I Wil not now spend time to discusse who was the writer of this epistle, which is confessed almost of all to bee canonicall. For as S^t. Gregorie vpon Iob saith it is to no purpose to search and enquire who is the writer of that booke, of which we acknow­ledge the holy Ghost to be the author.

This 13. Chapter containeth in it many exhortations to the performance of the duties of the second table cō ­cerning our loue to our neighbour. And in this 17, verse is a speciall exhortation to honor and obey our superiors, which is the first and principall commandement of the second table, hauing this prerogatiue to be the first com­mandement with promise. For the words [...] are ta­ken by some to be civill magistrates, of others, to bee Ec­clesiasticall gouernors. The word (as the great greeke Ety­mologist [Page 2] doth expound it) [...] one that is chiefe of a tribe, society or company, who excelleth in wealth, and for that cause is selected and chosen aboue the rest to rule over others. But the hebrew text hath [...] your teachers and instructers. And therefore howsoever it may include the temporall gouernours, yet is it chiefly and primarily to bee vnderstood of spirituall. For the hebrew by the iudgement of divers graue autors, is the true vernacle and authentique copie of this epistle. And where it followeth: For they watch for your soules; doth more properly belong to the ecclesiasticall then ci­vill gouernors. The word [...] hath two significations to giue eare, or bee persuaded vnto, and to obey. [...] Zenop. verbis persuadeor, to be persuaded by words, & [...] legi obsequens, Plato, to be obediēt to laws. So the hebrew word here vsed [...] is both to giue eare, and to obey; as they that are but meanely read in the he­brew doe easily knowe. The word [...] signifieth, to yeeld vnto or submit your selues vnto, or be ruled by. [...] Iliad. a. Si tibi omni in re morem geram. & Eurip [...], nil dans loci senectuti. The he­brew hath [...] humble your selues vnder their hands, submit your selues vnto them, yeeld vnto thē. As if the Apostle should say, harkē diligētly vnto the voice of your teachers, follow their instructions and admoniti­ons, obey the commandements constitutions and ordi­nances, of them or other your gouernors, & if you chance to bee disobedient in some things, shewe not your selues stubborne or obstinate, but submit your selues vnto them, and suppose they bee [...], rigidi morosi austere, severe or otherwise faulty, beare with thē & submit your selues [Page 3] to their autority as vnto Gods substitutes. This being the summe and meaning. The parts are two, First an exhor­tation or rather a commandement vnto inferiors, to bee obedient vnto those that bee in authoritie over them, to instruct and gouerne them. Secondly reasons to inforce obedience vnto this commandement, The first reason is drawne from the office and dignitie of the person vnto whome obedience is to bee giuen, they are such ouerseers as watch for your soules, as they that must bee readie to giue an accoūt, the second ab honesto, it were great ingrati­tude by our disobedience to moue them to performe this charge with griefe of minde, and not rather with ioy and comfort. The third frō the effect; for this in the end wil be vnprofitable for you, the worst wil be yours. Of these in order as they lie.

