part of Christs spiritual kingdom without the which no Church can be Christes no more then it may without the trueth of his doctrine But whether the wordes of Saint Paul 1. Timoth. 5. inferre any such thing or no this is the matter wee haue now in hand Some learned and late writers do so conceiue of that place for my parte I see so many iust and good reasons against their supposall that I can not yeelde to their iudgement The first reason I haue of the weakenes of this place to vpholde the Lay Presbyterie is that many learned and ancient Fathers haue debated and sifted the force of these wordes and not one of them euer so much as surmised any such thing to be contained in this Text. Chrysostome Ierome Ambrose Theodoret Primasius Oecumenius Theophilact and diuers others haue considered and expounded these wordes and neuer dreamed of anie Lay Presbyterie to be mentioned in them If then the wordes of Saint Paul stand faire and cleere without this late deuise as in the iudgement of these learned and ancient Writers they doe What reason after fifteene hundred yeeres to entertaine a newe platforme of gouerning the Church by Lay men vpon a bare conceit that the words of Saint Paul may sound to that effect as some imagine The second reason of my dissenting is for that Saint Paul naming the Presbyterie but once in al his Epistles excludeth al Lay Elders from that Presbyterie Neglect not the grace which is in thee which was giuen thee by Prophesie with the imposition of hands of the Presbyterie This is the onely place in all the Scriptures where the Presbyterie is namely mentioned and Lay Elders are most plainely remooued hence as no parte of this Presbyterie For this Christian Presbyterie gaue imposition of haÌ„ds to ordaine Ministers but Lay-Elders had no right to impose hands to that purpose Ergo. Lay men were no part of this Presbyterie That imposition of hands to make Ministers is a kinde of Sacrament and reserued solely to Pastours if Saint Austens authoritie were not sufficient Caluins confession is very euidâ—nt which I noted before They must be Ministers of the worde and Sacraments and succeede the Apostles in their Pastorall charge and function that must ordaine others by imposing handes and giue them power and grace to dispence both the word and Sacraments This Lay Elders in the Apostles times neither did nor might do they were therefore no part of that Presbyterie which Saint Paul speaketh of in his writings Must we take the worde not for the Colledge of Elders but for the degree and office which Timothie receiued Neither so is the force of my reason auoided For choose which you wil to be the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either collectiue for the whole coÌ„panie of Elders or distributiue for the degree office of euery Elder if collectiue none could be of that Colledge that might not giue imposition of hands if distributiue none might take that function and calling on him but must receiue imposition of handes as Timothie did Then Lay men which neither did giue nor receiue impositioÌ„ of hands are barred both from the degree and from the societie of Presbyterie which was in Saint Pauls time Beza thinketh best to take it for a nowne collectiue and addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est ordinis Presbyterorum quo nomine coetus ille omnis significatur qui in verbo laborabant in ea ecclesia vbi hoc factum est The Presbyterie that is the order or company of Elders by which name the whole company is signified that laboured in the word in that Church where this was done Then the whole Eldership or company of Elders in S. Pauls time labored in the word Where now were the Lay Elders that laboured not in the worde What Presbyterie were they of Had euerie Church two Presbyteries I trust not This whole Presbyterie consisted of Pastours and Teachers An other Colledge of Lay Elders and no Pastours will neuer be found My third reason is for that the Text it selfe doth clearely refuse the sense which they inforce For as they conclude there were ergo some Elders that did not labour in the word and doctrine and yet gouerned well so the wordes are more euident that they all were worthie of double honour whether they laboured or gouerned Which by Saint Paules proofes presently following and by the consent of all old and new Writers is meant of their maintenance at the charges of the Church Honour in this place saith Chry sostome Paul calleth reuerence and allowance of thinges needefull Paul will haue the rest yeelde carnall thinges to them of whome they receiue spirituall because being occupied in teaching they can not prouide thinges needefull for themselues Good faithfull Stewards saith Ambrose ought to be thought worthie not onely of high but of earthly honour that they bee not grieued for lacke of maintenance Paul willeth maintenance to be chiefly yeelded to the Pastours that are occupied in teaching For such is the ingratitude of the world that take small care for nourishing the Ministers of the worde As the poore so the Elders seruing the whole Church are to be mainteined by the goods of the Church Paul mentioning the Church treasure presently exhorteth the Ministers of the Church to be thence maintained By the name of honour is signified al godly duty and reliefe after the vse of the Hebrewe speach Now that Lay Iudges and Censors of maners were in the Apostles time found at the expenses of the Church or by Gods Law ought to haue their maintenance at the peoples hands is a thing to me so strange and vnheard of that vntil I see it iustly proued I can not possibly beleeue it S. Paul hath laied downe this rule They that serue at the Altar should be partakers of the Altar and by Gods ordinance they that preach the Gospell must liue of the Gospell Where shall we finde the like for the Lay Iudges that laboured not in the worde They were if any such were as the sagest so euery way the sufficientest men that were amongest the people for feare of faction contempt and corruption which easily grow when the weaker and baser rule ouer the richer and better sort If the Apostle will not haue the poore widowes so long as they might otherwise be succoured or employed grieue the Church would he then put the burden of the Lay Iudges and Elders in number many in state able to relieue others on the necks of the meaner and poorer brethren there is neither cause nor commandement in the word so to charge the Churches of Christ with maintaining the Lay Senate which yet must be done before this construction can be admitted The fourth reason that holdeth me from receiuing this construction is that I find diuers and sundrie interpretations more agreeable to the Text and more answerable to S. Pauls meaning then this which is
Prince as his delegates or from the Princes superiour Must not Pastours doe the like Princes cannot authorize Pastours to preach the worde administer the Sacraments remitte sinnes and impose handes these things are exempted from the Princes power and charge the King of heauen hath appointed for that purpose Messengers of his will and Stewardes of his mysteries without taking their authoritie from earthlie Princes but to redresse the disorders and abuses of these things in others and to displace the doers that neither Pastoures nor laie Presbyters may chalenge to doe without the Magistrates consent and helpe where the State is Christian And where the State is not Christian from whom shall the Pastours deriue their power to represse disordered actions in others When the Church is not protected and assisted by the sword but oppressed and pursued as where the Magistrate is an heretike or an Infidell the whole may detect and disclaime any part as vnsound and vnsufferable Idcirco copiosum est corpus Sacerdotum c. Therefore saieth Cyprian is the number of Priestes many that if one of our societie should attempt to vphold an heresie and to spoyle and waste the flocke of Christ the rest might helpe represse him yea the people haue by Gods lawe where there wanteth a Christian Magistrate the desertion but not coertion of wicked and corrupt Pastours They may decline them and forsake them they may not compell them or punish them Uiolence and vengeance belong onely to the Princes sworde not to any priuate persons or assemblies Marke them saieth Paul that cause diuisions and offences contrarie to the doctrine which you haue learned and decline them My sheepe saith Christ heare my voyce and folow me A stranger they will not follow but flie from him And so Cyprian and the rest of the Bishops with him being consulted answere Separate your selues saieth God from the tabernacles of these wicked men and touch nothing of all that is theirs least you perish together with them in their sinnes Wherefore the people obeying the Lordes precept ought to separate themselues from a sinnefull Pastour or ouerseer and not to participate with the sacrifice of a sacrilegious Priest since they chiefly where the publike state embraceth not the faith haue power to admit or choose worthie Pastours and to refuse vn worthie The best writers of our age and those no small number interprete the words of S. Paul as we doe and affirme that laie Elders were gouernours of the Church in the Apostles time and part of the Presbyterie Some learned and late writers liuing vnder persecution or in free Cities where the people and Senate beare the greatest sway haue liked and commended this fourme of gouerning the Church by laie Elders ioyned in one Presbyterie with the Teachers and Pastours but I see not how it may bee defended by the word of God as tolerable except they deriue the power of that Presbyterie from the whole Church in time of persecution and in time of peace from the Magistrate in which case they be no Elders authorized by Christ or his Apostles to gouerne the Church but Commissioners deputed by the State to moderate disorders in Pastours and Teachers and so though they may haue the ouer sight of ecclesiasticall causes pertaining properly to the magistrate yet may they not chalenge any interest or right if they be laie men to impose hands or exclude frō the Sacraments which is the Pastours power and charge Otherwise if any late writers be otherwise minded I say of them as Austen sayde of Cyprian Their writings I hold not as Canonical but examine thē by the Canonical writings and in them what agreeth with the authoritie of the diuine Scriptures I accept with their praise what agreeth not I refuse with their leaues To whose praise I cannot attaine with whose labors I compare not mine whose wits I embrace with whose wordes I am delighted whose charities I admire whose deaths I honour their iudgements in that they were otherwise minded I receiue not God suffereth the best mē to haue some blemishes lest their writings shold be receiued as authentike The Text should not differ frō the gloze if both were of like trueth and certaintie In much writing many things scape the best learned euen as with long watching men oftentimes winke It is no wrong to their labours nor touch to their credites to say their writings and resolutions be not alwayes Canonicall The disputations of Catholike praise-worthie men saith Austen we ought not to esteeme as wee doe the Canonicall Scriptures that we may not without blemishing the honor due vnto those men mislike or refuse some what in their writings if happely wee finde that they otherwise thought then the trueth warranteth vnderstoode by Gods helpe either of others or of our selues Such am I in other mens writings such woulde I haue the readers of mine to be Their learning would preuaile much with me as it doth with others men I suppose of no euill mind but zealous for that which they take to be the trueth were it not that the very places which they draw to this intent in the iudgement of as learned and more ancient writers and fathers import no such thing and other places of the Scriptures where Elders are named doe rather contradict then authorize Lay Elders Paul sent for the Elders of the Church of Ephesus to Miletum and gaue them this charge Take heede to your selues and to the whole flocke ouer which the holie Ghost hath made you Bishops to feede the Church of God If all the Elders came to Miletum they were all Pastours and Bishops if your Lay Elders came not why stayed they at home Paul sending for y e Elders They must loose that name or take this charge choose which you will If they for sooke the name of Elders I haue my desire if they vndertooke this charge they were not Lay they were Pastours and Bishops I shall not neede to prooue the confinitie betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they could feede the flocke and not be Pastours The charge that Christ gaue to Peter as an Apostle was this feede my sheepe If they did that they were Sheepeheards if they did not they were no Elders And so saith Peter The Elders that are among you I exhort being my selfe an Elder feede the flocke of God left to your care and when the chiefe Sheepeheard shall appeare you shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glorie They must ioyne with him in Pastorall paines before they shall receiue a Pastorall reward If it be not their function to feede it must not be their lot to be called Elders The communion of the name and charge must goe together The Apostles wordes to Titus will soone declare what Elders were in his dayes For this cause I left thee in Creete that thou should est appoint Elders in euery Citie if any be vnreprooueable for a
places and offices distinguished or digested they tooke an other order then at beginning And why The first regarde the Apostles had was to gaine vnbeleeuers to Christ the second to gouerne such as were gained And these two respects might best be perfourmed by two contrarie courses To encrease the Church the more workemen the better For when the Haruest is great if the Labourers bee fewe the roumes can not be filled To guide the Church the fewer the better except it bee with counsell to aduise For diuerse men haue diuers minds and diuers meanings and in a multitude of Gouernours emulation and dissention are no rare springs Wherefore no maruell though the Apostles tooke besides themselues as many helpers as they coulde to conuert the worlde vnto Christ and yet tooke not vnto themselues as many Rulers as they coulde in euerie place to gouerne the beleeuers By order of nature men must bee gotten together afore they neede bee gouerned and so in the building of the Church the number of Preachers at the first was more requisite then the choice of Gouernours And for that cause Epiphanius second position is verie true That Presbyters and Deacons the one to labour in the worde and dispence the Sacraments the other to releeue the poore and attend to diuine Seruice were euerie where appointed by the Apostles These were sufficient to beginne the Churches and these were fittest to increase the Church And therefore in many places the Apostles left none other but these If you aske who then gouerned the Churches in those beginnings I answere the flocke was both augmented and directed by the Presbyters that laboured in the worde The chiefe gouernement to impose handes and deliuer vnto Satan rested yet in the Apostles who often visited the Churches which they planted and ordained Presbyters as they passed to supplie the wantes of euerie Church The third point in Epiphanius reporte is this that although it be not extant in the Apostles writings that in euerie place where they came at first they left Bishops yet the Scriptures do witnesse that Paul furnished some places with Bishops as Ephesus and Creete with Timothie and Tite Thus farre I see not what you can refell in Epiphanius Perchance you will deride Epiphanius simplicitie that coulde not discerne betwixt an Euangelist and a Bishop for as you maintaine Timothie and Tite were Euangelists and not Bishops and had an extraordinarie and no ordinarie calling You can not charge Epiphanius with ignoraunce in this behalfe but you must doe the like to the eldest and best learned Fathers of the Primitiue Church namely Eusebius Ambrose Chrysostome Ierome Oecumenius Primasius and others which affirme as Epiphanius doth that Timothie was a Bishop ordeined by S. Paul but thereof anon as also whether an Euangelist might bee a Bishop or no which conclusions of yours though they be most feeble and vnsure yet they be lately taken up for Oracles That which may be doubted in Epiphanius is this The cause why Bishops wanted in some places was saith he the lacke of fit men to beare the office It may be some will thinke it strange that amongest so many Prophets Pastours and Teachers as were in most of those Churches which Paul planted not a fit man could be found for the Episcopal function and yet afterward meete men were found for all the Churches in the worlde but as that which Epiphanius saith might be some cause of wanting Bishops at the first so if I be not deceiued there were other causes that mooued the Apostles not straight wayes to place Bishops in euerie Church where they preached which I will specifie when the testimonies of Ambrose and Ierome be throughly perused Ambrose at first sight seemeth somewhat to dissent from Epiphanius in that he thinketh the Churches had both Presbyters and Bishops left them by the Apostles and the Presbyters were placed in an order according to the deserts and worthines of eche man by the Apostles and others that founded the Churches and this rule deliuered that as the first and chiefest Presbyter who was Bishop in name and superiour in calling to the rest failed so the next should succeede in his roume and enioy the Episcopall chaire and power after his departure And when some Presbyters did not answere the expectation which was had of them but scandalized the Church that course of standing in order to succeede was changed and Bishops were chosen by the iudgement and liking of many Priests to cut off vnworthie and offensiue men from the place I could admit this report of Ambrose but that he expresseth not when and by whome this change beganne he saieth Prospiciente Concilio A Council fore seeing or prouiding that not order but merite should create a Bishop but what Council If he meant a Councill of the Apostles which is not expressed but may well bee intended for the wordes stand indifferent to any Councill no testimonie can be weightier for Bishops then this of Ambrose which is brought against them If he meant others after the Apostles deaths what authoritie had they to change the Apostolike gouernment or by their decree to bind the whole world But this I reserue till Ieromes witnesse bee repeated and examined Ierom in his words before cited auoucheth three special things first that til dissentions sprang in the Church Bishops and Presbyters were all one and the Churches were gouerned by the common aduise of Presbyters amongst whom the care of the Church was equally diuided Next that to roote out schismes rising verie fast through the Preachers and Presbyters factions by a decree throughout the whole worlde one of the Presbyters was chosen in euery Church and set ouer the rest and to him the whole care of the Church did euer after appertaine Thirdly that this subiection of the Presbyters vnder the Bishop and maioritie of Bishops aboue Presbyters grewe rather by the custome of the Church then by the trueth of the Lords disposition for they should rule the Church in common These wordes of Ierome may be either verie true according to the time that they be referred vnto or verie false If you so conster Ierome that all the while the Apostles liued Bishops were al one with Presbyters and had no more charge nor power in the Church then Presbyters you make Ierome contradict the Scriptures himselfe the whole aray of all the ancient Fathers and Apostolike Churches that euerwere since Christs time for all these affirme and proue the contrarie But if you so expound Ierom that the Apostles for a time suffred the Presbyters to haue equall power and care in guiding the Church themselues alwayes sitting at the sterne and holding the helue whiles they were present in those parts of the worlde till by the factions and diuisions of so manie gouernors the Churches were almost rent in peeces and thereupon the Apostles forced did set an other order in the Church then was at first and with the good liking of all the
their owne lusts and turned their eares from the trueth to fables Paul sent Timothie thither to stay these prophane and vaine bablings to commande that they taught no strange doctrine to impose hands on such as were fitte to receiue accusations against sinnefull and vngodly Presbyters and to rebuke them openly according to their deserts to reiect yong and wanton widowes and to see true Labourers in the word honored and cherished and finally to ouersee the whole house of God and euerie part thereof as well Teachers and Presbyters as Deacons widowes and hearers And not onely instructed him how he shoulde behaue himselfe as a Gouernour in the Church but charged him before the liuing God and his elect Angels that hee obserued those things without respecting persons or any inclining to partes Likewise in Creete when many vaine talkers and deceiuers of minds subuerted whole houses and loaded the Church with Iewish fables and commaundements of men Paul left Tite there to redresse things amisse to stop their mouthes that taught things which they ought not for filthie lucres sake to stay foolish questions and contentions about the Law to reiect heretikes after one or two admonitions and sharply to rebuke with all authoritie not suffering any man to despise him as also to ordaine good and religious Presbyters and Bishops in euerie Citie that shoulde be able to exhort with wholsome doctrine and improoue gainesayers And here first did Paul by writing expresse that he placed substitutes where need was with Episcopall power and honour to guide and rule the Church of God These examples make nothing to your purpose for first they did none of these things but with the aduise and consent of the Presbyterie which Bishops do not Next they were Euangelists and no Bishops and in that respect might haue this speciall deputation from the Apostle It may bee your learning will serue you to say that Paul left both these to rule the Church in Creete and at Ephesus for a weeke and in their order as the rest of the Presbyters did but such tests if you dare aduenture them will cracke both your cause and your credite Paul belike prayed Timothie to stay at Ephesus to call the Presbyterie together and to aske voyces and to doe iust what pleased the rest to decree but if you elude and frustrate the wordes of the Apostle with such additions not onelie besides but against the Text you can deceiue none saue such as will not beleeue Saint Paul himselfe if hee shoulde speake against the Lay Presbyterie For our partes wee take the wordes as they stand and so did the Catholike Fathers before vs being persuaded that Paul had witte enough to discerue to whome hee shoulde write for the performaunce of these things and not to mistake Timothie for the Presbyterie If Timothie had nothing else to do but to consult what pleased the Presbyters to determine in euerie of these pointes howe childish an ouersight was it for Paul to skip the whole bench of them and to charge and adiure him to see these preceptes inuiolably kept without sparing or fearing anie man For thus you must expound or rather imprison and fetter euerie worde that Paul speaketh in those three Epistles Commaunde with all authoritie receiue not an accusation against a Presbyter but vnder two or three witnesses rebuke them that sinne reiect heretikes after two warnings refuse yoonger widowes staie vaine contentions and vnprofitable questions ordaine Elders in euerie Citie impose handes hastily on no man that is as you interprete call the Presbyterie together and aske them whether they be contented it shall be so or no. And so I adiure and charge thee before God and Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these precepts inuiolable and vnblameable that is obserue them if the Presbyterie will consent and agree vnto thee else not But I thinke you dare not stand to these mockeries of the Scriptures and therefore you will rather flie to the second part of your answere that they were authorized to do these things as Euangelists and not as Bishops We expressed so much that they were Euangelists and no Bishops Euangelists you should say and Bishops for when they left following the Apostles and were affixed to certaine places with this power and authoritie which I haue mentioned what els could they bee but Bishops They assisted the Apostles present and supplied their absence and did continue the Churches in that state in which the Apostles left them Nowe if the Apostles in respect of this power and care were Bishops when they staied in any place much more the Euangelists If the same â—idelitie and authoritie be still needful and therefore perpetuall in the Church of God they did these things not by their Euangelisticall calling which is long since ceased but by their Episcopall which yet doeth and must remaine for if this power and preheminence descended from them to their successours it is euident this commission and charge was Episcopal since no part of their Euangelship was deriued to their after-commers We cannot endure to haue them called or counted Bishops In deed if succession of Episcopall power came from the Apostles to them and so to their successours we shall soone conclude that Bishops came from the Apostles and therefore you doe wisely to resist it but by your patience you must endure it the best Stories and Writers of the Primitiue Church doe make them Bishops and likewise Pauls precepts to them the very paternes of Episcopall charge and duetie Timothie saieth Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the stories reported to bee the first that tooke the bishoprike of Ephesus as Tite also did of the churches in Creete Ierome whose wordes you strongly presse to prooue there were no Bishops in the Apostles times but such as were equall with Presbyters and not superiours vnto them saieth Timothie was ordained Bishop of Ephesus by blessed Paul and Tite Bishop of Creete preached the Gospell there and in the Islands round about Ambrose Paul by his epistle instructeth Timothie now created a Bishop how he ought to order the Church And so of the other The Apostle had consecrated Tite to be a Bishop and therefore he warneth him to be carefull in ecclesiasticall ordination Chrysostome Paul saieth in his epistle to Timothie Fulfill thy ministerie when he was now a Bishop for that Timothie was a Bishop Paul declareth by his writing thus vnto him Laie hands hastilie on no man And againe which was giuen thee by the imposition of handes of the Presbyterie for by no meanes Presbyters could ordaine a Bishop And shewing how Euangelists might become Bishops he saith Why doeth Paul write onlie to Timothie and Tite where as Silas and Luke were also his Disciples and endewed with marueilous vertues Because hee had nowe deliuered to them the gouernement and charge of the Church the others as
what corruptions are in men as wel as other Consistories Mans lawes wee leaue to such as are skilled in them we would haue our Presbyteries meddle no further then with rebuking and censuring of vice as Gods Law requireth To admonish those that erre reiect thâ—se that persist and rebuke those that sinne are Pastorall and not Presbyteriall dueties by the wordes of S. Paul And he that is Pastour hath both worde and sacraments committed vnto his care within his owne Church Wherefore without their pastour the Presbyters may not iudicially rebuke nor publikely excommunicate any man within his charge They may preach the word and so generally applie it in the pulpit they may dispence the Sacraments and so not deliuer them where they find men impeniâ—ent but personally to conuent them or openlie to seuer them from the fellowship of the church that belongeth to the Pastour and not to the Presbyters Saint Paul committed that power and care to Timothie and his successours not to the Presbyterie of Ephesus The words are plaine Against an Elder receiue thou no accusation but vnder two or three witnesses those that sinne rebuke thou openly that the rest may feare I charge thee before God and the Lorde Iesus and his elect Angels that thou obserue these thinges without proiudice or partialitie that is without oppressing or fauouring any side She withus much for your Presbyteries and bring them in with full faile Paul made Timothie no Monarch at Ephesus to doe all this without the Presbyterie but appointed him to be chiefe in these actions and the Presbyters to ioyne with him Much lesse did Paul make him a voice-asker to knowe whether it should please the Presbyters to haue these things done or no. The charge is precisely and exactlie Timothies and not the Presbyteries the power therefore must be his and not theirs All this notwithstanding you affirme against the wordes of the Apostle and against the vse of the Primitiue Church that the Presbyters might ouer-rule and censure Timothie if he would not be quiet and in spite of Timothy doe in all these things as they saw cause and this you barely suppose without anie kinde of proofe But either shew what warrant you haue to claime this prerogatiue of Presbyters aboue and ouer their bishops and pastours or giue vs leaue to beleeue the whole Church of Christ expounding and practising those wordes of S. Paul as we doe before your slender and naked supposals The priuate vse of the keyes in appointing offendors vpon the acknowledging of their sinnes for a time to for beare the Lordes Table we denie not to Presbyters but the publike vse of the keies to exclude an impenitent and obstinate person from al fellowship of the faithfull as well sacred as ciuill that the Church of Christ allowed alwaies and only to bishops Origen saith By falling from trueth faith and loue a man geth out of the tents of the church though he be not cast our by the BISHOPS VOICE Cypr. writing to a bishop that was reproched by his Deacon saith Vse against him the power of your honour either TO DEPRIVE HIM or REMOOVE HIM from the communion The affection of a good Bishop saith Ambrose wisheth to heale the sicke to remooue cankred sores to cauterize not to cut off lastly that which can not be healed TO CVT IT OF with sorrow I maruel saith Ierom against Vigilantius the BISHOP in whose charge he is said to be a Presbyter DOTH NOT CRVSH this vnprofitable vessel with the Apostolike rod and deliuer him ouer to Satan for the destructioÌ„ of the flesh that the spirit may be saued There is no greater punishmeÌ„t in the Church saith Austen then that daÌ„nation which THE EPISCOPAL IVDGEMENT pronounceth yet the Pastor must needs seuer the sick sheepe from the whole lest deadly infection reach vnto others If saith Chrysost giuing y â— people admonition of a certaine abuse crept in amongst theÌ„ we be despised we shalbe coÌ„pelled to bring these threats to effect to chastise you by the laws of the church Be angry who list I wil keepe them from the church a long space as Idolaters Beare with mee neither let any man despise the bandes of the church It is not maÌ„ that bindeth but Christ which hath giueÌ„vs this power made men masters of so great honor wee desire not to be brought to that extremity if we be we wil do our duetie If any man breake those bands I haue done my part thou shalt answer to him that COMMANDED ME to bind thee The Council of Nice willed Synodes to be kept twise euery yeere to examine whether any Lay men or Clergy men were excommunicated by the IMBECILITY PERTINACY OR INSOLENCIE OF THE BISHOP and such as were founde to haue OFFENDED THEIR BISHOP to stand excommunicate til the Synode released them The Council of Antioch likewise decreed that if any Lay man Presbyter or Deacon were excoÌ„municated BY HIS OWNE BISHOP no man should receiue him to the coÌ„munion afore he were restored by his own Bishop or by a Synode The Council of Sardica in the same maner If any Deacon Presbyter or Clergy man be excoÌ„municated flie to another Bishop of his acquaintance that knoweth he is depriued of the coÌ„munion BY HIS OVVNE BISHOP the other must not with reproch to a Bishop and his brother receiue that person to the coÌ„munion The Council of Taurine to which Ambrose wrace decreed touching Exuperantius a Presbyter that had reproched Triferius his bishop was therfore by him put from the coÌ„munion vt in eius arbitrio sit restitutio ipsius in cuius potestate eius abiectio hoc est vt quando velideÌ„ Exuper antius satisfecerit vel episcopo Triferio visum fuerit tuÌ„c gratiam communionis accipiat That his restitution should BE IN THE Bishops DISCRETION in whose power the reiecting of him was And therefore when Exuperantius the Presbyter should make satisfaction or Tâ—iferius the bishop be so content then he should be receiued to the communion The Council of Affrica taketh order for such as complaine against the iudgements of their owne bishops that they shalbe heard by the next bishops but if any man flie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE CANONICAL SENTENCE OF HIS OVVNE BISHOP no man should receiue him to the communion By which it appeareth that Gregories words are very true where he saith THE BISHOPS now in the Church holdethe places of the Apostles THEY which haue that degree of regiment HAVE AVTHORITIE to bind and loose And Theophilacts THEY HAVE POVVER to binde and loose which haue the grace of a BISHOPS OFFICE as Peterhad The publike vse therefore of the keies to excommunicate from al Christian company belonged to the bishop as pastor of the place the Presbyters sate with him at first as assessors and consenters before Synodes vndertooke such causes but after when once Councils beganne to haue the
