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A41016 Sacra nemesis, the Levites scourge, or, Mercurius Britan. disciplin'd, [Mercurius] civicvs [disciplin'd] also deverse remarkable disputes and resolvs in the Assembly of Divines related, episcopacy asserted, truth righted, innocency vindicated against detraction. Featley, Daniel, 1582-1645. 1644 (1644) Wing F593; ESTC R2806 73,187 105

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third Figure and also of a Prison Ovid M●tam l. 1. terras Astraea reliquit See the gentle Lash p. 5. Brit. pag. 67. Ans. Apol. Eccl. Ang. p. 2. c. 1. divis 1. Vid. Vossium de 36 Symbolis The second Speech to the eighth Article Act 14 Trin In ep. ad Polon Iohn 5.26 Hom. de temp. 88. The definition of justification The second Speech to the eleventh Article Calvin praefat. Institut Cypri de ce●t Dom. Piscator and Tilenus Obj. Sol 1 Obj. Sol. 2. Sol. 3. Sol. 4. Sol. 5. The third Speech to the eleventh Article The fourth speech to the eleventh Article Obj. 1. Obj. 2. Obj. 3. Sol. Obj. 4. Sol. Obj. 5. Sol. The fifth speech to the eleventh Article Arg. 1. Resp. Replic. Arg. 2. Advers. Resp. Replicatio Arg. 3. Resp. Advers. Replic. In Rom. 5. assumpt. But the ●●ghteousnesse of Christ as he was a sacrifice for sin was to be unspotted wholly and without sin Hebr. Ergo as he was a sacrifice for sin his holinesse was imputed unto us Arg. 4. Advers. Sol. Replicatio The VOTE Eccl. 7.29 1 Pet. 2.25 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Act. 1.20 * Ambros com in Ephes. c. 4. v. 10. Apostoli sunt Episcopi Ierom. ad Marcel apud nos Apostolorum locum tenent Episcopi Cyp. ep. l. 3. Apostolos id est Episcopos praepositos Dominus elegit August in Ps. 45. loco patrum erunt filii ●d est Apostolorum Episcopi Et ibid. dilatatum est Evangelium in omnibus finibus mundi in quibus principes ecclesia id est Episcopi sunt constituti * Aug. ep. 162 comment in Apoc. hom 2. Ambrose 1 1 Cor. 11.16 ●●cumeniu● Areth●s Marlorat Pareus in Apoc. c 1.2 Policarp Episcopus Smyrnae Onesimus Ephesi Antipa● Pergami c. * Edi● Teclae it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} thy wife which demonstrateth that the A●gell there signifieth one singular man of authority in the Church and not the whole clergy of that place Ep ad Episc. Winton * Concil. Nice can. 5. conc. Antioch can 6. Conc. Sard. can. 14. conc Chal. act 15. c. 29. ●gnatius in ep. ad Philad. Irenaeus l. ● c. 3. Tertul. l. de baptismo Euse. l. ● c. 40. Ierom ep ad Nep●t Optatus l. 1. cont. Parmen. Amb. in Eph. cap. 4. Basil. Eph. 70. Epiphanius haeres 75. p. 295. Aug ad quod vult D●u● A●riam ab AErio quodam sunt nominati qui cum esse● presbyter dolu●sse fertur quod Episcop●● non potuit ordinari di●●bat presbyterum ab Ep●scopo nulla ●is●r●ntia debere disce●n● Hieron. in Tit. Con. 1. art 15. c. 29 Episcopum in presbyteri gradum reducere est sacrilegium Anatolius constant Episcop dixit i●qui dicuntu● ab Episcopal● dignitat● ad presbyteri ordinem descendi●●e si 〈…〉 causis condemnanturnec presbyteri honore digni sunt See Art 36. ● de consecrat It is evident to all men reading holy Scriptures ancient authors that from the Apostles time there have bin these three orders in the Church of Christ and that a Bishop ought to correct and punish such as are unquiet ●riminous and disobedient within his diocesse according to such authoritie as he hath by the word of God * Vide record in Exchequer I wil preserve and maintain to you the Churches cōmitted to your charges all Canonicall priviledges and I will be your protector and defender to my power by the assistance of God as every good King in his kingdome in right ought to defend the Bishops and Churches under their government c. Then laying his hand on the book on the communion table he sayth the things which I have before promised I shall perform and keep so help me God and by the contents of this book * Cic. Tusc. quaest. * Pro Mur. tolle no●en Catonis * Statut. Ed. 3. ann. 25. The Church of England was founded in the state of prelacie c. for we owe to it our best laws made in the Saxon times and Charta magna it self The union of the two Roses Yo●k and Lancaster the marriage with Scotland and above all the plantation reformation of true religion See Vindication