l. 2. r. the. p. 204. l. 15. r. Andabatarum p. 207. l. 2. r. injoyn p. 242. l. 36. r. Holy p. 247. l. 1. r. Congregations p. 247. l. 26. r. Religious p. 257. l. 16. r. sound p. 279. l. 33. r. Ceremony p. 284. l. 37. r. Solemnities p. 297. l. 13. r. acquainted p. 309. l. 16. r. Things p. 310. l. 35. r. Writings If there be any other Mistakes of the Press it is left to the Readers Candor to Correct them THE Good old way defended c. IT hath been observed by some who have read this Book that the Author hath been much beholden to some of the Jesuits and other Papists not only for his Arguments but even for his Invectives and Reproaches cast upon his Adversaries had he been so just as to acknowledge the true Authors of his fine Notions there had been less blame in it and even the imputation of Noveltie of the Opinions of Presbyterians with which the Frontispiece of his Book is adorned is the same Reproach that the Romanists do constantly cast on the whole of the Protestant Doctrine which in their ordinary cant is the new Gospel If he hath proved or shall prove that our Principles for Paritie and against Prelacy is newer than the first settling of Gospel-Churches by the Apostles he hath some advantage against us Yet if our way have been owned and practised in Scotland before the Papacy and among the Waldenses for many Ages The edge of his prejudice against it will be a little blunted The former I have already debated with some of his Partie and may have occasion to resume that Dispute before I have done with this Book The other may be easily made appear For in their Confession of Faith after they had fled to Bohemia called Confessio Taboritarum Joan. Lukawitz Waldensia P. 23. They expresly deny that By Scripture warrant Ordination is to be performed only by Bishops and that Bishops have more Authority than single Priests Perin Hist. of the Vaudois p. 53 62. cited by Owen of Ordination p. 4. Sheweth that they had no other Ministers for 5â—0 years than such as was ordained by Presbyters Walsing Hist of England pag. 339. Telleth us that the Lollards the same Sect with the Waldenses had their Ministers Ordained by Presbyters without Bishops Now of this Sect even their Enemies witness that they were very Antient. Reinerius an Inquisitor in his Book contra Haereticos sayeth that it had continued longest of all the Sects For some say these are his Words they have been from the days of Pope Silvester 1. who was in the time of the first Nicen Council others from the dayes of the Apostles § 2. It may also be made appear that his own opinion of the Divine Right of Prelacy is much newer than ours not only by the Fathers as will after appear but even the Church of England was not of that Opinion till Bishop Lands time and but few of them after it Spellman p 576. In the Canons of Elfrick and Wolfin hath these words Ambo siquidem unum tenent eundem ordinem quum sit dignior illa pars Episcopi Catal. test verit To. 2. saith of Wicklif tantum duos ordines minâ—strorum esse debere judicavit viz. Presbyteros Diaâ—onos Fox Act. monum T. 2. Among the Answers that Lambert the Martyr gave to the 45. Questions put to him hath these words p. 400. As touching Priest-hood in the Primitive Church there was no more Officers in the Church of God than Bishop and Deacons as witnesseth the Scripture full apertly He citeth also Jerom for this After the Reformation in the Book called the Institution of a Christian man made by the whole Clergy 1537. Authorized and injoyned by King and Parliament to be preached through the whole Kingdom it is said That the new Testament mentioneth but two Orders Presbyters or Bishops and Deacons Cranmers and other Bishops Opinion I have Cited S. 2. § 2. Out of a Manuscript in Stillingfleets Ira. In the Book called the Bishops Book it is said that the difference between Bishops and Presbyters was a device of the ancient Fathers not mentioned in Scripture For the same Opinion Owen of Ordination p. 114 115. citeth Jewel Morton Whitaker Nowell and the present Bishop of Sarum § 3. Yea that this our Opinion for Paritie and against the Divine right of Episcopacy is as old as the Reformation from Popery is clear from the Articuli Smalcaldici signed by Luther Melanchthon and many other Divines as they are set down lib. concord Printed An. 1580. Lipsiae art 10. p 306. Where they plead their power of ordaining their Pastors without Bishops And cite Jerome saying Eam Ecclesiam Alexandrinam primum ab Episcopis Presbyteris Ministris communi operâ gubernatam fuisse These articles were agreed on An. 1533. After p. 324 325. They affirm of Jurisdictio Potestas excommunicandi absolvendi that liquet confessione omnium etiam adversariorum nostrorum communem esse omnibus qui presunt Ecclesiis sive nominentur Pastores sive Presbyteri sive Episcopi And they cite Jerome as holding the same Opinion and from his words observe hic docet Hieronymus distinctos gradus Episcoporum Presbyterorum sive Pastorum tantum humana authoritate constitutos esse idque res ipsa loquitur quia officium mandatum plane idem est quia autem jure divino nullum est discrimen inter Episcopum Pastorem c. These Articles were subscribed by the Electoral Princes Palsegrave Saxonie and Brandenburg by 45. Dukes Marquesses Counts and Barons by the Consuls and Senates of 35. Cities Yea to shew that this Opinion was not then disliked even in England Bucer and Fagius who subscribed them were brought into England by Cranmer and employed in promoting the Reformation The subscriptions of the Noblemen mentioned you may find at the End of the Preface of that Book It is then a confidence beyond ordinary to call the Presbyterian principle of Paritie a new Opinion § 4. It is further to be considered that as Antiquity is not by it self a sufficient Patrocinie for any Opinion So Noveltie is not alwayes a just prejudice against it If our Adversaries plead Antiquitie for Prelacy so may it be done for many principles which themselves will call Errors and this sort of Arguments hath in all Ages of the Church been judged invalide It is Divine Institution not humane practice Custome or Antient Opinion that must be a Foundation for our belief and when they expose our way as new they should consider that what is Eldest in respect of its beeing and Gods appointment may be new in respect of its discovery and observation What is old in it self may be new to us because by the corruption of many Ages it hath been hid and at last brought forth to light again So Christianity it self was a Noveltie to the Athenian Philosophers and by them treated with disdain and mocking on that account
1. § 1 and 2. As also how weak the consequence is from its noveltie such as I have acknowledged to its being false The dangerous consequence of it is in general asserted but he hath not told what hazard in particular ariseth to the Church from this way of Government many think that the greatest and most essential concernments of Religion have been more promoted under Parity than under Prelacy if he will prove his Assertion making the contrary appear we shall consider the strength of his Reasons § 7. He asserteth that our Opinion is not only different from the uniform Testimony of Antiquity which we deny and shall consider his proofs in the subsequent Debate but also the first Presbyterians among our selves who declare in their Confession of Faith that all Church Policy is variable so 〈◊〉 one they from asserting that indispensible Divine and unalterable Right of Pâ—…rity He addeth that they only pretended that it was allowable and more to this purpose Let me a little examine this confident Assertion of matter of Fact I suppose by the Confession of Faith of the first Presbyterians he meaneth that Summ of Doctrine which they appointed to be drawn up 1560 as that Doctrine that the Protestants would maintain there Artiole 22 are these words Not that we think any Policy and an order of Ceremonies can be appointed for all Ages times and places for as Ceremonies such as men have devised are but temporary so may and ought they to be changed when they rather foster Superstition than edifie the Church using the some Here is not a word of Church Government neither can these words rationally be understood of Ceremonies in a strick sense as contradistinguished from Civil Rites and natural Circumstances in religious actings for Ceremonies peculiar to Religion the reforming Protestants of Scotland never owned but such as were of Divine Institution But that they did not hold the Government of the Church by Prelacy or Parity to be indifferent is evident in that in the Book of Policy or 2d Book of Discipline they do own only four sorts of ordinary and perpetual Office bearers in the Church to wit Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons where the Bishop is plainly excluded nor did they ever look on Superintendents as perpetual Officers but for the present necessity of the Church not yet constituted It is like this Debate may again occur wherefore I now insist no further on it § 8. He blindly throweth Darts at Presbyterians which sometimes miss them and wound his own party as p 13 he hath this Assertion when a Society of men set up for Divine absolute and infallible Right they ought to bring plain proofs for what they say else they must needs be lookt on as Impostors or at least self conceited and designing men and much to this purpose Is it easie to subsume but this Author and his Partizans set up for Divine absolute and infallible right for Prelacy and yet they bring not plain proofs for what they say therefore he and they are Impostors self conceited and designing men they indeed pretend to plain proofs and so do we let the Reader then judge whose proofs are plainest and best founded and who are to be judged Impostors by his Argument But in truth there is no consequence to a mans being an Impostor from his owning a Divine Right even though his Arguments be defective in plainness and in strength it only followeth that such do mistake and understand not the mind of God in that matter so well as they should and that their strength of Reason doth not answer the confidence of their Assertion and if this be a Blame as I think it is no men in the world are more guilty than his party nor among his party than himself as will appear in examining his Assertions and Arguments For self conceit the Reader will easily see where it may be observed if he consider the superciliousness with which his Book is written If Presbyterians be the designing men they are great fools for there are no Bishopricks nor Deanries nor very fat Benefices to be had in that way which might be the Objects of such designs Who are the head strong men that will knock others on the head unless they will swear they see that which indeed they cannot see may be judged by the Excommunications and the Capias's and consequents of these which many of late did endure for pure Nonconformity I am not acquainted with these Presbyterians who say that none but wicked men will oppose our Government this is none of our Doctrine it is rather his own who excludeth from the Church such as are for Presbytery and affirmeth it to be dangerous to continue in the communion of such we do not Excommunicat any who differ from us about Church Government for their Opinion nor for not joining with us Neither do we pronounce such a heavy Doom on the Prelatists who separate from us as I. S. doth on them who separate from the Episcopal Church Principles of the Cyprianick Age p 19. His calling our Arguments a labyrinth of dark and intricat Consequences obscure and perplexed Probabilities Texts of Scripture sadly wrested and Distorted p. 15. This I say is a silly Artifice to forestal the Readers mind before he hear the Debate which will take with few even of his own party We are not ashamed to produce our Arguments for all this insolent Contempt SECTION III. Some Arguments for Parity not mentioned nor answered by the Enquirer IN this Enquiry our Author pretendeth to answer our Arguments and thinketh he hath done his work when he hath taken notice of two Texts of Soripture which yet he confesseth that our ablest Writers such as Beza and Salmasius lay little weight on one Argument from the Homonymie of the names of Bishop and Presbyter and some Citations of the Fathers Here we desiderate Ingenuity 〈◊〉 in his picking out our most doubtful Arguments while he doth not 〈◊〉 these which were hardest for him to answer also representing them in such a dress as we do not so make use of them and they may be easiest for him to Debate It had been fairer dealing if he had represented our cause in its full strength and then answered what we say Before I come to these Arguments which he is pleased to name I shall propose some others which he or some others may consider when next they think fit to write § 2. Our first Argument shall be this our Lord hath given power to Presbyters not only to dispense the Word and Sacraments but to rule the Church and joyn in the exercise of the Discipline of the Church but he hath given no majority of power to one Presbyter over the rest nor made this exercise of that power to depend on one of them therefore he hath not Instituted Prelacy but left the Government of the Church to be exercised by Presbyters acting in paritie The first Proposition many of the Episcopalians yield yea the
Act that he had committed ob illatum per summum nefas Virgini stuprum was driven away from the Communion of the Church by his own Father on which occasion he came to Rome and attempted to be received into that Church he was rejected by the Presbyterie after which he preached his Errours in that City and made great Disturbance Now the Argument that we draw from this Passage is not only that the Presbyterie did not reject his Petition as being incompetent Judges in that Case but their Answer implyeth a Recognition of their power in this Matter for they tell him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we cannot do it without the permission of thy worthy Father nor this because of his Fathers Episcopal power but because there is one Faith and one Agreement the Bond of Unity between Rome and that Church in Pontus I think its Name was Sinope and was that which they gave as the reason of their Refusal seing he was cast out of one Church it was not reasonable that he should be received into another without her consent Romes Headship was not then known But what followeth is yet stronger for our Cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we cannot go contrary to our excellent Collegue or Fellow Labourer thy Father where Presbyters look on a Bishop as their Collegue and in no higher Degree and that when they are speaking of the Exercise of Church Authority they plainly suppose that they had the same power to take in that he had to cast out but they would not irregularly exerce that power as they must have done if they had recived Marcion § 9. Another of Blondel's Citations our Author answereth with a great deal of slighting and contempt it s taken out of Justine Martyr's Apology for the Christians where he giveth an account of the Church Order that was among the Christians and mentioneth no Officer in the Church but Praepositus Diaconus His Answer to this is Justine's design was only to vindicate the Christians from the Reproaches cast upon them about their Meetings he had no occasion to speak of the Hierarchy the Christians concealed their Mysteries as much as they could and the Names of Bishop and Presbyter as well as their Offices were known to the Heathen How to make the parts of this Answer hang together I know not if the Heathen knew their way why did they conceal it Neither is there any ground to think that they concealed their Mysteries the Knowledge of which was the mean of convincing Heathens Yea the design of his Apology was to make their Mysteries known that it might be seen how excellent they were And to say that Justine had no occasion to speak of the Hierarchy here is a mistake for he did mention some of the Church Officers and because he mentioned no more it is like he knew no more He seems now to be weary of his undertaking and no wonder it hath succeeded so ill with him and therefore p. 60. he telleth us how nauseous it is to repeat more and hudleth up some other Citations cited by Blondel in a general Answer that it is a silly Quible to found an Argumen◠on Dichotomies and telleth us the Names as well as the Offices were distinguished in the earliest Monuments of the Church and for this he citeth Usher mentioning Acta Martyrii S Ignatii but is not pleased to name Book nor Page of that learned Author who hath written many things The same he doth with Clemeus Alexandrinus Tertullian and Origen but neither words nor place he mentioneth such arguings are to be neglected Blondel also citeth Papias calling all the Ministers of the Word Apostles and others from whom he had learned what he wrote Elders or Presbyters This Author will have it to be meant of their Age not Office I lay not much weight on this Testimony more than he doth But that Papias doth not mean the Age only of them whom he mentioneth may be gathered from what he saith of the second John whom he mentioneth for after he had named John among the Apostles he nameth another John after Aristion and him he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This cannot be meant of his Age when he saith John the elder for John the Apostle was older than he It must then be understood of his Office And Euseb lib 3 c. 35. telleth us that there were two Johns buried at Ephesus and that the Monuments of both remained in his time Being now weary with arguing and it seems fretted with what he could not well answer He falleth to downright Railling p. 61. he putteth on a Confidence beyond ordinary this is the way of some when they are most at a loss This Conduct will not take with wise and considering Men. He telleth of the unconquerableness of Prejudice in the Presbyterians no doubt because they will not yield to his Dictats and what he looketh on as an Argument and of their miserable Condition in reading the Ancients with no other design than to distort their words Before he taxeth us for not reading them now we read them but with an ill design I must tell him it is too much for him either to judge how we are employed in our Closets and what Books we read or what inward designs we have in our reading We think he distorteth the words of the Ancients we judge not his designs in reading them he thinketh we distort them let the Reader judge Next he representeth us as having sold our selves to the Interest of little Parties and shut our Eyes against the express Testimonies of these Fathers whose broken Sentences we torture and abuse to support Novelties and more of this Stuff which it is not fit to answer because of the Wise Man's Advice Prov 26 4. § 10. Now he will p. 62. have the Reader to make an Estimate of the Presbyterian Candor from two Instances The first is Blondel citeth the Gallican Church sending Irenaeus to Rome and calling him a Presbyter when he was Bishop of Lyons Our Author contendeth that he was not then Bishop and that Photinus his Predecessor was not then dead This piece of Chronology though maintained by Eusebius and Jerome Blondel disproveth by many Authentick Records as he thinketh And now where is the want of Candor in this case Is every man who after diligent search into History doth mistake in Chronology about a Matter of Fact so disingenious and that to such a Degree as this Author's Clamour would represent This I say supposing that Blondel doth mistake in this Matter I think it not worth the while to examine the large Discourse he hath and the manifold Citations to confirm his Opinion finding that Debate somewhat Intricate whether Photinus was then alive or not when Iraeneus was sent to Rome and called a Presbyter and the Matter of it is of no great Consequence It seems our Author hath been at as little pains as I am at leasure now to take about this Debate but referreth
to Posterity that we need not fear to be deceived about them but have a Moral Certainty but it doth not hence follow that such Matters of Fact as must be known not only by Sensation but Conjoyned Reasoning can be so transmitted to Posterity by mere Humane Testimony as that we are obliged on that Testimony alone to build an Opinion or engage in a Practice that Religion is so nearly concerned in as it is in the Matter under Debate The Ordinances that we owne must have surer ground than is necessary for many Historical Truths that we do not nor ought to Question § 38. He affirmeth p. 131 132. that Episcopacy was from the beginning by Divine Authority a Copy of the Jewish AEconomy transmitted from the Apostles to single Successors perpetually to be preserved in all Ages that it was uniformly setled by the Apostles in all Churches All this he hath said over and over again but hath not proved one word of it Neither is any thing here said to our present purpose unless he prove that the Testimony of the Fathers alone is a sufficient ground for us to believe all this for that is the present Debate He saith nothing is answered to all this but that they the Presbyterians say the Ancients were Erroneous in several things And is that nothing I have shewed that they were no more under infallible Conduct in this than in other things That they who transmitted to us the Knowledge of the Polity setled by the Apostles were sufficiently acquainted with the Apostolical Constitutions and that these Customs and Constitutions were not only preserved in the Ecclesiastical Records but conveyed to their Eyes in the dayly Practice of the Church this he affirmeth p. 133. I suppose to prove that the Testimony of the Fathers alone is sufficient ground for our Faith that Episcopacy is Juris Divini Most of this is already Answered being but a Repetition of what he hath said before I further A. 1. These Fathers were acquainted with the Apostolical Constitutions by their Writings for he will not say that they were Eye Witnesses to Apostolick Practices tho it is alledged that one of them saw John the Apostle that will not prove such acquaintance with his or other Apostles way we have their Writings as well as they had and seing it is confessed that they were not infallible in Understanding and Expounding Scripture it is reasonable that we should see with our own Eyes and not with theirs and we should not implicitly believe the Fathers in telling us that the Apostles meant so and so in their Writings 2. We think the Apostolick Constitutions are best preserved and most purely yea infallibly in the Apostolick Writings these are the Ecclesiastical Records that we lay more weight on than the Fasti of the Churches that he saith were in the after Ages 3. That the dayly practice of the Church did convey to the Eyes of the Fathers the Constitutions of the Apostles we utterly deny for Practice and Institution are two different things for the one is not always a good commentary on the other even in the Apostles times the Mystery of iniquity began to work Practice began to vary from Institution and in the very thing we now speak of there were Efforts to carry Practice beyond the Rule when Diotrephes did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affected to be primus Presbyter and we may rationally think that this Ferment did when the Apostles were gone off the Stage gather strength among Men who were not so humble nor mortified as they should have been Practice doth often degenerate from Principles as we see in dayly Experience and it is probable that this very thing might deceive some of these Holy Men and make them judge a miss of the Apostolick Constitution and consequently make their Sentiments no safe Rule for our Guidence in this Matter Beside all this we cannot yield that the Practice of the Church was such as our Author fancieth in the times of the first of the Fathers or that they do so represent the Practice of the Church as he imagineth He insinuateth another Argument p. 134. That the Fathers found the Series of single Successors in all the Apostolical Churches governing Ecclesiastical Affairs and this Succession not asserted as a thing that was then opposed but rather supposed and inferreth that a Tradition so stated and conveyed is as Authentick and Infallible as any thing of that Nature can be A. That the Fathers found this or that they aâ—â—erted it is denyed what he else where bringeth for proof of this is answered Again if the Fathers had found this they had erred we maintain that they were Men capable to mistake and to find what was not to be found Further it is not probative that the Fathers did not find this way opposed but supposed both because the Degeneracy from the Apostolick Constitution that there was in the Primitive Church came in insensibly it wrought as a Mystery unobserved 2 Thess. 2. 7. I do not understand that Scripture exclusively of other things but inclusively of this and were as the Tares when Men Sleep Also because if there were Opposition made it might be suppressed and not transmitted to Posterity by the Influence of the Party which had the Ascendent Yet for all this we deny that the Fathers of the first Ages had that Jurisdiction of Bishops that he talketh of to oppose or that it was in their days § 39. What followeth p. 134 135 136. seemeth to be designed as a Herculean Argument it is brought from the dangerous Consequence they run upon who derogate from the Authority of this Traditional Conveyance in a Matter of Fact for by the same reason we must question the most Sacred things in our Religion And for an Instance of this he sheweth that the Canon of the Scripture was not universally received before the Death of the Apostles but some Books questioned these Books were received upon Search made by the Church and finding that they were agreeable to the Apostolick Standard and that the Original Conveyance of such Books was supported by the Testimony of Apostolical Persons or Holy Men who Conversed with such If we receive some Books of Scripture on the Testimony of the Ancients how dare we dispute their Fidelity in a Matter of Fact relating to the Polity of the Church So that on the whole Matter either we must receive their Testimonies in this or we must question the Authority of some Books now received into the Canon for it may be objected against this last Tradition that it was so opposed by Men of great Name but the other was always universally received I have heard that A. M. D. D. hath been jealoused as inclining to Popery tho his Accusers failed in their Probation he here and in some other Passages of this Book seemeth to prove what they could not make out This Medium Stapleton and many others of the Romish Doctors use to prove that the Church
