the succession of their Bishoprick And again iii. 3. he speaketh of the tradition coming from the Apostles which had been preserved in the Churches through the succession of Presbyters Ireneus that is wont to appeal to the succession of Bishops to evidence that which the Church then believed to have come from the Apostles here referreth himself to the Presbyters for the same purpose affirming that they succeeded the Apostles without doubt calling the Bishops by the name of PRESBYTERS in regard of the office common to both Thus are both ranks comprised in one name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first Canon of the Councel at Antiochia where we reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where we are not to conceive that Deacons are reckoned among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hath been mistook but the sense is to be directed by distinguishing the words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reckoning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well Presbyters as Bishops neither more nor lesse then ANTISTITES in Latine which we had in S. Augustine before And thus you have both ranks comprised in the same style of PRAEPOSITI in S. Cyprian and of PRAESIDENTES in Tertullian The first Epist 62. Et cùm omnes omnino disciplinam tenere oporteat multò magis Praepositos Diaconos curare hoc fas est The other De Cor. mil. c. 3. Eucharistiae Sacramentum nec de aliorum manu quà m Praesidentium sumimus CHAP. VIII What pattern this Government might have in the Synagogue Aaron and his sonnes Correspondence of the Sanedrin with the Bishop and Presbyters BEfore we leave this point it will not be amisse to take notice what pattern the Apostles might have for this form of government in the Synagogue For when our Lord in the Gospel Matth. xviii 17. giveth his Disciples in the case of private offenses the rule Dic Ecclesiae it is to be supposed he reflecteth upon some Bench to which that people were wont to resort with their causes otherwise what could the hearers understand by these words intimating that his will was the Church which he was now founding to be provided of the like Neverthelesse in regard this Church was intended a mere spirituall State to be cherished and nourished in the bosome and entrails as it were of all Common-wealths there must no comparison be made in that which concerneth the temporall state of that people Let us see then Moses his charge Deut. xvii 8 9. thus we reade If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgement between bloud and bloud between plea and plea between stroke and stroke being matters of controversie within thy gates then shalt thou arise and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose and thou shalt come unto the Priests and Levites and to the Judges that shall be in those dayes and enquire and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgement He that readeth here on the one side two sorts of persons the Priests and Levites for one and the Judge that shall be in those dayes on the other side two sorts of causes one concerning Ceremonies of the Religion in force the other the civil Laws of that people hath cause to think that the meaning of this law is that they should resort to severall persons according to the differences of their causes Especially being indifferent in the words to translate it thus Thou shalt come to the Priests the Levites or to the Judge that shall be in those dayes as after verse 12. it is read Had it been thus the correspondence had been clear between the high Priest and his inferiours in the Synagogues and the Bishop and his Presbyters in the Church But the practice of the Nation beareth it otherwise In which we must believe their Doctours when they tell us that the whole passage as well that of the Priests and Levites as that of the Judge that shall be in those dayes is referred to the Sanedrin whereof R. Isaack Abartincell giveth his reason in his Commentaries upon that place Because that Court for a great part consisted of Priests and Levites and therefore had the hearing of all sorts of causes And though they were brought hither from lower Courts whereof there was one of three and twenty persons in every place which conteined one hundred and twenty families one of three in lesse places by the Judges themselves as the Ebrew Doctours will have it arguing from the words THOU SHALT ARISE Thou that findest a matter too hard for thee in judgement shalt arise yet can we compare the Consistory of the Church with no Court but this First because all mother-Churches in mother-Cities are absolute in their rule so farre as the Scripture hath appointed it otherwise then as the law of love tieth Christians to assist one anothers necessities our Lord and his Apostles having instituted no other judicatories in spirituall matters but one of these Presbyteries in each Church and many of them in severall Churches when the matter required common advise And again because Jerusalem was the onely seat of the whole State of Religion and Justice both in that people sacrifices being done no where else Well then as Ignatius in one of his Epistles distinguisheth two parts of the Bishops office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rule the Church and to perform Divine service so must we inquire the correspondency of the Church with the Synagogue in both respects reflecting from the Bishop and Presbyters in regard of Divine service to be performed by their hands upon Aaron and his sonnes or the high Priest and the rest as S. Hierome hath done before us writing in these terms Epist ad Euagr. Quod Aaron filii ejus atque Levitae in templo fuerunt hoc sibi Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi vendicent in Ecclesia But in respect of Government and Discipline whereof our Lord speaketh in the Gospel aforesaid we must reflect upon the Sanedrin as the same S. Hierome hath done in another place upon the first to Titus saying of Bishops in respect of their Presbyters Imitantes Moysen qui cùm haberet in potestate solus praeesse populo Israel septuaginta elegit cum quibus populum judicaret So then Moses his Spirit is taken and divided upon seventie Elders to help him to bear the charge of the people Num. xi 25. The same thing is done when the Apostles ordain Presbyteries by imposition of hands Therefore we see the Spirit of Prophecy rest upon the Presbytery by which Timothy was ordained as well as upon that of Antiochia no otherwise then it did upon Moses his Sanedrin Num. xi 26. To continue and procure the continuance whereof upon their successours it was that this Court sate in the Temple as the old Ebrew Doctours observe it is said Thou shalt go up to the place which I shall choose signifying that the Temple in which the holy Ghost dwelt occasioned the influence of it upon the Court that