of Episcopacie page 23 24. See also the statute book of 16. Rich. 2. where the Commons ●hew that the Prelates were much profitable and necessarie to their Soveraign Lord the K. and the realm c. * Ierome advers. Luc. c. 4. Ecclesiae salu● à summi sacerdot● dignitate pendet cui si non ●xors quaedam ab omnibus em●nens detur protestas tot in ecclesia efficientur schismata quot sacerdotes Cypr. ep. 3. non aliunde haereses abortae sunt aut nata schismata quam inde quod sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur nec unus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos ad tempus judex● vice Christi cogitatur * Athanas. apol. 2. Colithus quidam presbyter in ecclesia Alexandrina alios presbyteros ordinare praesumpserat sed rescissa fuit ejus ordinatio omnes ab eo constituti presbyteri in laic●rum ordinem redacti See Epiph. haer. 75. The order of Bishops begets Fathers in the Church but the order of Presbyters sonnes in baptisme but no Fathers or Doctors See also ● Abbot in his 〈◊〉 of the visibilitie of the Church and in his answer to Hill * Apol. confess Augustan c. de numero usu sacrament ●os saepe pro●estati sumus summa cum voluntate conservare p●litiam eccl●siasticam g●adus in ecclesia factos etiam summa authoritate scimus enim utili consilio ecclesiacticam disciplina hanc modo quo vet●res eam d●scribunt constitutam Luther tom. 2. p. 320. Nemo contra statū episcoporum veros episcopos vel bonos pastores dictum putet quicquid contra hos tyrannos dicitur * Gerard de ministerio eccles. Nemo nostrum dicit nihil interesse inter episcopum presbyterum sed agnoscimus distinctionem graduum propter {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ecclesiae ut concordia conservetur * Calv. de necess reform ecclesiae Talem nobis hierarchiam s● exbibeant in qua sic emin●a●t episcopi ut Ch●isto subeste non recusent ut ab illo tanquam unico capite pendeant ad ipsum referantur in qua sic inter se fraternam societa●em colant ut non alio modo quam ejus veritate si●t colligati tum vero nullo non anathemate dignos fateo● si qui erunt qui non ●am ●everenter summaque obedientia observent * Beza de grad. minist. evang. c. 18. Sess. 3. Quod si nunc ecclesiae instau●atae Anglicanae suorum Episcoporum Archiepisc●porum authoritate suffultae perstant quemadmodum hoc illis nostra memoria contigit ut eju● ordinis homines non ●antum insignes Dei Martyres sed etiam praestantissimos Doctores Pastores habuerit c. Brit. p. 67. Ans. M. Nye Brit. p. 68. Ans. See the testimonies of Dr. Moulin and other forraign divines in the Coroll●●ie The handmaid to devotio● The Author of the book intituled A safeguard from Ship wrak A●●s forbiddeth not all usurie but biting usurie in his Cases of Consciences Plutarch Apopl● Brit. p. 68. Answ. Turtul praescript * Cook at the Bridge foot Cic. pro Sylla Isocr ad Daem●nicum Hesiod l. 1 ●p dies Adag. Homerica nube tectus Ve●itas tempo●is filia A Book so intituled Ans. Mat. 5. ● See the statu● 16. Rich. 2. and the 25 of Edw. 3. See Sphyni● Philosophica Ps●l 69 2● Basil. ●p 62. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Guillaume Herbert in the Epistle dedicatorie prefixed to his translation of Doct. Featley's Handmaid of devotion into French Wolsgangus Meyer in his Epistle dedicatorie before his Dutch translation The Grand Sacriledge printed Lond. 1630. In the Vote Sept. 29. against the Dr. all the other articles are waved see the record supr. Cic. pro Cl●●as
Super-indendents in Germanie Presidents in the reformed Synods in France and Masters Provosts and Heads of Colledges and Halls in our Universities who have a kind of prelacie and authoritie over the fellows and students whereof the major part are Divines and in holy orders Here I conceive it will be said that none of these are aimed at but only Diocesan Bishops alreadie banished out of Scotland and prelates indeed they are in a more eminent degree and if prelacie be restrained to them it is Episcopacie that is principally shot at to the extirpation whereof I dare not yeeld my vote or suffrage lest this new Oath intangle me in perjurie For both my self and all who have received orders in this Kingdom by the imposition of Episcopall hands have freely engaged our selves by oath to obey our Ordinarie and to submit