A Reply to an Answer Made by Doctor Whitgift, Reply · Part 22
Anſwere to the. 50. and. 51. pages.
THys paſſeth all the diuinitie that euer I red / that there are now Apoſtles / and Euangeliſtes / and Prophetes. You ſhall aſſuredly doe maruelles if you proue that / as you ſay you will / if any denye it / I denye it / proue you it. And that you may hauehave ſome thing to doe more / then peraduenture you thoughte of / when you wrote theſe words / I will ſhew you my reaſons why I thinke there ought to be none / nor can be none / vnles they hauehave wonderfull and extraordinarie callings. It muſt firſt be vnderſtanded / that the ſignification of thys worde Apoſtle / when it is properly taken / extendeth it ſelfe not only to all the miniſters of God being ſent of God / but to the ambaſſadoure of any Prince or Noble man / or that is ſent of any publike authoritie / and is vſed of the ſcripture by the trope of Synechdoche for the twelue / that oure ſauior Chriſt appoynted to go throughout all the world / to preache the goſpell / vntounto the whych number was added S. Paule and as ſome thinke Barnabas / whych are ſeuered from all other miniſters of the goſpell by theſe notes.
Firſt that they were immediately called of God / as ſ. Paule to the Galathians / Galath. 1. 1.proueth him ſelfe to be an apoſtle / becauſe he was not appoynted by men.
Then / that they ſawe Chriſte / whych argument S. Paule vſeth. Am I 1. Cor. 9. 1.not an Apoſtle? hauehave I not ſeene Chriſte?
Thirdly / that theſe had the fielde of the whole worlde to Till / where as other are reſtrained more perticularly / as to a certen ploughe lande / wherein they ſhoulde occupye them ſelues. Wherevppon it followeth / that as we conclude againſt the Pope truely / that he can be no ſucceſſor of the Apoſtles / not only becauſe he neyther reacheth / nor dothe as they did / but becauſe the Apoſtles hauehave no ſucceſſors / neither any can ſucceede into the office of an Apoſtle: ſo maye we likewiſe conclude againſt thoſe / that would hauehave the Apoſtles nowe adayes / that there can be none / becauſe there is none / vntounto whome all theſe three notes doe agree: as that he is bothe ſent of God immediately / or that he hath ſeene Chriſt / or that he is ſent into all the world.
And althoughe ſome Eccleſiaſticall wryters do call ſometimes good miniſters ſucceſſors of the Apoſtles yet that is to be vnderſtanded becauſe they propound the ſame doctrine y• they did / not becauſe they ſucceded into the ſame kinde of function / whych they could not doe. S. Paule doth vſe this word (Apoſtle) ſometimes in hys proper and natiue ſignification for hym that is publikely ſent from any to other / as when he ſpeaketh of the brethren that were ioyned wyth Titus / whych were ſent by the churches wyth reliefe to the pore church in Ieruſalem and Iewrie / and where he calleth Epaphroditus an Apoſtle. But that 1. Cor. 8. 23. Phillip. 2. 25.is wyth addition / and not ſimply / as in the firſt place he calleth the brethren the apoſtles of the Churches / that is not the apoſtles of all Churches / or ſent to all churches / but the apoſtles whych certaine churches ſent with the reliefe to other certaine churches / and Epaphroditus he calleth not an apoſtle ſimply / but the apoſtle of the Philippians / that is whych the Philippians ſent wyth reliefe to Paule being in priſon at Rome / as it appeareth in the ſame Epiſtle.
