over the Bishops was only in respect of the royalty of the Isle which the King gave the Abbot As if ever Bede or any man else could have mark'd such a Superiority as strange and unusual it being nothing but what every Prince or Lord of any place still practises who altho' he subject himself to a Bishop in Spirituals yet in respect of Temporals and the Royalty uses to retain the Superiority But which ' utterly spoils the Bishop's comment Bede tells that all Columbanus got was the possession of a little Isle able to sustain about five Families for building of a Monastry without the least mention of his being invested with the Royalty thereof or any other Island and yet to him were all the Bishops of the whole Province all the Bishops of Scotland saith the Saxon Chronicle cited by the Bishop himself subjected so that this pretended Royalty of Columban over the Island becomes a vain dream tho' 't were real could do him no kindness the whole Prouince being certainly a far other thing than any such Island wherefore the Superiority this Presbyter had over these Bishops must needs have been in Ecclesiastick affairs and this was really remarkable and unusual But of this enough for whosoever believes that the errand of this most ancient Preacher and Propagator of Christ's Kingdom was to win an earthly Kingdom to himself and that the King shar'd with him his Soveraignity and Realm may as soon swallow the whole legend of Constantine's Donation to Sylvester But to return to the Advocat as in the things that he touches he wholly prevaricats so he never handles our main Argument which is taken from what is related of our Churches practice preceeding the coming of Palladius He only refers to Spotswood who says Buchanan is of opinion that before Palladius his coming there was no Bishop in this Church what warrant he had to write so I know not except he did build upon that which Joannes Major saith speaking of the same Palladius The Scots he says were instructed in the Christian Faith by Priests and Monks without any Bishops But from the instruction of the Scots in the Faith to conclude that the Church after it was gathered had no other form of Government will not stand with any reason For be it as they speak that by the Travels of fome pious Monks the Scots were first converted unto Christ it cannot be said that the Church was ruled by Monks seeing long after these times it was not permitted to Monks to meddle with matters of the Church nor were they reckon'd among the Clergy But it 's strange how he can alledge Buchanan to be supported by no Authors except Major for Palladius his being Scotland's first Bishop he could not but know that not only Major but also Fordun Bede with many others within the Isle Prosper Bergumensis and among the later Historians the Magdeburgenses Baron with many other Transmarines assert it And this last affirms that none can deny it § 4. It 's true Spotswood says that Boeth out of ancient Annals reports that these Priests were wont for their better Government to elect some one of their number by common suffrage to be Chief and Principal among them without whose knowledge and consent nothing was done in any matter of importance and that the person so elected was called Scotorum Episcopus a Scots Bishop or a Bishop of Scotland But they reap little advantage here for in Boeth's words y there is no mention as the Bishop without book affirms whether these Annals were ancient or modern But whatever they be Hector gives ground to believe that he had Annals declaring the contrary as appears by his words above cited where he homologated that common sentiment of Christians and told us that Palladius was our first Bishop and that none before him had any Hierarchical Power in Scotland To alledge therefore Boethius as espousing their cause here is ony to set him at variance with all Christians and by the ears with himself But grant it were as Spotswood says yet there should no small dammage accreu to their Cause seeing on supposition hereof it follows that the Episcopal Ordination was altogether wanting in the primitive Church of Scotland it not being supposeable that this one man could Ordain all the Pastors in Scotland yea that even this their great Bishop had no other Ordination himself but what he receiv'd from Presbyters § 5. The Bishop's following words from the instruction of the Scots in the Faith c. are altogether void of reason For it 's granted that after the coming of Palladius which is the time whereunto he must refer the gathering of the Church she then indeed began to have another Government and never man yet pleaded that because the Church of Scotland was not govern'd by Bishops before Palladius therefore 't was not really govern'd by them after his coming which is the Inference the Bishop's words seem to deny But I believe there is more in them for they are abstruse and judge their meaning to be that tho' we had no Bishops before Palladius yet this can be no ground to conclude that we ought to have none afterward our Church being then rude and in her infant state The Advocat is of the same mind saying that before Palladius his time our Church was constituenda or unsettl'd But who can believe it For first it 's generally suppos'd that Palladius came to free this Church from Pelagianism and not to establish Church-government Secondly Is 't credible that the Church of Scotland after so long a continuation and flourishing of Christianity had been rather than any other Churches without any certain form of Government This is certainly a thing unparalellable even according to our Adversaries who tell us that every Church very soon after its beginning had its Diocesan Bishops and so a certain form of Government Thirdly Yea altho' many other Churches had been without all Government for such a tract of time there is ground to believe that Scotland could not they lying most of this time under the persecuting Sword whereas we read of no persecution in our Church even while our Kings were Pagan and our King Donald the I the first crown'd Head in the World that ever subject'd it self to Jesus Christ very much encourag'd the Christians and was seconded herein by severals of his Successors And altho' some of 'em were vitious and their Reigns short or vex'd with Wars yet such trouble never struck directly against Christianity like the fury of the Pagans throngh the rest of the World and others were both excellent Men and had longer and peaceable Reigns as Findochus and Cratilinthus but especially Fincormachus an excellent man and a great promoter of Religion and therefore as is most presumable was a great Instrument under God for the settlement of our Church-affairs Add to all this Fourthly That the terrible Storm of Persecution through the Roman World drove then from the Brittons
that the Church of Scotland be not subject to that Order he adventures not once to mention which yet is a reason of Knox's repining and so gives the meaning of his whole Discourse And seeing 't is of equal credit with his foregoing words being not only with the rest taken by Petrie out of that Historical Relation but related also by Calderwood fully scatters all his fogg and clearly determines the present Question somewhat else he hath here but of small moment As Knox when Douglas who was already Rector of the Vniversity and Provest of the old Colledge was made Bishop regrated that so many Offices were laid on an old Man which scarcely twenty of the best Gifts were able to bear Thence he Infers that Knox ' s resentment of Douglas his advance was not from any Perswasion he had of the unlawfulness of Prelacy As if Knox might not assert the unlawfulness of Prelacy and yet say so much for a a Superpondium to his other Grievances And to shew even on Supposition as they pretended of the allowableness of Episcopacy how little sence of Duty or Conscience was in either Givers or Receivers § 6. There was at this time saith M. D. Hume no small Contest and Debate betwixt the Court and the Church about Bishops and Prelats concerning their Office and Jurisdiction The Ministers laboured to have them quite abolished and taken away and the Court thought that form of Government to be agreeable and compatible with a Monarchical Estate and more conform to the Rules of Policy and Civil Government of a Kingdom Besides the Courtiers had tasted the sweetness of their Rents and Revenues putting in titular Bishops who were only their Receivers and had a certain Pension or Stipend for discharging and executing the Ecclesiastical part of their Office but the main profit was taken up by Courtiers for their own use Wherefore they laboured to retain at least these shadows of Bishops for letting of leases and such other things which they thought were not good in Law otherways There was none more forward to keep them up than the Earl of Morton for he had gone Ambassadour to England on his own privat Charges and to recompence his great Expenses in that Journey the Bishoprick of St. Andrews being then vacant was conferr'd upon him He put in Mr. John Douglass who was Provost of the New Colledge in St. Andrews to bear the Name of Bishop and to gather the Rents till such time as the Solemnity of Inauguration could be obtain'd for which he was countable to him This he did immediatly after he came home out of England Now he will have him to sit in Parliament and to vote there as Arch-bishop The Superintendent of Fyfe did inhibit him to sit there or to Vote under pain of Excommunication Morton commanded him to do it under pain of Treason and Rebellion The Petition giv'n in to the Parliament desiring a competent Provision for the maintaince of Preachers in which they complained of the wrong done unto them by the Courtiers who intercepted their means was cast over the Bare and rejected and by the most common report Morton was the first cause thereof Afterward Morton in a Meeting of some Delegats and Commissioners of the Church at Leith by the Superintendent Dune's means used the matter so that he obtain'd their Consent to have his Bishop admitted and install'd Wherefore the third of February he caus'd affix a schedul on the Church door of St Andrews wherein he charged the Ministers to conveen and admit him to the Place which they did accordingly but not without great Opposition For Mr. Patrick Adamson then a Preacher but afterward Arch-bishop there himself in a Sermon which he preached against the Order and Office of Bishops said there were three sorts of Bishops 1. The Lords Bishop to wit Christ's and such was every Pastor 2. My Lord Bishop that is such as Bishop as is a Lord who sits and Votes in Parliament and exercises Jurisdiction over his Brethren 3. And the third sort was my Lord's Bishop that is one whom some Lord or Nobleman at Court did put into the place to be his Receiver to gather the Rents and let Leases for his Lordship's behoofe but had neither the Means nor Power of a Bishop This last sort he called a Tulchan Bishop because as the Tulchan which is a Calves skin stuff'd with straw is set up to make the Cow give down her milk so are such Bishops set up that their Lords by them may milk the Bishopricks Likewise Mr. Knox preached against it the tenth of February and in both their hearings Morton's and his Arch-bishop to their Faces pronunced Athathema danti Anathema accipienti And We shewed before how in matters of Church-government he ever inclined as the most politique Course to the state of Bishops The Name was yet retained by Custom◠the Rents were lifted also by them as we have said more for other Mens use and profit than their own They had also place and vote in Parliament after the old manner and he would gladly have had them to have keeped their Power and Jurisdiction over their Brethren Master John Douglass being dead he fill'd the place by putting in Mr. Patrick Adamson his domestick Chaplain who then followed that Course tho before he had preach'd against it Many were displeas'd herewith all the Ministers especially they of the greatest Authority and all Men of Estates that were best affected to Religion And which he cites out of an English Historian Francis Botevill As touching his viz. Morton's setting up and maintaining the estate of Bishops whereof there had ensued great debate and contention betwixt him and the Ministry he said it did not proceed of an ill mind of any malice or contempt of them or their Callings but meerly out of want of better knowledge thinking that Form of Government to be most conform to the Rules of Policy and to be fittest for the times That if he had then known better he would have done otherways And He viz. Morton was also calm this appeared in his carriage toward Mr. Knox who had used him roughly and rebuk'd him sharply for divers things but especially for his labouring to set up and maintain the estate of Bishops Hence 't is most manifest how not only Knox but also the whole body of our Church disliked and hated the very first bud and likeness of Prelacy and how by meer force and fraud of the voracious Court-politicians upon the dishonesty of some but the unwariness and faintness of many moe of the Ministry These monstrous Tulchans for all men even our present Prelatists are ashamed of them got that minot's harbour in Scotland § 7. Our Author Answers for he insists long on this matter That the Question is not now how this was done but if it was done For if it was done it is an Argument that the Clergy then thought little on the iudispensibility of Parity Just
