EPISCOPAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTED BY CHRIST And confirmed by cleere evidence of Scripture and invincible Reason Collected by the pains of R. R. Preacher of the Gospell DEVT. 42. Yee shall not adde unto the Word which I command you neither shall yee diminish ought from it that yee may keep the Commandements of the Lord your God which I command you REVEL 22.18 19 For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecie of this booke if any man shal add unto these things God shal add unto him the plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecie God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy City and from the things that are written in this book LONDON Printed Anno Domini 1641. Episcopall Government instituted by Christ The first Argument THat whatsoever degrees of Church Governours as God established under the Law that Christ and his Apostles continued under the Gospel and that hath governed the Christian Church since the days of Christ and his Apostles They are and must be of Divine Ordination But God established three degrees of Church Governours under the Law Christ and his Apostles continued three degrees under the Gospell and three degrees hath governed the Christian Church since the days of Christ and his Apostles And therefore three degrees of Church Governours are and must be of Divine Ordination The proposition I will take for granted for I know no man will deny it The assumption I must prove which hath three branches The first is That God established three degrees under the Law the High Priest inferiour Priests and Levits the High Priest to be in the first order Inferiour Priests in the second and Levits in the third and this I hope will be granted The second branch of the Proposition that Christ and his Apostles continued three degrees under the Gospell I prove thus Christ chose Apostles for one order and Evangelists for another called at the first the seventy Disciples to distinguish them from the other twelve who were also called Disciples as long as Christ lived for they were seldome before Christ his Resurrection distinguished by their proper names and Christ filled the room of the high Priest himself as long as he served in the Ministery of the Gospell And after his Ascention immediatly the Apostles by the direction of the Spirit made choice of a third Order of Churchmen whom they called by the name of Deacons Act. 6. so that the Apostles were appointed to be of the first Order after Christ his Resurrection at which time they were only endued with stolicall authoritie being before Christs death in the order and rank of Evangelists and the Evangelists inferiour to them for the twelve were ever distinguished from the seventy both in Place Estimation as any man may perceive that can read the Scriptures but when Christ was to asâ—end up unto the Father he made the Apostles chiefe Governours of the Church and put them in his own place and said to them He that heareth you heareth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth mee after which time they were called by the name of Apostles ordinarily and the other seventy got the name of Evangelists and were the second order of Church Governours at all times remembred in the second place howsoever the twelve Disciples were called Apostles as chiefly sent of God although the other seventy were sent too as wee read Luke 10. yet they were not consecrate with so great solemnitie as the other twelve nor got not so strict a charge nor so great authoritie and power conferred upon them the truth of all this you will finde in the last Chapter of Saint Johns Gospel and the first of the Acts so that since the twelve Disciples are thus advanced and not the seventie it is more then evident that Christ would have the Seventie to be still inferiour to the Twelve And this also appears by the election of Matthias who was taken out of the number of the seventie and advanced to the Apostolicall charge if the twelve had not been in degree above the seventy to what end should this distinction have been made no man will say I hope that the Twelve would have advanced themselves above the Seventy if Christ himselfe had made no difference before for Christ no question if they had beene wrong would have reproved their arrogancie but on the contrary Christ gives testimonie of his approbation of that which they did by consenting to Matthias election yea it appeares that they had a commandement so to do for Peter saith Acts 1.22 that one must be ordained to be a witnesse with us of the Resurrection the word 〈◊〉 in the 21 Verse is very emphaticall so that it would seeme that it was not left arbitrary to them to doe it or not to do it at their plâ—asure but of necessitie it behoved to be done as being commanded by Christ their Master Moreover it is evident by the words of the 25 Verse where the Apostle makes a cleer distinction between Apostles and Evangelists That he may take part saith he of this Ministery and Apostleship now the Apostle could not call it this Ministery except it had bin distinct from that which Matthias had before hee was one of the Seventy Disciples before and had power to preach the Gospell of Christ so that it is most sure if the calling of the twelve had not beene particularly differenced by Christ from the calling of the seventy the Apostles would never have put a distinction between the one Ministerie and the other But the Apostle Peter adds yet a cleerer distinction and hee cals the Ministery whereunto Matthias was advanced Apostleship this Ministery and Apostleship saith he now the Ministerie of the seventy Disciples was never called Apostleship unto this day as all men know Further this distinction appeareth that the Apostle with the consent of the rest of the twelve would have the number made up before the comming of the Holy Ghost for the Holy Ghost did not visibly descend upon any but upon the twelve well they did always attend his comming they could not tell how soon and therefore they thought it necessary that Matthias should be elected withall expedition so that any man may conceive if there had not been a wide difference between the twelve Apostles and the seventy Disciples the Apostle would never have made such haste By the former doctrine we finde that our Saviour differenced the 12 from the seventy thrice in the time of his life once for by taking the twelve to be of his counsell as it were and guard of his bodie he made a manifest distinction Luke 6.13 Next after his Resurrection hee put a difference between them in that hee enstalled them solemnly in their Apostolicall charge which hee did not unto the seventy and thirdly after his Ascention he sent the Holy Ghost
