contains the Law and the Gospel the killing letter and the reviving spirit others interpret the Rod to signifie the Government and Discipline of the Church as the Manna the Doctrine of Christ and food that came down from heaven I take it to signifie both and both answers my purpose if both be therein contained neither must be touch'd but by the Priests themselves neither must we confine this prohibition to the Priests of the Law only but we must extend it also to the Ministers of the Gospel both which were typified by the two Cherubims or Ministring Angels of the Almighty these Ministers or Angels though opposite to one another yet they both lookt alike and neither of them upon one another but both of them upon the Ark that was between them there was mutuality in their looks and their wings touch'd one another so though the Ministers of the Law and the Gospel seem opposite in the Administration of the same grace yet they must come so near as to touch one another in the manner of the Administration exempli gratiâ as there was in the old Law High Priests Priests and Levites so in the new Law Bishops Presâ—yters and Deacons as none but Priests were to touch the Ark so none but the Ministers should reform the Church Thus much for Government Now for Episcopacy the question then concerning Episcopacy will be whether or no Jure Divino one Minister which answers to all names and sorts of Church-men and Church-Officers whatsoever may not exercise jurisdiction and power over many Ministers within such a place or territory If this be granted the Bishops ask no more if it be denyed how then did Christ Jesus Bishop of our souls give orders and directions to his twelve Apostles and taught them how they should behave themselves throughout this Diocese the whole World How did St. Paul exercise jurisdiction over Timothy and Titus who were both Bishops and how did these two Bishops exercise jurisdiction over all the Ministers of Creet and Ephesus was not this by Divine Institution If I find by Divine Writ that Christ laid the foundation of his Church in himself alone being over all the Apostles and if I find that these Apostles every Apostle by himself in imitation of our Saviour accordingly exercised jurisdiction and authority over many Ministers which were under them and commanded others to do the like as Paul Timothy and Titus and if I find the practice of the Church all along through the whole tract of time to continue the like Discipline shall not I believe this Discipline to be Jure Divino except Christ sends down a new conje deslier from heaven upon the election of every new Bishop Christ lays the foundation we build upon it he gives us the Model we follow the Pattern the Church is built is not this by Divine Right because he doth not lay the several stones with his own hands Christ promised that he would be alwaies with his Church and that he would send his holy spirit amongst them which should lead them into all truth so that the gates of Hell should not prevail against it but if Episcopacy â—e Anti-Christian then the gates of Hell have not only prevailed against it a long time but all along As all Judgments are given in the Kings Name and all Records run Rege praesente though the King be not there in person but in power so the universal and un-interrupted and continued and generally received Discipline of his holy Catholick Church which Church we are bound to believe by the Apostolical Creed is Christo praesente Ergo Jure Divino though Christ be not there in person but in power which power he conferr'd upon those who were to be his Successours which were called Apostles As my Father sent me so send I you and he that heareth you heareth me and loe I will be with you alwaies unto the end of the world surely this Discipliâ—â— of one over many call it what you will is to descend and continue unto the end of the World Object But it may be objected How can you prove that Christ commanded any such thing or that Christ gave to the Apostles any such power as to make Successors in their steads with a warrant for it to continue from age to age Sol. Where do you find that Christ gave the Sacrament to any but his Disciples drink ye all of this but they were all Apostles to whom he said so where did you find that Christ administred the Sacrament or commanded it to be administred unto any Lay-men or women therefore is not the Sacrament given unto them Jure Divino because the words were left out in the conveyance When there grew a disputation concerning Divorcements Christ sends us to the Original Sic autem non fuit ab initio if Christs rule be good then the Bishops are well enough for they may say concerning Episcopacy I mean one over many and that safely too sic erat ab origine Some are very unwilling that this Episcopacy should be intail'd by Christ upon his Apostles and their successors out of these words Mat. 28.20 I will be with you alwaies to the end of the world they will not have it to mean in their successors but the meaning to be this I will 〈◊〉 with you alwaies unto the end of the world that is to say in the efficacy and power of my word and Gospel to all ages why may it not signifie this and that too that it doth one is no argument but that it may do both God made all things in number weight and measure