But first before I come to handle the particulers, let this one thing not impertinently be remembred in the generall. That God hath made a difference of degrees a­mongst his people, even from the beginning, and stil doth & must continue amongst Christians vnder the Gospell. where there hath beene and alwaies and now is, superiors and inferiors, some to rule and some to be ruled. And this appeareth in the very frame of nature; for in the order of the vniuersall, all creatures are subordinate vnto their su­periors vntill they come to the highest supreame power. Among the elements the earth is vnder the water, the water the aire, the aire the element of fire, and that to the orbe of the moone, & every planet with their orbes one vnder another, and all the celestiall bodies differ one from another in glorie and dignitie, which order, the superior bodies by their influences, and the elements by their alte­rations, do not only bring perfection vnto the whole [Page 4] but is the preservation of the whole. So in the heauenly company and Church, there are Arch-angels, Angels, principalities, powers, dominions, thrones, cherubins & seraphins. S. Hierom in his second booke against Iovini­an proueth both out of divers places of the Gospel, & out of many places of the old Testament this point at large & how that in heauē there shal be differences of the degrees of glory. And out of the epistles of S. Paul in the similitude of the mēbers of a mans body, some parts are more hono­rable then other there is the head aboue the foot, the eie more honorable thē the legge, &c. For, saith he, some mē ­bers are so necessary as we cannot liue without them, o­thers such as though they bee cut off & we maymed, yet may we cōtinue life. And the Philosopher to proue this principle from the groūd of nature, sheweth; that the mā is by nature made to gouerne the womā, the wise, the no­ble & the mighty, to gouerne the foolish, the ignorāt, the base and the weake, the father the children, and the master the servants. Now take away this order, and the frame of nature would goe to ruine, to the former confused chaos, take away this order, and humane societie cannot be maintained, nay without this the cōmunion of Saints cannot be maintained. Against the Anabaptists and fami­lists who would hāue all men equall and all things in cō ­mon. Yet Christ bid giue to Caesar those things which were Caesars, and S. Paul bids every soule to be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God, and hee calleth them Gods Ministers, & yet at that time there was no christiā magistrate. This being granted, yet here some make question, whether there be any superioritie or inferioritie amongst the ministers of the Gospell, & whe­ther there be subiection and obedience due to bee giuen [Page 5] of the one to the other. In the Apostles time it is plaine there were Prophets, and Apostles, Pastors, Teachers, Priests or Elders, Deacons, Bishops, Evangelists, [...] and divers others. In the ages succeeding the Apo­stles, the general consent of al antiquitie & the Churches of God easterne and weasterne in all ages hitherto haue kept a difference of degrees in the Church, some besides laboring in the word of God to rule and gouerne, and o­thers that also labour in the worde and are subiect and to be gouerned by others. S. Hierom, in his second booke a­gainst Jouinian, proueth that both in the Gospell as well as in the law it is hath and must be so, for saith he,Yet perhaps S. Hieron, hādle [...] this point more sparing because he should haue beene elected Bishop of Rome, and by reason of his a mula­tors had the re­pulse. sine cau­sa est diuersitas nominum si non sit diuersitas meritorū. And in his commentarie vpon the 19. Chapter of Esay, he ma­keth mentiō of fiue orders in the Church, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Beleeuers, and those that were yet catechised, and not admitted to the participation of the sacraments. In his epistle ad Rusticum Monachum he saith, singuli ecclesi­arum Episcopi, singuli archipresbyteri, singuli archidiaconi, & omnis ordo ecclesiasticus suis rectoribus nititur; mentioning Bishops, and Priests that had also autoritie of gouerning, and Archdeacons. But in his comment on the 6. of Hie­mie, he saith that Bishops Priests and every Ecclesiasticall order ought to feed the flock of Christ; and in this dispē ­sation there is no difference, but as it pleaseth God to giue diversitie of gifts, and blessing to the outward meanes by the inward working of the spirit. And further in his com­mentarie vpon the epistle of S. Paul to Titus, he sheweth that the occasion of the difference in autority of Priests, or Elders, and Bishops, was by reason of scismes and here­sies, which even in the Apostles time then began to rise: which might seeme to haue beene an ordinance then in [Page 6] force. In another place hee saith that vnlesse this order were, we should haue as many ministers, so many scismes. In all S. Augustines workes and al the fathers before him, they all mention a difference betweene Presbyterum and Episcopum both in autoritie and dignitie. Bucer in his booke de animarum cura officio (que) ecclesiastici pastoris. V. etiam S. Hier. in ep stola Eua­ [...]rio cum anno­tationibus Eras­mi. p. 280. excus. Basiliae. anno. 77. commenteth thus vpon S. Hierom: It is not credible that this parity betweene Episcopum and Presbyterum continued long in any one Church, neither was it generally at any time obserued in all Churches, for even from the times of the Apostles, some one Priest or elder was chosen amongst the rest, which should be in authoritie aboue the rest; as a guid and gouernor to rule all the rest, as he proueth out of Act. 15. that S. Iames was Bishop of Hierusalem, &c. And that this ordination of Bishops was perpetually obserued in all Churches, may be gathered by all ecclesiasticall histories and ancient fa­thers as Tertullian, Cyprian, Irenaeus, Eusebius &c. The necessity hereof he amplifieth with reasōs vnanswerable. To this same purpose read the Kings Maiesties Apologie p. 45. 46 at ful. And in al the oecumenical counsels & pro­vinciall Synodes which were from time to time kept for the maintenance of vnity & repressing of heresie; Who were there to discusse, determine & order matters in con­troversie, to set down the confession of faith for vnitie, to make ordinances and constitutions wherevnto ministers and people were subiect, were they inferior ministers or Bishops? In all this time there was no question, whether the Church ought to be gouerned by Bishops and other ministers of inferior autoritie and yet superior to others. If amongst vs this order of gouernment were not, both ministers and ministery would grow into contempt, and [Page 7] such anarchie here would be the overthrow of the Gos­pell and Church of God amongst vs. Thus much for the generall.

Now to speake of the particuler obedience, which cō ­sisteth in two things: first in the obedience to the word of God preached, by him that watcheth for the soule. Se­condly, of yeelding obedience vnto the autoritie of such ministers, as are in preheminence, as also in obeying their lawes, constitutions and ordinances. And first touching obedience vnto the word, where we are to consider, that vnlesse we reverence the man that preacheth the word, at least for his calling and office sake, the worde preached by him shall be to smale effect. Which Saint Paul knew well when (1 Cor. 4.1.) he saith let a man esteeme of vs as the ministers of God, and dispensers of his misteries. And Gal. 4.14.15. he glorieth, that the Galatians receiued him as an Angel, yea as Christ himselfe, and that their loue to him was such, that if it had beene possible they would haue pulled out their very eies to haue done him good; & this their respect of him was a glory and renowne vnto them. Our Saviour Christ complaineth, that the base esteeme that his country-men had of him was the occasion why he preached little, wroght few miracles, and his comming was so little availeable to them. This made S. Paul so care­full to right his reputatiō against the practises of the false apostles, who in many places standeth much both in pro­ving the autoritie of his Apostleship, and also in exalting of his gifts, & declaring the integritie of his conversatiō.

