yet the Apostles who were guided by an Infallible Spirit setled Episcopacy in them all There was not in a Monarchy Episcopacy and in a Republick Presbytery but one and the same in both And this is matter of Fact and hath greater Authority to attest it than any humane story of that Antiquity which all mankind admits for Truth And for to affirm that though this be true this Government is alterable if the Magistrate judg it not so conducing to Piety as another he sets up What is it but to say that God did not foresee what contingencies would fall out in succeeding Ages and that the Apostles did not know what would advance true Religion and Piety in succeeding Ages so well as Magistrates that follow who are easily blinded and deceived when it conduceth to their Temporal Interest But if we must fansy nothing to have a lasting Reason but what we judg to have so I doubt this Atheistical Age will quickly lay aside all Institutions of Christ by judging them as some openly do of all Religion not to be of a lasting necessity Besides he that shall affirm that nothing can be a Medium to bind the Consciences of men as of Divine right unalterably but what is founded on Divine Testimony in some sense speaks true but if this be included in the assertion that this must be obvious to every capacity that is obliged to obey this divine Right 't is false For upon that account the Scripture it self should not bind those who have not understanding enough to know how they are admitted as such For to say the Scripture is the word of God because my Conscience which in plain English is nothing but my Opinion tells me so is no better an Argument than every Turc hath for his Alcoran But if there is a necessity to prove the Scripture to be Divine viz. the Reception of these books by the Catholick Church then he who hath not sense nor Learning enough to find out the truth of this must either admit the Scripture of divine Authority when the reason why it is so is not obvious to his understanding or else all illiterate people are not obliged to believe the truth of its Doctrine and obey it Now let us apply this to Church-Government If the same Authority which tells us these books are Canonical Scripture tells us withall that the very Apostles the Penmen of the New Testament did settle such a Government and if we find the following Age practiced it allow it to be dubious in Scripture which certainly it is not yet is not there as sufficient assurance that that Government was settled by the Apostles and so in some sense of Divine Right and so unalterable as we have to admit for Scripture the Revelation or any other book that ever was questioned Now for to affirm that Antiquity is not a sufficient ground for our assent unless we have a full assurance that the succeeding Ages did not vary from what the Apostles delivered or that they could not mistake in the delivery What is it but to say we must have greater Authority for matter of Fact than what a fact can have and doth not this Opinion destroy the Authority of Scripture totally For if the Churches delivery of such books as the writings of the Apostles be not sufficient for a rational man to ground his assent that these books were their writings and so Divine unless we have assurance that she could not mistake in the delivery of those books we must either believe the Church incapable of Errour in the delivery of Scripture or else we have no assurance to ground our Assent Now to believe a Church incapable of Errour savours little of Reason and to believe her only incapable in the delivery of Scripture savours much of Partiality But if we must understand the Church for by Church here I mean the Governours of it to be a wise sober body of pious and rational men and so by consequence that they would receive no books as the writings of inspired men but such of whose Authentickness they had rational Grounds as perhaps the very authentique Letters under the Apostles own hands which Tertullian mentions or some other good Authority And if this be sufficient reason to gain our assent Why is not the same Reason as sufficient for the Apostolical Government as for the Apostolical writings I confess 't is beyond my reach But if the Apostolical practice be sufficiently attested then to affirm 't is not enough to bind continually unless it be known to be God's mind it should do so is either to say the Apostles knew not the mind of God or else would not reveal it For certainly we have much more reason to say their practice binds unalterably than any one can have to say it doth not For we have much more reason to demand of these men some mind of God why we should change Apostolical Practice than they have of us why we constantly practice what the inspired Apostles did Neither do I understand how an Argument from Apostolical practice must suppose a different State of things than what they were when the Apostles established Governours over Churches For why should not we imagine the Apostles did constitute what they practiced And certainly he must be as infallible as the Pope pretends too that is sure any Exposition of Scripture that contradicts or concurs not with Apostolical practice is true if there can be any rational Exposition of those Scriptures which concurs with that practice And he who shall not believe there are such Expositions and though not infallible yet sober and I dare say much surer than any to the contrary must condemn all the Antient Fathers of the Church as ignorant and irrational men and believe some new fancies of men of Yesterday and the dotings of some idle Haereticks of greater Authority than those great lights of the Catholick Church And now to argue from some few practices in the Apostles times which were laid aside such as the Holy kiss c. that therefore any Constitution may is just such an Argument that if a circumstance a Ceremony may be changed the whole Substance may too unless a man will affirm there is no more need of a standing succession of Church-Governours than there is of the most minute practice in those daies But here I expect it should be said What necessity is there of a Succession of Ministers A ministry is necessary but to think that every Minister must as some in derision say draw his Pedegree from the Apostles that is a narrow principle and fit only for Bigots to believe and such as are easily deceived with the Great names of Antiquity and Catholique Tradition I confess I was sorry when I considered this Opinion to find that the French Ministers when they maintained their vocation to be lawful unto which Cardinal Perron made his Reply lay this down for their first Argument That if there was no other
ἘΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ἈΠΟΣΤΟΛΙΚΟΣ OR THE EPISCOPACY OF THE Church of England Justified to be APOSTOLICAL From the Authority of the Antient Primitive Church And from the Confessions of the most Famous Divines of the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas Being a Full Satisfaction in this Cause as well for the Necessity as for the Just Right thereof as consonant to the Word of God By the Right Reverend Father in God THOMAS MORTON Late Lord Bishop of Duresme Before which is Prefixed A PREFACE to the READER concerning this Subject By Sir Henry Yelverton Baronét Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the Old Paths where is the good way and walk thereâ—n and ye shall find rest to your souls Jerem. 6.16 Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi Authoritate Apostolica traditum rectissime creditur St. Augustin de Baptismo contra Donat. Can. 24. London Printed for J. Collins in Westminster-hall 1670 To the Most Reverend Father in God GILBERT By Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of All ENGLAND and Metropolitane and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privie Council My LORD I Have often wonder'd how it comes to pass that the Sacred Order of Bishops should in this Island meet with so many unreasonable Adversaries when in all the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas we are counted the only happy Nation who enjoy the Purity of Doctrine with the Primitive Government And I confess my wonder is the more increased when I consider that the Romanists look on our Church as their most dangerous Enemy because we have not only the External Glory of a Church but a continued Succession of Bishops which some amongst them are so ingenuous as not to deny and yet these men amongst us who so vehemently cry down Popery and so highly admire even the misfortunes of the Reformed Church do by a strange Antiperistasis assist their Enemies and despise their Friends It was a good Observation of that great man Archbishop Land That Caiaphas the High Priest advised the crucifying of our Saviour that the Romans might not take away their Name and Nation and yet that Counsel so Magisterially given so deeply laid and so wickedly contrived brought on them that suddain destruction they hoped to avoid And have not we My Lord found by sad Experience the inference that Great Prelate made fully true Since the Papists have not only had a great harvest amongst us but all sort of damnable Heresies have like a flood broke in upon us and Atheism hath so prevailed that if God out of his Infinite Mercy put no stop to it that Prediction of our Saviour will in our dayes be true That Faith shall scarce be found upon Earth But since the times are now come which St. Clement more than 1600 years ago foretold That there should be contention about the name of Episcopacy And since Reformation and Purity are the Pretenses though Interest or Sacriledge are the true Reasons of Separation amongst us I have in obedience to Your Graces commands put out a Book written some years since by the late Learned Bishop of Durham that all men may see the great Lights of the Reformed Church beyond the Seas are so far from approving the Practices of our Dissenters that they commend and admire our Episcopal Government and therefore I cannot but hope that either these men will return again to the bosome of their forsaken Mother the Church or have so much Ingenuity to desist from deceiving ignorant People with the great Authority of the Reformed Church And now my Lord I must humbly beg Your Pardon that I prefix Your Great Name before this Discourse But since 't is the work of a famous Bishop and in defense of that Order of which in our Church Your Grace is the worthy Primate I cannot but hope acceptance and am very much pleased I have an occasion offered me to let the World know how much I am My LORD Your most humble and very obedient Servant Hen. Yelverton From my house at Easton Manduit in Northamptonshire March 26. 1669. TO THE READER READER THere present thee with a Book written some years since by that great and Reverend Bishop Tho. Morton Lord Bishop of Duresme in the defence of that Order he bore and for which he suffered so great indignities And as it was his Honour to suffer in so good a Cause so it was his great Contentment and satisfaction when he came to the end of his long race that he kept a good Conscience though he lost all this world afforded him for it It would be very superfluous in this place to write an Encomium of this Great Prelate who is farr beyond what I can do and is already well performed by that excellent person Dr. Berwick late Dean of St. Pauls who was well acquainted with him many years and had the happiness once to be his Domestick Chaplain I only think fit to say this of him that he was an Antient Bishop and had all the qualifications fit for his Order either to Adorn or Govern a Church but above all he was eminent for his invincible Patience under so many violent Persecutions and almost necessities alwayes rejoycing in his Losses and protesting he thought himself richer with nothing and a good conscience than those were who had devoured his goodly Bishoprick And certainly he that considers the excellency of this Prelate with the rest of his Brethren who with him underwent the fiery Trial will conclude as Tertullian doth of the first Persecution of the Christians Non nisi aliquod grande bonum a Nerone damnatum Nothing but some great good could be condemned by such men I must not omit among the various Qualities of this great Man to tell thee he was 44 years a Bishop a thing so extraordinary that since the first Plantation of Christianity and consequently of Bishops in this Island which if we believe Baronius was the 58 of our Saviour but one exceeded him and he came not to these Dignities per Saltum but passed through all other inferiour Charges before he arrived at the height And one thing is considerable in his Translation to Coventry and Lichfield that King James was pleased to do it at the particular motion of that great Prelate Bishop Andrews who never was known to move the King for the Preferment of any before How excellent he was in Controversies his manifold Writings against the Papists have given the World sufficient testimony and in this he went so high that if he believed not the Pope to be Antichrist he thought him very like him And yet there was never any who more approved of the antient Customs of the Catholique Church than himself And of this I shall give you this particular instance For that Ceremony of Bowing to the Lords Table at the first entrance into the Church he did not only commend by his Practice but publickly
't is owned by him for his But afterwards when the Covenant was hotly pressed and a compliance to forein Reformed Churches pretended our Bishop renewed his former Discourse made several additions to it and where he found it necessary took occasion to answer both Salmasius and Blondel and so it swelled to the Volume it now is This was by his Lordship committed to my charge either to publish or not as I thought fit And truly I had once determined still to have kept it by me hoping that the wonderful Restauration both of our King and Church would have made all Disourses of this Nature unnecessary but since it hath pleased Almighty God to suffer these Troublers of Israel still to continue amongst us their disturbances and separations I thought it a duâ—â— I owed to the Memory of this Blessed Bishop to publish this Discourse which I did not doubt but might do God and his Church some service But before I would attempt so great a Work I communicated both my Design and Book to the Most Reverend Father in God Gilbert Lord Archbishop of Canterbury who was pleased not only to approve the Work but command the speedy publishing of it This immediately put me upon the Examination of the several Quotations I found in it having most of the Authors by me fearing that either through the mistake of his Lordships hand which was not very easie to be read or the negligence of the Transcribers some Errours might creep in the places cited and I dare assure the Reader that for all the Works which I have by me and I want but few they are exactly true The Method used in this Discourse is a way our Bishop had been very successful against the Papists and I hope may prove so against our Adversaries