Sinners and pronounce Remission of Sins to all Penitent souls The fourth Testimony is in Matth. 28.20 and Iohn 14.16 the Argument I frame thus They with whom Christ promised to be always untill the end of the World Their calling was ordinary and to continue untill the end of the World But Christ promised to be with his Apostles alwayes untill the end of the World And therefore their calling was ordinary and to continue untill the end of the World Of necessity then Christ his promise here is not only made to his Apostles because they were not to continue until the end of the world but to their Successors in all the Ages and Generations to come for Iohn saith 14.16 That the Comforter would abide with them for ever that is to the end of the world and so with their successors aswell as themselves The fift Testimonie is in Matth. 5.14 the Argument is this They whom Christ appointed only to be the light of the World their calling was ordinary and to continue untill the end of the World But Christ appointed his Apostles to be the light of the World And therefore their calling was ordinary and to continue untill the end of the World Although the Apostles themselves may in some respect be called the light of the World because by their Ministery chiefly the World was first enlightned with the light of the Gospel yet in respect that this light might be in danger to go out there behoved others to succeed the Apostles in the ages to come to keep in this light and still to hold it out as a Lanthorne in the Ministery of the Word and the exercise of the other parts of that Spirituall and Heavenly Function that all men might see how to walke in that narrow way that leads to life eternall The fire in the Temple of Jerusalem which the Priests were daily to attend that it went not out was a Type and figure of this spirituall and heavenly fire of Grace which must be preserved by the Ministery and continuall attendance of the Apostles and their Successors The sixt Testimonie is in Matth. 10.40 and Luke 10.16 The argument is this Whomsoever all men are bound to heare and receive in Christs stead their calling was ordinary and to be continued untill the end of the World But to heare and receive the Apostles in Christs stead all men are bound And therefore the calling of the Apostles was ordinary and to continue untill the end of the World By all men here we must not understand only all those men that lived in the Apostles times but all men in all Ages following and not genera singulorum neither but singula generum for as the Apostles were commanded to preach the Gospell to all and every man without exception so all and every man is bound to heare them and receive them now none could beare the Apostles but those that lived in their dayes and therefore necessarily our Saviour did understand the Apostles and their Successors in all Ages and Generations following for they that heare not the Successors of the Apostles heare not Christ and they that receive not them neither doe they receive Christ and they that heare them and receive them receive Christ The seventh testimonie is in Matth. 24.42 and Marke 13.35 The Argument is this They who are commanded by Watching and Prayer to attend the second comming of our Saviour their calling was ordinary and to continue untill the end of the World But the Apostles were commanded by Watching and Prayer to attend the second comming of our Saviour And therefore the Apostles calling was ordinarie and to continue untill the end of the World No man will say that our Saviour did mean here that the Apostles in their proper persons behoved to attend his second comming for Christ knew well enough that the Apostles were not to live untill that time but his meaning is that they and their Successors in all Ages and Generations to come and in generall all men in all Ages following should thus attend their Masters comming and therefore Christ saith Marke 13.37 What I say unto you I say unto all men watch so that our Saviour speaketh principally to the chiefe Governours of the Church who should still be going about their Masters businesse that when hee comes hee may finde them well employed so that I may unanswerably conclude by the cleer evidence of all these former Texts and many more then these registred in the Book of God That the calling of the Apostles was ordinary and to be continued untill the end of the world Now for further strengthening of this Doctrine I will use two Arguments which naturally flow from the former Doctrine By the first I prove That these Commandements set down in these texts of Scripture are not only given to the apostles By the second I prove affirmatively That these directions are given to the apostles and their Successors in all the following Generations The first Argument is this That which the Apostles were not able to do by themselves alone Christ would not command them to do it by themselves alone But the apostles were not able to keep these Cōmandements by themselves alone And therefore Christ would not command them to keep them by themselves alone I prove the Assumption because the Apostles could not live unto the end of the World and so it was impossible to them to keep these Commandements by themselves They might keep them during their own life but no longer all that they were able to doe was to commit them to other faithfull men to be propagated unto the end of the World and so my conclusion is good That these Commandements were not only given to the Apostles The second Argument is affirmative and proves That these Commandements were given to the apostles and their Successors in all ages and Generations to come That which Christ knew was only possible to the Apostles and their Successors Christ gave it in Commandement to the Apostles and their Successors But Christ knew that it was only possible to the Apostles and their Successors to keep these Commandements And therefore Christ gave these Commandements to the Apostles and their successors This argument is a plain demonstration à causa ad effectum the strength whereof none that will oppose me shall ever be able to evade for the cause why these Commandements are not only given to the Apostles but to them and their Successors is because Christ knew that onely they and their Successors were able to keep them Now to end this point I will here affirme That I am so confident of the strength of these Reasons that no Divine is able to answer or rebate the force of them their only Refugium must be this That inferiour Bishops or Presbyters are the Apostles Successours by which wee obtain at first That the calling of the Apostles is an ordinary calling not extraordinary which they before maintained but I shall prove by Gods
