Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
Text snippets containing the quad
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
A04388
|
One of the foure sermons preached before the Kings Maiestie, at Hampton Court in September last This concerning the antiquitie and superioritie of bishops. Sept. 21. 1606. By the Reuerend Father in God William Lord Bishop of Rochester.
|
Barlow, William, d. 1613.
|
1606
(1606)
|
STC 1451; ESTC S100875
|
24,815
|
48
|
coÌclusion is found therefore the authoriâââ not committed vnto them Whereupon some because if they grant Imposition of handes they see a superioritie must needes follow haue therefore done as it is recorded of a Painter in the time of Queene Mary who hauing drawne King Henry the 8. against the Queenes comming through the Citty in Triumph with a Bible in his hand beeing checked by a great Counsailor of State and willed to wipe it out because he would be sure to leaue no part of the booke visible hee wiped out Bible hand withall so they with the superiority haue remoued also the ââremony insomuch that in some Churches as it is well knowne to your Maiesty when they admit any into Orders they shake haÌds with them as bidding them welcome into their coÌpany grounding it vpon a Text of Scripture to say no more wrongfully interpreted Gal. 2. 9. where it is said that the â chiefe Apostles gaue vnto Paul and Barnabas dextras societatis the right hanâs of fellowship as if they at that time had either giuen or confirmed vnto them their function Where as the truth is that the Apostles finding the doctrine of Paul and Barnabas to bee all one with theirs and alâo their preaching very effectuall in conuerting many to the faith thervpon they entred a Couenant that Paul and Barnabas should take the charge of the Gentiles and they them selues would be Apostles of the Circumcision and vpon this they strooke handes But Paul and Baânabas Act. 13. 2. receiued also imposition of handes at Antioch If before they came to the Apostles as some thinke then this shaking of handes be it for ordination was superfluous If after as others more probably coniecture then were this defectiue The truth is that the A postle Paul receiued not his function by handes either imposed or stroâken but by especiall reuelation Gal. 1. 1. 2. The handes imposed Act. 13. were commendatiue the right handes stroken Gal. 1. were stipulatiue and therefore no meane Praesbyterial The Professors of Boem wish Imposition of handes in consecration to be retained as signifying 4 thinges fit for a Minister for some of them will haue Ceremonies to bee significant And so much shall serue for the first part We come now to the second that is to Correctiue iurisdiction which Saint Paul to Titus 1. 4. in one worde calleth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a setting of things to rights Correction iudicial is either Correctiue or Coactiue either restraining where there is too much forwardnes or inforcing where there is a slacknes this the Rod that the sworde Apostolical Veniam ad vos in virga 1. Cor. 4. there is the poâ vâinam abscindantur qui perturbant vos there is the sword Apostolique âal 5. 12. Both these the Apostles kept in their owne handes as will appeare for example in the Church of Corinth where there were many excellent Preachers Presbyters of eminent gifts yet none of them could proceede against the incestuous offendor before they had receiued a Commission from S. Paul who beeing offended that they had no sooner informed him Iam iudicââi saith hee as soone as he heard it I haue already decreed to deliuer him to Satan He did not say decreed that you shall deliuer him and therefore willeth them in the name of Christ and his spirit that his authoritie being with theÌ to execute that his decree and deliuer him vp whether by excommunication or corporall infliction is not to this purpose But where they placed Bishops vnto theÌ they transmited the same preeminence Against an elder receiue no accusation saith Saint Paul to âimothy he saith not against a Co-Presbyter as his equal but he speaketh vnto Timothy a Bishop as a Iudge of Presbyters saith Epiphan In particular if any of the Clergie do ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã preach any other doctrin theÌ that which is âound prohibe command him not to do it If any of them do preach prophanely or bablingly Cohibe restraine him that their doctrine spread not to further hurt If Timothy might not thus censure alone which is the opinion of some without the consent of the bench what needed that dreadful charge vnto him 1. Tim. 5. 