2 7. laying Apostolicall hands on them and being afterwards met in Councill they made a Decrce or Canon for the present deportment of the Churches and according as the present number of the Apostles was either more or lesse so they executed the same power and authority by sewer in number Act. 8.14.17 for Peter and Iohn being come to Samaria they two onely executed the same office by Ordination of others with imposition of hands and with Prayer which makes it appeare that this Commission was committed to the Apostles Conjunction et divisim and it was necessary to be so seeing they were to be dispersed the one from the other for Conversion of the Nations of the world In so much as the same office which was executed Conjunction by all joyntly whiles they were together was shortly after onely executed by two of them but it must be reduced to one alone or else peradventure it will not satisfie though for my owne part this President of executing it by two is sufficient to make it appeare that this Commission and office was given Divisim to be executed by any one as well as by any two of the Twelve there being no expresse direction to authorize two more than any one but it being naturally included and so the Apostles rightly understood it it was sufficient Nam expressio eorum quae tacite insunt nibil operatur What is included need not be expressed Num. 29 But to make it full it shall God willing be here made apparent that both before the Apostles were severed and dispersed among the Gentiles and afterwards Execution by one Episcopally this Office and Commission was executed by one of the Apostles alone whilest the company of the Apostles were at Hierusalem it pleased God that Samaria received the word and there one Simon Magus seeing the holy Ghost was given by Imposition of hands by Peter and Iohn Hee would have purchased the Holy-Ghost with money whereupon Saint Peter alone making use of the Keyes Acts 8.18 9 20 21 binds Him with this Malediction That he had no part nor portion in that matter and his money perish with him And how fast it stucke to him both Scripture and Ecclesiasticall story doe relate And Ananias and Saphyra dissembling and lying were so bound by Saint Peters sole Act of binding as divine Iustice smiting at the Cue thereof both fell downe dead to the great amazement and wonder of the Spectators Acts 5.1.1010 wherein he exercised this Office of Binding And Saint Peter being come to Casarea at the request of Cornelius Hee commanded that Cornelius and the company should be baptized which was done accordingly by which Act Saint Peter did exercise his Office of Commanding Acts. 10 44 4S and obedience was yeelded upon his sole Câ—mmand and Saint Paul reasoning in the Synagagnes of the lowes and finding them to be opposers of his Dâ—ctrine and Blesphemers of Christ He sbooke his raiment and by the Power of the Keyes exercised by himself alone Acts 18.2.5.6 He did bind them to heare their blood upon their â—wne hâ—ads and so it afterwards succeeded accordingly And be having summoned at Milet us the Elders the Spirituall Governours and Superintendants of the Church saves Spiritus Sanctus so Act. 10.17.18 constituit Episcopos ye are by the Holy Ghost made Bishops And rebuking the Church of Corinth for their Sedition and Division He tels them He was a Master-builder whose Office is to direct how and in what manor the fabricke shall be framed and erected i Cor. â— 3.10 10. and to superview the worke and to command the workefolkes to do e their worke and to place and displace whom he thinkes good for the better ordering of the Businesse And then Saint Faul after some reprooses does give them warning 1 Cor. 4.14,15 which carryes in it the Sence of Authority telling them that though they had ten thousand Teachers yet hee was their Father which imports awe reverence and Power And for that cause Hee sent unto them Timothy Ib. ver. 17. which manifests Saint Paul to be Superiour Mittendo by the Act of Mission and Timothie to be Inferiour and under obedience cundo by Going And moreover Saint Paul reproving them about the Inecstuous person doth behave himselfe therein as their chiefe Bishop exercising this Office both of Government and Ruling and also of Iudgement Doome and censure by Power of the Keyes in binding and loosing For concerning that Offendour 1 Cor. 5. per totum hee sayes I have judged already and then He commands them That in their Assembly they