Were it so pleasing to his Majesty and the State to decree it we should be well content to submit to this ancient forme of Election the forbearance whereof is neither our fault nor our prejudice so as you might well have bestowed this breath to a better purpose and rather conclude that notwithstanding this forme of different choice our Bishops and those of former times are not two SECT VIII WEE follow you into the execution of our Episcopall Office wherein you will show ours and the Apostles to be two so clearely that he who will not wilfully shut his eyes may see a latitude of differences and that in three points The first in sole jurisdiction which you say was a stranger yea a monster to former times and will make it good by the power of that which in all wise writers was wont to be contra-distinguished Ordination For this maine point let my Answerers know that the Ordination is the Bishops but the sole in their sense is their own neither did our Bishops ever challenge it as theirs alone without the Presbyters but as principally theirs with them so as if the power be in the Bishop the assistance is from them the practise in both so is it in the Bishops that ordinarily and regularly it may not be done without them and yet ordinately it may not be done without them by the Bishop which hath bin so constantly and carefully ever observed that I challenge them to shew any one instance in the Church of England to the contrary Say Brethren I beseech you after all this noyse what Bishop ever took upon him to ordain a Presbyter alone or without the concurrent imposition of many hands They no lesse then Cyprian can say Ego collegae Although I must tell you this was in the case of Aurelius made a Lector And in that other testimony which you cite out of his Epistle 58. he speaks onely of the fraternities consent and approbation not of their concurrence in their act this is small game with you Neither is it lesse the order of the Church of England then of the Councell of Carthage Cum ordinatur Presbyter c. When a Presbyter is ordained the Bishop blessing him and holding his hand upon his head all the Presbyters that are present shall likewise lay their hands upon his head with the hands of the Bishop With what conscience can ye alledge this as to choak us in our contrary practise when you know this is perpetually and unfailably done by us But now that the Readers may see how you shuffle shew us but one instance of a Presbyters regular and practised ordaining without a Bishop and carry the cause else you do but abuse the Reader with an ostentation of proving what was never denied But here by the way brethren you must give me leave to pull you by the sleeve and to tell you of two or three foul scapes which will trie whether you can blush First that you abuse Firmilianus in casting upon him an opinion of Presbyters ordaining which he never held He in his Epistle to Stephen Bishop of Rome speaking of the true Church in opposition to heresies describes it thus Vbi praesident majores natu qui baptizandi manum imponendi et ordinandi possident potestatem under this name expressing those Bishops who presiding in the Church possesse the power of Baptizing Confirming Ordaining you injuriously Wire-draw him to Presbyters and foist in Seniores et Praepositos which are farre from the clause and matter Be convinced with the more cleare words of the same Epistle Apostolis et Episcopis qui illis vicariâ Ordinatione successerunt Secondly that you bewray grosse ignorance in translating Ambroses Presbyteri consignant by Presbyters ordaining Who that ever knew what belonged to antiquity would have beene guilty of such a solecisme when every novice knowes that consigning signifies confirmation and not ordaining Thirdly you discover not too much skill in not distinguishing of the Chorepiscopi some whereof had both the nature and power of Episcopacy to all purposes and therefore might well by the Bishops licence in his owne charge impose hands others not And lesse fidelity in citing the Councell of Antioch can 10. and the 13. of the Councell of Ancyra if it were not out of our way to fetch them into tryall Lastly I cannot but tell you that you have meerly cast away all this labour and fought with your owne shadow for how ever it were not hard to prove that in the first times of the Church it was appropriated to the Bishop to Ordaine which you cannot but cōfesse out of Ierome and Chrysostom yet since we speaking of our owne time and Church doe both professe and practise an association of Presbyters with us in the act of Ordination whom have you all this while opposed It is enough that you have seemed to say somthing and have showne some little reading to no purpose SECT IX YEt still you will needs beat the ayre very furiously and fight pitifully with your selves Alas brethren why will ye take so much paines to goe wilfully out of your way and to mis-lead the reader with you Who ever challenged in that sense which you faine to your selves a sole Jurisdiction Why will you with some show of learning confute that which you yeeld us to confesse we confesse this sole cryed downe by store of Antiquity we doe willingly grant that Presbyters have and ought to have and exercise a jurisdiction within their owne charge in foro conscientiae we grant that in all the great affayres of the Church the Presbyters whether in Synodes or otherwise ought to be consulted with we grant that the Bishops had of old their Ecclesiasticall Councell of Presbyters with whose advise they were wont to manage the greatest matters and we still have so for to that purpose serve the Deanes and Chapters and the Lawes of our Church frequently make that use of them we grant that Presbyters have their votes in provinciall Synods But we justly say that the superiority of jurisdiction is so in the Bishop as that Presbyters neither did nor may exercise it without him and that the exercise of externall jurisdiction is derived from by under him to those which execute it within his Dioces Thus it is to Timothy that S. Paul gives the charge concerning the rebuke of an Elder or not receiving an accusation against him It is to Titus that S. Paul leaves