Christ to teach the honor due vnto his ministers, put­teth vpon them his person and saith (Mat. 10) that the en­tertainement and respect given vnto them, hee account­eth done vnto himselfe. We read that the Prophets were [Page 8] sometimes called mē of God, sometimes Prophets of the Lord, and even Kings called them fathers. 2. King. 6.21. In like manner S. Paul in divers places calleth his auditors his sonnes and himselfe their father, shewing that as hee loued them as his naturall sonnes, so ought they much more to honour him as their father.Hieron. ad Ne­potianum esto subiectus Ponti­fici tuo & tan­quam animae pa­rentem suspice. In the Revelation ministers are called Angels, a high title of honor. 1: Tim. 5.17: The Apostle teacheth that those elders that rule well are worthy of double honour, the meanest then are worthy of honor, because they are more thē themselues, they are the Embassadors of Christ. 2. Cor. 1.14. pro Christo legatione fungimur. Now doe but consider this, the place and per­son they do sustaine, that Gods autority doth shine in thē emineently, and we shal easily conclude, that to deny thē the honor and respect due vnto their office and place, is to clip Gods coine, is treason against God himselfe. In the 5. commandement, the yeelding of a due honor hath the promise of a blessed long life,Vid. Bueer in lib. de ordinatio­ne ministrorum ecclesia circa i­nitium. the contrary must needs procure a wretched life and a cursed death, in the 2 King: 2.24: verse. when certaine children mocked Elizeus, God cursed them, and sent a shee beare out of a wood adioin­ing which devoured 42 of them. Therefore seeing we ho­nour our lawier that watcheth for our goods, and our Phisition for the health of our bodies, much more ought their feete seeme beautifull vnto vs, that watch for our soules, that bring vs the glad tidings of salvation.

But the former sort obiect and say, they giue honor to the ministerie and the ministers, though they esteeme of some and not of others, I should say, more then others; they only denie it to them that are not lawfull ministers, which haue not a lawfull outward calling, or want the in­ward calling which is gifts, aptnesse to teach.

For the lawfulnes of the outward calling of our mini­sters, it was not called into question either by Bucer, Pet. Martyr, or any of our worthy champions at the time of [Page 10] the restoring of the Gospell, nor euer since, by any godly learned, nor by any other protestant Church: amongst all which, the glorie of our Church shineth in brightnes as the moone amongst the starres; yet if there bee any that herein make scruple let him reade S. Augustine and other learned and ancient fathers against the Donatists, which serueth for ful confutation of the same sect renued in our daies vnder other names.

To the second obiection, that the minister happily is not [...] apt to teach, and therefore no lawfull mini­ster, nor worthy of the honour of a minister. Wee wish with Moses and I would to God that all our ministers in England, were good preachers, yet wee knowe that in all ages, there haue been some ministers in the Church, who could preach and for sloth would not, and some others that for want of gifts could not, and yet were ever held for lawfull ministers.

In the establishing of the Gospell after the abolishing of Popery, there was not a sufficient number of preach­ers, and therefore there were many godly men, chosen by godly Bishops & Martyres, into the ministery, that should read the Scriptures and praiers of the Church, catechise according to a forme prescribed, read homilies, admini­ster the sacraments, & haue the help of preachers month­ly or quarterly, or as oft as they could bee had. And since then, there are very many places, where the stipend is not sufficient to maintaine a preacher, and are of necessity ser­ved with an vnpreaching minister; And yet wee doubt not, but the people vnder them, may performe accepta­ble service to God, in hearing reverently the word read, in ioining with him in publike prayers of the Church, gi­ving diligent care to the homilies and sermons which he [Page 11] readeth, receiueth the sacraments, and heare sermons so oft as they can haue them, and bee in as good state of sal­vation, as some people, that haue diuers sermons made by extempory men, which stand vpon the present assistance of the spirit, dabitur in illa hora, and preach their own idle humors. S. August. lib. 4. cap. 8. de doctrina christiana. shew­eth, that there were in the Church in his time, some mini­sters which had not the gift of preaching, of whome hee made no question but that they were lawfull ministers, & he approueth their reading of homilies or pronouncing of other mens sermons to the better edifying and instru­cting of their people. These are his words. Sunt sane qui­dam, qui bene pronunciare possunt, quid autem pronuncient excogitare non possunt; quod si ab alijs sumant eloquenter sapi­enter (que) conscriptum, memoriae (que) commendent at (que) ad populum proferant, si eam personam gerunt, non improbè faciunt. And by your leaue, a great parte of our curious preachers, which envie so much against reading of homilies, and cā ­not endure that a learned man should vse the helpe of his owne notes in the pulpit, (because they themselues can preach little worth noting) which will seeme to preach all out of the Bible and their owne meditations, yet will they preach other mens sermons, printed and written, and study little else; and howsoeuer they knowe themselues to be vnlearned, yet doe they account of themselues, and will be accounted more then ordinary preachers. I would haue them to deny ministers that haue not the gifts to make a sufficient sermon themselues, to bee lawfull mi­nisters, & then we should haue a great many of their preachers in the same state. Let it bee proued that aptnesse to make & preach sermons of themselues is the forme & es­sence of a minister, which cannot bee gathered out of S^t. [Page 12] Paul, though questionlesse it is the principall qualitie in any minister. Againe if such shalbe denied to be ministers (the congregations vnder them may as well be denied to be visible members of the Church of God) then must the sacraments administred by them, bee denied to bee sacra­ments, but so doth no protestant Church esteeme of our ministers and congregations, nor any of any sound iudge­ment: S. Augustine Contra Parmentanum Donatistam, & contra Cresconium grammaticū & contra Petilianum, shew­eth, that the dignitie of the sacraments dependeth not of the worthinesse of the minister, because the sacraments are Christs, and whosoever the minister be that baptiseth with water, it is hee that baptiseth with the holy Ghost. To conclude this point the honor due vnto a minister,Vnderstanding that this doct­rine touching the reading of homilies by such as are not of suf­ficient abilitie to frame sermons, was offensiuely taken as false & erronius. Let such offensiue men know, that herein I said no­thing, but that which M. Bucer in his censure vpon our booke of common prayer hath written for the substance in his 7 chapter whither I re­ferre the equall reader espec. As for the car­pets let them now bite him, whō after many yeeres buried, was burned for despite borne vnto his doct. [...] is not to be denied vnto him, that hath not gifts of himselfe sufficient to make sermons, seeing that this notwithstan­ding, he cannot be denied to be a lawfull minister, howso­ever those that haue greater gifts are worthy of double honour.

