[Page 1] THese sixe verses, necessarily inferred of the former, con­taine a perpetuall Lawe, touching the gouernement of Christes Church: the con­tinuall keeping whereof, as it is the safety of the bodie, so the breache of it, is the de­struction thereof. The same is either ge­nerall, appertaining to all the members of the Church, declared by two familiar ar­gumentes. One of the contrarie vnto the law, for the cleerer vnderstanding therof, verse. 3. ioyned in the same sentence with the law. The other, of a similitude, wherin as in a glasse, we may see the trueth & ne­cessitie of this law, taken from the natural disposition of the bodye, verse. 4. 5. Or it is speciall, belonging onely to publique persons; that is, to Prophetes, the dispo­sers of the word and Secreates of God: whom he deuideth either into Doctors, as in the latter ende of the 7. Uers. Pa­stors, as in the beginning of the 8. verse. & officers occupied about other necessarie duties, diuided into Deacons, Rulers, At­tenders on the poore.

This generall law, thus inferred neces­sarily vpon y^e former exhortation, as a most [Page 2] readie way and ordinarie meane whereby to haue certaine experience and triall, what the good, acceptable and perfect wil of God is, teacheth the duetie and way of all Christians, wherin they ought to walk continually without wearinesse. The gi­uer whereof is, not man, but God. For al­beit Paule writ those wordes and this E­pistle to the Christian sainctes at Rome, yet he was but onely the pen man of the Lordes inditement, or (as Moses was) the writer of the Lordes lawe and commaun­dement. For he saith not, I by mine owne authoritie, or by any gift and grace in me: but I saye thorough the grace that is gi­uen to me; meaning, no doubt, that grace of his Apostolical authoritie,Acts. 9. which he, be­ing a blasphemer, had receiued of God, to publish by word and writing, his will and counsel to the Gentiles, that their faith & religion might not be groūded & builded vpon the weake sand of humaine traditi­ons, but vpon y^e commandemēt of Christ, the strong rocke and euerlasting founda­tion. Where it is said; I say, it is all one in effect, as if he should say, I commaund. For this Uerbe Lego in Greeke, as also the Hebrue verb equiualent to the same, [Page 3] especially beeing ioyned to the infinitiue Mood without an article, is often vsed in that sense, importing not a bare saying or affirmation, but (as here of necessitie it must, seeing the Apostle sheweth not what hath beene, is or shall be, but what ought to be) a flat law and commaundement. So that for a more plaine demonstration of the truth, it maye be thus expounded and resolued: for I Paule, by the authoritie of my Apostleship, beeing a singular grace receiued by the free gift of God, giue vn­to euery one of you this generall lawe, in the name of him whose Apostle I am, in­uiolablie and perpetually to be kept, euen to the comming of Christ.

Thus the Apostle maketh his enterance vnto the law with great wisdome and sin­gular discretion: for in that he sheweth his law not to proceede from himselfe, or any other mortal man, but onely from the lord of hostes, whose apostle he was; it doth not onely purchase great reuerence & credite vnto it: but also remoueth al iust occasion of enuy, wherof he might haue bin suspec­ted, & of vsurped authority, wherwith the enemies of y^e gospell might haue charged him, if he shold not thus haue dō. But now [Page 4] considering this law is his, who only is the lawgiuer, which is able to saue & destroy: no man can iustly contemne it, or think it of small importance. Also, seeing the mini­ster heereof was called and commaunded of this lawgiuer to write and preach it: no man can safely enuy and contemne him, or suspect him arrogantly to haue vsurped a­ny vnlawful authority ouer the Romans, or the Church of God. Nowe then, if Paul who was not in any spirituall gifts neces­sary for his calling, inferior to the cheefe Apostles, thought it a necessary point of wisdome and Christian duety, both in re­spect of him selfe and of the Church, here & else where, plainly to declare, as wel who was this lawgiuer, as the authour of his function and Apostleship: how much more necessary (deare brethren) ought you to thinke it is for the Ministers in our time, whose giftes in comparison of Paules are very fewe and small, to let vs see, both the authour of their doctrin and laws, and al­so of their particuler function? For, if they commaund vs any thing, hauing not re­ceiued it from this Law-giuer, by whose spirite wee must liue in all obedience of his will, why shoulde we obey? Nay why [Page 3] may we not cast it from vs, as a vayne and fond tradition of man? Againe, if they cannot shew vs the authour of their Mini­stery, and the grace they haue receiued for the godly and acceptable discharge there­of: why may we not iustly iudge them to be either prowd vsurpers of vnlawful fun­ctions inuented of man, or couetous intru­ders of them selues into the lawfull cal­lings for the which they are vnmeete? I would all those which haue any publique place in the Churche of England, seeing they will not voluntarily follow this wis­dome of Paul, might be compelled by the godly wise Magistrates, to shew the proof of their ministerie out of y^e word, and the gifts which God hath giuen them, meete for the discharge of their calling. For thē I assuredly perswade my selfe, that the Lord iniustice and mercy would so direct their sword, that it would cut off not onely the head, shoulders, armes, legges, and all the rotten members of popish religion: but also shred of from the true Church of God, and the beloued spouse of Christe, all ig­noraunt, idle, wicked, and hurtfull hire­lings, with all the reliques of Antichri­stian vsurped power, which nowe to the [Page 6] greate and present perill of the Lordes Uineyarde, do occupy the place and roome of most faithfull and painfull work-men. But a fitter place for this matter shall be offered hereafter.

It is not to be omitted that Paule tear­meth his Apostolical function, A grace gi­uen of God. For herein he giueth the Ro­mans & vs in them to vnderstand, that if they shall reiect, or lightly regard his fun­ction, and the precepts he giueth to euery one of them, by the vertue thereof: That then they openly shew thēselues reiectors or light esteemers, not onely of him & his word, but also of the grace and gift of God which after this manner appeareth in him for their saluation. The which cogitation might breede in them a reuerent opinion of his person, being the Ambassadour of Christ, a godly care diligently to receiue, and louingly imbrace the grace of God giuen him, and by him offered vnto them. Here then we learn what to iudge of those functions, with their gifts which Christe hath giuen for the perfect building vp of his Church: to wit, as of the excellent and singular graces of God. For the office of the Pastor, and Doctor, and Elder, the [Page 7] Deacon, the attender vpon the poore and impotent, togeather with this of the Apo­stle, are all Streames, flowing from one spring or head, by the which the manifold graces of God, and waters of eternall life are conuayed into his Church, that euery member drinking thereof, shoulde neuer thirste againe, but haue full fountaines issuing out of him to eternall life. Where­fore let all men of what calling or autho­rity soeuer they be, take heed least by them selues, by others, or by any other meane, they stop and damme vp these heauenlye streames of waters, which should run in­to the Lords vineyard to water it: or else least they defile and corrupt these waters with casting into them, & mingling with them the dregs and filthy puddle waters of mans inuentions, & popish traditions. For assuredly all the ordinarye graces of God giuen to vs, are such, & so, y^t they can­not abide either addition, detraction, or change: Such also is the giuer hereof, y^t as he is ielous ouer them, so he will moste se­uerely reuēge him selfe of all those y^t shall add, detract, or any manner of way corrupt his gifts against his will & written word. Thus we see what profitable instruction [Page 8] may be gathered out of this former part, touching the person of Paule, the mini­ster or publisher of this generall Law, as also of that special which followeth. Now let vs heare to whom this generall Law was giuen. To euery one of what estate & vocation soeuer, that was among the chri­stians at Rome, and in them, to all that then were, or are now of the houshould of God. For hee saith, To euerye one that is among you: Which is as if hee shoulde say, whether you be pastors or Teachers, Elders, Deacons, or prouiders for the im­potent and sicke, Fathers, Children, Ma­sters, Seruants, bond, free, Iewes, Greti­ans; publique or priuate persons: I giue vnto all in generall, and to euery one in particuler this general law & rule of life, charging euery one in the sight of God, to keepe it vndefiled to the comming of the Lord & Sauiour Christ. Hereby it is ma­nifest, that the law or Precept following is generall, not speciall: appertaining to al, not only to some: necessary & profitable for all times, not onely conuenient for that present estate of the christian church at Rome: and therefore perpetually to hee taught and practized of Gods Mi­nisters, [Page 9] learned and obeyed of his people, vrged and established by the power and authoritie of the Magistrate his heauen­ly ordinaunce. And in so doing the Ma­gistrate, the Minister, and the people shall by their humble seruice and subiection vnto God, both approoue their pure con­sciences, their sound and vnfained faith to all that feare God: and also stoppe the mouth of the aduersarie which speaketh euill of the truth, because manye which outwardly professe it, either haue not learned, or will not obey this commandement of the Lorde. Now, seeing we know the commaundement is from God, and that the Minister hereof, is the chiefest Apo­stle that euer was, and that as it concerned the Romanes, so now (they beeing a sleep in the Lorde) it appertaineth to all and e­uery one of vs, which are here assembled: let vs mark first what this generall Law is, then according to the Apostles order, what is the speciall deriued out of the ge­nerall, and to whom it is giuen.

