Discipline Which Christ Hath Prescribed for the Government of His Church, Chapter 4
CHAP. 4.
IT belongeth to the Church,Our affertion. to make choise of those officers which Christ would hauehave placed in the same: T. C. 2. booke 1. part page 193. Ecclesiast. Discip. fol. 40. & VVhitgift confesseth it page 164.
They deny this, as their denying of al the arguments that bee brought for it doth prooue, VVhitgift page 154. 166. &c. and their practize of allowing patrons, and also being such themselues doth euidently declare.
If the former bee prooued true, then the latter must returne to Antichriste, which is thus declared.
1 That which was the continuall and constant practize of the Church in the time of the Apostles,Act. 1. 2…. that same is to be followed for euer, which appeareth by this, that the ordinaunces giuen from God by Paule, 1. Tim. 6. 14. are enioyned to be kept vntill Christ come to iudgement: But it was the constant, and the continuall practize of the Churches, them to hauehave a stroke in the choyse of their owne ecclesiastical officers, Act. 1. and 6. where the Apostles presented two, to the peoples liking: wherof God was to be prayed vntounto, to make one an Apostle. Act 6. 3. where the Church is willed to choose their Deacons, and Act. 14. 25. where they gaue their consent in the choosing of their elders, by the stretching forth of their handes: Therefore it belongeth to the Church to choose their owne Church officers.
2 If the people had an interest in the liking of their teaching Leuites,Numb 8. …. (which were of the tribe of Aaron) then much more must the people now, for there was greater likelihood, that they were sent of God, then any of the commō sort of men: But the former is true, as appereth by the manner of the setting of them a side vntounto that office in the lawe: Therefore must the latter needs be true also.
3 That which pertayneth vntounto all, ought to be approoued of all the congregation: But eueryevery ministery in the Church, pertayneth to all the congregation: Therefore, authority to approoue of them, pertayneth to all the congregation.
4 That election which is most effectuall to bring the people to obedience, is of all other the best, and to abridge it, is vnlawfull: But election by common consent, is most effectuall to bring the people to obedience, when they shall see him teache or rule, whom they themselues hauehave chosen: Therefore election by the Church is the best, and all other kindes of elections vnlawfull.
5 That election which procureth greatest reuerence of the people to their teachers and rulers is meetest, and all others vnlawfull: But for the people to cōsent in the election of their gouernours, procureth greatest reuerence, in their hearts towards them: Therefore election by the people is the best, and all others bee vnlawfull.
Testimonies of the ancient vvriters.
6 The minister should be chosen (the people being present) in the eyes of all, and should be by the common iudgement,Cyprian booke 1. Epist. 3. and testimonie approoued worthy and fit: &c. Therefore this is the lawfull vocation by the worde of God, where those which are chosen, be appoynted by the consent and approbation of the people. For which also, he bringeth diuers authorities out of the Scriptures.
7. That is truely and certainly a diuine election of a Byshop,Ambrose Epist: 82. which is made by the whole Church.
8 Let the people hauehave authority to choose their Clarkes and ministers.Ierome ad Ruffinum.
9 They runne (speaking of the life of the Clarkes) to Byshops suffragans certaine times of the yeare,Ad Nepotianum and bringing some sum of money, they are anoynted and ordayned,This is right our English fashion. being chosen of none, and afterward the Byshop without any lawfull election, is chosen in huggermuger of the canons, or prebendaries onelyonly, without the knowledge of the people.
10 In the Oration of the death of his Father,Nazianzen. approoueth the election by the people, at large, and confuteth them that would hinder it
11 When he appoynted Eradius to succeed him,Augustine. sayth, it was the approoued right and custome, that the whole Churche shoulde eyther choose or consent vntounto their Bishop.
12 Anthimius choosing a Bishopp without the peoples consent,Basil. Epist. 58. filled all Armenia with sedition.
13 Why did Peter communicate the election with the disciples?Chrisost. in act. 1 lest the matter should hauehave turned to a braule, and hauehave fallen to a contention.
Testimonies of gennerall Councells.
14 It is meete that you should hauehave power,Concil. Nicen… teste Theo…doret. both to choose, and to giuegive their names that are worthy to be among the cleargie, and to do all things absolutely according to the lawes & decrees of the Church, and if it happen any to dye in the Church, then those which were last taken, are to be promoted, to the honor of him that is dead, if they be worthy, and if the people choose them.
15 Let the people choose,The same Contest. hist tripart lib. 2. and the Byshopp approoue, and seale vp the election with them.
16 In an Epistle to Damas…us, Ambrose &c. sayth, we hauehave ordayned Nectarius Bishopp of Constantinople, &c.Concil. constantest. tripart. hist. lib. 9. cap. 14. the whole citie decreeing the same; and Flauianus was appoynted Bishop of Antioch, the whole citie appoynting him.
17 When he hath bin examined in all these and found fully instructed,Concil. Carthag can. 1. then let him be ordayned Bishop, by the common consent of the Clarkes and lay people.
18 Let not him be counted a prieste in the Church,Conci. Toletantest. dist. 5…. whom the cleargie, and people of that citie where he is, do not choose.