Yet herein the slacknesse of some of the gouernors of our Church cannot be excused, for there are many, that if they were vrged and inioined, haue sufficiencie both of learning and vtterance, but their carelesnesse and idlenes is such, that vnlesse they bee compelled they will take no pains. There are others that with good directiōs & helps of their able neighbouring ministers, would in short time be brought vnto a reasonable sufficiencie in preaching; as I haue knowne the experience of many in divers places. Now for the rest, which are not able of themselues to frame sermons, they might be enioined to the catechising which is appointed by autoritie, and to read homilies which are set forth and enioined, and to procure their [Page 13] weekely or monthly sermons at the least, according to the iniunctions and Canons. And seeing it hath beene a fault of some particuler gouernors (and not the fault of the gouernment, which commandeth the cōtrary) to or­daine such insufficient men, in places where sufficiēt main tenāce is for able preachers, it were to be wished that for the time to cōe, they would admit none into such places but preachers. And this evil was wisely foreseen & thought very necessarie to be redressed, when as by our ecclesiasti­call lawes they ought to be graduats and of a good age, & and not meere grammer schollers, nor youths, which are to be admitted into the ministery. Moreouer our go­uernors of our Churches should doe a good and necessa­ry service, to take a sure survey of those that are preachers what their sufficiency is, for many out of their presump­tious pride, or to avoid the name of a nōpreacher, though they haue no learning nor any competent vnderstanding in the scriptures, will take vpon them to preach very of­ten, yea some of them twice or thrice a weeke, and God knowes, knowe not how nor what they preach, to the great dishonor of God and reproach of preachers, brin­ging the preaching of the word in contempt, and to bee iested at. These vnpreaching preachers doe more harme in the Church and more hinder the obedience vnto the Gospel, then any one thing, these ought to bee forbidden to preach till they bee better instructed. Lastly, seeing the calling of ministers is to bee reverenced; they are to admonish the ministers, generally and particularly, that by their pietie, integritie, diligence and charitie, they would force men to yeeld that reverence and obedience as they are bound vnto and as becommeth them.

Now for the reverence and obedience vnto the word [Page 14] of God preached by the minister. For as the reverent e­steeme of the ministery & ministers, is a great cause that the people receiue the word of God with more alacrity and to their greater profit: So the message which they bring. i. the word of God, addeth autority and honour to the minister, and causeth obedience to be yeelded vnto it. For vnles we be perswaded, that they are Gods ministers, and that the word which they deliver, is Gods word, wee shall neither profit by it, nor yeeld obedience vnto it, nay it will bee a fauor of death vnto death vnto vs, when wee shall be guilty of taking Gods name in vaine, and refuse the word of reconciliation & meanes of salvation offred. S. Paul 1. Thess. 2.13. reioiceth that the Thessalonians re­ceiued the word preached, not as the word of man, but as it is indeed the word of God. & 2. Cor. 4.7. we haue this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the vertue thereof might be of God and not of ourselues. And this is not only in the Prophets and Apostles who were extraordinary men directed in speciall manner by the holy Ghost; but of all ordinary ministers in the Church, that so long as they speak the truth of God according to the Scriptures, & draw soūd instructiō thence, & apply it to our vse, this word so preached, is to be esteemed as the word of God, and so to be reverenced and obeyed. And they that shal o­therwise esteeme of it, shalbe guilty of taking Gods name in vaine. For in old time God revealed his wil, by dreames, visions and sometimes by his owne voice from heavē, yet after hee had ordained an ordinary ministery, hee made knowne his will vnto the people by them. In the 20. of Exod. ver. 19. After the law was delivered with thunder & lightnings and the noyze of trumpets, and the smoaking of the mountaine, the people were sore affraide, and made [Page 15] request vnto Moses, that they might not heare God speak, but that Moses might be for thē to God, & deliver Gods will to them. In this ordinance of God, that his Ministers should declare his will vnto the people; first he declareth his good will toward vs, when he taketh out of men them that shal do his message in the world, that shalbe interpre­ters of his secret will, that shal represent his owne person. And so by experience he proveth, that it is not vaine that commonly hee calleth vs his temples, when out of the mouthes of men as out of his sanctuarie hee giveth an­swers to men. Secondly, this is the best and most profi­table exercise to humility, when hee accustometh vs to o­bey his word, howsoever it be preached by men like vnto vs, yea sometimes our inferiors in dignity. Thirdly, there was nothing fitter for the cherishing of mutuall charitie then that men should bee bound togither with this bond, when one is made pastor to teach the rest, and the people are commanded to be schollers of the same schoole, to re­ceiue all one doctrine at one mouth. These points Calvin handleth so largely and so pithily that I referre them that would be farther satisfied, vnto his fourth booke of Insti­tutions and third chapter.

