at any persons burial but what this pompe should be except that they mention only singing ringing I can not certainly tel For they suppresse the residue with an c. but that singing or ringing is vtterly or then vnlawfull or any to be buried with more solemnitie than other according to the decencie of their state calling me thinks our Brethr. herein should not be so hard to condemne the distinction of that also as in it selfe meerely superstitious We read in the old Testament of great distinction about the buriall of the dead euen of the holy Patriarkes Who were all buried in such solemne place maner as Abraham buried his wife Gen. 23. And was himselfe buried Gen. 25 and as Isaac was buried and Rachel Iacobs wife Gen. 35. and as Iacob Ioseph Gen. 50. and diuerse others that were buried more solemnly than other were Neither was the greater pompe of their funerall estéemed of the holy fathers before the coÌ„ming of christ a superstitious but a decent an honorable thing Neither was it any such figure of Christes more honorable buriall as Zegedinus thinketh that it should cease after the buriall of Christ and that we should now be buried all alike no it rather argueth as Selnecserus therein thinketh much better in my opinion that a Christian man according to his higher estate or to the excellencie of his life in his calling may haue without superstition a more honorable buriall And as it appeareth how Stephen was buried Act. 8. with greater mourning than were the common sort of Christians in those daies As for the offence which our Brethren take with burying towards the East I thinke it not a matter so worthy as to haue bin once noted in their Learned Disc. Indéede it is a common order among Christians so to burie the dead as wel to differ from Turkes Iewes as also making no necessitie of the matter nor matter of religion to be the more signe that they haue the better hope of the resurrection in laying the corps of the dead Christians in such maner as though they respected the reddier lifting vp of them selues when they shall all be raysed to life againe to beholde the coÌ„ming of our Sauiour Christe which to vs warde asâ—ended in the Easte Not to tie him to descende here or there or that they doubted but that whersoeuer they be howsoeuer they lie or shal be coÌ„sumed he will at the glorious appearance of his coÌ„ming gather theÌ„ all vnto him as he saith Luc. 13.29 Then shall many come from the East from the West froÌ„ the North and from the South shal sit at the table in the kingdome of God And I take that our auncestors in these west parts in so laying the dead had this especiall respect If any did it superstitiously or made any matter of religion in so doing I excuse him not and thinke so it be done without offence or contempt of the common order that they may vse it otherwise without anie daunger or impediment for any thing I know to the contrarie As for the other things meÌ„tioned here by our Brethr. as they were proper to the aduersaries of the Gospell so God be praised they are remooued Neither doth our prescribed forme of Buriall allow them or giue any the least occasion to any of all those heresies errors or superstitions But now to auoide all occasion oâ— heresies errors and superstitions what forme of buriall would our Brethren haue Forsooth they say It is thought good to the best right reformed churches to bury their dead reuerently without any ceremonies of praying or preaching at them Here is a short manner indéede of burying the dead and agréeth herein with the booke of the Forme of Common prayer which our Brethren haue of late set out Wherein vpon the title of buriall they say The corps is reuerently to be brought to the graue accompanied with the neighbours in comely manner without any further ceremonie And this is all that they say there of the forme of buriall But if this be the forme of the best and right reformed Churches what shall we then say to goe no further than euen to the Church of Geneua it selfe to the booke called The forme of prayers and ministration of the sacramentes c. vsed in the English congregation at Geneua and approued by the famous and godly learned man Iohn Caluine Which booke on the title of buriall pag. 88. sayth on this wise The corps is reuerently brought to the graue accompanied with the congregation without any further ceremonies which being buried the minister goeth to the Churche if it be not farre off and maketh some comfortable exhortation to the people touching death and resurrection Here is yet a Sermon to be preached at least wise some comfortable exhortation to be made by the Minister at the buriall of the dead though not at the very place for neither doe we so tie it to the place of buriall The dead may be buried in the Church-yeard or any other place assigned thereunto and the sermon be in the Churche and neuerthelesse be well saide to be at the buriall because it is made for that especiall purpose and for that commonlye the congregation is not dismissed all in a doombe and silent action but that some wordes of consolation are vttered by the Minister ere they depart Bucer in his Epitome Ecel Argentinae cap. 27. saith on this wise We teach concerning those whom the Lord in the confession of his name hath receaued to himselfe out of this life that they are withal feare of God and honestly to be committed to the earth and there the people out of the worde of God to be admonished of the heauie iudgement of God against sinne and also of the redemption of Christe who hath redeemed vs from death and of the aeternall life which he hath purchased to all his faithfull After which men are to be exhorted
not doe their duety But those men ought first to haue made demonstration that their seniors haue this power whereof in present Paul speaketh Which thing when as by no argumēt it appeareth and neuerthelesse they deliuer to Sathan whome they will they do alike as if any would attempt to cleanse the lepers to rayse the dead to worke such other myraclous worke For because that in the olde time suche thinges were commonlye doone in the primitiue Church Thus agayne Gualter and on these graces and giftes of of God grounding this Ecclesiasticall Seniory not of the Worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gouernmentes but on the former worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Powers betokening such power as is myraculous which although some Seniors in the Church than had it yet he alleageth the examples heereof that such onely exercised the same in Ecclesiasticall matters as were Ministers of the Word But howsoeuer these Seniours were or what power soeuer they had he maketh them and their power not to bée perpetuall but abiding a while onely for the state of that time and so to haue ceased after that the publike state of Christendome was setled and gouerned by such princes and Magistrates as openly professed Christianity and that from thence foorth the Churches were not tyed to such Seniors but that wee after thus many ages of Christian princes be frée from them So that where our Brethren say they will not nowe set foorth the pastors authority in common Gouernment with the Elders If there bée no néede of such Elders to ioyne in commons with him in his gouernment then as the other authority was proper to him-selfe so may this authority for power of gouernment in the Church for any thing héere to the contrary bee as proper also to him-selfe as the other For if these graces and giftes whereof the Apostle 1. Cor. 12.28 speaketh were such distinct offices as our brethren say can not be but in distinct officers without confusion of thē then eyther these giftes pertaine not to the Pastors so well as to these Elders as here our Brethren say they doe or else if the Pastors haue authority in them than haue not Elders to deale with them except wee shoulde inferre this confession that they woulde haue vs shunne But nowe our brethren giuing this authority in common with the Elders procéede to the limittation of the same and say This authority of regiment we haue declared that it ought not to bee a Lordly ruling neither ouer their flocke nor yet ouer their fellow-seruants and bret and least of all that they ought to haue dominion Lordship ouer the faith of the Church Dominion and Lordship ouer the faith of the Church we graunt none hath but almighty God and Iesus Christe only that is both God and Man As for the other authority which they cal Lordly ruling ouer their flocke or ouer their fellowe-seruauntes and Brethren as they referre vs to that they haue declared so I referre them to that we haue declared And among other I hope I haue sufficiently declared what manner of ruling they may haue both ouer their flocke and ouer their fellow-seruaunts and brethren both by the worde of God by the practise of the Primitiue Church and by the approbation of diuerse the best learned protestants in the reformed Churches of our age But how this authoritie of Gouernment which here they giue in common to the pastors with the Elders shall be parted among them is not yet determined For albeit our Brethren acknowledge that the Pastors haue rule and authority herein yet the forme of prayers in the English congregation at Geneua doth deny it and say Pag. 43. Because the charge of the Worde of God is of greater importaunce than that any man is able to dispence therewith and S. Paul exhorteth to esteem them as Ministers of Christe and disposers of Gods mysteries not Lordes or rulers as Peter saith ouer the flocke therefore the Pastors or Ministers cheef office standeth in preaching the word of God and Ministring the sacraments So that in consultations iudgements elections and other politicall affayres his counsell rather then authority taketh place So that by this rule he is so far from al lordly ruling that he hath no rule nor authority at all in Common with the Elders in these matters But of the twaine our Brethren here say better that hee hath authority vnderstanding it for power of gouernment in the Church But say our Brethren In all these the man of sinne hath exalted him selfe contrary to the worde of God so that hee woulde bee heade of all the Church Bishop of all Bishops and haue authority to make newe articles of Fayth Whose intollerable presumption as wee haue long since banished out of this land so wee wish that no steppes of suche Pride and arrogancy might be left beyond him namely that no elder or Minister of the Church shoulde challenge vnto him-selfe or accept it if it were offered vnto him any other authority than that is allowed by the spirite of God but cheefely to be ware that he vsurpe no authoritie which is forbidden by the word of God For wherefore doe we detest the Pope and his vsurped supremacy but because he arrogateth the same vnto him-selfe not onely without the warrant of Gods word but also cleane contrary to the same All this section we confesse with our Brethren and gladly subscribe vnto it saue that we wish it not as though it were onely to be done and is not done but we trust it is perfourmed already If it bee not let our Brethren prooue the contrary Nowe if the reasons and authorities that haue banished the Pope doe serue to condemne all other vsurped authority that is practized in the Church why shoulde not all such authority be banished as well as the Pope And good reason too that all other vsurped authority that is practized in the Churche shoulde bee as well banished as the Pope But doe our brethren meane by these spéeches of all other vsurped authoritie that is practized in the Church that there is any such practised in the Church meaning the church of England For these words are vttered so couertly that we might seeme in granting the consequence that such shoulde be banished to graunt withall that there is some such in the church of England remaining and practised yet among vs. But we deny that there is any such to our knowledge or by the Lawes approoued in this Realme And if there bée any steppes thereof I doubt they will rather bee founde in the trake of our Brethren themselues sooner than in any part of that authoritie which is allowed to our prelates We can alleage against the Pope and rightly that which S. Iohn baptist did aunswere to his Disciples No man can take vnto him-selfe any thing except it be giuen him from heauen Iohn 3.27 And that saying of the Apostle to the Hebrewes
inquirie must bee made by witnesses Signifieng that the complainers must not easilie bee beleeued Moreouer that the fame and name of those that are good must bee fauoured that they bee not openlie defaced with euerie small rumour First heere I take Priest or Elder by office and age that is the Ministers must not bee condemned except diligent inquisition be had Neiâ—her onely the Ministers but all persons of graue yeeres For vnto whome God hath giuen a good name and grauitie of age it behoueth to worshippe them in the place of parents Therefore diligent heede is to be had that the defamers bee not rashlye beleeued against such persons Moreouer because such Priests or Elders were Iudges and Senatours Ecclesiasticall that corrected other for their sinne according to the reason of their fault it is credible that they incurred the offence of many insomuch that they shoulde not want backbiters It was therefore a matter worthy of admonition that nothing shoulde rashly bee credited against them Neither followeth it therevpon that witnesses shoulde bee had onely in these and in other they must proceede without witnesses yea rather because in these grauitie is required he teacheth that the same must be had in euery Ecclesiasticall iudgement In the meane time there are many light and childish matters in which neither the integritie of the fame nor name is touched wherein there is no neede of like rigour Let vs therefore establish this for a common rule that in all Ecclesiastical iudgement the president or gouernour must haue care that in a godly and holy sorte inquisition may be made of mens sinnes Thus doth likewise Aretius drawe this precept of Paule to Timothie to a generall rule that in the consistorie in criminall causes euen agaynst a Minister whome he calleth also a Praesident ouer the people the hearing that the Bishop is a higher Praesident aboue him and hath the admittance and his iudging of the matter And what differeth Beza herein from these Against an Elder sayth he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greekes referre this to men of more auncient yeeres which to mee seemeth verie absurde For although somewhat ought to be giuen to the hoare head yet I see no cause why in this point the condition ought not to be alike But in a Priest there is a farre other reason because it is certaine that Sathan layeth his snare chieflie against this sort of men And for that cause none are so much thrall to slaunders and backbitings In hearing therefore the accusations of them there is most neede of great heedfulnesse But thou wilt saie what is that Heere mee thinkes some haue stumbled while they thinke that nothing is heere praescribed of Paule which in all iudgements is to bee obserued And therefore they sweate much in vntying this knotte and doo manifestlie wreast the wordes of the Apostle insomuch verily that some which thing Erasmus out of a certayne Epistle written by Saint Ierome to Marcella rehearseth doo cleane blotte out all that member following and then expounde it receiue not that is receiue not easilie Howbeit I doo not suppose anie difficultie to bee heere for it is one thing to admit the accusation and anotherthing to absolue or condemne the accused But this is the office of a iudge to heare anie that will accuse whom afterward if they shall not throughly proue him guiltie he may chastise according to their deserts But for all this when as a Priest is accused the Apostle would haue a certaine peculiar thing to be obserued that no man shoulde bee admitted no not so much as to accuse him except before hand afore two or three witnesses he shall cause his accusation that is to come to bee beleeued So that the Priest be not straight waie condemned or the cause heard in his absence But that after it shal appare that it wil not be a friuolous accusatioÌ„ That then at the length the guiltie partie shall be called and that it shall bee lawfullie determined on the whole matter But I finde the cause of this Apostolicall constitution to be two folde to wit because as I said right now none are alike thrall vnto slaunder as are godly Doctors And then because in a manner no priuate iudgement can bee ordained against a Priest sith that it must needes bee ioyned with the publike offence of the whole Church Insomuch that although hee bee absolued notwithstanding some imfamie therevpon shall redound to the whole Church and that there should bee neede of great caution not onelie in iudging him but also in admitting his accuser Moreouer we must note out of this place that Timothie in the Ephesine Presbiterie was then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Antistes the Bishop as Iustine calleth him not that he should doe all things as he listed but that for his godlinesse and wisedome hee shoulde moderate all things that all things in the assemblie should bee well done and in order Thus doth euen Beza also not onelie acknowledge Tymothie to haue bene the Bishop of the Church of Ephesus but also that both he had and euerie Bishop by this rule ought to haue this authoritie of moderation whether anie accusation and how farre forth shoulde be admitted against a Pastoral Elder and in hearing and determining the cause to be his iudge Which authoritie in so great a Consistorie as then and there was beeing singled and separated out from other vnto him how had other anie parte with him of the same And as it was thus in triall of matters pleaded before him so if anie Pastors were found to haue openly offended Timothie againe in the next verse and in Timothie euerie Bishop hath authoritie giuen him ouer anie such pastors openly to reproue them And the reason is aâ—ded by the Apostle That the other also speaking especiallie of the otheâ— Pastors may haue feare From hence saith Aretius is this noble argument drawen Feare in the church is to be confirmed therfore Ecclesiastical iudgemeÌ„ts are grauely to be administred so that sith the Bishops authoritie should be such as shoulde strike feare in the other pastors it is apparant they had not the same nor equall authoritie with him And so Hyperius referreth all this in generall to the authoritie of Bishops though the matter be brought before the Church and that the Bishops should seeme to fauour their sinnes if he dealt not thus And hée concludes in these wordes But of what matter the Priests or Elders may be accused and reproued before the Bishop it were long to dispute And the next verse declares yet further his separate authoritie I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these things without preferring one before another and do nothing partially This contestation saith Hemingius wherwith as it were with an oathe Paul bindeth Timothie declareth howe harde the office of a Bishop is And it containeth a verie serious admonition least that in
And yet therein Paule and Barnabas had a seuerall higher authoritie by themselues than anie other had ioyntly with them As for the decree in the Councell of Laodicia which was holden about the yéere of our Lord 360. the words and meaning are plaine Chap. 13. That it must not be permitted vnto the people to make election of them that were to be promoted vnto Priesthood What tumultes they had found therein I remit to the Ecclesiasticall histories So that we cannot as Caluine doth vnderstand the words of the Councell so as that they onelie take awaie the moderation of the voices from the people for that they neuer had so much as to bee moderators of their owne voices But the Councels meaning is most apparant that the people should no longer haue anie voices at all to elect the pastor And therefore that auncient Councell in making this decree declareth that they tooke not the peoples election to be anie necessarie and materiall part of creating ordaining or consecrating of a Pastor But whatsoeuer authoritie our Brethren would renue vnto the people concerning election What is that to the ordaining of him The election maketh him but ordinable or capable to be ordained As for that example which Beza addeth Act. 4. mencioneth indéede Imposition of hands of the presbiterie or eldership Which word if we shoulde heere vnderstand for a number of Elders that laide their hands on him which Caluine saith we néede not do and we haue shewed the contrarie yet neither followeth it of necessitie that they were anie Elders that dealt in the gouernment of the Church and not in the word as Beza himself confesseth neither that this imposition of hands on him was at his first creating minister of the word or pastor but on some other occasion and therefore saith Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Prophesie that is to prophesie or in prophesie as Rom. 4. b. 11. or by prophesie that is the holie Ghost by the mouth of the Prophets so commending as is aboue sayde Chap. 1. d. 18. howbeit because mencion is made of the gifte bestowed vpon him I prefer the former interpretation For it is more probable when as he had alreadie an excellent gift of prophesie that hee was chosen for a while to wit vntill he were of the Lorde called to some other place for he was an Euangelist Which laying on of hands out of doubt did confirme the grace of God in him as 2. Tim. 1. b. 6. But of Prophets what was their function hath often bene declared of vs. Of the presbiterie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of the order of the Priestes or Elders In the which name it is probable that the companie is signified of all them which laboured in the word in the Church of Ephesus as Act. 20. d. 27. and f. 28. For sometimes these names of Bishops and Priests yea and of Deacons also are generall See Phil. 1. a. 1. a certaine fellowe translateth it the Senate as in another place for the Church hee sayde the common weale Thus writeth Beza of the imposition of hands and of the presbiterie both counting the name Senate too prophane a name of the presbiterie and ascribing the imposition of handes to those onelie that were labourers in the word and that Timothie was a minister of the word before this imposition of their hands But if now we shall vnderstand that in this place 1. Tim. 4.14 by laying on of hands vpon Timothie was also meant the ordaining or creating of him a minister of the word as Saint Paule meaneth it in his precept to Timothie 1 Tim. 5.22 and as Caluine taketh it let vs sée againe what Caluine saith thereon He saith that grace was giuen vnto him by prophesie How To wit because as we sayde before the holy Ghost by Oracle appointed Timothie that hee shoulde bee chosen into the order of pastours For he was not chosen onelie by the iudgement of man as is wont to be done but the calling of the spirite went before He saith it was giuen him with the imposition of handes Wherein hee signifieth that together with the ministery he was also indued with necessary gifts It was vsuall and solemne to the Apostles to ordaine Ministers by the imposition of handes And veriâ—y of this custome and of the originall and signification thereof I haue touched somewhat before and the residue may be gathered out of my Institution The Presbiterie they which thinke this worde is collectiue put for the Colledge of the Priests or Elders doe in my iudgement thinke well Notwithstanding all thinges weighed I graunt that the other sense dooth not ill agree â—hereto that it should be the name of the office c. And because Beza referreth the expounding of this place to the 2. Tim. 1.6 on these wordes VVherefore I warne thee that thou stirre vp the gifte of God which is in thee by the imposition of my handes Let vs sée againe withall what Caluine saith thereon There is no doubt but that Timothie was wished for with the common desire of the Church and not elected by the priuate will of Paule alone But it is not absurde that Paule shoulde ascribe the election priuatlie to himselfe whereof hee was the chiefest author Although here he rather treateth of the ordeining of him than of the electing that is of the solemne custome of his being instituted Moreouer it dooth not cleerelie appeare whether that when any was to be consecrated all were wont to lay their hande vpon his head or one onelie in the place and name of all My coniecture rather inclineth vnto this that there was one onelie which layde his handes vpon him Howbeit it may bee doubted whether this present imposition of handes bee referred to his ordaining because at that time the graces of the spirite whereof Saint Paule treateth to the Romanes Chap. 12. and 1. Corin. 13 were conferred by imposition of handes vnto many also which were not instituted Pastors But I easilie gather of the former Epistle that Paule treateth heere of the Pastors office For this place agreeth with that Neglect not the grace which is giuen to thee with the imposition of the handes of the Presbiterie Whereby it appeareth that the handes of the Presbiterie in the ordaining and consecrating a pastor might bee well inough not the handes of many but of one alone that had principall authoritie aboue the other in that action And as Paule testifâ—eth thus of his owne manner of ordaining Timothie so hee procéedeth in his precept to Timothie 1. Tim. 5.23 Laie handes lightlie on no man Whereon sayth Caluine There is no doubt but that hee woulde put awaie enuie from Timothie and meete with many complaintes that oftentimes arise against the godly seruauntes of Christe which refuse to obey the ambitious praiers of anie whosoeuer For some accuse them of roughnesse some of enuie some crie out that they bee cruell
