swear that they are duties or may be done as of humane obligation by those that cannot say they are of Divine obligation 55. We hold that the first Churches that did divolve all arbitrations of differences among Christians upon the Pastors did that which brought no great present inconvenience when the People were but few and the Pastors had sufficient leisure but that which prepared for the degenerating of the Ministry and the Churches lamentable corruption And therefore that they should have foreseen this and done as St. Paul directed them and referred matters to any fit wise man among them And when they saw the mischief they should have quickly reformed it as Silvanus Bishop of Troas aforementioned did And that if there were Lay Elders in any of the ancient Churches as one passage in Origen and one in Ambrose and this of Silvanus in Socrates have made some think they were truly Lay and appointed only to such Arbitrations as these and such other Animadversions over the rest as Lay-men may do A help that I once tryed and found to be very great 56. We hold that when Constantine gave the Clergy the sole Power of Judging the Causes Civil and Criminal of all the Christians he shewed more ignorant zeal than true discretion and did let in a pestilence into the Church and that instead of that he should have only left Arbitrations to mans free choice and have set up a Christian or Righteous Magistracy to whom both Bishops and all other Christians should submit 57. We hold that when Christians so multiplyed as that they grew uncapable of Personal Communion at one Altar it was the duty of them and the Bishops to have ordered them into new Churches whcih should every one have had its proper Bishop or plenary Pastoral Office among them and not to have kept them all still in the name of one particular Church infimi ordinis when they were uncapable of the nature and end 58. We hold that it was sinfully done to make a new Office or Order of subject Presbyters that had not the Governing power of their perticular Churches neither alone nor conjunct but had only the power to Teach and Worship the Government being reserved only to the Bishop of another called a Mother Church 59. But we believe that this came not in till many hundred Years after Christ and that but by slow degrees and that after subordinate Churches and Altars were invented and set up yet the Pastors under the name of Presbyters had much of the Governing power of the Keys though with and under the Bishop of the Mother Church 60. The deposing of all the first rank or Order of Bishops which were before over each particular Church the making of a new Office of half Presbyters the making of Churches of a new species as being under a new sort of Officers the making Archbishops who should have many Churches and Bishops under them to become the Bishops of the lowest rank having none under them but above all these the making of the Pastoral work especially discipline become utterly impossible by putting that into one mans hand that cannot be done but by many or many hundred these and such like are the things that we can neither swear to nor approve 61. We hold that though the Magistrate may shape his part of the Church Government variously according to the Interest of the common good yet that the Spiritual or Pastoral part should not have been molded into the shape of the Civil Imperial Government And that so doing did give the Papacy that countenance which is the ground of its usurpation 62. For we hold that the essential constitution of the Pastoral Office and its work and the essential constitution of the Church Universal and of Individual or particular Churches are all of Divine unalterable Institution And that all Laws of Christ for such Constitution and for Administration are unalterable by man Though we hold that Circumstancials and Accidentals are alterable as being not setled by any Divine determination As e. g. how many Ministers shall be in each Church which of them shall be more regarded than the rest as being of greater wisdom how ost and when and where they shall assemble with many the like 63. We hold that as all Christians ordinarily should have personal Communion in particular Churches so those Churches and their Bishops should hold such Communion as is needful to their strength and concord and the common good 64. This Communion of Churches is to be held internally by Concord in the same Faith and Love and Religion and externally by the same profession and instrumentally 1. by Messengers and Letters and 2. by Delegates and Synods when there is need which as is said for Time Place Numbers Provinces Orders are left to humane Prudence 65. If any that divide the Country into Provinces will settle Synods accordingly and settle over them Presidents for the ordering of their proceedings and will give power to one above others to call such Synods and will call these Provinces or Nations or Empires by the name of Provincial National or Imperial Churches and the Bishops so exalted by the name of Metropolitans Primates Patriarchs c. We contend not against this as unlawful in it self though we easily see the accidental danger being taught it by long and sad experience so be it 1. that none of these be pretended to be of Divine Institution but of humane determination 2. and that they meddle with nothing but such accidentals as are left to humane prudence 3. and that they equal not their humane Association with the Christian Worshiping Churches which are of Christ's Institution 4. and that much less they do not oppress their brethren and tyrannize nor deprive the particular Pastors and Churches of their proper priviledges and work But alas when were these Rules observed by humane Churches 66. The Canons of such Synods or Councils of Bishops may be made Laws indeed by the Civil power and they are if just obligatory to the people by virtue of the Pastoral Authority of the Bishops But as to the particular Bishops they are only Agreements and no proper Laws the Major Vote of Bishops being not proper Governours of the rest and bind only by virtue of Christ's General Laws for Love and Concord 67. The Pastoral power is not at all Coactive by secular force on body or estate but only Nunciative and perswasive commanding in Christ's name as authorized by him and executed no otherwise than by a Ministerial word and by with-holding our own acts of Administration and denying our Communion to offenders Nor did the Apostles themselves pretend to any other than this power of the Word for the Keys are exercised but thus excepting what they did by Miracle And if Bishops would go no further they would work on none but Voluntiers and their usurpations might be the more easily born 67. And indeed we are fully perswaded that none but Voluntiers are â—it for the
we differ he indeed saith much to little purpose and finally giveth away his Cause or as he merrily telleth his Adversary pag. 62. l. 3. 6. 47. he useth it as Sir Christopher Blunt's head was used after his apprension first healed and then cut off For 1. in his lib. 3. Where he speaketh of the power of Ordination he not only confesseth that it is in Presbyters with the Bishops and that the Bishops have but a superiority of power therein but is angry with his Adversary for supposing the contrary saying ch 3. p. 68. But where good Sir do I say they must have the sole power in Ordination which you have so oft objected and now again repeat make you no conscience of publishing untruths Cannot Bishops be superiour to other Ministers in the power of Ordination and Jurisdiction which is the thing which I maintain unless they have the sole power so p. 64 c. Therefore he granteth that extraordinarily in case of necessity Presbyters may Ordain that is without a Bishop page 69. and page 108. he giveth this reason for the validity of their Ordination Because Imposition of hands in Confirmation of the Baptized and Reconciliation of Penitents were reserved to Bishops as well as Ordination and yet in the absence of Bishops may be done by Presbyters And that the Papists themselves grant that the Pope may license a Presbyter to Ordain Presbyters If therefore saith he by the Popes license a Presbyter may Ordain Presbyters much better may a Company of Presbyters to whom in the want of a Bishop the Charge of the Church is divolved be authorized thereto by necessity And if all this be so no doubt but the Power of Ordination is in Presbyters as such though they are not to exercise it alone nor without or against the Bishop And so formerly they were not to Preach or Baptize nor Congregate the Church without him For why cannot a Lay-man Ordain with the Bishop but because he hath no such authority And Cap. 5. as to the power of Jurisdiction he saith the same p. 110. 111. I deny not Presbyters which have charge of souls to have Jurisdiction both severally in their Parishes and jointly in Provincial Synods And I have confessed before that Presbyters have with and under the Bishops exercised some Jurisdiction I grant that Godly Bishops before they had the countenance and assistance of Christian Magistracy and direction of Christian Laws used in all matters of moment to consult with their Clergy This was practised by Cyprian Ambrose also in 1 Tim. 5. 1. teacheth that there was a time when nothing was done without the advice of the Presbyters which therefore by Ignatius are called the Counsellors and Co-assessors of the Bishops Which course if it were used still as it would ease the Bishops burden very much so would it nothing detract from their superiority in Governing And page 115. The thing which I was to prove if it had been needful was that whereas Presbyters did Govern each one the People of a Parish and that privately the Bishop Governeth the People of the whole Diocess and that publickly So that both Ordination and Jurisdiction belong to the Presbyters Office though in the exercise of it they must be governed themselves Is not this the very sum of Archbishop Usher's Model of Primitive Episcopacy which we offered his Majesty and the Bishops at first for Concord and the Bishops would not once take it into their Consideration nor so much as vouchsafe to talk of it or bring it under any deliberation When alas we poor undertrodden Persons not only desired to be low our selves but yielded to submit to all their heights their Lordships Parliament dignities grandure and to let them alone with their real sole Ordination and Jurisdiction over us poor Presbyters and to have taken as much care of the People as they would so we could but have obtained any tolerable degree of Government to be setled in each particular Church either in all the Presbyters or in one Bishop and not have had all the particular Churches deprived of Bishops and all the Pastoral Jurisdiction But our great Controversie is handled by Bishop Downame in his second Book wherein he laboureth to prove that the Bishops Church or rather Charge was not a Parish but a Diocess And first page 4. he giveth us a scheme of the Scripture acception of the word Church as preparatory to his design In which there are many Texts cited not only without any shew of proof that they speak of what he affirmeth them to speak but contrary to the plain scope of the places And he tells us that the word Church is used in Scripture for the Church Militant Congregated in an Universal or Occumenical Synod And offereth us not one Text for instance which he doth though injuriously for all the rest Nor is there any that so speaketh He tells us that the word is used particularly to signifie the Church of a Nation in the singular number but could name no such place as to any Church since Christ but only the Jewish Church Acts 7. 38. And he saith it is used to signifie particularly and definitely the Church of a Nation in the plural number And is not this a strange kind of Allegation The Scripture speaketh of the Churches in a Nation Therefore it useth the word for the Church of a Nation in the plural number Is one Church and many all one with him Would he have applauded that man that would have said that such an Author useth the word College for the College of an University in the plural number because he named the College in an University and this to prove that an University is one College Had it not been better said The New Testament never useth the word Church for all the Churches in one Nation since Christ definitely but ever calleth them plurally Churches Therefore to call them all One National Church is not to imitate the Scripture His first Instance is Rom. 6. 4. All the Churches of the Gentiles A sad proof of a National Church What Nation is it that the word Gentiles signifieth No doubt the Gentile Churches were in Gentile Nations But that doth not prove that the Christians in any Nation are ever called in Scripture since the Jews Nation One Church but Churches His next instance is 1 Cor. 16. 1. The Churches of Galatia And the rest are all such v. 19. 2 Cor. 8. 1. Gal. 1. 2. 22. The Churches of Asia Macedonia Judaea But I hope he intended no more than to tell you that the Christians of several Nations are never called a Church but Churches as having any sort of Union than National He giveth many instances when the word Church is used definitely to signifie the Church of a City and Country adjoyning But to prove it used to signifie several Churches in City and Country adjoyning but one only Two Texts he alledgeth to prove that the word Church is used
when vacant by the Bishops death Now all these lived together as in a little Colledge thus the Churches were planted and the Gospel disseminated through the world But at first every Bishop had but one Parish yet afterwards when the numbers of the Christians increased that they could not conveniently meet in one place and when through the violence of persecution they durst not assemble in great multitudes the Bishops divided their charges in lesser Parishes and gave assignments to the Presbyters of particular flocks which was done first in Rome in the begining of the 2d Century And things continued thus in a Parochial Government till toward the end of the 2d Century the Bishop being chiefly intrusted with the cure of Souls a share whereof was also committed to the Presbyters who were subject to him and particularly to be ordained by him nor could any ordination be without the Bishop who in ordaining was to carry along with him the concurrence of the Presbyters as in every other act of Ecclesiastical jurisdiction Pag. 308. 309. Corruptions broke in upon Church Officers especially after the 4th Centurie that the Empire became Christian Which as it brought much riches and splendor on Church employments so it let in great Swarmes of corrupt men on the Christian Assemblies And then the Election to Church offices which was formerly in the hands of the people was taken from them by reason of the tumults and disonders that were in these Elections which some time ended in blood and occasioned much Faction and Schism And Anâ—bitus became now such an universal sin among Churchmen that c. Pag. 310. I do not alledge a Bishop to be a distinct office from a Presbyter but a different degree in the same office c. Pag. 320. As for the sole power of ordination and Jurisdiction none among us claime it but willingly allow the Presbyters a concurence in both these Pag. 322. That whole frame of Metropolitans and Patriarks was taken from the division of the Roman Empire which made but one great National Church Pag. 331. I acknowledged Bishop and Presbyter to be one and the same office and so plead for no new office bearer in the Church The first branch of their power is their authority to publish the Gospell to manage the worship and dispence the Sacraments And this is all that is of Divine right in the Ministry in which Bishops and Presbyters are equal sharers but besides this the Church claimeth a power of Jurisdiction of making rules for discipline and applying and executing the same All which is indeed suitable to the common laws of societies and the general rules of Scripture but hath no positive warrant from any Scripture precept And all these Constitutions of Churches into Synods and the Canons of discipline taking their rise from the divisions of the world into the several provinces and beginning in the 2d and beginning of the 3d. Century do clearly shew they can be derived from no Divine original and so were a to their particular forme but of humane constitution Therefore as to the managment of this Jurisdiction it is in the Churches power to cast it into what mould she will But we ought to be much more determined by the Laws of the land In things necessary to be done by Divine precept since no power on earth can Council the authority of a Divine Law the Churches restraints are not to be considered Pag. 335. I acknowledge that without Scripture warrant no new offices may be instituted Pag. 337. I am not to annul these ordinations that pass by Presbyters where no Bishop can be had And this layes no claime to a new office but only to a higher degree of inspection in the same office whereby the exercise of some acts of jurisdiction are restrained to such a Method And this may be done either by the Churches free consent or by the Kings authority Pag. 348. In Augustines time it appears from the journal of a conference he had with the Donatists that there were about 500 Bishopricks in a small tract of ground Pag. 30. Observe the Bishops were to be ordained in the presence of the people where every one might propose his exceptions yet the popular Elections were not wholly taken away and at least the peoples consent was asked Pag. 41. Vossâ—is from all the manuscripts of Damasus his lives of the Popes shewes that S. Peter ordained both Linus and Gletus Bishops of Rome and after some enquiry into the matter he concludes that at first there were three Bishops in Rome at once Linus Cletus and Aneneletus in the next succession he placeth Cletus Anencltus and Clemens Pag. 48. Among the Jewes where ever there were an hundred and twenty of them together they did erect a Synagoguge Pag. 49. At a conference which Augustine and the Bishops of that Province had with the Donatists there were of Bishops 286 present and 120 absent and 60 Sees vacant And there were 279 of the Donatists Bishops Pag. 51. The Gothick Churches are said to be planted 70 years before Ulphilas their first Bishop came to them Pag. 50 He she weth the like of the Scots By the streine of Ignatius Epistles especially that to Smyrna it would appear that there was but one Church at least but one place where there was one Altar and Communion in each of these Parishes which was the Bishops whole charge Pag. 56. The enlarging of the Diocesses hath wholly altered the figure of Primitive Episcopacy That the Bishops were chosen by the people and by the Clergy and people and at last not obtruded without the peoples consent Father Paul Saript de Beneficiis oft tells you and I have fully proved by many Canons in my abstract of Church-history of Councils FINIS * Where Dr. Allestree was bred His next Neighbor a Cosins Tab. 3. b Cosins Tab. 4. c Cosins Tab. 5. d Cos Tab. 6. e Cos Tab. 2. f Cos Tab. 8. g Cos Tab. 2. Tab. 8. h Cos ibid. i Cos ibid. k Cos Tab. 2. l Act of Uniform That Parish Priests have no Governing power see Dr. Zouch as also that the King is the Ecclesiastical Supream m Cos Tab. 13. n Cos Tab. 11. Acts 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. ☞ Vid. Epist 2. Edict Anacleti de forma provinciali Metrapol c. Turrian pro Epist decr c. 24. De novitate hujus formae leg Blondel cont Decr. p. 1. 27. who giveth full testimony of it cont Anaclet Ep. 2. 41. Leg. Vitaâ— Ambros per Baron August li. de opera Monecheâ—â—â—n Invit Ambros per Baron Vit. Ambros per Baron Socrat l. 3. c. 15. Theodoret Eccles Hist l. 1. cap. 10. Leg. Valentiniani Valentus Legem seu Literas in Theodoreti Eccl. Hist l. 4. c. 7. Hestor Andaeanorum c. 9. Messalianorum c. 10. cum interpretatione D. Hookeri li. 7. p. 66. de Audio Euseb l. 8. c. 1. Dr. Hanmer's Translat p. 144 145. Socrat. l. 2. c. 3. Id. ib.
