an extraordinary Zeal for Religion and that oftentimes made them take Alarme when it was not in any extream danger and if their Knowledge and Discretion were not always proportionable to their Zeal surely among Christians it might be allowed to the Frailty of Humane Nature and the Sincerity of a good meaning If they differ'd sometimes among themselves and were warmer than is fit in their Disputes consider that the Apostles themselves had their Misunderstandings and their Contentions sometimes Peter was to be blamed and Barnabas was carried away The Churches founded by the Apostles were immediately divided about Opinions which were presently determined in Council and yet we do not find that the Controversie was at an end Should any one therefore so abridge the History of the Apostles as to represent nothing of them but their unhappy Contention and leave them under the odious Characters of Disturbers of the World and Dividers of the Church would it not justly pass for a Libel against Christianity It were disingenious and base even in an Enemy in a Christian I know not how to call it Having paid this duty to the honour of Religion by a general Vindication of it from such Consequences as might be drawn from this Church History against the Intention of the Author I come now to his design which is laid down page 27. To shew the Ignorant so much of the matter of Fact as may tell them who have been the Cause of all Church-Corruption Heresies Schisms Seditions c. And whether such Diocesan Prelacies and Grandure be the Cure or ever was But surely this is not the way of cureing Church-divisions thus to exasperate These Reproaches cannot serve to heal but to fret and inflame the Wound I have some hopes that I shall be able to shew the Reader so much of the matter of Fact too as may let him see how much he has been imposed on by this History and that all Corruptions and Schisms are very injuriously and against all Truth of History charg'd upon the Bishops Yet suppose the Charge be true is it such a Wonder that men of great Talents and great Authority do sometimes abuse them and by that means become the Cause of Church-Corruptions Private men though neither better nor wiser than the Bishops have not the Opportunity of doing so much either Good or Hurt and their Mistakes or Vices do not draw after them so great Consequences This Accusation though it may serve to render Bishops odious is yet of use to prove their Authority and their ancient possession of the right of governing the Church like his who would prove that they have troubled the World ever since the Apostles time If the abuse of this Power be sufficient reason to take it away or to render it odious what will become of preaching and writing Books What will become of Scripture and Conscience Let him still exclaim the Bishops have been the Authors of all Corruption and Schism were they not Christians and Men as well as Bishops and if a Heathen or a Jew should not lay such a Stress upon the name of Bishop but put that of a Christian in it's place and then make a great Outery wicked Christians turbulent Christians would not this reasoning hold as well as Mr. B's or if some of the graver Beasts should recover the Conversation they had in Aesop's days and talk judicially might not they bray aloud Horrible men Abominable men that will never agree or understand one another and then conclude with the Ass in the Satyr Ma foy non plus que nous l'home n'est qu'une bête Be the Bishops whose History Mr. B. writes as bad as he will have them how will this concern the rest of that order unless they will follow their Examples and own their Corruptions Machiavel was of Opinion that the greatest part of men were Rogues and Knaves but what is that to You and I let every man bear his own Burden But Mr. B. is resolved to cut off this Retreat and to level his Charge not so much against the Persons as the office of Bishops and to this effect he explains himself p. 22. There is an Episcopacy whose very Constitution is a Crime and there is another that seems to me a thing convenient lawful and indifferent and there is a sort which I cannot deny to be of divine Right Here we have three sorts of Bishops and this is pretty reasonable and compendious but in another Book which he refers to in this he gives no less than twelve Disput of Ch. Government p. 14. dividing was much in Fashion at that time though commonly it was without a difference and as they could make a sort of Seekers that neither sought nor found so he gives several sorts of Bishops that were no more so than he or I nay in this Abridgment of the great Division I believe the Members will be concident and that it is but a little artificial Illusion of Mr. B. that makes them appear several take away the little corner'd glass and that great multitude of pieces we saw are in a moment reduced to one poor Six-pence well let us see then what this criminal sort of Episcopacy is and what Mr. B. has to lay to it's Charge That