The Law is this, Phronein eis to So­phronein, that is, as if he shoulde saye, I command, in the person of God, euery one that is among you, to the wise, or to vnder­stand [Page 10] according to sobreity, as it is tran­slated. As for the wordes that goe before these, and that follow in this vers, they are no part in this law, but rather a more full and familiar declaratiō therof. For wher­as it is saide, That no man presume to vn­derstand, aboue that which is meete to vn­derstand, it is a manifest prohibition by a negation of that which is commanded by an affirmation. Againe, where it is sayde, As God hath dealt to euery one the measure of faith, it is certaine, the purpose of the holy Ghoste is, more playnely to declare and expresse, the meaning of his Lawe and generall commaundement. But first of the Lawe it selfe, then of those which serue for the farther declaration thereof. The Greeke Uerb which is heere trans­lated vnderstand, doth properly signify to bee indued with a reasonable minde or Soule: wherein because Wisedome and knowledge is, and because shee hath as it were, her mansion house in it, it signi­fieth also, to bee wise: in which signi­fication it is vsed in this place: and for so much as Wisedome principally con­sisteth in a discreet moderation and come­lye order of all actions and workes, I [Page 11] take it heere to signify by a trope of the cause, for the effect, the moderate and sober exercise of Wisdome and true vn­derstanding. The worde translated sobrietie, properlye signifieth to haue a sounde minde, not troubled with anye diseaze, in which signification it is here vsed. So that the whole commaunde­ment expressed in these two wordes, ap­pearethe playnlye to bee this: I com­maunde euerye one which is amonge you, truely to vnderstande, soberlye to esteeme, soundlye to iudge, and modest­lye to vse the giftes hee hath receiued of GOD, being fullye contented and satisfied therewith. Wherefore let vs consider, I beseech you, the excellencye, the dignitye, the profite and vse of this generall Law. For what can be more ex­cellent, then for euery member of the mi­sticall body of Christ, truely to knowe his proper gifts, and wisely and soberly to e­steeme and vse them? What can bee of greater dignity and worthinesse, then for all the people of God scattered thorough the Face of the Worlde, hauing so dy­uerse gyftes and offices, being so farre distaunt in place, by an humble, sober and [Page 12] discreet iudging of their giftes, abilitie and callinges to serue and worship in the vnitie of spirit and truth, and in the bond of peace, one true and immortal King of glory. Finally, what can be more profita­ble for the Church of Christ our mother, then that all her Children according to their age, strength, giftes, place and cal­linges, shoulde without hatred, enuie, or a­nie neglect of dutie, loue, relieue & main­taine euery one an other, as becommeth the dearly beloued children of God? This law wel learned, and diligently practized, bringeth with it all these and many mow commodities. Therefore it is not onelie in this place, but in many other places of the scripture most faithfully registred. In the booke of Numbers chap. 3.Num. 3. 38. we maye read and see plainely, how that the Lorde did not onely by precept, distinguishe be­tween the calling of the Leuites and peo­ple, but threatneth the transgressours and inordinate walkers with death. For the Leuites were either called Priestes, or by the common name of Leuites. If Priests, then either the high Priest, as Aaron and Eleazar after him: or such as were vnder him ouer the rest, as Eliazaph the ouer­seer [Page 13] of the Gershonites, or Elizaphan the ouerseer of the Coathites, Num. 3. 32. 4. 16. and Zuriel of the Merarites. Their office was publike­ly to teach, to praye, to offer sacrifice, to keepe the vessels of the sanctuary. The of­fice of the other Leuites was, to minister and serue the Priestes in all thinges be­longing to the discharge of their necessa­rie duties. And this is the distinction be­tweene the office of Priest, and the office of the Leuite. Hereby therefore it appea­reth, that the Lord allotted vnto euery one his seueral office, to be as it were his stan­ding place, out of the which he should not step one foote, either to the left hande, or to the right, neither dislike his place: but ful­lye content him selfe therewith, without enuying of anye, that were in more excel­lent roomes. And as the Lorde knew this order of distinguishing offices, to be verie expedient and good for his Church: so he hath reuenged himselfe most seuerely vp­on the breakers hereof, of what calling so­euer they were, or with what affection or intent soeuer they did transgresse this e­stablished order of gouernment. King A­zaria, as we reade in the seconde of the Chronicles the 26. Chapiter, otherwise [Page 14] called Vzzia, was striken with an vncu­rable leprosie, because lifting vp his hart, he vsurped the office of the Priest, & went into the Temple to burne incense vppon the Altar.1. Cron. 13. 9. Vzza, for supporting the Arke, which was the only office of the Leuites, notwithstanding his good intent (for the Oren did shake the Arke) was strikē with sudden death.Num. 16. 2. Corah, Dathan, & Abiram, because they presumed aboue their voca­tion, went down aliue into the pit: for the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them vp with all that they had. All which ought to teach vs; how acceptable this or­der of seuerall callinges is to God, and to breed in our hartes, both a care and con­science to keep it, and a feare and terrour to breake it. But least any should imagin this distinction of vocations to serue one­lie for the law, hauing no vse or profit vn­der the Gospell: let vs search the new Testament. Was there no difference (I pray you) betweene Iohn Baptist, and his Disciples, and the Disciples of Christ? None betweene them and other Christi­ans, that were Baptized and followed Christ? None betweene the Prophet and Apostle, betweene the Pastour and the [Page 15] Deacon? What were all Apostles? Were all Prophetes? Had all the giftes of healing? Were all Teachers? Or did all interpret? What was the bodie one member? No, no, the Lord hath ordained in his church many members, yet but one body. Whereby it is certaine, that as it pleased God vnder the lawe to establishe this distinction of callinges in Israel: So hath he done now vnder the Gospell in the new Ierusalem. For our Apostle in the 12.1. Cor. 12. to the Corinth. the first Epistle, straightly chargeth euery one to walke in that calling, wherin he is. His words are these: Let euery man abide in that same vo­cation wherin he was called. Againe a lit­tle after, Let euery man wherein he was cal­led therin abide with God▪ In which words he teacheth that the most excellent gifts of a Christian, which we by faith receiue of Christ, & the eternall feed of regenera­tion, can not, neither ought to mooue vs, to loath our former calling be it neuer so lowe or base, neither to desire to step into any other, till it please God to offer vnto vs some iust & necessary cause of change, & to ad vnto y^e cōmon giftes of a Christian, some speciall which are proper and pecu­lier, [Page 16] for that lawfull calling whereunto our desires are wholly and onely carried, and the Lorde effectually calleth vs. But least any should obiect that this generall law, is not so straightly to be kept of all: besides that the wordes of this text will confute him, he may read the 17. verse of the 7. Chapiter to the Corinthians. Or if he proceede and say, it is no ordinance e­stablished, or not in all Churches, the ve­ry wordes of the Text there will ouer­throwe him. But as God hath distributed to euery man, as the Lord hath called euery one, so let him walke, and so ordaine I in all Churches. Then wee see in effect, what this generall Lawe is: Namely, that as Souldiers in Warre haue and keepe euery one his standing place in the sight of their Captaine: so euerye Christian shoulde haue and keepe his seuerall cal­ling in the presence of the Lorde of life, who hath in wisedome and mercy called them thereunto. For if they do not, as ex­perience teacheth in warre and in peace, then they must needes tumble and indan­ger them selues, vere and greeue others, hurt and disquiet the church, whose peace and felicity, all her Children oughte to [Page 17] redeeme, euen with the losse of bloud and life. O that this Lawe were deepely prin­ted and grauen in the hearts of all Chri­stians, and were as easely to bee learned & seene in our liues, as it may be in this pre­cept, then we should see with no smal ioy, the Church our mother with cheerefull countenaunce to lift vp her heade, which now, to the greefe of many, hangeth verie low, and whose heart lamenteth the loose­nesse, securitie, the aspyring and vnquiet mindes, and y^e continuall disorder of her children, which had rather do any thing, then that which principally concerneth them. For, if it be demanded from whence commeth al this disorder, at home, abroad, in publique and priuate persons, in com­mon wealth, and in the Church, in towns, in Uniuersities, and in Cities: the cause is euident no man can deny it: father and childe, husband and wife, master and ser­uaunt, rich and poore, magistrate and sub­iect, Pastor and people, haue broken and transgressed this generall Law and com­mandement of God. They know not true­ly their giftes and callings, they haue not humbly and soberly esteemed of them, they haue not wisely, discreetely, and with a [Page 18] single eye iudged themselues; they haue not with care and conscience discharged their duetie to God. Finallie, they haue broken out of their standing places, and burst asunder the lists of their callings, & cannot, neither will be bounde to order & obedience, no not with the bondes of the Lawe of their Creator. The causes of all this disorder in all degrees shall appeare, and bee declared in their proper places next following, as also the remedies wher­by it may be remooued, and good order (the health of both the bodies) restored and brought again into the Church and com­mon-wealth.

