TRIPLE EPISCOPACIE OR A THREE-FOLD ORDER OF BISHOPS One of GOD another of MEN and another of the DIVELL the two later must be pluckt up the former only must continue and the Reasons why With a declaration of certaine other weighty points concerning the Discipline and Government of the Church Matth. 15. 13. Every plant which mine heavenly Father hath not planted should be rooted up Of God bible Of Man Seruice book Of the Divell Supâ—â—sticion Loe here are three men standing in degree The least of these the greatest ought to be The other two of men and of the Devill Ought to be rooted out for ere as evill Printed and are to be sold by SAMVEL SATTERTHVVAIT at his house 〈…〉 A three-fold Episcopacie We must needs make three Bishops 1. Of God 2. Of MAN 3. Of the DIVELL BIshops ordained of God or set up by the Law of God doth declare nothing else but their calling which by another more speciall name are called Pastors whom saith Luke the holy Ghost hath appointed Bishops to feed the Church of God And either of these names of Pastor or of Bishop is proper to them in the new Testament whereby the Apostle doth distinguish them from Apostles Prophets and Euangelists which were callings to endure for a time Ephes 4. 11. and from Deacons 1 Tim. 3. Phil. 1. 1. for otherwise they are every where called Elders and Paul doth call his Apostleship a Deaconship Rom. 11. 13. But they are called Bishops in regard of the sheepe committed unto them as though a man should call them Watchmen of overseers These now were one alone as where any Church but one Pastor or more if the Church had more than one And the meeting of them together joyntly with their Elders whom Paul calls Governours of the other common name called was the eldership Their duty was to attend on the Word and Prayer both publiquely and privately and in common to governe the Church as appeareth by many places of Scripture That the same were subject to Magistrates though prophane appeareth not onely by the example of Christ the high Priest and of the Apostles but also by the expresse words of Paul 1 Tim. 2. and Luke 12. 13. Of the Bishop that is of Men. THe Bishop that is of Men that is to say brought into the Church by the alone wisedome of man besides the expresse Word of God is a certain power given to one certaine Pastor above his other fellowes yet limited with certaine orders or rules provided against tyranny They which did beare this office of Bishop are called Bishops in regard of their fellow Elders and the whole Clergie as watchmen set over the Clergie That this calling was not brought in by the Word it is manifest by that that there is not to be found in the new Testament so much as one syllable whereby there may be the least surmise of any such thing For although we doubt not but all things ought to be done orderly in the Lords house and therefore that some one should be president in every assembly whom John in the Revelation seemeth to call the Angel of the Churches And Austin calleth the moderator Proestota yet this moderator of actions of the Church saving this one thing that he was the first in order in the company had no authority over his fellowes neither did hee exercise any higher office Therefore the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes as Hierome noteth doth call the whole company of the Elders Governours not any one certaine man Such a one was Peter many times in the very assembly of the Apostles of a great authority surely amongst the Apostles who were all otherwise equall and yet he himselfe one of the company of the Apostles sent by his companions to Samaria with John Acts. 8. 14. and in the assembly giving an account of his Ministery to those that were of the Circumcision Acts 11. 2. But if any such Bishop like authority of any one above the rest as there was afterwards had been then surely the Apostles would have set down their names even at that time in their letters which they sent from one to another especially seeing Paul in his Epist to the Philippians doth name Bishops in the plurall number and Deacons or there should have beene at least some peculiar mention made of them Which seeing it is not done it appeareth that amongst these Governors there was none in degree above their companions and fellow Bishops but as occasion served the Churches were governed by a fellow-like and equall authority among the fellow Elders in their Elder-ships he onely going before the rest whose godlinesse and authority the company did most allow of Epiphanius against the Arrians defending the contrary opinion namely the Bishop ordained by man as ordained by God doth bring forth three Reasons to the contrary Two as it were out of the Word of God the third out of the History of those times The first place is 1 Tim. 5. 1. Rebuke not an Elder c. whereby he gathereth that Timothy had some authority over the Elders that is the Pastors of the Church of Ephesus But be it spoken with the favour of so worthy a man he should have marked that here an Elder is called he that is such by age not he that is a Pastor which is declared by the opposition next following of young men Another place is out of the same Epistle Receive not an occusation against an Elder 1 Tim. 5. 