Sermon 8 February 1588, Part 12
Concerning M. Cartwright. Page 97. 9S. 100.
VVE depend not vppon men, Chriſt Ieſus is our onelyonly guide. As concerning M. Cartwright, whome you (to keepe your tongue in vre with your naturall vaine) call our ring leader, wee bleſſe God, that euer he hath vouchſafed vsus ſuch an inſtrument to ſtand in the defence of his holy gouernment, and to giuegive your hierarchie, and your high Prieſte the ſhamefull foile. But we follow him no further, then he attendeth vponupon the truth of his God. And in that worke we are not aſhamed to glaine after ſo worthy a man. But what can you lay to his charge? you ſay that hee alleadgeth Cyprian, Ierom, &c. to prooue the equality that ought to be in the miniſters of the word and Sacraments, and that in the ancient times there was no difference betwixt a Biſhop & a Prieſt, but that whoſoeuer was a Biſhop, was a Prieſt alſo: and that they had all equall authority within their own pariſhes, whereas the cleane contrary ſay you, is to be ſeene in their writings.
Then heauen and earth, bee you iudges in this cauſ…, that the mouth of this ſlanderer may be ſtopped. Firſt, the place of Cyprian lib. 1. epiſt. 3. calleth him a Prieſt,Defence 355. whome D. Whitgift would hauehave to be an Archbiſhop, & the papiſts affirme to be his elder brother the pope. Therefore by Cyprians iudgement, whoſoeuer was a Biſhop, was a prieſt. Again, Cyprian ſpeaking of the election of a prieſt, by the conſent of the whole people, lib. 1. epiſt. 4. hee maketh the ſame maner of electing Cornelius, Biſhop of Rome, and calleth his Biſhopricke a prieſthood, lib. 4. epiſt. 2. Nowe,Tom. 1. Can. lib. 4 epiſt. 9. that Cyprian condemned ſuperiority among Biſhops or miniſters, his ſentence in the counſell of Carthage prooueth it: where hee ſaith, that none of them made him ſelfe a Biſhop of Biſhops, he alſo reprooueth Pupianus, that he made himſelfe a Biſhop of a Biſhop.
As to Ierom,2. Reply 1. part pag. 591. Ierom. ad Euag M. Cartwright alleadgeth theſe places out of him. A prieſt, that is to ſay a Biſhop, and a little after, the Apoſtle doth plainely teach, that a Biſhop and a prieſt are all one. And in another place,Ad Oceanum. a Biſhop and a prieſt are the ſame: againe although with the ancient fathers, Biſhops and prieſts were al one.
Now good reader beare witneſſe, whether Maiſter Cartwright hath falſified the ancients or not, & whether this paſt ſhame Doctour, hath not cauſe to ſow vp his lippes for euer opening them in pulpit again. For the confirmation of the equalitie of Miniſters, & that the name Biſhop, was common vntounto al the Miniſters of the word and Sacraments in the ancient times, thou maieſt adde vntounto that which hath bene already ſpoken.Ignatius ad Smyrnenſis. Firſt the teſtimony of Ignatius which ſaith, that it was not lawful for any to baptiſe, but for the Biſhop. Where then M. Bancroft was the diſtinction, betweene him and the prieſt, or hys ſuperioritie ouer the prieſt? Secondly, that in the time of Gregory the great, prieſtes did ordaine Biſhops, and yet this is made one of the eſſentiall differences betweene a Biſhop and a prieſt,Greg in Euan. a VVhitgift page 387. [a] that a Biſhop may ordaine, whereas a prieſt hath no ſuch authority. Thirdly, that Theod. mencioneth an 150 Bb. which were met, for the election of the Biſhop of Conſtantinople.Theod. lib. 5. cap. 8. Where all theſe Bb. could bee gotten, if Bb. and Miniſters were not all one, let M. Bancroft ſhew. Laſtly, it would be knowne, what account M. Bancroft maketh of that notable martyr M. Tindale,M. Tindales works. pag. 251. b. which ſpeaking of prieſts and Bb. hath theſe words: ther is presbyteros, which ſame is ſaith he,Acts. 20.28. imediatly after called a Biſhop: and in the ſame place, all that were Elders or prieſts (if they ſo will) were called Biſhops alſo, though they hauehave deuided the name now. I hope he will not anſwere him, as hee doth Aerius, that this opinion was condemned for an hereſie long ago, and none but heretikes and ſuch leud perſons euer ſince that time held it.
