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A59593 No reformation of the established reformation by John Shaw ... Shaw, John, 1614-1689. 1685 (1685) Wing S3022; ESTC R33735 94,232 272

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102. the ninth and last year of Clemens 6. Simeon named Act. 15. 14. after his Kinsman James the Brother of our Lord was martyred consecrated his Successour at Jerusalem an 63 or 64. Euseb l. 3. c. 10. and 16. so that for full eleven years he was of an inferiour Order for so many passed after the mention of him in the Acts. 7. Dionysius spoken of Act. 17. 24. was the first Bishop of Athens Euseb l. 3. c. 4. To these may be added Archippus Bishop of Coloss Apollo of Corinth Epaphroditus of Philippi Tychicus of Chalcedon Sylvanus Sosthenes c. but it will be sufficient to review the Catalogue of the four Patriarchal Sees 1. After James the first Bishop of Jerusalem fourteen of the Circumcision succeeded him Euseb l. 4. 5. whereof Justus was the last who died an 131. which is full twenty years before Blondel's Ara. 2. At Antioch after S. Peter Euodius was Bishop till an 98 then Ignatius till an 108 after him Cornelius who died before 140. 3. Eight successive Bishops sate at Rome till 140. in which year Higinus was consecrated Antonini Pii Tertio 4. At Alexandria five are accounted from S. Mark the last whereof Eumanes was ordained an 134. Num. 4. That all these had the same power which is now claimed by Bishops is evident from Rev. 1. 20. where as the seven Angels of the Asian Churches are distinguished from the Churches so every of those Angels had a power of Jurisdiction in their respective Churches to redress abuses For why should they be particularly taxed for scandals and irregularities therein if they had no power to reform and remedy them It seems too severe to charge neglects on them who have no power to take cognizance of crimes and to correct them That those Asian Churches were fixed and determinate distinct Churches the Presbyterians cannot deny who affirm they were governed by Presbyters for that must needs be a determinate Body which is governed by one or by many The Independents shift we find here a Congregational Church wherein were many Congregations many Ministers many Believers many Pastours is frivolous for there might and many such there were yet these might be and were under one President over them in Chief for such as these many are to be found in our Cities where there are Bishops to rule them and it is evident that those Prefects were and did exercise authority over both Laity and Clergy from the rule given to Timothy by S. Paul before alledged John Frigivile of Gaunt writ his Reform Pol. an 1593 wherein he avers p. 64 c. Q. Elizabeth maintained the Government and State of the Clergy in England as God had ordained in the Law and confirmed in the Gospel for said he p. 14. Though the Apostles were equal among themselves concerning authority yet no sooner was the Church encreased but different degrees began S. Paul charged Timothy who was Bishop of one of those Seven Churches not to admit an accusation against a Priest therefore he might admit or reject an accusation against a Priest and therefore he had Jurisdiction even over a Priest Dr. Raynolds's Conference with Hart p. 535. thus states it In the Church at Ephesus were sundry Elders and Pastours to guide it yet among those sundry there was one Chief whom our Saviour calleth the Angel of the Church here then is our Saviour's approbation for the Chiefty of the Order and this is he whom afterwards in the Primitive Church the Fathers called Bishop Num. 5. The Apostles having ordained Bishops to succeed them in the Government of the Church they who were so ordained were thereby authorized to ordain others and so on to the end of the world Matt. 28. ult which in the judgment of the best Interpreters imports Though the Apostles continued not in their Persons yet should in their Successours That there should be such a Succession is concluded from Scripture Act. 1. 20. must one be ordained to take Judas his Bishoprick which by Divine disposition fell upon Matthias who as Euseb reports l. 2. c. 1. was of the Seventy an inferiour because a distinguished Rank to that of the Apostles which seems probable from v. 21. it being the employment of the Seventy to accompany and attend them Saint Paul appointed Timothy to depute faithfull persons to officiate in the Church 2 Tim. 2. 2. yea so great care had the Apostles for a Succession that as Clemens reports they Note Lift or Catalogue of approved men who should succeed the present Bishops in each Church Num. 6. In the Apostles times certainly immediately after there were three Orders in the Church not as Calvin who first conjured up Lay-Elders to be his officious Agitatours recites them nor as Mr. Dallee conjectures but as they are accounted in the Church of England Bishops Priests and Deacons Indeed it is very likely there was first but one Order the Apostolical or Episcopal the Apostles or Bishops discharging all Church Administration and Offices But they having a power entire in themselves and radically they were enabled to derive and communicate what they thought fit for the necessities of the Church to others Accordingly the Church increasing as it is recorded in the Acts the Order of Deacons was instituted who were not empowered onely to collect receive and distribute Alms to the necessities of the poor but to higher Ecclesiastical Offices For we find Philip both preached and baptized Acts 8. 35 38. That this Philip was not the Apostle but the Deacon Calvin thinketh so because he supposeth the Apostles were not then removed from Jerusalem Gualter is positive from the Testimony of Epiph. de Sim. c. and all ancient Writers Certainly Saint Cypr. ad jub is clear A Philippo Diacono quem iidem Apostoli Petrus scil Johannes miserant baptizati erant Beza reckoning the Pastoral Offices and duties adds Sub quibus c. under which we comprehend the Administration of Sacraments and the blessing of Marriage from the perpetual use of the Church in which particulars the Deacons often supplied the place of the Pastours so he Confess c. 5. Aphor. 25. This he attempts to prove from Joh. 4. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 14. with him concurrs Bull. Fleming Magdab who all received it from Just Mar. Ambr. Hter Aug. the Greek Par. and Tert. who is most express Dandi quidem c. The chief Priest that is the Bishop hath the first right of administring Baptism then the Presbyters and Deacons How long these two Orders continued in the Church is not fully resolved Some conceive from Act. 14. 23. about an 49. Claudii Septimo the third Order that of Presbyter was superinduced others conjecture not so early however Cities and their Territories submitting to the Sceptre of Christ Presbyters were constituted before all the Apostles died yet the Bishops still reserved the power of Ordination and by consequence of Jurisdiction as in the Greek Chruch even to this day Bishops alone Ordain as Arcud de