orders to this poynte in the newly subscribed booke of discipline Plurium sententiae verbo Dei consentaneae singulares omnes eius cansilij conuentus ecclesiae parere debent All Churches must obey the sentence of the greater part of that Councellor assembly vnder whose direction they are the same being agreeable to the worde of God And agayne It is made a part of theyr Aldermens office to see Vt quae à conuentibus piè decreta retulerint à ciuibus suis earum ecclesiarum studiosè obseruentur that those godly decrees which they shall bring from the assemblyes bee diligently obserued of theyr Cittizens of those Churches Lastly Conuentus sententia rata habeatur donec à conuentu maior is authoritatis secus iudicatum puerit Let the sentence of euery assembly bee ratified vntill it shall be otherwise iudged-of by an assembly of greater authoritie As a classicall to bee ouerruled by a prouinciall a prouinciall by a nationall a nationall by a generall And thus they write of theyr owne orders and assemblyes Which rules take them altogether as they lye if they bee true as I doe not greatly dislike them being well applyed then do these busie bodies among vs sin most directly against theyr own consciences in that they oppose themselues as they do against those things which the greater part of the national Sinode high court of parliament of this Realme hath allowed of beeing most agreeable to the worde of God before some generall Councell or assembly of more authoritie haue iudged otherwise and determined for the course that they haue proceeded in Generall Councell I am sure they haue none And for any other assembly that hath beene held and should haue greater authoritie in England than the nationall Synode of all our owne Churches and the high Court of Parliament let them name it In their writinges generally they exclayme against the high Commission or at the least against the Commissioners as many of them as bee clergie men affirming it to bee against the worde of God that any such should bee of that Commission And yet in Scotland it was agreeable with the Scriptures that fortie or fiftie at the least Ministers of the worde as I conceyue it shoulde bee verie great Commissioners from the King Anno 1589. to very manie great purposes euen for the purging of that lande from all sortes of enemies to the religion there professed Likewise earnest suite is made in the Supplication before mentioned to her Maiestie and found in Fields study that the foresaid foure twentie Doctors that should bee of the Parliament house might be likewise generall Commissioners vnder the great scale of England or the more part of them to beare and determine all and euery secte errour heresie contempt default and misdemeanour agaynst the worde of God and her Maiesties lawes of reformation of religion to depriue any Pastour not dooing or neglecting his duetie to examine witnesses and to imprison the bodyes of all such malefactors and to certifie their names to the Lordes of her Maiesties Councell that they may receiue further condigne punishment Besides there bee some that resemble the high Commission nowe in force vnto the authoritie which they challenge to theyr seuerall Elderships Whereupon one of them acquainted I doubt not with the desires of the rest sayth That if the high Commission were setled in fiue hundred places more than it is and shoulde gouerne by the worde of God and lawes of this Realme there would rise more profit thereby to religion than yet hath beene found by the Bishops He would haue it in fiue hundreth places Scotland is diuided into two and fiftie Eldershippes and of likelyhood they would haue fiue hundred in England And that as I take it is the mystery of his number of fiue hundred To conclude I finde another motion which liketh wel that if there were fiue hundred Elderships more or fewer established yet there might be in euery great Towne certaine Commissioners in causes ecclesiasticall appoynted to looke that the Elderships did their dueties if they did not to compel them therunto by ciuill authority So as therby it appeareth that although our Bishops other Clergie men may not be such Commissioners with vs in some few places yet their Pastors Doctors Aldermen may in euery parish or so many of them or I knowe not whom as it should please her Maiestie to assigne to euery greate Towne Surely the worde of God is much troubled with such kinde of choppers and chaungers of it euery giddy heade wresting and wringing it to serue his owne deuise Wee shoulde haue Commissions to thatch houses withall I see if they might be our directors They are offended with the authoritie that her Maiestie dooth giue vnto her Commissioners for causes ecclesiasticall as beeing vnlawfull in that by vertue of that commission they may sende sometimes for offendors to appeare before them by purseuants and commit them to prison as occasion shal fall out and theyr faultes misdemeanors and contempts shall require But at Geneua the like authoritie in effecte is lawfull in their Eldership For there the Consistorie hath a Beadle sergeant or purseuant or as