And as for Andronicus and Iunius whych are by you recited / belyke to proue that we may hauehave more apoſtles / becauſe it is ſayd of S. Paule that they were famous and notable amongſt the apoſtles / it cannot be proued by any thing 16. Rom. 7.I ſee there / whether they had any function Eccleſiaſticall or no. For S. Paule calleth them hys kinneffolke / and fellowe priſonners / and dothe not ſay that they were his fellowe labourers: and a man may be well notable and famous amongſt the apoſtles / and well knowne vntounto them / whych is no apoſtle. And if the apoſtles would hauehave had this order of the apoſtles to continue in the church / there is no doubt but that they would hauehave choſen one into Iames hys roume when he 12. Actes. 2.was ſlaine / as they did when they ſupplied the place of Iudas / by chuſing Mathias / and ſo euer as they had died / the other would hauehave put other in their places. So it appeareth that thys function of the apoſtles is ceaſed.
You aſke farther / that if a man ſhould not preach before he hauehave a paſtoral charge / what they will anſwere vntounto Phillip and Epaphroditus / wherby your meaning is belike / that although they be no paſtors / yet they may be euangeliſts whych goe about the countrey heere and there▪ But this office is ceaſed in the church / as the apoſtles is / ſauing that ſometime the Lord doth raiſe vp ſome extraordinarily / for the building vp of the churches whych are falne downe / & pulled vp by the foundations / as I hauehave ſhewed ſomewhat before. And that it is ceaſed / it may appeare by theſe reaſons.
Firſt / for becauſe all thoſe that the ſcripture calleth preciſely Euangeliſts / (which are only Phillip and Timothe) had their callings confirmed by miracle / Act. 8. 39. 1. Tim. 1. 18.and ſo it is like that Titus / and Syluanus / and Apollos / and if there were any other / had their vocations after the ſame manner confirmed / but there is no ſuch miraculous confirmation nowe / therfore there is no ſuche vocation. For allbeit thoſe that God hathe raiſed vp in thoſe darke times / and ouerthrowes of the church / wherof mētion is made before / as M. Luther. &c. had not their …allings alwayes confirmed by direct and manifeſt miracles of hearing or raiſing vp from the deade: yet the maruellous ſucces and bleſſing that the Lord gaue vntounto their labors / were ſufficient ſeales vntounto all men / that althoughe they had no ordinarie calling / nor by men / yet they were ſent of God? That I ſpeake nothing of the miraculous deliuerances that ſome of them had out of dangers / by warning geuen of pearils by thoſe whych were neuer ſeene before nor after / and by ſuch like wonderfull meanes / as are to be ſeene in ſtories.
Nowe againe / if there ſhould be any Euangeliſt / who ſhould ordaine him? you will ſay the Biſhop. But I ſay that cannot be / that the greater ſhoulde be ordained of the les. For the Euangeliſte is a higher degree in the churche / then Heb. 7. 7.is the byſhop or paſtor. And if he be ſo / whye hathe he not hys eſtimation heere in the Churche aboue the Byſhop or Archbyſhop eyther? for the Archbyſhop is but a Byſhop / or whye dothe not he ordaine Byſhoppes as Timothe and Titus did / whych were Euangeliſtes / being one poynte of their office as * Euſebius Euſeb. lib. 3. cap. 37.declareth.
Againe / if there be in eueryevery churche a paſtor / as S. Paule commaundeth / what ſhould the Euangeliſts do? for either that paſtor doth his duetie / and then the Euangeliſt is ſuperfluous / or if he do it not / then he is no lawfull paſtor / and ſo ought he to be put out / & an other to be put in hys ſtead. And where the paſtor doing hys duety can not ſuffice / there the ſcripture hath geuen him an ayde of the doctor / which for becauſe his office conſiſteth in teaching doctrine / to thys ende y• the paſtor mighte not be driuen to ſpende ſo muche time in propounding the doctrine / but might hauehave the more time to employ in exhorting and dehorting / & applying of the doctrine to the times and places / and perſons / it is manifeſt that he alſo is tied to a certaine church. For howe could he be an aide vntounto the paſtor to whoſe helpe he is geuen / onles he were in the ſame churche where the paſtor is? And that the Euangeliſtes office hath bene ſo taken as a function that endured but for a time / it maye appeare firſt by that whych Euſebius wryteth / ſpeaking Lib. 5. cap. 9. 10of Pantenus / for ſayeth he / there were vntill that time Euangeliſts. &c. whych was about the yeare of our Lord. 162. whereby he geueth to vnderſtand / that about that time they ceaſſed / and that in his time there was none / when notwithſtanding there were Byſhops or paſtors / elders and Deacons. And Ambroſe 1. cap. 1. li. offic.ſayth that there be no Apoſtles / but thoſe whych Chriſt himſelfe dyd appoynte / whereby it appeareth that of all the Eccleſiaſticall functions that preache the worde / there are but the paſtor and Doctor only left vntounto vsus / and the ſame alſo reſtrained to particulare charges.
