about the controversie betwixt Boaz and the other Kinsman not as Judges but as witnesses and beholders that the matter might bee done with the more gravity and respect Which doth further appeare from vers 9.11 In like manner wee answer to Deut. 21.19 the Judges decided that cause with advice and counsell of the Elders and so the name of Elders in those places may bee a name not of office but of dignity signifying men of chiefe note for wisedome gravity and experience In which sense the word Elders is taken Gen. 50.7 as Tostatus and Rivetus expound that place In the same manner we say of Deuter. 19.12 and in that case it is further to bee remembred that the Cities of refuge had a kinde of a sacred designation and use for the Altar it selfe was sometimes a place of refuge Exod. 21.14 and when the sixe Cities of refuge were appointed they were of the Cities of the Levits Numb 35.6 that by the judgement and counsell of the Levits who should best understand the Law of God such controversies might be determined as Pellicanus on that place saith well for this cause some read Josh. 20.7 They sanctified Kedesh c. Besides if it bee true that these causes were judged not in the City where the murder was committed but in the City of refuge as Serrarius holdeth with Masius and Montanus and alledgeth for it some very considerable reasons then doth Bilsons Argument from Deut. 19.12 faile also in this respect for the Elders there mentioned are the Elders of the City where the murder was committed CHAP. IV. The second Argument taken from Matth. 18.17 OUR second argument we take from Matth. 18.17 Tell the Church Let an obstinate offender whom no admonition doth amend bee brought and judged by the Church Where first of all it is to bee condescended upon That though hee speaketh by allusion to the Jewish Church as is evident by these words Let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Publican Yet hee meaneth of the Christian Church when he saith Tell the Church as may appeare by the words following Whatsoever ye bind on earth c. which is meant of the Apostles and Ministers of â—he Gospell Joh. 20.23 so that hee did not send them to the Synedrium of the Jewes when hee bade them tell the Church nor 2. doth hee meane of the Church universall for then we should have none of our wrongs redressed because wee cannot assemble the Church universall nay nor the representative of it which is an Oecumenicke Councell Nor 3. can wee underderstand it of the collective body of a particular Church or Congregation for hee who is the God of order not of confusion hath committed the exercise of no Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to a promiscuous multitude Nor 4. can it be taken of a Prelate who being but one can no more be called the Church nor one can be called many or a member be called a body Non enim una persona potest dici Ecclesia saith Bell. de Eccles. l. 3. c. 17. Cum Ecclesia sit populus regnum Dei. It is plaine that the Church there spoken of is a certaine number met together Where two or three are gathered together c. Nor 5. can wee with Erastus and Bilson expound it of the Christian Magistrate which exposition beside that in a new-fangled language it calleth the Magistrate the Church and goeth about to overthrow all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction It is also utterly contrary to the purpose of Christ and to the aime of that discipline which he recommendeth to bee used which is the good of our brother and the gaining of him from his offence whereas the exercise of civill jurisdiction of the Magistrate is not intended for teâ— good of the offender and for the winning of him to repentance but for the publike good of the Common-wealth and for the preservation of peace order and justice therein according to the lawes Wherefore by the Church whereof our master speaketh we must needs understand such a representative meeting of the Church wherein a scandalous and obstinate person may and ought to be judged And what is that Collegium Presbyterorum saith Camero The Presbytery whereof mention is made 1 Tim. 4.14 Tell the Church that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome expounding the place he meaneth the Presbyterie made up of Pastors and ruling Elders And so Zanchius and Iunius expound him The Pastors were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their presiding in the Consistories of the Church The ruling Elders were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their ruling the flocke Whitgift saith Truth it is that the place of Matthew may be understood of Seniors but it may bee aswell understood of any other that by the order of the Church have authority in the Church His confession in behalfe of Seniors we accept but that he maketh this Scripture like a nose of waxe and the government of the Church like the French fashion that we utterly abhorre But how is the Presbytery called the Church and why First even as the body is said to see when as the eyes alone doe see so saith Camero The Church is said to heare that which they alone doe heare who are as the eies of the Church Secondly it is a common forme of speech to give the name of that which is represented to that which representeth it So wee commonly say that this or that is done by the States of Holland which is done by the Senate at Hague Now though Bishops or Pastors alone cannot represent the Church because hearers also belong to the definition of the Church yet the Presbytery can well represent the Church because it containeth beside those who labour in the word ruling Elders put in authority by the Church for the government thereof as Gerard rightly resolveth Our Divines prove against Papists that some of these whom they call Laickes ought to have place in the Assemblies of the Church by this Argument among the rest because otherwise the whole Church could not be thereby represented Thirdly the Lord commanded that the children of Israel should lay their hands upon the Levits at their consecration and that the whole congregation should bee brought together for that effect This as some have observed out of Aben-Ezra cannot bee so understood as if the many thousands which were then in the Hoste of Israel had all laid their hands upon them but the Elders of Israel onely representing them So the Lord saith speake to all the Congregattion of Israel c. But the execution of this command is expressed thus Then Moses called for all the Elders of Israel and said unto them c. So Josh. 20.6 Fourthly Pastors and Elders as they are the Ministers of Jesus Christ so are they the Ministers and servants of his Spouse the Church From that which hath beene said we may draw our Argument in this forme Whatsoever Courts doe
Senatum nostrum coetum Presbyterorum cum ergo inter caetera etiam senes â—udea perdiderit quomodo poterit habere concilium quod proprie Seniorum est And what sense shall we give to these words unlesse we say it is imported that both the Jewish and the Christian Church had such an Eldership as we plead for Else why did both hee and Basil make such a parallell betwixt the Jewish and the Christian Church in the point of Elders Surely if we understand by the Elders of the Christian Church whereof they speake the Ministers of the Word alone wee must also understand by the Elders of the Jewish Church whereof they speake the Priests which no man will imagine Eusebius in his History citeth Dionysiuâ— Alexandrinus relating his disputes with the Chiliasts after this manner When I was at Arsenoiâ—a where thou knowest this doctrine first sprung c. I called together the Elders and Teachers inhabiting those villages there being present also as many of the brethren as were willing to come and I exâ—orted them publikely to the search of this doctrine c. By the Teachers here are meant the Pastors or Ministers of the Word who are most frequently called by the Fathers Teachers or Doctors neither can it bee supposed that there were any Teachers besides the Pastors in these rurall villages which notwithstanding we see had beside their Pastors or Teachers Elders also Augustine writeth his 137. Epistle to those of his owne Church at Hippon whom he designeth thus Dilectissimis â—ratribus clero senioribus universae plebi Ecclesiae Hipponenâ—is cui servio in dilectione Christs To my welbeloved brethren the Clergy the Elders and the whole people of the Church at Hippon whom I serve in the love of Christ. Hee putteth Elders or Seniors in the middle betwixt the Clergy and the people as distinct from both and yet somewhat participant of both Isidorus Hispalensis speaking of the prudence and discretion which Pastors should observe in teaching of the Word giveth them this advise among others Prius docâ—ndi sunt Seniores plebis ut per â—os infra posâ—tifacilius doceantur The Elders of the people are to bee first taught that by them such as are placed under them may be taught the more easily Origen speaking of the tryall of such as were to bee admitted members of the Church saith Nonnulli praepositi sunt c. There are some Rulers appointed who may enquire concerning the conversation and manners of these thâ—t are admitted that they may debarre from the Congregation such as commit filthinesse In the acts of the 5. Councell of Toledo according to the late editions we read that Cinthila whom others call Chintillanus came into that Councell cum optimatibus Senioribus palatii sui But Lorinus hath found in some ancient copy Cum optimatibus Senioribus populi sui with the Nobles and the Elders of his people I would know who were these Elders of the people distinguished from the Nobles These things may suffice from antiquity to give some evidence that the office of ruling Elders is not Calvins new fangled devise at Geneva as our adversaries are pleased to call it but for further confirmation of this point Voetius disp 2. de Senio and before him Iustellus in annot notis in cod Can. Eccles. Afric Can. 100. hath observed sundry other pregnant testimonies from antiquity for ruling Elders especially out of these notable records Gesta puâ—gationis Caeciliani Faelicis to be seen in the Anna's of Baronius An. 103. and in Albaspinaeus his edition of Optatus These testimonies I have here set downe in the Margine From which passages it is apparant that in the dayes of Ambrose these Seniors were neither in all places nor altogether growne out of use but that both in the Easterne and Westerne Churches manifest footsteps of the same remained neither is his testimony before alledged repugnant hereunto for we may understand his meaning to be either that in some places or that in some sort they were growne out of use because peradventure the Teachers beganne to doe somethings without their counsell and advice which in former times was not so Bilson answereth two waies to the testimony from the 137. Epist. of August and belike hee would have answered in the same manner to these other testimonies he saith we may understand by these Seniors either the better part of the Clergy or the Senators Rulers of the City That they were neither Bishops nor preaching Presbyters nor Deacons it is manifest for they are distinguished from all these In act purgat Cacil Fal. and they are called by Isiâ—ore and Pâ—rpurius Seniores plebis Besides it were strange if August Bishop of Hippo writing to his Clergy should distinguish either the Deacons from the Presbyters by the name of the Clergy which was common to both or some preaching Presbyters from other preaching Presbyters by the name of Seniors On the other part that they were not Magistrates of Cities it is no lesse plaine for they are called Seniores Ecclesiae and Ecclesiastici viri they instructed the people and had place in judging of causes Ecclesiasticall But elsewhere Bilson taketh upon him to prove that those of the Clergie who were by their proper name called Presbyters were also called Seniores as those who came neerest to the Bishop in degree wisedome and age And this he proveth by a testimony of Ambrose Viduarum ac virginum domos nisi â—isitandi gratia Iuniores ad re non est opus hoc cum Senioribus hoc est cum Episcopo vel sigravior est causa cum Presbyteris Answ. 1. Here the Seniors are the Bishop which is neither good sense nor any thing to his purpose 2. Hee hath left out a word without which the sentence cannot be understood and that is vel Ambrose saith Hoc est vel â—um Episcopo c. and so the words may suffer a threefold sense for either Seniores is here a name of age or of office If it bee a name of age as may bee presumed by the opposition thereof to Iuniores then the meaning of Ambrose is that young men should not goe into the houses of virgins or widowes except it bee with some men of age and these to bee the Bishop or the Presbyters If â—t be a name of office theâ— may wee either understand that by the Presbyters he meaneth ruling Elders and by the Bishop the Pastor of any particular Church for if Whitaker be not deceived Pastâ—rs have the name of Bishops not onely in Sâ—â—â—pruâ—e but in the ancient Church also Or that hee comprehendeth under the order of Elders not onely the Preaching Presbyters but the Bishop also who was chiefe among them By the first sense Bilson doth gaine nothing by the other two hee hath worse then nothing for any of them destroyeth his chiefe grounds CHAP. X. The consent of Protestant Writers and
