The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Preface – Table of contents

The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity · Preface – Table of contents

A Preface. To them that seeke (as they tearme it) the reformation of Lawes and orders Ecclesiasticall, in the Church of ENGLAND.

THough for no other cause,The cause and occasion of handling these things: and what might be wished in them for whose sakes so much paine is taken. yet for this; that posteritie may knowe wee hauehave not loosely through silence permitted thinges to passe away as in a dreame, there shall be for mens information extant thus much concerning the present state of the Church of God established amongst vsus, and their carefull endeuour which would hauehave vpheld the same. At your hands beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ (for in him the louelove which we beare vntounto all that would but seeme to be borne of him, it is not the sea of your gall and bitternes that shall euer drowne) I hauehave no great cause to looke for other then the selfesame portion & lot, which your maner hath bene hitherto to lay on them that concur not in opinion and sentence with you. But our hope is, that the God of peace shal (notwithstanding mans nature too impatient of contumelious maledictiō) inable vsus quietly and euē gladly to suffer al things, for that worke sake which we couet to perform. The wonderful zeale and feruour wherewith ye hauehave withstood the receiued orders of this Church, was the first thing which caused me to enter into consideration, whether (as all your published bookes and writings peremptorily maintain) eueryevery Christian man fearing God, stand bound to ioyne with you for the furtherance of that which ye tearme the Lords Discipline. Wherin I must plainly confesse vntounto you, that before I examined your sundrie declarations in that behalfe, it could not settle in my head to thinke, but that vndoubtedly such nūbers of otherwise right wel affected & most religiously enclined minds, had some maruellous reasonable inducementes which led thē with so great earnestnes that way. But when once, as near as my slender abilitie would serue, I had with trauell & care performed that part of the Apostles aduise & counsel in such cases, whereby he willeth to try al things; and was come at the length so far, that there remained onelyonly the other clause to be satisfied, wherein he concludeth that what good is must bee held: there was in my poore vnderstanding no remedie, but to set downe this as my finall resolute perswasion; Surely the present forme of Church gouernment which the lawes of this land hauehave established, is such, as no lawe of God, nor reason of man hath hitherto bene alleaged, of force sufficient to proue they do ill, who to the vttermost of their power withstand the alteration thereof: Contrariwise, The other which instead of it we are required to accept, is only by error & misconceipt named the ordinance of Iesus Christ, no one proofe as yet brought forth, whereby it may clearely appeare to be so in very deede. The explication of which two thinges I hauehave here thought good to offer into your owne hands: hartily beseeching you euen by the meeknesse of Iesus Christ, whome I trust ye louelove; that, as ye tender the peace and quietnesse of this Church, if there bee in you that gracious humilitie which hath euer bene the crowne and glory of a christianly disposed minde, if your owne soules, hearts and consciences, (the sound integritie whereof can but hardly stand with the refusall of truth in personall respects) be, as I doubt not but they are, things most deare and precious vntounto you, Let not the faith which ye hauehave in our Lord Iesus Christ, be blemished with partialities, Ia. 2.1.regard not who it is which speaketh, but waigh onelyonly what is spoken. Thinke not that ye reade the wordes of one, who bendeth himselfe as an aduersary against the truth which ye hauehave alreadie embraced; but the words of one, who desireth euen to embrace together with you the selfe same truth, if it be the truth; and for that cause (for no other God hee knoweth) hath vndertaken the burthensome labour of this painefull kinde of conference. For the plainer accesse whereunto, let it bee lawfull for mee to rip vp to the very bottome how and by whom your Discipline was planted, at such time as this age wee liue in began to make first triall thereof.

p. 32. A founder it had, whome, for mine owne part,The first establishment of new discipline by M. Caluins industry in the Church of Geneua: and the beginning of strife about it amongst our selues. I thinke incomparably the wisest man that euer the french Church did enioy, since the houre it enioyed him. His bringing vp was in the studie of the Ciuill Lawe. Diuine knowledge he gathered not by hearing or reading so much, as by teaching others. For though thousands were debters to him, as touching knowledge in that kinde; yet he to none but onelyonly to God, the author of that most blessed fountaine the booke of life, and of the admirable dexteritie of wit, together with the helpes of other learning which were his guides: till being occasioned to leaue Fraunce, he fell at the length vponupon Geneua: Which Citie, the Bishop and Cleargie thereof had a little before (as some doe affirme) forsaken, being of likelihood frighted with the peoples sudden attempt for abolishment of popish religiō: the euent of which enterprise they thought it not safe for themselues to wait for in that place. At the comming of Caluin thither, the forme of their ciuill regiment was popular, as it continueth at this day: neither King, nor Duke, nor Noble man of any authoritie or power ouer them, but officers chosen by the people yearely out of themselues, to order all things with publique consent. For spirituall gouernment, they had no lawes at all agreed vponupon, but did what the pastors of their soules by perswasion could win them vntounto. Caluin being admitted one of their Preachers & a diuinitie Reader amongst them, considered how dangerous it was that the whole estate of that Church should hang stil on so slender a thred, as the liking of an ignorant multitude is, if it hauehave power to change whatsoeuer it selfe listeth. Wherefore taking vntounto him two of the other ministers for more countenance of the action, (albeit the rest were all against it) they moued, and in the end perswaded with much adoe, the people to bind themselues by solemne oath, first neuer to admit the Papacie amongst them againe; and secondly, to liue in obedience vntounto such orders concerning the exercise of their religion, and the forme of their ecclesiasticall gouernment, as those their true and faithfull Ministers of Gods word had agreeablie to Scripture set downe for that end and purpose. When these thinges began to bee put in vre, the people also (what causes mouing them thereunto, themselues best know) began to repent them of that they had done, and irefully to champe vponupon the bit they had taken into their mouthes, the rather for that they grew by meanes of this innouation into dislike with some Churches neare about them, the benefite of whose good friendship their state could not well lacke. It was the manner of those times (whether through mens desire to enioy alone the glory of their owne enterprises, or else because the quicknesse of their occasions required present dispatch,) p. 4so it was, that eueryevery particular Church did that within it selfe, which some fewe of their owne thought good, by whome the rest were all directed. Such nūber of Churches thē being, though free within themselues, yet smal, commō conference before hand might hauehave eased them of much aftertrouble. But a greater inconuenience it bred, that eueryevery later endeuoured to bee certaine degrees more remoued from conformitie with the Church of Rome, then the rest before had bene: whereupon grew maruellous great dissimilitudes, and by reason thereof, iealousies, hartburnings, iarres and discords amongst them. Which notwithstanding might hauehave easily bene preuented, if the orders which each Church did thinke fit and conuenient for it selfe, had not so peremptorily bene established vnderunder that high commaunding forme, which tendered them vntounto the people, as things euerlastingly required by the law of that Lord of Lords, against whose statutes there is no exception to be taken. For by this meane it came to passe, that one Church could not but accuse & condemne another of disobedience to the wil of Christ, in those things where manifest difference was betweene them: whereas the selfesame orders allowed, but yet established in more warie and suspense maner, as being to stand in force till God should giuegive the opportunitie of some general cōference what might be best for eueryevery of them afterwards to doe; this I say had both preuented all occasion of iust dislik… which others might take, and reserued a greater libertie vntounto the authors themselues of entring into farther consultatiō afterwards. Which though neuer so necessary they could not easily now admit, without some feare of derogation from their credit: and therfore that which once they had done, they became for euer after resolute to maintaine. Caluin therfore & the other two his associats stiffely refusing to administer the holy Communion to such as would not quietly without contradiction and murmur submit themselues vntounto the orders which their solemne oath had bound them to obey, were in that quarell banished the towne. A fewe yeares after (such was the leuitie of that people) the places of one or two of their Ministers being fallen voyde, they were not before so willing to be rid of their learned Pastor, as now importunate to obtaine him againe from them who had giuen him entertainment, and which were loath to part with him, had not vnresistable earnestnes bene vsed. One of the towne ministers that sawe in what manner the people were bent for the reuocation of Caluin, gaue him notize of their affection in this sort. The Senate of two hundred being assembled, Epist. Cal. 24.they all craue Caluin. The next day a generall conuocation. They crye in like sort againe all: VVe will hauehave Caluin that good and learned man Christs Minister. This, saith he, when p. 5I vnderstood I could not choose but praise God, nor was I able to iudge otherwise, then that this was the Lordes doing, Luc. 20.17.Luke 20:17and that it was maruellous in our eyes, and That the stone which the builders refused, was now made the head of the corner. The other two whom they had throwne out (together with Caluin) they were content should enioy their exile. Many causes might lead them to bee more desirous of him. First, his yeelding vntounto them in one thing, might happily put them in hope, that time would breed the like easines of condescending further vntounto them. For in his absence he had perswaded them, with whome he was able to preuaile, that albeit himselfe did better like of common bread to bee vsed in the Eucharist, yet the other they rather should accept, then cause any trouble in the Church about it. Againe, they saw that the name of Caluin waxed eueryevery day greater abroad, and that together with his fame their infamy was spread, who had so rashly and childishly eiected him. Besides it was not vnlikely but that his credite in the world, might many wayes stand the poore towne in great stead: as the truth is, their ministers forrein estimation hitherto hath bene the best stake in their hedge. But whatsoeuer secret respects were likely to moue them, for contenting of their mindes Caluin returned (as it had bene an other Tully) to his olde home. He ripely considered how grosse a thing it were for men of his qualitie, wise and graue men, to liue with such a multitude, and to be tenants at will vnderunder them, as their ministers, both himselfe and others, had bene. For the remedie of which inconuenience, hee gaue them plainely to vnderstand, that if he did become their teacher againe, they must be content to admit a complet forme of discipline, which both they and also their pastors should now be solemnely sworne to obserue for euer after. Of which discipline the maine and principall partes were these: A standing ecclesiasticall Court to be established: perpetuall Iudges in that Court to be their ministers; others of the people annually chosen (twise so many in number as they) to be iudges together with them in the same Court: these two sorts to hauehave the care of all mens manners, power of determining all kind of Ecclesiasticall causes, and authoritie to conuent, to controll, to punish, as farre as with excōmunication, whomsoeuer they should thinke worthy, none eyther small or great excepted, This deuise I see not how the wisest at that time liuing could hauehave bettered, if we duly consider what the present estate of Geneua did then require. For their Bishop and his Clergie being (as it is said) departed from them by moonelight, or howsoeuer, being departed; to choose in his roome any other Bishop, had beene a thing altogether impossible. And for their ministers to seeke that themselues alone might hauehave coerciue power ouer the whole Church, would perhaps p. 6hauehave bene hardly construed at that time. But when so franke an offer was made, that for eueryevery one minister there should be two of the people to sit and giuegive voyce in the Ecclesiasticall Consistory, what inconuenience could they easily find which themselues might not be able alwayes to remedy? Howbeit (as euermore the simpler sort are, euen when they see no apparant cause, iealous notwithstanding ouer the secret intents and purposes of wiser men) this proposition of his did somewhat trouble them. Of the Ministers themselues which had stayed behinde in the Citie when Caluin was gone, some, vponupon knowledge of the peoples earnest intent to recall him to his place againe, had beforehand written their letters of submission, and assured him of their alleageance for euer after, if it should like him to harken vntounto that publique suite. But yet misdoubting what might happen, if this discipline did goe forwarde; they obiected against it the example of other reformed Churches, liuing quietly and orderly without it. Some of chiefest place and countenance amongst the laitie professed with greater stomacke their iudgements, that such a discipline was little better then popish tyrannie disguised and tendered vntounto them vnderunder a new forme. This sort, it may be, had some feare that the filling vp of the seates in the Consistorie, with so great a number of lay men, was but to please the mindes of the people, to the ende they might thinke their owne swaye somewhat; but when things came to triall of practise, their Pastors learning would bee at all times of force to ouerperswade simple men, who knowing the time of their owne Presidentship to bee but short, would alwayes stand in feare of their ministers perpetuall authoritie: and among the ministers themselues, one being so farre in estimation aboue the rest, the voyces of the rest were likely to be giuen for the most part respectiuely with a kinde of secret dependencie and awe: so that in shewe a maruellous indifferently composed Senate Ecclesiasticall was to gouerne, but in effect one onelyonly man should, as the Spirite and soule of the residue, doe all in all. But what did these vaine surmises boote? Brought they were now to so straight an issue, that of two thinges they must choose one; namely, whether they would to their endlesse disgrace, with ridiculous lightnes, dismisse him, whose restitution they had in so impotent maner desired: or else condescende vntounto that demaund, wherein hee was resolute eyther to hauehave it, or to leaue them. They thought it better to be somewhat hardly yoked at home, then for euer abroad discredited. Wherefore in the ende those orders were on all sides assented vntounto:An. D▪ 1541. with no lesse alacritie of minde, then Cities vnable to holde out longer are wont to shewe, when they take conditions such as it liketh him to offer them which hath them in the narrow streightes of aduantage. Not p. 7many yeares were ouerpassed, before these twice sworne men aduentured to giuegive their last and hotest assault to the fortresse of the same discipline, childishly graunting by comon consent of their whole Senate, & that vnderunder their towne seale, a relaxation to one Bertelier whom the Eldership had excommunicated; further also decreeing, with strange absurditie, that to the same Senate it should belong to giuegive finall iudgemēt in matter of excōmunication, and to absolue whom it pleased them; cleane contrary to their owne former deedes and oaths. The report of which decree being forth with brought vntounto Caluin; Before (sayth he) this decree take place, either my bloud or banishment shall signe it. Againe two dayes before the Cōmunion should be celebrated, his speech was publiquely to like effect, Kill me if euer this hand do reach forth the things that are holy, to thē whom THE CHVRCH hath iudged despisers. Whereupon, for feare of tumult, the forenamed Bertelier was by his friends aduised for that time not to vse the liberty granted him by the Senate, nor to present himselfe in the Church, till they saw somewhat further what would ensue. After the Communion quietly ministred, and some likelihood of peaceable ending these troubles without any more ado, that very day in the afternoone, besides all mens expectation, concluding his ordinary sermon, he telleth them, that because he neither had learned nor taught to striue with such as are in authority, therefore (sayth he) the case so standing as now it doth, let me vse these words of the Apostle vntounto you, I commend you vntounto God & the word of his grace, and so bad them hartily all A dew. It sometimes commeth to passe, that the readiest way which a wise man hath to conquer, is to flie. This voluntarie and vnexpected mention of sudden departure, caused presently the Senate (for according to their woonted maner they still continued onelyonly constant in vnconstancy) to gather themselues together, and for a time to suspend their own decree, leauing things to proceed as before, till they had heard the iudgement of foure Heluetian Cities concerning the matter which was in strife. This to hauehave done at the first before they gaue assēt vntounto any order, had shewed some wit & discretion in thē: but now to do it, was as much as to say in effect, that they would play their parts on stage. Caluin therfore dispatcheth with all expedition his letters vntounto some principall pastor in eueryevery of those cities, crauing earnestly at their hands, to respect this cause as a thing whereupō the whole state of religion & piety in that church did so much depend, y^t God & all good men were now ineuitably certaine to be trampled vnderunder foot, vnlesse those foure Cities by their good means might be brought to giuegive sentence with the ministers of Geneua, when the cause should be brought before them: yea so to giuegive it, that two things it might p. 8effectually containe; the one an absolute approbation of the discipline of Geneua, as consonant vntounto the word of God, without any cautions, qualifications, ifs or ands; the other an earnest admonition not to innouate or change the same. His vehemēt request herein as touching both points was satisfied. For albeit the sayd Heluetian Churches did neuer as yet obserue that discipline,Ep. 166. neuerthelesse the Senate of Geneua hauing required their iudgement concerning these three questions: First, after what manner, by Gods commaundement, according to the Scripture and vnspotted religion, excommunication is to be exercised: Secondly, whether it may not be exercised some other way then by the Consistorie: Thirdly, what the vse of their Churches was to do in this case: answer was returned from the sayd Churches, That they had heard already of those consistoriall lawes, and did acknowledge them to be godly ordinances drawing towards the prescript of the word of God, for which cause that they did not thinke it good for the Church of Geneua by innouation to change the same, but rather to keepe them as they were. Which aunswer, although not aunswering vntounto the former demaunds, but respecting what Maister Caluin had iudged requisite for them to aunswere, was notwithstanding accepted without any further reply: in as much as they plainely saw, that when stomacke doth striue with wit, the match is not equall. And so the heat of their former contentions began to flake. The present inhabitants of Geneua, J hope, will not take it in euill part, that the faltinesse of their people heretofore, is by vsus so farre forth layd open, as their owne learned guides and Pastors hauehave thought necessarie to discouer it vntounto the world. For out of their bookes and writings it is that I hauehave collected this whole narration, to the end it might thereby appeare in what sort amongst them that discipline was planted, for which so much contention is raised amongst our selues. The reasons which mooued Caluin herein to be so earnest,Quod eam vrbem videret omnino his frenis indigere. was, as Beza himselfe testifieth, for that he saw how needfull these bridles were to be put in the iawes of that Citie. That which by wisedome he saw to be requisite for that people, was by as great wisedome compassed. But wise men are men, and the truth is truth. That which Caluin did for establishment of his discipline, seemeth more commendable, then y^t which he taught for the countenancing of it established. Nature worketh in vsus all a louelove to our owne counsels. The contradiction of others is a fanne to inflame that louelove. Our louelove set on fire to maintaine that which once we hauehave done, sharpeneth the wit to dispute, to argue, and by all meanes to reason for it. Wherefore a maruaile it were if a man of so great capacitie, hauing such incitements to make him desirous of p. 9all kind of furtherances vntounto his cause, could espie in the whole Scripture of God nothing which might breed at the least a probable opinion of likelihood, that diuine authority it selfe was the same way somewhat inclinable. And all which the wit euen of Caluin was able from thence to draw, by sifting the very vtmost sentence and syllable, is no more then that certaine speeches there are which to him did seeme to intimate, that all Christian Churches ought to hauehave their Elderships indued with power of excommunication, and that a part of those Elderships eueryevery where should be chosen out frō amongst the laitie after that forme which himselfe had framed Geneua vntounto. But what argument are ye able to shew, whereby it was euer prooued by Caluin, that any one sentence of Scripture doth necessarily enforce these things, or the rest wherein your opinion concurreth with his against the orders of your owne Church? We should be iniurious vntounto vertue it selfe, if we did derogate from them whom their industrie hath made great. Two things of principall moment there are which hauehave deseruedly procured him honour throughout the world: the one his exceeding paynes in composing the Institutions of Christian Religion; the other his no lesse industrious trauailes for exposition of holy Scripture according vntounto the same institutions. In which two things who soeuer they were that after him bestowed their labour; he gayned the aduantage of preiudice against them, if they gaine said; and of glorie aboue them, if they consented. His writings published after the question about that discipline was once begunne, omit not any the least occasion of extolling the vse and singular necessitie thereof. Of what accompt the Maister of sentences was in the Church of Rome, the same and more amongest the Preachers of reformed Churches Caluin had purchased: so that the perfectest diuines were iudged they, which were skilfullest in Caluins writings. His bookes almost the very Canon to iudge both doctrine and discipline by French Churches, both vnderunder others abroad, and at home in their owne Countrey, all cast according vntounto that mould which Caluin had made. The Church of Scotland in erecting the fabricke of their reformation tooke the selfe same paterne. Till at length the discipline, which was at the first so weake, that without the staffe of their approbation, who were not subiect vntounto it themselues, it had not brought others vnderunder subiection; beganne now to challenge vniuersall obedience, and to enter into open conflict with those very Churches, which in desperate extremitie had bene relieuers of it. To one of those Churches which liued in most peaceable sort, and abounded as well with men for their learning in other professions singular, as also with diuines whose equals were not elsewhere to be found; p. 10a Church ordered by Gualters discipline, and not by that which Geneua adoreth: vntounto this Church, the Church of Heidelberge, there commeth one who crauing leaue to dispute publiquely, defendeth with open disdaine of their gouernement, that To a Minister with his Eldership power is giuen by the law of God to excommunicate whomsoeuer, yea euen kings and princes themselues. Here were the seedes sowne of that controuersie which sprang vp betweene Beza and Erastus about the matter of excommunication, whether there ought to be in all Churches an Eldership hauing power to excommunicate, and a part of that Eldership to be of necessitie certaine chosen out from amongest the laity for that purpose. In which disputation they hauehave, as to me it seemeth, deuided very equally the truth betweene them; Beza most truly maintaining the necessitie of excommunication; Erastus as truly the nonnecessitie of layelders to be ministers thereof. Amongest our selues, there was in King Edwards dayes some question moued by reason of a few mens scrupulositie touching certaine things. And beyond Seas, of them which fled in the dayes of Queene Mary, some contenting themselues abroad with the vse of their owne Seruice booke at home authorised before their departure out of the Realme; others liking better the Common prayer booke of the Church of Geneua translated; those smaller contentions before begun were by this meane somewhat increased. VnderUnder the happy raigne of her Maiesty which now is, the greatest matter a while contended for was the wearing of the Cap and Surplesse, till there came Admonitions directed vntounto the high Court of Parliament, by men who concealing their names thought it glory inough to discouer their minds and affections, which now were vniuersally bent euen against all the orders and lawes wherein this Church is found vnconformable to the platforme of Geneua. Concerning the defendor of which admonitions, all that I meane to say is but this: There will come a time when three words vttered with charitie and meeknesse, shall receiue a farre more blessed reward, then three thousand volumes written with disdainefull sharpnes of wit. But the maner of mens writing must not alienate our hearts from the truth, if it appeare they hauehave the truth: as the followers of the same defendor do thinke he hath, and in that perswasion they follow him, no otherwise then himselfe doth Calvin, Beza, and others, with the like perswasion that they in this cause had the truth. We being as fully perswaded otherwise,By what meanes so many of the people are trained into the liking of that discipline. it resteth that some kind of tryall be vsed to find out which part is in error.