many Churches without Bishops under him and of half-Presbyters how little he saith the Reader will soon see yea how much on our side 4. As for Hooker till his 7th Book came lately out we had nothing in him considerable of this subject And in that Book it self so little to the purpose as to our foresaid two Controversies as is next to nothing nor worthy a Reply In his § 2. p. 4. He attempts that which few do to give us the definition of a Bishop which is A Bishop is a Minister of God unto whom with permanent continuance there is given not only power of Administring the Word and Sacraments which power other Presbyters have but also a further power to Ordain Ecclesiastical persons and a power of Chiefty in Government over Presbyters as well as Lay men a power to be by way of Jurisdiction a Pastor even to Pastors themselves And then he distinguisheth of Bishops at large or indefinite and Bishops with restraint and saith he meaneth the later And so you have what must be expected from Mr. Hooker for the information of you what Episcopacy he pleads for Where it is obvious how fraudulently through oversight or partiality I know not he dealeth For whereas he durst put no more into the definition of Episcopacy about Jurisdiction but a power of Chiefty in Government over Presbyters as well as Lay-men yet would not tell us whether Government of Lay-men under the Bishop belong to the Presbyters or not His words seem plainly to imply it what use else is there for his Chiefly and as well as Lay-men And yet twice over he would name nothing but Teaching and Sacraments which belong to the Pastor as a Pastor in general leaving it as a thing which he would neither affirm nor deny whether Pastors Governed their Flocks Yet all that Decantate Book turneth on the Hinges of this lame Definition which hath other defects which I pass by And without this we cannot know what Subject he disputeth of Whereas Saravia well noted and acknowledged three Essential parts of the Ministry in General Mr. Hooker who leaveth out one of them and yet durst not deny it should have told us whether he include it or not seeing it is the matter of most of our difference and we take him for no Pastor or Presbyter that is without the power of Government nor that to be a true Church in sensu politico that hath no other Pastor 2. And when as one part of his Adversaries deny not at least the Lawfulness of one Bishops superiority in a single Church as far as his description speaketh but only in many Churches no nor one Archbishops power over many Churches that have their own Bishops but only his power to depose all the Bishops of particular Churches and turn them all into one Diocesan Church his Definition visibly reacheth to no other sort of Bishops but such as we oppose not and so he saith nothing at all against us to any purpose through all his Book For where after he confidently tells us that the extent of his Jurisdiction alters not the Species it is but barely said and by his leave I shall fully prove the contrary anon And pag. 4. l. 7. He confesseth that de facto Many things are in the state of Bishops which the times have changed Many a Parsonage at this day is larger than some ancient Bishopricks were It 's well confest And I shall try among other things whether the Name of a Bishoprick will make a Parsonage and a Diocess to be ejusdem speciei and whether magnitude do not make a specifick difference between the Sea and a Rivulet or a glass of water or between a Ship and a Nut-shel And whereas page 6. He undertaketh to prove a Coercive Power in Bishops either he speaketh according to the common use of men or not If not he would not be understood Qui non vâ—lt intelligi debet negligi If he do then by Coercive he must mean by Outward force upon the body which is false and is proper to the Magistrate Parents or Masters and is disclaimed by all sober Protestant Divines yea by Papists as not at all belonging to the Pastoral Office Though we easily grant that Pastors may Coercere by nord and so may Presbyters sure yet no otherwise but by word For Excommunication and Degradation as far as belongs to them are but words and an after forbearing of their own acts of Communion But this is not the common use of the word Coercive as applyed to Government by way of distinction How much wiselier doth the more Learned and judicious Bishop Bilson still distinguish by the Power of the Word as differing from the Magistrates Coercive or by the Sword Yet note that page 8. § 5. l. 7. He is brought to acknowledge that All Churches by the Apostles erected received from them the same Faith the same Sacraments the same Form of publick Regiment The Form of Regiment by them established at first was that the Laity be subject to a College of Ecclesiastical persons which were in every such City appointed for that purpose These in their writings they term sometime Presbyters and sometime Bishops To take one Church out of a number for a pattern what the rest were the Presbyters of Ephesus as it is in the History of their departure from the Apostle Paul at Miletum are said to have wept abundantly all which speech doth shew them to have been many And by the Apostles exhortation it may appear that they had not each his several Flock to feed but were in common appointed to feed that one Flock the Church of Ephesus for which cause the phrase of his speech is this Attendite gregi Look to all that one Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops These persons Ecclesiastical being termed then Presbyters and Bishops both c. And page 9. he saith The outward being of a Church consisteth in the having of a Bishop Then the Brownists must carry it that our Parishes are no true Churches but parts of a Church because they have no Bishop Only a Diocesan Church hath a Bishop Therefore only a Diocesan is a true Church which anon shall be proved to be but Humane And page 12. He thus expoundeth Hierome as holding Episcopacy alterable The Church hath power by Universal consent upon urgent cause to take it away if thereunto she be constrained through the proud tyrannical and unreformable dealing of her Bishop Wherefore lest Bishops forget themselves as if none on earth had authority to touch their states let them continually bear in mind that it is rather the force of custome than any such true heavenly law can be shewed by the evidence whereof it may of a truth appear that the Lord himself hath appointed Presbyters for ever to be under the Regiment of Bishops in what sort soever they behave themselves Let this consideration be a bridle to them Let it
and as he that will know the nature and difference of fruits or animals must stay till they are come to their full growth and ripeness and not take them green and young so he that will judge either of Schism or of Church-tyranny Lust do 2. And whether the Quakers Ranters Familists and Munster monsters be not Schismaticks ripe and at full growth and therefore a young Schismatick is not â—o tell us what Schism is but should himself see what he will be when he is ripe And so whether Popery be not the Diocesane Prelacy full grown and ripe and whether they should not therefore see what they would come to if that which withoâ—deth in the several Kingdoms were taken out of the way as the Pope hath removed it in the Empire If the Diocesans Metropolitanes Patriarks and Pope as to his Primacy in the Empire did not all stand on the same humane foundation then are they not the things that I am speaking of Obj. But the late and present Schismes in England shew that it is the adversaries of Prelacy that are the causes Ans Very true for Prelacy maketh it self adversaries and so maketh some of the Schismaticks There are two sort of Schismatickâ— some Prelatists as the Papists the Novatians the Donatists and most of the old Schismaticks were and some Anti-prelatists And there are two sorts of Anti prelatists Some Catholick being for the Primitive Episcopacy and some Schismaticks And these last the Prelates make and then complain of them It is their state and practice hereafter described that driveth men to distast them and so precipitateth the injudicious into the Contrary extreme It is Prelacy that maketh almost all the Sects that be in England at this day When they see how the Spiritual Keys are secularly used by Laymen in their Courts when they see what Ministers and how many hundred of them are silenced and what Fellows in many places are set up in their stead they think they can never fly far enough from such Prelates To tell the world It is Schismaticks that we silence and they are obedient and Orthodox persons that we set up may signifie something in another land or age but it doth but increase the disaffâ—ction of those that are upon the place and know what kind of men the Prelates commend and who they discommend and silence A very Child when he is eating his â—pple will not cast it away because a Prelate saith it is a Crab nor when he tasteth a Crab will he eate it if a Prelate Swear it is a sweat apple Though he that doth but look on them may possibly believe him I believe they that thought that Prelacy was the only cure of our Schismes do know by this time by experience that by that time the Prelates had again ruled but seven years there were seven and seven against them for one that was so before And we that dwell among them do take those that dislike their course and waies to be the Generality of the most Religious and sober people of the land alwaies excepting the King and Parliament and those that must be still excepted CHAP. XIV The true Original of the warrantable Episcopacy in particular Churches was the notorious disparity of abilities in the Pastors And the original of that tyrannical Prelacy into which it did degenerate was the worldly Spirit in the Pastors and people which with the world came by prosperity into the Church Quaere Whether the thing cease not where the reason of it ceaseth GOd doth not carry on his work upon mens Souls by names and empty titles but by such real demonstrating evidences of his Power Wisdome and Goodness as are apt to work on the Reason of man And therefore he that would make his Apostles the Foundations or chief Pillars and Instruments in and of his Churches would accordingly endow them with proportionable abilities that in the Miracu'ous demonstrations of Power and the convincing demonstrations of Wisdome and the amiable holy demonstrations of goodness they might as far excelothers as they did in authority And nature it self teaceth us to difference men in our esteem and affection as they really differ in worth and loveliness And this Law of Nature is the Primary Law of God And the holy Scriptures plainly second it telling us oft of the diversity of Gods gifts in his Servants which all make for concord but not for equality of esteem and that there are greater and lesser in the Kingdom of God and that Gods gifts in all men must be honoured Math. 12. 1 Cor. 12. Eph. 4. Heb. 5. 10. 11. 12. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. And God that would have his various gifts variously esteemed did in all ages himself diversifie his Servants gifts All were not Apostles nor all Prophets nor all Evangelists And after their daies all the Ministers or Elders of the Churches were not men of Learning nor of so full acquaintance with the sacred Doctrine nor so grave prudent staied holy charitable or peaceable as some were usually when miraculous gifts did cease and very few Philosophers or men of learning turned Christians Any man may know that had not been told it by Church History that their Elders or Pastors were such as the better sort of our unlearned Christians are who can pray well and worship God sincerely and read the Scripture and in a plain familiar manner can teach the Catechistical points and perswade to duty and reprove vice But as for Sermons in a methodical accurate way as now used and defending the truth and opposing Heresies and stopping the mouths of gainsayers they must needs be far below the Learned But yet here and there a Philosopher was converted and of those that had no such Learning then called secular and the Learning of the Gentiles some few were far better Learned than others in the sacred Scriptures and the customes and Learning of the Jews And it was long before the Christians had Schools and Academies of their own That this was so appeareth 1. In the reason of the thing For no effect can exceed the total cause Therefore they that had not the inspirations prophetical or miraculous guists nor Academies and Schools of secular Learning nor so much as Riches and leisure but Poverty and persecution and worldly trouble and labour were not like to have more Learning than the holy Scriptures taught them 2. And this appeareth by the forecited Canons of Counsels which forbad Pastors ever almost three hundred years after Christ to read the Gentiles books By which the former custome of the Church may easily be perceived And also by abundance of reproaches which are cast upon some Hereticks in the Ancients writings for being too much skilled in Logick and other of the Gentiles Learning 3. And it appeareth by the parity of writers of the second and third Centuries 4. And also by the paucity of famous Divines that are mentioned in the Histories of those times 5. And above all by the
Prelacy to be so made And were they Christians or no Christians that made the Diocesane Form If Christians were they orderly Christians or rebellious If orderly how happened it that they were of no Church themselves when the Apostles setled so much of Church Form and Order as I have before named If rebellious they were a dishonourable original of Diocesanes And if the Church Form be not of Divine institution then the Church it self is not For forma dat nomen esse And so the cause is given up to the Brownists by these Learned moderate men so far as that there is no Church in England of Divine institution Were it not that when in general they have said that no Church Form of Government is so Divine they again so far unsay it as to confess the Parith Churches or Congregations with their Pastors to be of Divine institution and of continued necessity All that is to be said by and for them is this That the Apostles were the makers of the English or Diocesane Form but not of that only but of the Presbyterian and Independent also and so made no one necessary but left all indifferent Or that they made one of these Forms as mutable allowing men to change it Answ But 1. I have proved what they made Let them prove that they made any other of a different sort not subordinate or supraordinate if they can 2. And let them prove the mutability of that which they made and their power to change it which they assert Till one of these is proved we are or should be in possession of that which was certainly first made I am bold to conclude this argument with the speech of a bold but a wise and holy man Joh. Chrysostome de Sacerdotio lib. 3. pag. mihi 48. cap. 15. And when some Bishops have obtained that prefecture of a Province not belonging to them and others of one FAR GREATER THAN THEIR OWN proper STRENGTH CAN BEAR THEY CERTAINLY BRING TO PASS THAT THE CHURCH OF GOD SEEMETH NOTHING TO DIFFER FROM AN EURIPUS or a confused turbulent changeling thing pag. 49. AND DO NOT THESE THINGS DESERVE GODS THUNDERBOLT A THOUSAND TIMES ARE THEY NOT WORTHY TO BE PUNISHED WITH THE FIRE OF HELL NOT THAT hell WHICH THE HOLY SCRIPTURES THREATEN TO US BUT EVEN OF ONE THAT IS FAR MORE GRIEVOUS Forgive the words my Lords They are not mine but Chrysostome's or if you will not forgive the citing of them I will bear it as he did the like Only I will abate you in my prognostication or sentence that far sorer hell fire than the Scripture threameth supposing this will be sharp enough even for the most dispersing silencing persecuting Prelate and imputing those words to honest Chrysostome's vehement Oratory And I 'le tell you what went next before these words And they do not only take in the unworthy into the Priesthood but they cast out the worthy For as if they had agreed both ways to spoil the Church of God and the first cause were not enough to kindle the wrath of God they add the second or worse to the former For I judge it equally pestilent to drive out the Profitable and to take in the unprofitable which certainly they do that the flock of Christ may from no part either find consolation or be able to take breath O what would this man have said had he lived now in England CHAP. XI Argument 3. From the destruction of the order of Presbyters of Divine Institution and the Invention of a new order of Sub-half-Presbyters in their stead ARGUMENT III. THe office of Presbyters instituted by the Holy Ghost containeth an Obligation and Authority to Guide by Doctrine Worship and Discipline the flocks committed to their care But the office of a Diocesane being one only Bishop over many score or hundred Congregations is destructive of that office of Presbyters which containeth an obligation and authority to Guide by Doctrine Worship and Discipline or the exercise of the Church keys the flocks committed to their care Therefore the office of such a Diocesane is destructive of the office of Presbyters instituted by the Holy Ghost The Major is thus proved by the Enumeration of the Acts which contain the general office and by the proof of the General power extending to those Acts viz. 1. They that had the Authority and Obligation to exercise the Church keys in the Scripture sence had the authority and obligation to Guide their flocks by Doctrine Worship and Discipline But the Presbyters of the Holy Ghosts institution had the authority and obligation to exercise the Church keys in the Scripture sence Ergo they had authority and obligation to Guide their flocks by Doctrine Worship and Discipline 2. Again The office which contained an Authority and Obligation to Teach Exhort Rebuke publickly and privately to judge of persons baptizable and to baptize them to Pray Praise God and administer the Lords Supper to the Church and to judge of them that are to receive it to watch over them privately and publickly to Excommunicate the obstinately impenitent and absolve the penitent doth contain authority and obligation to Guide that flock by Doctrine Worship and Discipline But such is the Office of Presbyters as instituted by the Holy Ghost Ergo c. Here note 1. That I am not now medling with the Questions Whether such Presbyters hold this power in subordination to any superiour Bishops nor whether there lie any appeal from them to a higher power in the Church 2. Nor am I now questioning Whether in Scripture sence Bishops and Presbyters are all one in Name or thing 3. But that which I maintain is 1. That there is no proof in Scripture that God ever instituted any order of Presbyters which had not the forementioned power of the keys 2. And that God did institute such an Order of Presbyters as had that power de nomine de re And 3. That the Diocesane Office destroyeth such and setteth up others in their stead What God instituted I will prove 1. Out of the Scripture records 2. Out of the History of the Church which long retained them in some degree CHAP. XII That God instituted such Presbyters as had the foresaid power of the Keys in Doctrine Worship and Discipline and no other proved by the Sacred Scriptures THat God instituted such Presbyters and no other I shall prove by the enumeration and perusal of all the Texts of Scripture which mention them viz. as instituted in the New Testament and now in force Act. 14. 23. When they had Ordained them Elders in every Church Compared with Tit. 1. 5. That thou shouldest Ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee 7. For a Bishop must be blameless as the steward of God And his power is described v. 11 13. Ch. 2. 1 7 15. and 3. 10. intimate it Compare this with 1 Tim. 3. 1 2 5 6. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be
