not the Bishop without the People nor the People without the Bishop but both conjunctly constituted that Supreme Tribunal which censured Delinquents and Transgressors as will be evident from what follows All the Power that any Church-Court exerted was derived from that Promife and Commission of Christ in Matth. 16. 18 19. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven Now this Power some of the Ancients mention as given to the Bishops Thus Origen writes That the Bishops applyed to themselves this Promise that was made to Peter teaching That they had received the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven from our Saviour that so whatsoever was bound that is condemned by them on Earth was bound in Heaven and whatsoever was loosed by them was also loosed in Heaven which says he may be Orthodoxly enough applyed to them if they hold Peter's Confession and are such as the Church of Christ may be built upon And so also says Cyprian The Church is founded upon the Bishops by whom every Ecclesiastical Action is governed Others of the Ancients mention this Power as given to the whole Church according to that in Matth. 18. 15 16 17 18. If thy Brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his Fault between thee and him 〈◊〉 if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy 〈◊〉 but if he will not hear thee 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 them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen and a Publican Verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven By the Church here is to be understood the whole Body of a particular Church or Parish unto which some of the Fathers attribute the Power of the Keys as Tertullian If thou fearest Heaven to be shut remember the Lord gave its Keys to Peter and by him to the Church And Firmilian The Power of remitting Sins is given to the Apostles and to the Churches which they constituted and to the Bishops who succeeded them Now from this different attribution of the Power of the Keys we may infer this That it was so lodged both in Bishops and People as that each had some share in it The Bishop had the whole Executive and part of the Legislative Power and the People had a part in the Legislative tho' not in the Executive As for the Executive Power by which I understand the formal Pronunciation of Suspensions and Excommunications the Imposition of Hands in the Absolution of Penitents and such like that could be done by none but by the Bishop or by Persons in Holy Orders Deputed and Commission'd by him as the Sequel will evince But as for the Legislative Decretive or Judicatorial Power that 〈◊〉 both to Clergy and Laity who conjunctly made up that Supreme Consistorial Court which was in every Parish before which all Offenders were tried and if found Guilty sentenced and condemned Now that the Clergy were Members of this Ecclesiastical Court is a thing so evidently known and granted by all as that it would be superfluous to heap up many Quotations to prove it so that I shall but just confirm it after I have proved that which may seem more strange and that is That the Laity were Members thereof and Judges therein being Sharers with the Clergy in the Judicial Power of the Spiritual Court And this will most evidently appear by the consideration of these following Testimonies The first shall be out of that place of Clemens Romanus where he writes Who will say according to the Example of Moses If Seditions Contentions and Schisms are hapned because of me I will depart I will go wheresoever you please and I will do what are enjoyned me by the People so the Church of Christ be in Peace So Origen describes a Criminal as appearing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before the whole Church And Dyonisius Bishop of Alexandria in his Letter to Fabius Bishop of Antioch speaks of one Serapion that had fallen in the Times of Persecution who had several times appeared before the Church to beg their Pardon but no one did ever take any notice of him But Cyprian is most full in this matter as when two Subdeacons and an Acolyth of his Parish had committed some great Misdemeanors he professes that he himself was not a sufficient Judge of their Crimes but they ought to be tried by all the People And concerning Felicissimus the 〈◊〉 he writes to his People from his Exile that if it pleased God he would come to them after Easter and then that Affair should be adjusted according to their Arbitrement and Common Counsel And in another place he condemns the rash Precipitation of some of his Presbyters in admitting the Lapsed to Communion because of some Pacificatory Libels obtained from the Confessors and charges them to admit no more till Peace was restored to the Church and then they should plead their