3 The first meane whereby nature teacheth men to iudge good from euill as well in lawes as in other things, is the force of their owne discretion. p. 11Hereunto therefore Saint Paule referreth oftentimes his owne speech to be considered of by them that heard him,1. Cor. 10, 13.1 Cor 10:13 I speake as to them which hauehave vnderstanding, iudge ye what I say. Againe afterward,1. Cor. 1…, 13, Luc. 12.56▪57.1 Cor 1:13Luke 12:56Luke 12:57 Iudge in your selues, is it comely that a woman pray vncouered? The exercise of this kind of iudgement our Sauiour requireth in the Iewes. In them of Berea the Scripture commendeth it. Finally whatsoeuer we do,Act,. 17.11. if our owne secret iudgement consent nor vntounto it as fit and good to be done; the doing of it to vsus is sinne, although the thing it selfe be allowable. Saint Paules rule therefore generally is, Let eueryevery man in his owne minde be fully perswaded of that thing which he either alloweth or doth. Rom. 14.5.Rom 14:5Some things are so familiar and plaine, that truth from falshood, and good from euill is most easily discerned in them, euen by men of no deepe capacitie. And of that nature, for the most part, are things absolutely vntounto all mens saluation necessarie, either to be held or denied, either to be done or auoided. For which cause Saint Augustine acknowledgeth that they are not onelyonly set downe, but also plainely set downe in Scripture: so that he which heareth or readeth, may without any great difficultie vnderstand. Other things also there are belonging (though in a lower degree of importance) vntounto the offices of Christian men: which because they are more obscure, more intricate and hard to be iudged of, therefore God hath appointed some to spend their whole time principally in the studie of things diuine, to the end that in these more doubtfull cases, their vnderstanding might be a light to direct others. If the vnderstanding power or facultie of the soule, Galen. de opt▪ docen. ge….be (sayth the grand Phisitian) like vntounto bodily sight▪ not of equall sharpnesse in all; what can be more conuenient, then that, euen as the darkesighted man is directed by the cleare about things visible, so likewise in matters of deeper discourse the wise in heart do shew the simple where his way lyeth? In our doubtfull cases of law, what man is there who seeth not how requisite it is, that professors of skill in that facultie be our directors? So it is in all other kinds of knowledge. And euen in this kind likewise the Lord hath himselfe appointed,Mal 2.7.Mal 2:7 that the Priests lips should preserue knowledge, and that other men should seeke the truth at his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. Gregory Nazianzene offended at the peoples too great presumption in controlling the iudgement of them to whom in such cases they should hauehave rather submitted their owne,Greg. Naz. orat. qua se …cusat. seeketh by earnest intreatie to stay them within their bounds: Presume not ye that are sheepe to make your selues guides of them that should guide you, neither seeke ye to ouerskip the fold which they about you hauehave pitched. It sufficeth p. 12for your part, if ye can well frame your selues to be ordered. Take not vponupon you to iudge your selues, nor to make them subiect to your lawes who should be a law to you. For God is not a God of sedition and confusion, Matth. 15.14.Matt 15:14but of order and of peace. But ye will say that if the guides of the people be blind,Mal. 2.9.Mal 2:9 the common sort of men must not close vp their owne eyes and be led by the conduct of such; if the Priest be partiall in the law, the flocke must not therefore depart from the wayes of sincere truth, and in simplicitie yeeld to be followers of him for his place sake and office ouer them. Which thing, though in it selfe most true, is in your defence notwithstanding weake: because the matter, wherein ye thinke that yee see and imagine that your wayes are sincere, is of farre deeper consideration then any one amongest fiue hundred of you conceiueth. Let the vulgar sort amongst you know, that there is not the least branch of the cause wherin they are so resolute, but to the triall of it a great deale more appertaineth then their conceipt doth reach vntounto. I write not this in disgrace of the simplest that way giuen; but I would gladly they knewe the nature of that cause wherein they thinke themselues throughly instructed and are not: by meanes whereof they daily run themselues,Iud ver. 10▪2. Pet. 2.12. Cal. instit. li. 4. cap. 20. Sect. 82 Pet 2:12 without feeling their owne hazard, vppon the d…nt of the Apostles sentence against euill speakers as touching things wherein they are ignorant. If it be graunted a thing vnlawfull for priuate men, not called vntounto publique consultation, to dispute which is the best state of ciuill Policie (with a desire of bringing in some other kind then that vnderunder which they already liue, for of such disputes I take it his meaning was;) if it be a thing confest that of such questions they cannot determine without rashnesse, in as much as a great part of them consisteth in speciall circumstances, and for one kind as many reasons may be brought as for another; is there any reason in the world, why they should better iudge what kind of regiment Ecclesiasticall is the fittest? For in the Ciuill state more insight, and in those affaires more experience a great deale must needes be graunted them, then in this they can possibly hauehave? When they which write in defence of your discipline,The author of the petition directed to her Maiestie p. 3. and commend it vntounto the Highest not in the least cunning manner, are forced notwithstanding to acknowledge, that with whom the truth is they knowe not, they are not certaine; what certainty or knowledge can the multitude hauehave thereof? Waigh what doth mooue the common sort so much to fauour this innouation, and it shall soone appeare vntounto you, that the force of particular reasons which for your seuerall opinions are alleaged, is a thing whereof the multitude neuer did, nor could so consider as to be there with wholly caried; but certaine generall inducements are vsed to make saleable your Cause in grosse: and when once men hauehave cast a phancie towards it, any slight declaration of specialties will p. 13serue to lead forward mens inclinable and prepared minds. The methode of winning the peoples affection vntounto a generall liking of the Cause (for so ye terme it) hath bene this. First in the hearing of the multitude, the faults especially of higher callings are ripped vp with maruellous exceeding seuerity and sharpnesse of reproofe; which being oftentimes done, begetteth a great good opinion of integritie, zeale & holinesse, to such cōstant reproouers of sinne, as by likelihood would neuer be so much offended at that which is euill, vnlesse themselues were singularly good. The next thing hereunto is to impute all faults and corruptions wherewith the world aboundeth, vntounto the kind of Ecclesiasticall gouernement established. Wherin, as before by reprouing faults, they purchased vntounto themselues with the multitude a name to be vertuous; so by finding out this kind of cause, they obtaine to be iudged wise aboue others: whereas in truth vntounto the forme euen of Iewish gouernement, which the Lord himselfe (they all confesse) did establish, with like shew of reason they might impute those faults which the Prophets condemne in the gouernors of that common wealth; as to the English kind of regiment Ecclesiasticall (whereof also God himselfe though in other sort is author) the staines and blemishes found in our State; which springing from the root of humaine frailty and corruption, not only are, but hauehave bene alwaies more or lesse, yea and (for any thing we know to the contrary) will be till the worlds end complained of, what forme of gouernement soeuer take place. Hauing gotten thus much sway in the hearts of men, a third step is to propose their owne forme of Church gouernement, as the onelyonly soueraigne remedy of all euils; and to adorne it with all the glorious titles that may be. And the nature, as of men that hauehave sicke bodies, so likewise of the people in the crazednes of their minds possest with dislike and discontentment at things present, is to imagine that any thing (the vertue wherof they here commended) would helpe them; but that most, which they least hauehave tried. The fourth degree of inducements, is by fashioning the very notions & conceipts of mens minds in such sort, that when they read the Scripture, they may thinke that eueryevery thing soundeth towards the aduancement of that discipline, and to the vtter disgrace of the contrary. Pythagoras,Arist. Metaph. lib. 1. cap. 5. by bringing vp his Schollers in the speculatiue knowledge of numbers, made their conceipts therein so strong, that when they came to the contemplation of things naturall, they imagined that in eueryevery particular thing they euen beheld as it were with their eyes, how the elements of number gaue essence and being to the workes of nature. A thing in reason impossible: which notwithstanding through their misfashioned preconceipt, appeared vntounto them no lesse certaine, then if nature had written it in the very p. 14foreheads of all the creatures of God. When they of the family of louelove hauehave it once in their heads, that Christ doth not signifie any one person, but a qualitie whereof many are partakers; that to be raised is nothing else but to be regenerated or indued with the said quality; and that when separation of them which hauehave it from them which hauehave it not is here made, this is iudgement; how plainely do they imagine that the Scripture eueryevery where speaketh in the fauour of that sect? And assuredly the very cause which maketh the simple and ignorant to thinke they euen see how the word of God runneth currantly on your side, is that their minds are forestalled and their conceits peruerted before hand, by being taught that an Elder doth signifie a lay man admitted onelyonly to the office of rule or gouernement in the Church; a Doctor one which may only teach and neither preach nor administer the Sacraments; a Deacon one which hath charge of the almes boxe and of nothing else: that the Scepter, the rod, the throne & kingdome of Christ, are a forme of regiment, onelyonly by Pastors, Elders, Doctors and Deacons: that by mysticall resemblance mount Sion and Jerusalem are the Churches which admit, Samaria and Babylon the Churches which oppugne the said forme of regimēt. And in like sort they are taught to apply al things spoken of repairing the wals and decayed parts of the city & temple of God, by Esdras, Nehemias, & the rest: as if purposely the holy Ghost had therein ment to foresignifie, what the authors of admonitions to the Parliament, of supplications to the Councell, of petitions to her Maiesty, and of such other like writs, should either do or suffer in behalfe of this their cause. From hence they proceed to an higher point, which is the perswading of men credulous & ouer capable of such pleasing errors, that it is the speciall illumination of the holy Ghost, whereby they discerne those things in the word, which others reading yet discerne them not. Dearly beloued saith S. Iohn, GiueGive not credit vntounto eueryevery Spirit. …. Ioh. ….….There are but two wayes whereby the spirit leadeth men into … truth: the one extraordinarie, the other common; the one belonging but vntounto some few, the other extending it selfe vntounto all that are of God; the one that which we call by a speciall diuine excellency Reuelation, the other Reason. If the Spirit by such reuelation hauehave discouered vntounto thē the secrets of that discipline out of Scripture, they must professe themselues to be all (euen men, women, and children) Prophets. Or if reason be the hand which the Spirit hath led them by, for as much as perswasions grounded vponupon reason are either weaker or stronger according to the force of those reasons whereupon the same are grounded, they must eueryevery of them from the greatest to the least be able for eueryevery seuerall article to shewe some special reason as strong as their perswasion therin is earnest. Otherwise p. 15how can it be but that some other sinewes there are from which that ouerplus of strength in perswasion doth arise? Most sure it is, that when mens affections do frame their opinions, they are in defence of error more earnest a great deale, then (for the most part) sound belieuers in the maintenance of truth apprehended according to the nature of that euidence which Scripture yeeldeth: which being in some things plaine, as in the principles of Christian doctrine; in some things, as in these matters of discipline, more darke and doubtfull, frameth correspondently that inward assent which Gods most gracious Spirit worketh by it as by his effectuall instrument. It is not therefore the feruent earnestnes of their perswasion, but the soundnes of those reasons whereupon the same is built, which must declare their opinions in these things to hauehave bene wrought by the holy Ghost,2. Thes. 2.11.2 Thess 2:11 and not by the fraud of that euill Spirit which is euen in his illusions strong. After that the phancie of the common sort hath once throughly apprehended the Spirit to be author of their perswasion concerning discipline, then is instilled into their hearts, that the same Spirit leading men into this opinion, doth thereby seale them to be Gods children; and that as the state of the times now standeth, the most speciall token to know them that are Gods owne from others, is an earnest affection that way. This hath bred high termes of separation betweene such and the rest of the world; whereby the one sort are named The …rethren, The godly, and so forth; the other, worldlings, timeseruers, pleasers of men not of God, with such like. From hence, they are easily drawne on to thinke it exceeding necessarie, for feare of quenching that good Spirit, to vse all meanes whereby the same may be both strengthned in themselues, and made manifest vntounto others. This maketh them diligent hearers of such as are knowne that way to incline; this maketh them eager to take and to seeke all occasions of secret conference with such; this maketh them glad to vse such as Counsellors and directors in all their dealings which are of waight, as contracts, testaments, and the like; this maketh them, through an vnweariable desire of receiuing instruction from the maisters of that companie, to cast off the care of those verie affaires which do most concerne their estate, and to thinke that then they are like vntounto Marie, commendable for making choyce of the better part. Finally, this is it which maketh them willing to charge, yea oftentimes euen to ouercharge themselues, for such mens sustenance and reliefe, least their zeale to the cause should any way be vnwitnessed. For what is it which poore beguiled soules will not do through so powerfull incitements? In which respect it is also noted, that most labour hath bene p. 16bestowed to win and retaine towards this cause them whose iudgements are commonly weakest by reason of their sex.2. Tim. 3.6.2 Tim 3:6 And although not women loden with sinnes, as the Apostle S. Paul speaketh, but (as we verily esteeme of them for the most part) women propense and inclinable to holines, be otherwise edified in good things rather then caried away as captiues into any kind of sinne and euill, by such as enter into their houses with purpose to plant there a zeale and a louelove towards this kind of discipline: yet some occasion is hereby ministred for men to thinke, that if the cause which is thus furthered, did gaine by the soundnes of proofe wherupon it doth build it selfe, it would not most busily endeuor to preuaile, where least hability of iudgement is: and therefore that this so eminent industry in making proselytes more of that sex then of the other, groweth for that they are deemed apter to serue as instruments and helps in the cause. Apter they are through the eagernes of their affection, that maketh them which way soeuer they take, diligent in drawing their husbands, children, seruants, friends and allies the same way; apter through that naturall inclination vntounto pity, which breedeth in them a greater readines then in men, to be bountifull towards their Preachers who suffer want; apter through sundry opportunities which they especially hauehave, to procure encouragements for their brethren; finally, apter through a singular delight which they take in giuing very large and particular intelligence, how all neere about them stand affected as cōcerning the same cause. But be they women or be they men, if once they hauehave tasted of that cup, let any man of contrary opinion open his mouth to perswade them, they close vp their eares,1. Iohn. 4.6.1 John 4:6 his reasons they waigh not, all is answered with rehearsall of the words of Iohn, We are of God, he that knoweth God, heareth vsus; as for the rest, ye are of the world, for this worlds pompe & vanity it is that ye speake, and the world whose ye are heareth you. Which cloake sitteth no lesse fit on the backe of their cause, then of the Anabaptists, when the dignitie, authority and honour of Gods Magistrate is vpheld against them. Shew these egerly affected men their inhabilitie to iudge of such matters; their answer is,1. Cor. ….27. God hath chosen the simple. Conuince them of folly, and that so plainely,Act. 26.24. Sap. 5.4. VVe foole… thought his life madnes. M…rc. Tris. ad Asculap. foreignActs 26:24 that very children vpbraid them with it; they hauehave their bucklers of like defence, Christs owne Apostle was accompted mad; The best men euermore by the sentence of the world hauehave bene iudged to be out of their right minds. When instruction doth them no good, let them feele but the least degree of most mercifully tempered seueritie, they fasten on the head of the Lords vicegerents here on earth, whatsoeuer they any where find vttered against the cruelty of bloud-thirstie men; p. 17and to themselues they draw all the sentences which Scripture hath in the fauour of innocencie persecuted for the truth:foreign. Vide Lactant. de …ust…t. lib. …. cap. 16 August. Ep…st. 50. yea they are of their due and deserued sufferings no lesse prowd, then those ancient disturbers, to whom S. Augustine writeth, saying: Martyrs rightly so named are they, not which suffer for their disorder, and for the vngodly breach they hauehave made of Christian vnitie; but which for righteousnes sake are persecuted. For Agar also suffered persecution at the hands of Sara; wherein, she which did impose was holy, and she vnrighteous which did beare the bu…then. In like sort, with theeues was the Lord himselfe crucified, but they who were matcht in the paine which they suffered, were in the cause of their sufferings disioyned. If that must needs be the true Church which doth endure persecution, and not that which persecuteth, let them aske of the Apostle what Church Sara did represent, when she held her maide in affliction. For euen our mother which is free, the heauenly Ierusalem, that is to say, the true Church of God, was▪ as he doth affirme, prefigured in that very woman by whom the bondmaide was so sharply handled. Although, if all things be throughly skanned, she did in truth more persecute Sara by prowd resistance, then Sara hir, by seueritie of punishment. These are the pathes wherein ye hauehave walked that are of the ordinary sort of men, these are the very steps ye hauehave troden, and the manifest degrees whereby ye are of your guides and directors trained vp in that schoole: a custome of inuring your cares with reproofe of faults especially in your gouernors; an vse to attribute those faults to the kind of spirituall regiment vnderunder which ye liue; boldnesse in warranting the force of their discipline for the cure of all such euils; a slight of framing your conceipts to imagine that Scripture eueryevery where fauoureth that discipline; perswasion that the cause, why ye find it in Scripture is the illumination of the spirit, that the same spirit is a seale vntounto you of your neernes vntounto God, that ye are by all meanes to nourish and witnesse it in your selues, and to strengthen on eueryevery side your minds against whatsoeuer might be of force to withdraw you from it.