21. I charge thee before God Christ Iesus his elect Angels that thou proceede in this order without preiudice or partialitie the 2 cuâ throâes of al vpright proceedings For had hee bin to sit in the Consistory only to cap voices himselfe hauing no Negatâue scarse a casting voice allotted him what feare might bee either of his preiudice to the cause or partiality to the accused sithence that as in Arithmetâke the number of voices do there ouer sway and not the waight of reason Again of al Presbyters is expected the abiââty to ech of theÌ coÌmitted the authority ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to censure gaine-âaiers but with force of argument not in place of iudgement For vnto Titus alone a Bishop was that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that vniuersal authority Tit. 2. 15. commended both for pulpit Consistory for I haue lefâ thee at Creta to reas esse thinges amisse saith the Apostle vnto him Tit. 1. 5. For particulars if any preach otherwise then becomes him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it is thy duââ to put him to silence Tit. 1. 10. And ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã reproue some of them sharpely as the word signifieth eueÌ with cutting them short that their vnround doctrine infect no further And againe if an Heretique after the first and second admonition recant not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã avâyde him that is excoÌmunicate him Tit. 3. 10. To say this authority was committed vnto either of them as Euangelistes First that is but a coniecture for there is as good proofe that Timothie was an Apostle as that he was an Euangelist for he that sayde vnto him 2. Tim. 4. 5. Fac opus Euangelistae Doe the worke of an Euangelist which is the ground of that gift the same sayd also of him 1. Cor. 16. 10. Operatur opus Domini sicut ego Hee worke the Lords worke euen as I And we all know Saint Paul was an Apostle Secondly the worke of an Euangelist ceased with the function as beeing but temporarie and personall but these things which Saint Paul inioynes to Timothie as a Bishop must remaine in the Church gouernment to perpetuall succession For so the Apostle 1. Tim. 6. 14. chargeth him before God and his sonne Christ that hee keepe these Inâunctions without stayne or changâ ill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Which tiâothie could not performe in his own persoÌ who as the Apostle knew could not liue so long therfore as S. Ambrose well obserueth it is spoken to Timothie a Bishop as a precept for those that should succeed him in the same function much lesse were they imposed vpon him as a Presbyter for though the names in Scripture be
whom Master Beza with others doe principally relie vpon Nam cui notior For who saith Beza was better acquainted with the Historie of the age succeeding the Apostles then Hierom Yes surely a dozen more in print of as great note and truth as hee who all concord the Succession and Superioritie of Bishops to bee Apostolicall But what sayth Hierom First hee will haue this same Excelsiorem gradum of Bishops ouer the Clergie to beginne in Alexandria à Marco Euangelista Aster S. Marke the Euangelist for they would make the preposition to bee exclusiue as if in Saint Markes time neither that Prelacie was heard of nor then els-where but in the Church of Alexandria onely Well could Bishops goe no higher for their Superioritie they need not bee ashamed of their Progenie for Saint Marke dyed and Anniânus presently succeeded him sixe yeeres before the death of either Saint Peter or Saint Paul thirtie fiue yeeres before the death of Saint Iames the Apostle fortie fiue yeeres before Simon Cleophas who was one of our Lordes disciples of whom we reade Luke 24. Who was Bishop of Ierusalem after Saint Iames and therefore made Bishop because hee was our Lordes kinsman as Eusebius witnesseth So that this Superioritie though it began as they say in the next Successor to Saint Marke was extant in the Church these Apostles viventibus videntibus approbantibus liuing seeing approouing it for silence argues if not an approbation yet no dislike But Hierom confesseth that Saint Marke himselfe the inâerpreter of Saint Peter for the Gospel which beareth Saint Markes name hee receiued from Saint Peters owne mouth as some write was the first Bishop of Alexandria And were there Bishoppes onely in Alexandria No for Hierom also witnesseth that Iames the iust our Lordes brother was the first Bishop of Ierusalem and so ordayned by the Apostles presently after our Lordes passion yea Bishops doubtlesse but not Superiors ouer their brethren before that time which was after Saint Marke Ignatius who as Hierom himselfe recordeth conuerâed with the Apostles and saw Christ in the flesh by good likely-hood as some thinke one of those fiue hundred brethren of whom Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15. 