not disposed of their maintenance Though perhaps the advantage of fingring money was it that made them take so much upon them in his time whereof he complaineth Nay it is plain this must rest in the power of Bishop and Presbyters by the portions and divisions thereof wherein each of them had interesse as his maintenance whereof we find remembrance in S. Cyprians Epistles In the last Canon of the Councel of Antiochia is provided that the Bishop shall not alienate the Church-goods which though immovable were given for the same purpose without consent of his Presbyters And in those which are called the Canons of the Apostles which the world knoweth are not theirs but yet do expresse very ancient customes of the Church Can. iii. iv having ordered what sorts of first-fruits should be sent to the Church what home to the Bishop and Presbyters it followeth Now it is manifest that they are to be divided by them among the Deacons and Clergy to the Deacons for the maintenance of the poore to the Clergy for their own Where you see the interesse of the Presbyters in disposing of such oblations CHAP. XI Of the discipline of Penance Those that have the Keyes remit sinnes by prescribing Penance The intercession of the Church Particular persons excommunicated among the Jews Our Lord prohibiteth their course among his Disciples Two degrees of Excommunication as well in the Church as in the Synagogue The Keyes are given to Bishop and Presbyters The interesse of the people and what is required at the hands of the Common-wealth THere remaineth now two particulars of the office common to Bishop and Presbyters wherein the people also claim their interesse the one is the discipline of Penance the other the making of Ministers The due course whereof assigned by our Lord and his Apostles will best be discovered laying together first what we find of them in Scripture and then comparing of it with the proceeding of the Primitive time which we shall perceive the right to go along with The Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven are given by our Lord to the first of his Disciples in those words Matth. xvi 19. And I will give thee the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou bindest on earth shall be bound in Heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven If mens minds were not possessed with prejudice it would soon appear to be the same power that is given to all the Apostles John xx 24. Whosesoever sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever sinnes ye retein they are reteined But Matt. xviii 17 18. to the same purpose though more at large And if he shall neglect to heare them tell it unto the Church But if he neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and as a publican Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven To this must be added the proceeding of the Apostle in delivering to Satan the incestuous person at Corinth 1. Cor. v. 3 4 5. which he also did to Hymeneus and Alexander 1. Tim. i. 20. Now in the practice of the Primitive Church those that exercised this power were in part Judges Censours you may call them if you please and in part Physicians Both parts comprised in S. Cyprians words Ep. 51. Vbi lapsis nec censura deest quae increpet nec medicina quae sanet Judges they are in shutting Gods house upon offenders and binding their sins upon their consciences And the effect of this censure such supposing the proceeding of it to be due that as the disease of sin is not to be cured without the medicine of repentance no more can this knot wherewith sinnes notorious of themselves or otherwise known are tyed to mens consciences be undone without known repentance For since the worst of the souls sicknesse consisteth in not acknowledging her disease it pleased God to give his Church power and charge to constrain offenders to take their Physick which the grief of bodily diseases is able to do alone Physicians they are then in prescribing the medicine of Repentance and in that respect alone are truly said to remit sinnes God himself saith not to the Soul I absolve thee from thine offenses but upon supposition of the means his own gift of repentance that worketh the cure so farre it is from the power of his creature to pronounce forgivenesse without knowledge of the effect which the medicine of repentance hath wrought But if we say true when a Physician is said to cure a mans disease though all the world know he doth no more but prescribe the medicine or at the most see it applyed with as good right is it to be said that mens sinnes are cured by them that prescribe the course by which they are cured Onely whereas he that is cured of a bodily disease is able to tell himself when he is well he that is once sensible of the maladies of his soul is not easily satisfied when the cure is done It hath therefore pleased the goodnesse of God to provide an office and charge in his Church to assure men of forgivenesse of sinnes upon due knowledge of repentance by taking away that knot wherewith they remained tied upon their consciences Firmilianus Bishop of Caesarea Cappadociae in his Epistle to S. Cyprian the lxxvth in number of his Epistles thus writeth Lapsis quoque fratribus per poenitentiam medela quaeratur Non quasi à nobis remissionem peccatorum consequantur sed ut per nos ad intelligentiam delictorum suorum convertantur Domino pleniùs satisfacere cogantur To this purpose was the time and order and fashion of Penance regulated in the ancient Church that the diseases of the soul might receive every one their competent cure and therefore it is plain that among them it was a favour to be admitted to Penance in opposition to Novatianus Qui nemini dandam poenitentiam putavit saith Saint Ambrose De Poenit. 2. 1. exhorting men to repentance indeed but leaving them for pardon to God who had power to give it as his Disciple Socrates writeth Eccles hist iv 13. That is not imploying the power of the keyes and the benefit of it to the cure of their offenses Whereupon S. Ambrose you see calleth it dare poenitentiam as on the offenders side it was then called petere poenitentiam demanding and granting of Penance For this cause it was that this medicine of repentance was wont to be joyned with the prayers of the Congregation but in the chief place of the Bishop and Presbyters which if repentance be Physick is correspondent to that which is given to make Physick work And this is called in Tertullian Presbyteris advolvi Caris Dei adgeniculari Omnibus fratribus legationes deprecationis suae injungere and in S. Augustine Gemitus columbae the Mourning of the
