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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92075	The Cyprianick-Bishop examined, and found not to be a diocesan, nor to have superior power to a parish minister, or Presbyterian moderator being an answer to J.S. his Principles of the Cyprianick-age, with regard to episcopal power & jurisdiction : together with an appendix, in answer to a railing preface to a book, entituled, The fundamental charter of presbytery / by Gilbert Rule ...	Rule, Gilbert, 1629?-1701.	1696 (1696)	Wing R2218; ESTC R42297	93,522	126

a Parish Bishop or Minister For Presbyters being Vice-Pastours that is afterward answered Wherefore I now consider his Application of his three Conclusions to what he would prove viz. that a Bishop in Cyprian's time was neither the Pastour of a Flock nor the Moderator of a Presbytery in my sense of the terms not the first for Cyprian at Carthage Cornelius at Rome c. had many such Pastours under them yea it was so over all the World Not the second because a Presbyterian Moderator as such is no Church Governour at all hath no direct immediat formal relation to the People but only to the Presbytry This is the goodly Argument in which our Author early triumpheth as sufficient if there were no more to ruine our Cause § 18. This Triumph will be found to be before the Victory That I may give a full and direct Answer to his Argument I must distinguish what our Author confoundeth viz. the signification of the word Bishop in the Apostles time it signified any ruling ordinary Officer in the Church hence Phil. 1. 1. all Church-Officers are so called except the Deacons And 1. Tim. 3. 1 2 c. The Apostle giveth Directions to all the Ruling-Officers in the Church and then vers 8 c. telleth what manner of Men the Deacons should be If the Apostle had known any other ordinary Church-Officers these Canons had been very lame and indeed it is no wonder that the Bishops not being here comprehended do what they will for we know no Scripture rules neither for their Qualifications nor Work and Tit. 1. 5 and 6. the Elders that were to be set up in every City are called Bishops v. 7. the same Word in after Ages as it was sometimes given to Pastours of particular Congregations so it was ordinarily given to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the primus Presbyter or Moderator in the Colledge of Presbyters and the same that sustained the later of these Relations had also the former and laboured in the Word and Doctrine and managed Congregational-Discipline in a particular Parish taking the Word Parish in our modern sense Wherefore if the Citations he bringeth for Episcopal Power can rationally be applyed to either of these Notions of a Bishop our Cause is safe from his Assaults That the Moderator of the Colledge of Presbyters is called Bishop not only is evident from Jerom Vnus è Presbyteris electus est qui caeteris superponeretur Episcopi noverint se magis consuetudine quam dispositionis dominicae veritate Presbyteris esse majores in communi debere Ecclesiam regere but this Author cannot deny it tho' he pleadeth for an extravagant Power to that his Moderator about which Power I now debate with him § 19. That the Pastour of a particular Flock was also in the Primitive Times called a Bishop is certain from this that the Scriptures dividing the Church-Officers in Bishops and Deacons are by the Fathers so applyed as I have shewed elsewhere Likewise we find Bishops in small Villages where were no number of Pastors over whom the Bishop might praeside as is fully proved by the learned Mr. Clarkson Primitive Episcopacy stated c. c. 2. p. 19 c. and that by multitudes of Instances as also Testimonies of Fathers asserting it to be then usual Sozomen Hist. l. 7. c. 19. telleth us that in Arabia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith the same of Cyprus and extendeth his Assertion to other Countries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mr. Fuller tho' Episcopal yet a person of more Ingenuity than many others History of the Holy War lib. 2. cap. 2. p. 45 46. speaking of Palestine at this time saith he Bishops were set too thick for all to grow and Palestine fed too many Cathedral-Churches to have them generally fat Lydda Jamnia and Joppa three Episcopal Towns were within four Miles one of another neither let it stagger the Reader if in that Catalogue of Tyrius he light on many Bishops Seats which are not to be found in Mercator Ortelius or any other Geographer for some were such poor Places as they were ashamed to appear in a Map For in that Age Bishops had their Sees at poor and contemptible Villages Concil Antioch in their Epistle concerning Paulus Samosatenus they mentioned Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know Dr. Maurice pretendeth to refute Mr Clarkson's Book neither shall I judge who hath the better in most parts of that Debate but I see no sufficient Answer to what I have here quotted Yet do I not joyn with Mr. Clarkson in the whole design of his Book These two Notions of a Bishop being familiar in the Primitive Times it is no wonder if we find the Fathers sometimes speaking of a Bishop in the one Sense and sometimes in the other § 20. I now Answer his Argument a Bishop in Cyprian's time was always the Pastor of a particular Flock and Moderator in the Consistory of Ruling-Elders but sometimes he was also the Moderator of a Colledge of Presbyters and so might have many Presbyters