of Constantinople and Chalcedon supplied the places of Bishops as their Legates and substitutes which in the Council of Chalcedon is more fully expressed But what need we rip vp these things at large which pertaine not so much to our purpose we seeke nowe for the antiquitie and authoritie of Metropolitanes and those we find not onely receiued and established in the foure first generall Councils but confessed by them to haue anciently continued in the Church euen from the beginning And surely if you graunt Prouinciall Synodes to be ancient and necessarie in the Church of Christ which you cannot denie Metropolitanes must needs be as ancient and requisite without whom the Synodes of each Prouince can neither be conuocated nor moderated If to auoid Metropolitanes you would haue the prerogatiue of calling and guiding Synodes to run round by course which order you fansied before in Bishops our answere is easie we looke not what you can inuent after 1500. yeeres to please your owne humours but what maner of ecclesiasticall gouernment the Church of Christ from the Apostles times established and continued by the generall consent of the whole world and that we prooue was not onely in euery Church and diocesse to haue a Bishop chiefe ouer the Presbyters but in euery Prouince to appoint a Mother Church and Citie and the Bishop thereof to haue this honour and dignitie aboue the rest of his brethren that hee might by letters consult or call together the Bishops of his Prouince for any question or cause that touched the faith or peace of the Church and not onely moderate their meetings but execute their decrees and see them perfourmed throughout his Prouince This was the ancient and originall vse of Christes Church long before any Princes professed the trueth and when they began to vse their swordes for the doctrine and Church of Christ then did Synodes serue for the direction of Christian Princes and Metropolitanes had the execution as well of Princes lawes as Synodall decrees committed to their power and care throughout their Prouince This course if you disdaine or dislike you condemne the whole Church of Christ from the first encreasing and spreading thereof on the face of the earth to this present age and preferre your owne wisedome if it be worthie that name and not rather to be accounted selfe loue and singularitie before all the Martyrs Confessors Fathers Princes and Bishops that haue liued gouerned and deceased in the Church of God since the Apostles deaths How well the heigth of your conceites can endure to blemish and reproch so many religious and famous lights of Christendome I knowe not for my part I wish the Church of God in our dayes may haue the grace for pietie and prudencie to follow their steppes and not to make the world beleeue that all the seruaunts of Christ before our times fauoured and furthered the pride of Antichrist till in the endes of the world when the faith and loue of most men are quenched or decaied we came to restore the Church to that perfection of discipline which the Apostles neuer mentioned the auncient Fathers and Councils neuer remembred the vniuersall Church of Christ before vs neuer conceiued nor imagined We want not the witnesse of auncient Fathers and stories that reprooue the ambicious and tyrannous dominion of Metropolitanes and Archbishops Socrates saieth The Bishoprike of Rome as likewise that of Alexandria were long before his time growen frō the bonds of Priesthood vnto worldly dominion Nazianzene not onely lamenteth the mischiefs which follow these diuersities of degrees but heartilie wisheth there were no such thing that men might be discerned onely by their vertues His words are worth the hearing For this presidencie of Bishops all our estatetottereth shaketh for this the endes of the earth are in a ielousie and tumult both sencelesse and namelesse for this we are in danger to be thought to be of men which in deed are of God and to loose that great and newe name Would God there were neither prioritie of seate neither superioritie of place nor violent preheminence that we might be discerned onely by vertue But the right hand and the left and the midst the higher and lower seate the going before and going euen with haue to no purpose done vs much hurt and cast many into the ditch and brought them to be goates and those not onely of the inferiour sort but euen of the shepeheards which being masters in Israel knew not this You may soone find of the auncient Fathers that misliked the contention ambition and pride of many Bishops in the Primitiue Church but any that misliked their calling you cannot finde The sharper they were in reproouing their vices the sounder witnesses they are in allowing their office If either Socrates or Nazianzene had opposed thēselues against the iudgement of the Nicene Council yea against the whole church of Christ before after them their credites would not haue counteruailed the weight of that antiquitie authoritie which the others caried but in deed neither of thē dispraiseth the wisedom of the Council or custome of the church only they taxe the vices of some persons ambitiō of some places which not content with the christian moderation of their predecessors daily augmented their power and their pride by all meanes possible Socrates saith the bishops of Rome and Alexandria were growen beyond the limits of their Episcopal function 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto power dominion The fault he findeth in that place with Celestinus bishop of Rome was for taking from the Nouatians their churches and compelling their bishop to liue at home like a priuate man But herein Socrates leaned a litle too much in fauour of the Nouatians to mislike more then he sheweth cause why Would God the bishop of Rome had neuer worse offended then in so doing He toucheth Cyrillus bishop of Alexandria with like words for the same cause how iustly let the wise iudge If otherwise either of them aspired aboue the compasse of their calling I am farre from defending any pride in them or in whomsoeuer Nazianzene lighted on very tempestuous troublesom times heresie so raging on the one side discord afflicting the Church on the other that he thought best to leaue all and betake himselfe to a quiet solitarie kind of contemplation Of the councils in his time he saieth I am minded if I must write you the trueth to shunne all assemblies of Bishops because Ineuer sawe a good euent of any Councill that did not rather encrease then diminish our euils Their contention and ambition passeth my speach not that hee condemneth all Councils for what follie had that bene in so wise a man but he noteth the diseases of his time the Church being so rent in pieces vnder Valens that it could not be restored nor reformed in many yeeres after Euen so in the wordes which you alleage he traduceth not the vocation or
other side shunning as much popular tumult and Anarchie preferred a middle course betwixt them of Aristocracie thinking the Church would then bee best guided when neither one for danger of tyrannie nor all for feare of mutinie did beare the swaie but a number of the grauest and sincerest vndertooke the managing of all matters incident to the Ecclesiasticall Regiment And for that there was no possibilitie in euerie Church and parish to finde a full and sufficient companie of Pastours and Teachers to consider and dispose of all causes occurrent and the people as they thought would the better endure the proceedings and censures of their Consistories if some of themselues were admitted to bee Iudges in those cases as well as the Preachers they compounded their Presbyteries partlie of Pastors and partly of Laie Elders whome they named GOVERNING PRESBYTERS and by this meanes they supposed the gouernement of the Church would bee both permanent and indifferent To proclaime this as a fresh deuise of their owne would be some what odious and therefore they sought by all meanes as well with examples as authorities to make it seeme auncient for the better accomplishing of their desire first they tooke hold of the Iewish Synedrion which had Laie Elders mixed with Leuites in euery Citie to determine the peoples causes and that order being established by Moses they enforced it as a perpetuall paterne for the Church of Christ to folow To that end they bring the wordes of our Sauiour Tell it the Church if he heare not the Church let him be to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane Next they perused the Apostles writings to see what mention might bee there found of Elders and Gouernours and lighting on this sentence of Saint Paul The Elders which rule well are woorthie of double honour speciallie they that labour in the worde and doctrine they resolutelie concluded there were some Elders in the Church that gouerned and yet laboured not in the worde and doctrine and those were Laie Presbyters After this place they made no doubt but Laie Elders were Gouernours of the Church in the Apostles times and so setled their iudgements in that behalf that they would heare nothing that might be said to the contrary Thirdlie because it would bee strange that Laie Elders euerie where gouerning the Church vnder the Apostles no Councill storie nor Father did euer so much as name them or remember them or so conceiue the wordes and meaning of Saint Paul vntill our age they thought it needefull to make some shewe of them in the Fathers writings least otherwise playne and simple men should maruell to see a new sort of gouernours wrenched and forced out of S. Pauls wordes whome the Church of Christ in fifteene hundred yeeres neuer heard of before And therefore certaine doubtfull speaches of the Fathers were drawen to that intent as where they saie The Church at first was gouerned by the common aduise of Presbyters and the Church had her Elders without whose counsell nothing was done yea some of them were so forward and willing to heare of their laie Presbyters that wheresoeuer anie Councill or Father mentioned Presbyters they straightway skored vp the place for laie Elders This is the warpe and webbe of the laie Presbyterie that hath so enfolded some mens wits that they cannot vnreaue their cogitations from admiring their newe founde Consistories And in deede the credite of their first deuisers did somewhat amuse mee as I thinke it doeth others till partlie enclined for the causes aforesayd and partlie required where I might not refuse I began more seriouslie to rip vp the whole and then I found both the slendernesse of the stuffe and loosenesse of the worke that had deceiued so many mens eies As first for the Iewish Synedrion I sawe it might by no meanes bee obtruded on the Church of Christ. for the Iudiciall part of Moses law being abolished by the death of Christ as well as the ceremoniall the Tribunals of Moses must no more remaine then the Priesthood doth Moses Iudges were appointed to execute Moses lawe the punishments therefore and iudgements of Moses law ceasing as vnder the Gospel there can be no questiō but they do all such Consistories as Moses erected must needs be therewith ended determined Again they were ciuill Magistrates that Moses placed in euery Citie to iudge the people and had the sword to punish as the lawe did limite Leuites being admixed with them to direct them in the doubts and difficulties of the lawe Such Presbyteries if they frame vs in euery parish without the magistrates power and leaue they make a faire entrie vpon the Princes sword and scepter vnder the colour of their Consistories which I hope they will be well aduised before they aduenture Lastlie that laie Elders in Moses lawe did meddle with discerning or iudging betwixt trueth and falsehood things holy and vnholy persons cleane and vncleane or did intermeddle with the sacrifices or seruices of the Tabernacle I doe not read but rather the execution and superuision of sacred things and dueties belonged to the Prophetes Priests and Leuites So that laie Presbyteries vnder the Gospell can haue no agreement with the Synedricall Courtes of Moses much lesse anie deriuement from them vnlesse they will tye all Christian kingdomes to the Tribunals and Iudicials of Moses lawe and giue their Elders the sworde in steade of the word which God hath assigned to Princes and not to Presbyters The wordes of Christ in the 18. of Mathew Tell it to the Church which they vrge to that ende if they were spoken of such Magistrates as Moses appointed and to whome the Iewes by the prescript of his Lawe were to make their complaints then pertaine they nothing at all to the Church of Christ but were a speciall direction for those times wherein our Sauiour liued and those persons that were vnder the Law If they be taken as a perpetuall rule to strengthen the iudgement of Christes Church then touch they no way the Synedrions of the Iewes or any other Courts established by Moses Let them choose which they will neither hurteth vs nor helpeth them The place of Saint Paul at a glimce seemed to make for them but when I aduisedly looked into it I found the text so little fauouring them that in precise termes it excluded Lay Elders as no Gouernours of the Church for the Apostle there chargeth that all Presbyters which rule well should haue double honor His wordes be plaine The Presbyters that rule well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let them bee thought woorthie of double honour Honour in this place is apparantly taken for maintenance as the proofes following doe import Thou shalt not musle the oxe that treadeth out thy corne and the workeman is worthy of his wages Now by no precept nor example will it euer be prooued that Lay Presbyters had in the Apostles times or shoulde haue by the word of God at any time double honour and
more particularly and effectually then Pastours doe or may by their doctrine Such labyrinths they leape into when they seeke for those things in y e sacred Scriptures which were neuer intended But were the word of God in this point indifferent which for ought I yet see is very resolute against them the generall consent of alantiquitie that neuer so expounded S. Pauls words nor euer mentioned any laie Presbyters to gouern the Church is to me a strong rampire against all these new deuises I like not to raise vp that discipline from the dead which hath lien so long buried in silence which no father euer witnessed no councill euer fauoured no Church euer followed since the Apostles times till this our age I can be forward in things that be good but not so foolish as to thinke the church of Christ neuer knew what belonged to the gouernment of her selfe till now of late that the sonne of God hath bin spoiled of halfe his kingdome by his owne seruants and Citizens for these 1500. yeeres without remorse or remembrance of any man that so great wrong was offered him I can yeelde to much for quietnes sake to this I can not yeelde They must shewe mee their Lay Presbyteries in some ancient Writer or else I must plainly auouch their Consistories as they presse them to be a notorious if not a pernicious nouelty Ierome Ambrose and others are brought to depose that the first Church had her Senate and Elders without whose aduise nothing was done but how wrongfully the deuise of Lay Elders is fathered on them I haue declared in a special discourse I wil not heere repeate it onely this I say if any of them affirme that in the Primitiue or Apostolike Church Lay Presbyters did gouerne Ecclesiasticall affaires I am content to recall all that I haue written of this present matter if not it is no great praise nor good policie for them to abuse the names and wordes of so many learned Fathers to the vtter discredite of themselues and their cause in the end Since then the Church of Christ in and after the Apostles times was not gouerned by Lay Presbyters as this newe discipline pretendeth it resteth that we declare by whom both the Apostolike church and the Primitiue after that were directed ruled which I haue not failed to performe in many chapters as farre foorth as the Scriptures doe warrant and the vndoubted Stories of Christs Church do leade In the Apostles I obserue foure things needefull for the first founding and erecting of the Church though not so for the preseruing and maintening thereof and foure other points that must be perpetuall in the Church of Christ. The foure extraordinary priuiledges of the Apostolike function were Their vocation immediate from Christ not from men nor by men Their commission extending ouer all the earth not limited to anie place Their direction infallible the holie Ghost guiding them whether they wrate or spake and Their operation wonderful as wel to conuert and confirme beleeuers as to chastice and reuenge disobeyers Without these things the Church could not beginne as is easily perceiued but it may well continue without them for now God calleth labourers into his haruest by others not by himselfe Pastors take charge of those Churches that are already planted they seeke not places where to plant new Churches The Scriptures once written serue all ages for instruction of faith and the myracles then wrought witnesse the power and trueth of the Gospell vnto the worldes ende Wherefore those thinges had their necessary force and vse to lay the first foundations of the gospel before Christ was knowen but the wisedome of God will not haue his Church still depend on those miraculous meanes which serue rather to conquere incredulitie then to edifie the faithfull signes being as the Apostle saith not for such as beleeue but for such as doe not beleeue The other foure points of the Apostolike delegation which must haue their permanence and perpetuitie in the Church of Christ are the Dispencing the word Administring the sacraments Imposing of hands and Guiding the keys to shut or open the kingdome of heauen The first two by reason they be the ordinary meanes and instruments by which the spirite of God worketh ech mans saluation must be general to al Pastors and Presbyters of Christs Church the other two by which meete men are called to the ministerie of the word and obstinate persons not only repelled from the societie of the saints but also from the promise and hope of eternall life respect rather the cleansing and gouerning of Christes Church and therefore no cause they should be committed to the power of euery Presbyter as the word and sacraments are for as there can be no order but confusion in a common wealth where euery man ruleth so woulde there be no peace but a pestilent perturbation of all thinges in the Church of Christ if euery Preshyter might impose handes and vse the keyes at his pleasure How the Apostles imposed hands and deliuered vnto Satan and who ioyned with them in those actions I haue handled in places appointed for that purpose whereby we shal perceiue that though the Presbyters of eache Church had charge of the worde and Sacraments euen in the Apostles times yet might they not impose handes nor vse the keys without the Apostles or such as the Apostles departing or dying left to be their substitutes and successors in the Churches which they had planted At Samaria Philip preached and baptized and albeit he dispenced the word and sacraments yet could hee not impose handes on them but Peter and Iohn came from Ierusalem and laide their hands on them and so they receiued the holie Ghost The Churches of Lystra Iconium and Antioch were planted before yet were Paul and Barnabas at their returne forced to increase the number of Presbyters in each of those places by imposition of their handes for so the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth with al Greeke Diuines and Stories as I haue sufficiently proued and not to ordaine by election of the people as some men of late had new framed the Text. The churches of Ephesus and Creete were erected by Paul had their Presbyteries yet could they not create others but Timothie and Tite were left there to impose handes and ordaine Elders in euerie Citie as occasion required Herein who succeeded the Apostles whether all Presbyters equally or certaine chiefe and chosen men one in euerie Church and City trusted with the gouernment both of people and Presbyters I haue largely debated and made it plaine as well by the Scriptures as by other ancient Writers past all exception that from the Apostles to the first Nicene Councill and so along to this our age there haue alwayes bene selected some of greater gifts then the residue to succeede in the Apostles places to whom it belonged both to moderate the Presbyters of ech Church and to take the
consult the priests and take direction from them The priests the sonnes of Leui saieth God shall come foorth out of the Cities where they were placed in euery Tribe and by their word shall all strife and plague be tried Remembring alwayes that doubtfull and weightie matters were referred to the counsaile of priests and Iudges that sate in the place which the Lord did choose for the Arke to rest in If there come a matter too hard for thee either by reason of the waight or doubt thereof in iudgement betweene blood blood cause and cause plague and plague of matters in question within thy gates thou shalt arise and goe vp to the place which the Lord thy God shal choose and shalt repaire to the Priests of the Leuites and vnto the Iudge that shall be in those dayes and aske and they shall shew thee the sentence of iudgement And thou shalt doe according to that which they of the place which the Lord hath chosen shew thee and shalt obserue to do according to all they informe thee Thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shall shew thee neither to the right hand nor to the left And the man that will doe presumptuously in not hearkening vnto the Priest that standeth before the Lord thy God to minister there or vnto the Iudge that man shall die This Councillor Senate of Elders residing at Jerusalem in Iehosaphats time who no doubt did not infringe but rather obserue the tenor of the lawe consisted of Leuites and of Priests and of the heads of the families of Israel had Amariah the high priest chiefe ouer them in all matters of the Lord and Zebediah a ruler of the house of Iudah chiefe for all the kings affaires and was a continuance of the 70. Elders which God adioyned vnto Moses to beare the burden of the people with him From these superiour inferiour degrees amongst the priests and Leuites vnder Moses happily may no necessarie consequent be drawen to force the same to bee obserued in the Church of Christ. First for that the tribe of Leui might not be vnguided without manifest confusion and was not subiected to the regiment of any other Tribe but had the same maner of gouernment by her Prince Elders Iudges and Officers ouer 1000. 100. 50. and 10. which other Tribes had in that common wealth Next the ciuill policie of the Iewes being contained and expressed in the bookes of Moses the Iudges and rulers of other Tribes were to be directed and assisted by thâ—se that were most expert and skilfull in the writings of Moses such as the priests and Leuites by their profession and function were which in Christian kingdoms is not so requisite For the Gospell doeth not expresse the maner and fourine of ciuill regiment and positiue lawes as the bookes of Moses doe but leaueth such things to the care and conscience of the Magistrate so long as their policie doeth not crosse the rules of pietie and charitie prescribed in the Gospell and therefore the Pastours and preachers of the new Testament must not chalenge to sit Iudges in those cases which the Priests and Leuites vnder Moses did and might heare and determine Thirdly this preheminence grewe vnto them according to their families by inheritance and birthright The father was chiefe of his ofspring whiles he liued and after him his eldest sonne which is no way imitable in the Church of Christ. And though sometimes the father for good respect made the yonger the chiefer as it is written of Shuri one of the line of Merari that though hee were not the eldest yet his father made him the chiefe yet the contrary was vsually obserued and the priuiledge of the first-borne might not be changed for affection without iust cause Lastly the seruices about the Sanctuarie and Sacrifices which none might doe but Leuites were of diuers sortes and therefore not without great regard were there diuers degrees established amongst them though to serue God euen in the least of them was honourable Now in the Church of Christ the word and Sacraments committed to the Pastours and Ministers haue no different seruices and so require for the discharge thereof no discrepant offices Notwithstanding for the better ordering ouerseeing and containing such in their dueties as be called to be the guiders and leaders of Gods people that they may walke worthie their vocation without reproch of life and be sound in faith without all leauen of false doctrine the wisedome of God in appointing some amongst the priests and Leuites to guide and gouerne the rest of their Tribe as well in the ceremoniall as iudiciall part of Moses lawe is not hastilie to be refused nor lightly to bee neglected For if gouernement be needfull amongst them that will liue in any societie and auoyd disorder whereof God is no way author we cannot get nor need not seeke a fitter or better paterne to follow as farre as the difference of states and persons will permit then that which God himselfe allowed and confirmed in the Church and common welth of Israel And though the certaine forme of their ecclesiasticall gouernment be neither exactly knowen in euery point nor preciselie to be vrged in the Church of Christ by reason of many dissimilitudes betwixt vs and them yet this is euident that God appointed the Church of Israel to be guided not by a generall equalitie of the priests and Leuites but by certaine superiorities among them in euery calling and that as wel in their conuersation as administration and their 70. Elders supreme Council called their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consisted not of all that were and would be present but of certaine of the chiefest who for their nobilitie and authoritie were preferred aboue the rest and admitted to be of that number So that the Leuiticall discipline vnder Moses doeth cleerely confirme a diuersitie of degrees amongst Pastours and ministers in the Church to be more agreeable to the wisedome of God reuealed in his lawe then a generall equalitie or paritie CHAP. III. The personall and perpetuall kingdom of Christ after he tooke flesh THe externall regiment of the Church the Lord declined whiles he liued here and relinquished to others as a thing meeter for the sonnes of men then for the sonne of God No doubt he was euen then the chiefe corner stone elect and precious laied in Sion by God himselfe the Archpastour ouer the whole flocke and high Priest ouer the house of God the Prophets foretold the gouernment should be on his shoulders and he should order the throne of Dauid with iustice and iudgement the Apostle saieth he is and then was the head of his Church yea the head of all power and principalitie he said of himselfe to his disciples ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am the Angels of God were to worship him wheÌ„ he was brought into