should In the Name of Iesus Christ and Saint Pauls spirit to wit of binding Power Deliver him unto Satan by casting him out of the Communion of that Church for castigation of the flesh that the spirit might be saved And then Hee gives them command Not to associate themselves with Fornicatours covetous persons extortioners or Idolatours and this he did doe in the Spirit or Power of judging For à minore ad majus hee sayes They themselves did passe judgement on them within as for those without the Pale of the Church Hee sayes Hee judged not but leaves them to the judgement of God and then in the power of that Office of Iudging and Commanding Hee requires them to put from among themselves or excommunicate that wicked incestuous person Cor. 2.6 to 10. And as Saint Paul had by the power of the Keyes caused that incestuous person to be excommunicated So be afterwards absolves him saying I forgive him and willed the Corinthians to forgive him too and to restore him his punishment being sufficient and to confirme their love to him and so he tryed An in omunibus obedientes their obedience by it And those Corinthians having had suits in Law one against another in the Courts of Iustiâ—e among Pagans 1 Cor. 6.1 to 9. how does Saint Paul handle them for it even as a man of authority and awfull power Audet aliquis vestrum Dare any of you doe it And concerning the matter of Marriage and single life he gives Rules or Canons as a Supreme Governour To azoyd Fornication Let every man have his owne wife and every woman her owne husband the unmarried and widowes if they could not abstaine to marry And to the married He gave command let not the wife depart from her husband And putting them in mind of his Ordinances or Canons in these and other things Hee praise them for keeping his Ordinances and then He makes more Canons 1 Cor. 11.2 to 15. and 28.1 Cor. 14.34 39. lawes and Ecelesiasticall Ordinances for receiving the Communion in both kinds For uncovering Mens heads and covering woment heads in the Church And for silence to be kept by women in Church assemblies and all things to be done with Decency and Order And as concerning Collections for the Saints hee commands them that looke what Order he had given at
Galatia even so they should doe and repeates it to them 1 Cor. 16.1.2 what that Order was were it not a folly thinke you that Saint Paul should take on him to make Orders Rules and Canons it he did not know He had Power and authority both to create them and also to put them in execution in those severall Churches And the same Saint Paul writing to the Church of Galatia complaines that some had endeavoured to pervert them from the Gospell He by the Power of the Keyes doth accurse with Anathema such False Teachers Si quis whis evangel zazerit praterid quod accepistis Gal. 1.7 8 9. Anathema sit And to the Church of Thessalonica Hee gives his Commands to withdraw themselves from such as walke disorderly and not after the Traditions or Ordinances by them received from Him 2 Thes. 3.6.10 12.14 commanding that he that would not worke should not eate and that with quietnesse they should worke and eate their owne bread and requiring that they which obeyed not his word they should not associate or keepe company with them And as for Hymenaeus and Alexander who were retrograde in the Faith Saint Paul by power of the Keyes did deliver to Satan and in particular Hee binds Alexander the Copper-smith who had done him much Evill to be rewarded by the Lord according to his workes Thus it is manifest that Saint Paul alone as Metropolitan and Superintendent of severall Churches or Diocesses did exercise this Office of Government of making Canons Rules and Ordinances of Mission and Ordination and of censures by Binding and Leosing which He did doe without Conjunction with or assistance of any Consistory or Presbytery or any other with Him as I conceive Num. 30 Episcopacy delegated unto successors And now finally least it should be alledged that though this office was in the Apostles as well divisim as anjunction equally yet it ended with them as to the execution of it by one alone and then it fell into the Church promiscuously or into the Consistory which if any shall say Let it be proved and take it But the contrary appeares evidently for Saint Paul delegated it unto Timothy and Titus the one instituted Bishop of Ephesus and the other Bishop of Crete as is evidenced by these Scripture-particulars