and will you slight his word shall sensus factus thrust our sensus destinatus out of Scriptures the first Ministers of the Gospel must be adâ—equate to the first Minister of the Law and behold the same Method observed in both their Institutions what difference is there between Christ's words to his Disciples I am with you alwaies unto the end of the world Mat. 28.20 and Gods words unto Aaron at his setting him apart for the High Priests Office This shall be a Statute for ever unto thee and to thy seed after thee Exod. 28.43 Certainly if the Gospel be nothing else but the Law revealed and the Law be nothing else but the Gospel hidden whatsoever is written or said of the Ministers of the one must needs have reference to the Ministers of the other and I shall desire you to look a little back upon the words which God said to Aaron when God speaks of the seed of Aaron he only maketh mention of the seed after him but when he speaks of the Statute he saith it shall be for ever if I do not flatter my own judgment that tells me that this Statute of High Priesthood or Episcopacy call it what you will must have heirs after the seed of Abraham is expired and did not the Catholick Church all along call the receiving of the Holy-Ghost the order of Priest-hood did ever
the Christians shambles I should be sorry that Holland should be the English-mans Looking-glass a spur for his feet or a copy for his hand I hope the hand of Providence will cure us like the Physician who cur'd his Patient by improving his disease from a gentle Ague to a high Feaver that he might the better help him CHAP. XV. That Episcopacy is Jure Divino IN this Discourse I shall not trouble my self nor you with Titles Names and words of Apostles Evangelists Arch-bishops Bishops Patriarchs Presbyters Ministers Angels of Churches c. which were all from the highest to the lowest but tearms reciprocal and were often taken in the Church of God and in the Scripture it self for one and the same for if any man though never so mean a Minister of the Gospel converted any Nation the Church ever called him the Apostle of that Country as Austin though but a Monk was every where tearmed the Apostle of England and St. Paul being an Apostle stiles himself a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Paul bids Timothy being a Bishop to do the work of an Evangelist and therefore no wonder if Bishops and Presbyters be often mentioned for one and the same but it is a great wonder that any manner of men should make this a ground for any argument against Episcopacy these kind of arguments instead of striking fire that should light the candle they do but pin napkins over our eyes and turn us round until we know not where we are and then we grope for we know not who and lay hold of we know not what he that will cut down this over-grown up-start-tree of error must first clear his way to the root and brush away all those brambles and briers which grow about it we must not leave any thing standing that may lay hold of the hatchet and deviate the stroke turning the same edge upon the feller that was intended for the tree if we should insist upon names and titles we should make but a confounded piece of work and run our selves into a most inextricable labyrinth and Mazes of error where we might run and go forwards and backwards and round about and ne're the near Christs are Kings Kings are Gods God is Christ and Christ is Bishop of our souls Bishops are Presbyters Presbyters are Ministers a Minister is an Apostle an Apostle is a Minister and so if you will quite back again I must put off these as David threw away Sauls Armour non possum incedere cum iis I love to knock down this mâ—nstrum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum with a blunt stone taken out of a clear River which with the sling of application may serve well enough to slay this erroneous Philistine though he were far greater than he iâ— In the first place therefore let us understand what is meant by Jus Diviâ—um if any man means that Episcopacy is so Jure Divino that it is unalterable and must continue at all times and in all places so that where it is left off there can be no Church he means to give much offence and little reason for there is no question but the Church may alter their own Government so that it be left to themselves to alter as they shall think most convenient as well as alter the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first of the week or as well as they chang'd immersion into aspersion of the baptised and many other things which carried as much Jus Divinum with them as Episcopacy and yet were chang'd The Jus Divinum that is in Episcopal Government doth not consist in the Episcopacy but in the Government be it Episcopal or what it will but where the Government is Episcopal no question but there Episcopal Government is Jure Divino because a Government and if it were otherwise that Government into which Episcopacy degenerateth would be Jure Divino as well as it provided that none touch this Ark of the Church but the Priests themselves for if the hand which belongs to the same body pull the hat from off the head the man loses not his right only he stands in a more humble posture but he is in aâ— strong possession of his own right as when 't was on his head