you lift to tearme him appoynted by the ciuill Magistrates to attende vppon it whose office is to call such before the Consistorie as the Aldermen shall appoynt him And for imprisoning of any offendors and contemptuous persons there is notany matter almost for the which they may call a man before them but one parte of the punishment of it by the lawes of the Cittie is imprisonment As if any when hee appeareth in the Consistorie or els where be so hardie as but to speake euill of any of the Ministers or misname them he is to be imprisoned Besides as I haue noted it before theyr Elders are alwayes of the Councell of state and seldome or neuer but they will bee sure to haue one of the foure Syndickes to bee of that bench So as together they raigne lyke Lordes in theyr Consistorie and who dare say My Lordes why doe you so If they direct imprisonment is but a small matter I speake not agaynst that order there let them vse it as they thinke good Only I see not why the worde of God should bee so bountifull to them and is so sparing to vs. In that by the orders of our Church and the laws of the Realme there is required of Ministers a subscription to her Maiesties lawfull authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes to the Articles of Religion and to the Communion booke c. greate quarrels haue beene raysed and many exceptions are taken against it Insomuch as one a wise man I warraunt you dooth ascribe all the daungers that haue beene complotted against her Maiesties person by the traitrous Papistes the dearth of corne the cause that we haue had such watching and warding by souldiers and lastly that the Spanyards would haue inuaded this land
preaching their exhorting and confirming of the weâ—ke brethren their baptising of children the rest of the duties mentioned as they might be suffered and accepted of wheresoeuer they came Examples of such Deacons and offices as here I haue spoken of we haue in the scriptures deliuered to vs by S. Luke wher he setteth down the actions of Steuen and Phillip both of theÌ„ Deacons how they preached how Phillip baptized and what is sayd of any one of them must be vnderstood of the rest Vnto these examples and for the further proofe of these premises I might adde the generall consent of all the ancient Fathers and the ordinary practise of all Churches either in theyr times or since especially for the continuall practise of the Priestly part of the Deacons office But as in times of dispersion they could not execute the other part consisting in collections distributions so afterwards God blessed his Church in such sort that indeed it needed not For when great men Lords Princes Kings and Emperours had embraced the doctrine of Christ so as men had the Gospell brought as it were home to their doores and might frequent with commendation the publicke assemblies and practise of religion and withall follow their owne trades and particular callings more diligently when also the saide great men Lordes Princes and Emperours besides many other well disposed Christians had prouided for the ministers and for the poor sufficient maintenaÌ„ce for the one partly by the tithes which are due vnto them and partly by other gifts according to their places and for the other that is the poor by setting them on worke such as were able by prouiding of hospitals and such like meanes for those that were impotent that part of the Deacons office became to be in time superfluous And since they haue applied themselues to the more materiall part of their office whereby they might obtaine the other good degree of Priesthood With these points I thought good to acquaint you before I came to the Disciplinary conceits about Deacons For euen now as though there were no prouision made either for the ministery or for the poore they are most instant for I know not what kind of Deacons But as therin they haue cut off themselues from the truth so are they at great disagreement one with another Our Englishe reformers are all of them peremptory that we must haue suche Deacons as they imagin were in the Apostles times But the GeneuiaÌ„ ministers do think their platform of discipline to be the paragoÌ„ of the world although they haue no such Deacons in it There is in Geneua an Hospitall whereof there are foure Proctors and ouerseers and these foure are with them in steed of Deacons For otherwise they haue not so much as the name of Deacons there By which rule if we shall square the pretended discipline we haue such officers already as may serue our turnes for Deacons vz. Proctors of Spitle-houses maisters and ouerseers of hospitals as sufficient honest and fit meÌ„ to execute their places as ther is any I assure my self in Geneua But peraduenture the matter which they shoot at is this They would haue an Hospitall in euery parish And yet there is no such thing at Geneua In al their whole Territory they haue but one hospitall Wel let Geneua therin do what it list our men will needs haue another kind of Deacons what kind is that Surely no such kind as was in the Apostles times But they know not indeed what they woulde