there was no Presbyter existent but himself as is here confessed So in the following words the same Learned Dr. further proveth from Antiquity that one part of the Bishops office is set down that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that visit all the sick Let us have such Bishops as can and will do this and our Controversie will soon be at an end about Episcopacy Were it not that I have spoken of these things afterwards and fear being tedious I should have shewed that 7. Baptizing 8. Congregating the Assemblies 9. Administring the Lords Supper 10. Guiding the Assembly in the whole publick worship 11. Blessing the people at the dismission and 12. Absolving the penitent and more then all these were the works of the ancient Episcopal function And now I leave it to the Conscience of any man that hath a grain of Conscience left him whether one man be able were he never so willing to do any one of all these duties much less to do all of them for many hundred Parishes Can a Bishop teach them all and Catechise â—nd confer with all and counsail and comfort and admonish all and Govern all and try all cases of every scandalous impenitent person of so many thousand and Censure and Absolve and Confirm and Try them for Confirmation and receive all the Churches stock and be the Overseer of all the poor and take care of all the Orphans and Widdows and visit counsail and pray with all the sick and guide every Congregation in publick worship and give the Sacrament to all and pronounce the Blessing in every Assembly c. and this for a whole County or more O wonderful that ever this should become a Controversie among men that vilifie others as unlearned and unwise in comparison of them I must lay by respect to man so far as plainly to profess that I take these for such errors as must need proceed from want of Piety and Conscience and practice of the duties that are pleaded for If these men did not talk of Governing a Church as those talk of Governing a Navy an Army or a Commonwealth that never set their hand to the work it is not possible sure that they should thus err O how many Bishops never tryed what it is to Govern the Church or faithfully perform any one of all these works I solemnly profess that with the help of three more fellow Presbyters and three or four Deacons besides the greater help of abundance of Godly people here in their places I am not able to do all this as it should be done for this one Parish And yâ—t the greatest part of our trouble is taken off by the refusal of the multitude of the ungodly to come under Discipline or be members of our Pastoral charge Sirs these are not scholastick speculations The everlasting Ioy or Torment of our people lyeth upon the successful performance of these works as we that are Christians verily believe And therefore to Dispute whether One man should do all this for a Diocess is all one as to Dispute whether it shall all be undone or no and that is whether we shall give up our Countries to the Devâ—l or no And shall the Prelatical Controversie come to this You have no way to avoid it but by Delegating your power to others and casting your work upon them But you confess that this was never done in Scripture-times there being then no Subject Pesbyters to whom it might be committed And by what authority then can you do it Can Episcopacy be transferred by Deputation to another This is long ago confuted by many writers Popish and Protestant Do the work by another and you shall have your wages by another And what is your Office but your Authority and Obligation to do your work He therefore that you commit this to is a Bishop So that this is but to make us Deputy Bishops And if so let us call them Bishops I have read many of your writers of late that say we have no Government and saith one of them the Presbyterian Government was never yet set up in any one Parish in England These are strange things to be reported to English men Perswade the world next that no man in England hath a nose on his face Is it not known that the Presbyterian Government hath been exercised in London in Lancashire and in many Counties these many years And what Government is it that you think we want The people are guided in the matters of God by their several Pastors The Pastors live in Concord by Associations in many Countries Both Pastors and People are Governed by the Magistrate And what need we more Look into this County where I live and you shall find a faithful humble laborious Ministry Associated and walking in as great unity as ever I read of since the Apostles daies No difference no quarrels but sweet and amicable Correspondency and Communion that I can hear of Was there such a Ministry or such love and concord or such a godly people under them in the Prelates reign There was not I lived where I do and therefore I am able to say there was not Through the great mercy of God where we had ten drunken Readers then we have not one now and where we had one able godly Preacher then we have many now and in my own charge where there was one that then made any shew of the fear of God I hope there is twenty now And the Families that were wont to scorn at holiness and live in open impiety are now devoted to the worship and obedience of the â—ord This is our loss and misery in these times which you so lament 3. But perhaps you will refuse Communion with us because of our differences from you in doctrine about the Controversies called Arminian But the fierceness of many of you hereabouts doth serve but to discover your ignorance and uncharitableness The Papists that differ among themselves about these points can yet hold Communion in one Church and cannot you with us Will you be fiercer against us then the Iesuites against the Dominicans Nay we go not neer so far as they We cleave to Augustine and the Synod of Dort who own not Physical Predetermination and meddle not with Reprobation antecedent to foresight of sin and who confess a sufficiency in Christs satisfaction for all And yet must we have those impotent clamors with which the writings of Mr. Pierce and other such abound Why then do you pretend to follow the Church of England which Mr. Hickman hath shewed you plainly that you desert Many of the highest meer Arminians are charitable peaceable men that hate separation from their Dissenting Brethren Curcellaus is one of the most eminent men living of that way And how charitable and peaceable an Epistle hath he writ before D. Blondels book de Papissa Joanna And I hear that Mr. Hoard the Author of the Book called Gods Love to mankind lives in peaceable Communion
nor to be proved by them I will not believe them no more then I would have believed Papius and all his Millenary followers that pretended Tradition from Saint John nor any more then I would have believed the Asians or Romans that pretended different times for Easter as a Tradition Apostolical binding the whole Church 5. If it were proved that de facto the Apostles did thus or thus dispose of a circumstance of Government or Worship which yet is undetermined in Scripture I take it not for a sufficient proof that they intended that Fact for an Universal Law or that they meant to bind all the Churches in all ages to do the like no more then Christ intended at the Institution of his Supper to tie all ages to do it after Supper in an upper room but with twelve and sitting c. 6. Yea if I had found a Direction or Command from the Apostles as Prudential determiners of a Circumstance pro tempore loco only as of the kiss of love hair covering eating things strangled and blood c. I take it not for a proof that this is an universal standing Law One or two of these exceptions wil shake off the proofs that some count strong for the universal obligation of the Church to Diocesans or Metropolitans Sect. 11. That the Apostles had Episcopal Power I mean such in each Church where they came as the fixed Bishops had I doubt not And because they founded Churches according to the success of their labors and setled them and if they could again visited them therefore I blame not the Ancients for calling them the Bishops of those Churches But that each man of them was really a fixed Metropolitan or Patriarch or had his proper Diocess in which he was Governor in chief and into which no other Apostle might come as an equal Governor without his leave this and such like is as well proved by silence as by all that I have read for it of Reason or History that is the Testimonies of the Ancients I find them sometime claiming a special interest in the Children that they have begotten by their Ministry But doubtless when Paul Barnabas or Silas went together some might be converted by one and some by another within the same Diocess or City If any man shall convince me that any great stress doth lie upon this questioÌ„ I shal be willing to give him more of my reasons for what I say Sect. 12. And as to them that confidently teach that the Apostles suited the Ecclesiastical Government to the Politick and that as by a Law for the Church universally to obey All the confutation at present that I will trouble them with shall be to tell them that I never saw any thing like a proof of it to my understanding among all the words that are brought to that purpose and to tell them 1. That if Paul chose Ephesus Corinth and other the most populous places to preach in it was but a prudential circumstantiating of his work according to that General Law of doing all to Edification and not an obligation on all the Pastors or Preachers of the Gospel to do the same where the case is not the same 2. And if Paul having converted many in these Cities do there plant Churches and no other can be proved in Scripture times it follows not that we may plant no Churches but in Cities 3. And if the greatest Cities had then the most numerous Churches and the most eminent Pastors fitted to them and therefore are named with some note of excellency above the rest it followeth not that the rest about them were under them by subjection 4. Yea if the Bishops of the chief Cities for order sake were to call Provincial Assemblies and the meetings to be in their Cities and they were to be the Presidents of the rest in Synods with such like circumstantial difference it followeth not that they were proper Governours of the rest and the rest to obey them in the Government of their proper charges Nor that they had power to place and displace them 5. Much less will it prove that these Metropolitans taking the name of Diocesans might put down all the Bishops of two hundred Churches under them and set up none but Presbyters in order distinct from Bishops over the flocks besides themselves and so the Archbishops having extinguished all the first Order of Bishops of single Churches to take the sole Government of so many Churches even people as well as Presbyters into their own hands 6. And I do not think that they can prove that the Apostles did institute as many sorts of Church-Government then as there were of civil â—olicy in the world All the world had not the Roman form of Government Nor had lesser Cities the same dependence upon greater in all other Countryes 7. Was it in one degree of subordination of Officers only or in all that the Apostles suited the Ecclesiasticall Government to the Civil If in One how is it proved that they intended it in that one and not in the rest If in all then we must have many degrees of Officers more then yet we have Inferiors very many and Superiors some of all conscience too high then we must have some to answer the Correctors the Consular Presidents and the Vicars and Lieutenants the Pro-consuls and Prefects and the Emperor himself Even one to be Vniversal in the Empire that 's yet some Limit to the Pope and will hazzard the removing of the Supremacy to Constantinople by the Rule that the Apostles are supposed to go by And great variety must there be in the several Diocesses of the Empire which Blondell hath punctually described de primatu in Eccles. pag. 511. to 519. shewing the causes of the inequality of Bishopricks and Churches 8. According to this Opinion the form of Church must alter as oft as Emperours will change their Policy or Wars shall change them And upon every change of the Priviledges of a City the Churches Preheminence must change and so we shall be in a mutable frame Which if Basil and Anthymius had understood might have quicklier decided their controversie Yea according to this opinion Princes may quite take down Metropolitans at pleasure by equalling the priviledges of their Cities The best is then that it is in the power of our Civil Governours to dissolve our obligation to Metropolitans yea and to all Bishops too if Cities must be their only residence as I have shewed Sect. 13. As for them that pretend humane Laws for their form of Government that is the decrees of General Councils I answer 1. I disown and deny all humane Laws as obligatory to the Church Vniversal It is the prerogative of God yea the greatest point of the exercise of his Soraignty to be the Law-giver to his Vniversal Church There can be no Vniversal Laws without an Vniversal Law-giver and there is no Vniversal Law-giver under Christ in the world 2. And for General
doubt Prop. 2. It is as certain that common prudence required them to make a convenient distribution of the work and not go all one way and leave other places that while without the Gospel But some to go one way and some another as most conduced to the conversion of all the world Prop. 3. It is certain that the Apostles were not armed with the sword nor had a compulsive coercive power by secular force but that their Government was only forcible on the Conscience and therefore only on the Conscientious so far as they were such unless as we may call mens actual exclusion by the Church and their desertion and misery the effect of Government Prop. 4. It is most certain that they who had the extraordinary priviledge of being eye-witnesses of Christs Miracles and Life and ear-witnesses of his Doctrine and had the extraordinary power of working Miracles for a Confirmation of their Doctrine must needs have greater Authority in mens Consciences then other men upon that very account if there were no other So that even their Gifts and Priviledges may be and doubtless were one ground at least of that higher degree of Authority which they had above others For in such a Rational perswasive Authority which worketh only on the Conscience the case is much different from the secular power of Magistrates For in the former even Gifts may be a ground of a greater measure of Power in binding mens minds And here is the greatest part of the difficulty that riseth in our way to hinder us from improving the example of the Apostles in that it is so hard to discern how much of their power over other Presbyters or Bishops was from their supereminency of Office and Imperial Authority and how much was meerly from the excellency of their Gifts and Priviledges Prop. 5. It s certain that the Magistrates did not then second the Apostles in the Government of the Church but rather hinder them by persecution The excommunicate were not punished therefore by the secular power but rather men were enticed to forsake the Church for the saving of their lives so that worldly prosperity attended those without and adversity those within which further shewes that the force of Apostolical Government was on the Conscience and it was not corrupted by an aliene kind of force Prop. 6. Yet had the Apostles a power of Miraculous Castigation of the very bodies of the Offenders at least sometimes which Peter exercised upon Ananiaâ— and Sapphyra and Paul upon Eâ—â—mas and some think upon Hymenaeus and Philetas and those other that were said to be delivered up to Satan certainly Paul had in readiness to revenge all disobedience 2 Cor. 10.6 which its like extendeth somewhat farther than to meer censures But it s most certain that the Apostle used noâ— this power oâ— hurting mens bodies ordinarily but sparingly as they did other Miracles perhaps not according to their own wills but the Holy Ghosts So that this did not corrupt their Government neither and destroy the Spirituality of it Yet this makes it somewhat more difficult to us to improve the Apostles example because we know not how much of their power upon mens Consciences might be from such penal Miracles Prop. 7. The Apostles had power to Ordain and send others to the work of the Ministry But this only by the consent of the ordained and of the people before they could be compleat fixed Pâ—stors for they forced not any to go or any people to entertain them And it seemeth they did not Ordain singly but many together Acts 14.23 Timothy had his Gift by the laying on of Pauls hands and of the hands of the Presbyterie 1 Tim. 4.14 and 2 Tim. 1.6 Prop. 8. It seems that each Apostle did exercise a Government over the Churches which were once planted but this was principally in order to well setling and confirming them Prop. 9. No one Apostle did appropriate a Diocess to himself and say Here I am sole Governor or am chief Governor nor did they or could they forbid any others to Govern in their Diocess though as is said they did agree to distribute their work to the publike advantage and not to be all in one place at once but yet successively they might Prop. 10. Nay it s certain that they were so far from being the sole Bishops of such or such a Diocess that they had usually some more unfixed general Officers with them Paul and Barnabas went together at first and after the Division Barnabas and Mark Paul and Silas and sometimes Timothy and sometime Epaphroditus and sometime others went together afterward And others as well as Iames were usually at Ierusalem and all these had a general power where they came And it cannot be proved that Iames was Ruler of Peter Paul and the rest when they were at Ierusalem nor that he had any higher power then they Prop. 11. Yet it seems that the several Apostles did most look after those same Churches which themselves had been the instruments of gathering and that some addition of respect was due to those that had been spiritual Fathers to them above the rest 1 Cor. 4.15 Prop. 12. It was therefore by the General Commission of Apostleship that they Governed particular Churches pro tempore while they were among or neer them and not by any special Commission or Office of being the Diocesan or Metropolitane of this or that place 1. It was below them and a diminution of their honor to be so affixed and take the charge of any particular Churches 2. We find not that ever they did it 3. If they had then all the disorders and ungovernedness of those Churches would be imputable to them and therefore they must be still with them as fixed Bishops are seeing they cannot govern them at such a distance as makeâ— them uncapable 4. When Peter drew Barnabas and many more to dissimulation and almost to betray the liberties of the Gentiles Paul doth not say This is my Diocess and I must be the Ruler here nor doth Peter plead this against him when Paul and Barnabas fell out whether Mark should be taken with them or not neither of them did plead a Ruling Authority nor say This is my Diocess or I am the superior Ruler but they produced their reasons and when they could not agree concerning the validity of each others reasons they separated and took their several companions and waies Prop 13. It was not only the Apostles but multitudes more that were such general unfixed Ministers as the seventy Barnabas Silas Epaphroditus Timothy and many others And all these also had a Power of Preaching and Ruling where they came Prop. 14. None of these General Officers did take away the Government from the fixed Presbyters of particular Churches nor kept a Negative vote in their own hands in matters of Government for if no fixed Bishop or Presbyter could excommunicate any member of his Church without an Apostle then almost all
