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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20733	A defence of the sermon preached at the consecration of the L. Bishop of Bath and VVelles against a confutation thereof by a namelesse author. Diuided into 4. bookes: the first, prouing chiefly that the lay or onely-gouerning elders haue no warrant either in the Scriptures or other monuments of antiquity. The second, shewing that the primitiue churches indued with power of ecclesiasticall gouernment, were not parishes properly but dioceses, and consequently that the angels of the churches or ancient bishops were not parishionall but diocesan bishops. The third, defending the superioritie of bishops aboue other ministers, and prouing that bishops alwayes had a prioritie not onely in order, but also in degree, and a maioritie of power both for ordination and iurisdiction. The fourth, maintayning that the episcopall function is of apostolicall and diuine institution.	Downame, George, d. 1634.	1611 (1611)	STC 7115; ESTC S110129	556,406	714

discipline was corrupted amongst the Iewes in our Sauiour Christs time and therefore it is not likely that our Sauiour would send his Disciples to their Assemblies to haue their causes heard yet dubium non est it is not to be doubted but that forme of discipline which had beene vnder the Law was by Christ transmitted to vs and that the forme of discipline which was in vse in the Church of Christ succeeded in the roome thereof The summe is What manner of presbyters were among the Iewes the like Christ ordained in his church when hee said Tell the Church But among the Iews there was an Ecclesiasticall presbyterie which besides the priests and Leuites consisted of the Elders of the people Therefore such an Ecclesiasticall presbyterie Christ ordained in his Church The proposition hath no other proofe but their owne testimonie signified in those asseuerations dubium non est neque ambigimus for that which is added by Beza the author of the counterpoison that the wordes which Christ vsed Let him be to thee as an Heathen or Publican to proue that he spake according to their custome doe in no sort prooue that hee translated their forme of gouernement into his church For if Christ did translate from the state of the Iewes any Consistories into his church then hee transmitted such as were either ordained of God or deuised by men If the former then such as God ordained for the gouernment of the people either in the Wildernes or in the Land of promise In the Wildernes by the aduise of Iethro and approbation of God there were Rulers set ouer thousands hundreds fifties and tens to iudge the people the deciding of more difficult causes beeing reserued to Moses But the multitude of these difficult causes increasing and Moses waxing weary of them the Lord ioyned to him a Senate of 70. Numb 11. Answereable to these the Lorde appointed Consistories or Senates for the gouernement of the people in the Land of promise To the former Deuteron 16.18 Iudges and Officers shalt thou make thee in all thy Cities throughout all thy Tribes and they shall iudge the people with righteous iudgement To the latter Deut 17. If there arise a matter too harde for thee in Iudgement betweene blood blood betweene plea plea betweene plague and plague in the matters of controuersies within thy Gates then shalt thou arise and goe vp into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose and thou shalt come vnto the Priests and Leuites and the iudge that is Iudges saith Caluin that shall be in those dayes and aske and they shall shewe thee the sentence of iudgement This prescript the godly king Iosaphat followed exactly 2. Chron. 19. both in respect of the inferiour consistories in the cities placing iudges in the land throughout all the strong cities citie by citie and in Ierusalem did he set of the Leuites and of the Priests and of the chiefe of the families of Israel for the iudgement and cause of the Lord saying to them In euery cause that shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in the cities betweene blood and blood betweene law and precept statutes and iudgements you shall admonish them c. Besides these the Lord ordained no consistories or senates But none of these did Christ translate into his Church for none of them was Ecclesiasticall Neither did he translate those which were deuised by men whether by the Iewes as their Synedrion or Sanedri●n which was their chiefe counsell of state which Caluin saith after their returne from Babylon they did institute or by P. Gainius the Proconsul of Syria who ordained foure more Synedria of the like nature which some suppose to haue beene the cause why our Sauiour speaketh in the plurall number Matt. 10.17 Mar. 13.9 But of the counsell renewed by Iosaphat and the Synedrion ordained of the Iewes I shall haue occasion to say more in answere to the assumption But how little credit is to be giuen to that proposition may appeare by this dilemma for by Church Christ doth signifie either the consistories and assemblies of the Iewes or assemblies in the Church of Christ. If the former then was the direction which Christ giueth peculiar to those times and pertaineth not to the Church of Christ as D. Bilson sheweth in the fourth chapter of his booke whereunto I doe referre you If the latter then had he not so much as respect or reference to the Consistories of the Iewes so farre was he from translating them into his Church as shall appeare by this most plaine explication of the text according to the latter sense Our Sauiour Christ intreating of scandales and offences first teacheth vs that we be carefull to auoid