the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 correction of his Cretians Thus the Canons of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thus the blessed Martyr Ignatius in his undoubted Epistle to those of Smyrna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let no man doe any thing in matters belonging to the Church without the Bishop Thus the Councell of Antioch orders that whatsoever belongs to the Church is to be governed managed and disposed by the judgement and authority of the Bishop who hath 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power of those things which belong to the Church It were easie to surfet the readers eyes with the cleare testimonies of Fathers and Councells to this purpose Our learned Bishop Downam hath given a world of instances of the severall acts of jurisdiction appropriated to Bishops by antiquity exercised upon both Laicks and Clergy to him I remit my reader So as you may easily set antiquity together by the eares in this point if you please but surely the advantage will be so farre on our side that if you have not ten for one against you I will yeeld my cause There is great difference of times and in them of fashions In those persecuted times when the Church was backed with no Christian Magistrate it was no boot to bid the guides of the Church to combine their Councels and to give strength to their mutuall actions when a generall peace once blessed them and they had the concurrence both of soveraigne and subordinate authority with them they began so much to remit of this care of conjoyning their forces as they supposed to find lesse need of it From hence grew a devolution of all lesse weighty affairs to the weilding of single hands For my part I perswade my selfe that the more frequent communicating of all the important businesse of the Church whether censures or determinations with those grave assistents which in the eye of the Law are designed to this purpose were a thing not onely unprejudiciall to the honour of our function but very behovefull to the happy administration of the Church In the mean while see brethren how you have with Simon fished all night and caught nothing My word was that ours were the same with the Apostles Bishops in this that they challenge no other spirituall power then was by Apostolique authority delegated to Timothy and Titus You run out upon the following times of the Church and have with some wast quotations laboured to prove that In after ages Bishops called in Presbyters to the assistance of their jurisdiction which is as much to me as Baculus stat in angulo SECT X. YOur next Section runs yet wilder I speak of the no-difference of our Bishops from the first in the challenge of any spirituall power to themselves other then delegated to Timothy and Titus You tell mee of delegating their power to others What is this to the nature of the calling Doth any man claime this as essentiall to his Episcopacie Doth any man stand upon it as a piece of his spirituall power If this be granted to be an accidentall error of some particular man for it cannot be fastned upon all what difference doth it make in the substance of the function As if some monster suddenly presented it selfe to you you aske Was ever such a thing heard of in the best primitive times that men which never received imposition of hands should not only be received into assistance but be wholly intrusted with the power of spirituall jurisdiction Let me ask you again Was ever such a thing heard of either in the Primitive or following times that Lay-men should be so far admitted to the managing of spirituall jurisdiction as to lay their hands upon their Ministers in their Ordination Yet this is both done and challenged by too many of your good friends Why do you object that to us wherewith the Presbyterian part may be more justly choaked But herein Brethren you do foulely over-reach in that you charge our Bishops as in a generality with wholly-intrusting the power of spirituall jurisdiction to their Chancellors and Commissaries The assistance of those which are learned in the Law wee gladly use neither can well want in the necessary occasions of our judicature but that wee doe either wilfully or negligently devest our selves absolutely of that power and wholly put it into Laick hands it is a meere sclander For want of better proofs of the illegality of this course you bring a negative authority from Cyprian telling us what that holy Martyr did not That he did not send Complainants to his Chancellour or Commissarie It is very like he did not nor yet to the Bench of a Lay Presbyterie But if he did not commit the hearing of his Causes to a Lay-man we find that some others did Socrates can tell you of Silvanus the good Bishop of Troas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. perceiving that some of his Clergie did corruptly make gaine of Causes would no more appoint any of his Clergie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be a Judge but made choise of some faithfull man of the Laity to whom he committed that audience and was much honoured for it What Bishop Downam yeelds concerning the Ordinaries Vicars and Chancellors of former times till Ambrose's daies that they were onely Clergie-men you reject witn scorne and challenge any man to produce the names of any Clergie-man that was Vicar to Ambrose or Chancellour to Augustine c. What a poore brave is this I challenge you to produce the name of any Secretary or Actuary that Ambrose or Austin had because you cannot shall I conclude they had none such That instance of Sylvanus not long after Ambrose is evidence enough But the antiquity of Chancellors which were the same with Ecclesiecdici or Episcoporum ecdici is proveable enough if it were for this place and their necessary use beyond the power of your confutation But I had rather refer my reader to S. Thomas Ridley and others that have laboured in that argument and appeale to all mens judgement how soundly you have upon this ground proved that our Bishops and the former were two SECT XI HOw justly may I say Readers of these men as the King of Israel said of the King of Syria See I beseech you how they seeke a quarrell against me