not the Scripture is the Ground of our Faith because without the Church we cannot know which Books of Scripture are Genuine and which are Spurious just as this Author telleth us we cannot know this but on the accurate Search made by the Church upon which Scrutiny some books are received into the Canon which at first were doubted of I advise him to read Whitaker against Stapleton especially his Duplicatio lib. 2. C. 26. where this Controversie is solidly handled as it is also in many other Protestant Writers It is observable that Popery and Prelacy must be defended by the same Arguments and that this Author hath no better Evidence for nor firmer Faith of the Divinity of the Scriptures than he hath of Episcopacy that his Faith in both is built on the Authority of the Church I mention the Divinity of the Scriptures because the whole of it is made up of its Parts the several Books and if our Belief that this Book is a part of the Canon Ex Gr. Ruth be built on the Churches Authority so it must be with another Book and another and so of them all I must here then digress a litle from defending Presbytery to the Defence of Protestantism against this my Antagonist Let me not here be mistaken as thinking that our Certainty of the Christian Doctrine in general were no greater than that we have about this or that Book of Scripture being Canonical We have sufficient though not equal Certainty of both Or as holding that the Authentickness of the several Books of Scripture were alike evident some of them bear more manifest Marks of Divinity or Motives of Credibility than others do And yet in them all there is what may satisfie us that they are from God Or thirdly As of Opinion that the Testimonies of the Christians of the first Ages are of no use not Conducive to our Certainty in this Matter I owne with Chemnit exam Concil Trident. pt 1. p. 86. That as Scriptura habet authoritatem principaliter a spiritu sancto deinde a Scriptoribus so postea a Primitiva Ecclesia tanquam teste No doubt the Concurrent and Harmonious Testimony of the first Ages is a strong Plea but we rest not on that Ground alone for if we did our Faith should be resolved into the Authority of fallible Man Yea we should reject some of these Books which we now receive as Canonical which were for some time questioned we affirm then against this Author that the Books of Scripture were not received by the Church upon the Testimony of Men singly Which he either must mean or his Argument is not to the purpose I argue then against him out of his own words the Church having made an accurate Search into the Doctrine of these Books and finding it was agreeable to the Apostolick Standard and that the Original Conveyance of such Books was supported by the Testimony of Apostolick Persons or other Men c. Here himself doth not make the Testimony of the Fathers a sufficient ground of our receiving these Books but what the Church found in them by Searching So that indeed he overturneth the Sufficiency of the Foundation that he would have us build on by laying another beside it If he will let us see Episcopacy to be suteable to the Apostolick Standard we shall embrace it but cannot owne it without that tho all the Fathers in one Voice should plead for it Again the Church after her Scrutiny and these Apostolick and Holy Men who bare Testimony to the Conveyance of these Books either had some ground for owning them as Divine or none but because they thought so the latter I hope he will not say if he say the former we shall receive these Books not on their sole Authority but on these Grounds that they went upon If he say the present Church received them from the Church of former Ages he must needs sist somewhere and not proceed in infinitum Whatever Person or Church he sist in the Argument recurreth with respect to them Further if we receive the Books of Scripture because of the Testimony of the Church our Faith both of their being from God and of the Truths contained in them must be resolved ultimately into the Veracity of fallible Men and not into the Veracity and Authority of the Infallible God unless he will make the Church infallible as his Complices in this Opinion do and even that will not help him seing this Infallibility cannot be proved And if it could I ask whether these infallible Persons who after the Apostles searched what Books were Authentick had the Knowledge of this by Means or by Revelation the latter the Papists do not pretend the former will serve us using the same Means for this Knowledge Lastly I ask whether they who conveyed these Books to us could be deceived or not The latter he will not assert for he hath told us they may be deceived about Theorems and that such a Book is Canonical is such if they could be deceived it is not fit for us to build our Faith of a thing of so high Concernment on their Opinion I conclude that the Books of Scripture are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our Faith that they are Gods Word is built not on the Testimony of the Church but on the Veracity of God who speaketh and we know that God speaketh in them from the Motives of Credibility that the Scripture it self affordeth of which our Writers against the Papists bring not a few If he can give as good ground for Episcopacy as we can give for the Books of Scripture being the Word of God we shall receive the one as well as the other § 40. His next Work which beginneth p. 136. is to consider the Concessions of the Learned Presbyterians in this controversie which yield some Propositions that not only shake but quite overturn the whole Fabrick of the new Doctrine It is well that there are some Learned Men among them he sometimes speaketh of them without Exception or Discrimination in another Strain and even here what he giveth with the one hand he taketh away with the other for it is no great Evidence of Learning for to overturn the whole of what one taketh pains to build I in the Entrance of this Contest with him must enter my Protestation that I will not owne any Proposition tho advanced by the Learnedest of the Presbyterians that hath a mischievous Tendency and if any such Assertion should happen to drop from me upon Admonition and sufficient Instruction I shall retract it errare possum haereticus esse nolo He beginneth with Salmasius Walo Messal p. 7. confessing that even the ancien times except the Apostolick Age distinguished between Bishop and Presbyter I acknowledge the same and require this Author to shew how this overturneth the Fabrick of Presbyterianism which he reckoneth the 〈◊〉 Doctrine The Ancients early made difference in the Name reserving that of Bishop to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
most Observable in the Apostolick Church I suppose that the helping such as were ready to fall did most properly belong to the Spiritual Governours This is above answered and it is not one whit stronger by being said over again Further he Asserteth but hath not shewed us how the Context leadeth to this Interpretation his supposing it to be most proper to the several guids to help them that fall doth not prove his design unless he could shew that there was an Officer in the Church who had his Designation from thus helping People and when he hath done that he must shew that this is peculiar to the Bishop and that no other Church Officer is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from helping them who are ready to fall That Grotius telleth us that the Antient Greeks interpreted the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a wronging of Grotius who saith not Graeci veteres but Graeci complures and it is nothing to his purpose for Grotius saying it doth not prove it neiâ—her doth Grotius cite any of the Graeci complures Suiceri thesaurus Ecclesiae I can not get at present but if he say what our Author alledges his sole Authority must not carry it against all others who have written Lexicons Hamond on the Place Expoundeth it of Bishops not on Account of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Governing Power but because they had the Care of the Poor and the Dispensing of the Goods of the Church as I shewed in the Place above Cited of this Book Which if it were granted would make nothing for Episcopal Jurisdiction We maintain that the Deacons are here meant and if the Bishops be Deacons let them have this Place in the List of Church Officers For they had no Room in it before nor on the Score of Jurisdiction over other Church Officers I do not derogate from Grotius his Knowledge of the Signification of Words nor of his Ability to have Written a Lexicon but I do not look on him as beyond a Possibility of Mistake even in that wherein he excelled And indeed he speaketh very doubtfully of this Matter as his Words Cited by my Antagonist do shew nor doth he positively say that the Bishops are meant by this Word Another Proof of the Signification of the Word is from Ps. 48. 3. where the seventy use it to signifie the Lords helping his People what is this to the Purpose the Question is not whether this Word have the Notion of Help but whether it have the Notion of Government but our Author Mendeth the Matter making up by his Latine Translation what is not in the Greek for he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must signifie cum suscipiet cam nempe Civitatem in Tutelam why must it signifie this why may it not as well be turned cum opitulabitur illi Chrysost. hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Munitionem Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Exaltationem None of all these signifie any thing of Government but of Defence or Support so that nothing in this Word agreeth half so well to the Bishops as to the Deacons Work I hope he will not think that because the Lord who is in this Psalm said to Help His People doth also Rule them that it hence followeth that every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also a Ruler The same Import hath what he Citeth out of AEmilius Portus who from Suidas Translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propugnator Defensor Auxiliator For none of these Words import Government all that they signifie may be applyed better to the Deacon than to the Bishop I hope I have with the Current of â—xpositors offered a better Exposition of the Word we Debate about than Grotius hath Chosen and yet shall readily Comply with my Authors Advice in being far from Comparing my self with that great Man § 24. What he further saith of that Exposition of Jerom Quid facit Episcopus c. he hath often Repeated and it hath been as often Answered to which he had said something if he had shewed the Consistency of what I said could not agree but this he thinketh not â—it to Attempt only Entreats me to give a Paraphrase and Commentary on the Conclusion of that very Epistle of Jerom to Euagrius in which saith he Jerom affirmeth that the Hierarchy of Bishop Presbyter and Deacon was Founded on Apostolick Tradition and that they Hold the same Place in the Christian Church which the High Priest Priests and Levites had in the Temple For Satisfaction to this his Demand I refer him to Sect. 6. § 9 10. where what he Desireth is already Performed and it is shewed that Jerom meant no such thing as he alledgeth The hundred Things in my Book that he will not medle with and which he is pleased to call Triffling Stories or Personal Reflections must stand as they are let the Reader judge of what I have there said and of his Censure of it And yet he spendeth some Pages on a Story that he and I had formerly Debated which is of least Moment of any of them his Reason I shall not Enquire into nor do I intend to be any further Concerned in Jangle about Stories so variously told us as that is and which may be many Ways Disguised no part of which I was Witness to nor know any thing of but by Information For the Personal Reflections he chargeth me with he mentioneth but two I leave it to the Reader who shall think sit to Compare the two Books to Consider whether any thing is said of him but what to be Literally true himself had given Ground to think and they are Matters of Fact and of no great Moment save that they may derogate from the Strength of what he Writeth And let all Men of Candor and Understanding Witness between him and me whether in his Book now under Consideration and in his former Apology there be not many for one of mine of not only Personal Reflections on his Antagonist but Reflections on the whole Party without Distinction or Exception and that by Imputing to them the Worst of Evils and Treating them with the most Insolent Contempt that Words can express as I have here and there observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Reader may find presently after this his Complaint viz. 332 333 334. The Authority that the Presbyterâ—ans had over she Church of Scotland and consequently over the Episcopal Clergy I had Debated with him before I need say no more till he Answer what hath been already Discoursed on that Head What he saith p. 332. of his Resolution not to continue this Debate if not managed by greater Candor and Civility I do much approve if he will put that Condition on himself too If he or any else Write in his Strain yea if they bring not somewhat that is not yet Answered and is of Weight I think our Side will not Trouble them with more Arguings on this Head of Government there is enough said if Men will Listen to Argument if they will not what is said is too much For my Part I am weary of such Altercations and shall not be easily drawn into this Paper War any more thâ— I am Resolved by the Help of God never to Abandon the right Way of God nor to withdraw my Poor Help from the Truth and Oâ—dinances of Christ when it shall be needed and I shall be in any Capacity to aâ—â—ord â—t FINIS
THE GOOD Old WAY Defended Against the Attempts of A. M. D. D. in his BOOK Called An Enquiry into the New Opinions Chiefly propogated by the Presbyterians of SCOTLAND Wherein the Divine Right of the Government of the Church by Presbyters Acting in Parity is Asserted and the pretended Divine Right of the Hierarchie is disproved the Antiquity of Parity and Novelty of Episcopacy as now Pleaded for are made Manifest from Scriptural Arguments and the Testimony of the Antient Writers of the christian-Christian-Church and the groundless and unreasonable Confidence of some Prelatick Writers exposed Also the Debates about Holy-Days Schism the Church-Government used among the First Scots Christians and what else the Enquirer Chargeth us with are clearly Stated and the Truth in all these Maintained against him Likewise some Animadversions on a Book called the Fundamental Charter of Presbytery in so far as it misrepresenteth the Principles and Way of our First Reformers from Popery where the Controversie about Superintendents is fully handled and the Necessity which led our Ancestors into that Course for that Time is Discoursed By GILBERT RULE one of the Ministers of the City and Principal of the College of EDINBURGH EDINBURGH Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson Printer to the King 's most Excellent Majesty Anno DOM. 1697. To the Right Honourable PATRICK EARL of MARCHMOUNT Viscount of BLASONBERRY LORD POLWARTH of POLW ARTH REDBRAES and GREENLAW c. LORD High CHANCELLOR of the KINGDOM of SCOTLAND My Noble Lord I Have presumed to Prefix your Lordships Name to this Work hoping that your Lordship will count it no dishonour for the Greatest of Men to Patronize the least of the Truths of GOD and knowing your Zealous and Pious Concerns as for the State so for the Church of CHRIST as now Established in this Nation My Design in this Dedication is not to seek the Rulâ—rs Favour having had for many Years the Honour to be more Regarded by Your Lordship than ever I could deserve nor to Engage your Lordship to own our Church against her open and secret Enemies knowing how steadily you have appeared for the True Interest of the Church and of the Nation In utraque fortuna and how fixed your Principles are with respect to both But what I aim at is to express the true Sense I have as I know my Brethren also to retain of your Lordships Wisdom Zeal and Fortitude encountering the Greatest of Hazards and enduring the most grievous of Hardships for that Holy Religion that ye Profess and for the Liberties of your Native Countrey The eminent Post your Lordship is now in as it is a Token of your Princes Favour and His Majesties Wise Choise of a sit Instrument for High and difficult Work So it is the LORD'S Reward for your hard Services and his giving you the Opportunity to do him further Service of another Sort and his Trying you whether ye will Eye GOD'S Glory above all things when ye have the Occasion and Temptation of seeking your own Things as ye did when ye Ventured and lost your All in this World for him GOD expecteth that ye will now Pay your Vows made in your Trouble and that ye will be singly and actively for him the Time is short wherein we can Walk or Work and Occasions are uncertain There will be great Peace in Reflection when our Work is at an endâ— on sincere Endeavours and Application of Mind to the Work that the LORD hath put in our hand That the LORD may long Preserve your Lordship and continue your Capacity to do Him Service and that he may Blessyour Noble Family with His best Blessings is the earnest prayer of Edinburgh December 20 1697. My Noble Lord Your Lordships Devoted and most Humble Servant G. R. TO THE READER THat I again appear publickly in this Paper War being for my Age Miles emeritus needeth no other Apology than the Necessity that the Months that were so Widely Opened against the Truth and right Ways of GOD should be Stopped and I knew of no other Endeavours this Way when I entered on this Work nor till I had finished it After it was in the Press and some Progress made in it I read the Learned and Industrious Mr. William Jamesons Nazianzeni Quaerela Voâ—um Justum wherein the same two Authors that I Deal with are solidly Refuted and the main Subject that I Treat off is Handled which made me think that Bâ—ok might Supersede mine Yet the Advice of others Wiser than my self and my own second Thoughts finding fewer Coincidences in them than might have been Expected And that the one Work is more Historical the other more Argumentative so that they may make up a complete Answer to what our Adversaries have now thought sit to say and Considering that some Debates are here insisted on which he hath not touched and that two Witnesses are better than one these Considerations I say determined me not to stop the Press And indeed the Unaccountable Confidence of these Authors on the slenderest Grounds should be exposed as much as may be while they Build so Important Truths and Practices and press them so warmly on Phrases Words and Modes of Speaking used by the Ancients which signified quite another thing then than what now they are commonly applyed to The Learned Clericus in his Preface to Ars Critica Sect. 3. at the end hath these Words here very apposite Quot quanti viri crediderunt se Historiam Christianarum Ecclesiarum Opiniones eorum qui S. S. Patres vocantur in numerato habere qui revera Hospites ea in re fuerunt nempe Vocabula nuda didicerant aut Voces quibus ex Hodiernis placitis Significationes tribuebant If we lay such Weight on Ways of Speaking of old used as sufficient Arguments for Prelacy it is reasonable to allow the same with Respect to Popery And in that Case Thou art Peter and on this Rock will I Build my Church and I will give to thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven c. shall infer the Popes Supremacy with as good Reason as the Fathers Ascribing Jurisdiction to the Bishop without mentioning the Presbyters at the same time doth infer his sole Power seing as our Lord in another Place giveth the same Power to the rest of the Apostles that here He seemeth to give to Peter alone so do the Fathers often speak of the Ruling Power of Presbyters as well as they several times mention that of Bishops without mentioning Presbyters No Protestant will admit the Consequence in the one Case wherefore neither ought we so to Argue in the other Case ERRATA PAge 1. line 16. read Principle p. 5. l. 25. r. Theorems p. 50. l. 5. r. James p. 136. l. 8. r. Matters of Fact p. 146. l. 7. r. Praeses p. 150. l. 36. r. them p. 181. l. 37. r. approved p. 186. l. 37. r. great p. 194. l. 11. r. Struggling p. 198. l. 38. r. Rank p. 199.
