Bucer desired to haue a better reformation of religion in England then was in King Edwards time appeareth evidently in his booke De Regno Christi written to King Edward that most gratious and religious King of England whom both Ridly Bishop of London and Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterburie confessed to haue more divinitie in his litle finger then they thēselues in their whole bodyes as you may read in our booke of Martyrs such an excellent impression of true Divinity had God ingraven in his brest beyng then but a child Who no doubt if he had lived as he had in many things well begun so would he haue made a full reformation of those foule corruptions that remayned and yet remaine to this day and would haue reduced all the Churches in his Dominions unto the Primitiue and Apostolike order and Discipline which M. Bucer in his sayd book of the Kingdome of Christ written unto him for the same purpose so earnestly desireth Whose words in his first booke and 15. chapter are these Vt vero claris Dominus et gravissimis verbis disciplinam suam cum vitae vniversae De regni Christi 1 15 tum agendae penitentiae tumetiam sacrarum ceremoniarum sancivit etc. With what playne and cleare words saith M. Bucer hath the Lord established his Discipline as well of the whole course of life as of shewing publike repentance also of the holy Ceremonies Yet how few shall you find even among those which are coūted men of speciall note among Christians which I will not say desire with all their heart to haue this Discipline restored which is the only Discipline of health or salvation but that thinke it a thing worthy once to go about it They say the times are now farr otherwise then it was when this Discipline florished in the first Churches men are now of an other sorte And it is to be feared least by the restoring of this Discipline the Churches should be more troubled then edified and that more men should therby be frayed from the Gospell then should be brought unto it To conclud that it is to be feared that by this meanes it should grow into a new tyranny of a false Cleargie upon the people of Christ But do not these men even by their owne wordes manifestly convince themselues of their horrible ignorance concernyng the profit of the kingdome of Christ and the true benefitts therof For know not they that the kingdome of Christ is a kingdome of all ages and of all men which are elect to salvation They are ignorant that King Iesus that is to say the Saviour of men and the best Pastor or sheepheard of his owne sheepe hath instituted nothing at all and commanded nothing to those that are his which is not healthfull unto them in all times and places if it be used as he instituted commanded the same Bucer in Ephesians 4. And upon the 4 chapter to the Ephesians he sayth Sathan goeth about to make men beleiue that by the restoring of the disciplin the faithfull Ministers should be thought to seeke ambitiously the same tyrannie which Antichrist did Yee see with what force of wordes M. Bucer lamenteth the lacke of true Discipline in England even in King Edwards time and how vehemently he desired the King to restore and establish the same which in his time could never be performed by reason of his suddaine death in the minoritie of his yeares And afterward in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth the Gospell was receaved aboue 40. yeares and no fault by publik authority amended which King Edward left in the Discipline of the Church wherin by the way I cannot but note one pretie litle poynt of the Dragon that subtle serpent Sathanas for the better safegard of his sonne Antichrist his creedit and his deare daughter Babilon the great whore of Rome for slily and cunningly he so scraped out this peece of publique prayer in all Queene Elizabeths time which both in King Hēries time and King Edwards time was used that it could never be restored unto this day Namely From the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities good Lord deliver us For he knew full well no small number of his owne enormious abominations were yet reteyned in the Discipline of the Church to the great comfort of himselfe and of his sonne Antichrist the Pope and his deare daughter the Church of Rome And it might justly be taken for a Prophesie that we should not in her dayes be delivered from the detestable enormities of the Bishop of Rome left unreformed in King Edwards time But let us heare further what M. Bucer sayth to King Edward in his second booke of the kingdome of Christ and the 1 chapter Primum haud dubito serenissime Rex Maiestatem tuam ipsam videre hanc quam requirimus imo quam requirit salus omnium nostrum regni Christi restitutionem ab Episcopis nullo modo expectandam c. First I doubt not most gracious King saith M. Bucer to King Edward but your owne Maiesty doth see that this restoring agayne of the kingdom of Christ which we require yea which the salvation of us all requireth may in no wise be expected to com of the Bishops seeyng there be so few among them which do understand the power and proper offices of this kingdom and very many of them by all meanes which they possible can and dare either oppose themselues against it or deferre it and hinder it And after in the same booke he concludeth saying De reformando itaque Episcoporum ordine serenissima Maiestatis tuae cum primis animus intendendus Therefore the mind of your most excellent Maiestie must principally be set upon reforming of the order of Bishops Of these places before cited first the reader may plainly see with what vehemency this Angell and starre holden in the right hand of Christ desireth and requyreth to haue the reformation in England which yet cannot be obteyned to be squared according to the first Churches which were in the Apostles time Secondly that the objections which are now commonly made against the reformation are even the same which Satan and his childrē made in King Edwards time the wilfull horrible ignorance wherof M. Bucer manifestly discovereth Thirdly that no hope of this reformation and the restoring of the kingdom of Christ which even the salvation of us all requyreth was to be expected at the hands of the Bishops Fourthly that that the King ought specially to bend his mind to reforme the order or estate of the Bishops And to speake the truth ye might truely affirme that the King began at a wrong end when he began at the parish Priests and leapt over the Lord Bishops for that was a tithing of mint and annis and a leaving of the waightier matters of the law undone It is a memorable and a true saying that Sigismund the Emperour used in the Counsell of Constāce Sigismund
Marlorat Danaeus and Tilenus leaving all the rest of the French Churches and learned men there which are exceeding many in number but all with one consent agreeing with those last a fore named lights of the gospell both in their doctrine Discipline and practise of life And first of Calvin which was as famous a Pastor in the Citie of Geneva as Augustine was in Hippo Calvin or Ierome in the towne of Bethlem yet lived he not like a Lord but like Augustine and Ierome and as hath been before shewed in a very meane estate whereof I my selfe haue been an eye witnes The author Ioh. Cal. vita ante eius epist and as in the Historie of his life and death ye may also read Where it is written Testari certe potest Senatus quū perexigua essent eius stipendia c. The Senate of the Citie can testifie that although his stipend was very small yet was he so far frō being discontent therwith that a more ample allowance being freelie offred him he obstinatly refused it And a litle before his riches and wealth that he left behind him are set downe in these words Cuius bona omnia c. All those goods his librarie also being dearely sold came scarselie to three hundred French Crownes which a mounteth not to one hundred pounds of our mony but lacketh about some ten pounds thereof and yet all that he left came scarselie to so much And according to this his practise both publicklie privately he taught and wrote as you may read in his Instistutions lib. 4. cap. 4. Where he saith Heereby also we iudge what use there was and what manner of distribution of the Church goods Ech wher both in the decrees of the Synods among the old writers it is to be found that whatsoever the Church possesseth either in lands or mony is the patrimonie of the poore And a non after he saith But sith it is equitie and established by the law of the Lord that they which imploy their service to the Church should be fed with the common charges of the Church and also many priests in that age consecrating their patrimonies to God were willingly made poore the distributing was such that neither the Ministers wanted sustenance nor the poore were neglected But yet in the meane time it was provided that the ministers themselues which ought to giue example of honest sparing to other should not haue so much whereby they might abuse it to riotous excesse or deliciousnes but only wherwith to sustaine their owne need Har. Evang. Mat 20 25 And upon the 20 of Mathew 25 verse he saith Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles haue dominion over them c. He declareth that there shal be no such superioritie in his kingdom as they did striue for They therfore are deceaved which do stretch this saying to all the godly in generall when as Christ onely teacheth of that matter in hand that the Apostles were very fond to make any question of degree of power or of honor in their estate and calling for the office of teaching whereto they were appoynted had no likelihood wtth the Empires of the world And after he saith The purpose of Christ was to put a difference between the spirituall regiment of his Church earthlie Empires least the Apostles should apply themselues to courtlie graces and fashions For as every one among the Nobles is beloued of Kings so he climeth up to wealth and offices But Christ set Pastors over his