My just defence was that our Bishops are the same in substance and effect with those which were ordained by the Apostles they come now and tell me of an oath ex officio used in the high Commission and in our Consistories as if every particular manner of Proceeding in our Courts and judicatures must either be patterned by the Apostolike or els they are utterly unjustifiable why do they not as wel chalenge us that we give men the book to touch and kisse in taking an oath Why doe they not aske how wee can prove that those Apostolicall Bishops had Notaries Registers Advocates Consistories what frivolous and delusory exceptions are these to all wise men and how strangely savouring of a weak judgement and strong malice As for your cavil at the oth ex officio since you wil needs draw it in by head and shoulders how little soever it concernes us I returne you this answer That if any of our profession have in the pressing of it exceeded the lawfull bounds I excuse him not I defend him not let him bear away his own load but in these surely there is more to bee said for
dint of their censures The like answer serves for their objected Homilies Surely were they enjoyned to all by lawfull authority and made so familiar to the eares of every congregation as the Liturgie is some few could not forbeare them without offence whiles withall they should be allowed the helps of preaching As in this case it is done the use of the set Liturgie being seconded by prayers conceived But the project is singular That if any Ministers should prove insufficient to discharge the duty of Prayer in a conceived way it may be imposed upon him as a punishment to use set formes and no other Never Confessor injoyned such a penance Never Law-maker imposed such a mulct Certainly it were a more just and needfull motion that many who take upon them to preach with so small abuse of Gods sacred Word might as in way of correction be injoyned onely to reade Homilies But who sees not in this overture an utter cassation of that Liturgie which is pretended to be left free For if the freedome of a sole conceived prayer shall depend upon the supposed sufficiency of the Minister shew me the man amongst five hundred of the forward Artizans that Will confesse or think himselfe insufficient for the act or unfurnished with the gifts of Prayer Away then with the Book whiles it may be supplied with a more profitable non-sense Surely where God hath bestowed gifts it is fit they should be imployed and improved to the best advantage of his people But where there is nothing but an empty over-weening and proud ignorance there is great reason for a just restraint SECT III. THus their cavils concerning the Liturgie are vanished we descend to the longer quarrell of Episcopacie Where it is their ill hap to stumble again at the entring into these Lists beginning their answer pardon good Reader with a manifest leasing whiles they dare say that whatsoever hath been either spoken or written by any either learned Divines or well reformed Churches is taxed by me as no other then the unjust clamours of weak or factious persons Certainly had I done so I had been no lesse worthy to be spit upon for my saucy uncharitablenesse then they are now for their uncharitable falshood After my complaints of the many railing invectives and scandalous Libels published of late I came now to bemoane my self to that high Court of Justice in these words As for that forme of Episcopall government which hath hitherto obtained in the Church of God I confesse I am confounded in my selfe to heare with what unjust clamours it is cried down abroad by either weak or factious persons Abroad I say in relation to both Houses lest any malicious person should have traduced my words as reflecting upon any free speech made in either of them against some of that calling alluding to that impious licentiousnesse of our frequent Libellers both in the City and Countrey which shamefully revile Episcopacy as wicked and Antichristian Now come these brotherly slanderers sure the termes can be no better and would needs Wier-draw my words as farre as France Germany or Geneva it self and cry out of my Arrogancy as condemning all Divines all Churches which the God of heaven knowes never came within the verge of my thoughts Yea if I could have been so abominably presumptuous as to inlarge my abroad to other Nations yet I beseech you readers see how well this follows Episcopall Government is with unjust clamours cryed down abroad by either weake or factious persons therefore whosoever speaks or writes against Episcopacy is either weake or factious Brethren if you have any remainders of modesty or truth left in you cry God mercy for this egregious and palpable calumnie Of the same straine is their witty descant upon my confoundednesse I made use of the phrase as that which is taken up by the most elegant Greek and Latine Authors to expresse extreame sorrow these deep Philologers as not seeming to know other sense take it of a confoundednesse through distraction sure the man is not in his rightwits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And how so trow we Heare how he raves He talks of all peaceable and right affected sons of the Church and craves an admittance in all their names whereas all could not take notice of his book doubtlesse a deep phrensie Brethren I am still and shall ever be thus selfe-confounded as confidently to say that he is no peaceable and right affected Son of the Church of England that doth not both hate Libels and wish well to Liturgy and Episcopacy both which summe up my humble Remonstrance But this flip they confesse is small that other is worthy of a large Dos of Ellebore that I say Episcopall govermnent that is government by Diocesan Bishops derives it selfe from the Apostles times this they say they cannot but rank amongst my notorious speake out Masters I would not have that word stick in your teeth or in your throat And why is this truth so notorious Because there were no Diocesans of above an hundred yeares after Christ Now Readers I beseech you cast back your eies upon those Lines of mine and see whether I make any mention at all of Diocesans but onely of the sacred