he knoweth how little of it will be done And who will use his wit learning and zeal to plead his cause and his parts and office thus to serve his designs and gratifie him who considereth what it is to be a Bishop a Christian or a man CHAP. XVI That the English Diocesane Government doth change this office of a Presbyter of Gods institution into another quantum in se of humane invention I Come now to prove the Minor proposition of my Argument That the Diocesane Government deposeth the Office of Presbyters which God hath instituted as much as in them lieth By which limitation I mean that if we would judge of the Power and Obligation of Presbyters as the Prelatical constitution de facto doth describe it and not as God describeth it contrarily we must take it for another thing For the proof of this it must 1. be considered what is Essential to the office and 2. How somewhat Essential is taken from them I. And 1. we grant as before that no Action whatsoever as performed at the present or for some excepted season is Essential to the Pastoral office A man ceaseth not to be a Preacher or Pastor as soon as the Sermon is done and he is out of the Church When a man is asleep or in a journey he endeth not his office Nor yet when he is interrupted by business sickness or persecution Yea if he were so sick as to be sure never to exercise his office more he keepeth the Title with respect to what he hath already done 2. Yet Exercise as Intended and as the Relative end or Terminus of the Obligation and Authority is Essential to the Office For when it is a Relation which we question and that consisteth in Obligation and Authority there is no doubt but it is ad aliquid and is specified by the Action or Exercise to which men are Obliged and Authorized As a Judge a Souldier a Physician are And it being a Calling which we speak of and that durante vita capacitate it must be such Action as is intended to be Ordinary and Constant He that Consenteth not to do the work of a Minister and that for more than a trial or a present occasion and is not Obliged and Authorized to that work at least statedly as his intended ordinary course of life is no Minister of Christ which Paul well expresseth by that phrase Rom. 1. 1. Separated to the Gospel of God 3. As God in creating man made him in his own Image so did Christ in making Church Pastors Therefore he saith As my Father sent me so send I you And he that receiveth you receiveth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and him that sent me Luke 10. 16. And they are Embassadours to beseech men in his name and stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. And Christ himself is called the Angel of the Covenant and the Apostle and high Priest of our Profession and the Great Prophet and the Bishop of our Souls and the good Shepherd and the great Shepherd or Pastor of the flock and the Minister of the Circumcision And he was a Preacher of the same word of life as we are And he administred the same Sacrament of Communion as we do Now as the Office of Christ had these three Essential parts viz. to be the Teacher the High Priest and the Ruler of the Church so hath not only the Apostles but every true Pastor in his place as is proved this threefold subserviency to Christ 1. They will confess themselves that He is no true Pastor who hath not Authority and Obligation which set together are called a Commission to be a Teacher of the Church For though some men may be so weak as that they can Teach but by Reading Catechizing Conference or very short defective immethodical Sermons And though where a Church hath Many the Ablest may be the usual publick Preachers and the rest be but his assistants Yet I never found any proof of Elders that were not Teachers by office as well as Rulers and had not Commission to Teach the flock according to their abilities and might not Preach as the need of the Church required it however the weaker may give place to the abler in the exercise of his office Because his office is an Obligation and Authority to exercise his Gifts as they are for the Churches greatest edification 2. And it will be confessed that he is no Minister or Pastor who is not Commissioned by Christ to be the Churches Guide in publick Worship in Prayer praise and Sacrament of Communion However where there are many all cannot officiate at once 3. Therefore all the doubt remaineth whether the power of the Keys for Church Covernment such as belongeth to Pastors be not as Essential as the rest I say the Commission the Authority and the Obligation though violence may much hinder the exercise And this I have proved before and must not stay to repeat it Only 1. God doth not distinguish when he giveth them the Keys and office Therefore we must not distinguish 2. The very signification of the words Keys Pastor Presbyter Overseer Steward c. do not only import this Guiding Ruling power but notably signifie it as most think more notably than the Worshipping part of their office 3. Dr. Hammond and all of his mind confess that in Scripture these words are applyed to no one person or office that had not the Governing as well as the Teaching and Worshipping power 4. The truth is the Teaching and Ruling and Worshipping power are inseparably twisted together Ruling is done not by the sword here but in a Teaching way by the Word As a Physician may 1. read a Lecture of health to his Patients 2. and give every one particular directions for his own cure and this last is called Governing them So when the same Pastor who Teacheth all generally by Sermons doth make his applications to mens persons and cases particularly it is Governing the Church as when a man is impenitent he doth Excommunicate him only by teaching him and the Church that such persons as are so impenitent are under the wrath of God and uncapable of Church Communion and therefore requiring the Church as from Christ to avoid that person and declaring him to be under the wrath of God till he repent and requiring him to forbear Communion with the Church And so in other acts of Government And as in Worshipping the Pastor delivereth the Sacrament of Communion so it must belong to him to Give it or Deny it 5. And indeed the ancient Churches had usually more Pastors than Assemblies by which means every Presbyter could not daily preach and officiate But yet they were so constant Assistants in the Government as hath occasioned so many to think that it was mere Ruling Elders who joyned with the Bishops in those times And Paul himself saying 1 Tim. 5. 17. The Elders that rule well are worthy of double
Pastor must be as bad 2. And as to his appeal to the discipline of the Ancients I leave the Reader to the deceit of this mans arguings 1. If he cannot find it fully proved in this Book that the Churches of the ancient Bishops were not so big as our greatest Parishes as to the number of Souls much less as our Diocesses 2. And if in my abstruct of Church-History of Bishops and Counsels I have not fully proved that Discipline was neglected corrupted or overthrown dy degrees as Bishops-Churches overswelled When we read such doleful complaints in History Fathers Counsels and their Canons of the corruption of the Churches is this the true use to be made of all that we must be like them and not blame them lest we open the nakedness of our Fathers 3. And if men can make themselves willingly so blind as by a story that the Fathers did such things among People and circumstances which we know not to renounce common experience that it is not now any where done nor can possibly be done If men can be so ignorant what our Parishes and Diocesses are and what a Bishop and Chancellor do and can do Let such err for I am unable to cure them any more than if they were confident that my Lord Major can Govern all the Families of London as their Masters by stewards without Family-Masters or that one Physitian or one Tutor could serve instead of many for the City Indeed they that have as low an esteem of true Discipline as Mr. D. in his Letter seems to have may easily believe that a few men may do it And those Papists that can let the Church be the sink of common uncleanness and a Nursery of Ignorance Vice and Prophaneness so they may but keep up their Wealth and Ease and Honour by crying up Order Government and Unity may accordingly believe that no more knowledge Piety or Discipline is a duty than serveth the ends of their worldly Dominion I must again give notice to the Reader that whereas the Common Objections of the greatness of Bishops Churches in the second Centurie are fetcht from the instances of Rome and Alexandria I have answered even those two in the beginning of my Breviate of Church-History to which I must refer you and not again repeat it here I know that poor ingnorant Persons must expect such a shameful Cant of old reproach as this to cheat them into the hatred of Christs Church order and Government into a love of Clergie bondage a scornful smile shall tell them Mr. Baxter would have as many Bishops as Parishes and a Pope in every Parish when men think one in a Diocess too much When every ignorant or rash Priest shall be the Master of all the Parish and you have no remedy against his Tyranny what a brave reformation will this be And such a deceitful scorn will serve to delude the ignorant and ungodly But if they truly understood the case they would see the shame of this deriding objection 1. A Pope is a Monarch or Governour of the world and a Diocesan of a multitude of Parishes And sure he usurpeth not so much who will be but the Church-guide of one A man is abler to guide one School Colledge Hospital or Family than a hundred or thousand without any true Master of a Family School Colledge c. under him 2. Why is not this foolish scorne used against these foresaid relations also Why say they not every Master maketh himself a Pope or Bishop to his own house and every School-Master to his School whereas one Master over a thousand would do better with bare Teaching Ushers that had no Government 3. Let it be remembred that we would have no Parish Pastor to have any forceing power by Fines Mulcts Imprisonments c. But only to prevaile so farr as his management of Divine authority on mens Consciences can prevail And we would not have Magistrates punish men meerly because they stand excommunicate or because they tell not the Clergy that they repent True excommunication is a heavy punishment fitted to its proper use and not to be corrupted by the force of the Sword but to operate by it self And valeat quantum valere potest He that despiseth it will not say he is enslaved by it But is this all that the Bishops desire 4. We would have no man become the Pastor of a Church without the peoples consent if not choice no more than a Physician should be forced on the sick And as the Servant that consenteth to be a Servant consenteth to his Masters Authority and he that consenteth to a Physician consenteth to be ruled by him for his health and neither take this for a slavery So he that consenteth to a Pastor consenteth to his Pastoral conduct And if he think it to his injury he may choose 5. And yet we believe that the Magistrate may constrein Atheists Infidels and such as refuse all proper Church Communion to hear Gods word Preached and make all the Parish allow the Teacher his tythes and maintenance due by Law But he may force no man to Receive the great gift of the Body and Blood of Christ or a pardon delivered and sealed by Baptism or the Eucharist and to be a member of the Church as such against his will For none but desirous consenters are capable of the gifts so that the same Minister may be the common Teacher of all the Parish and yet the Church-Pastor only of fit consenters And when Sacraments are free and no Minister constrained to deliver them against his Conscience nor any unwilling man to receive them who is by this enslaved 6. And if a Church-Pastor do displease the Church and the main body of them withdraw their consent we would not have any man continue their Pastor while they consent not but disclaim him Though in case of need the Rulers may continue him in his Benefice as the publick Preacher if the people be grosly and obstinately culpable in refusing him 7. And we would have that Parish Pastor to have no power to hinder any other Minister from giving any one the Sacrament whom he denyeth it to or that refuseth it from him Though he that for a common cause is cast out of our Church should not be received by others till he repenteth yet that holds not in all private causes between the particular Pastor and him nor in case of unjust excommunication And other Ministers must judge of their own actions whom to receive and an injuring Minister may not hinder any other nor the injured person from communicating elsewhere 8. And we would have Parish Churches be as large as personal communion doth require or allow and every Church to have divers Ministers and if one be chief or Bishop and the rest assistants and if three or four small Parishes make one such communicating Church we resist not 9. And we desire frequent meeting or Synods of neighbour Pastors and that there every single
no Model of a Gospel Ministry nor proof of our Authority or obligation as instituted from the Instituted Ministry of the Mosaical Church Because the Law of Moses is abrogate and indeed did never bind the Gentiles as I have fullier proved in my Treat of the Lords day Nor is it safe to argue from parity of reason that we must now be or do as they did in point of pure institution while we so little know the total reason of God's institutions and when he himself hath taken them down and set up new ones we must not then plead our Reason against the alterations which God himself hath made 7. Therefore though Christ be now the Head and Fountain of Power both to Magistrates and Ministers yet he did not institute a new Office of Magistracy but add new Laws for them to rule by as part of their Rule of Government Because their Office was so much founded in Nature and so much of their work lay in ruling mankind according to their common Natural Law But a Ministry he did institute a-new as to the species and great essentials of the Office 8. Christ changing both the Instituted Mosaical Law and Priesthood did begin himself in his own person as the Great Prophet High Priest and King of his Church to exercise his Office in the Jewish Nation 9. Being not to continue corporally on earth nor his bodily presence being ubiquitary he designed that the Holy Ghost should be his Agent internally to carry on his work in the World And he appointed the Sacred Office of the Ministry that meet men might be his Agents externally in the Teaching and Governing of his Redeemed ones in a holy order and in conducting them in holy worship in a Ministerial subordination to his Prophetical Regal and Priestly Office 10. As he himself did Officiate among the Jews so he first placed this Ministerial Power in twelve chosen men and seventy Assistants with some relation to the twelve Tribes and seventy Elders of Israel to whom he sent them 11. During the time of Christ's abode among them in the flesh they were but as Pupils and Learners while they were Teachers and their Abilities Commissions Office and Work and so their success were all yet imperfect They were not yet authorized openly and commonly so much as to declare Christ to be the Messiah and Saviour but only to prepare men for that belief Because those works were not yet done which must be the Evidences of their Doctrine and the Instruments of mens Conviction viz. Christ's Death Resurrection Ascension and his sending the miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost 12. When Christ was risen before his Ascension he perfected their Commission both as to their Work and Province but appointed them to stay till the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them as the sealing and full delivery of it giving them full ability for their work before they set themselves about the solemn performance of it 13. Their Commission and Office was 1. to Teach men and make them Christians or Christ's Disciples 2. and then to Baptize them into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and so to take them into his Covenant and Church and 3. to Teach them as Covenanted and en-Churched persons to observe all his commands The first part of their work was to be exercised unlimitedly on all the World as far as they were able The second part on the new Converted Believers and their infant seed And the third part on the Baptized that were adult And he added the promise of his presence with them to the end 14. As he now enlarged their Commission to All the World as the object of the first part of their Office so he added one Paul by a voice from Heaven unto the number of the Apostles who was especially made an Apostle to the Gentiles to shew the rest that they were no more confined to the twelve Tribes of Israel 15. Because these Apostles were entrusted not only with a common Preaching of the Gospel but as Founders of the Churches to be the eye and ear witnesses of the life miracles resurrection and doctrine of