It followeth in the text: That no man presume to vnderstande aboue that which is meete. Paul declareth this generall Law, first as you see by the contrary, that wee might the better vnderstand & see by this negation, what he ment by the affirmati­on: and also that we might wisely collect the cause of the former disorder, whereof I haue spoken. A wise and vsuall order in exhorting, obserued of the Prophetes, ha­uing regard not what ought to be first in knowledge, but first in practize; not respe­cting the perfection of order, but the cor­ruption [Page 19] of our nature. For we being ful of pride, selfe-loue, vain-glorie, arrogancie & ambition, it is necessary that this hard and brasen wall, made and grounded vpon the harde brasen pillers of originall concupi­scence, should first be cast downe and dig­ged vp, with the ground-work thereof, be­fore we can see and feele the sweet grace of God, & the comfortable presence of his Spirit, in humbling our proud hearts, and working in our mindes a sound iudgemēt. We must therefore, for the better keeping of the general Law, cast off these two bur­dens y^t presse vs down; ouerweening of our gifts, & ambitiō, which make the mind not content with her own estate and calling. For as darknes and light cannot dwell in one place at one time: so pride and humili­tie, ambition and godly contentation, can­not dwell in one man. So long as pride y^t blindeth our eies, and a disliking of our e­state possesse the heart, ther is no place for an humble & sound iudgemēt, no roome for an affection contented to rest in y^t portion, which God hath allotted vnto vs. The blessed apostle seeing this, chargeth y^e Ro­mans to put out & dispossesse their harts of those two enimies: wherin, albeit they had [Page 20] their abode since the fall of our first Pa­rentes, yet being vsurpers, they must bee thrust out, that Christ whose we are, and hee oures by the eternall couenaunt, may dwell in vs, and we in him for euer. They be strong men, and therefore will not bee dispossessed by any weak power: only they will giue place to the force and powerfull hande of a stronger: that is to the spirit of God, which filleth vp the low valleyes, & casteth downe the high mountaines. As they be strong to keepe possession, so they be strong to strike, to wounde, to slay and destroy, both the Ecclesiasticall and Poli­tique bodies of the Church and Common wealth. For from these two pestilent foun­tains, selfe-loue and ambition flow, enui­yng of the good, bitter contention and stri­uing with the equall, disdaine & contempt of the inferiors. Hence it is, that the go­uernors of the Church thinke too well of them selues, not humbly begging the di­rection of Gods spirite, but expounde the word according to their own fancies: that they desire to rule as they list: deuise new offices: confounde those which the Lorde hath wisely distinguished: challenge vnto thēselues new titles, new names, prince­ly [Page 21] prerogatiues, and vnlawfull iurisdicti­on ouer their brethren. All which vices, as they sprung vp first in the Churche of Rome, (notwithstanding this admoniti­on of Paul, for the preuenting of them) so hauing nowe deadlye wounded the bo­dy, and wholy destroied and defaced that Churche, they haue spread their bowes and braunches into many places of the Lordes Uineyarde, wherein they haue taken such deepe roote, that it is to bee feared, that as they now doe ouershadowe the tender plants of the Orchard of God, so they will in time consume and destroy the whole growthe, with the poyson of their corruption, except they be plucked vp by the rootes. For my part, examining the matter with an indifferent minde, I can see no other roote whence these rot­ten & vnnatural bowes should spring, then this high and lofty minde, whereby men doe presume to thinke of themselues, and of the treasure of grace which they haue, more then they ought to do. Why woulde not Diotrephes receiue Iohn & the other faithfull ministers of the word? Where­fore did he prattle with malitious words against them? Why would he neither him [Page 22] selfe receiue, nor suffer others to intertain the brethren? Was not this the onely cause? because hee loued to haue the pree­minence in the Church?3. Iohn. 9. Read the third e­pistle of Iohn. What caused the Scribes and Pharisies to contemn and disdaine, y^e base estate & low degree of Christ and his poore Disciples? they loued the cheef pla­ces at feastes, & desired the cheefe seate in the assemblies, and greeting in the mar­kets, and to be called of men Rabby, Rabby: was not this because they were high­minded? Why did Iames & Iohn, & their mother, mooued by them, desire to be chee­fest in the kingdom of Christ? Or why did the other disciples disdain at this request? Was it not only because their harts were puffed vp with pride, vaine-glory, and am­bition? Why did some preach to adde af­fliction vnto Paules bondes? Was it not because they thought better of themselues and their giftes, then of him and his gifts? and by enuying him troubled the Church? O therefore howe necessary is it for vs that be of the Church, to beate down this brazen wall of pride, presumption, and ambition, which cause all these disorders among vs, that God may reare vp in our [Page 23] hartes the newe fortresse of a sounde, dis­creete, humble and sober minde, and so make vs sincere obseruers of this general Law. All these thinges I haue spoken doe sufficientlie teache, howe some Churches haue beene, and are at this day sore woun­ded, others destroied by these two horrible monsters, of pride and ambition, which wil not bee subiect to any, nay which wil, if they be suffered, lift vp their heads into the throne of the Lord. Now to the Com­man wealth, wherein if we shall aske the wisest men of all ages that be past, either religious or prophane, they wil tell you y^t which by long & certaine experience they haue learned: namely, y^t this proud & ambi­tious surprising of gifts, disliking of mens proper dealings, haue bene y^e disturbers, I might say, y^e destroiers of families, tribes, towns, cities, kingdoms and empires. So Moses, Iehosua, Dauid and the prophets, haue left in their writings this to be lear­ned of such as wil read thē. The prophane writers both Gretians & Romans, which haue registred y^e diuersities, chāges, ouer­throws & ruins of cōmō wealths, do teach the same better then the time will suffer me perticulerly to rehearse. But to omit [Page 24] the auncient monuments and histories of the old time, & to come to our owne coun­try: did euer any man harden his heart heere in England against lawfull regi­ment, which hath not beene full of pride & ambition? Can the sober minded man, re­sting and taking his felicity in his base and lowe calling, lift vp his hand to pluck the regal crown, from the head of the law­full gouernour? No, no, dearly beloued, no more then a heauy stone, can ascende into the highest region of the firmament. It is the lighte heade and the aspiring minde, which through pride and ambition, flieth into the Princes pallace. Seeing then y^t these two vices of pride & ambition, doe not only eternally cōdenm such as are in­fected with them (which is most fearfull) but also wound and destroy the society of the saints, and the policie of kingdomes: seeing that the Lord by his Apostle here, doth so straighty forbid them, as the most daungerous enemies vnto this generall Lawe: I am to charge you in the name of Christ, from the highest to the lowest, to throw down your selues before the maie­sty of God, crauing earnestly y^e grace of his spirit to mortify these euill affections, so y^t [Page 25] they may haue in them neither poyson to kill the soul, nor power to hurt y^e Church or common wealth. And for you that are y^e ministers of God, and our gouernors, if you wil learne how to establishe this ge­nerall lawe, and to remedy all the abuses thereof, beholde this must be your wise­dome. First pluck vp by the rootes tho­rough the ministery of the worde, and the authoritie of the swoorde, all proude and high lookes, arrogant and ambitious per­sons: set before your eyes the Godly zeale of Dauid. Him (saith Dauid) that hath a proud looke and high heart, I can not suffer. Againe, Betimes will I destroy all the wic­ked in the lande, that I may cut off all the workers of iniquitie from the Citie of the Lord. O that all her maiestes counsel and all other Magistrates in this lande, had kindled in their brestes suche a zeale of Gods glory, such a hatred of all sin, name­ly of pride and ambition, and such a loue of his sober and sound iudgement, which breedeth humblenesse of hart, and a mind fully contented with any estate, wherun­to the Lord calleth vs. Secondarily aboue all thinges, it behooueth you that bee the Lordes seruantes in magistracie, to esta­blish [Page 26] euery one within his charge & iuris­diction, this general law; prouiding that euery man haue wherin to occupy himself and his giftes, according to the tenor of this law, in his owne standing, place and vocation: and that he do discharge it ac­cording to the measure and proportion of his giftes, which he hath receiued for that purpose. For none in the Church & house of God must want his office: none must walke inordinately: none must be idle in his calling, or vnprofitable. As therefore you know your enemies, and how to van­quish them, and also the law of the Lorde, how to establish it: take heede vnto your selues, and dallye not in the Lordes mat­ters. For if you shall not betimes by the swoord of iustice, cut off all that deserue death by the lawe, not suffering your eye to take pittie vpon any, and also correct o­ther malefactors according to their de­sert, without partiality: know for certain­tie that the iuste God will require their bloud at your hands. Againe, if you shall preferre your owne pollicies and deuises, before the establishing of this generall law of God, assure your selues, that your Lorde and Maister, whose person you su­staine [Page 27] will neuer suffer such contempt of him vnpunished. Therefore as you hate these vices, and all other sinnes, as you loue this vndefiled law of the Lorde, let your hatred be shewed in abolishing the one, and your loue declared in establishing the other. It followeth.

As God hath dealt to euery one the measure of faith. This sentence sheweth what it is to be wise according to sobrietie, or to haue such vnderstanding that a man may soūdly iudge. It is as if he shold say, here­by ye shall know what it is to be wise ac­cording to sobriety, if you mark & consider y^t God hath giuen to euery one seuerally a certaine proper & peculier measure of faith, that is, of any heauenly gift diuers frō y^e gift of regeneratiō, which ought to be employed to the increase of your mutu­all faith. For here the Apostle giueth no preceptes how those Christians shoulde best prouide for their owne safety (for that he hath done, and doth hereafter more par­ticularly) but how they may best prouide for the safety of the church & euery mem­ber thereof: which is done by keeping our selues, within the compasse of the gifte which God hath giuen, neither estee­ming [Page 28] it of greater value then it is, nei­ther desiring to stretch it farther, and to a more excellent high calling, then it is gi­uen for: neither yet by not seeing, or too abiectly thinking of that gift which we haue, or else enuying others which haue the same gift in greater measure. Then the proper sence is this: looke what cer­taine and proper gift of grace God hath giuen to anye of you, not for your priuate profite, but for the publique good and be­nefite of the body, in humble iudgement, discreet wisedome, and soundnes of mind, consider and thinke vpon it, be thankfull for it, let that be your sober wisedome, let that content and satisfie your hartes, not extending it further then it can reach, not ouerpressing it, nor thinking too basely of it: not enuying others which haue either other greater giftes, or the same gift in greater measure. For, seeing God in his excellent and incomprehensible wisdom, hath disposed both diuers gifts to diuers men, and the same giftes in a diuers mea­sure, to the profit, peace, and preseruation of his people: as the misliking of this hea­uenly and wyse dispensation proceedeth of great folly, insolencie, & want of iudge­ment; [Page 29] so the disordering, confounding, and corrupting these giftes, must needs tende to the ruine and vtter ouerthrowe of the Churche. For, consider I beseeche you (deare brethren) if euerye member of our body shoulde either stretch his giftes far­ther then they can reach, as if the hande would needes see and direct the body, if it would speake, &c: or if the head would go: againe if the hand should thinke it selfe of greater excellencie then the heade, or if through enuie of the greater giftes of the eyes, which are more excellent, it woulde denie to doe the office of the hand: or final­lye, if the left hande, hauing the same gift which the right hath, woulde enuy it, be­cause it is more apt, quicke and ready in the vse of the same: would we not cry out of this confusion, as most vnnaturall and monstrous, and such as without all doubt, would vtterly destroye the whole bodye? Neuerthelesse we see it in the Churches of England, which professe them selues partes of the whol, and are not astonished. We haue seen it a long time, & yet we cā not be vnfaynedly greeued: we cannot be perswaded to feare & tremble, at the pre­sent peril which hangeth ouer our heads. [Page 30] For alasse, must we not looke for the hea­uy hande of the Lorde, when we see many ignorant men, not only voyd of all skil in the Hebrue, Greeke, & Latin tongues, in Logicke, Rhetorick, and other Artes: but also (which I am ashamed to speake,) both voyde of the knowledge of the doctrine of repentance, and also wicked and lewde in life; who are yet so bold, so impudent, of so harde faces, that they dare present them­selues to the learned Bishops, and so ex­tend and stretch out, I will not saye their gifts, which they haue not, nor the shadow of a gift, to take vppon them the high em­bassage of their God: to carry to his peo­ple the glad tidinges of saluation, which Christ hath purchased for them, with his most pretious bloud. O shamelesse impu­dencie! Shall he take vpon him to holde the helme, that is scarce worthy to sit in the sincke? O damnable boldnesse, O co­uetous Patrons, that for gaine present such vnworthy men to the Bishops! O foolish men that will commend thē whom they ought to dispraise! O miserable Bi­shops, that by laying on of their handes, lift vp those into Moses chaire, who ought rather to bee thruste to the tayle of the [Page 31] plow. What doth more dishonour God, discredite the Gospell, confirme the ad­uersaries of the truth, and incourage the rebell in his treason, then this ignorance and impietie of the Ministers? For I beseech you tell me; can the honour and praise of Gods wysdome, be commended by the folly and ignoraunce of his Mi­nister? Can the inestimable treasure and riches of the gratious Prince, be seene in the beggerly nakednesse of an vngra­tious and base Ambassador? Can the ad­uersaries of the grace of Christe, by loo­king vppon an idoll, which hath nothing but a shew of that it is not, bee diswaded from the worshippe of Idolles? Can hee bring men from errour, which can teach no truth? Can hee that is trayterously affected to Magistracie, become a loy­all subiect, and neuer heare his Pastour prooue by the word of God, that all must be subiect, not onely for feare, but for con­science sake? Finally, can the carnal min­ded man, and the blasphemouse Atheist be perswaded, that Christe is the redee­mer of the worlde, whose Ministers these be? Therefore as all Christians, are priuately to looke vnto them selues, [Page 32] their giftes and callinges, that they tye and bind their iudgement and affection to the measure of that faithfull grace they haue receiued: so all Magistrates are by the swoord of their authoritie, which they beare not in vaine, to keepe and hold their Christian subiectes within the compasse of their limittes.