Saint Paul tells Timothy that he had disposed of him for Ephesus to the end he should charge others that they should teach no other Doctrine 1 Tim. 1 3â— which carries in it matter of power and Authority not to permit false Doctrine And the Apostle as Metropolitan giveth Timothy his charge and rules how he should governe and order the Ephesian Church willing and appointing how men should pray with hands erected 1 Tim. 1.18 2 Tim. 2.8.0 and women to be adorned with modest apparell with shamefastnesse and modesty learning in silence with subjection nottaking on them to teach or to usurpe authority ower the man And then the Apostle declares as an undoubted truth 2 Tim. 3.1.4.9.11 that the desire of the office of a Bishop is a good worke whose care ought to be to rule his owne Family wel that he may rule the Church the better and he having given Timothy severall instructions he appoints him to command and teach them not onely teach them as a Presbyter but also command as a Superintendent and Superiour otherwise he might command and doe it himselfe and concerning Elders Widdowes and Children hee appoints Timothy to give them in charge to be blamelesse and gives him powor of receiving and rejecting of Widdowes into and out of the care of the Church which is a parcell of authority surely and as for the Elders he appoints Timothy to let them be couâ—ted worthy of double honour 1 Tim. 5.17.19.22 surely then Timothy was a person of greater honour authority other wife he could not conferre honour on others and as for the power of Ecclesiasticall-judicâ—ture Timothy must not receive an accusation against an Eâ—der but before two or three witnesses Which informes me that Timothy had power as an Ecclesiasticall Iudge to heare and determine complaints and to examine witnesses and to give Sentence and Elder being Presbyter sheweth that he was Iudge of Presbyters and Teachers And as for Mission and Ordination it is cleere as the Sunne that Timothy had that power to Execute it alone for he is exhorted suddainly to lay hands on no man and Timothy himselfe was ordained and consecrated to this Office per prophetion aforehand eum impositione manuum presbytery 1 Tim 1.18 and 4.14 with imposition of hands by the Presbyterie non per Presbiteros not by the Presbyters but by the office of the Presbytery which may be done by one as if I say I receive Baptisme at the bands of Priesthood I say true though it be alwayes done by one Minister onely 2. Tim. 1.8 and so it appeares this was For Saint Paul sayes it was perimpositionem Manuum mearum by imposition of my hands which addes confirmation to the former point that one Apostle did and might execute this office of Episcopacy and so a Bishop might then be consecraeted by one as Timothy then was Council Nicen. 1. can. 4. Bin 10. pâ— 161. col 1. P. though afterwards when the stock of Bishops was stored it was Decreed that Conseeration should be done by three at the least And never thelesse for the point in hand our Apostle here appointeth Timothie that what he had heard from Saint Paul he should commit to faithfull men able to teach which is the Power of Ordination of Ephesus 2 Tim. 2.2.14 which Ministers hee was to charge that they should not strive about words tending to the subversion of the Auditory which comprises in it matter of Episcopall Authority And as for Titus the Apostle tells him Tit. 1.5 that he also left him in Creet aini corrigea qua desunt to the end that he should set in Order things wanting constituat per Civitates Presbyteros and ordaine Elders in every City which plainely declareth that Titus was ordained Bishop of Crete by Saint Paul alone and that Titus had power delegated to him to rule and governe otherwise he could not set things in Order and had power to ordaine teaching Elders to wit Presbyters and Ministers which Iurisdiction and power was not to be Exercised in one Parish onely but the Text sayes in every Citty whereby Titus had a large Dixes or Territory And at the end of these Epistles of Saint Paul to Timothy and Titus it is recorded though peradventure not Scripture yet exceeding ancient and next Scripture the Church of the Ephesians and Titus ordained the first Bishop of the Cretians I shall conclude with that of the Spirit of God to the Angels of the seven Churches in Asia Reve. 2. These were not indeed Angels or spirituall Essences for reall Angels are not partly'good and partly evill nor to be chargedwith good