under him that is he was above them in Dignity and we deny not but that by reason of his fixation in that Office he by custom had crept into some more Power over them than was due but that in Cyprian's time he had the sole Power of Jurisdiction and Ordination or such Authority as our Diocesans pretend to I utterly deny For the other part of his Argument that he could not be a Moderator because a Moderator as such hath no Church Power nor is a Church Governour I Answer first the Assertion he here reflecteth on cited by him pag. 3. that a Moderator as such hath no Church Power was not meant that there might be a Moderator who hath no Church Power and so taking As specificative as he absurdly improveth it p. 36. affirming that a Heathen may be the Moderator of a Presbytery without repugnancy to any Principle of Christianity tho' not without indecency and inconvenience I say this is a most absurd Assertion both because a Heathen Moderator could not understand the Affairs of the Church And because he would embarasse them and because it is against common sense and the Sentiments of Mankind that an Enemy of the true Religion should have the Conduct and main hand in mannaging the Affairs that do so nearly concern it Yea this his Assertion contradicteth it self for he acknowledgeth that this were Indecent and Inconvenient and I hope he will not deny that it is a Principle of the Christian Religion that all things be done Decently and in Order and that both Nature and Religion require that we should shun what is inconvenient especially to so high Concernments as are these of Religion That Assertion then that he aimeth at is to be understood reduplicative that is that a Moderator acquireth no Church Power by his being Moderator above what he had as a Pastor of the Church and here a Sub-distinction is to be used he acquireth indeed

and I think that it will not be denyed that Presbyters are Praepositi and are set over the Church he saith no more then but the Church is founded on the Bishop that is his sound Doctrine as was before explained and her Affairs are ruled by the same Praepositi that is the Bishops and others having Ecclesiastical Authority with them For Presbyters are the same with Bishops in this and that Cyprian meaneth so may be gathered from his varying the word Episcopus into Praepositus Again granting that all the Acts of the Church are ruled by the Bishop this will not prove that they are ruled by him alone His other Testimony out of what he calleth Epistle 43 is far less to his purpose Felicismus with his Faction who formerly had opposed Cyprian's Election to be Bishop in his retirement not only without him but without the Concurrence of the Presbytery or Congregational Eldership I shall not determine which of these the Church of Carthage was then governed by received some of the lapsed which I as well as my Antagonist do reckon a very disorderly Action this Cyprian doth justly blame And that on this Ground that they set up another Altar in that Church that is they threw off the Church Authority that was regularly placed in Carthage and set up another beside we also would blame them who would cast off the Authority of the Presbytery or Kirk-Session and set up another What is Cyprian's meaning is yet clearer from what our Author unwarily citeth out of his Book de unittae Ecclesiae An esse sibi cum Christo videtur qui adversus Christi Sacerdotes facit Qui se à cleri ejus Plebis societate secernit Where he describeth Schisme to be when some depart from the Rulers and Members of the Church not from the Bishop alone and that is to be understood while they keep God's way § 30. His third Preposition is that Cyprian maketh the contempt of one Bishop or undutifulness to him the original of Schisme I am so far from opposing him in this that I think when people begin to quarrel with the meanest of Christs Ministers unless his Life or Doctrine or Government give just cause that they sin against God contemn his Ordinance and are on the brink of Schisme if not Haeresie also And I am sure all that he citeth out out of Cyprian on this head amounteth to no more except a word or two which I shall a little consider When he speaketh of one Bishop I understand him of one Praeses whether in a Congregational or Classical Presbytrey and that in conjunction with them who opposeth such Authority opposeth Christ's Institution He mentioneth p. 23. as also p. 32. The Bishops Monarchical power in the Church and maketh Cyprian prove it by the Bees who have a King the Beasts who have a Captain and Robbers who have a Chiftain It is evident to any who consider Cyprian's other Writings that he never arrogated to himself a Monarchical Power over the Church for he plainly disowneth it as we shall after have occasion to shew But he is here dealing with one Pupianus who had reproached Cyprian as proud and arrogant here Cyprian defendeth himself and retorteth the same Charge of Arrogance on Pupianus in that he took on him to arraign the Bishops and Rulers of the Church and had denyed his power in the Church and he sheweth what Inconveniency it were to the Church if all this time the Church of Carthage had been governed by a Man who had no Authority and in this he bringeth the similitude of the Bees c. Will any think that Cyprian was so weak as to take this for a sufficient Argument to prove Monarchical Power in the Church he only bringeth it as a similitude to illustrate this Truth that there must be a