Now followeth the last reason of the generall law. For as we haue many mem­bers in one bodye, and all members haue not one office: so we beeing many are but one bo­dy in Christ, & euery one, one anothers mem­bers. This last reason taken from the mu­tuall disposition of the body, is by the A­postle applyed, not onely to the Saintes at Rome, but also generally to the whole Church of CHRIST, which, as it teacheth an vnitie of bodie, a multitude of members vnder one heade, a variety of duties, and a diuersitie of gifts: so it sheweth manifestly, that this destincti­on in the body, wherof ariseth the gouer­ment of the whole, making for the safety of the whole and euery part, is most ne­cessary, most profitable: and therefore per­petuall and immutable. In consideration whereof, I will laye out the partes more [Page 33] plainly, least any shoulde take vppon him through presumption, a greater charge then he can sustaine, or the measure of his gifts permit, and the rather, for that there are in these two verses 4. similitudes, al­beit at the first vewe, there seemeth to bee but one. The first is, as we haue in one na­turall body many mēbers: so wee haue in one catholique Church many members. The second, as all members of the natu­rall body, haue not one office, so all the members of the Church, haue not one of­fice. The thirde, as many members in the natural body haue one head, wherein they are: so many members in the Church haue one head, wherin they are. The fourth and last, as in a naturall body, euery member is anothers: so in the Church, euery mem­ber is anothers. Al which particuler simi­litudes are necessarily collected out of the Apostles words, in the 4. and 5. verses, as you may plainly see. The same simili­tudes, though not in the same wordes, yet to the same purpose, our Apostle vseth in the twelfth Chapiter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, saying: As the body is one, 1. Cor. 12. 12. and hath many members, & all the mem­bers of the body, which is one, though they be [Page 34] many, yet are but one body, euen so is Christ, that is, the church of Christ. Hee prosecu­teth it farther, as wee shall hereafter see. But first, let vs somewhat more diligent­lie consider according to these foure simi­litudes, of the state, condition and regi­ment of the Churche of Christe heere in earth: for hence arise foure most excellent and worthie rules, touching the spiritu­all gouernment of the misticall body of Christ. The first is this: There must be, and ought to be in the church of Christe, manie members. The first similitude tea­cheth this: the 12. to y^e Corinthians doth conclude and determine it: for the body is not one member, 1. Cor. 12. 14. but many: againe: if they were all one member, where were the body? but now there are many members, yet but one bo­dy: therefore there must be manie mem­bers in the Church. By a member he mea­neth, such a part of the body, as hath recei­ued from the heade, some particular and necessarie gifte, fit to helpe and benefite the whole body, and euery member there­of, as it appeareth by the last similitude, and by the enumeration of the parts im­mediatly following.

Now if you aske me, howe manie mem­bers [Page 34] there be in the bodie: what they be: and howe they bee named and called: and what be their duties and callings: the A­postle him selfe will aunswere plainly in the next verses, and perfectlie and fully determine all these questions, saying: These members are either Doctors to teach, Pastors to exhort, Elders to rule, Deacons to distribute, Attenders vppon the poore straungers and the sicke, or else the people and Saints, which are taught, exhorted, ruled, and receiue almes and re­leefe. These are al: no mo, no fewer. So the necessity of y^e relation plainly prooueth, & these are such as are able to execute & per­forme, any duty belonging to the perfect building vp, and adorning of the mystical body of Christ, as shall hereafter appeare more at large in the particular handling of euery seuerall office.

Now I beseech you, let vs iudge indiffe­rently of y^e body of y^e Church of England, whether it be perfect or no, hauing no wāt of any necessary mēber, nor any part vnne­cessary. For if nature lack any one, be it ne­uer so base, if it be but one toe she is sory, she is grieued, she lamēteth, she iugeth her self maimed: yea, she wold redeem it w^t the [Page 36] perill of loosing the rest: such is her loue and desire to appeare in her beautye and perfection. The Church of God in Eng­land (deare Christians) which is the belo­ued spouse of Christ, which desireth to ap­peare most beautifull and perfect in the eyes of her louer, shee wanteth her Pa­stours, Teachers, Elders, Deacons and her Attenders vppon the poore, therefore she hangeth downe her head for heauines, her eyes bee bleared with teares, her cheekes be defiled with the water of her eyes, her heart is heauy with sorrow, her bones are withered with drinesse, her whole body is cloathed in sackcloth, she lyeth in caues and dennes, beeing almost ashamed to shew her face, hauing so defor­med and maymed a body:Cant. 5. & 6. Which ought to be as bright as the Sunne, and as fayre as the Moone: yea, of ten thousand the chiefest. A­gaine on the other side, if nature do espie in the body anye superfluous member, as if shee haue three handes, three feet, or six fingers, by and by she mislyketh her selfe, she hateth the superfluity, she laboreth to cut it off, because she is contended with her selfe, desiring no mo partes then shee hath: nay, hating if it bee but a knob of [Page 37] flesh, that is more then needs. She would haue manye members, but not too many: she would haue all her members, she wold want none, least she should appeare either monstrous, which is feareful, or maimed, which is hatefull. Euen so is it with the Church and spouse of Christ in England. For, as she is grieued for the lack of those partes which are wanting: so shee abhor­reth and loatheth such as are abounding: as namely, the callinges of Archbishops, Bishops, deanes, Archdeacons, Deacons, Chauncellers, Commissaries, Officials, & all such as be rather members and partes of the whore and strumpet of Rome, then of the pure virgin and Spouse of the im­maculate Lambe. Therefore she desireth these (if they will needs be of her body) to shew that they bee created of God, and v­nited to her by Christ her heade. If they will needes be of the heauenly Hierusa­lem, let them shew that they came down from heauen, and who gaue them from thence? For the Apostles neuer knewe them, Sion hath not hearde of them: Hie­rusalem which is aboue, wil not acknow­ledge them: the watchmen, no doubt, bee­ing a sleepe, they haue crept into the Ci­tie [Page 38] of the Lord. But now they are espied: now the Church complayneth of them, both because they haue no title, nor inte­rest in it, as publique members: and also because by the length of their vnlawfull swoordes, they keepe out lawfull mem­bers of the body. We therefore that are the Lordes remembrauncers, must neuer let him rest, till he haue expelled them out of Hierusalem, wherin they haue no right to exercise such vnlawfull authoritie. Therefore we humbly desire and beseech all that are in higher places, and haue ac­cesse vnto her excellēt Maiesty, that they woulde for the loue they beare to the Church of Christ, in tender compassion looke vpon our Church, which maketh so iust a complaint: that they would send for the Preachers of the word, enquire what is lacking, and what is too much, and so repayre and build vp the walles of Hie­rusalem, the praise of the world.

The second rule is, that the members of the body must haue but one office: that is, euery one his seueral & distinct office. For God is not the author of confusion, but of good order, and necessary distinc­tion. So sayth Paule: There are diuersity [Page 39] of giftes and administrations, of operations: yet but one spirite,1. Cor. 12. 4. 5one Lorde, one God which worketh all in all. And least any should ob­iect that this maye be, and yet no let but that one man hauing manye giftes maye haue diuers offices; for though they bee diuers one in respect of an other, yet they maye agree in one man: we must consi­der that the Apostle speaketh here, of di­uers mēbers of one body, & meaneth y^t e­uery one must haue his seueral gift, y^t ma­keth a seueral office for the cōmon profit of others. This seuerall and speciall gift bindeth to one seuerall and special office. For the same Apostle teacheth, that those gifts are not only distinguished in nature, but also in person: saying, To one is giuen the worde of wisedome, 1. Cor. 12. 8. vnto an other the worde of knowledge. &c. Therefore eue­rye personne or member of the Church, muste haue his owne proper and seuerall office, that he maye vse it to the com­mon commoditie of all his fellow-mem­bers. If the naturall members of the bodye doe perfectly performe their seue­rall dutyes, then it muste needes goe wel with the body, and nature must needes delight and take greate pleasure in it: [Page 40] but if contrarily, one member do encroch vpon the office of an other, it must needes tend to the destruction of the body. So as­suredly the estate of the Church is best, and most flourisheth, when there is nei­ther too many, nor too few members, ac­cording to the first rule, neither confusion of offices according to the second. See­ing then (beloued) in our church the Dea­con encrocheth vpon the office of the Pa­stor, (for he prateth openly and ministreth the Sacraments) women vpon the office of men (for they baptize) priuate men vp­pon the office of publique persons, (for one man doth suspend from the Sacramentes and excommunicate): the Doctour vpon the office of the Pastour, (for both indif­ferently teach, exhort, and minister the sa­craments) the Ecclesiasticall person vpon the office of the ciuill Magistrate: and contrarily, the ciuill vppon the Ecclesi­asticall (for they interchangeablye han­dle and discide ciuill and Ecclesiasticall controuersies,) seeing I saye, here is no distinction, but confusion: no conten­ting with one duetye, but encroching vp­pon many, no wyse order in gouernment, but a foolishe and pernicious shuffeling [Page 41] togeather of diuers dueties, which the Lorde hath heere and else where, in sun­dry places of his word distinguished: haue we not iust and necessary cause to beseech and pray such as be in authority, not to suf­fer their eye-lids either to slūber or sleep, til they haue remooued these superfluities, supplied these wants, and refourmed this intollerable confusion, that the body of the Church may appeare in her perfect beau­ty and health:

