place which God did choose in other cities whereof the one was ciuill the other ecclesiasticall consisting of the priests Leuits scribes or teachers also the seniors of the people But the reader shal easily vnderstand this latter to be a meere fiction if he consider that the Synedrion at Ierusalem which was the highest court chief councel of state hauing power of life death authority to deale in causes both ciuill ecclesiasticall coÌ„sisted of the high priest other priests and Leuites together with the Princes Seniors of the people being besides the High-priest 70. or 71. in number Of which that in Deut 17.8.9 is to bee vnderstood These were called Sanedrin and did sit in Gazith In which number those which were priests were called Seniores SacerdotuÌ„ and those which were Princes were called Seniores populi as Sigondus saith And likewise that the Sanedrioth or consistories in other cities consisted as well of the learned Leuits as of the seniors of the people Iosephus saith that to euery coÌ„sistory in the cities belonged 2. Leuites The reason heereof was because the lawes wherby that church coÌ„mon-wealth were gouerned were the lawes of God wherein the Priests Leuites Scribes were most skilfull and therefore best able to determine what was right according to the law And therfore another sort which should consist of Priests Leuits and elders of the people which should respoÌ„dere de iure as Beza imagineth this shuld was altogether needles But his proofs are as weake as his imagination was strong His only proofe for the 1. institution of the Ecclesiasticall senat is Leuit 10.10 where they were ordained saith he to shew the difference betweene holy profane betweene cleane vncleane to teach the law of God But no such thing can with any shew of probabilitie be gathered out of the text where the Lord speaking to Aaron coÌ„mandeth him his sonnes the priests by a perpetual law that they should not drink wine nor strong drink wheÌ„ they were to enter into the sanctuary whereby they might be hindered from exercising their function discreetly soberlie either in iudging betweene holie profane between cleane and vncleane or in teaching the people which duties were to be performed in the sanctuary by the priests as well seuerally as ioyntly no ecclesiasticall senate at all here instituted or if there were it should according to Bertrams conceit consist wholy of the Priests to whom alone this speech is directed As for Elders of the people they were not to intermeddle with these things The high Priest indeed if it pleased him might consult with other Priests and vse their assistance as Azariah did vse the aide of 80. 2. Chron. 26. But that there was a setled Presbyterie or senate Ecclesiasticall ordained by God we doe not read and that it should consist in part of Lay-men there is not the least semblance of likelihood His proofes that there were two diuerse Synedria instituted are these First because the number of the one is defined to be 70 the other left vncertaine Secondly because the second was not ordained at the same time with the former I answere there is neither number set downe nor time of that which neuer was His proofe for the instauration of two distinct Synedria is out of 2. Chron. 19. where he saith Iosaphat ordained two Synedria or counsells the one Ecclesiasticall for the causes of God ouer which the high Priest was chiefe the other ciuill for the causes of the King ouer which Zabadiah a Prince of Iuda was chiefe But it is euident by the text that it was one and the same high counsell of state which afterwards was called Sanedrin or Synedrion Hierosolymitaâ—uÌ„ coÌ„sisting of the Leuites and Priests and of the heads of the chiefe families in Israel ordained for the iudgements of God and controuersies of men which was to heare and determine all manner of causes that were brought vnto them from the iudgements or consistories of the inferior cities were to iudge betweene blood and blood that is slaughter and slaughter betweene the law and the precept betweene statutes and iudgements hauing among them in the causes of God Amarias the high Priest and in the causes of the King Zebadiah a Prince of Iuda as chiefe and that the Maisters or gouernours the Leuits were with them to instruct them in the law For whereas he would proue that Iosaphat ordained two distinct counsels at Ierusalem by these reasons because the dutie of the one was to deale in the causes of God the other of the King the one should determine de iure the other de facto the one had for the president the high Priest the other a Prince of Iuda none of these reasons doe proue that Iosaphat ordained any thing but that which before had beene appointed by God namely that the difficult controuersies which the iudges in the cities could not determine betweene blood and blood plea and plea plague and plague should be brought to the Synedâ—ion or counsell of the place which God shoulâ— choose the which is there noted to consist of the Priests Leuites and â—udge that is iudges saith Caluin as appeareth by the holy historie where it is declared that Iosaphat besides the Pâ—iâ—sts and Leuites chose the Princes of the families of Israel for the godly King would decline nâ—uer a whit from the rule of Gods law To this counsell the difficult causes afore said as weâ—l ciuill as Ecclesiasticall as well de facto as de iure were to be brought from other ciuill courts as appeareth both in Deut. 17.8 and also 2 Chron. 19.20 Besides it is ridiculous to imagine that the ciuill senate should determine onely de facto and that questions de iure should be brought to the Ecclesiasticall the rather because that counsell which was appointed by God Deut. 17. and renewed by Iosaphat did consist of the Priests and Leuits and Elders of the people and was to determine and to decide all questions of doubt and difficultie or if they were to seeke to an Ecclesiasticall senate it is absurd to imagine that Lay-Elders should be ioyned to the Priests and Leuits to answere de iure As for the causes of God which verse 8 are termed the iudgement and cause of the Lord and are particularized verse 10. and Deut. 17.8 betweene blood and blood betweene law and precept c. we are to vnderstand them to be not onely Ecclesiasticall but also ciuill so farre as either they were to be decided bâ— the lawes of God or concerned the obseruation or transgression of Gods law whereby that land was gouâ—rned in iudging whereof they also exercised Gods iudgement The causes of the King were such as belonged to the Kings house or his eschequer And it is fond to imagine that those causes which were to be decided by the iudicial and morâ—ll lawes of God were not the causes
of God as well as those which concerned the ceremoniall law Neither do I therefore reiect the exposition of Beza and some others who by the causes of God vnderstand Ecclesiasticall causes and by the causes of the king ciuill causes because it is preiudiciall to my defence but because it is repugnant to the truth for though their interpretation were admitted it would no more proue that there were two distinct Synâ—dria then that which I doe embrace For though Zebadiah the prince of Iuda was the chiefe in the causes of the King as Amariah the high priest was the chiefe in the causes of God yet were they Colleagues and coassessors in the same counsell as Iosephus also doth witnesse For speaking of this act of Iosaphat he saith that he being returned to Ierusalem appointed iudges there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Priests and Leuits and of the chiefe or principall men of the people requiring them to exercise iust iudgement but especially that they should be diligent in determining those difficult causes that should be brought to them from inferiour iudgement seats but the chiefe or presidents of them as colleagues and coassessors be appointed Amasiah the Priest and Zabadiah of the tribe of Iuda and relating the law Deu. 17.8 he saith if the iudges in the cities be not able to determine any cause it is entirely to be sent to the holy citie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and let the high Priest and the Prophet that is the scribe or Doctor of the law saith Sigonius and the senate assembling together pronounce what seemeth right Besides it is manifest that the counsell at Ierusalem after the captiuitie which consisted of priests and Leuits besides the Seniors of the people and whereof the high priest was president as Bertram confesseth hauing authoritie to assemble it c. Act. 5.21 Matt. 26.57.59 was the high councell of state called the Sanedrin or Synedrion or coÌ„sistorium Gazith which dealt in causes not onely Ecclesiasticall but also ciuil and in causes criminall and capitall Neither happened this by the ambition of the priests but by the ordinance of God in respect of the first institution Deut. 17. and instauration by Iosaphat 2. Chron. 19. and by his approbation as Caluin witnesseth in respect of the erection of it after the captiuity For as the Lord promised by Esay to restore their iudges and counsellers after the captiuitie as before so Ezekiell prophecieth that the Priests after the captiuitie should not onely teach the people and iudge betweene holy and prophane betweene cleane and vncleane but also that they should stand vp to iudge controuersies iudging according to Gods iudgement Iosephus also testifieth that the Priests were ordained by Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouerseers of all iudges of controuersies and punishers of such as are by the law condemned And so much for the present shall suffice concerning the counsell at Ierusalem vntill I come to answere Caluins opinion As touching Ecclesiasticall Presbyters in other cities Beza hath nothing but his owne coniectures For the courts of iudgement which both Moses instituted and Iosaphat renewed though they had Leuites among them were to deale not onely in Ecclesiasticall but also in ciuill and criminall causes The reasons which he bringeth for distinct Ecclesiasticall senates are three First because the Archisynagogi had as it is probable Seniors of the people ioyned with them Secondly because the name of Church in this place of Mathew is giuen to them which could not be vnlesse they did consist of the laitie as wel as the clergie Thirdly because as the ciuill consistories assembled in the gates so the Ecclesiasticall in the Synagogues To the first I answere that a probabilitie if this were such as indeed it is not is no proofe to the 2. that the name Ecclesia is not giuen to the Archisynagogi but to the Rulers of Christs Church assembling in his name with whom he promised his presence and to whom he committed the power of the keyes to whom also the name Ecclesia which may be giuen to any company of Christians be it but of two or three meeting in the name of Christ doth fitly agree Thirdly he telleth vs of Ecclesiasticall consistories ordained by Moses and renewed by Iosaphat sitting in Synagogues when there is not once mention in the old testament either of Ecclesiasticall consistories or yet of Synagogues And in the new such iudges are mentioned in Synagogues as punished by stripes Bertram also witnesseth that in the Synagogues of the cities iudgements were exercised by ordinarie iudges the greater and weightier causes as also the appeales of the lesse being referred to the counsell â—t Ierusalem And againe that the people came to the Synagogues to prayer to heare the law and the Prophets and to heare the iudgement of Moses law as well ciuill as Ecclesiasticall And so much of Beza Caluiâ— by Ecclesia vnderstandeth the Synedrion or Sanedrin of the Iewes instituted by them after their returne from Babylon which he conceiueth to haue beene an Ecclesiasticall senate to which belonged the censure of doctrine maners hauing the power oâ— excoÌ„munication c. What this Synedrion was Caluin himselfe shall tell vs It is certaine saith he that the Iewes when they were returned from the Babylonian banishment because they might not make a King did imitate this example of appointing 70. Elders Num. 11 in ordaining the Synedrion Onely so much honour was granted to the memorie of Dauid and the Kings that out of their stocke they would choose 70. gouernours in whom should be the chiefe power And this course continued vntill Herod c. The Sanedrin indeed was the high counsell of state which was to iudge of causes not only Ecclesiasticall but also ciuill and criminal yea capitall hauing the authoritie of the sword and power of life and death Whereby they adiudged malefactors conuicted of capital crimes to one of these foure kinds of death stoning burning killing with the sword and strangling hauing also authoritie to ordaine Sanedrioth that is the consistories of iudges in other cities to whom alone it appertained to iudge the cause of a tribe of a false Prophet of the high Priest c. And howsoeuer their power was much restrained after Iewrie became a prouince subiect to the Romanes notwithstanding the Romanes hauing granted the Iewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 libertie to liue according to their owne lawes permitted them to exercise authoritie both in iudging not onely Ecclesiasticall but also ciuill and criminall causes and also in punishing by stripes and imprisonment and sometimes by death Moreouer by the law of God he that disobeyed the sentence of this counsell was not as our Sauiour Christ heere saith to be held as an heathen or Publican but he was to die the death Finally there was but one Synedrion for the whole estate of the Iewes by the appointment of God and that in the