Episcopacy which I take in it self to be a Crime is such as is afore-mentioned p. 22. which in it's very Constitution overthrows the Office Church and Discipline which Christ by himself and his Spirit in his Apostles instituted this is criminal indeed and a thousand Pities it should stand one Moment But where shall we find this Abomination it is not far of if his Judgment may be taken for Such says he I take to be that Diocesan kind ibid. which has only one Bishop over many Score or Hundred fixt parochial Assemblies Is this then their Crime that they have many fixt parochial Assemblies under their Government Had not the Apostles Had not the Evangelists so too And was that Constitution criminal Had not the Bishops of St. Jerom's Notion several fixt Assemblies That Father did indeed maintain that the poor Bishop of Eugubium was as much a Bishop as he of Rome but he little thought that he was more so or that the Extent of the Roman Diocess had chang'd the very Species of it's Church Government Hieron Ep. ad Evagr. he thought they were both of the same sort and that the single and small Congregation of the one and the numerous Assembly under the Inspection of the other had made no difference at all in the nature or constitution of their Episcopacy he communicated with and submitted himself in Questions of the highest moment to the Bishop of Rome Vid Hier. Ep. ad Damas which considering the Temper of the man and his Contempt of the World he would hardly have done if he had judged him an Usurper but would rather have joyned himself to the poor Bishop of Eugubium and done all possible
to find fault having given them leave to proceed But he coming to Ephesus shortly after and finding fault with the proceedings of Cyril became the occasion of great confusions which yet cannot be with any justice charg'd upon the Council John with his protesting Bishops countenanc'd the cause of Nestorius and condemn'd Cyril being drawn in by Candidianus who was a favourer of Nestorius Act. 1. prope finem and it is not unlikely that he had secret Orders from the Emperour to do Cyril all the ill offices that he could for the Emperour in his Letter to Cyril before this Council shews that he was not a little angry with him He pretends his writing to him Theodos Cyril p. 1. c. 31. and the Empresses about this question to have been the cause as if he had had a design to divide the Court as well as the Church and to sow discord in the Royal Family But whatever were the reason it is evident by his proceeding that he had a pique against Cyril who was oppos'd in every thing by the Emperours Officers A little Committee of about thirty Bishops with John and Candidianus at the head of them set up against the Council condemn'd Cyril and Memnon and gave the Emperour an account of what they had done he sent Johannes Comes with Order to depose Cyril Memnon and Nestorius This John gives a sad account of the confusion all things were in and of the heats of Bishops but is very much to be suspected For the tenour of his relation makes it evident that he was a partizan of the Eastern Bishops and therefore endeavours to lay all the blame upon Cyril and his party but sure I am that the confusion which he represents cannot be much greater than our Author makes in the sense of this John and the Bishops could not understand one another much worse than our Author did that Epistle They would have the Scriptures read says our learned Translator but they that favour'd Cyril said that the divine and terrible Scriptures were not to be read without Cyril the Bishops that were with John said that Cyril ought not to be present at the reading of the Scriptures One would imagine that this Officer would have read a Chapter of Job to recommend patience to these violent Bishops but it is quite another matter for these terrible Scriptures were nothing else but the Emperours Letter which in the language of those times was call'd Sacra and Sacra Scriptura in this place as every body knows that has any acquaintance with these times or has but read this Letter for the secret is discover'd within a few lines Augustarum literarum lectionem fecit in quibus depositi sunt Cyrillus Nestorius c. And now it is no wonder if all things were in confusion and all parties unless that small one of John of Antioch dissatisfy'd the Orthodox look'd upon the faith as involv'd in the condemnation of Cyril and to suffer in the same proscription with him and the greatest part of the Christian Church look'd upon it self as engag'd in the same cause therefore the Emperour considering better of it whether out of fear that all the world in a manner would oppose this sentence or being better inform'd concerning Cyril revok'd this decree but confirm'd the deposition and banishment of Nestorius and considering the party of John was but inconsiderable in respect of those that own'd the Council the Emperour who probably might have made use of them against Cyril commands them now to be reconcil'd to him