Christ and to acquaint men certainly with the Laws of Christ therefore he promised them the extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost to lead them infallibly into all truth and to bring all things to their remembrance which he had taught and given them in Charge and so to enable them to perform all their Commission which he gave them accordingly and so made them the Foundations of his Church and the infallible deliverers of his Will to the World by their preaching and practice first and afterwards by their Writings 16. Therefore since their miraculous reception of the Spirit all their Doctrines Writings and Establishments which were done in the Execution of their Commission are ascribed to the Holy Ghost It was the Holy Ghost that â—ndited the Sacred Scriptures and it was the Holy Ghost that settled the Churches and that wrought the Miracles and that bare witness of Christ and the Christian verity For the Apostles spake not of themselves but as the Holy Ghost inspired them 17. As others in that time were employed as their assistants in propagating the Christian Faith so had they also the same spirit though in several measures and gifts And so far as they had that spirit he was the seal of their doctrine But because it was the Apostles that had the promise of Infallibility we have greater assurance of the Infallibility of their writings than of others It being their approbation which is much of our assurance that the writings of their Assistants were infallible and the testimony which they give of the persons that wrote them viz. Mark and Luke 18. These Apostles with their many Assistants Prophets and Evangelists did by preaching holiness and miracles the effects of Divine Wisdome Goodness and Power convert multitudes and baptize them and did not only thus gather them into the Catholick Church to Christ but also settled them in a holy Order in particular Churches for personal communion among themselves in holy worship and holy living And they made such regular Church-communion a duty to all that could obtain it 19. By the authority of Christ and the Holy Ghost they ordained others to the sacred Office of the Ministry The same office with their own as to the common works of Preaching and Teaching the Gospel Worshiping and Guiding the Churches by holy Discipline which are the common essentials of the sacred Ministry But not the same in respect of their extraordinary endowments and works before described as eye and ear witnesses infallibly delivering the will of Christ 20. Though in the Nature of the Office all Christs Ministers have the Power before mentioned 1. to convert men to the Faith by preaching 2. to take them into the holy Covenant and Church by Baptism 3. to teach worship and rule in particular Churches or 1. to gather Churches by preaching and
As for Petavius I need not confute him for he granteth me most as to matter of Fact that I desire as I shall after further shew His Fundamental Assertion is That the two Offices of Bishops and Presbyters were both placed in the same person in the Apostles days at which Salmasius justly laugheth For what is that but to say that then there was no such person as a Subject Presbyter much less as our half-Presbyters And Salmasius justly congratulateth his concession that solo confensu hominum vitandi schismatis gratia unus enumero Episcoporum eorundemque Presbyterorum electus est qui praeesset caeteris Quod nemo dici prohibet Nam etsi Episcopalis ordo jure divino introductus est non eodem tamen illo jure decretum est ut unus in singulis civitatibus Ecclesiis esset Episcopus sed Ecclesiae authoritate conciliorumque sanctionibus viz. It was only by Mans consent and for the avoiding of Schism that one was chosen out of the number of Bishops who also were Presbyters to be above the rest This saying none forbiddeth For though the Episcopal Order was introduced by Divine Right yet was it not by the same right decreed that One should be a Bishop in each City and Church but by the authority of the Church and the sanctions of Councils Of this sober Jesuit more anon 8. The Learned Bishop Andrews in his Epistles to Pet. Molinaeus hath said somewhat but in his Scheme Printed at Oxford 1641. before the Treatises for Episcopacy much more But as to his Description of the Jewish Form we dare not thence gather that Christians may imitate them while we know that the cessation of the Jewish Policy and Law is so largely pleaded for by Paul and that Christ is the perfect Lawgiver to his Church and that we must not add or alter on pretence of supposed parity of reason And as to his Reasons for Diocesanes from the New Testament though the well ordering of them make them very taking yet when examined they are no other but what we have found and answered in others 9. The truly Learned Reverend and Godly Primate Usher in the same forementioned Collection of Treatises hath one of the Original of Bishops and Metropolitans and another of the Proconsular Asia But 1. The utmost which he pleadeth for is no more than we acquiesce in as that it was his Model or Reduction published since by Dr. Bernard which we humbly offered to his Majesty as the means of our common concord And he hath himself told me his Judgment that Bishops and Presbyters differ not as two Orders but in Degree And that Ordinis est Ordinare or that he that hath the Order hath intrinsical power to Ordain though he is regularly to do it under the Bishops oversight And therefore it is not invalid and null but only irregular or schismatical when it is done disobediently against the Bishop and so may be disabled in foro exteriore which Dr. Bernard also hath published of him and Dr. Mason in the same Treatise fullier proveth And he took Presbyters to be Governours of the Flocks and the Synods of Bishops to be but for Concord and not to have a proper Governing power over the particular Bishops as he hath himself expressed to me Him therefore that is for us we need not confute And yet I must confess that the great Argument which he and Bishop Andrews and Saravia and all others use from the title of Angel given to the Bishops Rev. 2. and 3. did never seem of any weight to me nor moved my understanding that way at all Believing that Tyconius his old Exposition mentioned by Austin is liker to be true and that indeed it is neither one Prelate nor all the Clergy but the whole Churches that is meant by the Angel of the Churches For the Prophecy coming by Vision the word Angel is mentioned in the Vision phrase and oft in that book is by all confessed to signifie collective Bodies and more than single Individuals As Usher de Babilone himself holdeth that by the false Prophet in the singular number is meant the Roman Clergy It would be more tedious than necessary to recite the instances in that Book I therefore who because of its obscurity am apt to be distrustful of almost all Arguments that are fetcht from the dark Prophecies of Daniel or the Revelations am little satisfied with this from the name Angel And who can believe them that say Timothy was then the Bishop of Ephesus and so excellent a person as that none was like minded as described by Paul and yet that Christ had this against him that he had lost his first love and must remember from whence he is fallen and repent and do his first works or be rejected Rev. 2. 4 5. And in a word that the Apostles who placed holy persons in the Ministry had set such over those eminent Churches as were neither hot nor cold and had the rest of the faults that are mentioned by Christ And the whole style of the Text doth easily prove this Exposition against theirs Rev. 2. 2 4 7. As the praises and dispraises there seem to referr to the whole Church so v. 7. what can be more express than Hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches And v. 10. Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tryed and ye shall have tribulation ten days be thou faithful c. And again v. 11. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches which is repeated and spoken to every one of the seven v. 14 15. It is liker to be the whole Society than the Bishop that is reproved for having false Teachers and Hereticks among them and are called quickly to repent And v. 20. that suffered the Woman Jezebel to teach For the Bishops could not hinder false Teachers but by Excommunicating them and disswading the People from hearing them But the People could have done more even refused to hear them V. 23. And all the Churches shall know seemeth to intimate that this was written to the Church V. 24. Unto you I say and to the rest in Thyatira as many as have not this Doctrine and have not known the depth of Satan c. Was this spoken to the Bishop only Chap. 3. v. 1. Was it the Bishop of Sardis only that had a name to live and was dead and that was warned to be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die whose works were not perfect before God that must remember how he had received and heard that had a few Names in Sardis c. And so of the rest Obj. But it is said Chap. 1. v. 20. The seven Stars are the Angels of the seven Churches and the seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches Ans And what can a man gather hence to satisfie himself in this point whether the sense be
them to the Bishop he saith that he may commit it to a Presbyter For it is Mixt and hath partly the External Jurisdiction which the Bishop received by his proper Episcopal Ordination and partly yea much rather or more the Internal by the Keys which they have by virtue of their Presbyterial Ordination in equality with the Presbyters The External because it is External may therefore be delegated to another even a Lay-man which is it which the Parliament of Scotland have lately declared to be in the King And doth not all this shew what Episcopacy is Even a Magistrates Office Circa Sacra vindicated by Grotius and others But saith he they cannot delegate the inward power which is properly of the Keys because this dependeth of the Sacred Presbyterial Order both in fieri in esse in conservari operari For the Presbyterial Order hath always the Keys annexed For when any is Ordained Presbyter the Keys are given him and Jurisdiction with Orders by Divine Right And § 28. p. 474. Seeing the Apostles gave the Keys equally to all Bishops and Presbyters No man can by Divine Right reserve part of the Keys to himself alone and leave another part to others Moreover in lib. 2. c. 3. § 61. p. 210. He sheweth that Clement Linus and Anacletus were all Bishops in Rome at once Lib. 2. c. 9. § 1. p. 282. He sheweth that Bishops and Presbyters are wholly equal in all Essentials which belong to the Ecclesiastical Ministries to be exercised towards the People And that even in Government the rest of the Presbyters without excepting any in every Church make one College of which the Bishop is the Head all Ordained to the same Cure and Government of Souls So this Diocess hath between a thousand and two thousand Ministers living some of them an hundred or sixscore Miles distance to make a College to the Bishop that is usually at London How the Bishop is bound to Govern with them see him § 4. And § 5. To be plainly understood he saith We Bishops therefore must all remember that All the Presbyters are our Brethren and Collegues in the Ministry not our Servants or Slaves and that by Divine Right they have no less power in feeding the people of God than we have And if we exercise any External ampler Jurisdiction over them not properly Ecclesiastical it is not of our own power but delegated from the Magistrates power as I shall prove lib. 6. and 10. Yet plainer § 8 9. p. 285. These Parish Presbyters have by Divine Right full Power in the Ministry of Christ and in these Parishes are the Ordinary Ministers but under the Bishop For the Bishop alone hath a General Ecclesiastical Government to settle Ministers in their Diocess But being applyed to the Government of their Church they have the ordinary power but Presbyterial in that Church By positive Right only Bishops are deputed to certain Seats Yet Presbyters have so this Ordinary power that they cannot by Humane Ecclâ—siastical Right reduce it into Act till applyed by the Bishop in his Diocess And c. 9. § 11. p. 286. â— 13. p. 287. He sheweth that in Vacancies or the Bishops Absence the Clergy of Presbyters have the whole Episcopal power of Government And p. 288 289. He laboureth to prove that one Church had many Bishops and that it is but Ecclesiastical Law or Custome that one Church should have but one Bishop And § 15. That if the Canons prohibited not a Bishop might make all his Parish Presbyters full Bishops as § 16. in the Ministerial Essentials towards the Faithful they are by Divine Right equals Vid. § 20. page 291. This is enough to say of Spalatensis save that all that he saith for Bishops against us is so little a part of what is said by the rest that it can require no new Answer And if this great Moderator who returned to Rome though for a miserable imprisonment and end because we are not yet near enough to Antiquity or rather being flattered into covetous and ambitious hopes be able to prove no greater a difference between Bishops and Presbyters we need not think that any other is like to do it 16. The last great Learned Sober Defender of Episcopacy and the last that I need to mention here is Doctor Hammond who in his Annotations and his Treat of the Keys and especially his Dissertations against Blondel and his Defence of them against the London Ministers hath said much in this Cause But his way is new save that he followeth Petavius in the main supposition He forsaketh almost all the Fathers and almost all the Patrons of Episcopacy of later times who have written for it in the Exposition of all the Texts of Scripture which mention the Elders and Bishops of Churches in those times supposing that they all speak of Bishops only In his Treat of the Keys he maintaineth that the power of them was given to the Apostles onely by Christ and to Bishops as their Successors by the Apostles But I take it for undeniable truth that the Bishops and Elders settled in every Church by the Apostles in their own time had this power and I need not expect a contradiction in it And how fitly those are called the Apostles Successors whom they set over the Churches in their own time even from the beginning that they settled Churches and with whom they continued in the same Churches many Months or Years as Paul in Asia I leave to others to judge But the Question is not whether Bishops have the power of the Keys but whether all Presbyters have it not also And 1. He sheweth that according to the Canons the Presbyters might do nothing in this or in other Acts of Ministration without the Bishop 2. That our English Ordainers though they say Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins you do remit it shall be remitted c. Do not give the Presbyters all the Power of binding and loosing but so much as the Bishops or the Governours are presumed to have thought sit to impart to them which he saith is 1. The declaring in the Church the absolution of penitents after the Confession 2. The absolving them by way of prayer before the Sacrament 3. And by Baptismal washing and 4. Upon Confession to the sick and in private Conference and Confession c. Which yet he saith Is by Christs Authority committed to the Presbyters 3. He saith All this will not extend to the absolving from the bond of excommunication or proportionably to such power of binding any further at most thau to confer the first power of it which if it be then given doth yet remain as the other Power of Preaching and administring the Sacraments bound and restrained from being exercised till they be further loosed by the donation of a Second Power Ans But 1. Either he was not able or not willing to tell us whether this Power be given the Presbyters or not For he avoideth it by