Church not to beare a Lorlie rule over them but to Minister So the error of the Anabaptists which doe banish Kings Magistrats from the Church of God because Christ sayd they were not like his Disciples is overthrowne For the comparison is not made heere between Christians and prophāe men but between offices And anon after he saith So David Ezekias and such like when aswillingly they became the servāts of all mē yet were they adorned with the Scepter Diadem Thrōe and other such ensignes But the goverment of the Church admitteth no such thing For Christ gaue no more allowance to the Pastors then that they should be Ministers and that they should altogether abstaine from Lordlie government I need not to make any explanation of his words for they are plaine enough further for the election of Bishops Ministers M. Calvin saith Truelie this is a most foule example Bishops made at the Court a soule mattes that out of the Court are Bishops to possesse Churches And it should be the worke of godly Princes to abstaine from such corruption For it is a wicked spoyling of the Church when there is thrust unto any people a Bishop whom they haue not desired or at the least with free voyce allowed And upon the the 14 of the Acts he saith Paul Barnabas are said to choose Elders Do they this alone by their private office Nay rather they suffer the matter to be decided by the consent of them all therefore in ordayning Pastors the people had their free election And upon the 6 of the Acts where the seaven Deacons were chosen by the people these are his words As touching this present place the Church is permitted to choose For it is tyrannous if any one man appoynt or make Ministers at his pleasure Therefore this is the most lawfull way that those be chosen by common voyces who are to take upon them any publicke function in the Church And concerning Nonresidencie and Pluralities of benefices he saith Instit 4. 8 Non obiiciam verbum Dei c. I will not obiect against thē saith M. Calvin that the word of God doth in every place cry out against it which long since amongst them hath ceased to be in any manner of account Neither will I obiect many most severe constitution in many Counsells that hath been ordeyned against this wickednes For these Constitutions also as often as they list they stoutly contemne But I say that both these things are a prodigious or monstrous mischevous wiekednes utterly against God against nature against the Ecclesiasticall governement that one arrant theefe should sit over divers Churches together that he should be named unto Satans kingdom But also unlike to the earthly kingdomes which are governed by good civill pollicie Therefore Iesus Christ said that he came not to be served but to serue and to shew unto his Disciples the difference that they should put betweene the worldli◠kingdomes and their estate And his Church and the estate and government of the same c. He saith the Kings of the nations c. And a non after he saith When Iesus Christ sent his Apostles he said unto them As my Father sent me so send I you For he medled not nor tooke upon him to raigne as a worldly Prince But when the people sought him to make him a King he hid himselfe And when he was requyred to devide an inheritance between two brethren
him Tell me saith Harpsfield were not the Apostles Bishops Brad No except you will make a new definition of a Bishop that is giue him no certaine place Harps Indeede the Apostles office was not the Bishops office for it was vniuersall But yet Christ instituted Bishops in the Church as Paul saith He hath giuen Pastors Prophets c. so that I trow it be proved by the scripturs the succession of Bishops to be an essentiall poynt Brad The ministery of Gods word and ministers be an essentiall point But to translate this to the Bishops and their succession is a plaine subtiltie And therefore that it may be plaine I will aske you a question Tell me whether that the scriptures know any difference betwene Bishops Ministers which ye call priests Harpsfield No. Brad Well then goe on forwards and let vs see what ye shall get now by the succession of Bishops that is of Ministers which cannot be understood of such Bishops as Minister not but Lord it Wherein every Reader may obserue these things First that the Apostles were not Bishops for that a Bishop must haue a certaine place and a flocke to feede wherein he must be resident And not like an Apostle or Evangelist to travell from flocke to flocke from place to place Secondly by the scripture there is no difference between a Bishop and a Minister which is so cleere and manifest that the very Papist himselfe is driven to coÌ„fesse it Thirdly that it being true which the most rankest Papist for shame cannot denie that by the scripture Bishops Ministers differ not Then the glorious succession of the Pope and all his Diocesan and Lordbishops are utterly overthrowne For as M. Bradford saith What Lordly estate can any Bishop get when he ought not to differ from the poore and meane estate of a Minister Fourthly that they are Papists which will haue a Minister of the Gospell to be called a Priest for tell me saith Bradford whether the scripture know any difference between a Bishop and a Minister which you call a Priest Heereunto I will annexe some few sayings out of M. Iohn Bale Bale who being in Germanie wrote divers bookes and sent them hither wherby England receaved great light knowledg and was of such name note in Germanie that Pantalio that learned Germaine in his Ecclesiasticall Chronicles setteth him downe among the three speciall Englishmen which together with Bucer Peter Martyr preached the Gospell in England during King Edwards time To whom Queene Elizabeth in her very young dayes when she had translated a booke of French into English sent â—omilies Yet will I hereunto adde one place out of our owne English Homilies appoynted to be read publikely in our Churches at this day Our Saviour Christ saith our English Homilie against wilfull rebellion teaching by his doctrine that his kingdome was not of this world did by example in flieing from those that would haue made him King confirme the same expresly also forbidding his Apostles and by them the whole Cleargie of all princelie dominion over people and Nations and he with his Apostles likewise namely Peter Paule did forbid unto all Ecclesiasticall Ministers dominion over the Church of Christ which words are there referred to these places of scripture Math. 20. d 25. Mar. 10. f 42. Luk. 22. e 25. Math 23 a 8. Luke 9 f 46. 2 Cor 1. d 24. 1 Pet 5.1.2.3.4.5 Seeing therefore Christ and his Apostles both by their example practise course of their whole life and also by their doctrine and all the cheifest of the auncient Fathers in the Primitiue Church likewise by their doctrine practise of life And seeing all the principall lights of the Gospell which God hath set up from time to time in the deepe darknes of Antichrist together with all the godlie Martyrs lights of the Gospell both in other Nations and specially in this our owne Realme of England do so vehemently set forth the deformitie and require reformation of those abuses in this treatise mentioned and spoken of yet in our Churches in England remayning unreformed Doe my Lords the Bishops trow you which stand so fircely in defence of those shamefull enormities against such a cloud and multitude of witnesses being the most learned holy men and Martyrs Doe they yet I say expect till the beasts of the feild the foules of the ayre and the very stones of the streete should crie for reformation What is it possible to thinke that they themselues doe not see and know that the Pluralitie of benefices Nonresidencies the horrible abuse of excommunication and such like are untollerable thinges in a Christian Churche Yet not one of these they list to amend I will hereunto joyne the prayer of that excellent learned man Doctor Fulke in his Sermon at Hampton Court Fulk in Queene Elizabeths time printed dedicated to the Earle of Warwike in which having proved most learnedly the Pope to be the very Antichrist spoken of by the Apostle and Rome to be undoubtedly the whore of Babilon spoken of in the Revelation concludeth his sermon with this prayer saying Let us therefore pray unto Almightie God instantly that all men in their vocation may seeke the utter overthrow and destruction of Babilon that Princes and Magistrats may according to the Prophesies of them hate her with a perfect hatred and utterly abolish whatsoever belongeth to her that they may reward her as she hath rewarded us and giue her double punishmeÌ„t according to her workes and in the cup of affliction that she hath powered forth for us they may power forth double as much to her And looke how much she hath glorified her selfe and lived in wantonnes which was without measure so much they may bestow upon her of sorrow and torments That Preachers and Ministers of Gods word may playnlie and without dissimulation or halting discover her wickednes and earnestly to vrge whatsoever hath need of perfect reformation that all subiects may continue in holy obedience first to God and then to their Prince to the advancing of the honor glorie of God through Iesus Christ c. And surely all men without exception which wil be saved by Christ must in their vocation and degree not coldly but fircely fight against Antichrist And specially now when the first Angell hath powred out his Viall upon the throne of the beast so that his kingdom waxeth darke Rev. 16.10 Even now all men ought to seeke the overthrow and the utter destruction of Babilon and not to be weried with the tediousnes of time nor to giue over for the pleasures worldly profitts of this life And not to say as the wicked did in the dayes of the Prophet Malachi What profit is it that we haue kept his commandement Mal. 3 14 15 16.17 and that we walked humblie before the Lord of hosts Therfore we count the proud blessed even they that worke wickednes are set up and they that
