find St. Ambrose in his Funeral Oration upon Satyrus his Brother approving and commending him for that he avoided the Luciferian Bishops their Churches and their Assemblies for though desirous of the Holy Sacrament non it a avidus fuit ut esset incautus he was not saith he so desirous of it as not to be Orat. in Fun. Frat. Tom. 3. p. 19. Edit Basil 1567. careful from whose hands he took it and therefore advocavit ad se Episcopum he calleth first the Bishop that was to administer it and asked him utrumnam cum Episcopis Catholicis conveniret whether he was one of those that were in Communion with the Catholick Bishops non enim putavit fidem esse in Schismate for he did not believe that a right Faith could be had in a wrong and Schismatical Profession No less a Zeal may be observed in those more Honourable Ladies and Worthy Matrons of Rome when Liberius their Bishop was banished and Felix put into his room they saith the Historian perceiving the lukewarmness or rather cowardice Theod. lib. 2. cap. 17. Edit Col. Allob. of their Husbands in the case dressed themselves as became their Quality went to the Emperor and besought him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he would take pity upon the City and restore to them their Bishop again or at least give them and others leave to follow him adding that though he had placed another over them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that neither they nor any other of the Citizens would ever enter the Church whilst he was in it And thus it was when Arsacius was thrust into the See of Constantinople in the place of St. Chrysostom nay so averse were the Citizens to receive him that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho' they met him in the Streets they would not so much as vouchsafe to salute Theod. lib. 5. cap 35. him Neither were they more complying when Atticus was put upon them in the room of Arsacius none of them would communicate with him Nay though an Edict was procured for the Expulsion and Confiscation of the Goods of all such Bishops for the Deprivation of all such publick Officers and for the Banishment of all such Artificers and Tradesmen that would not communicate with him yet none saith Palladius but the In vit Chrys c. 10. p. 95 96. Edit Lut. Par. 1680. poorer Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and those that were weaker in the Faith went in unto them whereas the others despising the World and willing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep themselves upright and their Consciences undefiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of them fled to Rome some of them to the Mountains and some to foreign Monasteries the People all the while that staid behind keeping up their Meetings in the open fields And thus it happened again at Rome in the time of the contention between Damasus and Vrsinus the tumult Lib. 4. c. 24. saith Socrates was great occasioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not about Faith or Heresie but whether of the two by right should be Bishop And here I pretend not to determine the Priority of Ordination to either and Praef. ad lib. precum Edit Oxon. 1678. yet I know that Marcellinus and Faustinus gives it to Vrsinus as well as Socrates and others to Damasus and perhaps if things were rightly weighed and duly examined Vrsinus that lost it might bid as fair for the Chair as Damasus that got and possessed it However the Vrsinians Loco citat buoyed up themselves with the precedency of a seven days Ordination would have nothing to do with the other Nay when Damasus had prevailed so far with the Emperor as to have Vrsinus banished and his Clergy imprisoned or sent after him so that none were left to officiate among them yet rather than go in to Damasus Populus timens Deum per coemiteria Martyrum stationes sine Clericis celebrabat the People that feared God more than the Emperor his Judges or the new made Bishop met at the Tombs of the Martyrs and held on their stations without them 19. Neither let the Apostatizing Clergy or the complying Laity who run along with those disorderly Bishops think that they for their so doing are under no Crime or deserve no Censure Abstinuimus communicatione Felicissimum Augendum item Repostum de extorribus Irenen Rutilorum Paulam Sarcinatricem Sophronium ipsum de extorribus Soliassum Budinarium We have saith Caldoâ—ius in a Letter to St. Cyprian Ep. 42. p. 81. according to your Order separated from our Communion Felicissimus and Augendus Repostus the Exile Irene the Radler Paula the Pedler as also Sophronius and with him Soliassus the Mulettor As for Felicissimus saith St. Cyprian he endeavours cum Episcopo portionem plebis dividere Ep. 41. Cyp. Cal. to share the People with his Bishop that is to divide the Sheep from the Shepherd and the Children from the Father and therefore decree him excommunicated As for Augendus nec Episcopum nec Ecclesiam cogitat he neither hath regard to his Bishop nor the Church but confederates and combines with the other and therefore let the same sentence pass upon him quisquis se conspirationi ejus adjuxerit and as for the rest that go on in the Faction with them let them also know that they are not to communicate with us in the same Church Now of these some were Clericks as Felicissimus and Angendus others Confessors as Repostus and