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A49108 Apostolical communion in the Church of England, asserted and applied for the cure of divisions: in a sermon preached in the Cathedral-Church of St. Peter, Exon: and since enlarged. By Tho. Long, B.D. and one of the prebendaries. Long, Thomas, 1621-1707. 1673 (1673) Wing L2959; ESTC R217728 38,652 77

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hath the power of Ordination committed to him Tit. 1.5 Titus had the same power in Crete To set in order the things that were wanting and to ordain Elders in every City for many Cities were under his inspection and many Teachers in those Cities but none of them had such a power as is committed to Titus These things are so evident that the Power of Bishops is not denyed them only it is said They were extraordinary persons and it did belong to them as Evangelists But first It cannot be proved that Titus was such a one and 't is a very weak proof to say that Timothy was such because he is bid to do the work of an Evangelist But it is acknowledged that the power and authority which Timothy had he was to commit to others 2 Tim. 2.2 Jus Divinum p. 160. that there might be a perpetual succession of government and the London Divines do there add That Apostolical Examples for the good of the Church and which have a perpetual reason and equity in them have the force of a Rule and by force of this Rule we infer that as St. Paul saw it necessary to derive a power from himself to Timothy over the Presbyters at Ephesus Timothy might and did propagate it to others successively for the well-governing the Church of God The truth of all this is acknowledged That there was a chief Governour appointed by the Apostles we will not contend for the name whether Evangelist or Prime Presbyter or Superintendent but Bishop is the name which the Church hath always used to have authority over the Presbyters and that this authority was to be continued in the Church by succession So Calvin Vnus aliquis authoritate consilio praefuit On Tit. 1.5 and he doubts not to call such an one a Bishop Instit. l. 4. c. 3. Jus Divinum Oct. 3. p. 11. Archippus says he was Bishop of the Colossians Then our Assembly grants that the Primus Presbyter had authority during his life And Videlius assures us of the name as well as the power for saith he in the days of Clemens Romanus the distinction of Bishop and Presbyter was in use The Presbyterians in their Papers to the King in the Isle of Wight grant that not long after the Apostles times Bishops in superiority to Presbyters are reported to be in the Church of God by Writers of those times and the Writers of those times knew what others had said before them None of the Ancients ever mentioning any other Government nor complaining of alteration of that which was established by the Apostles which had it been any other but that of Episc●pacy those Martyrs that laid down their lives for the truth would not so tamely have parted with the Government of the Church as not to open their mouths in behalf of that which was the chief Instrument of its peace Can any man conceive That the world was framed by the casual Concourse of Atoms is as probable That all the Governours of the Church should conspire to alter that Form which they received immediately from the Apostles and that presently after their decease Vincentius Lyrinensis tells us this was the practise of those primitive times that by how much any one was reputed more religious than another by so much the more readily he did oppose all Innovations To conclude we may suppose the dignity and power of the Bishop was not determined by the Apostles in every particular yet the Apostles determining that Government in general as most conducing to the unity and peace of the Church other particular circumstances which the exigence of after-times should require were under the power of the Church to appoint them for the unity of the Church being the end for which government was appointed the means that are conducing thereunto being agreed on by the rulers of the Church are as necessary in their kinds as the Laws appointed by Magistrates for the good of the Commonwealth And on this ground it was that Schismaticks have been so severely punished in all ages and their sin compared to the most abominable vices even to Idolatry Sacriledg Parricide Dr. Hammond of Schism for indeed it produceth all these Avoid divisions saith Ignatius as the beginning of all evils All this is Calvin's own sense Whereas it pleased not God to prescribe particularly what we ought to follow as to his outward Worship and Ceremonies by reason that he foresaw such things would depend on the condition of the times and that the same Form would not agree with all ages therefore we ought to consult the general rules which he gave us for the settling of such things as belong to decency and order as the exigency of the Church shall require and in such cases he pronounceth them Schismaticks which raise factions and tumults to the dividing of the Church which saith he cannot subsist but by the rules of its Governours These concessions are good arguments ad homines But the universal practise of the Church by all its members in every age and in all the parts of the world is an argument beyond all contradiction All the doubt is what was practised by the Church immediately after the Apostles age for of after-times there is no doubt and as little of the first age after the Apostles if we will be convinced by as clear evidences as can be produced for the proof of any History Quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus id ver● Catholicum or matter of fact Ignatius was contemporary with St. John conversant with some of the Apostles one that saw Christ after his Resurrection he wrote seven Epistles which are mentioned by Polycarpe his contemporary by Irenaeus Origen Eusebius and others and he crowned all his works with Martyrdom for Christ The Copies of his Epistles which were set forth by Vossius from the Library of Laurentius Medices are by Biondel congratulated as a great treasury to the Church Now nothing is more clear throughout his Writings than the Superiority of Bishops to Presbyters this made the Presbyterians so industrious to prove that they were spurious Epistles knowing that their cause would stand or fall with them and is nothing yet how sacred soever could stand in their way they deal as barbarously with his works as the Romans did wi●h his person accuse him for a deceiver and then condemn him to the beasts But God who in all ages of the Church hath taken advantage by the venting of errors to vindicate the truth more clearly hath by the labours of the learned Vossius and Dr. Hammond and Dr. Pearson Epist ad Magn. Epist ad Trall put a gag into the mouths of all gainsayers he says Nothing ought to be done in the Church without the Bishop And they are men of an ill Conscience that assemble without him Clemens Romanus is another Apostolical person he was St. Pauls fellow-labourer Phil. 4.3 his Epistle to the Corinthians