of another kind which is the Testimony of Reformed Divines in the Churches beyond the Seas to our Episcopal Government which they do not only commend but admire and wish for Nay divers ef them expound those very Texts of Scripture which are urged for Bishops as we do so that if our Dissenters will believe any sort of men but themselves they must be convinced with this kind of Argument It seems to me I confess extreamly strange that in these last and worst times some men should so applaud themselves and their own phansies as to condemn what went before them even in the most pure Primitive Church I find not in all my little reading any that set himself against that Sacred Order till Aerius who lived about the middle of the fourth Century And Epiphanius says who gives us the most ample Relation of him this his Errour arose out of Emulation that Eustathius was preferred to a Bishoprick before him who most of all desired it And truly I could wish secular Interest such as want of a Bishoprick Applause with a Party self-justification in former mistakes and an unwillingness to let the world know they were formerly deceived did not with-hold many amongst us from doing that which I doubt not they are more than sufficiently convinced they ought to do And I do heartily wish since Conscience is the thing pretended that they gave some assurance 't was Conscience and not Interest prevailed with them by their peaceable Passive Obedience to our Laws and not to fill our streets with their unreasonable complaints against our Government and Governours and still to seduce a sort of empty people of great Faith and little Sense who are in the right only because they are sure they are in the right And although 1600 years possession is more than a sufficient lawful Title for any to plead A thing so unquestionable that no man hath yet produced any sufficient Authority to the contrary Yet there are two learned Pens Salmasius and Blondel who have attempted rather to shew their Wits and Reading than their Reason in this Controvesie The first of these when he undertook the task wrote not under his own Name as if it was what he was commanded to write a thing frequent to the Professors of Leyden than what he himself either believed or would perswade others to do And in all his Discourse he is in that violent heat that he hardly gives Dionysius Petavius that learned Jesuite any other Name than Inepte Fatue He answers the Greek Fathers who affirm that in the Apostles time a Bishop was superiour to a Presbyter that it is a ly and upon no other account but because he expounds the Apostles words after a different manner than what Antiquity did And in any Controversie that concerns the Church he continues this temper For to the Learned Doctor Hammond who calmly defended the Churches Power of the Keys against some of his Objections he gives no other Title but Nebulo in Anglia shewing neither respect to the Learning nor to the quality of the Doctor who as he confessed was Chaplain to his late Majesty And yet this great Magisterial man with the same confidence as he denied the Divine Right of Episcopacy so he doth the Authority of the 2d Epistle of St. Peter affirming the first only for genuine and truly I wonder not much at it for certainly he who shakes the Authority of the Tradition of the universal Church takes away the only Argument to prove any Book to be Canonical when any Sect or Heresie shall question it But I the more willingly pass this over since in his own Name in his Defensio Regia he seems to alter his Opinion For D. Blondel He who shall look into his Discourse will find it to be a great Collection of Various Readings and if Fame be true collected at first to be the Materials of a Discourse he intended for Episcopacy But the misfortune of our Church turned his weapon another way But after all he only affirms that Bishops and Presbyters were equal in degree till the 136. of Christ which if you consider is a very small time after the Apostles For St. John died as both Eusebius and St. Hierome tells us in the 102. of Christ so then according to him their was but 34 years distance But to me truly he proves not that For he who will consider the Epistle before his Book will find all he affirms is that in that short time the Senior Presbyter in the Colledge was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Praesident and that when he died the next in Age succeeded him What then I pray doth this make to his purpose If he had given us any Testimony that though this Office fell to him by his Age he immediately entred upon it without any Consecration by the Imposition of Episcopal hands he had done something but of this not one word He only tells us this course was altered over the whole world velut Conspiratione factâ as if done by a Conspiracy And what was this Alteration This he tells us out of Hilary's Comments on St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians which commonly
not from Christ as the Apostles only were and therefore if by the Laws of Men he was prohibited Preaching he ought to obey and never did Preach till Mr. Knightly his Patron procured him a Licence from Archbishop Abbot Where by Ordinance of Parliament the Common Prayer Book was laid aside he never forsook the use of it but read always as much as his very old Age would suffer him When he was desired to Baptize a Child after the Mode of those Times without the Common-Prayer-Book he refused but administred both Sacraments according to that Order the Cross only excepted which practice made some imagine 't was the only thing he scrupled And when by Accident a great Commander in the Parliaments Army who formerly had been his Auditor came with Forces that way he asked Mr. Dod why he did not Pray and Preach up the Parliament He Replied He Preached Jesus Christ which was the work of a Minister And after that asked that Commander Who he fought for He answered For the King and Parliament The good old man replied But what if the King be in a fight and you should kill him The Commander replied He must take his fortune Mr. Dod returned 'T is a strange fighting for the King to kill him and this answer did so trouble and concern this good man that after this discourse ended he mentioned it with great horror to some of his Relations A little before Naseby fight King Charles of blessed memory sent the late Earl of Lyndsey to Mr. Dod to know his Opinion of the War His Lordship found him ill however he sate up and dictated his sense of it But the Earl was on a sudden by reason of the Fight hurried away that whether the King had the paper or no I cannot learn but the Original or a Copy of it was by some zealous men suppressed And their lived near him a Justice of Peace in those ill times who though he pretended to much Piety had little honesty as appeared at his death that was thought the man who suppressed it And when by some of Mr. Dod's Relations he was asked about it he made this answer That in his old Age he began to dote I have done my utmost to retrive it and am not yet out of hopes to do it which if I can compass the World shall see this man was none of those who disliked the Liturgy despised our Ecclesiastical Government none of those who gathered Proselytes by broaching Opinions contrary to the Established Laws none of those who Preached in Corners and so applaud themselves and their fancies that they fill our streets with their unreasonable Argumentations none of those who study to deceive because either they have deceived or been deceived themselves I have