spoke of such Bishops only as we have in question or that he did not plainly speak of Presbyters as such For he speaks of the plenitude of Power and Grace in the Church and therefore intended more then what was proper to a Prelate 2. He mentioneth Elders Majores natu in general without distinction And 3. His praesident is plainly related to the Church as the ubi shews it being the People and not the Elders over whom these Elders are said to preside And 4. Baptizing is first instanced which was known to be commonly the work of Presbyters and never appropriated to the Prelate So that the same persons that did Baptize even the Elders of the Church according to Firmilian did then possess the power of laying on hands and of ordaining But these things are more fully discussed in what followeth And if any either adversary or friend would see the Reformed Churches Ministry and Ordination more fully vindicated I refer them to Voetius against Jasenius Desperata causa Papatus which if I had read before I had written this Disputation I think I should have spared my labour Reader if others are too busie to misled thee I may suppose thee unwilling to be misled especially in a matter of so great concernment For saith Blessed Agustine Multos invenimus qui mentiri velint qui autem falli â—eminem de Doctrin Christ. l. 1. cap. 36. And therefore as thou lovest Christ his Church and Gospel and the souls of others and thine own take heed how thou venturest in following a sect of angry men to unchurch so great and excellent a part of the Catholich Church and to vilifie and depose so great a number of able faithfull Ministers of Christ as those that had not Prelatical Ordination And if you are Gentlemen or unlearned men that for want of long and diligent studying of these matters are uncapable of judging of them and therefore take all on the Authority of those whose Learning and parts you most esteem I beseech you before you venture your souls on it any further procure a satisfactory answer to these Questions 1. Whether the Reformed Churches that have no Prelates have not abounded with as learned men as any one of those that you admire of a contrary judgement 2. If you are tempted to suspect men of partiality whether they that plead for Lorship honour and preferment or they that plead against it and put it from them are more to be suspected caâ—teris paribus 3. If you will needs suspect the Protestant Ministers of partiality what ground of suspicion have you of them that were no Ministers such as the two Scaligers whose learning made them the admiration of the Christian world even to Papists as well as Protestants and yet were cordial friends to those Reformed Churches which these men deny and draw men to disown Such also as Salmasius that hath purposely wrote about the subject with abundance more 4. If these are not to be trusted why should not Bishops themselves be trusted were not Bishop Usher Andrews Davenant Hall and others of their mind as learned pious men as any whose Authority you can urge against them 5. If all this be nothing I beseech you get a modest resolution of this doubt at least whether the concurrent judgement of all the Protestant Churches in Christendom even of the English Bishops with the rest should not be of more authority with any sober Protestant then the Contrary judgement of those few that are of late risen up for the cause that you are by them solicited to own It is a known Truth that the generality of the Bishops themselves and all the Protestant Churches in the world have owned them as true Ministers that were ordained by Presbyteries without Prelates and have owned them as true Churches that were guided by these Ministers and have taken them for valid administrations that were performed by them And are your few Recusants that would draw you to separation of greater Learning authorty and regard then all the Protestants in the world besides I beseech you if you will needs take things upon trust consider this and trust accordingly Though I must say it is pitty that any truely Catholick Christian should not have better grounds than these and be able himself in so palpable a case to perceive his duty For my own part my conscience witnesseth that I have not written the following Disputation out of a desire to quarrel with any man but am drawn to it to my great displeasure by the present danger and necessity of the Churches and by compassion to the souls that are turned from the publick Ordinances and engaged in the separation and also of the Churches that are divided and troubled by these means The sad complaints of many of my Brethren from several parts have moved my heart to this undertaking Through Gods Mercy I have peace at home but I may not therefore be insensible of the divisions and calamities abroad I shall adjoin here one of the Letters that invited me and no more because in that one you may see the scope and tenour of the rest and that I rush not on this displeasing work without a Call nor before there is a cause The passages that intimate an ever-valuing of my self you may charitably impute to the Authors juniority and humility with some mistake through distance and disacquaintance One of the Letters that invited me to this task Reverend Sir UNderstanding by the Preface to the Reader before your Gildaâ— Salvianus that you intend a second part wherein you promise to speak of the way how to discern the true Church and Ministry I make bold to present you with the desire of some Godly Ministers viz. that if you see it convenient you would do some thing towards the vindication of the present Churches and Ministers from the aspersions of the new Prelatical party in England It is a principle much made of by many of the Gentry and others that we are but Schismatical branches broken off from the true body and this by faithfull tradition is spread amongst them the learning of some rigid Prelatical Schollars is very prevalent with them to make them thus account of us With these men we must be all unchurched for casting off Diocesan Episcopacy though we be found in the faith and would spend our selves to save souls and the main substance of our Ordination at least cannot be found fault with yet because we had not a Bishop to lay his hands on us we are not sent from God Of what consequence this opinion may prove if it spread without being checked an ordinary apprehension may perceive I can guess something from what I observe from those of this leaven already that our most serious pains will be little regarded if our people take this infection when we would awaken them we cannot because they take it that we have no power to teach them It must not be men of mean parts that must
were instituted in Scripture times Now as a pretended Presbyters administrations are Valid to the innocent receiver of the Sacrament so a pretended Bishops administration in Ordination is as Valid to the innocent caeteris paribus Sect. 43. Argument 15. They that have the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven have the power of Ordination But Parochiall Pastors called Presbyters have the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven therefore they have the power of Ordination Sect. 44. The Minor is granted commonly by Papists and Protestants as to some of the Keyes but it is by many denyed as to other They say that every Pastor hath the Key of doctrine and of Order but not the Key of Jurisdiction But 1. Christ gave the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven together and never divided them Therefore they are not to be divided He did not give one Key to one and another to another but all to the same men And what God hath joyned together let no man put asunder 2. The Apostles in delivering these Keyes to others are never found to have separated them For Subject Presbyters were not instituted in Scripture-times Therefore all that were then Ordained Presbyters had all the Keyes together and so that of Iurisdiction as it is called with the rest 3. That Presbyters had the Key of Order will prove that they may Ordain as is aforesaid 4. But that English Presbyters had the Key of Iurisdiction is proved 1. In that they were with the Bishops to Ordain by Imposition of hands 2. In that they were by the Book of Ordination charged to administer Discipline though this was disused and the Prelates frustrated their power Sect. 45. I shall recite the words of Reverend Vsher for the proof of this Reduction of Episcopacy c. By Order of the Church of England all Presbyters are charged in the Book of Ordination to administer the Doctrine of Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realm hath received the same and that they might the better understand what the Lord hath commanded therein the exhortation of St. Paul to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus is appointed to to be read unto them at the time of their Ordination Take heed unto your selves and to all the flock among whom the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to Rule the Congregation of God which he hath purchased with his blood Of the many Elders who thus in common ruled the Church of Ephesus there was one President whom our Saviour in his Epistle unto this Church in a peculiar manner stileth the Angel of the Church of Ephesus And Ignatius in another Epistle written about twelve years after unto the same Church calleth the Bishop thereof Betwixt the Bishop and the Presbyterie of that Church what an harmonious consent there was in thâ— ordering of the Church Government the same Ignaâ—iâ—â— doth fully there declare by the Presbyterie with St Paul understanding the Community of the rest of the Presbyters or Elders who then had a hand not only in the delivery of the Dâ—ctrine and Sacraments but also in the Administration of the Discipline of Christ For further proof of which we have that known Testimony of Tertullian in his General Apology for Christians â—n the Church are used exhortations chastisements and divine censure for judgement is given with great advice as among those who are certain they are in the sight of God and it is the chiefest foreshewing of the Iudgement which is to come if any man have so offended that he be banished from the Community of Prayer and of the Assembly and of all holy fellowship The Presidents that bear rule therein are certain approved Elders who have obtained this honour not by Reward but by good report who were no other as he himself intimates elsewhere but those from whose hands they used to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist For with the Bishop who was the chief President and therefore stiled by the same Tertullian in another place summus Sacerdos for distinction sake the rest of the dispensers of the Word and Sacraments joyned in the common Government of the Church and therefore where in matters of Ecclesiastical judicature Cornelius Bishop of Rome used the recieved form of gathering together the Presbyterie of what persons that did consist Cyprian sufficiently declareth when he wisheth him to read his Letters to the flourishing Clergy which there did preside or rule with him The presence of the Clergy being thought so requisite in matters of Episcopal audience that in the fourth Council of Carthage it was concluded That the Bishop might hear no mans cause without the presence of the Clergy and that otherwise the Bishops sentence should be void unless it were confirmed by the presence of the Clergy which we find also to be inserted into the Canons of Egbert who was Archbishop of York in the Saxon times and afterwards into the body of the Canon-Law it self True it is that in our Church this kind of Presbyterial Government hath been long disused yet seeing it still professeth that every Pastor hath a right to rule the Church from whence the name of Rector also was given at first unto him and to administer the Discipline of Christ as well as to dispence the Doctrine and Sacraments and the restraint of the exercise of that right proceedeth only from the custom now received in this Realm no man can doubt but by another Law of the Land this hinderance may be well removed Sect. 46. And indeed the stream of Antiquity and the Authors that are principally rested on for Episcopacy are full against them that deny the Government of the people to the Presbyters And it is the principal mischief of the English Prelacy thus to degrade or quoad exercitium to suspend at least all the Presbyters from their office Not as it is a denying them any part of their honour that 's not to be much regarded but as it is a discharging them of their work and burden and consequently leaving the Churches ungoverned And for the Government of Presbyters themselves in Cyprians dayes the Bishop did not could not Ordain or censure any Presbyter without his Clergy and Councils have decreed that so it should be Yea and the plebs universa also was consulted with by Cyprian Sect. 47. And now I come to the Major of my Arrgument which I prove thus Either Ordination is an act of the exercise of the power of the Keyes or of some other power But of no other power therefore of the Keyes If it be the exercise of any other power it is either of a secular power or an Ecclesiastick but neither of these therefore of no other Not of another Ecclesiastick power for there is no Ecclesiastical power at least which Ordination can be pretended to belong to but the power of the Keyes not of a secular power for that belongeth not to Ministers nor is it here pretended Sect. 48. And I think it
exercised here in England how confidently soever some appropriate the title of the Church of England to the adherents of that frame yet would we not have the Church ungoverned nor worse governed nor will we refuse for peace such a kind of Episcpacy as is tolerable in the Church And there are four sorts of Exercise of the Ministry which if you please you may call Episcopacy which we shall not refuse when it may conduce to Peace § 2. I. We shall consent that the Ancient Parochial Episcopacy be restored that is that in every Parish that hath a particular Church there may be a Pastor or Bishop setled to govern it according to the word of God And that he may be the chief among the Presbyters of that Church if there be any And may assume fit men to be assisting Presbyters to him if there be such to be had If not he may be content with Deacons And these Parochial Bishops are most antient and have the Power of Ordination § 3. Yet do we not so tye a Church to a Parish but that in places where the ignorance infidelity or impiety of the people or the smalness of the Parishes is such as that there are not fit persons enough in a Parish to make a convenient particular Church it may be fit for two or three or four in necessity Neighbour Parishes to joyn together and to be formed into one particular Church The several Ministers keeping their stations for the teaching of the rest as Catechumens but joyning as one Presbyterie for Governing of that one particular Church that is Congregate among them And having one President without whom nothing should be done in matters left to humane determination Yet so that the Presbyters be not forced to this but do it freely § 4. II. We shall consent that these Parish Churches be Associate and that in every Market Town or such convenient places as shall be agreed on there may be frequent meetings of the Pastors for Communion and Correspondency and that one among them be their standing Moderator durante vita or their President for so I would call him rather then Bishop though we would leave men to use what name they please And to him should be committed the Communicating of times and places of meeting and other businesses and Correspondencies And the Moderating of the debates and disputations § 5. And for my part I would consent for peace that de facto no Ordination be made in either of the foresaid Presbyteries without the President but in cases of Necessity so be it 1. That none be compelled to own any other Principle of this Practice then a Love of Peace and none be compelled to profess that he holdeth the President to have de jure a Negative voice yea that all have liberty to write down on what other Principles they thus yeild that the Practice only may suffice for Peace § 6. III. We shall consent also that one in a Deanry or Hundred or other convenient space may by the Magistrate be chosen a Visitor of the Churches and Countrey about him having Power only to take notice of the state of things and gravely to admonish the Pastors where they are negligent and exhort the people and provoke them to Holiness Reformation and Unity only by perswasions from the Word of God Which is no more then any Minister may do that hath opportunity only we desire the Magistrate to design a particular person to do it requiring Ministers and people to give him the meeting because that which is every mans work is not so well done as that which is specially committed to some And we desire that he may acquaint the Magistrate how things are § 7. And to avoid the inconveniences of dividing these works we are desirous that these two last may meet in one man and so he that is chosen by the Pastors the President of their Association may be chosen his Visitor by the Magistrate and do both which may be done by one in every Market-town which is truly a City in the antient sense and the circumjacent Villages Yet this we cannot make a standing Rule that one man do both because the Pastors must choose their President and the Magistrate his Visitor and its possible they may not alwayes concur But if the Magistrate will not choose such a Visitor the Pastors may But then they can compel none to meet him or hear him § 8. IV. Besides these three or two whether you will before mentioned we shall consent that there be a general sort of Ministers such as the Apostles Evangelists and others in those times were that shall have no special charge but go up and down to preach the Gospel and gather Churches where there are none and contribute the best assistance of their Abilities Interest and Authority for the reforming confirming and right ordering of Churches And if by the Magistrates Command or Ministers consent there be one of these assigned to each County and so their Provinces prudentially distinguished and limited we shall not dissent Yet we would have such but where there is need § 9. V. Besides these four sorts of Bishops we are all agreed on two sorts more 1. The Episcopi gregis or Pastors of every Congregation whether they have any assistant Presbyters or no or being themselves but such assistant Presbyters 2. The Magistrate who is a secular Bishop or a Governor of the Church by force And we desire the Magistrate to be a nursing Father to the Church and do his duty and to keep the sword in his own hand and for forcible deposing Ministers or any punishment on body or estate we desire no Bishops nor other Ministers may be authorized thereto But if Pastors exclude an unworthy Pastor from their Communion let the Magistrate only deprive him forcibly of his place and maintenance if he see cause When the Council of Antioch had deposed Paulus Samosatenus he would not go out of the house And all the Bishops in the Council could not force him out but were fain to procure the Heathen Emperor Aurelian to do it It lyeth as a blot on Cyril of Alexandria that he was the first man that arrogated and exercised there a secular Coercive Power under the name of a Bishop of the Church § 10. There is enough in this much to satisfie any moderate honest men for Church-government and for the healing of our Divisions thereabout And there is nothing in this that is inconsistent with the Principles of the moderare of any Party § 11. 1. That a Church organized called by some Ecclesia prima should be no greater then I have mentioned is not contradictory to the Principles of the Episcopall Presbyterians Congregationall or Erastian Indeed the two first say that it may be bigger but none of them say It must be bigger The Presbyterians instances of the Church of Ierusalem which sâ—rued to the highest cannot be proved neer half so great