6. speaketh Or rather as Ignatius of himselfe witnesseth euen then when Christ sayde to his Disciples Handle mee and see for a spirit hath not flesh bones c Luke 24. â9 The second Bishop of Antioch after Saint Peter writeth to the Anâiochians for amongst them hee was a Presbyter to remember Euodius their Bishop who first receiued from the Apostels ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Praelacie and Superioritie aboue vs for Episcopus est sacerdotum Princeps saith the same Father els-where And afterwardes when himselfe came to bee Bishop of the same Church beeing caâyed to Rome to bee martyred for his profession hee writeth vnto the Pastors and Clergie of Antioch that they would be diligent in feeding the Flocke committed vnto them vntill God did shewe vnto them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã him that should rule ouer them after his death But in his Epistles ad Sarsenses inioyning in particular each order his subiection Presbyters be obedient to your Bishop Deacons be subiect to your Presbyters and Lay-men to all His conclusion is very patheticall My soule for theirs who obserue this order the Lord will be alwayes with theÌ This was blessed Ignatius to whom our Sauiour appeared and spake in the flesh And Clemens of Alexandria in a Storie that hee rehearseth of S. Iohn reporteth that the said Apostle after his returne from Pathmos in some places where he came made Bishops and chose into the Clergie such as the Holy-Ghost thought fit and vpon occasion of a yong man of whom he tooke especial liking turned vnto a Bishop who was as the story speketh ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Superior or set ouer them all committed the youth to his Custodie which Bishop after his returne he called Caput illius Ecclesiae the head of that Church Yea Hierom himself acknowledgeth that vnles to the Bishop there be giuen Exors quaedâm ab omnibus emiââns potest as an extraordinary peâreles preheminence aboue the rest tot essent schismata quot sacerdotes there would be as many schismes as there are Preestes And this shall serue foâ the first obiectioÌ out of Hierom. But the second is that which they vrge most for that seemeth to strike home namely that this Maioritie of Bishops came rather ex consueâudine Ecclesiae by the Churches custome quam dominicae dispositionis veritate then by the truth of the Lordes ordinance Some I know both Papists and Protestants are so angry with Hierom for this that they ranke him with Aerius in the number of rank Heretikes as maintaining by this speech the Parity of ministers A wrong to that Father doubtles For what Church meant he to whose custome he ascribed it the church in the Apostles times or after if in the Apostles times shall wee thinke S. Hierom wold fasten vpon them such a crime as that they would erect such an office contrarie or not consonant vnto their Maisters prescript And yet it is certaine hee meant of that Church for in the same place shewing what occasioned this Preheminence of one aboue the rest he saith it began when the Divell made that faction in the church that one wold say I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos a thirde I am of Cephas and an other I am of Christ and this was as appeareth 1. Cor. 1. in the time and prime of the Apostles Yea indeede Hierom is direct that the suppressing of schismes occasioned the first sourse and erection of Bishops as the best remedy against them And when were schismes more rise then in the Apostles times There is no Church to whom Saint Paul writeth an epistle but he complains of them Where by the way two thinges wee may obserue here-hence by this occasion of Saint Hieroms speech First that of Saint Cyprian that this maligning the superiority of Bishops is an infallible note of Schismatikes For as you might know that Demetrius and his fellow Goldsmiths by raising a tumult against Paule were Dianaes tradesmen because they foresaw if Christ were preached downe must Diana and withal their gaine so may wee descrie who are inclined to Faction by their spurning against this superiority because if Bishops bee raised their Schismes must bee scattered Secondly if aduancing of Bishops bee the suppressing of Schismes as their owne author affirmeth and Saint Paul prophesieth 1. Cor. 11. Oportet haereses esse that there must and will be heresies and Schismes while the world standeth then surely it behoueth your Maiestie to whome the care of Church and kingdome is committed if you will haue Schismes abandoned to maintaine and continue this government Episcopall vnlesse as it pleased you to write to your most noble sonne you wil retaine