much as may be we may bring in the ancient discipline Where indeed we see mention of Seniors and of ancient discipline but that they meant nothing lesse then to bring in Lay-elders or to establish the pretended parish-discipline or to acknowledge that it was the ancient discipline of the Church I will out of the booke it selfe make manifest Wherein the whole gouernement and discipline of our Church by Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons rurall Deanes c. is established And cōcerning BB. this is there decreed that the B. is at fit seasons to giue holy orders to institute fit Ministers to Ecclesiasticall benefices to remoue vnfit to heare the testimonies of the Church and complaints of their Pastors to compound controuersies arising betwixt the Ministers and the Churches to correct by Ecclesiasticall censures vices and corrupt manners to prescribe orders for amendment of life to excommunicate those which wilfully and obstinatly resist to receiue into grace those which be penitent to visit the whole Diocesse as well in places exēpted as not euery third yeare And finally let BB. take care of all things which ex Dei prescrpto by the ordinance of God belong to them and which our Ecclesiasticall lawes haue committed to their knowledge and iudgements And that by Seniors they did not meane any Ecclesiasticall officers it is apparant for where they reckon vp all Ecclesiasticall officers prescribing their duties beginning at clearks or sextons so proceeding to Church-wardens to Deacons to Presbyters or Ministers to archpresbyters or rural deanes to archdeacōs so to Cathedral Churches to Deanes to Prebendaries to BB. prescribing the obedience which must be yeelded to them they doe not once mention Seniors or their office If therfore it be asked whō they vnderstand by Seniors in the place alleadged I answer that they vnderstand some of the principall housholders in euery parish whom in some places they call Vestry-men in some maisters of the parish in some ancients of the parish With what conscience therefore that booke was alleadged as approuing Lay-elders or acknowledging the new-found parish-discipline for the ancient discipline let the reader iudge The second he setteth downe in these words A doctrine I say cleane contrarie to the professed iudgement of all our worthy writers who in their answeres to the Papists that plead for their Hierarchie with the same reasons that M. D. doth for his doe determine that the gouernement our BB. exercise ouer other ministers is Iure humano by the positiue law of men onely the which if M. D. saith true is false so the Papists are left vnanswered Whereunto I answere first that the popish opinion is farre different from that which I hold For they hold the order and superioritie of BB. to be Iure diuino implying thereby a perpetuall necessitie thereof Insomuch that where BB are not to ordaine they thinke there can be no ministers or priests consequently no Church I hold otherewise as the refuter himselfe else-where acknowledgeth in whose words I will relate my opinion as he hath set it downe that I make the calling of BB. no further of diuine institution then as being ordained by the Apostles it proceeded from God without implying thereby any necessarie perpetuitie thereof For which he quoteth pag. 92. of my Sermon If therefore the Papists doe bring the like arguments to proue their opinion which is so vnlike to mine nothing hindereth but my arguments may be good though theirs be nought For those arguments which demonstratiuely proue the Episcopall function to be of Apostolicall institution doe not straightwaies proue it to be Diuini iuris Wherefore my opinion being so different from the popish conceit who seeth not that the iudgemēt of our Diuines which is opposed to the doctrine of the Papists is not opposite to mine for though they doe not holde the Episcopall function to be inioyned diuino iure as perpetually necessarie yet what man of sound learning doth or can deny but that the first BB. were ordained by the Apostles The third he deliuereth in these tearmes Yea a doctrine contrariant to the lawes of our land which make it one part of the Kings iurisdiction to grant to our BB. that Ecclesiasticall power they now exercise ouer vs and also to take it from them at his pleasure the which his Highnes taketh to himselfe and giueth to all Kings where he professeth that God hath left it to the libertie and freewill of Princes to alter the Church gouernement at their pleasure The iurisdiction which BB exercise is either spirituall respecting the soule as to binde or loose the soules of men or corporall respecting the outward man as to binde and loose the bodies The former is deriued to them from the Apostles the latter is committed vnto them by the King to whose crowne all commanding and compulsiue power is annexed Againe wee are to distinguish betweene the power it selfe and the exercise of it For although the power it selfe which is an habituall or potentiall right to exercise that which belongeth to the said power be deriued to them from the Apostles as a diuine ordinance notwithstanding where is a Christian Prince assisting and directing them by his lawes they may not actually exercise their power but according to his lawes Ecclesiasticall I call them his because by whomsoeuer at the first they were decreed yet so many as are in force with vs they are the Kings Ecclesiasticall lawe As for the authoritie whereof the reuerend Iudge speaketh in the place quoted in the margent it is the authoritie of the high Commission which the BB exercise not as they are BB for others who be not BB haue the same but as they are the Kings Commissioners in causes Ecclesiasticall As touching the other allegation it seemeth the refuter whiles he talketh of libertie to alter at their pleasure thinks it left to his libertie to alter the Kings words at his pleasure The King indeed doth say that it is granted to euery Christian King Prince and Common-wealth to prescribe to their subiects that outward forme of Ecclesiastical regiment which may seeme best to agree with the forme of their ciuill gouernement but so as they swarue not at all frō the grounds of faith and true religion But that it may appeare how little the iudgement of our most Orthodoxall and iudicious King doth differ from that which I deliuered in my Sermon I will craue leaue to recite his words That BB. ought to be in the Church I euer maintained as an Apostolike institution and so the ordinance of God contrarie to the Puritanes and likewise to Bellarmine who denieth that BB. haue their iurisdiction from God Now then to come to the point this argument maketh wholy against the pretended discipline and not against the gouernement of Bishops as I maintaine it The gouernement of Bishops is by our lawes allowed so is not the pretended discipline And though I holde the gouernement
giue the sole authoritie Ecclesiasticall to the Bishop Indeed if we were so madde as to thinke that there were no Ecclesiasticall gouernement but parishionall there were something in his speech But when besides and aboue the gouernement not onely parishionall but also Diocesan we acknowledge a superiour authoritie in the Archbishop and his courts in the prouinciall synodes especially that authoritie of making Church-lawes whereby both Dioceses and parishes are to be ruled it is apparent that although I did take all authoritie from parish-bishops and their Elders yet it would not follow that I giue the whole authoritie Ecclesiasticall to the Diocesan alone But that which hee saith of my ascribing the supreme authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall to the Diocesan Bishops that is the supreme and the loudest lye and maketh the assumption of his chiefe Syllogisme most euidently false Doe I or any of vs say that the Diocesan Bishop hath the supreme authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall doth not our Church subiect the Bishop to the Archbishop and prouinciall Synodes doth not appeale lye from the sentence of the Bishop to the Archbishop and likewise from him to the Kings Delegates doth not himselfe acknowledge pag. 69. the Bishops so to be subiected to the two Archbishops as that if we may iudge by the outward appearance and practise we may in his opinion seeme to haue but two Churches and those prouinciall the one of Canterbury and the other of Yorke doe wee not all with one consent acknowledge the Kings Maiestie to haue the supreme authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall and whereas the greatest authoritie of Churchmen is exercised in Synodes and the greatest authoritie of Synodes is the making of Church-lawes yet the ratification of them we submit to the King according to the Practise of the ancient Churches liuing vnder Orthodoxall Kings in so much that they and all our Church-lawes are called the Kings Ecclesiasticall lawe Now then if neither I take all authoritie from the pastors nor giue all to the Bishops nor ascribe vnto them◠sole nor supreme authoritie what haue the libellers gained by all their triumphing outcryes but the manifestation of their owne manifold vntruthes Yea but the title of absolute Popelings agreeth better to our Diocesan BB. then to their parish BB. Neither did I say that they are such but that if they did not ioyne vnto them a consistory of Elders they would seeme to set vp not onely a Popeling but an absolute Popeling in euery parish a petite pope indeed their pastor is in regard of that supremacy they ascribe vnto him making him the supreme Ecclesiasticall officer in euery Church which wee deny to our Bishops and were it not that hee hath a consistory ioyned to him as the Pope hath of Cardinals hee would bee more then a pope And againe whereas our Bishops are to be guided by lawes which by their superiors are imposed vpon them their pastors with their Elders and people hauing as the Pope saith he hath a supreme immediate and independent authoritie sufficient for the gouernement of their Churches in all causes Ecclesiastical and therefore for making of Ecclesiasticall lawes they are to be gouerned by their owne lawes For the chiefe thing in Ecclesiasticall gouernement is the authoritie to prescribe lawes Ecclesiasticall If therefore each parish hath as they say it hath sufficient authoritie within it selfe for the gouernement of it selfe in all causes Ecclesiasticall immediately deriued from Christ then questionlesse they haue authoritie to prescribe lawes Ecclesiasticall And as the Pope doth not acknowledge the superioritie of a synode to impose lawes vpon him no more doe they They will giue synodes leaue to deliberate of that which may be best and to perswade thereto but they will not be ruled by them As for the Kings supremacie in causes Ecclesiastical how it may stand with their maine assertion wherein they ascribe to euery parish an independent authoritie immediately deriued from Christ sufficient for the gouernement of it selfe in all causes Ecclesiasticall I will not dispute Serm. Sect. 3. pag. 5. Concerning the secōd viz. what was the preheminence of these BB. in the Churches in respect whereof they are called the Angels of the Churches others more wise and learned then the former granting they were BB. of whole cities the countries adioyning that is to say of Dioceses notwithstanding the sway of the gouernement they ascribe to the Presbyteries of those Churches consisting partly of Ministers and partly of annual or Lay-presbyters making these Angels or Bishops nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or presidents of those Presbyteries and such presidents as were not superior to other Ministers in degree c. to pag. 6. in their turnes Of the two points seruing to shew by way of explication of the text what manner of Bishops were meant by the Angels the latter I propounded in this section to be examined A reason whereof I alledge a controuersie betwixt vs and another sort of disciplinarians who are as I said more wise and learned then the former who though they grant that which the former denied yet doe greatly differ from vs concerning the preheminence which the Angels or ancient Bishops had in the Churches So that in this section are 2. things first the proposition of the second point concerning the preheminence of BB. in respect whereof they were called the Angels of the Churches secondly a reason thereof To the proposition he answereth that they had this name Angels in regard of their generall calling of the ministerie not because of any soueraignetie or supremacie ouer other their fellow Ministers as he saith I imply here and plainely but vntruely affirme afterwards In which fewe words are 2. vntruthes Whereof the former is an errour that they are to tearmed in respect of their generall calling of the ministery For though to be called Angels generally agreeth to all Ministers yet for one and but one among many Ministers in one and the same Church to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called the Angell of that Church is not a common title belonging to all Ministers in regard of their generall calling but a peculiar stile belonging to one who had singular preheminence aboue the rest that is to say a Bishop So saith D. Raynolds in the Church of Ephesus though it had sundry Elders and pastors to guide it yet among those sundry was there one chiefe whō our Sauiour calleth the Angell of the Church and writeth that to him which by him the rest should know And this is he whom afterward in the primitiue Church the fathers called Bishop As touching the latter where he saith that I doe here imply that the Bishops haue a soueraignety or supremacy ouer other Ministers and afterwards doe affirme it plainely that plainely is a plaine lie Soueraignetie and supremacy ouer other Ministers none but Papists giue to their Bishop and they to none but to the Bishop of Rome Superioritie indeed belongeth to