Office of half-Presbyters began to be invented according to his own Computation That pag. 21. passim his supposition of the 24 Bishops of Judaea sitting about the Throne of James Bishop of Jerusalem and his other supposition of their being so ordinarily there And of the Bishops of Provinces in other Nations being so frequently many score if not hundred Miles off their people in the Metropolitane Cities when the people had no other Priest to Officiate doth tend to an Atheistical conceit that the Ordinary use of Sacred Assemblies and Communion is no very needful thing when in the best times by the best men in whole Countreys at once they were so much forborn Pag. 26. Again you have his full and plain Assertion That there were not in the space within compass of which all the Books of the new Testament were written any Presbyters in our modern Notion of them created in the Church though soon after certainly in Ignatius time which was above 50 years after the Rev. they were Pag. 60. He supposeth that whoever should settle Churches under a Heathen King among Heathens must accordinly make the Churches gathered subordinate to one another as the Cities in which they are gathered were though Heathen subordinate to one another of which more in due place Pag. 76 77. He saith that As Congregations and Parishes are Synonimous in their Style so I yield that Believers in great Cities were not at first divided into Parishes while the number of Christians in a City was so small that they might well assemble in the same place and so needed no Partitions or Divisions But what disadvantage is this to us who affirm that one Bishop not a Colledge of Presbyters presided in that one Congregation and that the Believers in the Regions and Villages about did belong to the care of that single Bishop or City Church A Bishop and his Deacon were sufficient at the first to sow their Plantations For what is a Diocess but a Church in a City with the Suburbs and Territories or Region belonging to it And this certainly might be and remain under the Government of a single Bishop Of any Church so bounded there may be a Bishop and that whole Church shall be his Diocess and so he a Diocesan Bishop though as yet this Church be not subdivided into more several Assemblies So that you see now what a Diocess is And that you may know that we contend not about Names while they call the Bishop of one Congreation a Diocesane we say nothing against him A Diocesan in our sense is such as we live under that have made one Church of many hundred or a thousand But Reader be not abused by words when it is visible Countreys that we talk of As every Market-Town or Corporation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City in the old sense so the Diocess of Lincoln which I live in at this reckoning hath three or fourscore Diocesses in it and the Diocess of Norwich about 50 Diocesses in it c. That is such Cities with the interjacent Villages Pag. 78. He saith When they add these Angels were Congregational not Diocesan they were every of them Angels of a Church in a City having authority over the Regions adjacent and pertaining to that City and so as CHURCH and CONGREGATION ARE ALL ONE AS IN ORDINARY USE IN ALL LANGUAGES THEY ARE Thus were Congregational and Diocesan also What follows of the paucity of Believers in the greatest Cities and their meeting in one place is willingly granted by us I must desire the Reader to remember all this when we come to use it in due place And you may modestly smile to observe how by this and the foregoing words the Dr. forgetfully hath cast out all the English Diocesans While he maketh it needful that the Cities be Ecclesiastically subordinate as they are Civilly and maketh it the very definition of a Diocesan Bishop to be a Bishop of a City with the Country or Suburbs belonging to it But in England no lesser Cities ordinarily at least nor Corporation-Towns are at all Subject to the great Cities Nor are any Considerable part of the Countrey Subject to them nor do the Liberties of Cities or Corporations reach far from the Walls or Towns So that by this Rule the Bishop of London York Norwich and Bristow would have indeed large Cities with narrow liberties But the rest would have Diocesses little bigger than we could allow to conscionable Faithful Pastors But he yet addeth more p. 79. he will do more for our cause than the Presbyterians themselves who in their disputes against the Independents-say that Jerusalem had more Christians belonging to the Church than could conveniently meet in one place But saith the Dr. This is contrary to the Evidence of the Text which saith expresty v. 44. that all the Believers were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meeting in one and the same place The like may be said of the other places Act. 4. 4. and 5. 14. For certainly as yet though the number of believers increased yet they were not distributed into several Congregations Will you yet have more p. 80 81. When the London Ministers say that the Believers of one City made but one Church in the Apostles days he answereth This observation I acknowledge to have perfect truth in it and not to be confutable in any part And therefore instead of rejecting I shall imbrace it and from thence conclude that there is no manner of incongruity in assigning of one Bishop to one Church and so one Bishop in the Church of Jerusalem because it is a Church not Churches BEING FORECED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHERE THERE WERE MORE CHURCHES THERE WERE MORE BISHOPS I am almost in doubt by this whether the Dr. were not against the English Prelacy and he and I were not of a mind especially remembring that he said nothing against my disputations of Church Government written against himself when I lived near him Observe Reader 1. That even now he confessed that a Church and Congregation is all one 2. And here he confesseth that where there were more Churches there were more Bishops and his words Because it is a Church not Churches seem to import that de jure he supposeth it is no Church without a Bishop and that there should be no fewer Bishops than Churches And then I ask 1. Where and when do all the Christians in this Diocess of above an hundred miles long Congregate who meet but in above a thousand several Temples and never know one of a thousand of the Diocess 2. Doth not this grant to the Brownists that the Parish Churches are no Churches but onely parts of the Diocesane Church 3. And then if it be proved that the Diocesane Church form is but of humane invention what Church in England will they leave us that is of divine institution This is the unhappiness of overdoing to undo all and of aspiring too high to fall down into nothing And doth he not speak
with the Conscience either of the Minister to be silent or of the people not to hear him or of the Magistrates to silence him by force Now to do this either he must prove to them from the word of God by argument that each of these are thus far obliged by God or else that God hath made him as Diocesan the Judge and they are bound to do it because he bids them do it For the first as is said it belongeth to every Minister even with office-authority to tell both Magistrates Minister and people their duty in the name of Christ Thus God hath commanded Adulterers Hereticks c. To forsake their sins or forbear the Ministery and commanded me to publish this in his name even to particular persons But thou art an Adulterer Heretick c. go c. Or God commandeth me to tell the people that it is their duty to avoid a Heretick and the Magistrate that it is his duty to silence him by force Therefore I require this of you in his name 2. But if the Diocesan claim a Superiour Nuntiative power as one more to be believed than the Minister this is 1. But to the doing of the same work which a Minister may do 2. And he must prove that Superiour credibility 3. But Ministerial conviction is efficacious according to the evidence that is brought to do the work If the hearer believe not that the Major is Gods word that an Heretick e. g. must give over Preaching Or if he deny the Minor but thou art an Heretick it is not a Bishops word that will convince him but a Minister that is better at proving it may do more Obj. but we will command him to be silent Ans And he will deride you and command you to be silent again Obj. Then we will convince the Magistrate of his duty to silence him by force Ans 1. That was not the way for 300 years after Christ And what was Episcopacy for till then 2. What if the Magistrates believe you not will you convince him by Scripture or by your Authority over the Magistrate It by Scripture a wiser Presbyter can do that better or as well If by authority of that anon Obj. But at least we will convince the people that it is their duty to forsake that Preacher Ans Again I say if you will do it by Scripture a Minister can do it as well And thus many Ministers now do silence the Diocesans and Conformists that is they perswade the people not to hear them or own them But if by authority it must come to this at last that you are made by God the Judges and this must be believed And remember still you silence no further than you perswade the Conscience to believe that God hath given you this authority And 1. I ask whether it be ever likely that you will silence any Hereticks false Teacher or Schismatick this way by making him take you for one authorized by God to forbid him to Preach For it must be in one of these three cases or all that you have this power 1. Either to silence him as a Heretick that is no Heretick or not proved such 2. Or to silence him as a Heretick that notoriously and provedly is a Heretick 3. Or to silence him as a Heretick in a doubtful case to others but judged Heresie c. by you 1. In the first case neither the injured person nor any that know that you injure him will or must obey you Else a malignant Prelate might silence all the holiest and worthiest Ministers of Christ and it would be at such mens mercy whether Christ should have Churches or the people should be Christians or be saved I am one of the 1800 that have been silenced by better authority than the Prelates alone and yet I think I am bound in Conscience to exercise the Ministry which I received whatever I suffer to the utmost of my opportunity And if the Sword streightened my opportunity no more than my Conscience of the Diocesans Prohibition I should be but very little hindered 2. In the 2d case of notorious Heresie all good Christians are bound by God to avoid such a man though you never silenced him yea though you licensed him yea though you commanded them to hear him And so Magistrates are bound to do their duty in restraining him Can you deny this Must the peoples Souls be poysoned and damned till the Bishop please to take away the poyson and to save them must the Magistrate let Hereticks alone till it please the Diocesan to judge them 2. And in this case no sober Christian will deny that a Presbyter ought to call upon people and Magistrates to do their duty as well as the Diocesans Yea and to command men in Christs name to avoid a notorious or proved heretick Obj. But a Presbyter cannot examine the case and so get proof Ans He may examine it as far as Reason with Ministerial authority will perswade the guilty or the witnesses to be examined And his care of the Church and the peoples Souls obligeth him so to do And a Prelate cannot bring men by sorce to examination or witnessing 3. But let his guilt be never so notorious to others is it like that the person himself will be silent through Conscience of obedience to a Prelate Consider 1. that if he will not obey a Minister that sheweth him the word of God it is unlikely that he will obey a Prelate that saith I have authority to silence you 2. A Heretick doth not know that he is a Heretick nor any erroneous person know that it is an errour which he believeth For it is a contradiction to err in judgment and to know it to be any errour And then 1. He knoweth that his office is durante vita and that he is bound not to cease it without cause 2. He knoweth that you have no power to silence Orthodox Preachers as Hereticks but those that are Hereticks indeed 3. He taketh himself for Orthodox and you for the Heretick 4. And all his followers are of his mind How then will you silence a Heretick without the Sword If you convince him of his errour you shall not need to silence him for he will leave his errour rather than his Ministry But if you convince him not of his errour you will hardly convince him that because of that errour he must be silent nor convince his followers that they must not hear him 3. All the question therefore that remaineth is whether in unknown doubtful cases you are the Judges of Heresie Errour Schisin and of mens unworthiness to Preach And here 1. I need not tell you that by this way you can never silence either the Arrians or any that deny your authority Of which sort you know are most that you silence in this age and Nation No nora Donatist a Novatian or any one that is for the office of Bishops but taketh you for no Bishop as being unduely
called Of which sort were abundance of Christians towards each others Bishops in former ages and such are the Papists now towards you So that neither Papist nor Protestant that I ever knew silenced by you doth forbear upon Conscience of this your pretended authority at all And what a silencing power is that which scarce any man would be ever silenced by You cannot choose but know this to be true 2. And really should Magistrates themselves be so servile to you as to silence all Ministers by the Sword whom a Prelate judgeth to be silent while he knoweth not whether it be deservedly or not God forbid that Protestants like the Popes sheald make Kings to be their Executioners or hangmen A meer Executioner indeed is not bound to know or examine whether the sentence was just or not though in most cases to forbear if it be notoriously unjust but what a King or Magistrate doth he must do as a publick Judge and therefore must hear the cause himself and try whether he be really guilty or not and not only whether a Bishop judged him so Else Magistrates will either be involved in the bloody sin of persecution as oÌ„ft as a Prelate will but command them and so must be damned and help to damn others when Prelates please Or else it is no sin for a Magistrate to silence all the holyest Ministers of Christ to the damnation of thousands of ignorant untaught Souls so be it the Prelates do but bid him and he keep himself unacquainted with the cause And next they must obey the Counsel at Laterane sub Inoc. 3. And exterminate all subjects out of their Dominions though it be all that are there and must burn Holy-Christians to ashes because the Pope or Prelates bid them 3. I need not make also a particular application of this case to the people When they know nothing but wise and sound and holy in the Doctrine or life of their Pastors and God bids them know such as labour among them and are over them in the Lord and highly esteem them in Love for their work sake they will hardly be so debauched as to violate this command of God as oft as a Diocesan will but say I know some Heresie or Crime by your Teacher which you do not and therefore he must Preach no more and you must no more use his ministry Were I one of these people I would be bold to ask the Diocesan Sir what is the Heresie or Crime that he is guilty of If he refuse to tell me I would slight him as a Tyrant General Counsels told the people of the Heresies for which they did despose their Pastors If he told me what it was I would try it by Gods word If I were unable I would seek help If the Diocesan silenced my Teacher and ten neighbour Bishops wiser than he did tell me that it was for Truth and Duty and that the Heresie was the Bishops I would hear my Teacher and believe the other Bishops before him without taking them to be of a higher order The objections against this and what is before said shall be answered in the next Chapter You see when it is but opened how the Diocesans power vanisheth into the air CHAP. XIII That there is no need of such as our Diocesans for the Unity or the Government of the particular Ministers nor for the silencing of the unworthy IT stuck much in the minds of the Ancient Doctors and Christians that Episcopacy was necessary to avoid Schism and discord among the Ministers and the people and that it was introduced for that reason And I am so averse to singularity in Religion that I will not be he that shall gainsay it A double yea a treble Episcopacy though I cannot prove instituted of Christ yet will I not contradict because one sort I cannot disprove and the other two I take to be but a prudential humane determination of the Circomstances of one and the same sacred Ministerial office-worke 1. That which I cannot disprove as to a Divine Institution is a General Ministry over many Churches like the Scors Visiters at their Reformation who as Successors to the Apostles and Evangelists in the durable parts of their office were by a conjunction of Scripture evidence and Divine authority of office to perswade Pasâ—ors and people to their several duties and to have a chief hand in ordaining and removing Ministers 2. That which I will not contradict antiquity in is a Bishop in every particular Church to be as the chief Presbyter like the chief Justice on the bench or one of the Quorum as our Parish Ministers now are in respect to all their Curates of the Chappels under them 3. And I would not deny but at all Ministerial Synods one man may be Moderator either pro tempore or for continuance as there is cause These two last are but Prudential circumstances as Doctor Stiling fleet hath proved And in all these I like the Discipline of the Waldenses Bâ—â—emian and Polonian Churches But no Government of the Presbyters no concord no keeping out of Heresie requireth such as our Diocesans 1. Who put down all the Bishops of the particular Churches under them 2. And pretending Spiritual Power Govern by the force of the Magistrates Sword 3. And obtrude themselves on the people and Pastors without their consent and against their wills being by multitudes taken for the enemies of the Church 4. And visibly before the world introducing so many bad Ministers and silencing so many faithful ones as in this age they have done Without them we have all these means of concord following 1. We have a clear description of the duty of Ministers and people in Gods word 2. We have Ministers to Preach up all these duties by Office 3. The people are taught by Scripture what Ministers to choose 4. We find it natural to the people to before Learned and godly Ministers though many of them be bad themselves And though it be not so with them all yet the sober part do usually perswade the rest So that in London and else where those Parishes where the people choose had usually far worthier Pastors than the rest especially than those in the Bishops presentation 5. The people are obliged by God to marke those Ministers that cause division and contention and avoid them 6. The Ministers are bound to give notice to the people of false teachers and Schismaticks and to command them to avoid them And themselves to renounce Communion with them after the first and second admonition 7. These Ministers may have correspondence by Synods to keep up concord by agreement among themselves So we have over all a Christian King and Magistracy who are the rightful Governours of the Clergy as well as of all other subjects and may constrain the negligent to their duty and restrain the Heretical Schismatical and wicked from their sin And may not all this do much to keep up Concord 2. What our Diocesans really