which is called Anathema With these the proceedings of the Christian Church keep some correspondence according to Scripture For when our Lord saith If he heare not the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen man and as a Publicane he intimateth withall a course the Church had to take for his correction and amendment that should give car to it Which as it might perhaps end in a verball admonition of the Church and reall amendment of the party yet those that were under the discipline of Penance we know were in a sort excommunicate because they were not admitted to the Communion of the Eucharist besides that as those which were separated among the Jews they put upon them the state and fashion and habit of mourners And I shewed afore what we find in Scripture to argue this course directed by our Lord and practiced by the Apostle But here was a difference that in that state we find not that a man was cut off from the conversation of Christians those which were admitted to Penance being alwaies accounted in the way of salvation supposing the performance of their injoyned Penance That was the effect of that grievous censure whereof our Lord speaketh Let him be unto thee as a Heathen man and as a Publicane Not because he meaneth to forbid Christians to converse with Heathen men and Publicanes who being to be converted from among them must needs be compassed with them on every side And therefore that case the Apostle hath resolved 1. Cor. v. 9 10. where he informeth them that whereas he had written to them not to converse with fornicatours his meaning was not to forbid them to converse with the fornicatours of this world that is Gentiles or with the covetous or extortioners or with idolaters for then must ye go out of the world and as it followeth vers 12. For what have I to do to judge those that are without do not ye judge those that are within But our Lords meaning is that Christians should shew that respect to a brother that should be refractary to the Church as the Jews did then to Gentiles and Publicanes which the Apostle secondeth there vers 11. Now I write to you not to converse if any man that is called a brother be a fornicatour or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no not to eat which is to avoid them as the Jews did him that stood separate And the sentence whereupon this is to be practiced is intimated in the next verse For what have I to do to judge those that are without Do not ye judge those that are within And this censure it seemeth the Apostle presupposeth when he writeth to Titus iii. 11. A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject For his meaning is not to instruct Titus alone what he in his person should do but in the person of Titus to instruct all the Church to reject and avoid refractary Hereticks and therefore in the consequence of avoyding them it seemeth he intimateth the censure whereupon they are to be avoyded The same censure against the incestuous person at Corinth he intimateth by the same consequence when he saith 1. Cor. v. 13. Therefore put away from you that wicked person which he calleth giving over to Satan in the same case vers 5. afore and in the case of Hymeneus and Alexander 1. Tim. i. 20. and which he signifieth 1. Cor. xvi 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be anathema Maranatha where anathema is the term that cometh from the Synagogue and so doth the other as some men think So that this censure cutteth men off from the conversation of Christians which forfeit the priviledges to which they pretend and so delivers them to Satan by consequence as those that lodged without the camp of Israel were in danger to be lickt up by the Amalekite Which course neverthelesse as it was preservative in regard of some members that they might not be tainted as the Apostle signifieth when he saith 1. Cor. v. 6. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump So was it medicinall in respect of the sick shame and grief being a good way to the cure which the Apostle seemeth to respect when he directeth 1. Cor. v. 6. to deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be safe in the day of the Lord Jesus and 1. Tim. i. 20. whom I have delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme This is the correspondence between the proceeding of the Church and Synagogue And therefore as looking backward to the Synagogue whereupon our Lord reflecteth when he saith Dic Ecclesiae we see to whom they had recourse so shall we see looking forwards upon the Church which our Lord pointeth towards in the same words to whom he directeth his followers to have recourse The Keyes of Gods house are given in the Gospel to S. Peter with the effect of binding and loosing and the same power to all the Apostles in equivalent terms of reteining and remitting sinnes For if there were advantage it were an inconvenience that in the third place the power of binding and loosing should be given to the Church which is pretended given to S. Peter for a priviledge beyond the Apostles Well then might