It is euident by the story of the Actes of the Apostles, that this function remayned to Peter, so long as the Apostles cōtinued togither, and that he did execute the same when soeuer they mette: and therefore it is vntrue that this off〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ce was not tyed to one man: the. 15. of the Acts helpeth you nothing: for euen there, Peter kéepeth his accustomed manner in making the 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉irst oration: and in that place it may appeare, that he did it as chéefe in that assemblie, for the text saith, that when there had bin great* 1.2 disputation, Peter rose vp and said vnto them. &c. so that Peter as one hauing authori∣tie to appease the tumult and bitter contention, rose vp and said vnto them. &c. Then spake Barnabas and Paule, after them, Iames, not as moderator or gouer〈1 line〉〈1 line〉oure of the whole action, but as one hauing interest to speake as the rest of the Apostles had, and bycause he had spoken that which the rest well liked of, therefore they consented to his opinion, and iudgement. This is no more to giue preheminence 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉o Iames in moderating that action, than it is to giue the speakership in the Parliament to hym that speaketh last in a matter, and whose oration hath most perswaded, 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉o whome al∣so the whole house consenteth. So that Peter kéepeth his prerog〈1 line〉〈1 line〉tiue still for any thing that is here spoken to the contrary: which may also euidently appe〈1 line〉〈1 line〉re by this,* 1.3 that when there was greate contention among them about the matter, the cause whereof is like to be, for that they did not vnderstand the state of the cause, Peter stoode vp, & in hoc maximè insistit, vt statum quaestionis demonstraret, and stoode especially vp∣pon this point, that he might declare the state of the question, as M. Caluine saith, whiche is the office of the speaker or moderatour: wherefore not Iames, but Peter did mode∣rate the action.
But best as you would haue it, that Iames did moderate the action: it maketh most a∣gainst* 1.4 you, for if we beléeue the auncient writers, and namely the gréeke Scholiast vpon the. 15. of the Acts, Iames was now Byshop of Ierusalem: and therefore the Synode being 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ithin his charge, it was not 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that he according to his office, should moderate the same, as other bishops did in their seuerall Churches.
The. 21. of the Acts is nothing to your purpose, but Paule comming to Ierusalem, went with certaine other in vnto Iames, and told him and all the rest that were ga∣thered togyther, what God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministration. What is this to proue your purpose? Peter is not here, and Iames was now 〈◊〉〈◊〉 op of Ierusalem, as the note in the margent of the 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ible printed at Geneua doth testi∣fy. The place in no respect proueth your assertion, but the contrary: for there is no doubt, but that Iames was the chiefe gouernour of the Churche of Ierusalem in all actions, during his life, after that he was once placed in the Byshopricke.
You talke in another place of raking of Doctors to proue my purpose, but if these be not rakings of scriptures, gathered togither to no purpose, for the cōfirming of your fonde deuises, I know not what you should meane by the name of rakings.