Government in the Church and it had been ill with the Church of Carthage if so long a time they had One over them who was no lawful Ruler which is no Determination of the Extent of Cyprian's power Neither was that the Question between him and Pupianus § 31. I proceed to his fourth Proposition p. 24. The Bishop was so much the principle of Vnity the people had such Dependence on him and was so virtually in him that what he did as Bishop was reputed the Deed of the whole Church which he ruled And to confirm this he bringeth Instances that Churches were blamed for communicating with criminal Bishops and that they did not separat from them and are commended for the Bishops owning the Truth Had our Author thought fit to peruse and consider his Papers before he printed them it is like we should not have been troubled with such crude Notions For 1. How can this be reconciled to what he had a little before-pleaded concerning the horrid sinfulness of separating from their Bishop and this without any distinction or Limitation 2. He is so unwise as to add one word that spoileth all his Design viz. As Bishop for what a Bishop acteth as Bishop he acteth in the Consistory or the Presbytery and by the plurality of their Votes and that is indeed the Fact of the Church Representative and of the Church diffusive too if they shew no dislike of it But this is no Semblance of Proof of the Power of Bishops that he pleadeth for Cyprian's Rhetorical flourish in saying that when Cornelius confessed the Faith before the Persecutors the whole Roman Church confessed Is no more but that Cornelius gave a faithful Testimony to that Doctrine that he had preached among that People and that they received and did still owne is this an Argument that Cornelius had the sole Power of Church-Government in Rome Yea all this might have been said of any Member of that Church who had so confessed and the Church did not reclaim but professed the same Truth It is far less probative that Cyprian desired to suffer at Carthage rather than else where that he might in Confession be the Mouth of them all And least of all is it an Argument that he calleth them his Bowels his Body their Grief was his Grief c. We must abandon all Sense and Reason if these pass for concludent Arguments Of the same weight is what he bringeth out of Pontius of the Blessedness of the people of Carthage who suffered together with such a Bishop I beg the Readers pardon for troubling him with such silly Arguments which need no Answer § 32. His fifth Proposition that the Bishops being the principle of Vnion to his Church was held before the Cyprianick Age This I say needeth no further Animadversion for it bringeth no new thing Neither is it to be imagined that Ignatius whom he citeth meant that the sole Authority of the Bishop rather than the Doctrine that he taught from the infallible Word of God was the Principle of Vnity to the Church Or that they who belong to Christ are with the Bishop whether he teacheth Truth or

Curiosity but it belongeth to my Office to Ordain such as are fit and therefore I desire to know their qualities His next Citation hath no more strength For it saith no more than that some in a State of Schisme have been ordained by false Bishops whence he inferreth that all Ordinations in the true and in the false Church were performed by Bishops This is not the Question but whether they were ordained by Bishops acting each of them alone § 44. He next bringeth Ep. 39. where Cyprian writeth to his Clergy that he had Ordained Celerinus and Ep. 29. Saturus and Optatus and that tho' some of them were but young and he Ordained them to Inferior Offices yet he designed they should sit with him in their Riper Years that is saith our Author he designed them for the Presbyterate And he very Learnedly observeth that Cyprian telleth his Presbyters this in a very Authoritative Stile even in a Stile by which Superiors used to signifie their Will and Pleasure to their Subjects with a be it known unto you Here a little Reflection will serve 1. Here is still the old Fallacy Cyprian Ordain'd these Persons ergo he did it alone 2. It is so far from that that of Celerinus he saith expresly it was done by him and his Collegues Ep. 34. § 1. As in the former Ep. 33. he had said of Aurelius 3. The present Dissipation of the Church made some things necessary which were neither usual nor commendable out of that Case as that Cyprian with such as he could then get to concur with him Ordained some Persons without the Concurrence of the Presbytery who then it seems through the Persecution that was at Carthage could not get that Work managed 4. For Cyprian's Stile in his Epistle to the Presbytery I think many moe will smile at his Fancy than will be convinced by the strength of his Reason drawn from it Cyprian's word is Sciatis which our Author putteth in majusculis to give his Argument some more pith but who knoweth not that this Expression signifieth barely a notifying of a thing to another and is commonly used especially in the Latine Tongue to Superiors Inferiors or Equals It is a token of a mind deeply impressed with the Majesty of a Bishop as he elsewhere expresseth himself when this word doth so sound in his ears The Ordination of Novatianus which he next bringeth as an Argument for him rather is against him it was an Act condemned by the Clergy and People by Cyprian's constant Practice and that which he lookt on as Duty as hath been shewed before and was the Practice