S. Cyprian argue Epist 27. that because our Lord promised to S. Peter the keyes of his Church therefore the acts of government of it were to passe through the Bishops hands and without him Apostates could not be reconciled And it is the same which S. Augustine affirmeth so oft as he teacheth which many times he doth that S. Peter in receiving the Keyes represented the Church as Ep. 79. Si hoc in Ecclesiâ fit he speaketh of binding and loosing Petrus quando claves accepit Ecclesiam sanctam significavit For what was promised to S. Peter was given the rest of the Apostles but was to rest in the Church to which it is also given in the same terms as S. Cyprian is willing to acknowledge so oft as he calleth the Presbyters his Colleagues and professeth to do nothing without their advise So that it is not possible to give a more impartiall meaning to the words of our Lord in the Gospel then the practice of those times hath expressed when that power was exercised in common by the Bishop and his Presbyters This it is Tertullian hath shewed us Apolog. c. 39. alledged afore where having commended the gravitie and integritie of Ecclesiasticall censures to shew by whom they were done he addeth as afore Praesident probati quique seniores honorem non pretio sed testimonio adepti And S. Augustines words are plain which we had afore Veniat peccator ad Antistites per quos ipsi in Ecclesia claves ministrantur à praepositis sacrorum accipiat satisfactionis suae modum And in S. Cyprian there is so much mention
habuit sine quorum consilio nihil agebatur in Ecclesia This is as much as can be demanded when we heare that nothing was done in the Church to wit by the Bishop without the advice of his Presbyters The same is affirmed by S. Hierome upon Titus i. 5. Antequam Diaboli instinctu studia in religione fierent diceretur in populis Ego sum Pauli ego Apollo ego Cephae communi consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur In that S. Hierome thinketh there were no Bishops till Churches were forced to that course to avoid schismes it hath been shewed he is not in the right But in that he affirmeth that at first Churches were governed by common advise we may well heare him speak in so good company of witnesses Last of all S. Cyprian having said once for all Epist 6. Quando à primordio Episcopatûs mei nihil statuerim sine consilio vestro Presbyterorum Diaconorum sine consensu plebis meae privatá sententiâ gerere how well he observed it is yet to be seen in the passage of divers businesses related in his Epistles Out of which the like is to be conceived of the Presbyters of Rome by those things that are touched there And this is the true reason why many times especially among the most ancient Church-writers Bishop and Presbyters both are comprised in the same styles and names not because there were then no Bishops as some men imagine but because both States concurred in the same office Clemens in the Epistle aforesaid pag. 54. speaking of the Ministeries instituted by the Apostles saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is They made the first-fruits of believers Overseers and Ministers that is Bishops and Deacons of those that should believe It seemeth indeed that Clemens calleth the Presbyters Bishops because as yet there was no other Bishop there as was proved afore for so the word is used in S. Pauls Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles for the same reasons as hath been said But in Ignatius his Epistle to Hero his Deacon at Antiochia you have these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do nothing without the Bishops that is without the Presbyters who were indeed Bishops in Ignatius his absence when this is pretended to be written And be he who he will be that writ it I believe it will not often be found that Presbyters are called Bishops in any monument of Church-writers after this time unlesse it be in these words of Tertullian De praescript c. 3. Quid ergò si Episcopus si Diaconus si vidua c where putting the Deacon next to the Bishop he seemeth to comprise the Presbyter with him in the same style For afterwards the name of Bishops became appropriate to the heads of Presbyteries as we heard S. Hierome say of the Presbyters at Alexandria that the head whom they chose themselves out of their own number they named BISHOP of Alexandria Otherwise as it is well known that the name of SACERDOS is common to both estates in regard of the offices of Divine service which were performed by both so in regard of the government of the Church common to both are they many times comprised together in the common style of PRESBYTERS the name of their age or ANTISTITES 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PRAEPOSITI and the like the names of their charge For as the Apostle maketh himself an Elder when he writeth to them in this style 1. Pet. i. 5. The Elders I exhort who am also an Elder so is the like to be observed in that well-known passage of Clemens Alexandrinus related by Eusebius Eccles hist iii. 23. concerning the youth which S. John the Apostle commended to the Bishop of a certain place Clemens proceeding in the relation addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Elder saith he taking the youth home to his house c. calling him a Presbyter whom he had named a Bishop but just afore So Tertullian Apologet. c. 39. describing what was wont to be done in the Assemblies of Christians addeth Praesident probati quique Seniores honorem non pretio sed testimonio adepti not meaning to tell us that there was no Bishop to be seen at these meetings for in his book De praescript where he nameth Polycarpus whom we alledged afore cap. 32. Bishop of Smyrna he speaketh as much of Bishops that succeded the Apostles in the rest of the Churches of their planting but comprising both ranks and estates