this day that over Levites there must be Priests vnto Priests there belong Aulters vnto Aulters Sacrifice All which things yet in the old Testament were knowne to be but figuratiue shadowes yea head hornes and all and when he hath once gotten in though he may be as plainly seene according to the proverb as a mans nose of his face yet he so maintaineth the possession that he hath once gotten both by faire foule meanes by religious pretences and rigorous defences that it is allmost impossible to get him out againe As for example who seeth not in these our dayes at the least where the light of the Gospell doth shine the horrible abhominations of the vnpreaching ministery Non-residencies Pluralities Impropriations excōmunication for euery trifle the pompous and lordly estate of Bishops together with those rotten and beggerly Ceremonies which haue so long burdened troubled the Churches Nay Kinges and Princes are made beleeue that their state could not indure nor their Kingedome stand yea that heaven and earth would be confounded if these thinges should be reformed But alas it is lamentable to behold what curious carvers what trustie tasters are used in bodily meates how great care is taken that a moate fall not into our earthly cuppes But though the toe or foote of * A Toad a paddocke fall into the foode of our soules wee are not afraid to swallow it though we se it But let vs proceede in opening farther the thinges which were done in the Churches and the abuses that crept in shortly after Saint Iohns time vntill Antichrist his great whore of Babell came up to the toppe of their glorious dignitie Now Sathan having sowed his tares among the good corne which the holy Apostles had sowne which tares grew so fast in the hartes of many Sardian sleeping Angels that pride and ambition pricked them to be lifted vp aboue their fellowes And as many hundred yeares after Gregorie the Bishop of Rome himselfe said of Iohn Bishop of Constantinople In this pride of theirs what other thing is there betokened but that the time of Antichrist is even at hād For he followeth him saith Gregorie that despising the ioye of equalitie amonge the Angels labored to pearke up to the top of singularitie For they thought it a base thing not to be lifted vp aboue their fellow Pastors or Elders so that they procured by agreement and consent among themselues that some one among the rest in every assemblie should be called a Bishop where before that time all the preachers Pastors and Elders were generally called Bishops so that Bishope Pastor or Elder were Synonima wordes of one and the selfe same signification But now they agreed that one of them onely in every assemblie should be called a Bishop and he onely and singularly should be so termed wheras all the rest were so called before which injurious dealing with the rest of the Ministers went yet more forward namely as at the first agrement one only in every Congregation or assemblie should be called Bishop so this devise of Sathan with in a while grew so fast that onely one in every Dioces was so called and all the rest were called Ministers Elders and Pastors and not Bishops What injurie this was to all other Pastors Elders yea to the holy Ghost himselfe which gaue them all as well as to any one that reverent name of Bishop he that hath eyes in his head may easily see For as poore christians should haue great injurie if it should be made vnlawfull to call any man a Christian or a christian man but only a Prince a Lord or a Noble man so all the pore Pastors and Ministers haue great injurie that one Lord in a Citie or Dioces onely should be called Bishop seeing Gods owne word calleth all Pastors and Ministers of the word Bishops as well as all faithfull people Christians And thus within a while these Bishops did not only take to themselues the name wealth dignities which God forbiddeth them but they tooke from other such names wealth and dignities as God had appointed them Shewing themselues plainely disobedient to God and injurous towardes men and namely towardes their brethren and fellow servantes in one and the selfe same function appoynted by God And heere touching this matter take the wordes of M. Calvine that excellent and learned Divine upon the first chapter to Titus Porro locus hic abunde docet Calv in epist ad Tit. cap 1. 7. nullum esse Presbyteri et Episcopi discrimen c. Verum nomen officii quod Deus in commune omnibus dederat in vnum solum transferri reliquis spoliatis et iniurium est et absurdum Deniquc sic pervertere spiritus sancti linguam vt nobis eaedem voces aliud quam voluerit significent nimis profanae audaciae est This place of the Apostle to Titus saith M. Calvine doth very evidently teach that there is no difference betweene a Bishope and an Elder or Minister but the name of an office which God gaue to them all in common to transfer it onely to one among many of them spoyling or robbing the rest thereof is both injurious and absurd To conclude saith M. Calvine soe to pervert the tongue or language of the Holy Ghost that the same wordes or names should signifie an other thinge vnto vs then he would haue it It is a point of too prophane or heathenish bouldnes Heere-vnto I will add the wordes of M. Musculus in his Common Places being translated into English and dedicated vnto Parker Arch-Bishop of Cāterburie Musc Com. pla fol 166 in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth his wordes are these When that temptation of greatnes and superioritie gat once into the mindes of the Priests Pastors and Doctors then men began to chose some one of the Elders which should be set aboue the rest and advaunced vnto higher degree and be called a Bishop and thus he should onely and singularly be called as all the rest were commonly called before Whether this device doth any good to Christs Church that Bishopps are become rather of custome as Ierome saith than upon any truth of the Lords appoyntment greater then the Priests it is better declared in these latter times then when this custome was first taken up which we may thanke for all the pride wealth and tyrannie of the Princly and riding Bishops yea for the corruption of all Churches which if Ierome sawe no doubt he would acknowledge it to be not the device of the holy Ghost to take away schismes 〈◊〉 it was pretended to be but of Sathan himselfe to decaie and destroy the old Ministerie in feeding the Lords flocke Whence it is come that the Church hath not true Pastors Doctors and Elders or Bishops but under the couller of these names we haue idle bellies magnificall Princes Beza in Phil cap. 1. 1 Wherevnto I ad also the words of M. Beza upon the first chapter to
Surely this was but apoore Lord Bishop that went in such a graye coate as M. Martine his frend might be ashamed to weare it yet was he the principall preacher of the gospell in all the kingdome of Bohemia and a true and christian Bishop but how farre unlike he was unto the Lordbishops in our time every man may see even as far as a coate of course russet cloth is frō a coate of fine black velvet and yet he lived not so miserably as our Parish Ministers commonly doe for it is evident by his request that he had an honest servant or twaine And heere it is also worth the noting that the Minister should haue his whit coate which was not a surplice but a coate to be ordinarily worne as was likewise his gray coate Wherby we may evidently see that a white coloured garment was at that time amonge them a graue couler and meete for a Minister as it is a mong us stage like and meete for a player specially when a white coate is put upon a blacke gowne But this Preacher of the gospell excellent Bishop Iohn Husse in his poore estate more profited the Church of God in his time then a carte loade of the Lord Bishops in our time with all their great livings sumptuous estate And God so blessed his labours that almost the whole kingdome of Bohemia receaved the gospell and God for the mayntenance thereof sent unto them the invincible captaine Zisca Who if he now lived it is very like he should be called a Puritane for so precise he was as saith his history that he would not suffer any image or Idoll to be in the Churches Zisca Acts Mo. to pag 766. neither thought it to be borne withall that Priests should Minister with Copes or vestiments for the which cause he was much more envied amongst the States of Bohemia And a litle after upon his Tombe in his Epitaph it is thus written Eleaven times in ioyning battaile I went victor out of the feild I seemed worthily to haue defended the cause of the miserable and hungrie against the delicate fatt and glottonous Priests and for that cause to haue received helpe at the hand of God This cause is worthy to be noted for the which Zisca thought himselfe to be defended of God And after Zisca God for the maintenance of his gospell raysed up another who like a victorious Prince was called for his noble acts Procopius Magnus which feared not himselfe to come to the generall Counsell of Basill Procopius Magnus and there boldly and openly mainteyned the Gospell professed by him and his Bohemians so that it being objected against them as a great crime that they had taught the invention of the begging Fryers to be Diabolicall Acts Mo. to 1. edit 2 pag 779 Then Procopius rising up sayd It is not untrue For if neither Moses neither before him the Patriarks nether after him the Prophets neither in the new law Christ nor his Apostles did institute that order who doth doubt but that it was an invention of the Devill and a worke of darknes This rule and maxime of Divinitie being true and out of all doubt as the noble Procopius affirmeth then whēce commeth Pope Cardinall Patriarke Legate and likewise Metropolitanes Primats Archbishops Diocesanes Archdeacons Deanes Commissaries Officialls and such like but out of darknes and from the Devill for neither Moses nor the Patriarks before him nor the Prophets after him neither Christ nor his Apostles after