shall by the people be appointed only let the Sheep-fold of Christ live in peace with the Presbyters appointed over it By which words it is evident that it was such a particular Ovile or Church where the Will of the people might be declared as a matter that bore much sway But who can think that this is spoken of many Congregations where the peoples Will could not easily be signified 6. And it is farther manifest in that it was but for the sake of one or two that the Church of Corinth moved this sedition against the Presbyters called also Bishops pag. 62. Now how many Congregations that Church consisted of where the interest of one or two was either so far concerned or so powerful it is easie to conjecture set all these together and judge impartially I add though out of season that it was none of the Apostles meaning that those whom they made Bishops of such single Churches without a subject Order of Presbyters should make such an Order of subject Presbyters and make themselves the Bishops of a Diocesane Church without any Bishops under them For pag. 57. he saith And our Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ knew that contention would arise about the name of Episcopacy and for this cause being endued with perfect fore-knowledge they appointed them aforesaid and left the Courses or Orders of After-Ministers and Offices described that other approved men might succeed in the place of the deceased and might execute their Offices So that it was the same places and the same Offices which those ordained by the Apostles had in which others must succeed them which therefore were described by the Apostles and not into others To confirm my Exposition of Clemens note that Grotius himself Epist 182. ad Bignon giveth this as a reason to prove this Epistle of Clemens to be genuine Quod nusquam meminit exortis illius Episcoporum authoritatis quae Ecclesiae consuctudine post Marci mortem Alexandriae atque eo exemplo alibi introduci coepit sed plane ut Paulus Apostolus ostendit Ecclesias communi Presbyterorum qui iidem omnes Episcopi consilio fuisse gubernatas that is Because he no where maketh mention of that excelling authority of Bishops which began to be intrduoced at Alexandria by the custom of the Church after the death of Mark and in other places by that example But he plainly sheweth as the Apostle Paul doth that the Churches were governed by the Common Council of Presbyters who were also Bishops Note also as aforesaid that Doctor Hammond in Dissert granteth as to matter of fact that Clemens speaketh but of the Bishops of single Congregations whom he also calleth Presbyters there being no other in the Church of Corinth II. My next Witness is Pius Bishop of Rome in Epist Justo Episcopo in Biblioth Patr. Tom. 3. pag. 15. mentioning only Bishops and Deacons of which Doctor Hammond making the same Concession still granteth that hitherto Bishops had but single Churches Of this more anon III. My next and greatest Witness is Ignatius in whom to my admiration the Diocesanes so much confide as that quasi pro aris focis they contend for the authority of his Epistles I am as loth to lose him as they are therefore I will not meddle in Blondel's controversie against whom they say Doctor Pierson is now writing In his Epistle to the Philadelphians he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is to every Church one Altar and one Bishop with the Presbytery and the Deacons my fellow servants I am not able to devise apter words to express my sense in He saith not this of some one Church but of all nor yet as of an accident proper to those times of the Churches minority but as of the Notes of every Churches Individuation or Haecceity as they speak The Unity of the Church is characterised by One Altar and One Bishop with the Presbytery and Deacons If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were out it would not alter the sense being plainly implied Bishop Downame's Exposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it signified Christ is so forced and contrary to the evidence of the Text that his own party quite forsake him in it and he needeth no confutation For who ever before dreamed that the Unity or Individuation of each particular Church consisted in having one Christ who is the common Head of all Churches One Christ to every Church and one Bishop would signifie that every Church must have one several Christ as well as one several Bishop Nor is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so used by the Ancients except when the Context sheweth that they speak by allusion of Christ Master Mede's plain and certain Exposition and Collection I gave you before the same with ours As for them that say that many Congregations might per vices come to one Altar to communicate I answer 1. Let them make Churches as big as can thus communicate and spare not though there be necessary Chappels or Oratories besides 2. But remember that every Church used to worship God publickly and to communicate at least every Lords day and that there was but One Altar to each Church and therefore but one Communicating Congregation Doctor Stillingfleet in his Schismatical Sermon is for my Exposition Object It is meant of one Species of Altars and not one Individual Answ Then it is meant also of one Species of Bishops in each Church and not of one Individual Object The practice of the Churches after sheweth that they took it not for a sin or Schism to have several Altars in a Church Answ I talk of nothing but matter of fact it was the note of One Church when those Epistles were written whether the Author was mistaken de jure or whether after Ages grew wiser or rather had fewer Bishops and more Altars for the sake of Carnal Interest I judge not The same Author Epist ad Smyrn saith Ubi utique apparet Episcopus ibi multitudo sit quemadmodum utique ubi est Christus Jesus illic Catholica Ecclesia as Usher's Lat. Trans or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnis exercitus coelestis And the Context sheweth that this multitudo or plebs is the Church which the Bishop overseeth Therefore ubi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia fuit and so every Church had a present Bishop So in Epist ad Magnes he bids them All unitedly or as one run together to one Temple of God as to one Altar to one Jesus Christ So that every Church had one Temple and one Altar to which as a note of their Union in Christ the whole Church must unanimously come So in Epist ad Trull he saith Et Episcopus typum Dei Patris omnium gerit Presbyteri vero sunt consessus quidam conjunctus Apostolorum coetus sine his Ecclesia Electa non est Nulla sine his Sanctorum Congregatio nulla Sanctorum Collectio Et postea Quid vero aliud Sacerdotium est vel Presbyterium quam sacer
arbitrabatur And cap. 25. Cum ipso semper Clerici una etiam domo mensa sumptibusque communibus alebantur vestiebantur Yea he ordered just how many Cups in a day his Clergy-men with him should drink and if any sware an Oath he lost one of his Cups Through God's Mercy sober Godly Ministers now need no such Law By this it evidently appeareth that the Church which he and his Presbyters ruled was not many hundred but one Congregation or City-Church There being no mention of any Country Presbyters that he had elsewhere as far as I remember And when Augustine was dying the People with one consent accepted of his choice of Eradius to be his Successor Epist 110. pag. 195. To recite all that is in Austin's Works intimating these Church-limits would be tedious XX Epiphanius's Testimony I have before mentioned as produced by Petavius that there were few Cities if any besides Alexandria in those Countries that had more than one Congregation and particularly none of his own And Doctor Hammond trusteth to him and Irenaeus to prove that the Apostles setled single Bishops in single Congregations in many places without any Sub-Presbyters XXI Socrates l. 5. c. 21. saith The Church of Antioch in Syria is situate contrary to other Churches for the Altar stands not to the East but to the West Which Speech implieth that besides Chappels if any there was but one Church that was notable in Antioch while he calleth it The Church at Antioch without distinction from any other there XXII Socrates l. 7. c. 3. tells us a notable story of Theodosius Bishop of Synada who went to Constantinople for Power to persecute Agapetus the Macedonian Bishop in that City But while he was absent Agapetus turned Orthodox and his Church and the Orthodox Church joyned together and made Agapetus Bishop and excluded Theodosius who made his Complaint of it to Atticus the Patriarch of Constantinople a wise and peaceable Man who desired Theodosius to live quietly in private because it was for the Churches good May such causes oft have such decisions and Lordly troublesome Prelates such success By which story you may guess how many Congregations both Parties made in Synada XXIII Socrates l. 7. c. 26. tells us that Sisinnius was chosen Bishop of Constantinople by the Laity against the Clergy And cap. 28. Sisinnius sent Proclus to be Bishop of Cyziâ—um but the People chose Dalmatius and refused him And this custom of the People's Choice must needs rise at first from hence that the whole Church being but one Congregation was present For what Right can any one Church in a Diocess have to chuse a Bishop for all the rest any more than the many hundred that are far off and uncapable to chuse XXIV Sozomen's Testimony even so late is very observable lib. 7. cap. 15. who mentioning the differences of the East and West about Easter and inferring that the Churches should not break Communion for such Customs saith Frivolum enim merito quidem judicarunt consuetudinis gratia a se mutuo segregari eos qui in praecipuis Religionis capitibus consentirent Neque enim easdem traditiones per omnia similes in omnibus Ecclesiis quamvis inter se consentientes reperire posses And he instanceth in this Etenim per Scythiam cum sint Civitates multae unum dâ—ntaxat hae omnes Episcopum habent I told you the reason of this Rarity before Apud alias vero nationes reperias ubi Pagis Episcopi ordinantur Sicut apud Arabes Cyprios ego comperi He speaketh of his own knowledge No wonder then if Epiphanius be to be interpreted as Petavius doth when in Cyprus not only the Cities had but one Church but also the Villages had Bishops To these he addeth the Novatians and the Phrygian Montanists And let none think their instances inconsiderable For the Montanists were for high Prelacy even for Patriarchs as in Tertullian appeareth And the Novatians were for Bishops and had many very Godly Bishops and were tolerated by the Emperors even in Constantinople as good People and Orthodox in the Faith And Novatus was martyred in Valerian's Persecution as Socrates l. 4. c. 23. saith XXV Even Clemens Roman or whoever he was that wrote in his name Epist 3. sheweth that Teaching the People is the Bishop's Office and concludeth in Crab p. 45. Audire Episcopum attentius oportet ab ipso suscipere doctrinam fidei Monita autem vitae a Presbyteris inquire a Diaconis vero ordinem Disciplinae By which Partition of Offices it is evident that the Bishop only and not the Presbyters then used to preach to the Church and that the Presbyters though ejusdem ordinis and not Lay-Elders used to instruct the People personally and give them Monita vitae and that they were all in one Church together and not in several distant Churches XXVI Paul himself telleth us that Cenchrea had a Church and the Scripture saith They ordained Elders in every Church And though Downame without any proof obtrude upon us that it was under the Bishop of Corinth and had a Presbyter of his to teach them yet of what Authority soever in other respects the Constitutions called Clements or the Apostles be they are of more than his in this where lib. 7. cap. 46. in that old Liturgy Lucius is said to be Bishop of Cenchrea ordained by the Apostles XXVII Gennadius de viris illustr l. 1. c. 10. saith that Asclepius was Vici non grandis Episcopus Bishop of a Village not great XXVIII Saith Cartwright Four or five of the Towns which were Seats of the Bishops of the Concil Carthag which Cyprian mentioneth are so inconsiderable that they are not found in the Geographical Tables XXIX And faith Altare Damascen p. 294. Oppidum trium Tabernarum Velitris vicinum was a Bishop's Seat for all the nearness and smallness of the Towns And Gregor lib. 2. Epist 35. laid the Relicts of the wasted Church to the Bishoprick of Veliterno Castrum Lumanum had a Bishop till Gregory joyned it to Benevatus Bishop of Micenas and so had many Castra ordinarily Remigius did appoint a Bishop within his own Diocess when he found that the number of persons needed it Viz. apud Laudunum clavatum Castrum suae Dioeceseos Of Spiridion the Bishop of Trimithantis I spake before XXX Theoph. Alexand. Epist Pasch 3. in Bibl. Pat. To. 3. concludeth thus Pro defunctis Episcopis in locis singulorum constituti In urbe Nichio pro Theopempto Theodosius In Terenuthide Aisinthius In oppido Geras pro Eudaemone Pirozus In Achaeis pro Apolline Musaeus In Athrivide pro Isidoro Athanasius In Cleopatride Offellus In Oppido Lato pro Timotheo Apelles And the nearness and smallness of some of these sheweth the Dioceses small The same Theoph. Alex. saith Epist Canon Can. 6. De iis qui ordinandi sunt haec erit forma ut quicquid est Sacerdotalis ordinis consentiat eligat tunc Episcopus examinet
counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine compared with 1 Cor. 9. 14. Gal. 6. 6. which shew that preaching the Gospel was their work as well as Ruling the Churches under them as 1 Cor. 12. 28. Eph. 4. 11 12. Rom. 12. 7 8. intimate Acts 20. 17 28. He sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church Take heed to your selves and to all the flocks over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers or Bishops to feed or rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud v. 31. Therefore watch c. v. 35. So labouring ye ought to support the weak Acts 11. 30. They sent it to the Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Soul Acts 15. 2. 6. 22 23. To the Apostles and Elders And the Apostles and Elders came together to consider Then pleased it the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church The Apostles Elders and Brethren send greeting See v. 25 28. Acts. 6. 4. The decrees which were ordained of the Apostles and Elders which were at Jerusalem Acts 2â— 18. The day following Paul went in with us unto James and all the Elders were present 1 â—im 4. 14. Neglect not the gift which is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1 Pet. 5. 1. The Elders which are among you â—exhort who also am an Elder Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight or Episcopacy thereof not by constraint but willingly Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock And when the chief Shepherd shall appear 2 Joh. 1. The Elder to the Elect Lady Whether those Texts 1 Tim. 5. 1. Rebuke not an Elder v. 19. Receive not an accusation against an Elder speak of an Elder by Office or by Age is uncertain if it be by Office the other Texts describe them Jam. 5. 14. Is any man sick Let him call for the Elders of the Church All these Texts shew that every Church had Elders by the institution of the Holy Ghost That they were the Teachers Worshippers Rulers and were among the people present with their flock personally doing their Offices c. And the Scripture mentioneth no other that I can find And of this I have Dr. Hammonds full confession Annotat. in Act. 11. dissert before cited with all those whom he mentioneth of his party and mind And as for them of the contrary opinion they tell us that in Scripture times the Names Presbyter Bishop were common And that the word Bishops sometimes signified all the Presbyters the Bishops as Presbyters and the Subpresbyters as in Phil. 1. 1 2. And that the word Presbyters sometimes signifieth the Bishops only and sometime both conjunctly But they are none of them able to give us any one instance with proof of a Text which speaketh of Subject Presbyters I mean subject in Order or degree to Bishops of the single Churches and not subject to the Apostles and General officers And while we prove that God appointed such entire Presbyters as are here described and they cannot prove against Dr. Hammond or us that any one text speaketh of a lower order or rank I think we need no other Scripture evidence CHAP. XIII The same confirmed by the Ancients AS for Humane testimony the heap is so great brought in by Dav. Blondel that I have the less mind to say any more of it But shall only besides all that is said before on the by recite a few of those testimones which most convinced my own understanding in the reading of them in the Authors themselves leaving others to take what they see best out of Blondels store I. I know that somewhat may be said against what I shall first cite but I think not of sufficient force I begin with it though not first in time because first in Authority The 1. Concil Nicaen in their Epistle to the Church of Alexand. and all the Churches of Egypt Libya and Pentapolis thus decree concerning those that were Ordained by Meletius as Socrat. lib. 1. c. 6. translated by Grynaeus Hi autem qui Dei gratia vestris precibus adjuti ad nullum schisma deflexisse comperti sunt sed intra Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae fines ab erroris labe vacuos se continuerint authoritatem habeant tum Ministros ordinandi tum eos qui clero digni fuerint nominandi tum denique omnia ex lege instituto Ecclesiastico libere exequendi Now ordaining Ministers and nominating men for the Clergy are acts which if any shew Presbyters to be Rulers in the Church Obj. 1. Perhaps it is Bishops ordained by Meletius that are here spoken of or Bishops with the Presbyters respectively Answ There is no more in the Text but this They decreed further touching such as were entred into holy Orders by his laying on of hands that they after confirmation with more mystical laying on of hands should be admitted into the fellowship of the Church with this condition that they should enjoy their dignity and degree of Ministry yet that they be inferiour to all the Pastors throughout every province and Church Moreover that they have no authority to elect the Ministers approved by their censures no not so much as to nominate them which are to execute the Ecclesiastical functions nor to intermeddle with any thing touching them that are within Alexanders jurisdiction without the consent of the Bishop of the Catholick Church And then they add as afore that those that fell not into Schism as they did shall have authority to Consecrate Ministers and nominate such as shall be thought worthy of the Clergy Now that it is Presbyters and not Bishops that are here spoken of appeareth 1. In that it is without any note of eminency said to be such as were entred into Holy Orders 2. In that it is such as so entred by the Laying on of Meletius's hands Wherereas a Bishop must be ordained by the hands of three Bishops And the Schism of one of the three would not have frustrated the Ordination if the other two stood firm in the Catholick Union 3. Because it is the priviledge of Presbyters that is denyed them Though they be not degraded they are to be below all other Pastors in every Church which cannot be that they shall be Bishops below all Presbyters 4. Because the consent of the Bishop of the Catholick Church where they shall come is necessary to their officiating But if it could have been proved that Bishops had been here included yet while Presbyters also are included it will not invalidate the testimony But indeed here is no such proof I confess that Nicephorus a less credible Author seemeth to apply it to Bishops Ordained by Meletius But no such thing can be gathered out of Sozomen either Tripart lib. 1. c. 18. where he describeth Meletius and his party or Tripart lib. 2.
