often confounded yet the functions are distinct For in the 24. of Matthew Verse 45. hee that was appointed Rector super familiam Steward of the houshold vnder the chief Lord was in the 49. verse called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow seruant with the rest of the Meany all seruants vnder one Lorde but yet some superior to other in Office In the Ciuile state being more familiar vnto you this distinction will be more apparant For the stile of Barâ—n is a tiâ—tle belonging to men of great Honor and of noble birth but yet communicable to men scarse of meane Worship Yea euen in that honourable rank both Earles and Lords are called Barons yet their places and Dignities vnequall euery Earle being a Baron but euery Baron not an Earle So in this case both Bishops and Priests in respect of that generall seruice to our Lord the Dispensation of his word and mysteries are all Presbyters and fellow-Presbyters but the stiles being communicable the tearmes are not conuertible for euery Bishop is a Presbyter but euery Presbyter is not a Bishop For S. Peter calleth himselfe a Presbyter 1. Pet. 5. 1. and yet he was an Apostle the communitie of names confound not the offices Neither shal we euer read that any of those things inioyned by Paul to Timothie were committed to Presbyters either to a singular person or to a whole Colledge where there was not a Bishop Wherevpon the very same authoritie both of Ordination and Iurisdiction the Churches succeeding reserued to their Bishops onely I maruaile saith Hierom that the Bishop of the Diocesse wherein Vigilantius is a Presbyter doth not crush that vnprofitable vessell with his Apostolique rod. And it is thy humilitie saith Saint Cyprian to Rogatianus a Byshop that thou wouldest complaine to me of the conâ—umelie offered vnto thee by a Deacon whereas thou mightest pro Episcopatus tui vigore Cathedrae authoritate that is through the strength of thine office as thou art a Byshop and the authoritie of thy Chayre haue power sufficient to reuenge thy selfe on him And therefore willeth him â—hat if the Deacon doe still persist in that his malipert cariage he should either Deponere or abstinere Depose him from his Ministerie or suspend him at his pleasure And thus much of the Superioritie of Bishops ouer their Clergie the nature whereof what it is you see Wee must nowe come to examine the authoritie whereon it is grounded and that is in these wordes Spiritus sanctus the Holy Ghost For his authoritie runs through all the partes as in the beginning I told you Of his immediate disignment of any to the place we speake not yet though â—ome referre the calling of Timothie to his Bishopricke vpon those words per Prophetiam thereunto Oecumenius vpon that place infers that generall conclusion that Bishops were not made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pell-mell at all aduentures but by the Commandement of the Holy Ghost wee speake of their appointment by men indued with the Holy spirit from aboue that is the Apostles for euery ordinance Apostolick wee take to be the action of the Holy Ghost In triall whereof we will follow M. Beza Surely saith he Si ab ipsis Apostolis profecta esset c. If I could finde this superioritie of a Bishop ouer the rest of his Clergie to haue proceeded from the Apostles I would not feare to attribute it Divinae in solidum dispositioni Wholly and fully to the diuine Institution Let vs then ioyne that issue Saint Augustine shall beginne That which the whole Church reteineth and no Councell hath first decreed and was neuer alâ—red must be beleeued to be an Apostolicall ordinance Now â—or this particular Saint Hierom himselfe câ—nfessethâ— that not one Church onely but the whole world decreed the superioritie of Bishops Vt vnus coeteris superpoâ—erâ—tur As for a Councell that first erected it there is none The Canons which for the antiquitie of them are called Apostolorum Canones distinguish theâ— Degrees as we now haue them The Nicen Councel which is the first generall we haue in print extant reckoneth them in the same order with the same prerogatiues and establisheth them to be continued according to the ancient and former custome with this short Aphorisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For alteration there was none for 1500. yeeres together vntill young Iosua his emulation enuying that some had the Key of Knowledge more then other Enuiest thou for my sake ioyned with Corah his repining that some had the Key of power and Iurisdiction aboue others You take too much vpon you Moses and Aaron I say not for 1500 yeeres did any Church alter that Gouernment or opinion perhaps a pedling Heretique or two Theâ—alâ—s in the Church of Ierusalem and Aerius else-where fancied vnto themselues a Paritie but their ground was Malecontentment as Eusebius and Epiphanius both witnes because they could not be made Bishops which they earnestly affected Egesippus the ancienst Historian cited by Eusebius hath branded Theblis with a marke that will not out while there are bookes extant viz. That the Church of Ierusalem remained no way infected with