19. Whereby he gathereth that the Elders were subject to the Bishops and tribunall seat But who will grant him that Timothy was Bishop of Ephesus For the history will easily refell that which the Fathers doe report as certaine for no man can deny that Timothy was one that accompanied Paul and therefore no Bishop assigned to any one certaine place who was sent one while to this place another while to that for the establishing of the Churches And finally that he was an Euangelist and not a Bishop of any one certaine flocke I have desired thee saith he to abide at Ephesus whilest I went into Macedonia And why so namely to looke to the Church which he had begun to establish untill he were called for againe which he doth in the other Epistle What and did the Apostle rob the Ephesians of their Bishop without asking their Church at the least Surely when hee went last to Jerusalem never minding to returne to Ephesians either he would have restored Timothy unto them or the Ephesians would have required him againe of the Apostle when hee put them in minde of so great danger at hand or if any other were to be put into his roome he would have made expresse mention in that his divine Sermon But he is said to have sent for the Elders onely and to have warned them of the duty belonging to them all Yet it need not seeme strange to any that the Euangelist Timothy a man indued with so many and so great
gifts remaining at Ephesus did governe all things by his direction as one in degree above the Elders and by the Apostles authority appointed there for a time But let us grant Epiphanius more than this that Timothy had the authority of the laying on of hands out of these words of the Apostle Lay not hands suddenly upon any Let us grant this too that these duties belonged to the Governours yet we deny that Timothy could have had any authority therefore over the Elders of Ephesus except he had been an Euangelist For Paul himselfe Tim. 4. 14. doth shew sufficiently that the laying on of the hands was done in the name of the Eldership it selfe not by the authority of any superior Now the Reasons of the same Epiphanius are these Bishops saith he beget the Fathers of the Church but Elders the sonnes in as much as Bishops and not Elders ordained Bishops But what is this else than to aske to have that which is in question for it may be and ought to be answered that the Bishops tooke that authority upon them without warrant of the Word of God and that the rule is false which concerning this matter doth attribute it to the Apostles which may be shewed by the ordaining of Timothy by the Eldership Againe for as much as election is the chiefe ground of Church-offices which dependeth of the voyces of the whole company and not of the laying on of hands which made not Bishops but sent them into their possessions after they had made them we may more truly affirme with the Apostle that the holy Ghost by the voyces of the childrem themselves made the Fathers and not the Bishops Another of his Reasons is a depraving of places alleged out of Paul that the Church being new borne Bishops could not be so established every where at the first as is to be seene in the election of Deacons Whom yet can Epiphanius perswade that it was for want of fit men only that there were many Bishops in every Church For that which not only Hierome but Epiphanius against the Miletians also reporteth concerning them of Alexandria that is Alexandria never had two Bishops as the other cities upon what ground the men of Alexandria did it and followed not the examples of other Churches let them see to it Finally that this kinde of Bishop which who so beareth it is not the first in order amongst his fellow-Elders but in degree above them being the onely man in his diocesse is not ordained by the Word of God but by custome amongst the Fathers Hierome witnesseth as very many others long since have observed For these are his words in his Epistle to Euagrius The Apostle saith he doth teach plainly that Elders and Bishops are all one c. And whereas one after was chosen to be set over the rest that saith he was a remedy found out for a remedy of schisme that every one drawing Christ unto himselfe might not rend the Church in sunder For at Alexandria also from the time of Marke the Euangelist to the time of Heraclea and Dionyfius the Bishop the Elders placed one in a high degree or place chosen by themselves whom they called a Bishop Moreover upon the first to Titus An Elder and a Bishop saith he is all one and before by the instigation of the Divell there was partaking in Religion it was said amongst the people I am of Paul of Apollos and of Cephas the Churches were governed by the common advice of the Elders But after that every one imagined that those whom hee baptised were his owne and not Christs it was decreed throughout the whole world that one chosen of the Elders should be set above the rest unto whom all the care of the Church might appertaine to the taking away of the seeds of contentions And a little after as the Elders know that they are subject by the custome of the Church to the Bishop that is set over them so let the Bishops know that they are greater than the Elders rather by custome then by any vertue of the Lords appointment Yea and Augustine also in his 19. Epistle saith that according to the titles of honour which the use of the Church hath gotten the office of a Bishop is greater than the office of an Elder Chrysostome also witnesseth upon 1 