Apostli habe•…•…, saith the Master of Sentences. As for the order and degree of Bishops, superior to that of Elders, that there is no divine Ordinance nor institution for it, it is not only holden by Calvine, Beza, Bucer, Martyr, Sadeel, Luther, Chemnitius, Gerard Balduine, the Magdebur∣gians, Musculus, Piscator, Hemmingius, Zanchius, Polanus, Iunius, Pareus, Fennerus, Danaeus, Morney, Whittakers, Willets, Perkins, Cartwright, the Pròfessours of Leiden, and the farre greatest part of Writters in refor∣med Churches, but also by Hierome, who upon Tit. 1. and in his Epistle to Fvagrius speaketh so plainly, that the Archbishop of Spa∣lato is driven to say, Deserimus in hac parte Hieronymum, neque ei in his dictis assentimur: also by Ambrose on 1. Tim. 3. Augustine in his booke of questions out of both Testaments quest. 101. Chrysostome on 1. Tim. 3. Isidore dist. 21. cap. 1. The Canon Law dist. 93. c. 24. & dist. 95. c. 5. Lombard. lib. 4 dist. 24. And after him by many Schoolemen, such as Aquinas, Alensis, Albertus, Bonaventura, Richardus, and Dominicus Soto, all mentioned by the Archbishop of Spalato lib. 2. cap. 4. n. 25. Ge∣rard citeth for the same judgement Anshelmus, Sedulius, Primasius, Theophylactus, Oecumenius, the Councell of Basil, Ardatensis, Ioh. Pari∣siensis, Erasmus, Medina, and Cassander. All which Authors have groun∣ded that which they say upon Scripture: for beside that Scripture maketh no difference of order and degree betwixt Bishops and El∣ders, it sheweth also that they are one and the same order. For in Ephesus and Crete, they who were made Elders were likewise made Bishops, Act. 20. 17. with 28. Tit. 1. 5. with 7. And the Apostle Phil. 1. 1. divideth the wholle ministery in the Church of Philippi into two orders, Bishops and Deacons. Moreover, 1. Tim. 3. he giveth order only for Bishops and Deacons, but saith nothing of a third order. Wherefore it is manifest, that beside those two orders of Elders and Deacons, there is no other Ecclesiasticall order which hath any divi∣ne institution, or necessary use in the Church. And Princes should doe well to applie their power and auctority to the extirpation and rooting out of Popes, Cardinals, Patriarches, Primats, Archbishops, Bishops, Suffragans, Abbots, Deanes, Vice-Deans, Priors, Arch∣deacons, Subdeacons, Chancellours, Chantours, Subchantours, Exorcists, Monkes, Eremits, Acoluths, and all the whole rabble of Popish orders, which undoe the Church, and worke more mischief in the earth, then can be either soone seene or shortly told.
But contrary wise, Princes ought to establish and mantaine in the Church, Elders and Deacons, according to the Apostolicall institu∣tion. Now Elders are either such as labour in the Word and Doc∣trine, or else such as are appointed for Discipline only. They who labour in the Word and Doctrine, are either such as doe only teach, and are ordained for conserving in Schooles and Seminaries of lear∣ning, the purity of Christian Doctrine, and the true interpretation of Scripture, and for detecting and confuting the contrary heresies and