c to pag. 5. own case That these 2. things are offered to our consideration saith the refuter wee denie not but if he had walked with a right foote in the path hee entred into hee should by his Text haue taught vs the meaning of these 2. points and not quite contrarie as hee goes about by these two points to teach vs the meaning of his Text. To whom I will not giue that answere which Festus did to Paul that too much learning hath made him madde for hee seemeth not to be greatly sicke of that disease but I may truely say that too much anger and wrath which is furor breuis which he vnmeasurably sheweth in this Section hath made him so to forget himselfe that hee wrangleth without witte and against sense Vnlesse any man that is in his wittes will say that it is not lawfull for a Preacher to explane his Text. For what was it that in this Section I had in hand was it not to indeuour the explication of my Text and to shew what manner of BB are here meant by the Angels of the Churches for the explicatioÌ„ wherof what could more fitly be propounded then the consideration of these 2. things viz what manner of Churches they were whereof they were the Angels or BB and what manner of preheminence they had in those Churches in regard wherof they are termed the Angels of the Churches that from my Text rightly expounded of Diocesan BB. I might deduce the doctrine of the lawfulnes of their calling and from it inferre the vse Indeed if I had bene now propounding the doctrine gathered out of the Text or vrging the vse therevpon inferred there had bene reason I should prooue them as afterwards I doe by the Text already explicated But when I am about to explicate the Text propound the points that are therein questionable to be discussed for the clearing of the Text who seeth not that the handling of these points is the very explication of the Text and the Text that which is explicated And if the Text be that which is explicated who could bee so senselesse as either to require that the points should be explaned by the Text or to finde fault that by the handling of them the Text is explaned But now hee is pleased of his grace to consider them And wheras I yeeld as a reason of my propounding the former point to bee discussed diuers new-fangled Assertions of the new-found parish discipline whereof I spake but too mildely as you may see hee chargeth mee with bitter inueighing scornefull vpbraiding ouerflowing of the gall with spitting out vnsauoury reproaches making a calumnious out-crie in the ende of the Section and much adoe he had not to apply to mee that saying of Salomon with whome it better fitteth let the Reader iudge Proud haughtie and scornefull is his name that worketh in his arrogancie wrath and in the ende out of the super-aboundance of his charitie hee is afraide for mee that I care not to loose much of my peace within that all I here speake is Night worke proceeding from great distemper of the braine c. Was my aduersaries backe or conscience rather galled was hee guiltie to himselfe of being one of the coyners of those newe opinions that hee thus flingeth and kicketh when they are so gentlie touched Who knowing that those Assertions were some of those 16. positions for the tryall whereof the vnchristian and vnmodest offer of disputation was made which are there magnified as beeing such chiefe points in controuersie betweene vs and the Papists that if in them the BB. ioyning as they pretend with the Papists haue the truth then extreme wrong is offered to the Church of Rome by our separating therefrom and all Protestant Churches are for that cause Schismaticall that if the Priests and Iesuites can satisfie them in these points they would bee reconciled to the Church of Rome Who I say knowing this could with more mildnesse haue spoken of such Schismaticall nouelties For where hee saith that almost all of them haue bene alwayes generallie maintained and practised by all soundly reformed Churches hee seemeth either not to care what hee speaketh or by soundly reformed Churches to meane none but Brownists or such like Betweene whom and these vnchristian and immodest challengers there went as wee say but a paire of sheeres These remaining after a sort in the peece the other beeing by open Schisme cut off Which againe they haue manifested in their late petition to the Kings Maiestie This being the summe of their suite that they may be tollerated Schismatickes But to let passe their new-coyned positions excepting those that concerne this cause with the Libellers bitter wranglings and vaine ianglings There are two things in answere to this Section which I may not let passe the one is his defence of the challengers the other a great aduantage taken against a word which as hee saith I dropt by the way His defence is against that calumnious outcrie as hee calleth it in the ende of the Section where I brieflie note that by what reason they denie the Bishops to bee members of the true Church because forsooth they bee not of some certaine parish by the same they may as well denie the King who hauing a more generall reference to all the Churches within his dominions as being the Gouernour of them all in Great Brittaine and Irelâ—nd is further from being a member of one onely parish then anie Bishop in this Kingdome Hee answereth that the challengers hold the King and his Houshold to bee an entire Church of it selfe But tell mee doe they hold it to bee a true Church that so the King may be thought to be a member of a true Church Or if they doe Why may they not with the like reason acknowledge a Bishop and his familie to bee an entire familie by themselues But it is no matter what they holde vnlesse they were more learned and iudicious The aduantage which is taken at my words had need to bee verie great or else the refuter and his copartners doe shewe themselues to be very weake men seeing it is fiue times repeated in print once in their late petition with great amplifications once in the Abortiue booke with this note in the margent sic tu beas amicos Thrice in this Booke with great triumphes and insultations not onely in the treatise it selfe but also euery where in the margent demanding with scorne in this place Is this your kindnesse to your friends in the second sic tu beas amicos in the third quid facias odio sic vbi amore noces The Reader must needes expect some great matter seeing these hilles thus to swell The words whereat they take aduantage were these Least they might seeme to set vp an absolute Popeling in euerie parish who should haue not onely supreame but also sole authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall they adioyne to him that
is to their Parish Bishop a Consistorie of Lay or onely gouerning Elders Out of which words they frame this proposition They which haue not onely supreme but also sole authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall are absolute Popelings hereto they adde an assumption of their owne All Diocesan Bishops haue not onely supreme but also sole authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall and from thence inferre their victorious triumphing conclusion therefore all Diocesan Bishops are absolute Popelings And this they say is mine owne reason whereby I make Diocesan Bishops absolute Popelings Mine owne reason in which there is nothing mine but the proposition which also is stretched beyond not onely my meaning but euen my words this proposition I denie not may bee framed out of my words they who giue to a Bishop not onely supreme but also sole authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall doe seeme to set vp an absolute Popeling From which words if they had bene retained this might haue bene concluded if I did giue to our Bishops both supreme and sole authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall as I doe not that then I might seeme to set vp absolute Popelings But it were well with my aduersaries if to seeme and to bee were all one And yet I doe not so much as seeme to anie that is wise and indifferent to make our Bishops as they say absolute Popelings The application of this to the BB. is made in the assumption which is both false and foolish and is not mine but theirs They say it is not onely impleyed and intended but is one of the chiefe and principall points I vndertake to proue throughout my Sermon But their saying is false and friuolous How doe they prooue it For the question beeing saith our refuter whether the Churches should bee gouerned by Pastors and Elders or by Diocesan Bishops whereas they say by Pastors and Elders adioyning the Elders to the Pastors and making them both subiect to the whole congregation c. M.D. taketh all from them all and putteth the reynes into his Diocesan alone so making him by his owne rule the absolute Popeling Here I intreate the Reader to keepe in store for future vse the state of the question as it is here propounded by the refuter In the meane time let vs after his owne manner examine his argument The question being whether the Churches should be gouerned by Pastors and Elders for I will for your credites sake leaue out that Brownisticall and Anabaptisticall dotage concerning the chiefe authoritie of the people or by Diocesan BB. whosoeuer taketh all from Pastors and Elders and shall I adde the people too and putteth the reynes into the hands of the Diocesan alone he giueth him not onely supreme but also sole authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall and so maketh him an absolute Popeling But the question being as I said M. D. taketh all authoritie from the Pastors Elders and people and putteth the reynes into the hands of the Diocesan Bishop alone Therefore M. D. giueth to the Diocesan not onely supreme but also sole authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall and so by his owne rule maketh him an absolute Popeling Sect. 10. To let you see how the refuter climbeth a ladder of vntruthes to seat our Bishops in the Papacy I will begin with his assumption wherein are two vntruthes First that I take all authoritie from the Pastors Elders and people The Elders indeed I reiect as a new deuise in the parishioners I acknowledge some authoritie in choosing or consenting to the choyse of some Church-officers but authoritie to gouerne much lesse to ordaine depose and depriue their Pastor I know not any They are the sheepe which must heare their pastors voyce and be obedient to their spirituall guides They are the flocke which must be ruled and taught not followed and obeyed As touching the pastors of parishes I leaue to them that pastorall power which euer was granted to them since the first distinguishing of parishes and allotting of seuerall Presbyters to them that is to say both poâ—â—statem ordinis the power of order as they are Ministers potestatem iurisdictionis spiritualis seu internae a power of spirituall and inward iurisdiction to rule their flocke after a priuate manner as it were in foro conscientiae in the court of conscience as they are pastors of that flocke By which power they rule and guide their flocke not onely in their publike Ministery but also in their priuate attendance or if yee will so call it superintendence as occasion shal be offered For as touching their publicke ministery they are the leaders and guides of the people in Gods seruice they preach the word therein teaching confuting instructing reprouing correcting their hearers they administer the sacraments as the stewards of Gods house by the one admitting into Gods family those which belong to his couenant by the other nourishing the houshold of Christ in due season and both by the word and sacraments exercising so much of the power of the keyes as of right belongeth to them as well binding the notoriously scandalous and impenitent by denouncing the threatnings of God against them in the word and by repelling them for the time from the sacrament as also loosing the penitent belieuers by applying to them the gracious promises of the Gospell and adding thereto the sacraments as seales So that all power is not taken from the pastors neither is all giuen to the Bishop alone For in the gouernement of the Church others are ioyned with him some vnder him some aboue him Vnder him in the mother Church or Cathedrall the Deane and Chapter which in the ancient Church as hereafter wee shall shewe were called Archpresbyters and presbyteri ciuitatis in the other Churches of the Diocesse diuided into seuerall precincts the Archdeacons and rurall Deanes gouerning them as the Chorepiscopi were wont in the primitiue Church Not to speake of the Chancellers and Officials the former being adioyned to the Bishops the latter to the Archdeacons by reason of their skill in the Ecclesiasticall lawes Aboue him not onely the Archbishop and his courts but also the prouinciall Synodes assembling chiefly for ordaining Ecclesiasticall Canons and constitutions by which the Bishops are to rule and to be ruled In making whereof though the Ecclesiasticall authoritie especially appeareth yet neither all the Bishops alone and much lesse any one Bishop concludeth any thing but with the consent of the Presbytery And therefore this may to the former authoritie of Ministers be added that in making Ecclesiasticall lawes they haue a voyce either by themselues if they be sent to the Synode or by such as themselues shall choose Sect. 11. In the proposition likewise are two vntruthes For first it is not generally true as it is necessarily intended in the proposition for otherwise the Syllogisme is a meere Paralogisme that whosoeuer doth giue to the Bishop alone the power which is taken from the seuerall pastors with their Elders and parishes doth straightwaies
your Lay-Deacons no more then our Churchwardens and Collectors for the poore As touching the latter Syllogisme which the refuter saw not The proofe of the proposition dependeth vpon the former Syllogisme For if the Presbyters to whom Paul spake were Ministers onely as hath beene proued then the duties which hee requireth of them onely in that place he requireth peculiarly of Ministers The assumption affirming that the duties both generall and speciall 1. Tim. 5.17 are the same with those Act. 20.28 I explaine in the Sermon shewing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the words translated to gouerne well and containe the generall dutie is the same with attending to themselues and their flocke which I did more fully deliuer in the Sermon of the dignitie and dutie of the Ministerie which the refuter himselfe doth seeme to approue shewing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is carefully to attend to themselues their flocke To themselues that they may be precedents and as the holy Ghost speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 patternes and samplers of a godly life For this in the Apostles phrase is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be presidents of good workes To the flocke also they must attend First by ouerseeing and watching ouer them Secondly by feeding them in the ministerie of the word sacrameÌ„ts Thirdly by praying for them both publikely priuately The speciall dutie which is to labour in the word and doctrine is the same with feeding the flocke of Christ which is also noted as the speciall dutie Act. 20.28 The refuter though he saw not the reason yet he would be sure to contradict my assertion and therefore stumbling vpon the proposition he saith that neither of the duties mentioned in the Acts are restrained to Ministers onely For to attend to the flocke is all one saith he with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is more generall and the speciall dutie of feeding which he confineth to the word and doctrine is often vsed for gouerning also as Mat. 2.6 Apoc. 2.27 7.17 12.5 19. 