work if by the designation of Supporter of afflicted Souls by spiritual Advices and Directions that is common to him with the Teacher before mentioned in this Text and so cannot be fit to distinguish him from other Church Officers § 7. For Grotius's notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I oppose first by the Argument already brought from the Order of Dignity the Apostle doth so critically observe in this enumeration of Church Officers 2. By the force of the word the native and genuine signification of which is to help uphold or support one who is in hazard to fall which I am sure is rather done to the Poor by a Deacons work or to a troubled Soul by the work that is common to all Teachers in the Church than by that work that is held to be peculiar to a Bishop That learned Critick saith it signifieth curam alicujus rei gerere and referreth to his Commentary on Luke 1. 54. where I find he maketh it to answer to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to strengthen and he saith it signifieth also manu ducere because the seventy translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here is a strange Argument to proceed from a man of so profound Learning as is the great Grotius for neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can be turned manu ducere It is a stranger Argument Jer. 31. 32. that Hebrew word is by the seventy turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Acts 23. 19. Heb 8. 9. the same phrase is used for bringing the people of Israel out of AEgypt for who knoweth not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have not the same signification neither is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when it is constructed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hand laid hold on by another being that by which one is supported that he fall not as he goeth and it is evident that the force of that word in these places doth not so much import Gods guiding his people in their way as his manutenency by which they are supported From all which it is plain that there is no sufficient ground brought by Grotius why we should think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth any ruling power in them of whom it is to be understood Further if we should grant that this word signifieth to take care of a thing will it follow thence that this care must needs be ruling care when the word properly signifieth upholding to which indeed care is often needful but it cannot be said that care is implyed in the word I have been at the pains to look into all the places of the New Testament as far as Stephanus's Concordance could lead me where that word in any of its derivata is used and I cannot find one that hath any thing of the notion of ruling Wherefore I must still abide in the Opinion which I have else where expressed and have been by this my Antagonist severely censured for it that this Criticism of Grotius is odd and groundless § 8. These of our Episcopal brethren who make the Bishops to be Successors to the Apostles in their Apostolick Office will possibly say that the Bishops are mentioned in the first place in the Lists of Church Officers viz. under the name of Apostles Whether the Bishops be Successors to the Apostles or not will fall in to be debated when I come to consider the second Chapter of this Book which I am now examining what I have now to do is to shew that they are not meant by the Apostles mentioned in the Scriptures that are now under debate which may plainly appear if we consider first that none of their own Commentators do so expound any of these places nor can such a Fancy come into any mans head when he considereth the Scripture without a present Byass on his mind and laboureth to bring the Sense of the Scripture out of the words and not into them Yea Grotius and Estius on 1 Cor. 12 28. speaking of the Apostles there mentioned have these words Illos nempe eminenter sic dictos à Christo in id vocatos ut prima Ecclesiarum fundamenta jacerent And Doctor Hamond saith these Apostles were called ut Ecclesias plantarent regerent eadem potestate quam Christus à Patre habuit I hope none will say that this can be said of Bishops or any ordinary and perpetual Officers in the Church 2. It cannot be denyed even by them who make the Bishops a kind of Apostles and allow a sort of Apostolick power to them but that they are another sort of Apostles than the first Apostles were none will say that they are wholly the same more than the Pastors of the Church are the same with the Prophets that were in the Apostolick Church they must then distinguish the Apostles into extraordinary who were sent immediatly by Christ to plant Churches and ordinary who succeed to these and whose work it is to rule the Churches that are already planted Now to say that both these sorts are meant in these Lists under the same name of Apostles is to accuse the Spirit of God of darkness and confusion in these Institutions where Light and Distinctness might be most expected for in these Enumerations he is instructing the Church what Officers she should own as of Christs appointment but by the word Apostle she could never know that there are two sorts of Apostles to be owned one sort all do acknowledge to be here meant they who would have us believe that another sort of Apostles is also here meant must give us some better ground for believing this than a Synonimous word I do not know how many sorts of Officers they may bring in under this name If they may be allowed to divide the Apostolick Office at pleasure and call every one of them who have any part of Apostolick work to do a sort of Apostles this is to expound Scripture at pleasure and indeed to make it speak what we fancy I conclude then that Bishops have no Divine right for them seing the Lord hath of purpose told us what Officers he hath appointed to be in his Church both at first for planting of it and afterward for managing her Affairs to the end of the World and no Diocesan Bishop name nor thing is to be found among them § 9. A third Argument for Parity and against Prelacy I take from the Commandment that Christ gives about the Administration of Church Discipline Mat. 18 17 that the offended Party when other more private means of Redress do fail should lay the case before the Church whence this Argument doth clearly result that Power which is by Christs Appointment to be exercised by many is not Jure Divino lodged in one person but Church Jurisdiction is a Power that by Christs Appointment is to be exercised by many Ergo it is not Jure Divino in the hand
of one person to wit a Prelate The major cannot be called in question for if it were otherways Christ should bid men act contrary to his own Institution which to imagine is most absurd For the minor Proposition Christs Injunction is tell it to the Church which word doth always signifie a plurality of men met about some common work never a single person acting by himself I need not here debate with Erastians who by the Church understand the Magistrate nor with Independents who hence argue for the peoples Church power these my present Antagonists condemn as well as I do But our Debate is with them who are for Church Monarchy whether over the whole Church as Papists or over the several Districts in the Church as Prelatists both of them agree in this that they place Church Jurisdiction in a single person and by the Church must here understand such a person Against this conceit many Arguments may be drawn from the Text it self First the Gradation that Christ here recommendeth in dealing with Offenders for their Amendment that the offended person must first deal with the Offender by himself alone next that failling of its effect he must take the Assistance of two or three if this prevail not he must bring the Matter to a greater number to wit the Church The learned Drusius on this Text citeth the Passage out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sheweth that this Gradation was used in the Jewish Church and that as their Discipline as the name of the Book importeth After the Author hath enjoyned the first and second Step as the Text doth he addeth Si nec hoc modo quicquam profecit debet eum pudefacere coram multis ejusque delictum publicare which sheweth that the third Step of Reprehension among them was not to tell the Crime to a single person wherefore when our Lords third Step is to tell it to the Church it is not like he meant a single person however of more Authority than the two or three § 10. A second Proof of this is the word Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is never so used but always signifieth a Plurality why should it then be so used here 3. When Christ speaketh of a Ratification of the Sentence of this Church to whom the Complaint is made and whom the stubborn Offender will not hear he doth not speak of that Church as a single person what ye shall bind and what ye shall loose 4. He speaketh of that Church which correcteth the Offender as what may consist of a very small number two or three v. 20. but giveth no hint that a single person can be so lookt on 5. Chrysostom expoundeth this place of a Plurality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sutlif de Pontif Rom lib primo c 5. argueth against expounding this of the Pope from such Topicks as will militate as much against understanding it of a Bishop in his District his words are Per Ecclesiam non unus aliquis nam hoc verbi ratio prohibet sed plures Ecclesiae praesidentes intelliguntur Ut autem unus Ecclesiae summus Monarcha designetur per nomen Ecclesiae fieri non potest repugnat enim natura nomen Ecclesiae quae est congregatio ex pluribus in uno consistere si propriè loquimur non potest repugnat deinde Patrum interpretatio qui una voce non unum Pontificem sed Episcopos praesidentes Eccelesiae seu ut Patres synodi Basileenses loquuntur Ecclesiae praesidentium concilium designari volunt Here is a plain Confession out of the mouth of an Adversary For it is evident that Complaints must be made to lesser Churches and not to the Universal Church only and why one man set over a Province may be called the Church and one set over all the Christian Church may not get the same Designation is unaccountable It is here objected by some that this place is to be understood of the Jewish Sanhedrim not of the Christian Church and this they pretend to prove because the incorrigible Offender is to be lookt on as an Heathen or Publican To this I reply first if in the Jewish Church where was an High Priest there was not a Monarchical Government much less is there ground for it in the Christian Church 2. That Christ gave this Direction for the Christian Church which then was presently to be set up is evident because this Injunction is given to the Apostles who had no hand in the Government of the Jewish Church and the same power of binding and loosing which here is supposed to be in them is expresly given and called the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 16 19 John 20 23 This alluding to Jewish Customes and expressing New Testament Discipline by looking on scandalous impenitent Sinners as Heathens and Publicans is no Argument against what I have said this being frequent with Christ and his Apostles yea with the Prophets long before to express Gospel matters by Old Testament terms § 11. Argument 4. The Churches even in the time of the Apostles were governed by Presbyters acting joyntly without a Bishop set over them Ergo the government of the Church by a Bishop set over Presbyters is not of Divine Right The Consequence cannot with any shew of Reason be denyed for the Apostles were more vigilant and faithful than to suffer such encroachment to be made upon a Power that Christ had given to his Servants It is a most irrational fancy that the Apostles in their own time allowed Presbyters to govern the Church under their Inspection but after their death appointed Bishops to rule alone For first this had been to allow the exercise of a power in Presbyters that not only they had no right to but which did belong to others by Divine Institution 2. What ground is there to say that this ruling Power in Presbyters was but temporary or that it ceased at the death of the Apostles Especially considering that some of the Apostles did long outlive others of them how should the expiring of that Power of Presbyters be determined nor do we read of any ceasing of what Power they once had This is a Fiction that no account can be given of Wherefore our Debate is about the Antecedent of this Argument which I must prove by Instances § 12. And first the Church of Corinth was thus governed not only by the Apostles connivance but by his express Direction and Approbation as in the case of the incestuous man 1 Cor. 5. That a plurality of Church Rulers and not a single person had power to censure that man is proved first the Apostle v. 2. reproveth their Negligence in that they had not cast out this man from among them by Excommunication they were not duely affected with the Crime and did not mourn for it neither did set about censuring of it both these were the effects of thei◠not being so sensible of the
contemporary Records This I pass as a piece of his usual and groundless Confidence He saith when Blondel's Book appeared the Presbyterians concluded before ever they read it that it was all pure and undenyable Demonstration And that his Countreymen the Scots Presbyterians think they need no other Answer to what is written against them but to say that Episcopacy and all that can be found for it is quite ruined by Blondel and Salmasius and yet that few of them read them It is not manly so to despise an Adversary whom one undertaketh to refute neither is it Wisdom to spend so many hours as he hath done to argue the Case with them who are so despicable nor is it Christian so to undervalue others whose Praises are in the Gospel which I am sure may be said of some eminent Presbyterian Writers who now having served their Generation enjoy their Reward but it is his way thus to supply what is wanting in the strength of his Arguments I wonder who told him that the Presbyterians did so extoll Blondel's Book before they read it or that few of them have read him and Salmasius Who of us ever said that saying Blondel and Salmasius had ruined Episcopacy was a sufficient Refutation of it May not we without such blame commend the Works of these learned Men as well as he p. 40. telleth us that every Line of them is sufficiently exposed and frequently and for this cryeth up the Bishop of Chester He saith we shut our eyes against the clearest Evidences that we think that Blondel ' s Book may barre all Disputation on that Head that we refuse to enter into closs Engagement with them These are a parcel of Words in which there is no Truth and if we should Retort every Syllable of them on himself I say not on his whole Party among whom I know there are learned Men who would be ashamed of this manner of pleading their Cause how should this Contest be decided Some who have spent more of their Years in Reading than this Author hath done and also have given better proof of it have not so insulted over their Adversaries as men of no Reading There is also little ground given for his insisting on this as one of our main Arguments for tho the Presbyterians will not part with the Suffrage of the Fathers while the Controversie is about paritie of Church power and the Jurisdiction of one Presbyter over the rest yet they use oftner to act the defensive part with respect to Antiquity that is latter than the Canon of the Scripture and which is of more weight they never laid the stress of their Cause on Humane Testimony but build their Opinion on the Sacred Writings But seing he is pleased to lead us in this way we are willing to engage with him as closly as he will on this Head and to debate both on whose side the Fathers are his or ours and whether their Testimony be so convincing as he pretendeth it to be § 2. Although I do much dislike my Antagonists rude Treatment of so great a man as Blondel was saying that he studyed to please the Independents rather than the Presbeterians because they were then more potent and numerous so p. 42. and calling his Arguments childish Reasonings p. 43. Yet I do not undertake to make it appear that every Testimony he bringeth from the Fathers is fully concludent by it self I observe also that this Author though he professeth to answer the Citations brought by Blondel yet medleth but with a few of them and these none of the most evident except what Blondel bringeth out of Jerom The first Testimony that he mentioneth is the Inscription of Clements Epistle to the Corinthians written from Rome which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Church of God dwelling in Rome to the Church of God dwelling in Corinth Blondel hence concludeth that there was no Bishop in either place seing no notice is taken of him To this our Authors answer is this would make for Independency and that the Laity as he speaketh had an equal share in Jurisdiction with the Bishops and Presbyters And that this would prove the equality of Softhenes Timothy and Sylvanus with Paul because he sometimes joineth them with himself in the Inscription of some of his Epistles And that it was the Humility of Clement that made him so write Answer 1. He mistaketh the Opinion of Independents they have their Church Rulers and do not put the Exercise of the Government in the hand of the Multitude though I confess many of them give the people somewhat more than their due 2. If this was an Epistle of a whole Church to a whole Church as Blondel taketh it there was no need of mentioning either Bishop or Presbyters and so equality of Jurisdiction of the people with them cannot be hence inferred but if it was an Epistle of a Bishop to a Church where another Bishop governed as this Author will have it It is an unusual Stile not to mention the Bishop at least of that Church to which the Epistle was directed the Humility of Clement might make him not to distinguish himself from the people but our Bishops would count it no Humility but Rudeness so to treat his brother Bishop at Corinth 3. The Apostle Paul nameth some of the Pastors of the Church with himself in the Inscriptions of some of his Epistles as his fellow Pastors who had joint though not equal Authority in the Church with him but he never assumeth a whole Church into that Society with himself By the Church in both places it may be rationally thought Clement meant the teaching or ruling Church or the Church representative and in that case it might have been expected if he were for Episcopacy that the Bishop at least in Corinth should have had some peculiar mark of Honour as when a Presbytery among us is addressed the Stile is to the Moderator and the rest of the Brethren c. though no special Jurisdiction be ascribed to the Moderator But after all I look on Blondel's Observation on this Passage as rather an Introduction to what he had further to say from this Epistle and a cumulative Argument than to be fully concludent by it self § 3. Another Passage out of the same Epistle of Clement brought by Blondel our Author taketh a great deal of pains about from p 43. It so entangles him that he cannot with much strugling get out of the Net The words of Clement cited by Blondel are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is wherefore they the Apostles preaching through Countries and Cities placed their first fruits whom by the Spirit they had tryed to be Bishops and Deacons for them who should believe neither was it a new thing for of old it had been written of Bishops and Deacons I will make their Bishops in Righteousness and their Deacons in Faithfulness From this Passage Blondel observeth first that in Clement's time there was Bishops in
distinguisheth them than as the one word signifieth Office or ruling Power the other the Age of them who use to be put into that Office and though Presbyter is often used to signifie the Office yet not when it is joined with and distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it is clear that in that place Clement is exhorting them to be subject to the Presbyters as he had done several times in the Epistle as they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers not one but more in the Church of Corinth and as they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elder in years wherefore he exhorts young men to Sobriety § 5. It is unaccountable Tergiversation that this Author pretending to examine some of the most remarkable Testimonies brought from Antiquity by Blondel insisteth only on that which is of least weight even in the Testimony already mentioned as is above shewed and likeways passeth over all the rest brought out of the same Fathers Writings without so much as mentioning them Blondel sheweth out of the Epistle of Clement already mentioned that Clement telleth us that the Apostles knowing per Dominum by Divine Revelation that there would be Contentions about the Name of Bishop therefore they appointed Presbyters and Deacons to manage the Affairs of the Church so far were they saith Blondel from thinking Prelacy the best or only Remedie against Schism as some did in after ages He doth also shew how Clement teacheth that the Presbyters or Bishops for he often interchangeth these two Names as signifieing the same persons were set in the Church by the Apostles and after by other excellent men so that the Apostles made no Change in the Government that they were placed with the consent of the whole Church not by the Bishop and Patron and he pleadeth that such as had well done the work of a Bishop should not be turned out for the holy Presbyters who have finished their Course need fear no Change And after sheweth how absurd it was that the most ancient Church of Corinth it had then stood as it is thought about 25 years should move Sedition against her Presbyters some turbulent Spirits among them withstood not a single Bishop of whom not a word in all this Discourse but the Presbyters of the Church and he adviseth the Seditious rather to depart that the Flock of Christ might enjoy Peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Presbyters that were settled in it it seems he did not name the Bishop nor provided against Sedition against him because he knew no such person at Corinth And again he biddeth them be subject to the Presbyters Now all this insisted on by Blondel he passeth by which was his wisdom and insisteth only on the Dichotomie of the Clergy which hath far less weight than these Passages have § 6. He next taketh to Task what Blondel citeth out of Polycarp which is that writing to the Church of Philippi he taketh no notice of their Bishop that he biddeth them be subject to the Presbyters and Deacons not mentioning the Bishop but a plurality of Presbyters which was in that one Church His Answer to all this is first that Blondel himself taketh notice that Polycarp distinguisheth himself from the rest of the Presbyters while he saith Polycarp and the Presbyters that are with him to the Church in Philippi and that by this he assumes a kind of Prelation above the rest of the Presbyters at Smyrna He fancieth that this is mighty uneasie to Blondel but it had been more ingenious to tell us that Blondel brings this as an Objection against himself and answereth it fully and easily calling it nuda Conjectura and giving several Reasons for Polycarp's naming himself from his being the older man and the older Minister And being ordained by an Apostle which was a Dignity though it gave no Superiority of Power as being better known to the Philippians and Blondel bringeth abundance of parallel Passages where no Superiority of Power can be imported All this our Author passeth over in silence Next he saith this is still the Bipartite division of the Clergie which is a mistake for here is Subjection required to Presbyters in Commune which could not all be Diocesans and their Head the Bishop is not noticed and his Dichotomie here is Argumentative because as was above shewed of Clement he is telling them what Church Officers they should respect where the Bishop was chiefly to be mentioned if such a person had been in that Church He will prove p. 51 that this can be no Argument for Parity Because first Irenâ—… refutes the Heresies of the Valentians from the unanimous Dâ—… preserved among the single Successors of Polycarp which could be no Argument if the Ecclesiastical Power of the Church of Smyrna had been equally lodged in the Colledge of Presbyters I ask him how doth the Parity of Church power weaken this Argument Do not Ministers in any Church succeed one to another as well as Bishops And if they be faithful they will continue the true Doctrine and hand it down to their Successors as welâ— as Bishops would do Neither hath it any force that single Successon are mentioned for if there were more Flocks and Pastors in Smyrna there was one Moderator in the Presbyterie who is mentioned as more eminent though having but equal power If there was but one Pastor and many ruling Presbyters he and his Successors did preserve the Truth by faithful Doctrine not by Episcopal power His other proâ—… is the Epistles of Ignatius are zealously recommended in that Epistle of Polycarp in which Episcopal Jurisdiction is asserted of which our Author wâ—… speak in due time When he shall please to speak of Ignatius we shâ—… consider what he saith and hope to find that all the proof he caâ—… thence bring is insufficient Mean while it is an odd way of arguing an Author commendeth a Book Ergo he approveth all that is in it 〈◊〉 he had said Polycarp commendeth Ignatius's Epistles in that they assâ—… Prelacy that had been to the purpose otherways his Inference 〈◊〉 without all force § 7. The next Father cited by Blondel is Hermas in his Book calleâ— Pastor on whom he layeth very little stress as is evident to any whâ—… will read Blondel without prejudice and I think Blondel needed not 〈◊〉 have mentioned him both because he is of little Authority it beiâ—… most uncertain what Hermas was the Author of that Book whether 〈◊〉 mentioned Rom. 16. 14. or the brother of Pius Blondel bringeth not few Authors on both sides Also this Hermas saith little either for or against Parity I observe several things of my Antagonists conduct witâ— respect to Hermas 1. He pretendeth to bring two palpable Evidences froâ— him that Episcopacy was the Ecclesiastical Government when that Book wâ—… written which he laboureth to prove p. 5. because the sending circulâ—… Letters is insinuated to be the peculiar priviledge of Clement then Bishop 〈◊〉 Rome Answer This Evidence and the