to condemn Nestorius to receive the Council and Cyril was only desir'd to sacrifice his resentments of the injuries received at Ephesus to the peace and settlement of the Church and so at last Cyril and the Council of Ephesus prevail'd against all the little arts that were us'd to blast their reputation and by the means of Paulus Emissenus a perfect reconciliation was effected so sincere that the old contentions are chang'd into friendship and confidence and Cyril sends some of his books to John and Theodoret to revise and correct So far were they from thinking him a Fire brand and incendiary as long as they liv'd as our Author represents the matter But this reconciliation does as little please Mr. B. as their dissentions There is no thanks to the Bishops for this the Emperours threatning Letter cur'd them all of Heresie and good men they were all this while of one mind and did not know it It is some sign of good nature that they would submit to the powerful interposition of the Emperour but there is a temper which Mr. B. is acquainted with that is not to be prevail'd upon either by threats or promises from the Magistrate and seems to hate nothing so much as compliance with Superiours there are some that scorn to preach by the licence of the Government and place the Kingdom of Christ purely in opposition to Laws and Magistrates CHAP. VI. Councils about the Eutychian Heresie IT is the general weakness of our minds not to think we have sufficiently avoided one extreme unless we run into the other and to be still running away from what we dislike we care not whither without considering what inconveniences the contrary extreme may expose us to This is frequent among us not only in what relates to our passions and manners but to our faith Nestorius for fear of blasphemy dissolv'd the incomprehensible unity of the son and fell into blasphemy on the opposite side denying Christ to be Deus verus Anath 1 2. Eutyches abhorring this doctrine thought he was not safe till he had deny'd Christ to be verum hominem Brevic. de Hist Eutyc and this became the occasion of a great deal of stir and tumults in the Christian World This Eutyches who to our comfort was no Bishop but an Abbot having pleas'd himself some time with his notion concerning the person of Christ was not content to enjoy it himself but was ambitious to propagate it He therefore drew up a new Creed different from those which had been set forth by all the Councils before him and sent a Copy of this Confession into several Monasteries to desire Subscriptions Act. con C. P. This got wind and Eusebius Bishop of Dorylaeum having notice of this practice advises Eutyches as a friend to desist from such dangerous enterprizes and to acquiesce in the decrees of the Councils of Nice and Ephesus Eutyches pursues his course and Eusebius reports the whole matter to Flavian who having called a small Convention of Bishops at C. P. sends for Eutyches thither He at first refuses to come but afterwards being encourag'd by a favourite Eunuch he comes to the Council as if he had been going to a war guarded not only with his Monks but with Souldiers and the Emperours guards where after some tergiversation he discover'd his Heresie and the Council having admonish'd him to retract but without effect condemn'd him as a Heretick Our
Countenance to that Primitive and Apostolick Constitution of Episcopacy But let St. Jerom think as he pleases Mr. B. is of another Opinion and now let us consider his Reasons By this means says he parochial Assemblies are made by them the Bishops no Churches p. 22. § 55. as having no ruling Pastors that have the Power of judging who to baptize or admit to Communion or Refuse but only of Chappels having Preaching Curates But must every Parish be an independent Church and exercise all Authority and Jurisdiction within it's self May not several Parishes associate under the Discipline of the same Bishop but that they must be unchurch'd If it be no Church that has no Bishop what will become of all Presbyterian Churches that are subject to Classes do not they unchurch Parishes as well as Bishops But they are made no Churches for want of governing Pastors this is a great Mistake every Parish with us has a governing Pastor but it is in Subordination to the Bishop and with Exception to some Acts that concern the general Union of all the Parishes associated Is he no Governour because he is not Independent Is he no Officer that is subordinate At this rate every Constable should be a King and every Captain a General But our Pastors Mr. B. says have not the Power of judging whom to Baptize this is a Calumny that has not the least Shadow of Truth and the contrary is notorious That they have no power to admit to Communion or Refuse is not true they have Power to admit any one that is not excommunicated or naturally incapable and they may likewise refuse the Communion to such as they judge notoriously unfit but must afterwards approve their reasons to the Bishop