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A64679 The reduction of episcopacie unto the form of synodical government received in the ancient church proposed in the year 1641 as an expedient for the prevention of those troubles which afterwards did arise about the matter of church-government / by James Usher ; published by Nicholas Bernard. Ussher, James, 1581-1656. 1658 (1658) Wing U218; ESTC R29579 7,636 33

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THE REDUCTION OF EPISCOPACY Unto the Form of Synodical Government Received in the ANCIENT CHURCH By the most Reverend and learned Father of our Church Dr. JAMES USHER late Arch-Bishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland Proposed in the year 1641. as an Expedient for the prevention of those Troubles which afterwards did arise about the matter of Church-Government Published by NICHOLAS BERNARD D. D. Preacher to the Honourable Society of Grayes-Inne London LONDON Printed Anno Domini 1658. TO THE READER THE Originall of this was given me by the most Reverend Primate some few years before his death wrote throughout with his own hand and of late I have found it subscribed by himself and Doctor Holseworth and with a Marginal Note at the first Proposition which I have also added If it may now answer the expectation of many pious and prudent Persons who have desired the publishing of it as a seasonable preparative to some moderation in the midst of those extreams which this Age abounds with it will attain the end intended by the Authour And it is likely to be more operative by the great reputation he had and hath in the hearts of all good men being far from the least suspicion to be byassed by any privivate ends but onely ayming at the reducing of Order Peace and Unity which God is the Authour of and not of confusion For the recovery of which it were to be wished that such as do consent in Substantials for matter of Doctrine would consider of some conjunction in point of Discipline that private interest and circumstantials might not keep them thus far asunder Grayes-Inne Octob. 13. 1657. N. BERNARD The Reduction of Episcopacy unto the form of Synodical Government received in the ancient Church proposed in the year 1641 as an Expedidient for the prevention of those troubles which afterwards did arise about the matter of Church-Government Episcopal and Presbyterial Government conjoyned BY Order of the Church of England all Presbyters are charged a to administer the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realme hath received the same And that they might the better understand what the Lord had commanded therein b the exhortation of Saint Paul to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus is appointed to be read unto them at the time of their Ordination Take heed unto your selves and to all the flock among whom the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to c Rule the Congregation of God which he hath purchased with his blood Of the many Elders who in common thus ruled the Church of Ephesus there was one President whom our Saviour in his Epistle unto this Church in a peculiar manner stileth d the Angell of the Church of Ephesus and Ignatius in another Epistle written about twelve yeares after unto the same Church calleth the Bishop thereof Betwixt the Bishop and the Presbytery of that Church what an harmonius consent there was in the ordering of the Church-Government the same Ignatius doth fully there declare by the Presbytery with e Saint Paul understanding the Community of the rest of the Presbyters or Elders who then had a hand not onely in the delivery of the Doctrine and Sacraments but also in the Administration of the Discipline of Christ for further proof of which we have that known testimony of Tertullian in his general Apology for Christians f In the Church are used exhortations chastisements and divine censure for judgement is given with great advice as among those who are certain they are in the sight of God and in it is the chiefest foreshewing of the judgement which is to come if any man have so offended that he be banished from the communion of prayer and of the Assembly and of all holy fellowship The Presidents that bear rule therein are certain approved Elders who have obtained this honour not by reward but by good report who were no other as he himself intimates elsewhere but g those from whose hands they used to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist For with the Bishop who was the chiefe President and therefore stiled by the same Tertullia● in another place h Summus Sacerdos for distinction sake the rest of the dispensers of the Word and Sacraments joyned in the common Government of the Church and therefore where in matters of Ecclesiasticall Judicature Cornetius Bishop of Rome used the received forme of i gathering together the Presbytery of what persons that did consist Cyprian sufficiently declareth when he wisheth him to read his Letters k to the flourishing Clergy which there did preside or rule with him The presence of the Clergy being thought to bee so requisite in matters of Episcopall audience that in the fourth Counc●ll of C 〈…〉 ge it was concluded l That the Bishop might hear no mans cause without the presence of 〈◊〉 Clergy and that otherwise the 〈…〉 ops sentence should be void unlesse it were confirmed by the presence of the Clergy which we find also to be inserted into the Canons of m Egbert who was Arch-Bishop of York in the Saxon times and afterwards into the body of the n Cannon Law it self True it is that in our Church this kinde of Presbyterial Government hath been long disused yet seeing it still professeth that every Pastor hath a right to rule the Church from whence the mame of Rector also was given at first unto him and to administer the Discipline of Christ as well as to dispense the Doctrine and Sacraments and the restraint of the exercise of that right proceedeth onely from the custome now received in this Realm no man can doubt but by another Law of the Land this hinderance may be well removed And how easily this ancient form of Government by the united suffrages of the Clergy might be 〈…〉 ved again and with what lit 〈…〉 〈…〉 ew of alteration the Synodical conventions of the Pasters of every Parish might be accorded with the Presidency of the Bishops of each Diocese and Province the indifferent Reader may quickly perceive by the perusal of the ensuing Propositions I. In every Parish the Rector or Incumbent Pastor together with the Church-Wardens and Sides-men may every week take notice of such as live scandalously in that Congregation who are to receive such several admonitions and reproofs as the quality of their offence shall deserve And if by this means they cannot be reclaimed they may be presented to the next monethly Synod and in the mean time debarred by the Pastor from accesse unto the Lords Table II. Whereas by a Statute in the six and twentieth year of King Henry the eighth revived in the first year of Queen Elizabeth Suffragans are appointed to be erected in 26 several places of this Kingdom the number of them might very well be conformed unto the number of the several Rural Deanries into which every Diocese is subdivided which being