in five senses 1. In an Army 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Officer or Captain of the host Numb 31.14 Judg. 9. 28. 2 Kings 11.15 2dly Among workmen the principal that were set over all others in the building of the Temple 2 Chron. 34.12 17. 3dly In the City the Ruler or Prince and especially of the Priests and Levites Nehem. 11. 9 10 14.22 4thly In the Ministry of the Temple Numb 3.32 Eleazar the son of Aaron who is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ruler of the Rulers of the Levites is stiled Numb 4.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop Eleazar or Overseer 5thly In the house of the Lord over which he that was set is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Kings 11.18 the Bishop over the house of the Lord. By all which it appears that agreeable to the notion of the word in the Old Testament it will also in the New denote prefecture or ruling power in the Church Come we then with the Catechist to the New Testament And first It is much that it should scape his notice that the office of the Apostles themselves the Apostolate which must needs be granted to include preheminence is call'd from this very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 1.20 a Bishoprick His Bishoprick let another take But secondly There needs no other conviction than what his own Instances will afford us where First He acknowledgeth that Bishops are the same that are elsewhere called Elders and makes that the ground of his argument which I shall now urge against him The name Bishop then apparently is not less fit to denote a preheminence than that of Elder because he owns them equally characteristical of the same persons Let us therefore consider somewhat more distinctly the account of that name and who are the persons pointed at by it in the New Testament The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greeks See Dr. H. on Act. 12.30 and Phil. 1.1 is used both for Rulers and Old men and accordingly it is now in use among all nations Italians French Spaniards English to call their Rulers Seniors Mayors Aldermen c. which are literally the rendring of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among the Hebrews the same is acknowledged that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 old men which with them that want degrees of comparison is all one with Elders and generally rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoteth dignity and prefecture in the Old Testament So Eliezer the Steward of Abraham's house Gen. 15.2 who was placed over all his servants and goods is called Gen. 24.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Elder of his house and Ruler of all that he had So the Elders of Pharaoh's house and of all Egypt Gen. 50.7 are the Prefects and Administrators of the King's house and of all Egypt So the Elders of the Moabites are the Princes of Moab Numb 22.7 8. So when all dominion was founded in the priviledges that belonged to the first-born the Princes of the Families or Kindreds are call'd indifferently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patriarchs and Elders Such were the Elders of Israel Exod. 3.16 18. and 4.29 the heads or rulers of the families or kindreds ch 6.14 rulers of the congregation ch 16.22 who are again call'd the Elders of Israel ch 17.5 6. and 18.12 and Elders of the Tribes Deut. 31.28 And when Moses appointed Judges for lighter causes Exod. 18.22 who should have power over thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens i. e. first over so many families after over greater or lesser cities these were by them call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers and Judges and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers of the Synagogues and the like And so when the 70 Elders were taken in to assist Moses Numb 11.16 to whom the great Sanhedrim at Jerusalem succeeded it is evident that these were so call'd because they were Princes or Prefects or Rulers of the people before they were thus chosen by Moses And so the word Elder was not a denotation of one of the Sanhedrim any otherwise than as some of those that were in the Sanhedrim had formerly been Elders or Rulers of the people And accordingly of three sorts of men of which the Sanhedrim consisted but one is call'd Elders the other Scribes and Chief Priests By all which it appears how fitly this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders being made use of by the Apostles and Writers of the New Testament is affixed to the Governours of the Christian church the several Bishops of several Cities answerable to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers of thousands or Patriarchs which being first used among the Jews are in the christian church the ordinary title of Bishops And although this title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders hath been also extended to a second order in the Church yet in the Scripture-times it belonged principally if not alone to Bishops there being little or no evidence that any of that second order were then instituted though soon after before the writing of Ignatius Epistles there were such instituted in all Churches When the Gospel was first preached by the Apostles and but few converted they ordained in every City and Region no more but a Bishop and one or more Deacons to attend him And accordingly when St. Paul gives directions to Timothy for the ordaining of Church-officers he names Bishops and Deacons but no second order between them 1 Tim. 3. and so to Titus And thus the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Eldership that laid hands on Timothy and made him Bishop may well be resolved to be the Bishops or Apostolical men who with St. Paul consecrated him 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 Thus St. Peter calls himself Peter the Elder 1 Pet. 5.1 and St. John the Elder John 2 Joh. 1. 