Churches to Bishops Lib 5. Epist ad Evag. They therefore as Saint Hierom saith were the Successors of the Apostles And succeed them they did not only in the government of the Church but also in its daily Ministration thence no doubt it is that Saint Paul requires a Bishop should be apt to teach 1 Tim 3 2. and gives Bishop Timothy direction about himself and his doctrine 1 Tim 4.16 the worship of God 1 Tim 2.12 and prayers of the Church These things were looked on as so peculiarly the Bishops duty as that in the Apostles Canons if they be theirs the Bishop is said to be intrusted with the people of the Lord Can 39. and an account of their souls shall be required from him And therefore by another of the same Canons it is provided that the Bishop should take the care of the Clergy and people to teach them Piety Can 58. And the Council of Carthage decreed Can. 122. 124. that the Bishops should not neglect the people pertaining to them If then in those early dayes of the Gospel Epaphras were Bishop of Colosse it seems that he was not only to govern and exercise discipline but also to perform all other Ministerial offices among them and so doubtless he did while he was present with them but at the Writing of this Epistle he was not at home but with Saint Paul at Rome The occasion of his so being it seems was thus there were some crept in among the Colossians very apt to beguile them with inticing words whereby they mixed Philosophy with Theology Cap 2. and confounded Christ with Moses insomuch that the Church of Colosse was in great danger of being corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ hereupon their good Bishop Epaphras resolved upon a voyage to Rome to declare to Saint Paul at that time a prisoner there the faith and order that he had setled among the Colossians together with the sentiments of the Innovators that so he might obtain this Epistle to confirm the Faith of wavering Christians and extirpate the seeds of Heresie and Schism that were sown among them Now during his absence it seems to me most probable that he had appointed Archippus to be his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Vicar or Vicegerent Not that Archippus had Episcopal Authority in its full extent and latitude but that in Epaphras his place and stead he was at that time the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at Colosse the Provost or President in all their religious Assemblies one that took care of and had the greatest part to perform in the worship of God among them and this I think was the Ministery whereunto he was to take heed and that is the next thing to be considered The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word of one that would strike terror or at least caution into his hearer as when Saint Paul saith to the Philippians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.2 and to the Colossians Col. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Corinthians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 8.9 c. and thus saith he the Apostle every where speaketh when he would put men in fear or make them cautious The duty then that in this sense be requires of Archippus is to be solicitous and cautious least by any means he should neglect his Ministery That neither the necessities of his body nor the exigences of his family that neither the ease or pleasure of his flesh the pride or elation of his mind the curiosities of science or delights of humane learning much less should the profits or riches the pomps and luxuries the dignities or promotions or any other cologuing vanities of the world call him off from his Ministery Not that Archippus should weaken his body by neglecting it or be worse than an Infidel in not providing for his family nor need he to think himself destined to poverty or doomed to perpetual melancholy by his office as if either his Religion or that were a contradiction to Nature and tyed him up from the regular and sober enjoyment of Gods blessings in the midst of opportunities of enjoying as if all that is delightful in this state of imperfection and mortality were by a kind of envy in providence sealed up from him under the Character of unlawful or interdicted with a touch not tast not handle not No surely Archippus need not be so nice or squeamish but he should know that though all things are lawful to him yet all things are not expedient though all things be lawful for him 1 Cor. 6.12 yet he should not be brought under the power of any He should so untack his soul from matter and set his heart so loose from all earthly enjoyments as that no inordinate appetite might either enslave him to them or engage him in offensive or undecent pursuit of them or divert him from the work of his Ministery And as not the allurements of the world on the one hand so neither the discouragements he found on the other should make him neglect his Ministery neither narrowness of fortune or destitution of friends neither meanness of condition or despair of amendment in it no nor yet persecutions or the justest