Attestation of Many Learned Godly and Famous Divines, Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I. The great importance of the matter heere handled; viz. That the people ought to have their free conſent in their owne Church-governement. And the cauſes of publiſhing this Atteſtation to it.
WHEREAS many thinges at divers and ſundrie times heeretofore have ben writtē, which prove a plaine neceſſitie by Gods Word to reforme the Church & Church-governement now in England; verily among them all there is almoſt no other point ſo evident, ſo direct, and ful to this purpoſe, that is,Chap. 1. none (in a maner) ſo abſolutly importeth the ſaide neceſſitie of reformation, as this doth (which is vtterly wanting among vsus) nam… ly: That the Church-governement ought t…e exerciſed alwayes with the peoples free conſent. One, or two ma… grounds of our whole controverſie.It is true, another ground thereof there is likewiſe, & that of no leſſe importance in this matter, which is, That Chriſtes true Viſible and Miniſteriall Church vnderunder the Goſpell conſisteth not of many ordinarie Congregations, but only of one. Which I have at large prooved to be a truth, and have made it manifeſt in my Declaration, pag. 10.11.12. &c. and in Reas. for Reform. pag. 19.20. & 65.66. And againe†Chapt. 8. heere after I do ſhew it further. Yet the former point in ſome reſpect may bee thought rather the chief, becauſe this ſecōd is a depēdant on the former, & followeth by a neceſſarie conſequence from it, as partly is ſhewed in the ſaid Declarat. pag. 13.14. and more fully in the VII. Chapt. of this preſent Treatiſe inſuing.
Againe, that requiring the peoples free conſent, noteth Chriſtes Viſible Churches nature and eſſence intenſivè, The Churches nature intenſivè.as the Scholes do ſpeake: that is, it ſheweth th… ground of the power and life thereof. The other ſheweth the eſſence of it extenſivè, Extenſivè.that is, the largenes of the Body of the Church, & iuſt extent, or the due limites and bounds thereof outwardly. Wherefore that requiring the peoples free conſent, is manifeſtly a moſt proper and ſpeciall Argument in our cauſe, and ſuch as toucheth the quicke in the matter of the ſaid reformation moſt neerely.
D. Downame erreth greatly, in his late Defence making his firſt booke thereof (full long & tedious) only to diſprove Lay Elders, as he calleth them. Thinking without all reaſon, that if hee ſpeed well therein, he hath gotten the victorie. Wherevpon hee moſt fondly inferreth thus:“Defenc. 1. pag. 62. Who ſeeth not that the diſproofe of their Presbyteries, is a direct proofe for our Biſhops? And in another place:*Defenc. 2.2. Who ſeeth not that vponupon the overthrow of the Presbyteries, the governement by Biſhops is neceſſarily inferred? Who ſeeth not? Verily neither hee, nor any man living, ſeeth it. Hee was tolde ſufficiently by his Refuter, †Ibid. pa. 10.of this his vaine and frivolous inference. But hee ſeemeth ſo in love with his owne folly, that he cā indure no mā to ſhew him his errour. Nay, ſuch a minde hee beareth, that in his Defence he goeth about with pretended Logike, to make this his idle conceit ſeeme reaſon, and therevpon hee ſaith his adverſarie muſt“Defen. 