him appoynted or instituted any such orders to be in the Church And in the fruitfull exhortation which the Bohemians wrote to all Kings Princes they all likewise say And if ye knew them as we know thē ye would as diligently destroy them as we doe Acts Mo. to 1. edit 1570 pag 775. For Christ our Lord did not ordayne any such order and therfore it must needs come to passe that shortly it shall be destroyed as our Lord saith in the Gospell of S. Mathew the 15 chapter Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shal be rooted up And a non after they say As long as they haue such goods they will never cease to be at strife with Lords Citties neither will they begin to teach you the true foundation of truth For they doe as a dogge which as long as he holdeth a bone in his mouth and knaweth it so long he holdeth his peace and cannot barke Even so as long as they haue this bone of pleasant riches they will never preach the Gospell truely Thus much of these Angells Messengers of God and bright starres sent of him into Bohemia to lighten the world with all which although through the iniquitie of the time they tollerated many corruptions yet they all agreed that the Lordly estate of the Prelats was the cause of all mischeife in the Church and according to the saying of M. Fox before noted pag 5◠by the geeat encrease of regiment and riches of Bishops there ensued agayne a monstrous regiment For within short time after although there remained in Bohemia certaine sparks raked up in the Ashes of those blessed Martyrs Wicliffe Husse Ierome of Prage that monstrous regiment of the Church grew to be far worse then it was before And the great Antichrist with his spouse the great whore of Babell both in glorious reigning cruell sheeding of bloud in all the parts of Christendom made all Kings and Princes his slaues and buchers and his spirituall Lords and Archlords as his owne creaturs devised and instituted by himselfe alwayes to be the Lords of his privie Counsell to the effectuall working of all his abominations For the time was not yet come appoynted by the high providence of God Revel 16 when the viale of the wrath of God should be powered out upon the throne of the beast But after one hundered yeares according to the Prophesie of Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage God raysed up Luther in the yeare of our Lord 1516. Luther being just one hūdred yeares after the burning of the sayd Iohn Ierome in the Counsell of Constance which was in the yeare 1416. Then according to their prophesie as it is writtē great Babilon came in remembrance before God to giue unto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenes of his wrath Revelat 16 But before this great worke of God should be wrought it pleased him to giue unto her three notable preparatiues wherby her purging following might be so violent that even her bowels liver lungs heart life should at the last by continuall purging depart from her By these preparatiues I meane first the battaile between three Popes continuing almost fortie yeares fighting for the glorious throne of the Popedome whereby the whole world began to see that they were some of them knaves all And the very Counsell of Constance doth plainely affirme the same de heere S Peter prescribeth namely unto whom
at this day and holden for undoubtedly true in all the Churches of Christendome who lived in the most tumultuous time times of greatest contention that ever was in the Church even in the time of publike broyles and strife between the Arrians the Catholiques when the manner of election by the people must needs if ever be most dangerous unto the quietnes of the common wealth unto the estate of Kings and Princes Yet when Athanasius was chosen Bishop of Alexandria and the matter brought in questioÌ„ before the Emperour whether he was lawfully chosen which his enimyes denyed the Synod of Alexandria make rheir Apologie for his defence in these words Aiunt igitur post obituÌ„ Episcopi Alexandri cum paucissimi essent qui Athanasii mentionem facerent Synod Alexandr apol 2 sex vel septem Episcopos clanculum et in loco obscuro eum in presulem elegisse c. Nos autem contra cum tota civitate et universa provincia testamur omnem multitudinem populuÌ„que Catholicae Ecclesiae in vnum coactum quasi in speciem unius corporis et animae clamoribus vociferationibusque postulasse Athanasium Ecclesiae Episcopum dari They say that after the death of Bishop Alexander when there were very few which made any mention of Athanasius six or seaven Bishops privily and in an obscure place did choose him to be Bishop But we contrary wise with the whole Cittie and generally with all the Province doe testifie that the whole multitude and people of the Catholique Church beyng gathered to gether in one as it were in the forme of one body and soule with exclamations and out cryes requyred to haue Athanasius to be given unto them the Bishop of their Church If six or seaven of our Lordbishops with their traines of twentie thirtie or fortie horse apeece should meet together about an election with such of their frends as they could gather togeather in their assemblie trow you the thing might be sayd to be don obscurely and in a corner or may we thinke that those christian and most mightie Emperours had neither witte nor knowledg how to governe their coÌ„mon wealthes Or that Athansius the great and all the excellent Fathers of the Primitiue Church and Luther and Zninglius and all the lights of the Gospell set up by Gods wonderfull worke in this our age for the casting downe of Antichrist and the great whore of Babell upon all the golden Candlestickes in Germanie Helvetia Savoy France Scotland and the Lowcountryes and many other places understaÌ„d not what by the word of God ought to be done in the election of Bishops and Pastors and onely the Lord Bishops of England by their Lordly looks upon their learned bookes or by some secreat inspirations haue the contrary reveled unto them But if all the christian Emperours and all the auncient Fathers did thinke this manner of election might well stand with the godly goverment of the Common wealth and ought not to be altered and that both the election of Bishops Pastors and Ministers and excommunication also ought never to be don without consent of the people even wheÌ„ the Bishops were growne up to be litle petie Lords and the regiment of a Bishop was crept to the limits bouÌ„ds of a Dioces and over whole Cityes where by the reason of the exceeding greatnes of the multitude there must needs follow great sturres and troubles with what facility and easines might this order be brought in agayne if the Bishops were reduced unto the pristinat estate appoynted unto them by the word of God and by the holy scriptures namely to be the Bishop or Pastor of one congregation onely Upon which poynt I will set downe breifly the words of that excellenr light Francis Lambard joyned by God with Luther in Germanie touching the limits of a Bishops regiment F. Lambard together with the right of election of the Pastors and excommunicatioÌ„ of the offendors and of Zuinglius the first light set up by God among all the golden caÌ„dlesticks of Helvetia This noble and famous Francis Lambard in the preface of his booke intituled The sum of Christianitie translated into English and dedicated unto the most Noble Queene Anne mother to our late Soveraigne Queene Elizabeth In his Epistle to the Noble Prince of Lausanna he saith Nor you shall not marvaile that I sayd there be many Bishops of one Citie for verely every Citie hath so many Bishops as it hath true Evangelists or Preachers for every Preacher of the truth I say of the truth that doth not preach lyes decrees inventions dreames lawes and counsells of men but the most pure and simple word of God is a true Bishop although he be not called so of many the Church of God hath no other Bishops but these And a non after he saith For verely every Parish ought to haue his proper Bishop the which should be chosen of the people and confirmed by the Comminalty of the Church of every place and to doe this thing they haue no need of letters rings seales tokens and such other of this kind very much used cleane contrarie to the word of God And so long they should be accounted for Bishops as the preach most purely the Gospell of the kingdome of God From the which if they swarue one iote teach strang doctrine they ought to be deposed and put out of theÌ„ by whom they were elect and chosen that is to say of the comminalty of the Church a forenamed and other more fit for the purpose to be elect And in the fift chapter in the sayd booke of the Summe of Christianity he hath these words It is the most greevous crime by no meanes to be suffered that many childreÌ„ of perdition do depriue the people of God of their right iust title that is to choose them a Pastor And afterward he saith All Canon of the world caÌ„not lawfully choose one Bishop of the Church of Iâ—suâ— Christ And agayne he sayth Deacons of the Church be those that the faithfull choose for to gather and distribute to the poore the almes of the faithfull And a non after The Church of God hath no Ministers besides these Bishops and Deacons Zuinglius Artic 8 explanat Now to the words of Zuinglius he in a certaine place sayth thus A multis iam seculis ad nostra usque tempora quae sit Ecclesia certamen fuit ortum nimirum ex regnandi cupiditate Nam hoc sibi quidam arrogarunt ut se dicerent esse Ecclesiam c. There hath been contention what a Church is from these many ages untill our times which verily hath risen from the desire of bearing rule For some men haue arrogated this unto themselues to say that they are the Church that all thinges might be ordered by their hand But omitting the devises of men wheroÌ„ som in this cause doe rest we will write of the Church out of the holy scriptures and the minde of
