of the whole Asian Diocese Upon which ground it was that among those Bishops which Palladius in the life of Chrysostom mentioneth to have been ordayned by Antoninus Bishop of Ephesus f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozomen hist lib. 8. cap. 6. some were of Lycia and Phrygia as well as others of Asia the ordination of these latter being challenged by vertue of his Metropoliticall of the others by his Patriarchicall jurisdiction Which Patriarchicall right of ordination being taken afterwards from that See by the Councell of Chalcedon was by g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euagr. Instor lib. 3. cap. 6. Timothy of Alexandria the deadly enemy of that Councell restored againe So we see that as Metropolitan of the Asian province he thus subscribeth unto the Constantinopolitan Synod held under Menna h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potiùs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil CP sub Mennâ Act. 5. I Hypatius by the mercy of God Bishop of the Metropolis of the Ephesians of the Asian Province have defined and subscribed and as Patriarch of the Asian diocese to the letters sent by the sixth Councell of Constantinople unto Pope Agatho thus i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synod VI. Constantinop Act. 18. I Theodorus by the mercy of God Bishop of the Metropolis of the Ephesians and Primate of the Asian Diocese both for my selfe and the Synod that is under me have subscribed And of the Proconsular Asia and by occasion thereof of the Asian Diocese also whereof it was a member thus much may suffice THE PATRIARCHICALL Government of the ancient Church declared by way of Answere unto foure Questions proposed unto EDWARD BREREWOOD The first Question Whether every Church or Bishop at the time of the Nicene Councell were subject to one of the three Patriarchs of Rome of Alexandria and of Antiochia mentioned in the 6. Canon of that Councell Answere NO They were not the Canon it selfe puts it out of question For when as the former part of that Canon had reserved to those three the accustomed prerogative and power over their neighbour Regions there is immediatly added that the dignities or priviledges belonging to the Churches of other Provinces should in like sort be maintained And the second Canon also of the first Generall Councell of Constantinople will enforce as much But for the better declaring of this point two things would be considered First what the Extent or Bounds of those three Patriarchs jurisdiction was Secondly to whose jurisdiction the rest of the Provinces belonged without those precincts Touching the first Concil Nicen can 6. To the Patriarch of Alexandria are attributed in the Nicene Councell the Regions of Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis Epiphan contr haeres sect 68. prope princip Epiphanius addeth Thebais Maraeotica and Ammoniaca and yet he addeth nothing for Thebais and Maraeotica were provinces of Aegypt and Ammoniaca was part of Lybia The utmost cities of which Patriarchs jurisdiction were toward the East Rhinocorura not farre from Anthedon and Gaza where he confined with the jurisdiction of Antiochia and toward the West Berenice neere the greater Syrtis that was I say the utmost city of his jurisdiction that way but the utmost bound of it was at the towne of Phileni in the bottome of the greater Syrtis where the jurisdiction of Egypt confined with that of Afrique Within which large bounds at the time of the Nicene Councell were a Notitia Provinciar six Provinces of the Romane division but afterward in the time of the b Action 1. Concil Chalced in epist ad Dioscorum Councell of Chalcedon it seemes there were tenne the greater Provinces being then divided into lesse for so many Metropolitan Bishops doe the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian call to that Councell out of the Diocesse of Egypt To the Patriarch of Antiochia belonged all c Concil Constantinop 1. can 2. the Provinces of the Orient which name taken properly in the Romane writers not for the Easterne Empire whereof Constantinople was the Metropolis but for the East Diocesse of the Empire whereof Antiochia was containeth all the Provinces of the Romane Empire lying at the East end of the Mediterrane Sea as farre as their Empire extended Eastward together with Cilicia and Isauria confining with the former but yet being on the North side of the midland Sea all together being in number d Notitia Provinc prope princip 15. Provinces Now lastly touching the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Rome although I will not take on mee resolutely to determine the precincts of it yet I will tell you my opinion Which is that it contained all those Provinces of the Diocesse of Italy which the old Lawyers and others terme Suburbicarias There were ten of them whereof three were the three Islands Sicilie Corsica and Sardinia and the other seven were in the firme land of Italie and took up in a manner all the narrow part of it for all Italie East ward belonged to it but on the West the river Magra which was and still is the limit of Tuscany toward the Tyrrhene Sea and the River Esino Asius it was called not farre to the West of the city Ancona toward the Adriatique Sea were the bounds of it for at that River Esino if I be not mistaken the Province of Picenum Suburbicarium confined with that which was termed Picenum Annonariū whereof the former belonged to the Praefecture of Rome whereof the city of Rome was Metropolis and the later together with all the other provinces in the broader part of Italy there were seven of them in all pertained to the Diocese of Italy properly so termed whereof the Metropolis was the city of Milan And that this and no other was the ancient jurisdiction of the Roman Patriarch I am not without reason to perswade me for first Ruffin hist Eccles lib. 1. cap. 6. Ruffinus in his Ecclesiasticall history registring the Canon of the Nicene Councell above alleadged setteth it down thus Apud Alexandriam ut in Vrbe Româ vetusta consuetudo servetur ut ille Aegypti hic Suburbicariarum Ecclesiarum solicitudinem gerat whose translation if he meant but to translate the Canon out of the Greek as I will not approve so his declaration if he meant that I cannot reprove because living so shortly as he did after the Nicene Councell and being of Italy as hee was hee might well know the bounds of that Patriarch's jurisdiction as it was then practised Secondly so many Provinces and no more belonged to the Prefecture of the city of Rome that was to the civill Jurisdiction of him that was Vicarius Vrbis Notitia Provinciar Imper Occidental as in the book of Provinces is manifest And of all the other Ecclesiasticall jurisdictions whether of Patriarchs or Primates it is certaine that they extended no farther then the Temporall Regiment of the Lievtenants did that is to the bounds of those Dioceses whereof the cities of their
Isidorus de Patrib and Dorothei Synopsis To two of these Timothy and Titus the one at Ephesus the other at Crete Euseb lib. 3. cap. 4. the Apostles imparted their owne Commission while they yet lived even the chiefe authority they had To appoint Priests Tit. 1.5 Hieron in eum locū To ordaine them by imposition of hands 1. Tim. 5.22 2. Tim. 2.2 To keep safe and preserve the Depositum 1. Tim. 6.14 20.2 Tim. 1.14 To command not to teach other things 1. Tim. 1.3 Tit. 3.9 2. Tim. 2.16 To receive Accusations 1. Tim. 5.19 21. To redresse or correct things amisse Tit. 1.5 To reject young Widowes 1. Tim. 5.11 To censure Hereticks and disordered persons Tit. 1.11 and 3.10 1. Tim 6.5 2. Tim. 3.5 And these after the Apostles deceased succeeded them in their charge of Government which was ordinary successive and perpetuall their extraordinary guifts of miracles and tongues ceasing with them So Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 3. Quos successores relinquebant suum ipsorum locum Magisterii tradentes Of the promiscuous use of their NAMES These were they whom posterity called Bishops But in the beginning regard was not had to distinction of Names The authority and power was ever distinct the name not restrained either in This or Other The Apostles were called Priests or Seniors 1. Pet. 5.1 Deacons or Ministers 1. Cor. 3.5 Teachers or Doctors 1. Tim. 2.7 Bishops or Overseers Acts 1.20 Prophets Acts 13.1 Revel 22.9 Evangelists 1. Cor. 9.16 The name of Apostle was enlarged and made common to more then the XII To Barnabas Act. 14.4 14. Andronicus Rom. 16.7 Epaphroditus Phil. 2.25 Titus and others 2. Cor. 8.23 Timothy Hieron in Cant. Chr. Euseb The Priests were called Prophets 1. Cor. 14.32 Bishops Philip. 1.1 Tit. 1.7 So Chrysostom in Philip. 1. Quid hoc an unius civitatis multi erant episcopi Nequaquà m sed Presbyteros isto nomine appellavit Tunc enim nomina adhuc erant communia Hierome Hîc episcopos Presbyteros intelligimus non enim in unâ urbe plures Episcopi esse potuissent Theodoret Non fieri quidem poterat ut multi Episcopi essent unius civitat is pastores quo sit ut essent soli Presbyteri quos vocavit Episcopos in 1. Tim. 3. Eosdem olim vocabant Episcopos Presbyteros eos autem qui nunc vocantur Episcopi nominabant Apostolos Oecumenius Non quòd in unâ civitate multi essent Episcopi c. For in the Apostles absence in Churches new planted the oversight was in them till the Apostles ordained and sent them a Bishop either by reason of some schisme or for other causes The Bishops as the Ecclesiasticall History recounteth them were called Apostles Philip. 