3 Joh. 1. and Ignatius ep ad Philad calls the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Presbyterie or Eldership of the Church Thus then though it be generally resolved that the word Bishop and Elder are equivalent in the Scripture yet is not this to be understood so that either and both of them signifies indifferently those whom we now call Presbyters but that they both signifie Bishops one setled in each Church by the Apostles So Act. 20. The Bishops there are not as the Catechist saith the Elders of the particular Church of Ephesus nor is there any such thing said of them verse 17. whereto he referrs us but rather of all Asia at least those that belonged to Ephesus as their Metropolis and therefore St. Paul tells them they had known how he had been with them all the time from the first day that he came into Asia verse 18. and St. Irenaeus saith l. 3. c. 14. In Mileto convocatis Episcopis Presbyteris ab Epheso proximis civitatibus The Bishops and Elders being assembled at Miletus from Ephesus and the next Cities And so in like manner
before upon examination found it a breach of God's positive command vvho had limited them to the fire on the Altar and the keeping of it there for holy uses Some of the Hebrews charge them farther Munster in loc with gross misdemeanour in giving themselves to drink c. Upon which occasion they judge that Precept to have followed ver 8.9 The Lord spake unto Aaron saying Do not drink wine nor strong drink thou nor thy sons with thee when ye go into the Tabernacle of the congregation lest ye die Secondly Of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16.3 8 9 32 35. Their sin was this Having seditiously engaged a considerable party of the Princes of the Assembly famous in the congregation Num. 16.2 3. men of renown the chief Senators of note Deut. 33. 4 5. Moses King in Jesurun They gather'd themselves together against Moses and against Aaron suppose their King and High-priest and said unto them Ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them Wherefore then lift you up your selves above the congregation of the Lord i. e. Why do you usurp and tyrannize over God's people their just rights liberty and priviledges who are as good and holy as your selves and as gifted for publick ministry as your selves Hear we now Moses his reply and that will give us farther to understand their miscarriage vers 8 9 10 11. And Moses said unto Korah Hear I pray you ye sons of Levi Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you near unto himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the Congregation to minister unto them And he hath brought thee near to him and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee and seek ye the Priesthood also for which cause both thou and all thy company are gather'd together against the Lord and what is Aaron that ye murmur against him that is I have setled this order among you by God's authority and he hath called Aaron to the Priesthood which you Levites instead of being thankful for and contented with your lot of Ministry affect and therefore this insurrection of yours to that end is by way of evident interpretation against the Lord. This especially for Korah Dathan and Abiram besides their share in this guilt are found moreover positive Contemners of Moses his command and Revilers of his conduct and government occasioning all their sufferings as if he had aimed at nothing but the establishment of an absolute dominion to himself ver 12 13 14 in their slavery And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab which said We will not come up Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a Land that floweth with milk and hony to kill us in the Wilderness except thou make thy self altogether a Prince over us Moreover thou hast not brought us into a Land that floweth with milk and hony or given us inheritance of fields and Vineyards Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men We will not come up This is the true description of the sin of these men And we learn by the way That the sacred Ministry then even in the lowest order of it was a state separated from the people were their holiness or gifts otherwise never so considerable and That there were different degrees of Ministry then appointed by God whose will it was that every one among them should keep his place and not the Levite to invade the Priesthood also yea and none of them nor the whole Congregation of people with them upon any pretence to make a mutiny and insurrection against Moses and Aaron the chief Governours Civil and Ecclesiastical by God and under God set over them This murmuring usurpation and rebellion was the sin of Korah Dathan and Abiram