their Quarters SECT I. TO illustrate the truth of these foure Positions and withall to prove that the Churches were at first governed by Bishops and Presbyters he begins with the first Church the Church of Jerusalem Mother of all Churches from whence the sound of the Gospel went out into all the world This Church was under the charge of Iames the sonne of Alpheus one of the Apostles and his Presbyters No doubt by the consent and appointment of the other Apostles providing for the Church there before their departure into other coaâ—â—s This is comirmed too by Ignatius Clem. Alexandrinus This appeares by many pregnant passages of the Scriptures as Galar 1.18 Gal. 2.9 Act. 15.1 13 19. Gal. 2.12 All these places prove that Saint Iames had the charge of that Church as being the chiefe of that first Councel held there of which we reade Acts 15. and * And when James Peter and John c. nominated by S. Paul in that fore-named Epistle to the Gal. 2.9 before the rest of the Apostles some of whose names wee finde there recorded To denote his preheminencie and precedencie in that place And that he had Presbyters for his Assistants appeares by the second verse of the fore-cited Chapter of the Acts. ch 21. v. 19. where we find that S. Paul at his last comming to Jerusalem Acts 15. went in to Iames where all the Elders were present to advise with him that had the care of that Church about the great businesse then in hand how to behave himselfe towards those of the Circumcision who beleeved Of the Colledge of Presbyters at Jerusalem and of their concurrence and assistance with S. Iames in the Government of that Church we have two unreprovable Arguments in the Acts of the Apostles Act. 11.30 Act. 15.4 6 22 23. SECT II. THis pattern thus setled in Jerusalem the Apostles followed in other Churches which they converted to the Faith by preaching to them the Word of Life These Churches were first founded in Cities as appears by * Tert. lib. de Praescrip c. 20. Ac proinde Ecclesias apud unainquamque civitatem condiderunt Tertullian which is most worthy our observation For because they could not bestow their paines equally in all places reason required they should labour most to plant the faith of Christ in the most populous From whence it was propagated through the Townes and Countryes which were adjacent to those Cities which therefore in time became and were called the Territories Parishes or Dioceses of such or such Churches Now the form of Government estated by S. Paul over these Churches is pointed out to us Act. 14.23 where we reade that Paul and Barnabas ordained them Presbyters in every * Viz. in Lystra and Derbe Cities of Lyconia and in Iconium Church i. e. Colledges Bodies or Companies of Presbyters to order with common advice and joynt consent the Churches planted by them in severall Cities This appeares too by the 20. of Act. 17. where we find that there was a Bench of Elders at Ephesus for which Paul sent to Miletus Philip 1. Thus in the Church of Philippi you shall find that the Apostle directed his Epistle to the Bishops and Deacons there which must be to the Colledge of Presbyters next above the Order of Deacons So when the Apostle writeth to the Thestalonians 1 Thes 12. And we beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord The multitude whereof he speaketh is to be understood like wise of the body or company of the Presbyters And in all Church Writers you shall find continuall remembrance of these Presbyters whensoever there is speech of Mother Churches in Mother Cities Now the Presbyters being styled in the holy Scriptures by the name of Bishops Quest a Question will arise from hence Whether the Apostles from the beginning ordained Bishops over the Presbyters Wee must needs answer Negatively Resp And the truth of this will appeare out of Act. 20.17 where the Apostle using these words to the Presbyters of Ephesus Take heed to your selves and to the whole flocke over whom the holy Ghost hath made you EPISCOPOS Bishops or Overseers Where as he giveth the name of Bishops to the Bresbyters so he addresseth his instructions to none befides From whence we may probably infer That at that time there were no Bishops If there had been any S. Paul would have mentioned them with respect to the eminencie of their office So we finde none at Philippi Phil. 1.6 as is evident by the Epigraph or Inscription of that Epistle to the Philippians None in the Church of Corinth as is collected by S. Ambrose and others from the many and great disorders which the Apostle sharply taxeth 1 Cor. 11.21 All which happened Vide Tert. de Praeserip c 36. where he calls the fore-named Churches Apostoloram Cathedras By which it appears that the Apostles sate there as chiefe because there was no Bishop to compose the differences of that Church in the Apostles absence It seemes then that the Apostle himselfe had taken the chiefe charge and oversight of those Churches wherein he had planted bodies of Presbyters This appears by that place in the 2 Cor. 11.28 Besides those things which are without that which commeth upon me daily the care of all the Churches See Acts 15 36. 