have because they neither Confirm nor Ordain which that it belongs to the Bishop onely the reading of the acts of the Apostles demonstrates Where whatever his opinion was concerning that nicety of distinction betwixt Degree and Order it is evident that hee gives the superiority of degree to Bishops and reserves to them those two Powers and foundeth this in the Apostles times and practise 17. 4. That though this may seem at the first but a slight difference in these men from that which the Antients have more generally taught viz. that the Apostles first instituted Bishops and Deacons not simple Presbyters and Deacons as beside the plain words of Clemens and St. Paul the sense whereof may possibly be controverted the testimonie of Epiphanius and of the profoundest monuments of History irrefragably inforceth yet their interests for the magnifying of the Papacie upon the score of succession to St. Peter doe clearly discover themselves in this way of decision and so make Papists very incompetent witnesses in this matter 18. For upon this conceit that there was a time in the first plantation of the Gospel when the power of Bishops and Priests lay confused though afterward separated by the Apostles themselves the conclusion aimed at and when occasion requires deduced by them is evident that this later though Apostolical institution may be altered by the Poâ—e out of the supereminence of his power as he is the Vicar of CHRIST though they pretend not that he may lawfully attempt to overthrow the primarie and fundamental Sanction And so though Priesthood may not be taken out of the Church yet the tenure by which Bishops hold is not so firm but must stand wholly at the pleasure of the Pope 19. The defence of which conclusion being none of the Interests of the Cause which I assert I shall no farther be obliged to hearken to the premises as they are here but intimated by Lombard and frequently repeated and built upon by sundry of that party than they shall be able regularly to prove them Which being not here attempted but only the specious but fallacious argument proposed from the confession of Lombard himself whose confessions are no obligations to all other men I have no more occasion to inlarge on this particular 20. Which if it were seasonable I might easily doe in observing other particulars among the Popish Writers wherein they shew themselves far from passionate espousers of Episcopacy The Pope forsooth must be the fountain of all Ecclesiastical authority and all other Rivulets must runne in a weake streame and then also derive all they have from him And so much on occasion of this testimony from Lombard and much more than was necessary to have said if I had lookt no farther than his Testimony CHAP. IIII. Concerning the power of the People in appointing Bishops and Deacons and other Ecclesiastical affairs Sect. 1. Clement's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 considered and vindicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first Bishops designed particularly by God When this way of designation ceased Num. 1. UPon occasion of the former citation of some words out of Clemens the displeasure is for a while removed from Ignatius and another matter of discourse is sprung concerning the power of the people in appointing Bishops and Deacons to their office in those dayes To this we shall now attend as it follows in these words 2. It seemes moreover that those Bishops and Deacons in those dayes as was observed were appointed to the office by anâ— with the consent of the people or whole body of the Church no less doe those words import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Doctor indeed â—enders those words apâ—lâ—udenâ—â— aut congratulenâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and addes â—atis pro imperio uiâ—â—l â—ic dea ceptationâ— otius Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 qâ—â—â—p sâ—…os Diaconos ab Apostolis â—pâ—stoliâ—is viâ—… hoc lâ—co concludit Bâ—ondâ—â—lus quâ—si qui ex Deâ—jâ—ssu appâ—obatione constâ—…nâ—ur populi etiam acceptatione indigere putandi essent Dissent 4. 〈◊〉 7 8 〈◊〉 And who dares take that confidence upon him as to affirm any moâ—e whâ—â—â—g 〈◊〉 a Doctor hath denved Though the scope of the place the nature of the thing and first most common sense of the word here useâ— being willingly to consent as it is also used in the Scripture for the most part Acts 〈◊〉 1. 1 Cor. 7. 12. to a thing to be done or to the doing of it yet here it must bee taken to applaud or congratulate or what else our Doctor pleases because he will have it so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also must be viri Apostolici mâ—n with Apostolical power when they are only the choice men of the Church where such a Constitution of Officeâ—s is had that are intended because it is ouâ— Doctors purpose to have the words so rendred Ex jussu Dei approbatione is added as though any particular command or approbation of God were intimated for the constitution of the Bishops and Deacons mention'd beyond the institution of the Lord Jesus Christ that Elders should be ordained in every Church because this would seem to be exclusive wholly of the consent of the people as any way needfull or required to their Constitution which yet as it is practically false no such thing being mention'd by Clemens who recounteth the way and means whereby Officers were continued in the Church even after the decease of the Apostles and those first ordained by them to that holy employment so also it is argumentatively weak and unconcluding God appointed designed Saul to be King approving of his so being and yet he would have the people come together to choose him So also was it in the case of David Though the Apostles in the name and the authority of God appointed the Deacons of the Church at Jerusalem yet they would have the whole Church look out among themselves the men to be appointed And that the ordaining of the Elders was with the peoples Election Acts 14. 