only from these titular Bishops and Rent-gatherers to the Courtiers supported with all the might Wit and Artifice of an awfull gripping politick Regent and no few other potentand subtile Courtiers driving their own ends as has already appeared and is most evident from the best accounts now extant of these Affairs and this is the undoubted Cause why the six Collocutors at the Assembly in August 1575. think it not expedient presently to answer directly to the Question of the Function of Bishops But he who stilleth the noise of the Seas the noise of their waves having restrain'd these impetuous Tempests how cordially did our Church proceed to the utter extirpation of Prelacy Forsamekle they are the words of the Assembly holden at Dundee Anno 1580. July 12. Sess. 4. as the Office of a Bishop as it is now used and commonly taken within this Realme hath no sure warrant authority or good ground out of the Book and Scriptures of God but brought in by the folly and corruption of mens invention to the great overthrow of the true Kirk of God the whole Assembly of the Kirk in one voice after liberty given to all Men to reason in the matter none opponing themself in defence of the said pretended Office findeth and declareth the samine pretended Office used and termed as is above said unlawfull in the self as having neither fundament ground nor warrant in the word of God c. And in all this our Church as she clearly here expresses did nothing save what she was oblig'd to do by her own Principle in the first Book of Discipline which affirms that all thing necessary for the instruction of the Church is contain'd in the Books of the Old and New Testament And that whatsoever is without express commandment of God's Word is to be repress'd as damnable to Salvation Our Reformers therefore except our Adversaries say which even impudence it self dare not say that they believ'd the Hierarchy to be founded on the express command of God's Word were bound by this their Principle to oppose it as a manifest corruption and according to this Principle whensoever Prelacy by force of the secular arm and fraud of serpentine policy and as one well words it by terrors and allurements crosses and commodities banishment and benefices for by other means it could never be admitted overwhelm'd this Land and discover'd the Hypocrisie or Gallio-like Disposition of many all the true Lovers of our Reformation still then had in greater or lesser measure as their love was to this truly Protestant yea truly Catholick and Christian Principle of our Reformers their Feasts turned into Mourning their Songs into Lamentation their Tears for Meat and their Harps hang'd on the Willows And now suppose that our Reformers in that unstable condition of our Church and very first rudiments of Protestancy had in some of their Doings or Saying afforded some colour or appearance either for the scruples of the curious or the quirks and cavils of the captious does not pray this most unanimous most clear and every way most unexceptionable Act of our most full and free Generall Assembly that consisted for the far greater part of the very same Men who were the Actors and Promoters of our first Reformation most fully open our Remormers their minds shew their ultimat tendency and scope and finally for ever determine the present Controversie § 8. He hath more to say of John Knox I return therefore to attend him His next Plea is with Calderwood about Beza's Letter to Knox where he denies that Beza wrote being inform'd by Knox of the Courts intention to bring in Bishops and adds that if any thing of Knox ' s Sentiments can be collected from Beza ' s Letter it seems rather he was for Prelacy than for Presbytry For Beza saith he seems clearly to import that Knox needed to be caution'd against Prelacy Beza's Words are But I would have you my dear Knox and the other Brethren to Remember that which is before your eyes that as Bishops brought foorth the Papacy so false Bishops the relicts of Popery shall bring in Epicurism to the World They that desire the Churches good and safety let them take heed of this Pest and seeing ye have put that Plague to flight timously I heartily pray you that Ye never admit it again albeit it seem plausible with the pretence or colour of keeping unily which pretence deceiv'd the ancient Fathers yea even many of the best of ' em Where Beza without giving any proof thereof clearly supposes as a thing believed by Knox no less than by himself that the Bishops whom some were then labouring to introduce into Scotland were false Bishops the relicts of Popery which had already been once driv'n out of Scotland and on this supposition as any Orators use to do from Principles common to themselves and these to whom they are speaking he admonish'd him and the rest to beware of this Plague Certain it is then if we believe Beza that he knew if by a Letter from Knox or otherwise concerns not the matter in hand that Knox judg'd the Bishops then to be introduc'd to be no others than were the Popish Bishops whom Knox and his fellow Reformers had lately expuls'd Scotland and both sorts of Bishops to be equally false and Anti-christian And now consider this Letter of Beza written near the same time with that of Knox to the Assembly and the disinterested shall soon perceive that the former explains the latter and sufficiently shews what Knox meant by the Tyranny mention'd therein Moreover whosoever finds so much against Episcopacy in Beza even tho' it had been spoken by him without any relation or respect to Knox and remembers how universal and firm Concord was between these excellent Persons Qui duo corporibus mentibus unus erant will easily conclude that Knox bore but small kindness to Prelacy § 9. He comes next to prove Knox was not for Parity Had he been saith he so perswaded how seasonable had it been for him to have spoken out so mnch when he was brought before King Edward ' s Council The Question was then put to him whether he thought that no Christian might serve in the Ecclesiastical Ministration according to the Rites and Laws of the Realm of England Yet he answer'd nothing but that no Minister in England had Authority to separate the Lepers from the whole which was a chief part of his Office Plainly founding all the unlawfulness of being a Pastor of the Church of England not only the unlawfulness of the Hierarchy which he spoke not one word about but on the Kings retaining the chief Power of Ecclesiastical Discipline As if Knox had judg'd nothing in the Church of England unlawfull but the King 's retaining the Ecclesiastical Discipline in his own hand which all Men even Episcopals no less than Presbyterians know to be an arch and palpable untruth Does not as for example our Assembly Anno 1566.
as that of Planting the first Christian Churches Lastly I appeal to all Protestants if his ascribing to every Bishop a Power of authorative preventing of Heresies i. e. a Power of making Canons that lean only on the Bishop's own Will and which he 's not oblig'd to prove from Scripture otherwise every Minister of Christ hath a Power and Authority by publick preaching and reasoning from the Word of God to prevent and overthrow Heresies and so D. M. speaks not to the purpose hath not a rank savour of what is no better than the grossest of Popery The Romanists give such an authoritative Power to one Pope but from a perswasion of his Infallibility this Author will have it unto every single Bishop tho' as yet he has not adventured to ascribe to each of 'em such a Priviledge and to explain if need were what he means by this authoritative preventing of Heresies § 2. Look but on page 95 et seq and you shall see him make every Bishop an Apostle in the strickest sense and priviledg'd with no less Power over the Church-Officers and People in his Diocess than an Apostle ever had or could exercise viz. a Power to Govern the Churches to give Rules and Directions to inflict Censures to communicat his Authority to others to hear Complaints to decide Controversies to Confer the Holy Ghost viz. the Gifts of the Holy Ghost that must needs attend the authoritative Ministry of holy Things and therefore that the Office of an Apostle is altogether ordinary and permanent The Apostolical Office saith he being essentially no other than this the ordinary Necessities of the Church require that it should continue till the second coming of our Saviour But the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost the Power of Miracles of Languages were only extriasick Advantages and not peculiar to the Apostles And to affirm otherwayes and say that the proper Apostolick Office is now ceased he makes proper to Presbyterians and Socinians But so far is he from speaking Truth here that the ceasing of the proper Apostolick Office and Power is asserted by the Body of Protestants even Episcopal no less than Presbyterian in opposition to the Jesuites his Masters who as he doth to his Diocesan Bishop arrogate an Apostolick Office and Power to their Pope Spanhem F. a fervent Apologist of the Hierarchicks assigns many Characters of the Apostolate as an extraordinary Calling either immediat or equivalent thereto Infallibility of Doctrine transcendent Efficacy and energy in Preaching admirable success therein the Gift of Tongues and of working Miracles all which things altho' some of 'em might have been in some measure in others were saith he in a more Divine and Eminent manner in the Apostles And he affirms that every one who was endued with a true and proper Apostolick Power had and could give such visible Proofs and ocular Demonstrations thereof and then concludes against the Pope thus let the Pope now descend from the Capitol let him as did the Apostles declare that he has the Gift of Tongues Divinely infused let him bring visibly the Gifts of the Holy Ghost from Heav'n let him work like the Apostles such illustrious Miracles and then we shall yeeld that he has Apostolick Authority and so shall we to the Diocesans when they adduce these Proofs of their Apostleship He asserts that they 're much deceiv'd who would bring the Apostles down to the Order of particular Bishops and demonstrats against Hammond that they were not at all call'd Apostles on the account that they were Bishops consequently that Apostle and Bishop are quite different things In short the very Sum and Substance of Spanhemius his Disputation is nothing save an Approbation and Confirmation of that common Sentiment of Protestants express'd by Beza The Churches saith he being once constitute this Office of the Apostle-ship was of necessity taken away he is a Tyranne therefore who does now profess himself an Apostle in the Church by Succession And by this one Observation viz. that whereever the proper Apostolick Power was they could give ocular and undeniable Proofs and Demonstrations thereof the Protestants for ever silence and baffle the Jesuites and their Progeny D. M. and such Companions ascribing a Power properly Apostolick to their Roman Antichrist and their Diocesan Prelats and fully remove all thier Quibbles on this Theme as Dr. Scot's Quirk the Substance whereof is there 's no mention in Scripture of the taking away of this Apostolick Office and therefore it yet remains But I forgot that for the permanency of a Power properly Apostolick D. M. cites Mat. 28. 20. And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World As if not to mention Protestants even the more ingenuous Romanists as Lyra did not understand this place of Christ's assistance given to all Doctors of the Church without any Discrimination Moreover all his Exceptions and pretended Instances to the contrary are impertinent and severals of 'em false in matter of Fact as for Example nor is it necessary saith D. M. to make up an Apostle that he be immediatly call'd to the Apostolate by our Saviour for Matthias was not immediatly ordain'd by our Saviour but by the Apostles But Spanhemius tells these Jesuites that the Lot that fell upon Matthias was really the voice of God no less than was that of the Division of Canaan of the Scape-goat c. And indeed as I said that the Office and Power properly Apostolick is long since ceas'd is the common Doctine of Protestants as Calvine None saith Sadeel against Turrian the Jesuite but he who is an Ignoramus in Divinity will confound an Apostle with a Bishop I assert therefore that God's immediat calling and choosing to preach the Gospel is essential to the Office of an Apostle But these say you were Presbyterians I deny 't not however they were then pleading the common Cause of Protestants and were never opposed herein by any save down-fight Papists only till that now we have to do with real Jesuites who yet mask themselves and will not acknowledge the name In the mean while I do not think they 'll say Spanhemius Fil. is a Presbyterian nor yet Nilus ' Bishop of Thessalonica who saith the Pope is not an Apostle the Apostles did not ordain other Apostles but only Doctors and Teachers Of this mind is also Willet Bellarmine saith Whitaker seems to say the Pope succeeds Peter in his Apostle-ship but none can have Apostolick Power but he who is properly and truly an Apostle for the Power and Office of an Apostle constitute an Apostle But that the Pope is neither truly nor properly an Apostle is prov'd by these Arguments whereby Paul proves his Apostle-ship as that he was not call'd by Men c. Gal. 1. 1 and 12. and Ephes. 3. 3. and 5. 1 Cor. 9. 1. Altho' saith Sutlivius the ancient Bishop of Rome succeeded Peter in Doctrine