1.6. confeſſe him ſelfe ignorant in Logike, if hee will deny this his inference. And ſo‡Pag. 62. this paſſage concerning Lay Elders, (he hopeth) will be acknowledged not to bee impertinent. Never a whit truly.The queſtion of Elders wholy impertinent. For this paſſage ſtill is not only impertin…nt and idle, but even a falſe defence of thoſe whom he peadeth for, if he will yet holde his opinion ſtill. He hath not Logike at commaund; neither can hee by his Sophiſtrie, (amonge men of anie vnderſtandinge) make that to ſeeme, which is not. Where hee ſaieth, it is“Pag. 61. preſuppoſed on both ſides, it is his folly to ſay ſo. And in ſaying, his Refuter witneſſeth it, hee groſly abuſeth him. He doth the contrarie in the ſame place which hee alleadgeth out of him. For the Doctor leaveth out his Refuters wordes preſently following thoſe which hee alleageth. Which later words are flat againſt him. So iuſtly and truly our Doctor dealeth in his writings. Like to this is his great boaſt which hee maketh heere in his booke, and often afterwards alſo, viz. that he hath found out twoo ſortes of Diſciplinarians, (as his wiſedometermeth them) one“Defenc. 1.60. and 2.147. elder and more learned, the chiefe of whom (he ſaith) are Calvin and Beza; Another, new, ſhallow, and ignorant ſort: of whom he maketh†Defenc. 2.2. 82.130. Maiſter Cartwright chiefe, adioyning others of vsus ſince vntounto him. But what difference …ndeth hee in theſe Diſciplinarians? …orſooth, the elder (he ſaith) holde …resbyteries in Cities to governe …hole Dioceſes and Provinces, and …erein he avoucheth“Defenc. 2.2 they ioyne with …e Biſhops in England against the new ſort of …iſciplinarians. The new ſort*Defen. 1.60. boldly and …noran…ly hold Pariſhionall Presbyte…ies. Naythis, Doctor ſlandereth either …gnorantly or maliciouſly. For wee whō he maketh of the new, ſhallow, …nd ignorant ſort) we, I ſay,Wee agree with Calvin & Beza in ſubſtance. differ not …ne haire from Calvin and Beza tou…hing the ſubſtance of this matter. We as they, & they as we do acknow…edge both the one and the other; that …s, both the Pariſhionall and the Dio…eſan Presbyteries, yea the Provinci…ll, and larger too, if occaſion ſerve. …t is falſe which he imputeth to Calvin …nd Beza, that they maintayne the Church-governement by Dioceſan & Provinciall Presbyteries abſolutly without any relation to the peoples …onſent in the ordinarie Congregations. Alſo, that heerein they ioyne with the Biſhops in Englande, or that they materially differ from vsus. All which God willing, we ſhal ſhew to be vntrue, and that moſt cleerely in the 3. Chapt. & alſo in the 7. & 8. here following. Wherefore theſe be all ſlanderous forgeries of the Doctors deviſing, of purpoſe to make our innocencie odious by all the ſhifts be can, & to caſt ſome“Defen. 1.53 colour of iuſt cauſe, or ſhew of reaſon for his leaving of our acquaintance,Wherefore D. Downame left his firſt profeſſion. to whom heeretofore he ioyned him ſelf, namely while there was ſom expectation of his Maiesties favour towards vsus. And this is fully enough for anſwer to the ſubſtance of his whole firſt booke. Seeing to trouble our ſelves much with impertinent ſtuffe, would be in vsus alſo great folly.