23. It will ere long be manifested that neither our Doctor nor any of his Associates have as yet disproved This poor thing the people being the peculiar people of Christ the heritage of God and holy Temple unto him c. will one day be found to be another manner of thing than many of our great Doctors have supposed But he informs us cap 4 sect 3. from that testimony which we cited before that the Apostles in the appointment of Bishops and Deacons for so the words expresly are are sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. saith he Revelationibus edoâ—toâ— esse quibus demùm baec dignitas commâ—â—icanda esset that is that they appointed those whom God revealed to them in an extraordinary manner to be so ordained and this is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And why â—oâ—â—he holy Ghost orders concerning the appointment of Deacons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3. 10. That those who are to be taken into office and power in the Church had
opposed to the alii others that exprest their doubts and scruples onely which extra omne dubium ponit affirms positively and without doubting suppositionem harum Epistolarum that these Epistles were supposititious or that Ignatius never wrote such Epistles whence by the way I am secured from the other instances which are by the â—refacer after brought to say the same thing which that vir Doctissimus had done 〈◊〉 for Vedelius was as ignorant as I an plures ejus mentis fuerint whether there were any more of that mind with him Lastly that this vir Doctissimus durst say that Ignatius never wrote any Epistles at all which is to me an assurance that as learned as he was he never knew any thing of Polycarpe's collection or of the antient Writers citations out of them which if he had he might as well have said that Polycarpe and the rest of those antients never wrote neither and consequently that his ignorance secured him from being guiltie of that which I charge on Blondel and Salmasius viz. rejecting all the Fathers with a Quid tum and these Epistles in despight of all the authority which the Fathers were acknowledged to have given them This ought to have been adverted by my Monitor and then he might certainly have spared himself and the Reader and me the severall gainlesse paines that his sharp Animadversion hath in several kindes cost each of us 21. As for his amplifications backward and forward on this head of discourse that perhaps I had received caution never to look into any thing that comes from Geneva and yet that that could not be the truth because I had occasionally insisted on that Edition of Vedelius though now it be far from needing reply yet 〈◊〉 shall be willing to oblige him by telling him the whole truth and making him my Confessor in this matter That 't is now near thirty yeares since that I read over diligently that whole volume of Vedelius with all his Exercitations annext to it that I did it in my entrance on the study of Divinity beginning with him as the first Rcclesiastical Writer then extant for Clement's Epistle was by Mr. Yong seven or eight years after publisht This vindicates me from his jealousie that perhaps I took caution from Bishop Montague never to look into Book that came from Geneva 22. For although I began not that study so as to fall under Abbot's censure in the top of the tenth page produced that Calvin had holpen me to a mouth to speak any more than it is true of me that I am still opening my mouth against Calvin yet truly my first Author used in my search of the opinion of the Antient Church was delivered me by Vedelius from Geneva and so from Geneva it self I first learned the three Orders of men in the Church to be of Apostolike institution which as far as concerns the second of them by him and ever since call'd Presbyters the Scripture had not taught me 23. If this be not enough I next acknowledge that when this Prefacer told me of the vir Doctissimus that Vedelius was fain to answer I had not any such thing in memory and though I am sure I formerly read it because I now see it is in that Book yet 't is due to his Animadversions that I had not utterly lost it From this occasion I shall not have temptation to lose time in bemoaning my self that my memory is so frail both because of the many thousand things which I have read and heard and utterly forgotten this was as fit to be one and as easie to be spared as any and if it had been explicitely in my memory it had been perfectly useless to me in this matter I could not reasonably have interposed any mention of him or added his name with any truth to those two of Blondel and Salmasius the two men which peculiarly rejected the Laurentian or Eusebian Copy Blondel having a transcript from Vossius and Salmasius a sight or it from Blondel and also because I see other mens memories are as frail as mine and that in things both of present use and fresh observation Witnesse my Monitor himself who whilst he is a