One thing I doe not a litle maruel at, both in M. Bancroft and all the reſt of his coat, why they rather ioyne with Sir Thomas Moore and the papiſtes,M. Tindals anſwer to Moore. page. 251. in calling the Miniſters of the word prieſtes, then with M. Tindale, and the moſt ſincere profeſſours in the world at this day, in abrogating that popiſhe name, and vſing the worde Miniſter, or Elder in the ſteade thereof.Admon. pa. 44. The B. of Wincheſter ſayth, that the Archbiſhop hath ſhewed ſufficient reaſons againſt T. C. why the Miniſters of the goſpell ſhould bee called prieſts, and all of them are of the ſame opinion, and will not take it patiently if they be gainſaid in it: but what account is to be made of them for this labor, … ſhal learne out of M. Tindale,page 14. 4. who in his obedience of a Chriſtian man ſayth, that the worde Sacerdos, ſhould hauehave had another name in engliſh, then prieſt, but that Antichriſt hath deceiued vsus with vnknowne and ſtrange termes, to bring vsus into ſuperſtitious blindnes, as for the word presbyteros ſaith he (both in this place, and againſt Moore in the place aboue cited) it ought in Engliſh, to bee tranſlated Elder. This I thought good to admoniſh the reader, leaſt hee ſhould thinke mee in vſing the woorde prieſt, to allowe of that Antichriſtian name. Whether M. Cartwright hath truly alleadged Ignatius and others,To the 98. pag. to prooue the vſe and practiſe of the office of Elders in the Church, long after the Apoſtles time, becauſe there is nothing but the pawn of M. Bancrofts credite brought to the contrary, I referre the reader, to examine the teſtimonies vſed by M. Cartwright for that purpoſe.T. C. 1. reply 145. Eſpecially the place of Ierome vponupon Iſaiah, who ſaith that they had alſo the presbitery or elderſhip in the church, and that of Ambroſe vponupon the 1. Tim. cap. 5. where he complaineth, that through the pride & ſlouthfulnes of the Doctors, the Elders were worn out of the Church: were it not yt M. Chaplain carrieth his licenſe in his boſome, to ſpeake what hee will, I ſhould wonder that he durſt in open pulpit and writing, deny elders to be in the church long after the Apoſtles time, ſeeing D. Whitgift telleth vsus of his owne knowledge, that in the Primitiue Churche, they had in euerie church certaine ſeniors, to whome the gouernment of the congregation was committed.Whit. pag. 638. M. Bancroft, ſeeth there is no aduantage in granting any part of the truth, and therefore, hee taketh a round courſe, to deny eueryevery thing without more a doo: Take his aduantage thereof who liſt.
His profanenes,Page. 98. in calling the Elders, Aldermen, the Lord I feare will reuenge, who cannot abide to hauehave the officers of his kingdome, derided and ſcoffed at by any Lucian whoſoeuer.
