nec iniunxit Dominus ergo illi placere acceptus esse non potest Ceremoniarum autem ratio longè alia est Nec enim dicere licebit de ceremonijs istis in Scriptura nihil proditum est ergo ceremonijs istis vsi non sunt quod ipsum in exemplo divae virginis Apostolorum abundè satis demonstratum est We reade in no place of the holy Scripture that the Apostles weare baptized saue onely that mention is made of two in S. Iohn Where for all that the same is not plainely expressed but obscurely infinuated If therefore wee shall follow your manner and denie all things which are not conteyned in the holy scriptures then certes we shall bee compelled to graunt that neither the blessed Virgin Marie nor the Apostles them selues were euer baptized which doubtlesse is a strange assertion and farre from all pietie and religion But touching doctrines of Faith and those things which informe our faith the inward mā we must ever vse this as a present preseruatiue what God hath not cōmanded vs to beleeue to beleeue that is not necessarie to our saluation Our Lord neither appointed nor inioyned this kinde of worship therfore it can neither please nor bee acceptable to him But touching ceremonies the case is farre different For wee may not say there is no mention made of these Ceremonies in the Scripture therefore the Apostles vsed them not which thing is prooued abundantly by the example of the blessed Virgin and of the Apostles Out of this must excellent discourse I obserue these worthy documents First that all things necessarie for our saluation are comprised in the holy Scriptures Secondly that many other things necessarie for Church-gouernment are receiued by tradition Thirdly that it is not a good Argument to reason after this manner there is no mētion of these things in the Scriptures therfore the Apostles vsed them not or therefore they are not lawfull This doctrine is agreeable to Saint Austins rule who calleth it insolent madnes to withstand and contradict that which is receiued by the custome of the whole Church Yea it is consonant to S. Pauls practise against the malapert saucinesse of contentious persons CHAP. XI Of the Presbyterie and Seignorie SOme otherwise learned doe this day labour with might and maine to proue that our English church ought to be gouerned with a Presbyterie that is with Pastors Teachers Laicall vnpriested Elders and Deacons These 4. as they contend are the lawfull Gouernors of euery particular congregation Pastors and teachers for procuring the aduancement of the faith of the Church Elders for the censure of their conuersation and life and Deacons for the comfort of the poore That that the truth of this controuersie of which many talke but very few vnderstand it aright may be laide open to the indifferent Reader I haue thought it good to proceed therein by way of Propositions The 1. Proposition THat kinde of gouernment which may bee altered for the circumstances of times places and persons is neither necessarie nor perpetuall But the gouernment by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons if euer there were any such kind of gouernment in the Christian world may be altered and chaunged Ergo it is neither necessarie nor perpetuall the Argument is in forme and the Proposition most cleare euident to euery childe The difficultie or doubt if there be any resteth in the assumption But I haue prooued it at large where I disputed of the Churches authoritie in things indifferent Yea there was a time euen in the dayes of the Apostles when the Church had no Deacons There was also a time euen in the dayes of the same Apostles when the Church had no vnpriested or vnpreaching Elders Who so readeth seriously the Acts of the Apostles and S. Pauls Epistles can not bee ignorant in this behalfe The 2. Proposition CHrist did not translate the Sanhedrim Synedrion or Consistorie of the Iewes vnto his Church in the newe Testament I proue it first because both their lesse kinde of Sanhedrim and their great as they did afterward diuide it was onely in one place for all the Realme viz. First at Sylo then at Hierusalem their chiefe citie vntill the worst and last alterations therein but the seekers of the newe English Presbyterie would haue the like if not the very same to bee erected in euery congregation Againe in both Consistories of the Iewish Sanhedrim aswell in the greater of the 70 as in the lesser of the 23. they were all either Priests or Doctors of the Lawe the King and the Peeres of the Realme only excepted Thirdly then Sanhedrim had partly politicall partly eclesiastical iurisdiction both together but our Presbyters haue onely ecclesiasticall seeing as they graunt to be Iudges in ciuill places is onely the Office of the ciuill Magistrate The 3. Proposition THe English supposed Presbyterie