Feet ye onght also to Wash one anothers Feet that every Apostle yea and every Believer is Lord and Master of the rest § 8. And writing to Euagrius I hear saith Hierome there is one so mad as to preferr the Deacons to the Presbyters that is to the Bishops For seeing the Apostle clearly teaches that Bishops and Presbyters are one and the same how can a Server of Tables and Widows proudly preferr himself to these at whose Prayers the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood is consecrated you will require a Proof hear a Testimony Paul and Timothy to all the Saints in Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons would you have another Example in the Acts of of the Apostles Paul thus speaks to the Presbyters of one Church Take heed to your Selves and the whole Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to Rule the Church c. And that none may contentiously plead that in one City there were many Bishops here also another Testimony wherein it 's most evidently proved that both Presbyter and Bishop were one and the same and then produces the 1 to Titus and 1 to Timothy 4. 8. 14. neglect not with the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytry And 1 Peter 4 and 1. 2 John 1. 3 John 1. And all these to prove that he had undertaken viz that both Bishop and Presbyter were one and the same Now it 's most observable that that he inferrs this Conclusion not only from Scriptures written long after the first Epistle to the Corinthians where it 's said I am of Paul c. but even from the last Epistle of John the longest Liver of all the Apostles And therefore no less notticeable is D. M's extream stubborness and aversion from Truth who would force Hierome to introduce Bishops presently after that Schism mention'd 1 Cor. 1. And accordingly as his bad Cause oblig'd him to do with this and the rest of Hierome's Testimonies wholly smuther'd it And indeed all hitherto who have adventur'd to graple therewith have been conquer'd thereby yea even Bellarmine himself is compell'd to give up the Cause Hierome indeavours saith the Jesuite to conclude the equality of Bishops and Presbyters from the Epistle to Titus to the Philippians and from the Epistles of Peter and John which were written after the first Epistle to the Corinthians Neither can the Jesuite find another way to be even with Hierome but by arraigning him as fraughted with self-repugnancy levity and instability in this Matter and all the Arguments he brings to prove Hierome a Favourer of Episcopacy are only so many fruitless Attempts to make that appear But let us go on with Hierome But saith he the reason why after this viz. the writing of both the Epistles of John one was chosen and set over the rest was that there might be a remedy of Schism least every one drawing the Church of Christ to himself should divide it For in Alexandria from Mark the Evangelist even to Heraclas and Dionysius the Presbyters still gave to one elected from amongst themselves and placed in a higher seat the Name of Bishop as if an Army should creat a General or the Deacons should chuse one of themselves whom they know to be industrious and name him Arch-Deacon On these words D. M. triumphs The Custome was saith he even from the days of St. Mark the Evangelist that a Presbyter was chosen who Governed the whole Society this in the Opinion of St. Hierome cuts off that imaginary Interval wherein the Chruch is said to have been Governed by a Parity of Presbyters Where he forgeth a Gloss no way contain'd in the words of Hierome whose Example of an Army and Deacons are only adduc'd to shew the manner of that Presbyter or nominat'd Bishop's entrance and not at all the measure of his Power over his Collegues And that no Power over the rest can be collected from this place is beyond Scruple clear from Hierome's present Scope who introduces this Ancient Alexandrian Practice to clear and prove the Identity of Bishop and Presbyter which according to him remain'd in the Church for a while after the Writings of John the longest Liver of all the Apostles Had D. M. perused Dr. Stillingfleet he had taught him that both Election and Ordination of this Alexandrian Bishop was only performed by his Fellow Presbyters that the Original of Hierome ' s exsors potestas any Power he mentions in Bishops over Presbyters is by Hierome attributed not to any Episcopal Institution but to the free choice of the Presbyters themselves for what doth a Bishop continues Hierome except Ordination which a Presbyter may not do Here the Jesuites and their Follower D. M. dream they find a fine Distinction made by Hierome between Bishop and Presbyter but first they must make an unseasonable Antiptosis and compell Hierome to speak contrary to the express words of this place which are in the present Tense contrary to the scope and design of this Epistle which is professedly to shew the great Dignity of Presbyters yea even their Identity with Bishops and thereby to reach a sharper reproof to the petulant Deacon And contrary finally to Hierome's most clear and most frequently repeated Doctrine of the Scriptural Identity of both Offices Were it not madness then to dream with the Jesuits that in these words Hierome makes any Distinction between the Scripture Bishop and Presbyter who is here only asserting that in all places Rome excepted where the Presbyters were more depressed and the Deacons more raised than in other Churches even then in his time a Presbyter was allow'd by the Canons and Constitutions of the Churches to do ought that a Bishop might do save Ordination alone This his Design of holding forth the most great dignity of Presbyters yea even their equality with Bishops which Bellarmine acknowledges that he may the better compesce the Insolency of the Deacons Hierome all along this Epistle prosecutes and having again cited the Epistles to Timothy and Titus to prove that a Presbyter is contain'd in i. e. is one and the same with a Bishop otherwayes a Deacon is also in a Bishop and so Hierome had crossed his own Design by the very Argument wherewith he minded to compass it and having added some other Topicks to the same purpose thus concludes his Epistle And that we may know that the Apostolick Traditions are brought from the Old Testament that which Aaron and his Sons and the Levites were in the Temple the Bishops Presbyters and Deacons claim in the Church Nunc animis opus Aenaeae nunc pectore firmo All the Jesuites and their Complices will presently be about our Ears But Solamen nobis Soeios habuisse malorum Their Attaques are no less on Hierome than us wherefore this is one of the chief places brought by Bellarmine to involve Hierome in a maze of self-contradiction and make him propugn Prelacy who is followed by others of the Hierarchicks but
Did the primitive Church use Organs in Divine Worship Were they not first introduced in the seventh Century by Pope Vitalian And yet it is doubtfull if they were so soon received For Aquinas dislikes and condemns them Or where pray in the true primitive Church shall they find the Surplice Corner-Cap and Tippet Or where to name no more shall they find the Bishop allowed to involve himself in secular cares Civil and State Offices or Imployments Some used indeed when they pleased the Christian Emperor allowing it to make the Bishops Arbiters of their private Debates but to all the good Bishops as Augustine complains this was a most weighty Grievance But in more early times even this was not permitted for Cyprian condemns as altogether unlawfull that any Church-man should be so much as a testamentary Tutor to any Pupil And mark the ground he goes on For saith he whosoever are honoured with the Divine Priest-Hood or have a place in the Clergy ought only to serve at the Altar and spend their time in Prayer and Supplication For 't is written no Man that warreth intangleth himself with the Affairs of this Life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a souldier Thâ—â— is such a clear and inevitable Condemnation of the Practice of the Hierarchicks that the Learned Annotators Pamelius and the Bishop of Oxford finding nothing wherewith to elude it skipp it over with deep silence And now judge if Cyprian was of one mind with the Bishop of Five Churches who will have the meaning of Paul's words cited by Cyprian to be that every Christian ought to abstain from those things which are repugnant to Christian Profession which are sins only and will not have the Apostle to speak any thing of Church-men in particular or if Cyprian would have expon'd the sixth of the Canons ascribed to the Apostles as doth Heylyn who makes the Canon only to mean that Bishops or inferiour Clergy-Men might not be Consuls Praetors Generals or undergoe such publick Offices in the State of Rome as were most sought for and esteemed by the Gentiles there Heylen is here somewhat intricat and his cause required it However the sum of his drift is that the exercising of these or the like Offices is allowed to any Pastor by the Canon Now altho' ' tallowed it not when the Empire was Pagan and he would prove something of this kind from 1 Cor. 6. where he must count all Magistrats thro' the Christian World Pagans and Unbelievers for otherways none shall ever prove from this Scripture so much as the lawfullness of a Bishop or Pastors judging and determining any difference between any two that referr themselves to his Arbitration And tho' he should prove it pray what is this to the exercising the Office of Consul General Praetor Chancellour Treasurer or the like pieces of such temporal Power and Grandor Judge moreover were there no more but Paul his words to Timothy 1. 4 13 14 15. And 2 Tim. 4. 2 5. If there be Leasure left any Pastor to be either Consul General or ought else of this nature and consequently if all the shifts they use on this head be not sufficiently overthrown by these Scriptures only But I had almost forgotten to notice how they torment themselves that they may torment and detort Cyprian For Saravia says that the Canon Cyprian speaks off was but particular and provincial only for the Church of Carthage But Heylen refutes Saravia his comment and says Cyprian spoke so because the Church was then almost destitute and unprovided of Presbyters As if Cyprian had not spoken of Chruch-men absolutely and without the least intimation of any such restriction and grounded his saying on a Scripture which whatsoever it speaks of Church-men confessedly says it of the mall be they many or few or in whatsoever time and place they live Moreover it 's most certain that in Matthew 20. 25 26 27 28. The Princes of the Gentiles c. And Mark 10. 42 43 44 45. And Luke 22. 25 26 27. All Pastors of Flocks are prohibited to exercise Dominion secular and state Dignity and a parity of the Apostles amongst themselves and in them a parity of all ordinary Pastors or Ministers of the Gospell among themselves is enjoyned D. M. pretends to engage with the latter part of this Inference but first he mis-states the question as if from these Texts we pleaded for a perfect equality of all the Officers of Christs house without distinction between extraordinary and ordinary Ministers or between Pastors and other Officers and so his saying that the Apostles exercised Jurisdiction over other Ecclesiasticks whether true or false is nothing to the purpose But saith D. M. Our blessed Saviour supposeth degrees of Subordination amongst his own Disciples as well as other societies and therefore he directs the Ecclesiasticks who would climb up to the highest places in the Church to take other methods then these that are most usual amongst the Grandees of the World He that deserved preferment in the Church was to be the servant of all Which answer he steals from the Jesuite Bellarmine who answers that Christ only directs ecclesiastick Princes teaches that as such they ought to rule their subjects not as do Kings and Lords but as Fathers and Pastors To whom Junius replyes that all this is quite contrarie to both Christs words and scope The sons of Zebedie saith he desired a Dominion this Christ rejects and refuses to give them again the falshood of this answer is demonstrated positively by Christs following words who in stead of this Dominion which they desired enjoyns them a humble Ministry and Service Wherefore there is a clear opposition between Dominion and Ministry the former belonging the World the latter to the Church Bishops are not saith Bellarmine here forbidden to exercise a dominion like that of godly Kings but only like that of Tyrranical Kings who know not God We deny replyes Junius that there is any such restriction neither can it be proved And accordingly Junius refutes and bafles all the Sophistrie that Bellarmine and after him our Prelatists ordinarly bring to prove that only tyrrany and not all sort of principality or superiority is by our Saviour in these Texts prohibited And with Junius joyns the whole stream of Protestant Writers But our Saviour saith D. M. did that himself among them which he now commanded them to do to one another and therefore the doing of this towards one another in obedience to the command now under consideration could not inferr a Parity unless that they blasphemously infer that Christ and his Apostles were equal For our Saviour recomends what he enjoyns from his own constant and visible practice among them viz that he himself who was their Lord and Master was their sevant and therefore it becomes the greatest among them in imitation of him to be modest calm and humble towards all their
62 Knox alloweth no Prelacy to England 66 He exhorts the English to embrace a Church-government and Discipline altogether Antiprelatical 67 The Assemblies letter 1566. vindicated from this Author 's pretended allowance of Prelacy 69 Knox acknowledged by the fiercest Prelatists to be truly Presbyterian 70 Superintendents in Scotland a temporary expedient The nullity of this Author's reasons to the contrary detected 72 The falsness of his Gloss of our first Book of discipline largely demonstrated 76 Superintendency not really inconsistent with parity This Authors unchristian rallery his overthrowing of the great principle of Hierarchicks are discovered and his bottomless cavills enervated 77 The stock of Prerogatives he pretends to have belonged to Superintendents evinced to be unserviceable to his design of giving Superintendents a superiority over their Pastors 81 He at once yields the whole cause and clasheth with himself Our first Reformers their opposition to and hatred of Prelacy's being damnable demonstrated The Helvetian and other 〈◊〉 Churches opposite to Prelacy as beeing destitute of Scripture-foundation 86 SECT IX The forraign Reformed Churches truly Presbyterian The Judgement of Luther and Lutherans 89 The mind of Calvin and those called Calvinists both in their private capacities and confessions of the most famous Churches 90 Specimens of the chiefest objections adduced and removed where the uncandide dealing of our Adversaries is unfolded 91 Who yet are forced to acknowledge the truth of our assertion 95 The eminent Opposers of Popery before Luther truly Presbyterian 96 The first Reformers and body of the Church of England at that time for no divine right of Prelacy where some of Saravia's qualities are noted Ibid. SECT X. Some of the manifold Inconveniences attending Prelacy briefly mentioned A Spirit of Persecution still attended it 98 The Principles of Prelacy and practise of Prelatists most Schismatical Ibid. It 's native tendency to introduce Popery 99 And to a Papal Domination and enslaving of the Kingdom 100 The spite and hatred the Hierarchicks shew against our Reformation from Popery their impiety and affection to Popery Ibid. Dr. Burnets exceptions from the Regulars theâ—r trampling on the Bishops and the dealing of the Papalines at the Council of Trent enervated 102 Another exception or retortion of this Author cashier'd 105 Lousness and Prophanity the constant attendent of Prelacy 106 PART II. SECT I. Of Ignatius and his Epistles Papists and other Hierarchicks make a fairer appearance from humane than from Divine Writings 109 A short account of Ignatius and of the Epistles bearing his name 110 Various Editions thereof Ibid. Our Adversaries now acknowledge to be spurious that they once gave out for genuine where of the Florentine Copy 111 Debates among the Learned concerning it Ibid. The unhandsome arts of our Adversaries to free themselves of further