chiding or admiring me for oscitancâ— and contempt of my Reader c. tels me that Bishop Vsher publisht his Latine Edition of Ignatius out of the Oxford Library whereas that Arch-Bishop that best knew professes it was from two Manuscripts one belonging to Caiw Colledge in Cambridge the other to Bishop Montague This were too mean a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to mention but that besides that it is an example that men that are the severest on others no-slips may themselves be guilty of as great as they judge in others It is also a way of giving some account of that speech of Bishop Montagues which fall so tartly on Vedelius and is here thought fit to be brought in in the Prefacers digression For bating the asperity of the language which I doe as little commend in either Father or Son of the Church as any the Copy which he had by him of so venerable Antiquity might by him very reasonably be thought a more Scholarlike and lesse deceivable way of correcting Ignatius's Epistles than Vedelius's single conjectures and prejudices which made him as that Bishop thought willing to conform Antiquity to the Doctrines then received at Geneva 24. And this will appear yet more reasonable in the particular which is here said to have occasioned that bitter speech of that Bishop where in Videlius's reading it is said of the Fathers of the Old Testament that they came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad vacuam spem saith Vedelius to a frustration of their hope but the Bishop's Latine Copy reads in novitatem spei to the newness of hope evidencing the reading to bee with an easie change 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the newnesse and so it is in the Laurentian Greek which is now extant Now as again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be an easie change for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which that Bishop it seems liked best 〈◊〉 and either of those readings might well pass either that they joyned with us Christians in the same common hope Evangelical or came to the newness of â—ope i. e. hoped for mercy on the same terms of new Evangelicall obedience on which we now hope for it and so set on purifying as St John saith he will doe that hath this hope in him so truly the other of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would hardly be kept from being blasphemy cannot possibly be salved as this Prefacer would salve it by referring it to their expectation of Christs coming in the flesh which saith he upon the testimony of our Saviour himself they desired to sâ—e and saw it not But 1. I pray where doth our Saviour testifie this that they desired to see it and saw it not I suppose in those words of Luk. 10. 24. For I tell you that many Prophetâ—
of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders for Bishops T it 1. 5 7. is by me acknowledged though not of Bishops for Presbyters which conceit is as largely elswhere confuted 8. And for the two large and expresse places here transcribed out of Clemens they had before been particularly produced by me and found perfectly to consent and accord with the notions which out of Scripture I had received and which by Epiphanius were vouched 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the profoundest Records And for Blondel's collection to the contrary I shall hope that to other men my answers will appear more than verbal and though I have here somewhat an unkind character given me of them viz. that they that approve them may one day think it needfull to distinguish between words and things yet I am not quite discouraged being competently assured that if he that said so had had any thing else to say any more than words to object against them he would not have been so reserved or sparing of his pains as to have denyed it place in his Animadversions 9. Lastly 'T is evident what he saith that I doe not deny Clement's owning but two sorts of Officers in a Church Bishops sometimes called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders and Deacons But it is as evident by my words what I mean by Clement's words that I mean as he doth viz. that at the Apostles first preaching and planting the Faith in Cities and Regions before any multitude of Believers came in they constituted in each City no more but a Bishop and one or more Deacons after the exemplar in Jerusalem where James the Lord's Brother soon after our Saviours ascension was constituted Bishop there and seven Deacons Act 6. to attend him but as yet no Presbyters of any middle order between them and him 10. This I have cleared concerning those first times out of Epiphanius and taken notice of the causes of it intimated both by Clemens and him 1. The paucity of fit men for that office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were not found among them men fit to be constituted Presbyters and 2. The no need of any more at that time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bishop in each City or Region served the turn onely he could not be without a Deacon which is the more manifest because the Bishops and Deacons which were then instituted were as in the former of these testimonies from Clemens appeares the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first fruits of their labours their first converts and the flock assigned them the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that should afterwards believe 11. To this if the words of Lombard would agree as