performance but leaveth the particular dayes of fasting and thankesgiving to be determined by the Church according to the rules of the Word In like manner the Scripture commendeth the renewing of the covenant of God in a Nation that hath broken it but leaveth the day and place for such an action to be determined by the Church according to the rules foresaid Now if the Church following the generall warrant and rules of the Word command to fast such a day to give thankes such a day to renew the covenant of God such a day these things are divine ordinances mixedly though not meerely and he who disobeyeth disobeyeth the commandement of God The like may be said of catechising and of celebrating the Lords Supper which are not things occasionall as the former but ordinary in the Church they are commended by the warrants of Scripture but the particular times and seasons not determined The like wee say of the order to be kept in baptisme and in excommunication which is not determined in the Word though the things themselves be The removing of scandals by putting wicked persons to publike shame and open confession of their faults in the Church hath certaine warrant from Scripture yet the degrees of that publike shame and punishment are left to be determined by the Church according to the quality of the scandall and the rules of the Word Now the Church appointeth some scandalous persons to be put to a greater shame some to a lesser some to â—ee oâ—e Sabbath in the place of publike repentance some three some nine some twenty five c. And if the offender refuse that degree of publike shame which the Church following the rules foresaid appointeth for him hee may be truely said to refuse the removing and taking away of the scandall which the Word of God injoyneth him and so to disobey not the Church only but God also Just so the Scripture having commended unto us the governing of the Church the making of Lawes the exercise of Jurisdiction the deciding of controversies by Consistories and Assemblies Ecclesiasticall having also shewed the necessity of the same their power their rule of proceeding and judging who should sit and voice in the same c. But leaving the particular kindes degrees times bounds and places of the same to be resolved upon by the Church according to the light of naturall reason and generall rules of the Word The Church for her part following the generall warrant and rules foresaid together with the light of nature hath determined and appointed Assemblies Provinciall and Nationall and to exercise respectively that power which the Word giveth to Assemblies in generall The case thus standing we may boldly maintaine that those particular kinds and degrees of Ecclesiasticall Assemblies are Gods owne ordinances mixedly though not meerely But what can bee the reason may some man say why the Scripture hath not it selfe determined these kinds of Assemblies particularly I answer three reasons may be given for it 1. because it was not necessary the generall rules of the word together with natures light which directeth Common-wealths in things of the same kind being sufficient to direct the Church therin 2. As sesons and times for the meeting of Assemblies so the just bounds thereof in so many different places of the world are things of that kinde which were not determinable in Scripture unlesse the world had beene filled with volumes thereof for Individua sunt Infinita 3. Because this constitution of Synods Provinciall and Nationall is not universall for all times and places for example there may be in a remote Island 10. or 12. Christian congregations which beside their particular Elderships have a common Presbytery but are not capable of Synods either Provinciall or Nationall Againe let there bee an Island containing forty or fifty Christian congregations there shall be therein beside Presbyteries one kinde of a Synod but not two kindes Besides the reformed congregations within a great Nation may happly be either so few or so dispersed and distant or so persecuted that they can neither have Provinciall nor Nationall Assemblies CHAP. VII The third Argument taken from the Iewish Church IN the third place we take an Argument from the example of the Jewish Church for as in their Common-wealth there was a subordination of civill Courts every City having its proper Court which did consist of seven Magistrates if we beleeve Iosephus the Thalmudicall tradition maketh two Courts to have beene in each City the lesser of the Triumvirat and the greater of twenty three Judges Beside these they had their supreame Consistory the civill Sanedrim which governed the whole Nation and had authority over the inferiour Courts So was there also a subordination of Ecclesiasticall Courts among them they had a Consistory in every Synagogue for their Synagogues were appointed not only for prayer and praising of God and for the reading and expounding of the Scriptures but also for publike correction of offences Acts 26.11 They had besides a supreame Ecclesiastical Court whereunto the whole nation and all the Synagogicall Consistories were subject This Court having decayed was restored by Ichoshaphat 2 Chron. 19.8 and it had the name of Sanedrim common to it with the supream civill Court. From this Court did the reformation of that Nationall Church proceed Nehem. 6.13 On the second day were gathered together the chiefe of the fathers of all the people the Priests and the Levits unto Ezra the Scribe even to understand the words of the Law And they found written in the Law c. Whether there was yet another Ecclesiasticall Court in the midle betwixt the Synagogue and the Sanedrim called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Presbytery Luke 22.66 Acts 22.5 and made up possibly out of the particular Synagogues within the Cities I leave it to learned men to judge howsoever it is plaine from Scripture that there was at least a twofold Ecclesiasticall Court among the Jewes the Synagogue and the Sanedrim the latter having authority above the former Sutlivius denyeth both these and so would have us believe that the Jewish Church had no Eccâ—esiasticall Court at all As for the Synagogues he saith they treated of things civill and inflicted civill punishments and a civill excommunication That they inflicted civill punishment he proveth from Mat. 10. and 23. and Luke 21. where Christ foretelleth that his Disciples should bee beaten in the Synagogues That their excomunication was civill he proveth by this reason that Christ and his Disciples when they were cast out of the Synagogues had notwithstanding a free entry into the Temple and accesse to the sacrifices Answ. This is a grosse mistake for 1. the civill Court was in the gate of the City not in the Synagogue 2. He who presided in the Synagogue was called the chiefe Ruler of the Synagogue Acts 18.8.17 the rest who sate and voiced therein were called the Rulers of the Synagogue Acts 13.15 They who sate in the civill Court had no
commandement whereby we stand obliged to follow the example both of the Jewish Church in the Old Testament and of the Apostolicall Churches in the New Testament in such things as they had not for any speciall reason which doth not concerne us is transgressed by the withdrawing of Congregations from subjection unto Synods Of which things I have said enough before It is now but a poore begging of that which is in question to object that the governement of Presbyteries and Synods hath no warrant from the Word of God Come we then to examine his other Arguments His second he composeth thus If Christ in Mat. 18.17 where he saith Tell the Church doth mean a particular Congregation then hath every particular Congregation an intire power in and of it selfe to exercise Eclesiasticall governement and all other Gods spirituall ordinances But the first is true Ergo for the proposition he citeth some Writers who do not speak of such a connexion as he had to prove The assumption he proveth thus That Church which Christ intendeth in Matth. 18. hath absolute power in and of it selfe to perform all Gods ordinances But Christ intendeth in Mat. 18. a particular Congregation Therefore every particular Congregation hath absolute power c. How bravely doth he conclude the point Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici We will not examine our examinators logick we know what he would say and we woulâ— have him to know againe that Christ in Mat. 18. meaneth indeed some sort of a particular Congregation but neither only nor independantly Nay he meaneth all the Consistories of the Church higher and lower respectively as Parker conceiveth whose words I have before set down and to this sense the threed of the text doth leade us for as in the preceding words there is a gradation from one to two or three more then to the Church so is there a gradation by the like order and reason in the Consistories of the Church Tostatus upon this place acknowledgeth that Diae Ecclesiae reacheth as far as to an oecumenicall Councell when particular Churches erre in their determinations or when the cause is common to all the Churches for example when the Pope is to be condemned His seventh argument followes in my order and it runneth after this manner Such offices and callings without which the Church of God is coÌ„pleat and perfect for government are superfluous and humane But the Church of God may be compleat perfect for government without Presbyteriall and Synodicall offices and callings Ergo. I answer by a distinction Such offices and callings without which the Church of God are according to the course of Gods ordinary providence or at all times and in all cases perfect and compleat for government are indeed superfluous and humane But that such offices and callings without which the Church by the absolute power of God or at some times in some cases is perfect compleat are superfluous humane we utterly deny Now for the point of Synods I shall produce no other witnesses then those which this Disputer here taketh to be for him Whittaker acknowledgeth of Councels that Secundum ordinariam providentiam necessaria sunt ad bonam ecclesiae gubernationem according to ordinary providence they are necessary for the well governing of the Church Parker acknowledgeth Synods to be sometime necessary in the Church and he giveth example of the Councell of Nice without which the evils of the Church in the daies of Constantine could not have bin remedied The ninth Argument remaineth which is this That government which meerly tendeth unto the taking away from particular Congregations their due power is unlawfull But the government of Presbyteries and Synods as they now are doth meerly tend unto the taking away from particular Congregations their due power Ergo. I did expect some strong proofe for the assumption of this argument but we must take it as it is He tels us out of Master Barlow that no man under the degree of a Prophet or an Apostle may prescribe Gods Church and children patternes Our Synods are further from prescribing patterns either of worship or Church government than himselfe is The patterne and whole manner of Church government is set down in the Scripture those circumstaÌ„ces excepted which are common to the Church with the Common-wealth and are therefore determinable by natures light Synods may not prescribe new patterns no more may particular Churches but Synods may in common causes and extraordinarily prescribe unto particular churches such things as particular churches may in particular causes and ordinarily prescribe to their owne members If he will beleeve Parker whom he thinks his owne the authority which particular Churches have severally is not lost but augmented when they are joyned together in Synods But we have before abundantly declared how Presbyteriall Synodical government doth not at all prejudge the rights of congregations As for that which here he addeth by way of supposition putting the case that Presbyteries Synods will not permit a congregation to reject some coÌ„victed hereticks nor to chuse any except unfit Ministers this is just as if one should object against Parliaments that as they are now they do meerly tend to the taking away of the right and liberty of the subject and then for proofe should put the case that Parliaments will protect and maintaine Monopolists Projectorers c. Now in this drove of arguments the drover hath set some like the weake of the flock to follow up behind The first two are blind and see not where they are going for it maketh nothing against us either that the Eldership of one congregation hath not authority over the Eldership of another congregation or that a minister should not undertake the care of more Churches then one His third that presbyteriall power is never mentioned in the Scripture is a begging of the thing in question is answered before yet I must put him again in mind of Parker who speaking of churches saith Legitur in Scripturis de conjunct a earuÌ„ auct oritate quando in Synodis congregantur We read in their Scriptures of their joynt authority when they are gathered together into Synods But there is a speech of Zuinglius against representative Churches which he may not omit Zuingâ—ius doth indeed justly aske of the antichristian prelats who had given them the name of a representative Church who had given them power to make Canons c. yet hee addeth de his duntaxat c. I speak of them only that are such others who put themselves under not above the Scriptures my writings shall nothing prejudge In the fourth place he objecteth that whosoever shall deny their assertion must hold two distinct formes of Church government to be lawfull one where particular congregations do in of themselves exercise all Gods ordinances the other where they stand under another ecclesiasticall authority out of themselves I answer it