such sort that thereby they should serue euen the meanest of their brethren to doe them good and become all things to all men that they might winne some This he caught them that very time not in wordes onely but by deeds also for hauing washed their feete and wiped them drte he saieth vnto them Vnderstand you what I haue done to you you call me Master and Lord and you say well for I am so Then if I your Lord and Master haue washed your feete you ought to wash one an others feete I haue giuen you an example that as I haue done to you you should also doe the liked They should be so farre from striuing who should be greatest that euen the greatest and chiefest should striue to preuent the lowest and meanest with honour and seruice after the example of their Master These texts then conâ—â—â—â—e two speciall doctrines vnto vs. The 〈◊〉 that Apostles and Preachers may not chalenge by vertue of their office any compulsiue dominion or violent iurisdiction ouer their brethren but leaue that to Princes The next the greater our calling is in Christes Church the readier we should te to make our selues euen with those of the lowest degree to gaine them thereby but that Christ intended in those places to giue all sortes of Minister and helpers in his Church equall power and authoritie with his Apostles I am not perswaded and that for these causes What Christ had alreadie giuen or after meant to giue to his Apostles he would neuer crosse with any speach of his The sonne of God cannot repent his fact or alter his mind but the same kingdome that was appointed to him he appointed to them and as his father sent him so sent he them into all the world with a larger warrant from his mouth and greater power and wisedome of his holy spirit to teach all nations what he commanded them and to open all the counsell of God vnto them then was giuen to other teachers and helpers in the Church He therefore neuer recalled nor rebated any part of their Apostolike prehâ—â—nnence aboue others but onely taught them to vse it to Gods glory and the edifying of his Church Againe what Christ had prohibited no Apostle guided by his spirite would euer haue vsed or chalenged but Paul in his writings hath chalengeth and vseth an Apostolicall power and preheminence aboue other Pastours and Teachers in the Church as is alreadie declared It was therefore neuer intended by our Sauiour to make all others equall with his Apostles in the direction and regiment of his Church Lastly if those places did conclude any thing for an equalitie that must bee referred to the Apostles amongst themselues to whom Christ gaue equall power and honour as Cyprian noteth of them The Apostles were endued with like fellowship of honour and power And Ierome All the Apostles receiued the keies of the kingdome of heauen and the strength of the Church is equally grounded on them But Paul speaking of himselfe saieth not that wee haue dominion ouer your fayth but are helpers of your ioy and Peter admonisheth all Pastours to feede the flocke of God not as if they were lordes ouer Christes inheritance but as examples to the flocke Qui vocatur ad Episcopatum faieth Origene non ad Principatum vocatur sedad seruitutem totius Ecclesiae Hee that is called to bee a Bishop is called not to the soueraigntie but to the seruice of the whole Church Episcopi sacerdotes se esse nouerinst non Dominos saieth Ierome Let the Bishops vnderstand they are Priestes not Lordes or Masters And Bernard Forma Apostolica haec est Dominatio interdioitur indicitur ministratio The paterne for the Apostles themselues is this dominion is interdicted a ministration is enitâ—ned These and such like speaches in the Scriptures and fathers doe neither prooue all ministers to haue equall power and honour with the Apostles nor impugne the regiment which the Pastours haue ouer their flocks but as wee 〈◊〉 before by the wordes of our Sauiour they distinguish betweene pastorall and princely regiment and direct both Apostles and Pastours how they shall gouerne The thing so much prohibited by Christ and his Apostles whose wordes the auncient fathers doe follow is that Preachers and Pastours should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behaue or thinke themselues to be lords and masters ouer their brethren What word is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scriptures and wherein consisteth the relation betwixt them if we call to mind we shall not be deceiued in the right sense of these wordes Christ saieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seruant is not aboue his lord or Master and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no seruant can serue two masters The power of lordes masters ouer their seruants is likewise expressed by our Sauiour The seruant that knoweth his masters will and doeth not according to his will shall bee beaten with many stripes And againe I say to my seruant doe this and he doeth it Yee seruants faieth Paul obey the masters of your flesh in all things for know yee not that his seruaunts you are whom you obey whereby as by infinite other places it is euident that opposite to lord and master are neither children nor brethren but seruants and he is a seruant that is vnder the yoke and bound to obey his masters will euen as he is a lord or master that may commaund his seruant to execute his will or thereto compell him with stripes for that is the right of a lord and master to commaund and punish his seruant that disobeieth What maruell then if Christ forbade his Apostles to bee lordes and masters ouer their brethren that is to commaund them and compell them aâ— their vassals since the beleeuers are no servaunts but brethren and the Pastours no lordes ouer Gods inheritance but fathers vnto the faithfull Whereby the honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Christes flocke is not diminished but augmented and the people not licenced the sooner to 〈◊〉 theâ— but thereby required the rather to regard them for 〈…〉 honour due to master or father and who loueth most a seruant or a sonne Amare filiorum timere seruorum est A sonne doeth loue a seruant doeth feare which God expresseth by his Prophet when he â—aith If I be a father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my feare Wherefore to increase the loue of his sheepe towards their shepeheards Christ would not haue his Apostles to be feared as masters but to be honoured as fathers and consequently Pastours not to force but to feede not to chase but to lead the flocke committed to their charge neither toughly to intreat them as seruants but gently to perswade them as coheires of the same kingdome If at any time they require and commaund they doe it in Gods name as messengers sent to declare his will who
substance had euident reason and the Apostles in so doing staied the murmuring of the Disciples and freed themselues from al suspition of neglecting their widowes which was the cause of their dislike by praying them to choose out of themselues such as they best trusted to care for their tables distribute their store By the circumstance of the Text it seemeth that where the beleeuers liued in one place and had al things in common selling their lands possessioÌ„s goods they brought the price thereof and layed it downe at the Apostles feete to be distributed to euery man according as hee had neede the Apostles had put some in trust to bestowe the Churches treasure I meane the Disciples goodes who of like being Iewes regarded the widowes that were Iewes more then the Grecians widowes And hence arose the grudging of the Grecians that their widows were neglected The Apostles then excused themselues for that they might not leaue the preaching of the word and attend for tables to see their widowes indifferently vsed and willed the whole multitude to look out from amongst theÌ„selues such as were replenished with the holy ghost with wisdom best reported of for fidelitie and industrie to take the ouersight of that businesse This is all that can bee pressed out of this storie For answere hereof first by your owne doctrine the parties there chosen receiued not power to preach and baptise but to dispence the goods of the Church for the dayly prouision of the Saints who then liued together and yeelded all their abilitie to be vsed in common at the discretion of these parties appointed by themselues And though Philip did preach and baptise at Samaria and did the like to the Eunuch of Ethiopia yet you auouch he did that not as a Deacon but as an Euangelist both which titles indeede Saint Luke giueth him in the one and twentieth Chapter of the Actes Next if it be true that Epiphanius writeth of them these seauen were all of the number of those seuentie Disciples which Christ himselfe called while she liued on earth and sent to preach aswel as Matthias and Barnabas that were named to succeede in the roome of Iudas the traitor and then by this election they had no ordinarie function in the Church but an extraordinarie charge to prouide for the widowes since none of the 70. Disciples could beginne againe at the lowest degree and become Deacons Chrysostome reasoning what office they had by this imposition of handes saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What dignitie these seauen had and what maner of imposition of hands they receiued it shal not be amisse to learn Was it the office of Deacons This now is not the Churches but this charge to looke to widows beloÌ„geth to Presbyters and as yet there was no bishop but the Apostles onely Wherefore I thinke it was neither the name of Deacons nor Presbyters expressely and plainely which these seuen receiued If these seuen were expresly neither Deacons nor Presbyters as Chrysostome thinketh they were not and the Councel in Trullo ioyneth with him in the same opinion then can their election be no proofe that others ioyned with the Apostles in the choice of Presbyters or Bishops If with Ignatius Cyprian Ierome and others we take these seuen for Deacons such as serued in the Church and attended on the Lords table when the mysteries of Christ were dispenced yet the Apostles made this no perpetuall rule for all elections otherwise neither Paul nor any other Apostle could haue imposed hands but on such as the people named and elected which is euidently repugnant to the Scriptures as in place conuenient shall appeare Againe this singular example concludeth no more for electing by voyces then the choice of Matthias doth for retaining of lots For since two sortes of elections were vsed by the Apostles presently the one vpon the other who can determine which of those twaine was prescribed to the Church as of necessity to be continued Lastly examples are noprecepts and the reasons that mooued the Apostles to referre the choice of those seven to the liking of the multitude admit infinite varieties circumstances which being altered the effect must needes alter according to the cause And therfore no general rule can be drawen from a particular fact without a strong reason to maintaine the coherence much lesse may you leape from the choice of Deacons in the Apostles time to conclude the like of the election of Presbyters and Bishops which then did and now do greatly differ both in giftes and calling from the Deacons That the Ministers and Elders of Lystra and Iconium and of the Churches confining were ordained by Paul and Barnabas can be no question the Text doth cleerely aâ—ouehit onely the signification of the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there vsed is forced by some to prooue that those Elders were chosen by the consent of others besides Paul and Barnabas because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they is to choose by lifting vp of handes which was the vse amongst the Grecians for the people to doe in their elections The aduantage taken vpon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not so sound as they suppose For first if that were the right Etymologie of the word yet as most words in Greeke Hebrew besides the externall action and circumstance which they first importe do signifie the effects and consequents depending on that action and circumstance and are by translation generally and vsually applied to other things so this worde doeth signifie to elect and appoint though no handes bee helde vp because electing and appointing was the effect and consequent of lifting vp the handes To prooue this wee neede go no further then the tenth chapter of this verie Booke where Saint Luke without all contradiction vseth the word in such sorte and sense as I mention This Iesus of Nazareth God raised vp the third day and shewed him openly not to all the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to vs witnesses chosen or appointed before-hand of God It were more then absurde to imagine that God did choose the Apostles to bee witnesses of his sonnes resurrection by lifting vp of handes God hath not hands to lift vp the Apostles neither were nor could be chosen by the peoples hands wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie simply to choose and appoint though it â—e not doone with holding vp of hands nor by the people Againe were the word in the 14. of the Acts vsed in that signification which they vrge as namely to consent or elect with holding vp the hands yet the Text doth manifestly restraine it to Paul and Barnabas that they did elect and appoint by stretching out their hands such Elders as the Churches then needed For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is for a man to holde vp or stretch out his owne hand and not other mens hands and no example will euer be brought
by the Corinthians And because the latter point is of more importance to the matter we haue in hand let that first be examined then after what is meant by deliuering vnto Satan The least we can imagine of these words is that Paul being absent requireth them to put the malefactor out of their societie and to keepe no company with him For that rule he giueth touching all notorious offendours in the same Chapter If any man that is called a brother be a fornicatour or couetous person or an Idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one eate not As else-where he charged the faithfull to withdrawe themselues from euery brother that walked disorderly and not after the instruction which he gaue them And if any man saith he obey not our wordes keepe no company with him that he may be ashamed If the Apostle did but this that is require them because he was not present to remooue that incestuous person from their fellowship this sheweth he had authoritie ouer them after that sort in Christes name to command them but the wordes which he vseth are farre more forcible Reproouing their negligence for not doing what in them lay to put that offendour from among them he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue already decreed or determined as if I were present by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ to deliuer this wicked one to Satan He asketh not their consents he prayeth not their ayde he referreth not the matter to their liking he sayeth I haue already decreed afore he wrote and afore they read that part of his Epistle What to doe To ioyne with them in deliuering the Trespassour to Satan No I haue already decreed to deliuer this sinner vnto Satan By what meanes By the power of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Then for ought that wee yet finde in this place the Apostle though absent decreed as present to do the deed himselfe and that by the power might of our Lord Iesus Christ not by the consent or helpe of the Corinthians But their assembling thēselues was required withall For he saith When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Iesus and my spirit with you The Apostle would then doe it when the whole Church might beholde it and be afraide of the like And though hee were absent in bodie yet shoulde they finde the force of his Spirite present euen the might and power of the Lorde Iesus to deliuer that hainous sinner vnto Satan Nowe howe should the power might of Christ be shewed in excluding a man from the word and sacraments Pronouncing a few words is sufficient for that matter Which maketh me to be of Chrysostomes minde that he was deliuered vnto Satan vt eum percelleret vulnere malo aut morbo aliquo to strike him with some greeuous plague or disease This power in the Apostles was neither strange nor rare Whē Ananias and his wife lied vnto Peter and thereby would try whether the holie Ghost in Peter knew the secrets of their doings Peter strake them both dead with the very breath of his mouth I meane with the sound of his words When Elymas the sorcerer resisted the preaching of the trueth and sought to turne away Sergius Paulus from beleeuing the same immediatly the hand of the Lord was vpon him at Paules worde and tooke his eie sight from him That which the Apostle saide of himselfe wee haue vengeance in readinesse against all disobedience and euen his wordes next before the rebuking and punishing of this incestuous person shal I come vnto you with a rodde or in the spirite of mildnes and If I come againe I will not spare This rodde This vengeance This not sparing importe they no more then a plaine remoouing them that sinned from the fellowship of others or as the words lie had Saint Paul the mightie power of Gods Spirite to reuenge the disobedient and to chastice the disordered The tokens saith he of an Apostle were wrought among you with signes and wonders and great workes or mightie powers And when some of them abused the Lordes supper for this cause saith he many are weake and sicke among you and many be dead or sleepe Whereby it is euident that in the Apostles times when as yet there were no Christian Magistrates to correct and punish the disorders of such as professed the Gospell the hand of God sometimes by himselfe sometimes by the Apostles did afflict and scourge the wicked and irrepentant sinners that thereby they might learne not to detaine the trueth of God in vnrighteousnes and the rest feare to prouoke his wrath with the like vncleannes And this is no such new found or vaine exposition that it should be scorned Not only Chrysostome but Ierome Ambrose Theodoret Oecumenius Theophilact diuers others embrace it as most coherent with the Text. Ierome saith To deliuer him vnto Satan for the destruction of the flesh vt arripiendi illum corporaliter habeat potestatem That the diuel may haue power corporally to possesse him or afflict him Ambrose saith This is the deliuering vnto Satan when the Apostle pronounceth the sentence the diuell which is readie to take into his power those that are forsaken of God hearing the sentence seazeth on them forthwith to let them vnderstand they are therefore tormented because they haue blasphemed Theodoret. Paul sheweth that the Lord pronounceth sentence and deliuereth him to the tormenter and appointeth how farre he shall proceede to chastise the body onely By this place we are taught that the diuell inuadeth them that are seuered from the body of the Church as finding them destitute of grace The Commentaries collected by Oecumenius For the destruction of the flesh Hee appointeth limits vnto Satan that he should touch the body only and not the soule And he wel saieth for the destruction of the flesh that is to waste him or pine him with some sickenesse Theophilact For the destruction of the flesh He doeth restraine the diuel to certaine bounds euen as he was restrained in holie Iob to touch the body onely and not the soule If we scanne the circumstances I see no cause why this exposition should be reiected That he was excommunicated I make no doubt these words of Saint Paul lead me so to thinke You haue not rather sorrowed that he which hath doone this lewd fact might bee put from among you Purge out therefore the olde leauen Put away from among you that wicked man For his excommunication these words had beene sufficient there needed no further nor other circumstances but because the fact was heinous and horrible and such as the very heathen abhorred and therefore tended to the great slander and reproch of Christs name the Apostle not content as I take it to haue him onely remooued from the company of the godly addeth that hee had already decreed to make him
to doe must needes bee theirs you must free them from both or leaue both vnto them If it shall be required at their hands they may not be forced by others if none can excuse them none may compell them We may plainely perceiue as well by their calling which they haue from God as by the account they shall yeeld vnto God that the deliuering or with-holding the Sacraments is in the Pastours power and charge and not in theirs which haue neither vocation nor commission to meddle with the word or Sacraments No small punishment saieth Chrysostome to those that ministred the Communion hangeth ouer you if knowing any man to be wicked you suffer him to be partaker of this Table His blood shall be required at your hands If he be a Captaine a Consul or a crowned king that commeth vnworthily forbid him and keepe him off thy power is greater then his If any such get to the Table reiect him without feare If thou darest not remooue him tell it me I will not suffer it I wil yeeld my life rather then the Lords body to any vnwoorthy person and suffer my bloud to be shed before I will graunt that sacred blood to any but to him that is woorthie Againe it cannot be doubted but the moderation of the keies and imposition of hands were at first setled in the Apostles and exercised by them as I haue already made proofe by the Scriptures and neither the people nor laie-Elders succeed the Apostles but onely the Pastours and ministers of the worde and Sacraments They can haue no part of the Apostolike commission that haue no shew of Apostolike succession They must looke not onely what they chalenge but also from whom they deriue it if from the Apostles then are they their successours if from Christ as Colleagues ioyned with the Apostles wee must finde that consociation in the Gospell before wee cleare them from intrusion No man should take this honour vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as the Apostles were If they be called by Christ read their assignation from Christ if they bee not surcease that presumption But in deede how should they bee called to denie the Sacramentes that are not licenced to deuide the Sacramentes or what right haue they to staie the seale that haue no power to affixe the seale The worde of God is sealed by his Sacramentes and whom he hath sent to denounce the one those hath hee chosen to annexe the other If in preaching the word laie-men were no publique parteners with the Apostles in directing the Sacraments which are the seales of the Gospell they could not bee linked with the Apostles They must be trusted with both or with neither And so are Pastours receiuing by succession the power and charge both of the word and Sacramentes from and in the first Apostles and messengers of Christ. The Elders that are among you I exhort saieth Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Co-elder with you feede yee the flocke of God committed to you Pastours then which feede the flocke haue coparcinerie with the Apostles Laie-men haue not and consequently the power and right granted by Christ to his Apostles and their successours may not be chalenged or communicated to them that haue no fellowship with the Apostolike function God forbidde saieth Ierome that I should speake any euill of those who succeeding the Apostolike degree make the body of Christ with their sacred mouth by whome we become Christians who hauing the keies of the kingdome of heauen in sort iudge before the day of iudgement A monke hath one calling a Clergie man another Clergie men feede the flocke I am fed It is not lawfull for me to sit before a Priest he may if I sinne deliuer mee to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirite may be saued With imposing of hands it may be the people had nothing to doe but the electing of Pastours when they came once to bee chosen pertained chieflie wholie to them as the storie of the primitiue Church declareth and so the retaining and remitting of sinnes the multitude might not chalenge but with casting notorious and scandalous offenders out of their company the whole Church did intermeddle as appeareth by Pauls wordes written to the Church and not to the Pastours or Elders of Corinth I come not yet to the maner of electing Pastours vsed in the primitiue Church when prophesie failed and the miraculous gifts of the spirite ceased I reserue it as time and order lead me to the next age after the Apostles but with the Apostles as there was no cause the people should so is there no proofe they did concurre in choosing their Pastours for the people might not appoint on whom the holy Ghost should bestow his gifts that were to tie Gods graces to their pleasures but if they were to choose they must elect such as were meete and able which then were none vntill by the Apostles handes they had receiued the wonderfull and extraordinarie giftes of the spirite to prepare and fit them for the care and charge of the Churches where the holie Ghost would make them ouerseers Against this if any thing can be obiected out of the Scriptures I would gladly heare it as yet I finde there neither example of it nor reason for it The election of the seuen Deacons is the onely precedent that can bee found in the word and that conuinceth vtterly nothing for the choice of Pastours With money matters not onely at Ierusalem but in all places the Apostles refused to meddle auoiding thereby all occasion of sinister reports and suspicion that they did any way increase or regard their priuate gaine and for that cause Paul would not so much as carrie the beneuolence of the Gentiles to the poore saints at Ierusalem without some specially trusted and chosen by the Churches to see it faithfully done All seeke their owne and not that which is Christes had poisoned so many thinking gaine to be godlinesse that Paul to cleare himselfe of that suspicion and to shew that he sought them and not theirs did not vse the power he might in liuing on the Gospell where he preached the Gospell but his owne hands ministred to his necessities And for the same reason the Apostles at Ierusalem would not haue the goods and lands of the disciples passe through their hands but to be dispensed by some such as the people liked and named to that purpose Now for choosing of Pastours or rather making them fit to be Pastours which before were not fitte the people had litle to say and lesse to doe but the holy Ghost directed the Apostles by prophesie or otherwise on whom hee would bestow his giftes and they should lay their handes in which case I cannot so much as imagine how or why the people should ioyne with the spirite of God to powre his heauenly giftes on such as hee furnished for the
accipiat satisfactionis suae modum Let him come to the Presidents by whom the keies are ministred vnto him in the Church and receiue of them that haue the ouersight of the Sacraments the maner of his satisfaction It seemed vnpossible that by repentance sinnes should be remitted saith Ambrose but Christ graÌ„ted this to his Apostles from the Apostles it descended to the Priests function Loe saith Gregory the Apostles which feared the district iudgement of God are made iudges of soules Their places now in the Church the Bishops keepe They haue authoritie to bind loose that are called to that degree of regiment A great honour but a great burden followeth this honour Let the Pastour of the Church feare vndiscretely to binde or loose but whether the Pastour binde iustly or vniustly the Pastours sentence is to be feared of the flocke The Councils generall prouinciall reserue both excommunication and reconciliation to the iudgement conscience of the Pastout Bishop and by no means impart either of them to the people or laie-Elders The great Council of Nice Touching such as are put from the Communion whether they be Clergie men or Laie by the Bishops in euery place let this rule be kept according to the Canon that they which be reiected by some be not receiued by others but let it be carefully examined that they be not cast out of the church by the weaknes waspishnes frowardnes or rashnes of the bishop And y â— this matter may the better be enquired of we like it wel y â— twise euery yere there should be kept a Synode in euery Prouince y â— all the Bb. of the Prouince meeting together may examine those matters such as haue cleerly offended their bishop let theÌ„ be held iustly excoÌ„municat by all vntil it shall seeme good to the bishops in coÌ„mon to giue an easier iudgement of them This was the ancient and vniuersall rule of Christes Church for the Pastour or Bishop to haue the power of the keyes to admit and remooue from the Sacraments such as deserued it and for the examination and moderation of their doings neither people nor laie-Presbyters were ioyned with them but a Synode of Bishops in the same Prouince euerie halfe yeere heard the matter when any found himselfe grieued with the censure of his Bishop and they according to the right of the cause were to reuerse or ratifie the former iudgement yea the Bishop had power at the time of death or otherwise vpon the vnfained repentance of the partie to mitigate the rigour of the Canons as appeareth in the 12. and 13. of the same Councill It shall be lawfull for the Bishop to deale more gently with them And againe generally for euery excommunicate person that is readie to depart this life and desireth to bee partaker of the Eucharist let the Bishop vpon triall giue him the Communion And so the generall Councill of Chalcedon We determine the Bishop of the place shall haue power to deale more fauourablie with such as by the Canons should stand excommunicate The Councill of Antioch If any be depriued the Communion by his owne Bishop let him not be admitted to the Communion by others afore he appeare and make his defence at the next Synode and obtaine from them another iudgement except his owne Bishop or Dioecesan bee content to receiue him This rule to be kept touching laie-men Priests Deacons and all others within the compasse of the Canon The Councill of Sardica If a Bishop be ouer caried with anger which ought not to be in such a man and hastily mooued against a Priest or Deacon wil cast him out of the church we must prouide that he be not condemned wheÌ„ he is innocent nor depriued the Communion And the Bishop that hath put him from the Communion must be content that the matter bee heard that his sentence may be confirmed or corrected But before the perfect exact hearing looking into the cause hee that is excommunicated may not chalenge the Communion The third Councill of Carthage Let the times of repentance be appointed by the discretion of the Bishops vnto y â— Penâ—ents according to the difference of their sinnes And that no Presbyter reconcile a penitent without the liking of the Bishop vnlesse necessitie force in the absence of the Bishop And if the fault be publike blazed abroad and offend the whole Church let hands be imposed on him before the railes or Arch which seuereth the people from the ministers Concerning those which worthily for their offences are cast out of the assemblie of the Church Augustine then Legate for Numidia sayd May it please you to decree that if any bishop or Presbyter receiue them to the Communion which are worthily throwen out of the Church for crimes committed he himselfe shall be subiect to the same chalenge that they were declining the lawful sentence of their owne bishop Sozomene declaring after what penitentiall maner the excommunicate persons in the Primitiue Church stood in an open place whence the whole assemblie might see them addeth that in this sorte euery one of them abideth the time how long soeuer which the bishop hath appointed him A thousand other places might bee noted both in Fathers and Councils to shewe that from the Apostles to this day no late person was euer admitted in the Church of Christ to ioyne with the Pastours and Bishops in the publike vse of the keies and therefore the fathers haue exceeding wrong to be made fauourers and vpholders of the late discipline and laie Presbyterie Cyprian confesseth the people consented and concurred with him in the receiuing of Schismatikes such lewd offenders to the church and Communion vpon repentance His words to Cornelius be these O if you might be present here with vs when peruerse persons returne from their schisme you should see what labour I haue to perswade patience to our brethren that suppressing their griefe of heart they would consent to the receiuing and curing of these euil members I hardly perswade the people yea I am forced to wrest it froÌ„ them before they wil suffer such to be admitted It is an easie matter to make some shewe of contradiction in the writings of the ancient fathers diuers occasions leading them to speake diuerslie but it will neuer be prooued they thought it lawfull for Laie men to chalenge the publike vse of the keyes in the Church of Christ. The causes of excommunication and times of repentance were wholie referred to the iudgement of such as had the chiefest charge of the worde and Sacramentes as wee mayperceiue by the former authorities yet in notorious and scandalous offenses when the whole Church was grieued or when a schisme was feared the godlie fathers did both in remoouing and reconciling of such persons â—taie for the liking and approbation of the whole people to concurre with them not to warrant or confirme the sentence that