Their punishment now follows Ver. 31 32 33. The ground clave asunder that was under them and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their houses and all the men that appertained unto Korah and all their goods They and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit and the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the Congregation And there came out a fire from the Lord Vet. 35. Ver. 41. and consumed the 250 men that offered incense viz. those presumptuous invaders of the Priesthood And yet notwithstanding these miraculous judgments from heaven upon these factious and seditious rebels the people were so leavened with their infecting principles that the very next day they generally murmur against Moses and Aaron saying Ver. 41. Ye have kill'd the people of the Lord. namely these good men Korah Dathan and Abiram and the renowned Senators that stood up with them for our priviledges And upon this came the Plague V. 49. whereof dyed fourteen thousand and seven hundred more of them And now let the Brethren make their best advantage of this story only it may not be amiss to immind them farther St Jude ver 11. that there is such a thing also mentioned in the New Testament as Perishing in the gain-saying of Kore Thirdly Of the sons of Ely A sin not to be expiated vvith sacrifices and burnt-offerings for ever 1 Sam. 2.28 29. Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering which I have commanded in my habitation and honourest thy sons above me to make your selves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people But if we look a little backward we shall be farther satisfied what was the monstrous provocation of these sons of Eli. Ver. 22 24. They lay with the vvomen that assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and made the Lord's people to transgress Now who of any modesty would presume to compare and equallize the admission of certain humane praescriptions for the ordering of God's external worship with such a villany as this Fourthly of Vzza in putting the Ark into a Cart when he should have born it upon his Shoulders 1 Chron. 16.13 He means I suppose chap. 13.7 9 10. where we have the account of Vzza's miscarriage and judgment There vve read indeed of the Ark of God carried in a new cart out of the house of Aminadab and Vzza and Ahio driving the cart But that vvhich the Catechist fixeth on was none of Vzza's condemnation The vvords of the Text are express against him 1 Chron. 13.9 10. And vvhen they came to the threshing-floor of Chidon Vzza put forth his hand to hold the Ark for the oxen stumbled And the anger of the Lord vvas kindled against Vzza and he smote him because he put his hand to the Ark and there he dyed before God Here vve have a taste of that reverence vvhich persons of this way do bear to the Holy
should not have a primary regard unto the honour of their master by whose authority and for whom they rule Nay they are commanded in this capacity to serve God Be wise now therefore O ye Kings saith the voice of God in the Psalmist Psal 2.10 11 12. be instructed ye judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish Now the Religious service proper to and expected from Kings is not only personal such as is required of all other men but that of their regal Capacity in the use of their Royal power and authority St. Austin declares excellently well how Kings ought to serve God In hoc Reges sicut eis divinitus praecipitur Deo serviunt in quantum reges sunt si in suo regno bona jubeant mala prchibeant non solum quae pertinent ad humanam societatem verum etiam quae pertinent ad divinam religionem Aug. contr Cresc l. 3. c. 51. In this saith he Kings do as 't is commanded them serve God as Kings if in their Kingdom they command what is good and prohibit what is evil and that nto only with reference to humane or civil Society but concerning Divine Religion And again saith he Quomodo ergo Reges Domino serviunt in timore nisi ea quae contra jussa Domini fiunt religiosâ severitate prohibendo atque plectendo Id. ep ad Bonifac. How do Kings serve the Lord in fear unless by prohibiting and punishing with a Religious severity such things as are done against Gods Commands Quomodo ergo Reges Domino serviunt in timore nisi ea quae contra jussa Domini fiunt Religiosâ severitate prohibendo atque plectendo Id. Ep. ad Bonifac. For they serve God otherwise quà homines as men and another way quà Reges as Kings As men vivendo fideliter by living uprightly but as Kings leges justa praecipientes contraria prohibentes convenienti rigore sanciendo by establishing Laws with a convenient rigour which command righteous things Thus Josiah made all Israel to serve the Lord their God 2 Chron. 34.33 and forbid the contrary In this they serve God as Kings cùm ea faciunt ad serv endâ—m illi quae non possunt facere nisi reges when they do those things in order to the serving of him which they cannot do but as Kings which none else can do but Kings To this purpose was that Injunction to the King of Israel That he should write a copy of the Law in a book out of that before the Priests the Levites Deut. 17.18 19. and it shall be with him saith the Sacred Text and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them And at the inauguration of Joash 2 Chron. 