offences and that we doe not in that respect seeme to disregard any of his little ones 2. Hee directeth vs what course wee are to take when wee are offended If thy brother that is one professing the same religion shall sinne against thee that is priuately either by injurie doing thee wrong or if ye will also by euill exāple scandalizing or giuing thee offence by his sin committed in thy knowledge laying as it were a stūbling blocke in thy way thou must as the Lorde hath commaunded not suffer sinne to rest vpon him but in a desire to reclaim him thou must 1. vse priuate admonition brotherly reproofe goe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a●gue and redargue conuince reproue him between thee him alone If he harken to thee acknowledging his fault and testifying his repentance then hast thou wonne or gained thy brother and saued a soule from death But if he heare thee not suffer not sinne so to rest vpō him but take with thee yet 1. or 2. witnesses set vpō him iointly that either by the presēce authority of so many together hee may be reclamed or at least a way be prepared to publicke triall that howsoeuer thy testimonie alone would bee reiected yet in the mouth of 2. or 3. witnesses the matter may be sufficiently testified And if hee will not heare them but remaine obstinate then tell the Church that is the assembly of them who in the church haue spirituall authoritie to censure offenders whether it be the Consistorie of one Citie or particular church or the Synode of a Prouince or Nation or an vniuersall Counsell according to the nature of the offence and the qualitie degree of the offender And if he will not heare the assembly but remaining obstinat draw vpon him their censure of excōmunication wherby they shall bind the offender after a sort deliuer him to Satan then shalt thou hold him no more as a brother or thinke thy selfe bound to exercise the duties appertaining to the cōmunion of Saints but withdraw thy selfe from him abandon him and haue no more to doe with him then a Iew of this time would haue to doe with an heathen or

great consequence indeed But if you remember their own positions that the Word of God doth perfectly describe all the lawfull offices of the Church and that no office or calling in the Church is lawfull but that which is directly warranted out of the Word yet it was the sinne for which Coreh Dathan and Abiram were punished in that they presumed though they were Leuites to take in hād that for which they had no warrant then can you not but expect most manifest pregnant proofes out of the Scripture directly warranting this whole office and all the branches thereof Or if you faile of your expectation you cannot but wonder at the extreme boldnes of them who holding these positions impose vpon the Church an office of such authority not as an humane pollicie but as the holie ordinance of Christ hauing no warrant in the Scriptures But what one pregnant testimonie of Scripture can they produce pursuing any one part of their Lay-Elders office Vpon my credite not one For first a peculiar office either of spirituall watch-men the scriptures acknowledge none Besides Prophets and Priests or Ministers or of Censors of mens manners besides ministers and Magistrates and much lesse doe the scriptures appoint a peculiar officer to be the accuser of the bretheren Indeed it is the dutie of all good Christians mutuallie to exercise the duties of the Communion of Saints by instructing exhorting admonishing rebuking comforting one another And as the Apostle s●ith to consider or obserue on● another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes We may not be of Cains minde who said Am I my brothers keeper We are so farre to be keepers and obseruers of our brethren as by all good meanes to further and aduance the saluation one of another The Lord hath charged thee in the Law freely to rebuke thy brother and not suffer sinne to rest upon him And likewise in the Gospell If thy brother sinne against thee either committing an iniurie against thee or giuing thee offence by some sinne committed in thy knowledge laying by his euill example a scandall or stumbling blocke in thy way goe and reprous him privately betweene thee him alone If he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother But if he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two if he will not heare them tell the assemblie c. But a speciall Church-officer to prye into other mens faults such as S. Peter calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the scriptures do not appoynt and much lesse to informe against or to accuse priuate offenders such as we call Prom●ters and the Grecians Sycophants As for their diuiding of Parishes into Wardes and awarding them to seuerall Elders as also all the rest of the offices and duties assigned to their Elders of acquainting the ministers who is to bee Baptized what new parishioners are come of helping at the Communion and repelling some there from they must and doe confesse they haue no scripture for them and yet all these duties must bee thought to be prescribed in Gods word To which purpose the arguments which some of their chiefe writers do vse are these First that although all these things be not specially expressed in scripture yet forasmuch as offences must bee auoided and those duties of Charitie and Communion of Saintes must bee performed as also those things which appertaine to good order prouided for and forasmuch as there are no other officers or Elders to whom the charge of these things should belong therefore satis vt opinor apparet haec ad Presbyterorum officium ex verbo Dei referenda esse I thinke it sufficiētly