now done I only desire the Reader to lay aside all interest and partiality and as an indifferent and unconcern'd person to read this Discourse I here offer thee And since all Truth is great and will prevail I cannot but hope this truth will have a good success If the constant practice of the Primitive Church if the Authority of all the great Reformers in the Protestant Church if the universal consent of Antient holy Fathers if the concurrent Testimony of Modern Divines if the confessions of so many great Divines in our late ill times the blood of Archbishop Laud or the Martyrdom of our late blessed Sovereign have any Rhetorique at all let these compel thee to forsake these Separations and to return to the bosome of that Church whose Orders are Apostolical whose Ceremonies are Primitive and whose Doctrin is most Orthodox Hen. Yelverton From my house at Easton Manduit in Northamptonshire this 12 of March 1668 â— Episcopacy Asserted CAP. I. SECT I. That the Church of Geneva hath both justified and praised our Episcopal Government in England and prayed for the prosperous continuance thereof FRom the Church of Geneva we have that Pole-starr thereof Mr. Calvin himself peremptorily asserting the Right of Episcopal Government in what Church soever That professeth the truth of Doctrine and denieth dependence on the Roman Antichrist And the Case so standing he denounceth them Anathema and accursed who shall not reverently obey such Episcopal Hierarchy so Mr. Calvin which is the more remarkable because the Tractate wherein these words are is written professedly concerning the Reformation of Churches and therefore so much more appliable to the impugners of our English Church none more professedly maintaining the same Religion and somewhat more Reformed than it was in the dayes of Calvin Yea and even in her last Canons opposite to Papists and Popery as ever Again his Approbation of our English Episcopal Government then in being was expressed sufficiently in dignifying Archbishop Cranmer Even for his Archi-episcopal care which he had saith he not only of England but also of the whole World Meaning by endeavouring to his power to propagate the truth of Christ's Gospel every where In which sense of Publick Universal care good Bishops were antiently called Bishops of the Catholick Church Yea and in a more vehement and emphatical expression he exhorteth him with others the Governors of the Church To labour to discharge their Function as that which is enjoined them of God who will exact of them a due account thereof Our second witness Mr. Beza testifieth That the Church of England after the Reformation was supported by the Authority of Archbishops and Bishops excellent Pastors of the Church wishing furthermore blessing upon their Function that it might be perpetual to this Nation And in another place Judging them worthy of punishment that should not willingly obey their Authority So he Next both Mr. Beza and Sadeel jointly inveigh against those As impudent slanderers who should report them to have detracted any thing from the dignity of Episcopacy in this Church What shall we say to that mirrour of Learning Mr. Isaac Causabon who having taken due survey of our Episcopal Government in England doubted not to publish to the World That no Church in the World doth come nearer to the form of the Primitive Church than it doth so far saith he that they that envied her happiness are notwithstanding constrained to extol it judging furthermore That what either belongeth to the Doctrine of Salvation or to the decency of a Church is found in her as well as in any other Church upon Earth And in a Brotherly and Christian close concludeth saying Praised and magnified be God therefore Even as he did at the sight of the Consecration of Bishops in Paul's Church with this pathetical ejaculation Good God saith he how great was my joy do thou Lord Jesus preserve this Church and restore such to their wits who do deride these things So he After these Doctor Diodati now a famous Preacher in Geneva at his being in England did not a little joy to observe our Episcopal Government who if he had been an Adversary thereunto would not
as he did have noted One of the seven Angels in the Revelations to have been the Bishop of Ephesus Lastly Fredericus Spanhemius Professor of Divinity in the same Church may well stand for another witness who after his ample commendations and that worthily of the late Primate of Ireland manifestly extolleth The Bishops and Divines of our English Church for their accurate Writings in defence of the Orthodox Religion and their dexterity in confuting Romish subtilties after professeth in the name of the Church of Geneva Their embracing our Pastors and Prelates with Christian affection praying for the prosperity of them that sit at the Helm of this Church that their Prelatical Authority may continue unto them So they and somewhat more pertinent to our Question in hand as now followeth SECT II. That the Church of Geneva disclaimed the Opinion of thinking that their Churches Government should be a pattern for other Churches THe Smectymnians our Opposites by instancing in that Church may seem in the same book Dedicated to both Houses of Parliament that the same Church of Geneva which we acknowledge to be essentially a member of the Church of Christ ought to be a Pattern of Ecclesiastical Government to all other Protestant Churches We have a contrary Certificate from Theodore Beza speaking of Bishops as the Celebrious mouth of that Church We saith he do embrace all faithful Bishops with all reverence neither do we as some falsly object against us propose our Example to any other Church to be followed So he Hitherto of the justification of our English Episcopacy by the judgment of our most Judicious Divines of the Church of Geneva We are not destitute of like Testimonies from other Protestant Churches SECT III. That also other Protestant Divines of Reformed Churches have observed the Worthiness of the Episcopal Government in England MR. Moulin whose Name is Venerable among all Orthodox Divines acknowledgeth That our English Bishops that suffered Martyrdom in the days of Queen Mary were for Zeal nothing inferior to the most excellent servants of God which Germany or France ever had which none saith he will deny if not blinded in day-light And least that worthy Divine should be thought to approve of such of our English Bishops only as then suffered Martyrdom we have furthermore his indefinite large Testimony We affirm saith he speaking as the mouth of the French Church That the Bishops of England after the Reformation were the faithful servants of God and ought not to desert their Office or title of Bishop Hierome Zanchie amongst excellent Divines in his time exhorteth Queen Elizabeth with an Imprimis and especially to extend her care and Authority to have godly and learned Bishops whereof by the blessing of God saith he you have very many and to cherish them And again he congratulateth the Episcopal Dignity of Jewel Bishop of Salisbury Praying to God for his prosperous success in his Function and of all others the Pious Bishops of England and all this in the name of his Colleages the Pastors of the Church of Heidelburgh Sarania a Belgick Doctor though a great favourer of the Order of Episcopacy yet an earnest inveigher against the Roman Hierarchy confesseth Himself to wonder often at the Wisdom of the Reformers of the Church of England as no way deviating from the antient Church of Christ And he concludeth with this Epiphonema saying I