19 If any Bishop after the death of his predecessor,Concil: Gabil. canon 10. be chosen of any, but of the Bishops of the same prouince, and of the cleargie and citizens▪ let another be chosen: and if it be otherwise, let the ordination be void and of none effecte.
Testimonies out of the Emperors lavves.
20 Following the doctrine of the holy Apostles,Iustinian in cod &c. we ordayne, that as oft as it shall fall out, that the ministers place shalbe voyde in any citie, that voyces be giuen of the inhabiters of that citie, that hee (of three whiche for their right fayth, holines of life, and other things, are most approoued) be chosen to the Bishopprick which is most meete of them.
21 Being not ignoraunt of the holy canons:Carolus Magnus di…t. 63 sacro rum canonum. that the holy Churche should vse her honour the more freely, we assent vntounto the ecclesiasticall order, that the Bishops be chosen, by the election of the cleargie and people.
22 He decreed,Lodouicus Caroli silius. that he should be Bishop of Rome, whome all the people of Rome shoulde consent to choose.
23 Lodouicke the second,Platina in vita Andriam secundi. commaunded by his letters, the Romanes to choose their owne Bishopp, not looking for other mens voyces, which (being straungers) coulde not so well tell what was done in the common-wealth, where they were strangers, and that it appertayned to the citizens.
24 Let the people (sayth Otho the Emperor) choose and I will approoue it.Idem in vita Leonis octaui.
The testimonies of the nevve vvriters.
25 The newe writers, as Muscu…us, in his Common places, in the title of Magistrats: Bullinger vponupon 1. Tim. 4. Calume Institut. booke 4. chap. 3. sect. 15. Harmon. confes. Heluet. cap. 18. & many others are on our side in this behalfe.
26 If there bee none that write against it, but the papists, and no arguments vsed against it, but those which be borrowed out of the popish writers: then doth it belong to the Church to choose their owne Church officers: But the former is true, as all that doe read them, that write of this argument do knowe▪ and as is manifest, by comparing Pighius, Hosius, &c. with VVhitgift: Therefore the latter is true also.
Therefore seeing the interest of the Church in choosing of their Church officers,The Conclusion T. C. 2. booke …. part. page 212. is grounded vponupon the word of God, both in commaundement, and continuall practize, both in the olde and newe Testament; seeing it is warranted by the light of common reason; seeing it is commended vntounto vsus, by the manifold practize of all ancient times, so long as any sinceritie remayned, not onelyonly in the time of persecution, but also of peace; seeing it hath beene confirmed by so many generall Councels and ratified by the decrees of so many Emperors; seing it hath such a cloude of witnesses, both of ancient and latter times, of the best approoued writers; seeing none doe set themselues against it, but the papistes, or they that invade it onelyonly with the same weapons that are fetched out of the popes Armory: it must needs follow, that it belongeth vntounto the Churche to choose their Churche officers: and that the taking away of this freedom, abridgeth the libertie that Christ hath endowed his Churche withall, and bringeth her into great bondage, as Musculus truely affirmeth.
Their obiections against those things are these
1 Obiection They were then vnderunder the crosse, few in number, and therfore it was easily knowen who were fit.
Ansvvere The Gospell was dispersed thorow out all Asia, Affrica, and much of Europe, and they could lesse keepe together, or meete, and therefore that maketh rather for vsus.
2 Obiection Wee hauehave many hypocrites, to whome it were daungerous to committ suche waightie actions.
Ansvvere It is true, that we hauehave many: but it is a principle in hypocrisie, to be forwardst in such publike actions, that they may get fame thereby.
3 Obiection They had knowledge to doe it, but our people be ignorante….
Ansvvere We should also finde our people to hauehave knowledge, if they had teaching: but howsoeuer they choose, they cannot hauehave worse then ordinarily are chosen by the …ishops and patrons.
4 Obiection The Church was not then established.
Ansvvere That is vntrue, for though it wanted the helpe of Magistrates, yet the Apostles coulde and did better establish without them, then we can with the helpe of them: but if this order might be altered, it had bene fitter then, for nowe the magistracie may compounde tho differences of the Elders, which help then they lacked.
5 Obiection Drunkards, papists, &c. wil choose them that bee like themselues, and we knowe the best disposed be alwayes the fewest.
Ansvvere Such are not of the Churche, but without, 1. Cor. 5. 12. and therefore are not to meddle in anye holy action: but if the people shoulde choose an vnmeete man, the eldershippe that gouerneth the action, is to reforme them: besides this, if Gods order had hir place, the schooles of the prophets would send them none, (for the ministers especially) to make choyse of, but meet men, that whomsoeuer they tooke, he should be found sufficient.
6 Obiection Paule commandeth 1. Tim. 5. 22 to lay his handes on no man rashly: therefore one did it.
Ansvvere Hee teacheth what to doe for his part, and though others would be rashe, yet he should not ioyne with them in it, as appeareth in the latter ende of that same verse, for that is ascribed vntounto him, which also belonged vntounto others, because he was the director: Caluin and Musculus expound the place so.
7 Obiection The Councell of Laodicea, decreed that the people should not elect.
Ansvvere That is, as Caluine taketh it vponupon Acts 16. they might not elect alone, without the direction of some graue & good minister, which should be the manner in the elections, that (according to Gods word) we desire.