haue The Deacons which our men doe require must not inter-meddle for a 1000. li. with any part of the office that belongeth to a minister Their deaconship in no case may be reckned to be a step to the ministery How beit som other meÌ„ as wise as learned as they are do hold a contrary opinioÌ„ First all the ancient fathers are generally against them in both the points mentioned so is the practise of the church of God euer since the Apostles times All the learned meÌ„ in Germanie for ought I find that maintaine the Augustane confessioÌ„ are against theÌ„ Yea what if some of their chiefe Captaines be against them The Deacons in Fraunce were once within these fewe yeares allowed to catechise publickly in theyr reformed Congregations And as yet one parte of their office is to go through families and to catechise them at home priuately To bee a Catechist with our men is the especiall dutie of their Doctor whom they make a Minister of the worde So as then there is no more difference in that respect betwixt their Doctorall minister and the French Deacons sauing that the one doth catechise publicklie and the other priuatelie If all this bee nothing then let vs heare Beza the Consistoriall oracle who turneth himselfe into euerie mans colours Truth is mightie and driueth men to their shiftes when hauing rashly ouershot themselues they will still to maintaine their credits impugne it Heare him I praie you how hee plaieth his prize It is saith hee absurde to thinke that Deacons had the office of preaching committed vnto them But in his confessions thus The office of pastors and Doctors is to preach and saye prayers vnder which duties I doe comprehend the administration of the sacraments and the blessing of mariages according to the perpetuall vse of the Church although oftentimes Deacons did supplye these thinges insteed of the Pastors Againe The fathers and late writers who supposed that the office of preaching did belong to Deacons decepti sunt were deceiued But in his annotations vppon the 1. of Tim. 3.9 That the Deacons must holde the misterie of faith thus DiaconoruÌ„ enim erant nonnullae etiaÌ„ in docendo partes quoties necesse fuisset vt ex Stephano et Philippo apparet the Deacons had also some thing to do in teaching when it was needfull as by the example of Steuen and Philip it is manifest Againe in his booke against D. Sarauia finding himselfe as I suppose to be preiudiced by his said annotation or hauing beene reproued for it by Cartwright c. or fearing some inconuenience that might ensue thereof hee would gladlye get him some startinge hole Cartwright to auiode the example of Steuen the Deacon saith in effect that he was no preacher but an Apologizer But Beza hath not learned that euasion as yet He hath another which is indeed as good as none at all Stephen the Deacon saith hee although hee was most worthy to be apreacher yet in that he was only a Deacon in the Church of Ierusalem he is not sayde to haue taught in the Church but in the Synagogues of the Iewes As it is nowe constantly helde our Church assemblies are the same in effect that the Iewes Synagogues were So as then bee-like Deacons may not preach in Cathedrall churches which I resemble to the temple of Hierusalem but they maie preach in Countrie parishes One of the places which Beza
therefore we confesse that their subiectes ought to obey their ciuile commaundements which may be kept without the breach of Gods law and that not onely for feare but also for conscience sake Thus farre Zanchius whose iudgement in this pointe will be esteemed of I suppose hereafter when all that either is or can be sayd by any man to the contrary will fall to the ground or vanish like smoake If it be saide that Zanchius writeth truely but that my allegation of his wordes is altogether impertinent for that the Bishops of Geneua had neuer any setled right in the ciuile gouernement of that citty I am not the man that will either iustify mine owne discretion or impugne any thinge which may bee brought for the ciuile proceedinges of that state or of any other so as they carry no false groundes of Diuinity with them which may prooue daungerous vnto our owne such as haue bene since published for the authorizing of subiectes in many cases to depose their Princes Christ refused to be a deuider of priuate mens inheritances and then surely it doth not become me to be a decider of any titles to countries citties or kingdomes I pray for all and will not further meddle with any Now it remaineth that hauing made relation vnto you of the premises as you haue heard I should also acquaint you more particularly with the alteration that was made at Geneua in the order and forme of the gouernemente of the Church Wherein you shall finde some greater variety both of actions and pollicy M. Beza speaking of the reformation of religion in that citty sayth that Christes Gospell was established there mirabiliter wonderously A wonder the common saying is doth last but nine dayes but that wonderfull course which he speaketh of will not bee forgotten I suppose in hast As you haue heard that the