Moreover I counsell you that in any wise ye bring in Discipline into your Churches so soone as possible ye can for if it be not receaved at the beginnyng when men are very desirous of the Gospell it will not soone be admitted afterward when as it hapneth some coldnes shall creepe in And how vainly you shall labour with out it very many Churches may be an example unto you who since they would not at their very first reformation take upon them this healthfull yoke could never afterward as touching manners and life be brought into order by any iust rule whereof it happeneth which I speake with greife that all things in a manner haue small assurance and and doe threaten ruine on every side Therefore it is a greivous loss and a certayne destruction of Churches to want the strenght of Discipline Neither can it be truely and soundly sayd that they haue and do professe the Gospell which either be without Discipline or do contemne it or be not delighted therwith Certainly since in the Evangelists and in the Apostolike Epistles it is taught with so great diligence it must be confessed not to be the least part of Christian religion Whereby it commeth to passe that the Gospell seemes to be despised of them which haue banished froÌ„ themselues so notable a portion thereof But under what devise or couller it is reiected at this day in many places is worth the hearing They say that there is a danger least under the colour of Discipline the Ministers of the Church should take upon them tyrannie should correct reproue and excommunicate for no iust causes but at their owne pleasure c. Neither do these good men perceiue that there needeth not be any feare of the Ministers where the rule of the Gospell as touching brotherly correction is observed For this charge is not to be committed to the authority and will of one man but in the shutting out from brotherly societie them which will not be amended a consent of the Church must be had by whose authority if it be don no man can iustly coÌ„playne of the tyrannie of one or of a few Marke how this Divine lecturer which hath so good testimonie of his sincere judgment great modestie and mildnes and of incomparable learnyng would haue the Discipline receaved wheresoever any reformation of religion is made and saith plainly it is a great part of christiaÌ„ religion and a notable portion of the Gospell and that they which refuse or reject it may be counted enimyes and not lovers of the Gospell And that the charge of excommunication is not to be committed to one man or to a few but to the whole Church And as for the rites and Ceremonyes and administration of the Sacraments he setteth downe these three caveats to be observed in the using of them First that they be most plaine and simple Secondly that they be most removed from the superstitious trifles of the Papists Thirdly that the manner of using them come nearest to the purenes that Christ and his Apostles used Certainly if M. Martyr were now in Oxford and with all his sinceritie and modesty and learning should mayntaine this most playnenes in the MinistratioÌ„ most furdest removed from Popish Ceremonyes and trifles and cry out for the purenes that Christ and his Apostles used he should be turned out for a wrangler or a Puritane if he had no more hurt But let us heere what M. Martyr saith further upon these poynts In his Common places speaking of the goverment of the Church he saith If thou respect Christ it shall be called a Monarchie part 4 cha 5 sect 9 Com. in 1. Cor. 5 13. For he is our King who with his owne bloud hath purchased the Church unto himselfe He is now gone into heaven yet doth he governe this Kingdom of his indeed not with visible presence but by the spirit and word of the holy scriptures And there be in the Church which doe execute the office for him Bishops Elders Doctors and others bearing rule in respect of whom it may be iustly called a goverment of many c. But because in the Church there be matters of very great waight and importance referred unto the people as it appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles therfore it hath a consideration of publicke goverment But of the most waight are accounted excommunication absolution choosing of Ministers and such like so as it is concluded that no man can be excommunicated with out the consent of the Church And a non after he saith Cyprian writteth unto Cornelius the Bishop of Rome that he laboured much with the people that they which are fallen might haue pardon Which if it might haue been given by himselfe there had been no need that he should so greatly haue travelled in perswading of the people And Augustin against the Donatists sheweth the same when he saith we must then cease to excommunicate if the whole people shall be infected with one and the selfe same vice For it will not sayth he consent to excommunication but will defend and mainteine him whom thou shalt excommunicate Wherefore this right perteineth to the Church neither ought to be taken from the same against which opinion they cheifely are which would haue the same to be committed to one Bishop or Pope And in the 5 section a litle before he giveth this definition of excommunication Excommunicatio est c Excommunication is the casting out of a notorious wicked man from the fellowship of the faithfull by the iudgment of them that be cheife and the whole Church consenting by the authoritie of Christ and rule of the holy scriptures to the salvation of him that is cast out and of the people of God And after he had confirmed the same by divers places of scripture he sayth Seeing it is the Gospell of Christ as touching all the parts it ought to be receaved of the Church and credit every wher to be given unto it So as they are to be wondred at which would professe the Gospell and yet do exclude this particle And touching the magnificence of Bishops and their stately using of Civill affaires In the same part and 20 chapter Section 16 he sayth But why in times past in the old testament were both Principalitie and Priesthood ioyned together This may be declared the cause Namely that in those persons Christ was shadowed â—n 2 Kings 11 initio to whom was due both the true Priesthood Soveraigne Kingdom But after his commyng upon the earth we haue no other Priest but himselfe our onely mediator and redemer Vndoubtedly those Ministers of the Church which are instituted by him are appoynted to preach the Gospell of the sonne of God and to administer the Sacraments wherefore it is meete they should abstayne from outward principalitie administration of civill affaires Since they haue ben so instructed by Christ For he saide unto his Apostles The Princes of the Nations haue dominion over them
a holy Senat of Elders which dilligently warned theÌ„ that transgressed in the Church corrected them sharply yea and excluded them out of the Ecclesiassticall fellowship namely if they perccaved that there was no hope of a mendment to be looked for in them But in the latter times the Popes Bishops tyrannically taking that kind of punishment into their hands and excercising it sacrilegiously contrary to the first institution haue turned an wholsome medicine into an hurtfull poyson making it abominable both to the good and bad Behold what fruit this alteratioÌ„ of Gods order ordinaÌ„ce in the Church hath brought by taking away the Eldership from the Church or Congregation and committing it unto the Bishops who by their Lordly authority tyrannically saith M. Bullinger tooke it from the Church into their owne handes and that even in some places where the light of the Gospell is set upon the golden candlesticks thereof whereby they haue turned an wholsome medicine into an hurtfull poyson making it abominable both to the good and bad as in all Queene Elizabeths time we might see heere in England that by their Lordly power oftentimes for such a trifling matter as an honest Magistrat would haue been a shamed to laye a man by the heeles they were not a shamed to commit a christian to the Devill And shewing what the Elders were he sayth Wherefore the Elders in the Church of Christ are either Bishops or otherwise prudent learned men added to Bishops that they may the more easily beare the burden layd upon them Decad 5 sermon 3 and that the Church of God may the better and more conveniently be governed For Paule saith The Elders that rule well let them be counted worthy of double honor most specially they which labour in the word and doctrine 1 Tim â— There were therefore certaine other in the Ecclesiasticall function who albeit they did not teach by and by as did the Bishops yet were they present with them that taught in all businesses Perhaps they are called of the same Apostle elsewhere Govenours 1. Cor. 1 â—â— that is to say which are set in authority concernyng discipline and other affayres of the Church And in this poynt with Bullinger M. Peter Martyr most playnely agreeth He that ruleth well etc. Martyr in Rom. 1 2 This me thinketh saith M. Martyr is most fitlie to be understood of Elders not in very deed of them which had charge of the word and of doctrine But of those which were appoynted as assistants unto the Pastors they as being the discreter sorte indeed with a greater zeale godlines were chosen out from among the laitie Their office was cheifly to attend unto Discipline c. And touching the Lordship of Bishops where it is objected against theÌ„ that think Bishops should be no Lords that they would mainteine the Anabaptisticall opinion which deny Magistracie and the authoritie of Kings and Princes M. Bullinger confuteth the Anabaptists with the selfe same reason and scripture whereby he proveth that Bishops should be no Lords Decad 2 sermon 9 And unlesse that Christians saith Bullinger when they are once made Kings should continue in their office and governe kingdoms according to the rule and lawes of Christ how I beseech you should Christ be called King of Kings Lord of Lords Therfore when he said Kings of nations haue dominion over them but so shall not ye be He spake to his Apostles who stroue among