hold it a part of her happiness that she hath retained with her the Order of Bishops Mr. Moulin again that he may be the Epilogue who was the Prologue concludeth for the Church of England saying That their agreement is such that England hath been a Refuge to our persecuted Churches and correspondently the excellent servants of God in our Churches saith he Peter Martyr Calvin Beza and Zanchie have often written Letters full of respect and amity to the Prelates of England So he To these may be added the late dedicated Books to some of our Bishops of these times together with others referring their Controversies among themselves to be decided by their judgment if we thought that such instances could be of easie digestion with some Hitherto by way of Introduction in behalf of our particular English Church We are now to prosecute the justification of Episcopacy in general so farr as to make good the Title of this Treatise inscribed A FULL SATISFACTION IN THIS CAUSE as well for the Necessary use as also for the just Right thereof as consonant to the Word of God We begin to consult with gray-headed Antiquity for the manifestation hereof SECT IV. That the Episcopal Government in the Church of Christ is for Necessary Use the best according to the judgment of Primitive Antiquity GEnerally the bestness of a thing that we may so call it is best discerned by the Necessary Use whereof Antiquity hath testified by Hierome That the original reason of constituting one over the rest of Presbyters to whom all the care of the Church should belong was saith he so decreed through the whole World that Schisme might be removed Which from the continual experimental success thereof in the Church he himself held to be such As whereupon the safety of the Church did depend Tertullian yet himself no Bishop neither will not have Presbyters and Deacons to Baptize without Authority from the Bishop for the honour of the Church which being observed Peace saith he will be preserved Chrysostom illustrateth the Necessity of Episcopal Government by resembling the Bishop to the Head in respect of the Body to a Shepheard in respect of his Sheep to a Master in respect of his Scholars and to a Captain in respect of his Soldiers with whom Ambrose agreeth in the first resemblance calling likewise the Bishop The Head of the rest of the members Augustine compareth the Bishop to the Father of the Family as being Head of the House Nazianzen Ambrose Nicetas decipher him as the Eie in that Head whose Office is to look to the whole Body whence they have their names Episcopi or Bishops Basil yet higher compares the Church to the Body and the Bishop to the Soul saying That the Members of the Church by Episcopal Dignity as by one Soul are reduced to Concord and Communion Cyprian Bishop and Martyr doth more than once complain of the Contempt and Disobedience of the inferior Clergy and People against their Bishops as the Original Spring of Heresies and Schisms We have done with the Fathers whom we have found generally asserting the Necessary Use of Episcopal Government and whom iâ— the next place we shall find seconded by the ingenious confession of Judicious Protestants of remoâ—â— Churches SECT V. The Protestant Divines of remoâ—â— Churches have generally acknowledged Episcopal Government to for Necessary Use the best THe Protestant Witnesses whicâ— we shall here alleadg are 〈◊〉 two Classes the one Lutheram with
witness Adding That St. Augustine in his Epistle to Hierome was of the same judgment upon this ground That it was a City whereof the Apostle there spake and therefore it cannot saith he be understood of meer Presbyters but of Bishops who are set over Cities Thus far Luther concerning the Episcopacy of Titus And he is seconded by a learned Doctor of the same Classis Gerard by name who doth not only confess Titus to have been made Bishop of Crete by the Apostles but also Timothy of Ephesus Crescens of Galatia Linus of Rome Dionysius of Athens c. And Beza himself confesseth the same directly of Timothy saying that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Presbytery of Ephesus That is saith he Antistes or Prelate as Justin Martyr useth the word Mr. Moulin joyneth both Timothy and Titus together saying That howsoever we term them Bishops or Evangelists it is evident they had Bishops for their Successors who after them had the like preeminence in the Church We shall conclude this Section with the determination of their Learned Judicious Scultetus telling us That though at first Timothy and Titus were Evangelists yet afterwards Timothy was made Bishop of Ephesus and Titus of Crete Which thing saith he the Writings of antient Fathers do abundantly confirm So these famous Divines besides those who have been formerly alleadged by us in answer to the contrary Objections in three full Sections After this our first Evidence out of Scripture there followeth SECT VIII The second Evidence from Scripture for proof of Episcopal Prelaâ—y is out of Christ's Epistles To the Angels of the seven Churches of Asia To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write c. Cap. 2.1 The state of the Question THe main Question is Whether the word Angel in every Epistle do signifie collectively either The whole Church or the whole Company or Colledge of Presbyters or else singularly an Individual person Our Opposites are distracted into the two former Opinions We shall pursue them in Order confuting their first Exposition first and then the other that their mist being dispelled we may see more clearly to prove our own which is that the word Angel of every Church is to be understood of a singular Person having preeminence over other Pastors in the same Church SECT IX That the first Exposition of our Opposites by Angel understanding the whole Church is flatly repugnant to the Context IN the Book of Revelation Cap. 2. Christ by his Angel properly so called wrote unto the seven Churches of Asia vers 2. telling St. John mystically of seven goldâ—n Candlesticks vers 13. signifying the seven Churches and of seven Stars signifying the Angels of the seven Churches vers 20. After more particularly and distinctly Cap. 2. 3. To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus To the Angel of the Church of Smyrna In which Epistles to ease our Opposites of a trouble we confess that although the Epistles be directed to the Angel of each Church yet the knowledge of them concerned also others because of the common Epiphonema in every one thus He that hathan car to hear let him hear But to the matter The first Exposition of our Opposites is set down by Walo Messalinus a destinate Adversary to Episcopacy as in other points so in this For let it be held for a firm and fixed truth saith he That by the Angels of every City St. John intended nothing else but the Churches themselves So he But if we consult with the Context Cap. 1.20 Where first the Angels are expressly called Stars and the Churches are named Candlesticks we must therefore tell this great Clerk that he must first turn Stars into Candlesticks before he can make Angels to signifie the Churches Secondly in the Text it self Cap. 2.1 It is said Write unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus here again if the word Angel must betoken the whole Church and Congregation then must this be the construction of the words Write to the Church of the Church of Ephesus But we know that Christ the author of these speeches was the Fountain of Divine Wisdom and could not mean absurdly Enough of our Opposites first