Bishop of Geneua was dealt withall for the principality of that City so was he vsed as touching his Bishopricke The Ministers cryed out that his Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction was as vnlawfull as his ciuile Wherevpon the Bishopricke was dissolued and that forme of Ecclesiasticall gouernement vtterly abolished whereby that citty had bene ruled in Church-causes from the time that first it receiued the profession of christianity Together with the ouerthrow of which Bishopricke all the orders constitution and lawes of the Church which had beene in framing by all the learned men in christendome euer since the Apostles times were at one stroake quite chopte of and wholy abrogated vnder pretence forsooth of the name of cannon lawes the popes lawes and I wot not what Wherein the ministers dealt as wisely in mine opinion as if some king succeeding fower or fiue of his predecessors whome he hated should therevpon ouerthrow all the lawes that eyther they or any other of his predecessors had euer made before him Maister Caluin being charged by some as it seemeth with the rashnesse which was vsed at Geneua in this point doth excuse it thus in effect vz. that they deale therein as men doe with rotten houses they ouerthrewe all the whole forme of ecclesiasticall building as once as it were into a rude heape out of the which they might the better make choyse and take of that olde stuffe as much as liked them to build withall againe afterward Indeede there are many builders in these dayes of such a kinde of humor Nothing will content them but that they build themselues And therein also they are very inconstant Now this must downe now that must vppe now this must bee chaunged and that must bee enlarged here the workemen mistooke me this is not in good proportion away with it I will haue this square chaunged into a rounde and this rounde altered into a square A fitter metaphore could not well haue beene found to haue shewed the vnstayed minds of such manner of reformers But to proceed The auncient forme of ecclesiasticall gouernement with all the Elders thereof being thus ouerturned as the citezens in the framing of their newe ciuill gouernement had an especiall eye to the manner of the ciuill gouernement of their neighbour citties and states adioyning so had both the magistrates and the ministers at the first also great regard of the ecclesiasticall pollicy in the same citties relying principally vppon their forme of Church-gouernement and vppon their orders and ceremonyes in that behalfe prouided But this Church Modell was also shortly after wholy misliked For the ministers perceiued that as they thought the ciuill magistrats had too great authorie giuen vnto them in church-causes that they themselues had a great deale too little Maister Caluin speaking of this manner of reformation calleth it but a correcting of the Church And Beza yeeldeth a reason why Farellus Viretus contented thēselues with such a simple Church-gouernement vz. in effecte to my vnderstanding not that they were ignorant what insufficiency there was in it but because in such a hurly burly and great chaunge of things they could haue no better and afterwardes when they woulde faine haue bettered themselues the rest of the ministers that should haue ioyned with them therein were fearefull to attempt so soone any new alteration The same yeare that Geneua was assaulted vz. 1 5 3 6. Maister Caluin came thether and was there admitted non concionator tantum hoc enim primum recusarat sed etiam sacrarum liter arum doctor not onely for their preacher for he had refused that before but also for a doctor of the holy scriptures In which place hee was scarcely warme when like a man of courage reiecting all feare hee tooke in hand to frame a new platforme for the gouernement of that Church or as Maister Bezaes word is ecclesiam componere to compound the Church being of likelyhood before in his opinion tanquam dissoluta scopa as a dissolute Chaos and vndigested bundell And in very short time hee did so farre prouaile therein as that hee caused the cittizens being assembled together to abiure their former popish gouernement as they termed it by Bishops and to sweare to a certaine draught of discipline paucis capitibus comprehensam comprehended as Beza saith vnder a fewe heades What the forme of this draught was I finde it not any where mentioned But whatsoeuer it was it appeareth that both he Farellus and Viretus so vsed themselues in the administration of it as that the rest of the ministers and the chiefest of the cittie grew quickly very weary of it For through their rough dealing in diuers pointes especially in opposing themselues against the orders of Berne before that time receiued there and particularly for their obstinate refusing to administer the Lordes supper with vnleauened bread according to a resolution giuen to that effecte by a Synode at Lausanna of the ministers of Berne which resolution since Beza calleth iniquissimum decretum for these and such like causes I say they were al three of them within nine monethes after