is not compatible with a Christian Monarchie but must perforce despoyle her and bereaue her of her royall soueraignitie I proue it because the sayd Presbyterie challengeth vnto her selfe all authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall the supreme ouer-sight of which causes pertaineth to the ciuill Magistrate as is already proued The 4. Proposition THE English desired Presbyterie is not grounded vpon the word of GOD. I proue it because the Scriptures alledged by the Patrons thereof doe conclude no such matter The Textes are fiue in number being all that any way seeme to make for their purpose The first is out of the Gospell tell the Church To this Text I answere in this manner First that wee for the true meaning of this portion of Scripture will giue credite to Saint Chrysostome and the rest of the auncient Fathers The Church to which this complaint must bee made doth signifie the Bishops and gouernours of the Church who according to all generall Councels auncient Canons and the continuall practise of the Church were euer to this day reputed acknowledged and taken for the Church representiue Secondly that if we will be ruled by M. Calvins censure Christ doth not here say any thing of the church of the New Testament but alludeth to the order of the Church of the Iewes Thirdly that by the iudgement of the graue and learned writer M. Bullinger a great Patron of the Presbyterie Christ speaketh here of the whole congregation and not to a fewe persons of whom consisteth the supposed Presbyterie And this exposition is so agreeable to the Text as none with right reason can denie the same Yea this sense is indeed agreeable to the verdict of S. Chrysostome and of all the auncient Fathers and to the continuall practise of the Church in all ages These are M. Bullingers wordes Quamobrem hinc efficitur ecclesiam habere potestatem mandatum eligendiministros Hoc autem facere potest veltota ecclesia vel fidi homines ab ecclesia ad hoc electi prout commodius vtilius ad pacem
him Loe S. Luke speaketh not in the preterperfect tense or preterplusperfect tense who hath or had bene one of the seaueÌ„ Deacons but he saith in the present tense who is euen now one of the seauen For so the Originall Greeke word ontos must needs be expressed seing it is a participle of the present time or time euen now beeing And the holy Fathers together with the practise of the church haue euer so vnderstood this text of Scripture Saint Epiphanius deliuereth his minde in these plaine tearmes Omnes verò praeter ipsum susceperunt magnorum A. postolorum praesentians per impositionem manuum ipsorum acceperunt Spiritum sanctum Nam quum Philippus Diaconus esset non habebat potestatem imponendi manus vt per hoc daret Spiritum sanctum They all hee onely excepted receyued the presence of the mightie Apostles and by imposition of their hands they enioyed the holy Ghost For Philip being a Deacon onelie had not power to impose hands thereby to giue the holy Ghost S. Austen hath these expresse words Iterum multum distare inter Diaconum sacerdotem liber approbat queÌ„ dicimus actus Apostolorum Cumn ex Samaria credidissent Philippo praedicanti Diacono ab Apostolis ordinato miserunt inquit ad eos Petrum Ioannem vt venirent his qui crederâ—t darent spiritum sanctum per manus impositionem Again the booke which wee call the Acts of the Apostles prooueth that a Deacon differeth much from a Priest For when they of Samaria had beleeued the preaching of Philip the Deacon ordeined of th' Apostles they sent saith the booke Peter and Iohn vnto them that they might giue the holy Ghost by imposition of hands to those that did beleeue Thus wee see the iudgement of S. Epiphanius and S. Austen who both iointly affirme Philip to haue bene but a Deacon and yet to haue baptized and preached Yea Maister Gualter Maister Aretius and the Magaeburgenses doe all constanthe and vniformely contest the same truth with the auncient Fathers and continuall custome of the Church in all ages They write plainely that although Deacons were chieflie occupied about the dispensation of the churches goods yet did they employe their labours so far forth as they might in the other ministeries of the church The fourth member of Deacons promoted to Priesthood The Church of England is charged to doe against the word of God while shee vseth to make one and the same person first a Deacon and afterward a Priest To which calumnie I answere in briefe in this manner First that it is not against the word of God but very consonant and altogether agreable to the same For no Scripture can bee alleadged to prooue that a Deacon maye not become a Priest Maister Caluin affirmeth constantly that Philippe was first a Deacon and afterward an Euangelist Priest or pastorall elder Secondly