he had required them to remooue that euill one from themselues in not allowing consenting or fauouring so wicked a fact in their hearts Take which you will I stand indifferent howbeit by the wordes of his second Epistle it should seeme he spake not to the whole Church of Corinth but to the leaders and teachers there when he willed them to remooue that wicked one from amongst themselues For this he writeth of the very same person Sufficient for this offendor is the punishment or reproofe that proceeded from many not from all Wherfore I pray you confirme your loue towards him For this cause also did I write that I might see the proofe of you whether you would be obedient in all things So that in excommunicating the incestuous sinner Paul asked not their consents but tryed their obedience and they with all care and zeale shewed themselues ready to execute his precept At least yet the Presbyterie ioyned with the Apostle in excommunicating that malefactour and of this Presbyterie the Lay Elders were no small part so that by this precedent of the Apostolike discipline the Pastours cannot exclude any men from the Sacraments without the liking of the Lay Elders and Presbyters What the Presbyterie might doe cannot well be resolued vntill it be first agreed of what persons this Presbyterie consisted Some thinke certaine skilfull and discreete men as well of the Laitie as of the Cleargie were appointed by the common choice of the people to deliberate and determine of manners and all other matters pertaining to the regiment of the Church and that by their aduise and consent as it were by the decree of an Ecclesiasticall Senate the power of the keyes was directed and handes imposed For this assertion they shewe the witnesse both of Scriptures and Fathers so cleare as they suppose that they cannot be auoyded Some others confesse there was a kinde of Presbyterie in the Apostles times and long after in many Churches but thence they exclude all Lay persons as no partes thereof and account in that number none but such as had charge of the worde and Sacraments and ioyntly labored the conuerting of vnbeleeuers to the faith and preseruing of the Church in trueth and godlines Which of these two positions is the sounder in processe will appeare CHAP. X. What the Presbyterie was which the Apostles mention in their writings and whether any Lay Elders were of that number or no. IT is not to be doubted that in the Apostles time euery citie where the Gospell was receiued had many Prophets Pastours and Teachers not only traueling to and fro to exhort and confirme the brethren but abiding and persisting in the same place all labouring to encrease the number of the Church and continue the faithful in their profession At Ierusalem fifteene yeeres after Christes ascention were Apostles and Elders At Antioch in the Church were Prophets Teachers Barnabas Simeon Lucius Manehen and Saul besides Marke and others In Rome when Paul wrate thither were many approued Labourers and helpers in Christ whom he knew before besides such as the citie it selfe yeelded of whome hee had then no such experience and therefore passeth them ouer vnsaluted by name as men vnknowen After when hee came thither he sheweth who were his worke fellowes vnto the king dome of God to the Church of Corinth he saith Let the Prophets speake two or three and the restiudge Being â—t Miletum he sent for the Elders of Ephesus whome the holie Ghost had set to watch and feede the Church of God He writeth to the Saints at Philippi together with the Bishops and Deacons S. Iames saieth to the Iewes dispersed If any be sicke let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him nothing there were in euery Church not one but many Elders whose office it was to pray ouer the sicke relcase their sinnes and ease their infirmities This number of Teachers and Helpers in the Gospel was not superfluous but very requisite in those daies by reason they were forced to exhort and admonish as well priuatly throughout euery house as openly when the Church was assembled for feare of seducers that secretly crept into houses leading away women loden with sinnes and subuerted whole houses teaching things they ought not for filthy lucres sake and also for that they were daily to win those to Christ that yet beleeued not In which case they were to refrain no place nor slack no time to make Christ knowen to euery particular person and house that was ignorant of him And to this end they needed more aide then otherwise to guide and direct the Church at such times as the Saints mette together Neither ceased this necessitie with the Apostles it dured manie hundred yeers after them which was the cause that in euery great citie the Pastors and Bishops had many Ministers helpers ioyned with them to labour the conuersion of miscreants to strengthen and encourage the Martyrs and Confessours that suffered by thousands for the name of Christ to visite the sicke and comfort them in their extremities to cate chise the Nouices to attend the seruice and Sacraments of the Church to examine the faith and suruey the behauiour of all that repaired to the Lordes Table and to performe a number of such sacred duties which for one Pastor or Bishop alone to do in so populous cities and assemblies as they had was vtterly impossible A Presbyterie then of Prophets Pastors and Teachers the Apostles in their times had and vsed in euery Citie where they planted the Faith and setled the Church but that lay Gouernours or Elders were part of that Presbyterie concurred ioyntly with the Pastors Prophets in imposing hands exercising the power of y t keys censuring both doctrine maners I find no such thing commaÌ„ded or warranted by the Scriptures the patrons of y t Lay Presbyterie must vndertake the burden to proue their assertion The very foundation of the Lay Presbytery so strongly conceiued eagerly pursued by men in our dayes is the place of S. Paul 1. Tim. 5. The Elders that rule well are worthie of double honor chiefly they that labor in the word doctrine Hence it is resolutely inferred ergo there were some Elders that labored not in the word and docrine and those by comparison of other places are supposed to be Gouernours which office Paul nameth amongest the spirituall functions of the Church when he saieth Hee that ruleth let him do it with diligence It is a matter of nosmal weight to giue Lay men power in euery parish to impose handes and vse the keyes yea to haue the full and whole gouernement of the Church aboue and against the Pastours by number of voyces if they differ in iudgement and therefore the ground that shall beare the frame of the Lay Presbyterie had neede be sure especially when it is vrged as a
ashamed to say I could easilie presume I can not easilie prooue what they were The maner and order of those wonderfull giftes of Gods spirite after so many hundreds may be coniectured cannot be demonstrated Why should they not bee laie-Elders or Iudges of maners Because I finde no such any where els mentioned and here none prooued Gouernours there were or rather Gouernements for so the Apostle speaketh that is giftes of wisedome discretion and iudgement to direct and gouerne the whole Church and euery particular member thereof in the manifold dangers and distresses which those dayes did not want Gouernours also they might bee called that were appointed in euery congregation to heare and appease the priuate strifes and quarels that grew betwixt man and man least the Christians to the shame of themselues and slaunder of the Gospell should pursue each other for things of this life before the Magistrates who then were infidels Of these S. Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 6. Dare any of you hauing matters one against another seeke for iudgement before the vniust and not before the Saints If you haue any quarels for things of this life appoint the worst in the Church to be your Iudges I speake this to your shame Is there neuer a wise man amongst you that can looke into his brothers cause but brother goeth to lawe with brother and that before Infidels These Gouernours and moderators of their brethrens quarels and contentions I finde others I finde not in the Apostolike writings but such as withall were watchmen and feeders of the flocke None fitter then those Gouernours which you last named to restraine the vnrulie and chastise the vngodly for they censured the misbehauiors and disorders of men against men and why not likewise the sinnes and offences committed against God These Gouernours had neither authoritie necessitie nor perpetuitie in the Church of God Rather then the Christians should eagerly pursue one another before Pagans and by their priuate brabbles cause the vnbeleeuers to deride and detest the doctrine of Christ the Apostle willeth them to suffer wrong o◠els to referre the hearing and ending of their griefes to some wise and discreet arbiters within the Church but he giueth those iudges no leaue to chalenge the determining of other mens matters nor power to commaund or punish the disobeier that were to erect magistrates in the Church and to giue them the sword euen in temporall and ciuill causes which the Apostle neither did nor could warrant Besides in Christian common wealthes where there can bee no doubt of despising or scorning the Gospel for going to lawe those iudges must cease since there is no cause to decline the Tribunals of beleeuing Princes to whom the preseruing of all mens rights and punishing of all mens iniuries and enormities doeth by Gods lawe generally and wholy appertaine If these were the laie-Presbyters and Gouernours which you so much stand on they must giue place to the magistrates sword where the state vpholdeth the Christian fayth as in England it doeth and God graunt it long may Thinke ye that Pastours and Prophets in the Apostles times were hindered from their callings combred with examinations of parties principall exceptions and depositions of witnesses and such like Consistorie courses as were needfull for the triall of the trueth when any man accused How far better is it to refer these things to the hearing of certain graue good men chosen frō amongst the Laitie rather then to busie ouerload the Preachers labourers in the word with those tedious and superfluous toiles The Iudiciarie paines in the Apostles time were not great nor the processe long They medled with no matters but with so notorious that they scandalized the Church and infamed the doctrine of our Sauiour with Infidels and in those cases where euery man could speake the proofe was soone made Againe the Prophets and Pastors in those daies had the gifts of discerning spirits and knowing secrets so that malefactors were soone discouered and conuinced if the case were doubtfull S. Paul is a witnesse that to know secrets was then incident to the gift of prophesie If you all prophesie and there come in one that beleeueth not hee is rebuked of all men and iudged of all men and so are the secretes of his heart made manifest and hee will fall downe on his face and worship God and say plainly that God is in you in deed A litle before he ioineth them both together Though I had prophesie and knew all secrets To reueale things hid and foresee things to come were then annexed to the gift of prophesie not generally and perpetually but when and where the necessitie of the Church or Gods glory required it should be so Thirdly the Apostle hath plainely committed the receiuing of accusations euen against Elders and open rebuking of such as sinned vnto Timothie and he in sight was no laie man What warrant haue you then to take that from Pastours and Teachers as a burden to their calling which Paul chargeth them with and to giue it to laie Elders vpon pretence of some better policie as if the spirit of God in Paul had missed his marke in establishing the worst way to gouerne the Church That Pastours must iudicially examine and rebuke such as sinne we prooue by the euident wordes of S. Paul shew you the like for laie Elders and wee will quietly resigne you the cause Lastly since the power of the keyes and ouersight of the Sacraments did and doe clearely belong to Pastours and not is laie Elders I see not how laie men that are no magistrates may chalenge to intermeddle with the Pastours function or ouer-rule them in their owne charge without manifest and violent intrusion on other mens callings against the word and will of Christ who gaue his Apostles the holy Ghost to remit and retaine sinnes and so ioyned the word and Sacraments together that he which may not deuide the one may not dispose the other and so both word and Sacraments must pertaine to laie Elders or neither I call no man Laie in contempt or derogation either of his gifts or of that state in which I know the Church of God hath alwayes had and hath many graue and woorthie men fit for their wisedome and grauitie to be are as great or greater charge then clergie men I vse that name for distinction sake which I find in the best 〈◊〉 ancient writers for such as were not by their calling dedicated and deuoted to the publike seruice and ministerie of the Church in the word and Sacraments notwithstanding they were and bee the people of God and his inheritance euen a chosen generation and royall Priesthood by the inward sanctification of the holie Ghost to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. And so the learned know the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence Laie is deriued importeth euen the Lords peculiar people which distinction of
people from Priests is neither prophane nor strange in the Scriptures There shall be saieth Esay like people like Priest And so saieth Osee as also Ieremie diuideth the Church into the Prophet Priest and People As for the name of Clergie men Ierome saieth Proptereà vocantur Clerici vel quia de sorte sunt Domint vel quia ipse Dominus sors idest pars Clericorum est Therfore are they called Clergie men or Clerkes either because they are the Lordes portion to serue the Church of Christ or for that the Lord is their portion part to liue on such things as are dedicated to the Lord. The Laie hee calleth Seculares Secular men which word is not so good as Laici the Laitie or people The name of Presbyter I vse not thereby meaning aged and ancient men of what calling soeuer they be as the word sometimes signifieth and wherewith I see many that fauour the Presbyterie deceiued and deceiuing others but I vse it for those whom the Apostles call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters whence our tongue following the French long since deriued Priests who for their age should be Elders and by their office are ministers of the word and Sacraments and ouerseers of the flocke of Christ. And though there can be no doubt but very often in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Seniores in English Elders are taken for Pastours Teachers and such as laboured in the word and dispensed the Sacraments yet some more zealous then discreet no sooner he are of the word Presbyter or Senior an Elder in Scriptures or Fathers but they straightway dreame of their laie Presbyterie which is the greatest ground of all their errour and lightest proofe that may possiblie be brought For which cause I am forced often to distinguish the ministers of the word from such as some men would haue to bee Gouernours of the Church by the name of Presbyter and not of Elder which in our tongue is more common to aged men then to Clergie men But howsoeuer they may play with wordes to make some the we that Elders were Gouernours of Christes Church in the Apostles times assuredly no man is able to 〈◊〉 that laie men were publike Gouernours to ordaine ministers or remooue sinners from the Lordes table while the Apostles liued and after their deaths the longer we search the further we are from finding any such Elders The whole Church by the very wordes of our Sauiour might exclude disobedient and froward persons from their felowship as Etâ—nikes and Publicanes and bind them both in heauen and earth I haue answered alreadie that those wordes of Christ by the verâ—â— confession of such as are the greatest defenders of this newe discipline were spoken of the Iudges and Magistrates of the Iewes And if by the credite and authoritie of the fathers wee will needes haue them spoken of Christes Church wee must then take the Church for the Pastours and leaders of the Church that haue receiued power from Christ to binde and loose in heauen and earth Lastly if we intend nothing els by those wordes Let him be to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane but refraine all company with him and eate no more with him then thou wouldest with an Ethnike and Publicane this charge pertaineth rather to the whole Church then to any laie Elders or Gouernours in the Church The Apostles wordes When you are gathered together put away from among you that wicked man are rather directed to the whole Congregation then to any laie Elders in the Church of Corinch as are also these that folow I wrate vnto you that you should not company together with fornicatours but nowe I haue written vnto you if any man that is called a brother bee a fornicator or couetous an Idoâ—ater railer drunkard or extortioner with such an one eate not Must onely the laie Elders or all the multitude auoyd the companie of such enormous persons I beseech you brethren saieth Paul obserue those which cause diuisions and offences against the doctrine which you haue learned and decline them Should none but Elders and Teachers shunne Schismatikes and hainous malefactours or must the people and hearers doe the like If any man obey not our sayings keepe no companie with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not an enemie but admonish him as a brother Shall wee thinke the Apostle thought it sufficient for soâ—â— fewe laie Elders to forbeare the company of such disordered persons or doeth hee will the whole Church with one consent to shunne all societie with such vnrulie ones that they may bee ashamed Then yet the whole Church might excommunicate and not Pastours onely With open reproouing by the word and excluding from the Sacraments such as notoriouslie sinned Pastours and Prophets might intermeddle the people and laie Elders might not it was no part of their charge but in banishing malefactours from all fellowship and companie both ciuill and sacred with the faithfull the Pastours were to direct the people to assist and execute that iudgement The Apostle doeth not leaue it to peoples liking as a matter indifferent till they haue consented but enioineth it as a necessarie duetie and commandeth them in the name of Christ Iesus to withdraw themselues from euery brother that walked inordinately For as S. Iohn warneth vs He that receiueth to his house the bringer of another doctrine or biddeth him good speede is partaker of his euill deedes And so is euery one that with countenance fauour or familiaritie doeth embolden the wicked to goe on in any other lewdnesse when by Christian dutie he should reproue such offenders if they persist renounce al societie with them yea where there wanteth a beleeuing magistrate the Pastours shall not doe wisely to proceed to any such rigour against wilfull and obstinate sinners without the knowledge and consent of the people for feare of contempt if the most part mislike or factions if the multitude be deuided If Pastours in such cases were to staie for the liking of the whole Church is it not more likely that the people did referre the hearing and censuring of all such matters to certaine chosen Elders of themselues rather then in a tumult confusedly without any Iudiciall forme determine such causes That if wee euict wee make no doubt that laie Elders were Gouernours in the Church of Christ as well as Pastours Indeed likelihoods and surmises were the best demonstrations that euer were made for your supposed discipline but if this hee all you will neuer euict any thing The people might well relie themselues on the credite and conscience of their Pastours and beleeue them in other mens cases whom they trusted with their owne soules Againe they might approoue and confirme their Pastours iudgement in an open assemblie without an vprore things were at that time handled in the Church religiously not tumultuously Lastly if the people did appoint certaine wise and sufficient
weè not Ambrose opinion else where deliuered that in cases of faith and manners Lay men neuer did neuer might iudge of Priests of whome yet the Presbyterie might and did iudge what one worde is heere sounding for Lay Elders They were aged that were called to the regiment of the Church in former times and not one but many Ambrose misliketh that in his time some whiles they would seeme alone to rule had excluded or neglected the rest that were wont to bee ioyned with them in consulting and caring for the Church By this you may prooue that ancient good Bishops in guiding their flocks vsed the helpe and aduise of their Cleargie that Lay men were coupled with them to gouerne the Church you cannot prooue He doth not blame them for refusing Lay Elders to be their Colleagues but for affecting to be so wise that they needed not the aide and counsel of their brethren who were wont to aduise and assist their Bishops as well in doctrine as in discipline What Ambrose thought of Lay Iudges ouer persons and â—aâ—ses Ecclesiasticall his Epistle to Valentinian the Emperour will quickely resolue No man ought to thinke me obstinate sayth Ambrose when I auouch that which your father of sacred memory not only answered in words but established by his lawes in causa fidei vel ecclesiastici alicuius ordinis eum iudicare debere quinec munere impar sit nec iure dissimilis in a matter of faith or touching any Ecclesiasticall order hee ought to bee iudge that hath neither his calling diuers nor his right different Those are the very wordes of the rescript that is hee woulde haue Priests to be Iudges ouer Priests Yea if a Bishop bee to bee reprooued for any other thing and his manners to be examined this also would hee haue pertaine to the iudgement of Bishops When euer heard you most gratious Emperour in a matter of faith that Lay men iudged of Bishops Shall we then so bowe with flatterie that wee forget the right of Priestes and what God hath giuen to mee shall I commit to others If a Bishop must be taught by a lay man what to followe let the Lay teach the Bishop heare let the Bishop learne at a Lay mans hands Your father a man of ripe yeeres saide Non est meum iudicare inter Episcopos It is not for mee to sit iudge amongest Bishops you shall be olde by Gods grace and then shall you finde what a Bishop he is qui Laicis ius Sacerdotale substernit that casteth the right of Bishops vnder Lay mens feete Woulde hee call it pride in Bishops to refuse Lay men for their Consorts in censuring all persons and causes of the Church that greatly praised the Emperour for saying it was not his part to iudge amongest Bishops and highly commended the Law that barred all Iudges ouer Priests saue such as were pari munere simili iure of the same calling and right that Priests were The longer we seeke the further we are from finding Lay Elders Wee haue nowe a publike and Emperiall Law that with Ecclesiasticall causes and persons no Lay man should meddle but leaue them to Bishops as best acquainted with the Rules and Canons of the Church by which such men and matters must be guided Tertullian Austen and Gregorie admit all three one answere They vse the Latin word Seniores for those whom Hierome and others cal by the Greeke name Presbyteros such Elders as were Pastours and Priests Presbyter in Greeke saieth Isidore is in Latine Senior Presbyters and Elders being so called not for yeeres and olde age but for the honour and dignitie which they tooke when they entred that order This name the Translatour of the new Testament giueth them euen in those places where the Greeke calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seniores qui in vobis sunt obsecro consenior The Seniors that are amoÌ„g you I beseech being my selfe a Senior feede ye the flocke of God that is with you And againe Senior electae Dominae Senior Gaio charissimo The Senior to the elect Ladie and the Senior to the most deere Gaius and yet I trust Saint Peter and Saint Iohn were no Lay Elders At first Pastours and Teachers were vsually chosen by their age as to whome the rather for their wisedome and grauitie reuerence and honour should bee yeelded in the execution of their office and afterward when some of rare gifts though yonger in yeeres were elected to that charge they retained the name which vse had accustomed and so generally men of that profession were and are called Presbyters and Seniors which in English are Elders What proofe is this then for Lay Elders if Latine writers now and then call them Seniores which is common to all Pastours and Ministers of the worde and Sacraments The circumstances perchance will somewhat induce that those Fathers spake of Lay Elders They will the contrarie verie well but this they will neuer Tertullian opening to the Gentiles the manner of the Christian assemblies and what they did when they were gathered together saieth Wee meete in a companie that wee may ioyne as an armie in our prayers to God Wee meete to the rehearsing of the diuine Letters where with sacred woordes wee nourish faith wee stirre vp hope and fasten confidence and neuerthelesse confirme discipline by the often instructions of our teachers There are also exhortations reprehensions and diuine censures Iudgement is vsed with great deliberation as being out of doubt that God seeth vs. There haue wee an euident foreshewing of the Iudgement that shall one day come if any so offend that hee bee banished from the fellowship of our prayers assemblie and all holie companie The Rulers of our meetings are certaine approoued Seniours such as gate this honour not by rewarde but by good reporte for nothing that is Gods may be bought Praying reading of the Scriptures teaching exhorting reproouing in their publike assemblies were Pastourall dueties why shoulde not censuring bee the like The selfe same persons that were in one were Rulers in all these actions Againe the honour which they had to sitte before the rest in the Church and was so sacred that it coulde not be procured by rewarde but by good reporte sheweth they were Cleargie men and not Lay persons that did moderate their meetings The verie worde Praesidere with Tertullian is an euident distinction betweene the Pastours and the people Disciplina ecclesiae praescriptio Apostoli digamos non sinit praesidere The discipline of the Church and precept of the Apostle suffer not a man that hath moe wiues then one praesidere to be a Bishop which by reason of their function did sit before all others in the Church Quot digams praesident apud vos insultantes vtique Apostolo How many with the second wife are presidents and Bishops amongest you insulting on the Apostle that saieth a Bishop shoulde be the husband of
the bishops office since which time euery Citie diocesse adioyning had but one Bishop The Council of Sardica for y â— West disliked prohibited the making of Bishops in villages small Cities Licentia danda non est ordinandi Episcopum aut in vico aliquo aut in modica Ciuitate cui sufficit vnus Presbyter None must be permitted to ordaine a Bishop either in a village or smal Citie where one Presbyter wil suffice The Councill of Laodicea did the like for the East 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None must place Bishops in townes villages those that are alreadie placed must do nothing without the consent of the Bishop of the Citie As then there were no Bishops but in Cities so was there no Presbyterie to attend and assist the Bishop but in the same place where the Bishop had his chiefe charge and Church And therefore your vrging of Presbyteries in euery parish and village is a thing vtterly dissonant from the regiment of the Primitiue Church In each populous Citie there was a Bishop to gouerne the people committed to his charge and a Presbyterie that is a number of Priests to helpe the Bishop in all sacred actions and aduise him in all Iudiciall and ecclesiasticall proceedings and these are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Priests of the Citie by the ancient Councils of Ancyra and Neocesaria The villages and countrey Townes as they were conuerted to the faith and by reason of the number that beleeued needed a minister of the word and Sacraments to bee a resident amongst them and were able and willing to maintaine one so repaired they to the Bishop of the Citie next to them and desired of him a fit man to serue their necessities and became subiect both the people and Priest to that Bishop who first gained them to Christ or who first erected and ordered their Churches By which meanes each Bishop had not onely his principall Church and chaire in that Citie where hee was Pastour which the ancient Councils and Stories call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but had the care and ouersight of the Townes and villages round about that Citie which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doeth not import a countrey parish as our age abuseth the word and whereon some vnwiselie haue collected that euery such parish had and should haue a Bishop but the greatest Cities with their suburbes and the chiefest Churches in the world were so termed as appeareth by Eusebius calling Alexandria Corinth Ierusalem Ephesus Lions Carthage Antioch and such other famous Cities and Churches by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the like is extant in the same writer li. 4. ca. 1. 4. 5. 15. 19. 23. li. 5. ca. 22. 23. 27. li. 6. ca. 1. 8. li. 7. ca. 28. and in many other places And so much the very composition of the wordes importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 containing not only the citizens but all such borderers strangers as dwelt neere and repaired to any chiefe Church or Citie and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprising all the villages and Churches that were dispersed in diuers places but vnder the regiment of one Bishop Ierome sheweth that in his time and long before not onely a citie but also a Prouince or Region belonged to eche Bishop in which though Presbyters and Deacons baptized with his leaue yet he alwayes imposed hands and examined and confirmed their baptisme Tuin eo quod recipis Laicum vnam animam recipiendo saluas ego in recipiendo Episcopum non diâ—am vnius ciuitatis populos sed vniuersam cui praeest Prouinciam ecclesiae socio You in admitting a Lay man to repentance saue one soule by receiuing him I in receiuing a Bishop ioyne to the Church I say not the people of one Citie but the whole Prouince or Dioecese which is vnder him Then Bishops had not onely the people of one Citie but of one Prouince or Countrie committed to their charge and subiect vnto them and their diâ—ceses did reach euen to farre townes and villages where Presbyters and Deacons had cure of soules vnder them as Ierom else-where remembreth Non abnuo hanc esse ecclesiarum consuetudinem vt ad eos qui longè in minoribus vrbibus per Presbyteros Diaconos baptizati sunt episcopus ad inuocationem Spiritus sancti manum impositurus excurrat I deny not saieth Ierome but this is the custome of the Churches that the Bishop shall go euen to those that a farre off in lesser Townes were baptized by Priestes and Deacons and impose handes to inuocate the holie Ghost on them But this imposition of hands on parties baptized Ierome saith was reserued to the Bishop rather for the honor of his priesthoode then for necessitie of their saluation Otherwise if the holie ghost come only at the Bishops prayers lugendi sunt qui in vinculis aut in castellis aut in remotioribus locis per Presbyteros Diaconos baptizati ante dormierunt quà m ab Episcopis inuiserentur Their case saith he were lamentable that being baptized by Priestes and Deacons in villages castels and places farre distant die before the Bishop can visite them No Bishop might order or confirme but in his owne diocese to do any such thing in an other mans diocese was no custome of the Church but repugnant to all the Canons of the Church There belonged therefore to the Bishops not onely the Cities where their chiefe Churches were but also Uillages Townes Castles and remote places in which Priests and Deacons discharged diuine seruice and Sacraments and those places the Bishop vnder whome they were did at certaine times visite to examine the faith of the baptized and the manner of their baptisme lest to Churches and Chappelles farre distant heresie might haue the easier accesse by the bishops absence Cleargie men then there were in euery diocese that ministred the word and sacraments in villages and smaller Townes but none were of the Presbytery that assisted and aduised the Bishop in Ecclesiasticall causes saue onely the Clergie and Priests of that Citie where the Bishop had his Church and Seate The rurall Bishops for such you confesse there were had they no Presbyteries to assist them in ecclesiasticallactions and censures They needed none for they were Bishops in word but not in deede they enioyed the name not the power and preeminence of Bishops but were in all things restrained as other Priests were and subiected to the Bishop of the Citie in whose circuite they were The Councell of Antioch saieth of them Those that are in Townes and Villages called rurall Bishoppes though they haue receiued imposition of handes as Bishops yet it seemeth good to this sacred Synode they shoulde acknowledge their degree or measure content themselues with the care of their own churches not to presume to impose hands on a Priest or Deacon without the Bishop of the Citie
