promised Messiah then Satan set vpon him and the mouthes of all his cursed instruments were opened to blaspheme him Now we know that the seruant is not aboue the master Si aut 〈…〉 aut palmarom folia complicarem vt insâ—dore vultus mei panem comederem ventris opus sollicita mente pertrectarem â—â—â—lus morderet 〈◊〉 reprehenderet nunc autem iuxta sententiam Saluatoris volo operari cibum qui non perit geminus mihi error infigitur If were set said Hierome to weaue a basket of twigs with the bull-rush or to twist the leaues of I'alme-trees or by any such base occupation I had no more adoe but to care for my belly that I might eate my bread in the sweat of my brow I might doe it all my dayes and no man bite mee or reproue me for it but now because according to the saying of our Sauiour I labour in a spirituall calling to nourish my selfe and others with that bread of life which perishes not a double error is enforced vpon me Virum egregium sequitur proximorum inuidia Enuie alway followes vertue where it can hurt no otherway it impugnes by calumnie this is as Nazianzen calls it Malum grauissimum generosam enim 〈◊〉 um virorum constautiam labefactere nititur A most heauie euill for by it Sathan seekes to weaken the constancie of good men and so much the greater euill is it Quia non solum falsa componit sed etiam quae piâ—gesta sunt decolorat Because faies Ambrose it not onely forges false things but falsifies true things deforming and defacing that with her vncouth colours which is done sincerely and out of a good affiâ—ction 3 With the like of these weapons hath Sathan fought against mee in his peeuish instruments euer since the Lord called mee to be a Preacher and no maruaile Shall a man trample on a Serpent and not looke to be stinged I haue professed my selfe by the grace of my Lord a disquieter of Sathans Kingdome I thinke it not strange if hee doe what hee can to disquiet mee disquiet hee may dishearten hee shall not Shall I be mooued at his lying Libellers No Absit à seruo Christi tale inquinamentum vt patientia maioribus praeparata in minimis excid at Farre be that spot from the seruants of Christ that their patience prepared for greater should faile in so small tentations Quâ— cito iniuria mouetur facit se dignum videri contumelia Hee that is hastily moued with a contumely makes it to seeme that hee is worthie of it What then shall I vtterly neglect his false accusations No least by them any credit I haue to doe good vnto others be stollen from mee I will neither suffer an Absolom nor an Achitophel A Friend nor a Foe to steale away from mee the hearts of any of Gods people if I may stay it To such therefore as feare God I speake as Augustine did to his brethren Mihi sufficit conscientia mea vobis necessaria est fama mea To mee my conscience is sufficient but for you my good name is necessarie Of such as are mine Enemies either of weakenesse or wickednesse I demaund as Iacob did of Laban Now when yee haue searched all my stuffe what haue yee found bring it forth that we may see it 4 O forsooth yee were once otherwayes minded concerning Church-gouernement In some things I confesse I was in others not Paritie in Church-gouernment I euer thought the Mother of confusion neither can I see that God hath beene the Author of it in any of his workes yea by the diuersitie of his gifts he declares that hee allowes not equalitie in gouernment where here if any strife be about comparison of gifts I haue no more to say but that hee who in humilitie of minde cannot submit himselfe to obay any other was neuer meete to bee a Ruler of others how great so euer has gifts be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that Preachers should haue place in Parliament to giue light out of the holy Oracle to the Prince and States of the Kingdome I euer thought it both reasonable and necessarie and did by my publike voice approue it in that generall assembly holden at Dundie wherein this matter was first motioned And in these publike Lectures which once in the moneth wee had in our Presbyteriall exercise for clearing the Controuersies of this time I did in my course openly declare how in Church-gouernment a happy meane were to be wished betweene Anarchie and Monarchie two fearefull euils in the Church the one proceeding from paritie wrought confusion as might be seene in the pitifull state of the Churches of Flanders the other breeding tyrannie and all sort of oppression a lamentable proofe whereof we might see in the Churches of Italy and other parts vnder the dominion of that Romish Vsurper thus is there not so great a cause to charge me with a change as is alleaged 5 But in that wherein before I misliked Episcopall gouernment fearing least tyrannie libertie and other euils should follow it if now perceiuing a Christian King most carefull out of his rare pietie and wisedome to see it vsed vnto the right end I haue changed my minde as many others both worthie Fathers and brethren in our Church haue done to whom the world cannot denie an honest testimonie what imputation should this be vnto me Cum mentem in melius mutare non leuit as sit sed virtus sith for a man to change his minde to the better it is no leuitie nor inconstancie as the lying Libeller termes it but vertue Episcopall gouernment was embraced of this Church ere I was borne and with it wee enioyed the Gospell for many yeares and some that were worthie and faithfull men in this same Ministrie of Perth wherein I haue now laboured by the grace of God almost this twentie yeares did discharge in effect the same office of a Bishop in the bounds of Galloway yea by imposition of their owne hands did ordaine Bishops of other Dioces If there were then a reason why the Episcopall gouernment once embraced being fallen in decay the Presbyteriall should be established is it not now possible thinke ye to get a reason why both of them should be reunited the one of them being ordained to honour and strengthen the other and being reduced to that order and vse for which anciently it did serue in the Primitiue Church Especially seeing it is done by the fatherly fore-cast and prouident care not without warrant of Gods word example of the Primitiue Church nor aduice of the present Church of such a King as God hath giuen vs a Professor a Confessor a Semi-martyt a Protector a Preacher a Propagator of the Gospell with vs whose power for any thing I can yet learne is greater in the externall gouernment of the Church then we haue well considered of 6 O but say you by this change the people are made vncertaine of