appeareth that these things by the word of God are to be referred to the office of Elders Their argument standeth thus All necessary duties which the Scripture hath not assigned to other officers or Elders it hath appointed to these Elders But the duties before spoken of are necessarie duties which the scripture hath not assigned to any other officers or Elders Therefore the duties before spoken of the scripture hath assigned to these Elders It seemeth by the proposition that the Lay-Elders haue begged a book of concealmēts that they may be authorized to deale in all these causes for which other men haue not expresse cōmission But first I denie that the Scipture hath graunted them any such concealements Nay I most confidently auow that they themselues are concealed in the Scriptures which doe not once mention them in anie place And therefore if there bee cases omitted that the Scripture hath not assigned to other Elders or officers We may thinke it hath referred them to the wisedome of the Church and authoritie of the Soueraigne r●●●er then to them whom it neuer mentioneth Secondly I answere that there are many necessarie duties the performance whereof the holy Ghost hath not assigned to any publike Officers at all as though there should bee speciall offices appointed for them but are to be performed by euery Christian as the aforesaid duties which concerne the auoyding of scandales the duties of Charitie and Communion of Saints Likewise there are duties respecting outward order and decencie which the Scripture doth not prescribe in particular and much lesse assigne to any peculiar office But the determination of these particulars and the nomination of the functions or persons wherevnto they shal be assigned is left to the discretion of the Church and authoritie of the Soueraigne And to such purposes other Churches may appoint Lay-Elders as well as ours doth Churchwardens so they doe not vrge them as the ordinance of Christ nor giue them commission to intermeddle with things aboue their reach as being peculiar either to the Ministers of the Word or the Ciuil Magistrate Their second Argument As for that part of their office of taking heede to offences who can doubt but that charge properly appertaineth vnto the Elders seeing they are said in the Scriptures to ouersee and to gouerne For this ouersight can haue but two parts onely wherof the first partaineth to doctrine religion the other to life and manners Seeing then that two sorts of Elders are expresly named by Saint Paule wherof the first sort are occupied in Preaching and Doctrine It is necessary that the other should haue charge of manners and conuersation for that onely remaineth This discourse containeth 2. Syllogismes the First All Presbyters who in the Scriptures are said to ouersee and gouerne hauing not that ouersight which respecteth doctrine and religion haue the ouersight of manners and care of auoyding offences for these are the two parts of ouersight The Lay-Elders are such Presbyters as in the Scriptures are said to ouersee gouerne hauing not that ouersight which respecteth doctrine and religion Therefore the Lay-Elders haue the ouersight of manners and care of auoyding offences The 2. If the Apostle expressely name 2. sorts of Elders distinguished according to the 2. parts of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or ouersight viz

not onely said but proued also both in the preface conclusion of the sermon that it is both profitable and necessarie The third It is necessarie indeed to be confuted As if he had said it is necessarie indeed to be confuted therefore it is most needfull to be answered Of these reasons the two first he proueth in the words following the third being as you see nothing else but an absurd begging of the question The first he proueth by diuerse arguments such as they be First then the doctrine of the Sermō is proued to be vtterly false because it is repugnant to the truth to the word of truth to the scripture of truth But how after al these ridiculous amplifications is the doctrine of the sermon proued to be repugnant to the word of truth he had rather take it for granted then that you should put him to proue it But I shall make it cleare in this defence of my sermon that as there is not a sillable in the scripture to proue the pretended discipline so the Episcopall function hath good warrant in the word of God But when in the second place he proueth the doctrine of the sermō to be vtterly false because it is cōtrary to the iudgement practise of the prime Churches next after Christ his Apostles I cānot tel whether to wōder at more the blindnesse or the impudencie of the man Seeing I haue made it manifest that the gouernement of the Church by BB. hath the full consent of antiquitie there being not one testimonie of the ancient writers for their Iudgement nor one example of the primitiue churches for their practise to be alleadged to the contrarie How durst he mention the iudgement and practise of the primitiue Church for the triall of the truth in this question when there is not one testimonie for the pretēded discipline nor one example of it in all antiquitie let them bring any one pregnant either testimonie or example and I will yeeld in the whole cause And where he addeth that it is contrarie to the iudgement and practise of all reformed Churches since the reestablishing of the Gospell by the worthies in these latter times is it not strange that a mā professing sinceritie should so ouerreach seeing a farre greater part of the reformed Churches is gouerned by BB. and Superintendents then by the presbyterian discipline as I haue shewed in the latter ende of this