Of the GOVERNMENT OF CHURCHES A discourse Pointing at the Primitive Form Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie of Cambridge 1641. To the most Gracious JAMES Duke of Lennox Earl of March c. L. Warden of the Cinque Ports Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privie Counsel his very good LORD MAy it please your Grace The advantage this slight worthlesse piece aimeth at in this addresse is of great consequence but of a civil and moderate nature It is no marvel if it desire to go forth under so great a Name that is not like to appear considerable to the world otherwise But the Countenance it demandeth is according as the cause may deserve more it must not expect from your Justice lesse it cannot expect from your Goodnesse If it fail of the Truth it is a Child rebellious to the Fathers intentions and according to the Law of Moses here he bringeth him forth to receive his doom If it have any thing considerable in a Cause wherein the world is so well informed long since my suit is that from your Graces hands it may be derived to the publick The Lord of Heaven and Earth blesse your Grace with happinesse of this life and of that which is to come So prayes Your Graces most humble Chaplain HERBERT THORNDIKE To the Lovers of Peace and Truth THat style must serve me for a Preface to this short discourse The love of Peace and Truth my hope is hath made some Impression in the reasons whereupon it proceedeth And it were a wrong to the world to think that those marks can be offensive My purpose was to contribute towards the true meaning of the Scripture in these matters If I have failed of it the attempt will deserve your excuse But my heart telleth me not that I have set any Text on the rack to make it confesse more then it means Ecclesiasticall writers I have for the most part stripped of the authoritie which their years merits in the Church have wonne and produced them as witnesses at the Bar of common sense to make evidence from the Historicall truth of their sayings The meaning of them is for the most part either translated by their words or expressed in the current of my discourse Sometimes it is left to every mans apprehension to value for when all is done men must and will be judges for themselves H. T. Faults escaped Pag. 16. line 18. ac providè reade ac proinde p. 34. l. 5. expressed r. expresseth p. 58. l. 3. because r. became p. 62. l. 19. these r. those l. 21. these r. those p. 83. l. 20. Synagogues r. Synagogue p. 85. l. 14. after else adde And the chief causes in Religion brought to no Court but this p. 87. l. 19. after writeth adde In Hilcoth Sanedrin cap. 1. p. 102. l. 9. those r. these p. 114. l. 10. Baptist r. Baptismo p. 119. l. 5. dispersing r. dispensing p. 129. l. 1. Tertullian r. Tertullian p. 131. l. 13. Toreh r. Joreh p. 140. l. 22. some r. sound p. 147. l. 24. alwayes r. alwayes p. 151. l. 5. after heart adde being p. 183. l. 11. and r. of CHAP. I. The Apostles eye-witnesses of our Lord and eare-witnesses of his doctrine S. Paul an Apostle Many personall qualities in them They were Governours of Churches HE that desireth to espie light at a narrow hole must lay his eye near if he mean to discover at large So must he be curious in considering the Scriptures that meaneth to discern those things that are not declared there at large but are collected by circumstance or consequence especially in matters which we view at this distance of time which representeth to us things done then through a mist of succeeding custome Those that seek for mines have their virgula divina a rod which they hold even-balanced over the place where they hope for a vein which if it hit right the rod of it self bendeth towards the earth Our Lord in the Gospel commandeth us to search the Scriptures as men would seek for mines or treasure let us keep an even balance of judgement not bowing but as the vein of truth swayeth it for if we put the grains of affection and prejudice into the gold-scales which we weigh nice truths with no marvel if the lighter go down Now because the question concerneth the Apostles time and the next to it and the purpose is to represent the form pointed at in Scripture by comparing it with such passages of historicall truth and primitive practice as shall seem best to expresse it let us in the first place consider the nature of their charge that it may appear how farre the Church reteineth a succession of it For true it is divers personall qualities are requisite in an Apostle because they were to preach the Gospel to all Nations They must be men to witnesse those things they had seen our Lord do those words they had heard him speak upon their own knowledge and therefore men that had conversed with him from the beginning of his doctrine It is that S. Peter required at the choice of Matthias Acts i. 21. Of these men that have companied with us all the while that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us must one be ordained for a witnesse of his resurrection with us It is that the same Apostle challengeth 1. Pet. v. 1. The elders which are among you I exhort who am also an elder and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ He condescendeth to the rank of Presbyters when he saith who am also an Elder but he voucheth the priviledge of an Apostle when he addeth and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ And his fellow-Apostle of the Gentiles to the same purpose 1. Corinth ix 1. Am I not an Apostle am I not free have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord as if to be an Apostle required one that had seen the Lord which was supplyed to him by his raptures and visions as the hearing his doctrine was supplyed unto him by that revelation by which he avoucheth to have received his Gospel in the beginning of his Epistle to the Galatians This is that God had provided for satisfaction of common sense men that could witnesse upon the credit of their eyes and eares what they published But it required greater matters to convince the world of those things which reason could not evidence The gifts of the holy Ghost for knowledge for language for miracles for all the like were requisite in a marvellous nature for those that undertook to preach the Gospel to all nations This was the Apostles charge and the power this charge importeth the indowments it requireth are personall wherein no man pretendeth to succeed the Apostles But the execution of this charge reason telleth us must needs proceed and experience of that which is written telleth us it did proceed according to the exigence of their severall