company of Presbyters Acts 8.14 and 11.22 and 15.6 7 8. to the 30. and 1 Cor. 5.3 4 5. Answer These things were done in the infancie of the Church before the Government was established and so can be no rule for after ages some will so answer I answer further there is not a word there that will confirme Presbyteriall government for none of the meetings spoken of in those places consist of persons having the like and equall authoritie but all that was done in them was done by Apostolicall power by the power of the Apostles they were convened together by the Apostles moderation those meetings were governed by their authoritie all things were concluded they had full and absolute power in their own hands although it pleased them to do nothing without the consent of their Brethren of an inferiour Order yee will find all that I have said true if yee will be pleased to see the places But most cleerly it appeareth 1 Cor. 5.3 4 5. where the Apostle by his power and authoritie coÌ„mandeth the Corinthian Ministers to excommunicate the incestuous person in an open assembly or rather to intimate that excommunication which he had already pronounced for thus he speaketh For I verily as absent in body but present in spirit have judged alreadie as though I were present concerning him that hath done this deed In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such an one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus I hope this meeting was enjoyned by the Apostle upon an extraordinary occasion nothing was done but by his speciall appointment Here is nothing to warrant the authority of Presbyteriall Government there seems something to be in the words for Parochiall If there had been Parishes and Lay-elders in those days and truly if I were not of that judgement That the Calling of the Apostles were an ordinary Calling and to be continued with the same latitude of power and authoritie in their Successors untill the end of the World I might easily be moved to approve of Parochiall Government but never of Presbyteriall and truly if the Callings of the Apostles and Evangelists be not acknowledged to be instituted by Christ for the perpetuall Government of Gods Church Parochiall Government is that which hath greatest shew of warrant in the Scriptures as for Presbyteriall it hath not so much as any shew at all in the whole book of God Now follows that I cleere the doubts and first I know it will be objected That by this doctrine I condemne all the Churches of Christ that are governed after that manner Ans I condemne not the Churches but the Government Some perhaps may reply That since I make Episcopal government to be Christs institution I charge them with a very grosse errour I answer Let them see to that I cannot call evill good nor good evill unlesse I make my selfe lyable to the curse pronounced neither will any thing excuse them except necessity for both Gods Law and mans Law doth dispence with it but because there is no necessitie let men beware for Ego liberavi animam meam Furthermore it will be alleaged That Timothy and Titus and the Bishops of old were not like our Bishops They had not that power and authoritie nor that Lordly Government that Bishops have now They were not Barons Lords Earles Princes in such kind as they are now They had not power over the bodies and estates of offenders as Bishops have now They might not punish with the Civill Sword as well as the Spirituall Ans In Episcopall Government there are two things The one is Spirituall and de jure divino by divine right The other is Civill and de dono humano of humane gift and by the donation of Kings and Princes That is their Civill Honour their Civill Power their Temporalities their Revenues as to be Barons in Parliament to judge in causes Temporall to inflict temporall punishment all these they have by the free gift of Kings and Princes and many Kings have been very liberall in this kind to Churchmen and not without warrant from God neither according to that of the Apostle The Elders that rule wel are worthy of double honour and in speciall they that labour in the Word Doctrine 1 Tim. 5. And why should any man be offended to see Honor given to Church-men May not Kings and Princes give honour to any subject they please or are not Churchmen capable of Civill Honour and Power now under the Gospell aswell as they were under the Law As to the first I think no man will deny but Kings and Princes may advance such of their Subjects as they please it is their speciall prerogative I make no question of it And truly I see no more reason that any man should make question of the other but that Churchmen are as capable of Civill Honour and Power now under the Gospel as they were under the Law it is forbidden in no part of the New Testament I am sure hath God forbidden Ministers to give their advice to Kings and Princes for the better correcting of Vice and Sin and for managing all things in the State so that God thereby may be the more glorified and the Kingdome of Jesus Christ advanced or hath God forbidden Princes to crave their advice It was well said of a Divive That it is well with the Church when godly Prophets hang as precious Earings at the Princes eares Erasmus said well in an Epistle to Iohn Alasco If we had moe Bishops like Ambrose we should have more Emperours like Theodosius But I would aske any man this question Have not Christian Kings as great need of the concurrent Counsell and Assistance of the Governours of the Church now as the Kings of Israel had under the Law and was there ever any religious King among the Iews who had not conâ—inually the High priest to second him in all his affaires was not Aaron next unto Moses was not Eleazar next unto Iosua Had not David Zador and Abiather continually in his company Was not Azariah next unto Salomon and did not Ioash that which was right in the sight of the Lord as long as Iehoida lived and was not Hilkia chief Counsellour to Iosia and Amaria chief Judge under Jehosaphat Truly I hold this for a sure ground That what ever was done under the Law not being commanded by God then it is as lawfull for us now under the Gospell to doe the same except it be forbidden us and wee need not doubt but it will be as well approved by God now as it was then But which is more yet If any thing be commanded by God under the Law which is not ceremoniall and typicall it is then much more lawfull I think for us to do now Did not the Lord himselfe command the people of