The 3. rule is, these many members must haue but one head, to whom they are most nearely & surely vnited, and of whom they must be onely and perpetually ruled. All the parts of the naturall body, because they are by many iointes and bandes fitly and surely coupled to the head, they receiue life, sense, power, motion and strength to perfourme their duties, and mutually to helpe one another, and all this is done by the vertue of this naturall vnion. For if that were not, no part were able to serue either it selfe, or any other: so that beeing in this vnion they liue, being seuered they dye and perish. Euen so it fareth with the members of y^e Church: for they beeing by spirituall ioints & handes, surely vnited & [Page 43] knit to Christ their heade, he conuayeth into euerye one by his spirite and faith, life to quicken them, wisedom to lighten them, sense for feeling, and all other gra­ces, and strength to defend them against all aduersary power, and to bring them to the perfect vnion and fellowship, which is in himselfe. We are the tender braun­ches, he is the vine: if we be in him, we shall receiue spirituall nourishment to life euerlasting, and al things that apper­taine to our health; if we be out of him, we can not but die, and that eternally. He onely is the vine whereinto we must be graffed: he onely is the band that bindeth vs vnto him: the braunches that are not in the vine, must needes wither and die: if he binde vs not vnto him selfe, we must needes scatter abroade, and fall asunder one from an other. He onely is the cause of all vnion with him selfe, and among the members, to make all the members at one with him, and with them selues. And also, to take away all difference and discord, he hath gyuen not a Pope, not an Archbishop or Bishop, (for there was per­fect vnion before they were, though they falsely beare vs in hande, that these are [Page 43] for the mayntenaunce of peace and vni­tie:) but Apostles, Euangelistes, Pro­phetes,Ephe. 4. 11. Pastoures and Teachers, by whose ministery we may be fully lead to a perfect vnitie of faith in Christ, and to the full age of the fulnesse of him. So that he alone by his owne gyftes, must keepe all the members of his Church in perfect vnity, and by them also remooue all iarring in iudgement, and all discorde in affection. The which harmonie no Pope, Archbishop, Aungell, or any other creature can make. O that we might once heare this plesant soūd & time of this har­mony. The primitiue church they heard it, yea, they so delighted in it, that Saint Luke often repeateth it, as though the very bare repetition thereof had wonder­fully pleased: to wit, that the Apostles, dis­ciples and all continued togeather in one place, with one accorde, with one iudge­ment, with one minde, with one hart. O heauenly harmonye & vnitye, before euer y^e Pope or Archbishop, or any such straūge calling were hatcht. Therefore we are to beseech y^e honorable Coūsellers to labour night & day, till it be graunted vnto vs, y^t we maye haue libertye, but once to make [Page 44] triall and experience, whether we cannot onely by the Lords gifts, and by those gra­ces which descended and came down from the heade, set in time all the members of the Churche, that wee may once againe heare the first song of the first Churche, planted by the Apostles: the which if we can (as no doubt the Lorde will giue vs to doe) I am perswaded, as he will preferre it before all other harmonies that haue beene, so we shall rest in it without weari­nesse, or desire of chaunge.

Again, if all the members submit them­selues to the gouernment of the heade, and onely follow it, then there can be neyther desire of rule, nor breach of any good or­der. But the admitting of two heads and diuers lawes, as it maketh a monstrouse body, so a contrary gouernmēt, both which nature and good reason mislike and con­demne. Yea though not altogether, yet in some part wee see these disorders in our Church. For what else is the sole authori­tie of one priuate man, to rule ouer his fel­low-brethren, to chide them, to correct them, to punish them, to suspende them from their office, yea and that which no­thing appertaineth to him, to imprison [Page 45] them. And I beseech you tell me, doe they all this by the Lawes of Christ?

Surely (deare Christians) we must and will appeal vnto their honours, from these vnlawfull iurisdictions: if we teach false doctrine, let vs in the presence of her Ma­iesty, and them all be confuted: if we haue offended, we refuse no punishmēt. We are called, nay we are slandered of the papists and others, with the diuelish sect of Puri­tans: we are thought to beare scarce good will vnto her Maiestie. Well howsoeuer men iudge of vs, we are that we are by y^e grace of God, and for my selfe I will aun­swere (& I am perswaded that al that be of my iudgement are of the same minde) tou­ching my loue and affection towardes my Soueraigne and gracious Prince: I pro­test here before God, his Angells and you all, that to saue her Maiesties life, I wold giue my right hand: what sayd I? Nay as­suredly as the Lord liueth, to prolong her life but one howre, I would powre out all the bloud in my heart, though it should run a thousand year. And I perswade my selfe moreouer, that if her Maiestie should hear and know the grounds of this doctrine, we should not long pray in vain for the refor­mation [Page 46] of the Church.

The fourth and last rule is, euery mem­ber must be one anothers member: that is, hauing a peculier office, seruing to the benefite of all the members, that, by dili­gence and loue must be imployed for the preseruation of the whole body, and not for our owne profite. For euen the least, and basest member is necessary, and ther­fore not to bee neglected or to bee dispi­sed. This rule, as it requireth a diligent and continuall seruice of euery member, so it condemneth all idlenesse, and neglect of duetye. If the members of the natu­rall body shoulde fayle in their seuerall duties, woulde we not by and by iudge, that there were in them either want of loue vnto others, or inability in nature, and also that this defect woulde tende in the ende to the destruction of the bo­dy? I am sure you will graunt it. What shall wee say then of the members of our Churche, which are so idle in their cal­linges, may we not moste iustly condenme them for want of loue? for loue is the bond of perfection, which bindeth together the hartes of the saintes, by her labour & tra­uell she taketh, in helping and releeuing [Page 47] them: she seeketh not her owne, she refu­seth no paine,1. Cor. 13. 5. she feareth no perill, she dis­daineth no basenes, so y^t the members and saintes of Christ, may be bettered by her. But alasse, where is she in our Churches? verely she commeth not abroade into our streetes, shee sheweth not her selfe in our assemblies, she appeareth not in pulpit dai­lie, she is faine to hide her selfe in certeine corners of the Church. For seeing some preache not at all, some seldome, some haue mo charges then is possible for them to discharge: some seeke dispensations, some faculties, some sue for commenda­tions, some one thing, some for another: can we think y^t they perswade thēselues to be mēbers of others, seruants to other mē ­bers, & not to thēselues only? thei haue hāds eies, & ears, but they reach to themselues, not to others: they see for thēselues, not for others: they heare also, but not for others.

Moreouer, where it is saide, that we are one anothers members: we must know that in dispising others, wee dispise our selues and hurt our selues: for we depriue our owne soules of those benefites, which o­ther shoulde minister vnto vs for oure health & peace. We ought then rather to [Page 48] nourish and cherish them, because we may reape great good of them. But such is the blindnesse and senselesse dulnesse of many in our Church, that they esteeme nothing of the members, that the Lord hath giuen and ordayned for their singular commo­dity. God hath giuen vs in great mercie Pastors and Doctours to be our eyes, to lead and direct vs in the wayes of truth and holinesse: Elders, and Deacons to be our handes, to keepe vs and hold vs in the way, & also to reach vnto vs those things we want: Attenders vppon vs, to be our feet when we are not able otherwise to goe. And yet (O Lorde) we despise them, we deride them: nay, that which is incre­dible, though they be the Lordes owne gifts, we will not be perswaded, that they will, or can do vs any good, or bring anye ornament to the body. The Lord for his mercye sake open our eyes, that we maye see, and mollifie our stony hartes, that we may loue our fellow-members, and serue them in tender compassion for euer. For alasse, this is a miserie, and a great vexa­tion of spirite, that manye churches haue neither eyes, nor handes, nor feete: some haue blind eyes and maymed handes, and [Page 49] yet no man lamenteth: no man weepeth for the misery of Sion, no man goeth a­bout to restore her to her perfect propor­tion, and comely beauty. Thus you see this generall lawe what it is, the two de­clarations thereof, the contrary and simi­litudes, how excellent, how worthy, how profitable, how certain, cōstant, & vnchan­geable: for as it is in y^e bodi, so in y^e church, keep all, preserue all, keepe some, preserue some, keepe none, preserue none: chaunge one, some, or all, then you breake y^e Lordes decree and ordinaunces established in his Church. Wherefore to make an ende of this part, it appertaineth to their HH. (as they will aunsweere before God at the dreadfull day of iudgement) to root out all proud, insolent and ambitious members from the Church and common-wealth, wysely and diligently to plant, wise, mo­dest, sober, and sound gouernours: in both to prouide that euery one, according to the grace receiued occupy his talent: that in the Churche they shred of all such super­fluous members, and supply the wantes out of the word: that they auoyde confusi­on, and preserue it from destruction: that they seeke for vnity in one onely head Ie­sus [Page 50] Christ, and in the continuall practize of his lawes: finally, that they banish all i­dle persons from the Citie of God, & com­pell euerye member by loue to serue the whole body. If they do this, then they shal see the Church of Christ to appeare to be such a one as Christ describeth her to be in the Song of songes, and as shee was in her yong and tender age in the time of the Apostles: if not, I am to conclude thus: O England, England, y^t thou knewest those thinges which belong vnto thy peace, but now they are hidden frō thine eyes. Thus much of y^e general law appertaining to al.

Now followeth the speciall law apper­tayning to some: Seeing then we haue gifts that are diuers, according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs, whether we haue prophesie let vs prophesie, according to the proportion of faith: or an office, let vs wait vpon the office. This speciall law concerneth only such, as be publique persons in y^e church, whereas the former touched all in generall. And as by the former, all men were charged to content them selues with their seuerall callinges and giftes: so by this, publique persons are charged to abide in their se­uerall callinges, as in their seuerall stan­ding [Page 51] places, without breaking vppon the functiōs of others, or enuying their gifts: and therefore he doth not mention any ex­traordinary, but onely ordinarye gyftes, wherein men must abide to the comming of Christ, and which we must only desire.

