Tract. 3. and 4. according to the D. That all ordinarie Ministeries / are annexed to a certein place.

THe A. in heaping vp certein differences / betwene the of∣fice off an Apostle / and Pastor / answereth nothing to the * matter. Yff this be true which is set downe / that they be like in this / that a certein church is to a pastor / or a minister / vv∣hich the twelfth place was then amongest the Apostels: the rea∣son off the Adm. is mainteined. For then as it was not lawfull for them / to haue proceeded vnto a newe election / if Iudas had not fallen from his ministerie: so it is not lawfull to ordeine Pa∣stors / so longe as the place is full. likewise if the Apostels would not vndertake any election / but where they had the light / and guide off the worde off God / to shewe them the way / not onely what manner a one / but when he should be chosen: muche lesse is it lawefull for the Bishoppes. The first off thes being so cleare as the A. durst not plainly denie / he doth notwithstanding pushe at priuely / saying / that Paul, and Barnabas were added aboue the nombre off twelue. But he should haue knowen / that they were added by the Lorde / and not by the church: where he should haue shewed that the Apostels / &c. chose the thirtenth Apostle. And we denie not but the Lorde may nowe (if yt seme good vnto him) choose some Minister / which hath no certein place.

That which he obiecteth off Epaphroditus / &c. to be Page  CCXCVI Apostels / suche as we speake off: is an absurd begging off that which is in question. Where against the second point he saith / that there is no suche thing in the Election off the Pastors, as that in their ele∣ction, the scripture should be fulfilled, &c. allthoughe there be not so particular a worde / as off chusinge one into Iudas place / yet there is a certein rule / in obedience whereoff the scripture is daily fulfylled. And so falleth also his other exception / which supposeth that off one example, we make a generall rule. Considering that we cra∣ue no further helpe off that example / then the same was com∣passed by the worde off God. The A. grauntinge the distinction * off ordinarie / and extraordinarie Ministeries / and yet denying that it can be warranted by the scriptures poursueth his former traine / off shrincking the scriptures. Seinge yt followeth thereuppon / that some truthe in Diuinitie / cannot be warranted by the worde off God. The question moued off the Elders / is out off place: the answer whereunto shalbe differred / vnto the proper treati∣se. The absurd speaches which he hath here / and in the next Diui∣sion off Apostels / Euangelistes / and Prophetes / come to be exa∣mined in the answer to his third chap.

Heere first he trifleth with his reader / whilest he supposeth * that I ground the function off Elders / vpon the 4. off the Ephes. and that Iesteme that place a perfect rule of Ecclesiasticall functions, when as not onely I haue no syllable sounding that way: but haue declared the contrarie / in that by a long discourse in the question off the Archebishop / I haue shewed that that place is onely of the Ministeries / occupied in the worde. That which he speaketh heere off ouerseing shepherdes / and watchmen / belon∣geth to the 6. Diuision where yt is repeated. That off one shep∣herd hauing many flockes / belongeth to the question off hauing many benefices. Yt remaineth to mainteine that part off the Diuision / which setteth downe the Doctor off the church / as a seuerall member from a Pastor. Which may appeare by that the Apostle placeth them both to the Romanes / and Ephes. as di∣uers. * beside that the giftes differing / whereby those functions a∣re executed / and there being apt to teache / and therfore meet for the office off a Doctor / which haue no grace in exhortacion / or mouing the affections off the hearers / and therefore not so fit to Page  CCXCVI be Pastors: yt must followe / that the functions be diuers.

And where the Ans. opposeth vnto vs the iudgement off o∣ne / or twoo: it is easye to shewe / not onely moe authorities off priuate men / but the vse off the Elder churches / euen from the Apostels time: Epecially in Alexandria / where the distinction off the Bishop / and Doctor off the church / is so often obserued by the ecclesiasticall story: also the coustome continued in cathedrall churches (as they are called) wherefrom time to time beside the Bishop / hathe bene a reader. And if thes were not distinguished: thē must it needes follow / which in an other place the A. denieth / that there were ordinarily two Bishops in one church / conside∣ring that beside the Elders / and him which they commonly cal∣led the bishopp / there was also a Doctor. Nether ought it to be any hinderance to this distinction / that Saint Paul coupleth the Pa∣stor, and Doctor together, where as he sundred the rest that goe before, by this worde Some. For the coniunction dothe not couple them in signification / but maketh them onely couples off the liberalitie off Christe / towardes his church. Especially considering that bothe this coniunction And, is oftentimes a note to couple seuerall members off one diuision: and the Apostel would rather haue saide or Doctors, then and Doctors, if he had ment to make them all one. But all this had not needed / if the Ans. woulde haue stoo∣de by his former worde / in the writinge intitled The Doctors booke. For in sayinge / there that the Apostle in the Epistle to the Corint. speaketh onely off Apostels, Prophetes, and Doctors, Leauing out Euangeli∣stes, and yet Euangelistes, and pastors necessarie: he dooth manifestly confesse / that thes functions differ betwene them selues. Nether can he saie / that he spake there accordinge to my sense. For I had not then ether spoken / or written any worde off that matter.