to his godly judgement and in all things lawfull and honest to receive his commands if then we now swear to endeavour the abolishing of Epscopacy we swear to renounce our canonicall obedience that is as I apprehend we swear to forswear our selves It is true that the Dr was furnished with many other reasons for episcopacy besides these and of some he gave a hint in the assembly it self upon other occasions as namely SECT. VIII Sixteen reasons for episcopall government THat the name of episcopacy even as it signifieth a degree of eminency in the Church is a sacred and venerable title first in holy scripture ascribed to our blessed Redeemer who as he is dominus dominantium lord of lords so also episcopus episcoporum bishop of bishops the shepheard and bishop of all our souls next to the Apostles whose office in the Church is stiled by the holy Ghost Episcope a bishoprick let another take his bishoprick though it be translated let another take his office yet the originall signifies not an office at large but an episcopall function that office which Iuda● lost and Matthias was elected into which was the office and dignitie of an Apostle * lastly to those whom the Apostles set over the Churches as namely to Timothy and Titus who in the subscription of the Apostles letters divinely inspired are stiled Bishops in the restrained sense of the word 2 Tim. 4. written from Rome to Timoth●us the first bishop elected of the church of Ephesus and to Titus the first elect Bishop of the church of the Cretians how ancient these subscriptions are it is not certain among the learned if they bear not the same date with the Epistles themselves the contrary wherof neither is nor can be demonstrated yet they are undoubtedly very ancient and of great authority and in them the word bishop cannot be taken at large for any minister or presbyter but for a singular person in place and dignitie above other pastors for there were many other presbyters in Ephesus both before and besides Timothy Acts 20.27.18 and in the Island of Creet or Candie there must of necessity be more then one pastor or minister Besides S. Paul investeth Timothy in episcopall power making him a judge of presbyters both to rebuke them 1 Tim. 5.1 and to prefer and reward them ver. 17. and to censure them ver. 19. Against an elder receive no accusation but under two or three witnesses and he giveth to Titus expressely both potestatem ordinis jurisdictionis of order and jurisdiction of order in those words c. 1.5 That thou shouldst ordain elders in every citie and of jurisdiction I left thee in Creet that thou shouldst continue {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to correct or redresse the things that remained or those things which the Apostle before intended to amend but had not redressed 2. The Angels of the seven churches Apoc. 10.20 were no other in the judgement of the best learned * commentators both ancient and later then the bishops of those sees for in those provinces or territories there cannot be conceived to be lesse then many hundred ordinary preachers and pastors yet there were but seven precisely answering to the seven golden candlesticks seven candlesticks seven lights burning in them these can be no other then seven prime pastors who had the oversight of the rest for the errors and abuses in all those churches are imputed to them and they reproved for not redressing them c. 2.14 Thou hast them that maintain the doctrine of Baalam and v. 20. Thou sufferest the * woman Iezebel to teach c. 3. It is confessed by Molinaeus and other learned patrons of presbyteriall government themselves that episcopacy is a plant either set in the church by the Apostles themselves or their immediate successors in the first and best ages of the Church and is it agreeable to piety to swear the extirpation of such a plant 4. It cannot be denyed that when the Church most flourished and was of far larger extent then now it is over the face of the christian world there was no * other government then episcopacy regulated by divine precepts and ecclesiasticall canons and shall we swear to extirpate that government under the which the church most thrived and flourished Shall we swear against our prayers viz. for the rooting out of that upon