themselues for the cheife and highest dignitie As if he should haue sayd Princes which haue dominion in the world are not by my doctrine displaced of their seates nor put besids their thrones for the Magistrats authority is of force still in the world and in the Church also The King or Magistrate shall reigne but so shall not yee ye shall not reigne ye shall not be Princes but teachers of the world and Ministers of the Churches Thus breifely saith he I haue answered to the Anabaptists obiections And againe upon the very same matter in like sort in the 5 Decade and 2 sermon citing the lik place of Peter Not as though ye were Lords over Gods heritage saith he Peter speaketh not of any Empire and Lordship yea by expresse words he forbids Lordly dignitie For even as he is appoynted of the Lord a Minister and an Elder not a Prince and a Pope so also he appoynted no Princes in the Church but Ministers and Elders who with the word of Christ should feed Christs flocke And upon that place of Luke the 22 The Kings of the Gentiles raigne over theÌ„ they that beare rule over theÌ„ are called gratious Lords c. Decad 3 sermon 3 This simple and playne truth saith M. Bullinger shall coÌ„tinue invincible against all the disputations of these Harpyes The most holy Apostles of our Lord Christ will not be Lords over any man under pretence of religion yea S. Peter in playne words forbiddeth Lordship over Gods heritage and commandeth Bishops to be examples to the flocke Marke how M. Bullinger applyeth this place of scripture and how bitterly he speaketh agaiÌ„st the Lordship of Bishops calling them Harpyes that is monstrous birds having maiden visages and talens of a mischevous and marveilous capacitie But before in the same sermon he sayth In the order of Bishops and Elders from the beginnyng there was singular humilitie charitie and concord no contention or strife for prerogatiue or titles or dignity For all acknowledg themselues to be the Ministers of one Master coequall in all thinges touching office or charge He made them unequall not in office but in gifts by the excellencie of gifts And therfore in the first Decad second sermon he saith Did not Christ himselfe refuse a crowne upon earth And did not he that is Lord of all minister Doth not he himselfe disallow that any Minister should seeke any prerogatiue no not in respect of Eldership He that is greatest among you saith he let him be as the youÌ„ger He therefore commandeth an equallitie amongst them all And therefore S. Ierom iudgeth rightly saying that by the custom of man and not by the authoritie of God some one of the Elders should be placed over the rest and called a Bishop wheras of old time an Elder or Minister Bishop were of equall honor power and dignitie And it is to be observed that S. Ierom speaketh not of the Romish Monarchie but of every Bishop placed in every Citie aboue the rest of the ministers And to answer the objection which is made in defence of the Lordbishops that they take not upon them civill offices and Lordly dignities but by their Princes Magistrats it is layd upon them and given them he saith Shall we beleiue that Peter would haue receaved secular power with imperiall goverment if the Emperour Nero had profered it him No in no wise for this word of the Lord tooke deepe roote in his inward bowels But it shall not be so
haue a partner or fellow ioyned with the Eleaven In Acts 1 not a servant whō the rest at their pleasure might command For he knew that equalitie was needfull among Christs Ministers And in his 4 Homelie shewing that Christ had warned his Apostles many wayes and in many playne termes that they should not liue at ease and in Princly pallaces like Lords but suffer adversitie and possesse their soules in patience At last he concludeth These I say and many such like things they heard of Christ yet forgetting them all they dreamed of a worldly kingdome in which they hoped likewise they should be Lords This dreame of theirs a-man would haue thought that Christ had beaten out of their braynes long before Luc. 22.25.26 when he sayd unto them The Kings of the Gentiles reigne over them and they that beare rule ovcr them are called gratious Lords but ye shall not be so but let the greatest among you be as the least and the cheifest as he that serveth Notwithstanding this dreame of being Lords under a worldly King did so pleasantly swym and had so sweet a smell within their earthly braynes that nothing but the miraculous gift of the holy Ghost could picke it out From which sweete dreame our sleeping Sardian Angells and Lordbishops even at this day will not be a waked but with a warme gay coulered cloake they cover thē selues saying it was not Superioritie and Lordship that Christ forbad his Apostles but pride ambition and tyrānicall rule Or else that they beyng Church Ministers should take no rule over their brethren unlesse they had it by speciall commission from some Magistrat But who except he be a Sardian Angell that will not be awaked seeth not that Christ forbad them that degree and superioritie which they desired to haue under him simplie Which surely was none other but to haue under him an honest rule and Lordship yea I say by Commission from him of whom they then imagined that he should be as a Teacher so a just and Supreame civill Magistrat likewise For none but a blasphemer of Christ of his holy Apostles can dreame or imagine that the Apostles thought their Master should be such a King as that they might fit at his elbow Mark 10.35 37 Math. 20.20 21 and proudly and ambitiously raigne under him eyther without Commission or by his Commissiō which they expresly desired For then must it needes follow that they supposed that both they and he himselfe should raigne like cruell proud and ambitious tyrants which God forbid that any christian should dreame that ever it came within their thoughts Therefore it is most cleere and evident that Christ forbad his Apostles and in them all Pastors and Ecclesiasticall persons all Lordship and Magnificent estate with whatsoever modestie honestie they would cary themselues therein yea though they might by any Commission haue it M. Gualter speaking of the things which now a dayes under the name of the Apostles and Canons of the Apostles are obtruded he rejected them with this reason Surely sayth he I will never thinke the Holy Ghost eyther so unwise as to take a negligēt writer of so high matters or else so forgetfull In Acts 1 Hom. 1 as to let passe any of those thinges the knowledge and observation whereof was so necessarie in his Church And would not the selfe same reason hold with as great or greater force if a man should say surly I can never beleiue the holy Ghost either so unwise as to take so negligent writers of so high matters or else so forgetfull as to let passe any or so manie of those things the knowledg and observation whereof was or should be so necessary in his Church as Popes Cardinals Primats Metrapolitans Archbishops Diocesans Archdeacons Deanes Commissaries Officialls and such like And M. Hooper our most blessed Martyr of England M. Hooper vseth the like vehemencie of speach and to the same purpose and effect For he accuseth God saith M. Hoper of ignorance and foolishnes that entendeth tures Can you shew that ever Christ or his Apostles vsed it I think you will not say that Philip used any Oyle in the baptisme of the Aethiopian If this reason be good against Oyle it is good against the Surplice Crosse c. Yea all other humane inventions for like use Likewise is the Injunction of our Noble Queene Elizabeth set forth by publique authoritie Injunctiō 3. in these playne termes Workes devised by mans fantasies saith the Queene besides scripture as wandring of pilgrimages seting up of Candles praying upon beads or such superstition haue not onely no promise of reward in scripture for doing of them but contrariwise great threatnings and maledictions of God But if it were tolerated to haue a Candle a light set up in the Church to signifie the light of the Gospell that is preached amongst us Psal 119.107 what hurt might seeme to be therein Doth not David say Thy word is a lanterne unto my feet and a light unto my pathes And although the Crosse were worshipped amonge the Papists with Divine Honor as no man can justly deny yet was the Candle never worshiped it was nothing else but an idle and superfluous Ceremony invented beside the scripture And certainly there cannot possible be any Ceremony more perspicuous in signification more cleere in shew more easie to be understod or better cloked to agree with scripture then a Candle or Taper set vp to signifie the light of the gospell And yet we see her Majesties Iniunction saith Becaus it is devised by mans fantasie beside the scripture it hath not onely no promise of reward but contrariwise great threatninges and maledictions of God It were indeed a small matter if a mā would think to bring into the church som such idle or unprofitable Ceremony if that were all but if unto the least invention brought into the Church by man there belong the curse and malediction of God How ought we then to beware to looke about us that we attempt no such matter Yea how carefull and cleere eyed ought our Cleargie and Magistrats to be in those cases I ment in like sort to haue cited many mo of the excellent lights of the Gospell among the Germaines and Helvetians which write with one consent to the selfe same effect and purpose in all the poynts before intreated of but these may suffice and prolixitie is to be avoyded wherin I feare that I haue all readie offended But I cannot omit that famous learned man Hieronymus Zanchius both because he is a man of singular learning Zanchius and commonly objected against thē which desire reformation in the poynts of religion aforesaid First one is no number and one swallow proveth not springtide Secondly this one being wel waighed agreeth not fully in any one poynt with the enimyes of reformation And first he affirmeth flatlie as all the rest doe that by the word of God and the holy
