are called (e) 1. Pet. 5.1 Elders But this is not reciprocall for the ordinary and inferiour are never called by the names of the extraordinary and superiour the Deacon is not called an Elder nor the Pastor by the name of the Apostle or Evangelist It is true that Barnabas is called an Apostle (f) Acts 14.4 and 14. because he was an Apostle of Christ as Paul was Titus and others (g) 2 Co. 8 13. and Epaphroditus (h) Phil. 8.23 are onely called Apostles or Messengers of the Church Whence it must follow that the Office of a Bishop is not an Office superiour to the Office of a Pastor since the name Bishop is common to the Pastor and that the Office of a Bishop and the Office of a Pastor are not different but one and the same office Since the names are altogether common in all the places of the New Testament (i) Acts 20.28 Phil 1.1 1 Tim. 3.2 1 Pet. 5.1 And the Syriacke Interpreter hath translated the one by the other (k) Tit. 1.7 What reason can there be while the Officers are distinguished by their names and the names of Bishop and Pastor are common but that the Office of the Bishop and Elder is one and the same Office the one name signifying sapientiae maturitatem and the other Industriam curae Pastoralis saith Beda No Bishop of Bishops or of Pastors in Scripture We finde that in the Ministery of the New Testament there is a comely beautifull and Divine Order one kinde of Ministers both ordinary and extraordinary being placed in degree and dignity before another as the Apostles before all other Ministers the Pastor before the Elder and Deacon But we doe not finde in Ministers of the same kind that one hath majority of power over others or priority of degree and dignity before others except upon the morall respect of age zeale gifts c. No Apostle is in degree above other Apostles no Evangelist above other Evangelists nor Elder above other Elders no Deacon above other Deacons upon what ground then from Scripture can wee beleeve or conceive that one Pastor is in degree superiour to other Pastors or that in all other sorts of Ministers ordinary and extraordinary there 's all be a parity in their owne kind and onely in the Office of Pastors an inequality The whole power and all the parts of the Ministrie which commonly are expressed Every Pastor hath power of ordination and Jurisdiction by the power of Order and Jurisdiction are in Scripture made common to the Pastor and the Bishop for the Pastor hath power to Preach the Word and minister the Sacraments As one of the Presbyterie hee hath power to lay on hands and ordaine Ministers (l) 1 Tim. 4.14 and hath not onely the Keyes of the inward and private Court of Conscience but hath also committed unto him and his fellow Presbyters the Keyes of the outward and publique Court of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and censure and both wayes to bind and loose in when the Apostles first planted the Christian Churches and when they were to depart and were neare unto death they recommended the care of these duties in all the Chruches unto the particular Pastors or Bishops (m) Act. 15.6 Act. 16.4 Act. 20 28 â—9 1 Cor. 5. 1 Cor 14.32 40. 1 Thâ— 5.12 Tit. 1.9 1. Tim. 5.12 Heb. 13.17 And therefore the Pastor and Bishop are in Scripture one and the same in power and degree neither hath the Bishop any degree or power order or Jurisdiction but that which hee arrogateth to himselfe for the honour of his Priesthood and for setting up his Monarchicall power against the word of God nor ought any such power bee given him A point which is strongly proved by our Divines against Papists and Prelates Ecclesiasticall power was not committed by Christ to any one but to many Power ecclesiasticall not given to one but to many It is not said tell the Bishop or any one of the Church but tell the Church (n) Mat. 18.17 nor was it exercised and acted by any one of the Apostles alone for Paul not a lone but with a Presbyterie laid hands upon (o) 1 Tim. 4.14 Timothy and the Apostles not alone but joyning with the Elders (p) Act. 15. did determine controversies and discerne censures the same also was the practice of the Apostolicke Churches at Corinth Thessalonica and in Asia In all which the Discipline of the Church was exercised by many and not by any one And therefore to exalt a Bishop to any part of his power or any degree of Eminence above his Brethren for exercising this power is against the Institution of Christ and contrary to the practice and patterne of the Apostles and Apostolicke Churches All majority forbidden the Officers All majority and preheminence in this kinde is expresly forbidden by Christ the Kings of the Nationas c. (q) Luke 22 25. according to this the Apostle Peter disclaimeth not pride in majority but majority it selfe (r) 1 Pet. 5.1 Non est dictum sola humilitate sed veritate saith Bernard Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prohibet Christus non modum rei sed rem ipsam say others Other wayes that which Tacitus writeth of Otho might have beene applied to them Omnia servilitâ—r pro dominatione and the temptation of the Disciples was not tyranny but superiority Christ speaketh to them sometimes of Thrones of glory in the Church Triumphant never of any throne of Dignity in the Church Militant If any such throne whether of Ecclesiasticall authority or perpetuall presidence had beene lawfull would hee not at sometimes have taught them what it was