Several have used their Liberty and Discretion in this point without Offence however it is but fit that since the peace of the Church does greatly depend upon the right Application of Church-censures there should be a Restraint laid upon ordinary Ministers in this particular yet there is no Church-censure can have any effect without the Consent of the Minister of that Parish where he lives against whom it is directed The Ministers Refusal indeed may expose him to great Inconveniences and it is but just when his Refusal is only the effect of Opposition yet he has time and opportunity to produce his Reasons and why should he despair in a just Canse of convincing his Ordinary However though the Power of Church-censures be not allowed Parish Presbyters under Diocesan Episcopacy it is no Diminution of the right for neither under the Apostles nor the Primitive Bishops did they ever exercise it as principals or independent 2. Mr. B's second Reason against Diocesan Episcopacy is p. 22. That all the first Order of Bishops in single Churches is depos'd as if the Bishop of Antioch should have put down a thousand Bishops about him and made himself the sole Bishop of the Churches This reason goes upon the same Supposition with the other that every single Congregation had a Bishop the proof of which we will examine in due place The Bishops of great Cities had several Parishes or Congregations under them in the first times which never had any other Bishops but themselves and it was not this but the contrary that was the fault of great Bishops and Metropolitans of old for instead of deposing little Bishops they multiply'd them to strengthen their Party in Councils Vid. Collat. Carthag when they began to vye with one another in number of Suffrages as if the Archbishop of York should make every Town under his Jurisdiction an Episcopal Seat that he might have as many Suffrages as the Arch-bishop of Canterbury This I hope to prove in due place and to shew the Reader how far Mr. B. is mistaken in the Causes of Schism and that nothing contributed more to some of them than the multiplying the number of the lesser Bishops by their Metropolitans 3. His third Reason is That the Office of Presbyters is changed to Semi-presbyters What then is the Office of a Presbyter Is it not to preach and to be the mouth of the Congregation in publick Worship to administer the Sacraments to exhort to admonish to absolve the penitent to visit the sick This all Presbyters in the Church of England have full liberty to do and I wish all would take care to execute their Function as fully as it is permitted them 4. Discipline is made impossible p. 22. as it is for one General without inferiour Captains to rule an Army But are there not subordinate Officers in the Church as well as in the Camp How then is Discipline impossible If the General reserve to himself certain Acts of Jurisdiction does he by that means supersede the Commissions of all inferiour Commanders Mr. B. is much upon the point of Discipline's being impossible under Diocesan Episcopacy because one man he thinks cannot govern so many Parishes Admit in all things he may not nor is it necessary he should but in such Acts of Government that are reserved to him it is possible enough and has been practised from the days of the Apostles to this present time This Point you may find excellently discuss'd by Mr. Dodwel in his second Letter to Mr. B. which Mr. B. confutes briefly Cb. Hist 2. part by telling the Reader that if he will believe those reasons he has no hopes of him a short way of confuting and one would wonder that he that makes use of it should write so many and great Books of Controversie Yet this I must add that if it be impossible now 't is fit to let the World know who has made it so the Dissenters themselves have first weakned the Authority and obstructed the Execution of Discipline and when the subordinate Officers agitated caballed against their Superiour Commanders it is not wonder if Government be made impracticable However the Accusation sounds ill from those men by whose Mutiny and seditious Practises things have been brought to that evil Pass Mr. B. pursues his point further § 55. and adds Much more does it become then unlawful when first deposing all Presbyters from Government by the Keys of Discipline they put the same Keys even the Power of decretive Excommunication and Absolution into the hands of Laymen called Chancellors and set up Courts liker to the Civil than Ecclesiastical It is a Question I cannot easily resolve whether it be the King or the Bishop that governs by the Chancellor but whoever governs by them they neither have no nought to have the Power of Decisive Excommunication or the Power of the Keys but act only as Assistants and judges of matter of Fact and apply the Canons which determine what Offences are to be punish'd with Excommunication if they do any more I neither undertake the Defence nor will I suppose those that employ them own their Actions any farther However the Presbyterians fall under the same Censure with our Diocesans for
