A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 1 · Dialogue 20
The. 20. dialogue is of the diſcipline, cenſures and conſiſtories of the Churche.
Of the diſcipline of the Church, and of the principall partes of the ſame.
M.
SEyng wée are come to the point of the diſcipline of the church, declare vntounto mée then what thou meaneſt by the ſame.
P.
I vnderſtande the gouernement and the rule, by the whych God will that his Churche be gouerned according to the order which he hath ordeyned in it by his word, to entertaine it in true religion and to take away ſlaunders.
M.
What is that rule and that order?
Pe.
There be chiefly thrée pointes to conſider.
M.
Which is the firſte?
P.
The regard that muſt be had to the doctrine & aſſemblies of the Church, to the end that the worde of God and the ſacraments be adminiſtred as they ought to be, & aboue al things that do appertaine & are requiſite to the ſeruice of God.
M.
Whiche is the ſecōd point?
P.
The regard that muſt be had to the life and manners of eueryevery man.
M.
Which is the thirde?
P.
It is not altogither of ſo greate importance, for it concerneth only certaine exerciſes, which ſometime are required in the Church, as are faſtings & other certaine ceremonies the whiche, according to the neceſſities and circumſtaunces of times and of places, may ſerue for the better making of men to do their dutie and office to God.
Of the chiefe things vvherevppon the diſcipline of the Church ought to vvatche.
M.
SEing that thou ſayeſt that the two firſt pointes be the moſt neceſſary, declare vntounto me the things, the which are moſt to be conſidered in them.
P.
Forſomuche as the word of God is ordeyned to teache, admoniſhe, comforte, exhorte, rebuke, and to correct eueryevery man, as it ſhal be néedefull, it is neceſſary that there be cenſures and watches in the Churche, to watche and to take héede how eueryevery man doth behaue himſelfe, as well in reſpecte of doctrine as of life, and whereof eueryevery man hath néede, to prouide for the ſame as the word of God doth require.
Of the cenſures and ancients of the Church, and of the maner of the policie of the ſame.
M.
AL that whiche thou ſayeſt, doth it not belong to the office of the paſtors and miniſters which hauehave charge of the adminiſtration of the worde of God and of the Sacramentes, and of all the Church?
P.
I graūt it. But there are chiefly two cauſes, why it is néedefull yt they hauehave helpers with them, whiche may be called cenſures or ancients of the church, as they are called in the holy ſcriptures, to helpe them in that that I hauehave ſaid.
M.
Which is the firſt of theſe two cauſes?
P.
It is that the miniſters are not ordinarily ſo many, that they maye ſée in eueryevery place: and on the other part all are not ſo carefull, ſo diligent, and ſo perfect, to loke to all things, as it were to be deſired.
M.
Which is the other cauſe?
P.
It is that all be it they could doe it, it is good that there be others of the Churche, which may bée ioyned vntounto them, to giuegive to vnderſtand, that the Church, in reſpect of the policie and diſcipline ye Ieſus Chriſt hath there appointed, and of the gouernment which he hath giuen to men, is not as a Monarchy, or ſome other temporall lordſhip, in the which certaine princes hauehave all abſolute authoritie: but it is an holy and frée communaltie, which for that cauſe is called the communion of Saintes, to the whych Ieſus Chryſt hath gyuen in generall and not to any one in particular, all the power and authoritye that there is, to vſe for edification, and not to deſtruction.
Of the true head of the Church and of the power giuen to the church by Ieſus Chriſt to choſe thoſe vvhichwhich hauehave publique office in the ſame, & hovv requiſite it is that that order be there obſerued.
M.
BVt in taking it ſo, it ſéemeth to me that there is no order at al, but rather great confuſion. For if there be no certaine head, eueryevery man wil there bée a maiſter, & the one as great as ye other.
P.
It doth not ſo folow of that which I hauehave ſaide. For firſt of all, ſhe is not without a head, for ſo much as it hath Ieſus Chriſt for hir head. Afterward, al be it yt the power & authoritie be giuen to the whole cōmunaltie of the faithfull, as it is in the hands of the people in a popular eſtate, ye which mē hauehave aunciently called Dimocracie: yet for al yt it hindreth not at all, but yt the church by a cōmon conſent may choſe out of the body of this holy communaltie ſuch certaine perſons, as may hauehave ye ſpecial charge, to exerciſe & adminiſter the publique offices which are ordeined of God in ye ſame, as they do in a frée citie in ye which ye choiſe of publique offices is made by the burgeſes & citizens of ye ſame whiche are all of one very communaltie.