that the Presbyters office which was instituted by God and used by the ancient Churches contained an obligation and Authority not only to Teach and Worship but also the rest of the Power of the Keys to Rule the Churches committed to their care not by the sword or force but by a pastoral perswasive power judging who is to be taken in and put out and what persons are fit objects for the respective exercises of their own Ministerial acts which was the thing I was engaged to make good CHAP. XV. Whether this Government belonging to the office of Presbyters be in foro Ecclesiae exteriore or only in foro Conscientiae interiore THe last shift that some Prelatists have is to distinguish between the forum internum Conscientiae poenitentiale and the forum externum Ecclesiasticum and to tell us that indeed Presbyters have the Power of the Keys in private or in the first sense but not in Publick or in the second Answ 1. Note that the question is not whether they have the sole power or the chief power or with what limitations it is fit for them to exercise it nor what appeals there should be from them But whether the power of the Keys be part of their office 2. That the question is not of the power of Governing the Church by the sword which belongeth to the King and is Extrinsick to the Pastoral office and to the being of the Church As protecting the Church punishing Church-offenders corporally c. For this is proper to the Magistrate and belongeth neither to Bishops nor Presbyters as such We claim no part with the Prelates in any such secular Government as their Courts use except when they come to Excommunication and Absolution At least no coercive power at all 3. All the question is of the power of the Keys of Admission Conduct and Exclusion of judging who shall have Sacraments and Church-Communion with our assemblies that is Who shall be pronounced fit or unfit for it by our selves And that this belongeth to Presbyters in foro publico Ecclesiae I prove 1. Because they are Publick officers or Pastors over that Church and therefore their power of the Keys is a publick Church power else they had none of the Keys as Pastors of that Church at all For the Keys are to Let in and put out They are the Church Keys and he that hath power only to speak secretly to a single person doth not thereby take in to the Church or put any out nor Guide them publickly A man that is a Minister at least may convince satisfie comfort any mans conscience in secret of what Church soever he be even as he is a member of the Universal Church But he that is a publick Officer and Governour of the Church may publickly Govern the Church But a Presbyter is a publick officer and Governour Ergo. 2. The rest of his office may be publickly performed Coram Ecclesia and not in secret only He may Preach to the Church Pray with the Church Praise God with them Give them the Sacrament Therefore by parity of Reason he may publickly exercise discipline unless any by-accident pro tempore forbid it 3. Else he must be made a meer Instrument of another and not a rational free Agent and Minister of Christ Yea perhaps more like to an Asse who may carry Bread and Wine to the Church or like a Parrot that may say what he is bid than a man who hath a discerning judgment what he is to do I must publickly baptize and publickly preach and pray and publickly give the Lords Body and Bloud And if I must be no Judge my self to whom I must do this then 1. Either I may and must do it to any one without offending God to whom the Bishop bids me do it And if so I may Excommunicate the faithful and curse Gods children and absolve the most notoriously wicked if the Bishop bid me And how come they to have more power than King Balak had over Balaam or than a Christian Emperour had over Chrysostom He that saith to the wicked Thou art righteous Nations shall curse him people shall abhor him Prov. 24. 24. Wo to them that call evil good and good evil But what if the Bishop bid them If I may not preach lies or heresies if the Bishop bid me then I may not lyingly curse the faithful nor bless the wicked if he bid me If I may not forbear preaching the Gospel meerly for the will of man when God calleth me to it much less may I speak slanders yea and lie in the name of God when men bid me The French Priest did wiselier than so that being bid from the Pope to Curse and Excommunicate the Emperour said I know not who it is that is in the right and who is in the wrong but I do Excommunicate him that is in the wrong whoever he be 2. Or else it will follow that I am bound to sin and damn my soul thereby whenever the Bishop will command me which is a contradiction 3. Or else it will follow that I am a beast that am not to judge or know what I do and therefore my acts are neither sin nor duty 4. If he have not the Keys to use publickly in foro Ecclesiae he hath no power of Excommunication and Restitution at all For to Excommunicater is publickly to notifie to the Church that this person is none of them nor to be communicated with and to charge them to avoid his company 5. The Bishops themselves put the Presbyters to proclaim or read the Excommunication and if this be any Ministerial or Pastoral act certainly it is in foro Ecclesiae 6. Most of the Acts before named as their concessions as to be in the Convocation c. are acts in foro publico 7. The full proofs before brought from Antiquity of Presbyters sitting in Councils Judging Excommunicating c. are of publick not private exercise of the Keys 8. They are the same Keys or Office power which Christ hath committed to the Pastors even the Guidance of his Church to feed his lambs And ubi Lex non distinguit non est distinguendum Where doth Christ or Scripture say You shall use the Keys of Church-power privately but not in the Church or publickly 9. All this striving against Power in the Ministers of Christ is but striving against their duty work and the ends and benefits of it He that hath no Power for publick discipline hath no obligation to use it and so he is to neglect it And this is it that the Devil would have to keep a thousand or many hundred Pastors in a Diocese from doing the publick work of Discipline And as if he could confine Preaching to Diocesans only And I verily believe they are better of the two at Preaching than at Discipline he knoweth that it is but few souls of many thousands that would be taught Even so when he can confine Church discipline to the Diocesanes
in our eyes And of such I have oft wondred that the common people should usually choose far better than the Prelates do But the truth is Wisdom and Goodness have their witnesses even in the consciences of natural men which Faction Pride and Fleshly interest doth bribe or silence and cannot endure 3. But what 's all this to us We plead not now for the necessity of the peoples Elections but only for their consent If the Patrons as now or the Clergy as formerly be the Nominators or Electors yet should the peoples consent be acknowledged necessary in the second place 4. For who is fitter to choose or refuse or consent at least than he whose everlasting interest lieth at the stake It is their own soul that must be saved or damned And in good sadness do these Diocesans love the souls of all the people better than they love their own Do you make them believe this by not seeing one of a thousand or many hundred of your flock once in all the time of your lives Doth the silencing of so many Ministers shew it Christ will have all men at age in Covenanting Baptism and the Lords Supper to be Chusers or Refusers for themselves because as Clem. Alexandr Strom. 1. saith they have free will and it is themselves that must have the gain or loss that must be in heaven or hell for ever What if a Prelate a Parliament a Patron or a forefather chuse Masspriests or Hereticks for us must we accept the choice Is this our bewaring of false prophets and of the leaven of the Pharisees and our trying all things and letting no man deceive us c. 5. But how unfit is this objection for a Prelates mouth or pen Are you the Church Governours Is all this contention that you may have the Keys alone without the parish Ministers And is this the fruit of all your Government that the common Church members are so mad so bad so untractable that they are not fit to be free Consenters to them that are to Teach and Guide them to salvation Who then is this Church Ruine and Abomination long of but your selves who have and only will have the Keys Have you not fine Churches and members that are not fit to choose no nor consent to their own Guides Why do you not take care that the Churches by discipline may be better constituted As none should be Pastors who are not fit for the duty of Pastors so none should be members who are not fit for the duty of members It 's excellent Government inded to keep such in the Church as are unfit to be there and then fetch an argument from their unfitness for their neglect of their duty and your depriving them of their power As if you should choose none but ideots or most such to be Jury men and then argue thence that they are unfit for so great a trust and so the people must lose their liberties 6. There are among the ignoranter sort of the people usually divers sober and good men and the rest use much to hearken to them Obj. But what if the people will not consent to any but a Heretick or intolerable person Answ 1. The former answers serve to this You do fairly to keep such people in the Church But as the Foreigner wondered in Henry the Eighth's days to see at once some hanged for being Papists and some burnt for being Protestants and cried out Dii boni quomodo gentes hic vivunt So it is such another case to see at once the same Prelates forcing the unwilling into the Church and to the Sacrament as if this would or could save them if their Church be salvation in despight of them even on pain of undoing and perpetual imprisonment And yet Excommunicating and casting out those that are willing to stay in As if Consent were a mark of an aliene and a reprobate and unwillingness the mark of worthiness 2. Such as you here describe are not fit to be members of a Church If they will not Consent to Church priviledges and duties they should be without the doors And you may force them to hear Teaching whether they are willing or not But you cannot make them Godly nor bring them to heaven nor give them right to Church Communion and Sacraments whether they will or not So much of Election and Consent 2. Moreover the Ordination differeth from that of Gods institution For Presbyters are now Ordained commonly neither by Archbishops Bishops or Presbyters of Christs institution in their way 1. The Bishops themselves profess that they Ordain not as Presbyters For they say such have no power of Ordination 2. They are not Bishops of Christs institution as is before proved but of another species which half themselves confess to be but humane 3. They are not Archbishops because they have no Bishops under them And so having not their power of Ordination as Officers of Gods making they have no power from him to Ordain Obj. By these two last differences you seem to give up the Cause to the Separatists Answ The Prelatists do so but so do not we 1. Because whether the Prelates will or not the people ex post facto do Consent to every worthy Pastor 2. Because we judge of Parish Ministers as God describeth them and therefore as true Bishops and consequently take the Prelates for a kind of Archbishops whatever they call themselves 3. And there is no honest Minister but hath the Consent of some neighbour Ministers and of the People And though imposition of hands be a laudable Ceremony yet it is not that but mutual Consent of themselves and the Pastors and People in which their external call consisteth as is before said II. The different Correlates and Termini make different Relations The Churches which the ancient Presbyters were related to were true entire Churches however their work might be parcelled among the members But according to the Prelates platform each Presbyter hath his charge over no Church of Christ at all but only over a hundredth six hundredth or thousandth part of a Church having no more to do with all the rest than if they were of another Diocese III. But I come to the point intended That they take from the Presbyter his essential Obligation and Authority appeareth 1. In general they commonly affirm that the Governing power belongeth not to them and that they are but the Bishops Curates By which they mean not only that the Bishops rule them but they say that the Bishop doth Teach all his Diocese per alios even by these his Curates And accordingly they have lately blotted out of their Litany Bishops Pastors and Ministers of the Church and have substituted Bishops Priests and Deacons lest the Priests should be supposed Pastors But they altered not the Collect for all Bishops and Curates And they have put out of the Office for Ordination of Priests Act. 20. 28. Now what a Presbyter doth in the person of the Bishop
change in their Church Orders Either it was part of the Apostolical Commission and work to settle Church Offices and orders for Government or not as to the species if Christ had not before done it or to settle it by revealing what Christ did command them either from Christ's mouth or the Spirits inspiration to â—â—tle the Catholick Church as Moses did the Jewish If it were none of their Commissioned Office work then it was none of John's And then it is done so as may be yet undone But if it were John's work it was Theirs And if theirs why did they not perform it Even while they had that promise Matth. 15. 20 21. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name c. And If two of you agree of a thing c. If you say that there was no need till they were all dead I answer It is a Fiction The greatest numerous Church at Jerusalem had more need of more than One to officiate among them and so had Ephesus Antioch Coritnb c. than most Churches else had in St. John's days And were all the Apostles so negligent and forgetful 2. What proof is there that St. John did make this change It is either by Scripture that it is proved or by History 1. Not by Scripture For 1. No Scripture mentioneth S. John's doing it 2. Dr. Hammond and his followers confess that it was not done as can be proved in Scripture times And Chronologers suppose that there was but a year or two between his death and the end of Scripture times that is the writing of his Apocalypse And is it probable that he began so great a Change the last year of his life 2. And History maketh no mention of it at all For I am ashamed to answer their nonconcluding reason from St. John's bringing a young prodigal to a Presbyter to be educated or his Ordaining Presbyters when it is no more than is said of the other Apostles Let them give us if they can any Satisfactory proof that S. John alone a year or two ere he died made this new species of Presbyters and Churches that we may believe it to be of God But blind presumptions we dare not trust 3. None of the Ancient Churches Councils or Doctors that ever I could find did ever hold that Subpresbyters were instituted by St. John alone and these changes made by him How then shall we think that men of yesterday can tell us without them and better than they and contrary to them the history of those times 4. By as good a course as this what humane corruption may not be defended and Scripture supposed insufficient to notifie Gods Church-institutions to us When there is nothing said in Scripture for them the Papists or others may say that S. John made this or that Change when all the rest were dead But why must we believe them 5. And the Church hath rejected this plea already long ago When Papias pleaded that he had the Millenary Doctrine from St. John himself and when the Eastern Churches pretended his Authority for their time of Easters observation here was incomparably a fairer shew of St. John's Authority than is produced by Dr. H. in the present case And yet both were over-ruled by the Consent of the Churches II. And that it cannot be proved to be the Apostles intentions that their establishment herein should be but temporary and left to the will of man to change I have largely proved in my Disput 1. of Church Government long ago I now only say 1. That which the Apostles did in execution of a Commission of Christ for which he promised and gave them his infallible Spirit was the work of Christ himself and the Spirit and not to be changed but by an Authority equal to that which did it But such was the setling of the species of Churches and Elders Ergo c. The Commission is before recited from Scripture and so is the promise and gift of the Spirit to perform it 2. Where there is full proof of a Divine Institution by the Apostles and no proof of a purpose that men should afterward change it or that this institution should be but for a time and then cease there that Institution is to be supposed to stand in force and the repeal cessation or allowed mutation to befeigned But there is full proof of a Divine institution by the Apostles that Preesbyters with the power of Government were placed over single Churches and no other saith Dr. H. And there is no proof brought us at all of either Repeal Cessation or Allowance for mutation Ergo c. They confess de facto all that we desire viz. 1. That there was then none but single Churches or Congregations under one Bishop 2. That there were no Subpresbyters Let them now prove the Allowance of a Change 3. That supposition is not to be granted which leaveth nothing sure in the Christian Churches and Religion But such is the supposition of a change of the Apostles Orders in these points Ergo. If the after times may change these Orders who can prove that they may not change all things else of supernatural institution As the Lords day Baptism the Lords Supper the Bible the Ministry yet remaining c. And if so nothing is sure Object Christ himself instituted these and therefore they may not be changed Answ 1. It was not Christ himself that wrote the Scripture but his servants by his Spirit 2. Christ himself did that mediately which his Apostles did by his Mandate and Spirit Matth. 