Bishop Because so the order prescribed by Gods word in the ordination of such persons is omitted and violated as it may most plainly appeare Even because all the right and voyce giving both of the Ecclesiasticall Senat and of the christian people is most wretchedly taken away from them by this meanes in this kind of Ecclesiasticall callings and with great tyrannie and abuse translated to one certayne man the Bishop The Lord God of his great mercy amend these corruptions which are yet and are defended in his Churches which surely will at length draw 〈…〉 great ruine of Gods Church and will make the holy Ministery of Gods words either mercenary or altogether contemned and base Which God turne away D. 〈◊〉 Answer to the Count. Laval quest 3. After him we will ad D. Tilenus his iudgment unto the Earle of Lavall in France Who demanding whether the calling to the Ministery be necessary and from whom Calvin had his calling Tilenus answeren First that it is necessary And then that Calvin had his calling from the Church of Geneva and from Farell his predecessor who had also his from the people of Geneva who had right and authoritie to institute and depose Ministers For so declareth S. Cyprian saying that the people obeying to the commandements of God should seperat themselues from a wicked guid Câ—pr epist 〈…〉 and not to meddle with the sacrifices of any Sacrilegious Priest considering that the sayd people haue chiefe authoritie to make choyse of worthy persons and to reiect the vnworthy This was so practised by the people of Geneva and in divers other parts of Evrope where in these latter times they did forsake those sacrilegious Priests and sacrifices of the Pope for to establish faithfull Ministers and proclamers of the Gospell To be short the Reformed Churches had their calling and sending partly from God and partly from the people and partly froÌ„ the Church of Rome From God as the chiefe cause from the people as by lawfull instruments from the Church of Rome as by a corrupt instrument God gaue the essence and the forme interior to this sending the reformed Church gaue testimonies and approbations and the exterior forme the Church of Rome hath added thereto abuses and corruptions which our suceeeding Ministers haue renounced There resteth now for further proofe of these matters before spoken of to rehearse the judgment and words of divers of our owne English writers and blessed Martirs which agree with those Fathers and lights of the Gospell in other Countries before cited And first having sufficiently spoken alreadie of Wicklife that first light of the gospell set up with us in the middest of the Antichristian darknes L. Cobham Fox pa 669 edit 1570 I will begin with the noble Martir the Lord Cobham who in defence of the sayd Wickliffe saith As for that vertuous man Wickliffe whose iugdments ye so highly disdayne I shall say heere for my part both before God and man that before I knew that despised doctrin of his I never abstained from sinne But since I learned therein to feare my Lord God it hath otherwise I trust been with me somuch grace could I never find in all your instructions And what the doctrine of Wickliffe was and how like a Lordly Prelat he lived I referre the reader to that which hath been before spoken of him pag 57. But the Lord Cobham beyng charged with the decrees of holie Church answerd I know none holier then Christ and his Apostles And as for that determination I wote it is none of theirs for it standeth not with the scriptures but manifestly against theÌ„ If it be the Churches as you say it is It hath been hers onely since she receaved the great poyson of worldly possessions not afore And a non after agayne he saith For since the venime of Iudas was shed into the Church ye never followed Christ neither haue ye stand in the perfection of Gods law Then the Archbishop asked him what he meÌ„t by that venime The Lord Cobham said your possessions and Lordships For then cried an Angell in the aire as your owne chronicles mention woe woe woe this day is venime shed into the Church of God Heere you see plainely by this noble Martirs iudgment that the Lordship of Bishops and their possessions was the very curse of God vpon the Church and the very poyson that turned her froÌ„ And in his Practise of Popish Prelats Prelats appoynted to preach Christ Pract. of prelats pa 342 may not leaue Gods word and Minister temporall offices but ought to teach the lay people the right way and to let them alone with all temporall busines And aftherward he saith They that haue the oversight of Christs flocke may be no Emperours Kings Duks Lords Knights temporall Iudges or any temporall officer or under false names haue any such dominion And a none after he saith Mathew the 20. Christ called his Disciples unto him and said Ye know that the Lords of the heathen people haue dominion over them and they that be great doe exercise power over them howbeit it shall not be so among you But whosoever wil be great among you shall be your Minister and he that will be chiefe shall be your servant even as the Sonne of man came not that meÌ„ should Minister unto him but for to Minister giue his life for the redemption of many Wherefore the officers in Christs kingdom may haue no temporall dominion or iurisdiction nor execute any temporall authoritie or law of violence nor haue any like manner among them And in his booke of Obedience he saith Let Kings take their dutie of their subiects and that necessary unto the defence of the Realme Obed. of achr pa 124. let them rule the realmes themselues with the heelp of lay men that are sage wise learned and expert Is it not a shame aboue all shames and a monstrous thing that no man should be found able to governe in a worldly kingdom saue Bishops and Prelats that haue forsaken the world and are taked out of the world and appoynted to preach the kingdome of God Christ saith that his kingdom is not of this world Ioh. 18. Lvke 12. Vnto the young man that desired him to bid his brother to giue him part of the inheritance he answered who made me a judge a devider among you No man that layeth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is apt for the kingdom of heaven Luke 9. No man can serue two Masters but he must despise the one Mat 6. To Preach Gods word is to much for halfe a man And to Minister a temporall kingdome is to much for halfe a man also Either other requyreth an whole man One therefore cannot do both well And after in the same booke he saith An other sort of the Prelats are of the Kings secret Counsell 16 pag 152. Woe unto the Realmes where they are of the Counsell as profitable are
to the institution of Christ and his Apostles If he haue bread wine a table and a faire table cloth let him not be solicitous nor carefull for the rest seeing they be not thinges brought in by Christ but by Popes unto whom if the Kings Maiestie and honorable Counsell haue good conscience they must be restored agayne And great shame it is for a Noble King Emperour or Magistrat contrary to Gods word to detaine and keepe from the Divell or his minster any of their goods or treasure As the Candles vestiments crosses Altars for if they be kept in the Church as thinges indifferent at length they wil be mainteyned as things necessary If a Preacher now I will not say before a King but before a Lord Bishop should so plainely affirme that vestiments surplices and crossing are of the Divell he should be sure himselfe with his wife children not only to be turned out of doores like dogs but also from preaching of the Gospell of Christ As many excellent Preachers haue been of late yeares though many hundred dumme dogges haue and doe keepe their place within this Realme of England And of the Ceremony of kneeling at the Communion he saith ib. post The outward behaviour and gesture of the receiver should want all kind of Superstition shew or inclination of Idolatrie Wherefore seeing kneeling is a shew and external signe of the honoring worshiping and heretofore hath grevous and damnable Idolatrie ben committed by the honoring of the Sacraments I could wish it were commanded by the Magistrates that the communicators receavers should do it standing or sitting but sitting in my opinion were best And afterward he proveth the same by the example of Christ who together with his Apostles receaved it sitting And agayne in his third Sermon before the King Sermon 3 he saith Yet doe I much marvail that in the same booke it is appoynted that he that will be admitted to the ministerie of Gods word or his Sacrments must com in white vestimēts which seemeth to repugne plainely with the former doctrine that confessed the onely word of God to be sufficient And certainely I am sure they haue not in the word of God that thus a Minister should be apparelled nor yet in the Primitiue best Church And in his first Sermon upon Ionas Sermon 1 he saith This is the note and marke to know the Bishops and Ministers of God from the Ministers of the Divel by the preaching tongue of the Gospell and not by the shining clipping vestiments and outward apparell And in his Epistle to the Kings Majestie Epistle to King Edw. he saith And a thowsand times the rather shall your Maiestie restore agayne the true ministerie of the Church in case ye remoue and take away all the monuments tokens and leavings of papistrie For as long as any of them remaine there remaineth also occasion of relapse unto the abolished superstition of Antichrist And to the poynt matter of Excommunication in his Apologie against them that accused him to be a mainteiner of such as cursed Q. Mary which Apologie was set forth and allowed according to the order appoynted in Queene Elizabeths Injūctions 1562. If they knew Gods lawes saith M. Hooper as they doe not indeed they should see and finde that no ordinary excommunication should be used by the Bishop alone but by the Bishop and all the whole