assertion I intend to satisfie the scrupulous and to put to silence the malicious so also to confirm the consciences of such as are friends and savourers to the right way of Church government Whatsoever is not of faith iâ— sin saith the Apostle yea though it be in a matter otherwise indifferent how much more is it necessary that we halt not in our judgement concerning the government of the Church but walk straight in the plerophory and full assurance of the same from the warrants of the word of God I say againe from the warrants of the word of God for as it is not my meaning to commend this forme because it is Scotlands so I hope assuredly that my Country-men will not dispise Gods Ordinance because it is Scotlands practice but rather follow them in so far as they follow Christ and the Scripture This therefore I pray that thy love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that thou maiest approve the things that are excellent Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things Amen THE CONTENTS OF the first part of this Treatise CHAP. I. Of the words Elder Lay-Elder Ruling-Elder FOure significations of the word Elder in Scripture Of the nickname of Lay-Elders That the Popish distinction of the Clergie and the Laity ought to be banished Of the name of Ruling-Elders and the reason thereof CHAP. II. Of the function of Ruling-Elders and what sâ—re of officers they be OF the distinction of Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons Of the behaviour and conuersation of Ruling-Elders Of the distinction of the power of Order and of jurisdiction That the Ruling-Elder his power of jurisdiction is to sit and voice in all the Consistories and Assemblies of the Church That his power of order is to do by way of authority those duties of edification which every Christian is bound to do by way of charity CHAP. III. The first argument for Ruling-Elders taken from the Iewish-Church THat we ought to follow the Jewish Church in such things as they had not for any speciall reason proper to them but as they were an Ecclesiasticall Republike That the Elders among the Jews did sit among the Priests and voice in their Ecclesiasticall Courts according to Baravias own confession but were not theirâ— will Magistrates as he alleadgeth Bilsons objections answered CHAP. IV. The second Argument taken from Math. 18.17 WHat is the meaning of these words Tell the Church Why the Presbytery may be called the Church Our argument from this place for Ruling-Elders CHAP. V. The third Argument taken from Rom. 12.8 THe words Rom. 12.8 expounded That by him that ruâ—eth is meant the Ruling-Elder The objections to the contrary answered CHAP. VI. The fourth Argument taken from 1 Cor. 12.28 THâ—t by governments the Apostle meaneth ruling-Elders Two glosses given by our opposites confuted CHAP. VII The fiâ—st Argument taken from 1 Tim. 5.17 OUr Argument from this place vindicated against â—en false glosses devised by our opposites CHAP. VIII The testimony of Ambrose for Ruling-Elders vindicated NO certain ground alledged against the authority of those Commentaries upon the Epistles ascribed to Ambrose Other answers made by our opposites to the place upon 1 Tim. 5. confuted CHAP. IX Other Testimonies of Antiquitie TEstimonies for Ruling-Elders out of Tertullion Cyprian Epiphanius Bâ—sil Chrysostome Hierome Eusâ—bius Augustine Origen Isidore the first counsell of Tâ—lido Other testimoâ—ies observed by Iustellus and Voetius Bilsons answer confuted CHAP. X. The consent of Protestant Writers and the confession of our opposites for Ruling-Elders CItatâ—ons of sundry Protestant writers to this purpose This truth hath extorted a confession from Wâ—itgist Saravia Sultiffe Camero and M. Io. Wemys of Craigtown CHAP. XI Dr. Fields five arguments against ruling-Elders answered HIs first reason that no foot-step of Ruling-Elders for many hundreth years could be found in any Christian Church answered five waies Footsteps of Ruling-Elders in the Church of England His second reason answered That we ought to judge of the Officers of the Church not from 1 Tim. 3. only but from that and other places compared together His third reason answered by the câ—rtain bounds of the power of Ruling-Elders His fourth reason answered by the distinction of the Ecclesiasticaâ—l Sanedrim of the Iewes from their civill Sanedrim His last reason concerning the names holdeth not CHAP. XII The extravagancies of Whitegift and Saravia in the matter of ruling-Elders THe one alloweth of Ruling-Elders under an Infidell Magistrate but not under a Christian Magistrate The other alloweth of them under a Christian Magistrate but not under an Infidell That Ruling-Elders do not prejudge the power of the civill Magistrate but the Prelacie doth which confuteth Whitegift That Christian Magistrates are not come in place of the Jewish Seniors which confuteth Saravia CHAP. XIII Whether ruling-Elders have the power of decisive voices when they they sit in Presbyteries and Synods THe affirmative proved by nine reasons Two objections to the contrary answered The place 1 Cor. 14.32 explained CHAP. XIIII Of the Ordination of ruling-Elders Of the continuance of their Office and of their maintenance THat the want of the Imposition of hands in Ordination the want of maintainance and the not continuing alwaies in the â—xercise of the Office cannot be prejudiciall to the Office it selfe of Ruling-Elders The Contents of the second Part. CHAP. I. Of Popular government in the Church THat this question is necessary to be clâ—â—red before the question of the authority of Assemblies That Jurisdiction ought not to be 〈◊〉 by all the Members of a Congregaâ—ion proved by 〈◊〉 reasons Objections answered The controversie 〈◊〉 CHAP. II. Of the independencie of the Elderships of particular Congregations Dr. Fields question whâ—ther the power of Jurisdiction belongeth to the Eldership of every Congregation or to a common Presbytery made up out of many Congregations answered by an eigâ—â—fold distinction A thrâ—â—fold conformity of those Parishionall Elderships to the primitive pattern CHAP. III. Of great Presbyteries which some call Classes THree false glossâ—s on 1 Tim. 4.14 confuted That the Apostle 〈◊〉 by the Presbytery aâ— Assembly of Presbyters whereof also Fathers and Councels do speak The warrant and authority of our Classicall Presbyteries declared both by good reasons and by the Apostolicall patern for assertion of the latter it is proved 1. That in many of those Cities wherein the Apostles planted Christian religion there was a greater number of christians then did or could ordinarily assemble into one place 2. That in these Cities there was a plurality of Pastors 3. That yet the whole within the City was one Church 4. That the whole was governed by one common Presbytery From all which a Corollary is drawne for these our Classicall Presbyteries CHAP. IV. Of the authority of Syâ—â—ds provinciall and Nationall THat the power of Jurisdiction in the Synod differeth from the power of jurisdiction in the Presbyterie The power of Jurisdiction
flocke according to this glosse for Peter opposeth the Lording over the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to being ensamples to the Flocke Surely if this Popish Glosse bee true Protestants in their Commentaries and Sermons have gone wide from that Text. But Matthias the Apostle was chosen by lot What then By what reason doth the Canon law draw from hence a name common to all the Ministers of the Gospell Let 〈◊〉 then banish from us such Popish names and send them home to Rome Bellarmin thought we had done so long ere now for he maketh this one of his controverted heads Whether wee may rightly call some Christians the Clergie and others the Laity or not ascribing the negative to Protestants the affirmative to the Church of Rome Yet beside the Clergy and the Laity Papists hold that there is a third sort in the Church distinct from both whom they call Regulares These are such of their religious orders as are not taken up with contemplation alone like the Monkes but with action such as the Dominicans Franciscans c. Who helpe and assist the Clergy in their Ecclesiasticall imployments though they themselves bee not admitted into any particular charge in the Church Now hee who will needs side with the Papists in the distinction of Clergy and Laity may also with them admit a third member of the distinction and make ruling Elders of that sort especially since the reason why the regular Chanoins are assumed as helpers to Parish Priests is propter multitudinem fidelis populi difficultatem invenâ—endi curatos sufficientes idoneos saith Cardinall Cajetan adding further male consultum populo Christiano invenitur sine hujusmodi supplemento Which reasons agree well to ruling Elders For 1. Parishes containe so many that the Minister cannot oversee all and every one without helpe 2. Sufficient and fit Ministers shall hardly bee every where found 3. It is found by experience that sinne and scandall are never well taken neede to and redressed where ruling Elders are not To let all this passe if any man will needs retaine the name of Lay Elders yet saith Gersomus Bucerus What aspersion is that to our Churches is it any other thing then that which Papists object to us for admitting Lay men into Councels They who have place in the highest and most supreame assemblies of the Church wherein the weightiest matters are determined ought much more to be admitted into inferiour meetings such as Presbyteries are But if we will speake with Scripture wee shall call them Ruling Elders Rom. 12.8 he that ruleth 1 Tim. 5.17 Elders that rule well They are called ruling Elders non quia soli sed quia solum praesunt Pastors rule the Church even as they doe but Pastors doe something more from which they may bee designed Whereas the Elders of which wee are to speake have no other imployment which can give them a designation except the ruling of the Church onely That wicked railer Lisimâ—chus Nicanor who assumed the name but forgot to put on the vizorne of a Jesuit in his congratulatory I should say calumniatory Epistle pag. 61. alledgeth that they are called ruling Elders because the Ministers are their ruled Elders If he were a Jesuit he may remember that in their own society besides their Priests Doctors Preachers Confessionaries c. They have also Rectores or Regentes whose office it is to see the rules of their order kept to observe the behaviour of every one when they perceive any seeds of Heresie to signifie the same to the Provinciall and hee to the Generall Yet are these Rectores among the lowest rankes of their officers so that Jesuites need not stumble when wee call our Eldersruling Elders CHAP. II. Of the function of Ruling Elders and what sort of Officers they be NOtwithstanding of all the multiplicity of Popish orders yet Peter Lombard treading the vestiges of the primitive simplicity did observe that the Apostles left only two sacred orders to bee perpetuall in the Church the order of Deacons the order of Elders The administration of Deacons is exercised about things bodily The administration of Elders about things spirituall The former about the goods the latter about the government of the Church Now Elders are of three sorts 1. Preaching Elders or Pastors 2. Teaching Elders or Doctors 3. Ruling Elders All