4. Wherefore to come vntounto you whose iudgement is a lanterne of direction for all the rest, you that frame thus the peoples hearts,VVhat hath c…used so many of the l…arne…er sort to approue the same disciplin…. not altogether (as I willingly perswade my selfe) of a politique intent or purpose, but your selues being first ouerborne with the waight of greater mens iudgements: on your shoulders is laid the burthen of vpholding the cause by argument. For which purpose sentences out of the word of God ye alleage diuerse: but so, that when p. 18the same are discust, thus it alwayes in a manner falleth cut, that what things by vertue thereof ye vrge vponupon vsus as altogether necessarie, are found to be thence collected onelyonly by poore and maruelous slight coniectures. I need not giuegive instance in any one sentence so alleaged, for that I thinke the instance in any alleaged otherwise a thing not easie to be giuen. A verie strange thing sure it were, that such a discipline as ye speake of should be taught by Christ and his Apostles in the word of God, and no Church euer hauehave found it out, nor receiued it till this present time; contrariwise, the gouernmēt against which ye bēd your selues, be obserued eueryevery where throughout all generations and ages of the Christian world, no Church euer perceiuing the word of God to bee against it. Wee require you to finde out but one Church vponupon the face of the whole earth, that hath bene ordered by your discipline, or hath not bene ordered by ours, that is to say, by episcopall regiment, sithence the time that the blessed Apostles were here conuersant. Many things out of antiquitie ye bring, as if the purest times of the Church had obserued the selfesame orders which you require; and as though your desire were, that the Churches of olde should be paternes for vsus to follow, and euen glasses wherin we might see the practise of that which by you is gathered out of scripture.T.C. lib. 1. p. 97 But the truth is ye meane nothing lesse. All this is done for fashions sake onelyonly, for ye complaine of it as of an iniury, that mē should be willed to seeke for examples and paternes of gouernment in any of those times that hauehave bene before. Ye plainly hold, that frō the very Apostles times till this present age wherein your selues imagine ye hauehave found out a right patern of sound discipline, there neuer was any time safe to be followed. Which thing ye thus endeuour to proue. Out of Egesippus ye say that Eusebius writeth,Euseb. 3. lib. 32 how although as long as the Apostles liued, the Church did remaine a pure virgin; yet after the death of the Apostles, and after they were once gone whom God vouchsafed to make hearers of the diuine wisedome with their owne eares, the placing of wicked error began to come into the Church.Lib. Strom. somewhat after the beginning. Lib. 7. c. 11. Clement also in a certaine place, to confirme that there was corruption of doctrine immediately after the Apostles times, alleageth the prouerb, that There are few sonnes like their fathers. Socrates saith of the church of Rome & Alexandria, the most famous Churches in y^e Apostles times, that about the yeare 430. the Romain & Alexandrian Bishops leauing the sacred function, were degenerate to a secular rule or dominiō. Hereupō ye cōclude, that it is not safe to fetch our gouernment from any other then the Apostles times. Wherein by the way it may be noted, that in proposing the Apostles times as a paterne for y^e Church to follow, though the desire of you all be one, p. 19the drift and purpose of you all is not one. The chiefest thing which lay reformers yawne for is, that the Cleargie may through conformitie in state and condition be Apostolicall, poore as the Apostles of Christ were poore. In which one circumstance if they imagine so great perfection, they must thinke that Church which hath such store of mendicant Friers, a Church in that respect most happy. Were it for the glory of God, and the good of his Church in deede, that the Cleargie should be left euen as bare as the Apostles when they had neither staffe nor scrip; that God, which should lay vponupon them the condition of his Apostles, would I hope, endue them with the selfesame affection which was in that holy Apostle, whose words concerning his owne right vertuous contentment of heart, As well how to want, Phil. 4.1….Phil 4:1as how to abound, are a most fit episcopall emprese. The Church of Christ is a body mysticall. A body cannot stand, vnlesse the parts thereof be proportionable. Let it therefore be required on both parts, at the hands of the Cleargie, to be in meannesse of state like the Apostles; at the hands of the laitie, to be as they were who liued vnderunder the Apostles: and in this reformation there will bee though little wisedome, yet some indifferencie. But your reformation which are of the Cleargie (if yet it displease ye not that I should say ye are of the Cleargie) seemeth to aime at a broader marke. Ye thinke that he which will perfectly reforme, must bring the forme of Church discipline vntounto the state which then it was at. A thing neither possible, nor certaine, nor absolutely conuenient. Concerning the first, what was vsed in the Apostles times, the scripture fully declareth not; so that making their times the rule and Canon of Church politie, ye make a rule which being not possible to be fully knowne, is as impossible to be kept. Againe, sith the later euen of the Apostles owne times, had that which in the former was not thought vponupon; in this generall proposing of the Apostolicall times, there is no certaintie which should be followed, especially seeing that ye giuegive vsus great cause to doubt how far ye allow those times. For albeit the louer of Antichristian building were not, ye s…y, as then set vp, yet the foundations thereof were secretly and vnderunder the ground layd in the Apostles times▪ so that all other times ye plainely reiect, and the Apostles owne times ye approue with maruellous great suspition, leauing it intricat and doubtfull wherein we are to keepe our selues vntounto the paterne of their times. Thirdly, whereas it is the error of the common multitude, to consider onelyonly what hath bene of olde, and if the same were well, to see whether still it continue; if not, to condemne that presently which is, and neuer to search vponupon what ground or consideration the change might growe: such rudenes cannot be in you so well borne with, whom learning and iudgement p. 20hath enabled much more soundly to discerne how farre the times of the Church, and the orders thereof may alter without offence. True it is, aa… ceremoniis atque f…ni… tantum sanctitatis tribuere cōsueuit quantum adstruxerit vetustatis. Arno. p. 746.the auncienter, the better ceremonies of religion are; howbeit, not absolutely true, and without exception, but true onelyonly so farre forth as those different ages do agree in the state of those things, for which at the first those rites, orders, and ceremonies, were instituted. In the Apostles times that was harmlesse, which being now reuiued would be scandalous; as their bbRom. 16.16. 2. Cor 13.12. 1. Thes. 5.25. 1. Pet. 5.14. In their meetings to serue God, their maner was in the end to salute one an other with a kisse, vsing these words▪ Peace be with you. For which cause Tertull. doth call it sig…aculum orationis, the seale of prayer. lib. d… Orat.Rom 16:162 Cor 13:121 Thess 5:251 Pet 5:14oscula sancta. Those ccEpist. Iud. vers. 12. Concerning which feasts, 5. Chrysost. s…ith, Stati… diebus mesas faciebant commune…, & peract… synaxi post sacramentorum cōmunionem inibāt conuiuium, diuiti…us quidemcibos afferēribus, pau peribus au…em & qu… ni…il habebant etiam vocati… ▪ in 1. Cor. 11. hom. 27. Of the same feasts in like sort Tertull. Coena nostra de n… mine rationsui oftendit. Vocatur en…m foreign …d quod est penes Graecos d…lectio. Quantis cunq▪ sumptibusconste…, lucrum est, …etatis nomine fa…ere sumptum. Apolog. c. 39.1 Cor 11feastes of charitie, which being instituted by the Apostles, were reteined in the Church long after, are not now thought any where needfull. What man is there of vnderstanding, vntounto whom it is not manifest, how the way of prouiding for the Cleargie by tithes, the deuise of almes-houses for the poore, the sorting out of the people into their seuerall parishes, together with sundrie other things which the Apostles times could not hauehave, (being now established) are much more conuenient and fit for the Church of Christ, then if the same should be taken away for conformities sake with the auncientest and first times? The orders therefore which were obserued in the Apostles times, are not to be vrged as a rule vniuersally, either sufficient or necessary. If they bee, neuerthelesse on your part it still remaineth to bee better prooued, that the forme of discipline which ye intitle apostolicall, was in the Apostles times exercised. For of this very thing ye faile euen touching that which ye make most account of, as being matter of substance in discipline, I meane the power of your lay-elders, and the difference of your Doctors from the Pastors in all Churches. So that in summe, we may be bold to conclude, that besides these last times, which for insolencie, pride, and egregious contempt of all good order are the worst, there are none wherein ye can truly affirme, that the complete forme of your discipline, or the substance thereof was practised. The euidence therefore of antiquitie failing you, yee flie to the iudgements of such learned men, as seeme by their writings to be of opinion that all Christian Churches should receiue your discipline, and abandon ours. Wherein, as ye heape vp the names of a number of men not vnworthy to be had in honor; so there are a number whom when ye mention, although it serue ye to purpose with the ignorant and vulgar sort, who measure by tale & not by waight, yet surely they who know what qualitie and value the men are of, will thinke ye drawe very neare the dregs. But were they all of as great account as the best and chiefest amongst them, with vsus notwithstanding neither are they, neither ought they to be of such reckening, that their opinion or coniecture should cause the lawes of the Church of p. 21England to giuegive place. Much lesse when they neither do all agree in y^t opiniō, and of thē which are at agreemēt, the most part through a courteous inducement, hauehave followed one man as their guide, finally, that one therein not vnlikely to hauehave swarued. If any chance to say it is probable that in y^e Apostles times there were layelders, or not to mislike the continuance of them in the Church; or to affirme that Bishops at the first were a name, but not a power distinct from presbyters; or to speake any thing in praise of those Churches which are without episcopall regimēt, or to reproue the fault of such as abuse that calling; all these ye register for men, perswaded as you are, that eueryevery christian Church stādeth bound by the law of God to put downe Bishops, and in their roomes to erect an eldership so authorized as you would hauehave it for the gouernmēt of each parish. Deceiued greatly they are therfore, who think that all they whose names are cited amongst the fauourers of this cause, are on any such verdict agreed. Yet touching some materiall points of your discipline, a kind of agreement we grant there is amongst many diuines of reformed Churches abroad. For first to do as the Church of Geneua did, the learned in some other churches must needs be the more willing, who hauing vsed in like maner not the slow & tedious help of proceeding by publike authoritie, but the peoples more quick endeuor for alteratiō, in such an exigent I see not well how they could hauehave staied to deliberat about any other regimēt thē that which already was deuised to their hands, y^t which in like case had bene takē, that which was easiest to be established without delay, that which was likeliest to content the people by reason of some kind of sway which it giueth them. When therfore the example of one Church was thus at the first almost through a kind of cōstraint or necessitie followed by many, their concurrence in perswasion about some materiall points belonging to the same policie is not strange. For we are not to maruell greatly, if they which hauehave all done the same thing, do easily embrace the same opinion as cōcerning their owne doings. Besides, mark I beseech you that which Galen in matter of philosophie noteth, for the like falleth out euen in questions of higher knowledge.Galen. Clas. 2. lib. de cuios que anim. peccat. notitia atque medela. It fareth many times with mens opiniōs, as with rumors & reports. That which a credible person telleth, is easily thought probable by such as are well perswaded of him. But if two, or three, or foure, agree all in the same tale, they iudge it then to be out of controuersie, and so are many times ouertaken, for want of due consideration; eyther some common cause leading them all in… error, or one mans ouersight deceiuing many through their too much credulitie and easinesse of beliefe. Though ten persons be brought to giuegive testimony in any cause, yet if the knowledge they hauehave of the thing whereunto they come as witnesses, appeare to hauehave growne from some one amongst them, p. 22and to hauehave spred it selfe from hand to hand, they all are in force but as one testimony. Nor is it otherwise here where the daughter Churches do speake their mothers dialect; here where so many sing one song, by reason that hee is the guide of the quier concerning whose deserued authoritie amongst euen the grauest diuines, we hauehave already spoken at large. Will ye aske what should moue those many learned to be followers of one mans iudgement, no necessitie of argument forcing them thereunto?Petit. to the Q▪M.P. 14. your demaund is answered by your selues. Loath ye are to thinke that they whom ye iudge to hauehave attained as sound knowledge in all points of doctrine, as any since the Apostles time, should mistake in discipline. Such is naturally our affection, that whom in great things we mightily admire;Eccles. 10.1.Eccl 10:1 in them we are not perswaded willingly that any thing should be amisse. The reason whereof is, for that as dead flies putrifie the oyntment of the Apothecarie, so a little folly him that is in estimation for wisedome. This in eueryevery profession hath too much authorized the iudgement of a few. This with Germans hath caused Luther, and with many other Churches Caluin, to preuaile in all things. Yet are we not able to define, whether the wisedome of that God (who setteth before vsus in holy Scripture so many admirable paternes of vertue, and no one of them without somewhat noted wherin they were culpable, to the end that to him alone it might alwayes be acknowledged, Thou onelyonly art holy, thou onelyonly art iust) might not permit those worthy vessels of his glory to be in some thinges blemished with the staine of humaine frailtie, euen for this cause, least wee should esteeme of any man aboue that which behoueth.