error in so much that she was by men stiled a Virgin the first that corrupted her was Thebulis because he was not made Bishop So that by Saint Augustines inference the Institution is Apostolicall and therfore by M. Beza his concession Diuine But this is perhaps but an oblique and indirect proofe Surely we are no Arcadians to fetch our Pedegree from beyond the Moone shall Histories of fact or Testimonies of the auncient be our Heraldes for record Eusebius the most auncient of the Historiographers that wee haue for 300. yeeres succession nameth the persons and calculateth the times of the Bishops of foure principall Churches of the worlde Ierusalem Antioch Rome and Alexandria Socrates and Theodoret the rest who lineally succeeded the Apostles in those Sees vntill the Councell of Nice who with 314. Bishops more subscribed vnto that Generall Councill And that which Eusebius witnesseth of those foure the same doth Irenaeus more auncient then hee by almost two hundred yeeres iustifie to bee the case of all the Churches in the world that the Bishops theÌ„ gouerning could deriue their succession from them to whom the Apostles by hand deliuered the saide Churches to gouerne in euery place Which certeine successiue propagation Saint Augustine maketh the maine roote of Christian societie and Tertullian the maine proofe of true doctrine And heere if I would seeme ambitious in heaping Authors I might goe downeward from Irenaeus through the whole course of the Fathers delineating this succession and thereby trouble rather your patience then mine owne memorie The best course therefore to determine this question in this short time allotted mee will bee as I think if we make him the vmper whoÌ„ they make our Accuser that is S. Hierom
both Preachers Gouernours yet saith Saint Paul If any man obey 〈…〉 note him by a letter and shall I come vnto you with a Rod saith he to the Corinthians which Church had many Presâ—yters there is the Censure reserued For the other Philip though full of the holy Ghost and of power hauing preached and conuerted many in Samaria yet had no authoritie to lay-hands vpon any but the Apostles were faine to send from Hierusalem Peter and Iohn to doe that office there is Imposition of hands reserued both these they conueyed vnto Bishops First for Ordination by laying on of hands in this Church of Ephesus there were many Presbyters long before Timothie was appointed their Bishop yet Saint Paul sent him of purpose to Impâ—se handes 1. Tim. 5. 22. and for that intent also he left Titus in Creta Neither would the Church of Christ succeeding admit any other but Bishops to that businesse as not iustifiable for the Presbyters either by Reason example or Scripture First for Reason it is a rule which admits no contradiction saith the Apostle that he which blesseth should bee greater then he which is blessed taking it for the benediction which is ex authoritate not deuotione for the subiect may blesse the Prince man blesseth God in heartie deuotion but the blessing of authoritie comes from the greater as honour is in him that confers it not in him that takes it And this is Saint Ambrose his reason Secondly for example not one to bee shewed through the whole storie Ecclesiasticall that any besides a Bishop did it If some one of the inferior ranke presumed to doe it his Act was reuersed by the Church for vnlawfull as in the case of Collâ—thus a Presbyter of Alexandria whereof Athanasius and Epiphanius do both make mention who took vpon him to giue orders for which both himselfe was censured and what hee did was reuoked and they receiued as meere Lay-men and no otherwise vnto the communioÌ„ whom he had ordered Thirdly For scripture there is none either of Holie men or of the Holy-Ghost not holymen for all the Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one consent do contradict it Chrysostome vpon the 1. Tim. 3. and 4. Theodoret vpon the same places Oecumenius vpon 1. Tim. 5. Ambrose is peremptory that it is neither Fas nor Ius consonant neither with Gods nor mans law that any besides a Bishop should do it Yea Hierom himselfe who setteth a Presbyter like him in Sophocle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aduanceth him as high as he can to make him go aequis ceruicibus with a Bishop yet takes him this one peg downe Excepta Ordinatione what is it saith he that a bishop doth which a Presbyter may not do sauing Ordination No scripture of the Holy-ghost either analogically by consequent or directly by precept For analogie none but the Apostles did it or might do it as before you heard not directly for to what Presbyter was the authority committed as a Presbyter vnto Timothy a Bishop of Ephesus it was said lay hands hastily on no man And to Titus a Bishop of Creta I have left thee here to ordaine presbyters But to each of these there is an obiection First for example that of Ananias Act 9. who being neither Apostle not Bishop onely a disciple laide his handes vpon Paul and had a commission for it True but they were Manus curatoriae not confirmatoriae as appeareth verse 12. to restore his sight not to giue him