The laws of ecclesiastical polity Author:Richard Hooker Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: excommunication is to be exercised ; Secondly, whether it may not be exercised some other way than by the Consistory; Thirdly, what the use of their Churches was... more », to do in this case: answer was returned from the said Churches, that they had heard already of those consistorial laws, and did acknowledge them to be godly ordinances drawing towards the prescript of the Word of God ; for which cause that they did not think it good for the Church of Geneva by innovation to change the same, but rather to keep them as they were. Which answer, although not answering unto the ft mer demands, but respecting what Master Calvin had judgerf requisite for them to answer, was notwithstanding accepted without any further reply : inasmuch as they plainly saw, that when stomach doth strive with wit, the match is not equal. And so the heat of their former contentions began to slake. The present inhabitants of Geneva, I hope, will not take it in evil part, that the faultiness of their people heretofore, is by us so far forth laid open, as their own learned guides and pastors have thought necessary to discover it unto the world. For out of their books and writings it is that I have collected this whole narration, to the end it might thereby appear in what sort amongst them that discipline was planted, for which so much contention,is raised amongst ourselves. The reasons which moved Calvin herein to be so earnest, was, as Beza himself testifieth, " for that he saw how needful these bridles were to be put in the' jaws of that city." That which by wisdom he saw to be requisite for that people, was by as grrat wisdom compassed. . /But wise men are men, and the truth is truth.) That which vCalvin did for establishment of his discipline, seemeth more commendable, than that which he taught for the countenanci...« less