which we are enjoyned to pray God to pour down the dew of his blessing surely the dew of heaven burns not the root of any plant upon earth but waters it and makes it grow 5. They were bishops who had the chiefest hand first in the plantation of christian religion in the dayes of Lucius king of Britain and after in the ●estitution in the days of Etheldred King of Kent and in the reformation of it in the reign of Edward the 〈◊〉 and Queen Elizabeth and is it a religiou● act to e●adicate tha● government and power which both planted and pr●ned religion it 〈◊〉 6. Christ died not intestate he made his last Will and Testament and by it bequeathed many legacies ●o his Church and among them not onely catholike doctrine but di●cipline also thi● discipline if it be not Episcopall government moderated by Evangelicall and Apostolicall rules the whole Church is guiltie of the losse of a sacred and precious jewell for certain it is out of records of all ages of the Church that no other wa● ever retained or can be found save thi● before the religious reformer and magistrates of Geneva having banished their Popish Bishops were after a sort necessitated to draw a new plat-forme of Ecclesiasticall discipline by Lay-Elders Christ as the Apostle teacheth us was faithfull in the house of God as Moses and if Moses after his fortie dayes speech with God on the mount received a pattern from God and delivered it to the Iewes not only of doctrine but of discipline also which continued till Christs comming in the flesh it cannot be conceived but that Christ lest a pattern of government to his Church to continue till the end of the world and doubtlesse his Apostles with whom he conversed forty
dayes after his resurrection speaking of those things which appertain to the kingdom of God Acts 3.1 delivered that to the Church which they received from their Master What government or discipline was that There can be conceived but three formes of government Episcopall most conformable to Monarchie Presbyteriall to A●istoc●acie and Independent as they tearm it to Democracie Presbyteriall or Independent it could not be for Presbyteriall is no elder then the reformation in Geneva and the Independent no elder then New-England whereas Episcopall government hath been time out of mind no● in one bu● in all Churches and sith it was not first constituted by any sanction of a generall Councell it followes necessarily according to S. Augustins observation that it must needs be an Apostolicall institution for what not one Church but all Churches not in one age but all ages hath uniformly observed and practised and no man can define who after the Apostles were the beginners of it must needs be supposed to be done by order or tradition from them 7. This forme of government was not only generally received and embraced by Catholikes but even by heretikes and 〈◊〉 who though they severed from the communion of the Church in doctrine yet not in discipline for the Novatians and Donatists had Bishops of their own from whom they took their names only AErius who stood for a Bishoprick and missed it out of discontent broached that new doctrine wherewith the heads of our schismatiks are so much intoxicated viz. that there ought to be no distinction in the Church between a Bishop and a Presbyter and for this confounding those sacred orders was himselfe ranked among heretiks and stands upon record in the Bed●olls of them made by Epiphanius Augustin and Philastrius It is true he had other brands on him but this was the proper mark put upon him by those ancient fathe●s who mention this tenet of his as erroneous and hereticall I grant some of the ancient Doctors affirm that in the beginning till the prevention of schism made this distinction between Bishops and Presbyters they were all one in name as now they are in those essentiall parts of their function viz. preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments But AErius was the first who professedly oppugned the ecclesiasticall hierarchie maintaining that there ought to be no difference and distinction between Bishops and Elders 8. This assertion of AErius as in the doctrine thereof it was def●ned by the Doctors of the Church to be heresie so in the practise thereof it is condemned by the