that the church of England vsing the Deaconshippe as a steppe or degree vnto Priesthood doth nothing against the iudgement of the auncient Fathers but followeth the vsuall practise of the church in all ages The reason hereof is and euer was this viz. that there might be some time of try all of their behauiour in the Deaconshippe before they were or could bee admitted to the order of Priesthood No Councell no Father no hystorie Ecclesiasticall no time no place no person since the Apostolike age can be named to the contrary To the continuall practise of the Church from age to age th' Apostles words may sitly be applied when he saith the deacons that haue ministred well get themselues a good degree For sun 〈…〉 writer of high esteem in the church do 〈…〉 the word Degree a steppe vnto the 〈…〉 or Priesthood This notwithstanding it is not of necessitie that euery Deacon become a Priest by any canon or constitution of the church For his behauiour in the Deaconship may be such that the church will deeme him vnmeete to be preferred vnto Priesthood And therefore I conclude with these words of S. Hierome Et si scripturae authoritas non subesset totius orbis in hanc parteÌ„ consensus instar praecepti obtineret NaÌ„ multa alia quae per traditioneÌ„ in Ecclesijs obseruantur authoritateÌ„ sibi scriptae legis vsurpauerunt Although they were no authoritie in Holy Scripture yet should the consent of all the Christian worlde haue the force and strength of a law in this behalfe For many other things which the church obserueth by tradition are become equiualent to the written law Loe S. Hierome affirmeth boldly constantly as do also S. Augustine M. Caluin and others as I haue already prooued that the custome tradition of the church must bee in steede of a lawe vnto Christians Which euer is to be vnderstood in things not repugnant to the word of God or as M. Caluin speaketh which are neyther partes of doctrine nor necessarie to saluation The fyfth member of the generall confession made by priuate persons in the Church The Patrons of the expected Eldership or Presbyterie exclame against the booke of common prayer because it giueth libertie to the Laycall communicants to make a generall confession of their sinnes before the congregation then present as if therby the Laicall communicants should presently become publique ministers of the church To these men I answere in this manner first that they seeme to theÌ„selues to be the onely wise men in the worlde to condemne all the rest of follie For otherwise they would not so roundly peremptorily take vpon themselues and that without either Scripture Councell or Father nay without all time or reason to controll condemne the book of publique praier which I verily think to haue bene composed by the assistance of the Holy Ghost consequently to condemne all the ancient Byshops those glorious martyrs of our Lord Iesus the most famous Byshop of Sarisburie the Iewell of England in his time the Byshops that now liue who are both wise vertuous learned all the residue of the learned Cleargie of this our English Church Secondly that by their grosse assertion ioyned with a most vnchristian reprehension the lowly Publican highly commended in the Gospell should bee made a Minister of the Church or haue intruded him himself into the function of publique Ministerie when hee knocked vppon his breast said O God be mercifull to me a sinner Thirdly that by the same reason the notorious sinners which were put to open penance in the primitiue Church and confessed their faults before the congregation should bee in the same predicament Fourthlie that publique penitents this daye who are for all that approoued of the Patrons of the Presbyterie should be caught in the same nette Fyftlie that the same may bee saide of Women singing Psalmes in the Church and that with more probabilitie who for all that are approoued in so doing not onely in this Church of England but
and best learned of the church as also of the common-weale of England vntill these last and worst dayes in which some fewe young Doctors of small reading haue audaciously taken vpon them to censure both our church and Kingdome in that behalfe 2. that it is noe small sinne for the inferiour to disobey the Lawe of his superiour in indifferent things of which sort and order is euery oath clad with circumstances to this case appertaining as it may euidently be prooued by the testimonie of the best both olde and moderne Writers It were enough for tryall hereof to call to minde what is alreadie Written But for better satisfaction of the friendly Reader I am content to alledge their testimonies whose iudgements the male-contents themselues will easily admit Maister Beza hath these expresse wordes Res alioqui per se mediae mutant quodammodo naturam