28. 20. The Spirit was given them to bring all things to their remembrance which he had spoken to them And to cause them to Teach the Churches all things which Christ had commanded them And as Christ made the Sin against the Holy Ghost to be greater than that which was but directly against his humanity and as he promised his Disciples that by that Spirit they should do greater works than his so that which his Spirit in them did establish was of no less authority than if Christ had personally established it 4. By this rule the Prelates themselves may be yet taken down by as good authority as the Apostles other settlement was changed For if it was done by Humane Authority there is yet as great Humane power to make that further change Wherever they place it in Kings Bishops or Councils they may yet put down Bishops by as good authority as they put down what the Apostles set up and may set up more new orders still by as good authority as they set up these half-presbyters And so the Church shall change as the Moon 5. That which is accounted a reproach to all Governours is not without proof to be imputed to God and his inspired Apostles But to make oft and sudden changes of Government is accounted a reproach to all Governours Ergo For it is supposed that they wanted either foresight and wisdom to know what was to be
day 3. The remaining respects which the people had to the Prelates and their way was a hinderance to us that desired to meddle herein with none but consenters 4. A great number of Sectaries raised by the distastes of the Prelates wayes did also hinder us 5. Yet it was than possible and feasible to Ministers that were wise and willing to do so much as might very much attain the ends of discipline though not so much as they desired 6. But is this an Objection fit for the Prelatists to make or doth it not encrease their condemnation what would you say to a Physician a Pilot a Schoolmaster that should say It is not an hundred Physicians that can do what should be done for all the Patients in this City nor an hundred Pilots that can well govern all the Navy nor an hundred School masters that can well Govern all the Schools in the Diocess Therefore I will get them all turned out and I will be the only Physician with my Apothecaries the only Pilot with my Sâ—amâ—n the only Schoolmaster with my Monitors and Ushers my self for the work can be but left undone Such rule the Churches must have while God for our sins will suffer it The doing it per alios is oft enough answered before Obj. V. Many Parish Ministers are young and raw and unfit to govern Ans 1. They are unfit who make this Objection who bring and keep such in and cast so many hundred out that are better however ignorant malice slander them 2. This also may be said against their preaching much more For 3. They may Rule with others when they cannot preach by others 4. There may be appeals to the next Synod or Prelate if you will have it so Obj. VI. You would have a Priest to be a Pope in his Parish Ans I can call this Objection no better than gross Impudency For 1. It s a Contradiction A Pope is a Head of the Universal Church And so it is saying that we make every Minister a Head of the Universal Church to his Parish 2. We desire more Presbyters than One in a Church 3. We desire Appeals to the next Synod and is that to be a Pope 4. Is not one Minister as able to Rule a Parish without the help of assistants and Synods as one Prelate to Rule many hundred Parishes who likely is a worse man than the Minister Impudent pride will perhaps say no. CHAP. XXI The Magistrates Sword is neither the strength of Church discipline nor will serve instead of it nor should be too much used to second and enforce it THese three assertions I will prove distinctly 1. The Magistrates Sword is not the chief strength of true Church discipline I add this because this is the Prelatists last Objection that its true that the Keys are but brutum fulmen and a leaden sword without the Magistrates For almost all men will dispise it Who will come to our Courts if they may choose Who will regard our Excommunications Do not the people now despise them what then would they do if they had their wills when we have excommunicated the Schismaticks They will Excommunicate us again The greatest Prelatists who write to me and speak with me use these very words themselves To which I answer 1. If we prove that Christ hath instituted discipline and that for such noble ends as aforementioned it is little less than blasphemy thus to reproach it As if Christ had no more Power Wisdome or Goodness than to ordain so vain and unprofitable a means to such high and necessary ends 2. The objection doth but express a carnal mind which regardeth only carnal things and thinketh as basely of all others as if nothing moved them but the interest of the flesh And as if Gods favour or displeasure and the authority of his word and Ministers were of no force or regard even with the Church of Christ 3. The objection inviteth Kings to put down all Bishops except Preachers and Magistrates For why should they put the people to so great charge and trouble especially when they love the Prelates so little as to keep them up to wield a Leaden Sword and to brandish a brutum fulmen and to make a noise to no more purpose yea to rob the Magistrate of the honour of his proper work and to make the deluded people believe that those things are done by a brutum fulmen which really are done by the Civil power 4. This objection bitterly reproacheth all the ancient Churches and Bishops and all General and provincical Councils and all the Cannons and ancient discipline of the Churches As if they had troubled the world to no pupose and all their discipline had been vain 5. The objection is notoriously confuted in that the Discipline was more powerful and had better effect before Constantius time than afterwards and was much more strictly exercised against sin And that which so long did more without the Sword than afterward by it doth not receive its efficacy from the Sword 6. A naturarei there is as much of Divine Authority as much of the power of his Precepts Prohibitions Promises and threatnings as much of Heavenly inducement as much of the terrors of Hell as much of internal goodness of holyness and evil of sins as much of Soul interest in what the Minister propoundeth for mens conviction as there is when it is backt with the Magistrates Sword And if all these have no force Christianity must be a dream and able to do no good in the world which better beseemeth Julian Celsuâ— or Porphyry Symmachus or Eunapius to say than a Bishop 7. By this objection the Prelatists openly confess that their Churches consist of men so carnal as are not moved by Divine authority without the Sword And consequently what Pastors they have been to the Churches and how they have governed them and what they allow us to expect from their discipline for the time to come 8. By this Objection they condemn themselves and justifie the Nonconformists For why should we Swear that we will never endeavour any alteration of so brutish an Office as if the King and Parliament could not take down such an useless thing And why should so many hundred Ministers be forbidden to Preach Christ for not assenting consenting and Swearing to such a vaine and brutish power 9. By this they give up their cause to the Presbyterians and Independents Confessing that their discipline is uneffectual when as we that plead for another frame desire not the Magistrates Sword to interpose and desire to use discipline on none but Volunteers And either the discipline which we desire hath some efficacy or none If none what need they fear it or hinder it or silence so many hundred Ministers and write and strive and all to keep men from using such a brutum fulmen which can do no harme But if they confess that our discipline hath efficacy and theirs hath none what do they but directly
parts requisite thereunto or had not as yet attained to maturity of years being not much past their nonage as we have known some of them to be or in all respects undeserving persons And yet men of age and experience eminent for learning and piety must stand unveiled before such as these to receive directions and commands from them to whom they were able and fit to give the same who through the just judgment of the Almighty have since been as much and more scorned than they do now scorn others every way their superiour but in place Here he citeth such like words also even from Bishop Andrews Gonc ad Cler. with his prediction of the fall of their order for their vicious lives So p. 6. To this specious design an open way seemed to be made by the great profaness and vicious living of the opposite party who while they were zealous for conformity to the ordinances of men and thought a main part of Christian duty to depend upon the observation of them did allow themselves carnal liberty inviolating the precepts and commandements of God And this they did as from the inbred corruption which is common to all men so likewise from a private spirit of opposition against the adversaries of their cause And p. 10 11. Speaking of advantages against the Bishops and their party saith he This perchance was not the meanest that they might thus check and shame the open prophaness gross impiety irreligion and sin of their professed adversaries The which to speak truth was so eminent oft times and notorious in many of them as might startle a meer natural Conscience to hear or behold it and cause therein an abhorrence from their courses so opposite as well to right reason as sanctifying grace much more in a mind inlightened though with the smallest ray of Evangelical truth For what could be more strange or hateful to men in whom was any spark remaining of common grace or moral virtue and who were not wholly possessed with Atheism and carried on with fullest bent to libertinism and ungodly practice than to hear those that professed themselves the followers of Christ scoffing at the purest acts of his worship blaspheming or prophaning his holy name by causless Oaths fearful imprecations direful execrations and such like speeches not to be expressed again without horror and amazement And not only so but glorying likewise in this their abominable wickedness and in other of like damnable nature in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine and strong drinks revellings wherein they thought it strange that others ran not with them to the same excess of riot speaking evil of them How much did this their apparent and overdaring impudence in sin commend and grace the seeming Saint-like conversation of their adversaries of some of them we cannot without manifest breach of charity judge of them otherwise than that they were simple harmless well meaning men who being offended and not without cause at the corruption of the times and scandalous lives of many in the sacred office of the Ministry And indeed their strict conformity in other respects to the precepts of the Gospel with their constancy in suffering for the defence of their cause did argue as much to moderate men and not possessed with prejudicate hatred of their opinion and persons For such as these could never be induced to entertain a good conceit of them no not in the least measure but judged their best actions to be counterfeit and false and thought their greatest suffering to proceed from pride and contumacy of spirit Now as it comes to pass between those that extreamly hate one another that they endeavour as much as in them lieth to be unlike each other in manner of life so it fared in this case And p. 27. 28. The slack hand of ecclesiastical discipline was another cause of the general ignorance and prophaness of these times which reached no further for the most part to the inferior Clergy how peccant soever otherwise than in disconformity to Episcopal orders Provincial or Synodical Constitutions touching external government Neither did it call people to a due account if any of their proficiency in the knowledge of Christ Jesus or censure them for non-proficiency therein yea scarcely for gross and scandalous crimes if they were persons known to be well affected to the present Government And of the change since in 1653 when Bishops were down he saith p. 29. I can speak it on my own knowledge that a Town of good note in the Western parts of the land not far distant from the Sea heretofore famed for all manner of riot and disorder by this course of late years hath been reduced to that order and discipline that it is a rare matter to see a man there at any time distempered with wine and strong drink or to hear a rash Oath proceed from any mans mouth no not when there is most frequent concourse of people thither from all the neighbouring parts Such changes through Gods mercy were not rare till Prelacy returned Reader I cite the words of this author so tediously because many would perswade those that knew not those times that none of this was true on either side And because the Author was a very high Prelatist writing openly against their adversaries 1653. VI. Dr. Gauden after Bishop of Worcester Hiera spist pag. 287. saith I neither approve or excuse the personal faults of any particular Bishops as to the exercise of their power and authority which ought not in weighty matters to be mannaged without the presence Council and suffrages of the Presbyters such as are fit for that assistance The want of this S. Ambrose S. Hierome and all sober men * justly reprove as unsafe for the Bishops and Presbyters and the whole Church For in multitude of Counsellors is safety and honor I am sure much good they might all have done as many of them did whom these touchy times were not worthy of And p 262. 263. They have taught me to esteem the ancient and Catholick Government of Godly Bishops as Moderators and Presidents among the Presbyters in any Diocess or Precincts in its just measure and constitution for power paternal duty exercised such as was in the persecuting purest and primitive times Just such we offered them in Bishop Ushers Model p. 263 I confess after the example of the best times and judgment of the most learned in all Churches I alwayes wished such moderation on all sides that a Primitive Episcopacy which imported the authority of one grave and worthy person chosen by the consent and assisted by the presence Counsel and suffrages of many Presbyters might have been restored or preserved in this Church And this not out of any factious design but for those weighty reasons which prevail with me Add to this what he saith in Hookers life of the late Bishops and remember that this man was one of the Keenest Writers against the adversaries of the Bishops in his