government by Episcopacy Wanton wits must have leave to play with their owne stern Brethren what needs this importunity Even selfe-confounded men doe not alwaies speake false What the joynt-confession of all reformed Divines is concerning the derivation of Episcopacy from the Apostolique times I have elsewhere shewed from some in the name of all and shall doe again in the due place to what purpose were this unseasonable anticipation Indeed no true Divine did ever hold otherwise The question never was Whether Bishops were derived from the Apostles But what kinde of Bishops they were For us if we not deduce ours from them in respect of all the essentialls of our calling let the shame be ours Whereas I say the government hath continued without any interruption they aske jeeringly What at Rome and tell me of some places of the world as Scotland for example wherein this government was never known for many years together Brethren what means this whether simplicity or scorne Could yee imagine me to meane that every place through the whole world hath had a continued Line of Bishops ever since the Apostles sure you cannot so wrong your own judgements Alas we could tell you of China Iapan Peru Brasil New-England Virginia and a thousand others that never had any Bishops to this day Yet it is never the lesse safe to say that the form of Government by Bishops in the Christian world derives it selfe without interruption from the Apostles times for as much as there hath been no time or age since them wherein there hath not been this forme of Episcopall Government continued You tell me that In ancient times the Scots were instructed by Priests and Monks and were without Bishops two hundred and ninety years I acknowledge the words
of Iohannes Major I wish they had not been without either before or since but what is this to my assertion There could be no interruption of that which had as yet no being neither did I ever say that Bishops were every where You come to England there you think to have me sure you desire to know of the Remonstrant Whether God had a Church in England in Q. Maries dayes or no And if so who were then Bishops Sure brethren you cannot be so ignorant as you make your selves Have you not seen M r Foxes Acts and Monuments Have you not seen M r Fr Masons Vindication of our succession Or doe ye make no difference betwixt an intermission and an interruption Doe ye not know that even the See of Rome which would faine boast of a known succession hath yet been without a Bishop longer then the whole raigne of Qu. Mary if we may beleeve Damasus himselfe after Marcellinus for 7. years 6. moneths and 25. daies And if after the Martyrdome of our Orthodoxe Bishops revolted or Popish governors held those Sees they were corrupt in their places judgement and practise there was not an utter abolition of their calling which their repentance restored to its first vigour Where I justly aver this continuance to have been without the contradiction of any one congregation in the Christian world you vainly think to choak me with a story from our own darling Heylin which tels us of the furious violence of the people of Biscay against the Bishop of Pampelona reported also by the Spanish history to which you referre us concealing yet that which the same history relates that this was done upon some attempts and wrong conceived to be offered them by the Clergy A goodly instance and fit for the gall of your inke and as good a consequence The Biscainers upon a private quarrell are enraged against the person of their Bishop for his sake for the time against his fellowes therefore some Christian Congregation denies the succession of Episcopall Government from the times of the Apostles Of the like validity and judgement is your instance of French Scotish and Belgick Churches Who doubts of either their Christianity or their contradiction to Episcopacy But if you did not wilfully both shut your own eies and endeavour to blind the eies of your Reader you could not but see that I limit the time untill this present age Good brethren whiles you object bold falshood to me learn to make some conscience of truths To let passe your untrue suggestions concerning my assertion of one and the same forme of Prayer continued from Moses to the Apostles and by the Apostles c. I cannot but wonder with what face you can reckon it amongst my untruths that Episcopall Government hath continued in this Iland ever since the first plantation of the Gospel I challenge you before that awfull Bar to which you have appealed name but one yeare ever since Christianity had footing in England which was under the British o◠Roman Government wherein there were no Bishops in this Land If you can name neither yeare nor Author be ashamed to say this truth hath had any contradiction or else I hope the Readers will be ashamed of you What a poore shift is it to tell me of the contradiction that Episcopacie hath had since the Reformation I can tell the world that your selves oppose it what of that You mislike the Government you cannot deny that it hath so long continued so as my assertion continues inviolable that the form of this government hath without contradiction continued here ever since the first plantation of the Gospel The man runs on still you say and as thinking to get credit to his untruths by their multiplication dares boldly say that except all Histories all Authors faile them nothing can be more certaine then this truth and here you cry out Os durum and aggravate the matter enviously by the instance of Divine truths concerning the maine points of our holy Creede But good sirs doe ye bethink whom you speake to Could you suppose to meete with so meane readers as should not know that no phrase is more ordinary in our hourly discourse then this when we would cōfidently affirme any truth to say It is so true as nothing can be truer Not to enter into any metaphysicall discourse concerning the being or degrees of truth wherein some that would be wise may perhaps have lost themselves would any man think it reasonable that upon such an ordinary and familiar assertion he should be called to account for the articles of his Creede and be urged to compare