Apostles Gal. 1.1 Saint Paul professeth himselfe to be an Apostle but neither of man nor by man neither of man as the author nor by man as the instrument but immediatly of God and by God as author and meanes of his vocation A plaine distinction of a threefold calling whereof two are as the extreames and the third as a meane betweene both first some are called of God and by God immediatly and this is the extraordinary calling of Prophets and Apostles who are the first founders of our Religion and the chiefe Governors under Iesus Christ Secondly some are called of men and by men and such are all humane callings in Gods Church I deny not but many may be appointed to doe service in the Church that have no divine calling but that which is meerely of men and such are Church-wardens Sides-men yea and higher callings as Chancellors and Ecclesiasticall Judges which are lay-men whose authoritie is no more contrarie to Gods Word than the appointment of seven Overseers for the poore or Church treasurie Act. 7.3 Looke you out seven men c. I finde no other election made but this in all the New Testament that in the Act. 14.23 Ordination of Elders by election is both a corruption of the text and of the truth for none were ordained Elders in the Apostles dayes by election Act. 2.3 4. the holy Ghost is given without hands to the Pastors as also to the people Act. 10.44 Extraordinary gifts were common to Pastors and people but the calling of a Presbyter or Priest was either of God and by God immediatly or else of God and by man mediately and this for Ordination was alwayes the imposition of the hands of the Apostles or Bishops Act. 8.15 6 17. Philip Preached and Baptized and converted Samaria but had not the power to confirme or ordaine them Pastors therefore is sent unto them from Ierusalem Peter and Iohn to impose hands and give the holy Ghost the Bishops the Apostles left to succeede them had the power of Ordination and every Preâ—byter had it not and it was the he esie of Aerius that denied Bishops this pâ—erogative above others That seate is not sure nor Ordination justifiable that is not by a Bishop who is able to derive his succession in that respect from the Apostles Bell. de Eccl. lib. 4 cap. 8. saith truely that an argument from succession proves negatively against Schismatikes but not affirmatively for Heretikes Adferri praecipue ad probandum non esse Ecclesiam ubi non est successio ex quo tamen non colligitur ibi necessario esse Ecclesiam ubi est successio there can be no visible Church where there is no succession from the chaires of the Apostles But the Greeke Churches prove as good succession this way as the Latine and therefore both being suspected for Doctrine wee must have recourse to that memorable faying in Act. 2.42 They continued stâ—dfastly in the Apostles Doctrin Fellowship in breaking of bread and in Prayer These notes will torment all our Adversaries Papists with Doctrine Schismaticks with the Apostles Fellowship and both in breaking of bread the one because they breake no bread in substance the other because they distribute meere bread As they dislike an Altar so they dislike to be within it by denying communion with Bishops and doing many things without them Prayers except they be private cannot please them and Church prayers specially at an Altar they spit and spend their tongues in talking against them They say we take Gods Name in vaine by advised repetitions and remember not their owne iterations and sudden irruptions to be incident to vanitie I have stood the longer upon the number to shew us the course of Ministery and must make haste in the rest as not able in a short Treatise to insist fully on all our heads Their names are Presbyters contracted Priests and we cannot abide the title of the holy Ghost because our times have polluted it I will not be so nice as to name the child otherwise than it was first Christened Their offices are honourable in waiting immediatly upon the Lambes Throne their Ornaments are either a white vesture for the body or crownes of gold for the head They are no ordinary Priests but of the chiefe ranke Eusebius in his Panegyricke Oration discribes them to be cloathed like Christ himselfe Rev. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must needes be a Priests garment Rev. 4.4 and to him that will reade Eusebius and Saint Iohn together it will prove a white Surplesse or a white garment downe to the foote He hath likewise this to make S. Iohn Historicall as well as mysticall to every mans meaning the Priests in the Temple of Tyre are said to have upon their heads Caelestes gloriae coronas crownes of heavenly glory Order is that they begin the Church Service and end it Rev. 4.9 must warily be read least we make the people goe before their Pastors when they are about to give glory then rise the Elders from their seates and fall downe first The Churches Service is performed by singing Rev. 5.8 9. to the end The Elders and the Saints about the throne are furnished with Harpes and Vials instruments of Musicke and Melodie be they Voyces or other Organs of Gods praise for I will precisely determine nothing their gold Vials are said to be full of odors and these odours to be prayers a right service in Gods house Their song is a new song of the Lamb 〈◊〉 to the Lamb with these joyne the holy Angells and in divine straines of the sweetest musique sound with