Tim. cap. 3. that the Bishops differ from the Elders only in ordination that is as Theophylact speaks more plainly in the onely Ceremony of consecration Theodoret writing upon the same place saith That in the old time they called the same men Elders Bishops as though for sooth the thing it selfe had then beene onely called by another name and goeth about to prove that because Paul calleth Epaphroditus the Apostle of the Philippians This is of no weight at all The names which are given of fellow-labourer and fellow-soldier doe declare that hee was no Bishop in this kind of Bishop but an Euangelist tied to no one City much lesse to a Diocesse of the number of those whom the Apostles did keepe to send to and fro at the motion of the Spirit of God The Councell of Nice also disputing about the degrees of Bishops allegeth ancient customes whereof we mind to speake anon And whereas Cyprian not in one place calleth the Bishops successors of the Apostle whose authority is from God and if wee take it so as though by the very commandement of God these Bishops are the same that in time past the Apostles the thing it self doth refute that seeing there was alwayes a certain portion assigned to every Bishop But the Apostles by direction of the Spirit of God though not confusedly did exercise their Ministery throughout the whole world But if this be true there should have beene more Bishops in the Church of Rome it selfe namely Peter and Paul which yet afterwards was accounted peculiar to one And surely there cannot be more the chiefe in one and the same company at one time And whereas the name of Bishops is said of the Apostleship Acts 1. 20. It maketh nothing to the matter except a man by a like reason would have the Deacons to have beene Apostles because Paul calleth his Apostleship a Deaconship or Ministery But wee are to looke into that also that Hierome might seeme to be of the mind that this kinde of Bishop begun then when as schismes arose up in the Church That this is not so we may gather out of Paul himselfe who of purpose writing to the Corinthians about the same matter doth not onely passe over this remedy but also as foreseeing such a matter doth in the title of the Epistle joyne unto himselfe Sosthenes to teach by his example how carefully this Primacie is to be avoided in assemblies of the Church who it is evident were not onely the first in order next unto Chist but also highest in degree did execute their Ministery in common VVherefore no not the same Paul alone would excommunicate the incestuous persons
by his Apostolicall authority but by the authority of the whole Eldership neither doth Peter doubt to call himselfe fellow Elder Nay this is so farre off from being any good remedy from staying of schismes that contrariwise there was never more bitter contention in the Church than about this Primacy which had never come to passe if this preheminence above their fellows had been forbidden or rather if men had never brought it in Whereupon we conclude that this kinde of Bishop which is not of order but of superiority was brought in of man and as Hierome saith Tit. 1. by little and little and that so as he is indeed thought that the plants of dissention might be thereby plucked up all the care was committed to one man And whereas hee saith in the same place that it was decreed throughout all the world Wee are to understand it no otherwise than of a privie custome brought in by little and little And whatsoever is found in Ignatius or other antient Writers when the Bishop of Satan was not yet found out touching the authority of the Bishops or Over-seers as Justin speaketh is to be understood of this kinde of Bishop The Bishop of the Divell THus also we describe the Bishop of the Divell that even as that kind of Bishop ordained of God degenerated by little and little into an humane ordinance whereof wee intreated in the second place so this of the Divell against which we now labour is sprouted forth of the corruption of the Bishop brought in by man Of this intollerable corruption there are foule most manifest and undoubted markes Some of this kind of Bishops have wholy singled themselves from the Elderships so that they have nothing to doe with them Some have wholly abolished them And that they have challenged unto themselves and I know not to what Officials the whole guidance of the Church and chiefly the authority to elect to depose and to excommunicate so as they not onely are above others but as it were alone doe exercise Lordship over Gods inheritance contrary to the expresse inhibition of Peter That also they have invaded upon temporall dominions contrary to the flat commandement of Christ And that they will not only be present but also president in causes of this life and affaires of the Common-wealth the commandement of the Apostle to the contrary notwithstanding 2 Tim. 2. 1. Cor. 6. yea and that of Christ himselfe Luke 13. 14. That also they waste in riot and statelinesse against conscience and all shame the goods consecrated to holy uses That also they have tyed the Spirit of God to certaine places and persons as though the Bishop of the more noble place must needs haue necessary gifts above the rest or as though he who now is most fit must needs be so alwayes And last of all that they are the Image of that beast which is described Apoc 13. as Pope Anacletus himselfe witnesseth Epist 2. in as much as they are distinguished among themselves by those their thrones and degrees according to the patern of the Roman Empire The Apostle Act. 20. 