booke But he addeth foure notorious vntruthes concerning our owne land saying that it is against the doctrine of our Martyrs contrarie to the professed iudgement of all our worthie writers contrariant to the lawes of our land and contrarying the doctrine of the Church of England The first he expresseth thus Against the doctrine of our immediate forefathers some of whom were worthy Martyrs he quoteth in the Margent Latimer Cranmer c who in their submission to king Henry the 8. at the abolishing of the Popes authoritie out of England acknowledge with subscription that the disparitie of Ministers Lordly primacy of B B. was but a politicke deuise of the Fathers not any ordinance of Christ Iesus and that the gouernement of the Church by the Minister certaine Seniors or Elders in euery parish was the ancient discipline Which allegations would make a faire shew if they might passe vnexamined The witnesses which he quoteth for both were Archbishop Cranmer other BB. who allowing the Episcopall function both in iudgement and practise it is almost vncredible that any testimonies can from them be soundly alleadged against the same And I doe greatly wonder at the large conscience of our re●uter in this behalfe who throughout the booke taketh wonderfull libertie in citing Authors alleadging as their testimonies his owne conceits which he brought not from their writings but to them For the former he alleageth the booke of Martyrs whereunto that part of the BB. booke which he mentioneth is inserted which hauing pervsed I finde nothing at all concerning the superioritie of BB. ouer other Ministers that which is said concerneth the superioritie of BB. among themselues all whom with the ancient Fathers I do confesse in respect of the power of Order to be equall as were also the Apostles whose successours they are But we may not inferre because the Apostles were equall among themselues that therefore they were not superiour to the 72. disciples or because BB. are equall among themselues that therefore they are not superiour to other ministers For the latter he quoteth the book called Reformatio legum Ecclesiasticarū Which was a proiect of Ecclesiasticall lawes which if King Edward the 6. had liued should haue been set forth by his authoritie drawne by Archbishop Cranmer B. May other Commissioners and penned as is supposed by D. Haddon In alleadging whereof whiles the refuter goeth about to make the reader belieue that they stood for Lay-Elders and the pretended parish-discipline he plaieth the part of an egregious falsifier And forasmuch as sometimes in his booke he citeth the 10. and 11. chapters I will transcribe the same the bare recitall beeing a sufficiēt cōfutation of his forged allegatiōs For amōg other orders to be obserued in parochijs vrbanis in parishes which be in cities which begin at the 6. chapter of that title de diuin off in the tenth this order is prescribed Cōfectis precibus vespertinis c. euening prayers being ended whereunto after the Sermon there shal be a concourse of all in their owne Churches the principall Minister whō they call Parochum the Parson or Pastor the Deacon if perhaps they be present or in their absēce the Ministers Vicar Seniors are to cōsult with the people how the money prouided for godly vses may best be bestowed and to the same time let the discipline be reserued For they who haue committed publike wickedness to the common offence of the Church are to be called to the knowledge of their sinne and publikely to be punished that the Church by their holesome correction may be kept in order Moreouer the Minister going a side with some of the Seniors or Ancients of the parish shall take counsell how others whose maners are said to be naught and whose life is found out to be wicked first may be talked withall in brotherly charity according to Christs precept in the Gospell by sober and honest men by whose admonitions if they shall reforme themselues thankes is duely to be giuen to God But if they shall goe on in their wickednes they are to receiue such sharpe punishment as we see in the Gospell prouided against their contumacie Then followeth the 11. chapter how excommunication is to be exercised But when the sentence of excommunication is to be pronounced first the Bishop is to be gone vnto and his sentence to be knowne Who if he shall consent and put too his authoritie the sentence of excommunication is to be denounced before the whole congregation that therein so

much as may be we may bring in the ancient discipline Where indeed we see mention of Seniors and of ancient discipline but that they meant nothing lesse then to bring in Lay-elders or to establish the pretended parish-discipline or to acknowledge that it was the ancient discipline of the Church I will out of the booke it selfe make manifest Wherein the whole gouernement and discipline of our Church by Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons rurall Deanes c. is established And cōcerning BB. this is there decreed that the B. is at fit seasons to giue holy orders to institute fit Ministers to Ecclesiasticall benefices to remoue vnfit to heare the testimonies of the Church and complaints of their Pastors to compound controuersies arising betwixt the Ministers and the Churches to correct by Ecclesiasticall censures vices and corrupt manners to prescribe orders for amendment of life to excommunicate those which wilfully and obstinatly resist to receiue into grace those which be penitent to visit the whole Diocesse as well in places exēpted as not euery third yeare And finally let BB. take care of all things which ex Dei prescrpto by the ordinance of God belong to them and which our