the Secret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and blabs out his Author I have heard says he from a credible Person who was acquainted with these Monks The Relation shews sufficiently he was of the Party and that he had it from them and if a Monk cannot tell his Story sufficiently to his own Advantage and to the Prejudice of his Enemy let him be irregular and to say Truth without this Intimation one might taste something of a Monkish Invention and Spirit the whole Story is so marvelously gross Besides that Socrates and Sozomen are not so credible in this Particular because they every where espouse the Cause of the Novatians to whom Theophilus was no great Friend reason enough to incur a very odious Character in their History as many other good men have done upon the same account But other Historians and more credible than Socrates or Sozomen discover sufficiently the Vanity of this Fiction Posthumianus was in Alexandria immediately after these things happen'd and let us hear what account he gives of this Affair After seven days Sulp. Sever Dial. l. 1. we came to Alexandria where there was a foul Contention between the Bishops and the Monks about the Books of Origen those condemning and forbidding the reading of them because of many dangerous Errors contain'd in them the other Party charging this upon the Hereticks that had corrupted the Works of Origen The Contention in short grew very high and the Bishops according to the Authority they had forbid all good and bad because there were Ecclesiastical Writers enough that might be read with as much Benefit and much less Danger and then instanc'd in several places of Origen that were very extravagant but this could not satisfie the Favourers of Origen who began to be in an Uproar which when the Authority of the Bishops could not appease the Civil Magistrate is forc'd to take the Church-Discipline into his own hands Saevo Exemplo says the Author Upon this the Monks were terrified and made their Escape whither they could and the Edicts of the Magistrates pursued them This person it seems was no Favourer of Theophilus and yet there is nothing he finds fault with but the too great Rigour and the taking of the Governour to supply the defect of Church-Discipline yet it seems there was absolute Necessity for it for these Monks had mutiny'd and rais'd a Sedition and then surely it is time for the Magistrate to look about him 2. The same Historian represents this not as any sudden surprizing Oppression of the Origenists for he mentions several Synods that had been assembled for this purpose 3. He does not make this the Effect of any particular Quarrel between the Monks and Theophilus but makes the Controversie to be between the Monks and the Bishops and which of them had most right to govern the Church and appoint what Books were or were not fit to be read But to return to our Author he tells us farther Sever. The Bishop of that place entertain'd him very courteously and beyond what he could have expected he made him a kind Invitation that he would stay and live with him but that he refus'd thinking it not fit to stay in a place ubi fraterna Cladis tam recens fervebat invidia Then he adds That though the Monks ought likely to have obey'd the Bishops yet on the other side they ought not to have us'd so great a Rigor Here is not a word of Theophilus his Crimes which he would not have dissembled having so fair an Occasion to mention to mention them and they would have been very proper Reasons for his Refusal to stay at Alexandria and would have very much aggravated the Envy of persecuting those Monks Theophilus But here is not a word of Him which the other Bishops are not as nearly concern'd in as himself and lastly here is a plain Confutation of that pretty Story of Socrates That the Origenists were persecuted for believing God to be incorporeal whereas they were the Errors of Origen as that Christ had dyed to save the Devils and such like that the Bishops objected And to say Truth that was a pretty Suggestion that they should be call'd Origenists for holding God incorporeal Was Origen singular in that point Did not every one that ever had any Reason with his Sense teach the same thing And therefore the other Story of the Anthropomorphites urging Theophilus to condemn Origen upon the same Account comes under the same Suspition for by the same Reason they must have forc'd him to condemn all the Ecclesiastical Writers in the World Yet such was the Impudence of these mutinous Monks that they were not asham'd to tell it all the World that all those that were against them were Anthropomorphites Hieron Johan And Chrysostom was so credulous as to believe them and to charge Epiphanius with that Error to which no man was a more bitter Enemy Whereas the Controversie was indeed whether Origen's Works were to be read and this was started sometime before Theophilus was