But here arise two maine doubts, the one touching the doctrine, the second touching the life of the Minister. First as concerning the doctrine; it seemeth that here is great danger, if we shall take all for true Prophets, and all that is delivered for Gods word. For we read 1. King. 18.26. and 1. King. 22.6. and many other places, that their were false prophets, and therefore Deut. 18.20.21. the Lord is faine to teach them how, to know the true Prophet from the false, whether they speake his word or their owne.

Touching Prophets their calling was immediate and [Page 16] extraordinary, there was no such question of Levits or Priests.

Ob: Our Saviour Christ in the gospell Mat. 7.15. bids his disciples to beware of false Prophets: and S. Paule, and S. Jude, make mention of false teachers, &c.

Resp: In our Saviour Christs time, the extraordinary calling of Prophets was not altogither ceased. And the Apostle spake not of ordinary Ministers, but of such as went about like Apostles or Evangelists, and such as without any set­led place or ordinary calling, went from place to place to sowe heresies, some of which denied Christ the foundati­on, some taught doctrines of devils and damnable here­sies. If they had meant ordinary ministers in an established Church, they would haue easily told them a redresse, by ordinary proceeding either to reclaime or depose them.

Ob: Yet further it is obiected. 1. Ioh. 4. we are commanded to try the spirits whether they be of God or no &c.

Resp: Indeed many herevpon ignorantly & presumptuously haue and doe assume vnto themselues a power and liberty to dieue into the secrets of God, and to censure some to be ministers of God and sent by him, some to bee no law­full ministers, but send themselues; some this and that at their pleasure: Whereas the Apostle giueth no such li­berty, but expoundeth himselfe in the wordes following, that he that denieth the Lord Iesus to be come in the flesh is not of God.

Ob: But how if vpon the right foundatiō, they build wood hay, stubble, insteed of gold, siluer and precious stones?

Resp: God suffereth such sometimes 1 To stirre vp our care and attention, to teach vs to doe as the noble Bereans did Act. 17.11. Secondly to try vs (as Deut. 13.3.) whether we will bee carried away with every blast of false doctrine. [Page 17] Thirdly, to try the ministers humilitie, whether he will ac­knowledge his error when he is convinced, and reforme it, as S. Augustine de catechizandis rudibus declareth. Quod si humanae infirmitatis intentio, etiam ab ipsa rerum veritate errauer it, ne forte accidat vt hinc offendatur auditor. Non a­liunde nobis debet videri accidisse, nisi quia Deus experiri nos voluit, vtrum cum mentis placiditate corrigamur; ne in de­fensione nostri erroris, maiori praecipitemur errori. Fourthly to teach the minister not to trust to his wit or present fa­culty, but by studie, reading, meditation & prayer prepare himselfe.

Ob: But many preach much out of humane writers & an­cient fathers, therefore their sermons are not to be recei­ved as the word of God?

Resp: If their sayings alleadged by the preacher, be agreeable to the word of God and fitly applied, they are to be receiued as the word; because if it bee truth, it is of him that is the truth the way and the life. Heare what Saint Augustin, in lib. 2. de doctrina christiana cap. 40. saith of this point: Phi­losophietiam qui vocantur, si qua forte vera & fidei nostrae accommoda dixerunt, non solum formidanda non sunt, sed ab ijs etiam tanquam iniustis possessoribus in vsum nostrum vē ­dicanda &c. The heathen Philosophers (saith hee) those things which they haue spoken truely, and agreeable to our faith, we ought to be so farre of from being afraid of it, as that we are to challenge it from them as from vniust possessors to our owne vse, as the Israelites did the vessels, iewels and rayment, which they borrowed from the Ae­gyptians &c. To the same purpose S. Hierom.Vid etiam S. Hi­eron Tom. 2 pag 326 Basu-edit. epist magno oratori Romano hanc quaest. co­piose disputante And now to conclude this point also. If thou suspect that thou hea­rest the preacher preach that which is neither the worde of God nor agreeable vnto it, carry the point to be discus­sed [Page 18] by some ministers that be in autority (if he himselfe do not satisfy thee) and let the spirit of the Prophets bee sub­iect vnto the Prophets, and if it proue to bee an error, hee may either confesse his fault and renounce his error, or else til such time be restrained. In the meane time, vnlesse thou canst proue by this meanes, the doctrine deliuered false, thou art bound to reverence it, to receiue it, & to o­bey it, as the word of God.

Ob: The second maine obiection is the life of the minister, because God sometimes suffereth, some covetous Iudas­ses, some lasciuious sonnes of Elie, some prophane Epi­cures to be in the ministerie, they thinke there is no reve­rence due vnto them as they are ministers of God, nor o­bedience vnto the word delivered by them, as vnto the word of God.

