TO THE MOST GRACIOUS

JAMES,

DUKE OF LENNOX, EARL OF MARCH, &c.,

LORD WARDEN OF THE CINQUE PORTS, KNIGHT OF THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER, AND ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL, HIS VERY GOOD LORD.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR GRACE:

The advantage this slight worthless piece aimeth at in this address is of great consequence, but of a civil and moderate nature; it is no marvel if it desire to go forth under so great a name, that is not like to appear considerable to the world otherwise. But the countenance it demandeth is according as the cause may deserve: more it must not expect from your justice; less it cannot expect from your goodness. If it fail of the truth, it is a child rebellious to the father's intentions; and according to the law of Moses, here he bringeth him forth to receive his doom. If it have any thing considerable, in a cause wherein the world is so well informed long since, my suit is, that from your Grace's hands it may be derived to the public. The Lord of Heaven and earth bless your Grace with happiness of this life, and of that which is to So prays

come.

Your Grace's

most humble Chaplain,

HERBERT THORNDIKE.

To the Lobers of Peace and Truth.

course.

THAT style must serve me for a preface to this short disThe love of peace and truth, my hope is, hath made some impression in the reasons whereupon it proceedeth: and it were a wrong to the world to think that those marks can be offensive. My purpose was to contribute towards the true meaning of the Scripture in these matters: if I have failed of it, the attempt will deserve your excuse. But my heart telleth me not that I have set any text on the rack to make it confess more than it means. Ecclesiastical writers I have for the most part stripped of the authority which their years and merits in the Church have won, and produced them as witnesses at the bar of common sense, to make evidence from the historical truth of their sayings. The meaning of them is here translated and left to every man's apprehension to value; for when all is done, men must and will be judges for themselves.

H. T.

[In the first edition the latter part of this preface read thus; The meaning of them is for the most part either translated by their words or expressed in the current of my discourse. Sometimes it is left to every man's apprehension, &c.]

CHAPTER I.

.

THE APOSTLES EYE-WITNESSES OF OUR LORD, AND EAR-WITNESSES OF HIS
DOCTRINE. ST. PAUL AN APOSTLE. MANY PERSONAL QUALITIES IN
THEM. THEY WERE GOVERNORS OF CHURCHES.

I.

He that desireth to espy light at a narrow hole, must lay CHAP. his eye near, if he mean to discover at large. So must he be curious in considering the Scriptures, that meaneth to discern those things that are not declared there at large, but are collected by circumstance, or consequence; especially in matters which we view at this distance of time, which representeth to us things done then through a mist of succeeding custom. Those that seek for mines have their virgula divina, 2 a rod, which they hold even-balanced over the place where they hope for a vein, which if it hit right, the rod of itself bendeth towards the earth. Our Lord in the Gospel commandeth us to search the Scriptures, as men would seek for mines or treasure: let us keep an even balance of judgment, not bowing but as the vein of truth swayeth it; for if we put the grains of affection and prejudice into the gold scales which we weigh nice truths with, no marvel if the lighter go down.

§ 2. Now because the question concerneth the Apostles' time and the next to it, and the purpose is, to represent the form pointed at in Scripture, by comparing it with such passages of historical truth and primitive practice as shall seem best to express it, let us, in the first place, consider the nature of their charge, that it may appear how far the Church retaineth a 3 succession of it. For true it is, divers personal qualities are requisite in an Apostle, because they were to preach the Gospel to all nations. They must be men to witness those The Apothings they had seen our Lord do, those words they had witnesses heard Him speak, upon their own knowledge; and therefore of our men that had conversed with Him from the beginning of His car-witdoctrine. It is that St. Peter required at the choice of Mat- His docthias, Acts i. 21, "Of these men, that have companied with trine.

stles eye

Lord and

nesses of

CHAP. us all the while that the Lord Jesus went in and out among

I.

...

us, . . . . must one be ordained for a witness of His resurrection with us." It is that the same Apostle challengeth, 1 Pet. v. 1; "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ." He condescendeth to the rank of presbyters, when he saith, "who am also an elder;" but he voucheth the privilege of an Apostle, when he addeth, "and a witness of the sufferings of Christ." 4 St. Paul an And his fellow-Apostle of the Gentiles to the same purpose, Apostle. 1 Cor. ix. 1, "Am I not an Apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" As if to be an Apostle required one that had seen the Lord, which was supplied to him by his raptures and visions; as the hearing His doctrine was supplied unto him by that revelation by which he avoucheth to have received His Gospel, in the beginning of his epistle to the Galatians. This is that God had provided for satisfaction of common sense,- men that could witness, upon the credit of their eyes and ears, what they published. § 3. But it required greater matters to convince the world of sonal qua- those things which reason could not evidence: the gifts of the Holy Ghost, for knowledge, for language, for miracles, for all the like were requisite in a marvellous nature for those that undertook to preach the Gospel to all nations. This was the 5 Apostles' charge; and the power this charge importeth, the endowments it requireth, are personal, wherein no man pretendeth to succeed the Apostles. But the execution of this charge, reason telleth us, must needs proceed—and experience of that which is written telleth us it did proceed-according to the exigence of their several opportunities, concerted by consent among themselves; for so we find the chief Apostles, Gal. ii. 9, dividing their care between the Jews and the Gentiles.

Many per

lities in

them.

They were go

§ 4. If it appear, then, that the Apostles, for their time, took vernors of upon them the oversight of Churches of their own planting; Churches. if it appear, that an Apostle fixed his abode, and care both,

upon some Church in several, though all the world were their diocese in common; well may we proceed, upon these terms, to make the Apostles Bishops of such and such Churches, and 6 Bishops successors of the Apostles; though neither for the extent of their charge, nor for their abilities to perform it, yet