Exposition SECT X. That the second Exposition is in interpreting the word Angel to signifie the Order of Presbyters in the Church The state of which Question is set down by our Opposites THis indeed is with our Opposites their common Exposition The Epistles saith Mr. Brightman are not sent to any one but that I may so say to the Colledge of Pastors So he Who notwithstanding will be found to contradict himself in the next Section Yea and after him out Smectymnians By Angel is not meant say they any singular person but the whole Company of Presbyters So they Wherefore we are to prove SECT XI That the Objections made for this Exposition are confuted by their own best approved Protestant Authors The Confutation of their first Reason OUr first Argument say they is drawn from the Epistle to Thyatira Rev. 2.24 where after he had said to the Angel I have something against thee added in the plural I say unto you and the rest in Thyatira Here is a plain distinction say they between the Governors and Governed which apparently proves that the Angel is collective So they Our first Answer must be by a genuine Interpretation to wit That after the word Thou the addition of the words you and the rest is a familiar figurative speech called Apostrophe which is an aversion of speech from one thing or person to another As any Lord writing to his Chief Steward of matters concerning him and any Subordinate Officers and whole Family saying I would have Thee to look to thy Charge and that You forbear to go to the Market and the Rest to apply their business at home But we promised that their own dearest Doctors and Divines should be their Confuters First Beza upon the very words objected Against thee that is saith he the President and unto you that is his Colleagues meaning the Presbyters and to the rest that is â—o the whole Flock So he in the exposition of this Text. Mr. Brightman albeit the man who but even now interpreted the word Angel not to signifie any particular person but a whole multitude of Pastors or Presbyters collectively yet here being convinced by the light of the Text he as it were sups up his own breath and of this objected Text Paraphraseth saying To thee that is to the Angel And to you meaning Pastors and Colleagues of Thyatira and to the rest that is to say the People as Theodore Beza hath excellently expounded it So he Such we see is the force of truth in despight of Opposition to exact from him a Confutation of himself Which form of speech may be parallelled with the like example in the Chronicles where there is Him the King and They
signifying the Kings Army as well as in this Text Thou and They. SECT XII Their second Reason confuted by their own alleadged Author OUr second Argument say they is drawn from the like phrase in this very Book of the Revelation wherein it is usual to express a Company under one single person as the Civil State of Rome a Beast with ten Horns c. Whence they conclude that the word Angel may be taken Collectively and that is say they the likeliest interpretation r Especially considering that Mr. Mede who was better skilled in the meaning of the Revelation than the Remonstrant said That the word Angel is commonly if not alwayes taken collectively So they Citing no place out of Mr. Meade but it may be it is that which they have alleadged in their first Book whereunto they often refer their Reader where Mr. Meade teacheth to this purpose That God in his Providence worketh by the Ministry of Angels the motions and Revolutions of things amongst men with their events which are attributed to one Angel as Captain over the rest So he That is even as well as we could wish like as we find it here in the Texts Wherein the Epistles though dedicated to the Churches yet are inscribed to This and That Angel each one being over others Thus it became our Opposites when they thought to oppose us to be caught in their own snare yea even in the same sentence where Mr. Meade informeth his Readers That this other like speech ought to be understood namely by Angel a singular person as we have admonished saith he again and again Which Caution of his might have been sufficient we should think to have kept these advers men from wandring the rather seeing that this manner of speech is none other than which is most usual as when a Defeat or Victory atchieved in War by the strength of the whole Host is notwithstanding ascribed to the power of one General Finally Because they have extolled Mr. Meade his skill in the Book of Râ—velation as if he had oppugned the Apostolical Right of Episcopacy thereby we crave the Readers attention to this their own Author declaring his own judgment of the Four and twenty Elders that compassed the Throne round about These saith he resemble the Bishops and Prelates of the Churches c. This any one may read in his Book lately Authorized to be translated into English SECT XIII Their third Argument likewise confuted by their own Chiefest Author Our third Argument say they is drawn from the word Angel which is a common name to all Ministers and Messengers c. And surely had Christ intended to point out one individual person by the Angel he would have used some distinguishing name to set him out by as Rector President Superintendent So they As if by their surely they would assure us it is a Truth if we shall take their own word for it contrary to the judgment of all the learned who have every where taught that the word Angel spoken in the better sense hath alwayes been used to express the dignity of their Office and accordingly of the Ministers of the Gospel whensoever it is applyed unto them In which case they are sufficiently instructed by their own Mr. Brightman who taught them to consider by these same Texts How great the dignity is of the true Pastors of Christ by whom saith he they are intituled both Stars and Angels who therefore ought not to regard the reproaches of the wicked seeing they are in so high estimation with Christ himself So he So flatly against those others as if he had told them that they did from that Scripture in a manner vilifie the Pastors of the Church of Christ under the same name Angel whereby the Spirit of God hath dignified and honoured them If our Opposites had spoken as they pretended then they should have given us but one Example of that kind yet we for more easie illustration hereof shall add a parallel in the word Apostle whereof Mr. Calvin hath given them this Observation That although the word Apostles in the propriety thereof signifie those that are sent namely Messengers and may be applyed to other Ministers of God as sent by him yet was it meet that his twelve Apostles should be so iustiled as they who should publish and promulgate the first knowledge of the Gospel of Christ. So he Even for the amplifying of the Dignity of the Twelve under the Title of Apostles whereas if the former objected reason may prevail it might be lawful not only to call every Minister of Christ and Preacher of the Gospel properly an Apostle but also to term every Foot-boy sent on an errand an Angel SECT XIV Their fourth Argument confuted by the same their own much applauded Author OUr Fourth Argument say the same Opposites standeth thus Cap. 1.20 Our Saviour saith That the seven Candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven Churches but he doth not say that the seven Stars are the seven Angels of the same Churches but the Angels of the Churches omitting not without a Mystery the number of the Angels lest we should understand by Angel one Minister alone and not