Their calling for triall by disputation.5. Notwithstanding, as though ye were able to say a great deale more then hitherto your bookes hauehave reuealed to the world, earnest chalengers ye are of triall by some publique disputation. Wherein if the thing ye craue bee no more then onelyonly leaue to dispute openly about those matters that are in question, the schooles in Ʋniuersities (for any thing I know) are open vntounto you: they hauehave their yearely Acts and Commencements, besides other disputations both ordinary and vponupon occasion, wherein the seuerall parts of our owne Ecclesiasticall discipline are oftentimes offered vntounto that kind of examination; the learnedest of you hauehave bene of late yeares noted seldome or neuer absent from thence at the time of those greater assemblies; and the fauour of proposing there in conuenient sort whatsoeuer ye can obiect (which thing my selfe hauehave knowne them to graunt of Scholasticall courtesie vntounto straungers) neither hath (as I thinke) nor euer will (I presume) be denied you. If your suite be to hauehave some great extraordinary confluence, in expectation whereof the lawes that already are should sleepe and hauehave no power ouer you, till in the hearing of thousands ye all did acknowledge your error p. 23and renounce the further prosecutiō of your cause; happily they whose authority is required vntounto the satisfying of your demaund, do think it both dangerous to admit such cōcourse of deuided minds, & vnmeet y^t laws which being once solemnly established are to exact obedience of all men, and to constraine therunto, should so far stoup, as to hold thēselues in suspēse frō taking any effect vpō you, till some disputer can perswade you to be obedient. A law is the deed of the whole body politike, wherof if ye iudge your selues to be any part, thē is the law euē your deed also. And were it reasō in things of this qualitie, to giuegive mē audience pleading for the ouerthrow of that which their own very deed hath ratified? Laws that hauehave bin approued, may be (no man doubteth) again repealed, & to y^t end also disputed against, by the authors thereof thē selues. But this is whē the whole doth deliberate what laws each part shal obserue, & not when a part refuseth the laws which the whole hath orderly agreed vponupon. Notwithstāding, for as much as y^e cause we maintain is (God be thanked) such as needeth not to shun any triall, might it please thē on whose approbatiō the matter dependeth to cōdescend so far vntounto you in this behalf, I wish hartily that proofe were made euen by solemne conferēce in orderly & quiet sort, whether you would your selues be satisfied, or else could by satisfying others draw thē to your part. Prouided alwaies, first in asmuch as ye go about to destroy a thing which is in force, & to draw in that which hath not as yet bin receiued; to impose on vsus that which we think not our selues bound vntounto, & to ouerthrow those things whereof we are possessed; y^t therefore ye are not to claime in any such cōferēce other thē the plaintifs or opponents part, which must cōsist altogether in proofe & cōfirmation of two things: the one, y^t our orders by you condēned we ought to abolish, the other y^t yours, we are bound to accept in the stead therof. Secōdly, because the questions in cōtrouersie between vsus are many, if once we descend vntounto particularities, that for y^e easier & more orderly proceeding therin, y^e most generall be first discussed, nor any questiō left off, nor in each questiō y^e prosecutiō of any one argumēt giuē ouer & another takē in hād, til y^e issue wherunto by replies & answers both parts are come, be collected red & acknowledged aswel on y^e one side as on the other to be y^e plain cōclusiō which they are grown vntounto. Thirdly for auoyding of the manifold incōueniēces wherunto ordinary & extēporal disputes are subiect, as also because if ye should singly dispute one by one as eueryevery mans owne wit did best serue, it might be cōceiued by y^e rest y^t happily some other would hauehave done more; the chiefest of you do all agree in this action, y^t whom ye shal then choose your speaker, by him y^t which is publikely brought into disputation be acknowledged by al your cōsēts not to be his allegatiō but yours, such as ye all are agreed vpō, & hauehave required him to deliuer in al your names: y^e true copy p. 24whereof being taken by a notarie, that a reasonable time be allowed for returne of answere vntounto you in the like forme. Fourthly, whereas a number of conferences hauehave bene had in other causes with the lesse effectual successe, by reason of partiall & vntrue reports, published afterwards vntounto the world, that to preuent this euill, there be at the first a solemne declaration made on both parts of their agreement to hauehave y^t very booke & no other set abroad, wherin their present authorized notaries do write those things fully & only, which being written & there read, are by their owne opē testimony acknowledged to be their owne. Other circumstances hereunto belōging, whether for the choice of time, place, and language, or for preuention of impertinent and needlesse speech, or to any end and purpose else, they may be thought on whē occasiō serueth. In this sort to broach my priuate conceipt for the ordering of a publike actiō, I should be loth, (albeit I do it not otherwise thē vnderunder correctiō of thē whose grauitie & wisedome ought in such cases to ouerrule) but y^t so venterous boldnes I see is a thing now general, & am therby of good hope, y^t where al mē are licensed to offēd, no man will shew himself a sharp accuser.