Institution not by inspired Apostles but by Ordinary Bishops then 1. They make all Presbyters to be jure Episcopali and Bishops only and their Superiours to be jure Divino as the Italians in the Council of Trent would have had all Bishops to depend upon the Pope But in this they go far beyond them for the Italian Papists themselves thought Presbyterie jure Divino 2. Either they may be changed by Bishops who set them up or not If they may be taken down again by man then the Church may be ruined by man and so the Bishops will imitate the Pope Either they will Reign or Christ shall not Reign if they can hinder it Either they will lead the Church in their way or Christ shall have no Church If man cannot take them down then 1. It seems man did not Institute them for why may they not alter their own institutions 2. And then it seems the Church hath universal standing unchangeable Institutions Offices and binding Laws of the Bishops making And if so are not the Bishops equal to the Apostles in Law making and Church Ordering and are not their Laws to us as the word of God and that word insufficient and every Bishop would be to his Diocess and all to the whole Church what the Pope would be to the whole 3. Moreover how do they prove that ever the Apostles gave power to the Bishops to institute the order of Presbyterie I know of no text of Scripture by which they can prove it And for Tradition we will not take every mans word that saith he hath tradition for his conceits but we require the proof The Papists that are the pretended keepers of Tradition do bring forth none as meerly unwritten but for their ordines inferiores and many of them for Bishops as distinct from the Presbyters but not for Presbyters themselves And Scripture they can plead none For if they mention such texts where Paul bids Titus ordain Elders in every City c. they deny this to be meant of Elders as now but of Prelates whom Titus as the Primate or Metropolitane was to ordain And if it be meant of Elders then they are found in Scripture and of Divine Apostolical Institution 4. If they were Instituted by Bishops after the Scripture was written was it by one Bishop or by many If by one then how came that one to have Authority to impose a new Institution on the universal Church If by many either out of Council or in if out of Council it was by an accidental falling into one mind and way and then they are but as single men to the Church and therefore still we ask how do they bind us If by many in Council 1. Then let them tell us what Council it was that Instituted Presbyterie when and where gathered and where we may find their Canons that we may know our order and what Auâ—hors mention that Council 2. And what authority had that Council to bind all the Christian world to all ages If they say it bound but their own Churches and that age then it seems the Bishops of England might for all that have nulled the Order of Presbyters there But O miserable England and miserable world if Presbyters had done no more for it then Prelates have done I conclude therefore that the English Prelacy either degraded the Presbyters or else suspended to ally an essential part of their office for themselves called them Rectors and in ordaining them said Receive the Holy Ghâ—st Whose sins thou dost remit they are remitted whose sins thou dost retain they are retained And therefore they delivered to them the Power of the Keyes of opening and shutting the Kingdom of Heaven which themselves make to be the opening and shutting of the Church and the Governing of the Church by Excommunication and Absolution And therefore they are not fit men to ask the Presbyters By what authority they Rule the Church by binding and loosing when themselves did expresly as much as in them lay confer the Power on them And we do no more then what they bid us do in our Ordination Yea they thereby make it the very work of our office For the same mouth at the same time that bid us tâ—ke authority to preach the word of God did also tell us that whose sins we remit or retain they are remitted or retained and therefore if one be an Essential or true integral part at least of our office the other is so too From all which it is evident that if there were nothing against the English Prelacy but only this that they thus suspend or degrade all the Presbyters in England as to one half of their offâ—ce it is enough to prove that they should not be restored under any pretence whatsoever of Order or Unity Argum. 5. THat Episcopacy which giveth the Government of the Chuâ—ch and management of the Keys of Excommunication and Absolution into the hands of a few Layâ—men while they take them from the Presbyters is nâ—t to be restored under any pretence of Vnity or Peace But such was the English Prelacy therefore c. The Major is plain because it is not Lay-men that are to be Church Governours as to Ecclesiastical Government This is beyond Question with all save the Congregational and they would not have two or three Lay men chosen but the whole Congregation to manage this business The Minor is known by common experience that it was the Chancelor in hâ—s Court with his assiâ—â—ants and the Register and such other meer Lay-men that managed this work If it be said that they did it as the Bishops Agents and Substitutes and therefore it was he that did it by them I answer 1. The Law put it in the Chancellors and the Bishopâ— could not hinder it 2. If the Bishops may delegate others to do their work then it seems Preaching and Ruling Excommunicaâ—ing and Abâ—olving may as well be done by Lay-men as Clergy men Then they may commission them also to administer the Sacraments And so the Ministry is not necessary for any of these works but only a Bishop to depute Lay-men to do them which is false and confusive Argum. 6. THat Episcopacy whâ—ch necessarily overwhelmeth the souls of the Bishops with the most hainous guilt of neglecting the many thousand souls whose charge they undertake is not to be restored for Order or Peace For men are not to be oveâ—whelmed with such hainous sin on such pretences But such is the English Prelacy and that not accidentally through the badness of the men only but unavoidably through the greatness of their charge and the Natural Impossibility of their undertaken work How grievous a thing it is to have the blood of so many thousands charged on â—hem may soon appear And that man that undertakes himself the Government of two or three or five hundred thousand souls that he never seeth or knoweth nor can possibly so Govern but must needs leave it undone except the shadow
meant of the same sort of Presidents and then you may soon see what Bishops were in Tertullians dayes For we have no reason to think that they are not the same sort of Officers which he calleth Presidents and of whom he there saith Praesident probati Seniores So in the foregoing words in Tertullian ibid. it s said Aquam adituri ibidem sed aliquando prius in Ecclesia sub Antistitiâ— manu contestamur nos renunciare Diabolo Pompae angelâ—s ejus Where it seems that there were no more thus initiated then the Antistes himself did first thus engage in the Congregation And I believe they take this Antistes for a Bishop And here by the way let this argument be noted Seeing its past doubt that the first sence of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Catus or holy Assembly it self why should the Meeting place be so often called also Ecclesia in those times in the borrowed sence but only in Relation to the People there assembled and it s plain that it was but one Congregation and not many that assembled in that place and therefore it was from that one that the Place is called Ecclesia That it is oft so called besides this place of Tertullian which seems so to use the word I refer you to Mr. Meads exercitation of Temples who proves it distinctly in the several Centuries That saying of Theophilus Antiochenus ad Antolychum seems to intimate the whole that I intend sic Deus dedit mundo qui peccatorum tempestatibus Naufragiis jactatur Synagogas quas Ecclesias Sanctas Nâ—minamus in quibus veritatis doctrina fervâ—t ad quas confugiunt veritatis studiosi quotquot sâ—lvari Deique judicium iram evitare volunt So that the Churches of those times which were as Noahs Ark and where safety was to be found for the soul were Synagogues or Assemblies So Tertul. de Idololatr c. 7. pag. mihi 171. Tota die ad hanc partem zelus fidei peroravit ingenuuÌ„ Christianum ab Idolis in Ecclesiam venire de adversaria officina in domum Dei venire See more places of Tertullian cited by Pamelius on this place num 29. page 177. specially see that de virg Veland cap. 13. p. 224. Clemens Alexandrinus hath divers passages to the purpose now in hand Stromat li. 7. in the beginning he mentioneth the Church and its officers which he divideth only into two sorts Presbyters and Deacons But I will name no more particular persons but come to some intimations of the point before us from customes or Practices of the Church and the Canons of Councils And it seems to me that the dividing of Parishes so long after or of Titles as they are called doth plainly tell us that about those times it was that particular Polâ—cical Church did first contain many stated Congregations And though it be uncertain when this began Mr. Thorndike as we heard before conjectureth about Cyprians dayes yet we know that it was long after the Apostles and that it was strange to less populous places long after it was introduced at Rome and Alexandria where the number of Christians too much ambition of the Bishop occasioned the multiplication of Congregations under him and so he became a Bishop of many Churches named as one who formerly was Bishop but of a single Church For if there had been enough one hundred or fifty or twenty or ten years before to have made many Parishes or stated Assemblies for communion in worshâ—p then no doubt but the light oâ— Nature would have directed them to have made some stated divisions before For they must needs know that God was not the God of Confusion but of order in all the Churches And they had the same reasons before as after And persecution could noâ— be the hindrance any more at first then at last For it was under persecuting Emperours when Parishes or Titles were distinguished and so it might notwiâ—hstanding persecutions have been done as well at first as at last if there had been the same reason It seems therefore very plain to me that it was the increase of Converts that caused this division of Titles and that in planting of Churcheâ— by the Aposâ—les and during their time and much afâ—er the Chuâ—ches consisted of no more then our Parishes wâ—o being most inhabitants of the Cities had their meetings there for full communion though they might have other suborâ—inate meâ—tings as we have now in mens houses for Repenting Serâ—â—ons and Prayer And as Mr. Thorndâ—ke out of Nâ—nius tells us of 365. Bishopricks in Ireland planted by Patrick so other Authors tell us that Patrick was the first Bishop there or as others and more credible Palladius the first and Patrick next and yet the Scots in Ireland had Churches before Palladius his dayes as Bishop Vsher sheweth de Primordiis Eccles. Britan. 798 799 800 c. Iohannes Major de gestis scholarum li. 2. cap. 2. prioribus illis temporibus per Sacerdotes Monachos sine Episcopis Scotos in fide eruditos fuisse affirmat Et ita sane ante Majorem scripsit Johannes Fordonus Scotichron li. 3. cap. 8. Ante Palladii adventum habebant Scoti fidei Doctores ac Sacramentorum Ministratores Presbyteros solummodo vel Monaches ritum sequentes Ecclesiae Primitivae N. B. Of which saith Usher Quod postremum ab iis accepisse videtur qui dixerunt ut Johan Semeca in Glossa Decreti dist 93. ca. Legimus quod in Prima Primitiva Ecclesia commune erat officium Episcoporum Sacerdotum Nomina erant communia officium commune sed in secunda primitiva caeperunt dinstigui nomina officia So that it seems that some Churches they had before but Palladius and Patrick came into Ireland as Augustine into England and abundantly increased them and settled withall the Roman Mode So that it seemed like a new Plantation of Religion and Churches there Yet it seems that the Bishops setled by Patrick save that himself an Archbishop was like our Bishops were but such as were there before under the name of Presbyters saith Fordon after the rite or fashion of the Primitive Church And saith Vsher ibid. p. 800. Hector Boethius fuisse dicit Palladium primum omnium qui Sacrum inter Scotos egere Magistratum à summo Pontifice Episcopum creatum quum antea Populi suffragiis ex Monachis Caldeis pontifices assumerentur Boeth Scotorum Histor. lib. 7. fol. 128. b. And he adds the saying of Balaeus Scriptor Britanic centur 14. cap. 6. A Caelestino illum missum ait Johannes Balaeus ut Sacerdotalem ordinem inter Scotos Romano ritu institueret Habebant inquit antea Scoti suos Episcopos ac Ministros ex verbi Divini Ministerio plebium suffragiis electos prout Asianorum more fieri apud Britannos videbant Sed haec Romanis ut magis ceremoniosis atque Asianorum osoribus non placebant By these passages it is easie to conjecture
our Ordination is Valid The Major is proved from 1. Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given theâ— by Prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Pres-Presbyterie Also from Act. 13.1 2 3. They were the Prophets and Teachers of the Church of Antioch that imposed hands on Barnabas and Saul whether it were for their first Ordination to the Office or only for a particular Mission I now dispute not The Church of Antioch had not many Prelates if any but they had many Prophets and Teachers and these and none but these are mentioned as the Ordainers As for them that say these were the Bishops of many Churches of Syria when the Text saith they all belonged to this Church of Antioch they may by such presumptuous contradictions of Scripture say much but prove little Sect. 24. As for them that grant us that there were no subject Presbyters instituted in Scripture-times and so expound the Presbyterie here to be only Apostles and Bishops of the higher order I have shewed already that they yield us the Cause though I must add that we can own no new sorâ— of Presbyterie not instituted by Christ or his Apostles But for them that think that Prelates with subject Presbyters were existent in those times they commonly expound this Text of Ordination by such subject Presbyters with others of a Superior rank or degree together Now as to our use it is sufficient that hence we prove that a Presbyterie may ordain and that undeniably a Presbyterie consisted of Presbyters and so that Presbyters may ordain This is commonly granted us from this Text. That which is said against us by them that grant it is that Presbyters did Ordain but not alone but with the Bishops Sect. 25. But 1. if this were proved it s nothing against us for if Presbyters with Bishops have power to Oâ—dain then it is not a work that is without the reach of their Office but that which belongeth to them and therefore if they could prove it irregular for them to Ordain without a Bishop yet would they not prove it Null Otherwise they might prove it Null if a Bishop Ordain without a Presbyterie because according to this Objection they must concur 2. But indeed they prove not that any above Presbyters did concur in Timothies Ordination whatever probability they may shew for it And till they prove it we must hold so much as is proved and granted Sect. 26. As for 2 Tim. 1.6 it is no certain proof of it It may be Imposition of hands in Confirmation or for the first giving of the Holy Ghost after Baptism ordinarily used by the Apostles that is there spoken of which also seemeth probable by the Apostles annexing it to Timothies Faith in which he succeeded his Mother and Grandmother and to the following effects of the Spirit of Power and of Love and of a sound mind which are the fruits of Confirming Grace admonishing hâ—m that he be not ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord which is also the fruit of Confirmation However the pâ—obâ—bility go they can give us no certainty that Paul or any Apostle had an hand in the Ordination here spoken of when the Text saith that it was with the laying on of the hands of the Presbâ—terie we must judge of the office by the name and therefore 1. we are sure that there were Presbyters 2. And if there were also any of an higher rank the Phrase encourageth us to believe that it was as Presbyters that they imposed hands in Ordination Sect. 27. Argument 9. If Bishops and Presbyters as commonly distinguished do differ only Gradu non Ordine in Degree and not in Order that is as being not of a distinct office but of a more honourable Degree in the same office then is the Ordination of Presbyters valid though without a Bishop of that higher Degree But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the Consequent The Antecedent is maintained by abundance of the Papists themselves much more by Protestants The reason of the Consequence is because ad ordinem pertinet ordinarâ— Being of the same office they may do the same work This Aâ—gument Bishop Vsher gave me to prove that the Ordination of meer Presbyters without a Prelate is valid when I askt him his Judgement of it Sect. 28. Argument 10. If the Prelates and the Laws they went by did allow and require meer Presbyters to Ordain then must they grant us that they have the Power of Ordination But the Antecedent is true as is well known in the Laws and common Practice of the Prelates in Ordaining divers Presbyters laid on hands together with the Bishop and it was not the Bishop but his Chaplain commonly that examined and approved usually the Bishop came forth and laid his hands on men that he never saw before or spoke to but took them as he found them presented to him by his Chaplain so that Presbyters Ordained as well as he and therefore had power to Ordain Sect. 29. If it be Objected that they had no power to Ordain without a Bishop I answer 1. Nor a Bishop quoad exercitium without them according to our Laws and Customs at least â—â—â—ually 2. Ordaining with a Bishop proveth them to be Ordainers and that it is a work that belongeth to the order or office of a Presbyter or else he might not do it at all any more then Deacons or Chancellors c. may And if it be but the work of a Presbyters office it is not a Nullity if Presbyters do it without a Prelate if you could prove it an irregularity Sect. 30. Argument 11. If the Ordination of the English â—relates be valid then much more is the Ordination of Presbyters as in England and other Reformed Churches is in use But the Ordination of English Prelates is valid I am sure in the judgement of them that we dispute against therefore so is the Ordination of English Presbyters much more Sect. 31. The reason of the Consequence is because the English Prelates are more unlike the Bishops that were fixed by Apostolical Institution or Ordination then the English Presbyters are as I have shewed at large in the former Disputation the Scripture Bishops were the single Pastors of single Churches personally guiding them in the worship of God and governing them in presence and teaching them by their own mouths visiting their sick administring Sacraments c. And such are the English Presbyters But such are not the late English Prelates that were the Governors of an hundred Churches and did not personally teach them guide them in worship govern them in presence and deliver them the Sacraments but were absent from them all save one Congregation These were unliker to the Scripture fixed Bishops described by Dr. H. H. then our Presbyters are therefore if they may derive from them a Power of Ordination or from the â—aw that instituted them then Presbyters may do so much more Sect. 32. Argument 12.