Now that I hauehave proued that there are no Euangeliſts / Prophets / or Apoſtles / and that the miniſteries of the worde whych remaine / are limited vntounto certaine places / I will take that whych you graunte / that is / that the paſtor or byſhop / ought to hauehave a ſpeciall flocke. And demaund of you wherfore he ſhould hauehave it? is it not to attend vponupon it? and can he attend vponupon it / onles he be reſident and abiding vponupon it? but he can not be abiding vponupon it / if he go from place to place to preach where he thincketh neceſſary: therfore being paſtor or biſhop of a congregation allotted vntounto him / he maye not goe from place to place to preache where he thinketh good / muche les to hauehave a maſterſhip of a colledge in one corner of the land / a deanrie in an other / and a prebend in the third / and ſo be abſent from his paſtorall charge in ſuch places / where either he preacheth not / or nedeth not to preach / thoſe places being otherwiſe furniſhed wythout him. For thē how is this difference kept betweene the paſtor & other miniſters / that the one is tied to a place / & the other is not. For if you ſay that it is in that he ſhall preach more at his flocke / then at other places / I anſwer that the Euangeliſts and Apoſtles did tary longer in one place then in another / & taught ſome congregations yeres / when they did not other ſome monethes. And therefore they ſay nothing / whych alledge for the non reſidence of paſtors / that S. Paule called Timothe & Titus from Epheſus and Crete. For firſt they were Euangeliſts and no paſtors / thē 2. Tim. 4. 12. Tit. 3. 12.they went not of their owne heads / but called of the apoſtle whych was a cheefe gouernor of the churche. And thirdly they went not / but hauing other ſufficient put in their place / as it appeareth in their ſeuerall Epiſtles / ſo that if that place make any thing / it maketh not to proue the non reſidencie / but rather whether a miniſter may be tranſlated from one church to an other.
But I will neuer wearye my penne to confute thoſe / whome their owne conſciences are to ſtrong for / and confuteth eueryevery night when they go to bed: for that were nothing elſe / but to reaſon with the belly / that hath no eares to heare / or with the backe / that hathe no eyes to ſee. Thoſe that thinke that they hauing charges of their owne / yet may goe from place to place where they thinke it neceſſary / and that it ſkilleth not where they preache / ſo they preach: muſt conſider that if they thincke that God is the author of their placing in their flockes / then that either their abode there / is nedeful and expedient / or elſe that God did not ſee well and clearely / what was meete to be done in placing them ouer that congregation / and appoynting that that congregation ſhoulde hang and depende vppon them / for their nouriſhment and good gouernement.