No end of contention, without submission of both parts vntounto some definitiue sentence.6. What successe God may giuegive vntounto any such kind of conference or disputation, we cannot tell. But of this we are right sure, y^t nature, scripture, and experience it selfe, hauehave all taught the world to seeke for y^e ending of contentions by submitting it self vntounto some iudiciall & definitiue sentence, wherevnto neither part that cōtendeth may vnderunder any pretence or colour refuse to stand. This must needs be effectuall and strong. As for other meanes without this, they seldome preuaile. J would therefore know whether for y^e ending of these irksome strifes, wherein you and your followers do stand thus formally deuided against y^e authorized guides of this Church, & the rest of the people subiect vntounto their charge, whether I say ye be content to referre your cause to any other higher iudgement then your owne; or else intend to persist & proceed as ye hauehave begun, til your selues can be perswaded to cōdemn your selues. If your determinatiō be this, we can be but sorie that ye should deserue to be reckened with such,Rom. ….17. of whom God himselfe pronounceth, The way of peace they hauehave not knowne. Waies of peaceable conclusion there are but these two certaine: the one, a sentence of iudiciall decision giuen by authoritie therto appointed within our selues; the other, the like kind of sentence giuen by a more vniuersall authoritie. The former of which two waies God himselfe in the lawe prescribeth: and his Spirit it was which directed the very first Christian Churches in the world to vse the later. The ordinance of God in the lawe was this.Deut. 17.8.Deut 17:8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in iudgement betweene bloud & bloud, betweene plea &c. then shalt thou arise, p. 25and goe vp vntounto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, and thou shalt come vntounto the Priests of the Leuites▪ and vntounto the Iudge that shall be in those dayes, and aske, and they shal shew thee the sentence of iudgement, & thou shalt do according to that thing which they of that place which the Lord hath chosen shewe thee; and thou shalt obserue to do according to al that they enform thee, according to the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the iudgemēt which they shal tell thee shalt thou do, thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shal shew thee to the right hand nor to the left. And that man that will do presumptuously, not harkning vntounto the Priest (that standeth before the Lord thy God to minister there) or vntounto the Iudge, that man shal dye,Act 15.Acts 15 and thou shalt take away euill from Israel. When there grew in the Church of Christ a question, Whether the Gentiles belieuing might be saued, although they were not circumcised after the manner of Moses, nor did obserue the rest of those legall rites & ceremonies wherunto the Iewes were bound; After great dissension and disputation about it, their conclusion in the end was, to hauehave it determined by sentence at Ierusalem; which was accordingly done in a Councell there assembled for the same purpose. Are ye able to alleage any iust and sufficient cause wherfore absolutely ye should not condescend in this controuersie to hauehave your iudgements ouerruled by some such definitiue sentence, whether it fall out to be giuen with or against you, that so these tedious contentions may cease? Ye will perhaps make answere, that being perswaded already as touching the truth of your cause, ye are not to harken vntounto any sentence, no not though Angels should define otherwise, as the blessed Apostles owne example teacheth: againe that men, yea Councels may erre; and that vnlesse the iudgement giuen do satisfie your minds, vnlesse it be such as ye can by no further argumēt oppugne, in a word, vnlesse you perceiue and acknowledge it your selues consonant with Gods word, to stand vntounto it not allowing it, were to sinne against your own cōsciences. But cōsider I beseech you first as touching y^e Apostle, how that wherein he was so resolute & peremptory, our Lord Iesus Christ made manifest vntounto him euen by intuitive reuelation, wherein there was no possibilitie of error: That which you are perswaded of▪ ye hauehave it no otherwise then by your owne only probable collectiō ▪ & therefore such bold asseuerations as in him were admirable, should in your mouthes but argue rashnes. God was not ignorant y^t the Priests and Iudges, whose sentence in matters of controuersie … ordained should stand, both might and oftentimes would be deceiued in their iudgement. Howbeit, better it was p. 26in the eye of his vnderstanding, that sometime an erroneous sentence definitiue should preuaile, till the same authoritie perceiuing such ouersight, might afterwardes correct or reuerse it, then that strifes should hauehave respit to growe, and not come speedily vntounto some end. Neither wish we that men should do any thing which in their hearts they are perswaded they ought not to doe, but this perswasion ought (we say) to be fully setled in their harts, that in litigious and controuersed causes of such qualitie, the will of God is to hauehave them to do whatsoeuer the sentence of iudiciall and finall decision shall determine, yea though it seeme in their priuate opiniō to swarue vtterly from that which is right: as no doubt many times the sentence amongst the Iewes did seeme vntounto one part or other contending; and yet in this case God did then allow them to doe that which in their priuate iudgement it seemed (yea and perhaps truly seemed) that the lawe did disallow▪ For if God be not the author of confusion, but of peace; then can he not be the author of our refusall, but of our contentment, to stand vntounto some definitiue sentence; without which almost impossible it is, that eyther wee should auoyd confusion, or euer hope to attaine peace. To small purpose had the Councell of Ierusalem bene assembled, if once their determination being set downe, men might afterwards hauehave defended their former opinions. When therefore they had giuen their definitiue sentence, all controuersie was at an ende. Things were disputed before they came to be determined; men afterwardes were not to dispute any longer, but to obey. The sentence of iudgement finished their strife, which their disputes before iudgement could not doe. This was ground sufficient for any reasonable mans conscience to build the dutie of obedience vponupon, whatsoeuer his owne opinion were as touching the matter before in question. So full of wilfulnes and selfeliking is our nature, that without some definitiue sentence, which being giuen may stand, and a necessitie of silence on both sides afterward imposed; small hope there is that strifes thus far prosecuted, will in short time quietly end. Now it were in vaine to aske you whether ye could be content that the sentence of any Court already erected, should bee so farre authorized, as that among the Iewes established by God himselfe, for the determining of all controuersies: That man which wil do presumptuously, not harkning vntounto the Priest that standeth before the Lord to minister there, nor vntounto the Iudge, let him dye. Ye hauehave giuen vsus already to vnderstand, what your opiniō is in part concerning her sacred Maiesties Court of high Commission, the nature whereof is the same with that amongst the Iewes, albeit the power be not so great. The other way happily may like you better, because Maister Beza in his last booke saue one written p. 27about these matters,…res. tract, … excom. & presbyt. professeth himselfe to be now weary of such combats and encounters, whether by word or writing, in as much as he findeth that controuersies therby are made but braules; & therfore wisheth that in some common lawfull assembly of Churches, all these strifes may at once be decided. Shall there be then in the meane while no doings? Yes. There are the waightier matters of the lawe, iudgement and merciemercy and fidelitie. Math. 23.2… ▪Matt 23:2These things we ought to do; and these things, while we contend about lesse, we leaue vndone. Happier are they, whom the Lord when he commeth, shall finde doing in these things, then disputing about Doctors, Elders, & Deacons. Or if there be no remedie but somewhat needs ye must do which may tend to the setting forward of your discipline; do that which wise men, who thinke some Statute of the realme more fit to be repealed then to stand in force, are accustomed to do before they come to Parliament where the place of enacting is; that is to say, spend the time in reexamining more duly your cause, and in more throughly considering of that which ye labour to ouerthrow. As for the orders which are established, sith equitie and reason, the law of nature, God and man, do all fauour that which is in being, till orderly iudgement of decision be giuen against it; it is but iustice to exact of you, and peruersnes in you it should be to denie thereunto your willing obedience. Not that I iudge it a thing allowable for men to obserue those lawes which in their hearts they are stedfastly perswaded to be against the law of God: but your perswasion in this case ye are all bound for the time to suspend, and in otherwise doing, ye offend against God, by troubling his church without any iust or necessary cause▪ Be it y^t there are some reasons inducing you to think hardly of our lawes. Are those reasons demonstratiue, are they necessary, or but meere probabilities only? An argument necessary & demonstratiue is such, as being proposed vntounto any m… & vnderstood, the mind cannot choose but inwardly assent. Any one such reason, dischargeth J graunt the conscience, and setteth it at full libertie. For the publike approbatiō giuen by the body this whole Church vntounto those things which are established, doth make it but probable y^t they are good. And therefore vntounto a necessary proofe y^t they are not good, it must be giuegive place, But if the skilfullest amongst you can shew, y^t all the bookes ye hauehave hitherto written be able to afford any one argument of this nature, let the instance be giuen. As for probabilities, what thing was there euer set downe so agreeable with so…d reason, but some probable shewe against it might be made? Is it meete that when publikely things are receiued and hauehave taken place, generall obedience thereunto should cease to bee exacted, in case this or that priuate person led with some probable conceipt, shoulde make open protestation, I Peter or Iohn disallow them, and pronounce them nought. p. 28In which case your answere will be,T.C. li. …. p. 17▪ that concerning the lawes of our Church, they are not onelyonly condemned in the opinion of a priuate man, but of thousands, yea and euen of those amongst which d…uers are in publique charge and authoritie. As though when publique consent of the whole hath established anything, eueryevery mans iudgement being thereunto compared were not priuate, howsoeuer his calling be to some kind of publique charge. So that of peace and quietnes there is not any way possible, vnlesse the probable voice of eueryevery intier societie or body politique, ouerrule all priuate of like nature in the same body: Which thing effectually proueth, that God being author of peace and not of confusion in the Church, must needs be author of those mens peaceable resolutions, who concerning these thinges, hauehave determined with themselues to thinke and do as the Church they are of decreeth, till they see necessary cause enforcing them to the contrary.