of an Aspiring Pope yea which himself promised should not be made a Praecedent Can any body think this is a good Argument to prove the Custom of that Age Neither can it be made appear that this Ordination was performed by the Bishop alone especially seing our Author saith the Bishop prevailed and Ordained him It is like he prevailed with some at least of the Clergy tho' they did at first much resist it He saith p. 42. that any concurrence of Presbyters with the Bishop in Ordination is not to be found in Cyprian ' s Works nor in his Age. I hope the Reader is by this time convinced of the contrary He next p. 43. bringeth for Proof the second Canon of the Apostles commonly so called which is let a Presbyter be Ordained by one Bishop as likewise a Deacon and the rest of the Clergy But our Author might know that the Authority of these Canons is controverted even among Papists as Sixtus Senensis Lib. 2. ad vocem Clemens p. mihi 62 63. And Caranza Summa Concilior and others shew The Contentions that are about the number of them make them to be all suspected Rivet Critic Sacr. Lib. 1. C. 1. p. 93. and P. Martyr Loc. Com. Class 4. C. 4. p. mihi 779. bring sufficient Grounds for rejecting them as neither done by the Apostles nor collected by Clement as is alledged Again if this Canon were admitted it proveth not the Conclusion for one Bishop Ordaineth when the Moderator with the Presbytery doth it and that Canon is observed when no more are called together to the Ordination of a Presbyter His Comparison of the Bishop's Power in this with the Rights of Majesty in giving Commissions is vain Talk unless he can prove a Monarchy and that absolute in the Church which can never be done for the Canon mentioned being universally received in Cyprian's time it is not without Doubt as he alledgeth for all Beveregius's Arguments which he boasteth of but produceth none of them One thing I cannot pass p. 44. he telleth that after Cyprian's time it was appointed by the Canons that Presbyters should concur with the Bishop in Ordinations which overthroweth all his Discourse of the Bishop's Majesty Soveraignty Incontrollable and Vnaccountable Power c. And it is evident to any who is Conversant in the History of the Church that Episcopal Power did rather continually increase than suffer Diminution till it arrived at the height of the Papacy which in the best sense is his Sublime Fastigium Sacerdotii And then indeed the Pope began to clip the Wings of other Bishops that he might crow over them § 45. His third Prerogative of the Bishop in Cyprian's time is his full Power without asking the consent or concurrence of either Clergy or People to setle Presbyters within his District And on this occasion he ridiculeth our Principle of the peoples Power of choosing their own Ministers All the Prooff of this confident Assertion and insolent Contempt of them who are otherwise minded is Cyprian Ep. 40. wrote to Carthage that they should receive Numidicus as a Presbyter among them and our Author addeth probably he was ordained before 1. If our Author had pleased to state and argue the Question about the Power of Election I should have been willing to joyn Issue with him Or if he had thought fit to answer what I have elsewhere written on that Head in a Book that he hath seen and cited when he thought he could say something against it I should have considered the strength of what he would say but he doth wisely shun that Controversie neither shall I dip in it further than is necessary for answering his Book 2. If Numidicus was ordained before then was he also placed in Carthage before and we have cause to think that he was ordained by the consent and concurrence of the Presbyters of Carthage at least our Author cannot prove the contrary which is necessary for establishing his Conclusion 3. He who animadverteth on Pamelius's Notes on Cyprian hath these Words on the beginning of the Epistle Etsi vocatio Numidici magis erat extraordinaria quam ordinaria tamen non sine plebe Carthaginense Presbyterio ascribitur whence he inferreth that Ordinations without their consent are profanae irritae 4. His work is to prove that it was the Practice and Principle of the Cyprianick-Age that

he turneth govern the Church That the Bishop is said to be one and set over the Church may well agree either to a Parish-Minister or the Moderator of a Presbytery who was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His next Essay is from the Bishop's calling the Clergy his Clergy for which he is at pains to cite many places If this were constantly done which was not what doth it signifie that manner of speaking is as common among Presbyterians as it was in Cyprian's time and it signifieth no more but Elders of the Church whereof Cyprian was Pastor as the Elders of any Parish are called the Elders of such a Minister and Elders usually call their Minister our Minister It is a frivolous Question by what Rule of Grammer Rhetorick Logick or Politick could he be so called if he had no Power or Jurisdiction over them A. There is no Rule in any of these Faculties against it tho' he have no sole Power If he have a share of the Power that the whole hath over every one and have the Conduct in managing that Power by being their Moderator § 57. He will let all this pass for a mere Praelusion not being scant of Arguments Wherefore we must now expect what is more pungent that is the three Principles he had before proved so fully viz. The Bishop being