any age after the Apostles time. For the most part of the auncientest Bishops were deceyued with that grosse opinion of a thousande yeares after the resurrection, wherein the kingdome of Christe should here remaine vpon earth: The fautors whereof were called M〈1 line〉〈1 line〉llenarij. Papias who liued in Polycarpus and Ignatius his tyme, béeing Bishop of 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉erusalem, was the first author of this errour, and almost all the moste auncient fat〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ers were infected with the same.
Cyprian and the whole Councel of Carthage erred in rebaptisatiō, & Cyprian himself also was greatly ouerseene in making it a matter so necessarie in the celebration of the Lords Supper, to haue water mingled with wyne, which was no doubt at y• tyme cōmon to moe than to him: but the other opinion which he confuteth, of vsyng water only, is more absurd, and yet it had at that tyme patrones among the Bishops.
Howe greatly were almost all the Bishops & learned writers of the greke church, yea and the Latines also for the most part, spotted with doctrines of freewill, of me∣rites, of inuocation of Sainctes, & suche lyke? Surely you are not able to recken in any age since the Apostles tyme, any companie of Bishops, that taught & helde so sound & perfect doctrine in all poynts, as the Bishops of England do at this tyme.
If you speake of Ceremonies, & of the syncere administration of the sacraments, you shall finde the like difference: for compare the cerenionies that Tertullian sapet〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 lib. decoro. mil. then to be vsed in the Churche about the Sacraments, and otherwise: or those that Basile reherseth Lib. de Sancto spi. or suche as we may reade to haue bin in S. Augustins tyme, with those that we nowe reteine in this Churche, and you can not but acknowledge, that therin we are come to a far greater perfection.
I meane not to stande in particulars, I thinke T. C. and his companions wil not contende with me in this poynt, for if they doe, it is but to maynteyncontention. Se∣ing then that in the truthe of doctrine, which is the chief and principall point, oure Bishops be not only comparable with the olde Bishops, but in many degrées to be preferred before them, we thinke there is tootoo great iniurie done vnto them, and to this doctrine whiche they professe, when as they are so odiously compared, and so contemptuously intreated by T. C. and his Colleags.
2 Touching honestie of life, which is the second point, I wil not say much, I do not think but that therin they may be compared with the old Bishops also: and in some points preferred: euery age hath some imperfectiōs in it, and the best men are most subiect to the slanderous tong. Great contention ther was among the Bishops in the Councell of Nice, insomuch that euen in the presence of the Emperour they ceased not to libell one against an other. What bitternesse and cursing was there betwixt Epiphanius and Chrysostome? what affectionate dealyng of Theophilus agaynste the same Chrysostome? what iarring betwixt Hierome and Augustine? But I wil not pro∣secute this. Men, be they neuer so godly, yet they be men. & the cōm〈1 line〉〈1 line〉n sorte of peo∣ple, when they waxe wearie of the worde of God truely preached, then doe they be∣gin to depraue the true and chiefe ministers of the same.
3 For the third poynt, that is, the vse of external things, if the 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ishops nowe haue more land & liuing than Bishops had then, it is the blessing of God vpon his church: and it is commodious for the state and time. If any man abuse himself therin, let him be reformed, let not his fault be made a pretence to cloke a minde desirous to spoyle. I sée not how those lands and liuings can be imployed to more bene〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ite of ye churche, cōmoditie of the cōmon welth, & honor of the Prince, than they be nowe in state and cōdition wherin they remain. Bishops shal not now need to liue by pilling & polling, as it séemed they did in Cyprians tyme, for he complaineth therof. Ser. de lapsis. Nor as some did in Ambrose or Augustins. They haue (God be thanked) liuing sufficient with out any such vnlawfull meanes, and I doubt not but if their expenses shall be compa∣red with their predecessors, it shall appeare that they be according to the proportion that God hath limitted vnto them. But an eye dimmed with malice, or bente to the spoyle, can sée nothing that may hinder the desired purpose. God roote out of the har∣tes of men such rauening affections and gréedie desires.