Soliassus others common Christians as Irene Paula and perhaps Sophronius from whence we may justly infer that it is not the high Calling of the Clergy the meritorious sufferings of the Confessors the Simplicity and Plainness of the well-meaning Christian no nor the Trimming between both Parties flattering the one and holding Communion with the other whilst they herd with the Out-liers and be found in their Quarters that will excuse them from the foul guilt of Schism or the due Demerits of it The Confessors at Rome were very sensible of this videbamur quandam Communicationem cum Schismaticis haeretico homine habuisse We seemed say they to Cornelius to have held Communion Corn. ad Cyp. Ep. 45. with Novatian and his Schismatical followers for we frequented their Assemblies appeared amongst them in their Holy Offices of Religion sincera tamen mens nostra semper in Ecclesia fuit yet our Hearts and our Souls ever went along with the Church We knew there was but one God one Christ one Holy Spirit unum Episcopum in Catholica Ecclesia esse debere and that there ought to be but one Bishop in a Church However nos imposturam passi sumus we cannot but say we were imposed upon and do heartily pray ut abolerentur de memoria tollerentur that those things may be forgiven and forgotten and we received again into Communion with Cornelius our lawful Bishop Such there were that could run with the Hare and
Vnity of Priesthood Necessary to the Unity of Communion in a CHURCH With some REFLECTIONS ON THE OXFORD MANVSCRIPT And the PREFACE annexed ALSO Collection of CANONS part of the â—â—id MANUSCRIPT faithfully tranâ—ated into English from the Original but concealed by Mr. Hody and his Prefacer LONDON Printed in the Year MDCXCII THE CONTENTS 1. UNdertaken at the News of the new Bishops 2. Plurality of Bishops as fatal as plurality of Kings 3. The Church founded on Bishops 4. But one Bishop in a Church 5. A Rule generally known and practised .. 6. More makes a Schism 7. Novatianus at Rome did so 8. So did Meletius at Lycopolis in Egypt 9. Majorinus at Carthage and others elsewhere 10. Unity of Priesthood under the old Law 11. The second Bishop makes the Schism 12. His Ordination null 13. His Person and Office censured 14. Not sufficient to be of the same Faith with the first 15. Though an Assertor of and Sufferer for it 16. Is rejected by all 17. The Bishops renounce Communion with him 18. The Laity his Presidency 19. The Compliers guilty 20. The Ordainers worst of all 21. A Digression touching the Oath of Canonical Obedience 22. The Schism aggravated 23. Through the unjust Deprivation of the Bishops as contrary 24. To the Primitive Canons 25. To the Proceedings and Rescripts of Christian Emperours 26. To the Methods of England Saxon or Norman 27. Not innovated by the Reformation 28. State Deprivation a novel and wicked Invention 29. Through the Primate's being one of these Bishops without whom 30. Nothing is to be done in the Church 31. No Ordination counted valid 32. The Case of Abiathar considered 33. As to the being of two High Priests at once 34. As to his Deposition by Solomon 35. Regal Depositions fatal to the Church 36. They proved so to the Jewish 37. They proved so to the Greek 38. An Apology for both 39. The Case of the deprived Bishops not the same 40. With those in K. Edward the Vâ—th 's days as touching 41. Their Investitures 42. Their Crimes 43. The Manner of their Deprivations 44. Nor with those in Q. Elizabeth 's days 45. Preliminary Observations respecting the same 46. The number of the deprived 47. Their Titles faulty 48. Their Crimes inexcusable 49. The Authority unexceptionable 50. The Parliament cannot authenticate Schism 51. No Act of Submission to them 52. Ecclesiastical Matters out of their Sphere 53. Neâ—er more unhappy than when meddling in them 54. The Necessity of the present Separation evinced 55. Mr. Hody and his Prefacer detected and confuted Vnity of Priesthood Necessary to the Unity of Communion in a Church SIR 1. OF all the Ill News you have sent me since the beginning of the late Revolution none sits so close upon me nor hath created such deep Thoughts of Heart within me as the News of a new Primate and a new Bishop the old ones being living and neither canonically heard nor judicially deprived A Project utterly dissonant to all primitive Practice to the antient Constitutions and Canons of the Church and which if not timely compromised must necessarily beget and perhaps unavoidably propagate a lasting Schism among us ad natos natorum qui nascuntur ab ipsis 2. The antient Cry was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one God one Theodor. lib. 2. cap. 17. Hom. Iâ—id lib. 2. Christ one Bishop answerab le to that of the Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let there be but one King one Supreme intimating that it will be as fatal to the Church to have Bishop against Bishop as for the State to have opposite Kings The one ever fills a Nation with Bloodshed and Devastation the other the Church with Faction and Sedition The former ruines the Peace and disturbs the Quiet of the Common-wealth disposing it to most certain Anarchy and Confusion the other ever confounds the Unity and Concord of Christians till it turns the House of God into a Den of Thieves and of a Bethel makes it a Bethaven And if by either of these means we come once to be unsettled and to have our corner Stone displaced we mâ—y soon expect that Saying of our Saviour to be verified among us that an House divided against it self cannot stand Mark 3. 