a loud voyce in Gods eares as they end with blessing so all creatures like an Echo lay hold of that last word say blessing c. Then conclude the Beasts with a voyce as a thunderclappe for so speakes Saint Hierom of the word Amen The Elders end the service as they began with prostration for as that is before confession Phil. 2.10 11. so it is after all service and the whole body is prepared before that member the tongue take in hand to utter a word Hee were impudent that would talke standing with his God and beginne to speake before hee hath shewed his feare by falling downe to so great a Majestie as he seekes to serve neither were it fit a man should stand by and take his leave as if two equalls were met we neither come so into the presence of out parents neither doe we so depart from them and shame our selves as if wee had met none in Gods House better than our selves The Elders as they fall first so they are found last in the like posture and so we leave them and come to our third thing in Gods House CHAP. V. Concerning the standards of the people and the gurd of Angells that is the place of Lay-Christians and the attendance of holy Angells in Gods House Signa Sanctorum REv. 4.6 7 8 9. The Standards Ensignes Banners and Badges borne
obeat legationem Dei concedatur illis in eundem locum congregatis etiam glorifioare nomen Dei that he may undertake Gods delegation and that the people of the same place may congregate and give God his due glory Without a Bishop to order the Church assemblies they are meere conventicles and unlawfull meetings Here by the way observe that the Father speake of such helpe as one Church may and ought to afford another Annunciatum est mihi Ecclesiam Antiochenam esse pacatam it is reported unto me that the Church of Antioch is quiet and peaceable and needs your help that enjoy a worthy Bishop and I would wish you to doe as Gods Churches have alwayes done ut semper secerunt proximae Ecclesiae quorum aliae misere Episcopos nonnullae verò presbyteros Diaconos that the next Churches some of them have supplyed their neighbour Churches with Bishops others with Priests and Deacons Rome outreacheth and straineth this testimonie upon the largest last and helps to stretch it with her teeth for the Pope that hee ought to choose all Bishops for the Churches With his leave the words serve for any Bishop with his Church to helpe others to able men that want them and for our Novelists they may not once name this text that will choose for themselves and suffer no others to meddle with their right when all Churches have ought to have a common right one in another For the words of Saint Cyprian they may be expounded that the people being peaceable as it was with the Church of Antioch and keeping concord amongst themselves they may then with one consent use all their power to gaine worthy Priests and ingage it to the uttermost to oppose them that are wicked and unworthy and their testimony is to be heard of their betters The Church separates two and God makes choice of one seven honest men are looked out of the societie of Saints and appointed by the Apostles to the businesse of the Church Paul and Barnabas are separated by the Church to a speciall work signified to them by the holy Ghost Let the people on Gods name in these peaceable wayes walke with the Church and for the Church and I know none will condemne them but they are to know all these elections are not of the essence of a Bishop for hee may be so when hee is sent from one Church to another and therfore to speake distinctly and avoid confusion Ordination belongs to a Priest Consecration to a Bishop and Translation is when he is removed from one place to another These three are the formes of the Church and Rites she useth to expresse her selfe but the Episcopall power is that which God gives unto them whom hee useth as his immediate means to convey it to the whole Church For the second objection that Bishops ordaine with others and by others is easily answered in Timothy that he was ordained by the hands of Saint Paul and may be the hands of the Presbytery that is of others that joyned with him or it may be the office hee received by S. Pauls hands alone The question is not whether Priests may joyne with the Bishop but whether they may do it alone without the Bishop There is some thing said for Chorepiscopi or rurall Bishops that they have ordained which were unlawfull if ordination were solely Episcopall I answer what the Bishop may doe by deputation is nothing to my disputation I speak of Gods order and that which is divine of the humane Laws of the Church and what power Bishops have to depute others I leave to them I look upon that which I conceive to be Gods appointment and the constant course of the Scriptures which signifies unto us that either the Apostles or such as Timothie and Titus ordained and not one word of any Evangelist or Prophet or of all Pastours but some speciall ones selected by the Apostles before their death So Timothie ordained as an Evangelist and you at once affirme two untruths 1 that Timothie was extraordinarily called and secondly that such an one being none of the Apostles number might ordaine Timothie was made a Minister by imposition of hands and to Timothie was committed the power to impose hands upon others but both are arguments against his extraordinary calling and hee that makes Evangelists