fear of death itself much less might the infidelity of Atheists or contradictions of sinners the slanders and dishonest dealings of some or the perverse disputings of others neither the artifices of Seducers or the petulance of their followers no nor yet should lukewarmness or coldness heedlesness or affected ignorance or any untoward untractable temper in the Colossians no nor yet contempt of his person gifts or office among them should ever make Archippus unmindful of his Ministery But he should so buoy up his Spirits and affiance in God his zeal for him and obligations unto him as that with an holy magnanimity and gallantry of mind he may remove some and despise other discouragements in the exercise of his Ministery Neither is that all For certainly this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports inspection into the Ministery and serious consideration of it such as disposed Archippus to fit and prepare himself for the fulfilling of it For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes such an intention of the mind as casts and fixeth the eyes upon their object Thus the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not one that barely sees Mat 5.28 but one that doth behold consider and look upon a Woman with some intention and earnestness And thus when Saint Paul said to the Ephesians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his meaning is that they should do their endeavour Ephes 5.15 and give diligence to walk circumspectly Thus also here when he saith to Archippus Take heed i.e. attend unto and consider thy Ministery do not shut thine eyes upon it or turn them away from it but look upon it with care and consideration give thy mind and bend thy study
his Monitors but oblige them to be his followers He especially subjects them to him for they could no longer complain of him for severity to them when they themselves had given up themselves in all things unto him to stop their mouths he writes these things unto them in ver 17. saith St. Chrysostom Hereby then it seems that the end and design of this charge was not that the Colossians might admonish Archippus but that they should declare their good affection submit themselves unto and unanimously hold communion with him in the exercise of his ministry among them And this at that time was an office of Charity very decent and seasonable for St. Paul to enjoyn and for the Colossians to perform as well as for Archippus to receive from them for it was the readiest way that could be to extirpate the seeds of Heresie and Schism that were sown among them and to make them keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace And for this cause in this sense it would be neither ungrateful to us nor unseasonable for our Congregations respectively to say to us as the Colossians to Archippus but alas such is the Atheism and profaness or else the factious humor of our age as that most men are now more apt either to cast off all respect and reverence to their authorized Teachers or else to say to the little foxes that spoil our vines rather than to us Take heed to the Ministery which you have received in the Lord that you fulfil it And this leads me to The Second part of my Text viz. Archippus his duty Take heed to the Ministery that thou fulfill it In which words we must consider two things viz. First his Ministery and then his Duty As for Archippus his Ministery it is not very easie to determine what it was among the Colossians because S. Paul useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.13 some think he was but a Deacon but this is so slender and inconclusive an argument as that they may as well say He was an Apostle because St. Paul calls his own office by that name Others because it seems St. Ambrose saith so think he was Bishop of Coloss but this cannot well be granted neither for it is more probably thought that at that time not Archippus but Epaphras was Bishop in that City St. Paul himself hath laid the foundation of this conjecture for he calls Epaphras his dear fellow-servant Cap. 1 7. and tells the Colossians He is for them a faithful Minister of Christ whereby it is plain He was not an Evangelist only in planting the Gospel but that he was a settled Minister or at least designed so to be among them and since he was St. Paul's dear fellow-servant it is probable he was advanced above the inferiour sort of the Clergy even to the Apostolical Dignity Hom. ult in Col. for so Saint Chrysostome saith of him But this could not be but by the communication of the ordinary part of the Apostolical Office unto him which was not to convert Infidels but to teach and govern those that were converted to the Faith This was and still is the Office of a Bishop Thence I conceive it was that the Primitive Bishops because of their participation of the Apostolical Office were sometimes called Apostles thus Epaphroditus was the Apostle of the Philippians Titus of the Cretians and Timothy of the Asiatick Christians Apud Hammond dissert 4. c. 3. sect 24. p. 186. as Theodoret it seems