dispute 112 The great Confidence they place in Ignatius 113 Three Hypothese laid down according to each whereof Ignatius becomes unserviceable to the Prelatists Ibid. SECT II. The first Hypothesis viz. that Ignatius is at best interpolated Writings pretending to greatest proximity to either Old or New Testament carry most manifest signs of spuriousness in which Divine Providence is observed 114 Their Epistolick Ignatius's want of Apostolick Gravity and Humility his enslaving of the People and flattering yea deifying of all Church-men 115 Dr. Pearsons Exceptions removed 119 Du Pin's self-repugnancy 121 Dr. Wake 's Error discovered 122 A brief sum of the Arguments evincing our assertion 124 Other things very early falsly father'd on Ignatius Ibid His Journey to Rome uncredible 125 SECT III The second Hypothesis viz. That the Antiquity of the true Ignatius could not secure him from all Lapses or Escapes nor serve to prove that there were no declension in his time Whole Churches suerving during the life of the Apostles themselves They grew worse after their death 126 Papias's mistakes and multitude of Followers 127 The failings of Justine Martyr and Irenaus Ibid. The influence they had on the Church The common mistakes of these times in Practicks no less than in Dogmaticks which is instanc'd in their debate about Easter 128 Both parties went contrare to the Apostolick practice which is proved by clear Testimonies of Iranus and Socrates 129 Their strange conduct in managing this debate who Metamorphosed some Apostles into Jewish High-Priests 130 The Credulity and Oseitancy of Hegesippus 131 We are to hearken to God before the chiefest of Men. Divine providence observable in the mistakes of the Ancients 132 SECT IV. The third Hypothesis that there is no real disagreement but a true concord betwixt the Doctrine of Ignatius and that of the present Presbyterians They are reconcil'd by sustaining the Hypothesis of ruling Elders which Office is vouched to be of greatest Antiquity and where Ambrose or Hilary is vindicated against Dr. Field 134 Ignatius most express for the reciprocation of a Bishop and a Pastor of one Congregation 136 Our Adversaries yield the whole Controversy where Dr. Maurice's Mist is dispelled 138 Vindiciae Ignatianae destroy their Authors ultimate design 140 SECT V. The Objections they pretend to bring from Scripture against the Doctrine now deduced from Ignatius removed D. M's reasonings for the Diocesan Episcopacy of Timothy and Titus annihilated 140 No power properly Apostolick ordinary and permanent in the Church 143 Willet's answer to the Iebusites vindicated against their Advocat D. M. 147 The Office and nature of an Evangelist declared out of the Ancients 148 D. Mâ—s mutilation and perversion of Eusebius 149 That Timothy Titus were Evangelists and not Diocesan Bishops made out from Scripture Ibid. Apostles and Evangelists degraded by the Hierarchicks 150 Their Arguments for Timothy and Titus their Diocesan-ship houghed by the very Authors in whom they most confide both ancient and modern Ibid. Their Argument from the Asian Angels several ways overthrown and D. M's shifts and perversions expunged 151 Malach. 2. 7. vindicated against Dr. Hammond 153 His Correction of the receiv'd Greek Coppy of Rev. 2. 24. corrected D. M's strange and wild Gloss. Ibid. Salmasius vindicated against him and the mind of Presbyterians concerning Apocalyptick Angels fully sustain'd by Scripture and Fathers 154 The best of our Adversaries really acknowledge Episcopacy destitute of Scripture warrant Dr. Hammond wholly destroys Episcopacy while he attempts to establish it 155 SECT VI. Our meaning of Ignatius confirmed from the writings of the Apostles his immediate Ancestors Acts 20. v. 17 28 vindicated against Dr. Maurice and others who are by the ears among themselves 157 Philippians 1. 1. vindicated where the Diocesanists their Digladiations are exposed 158 Philippi no Metropolis where Dr. Maurice his weakness is detected the fiction of the existence of Metropoles in the Apostolick age exploded by the Hierarchy's truest friends Dr. Maurice's slippery dealing 159 The first to Timothy 3. vindicated against Bellarmine and his Friend D. M. 162 As is also Titus 1. 164 SECT VII The grand objection taken from the Commentaries of the Ancients The primitive Doctors
never repealed by any succeeding Parliament But we are informed by the same R. Coke d that by the 1. Tac. 25. the Marian Act was repealed and so that of Edward revived And now to see him who pretends to be a Minister of the Gospel whose Office is only Ministerial and spiritual exercised only in spiritual things without reaching Men's Bodies inflicting only Rebukes and such verbal punishments to see such I say keeping Courts altogether Civil and inflicting corporal mulcts and Punishments after the manner of Worldly Potentats but especially when all this is done in their own Name would really make the indifferent Beholder averre that such imitated to the Life his Romish Holiness and believed much better his Doctrine of his receiving both spiritual and temporal Sword than that of our Saviour whereby he prohited his Apostles and their Successours all such earthly Grandure and despotick Power as resembles the Lordship and Dominion of worldly Princes § 3. But their Maxime not only intimats that Prelacy well accordeth with Mouarchy but also that any other Form of Church-government is destructive thereof Which how they will evince I know not How they can shew that Presbytrie with which I am only here concerned is destructive of or in the least inconsistent with Monarchy I cannot perceive They can I am sure neither deduce their Inference from the Practice of Presbyterians nor the Principles of Presbytrie Not from the first for though they load them as if they had been the Cause of many Civil Broyls and Calamities and especially of these ensuing the Year 38. We may justly yea with the allowance of the Hierarchie's greatest Favourers reject the Charge and send it home to the Prelats who by their attempting to introduce into the Church a Mass of Romish Superstitions and their Pride and Tyranny exercised on all sorts were become unsupportable to both Nobility and People B. Laud Montegue and such Papaturients were then earnestly labouring the reintroduction of a Mass of Romish Leaven into England though there were but too much there already which had never been cast â—ut Take one Instance or two in the words of R. Coke a high Church-of-England-man and no Lover of Presbyterians I 'm sure The Bishops saith he of the Province of Canterbury in their own Names enjoin the removal of the Communion-table in the Paroch Churches Vniversities from the body of the Church or Chancel to the east of the Chancel cause Rails to be set about the Table and refuse to administer the Sacrament to such as shall not come up to the Rails receive it Kneeling that the book of Sports on Sundays be read in Churches and enjoin Adoration I do not find that Adoration was ever enjoined before nor any of the forenamed Injunctions in any Canon of the Church Our Bishops were of the same mettal with these Innovatours in England and their most docile Schollars Laud therefore and his Faction apprehending that we would make but a small resistance against them to whom England was likely to yeeld prepared for us all her Cup with some other additional Drugs more Romish than what was obtruded on the English Witness the Form in the Administration of the Sacrament which as R. Coke acknowledges was the same in the Mass. But seeing the knowledge of the state we were in when the Nation entred into a Covenant and opposed that Stream of Romish Abominations contributes not a little to repell their fierce charges of Rebellion and Sedition the Reader will pardon me though at some length I transcribe a Passage from one who is beyond suspicion of being partial in favours of Presbytrie Covenant or ought of that nature I mean Dr. Burnet The Bishops saith he therefore were cherished by him the King viz. with all imaginable expressions of kindness and confidence but they lost all their Esteem with the People and that upon divers Accounts The People of Scotland had drunk in a deep prejudice against every thing that savoured of Popery This the Bishops judged was too high and therefore took all means possible to lessen it both in Sermons and Discourses mollifying their Opinions and commending their Persons not without some reflections on the Reformers But this was so far from gaining their Design that it abated nothing of the Zeal was against Popery but very much hightned the rage against themselves as favouring it too much There were also subtile Questions started some Years before in Holland about Predestination and Grace and Arminius his Opinion as it was condemned in a Synod at Dort so was generally ill reported of in all reformed Churches and no-where worse than in Scotland but most of the Bishops and their Adherents undertook openly and zealously the Defence of these Tenets Likewise the Scotish Ministers and People had ever a great respect to the Lord's-day and generally the Morality of it is reckoned an Article of Faith among them but the Bishops not only undertook to beat down this Opinion but by their Practices expressed their neglect of that Day and after all this they declared themselves avowed Zealots for the Liturgy and Ceremonies of England which were held by the Zealous of Scotland all one with Popery Vpon these Accounts it was that they lost all their Esteem with the People Neither stood they in better Terms with the Nobility who at that time were as considerable as ever Scotland saw them and so proved both more sensible of Injuries and more capable of resenting them They were offended with them because they seemed to have more interest with the King than themselves had so that Favours were mainly distributed by their Recommendation they were also upon all Affairs nine of of them were Privy Counsellers divers of them were of the Exehequer Spotswood Arch-Bishop of S. Andrews was made Chancellour and Maxwell Bishop of Ross was fair for the Treasury and engaged in a high rivalry with the Earl of Traquair then Treasourer which tended not a little to help foreward their Ruine And besides this they began to pretend highly to the Titles and Impropriations and had gotten one Learnmonth a Minister presented Abbot of Lindoris and seemed confident to get that state of Abbots with all the Revenue and Power belonging to it again restored into the hands of Churchmen designing also that according to the first Institution of the Colledge of Justice the half of them should be Churchmen This could not but touch many of the Nobility in the quick who were too large sharers in the Patrimony of the Church not to be very seusible of it They were no less hatefull to the Ministry because of their Pride which was cried out upon as unsupportable Great Complaints were also generally made qf Simoniacal Pactions with their Servants which was imputed to the Masters as if it had been for their advantage at least by their allowance They also exacted a new Oath of Intrants besides what was in the Act of Parliament for obedience to
be concluded the first step of the Beast's Throne But this retorsion being once handl'd shall hurt us no more then what we have already removed for take a Gospel Ministry unconfounded with a papal Hierarchy and then there is not the least colour or pretext for any Man 's ascribing to it the first rise of Popery the parity we plead for among Pastors of Flocks secures a Gospel-Ministry from any force or appearance of reason in any such assault whereas on which I 'm not now to dwell the Topicks establishing Prelacy tend no less to assert a Papacy But again the belief of a Gospel-Ministry as a thing altogether necessary for the Being of a Church is so well and so universally rooted in the hearts of all Christians that they compar'd with the rest have scarce amounted to a handfull who had the holdness to deny it and so there 's little hazard to be fear'd from these few contemptible Objectors and tho' there seem'd to be and the Objection should appear never so pungent yet it could be really of no weight against so necessary and indispensible an Ordinance Whereas on the other hand there 's so little necessity of Prelacy that the far greatest and best part of its Abettors and in these the Author himself as in due time shall appear grants that 't is no different Order from Presbytry has no footing in the Word of God and in a word to the overthrow of his Principles confounds a Prelat with a parochial Pastor Another grand but just prejudice against the Hierarchy is the looseness and prophanity most frequently cleaving thereto how prophane and scandalous they and theirs were during former Prelacy has already appear'd of the latter the matter is no less evident for at such a height growth during their Government yea under their wings did prophanity abusing of God's blessed Name and such gross immoralities arrive that to abstain from such vices and follow piety was a Crime well nigh able to make a Man pass for a Whig and Phanatick and what hazard did enshew these Sir-names none is ignorant All this and much more was not only evident to the body of this Kingdom but was also notic'd abroad and amongst others by their Friend R. Coke Yea his Majesty whom Divine Mercy sent for our Relief well knew 't and accordingly in his Declaration for Scotland has amongst many others this most memorable Sentence Although saith He the Dissenters have just cause of distrust when they call to mind how some hundreds of their Ministers were driven out of their Churches without either Accusation or Citation the filling of many of whose Places with Ignorant and Scandalous Persons hath been one great occasion of all those Miseries which that Country for a long time hath groaned under They may pretend that such Enormities were only accidental to Prelacy which may fall out under any Government but none versant in Church Story is ignorant how much mischief and scandal this Hierarchy hath cast upon Christianity Let them read Socrates and other Records of these more ancient times and they shall find that the Prelats tho' but beginning to appear and by far not so degenerat from the simplicity of the Gospel as afterward by their swelling tympany and aspiring to Domination induc'd the People to commit the most lewd and vile Pranks readily imaginable to the doolfull scandalizing of Jew and Gentile and their