case that these three parties disagree If the Magistrate would have one man and the Ordainers another and the people a third or if two of them go one way and the third another To which I answer There are many things that must be taken into consideration for the right resolving of the case Either the persons nominated are equal or unequal Either they are all capable or some of them uncapable Either the welfare of that Church dependeth on the choice or else it may be somewhat an indifferent case â— If there be but one Minister to be had and the Dissenters would have none then it is past controversie that the Dissenters are to be disobeyed 2. If one party would have a Godly Able Minister and the other would have an incapable intolerable person then it is past doubt that the party that is for the worthy person ought to prevail and it is his duty to insist upon it and the duty of the rest to yield to him 3. If any will make a controversie in this case where there is none and say You say this man is fittest and I say the other man that is uncapable is fittest and who shall be judge The party that is in the right must hold to their duty till they are persecuted from it and appeal to God who will judge in equity If a blind man say to a man that hath his eye-sight You say that you see and I say that I see you say that it is day and I say it is night who shall be believed It is not such words that will warrant a wise man to renounce his eye-sight God will judge him to be in the right that is so indeed 4. But if really the several parties are for several Ministers that are all tolerable yet if there be any notable difference in their fitness the parties that are for the less fit should yield to the party that is for the more fit If you say They discern it not I answer that is their sin which will not justifie them in a further sin or excuse them from a duty They might discern if they were not culpable in so great a difference at least whom they are bound to take for the most fit 5. But if there be no great inequality then these Rules should be observed 1. The Magistrate should not deny the people their Liberty of choice nor the Ministers their Liberty in Approbation or dissallowance but only Oversee them all that they faithfully do their several duties 2. The Ministers should not hinder the people from their Choice where both parties nominated are fit but content themselves with their proper work 3. The People should not insist upon their choice if the Ministers to whom it belongeth do disallow the person and take him to be unmeet and refuse to ordain him because obedience in such cases is their duty and a duty that cannot tend to their loss at least not to so much hurt to them as the contrary irregular course may prove to the Church 4. If Magistrates or Ministers would make the first choice and urge the people to consent if the person be fit it is the safest way for the people to obey and consent though it were better for the Rulers to give them more freedom in the choice 5. If a people be generally ignorant in too great a measure and addicted to unworthy men or apt to divisions c. it is their safest way to desire the Ministers to choose for them Or if they will not do so it is the safest way for the Ministers to offer them a man Yet so that Magistrates and Ministers should expect their Consent and not set any man over them as their Pastor without consent some way procured 6. But if they are no Church but uncâ—lled persons and it be not a Pastor of a Church but a Preacher to Convert men and sit them for a Church-state that is to be settled then may the Magistrate settle such a man and force the people to hear him preach 7. If Necessity require not the contrary the matter should be delayed till Magistrate Ministers and people do agree 8. The chosen Pastors should decide the case themselves They should not accept the place and Consent till all be agreed unless there be a Necessity And if there be then the greatest necessity should most sway If the Magistrate resist he will forcibly prohibite and hinder you from preaching If the Ministers resist they will deny you the right hand of fellowship If the people resist they will not hear nor join in worship nor obey All these if possible should be avoided The Peoples consent to a Pastor of a Church is of Necessity We cannot do the work of Pastors without it And therefore neither Magistrates or Ministers can drive us on where this is wanting unless it be only to seek it or only to do the work of Preachers to men without Unity and Communion with Neighbour-Churches is so much to be desired that nothing but Necessity can warrant us to go on without it And the Magistrates restraint is so great a hinderance that nothing but Necessity can warrant us to cast our selves upon it And therefore out of cases of Necessity the Ministers nominated should not consent till all agree But in cases of Necessity the souls of men and the worship of God must not be disregarded or neglected though neighbour-Churches or Ministers disown us or Magistrates persecute us Sect. 10. Remember these Distinctions for the understanding of what follows 1. It s one thing to be Approved and another thing to be solemnly Invested Ordination consisteth of these two parts 2. We must difference between Ordination by one Pastor and by many 3. Between Ordination by Pastors of the same Church or of many Churches 4. Between Ordination by sufficient or insufficient Ministers 5. And between Ordnation by Neighbour Ministers or Strangers 6. And between Ordination by Divided Ministers and Concordant On these premised I propose as followeth Sect. 11. Prop. 1. Approbation by Ministers is ordinarily to be sought and received by all that will enter into the Ministry I gave some Reasons before Chap. 2. Which here I shall enlarge by which the sinfulness of Neglecting this Approbation may appear Sect. 12. Reas. 1. It is the way that God hath appointed us in Holy Scripture and therefore to be followed They that Ordained Elders or Bishops in the Churches did more then Approve them but could do no less 1 Tim. 4.14 Timothy was ordained by the Imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie 1 Tim. 3.15 Paul giveth Timothy the description of Bishops and Deacons that he may know how he ought to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church c. That is that he may know whom to Approve of or Ordain Tit. 1.5 Titus was to Ordain Elders in every City Acts 13.1 2 3. The Prophets and Teachers in the Church at Antioch did separate Barnabas and Paul to
common to other Churches was never denyed by any author Words may not break square where the things are agreed If the name of a Bishop displease let them call this man a Moderator a President a Superintendent an Overseer Only for the fixedness or change of this person let the ancient and universall practice of Gods Church be thought worthy to oversway And if in this one point N. B. wherein the distance it so narrow we could condescend to each other all other circumstances and appendances of varying practices or 〈◊〉 might without any difficulty be accorded But if there must be a difference of judgement in these matters of outward Policy why should not our hearts be still one why should such a diversity be of Power to endanger the dissolving of the bond of brotherhood May we have the grace but to follow the truth in Love we shall in these several tracts overtake her happily in the end and findâ— her embracing of Peace and crowning us with blessedness So far Bishop Hall so that you see that only the fixing of the Moderator or President will satisfie such as he and so with him and such as he for my part I am fully agreed already § 4. And here by the way because there are so many Episcopal separatists of late that hazzard the souls of their partial followers and because the right habituating of the mind with Peace is an excellent help to a sound understanding and the escaping the errors and hainous sins that Faction engageth too many in I therefore make it my request to all that read these lines but soberly to read over that one Book of Bishop Halls called the Peace-maker once or twice which if I could procure I think I should do much to the Peace of these Churches and to the good of many endangered souls that by passionate and factious leaders are misguided § 5. The same Reverend man in his Humble Remonstrance hath these words Pag. 29 30 31. The second is intended to raise envy against us as the uncharitable censurers and condemners of those Reformed Churches abroad which differ from our Government wherein we do justly complain of a slanderous aspersion cast upon us We love and honour those Sister Churches as the dear spouse of Christ we bless God for them and we do heartily wish unto them that happiness in the Partnership of our adminâ—stration which I doubt not but they do no less heartily wish unto themselves Good words you will perhaps say but what is all this fair complement if our act condemn them For if Episcopacy stand by Divine right what becomes of these Churches that want it Maâ—ice and ignorance are met together in this unjust aggravatiâ—n 1. Our position is only affirmative implying the justifiableness and holiness of an Episcopal calling without any further implication Next when we speak of Divine right we mean not an express Law of God requiring it upon the absolute Necessity of the Being of a Church what hinderances soever may interpose but a Divine institution warranting it where it is and â—equiring it where it may be had Every Church therefore which is capable of this form of Government both may and ought to affâ—ct it but those particular Churches to whom this power and faculty is denyed lose nothing of the true essence of a Church though they miss some thing of their glory and perefection And page 32. Our form of Government differs little from their own save in the perpetuity of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moderatorship and the exclusion of that Lay-Presbyterie which never till this age had footing in the Christian Church And Page 41 42. Alas my Brethren while we do fully agree in all these and all other Doctrinal and Practical points of Religion why will you be so uncharitable as by these frivolous and causeless Divisions to â—end the seamless coat of Christ It it a Title or a Retinue or a Ceremony a Garment or a Colour or an Organ Pipe that can make us a different Church whiles we preach and profess the same saving truth whiles we desire as you profess to do to walk conscionably with our God according to that one Rule of the Royall Law of our Maker whiles we oppose one and the same common enemy whiles we unfeignedly endeavour to hold the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of Peace For us we make no difference at all in the right and interest of the Church betwixt Clergy and Laity betwixt the Clergy and Laity of one part and of another we are all your true Brethren we are one with you both in heart and brain and hope to meet you in the same heaven but if ye will needs be otherwise minded we can but bewail the Churches misery and your sin You hear how this good Bishop was far from a separation § 6. How contrary to this is the foresaid writing of Dr. Hide which I instance in because it is come new to my hand who stigmatizeth the front of his book with the brand of separation and that of one of the most rigid and unreasonable kinds Thus he begins When Conscientious Ministers cannot associate in the Church and Conscientious Christians cannot go to Church and Customary Christians go thither either to little purpose because to no true worship or to great shame because to no true Ministers t is fit the Church should come to private houses Doth he not begin very wisely and charitably What could the most Schismatical Papist say more What! no true worship no true Ministers and but Customary Christians that come thither Yes and that 's not all he pursues it with an exprobration that we are faln from our Religion p. 4. and yet that 's not all he adds Here seems yet to be a very bad certainty of their Religion and how can there be a better Certainty of their salvation unless that we may gratifie their singularity more then our own veracity we will say There may be a company of good Christians out of the Communion of Saints or a Communion of Saints out of Christs Catholike Church Should we laugh or weep at such a man as this What! no communion of Saints but with the separating party of the Prelates Unhappy we that live in England and can meet with so small a number of these Saints Is the Catholike Church confined to this party and Salvation to this Chunch Transcendent Papal arrogancy It s well that these Prelates are not the only Key-keepers of heaven for we see how we should then be used I must tell this Dr. and all of his mind that it is an easier way to Heaven then we dare hope to come thither by to joyn our selves to their separating Communion of Saints and live as the most that we are acquainted with that are of that Saint-like Communion He had been better have talked at these rates to men of another Age or Nation then to us that see the lives of their adherents We never
no the fifth day of the week the Baptized were to say over their Belief to the Bishop or the Presbyters And it was not such Diocesses as ours that this work could be thâ—â— done for * As many of them d◠〈◊〉 when they hold it in terms of which see what I have said in the Preface to the Reformâ—â— Pastor And even in this while they confess that Pastors are Rulers and the People must obey according to the express words of the text Heb. 13.17 1 Tim. 5.17 1 Thes. 5.12 c. They grant us what we plead for Cons. 1. Cons. 2. Cons. 3. Cons. 4. Cons. 5. Cons. 6. Cons. 7. Cons. 8. Cons. 9. Cons. 10 * Dispute of Right to Sacraments Rom. 1.1 2. 1 Pet. 2.5.9 Rom. 1.6 Mat. 28.20 Heb. 2.3 4 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Jam 5.14 Acts 2.41 42. 4.35 1 Cor. 11.23 Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 10.16 Acts 20.28 2 Cor. 5.11 1 Tim. 5.17 20 22 24. 2 Cor. 2.10 Mat. 18.18 Of this Voctius hath written at large de desperata causa Papatus to which I refer the Reader Fit autem missio aut per Deum mediante c. aut per Deum mediante superiorum authoritate c. Fit rursus nonnunquam ipsa necessitatis lege quando non aliter posset fidei seu morum veritas inviolata servari Ubi verum est illud Pasce fame morientem si non Pavisti Occidisti Voetius Luke 2.34 1 Pet. 2. â— 7 8. Of this I desire the Reader to peruse what is written by Voctius de desperata Causa Papatus l. 2. Sect. 2. c. 21. passim Arg. 3. 〈…〉 c. Read their words * Mr. T. P. calls himself Rector of Brington Cyprian Ep. 28. p 64. ad Clerum de Gaio Desiderasâ—is ut de Philumeno Fortunato â—ypodiaconis Favorino acoluthore sâ—ribam cui rei non potui me solum judicem dire cum multi adhuc de clero absentes sint nec locum suum vel sero repetendum putaverint haec singulorum tractanda sit limanda plenius ratio non tantum cum collegis meis sed cum plebe ipsa universa How big was the Diocess then and how much the Bishop ruled alone may be hence conjectured and whether Presbyters had any hand in ruling Why doth Ignatius and Tertullian command them to be subject to the Presbyters as to the Apostles of Christ if they had not the Key of Government Alphonsus à Castro doth maintain that Hâ—eroms opinion was indeed the same that from his plain and frequent expressions we averr it to be and rebuketh them that pretend the contrary Hector Boethius before cited saith Scoâ— Histor. l. 7. fol. 128. b. that Ante Palladium Populi suffragâ—is ex Monachis Culdaâ—is pontifices assumerentur No Bishop then ordained them but Presbyters And Balaeus Centur. 14. c. 6. saith Habebant antea Scoti suos Episcopos ac Ministros ex verbi Divini Ministerio plebium suffragiis electos prouâ— Asianorum more fieri apud Britanaos videbant ☜ Cyrian Epist. 11. Plebi Contra Episcopatum meum immo contra suffragium vestrum Dei judicium c. * This is not the way of our Prelates Ordination And thâ—s shewâ—th that the Churches in 〈◊〉 â—ays were not Diocesan consisting oâ— many particular Churches else all the people could not have been present beholders and consenters at the Ordination of the Bishops †Still this shews that the Churches of Bishops were then no greater then that all might be personally present and fore-acquainted with his life Yea that it was the pâ—â—ples duty noâ— only to elect but to reject there 's more then Cyprian affirm Euseâ—â—us Hâ—st Eccl. l. 5. c. 18. out of Apolâ—onus telleth us that Alexander a Mâ—ntanâ—st being a thief the Congregation of which he was Pastor so that was his Diocess would not admit him 〈…〉 11. 〈◊〉 Secundum 〈…〉 〈◊〉 de 〈…〉 Constâ—ntinâ— in his 〈◊〉 to the 〈…〉 tells them that in the election of their Bishops all men should freely deliver their opinion and the general suffrage of all should be equally considered becausâ— Ecâ—lesiastical Honours should be obtained and conferred wâ—â—â—out 〈◊〉 and diâ—cord 〈…〉 3 〈◊〉 Even those Protestant Churches that have Superintendents are unchurched by them too for want of a true Ordination For their Superintendents were commonly ordained by meer Presbyters or settled only by the Princes power So in Denmark when their seven Bishops were deposed seven Presbyters were Ordained Superintendents by Iohan. Bugenhagius Pomeranus a Presbyter of Wittenberge in the Presence of the King and Senate at the chief Church in Haffnia See Vit. Bugenhagii in Melch. Adâ—m vit Germ. Theolog. page 315. * The Jesuits and Fryars do not take the Generals or Governors of their Orders to be men of another Order though they have a Power of Ruling and that Tyrannically ☜ It s more then Dr. H. H. speaks of the Primitive Bishops that had no Presbyters under them but one or more Deacons 1. Parochial Bishops 2. The stated Presidents of Associated Pastors 3. A Visitâ—r of the neighbour Churches and Countrâ—y These two to be in one man 4. General unfixed Ministers * So Constantiâ—e calls himself a Bishop Euseb. vit Coâ—st l. 4. c 24. And he made his Court a Church and assembling the people did use to take the holy Scriture and deliver Divine contemplations out of it or else he would read the Common-Prayers to the whole Congregation cap. 17. And it is plain that it was Constantine that kept the Churches in Unity and Peace when the Bishops else would have broken them to peices And the Emperours frequently took down and set up Bishops at their pleasure especially in the Patriarchial Seats as Rome Constantinople Antioch Alexandria ☞ * And Mr. Burroughs Irenicoâ— Dr. Holdsworth Dr. Forbs Gataker The London Pâ—â—â—ince Beza Calvin See also Dan. Colonius in his Disputat ex Iâ—stâ—tut Calv. l. 4. Dâ—sp 2. §. 18.24 ☞ Argum. 2. Argum. 3. Argum. 4. Argum. 5. Argum. 6. Argum. 7. Argum. 8. Prop. 2. Prop. 3. Prop. 4. ☜ Prop. 5. Prop. 6. Prop. 7. Prop. 8. prop. 9. Prop. 10 Object 1. Object 2. Object 1. â—â—ject 2. Object 3. Object 4. Object 5. Object 6. Object 7. Object 8. Object 9. Object 10. The summ Besides sâ—â—ms of Catechisms * In point of Lawfulness For Conveniency is according to several accidents * The Provincial Consil. Agath Can. 14. is the first that I remember mentioning them * The Pope 〈…〉 King 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 cannot be done without tumult or 〈◊〉 Dâ—â—ila p. 1362. an 1595. So that when he feareth losing by it himself the good man makes conscience of murdering them that he will câ—ll hereticks but at another time 30000. to be murdered in France in a few daies Dâ—â—ila saith 40000. was a blessed work And therefore when I said before that in case of Necessity I would rather Kneel then not communicate yet I now add that I would for all that rather be imprisoned or otherwise persecuted then cast out of the Churches Communion all that dare not kneel or conform in such a circumstance And yet this were Ministers then commanded on great penalties to do ☜ Luke 4.18 Matth. 11.28 Matth. 12.20 Isa. 42.2 3. 40.11 Mat. 18.6 Luke 17 2. Rom. 14.1 15.1 2. 14.13 15 20 21 23. * See my writing of Grotius Râ—ligion