matter that much offended any for ought I find Marry the other deuise of making fiftie Frenchmen Citizens at a clappe did wonderfully trouble many It caused a present mutinie in the Citie and a great vprore the sparks whereof were neuer quenched as long as maister Caluin liued And thus you haue the birth and confirmation of the Consistoriall discipline with a deuise for the continuance of it collected for the most part out of such Epistles as Beza hath thought meete to publish for maister Caluins commendation If I should haue set them both downe as some others haue done who are no Papistes you should haue heard another manner of history But I like not to take thinges at the worst hand The trueth was it I sought for And I would not haue done that neither in this point but because certaine persons of the consistoriall humour doe daily vpon euery occasion still dash vs in the teeth with the orders of Geneua the discipline at Geneua and the Consistorie in Geneua as though that forme of discipline had come lately from heauen with an embassage from God that all the Churches in the worlde must frame and conforme themselues to the fashion of Geneua Which gaue me iust occasion in mine opinion to search as you haue heard into the secrets of that manner of Discipline to knowe indeede from whence it came whether it would who deuised it when and how it was planted at Geneua the first place that hatched and receaued it CHAP. III. By whose instigation and how the pretended Discipline of Geneua hath enlarged her iurisdiction IT was not long after that M. Caluin had obtained his desire as you haue heard in the former Chapter for the planting of the platforme of his pretended Discipline in Geneua when for the better backing of himselfe he procured maister Beza his especiall friend a man whom he knew to be of a very great courage wise learned and one wholly addicted to applaude to all manner of his procedinges to be likewise placed with him there And then being both together two such excellent men amongest a company of Artizans and Marchaunts what might they not compasse and bring to effect Frō the time that maister Caluin came first to Geneua 1536. and had gotten the allowance of his first draught of Discipline vz. 1537. hee grew daily more and more into liking with it especially after the fuller inlargement thereof 1541. when hee was restored againe to his place at Geneua But most of all when about the yeare 1554. hee hadde triumphed as it were the third time by the greater part of the voices of the ignorāt multitude and had also gotten maister Beza his applauder into his company then we may not maruaile if that his platforme so trauailed for seemed glorious vnto him In those daies when maister Caluin did first shew himselfe in his writinges against the Papists he was the onely man of especiall account of all the French nation Insomuch as all the rest of his countrey men that began more freely to professe the Gospell did principally in a manner depend vppon him especially after he had possession of his great authority in the Presbytery at Geneua For then by reason of the quiet estate of that Citty the free accesse and entertainement of such French-men as fledde thither for religion the want of sufficient men in other places of their owne countrey to giue aduise and Councell what was to be done in such distresses of the Church as then were vsuall and by reason of the fame ability learning and pollicy both of himselfe and of his assistant Maister Beza and likewise of their willingnesse or rather desire to intertaine all occasions of busying themselues the Citty of Geneua became in short time for their sakes to bee of great estimation in Fraunce He that shall read maister Caluins and maister Bezaes two bookes of Epistles and likewise the Commentaries of Fraunce with diuerse other discourses about those affaires and should withall giue any credit either to Heshusius Baldwinus Carpentarius or others mē learned all of them and some of them knowen Protestants would certainly maruaile to vnderstand into what actions and dealinges they thrust themselues of warre of peace of subiection how farre it extended of reformation without staying for the Magistrates of leagues of impositions and what not They writte their Letters to this state and that state to this Prince and that Duke to this king and that Emperour what their desire was should be done in such and such a matter Not like the persons either of Newington or Hitchin that I may vse Cartwrights examples of such Episcopall Seas as he alloweth of but rather like two Patriarches at the lest Generally for Church-matters they had ingrossed the whole managing of them into their handes And then you may easely gesse what fauour the pretended presbyteriall discipline was like to finde with them it being the onely pretence for all that their authoritie or whatsoeuer else they tooke vpon them to deale in And marke howe the oportunitie serued them The number of zealous professors in Fraunce daily increased who exempted themselues from the tyrannous commandementes of their Romish Bishops They had then