great councell of Chalcedon to be sacriledge to confound say they the ranks of Bishops and Elders and to bring down a Bishop to the inferior degree of an Elder is no l●sse then sacriledge Now I would fain know how that comes to be truth now which was condemned for heresie and to be pietie now which was branded for sacriledge above 1200 years agoe 9. Neither were the Fathers of the councell of Chalcedon only zealous in this cause which so much concerned the honour of the Church but the other three also whose authoritie S. Gregorie held to be the next to the four Evangelists and the doctrine thereof is after a sort incorporated into our Acts of Parliament Eliz. 1. In these councells which all consisted of Bishops Episcopacie it self is almost in everie canon and sanction either asserted or regulated 10. Next to the primitive Church we owe a reverend respect to the reformed Churches beyond the seas who either have bishops as in Poland Transilvania Denmark and Swethland or the same function is in nature though not in name to wit intendents and super-intendents or they would have them if they could as I understood from manie Ministers in France or at least approve of them as appeareth by the testimonie of Beza Sadiel Scultetus and others 11. What should I speak of the Articles of religion ratified by a sequence of religious Princes succeeding one the other and confirmed by act of Parliament to which all beneficed men are required under pain of losse of their livings within a moneth to professe their assent and consent in which both the power and consecration of bishops and ministers is expressely asserted and their distinction from presbyters or of the Statute of Carlile the 15 of Edw. 2. and the first of Qu. Eliz. with very many other unrepealed Acts in which episcopall government is either related unto or regulated or confirmed in such sort that quite to abolish and extirpate it would bring a confusion and make a stop as well in secular as ecclesiasticall courts And therefore our zealous reformers if they think themselves not too good to be advised by the great councellor ought to take heed how they rashly and unadvisedly pluck up the tares as they esteem them of holy canons and ecclesiasticall laws ne simul ●radicent triticum lest together with those tares as they count them they pluck up by the roots the good wheat of many profitable and wholesome laws of the common wealth and Acts of Parliament 12. But if the authoritie of both houses could soon cure the●e sores in precedent Acts of Parliament yet how will they make up the breaches in the consciences of all those who in the late Protestation and this new Covenant have taken a solemn oath to maintain the priviledges of the members of Parliament and the liberties of the subject The most authenticall evidence whereof are Charta magna and the Petition of right in both which the rights of the Church and priviledges of episcopall sees are set down in the fore-front in capitall letters 13. To strain this string a little higher the power of granting congedeliers together with the investiture of Arch-bishops Bishops and collation of Deanries and Prebends with a setled revenue from the first fruits and tenths thereof is one of the fairest flowers in the Kings crown and to rob the imperiall diadem of it considering the King is a Person most sacred is sacriledge in a high degree and not sacriledge only but perjurie also in all those who attempt it For all Graduates in the Universitie and men of rank and qualitie in the Common-wealth who are admitted to any place of emminent authoritie or trust take the oath of Supremacie whereby they are bound to defend and propugne all preemminences authorities and prerogatives annexed to the imperiall crown whereof this is known to be one inherent in the King as he is supream head of the Church within his realms and defender of the faith 14. Yet for all this admit that reason of state should inforce the extirpation of episcopacie thus rooted as it hath been said both in the royall prerogative and priviledge of the subject and in the laws of of the land it is a golden maxime of law possumus quod jure possumut we can doe no more then lawfully we may If episcopall government must be overthrown it must be done in