his function Els should he haue beene first actually consecrated an Apostle of Christ before hee had beene baptised into Christ which was Psal 18. Secondly for scripture Saint Pauls precept seemes to imply a practise of consecration by the Presbyteri in those wordes neglect not the grace which is in thee and was given thee cum impositione manuum presbyterii faire colours in show but they will not hold Shall the Fathers bâ—e iudges They al with one consent interpret the Presbytery by the Praelacy that is by the Bishops for they onely say the Fathers may doe it Shall moderne writers and the best of them Maister Caluin presbyterii nor the Colledge saith hee is here meant for the Bishops had then and after a colledge of priestes to assist them in their sacred businesse which Saint Hierom calleth Senatum ecclesiae but the office as if Paul shoulde haue said neglect not the grace which was giuen thee when by imposition of handes thou wert made presbyter which interpretation he borrowes from Saint Chrysost. Shal Saint Paul himselfe determine it In the second Tim 1. 6. Stirre vp saith he the grace which is in thee by the laying on of My hands So that either Saint Paul was himselfe that whole Presbyter 〈◊〉 as hauing in him being an Apostle which Bishops also haue all the fuÌ„ctions Ecclâ—siastical as the Philosopher speaks of anima rationalis that it hath in it all the inferior faculties both sensitiue and vegetatiue Or at least he was principal in the action without him it might not be done Which were it so yet Master Caluin stands resolute that S. Paul alone did it it preuentes a third obiection taken out of the 4. Carthaginian Councell where there is a Canon that when a Bishop laies handes to giue Orders all the priestes present do withall lay their handes iuxta manum Episcopi True First iuxta manum so that the Bishops hand must necessarily and 〈◊〉 bâ— on Secondly there is 〈◊〉 scripture a twofould 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or stretching forth of the hand the first extended to coÌ„secrate and bâ—esse So did the â—aâ—riaâ—chs and priestes in the ould testament our Sauiour and his Apostles in the new The other stretched out ad testimoâ—um for a witnesse and assent The Bishops hand is the first for that blesseth and consecrateth the preâ—byters assisting do with their handes 〈◊〉 and approue what hee doth How will that appeare demonstratiuely because if there were an error in the ordination as that a man either insufficient for learning or scandalous for life or otherwise Canonically impeached were admitted into Orders the Bishop only was censured the assisting presbyters neuer called in question whereof the examples are infinite and therefore the diuines haue very well obserued out of that place 1. Tim. 5. 22. lay handes hastily on no man that the Bishop as hee hath manuÌ„ porrigendaÌ„ he only hath authority to impose haÌ„ds so he hath also manuÌ„ corrigendam if as S. Basil speaketh he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hands too hasty and easy for admittance into orders without triall and testimony his hand onely is to bee corrected For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is thou Timothy not the Presbyters that communicatest with their sinne whom thou so admittest So then since neither the error was imputed vnto the Clergie assistant nor the Censure inflicted vpon them the
coÌ„clusion is found therefore the authoriâ—â—â— not committed vnto them Whereupon some because if they grant Imposition of handes they see a superioritie must needes follow haue therefore done as it is recorded of a Painter in the time of Queene Mary who hauing drawne King Henry the 8. against the Queenes comming through the Citty in Triumph with a Bible in his hand beeing checked by a great Counsailor of State and willed to wipe it out because he would be sure to leaue no part of the booke visible hee wiped out Bible hand withall so they with the superiority haue remoued also the â—â—remony insomuch that in some Churches as it is well knowne to your Maiesty when they admit any into Orders they shake haÌ„ds with them as bidding them welcome into their coÌ„pany grounding it vpon a Text of Scripture to say no more wrongfully interpreted Gal. 2. 9. where it is said that the â— chiefe Apostles gaue vnto Paul and Barnabas dextras societatis the right hanâ—s of fellowship as if they at that time had either giuen or confirmed vnto them their function Where as the truth is that the Apostles finding the doctrine of Paul and Barnabas to bee all one with theirs and alâ—o their preaching very effectuall in conuerting many to the faith thervpon they entred a Couenant that Paul and Barnabas should take the charge of the Gentiles and they them selues would be Apostles of the Circumcision and vpon this they strooke handes But Paul and Baâ—nabas Act. 13. 2. receiued also imposition of handes at Antioch If before they came to the Apostles as some thinke then this shaking of handes be it for ordination was superfluous If after as others more probably coniecture then were this defectiue The truth is that the A postle Paul receiued not his function by handes either imposed or stroâ—ken but by especiall reuelation Gal. 1. 