you to Dr. Pearson for satisfaction and yet he hath the confidence to charge so great a man as Blondel was with perplexed Conjectures and affected Mistakes we think it neither Christian nor Manly nor Scholar like so to treat the learned Men of his opposite Party The other Instance whereby he thinketh to prove want of Candor yea Impudence in the Presbyterians is p. 63. that we sometimes cite Cyprian on our side and can name nothing plausibly but that wretched Quible of the bipartite Division of the Clergy He thinks it needless to bring Testimonies against us out of Cyprian there are so many he calleth us also Schismaticks and supposeth that we have not read Cyprian Who can stand before such potent Ratiocinations He referreth the Vindicator of the Kirk to a Book then expected I suppose he meaneth I. S. his Principles of the Cyprianick age which I saw long before I saw this Book of his where indeed all that can be drawn from Cyprian and much more is carefully gathered together And I refer him for satisfaction about Cyprian's Opinion in the point of Church Government to the Answer to that Book under the Title of the Cyprianick Bishop examined In which Book I shall take this occasion to confess a Chronological Mistake this Author would have the Charity to call it the want of Candor or what else he pleaseth to impute to his Adversary it is p. 20 near the end Basil and Optatus are said to live in the same Age with Cyprian whereas they lived in the next Century this was occasioned by an over hasty Glance into the Chronological Tables I hope the Reader will pardon this Digression Thus my Antagonist leaveth Blondel in quiet possession of the far greatest part and most evident Testimonies that he bringeth out of the Fathers for Parity some will think he had better not begun this Work than thus leave it imperfect if others have answered all Blondel's Citations what he hath done was needless if not he doth his Work but by halves § 11. I shall add some other Testimonies out of the Fathers which our Author at his leisure may consider Chrysost on 1 Tim. 3. asketh the Question why the Apostle passeth from giving Directions in and about the Qualifications of Bishops immediatly to Deacons omitting Presbyters and giveth this Answer that there is almost no difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter and the care of the Church is committed also to Presbyters which maketh it evident that Chrysost did not think that Bishops ruled alone only he maketh the difference to be in Ordination which he is so far from looking on as of Divine Institution that he maintaineth saith Durham that in the Apostles time Presbyters ordained Bishops This same Author on Tit. 1. Homil. 2. by the Elders whom Titus was to ordain in every City understandeth Bishops because saith he he would not set one over the whole Island and after for a Teacher should not be diverted by the Government of many Churches but should be taken up in ruling one where he maketh the Teacher and Ruler to be the same person also assigneth but the Government of one Church to one man both which are inconsistent with Diocesan Episcopacy Ambros in Tim 3. 9. hath this Passage qui tanta cura Diaconos eligendos praecepit quos constat esse ministros Sacerdotum quales vult esse Episcopos nisi sicut ipse ait irrepraehensibiles where he plainly supposeth all the Church Officers who are not Deacons to be Bishops and a little after Post Episcopum tamen Diaconatus ordinationem subjecit quare nisi quia Episcopi Presbyteri una ordinatio est uterque enim Sacerdosest Episcopus tamen primus est ut omnis Episcopus Presbyter sit non tamen omnis Presbyter Episcopus hic enim est Episcopus qui inter Presbyteros primus est Denique Timotheum Presbyterum ordinatum significat sed quia ante se priorem non habebat Episcopus erat All this seemeth to be a Description of a Presbyterian Moderator for he giveth the Bishop no Prelation but that of Precedency or Priority to a Presbyter and that not by a new Ordination which should give him a superior power but a Seniority or Priority of Ordination which was the way of a Moderator's being set up at first but was after changed into Election when it was found that sometimes the oldest man was not the fittest man for that Work From all this it is clear that in the time of Ambros which was in the fourth Century Majority of Power in a Bishop above a Presbyter was not lookt on as Juris Divini nor that a Bishop must have after he is ordained a Presbyter a new Ordination or Consecration whereby he getteth Jurisdiction over his fellow Presbyters and their Flocks I do not deny but that Ambrose doth in some things mistake the primitive Order of the Church and misunderstand the Scripture account that is given of it wherefore he ingeniously confesseth on Ephesians 4. 11. thus ideo non per omnia conveniunt scripta Apostolica ordinationi quae nunc est in Ecclesia yet he giveth ground to think that even then the Distinction between Bishop and Presbyter was not arrived at a Majority of Power or sole Jurisdiction I observe here also obiter that ordinatio in the primitive times did not always signifie authoritative setting apart one for a Church Office which our Author else where doth with much zeal plead If the Reader please to add to these all the Testimonies cited by Blondel which out Author thought not fit to medle with he may see abundant cause to think that our Opinion about Paritie is not so Novel as this Enquirer fancieth it to be Though I lay little weight on the Opinions of the School-men in the controverted Points of Divinity and especially in the Point of Church Government yet considering that they owned the Roman Hierarchy a Testimony from them or other Papists seemeth to be a Confession of an Adversary extorted by the force of Truth Lombard lib 4 Sententiar dist 4 after he had asserted seven Orders of the Clergy when he cometh to speak of Presbyters p 451. Edit Lovan 1567 apud veteres saith he idem Episcopi Presbyteri fuerunt p. 452. cumque omnes nempe septem ordines Cleri spirituales sunt sacrae excellenter tamen Canones duos tantum sacros Ordines appellari consent nemâ—â— Diaconatus Presbyteratus quia hos solos primativa Ecclesia legitur habuisse de his solum praeceplum Apostoli habemus Cajetan on Titus 1. 5. 7. hath these words ubi adverte eundem gradum idemque officium significari à Paulo nomine Episcopi nomine Presbyteri nam praemisit ideirco râ—liqui te in Creta ut constituas Presbyteros modo probando regulam dicâ— oportet enim Episcopum c. Estius lib 4 Sententiar dist 24. when he iâ—… proving Episcopal Jurisdiction above a Presbyter doth not refer it to Divine
his sinistrum loquar qui Apostolico gradui succedentes Christi corpus sacro ore conficiunt per quos nos Christiani sumus qui claves regni coelorum habentes quodammodâ— judicii diem indicant Qui sponsam Dei sobria castitate conservant And a little after mihi ante Presbyterum sedere non licet it seems neither he nor Heliodorus were then ordained though they both were afterward Illâ— si peccavero licet tradere me Satanae in interitum carnis ut spiritus salvus 〈◊〉 in die Domini Jesu § 4. Let us now see how my Antagonist answereth what he thought fit to cite out of Jerome To which I premise that our present Debate is not whether what Jerome writeth be true or false sound or unsound but what was Jerome's Opinion in the Matter now controverted and consequently whether Jerome be on our side or on the opposite side I observe also that our Author denyeth not that Jerome thought there waâ— a time when the Church was governed communi Presbyterorum consiliâ— But he thinketh Jerome mistook in this and in that Period which he taketh to be in the Apostles time before Bishops were setled in the Churches the Apostles governed the Churches which they had planted by their personal and Apostolical Authoritie I must examine this before I proceed It is not to be denyed that when the Apostles by their preaching had converted a Company of people to Christianity while they were not formed into Societies and had no Officers to teach and govern them they managed the Affairs of these people by their own Authority and it could not be otherwise But here are three mistakes 1. That the Apostles first setled Teaching Presbyters in these newly converted Churches who might teach them but not rule them and afterward set Bishops over them to rule them this is a groundless Fancie nor can any shadow of Authoritie be given from Scripture for it if he shall offer any thing as a proof of this we shall consider it We think that the Apostles setled Presbyters among the new converted Societies both for teaching them and ruling them and that the Apostles gave these Elders Direction by the infallible Spirit both what they should teach and how they should govern the latter needeth no proof the former we prove from Acts 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. where we read of ordaining Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other Scriptures above cited Sect. 3. § 12 14. by which it is made appear that these Elders ruled the Church as well as instructed her as at Corinth and at Thessalonica and else where Another mistake is that the Apostles by themselves governed any particular Churches that were setled and had Presbyters among them The contrary is evident from what hath been proved of the Elders governing the Churches and from this that our Adversaries can produce no such Instance Paul had indeed the care of all the Churches on him whether they had Officers or none but it doth not thence follow that he ruled them all or any of them personally his care was that they might be well taught and well ruled by them who were appointed to that Work over all whom he and every one of the Apostles had a Superintendency A third mistake is that the Apostles in their time made a change of the Government that they had setled in the Church by setting up Bishops where formerly they had setled Teaching Presbyters and had ruled the Churches themselves and particularly that at Corinth upon the Divisions mentioned 1. Ep. Ch. 3. a Bishop was set up there as this Author hinteth p. 69. Can he or any man else give any thing that looketh like a Warrant for this Imagination Surely if such a Change had been made by the Apostles we should have had some hint of it in their Writings or in the History of their Acts. § 5. This Author hath an other observe in the same page as wilde and wide from the Truth that Jerome thought that the Superintendency of Bishops above Presbyters was occasioned by the Contentions at Corinth so he thought that this Remedy of Schism was appointed by the Apostles themselves and that it was not the Invention of after Ages but the Apostles by their own experiance immediatly found the Inconveniency of Paritie and therefore appointed that unus praeponeretur caeteris This is strange Confidence and little Evidence of that Candor which he so much desiderateth in Blondel and other Presbyterians Can he produce any Word or Passage in Jerome from which this may be inferred Yes he pretendeth to prove it after he hath stated this as the present Debate whether it was Jerome ' s Opinion that the Apostles themselves set up Episcopacy as the Remedy of Schism or that Parity continued sometime after the Apostles and the Church in after Ages set up Prelacy because Parity was apt to breed Schism The former he maintaineth we hold the latter That Blondel saw that Jerome thought that the Apostles turned the Government from Paritie to Prelacy is a strange Assertion when the great design of his Book was to prove the contrary And the proof of it is yet stranger Blondel entereth a Caveat that none should think that the Apostles themselves appointed the Remedy of Schism mentioned by Jerome Is it not a good Consequence This is an absurd Thought saith Blondel ergo I believe it was Jerome's Opinion Blondel maintaineth and so do I that not only it is not true that the Apostles in their time appointed the Remedie but that Jerome was not of that Opinion § 6. His first proof that such was Jerome's Opinion is p. 7. Jerome thought that the occasion of the change that was introduced into the Ecclesiastiâ—â— Government were the Disputes in the Church of Corinth and therefore 〈◊〉 change made must needs be Apostolical they only had power to erect the Ecclesiastick Fabrick and they were zealous to prevent Confusions No other Decree could be meant by Jerome ' s toto Orbe decretum est for no other Deâ—… could oblige all nor would have been so universally received neither was thâ—… any Council that had so decreed This Apostolical Constitution Jerome calleth 〈◊〉 his Commentaries on Titus consuetudo Ecclesiae which he distinguisheâ—… from dispositio Divinae veritatis meaning that the Prelacy of one Priest aboâ—… many was introduced rather by Apostolical practice than the personal mandâ—… of our Blessed Saviour Such Discourse from a Presbyterian would be exposed by this Author with great scorn but I shall shew the absurditie of it by Reason 1. That Jerome did not say nor mean that the Apostles made this change in Church Government is manifest For 〈◊〉 He saith it was done paulatim whereas apud veteres â—idem fuerâ—â— Presbyteri qui Episcopi so on Phil. 1. as we cited § 2. These veteres cannoâ— be the Apostles but they who lived in the first Ages after the Apostle are so called but whatever he in that an
the Gospel Church of Christ. And indeed this way of Reasoning will either establish the Pope as Head of the Universal Church or it is wholly insignificant 3. That our Saviour introduced no Change but what was necessary for the Evangelical AEconomie is first said without Book he used his Libertie nor did he tye himself to the old Pattern Next the new AEconomie did require this change that there should be no High Priest because one man could not so manage the Affairs of the whole Christian Church as he could do of the Jewish Church 4. Jerome doth not here infer a Prelacy among Presbyters from the Subordination of Priests in the Temple his whole purpose is to shew that Deacons the Servants of the Church were inferior to Presbyters the Rulers of it and this he setteth forth by the Similitude not binding Pattern of the Levites being inferior to the Priests whom they served in the offering of Sacrifices wherefore he doth not tell us that the Bishops were what the High Priest was and the Presbyters what Aarons Sons were and the Deacons what the Levites were but he sets Aaron and his Sons on the one side and compareth them with the Bishops or Presbyters whom he had been proving to be the same and the Levites on the other side to whom he compareth the Deacons 5. If he can shew us that any 〈◊〉 the Ancients do so reason from the Jewish to a Christian Hierarchie 〈◊〉 to infer that they should be alike or that they infer any more from 〈◊〉 than diversitie of Degrees of Church Officers we shall consider what they say § 11. A further Effort he maketh against what we bring out of Jerome he taketh notice p 74 75. That Jerome citeth the genuine Epistle of Ignatius in which the Divine Original and Institution of Episcopal Eminence and Jurisdiction above Presbyters is frequently and plainly expressed And after when we find him citing the Epistles of Saint Ignatius as the genuine words of that holy Martyr it must be acknowledged that he never dreamed of any Interval after the Apostles in which the Church was governed by 〈◊〉 Parity of Presbyters This is a strange way of reasoning Jerome saith that Ignatius wrote such and such Epistles Ergo though he teacheth Doctrine flatly contradictory to what they contain yet he taketh for certain Truth all that is said in them neither will this follow from Jerome's believing that Ignatius was a good man and a holy Martyr good Men may have different Apprehensions of things and yet own the Writings of one another to be genuine All that Jerome saith is that Ignatius wrote an Epistle to the Ephesians another to the Magnesians c. He doth not cite one word out of them for Episcopacy nor can any man assure us that these Epistles now Extant are the same that Ignatius wrote and that Jerome mentioneth or that they are not vitiated 〈◊〉 will not digress to debate about Ignatius's Epistles whether they be spurious or legitimate whether they were by Ignatius the Martyr or by an other of that Name long after but I much question what our Author confidently asserteth that the Divine Original and Institution of Episcopal Eminence or Jurisdiction above Presbyters is in them frequently and plainly expressed When he shall think fit to produce the places where this is done we shall consider them He bringeth another Evidence as he thinketh of what was Jerome's Opinion in this Matter p. 77. out of his Commentaries on Mat 23. Quod fecerunt Apostoli per singulas Provincias Episcopos Presbyteros ordinantes I do not find that Commentarie among Jerome's Works and therefore cannot judge by the Threed of his Discourse of what he designed by that Expression but the words contain no Argument for bare mentioning of Bishop and Presbyter doth not prove them to be distinct especially out of the mouth of one who had taken so much pains to prove them to be the same Jerome might well say in the Dialect of his Age that the Apostles ordained Church Rulers whom we now distinguish by these Names What he bringeth next is wholly against Sense and Reason that this Constitution setting Bishops over Presbyters followed immediatly upon the Confusions and Schisms that arose in the Apostolical Church because Jerome in Epistola â—…d Titum saith priusquam vero unusquisque eos quos baptizaverat suos putaâ—…it esse non Christi in toto orbe decretum est ut unus c. The absurdity of this Fancy I have above shewed if he would prove what he designeth from this Testimony he must assert that Paul Apollos and Cephas 1 Cor. 2. thought that they whom they baptized were theirs not Christs and that they were the Authors of the Schism at Corinth which I hope he will not say It is evident that Jerome speaketh of a Schism made by ambitious and selfish Church men and after that Schism Bishops were set up which no man will say was in the Apostles time He hath yet another proof of Jerome being for Prelacy p. 78 79. out of his Catalogus scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum where he giveth account of several Bishops ordained and fixed in places by the Apostles themselves The Answer is plain and easie the Apostles did indeed fix Bishops in Churches that â—…s Ministers who were to teach and rule them but that these Bishops who are also called Presbyters had Jurisdiction over other Presbyters â—…s the question and is not determined by this Argument § 12. He next citeth Jerome Epistola ad Nepotium Esto subjectus pontifici â—…o quasi animae parentem suscipe quod Aaron silios ejus hoc Episcopum Presbyteros esse neverimus This Citation is lame between the two Sentences which our Author conjoineth there is besides other things this Passage sed Episcopi Sacerdotes se sciant esse non Dominos honorent Clericos quasi con-Clericos Ut ipsis à Cloricis quasi Episcopis honâ—… deferatur scitum est illud oratoris Domitii cur ego inquit te habeâ—… ut Principem cum tu me non habeas ut Senatorem Then followeth quâ—… Aaron c. And he addeth unus Deus unum Templum unum etiam 〈◊〉 Ministerium and he citeth to this purpose 1 Pet. 5 2 3. and addeth pessimae consuetudinis est quibusdam Ecclesiis tacere Presbyteros praesentibus Episcopis non loqui quasi aut invideant aut non dignentur audire It is evident that Jerome is here speaking of what was the way and practice in his time and not of what was the Apostles practice or what was Divine Institution and therefore nothing here said can serve my Adversaries purpose for our present Debate is whether Jerome thought the Episcopacy was of Divine Institution Next it is also manifest that Jerome is here reproving the height that some Church men were theâ—… aspiring to not approving the way of that time We deny not the in that Age the paritie of Presbyters had begun to be encroached