Elders How the auncient Fathers that haue expounded this Epistle Chrysost Oecumenius Theodoret Theophilact and Ambrose haue interpreted this place especially because Caluin Beza Danaeus alleage Ambrose for these Elders How Beza further alleageth Cyprian with a full examination of Cyprian for them How Snecanus likewise alleageth Cyprian Tertullian with parsel of Tertullian for them besides the examining of Clemens Alex Irenaeus Iustinus Martyr Ignatius Policarpus How Danaeus alleageth the Ecclesiasticall histories cheefely Socrates with his allegations out of Augustine Basil Dionisius Ierome and the canon Lawe with the examination of the ecclesiasticall histories the Fathers and the canons for these Elders and of the cause of these so learned mens mistaking in all these searchings for them making all not only nothing for them but cleane against them nor being euer able to prooue not one such consistory no not one such Elder Howe Danaeus with Beza and Caluine return back again to search the Scriptures better for them Rom. 12.1 Corinthians 12. Ephes 4. Act. 20.1 Peter 5. And of Caluines and Danaeus contradictions Of Danaeus return again to the Ecclesiasticall history in Sozomen in which speeding as il as before if not worse for any practise that he would find he comes again to the scripture searching for these Elders Acts. 15. Acts. 21. Philip. 4 1. Tim. 3.1 Pet. 3.1 Corinth 14. Iac. 5. And so home again to that wherwith our bret began the inquiry for them at Act. 14. Lastly of the second point of moderating these Elders authority by propounding all their actions to the people to confirm them And of the popular state our Bret. fear But not auoiding of horrible confusion And of the example they seek to auoid it by in the manner of Saint Pauls excommunication of theincestuous Corinthian AND first say our Brethren let vs examine whether this authoritie be so diffused ouer the whole Churche that the hearing trying and determining of all matters pertayneth to the whole multitude or to some speciall choosen persons amonge them meete for that purpose COme they now in almost at the last casts saying and first let vs examine whether this authoritie be so diffused ouer the whole Church c. What meane our Brethren hereby That the first shall be last and the last shall be first Should they not haue examined this before They sayde in the former page 82. that the authoritie of Christ is left vnto his whole Church And also before that page 81. That regiment which he hath left vnto his Church is a consent of his householde seruants And that our sauiour Christ hath neither authorized nor promised to blesse anie other forme of regiment than that which consisteth of the consent and gathering together of his seruantes in his name What else can any of the seruantes of the housholde of Christ suppose when they heare of this but that where-so-euer they be diffused they must gather themselues together either the whole church vniuersally or euery whole Church particularly and giue their consent thereunto or else the matter whatsoeuer is not authorized by the authoritie that Christ hath left vnto his Church And that he hath blessed none other forme of regiment And must it nowe be called in question and examined whether this authoritie be so diffused ouer the whole Church that the hearing trying and determining of all matters perteyneth to the whole multitude And why not if the former sayinges bée true Do our Brethren begin now to call this a diffused authoritie Diffused commeth néere confused And I Thinke shortly they will finde it confused too And as they nowe beginne to encline to some speciall chosen persons amongst them meete for that purpose so by little and little they will peraduenture come downe at length to some authoritie of gouernement euen of one Pastor afore other in one congregation and perhaps in one Diocesse also which is the thing that they nowe so peremptorilie denie Let our Brethren nowe therefore in their good moode procéede The authoritie â—s the power of our Lorde Iesus Christ graunted vnto the Church Our Brethren sayde in the page before that the authoritie of Christe is left vnto his whole Church here yet they say more circumspectly the authoritie is the power of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Not that Christe hath left his authoritie vnto the Churche but that the authoritie which hee hath left vnto his Church is not so the Churches but that it still remaineth his authoritie Nor that he hath left that his autoritie to his whole Church as they sayde before but as they say here it is graunted vnto the Church Which may well stande if any parte or persons of the Church haue it although the whole Church haue it not But say they because the iudgement of the multitude is confuse whereas God is not the author of confusion but of order and that we finde in the worde of God certaine officers appointed for gouernment we are bold to affirme that that charge belongeth vnto those that are such Here our Brethren in this Learned discoursing of the matter hauâ— now at length found out not diffusion but plaine confusion in the iudgement of the multitude So that we may now I hope with our Bretherens good leaue dismisse in peace the gathering together of the housholde seruantes nor enquire after their consentes but for the consent only of certaine officers appointed for gouernment And here our Brethr. say they are bold to affirme that that charge belongeth vnto those that are such This boldnes of our Breth is here yet the more coÌ„mendable that they feare not to repell the peoples consent and iudgement for feare of confusion Whereas God is not the author of confusion but of order But it had béene better in my simple iudgement not at all to haue sette the multitude a-gogge as hauing an interest of consent and authoritie to heare trie and determine all matters onely to bridle the Pastors and the Bishops authoritie than nowe hauing brought them in to thrust theÌ„ out Turpius eijcitur quaÌ„ non admittitur hospes Will the multitude hearing that Christ hath giuen his authoritie to his whole Church and so to euerie Church indifferently that that regiment which he hath left vnto his Church is a consent of his housholde seruauntes and that he hath neither authorized nor promised to blesse any other forme of regiment than that which consisteth of the consent and gathering together of his seruantes if they thinke themselues to be any part of his whole church or of anie particular Churches and seruauntes of his housholde suffer themselues after they are gathered together to vse their authoritie and to giue their coÌ„sent to be this mocked in the end be told it pertayneth not to the whole multitude but to some special chosen persons amoÌ„gst theÌ„ because the iudgement of the multitude is confuse and God is not the author of
and necessarie a collection On S. Paules words that there were two kindes of Elders in the Church the one medling with teaching and the other not but occupied altogether in gouerning It is because the Apostle vseth this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chiefely especially most of all or aboue all other And must néedes this specially of the persons make a specialtie also of the functions Might they not as well be all of one function and yet for some specialtie in their labours either in gift or in trauell or in diligence or in dexteritie or in successe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue a more speciall recommendation then some other And yet no disprayse vnto the other which though they were ministers of the worde also yet some of them according as they excelled in diuersitie of giftes might be most employed otherwise The Apostles were ministers of the woorde and medled with teaching before they chose Deacons and yet they say it liketh vs not that leauing the worde we should minister to the tables which plainely argueth that they laboured not so much in the worde and doctrine before as they did after and yet then were they Elders medling with teaching and according to that time gouerning well also and deseruing double honour though not in comparison of their labours in the worde and doctrine after they had chosen the Deacons to helpe them Yea the Deacons also were not excluded from medling with teaching as appeareth both by Stephen Act. 7. and by Philip. Act. 8. When Paule and Barnabas were chosen out by the holy Ghost vnto the worke whereunto he called them which was a worke in both of them medling with the woorde Act. 13. yet because S. Paule medled more with the worde than Barnabas did not onely the Licaonians called Barnabas Iupiter and Paule Mercurie but S. Luke addeth the reason thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because he to wit Paule was the guide or ruler of the worde that is to say the chiefe teacher of it who laboured more in the worde not onely than Barnabas but than all the residue 1. Cor. 15.10 and yet medled with teaching as well as Paule did The specialtie therefore of labouring in the worde more chiefely and aboue other debarreth not other but that they may meddle with teaching also yea and be of the same function in that behalfe neither S. Paule maketh his distinction of medling with the worde but of labouring in the word and to expresse the more painefull or effectuall labour therein hee doubleth his spéech saying that labour in the worde and doctrine And Caluine himselfe construeth these wordes thus qui bene praesunt They that rule well that is which faithfully and stoutly trauaile in their office And they that labour in the worde and doctrine that is they which are intentiue or earnest in teaching the worde referring it not to the diuersitie of the office but to the diuersitie of the industrie in the office I speake not this neither so peremptorily that of necessitie we should on the other side conclude that he speaketh there but of those Elders onely that were all Elders of the word and yet that he commendeth some more especially than others for their more especiall labours in the worde but that wee may thus also conster his wordes with probabilitie and reason inough for any thing herein to the contrarie And thus sithe neither these words 1. Tim. 5.17 inferre any necessitie of such Elders as meddle not with teaching but were altogether occupied in gouerning nor yet if they had ment any suche Elders then they inferre any rule of perpetuitie that there should be such still and what their gouernement was is not here set downe nor insinuated and not onely some enlarge it some restraine it but Caluine himselfe which is the chiefest if not the first that so construeth these wordes is so contradictorie to him selfe or vncertaine and varying therein howe shall wee learne this first point except our Brethren shall teach vs better that there be Elders in the Church which meddle not with teaching but are occupied altogether in gouerning meaning such gouernement of such Elders such necessarie being of them in such Churches of euery particular congregation as our Brth. here do pretend vrge on this testimonie Now as we can not as yet vppon any necessitie of consequence out of this sentence 1. Tim. 5.17 Learne the first point so I in my dull head much lesse the second that the Elders which labor in teaching otherwise called Pastors are ioyned also in gouernement with them which teach not For admitting againe that there were 2. kindes of Elders in distinct function intended in this testimonie the one medling with teaching the other not and both gouerned as it is sayde here generally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Elders that rule well where with all is not to be forgotten how Paule to expresse their well ruling vseth the very worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Beza ascribeth to Timothie not only for an Elder of the worde but also for such a principall Elder of the worde as Beza calleth out of Iustine antistitem a Bishop So that vnlesse our Brethren will make eche Elder of the Seignorie in euerie Congregation a Bishop and so set vp vnpreaching Prelates like the Popish dombe Bishops they can not so properly expounde it of Elders not medling with the worde as medling with it But vnderstand it either waies as they list For so they call them B. as we haue séen in Beza the Geneua note on Phil. 1.1 yet doth not this sentence make their gouernements ioyne with the Bishops and Pastors teaching Yea in the one and better halfe that is in the gouernement of teaching the worde they they selues doe disioyne their gouernements And if as we haue séene out of Gualter they were only politike and ciuill Christian gouernors except our Brethren will giue politike and ciuill iurisdiction also to the Pastors how doe they ioyne in gouernement Yea how doe our Brethren here say that the Pastors are ioyned in gouernment with them which teache not and yet in their forme of Common prayers and ministration of sacramentes both that which was set out in Geneua and that which nowe of late is set out againe at London by our Brethren they doe confesse which I haue often before noted that the pastors and Ministers cheefe office standeth in preaching the worde of God and Ministring the sacramentes so that in consultations iudgementes elections and other ecclesiasticall affayres his counsell rather than authority taketh place And this they say is approoued by Caluine And yet Caluine plainly sayth as we haue heard before that these Elders not teaching together with the pastors in common counsell and authoritie of the Church administred the Discipline and were as it were the censors to correct the manners Are not those sayings cleane contrary or doe they think to help all with these
we shall come to it God willing after warde our Brethren leading vs to that argument But because that standeth rather on a presupposall of an imitation or continuance of the order in the old law among the Iewes than any proofe of institution in the newe among the Christians let vs nowe first go to those argumentes whereby Danaeus will euict both manifest example and institution of these Elders in the newe Testament ca. 10. part Christ. 2. Isagog or introduction he sayth Horum igitur Presbyterorum qui c. The offices therefore of these Elders that rule the manners is to attende vppon the flocke and to watche as well ouer the doctrine as ouer the manners of the Church and of the faithfull that be in the same Act. 20. ver 28. 1. Pet. 5. ver 2. and especially in his parishe that is in that part of the Church or region which is cōmitted peculiarly to him And verily concerning doctrine least anie Haeresie should be brought in and least any errour should be sowed and generally least the substance of the faith should be corrupted Act. 20. ver 29.21 ver 18. which thing may be done and thereupon arise offences and those greeuous Here are thrée testimonies of scripture alleaged of which the two former Act. 20. and 1. Pet. 5. we haue séene sufficiently before concerning those Elders especially those that are mentioned Act. 20. whether they were all Bishops of Ephesus in the proper sense of the name of Bishop but there the question was all of such Elders as whether they were all equall or no yet were they all Pastorall Elders Teachers and Ministers of the worde and Sacramentes And our Brethren in this Learned Discourse in their treatise of the Pastors office haue cited alreadie for suche Elders onely these testimonies Act. 20. 1. Pet. 5. saying pag. 19. Besides Doctors there must be Pastors ordeyned in euerie congregation which haue diuerse appellations in the scripture as Ephes. 4. they are called by the name of Pastors because they ought to feede the seuerall flockes of Gods sheepe committed to their charge As appeareth Act. 20.28 1. Pet. 5.2 they are also called Elders c. Againe page 21.22 and 23. where at large they vrge this that all the functions of the Elders mentioned 1. Pet. 5. and Act. 20. is to be imployed in such gouernement only as is feeding euen as a Pastor doth his sheepe And that therfore they are called Bishops Super-intendentes or Ouer-seers And yet sée how boldly Danaeus citeth teese testimonies for these gouerning and not teaching Elders Wherein although our Brethren holde the truer opinion and the text is plaine inough that the elders there mentioned were onely such as medled with the worde yet the rather to mooue Danaeus with the iudgement of Caluine also thereupon Caluine likewise in his Institutions ca. 8 sec. 4. treating of the Pastors office sayth Of these and other places which here euery where come to hand we may gather also that in the function of the Pastors these are the principall parts to declare the Gospell and to minister the Sacraments But the manner of teaching consisteth not onely in publike sermons but pertaineth also to priuate admonitions So dooth Paule cite the Ephesians to be witnesses that hee shunned none of those things that were for their profit but declared taught them publikely and by euery house c. And in the 42. Section he saith And in the Actes is rehearsed that he called together the Ephesian Elders whom he himselfe in his oration nameth Bishops Heere now is to be obserued that hethertoh we haue reckoned vp none but those offices that consist in the ministerie of the word In his Cōmentarie indéed vpon the same ver 17. he saith Moreouer it shal more cleerly appeere out of the context that the Seniors are called not they which were of olde age but they which ruled the Church But it is vsuall almost in all tongues that they should be called Auncients and Fathers which were the Gouernors to rule others although their Age did not alwaie answere therevnto Heere he speaketh of gouerning Elders or Gouernors which is the terme wherby our Brethr. signifie their Segniorie But now what manner of Gouernors or gouerning Elders maketh he them to be On these woords Vos scitis c. ver 18. In this sermon saith he Paul cheefly with hereunto that those whome he had created the Pastors of Ephesus hee might by his example exhort them to performe their office faithfully For so is the censure or correction of manners made aright and authoritie gotten to the doctrine when the teacher prescribeth nothing with words the which he hath not before in the deede it selfe perfourmed And so he goeth on applying S. Paules words in euery verse to Ministers and Pastors And on the 26. verse he saith Moreouer this place conteineth a briefe summe of teaching orderly and well and he exhorteth the Doctors themselues with a vehement and seuere statute that they should diligently apply their office And to this dutie of the Pastors in the next verse he applieth the sayings of Ezech. 3.18.20 till he come to the 28. verse which Danaeus citeth where he concludeth thus Since the time they were created Pastors they are not their owne men but publikely bound to the whole flock And on these words The holy Ghost hath made you Bishops Furthermore saith he although from the beginning the L. would haue the Ministers of the word chosen by voices neuertheles he alwaies chalengeth to himselfe the gouernment of the Church c. And as he saith We must breefly note this of the name of Bishop that all the Ephesine Elders were of Paule so called so withall we must note that he said before in his Institutions Whosoeuer enioyeth the ministerie of the word hee giueth them the title of Bishops And on these woords To rule the Church The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to feed but by an apt similitude it is translated to any regiment And on the 29. verse This is verely as it were the perpetual destinie of the Church that it should be vexed of wolues wherfore there is neuer anie time of sleeping Howbeitt he more the more hurtful doo breake in the more attentiue watches must be made of the Pastors c. And on the 30. ver Then doth the synceritie of the word of God flourish when the Pastors with a common studie doo gather disciples vnto Christ c. And in the 31. That he saith he warned euerie one may be as well referred to the common people as to the Elders For sith he had purposed to make his sermō common to the whole Church he speaketh as though the whole bodie were present Notwithstāding if any had rather restraine it to the order of the Pastors c. So that in all this assembly of these Elders hée mentioneth stil none other but such as were Pastors
euerie particular congregation to the assemblie of the common people yea to the finall consent and confirmation of the whole multitude of the congregation It is much to debase the authoritie and gouernment of these matters to the popular state But I feare verie much a worse estate and more horriblie confused For why may we not here again feare as horrible confusion in the whole multitudes dissent or confirmation of that which these Seniors haue determined as our Brethren before feared it in hearing and determining such matters But to put vs out of this feare and to confirme this confirmation of the whole multitude that the people can confirme this themselues without anie horrible confusion our brethren alleage vs an example Whereof Saint Paule speaketh touching the execution of excommunication because the fact was manifest VVhen you are gathered together with my spirite in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ to deliuer such a one vnto Sathan Although this example is but of one matter wheras the question is of al matters for so sayd our Brethren before that there ought to be in euerie Church a Consistorie or Segnorie of Elders or gouernours which ought to haue the hearing examination and determining of al matters pertaining to discipline and gouernment of that congregation and so this example touching the execution of excommunication reacheth not home yet is this example so little to the present purpose that it is rather cleane contrarie Which example if it should directlie proâ—e that which our Br. affirmed for so their wordes would séeme to inferre saying Whereof S. Paule speaketh touching the execution of excommunication they should proue this that when the Consistory hath trauailed in examining of causes pertaining to Ecclesiastical discipline agreed what iudgemeÌ„t ought to passe vpon the matters they propound it to the whole multitude that it may be confirmed by their consent So that this example of some matter at the least heard examined and determined by the Consistory by them propounded to the whole multitude to be confirmed by their consent might drawe neerer to their purpose But can they shew vs anie such example whereof Saint Paul speaketh As for this touching the execution of excommunication Who did execute the same and excommunicate this incestuous person Did not S. Paule himselfe by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ giuen vnto him What doe they make Saint Paule an Elder not teaching And did he it not first alone At leastwise without anie Consistorie of the church of Corinth ioyned with him As he himselfe saith ver 3. For I verilie being absent in bodie but present in spirit haue alreadie iudged as present him that hath so done this thing In which words he plainly declareth that he had passed the sentence of excoÌ„munication vpon him before he wrote to theÌ„ therof Neither doth it appeare that anie of their CoÌ„sistorie ioyned with him in pronouncing that his iudgement on him Yea he saith that although he was in bodie absent from them yet because hee was in spirit as present with them his iudgement should stand as effectual as though he had ben bodily present at the denouncing of his sentence And who were these that he writeth thus vnto what he had done Was it to a Consistorie among the Corinthians to make relation vnto them of his doing and then they to take vpon them the hearing examining determining of the matter and then to propouÌ„d it to the whole multitude This had bene yet somewhat néerer to our Brethrens moderation But here is no such order Paule first doth the déede and that imediatlie both in his absence and vnwitting to them of his proceeding Which done he writeth not thereof to anie Consistorie or Segnorie of Elders or Gouernours ouer them nor in anie place of either of his Epistles to them he maketh anie mencion or inkling of anie such among them nor yet Saint Luke that mencioneth Act. 18. verse 11. how he tarried a yéere and a halfe teaching the word of God and planting a Church among them But he writeth of this matter as of the residue to them to whom he writeth the whole Epistle indefinitlie to the Church of God beeing at Corinthus sanctified in Christ Iesu called Saintes with all that cal vpon the name of our Lord Iesu Christ in all places both their Lord and ours 1. Cor. 1.2 So that hee writeth to the wholde multitude But did he write vnto them thereof to haue his dooing so confirmed by their consent that if they woulde not haue consented to this his manner of excommunicating the person before hand by himselfe alone but that he shoulde first haue made them priuie thereto or euer he proceeded so farre that then vppon this their dissenting though not for the person matter yet for the manner of his proceeding his iudgement should haue ben frustrate reuersed No but his signification thereof vnto them was rather to commaund theÌ„ to obey his sentence and to put the same in execution as our Brethren saie well herein touching the execution of excommunication for when they were gathered together as Saint Paule had and that some Pastor or Minister among them did before the whole multitude pronounce this sentence which Saint Paule had giuen forth against the incestuous person they al approued it so confirmed S. Paules former sentence of excommunication But our Breth adde this parenthesis because the fact was manifest wherefore they adde this they doe not shew But the more manifest the fact was the lesse neede had the Apostle to haue proceeded so far if in a manifest fact an Ecclesiasticall iudge may not proceeâ—e separatlie his selfe to the sentence of excoÌ„munication without the consent of a Segnory of that Congregation But although the fact heere was manifest yet the wickednesse of the fact was not manifest inough vnto them At leastwise not this manner of the punishment for it vntill Saint Paule did thus reproue them of it and thus proceede against it But had it ben neuer so manifest what doth that giue him authoritie to deale so farre therin separatly by himselfe without and before anie authoritie of theirs ioyned with him but onely to make them afterward to put that in execution that he had before ouerruled iudicially concluded vpoÌ„ Since therfore this was a good excommunication that all they coulde not reverse this sentence as otherwise passed than it ought to haue bene because they ioyned not in the doing of it but onelie in the obedience of putting the same in execution as he commanded them and withall since this was not written as an information to any Senate Consistorie or Segnorie of Seniors or of gouerning Elders among them but written as a charge to the whole multitude What is this for the proofe of anie such Elders Either else to inferre that no excommunication in a manifest or not manifest fact can