quum aliquo legitimo mandato vel praecipiuntur vel prohibentur quia neque contra iustum praeceptum omitti possunt si praecipiantur neque contra interdictum fieri si prohibeantur Sequitur si n. conscientias propriè solus deus ligat tamen quatenus vel magistratus qui dei minister est iudicat interesse reip vt quippiam alio qui per se licitum non fiat vel ecclesia ordinis decori adeoque aedificationis rationem habens leges aliquas de rebus medijs ritè condit eiusmodi leges pijs omnino sunt observandae eatenus conscientias ligaÌ„t vt nemo sciens prudens rebellandi animo possit absque pece cato velfacere qua it a prohibentur vel omittere quae praecipiuntur Things otherwise of themselues indifferent doe after a sort change their nature so soone as by any lawfull precept they are either commaunded or prohibited because they neither can be omitted against a iust mandate if they be commaunded neither yet be done against an interdict when they are forbidden For albeit God alone doth properly bind the conscience yet for all that when the Magistrate being Gods minister iudgeth it expedient for the publique weale that a thing otherwise of it selfe lawfull be not done or the Church hauing respect to order and comlinesse and consequently to edification ordaineth lawes touching things indifferent then such Lawes must be altogether obserued of the godly and they so farre bind the consciences that no man can wittingly and willingly with a rebellious minde either doe the things so forbidden or omit the things so coÌ„manded but he shall thereby become guiltie of sinne Maister Martyr hath these wordes Quare hand nos latere oportet c. Wherefore we must not be ignorant that in the church there be three vertues of traditions Some of them are euidently deduced and gathered out of the Scriptures And touching this kinde all the faithful are bound to communicate together Other some are wholy repugnant to the word of God they must be reiected by what authoritie so euer they be obtruded And there be a third sort of traditions which we may call neutrall or indifferent because they are neither contrary to Gods word nor yet necessarily ioyned thereunto In which last kind we must obey the church three cautions being obserued First that they be not obtruded as a part of Gods worship or peculiar holinesse but as pertaining to order the ciuill commoditie of the church to comlinesse in diuine actions for all things are contained sufficiently in the holy Scriptures which pertaine to Gods worship and holinesse Secondly that they be not reputed so necessarie but that they may be changed if time so require Let the church keepe her interest in these indifferent things to appoint what shall bee thought most necessarie and meete to edifie the faithfull Last of all let not Gods people be burdened with too great a multitude of them Thus writeth this learned man The Churches in Heluetia in their confession of their faith after a long discourse of rites and things indiffeâ—â—nt added these wordes Semper vero ecclesiae in huiusmodiritibus sicut medijs vsae sunt libertate id quod nos quoque facimus The Churches in such rites as in things indifferent haue euer vsed their libertie which libertie our selues also challenge The Churches in Svevia in their confession haue these wordes Tales multas sanè ecclesia hodie iure obseruat pro occasione quoque condit novas quas qui reiecerit is non hominum sed dei cuius traditio est quaecunqus vtilis est auctoritatem contemnit Many such traditions the Church this day obserueth aright and as occasion requireth she appointeth and maketh new ones which new orders whosoeuer shal reiect he contemneth the authoritie not of men but of God Out of these testimonies of these famous godly zealous and most learned writers I obserue these golden lessons First that things of their own nature indifferent doe after a sort change their nature so soone as they be coÌ„manded to be done or left undone by the setled lawes of the Church Secondly that they bind the consciences of all persons subiect to the Churches iurisdiction so far and in such sort that they caÌ„not at any time or in any place transgresse the same without great sinne if such transgression be ioyned and annexed either to scandall or contempt Thirdly that whosoeuer reiecteth such lawes and ordinances of the Church contemneth the authoritie of God not of men Fourthly that he sinneth grieuously who either doth the things which the Church prohibiteth or omitteth the things which she commandeth to be done so long as her commandements remaine within the limits of things indifferent which she appointeth for order decencie and the common good of the Church I answere thirdly that the Church hath authoritie to impose euery lawfull ordinance and constitution which she