about speak so of that Distinction if it were no newer He citeth also 1 Cor. 11. 16. We have no such Custome nor the Churches of Christ doth he think this Scripture so clear and express an Assertion of his Conclusion that he saith not one word for bringing it to his purpose the Apostle is there speaking of things wherein Custome is indeed the Rule as having the Head bare or covered wearing long or short Hair it doth not thence follow if the Apostle did there make it the Rule that it must also be the Rule in other things p. 88. he pretendeth to convince us further that Austine distinguished the Custome of the Universal Church from the Custome of particular places and he maketh the one mutable the other not so He needed not be at pains to convince us of that Distinction I know no body that doubteth of it nor that reject the Customes that are truly Universal unless they clash with Scripture But he should rather have tryed his Skill in convincing us that Episcopacy hath been so used in the Church or that Austine meant such a Usage by his usus Ecclesiae § 16. Another thing our Author undertaketh for vindicating Austine is to prove that he doth positively assert that the Succession of Bishops in the See of Rome did begin at Peter and thence argueth against the Donatists that their Error was a Noveltie because in all this Succession of Bishops there was no Donatist if saith my Antagonist there was a Period in the Christian Church after the days of the Apostles in which the Church was governed without Bishops by a Paritie of Ecclesiastical Officers the Donatists might evite that Argument by denying such a Succession This is one of the silliest of all Arguments it is captio ab homonymia there was a Succession of faithful Men who taught and ruled the Church of Rome for so long a time among whom was no Donatist it followeth indeed that the Opinion of Donatists was a Noveltie but doth it follow that in all that Interval that Church was governed by Prelates with Jurisdiction over Presbyters unless he can prove that every one named in that Succession ruled the Church by himself without the joint Authority of the Presbyters he saith nothing to the Purpose in hand He cannot be ignorant that the word Bishop signified in the Scripture Dialect and in the Age that followed any Church Ruler and therefore that these men are called Bishops cannot prove their sole nor superior Jurisdiction Austines Argument from this Succession is equally strong against the Donatists whether these called Bishops were such as do we now distinguish by that Name from other Presbyters or were the Ministers of the Church of Rome or were Moderators of the Presbyterie there If he had taken his argument from Austines naming but one Bishop in Rome at one time it would have seemed to have more of sense But even so it would not be so concludent for naming of one who might be the oldest the most eminent or the primus Presbyter or Praeses in the Meeting doth no ways infer that he had Jurisdiction over the rest From this our Author inferreth p. 90. that usus Ecclesiae in Austines sense is the practice of the Church from the days of Peter I think none else can see this Consequence for in the one place he is distinguishing Bishops and Presbyters in the other place and they are different Books he hath no occasion to take notice of that Distinction nor is there any Affinity between the one Passage and the other He further argueth that Austine reckoneth Aerius an Heretick on account of his Opinion about the Identitie of Bishop and Presbyter This I have taken notice of above § 1. It is no way to our present purpose Austine disliked the Opinion of Aerius as contrary to the Sentiments that then prevailed Ecclesiae usu doth it thence follow that he thought Episcopacy was Juris Divini Whether his unseemly Reflection on Mr. Andrew Mellvil be a better proof of our Authors Christian Temper and Veracity or of his Skill in close reasoning I leave it to the Reader to judge His repeating the Argument from Succession of Bishops p. 91. doth not make it stronger When he can say no more that looketh like Argument he according to his laudable Custome concludeth this part of the Debate with Railling and abusive Reflections and confidently asserting his Conclusion ad nauseam usque Few of the Scots Presbyterians read any of the Ancients they consult Blondel and Salmasius and go no further than Smectymnus he telleth us of their incurable Peevishness they think to understand the Fathers by broken Sentences torn from their neighbour places when they have neither the Patience nor good nature to consider what the same Author saith else where he calleth them bauling People and their way Confusion and aequality It is not only new but absurd supported by Dreams and Visionary Consequences their Doctrines contradict the common Sense of Mankind as well as the universal and uninterrupted Testimony of all Christian Antiquity Thus he bantereth his Adversaries when he cannot beat them out of their Principles by the force of Argument in this way of Debating I am resolved he shall have the last word which uses to be a pleasant Victory to Men or Women who fight with this Weapon SECTION VII The Authors Arguments examined which pretend to prove the Succession of Bishops to the Apostles MY Adversarie hath hitherto acted defensively In his second Chapter p. 94. seq he beginneth to assault us with his Arguments for Episcopacy He placeth his main strength in this that the Bishops were Successors to the Apostles and that when the Apostles went off the Stage they left Diocesan Bishops to rule over the Presbyters and People as themselves had done And now he pretendeth to fix the true state of the Controversy which he should have done before he had so largely debated it we might for him been fighting in the Dark all this time and neither understood against whom nor about what we contend He sheweth his wonted Benignitie and good Temper in his Preamble to his stating of the Question when he saith such as design no more than Confusion and Clamour endeavour to darken the true State of the Controversy That the Presbyterians have such Designs we disown and it may be presumed we know our own Designs better than he doth neither shall we take upon us to judge his design in this Book but leave that to the unbyassed who read it and consider his Strain and his Arguments To his stating the Question he premiseth two things agreed on that 〈◊〉 Government is not ambulatory I am glad that we are agreed about this it was not so when the Magistrate was on their side we were alway◠of that Opinion but so were not they generally otherways Dr. Stillingfleets Irenicum had not got such universal Acceptance among their as it did He saith we are likewise agreed
but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Moderator of the Presbytery by whom the Epistle was to be communicated to the rest of the Pastors and by them to the People and indeed it is certain that the Word may be so taken and if we should yield this to our Brethren it cutteth the Nerves of their Argument unless they can prove that these single persons had Jurisdiction over the rest of the Pastors of these Churches Which they can never do from the Epistles themselves for all the Reproofs and Commendations may be intended for the Colledge of Presbyters tho addressed to them by the Praeses Nor can the Direction of the Epistle to a single person prove what they intend there is nothing more ordinary than to address a Community by the Praeses of their Meeting if a Letter be Directed to the Moderator of a Presbytery for the use of the Presbytery doth this Entitle him to Episcopal Jurisdiction The third Opinion to which I most incline is that Angel is here to be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o◠Collectively for the Colledge of Presbyters so that to the Angel is in our Phrase to the Moderator and remanent Brethren In the Contents of the old Translation of the Bible which expresseth the sense of the old Church of England in this matter they are called Ministers So it was understood by Aretas Primasius Ambrose Gregory the Great Beda Haymo and many others saith Owen of Ordination C. 2. p. 35. § 21. I shall first prove that it may be so taken next that it mu◠be so understood For the former it is usual in the Scripture and particularly in the Mystical Parts of it in Types and Visions and th◠most of the Book of Revelation is written in that Stile every one knoweth to put the Singular Number for the Plural or to mean a Multitude when but one is exprest how often is a People or Nation expressed by the Virgin or the Virgin Daughter of such or such a Place Th◠Ram Daniel 8. 3. is interpreted to be the Kings of Media and Persia 〈◊〉 20. The whole Succession of the Apostate Bishops of Rome is calle◠Antichrist the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition The Antichristian Church consisting of Priests and People is called a Beast the Whore So an inferior Number is put for a great Multitude the Enemies of the Church are called four Horns and her Deliverers four Carpenters Zech. 1. 18 20. The Directions given to Judges are often in the singular number thou shalt do so and so hundreds of Instances of this nature may be given Whence it is easie to conclude that there is no Absurdity nor is any Violence done to the Text if by Angel we understand the Rulers of the Church or the Colledge of Presbyters My next work is to prove that Angel must be so understood for which I bring these Arguments 1. The Lord here useth a Title that doth not signifie Rule or Jurisdiction but Gods Messenger to the People as also Rev 1. 16 20. These Angels are called Stars which importeth their Teaching or holding forth Light to the People both which are common to the Presbyters seing then he doth not use a word of Authority whereby the Bishop is pretended to be distinguished from the Presbyters but of Embassy and giving Light whereby the Presbyters are distinguished from the people this word cannot be taken for a Ruling Bishop but for Teaching Presbyters It were a strange thing if our Lord designing to single out one person from all the rest of the Church would design him by that which is common to him with many others and not by that which is peculiar to himself It doth also strengthen this Argument that both in the Old and New Testament they whom God sent to his People to reveal his Mind to them are called Angels Jud. 2. 1. Hag. 1. 13. Mal. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 11. 10. Yea the Legions of Angels who are imployed to Encamp about the People of God for their Safety are called the Angel of the Lord Psal 34 7. § 22. Argument 2. It is not without a Mystery that Rev 1 20 our Saviour in opening the Mystery of the Vision speaketh twice of the seven Churches but shunneth calling the Angels seven he saith not the seven Stars are the seven Angels of the Churches but the Angels of the seven Churches as by the seven Spirits Rev 1 4 and 3 1 is meant the Spirit of God sufficient for the needs of all the seven Churches so here the Angels of the seven Churches must be the Pastors whom the Lord hath provided for the use of his Churches tho they were not one only for every Church but more Argument 3. It is manifest from Acts 20 28 and I have evinced it § 3. of Sect. 3. that there were more Presbyters or Bishops at Ephesus than one If then Christ wrote to the Rulers of the Church of Ephesus under the Title of Angel he could not mean a single person It cannot be denyed that they who are called Overseers of the Church of Ephesus Acts 20 28 are they whom Christ here calleth Angel the same thing is expressed in the one Place in a more plain Stile in the other in a more Obscure and Mystical Stile Argument 4. Our Brethren will not deny that there were more Church Officers imployed in Teaching each of the Churches than one Bishop Now these must either be comprehended under the Candlestick or under the Star they cannot be a part of the Candlestick for they give Light as the Candlestick doth not but by the Candlestick is meant the People to whom the Light shineth they must then be comprehended under the Star and consequently under the Angel whence it followeth that the Angel is a Plurality of Persons So that we may conclude that as by Candlestick i◠understood the Collective Body of People so by Star or Angel is understood a Body of Church Officers and not a single Bishop Argument 5. Many things are said in these Epistles which cannot be Expounded with respect to a single person as at Ephesus the Angels forsaking his first Love is threatned with removing the Candlestick that is Unchurching that People can we think that such a fearful Judgment could be threatned for the Sin of one Bishop if the rest of the Elders and People were free and this we must say unless we acknowledge that the Angel to whom the Epistle is Directed is not a single person but a Community The same may be said of several other Churches would the Lord spu◠out all the Presbyters and People of Laodicea for the Hypocrisie of one Bishop Argument 6. There are several Passages in these Epistles wherein a Plurality is expressed as that which is meant by Angel to whom the Epistle is addressed as the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison can that be Expounded some of thee Bishop of Smyrna or some of your Pastors and People and unto you I say 〈◊〉
Diligence to the next Assemblie which last our Author overlooketh 16. His Translating of Ministers is no more but that his Consent or that of the whole Church must be had to a Transportation it was then necessarie when there was no Presbyteries to Judge of such Matters 17. He greatly mistaketh when he saith that the Assemblie Enacteth that Ministers for the General Assemblie should be brought with the Superintendents c. which he will have to be Nominating them and he alloweth the rest of the Synod but a Consent whereas Spotsw p. 219. words it such as the Superintendents shall choose in their Diocesan Synods If he could choose them by himself there needed no Synod for this end that Expression can signifie no less than the Synods suffrage in the Election My Lord Glaâ—… Letter that he mentioneth is not Authentick 18. He held Diocesan Synods because he was their Moderator 19. They might appoint Fasts is their bounds but with Advice of the Ministers 20. Modifying of Stipendâ— is no Spiritual Power and therefore impertinently here brought in 21. Appeals was made to him and his Synodal Convention here is no sole Jurisdiction 22. His power of Fineing is no Spiritual Power 23. Determining Cases of Conscience and otheir Questions was never committed to him alone but in the Synod and to them Yea Questions so determined were to be reported to the General Assemblie next ensewing so that Manuscript that he so often Citeth p. 14. 24. To judge of Divorces is a civil Power and not to our purpose 25. It is clear by his own Relation that the Injunction of Pennance as he calleth it is to be by the Superintendent with the Synod 26. Restoring of Criminals or Absolution did the same way belong to him 27. Notifying Criminals to the Magistrat is no part of Jurisdiction 28. Excommunication was not to be done by his sole Authority but by his Advice 29. His Power over Colleges And 30. His Licensing of Booke both of them Depend on the Civil Power and are not to our present purpose These short Notes may shew how little cause there is for his Triumph with which he concludeth this his Enumeration of the Superintendents Prerogatives They prove a Disparity between him and other Ministers I confess which the Church in that her State thought necessarie for a time but on the other hand it is evident that some of them Prove as much Disparitie from and inconsistencie with the Prerogatives of a Diocesan Bishop which our Brethren plead for as belonging to him Jure Divino § 12. His next Work from p. 140. is to dissipat the Mist wherewith the Paritie Men are so very earnest to darken the Prelatical Power of the Superintendents he mentioneth Three of their Exceptions The 1. Is it was not intended to be a perpetual standing Office but was Temporary and for the then Necessities of the Church For this he Citeth Calderwuod and Petrie asserting this with whom I do cordially joyn Against this he thus reasoneth p. 142. whether it was Temporary or not it was Prelacy and this is all that I am concerned for And to Fortiâ—e this he taketh in by force a Similitude from the Presbyterians making Address to King James a rare but useless piece of Wit Ans. If he be concerned for no more than this we are agreed And he yieldeth that our Reformers were not Episcopal but Presbyterian who in a case of extream Necessity gave for a time more Power to one Minister than another but made them all equal assoon as that Necessity was over It is such an Argument as if there were but one Congregation with their Minister and Elders in an Island they manage Church Discipline by themselves but assoon as they encrease and there are moe People and church Officers and more Congregations they set up a Presbyterie to which all the Congregations and their Pastors are Subordinate will any say that they are Independents because they were forced to Act Independentlie at first there is as little reason to conclude that our Reformers were Episcopal though they were forced to use a kind of Prelacie for a time Beside that I have above shewed some considerable Differences between the Prelacie of Superintendents and that of Bishops which our Brethren plead for § 13. His second Undertaking is to shew that we have no sufficient Ground in the Records of these times for pretending that the Office of Superintendents was designed to be Temporal To prove his Assertion he saith he hath seen no more insisted on to make out this but a Phrase in the first Head of the Book of Discipline at this time He transcribeth the whole Passage out of Petrie Cent. 16. p. 218. and so must I what was their the Superintendents Office saith he appears by the first Book of Discipline wherein it is written thus we consider that if the Ministers whom God hath endued with his singular Graces among us should be appointed to several places there to make continual Residence that then the greatest part of the Realm should be destitute of all Doctrine which should be not only the occasion of great Murmure but also dangerous to the Salvation of many and therefore we have thought it a thing expedient at this time that from the whole Number of Godly and learned Men now presently in this Realm be selected ten or twelve for in so many Provinces we have divided the whole to whom Charge and Commandment should be given to Plant and Erect Kirks to set Order and appoint Ministers as the former Prescribed to wit the former Head to the Countries that shall be appointed to their Care where none are now Afterward it is added these must not be suffered to live as their idle Bishops have done neither must they remain where they gladly would but they must be Preachers themselves and such as may not make long Residence in one place till the Kirks be Planted and provided of Ministers c. To this our Author replyeth by giving us a Sense of his own of these Words in the first Book of Discipline viz. that because there were then so few Qualified for the Office of Superintendencie the Ten or Twelve were by far too few for the whole Kingdom yet at that time they thought it expedient to Establish no more and though when the Church should be sufficiently Provided with Ministers it will be highly reasonable that the Superintendents should have Places appointed them for their continual Residence yet in that Juncture it was necessary that they should be constantly travelling into their Districts to Preach and Plant Churches Before I Examine what he saith to Prove this to be the true Gloss of that Passage I shall Prove it to be contrarie to and inconsistent with the Passage it self And 1. There is nothing in that Discourse that doth so much as insinuate the scarcitie of Men fit to be Superintendents but of Ministers fit to Preach to the People they no way hint that this Setlement
was fallen upon because they could not get Men to Oversee other Ministers but because they could not get Men to Preach to the People in every Congregation Therefore they resolve that the few well Qualified Men that they had should not only each of them have a fixed Charge of his own but should be obliged to Preach in other Parishes and be Impowered to Place Ministers in them assoon as they could be had 2. It is a groundless Fancy that they thought Ten or Twelve Superintendents too few for the whole Kingdom for when Ministers increased they made no moe yea when afterward in the times of Defection from our first Establishment of Church Order they set up Bishops the Church did not think Twelve too few for the whole Kingdom 3. He doth exceedingly Mistake the Change that our Reformers did intend as insinuated in that Passage It was not that Superintendents should be continually Resident in one Place wheras they were at present to travel within their District for in this present Setlement they had their proper Charge where they were to Preach and might Reside there three or four Months and enter upon their itinerat Visitation again which Course if they should Break off they could not do the Work of a Superintendent which was chiefly to Visite and Plant Churches When this was done and Places generally provided with fit Pastors their Work and Office was at an end 4. At this time doth evidently relate to the Peoples want of Preaching as the Motive to this Appointment and to the Planting of Churches as the End and Design of it Wherefore when this End is attained and that time no more Existent I mean of that Exigence of the Church there was no more use for them and the Event Proved that as that End was by Degrees attained their Power was gradually Lessened till they were wholly laid aside 5. The Words cited make it evident that this was not intended for a lasting Prelacy in the Church far less for an Episcopacy standing on a Jus Divinum For the Assembly where this Book of Discipline was Established do give them Charge and Commandment they do appoint their Work set Limits and Bounds to their Power they Command them in the very Circumstances of their Work this would be thought strange Presumption in a Meeting of Ministers thus to treat their Bishop 6. To say that their Authority was designed to be perpetual but these Injunctions about some part of their Work was to be Temporary is to speak at Random and to put what Sense we please on other Mens words it is to tell us what this Author would have the Reformers to mean not what is the plain Import of their Words For the Commandment and Charge these are the Words of the Book of Discipline by which they were made Superintendents did include one part of what is Injoyned as well as another part of it and when ever this Work that was Injoyned them ceased their Commission behoved to be renewed as is obvious to any who readeth the History of our Reformation their Injunctions were often Changed till they had no more Work to do and then they were Abolished § 14. Let us now hear how this Author will Prove that the Passage under Debate must have the Meaning that he hath put upon it His first Argument the Composers of the first Book of Discipline in which that Passage is were generally to their Dying day of Prelatical Principles Ans. 1. The Consequence is naught for however the first Draught of it might be framed by the Six Persons whom he Nameth out of Knox p. 287. yet let the Reader turn over to the next page where a Formula is set down according to which it was Subscribed and he shall find that they Approved it conform to the Notes and Additions thereto and it was well known that some Papers being Amended and Licked over and over again by many Persons as this was have at last Differed much from what the first Compilers intended Another thing also may be Observed in that Form of assenting to the Book o◠Discipline that they were careful to Reserve to Bishops Abbots and Priors and other Prelats and benefic'd Men which else have Adjoyned themselves to us say they to brook the Revenues of their Benefices during their Lifetimes they sustaining and upholding the Ministry and Ministers as is therein specified for Preaching of the Word and Ministering of the Sacraments Here the Bishops even such of them as were Protestants are put in the same Categorie with Abbots and Priors and there is no Provision made for their Spiritual Power but for their Temporal Goods and no Successors are intended for them only they are provided for while they live yea the Administrators of Word and Sacraments are here contra-distinguished from the Bishops as well as from Abbots and Priors Doth any thing here look like Prelatical Principles yea is not the whole Strain of this Passage contrarie to them therefore whatever the first Compilers of the Book of Discipline might be it is evident the Approvers of it were not of the Episcopal Principles Ans. 2. He sheltereth his Assertion under the Ambiguitie of Prelatical Principles if he mean these Men were for Superintendents who had a Temporarie Limited Prelacie we shall not Debate that with him if he mean that they were for a Jus Divinum of the Prelacie that he and his Partie owne or for a Perpetuitie of any other sort of Prelacie we shall consider his Proofs for that which are Winram and Willock were Superintendents and so was Spotswood of whom his Son saith he was a constant Enemy to Paritie this proveth nothing against what I have said except he can assure us that Arch-Bishop Spotswood could not through Prejudice and Respect to the Cause he had Espoused mistake and misrepresent his Fathers Opinion in that Dowglas another of them was Arch-Bishop of Saint Andrews That proveth him an Apostate from the Way he had owned and we know how he and his Way was disliked by the rest of his former Associats John Row another of them defended the Lawfulness of Episcopacy at a Conference appointed by the General Assembly 1575. Here is a pitiful Shift and foull Misrepresentation The Truth of the Storie is even according to Spotswood as well as Petrie not to name Calderwood lest he alledge that I have read no other Historian a Question arising in the Assemblie about the Lawfulness of Episcopacie six Brethren were appointed to Debate the Question in a Conference three were appointed to be on the one side and three on the other it was Master Rows Lot to be on the side of the Lawfulness of Episcopacie can any Rational Man thence infer that he was of that Opinion And if he were of that Opinion there is enough said to take off any Inference that could thence be made against us John Knox was the other of these Compilers whom he will make Prelatical now when he hath been dead a