and with what cautions and Limitations they were to possesse it as that you shall have precedency of degree Precepts in the Gospell to be interpreted according to the rules of the Precepts of the law but not of power of dignity but not of authority These and the like argments Militant not onely against the exorbitancy of Prelates but against the Prelacy of the Ministers of Iesus Christs and if wee will as indeed must understand the commandements of Christ in the Gospell (Å¿s) Mat. 5.19 〈◊〉 27 33 43. according to the rules agreed upon in the interpretation of the precepts of the Law we must confesse that not onely the Tyranny the Pride the Pompe the Priority and power of Lord Bishops but all the parts all the degrees meanes causes Incentives occasions provocations beginnings and appearances of these evils are forbidden and that we are commanded to stop the way with thornes (t) Hos 2.6 least they returne to their former lovers and to hide all their earerings that they be not found againe (u) Gen. 35.4 Rule of reformation from the prime times If the reformation of Episcopacy be intended we must not take our rule and patterne from ancient and Primitive times but
from the first times and from the very beginning as Christ in the matter of divorcement did not speake of Davids or Abrahams or Lamech's times but of Adams saying but from the beginning it was not so so must we in the matter of this divorcement ascend not to the times of Augustine or Cyprian or Ignatius but to the times of Christ and the Apostles and to the first Institution of the Ministerie at the beginning and so much the more because many of the Fathers did unwittingly bring forth that Antichrist which was conceived in the time of the Apostles and therefore are incompetent Judges in the question of Hierarchie and upon the other part the lights of the Christian Church at and since the beginning of Reformation have discovered many secrets concerning the Antichrist and his Hierarchie which were not knowne to former ages and have shewed us that at the beginning there was no kinde of difference of a Bishop from a Presbyter The way of defection is broad and easie of which we have domestick examples In this Iland in fewer yeeres the Church of Scotland suffered a great Eclipse in fewer yeers ours was greater and darkenesse had covered the Land if the Lord had not prevented us Suppose Episcopacie were shaven and stript naked of all externall Limited Prelacy unlawfull and heterogeneall pompe and power and of the internall power of sole ordination and jurisdiction suppose nothing were left unto the Bishops but a perpertuall presidence in Church assemblies and Synodes Suppose him to be chosen by the Clergie and to be subject to their censure as other Ministers and suppose all the cautions and limitations that can be devised be put upon him to keep him within his bounds from exorbitancie yet still is he such a plant as God never planted rooted not in Scripture but in the Earth and bringing forth such fruites as can neither bee acceptable to God nor profitable to men This degree and primacie of order by which hee is lifted up above his brethren cannot bee separated from some primacy of power and when it meeteth with ambition and opportunitie of advancement through the favour of Princes or the neglect of another time whether carelesse or more carefull about other matters it shall gather strength againe and regaine what it now looseth by the rasour of Reformation shall of a Consull make a dictator and pull downe the house which it made even now to shake Election doth nor hinder his power to be Episcopall for not onely inferiour Bishops are chosen by their Chapters but the Pope also by his conclave of Cardinals neither will this hinder his power to be Episcopall because it is under a Synod for the best of the Papists hold that the Pope subject to an oecumenicall Councell Woefull Experience hath taught that from this perpetuall presidence and Primacy of order Prelacy and Popery inseparable as the first step of the ladder Antichrist hath mounted up to the Primacy of power to Archiepiscopall dignitie to be a Patriarch and at last to be universall Bishop and Antichrist and shall we now after the mystery of iniquitie is made manifest allow him in this land the first step of the Ladder establish him thereby and not turne him quite off and overturne the ladder it selfe this were a dangerous recidive this were twise to make shipwracke and the second because wilfull worse then the first where before wee were patients now to be agents in so great an evill and to make that which was before against our will our evill of paine now by our wilfull errour to be our evill of sinner were it not better by the totall ruine of Episcopacie to give example to other Churches whose eyes are upon us by doing the like to pull downe the Pope to put him out of hope to rise againe in this Church and to make all Papists despaire to regaine this Kingdome to the Roman religion it being their owne declaration that were all England once brought to approve of Bishops it were easie to reduce it to the Church of Rome (a) Cutzen pol Liâ— 2. c. 18. Limitation of Prelacy will proue weake by the example of the Church of Scotland All bonds and limitations although many although strong although made never so wisely will prove but weake to keep them in order and beare downe their aspiring Ambition which our