Ans: This indeed is a great stumbling blocke which hath and doth cause many to fall And it were to bee wished that by the censures of the church such offences were re­moved either by reclaiming the offendors and bringing them into order, or els by suspending them from their or­ders vntill they amend: seeing as Hophne & Phineas they make the Lords sacrifices to be abhorred. Yet the Lorde suffreth such to trie vs whether we wil hereat take offence and refuse the precious pearle offered vnto vs because it is brought vnto vs in an vncleane boxe. To meete with this evill our Saviour himselfe hath given vs a lesson, Mat. 23. The Scribes and Pharesies sit in Moses chaire, all things there­fore which they shall command you to obserue, obserue and do ye, but according to their workes do ye not, for they say and do not. S. Augustine in his 46. tract vpon S. Iohn writeth thus, Habet ovile domini praepositos, & filios, & mercenarios. Sed & mercenarij etiam necessarij sunt: multi quippe in ecclesia com­moda [Page 19] terren a sectantes, Christum tamen praedicant, & per eos vox Christi auditur, & sequuntur oves non mercenarium, sed vocem pastoris per mercenarium. Sedēdo enim cathedrā Mosi, legem Dei docent, ergo per illos Deus docet, &c. The sheepfold of Christ hath set over it, sonnes & hirelings. And yet the hirelings also are necessary, for there are manie in the church, which follow after worldly commodities and yet preach Christ, and by them is the voice of Christ heard; & the sheepe followe not the hireling but the voice of the sheepheard by the hireling, for sitting in Moses chaire, they teach the law of God, therefore by them God teach­eth. And he alleadgeth S. Paul Phil. 1.15. sōe preach Christ of envy and contention, & some of a willing minde, some of despight, thinking to adde affliction to his bonds, but howsoeuer, hee was glad that Christ was preached, and Phil 2.21. &c. multis ita (que) prosunt dicendo quae non faciunt, sed longe pluribus prodessent faciendo quae dicunt, they doe much good vnto many in saying that which they do not, but much more should they do by doing that which they say. And in his second booke contra Cresconium Gramma­ticum, he answereth an obiection made by the Donatists out of the 50. Psalme. What hast thou to doe to preach my lawes, &c. He expoundeth it thus, frustra hoc fit quantum ad te attinet, non tibi prodest, hoc tibi ad iudicium damnatio­nis non ad meritum salutis valebit. In vaine thou doest it as concerning thy selfe, this shall availe thee nothing, this shall not bee any meanes to saue thee, but to con­demne thee: but they that shall heare the worde at such a mans mouth, beleue it and obey it, though he be damned, yet they shall be saued, because they followed the counsell of our Saviour Christ Mat. 23. that which they say doe, but after their workes doe not, &c.

Ob: They that are evill men, and vnsanctified, cannot con­vert soules?

Resp. Some I knowe, and those of the precisest sort both of ministers, and people haue held, that a formalist (for so they tearme al those that in the feare of God & obedience vnto the Prince conforme thēselues vnto the laws prescri­bed) cannot convert soules, though he be never so learned or vpright in his conversation: they haue that gift them­selues. S. Augustin contra epist. Parmeniani lib. 2. cap. 11. Car­nales homines non posse spiritales filios procreare. Ioh. 3. quod natum est ex carne caro est, quod natum ex spiritu spiritus est. Carnall men cannot beget spirituall children, because the Evangelist saith, that which is borne of the flesh is flesh­ly. Quasi nos dicamus per seipsum quemlibet hominem spirita­les filios generare, & non pro Evangelium in cuius praedicatio­ne spiritus sanctus operatur. 1. Cor. 4. ego vos genui per Euan­gelium, Euangelium autem fur quo (que) Iudas sine detrimento fi­delium praedicauit. As if so be we may say, that any man of himselfe can beget spirituall children, and not by the Gos­pell, in the preaching whereof the holy Ghost worketh. As S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 4. I haue begotten you by the Gos­pell, and the theefe Iudas preached the Gospell, without any detriment to the faithfull.

By this that hath been said in answere vnto the second obiection, here ariseth this conclusion. That evil and wic­ked men, being ministers of the Gospell, are to bee heard. 2. That the word of God preached by them is to be recei­ued and obeyed as Gods word, and may bee profitable to our saluation. 3. That they notwithstanding are to be re­verenced for the calling & place sake. And thus much for the first branch of obedience in hearing.

Now for obedience vnto ecclesiasticall lawes and con­stitutions. [Page 21] D. H. Zanchie, sheweth, how that many not knowing the difference betweene humane traditions and ecclesiasticall constitutions, brand them both with one blacke marke. The necessitie of these he proueth at large by vnanswerable arguments, to bee such, as without the which, concord peace and vnitie, order nor decency can be obserued, nor the Church of God consist or be, nor any publike worship of God bee preserued and maintained. Yet the necessity of these or those in particuler, is not such as that they are accounted necessary to salvation, or that of themselues they bind the conscience with a religious observation of them. So in the preface to the booke of commō prayer, where reasons are giuen of the abolishing of some ceremonies and the retaining of others, is decla­red the selfe same thing, and that many of these in our Church, may vpon iust causes, which the Church & state shall thinke good, be changed or altered, & therefore are not held equall in autority to the word of God. And we knowe there is as great diversitie in the mindes of men, as is in their visages, & therefore if some orders should not be set down, but that every man should be left to his own liberty, we should haue so many seuerall congregations, so many diuers religions. We see the varietie of opinions touching the gesture in receiuing the communiō, though there be order set downe for the receiuing of it kneeling. Some hold it vnlawfull to kneele, and deeme that to re­ceiue standing is the best way, as here in this place. O­thers condemne kneeling as Popish and idolatrous, and hold standing as Iewish as the other Popish, and therefore say that Christs example in this must bee vn­to vs a lawe and rule from which wee may not varie: hee received it sitting, and therfore any other gesture vn­lawful. [Page 22] Thus wee see, if in this and other things, every man were left to his owne liberty, what an endlesse worke there would be, there would be cōcord in nothing but in diversities and disagreements. The vse and ende of these rites (as D. Zanchie saith) are first that they may pro­cure a reverence vnto the holy things; and that by such helpes we may be stirred vp vnto godlines, & by a streight hand be led vnto Christ. The second end, That modesty & gravity, which in all other actions ought to bee regarded, may herein chiefly appeare. Afterwards he proveth that ecclesiastical traditions and constitutions, are not meerely humane but divine, good, true, holy, and pleasing to God, because they are ordināces of the church, which is guided by the spirit of God which is truth. For the particulers they are partly humane, and partly divine; divine because they are a part of that order and decorum, that God hath commanded in generall, leaving the particulers to the dis­cretion of the church to bee framed according to the ge­nerall rule.