matters to whom the Apostolike power and charge which must alwayes remaine in the Church may be communicated and imparted and those are Presbyters and Bishops By Presbyters I meane those whom all the Catholike Fathers and Councils with one consent call Presbyteros placing them in the middle betweene Bishops and Deacons when they deuide the Clergie into Episcopos Presbyterosâ— Diaconos Bishops Presbyters and Deacons Laiâ— Elders I ouerskip as meere strangers to all antiquitie So that when I speake of Presbyteries I vnderstand thereby the assemblies of such Presbyters as were Clergie men and in euery Citie assisted the Bishop in the seruice of God and aduised the Bishop in all other affaires of the Church Thus much I premonish least the often vse of the word Presbyter in this chapter should either perplexe or vnsettle the Reader The times must like wise be remembred The Apostles both in teaching and gouerning the Churches when they were present had helpers when they were absent had substitutes after their finall departures or deathes left successours So that the things originally descending from the Apostles and continuallie remayning in the Church are the charge of the worde and Sacraments and the power of keyes and handes the persons to whom they were committed either Presbyters or Bishops the times when the presence absence departure or death of the Apostles If wee neglect or confound these partes wee shall but roaue in the aire at the right gouernement of the Church if wee obserue them wee shall force the Question to an Issue that will not deceiue vs. And first for the worde and Sacraments It may not bee deuied but as the worde and Sacraments are the most essentiall seedes of the Church so the handling and sowing thereof in the Lordes ground must bee the generall and principall charge of all Pastours and Presbyters that eyther feede or rule the flocke of Christ. for whether they be Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastours or Teachers I meane such as Paul reckoneth to the Ephesians for the worke of the Ministerie or as the holy Ghost in other places calleth them Bishops and Presbyters this power is common to them all Without the worde and Sacraments the Saintes are not gathered the Church is not edified faith is not perfited heauen is not opened wherefore in preaching the worde and administring the Sacramentes the Scriptures know no difference betwixt Pastours and Teachers Bishops and Presbyters Had not our Sauiour deliuered both in one ioynt Commission to his Apostles when he willed them to goe and teach all Nation baptizing them Paul sheweth that preaching the worde was of the twaine the greater and woorthier part of his Apostolike function Christ sent mee not to baptize but to preach the Gospell not that hee might not or did not vse both but the latter was the chiefer So Iohn preached the baptisme of repentance not deuiding the offer of the worde from the confirmation of the Sacrament but ioyning them both together as coherent and consequent the one to the other for God doeth not send his messengers to make emptie promises but ratifieth the trueth of his speach with the seales of his word which are the Sacraments And therfore hee that hath charge from God to preach the one hath also leaue to performe the other Whom God hath placed in his church that by his mouth we should beleeue by his hands also we may bee baptized as appeareth by Philip conuerting and baptizing not onely the Eunuche but the whole Citie of Samaria and for that cause S. Austen iustly calleth as well Presbyters as Bishops Ministers of the word and Sacraments A newe distinction is lately deuised that Pastours in Saint Paul were such as had not onely the word and Sacraments but also the Church and charge of soules committed vnto them and Teachers those that laboured in doctrine but receiued no charge neither of Sacramentes nor soules In deede Ambrose taketh them for Catechizers of Infants and at Alexandria there were moderators of Schooles resembling our Uniuersities for the training and instructing of such as in time were likely to profit the Church of God but these were not ecclesiasticall functions in the Church they were profitable members of a common wealth that so did but no necessarie workemen in the ministerie And though there were such for a season at Alexandria yet all other Cities and Churches had not the like and they that gouerned those Schooles and taught the Catechumes there as Pantenus Clemens and Origen were Laie men and neuer vsed at Alexandria to teach the people in the Church as appeareth by Demetrius wordes then Bishop of Alexandria finding great fault with the Bishops of Ierusal in and Cesaria for suffering Origen after hee had bene Catechist at Alexandria to expound the Scriptures before the people in the Church His wordes are these It was neuer heard nor euer suffered that Laie men should teach in the Church in the presence of Bishops With no face could the Bishop of Alerandria haue disliked Origens fact if it had bene vsuall in his owne Church and the Bishops that wrate in defence of the matter doe not auouch it was a generall or perpetuall rule in the Church of Christ for a Catechizer to teach in the Church but alleage three instances where they sawe the like vsed and confesse they knew no more Wherefore vnlesse their examples and reasons were stronger and surer I preferre the iudgement of Ierome Augustine Chrysostome Theodorete and others before this late conceite who thinke the Apostle expressed one office by two names to shew what things belonged to the Pastorall charge Austen Pastours and Doctours whom you greatly desired I should distinguish I thinke to bee all one as you doe not that wee should conceiue some to be Pastours others to bee Doctours but therefore he subioyned Doctours to Pastours that Pastours might vnderstand doctrine pertained to their office Euery Pastour is a Doctour saieth Ierome Pastours and Doctours saieth Chrysostome were they to whom the whole people were committed and they were inferiour to those that went about preaching the Gospell because dwelling in more quietnesse they were employed onely in one place Paul calleth them Pastours and Doctours saieth Theodorete which were deputed and fastened to a Citie or village Oecumenius by Pastours and Teachers Paul meaneth Bishops to whome the Churches were committed But grant Pastours and Doctours were distinct offices in the Church as you imagine what gaine you by it You may thereby prooue an inequalitie of ecclesiasticall functions you prooue nothing els Obey your Ouerseers saieth Paul and bee subiect to them they watch ouer your soules to giue account for them Obedience and subiection to the Pastour is due from the whole flocke and all degrees thereof which are no Pastours but Teachers as you say were no Pastors they were therfore inferiour to Pastors and subiect to their ouersight Now take your choice if Pastors
standeth good that they retained it to themselues For of their hauing it there is no doubt of their committing it to the Presbyters of euery Church there is no proofe And therefore the Fathers doe vtterlie denie that the Apostles deliuered that power to any but to Bishops Their proofes be stronger then you take them for howsoeuer you will shift them There were Presbyters at Ephesus besides Timothie and in Creete besides Tite and yet Paul left the one at Ephesus to impose handes and the other in Creete to ordaine Presbyters in euerie Citie If without them the Presbyters of either place might haue doone it superfluous was both Paules charge they should do it and direction how they should do it But his committing that power and care to them prooueth in the iudgement of the ancient Fathers that the Presbyters without them coulde not doe it Euangelists you say they were and not Bishops Admit they were Then as yet neither Ephesus nor Creete had anie that might impose hands and yet had they Presbyters And consequently this power to impose handes was at that time reserued from the Presbyters to the Apostles and their deputies Saint Paul saieth most apparantly the Presbyterie might impose hands for Timothie receiued from them imposition of handes I haue tolde you alreadie that take the worde how you will you can prooue no such thing thence If it signifie there the degree of a Presbyter which Timothie then receiued as Ierome expoundeth the place it commeth nothing neere your purpose If you take it for the assemblie then gathered when Timothie was ordained Chrysostome telleth you they were more then Presbyters for otherwise they could not lay hands on Timothie to make him a Bishop Chrysostome you thinke erred in not expounding the place as you doe Then giue Saint Paul leaue to tell you that hee was present in the Presbyterie when Timothie was ordained and that he imposed hands on Timothie But this I haue handled before to which I referre you I onely nowe put you in minde that place will be are no such conclusion And as the Apostles reserued imposition of handes from the Presbyters to themselues so did they keepe the deliuering of offendours vnto Satan in their owne power If any obey not our sayings note him by a letter saith Paul and keepe no company with him To what ende should they note him by a letter vnto Paul vnlesse Paul had reserued the punishing of such offendours vnto himselfe Shall I come vnto you with a rodde or in the spirite of meekenesse If I come againe I will not spare such as haue heeretofore sinned and not repented I trust this be plaine enough to prooue that the Apostles kept the punishing of sinnes to themselues and referred them not ouer to the Presbyters The Apostles hauing of this power doth not exclude the Presbyters from hauing the same for at Corinth Paul not onely willeth the Church to excommunicate that incestuous sinner but rebuketh them for not doing it before he wrate Paul doth not reprooue them for not deliuering that sinner vnto Satan but for not sorrowing that he might haue beene put from among them Had they written of this notorious offence when they wrate of other things to the Apostle that he might haue considered of the offendours punishement they had doone their dueties they could maintaine factions and swell one against another through pride of their gifts but they did not sorrow to see so grieuous a crime committed and continued in the eyes both of beleeuers and Infidels nor so much as signifie the same by their letters as desiring to haue such a one excluded from their Christian fellowship This the Apostle chargeth them with hee goeth no further They shoulde haue noted him by a letter vnto Paul and kept no companie with him til the Apostle had decreed what to do with him All this doeth you no good for the Apostles neither were nor could be Bishops I am sure all the Fathers with one mouth affirme the Apostles both might be and were Bishops Cyprian Apostolos idest Episcopos Dominus elegit The Lord himselfe chose the Apostles that is the Bishops Apostoli Episcopi sunt The Apostles are Bishops saieth Ambrose Romae fuerunt primi Petrus Paulus Apostoli ijdem ac Episcopi At Rome the first were Peter and Paul both Apostles and Bishops saieth Epiphanius Iames saieth Chrysostome had the office of a Bishop at Ierusalem And so Eusebius Iames was the first that after the ascention of our Sauiour had the Episcopall seate at Ierusalem Ierome himselfe that is thought to speake much against the state of Bishops saith Peter after the Bishopâ—ike of Antioch helde the Sacerdotall chayre at Rome And againe Iames called the Lordes brother after the Lordes passion was straight ordained Bishop of Ierusalem by the Apostles Theodoret. Paul sheweth plainely that Epaphroditus had the Episcopall function committed to him by calling him an Apostle What neede wee more I remembred you before Peter himselfe calleth the Apostleship a Bishopship And why not if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to ouersee the Lords flocke who better deserued that name then the Apostles They were more then Bishops So were they more then Presbyters and yet Saint Peter coulde tell howe to speake when hee called himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Presbyter as well as others Bishops are ouerseers but of one place Apostles of many Bishops were fastened to one place not by the force of their name but by the order of the holie Ghost who sent Apostles to ouersee manie places and settled Pastours to ouersee one but hee that is ouerseer of twentie Cities is ouerseer of euerie one And therefore the Apostles were Bishops and more then Bishops euen as Iohn was more then a Prophet and yet a Prophet Confound you their offices I keepe them distinct in that I say euerie Apostle was a Prophet a Bishop and a Presbyter but not euerie Presbyter Bishop or Prophet was an Apostle They were all the Ministers of Christ feeders of his flocke and stewardes of his mysteries but the Apostles in a greater measure of grace higher manner of calling and mightier force of Gods Spirite then the rest And whatsoeuer becommeth of the names it can not be denyed but the Apostles had that power of imposing handes and deliuering vnto Sathan which they after imparted vnto Bishops And therefore whiles they remayned in or neere the places where they planted Churches there was no such need of Bishops the Apostles alwayes supplying the wantes of those Churches with their presence Letters or Messengers as the cause required But when they were finally to forgoe those parts then began they to prouide for the necessitie and securitie of the Churches and left such fitte men as they had with Episcopall power as their substitutes to guide the Churches which they had founded The second cause why Bishops were not euery where trusted
with the Churches at the first erecting thereof is that which Epiphanius remembreth and Paul toucheth in many places I trust to send Timotheus shortly vnto you I haue no man like minded who will faithfully care for your matters For all seeke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christes And to Timothie This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia bee turned from me At my first answering no man assisted mee but all forsooke mee Demas hath forsaken mee and embraced this present worlde Wherefore Epiphanius surmise that the scarcitie of tried and approoued men was some cause why euerie place was not furnished at the first with a Bishop is neither vnlikelie nor vnpertaining to the purpose The third reason I take to be this that as Presbyters to labour in the word and augment the Church were presently needefull the haruest being no lesse then the whole world and Bishops to moderate the number of Teachers and to ouersee as well the feeders as the flocke were not so requisit whiles the Apostles who tooke care of those things themselues preached in or neere the places so the wisedome of God woulde not impose that fourme of gouernement on the Church but after long triall and good experience what neede the Churches should haue of it This course he obserued with the people of Israel not straightway to associate the seuentie Elders vnto Moses but to let them alone vntill Moses was wearied with the burden and the multitude grieued for want of dispatch and Iethro seeing the Iudge afflicted with paines and the people discontented with delayes aduised an other way which the whole assemblie liked God confirmed and Moses executed In like manner Christ suffered his Church to trie whiles his Apostles yet liued what equalitie and plentie of Gouernours would worke in euerie place and when it fell out in proofe vpon the Apostles absence that so many leaders so many followers so many Rulers so many factions out euerie Church in sunder the Apostles were forced the world as Ierom faith decreing it that is the faithful throughout the world being therewith contented and thereof desirous to commit their places and Churches not to Presbyters in common and equall authoritie but to their Disciples and followers whome afterward they called Bishops in a superioritie leauing vnto them as vnto their successors the chiefest honor and power of imposing handes and vsing the keyes and resting specially on their care and paines to ouersee both Teachers and beleeuers though the Presbyters were not excluded from helping and assisting them to feed and guide the flocke of Christ. This you say but Ierome saith It was not the Lords disâ—osition by his Apostles but rather a decree and custome of the Church that first made Bishops to differ from Presbyters Ierome saieth it was decreed throughout the world to change the equalitie of Presbyters into the superioritie of Bishops by whome it was so decreed hee doeth not mention in this place but if I prooue as well by the Scriptures as by Ierome himselfe and the rest of the Fathers that this change began in the Apostles times and was both seene and approoued by them I euince it to bee an Apostolike ordinance Then must it also be diuine which Ierome denyeth What Ierom meaneth by the trueth of the Lords ordinance I wil after examine I must prooue in order I shall else but confound both myselfe and the Reader In the meane time I make this reason out of Ierome When the schismes of Presbyters beganne dangerously to teare the Churches in peeces then were the Churches committed to the chiefe and preeminent charge of one but those schismes and factions troubled all the Churches euen in the Apostles times vnder them therefore beganne the change of gouernement which Ierome speaketh of At Corinth indeede there were contentions who were baptized of the greatest men which Ierome doeth exemplifie but the factions must be more generall and deadly that should cause an alteration of gouernement throughout the world So there were euen in the Apostles times To those of Corinth he saith When you come together in the Church I heare there are dissentions amongest you and I beleeue it in part for there must be heresies euen among you that they which are approoued amongst you might beknowen And wheÌ„ he saith there must be heresies amongst you to manifest the good from the bad he meaneth not only at Corinth but euery where which came to passe accordingly To the Romanes he saith Marke them diligently which cause diuisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which yee haue learned and auoyde them Amongest the Galathians were some that intended to peruert the Gospel of Christ and to carrie them into an other doctrine bewitching them that they shoulde not obey the trueth To the Philippians Beware of dogges beware of euill workemen many walke of whome I tolde you often and tell you now weeping that are enemies of the crosse of Christ whose ende is damnation whose God is their bellie and glorie to their shame which minde earthly things With the Colossians were some that burdened the Churches with traditions euen with the commaundements and doctrines of men and holding not the head aduanced themselues in those things which they neuer sawe and rashly puft vp with fleshly mindes beguiled the simple with a shew of humblenesse and worshipping of Angels At Thessalonica the resurrection of the dead was impugned and some troubled the people with visions with fained messages and forged letters in the Apostles name as if the day of Christ were at hand It came to passe in euery place which Paul foretolde the Presbyters of Ephesus This I know saith he that after my departure shall grieuous wolues enter in amongst you not sparing the flocke Yea of your owne selues shall rise men speaking peruerse thinges to draw Disciples after them Neither were the Gentiles onelie subiect to this danger but the Iewes also as Peter forewarned them There shalbe false teachers amongst you which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them many shal follow their damnable waies through couetousnes with fained wordsshal they make marchandise of you And so Iohn Euen now there are many Antichrists many false prophets and deceiuers are gone out into the world To preuent these deceiuers and represse these peruerse Teachers Paul was forced whiles he liued laboured in other places to send speciall substitutes to the Churches most endangered and by their paines ouersight to cure the soares heale the wounds which these pestilent and vnquiet spirits had made So at Ephesus when the teachers and doctors began to affirme they knewe not what euen prophane and doting fables whose word did fret as a canker and crept into houses leading captiue simple women laden with sinnes and led with diuers lusts and others hauing itching eares gate them teachers after
maintenance from the Church of Christ. Wherefore they must either giue all Lay Elders double maintenance as Saint Paul willeth which they doe not or shut them cleane from these wordes which yeelde double maintenance by Gods law to Presbyters that rule well What the meaning of Saint Paul is in this place though much might bee saide and is saide of others which I haue omitted yet to satisfie the Reader I haue laide downe foure seuerall expositions too long to bee heere inserted which I willingly permit to the censure of the wise whether euerie one of them be not more consonant to the true intent of Saint Paul then theirs is and as answerable to his wordes If Paul in plaine words did not disclaime Lay Elders as hauing no right to chalenge double maintenāce from the church nor other places contradict them yet were there no reason vpon the needlesse and iointlesse construction of this one sentence to receiue them for by what logicke prooue they out of this place there were some Presbyters that gouerned well and laboured not at all in the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as specially or chiefly doth distinguish as they thinke the one sort from the other by a superior degree doth it not distinguish as wel things as persons and note so well diuers respects as diuers subiects for example if we should say Magistrates that gouerne well are worthy of double honor specially they that heare the complaints of the poore Were he not very fansiful that would hence cōclude there are ergo two sorts of magistrats one that gouerneth wel another that heareth the complaints of the poore Againe out of these speches Counsellors that be wise are acceptable to their Princes specially such as are faithfull workemen are rewarded for their skill but specially for their paines Pastors that be vertuous are to be wished for but specially if they be learned wil any sober man inferre that fidelitie and wisedome skil and industrie learning and vertue do not meet in one subiect because specially goeth betwene them Nothing is more common then by this kind of speach to note as well two diuers qualities in one man as two sundrie sortes of men yea thereby to preferre a part before the general comprising that part As Teachers are to be liked for their learning specially for their knowledge in the Scriptures good men are to bee loued for their vertues specially if they be liberall In these speeches they will say the persons be diuers as well as the things for some Counsellors be wise that be not faithfull some workemen expert that be not painefull some Pastours learned that be not vertuous That prooueth true not by any force of these speeches but by the defect of the persons that want fidelitie industrie and integritie for the words rather imploy that both parts should be and therefore may be found in one man before he deserueth this adiection of specially As a Counseller must be wise and specially faithfull before he can be acceptable to his Prince A workeman must be painefull as well as skilfull before he deserue his wages A Pastour must not only be honest but also able to discharge his duetie before he should be greatly esteemed And so by Saint Pauls words they may conclude a Presbyter must not only gouerne well but also labour in the word before he may be counted to be specially or most woorthie of double honour other collection out of the Apostles wordes they can make none And that shall wee soone finde if wee resolue the Apostles wordes in such sort as the nature of the Greeke tongue permitteth vs. The words stand precisely thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters GOVERNING WEL let them be counted worthie of double honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SPECIALLY LABOVRING in the word and doctrine The participles as euerie meane scholer knoweth may be resolued not onely by the Relatiue and his verb but by many other parts of speech and their verbs which oftentimes expresse the sense better then the Relatiue As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not musle thine oxe treading out thy corne that is whiles he treadeth out thy corne for after thou art not prohibited to musle him So in the sentence which we speake of Presbyters gouerning well are woorthy of double honor well gouerning is the cause of double honour neither is double honor due to Presbyters but with this condition if they gouerne well Then resolue the Apostles wordes either with a causall or conditionall adiunction which is plainly the speakers intent and we shall see howe little they make for two sortes of Presbyters Presbyters if they rule well are worthie of double honour specially if they labour in the word or Presbyters for ruling well are worthie of double honour specially for labouring in the word Here are not two sortes of Elders as they conceiue the one to gouerne the other to teach but two duties of eche Presbyter namely to teach and gouerne before hee can be most worthie of double honour Their owne rules confirme the same Those whome they cal Teachers or Doctours must they not labor in the word There can be no doubt they must Are they then most woorthie or so worthie as Pastors be of double honour who not onely labour in the word but also watch and attend the flocke to rule it well I trust not Then Pastors are most worthie and consequentlie more worthie then Doctors of double honor because they not only watch to gouerne wel but also labour in the word If any man striue for two sorts of persons to be contained in these wordes though there be vtterly no reason to force that collection we can admit that also without any mention of Lay Elders I haue shewed two interpretations how diuers sorts of Presbyters may be noted by these wordes and neither of them Lay to which I refer y e Reader that is willing to see more I may not here offer a fresh discourse of things else-where handled The briefe is Presbyters we reade and Presbyteries in the Apostolike writings but none Lay that were admitted to gouerne the Church Presbyters did attend and feede the flocke as Gods Stewards and were to exhort with wholsome doctrine and conuince the gainesayers and Presbyteries as themselues vrge did impose hands These be the dueties which the holy Ghost else-where appointeth for the president and the rest of the Presbyterie other then these except this place of which wee reason the Scriptures name none and these be no dueties for Laie Elders vnlesse they make all partes of Pastourall chage common to Lay Presbyters and distinguish them only by the place as if Pastors were to ouersee and feede the flocke in the pulpite and Laie Presbyt ers in the Consistorie Which if they doe they allow onely wordes to Pastours and yeeld to laie Presbyrers both Pastorall words and deedes giuing them authoritie to feede watch the flocke of Christ
speciall charge of imposition of hands and this their singularitie in succeeding and superioritie in ordaining haue bene obserued from the Apostles times as the peculiar and substantial markes of Episcopal power and calling I knowe some late Writers vehemently spurne at this and hardly endure any difference betwixt Bishops and Presbyters vnlesse it be by custome and consent of men but in no case by any order or institution of the Apostles whose opinions together with the authorities on which they builde I haue according to my small skill examined and find them no way able to rebate the full and sound euidence that is for the contrarie for what more pregnant probation can be required then that the same power and precepts which Paul gaue to Timothie when hee had the charge of Ephesus remained in all the Churches throughout the worlde to certaine speciall and tried persons authorized by the Apostles themselues and from them deriued to their after-commers by a generall and perpetuall succession in euery church and citie without conference to enlarge it or Councill to decree it the continuing where of for three discents the Apostles saw with their eyes confirmed with their handes and Saint Iohn amongst others witnessed with his pen as an order of ruling the Church approoued by the expresse voyce of the Sonne of God When the originall proceeded from the Apostles mouth and was obserued in all the famous places and Churches of Christendome where the Apostles taught and whiles they liued can any man doubt whether that course of gouerning the Church were Apostolike for my part I confesse I am neither so wise as to ouer-reach it with policie nor so wayward as to withstand it with obstinacie Against so maine and cleere proofes as I dare vndertake will content euen a contentious minde when hee readeth them are pretended two poore places the one of Ambrose the other of Ierome the first auouching that in the beginning the Episcopall prerogatiue went by order before it came by way of election vnto desert the other resoluing that Bishops are greater then Presbyters rather by the custome of the Church then by the trueth of the Lords disposition Both these authorities I haue throughly discussed and laide forth the right intent of those Fathers not onely by comparison of other Writers but euen by their owne confession lest any shoulde thinke I drawe them to a forraine sense besides their true meaning for when Ierome and Austen alleage the vse and custome of the Church for the distinction betwixt Bishops and Presbyters if it be vnderstoode of the names and titles of honor which at first were common to both and after diuided by the vse of the Church as Austen expresseth we can absolutely grant the places without any preiudice to the cause if it be applied to their power and function in the church it is most true that Ierome saith Presbyters were subiect in such fort as the Primitiue Church obserued rather by custome then by the trueth of the Lords ordinance For Presbyters in the Primitiue Church as appeareth by Tertullian Ierome Possidonius and others might neither baptize preach nor administer the Lords supper without the Bishops leaue especially in his presence which indeede grewe rather by custome for the preseruation of order then by any rule or commandement of the Lord. By the word of God a Bishop did nothing which a Presbyter might not do saue imposing of hands to ordaine That is the onely distinction in the Scriptures betwixt a Bishop and a Presbyter as Ierome and Chrysostome affirme other differences which the church kept many as to impose hands on the baptized and conuerted to reconcile penitents and such like were rather peculiar to the Bishop for the honour of his calling then for any necessitie of Gods Law If any man vrge further out of Ierome that there was no Bishop at all nor chiefe Ruler ouer the Church and Presbyterie of each place in the Apostles times I answere him with the resolution of one of the greatest patrones of their newe discipline Non ita desipuisse existimandus est vt somniaretneminem illi coetui praefuisse Icrome is not to bee thought to haue beene so vnwise as to dreame the Presbyterie had no chiefe Ruler or President It is a perpetuall and essentiall part of Gods ordinance that in the Presbyterie one chiefe in place and dignitie shoulde gouerne eache action or meeting And againe Tales Episcopos diuinitùs quasi ipsius Christi voce constitutos absit vt vnquam simus inficiati that such Bishops as were Pastours in euerie Citie and chiefe of their Presbyteries were appointed from heauen and as it were by the voyce of Christ himselfe God forbid wee shoulde euer denie This saieth hee on the behalfe of the newe Discipline On the other side I say God forbid I should vrge any other but such as were Pastours ouer their Churches and Gouernours of the Presbyteries vnder them If wee thus farre agree what cause then had those turbulent heades I speake not of them all which to ease their stomackes or to please their maintainers iested and railed rather like Stage-players then Diuines on those whome the wiser sorte amongst them can not denie were ordained by God and appointed by the voyce of Christ himselfe If their reasons bee not the stronger and weightier howsoeuer they flatter themselues in fluaries let them remember who saide hee that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me They will haply saue themselues for that our Bishops differ from the Apostolike Bishops in manie thinges as namelie theirs succeeded in order ours by election the dignitie was in the Apostles times common to euerie Presbyter in his course nowe it is proper to one with them it dured for a season as a weeke or a moneth with vs for life except by iust cause any deserue to bee remooued lastly they had but prioritie of place and authoritie to moderate the meetings and consultings of the rest ours haue a kinde of imperie ouer their fellow-Presbyters These bee precisely the points wherein one of the best learned of that side contendeth the ancient and Apostolike institution of Bishops was changed by processe of time into an other fourme established by custome and confirmed by consent of men these be his own words I haue not altered or inuerted the sense or sentence If any of these differences were true yet are they no causes to discredit the custome of the Primitiue Church in electing her Bishops to hold their places so long as they gouerned well for the same writer pronounceth of these very things setting the last aside neque in istis quicquam est quod reprehendi possit neither in these things is there ought that can be misliked but in deede there is not one of al these diuersities that can bee iustly prooued either by Scripture