neuerthelesse the number of the 70. Elders was preserued For Ezechiel in the 8. chap. said And the threescore and tenne men of the Elders of Israel when notwithstanding in the Age of Ezechiel the 10. Tribes of Israel were in Assyria And Ieremie in the 19. named the Elders of the people Take an earthen bottell of the Elders of the people and of the Priests Neither onelie did this Senate flourishe while the kingdome stoode but also the kingdome being ouerthrowen after the Iewes returne out of the captiuitie of Babylon the same was restored For in the 1. of Esay it is written I will restore thy Iudges and thy Counsellours as in the auncient time And in the 10. of Esdras which place we haue hearde cited by Danaeus Euerie one that shal not come within three daies according to the coūsell of the Princes and of the Elders all his substance shall be forfaised And the 12. of the first of the Machabees Ionathas the high Priest of the Nation and the Elders and the residue of the people of the Iewes And in the first of the 2. booke The people that is at Ierusalem and the Senate and Iudas to Aristobulus the Maister of King Prolomeus sendeth greeting And in the 11. King Antiochus to the Senate of the Iewes and to the other Iewes And in the 14. To Simon the Bishop and to the Seniors and to the whole people And Saint Luke 22. The Seniours of the people being called in Greeke the Presbyterie or Eldershippe of the people Iosephus also sheweth that in last times of the Citie Florus the Procurator of Iurie calling vnto him the Princes of the Senatours and the Senatours and the Senate he said that he woulde depart out of the Citie And hee addeth that with the Temple the Court also was set on fire which Court he calleth Buleuterion the Counsell-house But although this Senate for consultation sake remained alwaies notwithstanding we haue to vnderstande that the Kings which haue had the Common-weale in their power were not thrall vnto the Lawes although they made Decrees without the authoritie of the Senate as those that were in chiefest authoritie not such as God had prescribed but such as their selues wished Moreouer that the Tribes had euerie one their Senatours different from those that were the Senatours of the Common-people it is more probable by coniecture than certaine by authoritie For although it be written in the 20. chap. of the 4. booke of the Kinges All the Seniors of Iuda and Ierusalem were gathered together to the King Iosias and in the 30. of the first booke Dauid sent giftes of the Pray◠to the Seniors of Iuda his neighbours and 19. of Hieremie God said I will destroy the Counsell of Iuda notwithstanding it may bee that they that were the Seniors of Iuda were all one with the Seniors of the people But without doubte euerie one of the Cities had gotten their Senatours separate from those whome we haue spoken of Whereupon are these speaches All the Seniors of Iuda and Hierusalem were gathered together to the King Iosias And Iosephus lib. 2. The Seniors of Ierusalem tooke it greeuouslie that the brother of Iaddi the Bishop maried a straunger And Iudges 11. the Seniors of Galaad proceeded to take Iephthe for their aide said vnto him Come and bee our Prince And in the 8. Hee tooke a childe of the men of Sucoth and asked of him the names of the Princes and Seniors of Sucoth And Ruth 4. Booz taking tenne men of the Seniors of the Citie of Bethleem said vnto them c. Thus dooth Sigonius deuide the Seniors into three sortes The Sēniors of all the people the Seniors of euerie Tribe and the Seniors of euerie Citie And if Christe had meant anie of these Seniors it is farre more likelie that he shoulde haue meant this last sort if not some yet of lower degrée than these of euerie Synagogue of the Citie than the highest of all that sate with the Prince in Counsell and had the consultation of all the summe and principall points of all the Churches Common-weales affaires which were the manifest endaungering of her Maiesties estate and the cleane altering of all the Common-weale In the next Chapter Sigonius procéedeth to their Iudgements saying cap. 5. We haue spoken of the Counsells in which chiefelie the Cities profite is disputed vpon After which we haue to speake of the Iudgements wherin the singular or particular equitie is defined that could not either be prouided for or prescribed by the Lawe But these iudgments the Greeke Interpreters of the Bible haue now and then translated them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit respecting the double force it selfe of Iudgements in which condemning and acquiting is conteined which by these two wordes Iudgement and Iustice or iustification they expressed as we haue shewed before Furthermore among the Hebrues there were two Tribunall seates of the Iudgements the one in euerie of the Cities called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other chiefelie at Hierusalem named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latine Interpreter translated Iudgement and Counsell Whereupon in S. Mathew Christe saith Euerie one that is angrie with his brother shall be guiltie of Iudgement But he that shall say Racha shal be guiltie of a Counsell But that the Iudgement was an other thing from the Counsell Dauid in the first Psalme sheweth when hee saide Therefore the wicked shall not arise agayne in Iudgement neither the sinners in the counsell of the righteous And héere commeth in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corruptlie called Sanedrin that Caluine and our Brethren applie Christes wordes vnto Which Synedrion was the Iudiciall Consistorie of the seuentie Elders that with the Prince as Counsellors had the gouernment of all the policie of the Iewes But because the other called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the Iudgement of euerie Citie if Christe had meant to haue alluded to the Iewes orders and to haue translated and established the same or the like in euery Congregation among the Christians is it not more likelie of the twaine he would haue taken that which was the Iudgement of euerie Citie than the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was onelie in Ierusalem the head Citie a chiefe Iudgement to ouer rule all the other But yet for our further resolution let it not be tedious to heare also Sigonius testimonies at large for both these Iudgements of these Seniors Let vs first saith he chap. 6. treate of the Iudgements of the Cities and then of the Counsell of Ierusalem when they were instituted and confirmed who they were that entred into them who were Gouernours of them where they came together and to conclude in what order they tooke notice of the causes I say therefore that the Iudges of the Cities with their Princes which in Greeke were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 introducers informers or teachers of the writings or of
in this manner Hee that desired to commence an action against another resorted to one of the Princes of of the Iudges which were called Grammato-isagogei the Scribes or informers of the writtes or writings and shewed foorth his cause and requested of him that hee woulde bring it in vnto the Iudges But if he receiued the controuersy for hee might also reiect it hee brought in the same at a day appoynted before the Iudges Whereupon he receaued the name Introductoris of an introducer c. But the Thalmudistes haue shewed that the matter was handled on this wife They that demaunded the Lawe came to the Iudges of their Citie who if they heard them not they went to them of the next Citie But and if so bee that neither yet they hearkened vnto them then they went vnto the Iudges of Hierusalem which sate in two gates After whom from them if that yet they obtained not their purpose they fledde to the Councell the which they called Sanhedrin Their wordes such as are rehearsed by Petrus Galatinus a man in time past an Hebrue are these In the beginning there was no controuersie in Israel but the house of the Iudgement of the threescore and tenne Iudges sate in diuers places For one of the houses sate in the gate of the Mount that is of the Temple but another in the gate of the Porch As for the other houses of the three and twentie Iudges fate in euerie of the Cities of of Israel But when anie thing was to be demaunded it was demaunded of the house of Iudgement which was in the selfe same Citie If they heard it Dicebant they declared it or gaue sentence thereon but if not they came to that order that was in the next Citie Who if they heard it they declared it vnto them or gaue sentence If not they went to that order which was in the gate of the Porche of the Lordes house and saide Sic exposui sit socij mei exposuerunt sic docui sic socij mei docuerunt Thus haue I shewed it and thus haue my fellowes shewed it thus haue I taught and thus haue my fellowes taught it Who if they heard it they declared it vnto them If not then both these and those went to the Consistorie Gazith wherein the Sanedrin sate from the morning till the euening But in the Sabbothes and first daies they sate in the wall Thus farre the Thalmudistes And thus farre also Sigonius for the iudgements of the Seniors in euerie Citie Whereby agayne wee perceiue the authority that these Seniors had The next and seuenth chapter is all of this Senat that Caluine and our Brethren say Christ alluded vnto and hath translated vnto vs. But the Consistorie Gazith saith Sigonius which the Graecians haue named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Chayre the Latines Councell the Thalmudists Sanhedrin was the ample or honourable Tribunall or iudgement seate of all the Iudges both in number and in dignitie in that Citie which the Lorde hath chosen and decreed to be the head both of holinesse and of the Empire that is first in Silo and afterward at Ierusalem or else first in the Tribe of Ephraim and afterwarde in the Tribe of Iuda In that Councell it was established that those thinges which could not bee defined of the Iudges of euerie of their Cities varying in their sentences concerning the Lawe or concerning the fact shoulde in conclusion be referred heerevnto But nowe beeing about to treate of this Tribunall I will first shewe foorth all those thinges that are declared of the Thalmudists And then I will adde what I my selfe haue founde by reading in the holie Writers Thus therefore haue they in diuers places In the time of Moses by the commaundement of God seuentie Elders of auncient yeeres and tried in knowledge were chosen out which shoulde bee Coadiutors of Moses himselfe in the gouernment of the people vnto whome it pertained both to declare all the difficulties of the Lawe and to define them and also in weightie matters and harde causes to giue iudgement Of whome is written that in the Deuteronomie If thou shalt perceiue that a difficult and doubtfull iudgement is before thee arise and goe vp to the place which the Lorde thy God shal haue chosen and there shalt thou call vpon his name As for these they were called by the tearme Sanhedrin and they sate in the Consistorie Gazith to iudge the iudgements of the liues and they were called Meokekim that is Scribes or Lawe-makers because that whatsoeuer they deliuered and wrote was holden of others as a Lawe The College of whome represented the Scepter giuen of the holie Ghost to the house of Iacob And the scepter it selfe depended on theÌ„ Wherevpon not onelie they that were resiant vnder the kings and Captaines or Dukes exercised the power of iudging but also while there was no king nor Duke extant among the Iews neuerthelesse the authoritie of them endured But ther wer 4. maners of putting to death deliuered to them To stone them to burne them to wound them to death and to strangle them Whereupon their vse was that when they hadde destroyed anie bodies life that is when they had iudged anie to bee slaine all that day they tasted nothing Moreouer the Iudgementes concerning money or goods mooueable were made by three Iudges the Iudgements of the liues by three and twentie But none iudged the Scepter or a false Prophet or the high Priest but the house of the 70. Iudges Neither did they goe foorth to warre except according to the mouth or sentence of the house of the Iudgement of the 70. Iudges Nec addebant Ciuitaâ—â— neither encreased they the citie or indenized anie nor the salaries or stipends of the Temple except by them Neither made they the Sanhedriâ—th that is the meetings or Sessions of the Iudges for the Tribes but by them The great Colledge was of 71. Iudges the lesse of 23. But the 70. Seniours were those of whome it is said Num. 11. Gather to me three-score and tenne Elders and Moses one Their lesser Sanedrion assemblie or meeting of them could not be ordeined but of the assemblie or meeting of the 70. that were the greater For those 70. Iudges ordeined the assemblies of the other Iudges which in other Cities places rouÌ„d about gouerned the people howbeit on this condition that euerie Assemblie of whatsoeuer Region it were shoulde bee vnder the Assemblie in Ierusalem and in the place called Gazith But the Iudges were chosen with the imposition of handes insomuch that fiue were necessarie for the dooing of that office But these Sanhedrins Herode the King tooke away Other after that were substituted but without the power of blood or of life and death whereupon they aunswered Pilate It is not lawfull for vs to kill anie man From thence foorth for their false iudging of Christe they were expulsed out of the Consistorie Gazith fortie yeeres before the Temple
was burned by the Romanes and they sate in Hamih But it was not lawfull De Capite agere to deale with matters of life and death except in Gazith As it is Deut. 17. And thou shalt doâ— according to the worde of the mouth that they shall shewe vnto thee out of that place And againe Thou shalt arise and go vp to that place At the last al these Iudges also were againe killed of the Romanes And these thinges verelie haue the Thalmudists who chalenge to themselues an assured knowledge of these thinges whereof Petrus Galatinus is the Authour But vnto those thinges which they haue written hauing founde them out as it were with their eyes we adioyne these thinges out of the holie Treasuries of the newe and olde Testament and besides out of the Monuments of Iosephus by the which wee shall lay foorth the institution confirmation right and power of this Councel First of al therfore it appeareth that this tribunal or iudgment seate was ordeined of God that from the iudgement of the iudges they should come to the council of the seniors and of the preestes as it is written 17. Deut. For Moses speaketh there by the praescription of God vnto the people But if so bee thou shalt perceiue a difficult and doubtful iudgement to be before thee betweene bloude and bloud cause and cause Lepry and not Lepry and thou shalt see the Iudgements of the iudges within thy gates To vâ—ry arise and goe vp vnto the place which the Lorde thy God shall choose that thou mightest there call vpon his name And thou shalt come to the priestes of the Leuiticall stocke and to him that shal be Iudge for that time and thou shalt aske it of them Who shall shewe vnto thee the trueth of the Iudgement And thou shalt do whatsâ—euer they shall say that rule the place which the Lord shall choose and they shall teach thee his Lawe and thou shalt follow their sentence Neither shalt thou swarue from it to the right hande nor to the left And whatsoâ—uer shal be proude refusing to obey the Preestes commaundement which at that time ministreth vnto the Lorde his God that man by the decree of the Iudge shall dye Out of these it appeareth that this Iudgement was committed to the king to the preestes and to the Elders of the people For they were the cheefe that ruled the place that the Lorde had chosen Iosephus therefore doth so rehearse this lawe that he maketh cheefe mention of the senate For then he wrot But if the Iudges want knowledge to pronounce of the matters brought before them let them sende the whole cause into the holie City and the Bishop and the Prophet and the Senate shall pronounce that that seemeth vnto them But afterward Moses nameth the Iudges them selues whome we haue spoken of preests saying in the 19. chapter If a lying witnesse shall stande against a man accusing him of trespasse they shall both of them stande before the Lorde and before the preestes and before the Iudges that shall bee in those dayes But Iosephus citeth it of the preestes themselues in his second booke to Appion when as he wrote The Preestes were ordeined of Moses the viewers of all thinges the Iudges of the controuersies the punishers of the condemned Moreouer Moses him-selfe in the counsell tooke knowledge or hearing of his cause that gathered stickes on the sabboth Leuit. 15. For so saith Philo. 3. De vita Mosu They tooke the man brought him to the Prince about whome in the Counsell sat the Preestes but all the multitude was present on the Sabboth day to heare them But Moses not knowing what punishment the maÌ„ deserued asked counsel of God who answered that he should be stoned to death By this it appeareth that all the parties that sat in this Sanedrin except the Kings and the Princes persons were Teachers of the Lawe and and word of God Yea in al the other inferior Seniories they were noble men that onely were ioyned to the Teachers But as Moses ordeined this tribunall so afterward Iosaphat King of Iuda ordeined as he also confirmed the iudgements in the cities For thus it is written in the seconde of Paral. He appointed also in Ierusalem Leuites and Preestes and Patriarches out of Israel that they should iudge the cause of the Lord to the inhabiters thereof and commanded them saying thus shal ye do in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart Euery cause that shall come vnto you of your Brethren which dwell in their cities betweene kindred kindred wheresoeuer the Question of the Lawe of the ceremonies of the iustification in the Greek translation it is of the precept commandement iustifications and iudgements He declared vnto them that they should not offend against the L. And leaste wrath should come vpon you and vpon your Brethren Doing thus therefore yee shall not sinne But Anainas your B. shal gouern in those things which pertain to God Zabadias the sonne of Israel which is Capten in the tribe of Iuda shall bee ouer those workes which pertaine to the offices of the king The Masters in Greeke the Scribes The Leuites shall be before them Into this counsell therefore as it appeareth there entred the king with the Princes of the people and the 70. seniors of the people and the Bishop with the princes of the preestes the scribes that is the doctors of the Lawe as is easy to see out of the Gospels where the iudgement made on Christ is treated vpon Wherefore Ioseph of Arimathia a senator or noble decurion the same man being a partaker of the councell for it is written that he gaue not his assent with the other to the condemnation of Christ. But I call them the Princes of the Preestes which in 24. formes of the Preestes euery one of them ruled in euery one of their turnes but the Scribes I call them that were the doctors of the Lawe whome Iosephus called Propheâ—s Afterward the Councell in the transmigration of Babilon being destroyed when the Iewes being returned into their countrie the residue of their institutions were restored the power of Iudging in the Councel was also giuen vnto the preestes Which thing Ezechiel cap. 44. did fore-warne by the commaundement of Goâ— saying The Preestes shall teach my people what difference there is betweene holy and prophane and they shal Iudge vnto them betweene impure and pure and they shall endeuour them-selues that they may iudge about the iudgement of bloud and they shall iustify my iustifications and iudge my iudgements and they shall keepe my lawes and my preceps in all my feast dayes that is they shall take notice of causes of religion and of capitall matters that is of life and death and they shall iustify men that is absolue them and iudge men that is condemne them euen as I haue prescribed in the Lawe to be done where I
haue declared who are worthy of pardon and who of punishment But some there are that thinke this counsell to haue beene chosen out of the family of Dauid and that they were afterward taken away of Herod the King Which if it bee so whether the wordes of the Psalme sung as S. Athanasius witnesseth in the restoring of the City of Ierusalem may be referred thereunto because there that is in Ierusalem sate the seates vnto iudgement the seates vpon the house of Dauid that is the seate out of the house of Dauid But eyther the King or the Bishop called this counsel according as the crime brought before them eyther touched the City or Religion But the order of executing the matter was almoste in this manner He that desired to put vp the name of another for the moste part came eyther to the king or to the Bishop or to the Princes and declared the guilty party Which done they sent Ministers to take the man And if the matter required they added a band also receiued from the gouernour of the Temple And hauing brought him they kept him for the moste part eyther in prison or in souldiers custody vntill iudgement passed on him The whole Councell beeing afterward called together they gaue them-selues to the vnderstanding of the matter As for the crime and the punishment was of the accusant called vpon in these wordes The Iudgement of death is due to this man because hee hath done this or that But the Defendant repelled it with these wordes The Iudgement of death is not due to this man because hee hath not done it or because hee hath doone it righteously But when the cause hath beene throughly pleaded vpon then were the suffrages or voyces giuen of the iudges and either hee was condemned or absolued according to the number of the sentences But when the matter was brought to the Romaynes the onely condemnation was left to the Councell but the the punishment was taken away but permitted vnto the Roman procurator Which hapned in the iudgement of Christe For the Councell condemned Christe and adiudged him to death But the people being stirred vp of the Councell demaunded of Pilate the Procurator that he might be crucified he gaue iudgement that it should so be done The forme of laying the accusation or of repelling the crime as in the 26 of Hieremie the preestes and the prophetes spake vnto the princes of Iuda saying the iudgement of death is vnto this man because he hath prophecied against this City And the princes sayde vnto the preestes the iudgement of death is not vnto this man because he hath spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde our God A forme of the condemnation is in S. Math. 26. Beholde now yee haue heard blasphemie what seemeth it to you and they answering sayde he is guilty of death the which thing Marke saith Who all of them condemned him to bee guilty of death but these things which we haue spoken shall all be more cleare knowne if euery one of the iudementes made after this order whereof record is left in writing shall be shewed foorth And here he proceedeth to the manifolde testimonies and examples hereof in the Scripture and in Iosephus but especially in the newe testament By al which it appeareth for this Senate or council of the 70 Seniors which after the Iewes mixture with the Graecians of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was corruptly called Sanedrin what persons they were except the King and the Princes all of them either preestes or teachers of the Lawes of God And how they sat but in one and the heade Citie assistant with the King and the princes in al matters of plea and controuersie of Lands goods of warre and peace of life and death c. Nor the King coulde rule these matters without them and that their autority herein grewe not so much by the late corruptions as it was rather thereby abridged in the age of Christe by the Romaynes and by Herod If nowe our Learned discoursing Brethren shall reiect all these so industrious collections of Sigonius as an aduersary what proofes reasons and authorities soeuer he auouch let vs then sée howe farre foorth Bertram also doth confirme it For besides that which wee haue alleaged out of him for the original and the first practise thereof before the gouernment of the Kings after the negligence of Saule speaking of Dauid chap. 10. Page 56. he saith Moreouer Dauid restored the municipall iudgementes altogether into their auncient order Howbeit but about the last times of his reigne because that being hindred with warres and diuers businesses hee was content with those Iudgementes which for a greate part beeing decayed perseuered but litle constantly in euery of the Cities and tribes euen from the times of Iosue vntill then But yet so that the more waighty causes especially the appeales were referred to him as it appeareth out of 2. Sam. 15.2 But at the length he also restored this part of the common weale so that vnto the Leuites reckoned vp he established to be firm their changable and vncerteine offices both in the holy or Ecclesiasticall policy and also in the ciuill In the ciuill policie hee is saide to haue appointed out of the Leuites 6000. Iudges and praefectes or Gouernors Out of the Leuites the Iudges and praefectes were assumed for this reason That first there shoulde bee certayne out of the Leuites which should bee assistors or sitters together with the ordinary and municipall iudges that were called seniors Who some-times also De plane vt Vulgo loquuntur Iudicarent de rebus leuioribus shoulde Iudge after a playne sorte as is the common saying of the lighter matters such as were the pecuniarie either they alone or taking some one vnto them of the Seniors of the place or City And moreouer that there should also be some other which should execute the matters adiudged Or else that which is indeed the more likely they that were the Assisors of the ordinarie Iudges who also their selues tooke notice of the pecuniarie matters iudged them and executed the matter it selfe that they had iudged He ordained therefore that Chanenias and his sonnes or his posterity should be designed for iudges and Prefects for the outward worke that is to saie for the outward holie offices that we necessarie for the making of sacrifices in the house of the Lord or Tabernacle in Israel that is among the Israelites that dwelt on this side Iordan except the Tribes of Iuda Beniamin and Simeon The number of these is nor prescribed He also ordained out of the Hebronites Hasabias and his brethren that they should gouerne the Western coasts side-long or on the side of Iordan that is on the hether-hand Iordan as well in the businesse of the Lord as in the seruice or ministerie or obeisance of the king In French Pour le seruice du Roy that is in the