utter abominating of Christianity it self as is clear from the miserable Havock Destruction and Slaughter the contrary Factions of Bishops in the Plea for the Episcopal See between Damasus and Vrsinus prompted the People to commit from the most scandalous Pranks of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria the most unhumane and barbarous concomitants and consequents of the Deposition of Chrysostome with many other such open Impieties all caus'd and occasion'd by the Prelatick pride and insolency which publick and most scandalous Enormities had the Christian World retain'd the truly Primitive and Apostolick Parity we plead for could never have hapned for had the Superiority Riches and Grandour the very aples of these most unchristian Contentions been wanting and had every Pastor been kept at the earnest labour of Teaching Exhorting and Catechising a particular Flock or Congregation with only such a competent Stipend as suffic'd to secure him from the contempt of Poverty not to feed Luxury Grandour and such like Vices there had been no occasion of such lamentable Broyls This was observ'd by Nazianzen who himself was Bishop of Constantinople and therefore he earnestly wish'd that there had been no primacy of Place no Prelacy no Prerogative no Superiour or Inferiour Degrees of Pastors The marrow of Saravia's Answer to this most cogent place of Nazianzen is that he finds no fault with the Order of Degrees themselves but with Men and with the times wherein the ambition of the Arrians troubl'd the Church The common and blunt shift of the Romanists whereby to palliat the unlawfullness of their Papacy and a real and clear contradiction of Nazianzen's plain words And was not afterward the Papal and Prelatical pride and affectation of secular rule the prime source of the unspeakable Evils that reign'd all along before the Reformation and yet continue in the Papacy Is not that Kingdom where Prelacy is of most account fill'd with the most idle naughty and profain Clergy-men that are to be found at least in the Protestant World And how can it be otherwise seeing things or Offices retaining litle or nothing of what did primitively constitute them produce quite contrary effects to these design'd by the Authors thereof But nothing is more plain than that the simplicity of the Gospel-Ministry is alter'd into a secular Grandour more by far resembling the Princes of the Gentiles than the Apostles of our Meek and Lowly Jesus who came not to be ministred to but to Minister Now the best of things once degenerat become most noxious what can therefore be expected from such but that they should suit their Government and Policy change the Spirit of a Gospel-Ministry for that of Pomp and Secularity grow intirely Carnal and so become the source of Prophanity in stead of Holiness Part II. Wherein the Epistles of Ignatius are more particularly consider'd and the Plea of the Hierarchicks therefrom examin'd Section I. Of the Author and his Work IT is evident and clear to the more thinking and ingenuous part of the Christian World how Rome's Advocats while they Agent her Cause from the truly Canonical Writings of the Apostles and Prophets after some few struglings sorry evasions and feeble resistance are compell'd to give back and in reality abandon their Posts but were they permitted to use Apocryphal Writings which they say are Ancient enough and written not long after the Holy Scriptures were not these also pull'd out of their hands by demonstrating the spuriousness thereof they should perhaps make a greater appearance and keep the fields somewhat longer The same also is the fate
of other Hierarchicks pleading the Cause of Episcopacy for while they manage it from Scripture-grounds you may perceive them to make so wide and incoherent Deductions so slender and pitifull Defences so wild and unbottom'd Distinctions as loudly proclaim that except they procure Auxuliaries from some other where they must also defert their Cause and leave the Field to their Adversaries But let them descend somewhat lower to Ecclesiastick Antiquities we shall find their confidence stronger for they then bring a multitude of great Names as so many arm'd Champions marshell'd in Rank and Order Among these there be some wherewith as with so many Elephants they threaten to make vast lanes among their Adversaries but there 's no great cause of terror for if they be but boldly confronted we shall then find them either like these Elephants Ctesias and Diodore fable to have been us'd by their fictitious Semiramis deceitfull Images and hobgoblings to strike a vain fear in their Enemies or like the African Elephants in Polybius which in stead of destroying the adverse Party frequently turn'd back dissipated and overthrew these who brought them to the Battel The greatest of these and whom they with most confidence produce is their Epistolick Ignatius who is to them as one of the Hee-goats and Rams before the Flock of whom they boast as if nothing should stand before him It shall not therefore be amiss if as we promis'd we look more narrowly into this their bold Assertion and examine if their Grounds be equal to their Confidence § 2. Ignatius as Eusebius relates was a Bishop or Pastor of Antioch and being brought to Rome in the time of Trajan the Emperour gloriously laid down his Life for the Cause of Christianity He is said to have written in his Journey to Rome several Epistles viz. To the Smyrneans to Polycarp to the Ephesians to the Magnesians to the Philadelphians to the Trallians and Romans all which are either mention'd or cited by Eusebius There are other Epistles also by Writers of a much later date ascribed to Ignatius but in the first seven only do our Adversaries place the weight of their Cause and therefore with them alone we shall be concerned § 3. Of these Epistles in the former Century first in Latine and then in Greek appeared at the first but two or three only afterward they amounted to fifteen all which they Father'd upon Ignatius these were greedily hugg'd by the Romanists and reason they had so to do most of these Epistles being fraughted with stuff that savour'd of the Romish Innovations and proclaim'd them several Centuries posteriour to Ignatius his Age and accordingly these Editions were scarce born while they were condemn'd and stigmatiz'd by the most learn'd of the Reform'd viz. Calvin the Magdeburgick Centuriators and afterwards by Whittaker Perkins Scultet Rivet and others as the issue of a quite other Parent than him of whom they boasted § 4. Notwithstanding hereof the Advocats for Prelacy such as Whitgift Bilson Dounam Heylyn Taylor and the rest of the Party lean'd on these Epistles as firm propes of their Caufe giving severals of 'em the Epithets of Learned and Pious without the least exception Thus for a long time were these Epistles condemn'd by many yet applauded by a few § 5. But at length the most learn'd and famous Dr. Vshher lighted on two Latine Manuscripts much differing from the former Editions and containing many passages cited by the Ancients that were wanting in the former And soon after Isaacus Vossius produc'd a Greek Coppy out of the Duke of Tuscanie's Library in many things agreeing with Vsher's Manuscripts These Coppies bred a wonderfull confidence in the minds of the Episcopal Party after which every one of them gave his loud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therewith pleas'd themselves as if the Controversie concerning Prelacy had been already determin'd by a Divine Oracle But in the mean while and by this very Action of imbracing and extolling this new Edition as the only genuine Coppy of Ignatius They publish'd to the World that they had all along while in conjunction with Romanists and in opposition to Protestants they so passionatly propugn'd the former Editions either been lamentably shallow in their knowledge of Ecclesiastick Antiquity notwithstanding their great boast thereof as if all Men beside were Dwerfs herein or which is little better exceedingly partial in favours of their Cause and Interest However maugre all such Impeachments they alter their Judgements as they see fit reject what they had but the other day warmly hugg'd and applaud their new Ignatius § 6. Yet also they were their alone herein for the most learn'd and these of the reform'd Churches who were most able to give Judgement concerning such Controversies as Blondel Salmasius and others continu'd in their former Sentiment believing that these new Copies did as really ly under just suspicion as the Old After divers Re-encounters amongst learn'd Men concerning these Epistles Dallaeus a learn'd French Minister wrote more largely and directly to evince them spurious but was oppos'd by Dr. Beverige and D. Pearson who wrote his Vindiciae Ignatianae a large and laborious Work to prove that these Epistles were the genuine product of Ignatius in which his Party triumphed not a little apprehending that this Matter was decided so as there was no more Dispute or Opposition to be feared But 't was not long till Daill's Defence was undertaken by Monsieur L'arroque another learn'd Pastor of the French Church and being again oppos'd by Pearson and Beverge wrote a second time concerning the same Subject § 7. But such Arts were us'd as suppress'd and stiffl'd the Work of this learn'd Author of which Book L'arroque's Son in his Life prefix'd to his Adversaria Sacra gives us this account He publish'd his Observations on Pearson's vindiciae Ignatianae and Beverige ' s Annotations which came to the light by this occasion John Daille being departed this Life two great Englishmen who had procur'd to themselves a perpetual Fame of whom the one lately deceas'd had the Name of the Bishop of Chester the other was adorn'd with the Title of Dr. but deserv'd a greater Dignity exploded what Daille had written concerning Ignatius his Epistles But L'arroque in favours of his deceas'd Friend undertook the Patrociny of this Hero and except Fame be altogether false has fortunatly defended his Judgement These Observations were again assaulted by the famous Beverige to whom our Author preparing an Answer which we have by us almost perfected thro' the Importunity of some Friends was suddenly turn'd another way This he did the more willingly both because he had done enough in favours of his dead Friend and also that he might make it appear that seeing while he was yet fresh he sounded a retreat he had unwillingly entred the Lists with the English Protestants Thus he and who these Friends were we are inform'd by another Author a Man of the Episcopal Perswasion and therefore may
the better be believ'd in this Matter viz. Jos. Walker Translator of L'arroque's History of the Eucharist who describing the Life of L'arroque which he prefixes to his Translation tells us that at the request of some Persons favouring Episcopacy he did not finish this his second Piece From these Authors it 's sufficiently evident that the issue of this Debate concerning Ignatius his Epistles was neither advantagious nor honourable to the Favourers of Episcopacy seeing by such doings they acknowledg'd their Adversary so formidable that except by powerfull Sollicitations and charms the Storm were diverted nothing less than the utter ruine of their Cause was to be feared Now by these their dealings so dishonest both first and last judge if such Men don't at once bewray extream want of candour and diffidence in their Cause And this much was meet here to be premis'd in favours of many who may have been â—â—umbled at the great Name of Ignatius and yet altogether Strangers to the thoughts of the more learn'd and ingenuous concerning the Epistles that bear his Name § 8. In this Ignatius the Patrons of the Hierarchy wonderfully please themselves and triumph as if from thence Prelacy receiv'd a most sufficient support and proof well nigh infallible of its divine Institution and that if these Epistles be his Presbytrie's undone For if we believe them Ignatius is for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or genuinness of these Epistles above the smallest suspicion of Forgery for Antiquity and Vicinity to the Apostles above possibility of being mistaken and finally for clearness in the Episcopal Cause above doubt or scruple Now seeing so far as I know little or nothing of this Subject is yet in English and the ears of many who know no other Tongue are perpetually beaten deafned with a mighty noise as if all the lofty Titles and Honours of Prelacy were adopted by a genuine and Apostolick Ignatius it shall neither be improfitable nor unacceptable if with a convenient brevity we ouerthrow the principal Pillars of so proud a Structure and render the Weapons in the estimat of our Adversaries so keen and weighty compleatly unserviceable to their Cause § 9. I therefore with no less confidence deny what they so boldly affirm I deny that the Epistles ascribed to Ignatius whether of the elder or later Editions are throughly genuine and so free of Forgeries that no chaff hath been thrown into and hudl'd amongst the grains of Wheat that may remain therein I deny that the Antiquity of the true Ignatius was able to secure him from all Lapses and Mistakes or that in his time some Churches might not be itching after several Novelties I deny finally that he is so clear and positive in the Matter of Episcopacy as to denude Presbyterians of all rational Defence should they acquiesce in his Judgement and herein join with their Adversaries who still appeal to Ignatius his Bar. But I shall not rest in Denials but shall turn them to so many contrary Positions and demonstrat each of 'em in particular Section II. The first Hypothesis viz that Ignatius is interpolated MY first Assertion therefore is that the Epistles ascrib'd to Ignatius whether of the Elder or Later Editions are not throughly genuine nor so free of Forgeries that no Chaff hath been thrown into and hudl'd amongst the grains of Wheat that may remain therein As the Writings pretended to come nearest in time to the Scriptures of the Old Testament carry notwithstanding evident Characters of a quite other time and Parent than these whereto they are falsly ascrib'd so also the Pieces that pretend greatest proximity to these of these New Testament afford no less just ground of suspicion Of this kind are Barnabas Hermas and others all which are generally either shroudly suspected as meer Forgeries or at least as not being without manifest corruption and interpolation Yea Clemens