a company So they We are first to unriddle the Mystery it is indeed so mystical and obscure Thus then The number of Seven which is used in repeating the Churches is in the repetition of the word Angel omitted and therefore in the omission forsooth there must be a mystery Yea and also the Mystery must be this to wit That the omitting of the repetition of Seven must signifie that the word Angel is not to be taken singularly for any one person but collectively for many This is their objection We answer That this their Mystery their great friend Mr. Brightman would have called a Mistake who interpreteth the omission thus The Stars of the Churches they signifie seven Angels So he As much as if he had said Although the word Seven were not added in the second place yet it could not but be understood by that known figure Ellipsis which according to all Grammar learning in every language is when a word omitted doth follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of course or as we use to say accordding to the understanding of every intelligent Reader As for example If any one of our Opposites had commanded his Servant saying Make ready for me two Horses the White Horse and the Bay where in repeating the word Bay is omitted the word Horse Would it be an excuse in his Servant for not making ready the Bay to say that the reason was that the word Horse was Mystical Now to the Mystery it self which is say they That therefore by the word Angel is not understood one Minister alone Which in our scanning is no more consequent than in the former Example to conclude from the omission of the word Horse that therefore the Bay was but a Mare SECT XV. The
Menophanes or Menophant Bishop of Ephesus Eutychius Bishop of Smyrna Artemidâ—rus Bishop of Sardis Soron Bishop of Thyatira Ethymasius Bishop of Philadelphia Nunechius Bishop of Laodicea And that one of seven should be absent upon some occasion it can be no matter of exception else would not these Protestant Divines have been satisfied with the same Evidences to wit see the Margent Marlorat Aretius Paraeus Gaspar Sibellius Gualter and Bullinger respectively all confessing Polycarp to have been Bishop of Smyrna most of them also that he was the very same to whom the Epistle was then dedicated To the Angel of the Church of Smyrna and three of them witnessing as much for Melito Bishop of Sardis SECT XXI A Torrent of Protestant Divines of the Reformed Churches consenting to the same Exposition of an Individual Person having Prelacy over Presbyters under the Name of Angels HEre likewise the Church of Geneva alloweth us two Witnesses thus By Angel is meant the President and so in special was to be admonished and his Colleagues and whole Church by him So Beza The other paraphrasing thus To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus That is to the Pastor or Bishop under whose Person ought to be understood the whole Church So Deodate the now Pastor in the new Church of Geneva True the whole Church is concerned as far as the matter did appertein unto them yet so as to receive it from the Angel as one Person quasi per se una according as Beza hath even now shewn and as the Testimonies following will confirm To the Angel of Smyrna that is To the Bishop which was Polycarpus as History evidenceth So Gualter To the Angel that is to one singular Angel as I rather think So Gaspar Sibellius Letters are sent to the Bishop of the Church of Ephesus to the Bishop of the Church of Smyrna to the Bishop of the Church of Pergamus c. So Piscator The Pastor is therefore named but the People are not excluded The Epistle is therefore to the Angel that Pastors might be admonished and in them the whole Church So Bullinger Although some things were to be corrected as well in Clergy as Laity yet the Chief of the Clergy is named as the Bishop So Marlorate To the Angel of Ephesus thus he calleth the Pastor of the Church So Paraeus Angel that is Minister by whom the whole Church was to be informed So Aretius To the Angel yet not to him only but to the whole Church So Zanchie He was commanded to write to the Angels of the Churches that is unto the Bishops So Peter Martyr Yea all the most learned Interpreters by Angels understand Bishops nor can they do otherwise without violence to the Text. So Scultetus One more but such a one that standeth as a second Proctor for equality of Degree of Presbytery with Episcopacy Mr. Blundell in his Book published but the last day naming the Angels of the several Churches of Asia he calleth them The Heads of the whole Clergy of the same Churches We add SECT XXII The second of our English Protestant Divines in the opinion of our Opposites as competent Witnesses as any ONe deserving the first place is Doctor Reynolds Although the Church of Ephesus saith he had sundry Pastors and Elders to guide it yet among these sundry was there one Chief whom our Saviour calleth the Angel of the Church Even as Mr. Brightman of the Angel of Thyatira To the Angel together with his Colleagues as saith he Theodore Beza hath excellently expounded it And how adverse this Author was to Episcopacy who knoweth not Mr. Cartwright he who in his time justled with Bishops saith That the Letters written to the Church were therefore directed to the Angel because he is the meetest Man by Offiâ—e by whom the Church may understand the Tenor of the Letters Mr. Fox also concludes for us These Angels saith he were such as did govern the Church in those Primitive times as Polycarpus Timothy c. All these Authors because in the Degree of Presbyters for Ingenuity so impartial for Learning so judicious for Consent so unanimous for Multitude so numerous by direct and clear Testimonies avouching the truth of this Episcopal Prelacy from the Divine Epistles of Christ Jesus which we think ought to perswade all Religious Consciences of the infallibility thereof SECT XXIII Of two notable Subterfuges of our Opposites What they are THey finding themselves sinking for want of Support by Judicious Protestant Divines are glad to catch at Reed Rush or very Shadows as for Example these two 1. To deny these Apostolical Prelates their due Jurisdiction as if it were no more than a Moderator hath in the Schools The other is to abridge them of their just time of Continuance as no better than a Weekly Office if yet so much at one time It were good we heard themselves speak Although say they these Angels had a Prelacy over others yet it was not of Jurisdiction but only of Order as of a Moderator in the Assembly or Speaker in the House of Commons which is only during Parliament and thus we take our leave Courteously done but will you not stay for an Answer which is from one of your own Friends First to the former Paradox Dr. Bastwick whom the Classis of our Opposites do much respect rejecteth the Collective sense of the Word Angel saying That in each of these Churches there was a Colledge of their constituted Church and therefore for Order sake the Light of Nature teacheth there must have been a President who by way of excellency and to distinguish him from others is called an Angel 〈◊〉 the Inscription of the Epistle of the Revelation declares saying Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Than which what can be more contradictory to your former flat denial and force in oppugning Prelacy even as he saith against the Light of Nature Nevertheless he leaneth to the same slender Reed with you to allow no more Jurisdiction to the Prelate or President than to use his own words To a Speaker in the House of Commons and to a Proloqunter in an Assembly We reply SECT XXIV Against the Opposites Exception to Episcopal Jurisdiction from Scripture AMong them that are adverse unto Episcopacy is he that pareth Episcopacy to the quick as if the difference between a Bishop and Presbyter were not Real but Nominal and in Name only as a Moderator in the Assembly or Speaker in the House of Commons This derogation hath been sufficiently confuted by St. Paul's Epistles in the Examples of Timothy and Titus in taking Accusations imposing Injunctions and the like as hath been amply acknowledged Wherewithal we are to adjoin the aforesaid Epistles of Christ by St. John unto the Seven Churches of Asia Wherein yet we need not to bestir