deemeth profitable for the Church vpon euery person subiect to her iurisdiction This point is sufficiently proued alreadie both in this present Chapter and in many others throughout this discourse So that henceforth one onely thing remaineth for me to proue viz. That to minister the oath ex officio whereby one is bound to accuse himselfe is either a thing lawfull of it selfe or else Adiaphoron and a thing indifferent of it owne nature I attempt the proofe Euery thing is either good of it selfe as God the author and giuer of all goodnesse or euill of it selfe as the blaspheming of God or indifferent of it owne nature as golde money oyle wine and such like Now if the oath ex officio be good in it selfe then doubtlesse the Church may minister it to her subiects with out offence None that hath sence or reason will or can for shame denie the same Againe if it be Adiaphoron a thing of it owne nature indifferent then it is likewise in the power and libertie of the Church to impose the same vppon euery member within her iurisdiction This is so sufficiently proued as no deniall can bee made thereof It
nor against good manners may be indifferently obserued for their societie amongst whom we doe conuerse In the same Epistle the same holy Father telleth vs Saint Ambrose his iudgement concerning the varietie of fasting These are his wordes Cum RomaÌ„ venio ieiuno sabbato cum hic sum non ieiuno sic etiam tu ad quam sortè ecclesiam veneris eius morem serva si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquaÌ„ tibi WheÌ„ I come to Rome saith Saint Ambrose I fast on Satterday when I am here at Millan I doe not fast Euen so must you doe when you come to any other Church you must doe after the manner of that Church if you will neither scandalize others nor haue others to scandalize you Heere is a most golden rule how to behaue our selues in things indifferent viz to conforme our selues to the time place and persons when where and with whom we doe conuerse If our brethren would seriously ponder and duly weigh this golden aduise of this holy Father they would abandon all contention doubtlesse about the signe of the Crosse the Surplesse and such like indifferent things and for that dutie which they owe vnto the magistrate whom they are bound to obey in all lawfull things euen for conscience sake they would conforme themselues to his lawes and their brethren and not to scandalize the whole Church as they doe To this graue testimonie of Saint Austen and Saint Ambrose it shall suffice for the second reason to adde this memorable obseruation viz. that our brethren who labour so busily to enforce vs violently to receiue their newe discipline are not able to make demonstration to vs either out of the Scriptures or generall Councels or the holy fathers or ecclesiasticall histories that any Church in the Christian world from two hundred yeares before the famous Councell of Nice vntill maister Caluins daies that is for the space of a thousand foure hundred yeares together to say nothing of former times had either the same newe discipline in practise or any pastors made after their manner Which if it cannot be done they wil I doubt not after mature delibration had therein confesse willingly and truly at least in their hearts that in this Church of England there is this day a lawfull ministerie consisting of lawfull Ministers and Bishops according to the practise of the Church in all ages The third reason drawne from the vniforme consent of best approued late writers MAister Caluin hath a very large and learned discourse of this question some part whereof shall suffice at this present These are his wordes Quia autem in externa disciplina ceremonijs non valuit sigillatim praescribere quid sequi debeamus quod illud pendere a temporum conditione provideret ne que iudicaret vnam seculis omnibus formam convenire confugere hic oportet ad generales quas dedit regulas vt ad eaâ— exigantur quaecunque ad ordinem decorum praecipi necessitas ecclefiae postulabit Postremò quia ideo Nihil expressuÌ„ traeâ— didit quianec ad salutem haec necessaria sunt en prc moribus vniuscuiusque gentis ac seculi varie accommodari debent ad ecclesiae aedificationem provt ecclesiae vtilit as requiret tam vsitatas mutare abrogare quam novas instituere conveniet Fateor equidem non temerè nec subinae nec levibus de causis ad novationem esse decurrendum Sed quid â—oceat vel aedificet charit as optimè iudicabit quam si moderatriceÌ„ esse patiemur salva erunt omnia But because in externall discipline and ceremonies hee would not particularly prescribe what wee ought to followe because he foresaw that this depended vpon the state and condition of the time and did not deeme one maner to be agreeable to all ages here we must haue recourse to his generall