in one name of ELDERS And that upon the reason specified in the Commentaries under S. Ambrose his name upon 1. Tim. iii. 8. where he giveth the reason why the Apostle passeth straight from Bishops to Deacons Because saith he every Bishop is a Presbyter though every Presbyter is not a Bishop who is the chief of Presbyters And the true S. Ambrose Offic. i. 20. Viduarum virginum domos nisi visitandi gratiâ juniores adire non est opus hoc cum Senioribus hoc est cum Episcopo vel si opus est cum Presbyteris With the Elders saith he that is with the Bishop or Presbyters Justine Martyr in his second Apology relating the orders of Christians in their Assemblies having spoken of reading the Scriptures Then saith he the Reader having done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ruler maketh a speech of instruction to the people exhorting them to imitate what was read And again of the Eucharist Then saith he bread and wine is offered to the Ruler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was it the Bishop alone or the Presbyters alone that preached and celebrated the Eucharist Sure both did it and the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was chosen on purpose by Justine to comprise both The same is to be observed in the words of S. Augustine Hom. ult ex quinquaginta cap. 11. Veniat peccator ad Antistites per quos illi in Ecclesia claves ministrantur à Praepositis sacrorum accipiat satisfactionis suae modum ANTISTITES in Ecclesia is not the Bishop alone but the Bishop and the Presbyters Hegesippus in Eusebius Eccles hist iii. 20. relateth how some of our Lords kindred were brought afore Domitian upon suspicion of danger to the State in regard of their title to the Kingdome but dismissed by him upon notice of their profession of life in tilling their grounds with their own hands tried by the hardnesse of them which it had wrought These saith Hegesippus were hereupon chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be leaders of Churches as both Cousins of our Lord and his witnesses comprehending both Bishop and Presbyters in one title As in Ignatius ad Trall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put in one word to expresse Bishops and Presbyters both as the circumstance of the place will evidence To this we must adde the words of Ireneus iv 43. Wherefore saith he it behoveth us to obey the Elders that are in the Church which have received according to the Fathers pleasure the certain grace of truth with
honour and good Rulers as well in respect of their diligence in the prime point as of their performance in the rest The personall gifts of the Holy Ghost were then distributed on severall persons as the Apostle sheweth that all might be usefull and such indowments in the time of spirituall graces might be imployed to the edification of assemblies as well as the gifts of ruling to assist the Presbyters in their office of Government But he that would take order now that who could pretend a gift in ruling should be helpers in government or in the word of Wisdome and Knowledge should stand up to edifie assemblies might soon find more help in government more words of Wisdome and Knowledge and in time more prophesying then himself would desire Well may we turn the world into confusion if we think to do what then was done but shall never find any Ministeries of place and succession in the Church but Presbyters and Deacons for of the coming-in of Bishops hath been said to the parts of whose office consisting in Ruling Teaching and Ministering all those other gifts of the holy Ghost are to be referred as assistant at that time and from whose office and the ordinary blessing of God upon it the effect of them all is to be expected at this time For let me ask What is become of those Doctours distinguished from Pastours in all succeeding ages Where have those ruling Elders hid themselves that they were never seen since the time of the Apostles Is it possible that the whole Church should conspire to suppresse such an institution of our Lord and his Apostles almost as soon as it was made Or is it imaginable had it not been suppressed that all Ecclesiasticall writers whereof there is such store should conspire so farre to suppresse the remembrance of it that among them all there is not one witnesse produced to depose for them unlesse it be by those that bring the meaning with them which they desire to find in their writings Were we alive in Tertullians time we might go into the assemblies of Christians and see with our eyes what now will not be believed though it be told us in terms plain enough to them that will understand when he saith as afore Praesident probati quique seniores honorem non pretio sed testimonio adepti We might see them sitting in the headroom of the Congregation by themselves apart from the people whereupon they are called by him otherwhiles Ordo and Consessus And were there occasion to see any of them censured to the losse of his office we might see him for his punishment sit and communicate in the rank of the people It hath not been my lot yet to meet with any thing in Ecclesiasticall Writers or out of them to bear an appearance of this difference but onely those words of the commentaries under S. Ambrose his name upon 1. Tim. v. 1. Vnde Synagoga postea Ecclesia Seniores habuit sine quorum consilio nihil agebatur in Ecclesia He speaketh in the time past of that which had been in the Church and was not and without doubt giveth men of excellent abilities men of incomparable merit in the Church occasion to mistake his meaning as if he had spoke of a sort of Presbyters which had been in the Church and now were not whereas they should have taken the whole clause with them when he saith Vnde postea Ecclesia Seniores habuit sine quorum consilio nihil agebatur in Ecclesia and then