raigne Ergo the Episcopall Acts of Coverdale Hodskins though once consecrated Bishops were ipso facto meâ—re Nullities and of no validity If R.B. or his vindicatour will grant the Major then I know what will become of the Romish Church in England and of all Episcopall and Sacerdotall Acts by Romish Bishops and Priests in Consecrations Ordinations Marriages Sacrifices absolutions c. even to be here in England meere nullities Againe I perceive R. B. did faint in his Assertion not adventuring to say that Coverdale and Hodskins were either no Bishops at that time de factor Num. 17 or were disallowed to exercise Episcopacy which for to doe he ought to maintaine that they were never at all consecrated to be Eishops and if he allow them to be once consecrated Bishops then hee ought to produce some Act or Sentence for unbishoping of them or for discharge of their exercise of Episcopacy which he doe's not goe about to doe But I say it was neither the one not the other but it proceeded from themselves whatsoever was wanting therein they beingin truth long before consecrated lawfull Bishop neither they themselves nor the State of the Realme holding or judging them to be no Bishops here quoad officium or passing any Sentence against exercise of it but they did not exercise of themselves at that time Episcopacy here quoad Beneficium But posito these two had beene excommunicate deprived deposed or degraded had they not neverthelesse by your owne Doctrine continued Bishops quoad characterem quoad officium as well as Priests having such a Character by Consecration and ordination imprinted as is indelible your Councell of Trent determines it for you Siquis dixerit per sacram Ordinationem non imprimi Characterem vel cum qui Sacerdos semel fuit Laicum rursùs fieri posse Anathema sit if any one shall say that a Character is not imprinted by holy Orders or that He which once was a Priest can be made Lay againe let him be accursed And such also is the Character of Episcopacy as according to the Romish Doctrine neither by Schisme heresie excommunication suspension deposition or degradation it can be obliterated as your (a) Gregory de Valentia (b) Gabriel Biel (c) Dominicus à Soto (d) Capreohis say And also your great (e) Cardinall Bellarmine sayes Observandum est Characterem Episcopalem esse absolutam perfectam independentem potestatem conferendi Sacramenta Confirmationis Ordinis ideo non solum posse Episcopum sine aliâ Dispensatione confirmare Ordinare sed etiam non potest impediri ab ullâ superiori potestate quin re verâ Sacramenta ista conferat si velit licet peccâ—t si id faciat prohibente Summo Pontifice It is to be observed that the Episcopall Character is an absolute perfect and independant Power to conferre the Sacraments of confirmation and Orders therefore a Bishop may without any Dispensation constitute ordaine and not onely He cannot be hindred by any superiour power but also hee may conferre those Sacraments if hee will though he offend if he doe it the high Bishop prohibiting it And likewise your Petrus de Palnde sayes Si non omnis Episcopus potest Ordines conferre hoc esset vel propter Demeritum'vitae quia esset malus vel propter defectum Fidei quia Haereticus vel propter Sententiam Ecclesiae quia esset excommunicatus vel suspensus vel alias praecisus vel propter Depositionem ab Ordine vel quia esset Degradatus sed nihil istorum impedit quin omnis Episcopus possit veros Ordines conferre if every Bishop cannot conferre Orders it would be either by reason of Demerit of life because he is wicked or by defect of faith because be is an Hereticke or else by reason of the Sentence of the Church because he is excommunicated or suspended or otherwise cut off or because hee is deposed from Orders or because he is degraded but none of these doe hinder but that every Bishop may conferre true orders So as if Coverdale and Hodskins had beene deposed in Queene Elizabeths time yet might they consecrate an other And if you say Fieri non debet it ought not to be done then I say Factum valet dissolvi non potest being done it availeth and cannot be undone But here the Consecration of Archbishop Parker by Imposition of their hands was so farre from doing ought therein in Contempt of or against Authority as that it was done by Regall Assent and Command comprised in the Queenes Letters Patents directed to them and others to Consecrate Doctor Parker to be Archbishop