these are Elders because they have voice in Presbyteries and all assemblies of the Church and the government of the Church is incumbent to them all nor onely to the Pastor and Elder but to the Doctor also The Bishop of Dune in his examen conjurationis Scoticae p. 35. alledgeth that our Church of Scotland did never yet determine whether Doctors and Deacons have right of voycing in the Consistories Assemblies of the Church But had he read our booke of Policie hee might have found that it excludeth Deacons from being members of Presbyteries and Assemblies Cap. 8. but admitteth Doctors into the same Cap. 5. The Doctor being an Elder as said is should assist the Pastor in the government of the Kirke and concurre with the Elders his brethren in all Assemblies by reason the Interpretation of the Word which is onely Iudge in Ecclesiasticall matters is committed to his charge But they differ in that the Pastor laboureth in the word of exhortation that is by the gift of wisedome applieth the word to the manners of his flocke and that in season and out of season as he knoweth their particular cases to require The Doctor laboureth in the word of Doctrine that is without such applications as the Pastor useth by simple teaching he preserveth the truth and sound interpretation of the Scriptures against all heresie and error The ruling Elder doth neither of these but laboureth in the government and policie of the Church onely The Apostle hath distinguished these three sorts of Elders 1. Tim. 5.17 Let Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine Where as Beza noteth hee distinguisheth the Word which is the Pastors part from Doctrine which is the Doctors part Even as Rom. 12.7.8 hee distinguisheth teaching from exhortation and 1 Cor. 12.8 putteth the word of wisedome and the word of knowledge for two different things Now beside those Elders which labour in the Word and those which labour in Doctrine Paul speaketh to Timothy of a third sort of Elders which labour neither in the Word nor Doctrine but in ruling well Hence it appeareth how truely the Booke of Policie Cap. 2. saith That there are foure ordinary perpetuall and necessary Offices in the Church the office of the Pastor the Doctor the Elder and the Deacon and that no other office which is not one of these foure ought to bee received or suffered in the Church But when we speake of Elders Non personatos c. we will not have disguised and histrionicall men puffed up with titles or idols
dead in sinnes to be meant but holy men who being indued with faith in God and walking in his obedience God authorising them and the Church his Spouse chusing and calling them undertake the government thereof that they may labour to the conservation and edification of the same in Christ saith Iunius A ruling Elder should pray for the Spirit and gifts of his calling that hee may doe the duties of his calling and not bee like him that played the Souldan but a Souter hee must doe his office neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pro forma hee himselfe being Parcus Deorum caltor infrequens nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doing all through contention and strife about particulars Si duo de nostras tollas pro nomina rebus praelia I may say Iurgia cessarent pax sine lite foret Nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Empiring and Lording among his brethren and fellow Elders Whosoever will bee great among you let him bee your minister and whosoever will bee chiefe among you let him be your servant saith the onely Lord and Head of the Church Nor yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 setting himselfe only to do a pleasure or to get preferment to such as he favoureth Nay nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely by establishing good orders and wholesome lawes in the Church but he must carry himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serviceably and ministerially for as his Function is Officium and Iurisdictio so it is Munus a burdensome service and charge laid upon him That a ruling Elder may bee such a one as hee ought to bee two sorts of duties are requisite viz. duties of his Conversation and duties of his Calling The duties of his conversation are the same which the Apostle Paul requireth in the conversation of the Minister of the Word That he bee blamelesse having a good report not accused of riot or unruly vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality a lover of good men just holy temperate not given to wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre not selfe-willed not soone angry but patient not a brawler not covetous one that ruleth well his owne house having his children in subjection with all gravity one that followeth after righteousnesse godlinesse faith love patience meeknesse c. These and such like parts of a Christian and exemplary conversation being required of Pastors as they are Elders belong unto ruling Elders also This being plaine let us proceed to the duties of their calling For the better understanding whereof we will distinguish with the Schoole-men a two-fold power the power of Order and the power of Jurisdiction which are different in sundry respects 1. The power of Order comprehendeth such things as a Minister by vertue of his ordination may doe without a commission from any Presbyterie or Assembly of the Church as to preach the Word to minister the Sacraments to celebrate marriage to visite the sicke to catechise to admonish c. The power of Jurisdiction comprehendeth such things as a Minister cannot doe by himselfe nor by vertue of his ordination but they are done by a Session Presbytery or Synod and sometimes by a Minister or Ministers having Commission and authority from the same such as ordination and admission suspension deprivation and communication and receiving againe into the Church and making of Lawes and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall and such like whereof we boldly maintaine that there is no part of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction in the power of one man but of many met together in the name of Christ. 2. The power of Order is the radicall and fundamentall power and maketh a Minister susceptive and capable of the power of Jurisdiction 3. The power of Order goeth no further then the Court of Conscience the power of Jurisdiction is exercised in Externall and Ecclesiasticall Courts Fourthly the power of Order is sometime unlawfull in the use yet not voide in it selfe The power of Jurisdiction when it is unlawfull in the use it is also voide in it selfe If a Minister doe any act of Jurisdiction as to excommunicate or absolve without his owne parish wanting also the consent of the Ministery and Elders of the bounds where he doth the same such acts are voide in themselves and of no effect But if without his owne charge and without the consent aforesaid hee baptise an infant or doe any such thing belonging to the power of Order though his act be unlawfull yet is the thing it selfe of force and the Sacrament remaineth a true Sacrament Now to our purpose We averre that this twofold power of Order and of Jurisdiction belongeh to ruling Elders as well as to Pastors The power of Jurisdiction is the same in both for the power and authority of all Jurisdiction belongeth to the Assemblies and representative meetings of the Church whereof the ruling Elders are necessary constituent members and have the power of decisive voycing no lesse then Pastors Howbeit the execution of some decrees enacted by the power of Jurisdiction belongeth to Ministers alone for Pastors alone exercise some acts of Jurisdiction as imposition of hands the pronouncing of the sentence of excommunication the receiving of a penitent c. Are not these things done in the name and authority of some Assembly of the Church higher or lower Or are they any other then the executions of the decrees and sentences of such an Assembly wherein ruling Elders voyced The power of Order alone shall make the difference betwixt the Pastor and the ruling Elder for by the power of Order the Pastor doth preach the Word minister the Sacraments pray in publike blesse the Congregation celebrate marriage which the ruling Elder cannot Therefore it is falsly said by that railing Rabshakeh whom before I spoke of Ep. pag. 7. That the ruling Elders want nothing of the power of the Minister but that they preach not nor baptise in publike congregations yet other things which the Pastor doth by his power of Order the ruling Elder ought also to doe by his owne power of Order And if we would know how much of this power of Order is common to both let us note that Pastors doe some things by their power of Order which all Christians ought to doe by the law of Charity Things of this sort a ruling Elder may and ought to doe by his power of Order and by vertue of his election and ordination to such an office For example every Christian is bound in Charity to admonish and reprove his brother that offendeth first privately then before witnesses and if he heare not to tell it to the Church Levit. 19.17 Matth. 18.15.16.17 This a ruling Elder ought to doe by vertue of his calling and with authority 1 Thess. 5.12 Private Christians ought in Charity to instruct the ignorant Joh. 4.29 Act. 18.26 to exhort the negligent Heb. 3.15 10.24 25. to comfort the afflicted 1 Thess. 5.11 to support the weake 1 Thess. 5.14 To restore him that falleth
Galat. 6.1 to visite the sicke Matth. 25.36.40 to reconcile those who are at variance Matth. 5.9 to contend for the truth and to answer for it Iude v. 3. 1 Pet. 3.15 All which are incumbent to the ruling Elder by the authority of his calling To conclude then the calling of ruling Elders consisteth in these two things 1. To assist and voyce in all Assemblies of the Church which is their power of jurisdiction 2. To watch diligently over the whole flock all these wayes which have been mentioned and to doe by authority that which other Christians ought to doe in charity which is their power of order And the Elder which neglecteth any one of these two whereunto his calling leadeth him shall make answer to God for it For the Word of God the Discipline of this Kirke the bonds of his owne calling and covenant doe all binde sinne upon his soule if either hee give not diligence in private by admonishing all men of their duty as the case requireth or if he neglect to keepe either the Ecclesiasticall Court and Consistory within the Congregation where his charge is or the Classicall Presbyterie and other Assemblies of the Church which he is no lesse bound to keepe then his Pastor when he is called and dessigned thereunto CHAP. III. The first Argument for ruling Elders taken from the Iewish Church HAving shewed what ruling Elders are it followeth to shew Scripture and Divine right for them Our first Argument is taken from the governement and pollicy of the Jewish Church thus Whatsoever kinde of office-bearers the Jewish Church had not as it was Jewish but as it was a Church such ought the Christian Church to have also But the Jewish Church not as it was Jewish but as it was a Church had Elders of the people who assisted in their Ecclesiasticall government and were members of their Ecclesiasticall Consistories Therefore such ought the Christian Church to have also The Proposition will no man call in question for quod competit alicui qua tali competit omni tali That which agreeth to any Church as it is a Church agreeth to every Church I speake of the Church as it is a politicall body and setled Ecclesiasticall Republike Let us see then to the Assumption The Jewish Church not as it was a Church but as it was Jewish had an high Priest typisying our great high Priest Jesus Christ. As it was Jewish it had Musitians to play upon Harpes Psalteries Cymbals and other Musicall Instruments in the Temple 1 Chron. 25.1 concerning which hear Bellarmines confession de bon oper lib. 1. cap. 17. Iustinus saith that the use of instruments was granted to the Iewes for their imperfection and that therefore such instruments have no place in the Church Wee confesse indeed that the use of musicall instruments agreeth not alike with the perfect and with the imperfect and that therefore they beganne but of late to be admitted in the Church But as it was a Church and not as Jewish it had foure sorts of ordinary office-bearers Priests Levites Doctors and Elders and we conformablie have Pastors Deacons Doctors and Elders To their Priests and Levits Cyprian doth rightly liken our Pastors and Deacons for howsoever sundry things were done by the Priests and Levites which were typicall and Jewish onely yet may we well parallell our Pastors with their Priests in respect of a perpetuall Ecclesiasticall office common to both viz. the Teaching and governing of the people of God Mal. 2.7 2 Chron. 