Where he sayth, Seeing then: &c: we note that the Apostle taketh it for a cer­taine and an infallible rule, that the lord had established and already giuen these diuers giftes vnto his Church. For he saith, According to the grace which is giuen vnto vs. And when he saith, That whether we haue prophesie, or an office, let vs abide therein: he giueth a plaine cōmandement, and a perpetuall law vnto the Church, to retaine and keepe them for euer: to pub­lique persons or officers, to serue y^e church in them: to priuate mē, to make their pro­fit of thē. That God gaue them, it is ma­nifest also in other places. Ephes. 4. chap. the 11. & 12. verses. Christ ascending gaue some to be Apostles, some Prophetes, some E­uangelistes, to plant the Church, some Pa­stours and Doctours to keepe in for euer. A­gaine, 1. Cor. 12. 28. verse. God hath orday­ned in the Church, first Apostles, secondly Prophetes, both for a time, thirdly Tea­chers, [Page 52] Helpers, and Gouernours to rule the Church vnto the end.

Againe Paule witnesseth, that, for the adding of that which was wanting, and namely for ordaining of Elders in euery Citie, he left Titus in Creta: as he also desired Timothie to abyde at Ephesus, that he might be a means to bring in Pa­stors, Doctors, Elders, Deacons & Wi­dowes: for else to what purpose should he wryte of their offices: Therefore the A­postle, maye well take it for a receiued ground, wherof no man then doubted, that God had giuen diuers giftes, for the con­tinuall and perfect gouernement of his Church (for here he sayth they had recei­ued thē by grace): so that vpon this groūd he buildeth his generall commandement, which he applyeth seuerally to euery par­ticular calling here mencioned. Where he saith, According to the grace giuen me: obserue two things; first, that euery eccle­siasticall calling, must haue ioyned with it, some singular grace of God: secondari­ly, that euery of these functions here na­med, are the seuerall giftes of the mercye of God (as the word signifieth) most boun­tifully bestowed vpō the Church. Wher­fore [Page 53] if any abuse these, he abuseth the li­berality and bounty of God: if anye take these offices vppon him, not adorned with that grace, which God hath annexed to them, he dishonoureth the giuer, and brin­geth the giuer into contempt. If any be an enemie to these, is he not an enemye to the grace of God?

Behold then, I beseech you, what we do when we speake of Pastors, Doctors, Elders, Deacons and widowes. Uerily, verily, we in the person of God in y^e name of Christ besech you, whereas we haue au­thoritie to command you, to receiue these giftes. If you consider the giftes, they be very necessary and profitable for you; yea, they be the sweet graces of God: if you respect the giuer, he it is that hath gyuen him selfe for you: it is therefore no wise­dome to refuse so good giftes of so louing a friend: he giueth cheerefully, and plen­tifully powreth his benefites vppon vs, if we refuse them, that shall be such vnkind­nesse, as I am not able to expresse.

It followeth, Whether we haue prophe­sie, let vs prophesie, &c. First he reduceth al the ordinary functions, which were ordai­ned in the Church, & which are perpetu­ally [Page 54] to be retayned, for the happy successe and preseruation thereof, vnto two gene­rall heads: that is to saye, vnto Prophetes and Officers, diuiding either of them in­to their seuerall braunches, as shall ap­peare more plainely in the particular dis­course. In that he saith, Whether we haue prophesie, by it he meaneth not any singu­lar gift to foretell that which is to come: but an ordinary gift of interpreting the writinges of the Prophetes, and other Scripture, to the edification of the hea­rer. The Greeke, Preposition Pro, bee­ing sometimes in the place of Vpo, the worde doth well admit that signification, wherin it is vsed diuers times in the new Testament, I would that ye all spake strange languages, 1. Cor. 14. 5. but rather that ye prophesied. And againe, We know in part, and we prophesie in part. Now, that here it is so to be taken in that signification, it appeareth first, in y^t he retaineth it among the ordinary gifts: secondly, in that he tyeth and lymitteth it, to be moderated and ruled by the propor­tion of faith: thirdly, in that he commaun­deth the Prophet to abyde in that cal­ling: fourthly, in that immediately after, he diuideth it into the office of the Doc­tour [Page 55] and Pastour: all which, can not a­gree with the giftes of foretelling things to come. For that is not ordinary, not al­wayes limitted, not alwayes to be retay­ned, neither is it common to the Doctour and the Pastour, therefore it must needes be thus expounded in this place, as we haue sayde: so that the meaning is: hee whom God hath called sincerely to inter­pret his worde, to the profit of his people, let him abyde in that function. For al­beit that worde is wanting in the Greek text, yet either that, or some other of the like force must necessarily be vnderstood, as the Greeke Scholiast and other wri­ters doe well note. But what is ment here, by The proportion of faith? To omit the opinions of men, I take it to be the same which the Apostle before named, The measure of faith: and the meaning to be, as if he shoulde saye: he that is law­fully called by the church, truly and pure­ly to expound the Scriptures to the edifi­cation of the hearer: let him abide there­in, according to the proportiō or measure of his gifts, which are giuen him to occu­pie and exercise in faith: for God hath gi­uen to some more, to some lesse: yea, [Page 56] and somtimes blesseth him that hath lesse, more than him that hath more. Therefore euery man being called, must abide ther­in, and occupy his proper talent and gift, with all diligence and faith, to the edifica­tion of his owne flock. Whereby we may plainly see, what a Prophet is. A Prophet is a member or minister of the Word of God, which abideth in the true & sincere interpretation thereof, to the edification of his own peculier flock. So Paul char­geth y^e bishops at Ephesus, to do. Act. 20. The word trāslated office, signifieth here all other ordinary functions, besides the Pastor and Doctor. In deede it is some­times taken in scripture generally for all Ecclesiasticall functions, & sometime ap­plyed to the ciuill Magistrate: but that it is not so taken here, it is manifest by the disiunctiue proposition, either of whose partes, cannot by any rule of reason com­prehend both. Wherefore as the Prophet hath to handle the Word, so y^e officer hath to handle not it, but other necessary due­ties, wherein he must also continue with diligence and fidelity.

Let vs proceed to the seueral branches. Or he that teacheth on teaching. These [Page 57] wordes as they shewe the office of the Doctor, wherein he must bee continually occupied, not breaking in vpon any other ciuill or Ecclesiasticall calling: so they may teach vs together what a true Doc­tor and Teacher is, howe to define and di­stinguish him from all other ministers in the Church. A Doctor or Teacher is a Prophet, which truely, soundly, and reue­tently expounding the Canonicall Scrip­tures, continueth in teaching true doctrin to his own people, for the establishing of their minds in the truth. If any doubt of y^e trueth hereof, he may as well doubt of the Scriptures them selues, out of the which euery part hereof is drawne. For the A­postle here calleth the Doctor a Prophet: & that he must interpret y^e canonical scrip­tures it appeareth: first by the fourth of the 1. of Pet. Let him that speaketh, speake as the words of God. Secondly, because who knoweth not, that the Scriptures are gi­uen of the holy ghost, and are sufficient to teach all trueth, and that the Churche is built vpon this doctrine: Lastly, Christe sendeth vs to the Scriptures, which wit­nesse of him, and teacheth by them the trueth, and confuteth errors. Therfore the [Page 58] Doctours must onely expounde the ca­nonicall Scriptures, not the Apocri­pha, or any mans writinges. For the Lord will haue nothing brought into his holy assembly, but that which he hath ap­pointed. And therefore albeit there were greate corruption in the Synagogues of the Iewes, yet the histories of the Acts of the Apostles declare, that nothing was read and expounded in them, but the Law and the Prophetes, not so much as the Caldie paraphrast. For as the Prophetes might not in calling the people together, blow any trumpets, but those which were made and set apart for that purpose, by the commaundement of God. Numb. 10. 28: so ought not the Ministers of God to ex­pound or read openly in the congregation any writings, but onely the Canonicall Scriptures, which the Lorde hath set a­part and sanctified for that vse. That he must doe it properly, purely, and reuerent­ly, appeareth by Peter before cited, hee must speak as the wordes of God. Paule testifieth y^t he spake as concerning Christ, as of sincerity, as of God, as in the sight & presēce of God. 2. Cor. 2. 17. That he must be diligent & continue in teaching, the ge­nerall [Page 59] law prooueth it. Last of al, y^t he must do it to his owne people, the word it selfe prooueth: for there is a necessary relation betweene y^e Teacher and the learner, the Doctor and the disciple. Howe can hee teach except hee haue disciples? howe can those be his Disciples, which doe neither heare him, nor learne of him? The reason why he must doe it diligently, to plant and establish his disciples mindes in the truth, is because we are very dull to conceiue and learne: and although lecture be vpon lecture, doctrine vpon doctrine, here a lit­tle and there a little, yet we shal remaine ignorant, and proceede slowly, if the truth be not soundly beaten into our heades. A­gaine, because by this meanes the Pastor shall haue more time in exhorting and ap­plying his exhortation to the present ne­cessity of his people. But if any say, is this al to teach y^e truth to his people by expoun­ding y^e scriptures? must he not also confute errors, & stop the mouth of the aduersary? No doubt he must. But we must acknow­ledge here the wisedome of the holy ghost, which meaneth heere, by teaching the trueth, the confutation also of errour: for the rule of trueth is also the rule of fals­hood. [Page 60] For as light expesseth darknesse, so truth falshoode, and who is better able to confute errors, then hee that knoweth the true meaning of the word. Thus you see what a true Teacher is, and wherein his whole function consisteth. There remai­neth nothing but to giue him his schol­lers, and to set him on worke: for as the Doctor must continue in true, sound, and pure doctrine: so his schollers must search diligently (according to the example of the noble men in the Actes 17) whether his doctrine be true or not: whether it bee soundly and purely gathered oute of the word or not. As he is reuerently to handle the Word, so they must reuerently receiue it, as from the mouth of God.