parish c. Also when the incestious man was excommunicated S. Paul alone did not excommunicat him but Saint Paules consent and the whole Church with him A declara of the 8 com And to the Lordships of Bishops upon the eight commandement these be his words They know that the Primitiue Church had no such Bishops as be now a dayes as examples testifie untill the time of Silvester the first A litle and a litle riches crept so into the Church that men sought more her then the wealth of the people And so increased within few yeares that Bishops were made Prinees and Princes were made servants So that they haue set them up with their almes and liberalitie in so high honor that they cannot pluck them down agayne with all the force they haue what blindnes is there be fall in the world that cannot see this palpallie that our Mother the holy Church had at the beginning such Bishops as did preach many godly sermons in less time then our Bishops horses be a brideling c The Magistrats that suffer the abuse of these goods be culpable of the fault And anō after he saith They should be reasonably provided for and the rest and over plus taken from them and put to some other godly use Looke upon the Apostles cheifly and upon all their successors for the space of 400. yeares And then thou shalt see good Bishops and such as diligently applyed that painfull office of a Bishop to the glory of God and honor of the Realmes they dwelt in Though they had not so much upon their heads as our Bishops haue yet had they more within their heads as the Scriptures and histories testifie for they applyed all the wit they had unto the vocation and ministery of the Church wherunto they were called Our Bishops haue so much wit that they can rule and serue as they say in both states viz. In the Church and also in the civill pollicie when one of them is more then one is able to satisfie let him doe alwayes his best diligence If he be so necessary for the Court that in civill causes amd giving of good counsell he cannot be spared Pope and all the Popish apparell before his death And first in his letter to M. Grindall he saith We Pastors many of us were to cold and bare to much alas with the wicked world Ridley Acts Mo pag 1902. edit 1570. our Magistrats did abuse to their owne worldly gayne both Gods Gospell and the Ministers of the same And anon after hc sheweth how earnestly he maketh his prayer for them that were banished for the word of God for all those Churches which haue forsaken the kingdome of Antichrist professed openly the puritie of the Gospell of Iesus Christ Where marke that he prayeth for them that professe not onely the Gospell but even the puritie of the Gospell In his Epistle to M. Hooper himselfe Epistle Rid. to Hooper he acknowledgeth his former fault with these wordes Howsoever in times past in smaler matters and circumstances of religion your wisedome and my simplicitie I confesse haue in some things varied c. Now I say c. I loue you and the truth for the truth sake which abideth in us But most plainely he acknowledgeth his fault when it pleased God to draw him neerer unto himself by scourging him with the same whippe wherewith he had whipped his fellow Elder M. Hooper Act. Mon pag 1677 edit 1570 as he himselfe calleth him in his Epistle For when M. Ridley was commanded to
otherwise then God had appoynted c. Heere marke good christian reader saith he in every of these examples God hath bridled our devotion hath taught us to worship him not in such sorte as may seeme good in our eyes but onely as he hath commanded us Yet such is the unbridled pride of mans deuotion that let God say what he will he shall not be served onely as God commandeth but at the least with some Ceremoniall suprerogations of mans meere invention being worse then Horses or Mules whose stiffe neckes are pulled in with bitte and bridle that weake and wreached man hath ten of him 2 Chro. 17 3 4 5 And the Lord was with Iehosaphat because he walked in the first wayes of his Father David c. and not after the trade of Israell And it followeth Therefore the Lord stablished his kingdom in his hand and all Iuda brought presents unto Iehosaphat so that he had of riches and honor in a boundance Where this word therefore is a word of speciall note for many wicked Kings Princes haue given them of God riches and honor even abundance but when it is given them of God therefore because they walked in the first wayes of their Father David that is because they had returned to the first and originall foundation and restored the religion even to that perfection wherin David not Solomon yea Christ the Sonne of David left it Then are they truely blessed of God Otherwise as it is written Their table shalhe made a snare and their prosperitie their ruine We will heerunto ad that excellent mans testimonie M. Thomas Leaver M. Leaver M. Bullinger speaking of the banished christians in Queene Maries time which were come to Tigurie commendeth by name M. Leaver in these wordes There came unto us English students both godly and learned they be receaved of our Magistrate Bul. epist to Hoper ten of them dwell together the rest remayne heere and there with good men Amongst the other M. Thomas Leaver is deare unto me and familiar Now M Leaver preaching before King Edward speaking of Non residents saith unto them T Leaver bef K Edw Now my Lords both of the laitie and of the Cleargie in the name of God I advertise you to take heede For when the Lord of all Lords shall see his flocke scattered spilt and lost if he follow the tracke of bloud it will leade him even straightway unto this Court and unto your houses whereas those great theeues which murther spoyle destroy the flocks of Christ be receaved kept and maintayned For you mainteyne your Chaplines to take pluralities and your servants mo offices then they can or will discharge fie for sinne and shame And for further confirmation therof he saith For if their duetie be undone then can no man excuse them if it be done then it is by other and not by them and then why doe they liue of other mens labours He that preacheth the Gospell should liue of the Gospell as God hath ordayned Qui mollibus vestiuntur in domibus Regū As for those which goe gaye in Kings houses and either mousell the labouring Oxe or else spoyle the poore Parish in the Country be of the Devils ordinance This mouselling of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne which is the taking away of the livings from the poore Ministers in the countrie and the poore people in the Parishes who pay their tithes to Nonresidentes you heare that it commeth not of God but of the devills ordinance From which we beseech allmightie God to moue his Majesties heart that he may shortly deliver us And speaking of putting unpreaching Prelats out of their place Yea say they and it were great pitie seeing they haue payed the first fruites unto the Kings Maiestie and no small reward unto other men And perchaunce bought their offices deerely Now to put them out of these livinges with the losse of all those charges which they haue bestowed in rewardes or other wayes to gett such livinges were great extremitie But wo wo saith M Leaver unto you hypocrites that stumble at a straw and leape over a blocke that straine at a gnat and swallow up a Camell c. And well may it be said they stumble at a straw and leape over a blocke or they straine at a gnat and swallow up a Cammell which for pittie suffer unpreaching Ministers to continue in places for is their any comparison between the losse of a dumbe dogges living and the losse and great damage of many hundred soules But M. Leaver goeth forth bouldly threatning both those spirituall and temporall Lords and saith God will pull you downe rather then maintayne or suffer you in so high authoritie to use such uncharitable ungodly and cruell pittie Which heavie wrath of God even according to M. Leavers threatning very shortly afther fell upon thē all a wofull tragedie and worthy to be remembred To conclude M Leaver escaping from the tragicall furie of Queene Maryes time in his letter to M Bradford being prisoner in the Tower speaking of the excellent reformed Churches where he was then conversant writteth thus I haue seene the places noted the doctrine and Discipline and talked with the learned men of Argentine Basill Zurich Berne Lausanna and Geneva and I haue seene the experience in all those places of sincere doctrine godly order and great learning Happie are the Churches that are so well reformed and worthy to be so highly commended Th. Beacon To M Leaver I will joyne M. Thomas Beacon a man to my selfe very well knowne to be for his vertue learning and dilligence in preaching the word of God most worthy to be honored Who suffered great persecution in K. Henrie the eights time And agayne in Queene Maries time and lived and died at Caunterburie a diligent writer and preacher of the word of God in Queene Elizabeths time In his booke intituled nomb 118 The Actes of Christ and of Antichrist he saith Christ breathed upon his Disciples and gaue them the Holy Ghost saying take yee the Holy Ghost that they being endued with his spirit might bring forth the fruites of the same and thereby knowen to be his Apostles But Antichrist doth breath the spirit of Satan into his shavelings and will that they be knowne to be his chaplaines by their long gownes nomb 42 shaven crownes horned cappes staring tippets c And agayne he saith Christ saide that men should know his Disciples by their charitie if they loved one another as he had loved them But Antichrist causeth his chaplaines to be knowen by their habits vestures by their long gownes and shaven crownes and punnisheth them if they vse not their habits And yet againe he saith Christ saith the kingdome of God cometh not with waiting for that is to say with outward observances and externall ordinances at the appointment of men Antichrist saith weare this cappe or that coule this gray habit or that white habit Ye