19.8 and our Deacons with their Levits in respect of the cure of Ecclesiasticall goods and of the work of the service of the house of God in the materialls and appurtenances thereof a function likewise common to both 1 Chro. 26.20 23.24.28 The Jewish Church had also Doctors and Schooles or Colledges for the preservation of true Divinity among them and of tongues arts and sciences necessary thereto 1 Chron. 15.22.27 2 King 22.14 1 Sam. 19.20 2 Kings 2.3.5 Act. 19.9 These office-bearers they had for no typicall use but wee have them for the same use and end for which they had them And all these sorts of office-bearers among us wee doe as rightly warrant from the like sorts among them as other whiles wee warrant our baptizing of Infants from their circumcising of them our Churches by their Synagogues c. Now that the Jewish Church had also such Elders as wee plead for it is manifest for besides the Elders of the Priests there were also Elders of the people joyned with them in the hearing and handling of Ecclesiasticall matters Jer. 19.1 Take of the ancients of the people and of the ancients of the Priests The Lord sending a message by the Prophet would have a representative body of all Judah to be gathered together for receiving it as Tremellius noteth So 2 Kings 6.32 Elisha sate in his house and the Elders sate with him We read 2 Chron. 19.8 That with the Priests were joyned some of the chiefe of the Fathers of Israel to judge Ecclesiasticall causes and controversies And howsoever many things among the Jewes in the latter times after the captivity did weare to confusion and misorder yet we finde even in the dayes of Christ and the Apostles that the Elders of the people still sate and voyced in Councell with the Priests according to the ancient forme as is cleare from sundry places of the new Testament Matth. 16.21 and 21.23 and 26.57.59 and 27.1.12 Mark 14 43. Luke 22.66 Acts 4.5 This is also acknowledged by the Roman Annalist Baronius who confesseth further That as this was the forme among the Jewes so by the Apostles was the same forme observed in their times and Seniors then admitted into Councels Saravia himselfe who disputeth so much against ruling Elders acknowledgeth what hath been said of the Elders of the Jewes Seniores quidem invenio in Consessu Sacerdotum veteris Synagoga qui Sacerdotes non erant I finde indeed saith hee Elders in the Assembly of the Priests of the old Synagogue which were not Priests Et quamvis paria corum essent suffragia authoritas in omnibus sufragiis sacerdotum cum suffragiis Sacerdotum c. And although saith hee their suffrages and authority in all judgements were equall with the suffrages of the Priests c. But what then thinke yee hee hath to say against us Hee saith that the Elders of the Jewes were their Magistrates which in things pertaining to the externall government of the Church ought not to have been debarred from the Councell of the Priests more then the Christian Magistrate ought now to bee debarred from the Synods of the Church Now to prove that their Elders were their civill Magistrates hee hath no better argument then this That the Hebrew word Zaken which is turned Elder importeth a chiefe man or a Ruler We answer First this is a bold conjecture which hee hath neither warranted by divine nor by humane testimonies
represent the Church these are made up of ruling aswell as teaching Elders But Presbyteries and all Assemblies of the Church are Courts which represent the Church Ergo. The proposition is proved thus Whatsoever Courts represent hearers aswell as teachers and the people aswell as the Ministery these are made up of ruling as well as teaching Elders But whatsoever Courts doe represent the Church these represent hearers aswell as teachers c. It is plaine enough that the Church cannot bee represented except the hearers of the word which are the farre greatest part of the Church be represented By the Ministers of the word they cannot be represented more then the Burghes can bee represented in Parliament by the Noblemen or by the Commissioners of Shires therefore by some of their owne kinde must they be represented that is by such as are hearers and not preachers Now some hearers cannot represent all the rest except they have a calling and commission thereto and who can those be but ruling Elders CHAP. V. Our third Argument taken from Romans 12.8 OUR third Argument is grounded upon Rom. 12.8 The Apostle hath declared before that as there are many members in one body and all the members have not the same office for the office of the eye is to see of the eare to heare c. So are their gifts given to the severall office-bearers of the Church wherewith every one in his owne office may glorifie God and edifie the Church vers 4. with vers 5.6 These gifts he saith are differing according to the grace given to us that is according to the holy charge and office given unto us by the grace and favour of God so vers 3. Through the grace given unto me saith Paul that is through the authority of my Apostleship which by grace I have obtained Now whiles he exhorteth every one to the faithfull and humble use of his gift which he hath received for the discharge of his office he illustrateth his exhortation by the enumeration of the ordinary Ecclesiasticall offices vers 6.7.8 And as Beza Piscator and Iunius doe well resolve the text First he maketh a generall division of functions in the Church making two sorts of the same Prophesie whereby is meant the faculty of expounding Scripture and Ministerie comprehending all other imployments in the Church Prophecying the Apostle sudivideth into Teaching which is the Doctors part and Exhortation which is the Pastors Ministery he subdivideth in Giving which is the Deacons part Ruling which is the ruling Elders part and Shewing mercy which pertained to them who had care of the sicke Against this commentary which we have made upon the Apostles words Sutcliffe objecteth a double injury which we doe to Pastors First if these our Elders be the Rulers here spoken of then Pastors ought not to rule as if forsooth Elders could not rule except they rule alone Next hee saith wee make these Elders as necessary to the Church as Pastors so that a Church cannot be where there are not ruling Elders even as there is not a Church where there are not Word and Sacraments Surely a Church may happen to want Pastors and so to want both the preaching of the Word and the use of the Sacraments for that time And so may it want Elders and still remaine a Church but defective and maimed Howbeit the Pastors are more necessary then the Elders because they doe not onely rule but preach beside But to passe this there are other things which better deserve an answer for one might object 1. That the Apostle seemeth to speake of severall gifts onely not of severall offices 2. If hee speake of Offices by what reason make we Prophesie and Ministery generall kindes and all the rest particular offices 3. Why would the Apostle put the Deacon before the Elder 4. Bishop Andrewes in his Sermon of the worshipping of Imaginations maketh a fourth objection that by our interpretation of this place wee make Qui miseretur to be Latine for a widow To the first of these we answer The Apostles Protasis speaketh of severall offices not in the same but in severall members how then should we make his Apodosis to speak of severall gifts in the same and not in severall office-bearers of the Church wherefore as seeing hearing tasting c. doe differ subjectively in respect of the members which doe see heare c. So speaketh the Apostle of teaching exhorting ruling c. as they are in different office-bearers It is least of all credible which Bilson saith de Eccles. gubern c. 10. p. 186.187 that the Apostle speaks not of the gifts of office-bearers but of gifts distributed unto all the members of Christs mysticall body even unto women Hee had shewed us a great secret if hee could have made it appeare that all who are in the Church women and all may both prophesie and rule In this hee shall have the praise of out-stripping the Separatists We know that private Christians may teach and exhort one another but they doe not so devote themselves thereto as altogether to wait upon teaching and exhorting which is the case the Apostle speaketh of To the second wee say that Prophesie and Ministery are put in abstracto and â—oyned with a plurall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but teaching exhorting giving ruling and shâ—wing mercie are put in câ—ncreto and to each of them the single article pre fixed which is a sufficienâ— warrant to expound Prophesie and Ministery as Genera and the rest as Species Chrysostome considering the word Ministery saith Rem hic generalem ponit To the third we answer He which is first named hath not alwayes some prerogative or dignity above him which is last named else doe the Papists rightly argue that Peter was the chiefe of all the Apostles because they finde him named before all the rest Matth. 10.2 Act. 1.13 The Apostle intended to reckon out all ordinary offices in the Church but he intended not the precise order Chrysostome upon this same place saith Vide quomodo ista indifferenter ponat quod minutum est primo quod magnum est posteriore loco Ephes. 4.11 hee putteth Pastors before Teachers here to the Romans he putteth Teachers before Pastors To the fourth wee answer That though it be ordinarily most convenient that the office of attending the sicke bee committed to women yet it is not essentially necessary to the offifice And as Aretius noteth upon the place wee may under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehend not onely widowes appointed to attend the sicke but old men appointed to receive and entertaine strangers Which is also judiciously observed by Martyr Besides when the Apostle 1 Tim. 5. teacheth what is required in widowes who should bee made Diaconesses this hee requireth among other things that they be not such as live in pleasures and idlenesse and take not care to provide for their owne houses verse 6.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though Erasmus and Beza turne in the
feminine quod si qua yet our English Translators and many good Interpreters turne it in the masculine And surely it shall have more weight if it agree to men as well as women saith Calvin upon that place Now they who read in the masculine that which the Apostle saith there of widowes will not wee suppose blame us for reading Rom. 12.8 in the masculine also He that sheweth mercie Wee conclude our third Argument thus Whatsoever office-bearer in the Church is different from Pastors and Teachers and yet ruleth the Church he must needs bee a ruling Elder But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned Rom. 12.8 is different from Pastors and Teachers and yet ruleth the Church Ergo. CHAP. VI. Argument 4. from 1 Cor. 12.28 OUR fourth Argument is drawn from 1 Cor. 12.28 where we finde againe an enumeration of sundry offices in the Church though not so perfect as that Rom. 12. and amongst others Helps that is Deacons and Governments that is Ruling Elâ—ers Where wee cannot enough admire how the Authors of the new English translation were bold to turne it thus Helps in Governments so to make one of two and to elude our Argument The originall hath them cleerely distinguished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I finde some late editions of the English translation to have it as it is in the Greek Helps Governments How this change hath been made in the English Bibles I know not Chrysostome expounding this place doth not take Helps and Governements to be all one as Bilson hath boldly but falsly averred Nay Chrysostome maketh the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be ut pauperes suscipiamus and the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he expounded to be praeesse ac curam gerere res administrare spirituales The former belongs to Deacons the later to ruling Elders Two answers are made to this place First D. Field answereth that both here and Rom. 12.8 we reason à genere ad speciem affirmativè because the Apostle mentioneth Governours whom he requireth to rule with diligence therefore they were such Elders as we plead for Whitgift saith the word Governours 1. Cor. 12.28 and Rulers Rom. 12.8 is generall and may either signifie Christian Magistrates or Ecclesiasticall as Archbishops Bishops or whatsoever other by lawfull authority are appointed in the Church We reply first if the Apostle had mentioned Rulers or Governours alone then might we have indeed guessed that hee meant a generall kinde onely and no particular Species But since he hath enumerate so many Species as Apostles Prophets Teachers gifts of miracles gifts of tongues c. Surely they did either most ignorantly or most maliciously erre who tell us that the Apostle