businesses or affaires appertaining to the Royall administration or ciuill policie as shall afterward appeare This Westerne coast contained the Tribe of Iuda Beniamin and Simeon Which Tribes of those that are on this hand Iordan doo lie Westward The other which are attributed to Israel are Northerne Hasabias his brethren are accounted 1700 Hee ordeined also that out of the Hebronites the brethren or the next a kinne of Ierias the Prince of all his familie to the nuÌ„ber of 1700. should gouerne the Rubenites the Gadites and the halfe Tribe of Manasses For euerie matter of God that is Ecclesiasticall and for the matter of the ning that is the ciuill Of the same familie therefore were adhibited to gouerne the Church and to gouerne the ciuill policie neuerthesse in such sort that there was no confusion and permixture as it appeateth out of those things that were restored of Iosaphat It seemeth therefore that then and from thence vpward euen to the times of Iosue there were certaine Ecclesiastical assemblies of the Leuites at euerie one of the Synagogues of euerie one of the Cities or verely at tho e cities which were proper to the Leuites as in the 15. chap. we shall more at large declare Thus was the state againe rightly restored to the originall as Bertran sayth in Dauids time and that by his industrie and supreme authoritie Wherein we see what those Seniors onely were that here medled not onelie with Ecclesiasticall but ciuill gouernment to wit all of them Leuites And such as might teach the lawe For the other which were the Elders of other Tribes dealt onelie in ciuill-matters except the Prince alone that had the principall charge ouer both the Tables though not to execute yet to sée executed by the persons competent in both founctions as wel the Ecclesiasticall as the ciuill policie And thus as Dauid did dispose the regiment of these Seniors a little before his death so no doubte but that his sonne Salomon did all his life obserue it After whome sayth Bertram concluding that Chapter In the time of Ieroboam the iudgementes began to degenerate especiallie after the Empire was diuided But entering againe into a fresh reâ—toring thereof in the 11. Chapter he procéedeth saying Iosaphat hauing taken possession of the kingdome proceeded both in restoring the Ecclesiasticall and ciuile policie To this purpose therefore hee thought it verie expedient if first of all he remoued the high places and the groues as a little after wee shall throughlie handle it And then that he should send fiue of his Princes Beuchail Abdias Zacharias Nathaniel and Micheas vnto whom he adioined two of the Priests and nine Leuites And he sent them throughout all the Cities of the kingdome of Iuda c. beginning at Beer-sheba and ending at the mount of the Tribe of Ephraim to reclaim his people to the worship of God To confirme this he is said to haue ordained Iudges in all the defenced Cities Citie by Citie that is in euerie of the Cities or for Citie and Citie City He placed the iudgement in the chiefeft Cities to the which iudgementes the causes of the lesser Cities Pages and Ilandes should be referred These Iudges are to be taken in that manner as they were instituted at Hierusalem to wit Ecclesiasticall ciuile So that they appointed ciuil iudgements out of the Seniors of euerie Citie and the Leuites are sayd to be adhibited to be the gouernours vnto either of the iudgements to wit after the same manner whereby Dauid hadde assigned them to that office as appeareth out of the ende of the Chapter Hee also ordained Iudges at Ierusalem out of the Leuites and the Priests and heads of the Fathers of Israel partlie for the iudgementes of the Lord that is the Ecclesiasticall partlie also for plea that is for the ciuile iudgement In these words the two iudgements to wit the Ecclesiasticall and the ciuile are distinguished The ciuil as it seemeth to consist on the heades of the Fathers of the people seemeth to bee the Synedrion of the three score and ten Elders In those heads of the Fathers we may place the Priests and the Leuites for the institution of the seauentie themselues had their gouernours which were the Leuites But those seuentie were not now taken out of those seuentie families of whome we spake before But of those onelie that were vnder the dominion of Iosaphat Wherevpon also at the length they were chosen out of the onelie house and familie of Dauid As concerning those Iudges being chosen are sayde to returne vnto Ierusalem This may bee so vnderstoode that leauing the allottmeÌ„t of their Tribe those Iudges came to abide at Ierusalem or that they vsed to meete at Ierusalem where the iudgement was to be entered It is likely that the Ecclesiasticall iudgement did then consist of the Priests and Leuites onely These two iudgements were the chiefe and principal whereunto the more difficult causes were referred as the Lorde had commaunded in the Lawe For the King in his exhortation set foorth vnto the same Iudges confirmeth this sufficientlie while hee sayth And yee shall iudge euerie strife which shall come from your Brethren that dwell in their Cities c. The matter of either iudgemeÌ„t may seem to be al one but in a diuerse respect that is to wit Ecclesiasticall and ciuil according as in the same cause somewhat was Ecclesiasticall somewhat ciuil as in a pawne deuided c. Moreouer the high Priest was sometimes demaunded concerning the Law that it might at length bee determined concerning the fact To conclude as these iudgements were the highest they had at Ierusalem their municipal iudgement which seemeth to appertain to the king and to his officers or rather to the Chiliarks Centurions c. of that territorie Notwithstanding so that the whole iurisdiction should be subiect to either of those iudgements By these things therfore this King seemeth rather than anie other iudge or King to haue come néere to the naturall institution of the Lawe prescribed concerning this matter Heere againe doe we sée a cléere example of that Seniory which Caluine and our Brethr. doe so much vrge drawing néerest to that verie institution of the old lawe without the corruption that they except against And they saith Bertram that were the gouernours of the supreme ciuil iudgemeÌ„t do seeme for the same cause to be those which with the later kings are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sarim that is princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chorim that is Patricians or noble Fathers That these Princes wer out of the heads of the Fathers and out of the ordinarie Iudges it appeareth out of the things aforesayde and especiallie out of these things that are declared in this restitution of Iosaphat yea rather out of the Prophets often reprehensions beeing so conuerted and composed to these Princes that they altogether respect their iudgements Verilie of this so greate Empire or
despise Gods Lawes Whereas Christe disputeth here nothing of the power of making Lawes but of brotherly admonition of exhortation reprehension correction and of taking away offences and of the iudgement of the church which in all thinges thought to followe the worde of God that it bee not so much an humane as a diuine iudgement And againe Marlorate nâ—teth out of Caluin saying Whereupon wee see howe the spirituall iurisdiction of the church which punisheth sinnes out of the worde of God is the best helpe of health and foundation of order and bonde of vnity And concluding the ratification of their senteÌ„ces he saith For they haue the word of God wherewith they condemne the frowarde they haue the worde wherewith they receiue into fauour the repentant But erre they cannot neither dissent from the iudgement of God because they Iudge not but out of the Lawe of God which is not an vncertain nor earthly opinion but the holy will of God and an heauenly Oracle â—ith therefore all this iurisdiction of the censure and discipline of the Church consisteth in the Ministery of the worde of God and besides the sentence pronounced comprehendeth admonition exhortation reprehension and all out of the word of God And these persons are publike officers and their doingeâ— publike doings howe are not these the publike ministers of the worde medle with the publike teaching of the same But this more playnely appeareth by Christes owne wordes For when Christe had sayde Tell the Church howsoeuer they vnderstand there the name of church when he commeth afterwarde to set downe the manner howe Excommunication shoulde be vsed hee strayght turneth his spéech to his Apostles saying Verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer thinges you shall binde vpon earth they shall bee bounde also in Heauen and whatsoeuer you shall loose vpon earth shall be loosed in Heauen also So that this place directly is turned to the Apostles both in Math. 16. And here the 18. and Ioh. 20 and so the power and promise thereof continuing continueth directly in those onely that are the successors of the Apostles That is to say that are such as of whome S. Paul saith 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so esteeme vs as Ministers of Christe and dispensers of the mysteries of God And of such onely is Excommunication being taken as this spirituall Censure of the Church to bâ— pronounced and of none other kinde of Elders For proofe nowe of the continuall practise and approbation hereof let vs see both howe the Church of God vsed it among the Iewes before Christ came and howe in Christes time in the primitiue Châ—â—ch â—â—tâ—rward in the time of the auncient and holy Fathers and also nowe lastly in this light of the Gospell what are the iudgements of the best learned of our brethren hereupon And first as wee haue shewed before â—ut of Brentius tâ—ere was and is a diuers acceptation of this name Excommunicating Wherâ—pon Aretius among other diuisions of Excommunications good and bad greater and lesser outward and inward hath this diuision Let vs therfore deuide it from the head after this manner There is one Excommunication ciuil another Ecclesiasticall The ciuil is that that is exercised in politike matters against offenders c. And on the Hebrue names therâ—â—f and the Greeke name among the Iewes in and before the time of Christe he saith in Ioh. chap. â— 12 16. He that was excluded is sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to bee made an Alien from the publike assembly Such were abhominable and odious to the residue of the Iewes vntill they were reconciled In the ninth chapter hee sayth that it was ordeyned of the Iewes that if any man confessed him to be Christe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he should be cast out of the synagog In the 12. chap. that many of the Princes beleeued but they confessed him not least they should be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the 16. chap. They shall make you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is out lawes and vnworthy of their assemblies Heereupon excommunication may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the old Testament it is called Masger a shutting for hee that was of Moses shut out was bound as it were with many Lawes Besides that hee which was boundâ— with any certayne fault was holden vnder the penalty to the which hee was bounden you haue the example Num. 12. where Miriam the sister of Moses for the crime of rebellion is excluded by the commaundement of God 7. dayes out of the campe Let her be shut out seuen dayes abroad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cherem among the Hebrewes is anathema That is a penaltie inflicted of God as Mal. 4. Least I come and strike the land cherem that is anathemate with a curse suspension or separation The same word signifieth a thing consecrated to God and sequestred from the publike vse as it is sayd of the spoyles of Ierico that Achan receaued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minha-cherem that is of the spoyles condemned of the Lorde by a curse of setting apart or suspending Wigandus and Matheus Iudex in their treatise called Syntagma or corpus doctrinae on the title de clauibus in veteri testamento of the keyes in the old Testament do say First that there are such keyes Although in the new Testament Christ institute the keyes by a solemne manner Matth. 16.18 and Ioh. 20. notwithstanding in the old Testament also there was a power of the keyes pertaining to the churche and to the Ministers thereof as appeareth by the thinges folowing What were the kinds That there were two keyes the one binding the other losing appeareth out of Esa. 22. I will geue or laye vpon his shoulder to wit Eliachim the key of the house of Dauid and he shall open and there shal be none that can shut and he shall shut and there shal be none that can open And examples to the Propheticall writinges do witnesse For Caine in the 3. of Gen. is excommunicated But Dauid is absolued of Nathan and the types or figures of thrusting out of the campes the lepers and polluted and receauing of the healed and purged by sacrifice Num. 4. Leuit. 13. concerning the binding key or Excommunication what are the names thereof The binding key in the Propheticall writinges is called Anathema Num. 21. Deut. 7. c. Malediction and detestation Num. 23. Deut. 27. crying out wo Hosee 7. casting out of the land Gen. 4. taking away out of the middest Deut. 13. The definition is this The key bynding is a power ordeyned of God committed to the church and to the Priestes of denowncing the wrâ—th of God to notorious and polluted sinners and of shutting them out of the societie of Gods people and of forbidding other their societie and companie vntill either by the Magistrate they be taken out of the way or els by repentaunce or by the prescribed sacrifices they shal be purged and
may be lesse blemished the society of men also lesse ill reported This other power in the primitiue church was more necessary when the Ethnike magistrates gouerned the cities For there when by the ciuil iudgement punishment should haue bin giuen vpon the blasphemers on others openly violating the commandements of God the church necessarily executed iudgment on the corrupted meÌ„bers without seditioÌ„ that is without bodily force Excluding the wicked with the only word yet receiuing them again if they were conuerted But now after that they also which are the magistrates haue embraced the name of Christ it is beâ—ter more meet for the coÌ„mon profit to bring them vnder the ciuil punishment that manifestly lead a wicked life Especially when as the magistrate by name is charged that he taketh away the authors of offences to th end that the name of god be lesse il spokeÌ„ of Thus also the offices remain distinct that by the churches power secret manifest sins be reproued by the only word of God but they that suffer not theÌ„selues to be ruled by the doctrine may be punished by the ciuile Iurisdiction Verelie this were a mâ—â—t beautifull harmonie of the two powers if it were kept but in this extreame confusion of all things and heedlesnesse of Princes there is not so much as hope of ordeining this harmonie This onelie thing remaineth that the King of Kinges come and purge his Church for euer from all offences Thus complaineth Melancthon and distinguisheth of these powers But he would so little haue the Eccl. iurisdiction of excommunication to be vsed by gouerning Seniors that were not teachers that he woulde either haue them teachers or else their iurisdiction to be but ciuile and the meere punishment of the Christian Magistrate Aretius in his Common-place thereon saith Excommunication is an exclusion of some bodie that professeth our Religion out of the coÌ„panie of the faithfull in holie and prophane matters beeing made in the name and power of Christe by the ordinarie Ministers of the Churche the residue of the Church consenting and being made for the cause of amending the sinner and of deliuering the Church from the contagion of the sinne And afterwarde proouing the parts of this definition coÌ„ming to the 5. part By whom it ought to be administred he saith We aunswere out of the definition By the ordinarie Ministers the residue of the Church consenting We would haue the Ministers ordinarie because except their vocation bee lawfull the discipline of the manners shall be frustrate For Christe hath deliuered the same to the Apostles and for that cause to their lawfull successors and therefore they labour heere in vaine whom the lawfull succession doth remooue And furthermore that the discipline be administred of the Ministers as Ministers that is that they vse the same by Ministerie or seruice not by Empire or rule In which matter how greatlie in Poperie they offended is not here to the purpose to declare We adde The residue of the Church consenting least the Minister would exercise dominion of his own wil. Christe Mat. 18. biddeth Tell the Church not the Ministerie onelie And Paule would not the incestuous man to be excluded by his authoritie alone but the Church of Corinth being gathered together 1. Cor. 5. Cyprian declareth it to the people if anie were to be receaued doing the same no doubt in those that were to be excommunicated Epist. 16. li. 3. You being present and iudging all shall be excommunicated So in another place for those that were falne hee entreateth the people that the peace might be giuen them Tertul. Apolog. cap. 39. saith Euerie of the approoued Seniors doo gouerne hauing gotten a iust honour not with money but with testimonie for no matter of God consisteth on price c. Héere Aretius maketh excommunication to bee necessarilie made by â—he ordinarie Ministers And that we might know whâ— these are he addeth that Christie deliuered it to the Apostles and to the successors of the Apostles And therefore those that labour heere to haue other Ministers than Teachers labour in vaine because they are remooued from the lawfull succession and their discipline is all frustrate This being set set downe for the Minister where he addeth the residue of the Churches consent and thereto applieth this testimonie of Christe Mat. 18. Tell the Church not the Minister onelie he maketh no especiall Senate of ecclesiast Seniors but putteth altogether in this general name the residue of the church Neither giueth he them herein a ioynt Ministerie with the Ministers that the excommunication should be made by all the residue but that it should be done by their consent So that if our Br. fearing coÌ„fusion in the peoples consent would haue a Segniorie to represent them and to whom their consent should be compromitted yet beyonde consent they haue nothing to doo more than the residue of the Church and people haue whom as they say they represent except they will be Comministers of the word and successors of the Apostles And this dooth the verie example 1. Cor. 5. héere also alleadged excellentlie we ll declare Wher Paul was the Minister and the Iudg and the People gaue their coÌ„sent to his Iudgement Howbeit if they had not consented that had not defeated the vertue and power of S. Paules Censure as we haue alreadie at large séene And likewise the dealing of Cyprian in receauing of them that were excommunicated The words of Cyprian in this alleadged 16. epist. li. 3. writing to the people in his absence from them are these That you doo mourne bewaile the falls of our brethren of my selfe withall I know it and doo bewaile it and I suffer and feele that which the blessed Apostle saith VVho is weakened faith he and I am not weakned who is offended and I am not burned And againe he put in his Epistle saying If one member suffer the other members also suffer with it and if one member reioyce the other members also reioyce wish it I haue compassion therefore mourne together with our brethren that haue falne and ouerthrowen themselues in the trouble of persecution and trayling with them part of our bowels they haue with their wouÌ„ds brought vnto vs sharp greef To whom God by his diuine mercy is able to giue remedy While notwithstanding they should not think that any should be done hastily vnaduisedly out of hand least if the peace should be vsurped rashly the ofâ—ence of Gods indignation should more greeuously be prouoked The blessed martyrs haue written letters to vs concerning some beseeching that their desires maybe examined when as we shal begin to returne to the church peace beeing before of the Lorde giuen to vs all All their desires were examined you being present and Iudges Thus writeth Cyprian not that the persons were Excommunicated they being the Iudges of their Excommunication but as they were ipso facto Excommunicated
ver 5. c. Commaunded all the iudgements or questions of the Lawe of the commandement of the ceremonies c. to be referred to the Leuites and Preestes Leaste any might except that Moses constitution dealt on sacrifices not on iudgements Secondly from the punishment of King Saule sacrificing against the commaundement of God 1. Sam. 15. And of king Ozias striken with lepry because hee vsurped the preestes office 2. Patal 26 verse 16 c. The extraordinary examples of Melchisedech Samuel and Heli are not to be drawne into vse contrary to the Lawe Thirdly from the office vse of the Preestes and Leuites denouncing the blessinges to the keepers of Gods commaundementes and the cursings to the not keepers Deut. 27 28 Fourthly from the speciall power and ministery of binding and loosing which Christe committed not to the ciuill Magistrate but to the Ministers of the worde in the newe Testament Math. 16. Who also commaunded significantly that they that are not obedient shoulde be shewed to the Church that is to the Presbytery not to the Magistrate Math 18. So that euen here where he expoundeth the Church for a Presbytery Yet he maketh this Presbytery to be onely of those that are the Ministers of the Word Fiftly out of Paule 1. Cor. 5. ver 4 12 Which so farre as pertaineth to the present businesse of all other moste euidently teacheth by two arguments that the presbytery was different from the iudgement of thinges that pertaine to the vse of this life First from the order of the time For that the vse of comming together and of iudging was recâ—yued in the Corinthian Church before the Epistle of Paule was written it is apparant out of his owne words You being gathered â—ogether in the name of the Lord. Againe Do ye not iudge of those things that are within But speaking afterward chap. 6. of priuate controuersies hee saith Appoint you arbiters Not ye haue appoinâ—ed in the preterperfect tense Moreouer of the diuersitie of the spiritual things and ciuile controuersies for when he forbiddeth them to go to the Magistrate in those things that pertein to this life how would he haue granted it in spiritual things That assemblie was a singular ornament of the Church but this iudgement of corporal things is turned to a reproch vnto the Corinthians Insomuch that he adiudgeth each one of the basest to be meere inough thereunto Besides that â— Cor. 10 refelling the slanders of the aduersaries for the seueritie of his former Epistle for his rebuking the fornicator he distinguisheth the Ministery of the word and the reuengement with carnall weapons against the disobedient Thus dooth he stil continue in proouing this Segniorie to be meere spirituall their authoritie wholie to consist in the Ministerie of the worde Sixtlie out of 1. Tim. 5.19 20. whereupon it manifestlie appeereth that euen then there was an order alreadie appointed at Ephesus ouer which Timothie was the Gouernor But that these 2. ver the 19. and the 20. Against an Elder receaue no accusation except in the mouth of 2. or 3. witnesses and them that sinne reprooue openlie that the other may feare are spoken of such Elders as are pastorall Elders we haue at large before prooued eueÌ„ by the confession of Caluin Beza therfore this place not onlie maketh nothing for not teaching Elders but also prooueth a manifest standing appointed superioritie in the Apostles times among the pastoral Elders as we haue seene Seuenthlie vnto these approcheth the vse of the Apostolicall Church which coÌ„tinued many yeres sound without the help of Kings Princes Yea in the more purer Primitiue Church vnder the ChristiaÌ„ Emperoâ—s the vse of the keies remained apperteining to the Ministers of the word and Elders of the Church distinct from the ciuile Magistrate Heere Snecanus telleth not howe the Church flourished without the helpe of Christian Princes which he shewed before was one of the Anabaptists chiefe arguments but that the vse of the keyes was not helped by them but perteined onelie to the Ministers of the word not to Elders not teachers To coÌ„clude the thinges aforesaid are coÌ„firmed by the distinct properties of their gouernmeÌ„t For the ciuil Magistrate punisheth crimes with external punishmeÌ„ts onlie as with fines of monie imprisonmeÌ„ts c Insomuch that oftentimes it punisheth also the verie poenitent by reason of their ciuile transgressions not correcting in the mean ewhile the impoenitent which do not publikely disturb the peace It stoppeth indeed now and then an euil that it creepe not further abroad but the euil lurking within it helpeth not But the discipline eccl executeth her power against sinners by the word of God alone and by the instrument of the voice and acknowledgeth none among the citizens and members of Christ but those that repent them And is so farre off from compelling anie against their will that it accepteth the repentaunce of none vnlesse it be voluntarie And indeuoreth chieflie in this that offences might be remoued the repentance of minde performed before God and those that are fallen to be reconciled vnto their neighbor to the Church Finallie that the holie things may not be polluted being cast to dogs swine This double limitation is reciprocallie to be obserued for as it is not lawfull for them that attend on the Church in spirituall things to arrogate any thing to themselues of the ciuil power so also is it not lawful for the ciuil Magistrate to passe his bounds The Magistrate is indeed the keeper of either table and ordeined of God the chiefest member of Christ. Howbeit the administration of things in those matters that directlie respect the conscience do not therfore perteine vnto him For it belongeth to God to prescribe in the church how the coÌ„sciences should conuert themselues by repentance it belongeth not to the Magistrate to whoÌ„ it belongeth to teach to administer the sacraments it is their parts also to take notice and to iudge by the word of them that are the despisers of the doctrine and of the sacrament so farre as perteineth to the coÌ„trouersie of the law or right although the execution of the fact in politike matters do apperteine to the ciuil Magistrate What can bâ— plainer spoken than this to prooue that these Seniors either must not deal with this spiritual discipline of excom or they must be such Presbyters Priests or Elders as be Ministers of the word and sacraments Danaeus in his Christian Introduction 3. part in his treatise De potestate Ecclesiae cap. 48. concerning the author of the power of the keies saith on this wise Moreouer this thing it self is able to establish ratifie this power of the Church against the slanders of al men as though this power were a certeine tyrannie besides the word of God vsurped of the Pastors of the Church In which words he plainlie maketh this power to belong by the institution of God to the