23.11 the Book of the Testimony was given unto him as an intimation that he was to be custos utriusque Tabulae an observer of both Tables and that not only himself but to see them observed by others and if not vindex to punish them And that we may not think this charge of Religion peculiar to those Kings of Israel it is promised to the Church of the New Testament also That Kings shall be her nursing Fathers Isa 49.23 60 16. and Queens her nursing Mothers and that she should suck the breasts of Kings And besides this a supply of Arguments might be drawn from the largeness of their Commission specified in the New Testament it self Where they are called The Ministers of God Rom. 13. and the Ministers of God for good and revengers to execute wrath upon evil-doers indefinitely and Prayers are required to be put up for Kings and all in Authority 1 Tim. 2.2 that we may under them lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty But 4. It seems to deserve some special observation that Kings as such are properly enough to be called Christ's Vicars deriving from and holding under him their Kingly Power Prov. 8.15 By me saith he Kings Reign and he is elsewhere styled The King of Kings Rev. 17.14.19.16 ch 1.5 and Lord of Lords and Prince of the Kings of the Earth And so they are to be look'd upon not only as the Ministers of Divine Providence in the general for the good of humane Societies but Christ's Vicars also in the external Government and Administration of his Church The Kings of Israel were Types of Christ to come and Christian Kings now are and ought to be as his Vice gerents and deputies in his Kingdom to exercise that coercive power which he prohibits the Officers of his Church as such to execute Our Blessed Lord and Saviour indeed in the state of his Humility on earth did not much exert his Kingly Authority by using of outward force in matters appertaining to God's Religious Worship and Service and yet two notable instances we have wherein he hath set a copy to be transcribed by others St. John 2. St. Mat. 21. both of them upon the occasion of his finding in the Temple those that sold Oxen Sheep and Doves and the changes of money sitting He made saith the Text a scourge of small cords and drave them out of the Temple c. And This we finde he did when he came as King riding on an Asse the multitudes crying Hosanna to the Son of David Christ the Head of all Principality and Power to whom all power is given in Heaven and Earth hath some things in his Kingdom reserved peculiar to himself but yet in others he useth certain Ministers and Deputies The Actions in the administration of the Kingdom of Christ which he reserves as peculiar to himself to his own management are such De imperio sum pâ—test c. 4. sect 5. as Grotius calls Terminales referring to the beginning and ending the entrance and conclusion of his administration such as concern the beginning and entrance are the giving of Laws to his Church under hope of eternal reward or under pain of eternal damnation and the constituting of a Ministry unto himself and thus is he the only Law-giver as I had occasion to intimate towards the end of the first part of the discourse precedent That which concerns the end is a definitive Jurisdiction at the last day the final sentence of Absolution and Condemnation in which respect he is the only Judge of all and as he alone hath done the former so will he do the other himself alone in his own person without a Substitute or Vice-gerent But then There are other Actions of Christ's Kingdome call'd by Grotius Mediae of a middle nature coming between these two terms i. e. between the beginning and ending of Christ's regal Administration and these partly concern the inward and partly the outward man Christ acteth in the inward man by the secret motions of his Spirit in subserviency unto which yet
he useth the Ministry of men in order to the ends of Illumination Conversion strength against Temptations the forgiving and retaining sins In reference to which those Ministers of his produce not acts of the same kinde with the Spirit it self but acts subservient only unto his But then the actions that concern the outward man consist in defending delivering adorning and ordering of the Church and herein he useth not only the Ministry but the Vicar-ship of Kings and Magistrates as being capable in this matter to produce acts congeneal to his own These outward acts now belong to his providence over his Church and as the universal Providence of God which is of it self sufficient for the managing all things yet for the manifestation of a manifold wisdom useth the higer Powers on earth as Vice-royes to preserve and order the common Society of men from whence they are call'd Gods so also the special Providence of Christ which watcheth over his Church not only makes use of and implyes the Ministry of Angels for the good of the Heirs of Salvation but taketh also the Ministers of God's more general Providence in the world into part of this care as his Vicars having once submitted to his Scepter and by them governs and orders his Church who are called likewise after his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ's the Anointed of God Christianity then is so far from taking away the power of the chief Magistrate in the matters of Religion which hath been proved