no order or certain forme of Church gouernment how to proceede and behaue themselues in their religious assemblies And to haue framed it to any forraine platformes woulde haue stirred vp coales amongest them Nay it was not possible to haue been compassed Maister Caluin and Maister Beza sitting at their sterne So that it came no sooner in question what maner of ecclesiasticall regiment was meetest for those Churches but the forme of discipline vsed at Geneua was presently agreed vpon From which time you shall finde that the reformation of religion in Fraunce did wholly proceede after the rules of that kinde of discipline It was not sufficient to haue the exercise of religion but the Churches must vindicari in plenam libertatem be restored to her full libertie Synodes were held lawes were made and decrees were put in execution What orders then in request what ceremonies what manner of seruice what kinde of subiection what way to reforme religion but after the fashion of Geneua Which course of proceedinges together with the rules thereof diuerse well affected in religion did greatly mislike Maister Ramus had written a booke against it if Carpentarius say truely and I take him to be an authenticall authour because the late petitioner alledgeth him for the gouernement of his Elders tearming the fountaine thereof or the platforme of such a discipline Thalmud Sabaudicum the Sauoyan Thalmud and greatly reproouing the obtruding of it vppon the Churches of Fraunce Much more might heere be added and that out of their owne authentike writers of this disciplinarian canker how and by what meanes it spred it self in Fraunce and in some other Countries But I will passe that ouer and come to acquaint you how the same infection hath been transported from those coastes to
men had offered in the beginning to the Bishops to performe al due obedience vnto them if they would be content to reforme religion they were now againe constrained to make the same knowen more generally both to the Emperour and to all the sayd Princes still offering for their parts as much as they had done before and that if they would but cease to impose vppon them their intollerable burdens of single life of mens vnlawfull and wicked traditions which they did further specifie and to forbidde them to doe those things which God commaunded they should doe that then they would with all their hearts most willingly yeeld vnto their Episcopall iurisdiction and to the restoring of the same where it had beene abolished Vouchsafe I pray you to heare their owne testimonies to this purpose You shall thereby well perceaue that if they were now aliue in England and should finde their names so vsed as they are against the gouernment of our Bishops they would take it in very ill part and be heartily sory for it Thus the authors of the Augustane confession and all the learned men that haue subscribed thereunto in which nūber Caluin is cōprehended haue professed touching this matter The Bishops might easily retain the obedience due vnto them if they vrged vs not to keepe those traditions which wee cannot keepe with a good Conscience They impose a single life and will receaue none that will not swear neuer to teach the pure doctrine of the Gospell Againe we haue ofte protested that we doe greatly approoue the Ecclesiastical pollicy and degrees in the Church as much as lieth in vs doe desire to conserue them We doe not mislike the authoritie of Bishops so that they would not compell vs to doe against Gods commaundement Furthermore we doe here protest and wee would haue it so recorded that we would willingly preserue the Ecclesiasticall and Canonicall pollicy if the Bishops would cease to tyrannise ouer our Churches This our minde or desire shall excuse vs with all posterity both before God and all nations that it may not be imputed vnto vs that the authority of Bishops is ouerthrowen by vs. Besides I would to God saith Melanchthon I woulde to God it lay in me to restore the gouernment of Bishops For I see what a manner of Church we shall haue the Ecclesiasticall pollicy being dissolued Video postea multo intolerabiliorem futuram tyrannidem quà m antea vnquam fuit I doe see that hereafter will grow vp a greater tiranny in the Church then euer there was before Moreouer mira dissipatio erit Ecclesiarum ad posteritatem c. There will be a wonderfull confusion of Churches left to our posterity except they may now bee ioyned together againe and haue certain Bishops who may be enforced to gouerne the church and looke vnto them more diligently then in times past they haue beene looked vnto Againe by what right or law may we dissolve the Ecclesiasticall pollicy if the Bishops will grant vs that that in reason they ought to graunt Et vt liceat certe non expedit And if it were lawfull for vs so to doe yet surely it were not expedient Luther was euer of this opinion whom many for no other cause I see doe loue but for that they thinke they haue cast off their Bishops by means of him and haue obtained a liberty minimè vtilem ad posteritatem which will not be profitable for our posterity