therefore when first his Maiestie perceiued an intended nouation in Church-gouernement his Highnesse discharged it and protested against it by his letter registred in the Bookes of generall assembly An. 1579. â—ul 7. What can you finde out of all this why Episcopall authoritie should not be restored againe or rather see you not many reasons that should moue vs to receiue it 7 As for your alleadged oath whereby you make the simpler sort beleeue that our Church hath abiured Episcopall gouernement the strength of your cause is in it but it shall be knowne to be as weake as the rest of your defences For first of all an Oath should be defended by the lawfulnesse of the thing that is sworne and it is no good ground in Diuinitie to defend the thing that is sworne by pretence of the sacred authoritie of an Oath This order you keepe not Secondly since the most part of Preachers in our Church gaue no Oath for Discipline at all for mine owne part it was neuer required of mee and I know there 〈◊〉 many others in the same estate What reason is it that the Oath of some albeit they had made it as you say which will not be found should binde others that made it not Thirdly when it was appointed by act of Parliament An. 1572. Ianuar. 26. that the confession of faith which therein at length is exprest should be sworne and subscribed by all Church-men the gouernement which then was in our Church was Episcopall for the Oath and subscription is ordained to be made in presence of the Archbishop Superintendent or Commissioner of the Diocie as the words of the Act plainly imports so that this Oath makes no renunciation of Episcopall authoritie but rather ratefies and approues it Fourthly concerning the latter Negatiue confession whereof it is most likely you meane what will you finde there against Episcopall gouernement Nothing at all it is a good confession many Pastors professours of our Church haue sworne it subscribed it Othere say you an Oath is conceiued against Hierarchie Mr. Dauid speake as the truth is Now Rahel takes the Idols and hides them in Cammels litter Now Rachel blushes for shame Now Mr. Dauid steales away the chiefe words of the confession and hides them for feare they should tell the truth and shame him will you say M. Dauid Hath our Church renounced Hierarchie simply all sacred authoritie all order all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say it not for shame there are the words looke what we haue renounced these are the verie words of the Oath We detest and refuse the vsurped authoritie of that Romane Antichrist his worldly Monarchie and wicked Hierarchie Therefore saith Master Dauid we detest all Hierarchie Why mutilate you the words and why falsifie you the words which you bring by a corrupt sense of your owne which I will proue was not the Subscribers minde Will you condemne Episcopall gouernement vnder the name of Papall vsurped worldly wicked Hierarchie Is it ignorance hath moued you who would thinke you were so ignorant or if you know better what malice is this to beare downe a good thing vnder an euill name Were not Bishops in the Church before a Pope vvas in Rome at least before Antichrist was hatched in it Haue any sort of men in the Church done more suffered more to destroy Antichrists Kingdome then Bishops yet you will haue all Bishops Antichristian Let vs first see the iudgement of the Fathers of our owne Church plat contrarie to M. Dauids it may be he will reuerence them and thinke shame of his owne folly when M. Iohn Knox got license from our generall assembly to goe into England they wrote a Letter with him of this tenour The Superintendents and Commissioners of the Church of Scotland to their brethren the Bishops and Pastors in England that haue renounced the Romish Antichrist and doe professe the Lord Iesus with them in sinceritie the perpetuall encrease of the holy Spirit See it registred in our assembly Bookes An. 1566. M. Dauid did our Fathers esteeme Episcopall gouernment Antichristian Hierarchie Do they not plainely disioyne them writing to Bishops that had renounced the Romish Antichrist O but it will be said Our Church was then in her infancie it may be you make them all Infants all the worthie learned and vnspotted Superintendents of our Church Iohn Willok Superintendent of the West Iohn Winram of Fyfe Iohn Spotswood of Lowthian Iohn Erskin of Din Superintendent of Angus Iohn Row Superintendent of Galloway make Infants also of M. Knox M. Craig M. Lyndsay M. Hay with many more I cannot name present at the writing of that Letter all these may well be Infants where a man of your experience comes out but beleeue me wee haue not seene many such olde men in our Church since Now as this sense which you make of the word Hierarchie is against the minde of our first Fathers so is it against the minde of the swearers and subscribers and are you not a foule abuser to inforce vpon them a sense whereof they thought neuer This is cleere as the light For why did not his Maiestie sweare and subscribe that confession of Faith This was his royall and most Christian oath offered to God in defence of his truth Did not his Highnesse there and at many other times professe openly a renunciation of that wicked Hierarchie Will you inferre vpon this that his Maiestie therefore abiured Episcopall gouernement I dare appeale to your owne knowledge hath not his Maiestie kept one constant iudgement concerning Church-gouernement euer from his young yeeres doth not the inhibition of nouation in Church-gouernement cleere this doth not the publike printed Declaration of his Highnesse intention proue it doth not all his Highnesse speeches and actions before the subscription since the subscription declare his Highnesse approbation of Episcopal gouernement and yet you would make it to be beleeued of the people that his Highnesse renounced Episcopall gouernement when his Maiestie renounced Hierarchie vsurped Papall wicked this or else a worse must be the drift of your language Truly you may thanke God you haue to doe with a clement and gratious king And that this same which is his Highnesse mind of that Article is also the minde of most part of the ancient teachers and other brethren learned godly vnspotted who haue well deserued of the Church present by fidelitie in their ministrie will bee cleared also I will not goe about in any inordinate manner to seeke subscriptions to this purpose but when it shall be required by order in the Church you will finde a cloud of witnesses standing against you to improue this calumnie of yours yea many times in my younger yeeres haue I heard famous and auncient Fathers of our Church who haue seene the first beginnings thereof affirme that our Church could not consist vnlesse Episcopall gouernement were restored againe this they spake when there was no appearance of it and when Episcopall