putteth a Genus in the midst of so many Species Secondly the Apostle speaketh onely of Ecclesiasticall Officers God hath set some in the Church c. What meant Whitgift to extend his words to the civill Magistrate T. C. answered him that hee could not distinguish betwixt the Church and Common-wealh and so betwixt the Church Officers and the Officers of the Common-wealth He replied that he could not put any such difference betwixt them that the one may not be comprehended under the Apostles word as well as the other For I utterly renounce saith he that distinction invented by Papists and maintained by you which is that Christian Magistrates governe not in the respect they be Christians but in the respect they be men and that they governe Christians not in that they bee Christians but in that they bee men which is to give no more authority to the Christian Magistrate in the Church of Christ then to the great Turke Let our opposites here goe by the eares among themselves for M. Io. Wemys holdeth that all Kings have alike jurisdiction in the Church Infidels as wel as Christian Kings We hold that Christian Magistrates governe their subjects neither as Christians nor as men but as Magistrates and they governe Christian subjects as Christian Magistrates In like manner Christians are governed by Magistrates neither as they are Christians nor as they are men but as they are subjects and they are governed by Christian Magistrates as they are Christian subjects And we all maintaine that a Christian Magistrate hath great authority over Christian subjects in things pertaining to the conservation and purgation of religion which the great Turke nor no Infidell Magistrate hath or can have except hee become Christian. But what doe I digressing after the impertinencies of a roving disputer for what of all this Let Christian Magistrates governe as you will will any man say that his office is Ecclesiasticall or to be reckoned among Apostles Prophets Teachers c. Wherefore Let us proceed to the other answer which is made by Saravia Hee saith that though the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.28 reckon out different gifts wee need not for that understand different persons nor make different orders and offices in the Church of the gifts of miracles healing tongues and prophecies which might bee and were in one man Whereupon he resolveth the Text thus that first Paul setteth downe three distinct orders Apostles Prophets and Teachers then he reckoneth forth these common gifts of the holy Ghost and the gift of governing amongst the rest which were common to all the three The Apostle saith not Governours but Governments saith Sutcliffe to shew that he meaneth of faculties not of persons So saith Bilson in like manner For confutation of all this it is to be remembred First that the gifts spoken of by the Apostle are given of God for the common good and edification of the Church And God hath set some in the Church c. Secondly these gifts the Apostle considereth not abstractâ—â—è à subjectis but as they are in men indued with them as is plaine for hee had before reckoned forth the gifts themselves vers 8.9.10 and if here he did no more but reckon them over againe this were actum agere He is now upon the use and exercise of these gifts by the office-bearers of the Church vers 27.29 And though the Apostle vers 28. speaketh concretively only of these three Apostles Prophets and Teachers yet the rest must bee understood in the same manner per metoxymiam adjuncti as when wee speake of Magistracy and Ministery for Magistrates and Ministers yea the Apostle vers 29.30 so expoundeth himself where hee speaketh concretivè of the same things whereof hee seemed before to speake abstractivè Hee speaketh of them as they are in different subjects which is most evident both by his protasis wherein hee did againe presse the same simile of the severall offices not of the same but of severall members of the body and likewise by the words immediately subjoyned Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers He would have stood here and said no more if he had meant to distinguish these three orders only as Saravia expoundeth him But now to make it plainely
appeare that hee spoke of the other gifts also as they are in different persons hee addeth are all workers of miracles have all the gifts of healing doe all speake with tongues doe all interprete where wee may supply are all for helps are all for governements But can it bee for nought that the Apostle ommitteth these two when he doth over againe enumerate all the rest vers 29.30 It is as if he had said there are some who have none of those speciall and for the most part extraordinary gifts All are not Apostles all are not Prophets c. for some have but common and ordinary gifts to bee Deacons or Elders for government There is a great controversie betwixt the Iesuits and the Doctors of Sarbon about the meaning of this place which we have now expounded The Jesuits in their Spongia writen against the censure of the University of Paris contend that by Helps the Apostle meaneth the regular Chanoins who help the Bishops and the Priests in preaching ministering the Sacraments and hearing confessions By governments they say hee meaneth secular Priests whom they call parochi And because hee putteth helps before governments they inferre that Regular Chanoins are of an higher degree â—in the Hierarchy of the Church then Secular Priests This they maintaine good men for the credit of their owne Polypragmaticke order and not for the credit of other regular Chanoins you may be sure The Doctors of Sorbon in their Vindicia Censura written by Aurelius considered that they could not maintaine the meaning of the Apostle to bee onely of different gifts which no doubt they had answered if they had thought it to carry any probability therefore they acknowledge that under these gifts are contained also the degrees of the Hierarchy And that the Apostles words doe partly belong to the common gifts of the Spirit as powers and interpretation of tongues partly to the Hierarchy of this later sort they make helps and governments And by the helps they seeme to understand Archdeacons and Curates But now to conclude this Argument also thus it is They who have the gift and office of governing the Church and are different from them who have other gifts and offices in the Church can be no other then the ruling Elders which we plead for But these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of 1 Cor. 12.28 are such Ergo. CHAP. VII Argument 5. from 1 Tim. 5.17 OUR fift Argument is taken from a cleer place 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well bee counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine Hence we reason after this manner These Churches which had some Elders that laboured not in the Word and Doctrine yet were worthy of double honour for ruling well had the very same ruling Elders we plead for But the Apostolicke Churches had some Elders that laboured not in the Word and Doctrine yet were worthy of double honor for ruling well Ergo. The Argument riseth from the plaine Text then which what can be cleerer But there are some who would darken light and lighten darkenesse Doctor Field propoundeth three glosses upon this place for the frustration of our Argument First that the guides of the Church are worthy of double honour both in respect of governing and teaching but especially for their paines in teaching so that the Apostle noteth two parts or duties of Presbyteriall offices not two sorts of Presbyters This is manifestly against the Text which speaketh of officers not of offices of persons not of duties for it is not said especially for labouring c. But especially they that labour c. Secondly he saith among Elders some laboured principally in governing and ministering the Sacraments some in preaching So Paul sheweth that he preached and laboured more then all the Apostles but baptised few or none And when Paul and Barnabas were companions and their travells equall yet Paul was the chiefe speaker so that though both were worthy of double honour yet Paul especially But for answer to this First we would gladly know what warrant had hee for expounding Pauls more aboundant labouring then all the Apostles of his preaching alone Secondly what warrant for such a distinction of Elders that some laboured principally in governing some in preaching Because Paul preached and did not baptise and because hee was the chiefe speaker when hee and Barnabas travelled together therefore some Elders laboured in governing some in preaching good Logick forsooth Thirdly thought he that the Apostle did ever account such Ministers as doe not mainly labour in preaching to be worthy of double honour nay it was never the Apostles minde to allow any honour farre lesse double honour either to non-preaching or to seldome preaching Ministers Vt quid enim doctor appellatur nisi ut docâ—at saith Chrysostome 4. Tell me whether is preaching a duty belonging to all the Ministers of the Gospell or not if it be not the duty of all then it is the duty of none but a work of supererogation or some such thing for if some be not bound to preach by their Presbyteriall order and vocation what is there that should binde others to preach The order and calling of a Presbyter is alike common to all Now if all bee bound to preach which Field himselfe seemeth to say in his first glosse when hee calleth paines in teaching a part or duty of the Presbyteriall office no lesse then governing how shall those Presbyters bee worthy of double honour who doe not the duties of their Presbyteriall office but leave the one halfe of them undone Thirdly saith Field there were some that remained in certaine places for governing of those who were already wonne by the preaching of the Gospell others travelled with great labour from place to place to preach Christ to such as had never heard of him Both these were worthy of double honour but especially the later who did not build upon anothers foundation nor governe those whom others had gained The Poet would here answere Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri A Physitian would haply say that to prevent the recidivation is as much worth as the cure But I answer 1. There is no such opposition in the Text but a subordination rather for Elders who labour in the word and doctrine are not contra-distinguished from Elders that rule well but are declared to bee one kinde of Elders that rule well 2. Though the Apostles and Evangelists travelled from one Countrey to another to preach Christ to such as never heard of him yet where hath hee read that some of these who were meere Presbyters for of such speaketh the Text in hand did so likewise It rather appeareth from Act. 14.23 Tit. 1.5 that Elders were ordained in every Citie there to remain at their particular charges and no Elders finde we ordained by the Apostles ordinatione vaga We have heard D. Fields three glosses upon this place in