Cause before the Clergy and before all the People And concerning the same matter he writes in another Letter to the People of his Parish That when it should please God to restore Peace to the Church and reduce him from his Exile that then it should be examined in their Presence and according to their Judgment So that the Consistory Court was composed of the People as well as of the Bishop each of whom had a negative Voice therein On one side the Bishop could do nothing without the People So when several returned from the Schism of Fortunatus and Bishop Cyprian was willing to receive them into the Churches Peace he complains of the unwillingness of his People to admit them and the great difficulties he had to obtain their Consent as he thus describes it in his Letter to Cornelius Bishop of Rome O my dear Brother if you could be present with me when those Men return from their Schism you would wonder at what pains I take to perswade our Brethren to be patient that laying aside their Grief of Mind they would consent to the healing and receiving of those that are sick I can scarce 〈◊〉 yea I extort a Grant from my People that such 〈◊〉 received to Communion And on the other side the People could do dothing without the Bishop as when one of the three Bishops that 〈◊〉 Ordained Novatian came back to the Church and desired admission the People alone could not receive him without the Consent of the Bishop 〈◊〉 for else they would
in claritate receptus in gloria venturus Salvator eorum qui salvantur Judex eorum qui 〈◊〉 mittens in ignem aeternum transfiguratores veritatis contemptores patris sui adventus ejus Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 4. p 172. Regula est autem Fidei ut jam hinc quid credamus profitearur illa scilicet qua creditur unum omnino Deum esse 〈◊〉 alium praeter mundi creatorem qui universa de nihilo produxerit per verbum suum primo omnium amissum id verbum Filium ejus appellatum in nomine Dei varie visum Patriarchis in Prophetis semper auditum postremo delatum ex spiritu patris Dei virture in Virginem Matiam carnem factum in utero ejus ex ea natum egisse Jesum Christum exinde proedicasse novam legem novam promissionem Regni Coelorum virtutes fecisse fixum cruci tertia die resurrexisse in coelos ereptum sedere ad dexteram patris misisse vicariam vim spiritus sancti qui credentes agant venturum cum claritate ad sumendos sauctos in vitae eternae promissorum coelestium fructum ad 〈◊〉 judicandos igni perpetuo facta utriusque partis resuscitatione cum carnis 〈◊〉 Haec regula a Christo instituta nullas habet apud nos quaestiones nisi quas haereses 〈◊〉 quae haereticos faciunt 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 advers 〈◊〉 p. 73. Unicum quidem Deum credimus sub hac 〈◊〉 dispensatione quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicimus ut unici Dei sit Filius Sermo ipsius qui ex ipso processerit per quem omnia facta sunt sine quo factum est nihil hunc missum a patre in Virginem ex ea natum hominem Deum filium hominis filium Dei cognominatum Jesum Christum hunc passum 〈◊〉 mortuum sepultum secundum scripturas resuscitatum a Patre in coelo resumptum sedere ad dexteram patris venturum judicare vivos 〈◊〉 qui exinde miserat secundum promissionem suam a patre spiritum sanctum Paracletum sanctificatorem fidei eorum qui credunt in patrem filium spiritum sanctum Hanc regulam ab initio Evangelii decucurrisse c. Tertul. advers Praxean p. 316. Regula Fidei una omnino est sola immobilis irreformabilis credendi scilicet in unicum Deum omnipotentem mundi conditorem 〈◊〉 ejus Jesum Christum natum ex Virgine Maria crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato tertio 〈◊〉 resuscitatum a mortuis receptum in coelis sedentem nunc ad dexteram patris venturum 〈◊〉 vivos mortuos per carnis etiam resurrectionem Tertullian de Virginib veland p. 385. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen Comment in 〈◊〉 Tom. 32. p. 397. Vol. 2. Unus Deus est qui omnia creavit atque composuit quique ex nullis fecit esse universa Deus a prima creatura conditione mundi omnium justorum Adam Abel Seth Enos c. quod hic Deus in novissimis diebus 〈◊〉 per Prophetas suos ante promiserat 〈◊〉 Dominum 〈◊〉 Jesum Christum 〈◊〉 quidem vocaturum Israel secundo vero etiam gentes post perfidiam populi Israel Hic Deus 〈◊〉 bonus pater domini nostri Jesu Christi Legem Prophetas Evangelia ipse 〈◊〉 qui Apostolorum Deus est veteris novi Testamenti Tum deinde quia Jesus Christus ipse qui venit ante omnem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex patre est Qui cum in omnium conditione 〈◊〉 ministrasset per ipsum enim omnia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 novissimis temporibus seipsum 〈◊〉 homo factus est incarnatus est cum Deus 〈◊〉 homo mansit quod Deus erat