For tell me what estate will the Churches be in hereafter if all the olde orders be abolished and that there bee no certaine rulers ordained To the same effect also saith George Prince Anhalt Earle of Ascaine Lord of Sewest and Brewburge vtinam c. I would to God that those which carry the names and titles of Bishops would shew themselues to be Bishops in deede I wishe they would teach nothing that is disagreeable to the Gospell but rule their Churches thereby O quam libenter c. Oh how willingly and with what ioy of hart would we receaue them for our Bishops reuerence them obay them and yeeld vnto them their iurisdiction and ordination c. Id quod nos semper Dominus Lutherus etiam c which we alwaies and Maister Luther both in words and in his writings very often haue professed And Caluin himselfe writing to Cardinal Sadolet concerning the course that had beene held at Geneua as touching the reformation of Religion and in excuse thereof against his challenge doth shew himselfe to be of the same minde he was of when he subscribed to the said confession of Augusta professing that for his part he could haue beene well content that the Bishop there should haue kept his authority and iurisdiction still so that he woulde haue yeelded to the bannishment of Poperye For thus hee writeth Talem nobis Hierarchiam si exhibeant c. If they bring vnto vs such an Hierarchy or Priestly gouernment wherin the Bishops shall so rule as that they refuse not to submit themselues to Christ that they so depend vppon him as theyr only head and be content to referre themselues to him in which Priestlye gouernment let them so keepe brotherly society amongest themselues that they be knitte together by no other rule then by the truth then surely if there shall be any that shall not submitte themselues to that Hierarchy or Priestly gouernment reuerently and with the greatest obedience that may be I confesse there is no kinde of Anathema or curse or casting to the diuell whereof they are not worthy And againe in the same Epistle he vseth these wordes following tending to the great commendation of the authority of Bishops Statue quaeso c. Sette before your eyes I pray you the ancient face of the church as it was amongest the Grecians in Chrys. and Basils times and as it was amongest the Latinists when Cyprian Ambrose and Augustine liued and then behold the ruins of that face as now they are retained in the Church of Rome And there will appeare as great difference betweene them as the Prophets describe vnto vs betweene the excellent estate of the Church that flourished vnder Dauid and Salomon and that Church which in Zedechia and Ioachims dates was fallen into all kinde of superstition and had defiled altogether the purity of the worship of God This Epistle was written by Caluin to the Cardinal 1539. at such time as being remoued from Geneua he remayned at Strasburgh where hauing great acquaintance with Melanchthon Bucer and diuerse other learned men hee carried himselfe in such sort as was greatly to their likings Insomuch as whilest he remained at Strasburgh the Colloquies at Wormes and Ratisbone being appointed by the Emperour for the compounding of controuersies in Religion the learned men that were sent thither for the Protestants reckonned Caluin a meete man to take thither with them Which I thought good to obserue because hereby it will further
themselues are excepted Whereof it commeth that the very same proiect is made to the Lordes of her Maiesties most honourable Councell which was deuised by Beza for Scotland vz. that in place of the Bishops there might be present in the parliament house some wise and graue Ministers of especiall gifts learning sorted out of all the land to yeld their Councell according to Gods heauenly lawe euen as the ciuill Iudges are readie to giue their aduise according to the temporall law and for matters of greater difficultie But would they sitte there as the Iudges doe and haue no voices I take it they would scorne that greatly For I nothing doubt but if they were there they would account themselues the wisest in the companie And therefore it was more substantially considered of by him who penned a Supplication to her Maiestie and wished That foure and twentie Doctors of Diuinitie to be called by such names as it should please hir highnes might be admitted into the Parliament house and haue their voyces there in steade of the Bishops And would they bee called Lords if it pleased her Maiestie for the honour of that house to appoynt it so Their wordes doe import so much and I make no doubt of it but that to gratifie her highnesse they would bee content to humble themselues so farre In the hope which they haue conceiued to ouerthrow the state of Bishoppes and to haue their deuise allowed of and established in the lande they inueigh most bitterly against the Bishoppes and the Conuocation house misliking that the dealing in ecclesiasticall causes should bee committed vnto them in sorte as now it is affirming that the liberties of the Parliament are thâ—reby betrayed and that it appertaineth to that Court to