long time though he was known to be far from such Sentiments while he lived § 15. For a second Proof of his Sense of the Passage cited out of the Book of Discipline p. 145. Knox assignes a quite other Reason than the then Necessities of the Church for the Establishment of Superintendency Superintendents and Overseers saith he were nominated that all things in the Church might be carried on with order and well this reason is perpetual Ans. How weak is this Consequence for this reason is perpetual that there should be Governours in the Church because all things might be carried with order and well but it is no reason for that sort of Governours except in so far as the present case made them necessarie so that compare this Passage with that of the Book of Discipline above cited the Sense must be Superintendents were at this time nominated that all things in the Church might be carried with good order and well there being then no possibilitie to constitute Presbyteries by which things could be so managed He citeth another Passage out of the same Book p. 289. that John Knox in a Sermon asserted the Necessitie and not the bare Expediencie of Superintendents Ans. Doth this prove a perpetual Necessitie of that Office it was then not only expedient but necessarie and this was all that was asserted Again John Knox's words are there was a Necessitie of Superintendents or Overseers that is there must be a Government in the Church and another they could not then attain that they could be satisfied with and therefore they must set up Superintendents If we duly consider this Passage it maketh much against him for supposing the Necessitie of Governours they might have thus reasoned if they had been for Bishops we must have Governours nothing hindreth to set up Bishops therefore they are necessarie at this time but this they did not do therefore they were not for Bishops But they well reasoned there must be Governours but at this time we cannot have Ministers to set up Presbyteries therefore at this time Superintendents are necessarie He bringeth another Testimonie out of Knox p. 110. it must be miscited nothing to that purpose is in that place exhorting England that every one of their Bishopricks might be made ten which he saith is a Comment on the Passage in Debate and saith hence it is clear that he was for many Bishopricks Ans. Nothing but Prejudice could suggest such a Sense of his Words he is Writing to a People which had settled Bishops among themselves he did not attempt to alter their Settlement he knew it was in vain but he advised them to what might make that way most useful and what might have brought it as near as possible to the way he was for I could tell him of just such another Passage in Doctor Wild's loyal Nonconformist though he was for no bishop at all in our Modern Sense § 16. He bringeth a third reason that this Sense of the Period accordeth exactly with the whole Tenor of the first Book of Discipline where he saith there is nothing more for the Temporaryness of Superintendency but much to the contrary Let us see then what we can further find beside the words at this time in the Book of Discipline for Superintendents being set up early for the present Necessitie of the Church And first the reason for setting them up which the Book it self giveth is temporarie to wit the Paucitie of Ministers and the Necessitie of having the Gospel preached in all the parts of the Nation If the Foundation be temporarie so must the Superstructure but this is made the Foundation of that Erection as is expressed in these words and therefore we have thought it expedient c. 2. The second Book of Discipline is a Proof of this beyond Contradiction for it owneth no Officers in the Church but Pastors Bishops or Ministers every one of which was to be fixed in a particular Congregation and Doctors and Elders and Deacons and these are said to be such as ought to continue in the Kirk as necessary for the Policy and Government of it and no more Offices ought to be received or suffered in the Kirk of God established according to his Word therefore all the ambitious Titles invented in the Kingdom of Antichrist and 〈◊〉 his Usurped Hierarchy which are not of these four sorts together with 〈◊〉 â—ffices depending thereon in one word ought to be rejected This second Booâ—… Discipline was but an Amendment of the first and a Suteing of it to the riper Age that the Reformed Church of Scotland had then attained but it is manifest that settling Superindents by the first Book was not designed for Perpetuitie I shall now Examine what he bringeth against the designed Temporariness of Superintendents the first thing alledged is the necessity is brought for being not so strict in examining Superintendents as afterward must be I see not wherein this is contrarie to the Presbyterian Gloss which he affirmeth p. 145. seing the necessitie of setting them up had been before asserted viz. the Pauâ—itie of qualified Ministers for the Parishes and now another necessitie is alledged for taking such Superintendents as they could get where is the Inconsistencie of these two Next they appoint that if suâ—…cient Men cannot be had Provinces wait till they can be provided rather than set up insufficient Men 〈◊〉 3. Rules are laid down for supplying the Vacancy if a Superintendent die â—…ns To both these no more followeth but that Superintendency was to endure for some time foreseeing that the present necessitie was like in some degree to continue for some years but this is no Argument for its Perpetuitie or necessitie in all Cases of the Church 4. After the Church is settled and three years past Directions are given for chusing Superintendents Ans. This Passage is related only by Spotswood whom I might reject as an insufficient Witness as well as he casteth Petrie or Calderwood when Spotswood doth not concur with them But I need not such Defence by the establishing of the Church the Reformers cannot mean the compleat Establishment and being furnished with a sufficient number of well Gifted Ministers for what needed three years delay after that before they would require such Choise of Superintendents wherefore by the settling of the Church must be understood the peaceable Exercise of Church Government as well as other Ordinances allowed them by the Magistrat which then they were contending for or the peaceable Settlement of the Superintendency that now they were Erecting that though at present they must put into that Office such as they could find they would after that three years be more exact in their Choise hoping that by that time more qualified Men might be found this proveth a Design of Continuance for some time but not of Perpetuitie of Superintendency 5. The Book of Discipline supposeth Colledges and Superintendents to be of equal Continuance for the Superintendent was to have a hand
suppose also that there are so few Ministers that there cannot be Men got to supplie Places but such as are palpably insufficient for the Work here is a Dilemma either Gospel Ordinances must be neglected or unduely managed by these Men or on the other hand they who are Qualified must be set over these for a time to Preach now and then in their Places to Direct and injoyn them what is right to Plant the Places with Qualified Men when they can be got all which is supposed to be cross to the letter I do not say to the Meaning and Design of the Institution in the first Case the Church should sin in neglecting that which is the main Design of all Gospel Institutions viz. Edification and Saving of Souls therefore she doth not sin on the other hand by crossing the Letter of the Institution otherwise she should be under a Necessity of sining without her own fault bringing her under that Necessity 2. Although our LORD did forsee all the Cases and Circumstances in which his Church was to be unto the end of the World and could have fully Provided for them all by giving distinct Laws suted to every one of them yet infinite Wisdom thought fit to give Laws for regulating the ordinary cases of the Church leaving these that are rare and Extraordinary to be Managed according to the general Rules of Scripture and sound reason because distinct Laws for all possible Cases would have swelled the BIBLE to a bigness which would have made it less useful to us and of this it may be said as of a Case not unlike to it John 20. 30 31. The World could not have contained at least Men could not have Read and Retained the Contents of all the Books that should have been Written no doubt when GOD made the Law forbidding that the Shew Bread should be eaten by any but by the Priests he forsaw what case David and his Men would be in but he thought it not fit to provide for that Case by an Express Exception from the Law but left it to be Ordered by his more general Laws Even so it is in the Case that we Dispute about § 21. I shall now Answer his Reason brought against this yielding to Necessitie in cases of Divine Institution which is that if Necessitie can oblige Christians to forsake or to cross Institution in one Case why not in all Cases The Consequence that this his Question implyeth we simply Deny And I may Confidently say that himself in his cooler thoughts will be ashamed of it at least he will have few Men of Sense whether Learned or unlearned that will allow such a Consequence Farless that will Joyn wit him in what followeth viz. that crossing Institution when forced to it by the Law of Necessity what is it else than to open a door to Gnosticism to Infidelity to Apostasie and to all imaginable kinds of Antichristian Perfidie and Villanie To clear this Matter and to still this Noise and that the Reader may understand this Debate about the Force of Necessitie better than this learned Author seemeth to do I shall shew when Necessitie may warrant an Action which without such Necessitie were unwarrantable and when not 1. It is not feigned or pretended Necessitie that can have this Force we are far from thinking that it is a sufficient Excuse when on hath done an evil thing to say there was Necessitie for it I could not shun it if our Reformers did but pretend Necessitie for setting up Superintendents or if we do but pretend it for them if my Antagonist can prove as he hath alleged that there was no Necessitie for it but that if they had been for Paritie they might have Promoted the Gospel without thus diverting from it for a time we shall quit this Argument GOD is Judge in that case whether the Necessitie be real or only pretended And in many cases Man may Judge and Punish them who break the Law and pretend Necessitie for their Action 2. It must be a Necessitie of GOD'S making not of our own bringing on as I hinted before If either a Church or a Person do sinfully bring themselves under a Necessitie of Transgressing the Law the sinful Cause maketh the Action sinful which is consequential to it 3. The Necessitie that we shelter our Actions under must not only be of the Means nor only of the End but of both I suppose a Man cannot save his Life his Libertie or Estate but by doing what is sinful or omitting what is a Moral and perpetual duty or is such hic et nunc Here is the Necessitie of Means but it cannot excuse him because there is no Necessitie of the End it is not necessarie that we should Live be at Libertie nor that we have Estates there is neither an absolute Necessitie of these nor comparative Necessitie none of them is so necessarie as it is to keep a good Conscience and to please GOD and shun sin Again suppose the End be necessarie V. Gr. to advance the Interest of Religion but this End may be attained to by means that do no way cross any of GOD'S Institutions to do what is cross to Institution in that case is no way Excusable For there is no necessitie of the Mean If my Antagonist can shew that either the End of setting up Superintendents was needless or that that could be attained without encroaching a little on Paritie for a time then shall we no more plead Necessitie for what they did but judge that they were not for Paritie in their Principles 4. We distinguish with respect to the Force of Necessitie between these Actions which are Moral from their Nature and these that are Moral only by Institution How far Necessitie may Warrant or not Warrant an Action against the Moral-Law I shall not now Dispute our present Debate not being concerned in that Question it is evident that there are some cases in which Necessitie even in such Actions hath place as Adam's Sons Marrieing their Sisters of which Lyra and Menochius in Gen. 4. 17. say Initio mundi necessè fuit Sorores Fratribus nubere And it is also certain that no Necessitie can dispense with some other Actions that are naturally Moral such as Blasphemy Lying c. but in Matters of Institution the LORD hath not so strictly bound his People nor made his Institutions to clash with the natural and indispensible Commands that he hath laid on them as is evident in David's case above-mentioned If Institution in some Circumstances that the LORD hath cast his People in do clash with the Moral Dutie of saving Life this Moral Dutie superceedeth the Obligation of Institution in that time and in that case much more when present Circumstances make Institution to clash with the great End of Institution as in the case in hand without dispensing with Paritie in this case the End of Church Government had been lost viz. the Edification of the Church and Promoting
was endeavoured toward the setting up of Episcopacy he bringeth Reasons for the States Men and Reasons for the Church men that might move them and that with as much Confidence as if he had been at the Consult the States Men considered that Episcopacy was still established by Law the Ecclesiasticks made one of the three Estates and to take it away was to shake the Civil Constitution and they might have been called to an account for it when the King should come to Age who was then Minor But this is a pure Fallacy the Bishops were still by Law possessed of their Temporalities Revenues and Parliamentarie Priviledges but not of their Ecclesiastick Jurisdiction it was the preserving of these not of this that the Courtiers were accountable for with respect to the Civil Constitution That this was the best way to preserve the Right of the Church is said without Book unless he can prove that Christ gave her such Rights her Civil Rights might have been and afterward were otherwise preserved It was very evident that many of the States Men were Acted by other Motives I do not say all of them were for a Jus Divinum or Acted Conscienciously even to get the Revenues in their hands Which he doth plainly enough confess while page 189. he telleth us of their Playing their Tricks and Robbing the Church For the Reason that he maketh the Clergy go upon viz. The ill Effects of the former Scheme laid in the first Book of Discipline that had arisen to the Church there is no Hint given by him of any such ill Effects as apprehended by the Men of that Time except that they who designed a Change for their own Ends would readily pretend some such thing neither he nor any else can prove that any Detriment to the true Interests of Religion did arise from it It is evident that some Church Men had a design to advance themselves though they were disappointed as to the advantagious part of their design they got the Titles and the great Men got the Revenues which he would fain deny or dissemble but it is so evident that he must contradict our plainest Histories if he deny it 3. That another was Moderator in the General Assembly than a Bishop is brought as an Argument that Prelacy was not got to its height even by the greatest Efforts the Party could make at that time All he saith to this is that George Buchannan was chosen Moderator in the General Assembly 1567. which yet inferreth not the Ruine of Presbytery The Strength of this Evasion is soon taken off the Episcopal Church look on Bishops as so far above Presbyters that it is Essential to them to Rule and the Presbyters to be Ruled by them so that for a Bishop to be a single Member of an Assembly and a Presbyter to be Moderator is inconsistent with the Bishops Prerogative but Presbyterians hold no such distinguishing Principle they think a Minister is in a superior Order above a Non-Preaching Elder but do not think that the one hath Jurisdiction over the other but that both have equal Ruling Power and therefore though it be now so Customary that only Ministers preside in our Meetings that it would be thought odd if it should be otherwise yet for a Ruling Elder such as Master Buchannan was and a Man of his singular Eminency to preside in a Meeting is not against any Principle of Presbyterians that I know of tho the Way we use is most Rational and Decent and there is no Reason for receding from it But to make this Observation yet stronger Calderwood p. 56. if I may Name him without Firing this Gentlemans Choller and being Charged with Ignorance and knowing no other History telleth us that never one of them had the Credit to be Moderator of the General Assembly which is a Token I shall not speak in his Dialect an infallible Demonstration that their Episcopal Jurisdiction was not then owned by the Church § 26. A fourth Observation I make on his Historical Debate is that he endeavoureth to prove against Petrie and Calderwood that the Articles at Leith were approved by the General Assembly that Episcopacy was s◠approved that it cost much Stuggling before it could be Abolished What he gaineth by all this I know not The Opposition that was made to that Way did soon appear and it was soon abolished that it is said that it was not allowed by the General Assembly is only meant of the first General Assembly that sat a few Weeks after the Agreement at Leith though afterward the Party grew stronger and got it approved I know none that asserteth that it was never approved in any General Assembly though his Proofs that he bringeth for its being approved might tempt one to think that it was never approved viz. That they sat in Assemblies and voted and that even as Bishops Their sitting and voting proveth that they were tollerated what he meaneth by sitting and voting as Bishops I do not well understand that Reduplication must either import the Exercise of the Episcopal Authority or it is a Word without Sense or Signification now that they Exercised Episcopal Authority in any of the Assemblies I do not find nor doth he attempt to prove it The Arch-Bishop of Saint Andrews being present and first named in a Committee as p. 203. is such an Argument for Episcopal Preheminence as the Papists use not a few for Peters Supremacy that Superintendents are continued ibid. is a weak Argument for the Assemblies approving Bishops of the second Model as he calleth it It is another such Argument that the Assembly declare what they mean by the Names Arch-Bishops Deans c. and wish these changed into Names less offensive that the Articles agreed on at Leith which contain his second Model are voted by the Assembly to be received but for an Interim These and some more of the same or like Importance are his Arguments for the Approbation of Episcopacy by the Church of Scotland at that time I do not say they Acted as Men for the Divine Right of Parity it was a time of Temptation and many yielded too far but there was a Party that did not thus Comply and who prevailed to get this Yoke cast off at last many of the Acts of the Assemblies that he citeth do Direct the Bishops and Limit their Power and appoint them to be subject to the General Assembly and to have no more Power than Superin endents had this looketh like no good Will to Episcopacy but a Hedging it in when they could not for present cast it wholly out But he will prove p. 212 c. That all this was out of no Dislike to Episcopacy and that by a Petition consisting of nine Articles drawn by the General Assembly 1574. Wherein Bishops are several times mentioned and that as Acting as Bishops in Naming Ministers for Places where yet Superintendents and Commissioners are also mentioned as equally concerned in that Work yea in
one of these Articles it is desired that Qualified Ministers might be provided for vacant Bishopricks This proveth no more but that the major part of this Assembly thought fit that seing Men bearing the Name of Bishops for little more they had were for an Interim tollerated in the Church their Places should neither be vacant nor filled with insufficient Persons All this may well consist with a Dislike of that Lordly Power of Bishops that some were Aspiring to and that my Antagonist pleadeth for § 27. Our Author thinks he hath now done his Work and proved that Prelacy was privatly and publickly liked from the beginning of the Reformation it seems he hath argued himself into a Belief of it such is the Efficacy of Prejudice which few else will be perswaded of He thinketh his further Work needless and I think it had been more for his Credit to let it alone it is to prove that Presbytery met with Opposition and I could seldom observe that any good Design was carried on but Satan raged against it and found Instruments against it his former Historical Discourse he justly calleth Nauseous p. 216. But what followeth is much more so and yet worse for he falleth to downright Railing against Master Andrew Melvil in not only a nausebus Gingling Strain of Words but with such Unmanly Bitterness as a tender Conscienced Christian would abhor yea a Person of common Morality would be ashamed of and is only fit for the Scolding Women that have lost all Shame The foull Misrepresentation of Matters of Fact which have some Semblance of Truth in them that this Narrative aboundeth with I leave to the History that I hope may appear ere long to correct them I am no further concerned than with what is Argumentative of which I can find nothing here for we deny not that there was then as now an Episcopal Party who were loath to let go their hoped for or enjoyed Church Preferments That after Master Melvil appeared was the first time that any appeared for Presbytery in Scotland or against Episcopacy is a daring Assertion after which we may expect whatever he shall think to be for his Interest considering what hath been already adduced out of the Book of Discipline One who readeth this his Historical Discourse may easily perceive what Shifts he is put to for proving the Regent Mortons Change from Episcopacy to favour Presbytery and to prove his Intentions in some of his Actings and that by a long Train of Arguments To prove that England though Episcopal did endeavour to promote Presbytery in Scotland To prove the Ignorance of the Clergy of Scotland at that time To prove Beza to be ignorant of the Government and Constitution of the ancient Church p. 248. and that not out of his own Book which it seems he had not read but out of his Adversary Saravia and indeed he proveth Beza's Ignorance by such Instances as will serve for any Presbyterian and conclude them all to be Ignoramus's which I know is this Authors Opinion oftner than once or twice expressed I pass with a transient Observation his bitter Sarcasm against Days of Solemn Fasting and Humiliation often appointed by Presbyterians p. 254. It had been good his own Party had used them oftner and that they and we had improved them better I take notice also of his making so very great a Difference between the Meetings of Ministers and Elders for Exercises that is for Interpretation of Scripture and Presbyteries which were set up on account whereof he representeth it as a great deal of Ignorance in one who affirmed that the real Exercise of Presbytery in all its Meetings lesser and greater continued and was allowed in the year 1572. I deny not but that there was a Difference between these two Sorts of Meetings as there is between a Child and a full grown Man viz. The Meetings for Exercise or Presbyteries call them what ye will did at first meddle with fewer Acts of Church Power than afterward yet they Acted with Authority For the Ministers and Elders met to interpret Scripture I hope the Elders were not Interpreters by publick Teacâ—…ng as well as the Ministers the People no doubt were also present at these Exercises as Hearers but the Elders are mentioned as Constituent Members of a Meeting wherein the People had no Share which must be an Authoritative Meeting King James the sixth was far from his Opinion about these Meetings who in the Conference at Hampton-Court 1603. in the second days Conference p. 78 79. when Doctor Reynolds moved that the Clergy might meet once every three Weeks for Prophesying as Bishop Grindal and other Bishops desired of her late Majesty the King being stirred at this said that they aimed at Scottish Presbytery He looketh on it as ridiculous that G. R. had reckoned that Presbyteries were from the beginning and fancieth that he hath no other ground for so saying but that Calderwood had said that the Kirk of Scotland had four sorts of Assemblies ever since the beginning of which this must needs be one But I can tell him of other Grounds on which he might reckon this Meeting a Presbytery one is the General Assembly 1579. as the Manuscript he so often citeth hath it p. 95. did expresly determine that these Meetings were Presbyteries another is what is above said and a third is that even in times of Episcopacie in Scotland these Meetings were called the Exercise and yet they pretended to Presbyterial Power in them though it was in Subordination to the Bishop That Calderwood sayeth that Presbytries succeeded to these Meetings importeth no more but that Presbytries were after set up with more Power and Freedom than they then had under Superintendents or Bishops When he cannot contradict Matter of fact with respect to the prevailing of Presbytrie he falleth to down right railing at the Assemblie which condemned Prelacie for boldness folly iniquitie preposterous Zeal if more Reproaches had then occurred to his Fancie it is like we should have had them it is neither good Manners nor a token of a good Cause thus to fall from Reasoning to Scolding I leave him now after he hath again mistaken the Question to please himself with re-counting his Exploits and to tell the World what he hath made appear in not a few pages After which he bringeth two Witnesses for Confirming what he had so long insisted on The first of them is an Author with whom I am not acquainted but seemeth to be of his own Sentiments So that what he sayeth of the Opposition made to Presbyterie in Scotland is no more to us than what A. M. D. D. himself hath said especially seing we have not the Reasons but the bare Assertion of that Author The other is King James the sixth to whose Testimonie brought also by the Author of the Ten Questions I did then Oppose and still do his own Explication of what he sayeth in an after Edition of his Basilicon doron that he