Corpus assumpsit corpori nostro simile eo solo 〈◊〉 quod natum ex Virgine Spiritu sancto est quoniam hic Jesus Christus natus 〈◊〉 est in veritate non per imaginem communem hanc mortem vere 〈◊〉 est vere enim a morte resurrexit post resurrectionem conversatus cum 〈◊〉 suis assumptus 〈◊〉 Tum deinde honore ac dignitate Patri ac Filio sociatum tradiderunt Spiritum sanctum in hoc non jam manifeste discernitur utrum 〈◊〉 aut innatus Sed inquirenda jam ista pro viribus sunt de Sacra Scriptura sagaci perquisitione investiganda sane quod iste Spiritus 〈◊〉 unumquemque sanctorum vel Prophetarum vel Apostolorum inspiravit non 〈◊〉 Spiritus in veteribus alius vero in his qui in adventu Christi inspirati sunt manifestissime in Ecclesiis praedicatur Post haec jam quod anima substantiam vitamque habens 〈◊〉 cum ex hoc mundo discesserit pro 〈◊〉 meritis dispensabit sive vitae aeternae ac 〈◊〉 haereditate potitura si hoc ei sua 〈◊〉 praestiterint sive igne aeterno ac 〈◊〉 mancipanda si in hoc eam scelerum culpa detorserit Sed quia erit tempus resurnectionis mortuorum cum corpus hoc quod in 〈◊〉 seminatur surget in incorruptione quod seminatur in ignominia surget in gloria Origen in Proaem lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credis in Deum Patrem Filium Christum Spiritum Sanctum remissionem peccatorum Vitam AEternam per Sanctam 〈◊〉 Cyprian Epist. 76. § 6. p. 248. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gregor 〈◊〉 § 7. These are all the Creeds that I have met with in which the Words are various but generally recurring to the 〈◊〉 Sense It would be too tedious to translate them all wherefore I shall sum them up in the Creed commonly call'd the Apostles and thereby shew their Congruity and Agreement as also what is in the Apostles Creed more than in these Now the Articles of the Apostles Creed that are to be found in the 〈◊〉 Creeds are as follows I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried The Third Day he rose again from the Dead ascended into Heaven sitteth at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty from whence he shall come to judge both the Quick and the Dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick 〈◊〉 the Forgiveness of Here are now two Clauses of our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. He descended into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Communion of 〈◊〉 § 8. If we would know how they were 〈◊〉 we must first consider how the whole Creed was framed which I conceive was done these two ways First Some of the Articles were derived down from the very Days of the Apostles Secondly Others were afterwards added in opposition to Heresies as they sprung up in the Church First Some of the Articles were 〈◊〉 down from the very Days of the 〈◊〉 such were these I believe in God the 〈◊〉 or as
to the Gentiles declaring those glad Tidings to all Kingdoms and Provinces so that as the Apostle Paul said Rom. 10. 18. Their sound went into all the Earth and their words unto the ends of the World every one taking a particular part of the World for his proper Province to make known the joyful News of Life and Salvation through Christ therein Thus St. Andrew principally preach'd the Gospel in Scythia St. Bartholomew in India St. Matthew in Parthia St. John in the Lesser Asia and all the rest of the Apostles had their particular Provinces allotted them wherein they went forth preaching the Gospel and as they came to any City Town or Village they published to the Inhabitants thereof the blessed news of Life and Immortality through Jesus Christ constituting the first Converts of every place through which they passed Bishops and Deacons of those Churches which they there gathered So saith Clemens Romanus The Apostles went forth preaching in City and Country appointing the First Fruits of their Ministry for Bishops and Deacons generally leaving those Bishops and Deacons to govern and enlarge those particular Churches over which they had placed them whilst they themselves passed forwards planted other Churches and placed Governors over them Thus saith Tertullian Clemens was ordained Bishop of Rome by St. Peter and Polycarp Bishop of Smirna by St. John § 5. Whether in the Apostolick and Primitive days there were more Bishops than one in a Church at first sight seems difficult to resolve That the Holy Scriptures and Clemens Romanus mention many in one Church is certain And on the other hand it is as certain that Ignatius Tertullian Cyprian and the following Fathers affirm that there was and ought to be but one in a Church These Contradictions may at the first view seem Inextricable but I hope the following Account will reconcile all these seeming Difficulties and withal afford us a fair and easy Conception of the difference between the