his meaning had been plain as in truth it is That the Church once had Presbyters that joyned advise with the Bishop in all Church-matters which my desire is to prove was so from the beginning and which he complaineth was now otherwise For so S. Hierome about the same time manifestly declareth that he thought an alteration in this point was come to passe when he saith that at the first Churches were governed by common advise but afterwards all was referred to one hereupon exhorting Bishops to communicate the government of their Churches with their Presbyters as Moses did his with the Sanedrin of Israel And this further appeareth by that which followeth in the said Commentaries Quod quâ negligentiâ obsoleverit nescio nisi fortè Doctorum quorundam desidiâ vel potiùs superbiâ dum soli volunt aliquid videri imputing the change to the negligence of Teachers or to their pride and therefore they are Teachers that were called Elders afore and through their negligence or the Bishops taking all on themselves all came into their hands which perhaps may be referred to that which by and by shall be said that the Bishops afterwards in some parts took the office of preaching in the Mother-Church where they lived in a sort to their peculiar not suffering the Presbyters to preach in their presence Which office of preaching neverthelesse as the matter is now being become the necessary charge of Bishop and Presbyters temporary graces being ceased and Dioceses divided Churches built and means assigned as it is without doubt and alwayes was accounted in regard of personall performance the most excellent work they are able to contribute to the service of God so is it for the use of edification as much to be preferred before other their imployment as Prophesying is by the Apostle preferred before speaking with strange languages Alwayes provided since we must not now presume upon immediate inspirations but expect Gods ordinary blessing upon humane indeavours that men and abilities may be stored for the work before the work be cut out for them so as the honour and reverence thereof may be preserved without offense For as the Apostle saith that if unbelievers should come into the assemblies of Christians and heare them nothing but speak languages which most understood not they would say they were mad So if the enemies of our Profession should heare in our Churches a great deal of tongue but the meaning of the Scripture not in it needs must this bring an evil opinion upon it CHAP. X. Offices of Divine service performed in chief by the Bishop after him by the Presbyters Order of Christian Assemblies appointed by Bishop and Presbyters Maintenance of the Church and poore disposed of likewise VVEll then this particular of labour in the Word and Doctrine is out of doubt common to Bishop and Presbyters both It is that which S. Peter most aimeth at when he exhorteth those whom he calleth his fellow-Elders to the office of feeding the flock It is that which S. Paul for the most part expresseth when he exhorteth the Presbyters of Ephesus to take heed to the flock which they were to feed Acts xx 28. according to his example that ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears verse 31. teaching them both in publick and from house to house as it is afore v. 28. And we shall find this office of teaching and instructing the Church to rest afterwards upon
the Bishop in chief and upon the Presbyters in consequence whether in private upon particular occasions whereof we find much argument of practice in S. Cyprians Epistles or in publick in the assemblies of Christians For thus the matter went afterwards the principall parts and offices of Divine service that is the Sermon and the celebration of the Eucharist were wont to be reserved to the Bishop in honour of his place and the eminence of it unlesse he were absent or it were disposed of otherwise Which I take to be the reason why Justine Martyr in the place alledged afore related that the Sermon was wont to be made and the Eucharist celebrated by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which name compriseth Bishop and Presbyters both as hath been said because the office belonged to the Bishop in the first place to the Presbyters in case of his absence or the like And you shall heare even now Ignatius his argument to perswade the Ephesians not to assemble for the Eucharist but with the Bishop For saith he if the prayers of one or two have that force that Christ is in the midst of them much more the prayers of the Bishop and Church Therefore it was the Bishop whose prayers the Eucharist was celebrated with And in the Life of S. Augustine is related that it was not the custome for Presbyters to preach in the Churches of Africk that is not if the Bishop were present whereupon the Bishop Valerius being a Greek and not so fit to speak to the people in Latine brought that into use there which he had seen practiced in the East and assumed S. Augustine to assist him by preaching in his presence The Commentarie under S. Ambrose his name so often alledged having said upon Ephes iv 11. as we had it afore that at the first all sorts preached in the Church but afterwards it was otherwise settled prosecuteth it with these words Vnde nunc neque Diaconi in populo praedicant And of Baptizing Tertullian l. De Baptist c. 17. Dandi quidem jus habet summus sacerdos id est Episcopus dehinc Presbyteri Diaconi sed non sine autoritate Episcopi propter Ecclesiae honorem quo salvo salvapax est To shew us That all services of the Church even to baptize belonged in chief to the Bishop in respect to his place that for the same reason the Presbyters were silent in their presence and the Deacons not suffered at all to preach at that time Now as the office common to Bishop and Presbyters was and is seen in the services of the