19. foretold of this Hierarchie as they terme it of the false Bishop which in time became an Antichristian primacy And in the 3. John 9. it is most manifest that Satan begun even then to lay the foundation of this mysterie Now out of the History of the Nicene Councel which otherwise touching doctrine was every where received it is cleare how foule dissentions were even then of ordering the bonds betweene the Bishops the fountaines whereof they were so farre from damming up that pretending ancient customes they confirmed the Patriarchship and made a way for the horrible Papacie of Rome then sliding on and underlaid the seat for the Harlot that sitteth upon seven mountaines But far be it off that these things although they have their ancient great authority should be prejudiciall to the divine and Apostolicall writings according to the rule wherof there is no wise man wil doubt that the councels themselves are to be squared And to what purpose should I confute that agreement between the Priesthood of the Levites and of Christ which some old writers alledge to prove this divellish oligarchy and at the length even plaine tyranny Indeed it is evident that the high Priest was a figure of Christ himselfe whose second Image if wee grant that the Bishops are it will follow that there are as many images of Christ as there be Bishops in as much as there is none above him But contrariwise no Bishop hath been the Image of Christ Besides Bishops are not heads of the universal Church but of their own particular Nay no heads at all in as much as the Bishops are under Archbish the Archbishops under the Patriarchs they again under the Pope that is not under the true figure but the counter seit figure of Christ Now seeing that our only head is taken up into heaven a successor for whom living for ever we are not to seeke who seeth not that the Elders ordained by the Law of God come in theroome of the Priests of the Law and the Deacons to answer to the Levites The first Question Seeing that there are ordained in severall Churches severall Pastors and Ministers and the authority of all Christs Ministers in the Church seeme to be equall Whether the office of the Bishops be necessary in the Church to procure meetings when occasion serâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 on just causes or whether all the Ministers having equall authority and not under the authority of any superiour Bishop ought to chuse fit men with the consent of the Patron who enjoyeth the benefice and the people themselves as also to correct and remove from the charge And the manners of the people themselves who can hardly or not at all be kept in obedience without the bridle of the Bishops authority which may runne through in visiting of the Churches of the Province may put us in minde to retaine such Bishops Againe so often as there shall be dealing in matters touching the safety of the common wealth in the solemne assemblies of the Land according to the Lawes which the kingdome hath of a long use and custome received there can be nothing established without the Bishops who have the third roome and place in the kingdome which to take away or wholly to put downe would be very dangerous to the Common-wealth The Answer to the first Question Whereas Satans Bishop hath been the overthrow of the Church and all the Christian kingdomes whose head is the Romane Antichrist it is to be looked unto of all hands especially of all godly Princes that they at once abolish it if they mind the reformation of the Church and their owne safety As for the Bishop ordained by man and brought into the Church by little and little whereby Satan made him a way for greater things it had beene tolerable so that with all the ancient good Lawes providing for the resisting of the
governing by some few had been in their former force againe But besides that the state of the world being quite changed experience of so many ages doth teach us too well that unlesse this root also be pluckt up it will come to passe that the same fruit will sprout and bud forth againe Finally seeing the Lord hath so often decided this controversie of superiority among his own Disciples that he shut it clean out seeing the rule both for doctrine good order of the Church is to be sought for out of the very writings of the Apostles and it is manifested the Churches then prospered when all this authority of one man over the rest yet was not but as that grew up so all things fell to decay Finally seeing where the rem nants of this government by a few are not cleane taken away the worke of the Lord is openly hindred Our judgement is that after the chasing away of this device of man the Churches shall be well provided for if they may be repaired according to the writings of the Apostles And the reformation as it seemeth to us consisteth herein that first the whole kingdome is to be divided into regions Againe the regions into parishes either of cities or country townes that in places most fit and of greatest assembly be placed Pastors being lawfully propounded by the company of their owne Elders to the Kings Christian Majestie or the deputies thereof and allowed of all Lastly