of halfe his kingdome because their Laie-elders are not suffered to sit Iudges in euery parish together with the Pastour and Teacher of the place I dispute not as yet whether euer there were any such Elders as they talke of in the Church of Christ from the preaching of our Sauiour to this present age I reserue that to a further inquirie but though there were such suffered or setled by the Apostles in the Primitiue Church yet were they no part of Christes kingdome which is proper to his person and by many degrees excelleth all other gouernments for the diuine force and grace that are eminent in the spirituall fruits and effects of his kingdom I doe not denie but God hath ordained and established on earth many kinds of externall gouernments as in spirituall causes the Minister in domesticall the master of the familie and superior to them both the Magistrate what is prescribed or exacted by any of those that God hath set ouer vs for a quiet honest and Christian course of life in this world according to his word and their charge he doeth ratifie and confirme in heauen accepting the submission and punishing the rebellion of all that disobey in each degree but neither Prince Pastour nor Parent can search or change the heart much lesse can they endue it with any heauenly grace and vertue or settle it with expertance of life to come They moderate and direct the outward actions which may bee soone dissembled further they neither see nor iudge they haue not to doe with the secrete affections of the heart with the sacred giftes of the spirite the stedfast trust of future glory these alwayes belong to the kingdom of Christ and of God which worketh all things after the connsell of his owne will vnto the praise of his glory Since then this king is set at the right hand of God in the heauens farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and dominion and euery name that is named not in this world onely but also in the world to come and all things are subiected vnder his feete he appointed head ouer all vnto the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all and declareth daily from heauen what is the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints and exceeding greatnesse of his power toward vs which beleeue by lightening the eyes of our vnderstanding and scaling vs with the holy Spirit of promise the watchmen and leaders of his flocke though their seruice bee needfull and fruitfull in his Church and they trusted with the keyes and mysteries of the kingdom of heauen yet may they not arrogate any part of Christes honour or power as incident to their calling or function but leaue all entire and vntouched to the sonne of God whose right it is much lesse may the seuerall or Synodall assemblies proceedings or censures of the supposed Presbyterie be reckoned the halfe deale of Christes most righteous and glorious kingdom CHAP. III. The Synedricall iurisdiction which some men thinke our Sauiour in the Gospell restored and recommended to his Church AS I auouch that Christ reserued to himselfe the mightie force and heauenly grace of his spirituall kingdome so am I out of doubt he left the superuision and moderation of externall things and actions which respect the peace order and comelinesse of his Church to such as hee called to bee the guiders of his flocke and stewards of his houshold Who they were is not so wel agreed on Some men imagine Christ did reinfuse the Iewish Synedrion and thence extracted the Laie-Presbyterie that should gouerne his Church Their proofe they take cut of these wordes If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him betweene thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast gained thy brother if hee heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euerie word may bee confirmed And if hee will not vouch safe to heare them tell it vnto the Church if hee refuse to heare the Church let him bee to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane Hence they collect first that our Sauiour spake to the Iewes by reason hee sayd let him be to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane whom the Iewes and no people els abhorted and shunned next that he preseribed no new nor vnknowen forme of Iudiciall proceeding but referred them rather to the vsuall and accustonâ—ed maner of their Countrey then generally receiued and euery where practised amongst them which was by the Elders of euery place to determine their matters or els to transmit them vnto the Sanhedrin or councill of Ierusalem which was the highest court in that common wealth Thus fame they seeme to haue some ground to support their opinion but that our Sauiour appointed the like order to take place for euer in his Church I see neither mention of it nor reason for it in the Scriptures and assure my selfe it can neuer bee prooued For if our Sauiour meant to transferre any kind of regiment from the Church of the Iewes to his owne it is certaine he would not choose out the corruptions of time nor inuentions of men but ascend to the originall ordinance of God and thence deriue his platforme He would not follow much lesse authorize in his Church any breach of Gods lawe growen by deprauation and vsurpation of wicked men that hated and pursued both him and his trueth that were with them to transgresse the commaundement of God for the traditions of men from which he was farre but if hee purposed to deduce any forme of gouernement from the lawe to the Gospell it was the same that God by Moses erected and allowed Nowe that cannot be vrged and vsed in the Church of Christ without apparant violence to the word of God euident iniurie to the Christia magistrate as by the view thereof we shall easilie vnderstand Firâ—t therefore let vs shortly see what kindes of gouernements were authorized and established by Moses in the first erection of the common wealth and Church of Israel and consequently what coherence or resemblance there may bee betweene those Councils and Synedrions of the Iewes and the Presbyteries in euery parish which some men labour to impose on the Church of Christ in euery christian kingdom and countrey The sorts of regiments setled amongst the Iewes by Gods law were these Under Moses the chiefe magistrate by the counsell of Iethro consent of the people allowance of God were y â— knowen and wise men of euery tribe set to be rulers and captaines ouer thousands ouer hundreds ouer fifties ouer tens they iudged the people at all seasons and brought the hard matters vnto Moses iudged all small causes themselues When matters of importance grew many wearied Moses God willed him to bring seuentie men whom he knew to be Elders gouernors of the people and they should beare the burden
of the Romane Soueraigntie If thy brother trespasse thee tell him priuately of the wrong offered thee If hee regarde not thy voyce take one or two with thee that may bee men indifferent betwixt you This the rule of charitie requireth in secret and friendly manner yea by the mediation of wel-willers and neighbours to compose all priuate quarrels as much as in vs lieth If this take not place tel it vnto the Church that is vnto the assemblie and gouernours that are in thy Citie For euery Citie by Gods Lawe was to haue her Iudges and Magistrates there to iudge the people with righteous iudgement And their manner was to sit in the gates of their cities whither the whole multitude did assemble vnto thē not onely to heare and see what they did but in weightie matters to ioyne with them and giue their consents Our Sauiour then meaneth that if charitable and brotherly admonitions be neglected they should seeke their remedie from the Iudges and Elders of their Cities as by Gods law the Iewes were directed and permitted to do Tell it vnto the Church then is as much as tel it not vnto the Church of Christ which as yet was not seuered from the Iewes nor assembled together and therefore had then neither places nor persons specified or authorized for that purpose but vnto that Councel of Magistrates which God by Moses commanded to haue the hearing and ending of those causes For Christ by this precept doth not establish new Iudges nor erect new Consistories but referreth the people to Gods ordināce expressed in the law of Moses and already receiued and vsed in that common wealth thereby meaning that if the doers of wrong to their brethren would not be reformed by priuat and friendly admonition intercession the parties grieued might with good conscience aske the aid and assistance of those Magistrates whom God had appointed ouer them to compell and force the trespassers to surcease their iniurious dealings If it seeme strange to any man that the word Ecclesia should be taken heere not for the Church of Christ as we commonly vse it but for the assemblie of any place or citie where the Rulers and Commons be they Christiās or Infidels are gathered together to consult or determine as well of ciuil causes as of religion besides that the Septuagint do often vse the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for any kind of meeting as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue hated the assemblie of the wicked and againe I was almost ouerwhelmed with al euil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the middes of the Church Synagogue S. Luke in the 19. of the Acts vseth the word in that sort thrise in one chapter Beza a man of great learning and one whome none can mistrust as not addicted enough vnto discipline writing on this place saith Wee must note they are fouly deceiued which would conclude out of this place that the hearing of al matters must be referred to the assembly of the whole multitude The name of the Church say they is neuer otherwise vsed which euen out of this place is proued to be false For surely it appeareth that this is spoken as it were of the Iewes by that which is added Let him be to thee as an Ethnicke and Publicane Now that iudgements amongst the Iewes were exercised by the Elders and that their manner was not euer to assemble the whole multitude all the writers of those matters do witnes And truely vnlesse Christ had fitted all this speach vnto the vse that was in his time who coulde haue vnderstoode him what hee saide It is lastly to bee obserued that in this one place of all the new Testament the name of the Church is spoken of the Iewes The words which followe if he heare not the Church let him be to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane must import either the punishing his obstinacie which obeyed not the Iudgement of the Rulers and Magistrates that were of the Iewes or a further pursuing him before others y ◠had more power to represse such insolencie If they expresse any punishment for his wilfulnes that must proceed either publikely frō the Iudges or priuately frō the plaintife The punishment of him y ◠disobeied the Magistrate by Gods Law was death that Christ would not alter For he came not to change the ciuil gouernement or qualifie the iudicall punishments of Moses Law but to leade them the way to the celestiall and eternall kingdome of God The chiefe Rulers and Gouernours of the Iewes being his capitall aduersaries and not acknowledging his authoritie would neuer respect his counsell nor commandement The wordes themselues haue reference to a particular person Let him be to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane Christ therefore in these words decreed no publike punishment As for priuate reuenge he was farre from liking it and further from teaching it False Prophets we must beware and with notorious wicked persons we must not keepe companie but priuate iniuries we must rather suffer with patience then resist with violence or requite with disdaine Resist not euill saieth Christ to all his disciples but whosoeeer shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also and if any will sue thee at the law to take away thy coate let him haue thy cloake also Then may wee not reiect detest our brother that doth vs wrong as the Iewes did an Ethnike and Publicane The mind that must quietly beare wrong once twise and oftner if neede be must not abhorre and shunne the person of his brother that wrongeth him as prophane It resteth then that our Sauior in these words did permit the partie oppressed to seeke further remedie when neither charitie nor equitie could preuaile with the oppressour And that was to doe as they did to strangers and Publicanes which was to conuent him before y ◠Roman Magistrate who had power to force him that did wrong to abide the iudgement that shoulde be giuen And so I suppose y e words may be taken Let him be to thee as an Ethnike and Publicane that is pursue him in those Courts where thou wouldest a Pagan and Publicane that should do thee wrong If any man like not to vnderstand those words of a further pursute before the Magistrate he may referre them to a priuate forsaking of all companie with the wrong-doer vntill he reforme himselfe Let him be to thee as an Ethnicke and Publicane that is shunne such wilfull oppressours as much as thou doest Pagans and Publicanes but without bitternes of minde or breach of patience And so S. Augustine sometimes expoundeth them If hee heare not the Church let him be to thee as an Ethnike Publicane that is account him no longer in the number of thy brethren yet neglect not his saluation So the Lord warneth when he by and by addeth Verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer you binde on earth shall be bound in heauen
were troubled Men saith he desiring to finish their secular causes by our iudgement call vs holy and the seruants of God about golde and siluer landes and chattels quotidie submisso capite salutamur wee are euery day saluted with lowe bowing the head to determine the strifes of men I alleage not these things to haue them reuiued too much honor inflameth ambition as too little engendreth contempt I onely obserue in the best ages how careful good Princes were in their owne persons to honour the Bishops of Christes Church and by their Lawes to make them acceptable to the people where as in our dayes some wayward spirites thinke it a great point of pietie by despising and reproching their state and calling as vnchristian and vngodly to make them contemptible odious to the meanest of the multitude A better way to reforme the faults of Bishops is that admonition which Ambrose gaue them when he said Ne sit honor sublimis vita deformis Ne sit Deifica professio illicita actio Ne sit gradus excelsus deformis excessus Nam quanto prae caeteris gradus Episcopalis altior est tanto si per negligentiam dilabatur ruina grauior est Magna sublimitas magnam debet habere cautelam honor grandis grandiori debet solicitudine circumuallari Let not the honour of Bishops be loftie and their life loathsome their profession diuine and their action vnlawfull their state high and their excesse shamefull For the higher a Bishoppes degree is aboue the rest the greeuouser is his fall if hee slide by negligence Great dignitie ought to haue great warinesse Much honor should be kept with much carefulnesse To whome more is committed of him more shal be required Hee impeacheth not the honour of their calling but assureth them their iudgement shall be encreased and punishment aggrauated if their care and diligence doe not answere that honor and reuerence which they haue in the Church of God aboue their brethren Then as they that affect this dignitie because they woulde be honoured before men are condemned before God so this is the cause of all euill saieth Chrysostome that the authoritie of ecclesiasticall Rulers is decayed and no reuerence no honour no feare is yeelded to them Hee that is religiously affected to the Priest will with greater pietie reuerence God and hee that despiseth the Priest commeth by degrees to this at last that hee waxeth contumelious against God him selfe The summe of all is first that our Sauiour interdicted his Apostles and consequently the Pastours of his Church by vertue of their Ministerie to claime any ciuill dominion to commaund and compell which is the power that Princes and Lordes vse ouer their subiects and seruants Next they must neither desire nor delight any titles of honor and praise from men but expect the comming of the Arch-pastour when euery one shall haue praise from God Thirdly howe great soeuer they be they must serue the lowest of their brethren to doe them good and watch ouer them for the sauing of their soules yet this nothing hindereth the rule and gouernement that pastours haue ouer their flocks by the word of God neither doth it barre them or depriue them of that honour and obedience which in heart word and deed is due to the Fathers of our faith the Embassadours of Christ and Stewards of Gods houshold CHAP. VII Who ioyned with the Apostles in election of Presbyters and imposition of hands IN choosing of Elders and Deacons and laying hands on them many thinke the whole Church or at least the Presbyterie ioyned with the Apostles and to that ende sundrie Precedents are alleadged as namely the choice of Matthias of the seauen Deacons of the Elders of Lystra Iconium and other Churches in the 14. of the Actes and of Timothie all which seeme to prooue the Apostles did nothing of theÌ„selues but with the consent concurrence of others To come by thetrueth what the Scriptures resolue in these two points the best way will be to examine the places in order as they lie In the choice of Matthias it is not expressed that the Church intermedled Peter acquainted all the Disciples that one must supplie y â— roume of Iudas but who named those two that were appointed whether the Apostles or all the Disciples it is not decided in the Text the force and coherence of the words conuince neither For thus they stand And they appointed two and they prayed saying and they cast lottes If prayers and lottes were perfourmed by the Apostles as by the principall directors of that action and thereto ledde by the instinct of Gods spirite consequently it was their deede to present them both to God that hee might them which of theÌ„ he had chosen Besides an Apostle might not be chosen by men much lesse by the people and therefore no question the spirit of God made this election and the Disciples afterward acknowledged it for Gods doing and accounted Matthias with the eleuen But Chrysostome saith Non ipse â—os statuit sed omnes Pèter himselfe did not appoint those two but all did it Yea hee saith further Considera quà m Petrus agit omnia ex communi Discipulorum sententia nihil authoritate sua nihil cum imperio Marke how Peter doth al things by the common consent of the Disciples nothing by his owne authoritie nothing by commandement He saith so in deed but the Text saith not so only the verbe is the plural number which may be referred to the Apostles aswel as to the rest of the Disciples yet the reason why Peter did it not was not for that it was not lawfull for him without the multitude to doe it but as Chrysostome noteth lest he should seeme to gratifie the one and not the other as also that as yet he had not receiued the holie Ghost An non licebat ipsi eligere Licebat quidem maximè verum id non facit ne cui videretur gratificari Quanquam alioqui nondum erat particeps spiritus Might not Peter haue chosen him He might most lawfully but he did it not lest he should seeme to gratifie either part Aibeit as yet hee was not partaker of the holie Ghost And for that cause as Chrysostome thinketh they cast lottes Quontam non-erat spiritus sortibus rem peragunt Because the holy ghost was not yet powred on them therefore they determine the matter by lottes The choice of the seauen Deacons was referred to the multitude the approbation of them reserued to the twelue and that not without cause For by this choice the Deacons as they say receiued not charge of the word and sacraments but a care to see the Saints prouided for and the collections and contributions of the faithfull sincerely and vprightly employed according to the necessities of the persons Now that the people shoulde very well like and fully trust such as shoulde bee Stewards of their goodes and dispensers of their
them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent them away and they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being sent abroad by the holie Ghost went to Saleucia Cyprus and other places Imposition of handes to that purpose was not necessarie No more was fasting but by these two ioyned with prayer the Prophets and Pastors witnessed vnto the Church that they were called away by the holy Ghost and departed not vpon their owne heads and that the worke they tooke in hand needed the continuall prayers of the faithful as well for the good successe of their paines as protection of their persons amidst so many troubles and dangers as they were like to sustaine and therefore with a solemne kinde of prayer for them and blessing of them for Imposition of hands as Austen saith is nothing else but prayer ouer a man and to that ende was it heere vsed they commended them to the grace of God This was the purpose and effect of that imposition of hands which Paul Barnabas receiued at Antioch as Saint Luke himselfe reporteth for after they had labored and preached the Gospell in many places they returned to Antioch whence they had beene commended to the grace of God for the worke which now they had perfourmed So that when they departed from Antioch the prayers there made for them and imposition of hands on them were nothing els but A COMMENDING THEM TO THE GRACE OF GOD for the better prospering of the worke which they vndertooke Chrysostome Oecumenius and others affirme that Bishops which differ not from Elders laide handes on Timothie as well as Paul They take the word Presbyterie not for Elders as you doe but for Bishops and adde this reason because Presbyters could not impose hands on a Bishop which directly ouerthroweth your imposition of hands by the Presbyterie Yet others ioyned with Paul in imposing hands which is heere denied The word as Ierome doeth expound it admitteth no such sense And if we follow Chrysostomes interpretation it rather harmeth then helpeth the Presbyterie For no Presbyter by his assertion could impose hands Neither doeth the Text if you consider it say they ioyned with Paul in imposing hands but grace was giuen to Timothie with the imposition of hands That must needes be when Paul also imposed his hands The Presbyterie that is the Prophets might lay hands on him as well as Paul though not at the same time nor to the same ende It is no strange thing in the Church of Christ neither was it then in the Apostles times for a man to receiue imposition of hands oftner thē once On Paul first Ananias layed handes and after wardes the Prophets of Antioch Barnabas wanted not imposition of hands when he stoode in the choice with Matthias without which he was not capable of the Apostleship and yet afterward at Antioch he receiued it the second time In the Primitiue Church they were first Deacons and vpon triall when they had ministred well and were found blamelesse they were admitted to be Elders or Priestes and after that if their giftes and paines so deserued they were called to an higher degree and in euery of these they receiued imposition of handes So that euery one by the ancient discipline of Christes Church before he could come from ministring to gouerning in the Church of God receiued thrise or at the least twise imposition of handes The like if any man list hee may imagine of Timothie that the good reporte which the brethren of Lystra and Iconium gaue of him vnto Paul whereupon hee woulde that Timothie shoulde go foorth with him grew vpon triall of his faithfull and painefull seruice in a former and lower vocation for which hee had unposition of handes and that mooued Paul to take him along with him and when hee sawe his time to impose handes on him for a greater calling For it is not credible that Paul would impose hands on him at the first steppe to place him in one of the highest degrees being so yoong as hee was without good experience of his sober and wise behauiour in some other and formet function Lastly if it should be granted that others ioyned with Paul in laying hands on Timothie we must not conclude it was of necessitie as if Paules handes had not beene sufficient without them to giue the holie Ghost or that he had not power in himselfe to choose who should goe foorth with him and minister vnto him we must shunne both these as sensible absurdities but because Timothie was very yong lest Paul should seeme to be ledde with any light respect in taking him vnto his companie he might happily be content to heare the iudgements of the Prophets then present and guided by the same spirite that he was and suffer their handes as wel as their mouths to concurre with his in prophesying and praying ouer Timothie that all the Church might know the spirite of God had pronounced him worthie the place and not Paules affection aduanced him vnworthie In that respect I say Paul might be willing the Prophets shoulde expresse to the whole assemblie what the holie Ghost spake in them touching Timothie and permit them with prayers and handes as their maner was to confirme the same otherwise Paul alone had power enough both to impose handes on Pastours and Prophets as he did at Ephesus and to make choice of his companie as he did not long before when he vtterly refused Marke and retained Silas to trauaile with him CHAP. VIII The Apostolike power in determining doubts of faith and delivering vnto Satan ANother point in shewe diminishing Apostolike authoritie is that the Elders assembled in the Councel of Ierusalem together with the Apostles to discusse the matter in question betwene Paul and others and the letters deciding the controuersie were written to the Churches abroade as well in their names as in the Apostles This case wil soone be answered by Saint Paul himselfe Paul stoode not in doubt of his preaching neither needed hee the consent of the Apostles or Elders to confirme that doctrine which the spirit of Christ had deliuered vnto him we must remember his earnest protestation If an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued of me hold him accursed As we said before so say I againe If any man Apostle or other preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued already let him be accursed And why The reason is yeelded in the next wordes For I certifie you brethren that the Gospell which I preached was not of man neither receiued I it of man neither was I taught it but by the reuelatiō of Iesus Christ. What therfore Saint Paul was right well assured Christ had deliuered vnto him to submit that to the correcting or censuring of men yea of the Apostles themselues had not beene in him moderation or sobrietie but distrust and infidelitie And for that cause when God reuealed his sonne vnto
rest yet after his rising from the dead hee gaue all his Apostles like power as Cyprian obserueth and they all receiued the keies of the kingdome of heauen as Ierome auoucheth Are the keyes of the kingdome of heauen giuen onely to Peter by Christ saieâ—h Origen neither shall any other of the blessed receiue them If this saying I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen be common also to the â—est why should not all that went before and followeth after as spoken to Peter be common to all the rest So Augustine If in Peter had not bene a mysterie of the Church the Lord would not haue said vnto him I will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen The Gospell ouer the vncircumcision that is ouer the Gentiles was committed to mee saieth Paul as ouer the circumcision or Iewes was to Peter Letâ— man therefore so reckon of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God The Apostles were Stewards of the word and Sacraments and had the keyes of Gods kingdome not onely to dispence them faithfully whiles they liued but in like sort to leaue them to the Church of Christ as needfull for the same vntill the ende of the worlde Neither neede I spend moe words to prooue they must remaine in the Church since that is not doubted on any side but rather examine to whome the Apostles left them and to whose charge those things were committed The worde and Sacraments are not so much questioned to whom they were bequeathed as the power of the keyes and right to impose hands to whom they are reserued To diuide the word and administer the Sacraments is the generall perpetual charge of all those that feede the flocke of Christ and are set ouer his housholde to giue them meate in season The Elders that are among you I that am also an Elder exhort saieth Peter feede you the flocke of Christ which is committed to you Take heede to your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holie Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of Christ saith Paul to the Elders of Ephesus Goe teach baptize which our Sauiour hath ioyned may not be seuered and the seruice must endure as long as the promise which is this in so doing I am with you alway vntill the ende of the worlde not with his Apostles so long they are dead fifteene hundred yeeres before our dayes but Christ is present with those that succeede his Apostles in the same function and ministerie for euer Their Commission to doe both ceaseth not so long as his precept bindeth them and help supporteth them in both which is to the worlds end The power of the keyes and right to impose handes I meane to ordaine Ministers excommunicate sinners for so I alwaies interprete those two speeches are more controuersied then the other two by reason that diuers men haue diuers conceits of them Some fasten them to the liking of the multitude which they call the Church others commit them to the iudgement of certaine chosen persons as well of the Laitie as of the Clergie whome they name the Presbyterie some attribute them onely but equally to all Pastours and Preachers and some specially reserue them to men of the greatest gifts ripest yeeres and highest calling amongst the Clergie which of these best agreeth with the trueth of the Scriptures and vse of the primitiue Church in place conuenient will soone appeare It shall now suffice in few wordes to obserue how neere imposing handes and binding sinnes doe ioyne with the dispensation of the word and Sacraments that thereby wee may resolue whether laie men may entermeddle with these ecclesiasticall actions or no. To create ministers by imposing hands is to giue them not onely power and leaue to preach the word and dispence the Sacraments but also the grace of the holy Ghost to make them able to execute both parts of their function This can none giue but they that first receiued the same They must haue this power and grace themselues that will bestow it on others Laie men which haue it not can by no meanes giue it and consequently not impose hands which is the signe and seale of both Yea what if to giue power to preach and baptize bee more then to preach and baptize euen as lawfully to authorize an other to doe any thing is more then to doe it our selues Sacramentum baptismiest quod habet qui baptizatur Sacramentum dandi baptismi est quod habet qui ordinatur It is the Sacrament of baptisme saieth Austen that hee hath which is baptized It is the Sacrament of giuing baptisme that he hath which is ordered Yea Caluin himselfe a man of no small learning and iudgement in the Church of God confesseth it is a kind of Sacrament and in that respect not to be giuen by any but onely by Pastours Surely saieth he the Papists are very leud in that they dare adorne their sacrificing Priesthood with the title of a Sacrament As for the true function of the ministerie commended vnto vs by the mouth of Christ Libenter eo loco habeo I willingly accept it for a Sacrament for first there is a ceremonie of imposing hands taken out of the Scriptures then Paul witnesseth the same not to be superfluous and emptie but a sure signe of spirituall grace And that I put it not third in the number of Sacraments it was because it is not ordinarie nor common to all the faithfull but a speciall rite for a certaine function and therefore of imposition of hands he saieth Hoc postremo habendum est non vniuer sam multitudinem manus imposuâ—sse ministris sed solos Pastores This lastly we must learne that the whole multitude did not impose handes on their Ministers but onely the Pastours did it Then may laie men no more chalenge to impose handes then to baptize yea to preach and baptize is not so much as to giue power and grace to others openly and lawfully to doe the like in the Church of Christ and therefore if laie-men be debarred from the one they be much more excluded from the other To excommunicate is to remooue the wicked and irrepentant from the participation of the Lordes Supper least by sacrilegious presuming to violate that table the vngodly should condemne themselues and defile others Whose calling it is to deliuer the bread and cup of the Lord to the due receiuers is out of question they are for that cause named the ministers of the worde and Sacraments Nowe to whom it pertaineth to admit the woorthie to them it belongeth to reiect the vnwoorthie they that are placed by God to deliuer the mysteries to the faithfull and penitent are commanded by him to denie them to the faithlesse and impenitent The charge to deliuer the Sacraments is theirs the care not to deliuer them but where they be willed by God so