Church so was it also seen in appointing the assemblies of the Church for that purpose This we have here to observe out of Ignatius his Epistles in consequence to that which was produced afore out of S. Paul and Clemens concerning the disorders of the assemblies at Corinth that to correct them and to prevent the like the order of the peoples Oblations of the Presbyters celebrating the Eucharist of the Assemblies of the Church for that purpose was regulated by the appointment of the Bishop and Presbyters His words are these Epist ad Smyrn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That without the Bishop neither the people might bring their offerings nor Presbyters consecrate the Eucharist nor both celebrate the feasts of Love used at these assemblies And for the purpose of this particular it is that he is so earnest and frequent throughout his Epistles in exhorting to be subject to the Bishop and Presbyters Epist ad Trall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is within the Altar saith he is pure wherefore he obeyeth the Bishop and Presbyters But he that is without is he that doth any thing without the Bishop and Presbyters He that is without the Altar in Ignatius his terms that doth things without the Bishop and Presbyters is meant of those of the people that assembled or those of the Presbyters that celebrated the Eucharist without the Bishop and Presbyters or their appointment which was called erecting Altar against Altar in the Primitive time For so Ignatius again in the Epistle to the Ephesians Let no man mistake saith he if a man be not within the Altar he cometh short of the bread of God For if the prayer of one or two be of such force that Christ standeth in the middest of them how much more shall the prayer wherein the Bishop and Church agreeth that is at the Eucharist which he spoke of when he mentioned the bread of God afore prevail And therefore in the end of that Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obeying the Bishop and Presbyters without distraction of mind breaking one bread which is the medicine of immortalitie A plain case The intent of his exhortations is to perswade them to assemble without schisme because that to assemble and celebrate the Eucharist besides the Bishops appointment was then the due marke of aschismatick And that the Presbyters concurred with him in ordering these matters appeareth by the obedience he requireth to both And so still in Ignatius the Presbyters are assistant to the Bishop in all things And this is the meaning of that vith Canon of the Councel at Gangra whereof the tenour is If any man assemble in private beside the Church and will perform Ecclesiasticall Offices in contempt of the Church no Presbyter being there with assent of the Bishop let him be anathema Providing herein against schisme as the occasion of that Councel evidenceth Wherewith agreeth the xxxii Canon of the Apostles And in the viith and viiith Canon next following of the same Councel there is provision against bringing or receiving oblations otherwise then to the Church beside the Bishops mind or his that is trusted for these things for the benefit of the poore under pain of anathema The heavinesse of the sentence proceeding upon the mark of schisme which the action forbidden importeth though there is in it a respect to the maintenance of the Church and poore arising for that time out of the oblations of Christian people the dispersing whereof was then another particular of the office common to Bishop and Presbyters For as we reade acts xi 29. that the benevolence of the brethren of Antiochia was directed to the Elders at Jerusalem by the hands of Barnabas and Saul though the seven Deacons were made afore to attend upon the poore so are we not to think that their office went so high as to dispose of their maintenance but to execute the disposition of Bishop and Presbyters For when the Church of Antiochia mainteined foure thousand poore as is read in a passage of S. Chrysostome the Church of Rome two thousand and five hundred in Cornelius his time as is to be seen in his words related by Eusebius Eccles hist vi 43. it is not reason to imagine that all this means was put in the power of the Deacons Whose office S. Hierome well expresseth when he calleth them mensarum ac viduarum ministros as those that ministred
turtle procuring their release at Gods hands And to this purpose was the Imposition of hands so often repeated in Penance because as S. Augustine saith of it in confirmation wherein he followeth Tertullian the one in these words Quid enim est impositio manuum nisi oratio super hominem the other afore him in these Dehinc manus imponitur per benedictionem advocans invitans Spiritum Sanctum That it is but a Ceremony of benediction imploring the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost which it representeth So was it in Penance nothing else but a form of benediction interceding for their reconcilement This may very well be thought to be the intent of the words of our Lord in the Gospel alledged Matth. xviii 19. For having delivered to the Church the power of binding and loosing in the words recited it followeth straight Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven for where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them For as in the words next going afore he sheweth how mens sins are bound and loosed to wit by the power which he giveth his Church to that purpose so he may well seem in the next words to point at the course by which this power may become effectuall to the loosing of sinnes to wit the intercession of the Congregation of Gods people At least thus much hath been observed by men of excellent learning that lamenting is a work specified by the Apostle himself in the businesse of reducing offenders by Penance 1. Cor. v. 