Chap. 7. the firste Diuision.
Nowe that authoritie is giuen into the handes of the Bishop alone, who by his sole authoritie thrusteth vpon them suche, as they many times, as well for vnhonest life, as also for lacke of lear∣ning, may, and do iustly dislike.
That Bishops haue authoritie to admitte Ministers (which is heere denyed) it is plaine by that which is written. 1. Tim. 5. manus citò ne cui imponas, Lay thy handes rashely on none. These wordes Ambrose, Chrysostome, and all learned wryters, for the moste part, doe say to be an Admonition to Timothie, that he oughte to be circumspecte in appoynting of Ministers. And to Titus chap. 1. Paule saythe that he left him at Creta, vt constituat oppidatim presbyteros, that he shoulde appoynt Ministers in euery towne. This Hierome and others doe expounde of the authoritie that Titus had in placing ministers in euery Church.
Nowe you woulde proue (*) 1.1 that this election of Ministers by one man was in the Apostles tyme. But you haue forgotten your selfe, whiche sayde a little before, that this election by the Churche, was not onely in the Apostles tymes, but also in the time of Cyprian: nowe you saye otherwyse. And if the election of the minister by the Churche agree so well with the tyme of per∣secution, and when there is no christian Magistrate, howe commeth it to passe, that in those dayes when persecution was so hotte, and there were no suche Magistrates, that Saint Paule woulde haue the election by one man, and not by the Churche. Besides that, if (*) 1.2 this be Saint Paule hys commaundement, that the Byshop shoulde onely choose the Minister, why doe you make it an indifferent thing, and a thing in the power of the Churche to be varyed by tymes, for this is a flat commaundement. Thus you see you throw downe wyth one hande, as fast as you build with the other. But to answere directly to the place of the fifth of the first to Timothie.
I saye first, that Saynt Paule writeth to Timothie, and therefore instructeth him what he shoulde doe for his parte in the appoynting of the Minister. If he had written to the whole churche of Ephesus, he woulde lykewise haue instructed them howe they shoulde haue behaued themselues in that businesse. If one doe write vnto his friende, that hath interest in any election, to take heede that he choose none but suche as are meete, shall anye man conclude therevpon, that none hathe to doe in that election, but he to whome that letter is written? Then I say further that Saynt Paule attributeth that vnto Timothie, that was common to more with hym, bycause he beyng the director and moderator of the election is sayde to doe that whiche many doe: whyche thyng I haue proued by diuerse examples bothe oute of the Scripture, and otherwise before. And euen in thys imposition of handes, it is manifestly to be shewed. For that whereas Saynt Paule* 1.3 sayth in the seconde Epistle that Timothie was ordeyned by the putting on of hys handes vpon hym, in the firste Epistle he sayth, that he was ordeyned by the putting on of the handes of the* 1.4 eldership. So that that whiche he in one place taketh to him selfe alone, in the other he communi∣cateth wyth moe. Agayne, it is a fault in you, that you can not distinguishe or put difference be∣twene the election, and imposition of handes.
Last of all I answere that althoughe thys mighte agree to Timothie alone, as in deede it can not, yet it followeth not that euery Byshop maye doe so. For Timothie was an Euange∣list, which was aboue a Byshop, as hereafter shall better appeare. And it is an euill argument to saye the greater maye doe it therefore the lesse maye doe it. The superiour, therefore the inferi∣our. If you were at any coste with producing your witnesses, you shoulde not be so wyse to be so lauishe of them, as to cite Ambrose and Chrysostome, to proue a thing that none hath euer denyed