2.25 Evangelists 2. Tim. 4.5 Diaconi 1. Tim. 4.6 Priests 1. Tim. 5.17 For it is plaine by the epistle of Irenaeus to Victor in Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 26. that they at the beginning were called Priests that in very truth and propriety of speech were Bishops And by Theodoret in 1. Tim. 3. that they which were Bishops were at the first called Apostles The name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Suidas was given by the Athenians to them which were sent to oversee the Cities that were under their jurisdiction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The name Episcopus was given among the Romans to him qui praeerat pani vaenalibus ad victum quotidianum ff de munerib honorib Cicere ad Atticum lib. 7. epist 10. Vult me Pompeius esse quem tota haec Campania maritima ora habeat Episcopum The name in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 41.34 seemeth to have relation to the second use for they were such as had charge of the graine laying up and selling under Ioseph The necessary use of the BISHOPS office and the charge committed to him The party who in the New Testament is called Episcopus is in the Old called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 109.8 with Act. 1.20 In a house or familie it is first affirmed of Ioseph Gen. 39.4 who had the oversight and government of the rest of the servants In a house there may be many servants which have places of charge but there is one that hath the charge of all that is Oeconomus the Steward So doe the Apostles terme thēselves 1. Cor. 4.1 and their office 1. Cor. 9.17 and their successours the Bishops Tit. 1.7 Vid. Hilar. in Matth. 24.45 In a flock Vid. Hierenym epist 4. ad Ruslicum cap. 6. epist 85. ad Evagrium the Pastour Ioh. 21.15 Act. 20.28 Mat. 25.32 1. Pet. 5.2 Ephes 4.11 In a Camp the Captaine Matth. 2.6 Hebr. 13.7 17 24. In a ship the Governour 1. Cor. 12.28 under whom others Act. 13.5 In the Common-wealth they be such as are set over Officers to hasten them forward and see they doe their duties as in 2. Chron. 34.12 and 31.13 Nehem. 11.22 and 12.42 So that what a Steward is in a house a Pastour in a flock a Captaine in a Camp a Master in a ship a Surveiour in an office That is a Bishop in the Ministerie Upon him lieth to take care of the Churches under him 2. Cor. 11.28 Philip. 2.20 1. Pet. 5.2 Concil Antiochen can 9. and for that end to visit them Act. 9.32 and 15.36 and to be observant Of that which is Well and orderly to confirme it Act. 15.41 Revel 3.2 Otherwise to redresse it Tit. 1.5 To him was committed I. Authority of ordeyning Tit. 1.5 and so of begetting Fathers Epiph. haeres 75. See Ambrose Theodoret and Oecumenius in 1. Timoth. 3. Damasus epist 3. Hierome epist 85. ad Evagr. Leo epist 88. Concil Ancyran can 12. al. 13. For though S. Paul should mention a Companie with him at the ordeyning of Timothie 1. Tim. 4.14 yet it followeth not but that he onely was the Ordeyner No more then that Christ is the onely Iudge although the XII shall sit with him on Thrones Luc. 22.30 II. Authority of enjoyning or forbidding 1. Tim. 1.3 Ignat. ad Magnesian Cyprian epist 39. III. Authority of holding Courts and receiving accusations 1. Tim. 5.19 1. Cor. 5.12 Revel 2.2 Augustin de opere monachor cap. 29. IV. Authority of correcting 1. Tim. 1.3 Tit. 1.5 Hieron contra Lucifer cap. 4. epist 53. ad Riparium Cyprian ep 38. ad Rogatianum V. Authority of appointing Fasts Tertullian advers Psychicos FINIS THE ORIGINALL OF BISHOPS AND METROPOLITANS briefely laid downe BY MARTIN BUCER sometimes Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of Cambridge IOHN RAINOLDES late Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of Oxford IAMES VSSHER sometime Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of Dublin afterward Arch-Bishop of Armagh and Primate of all IRELAND Whereunto is annexed A Geographicall and Historicall Disquisition touching the Lydian or Proconsular Asia and the seven Metropoliticall Churches contained in it by the said Arch-bishop of Armagh Together with A Declaration of the Patriarchicall Government of the ancient Church by Edward
Brerewood OXFORD Printed by LEON LICHFIELD Anno Dom. 1641. THE JUDGEMENT OF M. BUCER touching the Originall of BISHOPS And METROPOLITANS BY the perpetuall observation of the Churches M. Bucer de Regno Christi ad R. Edvardum VI. lib. 2. cap. 12. inter scripta ejusdem Anglicana pag. 67. even from the Apostles themselves we doe see that it seemed good to the holy Ghost that among the Presbyters to whom the ordering of the Churches was chiefly committed some one should be appointed to have a singular charge of the Churches and the whole sacred Ministery who by that care and sollicitude had a presidency over all the rest For which cause the name of of Bishop was peculiarly attributed unto these chiefe governours of Churches although they ought to decree nothing without the counsell of the rest of the Presbyters who themselves also by reason of this common administration of the Churches have the name of Bishops in the Scriptures given unto them So we may see Idem de Animarum curâ officioque Pastor Eccles ibid. pag. 280. Act. 20.28 that by the ordinance of the holy Ghost the care of soules and the pastorall office ought to be imposed upon all the Presbyters of the Church in common And from hence S. Hierome did rightly collect that the Presbyters and Bishops office and charge was one and the same Hierome indeed writeth this withall that in the beginning of the Church those Presbyters tooke care of the Church and governed it by common counsell and that then at length one of the Presbyters was set over the rest and peculiarly called a Bishop when sects and heresies began to arise in the Church and every one laboured to advance his owne sect But it is not credible that this was so observed long nor in all Churches neither For as we have cleare testimonies out of the Fathers that were more ancient then Hierome in all the chiefe Churches from the Apostles times thus it was observed that the Episcopall office indeed was imposed upon all the Presbyters yet so notwithstanding that alwaies even in the times of the Apostles themselves one of the Presbyters was chosen and ordained to be a guide of this office and as it were a Prelate who went before all the rest and had the care of soules and administred the Episcopall office chiefly and in the highest degree Hence also our Lord Idem de vi usu S. ministerii explicat Cantabrigiae ann 1550. ibid. pag. 581. 582. when he would have his to be conjoyned and cohere one with another as members doe in the body he subjecteth every one of his unto others by whom as by members of a more ample and large power and efficacy hee might bee preserved moved and directed The same doth the holy Ghost command Eph. 5.21 Submit your selves one to another in the feare of God The holy Fathers therefore of old considering these things appointed such an order in the Clergy that all the rest of that rank should bee kept and governed by the singular care of the Presbytery and that among the Presbyters the Bishop as the Consul among the Senators of the Common-wealth should take upon him the chiefe care and custody as of the whole Church so specially of the whole order of the Clergy Such Bishops did they ordaine in all more populous Churches and to each of those Churches they commended those others that were more neare unto them in the smaller townes or villages And to that purpose would have each of the Presbyters and overseers of those Churches whom they called Chorepiscopi to be obedient to the Bishop and Presbytery that was next unto them whom those other prime Bishops did upon all occasions call together with the rest of their Clergy and informed them in the skill and diligence which was to bee used in the discharge of their function Now seeing it was Gods will that all his servants should mutually embrace and take care each of other as farre and wide as their ability could reach unto all Christians being but one body the holy Fathers did ordaine that the Bishops of every Province for all the nations subject to the Romans were now distributed into Provinces should meet together with the Presbyters and Deacons as oft as the need of the Churches did so require but constantly twice in the yeare that they might enquire touching Christs doctrine and discipline how it was administred and maintained in every Church and where they did find any thing faulty they might correct it but such things as they did find were right they might confirme and further And that these Synods might bee administred rightly and in due order they would have the Metropolitans take the charge both of congregating and moderating them to wit the Bishops of every Metropolis for so was the chiefe city of every Province called wherein was the Court of the supreme President And to this end they imposed upon these Metropolitan Bishops a kind of charge and care of all the Churches within their Province that if they did understand any thing were not rightly ordained or done either by the ministers of the Churches or by the people they might admonish them thereof in time and if by their admonitions they could not amend it they might call together a Synod of the Bishops to correct it The Judgement of DOCTOR RAINOLDES touching the same VVHen a Act. 14.23 Elders were ordained by the Apostles in every Church b Tit. 1.5 through every City D. Rainold Conference with Hart in the end of the 3. and beginning of the 5. division c Act. 20.28 to * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to doe the duty of a Pastor to it feed the flock of Christ whereof the holy Ghost had made them Overseers they to the intent they might the better doe it by common counsell and consent did use to assemble themselves and meet together In the which meetings for the more orderly handling and concluding of things pertaining to their charge they chose one amongst them to be the President of their company and Moderatour of their actions As in the Church of Ephesus though it had d Acts 20.17 sundry Elders and Pastors to guide it yet amongst those sundry was there one chiefe whom our Saviour calleth e Rev. 2 1. the Angell of the Church and writeth that to him which by him the rest should know And this is he whom afterward in the Primitive Church the Fathers called Bishop For as the name of Ministers f 1. Cor. 4.1 common to all them who serve Christ in * Luk. 12.42 the stewardship of the mysteries of God that is in preaching of the Gospell is now by the custome of our English speech restrained to Elders who are under a Bishop g 1. Tim. 3.2 Tit. 1.7 Act. 20.28 so the name of Bishop common to all Elders and Pastors of the Church was then by the usuall language of the Fathers