1 Cor. 5.4 where he proceedeth in the sentence of Excommunication against the incestuous person and requireth of the church i.e. the Presbyter to see it satisfied And the whole frame of his Epistles containes the Acts of his Spirituall Government which he reserved to himself in chiefe over the Churches which he himselfe had planted The like may be asserted of Saint Peter in respect of those Churches committed to his charge Vid. 1 Pet. 5.1 where he directeth his exhortation of feeding the flocke to none but Presbyters which St. Hierome long since has maintained out of the 13. to the Hebrewes 17. where the Apostle writeth in the plurall number Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves c. SECT III THings being thus setled when the Apostles by reason of that multitude of busines had not leisure to attend in person upon the Churches which they had planted they appointed certaine Heads or Superintendents over the company of Presbyters which Heads ever since have retained the name of Bishop Thus were Timothy and Titus made Bishops over the Churches of Crete and Asia Whose Mother Church was Ephesus when it was revealed to the Apostle S. Paul that from thenceforth he was to make the Westerne parts of the world his Diocesse vid. Act. 19.21 And it was at Ephesus where S. Paul thus bespake the Elders Act. 20.25 And now behold I know that all you among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdome of God shall see my face no more And knowing by revelation that hee was to serve God no more in those Easterne
Eucharist celebrated by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Bishop so that the Presbyters did not preach but when the Bishop was absent and administred not the Sacraments i. e. did not consecrate in his presence This is evident in the life of St. Austin by the story of Valerius a Greek Bishop who comming into St. Austines Church at Hippo desired Saint Austine who was not then a Bishop to officiate in regard that he was not well skilled in the African nor the people in the knowledge of the Greek tongue Tertullian affirmes the same l. de Bapt. c. 17. so does Ignatius in Epist ad Smyrn Where to shew the preeminence of the Bishop he proves that as by the ancient constitutions of the Church the Presbyters ought not to doe any thing without the consent of the Bishop nor the Bishop in great matters without the consent and advice of his Presbyters so neither ought the Laity to doe any thing in the Church without the Bishop and Presbyters approbation or liking This may be farther proved out of Ignatius in his Epist ad Trall And so still in Ignatius the Presbyters are assistant to the Bishop in all things Which is likewise confirmed by the sixth Canon of the Councell of Gangra Vi. Mr. Th. p. 118 119. Where hee also proves that the Deacons were not suijuris i. e. had not the sole disposing of the maintenance of the Church and poore but did onely execute the will and judgement of the Bishop and Presbyters and distributed the Churches almes to those whom they appointed SECT VIII HAving thus declared in part the preeminence of the Bishop over the Presbyters i. e. the priviledge he has in some cases above these and also that the Deacons as well as the Lay-persons are subject to the power of both the former Mr. Th. proceeds to discourse of two particulars in the Office common to Bishops and Presbyters wherein the people have a share and may claim an interesse The one is the discipline of Penance The other the ordaining of Ministers And first of all by way of manuduction to his discourse he explaines that Text Matth. 16.19 And I will give thee the keyes of heaven And whatsoever thou bindest on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Which power of binding and loosing he affirmes to be the same with that given to the Apostles John 20.24 Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto him and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained The Bishop and Presbyters that exercised this power of binding and loosing remitting and retaining sins represented the office of Judges and Physitians Lapsis fratribus per poenitentiam medela quaeratur Firmil in Ep. ad Cypr. Ep. 75. Judges they were in shutting Gods house upon offenders and binding their sinnes upon their consciences Physitians in prescribing the medicine of repentance And in that respect alone are said to remit sinnes as a Physitian who does no more but prescribe the medicine or at the most see it prescribed is said to cure a mans disease And having a spirituall eye to judge when repentance is sound and unfained upon due knowledge of this they may assure men that their sinnes are pardoned and pronounce their absolution declaratively whereby they unloose that knot wherewith their consciences were tyed The medicine of Repentance prescribed to a delinquent was wont to be strengthened with the prayers and intercession of the Congregation but in the chiefe place of the Bishop and Presbyters whose prayers were correspondent to that which is given to make physick work Vi. Mat. 18.19 out of which text following that wherein Christ gives to the Apostles power of binding and loosing may be proved that the Congregation interceding by their prayers with God for a sinner in this respect bore a part and had a share with the Church the Bishop and Presbyters in the discipline of penance which these imposed upon delinquents but * i. e. The congregation or people they medled not with the keyes of Gods house i. e. they did not as the Jewes were wont to doe usurpe the power of Excommunication upon causes of their particular interesse but left that wholly to the Church i. e. to the Eccelesiasticall Governours to whom only that power did belong Dic Ecclesiae Matth. 