Thus in that he is called the Doctor off suche a churche / in * parte is answered the question how yt can be shewed, that he is tied to a certeine churche. And for further answer / when as admitting that there is suche an office / he can not denie but the institution off it / is amongest other spoken of vnto Titus: all those mynisteries be∣ing appointed to a certein towne / and congregation / yt foloweth * that that office ys likewise. Moreouer considering that exhorta∣tion Page  CCXCVII / and doctrine be necessary for the interteinement off a chur∣che in the trwe seruice off God: in that S. Paul parting thes bet¦wene * the Pastor / and Doctor / and placing the office off the Pa¦stor especially in exhortation / ascribeth that off teaching princi∣pally to the Doctor: yt followeth that the Pastor being tied vnto a place / the Doctor muste also. wherby is likewise answered his other question / how it can be proued, that the doctor was gyuen in aide off * the pastor. for the pastor being by the bādes of his vocatiō / especi∣ally tied vnto exhortation: a supplie of teaching being nedefull / it must be fetched at his handes / whose proper profession that is. Last off all / herby appeareth / what an abuse yt is in the vniuersi∣tie / that they are created doctors which not onely doo not the of∣fice / but haue not so muche as a certeine place assigned to teach in: which amongest other / are the two principall thinges I misli∣ke / as vnlawfull. Where in the end off his booke he saith / that it * were cofusion, and Barbarisme to take away such degrees: he doth shame∣full iniury to diuers reformed churches in Sauoy / and Swisser∣land: where all kinde of learning / and good behauiour florishing / those degrees are not. But it is to be noted that together with the churches / Musculus especially hath his part in this charge off Barbarisme, &c. The churches not hauing the other degrees in artes / which are indifferent / gyue no sentence off the Doctor∣shipp: but Musc. doth plainly declare his misliking. For hauing spoken against the popish Doctors / he addeth: vvherfore I haue * often merueiled, vvhat diuers notable ministers off Christ me∣ane, that they glory so much off the title off an vniuersitie Do∣ctorship: as though any autoritie came to their doctrine ther∣by. Where it is knowen that those whom he ment / were mo∣dest / gloriyng no further / then that as a meanes to draw more cre¦dit to their ministery / they receyued it: which Muscul to wcheth them for. Therfore onles he had bene driuen headlong / he would at least haue left his degrees indifferent: and not such as with∣owt which / no godly honestie / nor ciuilitie can stand.

In the next diuision his answer is vnsufficient. For the rea∣son against reading Ministers / is not onely because they are ap∣poincted to no certein place: but for that they are vtterly without Page  CCXCVIII all ministerie / and whether euer they shalbe or no / yt hangeth ether off their owne / or off their patrones pleasure. So that if e∣ther he forthincking him selfe / like the shop better then the chur∣che: or the patrone will kepe the dore shut against suche insuffi∣cient men / which the bishopp opened so wide: or (as sometime falleth out) they can not agree of their market: yt comet to passe that he is made a Minister / which ether can not / or will not / not onely not fulfill / but not so much as lay hand off that ministerie / whereunto he was appointed. Contrary vnto the rule off Saint * Paul / that leueth not this in choise: but commaundeth precisely / that if after triall they be found blameles / they should exercise their ministerie.

To proue that there may be a rouing ministerie / and some which may haue the walk of a whole prouince / here is first alled∣ged * that the Apostels visited the places where there were seuerall Pastors. Whereunto the answer is / that that function off the Apostels was extraordinary (as shall appeare) and therfore at no hand to be drawne vnto our times. Secondly is brought the example of Darius / which beside 120. gouernoures set ouer the seuerall prouinces, made three other to ouersee the•. Wherunto I answer / that the Lord hath in assigning offices off the commen wealth / left the libertie vnto men / which he hath not doon in offices off the church. The reason whereoff is manifest: considering that they bothe are off greater sufficiency to ordeine offices / for the commodities of this life / then for those off the life to come: and the errour in appoin∣ting of them / is not so daungerous. Eusebius sheweth howe * Constantine inuented newe degrees off honour / to pleasure those which were about him. This not being forbidden in ciuill gouer∣nemēt / I thincke the A. dare not say it is lawfull to be doon in the gouernement off the church.