appropriated to him who had the Presidentship over Elders Thus are certaine Elders reproved by h Epist 12. Cyprian for receiving to the Communion them who had fallen in time of persecution before the Bishop had advised of it with them and others And i Euseh hist Eccles lib. 6. cap. 42. Cornelius writeth that the Catholick Church committed to his charge had sixe and forty Elders and ought to have but one Bishop And both of them being Bishops the one of Rome the other of Carthage k Cornelius Cypriano Ep. 46. Cyprianus Presbyteris Deaconis Ep. 6. doe witnesse of themselves that they dealt in matters of their Churches government by the consent or counsell of the company of Elders or the Eldership as they both after S. Paul doe call it In this sort then the Elders as I said ordained by the Apostles in every Church l Cornelius Ep. 46. apud Cyprianum through every city chose one amongst themselves whom they called Bishop m 1. Tim. 4.14 to be the President of their company for the better handling and ordering of things in their assemblies and meetings wherein they provided by common counsell and consent for the guiding of the flock of Christ committed to them Which point of care and wisdome the Bishops following also knowing that n Prov. 11.14 where counsells want the people falleth but in the amplenesse of counsellours there is health had their meetings likewise for conference together when things of greater waight required more advise and they chose to their President therein the Bishop of the chiefest city in the Province whom they called the Metropolitan For o Notit Provinciar Imperii Romanl a Province as they tearmed it was the same with them that a shire is with us and the shire-town as you would say of the Province was called p L. observare D. de officio Proconsulis Dio in Adria no. Metropolis that is the mother-Mother-city In which as the Iudges and Iustices with us doe heare at certaine times the causes of the whole shire so the ruler of the Province with them did minister justice made his abode there ordinarily Whereupon by reason that men for their businesse made great concourse thither the Church was wont to furnish it of godly policy with the worthiest Bishop endued with guifts above his brethren And they reposed in him such affiance that they did not only commit the q Concil Antioch can 20. Chalced. can 19. Presidentship of their Assemblies to him but agreed also that r Concil Nicen can 4. 6. none through all the Prouince should be made a Bishop without his consent nor ſ Concil Antiochen can 9. any weightier matter be done by them without him The Originall of BISHOPS and Metropolitans set down By IAMES Arch-Bishop of ARMAGH THe ground of Episcopacy is fetched partly from the patterne prescribed by God in the Old Testament and partly from the imitation thereof brought in by the Apostles and confirmed by Christ himselfe in the time of the New The government of the Church of the Old Testament was committed to the Priests and Levits unto whom the ministers of the New doe now succeed in like sort as our Lords day hath done unto their Sabbath that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet touching the vocation of the Gentiles a Esai 66.21 I will take of them for Priests and for Levits saith the Lord. That the Priests were superiour to the Levites no man doubteth and that there was not a parity either betwixt the Priests or betwixt the Levits themselves is manifest by the word of God wherein mention is made of the Heads and Rulers both of the one and of the other 1. Chron. XXIV 6 31. and Ezr. VIII 29. The Levits were distributed into the three families of the Gershonites Cohathites and Merarites and over each of them God appointed one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ruler Num. III. 24 30 35. The Priests were divided by David into foure and twenty courses 1. Chr. XXIV who likewise had their Heads who in the history of the New Testament are ordinarily called b Matth. 2.4 and 27.1 Acts 19.14 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or chiefe of the Priests and clearely distinguished from that singular one who was the type of our c Hebr. 4.14 great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the son of God Yea in the XI of Nehemy we find two named Bishops the one of the Priests the other of the Levits that dwelt in Ierusalem The former so expressely tearmed by the Greek in the 14th the latter both by the Greek and Latin Interpreter in the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX Episccopus Levitarum Hieron 22. vers and not without approbation of the Scripture it self which rendreth the d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 109.8 Hebrew word of the same originall in the old by the e Act. 1.20 Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the new Testament Of Levi it was said by Moses the man of God f Deut. 33.10 They shall teach Iacob thy judgements and Israel thy law they shall put incense before thee and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine Altar Because this latter part of their office hath ceased with them and the Leviticall Altar the truth prefigured thereby being now exhibited is quite taken away may not wee therefore conclude out of the former part which hath no such typicall relation in it that our Bishops and Presbyters should be as the Apostle would have them to bee g 1. Tim. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach h Tit. 1.9 able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Nay and out of the latter part it selfe where God had appointed that i Deut. 28.1 the Priests the Levits and all the Tribe of Levi should eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire doth not the Apostle by just analogy inferre from thence that forasmuch as k 1. Cor. 9.13 14. they which waited at the altar were partaker with the altar even so had the Lord ordained that they which preached the Gospel should live of the Gospell With what shew of reason then can any man imagin that what was instituted by God in the Law for meer matter of government and preservation of good order without all respect of type or ceremony should now be rejected in the Gospel as a device of Antichrist that what was by the Lord once l Iorem. 2.21 planted a noble vine wholly a right seed should now be so turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine that no purging or pruning of it will serve the turne but it must be cut down root and branch as m Matth. 15.13 a plant which our heavenly Father had never planted But nothing being so familiar now a dayes as to father upon Antichrist whatsoever in Church matters we
Bishopricks were contained that e Insuper praeter septem collaterales Episcopos erant alii Episcopt qui dicuntur suffraganci Romani Pontificis nulli alii Primati vel Archiepiscopo subjectis qui frequenter ad Synodos vocarentur MS. Vatican apud Baron ann 1057. §. 23. were immediatly subject to the Bishop of Rome and frequently called to his Synods the names whereof are found registred in the Records of that Church The antiquity of which number as it may in some sort receive confirmation from the Roman Synod of seventy Bishops held under Gelasius so for the distinction of the Bishops which belonged to the city of Rome from those that appertayned to Italy we have a farr more ancient testimony from the Edict of the Emperour Aurelian who in the controversy that arose betwixt Paulus Samosatenus and Domnus for the house which belonged unto the Church of Antioch commanded that it should be delivered to them f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Niceophorus Callist lib. 6. hist cap. 29. but Eusebius lib. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more fully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom the Bishops of Italy and Rome should by their letters declare that it ought to be given which distinction aswell in the forecited g Ex provinciâ Italiae civitate Mediolanen c. Ex provinciâ Romanâ civitate Portuen ut suprà Acts of the Councell of Arles as in the Epistles of the h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synod Sardic epist ad Alexandrino in 2. Athanasii Apologiâ tomo 1. Oper edit Commelin pag. 588. Sardican Synod and i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas epist ad solitar vit agentes ibid. pag. 640. At hanasius may likewise be observed the name of Italy being in a more strict sense applyed therein to the seven provinces which were under the civill jurisdiction of the Vicarius or Lievtenant of Italy and the Ecclesiasticall of the Bishop of Millaine And it is well worth the observing that the Fathers of the great Councell of Nice afterwards confirming this kind of primacy not only in the Bishops of Rome and Antioch k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Nicaen 1. Can. 6. but also in the Metropolitans of other Provinces doe make their entrance into that Canon with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the ANCIENT customes continue Which openeth unto us the meaning of that complaint which some threescore and tenne yeares before this S. Cyprian made against Novatianus for the confusion which by his schisme he brought upon the Churches of God that l Cùm jampridem per omnes provincias per urbes singulas ordinati sint Episcopi in aetate antiqui in fide integri in pressurâ probati in persecutione proscripti ille super eos creare alios pseudoepiscopos audeat Cyprian epist 52. whereas long since in all Provinces and in all Cities Bishops had been ordained in age ancient sound in faith tryed in affliction proscribed in persecution yet took he the boldnesse to create other false Bishops over their heads namely subordinate Bishops in every City and Metropolitans in every Province In Africk at that time although there were many civill Provinces yet was there but one Ecclesiasticall whereof Cyprian himselfe was m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Constantinopol in Trullo can 2. Arch-bishop as the Fathers of the Trullan Synod call him It pleased saith he in one of his Epistles n Vniversis Episcopis vel in nostrâ provinciâ vel trans nare constitutu Cyprian epist 40. all the Bishops constituted either in our province or beyond the sea intimating thereby that all the Bishops which were on his side the sea did belong unto one province o Quoniam latiùs fusa est nostra provincia habet etiam Numidiam Mauritanias duas sibi cohaerentes Id. epist 45. For our province saith he in another place is spread more largely having Numidia also and both the Mauritaniaes annexed unto it Whence that great Councell assembled by him for determining the question touching the baptizing of those that had been baptized by Hereticks is said to bee gathered p Ex provinciâ Africâ Numidià Mauritaniâ Concil Cypriam out of the province of Africa Numidia and Mauritania For howsoever in the civill government the Proconsular Africa wherein Carthage was seated Numidia and both the Mauritanies Sitifensis Caesareensis were accounted three distinct provinces yet in the Ecclesiasticall administration they were joyned together and made but one province immediatly subject to the Metropoliticall jurisdiction of the prime see of Carthage Some threescore yeares before this African Councell was held by Cyprian those other Provinciall Synods were assembled by the Metropolitans of sundry nations for the composing of the Paschall controversy then hotly pursued and among the rest that in our neighbour country out of q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb histor lib. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the parishes for so in the ancient language of the Church those precincts were named which now we call dioceses of which Irenaeus had the superintendency whence also hee wrote that free Epistle unto Victor Bishop of Rome r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the person of those brethren over whom he was president at which time and before the ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most famous Metropoles of that country and so the t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ibid. most eminent Churches therein were Lyons Vienna in the one whereof Irenaeus was then no les renowned a Prelat then Cyprian was afterwards in Africa Dionysius the famous Bishop of Corinth was elder then they who among many other Epistles directed one u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. lib. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Church of Gortyna and all the rest of the Churches of Crete wherein he saluted their Bishop Philip. whereby it appeareth that at that time aswell as in the ages following Gortyna was the Metropolis and the Bishop thereof the Metropolitan of all the rest of that whole Iland Which kind of superintendency there Eusebius the ancientest Ecclesiasticall historian now extant deriveth from the very times of Titus whom out of the histories that were before his time he relateth to have held x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishoprick of the Churches in Crete With whom the Grecians of after times doe fully concurre as appeareth both by the subscription annexed by them unto the Epistle of S. Paul y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Titus ordained as there they say the first Bishop of the Church of the Cretians and by the argument out of Theodoret prefixed by them before the same speaking of him to the same effect that z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret argument epist ad Tit. in Occumenio he was by Paul ordained Bishop of that great countrey and had commission
Dulcibus in stagnis rimantur prata Caystri and in the seventh of the Aeneids mdash sonat amnis Asia longè Pulsa palus It is further also reported by Strabo that e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strab. lib. 14. pag. 650. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eustath in Iliad ss pag. 254. edit Roman in this field neere unto the banks of the river Cayster the inhabitants used to shew the Chappels dedicated to the honour of Caystrius and of one Asias whom the Etymologist f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etymologic magn in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth to have been sometime King of Lydia and to have given the name unto this Asian field or g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herodet lib. 4. §. 45. as the Lydians themselves would have it to the whole land of Asia alledging further that from this Asias the sonne of Cotys the sonne of Maneus they had a tribe in their head-city Sardis which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is recorded by Herodotus Whether h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stephan de Vrbib in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from this Asias the continent of Asia did take his denomination or from the forementioned city of Lydia or from Asia the wife of Prometheus or from some other originall Stephanus Byzantinus leaveth us to enquire But beside that the first vowell in Homers Asia is long and in the greater Asia which i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ibid. Stephanus acknowledgeth him to have been ignorant of is of a short quantity no man can doubt but the derivation of the name of Asia from a Lydian city or from a Lydian King and Heros is farre more properly applyable to Lydia it selfe then to the whole continent either of the greater or the lesser Asia For that Lydia comprised within the bounds before described had in a peculiar acception the name of Asia ascribed unto it may further be made cleare both out of the New Testament and the distinction made by the Romane Emperours betwixt the Proconsular Asia which we will shew was the same with this and the rest of the Asian Diocese In the 16. chapter of the Acts of the Apostles the journy of S. Paul and his company is by S. Luke thus described When they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the word in ASIA After they were come to Mysia they assayed to goe into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not And they passing by Mysia came downe to Troas Where it may be observed that the greater Phrygia through which they passed into Galatia and Mysia Olympena which was next adjoyning unto Bithynia and Hellespont wherein Troas was situated being all of them parcells of that Asia which at first was by the Romans properly so called and afterwards of the Asian Diocese also are yet expressely distinguished from Asia in a more strict sense so denominated as Caria likewise wherein Miletus stood seemeth to be by what we read in Acts 20.16 17. And as these are thus exempted by S. Luke so the rest that remaine of the proper Asia together with the seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn are all of them comprehended within the limits of that Lydian Asia whereof we have spoken For that Pergamus was accounted a city of Lydia we have heard before confirmed out of Xenophon to whom Aristotle also may be added in his booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he speaketh of a warre sometime raised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sardis Philadelphia and Thyatira are by Ptolemy Smyrna and Epheus by Scylax Caryandensis and k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Steph. de Vrbib in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laodicea by Stephanus Byzantinus placed therein Yet is Laodicea by Ptolemy referred unto Caria and by others unto Phrygia The reason of which difference we may learne from Strabo l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strab. lib. 13. pag. 628. who sheweth that the confines of Phrygia Lydia and Caria were so coincident that they were hardly to be discerned the one from the other which is the cause that though he himselfe m Id. lib. 12. pag. 576. lib. 14. pag. 663. doth reckon Laodicea among the cities of Phrygia yet Hierapolis which was n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. lib. 13. pag 629. opposit to it toward the East is by Stephanus p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stephan de Vrbib said to be seated betwixt Phrygia and Lydia it by that meanes being placed in and Laodicea without the borders of Phrygia This also doth Strabo assigne for another reason q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strab. lib. 13. pag. 629. why the bounds of the Provinces hereabout were confounded because that the Romans did not divide these places by the nations but ordered them after another manner according to the circuits wherein they kept their Courts and exercised judicature Five of these tribunals were seated in the cities of r Plin lib. 5. cap. 29. 30. Laodicea Sardis Smyrna Ephesus and Pergamus Philadelphia was subject to the Sardian and Thyatira to the Pergamen jurisdiction Thus was it when Pliny wrote toward the beginning of the empire of Vespasian although afterward s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ptolem lib. 5. c. 2. Thyatira was a Metropolis of it selfe as Ptolemy declareth in his Geography and in all likelyhood Philadelphia also the only city remaining of those seven famous ones singled out as the seats of the most eminent Churches of all Asia in the book of the Revelation For that Philadelphia was herein no whit inferiour unto Thyatira may easily be gathered by the respect which it still retained after that Lydia as we shall heare was separated from the Proconsular Asia and each Province ordinarily permitted to have but one Metropolis For Sardis being then the prime city of Lydia the next in account after it was Philadelphia another also being placed betwixt it and Thyatira as appeareth by the order of them constantly observed aswell in the t Hieroclis Notit Orientalis Imperii in Append. Geograph sacr edit Paris an 1641. pag. 29. Civill as in the u Ordo Metiopolit ibid. pag. 13. 45. in tomo 1. Iuris Graeco-Romani pag. 90. Ecclesiasticall Catalogues of the cities belonging to that Province Whereupon in the Acts of the Constantinopolitan Councell held under Menna we see that Eustathius subscribeth himselfe in expresse termes x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Constantinop sub Mennâ Act. 5. Bishop of the METROPOLIS of the Philadelphians of the province of the Lydians The addition of these two mother-cities seemeth to have been then made when Vespasian added those many new Provinces to the old government which y Sueton. in Vespasian cap. 8. Suetonius speaketh off at what time as it is most probable he separated this Proconsular Asia from the rest of that Asia which together with this was z Strabo