15. Grec schol in Act. 14.23 The truth of my proposition as I said dependeth on the former Syllogisme as vpon a sure hold and the dutie signified 1. Tim. 5. by ruling well and Act. 20. by attending to themselues and their flocke being applied as in both places it is to Ministers and importing as he hath confessed the whole dutie of the ministerie in generall must be confessed to bee restrained to Ministers As for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in this plaâ—â— is truely translated to feed besides the proper sense wherin somtimes it is vsed as Luk. 17.7.1 Cor. 9.7 Iud. 12 it hath indeed 2. metaphoricall significations in the Scriptures translated from shepheards to ciuill or spirituall pastors the one as it is applied to Princes ciuill Pastors and so it signifieth chiefly to rule the other as it is attributed to Spirituall Pastors and so it signifieth chiefly to feed with spirituall food For our Sauiour coÌ„manding Peter if he loued him to feed his sheepe which text the Papists vnderstanding the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the refuter doth of ruling abuse to proue the Popes supremacie expoundeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth not to rule but to feed It is true that authority of guiding and gouerning his flocke is implyed also in the signification of the worde but it is a pastorall authoritie giuen to none but pastors and to them vnto this end that they may feed the flocke Which ende is noted by Paul Act. 20.28 to feede the flocke as also by our Sauiour himselfe Luke 12 42 where the Lords seruant is said to be set ouer his houshold to this end to giue them their foode in due season For therefore are they called pastors that is such as doe feede Caluin speaking of this word in 1. Pet. 5.2 saith the name of Presbyter containeth in it the dutie of feeding And the definition of the word is to be knowne Because the flocke of Christ Pasci non potest nisi pura doctrina quae sola spirituale est pabulum cannot bee fedde but with pure Doctrine which is the onely spirituall foode Hence it is that Pastors Doctors which some would distinguish are in the scriptures confounded As Eph 4.11 For whereas the Apostle when he would note diuerse functions vseth notes of distinction saying Christ gaue some to be Apostles some to be Euangelists c when he coÌ„meth to Pastors and Doctors he vseth a note of copulation For he doth not say some Pastors some Doctors but some pastors and Doctors vsing the latter word as the explication of the former and nothing that by Pastors hee meaneth such as be teachers Vpon which words Augustine saith thus Pastors and Doctors whome you would haue mee to distinguish I thinke are one and the same For Paul doth not say some pastors some Doctors but to pastors ioyneth doctors that pastors might vnderstand it belongeth to their office to teach of the same iudgmeÌ„t is Sedulius Muscul some others In the places which the refuter quoteth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not applied at all to Ecclesiasticall persons but either to Christ and to him either as our King then it signifieth to rule as Mat. 2.6 cited out of Mi. 5.1 Apoc. 12 5. as it is vsually paralleld with Psal. 2.9 Apoc. 19.15 compared with v. 16. or as our pastor doctor and theÌ„ it signifieth to feed and so ought to be translated as Apoc 7.17 where to our hunger thirst v. 16. his feeding leading vs to the waters of life is opposed or else it is applied to all the faithfull who in Christ are made Kings as Apo. 2.27 The Greeke scholiast in the place quoted hath no such thing But is alledged by T. C. to another purpose for the proofe of Lay-Elders as we shal heare which perhaps was the cause of this allegatioÌ„ But on the place in hand vpon those wordes Attend to your selues and the flocke he saith that Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enioyneth the teachers two things to be done and noteth also whom Luke called ver 17. Presbyters to bee called in this verse Bishops either saith hee because presbyters or ministers also must superintend the flocke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else hee calleth Bishops here such as indeed be Bishops in like manner on 1. Pet. 5.1.2 with some parallel with Act 20.28 Hee noteth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-Elder in that place if it bee not vsed as a word of age doth import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the honour of a Bishop as if he had called himselfe their fellow Bishop For in the booke of the Acts also Bishops are called Presbyters and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee vnderstandeth the Clergie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee calleth
would haue Lay-Elders maintained at the Churches charge But this is one of his colours whereby he would perswade that the Eldership should rather now be admitted then in the Apostles times Because if the Apostle would charge the Churches being in persecution and therefore poore with maintaining Elders which being poore were not sometimes able to liue without some reliefe from the Church c how much more ought there now to be Seniors when the Churches be in peace and therefore not so poore and when there may be chosen such for the most part throughout the realme as are able to liue without charging the Church any whit as the practise of these daies doth manifestly declare For if it had beene his iudgement that Lay-Elders are to be maintained otherwise then for need he would haue argued thus If by the Apostles rule the Elders were to be maintained for their workes sake by the Churches being poore and in pâ—rsecution then much more are they to be maintained when the Churches be in peace and profpâ—ritie and so would haue assumed the antecedent to conclude the consequent But seeing he doth tollere consequens contradict the consequent saying that when the Churches are in peace and prosperitie such a course may and ought to be taken for that may seeme to be his meaning according to the example of all the reformed Churches that the Church shall not be charged at all with the maintenance of the Seniors that is to say by choosing men of abilitie who need no reliefe it is easie to conclude tollendo antecedens that his iudgement was that this rule of the Apostle notwithstanding Lay-Elders were not to haue maintenance for their workes sake but reliefe onely if they did need Of the same iudgement is the demonstratour of discipline for it being obiected that the parishes would be ouerburdened in prouiding for so many he answereth it is not necessarie that they should prouide for any more of them sauing those that are exercised in the ministerie of the word vnlesse any of the rest may need the liberalitie of the Church But suppose that this were T. C. iudgement or the opinion of any other among vs who hath conceiued a platonicall Idea of discipline which he neuer saw practised were this sufficient to disproue my assertion who haue the confession of the learned reformers in respect of their doctrine and of the reformed Churches in respect of their practise Or if this were a sufficient exception against the consent of those which stand for discipline that some one doth hold a singular opinion by himselfe then can their consent be scarcely alledged for any one affirmatiue point of discipline euery man almost pleasing himselfe in the noueltie of his inuention and in the singularitie of his opinion For plentifull proofe whereof I referre you to the suruey of the pretended discipline § 5. His second obiection is that although in practise reformed Churches doe not giue their Lay-Elders any maintenance yet this doth not hinder but that in their iudgement they may according to the Apostles rule esteeme them worthy of it Can we doubt saith he but our Clergie maisters thinke M. D. worthy of a Bishoppricke for his paines in pleading their cause yet we see they bestowe not so much as a suffraganeship on him Shall we therefore say they doe not thinke him to deserue it What a profane mockerie is this to expound the Apostles words as though hee would haue the people thinke they had discharged their dutie in esteeming onely their Ministers worthy of double honour when in fact they doe not yeeld them sufficient maintenance If he were in the ministerie as I know not whether he be or not and the people should answere him thus Syr though we allow you no maintenance as you desire yet let this content you that according to the Apostles rule we count you worthy of double honour would he not thinke S. Paul abused himselfe deluded yea and Christ his Lord and maister in him to be mocked Be not deceiued saith the Apostle speaking in this cause God is not mocked That which I say of Ministers is in like manner to be vnderstood of Lay-Elders if they be included in this text The words of the Apostle are generall the Presbyters that rule well let them be counted worthy of double honour Wherefore let them either acknowledge that the Lay-Elders are not meant in this place or else teach the people before they admit Lay-Elders to thinke themselues bound by the Apostles rule to yeeld them double honour that is saith T. C. a plentifull reward such as may be fully sufficieÌ„t for them and their housholds and to yeeld it willingly gratefully For that is the Apostles meaning when he requireth the Presbyters to be accounted worthy of double honour not onely that this honour of maintenance should be giuen them as appeareth by the reasons which he hath annexed but that the people should giue it not grudgingly and as it were by constraint of law as thinking the Ministers not worthy of maintenance but willingly and gratefully as esteeming them most worthy of double honour and thinking it a small matter to giue temporall things to them of whom they receive spirituall Neither is it to any purpose which he obiecteth concerning either Pauls refusing of maintenance from the Corinthians and Thessalonains or of wealthy Ministers refusing to burden the Churches by taking maintenance from them vnlesse he can proue that order being taken in those Churches for the maintenance of their Elders which they may readily receiue if they will themselues doe voluntarily and freely refuse it For if those Elders be comprised vnder Presbyters in this text there must the like order be taken for maintenance of all by the Apostles rule though the painefull Preachers are chiefely to be respected But the contrarie course is taken Neither is there not hauing of maintenance to be ascribed to their owne refusing as in the example of Paul and the wealthy Ministers but to the Churches not allowing them maintenance To the like purpose is that which he saith that I need not insult ouer those reformed Churches which with consent of the Elders themselues thinke it best to ease the people of that charge seeing the paines to be taken in the office of the Eldership is not such but that they may attend their ciuill callings and meanes of liuing as well as our Churchwardens and ciuill officers In which words first he wrongfully chargeth me with insulting ouer those Churches Secondly he confuteth himselfe who hauing before denied them to be Lay-Elders here confesseth they haue ciuill callings which they may attend vpon as well as our Churchwardens Thirdly where hee speaketh of the Elders consent in not taking maintenance it is the consent of obedience to the lawes and orders of the Church such as is in our Churchwardens who by the like consent haue no maintenance But to leaue his words
quique seniores the approued Seniors be praesident Thirdly of Clement in his epistle to Iames translated by Rufinus cited by Gratian if any of the brethren haue Saints let them not be judged by secular Iudges sed apud Presbyteros Ecclesiae quicquid illud est dirimatur but before the Presbyters of the church let the cause be decided to their determination let the parties stand Fourthly of Ierome Presbyters saith hee meaning ministers whom he also calleth Preists and attributeth to them the ministery of the worde and Sacraments from the beginning were appointed Iudges of causes c. And to the same purpose the Authors of the centuries testifie that the Presbyters besides that they taught the people did also compound suites and controuersies Now that their aduise was much neglected and themselues but too much dejected by the Byshops in Ambrose his time appeareth not onely by his but also by Ieromes complaint Likewise by diuers Canons in the fourth councell of Carthage held about the yeare 401 wherein it was decreed that the Bishop without the assemblie of his clergie should not ordaine clerkes that in the ordination of a presbyter the Presbyters also which be present should with the Bishop impose their hands that the B should not determine any mans cause but in the presence of his Clergy that he might not alienate or sell the goods or possessions of the Church without the consent of his clergie that the Bishop though in the Church and in the assembly of the presbyters ought to sit in an higher place yet priuatly he should vse the presbyters as his Colleagues and sitting himselfe should not suffer a presbyter to stand that the Deacons should acknowledge themselues to be Ministers to the presbyters as well as to the Bishops that if the presbyters badde them they might sit in their presence which otherwise they might not doe All these things considered together with that which before hath bene alledged to proue that there were neuer any Lay-Elders doe necessarily euince that there is no reason to imagine if Doctorum signifie Doctors or Teachers Lay-Elders to be meant by Seniors in this place And so much of the exposition of this place according to the former sense of the word Doctorum signifying Doctors which with my aduersaries consent I doe much preferre before the other and therefore can be very well content to giue in the latter Notwithstanding because some perhaps will vnderstand the word Doctorum as being a common title both to Bishops and Presbyters signifying learned and will therefore imagine that the Elders whose counsell was neglected by them were Idiotae or Lay-men for their sakes therefore I will briefly shew that though this interpretation be admitted yet there is no necessitie that Seniors should signifie Lay-Elders for Doctorum being according to this interpretation a common title both to Bishops and Presbyters Ambrose his meaning may be conceiued to be this that the assistance and councell of ancient Ministers meant by Seniors who were wont to assist the Bishop was growne out of vse either by their owne negligeÌ„ce