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Touching letters commendatorie of some one mannoble or other,* 1.1 it may be that the parties which giue these letters be of that zeale, learning, and godlinesse, that their particular testimonie ought to be better credited, than some other subscribed with an hundred handes.
And I thinke there is both noble men and other, who may better be trusted in that point, than a great number of parishes in Englande, which consist of rude and ignorant men, easily moued to testify any thing: And in many places for the most part, or altogither, drowned in Papistrie. I know no reason to the cōtrary, and I see no scripture alledged, why one learned, godly and wise mans testimonie, may not be reteiued in such a case, and yet the booke expresseth no such thing,* 1.2 but requireth due examination of learning, and sufficient testimonial of conuersation, and giueth libertie to any one particular man, to ob∣iect any crime against any suche as are to be ordered, & willeth that the partie accused be kept from the ministerie vntill he haue cleared himselfe of the crimes obiected. If tag and rag be admitted, learned and vnlearned, it is the fault of some, not of all, nor of the law: And if they were called and elected according to your fantasie, there would some creepe in, as euill as any be now, and woorse too,
It is not denyed, but the testimonie that a noble man whiche professeth the truth dothe gyue, ought to be weighed according to his degree, and place which he hath in the common welth, but where you thinke, that the testimonie of one wise man, learned, and godly, is sufficient warrant to proceede to an election of a Minister, you considered not well the circumspection which S. Paule vsed, who when he admitted Timothie into his company, to be a companion in his iourney, to cut off all occasion of euill speach, receyued him not*but vpon commendation of the brethren, both in Ly∣stra* 1.3 and Iconium.
I know that the testimonie of many godly and wise men, is of more weight, than the testimonie of one only, but this is no answer to that which I haue said. The place of Paule and Timothie Act. 16. declareth how well Timothie was thought of, and commended vnto Paule, but it followeth not, that Paule would not also haue recey∣ued him, if he had bin commended vnto him but by some one. Howsoeuer it is, this your argument is nothing worth: nunquàm licet (saith Zuinglius) nequè in diuinis nequé in* 1.4 profanis, à facto ad ius argumentari: it is neuer lawful, neither in diuine nor in prophane mat∣ters to argue (*) à facto ad ius. Neyther is the text as you report it, for the words do not* 1.5 signify that Paule would not haue takē him with him, vnlesse they had al giuen such testimonie of him, neither can there be any such sense truly gathered out of that place. And it is manifest that the Apostles receiued Paule into their company, at the testi∣monie and commendation of Barnabas only.* 1.6
Letters com∣mendatorie of wise and god∣ly men.
The b〈1 line〉〈1 line〉oke 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉quireth due examination of life and learning.
Act. 1〈1 line〉〈1 line〉.
Zainglius.
Of a deede or example to make a lawe.
Act. 9.