in sin lib. 17. pag. 840. by Augustus Caesar formerly made one entire Consular Province For the Proconsul of Asia having but two Provinces under his jurisdiction before that of Hellespont was cast upon him by Theodosius the elder the one in the continent which hee governed by himselfe the other in the Ilands which hee ruled by a President it is knowne a Sub Vespasiano principe Insularum provincia facta est Sexr Rufus in Breviario that the Rhodes and the rest of those Ilands were first made a Province by Vespasian and from his time downeward long before the distribution of the Empire made by Constantine there remaineth a continued memory of the Proconsuls of Asia For in his sonnes dayes we find b Plin. lib. 4. epist 3. 5. Vid. Iul. Capitolin in Antonino Pio cum notis Casauboni Arrius Antoninus to have been Proconsul of Asia and c Acta Graeca Timothei apud P. Halloix Notat in Vit. Polycarpi cap. 7. Peregrinus in the raigne of Nerva under whom Timothy suffered at Ephesus d Iul. Capitolin in Antonino Pio. Antoninus Pius e Iustin Martyr in Apologiâad Antonin ex eo Euseb lib. 4. hist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chronic-ann Christ 128. Serenius Grannianus and Minucius Fundanus boare the same office under the Emperour Hadrian and in the dayes of Marcus Aurelius f Fasti Sicult ad ann 4. O. lymp 235. Tatius Quadratus under whom Polycarpus suffered martyrdome at Smyrna as Pionius also did afterwards in the same place under g Ibid. ad ann 4. Olymp. 257. Proclus Quintianus There is mention also made by Aelius Lampridius of the Proconsulship of another h Lamprid. in Commo do Arrius Antoninus under Commodus And Vlpian in his first book of the Proconsuls office alledgeth i Imperator noster Antoninus Augustus ad de sideria Asianorum rescripsit Proconsuli necessitatem imposit am per mare Asiam applicare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pri mam attingere Vlpian in L. Observare D. de ossic Procons a Rescript of the Emperour Antoninus whereby a necessity was imposed upon the Proconsul to passe into Asiaby sea and among the other Metropoles whereof we heard there were many to arrive first at Ephesus But after the dayes of Constantine the distinction of the offices of the Vicarius Dioecesis Asianae and the Proconsul Asiae doth more evidently occurre especially in Eunapius where he telleth how in his time Valens being then Emperour of the East Clearchus was preferred unto them both For first he declareth that he was made k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eunap in vitâ Maximi governour of all that Asia the jurisdiction whereof did extend from Hellespont through Lydia and Pisidia unto Pamphylia where in stead of Lydia which at that time as we will shew did belong unto the Proconsular Asia we are to put Phrygia which appertained to this and aswell in the l Act. 2.9 10. 16.6 Acts of the Apostles as in the Epistle of the Church of Vienna and Lions recited by Eusebius is expresly excluded from that other Asia m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb lib. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then touching the advancement of Clearchus to the other government Eunapius writeth thus n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ibid. Things prosperously succeeding Valens was wonderfully well pleased with Clearchus and was so farre from depriving him of his former charge that he advanced him unto a greater government appointing him to be Proconsul of Asia now properly so called This from Pergamus downeward taking the sea-coast into it toward the adjacent continent reacheth unto Caria the mountaine Tmolus circumscribing that of it which belongeth unto Lydia Of the governments it is the most honourable and is not subject to the Praefectus Praetorio saving that now by reason of these late commotions all things are againe confounded and disturbed In which words touching this Proconsular Asia we may observe first the name which he giveth unto it of Asia NOW properly so called then the limits wherewith he circumscribeth it as it yet stood in the dayes of the Emperour Valens and lastly the changes which afterwards did happen therein In the first of which we are to consider that the Asia now properly so called was but a parcell of that which in former times the Romans called their proper Asia and that as the title of Asia then properly so called was used by them as a tearme to distinguish it from Asia minor so now it had a like relation unto the Asian diocese from which as a member from the whole by this specification of the name it was discriminared Secondly touching the limits thereof it may be noted that as Galen in the place before alledged maketh the Hellespontian Mysia which in the old distribution of the Empire was within the precinct of the jurisdiction of the Vicarius dioecesis Asianae to be conterminous unto Pergamus where he himselfe was borne so Eunapius from the same Pergamus or the Pergamen Mysia rather beginneth the bounds of the Proconsular Asia extending the length thereof from thence downeward unto Caria and the breadth from the Sea unto Tmolus o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strabo lib. 13. pag. 629. a mountaine placed in the Easterne border of Lydia which is by Euripides in his Bacchae called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fortresse of Lydia and on the side whereof Sardis a chiefe city of that province and Eunapius his own country is not only by him p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euripid. in Bacchis but also by q Herodot lib. 1. § 84. lib. 5. §. 101. Herodotus r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strab. l. 13. pag. 625. Strabo and s Lydia celebratur maxime Sardibus in latere Tmoli montis qui antè Timolus appellabatur Plin. lib. 5. c. 29. Pliny howsoever Ptolemy misplaceth it sufficiently proved to have been situated By which description it appeareth that the Proconsular Asia was the same with the old Lydian Asia within the compasse whereof all those seven Churches were comprehended which are mentioned in the booke of the Revelation Thirdly for the changes which followed afterward we find that by Theodosius the elder who succeeded Valens in the Easterne Empire the t L. Offic. Hestesponti C. de offic comit sacri potrimon vel pouùs proconsalis leg Consular Hellespont wherein that Hellespontian Mysia was contained which bordered upon Pergamena was taken from the jurisdiction of the Vicarius of the Asian diocese and put under the power of the Proconsul of Asia and either by him or his sonne Arcadius the inland province of Lydia on the other side taken from the Proconsul of Asia and subjected to the Vicarius of the Asian diocesse Which is the cause why Palladius u Palladius in Vitâ Chrysostomi ex eo Georgius Alexandrinus tomo 8. edit Graec. oper Chrysost pag. 202. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of the Asian
Residence were the Metropoles Concil Constantinop 1. can 2. which also the second Canon of the second generall Councell afore mentioned doth clearely import But I shall not thus satisfy you perhaps except the second point also be declared namely to whose Government the Churches of all other Provinces did belong Touching which I will tell you briefly what searching the best I could into the ancient Ordination and government both Civill and Ecclesiasticall of the Empire of Rome I have observed The whole Empire of Rome was divided into XIII Dioceses whereof VII belonged to the East Empire and VI. beside the Prefecture of the city of Rome before mentioned to the West Those XIII Dioceses together with that Prefecture contained among them CXX Provinces or thereabout so that to e-every Diocese belonged the administration of sundry Provinces Lastly every Province contained many Cities within their territories The Cities had for their Rulers those inferiour Iudges which in the Law are tearmed Defensores civitatum and their seats were the cities themselves to which all the Townes and Villages in their severall territories were to resort for justice The Provinces had for theirs either Proconsules or Consulares or Praesides or Correctores foure sundry appellations but almost all of equall authority and their seats were the chiefest cities or Metropoles of the Provinces of which in every Province there was one to which all the inferiour cities for judgement in matters of importance did resort Lastly the Dioceses had for theirs the Lievtenants called Vicarij and their seats were the Metropoles or principall cities of the Diocese whence the edicts of the Emperour or other Lawes were published and sent abroad into all the Provinces of the Diocese and where the Praetorium and chiefe Tribunall for judgement was placed to determine the Appeales and minister justice as might be occasion to all the Provinces belonging to that jurisdiction And this was the disposition of the Roman Governours for to speake of the severall properties of these subordinate Rulers government were tedious and for our purpose needlesse And truly it is wonderfull how neerely and exactly the Church in her Government did imitate this civill Ordination of the Roman Magistrates For first in every city as there was a Defensor civitatis for secular government so was there placed a Bishop for spirituall regiment in every city of the East and in every city of the West almost a severall Bishop whose jurisdiction extended but to the city and the places within the Territory of it for which cause the jurisdiction of a Bishop was anciently knowne by no other name but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying not as many ignorant Novelists think a parish as now the word is taken that is the places or habitations neere a Church but the Townes and Villages neere a city all which together with the City the Bishop had in charge Secondly in every Province as there was a President so was there an Arch-Bishop and because his Seat was the principall City of the Province he was commonly knowne by the name of Metropolitan Lastly in every Diocese as there was a Lievetenant-Generall so was there a Primate seated also in the principall city of the Diocese as the Lievtenant was to whom the last determining