Churche Act. 11. ver 31. Of what function these Elders were in the places héere cited we haue alreadie séene at large That they were Ministers and Teachers of the word As for them mencioned Act. 20. it is both in the text apparant and besides Caluine all other Interpreters our Br. in this their learned Discourse beare vs witnesse in all which places they applie the name of Elders still to Pastors The 15. 21. of the Acts doo mencion also as we haue séene both by the text it selfe and by Calu. gathering theron stil such Elders as were Teachers of the word As for those mencioned Act 11. being the same that are spoken of Act. 15. and 21. the consequent is euident what they were So that here yet no Elders appéere that are no Teachers The second reason is saith Daneus To the Pastors and Prelates of the Church apperteineth the cure the viewe the knowledge and the iudgement concerning the manners of euerie of the faithfull And this iurisdiction is a part and appendant of that viewe and care therefore this care and watchfulnesse is proper also vnto them Whereupon it followeth that vnto them this administration dooth properlie belong For why are they called watchmen Ezech. 3. vers 7. Why are they bidden to haue the care of the Church 1. Pet. 5. ver 2. Hebr. 13.17 Why are they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I said before For these titles are not giuen of the holie Ghost in vaine vnto them These titles we graunt are not giuen them in vaine sith therfore they are all titles belonging to Teachers and Ministers of the word more properlie in the Eccl. functions thaÌ„ vnto those that are not Ministers nor teachers of the word It is more likelie that in these places where these titles be giuen are meant Teachers and Ministers of the word The 3. of Ezechiel ver 17. is cléere for a Teacher Thou Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israel therefore heare my worde at my mouth and giue warning from me c. The testimonie of 1. Pet. 5. ver 2. besides all other Interpreters the verie Geneua translation hath this marginal note By Elders he vnderstandeth all them which preach teach or minister in the Church And least we should vnderstand it of other Ministers than of the word our Brethren themselues in this their learned Discourse pag. 22.25 32. do still applie the same to pastorall Elders As for the testimonie Hebr. 13.17 we saw how it was to be expounded by the 7. verse for those Guides that are Teachers of the word And the name fitteth verie well for so by S. Luke also S. Paule is called Act. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the guider of the word The 3. reason is saith Danaeus it apperteineth to them to iudge out of the word of God the factes life of men and to weigh the manners of men and to marke the fruite of the Gospel to whome the explication and treatie of the same word of God and of the Gospel by the coÌ„mandement of God doth apperteine but they are those that are conteined in the name of the Presbyterie Prepositors Prelates of the Church whereupon it is manifest that vnto them therefore belongeth this power properlie and chieflie whereby this iudgement is made 1. Peter 5. ver 2.1 Tim 4. ver 11.6 ver 2. What can be plainer spoken than this that these Elders of the Presbyterie ought to be Teachers and Ministers of the worde And these testimonies also doo as expresâ—ie proue it The first of Tim. 4. ver 11. Declare these things and teach them And 1. Tim. 6.2 Teach and exhort these things The 4. reason is saith Danaeus The vse it selfe of things and the examples of the Apostles and of the Primitiue Church doo confirme it For Paule while he vseth the power of the keyes against the incestuous Corinthian he asketh not euerie one of the people their sentence or opinion but onelie denounceth to the Church of Corinth and to the assemblie that hee which deserued was excommunicated 1. Cor. 5. ver 4.2 Cor. 2. ver 10. And declareth the same to other to whome that care perteined Paule in deed dooth communicate to the people denounce his iudgement that either the Church shoulde assent or dissent But hee himselfe with the Seniors pronounceth of the matter and claimeth the first and chiefest parts in the exercise of these keies vnto himselfe and to the other Pastors Although héere Danaeus adde this more than the text hath or giueth that he himselfe with the Seniors did pronounce of the matter for the text is plaine that he himselfe and by himselfe without anie Seniors of theirs did pronounce and denounce it to the Corinthians not that he was to be excommunicated but that he was excommunicated as Danaeus saith well therein chose they whether they would assent or dissent Their dissent could not reuoke the excommunication alreadie denounced But admit that Paule did it with anie other Elders ioyned with him yet neither wer they among the Corinthians nor Elders of that Church But whosoeuer they were if ther were anie stil he maketh them no other than pastoral Elders WheruppoÌ„ saith Danaeus it coÌ„meth to passe that we must conclude that the administration exercise power of the keyes which is both in binding losing is properlie first of all to be referred to the Colledge of the Presbyterie or Prelats of the Church notwithstaÌ„ding the same is had of the Church which they ought in the Chur. to exercise with the coÌ„sent notice approbatioÌ„ of the Church Hereunto I referre that which Aug. writeth Serm. 18. de verbis Apostoli If anie man suffred a slauÌ„der of his brother that is of a christiaÌ„ he ran to the B. to the end he might cleere himself of the slaunder All this againe maketh the more that the dealing herein apperteined to those Elders onelie that were Teachers Ministers of the word But saith Danaeus that the power arbitrimeÌ„t of the eccl CeÌ„sure perteined not to anie one appeareth eueÌ„ of that that the eccl regiment should theÌ„ be traÌ„sformed into a meere tyrannie or into a politike Kingdome Therfore neither the B. neither one Eld ought or can alone exercise that power but together at the length with his eccl CoÌ„sistorie as appeareth out of the old discipline Siritius in his 2. Epist. he liued in the Age of Ambrose In the 2. Councill of Carthage the 2. chap. And in the 4. the 22. 23. chap. Cypr. in his 12. Ep. In the first Council of Antioch chap. 23. this selfe same thing is coÌ„firmed This is another question Whether anie one Bishop or Minister may excommunicate or no The question is now betweene our Brethren vs whether one or mo there ought anie other to exercise this Censure of the Church than such Elders as are
Ministers of the word But to coÌ„sider this conclusion of Danaeus we denie not nor mislike of the Bishops ioyning with manie where the weightines of the matter so requireth where manie of these ministeriall Elders may conuenientlie assemble and adioyne themselues vnto him or wher any such Colledge or CoÌ„sistorie of theÌ„ were Howbeit that the B. nor anie other Eld. being a Minister ought or can exercise this power alone but that either the Eccl regiment shoulde be transformed into a meere tyrannie or into a politike kiâ—gdome Danaeus shewed héere no cause or reason of this saying And we haue great reason to thinke contrarie for that S. Paule denounced the excommunication against the incestuous person Though Danaeus saith he ioyned with him Elders yet the text mencioneth none Yea it is clean contrary Paule speaketh of his owne action in the singular number I haue iudged him And the like he saith of Alexander and Hymenaeus I haue deliuered them to Sathan 1. Tim. 1.20 And yet S. Paule can not be said héerin to haue transformed the Eccl. regiment into a more tyrannie or into a Politike kingdome These therefore are ouer-hard speaches if there be no other default in the excommunication but onlie in the number of the denouncers of it or iudging of it so that in the matter it selfe it be not Clauis errans a wrong key or in a wrong locke or the key writhed and wrested but ordered aduisedlie as it ought to be Neither is this anie thing like the Popes tyrannical claime but cléene against it if euerie B. haue this power as much and as primarilie and plenarilie as he and where one ruleth ruleth rightlie it is no tyrannie Neither if it wer tyrannie in one would the number helpe it in manie For so it might come to 30. or to 10. tyrants for one tyrant as it did in Athens and in Rome But all lyes in the parties vsing or abusing of this power And if anie draw néere if not to a Politike kingdome héerein but rather to a Politike gouernment of manie they might rather be suspected that woulde drawe it from the Ministers of the word of God to so manie Politike men that are not Ministers of Gods word and draw the discipline also to so manie Politike matters that it might be feared in stéed of doubting a Politike kingdom we should fall into a farre worse estate and ouerthrowe both Churche and Kingdome too But héere I wonder what Danaeus meaneth to alledge for proofe of the auncient discipline this Epistle whether true or counterfet of Pope Siritius Will our Br. allow of those Epistles Then not onelie these Presbyteri are more often called Sacerdotes but neither may they nor Deacons marrie nor if they were married before might companie anie longer with their wiues after their entrie into the Clergie nor could be admitted at all into the Clergie if they had before married a widdowe no nor anie might be ordeined into the Ministerie without the witting and consent of the B. of Rome What a tyrannie would this bring in so directlie to bring in credit and authoritie these suspected Epistles And wherfore in the ende must all this be done Forsooth because Danâ—eus findeth in one of his if his Epistles these words Facto ergo Presbyterio c. the Presbyterie therefore being made it is euident that it is contrarie to the Lawe of our that is of the Christian doctrine Whereupon wee following the Apostolicall precept because they declared it in another sort than that which we receaued it is manifest that this is the onelie sentence made of all aswell the Priests or Elders and Deacons as also of the whole Clergie that Iouinian Auxentius Genilis Geminator Felix Plotinus Martianus Ianuarius Ingeniosus who are found to be the kindlers of new heresie and blasphemie that beeing condemned for euer by the sentence of God and our iudgement they shoulde remaine out of the Church Which thing not doubting but that your holinesse will keepe I haue directed vnto you these writings by my Brethren and fellow Elders Crescent Leopard and Alexander which by their feruent spirit can fulfill the religious dutie of the faith Héere is an excommunication made by a Presbyterie but what that Presbyterie was and of what Presbyters Preests or Elders it consisted both the words doo declare where he calleth these men Compresbyteros his fellow Elders and a little before speaking of the same writing which héâ—re he condemneth in the Heretikes he saith It was detected Iudicio Sacerdotali by the iudgement of the Sacerdotall priestes For although he ioyne all in the consent of the iudiciall sentence yet were not the Deacons and all the Clergie anie of that Presbyterie But by the Presbyterie he meaneth Compresbyteros such Priests as himselfe was Neither is it maruell if all these were assembled to the excommunication of them whome they call blasphemous Heretikes for this excommunication was of the highest degrée being a condemnation for euer as Siritius saith which Danaeus after ward calleth Anathema maranatha And therefore it followeth not thereupon that although this was not made by the B. himself that therefore there was no excommunication made by the B. or by by anie Priest himselfe at all But to prooue this excommunication of the Bishops ioyned with the Presbyters to be euer so vsed Danaeus adioyneth to this Popes Epistle the decrée of the 2. Council holden at Carthage about this Pope Siritius time wherae chap. 2. are these wordes Aurelius the Bishop saide when in the Councill past before it was treated of the moderation of continencie chastitie these 3. degrees were by consecrations annexed in a certeine writing vnto chastitie I say Bishops Priests or Elders and Deacons it so pleased them as it is meete that the holie Bishops and the Priests of God also the Leuites or those that attend vpon the diuine sacrameÌ„ts should in all things be continent that they may simplie obtein of God the things they pray for that that which the Apostles haue taught and the Antiquitie hath obserued we also should keepe It was said of al the Bishops it pleaseth al that the Bishops the priests or Elders the Deacons or those that handle the sacraments being kepers of shamefastnes doo abstein themselues from their wiues It was said of them all It pleaseth vs that all and of all those that serue at the Altare shamfastnesse be kept Héere is a goodlie Decrée that Danaeus citeth to prooue that no excommunication should be made without a Presbyterie It is a world to sée how our Br. are so bent to erect this Presbyterie that they can scarce find anie sentence meÌ„cioning Presbyterâ—s Presbyters Priests or Elders though it make cleane against them and against God all yet forsooth this verie name is so catched vp to make a shew of Antiquitie for these Elders that it séemeth if euer our Br. haue ouer-shot
alreadie méetlie well to examine what the presbyters were which Cypian mencioneth and we haue still found them Ministers of the worde and Sacraments In none of his bookes of Epistles anie 12. Epistle toucheth this matter I graunt that in reconciling of Heretikes and those that were falne to Idolatrie he vsed to take the aduise of his priests of his Deacons of his Clergie and of all the people But this prooueth not that he neuer restored anie otherwise When he confesseth that not onelie a priest but a Deacon also may in necessitie restore the baptised peniteÌ„t to the churches peace But whomsoeuer Cyprian adioyned to him in anie solemne reconciliation he reserueth the power and authoritie of loosing to himselfe As for the first Councill of Antioch which was elder than those of Carthage before cited in the 23. chapter it is thus decréed It is not lawful for a Bishop to make vnto himself another successor although death approch vpon him But if anie such thing should be done the same constitution to be voyde But let the Ecclesiasticall lawe bee kept which is on this wise that a Bishop ought not to be made otherwise than with a Synode and Iudgement of Bishops who after the death of him that is departed haue power to promote him that shall be worthie What is here to abbridge the authoritie of a Bishop that he cannot excommunicate any offender without the consent and ioynt action with him of a Segniorie Where if Danaeus had but looked to the verâ—â— next chapter he should haue found another manner of matter where the Councill saith in the wordes following concerning the authoritie of him that is maâ—e Bishop Those things that perteine vnto the Church must be kept with all carefulnes and with a good conscience and faith that is in God who considereth and iudgeth all thinges Which are also to bee dispensed by the iudgement and power of the Bishop to whom the people is committed and the soules that are gethered together in the Church But to come néerer to the present purpose for excommunication The 4. chapter saith If anie Bishop being condemned of a Synode or a Priest or Deacon of his owne B. shall presume to meddle in anie thing concerning Priesthood or the holie Ministerie it shall not be lawfull for him anie more to haue hope of restitution neither anie place of satisfaction but al that communicate with him to be thrust out of the Church especiallie if they obstinatelie communicate with him after they haue knowen the sentence pronounced against him What can bee plainer spoken than this that the Bishop himselfe may excommunicate And in the 5. chapter If anie Priest or Deacon contemning his B. shal separate himselfe from the Church and priuatelie by himself gathering the people together shall dare to erect an Altare or Communion Table And albeit his B. exhorting him and once and twice reuoking him he shall remaine disobedient let this man by all meanes bee condemned nor let him hope at anie time to obteine helpe or to receaue his owne honour And if so bee hee shall persist to disturbe and sollicite the Church let him bee repressed by the outwarde powers as a seditious person And in the 6. chap. If anie man be excommunicated of his owne Bishop he ought not to be receaued of others before he be first reconciled to his Bishop c. And in the 12. chapter If anie Elder or Deacon of his owne Bishop or if anie Bishop of a Synode shall perhaps be condemned c Thus dooth this Councill also which Danaeus citeth prooue that vpon iust occassions a Bishop himselfe may excommunicate not onelie such among the people but also among the Pastorall Elders as bee notorious offenders Nowe when Danaeus hath thus farre procéeded on the parties that should exercise this power of the keyes giuen to the Church he coÌ„meth at length chap. 55. to this sentence of Christ Mat. 18. v. 17. Tel the Church Where traueling to comfort them that hold this word Church to be simplie meant for the People he pleadeth that it is meant for the Prelates of the Church And at length he coÌ„meth to this conclusion with this saying of Ambrose in librâ— dâ— dignitate Sacerdotali cap. 3. That which perteineth vnto all ought to bee done of all True it is howbeit according to the diuerse vocation of euery one in â—he Church of God By reason whereof the people are not equall to the ecclesiasticall Prelates So also Chrysostome lib. 3. de Sacerdot beyonde the middest of the booke Baptisme is giuen vnto the Church I aske therefore to whom perteineth the administration thereof and to haue the power of baptising Dooth it pertaine to euerie one of the people No but to the Pastors alone And yet this gift is giuen to the whole Church as also iâ— the power of the keyes But euen as when Baptisme and the holie Supper of the Lord is administred in the Church the force of Baptisme of the Supper is expounded to the people who all of them seeing it the seale is added to the healthfull promises of God and so the people is confirmed in their faith and each one of the people is taught and aedified To conclude when these thinges are done the Church out of the holie Supper and out of Baptisme feeleth receaueth the fruite which it ought to receaue euen so when hypocrites and wicked ones are cast out of the Church or when that the poenitent are receaued the same is done the whole people and each one of them withall perceiuing it consenting to it the authoritie of Gods word is ratified the reformation of manners in the Church established and the puritie of doctrine is conserued Which when it is done the Church and euerie one of the Church receaueth the fruite that they ought to receaue out of that power of the keyes that is graunted to the Church By this reason therefore these things the Supper of the Lord and Baptisme and the power of the keyes are of God giuen to the whole Church the administration whereof notwithstanding apperteineth not vnto euerie one but vnto them onelie that are lawfullie called in the Churche to doo these thinges Thus haue we séene at large the iudgements and reasons pro contrà of all these excellent men for these Elders and for their authoritie in this ecclesiasticall Censure Let vs now returne vnto the learned Discourse of our Brethren Therefore in euerie Church there ought to bee a Consistorie of Elders or Gouernors which with the Pastor may take charge of ecclesiasticall discipline and good order to be obserued in the Church to the punishment of vice and the aduauncement of true vertue These if they gouerne wel as Saint Paule doth testifie are worthie of double honor both that honour that is due to godlie men and that which is due to good Gouernors The premisses that our Brethren haue
disorder of moste slaunderous speeches cast foorth on the Prince on the Peeres on the Prelates on the people on the whole Church and Realme of England that I much maruaile that they would euer let them escape their lippes or conceiue them in their hearts and much more penne them in writing and publish them in print and commende them to the worlde with the title of a Learned Discourse Surely this a verie vnlearned vnaduised vngodlie and disloiall part Whatsoeuer they had in the gaule of their zeale powred foorth on vs would God they had neuer attempted so vntruely to deface both their and our so gracious godlie louing and most blessed soueraigne Do they thinke to shadowe them-selues and to salue vp all againe in saying Our Br. mockery of her Maiesties supremacy this is done with as heighnous iniury and contumely of the lawfull authority and godly supremacy of the Prince In-deede this is more subiect-like to bee offended that any iniury or contumely should be offered to the Lawfull authority and godly supremacy of the Prince But when they say withall that all the detestable enormities of the Popes praerogatiue and faculties and whole course of Canon Lawe is nowe still reteined and that the Papacie is not so much banished in name as translated in deede from the sea of Rome to the sea of Canterbury and that all this is done vnder the shadow of the Princes Supremacie what lawfull authoritie or godlie supremacie of the Prince make they this to be And is not this dooing and saying then of theirs a méere mockerie and contradiction with an heighnous iniurie and contumelle of the lawfull authoritie and godlie supremacie of the Prince Yes verelie and ioyned with great dishonor of God and miserable disorder of the Church that euer such disordered speaches should be suffered But we may soone gesse whether for these parts of the Papacie We maywel see by these speeches whether for diuerse pointes the papacy wold be traÌ„slated to wit soule-mouthed slanders not sparing to offer iniuries and contumelies to their naturall and Souereigne Prince for making and imposing another Canon Lawe and a new kinde of Supremacie of pastors and Seniors should be translated not from Rome to Canterburie though neither we nor they can well tell from whence but whether euen to euerie seuerall Parish and Congregation For what could all the papistes or the Pope himselfe haue said more or worse against the Prince the Church and the Realme of England than these out learned Discoursing Brethren haue comprehended in these distempred speaches And now when they haue thus disgorged all this choller for verie anger that they can not haue their gouerning Presbyters and not not preaching Priests to exercise this power of the keyes and discipline of the Church they conclude as it were slinging away in a chase from further treatise of their Gouernors saying But we minde not in this place to prosecute our iust complaints nor to inueigh against the abuse of these thinges with such vehemencie of words as the worthinesse of the matters deserueth but onelie in setting foorth the plaine truth to giue a glimpse by the way of the contrarie falshoode All that our Br say must be plaine truth iust complaints all our sayings and doings are with them contrarie falshoods abuses All these foul speeches are but our Br. glimpses by the way and yet these al their other so foule speaches are forsooth but their glimpses by the way What will these fellowes doo trow we wheÌ„ they come directlie vpon vs with such vehemencie of words as they say the worthinesse of the matters deserueth But since they threaten vs as it were bidde vs expect in some other place where belike they minde to prosecute these complaints inuectiues with greater vehemencie Our Br. for warning â— greater â—â—â—ectiues we may yet thanke them for this curtesse that they giue vs before hande so faire a warning Praeuisa leuiùs feriunt mala He that is ful warned is halfe armed We shal make our selues readie for the push of their vehemencie so well as God shall giue vs grace thereto And thus with this foule blast and threatning sling they knit vp this their Learned Discourse of their third Tetrarke these Gouernors Presbyters Preestes or Elders that are all in ruling and not teaching And since they are not hetherto able to alleage better proofes for their Consistory of these Elders neyther yet Caluine Beza nor Danaeus as for other I account not of them more than these I hope wee shall neede to feare the lesse our Brethrens threates of any greater vehemencie to come that shall be materiall to the controuersy The argument of the 13 Booke THE 13. Booke is of the last tetrarke called the Deacons with a Preface exhorting to releeue the poore in what sort the Deacons office is perpetuall of the first occasion of ordeyning Deacons for the distribution of temporall goods of the occasion ceassing how that part of the office is changeable how the office had another part remayning to be imployed in the attendanâ—s on the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments of the examples heereof in the first seauen Deacons namely Stephen and Philip with the iudgements of Gualter Aretius and the Magdeburgenses heereupon how the part perteining to distribution of goodes was altered and ioyned with other functions and not any peculiar office in many well ordered Churches after the ordeyning of Deacons at Ierusalem of our Brethrens deuiding the office of Deacons in diuers partes and whether the distributers showers of mercie and helpers mentioned Rom. 12.1 Cor. 12. were seuerall and distinct offices with the interpretations of Ambrose Bullinger Beza Caluine and Aretius on the same of the good politike lawes for the poores reliefe and the cause that they take not so good effect of the multitude of disordinate walkers and practisers against the State and whether these deuises of Deacons would represse them or increase them of the election of Deacons and of tyrannie and confusion whether the Deacons trayning vp to the Ministerie be a prophaning of the office and making the Deacons to be idolles of the diuers names and offices of the auncient and holie Churches that Danaeus mentioneth for the attendance on the poore of the Collectors for the poore amongst vs of their qualities and difference from Deacons of the exception of Philips beeing an Euangelist and so a preacher of Deacons to be as woorshipfull men as conueniently may be gotten of the manner of ordeyning Deacons whether the Deacons consisteth onely in the ministration to the poore with the iudgements of Beza Caluine Aretius and Bullinger for the same and of the playner vnderstanding of Ambroses words about the diuers kinds of Deacons WE must therefore returne to the authoritie of the Pastor which he hath ioyned with the Elders of the Church whereof he is Pastor The Church hath alwayes had great care of prouision for the poore by which