Romanus who doubtless is by far the most choice and virgin Monument of Antiquity has nothwithstanding fall'n into the like adulterous hands as the story of the Daughters of Danaus and Dirce there recounted among the Christian Sufferers makes manifest And herein Divine Providence is to be ador'd and extoll'd For had such Writings as plead for the first place after these of either Old or New Testament not under-ly'n such impeachments the great proximity thereof to the Prophetick and Apostolick Writings had certainly allur'd many to take these for Canonical whereas now they serve in some measure for a rampier and hedge about the Holy Scriptures and by the manifest corruption of the Apocryphal Writings we are taught to distinguish betwixt divine and humane Letters wherefore it should be a Paradox and a Wonder had Ignatius escap'd all such infectious Touches But there 's no ground for such admiration For that Ignatius whither of the Elder or Later Edition is not throughly genuine and so free of Forgery and Interpolation a few Examples shall make evident § 2. For in his Epistle to the Smyrneans he thus discourseth them All of you follow after the Bishop as Jesus Christ follows the Father and the Presbytry as the Apostles Reverence the Deacons as the Commandment of God Let no Man without the Bishop do any of these things that ought to be done in the Church Let that Worship or Thanks be accounted lawfull which is either perform'd by the Bishop himself or permitted by him Wheresoever the Bishop appears let there also the Multitude be present even as where Christ is there is also the Catholick Church Without the Bishop it 's neither lawfull to Baptize nor Celebrate the Lord's Supper or Love-feasts but whatsoever he approves is acceptable to God And again in his Epistles to Polycarp Attend to the Bishop as God doth to you my Soul for such as obey the Bishop Presbyters and Deacons and with such let me have my Portion in God And in his Epistle to the Ephesians I write not to you as if I were of any account For altho' I be bound in the Name of Christ yet I am not perfect in Christ Jesus For now I begin to learn and speak to you as my Teachers And again in the same Epistle If I in so short a time have had such familiarity with your Bishop not Humane I say but Spiritual how much more do I pronounce you blessed being join'd together as the Church to Jesus Christ as Christ to the Father so that all things are in a harmonis Vnity Let none be deceiv'd whosoever is not within the Altar is deprived of the Bread of God For if the Prayers of one or two be of much weight how much more these put up by the Bishop and the whole Church Whosoever therefore cometh not into the same place he is proud and hath condemn'd himself for it 's written God resisteth the Proud Let us make hast therefore not to resist the Bishop to the end that we may obey God And the more silent any Man perceive the Bishop let him
Authority of Peter and Paul for the quite contrary Doctrine I have oftentimes much admir'd how either of these Parties if we consider either Sincerity or Vicinity to the Apostles were liable to any Mistake of this kind I believe scarce any Man now living shall be able to give any rational account of the Cause thereof yet that one of them was mistaken and that the Apostles did not keep up a perpetual observation of contrary Practices one to another is to me and to as many as truly acknowledge the Scriptures among the things of highest certainty and if either of them strayed if sufficiently serves our turn and is an ocular Demonstration that not only the clearest Lights and nearest to the Apostles might relinguish some part of the Apostolick Purity and fall into Rites and Customes never countenanced by the Apostles but also be accompanied by no small part of the Church therein § 7. Yea I dare avouch and sustain that both Parties equally swerved from the Truth seeing both of them had equal Means to have inform'd themselves and were alike nigh to the Apostles so that many were certainly alive of both Parties who had been conversant with them hence there 's no reason to believe either of the Parties that ever the Apostle enjoined or allowed the observation of Anniversary weekly or monthly times either in the same time with or so near to the Judaical and then buried Ceremonies excepting the Sabbath only the observation whereof had been expresly enjoin'd in a clear and Moral Precept Neither in this Assertion shall we remain alone but be supported by the suffrages of the choicest of the Ancients No less Irenaeus in Eusebius intimats while he tells us that this Difference did not arise first in his Age but long before in the time of their Fore-fathers who as is probable being negligent in their Government delivered to their Posterity a Custome which had only crept in thro' Simplicity and â—gnorance And Socrates a grave and solid Author averrs that neither more Ancient nor Later who inclined to follow these Jewish Rites had any cause to raise so great Contention And that the keeping of Easter and such Holy Days were altogether Legal the observation whereof is not at all injoin'd in the Gospel for continues Socrates they did not consider that after the Jewish Religion was changed into that of the Chrstians the strick observation of Moses Law and the shaddows of future things were wholly abolished which by a most sure proof may be thus evinced For by no Law of Christ is it granted to Christians to observe Jewish Customes yea the Apostle did expresly forbid it not only rejecting Circumcision but admonishing moreover that about Feast Days there should be no Contention wherefore in writing to the Galatians he thus speaks tell me ye who desire to be under the Law do ye not hear the Law And after he had discoursed a little concerning these Matters he shews the Jews to be under Bondage but that those who had followed Christ Jesus were called unto Liberty he Exhorts furthermore that Days Months or Years in no ways be observed Moreover writing to the Collossians he clearly asserts that such observations are but a meer Shaddow Wherefore saith the Apostle let no Man judge you in Meat or Drink or in respect of an Holy Day of the New Moon or of the Sabbath days which are a shaddow of things to come But in the Epistle to the Hebrews confirming the same matter he thus speaks For the Priesthood being changed there is also a necessity of the change of the Law surely the Apostles and the Evangelists did never impose a Yoak upon these that became obedient to the Doctrine of Faith but Easter and other days were left to the choise and equity of those who in such days had received the Benefits wherefore seeing Men love Holy Days because they bring them some respite of their Labours divers Men in divers places following their particular Inclinations did according to certain Custome celebrate the memory of our Saviour's Passions for neither our Saviour nor his Apostles did by any Law ordain that it should be observed neither did the Gospels nor the Apostles threaten us with a Mulct Punishment or Curse as the Law of Moses was wont to do to the Jews This and much more are we taught by Socrates from all which it's most clear that in this Dispute concerning the Celebration of Easter both Parties were equally culpable as building upon a false Supposition viz. that Christ and his Apostles had appointed some of these Days anniversarily to be kept which yet never came into their mind And here 't is most observable how even in these ost early times they heap'd Falshood upon Falshood and supported one Forgery with another the Fable of Peter's being at Rome and conjuring of Simon Magus there was even then beginning to obtain whereof the Romans made their Advantage and began to ascribe to him some Head-ship over the rest and then averred that he had appointed them not only to celebrate Easter but also had determin'd the particular day of its Celebration and injoin'd them to keep it on the fifteenth and not on the fourteenth day of the Moneth as did the Eastern Churches Now that they might be even with the Romans and meet with them after their own Fashion and arts the Asians invented the like Legends of the Apostle John who as they alledged died at Ephesus and enjoyn'd them to keep Easter but by no means on the fifteenth but on the fourteenth day of the Moneth and the better to set off the Fable Polycrates of Ephesus in his Letter to Victor harangues in the Praises of John that thereby he might prefer him to Peter and sticks not to assert that John was a Priest and wore a High-Priests Golden Crown or Breast-plate And yet as is acknowledged John was not at all of the Priestly Race far less was he the High-priest to whom only of all the Priests such a Crown was peculiar Therefore Valesius imagines that the first Christian Priests as he speaks wore such a Crown for a Sign of Honour in imitation of the Jews As if the Christians of these times had ever dream'd of retaining the very marrow of Judaisme which was then abolished by the coming of Christ the substance But this Antichristian dottage being so gross to be dejested by any real Protestant the learned Le Moyn says that Polycrates spoke metaphorically of John ' s supereminent Knowledge and Gifts But if this be true with how great caution are these Ancients to be read without which we shall be led into the belief of the greatest falshhoods In the mean while I see no ground for this gloss in Polycrates his words either as they are related by Eusebius or by Hierome and Rufine And Epiphanius gives another such golden Crown to James which is no less true than that he was Diocesan Bishop of Jerusalem
arte perire sua Section V. The Objections they pretend to bring from Scripture against the Doctrine now deduc'd from Ignatius removed ANd indeed Ignatius is encompast with so thick a Cloud of Witnesses who not only deny all support to but give most evident Depositions against the Diocesan Prelat that his Testimony in favours thereof should be a firm demonstration of the Bastardy of these Epistles The time of the Apostles was not far above that of Ignatius Now if we consult these we shall not only find our Adversaries destitute of their Suffrages but also overwhelm'd with their plain Testimonies against the Hierarchy 'T is true they alledge several things out of the Apostolick Writings for establishing their Cause as that Timothy and Titus as also the Angels of the Asiatick Caeurches were Diocesan Bishops The grounds wherein tâ—ey establish the Episcopacy of Timothy and Titus are that they are enjoined to Ordain Elders which in after Ages was the peculiar Province of Diocesan Bishops and that in the Postscrâ—pts of these Epistles they are both called Bishops But their later Topick is by the profound silence of the ancient Commentaries and many other tokens of Forgery and Novelty so baffl'd that Prelacy's present Agents and amongst others D. M are so wise as to suppress it And yet D. M. adventures to conclude Timothy his being made Bishop of Ephesus from Acts 20. 3 4 5. which Inference few I think beside the Author can gather compared with 1 Tim. 1. 3. I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine From which even tho' it be compared with the other Scripture any Man in his Wit would much rather with Chrysostome inferr the very contrary and conclude that Timothy's stay at Ephesus was only temporary to expede the Business there mention'd but not to fix therein But saith he 1 Tim. 3. 14. 15. These things I write unto thee c. plainly insinuat his particular Relation to the Church of Ephesus But the many Scriptures informing us of Timothy's almost perpetual absence from Ephesus perswade that there was no such Relation neither does this place in the least insinuat it but only that Timothy if not sent for was to stay till Paul's return wherefore he begs the Question while he tells us that after he was in a particular manner established Bishop of the Church of Ephesus he might wait upon Paul Moreover this was an odd Attendance that scarce ever suffer'd Timothy to stay with his Flock and this shift too like that of the Romanists who in Answer to the Argument from Scripture-silence against Peter's being Bishop of Rome tell us that he was frequently abroad But here we have not only Scripture-silence but Scripture Testimony shewing Timothy's almost perpetual absence from Ephesus He essays also to bring Timothy's Episcopal Power and particular Relation to Ephesus from 1 Tim. 5. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 1. and 1 Tim. 5. 21. And that this was not temporary or transient but successive and perpetual he would prove from 1 Tim. 6. 13. 20. and 2 Tim. 2. 2. and adds that his Adversaries grant that the Power he pleads for to Bishops was exercised by Timothy But as for the particular Relation he speaks of he should have proved it seeing he knows it will not be granted except he bring more than the bare recitall of the places from which his fancy collects it and without such a particular Relation the Power Timothy exercised be what it will makes nothing for his purpose seeing it might be lodged in him alone as an Evangelist and thus most of his postulata prove useless Yet I will handle them particularly of which the first two are that the Power which Timothy exercised was in it self lawfull and that he practised it in Ephesus And 't is true none denies it but what then untill he first prove Timothy's particular Relation to the Church of Ephesus The third and fourth are that it was committed to him alone and not to a Colledge of Presbyters acting among themselves in Parity And that there 's no mention of any spiritual Power lodged in a Colledge of Presbyters to which Timothy was accountable But Willet an approved Divine of the Church of England shall answer for us Neither saith he can it be gathered by these words of the Apostle lay Hands suddenly upon no Man c. That Timothy had this sole Power in himself for the Apostle would not give that to him which he did not take to himself who associated unto him the rest of the Presbytry in Ordaining of Timothy I add that there 's no less mention of a spiritual Power in a Colledge of Presbyters c. than of Timothy's being fixed Bishop of Ephesus Hence his 5. postulatum viz. That the great and most eminent Branches of the Episcopal Power were lodged in Timothy ' s Person the ordination of such as were admitted unto the sacred Function the care of Widows the Censuring of Elders and his autoritative preventing of Heresies becomes unserviceable His VI is that this Authority was not in it self of temporary duration transient or extraordinary but such as the constant Necessities of the Church do make necessary in all Ages for he was commanded to commit it unto faithfull Men such as should be able to teach others and if there be nothing in it extraordinary why do they say that in the discharging of an ordinary trust there was need of an extraordinary Officer But First he corrupts the Apostles words 2 Tim. 2. 2. substituting it in stead of them that thereby he may force the Text to speak of a Power equal to that of Timothy which was to be derived unto succeeding Teachers when yet it plainly speaks of the Transmission of the Doctrine or things Timothy had heard and others were to teach but nothing of an equality of Timothy's Power to be derived in solidum to every subsequent Bishop or Teacher Now except this be proved D. M. saith nothing Yea Hammond expresly contradicts him Appoint them saith he as Bishops under thee Moreover Christ committed the things Paul here speaks of to his Apostles yet will D. M. say their Power was equall to Christ's Secondly In this his last postulatum there appears a strange kind of reasoning viz. the Things or Actions wherein Timothy and Titus were employed are perpetual and ordinary therefore they were not extraordinary Officers just as if one would Reason It 's ordinary for a skillfull Physitian to relieve a Febricitant therefore our Saviour relieving Peter's Wife's Mother was no extraordinary Physitian For their Method and Way of performing these Actions was extraordinary and temporary they having no special Power over or Relation to any one particular Congregation but such a Power and Relation as equally were extended over all the places whither they were sent Moreover others of their Actions and these which were properly Evangelistick were extraordinary such