his truth with Gods Away with this witlesse and malicious intimation Pardon me Readers that I have spent so much time and paper in following these triflers so close their uncharitable suggestions drew me on Judge yee now whether of us have more just cause of indignation SECT IIII. HItherto they have flourished now I hope they will strike against the Libellers importune projects of innovations I urged that were this Ordinance meerly humane or Ecclesiasticall if there could be no more said for it but that it is exceeding ancient of more then 1500. years standing and in this Iland of the same age with the Gospell it self this might be a just reason to make men tender of admitting a change an argument which I seconded with so rationall inforcement as will I doubt not prevaile with all unpartiall judgements Now my witty Answerers tell me this is an argumentum Galeatum and that the Reader may know they have seen a Father cite Hierome who gave that title to a Prologue but never to an argument and as if arguments were Almanacks tell us It was Calculated for the Meridian of Episcopacy and may indifferently serve for all Religions Truly brethren you have not well taken the height of the Pole nor observed a just zenith for could you say so much for the Presbyteriall government had it continued here so long I should never yeeld my vote to alter it an uninterrupted course of so many years should settle it still So as you are plainly deceived the argument is not calculated for the Meridian of Episcopacy but for whatsoever government if so long time have given it peaceable possession there had need to be strong reasons of Law for an ejection But that it may serve for all Religions it is but an envious suggestion unlesse you adde this withall save where the ground of the change is fully convictive and irrefragable in which cause both the mouthes of Jews and Heathens and Papists and your own may be justly stopped As for that overworne observation of Cyprian that our Saviour sayes I am the way the truth and the life but doth not say I am custome it is no lesse plausible then usefull but if wee regard soundnesse of ratiocination it is an Illustration meerly negative so we may say hee saith not I am reason I am experience I am
the common Councell of Presbyters and that Bishops ought still so to govern And lastly that The occasion of this imparity was the division which through the Devils instinct fell among Christians You look now that I should tell you that the Book is of uncertain credit or that Ierome was a Presbyter and not without some touch of envie to that higher dignity he missed or that wiser men then your selves have censured him in this point for Aerianisme I plead none of these but whiles you expect that I should answer to Ierome I shall set Ierome to answer for himselfe For the first I cannot but put you in mind that the same Father citing the words of the Bishop of Jerusalem That there is no difference betwixt a Bishop and a Presbyter passeth a Satis imperitè upon it but let it be so At first he sayes Bishops and Presbyters had but one title So say we too But when began the distinction Ye need not learne it of Saravia he himselfe tels you When divisions began And when that When they began to say I am Pauls I am Apollo's I am Cephas which was I think well and high in the Apostles time But this you would cleanly put of as spoken by Ierome in the Apostles phrase not of the time of the Apostle This is but a generall intimation of contentions arisen though later in the Church Excuse me Brethren this shift will not serve your turne Then belike there should have been no distinct Bishops till after-ages upon this ground that till then there were no divisions Or if so why should the remedie be so late after the disease Or how comes he elsewhere to name Bishops made by the Apostles and to confesse that before his time there had been many successions Besides he instanceth in the peculiar mis-challenging of Baptisme which only S. Paul specifieth in his owne time And Clemens seconds him in his Epistle to the Corinthians in taxing the continuance of those distractions so as by Ieroms own confession Episcopacy was ordained early within the Apostles times But then say you It was not of Apostolicall intention but of Diabolicall occasion Weakly and absurdly As if the occasion might not be devilish and the institution divine As if the best Lawes did not rise from the worst manners Were not the quarrels betwixt the Grecians and Hebrews for the maintenance of their widows an evill occurrence yet from the occasion thereof was raised the Ordination of Deacons in the Church Yea but Ierome saith This was rather by the custome of the Church then by the truth of the Lords disposition True it was by the Custome of the Church but that Church was Apostolicall not by the Lords disposition immediately for Christ gave no expresse rule for it but mediately it was from Christ as from his inspired Apostles Let Ierome himselfe interpret himselfe who tels us expresly in his Epistle to Euagrius this superiority of Bishops above Presbyters is by Apostolicall tradition which is as much as we affirme And whiles he saith toto orbe decretum est that in the time of those first divisions it was decreed all the world over that Bishops should be set up I would faine know by what power besides Apostolicall such a Decree could be so soon and so universally enacted But Ierome saith The Presbyters governed the Church by their common Counsell So they did doubtlesse altogether till Episcopacy was setled who dares deny it Yea but he saith They ought to doe still So say we also and so in some cases we do Church-government is Aristocraticall Neither is any Bishop so absolute as not to be subject to the judgement of a Synode Yea in many matters it is determined by our Laws that hee must take the advise and assistance of his Ecclesiasticall Presbytery So then S. Ierome is in his judgement no back friend of ours but in his History he is our Patron With what forehead can they perswade their Reader the Originall of Episcopacie was not in Ieroms opinion so early when they cannot but confesse that the same Father hath in flat termes told us that