The next braunche or speciall, which Christe hath giuen to his Church, is the gift of exhortation, else-where called the Pastor: who as the Teacher is occupied about the reasonable part of the minde, therin to plant true knowledge and sound doctrine: so he is occupied about that part, wherein the affections haue their abode, to bring the heart and will to continuall obedience of the trueth: which is so much more necessary then the other, by howe [Page 61] much the Lord is more delighted with o­bedience, then with naked and bare know­ledge. The discription of the Pastor and his office, is this. A Pastor is a Prophet, that vpon sound doctrine grounded vppon the sincere interpretation of the Scrip­ture, continueth in exhortation wisely ap­plied to the present vse, necessitie, and edi­fication of his people, and in the admini­stration of the Sacraments: all the partes wherof may appeare in this sort. Doctrin is the ground, euery exhortation not buil­ded thereon, is fruitlesse and weake, and vanisheth away as smoke in the winde, though it be zealous yet it is blinde aad without knowledge. As the Scriptures are able to instruct the Doctor with all knowledge in teaching, so the Pastor in exhorting improouing and correcting. It is certaine that obedience is the end of ex­hortation, and that faith is the mother of obedience, and that faith leaneth only vp­on the Worde. Rom. 10. Hebrues. 11. 4. 7. 8. 17. 27. 28. Moreouer the Stewarde of the Lords house must be not only faith­full: Luk. 12. 41. but also wise to giue his seruaunts their portion in due time. The Lords children are not all of one age and [Page 62] strength, and therefore their spirituall fa­ther must feede some with milk, and some with stronger meate, according to their seuerall necessitie. The diuider of the word must cut it aright. 2. Timothy. 2. 15 The Pastor being a learned Scribe, is like the wise housholder which hath filled and furnished all his treasure houses with all store new and old. Exhortation must be applyed to all estates high and lowe, rich and poore, bond and free, learned and vnlearned. The Pastor must not onely lead his sheepe into pleasant and holesom pastures, but also to heal the sick, to bring home the strayes, to strengthen the weak, Ezechiel. 34. 4: that all these duties are to be done continually in his proper place whereunto the Lord hath called him, it is manifest by the reason before vsed. Wher shoulde the shephearde bee occupied, but where his sheepe are? where shoulde the watchman watch, but where his Citie and Towne is? the spirituall enimies of our soul are many, strong, mighty, maliti­ous, vigilāt, subtil, & ful of deceipt: y^e sheep of the great pasture, fewe, weake, feeble, simple, dull, vnwise: therefore their keeper and defender had neede alwayes to bee [Page 63] among them, to knowe their wayes, to see their going out, and their comming in. That hee may the better, going be­fore them in all sounde Doctrine and godlinesse, keepe them to Christe and defende them from their enimies; hee must hearken vnto the voyce of Christ, Feede, feede, feede. Hee must bee instant in season and out of season, and there­fore continually abide with his flocke: which to doe, as it is a moste profitable duty both for the Pastor and the flock, so to leaue y^e flock as many do, & feed & watch where they haue no flock, is most hurtfull to both: and therefore all such rouing Pa­stors, are by cordes to be tied to their own people. As before, teaching contained the whol duty of y^e Doctor: so here exhorting (by a figure) signifieth al y^e duties of a Pa­stor. For hee exhorteth the weake ones to take comfort by the sweete mercies and promises of God: the good hee exhor­teth to proceede, partly by the feare of Gods iudgementes, and partly by the loue of his mercies. The wicked he ex­horteth to repentance by laying before them, the eternall and seuere iudgements and curses of GOD, and the multitude [Page 64] and greatnesse of their sinnes. So that those are but meanes to whet his exhorta­tion, that it may pearce and enter in, euen to the diuiding of the soule and the spirite.

Nowe I beseech you consider, first the wisdome and mercy of God, in prouiding for the people. Mans soul hath two parts, reason or the minde, the hart or the affec­tion. By the fall of Adam, there is in the minde darknesse and ignorance of the will of God: in the hart there is nothing but rebellion and enemity against him: so that the Scripture hath iudged vs to be by na­ture the Children of darknesse, and the sonnes of rebellion. Nowe, the Lorde in wisedome and mercy hath giuen to his Church, remedies to cure these diseases. First a Doctor, who by heauenly wisedom in interpreting the Word, is able (the spi­rit working by his ministery) to translate vs from the kingdome of darknesse, to the kingdom of light and knowledge: then the Pastor whom he hath ordained to subdue and tame the rebellious motions of our harts, and make them obedient to the wil and truth of God. O the vnspeakable wis­dome & mercyes of God, who to cast down the strong holdes of ignorance and rebel­lion, [Page 65] which by nature possessed our soules, hath giuen the ministeries of the Pastor, & Doctor, which being giuen of the king of kings, & prince of princes, in the day of his coronation, when he led his enimies in tri­umph, to shew the glory of his kingdome, & his princely power, can neither bee thoght to be smal, neither lightly regarded, with­out great dishonor vnto y^e giuer, who hath not left vs destitute, as we see, of any gift necessary for our soules health.

He that distributeth, in distributing with simplicity. From the Ministers of y^e Word, he commeth to other officers, which haue charge either of a part of the congregatiō, as Deacons & Attenders vpon the sick: or of the whol as Elders, shewing y^t these as they are diuers gifts from y^e other, so they are very necessary in their place & roome. The first is the Deacon, called here y^e di­stributer, wherby appeareth his office and function what it is. For a Deacon is an officer which continueth in distributing y^e common liberality of y^e Church, according to the necessity of all the poore members therof. The first part is plaine in this text, y^t he is a distributer of the Church goods, appeareth in the 4. of the Arts & 6. where [Page 66] many brought the price of their lands and houses which they had sold, and layd the mony at the Apostles feete, to be distribu­ted to euery man as he had neede. Nowe the Apostles that they might the better attend vnto preaching and praying, were vpon necessary causes faine to giue ouer this charge vnto other called Deacons, whome the Church elected: as it is in Act. 6. Therefore this is the Deacons office, herein he must be occupied, to marke the necessity of the poore, and accordingly to distribute. Whereupon y^t followeth, y^t hee must knowe therefore their estate, their wealth, their charges, their custome of spending, whither it be much or little, or moderate, their trade of life, whether they be painfull or negligent therein: that hee may distribute with knowledge, wisdom, iustice, fidelity, simplicity, and without re­spect of persons. All men can not do this, & it is necessary y^t some should do it: therfore least the children of God should in bestow­ing their liberalitie & almes behaue them selues disorderedly, spilling where they ought to spare, and holding backe their handes where they ought to bestowe: it pleased our merciful father, to ease a great [Page 67] many, and to lay the burden vpon a fewe faithfull wise men, full of the holy ghoste, that all thinges in the Church might bee done orderly and vprightly in the sight of God. Thus we see the necessity of these officers, by whose labour and godly care, the sicke, the strangers or other saints, vn­able to earn their own liuings by y^e sweat of their browes, might bee honestly main­tained by the liberality and bountifulnes of their brethren, vnto whome God hath giuen aboundaunce for the supply of their want, in such sort y^t there shoulde be, as it was foretold by y^e Prophet, & to be seene in the primitiue Church, no begger in Israel. He that ruleth with deligence. By the ruler hee meaneth all those that gouerned the Church, wherof some labour both in word and gouernment, as the Pastours & Doc­tors: some onely in gouernement as the Elders called by the common name, as Paule in the 1. Tim. 5. 17. These El­ders are Churche-officers or censors of manners, whoe by correcting, and admo­nishing the vnruly, and incouraging the good, preuented offences, and continued in ruling, & gouerning y^e church which depē ­ded vpon thē. Their office was chiefly in [Page 68] assisting the Pastors & Doctors in admo­nishing y^e vnruly seuerally, by comforting the feeble minded, by preuenting of offen­ces, which otherwise might arise: in sus­pending y^e vnworthy from y^e Sacraments, in excommunicating of the obstinate, in absoluing the repentant, in ordaining and remouing church officers: finally, in hand­ling & deciding all such matters & contro­uersies in doctrine or manners, as belong & appertain to ecclesiasticall gouernment. The proofe of al which particular duties, I cannot (for lack of time) stand vpon, only I wil quote the places of scripture. Math. the 22. chapiter, the 24. & 25. verses. Mat. 18. chap. & the 17. verse. 1. Timoth. the 4. chap. and the 14. verse. Act. the 15. chap. 6. & 22. verses. Act. the 16. chap. & the 4. vers. Act. the 21. 18. & 20. vers. 2. And therefore these being set ouer vs in matters pertai­ning to God, we must acknowledge & o­bey them, with singular loue & reuerence, because they watch for our souls. 1. Thes. 5. I haue much to say of the office & neces­sitie of these offices, how needeful they are for y^e suppressing of errors, schismes, sects, & heresies: for the brideling of the lust & pride of life, for the correcting of the vnru­ly, [Page 69] & the preferring of the worthy, & in all wisdome, grauitie, & vprightnes, as lights to shine vnto the Church, that they may y^e clearer see, how to walk in the waies of y^e iust. But a long treatise is scarcely suffi­ciēt for this discourse, & my time is almost spent. I cannot stande here to shew the dif­ference betweene all these offices, certain it is, that they are diuerse giftes, & distin­guished one frō another. Let men beware howe they confounde those thinges which God hath distinguished. For the Elder & Deacon (because y^t will more shewe their offices) they differ thus: the Deacon he is occupied only about the pore, the Elder a­bout all: the Deacon distributeth, the El­der admonisheth: the Deacon obserueth y^e pouertie of the saints in bodily things; the Elder noteth manners, and conuersation: the Deacon searcheth howe the Churche goods receiued are spent: the Elder noteth howe euery one laboreth in his owne cal­ling. Whereby it commeth to passe, y^t as the Deacons can make true report to the Church of the state of the pore, so the El­ders of the state of all. By which wise go­uernment, it woulde in part come to passe, which the Prophets foretell, y^t the pollu­ted [Page 70] should haue no passage into the churche: that no noisom beast shold be found there, that the redeemer of the Lord may walk in peace. Finally, the Deacons take heed that no idle person be nourished in y^e com­pany of the poore: the Elders care is, to see that no vnclean person remaine in the bosom of y^e church, wherof redoundeth no small commodity, both to the Church and Common-wealth.