Ancient Bishops and Presbyters I shall then lay down as sure that there was but one Supreme Bishop in a place that was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop by way of Eminency and Propriety The proper Pastor and Minister of his Parish to whose Care and Trust the Souls of that Church or Parish over which he presided were principally and more immediately committed So saith Cyprian There is but one Bishop in a Church at a time And so Cornelius Objects to Novatian That he did not remember that there ought to be but one Bishop in a Church And throughout the whole Epistles of Ignatius and the generality of Writers succeeding him we find but one single Bishop in a Church whose Quotations to which purpose would be fruitless to recite here since the 〈◊〉 Practice of the Universal Church confirms it and a great part of the following Discourse will clearly illustrate it Only it may not be impertinent to remark this by the way that by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Succession of Bishops from those Bishops who were Ordained by the Apostles the Orthodox were wont to prove the Succession of their Faith and the Novelty of that of the Hereticks Let them demonstrate the Original of their Churches as Tertullian challenges the Marcionites and other Hereticks Let them turn over the Orders of their Bishops and see whether they have had a Succession of Bishops from any one who was Constituted by the Apostles or Apostolick Men Thus the truly Apostolick Churches have as the Church of Smirna has Polycarp there placed by St. John and the Church of Rome Clement ordained by Peter and other Churches can tell who were ordained Bishops over them by the Apostles and who have been their Successors to this very day So also says Irenaeus We challenge the Hereticks to that Tradition which was handed down from the Apostles by the Succession of Bishops And in the next Chapter of the same Book the said Father gives us a Catalogue of the Bishops of Rome till his days by whom the true Faith was successively transmitted down from the Apostles in which Catalogue we find but one Bishop at a time and as he died so another single Person succeeded him in the Charge of that Flock or Parish So that this Consideration evidences also that there was but one Bishop strictly so called in a Church at a time who was related to his Flock as a Pastor to his Sheep and a Parent to his Children The Titles of this Supreme Church-Officer are most of them reckoned up in one place by Cyprian which are Bishop Pastour President Governour Superintendent and Priest And this is he which in the Revelations is called the Angel of his Church as Origen thinks which Appellations denote both his Authority and Office his Power and Duty of both which we shall somewhat treat after we have discoursed of the Circuit and Extent of his Jurisdiction and Superintendency which shall be the Contents of the following Chapter CHAP. II. § 1. As but one Bishop to a Church so but one Church to a Bishop The Bishop's Cure never call'd a Diocess but usually a Parish no larger than our Parishes § 2. Demonstrated by several Arguments § 3. A Survey of the extent of several Bishopricks as they were in Ignatius's days as of Smirna § 4. Ephesus § 5. Magnesia § 6. Philadelphia And § 7. Trallium § 8. The Bigness of the Diocess of Antioch § 9. Of Rome § 10. Of Carthage § 11. A Reflection on the Diocess of Alexandria § 12. Bishops in Villages § 13. All the Christians of a Diocess met together in one place every Sunday to serve God § 1. HAving in the former Chapter shewn that there was but one Bishop to a Church we shall in this evidence that there was but one Church to a Bishop which will appear from this single Consideration viz. That the ancient Diocesses are never said to contain Churches in the Plural but only a Church in the Singular So they say the Church of the Corinthians the Church of Smirna the Church in Magnesia the Church in Philadelphia the Church in Antioch and so of any other place whatsoever the Church of or in such a place This was the common name whereby a Bishops Cure was denominated the Bishop himself being usually called The Bishop of this or that Church as Tertullian saith That Polycarp was ordained Bishop of the Church of Smirna As for the Word Diocess by which the Bishops Flock is now usually exprest I do not remember that ever I found it used in this Sense by any of the Ancients But there is another Word still retained by us by which they frequently denominated the Bishops Cure and that is Parish So in the Synodical Epistle of Irenaeus to Pope Victor the Bishopricks of Asia are twice called Parishes And in Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History the Word is so applied in several hundred places It is usual