it should seeme that yee striue for nothing but it will not be for you Is not this the confession of the reformed Churches Ad vnitatem fideisufficit si consentiatur de doctrina Euangelij administratione Sacramentorum It is sufficient for the vnitie of Faith that wee agree in the doctrine of the Euangell and ministration of the Sacraments Dare yee say that in these among vs there is any disagreement will you â—eclude them all from the vnitie of Faith who are not partakers of this Discipline What then will you say to Beza Exijs quaem Ecclesia Christi requiruntur vt partibus suis omnibus constet solam doctrinam videri nobis absolute siâ—e omni exceptione necessariam Of those things which are required to make vp a compleate Church perfect in all her parts it seemes to mee that the word onely absolutely and without all exception is necessarie Heare you this Mr. Dauid no word here of Discipline nor externall Church-gouernement as absolutely necessarie to make vp a Church yet you will haue it a matter of faith and againe Ordo est diuinitus praescriptus ordinis ratio arbitraria pro circumstantijs temporum locorum mutari potest quia positiâ—i est iuris Order is prescribed by God the manner or forme of order is arbitrarie and may be changed according to the circumstances of times and places because it is of humane constitution Praised be the Lord againe there is no question of faith no disagreement in anie article of our Creede all the Doctors of the reformed Churches in Europe agree in the vnitie of one and the selfe-same Doctrine of saluation some discrepance indeede in the matter of Discipline some of them standing for Episcopall gouernement and others impugning it but will the one of them for this account the other false Teachers And in our owne Church many that haue different iudgements concerning Church-gouernement doe liue in mutuall loue as brethren the one not esteeming the other Heretiques till you come to make it so if you could but God forbid rather all of them ioyntly haue cause to account you a diuider of brethren a seditious fire-brand in the Church and a disturber of Christian peace if it lay in your power In your other criminations you are still like your selfe you will be as one of those Dogges and Swine that turnes backe to rend them who hath cast vnto you the pearles of the Kingdome of God with horrible imputations of implicite faith inconstancie rashnesse temeritie negligence and sloath in my calling Mr. Dauid humum haec sapiunt non Theagrium imo nec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Argiua enim haec insectatio you were wiser to forbeare this language of Ashdod and speake in Canaans tongue and out of the new generation But since you haue cast your selfe loose to speake what you should not Sine iugo statera aut mensura Without a yoake a ballance or a measure which three Ambrose requires in the speech of a moderate man you must euen heare againe that which you would not that these criminations though they be not of such weight yet are they of no lesse falshood then the former And first among all the points of Ditta which you haue here giuen in against mee I meruaile most what you meane to charge me with a Papists implicite faith Would you perswade them that I am become a Proselite of theirs tell me thinke you so your selfe or would you haue others to thinke it At that same time when mine Apologie was published there came forth also a Treatise of mine against Papists in defence of the antiquitie of the Church of Scotland prouing that we receiued not Christian Religion from the Church of Rome might not that serue to cleare me if you were not malitious to speake against cleare light of all Papisticke implicite faith What should haue moued you to this calumnie I know not except that in my young yeares as other modest men of the Ministrie did I imployed my studie to Doctrine and as for Discipline I embraced that which I found for the time not making anie enquirie of it But M. Dauid this will not proue mee guiltie of a Papists implicite faith but rather conuince you of an Apists explicite euill will who had rather giuevantage to an enemie or the Idoll of your conceit be not honoured in all points suppose to the disgrace of a friend But the string you harpe most vpon is my inconstancie euerie where throughout this Pamphlet you obiect a change to mee and as you call it an absurd change and heere you haue collected manie things together of my speeches Sermons subscriptions most part of them false as will be shewed when wee come to them but I pray you to what purpose bring you probations of that whereof in mine Apologie I haue made a plaine confession because say you I haue not beene cleare in that point to declare from what and vnto what I had changed but Mr. Dauid I supposed I had spoken more clearelie then you desired me and if yet you wil haue it more plainelie explained to you here it is In my younger yeares I misliked Episcopall gouernement not hauing studied the question of Church-gouernement Now after better consideration of it I approue it as best for the Church and hauing the best warrants of all other gouernement You haue cried for a Palinodie aduise how this will please you for I haue none other to giue you This is it which Mr. Dauid will haue inconstancie but if you can improue the iudgement which I haue embraced then I must say my change is euill yea worse then inconstancie but if you cannot for you plainely decline that point and I am sure you are not at anie time able to doe it then you should remember what I told you in mine Apologie Quod mentem in melius mutare non leuitas sit sed virtus But let vs consider of this change Vniformis est Christianorum vita vnicum habens scopum gloriam Dei Since mine heart is the same and the marke whereat I aime to wit the glorie of God and good of his Church remaines the same if I haue changed the meanes and made choise of that which is more effectuall for my proposed end what blame is this May not a wise man change his course and continue his purpose may he not alter the meanes for the better furtherance of his intention If you can blame a Marriner for changing his saile to take vantage of the winde or call him for that inconstant he being still constant in his purpose and course toward his intended harborie then may you blame mee also this is the truth vvherein mine owne heart allowes me condemne you it as you please But you blame me that I should be ignorant of any point of my calling and not learned all at the first and cannot abide to heare