Ecclesiasticall lawes haue committed to their knowledge and iudgements And that by Seniors they did not meane any Ecclesiasticall officers it is apparant for where they reckon vp all Ecclesiasticall officers prescribing their duties beginning at clearks or sextons so proceeding to Church-wardens to Deacons to Presbyters or Ministers to archpresbyters or rural deanes to archdeacōs so to Cathedral Churches to Deanes to Prebendaries to BB. prescribing the obedience which must be yeelded to them they doe not once mention Seniors or their office If therfore it be asked whō they vnderstand by Seniors in the place alleadged I answer that they vnderstand some of the principall housholders in euery parish whom in some places they call Vestry-men in some maisters of the parish in some ancients of the parish With what conscience therefore that booke was alleadged as approuing Lay-elders or acknowledging the new-found parish-discipline for the ancient discipline let the reader iudge The second he setteth downe in these words A doctrine I say cleane contrarie to the professed iudgement of all our worthy writers who in their answeres to the Papists that plead for their Hierarchie with the same reasons that M. D. doth for his doe determine that the gouernement our BB. exercise ouer other ministers is Iure humano by the positiue law of men onely the which if M. D. saith true is false so the Papists are left vnanswered Whereunto I answere first that the popish opinion is farre different from that which I hold For they hold the order and superioritie of BB. to be Iure diuino implying thereby a perpetuall necessitie thereof Insomuch that where BB are not to ordaine they thinke there can be no ministers or priests consequently no Church I hold otherewise as the refuter himselfe else-where acknowledgeth in whose words I will relate my opinion as he hath set it downe that I make the calling of BB. no further of diuine institution then as being ordained by the Apostles it proceeded from God without implying thereby any necessarie perpetuitie thereof For which he quoteth pag. 92. of my Sermon If therefore the Papists doe bring the like arguments to proue their opinion which is so vnlike to mine nothing hindereth but my arguments may be good though theirs be nought For those arguments which demonstratiuely proue the Episcopall function to be of Apostolicall institution doe not straightwaies proue it to be Diuini iuris Wherefore my opinion being so different from the popish conceit who seeth not that the iudgemēt of our Diuines which is opposed to the doctrine of the Papists is not opposite to mine for though they doe not holde the Episcopall function to be inioyned diuino iure as perpetually necessarie yet what man of sound learning doth or can deny but that the first BB. were ordained by the Apostles The third he deliuereth in these tearmes Yea a doctrine contrariant to the lawes of our land which make it one part of the Kings iurisdiction to grant to our BB. that Ecclesiasticall power they now exercise ouer vs and also to take it from them at his pleasure the which his Highnes taketh to himselfe and giueth to all Kings where he professeth that God hath left it to the libertie and freewill of Princes to alter the Church gouernement at their pleasure The iurisdiction which BB exercise is either spirituall respecting the soule as to binde or loose the soules of men or corporall respecting the outward man as to binde and loose the bodies The former is deriued to them from the Apostles the latter is committed vnto them by the King to whose crowne all commanding and compulsiue power is annexed Againe wee are to distinguish betweene the power it selfe and the exercise of it For although the power it selfe which is an habituall or potentiall right to exercise that which belongeth to the said power be deriued to them from the Apostles as a diuine ordinance notwithstanding where is a Christian Prince assisting and directing them by his lawes they may not actually exercise their power but according to his lawes Ecclesiasticall I call them his because by whomsoeuer at the first they were decreed yet so many as are in force with vs they are the Kings Ecclesiasticall lawe As for the authoritie whereof the reuerend Iudge speaketh in the place quoted in the margent it is the authoritie of the high Commission which the BB exercise not as they are BB for others who be not BB haue the same but as they are the Kings Commissioners in causes Ecclesiasticall As touching the other allegation it seemeth the refuter whiles he talketh of libertie to alter at their pleasure thinks it left to his libertie to alter the Kings words at his pleasure The King indeed doth say that it is granted to euery Christian King Prince and Common-wealth to prescribe to their subiects that outward forme of Ecclesiastical regiment which may seeme best to agree with the forme of their ciuill gouernement but so as they swarue not at all frō the grounds of faith and true religion But that it may appeare how little the iudgement of our most Orthodoxall and iudicious King doth differ from that which I deliuered in my Sermon I will craue leaue to recite his words That BB. ought to be in the Church I euer maintained as an Apostolike institution and so the ordinance of God contrarie to the Puritanes and likewise to Bellarmine who denieth that BB. haue their iurisdiction from God Now then to come to the point this argument maketh wholy against the pretended discipline and not against the gouernement of Bishops as I maintaine it The gouernement of Bishops is by our lawes allowed so is not the pretended discipline And though I holde the gouernement