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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39997	A counter-essay, or, A vindication and assertion of Calvin and Beza's presbyterian judgment and principles drawn from their writings, in answer to the imputations of a late pamphlet, entituled, An essay concerning church-government ... attempting to fasten upon them an episcopal perswasion ... / by a minister of the true Presbyterian Church of Scotland, established by law.	Forrester, Thomas, 1635?-1706.	1692 (1692)	Wing F1594; ESTC R35532	63,101	86

Right flowing from Christ's immediate Institution nor Apostolick from the Apostles doctrine and practise or of the Apostolick and primitive Church and consequently that the having not the wanting of such a Government is pernicious to the Gospel and Christian Religion which overturns the scope of the whole Pamphlet parti●●larly Postulatum 3d 4th Axiom 2d 3d 4th CHAP. Second THe Authors groundless Suppositions and Perversion of these Divines cleared in general from the Structure of his Reasoning THe Scope of this Author is to prove that in Calvin and Beza's Judgment a president Bishop with a fixt Power of ordination preheminent unto and above Pastors with a proportioned Power of Jurisdiction over them is an ordinary standing Officer appoi●ted by Christ in the Church of the New-Testament This is clear by comparing Definition 3. with Axiom 2 3 and 4. and with Postulatum 2 and 3 And this preheminency he makes them assert as extended to a whole Diocess Province or Patriarchat as he calls it For proof of which several passages of Calvin and Beza but of Calvin especially are adduced Wherein in general his obvious Perversion and Abuse of these Divines is evident to any that compares his Assertions and Citation First in that Calvin and Beza are supposed by him to hold the Apostolick and Evagelistick Inspection and Authoirty which are supposed in the Scriptures here cited and in the passages of Calvins Institutions here adduced to be ordinary and of perpetual necessity Thus he grosly perverts the subject and state of the Question which is this What is that ordinary ministerial Authority and these Officers which they hold to be of a perpetual continuing Nature and Necessity and not what they might suppose to be de facto in the Churches infancy exercised by the Apostles or Evangelists So that if we can prove that these Divines did not judge the Authority and Power of Apostles and Evangelists or their formal Office as such to be of a moral nature continued in the Church or that there are constant necessary Officers succeeding them in preheminency or superiority in office all that he says falls to the ground To prove this first in general it is evident from what is said that both Calvin and Beza with all sound Protestant Divines do hold the Offices of Apostles and Evangelists and consequently their official Power as such to be expired and that neither of them are succeeded in idem officium § eundem ministerii gradum this is evident to all who have read these Divines and for evincing it I would but ask this Pamphleter whether Calvin and Beza do not hold and suppose that our blessed LORD was when upon earth the Churches visible universal Head and Monarch and that the Apostles afterward had an universal unconfined Inspection and Authority over the whole Church and that particularly and Apostle Iohn who outlived all the rest had solly as an Apostle an universal Authority and Inspection over the same but will he or any man of common sense infer from this that Calvin and Beza are for a moral standing Primacy over the Church universal or a visible political Head and Deput-Vicar under Christ Certainly he would rationally assert this ●●erence of a ●apist against Calvin and Beza to be very gross and impertinent and no less is his own throughout this Pamphlet 2. If these Divines do hold that Bishops Presbyters and Deacons are the only standing Church Officers of a moral nature perpetual use and necessity Then they did not hold the Office of Apostles and Evangelists to be such or their proper O●ficial Authority comp●tent to them as in that capacity to be of this nature But the first is true ergo so is the second the Ma or is evident for this man will not say that Calvin and Beza do hold their Offices one and the same with Pastors and that Apostles and Evangelists were not distinct from and superior unto them in their Official Power The Minor is evident from what is above adduced from Calvin and Beza Yea even from his own Citation of Calvin to confirm Axiom third viz. his Instit. lib. 4. Cap 6. Sect 11. The Primacy of the Roman See takes not its Original from Christs Institution nor the custom of the Ancient Church as the other Offices