5.1 2 3. The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage but as ensamples to the flock See Dr. Hammond expounding it as spoken to Bishops q. d. The Bishops of your several Churches I exhort take care of your several Churches and govern them not as secular Rulers by force NB but as Pastors do their sheep by calling and going before them that so they may follow of their own accord Heb. 13.7 Remember them that have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God Dr. Hammond Paraphr Set before your eyes the Bishops and Governors that have been in your Church and preached the Gospel to you O all you Inhabitants of Yorkshire Lincolnshire Norfolk Suffolk Essex Middlesex Kent Worcestershire c. how many of your Parishes did ever hear a Bishop preach the Gospel to them Vers. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account D. H. Obey those that are set to Rule you in your several Churches the Bishops whose whole care is spent among you as being to give account of your proficiency in the Gospel O dreadful account for him that must give it for so many thousands whose faces he never saw and whose names he never heard much less did ever speak a word to them 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine see Dr. H. expounding it of Bishops 1 Thes. 5.12 And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake Dr. H. Pay all due respects to the Bishops of your several Churches Tell us ye Parishes of England what labours have Bishops bestowed among you or how many of you have they admonished and which of them are you hence obliged to honour for their works sake and is it them or is it the Presbyters I mention none of this as blaming Bishops for negligence but as blaming them that will plead for and undertake an impossible task and after all with an hardened forehead will defend it with violence and separation from dissenters when so many ages have told the world to their faces that the undertaken task was never done 3. It is the work of Bishops to confirm the Baptized and is now made peculiar to them D. H. on Heb. 13. a. To teach exhort confirm and impose hands were all the Bishops office in that place And if so then the examining all the persons in a Diocess till they have just satisfaction that they are fit to be confirmed and the actuall Confirmation of them all will be a considerable task of it self 4. It is the Bishops work to exercise Discipline in the Church by admonishing the unruly and disorderly and hearing the case when the Church is told of those that have continued impenitent and openly to rebuke them and to cast them out by Excommunication if they remain impenitent and unreformed Dr. H. on Tit. 3.10 It is thy office and duty toward such an one first to admonish him once or twice and if that will not work upon him or reduce him then to set a mark upon him to inflict the censures on him and to appoint all men to break off familiar converse with him And O what abundance of work is this in the several parts even in one Parish much more in a Diocess see Dr. H. on Mat. 18.17 18. 5. It is the Bishops work to take the principal care of the poor and their stock or the contributions for them which contributions were made at every Assembly See Dr. H. on 1 Cor. 12.28 e. The supream trust and charge was reserved to the Apostles and Bishops of the Church So in the 41. Canon of the Apostles A Bishop must have the care of the monies so that by his Power all be dispensed to the poor by the Presbyters and Deacons and we command that he have in his Power the goods of the Church So Iustin Martyr Apol. 2. That which is gathered is deposited with the Prefect or Bishop and he helps relieves the Orphans and Widdows and becomes the Curator or Guardian to all absolutely NB that are in want So Ignatius to Polycarp After the Lord thou shalt be the Curator of the Widdows And Polycarp himself speaking of the Elders or Bishops They visit and take care of all that are sick not neglecting the Widdow the Orphan or the poor So Dr. H. read him further Remember this all you that are for our English Prelacy See that the Bishop be at once in every Parish in his Diocess to receive the contributions Or see that you put all into his hands and custody see that he take care of all the poor and widdows and orphans in all your Country and that all their monies be disbursed by him or his special appointment and be the common Overseer of the poor for his Diocess And when you and he have tryed this one seven years come then and tell us whether he will be any longer a Prelate or you will any longer be for Prelacy In the mean time judge in your Consciences by these passages of Antiquity cited by D. H. whether the antient Bishops had one Congregation or many score or hundred to be their Pastoral charge 6. Also it is a part of the Bishops work to visit the sick and pray with them and for them Iam. 5.14 Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him see Dr. H. that by Elders is meant the Bishops e. Because there is no Evidence whereby these inferiour Presbyters may appear to have been brought into the Churâ—h so early and because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural doth no way conclude that there were more of these Elders then one in each particular Church any more then that the sick man was bound to call for more then one and because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders of the Church was both in the Scripture stile and in the first writers the title of Bishops and lastly because the visiting of the sick is anciently mentioned as one branch of the Office of Bishops therefore it may very reasonably be resolved that the Bishops of the Church one in each particular Church but many in the Universal are here meant so far Dr. H. Remember all you that are all for Prelacy to send for the Bishop when you are sick every person in the Diocess according to this express command And if he would do his work by a Deputy remember that in all that Diocess which was the Bishops charge in the Scripture-times
of a Government which is committed to a Lay Chancellor doth willfully draw this fearful Guilt upon himself Argum. 7. THat Episcopacy which is the product of Proud Ambiâ—ion and Arrogancy contrary to the express command of Christ is not to be restored for Order or Peace But such is the late English Prelacy therefore c. The Major is undoubted The Minor is proved thus Were it not for pâ—oud Ambition men would not strive to have the doing of more work then an hundred times as many are able to do and the answering before God for as many souls But the English Prelates did strive to have the work and account of many hundreds therefore c. The Minor is proved and known by experience And the Major is proved thus 1. From the common aversness that all men have to labour excessive oppressing labour and that spiritual too 2. From the self-love that is naturally in all No man can naturally and rationally desire that which would tire him oppress him and finally damn him without great repentance and the speciall mercy of God unless by the power of some lust that draweth him to it 3. And common prudence wiâ—l teach men not to thrust themselves into impossible undertakings If we see a man desirous to have the Rule of a whole County under the Prince and that there should be no Justice of Peace or other Magistrate to Rule there but he though he know that he must answer it upon his life if the County be noâ— well Ruled as to the punishing of all the known drunkards swearâ—rs adulterers c. in the County may not any man see that Ambition makes this man in a manner besides himself oâ— eâ—se he would never set so light by his own life as certainly and willfully to cast it away by undertaking a work which he knoweth many men are unable to perform And Ambition it must needs be because Honour and Preheminency is the bait and thing contended for and there is noâ—hing else to do it And how expresly doâ—â— Christ forbid this to his Apostles telling them With you it shâ—ll not be so but he that will be the greatest shall be the servant of all Luke 22.26 As the old Rimer hath it Christus dixit quodam loâ—o Vos non sic nec dixit jâ—co dixit suiâ— ergo isti Cujus sunt non certè Christi Speaking of the Prelates I own not the Censure but â— own Christs prohibition Certainly the Honour is but the appendix for the work sake and the work is the first thing and the main of the office And I would know whether they would strive thus for the work and the terrible account without the honour and worldly gain Nay do they not destroy the work whâ—le they quarrel for the doing of it for the honor sake If it were the Churches good and the work that they so much minded they would contend that so many should have the doing of it as are necessary thereto and not that none should do it but they He that would turn all the labourers out of the Harvest saving himself in all this County that he may maintain his own priviledge I should think doth not much mind the good of the owner or the well doing of the work or his own safety if he were to answer for all upon his life Argum. 8. THat Episcopacy which so far gratifieth lazy Miâ—isters as to ease them of the most pâ—inful troublesom and hazardous part of their work is not to be restored for order or unity but such was the late English Prelacy therefore c. The Major is undoubted The Minor is before proved as to the work it self And as to the quality and consequents experience putteth it past all doubt that the work of Government and Oversight is incomparably more troublesom then the preaching of a Sermon Baptizing administring the Lords Supper and praying with them When we come to touch men by personal reproof and make that publike and that for disgraceful sins and suspend or excommunicate them if they be obstinate usually we do not only turn their hearts against us but they rage against us and could even be revenged on us with the cruellest revenge We find that all the Preaching in the world doth not so much exasperate and enrage men as this Discipline I can Preach the most cutting and convincing truths in as close a manner as I am able to notorious wicked livers and they will bear it patiently and say it was a good Sermon and some of them say that they care not for hearing a man that will not tell them of their sins And yet call them to an open confession of these sins in the Congregation or proceed to censure them and they will rage against us as if we were their mortal enemies The Bishops let all these men almost alone and therefore never exasperated them and so now they rage the more against us and love the Bishops the better because they were never so troubled by them And here I cannot but note how groundless that accusation is of some Prelatical men against the Conscionable adversaries of their way when they say the Presbyters would fain have the Reins of Government in their own hand which may be true of the unconscionable that know not what it is that they undertake but for others it is all one as to say They would fain have all the trouble hatred and danger to themselves These Objecters shew their own minds and what it is that they look at most themselves and therefore think others do so its dear bought honour that is purchased at such rates of labour and danger I here solemnly profess for my own part that if I know my heart I am so far from thinking it a desirable thing to Rule much less to Rule a Diocess that if I might so far gratifie my carnal desires and were not under the bond of Gods Commands and so were it not for fear of sinning and wronging mens souls that are committed to my charge I would give if I had it many thousand pounds that I might but Preach Pray Read Baptize administer the Lords Supper though I did more then I do in them and be wholly freed from the care and trouble of oversight and government of this one Congregation which is further required O how quiet would my mind be were I but sure that God required none of this at my hands nor would call me to any account for the neglect of it And that this is not my case only but the common case to find Discipline so troublesom is apparent in this that the whole body of the Nation for the generality have contended against it these many years and in almost every Congregation in England the greater part do either separate from the Ministers and forbear the Lords Supper or some way oppose it and withdraw that they may avoid it And most of the Ministers in England even godly men do much if not
eyes of God and men are on them and that it is no light matter to an honest heart that Christ and his cause should be dishonoured by our weaknesses and our labours should hereby be frustrated and sinners hardned in their impiety But yet I must say that many that are but low in Learning have greater abilities by grace and use to manage the great essentials of Christianity and set home a necessary truth upon the heart and deal with ignorant dead-hearted sinners then many very Learned men did ever attain to And I confess I could wish for the service of the Church that some such now private less-learned men in great Congregations were yoaked with some Learned men that are less fit for lively rouzing application that they might Lovingly go together the one confessing his defect in Learning and the other his defect in application and the unlearned depending for guidance from the more Learned in cases of difficulty where his abilities fall short that so they might be both as one able Minister communicating the honour of their several abilities to each other to supply and cover each others defects But if such a thing should be attempted though agreeably to the Churches practice for many hundred years after Christ what an out-cry should we have from the men now in hand against Mechanicks and unlearned men and how many would reproach their work that cannot mend it I have been long on this subject I will end it with this story Gregory Nysen tells us in his relation of the Life of Gregory Thaumaturgus that this holy man then Bishop of Neocaesarea was so famous by his miracles and successes that the Neighbour Countreys sent to him to preach and plant Churches among them Among others Comana a neighbour City sent to him to come and plant a Church and Bishops among them When he had stayed a while and preached and prepared them and the time was come that he was to design them a chief Pastor or Bishop the Magistrates and principal men of the City were very busie in enquiring anxiously and curiously who was of most eminent rank and splendour excelling the rest that he might be chosen to the office and dignity of being their Bishop For Gregory himâ—elf had all these Ornaments and therefore they thought their Pastor must have them too But when it came to choice they were all to pieces some for one and some for another so that Gregory looked to heaven for Directions what to do When they were thus taken up with proposing men of splendor and eminency Gregory remembring Samuels anointing David exhorted them to look also among the meanest for possibly there might be found among them some of better qualifications of mind Whereupon some of them signified that they took it as a contumelie and sâ—orn that all the chief mâ—n for eloquence dignity and splendor should be refused and that Mechanicks and tradesmen that labour for tehir living should be thought fitter for so great an office And saith one of them to him in derision If you will pass by all these that are chosen out of the best of the Citizens and go to the scum and basest of the people for a Pastor for us its best for you even to make Alexander the Collier a Priest and lets all agree to choose him The good man hearing these scornful words it struck into his mind to know who that Alexander the Collier was Whereupon they brought him presently with laughter and set him in the midst of them collowed and half-naked and ragged and sordid and thus stood Alexander among them But Gregory suspected somewhat better by him then they that laught at him and thereupon taking him out of the company and examining his life he found that he was a Philosophick man that being of a very comely person and loth it should be any occasion of incontinency and also renouncing the vanities of the world had addicted himself to the life of a Collier that his person and worth might be hid from men and his mind be kept in an humble frame Whereupon Gregory appointeth some to take away Alexander and wash him and cloath him with his Pastoral attire and bring him into the Assembly as soon as they had done In the mean time Gregory goes to the Assembly and fals a preaching to them of the nature of the Pastoral office and the holiness of life required thereto entertaining them with such speeches tâ—ll Alexander was brought and comely adorned in Gregories garmâ—nts was set before them Whereupon they all fell a gazing and wondering at Alexander and Gregory falls a preaching to them again of the deceitfulness of judging by outward appearances about the inward worth of the soul and that Satan had obscured Alexander lest he should subvert his kingdom To be short he ordaineth Alexander their Bishop a Pastor of a single Church And when they desired to bear him preach he shewed that Gregory was not deceived in him His sermon was sententious and full of understanding but because he had no flowers of Oratory or exactness and curosity of words one that was a curious hearer derided him who it is said was by a vision brought to repent of it And thus despised Alexander the Collier was made Bishop or Pastor of Comana when the great ones were rejected and afterward proved a Champion for Christ to whom he passed in Martyrdome through the flames I have recited this for their sakes that deride the gifts of God in men whom they account unlearned but not to encourage any to thrust themselves on so great a work without Ordination and due qualifications Object But it is Ordination it self that is wanting to the Pastors of the Reformed Churches and therefore they are no Pastors c. Answ. The contrary is manifested in this ensuing Disputation This separating Principle is it that I here purposely contend against For it is cast in to divide and to destroy And to quench such granado's and fire-works of the Devil is a necessary work for them that will preserve a Churches Peace I read in Thuanus of a Bishop in France that turning Protestant took his Popish consecration for insufficient and was again elect and ordained by the Protestant Minsters without a Prelate to be a Prelate But that Presbyters Ordained by a Presbytery of Protestants should be reordained by a Prelate and that as necessary to the being of their office is strange doctrine to all the Protestant Churches It was rejected commonly by the English Bishops even by A. B. Bancroft himself Saith Firmilian inter Epist. Cypriani Omnis potestas gratia in Ecclesia constituta est ubi praesident Majores natu qui baptizandi Manus imponendi ordinandi poffident potestatem i. e. All Power and Grace is placed in the Church where Elders do preside who possess the power of Baptizing Imposing hands and Ordaining I know it will be said that Firmilian speak of Bishops only But I believe not that he