heare Hierome and Chrysostome who lived both in the same age with Ambrose what doth a Bishop saith Hierome ordination excepted which a Presbyter may not doe By ordination alone saith Chrysostome are the Bishops higher and this onely they seem to have more then Prebyters Which were not true if Bishops had then governed the Churches by themselves excluding the counsell and advice of Presbyters Yea though ordination was the only one thing which made the difference Ambrose himself sheweth that Presbyters in Egypt did also ordain when the Bishop was not present We have heard Sutcliffe and Doctor Field but Saravia and after him Tilen and after them both Hall hath forged another glosse upon the place of Ambrose They boldly averre that the Elders without whose counsell Ambrose saith nothing was done in the Church were Elders by age and not by office We reply First falshood cannot keepe its feet Before we heard Saravia maintaine that the Seniors among the Jewes who sate in Ecclesiasticall Assemblies with the Priests and had equall suffrages therein with the Priests were their Rulers and their Magistrates now he telleth us they were old men Elders by age only not by office Secondly in his defence of that same twelveth Chapter against Beza hee acknowledgeth that the Christian Church had other Elders by office besides the Ministers of the Word The Church saith hee hath had Elders some by divine institution as the Pastors of Churches and Ministers of the Word of God Others by condition of age or office or estimation or learning and experience How could hee then astrict the words of Ambrose to Elders by age onely 3. Where was it ever read or heard that old men who had no Ecclesiasticall office were taken into the assemblies of the Church so that nothing was done without their counsell 4. The Elders of whom Ambrose speaketh are opposed to the Teachers therefore they are not Elders by age for such are some of the Teachers themselves 5. Ambrose indeed in his preceding words had expounded the place of the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.1 of Elders by age but thereupon he tooke occasion to speake of Elders by office also 6. That the Elders which wee read to have been in the Jewish Church were not Elders by age Basil sheweth plainly whose testimony we shall heare by and by CHAP. IX Other Testimonies of Antiquity THus having cleared the place of Ambrose come we now to other testimonies of the Ancients Tertullian in his Apologeticke against the nations speaking of the Meetings and Assemblies of Christians sheweth that besides other things done therein they had also corrections censures and excommunication and that in the exercise of this discipline Praesident probati quique Seniores honorem â—stum non pretio sed testimonio adepti with us doe sit all the approved Seniors as presidents or rulers having obtained this honour not by price but by a good testimony Cyprian in his Epistles doth often protest that from the beginning of his Bishopricke he did all things by common consent and advice both of his Clergie people Will any man thinke that in ordination excommunication reconciliation of penitents and such like things whereof Cyprian speaketh in these places he sought the counsell and advice of the whole Congregation and of all and every one therein or rather that the people gave their counsell and consent by the Eldership representing them Surely this doing of all things with the advice and counsell of the whole both Clergy and People he otherwhere sheweth to have beene nothing else but the doing of all things by the advice counsell of the Presbytery which had not been so if there had not been in the Presbytery some of all sorts to represent the rest Omni actu saith he adme perlato placuit contrahi Presbyterium c. ut firmato consilio quid observari deberet consensu omnium statueretur Epiphanius writing to Iohn Bishop of Ierusalem concerning the tearing of a vaile which hee had seene in the Church of a village called Anablatha with the image of Christ or some Saint upon it and concerning another vaile which he had sent for it intreateth him to give order to the Elders of that place to receive the vaile from the bearer It is not to bee thought there were many preaching Elders in a small village hee speaketh in the plurall Precor ut jubeas Presbyteros ejusdem loci c. Basilius Mâ—gnus in his Commentary upon Isa. 3.2 where the Lord threatneth to take away from Israel the Ancient or the Elder sheweth from Numb 11.16 how warily such Elders were to be chosen and that their gifts not their age made them Elders he proveth from Dan. 13.50 which is the history of Susanna where the Jewish Elders at Babylon say to young Daniel Come sit downe among us and shew it us seeing God hath given thee the honour of an Elder Then he addeth Ad hunc c. After this mâ—nner sometimes it happeneth that youths are found in honour to be preferred to these Elders who slothfully and negligently lead their life These Elders then among the Iewes were falsly so câ—lled for God tooke away as the man of warre and the Prophet so the Elder from the people of the Iewes Therefore let the Church pray that the Elder worthy to be so called be not taken away from her self The whole tenor of his discourse importeth that the Christian Churches had such Elders as wee read to have been in the Jewish Church whereof Daniel was one And of them hee seemed to mean a little before Habet c. The Church also hath Iudges who can agree brother and brother Chrysostome compareth the Church to a house because as in a house there are wife children and servants and the care or government of all is incumbent to the master of the family So is it in the Church wherein beside the ruler of the same nothing is to bee seen but as it were wife children and servants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if the Governour of the Church saith he hath fellows or consorts in the government thereof so hath the man also the wife to be his consort in the government of his house If it be said that by the Ruler of the Church he meaneth the Bishop and by his consorts preaching Presbyters who are the Bishops helpers in the government of the Church I answer If wee understand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishop then wee make Chrysostome contradict himselfe for in his next Homily hee sheweth plainly that Presbyters have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ruling of the Church as well as Bishops and that the whole purpose of his former Homily agreed to Presbyters no lesse then Bishops Now then who were the consorts which Pastors of Churches or preaching Elders had in the government of the Church Could they bee any other then Ruling Elders Hierome upon that place of Isaiah saith Et nos habemus in Ecclesia
expounded of maintainance and obedience for by double honour wee may either simply understand much honour or by way of comparison double honour in respect of the Widowes whom hee had before commanded to honour as Calvin expoundeth the place Both these Interpretations doth Oecumenius give upon the same place The other question propounded by D. Field concerning Ruling Elders shall have a resolution in that which followeth and so J will proceed conceiving that which hath beene said for Ruling Elders shall satisfie such as desire to understand though nothing can satisfie the malicious nor them who are willingly ignorant Here endeth the first Booke THE Second Part concerning the Assemblies of the Church of SCOTLAND and Authority thereof CHAP. I. Of popular Government in the Church THere bee some that call in question the Warrant and Authority of classicall Presbyteries of provinciall Synods and Nationall Assemblies as they are used and maintained in the Church of Scotland I meane not the Praelaticall faction whom we set aside but even some who are as Antiepiscopall as we are The Scrupulosity of such at least of many such herein doth we conceive proceed not from any perversnesse of mind but onely from certaine mistakings which better information may remove But first of all wee require those whom we now labour to satisfie to condescend upon another point viz. that the exercise of Ecclesiasticall power and jurisdiction in a particular Congregation ought not to bee committed to the whole collective body thereof but is peculiar to the Eldership representing the same for in vaine doe wee debate the other point concerning Presbyteries and Assemblies if this latent prejudice still occupy their minds that the Government of the Church must needs be popular exercised by the collective body which happily may in some sort bee done within the bounds of a well limited Congregation but is manifestly inconsistent with classicall Presbyteries Synods because the collective Bodies of all particular Congregations within the bounds of a shire of a Province of a Nation cannot bee ordinarily nor at all ordinatly assembled together and if they could I beleeve that the Separatists themselves would in that case allow a dependencie or subordination of particular Congregations unto the more generall Congregation So that the point of popular government being once cleared it shall facilitate the other question concerning the Subordination of particular Elderships to classâ—icall Presbyteries Synods Now there are good reasons why this popular government or exercise by jurisdiction by all can not be admitted into a Congregation First in every Christian Congregation there are some Rulers some ruled some Governors some governed some that command some that obey as is manifest from Hebr. 13.17 1. Thes. 5.12 1. Tim. 5.17 But if the whole Congregation have the Rule and Government who then shall be ruled and governed It will be answered that in the exercise of jurisdiction every Member is to act according to it's owne condition the head as the head the eye as the eye c. that the Rulers and Governors of a Congregation are to have the principall conduâ— of businesse and to bee Heads Eares Mouths c. to the Congregation But this simile maketh rather for us then against us for though every member bee usefull and steadable in the body according to it 's owne condition yet every member neither can nor doth exercise those principall actions of seeing hearing tasting c. I say not that other members cannot see heare taste as the eyes eares and mouth doe but they cannot at all see heare nor taste So if the Rulers of a Congregation be as the eyes eares mouth c. then other members of the Congregation cannot at all act those actions of government which they act Hence it is that some who make the whole Congregation the first subject of the power of spirituall Jurisdiction doe notwithstanding hold that the whole Church doth exercise the said jurisdiction as Principium quod the Eldership alone as Principium quo even as the whole man seeth as Principium quod the eye alone as Principium quo and so of all the rest Thus doe they put a difference betwixt the power it selfe and the exercise of it ascribing the former to the collective body of the Church the latter to the representative knowing that otherwise they could not preserve the distinction of Rulers and ruled in the Church Secondly it is well knowne that in Congregations the greater part are not fit to exercise Jurisdiction for they can not examine the Doctrine and abilities of Ministers how should they ordaine them They can not judge of questions and controversies of faith how shall they determine the same They can not find out and discover Hereticks how shall they excommunicate them It is answered that this evill proceedeth from another viz. That there is too much sloth and oversight in the admission of such as are to be members of a Congregation and that they would be fit enough to doe their duty if they were all Saints they meane appearantly and in the judgement of charity such Rom. 1.7 1 Cor. 1 2. Eph. 1 1. But say we againe 1. Why may wee not hold that when the Apostle writeth to the Saints at Rome at Corinth c. he meaneth not that all who were in those Churches were either truely or appearantly Saints for some wicked ones there were among them and manifestly vitious Rom. 16 17 18. 1 Cor. 5.9.11 But that his meaning is to direct his Epistles to so many as were Saints at Rome Corinth c. mentioning them alone because to them and to none but them did God send his word for a blessing it being sent to others that they may goe and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken as the Prophet speaketh 2. If it should be granted that the Apostle giveth the name of Saints to all and every one that were in the Churches of Rome Corinth and Ephesus yet Mr. Ainsworth himselfe answering Mr. Bernard holdeth that they are called Saints by externall calling onely wherewith many are called who are not chosen and who have no appearant markes of election Others say that they were called Saints in respect of their baptisme wherein they were all consecrated and devoted to God Some say that they were all Saints in respect of their profession 3. Howsoever it was that they were all called Saints yea put the case they had beene all truely Saints surely their sanctification can not import their fitnesse to exercise jurisdiction in the Church The former is a speciall grace of the holy Spirit given to one for his owne Salvation The other is a common gift of the Spirit given for the benefit of the Church Thirdly it were not possible to exercise jurisdiction by a whole Congregation without great confusion and disorder therefore this way cannot be from God who is not the author of confusion but of order If it be answered that order may be kept