concern'd in it Ep. ad Tranquil 76. Edic Mar. Victorii as appears by St. Hierom who in a Letter to Tranquillinus condemns the passionate Haters and admires of Origen he allows him to be read sometimes for his great Learning as Tertullian Novatus Arnobius Apollinaris but with Caution that we choose the Good and avoid the Evil But if these Passionate Friends and Enemies of Origen will be in the Extream and will either reject the whole as Faustinus or receive and approve the whole and admit no mean his Determination is Libentius piam rusticitatem quam doctam blasphemiam Eligam which shews the Controversie between the Orthodox and the Origenists and serves likewise to vindicate St. Hierom from the Imputation of having prevaricated in this case Sulp. Sev. D. 1. Ruffin Inv. as he is charg'd by Posthumianus and Ruffinus as if once he had been an Origenist himself and that this Letter was writ before the Troubles about that Question in Alexandria is clear from the fathering of that Opinion upon Faustinus which he would never have done if it had so great Patrons as Theophilus and the Authority of several Synods to confirm it And whereas Theophilus is represented so odiously by credible Socrates and the Character is believ'd by credulous Mr. B. it will not be amiss to see what other as credible men as any of his Enemies say of him whether in general or with Relation to the Condemnation of the Origenists St. Hierom blames him for his too great Moderation in this Particular Ep. 68. Super Nefaria haeresi quod multam patientiam geris putas Ecclesiae visceribus incubantes tuâ posse corrigi lenitate multis sanctis displicet ne dum paucorum paenitentiam praestolaris nutrias audaciam perditorum factio robustior fiat This does by no means agree with Mr. B's Authors who intimate as if he had circumvented and surpriz'd them And in another
Diocesan Prelacy a distinction without ground or foundation as I have already shew'd and will be yet more fully made out The main design or Mr. B.'s History is 1. To charge the Bishops with all Schisms Heresies Corruptions c. 2. To shew p. 27. §. 7.4 that Diocesan Prelacy and grandeur is not the Cure nor ever was And to this purpose are level'd all the particulars of his Church-History In this Chapter I will endeavour to take off the first general Charge That some Bishops have abus'd their Office and Authority and have been the cause of Heresie or Schism cannot be deny'd but Priests Deacons and Laymen have been so too and therefore if the miscarriage of any particular man becomes a prejudice to his Office and the Order must suffer for the personal faults of those that are of it we must have neither Priests nor Deacons in the Church since some of them have been Authours of Heresies c. But this is not all our Author tho' he speaks indefinitely that â—he will shew the ignorant and he must be very ignorant that knows no better who have been the cause of Church Corruptions Heresies Schisms Sedition yet he means they were the Authors of all these evils as he is pleas'd to explain himself p. 72. Next we have a strange thing a Heresie rais'd by one that was no Bishop and then as if that were impossible he shews that was no Heresie and so the Bishops remain under the whole charge of raising all Heresies I wish he had left Schism and Sedition out of this charge for if he can perswade the Ignorant Readers that the Bishops were the cause of all these too they will never be perswaded that any Presbyterians are to be found in Church-History For if they had been in the world they must have had their share with the Bishops in Schism and Sedition It is a heavy charge to accuse the Bishops of all the Heresies and Schisms that have afflicted the Church and if it were true would go near to stagger the Reverence that one might have for the Order For though Bishops as well as other men may be subject to Miscarriages they might be allowâ—d the frailty of Humane nature from which no dignity can exempt us But to be found the cause of All the Evils that have befallen the Church would argue such a malignity in the Constitution as would shew plainly that God never design'd them for good But I believe this can be no more prov'd against them by matter of fact than that Bishops invented Gun-powder or Hand-Granadoes or were the Authors of the Scotch Covenant or the late Rebellion of the Field Conventiclers in Scotland Let us then trace the Heresies and Schisms that have torn the Church in pieces in several ages of it to their first original and examine who were the Authors of them and if it appear out of Church-History that Bishops rais'd them All or the greatest part I will give up the Cause and believe every thing in Mr. B.'s History and for penance read over all the fourscore Books that he tells us he has written Where then shall we begin If the Bishops should be convicted by the first Instance it would be ominous However because it shall appear that I deal impartially I will begin with the first All Ecclesiastical