OF CHURCH CONTROVERSIES. 45 



readiest to be had. Our Church is not now to 

 plant ; it is settled and established. It may be, in 

 civil states, a republic is a better policy than a king 

 dom : yet, God forbid that lawful kingdoms should 

 be tied to innovate and make alterations. &quot; Qui 

 mala introducit, voluntatem Dei oppugnat revelatam 

 in verbo; qui nova introducit, voluntatem Dei op 

 pugnat revelatam in rebus;&quot; he that bringeth in evil 

 customs, resisteth the will of God revealed in his 

 word ; he that bringeth in new things, resisteth the 

 will of God revealed in the things themselves. 

 t( Consule providentiam Dei, cum verbo Dei ;&quot; take 

 counsel of the providence of God, as well as of his 

 word. Neither yet do I admit that their form, al 

 though it were possible and convenient, is better than 

 ours, if some abuses were taken away. The parity 

 and equality of ministers is a thing of wonderful great 

 confusion, and so is an ordinary government by 

 synods, which doth necessarily ensue upon the other. 

 It is hard in all causes, but especially in religion, 

 when voices shall be numbered and not weighed : 

 &quot; Equidem,&quot; saith a wise father, &quot; ut vere quod res 

 est scribam, prorsus decrevi fugere omnem conven- 

 tum episcoporum ; nullius enim concilii bonum exi- 

 tum unquam vidi; concilia enim non minuunt mala, 

 sed augent potius :&quot; To say the truth, I am utterly 

 determined never to come to any council of 

 bishops : for I never yet saw good end of any 

 council ; for councils abate not ill things, but rather 

 increase them. Which is to be understood not so 

 much of general councils, as of synods, gathered for 