writing against that grand Antiepiscopal Presbyter Aerius told him That the Superiority of Bishops above Presbyters was founded in the word of God An Author under the name of Ambrose speaking distinctly of Bishops saith That they held the person of Christ and therefore our behaviour before them ought to be as before the Vicars of the Lord. And again That the Bishop is ordained by the Lord the light of the Church Another under the name of Augustine as hath been said judged it a matter that none could be ignorant of That Bishops were instituted by Christ who instituted Bishops when he ordained the Apostles whose Successors the Bâ—shops are Hierome thus far agreeth with him to wit That Bishops in the Catholick Church supply the place of the Apostles And what else meant that which hath been before alleadged out of the Canon of six hundred Fathers in the general Council of Calcedon which judgeth The Depression of a Bishop down to the degree of a Presbyter to be in it self Sacriledg But do any Protestant Divines of remote Churches consent to any Divine Right SECT III. That two eminent Protestant Divines grant this Supposition which is the ground of the said Truth THis grant and concession is freely yielded unto us by Beza who speaking of Episcopacy saith If it did proceed from the Apostles then certainly I should not doubt to attribute it wholly as all other Apostolical Ordinances to divine disposition Another who is also a professed Advocate for the Presbyterians granteth as freely as the former That if Episcopacy be from the Apostles then doubtless it is of Divine Right But that Episcopacy had its Apostolical institution hath been sufficiently ratified unto us through this whole Discourse both from Testimonies of Antiquity from general Consent of Protestants of Reformed Churches and above all from the clear Evidence of the Scriptures themselves the Repetition whereof would be superfluous the rather because these our foresaid Opposites will ease us of that labour for Mr. Beza himself confesseth That it is a Custome not to be reprehended of setting one of the Presbyters over the rest which was used saith he from Mark the Evangelist in the Church of Alexandria So he Now then whether we say with Hierome That this Episcopacy was in Mark because the first Bishop or in Anianus who was constituted by Mark as Eutychus relateth or with Beza that it was from Mark as a thing irreprehensible It must needs be judged to be from the Ordinance of the Apostles and consequently Divine We have yet somewhat more SECT IV. That Episcopal Prelacy hath been directly acknowledged by Protestants of remote Churches to be of Divine Right 1 LUther proves this directly and Categorically saying That every City ought to have its proper Bishop by Divine Right grounding his Argument upon Titus 2.5 Who was commanded to ordain Elders in every City which Elders saith he were Bishops as Hierome witnesseth and the subsequent Text doth manifest Yea and St. Augustine describing a Bishop concurreth with them saying It was a City as if he should have said it was not a mere Presbyter but a Bishop which is here spoken of because Bishops were over Cities Thus far Luther his Tractate being a Resolution his Sentence the Conclusion and his words plainly distinguishing Bishop from mere Presbyter and alleadging from Scripture a divine Right of Episcopal Function as clearly as either our Opposites can dislike or we desire Accordingly Bucer a man of great Learning and Piety saith That these three Orders of Ministers in the Church Bishops Presbyters and Deacons were for institution from the Holy Ghost and for Continuance perpetual even from the Beginning The learned Professor in the Palatinate Scultetus hath Professedly and Positively concluded Episcopacy to be of Divine Right by as he saith efficacious Reasons clear Examples and excellent Authorities And he hath been as good as his word as in divers foregoing Sections hath been made manifest upon which Subject likewise a most learned Belgick Doctor wrote a whole book urging therein very many Arguments both from Scripture and Antiquity and assoiling the Objections to the contrary Aegidius Hunnius Divinity Professor in the University of Marpurg speaking of Episcopacy in the Apostles times saith That Paul did ordain Titus General Superintendent that is Archbishop of all the Cretian Churches and thereupon concludeth That the Order and Degree of Episcopacy is a thing not lately invented but received in the Church even from the very times of the Apostles Wherein he is seconded by Hemingius a very Learned Divine whose Observation upon Titus 1. v. 5. is That to the end that Anarchy might be avoided and all things done Decently and in Order the Apostle would have some one to ordain Ministers to dispose all things in the Church and to take care lest Haeresie should arise The worthily renowned Doctor Gerard speaks no less than the former proving Episcopacy as distinct from Presbytery to be of Divine Right not only in respect of the Original as proceeding from the diversity of Gifts but also in regard of the End The avoiding of Dissension and Schism in the Church Yea and even the Church of Geneva it self will afford us a Testimony or two from the pen of the Mirrour of Learning Mr. Isaac Causabon who tells us That three Orders of Ministers in the Church Bishops Presbyters and Deacons are founded upon the Testimony of plain Scriptures And again That Bishops are the Vicegerents of the Apostles Thus these learned Protestants Nothing now remaineth but that nam finis coronat opus we have as the Seal of this Truth the Approbation of Christ himself SECT V. That Episcopal Prelacy had the Approbation of Christ himself after his Ascension into Heaven NEver did nor could any deny but that every of the Angels of the seven Churches of Asia had the Approbation of Christ himself after his Ascension into Heaven that Book wherein they are mentioned being called the Revelation of Jesus Christ as the Author delivered by an Angel to John as unto Christs Scribe commanding him to write the seven Epistles and to direct them to the Angels of the seven Churches two of which Angels Christ commendâ—th in the same Epistles for the good discharge of their Function And is not Commendation Testimonial enough and an Argument of his Approbation The other five Bishops being more or less Delinquents are reprehended for Neglect of their Cure And is not Reproof of the Neglect of Duty in the Officers a Justification and Approbation of their Offices Finally as those which are faithful in their Offices are continued so they that were obnoxious are threatned To be removed except they did repent So that here is no Displacing of any for a first Offence nor yet an Eradicating the whole Order for the particular Abuses of some For he that calleth for Repentance and Amendment of