accept it you might soone doe worse then fall to and studie the lawfulnesse of Episcopall Gouernement your selfe Beleeue mee if you lay aside your preiudicate minde you will easily learne it and then without difficultie I see you will accept it your selfe if you may get it Poesie prospers not with you I meane it renders you not wished contentment though you haue skill in it yet you know there is one before you that hath the praise of Prince of Poets but if once you could be content to be a Bishop who doth know what good you might doe to your selfe and the whole Church There is no impediment but that you are not a Pastor yet the consideration of your learning wherein you excell many Pastors might purchase to you some speciall priuiledge and be a motiue to others to draw you out in publike like another Ambrose who for his singular learning and pietie was taken from the Barre and placed in the Pulpit and of a ciuill Iudge incontinent ordained to be a Bishop onely you must be remembred that the motiue which moued the people to elect Ambrose was an Orison of concord which he being then Gouernour of Liguria had made to pacifie a tumult that was raised in Medeolanum about their Bishop and you if you would come to the like honour must not as you haue done blow the bellowes of Sedition the subiect of your eloquent Oration must be concord no more discord And truely for all your conâ—ending this is the worst I wish you neither doe I despaire that you may change your minde if not to be a Bishop yet at least a Bishops fauourer But whether this be or not boast mee no more with a dismission of my Bishopricke Quem nulla cupidit as traxit ad ambiendum is ab eo soliâ— non formidat deturbart He will neuer be afraid to be cast downe from his dignitie who by no ambition of his owne was aduanced vnto it Now you proceede to improue my second Reason but with no better successe then you had in the former THE ADMONENT THE second is like vnto this to remoue say yee the offence the people haue conceiued against the honourable name of a Bishop If this be worth the answering euen in your owne eyes I trow I shall answere it THE ANSVVERE MY reason is more weightie then that you are able to answere it and therefore you shift it and put it by you with impertinent words My reason the Reader may see in my Apologie and now this I adde vnto it that the people are abused through your wrong information and others of your humour to thinke no otherwise of a Bishop then of an Heretike and that he who once becomes a Bishop is no more to be accounted a Brother Among the auncient Fathers Martyrs and Confessors of the Church primitiue a Bishop was honoured as Ornamentum Ecclesie And now you will haue our Church so farre degenerate from them that what they thought honourable you will haue it abhominable and so a stumbling blocke is laid before simple people and they are made to contemne that which they should honour Is not this an euill or rather manifold euils crauing remedie that an innocent man vnder a misliked name be not condemned that people be not abused to persecute that which they know not and if they knew would certainely honour it and that the Church be not defrauded of an office receiued in all ages of all Orthodoxe Churches good and profitable for conseruation of the Gospell with peace and order Now let vs see vvhat you answere to this THE ADMONENT ALas are we so carefull of names and if we should haue we not a better way Explicate it onely and let it be vsed rightly let them be called Bishops that the Scripture so calls Euery Pastor a Bishop so shall all men honour the name who now offends at this abuse of it and thinke you to honour this abuse of it THE ANSVVERE MAster Dauid why talke you so idlely when I speake of the name doe I disioyne it from the matter signified by the name Doe I not in my speech expresly knit the name of a Bishop and his office together But you will haue all Pastors called Bishops and then the name will be honoured of all Mr. Dauid we know that in a generall sense all Pastors comes vnder the name of Bishops Prophets c. Which for all that derogates nothing to the distinction of their places and offices and powers in gouernement This is a common argument vsed against Episcopall authoritie but in truth of no strength for why Doth Communion of names take away proprieties of things The blessed Spirits in heauen are called Angels the faithfull Bishops of the Church in earth called Angels also Will you inferre of this an equalitie among them All Christians are called Kings and Priests to their God will it therefore follow that there is not a peculiar kingly and priestly Office proper to some not common to all And thinke you that the name of a Bishop when it is giuen vnto one Pastor it being his calling to ouersee the rest and not vnto all is abused know you not that the name of a Bishop and Superintendent are one in the pith of signification the one being but a Latine word expressing the equiualent of it in Greeke and as their names are one so their powers also are one as you will finde hereafter declared by act of generall assembly Was the name then abused when some Pastors were called Superintendents and all Pastors not so called I hope you will not affirme it you will be loath to condemne your Fathers so lightly how euer beyond dutie you be liberall in setting light by vs that are your brethren But to goe vp higher with you was the name of a Bishop abused by the auntient Fathers of the Church primitiue when they gaue both the name and the honour of Bishops to some Pastors which they gaue not to all Was it abused by Policarp Martyr and Bishop of Smyrna by Ignatius Martyr and Bishop of Antiochia by Phâ—tinâ—s Irenaeus Bishops of Lions by Ambrose Bishop of Millane by Chryfostame Bishop of Constantinople by Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria by Cyprian Martyr and Bishop of Carthage by Augustine Bishop of Hippon with innumerable more whom I cannot rehearse were they all abusers that receiued this name and was the whole Church abusâ—rs of that name when they gaue it vnto some Pastors and not vnto all calling them Bishops that is Superintendents and ouer-seers not onely of their Flockes but of their Brethren of the Ministrie within the bounds of their Diocesse Will you pull out the eyes of all these men Did they see nothing Or will you make them all abusers of that holy name Aduise better good man and be not so sodaine as with one dash of your priuate Penne to condemne all the worthie lights of the antient Churches And where you would draw vs vp to be iudged by