And you ſee that if I wold folow thoſe noble metaphores of watchman & ſhephard / whych the ſcripture vſeth to expres the office of a miniſter with / what a large field is opened vntounto me. For then I could ſhew you how that cities beſeged / and flockes in danger of the wolues / are * watched continually night & day. Luke. 2. 8.And that there is no citye ſo ſore / and ſo continually beſieged / nor no flockes ſubiect to ſo manifold diſeaſes at home / or hurtfull and deuouring beaſtes abrode / & that wythout any truce or intermiſſion / as are the churches / the ſhepheards and watchmen wherof / are paſtors or byſhops. But I wil leaue that to their conſiderations / and will ſhew that the partes and dueties of the miniſter be ſuche and ſo many in hys owne flocke / ye if he were as wiſe as Salomon was / as great in coūſel as Ioſeph / as wel learned as ſ. Paul / as actiue as Ioſue / whych fought ſo many battels in ſmall ſpace / yet all were little enough / or too little / to performe to the full / that whych his charge requireth of hym. Of the paſtors therefore is required / not only the preaching of the word / and miniſtring of the ſacraments / wherof / the preaching of the word / and miniſtring of the ſacrament of baptiſme / ought to be continually / and as oft as the church may conueniently aſſemble / the other ſacrament of the Lord his ſupper / although not ſo continually (for that the church ſhall hardly hauehave ſo much leifure from their neceſſary affaires of this life / as that they may celebrate it as often as the other) yet ſo often / as that we remē ber that too rare and ſeldome celebrating it / argueth a minde too too muche forgetfull of the vnſpeakeable benefite of our redemption / and argueth alſo that we are farre behinde the primitiue church in zeale whych did celebrate it eueryevery Saboth: I ſay beſide the preaching of the word / and miniſtring of the ſacraments / there is required of him that he ſhoulde admoniſhe priuately / and houſe by houſe 20. Actes. 20.thoſe that are vnderunder hys charge. Nowe tell me howe this can be done profitably wythoute a diligent marking / and loking into their manners? Howe can eyther publike preachings / or priuate admonitions hauehave their effect and working / onles the worde of God be applied according to the diſpoſition or ſtate of that people / vntounto whych it is preached? and vndoubtedly heereof it commeth that the word of God is no more effectuall in this realme then it is / for becauſe it is preached hand ouer head wythout knowledge and vnderſtanding the eſtate of the people. For ſo / often times the promiſes and glad tidings of the goſpell of oure ſauioure are preached vntounto thoſe / that being before ſecure in their ſinnes / are after the hearing of the promiſes / rocked into a deade ſleepe of them / and they that are ouerthrowne wyth the conſcience of their ſinne / and confounded in them ſelues / are by the ſharpneſſe of the lawe / and hearing of the iudgement of God broken into peeces / and driuen to deſperation. And ſo likewyſe / the people are taught ſometimes howe to lead their liues in honeſt conuerſation / when all that doctrine falleth to the groūd becauſe they hauehave no knowledge of Chriſt / nor of faith in him: and to be ſhort / it is as much as if eyther the ſurgeon ſhoulde apply hys plaiſter / or the Phiſition his medicine / when they neither know of the wounde or diſeaſe of their pacients. But this knowledge of their eſtate / can not be without a continuall abode amongſt them / therfore a continuall reſidence is neceſſary.
Moreouer / as in the lawe the prieſtes were ready in the temple to anſwere 1. Sam. 1. 9.all the doubtes and queſtions that any of the people ſhoulde come to aſke: ſo the miniſters in their ſeuerall pariſhes ſhuld be ready to diſſolue the difficulties that either one hathe wyth an other / or wyth him ſelfe / touching the conſcience / for want whereof / the conſciences of many / after doubtfull and daungerous wraſtling wyth the deuill / and wyth deſpaire are ſtrangled. And thervpon ſome hang or drowne themſelues / ſome other putting away all care or conſcience of ſinning / and labouring to hauehave no ſenſe nor ſeeling of their ſinne / cloſe vp the wound vnhealed / whych after / either breaketh oute more daungerouſly / or elſe eueryevery daye more and more waxing ſenſeles / and wythoute feeling / treaſure vp vntounto them ſelues the wrath of God againſt the day of iudgement. For although the iudgement of God dothe not for the time followe them ſo harde / as them whyche throughe