prevail with Papists Italians or French to give us such a proof 2. It is a thing impossible for any man now alive to prove the Regular Ordination of all his Predecessors to the Apostles daies yea or any Ordination at all How can you tell that he that ordained you did not counterfeit himself to be Ordained Or at least that he was not ordained by an unordained man or that his Predecessors were not so It is a meer impossibility for us to know any such thing we have no Evidence to prove it Sect. 8. Object But it is probable though not certain for the Church proceedeth by such Rules and taketh the matter to be of so great weight that there is no probability that they would suffer any to go for Pastors or Bishops that are unordained in so great a case Answ. 1. All this is no certainty and therefore no proof and no satisfaction to the mind of a Minister in the forementioned doubts 2. Yea we have so great reason to be suspicious in the case that we cannot conclude that we have so much as a probabâ—ly Sect. 9. For 1. We know that there is so much selfishness and corruption in man as is like enough to draw them to deceit Ordainers may be bribed to consecrate or ordain the uncapable and the Ordained or Consecrated may be tempted to seek it in their incapacity and many may be drawn to pretend that they were Ordained or Consecrated when it was no such matter And so there is not so much a a Probability Sect. 10. 2. And we know that there were so many heresies abroad and still have been and so much faction and Schism in the Church that we cannot be sure that these might not interrupt the succession or that they drew not our predecessors to counterfeit a Consecration or Ordination when they had none or none that was regular Sect. 11. 3. And we know our selves that the thing hath been too usual When I was young I lived in a village that had but about twenty houses And among these there were five that went out into the Ministry One was an Old Reader whose Original we could not reach Another was his son whose selfâ—Ordination was much suspected The other three had Letters of Orders two of them suspected to be drawn up and forged by him and one that was suspected to Ordain himself One of them or two at last were proved to have counterfeit Orders when they had continued many years in the Ministry So that this is no rare thing Sect. 12. Among so many temptations that in so many ages since the Apostles dayes have befallen so many men as our predecessors in the Ministry or the Bishops predecessors have been it were a wonder if all of them should scape the snare So that we have reason to take it for a thing improbable that the succession hath not been interrupted Sect. 13. And we know that in several ages of the Church the Prelates and Priests have been so vile that in reason we could expect no better from men so vicious then forgery and abuse he that reads what Gildas and others say of the Brittish and what even Baronius much more Espencaeus Cornelius Mus. and others say of the Romanists yea he that knows but what state the Bishops and Priests have been in and yet continue in in our own dayes will never think it an improbable thing that some of our predecessors should be guilty either of Simony or other vice that made them uncapable or should be meer usurpers under the name of Bishops and Ministers of Christ. Sect. 14. Argument 2. If uninterrupted Regular Ordination of all our Predecessors be Necessary to the Being of the Ministry then can no Bishop or Pastors whatsoever comfortably Ordain For who dare lay his hand on the head of another and pretend to deliver him authority in the name of Christ that hath no assurance nor probability neither that he hath any Commission from Christ to do it But the Consequent will be disowned by those that dispute against us therefore so should the Antecedent be also Sect. 15. Argument 3. If there be a Necessity of an uninterrupted succession of true Regular Ordination then no man can know of the Church that he is a member of or of any other Church on earth that it is a true Church By a Church I mean not a Community but a Society not a company of private Christians living together as Christians neighbours but a Politick Church consisting of Pastor and people associated for the use of publick Ordinances and Communion therein But the consequent is false c. Sect. 16. The Major or consequence is certain For no man can know that the Church is a true Political Organized Church that knows not that the Pastor of it is a true Minister of Christ. Because the Pastor is an Essential constitutive part of the Church in this acceptation And I have proved already that the truth of the Ministry cannot be known upon the Opponents terms And for the Minor I think almost all Church members will grant it me For though they are ready enough to accuse others yet they all take their own Churches for true and will be offended with any that question or deny it Sect. 17. Argument 4. If there be a Necessity of an uninâ—errupted succession of true Ordination then cannot the Church or any Christian in it know whether they have any true Ministerial administrations whether in Sacraments or other Ordinances For he that cannot know that he hath a Minister cannot know that he hath the administration of a Minister But the consequent is untrue and against the comfort of all Christians and the honour of Christ and is indeed the very doctrine of the Infidels and Papists that call themselves Seekers among us Sect. 18. Argument 5. If the Churches and each member of them are bound to submit to the Ministry of their Pastors without knowing that they are regularly ordained or that they have an uninterrupted succession of such Ordination then are they quo ad Ecclesiam true Pastors to them and their administrations valid though without Ordination or such a succession But the Antecedent is true and granted by all that now we have to deal with Though they will not grant a known unordained man is to be taken for a Minister or one whose succession had a known intercision Yet they will grant that if the Nullity be unknown it freeth not the people from the obligation to their Pastors Sect. 19. Bellarmine lib 3. de Eccles. c. 10. was so stalled with these difficulties that he leaves it as a thing that we cannot bâ— resolved of that our Pastors have indeed Potestatem Ordinis Iurisdictionis that is that they are true Pastors And he saith that Non habemus certitudinem nisi Moralem quod illi sint vere Episcopi But when he should prove it to us that there is a Moral Certainty he leaves us to seek and gives us
Major is undenyable because there are all things enumerated that are Necessary to the determination of the person qualified that is to receive the power from Christ Sect. 68. And the Minor I prove by parts 1. That our Ministry have usually the peoples consent is a known case that needs no proof 2. So is it that they have the Magistrates allowance and his Authority appointing Approvers for their Introduction and allowing Ordination and commanding Ministerial Works Sect. 69. And doubtless the Magistrate himself hath so much Authority in Ecclesiastical affairs that if he command a qualified person to preach the Gospel and command the people to receive him I see not how either of them can be allowed to disobey him Though yet the party ought also to have recourse to Pastors for Ordination and people for consent where it may be done And Grotius commendeth the saying of Musculus that would have no Minister question his Call that being qualified hath the Christian Magistrates Commission And though this assertion need some limitations yet it is apparent that Magistrates power is great about the Offices of the Church For Solomon put out Abiathar from the Priesthood and put Zadeck in his place 1 Kings 2.27 35. David and the Captains of the host separated to Gods service those of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Ieduthun who should Prophesie with Harps c. 1 Chron 16.4 And so did Solomon 2 Chron. 8.14 15. They were for the service of the house of God according to the Kings Order 1 Chron. 25.1 6. And methinks those men should acknowledge this that were wont to stile the King In all causes and over all persons the supream Head and Governour Sect. 70. But 3. We have moreover in the Ordination of the Reformed Churches The approbation and solemn Investiture of the fittest Ecclesiastical Officers that are to be had And no more is requisite to an orderly Admission There being nothing for man to do but to determine of the qualified person and present him to God to receive the power and obligation from his Law it is easie to discern that where all these concur the Peoples Election or Consent the Magistrates Authority the determination of fit Ecclesiastical Officers and the qualification and consent of the person himself there needs no more to the designation of the man Nor hath God tyed the essence of the Church or Ministry to a certain formality or to the interest or will of Prelates nor can any more ad ordinem be required but that a qualified person do enter by the best and most Orderly way that is open to him in those times and places where he is And that we have the fittest Approvers and Ordainers I prove Sect. 71. If the most of the Protestant Churches have no other Ecclesiastical Officers to Ordain but Presbyters then is it the most fit and orderly way to enter into the Ministry in those Churches by their Ordination and those Presbyters are the fittest that are there to Ordain But the Antecedent is a known truth If any in denyal of the Consequence say that the Churches should rather be without Ministers then have Ordination by such they are confuted by what is said before Sect. 72. And if you say that they should have Bishops and it is their own fault that they have not I answer Suppose that were a granted truth it can reach but to some that have the Rule It is not the fault of every Congregation or expectant of the Ministry It is not in their power to alter Laws and forms of Government and therefore they are bound to enter by the fittest way that is open to them Sect. 73. Moreover even in England the Presbyteries are fitter for Ordination then the present Bishops as to the Nation in general therefore the Ordination by Presbyteries is done by the fittest Ecclesiastical officers and is the most regular and desireable Ordination Sect. 74. I prove the Antecedent by comparing the Ordination of the Presbyteries and the present Prelates 1. I have before shewed that the English Prelacy is more unlike the Primitive Episcopacy then our Parochial Presbytery or Episcopacy is and therefore hath less reason to appropriate to themselves the Power of Ordaining 2. The Ordaining Presbyters are Many and known persons and the Prelates few and to the most and except three or four to almost all that I am acquainted wiâ—h unknown 3. The Presbyters Ordain Openly where all may be satisfied of the impartiality and Order of their proceedings But the Prelates Ordain in Private where the same satisfaction is not given to the Church 4. Hereupon it is easie for any vagrant to counterfeit the Prelates secret Orders and say he was Ordained by them when it is no such matter and who can disprove him But the publick Ordination of Presbyters is not so easily pretended by such as have it not and the pretence is easily discovered 5. The Prelates for ought I hear are very few and therefore few can have access to them for Ordination But Presbyteries are in most countreyes 6. The Prelates as far as I can learn Ordain Ministers without the peoples consent over whom they are placed and without giving them any notice of it before hand that they may put in their exceptions if they dissent But the Presbyters ordinarily require the consent of the people or at least will hear the reasons of their dissent 7. The Presbyteries Ordain with the Magistrates allowance and the Prelates without and against them Those therefore that are Ordained by Prelates usually stand on that foundation alone and want the consent of People and Magistrates when those that are Ordained by Presbyteries have all 8. Ordination by Prelates is now pleaded for on Schismatical grounds and in submitting to it with many of them we must seem to consent to their Principles that all other Ordination is Null and the Churches are no true Churches that are without it But Presbyteries Ordain not on such dividing terms 9. We hear not of neer so much care in the Prelates Ordinations in these or former times as the Presbyteries I could give some instances even of late of the great difference which I will not offend them with expressing 10. Most of them that we hear of Ordain out of their own Diocesses which is against the ancient Canons of the Church 11. Some of them by their Doctrines and their Nullifying all the Reformed Churches and Ministry that have no Prelates do shew us that if they had their will they would yet make more lamentable destructive work in the Church then the hottest persecutors of their late predecessors did For it is plain that they would have all the Ministers disowned or cast out that are not for the Prelacy And what a case then would this land and others be in Of which more anon So that we have reason to fear that these are destroyers and not faithful Pastors I speak not of all but only of the guilty For
Neminâ—m rectâ— dare quod non habet eumque aut eâ—s qui hac potestate induâ—i nunquam fuerint sine viâ—latione aut sacrilegio quâ—dâ—m sibi arrogare aut assumere aut aliis aeque à Deo non vocatis aut missis communicare neutiquam posse Illud hic nobis unicum mâ—minisse sufficiet unumquemque in Anglicana Ecclesia ab Epiâ—copis ordinatum Presbyterum nulla ordinandi alios facultate aut per se aut quà quolibet comparium caetu munitum praeditum esse nec igitur â—am sibi rectius arrogare posse quam si Diaconorum immo Laicorum unus aut plures tali potestate nullatenus induti idem ausursint The summ is Presbyters have not this power therefore they cannot give it Sect. 98. Answ. If the Argument run thus No man can give that which he hath not Presbyters have not the Office of a Presbyter therefore they cannot give it I then deny the Minor They are not Presbyters if they have not the Office of a Presbyter that therefore which they have to speak in the Dissenters language they may give Sect. 99. But if the Argument be this No man can give that which he hath not Presbyters have not a power of Ordaining therefore they cannot give a power of Ordaining I answer as followeth 1. We receive not our Office by the Gift of man whether Presbyters or Prelates The Power is immediately from Christ and men do but open us the door or determine of the person that shall from Christ receive the power and then put him solemnly into possession It is the first Error of the adversaries to hold that this power is given by men as first having it themselves In the Popes case Bellarmine himself will grant us this Respons ad 7 Theolog. Venet. p. 246.232 Saepe inquit jam dictum est Electionem Cardinalium non conferre potestatem sed designare tantummodo personam cui Deus potestatem tribuit And yet that In summo Pontifice post electionem nulla alia requiritur confirmatio quia statim ut electus est suscipit administrationem ut declarat Nicol. Papa Can. in nomine diâ— 23. pag. 175. And of the Power of Princes the Dissenters will grant it for we have it in their writings that the Power is from God immediately though the people may elect the person You will thrust out all Princes of the world by this Argument and say No man giveth that which he hath not the people have not a Power of Government therefore they cannot give it I would answer you as here God hath the Power and he giveth it but the people that have it not may design the person that shall receive it from God as the Burgesses of a Corporation may choose a Major or Bayliff to receive that power from the Soveraign by the Instrumentality of a Law or Charter which they had not themselves to use or give And so a Presbyterie and sometime the people alone may design the person that shall receive the Office of the Ministrie from God though they had it not themselves to use or give Sect. 100. Resp. 2. By this Argument and its supposition none are true Ministers that are Ordained by Prelates for they have not the Power of the Ministrie to Give but only to Vse no Ordination is a Giving of the Power save only by way of â—nvestiture which supposeth a Title and Right before and is not of absolute necessity to the Possession for in several cases it may be without it Sect. 101. Respons 3. A man may Instrumentally give or deliver both Right and Investiture in that which he hath not himself nor ever had Your servant may by your appointment deliver a Lease a Deed of Gift a Key or twig and turf for Possession of house and lands though he never had house or lands or possession himself It is sufficient that the Donor have it that sends him Sect. 102. Resp. 4. Presbyters have the Power of Presbyters or the Ministerial Office and if they can give that which certainly they have then they can give a Power of Ordaining other Presbyters For to Ordain others is no more then they do themselves in giving the Power or Office which they have therefore if they may do it those that they give their Power to may do it that is may also give others that power which they have Sect. 103. But as to our case in hand it sufficeth that we prove that Presbyters may give others the Office of Presbyters whether this Office contain a Power of Ordaining is another Question but soon dispatcht if this be granted because as is said to Ordain is nothing else but to invest others with the Office or Power which we have our selves Sect. 104. Resp. 5. The Argument maketh more against the Prelates Ordination on another account because that as is proved already that Species of Prelacie that was exercised in England the sole Governours of an hundred or two hundred Churches is so far contrary to the Word of God that we may boldly conclude that as such they have no power to use or give their very Office is humane and destructive of the true Pastoral Office and therefore as such they have less pretence of Divine Authoritie then Presbyters whose Office is of God Yet do I not make their Ordination Null because they were Presbyters as well as Prelates and also were in Possession of the place of Ordainers and had the Magistrates authority Sect. 105. Resp. 6. Presbytrrs have a Power of Ordaining it is already proved And to your confirmation where you say that the Bishops gave them no such Power therefore they have it not I answer 1. I deny the Consequence God gave it them therefore they have it without the Bishops gift 2. If by Giving you mean but an accidental Causation or the action of a Causa sine qua non or a designation of the Person that shall receive it then I deny the Antecedent The Prelates and Electors designed the person and also invested him solemnly in the Office which containeth this Power of Ordination which you deny them Sect. 106. Obj. The Prelates expressed no such thing in their Ordination Ans. 1. It being not the Prelates but Christ that makes the Office we must not go to the words of the Prelates but of Christ to know what the Office is though we may go to the Prelates while the work was in their hands to know who the person is If a Prelate Consecrate a Prelate and yet mention not particularly the works that are pretended to belong to a Prelate you will not think him thereby restrained or disabled to those works He that Crowneth a King and they that choose him though they name not the works of his Office and Power do thereby choose him to all those works that belong to a King God hath set down in his Word that the Husband shall be the Head or Governor of his Wife if now the woman shall