Now as there must of necessitie be a vniforme order in these things prescribed: so also is it no lesse necessary to see vniformity in the observance of these orders. For they are made to mainetaine and preserue vnity, and therefore ge­nerally to be observed in those places where they are esta­blished. And if any inferior governors in the church (who are to see vniforme orders to be observed) will see some observed and some others wilfully to be broken: It were in my opinion much better for them to be meanes vnto superior autority, that those orders which they thinke vn­fit were altered; then that this liberty of diversity shoulde be given, which breeds so great scandals. For I knowe by manifold experience, the danger that this diversity of ob­serving [Page 23] orders bringeth. Some poore soules haue and doe stand amazed, whilest they see in one parish one forme of praiers and administring the sacraments, and another in the next parish. They thinke these are divers religions and doubt what they may follow. Herevpon it commeth to passe that some fall to Popery, some to Atheisme, & some to other heresies & schismes. These inconveniences were wisely foreseene, in the establishing of an act in Parlament for vniformity. And if political lawes of heathen princes, be to be observed for conscience sake (so that they enioine not disobedience to God) much more these that are for mainetenance of concord, order and decencie in the wor­ship of God. Aug. epist. 166. Hoc iubent imperatores quod iu­bet & Christus, quia cum bonum iubent, per illos non iubet nisi Christus. That which kings commande, that Christ com­mandeth, because when as they commande that which is good, Christ commandeth by them.

Ob: But many of our lawes ordinances and constitutions, say some, are vnlawful: Therefore not to be observed.

Ans: Bucer being written vnto by D. Cranmer then Arch­bishop of Canterbury (and also by B. Hooper, as appea­reth in his booke de sacris vestibus) Touching the lawful­nes of these matters which are now made question of by divers, writeth his censure at large vpon our booke of cō ­mon praier liturgie and ceremonies. Now he saith, that when first he came into this land, he made doubt whether he might ioine with our church as with a church of God, things were so farre out of order; but when hee looked more seriously into the matter, he foūd that the fault was in the manners of the men and for want of the execution of the wholesome orders prescribed, and not in the lawes and ordinances prescribed themselues: after hee doubteth [Page 24] not to avouch that touching our lawes,Bucer subscrib­eth to our book of commō pray­er. orders and disci­pline established, he found not any thing, that was not ei­ther directly, or by necessary consequence, drawne out of the word of God, howsoever he wished that some things that troubled the consciences of some men, were remo­ved, for their sakes that tooke offence; which hee sheweth in particuler. Peter Martyr in his Epistles seemeth to bee of the same iudgement.

Ob: Others thinke that all or the most of our ceremonies are lawfull in themselues, but the imposing a necessitie in observing of them, destroieth Christian liberty.

Ans: That is, they were lawfull if they were not cōmaunded. Indeed vpon this conceipt, some do strongly and strangly hold, that the king may not cōmande them to weare their ordinary apparell of this or that fashion, much lesse any to be vsed in the Church, for they must stande vpon Chri­stian liberty. A strange principle of obedience, and like to breed loialty in the subiects towards their Prince. I mar­vaile vnto what this humor woulde growe, if it were fol­lowed.

Ob: Againe, some think they ought not to yeeld obedience to these orders of the church, because they are not resol­ved, but stand in doubt, and whatsoever is not of faith but is done doubtingly, is a sinne.

Ans: It is much better to obey doubtingly, then to disobey doubtingly: but me thinkes they should reason thus. Be­cause I am enioined to doe such a thing, if I obey not the authoritie of a Christian Magistrate, I must needes sin, vn­lesse I can manifestly proue that; that which is commāded is vnlawfull.

Ob: There are others that grant them lawful: but (say they) we cannot yeeld vnto them without offence, and scandall of Many.