the principle of Vnity having supreme power being the same with the High-Priest under the Old Testament do prove this Point To this formidable Argument I oppone what hath been discoursed on these Heads I leave the Reader to judge whether he hath fully proved these or I have fully overturned them Next he argueth from Cyprian's saying he could by his Episcopal power Depose or Excommunicate a Deacon who had rebelled against him and praising another Bishop for so acting yea I shal allow him what he after faith that this power extended also to censuring of Elders Do not our Moderators usually so practise when there is cause but not by theit sole Power but with the Consistory or Presbytery We Presbyterians may tremble at his next Blow For he saith he will leave his Reader no imaginable scruple But these big words dwindle away into this feeble Argument that Cyprian might have censured Felicissimus and some with him who first opposed his Promotion and after he had taken them into favour apted disorderly in receiving some of the lapsed without the Praeses and the Presbytery of this case before it is wholly insignificant here unless he can prove that Cyprian might do this by himself without the Presbytery which himself disowneth as I shewed above All that followeth which is a Repetition of what he hath often alledged having little to say when he braggeth of Superabundance is already plainly answered He is run a little weak but he reinforceth his Arguments with Confidence and Repetitions § 58. Hitherto he hath set forth his Cyprianick Bishop in his Majesty Absolute and sole Power c. In his own particular Church p. 78. he giveth us account of him as he stood related to the Catholick Church and here he expecteth matter enough for another Demonstration which is a big Word in Disputation We shall here also by Divine Assistance try his Strength and tho' we will not brag of Demonstrations yet shall endeavour to bring what Light and Strength the subject doth afford His long Discourse about the Colledge of Bishops I have read with Attention and considered with what Application I am capable of but cannot find his Demonstrations in it yea cannot see wherein it is conducive to prove his point only some Hints he hath interspersed that seem to have somewhat of Argument which I shall consider after I have taken a general View of the whole He observeth that all Bishops were Collegues and made up one Colledge Next that this Colledge was the principle of Vnity to the Catholick Church Thirdly that the grand Concern of the Episcopal Colledge was to preserve and maintain the one Communion which together with one Faith made them capable to be the principle of Vnity to the Catholick Church and that this was their work he proveth first they thought themselves bound to maintain Peace 2. Every Bishop was a Member of this Colledge and therefore great care was taken about their promotion 3. He being promoted sent communicatory Letters to other Bishops giving account of his Promotion 4. If there was any Debate whether his Promotion was Canonical the rest of the Bishops enquired into it 5. If he turned Heretick or Schismatick he was turned out 6. While he kept the Faith and Vnity of the Church he was encouraged Consulted Corresponded with c. 7. While he continued a sound Member of the Colledge all Letters concerning the Peace and Vnity of the Church were directed to him Lastly p. 87. he observeth cum nota resist this Evidence saith he if ye can that every Heretical or Schismatical Bishop with all that retained to him was ipso facto out of the Church At last p. 88. He thinketh he hath another Demonstration against my Notion of a Bishop in Cyprian's time For how could a single Presbyter or Presbyterian Moderator have born such a part in relation to the Catholick Church and her Vnity and Communion § 59. I must Examine the Strength of this long Demonstration and what he addeth to fortifie it and then shall return to take notice of what he intermixeth in the several parts of it in which our Debate may be concerned For Answer then to this Argument as it standeth I deny the Assumption viz. That what he hath here asserted cannot agree to a single Presbyter or presbyterian Moderator His three Assertions do well agree to every Presbyter that is Pastor of a Congregation He is a Collegue to all Bishops that is such Pastors The meeting of such either by their Delegats or if they could all come together is as capable to be the principle of Unity to a Provincial or National Church yea to the Universal Church as if so many Diocesans should meet It is as much the concern of these Presbyters or Parish Bishops and I hope they do as much mind it to maintain one Faith and one Communion Doth he think that our Ministers do not think themselves bound to maintain Peace Or 2. That there is litle care taken about their promotion or giving them charge of the people and admitting them to a share of the Government 3. Tho' it be not our custom to send communicatory Letters of our settlement in a Charge yet every Presbytery notifieth to the neighbouring Presbyteries the Name of him who is to be fixed in a Charge that they may have opportunity to object and the Names of all who are ordained are recorded 4. If a Presbytery ordain any person unduely or if there be Competition the superior Judicatories enquire into it 5. We also turn out not only Heretical and Schismatical Ministers but them also who are scandalous in their Conversation or supinely