Writers do agree that Simon Magus was the Author of the first Heresie in Christian Religion Simon Magus Epiphanius indeed reckons up about a score of Heresies before this Epiph. Haer. 21. but they are Heathen or Jewish Heresies and I hope Mr. B. will be so kind as to allow that the Bishops had nothing to do with these That Simon was a Heretick all are agreed in though the Scripture say no such thing and though Epiphanius confess that his Sect cannot truly be reckon'd among Christians Haer. 21. p. 55. Ed Pet. This man did teach very strange and if there be any such damnable doctrines But that he was a Bishop no man ever yet affirm'd Justin Martyr thought he had seen an Inscription at Rome to this Simon which own'd him a God though it is possible this might be a mistake But that ever any Writing or Tradition called him a Bishop I have not heard It is true indeed he had a great mind to be a Bishop that is to have power of Confirmation and that every one on whom he should lay his hands should receive the Holy Ghost And he bid fair for it For he offer'd Peter Money says the Text And the Repulse perhaps disgusted him so that he resolv'd to leave the Communion of the Church since he could not be a Bishop in it and it has been the disease of several other Hereticks to scorn to be any other Member of the body but the Head The next that Epiphanius mentions is Menander Menander Epiph. Har. 22. who as Irenaeus and out of him the rest says was Simon Magus his Disciple but neither Irenaeus nor Eusebius nor Epiphanius nor Philastrius nor Theodoret and in short no man that has given any account of Hereticks or any Historian whatsoever that has been yet heard of has given the least Intimation that he was a Bishop Saturnius Basilides Iren. l. 1. c. 22 23. Epiph. Her 23 24. Euseb l. 4. c. 7. August Ep. ad Quodlib Philastâ— Haer. 3 4. Theod Haer. Fab. l. 1. 〈…〉 Saturninus and Basilides follow next and neither of them were either Bishops or of any other Order in the Church that we can find The next is the Heresie of the Nicolaitans which is generally fathered upon Nicolas the Deacon Irenaeus l. 1. c. 27. seems to he positive in this Nicolaitâ— autem Magistrum quidem habent Nicolaum unum ex septem qui primi ad Diaconium ab Apostolis Ordinati sunt Nicolas one of the seven Deacons was the Master of the Nicolaitans or at leastwise they look'd upon him as their Master Epiph. Haer. 2â— Epiphanius follows Irenans and enlarges the story shewing how he was a good man at first and did contribute much to the futherance of the Gospel but that afterward the Devil enter'd into him Philastr Haer. 5. Bibl. Patr. M. de la Rigne T. 4. p. 10. Philastrius follows the Authority of Epiphanius But for all this I believe Nicolas the Deacon may be acquitted of this imputation for there are Witnesses of very good Antiquity that endeavour to Absolve him 1. Ignatius Interpolated in two several places warning those he writes to Ign. Ep. ad Trall Philadelph Interpol to have a care of the Nicolaitans calls 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—uns and 〈◊〉 i. e. those that falsâ—y call themselves by the name of Nicolas Sycophants and Impostors The old Latin Interpreter explains this farther and adds Non 〈◊〉 talis fuit Apostolorum Minister Nicolaus Clemens of Alexandria is more particular in the Vindication of Nicolas Clem. Alex. l. 2. Strom. c. 3. whose name these Gnosticks abus'd to countenance their lewdness
But those of the Congregational way indeavour to diminish the numbers by making a great part of these new Converts to be strangers and to return home when the Feast was over To which I Answer 1. That the Scripture gives no countenance to this conjecture but sayes all those strange Nations were q Acts 2.5 14. Inhabitants of Jerusalem and the Original word inclines most on this side But 2. Suppose they were some of them Strangers yet how shall we be assured that they returned home The Scripture seems to say thâ— contrary v 47. For as soon as it sets down thâ— number it adds That they continued stâ—â—â— fastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in Prayers They i. e. the three thousand in the Verse going before besides there is no probability of their leaving the Apostles it is not suitable to the zeal and devotion of the first Converts who despised all Earthly concerns and left Houses and Land and Families for Christs sake And these Proselytes sold all and had all things in common which takes away the necessity of their returning home Nor did the Church cease to grow and multiply but proselytes came over every day For the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved But among these daily accessions some are very great and remarkable for not long after we find no less than five thousand more added to the Church at one time v. 47. Many of them that heard the word believed and the number of the men that is plainly of those that heard the word and believed was about five thousand Acts 4.4 and besides these that