Iames was Bishop of Jerusalem Timothy of Ephesus Titus of Crete that ever since the time of Mark the Euangelist who died five or sixe yeares before Peter and Paul and almost forty years before S. Iohn at Alexandria till the dayes of Heraclas and Dionysius the Presbyters have alwayes chosen one to be their Bishop As for those poore negative arguments which follow palpably begging the question they are scarce worthie of a passe were it not that by them they goe about to confute their own Author affirming That upon occasion of divisions Episcopacie was constituted but he stands so close to his owne grounds as that contrary to their mis-allegation of D r Whitakers he plainly tels them Episcopacie is so proper a remedy for this evill that unlesse the Bishop have a peerlesse power there will be as many Schismes as Priests the wofull experience whereof we finde in the miserable varieties of Separatisme at this day Goe on Brethren since you are so resolved to strike that friend whom you bring in to speak for you teach your advocate S. Ierome how unlikely it is that the Apostles should give way as he professes they did to such a remedie as might prove both ineffectuall and dangerous and that their holinesse should make a stirrup for Antichrist We lookt for Ambrose to come in next and behold you bring in a foisted Commenter a man by the convictions of Whitakers Spalatensis Cocus Rivetus Bellarmine Possevine Maldonate as hath beene elsewhere shewed of not a suspected onely but a crackt credit If it mattered much what he said I could out of his testimonie picke more advantage then you prejudice to my cause But if you will heare the true Ambrose speake he tells you There is one thing which God requireth of a Bishop another of a Presbyter another of a Deacon As for the persons who brought in this imparitie you tell us out of the same Authors The Presbyters themselves brought it in Witnesse Ierome ad Euagrium The Presbyters of Alexandria did call him their Bishop whom they had chosen from among themselves and placed in an higher degree But brethren what meanes this faithlesse and halved citation Had you said all the place would have answered for it selfe the words are Nam Alexandriae à Marco Evangelista c. For at Alexandria ever since Mark the Evangelist untill the times of Heraclas and Dionysius Bishops the Presbyters have alwayes called one chosen out of themselves and placed in an higher degree Bishop as if an army should chuse their Generall Why did you avoid the name of Mark the Evangelist but that your hearts told you that he dying many yeares within the time of the Apostles this election and appellation and distinction of degrees of Bishops and Presbyters must needs have been in the life time of the Apostles and not without their
desires to goe a Mid-way in this difference holding it too low to derive Episcopacy from a merely humane and Ecclesiasticall Ordinance holding it too high to deduce it from an immediate command from God and therefore pitching upon an Apostolicall institution rests there but because those Apostles were divinely inspired had the directiōs of Gods spirit for those things which they did for the common administration of the Church therefore and in that onely name is Episcopacie said to lay claime to a Divine right howsoever also it cannot be gainsaid that the grounds were formerly laid by our Saviour in a knowne imparity of his first agents Now surely this truth hath so little reason to distaste them that even learned Chamier himselfe can say Res ipsa coepit tempore Apostolorum vel potius ab ipsis profecta est And why should that seeme harsh in us which soundeth well in the mouthes of lesse-interessed Divines but because the very title of that book hath raised more dust then the treatise it selfe Bee pleased Readers to see that this very question is in the very same termes determined by that eminent light of the Palatinate Dr. Abrah Scultetus whose tract to this purpose I have thought fit to annex Peruse it and judge whether of those two writers have gone further in this determination And if you shall not meet with convincing reasons to bring you home to this opinion yet at least-wise find cause enough to retaine a charitable and favourable conceit of those who are as they think upon good grounds otherwise minded and whilest it is on all parts agreed by wise and unprejudiced Christians that the calling is thus ancient and sacred let it not violate the peace of the Church to scan the originall whether Ecclesiasticall Apostolicall or divine Shortly let all good men humbly submit to the Ordinance and heartily wish the Reformation of any abuses And so many as are of this mind Peace be upon them and the whole Israell of GOD. AMEN THE DETERMINATION of the question Concerning the Divine Right of EPISCOPACY By the famous and learn'd Divine Dr. Abrahamus Scultetus late Professour of divinity in the Vniversity of HEIDELBERG Faithfully translated out of his Observations upon the Epistles to Timothy and Titus LONDON Printed for NATHANIELL BVTTER 1641 The Question Whether Episcopacie be of Divine right That is whether the Apostles ordained this Government of the Church that not onely one should be placed over the people but over Presbyters and Deacons who should have the power of Imposition of Hands or Ordination and the direction of Ecclesiasticall Counsels THis was anciently denyed by Aerius as is related by Epiphanius in his 75 Heresie and by Iohn of Hierusalem as appears by Hierome in his Epistle to Pammachius And there are not wanting in these dayes many learned and pious men who although they acknowledge Aerius to have erred in that he should disallow of that manner of Ecclesiasticall government which had beene received by the whol World yet in this they agree with him that Episcopall government is not of Divine Right From whose opinion why I should sever my judgement I am moved by these strong reasons famous examples and evident authorities My judgement is this First in the Apostles Epistles the name of Bishop did never signifie any thing different from the office of a Presbyter For a Bishop Presbyter and an Apostle were common names as you may see Act. 20. Phil. 1. v. 1. Tit. 1. 