The matter contained in these eight bookes.7. Nor is mine owne intent any other in these seuerall bookes of discourse, then to make it appeare vntounto you; that for the ecclesiasticall lawes of this land, we are led by great reason to obserue them, and ye by no necessitie bound to impugne them. It is no part of my secret meaning to draw you hereby into hatred, or to set vpō the face of this cause any fairer glasse then the naked truth doth afford: but my whole endeuour is to resolue the conscience, and to shew as neare as I can what in this controuersie the hart is to thinke, if it will follow the light of sound and sincere iudgement, without either clowd of preiudice or mist of passionate affection. Wherefore seeing that lawes and ordinances in particular, whether such as we obserue, or such as your selues would hauehave established, when the minde doth sift and examine them, it must needes hauehave often recourse to a number of doubts and questions about the nature, kindes, and qualities of lawes in generall, whereof vnlesse it be throughly enformed, there will appeare no certaintie to stay our perswasion vponupon: I hauehave for that cause set downe in the first place an introduction on both sides needfull to bee considered: Declaring therein what law is, how different kindes of lawes there are, and what force they are of according vntounto each kind. This done, because ye suppose the lawes for which ye striue are found in scripture; but those not, against which we striue; & vponupon this surmise are drawne to hold it as the very maine pillar of your whole cause, that scripture ought to be the onelyonly rule of all our actions, and consequently that the Church-orders which wee obserue being not commaunded in scripture, are offensiue and displeasant vntounto God: I hauehave spent the second booke in sifting of this point, which standeth with you for the first and chiefest principle whereon ye build. Wherevnto the next in degree is, that as God will hauehave alwayes a Church vponupon p. 29earth while the worlde doth continue, and that Church stand in neede of gouernment, of which gouernment it behoueth himselfe to bee both the author and teacher: so it cannot stand with dutie that man should euer presume in any wise to chaunge and alter the same; and therefore▪ That in Scripture there must of necessitie be found some particular forme of politie Ecclesiasticall, the lawes whereof admit not any kinde of alteration. The first three bookes being thus ended, the fourth proceedeth from the generall grounds and foundations of your cause, vntounto your generall accusations against vsus, as hauing in the orders of our Church (for so you pretend) corrupted the right forme of Church politie with manifolde popish rites and ceremonies, which certaine reformed Churches hauehave banished from amongst them, and hauehave thereby giuen vsus such examples as (you thinke) wee ought to follow. This your assertion hath herein drawne vsus to make search, whether these bee iust exceptions against the customes of our Church, when ye pleade that they are the same which the Church of Rome hath, or that they are not the same which some other reformed Churches hauehave deuised. Of those foure bookes which remaine and are bestowed about the specialties of that cause which lyeth in controuersie, the first examineth the causes by you alleaged, wherefore the publique duties of Christian religion, as our prayers, our Sacramants and the rest, should not be ordered in such sort as with vsus they are▪ nor that power whereby the persons of men are consecrated vntounto the ministerie, be disposed of in such maner as the lawes of this Church doe allow. The second and third are concerning the power of iurisdiction: the one, whether la… men, such as your gouerning Elders are, ought in all congregations for euer to bee inuested with that power; the other, whether Bishops may hauehave that power ouer other Pastors, and there withall that honour which with vsus they hauehave, And because besides the power of order which all consecrated persons hauehave, and the power of iurisdiction which neither they all nor they only hauehave▪ there is a third power, a power of Ecclesiasticall Dominion, communicable as wee thinke vntounto persons not Ecclesiasticall, and most fit to be restrained vntounto the Prince or Soueraigne commaunder ouer the whole body politique▪ the eight booke we hauehave allotted vntounto this question, and hauehave sifted therein your obiections against those preeminences royall which thereunto appert…ine▪ Thus hauehave J layd before you the briefe of these my trauailes, and presented vnderunder your view the limmes of that cause litigious betweene vsus: the whole intier body whereof being thus compact, it shall be no troublesome thing for any man to find each particular controuersies resting place, and the coherence it hath with those things, either on which it dependeth, or which depend on it.