the Messias c. And so they procéede to Excommunication to Baptisme to the Supper of the Lord c. Whereby it manifestly appeareth that notwithstanding the foresaid occasion of ordeyning the Deacons to ease the Apostles in the distributioÌ„ of the Church goodes and attendance on the poore yet did their office stretch further and as occasion serued they did also these things which at that time were proper to the Apostles to the Bishops and Pastors that they ordeined And if there had béene no other vse at all of Deacons then that aforesaid vpon occasion whereof they were first chosen except that order of the goods giuen in common to the Church to be distributed to euery person proportionably and namely to the poore had continued which it did not that part of the Deacons office might have then ceassed as Gualter noteth well how in the time of the persecution immediatly succéeding it did ceasse at what time they that had the gift therto gaue themselues to the preaching of the word ministring the Sacraments where Bishops and Pastors wanted and therefore where Bishops and Pastors were it is the more likely that they ministred in the attendaunce on them in doing these things and I sée not but that they may still so do except our Brethren can persuade the people to such an order for their distribution of their goodes in common with themselues vnto the poore as was then vsed in the Apostles times And yet euen then also as occasion and fitnesse of the Deacons may benefite the Church they may preach and baptise as Stephen and Philip did which ministeries our Brethren make proper onely to such as at the least were Pastors But in the Apostles tymes we sée that these ministeries were not so precisely distinguished but that one sometimes might well deale without note of confusion euen in the function ministery that more properly perteined to another Neyther is any thing to the contrarie in the testimonies héere cited 1. Tim. 3.8 Likewise Deacons must be honest not double tongued nor giuen to much wine neyther to fylthie lucre In which words is nothing to this purpose But if they had gone but to the very next words in the verse following they should haue found matter sufficient that Deacons had to do further then to minister the distribution to the poore euen by Beza his owne testimonie as we shall sée God willing afterward As for the salutation of S. Paule Phil. 1.1 to the Bishops and Deacons at Philippos proueth not that Deacons in euery well ordered Church were ordeined accordingly For as in Ierusalem it selfe the chiefe and mother Church there were for a while vntil this occasion fell out no such officers and yet we can not well say it was not a well ordered Church during that time so Act. 14. vers 23. it is said of Paule and Barnabas when they had ordeyned with the hand Elders vnto them according to the Church and had prayed with fastings they commended them to the Lord on whome they beleeued Héere is no mention at all made of Deacons except we shall vnderstand the word Elders as Beza would haue it for Pastors Deacons and other Gouernors of the Church saying only for proofe héereof for heere as often otherwhere the name of Presbyter Priest or Elder is generally taken Neyther do we denie but that it is so taken and more generally also in diuers places which sheweth that their vnderstanding of that place of S. Paule 1. Tim. 5.17 the Elders that gouerne well are woorthy of double honor especially those that labour in the word and doctrine which words if they will néedes vnderstand of two kinds of Elders distinct in function and office why may it not be as well there vnderstood for such Deacons as were ministers of the word and sacraments as for their imagined gouerning Elders that are altogether no teachers And so doth Hyperius out of Ambrose as we haue séene before expound that place Qui bene praesunt presbyteri In this place the tearme of Presbyter Priest or Elder includeth the reason of office not of age But they are called Presbyters Priests or Elders by a generall and common name all they that minister in the Church the which thing also we haue giuen warning of before For the Bishop also himselfe is called a Presbyter Priest or Elder as Ambrose witnesseth Howbeit euery Presbyter Priest or Elder is not a Bishop of all these therefore his speech is heere that are inferior to the Bishop whome Ambrose reckneth vp in euery City two Deacons which administer the word and sacraments and 7. Deacons that minister to the tables distributing the goods of the Church Whereby we sée all their groundworke faileth consisting on the expounding that place for such Gouerning Elders that they make to be another distinct and middle function betwéene Pastors and Deacons And that these Elders may be well inough vnderstoode for Deacons And also that some Deacons such as were â—it therevnto were admitted to the Ministerie of the worde and sacraments the other were attendants on the Bishop and on the Ministers Both of whom héere Hyperius saith that S. Ambrose also calleth Deacons But Elders or Deacons they were all in their sortes attendant chiefelie on the Ministerie of the worde or their selues as in the ende we shall sée the verie Ministers and Pastors of it Now although in this sense we may admit héere also Act. 14. Bezaes interpretation for Elder to comprehend also those that properly are called Deacons yet in this place I allow rather the iudgement of Caluine which we have seene before that by Elders there are onelie ment such as were pastorall Elders Also after the ordeining of the 7. Deacons this office was deuided into diuers parts as necessitie shewed diuers occasions For some were appointed for the collection and distribution of almes as Rom. 12.8 And some for attending vpon the sicke impotent among the poore as in the same plâ—ce Let him that distributeth doâ— it with simplicitie and let him that sheweth mercie do it with cheerefulnes Which kind of deacoÌ„s 1. Co. 12.28 are called Helpers and for the seruice of this office were appointed diuers poore olde widdowes who as they were mainteined by the Church so they serued the Churche attending vpon the other poore who being sicke and impotent had neede not onelie of things necessarie but also of seruice and attending 1. Tim. 5.5 This diuision of the office of Deacoâ—s appeareth not in anie of the places héere alledged Our Brethren cited before pag. 3.17.33 and 84. thiâ— testimonie Rom. 12.8 for the diuersities of diuers offices of the Ministerie And throughout this their learned Discourse they treate vpon them seuerallie diuiding Doctors from Pastors Pastors from Gouernors Gouernors from Deacons and so made vp their full Tetrarchie by these 4. distinct offices And still they giue one part of this testimonie
followeth how can our brethren excuse them selues that they be not in danger of this Act if they haue beneâ—ices or haue they not done and doe cleane contrary to this their learned discourse in agreeing to the statute that they might holde their liuings if they haue not lost them againe by setting out this their learned discourse and by their maintenance of these opinions and assertions that are so direct against the statutes marke the wordes of the act and as they call it the godly meaning of the parliament And that if any person ecclesiasticall or which shall haue ecclesiasticall liuing shall aduisedly mainteyne or affirme any doctrine directly coÌ„trary or repugnant to any of the sayd articles and being conuented before the Bishop of the diocoese or the ordinarie or before the Queenes highnesse commissioners in causes ecclesiasticall shall persist therein or not reuoke his errour or after such reuocatioÌ„ eftsoones affirme such vntrue doctrine such mainteyning or affirming and persisting or suche eftsoones affirming shal be iust cause to depriue such persons of his ecclesiasticall promotions And it shal be lawfull for the Bishop of the diocoese or the ordinary or the said commissioners to depriue such persoÌ„ so persisting or lawfully conuicted of such eftsoones affirming vpoÌ„ such sentence of depriuation pronounced he shal be indeed depriued Now if we shall withal consider how our brethren haue aduisedlie that is to say of deliberate and aduised purpose directly in this their learned discourse pag. 135 challenged the doctrine of the sayd booke of Articles saying As was practised in the conuocation of the foresaid parliament vnto diuers Godly and learned preachers that offred to speake against diuers grosse and palpable errours that had escaped the Bishops decrees as for the distinction of Canonicall and apocriphall bookes for explication of the clause in the article of predestination where it is sayde the elect may fall from grace and such like matters how truly this is spken of that conuocation and howe trulye also they haue in these wordes burdened both the Bishops and the articles of no lesse than grosse and palpable errours and that in principall pointes of doctrine I reserue that till I come to the proper place where it is to be answered But howe haue not our brethren aduisedly affirmed and if they will stand to it maintayned doctrine directlye contrarye and repugnant to some of the the Articles of the sayde booke For to affirme and maintaine that that which is good doctrine is a grosse and palpable errour what is that but to affirme and maintaine the doctrine that is directly contrary and repugnant thereto and what remayneth But that if the Bishops will not pitifully abuse that authority of the statute that was committed vnto them they or the ordinarye or the Queenes Maiesties highe commissioners in Ecclesiasticall causes ought to conuent these oure learned discoursing Bretheren before them if they had anye names that they might knowe them and if any of them shall persist and not reuoke his errour c that this shal be iust cause to depriue such person of his Ecclesiasticall promotions And besides these Articles aforesaid that they challenge for grosse palpable errours how do they not also impugne the 34.35 36. articles of the said booke Yea diuerse of theÌ„ haue beene also conueÌ„ted before the Bishop the Ordinary or the Commissioners aforesayd and haue persisted in the contrarye to those articles and these our learned discoursing bretheren haue gone further to put their contradictions foorth to the worlde in print The wordes of the 34. article which they inpugne are these Who soeuer throughe his priuate Iudgement willingly and purposelye doth openlye breake the traditions of the Church which bee not repugnaâ—t to the worde of God and be ordeyned and approued by common authoritye oughte to be rebuked openly that other maye feare to doe the lyke as hee that offendeth against the common order of the Church and hurteth the authoritye of the Magistrate and woundeth the consciences of the weake bretheren If our Brethren would agrée vnto this article there should not be such troubles as there are amongst vs. The 35. article is of Homilies The second booke of homilies the seuerall titles wherof we haue ioyned vnder this article doth conteyne a godly and wholesom doctrine necessary for these times as doth the former boke of homilies which were set forth in the time of K. Edward the 6. therfore we iudge them to be read in churches by the ministers diligently distinctly that they may be vnderstood of the people Our brethren say pa. 49. that a prescript forme of reading of praiers of homelies such like when they are alleaged to maintain the ignorance of vnskilful pastors as though that were the vse they are alleaged for are but the instrumeÌ„ts of folish Idoll shepherds which haue a certaine preteÌ„ce of Pastorall office but in effect are altogether vnmeete for the same The 36. article is for ConsecratioÌ„ of B. ministers The booke of consecration of Archbishops B. ordering of priestes deacons lately set foorth in the time of Edward the 6. confirmed at the same time by authority of parliament doth conteyn al things necessary to such consecration ordering neither hath it any thing that of it selfe is superstitious or vngodly therefore whosoeuer are consecrated or ordered according to the rites of that boke since the secoÌ„d yere of the aforenamed king Edward vnto this time or hereafter shal be consecrated or ordered according to the same rires we decree all such to bee rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered And is not now the greatest part of this our brethrens learned discourse for the consecrating ordering or ordeyning of Archbishops B. Priestes or Elders and deacons directly contrary and repugnant to the doctrine and decree of this article and what followeth hereupon but that eyther our brethren must renounce this their learned discourse or must denie the authority and godly meaning of this act Anno. 13 which here they haue approued or else if the B. and other offâ—cers shall not pitifully abuse that authority which by the same statute is committed to them they must by the godly meaning and wordes of this act pronounce them to bee iustly depriued yea theirselues haue pronounced sentence against themselues But this and all other inconueniences before rehearsed shoulde vtterly bee auoided if wee might once establish the lawfull election of Pastors according to the woorde of God It were also greatlye to bee wished that it might bee brought to passe that in euery congregation there shoulde bee two Pastors at the leaste both bicause the charge is greate and also for supplying the lacke of the one if the other were sicke or absent vppon necessitye or anye such lyke case Which thing were both agreeable to the example of the Apostolike church and also verye profitable for the congregation Wee doe not
sayth the Church doth reade for example of life and instruction of maners but yet doth it not applye them to establish any doctrine Such are these following The 3. booke of Esdras The 4. booke of Esdras The booke of Tobias The booke of Iudith The rest of the booke of Hester The booke of Wisdome Iesus the sonne of Syrach Baruch the Prophet The song of the 3. children The storie of Susanna Of Bell and the Dragon The prayer of Manasses The 1. booke of Machab. The 2. booke of Machab. All the bookes of the newe Testament as they are commonly receiued we doe receiue and account them for canonicall This is the whole article especially for the distinction of Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes And is there any grosse and palpable errour or any errour at all in this distinction that any godly and learned Preacher should haue offred to speake agaynst in the Conuocation Well if he could not be suffered to speake then let him do it yet doing it in seemely order Yea if it be a grosse and palpable errour that all we grossely maynteine in this distinction he is bound to shewe it orderly comiter monstrarier viam erranti if he will be a faithfull Minister And if wee cannot bee able to defend this distinction we will then by Gods grace yéeld it to be an error and forsake it But I meruell if it be so grosse and palpable that we cannot yet feele nor vnderstande it which were indeede a great grosnesse in vs all But because I confesse my selfe to be but grosse that cannot so quickly find out this palpable error neuerthelesse since that it is palpable or may be groped and yet out learned Bretheren will not vouchsafe to set it downe I will therefore grossely grope after it if perhaps I may finde it and giue others warning of it For by the grace of God wee shall not be so grosse as defend any error if we may finde it and perceiue that it is indeede an error that is to say a wrong and false opinion Is this grosse error in these wordes holie Scripture conteyneth all things necessarie to saluation so that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may bee proued thereby is not to bee required of any man that it should be beleeued as an article of faith or be thought requisite or necessarie to saluation I trust they will acquit this parte of the article from all error Neither is it properly of the distinction of Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes which are to bee accounted of the one sorte or of the other but of eithers validitie or inualiditie in the articles of faith and matters requisite or necessarie to saluation What then Is this grosse and palpable error for the distinction of Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes in the wordes of the article following In the name of holy Scripture we doe vnderstand those Canonicall bookes of the olde and newe Testament of whose authoritie was neuer any doubt in the Church What grosse and palpable error or any error at all is in these words that wee doe vnderstand those bookes in the name of holy Scripture of whose authoritie there was neuer any doubt in the Church Is there any reason to the contrary why wee should not vnderstand these bookes for holy Scripture If they replye that is true indeede for those bookes but not for those bookes onely then are these wordes also of the article acquit by their owne mouthes As for the so vnderstanding of them onely to be accounted in the name of holy Scripture of whose authoritie was neuer any doubt in the Church this article hath no such worde as this word onely nor any such meaning Yea least their meaning or wordes might be misconstrued they goe also particularly to worke and booke by booke till which is to be vnderstoode for the holie or canonicall Scripture and which not in the olde Testament And in the newe Testament they haue reckoned all for Canonicall If they yet replye that diuers bookes of those which the articles name and vnderstand for the holie and canonicall Scripture haue bin doubted of I graunt it and the articles doe confesse as much in these playne wordes All the bookes of the newe Testament as they are commonly receiued we doe receiue and account them for canonicall Do they not here plainly enough inferre that there hath bene some doubt and not receiuing of some of them when they say as they are commonly receiued so doe wee receiue them though some doe not so receiue them And will our learned Bretheren bee so â—â—remptorie that if they had not so fully or cléerely expressed their meaning in the former wordes they will not giue them leaue to bee their owne expositors but bee so cutted and short with them that they may not tell out their owne tale but a worde and a blowe or euer they haue tolde halfe their tale to crye out by and by errour errour yea grosse errour and palpable errour Ha bretheren ye are a little to hastie to bée Parrish Priestes yée giue too short and too sharpe a iudgement in this matter Take the whole article together to conferre the later woordes with the former and if a worde escape incommodiously What my Maisters will yée take vauntage of euery sillable or if ye will néedes prie so narrowly goe to it then hardlye and spare not I mislike not your industrye therein spye a Gods blessing èuery mote in your bretherens eyes and note euery tittle in their writinges and weigh their woordes euen in the Goldesmithes balance Yet when yée haue all done ye confesse your selues it is but a scape whereas indéede weighe it well and trulye it is not so much But admitte it were a scape will ye make a mountayne of a mole hill that it is a grosse and palpable errour Verely whether we shall weigh the woordes with graue and indifferent iudgement as we ought to doe or but euen grossely or sleightly consider of them except our opinion be too grossely forestalled against them wée coulde neuer giue so grosse a iudgement of them as for a grosse and palpable errour to condemne them for in very déede there is no errour at all in them But it maye be such is my grosse pate that yet wee haue not light vpon this grosse and palpable errour indéede there are other woordes also especiallye these after the cataloge of the Canonicall bookes in the olde Testament And the other bookes as Hierome sayth the Church doth reade for example of the life and instruction of manners but yet it doth not apply them to establish any doctrine Is there any thing heere that our Bretheren can challenge of errour Is the sence of Hierome cyted amisse Or is Hieromes sentence it selfe Erroneous The words of Hierome in his praeface on the bookes of Salomon are these as therefore the Churche readeth indeede the bookes of Iudeth Tobie and the Machabies but receaueth them not among the canonicall