1. Pet. v. 12. Act. 1.20 Next In the chiefe Apostolicall Church the Church was governed by the common advice of Presbyters and that for some yeers in the time of the preaching of the Apostles For first of all companies must bee gathered together before we can define any thing concerning their perpetuall government Then the Apostles as long as they were present or neere their Churches did not place any Bishop over them properly so called but only Presbyters reserving Episcopall authority to themselves alone Lastly after the Gospell was farre and neere propagated and that out of equality of Presbyters by the instinct of the Devill Schismes were made in Religion then the Apostles especially in the more remote places placed some over the Pastors or Presbyters which shortly after by the Disciples of the Apostles Ignatius and others were onely called bishops by this appellation they were distinguished from Presbyters Deacons Reasons moving me to this opinion First Hierome upon the 1. Chapter of the Epistle to Titus writeth that a Presbyter is the same with a Bishop and before that by the instinct of the Devill factions were made in Religion and it was said among the people I am of Paul I of Apollo but I of Cephas the Churches were governed by the common counsell of Presbyters afterwards it was decreed in the whol world that one chosen out of the Presbyters should be placed over the rest From whence I thus argue When it began to be said among the people I am of Paul I of Apollo but I of Cephas then one chosen out of the Presbyters was placed over the rest But whiles the Apostles lived it was so said among the people As the first Epistle to the Corinthians besides other of St. Pauls Epistles puts it out of doubt Therefore while the Apostles lived one chosen out of the Presbyters was placed over the rest Againe There can be no other terme assigned in which Bishops were first made then the time of the Apostles for all the prime successors of the Apostles were Bishops witnesse the successions of Bishops in the most famous Churches of Hierusalem Alexandria Antioch and Rome as it is in Eusebius therefore either the next successors of the Apostles changed the force of Ecclesiasticall government received from the Apostles according to their owne pleasure which is very unlikely or the Episcopall government came from the Apostles themselves Besides even then in the time of the Apostles there were many Presbyters but one Bishop even then in the time of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee that was placed over the rest which afterwards was called Bishop did impose hands or ordaine Ministers of the Word which Presbyters alone did not presume to doe Even then therefore the calling of Bishops was distinct from the Office of Presbyters If any desire the examples of Apostolicall Bishops the books of the antient are full of the Episcopal authority of Timothy and Titus either of which howsoever first performed the office of an Evangelist yet notwithstanding ceased to be an Evangelist after that Timothy was placed over the Church of Ephesus and Titus over the Church of Crete For Evangelists did only lay the foundations of faith in forraign places then did commend the rest of the care to certaine Pastors but they themselves went to other Countries and Nations as Eusebius writes in his third Booke of Ecclesiasticall History and 34. Chap. But Paul taught sometimes in Ephesus and Crete and laid the foundations of
the Laity who abound with wealth to bee maintained of the common store and that more liberally then others For if by those that rule well you shall understand both Lay-Elders and sacred also you must needs conclude that they are all worthy of double honour both those which rule and those which labour in Doctrine which conclusion the Apostle is against elsewhere whilest hee saith those which serve at the Altar must partake of the Altar And the Lord himselfe who hath appointed that those which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell 1. Corinthians 9.13.14 Wherupon Hierome in the same place hee would saith hee have them to yeeld carnall things to those of whom they receive spiritual things because they being taken up in teaching cannot provide necessary things for themselves Yea I say yet more if St. Paul had by those that rule understood Lay-elders certainly hee would some-where have put them in minde of their duty or at least have made mention of them 1 Tim. 3. where he doth not omit to give charge even of Deacons and Deaconesses But he doth neither of the two but presently after the mention of Bishops or Presbyters that were Pastors he falls into the speech concerning Deacons and their wives so as it is a plaine proofe that Lay-Elders were utterly unknown to him Fourthly the defence of Lay-Elders out of this place is utterly against the judgment of the fathers so many as ever have expounded this text of the Apostle Neither indeed is there any necessity at all that because the Apostle saith those especially that labour in Word and Doctrine therefore we should devise new Elders to bee taken out of the common people For it was well knowne that those of the Clergie which are over the Lords flock have their distinct Offices and employments There are of them which administer Sacraments make publike prayers privately admonish faithfull people and with-hold them from sinning there are others which being indued with excellent guifts of speaking imploy themselves in being teachers guids to mens soules in the way to heaven and the labors of these men which are taken by them in word and Doctrine are justly preferred before the service of them which administer the sacraments and make prayers for the Church even by the testimony of the Apostle himselfe who saith Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospell 1. Cor. 1.17 He was sent for both purposes but the chief end of his mission was the preaching of the Gospell Whosoever therefore thus rule the people whether they doe administer the Sacrament or onely preach the word or whether they doe both are worthy of double Honour where a certain number is put for an uncertain double honour that is greater and more then others