neighbour Church of Scotland for the greater part did not beleeve at first and which we could hardly be induced to beleeve now were wee not taught by their example for in the yeere one thousand sixe hundred the Church of Scotland being met in a General Assembly at Montrose these cautions and limits were agreed upon the Kings Majesty consenting 1. That the Minister chosen to this place shall not be called Bishop but Commissioner of such a place 2. That hee shall neither propound to the Parliament any thing in name of the Church without their expresse warrant and direction nor shall he keepe silence or consent to any thing prejudiciall to the weale and liberty of the Church under the paine of deposition 3. Vnder the paine of Infamy and Excommunication he shall at every Assembly give accompt of the discharging of his Commission and shall submit himselfe to their Censure and stand to their determination whatsoever without appellation 4. He shall content himselfe with that part of the Benefice which shall be assigned him not prejudging any of the Ministers in their livings 5. He shall not dilapidate his benefice 6. He is bound as any other Minister to attend his particular Congregation and shall be subject to the tryall and censure of his owne Presbitery and Provinciall assembly 7. Hee shall neither usurp nor claim to himselfe any power of jurisdiction in any point of Church government more then any other Minister 8. In Presbiteries Provinciall and generall assemblies he shall behave himself in all things and be subject to their censuring as any of the Brethren of the Presbitery 9. At his admission to his Office he shall swear and subscribe to fulfill all these points under the paines foresaid otherwise not to be admitted 10. In case he shall be deposed he shall no more voyce in Parliament nor injoy his Benefice 11. He shall not have voyce in the Generall Assembly unlesse he be authorised with Commission from his own Presbytery 12. Crimen ambitâ—â— shall be a sufficient cause of deprivation 13. The Generall Assembly which the advise of the Synod shall have power of his nomination or recommendation 14. He shall lay down his Commission annuatim at the foot of the Generall Assembly to be continued or changed as the Generall Assembly with his Majesties consent shall think fit 15. Other cautions to be made as the Church shall sinde occasion The godly and sincere Ministers disliked this course altogether and some did protest against it but others loving preheminence above their Brethren and hunting after fatter Benefices did consent themselves and
perswaded others to consent unto it but did aftewards breake all these bonds and finding themselves unable to give account according to the Councell given to Perecles they procured that there should bee no free Generall Assemblies lest they should be called to account and when they were challenged of their perjury and perfidious dealing their Printed Apologie declared their perfidie to be double Refut libel de regim Eccles Scotae pag. 89. cum viderit breviz in quibus voluntatur incerta ancipitia repeter pedem nec vertet terga sed sensim recedit in tutum Senec. Epist 22. which wee will expresse in their owne words because they may bee usefull at thit time and teach us what may bee expected from their fellowes Conditiones aliae protempore mag is quo contentiosis rixandi ansa praeriperetur quà m animo in perpetuum observandi acceptae What then may be hoped for in this Land were people have beene inured to this yoke Prelates have beene in possession the Court is near to shire upon them and where there be no Nationall Assemblies but such Provinciall Assemblies where these new Bishops shal be Presidents or if National Assemblies shall be appointed shall they not either be fordidden to meet or shall they not be overruled by these Bishops that in a short time they shall not only recover their wonted power and pompe by the consent of the Assemblies and thus be come deeply rooted and with greater difficulty removable then before but shall also double their tyranny manet alta mente repostum and thus our last state shall be worse then the first This perpetuall president Prelacy not the cure but the cause of Shisme or moderate Prelate which was at first and is now pretended to be a remedy against Schisme hath not only proved a remedy worse then the disease by making way to the greatess Bishop the Antichrist but likewise doth foment and increase the disease it selfe of Schisme and Division for beside that it shall maintaine a shamefull Schisme against all the Reformed Churches especially against the neighbour Church of Scotland which will cause continuall jealousies and heart-burning betwixt the two Nations if we shall allow and establish Episcopacy which we did before but tolerate and they have found and judged upon good reasons to be intolerable It shall rent the bowels of the Church and Kingdome within it selfe the Parliament shal be divided some for it and others against it and of these who shall be for it there shal be subdivisions some for one limitation and some for another after the Parliaments Authority shal be for it the body of the Kingdome at least the godly and Religious shal be against it Whence shall arise almost in every Parish no small debate and contention and many sorrows and discontents instead of that universall joy which is expected through the whole kingdome The Ministers