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After that religion is reformed, it hath bene a receiued custome that the bishops, and of the ministers, pastors & elders, so many as should be sent of the bishops, should assemble themselues, that they together with the chiefe Ba∣rons and nobles which professe the true religion, might make enquirie after the doctrine and maners of euery one. But seeyng the prince himselfe is a louer of the true religion, it is a question whe∣ther
there may be such an assembly with out the consent or commandement of the prince. Whether the ministers alone may meete as often as they will. Last of all, whether the nobles and other godly men & elders, (which are yeerely cho∣sen with vs out of the people and nobi∣litie together) may lawfully or expedi∣ently come without the cōmandement of the king to such assemblies. Which assembly of the nobles and people, see∣meth to some altogether needles vnder a godly prince, either because it hath not long since ben receyued by a meere custome without any law, and that vn∣der a prince, who then resisted the reli∣gion, whereby such assemblies myght haue the greater authoritie: or els be∣cause it may seeme dangerous, if so ma∣ny nobles assemble so oftē, without the consent of the king, they may somtimes consult of some thing els besides reli∣gion.
Others thinke that this assemblie is in no case to bee refused, but rather that it is very needefull that the Nobles and other religious men be present as
helpers to their ministers in the assem∣bly, bearyng witnesse of their lyfe and the peoples behauiour, otherwyse it will after come to passe, that if an impi∣ous prince raign afterward, that neither ministers may safely assemble, neyther can the determination be put in execu∣tion without the consent, helpe & ayde of the nobles.
Councels are necessarye in the Church for many causes, both to the retayning of agreement, and also to the seeking of remedies by common aduise for the daungers which fall out. And last of all, to take order for those that rest not in the iudgement of perticular seignories, if they thinke they haue any iniurie done them. And these Coun∣cels are eyther of a whole nation, or of some one Region or Prouince (or Diocesse as they haue begun to speake after the description of the Prouinces of Rome) deuided into many Seigni∣ories.
It is necessary that the Councels of the prouinces be deuided for many cau∣ses, & except there be other vrgent cau∣ses, they would be appoynted rather e∣uery halfe yeere then quarterly, least in discoursing of matters, they spende the tyme in vayne. And it will bee best for the auoyding of ambition, that the Councell be not alwayes assembled in the same place of euery prouince: but as soone as one halfe yeeres Synode is discussed, it may be determined by cō∣mon consent, where shal be the place of the next followyng. It will be very well that two of euery seignorie of the pro∣uince, chosen by common voyces, and sent with some commission, be present at these councels: one a pastor, and the other an Elder or a Deacon. Neyther would we haue any strife about sitting, who should sitte first or last, but euery one to sit, as it shall fall out without any contention, and the iudgement to bee giuen as any one shall sit.
Now, he that shal gouern the whole action, who was chosen for this one thing by common consent of voyce, the
chiefe pastor of the place, beyng in the beginning President, which office shall end, when the Councell shall be ended. There are no matters in question to bee propounded to these Councels to take knowledge of, but such as are more spi∣ritual & belong to that prouince, where they are to be decided without appeale by the word of God, & the rules there set downe, without any brabling or di∣sturbance of the company. Yet if any great priuate controuersie shall fall out in the prouinciall Synode, where some may thinke that he hath cause to com∣playne of iniury done vnto him, he may put vp his complaint to be decided in a generall councel, whē it shalbe thought good to assemble it.
Furthermore it is chiefly required, that if all the lawes of the Church be e∣stablished of the kings christian maie∣sty: it foloweth, that the Councels are to be assembled by his commandement and direction, and not otherwise. Nei∣ther yet is there a new commission eue∣ry tyme to be sought for of the king for that purpose, seeyng his maiesty hath
once established a law touching the set tymes of ordinary Synodes. But yet if there arise iust cause of suspition of hād∣ling in these metings, other matters be∣sides meere ecclesiasticall, it shall be safe for the kings maiesty to send one of his subiects whō he will, to disgrace by his presence the meeting of the Synodes: where yet he is not to be as a iudge, ex∣cept some thing fall out where it is ne∣cessary that the authoritie of the ciuill magistrate be put betweene.
A generall councel of the land is not to be assembled but vpon great causes, which seeyng they agree not with set tymes, it followeth, that they are not to bee standing neither: but as often as some thing shall seeme to fall out of so great waight, either in doctrine or in go∣uernment of the church, as cannot well be decided but in a generall meeting, that prouince is to be carefull, to put o∣ther prouinces in mind concerning that matter, in these halfe yeeres Synodes: that with the consent of all, or the grea∣ter part, they go vnto the kings maiesty, who (as being a christiā prince, is to de∣sire
nothing more, then the peace of the churches) ought without any stay or doubting, at the suite of the Churches, to appoint a place and tyme for a gene∣ral meeting, as the need of the churches shal require. And the same order may seeme to be kept in the generall Coun∣cels, which is in the prouincial, whether before the kings maiesty himselfe, as in some general councels, the emperors of Rome haue bene present, or before the honorable lordes of the kings maiestie. And last of all, whatsoeuer shal be alow∣ed by the common consent of the Sy∣node, shall be confirmed by the kinges maiesties expresse authoritie, after the example of the godly Emperours.