or the Bishops pride Whereunto after much froath of idle words he replyeth First that the Councell of Ministers was not growne out of vse in Ambrose his time and this he indeuoureth to proue by fiue testimonies First of Ierome saying that the Churches at the first were gouerned communi presbyterorum consilio by the common Councell of Presbyters Which testimonie maketh against him for Ierome speaketh of such Presbyters as Paul speaketh of who were Ministers and are there called Bishops If therefore the Church was at the first gouerned by common councell of Ministers and if Ambrose complaine that their councell in his time was neglected which at the first had beene vsed and whereby the Church had beene gouerned who seeth not that it was the neglect of the Ministers aduise wherof Ambrose complaineth 2. yea but Ierome saith we also in the Church haue senatum nostrum â—â—tum Presbyterorum our senate a company of Presbyters which testimonie is wont to be alleaged to proue that in Ieromes time there was a Presbyterie of Lay-Elders But here my aduersarie presupposing that Lay-Elders were growne out of vse in Ambrose his time whom T C supposeth to haue continued diuers hundred yeares after Ambrose bringeth it to proue that in Ieromes time who was almost as ancient as Ambrose there was a Senate of Ministers which no man doubteth of For else-where he saith the Church hath a Senate a companie of Presbyters without whose Counsell the Monkes may doe nothing And not only in Ieromes time the Church had but in all Ages since euen to this day it hath such a Senate which in latter times hath called Capitulum the chapter Howbeit both in Ambrose his time and since the aduise and assistance thereof notwithstanding the Decree of the fourth counsell of Carthage hath beene though in some things eueÌ„ to this day vsed yet in the most things and for the most part neglected His third testimony which hee saith is plaine enough of the saide Ierome cited in the canon Law is also plaine against him For hauing saide as euen now I alledged him that the presbyters from the beginning had bene appointed to heare and iudge causes as the Bishops assistants hee prooueth it because they also in the scriptures are called Bishops howsoeuer now the Bishops enuied them that dignitie c. His 4. testimonie is the 23. canon of the councell of Carthage which euen now I cited which maketh against him rather then for him For seeing good lawes arise from bad manners it is to bee imagined that according to the complaint of Ambrose and Ierome who were somewhat before this councell the presence of the Clergie and assistance of the presbyters was neglected and that this neglect gaue occasion to the making of that canon His. 5. testimonie is of D. Bilson though hee name also another learned maÌ„ only to abuse him Howbeit D. Bilson vnderstandeth Ambrose as coÌ„plaining of the Bishops of his time who whiles they would seeme to rule alone had excluded or neglected the aid couÌ„sell of their bretheren of the Clergie who were wont to aduise and assist them as well in Doctrine as in Discipline And whereas in the second place he replieth that slothfulnesse and pride must needs be referred to the same persons and not slothfulnes to presbyters and pride to BB I answeare that if Doctorum be a common title to both as it is if it signifie learned and if the slothfulnes of the presbyters rather then of the BB. be as like almost to be the cause why their assistance grew out of vse as the pride of the BB then is there no necessitie that slothfulnesse and pride should both be attributed to the Bishops but rather it is very likely that slouthfulnes is imputed to
conclusion labouring as we say clauum clauo pellere and vndertaking to make me see if I will not shut mine eyes the contradictory of that conclusion to be true which notwithstanding cannot be false the premisses being true And first he denyeth that Ambrose spake by guesse as I say but certaienly and vpon knowledge when Ambrose his expresse words bee these Quod qua negligentia obsoleuerit nescio nisi forte c which by what negligence it is growne out of vse I know not vnlesse perhaps by the slouthfulnes c. 2. He saith it might be a matter of slothfulnes in the BB to suffer the seniors to neglect their duties But not to their own so great trouble will M D. say we might belieue him if wee saw not pride driue men to vndertake more then they either need to be charged with or are able to weeld Then is it not their slothfulnes belike that caused them to take the whole burden vpon themselues but their pride which made them winke at the seniors slothfulnes as giuing way to their owne ambition Thirdly he saith the Bishops might prouide for their owne ease by putting off the burthen to their Chancellors Commissaries Officialls c therefore it might be imputed to them as a matter of sloth or idlenesse pride to and so the word Doctorum rightly expounded for Pastors of Parishes alone and not to Diocesan Bishops As thogh their Parish-Bishops were more likely to haue had Chauncellours c then Diocesan BB But I answere 1. the question is not what they might haue done but what they did Now it is euident that in Ambrose his time and a good while after till the Presbyteries were in a manner whollie neglected the Bishops had not ordinary vicars or chancellors or ordinary Commissaries which were not of the Clergie But what they did without the aduise of their Seniors they performed ordinarily in their owne persons or else extraordinarily delegated the same to some of speciall trust In some cases it is euident that both then and long after they vsed the assistance of their Presbyterie as in the iudgement of Heresie or for deposing of a clergie man c. Siricius the B. of Rome in an Epistle to Ambrose denouncing Iouinian Auxentius c. for heretickes sheweth that for their triall his whole presbyterie had beene assembled and saith that by the common consent of his whole clergie they were condemned for heretickes The 4. councell of Carthage as you heard ordained that the Bishop should heare mens causes in the presence of his clergie The 2. councel of Towers decreed that a Bishop might not depose an Archpresbyter without the counsell of all his compresbyters But whom negligence casteth out let him with the counsell of the presbyters be remoued The councell of Carthage appointed that in the cause of a Presbyter sixe and of a Deacon three Bishops should be joyned with their own Bishop because as the coūcell of Ciuill determined one Bishop may to Priests and ministers that is Presbyters Deacons giue their honour but one alone may not take it from them but in the cause of inferiour Clergie men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishop alone of the place shall heare and determine it viz. in the presence of his Clergie according to the aforesaid Canon of the fourth Councell of Carthage But as in some cases they vsed the counsell of the Presbyteri so in others they did for the most part vndergoe the whole burthen themselues For the proofe whereof the examples of Ambrose and Augustine may suffice For Ambrose was so occupied in hearing and determining mens causes that he had so little time left him for his corporall repast or spirituall studies that Augustine could neuer finde him at leisure to breake his minde vnto him And Augustine was so encombred with hearing of causes that scarcely he could haue the forenoone for his studies the afternoone being wholly taken vp with other mens busines neither could he when the Councels of Numidia and Carthage had imposed a taske vpon him and when his people had promised to forbeare him for fiue dayes obtaine so much breathing time from their affaires But when hee was olde and was desirous to spend the rest of his time in writing and in the studie of the scriptures he nominated Eradius to be his successor in most earnest manner requiring and charging the people that they would suffer him to put off the burden of those imployments to him Possidonius giueth him this testimonie that he heard mens causes diligently sometimes to the hower of repast sometimes fasting the whole day but alwaies himselfe had the cognisance of them and determined them The Emperour Iustinian prouided by law that in Ecclesiasticall causes ciuill iudges should haue nothing to doe sed sanctissimus Episcopus secundum sacras regulas causae finem imponat but let the holy Bishop according to the Sacred Canons determine the cause As for ordinarie Vicars Chancellors or Commissaries which were Lay-men in those times the Bishops had none for not so much as the steward of the Church might be a Lay-man whereupon Gregorie writing to Ianuarius a Bishop chargeth him to take heed that Ecclesiasticall matters be not committed to secular men but to some approued of the Clergie And the second Councell of Ciuil penned as it seemeth by Isidor who was president thereof pronounceth it an vnseemely thing Laicum esse vicarium Episcopi seculares in ecclesia iudicare that a Lay-mā should be the Bishops Vicar that secular men should iudge in the Church for in one and the same officer there must not be different profession Which hauing confirmed out of Deuteronomie it inferreth wherefore it behoueth vs to obey Gods booke and the preceps of the holy Fathers ordaining that they who shal be associated to Bishops in Church-gouernement may not differ neither in profession nor habit Notwithstanding that they extraordinarily committed to others or delegated causes to be heard appeareth by the aforesaid example of Augustine But more clearely by the practise of Siluanus a godly Bishop of Troas not long after Ambrose his time who perceiuing that they of the Clergie made gaine of the contentions of them who came to be iudged he would not at any time appoint a iudge of the Clergie but himselfe receiuing the petitions of Suiters would make choise of some faithful man or other of the laitie whom he knew to be a louer of iustice and to him he would commit the hearing of the cause and for this cause Socrates saith he was greatly renowmed Out of which examples we may note that causes were wont to be brought to the Bishop that he heard them himselfe if he had leisure otherwise that he committed the hearing of the cause to some of his Clergie but yet so as if he saw cause he might make choise of some other whom he durst better trust Secondly I
discipline was corrupted amongst the Iewes in our Sauiour Christs time and therefore it is not likely that our Sauiour would send his Disciples to their Assemblies to haue their causes heard yet dubium non est it is not to be doubted but that forme of discipline which had beene vnder the Law was by Christ transmitted to vs and that the forme of discipline which was in vse in the Church of Christ succeeded in the roome thereof The summe is What manner of presbyters were among the Iewes the like Christ ordained in his church when hee said Tell the Church But among the Iews there was an Ecclesiasticall presbyterie which besides the priests and Leuites consisted of the Elders of the people Therefore such an Ecclesiasticall presbyterie Christ ordained in his Church The proposition hath no other proofe but their owne testimonie signified in those asseuerations dubium non est neque ambigimus for that which is added by Beza the author of the counterpoison that the wordes which Christ vsed Let him be to thee as an Heathen or Publican to proue that he spake according to their custome doe in no sort prooue that hee translated their forme of gouernement into his church For if Christ did translate from the state of the Iewes any Consistories into his church then hee transmitted such as were either ordained of God or deuised by men If the former then such as God ordained for the gouernment of the people either in the Wildernes or in the Land of promise In the Wildernes by the aduise of Iethro and approbation of God there were Rulers set ouer thousands hundreds fifties and tens to iudge the people the deciding of more difficult causes beeing reserued to Moses But the multitude of these difficult causes increasing and Moses waxing weary of them the Lord ioyned to him a Senate of 70. Numb 11. Answereable to these the Lorde appointed Consistories or Senates for the gouernement of the people in the Land of promise To the former Deuteron 16.18 Iudges and Officers shalt thou make thee in all thy Cities throughout all thy Tribes and they shall iudge the people with righteous iudgement To the latter Deut 17. If there arise a matter too harde for thee in Iudgement betweene blood blood betweene plea plea betweene plague and plague in the matters of controuersies within thy Gates then shalt thou arise and goe vp into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose and thou shalt come vnto the Priests and Leuites and the iudge that is Iudges saith Caluin that shall be in those dayes and aske and they shall shewe thee the sentence of iudgement This prescript the godly king Iosaphat followed exactly 2. Chron. 