meant none but such as Anabaptists and Familists And a contrair Assertion of that same Royal Author whereby he highly extolleth the Presbyterian Government in Scotland by saying and that frequently that no Error could get footing there in Scotland while Kirk Sessions Presbyteries Synods and General-Assemblies stood in their Force He concludeth his Second Enquiry with making a great Improvement against us as he thinketh of our saying that the Bishops set up in that he calleth his second Model had no more Power than Superintendents whence he Argueth Superintendents had the essentials of Episcopal Power but the Assembly at Dundee 1580 Condemned Episcopacie and they Condemned also Superintendencie whence it followeth that they and our present Presbytersans follow their Steps in this not only forsook but condemned the Principles of our Reformers This he seemeth to hug as a triumphant Argument before which the Presbyterian Cause can never stand But the Answer is plain and easie and may be gathered from what hath been abov-discoursed That Assemblie did and the Presbyterians do condemn Superindendencie as what ought not to continue in the Church nor ought to be in the ordinarie cases of the Church but they did not condemn it as what was never lawful to be used for a time in an extraordinarie Exigent And we affirm which our Author hath not yet disproved that our Reformers were not for Superintendents perpetual continuance in the Church § 28. Our Authors Third Enquire is whether Prelacie and the Superioritie of any Office in the Church above Presbyters was a great and insupportable Grievance and Trouble to this Nation and contrair to the Inclinations of the generalitie of the People ever since the Reformation He hath verie just Sentiments of this Matter when he sayeth that if his Determination of the former Enquirie be true this Question will soon be dispatched for indeed it hath a great Dependence on what is already Discoursed He might if so it had pleased him saved the labour of this tedious Debate in which there is little else but a litigious Jangle about what can hardly othewise be Determined than by what hath been alreadie said unless we could which is impossible have the Vote by Pole of all the Individuals of the Nation and that in all the Times and Changes since the Reformation The Parliament hath given us their Sentiments about this Matter and if any be not willing to rest in the Judgment of so wise an Assemblie of worthy Patriots come together from all parts of the Nation to consult about its weghtiest Affairs he may for me abound in his own sense I know this hath been generally the thoughts of Presbyterians yea of sober Episcopalians in some other Churches and I could give the Opinion of some of the greatest â—…minencie for Vertue Understanding and Rouk and yet not Presbyterian that Presbyterie was the fittest Church-Government for Scotland But if our Brethren will maintain he contrarie I judge they mistake but shall not think them Hereticks on this accompt I would have him also consider that what ever might move the Parliament to make use of this Motive to Abolish Episcopacie and Establish Presbyterie the Presbyterian Church of Scotland never thought the Aversion of the People from Episcopacie nor their Inclinations to Presbytrie to be the Fundamental Charter by which they have a right to that Government We rejoyce that the State was pleased to allow and countenance by their Authority this Government of the Church but we think it standeth on a surer bottom than either the Opinion or the Authoritie of Men and much surer than the Inclinations of the Mob even the Institution of Christ declared in the Scriptures of truth which Grounds I have laid down in this Work if he can Beat us from these we shall become his willing Proselyts and quit though we will not Revile it as he doth this Act of Parliament as no sufficient Ground for our Faith and Practice in this Matter I know not whether it favoured more of Contempt of the State or of the Church or was more designed to ridicule or to refute Presbyterie that he Choosed such a Title for his Book as he hath done but we are in utrumque parati to despise his Mocking and to Answer his Material Arguments though we have neither leasure nor Inclination to Blott so much Paper as he hath done about Matters that be remote from the main Question § 29. His Proofs of the Peoples Inclination towards Bishops are much of a size of strength with what we have already heard Petrie commends the State of the Church in the year 1576 and Spotswood speaketh of the Respect that the Superintendents had Beza also and Knox rejoyced in that State of the Church Ans. I believe so should the Presbyterians of our days have done if they had then Lived There was a Glorious Reformation that was cause of great Joy and though Superintendencie was no desireable thing in it self yet in that time of the Churches great Exigence it was no small Mercie and Matter of Joy that there were a few worthy Men to manage the Affairs of the Church when as many as were needed could not be had and it was just that these Men should be had in great Esteem yet it is no good Argument the People Inclined to have Superintendents when it was simply needful therefore they inclined to have them or Bishops perpetuated in the Church Another great Argument is even in after times and the more advanced State of Presbyterie when Ten or Twelve were severely dealt with by the Magistrat and Six or Seven more called to London for their forwardness in that way yet all things went peaceably in Scotland as if People were always well pleased with what passeth when they make no Disturbance to the Government he must in Justice allow us the use of the same Argument for the Aversion of all Scotland from Episcopacie and their Inclination to Presbyterie seing the Nation have these years past been in Peace though he and some of his Partie Complain of the hardest usage that can be That Episcopacie prevailed 1610 Proveth no more for the one side than the prevailing of Paritie 1592 and again 1690 Proveth for the other side Yea submitting to Episcopacie so far as to sit in Synods and Presbyteries with a Bishop was no Argument of Approving it in the case of the Church that then was when the Judicatures of the Church were in their Integritie and Bishops thrust in on them It was another Case at the last Erection of Episcopacie when all Church Meetings were laid aside by Civil Authority and were called again only by the Bishops Authority He Chargeth Calderwood and G. R. for the great Crime of following him in this piece of Historie that he had said that it was Statute in Parliament 1565 that no other Jurisdiction Ecclesiastical be acknowledged within this Realm than that which is and shall be within this same Kirk Established presently or which floweth
to make it appear that the present Presbyterians have receded from the Principles of our Reformers in 1. The Faith 2. The Worship 3. The Discipline 4. The Government of the Church In stead of this last he insisteth on their laying aside the Bishops from voting in Parliament I cannot now degresse to consider what here he sayeth though he insisteth on them at great length for I diverted into the Considerations of this Book onely in so far as the Controversie I have with him or who ever is the Author in the other Book is concerned And there are some of these that are also there Debated which I intend to consider I have alreadie said that we reverence our Reformers but neither thought their Reformation at first Perfect nor themselves Infallible I hope some or other will take him to Task on these Heads and Defend the Principles of this Church from his insolent Obloquie I wish him a more temperat Spirit than appeareth in his Discourses and particularly in his Ridiculeing of the Administration of the LORD'S Supper as it is managed in the Church of Scotland SECTION IX Of Holy Days of Humane Institution I Return now to the Enquirie into the New Opinions and proceed to his Third Chapter wherein he pretendeth enquire into several new Opinions The first of which is that we are against the Observing the Holy Days of CHRISTS Nativity Resurrection Assention and Commemorating the Piety Faith and Martyrdom of the Saints that are mentioned in Scripture We do not denie the Charge so far as being against the Anniversaries observation of these Days doth reach That this is a new Opinion we denie though at the same time we confess the contrarie Practice is verie old yet we maintain that no such thing was injoyned or practised in the Apostolick Church which is older than the Church that he Appealeth to He is too confident when he sayeth it is certainly a new Doctrine for we are certain on the other hand that there is Warrant for it in the Word of GOD as there is for no new Doctrine He sayeth it flieth in the Face of the whole Christian Church Antient and Modern Reformed and Unreformed and other harsh Words he is pleased to run us down with This is Passion not Reason A modest Dissent from a Church or a Person though of the greatest Veneration that is due to Men is no flying in their Face And if he will needs call it so our Apologie is if they flie in the Face of the Holy Scripture we chuse rather to Differ from them than with them to flie in its Face but we put no such Construction on the Opinions or Practices of other Churches Antient or Modern I am not without hope that it may be made appear that he and his Complices flie in the Face both of Antiquitie and of the Reformed Churches by their Opinion about Holy Days and Differ from them more than we do which will appear when we come to State the Question which he hath never minded though he engageth in the Debate with a great deal of warmth This is Andalatarum more pugnare to Fight in the dark We are now but in the Threshold considering the Opinion of other Churches He will allow us none but the Church of Geneva and that with Calvines dislike For Calvines dislike of the Abrogation of the Holy Days by the Magistrats of Geneva he Citeth two Epistles of his which he doth not distinguish by their Numbers so that I cannot find them not being willing nor at leisure to turne over the whole Book for them But I shall more distinctly point him to other two of his Epistles wherein though he doth not fully declare for our Opinion he doth plainly condemn that of our Prelatists They are ad Mons. Belgradenses Ep. 51. p. 112. edit Hanov. 1597. and Mansoni Poppio Ep. 278. p. 520. I say the same of our Reformers and of the French Protestants § 2. I shall now address my self to fixing of the true State of the Question And 1. We do not with the Anabaptists in Germany for some Anabaptists in this differ from them and with the Petro Brusiani cited by Parae in Rom. 14. Dub. 4. out of the Life of Bernhard lib. 3. cap. 5. disowne all Holy Days The Lords Day we owne as of necessity to be observed being of Divine Institution Pardon a small Digression I see no ground to think that Peter Bruce was of this Opinion all that I find ascribed to him Cent. Magd. 12. cap. 5. and that even by Petrus Cluniacensis his Antagonist is Die Dominica aliis putabat licitum esse vesci carnibus The Centuriators wish Utinam vero ipsius Petri scripta extarent ex quibus multo rectius facere judicium liceret quam ex illis qui in defensionem Pontificiarum abominationum conspirarunt He was one of these famous Witnesses for the Truth against Antichrist who went under the Name of Waldenses Albigenses c. It is like he might disowne other Holy Days but there is no ground to think that he disowned the Lords Day 2. We maintain it to be unlawful to observe the Jewish Holy Days I should bring Arguments for this but I think our Adversaries will hardly contradict this Assertion the Lord having of old appointed these Days and all the legal Rites for Prefiguring Gospel Mysteries and the Apostle expresly condemning this Observation Gal. 4. 10. Col. 2. 16 17. where they are expresly called Shadows of Things to come 3. We hold that not only these Jewish Days are not to be observed as such or on Jewish Principles but the Days ought not to be set apart as Anniversary Holy Days on account of Decency Policy and Order in the Christian Church All the Arguments will have place here that were used by the Primitive Christians against them who keep Easter on the same Day with the Jews 4. Our Adversaries are not one among themselves about observing the Holy Days some count them more Holy than other Days and hold that God's extraordinary Works have sanctified some times and advanced them so that they ought to be with all Men that Honour God more Holy than other Days So Hooker Eccles. Polic lib. 5. § 60. where he layeth a Foundation for Believing that these Days are Holy and to be observed antecedently to the Churches Institution Others of them are of a contrary Opinion Couper Bishop of Galloway in his Resolution of some Scruples about the Articles of Perth which are set down in the History of his Life p. 8. of his Works hath these Words in my Mind no King on Earth no Church may make a Holy Day only the Lord who made the Day hath that Prerogative only he sheweth that a Day may be set apart for Preaching as the Birth Days of Princes are for Publick Rejoycing c. Our Author hath not told us which of these Opinions he owneth 5 It is one Question whither a Day may be set apart for
Ordinance of GOD or by an Appointment of Men. The occasion of this State of the Question was he had asked might not the Church take care that this Glorious Mystery should not be forgotten I Answered no doubt it might and should and I had mentioned the Word and Sacraments as GODS Appointment for this End on which followeth the Question above set down His Answer in this Book to that Question is long and made up of a great many Sentences which I cannot well see the Connection of nor pertinency to the present purpose may be another may He first sayeth what the Church doth in this is agreeable to the Will of GOD. If it be so our Controversie is at an End and I will crave him Pardon for all I have written on this Subject But it might have been expected that this Assertion which is the Determination of our Question which he fairly beggeth should have been Proved but he thinketh not fit to attempt that But instead of Proof we have it over again in other and moe Words for he wisely considered that saying it once and so barely was not enough to perswade the Stubborn Presbyterians And if sayeth he the manner of Commemoration viz. by an Anniversarie Solemnity be the immediate result of Ecclesiastical constitution the Church medled wiâ—h no more than what was left by our Saviour to her Power to determine Still I desiderate Proof for what is so confidently Asserted and is indeed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If he can shew by any good topick that CHRIST left such a Power to his Church we shall Debate no more with him that should in all reason Command our heartie Assent What followeth I cannot refute for I cannot understand it which may be is my Dulness It is things indifferent in their Nature do generally carry in them the Advantages and Encouragements of Necessary things If this be true it is Mystical it may possiby have a hidden Sense If I may adventure to guess at this Riddle he supposeth the Appointing of Holy Days to be an indifferent thing I cannot reconcile this with what he sayeth in the former page that they were originally appointed to Communicate the great Myâ—eries of our Redemption with all possible Zeal Gratitude and Solemnitie What is conducive to so great Ends and is for so necessarie Uses I see not how it can be in its own nature indifferent far less can I make it consistent with what he saith in his Apologie for the Clergie p. 41. 42. do not we see that all Nations agree in this that publick Solemnities and Anniversarie Festivities are necessarie to the Beeing and beautie of Religion how he will reconcile necessarie to the beeing of Religion and indifferent is beyond my Capacitie As little can I understand how that can be indifferent in its own nature which hath in it that is in its Nature the Advantages and Encouragements of a necessarie Thing I wish he had Instanced in some of the Things comprehended under his large Word generally which have some Advantages and Encouragements in them Many Instances may be brought to the contrarie as whether he walk a Mile on foot or Ride on Horseback or go in Coach whether Tuesday or Wednesday be appointed for the Weekly Sermon whether Sermon shall begin on the LORD'S Day at Nine or Ten of the Clock whether the Pulpit stand toward the East or West c. what Advantage or Incouragement of necessarie Things is in anie of these If he will shew us anie Encouragement or Advantage of any necessarie Thing and if that Encouragement or Advantage to that necessarie Thing be it self Necessarie to be in the Holy Days we shall look on them not as the Appointments of the Church for it is to be supposed that this Necessitie is Antecedent to that and doth not flow from it but either of Divine Institution or of Natural Necessitie neither of which I suppose he will ascribe to the Holy Days § 10. Another mystical Sentence followeth GOD will have our Obedience approved in indifferent Things as well as Necessarie for Necessarie Things are approved for their intrinsick Excellencie the other are by way of Consequence and Relation Here also AEdipus himself might be puzled to find out the Sense So far as I reach his Meaning I shall Examine what is asserted I verie well understand that GOD will prove our Obedience to Himself in indifferent as well as in necessarie Things if there be anie thing necessarie antecedentlie to His will but that our Obedience to Man must be so Proved or that our Obedience to Church-Rulers is approved of GOD when they enjoyn indifferent Things in the Matters of Religion to that I cannot assent and if I could I should not scruple the implicite Obedience that some require Is it by Chance or by some inward Byasse that this Author stumbleth so often into Popish Principles Before I assent to him in this he must Prove that the LORD hath given the Church Power to injoyn indifferent Things which are parts of Religion as the Holy Days are next that we are obliged to Obey in Matters of Religion what GOD hath left indifferent but Men have thought fit to impose What he Meaneth when he saith the other indifferent Things are by Consequence and Relation doth yet more puzle me What is that Consequence or what the Relation for which indifferent things are approved as Necessarie Things are for their intrinsick Excellencies this I cannot guess at He cannot Mean that they are approved because they are only consequential to Necessarie Things for if that Consequence be Necessarie it maketh the Things to be Necessarie and to cease to be indifferent if it be not Necessarie but the Necessarie Things may do well without them it can no way make them more approved than if there we no such Consequence For their Relation to Necessaries Things how can it make them approved if this he Mean and if this Principle hold the Papists have a notable Foundation for the Holiness of their Relicts and indeed on this Principle it is Built they are therefore Holy because the Persons to whom they were related were so may not relation transfuse a Holiness into his Coat his Shoe or what else was about him as well as either the Birth of CHRIST transfuseth a Holiness into all the recurrent Days of all Years that Answer to that Day on which he was Born or if he make the Relation of these Days to be to the Holy Exercises performed in them shall everie time and everie place where there hath been Preaching Prayer and Celebration of the LORD'S Supper c. be ever after that Holy and Approved of GOD this is strange Doctrine He goeth on when we Commemorate the Nativitie we Worship GOD and adore His Love that sent His Son into the World and the Church Commands that this should be performed with all possible Solemnitie at some stated and fixed Seasons all this is true But how doth this Prove