M.
Thy meaning is then, that all the authoritie and power of the rule and gouernement of the Church, is giuen in generall to all the Churche, and that therefore it belongeth to the ſame, to chooſe according to the word of God thoſe whome ſhe knoweth to be moſt méete to exerciſe therein the publique offices, and to whōe God hathe diſtributed the moſt of hys gifts, to execute the ſame faithfully.
P.
In all the time that the Church was wel ruled according to the worde of God, and that ſhe was not oppreſſed by tyrannie, ſhe euer vſed that order. And therfore it is more than neceſſarie yt ſhe holde alway hir right, hir power, and authoritie, ſuch as ſhe hath receiued of god, to the end that there be none of the members of ye ſame, be they either miniſters of ye ſame or elſe the magiſtrates, or ye cōmō people, yt may take in hand any thinge in this ſpirituall rule & gouernmēt of their owne authoritie, but that eueryevery one of the flocke content himſelfe with the charge that ſhal be committed vntounto him by lawful vocation.
Of the office as vvell of the miniſters as of the other auncientes and Cenſures of the Church, and of the regard that chiefly muſt be had vntounto them.
M.
SEing it is ſo, ſhew me thē what is ye office as wel of ye miniſters as of other cenſures and ancients which may be ioyned vntounto them in this Eccleſiaſtique diſcipline.
P.
It is firſt of all to ſée carefully that the doctrine of the lord be not only truly ſet foorth in the Church, but alſo that it be receyued with all honoure and reuerence, and practiſed as it is méete.
M.
It is then méete that they which hauehave the ouerſight & publique charge in ye churche, do watch not only ouer the people, but alſo ouer the miniſters.
P.
But it is ouer ye miniſters chiefly, that firſt héede muſt be taken, for if their doctrine and life be not ſuch as their office requireth, they ſhal be a greater ſlaunder and a greater ruine to the whole Church than any other, & God ſhall be more diſhonored in them than he ſhall in all the reſt that be vnderunder theyr charge.
M.
And who ſhal hauehave the ſuperintendance ouer them, conſidering that they be the chiefe gouernours and leaders, which muſt leade and gouerne all the reſt that are cōmitted vntounto them.
P.
If they muſt in déede watch ouer others, and correct them, they muſt chiefly looke vponupon themſelues, according to the aduertiſement whiche Saincte Paule giueth them,Act. 20. f and they muſt correct the faultes that bée among them, by the diſcipline which they ſhould hauehave togither.
M.
But if they doe it not, but doe beare the one with the other, or if there be ſuch faultes eyther in their doctrine or lyfe, which deſerue greater cenſures, or in déede open rebuke, what remedie is there for that?
P.
Then muſte the Eccleſiaſtique conſiſtories whiche are ordeyned by and in the name of the whole Churche, prouide for the ſame, whervnto the other auncients and Cenſures of the Church, do aſſiſt with the miniſters to remedie all offences, whiche may be eyther in the doctrine or lyfe of any man, be he miniſter or other.
M.
Shal not the coūcels prouide for that?
P.
That is a later remedy whervnto men may hauehave recourſe when neceſſitie requireth it, prouided that they be lawfull.
M.
Then muſte the lyke be vnderſtode of al the reſt, which are appointed in theſe Conſiſtories, as Cenſures and Senators, and eccleſiaſticall iudges.
P.
Thou mayſte well vnderſtande, that if they whiche are appointed to correcte others, doe not firſt correct themſelues amōg themſelues, they ſhal hauehave no great authoritie to correcte thoſe whiche they ought to correcte, neyther may they doe it without their greate ſhame and confuſion, and without giuyng great occaſion of murmure, ſlaunder, and ſcattering of all the Churche.
M.
And if they whiche hauehave ſpeciall charge in the Churche, doe bear the one with the other, and be them ſelues the cauſe of ſlaunders, and ſcattering of the ſame, hath not then the whole Church together power to correct them, and to prouyde for and remedie ſuche faultes?
P.
Séeing that the power wherof we ſpeake, is giuen by Ieſus Chryſt, to his whole Church, who hath power to take it from hir? May they take it from hir to whome ſhée hath giuen it?
M.
No, excepte they be tyrauntes.
P.
Thou ſayeſt truthe.