19. both in respect of the inferiour consistories in the cities placing iudges in the land throughout all the strong cities citie by citie and in Ierusalem did he set of the Leuites and of the Priests and of the chiefe of the families of Israel for the iudgement and cause of the Lord saying to them In euery cause that shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in the cities betweene blood and blood betweene law and precept statutes and iudgements you shall admonish them c. Besides these the Lord ordained no consistories or senates But none of these did Christ translate into his Church for none of them was Ecclesiasticall Neither did he translate those which were deuised by men whether by the Iewes as their Synedrion or Sanedriâ—n which was their chiefe counsell of state which Caluin saith after their returne from Babylon they did institute or by P. Gainius the Proconsul of Syria who ordained foure more Synedria of the like nature which some suppose to haue beene the cause why our Sauiour speaketh in the plurall number Matt. 10.17 Mar. 13.9 But of the counsell renewed by Iosaphat and the Synedrion ordained of the Iewes I shall haue occasion to say more in answere to the assumption But how little credit is to be giuen to that proposition may appeare by this dilemma for by Church Christ doth signifie either the consistories and assemblies of the Iewes or assemblies in the Church of Christ. If the former then was the direction which Christ giueth peculiar to those times and pertaineth not to the Church of Christ as D. Bilson sheweth in the fourth chapter of his booke whereunto I doe referre you If the latter then had he not so much as respect or reference to the Consistories of the Iewes so farre was he from translating them into his Church as shall appeare by this most plaine explication of the text according to the latter sense Our Sauiour Christ intreating of scandales and offences first teacheth vs that we be carefull to auoid offences and that we doe not in that respect seeme to disregard any of his little ones 2. Hee directeth vs what course wee are to take when wee are offended If thy brother that is one professing the same religion shall sinne against thee that is priuately either by injurie doing thee wrong or if ye will also by euill exaÌ„ple scandalizing or giuing thee offence by his sin committed in thy knowledge laying as it were a stuÌ„bling blocke in thy way thou must as the Lorde hath commaunded not suffer sinne to rest vpon him but in a desire to reclaim him thou must 1. vse priuate admonition brotherly reproofe goe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—gue and redargue conuince reproue him between thee him alone If he harken to thee acknowledging his fault and testifying his repentance then hast thou wonne or gained thy brother and saued a soule from death But if he heare thee not suffer not sinne so to rest vpoÌ„ him but take with thee yet 1. or 2. witnesses set vpoÌ„ him iointly that either by the preseÌ„ce authority of so many together hee may be reclamed or at least a way be prepared to publicke triall that howsoeuer thy testimonie alone would bee reiected yet in the mouth of 2. or 3. witnesses the matter may be sufficiently testified And if hee will not heare them but remaine obstinate then tell the Church that is the assembly of them who in the church haue spirituall authoritie to censure offenders whether it be the Consistorie of one Citie or particular church or the Synode of a Prouince or Nation or an vniuersall Counsell according to the nature of the offence and the qualitie degree of the offender And if he will not heare the assembly but remaining obstinat draw vpon him their censure of excoÌ„munication wherby they shall bind the offender after a sort deliuer him to Satan then shalt thou hold him no more as a brother or thinke thy selfe bound to exercise the duties appertaining to the coÌ„munion of Saints but withdraw thy selfe from him abandon him and haue no more to doe with him then a Iew of this time would haue to doe with an heathen or
the better gifts chiefly to follow after loue and to couet after spiritual gifts but amōg them to desire rather to prophecie that is to preach then to speak with tongues And whereas the holie Ghost doth marshall in order the gifts of God according to their worthines saying First second third if by helpes he should meane Deacons and by gouernments Elders then must we hold Deacons to be preferred before Elders which will not be granted If anie man doubt whether helps and gouernments are to be accounted gifts Chrysostome may resolue him who as of the former he saith that is in especial maner the gift of God so also of the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be fitte to gouerne and to administer spirituall things and he addeth that our duties are called Gods gifts to teach vs that our abilitie in performance of our dutie is the gift of God So Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which also he calleth a gift though it require our labour also and industrie Nazianzen also reckoneth them among the graces of the spirit For the spirit saith he is one but the graces are not equall nor yet the receptacles of the spirit For to one by the spirite is giuen the word of Wisedome and contemplation to another the word of knowledge or reuelation to another firme vndoubted faith to another the inoperations of powers high wonders to another the gifts of healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 helpes that is Presidencies or Patronages Gouernements that is Poedagogies of the flesh kindes of tongues interpretations of tongues I am not ignorant that some before our time haue vnderstood diuerse of these members to haue bene Ecclesiasticall functions But yet their exposition wholly agreeth with the gouernment of our Church not with the pretended discipline For by Apostles they vnderstand not only the 12. Apostles but their successors also in the gouernment of the Church that is to say the Byshops and by helps they vnderstand them who help the Bishops in the gouernment of the church as the Deanes and Archdeacons and by gouernements the gouernors or rectors of seuerall parishes These with 1. Tim 5.17 are the testimonies of Scripture which vsually be aleaged by the patrons of the presbyterie not one of them almost either omitting any of them or adding any other So that this Disputer might trulie cōclude that this is the strength and indeed all the strength they haue out of the Scriptures Which how strongly or strangely rather they haue concluded for the Lay-Elders it doth sufficiently appeare to them that haue not either a strong preiudice or a weake iudgement Assuredly if the Fathers be no stronger for them then the Scriptures then is the cause of the Lay-Elders very weake and languishing CHAP. XI Answering the Allegations out of the Fathers for Lay-Elders OF the Fathers he also braggeth as he did before of the Scriptures But in the vpshot all the force of his argumēts either out of Scriptures or Fathers relyeth vpon the authority of certaine new writers who are the most almost all of them parties in the cause Which is a kinde of arguing deuised to retaine the vnlearned in their former opinion that because so many late Diuines vnderstand the Scriptures and Fathers according to their receiued opinions they may be confirmed therein But is not this a strange kind of reasoning Ignatius Tertullian Cyprian Ambrose which are all the Fathers hee nameth but nameth as though with their names hee hoped to ouercome vs giue testimonie to Lay-Elders therefore Lay-Elders were in vse in the primitiue church when we quietly grant this consequence only desire them to proue the antecedent Is it not strange I say that this disputer should not produce the testimonies themselues endeuour by necessary euidence to demonstrate that they are to be vnderstood as speaking of Lay-Elders but to bring in a sort of new writers the most wherof are parties to depose that these ancient Fathers say as they would haue them Did they heare them say so or did they read their writings If they read their testimonies are they the same which we haue in print or some speciall manuscripts which yet are not come to light if such why are they not produced If their testimonies be vpon publike record in print why should not we examine the records thēselues trust to our owne eyes and iudgmēts rather thē to the opinions of them who are partiall in the cause Or if these new writers had reasons to perswade vs that these Fathers doe speake for Lay-Elders why are not their reasons produced By your leaue I will produce their testimonies for you And because it pittyeth me the to see well-meaning people abused I had almost said guld with glorious shewes I will let them see that not any one testimonie which you doe vse to produce out of the Fathers doth conclude for Lay-Elders And first as touching Ignatius whom hee first nameth because his testimonies were belike too hot to be handled yet hee putteth him off fairely saying that hereafter he will shew how he is to be vnderstood when he commeth to answere my quotations out of him But I quote him not in the question of Elders but among my proofs for Bishops And if hee haue no stronger proofes out of Ignatius for elders then the selfe-same that I alledge for Bishops may you not think that he is very strōg for them The truth is he perceiued they were too weake to bee vrged by him as an opponent and therefore chose to speake to them as an answerer hoping to perswade the simple reader that Lay-Elders are sufficiently proued by Ignatius his testimonie if they be not disproued thereby as hereafter you shall heare T. C. and after him the author of the counterpoison the demonstrator of discipline almost who not cite this sentence of Ignatius There is no Church which can stand without her Eldership or counsell Vnto which H.I. addeth 2. more out of his epistles to them of Tarsus Smyrna In the 1. of these Epistles Ignatius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be subiect to the Bishop as to the Lord a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Presbyters as to the Apostles of Iesus Christ our hope Of the Deacons in the next words he sath that they be ministers of the mysteries of Christ Iesus and not of meate and drinke A reason of the former speech he rendreth in these words the Byshop is the type of the Father of all the Presbyters are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Consistory of God and a band or Colledge of the Apostles of Christ. Then followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without these that is BB. Presbyters Deacons no elect Church is no holy congregation no assemblie of Saints This testimony proueth that as each Church had a Bishop and Deacons so also Presbyters and a presbyterie But what manner of presbyters they were it appeareth 1. by
order and iurisdiction yet doth he both here and there bewray himself not to vnderstand it For though euery Minister as hee is a Presbyter hath potestatem ordinis yet it doth not follow that hee may at his owne pleasure exercise that power We must therfore take knowledge of two distinctions the one of the power of order and of iurisdiction for euery minister hath the power of order as hee is a Presbyter simply but the power of iurisdiction as he is praelatus or pastor The former he hath giuen him in his ordination the latter in his institution By the former hee is qualified and authorized to preach and administer the sacraments and to doe other â—spirituall actions peculiar to his order which another man who is not of that order neither can doe nor may haue leaue to doe But hee may not performe these duties which belong to the power of his order to any congregation as the Pastor therof vnlesse that flocke be assigned and committed to him by the Bishop who hath the charge of the whole diocesse A presbyter therefore though he haue potestatem ordinis may not perform pastoral duties to any congregation which are part of the Bishops charge vnlesse hee be authorized therto by the Bishop from whom hee receiueth potestatem iurisdictionis curamque animarum et regimen ecclesia parochialis in his institution Againe we must distinguish betweene the power it selfe and the exercise execution of it For although euery minister hath thesame power of order which is common to them with Bishops in respect of preaching the worde and administring Baptisme and the Lords Supper yet the exercise of their power is and alwaies hath been subiected to the authority of the Bishop to be permitted directed restrained and suspended by him This subordination and subiection of the presbyters to the Bishop for the exercise of their power which euer hath beene practised in the Church doth not make either their function to be a mockery of the ministery as the refuter malepertly speaketh nor themselues to be no ministers But plainly proueth the contrary as I haue shewed For whereas he obiecteth out of Tertullian that any lay man might baptize by the Bishops 〈◊〉 he falsifies his testimony His words be these Dandi baptismum ius â—abâ—t summus sacerdos qui est episcopus c. The cheif Preist which is the Bishop hath the right to giue baptisme Then the presbyters and deacons but not without the authority of the Bishop for the honor of the Church which being safe peace is safe Otherwise euen laymen haue right Where Tertullian sheweth that the ordinary right of baptizing appertaineth to Bishops Presbyters deacons as belonging to the power of their order though for the honour and peace of the Church the Bishop bee superiour in the exercise of that power which the Presbyters and Deacons are not to exercise without his authority otherwise that is extraordinarily and in case of necessity the lay man euen without the Bishops leaue hath right in Tertullians iudgement to baptize Where he saith That in Tertullians time who was himselfe a Presbyter Presbyters and Deacons were not ministers and much lesse in Ignatius time I hope he wil râ—call this foule error proceeding from extreme ignorance when he hath read what before hath been alledged to the contrary And whereas the last testimony which I alledged out of Ignatius for these three degrees of the ministery plainely excludeth their lay Presbyters and lay Deacons reckening Presbyters and Deacons as degrees of the clergy he answereth two things the first That the Epistle strongly sauoureth of corrupter times then those Ignatius loued in by that very word clergy apprâ—priated therein to the ministers which is of a far latter breed He should haue done well to haue shewed how late the breed is For I am well assured that Cyprian vseth the word clerus for the clergy ordinarily who was little more then a hundred yeares after Ignatius And Origen before him mentioneth this distinction of the clergy and laity Tertullian who liued in the same century with Ignatius distinguisheth each company of Christians as sometimes into gregem duces the flocke and the guides ecclesiâ— ordinem laicos the order of the Church meaning those which were in orders and the lay people so sometimes in ecclesiaÌ„ cleruÌ„ the assembly and the clergy The clergy also or guides he distinguisheth into these three degrees Deacons Presbyters Bishops The antient Canons called the Apostles often mention those of the clergy as opposed to the laity But if I should say that S. Peter vseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same sense when writing to Bishops whom he calleth Presbyters himself their Compresbyter he willeth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not exercise lordship ouer the clergy I should deliuer that which is agreeable to the interpretation of the antient Writers and as I am perswaded to the truth Neither doe I doubt but the vse of the word clerus was first taken from that place of Peter who therein followed the phrase of the old Testament wherein it is oft said that the Lord was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the portion or the inheritance of the Priests and Leuites For therefore are they called Clerici saith Ierome vel quia de sorte sunt Domini vel quia ipse Dominus sors i. pars clericoruÌ„ est Either because they are the Lords portion which notatioÌ„ some late writers do mislike not without cause the people also being Gods inheritance or because the Lord is their portion which is agreeable with the scriptures His other answer is that though the Presbyters and Deacons were of the clergy yet they were not Ministers for there were many of the clergy which were not Ministers Let him therefore tell me whether there were any Ministers in the clergy adioined to the Bishop or not if he say no hee is worthy to be hissed at if yea who were these Ministers if the Presbyters and Deacons were not Besides it is plaine that the Clergy of the antient Churches consisted wholly of schollers which were trained vp in learning the Clergie belonging to each Bishoppe being the seminary of the whole diocesse out of which not only euery parish both in the Citie and Country was to be furnished with Ministers but also the Bishop himselfe in the vacancie of the See was to be chosen Moreouer ordinarily those of the clergy ascended by degrees from the lower to the higher the Bishop being chosen out of the Presbyters Deacons for euen Ignatius his successor was his deacon Herâ— the Presbyters deacons out of the inferior orders as of sub deacons or readers c. Wherby it is most euideÌ„t that presbyters deacoÌ„s were not such as the lay-elders and lay-deacons which are now adaies in some reformed Churches but men brought vp in learning and seruice of the Church hauing attained degrees