p. 30How iust cause there is to feare the manifold dangerous euents likely to ensue vponupon this intended reformation, if it did take place.8. The case so standing therefore my brethren as it doth, the wisdome of gouernors ye must not blame, in that they further also forecasting the manifold strange & dangerous innouations, which are more then likely to follow if your discipline should take place, hauehave for that cause thought it hitherto a part of their dutie to withstand your endeuors that way. The rather, for that they hauehave seene alreadie some small beginninges of the fruits thereof, in them who concurring with you in iudgement aboute the necessitie of that discipline, hauehave aduentured without more adoe, to separate themselues from the rest of the Church, and to put your speculations in execution. These mens hastines the warier sort of you doth not commend, yee wish they had held themselues longer in, and not so dangerously flowne abroad before the fethers of the cause had beene growne; their errour with mercifull terms ye reproue, naming them in great commiseration of mind, your poore brethren. They o… the contrary side more bitterly accuse you as their false brethrē, & against you they plead saying: From your breasts it is that we hauehave sucked those thinges, which when ye deliuered vntounto vsus, ye termed that heauenly, sincere,1. Pet. 2.2.1 Pet 2:2 and wholesome milke of Gods word, howsoeuer yee now abhorre as poyson that which the vertue thereof hath wrought and brought forth in vsus. Ye sometime our companions,Psal. 55.13.Ps 55:13 guides and familiars, with whome we hauehave had most sweete consultations, are now become our professed aduersaries. because wee thinke the statute-congregations in Englande to bee no true Christian Churches; because wee hauehave seuered our selues from them; and because without their leaue or licence that are in Ciuill authoritie, wee hauehave secretly framed our owne Churches according to the platforme of the worde of God. For of that point betweene you and vsus there is no controuersie. Alas what would ye hauehave vsus to doe? At such time as ye were content to accept vsus in the number of your owne, your teachinges we heard, we read your writinges: and though wee would, yet able wee are not to forget with what zeale yee hauehave euer profest, that in the English congregations (for so many of them as bee ordered according vntounto their owne lawes,) the very publique seruice of God is fraught, as touching matter, with heapes of intollerable pollutions, and as concerning forme, borrowed from the shoppe of Antichrist; hatefull both waies in the eyes of the most holy: the kinde of their gouernment by Bishops and Archbishops, Antichristian, that discipline which Christ hath essentially tyed, that is to say, so vnited vntounto his Church,Pref. against D. Baner. that wee cannot accompt it really to be his Church which hath not in it the same discipline, that verie discipline no lesse there despised, then in the highest throne of Antichrist, all such partes of the word of God as doe any way concerne that Discipline, no lesse vnsoundlie taught p. 31and interpreted by all authorized English Pastors, then by Antichrists factors themselues; at Baptisme crossing, at the Supper of the Lord kneeling▪ at both a number of other the most notorious badges of Antichristian recognisance vsuall. Being moued with these and the like your effectuall discourses, whereunto we gaue most attentiue eare, till they entred euen into our soules, and were as fire within our bosomes; we thought we might hereof be bold to conclude, that sith no such Antichristian synagogue may be accompted a true Church of Christ, ye by accusing all congregations ordered according to the lawes of England as Antichristian, did meane to condemne those congregations, as not being any of them worthy the name of a true Christian Church. Ye tell vsus now it is not your meaning. But what meant your often threatnings of them, who professing thēselues the inhabitants of mount Sion, were too loth to depart wholly as they should out of Babylon? Whereat our hearts being fearefully troubled, we durst not, we durst not continue longer so neere her confines, least her plagues might suddenly ouertake vsus, before we did cease to be partakers with her sinnes: for so we could not choose but acknowledge with griefe that we were, when they doing euill, we by our presence in their assemblies seemed to like thereof, or at least wise not so earnestly to dislike, as became men heartily zealous of Gods glory. For aduenturing to erect the discipline of Christ without the leaue of the Christian Magistrate, happily ye may condemne vsus as fooles, in that we hazard thereby our estates and persons, further then you which are that way more wise thinke necessary: but of any offence or sinne therein committed against God, with what conscience can you accuse vsus, when your owne positions are, that the things we obserue should eueryevery of them be dearer vntounto vsus then ten thousand liues; that they are the peremptory commaundements of God; that no mortall man can dispence with them, and that the Magistrate grieuously sinneth in not constraining thereunto? Will ye blame any man for doing that of his owne accord, which all men should be compelled to do that are not willing of themselues? When God commandeth, shall we answer that we will obey, if so be Caesar will graunt vsus leaue? Is discipline an Ecclesiasticall matter or a Ciuill? If an Ecclesiasticall, it must of necessitie belong to the duty of the Minister. And the Minister (ye say) holdeth all his authority of doing whatsoeuer belongeth vntounto the spirituall charge of the house of God, euen immediatly from God himselfe, without dependency vponupon any Magistrate. Whereupon it followeth, as we suppose, that the hearts of the people being willing to be vnderunder the Scepter of Christ, the Minister of God, into whose hands the Lord himselfe hath put that Scepter, is without all excuse if thereby he guide them not. Nor do we finde that hitherto greatly ye hauehave p. 32disliked those Churches abroad, where the people with direction of their godly ministers, hauehave euen against the will of the Magistrate brought in either the doctrine or discipline of Iesus Christ. For which cause we must now thinke the very same thing of you, which our Sauiour did sometime vtter concerning false harted Scribes and Pharises, They say and do not. Thus the foolish Barrowist deriueth his schisme by way of conclusion,Matth. 23.3.Matt 23:3 as to him it seemeth, directly and plainely out of your principles. Him therefore we leaue to be satisfied by you from whom he hath sprung. And if such by your owne acknowledgement be persons dangerous, although as yet the alterations which they hauehave made are of small and tender groath; the changes likely to insue throughout all states and vocations within this land, in case your desire should take place, must be thought vponupon. First concerning the supreme power of the highest, they are no small prerogatiues which now thereunto belonging the forme of your discipline will constraine it to resigne, as in the last booke of this treatise we hauehave shewed at large. Againe it may iustly be feared, whether our English Nobility, when the matter came in tryall, would contentedly suffer themselues to be alwayes at the call, and to stand to the sentence of a number of meane persons, assisted with the presence of their poore teacher, a man (as sometimes it hapneth) though better able to speake, yet little or no whit apter to iudge then the rest: from whom, be their dealings neuer so absurd (vnlesse it be by way of cōplaint to a Synod) no appeale may be made vntounto any one of higher power, in as much as the order of your discipline admitteth no standing inequalitie of Courts, no spirituall iudge to hauehave any ordinary superiour on earth, but as many supremacies as there are parishes & seuerall Congregations. Neither is it altogether without cause that so many do feare the ouerthrow of all learning, as a threatned sequell of this your intended discipline. For if the worlds preseruation depend vponupon the multitude of the wise; and of that sort the number hereafter be not likely to waxe ouer great,Sap. 6.24. when (that where with the sonne of Syrach professeth himselfe at the heart grieued) men of vnderstanding are already so little set by:Eccl. 16.29.Sir 16:29 howe should their mindes whom the louelove of so pretious a iewell filleth with secret iealousie euen in regard of the least things which may any way hinder the flourishing estate thereof, choose but misdoubt least this discipline, which alwayes you match with diuine doctrine as hir naturall and true sister, be found vntounto all kinds of knowledge a stepmother; seeing that the greatest worldly hopes, which are proposed vntounto the chiefest kind of learning, ye seeke vtterly to extirpate as weedes; and hauehave grounded your platforme on such propositions, as do after a sort vndermine those most renowmed habitations, where through the goodnesse of almightie p. 33God all commendable arts and sciences are with exceeding great industrie hitherto (and so may they euer continue) studied, proceeded in, and profest. To charge you as purposely bent to the ouerthrow of that wherein so many of you hauehave attained no small perfection, were iniurious. Only therfore I wish that your selues did well consider how opposite certaine your positions are vntounto the state of Collegiate societies, whereon the two Ʋniuersities consist. Those degrees which their statutes bind them to take, are by your lawes taken away; your selues who hauehave sought them ye so excuse, as that ye would hauehave men to thinke ye iudge them not allowable, but tollerable only, and to be borne with for some helpe which ye find in them vntounto the furtherance of your purposes, till the corrupt estate of the Chur…h may be better reformed. Your lawes forbidding Ecclesiasticall persons vtterly the exercise of Ciuill power, must needs depriue the Heads and Maisters in the same Colledges of all such authoritie as now they exercise, either at home, by punishing the faults of those, who not as children to their parents by the law of Nature, but altogether by ciuill authority are subiect vntounto them; or abroad, by keeping Courts amongst their tenants. Your lawes making permanent inequalitie amongst Ministers a thing repugnant to the word of God, enforce those Colledges, the Seniors whereof are all or any part of them Ministers vnderunder the gouernment of a maister in the same vocation, to choose as oft as they meet together a new president. For if so ye iudge it necessary to do in Synods, for the auoyding of permanent inequality amongst Ministers, the same cause must needs euen in these Collegiate assemblies enforce the like. Except per aduenture ye meane to auoid all such absurdities, by dissoluing those Corporations, and by bringing the Vniuersities vntounto the forme of the Schoole of Geneua. Which thing men the rather are inclined to looke for, in as much as the Ministery, whereinto their founders with singular prouidence hauehave by the same statutes appointed them necessarily to enter at a certaine time, your lawes bind them much more necessarily to forbeare, till some parish abroad call for them. Your opinion concerning the law Ciuill is,Humb. Motion to the L L. p. 50. that the knowledge thereof might be spared, as a thing which this land doth not need. Professors in that kind being few, ye are the bolder to spurne at them, and not to dissemble your minds as concerning their remoouall: in whose studies although my selfe hauehave not much bene conuersant, neuerthelesse exceeding great cause I see there is to wish that thereunto more encouragement were giuen, as well for the singular treasures of wisedome therein conteined, as also for the great vse we hauehave thereof both in decision of certaine kinds of causes arising daily within our selues, and especially for commerce with Nations abroad, whereunto that knowledge is most requisite. p. 34The reasons wherewith ye would perswade that Scripture is the onelyonly rule to frame all our actions by, are in eueryevery respect as effectuall for proofe that the same is the onelyonly law whereby to determine all our Ciuill controuersies. And then what doth let, but that as those men may hauehave their desire, who frankely broch it already that the worke of reformation will neuer be perfect, till the law of Iesus Christ be receiued alone; so pleaders and Counsellors may bring their bookes of the Common law, and bestow them as the students of curious & needlesse arts did theirs in the Apostles time?Act. 19.19.Acts 19:19 J leave them to scanne how farre those words of yours may reach,Mumb. M…t. p. 74. wherein ye declare, that whereas now many houses lye waste through inordinate suites of law, This one thing will showe the excellencie of Discipline for the wealth of the Realme, and quiet of Subiects, that the Church is to censure such a party who is apparantly troublesome and contentious, and without REASONABLE CAVSE vponupon a meere will and stomacke doth vexe and molest his brother & troble the Country. For mine owne part I do not see but that it might verie well agree with your principles, if your discipline were fully planted, euen to send out your writs of surcease vntounto all Courts of England besides, for the most things handled in them. A great deale further I might proceed and descend lower.Counterp. p. 108. But for as much as against all these and the like difficulties your answer is, that we ought to search what things are consonant to Gods will, not which be most for our owne ease; and therefore that your discipline being (for such is your errour) the absolute commaundement of Almightie God, it must be receiued although the world by receiuing it should be cleane turned vpside downe; herein lyeth the greatest danger of all. For whereas the name of diuine authority is vsed to countenance these things, which are not the commaundements of God, but your owne erronious collections; on him ye must father whatsoeuer ye shall afterwards be led, either to do in withstanding the aduersaries of your cause, or to thinke in maintenance of your doings. And what this may be, God doth know. In such kinds of error, the mind once imagining it selfe to seeke the execution of Gods will, laboureth foorthwith to remoue both things and persons which any way hinder it from taking place; and in such cases if any strange or new thing seeme requisite to be done, a strange and new opinion concerning the lawfulnesse therof, is withall receiued and broched vnderunder countenance of diuine authoritie. One example herein may serue for many, to shew that false opinions touching the will of God to hauehave things done, are wont to bring forth mightie and violent practises against the hinderances of them; and those practises new opinions more pernitious then the first, yea most extremely sometimes p. 35opposite to y^t which the first did seeme to intend. Where the people tooke vponupon them the reformation of the Church by casting out popish superstition,Matth. 1….1….Matt 1:1 they hauing receiued from their Pastors a generall instruction y^t whatsoeuer the heauenly father hath not planted must be rooted out, proceeded in some forrein places so far, y^t down went oratories & the very tēples of God thēselues. For as they chanced to take the compasse of their cōmission stricter or larger, so their dealings were accordingly more or lesse moderate. Amongst others there sprang vp presently one kind of mē, with whose zeale & forwardnesse the rest being compared, were thought to be maruelous cold & dull. These grounding thēselues on rules more generall; that whatsoeuer y^e law of Christ commandeth not, thereof Antichrist is the author; and that whatsoeuer Antichrist or his adherents did in the world, the true professors of Christ are to vndoe; found out many things more then others had done, the extirpation whereof was in their conceipt as necessary as of any thing before remoued. Hereupon they secretly made their dolefull complaints eueryevery where as they went, that albeit the world did begin to professe some dislike of that which was euill in the kingdome of darknesse, yet fruits worthy of a true repentance were not seene; & that if men did repent as they ought, they must endeuour to purge the earth of all maner euill, to the end there might follow a new world afterward, wherein righteousnesse only should dwell. Priuate repentance they sayd must appeare by eueryevery mans fashioning his owne life contrary vntounto the custome and orders of this present world, both in greater things and in lesse.Guy de Brés contre l'errent des Anabapa. tistes. p. 4. To this purpose they had alwayes in their mouthes those greater things, Charity, Faith, the true feare of God, the Crosse, the mortification of the flesh. All their exhortations were to set light of the things in this world, to count riche… and honors vanitie, and in token thereof not onelyonly to seeke neither, but if men were possessors of both, euen to cast away the one & resigne y^e other, that all men might see their vnfained conuersion vntounto Christ. They were sollicitors of men to fasts, to often meditations of heauenly things,p. 5. & as it were cōferences in secret with God by prayers, not framed according to the frosen maner of the world, but expressing such feruēt desires as might euen force God to hearken vntounto them. Where they found men in diet, attire,p. 16. p. 1.8.119. furniture of house, or any other way obseruers of Ciuilitie, and decent order, such they reprooued as being carnally and earthly minded.120. EueryEvery word otherwise then seuerely and sadly vttered, seemed to pierce like a sword thorow them. If any man were pleasant,p. 116. their manner was presently with deepe sighes to repeate those words of our Sauiour Christ,p. 124. Luc. 6.12.Luke 6:12 Wo be to you which now laugh, for ye shall lament. So great was their delight to be alwaies in trouble, y^t such as did quietly lead their liues, they iudged of all other men p. 36to be in most dangerous case.p. 117. They so much affected to crosse the ordinary custome in eueryevery thing, y^t when other mens vse was to put on better attire, they would be sure to shew thēselues openly abroad in worse: the ordinary names of the daies in the weeke they thought it a kind of prophanes to vse, & therefore accustomed thēselues to make no other distinction then by numbers, The First, Second, Third day. From this they proceeded vntounto publike reformatiō, first Ecclesiasticall,p. 40. and then Ciuill. Touching the former, they boldly aduouched, that themselues only had the truth, which thing vponupon perill of their liues they would at all times defend; & that since the Apostles liued, the same was neuer before in al points sincerely taught. Wherfore that things might againe be brought to that auncient integritie which Iesus Christ by his word requireth, they began to controule the ministers of the Gospell for attributing so much force and vertue vntounto the Scriptures of God read, whereas the truth was, that when the word is said to engender faith in the heart, and to conuert the soule of man, or to worke any such spirituall diuine effect, these speeches are not thereunto appliable as it is read or preached, but as it is ingrafted in vsus by the power of the holy Ghost opening the eyes of our vnderstanding, and so reuealing the mysteries of God, according to that which Ieremy promised before should be,Ier. 31.34.Jer 31:34 saying, I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their hearts. p. 29.The booke of God they notwithstanding for the most part so admired,p. 27. that other disputation against their opinions then onelyonly by allegation of Scripture they would not heare; besides it, they thought no other writings in the world should be studied; in so much as one of their great Prophets exhorting them to cast away all respects vntounto humane writings, so far to his motion they condescended, that as many as had any bookes saue the holy Bible in their custody, they brought and set them publiquely on fire. When they and their Bibles were alone together, what strange phantasticall opinion soever at any time entred into their heads, their vse was to thinke the Spirit taught it them. Their phrensies concerning our Sauiours incarnation, the state of soules departed, & such like, are things needlesse to be rehearsed. And for as much as they were of the same suite with those of whom the Apostle speaketh,2. Tim. 3.7.2 Tim 3:7 saying, They are still learning, but neuer attaine to the knowledge of truth, it was no maruaile to see them eueryevery day broach some new thing, not heard of before. Which restlesse leuitie they did interpret to be their growing to spirituall perfection, and a proceeding from faith to faith.p. 65.6…. The differences amongst them grew by this meane in a maner infinite, so that scarcely was there found any one of them, the forge of whose braine was not possest with some speciall mysterie.p. 135. Whereupon, although their mutuall contentions were most fiercely prosecuted amongst p. 37themselues; yet when they came to defend the cause common to them all against the aduersaries of their faction, they had wayes to licke one another whole, the sounder in his owne perswasion,P. 25. excusing THE DEARE BRETHREN, which were not so farre enlightned, and professing a charitable hope of the mercy of God towards them notwithstanding their swaruing from him in some things.P. 71. 124. Their owne ministers they highly magnified as men whose vocation was frō God: the rest their maner was to terme disdainfully Scribes and Pharises, to accompt their calling an humaine creature, and to deteine the people as much as might be from hearing them.p. 764. As touching Sacraments; baptisme administred in y^e church of Rome, they iudged to be but an execrable mockery & no baptisme; both because the Ministers thereof in the papacy are wicked idolaters, lewd persons, theeues, and murderers, cursed creatures, ignorant beasts; & also for that to baptise is a proper action belonging vntounto none but the Church of Christ, whereas Rome is Antichrists synagogue.p. 748. The custome of vsing Godfathers & Godmothers at Christnings they scorned. Baptising of infants, although confest by thēselues to hauehave bin continued euē sithens the very Apostles owne times,p. 112. yet they altogether condemned: partly because sundry errors are of no lesse antiquity;p. 518. and partly for y^t there is no commandement in the Gospell of Christ which sayth,p. 722. Baptise infants, but he contrariwise in saying, Go preach and Baptise, p. 726.doth appoint y^t the minister of Baptisme shall in that action first administer doctrine, & thē Baptisme, as also in saying,p. 6…8. whosoeuer doth beleeue and is baptised, he appointeth y^t the party to whō baptisme is administred shall first beleeue▪ & then be baptised; to the end y^t belieuing may go before this sacramēt in the receiuer, no otherwise then preaching in the giuer, sith equally in both, the law of Christ declareth not only what things are required,p. 38. but also in what order they are required. The Eucharist they receiued (pretending our Lord & Sauiours example) after supper: & for auoiding all those impieties which hauehave bin grounded vponupon y^e mysticall words of Christs, This is my body, This is my bloud; they thought it not safe to mention either body or bloud in y^t Sacrament, but rather to abrogate both, & to vse no words but these, Take, eate, declare the death of our Lord: drinke, p. 122.shew forth our Lords death. In rites & ceremonies their profession was hatred of all cōformity with y^e Church of Rome: for which cause they would rather indure any tormēt then obserue the solemne festiuals which others did, in as much as Antichrist (they said) was y^e first inuentor of thē. The pretended end of their ciuill reformatiō, was y^t Christ might hauehave dominion ouer all, that all crowns & scepters might be throwne downe at his feete, that no other might raign ouer Christian mē but he, no regimēt keep thē in awe but his discipline, p. 38amongst them no sword at all be caried besides his, the sword of spirituall excommunication. For this cause they laboured with all their might in ouerturning the seats of Magistracy,P. 841. because Christ hath said, Kings of Nations; p. 8…3.in abolishing the execution of iustice, because Christ hath sayd, Resist not euill; in forbidding oathes the necessary meanes of iudiciall tryall, because Christ hath sayd,p. 849. Sweare not at all; finally in bringing in community of goods,p. 40. because Christs by his Apostles hath giuen the world such example, to the end that men might excell one another, not in wealth the pillar of secular authority, but in vertue. These men at the first were only pitied in their error, and not much withstood by any; the great humilitie, zeale, and deuotion which appeared to be in them, was in all mens opinion a pledge of their harmelesse meaning. The hardest that mē of sound vnderstanding conceiued of them was but this,La…ant. de. Iustit. lib. 5. Cap. 19. O quàm honesta voluntate miseri errant? With how good a meaning these poore soules do euill. Luther made request vntounto Fredericke Duke of Saxony,p. 6. that within his dominion they might be fauourably dealt with and spared, for that (their errour exempted) they seemed otherwise right good men. By meanes of which mercifull tolleration they gathered strength, much more then was safe for the state of the common wealth wherein they liued.p. 4.20. They had their secret corner-meetings and assemblies in the night, the people flocked vntounto them by thousands.p. 5…. The meanes whereby they both allured and retained so great multitudes were most effectuall; first a wonderfull shew of zeale towards God, where with they seemed to be euen rapt in eueryevery thing they spake: secondly an hatred of sinne, and a singular louelove of integrity, which men did thinke to be much more then ordinary in them, by reason of the custome which they had to fill y^e eares of the people with inuectiues against their authorised guides, as well spirituall as ciuill: thirdly the bountifull reliefe where with they eased the broken estate of such needie creatures, as were in y^t respect the more apt to be drawne away: fourthly, a tender compassion which they were thought to take vponupon the miseries of the common sort, ouer whose heads their manner was euen to powre down showers of teares in complayning y^t no respect was had vntounto thē, that their goods were deuoured by wicked cormorants,p. 6 7. their persons had in contempt, all liberty both temporall & spirituall taken from them, that it was high time for God now to heare their grones, and to send them deliuerance: lastly a cunning slight which they had to stroke and smooth vp the mindes of their followers, as well by appropriating vntounto them all the fauourble titles, the good wordes, and the gracious promises in Scripture; as also by casting the contrary alwaies on the heades of such as were seuered from that retinue. Whereupon the peoples cōmon acclamation vntounto such deceiuers was,7. These p. 39are verily the men of God, these are his true and sincere Prophets. If any such Prophet or man of God did suffer by order of law condigne and deserued punishment; were it for felony, rebellion, murder, or what else,p. 17. the people (so strangely were their hearts inchanted) as though blessed Saint Stephen had bene againe martyred, did lament that God tooke away his most deere seruants from them. In all these things being fully perswaded, that what they did, it was obedience to the will of God, and that all men should do the like; there remained after speculation practise,p. 6. whereby the whole world thereunto (if it were possible) might be framed. This they saw could not be done, but with mighty opposition and resistance: against which to strengthen themselues, they secretly entred into league of association. And peraduenture considering, that although they were many, yet long warres would in time waste them out; they began to thinke whether it might not be that God would hauehave them do for their speedie an mighty increase, the same which sometime Gods owne chosen people, the people of Israell did. Glad and faine they were to hauehave it so: which very desire was it selfe apt to breed both an opinion of possibilitie, and a willingnesse to gather arguments of likelihood that so God himselfe would hauehave it. Nothing more cleare vntounto their seeming, then that a new Jerusalem being often spoken of in Scripture, they vndoubtedly were themselues that newe Ierusalem, and the old did by way of a certaine figuratiue resemblance signifie what they should both be and do. Here they drewe in a Sea of matter, by applying all things vntounto their owne companie, which are any where spoken concerning diuine fauours and benefits bestowed vppon the old Common-wealth of Israell; concluding that as Israell was deliuered out of Aegypt, so they spiritually out of the Aegypt of this worldes seruile thraldome vntounto sinne and superstition; as Israell was to roote out the Idolatrous nations, and to plant in steede of them a people which feared God, so the same Lords goodwill and pleasure was nowe, that these new Israelites should vnderunder the conduct of other Iosuaes, Sampsons, and Gedeons, performe a worke no lesse miraculous in casting out violently the wicked from the earth, and establishing the kingdome of Christ with perfect libertie: and therefore as the cause why the children of Israell tooke vntounto one man many wiues, might be least the casualties of warre should any way hinder the promise of God concerning their multitude from taking effect in them; so it was not vnlike that for the necessarie propagation of Christes kingdome vnderunder the Gospell, the Lord was content to allowe as much. Now whatsoeuer they did in such sort collect out of Scripture, when they came to iustifie or perswade it vntounto others, all was the heauenly fathers p. 40appointment, his commandement, his will and charge. Which thing is the very point in regard whereof I hauehave gathered this declaration. For my purpose herein is to shew, that when the minds of men are once erroniously perswaded that it is the will of God to hauehave those things done which they phancie; their opinions are as thornes in their sides, neuer suffering them to take rest till they hauehave brought their speculations into practise: the lets and impediments of which practise their restlesse desire and study to remoue, leadeth them eueryevery day forth by the hand into other more dangerous opinions, sometimes quite & cleane contrary to their first pretended meanings: so as what will grow out of such errors as go masked vnderunder the cloake of diuine authority, impossible it is that euer the wit of man should imagine, till time hauehave brought forth the fruits of them: for which cause it behoueth wisedome to feare the sequels thereof, euen beyond all apparant cause of feare. These men in whose mouthes at the first, sounded nothing but onelyonly mortification of the flesh; were come at the length to thinke they might lawfully hauehave their sixe or seuen wiues apeece: they which at the first thought iudgement and iustice it selfe to be mercilesse cruelty; accompted at the length their owne hands sanctified with being imb…ued in Christan bloud: they who at the first were wont to beate downe all dominion, and to vrge against poore Constables, Kings of Nations; had at the length both Consuls and Kings of their owne erection amongst themselues: finally they which could not brooke at the first that any man should seeke, no not by law, the recouery of goods iniuriously taken or withheld from him; were growne at the last to thinke they could not offer vntounto God more acceptable sacrifice, then by turning their aduersaries cleane out of house & home, and by inriching thēselues with al kind of spoile and pillage;P. 41. which thing being laid to their charge, they had in a readinesse their answer, that now the time was come, when according to our Sauiours promise,Matt. 5.5. Exod. 11.2.Matt 5:5Exod 11:2 The meeke ones must inherite the earth, and that their title hereunto was the same which the righteous Israelites had vntounto y^e goods of the wicked Aegyptians. Wherefore sith the world hath had in these men so fresh experience, how dangerous such actiue errors are, it must not offend you though touching the sequell of your present misperswasions much more be doubted, then your owne intents and purposes do happily aime at. And yet your words already are somewhat, when ye affirme that your pastors, Doctors,Matt. in his …. libel. p. 28. Elders, and Deacons, ought to be in this Church of England, whether hir Maiestie and our state will or no; when for the animating of your consederates ye publish the musters which ye hauehave made of your owne bands, and proclaime them to amount I know not to how many thousands; when ye threaten, that sith neither your suites to the Parliament, nor p. 41supplications to our Conuocation house, neither your defences by writing; nor chalenges of disputation in behalfe of that cause are able to preuaile,Demonstr. in the praef. we must blame our selues if to bring in discipline some such meanes hereafter be vsed as shall cause all our harts to ake. That things doubtfull are to be constered in the better part, is a principle not safe to be followed in matters concerning the publique state of a common weale. But howsoever these and the like speeches be accompted as arrowes idly shot at randon, without either eye had to any marke, or regard to their lighting place: hath not your longing desire for the practise of your discipline, brought the matter already vntounto this demurrer amongst you, whether the people and their godly pastors that way affected, ought not to make separation from the rest, and to begin the exercise of discipline without the licence of Ciuill powers, which licence they hauehave sought for, and are not heard? VponUpon which question as ye hauehave now deuided your selues, the warier sort of you taking the one part, and the forwarder in zeale the other; so in case these earnest ones should preuaile, what other sequell can any wise man imagine but this, that hauing first resolued that attempts for discipline without superiors are lawfull, it will follow in the next place to be disputed what may be attempted against superiors which will not hauehave the scepter of that discipline to rule ouer them? Yea euen by you which hauehave stayed your selues from running headlong with the other sort, somewhat notwithstanding there hath bene done without the leaue or liking of your lawfull superiors, for the exercise of a part of your discipline amongst the Cleargy thereunto addicted. And least examination of principall parties therein should bring those things to light, which might hinder and let your proceedings; behold for a barre against that impediment, one opinion ye hauehave newly added vntounto the rest euen vponupon this occasion, an opinion to exempt you from taking oathes which may turne to the molestation of your brethren in that cause. The next neighbour opinion whereunto, when occasion requireth, may follow for dispensation with oathes already taken, if they afterwards be found to import a necessity of detecting ought which may bring such good men into trouble or damage, whatsoeuer the cause be. O mercifull God, what mans wit is there able to found the depth of those daungerous and fearefull euils, whereinto our weake and impotent nature is inclinable to sinke itselfe, rather then to shew an acknowledgement of error in that which once we hauehave vnaduisedly taken vponupon vsus to defend, against the streame as it were of a contrary publique resolution! Wherefore if we anie thing respect their error, who being perswaded euen as ye are, hauehave gone further vponupon that perswasion then ye allow; if we regard the present state of the highest gouernour p. 42placed ouer vsus, if the quality and disposition of our Nobles, if the orders and lawes of our famous Ʋniuersities, it the profession of the Civil, or the practise of the Common law amongst vsus, if the mischiefes whereinto euen before our eyes so many others hauehave fallen headlong from no lesse plausible and faire beginnings then yours are: there is in eueryevery of these considerations most iust cause to feare, least our hastines to embrace a thing of so perilous consequence, should cause posterity to feele those euils, which as yet are more easie for vsus to preuent, then they would be for them to remedy.