testifies very fully And thus 't is like that Epaphras was the Apostle i. e. the Bishop of the Colossians and so I find by Baronius that some ancient Martyrologies say expresly Ad an Ch. 60. that he was and if so because it was inconsistent with the Primitive Constitutions that there should be more than one Bishop in one City it must be concluded that Archippus his Ministery was but the Office of a Priest or Presbyter yet at that time his Duty I think was somewhat enlarged the Cure he had to supply the Work he had to do was somewhat greater than ordinary That you may perceive the reason both of Saint Paul's charge and of this mine opinon pray be pleased to observe That in those places where the Apostles constituted Bishops the whole work of the Ministery was devolved upon them and their respective Deacons Thence peradventure it was that Aerius took occasion to say That a Bishop and a Presbyter are the same But Epiphanius takes him up very sharply and tells him That being ignorant of the consequence of Truth and having not read the profoundest Histories he had not known that when the Gospel had been preached but a little while the holy Apostle wrote as occasion required where there were Bishops then constituted he wrote to the Bishops and Deacons and it may be to others elsewhere For saith he the Apostles could not presently constitute and settle all things on a sudden for there was need of Presbyters and Deacons that by these two the Ecclesiastical Orders might be compleat but where there was no person found fitting for the Episcopal Office there the place remained without a Bishop but where there was need and there were some worthy of that Office there were Bishops constituted but while Believers were but few in number there were no Priests or Presbyters found among them they were content with only a Bishop in the place but without a Deacon a Bishop could not well be the holy Apostle therefore took care that there should be Deacons to assist the Bishop in the work of the Ministery Thus far Epiphanius whereby it seems that the Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons were from the beginning all instituted by the Apostles but not all in all places of the Church where there were none found fitting to be Bishops the places remained without any yet very unlikely it is that there were none appointed among the Christians in those places to guide their feet in the way of Peace in all probability therefore the Doctrine of the Church and the Worship of God was taught and upheld by the Ministery of Priests or Presbyters among them But in greater places where there was need of Ecclesiastical Discipline as well as of Doctrine and Worship if there were any found fitting to be intrusted with it as doubtless there was in most if not all Cities there were Bishops constituted and these Bishops with the assistance of Deacons while the number of Believers was not great in those places without any intermediate Presbyters undertook not only the Regiment of the Church but the daily performance of all its Offices Thence no doubt it was that long before Epiphanius Clemens Romanus observed Ad Cor p. 54. That the Apostles preaching the Word in Cities and Countreys constituted the First-fruits of their Ministery to be Bishops and Deacons of thâ—m that should believe It seems then the Apostles as Irenaeus saith did deliver their
parts viz. 1. Saint Paul's Charge 2. Archippus his Duty 3. The reason of it I begin with Saint Paul's charge And say to Archippus but who must say to Archippus the Colossians but had they power to admonish their Minister Yes saith Calvin Saint Paul might have admonished him in his own private name but he enjoyns this on the Colossians that they might know that they also ought to give incitement to their Pastour if they see him cold and the Pastour should not refuse admonition from the Church In Loc. But what admonition must he submit unto take an Answer from Pareus who among other porismata draws these two from these words 1. The Church hath right to admonish or also to reprove and depose its Minister that keeps not within the bounds of his Office either by neglecting it or not rightly performing it 2. The Pastour ought to submit himself to the mature judgement of the Church and humbly acknowledge from whom he hath received his Office But I pray what Church is this whereunto the Pastour must submit himself and make his humble acknowledgements why here we are left to guess only our Author tells us A small Assembly deserves the name of a Church Had he thought fit to have spoken plainly 't is manifestly most likely he would have said that by the Church he understood a Presbyterian Consistory for this Church whatever it be in it self must needs have the government on its shoulder and in contradistinction to its Pastour it must needs consist either of the Laity or inferiour Officers or joyntly of both To these then it is that they ascribe right to admonish reprove and depose their Pastour But surely Saint Paul hath taught them no such thing for not