vntill that time when hee comming to Corinth saw Primus the B. with whom he conuersed there a good while reioycing together in the true faith But when I came to Rome saith he I continued with Anicetus whose Deacon Eleutherius was but Soter succeeded Anicetus and after him Eleutherius was B. Now saith he in euery succession and in euery city all things stood as the law preacheth and as the Prophets and as our Lord. And afterwards speaking of the heresies which did spring in his time after that Iames saith he surnamed the Iust had suffered Martyrdome Simon the sonne of Cleophas is made B. whom all men preferred for this cause because he was the Lords cousin wherefore they called the Church a Virgin for as yet she had not been corrupted with vaine doctrines but Thebulis because he was not made B. began to corrupt it being the broacher of one of the seauen heresies which were in the people So much of the first argument The second is taken from the testimonie of Ierome in two places the former in Titus 1. where he saith thus before that by the instinct of the deuill factions began in the Church and it was said among the people I am of Paul I 〈◊〉 of Apollos I am of Cephus the Churches were gouerned by the common counsell of the presbyters but when euery one accounted those for his whom he had baptised it was decreed in the whole world that one being chosen from the presbiters should be set ouer the rest in euery Church vnto whom the care of that whole Church or diocese should appertaine and that the seeds of schismes might be taken away For full answer to this testimony he referreth vs to another place and when he commeth thither I doubt he will not say much to the purpose In the meanetime he answereth first to the testimony itselfe and then to my inference out of it to the testimony he answereth that Ierome maketh the beginning of this constitution of BB. not in the Apostles times nor in the times immediatly succeeding the Apostles Not the former because otherwhere he saith that BB. were superiour to presbiters rather by the custome of the Church then any ordinance of God Whereto I answer that custome himselfe calleth an Apostolicall tradition and else where most plainely and fully testifieth in many places some whereof are noted in the Sermon both that BB. were in the Apostles times and also were ordayned by the Apostles themselues Not the latter because it is as I had told him against the modest charitie of a Christian to imagine that all the Church would conspire at once to thrust out the gouernment established by the Apostles and insteed thereof to bring in another of their owne But say I it is most manifest that BB. were placed in all Churches in the next age to the Apostles and therefore he must either grant that the Apostolicall Churches receiued this gouernment from the Apostles or else confesse according to his vsuall modesty in setting light by the testimony of all antiquitie that all Churches conspired to alter the gouernment which the Apostles had established But of his modestie I would know when he thinketh this gouernment by BB. began and whether he must not be forced of necessity either to lay that foule imputation vpon all the ancient Churches on all the godly Fathers and blessed Martyrs or to yeeld that they had receiued this forme of gouernment from the Apostles My inference also he denyeth When as not withstanding the allegation giueth full testimonie to the generality saying it was decreed in the whole world and of the perpetuity there can be no question if the beginning were not latter then I intended But it is plaine that by Ieroms meaning it began in the Apostles times at the first indeed he saith before BB. were ordained the same men were called Presbiteri Episcopi and vntill factions beganne the Churches were gouerned viz. in the absence of the Apostles by the common counsell of the Presbiters which may be true of the most Churches excepting that of Ierusalem by Ieromes owne confession But when factions began as those did in the Apostles times whereof he speaketh the Apostles ordayned and in the whole Christian world it was obserued that for auoiding of schisme one should be chosen from among the presbiters who should be set ouer the rest and to whom the whole care of the Church that is the diocese should appertaine As for the reasons whereby he proueth the consequence feeble they are exceeding weake First because Ierom speaketh not of the times immediately succeeding the Apostles It is very true for he speaketh of that which was done in the Apostles times as hath bene said secondly saith he because he saith it was decreed in the whole world which could not well be without a generall Councill vnlesse it soaked in by little and little till at the last it ouer-flowed all places The decree which he speaketh of could be no other but of the Apostles for as hath been said what was generally obserued in the Churches in the first three hundred yeares before there was a generall Councill to decree it proceeded vndoubtedly from the Apostles Now it is more then euident that long before the first generall councill there were not onely Diocesan BB. but Metropolitanes also yea Patriarches that which he talketh of soking in by little and little agreeth not with the generall decree whereof Ierome speaketh whereby what is instituted is ordayned at once Neither can hee assigne any time after the Apostles when BB. had either lesse charges or lesse authority then in the end of the first three or foure hundred yeares Their Diocesses oft times as hath beene shewed were lessened in processe of time but seldome or neuer enlarged Neither is it to be doubted but that their authority among Christians was greater before there were Christian Magistrates then afterwards For before they called and held their Councels by their owne authority they heard and iudged all causes among Christians they punished all kindes of faults by Ecclesiasticall censures The other testimony of Ierome is out of his commentarie on Psal. 45. which I haue mentioned before That the Church in steed of her Fathers which were the Apostles had sonnes which were the BB. who should be appointed gouernours in all parts of the world He saith first this testimonie is an allegorie vpon the 45. Psalme and not a historie of the times Which is a friuolous euasion For it is an exposition of the Prophecie by the historie or euent and so not onely he but Augustine also expoundeth the place Secondly he alledgeth that Ierome doth not say that the Church had BB. as soone as the Apostles were gone which also is friuolous For he signifieth that the BB. did succeede the Apostles in the gouernment of the Church which else where he plainly professeth saying that BB. are the successors of the Apostles
the behalfe of those which had fallen promising when God should grant peace vnto them that he might returne to them the behauiour and repentance of them which had fallen should be examined in their presence and hauing signified his great dislike of the Presbiters act who not reseruing vnto him the honour of his Priesthood and chaire had without his allowance communicated with them which had fallen In the end he desireth that they which had fallen would patiently heare his counsell expect his returne that when through Gods mercy we shall come vnto you many of my fellow BB. being assembled together may according to the discipline of the Lord in the presence of the confessors examine the letters and desires of the blessed Martyrs he writeth in like manner to the Clergy that is to the Presbiters and Deacons willing them for as much as still his returne was delayed that in the case of necessity they should not expect his presence but for such as should be in danger of death to lay their hands vpon them and reconcile them especially such as had beene commended by the Martyrs as for the rest he would haue them stay till hee being restored to the Church and they all being assembled together might determine what was to be done But being importuned againe by letters from the Confessors who had desired him and by him the rest of the BB. to grant peace as themselues did to them which had fallen he writeth againe to the Presbiters and Deacons that letter which by the refuter is cited saying concerning those which had fallen and by the Confessours haue desired to be reconciled vntill it be certainely knowne what course they haue taken since their fault committed seeing it is a matter which belongeth to the Councill and iudgement of vs all I dare not preiudicate and challenge to my selfe a thing which is common and therefore appointeth that course to be taken which I mentioned out of the last Epistle and to the same purpose writeth to diuers BB. and by name to Calidonius shewing him what order he had taken in this matter and willing him to signifie the same to other BB. that the like course might be taken by them If these letters all concerning the same businesses be conferred together you may obserue first that Cyprian was a Metropolitane B. hauing authoritie to assemble and to direct his comprouinciall BB. as may appeare also by the Synodes held and Synodicall Epistles written by him Secondly that he speaketh not of Church businesse in generall but of this particular which was of so great importance that he saith it was the cause not of one Church or of one Prouince but of the whole world Thirdly that he would not deale alone in this busines but he would call a Synode of his fellow BB. besides his Clergie and in the presence of the people haue the cause of them which had fallen examined Fourthly that although he would not deale alone in this busines being a cause of so great moment but would haue it referred to the examination censure of his fellow BB. besides the concurrence of the people and his owne Clergy in this iudgement notwithstanding the chiefe stroak in this busines was in him as appeareth both by their petitions and his directions And therefore the whole cariage of this businesse doth prooue the Episcopall authoritie of the B. and Cyprians superioritie not onely ouer his owne Presbiters but also ouer his fellow Bishops so farre is it from impleading the same and further I say that Cyprian because his comming to the Bishopricke was much resisted by Felicissimus and his complices and the time wherein he liued troublesome and dangerous therefore though he might as Ierome speaketh of all Bishops rule alone as Moses yet as Moses he voluntarily vsed the assistance of others hauing as himselfe saith from the beginning of his Bishoprick determined to doe nothing by his own priuate sentence without the counsell of the Clergy and consent of the people whereby it appeareth that his vsing of the Clergies counsell and consent of the people was not of necessity but voluntary and therefore when he saw cause and did finde himselfe not to need either the counsell of the Clergy or consent of the people he would sometimes doe matters of importance as namely the ordination of Clerks alone as himselfe signifieth in an Epistle to the Presbiters Deacons and the whole people In ordaining of Clerkes I doe vse before hand to consult with you and by common counsell to weigh the manners and deserts of all but humane testimonies are not to be expected when we haue diuine suffrages and therefore signifieth that he had without them ordained Aurelius and others to be Clerks But suppose that of necessitie Cyprian was to vse the aduise or expect the presence and conscience of his Clergy in dispaching matters of importance would this be an instance against the Episcopall gouernment in those times did the fourth Councill of Cathage set foorth these two Canons the one that a B. without the Councill of his Clergie should not ordaine Clerkes requiring also that the assent or conniuence and testimony of the people should be had the other that a B. should heare no mans cause but in the presence of his Clerkes and that the sentence of the B. should be void which was not confirmed by the presence of his Clergie and yet no man doubteth but that when that Councell was held which was about foure hundred yeeres after Christ the sway of Ecclesiasticall authoritie both for ordination and iurisdiction was in the Bishop But I haue vouchafed too long an answere to so weake an allegation In the next place he mentioneth Ambrose his testimony which was as he saith debated at large in the first point It was debated indeed but nothing to this present purpose Ambrose saith that the B. was wont to vse the aduise of his Presbiters though in his time it was growne out of vse and the matter debated betweene vs was whether those Seniors were Ministers as I proued or Lay-elders as the refuter pretended but whether they were the one or the other the authoritie and gouernment of the B. was no more impayred by vsing their counsell then the authority of a Prince by vsing the aduise of his Counsellours vntill such time and in such cases as by the Canons and Canonicall law their consent was required as necessarie These two allegations if they had beene reduced into sillogismes would haue made very loose inferences and so would the testimonies of Ierom who euery where almost saith the refuter speaketh for vs. This is vauntingly spoken and yet the truth is that as no where 's indeed he speaketh for them so none of the Fathers is more plentifull of pregnant testimonies then he is for BB. as partly hath beene shewed already and more shall be declared hereafter Of the testimonies which the refuter citeth three