they will so far as here cited if only by Ecclesia Primitiva we understand the first age or infancie of the Church at the time of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first preaching of the Apostles then that testimony would by me be fully subscribed also meaning by the duos ordines the Bishops truly so called and by him styled Episcopos Presbyteros and Deacons concerning whom and whom onely 't is true praeceptum Apostoli nos habere that we have the precept of the Apostle viz. St. Paul in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus But the truth is Lombard's words belong to another matter a nicety that is gotten into their schools that Episcopacy and Presbyterie are not diversi ordines but diversi gradus not different orders but onely different degrees of the same one order of Sacerdotium or Priesthood upon a phansie that Sacerdo is so called from sacra do delivering or imparting holy things so faith he expresly Ideo autem etiam Presbyteri sacerdotes vocantur quia sacrum dant Presbyters are also called Priests because they give holy things In which matter as it is of little importance which way the question is decided as long as the superiority of Bishops over Presbyters is agreed on to be such as hath some Powers reserved to the one which are not common to the other so if Lombard's words should by any be thought farther extensible as founded in that opinion that first Presbyters ruled in common and that beside them there were none then but Deacons I must then think it as reasonable for me to be permitted to forsake Lombard in this as the Prefacer will deeme it for him to depart from him in other matters 12. For though it be here set down as an argument of the evidence and clear conviction and so of much more than of the bare truth of the position that Lombard himselfe confesseth it which I suppose is not an acknowledgement that all that Lombard saith is true but an insinuation that this of Bishops as maintained by me is for the matter a Popish Doctrine and yet is in this particular rejected and the contrary confest by Lombard an eminent Popish Doctor yet I must crave leave to interpose my exceptions to this way of arguing or concluding 13. 1. That neither I nor any true member of the Church of England owe or pay any observance to the bare dictates of Lombard or indeed farther than he hath reasons or proofs of Scripture or Antiquity to confirm them 14. 2. That in this point which must be waged by Testimonies there are none produced I shall adde producible by him out of Scripture to prove that ever there was a time when there were in the Church none but those two orders of Presbyters in our modern notion and Deacons I may without immoderate confidence assume that all that can be offer'd to this purpose are consider'd and answer'd in the Dissertations 15. 3. That the principal Testimonies of Antiquity on which in this matter some Papists build being some obscure words of St. Hierome the Presbyter which yet must be so understood as to be reconciled with his making the three orders to be of Apostolical tradition the result must be this that though they are mistaken in some circumstances yet they maintaine with us the more substantial truth that Bishops are instituted by the Apostles 16. So 't is elswhere made made evident of Panormitan who though he affirme that immediately after the death of Christ all the Presbyters in common ruled the Church yet postmâ—dum saith he ordinaverunt Apostoli ut â—rearentur Episcopi certa Sacramenta eis reservarent illa interdicendâ— simplicibus Presbyteris Within a while the Apostles ordained that Bishops should be created and reserved certain Sacraments to them Confirmation and Ordination and forbade them to be meddled with by simple Presbyters And accordingly it is also in the forecited place of Lombard in the beginning of that 24 Dist Presbyteri licet sint Sacerdotes tamen Pontificatus aepicem non habent sicut Episcopi quia ipsi nec chrismate frontem signant nec Paracletum dant quod solis deberi Episcopis lectio Actorum Apostolorum demonstrâ—t Presbyters though they be Priests yet have not that superior part of the Pontificate which the Bishops
Contraremonstrant is but the old method of speaking all that is ill of those who differ from our opinions in any thing as the Dutch man in his rage calls his horse an Arminian because he doth not goe as hee would have him And this is all that can soberly be concluded from such suggestions that they are displeased and passionate that thus speak 14. As for the Annotations on Cassander c. and the consequent vindications of himself against Rivet those have with some colour been deemed more favourable toward Popery but yet I suppose will be capable of benigne interpretations if they be read with these few cautions or remembrances 15. 