but if another hand should chance to pull it off the party stands disgracefully depriv'd of his highest Right and Ornament So if Episcopal Government of the Church be put down or altered by Church-men themselves the Jus Divinum is but removed from the Supremacy of one and fastened in the stronger hold of many members for this is a Maxim that admits no postern power never falls to the ground neither in Church nor State but look what one lets fall another takes up before ever it comes to ground wherefore losing nothing they keep their own but whether this power in Church or State in the point of convenience be better in the hands of one or many let whose will look to that that 's not my work neither the names of Governments nor the numbers of Governours shall ever be able to fright away this Jus Divinum out of the Church Government be the Government what it will bene visum fuit spiritui sancto nobis keeps in the Jus Divinum be the Government never so altered whereas forbidden and improper hands actions as unusual as unwarrantable le ts out this Jus Diviâ—â—â— when they have changed it to what they can imagine now whether or no it be proper for a Lay-Parliament or a Representative of Lay-men by the power of the Sword declining the Kings Authority will and pleasure who was appointed by God to be a nursing Father of his Church to alter Church-Government so Antient so begun by Christ himself in his own person over so many Apostles so practis'd by the Apostles over others so continued all along I mean Episcopacy that is to say one Minister constituted an Overseer of many and to lay hold upon tumults and insurrections to pull down these Overseers and for men who in such cases should be governed by the Church to pull down the Church-Government without any the least consent of the Church Governours I leave it for the World to judge only my one opinion is this That any Government thus set up or by such practices as these altered must needs be so far from being Jure Divino that it must needs be Jure Diabolico But it may be objected that if they should have stayed until the Bishops had altered themselves they might have styed long enough to which it may be answered that had the Bishops been but as poor as Job there would have been no such hast to change their cloaths The Ark was a type of the Church and whatsoever was literally commanded concerning the type must be Analogically observed in the thing typified God sate in the Mercy-Seat that was over the Ark the Ark contained within it Aarons Rod and a pot of Manna so the Church
any record above seven years date call it making of Ministers and why are they angry with the word Priest Is it because the Prophet Isaiah Prophecying of the Glory of Christs Church tells us we shall be named Priests of the Lord but that men shall call us Ministers of God Isa. 61.6 If the Ministration of the Law be glorious shall not the Ministration of the Gospel be much more glorious 2 Cor. 1.3 and shall the Ministers of the same Gospel be less glorious When you see a man that cannot abide to see anothers glory you may be sure he is no kin to him or very far off so you may be assâ—red that these are no true sons of the Church noâ—â—o right Children who think a Chair too great state for their Fathers to sit in In the Apostles time these Bishops or if you will Superintendents which are all in one signification only a good Greek word chang'd by Mr. John Calvin into a bad Latin word were stiled Embassadors of the Almighty Stars of Heaven Angels of the Church c. but now these Embassadours are used like Vagabonds these Stars are not Stars but fallings and the Angels are no where to be found but ascending and descending Jacobs Ladder whilst this reputation was given unto the Church and its Officers the Stones of its building were in unity but as it is now it seems no otherwise than as a Corps kept under ground seemingly intire but once touch'd soon falls to dust and ashes Never was there such a Monster as this ruling and thus constituted Presbytery the Father of it Rebellion the Mother Insurrection the Midwife Sacriledge the Nurse Covetousness the Milk Schism the Coats Armour the Rattle Drums a Bloudy Sword the Coral Money the Babies that it delights to play withal it grows up to be a stripling and goes to School to a Council of War its Lesson is on the Trumpet its Fescue a Pistol its going out of School in Rank and File its Play-daies the daies of Battail and Black-munday the day of Judgment it comes of age and is Married with a Solemn League and Covenant it begets Children like it self whose blessing upon them is the power of the Sword and whose Imposition of hands are broken pates This Monster cries down this truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolick power which the Bishops exercised and then takes it up again and uses it themselves in a higher nature than ever any Bishops or Apostles themselves did or durst have done even to the Excommunication and Deposement of their Kings to the delivering of them up unto Satan and to Hang-men if they stood but in their way to whom the Apostles taught submission how faulty so ever they were and if not obedience yet submission to every one of their Ordinances if not for their own sakes yet for the Lords sake and for Conscience