Your caueling with the proofes,To the 100.111. brought in by M. Cartwright, to ſhew the Elderſhippe to be moſt flowriſhing in Conſtantines time, i… a proofe, that you retaine your vſuall boldneſſe in out facing the truth. If it bee not a good reaſon to ſay, that becauſe there were infinite numbers of Biſhops and Elders, at the councel of Nice, therefore the Elderſhip was in a flowriſhing eſtate at that time, to what purpoſe, ſhould they be preſent in that ſynod, if they had nothing to do with the gouernement of the church? If they had to do with the gouernment of the church, the reaſon holdeth moſt forcible, to prooue the Elderſhip to be vp vnderunder Conſtantine. For whereſoeuer there is a Church gouernement by Biſhops and Elders, there the Elderſhip is in force. Though wee ſhould graunt,Page 101. that you deale truly with Euſebius, yet his teſtimony is not a whit the weaker, to proue the gouernment by the Elderſhip, becauſe he meaneth nothing els, but to ſhew the great appearaunce from all places of the Cleargie men, of all ſortes in that aſſemblie. Eor beit that his onelyonly purpoſe was, to ſhewe this great concourſe of Cleargy men, yet that hindereth not, but hee ſpeaking of Biſhops and elders met at the ſaid Synod, we may thence gather, Biſhops and Elders did gouerne the church at that that time.
That Biſhoppes had large juriſdiction before the Nicene councel is onelyonly affirmed,M Cart. 2. reply pag. 557.560. &c. and not prooued by you M. Bancroft: the contrary hath bene ſhewed. It is your manner to build vponupon falſe grounds, which hauehave beene long ſince ouerthrone. The appointing of Metropolitans (or confirming whether you will) at the councell of Nice, hindered not the gouernement of the Elderſhip to be in force. They had not ſuch an vnruly juriſdiction, as the Archbiſhops doe vſurpe: The fifth Canon of the councell, whereby it is decreed, yt the diſorders of the church, ſhould bee compounded, at the prouinciall aſſemblies, & not by that Metropolitans ſhew, what ſmal authority they had. They had but their owne ſuffrages as eueryevery other miniſter had. That which the councell of Nice attributed vntounto them, was no more then chiefe place in the meetinges.Ibid. pag. 562. Aunſwere that which M. Cartwright hath written in this queſtion, and then ſet downe your bolde concluſion: otherwiſe, the reader will deride your boldnes, in pitching a campe of torne aſſertions, whereof, not one will be granted vntounto you.
Faine would you I ſee, hauehave the people not to giuegive eare vntounto vsus,To the 103 104. page. and to that purpoſe you bring vp to them the reaſons, that al Atheiſts hauehave for them ſelues, whie they wil not embrace the true religion. And that is becauſe the profeſſors thereof cannot agree among them ſelues. The godly are not ignorant, that there muſt bee ſciſmes in the Church of God, and therefore cannot ſtumble at the diuiſions among vsus,…i if they bee any. Wee hauehave learned of the bleſſed Apoſtle to bee ſo farre from agreeing with any ſaue only in the truth, as we hold our ſelues bound to bid battel vntounto at the Angels i… heauen, if they ſtand againſt the ſame. Our breaches would bee eaſily made vp,Pag if you woulde yeald the Church her right. As for your ſide, it is wel knowne howe little you agree ſaue only in the mayne drift, whereat you muſt al ſhoot, or els you ſhal ſoone fal to the ground. And that is in ſtanding againſt the truth,Tot 111. & maintaining outragious coruptions. I hauehave alredy noted, that you in this ſhort inuectiue againſt vsus, hauehave twiſe ſcratched the Archbiſhop by the face, and that in matters of waight.
The 3. laſt pages of his Sermon, contain nothing in them, but generall exhortations, that the people would cleaue vntounto the truth without wauering: the which wee earneſtly entreat all men to doe, as they would bee ſaued in the day of the Lorde: And from our hearts we wiſh (if it be the Lords will) both vntounto them, and to all our aduerſaries, and perticularlie vntounto M. Bancroft, that immortall crowne of glorie, whereof, he ſpeaketh in the laſt page, deſiring them and him, notwithſtanding to call to minde, that neither lyers,Page 1 nor thoſe that delight in lies, eſpecially againſt gods truth and his church, ſhall euer be partakers thereof.
End of the text · John Penry, Sermon 8 February 1588 (1590)