have done viz. of Bishops Presbyters and Deacons cap 4 Sect 1 mentioned already Now surely if he had judged other Offices perpetual and warranted by Christs institution and the antient Churches practice he would not in this place have mentioned with such Emphasis these three only and none else when in opposition to the unlawful Popish Primacy he is shewing what Offices 〈…〉 and the ancient Churches Custom will allow as warrantable To shew it further take this passage of Calvin whom I find our Pamphleter doth mainly insist upon speaking of Philip the Evangelist he tells us that Evangelists were set in the middle betwixt Apostles and Doctors had an office next to that of Apostles that they might every where preach the Gospel for no certain station was assigned to them Now to make their Office and Authority ordinary in Calvins Judgment this Author is obliged by his Argument to say that he held them to be fixed to some certain Station for in Postulatum 2 he holds that according to Calvin Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Crete were from the nature of their Office invested with a fixt power of Ordination and Jurisdiction in these places 3. If these Divines held the Apostolick and Evangelistick Inspection and Authority to be moral and perpetual then they behoved to hold it such either as one and the same with the pastoral Office and a superior degree thereof or as an Office specifically distinct and superior But neither of the two can be said to them not the first for we heard them both assert that all Pastors do hold one and the same Function and that none of them have any official Authority over another particularly we heard that Calvin whom our Phamphleter mainly appeals to upon Phil. 1. reprehending the abuse of the Word Bishop in appropriating it to one Pastor only he gives this Reason That from this abused Signification of the Word there hath followed this evil that as if all Presbyters were not Colleagues called to the same Function one hath usurped to himself a Dominion over the rest under pretext of this new Appellation So that he holds the Pastoral Official Authority to be one and the same in all Pastors and none to have an Authoritative Inspection over the rest Again Calvin could not hold this fixed Preheminent Authority to be continued in the Church as importing an Office specifically distinct from and superior to that of the Pastor First for the Reason already given for since that supposed inferior Officer were thus both an ordinary Officer and were likewise Eminenter a Pastor How could Calvin quarrel a distinction and peculiarity of a Name to point out a superior Pastor or how could he affirm that all

to prove that the Catholick Church is only with them Because it hath not taken its original from Christs Institution nor the custome of the Ancient Church as the other Offices have done viz. Bishops Presbyters and Deacons Cap. 4. Sect. 1. mentioned already Answer This Maxim needs not a very long animadversion since the scope he drives at is not in the least reached by it nor our cause prejudged restricting it unto and confining it within the limits of that place of Calvin here cited viz. That the Church Government by the Officers mentioned in the close of this citation has its original from Christs Institution was continued in the Apostolick and Primitive Church for moral standing ends But 2. Comparing it as here worded and understood by him with his first Corollarie wherein we have the knack of his Project and improvement thereof we must a little further animadvert and observe here That First it exceeds the limits of this Citation of Calvin in that clause of approbation from Heaven by revelation which in the forementioned Corollarie he understands of an express and formal delineation in the Epistles to the 7. Churches of Asia upon his supposition or rather distortion of Bezas meaning anent the Office and Authority of the Angel written unto for either he must understand it as it 's evident he doth in that Corollarie of an approbation Thus specifially distinct from both the preceeding Clauses and so the assertion is none of Calvins in this place or else if it be the same with what is said of Christs Institution and continuation by his Apostles and the Primitive Churches Retention this Clause is pitifully redoundant and a meer Battollogy which this Pretender to such exact concisness should be ashamed to be guilty of 2. We said already that Calvin holds that the Primitive Church did in several things degenerat from Apostolick purity and Institutions in point of Government so that in his Sense the Primitive Churches practice simply considered will not make a compleat and just Square for Government If we compare what he sayes chap. 3. and 4. initio