being received of their owne people over whom they are to be set they be placed promulgation having gone befoâ—â— and that in every parish the Pastor may have with him sit men to assist him who also may being watchfull salve up the offences not so weighty leaving the other of greater importance to the whole Eldership Also that Eldership made of the Pastors of parishes both of City and countrey and a sufficient number of men approved for their godlinesse wisedome lawfully also chosen as is aforesaid be placed in most fit places who assembling at a certain time and place may determine of the Church affaires of their owne government according to the prescript lawes first set downe in a generall Councell and afterward confirmed by the authoritie of the soveraigne Majestie In this company let there be chosen by comon voyces one first in order not superiour in authority who shall be thought most fit and that without making choyce of any certain place and but for a certaine time After the expiring wherof either let another be chosen or else the same man is to be established again for another time by a new consent whose office is to make report of the common affaires to the company to demand their judgements and to give sentence by the judgement of the Eldership having no authority given him over his fellowes to whom rather he is most subject In this assembly let nothing be debated of besides matters of conscience that by the Word of God and the lawes of Church discipline established drawne out of the Word of God not one whit medling with the authority of the civill Magistrate And let the soveraigne Majesty and the lawfull Magistrate thereby appointed be keepers of this order and the punisher of those that seditiously rage against it But if any shall imagin that this sudden abolishing of both these Bishops will minister occasion of new stirs although wee see not with what conscience the Bishops may so challenge to themselves the goods of the Church or else call themselves Bishops and live like Princes of this world yet for to keepe the common peace the soveraigne Majesty may leave unto them which are now Bishops their revenues whole for their life time so they trouble not the well made order of the Church with providing there be none chosen into their place when they be dead As for the frowardnesse of the people it may be kept downe better a great deale by other reynes than by the authority of a false named Bishop as by preaching of the Word of God by censures of the Church and the authority of the Magistrate of the country against the open troubles of the publike state either Ecclesiasticall or civill The Churches may very well be visited at set times without any great cost and Bishoplike pride by them whom every Eldership hath chosen under the Kings Majesties authority which will not be alwaies necessary if the Elders doe rightly execute their office This sitting of the Bishops with the authority of the voyce in the publike estates of the kingdome came in with a manifest abuse contrary to the Word and therefore in our minde is to be utterly abolished For the Bishop hath nothing to do in ordering of mere civill affaires yet forasmuch as in such assemblies especially some things many times happen belonging to the establishing of the estate and order of the Churches the keepers wherof the godly Magistrates ought to be and not the over-turners as we are taught by the example of holy Kings It is very necessary that as often as the meetings of the land are proclaimed intelligence thereof be given to the chiefe Elders who may be present in the behalfe of their seigniories yet not sitting as Judges but dealing about matters of the Church onely with the estates of the land as their Elderships have given them in charge except the states thinke good upon extraordinary occasion that they aske counsell of God about some other affaires also If also the Kings Majestie thinke good to admit into counsell amongst the Pastors or Elders one who shall be thought to be wise and experienced in things he may admt him though not as a Pastor or Elder yet as a citizen And it were injurious to remove from their office in the Church the Pastors and much lesse the Elders and Deacons otherwise Lay-men from that degree which they hold as Citizens either in the common wealth or in the assemblies But the Kings Majestie and all the Princes and Lords are to be exceeding wary that they make not courtlike governours of their Pastors to the great indamaging of the Church as we have a faire example in Eusebius of Nicomedia in the Court of Constantine As for the right of the patronage lest some man should say that it was gotten for himselfe Our judgement is that it may be concealed but not without some conditions namely that he which shall be chosen by the free voyces of the Eldership should be offered by the Patron to the Kings Majesty being also to set upon his charge after the consenting of his flock The second Question After that religion is reformed it hath beene a received custome that the Bishops and of the Ministers Pastors and Elders so many as should be sent of the Bishops should assemble themselves that they together with the chiefe Barons and Nobles which professe the true Religion might make enquirie after the doctrine and manners of every one But seeing the Prince himselfe is a lover of