1. That they were designed to shew a way to peace whensoever mens minds on both sides should be piously affected to it Secondly that he did not hope for this temper in this age the humour on both sides being so turgent and extreamly contâ—…ary to it and the controversie debated on both sides by those qui aterna cupiunt esse dissidia saith he who desire to eternize and not compose contentions and therefore makes his appeal to posterity when this paroxisme shall be over Judicet â—qua posteritas ad quam maxime provoco 16. Thirdly That for the chief usurpations of the Paâ—acie he leaves it to Christian Princes to joyn together to vindicate their own rights and reduce the Pope ad Canones to that temper which the antient Canons allow and require of him aâ—d if that will not be done to reform every one within their own dominions 17. Fourthly That what he saith in favour of some Popish doctrines above what some other learned Protestants have said is not so much by way of assertion or justification of them as to shew what reasons they may justly be thought to proceed upon and so not to be so irrational or impious as they are ordinarily accounted and this onely in order to the peace of the Christian world that we may have as much charitie to others and not as high animosities live with all men as sweetly and amicably and peaceably and not as bitterly as is possible accounting the Wars and Seditions and Divisions and Rebellions that are raised and managed upon the account of Religion far greater and more scandalous unchristian evils than are the errors of some Romish doctrines especially as they are maintain'd by the more sober and moderate men among them Cassander Picherel c. 18. Fifthly What he saith in his Discussio of a conjunction of Protestants with those that adhere to the Bishop of Rome is no farther to be extended than his words extend it 1. That there is not any other visible way to the end there mention'd by him of acquiring or preserving universal unity 2. That this is to be done not crudely by returning to them as they are submitting our necks to our former yâ—ke but by taking away at once the division and the causes of it on which side soever adding onely in the third place that the bare Primacie of the Bishop of Rome secundùm Canones such as the antient Canons allow of which hath nothing of supreme universal power or authority in it is none of those causes nor consequently necessary to be excluded in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 citing that as the confession of that excellent person Phil. Melancthon 19. So that in effect that whole speech of his which is so solemnly vouched by Mr. Knot and lookt on so jealously by many of us is no more than this that such a Primacie of the Bishop of Rome as the antient Canons allow'd him were for so glorious an end as is the regaining the peace of Christendome very reasonably to be afforded him nay absolutely necessary to be yielded him whensoever any such Catholick union shall be attempted which as it had been the expresse opinion of Melancthon one of the first and wisest Reformers so it is far from any design of establishing the usurpations of the Papacie or any of their false doctrines attending them but onely designed as an expedient for the restoring the peace of the whole Christian world which every disciple of Christ is so passionately required to contend and pray for 20. So that in a word setting aside the prudential consideration and question as whether it were not a hopelesse designe that Grotius ingaged himself in expressing desires of an universal reconciliation when there was so little hope on either side that the extream parties would remit so much as to meet in the middle point to which also the expressing of his no hopes of it at this time and the making his appeal to more impartial posterity is a satisâ—…orie answer all that this very learned man was guilty of in this matter was but this his passionate desire of the unitie of the Church in the bands of peace and truth and a full dislike of all uncharitable distempers and impioâ—s doctrines whether those which he deemed destructive to the practice of all Christian virtue or which had a particularity of ill inâ—luence toward the undermining of Government and publick peace wheresoever he met with them 21. All which notwithstanding the temper of that learned man was known to be such as rendred him in a special manner a lover and admirer of the frame and moderation observed in our Church of England as it stood shaken but not cast down in his life time desiring earnestly to live himselfe in the Communion of it and to see it copied out by the rest of the world 22. And so much for this large digression which if it be no necessary return to the Prefacer may yet tend to the satisfaction of some others and to the vindicating the memory of that Learned man Sect. 3. Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Clemens How many Orders there were in Corinth at the writing this Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metropolitical Churches at the first Philippi a Metropolis at the first as Canterbury at Augustines first planting the Faith The Institution of Presbyters when by what authority St. Jerome's opinion The use of the word Presbyters in Scripture The Bishops task Num. 1. THE Prefacer now proceeds to take notice of a second answer of mine to the objection from the plurality of the Elders in Clement and this yields him also matter for many questions and great appearance of triumph It is managed in these words 2. But the Doctor hath yet another answer to this multiplication of Elders and he mention of them with Deacons with the eminent identity that is between them and Bishops through the whole Epistle the same persons being unquestionably intended in respect of the same office by both these appelations Now this second answer is founded up on the supposition of the former a goodly foundation namely that the Epistle under consideration was written and sent not to the Church of Corinth onely but to all the Churches of Achaia of which Corinth was the Metropolitane Now this second answer is that the