25. 1 Cor. 3. 4. This was the fate and sad condition of the Church of Corinth some were foâ— Paul others for Apollos and others again for Cephas which at length caused sâ—ch a Division among them that had not the Apostle come in 1 Cor. 4. 21. with his superintending Authority the Church it self had probably been overlaid and stifled in its Infancy 3. There might indeed be many subordinate Ministers and Assistants in a Church some â—or bringing in new Converts some for perfecting the oâ—d ones all for the Work of the Ministery and for the edifying of the Body of Christ Cornelius Bp. of Rome reckons up under him in his time no less than * Euseb Hist lib. 6. cap. 35. Edit Col. Allob. 1612. forty six Presbyters besides seven Deacons and many other ecclesiastical Officers Epiphanius tells us that at Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to every Church there was an appointed Haeres 68. S. 4. Presbyter but Bishop there could be but one to superintend and preside over the Church And therefore St. Cyprian tells us in his Epistle ad Florentium Puptanum That a Church is Pâ—ebs Sacerdoti adunata Pastori Ep. 66. suo grex adherens a People united to their Bishop and a Flock adhering to their Pastor and that Heresies and Schisms therefore arise quod Sacerdoti Ep. 59. Cornel. Edit Oxon. Dei non obtemperatur because the Bishop is disobeyed and not acknowledged to be the onely Bishop and the onely Judge for the time being under Christ in the Church Nay Ignatius makes this union between a Bishop and his People so absolutely and indefeasably necessary to a Church that he will not allow it to be a Church without it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without these says he Bishops and their Clergy there can be no Ad Fral c. 3. Church of God no Assembly of Saints no Congregation of Christians So doth the aforesaid St Cyprtan Scire debes Episcopum in Ecclesia esse Ep. 66. ad Flor. Ecclesiam in Episcopo you ought to know saith he that the Bishop is in the Church and the Church in the Bishop and that he who is not with the Bishop is not in the Church And again at Ecclesia super Episcopos constituatur That the Church was to be founded upon Bishops divina lege fundatum Ep. 33. lapsis and was a Sanction at first by the divine Law and by the various Series of Time and successive Ordinations handed down to us A Sanction designed by Christ from the beginning for saith St. Clemens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostles having beforehand fully learned Ep. ad Cor. 1. cap. 44. from Christ that there would arise a Contention
in the Church about the Episcopal Office did thereupon constitute Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for the future ordered the Rule of Succession for them that when they themselves or the Bishops constituted by them should happen to dye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Persons of approved worth might be substituted in their places Irenaeus confirms the same for says he habemus annumer are eos qui ab Apostolis instituti sunt Episcopi in Ecclesiis Successores eorum we can name the very Men whom the Apostles Lib. 3. cap. 3. Basil 1528. made Bishops in several Churches and the Successors of them down to our selveâ— giving us thereby to know that the Office of Episcopacy was as truly of diâ—ine Institution as the Apostolate itself 4. And as there must be one Bishop to head and unite the several Christians into one so if primitive Institution and Practice may umpire in the case there ought to be but one single Bishop in one single Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is saith Ignatius but one Flesh of our Lord Ep. ad Philadelph cap. 4. and Saviour Jesus Christ one Bloud of his shed for us all one Bread broken to us one Cup distributed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one Altar to a Church and one Bishop Deus unus Christus unus There is saith St. Cyprian but one God one Christ one Church one Chair Ep. 43. founded by our Lord another Altar besides that one Altar and Priesthood cannot be erected And again Christ warneth and teacheth us in his De unitat Eccles Gospel saying there shall be one Flock and one Sheepherd and can any man think aut multos Pastores aut multos greges there can be in one place either many Sheepherds or many Flocks The Bees saith St. Jerome Ep. ad Rust Mon. Edit Basil 1565. have their King the Cranes fly after one there is one Emperour one Judge of a Province singuli Ecclesiarum Episcopi one single Bishop to one single Church Were there many Bishops of one City saith St. Hom. 1 in Ep. ad Philip. Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by no means God saith St. Ambrose singulis Ecclesiis singulos Episcopos hath determined to 1 Cor. 12. every Church one proper Bishop It cannot be saith Theodoret that many Bishops should be at one and the same time Pastors of one and the same Church In 1 cap. ad Philip. Thus it was carefully provided against by the Fathers of the first Nicene Council 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That two Bishops should not be Can. 8. placed in one and the same City The like determination was made in the Council of Constantinople 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That no Bishop should be constituted in a Church where one that is alive and had not voluntarily resigned is presiding And so it was also decreed by the fifth Aurelian Council Nulli viventi Episcopo Can. 5. alius superponatur aut superordinetur Episcopus That no Bishop be ordained or placed over the Head of another whilst that other is living The like in the Cabilon Council ut duo in una Civitate penitus in uno tempore nec Can. 4. ordinentur nec habeantur Episcopi That two Bishops are not to be ordained and placed together in one and the same City at one and the same time To this Custome and particularly to the aforesaid Canon of the Nicene Council Pope Innocent had respect when writing to the Clergy of Constantinople he says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soz. l. 8. c. 26. Edit Col. Allobr We never knew any such thing to be acted by our Forefathers but rather forbad that any should have power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ordain another into the Place of one that is living 5. And this of one Bishop and but of one Bishop in a place was a Rule so generally known and so universally received in those early days of Christianity that Cornelius upbraids Novatus that Father of Puritanes and pretending Gospeller as he calls him for being ignorant of it Euseb lib. 6. cap. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that but one Bishop ought to be in one Catholick Church As if it had been a Rule as necessary to be known and practiced for the well governing of the Church and for keeping it in lasting Peace and Unity as any one Canon throughout the Scriptures besides And therefore St. Augustin though it was his fortune to be ordained Bishop of Hippo whilst Valerius lived would by no means suffer Eradius and perhaps he at that time needed a Coadjutor no less than Valerius did to be superordained upon him because he then knew it to be an Act uncanonical his Words are these Scio quod scitis vos I full Ep. 166. Edit Paris 1531. well know what ye also know that Eradius is a deserving Man and every way qualified to be made a Bishop sed nolo de illo fieri quod de me factum est but I would not have that done to him which was done to me adhuc enim in corpore posito for I was made a Bishop with him whilst he was living and sate with him in the same See quod ergo reprehendum est in me nolo reprehendi in filio meo what therefore was reprovable in me I will not have to be blamed in Eradius my Son erit Presbyter ut est quando Deus voluerit facturus Epâ—scopus he shall continue a Presbyter in the station he is and when God wiâ—â— by taking me away he shall be a Bishop Whence we may observe 1. That he looked upon his being consecrated Bishop whilst Valerius his Father and Predecessor lived to be an act reprehensible in him and altogether uncanonical 2. That afterwards knowing the Canon he would not act contrary to it by having Eradius superordained upon him though his declining Age needed it and both Clergy and People desired it 3. That it was done at the Request of the Bishop of the Place with the approbation of the Primate of the Province and as Possidonius relates the matter non tam succedere quam Consacerdos accedere not to dethrone the former as now a days it s done but De vitâ Aâ—gust cap. 8. to come into the Copartnership of the Bishoprick with him and thereby to assist in his old Age that the Affairs of the Church might not be suffered to run to Ruine by reason of his Infirmities and Inabilities The onely Case perhaps wherein two Bishops may be allowed in one Church yea and not then neither as Gratian makes out the Matter unless the infirm one particularly requests it the Church rather chusing to Caus 7. q. 1. cap. 11. bear the Infirmity of oâ—d Age in a Biâ—hop than to force an Assistant upon him lest thereby Opposition should arise betwixt them Now the Reason of all this was to prevent the Mischief of Schism
Chrysostom divides the Church Hom. 2 in Ep. ad Eph. Edit Paris 1621. sooner than the love of Preheminence and nothing provokes God more than to have his Church divided 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why do you therefore say there is still the same Faith and they are no less Orthodox than we But if so why are they not with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptism and if they are right we are wrong but if we are right they are wrong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do you think it sufficient they are Orthodox whilst they overlook and pass by the right of Ordination its Priority and Order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we ought certainly as much and as earnestly to contend for the one as for the other And not without good reason too for if every one may be ordained and made a Bishop in the Church in vain was the Altar ercted the Congregation appropriated and the Priests limited every thing then must come to Ruine and Confusion 15. And to no more purpose is the Eminency of their Learning the Excellency of their Parts their stout Defence of their Religion or their Sufferings for it pleadable in the Case What if they have Wrote well Preached well Disputed well Suffered well been Banished Imprisoned Tormented What if they have Converted some Confirmed others and