Yea, to ſpeake the truth, the proſecuting of all the reſt of his Defence beſides, is ſuch likewiſe: that is, cleane from the maine purpoſe, & toucheth not the chiefe queſtion betweene vsus. Indeed he propoūdeth one part of the queſtion wel in the title of the ſecond booke of his Defence: but his proſecuting of it both there and every where els, even to the end, is as if we denyed Biſhops and their governement in the Churches of Chriſt.We deny not Church government by Biſhops. Which is nothing els but lyes, & malicious forgerie againſt vsus, by equivocating falſhood & ſlander to make vsus ſeeme, as if wee were againſt both the expreſſe letter of the New Teſtament,Equivocatō and alſo of the moſt ancient Eccleſiaſticall Writers, where (we know) any mā may ſee Biſhops & their government to be cō mended as from God, and as the ordinance of the Apoſtles. Which is the very practiſe likewiſe of Doct. Bilſon againſt vsus in his booke Of the perpetuall governement of Chriſts Church. Whoſe trace our Doctor followeth ſtep by ſtep. But as I ſaid, both their great and large volumes about this matter, are nothing els but two heapes of equivocations, or ſentences wholy impertinent, & ſuch as we admit with them, or ſome concluſions wherein they plainly contradict thēſelves elswhere. Little cauſe therefore had they who lately publiſhed that book of D. Bilſ. in Latin, ſo to do: vnles they meant to ſhew abroad further his moſt impertinēt, ambiguous & vncertain writing, & yet fraught with bitternes enough againſt vsus. In a word, we deſire that all men ſhould know that our queſtion is not, whether Biſhops and their governement be Apoſtolicall, about the proving whereof the greateſt part of theſe twoo Doctors bookes are ſpent. Further, though we denie Dioceſan & Provinciall Biſhops of any ſort to bee Apoſtolical, yet we do not“See Reaſ. for Reform. Pag. 7. & 38 ſimply deny but that ſome kinde of them alſo may bee lawfull, were it not that certaine waightie circumſtances in theſe our dayes do ſtande againſt them. Yea, there are Circumſtances now verie evident and pregnant againſt the beſt ſort of Dioceſan Biſhops, which were not in 200. or 300. yeares after Chriſt. So that no reaſon can be made; becauſe they were lawfull in the ſecond or third age, therefore they are lawfull now. The caſe being thus, it is to be noted that the DD. do not propound the true queſtion betwene vsus. For if the peoples free cōſent in their owne Church-governement were not (as it is) Chriſts ordināce in the New Teſtament, certainly no Circūſtance, nor any thing els could make Dioceſan or Provinciall Biſhops at all reproveable. For which cauſe the true queſtion indeed betwene the Prelacie and vsus, or the principal & maine queſtion is, Whether the people ought to have alwaies their free cōſent in their owne Church government. But this (ſpecially“See his Defen 1 38.47 & 4.80.99. D. Downame) putteth away from him with high diſdaine, cōtempt, rayling, hatefull accuſations, and exclamations. So that with this hee will not vouchſafe to medle. Wherein truely we may ſee him to be, I can not ſay learned, but a cunning, bolde, and exquiſite Sophiſter. And this may be in generall a ſufficient Anſwer even to his whole Defence. Although for ſome other reſpectes I hope ſome body will one day examine his particular paſſages more exactly in a place for the purpoſe.
But to our point in hand. We cleer…y ſee by this, that it is the peoples cō …ent in the affaires of their owne ſpi…ituall (that is, Church) governement which maketh the matter, & putteth the difference in deed betweene the Eccleſiaſticall Reformation which in all dutifulnes wee ſeeke, and that Church-governement which the L. Biſhops in Engl. do exerciſe. I ſay, this concerning the peoples right heerein is it, which toncheth the life of our cōtroverſie. Where vnderſtand,Note. that I meane only ſuch people as are not ignorant in religion, nor ſcandalous in their life. For only of ſuch Chriſtes Viſible Church ought to conſiſt.
Well; to proceed thē with our point. Queſtionles hence it is, that generally the Adverſaries of the forenamed Reformation do ſo ſtrangly reiect, yea ſo hatefully reſiſt, and ſtrive againſt this ſame Chriſtian doctrine heere propoūded (cōcerning the churches only true governement with the peoples free cōſent) as they do. Wherein they expreſſe & ſhew litle Chriſtiā patiēce: for they proſecute thoſe that hold & teach the ſame (though out of meere conſcience) with all bitter reproches, baſe skoffings, iniurious ſlanders, and vnmercifull dealings. And all this (it is plaine) not for any manner of evill that they finde in this doctrine, or for any incōvenience therin. For in truth there is none at all: as partly I have ſhewed“Reas. for reform. pag. 28 heretofore, & it will further be manifeſted heereafter. But they ſo hate this doctrine only becauſe of the inevitable conſequence of the ſaid reformation, which it bringeth with it. Which croſſeth & overturneth wholy their divers enormous, worldly, & carnall deſires; as any man that looketh into the caſe, may eaſily ſee.