vs beleeue that his Maiestie is on your side of this argument And as to my words are they not plaine that vpon condition they had a Christian King professing the Gospell with them they would be loath to discord with him for this matter of externall gouernement though indeede M. Dauid you plainely declare a contrarie disposition in you that ere your opinion of Church-gouernement stand not out you had rather stand at debate vvith a Christian King all your dayes This is the point but after your fashion you flie it Then you conclude THE ADMONENT THus are these causes no causes the sixe not making one sufficient The former which you call falsly-imputed causes remaine vnconuict of falshood vnrefuted for these and euill declined what will follow therefore and what must on the pretending of them I leaue to be considered not listing to diue any further And in the end of your answere to my second reason to this same purpose say you Beleeue me in this I cannot beleeue that euer you were that childe to take on a Bishoprick for these causes if you had not another cause I thinke it should haue laid long in the dunghill before you had put out your finger to take it vp c. THE ANSVVERE FAlse ballance are an abhomination to the Lord but a perfect weight pleases him he that condemneth the iust and absolues the guiltie are both alike abhomination to the Lord. M. Dauid now takes a decree to himselfe but vpon such false premises as makes it a decree of no strength nor value Hee iustifies againe the lying Libeller and imputes to me Gaine and Glorie hee renewes the former-confuted calumnies to shew himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ac Hyperivertigine laborare Hee willeth me to beleeue him that he beleeues not that such causes moued me He craues to be beleeued and will not beleeue an other But M. Dauid I will not stand with you I beleeue you that you can hardly beleeue any good of me your faith may well be strong but your charitie is colde your loue little if you had any since it beleeues all things you would beleeue me in one thing You tell mee ouer againe that all men whom you know thinke as you thinke I told you also I know you are all men but as honest godly and conscientious as you or they either beleeue mee and know I haue spoken the words of truth Any thing you haue in this Libell to contradict the cause you will finde it by Gods grace answered with reason where you fall to inuectiues against the person and against all reason vsurpe the iudicatorie of my soule conscience and affection I will still appeale to that supreame and onely Iudge of conscience protesting in his presence you haue lied against my soule enforcing vpon it a foule crime of corrupt loue of Gaine and Glorie whereof when I haue examined my selfe more then tenne times I finde mine heart free so farre as in regard of humane infirmitie a heart may be and the true causes mouing mee are declared in my former Apologie But to conclude this point vvith you by your fruits you haue declared what you are No man gathers Grapes of thornes nor Figges of thistles your words void of loue your raylings full of spight your iudging without warrant your pert affirming without truth witnesses cleare enough though you were the best of your band you are but a Brier no Figge-tree no Vine-tree in the Lords Vineyard if in these you continue And you know that Briers and pricking Thistles are the curse of the earth God make you better THE ADMONENT ALway this same weakenesse of reason to say no further bewrayes the selfe euery where through the whole body of this Apologie and among the rest most euidently in that point that you take libertie to make your selfe your owne Antagonist for we know none other THE ANSVVERE IN the remanent Sections of this Inuectiue we haue lesse order I finde none but more falshood manifest for now Mr. Dauid casts himselfe loose reeling vp and downe at his pleasure beating the ayre fighting against his owne shadow or else carping at my words and misconstruing them to his owne minde He complaines I make my selfe mine owne Antagonist albeit the contrarie be euident my first aduersarie was a lying Libeller I gaue my defences according to his accusations and now Mr. Dauid comes in to make all good that he hath said and hee will be my partie no way prouoked there-vnto by mee nor vrged by any necessitie except that Erostratus some way must be renowned He will be a busie-bodie Fedem in alieno choro ponere medling with other mens matters Not vnlike one that takes a Dogge by the eare so is he that meddles with strife that belongs not to him but I hope his owne wickednesse shall reproue him Hee entreates me not to reiect his admonitorie but to read it to pleasure him I haue wearied my selfe intermitting my better studies now these fortie dayes for reading and refuting of it this seauen yeares I spent not so much time with so little vantage to my selfe except that it may doe good vnto others I haue beene seeking fruit in horto Tantali for in all his admonitorie I cannot finde a line to make a man either more godly or more learned And this part of it where-vnto now wee enter containes no other but fierie inâ—ectiues in personam needlesse repetitions idle discourses for matter many of them false all of them fectlesse for order nothing else but a confused Chaos and in a word a building of small stickes standing vpon rotten posts In the examination whereof since he prouokes me to it I will not insist as in the former onely in the by-going will strike the post and let the building fall Hee first complaines that I haue not clearely enough declared the change of my minde concerning Church-gouernement what motiues what reasons wherefore and where-vnto I haue changed And about this it would wearie any man to read how he repeates and multiplies words Sect. 14. 15. 17. 20. An answere to them all see out of this Treatise In your 16. Section you lay downe a ground as graunted by mee vvhich I neuer gaue you that I thought our Church-gouernement 1. Anarchie 2. Confusion 3. Not allowed by God 4. Disallowed by God And heere you haue heaped vp a heape of words vpon a dreame and false conception of your owne braine you haue begotten it and you would father it vpon me the ground being false that cannot stand which you haue built vpon it I know there was order in our Church but such as needed helpe to hold out carnall diuision the mother of confusion the beginnings whereof in many parts were more then euident but then say you THE ADMONENT VVHere was the dutie of a Preacher your courage your boldnesse why cried you not an Alarum against such an enemie THE ANSVVERE TRuly Mr. Dauid there were so many false Alarums cried