seconde instance which is as they say For explication of the clause in the article of predestination where it is sayde that the elect may fall from grace and such like matters Whether it bee negligence or willfull peruerting that I knowe not but I conster it rather to the gentler faulte notwithstanding for those that professe themselues to be faythfull Ministers and to sette foorth a learned discourse and thus grosselye to burthen the articles yea one of the chiefest articles in doctrine agreed vppon by all the learned Clergye of the Realme and aprooued by all the authoritye and states of the realme with grosse and palpable errour and to charge the Article with an euident vntruth if this discourse maye vaunt of learning yet I woulde with that the learned discoursers were a little more faythfull Ministers leaste this parte thereof might of any be termed not a learned but a lewde and vndiscreete discoursing Where it is sayde in the article of predestination which is the seuenteenth article that the elect may fall from grace or any such lyke matter in that article the wordes of the article are these Predestination to lyfe is the euerlasting purpose of GOD whereby before the foundations of the worlde were layde hee hath constantlye decreede by his Counsaile secrete to vs to deliuer from cursse and damnation those whome hee hath chosen in Christe of mankinde and to bring them by Christ to euerlasting saluation as vessels made to honour Wherefore they which bee endewed with so excellent a benefite of God be called according to Gods purpose by his spirite woorking in due season they through grace obeye the calling they bee iustified freely they bee made sonnes of GOD by adoption they bee made like the Image of his onelye begotten sonne Iesus Christe the walke religiouslye in good woorkes and at length by Gods mercie they atteyne to euerlasting felicitye As the Godlye consideration of predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweete pleasan◠and vnspeakeable comforte to godlye persons and such as feele in themselues the woorking of the spirite of Christ mortifying the workes of the fleshe their earthly members drawing vp their minde to high and heauenly thinges aswell because it doth greately establish and confirme their fayth of eternall saluation to bee enioyed through Christ as because it doth feruently kindle their loue towardes God so for curious and carnall Pastors lacking the spirite of Christ to haue continually before their eies the sentence of gods predestination is a most daungerous downefall wherby the diuell doth thrust them eyther into desperation or into rechlesnes of most vncleane liuing no lesse perilous than desperation Furthermore we must receaue gods promises in such wise as they be generally set foorth to vs in holy scripture and in our doinges that will of God is to be followed which we haue expressly declared vnto vs in the word of God This againe is the whole article of predestination and election worde by word set downe as it is in the booke And now what one sentence or but one worde is here that our brethren can prooue to bee erroneous not grosse and palpable as they say but to haue any spice neuer so couertly conueyed of any the least errour in the worlde if our bretheren be of sounde iudgement in this article as I hope they be Or what doubtfull spéeches are there in this article that néede explication for feare they might be vnderstoode erroneously But where are heere these words that our bretherē haue by name burdened this article of predestination withall saying for explication of the clause in the article of predestination where it is sayde that the elect may fall from grace and such like matters May not our bretheren be ashamed so grossely and palpablie to fall from this grace of telling the truth so oftentimes before but specially heere in so great a matter challenging one of the principall articles of our religion for grosse and palpable errours or vntruths and their selues to fall intoso open so vntrue and foule a sclaunder But to helpe our brethren as much as we may with the true cleering of our selues from so great and dangerous a sclaunder for our brethren harpe here about some thing they meane be like in the 16 article which is not as they saye of predestination but of sin after baptisme where it is sayde thus Not euery deadly sin willingly committed after baptisme is sin against the holy ghost and vnpardonable Wherefore the graunt of repentance is not to bee denyed to such as fall into sin after baptisme After wee haue receaued the holy ghoste we maye departe from grace giuen and fall into sin and by the grace of God we may arise againe and amende our liues and therefore they are to bee condemned which say they can no more sinne as long as they liue heere or denye the place of forgiuenesse to such as truely repent Héere indéede this article sayth that after we haue receaued the holy ghoste wee maye departe from grace giuen and fall into sinne and by the grace of God wee maye arise agayne and amende our liues And is there any errour or anye darkenesse or doubtfulnesse or suspicion or inclination to errour in these woordes for although they speake here generally and mention not the elect of whome they speake in the article following which wée haue alreadye perused yet neyther speake they of falling from grace which woorde falling might perhaps bée construed of them in the harder sence as though they were destitute of all grace and cleane voyde of the spirite of God neyther the woordes nor the sence tendeth to any suche matter but are onely these that after weehaue receaued the holy ghost we may depart from grace giuē fal into sin c. Nowe whether this bee vnderstoode of the Elect or not maye not such as are not of the number of the Elected bée truely sayde also to haue receaued the holye Ghoste in the giftes of some graces of the holye Ghoste giuen vnto them The Apostle saythe 1. Cor. 12. No man can say Iesus is the Lorde but by the holye Ghoste And yet sayth Christ. Matthew 7.21 c. Not euerye one that sayth vnto mee lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of Heauen but hee that doth the will of my Father that is in Heauen and manye will saye to me in that day Lorde Lord haue wee not by thy name prophecied and by thy name caste out Deuilles and by thy name done manye greate woorkes And then I will professe to them I neuer knewe you departe from mee yee that woorke iniquitye And yet those that receaued these giftes of working miracles c. They were graces giuen thē of the holy Ghoste And Sainct Paule calleth them Charismata and spirituall giftes the administration operation and manifestation of the spyrite the diuersities of whose giftes he reckoneth vp as wée haue seene 1. Cor. 12. And did
they renounce they vaunt of long studie in which they could not for shame make any comparison therfore they flie to the example of yong Elihu to the reuelatiō of gods spirite as though their learning and these platformes came by reuelation to thē on a sudden and doe they now vpon the smattering of a little learning or for the small time beit of their earnest studie come in as it were vying withall the B. making exception of none but obiect to them all that they are not all of the best learned nor all of longest studie But what néede long study for greate or best learning among them when their gouerning Elders in euery congregatiō shal go for men learned in diuinity that haue little leasure to studie long or perhaps at all and euery Pastor holden for a learned diuine andfor a learned Preacher although he were but new made a Pastor And as for sound iudgement they measure that after their own iudgement and conceite esteéeming euery mans iudgement albeit he be of neuer so long studie or greate learning to bee no sounde iudgement if it sounde not soundlie in their forestalled Iudgement As also their ouer great preposterous zeale condemneth all the Bishops and all vs their bretheren in the Gospell of Christ to be but Popish and without all zeale if wée yeilde not straight way to them in all the deuises of these newe platformes And no maruell then if the shoue in this among the residue that the Bishops be not all of the best example Would God both they and wee and all our bretheren were if not of best yet of better example than wee be For to say the truth the better of both yea the best of vs all therein may be amended Neuerthelesse though it be an offence vnto the weake and a steyne vnto the authoritie yet not so but that the authoritie it selfe is good and maye stand euen in those persons that are not all of best example no nor all of the greatest zeale nor all of soundest iudgement nor all of longest studie nor all of the best learned neither but if the Bishops were in these thinges inferiour to some other or to them or any of them haue any defecte therein yet ought not out bretheren thus to insult vpon them being their fathers that made them Ministers of the Gospell and hauing authority ouer them in the Church were it but for the reuerence and dignitie of their authoritie except indeede they were open enemies to the Faith or manifest wicked in the example of their conuersation It should better me thinkes beseemeour brethren to followe the shame fastnesse of Sem and Iapheth than the shamelessenesse of Cham in deriding and reuealing his fathers shame But what do I speaking this of those Children that are growne into such disdaine that they will not acknowledge them to be their Fathers If they saye that in these words they do not thus accuse them all in saying they are not all of the best learned nor all of the longest studie nor all of soundest iudgement nor all of greatest zeale nor all of best example What then do they meane by these so intricate speeches bicause they still place this word all so cunningly in the middle that as it may be called in question whether they referred it to these matters as when we saie a thing is not all of the best that is to say it is but meane or base not all of the soundest that is to saye rotten or corrupted not all of the longest that is but short not al of the greatest that is but little or els that they referre the worde all not to the matter but to the persons as they are not all of the best that is to saye some of them are not of the best and so for the residue of these qualities In which later sence if they shall meane it that though they bee not all of thē of the best learned yet some of thē are of the best learned of the lōgest studie of the soundest iudgement of the greatest zeale and of the best example as it is apparant they cannot for very shame denye these things or the most of them in some of our Bishoppes why then doe they not follow those fewer some than thus for some not so good in these things to shake off all And yet it is well knowne also that there are many other God be praysed besides the Bishops that may compare with any of these our Bretheren the learned discoursers in any yea in all these things But their quarrell is here pretended onely or chiefly at the Bishoppes concluding agaynst them vpon these premisses And therefore not meete to be the onely determiners in Ecclesiasticall matters to the preiudice of the whole Synode This conclusion wee may safely admit were the Bishops neuer so excellent It is not meete neither doe they nor can they take this vpon them which were indeede to the preiudice of the whole Synode Nor the Synod receiueth this preiudice by them nor giueth such authoritie to them to be the onely determiners in Ecclesiasticall matters For euery one that is any particular member of the whole Synode hath both his deliberatiue and determinatiue voyce except wee shall speake of such determination as recollecting all their seuerall determinations pronounceth publikely the sententiall and finall determination of the matters in the name and authoritie of them all as Iames did being Bishop of Ierusalem And yet neither so all the Bishops doe it but one and the chiefest among them as the full resolution of the whole Synode But how will our Bretheren cléere themselues of this whereof they accuse our Bishoppes for they pretending to be Pastors and that Pastors and Bishops be but al one they will then be Bishops euery one that pretendeth to be a Pastor Now though these Bishops admit their gouerning Elders to come to the Synode and to be parts also of the Synode with the Pastors saying that the Synode consisteth principally of Pastors Elders Teachers and men of wisedome iudgement and grauitie as it were of necessarie regents pag. 113. And hereto they vrge the assemblie Act. 15. the Apostles and Elders came together to consider vpon this matter c yet when they come to the determination euen where they say pag. 117. the Synode hath to determine what shal be obserued in particular charges as of the tyme place and forme of preaching and praying and administring of the Sacraments they so make themselues to bee the onely determiners in all Ecclesiasticall matters that disoayning any other should so much as knowe them they say For who should bee able to knowe what order comelinesse and edification requireth according to Gods word but they that be teachers and preachers of the same vnto all others for it is absurde that they should bee taught by such in these small things as ought to learne the trueth of them in all matters Doe
vpon particuler rules A Confisto of Ecclesi Seniors not necessarie but Magistrates necessarie Whereon the churches gouer depends The conclusion of our breth argumeÌ„t against the â—irste treatie of the Prince The dependance of the churches gouernmeÌ„t No oppositioÌ„ between Gods ordinance and the Princes authoritie No oppositioÌ„ between the churches the Princes authoritie The Churches authoritie VVhom they meane by the name of the churche The aduersaryes dealing vnder â—he name of the churche Our bretheren here giue no more to the Prince then do the aduersaries The Prince spoiled of all authority in all Eccl. matters The healpe that the churche receaueth of the Princâ— What authoritie the Churche receiueth immediatly of God what mediatly of man What authoritie the Prince receiueth immediatlie of God and mediatlie of man Our Breth confirming the aduersaries and the Anabaptists in all these examples The learned Dis. Pag. 10. Doctors Bridges Our Breth to bold resolution of these foure Tetrarches A doubtfull and confused distribution The Apostles distribution The Doctor hath the cheefest place The learned Dis. Pag. 10. and 11. Ephes. 4.13 1. Cor. 12.27 Bridges What effectâ— may insue of this Tetrarchie The Tetrarchie What necessitie of these effects These effectes without this Tetrarchie The learned Dis. Pag. 11. Bridges The L. D Pag. 11. Bridges Mans wisedom wit The L. D Pag. 11. Bridges The L. D Pag. 11. Bridges The L. D Pag. 11. Bridges Doctors The learned Dis. pag. 11. and 12. Ephes. 2.20 Bridges Our Breth disordered speeches of our disordered state Disordered alledging our allegaâ—ions Chrisâ—es inâ—â—â—tution The Fath. sclaundred Ephes. 2.20 S. Paules wordes wrested The auncient Fathers sclandered Peruerting the Churches policie The learned Dis. Pag. 12. Good intentes Bridges Good Intentes The learned Dis. P. 12.13 2. Thes. 2.12 Bridges An vneuen diuision of Doctrine discipline Vnhappie successe This successe hath not folowed in euery part of the Church Too sharpe a conclusion 2. Ephe. 2. The Church not tied to all the offices instituted of God Change of Gods ordinance Our Brethrens sclander of vs confuted by their owne testimonie Our Breth too peremptorie censure Reformation minded The learned Dis. Pag. 13. Bridges The reformation of our Church No new Ministerie to be set vp The learned Dis. P. 13.14 Our Breth Methode Bridges How the head and partes of the mysticall and naturall body are linked Ioh. 15.5 New ministerie The churches offices not so linked as the partes of the body The order that our bretheren promise to obserue The matter more to be respected then the meâ—hode The Meth. of the Learned Dis. A Method not to be controlled would be plaine and orderly set downe Fault found with disagreement in matter The learded Dis. Pag. 15. Pro. 29 1â— The office of teaching Bridges The office of teaching in respect of regiment is not the chiefest in the Church The L. D Pag. 15. Bridges Our bretherens contradictions in methode and matter about Doct The English Chuâ—ch in Geneua concerning Doctors The differences betweene our brethren and the Eng Church in Geneua coÌ„cerning Doctors Doctors office The learned Dis. Pag. 15. The office of a Doctor Bridges The name of Doctor The office of Teaching Pastours Doctours not distinguished in teaching The learned Dis. Pag. 15. 16. Bridges Doctours not necessary in euery Congregation The learned Dis. Pag. 16. Bridges The Doctors office Our brethereÌ„â— positioÌ„s of the Doct The learned Dis. Pag. 16. and 17. Ephes. 4.11 The institâ—tion of Doctors Dâ—fference in the ordinaunces of God free gifts of Christ some perpetual some temporall The auntieÌ„t fathers and late writers interpretation of 1. Câ—r 12. for Doctors Pastors Chrysost in 1 Corinth 12. Pag. 21. Theodoretus in 1. Cor. 12. Musculus in 1. Cor. 12. Musculus in Loc. com de minist verbii Caluinus iâ— 1. Cor. 1â— Hieroni. in Ephes. 4. Bullingerus in Ephâ—s The learned Dis. Pag. 17. Rom. 12.7 Râ—m 12.8 Bridges The action of teaching distinguished from exhorting inferreth no necessity of distinct offices in Teacher Exhortâ—r Iunius translation The signification of the worde Pastor The late writers on Doct. exhorting Wisedome knowledge faith languages interpretation c. were distinct gifts but not distinct offices in distinct persoÌ„s The iudgement of the late writers concerning the office of Doctors Magdeburg Centur. 1. li. 2. cap. 7. pag. 509. lin 12. Caluinus in Rom. 12. Doctors A Doctor is not debarred from exhorting Petr. Mart. in Rom. 12. Doctors exhorting Exampleâ— of the Doctors teaching with consolation Gualterus 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. Hemingius in Rom. 12. Bullingerus in Rom. 12. Oleuianus in Rom. 12. Doct. Exhorting Beza in Rom. 12. Dissent froÌ„ Beza Cap. 8.39 The Doct. applyed their interpâ—etations 1. Cor. 14.5 Edification Doctors may be Pastors as well as Pastors DD. The modestie of Caluin and Bezaes supposall No example of any one Doctoâ— restrained fâ—om applying in all the olde new Testament Caluiâ—â— Beza in 1. Cor. â—4 ver 3. Musculus in â— Cor. 14. Doctors Prophets Bullinger in 1. Cor. 14. Aâ—etius in 1. Cor. 14. Gualâ—er in 1. Cor. 14. ExhortatioÌ„ ConsolatioÌ„ Application Zuinglius Pet. Martyr Petr. Mart. in 1. Cor. 14. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musculus iâ— his Commentarie oâ— 1 Cor. 14. Examples of Doctors Ambros. Chrysost. Gualâ—eruâ— in 1. Cor. 14. Gualterus in 1. Cor. 14. Pag. 15. Gualoerue in 1. Cor. 14.24 The learned Dis. Pag. 17. Act. 11.26 Acts. 18.28 Bridges Our Breth examples of Doctors Caluinus in Act. 13.1 The Doct. mentioned Act. 13. were exhorters Doctors Gualterus in Act. 13.1 These Doctors were appliers of their doctrine Beza in Act. 13.2 The Geneua note Bullingerus in Act. 13.2 The example of Doctor Barnabas Doctor Barnabas Vatablus Barnabas his name His application His exhortation Bullingerus in Act. 11. Caluinus in Act. 11. Marlorate Caluinus Marlorate Bullingeâ— Doctor Paule Caluinus Marlorate The example of Doctor Paule Caluinus in Act. 9. The manneâ— of a Bishops and a Doctors teaching Guaâ—terus in Act. 9. A Dâ—ctâ—â—â— expliâ—ation of doctrine though simple and fuâ—l sufficeâ—h not The Geneua note Caluine Marlorâ—te Caluinâ— Paule in his Doctorship changed not his manner of teaching Gualter This place Act. 13. wrested for any other Doctors theÌ„ for such Doctors as are examples to Pastors S. Paules teaching stil after the same maÌ„ner Caluine Paule and Barnabas not made heere suche Doctors as our Brethr. imagine The Doctors reading the Lectures of the Lawe the Prophets ioined exhortation Caluine Act. 13. The interpreters vsed teaching exhorting Licence to exercise their office The Counterpoyson Pag. The Iewes knew no Doct. but that were exhorteâ—s Caluinus in Act. 13. The Doct. office in exhorting and applying with teaching The Iewes Doctors The Geneua note on Act. 13.15 S. Paules application S. Paule to Timothie concerning the office of teaching S. Paules precepts of teaching S Paules example in teaching S. Paules admonition to Titus for teaching Caluin on 2. Tim. 3.16 Teaching going before exhorting ioyned
The B. Mel. zeale seueritie in reiecting them The Archb. Pâ—terâ— mercy to admit them The greater part went to Meleâ—ius Peter suffereth martirdome Meletius is exiled Meletius maketh B. priestes and deacons and erects churches against his Archb. What means they made to haue accesse to the Emperor Constantinus Magnus The Meletians coÌ„pact to ioyne Arius with them that without the Archb. let they might haue their communion by them selues Socrates lib. 1. cap. 5. Meletius Meletius depriued of his bishopricke Flauiaâ—uâ— a priâ—st and afterward a bâ—shop Meletius offer to part the bishopricke between them to gouerne togither for a full vnion The most reuerend Cyprian The Bishop ouer the Priestes by the Gospel the Lords iudgement Peter and Paule A plausible shew of reformation but offensiue to God The most reuerend Bridges Ionius referring him seâ—fe for Iames B of Ierusalem Bishops the Apostles successor The most reuerend Bridges Peter and Paule not B of Rome The most reuerend Bridges Both suâ—erior gouernment supreame too may be in more then one ouer the residue The most reuerend Bridges It followeth not that because some Apostl were Bishops all Bish. must bee Apost August Tom. de qâ—est ex nouo Testam questione 97. Aug. tom 8. in Psal. 44. Augustine The Bishop in steed of the Apost The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerend Bridges Ieromes minde is most apparant that the pecullarizing of the name office of B. â—as in the apostles time Hierome The most reuerend Bridges Ierome challenged of vntruth The fâ—iuolousnesse of the moste rev argum Differâ—nce of the persons dignity authority in the aequality both of Apostleship Eldersh The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerâ—nd Paule Soâ—henes Bridges S. Paules author superiour in excoÌ„munic Caluinon 1. Cor. 5. â— Marlorate on 1. Cor. 5. If the priests or Elders minist of the word Sacram. did then together with the B. gouern the Ch. then were B distinct from Elders of the word sacrameÌ„ts A priuie custome The most reuerend Bridges The most reuerend Bridges Titus authority Pag. 24. 1. Tim. 3.2.8 Tiâ— 1.5.6.7 Bridges The time when the Epistle to Titus was written Chytraeus in Onomasticho Calâ—in 1. Tiâ— Praedicas Aretiuâ— in tit Tituâ— ordained Elders alone Caluines obiâ—ction and answere for Titus authority in electing ordeining Pastors Inequality of Ministers Caluineâ— conclusion that the ministers were not al equal in authority in the Apostles times The ancient fathers acknowledging Titus to be B. of Creta Titus authority Titus a B. and his authority a patern to al other B. The popes superiority not established by this superiority of a bishop Ecclesiasticall promotion Inequality of dâ—gnity Christ forbiddeth the superiority or the title thereof but the ambition abuse of it Hemingius Syntagma â—it or arg Bern. Eccle. The spiâ—ituall iurisdiction all one but the degrees of dignitie not equall The degrees that the reformed churches do acknowledge Herbrandus in comp Theol. lo dâ— minist Superintendents special and Superintendents generall ouer Pastors Caluines iudgement of Bishops â—aluin Insâ—it ca. 8. sect 51. The Canons of the auncient B. how little they varied from gods word Caluines confession of the primatiue churches order for superioritie of B. The auncientnesse of this institution from S. Markes time Caluine Limitation of Regions to the cities whence the Priests shold be taken The fathers in coÌ„posing all this form of gouernement by the only rule of Gods word though it be not expressed therein Eusebius chronicle corrupted not agreing to his eccl hist. The credite of Eusebius report and proofe in his eccl hist. The Apostlâ— not improuing but approuing these orders Caluines iudgement of the titles of B. and Archb. and their superiour auth Epist. 295. Caluine acknowledgeth London and diuerse other places to appertain to the Bishoprike of one Caluine still acknowlegdeth the name of L. in a Bishop Caluines reuerend stile Epist. 272. He exhorteth the B. to beâ—hinke him of hâ—s place and charge Caluini Epist. 190. ad Regem Poloniae Caluines allowancâ— of an Archb. and B. vnder him Epist. 127. The place office of an Archb. enioyned by God The chiefest auth Eccl. in an Archb. Caluines resolutioÌ„ how B. conuerted to the Gospell should behaue themselues How a conuerted Bish. shall reteine his iurisdiction and superior authoritie Zanchius in confess Christ. relig How farre succession of Bishops holdeth Zanchius Bish auth agreable to the Apostles doctrine Wherein Zanchius fauoreth our Brethrens opinion ApprobatioÌ„ of orders multiplied Aphorism 11. The originall of one to be superiour and B. The same reason that serued for B. serueth for Archb. Whereto how far the ministers auth stretcheth 1. Cor. 14.40 How farre it is debatted Aphor. 21. That B. may haue also politicall auâ—horitie Rom. 13.5 Rom. 13.1.2 1. Pet. 2.17 Obedience to Metropolitane Zanchius coÌ„firmation of his confession in these thinges Vpon what occasion Zanchius set out these obseruations A Noble mans letter to Zanchius on this matter The orders not striuing with the scripture Bucers opinion Bucer How the Ecclesiasticall functions are to be multied The manes of the D. reaching D. exhortors and applierâ— Readers office Curats Singers of the psalmes Hymnes The pronuÌ„tiation of the readers Interpreterâ— How the B and the priestes also did these thinges How euerye minister according to his gift may do these thinges Magisterio The authority of a B. among the priâ—stes Metrop B. ouer the other Bish. The bishops peculier iurisdiction Elections of bishops Quae prefatus enim Primats Patriarkes Zanchius The clericall order of gouernmeÌ„t and obedience broken by Antichr The names of Arch. and Bish. better then Superintendentes Primaâ—ij The authority of arch against Antichristes tyranny The originall of Patriarâ—es for general couÌ„sels The name of Hierâ—â—châ— The learned discourse Pag. 27 28. 1. Pet. 5.1 1 Peâ— 5.1.2.3.4 Titles of Arch-bish c. 1. Peâ— 2.25 Bridges S. Peters testimonies of these titles Names included 1. Pet. 2. Apocal. 1. Titles of â— Elders Proper and improper names How necessary Bish. superiority is by our Brethrens own collection Slouth Couetousnesse Pride Submissio Neither Peter nor Paul require such submission How these â—â—tles agree onely to â— Christe Titles proper to Chr. How diuerâ— of these titles are froÌ„ Christ communicated to man Archipoimen archpriest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thesâ—nameâ— offices giuen to the building of the Church Man beeing but the figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thâ— name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Christian Iewes Archdeacoâ— Bishoâ— Arch-bish The name office wel vsed according to the obseruatioÌ„s of S. Peter How far we yeeld to our brethrens argumeÌ„t for these termes how far wee denie it Archpriest The learned disc Pag. 27 Bridges The name of Archpâ— not in vse among vs. Our bretherens argum Our vse of the name Archbishop Why we vse not the name Arch-Priest How the name of Arch Prieste and Archbishop are allowable Peter prince of