of Appeales from all the Provinces in differences of the Clergy and the soveraigne care of all the Diocese for sundry points of spirituall government did belong So that by this discourse it appeareth that 1. a Bishop in the ancient acception was the chiefe spirituall governour of a City 2. A Metropolitan chiefe of a Province 3. a Primate chiefe of a whole Diocese which was anciently a farre greater matter then a Province as containing the joynt administration of many Provinces although now it import a farre lesse jurisdiction even that Precinct which anciently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did Now of what Cities these Primates of the Dioceses were Bishops and what Provinces belonged to the jurisdiction of every one I could set downe but I should be long which I am loth to be loving a great deale better sparingnesse then prolixity of discourse and specially at this present when I have no leasure to spare But by this that I have already said of the number of the Dioceses you may see that there were XI Primates besides the III. Patriarchs for of the XIII Dioceses besides the Praefecture of the city of Rome which as before I said was administred by the Patriarch of Rome that of Egypt was governed by the Patriarch of Alexandria and that of the Orient by the Patriarch of Antiochia and all the rest by the Primates Yet I must confesse that in Africa as it is to be seen in sundry of the African Councells the name of Primates and Metropolitans was promiscuously used for the superintendents of single Provinces although the just power and dignity of Primate belonged but to one among them all Now touching the power and jurisdiction of these Primates although it was no lesse then that of the Patriarchs the office being the same as you may see in Anacletus his epistles Anaclet epistol ad Episcop Ital. Gratian. Dist 99. and in Gratian and the name also of Patriarchs of the Dioceses being commonly given unto them by Iustinian yet the honour was somewhat lesse the Patriarchs ever having precedence and priority of place in Councells and that in a certaine order first Rome then Alexandria and then Antiochia But if you should aske me the reason why all these soveraigne Bishops being equall in power only three of them till the ambition of the Bishops of Constantinople and Ierusalem had obtained that title had the name of Patriarchs Gelas in Concil 1. Romano Gregor lib. 6. Ep. 37. ad Eulog I can yeild no better although I know some Bishops of Rome have pretended other then either because from these three cities above all others the Christian Religion was dispersed abroad among many nations in acknowledgement whereof Christians reverenced them as mother-Churches above all the rest or else for the great dignity of the cities themselves exceeding all other of the Roman Empire For first of Rome the Lady of the world there is no question Dio Chrysost in orat 32. ad Alexandrinos Aristid in orat de Romae laudib but she surpassed all the rest and of Alexandria Dion Chrysostomus and Aristides have recorded it to be the second as Iosephus also hath registred Antiochia for the third city of all the Empire And as for the Vnity of the Church the preservation whereof you suppose might be the finall cause of reducing all Christian countries under the Regiment of those three Patriarchs it was otherwise singularly provided for partly by the excellent subordination before touched of inferiour Clerks to Bishops in every City of Bishops to Metropolitans in every Province and of Metropolitans to Patriarchs or Primates in every Diocese and partly if the wounds and rents of the Church by
principall Colony of the Romanes in Britaine Secondly the Emperours Palace was there there died Septimius Severus and thence his sonnes Bassianus and Geta departed as Emperours there died Constantius Chlorus the Emperour and there was his sonne Constantine the Great first proclaimed Emperour there was also the Praetorium of the Diocesse of Britaine and the Lieutenant there kept residence therefore it was the Metropolis of the whole Diocesse of Britaine and not only of one Province as London was and consequently it was the Primats seate For so it was usuall in all other Diocesses of the Empire namely that where the Praetorium was and the Lieutenant Vicarius held his residence for administration of justice to the Provinces there the Primate of the Diocesse was seated also And therefore Spartianus in the life of Severus calleth it the City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veniens saith he in Civitatem speaking of Yorke primùm ad Bellonae Templum that Temple stood where now St Peters Church doth ductus est And therefore it was not without cause Gregor l. 12. Epist 15. ad Augustinum that Gregory at the first conversion of the English was so carefull to erect an Arch-Bishoprick as well at Yorke as at London although it never came to London but was established at Canterbury and that with such equall termes of honour that the Arch-Bishops should have precedence each before other according to the antiquity of their Ordination The fourth Question In what Patriarchate Justiniana prima was Answere IN none but had it selfe the Primacie of the Diocesse of Dacia For that Diocesse being erected long after all the rest by Iustinian as the place wherein himselfe was borne and by him named Iustiniana prima Acridus it was afore called Procop. lib. 4. Aedific Iust as Nicephorus saith being in Dardania as Procopius hath registred was made the head thereof and both a Praefectus Praetorii there established for civill government and an Episcopall Primacy for Ecclesiasticall And for jurisdiction Dacia Mediterranea Dacia Ripensis Mysiasecunda Dardania Praevalitana and part both of Macedonia secunda and Pannonia secunda that is all the Diocesse of Dacia was assigned to it Which yet by the way least the mention of Dacia breed some errour must not be understood of the ancient Dacia on the north side of Danubius which contained Transsylvania Wallachia and Moldavia as now they are called but of the new Dacia on the south side of Danubius and betwixt the said river and the mountaine Haemus For the Emperour Aurelianus translating the Inhabitants of the old Dacia being sore afflicted and overcharged by the warres of the barbarous nations to the other side of Danubius placed them betwixt the two provinces of Moesia Europ lib. 9. Suidas in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking up part of either and some part of Dardania and of the inhabitants gave it the name of Dacia as Vopiscus Eutropius Suidas and others have left recorded Of this Dacia I say and other provinces of the same Dioces was the Arch bishop of Iustiniana made Primate by Iustinian and that with the highest prerogatives and honours that could be given For he was to be ordained by his owne Metropolitans and they and the other Bishops of those provinces were not to acknowledge or appeale to any other but he was * To be not only Metropolitan but Arch-bishop Where by the way you may note that in these ancient times the name of Arch-bishop was given only to Patriarchs Primates which in after times Metropolitans also took on them But of late many invaded the title that were not so much us Metropolitans and had 〈◊〉 one suffragan Bishop under their jurisdiction to have Omnem censuram Ecclesiasticam summum Sacerdotium summum fastigium primam dignitatem If you read the Constitution Novel XI it will satisfy you And to that in another Law Novel CXXXI c. 3. is added that he was in all those Provinces to have the place Locum he saith not Vicem least there should be any ambiguity of the Apostolicall Sea In so much that Nicephorus speaking of the erection of that City and Church by Iustinian saith of it that Iustinian made it Ecclesiam liberam quae sibi Caput esset cum plenâ potestate c. And this same height of prerogative and honour that Iustinian gave to the Bishop of Iustiniana prima he gives also to the Bishop of Carthage as is manifest in the fourth Chapter of the last mentioned CXXXI Novell And therefore in very truth neither of them both if the Emperour might endow them with these priviledges was subject to the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Rome Wherefore to confesse freely my ignorance I see no reason why the Bishop of Thebes should appeale from the Bishop of Iustiniana prima to the Bishop of Rome First because of the prerogative of that seat exempted from all forraine jurisdiction Secondly because the Bishop of Iustiniana sentenced not the matter by vertue of ordinary jurisdiction for so he belonged to the Arch-bishop of Thessalonica Primate of all Greece wherein Thebes stood but by speciall * Gregor l. 2. Epistol Indict 11. Epist 6. delegation from the Emperour Thirdly because if notwithstanding all this he might appeale he should both by Ecclesiasticall Canon and Imperiall Constitution have made it to the Patriarch of Gonstantinople For in the Canon before mentioned of the Chalcedon Councell Concil Chalced Can. 9. all manner of Clerks are directly injoyned to make their last Appeales either to the Primate of the Diocesse where the controversy should hap to fall or else to the Bishop of Constantinople And besides the Emperours Honorius and Thendosius made a speciall Law as it is in the Code in the Title de Sacrosanctis Ecclesiis L. Cod. lib 1. Tit. 2. leg 6. Omni. that all the controversies and Appeales of the provinces of Illyricum of which the Diocesse of Dacia long after erected was at that time a part as appeareth in the old Index of the Provinces Index Provinciar edit à Schonhovio Fest Ruf. and by the Breviary of Rufus should be reserved to the judgement of the Bishop of Constantinople So that although the Bishop of Rome had not been excluded from these Appeales by Iustinians Constitution endowing Iustiniana prima with the prerogatives aforementioned yet were he barred neverthelesse by that other law of the ancient Emperours by whom those Appeales were restrained to Constantinople And as I know no reason why the Bishop of Thebes should make his appeale to Rome from the Bishop of Iustiniana except perhaps one would say that he was not of the ordinary jurisdiction of the Bishop of Iustiniana and that it was about a matter done not in Illyricum but in Greece which was not under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople so know I no good reason why Gregory on the other side should give that appeale any entertainment considering the allegations afore mentioned except he should pretend
