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God a priest." This is the pride which Cyprian condemneth in Florentinus, and not the title or name of archbishop; about which matter there was not at that time so much as the dream of any controversy at all between them. A silly collection it is, that because Cyprian reproveth Florentinus for lightness of belief, and presumptuous rashness of judgment, therefore he held the title of archbishop to be a vain and proud name. Archbishops were chief amongst bishops, yet archbishops had not over bishops that full authority which every bishop had over his own particular clergy. Bishops were not subject unto their archbishops as an ordinary, by whom at all times they were to be judged, according to the manner of inferior pastors, within the compass of each diocess. A bishop migh suspend, excommunicate, depose, such as were of his own clergy, without any other bishop's assistance; not so an archbishop the bishops that were in his own province, above whom divers prerogatives were given him, howbeit no such authority and power, as alone to be judge over them. For as a bishop could not be ordained, so neither might he be judged by any one only bishop, albeit that bishop were his metropolitan. Wherefore Cyprian, concerning the liberty and freedom which every bishop had, spake in the council of Carthage, whereat fourscore and seven bishops were present, saying, "It resteth that every of us declare what we think of this matter, neither judging nor severing from the right of communion any that shall think otherwise: for of us there is not any which maketh himself a bishop of bishops, or with tyrannical fear constraineth his colleagues unto the necessity of obedience, inasmuch as every bishop, according to the reach of his liberty and power, hath his own free judgment, and can have no more another his judge, than Lib. ii. himself to be judge to another." Whereby it appeareth, that among the African bishops none did use such authority over any, as the bishop of Rome did afterward claim over all, forcing upon them opinions by main and absolute power. Wherefore, unto the bishop of Rome the same Cyprian also writeth concerning his opinion about baptism: "These things we present unto your conscience, most dear brother, as well for common honour's sake, as of single and sincere love, trusting that as you are truly yourself religious and faithful, so those things which agree with religion and faith will be acceptable unto you; howbeit we know, that what some have

Concil.

Carthag.

de hær.

baptizandis.

ep. 1.

over-drunk in, they will not let go, neither easily change their mind, but with care of preserving whole amongst their brethren the bond of peace and concord, retaining still to themselves certain their own opinions wherewith they have been inured: wherein we neither use force, nor prescribe a law unto any, knowing that in the government of the church every ruler hath his own voluntary free judgment, and of that which he doth shall render unto the Lord himself an account." As for the council of Carthage, doth not the very first canon thereof establish with most effectual terms all things which were before agreed on in the council of Nice? and that the council of Nice did ratify the pre-eminence of metropolitan bishops, who is ignorant? The name of an archbishop importeth only, a bishop having chiefty of certain prerogatives above his brethren of the same order. Which thing, since the council of Nice doth allow, it cannot be that the other of Carthage should condemn it, inasmuch as this doth yield unto that a Christian unrestrained approbation.

a

The thing provided for by the synod of Carthage can be no other therefore, than only that the chiefest metropolitan, where many archbishops were within any greater province, should not be termed by those names, as to import the power of an ordinary jurisdiction belonging in such degree and manner unto him over the rest of the bishops and archbishops as did belong unto every bishop over other pastors under him. But much more absurd it is to affirm, that both Cyprian and the council of Carthage condemn even such superiority also of bishops themselves, over pastors their inferiors, as the words of Ignatius imply, in terming the bishop "a T. C. prince of priests." Bishops to be termed arch-priests, in re- p. 113. gard of their superiority over priests, is in the writings of the ancient fathers a thing so usual and familiar, as almost no one thing more. At the council of Nice, saith Theodoret, three hundred and eighteen arch-priests were present. Were it the meaning of the council of Carthage, that the title of chief-priests and such-like, ought not in any sort at all to be given unto any Christian bishop, what excuse would we make

Ωστε, τὰ ἐν τῇ Νικαέων συνόδῳ ὁρισθέντα παντὶ τρόπῳ παραφυλαχθήσεται.

Theod. hist. eccles. lib. i. cap. 7. agxg, Hieronymus contra Lucifer. salutem ecclesiæ pendere dicit à summi sacerdotis dignitate, id est, episcopi. Idem est in Hieronymo summus sacerdos quod angos iegeùs in Carthaginensi concilio. Vide C. omnes 38. dist. Item C. pontifices 12. q. 3. İtem C. de his. de conseq. dist. 5.

lib. i.

The second malicious

state of bi

fereth obloquy, is

for so many ancient both fathers, and synods of fathers, as have generally applied the title of arch-priest unto every bishop's office? High time I think it is, to give over the obstinate defence of this most miserable forsaken cause; in the favour whereof neither God, nor amongst so many wise and virtuous men as antiquity hath brought forth, any one can be found to have hitherto directly spoken. Irksome confusion must of necessity be the end whereunto all such vain and ungrounded confidence doth bring, as hath nothing to bear it out but only an excessive measure of bold and peremptory words, holpen by the start of a little time, before they came to be examined. In the writings of the ancient fathers, there is not any thing with more serious asseveration inculcated, than that it is God which maketh bishops, that their authority hath Divine allowance, that the bishop is the priest of God, that he is judge in Christ's stead, that, according to God's own law, the whole Christian fraternity standeth bound to obey him. Of this there was not in the Christian world of old any doubt or controversy made; it was a thing universally every where agreed upon. What should move men to judge that now so unlawful and nought, which then was so reverently esteemed? Surely no other cause but this; men were in those times meek, lowly, tractable, willing to live in dutiful awe and subjection unto the pastors of their souls: now, we imagine ourselves so able every man to teach and direct all others, that none of us can brook it to have superiors; and, for a mask to hide our pride, we pretend falsely the law of Christ, as if we did seek the execution of his will, when in truth we labour for the mere satisfaction of our own against his.