This will be evident for he tells us in the place last mentioned that hitherto he has spoken of Church-Government and Officers as purely institute by God in his Word insinuating that the ancient Church had quickly her additions so that Calvin makes not the Ancient Churches Retention any part of the Rule simply but makes it Regulable by the Divine Warrand and Institution I may add that as Calvins citation makes no mention of the end of this Institution whatever may be gathered from it so it is certain that in all reason and in Calvins Principles the Church-Government which has an entire Divine Right must be commensurat not to any only but to all the ends wherein the well being of Christians is concerned Fi●ally when Calvin as is above hinted in stating the distinction betwixt the Ecclesiastick Officers which have a Divine Right I mean a moral standing Right as Church-Officers of perpetual necessity and such as have it not but are founded upon the Churches custom which Calvin distinguishes from this Right when I say speaking of the first he referrs us only to these mentioned it is certain he excluds this mans supposed Successors of Apostles and Evangelists in a standing preheminent presidency over ordinary Pastors and consequently holds that the immediat end grounding a necessity of Apostles and Evangelists their Institution being temporary and passing off with that exigence of the Churches infant state the necessity consequently of these Officers and of their formal Official Power and Authority is expired also with this its end which laid the foundation thereof Axiom 4. The want of that Government in the Church which is of Divine Right is pernicious to the Gospel and Christian Religion This is proved by Calvin Instit. lib. 4. cap. 8. Sect. 2. The words cited are for neither the light and heat of the Sun meat or drink are so nourishing and sustaining this present life as the Apostolick and Ministerial Office for preserving a Church upon Earth Answer This Axiom is no doubt very sound and consonant to Calvins judgement and of all sound Divines and therefore taken in a sound sense can be easily admitted without the least prejudice of it to our cause But Answer 2. Taking it in the Sense and Intendment of this Pasqueller and comparing his scope in this and the preceeding Citation which is to prove that Calvin makes an Apostolick standing preheminence and Official Presidency in Ordination and Jurisdiction over Pastors of as perpetual necessity for preservation of the Gospel and the Gospel Church as the Pastoral Office it self We say he offers violence to Calvin and pitifully involves him in Contradictions First in that he makes him to hold the Apostolick Office to be perpetually necessary for the Churches being and consequently not expired but ordinary in express contradiction to what we heard Calvin above assert 2. He sets him by the ea●s with himself in his former citation wherein Bishops Presbyters and Deacons are said to be the only Officers which have a divine standing Right of perpetual necessity unless he will say that Calvin holds the Apostolick and Episcopal Office to be in a formal Sense one and the same which assertion is above convicted of falshood out of Calvins words in several clear passages wherein it is evinced that Calvin holds the Bishop and Presbyter to be all one and their Offices to be in this distinguished from the Apostolick and Evangelistick that the one is ordinary and perpetual the other not the one imports a definite charge over a fixed Flock the other not the one is suited to the Churches state when exedified the other to its Infant state and in fieri c. 3. For the passage here cited or rather mis-cited by this Man take a full account of Calvins mind thus In libro quarto capite quarto In the 1. 2 and 3. Sect. He speaks of the end use and necessity of a Gospel-Ministry in the general of Christs giving to men a Vicarious Ministrie supplying the want of his visible presence adding several reasons viz. To shew his condescendency to our weakness 2. To inure us to humble obedience To be a Bond of Love and unity while some teach and others are taught exponing and applying that of the Ephes 4. 5 6 7. Sect. 2. He gathers hence that the Ministry of Men is the chief Nerve whereby the Godly coheres in one Body That thus our Lord shews himself present and puts forth the Power and Vertue of his Spirit thus grow we up saith he if Preaching be vigent among us if we receive the Apostles despise not the Doctrine off●red to us adding the words mis-cited by this Pamphleter as in cap. 8 Sect. 2. viz. That neither light of the Sun meat or drink c. are so needful as the Apostolick and Pastoral Office that is in so far as the Apostolick Office contains the Ministerial