qua Ferias Ethnicorum seu clavum clavo pellerent sed quis dicet hunc Zelum secundum Scripturam qui omni adeo verbo Exemplo Scripturae careat moreque rationem humanam secuta est Alting in Exeges Confess August Art 15. p. 93. giveth account that the Lutherans objected to the Zuinglians that they had no Holy Days except the Lords Day I hope here are some Christian Churches on our side Danaeus beside what I have cited out of him before hath these Words Eth. Christian. lib. 2. cap. cap. 10. Nobis hodie eosdem dies observare nihil necesse est And after Itaque neque dies illos colere aut observare necesse est aut operae proetium And below Apparet quanta superstitio postea inducta sit multitudo istorum dicrum Festorum ut omnino tolli satiùs sit Thes. Salmur in a Disputation on this Subject by Capellus commends these Churches which in their Reformation did quite abolish them it is evident then that such Churches there were and we are not contrary to all Christian Churches and he giveth his Reason in religione enim quando vel tantillum a Dei praescripto disceditur homines aliquid sibi licere volunt aut putant omnia tuta timenda sunt siquidem experientià comprobatum est a quam exiguis imperceptibilibus initiis mirus facius sit in Idololatriam horrendam superstitionem in Ecclesia Pontificia progressus And after Ut satius esse videatur bono aliquo utili sed minus necessario carere quam ex illius usu incurrere in grave grandis alicujus mali periculum Here I confess this Author doth not expresly condemn the Holy Days as simply unlawful yet he is far from allowing them Rivet on the fourth Command discourseth to the same purpose I find also cited Constitutiones Dordraci 1578. Where are these Words optandum esset libertatem sex diebus operandi a Deo concessam in Ecclesiis retineri solum diem Dominicum feriatum esse What is said may sufficiently evince that Presbyterians in this are not so Antarctick to all the World as he imagineth though it is their Principle to take the Apostolick Church and none other for their Guide yet with due respect to all other sound Churches both Ancient and Modern § 13. He passeth over in silence not a few of the most material Passages and what is truly Argumentative in the Book that he hath now under Consideration and pitcheth on two Instances that he had given and I had Answered of Anniversary Holy Days instituted by the Jewish Church whence he pleadeth that the Christian Church may do the like the first is the Fasts mentioned Zech. 15. The Answer to this was given 1. God disowned these Fasts and if it be alledged that they were disowned only on Account of Neglect of Seriousness in Managing them that must be proved His Reply is He leaves us to Guess what Word of Scripture he buildeth this Fancy upon I crave him Pardon for that Omission himself supplieth it p. 173. it is verse 5. Did ye Fast to me He saith that imports only that they were Careless c. in their Publick Appearance before God and sheweth that as much or more hath been said of Solemnities that Christ himself appointed all which we deny not neither do I doubt that so much is imported yea and mainly aimed at in that Passage Their Profaneness and Irreligiousness did bear more Bulk in the Prophets Eye than their Superstition I indeed call for Proof that no more is here reproved but their wrong Way of going about these Fasts And I give this Reason for that Demand though it is a Negative that is to be proved as he stateth it He bringeth an Argument from a Practice which God expresly disowneth It is evident that there was Sinful Evil in this Action he must then prove that there was also some Good in the Action otherwise he can draw no Argument from it to prove its Acceptableness the Management of this Solemnity was Evil that cannot prove these Holy Days to have been accepted for on that account expresly they are disowned the Controversie is about the Authority by which they were appointed to wit the Churches we say that could never make them Good he saith it doth here is then an Affirmative that he must prove But to please him for this once I shall prove that these Fasts are disowned on this account also though it be not here expressed This Action is simply condemned viz. their Fasting the Lord looketh not on it as done to Him therefore all the Sinfulness that is in it is to be lookt on as the Ground of this Disowning that want of Divine Institution was one part of the Sinfulness of it I prove because in general under which this Particular is comprehended all Religious Acts or Solemnities which have no Divine Authority are condemned Matth. 15. 9. and by other Grounds that I have above laid down If there be two or more Sorts of Immorality in one Action no doubt both are condemned in that Action though but one of them be expressed as in this Instance Jer. 7. 31. in that Infanticide there was Idolatry and most Unnatural Murther and also Will-Worship the Action is simply condemned but only the Evil of Will-Worship is mentioned which thing I Commanded not neither came it into my Mind will any say that the other Evils of that Action are not condemned nor the Action for them because they are not mentioned in that Place Wherefore from an Action so positively condemned he can make no Argument for its Lawfulness which is our Debate about the Fasts unless he can aliunde prove that this was no Fault in that Action that it had no Divine Authority for to suppose it is to take for granted what is the Matter of our Debate From all this it appeareth that he hath no Ground to say that if the Jews had had regard to the Moral Institutions their Solemn Fasts had been acceptable to God though appointed by Humane Authority neither is there Cause to reject this Exposition as new seing there is such Ground for it He next taketh notice of another Answer given to his Objection The Prophets had many things of greater Moment to reprove and insist particularly on that they contented themselves to comprehend such things as these under general Reproofs Hence he infers that these were not particularly reproved What Advantage were it to him if this were granted is it not enough that they are clearly condemned in general general Terms But this Consequence we will not yield it only followeth that other things of more Moment are in some Places of Scripture mentioned when these are not But there are particular Reproofs of these in other Places as hath been above shewed and will more appear anone § 14. I shall now adduce another Answer to his Argument which might take off its Force supposing that these Fasts were not
a Religious Conversation but differed from the Church without cause in matters of lesser moment The Episcopal Church had no Pity on such as differed in indifferent Ceremonies acknowledged to be such but drave them away from their Communion unless they would comply in these which they could not do without wounding their Conscience If he can Prove that we deny Communion with the Episcopal Church on on frivolous pretences as he supposeth p. 222 he gaineth what he contendeth for but he findeth it easier to suppose this than to Prove it It was said by his Antagonist that the Donatists forsook their lawful Pastors which Presbyterians do not the Bishops being none of our Pastors He saith this is the very Crime of the Presbyterians in their Erecting Altar against Altar Answer 1. That is not all that we plead for as is clear from what hath been said I have shewed § 8. Cases in which even lawful Pastors may be forsaken and ibid. that this may be done when they require unlawful conditions of Communion with them But I say 2. That the Bishops set up in Scotland were none of the lawful Pastors of the People over whom they pretended to Rule And I am willing that Matter be Determined 1. By the strength of Argument if he can Prove the Warrantableness of the Power that they Claim to we must yield 2. By the Suffrage of the ancient Church which was positive plain and unanimous in this that the People should chuse their own Bishop and other Church-Officers see Instances Enquirie into the Constitution c. of the Primiiive Church c. 3. p. 63. Append. ad Catalog Test veritat p. 33. The ancient Church did never own a Pastoral relation in any Man to a People on whom he was thrust by the Magistrat or any Power not Properly Ecclesiastical and without their own Consent This is our case the Church of Scotland was in Peaceable Possession of Presbyterian Government the Magistrat not the Church made a Change and set Men over the People to be their Bishops whose Office they could not own and whose Persons they had no concern in I Question whether the Primitive Church I mean the first Ages would have counted it Schism to disown such and to cleave to their own lawful Pastors who had been called by them setled by Church Authority among them and laboured among them to their Comfort and Edification His denying the Donatists to have taken their Name from Donatus a casis nigris is contrarie to Petavius rationar tempor lib. 6. p. 249. I know not what Vouchers he hath for him his Assertion p. 220. that Presbyterians have thrown Deacons out of the Church is so false that it is a wonder how he could have the Confidence to Affirm it If he understand it of Preaching Deacons he should have said so and proved such an Officer to have been appointed by CHRIST to be in his Church § 14. His Fifth Reason to prove the Presbyterians Schismaticks is from the Doctrine of Cyprian of which he is so confident that he maketh my asserting that a Bishop in Cyprians time was no more but a Pastor of a Flock or a Presbyterian Moderator not a Diocesan to be a plain Demonstration that I have never read Cyprians Writings If I had read much more than either he or I have I should not so often nor so superciliously vilisie others If I have read little he will find it the easier to refute what I have Written Another Learned Author of his Partie hath taken to task these few Lines in my Def. of Vindic. which he now undertaketh to refute Which Book I have Answered with such reading as I could attain both of Cyprian and other ancient Writers in a Book Intituled the Cyprianick-Bishop Examined where I have endeavoured to Answer all that he hath here Written before I saw it I am not willing to Transcribe it being the most part of that Book He may read it if he thinketh fit and if he or any other will refute what is there said of Episcopacie in Cyprians Age I shall be willing to be Informed by him His Triumphant Conclusion p. 225. evanisheth into smoak if what hath been said be duly Considered He begineth another Debate about Preaching Moralitie which he passeth in a Word overlooking all that had been said in Refutation of his former Book on that Head While it was told him that not all the Clergy but he and such as he was so blamed Also that Preaching Moralitie was never Censured but Applauded and lookt on as necessarie but what we Quarelled was that some do only Preach Moralitie and neglect holding forth to the People the aids of the Spirit by which they should obey the Law acceptably and the Righteousness of CHRIST on account of which they and their Works that are moraly Good should be accepted and a great deal more to this purpose was Discoursed to shew his Mistakes in that Matter to all which he maketh no Return but that his Antagonist had seen no Sermons of his in Print nor heard him and therefore could not tell what sort of Doctrine he preached I think there was sufficient ground for thinking that he useth to Preach in that strain seing he so doth Defend and Applaud it but much more occasion was given for so thinking from a large Discourse in his Book that I was then Refuting Vindicating their way of Preaching in which their is nothing of that which is the Marrow of Gospel Preaching viz. the imputed Righteousness of CHRIST and the influence of his Spirit by which we must do that which pleaseth GOD. His so often Rehearsing as he hath done the Third time an Error of the Press which maketh a Passage that is unexceptionable to be Nonsense and Blasphemie after it had been Solemnly disowned by the Author this I say sheweth the Mans temper I am sure this silly shift will Reflect more on himself in the Eyes of them who are not Malicious than it will on the Person whom he would Defame SECTION XI Of the Government of the first Christian Church of Scotland ANother Debate my Antagonist Engageth in wherein what we hold must be reckoned among the New Opinions of Presbyterians is what way the Christian Church of Scotland was at first Governed whether by Bishops or the Pastors of the Church acting in Parity We cannot give a distinct and paricular Account of their way in this Matter because of the Silence and Defectiveness of the History of these times and therefore it is a Mis-representation when he saith that we hold that they were Presbyterians if he understand Presbyterian Government in the the usual Sense as made up of Kirk-Sessions Presbyteries Synods and General-Assemblies we suppose they had a Government in that Church and that it was Managed by Church Officers and directed by the Word of GOD as they then understood it for this we can bring no other Proof but that they were Christians and we owe them that Charity having
of their own Time as many of the Historians that our Author layeth much Weight on have done but consider Things as then they were Stated and bring probable Grounds either from the Histories written by credible Persons in or near that Time or from any other Medium § 4. I now proceed to the Vindication of our Argument from History for the first Christians in Scotland being Governed without Bishops He mistakes when he saith that I bring Blondel as a Historical Witness of this I mentioned him only as Citing these Authors which assert it Which are Joan. Major de gest Scotor lib. 2. c. 2. Per Sacerdotes Monachos sine Episcopis Scoti in fide sunt eruditi and before him Fordon Scoto-Chronicon lib. 3. c. 8. Ante Palladii adventum habebant Scoti fidei Doctores Sacramentorum Ministratores Presbyteros solummodo vel Monachos Ritum sequentes Ecclesiae Primitivae It is true Blondel citeth also Boet who was later than either of them But what he citeth out of him seemeth not to be so much to his Purpose wherefore I wave that Testimony Our Authors Answer to the other two Testimonies is they were not competent Witnesses living at so great a Distance from the Time they speak of To which I Reply First they cannot be esteemed Partial Witnesses being both of them Papists and not Presbyterians and it may be rationally thought that if they had no sufficient Ground for what they said they would rather have either said what made for the Way they owned or at least suppressed what they had no good Warrant to assert against their own Way To this he saith p. 245. that the Monks advanced this Fable to gratifie the Popes Design of Exempting the Religious Orders from Episcopal Jurisdiction Reply This doth not meet with our Case for Major was no Monk and so not concerned to tell a Lie to please the Pope in that Design And for Fordon whatever Temptation he might have to endeavour the Lessening of the Extent of the Episcopal Power he would not design to root out Episcopacy wholly out of Scotland which this Testimony tendeth to for the Period he speaketh of contrary to the universal Sentiments of that Church whereof he was a Member Wherefore that Consideration doth no way derogat from the Credibility of his Testimony Secondly We have no Ground to think that these Historians spake by Guess or that they invented this Story for the contrary of it cannot be proved and the thing it self is not impossible yea Sir George Mackenzy in his Advertisement before his Book against Saint Asaph maketh it appear that in our Countrey there were very Ancient Manuscripts and that the Priests learned our ancient History from the Druids and he maketh it clear p. 2. c. that our Histories of which that of Fordon and Major are a part being received by the Generality of Mankind especially by Criticks Antiquaries and Historians ought not now to be called in Question And I must still think for all that he hath said in Opposition to it that the History of our Nation falleth if these Authors are not to be believed seing without them he shall never be able to make up a Scots History out of Roman Authors Thirdly The same Author p. 5. sheweth that Men satisfie themselves in most things with the general Belief and Tradition of a People that Manuscripts infer no Mathematical Certainty but the Authors of them might mistake that the Histories of all Nations are no better founded All which sheweth how unreasonable it is to Question the Authority of these Histories especially when none do so but one who is straitned with an Argument brought from their Testimony against a Cause that he is fond of It is also much to our Purpose that the Learned Usher de primord Eccles. Brit. 808. citeth the same Passages with Approbation he citeth also Balaeus de scriptor Britan. affirming that Palladius was sent ut Sacerdotalem Ordinem Romano Ritu institueret which we may rationally think was to set up Bishops Also the Learned Doctor Forbes Iren. p. 157. citeth the same Passage of Major and addeth of his own adeo ut Ecclesia Scoticana plus quam 230 annos erat absque Regimine Episcopali and Forbes was Zealous for Episcopacy § 5. The Testimony of these Historians is supported by other Historians who shew Palladius was the first Bishop that Ruled in the Scots Christian Church and that Church had Subsisted and had Government and others of Christs Ordinances in it above two hundred years before Palladius came among them This is Attested by Baronius and his Epitomator Spondanus ad ann 431. and by them taken out of Prosper see Spondan p. 592. this is more fully cleared first Vind. p. 4. His Answer to this I now consider He saith p. 244. that the Controversie cometh to this whether Prosper saith that two hundred years before Palladius was sent to the Scots there was a Presbyterian Church in Scotland this is a ridiculous State of the Question and made by none but himself we affirm that Prosper said that Palladius was the first Bishop sent to the Scots and we aliunde prove that there was a Christian Church in Scotland two hundred years before that time Whence the Consequence is clear that during that Space the Scots Christians had no Bishops I must ly under his Charge of Supine Negligence in not Reading the Authors I cite I only may be bold to require him to make that appear That he thus attempteth Baronius saith in the same Place of Palladius Quem perductum etiam ad Hiberniam Insulam sed cito mortuum Probus in rebus gestis Sancti Patricii scripsit dictum est superius Hibernorum quidem Conversionem Deus Sancto Patricio reservavit I hope the Judicious Reader will neither think it a Token of Supine Negligence nor of my not Reading the Books I cite that I did not Transcribe this For it was no ways to the Purpose in hand it might as well be so Constructed that I did not write over all that followeth in Baronius about Saint Patricks Descent about his Ordination his Instruction in Divinity c. But the Weight of his Objection lyeth in this that Baronius and Spondanus understood Prosper so as that Palladius was sent to Ireland and not to that part of Britain that we call Scotland Here the Enquirer giveth me Occasion to return the Civility of a good Advice to him that he would consider what he Readeth and what he Citeth out of Authors for it is against all Sense and Reason to make Baronius and Spondanus either mean this in this Passage or so to understand Prosper of a Mission to Ireland and not to Scotland It is to make a flat Contradiction between their Meaning and their Words Whereas they say Sanctus Prosper missum ait Palladium ordinatum Episcopum ad Scotos quem perductum etiam ad Hiberniam c. The Meaning then must be to our Author tho he
that nothing was done in their Meetings without a Moderator who presided among them and did with the rest authoritatively Consult and Determine this we grant but it maketh nothing for him 3. What he meaneth by the Bishops particular Advice and Authoritie I cannot well guess If he mean that he Advised and Determined with the rest that is what we hold If that he had a negative Vote so that all the rest could do nothing without his consent he ought not to call for Proof from us against that the Probation is to be expected from him who affirmeth it If that he determined by himself and the rest were but his Council this we deny also and he must prove it It is enough that we prove that others with the Bishop Moderator or Praeses did manage the Affairs of the Church for which the Arguments above brought may be thought sufficient What followeth in several pages is to prove that the Jews and Grecians did sometimes Dichotomize their Clergy yet at other times they mentioned the Distinctions of the High Priest from other Priests so of the Bishops from the Presbyters This would indeed weaken our Argument if it had no more force than he giveth it If we had argued simply from the Church Officers being sometimes divided into Bishops and Deacons without distinguishing Bishops or Presbyters among themselves But our Argument being taken not only from this indistinction of Presbyters in some but in all places where they are mentioned and also from the Scripture not distinguishing them by their Offices Work Qualifications or the Injunctions that are given them about their Work these Distinctions of Presbyters that some of the Ancients use make nothing against our Argument unless he can prove that when they mean Bishops as distinct from Presbyters they ascribe also a superior power to them which he often asserteth but never proveth We confess that after the Apostles age the name Bishop began soon to be appropriated to the Praeses in the Presbyterie but in the three first Centuries the Bishop did not rule alone nor had superior power to the rest I have lately defended against another of our Episcopal Brethren and shall also endeavour it against the Assaults of this Author when he shall please to attempt this proof Mean while I am not concerned further to Answer what he insisteth on to p. 39. where he engageth with another of our Arguments than to examine some few Hints that seem to be intended as argumentative wherewith his Discourse is interspersed § 10. He telleth us p. 31. that Cyprian asserts the Jurisdiction and Prerogative of the Episcopal power upon all occasions with great Courage and Assurance What my last Antagonist brought for this end out of the Writing of that holy Martyr I have endeavoured to Answer with what success it is not mine to judge if this Author will either re-inforce the same Citations or bring new ones I shall not decline the Debate with him That Polycarp as he hath it p. 32. distinguisheth himself from the subordinate Presbyters while he inscribeth his Epistle Polycarp and the Presbyters that are with him Who saith our Author if he had stood on a Level with these Presbyters would never have distinguished himself from the Community of his Brethren This reasoning I say is so remote from Concludencie that our Author hath not consulted his own Credite in using it For first whatever prioritie of Dignity may be hence inferred as Polycarp being an older man than the rest or Praeses in the Meeting it is ridiculous to infer from this either Superiority or solitude of power 2. Polycarp might be the Author of the Epistle and the rest Assenters to it that might give occasion to his being named 3. Will any say that when a Letter is thus directed to a Presbyterie for N. Moderator and the rest of the Brethren of the Presbyterie of E that this inferreth Episcopal Jurisdiction in the person of him who is so named Such stuff is not worth refuteing P. 33. He telleth us that Hermas reproveth some who strove for the first Dignity and Preferment and if then was no such Precedency there in the Church there was no ground for his Reprehension Apage nugas Have not some striven for unlawful Preferments as James and John did for a Dominion in the Church like that of the Lords among the Gentiles Yea we deny not all preferment in the Church may not some ambitiously strive to be a Minister or an Elder yea or a Deacon All which are Preferments if compared with the people and may not a Presbyterian Minister strive to be Moderator without designing Episcopal Jurisdiction That Blondel Salmasius and Dally laboured to support this Argument as our Author represents it is falsly asserted p. 35. As is also that this Opinion about Parity was never heard of before the days of Aerius If he would attempt to prove all that he confidently asserteth his Book would swell to a great Bulke Sir Thomas Craig whose Memory is venerable in the learned World must here also be lashed as ignorant of Divinity and of the Fathers because he was prebyterianly inclined I find nothing more that is observable or that can derogate from the strength of our Argument as stated by us in this his Discourse only his unmannerly as well as false Assertion p. 38. that the Ecclesiastical Levellers so in reproach and contempt he calleth the Presbyterians flee to this Argument as their first and last Refuge and yet nothing is more frivolous and trifling He may see if he will be at pains to read what he pretendeth to refute that they have other yea better Arguments and will find it hard to give a solide Answer to this Argument represented in its full Strength SECTION V. Testimonies from Antiquity which my Antagonist pretendeth to wrest from me Vindicated HE mentioneth these p. 9. as our third Argument for Parity Whereas if he had thought fit to read what hath been written on our side he might have found thrice as many more and of more strength than any thing that he maketh us to say But this and the two Arguments above debated with him are all that he will allow us to have on our side His Introduction to this piece of his Work smells rank of such a temper of mind as I am not willing to name while he calleth them who possessed the Government and Revenues of the Church Atheists and Enthusiasts and that without exception or Limitation Thus are all the Presbyterian and Congregational Ministers of England as well as others charactered by him We will not retaliate but the learned and religious world had and have another Esteem of not a few who then were in the Ministry and judge that Atheism and other sinful Evils have been diffused into the Church after that time though we deny not that then it was too manifest among some He saith that Blondel employed all his Skill to make the Antients contradict themselves and all