XVII. The chiefest cause of disdain and murmur against thing bishops in the church of England is, that evil-affected eye wherein the wherewith the world looked upon them since the time that shops suf- irreligious profaneness, beholding the due and just advancements of God's clergy, hath under pretence of enmity unto ambition and pride proceeded so far, that the contumely of old offered unto Aaron in the like quarrel may seem very moderate and quiet dealing, if we compare it with the fury of our own times. The ground and original of both their proceedings one and the same; in declaration of their grievances they differ not; the complaints as well of the one as the other are, "Wherefore lift ye up yourselves thus far above

their honour.

Numb.

xvi. 3.

the congregation of the Lord? It is too much which you take upon you, too much power, and too much honour." Wherefore, as we have shewed, that there is not in their power any .. thing unjust or unlawful, so it resteth that in their honour also the like be done. The labour we take unto this purpose is by so much the harder, in that we are forced to wrestle with the stream of obstinate affection, mightily carried by a wilful prejudice, the dominion whereof is so powerful over them in whom it reigneth, that it giveth them no leave, no, not so much as patiently to hearken unto any speech which doth not profess to feed them in this their better humour. Notwithstanding, forasmuch as I am persuaded that against God they will not strive, if they perceive once that in truth it is he against whom they open their mouths, my hope is their own confession will be at the length, "Behold, we have done exceeding foolishly, it was the Lord, and we knew it not; him in his ministers we have despised, we have in their honour impugned his." But the alteration of men's hearts must be his good and gracious work, whose most omnipotent power framed them. Wherefore, to come to our present purpose, honour is no where due, saving only unto such as have in them, that whereby they are found, or at the least presumed voluntarily beneficial unto them of whom they are honoured. Wheresoever nature seeth the countenance of a man, it still presumeth that there is in him a mind willing to do good; if need require, inasmuch as by nature so it should be; for which cause men unto men do honour, even for very humanity's sake. And unto whom we deny all honour, we seem plainly to take from them all opinion of human dignity, to make no account or reckoning of them, to think them so utterly without virtue, as if no good thing in the world, could be looked for at their hands. Seeing therefore it seemeth hard that we should so hardly think of any man, the precept of St. Peter is, "Honour all men." Which duty of every man towards 1 Pet. all, doth vary according to the several degrees whereby they are more and less beneficial, whom we do honour. "Honour Ecclus. thy physician," saith the wise man: the reason why, because for necessity's sake, God created him. Again, "Thou shalt Levit. rise up before the hoary head, and honour the person of the xix. 32. aged:" the reason why, because the younger sort have great benefit by their gravity, experience, and wisdom, for which cause, these things the wise man termeth the crown or diadem

ii. 17.

xxxviii. 1.

Ecclus. xxv. 6.

Prov.

1 Pet. ii. 14.

of the aged. Honour is due to parents: the reason why, because we have our beginning from them; "Obey the father xxiii. 22. that hath begotten thee: the mother that bare thee despise thou not." Honour is due unto kings and governors: the reason why, because God hath set them "for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well." Thus we see by every of these particulars, that there is always some kind of virtue beneficial, wherein they excel who receive honour; and that degrees of honour are distinguished according to the value of those effects which the same beneficial virtue doth produce.

Psal.

lxxii. 15.

Nor is honour only an inward estimation, whereby they are reverenced and well thought of in the minds of men; but honour, whereof we now speak, is defined to be an external sign, by which we give a sensible testification that we acknowledge the beneficial virtue of others. Sarah honoured her husband Abraham; this appeareth by the title she gave him. The brethren of Joseph did him honour in the land of Egypt; their lowly and humble gesture sheweth it. Parents will hardly persuade themselves that this intentional honour which reacheth no farther than the inward conception only, is the honour which their children owe them.

Touching that honour which, mystically agreeing unto Christ, was yielded literally and really unto Solomon; the words of the Psalmist concerning it are, "Unto him they shall give of the gold of Sheba, they shall pray for him continually, and daily bless him." Weigh these things in themselves, titles, gestures, presents, other the like external signs wherein honour doth consist, and they are matters of no great moment. Howbeit, take them away, let them cease to be required, and they are not things of small importance, which that surcease were likely to draw after it. Let the lord mayor of London, or any other unto whose office honour belongeth, be deprived but of that title which in itself is a matter of nothing; and suppose we that it would be a small maim unto the credit, force, and countenance, of his office? It hath not without the singular wisdom of God been provided, that the ordinary outward tokens of honour should for the most part be in themselves things of mean account; for to the end they might easily follow as faithful testimonies of that beneficial virtue whereunto they are due, it behoved them to be of such nature, that to himself no man might over-eagerly challenge

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