and whole Clergie shall be rent asunder is their Sermons Lectures and Polemick writings and Pamphlets some defending the old Episcopacie some the new and the sounder part oppugning both and still pressing a further Reformation some gaping for Prelacies and getting them others enraged for want of them a third sort still living in hope of preferment and the remnant opposing all this competion and emulation And although this Prelacie were appointed and received with generall consent of Parliament Pastors and People which no man will expect who is not a stranger in this Church and Kingdome yet who can hope that this Tree shall bring forth the fruits of truth and peace in this Land at this time which it never produced in any time or place since the beginning There can be no peace to the Body till the bad humour now stirred be purged out and when this Ionah is cast into the Sea then shall there be a calme The worke also shall be more easie and the labour much lesse in rooting up the Tree then in lopping the branches which will take a long time and much debate and deliberation In Christian Policie Prelacy against both Christian and common policy that Government of the Church is most usefull for Kings and Kingdomes which is best warranted by the Word of God by whom Kings reigne and Kingdomes are established Religion and Righteousnesse are the Pillars which God hath made for upholding his Majesties throne Prelacie and Ceremonies are invented and framed by the wisdome of Man for setting up and supporting the Popes Monarchie no Ceremony no Prelat no Prelat no Pope 2. Which serveth most to the preservation of pietic righteousnesse and sobriety against their contraries which where they reigne as they doe alwayes where Prelates have place and power are the certaine causes of many calamities and judgements and of the changes and periods of States Kingdomes and Families 3. Which maketh the face of the Church and Religion in a Kingdome most beautifull and glorious not with Prelaticall pompe and splendor like the Kings of the Nations but with sound faith a pure worship and holy life And 4. Which conduceth most for truth and peace against Heresie and Schisme for which effect Church Assemblies of Ministers equall in order and degree meeting in Presbyteries Provinciall and Nationall Assemblies are powerfull meanes as the experience of all the Reformed Churches hath taught us and against which Prelacie hath a naturall antipathie it being the nature thereof to love greatnesse and to grow bigge by the division of the Church and therefore the Prelacie will beare with all Religions provided they be not Anti-episcopall will not onely suffer Heresies and divisions to arise and grow but will foment them that the parties may depend upon him as their Judge Contzen polit Lib. ◠c. 19. and that the thoughts of others may be drawne from his Mitre to other matters Againe in common policie that Governement of the Prelates should be shunned because he is a superfluous and unprofitable member the Sonne of God having provided for all the necessities of the Church by Officers of his owne appointment Shall that be esteemed to be good policie in the Church which no wise man would judge to be good aeconomic in his owne house no Magistrate would admit in his owne charge shall Servants or subjects appoint one to rule over them at their owne pleasures or shall we thinke that a Minister hath abilities for all the parts of his function and shall not be able to preside in an Assembly or is there none in the assembly fit to be president but one 2. because the Prelate is an unprofitable burden requiring in his greatest moderation a revenue more then ordinary and serveth for no good use neither to Church King nor Countrey 3. Because the Prelate by his power with Prince and Peere and by his usurpation and tyranny over the People divideth betwixt the Rulers and the people and maketh the Civill government which without him would bee light and easie to be heavie and grievous to the people 4. Because a
Pastor no sooner becommeth a Prelate but he beginneth to howle with the Wolves although he looke like a Shepheard he turneth his backe upon his Pastorall charge or looketh downe upon it and his fellow Brethren as below him and setteth his face toward the world hoping by time to be loosed of his bands and to become one of the greatest Officers of estate and blowing the bellowes of division betwixt the King and his Nobles and betwixt the King and the Church that his serviceablenesse may appeare the more and hee may bee warmed by the fire which hee hath kindled himselfe They will now accept of Limitation and it may be some of them call for it But did any of them speak of late against the exorbitancy of their Brethren or will they heare of moderation afterward If we will lay aside prejudices we may clearly perceive that the Church perfect in Officers may be governed without Prelates with more honour to God with more love and respect to Authority at home and abroad with greater riches and glory to the Crowne with more contentment to the people greater peace amongst our selves and greater terror to all our enemies The different use of the names of Pastor and Prelate dangerous Although we doe not contend about words yet the appropriation and Monopoly of names in matters of this nature hath in it more realty then at first We do observe there is no inequality nor difference