Christ paid tribute Mat. 17.27. which he was not boūd vnto seeing he was free: yet neverthelesse hee did it for a­voiding offence. Now these men in seeking to shun of­fence of I know not whom they imagine, will run head­long into the wilful offence of the church & whole state, and rashly breake the cōcord & vnity of the Church. This is to streine at a Gnat and swallow a Cammell. S. Augu­stin writeth at large most divinely on this point. Epist. 118. ad Ianuarium. Those things, saith hee, which we obserue not by written autority, but by tradition, which are ob­served throughout the whole world, we must vnderstand, that they are commanded and appointed by the Apostles themselues, or els are decreed in lawfull councels whose authority in the Church is most wholesome and holy. As that the passion, resurrection, and ascension of our Savior Christ, the comming of the holy Ghost, are celebrated & solemnized yearely, & whatsoever such like is observed of the whole church generally. There are others which are different in several places & countries, as that some fast on the satterdaies, & some do not, some receiue the cōmuniō every day, some satterdaies & sondaies only, some on son­daies only, & some at set times. Totū hoc genus habet liberas observationes, nec est disciplina ulla in his rebus melior gravi prudenti (que) viro, quam ut eo modo agat, quo agere viderit eccle­siam adquamcun (que) forte devenerit. Quod enim ne (que) contra fidē ne (que) contra bonos mores iniungitur, indifferenter est habendū & pro eorum inter quos vivitur societate, seruandum est. All things of this kinde are free to be observed as the particu­ler churches shall thinke good; neither is there in these things any better rule to a graue & prudent man, thē that he behaue himselfe so as the church doth vnto which hee shall happyly come. For that which is enioined if it be ne­ther [Page 26] against faith nor manners, is to be held indifferent, & ought to be observed according as they do in place where wee liue. Then he sheweth that his mother cōming vnto him to Millain, shee found that the church there did not fast on the satterdaies, & shee began to be troubled and to doubt what shee might doe. Then saith he, for her sake I went vnto S. Ambrose and asked his councell touching this matter: he answered me that hee could teach me no­thing, but that thus he did himselfe, and if he knewe better he would rather obserue it. When as I thought that hee would haue yeelded me no other reason but his owne au­thority, he proceeded and saide vnto me, when I come to the church of Rome I fast on the satterday, and when I am here I doe not, Sic etiam tu ad quam forte ecclesiam veneris eius morem serua, si cuiquam non vis esse scandalum nec quen­quam tibi. So thou also, vnto whatsoever church thou cō ­mest, follow the orders thereof, if thou wouldest not scan­dalize any, nor haue any to offend thee. When I had tolde this to my mother, shee was satisfied. Ego vero de hac sen­tentia etiam at (que) etiam cogitans, ita semper habui tanquam eā coelesti oraculo susceperim: sensi enim saepe dolens & gemens, multas infirmorum perturbationes fieri, per quorundam fra­trum contentiosam obstinationem & superstitiosam timidi­tatem, qui in rebus huiusmodi, quae ne (que) scripturae sanctae auto­ritate, ne (que) universalis ecclesiae traditione, ne (que) vitae corrigen­de vtilitate, ad certum possunt terminum pervenire, tantum quia subest qualiscun (que) ratiocinatio cogitantis, aut quia in sua patria sic ipse consuevit, aut quia ibi vidit, ubi peregrinationē suam quo remotiorem à suis eo doctiorem putat, tam litigiosas excitant quaestiones, ut nisi quod ipsi faciunt nihil rectum exi­stimant. I often revolving in my minde this saying of S. Ambrose, haue alwaies accompted of it, as if so be I had [Page 27] received it by an oracle from heaven: For with sorrow & griefe I haue oftentimes found, that many weake ons haue beene sore troubled, through the contentious obsti­nacy and superstitious feare of certaine brethren: who in those things, which neither by the autoritie of the holy scripture, nor by the generall tradition of the Church, nor for the vtilitie of amendmēt of life, can be brought to any certaine ende, only because some make some curious scru­ple in their mind, either because they haue vsed otherwise in their own country, or because they haue seene another maner vsed in places where they haue travelled, which by how much the more it bee remote, by so much the more they doe esteeme it, doe stirre vp such contentious questi­ons, that they thinke nothing right but what they doe thē selues. And epist. 86. to the same effect. In his rebus in quibus nihil certi statuit scriptura diuina, mos populi Dei, vel instituta maiorū pro lege tenenda sunt. Here S. Austine tea­cheth a farre better lesson touching offence & observance of orders of the Church, thē many amongst vs wil learne.

Ob: There are that holde some of the ceremonies of the Church lawful, but deny obediēce to some other, as some approue of kneeling at the communiō, but deny the rest; sōe allow wearing the surplis, burial of the dead, yea & the ring in marriage too, but not the crosse in baptisme, &c.

Now because all publique disorders & disobedience, a­rise out of particuler houses & parishes; and that wee are met togither here at the Visitation, for reformation of [Page 31] such things as are amisse. The churchwardens & sworne mē are to take heed that they performe obedience in pre­senting faults according to their oath.

Ob: But some obiect & say they holde not our spiritual iud­ges nor their courtes lawfull, neither will they present for faults such matters as they hold to bee no faults. i. disobe­dience vnto Church orders. Ans: To answere thee, why didst thou sweare to answere by oath particulerly to these and these things, and by thy mentall reservation doest thus hy­pocritically & wickedly dispense with thy oath? Hast thou learned divinity of the Priscillianist, or of the treacherous equivocating Papist? Ob: Some will presume they neede not present according to oath, because little or nothing is mē ­ded, but a little purse punishment.

Ans: May not the superiour Magistrate repriue a fellon, and the supreme pardon at his pleasure, yet thou must bee ac­cessary, if thou do not apprehend & indite such offenders. And learne this withall, That Magistrates (especially of e­state) do & must do many things whereof we cannot tell the reason, and they may seeme to vs to doe ill when they do best; and it is not fit for vs to take accompt of them, but to looke to our owne duties, & know they are more wise then we. And if in our busines little be mended, that thou canst see, imagine or hope that it is better then thou canst see, and performe thou thy oath which is alwaies sacred. Others dispense with their oathes for feare, others spare their friends and familiars, others because they would not be accompted troublesome, and others also because they would themselues be borne with another time. Every Mi­nister should herein do wel to admonish his people of the great waight of an oath and if these and like vnder officers would present and indite according as they are bound thē [Page 32] need there not be such exclaming against superiorpowers for the raigning of all abuses, seeing the principall cause a­riseth from ourselues. And thus much for the first point of obedience: and for this time.