of Conterbury The Letters Patents are thus Elizabetha Dei gratiâ c. Reverendis in Christo Patribus Miloni Cover dale quondam Exoniensi Episcopo Iohanni Suffraganeo Bedd c. Elizabeth by the Grace of God c. To the Reverend Fathers Miles Coverdale late Bishop of Exeter Iohn Suffragan of Bedford c. whereby it is manifest they were allowed and also imployed as consecrate Bishops in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne Num. 18 But posito they had not beene allowed Bishops yet if Deposition or Degradation cannot obliterate the Character of Episcopacy but it is still in force quatenus ad officium as concerning the office notwithstanding the benefits profits and all that pertaines ad exeroitium jurisdictionis as concerning the exercise of jurisdiction be taken away how little hurt can not-allowance or disallowance doe But if I may speake my mind freely I conceive that when R. B. said that Coverdale and Hodskins were not allowed for Bishops in all Queene Elizabeths time he did intend that his Vulgar Reader should beleeve that they were never Consecrated Bishops at all For I cannot easily be perswaded but that this old Student did well know that Coverdsle and Hodskins had beene long before Consecrated Bishops and still continued Bishops de jure For the Records declare it plaincly that Hodskins was 9. Decembris 29. Hen. 8. Anno Domini 1537. Consecrated and so continued till his death from whom the principall Bishops in Queene Maries raigne descended By him was Consecrated Thomas Thurlby who was one of the Consecrators of your Cardinall Poole Archbishop of Canterbury and as for Coverdale he was 30. August 1551. An. 2 Edw. 6. Consecrated Bishop of Exeter who being displaced and imprisoned by Queene Mary was at the desire of the King of Denmarke sent to his Majesty by the same Queene And returning backe in the beginning of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth he being aged cared not to returne to his Bishopricke but retired to a private life not allowing himselfe Episcopacy quoad Beneficium et jurisdictionem yet he still continued true and perfect Bishop de jure quoad esse et Titulum which two Coverdale and Hodskins did joyne with the other two Barlow and Scory in the Episcopall Act of Consecrating of Doctor Parker to
did encrease it more and more But this Episcapail office of Superintendency was long before any Advancoment of honour or Revenew was conferred by Princes on Bishopricks Yea long before the Bishops could enjoy any assurance of peace for life or member being generally Martyred and persecuted for the Gospels sake And the other Reason is because this office is Spirituall which necessarily requires a Divine hand and Power to be the Author Founder and Institutor of it and that must needs be Jesus Christ the mysticall head of the Church from whom all divine and spirituall gifts are derived unto his mysticall Body and each member thereof Without all doubt Christ had in himselfe this office and power of government Mar. 28.18.19.20 Maâ—ke 16.15 John 20.20 21 22 23. and of binding and loosing For the divine Text sayes All power in heaven and earth was given to him And out of his large Stocke of power he after his Resurrection did conferre some parcell of it unto those who should after his Ascension be Governours in the Church saying unto them that As his Father sent him so also he did send them giving them Command to goe unto all Nations and to teach what he had commanded and breathing into them the Holy Ghost gave them power to bind and loose Mat. 20.25 26 -7 28. Marke 10.42.43 44 45. Luke 22.25 Vos 26 27. Which gift of power and authority was not contrary nor repugnant unto his pleasure signified unto them formerly saying The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them but yee shall not dâ—e so which Prohibition Verum non it a erit inter vos or Vos autem non it a dominabimini yee shall not rule or domineere so or in such manner as heathen Princes used to doe was not an absolute Prohibition from use of all manner of Superiority among the Clergie but a Prohibition aliquo modo a qualified Prohibition not to Rule as heathen Princes used to doe tyrannically after their-owne wills with Stat pro ratione Voluntas their pleasure to be their Law for their owne ends not regarding the welfare of the people Will. Archbp. of Canterb conference wub M. Fisher S. 6 pa 5 et 247. Mar. 23 8 9 10.10.13 13.14.15 which prohibition aliquo