1. 2. The handes imposed Act. 13. were commendatiue the right handes stroken Gal. 1. were stipulatiue and therefore no meane Praesbyterial The Professors of Boem wish Imposition of handes in consecration to be retained as signifying 4 thinges fit for a Minister for some of them will haue Ceremonies to bee significant And so much shall serue for the first part We come now to the second that is to Correctiue iurisdiction which Saint Paul to Titus 1. 4. in one worde calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a setting of things to rights Correction iudicial is either Correctiue or Coactiue either restraining where there is too much forwardnes or inforcing where there is a slacknes this the Rod that the sworde Apostolical Veniam ad vos in virga 1. Cor. 4. there is the poâ— vâ—inam abscindantur qui perturbant vos there is the sword Apostolique â—al 5. 12. Both these the Apostles kept in their owne handes as will appeare for example in the Church of Corinth where there were many excellent Preachers Presbyters of eminent gifts yet none of them could proceede against the incestuous offendor before they had receiued a Commission from S. Paul who beeing offended that they had no sooner informed him Iam iudicâ—â—i saith hee as soone as he heard it I haue already decreed to deliuer him to Satan He did not say decreed that you shall deliuer him and therefore willeth them in the name of Christ and his spirit that his authoritie being with theÌ„ to execute that his decree and deliuer him vp whether by excommunication or corporall infliction is not to this purpose But where they placed Bishops vnto theÌ„ they transmited the same preeminence Against an elder receiue no accusation saith Saint Paul to â—imothy he saith not against a Co-Presbyter as his equal but he speaketh vnto Timothy a Bishop as a Iudge of Presbyters saith Epiphan In particular if any of the Clergie do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preach any other doctrin theÌ„ that which is â—ound prohibe command him not to do it If any of them do preach prophanely or bablingly Cohibe restraine him that their doctrine spread not to further hurt If Timothy might not thus censure alone which is the opinion of some without the consent of the bench what needed that dreadful charge vnto him 1. Tim. 5. 21. I charge thee before God Christ Iesus his elect Angels that thou proceede in this order without preiudice or partialitie the 2 cuâ— throâ—es of al vpright proceedings For had hee bin to sit in the Consistory only to cap voices himselfe hauing no Negatâ—ue scarse a casting voice allotted him what feare might bee either of his preiudice to the cause or partiality to the accused sithence that as in Arithmetâ—ke the number of voices do there ouer sway and not the waight of reason Again of al Presbyters is expected the abiâ—â—ty to ech of theÌ„ coÌ„mitted the authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to censure gaine-â—aiers but with force of argument not in place of iudgement For vnto Titus alone a Bishop was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that vniuersal authority Tit. 2. 15. commended both for pulpit Consistory for I haue lefâ— thee at Creta to reas esse thinges amisse saith the Apostle vnto him Tit. 1. 5. For particulars if any preach otherwise then becomes him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is thy duâ—â— to put him to silence Tit. 1. 10. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reproue some of them sharpely as the word signifieth eueÌ„ with cutting them short that their vnround doctrine infect no further And againe if an Heretique after the first and second admonition recant not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 avâ—yde him that is excoÌ„municate him Tit. 3. 10. To say this authority was committed vnto either of them as Euangelistes First that is but a coniecture for there is as good proofe that Timothie was an Apostle as that he was an Euangelist for he that sayde vnto him 2. Tim. 4. 5. Fac opus Euangelistae Doe the worke of an Euangelist which is the ground of that gift the same sayd also of him 1. Cor. 16. 10. Operatur opus Domini sicut ego Hee worke the Lords worke euen as I And we all know Saint Paul was an Apostle Secondly the worke of an Euangelist ceased with the function as beeing but temporarie and personall but these things which Saint Paul inioynes to Timothie as a Bishop must remaine in the Church gouernment to perpetuall succession For so the Apostle 1. Tim. 6. 14. chargeth him before God and his sonne Christ that hee keepe these Inâ—unctions without stayne or changâ— ill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Which tiâ—othie could not performe in his own persoÌ„ who as the Apostle knew could not liue so long therfore as S. Ambrose well obserueth it is spoken to Timothie a Bishop as a precept for those that should succeed him in the same function much lesse were they imposed vpon him as a Presbyter for though the names in Scripture be