when the foundations of the Earth were shaken and the Ark of God tottering they were seemingly such that kept the one from being removed and the other from falling Quisquis ille est qualiscunque est Christianus non est qui in Ecclesia Christi non est whosoever Ep. 55. p. 112. Antoniano and how great soever he be saith St. Cyprian of Novatian if he be not in the Church a Christian he cannot be jactet se licet for though he prides himself never so much for his Rhetorick and Eloquence though like Saul he appear for his Piety and Parts taller by the head than the rest of his Brethren yet since he retains not Brotherly Charity and Ecclesiastical Vnity quod prius fucrat amisit what soever he was before he is now lost as to it all and become no better than Salt that hath lost his savour And thus the Apostle long before had decreed Though I speak saith he with the Tongue of Men 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3. and Angels and have not Charity though I understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge and have not Charity nay though I bestow my Goods upon the poor and give my Body to be burnt and have not Charity I am nay it profitteth me nothing Upon which words the aforesaid St. Cyprian thus discants Cum Deo manere non possunt they cannot be with God who hold not the Vnity of De Unit. Eccl. p. 114. his Church for though they suffer themselves to be thrown into the Flames though they expose their persons to Wild and Savage Beasts non erit illi fidei Corona sed poena perfidiae they shall receive the demerit of their perfidity and unfaithfulness but not the Crown due to their Faith occidi talis coronari non potest such an one may indeed be slain but he cannot be crowned Martyrdom is always within the Church esse Martyr Id. 113. non potest qui in Ecclesia non est Nay it may be Martydom to suffer rather than to divide the Church Hence Dionysius writing to Novatus Eusebii Hist l. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tells him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shouldest have suffered any thing rather than divide the Church Neither is that Martyrdom which is suffered for not divulging the Church of lâ—ss Glory than that which is suffered for not sacrificing to Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nay in my opinion it is far greater For in the one Martyrdom is suffered for one Soul in the other for the Vniversal Church 16 Being thus far advanced and finding it no unprecented Case to have Bishops set over the head of Bishops it will be worth our pains to enquire how the Church resented thâ—m what Communion they held with them what Deference they paid them what Honour they gave them And I find 17. That the whole College of Bishops all the Christian World over that went not out with them ever rejected their Ordination would neither Communicate with nor be Communicated by them neither send to nor receive Letters encyclical from them Cum ad nos in Africam Legatos misisset when Novatianus that new made Bishop sent into Africa to us to be received into our Fellowship we saith St. Cyprian with the advices of many of our Colleagues returned him this answer se foris esse Ep. 68. p. 177. Stephano nec a quoquam nostrum sibi communicari that he was gone out from us and therefore could expect no longer to continue a Communion with us Neither did Maximus his Presbyter or Augendus his Deacon that first brought the news of his Ordination scape much better for illicitae contra Ecclesiam Catholicam factae Ordinationis pravitate commoti being provoked with the irregularity of the Ordination as being contrary Ep. 44. p. 85 86. Cornelio to the usuage of the Catholick Church we forbad them saith St. Cyprian our Communion and gave no other answer to their Embassy than that laying aside all dissension and strife they would consider what an Impiety it was to desert the Church their Mother and how Episcopo semel facto that after one Bishop was legally Constituted and Eustalled another could by no means be superinduced or put into the same Stall with him Damasus saith Optatus to Parmenian succeeded Liberius and Siricius Lib. 2. p. 36. who is at present our Colleague and fellow Bishop succeeded Damasus cum quo nobis totus orbis commercio formatarum in una Communionis Societate concerdat with whom as with us the whole Christian World by their Communicatory Letters continue in Society and Concord together a favour never afforded to the Donatists I own saith St. Augustine that Ep. 62. p. 140. I do write ad nonnullos Donatistarum primarios to certain of the chief Bishops and Leaders among the Donatists But it is to shew them their Errors privatas tantum qualibus vobis uti etiam ad Paganos licet however they are private Letters and such as are lawfull to send to Pagans non Communicatorias not Letters Communicatory quas jam olim propter suam perversitatem ab Vnitate Catholica quae toto orbe diffusa est non accipiunt which by reason of their long obstinacy and perverseness are denied them all the World over 18. And no more kind were the Laity to them for they remonstrated against their Election renounced their Precedency would have nothing to do with their Altars their Clergy or their Oblations nay such an abhorrency they had of them that they would into Banishment into Death rather than into Communion with them Hence we