hatefull Hypothesis of some giddy Papaturiants which as we have heard even the more candide of the Episcopalls disclaim and explode I shall shut up all concerning Clement with the Suffrages of two illustrious Names neither whereof I 'm sure did ever favour Presbytry I mean Grotius and Stillingfleet Had Episcopacy saith the Doctor been instituted on the occasion of the Schism at Corinth certainly of all places we should the soonest have heard of a Bishop at Corinth for the remedying of it and yet almost of all places these Heralds that derive the Succession of Bishops from the Apostles times are the most plunged whom to six on at Corinth And they that can find any one single Bishop at Corinth at the time when Clemens writ his Epistle to them about another Schism as great as the former which certainly had not been according to their Opinion if a Bishop had been there before must have better Eyes and Judgement than the deservedly admired Grotius who brings this in his Epistle to Bignonius as an Argument of the undoubted Antiquity of that Epistle quod nusquam meminit exsortis c. that Clement no where mentions that singular Authority of Bishops which by Church custome after the Death of Mark at Alexandria and by its Example in other places began to be introduced but Clemens clearly shews as did the Apostle Paul that then by the common Council of the Presbyters who both by Paul and Clement are called Bishops the Churches were governed § 4. I proceed next to the Vindication of Polycarp Subject your selves saith he to the Presbyters and Deacons as to God and Christ and as Virgins walk with a pure Conscience let the Presbyters be simple or innocent mercifull in all things turning all Men from their Errors visiting all who are weak not neglecting Widows Orphans and those that are Poor but alwayes providing such things as are good in the sight of God and Men. Here we learn that the highest Office then in the Church of Philippi was that of a Presbyter and that there was a Plurality to whom the Philippians were to be subjected without the least mention of a particular Bishop governing those Presbyters And which deserves no overly Consideration we here see that as when Clement gives an account of Church Orders he named two only so we have the same number expressed by Polycarp but they altered their Denomination of the former Order and they whom Clement calls sometimes Bishops sometimes Presbyters Polycarp calls still Presbyters It 's most observable also how both Paul and Polycarp subject the Church of one single City Philippi to a Plurality or Multitude of Pastors whom Paul calls Bishops and Polycarp Presbyters From all which the Identity of Bishop and Presbyter most inevitably results § 5. And indeed this Passage of Polycarp so much gravells the Hierarchicks that Dr. Pearson is driven to his last Leggs and compelled to present us with a shift unworthy of its Author Who can prove saith he that the Bishop of Philippi was then alive who can shew us that the Philippians asked not Counsel at Polycarp for this cause that they then enjoyed not a Bishop for thus Polycarp bespeaks them These things Brethren I write not of my self to you concerning righteousness but you have moved me thereunto Thus Pearson and indeed it 's enough here to return the Question inverted who is able to prove if there had been a Bishop in Philippi that he was not alive For seeing he affirms it he or his Advocats are obliged to instruct what they say That which he pretends to from these words of the Epistle wherein Polycarp saith he was moved thereto by the Philippians themselves affords him not the least support there not being therein one syllable concerning the vacancy of the Bishops Seat or the Church Government during this Defect or how to fill the Chair Of all or any of these nec vol◠nec vestigium but only as is evident from Polycarp they seem to have desir'd of him some Direction concerning the blameless walk of any Christian. And indeed the Bishop within a very few lines fairly yeelds the Cause really acknowledging that he had said nothing to the purpose But seeing saith he these things are uncertain we have no certainty from the Discourse of Polycarp Well then it must follow for ought he knew that Polycarp knew no Diocesan Bishop in Philippi that he had never heard of his Death seeing nothing hereof can be gathered from him And that he had never heard of his Life or Being we may well conclude from this that he devolves the whole Church-Affairs upon a Plurality of Presbyters But once again Is it at all credible but that if Polycarp had written to the Philippians after the death of their Bishop and during the vacancy of the Chair he had comforted them after this so considerable a Loss and giv'n them Directions for chusing of a worthy Successor especially if as Pearson would have they had ask'd his counsell concerning this very Matter Had ever a Pastor like Polycarp neglected so seasonable an Office His profound silence therefore of the Death of any such Bishop in Philippi sufficiently demonstrats that this Dr. Pearson's Invention was only the product of a desperate Cause and that there was left here no doore of Escape And here let me observe that Philippi is no less fatal to the Episcopals than its neighbouring plains were to the Pompeians for they are stung and confounded with the very first words of Paul to that Church and as we have heard amongst their other wild shifts they answer that the Bishop was often absent But there was a good number of years between the writing of Paul and that of Polycarp to the Philippians and yet we see the Bishop is never come home Why taryeth the wheel of his Lordship's Chariot Hath he not sped at Court And having supplanted some of the Nobility made a prey of the Office of Chancellour or Treasourer that after so long absence there is no news of his return Nor are we ever like to hear any more of him for now say they he 's dead I had perhaps believ'd them were 't not impossible for one to die who was never alive But enough of this for such Answers would really tempt one to think that their Authors studi'd nothing more than to ridicule their oun Cause and afford Game to their Reader § 6. And here I cann't but nottice the ill-grounded vapouring of D. M. who from the inscription of the Epistle Polycarp and the Presbyters that are with him concludes that he was vested with Episcopal jurisdiction and eminency amongst these Presbyters And so much he pretends to bring out of Blondel as as his forc'd Confession which is so far from being true that it 's brought in by Blondel as an Objection and silly Conjecture of the Episcopals which he diverse ways overthrows And indeed never was there a more wretch'd deduction fram'd
proceed to Justine Martyr who thus gives an account of the state of the Churches their particular and weekly Assemblies for receiving the Word and Sacraments After this Bread and Wine tempered with Water is brought to the Ruler or Governour of the Brethren which when he hath received he gives praise and glory to the Parent of all The Deacons give to all present Bread and Wine tempered with Water after they are Consecrated by Thanks-giving and carry them to such as are absent And on Snnday all who live either in Cities or in the Country come together into one place And when the Reader has ceas'd the Governour makes an exhortatory Sermon The voluntary Contribution is laid up with the Governour who distributes it to the Orphans c. Where it 's not only observable that Justine following not the pretended Ignatius but the Apostle Clement Polycarp Hermas mentions only two Orders of Church-men viz. Governours and Deacons but also that he gives a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Bishop to every Congregation and that Justine's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is all one with the Bishop who was then in being is yealded by the fiercest Hierarchicks Heylen who yeelds his whole Plea and says that Justine's President of the Congregation or Bishop ordinarily celebrated the Eucharist and Preach'd God's holy Word and Maurice Well then 't is all one how this ancient Church-Ruler be named whither Presbyter Governour or Bishop seeing there was one for every Congregation that mett for receiving the word and Sacraments the Controversy between us and the Hierarchicks which is not about Names but Things is fully ended if they stand to Justine's Decision § 9. Dr. Maurice would have Justine to be understood as speaking only of the Diocesan Bishops Church For saith he to carry the Bread and Wine to all absents in their severall Duellings was not convenient nor easy in numerous Congregations and they knew not well who were absent But this Perversion is too wretch'd palpable to wheedle any in in his right wit out of Justine's plain Meaning Dr. Maurice knew well enough that in these times of such Fervor and Love among Christians and such Veneration for the Lord's Supper they doubtless most exactly observ'd the Ordinances and absented not without speciall and weighty Causes And seeing the Custome of receiving the Elements at home when they could not come to Church was then in vigour and believed to be their Duty if these Elements were given to Absents as their proper Communion or were only the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last remains of the Custume of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Love Feasts I now dispute not they took special care to signifie their Absence and Causes thereof by their Relations or Christian Brethren to their Deacons and such as were concerned to know it Neither if we consider the Church-Discipline of these times is it to be doubted that the Deacons had an exact List of all to whom they were each Lords Day to give the Sacrament and consequently by no means could be ignorant who were either absent or present Wherefore tho' the Deacons had been fewer than they were they could easily tho' the whole Congregation had been never so numerous carry the Elements to these very few whom sickness or other lawfull and weighty Reasons had confined to their Habitations all which Dr. Maurice well enough perceived and therefore he 's here no less feeble in his Actings than a man breathing his last and advances only such triffles as may make his Friends ashamed and confirm his Adversaries Neither do I wonder hereat seeing he undertook the Defence of a palpable untruth for not only speaks Justine of the Christian Assemblies in common without the least exception but clearly tells us that he speaks of the meatings of all the Christians for receiving the Word and Sacraments not only in Cities but in the Country a place too base for the Cathedral and Diocesan Bishops Chair and of all such Congregations as in the first day of the Week as the Apostle speaks made Collections or had Deacons for that end which belongs to every Congregation where the Word and Sacraments are dispensed Neither is this ought but what we have discover'd to be the Mind of their Ignatius himself and seconded with the Suffrages of the greatest Friends to Prelacy § 10. Wherefore most vain is D. M's Labour to prove that it follows not from Justine that there were then only two Orders of Church-men Seeing Justine giving a Governour or Bishop to every Congregation quite overturns Diocesan Episcopacy And more vain yet is this that as what he undertakes tho' proved is nothing to his purpose so the Reasons he brings prove nothing of what he undertakes For his first Reason viz. That Justine intended only to give a true account of what was ordinarly performed in the Christian Meetings in opposition to the abominable Stories propagated against them by their Enemies so that he had no occasion to reckon up the several Gradations of the Hterarchy is equally favourable to Prelatists and Papists who may as well use it for a Sanctuary to their Pope as they to their Prelats And indeed had there then either been a Pope over all or a Prelate with Princely Power as D. M. pleads for over a multitude of Churches the Christians seeing they were frequently reproached with an intended Rebellion had found themselves obliged in a special manner to apologize for their Princes and absolute Lords who would have been looked on as little less than the Emperour's Rivalls and Arch-Promoters and Heads of the supposed Insurrection Moreover which we have already noted and fully shews the nullity of D. M's Reason not only Justine but all the genuine Writings of them that went before him mention only like Justine these two Orders of Church-men D. M's second Reason viz. That the Christians were most shy to publish any thing relating either to the Mysteries of their Religion or the Constitution of the Church more than was absolutely necessary in their own Defence c. is another lurking place for Romanists when urg'd to shew the Antiquity of their Innovations and indeed if it do any thing it tends to prove that no Party can make any Advantage of ought spoken or written by the Fathers and if so have att the Foundation of Diocesan Prelacy its prime Advocats acknowledging that no Argument for it can be draun from Scripture but only from the writings of the Fathers His third Reason is that as the Offices so the names of Bishop and Presbyter were not only known to be distinguished in his days among the Christians but he brings no genuine Writer of that Age to prove this and that it is most false is already evinced but even the Heathens knew so much and cites Adrian's Epistle to Servianus but it 's highly probable that the Emperour if we allow him any knowledge of these Affairs understands under the name of Presbyters