18.17 implyes as much That censure of Excommunication as appeares by 1 Cor. 5.13 did cut men off from the conversation of Christians for that such persons forfeited by their hainous sinnes the priviledge of Gods sonnes and so delivered them over to the power of Satan to be led captive by him at his will and pleasure As those among the Israelites that lodged without the Camp were in danger to be lickt up and devoured by the Amalekites That course of Excommunication as it was a preservative in regard of those that were not tainted yet might be so was it medicinall in respect of the sicke which were usually restored to their former soundnesse by shame and griefe Vi. 1 Cor. 5.6 1 Tim. 1.20 and this power of excommunicating was exercised in common by the Bishops and Presbyters which practice was a good glosse upon the words of our Saviour to Peter Behold I give thee the keyes of heaven for what was promised to Peter was given to his fellow Apostles but was to rest in the Church throughout all ages Witnesse that of Saint Austine Ep. 79. Si hoc in Ecclesiâ fit Petrus quando claves accepit Ecclesiam sanctam significavit Vid. Mr. Th. p. 143. where you shall finde for the confirmation of this an authority out of Tertull. Apol. c. 39. and another out of St. Aust Homil. ult ex 50. Hom. c. 11. How because the Church cannot proceed in their Censures effectually or to any good purpose but by vertue of those lawes which are put in force and maintained by the Secular powers and because it cannot be expected that the people should yeeld a voluntary submission to the Discipline of the Church farther then it is enabled by the Lawes of the Realme to exercise it Therefore it is much to be wished that those wholesome and usefull Lawes by which the Ministers of the Church are enabled directed and constrained to exercise and discharge this necessary part of their office may be revived and put into act that so the power of the Keyes given to the Church by our Lord being assisted and strengthned by the Secular arme may be enabled to reduce all notorious offenders to a good life and conversation by the Discipline of penance and to cut them off from the Church that refuse it Then this Discipline of penance there is not a more puissant way to beat down Vice and to discountenance Malefactors in a Christian Commonwealth In regard that when they have satisfied the Lawes of the Kingdome with the losse of goods and reputation or have escaped death by the connivence and gentlenesse of their Judges Neverthelesse if the
Mr. Th. is most observable and waighty He advises in the first place that with all circumspection and providence great care be used in ordering the choice of them His meaning is that if the people in the primitive Church had an interesse or share in giving consent to those who were to be ordained Presbyters much more must we think it very just and fit that the votes of the Presbyters and consent of the people should now precede and concur in the designing of such persons under whom and with whom they are to guide and be guided in spirituall affaires such persons are Bishops who should be men most holy in their life and most eminent for learning Most happy would this Nation be if all our Prelates were such and if that prescribed method were duly observed in the choice such would there alwayes or for the most part be who should fit at the Helme of this poore distracted Church now like to that Ship in which Peter was tossed and ready to sink for want of good Pilots SECT X. LAst of all because this Apostolicall government by Bishops and Presbyters is chiefly exercised in Ordination Penance a question may arise Whether it belongs to the Bishop alone without his Presbyters to censure the offences whether in doctrine or manners of those persons who have received holy orders Mr. Th. clearing first that place in 1 Tim. 5.19 20. answers the question Against an Elder receive not an accusation but under 2. or 3. witnesses c. That without all doubt it was the practice of the primitive times for the Bishop with his Presbyters to take the examination of offending Ministers whom being convicted of their offence by the mouth i. e. the asseveration of 2. or 3. witnesses he in the presence of his Presbyters did rebuke before all in the sight and hearing of the congregation that others thereby might be strucken with feare to offend God and his people by their scandalous conversation If this course had been taken formerly with Ministers and Deacons it might have so pleased God that the Church should not now have layen bleeding and gasping in this fatall ruine Neither would there have beene given to our enemies so just an occasion of relating sad truths in Gath and Askelon Thus following the method of that most learned Gentleman I have cast his larger Modell into a lesser frame that the cmmon people may hereby be better instructed and advised not