only the Examination and Ordination but also the Admonition Suspension and Deposition of Ministers he hath reserved as appears very fully by his Epistles to Timothy and Titus to such as they were i. e. to Bishops Thus surely the Primitive Church understood him for not only by divers of those Canons Can. 32 37 â—4 Conc. Nic. Can. 5. Conc. Const Can. 6. Conc. Ephes Can. 5. Conc. Chaâ—c Can. 8 9. which are said to be the Apostles but also by the Fifth Canon of the First the Sixth of the Second the Fifth of the Third the Eighth and the Ninth of the Fourth general Council all the Censures of the Church or the exercise of Ecclesiastical Discipline was put into the hands of the Bishops In matters Ecclesiastical no Lay-men except the Emperour were to judge the Clergy all others were allowed only to be Witnesses against them nor were they allowed that neither while they were under sentence of Excommunication or the imputation of Heresie Conc. Constant Can 6. Schisme or any other grievous crime But in case any thing were objected by credible persons against any Clergy-man under the Order of a Bishop the Bishop of the Diocess was to judge of it and inflict punishment for it but in case the party accused did not acquiesce in the Censure of his Diocesan there was liberty of Appeal to a Provincial Synod i. e. to a Synod wherein all the Bishops of the Province were to be gathered together for the examination and decision of such Controversies which Provincial Synod the first Council of Nice appointed to be held twice in a year Can. 5. Although afterwards by reason of the incursions of barbarous Nations and other causes incident these Synods were held but once in the year yet from that time till the year 1541. or thereabouts Concil in Trullo can 8. when Calvin's platform first drew breath at Geneva I cannot finde it was ever appointed that Ministers for matters appertaining to their Office should be admonished much less deposed by the Laity or the Clergy in their own Churches inferiour to them If then that had been the Discipline appointed by Christ and here required by Saint Paul how wonderful a thing is it that the Church so soon after their departure out of the World should change it for another Very strange and almost impossible it is that the whole Church of Christ for above a thousand years together should either wholly forget my Text or else be ignorant of its meaning or so petulantly wicked as to suppress and act contrary to it yet so it seems it was till the World was blessed with such Comments as those before mentioned whereby the people may understand their priviledge to teach and admonish their Teachers and to contend with Gods Ministers in matters too high for their capacities But we have not so learned to expound the holy Scripture Observe therefore that this Charge of Saint Paul concerning Archippus is ushered in with the copulative Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which I think is seldom or never so used as to joyn Words and Sentences together which have no connection in Nature or Signification if so then thence it may probably be conjectured that the Charge in this Verse is connected in its kind or nature as well as scituation with that that we find immediatly foregoing and what is that why it is another charge that Saint Paul gives concerning this Epistle now written and another whatever it was from Laodicea that this should be read in the Church of the Laodiceans and that that should be read in the Church of the Colossians The designed end of this Charge manifestly is to uphold Communion between these two Churches that they might edifie each other in love Saint Chrysostome therefore bids his Reader see how he glues and joyns them together In ver 16. not only by salutations but also by the mutual exhibition of Epistles this he does not do rashly but that he might draw others to the study of the same things Hereunto the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 connects the charge in my Text think ye then that this hath no affinity with that That that should tend to the sweet and pleasant imploy of promoting Charity and Communion but this to the sowr ungrateful work of admonition which we know from inferiours is for the most part more apt to engender anger than to produce amendment that St. Paul should require the Colossians to hold Communion with the Laodiceans their fellow-Christians somewhat remote from them and then in the very next line charge them to admonish yea it may be chide with and depose Archippus their Minister that laboured or at least lived among them how unlikely a thing is it that he should couple such charges together No saith St. Chrysostom it was unreasonable to appoint the disciples to admonish their Teacher When Solomon charged his Son to say unto Wisdom Prov. 7.4 Thou art my Sister did he thereby constitute his Son to be wisdoms Monitor No surely he only enjoyned him to love and adhere to her to be ruled guided by her so here when St. Paul charges the Colossians to say to Archippus he means not to make them