ringing at burials Caluine prescribeth an exhortation or sermon at funeralâ— Protestantâ— bookes of funerall sermons Zanchius of the buriall of the dead Singing Psalmes at burials A sermon after the buriall The learned disc pag. 75. 76. Hote contentions Bridges Hoâ— vnexcusable they are that contend for small trifles How farrâ— thinges indifferent being authorized are to be contended for Not the defendants but oppugners the raisers of these hote contentions Humane constitutions The vnexcusablenes of our Brethr. in withdrawing altogether of themselues from the ministerie of the word for these constitutions Whether our humane constitutioÌ„s be such as our Brethr. can not receaue with reteyning their functions ControlmeÌ„t of the churches conclusions The learned disc Pag. 76. Bridges what things a true Pastor must obserue and not control Our Brethr. their selues and their iudgement priuate Contâ—mpt of the churches conclusions lawfull authoritie The power of order iurisdiction The learned disc Pag. 76. 1. Cor. 12.28 1. Pet. 5.3 Luke 23.26 2. Cor. 1.14 Bridges The Pastors authoritie in common gouernemeÌ„t with the Elders How our Brethren beginning to include the Elders in the power of binding and loosing do exclude theÌ„â—rom it The Pastors auth in common What that power of gouernment was whereof S. Paule speaketh Cor. 12.28 Aretius in 1. Cor. 12. Elders gouerning till publike Magistrates came Politicall Gouernors Caluine in 1. Cor. 12. Gualter in 1. Cor. 12. No neede of such gouernors in these daies The gifs of powers The abuse of the popish What was the gifts of powers and who had it Elias Elizeas Peter Paule Iurisdiction Why there was need of these offices then not nowe The friuolous imitation of the primitiue Church in the erecting vp of their senate Our brethr confusion by their elder enter-comming in the Pâ—stors iurisdiction Dominion and Lordship Our brethr disagreemeÌ„t about the pastors iurisdiction The learned Dis. Pag. 77. vsurped authority Bridges The learned disc pag. 78. Bridges No such authority nor steps therof except in these new deuises The learned Dis. Pag. 78. Iohn 3.27 Heb. 5.4 Phil. 2.6 Bridges Mastershop The learned disc pag. 79. 80. Luke 22.26 Math. 20.25 Mar. 10.42 Math. 23.8 Bridges Luke 22 â—â— Math. 32.8 All mastership not forbidden in the ministery nor the title therof Vsurped authority The learned disc Pag. 80. Bridges Our breth good caueat against theÌ„selues The learned disc pag. 80. 81. Tyrannizing Bridges Gods word the rule of our faith life Gods word hath not set down an only forme of the Churches gouernment The Princes gouernmeÌ„t of the Churche of God How the authority is not separate from other Separate authority S. Pauls example of the mysticall body compared to the naturall The respects of the community and seperation 1. Cor. 11.34 Our bre reason from Christ debaâ—reth Apostles and all from anie separate authouritie Timothies authoritie giuen him separate to himselfe both in teaching and gouerning Timothies separatâ— authority Hemingius in 1. Tim. 5. Aretius in 1. Tim. 5. The rule giuen to Timothie is generall to all present gouernours and Bishops Beâ—â—ain 1. Tim. 5. A Iudges office By Priest or Elder he meaneth Doctor or Teacher This authoritie was separate vnto Timothie Aretius How the Bishoppe shoulde doe these things The office of a Iudge A Iudges office is an office separate from all the bench Beza restrayning the Bishops authoritie The electioÌ„ of Matthias Act. 14 Erasmus Caluine Beza The wordes of the text mâ—ncâ—oÌ„ not election Election The worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referred onelie to Paule and Barnabas Paul Barnabas moderaâ—ors of the election The peoples election no necessary or anie materiall part of making pastors Imposition of hands The imposition of hands of the presbiterie Imposition of hands pertained to pastors Separate authoritie The separat authoritie of one in imposition of hands Caluinus in 1. Tim. 5. Sole absolute authoritie The Bishops authority in set out by the authoriritie of Timothie Hemingius Aretius Politicall regiment The learned disc Pag. 81. Math. 18.19 Bridges The wreasting of Christs sentence Mat. 18. The difference of the Churches consent and of the Bishops and Pastors The senteÌ„ce of Christ Mat. 18.19 more confirmeth our consents thaÌ„ our breth Ioint authoritie The learned Dis. Pag. 81. 82. Bridges The confusion of our bre equality Christes promise The learned disc pag. 82 Math. 18.19.20 Bridges This senteÌ„ce is principally spoken of consent in prayer not is any debâ—â— to the prayer of one alone Our brethr loose conclusion How Christ promised his authority All particuler churches not alike indignity The Churches autority Difference betwene â—he Churches authority and thâ— pastors authority in the Churches The learned Dis. Pag. 82. Bridges Al the parts in one church haue not one and like auth The learned Dis. Pag. 82. 83. Bridges The Pastors authority not one but indifferent Sufficient authority Bridges Our Breth diuision positions besides the scripture Diffused authoritie The learned Dis. Pag. 83. Bridges Our Brethr. beginning to examine their former positions Diffused authoritie The learned disc Pag. 83. Bridges The learned disc pag. 83. Bridges Confusion in the multâ—tudes iudgment How oâ—r Brethren mocke the multitude What offices are appointed in Gods word for gouernment The multitudes confusion Oâ—r Brethr. too bolde presupposals The learned disc Pag. 84. Bridges Seueral offices and yet not seuerall officers Rom. 12. Diuers gifts and offices in one officer The Gouernours This place also 1. Cor. 12. sheweth not whether one might not haue â—o thaÌ„ one of these giftes The Apostle includeth the gouernors in the other officers The learned disc Pag. 84. Bridges Our Brethr. bolde conclusion for their Segnorie vpon the Apostles only naming of Gouernors The ouerthrow of all Princes gouernement Both Bish. and Pastors gouernmeÌ„t excluded Moderating the gouernors How violent the beginning is of this Segnorie The learned disc pag. 84 Bridges The learned disc Pag. 84. Bridges Our Brethr. manner of moderating thâ—ir Segn auth Electing the gouernors How the whole congregation shall choose the Elders The wisdom and godlinesse of the greater part The horrible confusion of the whole congregationâ— dealing here in Gouernors The learned disc pag. 85. 86. Act. 4 23. 1. Tim. 5.17 Act. 14.23 Bridges Our Brethr. to prooue what ought to be tell vs what may be Our Brethr. argument for their gouernors The Elders Act. 14. Our Brethr. own prowes that that place Act. 14. is vnderstoode of gouernors that are Pastors What gouernors those Elders were that medled nothing with the word Acts. 14. WhoÌ„ Calu. vnderstands for Elders Act. 14. The Ciuil officers had not imposition of the Ministers hands The Elders 1. Tim. 5.17 1. Tim. 5.17 Where the name of eldersis common to pastors and gouernors both at once The name of Elders taken generally for gouernors The learned disc pag. 85 Elders Magistrates Bridges We are not bound to learne our Brethr. collections The first thing that our Brethr. say we learn hereon
what nuÌ„ber they were why those Elders had that number The preceps the prâ—ctise of this Seniory The Leuites with their offices The matters wherin the Elders gouernors dealt * Leuirationis The vniuersall assembly of the Tribes and families Iosues orders for all these Elders * Expeditionem The proces of the story Iud. 19.20 The necessity of a king or one cheefe Gouernour The beginning of these elders corruption The Elders flattery of the people The Concion of the elders Our Brethr. defacing the state of a king Carolus Sigonius de rep Haebrae orum lib. 6. Cap. 2. The Iewes Councels Three â—â—ateâ— of the Iewes then 3. kinds of Conciouâ— Sigonius of the Iewes Senates Three kinds of the Iewes Senates Our Br. will be Seniors of the highest sort The Elders in the time of the kings The Elders since the captiui tie Sigonius The Kinges authority besides the Senate Cap. 5. The Synedrion at Ierusalem Cap. 6. What elders the Iudges of the cities were What princes the Elders were inferior to the SynedrioÌ„ Elders The Elders in the time of Iosaphat These Elderships restored after the captiuitie FroÌ„ whence the Synedrian Elders wer chosen Petrus Galatinus of the processe in the courtes of iudgment Petrus Galaâ—tnus collection of the Thalmudists concerning the Sanedrin * occidere The authoritie of the Synedrian Elders The Elders chosen with imposition of hands The power of the Sanedrin diminished in Christes time They lost their place dignitie after their fals iudging of Christ. The Romanes destruction of these Elders Gods ordinaunce Deut. 17. of these Elders power in iudgement Iosephus Iosephus li. 2. ad Appionem Philo. li. 3. de vita Mosis What manner of persons the Elders were in the Sanedrin The power of the preests in the Sanedrin The order and processe in the Sanedrin The appealants accusation The foâ—me of the accusation in Ieremy and of his acquitall The formâ— of the Synedrion in coÌ„demning Christ. Bertramsâ— confirmation of these thinges â—ert de politia Iudaica ca. 10. pag. 56 The Leuites were the gouernors in the Iewes Senats The matters that the Leuiâ—es iudged Bertram 1. Chro. 26.29 How Dauid distributed the gouernments and bounds of the Leuites Seniories Solomon maintained herein Dauids orders Iosaphats restoring â—he Iewes Seniories 2. Chro. 19. * Ad Liâ—â—m The Synedrion The diuerâ— respect of Eccl. ciuil in one and the same cause The great principality of these Elders Ierem. 2. Ieremie acquitted by those Elders Bertrams 2. example of those Elders power Ierem. 36. Bertrams 3. example Ier. 37. 38. The Elders superiour to the king The state of the tenne tribes The state of the Iewes regiment after the captiuity The speciall time of the Elders gouernment The auth of Nehemias Iosephus antiq Iud. li. 7 cap. The high Bishops authoritie 1. Mach. 12.6 The mixt estate of the Iewes common weale Gabinius erecting of mo Synedrins The SynedrioÌ„ Elders slain by Herod Our Br. assertioÌ„ of the Iewes Synedrion alters al the states in Christendome and bindes vs to the IuÌ„diciall Lawe Our Br. pretence vnder the name of eccl regiment driue at the ciuill regiment Chytreus of the Synedrion When all is done our Br. Elders that are goueâ—nors and notteachers are here also excluded except they will bee Princes Beza in confess Christ. cap. 5. Art 32. Danaetus in Iâ—ag Christ. 3. part cap. 10 Danaeus Confession for the difference of the Iewes SynedrioÌ„ our Presbyteries for gouernmeÌ„t of ciuil causes Chytraeus in Deut. 17. titulo de Iudicijs Three kindes of iudgements among the Iewes The iâ—dgemeÌ„t Triumuiral of thâ— 3. Elders The little Synedrion of 23. The great Synedrion of 70. Chytreus resemblance of the chief Senate in Germanie to the Sanedâ—in The elders of the new Testament How moderatelie Chytreus alludeth on Christes words Mat. 5. to our Senates Our Breth peremptory wresting of Christes words The learned disc pag. 88. Bridges The vse of the name Elder Christe alluded not to the Iews Sanedrin or Presbytery mencioned in the newe Testament By the name Church is not meant Senate Caluinus in 1. Tim. 4.14 Bezaes testimonie that by those elders were meant onely the Ministers of the word Our Br. coÌ„clusion of these Elders Bezaes nip of Castalion for the terme Senate The Presbyteries of the Iewes Luc. 22. Act. 20. Our Brethr. chiefe euidence for their Eldership howe weake it is The power of the keies The learned Dis. Bridges The sentences of christ Mat. 18. ver 19. and 20. not to be restrained to a Consistorie Brentius on Math. 18. Brentiuâ— in Math. 18. How these words Die ecclesiae haue ben abused A small assemblie wâ—ting a ciuile Magistrate The occasioÌ„ of Christes sentence That this rule of Chr. serueth onlie among priuate meÌ„ This senteÌ„ce cannot be vnderstood of hainous sinnes Brentius The Incestuous Corinthian The last remedy is to tell the ordinary magistrate and not to constitute an Eccl. Senate Excommunication A priuate Ecclesiasticall excommunication To whome the proper Eccl. exc doth pertaine Two kindes of Exc. ciuiâ— and Eccl. Cal in Mat. 18. The ministery of the powre of the worde pertaineth to the Minister in the expounding the worde Cal. in Mat. 18. The Minist are publishers of Gods word and setters foorth of his iudgementes How the froward are punished the repentaÌ„t receiued by them that haue the word of God Aretius 2. parte problem Tit. de Excom Ciuil and Eccl. Exc. Syntagma Tit. de clauibus The definition of the Eccl. binding The definition of the Eccl. absoluing The censure of Exc. renued by Christ. Mat. 16. Iohn 20. Tertul. In Apolog. cont Gent. cap. 39. Ext. in the Eccl. history Wherein Victors exc was reprooued What Exc. by Victor was allowed Eusebius li. 6. cap. 25. The Exc. of Philip the Emperour Theodosius of Excom Theodoreâ—us li. 5. cap. 17. Cyprianus vt supâ—a Iunii ecclesiasticus cap. 3. Hierom. in Math. 16. August of excom Aug. ad Auxilium epistola 75. Math. 16. Exech 18. S. Aug. erâ—or in the Infants dying without baptisme Iames. 1. What S. Aug. dissaloweth in this B Exc. Chrysost. Homil. 2. de Dauide Saule How Chrysost woulde Excom the contemners of the word Chrysost. of Excom Chrysost. in Homil. 70. homil 4. in Hebr. 2. The Praesidents and Elders of whome Chrysost. speaketh Chrysost. â—hreat againe to Excom Matst 18. The B. seperate authoritie in excom The excommunicator such a person as may teach Melancthon Kemnitius in exam Trident. Conâ— To. cap. 6. Melanct. in locis com de regno Christi Melanct. in aâ—not locorum com The Churches power of order Iurisdiction The poweâ— of order The poweâ— of Iurisd Aretius Aretius in locis com parte 2. de excomm The definition of excommunicâ—tion The Minister is the excommunicator and the Church consenteth Cyprianus The Eccl. Senate of Gouernors not teachers reiected The example of Saint Paul 1. Coâ— 5. Cyprian epist. li. 3. epist. 16. 2. Co. 11.29 1. Co. 12 2â— Aretius
so great brawles for matter of most small importance that one of them odiouslie accused another before the ciuill either Iewish or Ethnicke Magistrate to the great offence of the Gospell As also it hapned afterward among the Corinthians of whome Paule writeth saying Dooth anie of you hauing busines with another susteine to be iudged vnder the vnrighteous and not rather vnder the Saints Christe therefore reprooueth his contentious companions and prescribeth vnto them such a rule which may bee kept onelie in priuate assemblies and among priuate men That is to wit that thou shouldest not by by accuse him that hath sinned against thee before the Magistrate especiallie the Magistrate being a straunger of thy religion but thou shouldest first of all admonish him priuatelie Then if being so admonished he proceede to doo thee iniurie thou shouldest take vnto thee 2. or 3. freends that they may admonish him of his iniurie and exhort him to repentance last of all if he will not yet so leaue of his dooing iniurie thou shouldest tel it vnto the whole assemblie and desire that the assemblie would interpose their authoritie It is manifest therefore that Christe in this rule maketh not a generall lawe for the Church of all times and for that assemblie which also consisteth of a great multitude of men and whereof the ciuill Magistrate is a part and the Gouernor but onely for the little Church of his owne time and for the assemblie of a fewe men and those priuate For otherwise also hee gaue some preceptes that were temporarie and not perpetuall such as those are Goe ye not into the high waies of the Gentiles enter ye not into the Citie of the Samaritanes And Possesse ye not golde nor siluer c. Moreouer whē this rule is said If thy brother shal offende against thee c. it is not to be vnderstood of euery kind of sinne for it can not be vnderstood of grosse and hainous mischiefes such as are these homicide adulterie and other of that kinde For in these a threefolde admonition hath not place but it is necessarie that these mischeuous deeds for publike example sake according to the calling of euerie assemblie so soone as euer they are found out should be punished Neither should space of sinning be giuen to the wicked doer vntill a triple admonition may be made For what discipline were that if that any shoulde haue slayne a man that he shoulde not be punished before with excommunication till that after the first admonition he had killed another And another after the second and another after the thirde And so mought an Homicide kill 4. men or euer he shoulde be holden for an Ethnicke or a publicane Neither did saint Paul him selfe admonish the Corinthian whore-monger but commaunded him streightway so soone as euer it was knowne to be cast out of the company of the faythfull This rule therefore is not to bee vnderstoode of euery kinde of sinne but only of ciuil controuersies which priuate men haue among themselues What then doth this rule pertaine nothing at all to the present assembly of the Christians which consisteth as well of a publike magistrate as of priuate subiectes verily it pertaineth much vnto vs. But for the manner thereof and for the condition of these times For if thou haste against another a ciuill action or controuersy it is an vncurteous and hard part that thou shouldest straightwayes hale him into the publike Iudgements but charity requireth that if the cause be such that thou mayest not pardon thy neighbour without Iudgement first of all admonish him thou thy selfe or else some other friend in thy name of the iniury that hee goe not still on to doe the same but that after his measure he make amendes for it But if so bee nothing bee obteyned thou shouldest take vnto thee two or three freendes whereby thou mightest seeke all meanes that he may leaue off from dooing thee iniury Last of all if so be thou shalt not yet profite any thing what ought to be done Is the cause to bee brought to the whole Church of that place Heere certesse the letter can not be obserued which is spoken in this place Tell the Church For what a confusion and disturbaunce of the orders were this but the cause is to be deferred vnto those certain Iudges which out of the whole body of the Church are lawfully chosen into the Magistracy whose sentence also is to be expected So that there is no necessity that wee shoulde constitute a newe Eccl. Senate but vse that which before was appoynted in the policy But what of the wicked deedes that are more hainous In these the order of this rule can-not bee obserued whether the church bee onely priuate men or haue a Magistrate But that so soone as euer they shall be set downe and found out they must bee punished eyther with Excommunication or casting out of the city or congregation or else with some other punishment according to their ordinary Lawes For this altogether is sought for that offences might bee taken out of the way But with what penalty or with what punishment they shoulde bee taken away that must bee iudged by the publike Lawes and ordinaunces Thou wilt say therefore sith that there is in these times a politike Magistrate in the Church is there nowe no place of Excommunication verily there is as well of publike as of priuate For the publike excommunication is that penalty of the Magistrate wherewith the wicked person is openly defaced in the mouthes of men and is cast out of the City or is cast into the prison and for some space of time is fed with Breade and Water And such an Excommunication also may bee done in the Church when as if any by publike and lawfull iudgement is condemned of a wicked fact and at the Magistrates commaundement is cast out of the Church and is forbidden that he shall haunt any publike banquets neither that he be admitted to honest or worshipfull offices c. It is priuate when the Minister of the Church doth priuately admonish the sinner that he receiue not the Lordes supper except he repent c. Thus grauely and with great iudgement and waighty reasons writeth Brentius of these wordes Neither making this rule to bee generall or perpetuall otherwise then in these sences and cases and in the matters of worldly and ciuill contentions to be iudged and punished if no priuate meanes will serue not by constituting any Ecclesiasticall senate of Seniors in euery congregation but by the ordinary ciuill Magistrate As for the Censure of Excommunication though in such a sort the punishments of the Prince may be called an excommunication yet if it be an exclusion from the Sacramentes it is properly the Act of the Minister and that good not onely though it be publike but priuate also As he sayth further on these words Verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer yee
shall binde vpon earth shall bee bounde in Heauen and whatsoeuer yee shall loose c. In this sentence Christ strengtheneth first the Iudgements of priuate men if the Church shall not haue a publike magistrate For when men are wont tobee stubborne it may come to passe that hee that fayleth in his cause before the Church of priuate men and is iudged an Ethnike and publicane may contemne this iudgement and thinke him-selfe neuertheles to be an inheritor of the kingdome of Heauen although hee bee cast out of the assembly of these as hee thinketh them vile or base persons But Christe strengtheneth their authority and affirmeth that their sentence is approued also in Heauen Furthermore hee strengthneth also in this saying the publike iudgementes of them that are in lawfull Magistracy that we may manifestly knowe that their Iudgementes are not of men but are the Iudgementes of God According to that of Paule hee that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God And verily Christe in other places with the like sentences in Math. 16. and Iohn 20. chapter confirmeth the authority of the Ministery of preaching the Gospell But in this place hee confirmeth the iudgementes of priuate men or of Magistrates against the contemners that the same shoulde bee ratified before God in Heauen Heere lo is the ratifiing whereof our brethren speake but heereupon hee concludeth thus But all these things are to be vnderstoode of a right and lawfull iudgement and of that sentence which is giuen in the ministery of the church according to the Worde of the Gospell and in causes forinsecall according to the publique and ordinary Lawes For if the sentences of the Iudges or Ministers striue with these it is none before God howe greatly soeuer thou shalt be condemned before men So that here he concludeth with these two excommunications a ciuill and an Ecclesiasticall The ciuill eyther in these priuate mens small assemblies or in the publike Magistrate But the Ecclesiasticall to pertaine onely to the Minister and to be in the Ministery of the worde of God such as was mentioned before Math. 16. And afterward againe Iohn 20. And verily if we shall search the ground of this Eccl. Exc. what abuses soeuer be or haue beene or may be by the Ministers or by any other not Ministers committed therein which I take not vpon me to defende and may easily bee helped without the supply of this Seniory and good prouisions there are in that behalfe yet that the act of the proper Ecclesiasticall Excommunication shoulde be executed by such Ecclesiasticall gouernors as are not Ministers nor teachers of the Worde I can not yet see howe it may be sufficiently warranted or howe it may stand with the nature of this spirituall and Ecclesiasticall censure For if this power of binding and loosing be the same that is called the power of opening and shutting called also the power of the keyes then it cheefely consisteth in the Ministery of the Worde For what is the key but Gods Worde Yea if it bee the same that consisteth in remitting and retaining of sinnes towardes God what other power hath the Church thereof than by the prenouncing of Gods Worde So that our Brethren must eyther make these Seniors to bee Ministers of Gods Worde or else they must graunt that in this place Christe meaneth not such a Seniory of Gouerning Elders as are not Ministers of the Word But here saith Caluine Hic locus non omnino c. This place is not altogether like that place which is aboue written Chapter 16. c. 19. But it is to bee vnderstoode in part a little different But wee make them not so diuers that they haue not muche affinitie betweene themselues This first of all on both parts is alike that eyther of them is a generall sentence and the power of binding and loosing is always the same that is to witte by the word of God the same commaundement the same promise But they differ heerein that the former place is peculiarlie of the preaching which the Ministers of the word of God do exercise Here it pertayneth to the Discipline of excommunication which is permitted to the church There Christe woulde auouch the authority of the Doctrine Here hee constituted Discipline which is an appendant vnto doctrine There hee sayde that the preaching of the Gospell shoulde not be frustrate but that it shoulde bee a quickning or a killing sauour here he affirmeth that although the wicked doe scorne the iudgement of the church notwithstanding it shoulde not bee vayne This distinction is to be holden because there it is simply treated vpon the word preached here vpon the publike censures and Discipline Although I doe not altogether deny this difference in respect of the obiect matter wherin the subiect person hath diuers times on diuers occasions and diuers ends to deale yet since Caluine heere him-selfe maketh the power of binding and loosing the promise also and the commaundement to be all one and the same to consist all onely by the ministery of the word although the occasion or purpose of Christe in the former place Math. 16. be more for ratifying the Doctrine of the worde when it is taught or preached than for ratifying the publique censures and Discipline beeing onely the appendants to the Doctrin Yâ—t this letteth not but rather prooueth so much more that he to whome the execution of both or eyther of these actions being both of them powers of the worde and ministeriall pronouncings of the same word doth appertaine ought to be his selfe a Minister of the worde And thus doth Caluine himselfe afterwarde also confesse saying For neither doth Christe auouch authority of or vnto his church whereby he shoulde diminish his or his Fathers right but rather whereby hee may establish the maiesty of his Worde For euen as before hee woulde not confusedly establish euery Doctrine whatsoeuer but that which proceeded out of his mouth chap. 16. c. 19 So neither sayth he in this place that euery Iudgement whatsoeuer shall be stable and ratified but that wherein he himselfe is president or gouerneth Neyther that onely by the spirite but also by the Worde Whereupon it followeth that men bring no preiudice vnto or hinder not God while they pronounce nothing but out of his mouth and stoode onely to execute faithfully that which he hath commanded For although Christe bee the onely iudge of the worlde yet would hee haue in the meane season ministers to be the publishers of his Worde and then he woulde haue his iudgement to be of his Church set foorth So that commeth to passe that it derogateth nothing from him that the ministery of men commeth betweene but that he onely looseth and bindeth And hâ—ere Marlorate coâ—texteth out of Bucer Hereupon it appereth how proposterously or rather how naughtily some gather out of this place that the Church can doe any thing but cheefely can make lawes of religion which whosâ— despiseth shall