that dreame so well of themselues but since it is printed I would gladly see how it can be prooued Ambrose you say leadeth you so to thinke for he affirmeth that euery Presbyter was a Bishop when it came to his course and their courses went round by order Ambrose contradicteth it as plainely as hee can speake and saieth that not euery Presbyter was a Bishop but he onely was a Bishop which was primus inter Presbyteros the first or chiefest amongst the Presbyters Nay first in order in whose place when he departed the next succeeded They were capable of the Bishoprike as they stood in order Now that order must goe either as they were eldest in standing or worthiest in gifts Which of these two orders did the Presbyters keepe can you tell Not I. Nor Ambrose neither He supposest that to sit in the Church and in other their assemblies they had an order and so no doubt they had but whether they were placed by the Apostles according to their merites or kept their places by senioritie as they were ordained or cast lots amongst themselues for auoiding of ambition and contention neither Ambrose neither any man liuing could or can tell But the first alwayes was the Bishop and consequently they differed not in degree but in order How now masters will you crosse S. Pauls words so flatlie who saieth that God hath ordained first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers Are these diuers degrees or no What els And were not all these when they taught in any place of the Presbyterie They were Then did the Presbyters differ not in order onely but in degree also We speake not of Apostles Euangelists and Prophets when wee say the Presbyters differed one from an other onely in order and not in degree but of Pastours that had their charge in that place where they liued The question is not of whom you speake but of whom Ambrose spake we examine his words not yours and he cleerly accounteth them all to be Presbyters For example Timothie that you say was an Euangelist Ambrose reckoneth him for a Presbyter and saieth he was a Bishop though hee were a Presbyter because there was none other before him And had not Ambrose specially named him I hope you will exclude neither Apostles nor Prophets nor Euangelists from the number of Presbyters wheresoeuer they were present Nowe choose you whether you will say all these were no Presbyters Saint Peter expresselie saying the contrarie or els admit that in the order of Presbyters there were diuers degrees of ecclesiasticall functions and so your distinction of ordo and gradus to be nothing neere Saint Ambroses meaning for hee by ordo vnderstandeth the ORDER OF their DESERT or SENIORITIE and either of those orders doeth euidently admit many diuers degrees of ecclesiasticall callings If Ambrose doe not affirme it we doe I can soone admit you to affirme what you list for when you haue done except you prooue it I will not beleeue it but I see no cause why you should ground that distinction on Ambroses wordes In place conuenient you shall haue leaue to say what you can to maintaine your distinction in the meane time I would haue you marke that you take Ambroses meere ghesses which can not bee iustified for your greatest grounds For tell me when euer or where euer were Bishops chosen by order as they were eldest Againe was Timothie chosen Bishop by his standing at Ephesus or did Paul leaue him there for the great affiance hee had in his sincere and vpright dealing When the Apostle first wrate to Timothie how to behaue himselfe in the house of God and on whom to impose handes did Paul will him to take them as they stoode in order or to choose men answerable to those conditions which hee prescribed The first rules that were giuen in the Scriptures for the creation of Bishops and Presbyters were by choice not by order before those how can Ambrose or any man els prooue that Bishops were ordained in order as they stood without choice Now if you could shew any such thing which I am assured you cannot yet this change from order to choice is the manifest commaundement of Gods spirite witnessed by Paul both to Tite and Timothie and therefore your kinde of going in order to make Bishops was and is repugnant to the Apostles generall and Canonicall rule of choosing the fittest men to be Bishops which euer since hath dured in the Church of Christ as a special and expresse part of Gods ordinance confirmed by the Scriptures But doe you your selues admit this imagination of Ambrose which you fortifie against Bishops are not you the first men that checke your owne witnesse and thereby shewe that though you alleage Ambrose you doe not beleeue Ambrose in this verie point which you bring him for A great learned man of your side saieth and in my iudgement saieth truely Aliud est electionis mandatum quod immatum non tantùm in Diaconis sed etiam in sacris functionibus omnibus seruaâ—um oportet aliud electionis modus The commaundement of election which must bee kept vnchanged not onely in Deacons but in all sacred functions is one thing the maner of electing is another thing Then is there a commaundement no doubt of Christ by his Apostle it could not otherwise bee inuiolable that to all sacred functions men should bee taken by election and not by order of standing If Ambrose spake of the time before this commaundement when that was no man knoweth And therefore I haue reason to say it was neuer prescribed in the Scriptures nor vsed in any Church or age that we read but onely surmised by Ambrose because he did not finde who were Bishops in euery Church before Paul wrate to Timothie and Tite to make choice of meete men to be Bishops and Presbyters Least you mislike that I say Ambrose roaueth at some things which can not be prooued and need not be credited tell mee your selues what you say to these reportes of Ambrose in the same place Primùm omnes docebant omnes baptizabant Inter initia omnibus concessum est euangelizare baptizare Scriptur as in ecclesia explanare Nunc neque Diaconi praedicant in populo neque Clerici vel Laici baptizant At the first all men did teache and all men did baptize At the beginning euery man was suffered to preach baptize and expound the Scriptures in the Church Nowe neither Deacons preach to the people neither doe inferiour Clerkes or Laie men baptize Beleeue you that all men or Laie men did preach and baptize at the first spreading of the Gospell I know you doe not your positions are most direct against it Yet Ambrose auoucheth it and the proofe he bringeth for it is as slender as the report Because Peter commaunded Cornelius and those that were with him to bee baptized and there came with Peter none from Ioppe but certaine brethren hee
in the Apostles time did not impose handes on a Bishop Yea saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters then coulde not impose handes on a Bishop Chrysostome doeth not reason from his owne age vnto the Apostles and conclude because they might not doe it in that world wherein he liued by a custome of the Church ergo they coulde not doe it in Paules time that were a verie senselesse and vnsauerie collection but he vrgeth that in Paules time Presbyters might not ordaine a Bishop and therefore those words must be vnderstoode of Bishops which by the Apostolike rules might impose handes whereas Presbyters might not The verie same point he repeateth and presseth when he giueth a reason why Paul in his Epistle to Timothie went from describing Bishops straight to Deacons omitting cleane the order of Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The difference betwixt Bishops and Presbyters is not great for they also were admitted to teach and rule the Church and what Paul saide of Bishops that agreeth vnto Presbyters Onely in laying on of hands Bishops go beyond them and haue that Onely thing more then Presbyters Theodoret. The Presbyterie Paul calleth heere such as had receiued Apostolicall or Episcopall grace for by Theodorets opinion Bishops were then called Apostles and Presbyters called by the name of Bishops Oecumenius Lay handes hastily on no man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul treateth of imposing hands for he wrate to a Bishop Ambrose rendreth the same reason why Paul mentioning Bishops and Deacons did cleane ouerskip Presbyters and noteth the same difference betwixt Presbyters and Bishops that Chrysostome doth Timothie because hee had none other before him was a Bishop Wherefore Paul sheweth him how he shal ordaine a Bishop Neque enim fas erat aut licebat vt inferior ordinaret maiorem Nemo enim tribuit quod non accepit For it was neither lawfull nor permitted that the inferiour should ordaine the greater No man giueth that which he hath not receiued That Timothie was a bishop is confessed by the rest of the Fathers I alleaged them before Paul calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Copartner in the Gospell and ioyneth Timothie with himselfe in writing to the Corinthians Philippians Colossians and Thessalonians thereby to shew that he had receiued Timothie not only into the fellowship of his Ministerie but giuen him part of his authoritie and made choice of him to abide at Ephesus to establish and confirme the Church when hee thus wrate vnto him Wherefore Timothie had not this prerogatiue by order or senioritie hee was no Presbyter of Ephesus but there left with Episcopall authoritie which hee had by the laying on of Paules handes before he stayed at Ephesus But howsoeuer hee came by it by Paules choice or otherwise Ambrose acknowledgeth hee was a bishop and therefore superiour to Presbyters because hee was inuested with power to ordaine bishops which Presbyters had not His wordes be full Neque fas erat neque licebat vt inferior ordinaret maiorem It was neither lawfull nor agreeable to religion for fas is that which is consonant to the seruice of God as ius expresseth that which is right amongst men for the inferiour to ordaine the superior to wit that a Presbyter should ordaine a bishop We greatly care not who should ordaine Bishops for as we thinke there neede none in the Church of Christ but touching Presbyters that is Ministers of the worde and Sacraments the fourth Councill of Carthage is verie cleere they may be ordained by Presbyters Their wordes are these Presbyter quum ordinatur Episcopo eum benedicente manum super caput eius tenente etiam omnes Presbyteri qui presentes sunt manus suas iuxtamanum Episcopi super caput illius teneant When a Presbyter is ordained the Bishop blessing him and holding his hand on the parties head let all the Presbyters that are present hold their hands neere the Bishops hand on his head that is ordered Presbyters are sufficient to create Presbyters and they may discharge all Ecclesiasticall dueties in the Church for Bishops let them care that like them The Councill of Carthage doeth not tell you that Presbyters might ordaine Presbyters without a bishop looke better to the wordes such Presbyters as were present must holde their handes on the parties head neere the bishops hand but without the bishop they had no power of themselues to impose handes Nowe to what ende they imposed handes whether to ordaine and consecrate as well as the bishop or because the Action was sacred and publike to consent and blesse together with the bishop this is all the doubt If they had power to ordaine as well as the bishop and without the bishop all the Fathers which I before cited were vtterly deceiued For they say no. Yea Ierome that neither coulde forget nor woulde suppresse being one himselfe anie part of their power knewe not so much For hee confesseth that bishops might ordaine by imposing handes Presbyters might not And therefore though they held their handes neere the bishops hand yet did they not ordaine as the bishop did Howe knowe you to what ende they ioyned with the Bishop in imposing handes The action was common to both and no difference is expressed in that Councill betweene their intentes Unlesse you bee disposed to set Councills and Fathers together by the eares you must make their imposition of handes to bee a consent rather then a consecration and so may the authorities of all sides stand vpright otherwise by an action that admittteth diuers endes and purposes you ouerthrowe the maine resolution not onelie of other Councils and Fathers but of the same Synode which you alleadge for that giueth Presbyters no power to ordaine without the bishop but to conioyne their handes with his Many things were interdicted Presbyters by the Canons which were not by the Scriptures but you must shew vs that Presbyters and Bishops differ by the word of God afore we can yeeld them to be diuers degrees If Presbyters by the worde of God may ordaine with imposing handes as well as Bishops howsoeuer by the custome of the Church they bee restrained or subiected vnder Bishops they bee all one in degree with Bishops though not in dignitie for all other things as Ierome auoucheth are common vnto them but if that power be graunted by Gods Lawe to Bishops and denied to Presbyters then struggle whiles you will you shall finde them in the ende to be distinct and diuers degrees That Bishops may ordaine the Apostles words to Timothie and Tite exactly prooue Lay hands hastely on no man for this cause I left thee in Creete that thou shouldest ordaine Presbyters in euery Citie You must now prooue by the sacred Scriptures that Presbyters may ordaine as well as Bishops if not they bee distinct degrees that haue by Gods Lawe distinct powers and actions Our proofes are cleere Neglect not the gift which
Without a Bishop or a Presbyter let not a Deacon presume to baptize vnlesse in their absence extreme necessitie compell which is often permitted vnto Laie christians to do The church of Rome did not giue theÌ„ leaue to baptize but in cases of necessitie wheÌ„ others could not be gotteÌ„ as they did Lay men for my part though Saint Luke in the Acts do not giue them the name of Deacons and Chrysostome expressely thinketh they were made neither Presbyters nor Deacons whose iudgement the Council in Trullo followeth yet by Saint Paules precepts teaching vs what conditions hee required in those that should be Deacons I collect their office was not onely a charge to looke to the poore but also to attend the sacred assemblies and seruice of the Church and euen astep to the Ministerie of the worde Ignatius saith to Heron the Deacon of Antioch Doe nothing without the Bishops for they are Priests thou doest but attend on the Priests They baptize consecrate the mysteries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impose hands to ordaine and confirme thou doest in these things but minister vnto them as holie Stephen did to Iames and the Presbyters at Ierusalem And so Cyprian Diaconos post ascensum Domini in caelos Apostoli sibi constiâ—nerunt Episcopatus sui ecclesiae ministros The Apostles after the Lordes ascension into heauen appointed Deacons to attend both on the Church and on their Episcopall function Iustine Martyr an hundred yeeres before Cyprian saith of his time After the chiefe amongst vs hath giuen thankes and all the people saide Amen those that with vs are called Deacons giue vnto euery one present of the sanctified bread and wine and carrie there of to such as are absent The Councill of Ancyra willed Deacons that sacrificed vnto Idoles in time of persecution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cease from all sacred seruice in the Church and neither to deliâ—er the Lordes bread or cup or to speake openly to the people in time of prayers For I interprete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to preach but to command the people silence attention and deuotion which the Deacons vsed to doe whiles the diuine seruice was perfourmed at the Lordes Table Whatsoeuer their office was it is certaine they were not Presbyters and Ministers of the word and Sacraments and therefore from the election of those seuen in the Arts to make a generall and precise rule for the choice of al Presbyters Bishops to the worlds end is but astraine of your forwardnesse it hath neither cause nor consequent in any learning You make final account of it but Cyprian esteemed this to be proofe sufficient to make it Gods ordinance you shall heare his words The people chiefly hath power to choose worthie Priests and refuse vnworthie The which we see descended from the diuine authoritie that the Priest should bee chosen in the presence of the people vnder all mens eyes and be approued to be worthie and fit by publike iudgement and testimonie as in Numbers God commandeth Moses saying Take Aaron thy brother and Eleazar his sonne and thou shalt bring them to the mount before all the assemblie and put off Aarons garments and put them on Eleazar his sonne Before all the multitude God willeth the Priest to bee made that is hee instructeth and sheweth that Priests should not be ordained but with the knowledge of the people standing by that by the people present the offences of the euill may bee detected or the deserts of the good commended and that to be counted a lawfull and true ordination which is examined with the voices and iudgement of all which afterward according to Gods instruction was obserued in the Actes of the Apostles when Peter spake to the people of ordaining a Bishop in Iudas place Neither onely shall wee finde that the Apostles obserued this in the ordaining of Bishops and Priests but also of Deacons Which surely was therefore so diligently and warily done the whole multitude being called together lest any not woorthie shoulde by stealth get either the place of a Priest or to serue at the Altar Wherefore it must be duely retained and kept as comming from the diuine tradition and Apostolike obseruation which is vsed with vs and almost in all prouinces that in rightly ordaining the next Bishops of the same Prouince resort to the people for whom they ordayne a Ruler and the Bishop to be chosen in the presence of the people which best knoweth the life of eche one and hath viewed all the manner of his conuersation It is a notable place I was loath to leaue out any though the wordes were somewhat long I would as soone haue beleeued your report of the wordes had it bin true as your repeating them but you haue done well to put the matter out of doubt and somewhat eased me by alleadging them for nowe I shall not neede but to referre you to your owne allegation I haue much mused with my selfe what shoulde leade you to make so great account of this place as you doe I coulde neuer see any such thing as you intend either contained in the Scriptures which Cyprian bringeth nor expressed in the reason which hee giueth for this kind of choise nor enforced in the heat of those words by which he summeth his collection The places of Scripture say nothing for your purpose Eleazar was not chosen by the people but expressie by God and by him alone Your selues I hope will discharge that quotation as erroneous and mistaken There are no such wordes in the text as Cyprian citeth there were no such deeds God willed Moses to bring Aaron and Eleazar his sonne vp into Mount Hor whither the people neither did nor might ascend and there to put off Aarons garments and to put them on Eleazar his sonne And they three went vp into the mount Hor in the sight of the Congregation standing beneath and onely two Moses and Eleazar Aaron dying in the top of the Mount came downe from the Mount Whereby all the Congregation sawe that Aaron was dead and they wept for him thirtie dayes The Congregation did not intermeddle by worde or deed with this election Eleazar as the eldest sonne was called for by God to succeed in his fathers place Out of this you may gather that God aduaunced the eldest sonne to haue his fathers office not that the people elected him it was not in their power to appoint who should stand before the Arke to minister vnto the Lord. The choise of Matthias helpeth you as much as the apparelling of Eleazar did I haue often sayde you may remember it the people had no power to choose an Apostle no more then they had to choose Eleazar Hee must haue his calling from God and not from men and so Matthias had The faithfull did all acknowledge that hee was the partie whom God had chosen to take Iudas place they did not elect him The wordes of Saint Luke
consist of the Pastors and some graue wise Lay Elders there dwelling to determine matters emergent within a circuite to be appointed vnto them and from them appeales to be made to the Synode of Pastours and Elders residing in some Principall and chiefe Citie within this Realme so that vnlesse the matter were of verie great weight the Pastours at large shoulde not bee troubled to assemble together and when they assembled their abode not to bee long for sauing of time and charge which men of their calling neither shoulde loose nor can spare lest wee busie them rather as Iudges of mens quarrels then Stewardes of Gods mysteries The chiefe ground of your Discipline is your owne deuise as may well appeare in that no part of it is ancient or was euer vsed in the Church of Christ and the ioyntes of it hang together like sicke mens dreames The Pastours and Lay Elders of euerie Church serued at first to fill vp your Presbyteries and now your bessels are so low drawen that you vse them for Synodes And where you could not abide that Bishops shoulde haue Dioceses nowe you be pleased that Presbyteries shal haue circuits and Ecclesiasticall regiment without their Church and Citie Metropolitanes were not long since the height of Antichristes pride and nowe you are forced for repressing of disorders and enormities in euery parish to allowe some chiefe and mother Cities and to yeelde their Presbyteries Metropoliticall iurisdiction ouer whole prouinces And all this your selues being priuate men take vpon you to deuise and establish without precedent to induce or authoritie to warrant your doings and yet you thinke it not lawfull for the Prince and the whole Realme to imitate the example of the Primitiue Church nor to followe the steppes of religious and godly Emperours that appointed Metropolitanes to call and moderate prouinciall Councils and for ease of all sides to examine such matters before hand as were not woorthie to molest and trouble full Synodes Wherein what else do you but shewe your inconstant and inconsiderate humours that woulde haue the Church guided by Presbyteries and Synodes parochiall and prouinciall and admit Presidents and chiefe Gouernours of either and yet cannot abide that Princes shoulde retaine the ancient and accustomed fourme of Ecclesiasticall regiment by Bishops and Metropolitanes settled so long agoe in the Church and euer since continued without interruption But I pray you what places or voices haue Lay Elders in Synodes what example or reason can you pretend for it If they may iudge in Presbyteries why not in Synodes Belike you woulde haue none but Bishops haue decisiue voyces in Councils according to the Romish order of celebrating Synodes If you were as farre from noueltie as I am from Poperie wee shoulde soone agree howbeit euerie thing vsed or beleeued in the Romish Church is not rashlie to be disclaimed You make it a resolute conclusion that Lay Elders were part of the Presbyteries in the Primitiue Church but when wee come to examine your proofes we find theÌ„ as weake as your imagination is strong Nowe though the Pastours of each parish when they are single might happilie neede as you thinke the aduise and assistance of Lay Presbyters yet that Pastours assembled in Synodes where their number is great their gifts of all sorts should stand in like neede of Lay Elders to leade or direct them is neither consequent to reason nor coherent with the rules of the sacred Scriptures for to whome hath the Lord committed the teaching of all Nations to pastors or to Lay Presbyters who by Gods law are appointed watchmeÌ„ in y â— house of Israel Stewards ouer his familie Bishops ouer his Church and Leaders of his flocke Lay Elders or Christes Ministers If in the Church the sheepe must heare and follow their sheepeheardes as well for trueth of doctrine as holinesse of life by what commission bring you Lay Presbyters into Synodes where the Teachers and Pastors of an whole prouince or nation are assembled Shall your Lay Elders by Christs commandement be scholers in the Church and teachers in the Synode Or do the gifts and graces of preachers so change that in pulpit eache one must be beleeued and obeyed in Councill all ioyning together must'be restrained and directed by Lay Elders If you haue reason or authoritie for it let vs heare it if neither you trouble the Church of God with a pang of your wilfull contradiction and take vpon you to ouer-rule Christian princes and churches with greater surlines then euer did Patriarke or Pope In the Apostles Councill were not onely the Presbyters but all the brethren of the Church of Ierusalem and the letters of resolution were written in all their names and now you disdaine that anie Lay men should be present at your Prouinciall Synodes and Councils which you see the Apostles did not refuse To be present at Synodes is one thing to deliberate and determine in Synode is an other thing If you thinke that either Presbyters or Brethren were admitted to the Apostles Council to helpe and aide the Apostles in their debating or deciding the matter there questioned you be much deceiued The Apostles singled were sufficient to decide a greater doubt then that was much more then the whole assembly of the Apostles able to search out the truth thereof without their assistance The reason why al the church was admitted to be present to ioine with one accord in sending those letters I noted before not only the gainsaiers but the whole Church were to be resolued in a case that touched them all Otherwise aswell the people as the teachers of y â— Iewes would sâ—il haue abhorred the GeÌ„tiles though beleuers as prophane persons vntil they had bin circuÌ„cisÄ™d which was the high way to euacuate the crosse of Christ and to frustrate his grace And therefore not for deliberation or for determination but for the satisfaction of contradictors and instruction of the rest was the whole Church assembled and vpon the full hearing and concluding of the question by the Apostles the rest ioyning with them acknowledged by their letters and messengers that it pleased the holie ghost the Gentiles shoulde not be troubled with circumcision nor the obseruation of Moses Law but that the partition wall betwixt them was broken downe by the blood of Christ and they which were Aliens from the common wealth of Israel strangers from the couenants of promise were nowe citizens with the Saints of the houshold of faith without the legall obseruances of Moses Law S. Luke himselfe witnesseth that to discusse the matter the Apostles and Elders assembled together and after great disputation on either side Peter and Iames concluded the cause whereto the rest consented Yet then Elders were admitted to deliberate with the Apostles in that Synode whereas you suffer none but Bishops to haue voices in Councils I make no doubt but Presbyters sate with the Apostles in Synode to consult of