to the President of the Brethren There wee haue a Pastor President both of Pastors and people 8 And here because the custome of some is to create enuy to Episcopall gouernement by stirring vp other Pastors to grudge mislike it as being preiudiciall to their libertie Let them know that no tyranny with contempt yea or neglect of other Pastors is here allowed Neither yet are other Pastors debarred from the participation of this same power when by authoritie and order of the Church they shall be called vnto it 9 Neither are here condemned other Churches who through necessitie of time cannot haue Episcopall gouernement for howsoeuer it be the best yet God forbid wee should thinke but that without it there may be a true Church whole and sound in all substantiall points of Faith 10 These grounds being so cleare it is euident out of them that to haue one in the Church clothed with the power aforesaid to exercise it for the benefit of the rest is an Apostolike ordinance 11 The common obiection against this is that Timothie was not a Bishop but an Euangelist because the Apostle exhorts him to doe the worke of an Euangelist 2 Tim. 4. 5. but it is knowne that the name Euangelist is common to al that are employed in the propagation of the Gospel whether it be by them penned as the foure Euangelists who were by the Spirit to write the History of the Gospel or else by preaching it from place to place as extraordinary Euangelists did or preaching it in a certaine place as ordinary Euangelists then did and yet doe 12 In the iudgement of Caluin it is vncertaine whether S. Paul call Timothie an ordinarie or extraordinary Euangelist he thinks that he was aboue vulgar Pastors yet so that he was a Pastor 13 And truly whatsoeuer Timothie was before he trauelled through sundry Countries to water Churches planted by the Apostles yet now by reasons furnished out of the Text it appeares That Timothie is setled at Ephesus a resident ordinary Office-bearer and not an extraordinary I passe by many and touch but one 14 The Apostle warnes Timothie that he neglect not the gift giuen him by imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie eyther this place renders no warrant for a Presbyterie as ye take it or else it must proue that Timothie was an ordinary and not an extraordinarie Office-bearer in the Church of Ephesus 15 For by a Presbyteric here you must vnderstand either the Office it selfe of a Preacher whereunto Caluin enclines or else the Office-bearers as most part of ancients and recents thinkes And then whether you take a Presbyterie in your sence for a fellowship of equall Pastors or for a Colledge of Bishops as consent of Doctors takes it the Argument is still against you 16 For seeing you affirme that a Presbyterie is an ordinary Indicatorie or call it as you please and Presbyters are ordinary Office-bearers in the Church how can it bee that an ordinary office in the Church can giue calling or admission to an extraordinary Neque enim fas erat vt inferior ordinaret maiorem nemo tribuit quod non accepit But it shall be best rather then you take away a Presbyterie from the Church you should confesse that Timothie was an ordinary Office-bearer in the Church and stands here for a Paterne to such as succeeds him in this ministration to the worlds end and who must haue such power as he had 17 But it is needlesse for our purpose to dispute this question whether Timothie was an extraordinary Euangelist or an ordinary Bishop whatsoeuer himselfe was the question here is whether this instruction giuen him for gouernement of Gods house be extraordinary temporarie and to endure but a â—ime or are they continuall and should this rule of gouernement be kept in the Church till Christs comming againe 18 And if it should be as I thinke no man will denie it that this rule should continue then it cannot be eschewed that it is most conformable to the Apostolike ordinance that there should be in the Church a Bishop or Pastor hauing power of admission deposition iudging and censuring of Pastors for the conseruation of true doctrine vnitie order and loue in the Church 19 Besides this it is not to be neglected that in the Postscript of the second Epistle Timothie is called the first Bishop elected of the Church of Ephesus and Titus in the end of that Epistle The first Bishop of the Church of the â—retians 20 Against this it is obiected that the Post-script is no Scripture and why because some ancient Copies haue it not A dangerous assertion I meddle not with it The contents of Chapters and marginall Notes are no Scripture but inscriptions of Prophecies and Epistles such Post-scripts also as haue beene found in most autentique Copies from which wee haue the Epistles themselues let men beware to reiect them for any fauour they carrie to their owne priuate opinion 21 The Post-script in the Geneua Bible beares that Timothy and Titus were Bishops the Bible of the Spanish learned translator hath it Arrius Montaâ—â—s the Latine hath it the Greeke hath it which is the language wherein the newe Testament was written the Scots and English Bibles haue it and howsoeuer men now make bolde eyther to deny or infirme it we must thinke it is of greater authoritie to proue that Timothy and Titus were Bishops then eyther Mr. Dauid or Mr. Iohn or Mr. Robert or Mr. William their assertion in the contrary 22 Specially seeing so many both ancient and recent Fathers of the Church are of this same iudgement that Timothie was Bishop of Ephesus Titus Bishop of Creta it were long to rehearse all their testimonies any man that pleaseth will finde them cited by D. Whitgift Bilson and Douname in their learned Treatises written in defence of Episcopall gouernement If there be any prettie man contrarie minded that hath learning and leasure to write I doe but here poynt out vnto him where he may finde a partie what needs new prouocations till these be answered who haue written already Now vnto these arguments gathered out of holy Scripture let vs but ioyne this one argument furnished vnto vs by the Fathers and seruing for this purpose Constat id esse ab Apostolis traditum quod apud ecolesias Apostolorum fuerit Sacrosanctum without doubt that must haue beene deliuered vnto vs by the Apostles which in Apostolike Churches is holily obserued Tertul aduers. Marcion lib. 4. Quod vniuersa tenet ecclesia nec Concilijs institutum sed semper retentum fuit non nisi apostolica authoritate traditum rectissime creditur That which is receiued of the whole vniuersall Church not instituted nor ordained by any Councell but reteined as being before Counsels is rightly beleeued to haue beene deliuered vnto vs by Apostolike authoritie August de Bap. cont Donast lib. 4. cap. 24. This being the proposition warranted by Tertullian and Augustine containing a truth which I thinke