Hereby also is answered the surmise off kinges which being called sheapherds, should by this meanes haue their dominions restreined vnto the gouernement off one cytie. For the scripture hauing not determi∣ned / whether there should be a Prince ouer euery citie / as it hath that euery assembly should haue a pastor: and the enmities / and assaultes against the ciuill estate / not being so great / and daun∣gerous as against the spirituall: yt can by no meanes followe / Page  CCXCIX that the tying off the Minister vnto one church / should enclose the Princes aucoritie in the circuit off one citie. But it is to be obserued / that both the D. reasons / off the Apostels visiting / and of Darius pollicie / leade to Rome. For yt followeth vppon them / that one may haue ouersight of all the Ministers: seing that both euery off the Apostels / had autoritie to visite any church through the world / and euen off those three vvhich were ouer the gouer∣nours off 120. prouinces / Daniel was the cheif. And albeit we le∣aue no place / ether to those rouing / or owtgrowne ministeries: yet the sheapherds / and watchmē want not therefore their ouer∣seers, considering that the Ecclesiasticall Senate / doth not onely watch ouer the body off the church: but euery one off them ouer an other / and especially ouer the mynister. off thes also as euery one in brotherly equalitie ought to admonishe: so iontly they haue autoritie not onely to admonishe / but by Ecclesiasticall censures to chastise the default off their minister. Yf they also faile / the Sy∣nodail assemblies haue interest / as I haue before alledged. And if the fault be suche as requireth cyuill punishement: the Magi∣strate is the watchman / appointed off God for that pourpose.

Where he saith that a similitude maketh a matter plaine, but pro∣ueth not: when I added / they were argumentes drawne off the nature off thinges / wherunto the Ministers are likened / and are for the moste part vsed by the holy gost himselfe: I preuented that obiection / wherunto the S. saithe nothing. But if they proue no∣thing / because they were similitudes: then his answers to ouer∣throwe them / being bare similitudes / and in thinges wherein they be compared moste vnlike / are insufficient. The rest off the second section off this diuision / which is almoste a whole syde / ys perteining to the question off Residence / and off hauing twoo benefices. Vnto thes argumentes which I vsed / as hovve they should knovv his voice, vvhen they can not heare yt? acknovv∣ledge him, vvhen they can not knovv him: follovve him vvhen they can not see him goe before? or hovve he should heale their diseases, vvhen he can not possibly knovve them? he ans∣wereth * not a worde.

That S. Paul in commaunding to appoint Elders throw¦ghe Page  CCC euery citye / ment euery companie off the faithfull / rysing vn∣to a nombre cōuenient to meet in one assemblie: yt is manifest by the place off Saint Luke / where yt is saide / that elders were or∣deined thorowghout euery congregation. Wherunto albeit the Ans. could say nothing / yet in pressing the word cytie / he sheweth his good will. Vnto this yt may be added / that the scripture v∣seth oftentimes for shortnes sake / by a cytye to comprehend as well townes / and villages / as the great cities. For where Saint Matthew hath citie / or towne / S. Luke hath citie onely: and in * diuerse places off the tenth of Saint Matth. 9 and 10. off Luke / the precepts gyuen off the Apostels behauiour in the cities / are necessarily vnderstanded off other places. Likewise that both M. Beza / and Erasmus reformed herein the ould translatour / chan∣ging his translation off citie by citie (as that which attained not fully to the meaninge off the Apostle) into a more generall speach / off tovvne by tovvne. This shall yet better appeare / in the 3. cha. 8. Tract. where it shalbe shewed / howe the institution off God is / that a Bishop shoulde be not off a diocese (such as ours) or prouince / but off a particular church. Which treatise I would ha∣ue drawne hyther / as vnto the proper place / but that these pla∣ces are so intangled with the question off the Dominion off the Bishop / that I could not without too great trouble off the rea∣der / seuer yt. Where he saithe that Saint Paul commaunding to appoint Ministers to certein places, did not thereby forbid Titus to make Ministers ha∣uing no certeine place: he should vnderstand / that S. Paul knewe he had to doo with one / which had learned well that lesson off the lawe off God / Thovv shalt onely doo that vvhich I cōmaund the. And it is shamefull iniurie doon to Titus / once to thincke that he made kindes off Ministeries / whereof he had no commis∣sion by the Apostle. The rest is nothing / but a manifest begging off that which is in question.