in a Letter to the English Bishops and Pastors being moved thereto by John Knox if Spotswood speak truth expresly among many other things to this purpose say If Surplice Corner-cap and Tippet have been the badges of Idolaters in the very act of their Idolatry what have the Preachers of Christian Liberty and the Rebukers of Superstition to do with the dregs of that Roman Beast yea what is he that ought not to fear either to take in his hand or fore-head the Print Mark of that odious Beast c. See store to this purpose in Heylin's History of the Presbyterians whereby 't is most evident that this Author endeavour'd nothing more earnestly than to perswade the World that Knox was a self-repugnant Idiot It sufficed if before that celebrious Assembly he answer'd to the Question and gave some one reason that shewed he could not comply with them tho' he declar'd not all the grounds of his dislike of their Practice As to the matter of Francfort which this Author mentions drawing from it the like Consequences there was no Bishop there nor any mention of the necessity thereof but only a busâ—e made by some superstitious Bigots for their Popish Ceremonies or Fooleries as Calvin calls them and so there was no occasion of venting himself in this matter and tho' there had he sufficiently declar'd his mind while publickly in a Sermon he alledged that nothing ought to be thrust upon any Congregation without the warrant of the Word of God Yea if we may believe Le Strange Knox and his Associats sufficiently discover'd themselves to be of the Consistorian or Presbyterian Perswasion § 10. He adds that Knox in his Appellation c. plainly supposes the lawfulness of the Episcopal Office I deny 't But all alongst throw it saith he Knox appeals to a lawfull general Council snch a Council as the most ancient Laws and Canons approve and who knows not that the most ancient Laws and Canons made Bishops the chief if not the only Members of such Councils Knox says if the Popish Clergy his Adversaries are for it he 's content that matters in Controversie between him and them be determin'd by the Testimony and Authority of Doctors and Councils three things being granted him whereof these are two 1. That the most ancient Councils nearest to the primitive Church in which the learned and godly Fathers examined all Matters by God's Word may be holden of most Authority 2. That no Determinations of Councils or Men be admitted against the plain verity of God's Word nor against the Determinations of the four chief Councils Would Knox if he had been Presbyterian have agreed so frankly to have stood by the Determination of these four chief Councils Could he have expected they would have favoured the Divine Right of Presbyterian Parity Will any scotish Presbyterian now adays stand to the Decision of these four chief Councils But all our Author here infers is by Knox prevented and cut off while in the first place he requires that no Determinations of Councils nor Men be admitted against the plain Verity i. e. without the expressed commandment of God's Word We chearfully appeal in the present Controversie and provoke our Adversaries to this Rule which most of 'em I have hitherto met with expresly acknowledge to contain nothing in their favours Secondly The Actions of the first four Councils were of two sorts Creeds viz. and Canons Now as John Knox and all the Presbyterians in cordial subscribing to the former viz. The Symbols of these Councils are confessedly not behind any part of the Christian World so part of the latter sort I mean the Canons are rejected by Episcopals no less than by Presbyterians As for example the Constantinopolitan Council appoints that reduced Hereticks and Schismaticks must be anointed on the Fore-head Eyes Nose Mouth and Ears And in the Council of Chalcedon 't is permitted only of all the Church-men to the Lectors and Cantors to Marry Yea that none of the Clergy after that manner should Marry was statuted by the Council of Nice And they were also to have separated from their Wives the Church-men who were in Wedlock already had they not been restrani'd by the grave admonition and solide reason of Paphnutius Now 't is true indeed Presbyterians admit not of these Decrees But dare they say that Knox imbrac'd them Or do our present Adversaries themselves receive them Knox therefore spoke of the Symbols Our Author introduces him and gives out as if he had spoken of their Canons to the end he may deceive the vulgar Reader for none that look into the Councils can be obnoxious to this his Fraud The same conclusion viz. That Knox supposes the innocency and lawfulness of the Episcopal Office he would deduce from Knox's following words You may in a peaceable manner without Sedition withhold the fruits and profits which your false Bishops and Clergy most unjustly receive of you untill such time as they shall faithfully do their Charge and Duties which is to preach unto you Christ Jesus truly rightly to minister the Sacraments according to his Institution and so to watch for your Souls as is commanded by Christ c. But might not Knox had he been there giv'n the like admonition to the Romans concerning their Bishop and Clergy should he thereby have suppos'd the Lawfulness and Innocency of the Papacy and Power the Romanists gave to the Pope Secondly Does not Knox admonish the People concerning the rest of the Clergy wherein there was comprehended the Abbots Priors and all the rest of the Romish rout no less then concerning the Bishops Did therefore Knox suppose the Innocency and Lawfulness of all these Offices Thirdly Knox utterly baffles all our Author's Sophistry and sufficiently preserves himself from his abuses and depravations while he places the Office of all true Bishops in truly preaching of Christ Jesus rightly ministring the Sacraments and watching for Souls Which I hope is equally the Office and Duty of all Christ's Ministers So true is it we observ'd from Beza's Letter that Knox look'd on all Lordly Diocesan Prelats as false Bishops And all they pretend to beside what is common to every Pastor under whatsoever Name or Profession they go as unwarrantable and unjust But saith our Author Knox's great Work in his Admonition to the Professors of England was to enumerat at the Causes which in God's righteous Judgement brought Queen Maries Persecution on them But he quite forgot to name the Sin of Prelacy as one Ergo c. And did he enumerat and reckon up all things he judg'd to be Errors or Sins wherefore God was pleading with the English and had sent among them that Persecution The truth is the main design of that Admonition is not to give an accurat enumeration of the Causes of the Persecution but to give comfort to the Faithfull under it But abstracting what Knox thought to be the Causes of that Persecution and
what not our Author must sustain that Knox reckon'd up whatsoever he judg'd to be Sins and Abuses in that Church otherwise he does nothing But dare he say that Knox there did so Spoke he ever a word of the Tippet Corner-cap and Surplice there being Badges of Idolaters and Marks of the odious Beast Hath he one syllable of Christmas Feasts and such holy Days which he also judged superstitious and sinfull Or of the Faults of their Service-book about which as all Men know fell out the Controversie at Francfort or the depriving Ministers of Power to separate the Lepers from the whole at which our Author grants Knox to have been offended But Knox calls Cranmer that reverend Father in God Ergo. Bellè As if forsooth Knox might not use a Phrase of the common stile of the times but he must be presently concluded a propugner of the Hierarchy Was not at the Assembly in Edinburgh March 1570. whereof John Knox was a Member one of the Heads of Adam Bishop of Orknay ' s Accusation which by the Assembly he was desir'd to redress that he stileth himself with Roman Titles as Reverend Father in God which pertaineth to no Ministers of Christ Jesus nor is giv'n them in Scriptures John Knox continues our Author said the false Religion of Mahomet is more ancient than Papistry yea Mahomet had established his Alcoran before any Pope of Rome was crown'd with a triple Crown c. Can any Man think subjoins our Author John Knox was so very unlearn'd as to imagine Episcopacy was not much Older than Mahomet Or knowing it to be Older that yet he could have been so ridiculous as to have thought it a relict of Popery which he himself affirm'd to be Younger than Mahometism But was Knox so very unlearn'd as not to know that divers Popish Errors and Dotages had generally obtain'd and got good footing before the time of Mahomet Do not these who know any thing know so much Have we not heard how he rejected as unwarrantable and unlawfull Christmas Feasts and such holy Days Will our Author acknowledge they obtain'd not before the rise of Mahomet or the Pope's triple Mitre I think he will not Have we not seen how good space before these times other Innovations as unction of Poenitents and Caelibacy of Church-men were coming in fashion and countenanc'd by the most famous Councils Knox had been unlearn'd indeed if he had not known so much he spoke therefore only of the maturity and more open appearance of the Man of Sin and as he expresses of his coming to his triple Crown and meant not at all that before Mahomet's time no Popish Doctrines were generally broach'd and imbrac'd yet so our Author otherwise he 's quite beside his purpose makes him to speak then which nothing more false and injurious to Mr. Knox can be express'd Hitherto we have been intertain'd with Sophistry so silly and Paralogisms so palpable that 't were unjustice done to this Gentle-man's Intellectuals not to believe that he sufficiently discern'd the Fallacies But he promiseth to make a mends for the future as yet he has only brought up his Rorarios and Velites but now the case is quite alter'd Ecce ferunt Troes ferrumque Ignesque Jovemque § 11. He has yet more to say yes more with a Witness Knox says in his Exhoatation to England Let no man be charg'd in preaching of Jesus Christ above that a man may do I mean that your Bishopricks be so divided that of every one as they are now for the most part may be ten and so in every City and great Town there may be plac'd a godly learned Man with so many join'd with him for Preaching and Instruction as shall be thought sufficient for the bounds committed to their Charge But the Reader impartially weighing what we have adduced must yeeld that 't is impossible either from this or any other place to make Knox a Prelatist except we involve him in manifest self-repugnancy which there is no necessity to do for any thing here said For tho' Knox considering how the English were wedded to something of a hierarchick Splendor had indulged them in a good deal thereof it had been only a parallel Action to that of his Friend Calvin who tho' sufficiently Anti-ceremonial yeelds notwithstanding for a time and for Peace's sake to that Nation some of their Ceremonies which he calls tolerable Fooleries unprofitable Triffles c. Yet I have met with none who on this score has taxed Calvin of Self-contradiction But this ex abundanti for they cannot from these Knox's words conclude that he favoured so much as the least grain of the substance of Prelacy of each of their Bishopricks he makes ten which I think will bring his Lordship comparatively consider'd to a very narrow compass But to shew that he put a definit number for an indefinit he gives not only to every City but to every great Town a Bishop Now of Cities and Mercat-towns in England which there are not inconsiderable there are odds of 600 But that none may justly cavill let 's make a large abatement of the number where they may be smaller and yet I 'm sure so many remain as there should be ordinary Presbytries in England providing it were so divided Moreover the great End and Work of this Bishop Knox makes to be the preaching of the Gospel and instructing of the People of his Dominion and Power over the Clergy not a syllable yea he gives not to him alone the Charge of the Flock 't is their Charge the Charge of the rest no less than the Bishop they are join'd with him not his Curats under him And we have heard him already making the Office of a Bishop nothing else but what is common to all Pastors And if his Doctrine and Practice in Scotland may be allow'd as an Explication of his Exhortation to England this Bishop was subject to the Admonition and Correction of the Presbytry wherein he was Bishop Nothing therefore can necessarily be drawn from Knox's words except that this Bishop was to have if Temporary or continued I dispute not for it touches not the present Question a meer presidency of Order or Moderator-ship nothing of Dominion or Power to Knox's Bishop Nothing therefore of imparity amongst Pastors can from the words in hand with any good consequence be deduced Lastly whatever 't was it appears clear from these words that he allow'd this only for a time during the rarity of Preachers § 12. But hear somewhat more of the same Exhortation Touching the Reformation of Religion saith he ye must at once so purge and expell all dregs of Papistry Superstition and Idolatry that thou O England must judge and hold execrable and accursed whatsoever God hath not sanctifi'd to thee by his blessed Word or by the Action of our Master Jesus Christ. The glistering beauty of vain Ceremonies the heaps of things pertaining nothing to Edification by whomsoever