no reasonable man will denie the Assumption will be this But Episcopall gouernement is such Embraced of the Catholike Church not instituted first by any Councel for it was before the first Oâ—cumenick Councell of Nice retained by all Councels not reiected nor impugned by any and this assumption is verefied by consent and testimonie of the Church in all ages which the learned Fathers of our time Zanchius and Beza plainely confesse the words of Zanchius here follow Fides autem mea nititur cum primis simpliciter verbo Dei deinde nonnihil etiam communi totius veteris Ecclesiae consensu si ille cum sacris literis non pugnet Credo enim quae a pijs patribus in nomâ—â—â— Dominâ— congregatis communi omnium consensu citra vllam sacrarum literarum contradictionem definita recepta fuerunt ea etiam quanquâ—m hand eiusdem cum sacris literis authoritatis a Spiritu Sancto esse Hinâ— fit vt quae sunt etusmodi ego ea improbare nec velâ—m nec audeâ—m bona conscientia Quid autem certius ex Historijs ex Conâ—lijs ex omnium patrum scriptis quam illos ministroruÌ„ ordines de quibus diximâ—s communi totius republicae Christianae consensu in Ecclesia constitutos receptosque fuisse Quis autem ego sum qui quod tota Ecclesia approbâ—uit improbâ—m My faith leanes first of all and simply vpon the word of God thereafter also it something depends vpon the common consent of the whole ancient Church where it is not repugnant to the holy Scripture For I beleeue those things which by godly Fathers assembled in the name of the Lord haue beene concluded decreed and receiued not contradictorie vnto holy Scripture and that those same things also albeit they be not of equall authoritie with the holy Scripture haue proceeded from the holy Spirit whereof it comes to passe that I neither will nor dare in a good conscience contradict them For what is more certaine out of Histories Councels and the writings of all Fathers then that these orders of the Ministrie whereof we haue spoken were by common consent of all Christendome concluded and receiued into the Church And who am I that I should dâ—sallow that which the whole Church hath allowed Zanch. in his confession To this same purpose serues the testimonie of Beza who hauing declared the reasons that moued the auncient Church to elect one of the Presbâ—terie who in place and dignitie should be aboue the rest and to whom the name of a Bishop in speciall manner should be giuen by the remanent hee subioynes as followes Neque enim quicquam est quod in hac Prostasia reprehendi potest aut debet for there is nothing in this presidencie or supereminence of one Pastor aboue the rest which either can or ought to be reproued And the reason he giues for it is worthy marking Quum praesertim vetustus hic mos primum Presbyterum deligendi in Alexandrina celeberrima Ecclesiaiam inde a Marco Euangelista esset obseruatus Especially saith hee seeing this ancient custome to choose out the first of the Presbyters to gouerne the rest hath beene obserued in the famous Church of Alexandria euer since the dayes of S. Marke the Euangelist Now it may be collected that S. Marke died in the eight yeere of the Emperour Nero the holy Apostles Peter Paul and Iohn being yet aliue whereof it followes that this policie hath had the Apostles eyther authors or approuers of it and so will fall to be of diuine authoritie Now then the proposition being manifest in it selfe and by the testimony of Tertullian and Ambrose confirmed The assumption also cleare and confessed by the testimonie of Zanchius and Beza that one Pastor was in place and dignity aboue the rest called by the name of a Bishop in a speciall sense proper to him not common to the rest the conclusion followes sure that this policie may and should be receiued as descended from authoritie But now we come to speake of them who albeit they thinke not that Episcopall gouernement is diuine yet they reuerence it as a necessary and profitable policie for the Church That Episcopall gouernement is a good and profitable policie for the Church in the iudgement of most learned and modest Doctors in our time AND as concerning these worthy Diuines of our time who thinkes not Episcopall gouernement to be of diuine authoritie yet they reuerence it as a godly and most necessary policie and all of them condemnes you that nourishes a Schisme for it I cannot now attaine to them as I would being absent from my Bookes but you shall haue some notable testimonies to this purpose Zanchius hauing set downe Ieroms iudgement concerning it subâ—oynes as here followes Non damnat Hieronimus consuetudinem hanc vtpote vtilem ferme necessariam vt fit ordo in Ecclesia Adde quod non prohibetur verbo Dei si igitur liberum est Ecclesiae possunt ex totâ— Presbyterorum Collegio Presbyterum vnum eligere qui peculiarem Ecclesiae curam â—uscipiat in Conâ—istorio â—it seâ— Consul in Senatu politico at que vt ab alijs decernatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocars potest Episcopus vel Superintendens vel Inspector vel alio quoâ—â—s nomine Episcopus Certe Ecclesiae vnitas scindi non debet propter huius cemodi titulorum aut nominum differentias Zanchius epist. ad Philip. cap. 1. Ierome condemnes not this confuetude of the power and preferment of a Bishop before a Pastor as being profitable and almost necessary for conseruation of order in the Church Besides that it is not forbidden in the word of God Seeing therefore it is free the Churches may chuse out one of the Colledge of Presbyters to haue the peculiar care of the Church and who may be in the Consistorie of Presbyters as a Consull in the politique Senate and to the end he may be distinguished from others he may in more excellent manner then the rest be called Bishop Superintendent or Inspector or by any other such name Certainely the vnitie of the Church should not be rent for any such titles or differences of names See you not here that in the iudgement of this worthy Doctor Episcopall gouernment is not forbidden in the Word and so is not against any point of Faith as you affirme See you not that the name of a Bishop is not abused when it is giuen to one and not vnto the rest And thirdly doth hee not condemne you that â—end the vnitie of our Church for such a matter Iunius in like manner O 〈◊〉 haec vt iuris humani atque 〈◊〉 si ita placet ecclesiastici concedimus fuisse iâ—m olim absâ—ruâ—ta nec dâ—mnamus ea simpliciter si non abusus accessâ—â—it Wee confesse that all these haue beene of a long time obserued in the Church as being of humane authoritie or if you please Ecclesiastique neyther condemne wee them simplie if they be not abused