doctrine 1 Tim. 1.3 2 Tim. 2.16 Tit. 1.10.11 and 3.9 and iudges of their persons and conuersation 1 Tim. 5.19.20.21 Tit. 3.10 to which proofes he answereth nothing Wherevnto might be added the authority of Gregorie Nazianzene of Chrysostome of Oecumenius and Gregory testifying that these Epistles doe teach Bishops how to behaue themselues in the Church of God Now because the Refuters supposition is the same in efâ—ect with his assumption I will examine first what he obiecteth against the assumption vnder the name of that supposition and so proceed to his answere which he directed against the assumption The summe of that which he obiecteth against the supposition is this that though Timothie and Titus were by Paules direction to doe those things which Bishops arrogate to themselues yet they were to doe them by an higher power and therefore not as Bishops Whereto I answere that they were to be done by a power vvhich vvas to continue in the Church vntill the end and therefore not by a higher power then Episcopal And secondly that the power Episcopal whereby Bishops doe these things which Timothie and Titus had in commission is so much of the Apostolicall power as was to continue in the Church vnto the end The assumption it selfe hee denyeth saying these Epistles are not precedents of the Episcopall function c. The reason of his deniall is this What though Bishops haue now gotten that power into their hands yet were not those instructions giuen to Timothie and Titus as Bishops the Apostles dreaming of no such soueraigntie but particularly to Timothie and Titus as Euangelists and in generall to the Presbyters to whom the charge of those affaires belongeth To the Euangelists to administer in all the Churches of those Regions whither the Apostles sent or where they left them to the Presbyters to administer in their seuerall congregations or Churches Hee said euen now that Timothie and Titus did those things which BB. doe by a higher power now he saith he Apostle dreamed not of any such soueraignty as the BB. haue Where he saith these instructions were not giuen to BB. but particularly to these Euangelists to performe them in all Churches and Regions where he should place them and generally to Presbyters c. both parts are false For these directions Paul gaue to Timothie and Titus to be obserued of them as they were particularly assigned gouernours of the Churches of Ephesus and Creet and are such as are to be obserued to the end Neither are these instructions giuen in generall to Presbyters neither doth the charge of these affaires belong to them And that these things belong to the BB. I haue sufficiently proued before To make the matter plaine he bringeth in an example which is worth the hearing Suppose saith he a Democraty where the common-wealth is gouerned by the people it must needs be that in such a place there are lawes for the choosing and ordering of Officers What if this gouernment fall into the hands of the Nobilitie which continue the same lawes still in the same cases What if some mightier then the rest at the last make himselfe sole Gouernour still obseruing those fundamentall lawes which were at the first established is it to be saide that those lawes are the verie patternes and precedents of the Aristocraticall or Monarchicall gouernement whereby the first maker of those lawes would enforme in the one the Nobilitie in the other the Monarchie and in them all other how to exercise that function The administration of Church matters touching ordination and iurisdiction was first in the seuerall Churches or congregations which by their Presbyteries had the menaging of all Church businesse in processe of time it came to be restrayned to the Clergie onely the B. and his Presbyterie of Ministers onely at last as things grew worse and worse the B. like a Monarch got the reynes into his owne hands Now though the lawes of Ordination and Iurisdiction remaine the same and the practise also in some sort yet are they not patternes and presidents either of the second or third kinde of gouernment neither were they giuen to instruct the Bishop alone or the Bishop and his Clergie together Which comparison I desire may be well considered especially by the vnlearneder sort for hereby they shall discerne what manner of guides they haue desired to follow For not to contend with him about his politicke proposition not well agreeing with the rules of policy wherein we are taught that the appointment of chiefe Officers being reckoned inter iura maiestatis doth alwayes belong to them who haue the soueraigntie in the whole comparison but especially in the reddition we may behold the trim Idea of discipline which the fancie of our Refuter and his fellow-challengers hath forged For he conceiueth as if he were a Brownist or an Anabaptist that the ancient state of the Church was Democraticall that the right of Ordination and Iurisdiction was in the whole congregation of euery Parish which by their Presbyteries consisting for the greatest part of the laity had the menaging of all Church-businesse that the lawes and Canons for Church-gouernment set downe in the Epistles to Timothie and Titus were first prouided for this popular state of the Church Howbeit by the vsurpation of the B. and his Clergie the popular state was turned into an Aristocraty the B. and his Presbyterie of Ministers onely menaging the Church affaires Lastly in processe of time this Aristocraty was turned into a Monarchie the B. like a Monarch hauing got the reynes into his owne hands Now the lawes concerning Ordination and iurisdiction are still in force yet were they not patternes neither for the Monarchicall gouernment of the B. alone nor for the Aristocraticall gouernment of the Bishop and his Presbytery of ministers but for the popular and golden state of euery Parish which within it selfe had authoritie immediately deriued from Christ sufficient for the gouernment of it selfe in all causes Ecclesiasticall This forme is propounded also in the modest and Christian offer of disputation Haue not our forwarder sort of people bin well aduised thinke you to doate vpon such leaders as these who broach such a sort of dreames and dotages for which they haue not so much as the shew of any sound proofe Our refuter hath often times obiected against me though most vniustly that Pythagoras-like I looke to be creditted vpon my bare word but what proofes I pray you doth hee bring for these schismaticall nouelties First it is here presupposed that euery Church indued with power of Ecclesiasticall gouernment was a Parish all Church officers Parishionall Which dotage I haue before refuted Secondly that the forme of Church-gouernment was Democraticall or popular the cheife authority being in the people Which hath authority to be exercised partly by themselues partly by their Presbytery to elect ordayne depriue depose their Pastor or B. for the proofe whereof the
cheife burden must lye vpon Mat. 18. dic Ecclesiae which hath bin before examined Beza making mention of one Morellius who pleaded in like manner for the popular gouernment giueth him this stile Democraticus quidam fanaticus shewing that these who plead that cause are lead with a phantasticall fanaticall spirit For is it not a phrensy to vrge the peoples supremacy in Church-gouernment is there any shew in scripture or in reason that the sheepe should rule their Shepheard or the flocke their Pastor But for the confutation of them I referre them to other Disciplinarians from whom they had their first grounds seing by this fancy they seeke to ouerturne as well those Churches where the Geneua discipline is established as ours The third dreame is that the lawes of Church-gouernment prescribed in the Epistles to Timothie and Titus were prouided for the democraticall state of the Church So that when Paul saith lay not thou hands on no man hastily you must vnderstand the speech directed not to Timothie to vvhom the Epistle was written but to the people that they should not suffer their Lay-elders when their minister is dead to be hasty in laying hands on a new And vvhen hee saith doe not thou receiue an accusation c. it must be vnderstood of the people and Presbyterie After two or three admonitions doe thou auoid an hereticke or excommunicate him that is thou people What of Creet belike the whole Iland of Creet was a Parish too The next fancy is that the popular state of the seuerall Churches did first degenerate into an Aristocraty and after into a Monarchie But it is as cleare as the light that the seuerall Churches were at the first gouerned by the Apostles or Apostolicall men seuerally and that either perpetually as by Iames Marke c. or but for a time as by Peter Paul c. and that when the Apostles left the Churches they committed them to other Apostolicall men such as Timothie Titus Evodius Simon the sonne of Cleophas Linus Clemens c. communicating vnto them the same authority both for the worke of the ministery and for the power of ordination and iurisdiction which themselues had in those seuerall Churches and what authoritie each of them had their successors in the seuerall Churches had the same Neither haue our BB. at this day greater authority in menaging Church causes then Timothie and Titus and other the first Bishops had Who was to ordaine ministers in Creet and to gouerne that Church did not Paul commit these things to Titus without mentioning either of Presbytery or people are not all his precepts for ordination and Church-gouernment directed onely to Titus for Creet to Timothie for Ephesus and doth not this euidently shew that howsoeuer they might vse either the presence and consent of the people or the Counsell and aduise of the Presbyters in causes of greatest moment as Princes also doe in common-wealthes yet the sway of the Ecclesiasticall gouernment was in them It is therefore most plaine that in the Epistles to Timothie and Titus it is presupposed that they had Episcopall authority and that the rules and directions giuen to them are precedents for Bishops and patternes vnto them for the exercise of their Episcopall function And this I proue againe in my Sermon by another argument which the refuter hath framed thus Those things which were written to informe not Timothie and Titus alone as extraordinarie persons but them and their successors to the end of the world were written to informe Diocesan Bishops But those Epistles were written to informe not Timothie and Titus alone as extraordinarie persons but them and their successors to the end of the world Therefore they were written to informe Diocesan BB. The assumption for with that the refuter beginneth I proued by testimony and by reason And first by the testimony of Paul straightly charging Timothie that the commandements and directions which he gaue him should be kept inuiolable vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ therfore by such as should haue the like authority to the end Hereof Caluin saith thus nomine mandati significat quae hactenus de officio Timothie disseruit Vnder the name of the commandement he signifieth those things whereof hitherto he had discoursed concerning the office of Timothie And againe omnino ceriè ad ministerium Timothie refero I doe wholy referre it to the ministerie of Timothie For Paul wrot to this end to giue direction to Timothie how he should behaue himselfe in the Church which is the house of the liuing God Which directions he chargeth him Chap. 6. to obserue inuiolable vntill the comming of Christ which could not be performed in the person of Timothie who was not to continue to the end but in a succession of them who should haue the like authority vntill the end T. C. and other Disciplinarians hauing fancied that the Apostles had giuen direction in that Epistle for onely-gouerning Elders hereupon conclude that they are to be continued vntill the comming of Christ So that they can conclude vpon that charge the continuance of an office not once mentioned in that Epistle but they cannot or will not see how the continuance of that office which Timothie did beare for the execution whereof all these directions are giuen is concluded vpon the same ground The second testimonie was of Ambrose writing on those vvords of Paul saying that Paul is so circumspect not because he doubted of Timothie his care but in regard of his successors that they after the example of Timothie might continue the well ordering of the Church The reason whereby I proued that Paul giueth direction not to Timothie and Titus onely as to extraordinary persons but to them and their successors vntill the end of the world was because the authority which was committed to them for the execution whereof the Apostle giueth his directions is perpetually necessary without the which the Church neither can be gouerned as without iurisdiction neither yet continued as without ordination therefore not peculiar to extraordinary persons but by an ordinary deriuation to be continued in those who are the successors of Timothie and Titus The effect of the refuters answere is that he could be content to graunt this assumption were it not that he is resolued to deny the conclusion which followeth thereupon For first hee granteth Pauls purpose to instruct those that should succeed Timothie and Titus in the authoritie which they had but not in their office And that this authoritie was not nor was to be in the hands of any one particular man but the right of it was in the whole congregation the execution in the Presbytery So that the power of ordination and iurisdiction might be continued without Bishops c. It is sufficient for the truth of the assumption which the refuter granteth that what Paul did write to Timothie Titus he wrote not to