the old Canon of Sardica for liberty of Appeales to the Romane Bishops no Provinces being by the Canon excepted or think that the Bishop of Iustiniana prima was subject to him because at the first erection of that primacy by Iustinian he was perhaps consecrated by Vigilius Bishop of Rome But as this act was performed by the appointment of the Emperour so that Canon of Sardica so much stood on seemeth by the later and greater Councell of Chalcedon againe to be revoked and the order of Appealing otherwise restrained as you may read in the ninth Canon of that Councell And thus confessing my ignorance of the reasons of other mens irregular actions I end having wearied my selfe and dulled my pen perhaps to trouble you more then to satisfy you Yet this latter was my purpose and to take the trouble my selfe for your satisfaction Howsoever it fall out I doubt not but you will accept what is well written for my good wils sake to pleasure you who am not wont to write discourses of this kind to many men and pardon the imperfections and errors which may perhaps escape me because it was my intention to write the truth whereof I have no where wittingly failed and because my little leasure and little learning would not allow me on the suddaine to doe better FINIS THE VALIDITY OF THE ORDINATION Of the MINISERS of the REFORMED CHVRCHES BEYOND THE SEAS MAINtained against the Romanists BY FRANCIS MASON With A briefe Declaration premised thereunto of the severall Formes of Government received in those CHURCHES By IOHN DUREE OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Anno Dom. 1641. The severall formes of Gouernment received in the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas IN the Church of Sweden the Government is committed to one Arch-Bishop and seven Bishops whom formerly the King now the Regents of the kingdome doe appoint Yet some kind and forme of Election used by the Clergy doth goe along with that appointment The Bishops as Bishops have voyce in Parliament and with them so many of the inferiour Clergy as are from every Socken that is the name of a certaine number of Parishes deputed to appeare in Parliament together with such husbandmen as are usually sent thither in the name of a Socken The Bishops authority over the rest of the Clergy is to direct and order aswell in as out of publick meetings all Ecclesiasticall assayres according to the received constitutions of the Church And as they use not without counsell and knowledge of their Consistorialls to doe any thing of moment so if they think it expedient they may call a Synode of their Diocese and therein make such particular Constitutions as they shall think fit for their owne edification Their meanes and maintenance is answerable in some proportion to the place wherein they are set above others and so are by all respected and honoured as Fathers of the Church In Denmarck their authority is not so great yet they keep the name and place of Bishops and have maintenance somewhat answerable to their place They are appointed by the King for the ordering of Ecclesiasticall affayres with the consent of their Brethren in Confistory as Directours of Meetings and out of Meetings as peculiar Inspectors over the Church to receive complaints and provide that scandals may be taken out of the way In other Lutherane Churches as in Holstein Pomeren Mekelenburgh Brunswick Luneburgh Bremen Oldenburg East Friesland Hessen Saxony and all the upper part of Germany where Lutheranes beare rule as also in most of the great Imperiall Cities the Government of the Church belongeth to Superintendents who are called and put in place by the Princes in their owne Dominions and by the Magistrates in the great Cities They have a Priority over the rest of the Ministery and commonly in the Dominions of Princes there is an Ecclesiasticall Consistory made up of Clergy men and Counsellours of the state to oversee and direct the Superintendents in things which may be expedient To which Consistory also the Decision of hard matters incident when strife ariseth doth belong In the Diocese of Bremen the Arch-Bishop his Chancellour Court doth direct order all things in the name of his Highnesse But in Brunswick and Luneburgh besides the Generall Consistory and the particular Superintendents which are ordinarily amongst all the rest of the Lutheranes there bee others who are named Generales and Generalissimi Superintendentes whereof the former is subordinate unto the latter and both unto the Supreme Ecclesiasticall Consistory whereof the Generalissimus Superintendens and such others as the Prince doth appoint are members All these Superintendents are in place during life and are allowed maintenance in some proportion answerable to their priority of place above others In the Reformed Churches heretofore in the Palatinate the Government was administred by those whom they called Inspectores and Praepositi whose power was the same with that of the particular Superintendents amongst the Lutherans And above these Inspectores was the Ecclesiasticall Consistory made up of three Clergy men and three Counsellours of state with their President These the Prince named and to them in his name the ordering of all matters did belong In like manner in the Wetteraw in Hessen and in Anhalt they have still their Praepositos and Superintendentes with the same power and forme of Government which is already mentioned Now in Holland although their Presbyteriall or as they call it their Classicall Meetings are very frequent videlicèt every month and their Classicall Synodes every yeare yet they have of late found a necessity of erecting some officers to whom a more universall charge is committed then others have These they call Deputatos Synodi and are only temporary for some few yeares with a limited power These Deputies of the Synode have their peculiar Meetings by themselves upon severall incident occasions but chiefly at the time of every Provinciall Synode wherein they consult before hand how matters ought to be laid and proposed unto the Assemblies and then in the Meeting they have a peculiar place by themselves where they sit and concerning every thing which is to bee determined the Praeses of the Synode doth require of them first that they should open the matter unto the Assembly and declare their judgements of it before it be put to the Votes of the Multitude In Geneva and Helvetia the Eldest Ministers have the place before others and for the most part that authority and respect which in other Churches the Superintendents receive by speciall order and constitution these have by custome and tacite consent of their Brethren although at particular occasions of Meetings they chuse severall Presidents of the action The like is also in France where the Ministery of Paris party by reason of the Eminency of the place partly by reason of the guifts and endowments of the men ordinarily appointed to that place doth beare a great sway before all others But in Transylvania Polonia and Bohemia
and contrary to the Scriptures which plentifully proves the preheminence of Bishops For though there were many Presbyters in Ephesus and Crete yet f 1 Tim. 1.3 lb. 5.19 Tit. 1.5 Saint Paul left Timothie at Ephesus and Titus at Crete to ordaine Presbyters to command them not to teach any other doctrine or if they did to put them to silence as also to examine witnesses and receive accusations And forasmuch as the end and use of their office was perpetuall therefore the function and office it selfe must likewise be perpetuall Which proveth that it was given to them as they were Bishops not as they were Evangelists Moreover the calling of Bishops is approved by the mouth of Christ himselfe when he adorned the seven Prelates of the seven Churches with the honourable title of Starres and Angells If they be Angells then are they Messengers of the Lord of Hosts If they be his Messengers then are they sent from him and their vocation by him authorised But what is their charge g Revel 2.9.14 15 20. to try false Apostles and not to suffer the doctrine of Balaam nor the doctrine of the Nicolaitans nor to permit the woman Iesabell to teach and seduce the people or to make them commit fornication and eat meate sacrificed to Idolls That is both to oversee the doctrine and discipline of the Church If this be their charge then in this God hath given them authority to amend what is amisse which authority is not given to many but to one Angell in every one Church of the seven Churches Why should that one be charged above the rest if he had not pastorall power besides the rest And he is called the Angell of the Church not of the people nor of the Presbyters but of the whole Church If he be the Angell of the whole Church then he hath pastorall authority over the whole Church and is armed with spirituall power to governe the same and to reforme abuses both in the Ministers and in the people Wherefore the opinion of Aërius concerning these Angells as contrary to the word of God is it selfe contrary unto it and in this sense justly censured for an Heresy Now let us see whether it can be imputed to Luther and Calvin It is confessed by h Tom. 4. Disp 9. q. 1. p. 2. sect 9. Gregory de Valentiâ that except the Anabaptists all the sectaries so it pleaseth him to stile the Protestants admit three degrees of Ministers to wit Bishops whom they call Superintendents Presbyters and Deacons Therefore by the testimony of your owne Iesuit they cannot be Aërïans And surely it is famously knowne to the world to be so in the reformed Churches of Denmarke Suevia and high Germany as also in Saxonie even at Wittenberge where Luther florished Concerning which thus writeth Iacobus Heerbrandus sometimes Divinity Reader at Tubinge i Heerbrand Loc. Com. de ministerio Ecclesiae pag. 699. Truly there ought to be degrees amongst the Ministers as with us in the Dutchey of Wittenberge there are Subdeacons Deacons Pastors speciall