Concerning a Threefold Order of Bishops, Question 1
The firſt queſtion.
Seeyng that there are ordayned in ſeuerall Churches, ſeuerall paſtors and miniſters, and the authority of all Chriſtes miniſters in the Church ſeeme to be equall: Whether the office of the biſhops be neceſſary in the church to procure meetings when occaſion ſerueth, admiſſion to the miniſterie, and remoouyng from the place vponupon iuſt cauſes: or whether all the miniſters hauyng equall authoritie, and not vnderunder the authoritie of any ſuperiour biſhop, ought to chuſe fit men with the conſent of the Patron who enioyeth the benefice, and the people thēſelues, as alſo to correct & remoue frō the charge. And the maners of the people thēſelues, who can hardly or not at all be kept in obedience without the bridle of the biſhops authority, which may runne through in viſityng of the Churches of the prouince, may put vsus in mynd to retaine ſuch biſhops. Againe, ſo often as there ſhalbe dealing in matters touchyng the ſafetie of the common wealth in the ſolemne aſſemblies of the land, accordyng to the laws which the kingdome hath of a long vſe and cuſtome receiued, there can be nothing eſtabliſhed without the biſhops, who hauehave the third roume and place in the kingdome, which to take away, or wholy to put downe, would bee very dangerous to the Common wealth.
The anſwer to the firſt queſtion.
Where as Sathans biſhop hath bene the ouerthrowe of the Church and all Chriſtian kingdomes, whoſe head is the Romaine Antichriſt, it is to be looked vntounto of all handes, eſpecially of all godly princes, that they at once aboliſh it, if they minde the reformation of the Church, and their owne ſafetie. As for the biſhop ordained by mā, & brought into the Churche by little and little, whereby Sathan made him a waye for greater thinges, it had beene tolerable, ſo that with all the ancient good lawes prouidyng for the reſiſting of the gouernyng by ſome few, had bene in their former force agayne. But beſides, that the ſtate of the world being quite changed, experience of ſo many ages doeth teach vsus too well, that vnleſſe this roote alſo be plucked vp, it wil come to paſſe, that the ſame fruite will ſprout and bud forth again. Finally, ſeing the Lord hath ſo oftē decided this cōtrouerſie of ſuperiority among his own diſciples, that he ſhut it cleane out, ſeing the rule both for doctrine & good order of the Church, is to bee ſought for out of the very writings of the apoſtles: & it is manifeſted, the churches thē proſpered, whē all this authoritie of one man ouer the reſt, yet was not, but as that grew vp, ſo al things fell to decay. Finally, ſeeyng where the remnants of this gouernment by a few, are not cleane taken away, the woorke of the Lord, is openly hindered: Our iudgement is, that after the chaſing away of this deuiſe of man, the churches ſhall be wel prouided for, if they may be repaired according to the writynges of the Apoſtles. And the reformation as it ſemeth to vsus, conſiſteth herein, that firſt the whole kingdome is to bee deuided into regions. Agayne, the regions into pariſhes, either of Cities or countrey townes: that in places moſt fit, and of greateſt aſſembly, be placed paſtors, beyng lawfully propounded by the company of their owne elders, to the kinges chriſtiā maieſtie, or the deputies therof, and allowed of all. Laſtly, beyng receyued of their own people, ouer whō they are to be ſet, they be placed, promulgation hauing gone before: and that in eueryevery pariſh the paſtour may hauehave with hym fit men to aſſiſt him, who alſo may, beyng watchfull, ſalue vp the offences not ſo waighty, leauyng the other of greater importance, to the whole elderſhip. Alſo, that elderſhip made of the paſtors of pariſhes, both of citie & cuntry, and a ſufficient number of men approoued for their godlines & wiſedom, lawfully alſo choſen, as is aforeſayd, bee placed in moſt fitte places, who aſſemblyng at a certaine tyme and place, may determine of the Church-affayres, of their owne gouernment, accordyng to the preſcript lawes, firſt ſet downe in a generall councell, and afterward confirmed by the authoritie of the ſoueraigne maieſtie.