2. Ye have not lamented to put away such a transgression from you And again 2. Cor. xii 20. I fear that when I come unto you I shall not find you such as I desire and shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleannesse and fornication and lasciviousnesse that they have committed meaning that he should put them to Penance by consequence This maketh the interesse of the Congregation in the work of Discipline to be considerable but intituleth it not to the keyes of Gods house For to conceive our Lords meaning aright let us take notice that there was among the Jews much use of excommunicating by particular persons as is to be seen in their writings Maimoni in Talmud Torah c. 7. Arba Turim or Shulchan Aruch in Tore Deah Hilcoth Niddui Vcherem and that many times upon causes of their particular interesse For example a Rabbi or Rabbies Mate was able to excommunicate for his credit when he found himself slighted True it is they count it commendable in a Rabbi to passe over all disrespect to himself in private but he that shall do it in publick they bind him to remember it and watch his party like a Serpent till he seek favour and reconcilement Maimoni n. ult And true it is that in some cases they void excommunication that is grounded upon particular interesse and not for the honour of God Jore Deah out of the Hierusalem Talmud and R. Joseph Karo upon it f. 364. And generally he that excommunicateth without cause is to be excommunicated himself it is the last of twenty foure causes for which they excommunicate but what disorders might come upon such practice is easie to imagine And therefore there is great cause to think that our Lords words whereof we speak are aimed on purpose to abrogate this course among his followers though covertly to avoyd offense For two things he prescribeth in opposition to it first to aim at a brothers reformation and nothing else in all the proceeding Matt. xviii 15. If thy brother shall trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone If he shall heare thee thou hast gained thy brother The second is that they shall proceed no further then contestation in private the rest he prescribeth to be referred in publick to the Church So it followeth But if he will not heare thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to heare them tell it unto the Church Now this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is first used in the Greek of the old Testament to signifie the Congregation of the people of Israel The Jews that have lived since the Prophets have espoused and appropriated this later word the Synagogue to signifie sometimes the whole body of that Nation or rather of that Faith as among the Fathers the Synagogue standeth for the Jews in opposition to the Church of Christians sometimes particular Congregations of it and by consequence the place of their assemblies as in the Gospel He loveth our nation and hath built us a Synagogue And just so in all respects is the word ECCLESIA the Church used in relation to Christians our Lord in the Gospel having begun to appropriate it to the Congregation which he now began to institute Matt. xvi 18. Vpon this rock will I build my Church and in the text in hand Matt. xviii 17. Tell it to the Church So that it must not be denied it is not usuall for the Church which signifieth the whole Congregation of people to signifie the chief part of it But it is as certain on the other side that looking backward to the Synagogue upon which our Lord reflecteth as was said such censures as these are whereof our Lord speaketh proceeding from the public private ones being excluded as hath been said issued all from the Courts of Justice mentioned afore without respect to the Congregation of the people As thus There were among them two degrees of Excommunication and no more the lesse called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Separation the greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Anathema and the effect of them to cut a man off more or lesse from the Congregation of the people as is to be seen in the late most learned work De Jure Nat. Gent. sec disc Ebr. iiii 9. The ordinary sentence of Separation which is that we spake of afore was for thirtie dayes unlesse the Court thought fit to abbridge or inlarge the term for that time no man must come within foure cubits of him that stood excommunicate besides those of his house he must not be reckoned among three which is the number required at Blessing of meat he must not be reckoned among tenne which is the number required to make a Synagogue under that they go not to prayers in the Synagogue And how it is in the power of the Court to aggravate this is to be seen in Shulchan Aruch as afore Num. x. At thirty dayes end they iterated the sentence and stayed thirty dayes more If then he stood out it was in their power to excommunicate him with curses which is that
conniventiam quaerat And as for imposition of hands we have in the Epistle aforesaid of Firmilianus Bishop of Caesarea Cappadocia if not rather of the whole act of Ordination Omnis potestas gratia in Ecclesia constituta est in qua praesident majores natu qui baptizandi manum imponendi ordinandi habent potestatem And in Ignatius his Epistle to Hero whosoever writ it it is ancient enough to speak to our purpose speaking to his Deacon of his Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They baptize they celebrate the Eucharist they impose hands in Penance they ordain thou ministrest unto them as holy Stephen at Jerusalem to James and the Presbyters And where it is provided Conc. Carthag 4. c. 3. that the Presbyters when the Bishop giveth imposition of hands shall likewise impose their hands by his it behoveth us in their case also to call to mind that this is and was and ought to be in signe of their consent to