sake these men cry down the same authority as Popish whilst they exalt themselves above all that are called Gods in a higher manner than ever any Pope of Rome ever yet did We will begin with this Monster in the very place of its Nativity and so observe him all along through the whole tract of time we will consider how it dealt with the first Prince under whose Dominions it pullulated which was under the Prince and Bishop of Geneva and these two were both nullified in the same person as they were both here in England by the same Parliament verifying that Maxim of ours with that fore-running of theirs No Bishop No King and then we will shew you how they dealt with our Princes here at home where ever they had a power viz. with Mary Queen of Scots and James and Charles the First Kings of England and of Scotland both and then usurp a power themselves higher than Popes or Kings Calvin with his gladiators having expuls'd the Prince and Bishop of Geneva setâ— up a Government so high and unexpected that the people would have nothing to do either with him or his Government and thereupon they banished him the City Calvin in exile bethinks himself how he might appease their fury and give them satisfaction and be invited in again Calvinus de tristibus thinks it his best course of endearing himself unto the people to make them sharers with him in the Government whereupon he invented his new fangle of Lay-Elders and so all parties were agreed In comes Mr. John Calvin whilst he was scarce warm in his seat I shall present you with a story of him and of his demeanour of himself towards the temporal Throne There was a Noble-man of Italy who liked the Reformation which he had begun so well that he forsook his Religion and Country sold his Lands and Fortune converted all into money and took Sanctuary in Geneva as soon as he came there great rejoycing and insulting there was that their cause was honoured with so high a Convert The grand Seigniour falls a building directing his Masons he found one of them something more sawcy than to what his Lordship in his own Country had been accustomed little thinking that where there was promised so large a respect of souls there had been so little respect of persons this Noble-man hereupon gives this Mason a gentle tap upon the head the Mason flies upon him like a Drâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 shakes him by the 〈◊〉 my Lord not being used to such course salutations stabs him with his Dagger thinking nothing less but that so high a provocation would have pleaded his indempnity no such matter my Lord was soon laid hold on and brought to his Trial Calvin upon the Tribunal not as a Temporal Judge in such cases take heed of him but only to be asked his opinion in cases of Conscience the Delinquent pleads for himself tells them how insolently he was provoked and wonders considering such provocation he should be questioned for so vile a varlet Hereupon Mr. Calvin soon starts up and tells him that with God whose seat they held there was no respect of persons and for ought he knew that man whom he despls'd to death was as near and dear to God and his favour as himself their Laws knew no such distinction as Man-slaughter and Murder but they were regulated by the Divine Law that told them that the man that sheds mans blood by man shall his blood be shed that there was no exemption by greatness nor buying it off by favour the Noble-man replyed that he had not been long enough amongst them to be acquainted with their Laws it was answered that the Law of nature did forbid that of which he could not be ignorant all this was well enough My Lord told them how hard a case it would be that a man out of his love and liking to the place and manners should seek to it as a sanctuary for his conscience and so soon find it his grave that he was heartily sorry for what he had done and would give any satisfaction to his wife and children that the Court
in it they Pray'd and Preach'd and Writ against it tasted and pray'd for a diversion of all such intentions but I pray who took the Scepter out of his hand in taking away the Militia of which it was an Emblem that should have defended him was it not the Presbyterians who cast down his Throne by taking away his Negative voice was it not the Presbyterians who took off his Crown the fountain of Honour from off his Head by denying those honour on whom he had confer'd it without them was it not the Presbyterian Who took away his Supremacy signified by the Sacred Unction wherewith he was Anointed in not allowing him the Liberty of his own Conscience in the point of Episcopacy and Church-Government was it not the Presbyterian Who would not Treat a minute with their King before they had made him acknowledge himself guilty as they say of all the blood that had been spilt throughout his Dominions was it not the Presbyterian Who notwithstanding all the Concessions on his part that could be granted even to the very grating his Princely Conscience when he bid them ask flesh from off his bones and he would not deny it them if it might have been a benefit unto his people prayed that he might keep his Conscience whole it was the Queen Regent of all good mens actions and he hoped there were none would force this Queen before him in his house as