others most daring to innovate opinions in matters of religion especially as well as in those that concern other knowledge But he that calleth to remembrance that correspondence which in ancient times was actuated between Churches of severall nations people commercio formatarum as Optatus speaketh by traffique of those letters of correspondence which under set forms were wont to passe between Bishops in the name of their Churches the true form of that unitie which our Lord commended to his Church after it was become Catholick must needs lament to see that most beautifull peace of this Government in ancient time defaced and lost by the fault of them that hate to be reformed in the dissensions of Christendome alledged to destroy it The honour and esteem which the learned of the reformed Churches abroad have professed of the state of our Churches and our charity in excusing the necessities of theirs and acknowledging the efficacy of the Ministery which they use will be sufficient through Gods goodnesse to actuate the correspondence we desire to preserve with them without those innovations which they never required at our hands to such purpose But he that acknowledgeth and is glad to see these heads stand in their right place looking back upon their beginning which was to succeed the Apostles over severall Presbyteries in the place which they held over all for the time must needs misse their relatives the bodies of these Presbyteries in the government of Churches And though that alteration cannot be charged upon any man which is come to passe through time and insensible custome especially seeing it cannot be counted an alteration in this Church of England because we are to think it had prevailed in the Church before this Nation received the Faith yet must it needs be remembred by him that believeth all the evil consequences which this government is charged with whether in opinion or truth to have come from the discharge of Presbyteries from their part of the office One particular no man need to be nice in reckoning to be of that nature though it is not in the power of one man were he as much in love as I am with the primitive form or scarce of one age without a publick act to amend it That is the committing of jurisdiction at large even that which is proper and essentiall to the Church by the power of the keyes which our Lord hath given it as hath been said in effect to Lay persons Which jurisdiction though for the present it passe not upon present advise but upon Laws of the Church for the purpose yet so long as Laws are generall and few Cases particular and numberlesse will alwayes deserve to be exercised with mature and charitable advise of those to whose charge our Lord first committed it if we mean to attain the ends of correction and example Though the profession by which it is ministred deserve to retain the rank it holdeth in regard of those other points of jurisdiction in charitable causes by the favour of Princes and laws of Common-wealths annexed to the Church passing as it doth by the laws whereof they professe knowledge This inconvenience if such it be counted seemeth to proceed from that unsensible change whereof hath been said for had the Presbyteries continued as at the beginning upon the exercise of this Discipline of Penance it is not to be thought that power could have been so lightly alienated as from one wherein a number had their interesse But this and the like consequences seem to have brought this undue opinion upon the Church Government that as Cathedrall Churches long since so now the State of Bishops among indifferent men is counted a matter of indifference which had they continued in the Primitive charge must needs have been counted as counted they ought to be inviolable And therefore though as the case standeth it is neither possible nor desired to call the whole Presbytery of a Diocese to a share in the publick government yet let me have leave to say that the next course to retrive the Primitive form with the wholesome grounds and consequences of it is to reestate these Presbyteries in Cathedrall Churches and perhaps in other populous places seats of jurisdictions where the Diocese is great furnishing them with number of men of abilities and joyning them with and under the Bishops for assistance in all parts of the office hitherto proved common to both It seems the means that hath brought to passe that insensible change whereof we speak was from the beginning no other then this because the form of proceeding in particular Churches was never regulated by Canons of the Church but left to particular custome And therefore it is past my apprehension how more right should be done then distributing the common charge into particular interesse by such rules as may best expresse those generall terms which the purest Primitive times were content with that as without the Bishop nothing to be done so the Bishop to do nothing without advice of his Presbyters The performance of divine service in the Cathedrall common sense finds too slight a work for such persons the cures of all Churches within such populous places if they belonged to their titles would be a work sutable to such prime abilities Then the exercise of the power of the keyes in the discipline of Penance Triall and Approvement of persons presented to Cures or assistance of Cures according to laws excluding all Ordinations without such title Censure of offenses in doctrine or life of persons ordained alwayes under the Bishop and for his assistance are works that require mature advise and passe best in cōmon for satisfaction to the publick matters of religion being by nature more popular then the Common-wealth If this be not enough such may be mēs abilities that all these Presbyteries may become schools of the Prophets and Seminaries of able Preachers through the severall Jurisdictions or Dioceses A thing wished on all hands but not to be expected without means to bring it to passe This hath been alwayes desired at the hands of Cathedrall Churches and some steps of it remain still in some of ours though the staple of this education being long since drained from other places to the two Universities the charge hath been sustained by them alone with unspeakable benefit to the Church as well as to the Common-wealth yet the assistance of these places with them for the service of the Church is not to be counted their prejudice leaving intire unto them the place they possesse of Seminaries of the Common-wealth FINIS