men from amongst themselues to looke into the trueth of euery crime before they would beleeue the accuser or reiect the accused from their company then must your laie Elders claime not from Christ as authorized by him to vse the keyes and dispose of the Sacraments but from the people as their committies to heare and report what they found detected and proued in euery such offence as deserued separation from all Christian societie and their delegation from the people must vtterly cease where he that beareth the sword embraceth the faith For though by the lawes of God and nature where there is no magistrate euery multitude may both order and gouerne themselues as they see cause with their generall consent so they crosse not superiour lawes and powers yet we must beware when God hath placed Christian Princes to defend and preserue Iustice and Iudgement amongst men that we not erect vnder a shew of discipline certaine petit magistrates in euery parish by commission from Christ himselfe in crimes and causes ecclesiastical iudicially to proceed without depending on the princes power I seeke not to charge the fauourers of this new discipline with any dangerous deuise I had rather acknowledge mine owne weakenesse that cannot conceiue how laie Elders should bee Gouernours of Christes Church and yet be neither ministers nor magistrates Christ being the head and fulnesse of the Church which is his body gouerneth the same as a Prophet a Priest and a King and after his example all publike gouernement in the church is either Prophetical Sacerdotal or Regall The Doctors haue a Prophetical the Pastours a Sacerdotal the Magistrates a Regal power and function what fourth regiment can we find for laie Elders Prophets they are not they haue no charge of the word much lesse haue they priestly power which concerneth sinnes and Sacraments If they haue any they must haue Regall and consequently when the magistrate beleeueth laie Elders must â—eliâ—quish all their authoritie to him or deriue it from him except they will establish an other regiment against him What you giâ—e onely to Pastors making them Monarches to rule the Church at their pleasures we impart to laie Elders as Associates with them in the same kinde of gouernement so that laie Elders with vs doe no more preiâ—dice the Princes power then Pastours do with you Inpreaching the word dispensing the Sacramentes remitting sinnes and imposing hands I trust your laie Elders are not associated vnto Pastours If in these things they be ioint-Agents with Pastours then are they no laie Elders but Pastours You must giue them one name if you giue them one office the same deedes require alwayes the same wordes If you ioyne not laie Elders in those Sacerdotall and sacred actions with Pastours but make them ouerseers and moderators of those things which Pastours doe this power belongeth exactly to Christian magistrates to see that Pastours doe their dueties according to Christes will and not abuse their power to annoy his Church or the members thereof Neither is the case like betwixt Pastours and laie Elders Pastors haue their power and function distinguished from Princes by God himselfe in so much that it were more then presumption for princes to execute those actions by themselues or their substitutes To preach baptize retaine sinnes and impose hands Princes haue no power the Prince of Princes euen the sonne of God hath seuered it from their callings and committed it to his Apostles and they by imposition of hands deriued it to their successors but to cause these actions to be orderly done according to Christes commaundement and to preuent and represse abuses in the doers this is all that is left for laie Elders and this is it that we reserue to the Christian magistrate The power of the sword in crimes and causes ecclesiasticall wee wholie yeeld to the Christian Magistrate and yet laie Elders may censure the Pastours actions by liking and allowing them if they bee good or by disliking and frustrating them if they bee otherwise God hath not giuen Princes the sword in any causes temporall or ecclesiasticall to goe before or without iudgement but to folow after and support iudgement The sword without iudgement is force and furie with iudgement it is iustice and equitie You cannot yeeld the sword to the magistrate and reserue iudgement in these cases to the laie Elders you then binde the Magistrate to maintaine what your laie Iudges shall determine and â—o the sworde is not soueraigne aboue them but subiect vnder them Wherefore in ouerseeing the Pastors doings and redressing their abuses you must leaue the examination determination and execution to the Christian magistrate and not deuide stakes betweene the Prince and the laie Presbyterie Princes haue no skill in such matters and in that respect it is not amisse for them to take their direction from the Presbyterie A noble consideration and woorthie to be registred The Church wardens and Side-men of euery parish are the meetest men that you can finde to direct Princes in iudging of ecclesiasticall crimes and causes A most wretched State of the Church it must needes bee that shall depend on such sillie Gouernours I omit how farre gentlemen and landlords can preuaile in euery parish with their neighbours and tenants both to rule them and ouer-rule them at their pleasures Uiew the villages in England and tell me how farre you shall seeke before you shall finde laie Elders that in any reason ought to be trusted with the gouernement of the Church I will not aduauntage my selfe by the rudenesse and ignorance of most part I hope for very shame you will admit that Princes are farre fitter in their owne persons if they would take the paynes to determine ecclesiasticall matters then husbandmen and Artisants And if they want direction or will giue Commission to that purpose they neede not descend to the plough and carte for helpe or aduise The world will greatly doubt of your discretion and suspect you sauour of popular faction and ambition if by Gods lawe you presse Princes against their wils to accept such counsellers and substitutes in ecclesiasticall gouernement If they bee at libertie to make their choice they haue store of learned and able men of all sortes within their Realmes whom they may trust with the censuring and ouerseeing of Clergie mens actions so as to preferre Ploughmen and Craftesmen to vndertake that weightie charge for Christian Princes were ridiculous if not infamous follie Wherefore the laie Presbyterie must either claime to haue their power and authoritie from Christ without the Prince and before the Prince which is somewhat dangerous if not derogatorie to the Princes right or els they must staie till the Magistrate giue them power in euery place to gouerne the causes of the Church and moderate the actions of the Pastours For since they will needes concurre with the Prince in the same charge and ouersight of Ecclesiasticall crimes and causes they must deriue their warrant either from the
Bishop must bee vnreprooueable as Gods Steward holding fast the faithfull worde of doctrine that hee may be able to exhorte with founde doctrine and conuince the goinesayers No Teachers no Elders by this rule For they were Gods Stewards to exhort and conuince with found doctrine before they tooke that name Elders might not be appointed in any Citie but so qualified as is heere prescribed there was no place then in Creete for your newe founde Elders And as for Lay Gouernours of the Apostolike Church to bee mentioned by Saint Paul in the 1. to the Corinthians and twelfth Chapter the ancient and learned Fathers are further from admitting any such then I am howsoeuer our late writers bee lighted on them Nazianzene expounding the wordes of Saint Paul which our men imagine concerne Lay Gouernours sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gouernements that is ouer-ruling the flesh Chrysostome maketh Helpes and Gouernements all one and saith It is a great blessing of God in matters of the Spirite to haue an helper and exhorter Ambrose saieth In the fift place is giuen the gift of vnderstanding For they bee Gouernours that with spirituall raines doe guide men Theophilact referreth it to the Deacons Helpes gouernements that is to receiue the sicke and guide and dispence the goodes of our brethren Then neither doe the Scriptures any where mention Lay Presbyters nor the Fathers expounding the places that are brought for them did euer giue so much as an inkeling of any such persons The words of Paul to Timothie be not only cleared from them by diuers sound interpretations but produced against them For they admit no Elders but such as were for their worke sake maintained at the costes of the Church and so were neuer anie Lay Presbyters The two other places name Rulers and Gouernours but expresse neyther what persons or thinges they gouerned neyther who they were that did gouerne whether Lay men or Pastours Lay men had Christian gouernements but ouer their families ouer the Church and house of God none had in the Apostles daies that wee reade saue Pastors and Teachers I meane such as did feede and watch the flocke committed to their charge And yet if wee shoulde graunt that in the Apostles time for want of a Magistrate to vpholde the discipline of the Church and punish the disorders and offences of loose brethren there were certaine graue and wise Elders ioyned with the Prophets and Pastours to admonish the vnrulie examine the guiltie and exclude infamous and scandalous persons from the common societie of Christians Is it anie consequent the like must bee vsed with vs in a Christian kingdome vnder a beleeuing Prince The Apostolike Churches were planted in populous Cities where they coulde not lacke meete men to sustaine that charge ours are dispersed in rurall Hamlets where there can bee no hope to finde so many fitte Gouernours as shall bee requisite To the first Churches came none but such as were willing and zealous without all compulsion to ours come all forces Atheistes Hypocrites and howe manie rather forced by Lawe then ledde with deuotion yea woulde God it did not often so fall out that in manie places the richer and wealthier men eyther regarde no Religion or secretely leane to the woorst Euerie Church with them had manie Prophetes Pastours and Teachers the number and neede of the people and tyme so requiring so that their Presbyteries might bee indifferently weighed without ouerbearing either side Wee haue but one in eche Parish and to exact maintenaunce for moe at the peoples handes in euerie Uillage woulde breede that sore which no playster would heale To giue that one a negatiue voyce in all thinges against the Laie Elders were to fill the whole Realme with infinite contentions and questions To giue him no voyce but as one amongest the rest is to shake the Church in sunder with euerie faction and fansie of the multitude Lastly those Churches vnder persecution had none that coulde iustly chalenge to rule the rest ours hath a lawfull Monarch professing the faith to whome by Gods Lawe the gouernement of all crimes and causes Ecclesiasticall doeth rightly belong and therefore the priuate and popular regiment of the afflicted Churches must cease since God hath blessed this realme with a publike peaceable and princely gouernement The greater and stronger power doeth alwayes determine and frustrate the lesser and weaker in the same kinde What neede we priuate men to punish vices when we haue princes to doe it What neede wee Suffrages of Lay Elders to reforme disorders and abuses in Pastors when wee haue open and knowen lawes to worke the same effect with more force and better speede In popular states and persecuted Churches some pretence may be made for that kinde of discipline In christian kingdomes I see neither neede nor vse of Lay Elders Howbeit for my part I doe not beleeue that Lay Elders were vsed in the Apostls times to gouerne the Church With imposition of hands remission of sinnes distribution of Sacraments I am right assured no iust proofe can be made they did or should intermeddle yea the ouersight of those things could not belong whiles the Apostles liued to Lay men and after their deaths the Churches planted by them and ages succeeding them neuer vsed nor acknowledged any Lay Elders Which is to me an inuincible demonstration that the Apostles left them none For would all the Churches in the worlde with one consent immediatly vpon the Apostles deaths reiect that fourme of gouerning the Church by Lay Elders which was setled and approoued by the Apostles and embrace a new and strange kinde of gouernement without precept or precedent for their so doing Howe others can perswade themselues that the whole Church of Christ felt so generally and presently to a wilfull Apostacie I knowe not for myselfe I confesse I had rather forsake the deuise and conceit of some late Writers were they in number moe then they are before I will proclaime so many Apostolike men and ancient and learned fathers to be manifest despisers of the Apostolike discipline and voluntarie supporters if not inuentors of Antichrists pride and tyrannie Wherefore if they shew me Lay Elders vniuersally receiued for gouernours in the Churches and ages next folowing the Apostles I wil agnise they came from the Apostles if there were no such after the Apostles I cannot beleeue they were in the Apostles times CHAP. XI What Presbyterie the primitiue Churches and Catholike fathers did acknowledge and whether Lay Elders were any part thereof or no. MAny men thinke and write that the first Churches and fathers after the Apostles retained and vsed Lay Elders for Gouernors and so witnes as they say obscurely Ignatius Tertullian Cyprian Augustine more cleerely Ambrose Hierome Possidonius and the Canon law and therefore I doe not well in their opinions to pretend the authoritie of Christes Church against them If all these Fathers or any of them did clearely mention or witnesse Lay Elders
as if the whole Church ought not to be acquainted with sacred elections and to allowe them but for that a meane therein is to be obserued the prerogatiue being yeelded to assembly of Pastours and the second place to the liking of the godly magistrate and lastly the people to be certified openly of the whole matter and leane giuen theÌ„ if they haue any reason of dissenting to propose their causes orderly Which course being hitherto religiously and wisely obserued in this City when one Morellius a fanaticall spirite in fauor of the people presumed to reprehend his writing was worthily condemned both in this church and in many Synodes of France The choise of the seuen in the Acts maketh no perpetual nor essential rule for elections in the Church of God The Council of Laodicea did wel and wisely prohibite the people to haue the choise of such as should be called to the sacred ministery The Pastors elect the magistrates consent open report there of is made to the people and if they haue any iust cause to alleage against the parties chosen they must propose and prooue their exceptions and when Morellius woulde haue challenged more interest then this for the people in the election of their Pastours his opinion was condemned both by the censure of Geneua and by the Synodes of France All this is confessed by Master Bezaes owne testimonie Wee differ you thinke in some pointes from the manner of Geneua wee haue great reason so to doe They liue in a popular state we in a kingdome The people there heare the chiefest rule here the Prince and yet there the people are excluded from electing their Pastors If the multitude haue any cause to dislike their allegation is heard and examined by the Pastours and Magistrates but they haue no free power to frustrate the whole by dissenting much lesse to elect whome they like Nowe that our state hath farre better cause to exclude the multitude from electing their Bishops then theirs hath is soone perceiued The people there maintaine their Pastours our Bishops are not chargeable to the Commons but endowed by the liberalitie of Princes without any cost to the multitude Their Pastours are chosen out of the same Citie and their behauiour knowen to al the Inhabitants our Bishops are taken from other places of gouernement and not so much as by name knowen to the people which they shall guide With vs therefore there is no cause why the people should be parties or priuie to the choosing of their Bishops since they be neither troubled with the maintaining of them nor haue any triall or can giue anie testimonic of their liues and conuersations which were the greatest reasons that inclined the Fathers of the Primitiue Church to yeelde so much vnto the people in the choyce of their Bishops And lastly if Princes were not heades of their people and by Gods and mans law trusted with the direction and moderation of all externall and publike gouernement as well in Religion as in policie afore and aboue al others which are two most sufficient reasons to enforce that they ought to be trusted with elections if they please to vndertake that charge whereof they must yeelde an account to God yet the people of this realine at the making of the Law most apparantly submitted and transferred al their right and interest to the Princes Iudgement and wisedome which lawefully they might and wisely they did rather then to endanger the whole common wealth with such tumulets and vproates as the Primitiue Church tasted of and lay the gappe open againe to the factions and corruptions of the vnsettled and vnbrideled multitude Thinke you all corruptions are cut off by reseruing elections of Bishops to Princes Faceions tumultes I hope you will grant are by that means abolished and vtterly extinguished As for briâ—erie howsoeuer ambitious heads and couetous hands may lincke together vnder colour of commendation to deceiue and abuse Princes â—ares yet reason and duetie bindeth mee and all others to thinke and say that Princes persons are of all others farthest from taking money for any such respects The words of Guntchrannus Chlotharius sonne king of France more then a thousand yeeres agoe make me so to suppose of all Christian and godlie Princes who wheÌ„ Remigius bishop of Bourges was dead and many gifts were offred him by some that sought the place gaue them this answere It is not our princely maner to sel Bishopriks for mony neither is it your part to get them with rewardes lest wee bee infamed for filthie gaine and you compared to Simon Magus In meaner persons more iustly may corruption be feared then in Princes who of all others haue least neede and so least cause to set Churches to sale Their abundance their magnificence their conscience are sureties for the freedome of their choice And therfore I see no reason to distrust their elections as likelier to be more corrupt then the peoples It is farre easier for ambition to preuaile with the people then with the Prince And as for the meetnesse of men in learning and life to supplie such places Princes haue both larger scope to choose and better meanes to knowe who are fit then their people for since Bishops are not and for the most part cannot be chosen out of the fame Church or Citie what course can the people take to be assured of their abilitie or integritie whom they neither liue with nor whose doctrine or maners they are any whit acquainted with This difference betwixt our times and the former ages of the Primitiue Church whiles some marke not they crie importunely for the peoples presence and testimonie in the choice of Pastors neuer remembring the people before there were any Christian Magistrates must needes haue greater interest in the election of their Pastours then afterward they could haue and when godlie Princes beganne to intermeddle with Ecclesiasticall matters the peoples testimonie was still required because the parties chosen conuersed alwaies with them euen in their eies and eares whereby they coulde witnesse the behauiour of the electees to be sincere and blamelesse which in our dayes is cleane otherwise by reason the Uniuersities and other places of the Realme traine vp men meete for Episeopall charge and calling and not the same Churches and Cities where they shall gouerue Requiritur in ordinando Sacerdote etiam popâ—li praeseâ—tia vâ—sciant omnes certisint quod qui praestantior est â—â— omni populo qui doctior qui sanctior qui omni virtute emâ—entioâ— ille eligitur ad sacerdotium hoc attestante populo The peoples presence saith Ierome is required in ordaining a Priest or Bishop that all may knowe and bee sure that out of the whole people the better the holier the learneder the higher in al vertue euen he is chosen to the Priesthoode the people witnessing as much for that is it which the Apostle commandeth in the ordaining of a Priest saying hee must
haue a good testimonie of those that are without If this were the reason why the people were called to the election of their bishops then the cause ceasing why should not the effect likewise cease If they can giue no testimonie as in our case they cannot what neeveth their presence If the authoritie of the people were requisite to place their pastour as when there was no belecuing prince happily it was in that respect also the Magistrate is more sufficient then the multitude to assure the election and assist the elect If consent be expected lest any man should be intruded upon the people against their willes the peoples consent is by the publike agreement of this realme yeelded and referred to the princes liking If iudgement to discerne betweene fit men and vnfit be necessarie I hope the grauitie and prudencie of the Magistrate may woorthely be preferred before the rashnesse and rudenesse of the many that are often ledde rather with affection then with discretion and are carried with manie light respectes and lewd meanes as with faction and flatterie fauour and fansie corruption and briberie and such like baites from which Gouernours are if not altogether free yet farre freer then the intemperate and vnrulie multitude And so take what respect you will either of DISCERNING ASSISTING or MAINTAINING of fitte passours and you shall finde the choice of ishops lieth more safelie in the princes then in the peoples hands The Clergy vsed to discerne and elect the people did like and allow their Pastours and to say the truth men of the same profession if they be not blinded with affections can best iudge of â—ch mans fitnes Indeeee the Canon Law ruleth the case thus Electio clericorum est coÌ„sensus Principis petitio plebis Clergy meÌ„ must elect the Prince may coÌ„sent the people must request the late bishops of Rome neuer left cursing and fighting til they excluded both prince people reduced the election wholy to the Clergie whom they might command at their pleasures but by your leaue it was not so from the beginning The forme of election prescribed by y t Roman laws 1000. yeeres since willed the Clergie the gouernors or chiefe men of the city to come together taking their oths vpon the holie gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to decree that is to elect or name 3. persons of which y e ordainer was to chuse y e best at his discretioÌ„ The fullest wordes that the ancient Greeke Writers vse for all the partes of election 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to propose to name to choose to decree are in the stories ecclesiasticall applied to the people When Eudoxius of Constantinople was dead and the Arrianâ— had chosen Demophilus in his place the Christians there is Socrates writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chose one Euagrius Sozomene saieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they decreed Euagrius to be their bishop Nazianz. speaking of y e election of Eusebius saith the people were diuided into many sides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some naming one and some an other which word also Socrates vseth of the people in the choice of Ambrose and repineth that in his time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first naming of the bishop was permitted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the headie and vndiscreete multitude At the choice of Paulus to the Bishopricke of Constantinople Socrates saith the people were diuided into two partes and the Omousians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elect Paulus to the Bishopricke The Council of Nice was content that such as were ordained by Miletius shoulde be reâ—rdered and placed in the countes of other bishops that died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they were found worthie and the people elected them Upon the dâ—â—th of Auxentius at Millan◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the multitude saith Sozomene fell to â—edition not agreeing on the election of any one When Nectarius was dead and Chrysostome chosen in succeâ—â—e him Sozomene saieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the people and Cleargie decreeing it the Emperour consented Socrates saieth he was chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the common decree of the Cleargie and people Upon the depriuing of Nestorius many â—amed Philip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but more chose Proclus and Proclus election had preuailed had not some of the mightiest pretended a Canon against him that being named Bishop of one Citie hee coulde not bee translated to another Which being heard and beleeued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forced the people to hold their peace So that in the primitiue church the people did propose name elect and decree as wel as the Clergie and though the Presbyters had more skill to iudge yet the people had as much right to choose their Pastour and if the most part of them did agree they did carrie it from the Clergie so the persons chosen were such as the Canons did allow and the ordainers could not iustly mislike If it seeme hard to any man that the people in this point should be preferred as farre forth as the Clergie let him remember the Apostles in the Actes when they willed the Church at Ierusalem to choose the seuen that vndertooke the care of the widowes did not make any speciall remembrance or distinction of the seuentie Disciples from the rest who were then present and part of that company but committed as well the discerning as electing of fit men in common to the whole number of brethren reseruing approbation and imposition of hands to themselues for calling the multitude of Disciples together they said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consider of seuen men of your selues that are well reported of and full of the holie ghost and of wisedome whome wee may appoint ouer this businesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they chose Steuen and the other sixe whome they set before the Apostles Since then the Apostles left elections indifferently to the people and Clergie of Ierusalem if you make that choice a president for elections what warrant had the Bishop of Rome to exclude them if their vnrulinesse deserued afterward to haue their libertie diminished or their â—way restrained that belonged not to the Popes but to the Princes power and therefore he was but an vsurper in taking it both from Prince and people without their consents and christian Princes vse but their right when they resume elections out of the Popes hands by conference with such as shal impose hands on them within their â—wn realmes name whom they thinke fit to succeede in the episcopal seate So did the ancient Emperors and Princes that were in the primitiue church as I haue shewed They neuer tooke the whole into their hands but onely gaue their consents before the election could take place It was a most tedious and trouble some worke for one man to name and elect all the Bishops in the Romane empire and therefore the Emperours left the Magistrates of each Citie to performe that
this cause all the scruple is what kinde of Presbyters they were Lay Presbyters I reade of none therfore I can admit none to be of that Council Besides such of the seuēty and such other Prophets as assisted Iames in the regiment of the church of Ierusalem are in all reason expressed by that name for since the whole church there is diuided into Apostles Presbyters and Brethren the helpers coadiutors of the Apostles were they Prophets or Euangelists that either came with Paul Barnabas from Antioch or were commorant with Iames the rest at Ierusalem must rather be contained in the name of Presbyters thē sorted with the general multitude for if they were of the many what men of more worthines were there to be honored with the title of Presbyters I hope the next degree to Apostles are not your Lay Elders S. Paul was then fowly ouershot to set first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers and to reiect Gouernours which you take for your Lay Presbyters into the 7. place Howbeit vnles you make some fresher and better proofe for them then yet I see your Lay Elders are no where numbred by S. Paul for church gouernors As for Presbyters y ◠were beneath Apostles vnderstand by that name prophets euangelists pastors teachers or whom you will so no lay Elders we deny thē neither places nor voices in Synods so long as they haue right to teach or speake in the church for we esteeme Synodes to be but the assemblies conferences of those to whom the Churches of any prouince or nation for the word doctrine are committed And therefore to our Synodes are called as your selues know not only bishops but deanes archdeacons other clerks aswel of the principall cathedrall Presbytery where the episcopall seate church is as of the Diocese at large And though some Romish writers do stifly maintaine that none but bishops haue voices in Councils yet you see the ancient institution of our synodall assembly in this realme ouerthroweth their late new assertion Neither lacke we examples of the course which we keepe euen from the beginning The Synode of Rome called by Cornelius against Nouatus about the yeere of Christ 255 consisted of 60. Bishops and many Presbyters and Deacons as Euseb. noteth From the Synode of Antioch that deposed Paulus Samosatenus about the yere of our Lord 270. wrate not only Bishops but Presbyters Deacons as appeareth by their epistle In the Council of Eliberis about the time of the first Nicene Council sate besides the Bishops 36. Presbyters In the second Councill of Arle about the same time subscribed 12. Presbyters besides Deacons other Clergy mē The like may be seene in the Councils of Rome vnder Hilarius vnder Gregory where 34. Presbyters subscribed after 22. Bishops in y ◠first vnder Symmachus where after 72. bishops subscribed 67. Presbyters so in the third fift sixt vnder the same Symmachus Felix also bishop of Rome kept a Councill of 43. bishops 74. Presbyters after the same maner haue diuers other Metropolitanes assembled in their prouincial synods aswel Presbyters is bishops The council of Antisiodorum saith Let al the Presbyters being called come to the Synode in the city The 4. council of Toledo describeth y ◠celebrating of aprouinciall council in this wise Let the bishops assembled go to the church togither sit according to the time of their ordination After all the bishops are entred and set let the Presbyters be called and the Bishops sitting in a compas let the Presbyters sit behind them and the Deacons stand before them The Councill of Tarracon 1100. yeeres agoe prescribed almost the verie same order that we obserue at this day Let letters be sent by the Metropolitane vnto his brethren that they bring with them vnto the Synode not only some of the Presbyters of the Cathedral church but also of eche Dioecese And why should this seeme strange euen to the Romish crew when as in the great Council of Lateran as they call it vnder Innocentius the third there were but 482. Bishops and of Abbats and Priors conuentuall almost double the number euen eight hundred If Presbyters haue right to sit in Prouincial Synodes why are they excluded from generall Councils Many things are lawful which are not expedient I make no doubt but all pastours and teachers may sit and deliberate in Councill yet would it breede a sea of absurdities to call all the pastors and preachers of the world into one place as often as neede should require to haue any matter determined or ordered in the Church As therefore in ciuill policie when a whole realme assembleth not al y e persons there liuing are called together but certaine chiefe ouer the rest or chosen by y e rest to represent the state and to consult for the good of the whole common wealth so in the gouernement of the Church it were not only superfluous and tedious but monstrous to send for all the Pastors and Presbyters of the whole worlde into one Citie and there to stay them from their cures and Churches till all things needeful could be agreed and concluded It is more agreeable to reason and as sufficient in right that some of euerie place excelling others in dignitie or elected by generall consent shoulde be sent to supplie the roumes of the rest that are absent and to conferre in common for the directing and ordering of the whole Church And therefore Christian Princes in wisedome and discretion neuer sent for all the Presbyters of the world to anie generall Council but onely for the chiefest of euery principall church and citie or for some to be sent from euery realme far distant as legates in the names of the rest and by that meanes they had the consent of the whole world to the decrees of their Councils though not the personall appearance of all the Pastours and Presbyters that were in the world So to the Council of Nice the first christian Emperor sent for by his letters not all the Preachers Presbyters of the world but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishops of euery place and there came from all the Churches through Europe Asia and Africa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best or chiefest of the Ministers of God each countrey sending not all their Bishops for then would they farrc haue exceded the number of 318. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most speciall and selected men they had and though there were present an infinite number of Presbyters and Deacons that came with the Bishops yet the Council consisted of 318. Bishops and no more by reason the Emperour sent not for the Presbyters of each place but for the Bishops The like examples are to be seene in the three generall Councils that folowed where onely Bishops determined matters in question and the Presbyters that subscribed in the Councils