rules giuen vs and make triall by them of what things soeuer the necessrie of the Church shall require for order and comelinesse Lastly because hee therefore deliuered nothing expressely for that they are not necessarie to saluation but must be applied diuersly to the benefit of the Church as the manners of euery nation doe require it shall therefore be convenient as well to chaunge and abolish the olde ceremonies as to institute newe as the good of the Church shall require I confesse freely that we must not vse innouation neither rashly nor often nor vpon light occasions But what shall bee hurtfull or profitable charitie shall best discerne which if we shall suffer to rule vs euery thing shall be well The same author in an other place hath these wordes Ego autem non nego quin aliquae fuerint apostolorum traditiones non scriptae sednon concedo fuisse doctrinae partes nec de rebus ad salutem necessarijs Quidigitur quae pertinerent ad ordinem poluiam Scimus n. vnicuique ecclesiae liberum esse politiae formam instituere sibi aptam vtilem quae dominus nihil certipraescripserit But I denie not that the Apostles deliuered some traditions which are not written Yet I doe not grant that they were either parts of doctrine or necessary to saluatioÌ„ What were they then doubtlesse such as pertained to pollicy and order For we knowe that euery Church hath her fredome and libertie to institute and ordaine such a kind of pollicie discipline as shall be thought meet profitable for the same because our Lord prescribed no certaine rule therein The same author in an other place hath these words Altos omnes ritus illic non vsitatos noÌ„ tantùm restuebant sed andactèr etiam damnabant Talis morosit as deterrima est pestis quum morem ecclesiae vnius volumus provnivsrsali lege valere They did not onely refuse all other ceremonies not vsed in that place but did also malepertly condemne them Such Morositie is a most noysome plague when wee will make the manner and discipline of one onely Church to be a generall rule for all Thus writeth this learned Doctor Out of whose wordes I may truly gather so much as will euidently make good the question I have in hand For First he telleth vs plainly that the holy Apostle did not set downe any certaine rule or lawe concerning things indifferent Secondly that hee lest that freedome and libertie to the Church and that for this ende and purpose because forsooth he foresaw in his wisedome that such things depended vpon the condition of times and that one manner of discipline was not conuenient to all places and persons Thirdly that euery Church may either chaunge her olde ceremonies or institute new as the necessitie of the Church requireth Fourthly that charitie is the best rule to follow herein and that euery thing is lawfull which is agreeable to the same Which rule S. Augustine appointed before him as I haue proued already Fiftly that the Church hath received many vnwritten
traditions concerning the discipline order and government of the Church Sixtly that it is free and lawfull for euery Church to appoint ordaine and constitute that kind of pollicie discipline government which is most sit profitable for the same And the reason hereof is yeelded to be this because our Lord Iesus hath prescribed no setled law therein but hath left all indifferent things to the libertie of his Church Seuenthly that there can no greater plague come to the Church then to tye all Churches to one kinde of externall government Zanchius teacheth the selfe same doctrine euen in the same words Petrus Martyr after he hath distributed traditions into three orders shewing one kinde to bee expressed in the Scriptures an other plaine repugnant to the same the third neither contrary to the word of GOD neither necessarily affixed vnto it addeth these expresse words Sunt nonnullae traditiones quas neutras appellare libuit quod verbo deinec adversentur nec illinecessariò cohaereant inquibus mos ecclesiae gerendus est tribus interposit is cautionibus Primùm videndum est ne obtrudantur quasidei cultus deculiar is quaedam sanctimonia quandcquidem potius recipiendae sunt adordinum conservandum civilem ecclesiae commoditatem atque sacrarum actionum decorum alioquin in sacris literis luculentèr habemus descripta quaead sanctitatem cullum dei coÌ„ducunt Praeterea cavere oportet ne quaesic traduÌ„tur it a putemus necessaria vt pro tempore amoveri non possint Servetur ecclesiae suum ius de his medijs vt quoadilla statuat quicquid viderit magis adificationem credentium promovere Consideretur demùm saepiùs nimijs traditionibus ceremonijs in immensum auct is populum Christi sic gravari vt tantum non obruatur There bee some traditions which may bee termed uentrall or indifferent for that they neither are against Gods word neither