of Office power or degree betwext a Pastor and a Bishop It is against reason to call on Pastor by the name of a Presbyter or Minister and another by the name of a Bishop the differences of the names doth beget conceptions of different degrees and Offices doth procure worldly respect and in processe of time anthority to one Presbyter above another and so maketh way to Episcopall Monarchie is alreadily mistaken through ignorance or inadvertency as implying a relation not to a particular flocke but to other Pastors and a whole Diocesse and hath been in the Church of Scotland dangerously misapplyed by many conceiving the name of Bishop which onely designed the benefice to be the name of the Office and thereby presuming that the Office of a Bishop still remained there which was also our errour concerning the government of that Church till we were better informed of late against this no better remedy then that the thing being abolished the name be no more appropriated When the time of perswasion cometh a few arguments are sufficient Neither doe we intend nor can any man expect nor doe the weighty affaires of those whom this matter most concerneth suffer any large debate about it volumnes are stuffed with arguments on both sides conscience of dutie in this Article of time observation of providence courage for the cause of God and contempt of the world will helpe our resolution against the subtilties sophistications and wranglings of humane wit which will no more receive satisfaction in this question of the regall office of Chirst nor the Papists will suffer themselves to be silenced in other controversies about this or his other offices When the appointed time cometh of the ending of long lasting debates it is not unlike unto the rising of the Sunne after a long Winter night and the eyes to see are more usefull then arguments to perswade the wayes of god are made knowne and darknesse can no more prevaile against the light in no Theme have colours and praetexts beene more multiplyed then in this of Prelacie the ambition and avarice of the heart of man quickning his spirits and giving life to his braines for his owne miserable ends but to an indifferent eye and a minde unpartially disposed and not interessed they suddenly disappeare and evanish nothing is more pretended then antiquity although they can say with Cyprian consuetudinem veritate majorem non esse although disputing for their dignitie they put the purple robe of authority upon the Fathers yet when the Papists dispute against them by this authoritie they quickly put it off againe and although they boast of the Fathers and will prove the superioritie of Bishops from severall forcible arguments out of antiquity yet finde they disappointment and emptinesse where they desire most to abound for nothing in all this cause is more pressed by the strongest amongst them then that the Angels of the Churches of Asia were Bishops like unto themselves and yet not want of will in them and diligence in reading of the Fathers but the Fathers whom they would have to pronounce not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O childe but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O sonne of lupiter writing on the place are mute and doe faile them turning their glosses another way but this and all other their pretences are answered and the whole matter of true Church governement treated at large many yeeres agoe without a word of reply from the Bishops or their Clergie who yet try all Authors if they can finde so much as one sentence even in dedicatorie Epistles which use to be more encomiastick then dogmaticall to speak for them It hath beene the greatest praise of civill powers that they have exceeded all who went before them in the reformation of religion Motives to a full reformation Asa tooke away Idolatrie but Iehosaphat removed the high places also Hezekiah did more he brake the brazen serpent but Iosiah destroyed the Idole Temples also who therefore hath this restimony to the end of the world that like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soule and with all his might neither is this a dispraise to Religious Princes going before who according to their measure of knowledge and as the times would suffer did reforme Religion nor a disgracing but rather a promoting and perfecting of the worke of Reformation begun by them The matters of the Kingdome of Christ the head and Monarch of his Church are in hand in which as in our own matters we have no power to dispense or to decline to the right hand or to the left and to rest in a lukewarmnesse or Samaritanisme which may make our condition afterward to be restlesse and provoke the Lord to make us a reproach The changes and revolutions which we heare of in other Kingdomes are documents that the divine Providence is about some great worke in which we are now called to act our part in the sight of men and Angels Non tantum praesentis sed vigilantis est occasioneus observare properantem Senec Epist 22 The opportunity of Reformation is rare and singular and cannot be parallel'd in any History and therefore to be used in all reverence with heavenly prudence and abstractnesse of spirit from earthly considerations We are zealous of our owne liberties let us be more zealous of the liberties of the Kingdome of Christ that both we our selves and the Posterity may have a well grounded and blessed Peace FINIS