In this company let there be choſen by common voyces, one firſt in order not ſuperior in authoritie, who ſhall be thought moſt fit, and that without making choyſe of any certaine place, & but for a certaine tyme. After the expiryng whereof, either let another bee choſen, or els the ſame man is to be eſtabliſhed agayne for another tyme by a new conſent: whoſe office is to make report of the common affaires to the company, to demaund their iudgements, and to giuegive ſentence by the iudgement of the elderſhip, hauing no authority giuē him ouer his felows, to whō rather he is moſt ſubiect. In this aſſembly let nothyng be debated of beſides maters of conſciēce, & that by the word of god, & the lawes of church diſcipline eſtabliſhed, drawen out of the worde of God, not one whit medling with the authority of the ciuil magiſtrate. And let the ſoueraign maieſty & the lawfull magiſtrate thereby appointed, be keepers of this order, & the puniſher of thoſe that ſeditiouſly rage againſt it. But if any ſhal imagin that this ſodain aboliſhing of both theſe biſhops will miniſter occaſion of new ſtirres, although we ſee not with what conſciēce the biſh. may ſo chalenge to themſelues the goods of the church, or els call thē ſelues biſhops, & liue like princes of this world: yet for to keep the cōmon peace, the ſoueraigne maieſty may leaue vntounto thē, which are now biſhops, their reuenues whole for their lyfe tyme, ſo they trouble not the well made order of the Church, with prouiding there be none choſen into their place, when they bee dead. As for the frowardnes of the people, it may be kept downe better a great deale by other reynes, then by the authoritie of a falſe named biſhop; as by preaching of the word of God, by cenſures of the church, and the authoritie of the magiſtrate of the cuntry, agaynſt the open troubles of the publike ſtate, either eccleſiaſtical or ciuil. The Churches may very wel be viſited at ſet times without any great coſt and biſhoplike pride, by thē whō eueryevery elderſhip hath choſen vnderunder the K. maieſties authority which wil not be alwais neceſſary, if the elders do rightly execute their office. This ſitting of the biſh. with the authority of the voice in the publike eſtates of the kingdom, came in with a manifeſt abuſe, cōtrary to the word, & therfore in our mind is to be vtterly aboliſhed. For the biſh. hath nothing to do in ordring of meer ciuil affairs: yet foraſmuch as in ſuch aſſemblies, eſpecially ſome things many times happen, belonging to the eſtabliſhing of the eſtate, & order of the churches: the kepers wherof the godly magiſtrates ought to be, & not the ouer turners, as we are taught by the exāple of holy kings. It is very neceſſary, that as often as the meetinges of the land are proclaymed, intelligence thereof be giuen to the chiefe elders, who may bee preſent in the behalfe of their ſeignories, yet not ſittyng as iudges, but dealing about matters of the church onelyonly with the eſtates of the land, as their elderſhips hauehave giuen them in charge, except the ſtates thinke good vponupon extraordinary occaſion, that they aske counſell of God about ſome other affaires alſo. If alſo the kinges Maieſtie thinke good to admit into counſell amongeſt the paſtors or elders, one, who ſhall bee thought to be wiſe and experienced in things, he may admit him, though not as a paſtor or elder, yet as a citizen. And it were iniurious to remooue from their office in the Church, the paſtours, and much leſſe the Elders and Deacons, otherwiſe laymen frō that degree, which they hold as citizens, either in the common wealth, or in the aſſemblies. But the kings maieſty, and all the Princes & Lordes, are to be exceedyng wary, that they make not courtlike gouernours of their paſtors, to the great endamagyng of the Church, as we hauehave a faire example in Euſebius of Nicomedia in the court of Conſtantine. As for the right of the patronage, leaſt ſome man ſhould ſay, that it was gotten for himſelfe. Our iudgement is, that it may be concealed, but not without ſome conditiōs: namely, that he which ſhall be choſen by the free voyces of the elderſhip, ſhould bee offred by the Patrone to the kings maieſtie, beyng alſo to ſet vponupon his charge, after the conſenting of his flocke.