doe they necessarily cohere with it In which ceremonies the Churches constitution must bee obeyed if three cautions doe concurre First that they bee not obtruded as Gods worship or peculiar holinesse but as pertaining to order and the ciuill commoditie of the Church and to comlinesse in divine actions otherwise all things are sufficiently comprised in the holy Scriptures which pertaine to holinesse and gods worship Secondly we must beware that they be not reputed so necessarie that they cannot be chaunged as the time requireth Let the Church keepe her interest and libertie in these indifferent things to appoint what shall be thought most necessarie to the edifying of the faithfull Lastly let it bee well remembred that the multitude of Ceremonies doth often so annoy the people that they are almost vndone therewith M. Beza hath these words Quoniam multitudo plerumque impirita est intractabilis maior pars saepè meliorem vincit ne in democratia quidem leguimè constituta omnia permissa sunt â—ffraeni vulgo sed constituti sunt ex populi consensu certi magistratus qui plebi praeâ—ant inconditam multitudinem regant Quod sihaec prudentia in negotijâ— humanis requiritur multò sanè magis opus est certa moderatione in ijs rebus in quibus homines prorsus caecutiunt neque causa est cur quisquam sani iudiâ—ij homo clamitet nullum hic esse prudentiae locum nisi hanc prudentiam de qua loquor ostendat cum deiverbo pugnare quod sanè non arbitror Neque n. simplicitèr spectandum quid sit ab Apostolis factum in politia ecclesiastica quum diversissimae sint circumstantiae ac proinde absque Cacozelia non possint omnia omnibus locis ac temporibus ad vnam candeÌ„que formam revocari sed potius spectandus est eorum finis scopus invariabilis ea deligenda forma ac ratio rerum agendarum quae rectè eò à educat Because the multitude is for the most part ignorant and intractable and the greater part doth often times prevaile against the better all things are not euen in a popular state lawfully appointed committed to the vnbridled multitude but certain Magistrates are appointed by the peoples consent to guide rule and gouerne them If this wisedome be required in wordly affaires much more is a moderation to be had in those matters in which men are altogether blinded Neither is there any cause why any man of sound iudgement shall exclaime that in such matters there is no place for pollicie except hee can shewe this pollicie whereof I speake to be repugnant to the word of GOD which I am perswaded he can never doe For we must not simply looke what the Apostles did in ecclesiasticall pollicie and Church-gouernment seeing there is so great varietie of circumstances that a man cannot without preposterous zeale reduce all things in all places and times to one and the same forme in doing things which leadeth the right way to the same Thus writeth Maister Beza who hath many like periods to the like effect which I omit in regard of brevitie Out of these words I note first that the Church is not so strictly bound to the practise of the Apostles that she must alwayes follow the same in these Adiaphorôis Secondly that the Church in things indifferent hath power to make any Lawes which are not repugnant to the word of God Which point I would haue the Reader to ponder seriously because it is very emphaticall and of great moment Thirdly that all Churches cannot haue one and and the same kind of government because the circumstances of times places and persons will not suffer it Fourthly that the Church in all the lawes and constitutions must chiefly respect the peaceable government of the people Hieronymus Zanchius is consonant to the other Doctors while he writeth in this manner De ritibus ceremonijs in ecclesia servandis eadem pietas eccle siarum aedificatio flagitat ne nimis acritér quasi pro aris focis vt dici solet sit aimicatiâ— disceptetur sed singulis ecclesijs lâ—beri relinquantur quemadmodum ettam in veteri ecclesia factum fuisse apud Socratem alios ecclesiasticos scriptoreâ— legimus Quibus ae rebus in genere probamus atque amplectimur vtramque epistolam Augustini ad Ianuarium Haec n. faciunt ad ecclesiae aedificationem Touching Rites and Ceremonies to bee obserued in the Church the same pietie and edifying of the Church requireth that wee contend not too biterly as if it were for matters of great moment but that euery Church haue her libertie therein as we reade in Socrates and other ecclesiasticall writers that it was the olde custome of the Church Of which things in generall we allow and embrace both the Epistles which Austin wrote to Ianuarius For these things tend to the edification of the Church The same Zanchius in an other place hath these words Interea tamen non improbamus patres quodiuxta variam tum verbi dispensandi tum