terror of conſcience vntaughte and vncomforted / kill them ſelues: yet their eſtate is neuer the les daungerous therefore / but rather more / for as muche as by a longer line of ſinne drawne out / they alſo pull vponupon them ſelues a heauier condemnation. Whych things when they ſee oftentimes before their eyes that will conſider it / it is eaſie to iudge that it commeth to paſſe a great deale oftner then we can ſee. When as therfore the only preaching of the worde of God being continuall / is a bonde ſtrong enoughe to holde the paſtor to hys flocke. Then the enquirie of the manners and behauioure of hys flocke / the priuate admonitions and conſolations / the diſſoluing of doubtes when anye riſeth / as a three or foure folde corde ought much more to holde him: ſo that he whych ſhall breake all theſe thyngs willingly and wittingly / can not eaſely be thoughte to breake them as Sampſon did hys by the ſtrengthe of God / but rather by ſome other power not of God. Beſides that / S. Paule commaundeth that the paſtor ſhoulde be a paterne 1. Tim. 4. 12.or example in all goodnes / and holines of life vntounto hys flocke / and oure ſauioure Chriſt * ſayth that when the ſhepheard hath led forth hys ſhepe / he goeth Iohn. 10. 4.before them / but if the paſtoure be not amongſt hys flocke / and hauehave not hys conuerſation there / they can not followe hym: If they hauehave not the example before their eyes / they can not make the like vntounto it: Therefore this commaundement alſo bindeth them to reſidence amongſte their flockes. S. Peter willeth the paſtors 1. Pet. 5. 2.of the churches / that they ſhuld feede the flockes. What flockes? not eueryevery one / but thoſe whych are committed to their faithe or truſte / or whych dependeth vponupon them. And S. Paule ſpeaking to the miniſters or byſhoppes of Epheſus / 20. Actes. 28.willeth them that they ſhould take heede vntounto the flockes / ouer the which the holy Ghoſte had made them ouerſeers / where he reſtraineth as S. Peter did their ouerſight and watche vntounto their perticulare flocke. S. Paule ſayth that he toke 1. Theſ. 2. 17.it heauely / that he was ſeperated from them but a ſmall time / if therfore the Apoſtle was away wyth greefe from them whome he had taught / whome his calling compelled to be away from / and would not ſuffer to be alwayes there: what ſhall be thoughte of the paſtors / whoſe calling is to be wyth their flockes / and whych are conſecrated vntounto them / euen as the Apoſtles were vntounto the whole worlde / what I ſay ſhall be thought of them that are away moneths and yeres. And in deede thoſe that feede their flockes faithfully according to the commaundement of God / do ſee what a great wiſedom and mercy of God it is to appoynt eueryevery flocke his paſtor / and eueryevery paſtor his flocke. They can tell of a wonderfull louelove that God worketh in them towardes their flockes / and in their flockes towardes them. A great encouragement vntounto them / and as it were a pricke to ſtirre vp their dulnes it is / when they ſee the bleſſing of God vppon their labors / and thereof a maruellous care and thoughte to turne all ſuche thyngs away / as ſhould hinder the encreaſe of that bleſſing / which they can not hauehave any feeling or experience of / whych are not conuerſante wyth their flockes. Beſides this / a familiaritie betweene the paſtor and the flocke is profitable / that they maye be emboldened to come and demaunde to be ſatiſfyed of thoſe thyngs they doubte of / whych they will neuer doe vntounto thoſe / whome they are not by continuall conuerſation acquainted wyth. And it is not nothing / that Ariſtotle diſputeth agaynſte Plato his communitie / which woulde hauehave all things common / and that all men indifferently ſhoulde hauehave care of all things / and ſhoulde hauehave nothing whych he ſhould ſay to be hys owne. For therein Ariſtotle ſayd very well / that that which was cared for of all men / was neglected of all / and cared for of none / ſo that the preſeruation of wife or children / or of any other poſſeſſion / was then the beſt and ſureſt / when as eueryevery man had a certaine poſſeſſion committed vntounto him / which he ſhould care for / and take charge of. And ſo the Lord his wiſdome was for the better ſuretie and ſaluation of hys churche / not to make many miniſters whych ſhould in common and indifferently take care of all / but ordained that the church ſhould be deuided into diuers partes / and that eueryevery one ſhoulde hauehave a peece to care for / and to giuegive accompte for.