The last gift is, the Shewing of mercie with cheerfulnes. This was the proper of­fice of those, which beeing relieued by the Church, were appointed to looke vnto the poore which were weake & sicke, and the poore stranger. So y^t a Shewer of mercy is he, or rather she (for the cōpanies of such as executed this duty consisted especially of widowes) which by the gouernors of y^e Church & consent of the people, was ap­pointed to help y^e pore impotēt, & pore strā ­gers, in those duties wherin they could not wel help thēselues, hauing neither friends nor kinsfolk to help them. A very necessa­ry functiō, especially in time of persecutiō or greeuous sickenesse, when the Church hath many impotent persons, in which time such order is to be taken that none [Page 71] of the members of Christe, for whome hee hath shed his pretious bloud, perishe for lacke of looking vnto, nor want any atten­ding which they may haue, and it is meet they should. These ministers of the poore, their age, qualities, office, and conditions, are declared of Paul in the 1. Tim. 5. By the deligent, continuall and cheerefull performaunce of those offices, these whom the Lord seemeth to haue a speciall and singular care of (namely the widows & fa­therlesse, and all impotent persons) shoulde be moste charitably and godly prouided for. The want of these officers and merci­full companies, is the cause of the death and perishing of many a poore fatherlesse childe, impotent persons, and sick ones; who are ready often, euen to dye in the streetes, as I my selfe haue seene and heard credibly reported, and that, as to my greefe, so to the great infamy of all Chri­stian professours of the Gospell: a mat­ter therefore of those that bee in authori­ty to bee looked vnto. I graunt there bee many good lawes and statutes enac­ted for the prouision of the poore, but wee see by experience, that the Lord will not blesse and giue good successe there vnto. [Page 72] For (notwithstanding these statutes) wee haue swarms of beggers pore & impotent, till we haue by authority established in e­uery congregation these eternall decrees of Christ, touching the gouernment of his Church. For the want of this gouernmēt, as I take in hand to prooue, is the cheefe & principall cause of all the euils that are perpetually in our Church. For if it be de­manded, why ther is in the land such grose ignorance of God? the answere is at hand, we want Doctors & Teachers. Whence come such swarms of Athiests, Idolaters, Papistes, erronious & hereticall sectaries, of the Family of loue & such like? ther are no Doctours to teach, nor Pastors to ex­hort. Nowe commeth it to passe, that in a Christian Church, professing newnesse of life, and the doctrine of regeneration, ther should be such a huge masse of old and de­testable workes, of coniuring, witchcraft, sorcery, charming, blaspheming the holy name of God, swearing and forswearing, prophaning of the Lords sabboths, disobe­dience to superiors, contempt of inferiors: murther, manslaughter, robberies, adulte­ry, fornication, couenaunt-breakers, false-witnesse bearing, lyars w^t all other kindes [Page 73] of vnmercifull dealing one with another? Is not the cause euident? we lack Elders and Gouernors of euery congregation to admonish, correct, suspende and excommu­nicate such noisome, hurtfull, & monstrous beastes, out of the house of God, without respect of persons. Why haue we so many poore, so many feeble, and weake ready to die amongst vs? we want Deacons and mercifull men, which should faithfully di­stribute to the necessity of the Saints, and willingly and cheerefully attend vpon the impotent, which are vnable to helpe them selues. O what fruite might be reaped by these seuerall vocations, if they were set vp and established in euery congrega­tion! Without all controuersies the be­nefites that would redound to vs, and this land hereby, are innumerable: no tongue can expresse them. For hereby her grati­ous Maiestie and her honourable Coun­sell, might truely knowe within a short time by name, who & howe many enimies there are (a very few subtile hipocrites ex­cepted) to religion, & the common-wealth. How many obstinate, malitious, and trai­terous Papists, how many Annabaptists, Libertines, how many of the Family of [Page 74] loue, how many Atheists, how many vnru­ly & inordinate walkers, which thē might bee punished according to their faultes: wheras now Archbyshops, Bishops, Arch­deacons, Commissaries Officialls, hauing contrarie to y^e word of God, pulled y^e rains of gouernment from y^e Elders, ruine & de­struction is feared, but not auoyded. Not one enimy of an hundreth is known of y^e greater part, & yet there be moe secret eni­mies, then y^e wisest & most prouident can thinck of. Hereby al the secrete & mischie­uous deuises against her Maiesties royall person, against religion, & the whole state, might easily be tried & searched out, by the diligent & wise search of y^e Elders in euery Church: whereas now, did not y^e Lord som­times most wonderfully, for the singular care he hath ouer her Counsel bring thē to light, we should haue bene often eare now, swalowed vp by these secret vnderminings of the common peace and state. Hereby we should knowe certainly, who be those y^t so prodigally maintain suche as haue beene blouddy butchers & murtherers of Gods people, remaining as yet enemies to the Gospell, and false harted to her Maie­stie: where as nowe some of them haue [Page 75] securely boasted (as I am able to iusti­fie) iudge you of the rest, that they haue had greater reuenews, being Prisoners in the Tower and other places, then when they were Abbots and riche Pre­lates in the lande: and yet no man know­eth howe they come by them, nor of whome they receyue them. Howe muche then, thinke you, is all that is bestowed this waye in one yeare, you maye gesse by this annuall receypte of some one man? Hereby might easily in time be preuented all secret conspiracies. For whatsoeuer conspiracie were begun in any Towne or Citie, it would easily in the beginning, long before the flame ther­of, bee espied of such wise and graue men, as now in some congregations may, and after teaching and exhorting, might in many moe bee appointed: and such at­temptes either by ecclesiasticall censure, or ciuil correction of the Magistrate bee altogether quenched: so that our gracious Prince, her honorable Counsel, & the whol land might liue in much more safety and security, then now they do, and haue grea­ter assuraunce of the mercifull protection of the almighty, then nowe they haue. [Page 76] Hereby all godly lawes ecclesiastical and ciuill, should either vniuersally be kept of all, or else the breakers come vnder such ciuill and Ecclesiasticall punishments as they should deserue, which were a singuler meane to breede in the harts of the Sub­iectes, a pure feare & loue to their Prince and other Magistrates. Whereas now good lawes are transgressed and no man accused: the Lorde is not truely worship­ped, the Prince of some not in vnfained simplicie reuerenced, nor with good will from the hart beloued of them. Final­lye, heereby the Pastours and Doctors shoulde, hauing a true relation from their Seniors, touching y^e estate of their flocke, be much more fruitfully occupied in teaching and exhorting: for they might with al knowledge and wisedome, deliuer vnto euery one that which were fit most to draw him to God, & his eternal saluati­on. Seeing therfore, that the establishing of this gratious gouernment of God, will bannishe & chase a way all noysome beasts out of the Lords vineyearde: seeing it wil be such a singular meane to preserue and maintaine the peace and securitie of the Common-wealth, & all estates therin: fi­nally, [Page 77] seeing it maketh very much both for religion and godly pollicie, & is a most deare friend to both, for the loue of your Common-wealth and the Church, I be­seech you all to enterteine this Christian gouernment of y^e church of Christ, wherof he himselfe is the authour and no man. Two things remaine which I purpose to determine. First that this gouernement is perpetuall: secondly, that it is only suf­ficient: wherin I cannot, for lack of time be long, and therfore wil briefly set down the reasons of both.

For the first, I proue thus. First this speciall commaundement, touching the practize & exercise of these giftes, besides that it is the commaundement of God, drawne out of the generall law: it char­geth al these officers to abide in their offi­ces, therefore they are perpetuall.

Secondly, all these officers are called here the true members of the body of the Church: therefore the Church beeing to endure to the comming of Christ, these al­so must be of the same continuance, except you will say, y^t Christe is pleased better with a maimed body, then a perfect one.

Thirdly, Paule commaundeth Timo­thie [Page 78] to keepe this gouernment vnto the comming of Christ. 1. Tim. 6.

Fourthly, all the thinges where-about they are occupied, as the ignorances, and errours of the minde, the corruptions of the heart, the vnrulinesse of men, the po­uertie of the saints, and impotency of the poore, are alwayes to be looked vnto and cared for. Therfore the offices of God ap­pointed and ordained for these purposes, are perpetuall.

Fiftly, Christe the King and gouernour of his Church, must rule it till the com­ming of him selfe by his owne offices and lawes, therefore this is perpetuall.

For the second. First we are commaun­ded here to content our selues with these, and to rest in them, therefore these are on­ly sufficient.

Secondly, these doe make the man and church of God perfect to euery good work, as it is in y^e 4. to y^e Ephesians & else where, therefore these onely are sufficient.

Thirdly, if these bee insufficient, then Christ can not be glorified, as perfect go­uernour of his Church, neither his worde is such, but that something may be added, both which are absurd: therefore they one­ly [Page 79] are sufficient: if not, who dare adde a member to that body, which hee neither made, nor can make.

Fourthly, these functions onely are suf­ficient, which haue all the gifts needefull for the ministery of the word and Sacra­mentes, and for the gouernment of the Church: but all these functions are suffi­cient for these ends: therefore onely these are sufficient.

Fiftly, if any erect new ministeries, hee must either giue new gifts, or assure men that they shall haue newe giftes of God: but none can do thus: therefore these on­ly are sufficient.

Sixthly, if men may adde, they may de­tract: but y^e second is false, therfore y^e first.

Seeing then these things are so as hath bin set forth, out of y^e Word of God, y^t this is his order to which al ought to vow their backs, euery one keeping his proper place, & none intruding vpon the right & interest of another: seing superfluous things ought to be cut off, & such offices as are frō Anti­christ, ought to be abandoned: let vs euery one in our places, pray to our good God, that he wil pitty this his poore Church, y^t trueth and righteousnesse may kisse eche [Page 80] other, that his scepter may flourish, that the stiff-necks of the obstinate, and the I­ron siniews of the rebellious may be bow­ed and broken: to the end these confusions that appeare euery where: this pompous pride and curssed ambition, enimy to all sincerity, good order, & true religion may cease, and onely the glory and victory of Christe, our onely, King, Prophet and Priest, may be established, to whom with the Father and the holy ghost, three per­sons and one eternall God, be all prayse, glory and honor, now and for euer.

Amen.