order matters of religion But what if the Bishops were excluded and none admitted into the Conuocation house but such as they woulde chuse from amongst themselues how then Indeed saith the Supplicator If the Conuocation house were such as it ought to bee c. then were it not lawfull for the Parliament to establish any thing in the matters appertaining to the pure worship of God but by theyr direction Which is this in effect if I vnderstand them that the Parliament should prouyde theyr new pretended gouernours of sufficient maintenance and set vp theyr Eldershippes and then enact it likewise that whatsoeuer they should ordaine in their assemblies and meetings for the time to come concerning Church causes should be in full strength and for euer obeyed vntill it might please them to make some alteration Which is the point that Knox aymed at in his Exhortation to England wherein for the good instruction of her Maiesties subiectes he sendeth them from Geneua these Allobrogicall rules That the pretended discipline ought to bee set vp that all Princes ought to submit themselues vnder the yoke of it that what Prince King or Emperour shall disanull the same he is to be reputed Gods enemie and to be helde vnworthie to raigne aboue his people and then sayth if such order were once established as there he prosecuteth and the discipline well executed accordingly theyr yearely comming to the Parliament for matters of religion shall bee superfluous and vayne And this also is playne by Cartwrights newe forme of discipline subscribed vnto by himselfe and his fellowes Which forme they haue auowed vppon theyr oathes to bee such as that they purposed to haue beene suitors to her Maiestie for the generall establishing of it In which their purpose if once they may preuayle there shall neuer Parliament bee troubled againe in matters of religion otherwise then as I sayde for making of lawes that the people may obey their orders For the whole gouernement is there ascribed vnto their Elderships other assemblies insomuch as the ciuill Magistrate is not once mentioned in it It is well knowne how vehement they haue been and still continue against the now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury in that he is one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Councell accounting it vnlawful for a Bishop or Minister of the worde to holde anie such roome and authoritie And yet notwithstanding it is greatly allowed of liked that Beza in Geneua should be one of the Councel of that state there one of the threescore and they admit not anie into theyr Consistory so much as the meanest of their Aldermen but hee must bee eyther a Syndicke or one of the Councell of threescore or one of the Councell of two hundreth Now I cannot possibly be brought to thinke that the worde of God should deale so partially but that it may bee as lawfull heere as there if it please her Maiestie to haue a Bishop to bee one of her most honourable Councell It is apparant in the former Chapiter what little account they make of generall Councels The best are censured by them and reprooued It is not well borne by Cartwright that the Councell of Nice should be tearmed a famous Councell And for other Councels or Synodes they are scarcely reckoned to bee worthie the mentioning If you presse one of that forte with the authoritie of them all though hee be not thirty yeares of age hee will not sticke to make a tush at them and tell you that himselfe is of another opinion No decrees made by them will bind these fellowes And as touching our owne nationall Synodes and Parliaments they are prosecuted with the greatest contempt The reformation of religion made by that authoritie is tearmed a deformation The articles of religion are misliked in diuers points The Iniunctions Aduertisements Canons Orders Ceremonies and all thinges in a manner are despised by them For they are but mens preceptes forsooth euery man must trie them and keepe or allowe what he list at the least if hee will but pretend that hee dooth it of conscience Howbeit if they may haue once authoritie to establish their Elderships and to meete together in theyr classicall prouinciall or nationall assemblies there to make such lawes and orders as they shall thinke good then see I praye you how they chaunge theyr song Touching my departure from that holy assembly without leaue c. Icraue pardon Holy assembly It was a Conuenticle in London about the yeare 1584. I am ready to runne if the Church commaund according to the holy decrees and orders of discipline Holy decrees and orders The matter was for his going into the Lowe Countries with the Earle of Leicester and for his absence from his benefice To the determination of a nationall Synode men shall stande as it was at Ierusalem except it bee in a great matter of fayth or a great matter expressely against the Scriptures It was agreede vppon in the Northampton classis that concerning any matters of doctrine or about the sense of any place of Scriptures the brethren within that compasse must stande to the determination of that clâ—ssis And these are the