The conclusion of all.9. The best and safest way for you therefore my deere brethren is, to call your deeds past to a new reckening, to reexamine the cause ye hauehave taken in hand, and to try it euen point by point, argument by argument, with all the diligent exactnesse ye can; to lay aside the gall of that bitternesse wherein your minds hauehave hitherto ouer abounded, and with meeknesse to search the truth. Thinke ye are men, deeme it not impossible for you to erre: sift vnpartially your owne hearts, whether it be force of reason, or vehemency of affection, which hath bred, and still doth feed these opinions in you. If truth do any where manifest it selfe, seeke not to smother it with glosing delusions, acknowledge the greatnesse thereof, and thinke it your best victory when the same doth preuaile ouer you.

That ye hauehave bene earnest in speaking or writing againe and againe the contrary way, should be no blemish or discredit at all vntounto you. Amongst so many so huge volumes as the infinite paines of Saint Augustine hauehave brought foorth, what one hath gotten him greater louelove, commendation and honour, then the booke wherein he carefully collecteth his owne ouersights, and sincerely condemneth them? Many speeches there are of Iobes, whereby his wisedome and other vertues may appeare: but the glory of an ingenuous mind he hath purchased by these words onelyonly,Iob. 39.37.Job 39:37 Behold, I will lay mine hand on my mouth; I hauehave spoken once, yet will I not therefore maintaine argument; yea twice, howbeit for that cause further I will not proceed. Farre more comfort it were for vsus (so small is the ioy we take in these strifes) to labour vnderunder the same yoke, as men that looke for the same eternall reward of their labours, to be ioyned with you in bands of indissoluble louelove and amity, to liue as if our persons being many our soules were but one, rather then in such dismembred sort to spend our few and wretched daies in a tedious prosecuting of wearisome contentions▪ the end whereof, if they hauehave not some speedy ende, will be heauie euen on both sides. Brought alreadie we are euen to that estate which Gregorie Nazianzene mournefully describeth, saying.

p. 43My minde leadeth mee (sith there is no other remedie) to flye and to conuey my selfe into some corner out of sight, Greg. Na…. in Apol.where I may scape from this cloudie tempest of malitiousnesse, whereby all parts are entred into a deadly warre amongst themselues, and that little remnant of louelove which was, is now consumed to nothing. The onelyonly godlines we glory in, is to finde out somewhat whereby we may iudge others to be vngodly. Each others faults we obserue, as matter of exprobration, and not of griefe. By these meanes wee are growne hateful in the eyes of the Heathens themselues; and (which woundeth vsus the mo…e deeply) able we are not to denie but that we hauehave deserued their hatred. With the better sort of our owne, our fame and credit is cleane lost. The lesse wee are to maruell if they iudge vilely of vsus, who although we did well, would hardly allow therof. On our backs they also build that are lewd, and what we obiect one against an other, the same they vse to the vtter scorne and disgrace of vsus all. This we hauehave gained by our mutuall homedissentions. This we are worthily rewarded with, which are more forward to striue, then becommeth men of vertuous and mild disposition. But our trust in the almightie is, that with vsus contentions are now at their highest floate, and that the day will come (for what cause of despaire is there) when y^e passiōs of former enmitie being allaied, we shal with ten times redoubled tokens of our vnfainedly reconciled louelove, shewe our selues each towards other the same, which Ioseph and the brethren of Ioseph were at the time of their enteruiew in Aegypt. Our comfortable expectation and most thirstie desire whereof what man soeuer amongst you shall any way helpe to satisfie, (as we truly hope there is no one amongst you but some way or other will) the blessings of the God of peace both in this world and in the world to come, be vppon him moe then the starres of the firmament in number.

VVhat things are handled in the Bookes following.

THe first Booke, concerning lawes in generall.

The second, of the vse of diuine lawe conteined in scripture; whether that be the onelyonly lawe which ought to serue for our direction in all things without exception.

The third, of lawes concerning Ecclesiasticall Politie; whether the forme thereof be in scripture so set downe, that no addition or change is lawfull.

The fourth, of generall exceptions taken against the lawes of our politie, as being popish and banished out of certaine reformed Churches.

The fift, of our lawes that concerne the publike religious duties of the Church; and the maner of bestowing that power of order which inableth men in sundrie degrees and callings to execute the same.

The sixt, of the power of iurisdiction, which the reformed platforme claymeth vntounto lay-elders, with others.

The seauenth, of the power of iurisdiction and the honor which is annexed thereunto in Bishops.

The eighth, of the power of ecclesiasticall dominion or supreme authoritie, which with vsus the highest gouernour or Prince hath, as well in regard of domesticall iurisdictions, as of that other forreinly claimed by the Bishop of Rome.