choose a certain person to be her Husband and the Minister or Magistrate solemnize their Marriage without any mention of such Governing Power the Power doth nevertheless belong to the man because God hath specified by his Law the Power of that Relation and the man is Lawfully put in the Relation that by the Law of God hath such a Power so is it in the case in hand Sect. 107. But yet 2. I add that the Prelates and the Laws of England gave to Presbyters a Power of Ordination For in all their Ordinations the Presbyters were to lay on hands with the Prelate and did in all Ordinations that I have seen And if they actually imposed hands and so Ordained it was an actual profession to all that they were supposed to have the power of Ordination which they exercised Sect. 108. Obj. But they had no Power given them to do it without a Prelate Answ. 1. By Christ they had 2. You may as well say that Bishops have no Power to Ordain because they were not ordinarily at least to do it without the Presbyters Sect. 109. Obj. Saith the foresaid Learned Author Dissert Praemonit sect 10.11 Vnum illud lubens interrogarem an Hieronymus dum hic esset Presbyteratu secundario fungeretur partiariâ tantum indutus potestate praesente sed spreto insuper habito Episcopo Diaconum aut Presbyterum ordinare aut Presbytero uni aut alteri adjunctus recte potuerit si affirmetur dicatur sodes qua demum ratione ab eo dictum sit Episcopum sola ordinatione ergo ordinatione à Presbytero disterminatum esse sin negetur quomodo igitur Presbytero Anglicano cui nullam quae non Hieronymo potestatem c. Answ. 1. This is none of our case in England we Ordain not praesente sed spreto Episcopo but most Countreyes know of no Bishop that they have but Presbyters 2. Hierom might have Ordained with his fellow-presbyters according to the Laws of Christ but not according to the Ecclesiastical Canons that then obtained or bore sway 3. Hierom plainly tells you that it is by Ecclesiastical appointment for the prevention of schisme that Bishops were set up so far as to have this power more then Presbyters in the point of Ordination 4. The English Presbyters are Parochial Bishops and have an Office of Christs making and not of the Prelates and are not under those Ecclesiastical Canons that restrained Hierom from the exercise of this power And therefore whereas it is added by this Learned Author Quid huic dilemmati reponi aut opponi possit fateor equidem me non adeo Lynceum esse ut perspiciam he may see that he could scarce have set us an easier task then to answer his dilemma Sect. 110. The second and their principal objection is that We have no precept or example in the Church for Presbyters Ordaining without Prelates therefore it is not to be done Answ. 1. I told you before how Bishop Vsher told me he answered this Objection to King Charlâ— viz. from the example of the Church of Alexandria where Presbyters made Bishops which is more Sect. 111. But 2. I answer you haue no example in Scripture or long after that ever Prelates of the English sort did ordain nor any precept for it nor was such a Prelacy then known as is proved and therefore their Ordination hath less warrant then that by Pretbyters Sect. 112. And 3. I have told you before of Scripture warrant for Ordination by a Presbyterie and also by the Teachers and other Officers of a single Church as was the Church of Antioch Prove that there was any Bishop Sect. 113. Lastly it is confessed by the Dissenters that such Presbyters or Bishops as are mentioned Act. 20. Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1 c. had power of Ordination But according to the judgement of most of the Fathers that ever I saw or heard of that interpret those texts it is Presbyters that are meant in all or some of those texts It is granted us also by the Dissenters that the chief or sole Pastors of single Churches in Scripture-times did ordain and had the power of Ordination But the Presbyters of England and other Protestant Churches are the chief or sole Pastors of single Churches therefore c. Sect. 114. Object 3. But the English Presbyters have broak their Oaths of Canoical obedience and therefore at least are schismatical Answ. 1. Many never took any such oath to my knowledge For my part I did not 2. The particular persons that are guilty must be accused and neither must they be judged before they speak for themselves nor yet must others be condemned for their sakes In these parts there is not one Presbyter I think of ten who differs from the Prelates about Ordination that ever took that oath And therefore it is few that can be called Schismaticks on that account Yea 3. And those few that did take that Oath have few of them that I know of done any thing against the Prelates Sect. 115. Object 4. The English Presbyters have pull'd down the Prelates and rebelled against them and therefore at least are guilty of Schism Answ. 1. The guilty must be named and heard their case is nothing to the rest It is not one often I think perhaps of twenty that can be proved guilty 2. It was not the Scripture Bishops that they Covenanted against or opposed but only the irregular English Prelacy before described And the endeavour of reforming this corrupted Preâ—acy and reducing it to the Primitive frame is in it self no schism Sect. 116. Object 5. Ignatius commandeth them to obey the Bishops and do nothing without them Answ. 1. Ignatius also commandeth them to obey the Presbyters as the Apostles of Christ and to do nothing without them 2. The Bishops that Ignatius mentioneth were such as our Parish Bishops or Presbyters are that have a Presbyterie to assist them They were the chief Pastors of a single Church as is before proved out of Ignatius and not the Pastors of hundreds of Churches Sect. 117. I shall trouble the Reader with no more of their objections seeing by what is said already he may be furnished to answer them all but I shall now leave it to his impartial sober consideration whether I have not proved the truth of our Ministry and of the Reformed Churches and the Validity of our administrations and of our Ordination it self CHAP. VIII The greatness of their sin that are now labouring to perswade the People of the Nullity of our Ministry Churches and administrations Sect. 1. HAving laid so fair a ground for my application I think it my duty to take the freedom to tell those Reverend persons that oppose us in this point the Reasons why I dare not joyn with them and the guilt that I am perswaded they heap upon their own souls Wherein I protest it is not mine intent to make them odious or cast disgrace upon them for I do with
the work with Fasting and Prayer and imposition of hands It was the Apostles that Ordained them Elders in every Church Acts 14.23 Suppose it must be read by Suffrages as many would have it that proveth no more but that the People did consent But still it is Paul and Barnabas that Ordained them Elders though with the peoples suffrages and it is they that are said to fast and pray in the next words Act. 6.3 Expresly shews that the People chose the Deacons and the Apostles ordained them Look ye out among your selves seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business But I shall cut short this part of my task because so much is said of it already by many that have written for Ordination to whom I shall refer you Sect. 13. Reas. 2. If there be not a standing regular way for Trying aâ—d Approving such as enter into the Ministry then men will be left to be their own judges and if they can but get the consent of any Congregation will presenty be Pastors But this course would tend to the ruine or confusion of the Church as I shall manifest by evidence Sect. 14. 1. If all men may enter into the Ministry that will upon their own perswasion that they are fit the most proud self-conceited worthless men will be the readiest to go and if they can get hearers will most abound in the Church and the people will quickly have heaps of Teachers For we all know that many of the Ignorant are least acquainted with their ignorance and commonly the Proud have the highest thoughts of themselves and think none so fit to Teach and Rule as they And what could be more to the shame and hazzard of the Church then to have it taught and guided by such ignorant unworthy men Sect. 15. 2. Moreover Humble men are so conscious of their weakness and sensible of the burden and greatness of the work that they think themselves unworthy and therefore would draw back and so by their forbearance would give way to the foresaid proud intruders And thus the Church would soon be darkened defiled and brought low if all men were their own judges Sect. 16. 3. Moreover it is the common disposition of Erroneous and Heretical persons to be exceeding zealous for the propagating of their errors and bringing as many as is possible to their mind So that if all be left to themselves the most Heretical will run first and carry their filth into the house of God and seduce and undo men instead of saving them Sect. 17. 4. By this means also the Covetous and sordid worldlings will crowd in and men will do by Preaching as they do by Ale-selling even make it their last Trade when others fail and he that breaks in any other Trade if he have but any volubility of speech will presently turn Priest till the Office and Ordinances of God seem vile and be abhorred by the people This must be the Consequent if all be left to their own judgement Sect. 18. 5. And it is too known a case that the people will bid such persons welcome and so they will make a match The erroneous and giddy party will have such as are sutable to them And the Covetous party will have him that will do their work best cheap if they will preach for nothing or for little he shall be a man for them though he would lead them to perdition If it be poyson they'â— take it if it cost them nothing And many there be that will have their own kindred or friends to make Priests of and all that they have interest in must joyn with them on the account of friendship And the childish injudicious sort of Christians will follow them that have the smoothest tongues or best opportunities and advantages to prevail with them And so they will be tossed up and down and carryed to and fro with every wind of doctrine according to the cunning sleight and subtilty of men by which they lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4.14 And they will be carried about with divers and strange doctrines Heb. 13.9 Sect. 19. Reas. 3. And when the Ministrie is thus corrupted by making every man judge of his own fitness the Church will be corrupted and degenerate into a common state and cease to be a Church if Reformation do not stop the gangrene For it commonly goeth with the Church according to the quality of the Ministrie An ignorant Ministrie and an ignorant people an erroneous Ministrie and an erring people a scandalous Ministrie and a scandalous people commonly go together Like Priest like people is the common case Sect. 20. Reas. 4. And by this means Christianity it self will be dishonoured and seem to be but a common religion and so but a deceit to the great dishonour of Jesus Christ for the world will judge of him and his cause by the lives of them that teach it and profess it Sect. 21. Reas. 5. And by this means God will be provoked to depart from us and be avenged on us for our dishonouring him If he would spew out of his mouth lukewarm Laodicea what would he do to such degenerate societies If most of the seven Churches Rev. 2 3. had their warnings or threatnings for smaller faults what would such corruptions bring us to but even to be plagued or forsaken by the Lord Sect. 22. Reas. 6. If you should be men of ability and fitness for the work your selves that enter without Approbation and Ordination yet others might be encouraged by your example that are unfit and if you once thus set open the door you know not how to keep out woolves and swine all the persons before described will take the opportunity and say Why may not we enter unordained as well as such and such Sect. 23. Reas. 7. By this means also you will leave many sober godly persons unsatisfied in your Ministry as not knowing whether they may own you as Ministers or not how much you should do to avoid such offence me thinks you might perceive Sect. 24. Reas. 8. By this course also you will walk contrary to the Catholike Church of Christ and that in a cause where you cannot reasonably pretend any necessity of so doing Ever since Christ had a Ministry on earth the constant ordinary way of their admittance hath been by Ministerial Ordination If any man despise this and be contentious we have no such Custome nor the Churches of God Is it a design beseeming an humble man a Christian a sober man to find out a new way of making Ministers now in the end of the world as if all the Ministers from the Apostles dayes till now had come in at a wrong door and wanted a true Calling This is too near the making a New Ministry and that 's too near the Making of a new Church and that 's too near the feigning of a new Christ. The Church hath many promises
the point For 1. It seemeth a most improbable thing that all the Churches or so many should so suddenly take up this Presidency Prelacy or Disparity without scruple or resistance if it had been against the Apostles minds For it cannot be imagined that all these Churches that were planted by the Apostles or Apostolical men and had seen them and conversed with them should be either utterly ignorant of their minds in such a matter of publike practice or else should be all so careless of obeying their new received doctrine as presently and unanimously to consent to a change or endure it without resistance Would no Church or no persons in the world contend for the retention of the Apostolical institutions Would no Chuâ—ch hold their own and bear witness against the corruption and innovations of the rest would no persons say you go about to alter the frame of Government newly planted among us by the Holy Ghost It was not thus in the dayes of Peter or Paul or John and therefore we will have no change Thâ—s seeâ—s to me a thing incredible that the whole Church should all at once almost so suddenly and silently yield to such a change of Government And I do not think that any man can bring one testimony from all the volumes of Antiquity to prove that ever Church or person resisted or disclaimed such a change in the times when it must be made if ever it was made that is in the first or second ages § 17. Yea 2. It is plain by the testimony of Hierom before mentioned and other testimonies of antiquity that in Alexandria at least this practice was used in the dayes of the Apostles themselves For they testifie that from the dayes of Mark the Evangelist till the days of Heroclas and Dionysius the Presbyters chose one from among them and called him their Bishop Now it is supposed by the best Chronologers that Mark was slain about the sixty third year of our Lord and the tenth of Nero and that Peter and Paul were put to death about the sixty sixth of our Lord and thirteenth of Nero and that Iohn the Apostle died about the ninety eighth year of our Lord and the first of Trajan which was about thirty five years after the death of Mark. Now I would leave it to any mans impartial consideration whether it be credible that the holy Apostles and all the Evangelists or Assistants of them then alive would have suffered this innovation and corruption in the Church without a plain disowning it and reproving it Would they silently see their newly established Order violated in their own dayes and not so much as tell the Churches of the sin and danger Or if they had indeed done this would none regard it nor remember iâ— so much as to resist the sin These things are incredible § 18. And I am confident if the judicious godly people had their choice from the experience of what is for their good they would commonly choose a fixed President or chief Pastor in every Church Yea I see that they will not ordinarily endure that it should be otherwise For when they find that God doth usually qualifie one above the rest of their Teachers they will hardly consent that the rest have an equal power over them I have seen even a sober unanimous Godly people refuse so much as to give their hands to an assistant Presbyter whom yet they loved honoured and obeyed though they were urged hard by him that they preferred and all from a loathness that there should be a parity I know not one Congregation to my remembrance that hath many Ministers but would have one be chief § 19. Object But the Prelatical men will say our Pariâ—shes are not capable of this because they have commonly but one Pastor nor have maintainance for more Answ. 1. Though the greâ—ter number have but one yet it is an ordinary case to have two or three or more where there are Chappels in the Parish and the Congregations great as in Market Towns And if ever we have Peace and a setled faithfull Magistrate that will do his part for the house of God we shall certainly have many Ministers in great Congregations Or else they are like to be left desolate For Ministers will over-run them for fear of undertaking far more work then with their utmost pains they are able to perform § 20. And 2. There are few Congregations I hope of Godly people but have some private men in them that are fit to be Ordained Assistant Presbyters though not to govern a Church alone without necessity yet to assist a Learned judicious man such as understand the body of Divinity as to the great and necessary points and are able to pray and discourse as well as many or most Ministers and to exhort publickly in a case of need He that would imitate the example of the Primitive Church at least in the second Century should Ordain such as these to be some of them Assistant Elders and some of them Deacons in every Church that hath such and let them not teach publickly when a more learned able Pastor is at hand to do it but let them assist him in what they are fittest to perform Yet let them not be Lay Elders but authorized to all Pastoral administrations and of one and the same office with the Pastor though dividing the exercise and execution according to their abilities and opportunities and not comming in without Ordination nor yet taking up the Office only pro tempore And thus every Parish where are able Godly men may have a Presbyterie and President § 21. Till then 3. It is granted by the Learned Dr. H. H. that it is not necessary to the being of a Bishop that he have fellow Presbyters with him in that Church If he have but Deacons it may suffice And this is easie to be had § 22. And indeed 1. The parts of many very able Christians are too much buried and lost as to the Church for want of being drawn into more publick use 2. And it is it that tempteth them to run of themselves into the Ministry or to preach without Ordination 3. And yet few of these are fit to be trusted with the Preaching of the word or guiding of a Church alone no nor in equality with others for they would either corrupt the doctrine or divide the Church But under the inspection and direction of a more Learned judicious man as his assistants doing nothing against his mind they might be very serviceable to some Churches And such a Bishop with such a Presbyterie and Deacons neither Lay nor usually very Learned were the ancient fixed Governours of the Churches if I can understand antiquity CHAP. V. Objections against the Presidency forementioned answered § 1. BUT it is not likely but all these motions will have Dissenters on both sides It were strange if in a divided age and place and among a people engaged in so many several parties and that