were Converted the generality of the people favoured the preaching of the Gospel so that the Magistrates durst not deal over rigorously because of the people v. 21. This general good disposition was improved by the Apostles into a perfect conversion of great numbers For believers were the more added to the Lord Acts 5.14 multitudes both of men and women And the Christian Congregations were now so thronged that they brought out their sick and laid them in the Sreets that the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them And now the Church of Jerusalem grew too numerous for the Apostles to take the whole charge of it upon them for when the Number of the Disciples was multiplyed c. 6.1 their arose a murmuring of the Grecians that their Widows were neglected and the Apostles desired the multitude to chuse seven men whom they might appoint over this matter And in the mean time they would give themselves up continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word and the twelve it seems had enough to do in this particular for they declare that they cannot look after Tables but they must neglect their more peculiar duty â— 2. leave the word of God And we do immediately find the success of this Counsel â— 7 The word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the Faith And now after all these accessions Acts 8.1 we find but one Church in Jerusalem a great persecution is said to have been raised against that Church Now what manner of Church shall we imagine this to be a Congregational one shall all those thousands make but one Assembly for Communion in Prayer and the Sacraments It is incredible There was no place large enough no hold them and considering the opposition that was made against them they cannot be supposed to have the use of any publick meeting place the Synagogues were taken up by the Jews and if we may guess at their bigness by their number we must conclude they could not be very capacious since in Jerusalem there were as Sigonius delivers from the Records of the Jews no less than five hundred and eighty Car. Sigonius de Rep. Heb. l. 2. c. 8. Lightfoot Hor. Hebr. cap. 36. prooem Evang. Mat. the number more generally argeed is four hundred and eighty In short the multitude of Believers as it is represented by St. Luke must be granted to exceed the measure of one or two Congregations and considering their circumstances might probably make up more than twenty Congregations This Church then in the singular containing more than one Assembly was no other than a Diocess governed by the common Council of the Apostles in which Peter may be supposed to preside without doing the Pope any Service To this the Assertors of the Congregational way make several exceptions Grand Debate concerning Presb. and Independ in the Answer to the reasons of the Diss Breth and Mr. B. among the rest but so frivolous that I wonder after the Answers made to them by the Divines of the Assembly any can be so obstinate as to insist upon them They Except 1. That the first three thousand Converts were not all of Jerusalem but returned home after the Feast was over but of this no other proof than that there were dwelling in Jerusalem devour men of several Nations or as they render it sojourning and it is not very significant how we understand it since the Scripture sayes expresly that they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship But of this already 2. That the five thousand is not to be added to the other three but includes them There needs no other Answer to this than to refer them to the place which is clear enough of it self The miracle wrought on the Cripple that sate in the Gate of the Temple and the Sermon that seconded it was altogether occasional and there can be no reason to imagine the whole Church then to be met together in that place 3. That in those Countries there were much greater Congregations than can be with us as some of those that followed our Saviour who Preached to Myriads and the reason is offered because the air is more pure and thin That at Charenton the Congregation consists of many thousands This is manifestly to trifle and to Libel their own cause by reasons that are impertinent or ridiculous 4. Mr. B. Adds they had better Lungs in those times and places he might have said as well that they had better Ears and a quicker hearing or that they could understand a mans meaning by his gaping 5. They say that this being the first Church and under the joyn'd care of all the Apostles might soon arrive to the greatest measure of a Church What is this in effect but to yield the question How they came to that number we see well enough but the thing contended is that their number did exceed a Congregation besides they cannot be supposed so well to have multiplyed so very soon if the Ministry of these Apostles had not been divided and some Preached in one Assembly and others in another 6. They say there was liberty till Sauls persecution And what then Under that liberty the