Iunius in Bâ—llar Controuers 5. lib. 1. ca. 24. But no such moderation is in you you are not content to fight against the abuse of the Office you will haue the Office it selfe abolished but without any reason To this same purpose is the testimonie of Heâ—â—mingius Tametsi tempore Apostoli nondum receptus fuit proâ—â—â—endi ritus qualis nunc in vsu est sciendum tamen est piâ—s Ecclesiarum Scholarum gubernatores bono vtili conâ—iliâ— instituisse promotionum gradus tum vt arrogantes 〈◊〉 vsurpâ—rent sibi hunc honoris titulum siâ—e Ecclesie iudiâ—â—â— tum vâ— idonei ex testimonio publico agnoscerentur acâ—â— precio haberentur Neque hoc est contra Hierarchie Ecclesiastiâ—â— diguitatem quae nobis a S. Sancto commendatur Nam cum S. Sanctus or dinâ—m detorem commendat Ecclesiâ— ius ipsi relinquit or dinandi ritus qui ad ordinem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 facere videantur Quâ—ere non est quod moremur superborum Spirituum voces contemnentium hos ecclesiasticos gradus meminerinâ— eos non contemptus aliorum aut arrogantis supereminentiae symbola esse sed potius publica testimonia officij quod Ecclesiae debent ad quod tanquam publico Sacramento obstringuntur Albeit saith hee in the time of the Apostles this custome of promotion now vsed in the Church was not then receiued yet we must know that godly gouernours of Churches and Schooles by good and profitable counsell haue ordained degrees of promotion partly that arrogant men should not vsurpe this title of honour without approbation of the Church partly also that they who by publicke testimonie of the Church are thought meete for it may be knowne and had in reuerence Neyther is this against the dignitie of Ecclesiastique Hierarchie commended to vs by the holy Ghost for in that hee requireth order and decencie in his Church the power to ordaine Rites pertaining to the Church hee leaueth to the Church Wherefore we must not stand vpon the voices of some proud spirits contemning Ecclesiasticall degrees for those degrees are not giuen them eyther for contempt of others or to nourish any arrogant supereminence in themselues but onely to be publicke testimonies of that dutie wherein they stand bound and obliged to the Church Sed obijciunt Ecclesia Christi nesciat pompam habeat fidei sanctimoniae probationem preces manuum impositioneâ— respondeo minime indignum esse Christianis pijs ac eruditis viris testimonia doctrinae honestatis conferre vt sciâ—t Ecclesia quibus possit tuto gubernationem curam doctrinâ— commendare Nec obstat quod huiusmodi promotiones longo tempore in abusu fuerint modâ— sordibus abstersis res Ecclesiae â—tiles retineamus But they obiect there should be no pompe in the Church of Christ but Faith and holines prayer and imposition of hands I answere that it is not vnseemely for Christians to giue vnto godly and learned men publike testimonies of doctrine and honesty that the Church may know to whom the care of Doctrine and Gouernement of the Church may safely be committed Neyther should it be any impediment that these degrees of promotion haue of a long time beene abused prouiding the abuse be remoued and that which is good and profitable for the Church be retained Rursus dicunt Dominum prohibuisse appellari Rabbi Magistros super terram Respondeo idem Dominus dicit non appellandum esse Patrem super terram c. Quare non de appellatione sed de alia re interdictum est intelligendum deiâ—de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loâ—i satis conumcit quis sit huius loci sensus addit enim Qui maximus est vestrum erit minister non vult sua interdictione sublatam appellationem Patris Magisâ—â—i aut Doctoris sed arrogantem fiduciam Hemming in Epist. ad Ephes. cap. 4. Againe it is obiected that Christ hath forbidden that any should be called Lords or Masters vpon earth I answere that the same Lord hath also forbidden that any should be called Father vpon earth Wherefore the interdiction is not to be vnderstood of the appellation of any by such names but of some other thing Againe the circumstance of the place proues plainely what is the meaning thereof for hee addes He that is greatest among you let him be the seruant of the rest he will not therefore take away the stile of Master Father or Doctor but onely the arrogant conceit of any greatnesse in themselues for it And in another place to this same purpose saith Zanchius Cum prius omnes verbi Ministri tum Pastores tum Episcopi tum Presbyteri ex aequo appâ—llarentur equalis etiam essent authoritatis quod postea vnus caperit alijs omnibus praefici collegis quanquam non vt Dominus sed tanquam rector in Academia reliquis collegis huic imprimis cura totius Ecclesiae commissa fuerit eoque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quandam is solus Episcopi Pastoris nomine appellari consueuerit reliquis Symmistis nomine Presbyterorum contentis it a vt in vnaquaque ciuit ate vnus tantum caeperit esse Episcopus multi Presbyteri hoc minime improbari posse iudicamus Whereas before all Preachers of the word were called equally Pastors Bishops Presbyters and were also of equall authoritie that thereafter one was set ouer the rest albeit not as a Lord but as a Gouernour of an Academie and that to him was committed the charge of the whole Church who for that in a more excellent and singular manner was called Bishop the rest of the Preachers contenting themselues with the name of Presbyters so that in euery Citie there vvas but one Bishop and many Presbyters or Ministers This is a policie which in my iudgement cannot be disallowed Hac saue ratione quae etiam de Archiepiscopis imo de quatuor Patriarchis ante Concilium Nicâ—num creatis constituta fuerunt excusari defendique posse sentimus Zanch. de Ecclesiae militantis gubernatione cap. 11. And by this same reason also that which is said of Archbishops yea and of the foure Patriarkes created before the Counsell of Nice wee thinke may be not onely excused but easily defended And least as commonly is obiected men should thinke that this distinction of degrees tends to establish also the Superioritie of one aboue the whole Church Marke what this same Father hath in the Chapter following Ceterum quod vnus tantum caput omnibus per vniuersum terrarum orbem Ecclesijs praefeci iusque plenitudinem vt vocant potestatis in omnes habere debeat illud non solum non possumus probare sed contra non possumus non execrari But that one as head should be set ouer all the Churches in the world hauing right and plenitude of power ouer all others that is an iniquitie which not onely we cannot approue but also cannot but curse Whereof it is euident that if the