not have men make the prosperity of the Church a pretence for altering the Ordinances or Institutions of Christ and making such changes as their conceits or ambitious minds incline them to We shall never have a Rule nor fixed certainty if we may change thâ—ngs our selves on such pretences Pretend not then to Antiquity as you do § 11. And 2. I have in the former Disputation proved by many Reasons that it was not the mind of the Apostles themselves that the Parochial or Congregational Churches which they planted should be changed into another sort of Churches Nor is there any reason for it but against it in the prosperity of the Church and piety of Magistrates For 1. Pious Magistrates should help to keep and not to break Apostolical institutions 2. And pious Magistrates should further the good of the Church and not hurt it to advance ambitious mâ—n § 12. For 3. Ministers are for the Churches and therefore no change must be made on such pretences that is against the good of the Churches If every Parish or Congregation then were meet to have a Bishop and Presbyterie of their own why shall the Church be now so abused as that a whole County shall have but one Bishop and his Presbyterie If every Hospital or Town had a Physitian with his Apothecaries and Mates in your Fathers dayes would you be their benefactors by procuring that all the County shall have but one Physitian with his Apothecaries Or if every School had a Schoolmaster in your Forefathers dayes will you say there shall be but one in your dayes in a whole County Do you thus think to honour Physitians and Schoolmasters to the ruine of the people and the Schools So do you in your advancement of Bishops Upon my certain experience I dare affirm it that every Parish of four or five thousand souls yea of a thousand souls hath need of such a Presbyterie for their Oversight And is not he that hath a County on his hands like to do less for this Town or Parish then if he had no more then this If your Bees swarm you will not keep them all still in an hive nor think of enlarging the hive to that end but you will help the swarm to an hive of their own If your Children marry you will rather settle them in Families of their own then retain all them and all their Children in the Family with your selves So if a Bishop of one Church should Convert all the Countrey he should rather settle them in several Churches proportionable to their numbers and distances then to call them all his own Church § 13. Object 3. But by this means the Church wouâ—d be pâ—stered with Bishops What a number of Bishops would you have if every Parish-Priest were a Bishop We read not of such numbers as this would procure in the antient times § 14. Answ. 1. I find where Christ commandeth us to pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth Labourers that is more Labourers into the harvest because of the greatness of the harvest But I find not where â—e once requireth us to pray or wish that there may not be too many for fear of pestering the Church or diminishing the honour of the Clergy Mens purses I warrant you will hinder the over-abounding of them aâ—d Gods providence doth not enrich too many with abilities and willingness for the work Do you undertake that they shall not be too bad and I dare undertake they will not be too many § 15. And 2. Is it not the felicity and glory of the Church which you object as an inconvenience or reproach O blessed time and place that hath but enow that are able and faithfull But I never knew nor heard nor read of the age that had too many that were good and faithfull in the work Would you not have a chief Schoolmaster in every School or Town for fear the Land should be pestered or overwhelmed with School-masters Why how can there be too many when people will imploy no more then they need O miserable Church that hath such Bishops that are afraid Gods vineyard should be furnished with labourers lest their greatness and honour should be diminished Do you not see how many thousand souls lie still in ignorance presumption and security for all the number of labourers that we have And see you not that six parts of the world are Infidels and much for want of Teachers to instruct them And yet are you afraid that there will be too many What could the enemy of the Church say worse § 16. Object We do not mean too many Teachers but too many Bishops that is too many Governours of the Church Answ. 1. God knoweth no Governours Ministeriall but teachers It seems you would have somewhat that you call Government and leave the labour of Teaching to others As if you knew not that it is they that are especially worthy of the double honour that labour in the word and doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 Or as if you knew not that even the Government of Pastors is mostly by teaching 2. Government and Teaching go together and are both necessary to the Church And the diminishing the number of Governours and of Teachers is all one As a Physitian doth Govern all his Patients in order to their cure and a Schoolmaster all his schollars in order to their learning so doth a Pastor all his flock in order to their sanctification and salvation And for the Government of the Ministers themselves the number shall be increased as little as may be Parish Bishops will Govern but a few and therefore they can wrong but few by their mis-government § 17. Object 4. But by this means we shall have unworthy raw and ignorant men made Bishops What kind of Bishops shaell we have if every Parish Priest must be a Bishop Some of them are boyes and some of them empty silly souls to make Bishops of § 18. Answ. I shall lay open the nakedness of this Objection also so that it shall be no shelter to domineering in the Church 1. Awake the sparks of humility that are in you and tell us openly whether you think your selves more able worthy men to Govern a County or a hundred Parishes then such as we are to Govern one Though I have been many and many a time tempted with Ionas to run away from the charge that is cast upon me as a burden too heavy for me to bear and I know my self to be lamentably insufficient for it yet I must profess that I am so proud as to think my self as able to be the Pastor or Bishop of this Parish as most Bishops in England yea or any one of them to be the Pastor and Governour of a County or an hundred or two hundred Parishes Were you humble or did you dwell at home or take an account of your own abilities when you reproach others as unable to be the Bishops of a Parish and think your selves able to be the
that can be contented with a Liberty of using it themselves if they may not have all others compelled to do as they do and go to God with the words that they have formed for them or that are best in their esteem They must be all Schismaticks that will not use their form and the Churches Peace must be laid upon it and no man must be thought meet to preach or pray that will not be of their opinion but the ablest Pastors of the Church must be silenced and cast by if they will not use the Common-Prayer The sinfulness of this practice shall be manifested in the next dispute more fully to which I reserve the most of my reasons against it In the mean time let these few be well considered 1. It is a certain way to the Division of the Church when men will lay its Unity or Peace on that which will not bear it they are the most desperate disturbers and dividers of it If one form of Prayer or Preaching had been necessary to the Churches Unity or Peace Christ or his Apostles might as easily have composed it as they did other necessaries Nay experience tells us that it is not held necessary by men themselves For the Romanists use one or more forms and the Grecians another and the Ethiopians another and so of other Churches In the Bibliotheca Patrum how many Liturgies have they given us And if no one of all these is necessary to all Churches then not to any one Church further then accidents and mens impositions make it necessary And no man should make that necessary that is not some way necessary before It is easie to know that either the Form as such or somewhat in the Form is like to be scrupled by some even godly able men and so it will prove an engine of division The Church hath been brought to that torn divided condition that it is in by this arrogancy of domineering imposers that must lay its Peace on their unnecessary devices and will not let us have unity in Christ and his Institutions and peace upon his terms 2. By this means the people will be involved in the guilt of bitter contending and hating all that conform not to their way and uncharitably reproaching them as schismaticks and consequently of disliking the very doctrine that they preach or hold and the way they take and thus if uncharitableness and all this sin the off-spring of it be the way to Hell then you may see what a notable service they do to Satan and how they ensnare and undo mens souls that make such forms of common Necessity to the Unity or Peace of the Church 3. By this means they will involve themselves and the Magistrate in the guilt of persecution For no better will it prove even in many cases where the refusers scruples are unjust 4. By this means they will hinder the Edification of the Church What if a Minister have a Congregation that suppose upon mistakes do scruple these forms and by prejudice or weakness are hindered from serving God with cheerfullness and profit where they are used must we be bound to deny them that mode of worship which their weakness doth require and to force them to that which will not down with them Must a Physitian be bound to give all his Patients one kind of dyet What if it be wholesome Will you say If that will not down with him he shall have none let him die This is contrary to the end of our office we are commanded to do all to Edification which this doth contradict 5. It is contrary to the Office Power and Trust of the particular Pastors of the Church to be thus compelled in variable things As it is the office of a Physitian to judge what dyet and physick to prescribe his Patients and to vary it as persons do vary in their tempers and diseases and to vary it with the same persons as their condition changeth and requireth it and as it would be foolish Tyranny against the very office of the Physitian to restrain him from this exercise of his prudence by a Law and to tye him to give one kind of food or physick to all so is it in our present case What is a Pastor but the guide of a Congregation in the worship of God c. And if Magistrates and Bishops take this work out of their hands by their unnecessary prescriptions they so far prohibite him to do the work of a Pastor What a grief is it to a Minister that being in the place and knowing the people is the most competent Judge what is fit for them to be constrained by men that know not the state of his flock to cross their Edification and to be forbidden to use his prudence and due power for their spiritual good 6. And what a sinful arrogant usurpation is this for any man to be guilty of It is Christ that hath given his Ministers their Power and that for Edification and who is he that may presume to take it from them If they are unworthy to be Ministers let them not be Ordained or let them be degraded or deposed But if they must be Ministers let them do the work of Ministers lest as he that despiseth them despiseth Christ so he that restraineth them from their duty and depriveth them of the exercise of their power unjustly be found one that would arrogate an authority over Christ. 7. And what intolerable Pride is this for a few Bishops to think so highly of themselves and so basely of their more â—udicious Brethren as if no man must speak to God but in their words These forms of Prayer are conceived and invented by some body Aâ—d why should the Coâ—ceiver think so highly of his own understanding as if he were fit to teach a whole Nation what they must daily say to God and why should he think so unworthily of all oâ—hers in comparison of himself as if none but he and his Companions in this usurpation knew how to pray or utter their minds but by his dictates or prescriptions Is this Humility 8. Moreover this Imposition of forms as before described doth discover too much Cruelty to the Church when they had rather Ministers were cast aside and the people left in darkness then Ministers should teach them and worship God with them that will not tye themselves to the very words that they devise for them What abundance of ignorant drunken Readers and other Ministers were suffered in England while the learned godly painful Ministers were cast out and silenced or persecuted because they would not conform to all the forms and ceremonies imposed by the Bishops And so how many thousand souls may we think are gone to Hell through the ignorance or ungodliness of their Guides as if their damnation were more desirable then their salvation by the teaching of Ministers that dare not use the Common Prayer Book and Ceremonies I know they will say that such Schismatical Preachers
sunt sed quâ— ministri Ecclesiae Catholicae Grotius ibid. p. 273. Pastores tales ubi nâ—llâ— sunt Episcopi etsi cum 〈◊〉 Presbyteris id commâ—â—â— habent quod aliis non praesunt habeâ—t tamen illud Episcopale quod nâ—mini Pastori subsâ—nâ— at 〈◊〉 adâ—o dubium est Episcopisnâ—â— an meris Presbyteris 〈…〉 Idem pag. 320. Communi Presbyterorum Concilio gubernabantur saith Hier. See Grotius ubi sup p. 354 355 356 357. proving that Prelacy is not of Divine precept and that of old many Cites had many Churches and Bishops in each and that Presbyters except ordination as Hier. and Chrysost. may do all that a Bishop and he addeth Quid obstat quo minus id ita â—nterpâ—â—temur ut Presbyteri neminem potuâ—rint ordinare contempto Episcopo And pag. 359. He shews that where Bishops are not Presbyters do rightly ordain See the beginning of Bishop Ushers Reduction of Episcopal Government I have it and can pâ—oduce it under the Kings own hand and seal wherein he forbids that any Church man or Priest in holy orders should be a Câ—â—ncellor And this was the occasion of all the corruptions c. They must for their own advantage and profit have instruments accordingly So the Râ—gisters Proctors Apparatoâ—s were pâ—ssiâ—um genus hominum G. Goodman Bishop of Gloâ— in the Preface to his Two Mysteries c. Object Answ. Object 2. Answ. Dr. H. Dissert 4. p. 208. §. 9. Prius non usquâ—quaque verum esse quod pâ—o concesso sumitur in una civitate non fuisse plurâ—s Episcopos Quamvis enim in 〈◊〉 Ecclesiá aut Câ—â—tu plures simul Episcopi nunquam fuerint nihil tamen obstare quin in eádem civitate dâ—o aliquando disterminaâ—â— Coeâ—us fuerint duobus Apostolis ad fidem adducti di versiâ—â—orsaâ— dialectis aliquando ritibus disjuncti quibus duo itidem Episcopi scorsim divisis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidereâ—t Et p. 211. §. 21. Ex his ratio constat quare sine Presbyterorum mentione interveniente Episcopis Diaconi immediate adjiciantur quia scilicet in singulis Macedoniâ—e civitatibus quamvis Episcopus esset noâ—dum Presbyteri constituti sunt Diaconis tantum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubique Episcopis adjunctis Mark well the stating of the question by Dr. H. Dissert Epist. §. 30 31. The controversie is not Quibus dâ—mum â—ominibus cogniti fuerint Ecclesiarum Rectores sed an ad unum in singulari Ecclesia an ad plures potestas ista devenerit Nos ad unum singularem Praefectâ—m quem ex famosiore Ecclesiae usu Episcopum vulgò dicimus potestatem istam in singulari Coetu ex Christi Apostolorum institutione nunquam non pertinuisse affirmamus You see here that it is but in singulari Ecclesia in siâ—gulari Coetu that he affirmeth an Episcopacy of Christs and the Apostles institution And such Bishops most Churches in England have already Reason 1. Conquâ—ritur jam olim Socrates Episcopatus quosdam suis temporibus extra sacerdotii sines â—gressos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse delapsos Conqueritur apud Pelusiotam Hierax lenitatis mâ—nsuetudinis dignitatem in Tyrannidem tranâ—â—sse conqueritur de Episcoporum ambitione Nazianzenus propterea si non Episcopatum câ—rte civiâ—atum 〈◊〉 perpetuum in retinenda Episâ—opali dignitate mutatum velleâ— He addeth yet more such and concludeth that Ecclesiastical Ambition never made such progress from the Apoâ—tles daies to those as it hath done since to ours almost â—ncurably Grotius de imperio pag. 360 361. Reason 2. Reason 3. A particular Church what Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Râ—ason 7. Reason 8. Reason 9. Reason 10. Reason 11. Reason 12. Reason 13. See Grotius de â—mperio p. 351. Proving that the Christian Church-Government was not fitted to that of the Temple but that of the Synagogues and endeavouring to prove Bishops he doth it thence that they are such as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let them then hold to such a Congregational Episcopacy Heb. 13.17 proveth that Churches should be no bigger then that the Ruler may watch for all their souls as one that must give account of all On which text Dr. Ier. Taylor in his late Book of Repentance Pref. saith I am sure we cannot give account of souls of which we have no Notice And so presseth to personal conduct Let them then be Bishops of no bigger a Diocess then they can take such personal notice and conduct of lest they judge themselves See the same thing proved at large by Grotius de Imperio page 355 356 357 Yet I think as Bloudell that he mistook Epiphanius de Alex. Eccl. * Pag. 54 he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. Per regiones igitur Uâ—bes praedicantes constituerunt primitias eorum approbantes in Spiritu Episcopos Diacoâ—os â—orum qui Credituri erant I know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is supposed by some to respect only the place of their preaching and not of their settling Bishops But the words according to the more obvious plain sence do seem to extend it to both and make no such difference at all * Very many passages in Cyprian do intimate that then the Diocesses were small perhaps having yet but unum Altare As when he saith that à primordio Episcopatus mei statuerim nihil sine concilio vestro sine consensu plebis meae privata sententia gerere c. And Prohibeantur offerre acturi apud nos apud confeâ—â—ores ipsos apud plebem universam causam suam And Haec singulorum tractanda sit limanda plenius ratio non tantum cum collegis meis sed cum plebe ipsá universá And Vix plebi persuadeo immo extorqueo ut tales patiantur â—dmitti justior factus est fraternitatis dolor ex eo quod unus atque alius obnitente plâ—be 〈…〉 mea tamen facilita e suscepti pejores extiterunt How the Universa plebâ— of many Congregations or a Diocess like ours should be consulted and hear and do any thing to admission or exclusion from Communion and be advised with by Cyprian in all such affairs is not easie to conceive See his Epist. 3.6.10.13 14 26 31 27 28 33 40 c. Peruse all the citations of Bloudwell de jure Plebis in Regim Eccles. and see whether they intimate not the smalness of their Diocesses Though I believe they prove no such thing as proper Government in the people Yet peruse all the Authors cited by him there to prove that 〈◊〉 Eccleâ—iae Mâ—th 18. refers to the Congregation of Pastors and people together and it will much confirm the point in hand I shall not recite any of them because you may there find them in the end of Grotius de Imperio Sum. Potest * And it seems the Churches were not so large as some imagine even at the sixth General Council at 〈◊〉 in Constaâ—tiâ—op when Canon 78. it was ordâ—â—ed that