modo or suomodo doth infer an allowance of ruling in the Church aliquo modo in a temperate charitable manner otherwise what shall be said to a Text containing a stricter Prohibition than this Text do's and that is where Christ forbids his Disciples to be called Masters with a strong reason for it because they were Omnes frat es all Brethren If a convenient exposition can be fittâ—d to this Text that Christ did therby for bid unto them ambition or Title â—t forbidding what himself assumed saying yee call me Masier and Lord and yee say well for so I am but was so farre from affecting of honourable Titles as he beares himselfe so lowly and humbly as that He washed their feet exhorting them to doe so likewise and the chiefest and greatest among them to be Servant tanto altior tanto submissior the more honourable in out ward condition the more humble in mind and in submissive deportment If this Text being literaliter of an absolute Tenor of Prohibition may receive a benigne interpretation much more may the Text Vos non ita dominsbimini being not an absolute but a qualified Prohibition may receive the like exposition that Christ did thereby for bid such ambitious and tyrannicall Government as was exercised by Pagan-Princes and allowed neverthelesse of ruling in the Church by Superiours upon Inferiours otherwise the Consistoriall Fresbyters therefore may neither rule or governe nor be so much as called Mastors but what need of seeking further for Proofe this our Text affords it sufficiently by our Saviours words of Maximus and minimus he that is greatest among you Luke 22.26 let him be least Qui major est in vobis fiat sicut minor maximus erit Minister not that he that in authority is made Superio should be pulled down by his Inferiours but still be Superiour in authority and also be humbled in himselfe Mar. 20.28 to minister unto Inferiours just as Christ being most Supreme came to minister as followeth there in the next verse Num. 28 This being cleered it remaines to be inquired to what part of the Clergi Christ did conferre this office of Governing giving of Orders and of Binding and loosing I say not to all the then present Clergy but to some as Superiours to exercise it upon others as Inferiours episcopaty ex jure divino For which purpose it is to be noted that Christ had a Clerâ—y of two sorts to wit the Apostles and Seventy Disciples the Apostles were first called made neerest unto him and in Communion with him the Seventy Disciples were called afterwards and sent out from Christ two by two to the Apostles and to the Seventy Disciples equall Commission and power was given Mar. 4.18 20 10 1 2 8. Marke 3.13 2 19. Luke 9.1 2 10 10.1 2 20. 1. To preach the Gospell 2. To administer Sacraments 3 To heale and cure diseases 4. To worke Miracles This office they all had in Parity and in Common among them but the office and power of Mission or ordination of others for the jadiciall use of the Keyes for binding loosing in the Church and of Governing in the Church to preserve the Doctrine of Faith order therein was conferred on the Apostles conjunctim et divisim joyntly severally to them Christ said As my Father sent me so I send you 10 1.4â—4 43 and 3 22 and 4 1 2. Commission corjunction et divisim to the end by power of that Mission they might send others as he had sent them Into them he breathed the Spirit of truth Accipite Spititum Sanctum for the establishing of sacred Doctrines and for prevention of heresies and errors in matters of Faith and to them were the Keyes of binding and loosing of Delinquents and Penitents out of and into the Church for offences unto the Church and for the absolute confirmation of them in this sacred office the Holy Spirit did according to Christs promise visibly descend on them at Pentecost Luke 24.49 Act. 1.4 Act 2.1.2.3.4 after Christs Ascension into heaven In all or any of which particulars the Seaventy Disciples for ought I read in Scripture had not any immediate participation or share and according to the Power and Authority of this office conferred on the Apostles joyntly and severally they did whiles they were all at Hierusalem convene and assemble together Act. 1.2.6.13.20.23.24.25.26 and elected Mathias to succeed Iud is in his Bishopricke whereof he was deprived by his Treason to his Master and by his Act of Felo de se And these Twelve Apostles at another Assembly did ordaine for their ease Seaven Deacons at a time Act. 6 1