Nowe if any man will ſay / that in ſuche great ſcarcitie of paſtors / it is good that when a man hath trauelled in one place / and remoued them from ſuperſtition / and brought them to beleue in God through Chriſt / to goe to an other place / and aſſay alſo to draw them from idolatrie: Firſt I vrge that whych I did before / whych is the calling wherin eueryevery man muſt abide / and wythout y• whych no man ought to attempt any thing. Then I ſay that it is as hard a prouince / & as painfull a thing vntounto the paſtor / as acceptable and precious a worke vntounto the Lord / to keepe thoſe whych are gotten / as to gette thoſe whych are not gotten / and that that ſaying is fulfilled heere (if in any thing elſe.)
Non minor eſt virtus quam quaerere parta tueri.
It is as great a vertue to kepe that whych is already gotten / as to hauehave got it.
For we know that after that the deuill perceiueth / that men are pulled out of the power of darknes / into the glorious light of the goſpel / he ſweateth and laboureth by a thouſand meanes to deſtroy them / & beſtirreth him ſelfe more then / then in the time of their ignorance / and in ſteade of that one chaine of ignorance / and want of the knowledge of god / he layeth a thouſand traps for them / to ſnare them with. So that the continuall danger that the church is in / dothe as it were ſpeake vntounto the paſtor in the common prouerbe. Sparten hen claches koſma: that is / looke diligently to that charge whych thou haſte receiued. For / if the watchman ſhoulde forſake the Citie / wherevnto he is appoynted / and goe and watche in an other / where he is not called / althoughe he ſaue that / if he loſe the other / he ſhall not therefore eſcape the puniſhment of betraying the other citie / where he was placed watchman.
Touching the behalfe of God & his glory / if any man will ſay that they can not peariſh / which once hauehave beleued / and therfore thoſe may be left / and others attempted / I can ſay of thoſe that are in ignorance and blindnes / that they cānot peariſh that be elected / although they neuer hauehave the goſpel preached. And therfore we muſte walke in thoſe wayes that God hathe appoynted / to bring them to ſaluation / whych is to feede them continually / and watche ouer them ſo long as they are in danger of hunger / in danger of wolues / in danger of the ennemyes / within and without / which is ſo long as the church is heere vponupon the earth.
VponUpon all whych things I conclude / that the reſidence of the paſtor is neceſſary / and to dout whether the paſtor ought to be reſident amongſt his flocke / is to doubt whether the watchman ſhould be in hys tower / the eye ſhoulde be in the head / or the ſoule in the body / or the ſhepheard amongſt his flocke / eſpecially where the ſheepe are continually in danger of wolues / as in the lande of Iewrie from whence thys ſimilitude or manner of ſpeache was taken / where they watched their flockes night and day / as I obſerued before out of S. Luke.
If any man will herevpon conclude / that they hauehave no ſpace geuen them to ſlepe / to eat / to drink. &c. they are cauils / which I wil not vouchſafe to anſwer.
Againe / if he wil ſay / that then they may not goe for the of the towne to doe their neceſſary buſines for their families / I deſire them in the name of God / that they abuſe not his graces / in deuiſing cloakes to couer their diſorders / but yt they would ſet before them the louelove of Chriſt / whych ſhall be found to be ſo much as 21. Ihon. 15. 16. 17.they ſhall ſhew themſelues diligent in continuall feeding their flockes / & to feare the iudgement of God / before whome / no fained or coloured excuſe will ſtande: and ſo I truſt they will make no longer abſences / then muſt needes. And if vponupon any occaſion at any time they be ſomewhat longer / that the ſame be not without the leaue of their churches whoſe they are / and which they for the Lord hys ſake ſerue / and then alſo that in ſuch rare and neceſſary abſence / they prouide them of ſome able man to teach in the meane ſeaſon / which the church by her gouernoures / will allow of.