although some are of opinion that here by Apostolique authority there is a greater portion assigned to the Governors then to others that appertain to the Church others interpret it of that double Honour which is fit for governours to have one of an awfull reverence and command the other of more largenesse of maintenarce that they be both observed and respected above others and that they have a more liberall provision of necessaries for their livelyhood but the first of them is the more simple exposition of the words He therefore holds those that are set over the people worthy of double honour And why double A little before he had given them order about the honoring that is maintaining of their Widowes at the charge of the Church from the Widows hee passeth to the Elders or Presbyters whom if they rule well hee would have honoured with a double alowance that is greater then that of the Widowes both by reason of their office and by reason of their family and amongst those that rule yet againe hee would have those most regarded who are imployed not so much in administring the Sacraments as in preaching the Word I doubt not but this is the most true Explication of this place FINIS Psal 27.3 Acts 17 22. Areopagus Mars-hill or The Câ—urt of Areopagites Branded and mislik't c. Pag. 4. * If we may not rather take it to allude to the manner of the Heathens who because their gods were multinomines according to their severall powers and vertues had certain monitors to put the suppliants in mind of the appellations of their Deities as Desiderius Heraldus thinks and to this purpose brings that of S. Augustine cited out of Seneca as he reads it Alius numina Dei subjicit or as Lipsius nomina however it cannot give the least colour to the sense intended by the Answerers Aug. Ep. 121 Aug. de bon persever c. 22. Vtinam tardi corde sic audirent disputationes nostras ut magis intuerentur orationes nostras quas semper habuit habebit Ecclesia ab exordiis suis usque dum finiatur seculum Just Mart. Apol. 2. The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is with all intention and implied in that of the same Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conc. Laod. c. 19. First the prayers of the Catechumeni preceded then those of the Penitents followed then those of the Faithfull concluded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Con. Laod. c. 8 Concil Milev 2. cont Celest Pelag. Poste à mortuus est Adrianus Cujus Deus non misereatur obiitque cum luctu magno c. * viz. the high Priest then living Buxtorfius tells us that the Creed of R. Ben Maimon was taken out of the Jews Liturgy In his speech at Norwich Assizes published M. Fisher I beseech you tell me brethren how you construe those words of Calvin which he wrote to the Protector of England Anno 1548. Oct. 22. Quod ad formulam precum rituuÌ„ Ecclesiasticorum valde probâ— ut certa illa extet à qua pastoribus discedere non liceat infunctione sua tam ut consulatur quorundam simplicitati imperitiae quam ut certius ita constet omnium inter se ecclesiarum consensus postremo etiam c. That is As for a forme of prayers and of rites Ecclesiasticall I do greatly approve that there be a certain one extant from which it should not be lawfull for the Ministers in their function to depart both that by this meanes provision may bee made for the simplicity and unskilfulnesse of some and the consent of all Churches amongst theÌ„selves may more certainly appeare Lastly that thus there may be a remedy for the desultory levity of some men that affect still certain innovations as I have shewed that the Catechisme it selfe serves for this purpose So therefore there ought to be a set forme of Catechisme a set form of administration of Sacraments and of publique Prayers Quanquam descessu veteris confusus amici Juvenal You might as well have told us out of the same Author of the strange conditions that are in use amongst them which they impose upon their King if ever he come into their coast of his riding with one leg bare and their mocking of him with their Maravedis Yet the words of the Remonstrance are not nothing can be a more certain truth but nothing can be more plain then this truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. Amb. de dignitâ— Sacerd. c. 3. Nam Alexandriae à Marco Evangelistausque ad Heraclam Dionysium Episcopos Prâ—sbyteri semper unum ex se electuÌ„ in excel siori gradu collocatum Episcopum nominabant quomodo si exercitus Imperatorem faciat c. The holy Ghost made you Bishops or Over-seers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 5. Edition Savil. p. 499. Aug. F p. 19. Greg. Naz. Orat. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Platina in vita Greg. 7. Cypr. Ep. 33. Fiâ—mil Cypâ—ian Epist 75. To this purpose is that which you cite out of Clemens Alex Strom. l. 5. Alluded to in that usuall allegation of Ambrose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Antioch c. 24 25. B. Down def l. 3. ch 5. Howsoever it is now in some Reformed Churches laid down Socrat. l. 7. c. 37. 2 King 5.7 Calvin Epist f 421. Aquin. Pro dormitâ—one victioris non fiat blatio a uto depre catio aliquanomine ejus in Ecclesia frequentetur Cypr. Rogatiano fratri l. 3. Ep. 9. Aug. Ep. 110. 2· Tim 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 2.24 Cypr. l. 4. ad Antonianum Epist Revel 1.20 Conc. Nic. can 8 Ignat. ad Ephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. So Cyprian Epicopis loquens c. Qui Apostolis vicaria ordinatione succedunt Ep. 69. Vnitas per Apostolos novis successoribus tradita Ep. 41 Meminisse debent Diaconi quoniam Apostolos i. e. Episcopos prapaesitos Dominus clegit Ep. 65. B. Montague Orig. contra Celsum c. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Justellum in notis ad Canon African 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. Afr. 91 Aug. contra Crescon l. 3. Omnes vos Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi Seniores scitis c. where against your own knowledge you translate Presbyteri Elders to bleare the Readers eys with a shew of a double sort of Elders whereas Presbyteri are there manifestly distinguished from Seniores P. Moulin Epist 3. ad Episcop Winton c.