Howſoever it be, yet the truth and the agreeablenes heereof, with the holy Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt, & with the aſſuring of our ſoules in the way to eternall life, as it hath appeared to the world ever ſince the diſcovery of Antichriſt, more cleerely then it did for many yeres before: ſo doubtles it will more and more appeare yet ſtill, & be made further manifeſt to al men even where the Goſpell is receaved (as it is in many places yet) not ſo ſincerely as it ought to be.See chapt. 7. pag. 156. &c. For my part, becauſe I well perceave that the Antichriſtian idolatrie and tyrannie of the Church of Rome cānot by Divinitie be ſoūdly reſiſted (as experience in time will ſhew) neyther was it reſiſted by our Forefathers at the beginning, but by maintayning this Evangelicall point of doctrine among others, therefore I have cōdeſcended the more willingly (after diligent inquirie thereinto) to approve the ſaid point of doctrine, viz. that the Church governement ought to be exerciſed alwayes with the peoples free conſent. Which alſo even for“For that the Papa cie els will come in. See Chap. 7. this ſame cauſe I can not but beleeve to be the holy ordinance of Ieſus Chriſt for his Church vnderunder the Goſpel, and to have ben delivered vntounto vsus by the Apoſtles in their perpetuall practiſe of Church-governement. But ſpecially, ſeeing for the ſame we have the moſt ſure evidence of Gods word in the New Teſtament, which I†Argnm. 3. & 9. of the Divine beginning of Chrſts Viſible church Declarat pag. 20 …1 Reas. for Reform. pag. 45. 46, 47. 48. have heeretofore gathered and obſerved at large. Secondly, ſeeing we have for it a plentifull, and cleere Attestation of many Learned, Godly, and famous Divines both New and Old, confirming our faith, and ſtrengthening our conſciences therein.
Which Atteſtation I have thought it needfull at this time and in this place to gather and produce for many cauſes. Firſt my deſire is that it may ly open to the ſight of all men, what a great & holy agreement of good men heerein we have; which being added to the forenoted fundamētal certaintie thereof in Gods word, giveth ſo full a ſatisfaction to every good Chriſtian, that who can deſire more? Secondly, all Chriſtiā Civill Magiſtrates may heereby take good content and be ſatisfyed touching the innocencie of this way in the Church governement which we holde. For when they ſhall ſee with what a cloud of ſuch witneſſes we are cōpaſſed in defence of this matter, they can not imagine any inconvenience by it to their governement, notwithſtanding all the clamours and invectives of partiall Adverſaries againſt it. Laſtly, heereby alſo our adverſaries virulent tongues and pens (if it be poſſible) may bee aſhamed to abuſe vsus as they do with al kinde of vnworthy reproches and ſlanders, when they ſhall ſee whom they hate, and perſecute, & revile togeather with vsus. Wherefore for the publiſhing of this matter there appeareth every way very great and neceſſarie reaſon.
CHAP. II. The Method and order of this Treatiſe.
NOw heerein I purpoſe to proceed thus. Firſt I will ſhew, who among the New Writers are our Maiſters & Teachers in this point of doctrine, and whoſe faith wee follow therein: whom I put firſt, namely, for their ſingular perſpicuitie and reſolutnes in it. Then I will rehearſe the practiſe of the moſt ancient times after the Apoſtles. After that, I will remember our very adverſaries conſent with vsus heerein ſometimes. Then I will ſhew ſome certaine & firme conſequences whiche follow from this ground neceſſarily: alſo ſome true & great inconveniences in re…ecting this doctrine. Moreover, I will anſwer ſome of the adverſaries chiefeſt obiections, noting alſo briefly their immodeſt and vnchriſtian reproches againſt this Evangelicall truth. And finally, adding a brief advertiſement touching this cauſe, we will commit the whole cōſideration thereof to the vpright hearted and diſcreet Chriſtian Reader.