desideret 5. Adde unto these a distinction betwixt a Congregation lying alone in an Iland Province or Nation and a Congregation bordering with sister Churches If either there be but one Congregation in a Kingdome or Province or if there be many farre distant one from another so that their Pastors and Elders cannot ordinarily meete together then may a particular Congregation doe many things by it selfe alone which it ought not to doe where there are adjacent neighbouring Congregations together with which it may and should have a common Presbytery 6. Let us put a difference betwixt the subordination of one Congregation to another or of ore Eldership to another and the subordination of any Congregation and of the Eldership thereof to a superior Presbytery or Synod made out of many Congregations as one provinciall Synod is not subject to another Provinciall Synod yet all the Provinciall Synods in the Nation are subjeâ—t 〈◊〉 the Nationall Synod so it is also with the ordinary consistories one particular Eldership is not subject to another yet all the particular Elderships within the bounds of the common Presbytery are subject to the same So that there is a vast difference betwixt this subordination which we maintaine and the subordination of all the Parishes in a Diocesse to the Praelate and his Cathedrall Where Douname doth object that all the Parishes of Geneva are Hierarchically subject to the Presbytery in the city Parker denieth this nisi quis c. vnlesse saith he peradveÌ„ture one may be subject to himselfe for the Parishes each for their owne part and that alihe are this same Presbytery And after Consistorium c. for the Consistory of the Cathedrall Church is an externall meeting divers distinct and separate from the rurall Churches which are no part thereof this cannot be said of the Presbytery of Geneva 7. Wee must distinguish betwixt a dependance absolute and in some respect a Congregation doth absolutely depend upon the holy Scriptures alone as the perfect rule of faith and manners of worship and of Church-government for we accurse the tyranny of Prelates who claimed to themselves an autocratoricke power over Congregations to whom they gave their naked will for a Law One of themselves told a whole Synod that they ought to esteeme that best which seemeth so to Superiors and that this is a sufficient ground to the conscience for obeying though the thing be inconvenient We say that Congregations ought indeed to be subject to Presbyteries and Synods yet not absolutely but in the Lord and in things lawfull and to this purpose the constitutions of Presbyteries and Synods are to bee examined by the judgement of Christian discretion for a Synod is Iudex Iudicandus and Regula regulata so that it ought not to be blindly obeyed whether the ordinance be convenient or inconvenient Last of all we are to distinguish betwixt the condition of the Primitive Churches before the division of Parishes and the state of our Churches now after such division At the first when the multitude of Christians in those great cities of Rome Corinth Ephesus c. was not divided into severall Parishes the common Presbytery in the city did suffice for the government of the whole and there was no need of a particular consistory of Elders for every assembly and Congregation of Christians within the city except perhaps to admonish rebuke exhort or to take notice of such things as were to be brought into the common Presbyterie But after that Parishes were divided and Christian Congregations planted in the rurall villages as well as in the cities from henceforth it was necessary that every Congregation should have at hand within it selfe a certaine Consistory for some acts of Church-government though still those of greater importance were reserved to the greater Presbyterie And thus have J out of desire to avoid unnecessary questions set downe my conceptions concerning the Elderships of particular Congregations and the power of the same If it be said that I seeme to deny the divine right of the same or that they have any warrant from the patterne of the Apostolike Churche I answer I acknowledge the conformity of the same with the patterne thus farre 1. It is to bee suposed that in some small cities especially the same not being wholly converted to the Christian faith there was but one Christian Congregation the Eldership whereof did manage matters of jurisdictioÌ„ proper thereto 2. Even in the great cities at the first there was but one Congregation of Christians and so but one particular Eldership 3. After that the Gospell had spread and Christians were multiplied in those great cities it is true they were all governed by a common Presbytery but that Presbytery was not remote but ready at hand among theÌ„selves Now in this we keepe our selves as closse to the patterne as the alteration of the Churches condition by the division of Parishes will suffer us that is to say we have a common Presbytery for governing the Congregations within a convenient circuit but withall our Congregations have ad manum among themselves an inferior Eldership for lesser acts of Government though in respect of the distance of the seate of the common Presbytery from sundry of our Parishes they can not have that ease and benefit of nearenesse which the Apostolique Churches had yet by the particular Elderships they have as great ease of this kinde as conveniently can be CHAP. III. Of greater Presbyteries which some call classes THe word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyterie we find thrice in the New Testament twice of the Iewish Presbytery at Hierusalem Luke 22.66 Act. 22.5 and once of the Christian Presbytery 1. Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee which 〈◊〉 given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Sutlivius and Douname have borrowed from Bellarmine two false glosses upon this place They say by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here we may understand either an assembly of Bishops or the Office of a Presbyter which was given to Timothy To these absurdities let one of their owne side answer Whereas saith D. Forbesse some have expounded the Presbytery in this place to be a company of Bishops unlesse by Bishops thou would understand simple Presbyters it is a violent interpretation and an insolent meaning And whereas others have vnderstood the degree it selfe of Eldership this can not stand for the degree hath not hands but hands are mens J find in Sutlivius a third glosse He saith that the word Presbyterie in this place signifieth the Ministers of the word non juris vinculo sed ut cunque collectos inter quos etiam Apostoli erant Ans. 1. If so then the occasionall meeting of Ministers be it in a journey or at a wedding or a buriall c. shall all be Presbyteries for then they are ut cunque collecti 2. The Apostles did put the Churches 〈◊〉 better order then to leave imposition of hands or
matters of importance which are proper unto the same This the Prelacy did not regard 6. Presbyteries and Synods doe not which the Prelats did imperiously and by their sole arbitrement domineer over congregations for their power is directive only ministeriall and limited by the Lawes of God and Nature and the lawdable Ecclesiasticall Lawes received and acknowledged by the congregations themselves 7. Experience hath shewed us Presbyteriall and Synodicall government to bee not only compatible with but most conduceable for the supportment and comfort of congregations whereas Episcopall government draweth ever after it mâ—lam caâ—dâ—m and a generall grievance of the Churches Some other objections there are for obviating whereof I shall permit and explane a distinction which shall serve to answer them all We may consider a visible Church either metaphysically or politically It is one thing to consider men as living creatures endued with reason another thing to consider them as Magistrates masters fathers children servants c. So is it one thing to consider a visible Church as a society of men and women separated from the blinde world by divine vocation and professing together the Gospell of Jesus Christ. Another thing to consider it as a political body in which the power of Spirituall government and Jurisdiction is exercised some governing and some governed These are very different considerations for first a visible Church being taken entitatively or metaphysically her members doe ordinarily communicate together in those holy things which fall under the power of order which I may call sacra mistica but being taken politically her members communicate together in such holy things as fall within the compasse of the power of Jurisdiction which I may call sacra politica Secondly Infants under age being initiated in Baptisme are actually members of the Church in the former consideration but potentially only in the latter for they neither governe nor yet have the use of reason to bee subject and obedient to those that doe governe Thirdly one must necessarily bee a member of the Church metaphysically beâ—ore he can be a member of the Church politically but not contrariwise Fourthly many visible Churches have sometimes beene and may bee without Officers and so without Ecclesiasticall government and exercise of Jurisdiction for that time yet still retaining the Essence of true visible Churches whereas a Church which never yet had any Officers ordained therein of which kinde there have beene many at the first conversion of a Nation to the Gospell or which hath losed all her Officers by death or persecution is not for that time an Ecclesiasticall Republicke nor can bee such till she have Officers This if they had observed who have taken so great paines to prove that there hath beene and may bee a Church without Officers it should happily have made them thinke their labour lâ—st It might also have taught Henry Iacob to distinguish betweene a Church visible and a Church ministeriall or politicall and not to understand these three termes to be all one as he doth in his Lâ—tter bearing date the 4. of September 1611. pag. 9. Fiftly my being a member of any one visible Church metaphysically giveth me right and title to communicate with another visible Church where for the time I am in sacris misticis such as the word prayer c. But my being a member of any one visible Church politically doth not give me right and title to communicate with another visible Church where for the time I am in sacris politicis such as ordination deposition excommunication c. Hereunto doth Master Robinson assent in these words As a man once baptized is alwaies baptised so is he in all places and Churâ—hes where hee comes as a baptized person to enjoy the common benefits of his baptisme and to discharge the common duties which depend upon it But a Pastor is not a Pastor in every Church where hee comes upon occâ—sion neither can he require in any other Church saving that one over which the holy Ghost hath set him that obedience maintainance and other respects which is due from the officers to the people neither stands he charged with that ministery and service which is due to the people from the officers The like he would have said of an Elder or a Deacon Now this distinction shall serve to answer the obiections following Object Every Christian congregation is a compleat body Ecclesiasticall having all the parts and members and all Church officers which Christ hath instituted therefore every congrgation hath the full and absolute power of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction Answ. Every Christian congregation is a compleate Church or body of Christ metaphysically that is hath the compleate Essence of a true visible Church yet every such congregation is not a compleate Ecclesiasticall Republicke except in some certaine cases whereof wee have spoken Chap. 2. And further we answer that this objection is alledged to prove that 2 or 3 gathered together in the name of Christ have immediately under Christ the full power of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction but sure I am that two or three gathered together in the name of Christ are not a compleate Ecclesiasticall body having all the members and officers which Christ hath instituted for they themselves hold that in every Christian congregation by Christs institution there ought to be at least five Officers and when those five shall be had there must bee also a certaine number of Christian people to bee governed and served by them So that their Argument doth not conclude that which they propose to prove Object They who have received Christ have received with him power and right to enjoy him though all the world bee against it in all the meanes and ordinances by which hee doth communicate himselfe unto the Church But every company of faithfull people if they be but two or three have received Christ therefore every such company c. Answ. If by the receiving of Christ they meane the receiving of Christ on his throne or the receiving of him in his ordinance of Church government then wee deny their Assumption for every company of faithfull people is not a Church politically as wee have shewed already Indeed every company of faithfull people who have received Christ in this manner hath right and title to enjoy him in all his politicall ordinances yet not independently but by a certaine order and subordination But if by the receiving of Christ they meane receiving of him to salvation or receiving of him by his Word and Spirit wee grant that not onely every company of faithfull people but every particular Christian hath right and title to enjoy him in the mystical ordinances of the Word Prayer c. as often as the same can be had yea further hath right and title to the fruit and benefit of Ecclesiasticall jurisdicton the exercise whereof is committed by Christ to the officers of the Church Intuitu Ecclesiae tanquam finis But that every company of faithfull people