to thinke of destroying Bishops but rather labour and wish for the restoring of their Presbyteries which forme of government being set downe and delivered in the holy Scriptures is commended and countenanced by the agreement of historicall Truth and primitive practice as of the Apostles and other succeeding ages And seeing that the Bishops succeeded the Apostles in place and function I cannot but wonder that those should endeavour to destroy them those who are Sons of the Apostles Faith and Doctrine S. Hierom of all Church Writers least favorable to the Order of Bishops is neverthelesse most large in acknowledging that without it the peace of particular Churches could not be preserved In witnesse whereof we may appeale to those many and happy dayes which our Church since the Reformation by means of it hath enjoyed without such ruptures and factions which have happened in a neighbouring Church whose people were alwayes observed to be of all others most daring in matters of Religion to innovate opinions and break the bonds of peace by which the good and welfare of Church and State is promoted To re-establish which blessed peace after which we groane in our prayers with panting desires it could be wished that wee might see the Heads of our Church the Bishops stand as Mr. Th. expresses it well in their right places being set over Bodies or Colledges of Presbyteries which should consist of men conforme to the Church both in Doctrine and Discipline To the want of which government although some have attributed those many inconvenciences wherewith the Church is cumbred yet most of the Clergy-men that are versed in the affaires of the Church wishing its prosperity and peace doe acknowledge and confesse with a protestation against it That there is one in conveniency now setled in the Church which has done much mischiefe and cannot be redressed without a publique Act of Parliament It is the committing of Jurisdiction at large even that which by the power of the Keyes received from Christ is proper and essentiall to the Church to Lay persons as Chancellors and Commissaries c. who may still retaine that office and ranke they hold in regard of those other points of Jurisdiction in charitable causes annexed by the favour of Princes and Lawes of Commonwealths to the Church As the probat of Wils c. which is fittest to judge and determine in such cases yet may be nonplust sometimes for want of knowledge in the Civill Law and therefore may and must have need of such assistants who if they moved onely in the lower Sphere of the Law and medled not with that Primum mobile the great wheele of the Church the discipline of penance but did leave the execution of this to the Bishop and Presbyters If this were once amended and officers duly censured by the B ps their Presbyters openly in the Church or in any publike place of Justice And besides the exercise of this discipline if they enjoined their joint pains parts in the tryall examination of persons who come for Ordination providing that none be ordained but those who are either Assistants of and are presented to Cures according to our Lawes if this were faithfully done and Ministers without connivence censured who should offend either in life or doctrine then should we see Righteousnesse run downe like a streame in our streets and Peace would flourish within our wals and Plenty in our palaces This is my daily prayer and it is the desire of all good Christians Da pacem Domine in diebus nostris Give peace in our time O Lord. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem FINIS Kinde Reader The Authors of this Book being by multiplicity of imployments detained from meeting together to revise the whole before the impression was finished the Errata swell to a greater number then may stand with the credit of the Book but if thou pleasest before the reading of it with thy pen to correct these ensuing we hope it will tend the more to thy satisfaction PAge 1. line 5. 1 Joh. 5.22 read Joh. 5.22 p. 5. l. 26. blot out is p. 6. l. 22. in some Copies comparing r. conforming p. 52. l. 19. three r. two and l. 20. blot out these words 3. It is an exercised power p. 73. l. 6. in margin potentissima r. potissima p. 75. l. 7. serve r. swear p. 82. l. 3. conventies r. conventions and l. 34. essentiall r. severall p. 84. l. 14. subject r. directly and properly subordinate p. 85. l. 33. essentiall r. severall p. 87. l 4. seeing r. preaching p. 95. l. 36 37. blot out those words God hath not given us the spirit of feare but of power Tit. 1.7 p. 96. l. 25. 1 Cor. 19. r. 1 Cor. 14. p. 103. l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 111. l. 1. to 5. blot out the sentence from supposing to the period and l. 10. perfect r. profest p. 111. l. 7. because in no. r. but a. p. 115. l. 5. blot out joyntly p. 118. l. 3. blot out these words 3. He that sheweth mercy i. e. such as were to entertain strangers relieve the sick c. ver 8. p. 121. l. 10. blot out yet p. 123. l. 34. blot out well p. 169. l. 11. 1 Cor. 4.21 r. 1 Cor. 4.20 p. 172. l. 17. blot out of the Church p. 195. l. 5. a multitude r. multitudes p. 214. l. 28. blot out greater and l. 29. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Other literall faults will be pardoned of course