what is done the Apostle having said to Timothy Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes But the interesse of the people is inhansed beyond all measure or rule of primitive practice It will not serve the turn that the people had then satisfaction of the persons and their competence to the Ministeries to which they were ordained unlesse we will believe that when it is said Acts iv 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning is that they were made by most voices of the people signified by holding up their hands as we find in Demosthenes and others that custome to have been in Greekish Communalties Saul and Barnabas doing nothing but moderating the choice that is in effect telling the voices And to this purpose is alledged that of the Apostle 2. Cor. viii 19. And not that onely but who was also chosen of the Churches to travel with us with this grace that is administred by us where in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Election as they would have it and not Ordination seeing the office of carrying almes requireth no imposition of hands To which let me adde if they refuse not that help the words of Ignatius much in the same kind for in his Epistles ad Smyrn ad Polyc. out of his care and affection to his Church at Antiochia having received news of their good estate and finding himself in the like he desires the Church of Smyrna and Polycarpus to chuse one to go with their letters to Antiochia whom he will have called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it should be read not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a messenger in matters belonging to God to certifie them of his good estate and to congratulate with them of their own this office it seemeth requireth no imposition of hands and therefore that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which Ignatius desireth them to appoint it signifieth as it should seem not Ordination but Election by the same reason as that of the Apostle The rest that is brought to avouch this new conceit is the words of Zonaras upon the first of the Canons of the Apostles where in down right terms he delivereth the use of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come from the fashion of giving voices by holding up hands used in the Church at first to discern on which side most voices were from whence it came afterwards to be used for imposition of hands But let them bethink themselves that if these Presbyters were made by Saul and Barnabas by holding up hands of the people then were they not made by imposition of their own hands for if we take that sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other must needs be excluded And then let me ask if it be a thing reasonable to measure the sense of the Apostles language by what was done at Athens rathen then by that which among the Jews from whence the faith of Christ was transplanted was known and in use Or to imagine that the Apostle to follow the fashion of Greekish communalties never heard of in after ages of the Church should balk the Ceremony which the people of God had received from Moses which was from old time frequented in creating their Sanedrin Judges which the Apostles in their own persons practiced which the Church hath alwayes observed in promoting of Ministers signifying the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost and praying to obtein it To the words of the Apostle and Ignatius seeing they have in them no appearance of resolute sense let me answer two wayes First though they were not ordained by imposition of hands yet it is no inconvenience they should be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 using the word in a generall sense for those that are ordained or constituted in any form because this form was so frequented in divers occasions As for the purpose among the Jews all their Rabbies are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the letter signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or ordained by imposition of hands because at the first so they were made though they be not promoted after that form but made as since they are ordinarily made by writing or word of mouth as Rab. Moses in Sanedrin chap. 4. writeth But in the second place observe the words which Ignatius writing to Polycarpus about this matter useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where for the constituting of a person fit for this purpose he adviseth him to convent one of these Assemblies wherein they used to advise about Ordinations as hath been said And therefore it seemeth no inconvenience to think that he desireth him to be ordained to that purpose Whereupon it will not be amisse to inquire a little further to what Ministery in the Church such a person may be thought to be ordained wherein if we fail not perhaps it will make us able to give a fair conjecture at that of the Apostle by the correspondence of the cases Ignatius in the Epistle to the Philadelphians writeth to them for the same purpose as here he doth to those of Smyrna though the sense is hitherto disguised in the printed copies in which the words runne thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which words it is plain make no sense But I have seen the written copy of an old translation of these Epistles in barbarous Latine in Caius Colledge Library here with us in which these words are rendred thus Quod annunciatum est mihi pacem habere Ecclesiam quae est in Antiochia Syriae Decens est vos ut Ecclesiam Dei Ordinare Diaconum ad intercedendum illic Dei intercessionem in congaudere ipsis in idipsum factis glorific are nomen He that made this translation read here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which now is read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and maketh it no sense and this is without