And heereupon alſo / is ended an other queſtion that the anſwerer maketh / whether one may hauehave many flockes / which is / whether one ſhepheard may bee many ſhepheards / one watcheman / many watchmen. For if his reſidence be neceſſary in one place / then he ought to content him ſelfe with one.
And whereas you would hauehave men charitably iudge of thoſe which take many lyuinges: ſurely / if ſo be that he taketh many flockes / not to the intent to hauehave more lyuing to mayntaine an ambitious pompe / or to ſatiſfie a greedy deſire / of hauing more then enough / but to thys end y• he may bring in a more plentifull harneſt vntounto the Lorde: it were good that he would be content to take but that lyuing of all hys flockes / which he now hath of one / eſpecially where one is able to keepe and maintayne hym and hys family honeſtly. Elſe let hym heare what councels / & others / hauehave thought of thoſe / which hauehave more benefices then one.
In the. 15. Canon of the councell of Nice it is cōmaunded / that no clearke ſhould be placed in two Churches / and he addeth the reaſons / whereof the firſt is / that it is a poynt of marchaundiſe / and of filthy gayne. The ſeconde / that *Math. 6. 24. 1. Cor. 7. 24.no man can ſerue two maiſters. The thirde / that eueryevery one ought to * tary in that calling / wherein he is called.
And in the ſeconde Tome of the Councelles / Damaſus in hys fourth Epiſtle / lykeneth thoſe that ſet ouer their charges vntounto other / vntounto harlots / whiche aſſone as they hauehave brought forth their children / by and by geue them to be nouriſhed of others / to the intent that they might the ſoner fulfill their inordynare luſtes.
Whether it were better y• one dyligent paſtoure ſhould hauehave many flockes / then a neglygent and vnſkilfull paſtor one / is not the queſtion: for we ſay neither is lawfull / nor ought to be done.
Doe you beleeue that which you ſette down of Denys the monke & Pope / that he deuiſed and deuided pariſhes? If you doe not / why would you hauehave vsus beeleeue it? If the law doth condemne hym / that turneth a blynde man out of Deut. 27. 18.the way / or layeth a blocke before hym / what doth it hym / which would put out the eyes of them that ſee their way already? I hauehave ſhewed / and the matter is playne / that the Lorde deuyded nationall churches / into pariſhes and congregations: ſo that if S. Paule hauehave not the word of pariſhe / yet hee hath the thing. And thoſe that hauehave redde ſtoryes / know that dioiceris (which we call a Dioceſe / and which contayneth with vsus numbers of pariſhes) was at the firſt taken to be the ſame that pariſhe is / and vſed a great while before Denys was borne / or monkery begotten.
And as for Coemeteria or Churchyardes / if you meane thoſe places that lye nexte rounde about the churches / as they came in with the monke / they mighte well hauehave gone out with him / for any profite eyther to the church / or common wealth cometh by them. But if you meane as the Greeke word (which is there vſed) ſignifieth / a fitte place where the bodyes of men ſleepe / and are buried / attending the tyme of their riſing vp agayne in the laſt and generall day of iudgement / then theſe churchyardes were in the time of the law / and in the primitiue church and at all times / when there was any outwarde pollicie of the churche / and eſpecially when the church had quietneſſe and peace / that it might without daunger * bury their deade in ſome certen conuenient place thereunto appoynted / Luk. 7. 12. Euſ. 7. lib. 13.which was for feare of the infection commonly (as it may be gathered) in the field and out of the towne / vntounto the which vſe & cuſtome (if it myght be done conueniently) it were well that we were reſtored / both becauſe it is more ſafe for the preſeruation of the townes and cities in their health / as alſo for that through the ſuperſtition whiche hath beene of being buryed rather in the church / then in the churche yarde / in the chauncell rather then in the church / nearer the high altare then further of / the remnantes whereof are in a great number of mens heartes yet / which might much be helped by the bringing in of that cuſtome agayne / of burying the deade in ſome honeſt place out of the towne therto appoynted.