Where I alledged the councell off Calcedon / that none sho∣ulde be ordeined losely / but vnto some speciall congregation: the D. being at a bay / and hauing no place to escape / commeth vpon me vvith open mouth / and will beare the reader in hand / that I haue falsified the Councell, and why? forsooth becawse I haue left out these wordes, Or in the place off Martyrs buriall, or in Page  CCCI monasterie. I left them out in deed / because we haue no vse off * them. Howbeit what syllable is there here / which helpeth him / or in all the canon which he hath set downe? That the councell men• not, that a man must off necessity be ordeined to a certein place, but that he should haue some stay off liuing: is directly contrary to the councells wordes / which expresseth the first plainly / and off the later spea∣keth nor a word. The reasons vsed haue not so much as any sense / and are drawen first from the filthie puddle off Popish diuini∣ty / that there be eccesiasticall ministeries withowt cure / and pla∣ces not neding any pastorall charge: wheras if those monasteries &c. were lawfull assemblies / euery ecclesiasticall ministery was as necessary for them / as for other. Afterward they are drawne from a shameles corruption off the councels wordes / by sworne en∣nemies off all good order in the church: which to ouerthrowe a plaine meaning / haue interpreted vvithovvt hauing some title, withowt hauing some possession, or liuing.

And that I haue set downe the true meaning off this coun∣cell / may easely appeare by an other: which forbad this wand∣ring from citie to citie. For Theodoret reprehending Eusebius * bishop off Nicomedia / for leauing his owne church to be bishop in an other: alledgeth a canon wherby yt was ordeined / that none ether bishop, or elder should goe frō citie to citie. Wher∣by appeareth / they had all certein places. Yea the D. Denis shall giue testymony vnto vs in this behalf / whose wordes be: vve ha∣ue appoincted to euery elder his proper parish, and church * yeard, and ordeine that euery one kepe his ovvne right, so that none enter into the boundes off an other parish: but euery one contēt him self vvith his ovven, and so gouerne the church cō∣mitted vnto him, that he may giue account, &c. But that this shameful: facing off the D. may be manifest / I will set downe Caluins iudgement off this canon / wherby shall better appeare who hath vsed most faith herein / he or I. Speaking against the Popish making off ministers / he saith: But it vvas ordeined in * the councell off Calcedon, that there should be no absolute ordeining off ministers, that is to say, onles there vvere a place Page  CCCII assigned, vvhere the ordeined might exercise his charge. Here is the same sense / and exposition off the councell which I haue followed / as full in euery point. now let vs heare owt off what schoole the D. exposition commeth. He addeth a litle after: But our Romish maisters, vvhich thincke nothing to be cared for but the belly, fyrst interprete a title, a sufficient reuenue vvher∣by he may be able to liue, vvhether left off his freindes, or by some benefice. Therfore ordeining a priest, or Deacon if he a∣ble to liue, they giue him the degree: not regarding vvhere he should exercise his ministery. But vvho vvill euer admit, that the litle vvhich the councell requireth, is a yerely reuenue to mainteine himselfe vvith? And after shewing other fraudes / * wherby they haue deluded other councells / which cōfirmed this / he addeth is yt not alvvaies absurd, to ordein an elder, to vvhom there is no place appointed? wherby appeareth not onely Calu. iudgement off this question: but how impudent a corruption off the councell / he estemeth this / which the D. so greatly alloweth.

The councell off Vrbane owght to make the D. blush: and the corruptions which he to so small pourpose / chargeth his boo∣ke with / cause it to speake so lowde / that the very deafe eares owght to heare. For this diuinity off the later popery which he mainteineth / being condemned off the former: hath therby a brand of corruptiō / wherby it may be knowen. Consydering that popery geue still from euill to worse / and that it was not able to put this order off the church to flight: vntill yt approching vnto her full age / had gotten greater strenght off wickednes. What Ierome hath of this matter / I haue shewed. In the next Diuisi∣on beside this question / whether yt be conuenient for a minister to take wages, which can liue off his owne / which I will not enter into / there is nothing but bare repetition / and open petition of that in controuersie. The next chap. of Ceremonies in ordeining, is answered before.