Ahasuerus said to Haman voted not satisfactory so long until the Independent Army came from Edenborough and surpriz'd and murdred him was it not the Presbyterians He that said the Presbyterians held him down by the hair while the Independents cut off his Head said true enough they murdered him as a King before ever they murdered him as a man for what may the Independent say to the Presbyter if you 'l take off his Authority we 'l take off his Head if you 'l make him no King we 'l make him no Body if you 'l make him a man of blood we 'l use him accordingly therefore at your doors O Presbyterian Hypocrites do I lay his innocent blood it is but like the rest of your actions committed by your Ancestors to former Princes alâ— along One thing I pray you well observe There was never any Reformed Church in Christendom but when they shook off their Bishops they made their Apologies to all the Christian World how they were necessitated to alter that Ancient and best form of Government of the Church by Bishops in regard that they could not be drawn off from their obedience and dependance on the Pope of Rome and if possible they would retain that laudable Government as most convenient but never were there any Reformers in the World but ours that ever held Episcopacy to be unlawful and Anti christian before and will you know the reason which is only this the Bishops what they receive they lay down at his Majesties feet as acknowledging him to be Supreme in all cases when they would have him to be Supreme in no case as Buch. de jure Regni plainly tells us that Princes are no more but the Proxies and Attorneys of the people and yet for all this the Authority which they hold to be as Anti-christian in the Chair they practise as most Christian on the Bench and much improve it These Monsters that they may the better cry down the Divine Right that is in Episcopacy and descended to them from the Apostles tell us that the calling of the Apostles was extraordinary and died with them to make answer to which assertion we must consider how many waies a thing may be taken to be extraordinary and if we find that it may be taken so many waies if we can prove a thing extraordinary one way we must not take it to be extraordinary in every respect exempli gratiâ Saul was extraordinarily called by God because immediately by him but this doth not make the calling of Kings to be an extraordinary calling for that succeeded so the Apostles were extraordinarily called by God as not being called out of the Tribe of Levi nor taken from the feet of Gamaliel nor brought up in the schools of the Prophets yet this doth not follow that the calling of the Apostles should be extraordinary for they had their successors It may be extraordinary à parte ante but not à parte post only in regard of the manner of their election but not in regard of the nature of their commission they were called Apostles in regard of their Mission not in respect of their Commission which which was no more but what Bishops had neither doth the word Apostle signifie so great Authority as doth the word Bishop the one betokening but a Messenger the other an Overseer and therefore there is no extraordinariness hitherto that they should not be extraordinary 2. A man may be said to be extraordinary in regard of some extraordinary gifts and endowments which God hath given unto a man as unto the Apostles the gift of tongues of healing c. but this doth no way make the calling extraordinary for then it would follow that if God Almighty should give unto any ordinary Minister extraordinary gifts then his calling should be extraordinary or that the calling of Kings should be an extraordinary calling because God bestows on some Kings the extraordinary gift of healing 3. It may be further urg'd the calling of the Apostles was an extraordinary calling because they were pen-men of the Holy-Ghost and in regard that the Holy-Ghost sat upon each of them no that doth not make it extraordinary quoad nos that it should not descend for other Divines and Evangelists were pen-men of the Holy-Ghost as well as they therefore what was not extraordinary to themselves cannot be extraordinary to us 4. For their receiving the Holy-Ghost it is no otherwise but what all Bishops Pastors and Curates do receive when they receive Orders Receive ye the Holy Ghost only the difference is this they received it by the sitting of cloven tongues and they by impâ—sition of hands but still the extraordinaries consist in the manner but not the matter of the thing received so that all the while there is no reason why this calling of the Apostles should be so extraordinary as that it should not descend If Christ promised to be with his Apostles unto the end of the World and they did not continue unto the end of the World surely I should think without any straining at Gnats or swallowing of Cammels that the meaning of our Saviours words should be this that he would be with those in the assistance of his holy spirit that should succeed the Apostles in their Offices of supervising his Church and propagation of his Gospel except I should see more reason than I do yet why the Apostles calling should be so peculiar that it must not descend or that the Government of one over many be so inconsistent with the Church her good in