necessary to the obtaining of the ends of Government that it highly establisheth it and gives the Magistrate both a stronger obligation and a greater capacity to discharge his duty therein 1. A stronger obligation being now to esteem himself not only the Minister of God's ordinary Providence but a Substitute of Christ in the external ordering and ruling of his Church And 2. a greater capacity because it acquaints him more clearly with the rules of God's will and pleasure which he is to see observed More I think need not be said for the evincing That Kings have certainly a Power in the matters of Religion in the ordering and governing the external Administrations of the Church A power of reforming what is amiss A power of adding outward penalties the better to inforce an observation of the Divine Commands And A power of ordering and appointing the outward circumstances of God's Worship undetermined by God as may be most decent and comely and beneficial to the unity and peace and edification of Church and State Lastly I add That no Ecclesiastical Person whatsoever hath an exemption from the King's Tribunal or from being ordered and governed by him in the external Administrations of his Office and Function It hath been observed that some Church men are of that make and temper Vt ni pareant territent That unless they obey they may terrifie and affright and the multitude as Curtius once said Vanâ religione capta meliùs vatibus quà m ducibus paret being blinded with a vain Religion obey their admired Prophets better than their Captains and Leaders and therefore it is good reason that Princes for their own security should have an eye even over these and a hand long enough to reach them Rom. 13. Let every soul saith the Apostle be subject to the higher Powers St. Chrisostom's Commentary upon it is That the Command reacheth not only to seculars but to Priests and Monks also yea saith he Be thou an Apostle be thou an Evangelist be thou a Prophet or whatsoever thou art And Aeneas Sylvius could once say Nec animam Papae excipit Neither doth St. Paul except the soul of the Pope though when himself was afterwards made Pope under the name of Pius the second he seemed to recant it Quod Aeneas probavit Pius damnavit Our learned King James in his Declaratio projure Regio against Cardinal Perron well observes p. 65. That this general command by which all Christians are equally obliged is yet directed by St. Paul especially to the Church of Rome as if he had foreseen and would have premonished Illâ in urbe seditionum fontem erupturum ibi nascituram belluam quae civili obedientâ—ae nervos corroderet that in that City the fountain of Seditions would burst forth and there the Beast be born which should gnaw asunder the sinews of Civil obedience What Samuel said of Saul belonged to other Kings of Israel as well as he Wast thou not made the Head of the Tribes of Israel 1 Sam. 15.17 and the Lord anointed thee King over Israel King over Israel and Head of the tribes of Israel are all one Now we read that those tribes had their several Heads but Saul was the head of those Heads as well as of the rest of the tribes of Israel and certainly Levi's tribe was not exempted Moses the first Supreme Governour of the Jews was to be a God to Aaron the High-Priest and the whole ordering of their Religion was subject to him and I might lead you through the series of Scripture History to exemplifie the same in other Kings and then annex a particular reply to the exceptions wont to be made in these matters but that would swell my Discourse into too great a bulk All I shall now say farther is to borrow Saint Bernard's arguing upon the Apostles Universal Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers Si omnis vestra so saith he in an Epistle written to an Arch-Bishop Bernard ep ad Archiepisc Senonensem If every soul then yours Quis enim vos excipit ab universitate For who can except you from every one Si quis tentat excipere conatur decipere If any one attempt to make an exception he doth endeavour to deceive To conclude here is the Scheme of that orderly subordination appointed and approved by God 1. God and Christ above all 2. Vnder God and Christ the King 3. Vnder the King 1. The whole series of Civil Powers deriving all their Authority from him And 2. The Ecclesiastical Order deriving indeed their Spiritual Powers and Functions from Christ himself yet for order sake subjected to the King's Government in all their external administrations and owing all their Temporal Priviledges unto the Kings Laws as the proper Fountain of them I will end this subject with a memorable saying of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour Magistratus de privatis principes de Magistratibus Deum autem de principibus decernere ac judicare Magistrates are to judge of private persons Princes of Magistrates and God of Princes Wherewith agreeth that of Horace Regum timendorum in proprios greges Reges in ipsos imperium est Jovis A few words now II. Secondly Of the Obedience due from Subjects and I have done what I intended The prime Due unto Authority is active Obedience to its commands doing what is required and forbearing what is prohibited for therefore are things commanded that they may be performed and therefore forbidden that they may be forborne and