Superintendents and over them generall Superintendents How can they disallow the preheminence of Bishops seeing their Superintendents are nothing else but Bishops For when the name Bishop was growne odious by reason of abuses in the Popish Prelates they retaining the dignity it selfe changed the word Bishop into Superintendent which is equivalent in signification PHILOD If they allow the state of Bishops why then did they banish their Catholick Bishops ORTHOD. They banished the Popish Bishops not because they were Bishops but because they were Popish For first such as sought reformation intreated them to redresse abuses which they utterly refused Then the Magistrates were told that it was their duty to reforme the Church by the example of the godly Kings of Iudah which sundry of them did yet so that the Bishops might have kept their places if they would have favoured the Gospell of Christ as may appeare by the authors of the Augustane Confession k De Eccles Potestat The Bishops say they might easily retaine the obedience due unto them if they urged us not to keep those traditions which wee cannot keep with a good conscience And againe l Apolog. Confessionis Augustanae ad artic 14. de ordine Ecclesiastico We have often protested that wee doe heartily approve the Ecclesiasticall policy and degrees in the Church and so much as lieth in us doe desire to preserve them We doe not mislike the authority of Bishops so they would not compell us to doe against Gods commandements And againe m Ibid. Furthermore we doe protest and we would have it recorded that we would willingly preserve the Ecclesiasticall and Canonicall policy if the Bishops would cease to tyrannize over our Churches This our mind or desire shall excuse us with all posterity both before God and all Nations that it may not be imputed unto us that the authority of Bishops is overthrowne by us To the same effect speaketh George Prince Anhalt n Princeps Anhalt in Cōcion super Matth. 7. de falsis prophetis in Praefatione tit de Ordinations Would to God that as they carry the name and titles of Bishops so they would shew themselves to be Bishops of the Church would to God that as the book of Gospells is delivered them and laid upon their shoulders in their Ordination so they would teach doctrine according thereunto and would faithfully governe their Churches thereby O how willingly and with what joy of heart would we receive them for our Bishops and reverence them obey them and yeeld unto them their due jurisdiction and ordination I passe by other Colloquies at o Colloquium Wormaciense tit de personis Ecclesiasticis tit de abusibus Ecclesiarum emendandis Wormes and p Acta Colloq Ratisbon à Buceto edita tit de Ecclesiae hierarchico ordine paragr 7. Ratisbone wherein the degrees of Bishops Archbishops and Patriarchs are commended as profitable to preserve the unity of the Church Concerning which Melancthon writeth thus to Camerarius q Melancth ep ad Camerarium an 1530. By what right or Law may we dissolve the Ecclesiasticall policy if the Bishops will grant us that which in reason they ought to grant and though it were lawfull for us so to doe yet surely it were not expedient Luther was ever of this opinion And that they meane unfainedly as they speake may appeare by their dealing with Michael Sidonius r Historia Confess Augustanae per Chytraeum Whom they thrust out of his Bishoprick because of his Popery yet afterwards when he imbraced the Gospell advanced him againe to that Ecclesiasticall office So farre were those whom you call Lutherans from being Aërians PHILOD BVt what say you to Geneva those Cities that imbrace the Genevian Discipline ORTHOD. Their opinions are apparent by Calvine and Beza The judgement of Calvine is the same with the Augustane Confession to which he
position is condemned by the a Sess 23. Can. 7. Councell of Trent not from the Episcopall considered alone and apart from the Priest-hood for the Bishoprick without the Priest-hood saith b Bellarm. de Sacram. Ordinis cap. 5. §. 16. Bellarmine is so farre from being a superiour order that in very deed it is nothing but a meere figment in the mind Wherefore I will anwere your question with these words in Gregory de Valentiâ c Gregor de Valentiâ to 4. d. 9. q. 1. p. 4. resp ad arg 1. Episcopum non per solam potestatem quam in Episcopali ordine accepit sed per illam simul per Sacerdotalem potestatem ordinare Sacerdotem A Bishop ordaineth Priests not by the power only which he received when hee was ordained Bishop but by his Episcopall Presbyteriall power joyned together which is agreeable to Bellarmine saying d Bellarm. de Sacram. ord cap. 5. §. 13. The entire Episcopall ordination ariseth from a double ordination and the entire and perfect Episcopall character which is an absolute perfect and independent power of conferring the sacraments of Confirmation and Order is not one simple quality but a thing composed of a double Character ORTHOD. THen you referre it only to the Sacrament and Character of order wherefore if it can bee proved out of your owne writers that every Presbyter hath as much as a Bishop of the Sacrament and Character of order you must confesse that every Presbyter hath intrinsecall power to give orders But this shall be proved by a world of witnesses all affirming in effect that which is added in Episcopall Consecration whereby a Bishop is distinguished from a Presbyter is neither Sacrament of order nor imprinteth a Character To begin with the Schoolemen The Master of the Sentences saith e 4. Sent. dist 24. Cumque omnes spirituales sint c. Whereas all the seven orders are spirituall and sacred yet the Canons thinke that two only are called sacred orders by an excellency to wit the order of Deaconship and Priesthood because the Primitive Church so farre as we can reade had only these two and of these only wee have the Apostles precept For the Apostles ordained Bishops and Presbyters in every City we read also that Levits hee meaneth Deacons were ordained by the Apostles Thus hee affirmeth that the Primitive Church in the Apostles time had Bishops Priests and Deacons yet acknowledgeth but two sacred orders the Deaconship and the Priesthood And whereas he saith Ordo Episcoporum est quadripartitus the order of Bishops is branched into fowre parts it is certaine he taketh the word Order largely and improperly which may appeare because a little before he excludeth the Episcopall function from being an Order in these plaine and expresse termes Sunt alia quaedam non ordinum sed dignitatum vel officiorum nomina dignitatis simul officii nomen est Episcopus There be also other names not of Orders but of Dignities and offices yea a Bishop is a name both of Dignity and Office Bonaventure f 4. Sent. dist 24. q. 3. a. 2. Episcopatus desicit ab ordine c. The Episcopall function commeth short of an order because order is a seale that is a Character because a seale doth signify a Character and this Character is not imprinted in the Episcopall function a signe whereof is this that a Bishop cannot be consecrated unlesse he be a Priest and so of it selfe it doth not imprint a Character Moreover it faileth from being an Order because there is not given any new power but only the power of binding and loosing is inlarged And Episcopatus includit necessariò ordinem perfectissimum scilicèt Sacerdotium illi super addit eminentiam The Episcopall function includeth necessarily the most perfect order to wit the Priesthood and addeth unto it eminency Thomas Aquinas saith g Supplement 3 part q. 40. art 5. Ordo potest accipi dupliciter c. Order may be taken two wayes one way as it is a Sacrament and so as it is said before every order is ordered to the Sacrament of the Eucharist whereupon seeing a Bishop hath no more superiour power then a Priest in this respect the Bishoply function shall not be an order Order may be considered another way in that it is a certaine office in respect of certaine sacred actions and so seeing a Bishop hath power in Hierarchichall actions above a Priest in respect of the body Mysticall the Bishoply function shall be an Order Durandus h In 4. sent dist 24. q. 6. Dicendum est quòd Episcopatus seu ordinatio Episcopalis est Ordo Sacramentum non quidem praecisè distinctum à sacerdotio simplici sed ut est unum sacramentum cum ipso sicut perfectum imperfectum i. e. It is to be said that the Bishoply function or the Episcopall ordination is an order and a sacrament not truely and precisely distinct from the simple Priesthood but as it is one sacrament with the Priesthood even as perfect and imperfect Dominicus Soto i De Iustit Iure l. 10. q. 1. art 2. 4. sent dist 24. q. 2. art 3. Episcopatus non est sacramentum Ordinis est tamen Ordo hoc est Dignitas gradus altior sacerdotio cui eminentiora officia sunt annexa i. e. The Bishopship is not a sacrament of Order and yet it is an order that is a higher dignity and degree them Priesthood to which certaine eminent offices are annexed Richardus k In 4. sent dist 24. art 5. q. 2. Ordo dupliciter potest accipi uno modo pro gradu potestatis ordinatae mediatè vel immediatè ad consecrationem corporis vel sanguinis Christi alio modo pro quolibet gradu potestatis respectu quarumlibet actionum sacrarum Primo modo Ordo est sacramentum sic Episcopatus non est ordo c. i.e. Order may be taken two waies one way for the degree of an ordinate power mediatly or immediatly to the consecration of the body or blood of Christ another way for any degree of power in respect of certaine sacred actions In the first sense Order is a sacrament and so Episcopatus is not an order and before Non sunt nisi septem ordines in Ecclesiâ quod non esset verum si Episcopatus esset ordo i. e. There are but seven orders in the Church which would not be true if Episcopatus were an Order Aureolus doth argue l In 4. d. 24. q. 1. art 2. by proving that the Episcopall function is not another order distinct frō the Priesthood because then this order should be either superiour then a Priest or inferiour But it is neither so nor so Therefore it is no way an order The Minor is proved Because it is apparent that it cannot be an inferiour order because that which is inferiour is first taken and is presupposed to the superiour order But