or Prophets by imposition of hands sayes that which no word of holy Scripture will warrant him either by one example or precept in all the new Testament The third objection is that Bishops are the Churches invention in Schismatis remedium I am glad they that like not of Bishops to be of God will confesse them to be of men for so good an end and it shewes what wee have said to be absolutely true that without Bishops the Church must needs be filled with faction and sure I am the quarrell with them is the cause of all our doleful contentions and grievous complaints and if men could work them out and have their wils it would not be So many men so many mindes but millions of mischiefe and misery to this our Nation It s well they see such wisdome in the necessitie of Bishops but is not the originall dangerous to censure Gods Providence of defect and mens inventions of Idolatry To say God provided not for Schisme is to mee a secret Atheisme and checke to him that better sees what the Church needeth then to leave it in so mayne a matter to the policie and pietie of men Againe the remedie is worse then the disease and of desperate cure to them that call all humane inventions in question for Idolatry I hope a necessary means to prevent division in Religion is a speciall ordinance of God and to make it humane is worse in my thoughts then to make it divine Saint Hierome is the most welcome autour they have and yet contra Luciferan hee sayes the Church consists of many degrees and makes the highest end in the Bishope and Dionysius Ecclesiast Hierarch c. 5. affirmes not of one but of all Bishops that immediatè in Christum terminantur and the aforesaid authour ad Euagrium sayes summum tenent locum and Saint Cyprian Epist 65. Pamel l. 5. Epist 9. Episcopi omnes Apostolorum sunt successores It were easie to multiply autorities that speake home in this businesse Saint Ignat. Epist ad Smyru Laici subjecti sunto Diaconis Diaconi Presbyteris Presbyteri Episcopo Episcopus Christo ut Christus patri The subordination and succession is full Lay-men must submit to the Deacons the Deacons to the Priests the Priests to the Bishop the Bishop to Iesus Christ as Iesus Christ to his Father Epist ad Magn. ut praesideant Episcopi loco Dei Presbyteri loco concessus Apostolici c. Bishops are placed in Gods stead Priests accompany them as the Apostles did Christ Hee called them to worke with him and so Bishops call Priests to preach the Gospel and propagate the faith with them
keepe himselfe in the communion of the Apostles that he may be partaker of the Altar and Prayers of the Church Saint Ignatius in his Epistles very often makes the communion of the one to flow from the communication with the other Take away the Apostles fellowship and you take away the breaking of bread and prayer at the Lords Table except there be a Priest within the Altar the people are wholly without it I say it is Saint Ignatius his constant determination that the people must so depend upon their Pastours that they doe nothing without them Ep. ad Polycarpum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As nothing must be done without the minde of the Bishop so the Bishop must do nothing without the minde of God The Apostles and Bishops hee makes next to God in the Church he acknowledgeth none above them respecting the Ecclesia sticall Ministerie Epist ad Trall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be subject to the Bishop as to Christ for he watcheth for you He applyes the Apostles words Heb. 13.17 to the Bishop and defines him in the same Epistle lest we should imagine his name to be common to all Pastours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is a Bishop but one that bears sway and autoritie above all others Epist ad Smyrnenses he sayes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in all the world there is none greater then God so in the Church and Order Ecclesiasticall there is none greater then the Bishop The same Father exhorts in Epist ad Ephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The people should concurre in their consent to what their Bishop teacheth them according to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may concurre and accord in Gods minde and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The people must live after Gods minde and the Bishop must be their guide therin As in the Apostles dayes the head of the Churches fellowship was from them to which our Saviour added seventie Disciples so in the succession the Bishop is the head and chiefe to which the Presbyters are added and of them Saint Ignatius sayes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be subject to the Presbyterie as to the Apostles This he explains after when he makes a fuller narration Epist ad Trall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop is the type of him which is the father of all Priests are the assessors with God the band of Apostles The Apostles fellowship as it was in the the 12 Apostles 70 Disciples so afterwards it continued in Bishops and Presbyters and as the Apostles had commited unto them the calling of all ordinary Pastours and correction of all mens manners that is God appointed them to ordaine and censure and without them the seventie could not execute any such power So the Bishops above all other Pastors have this power without them it cannot be executed by any inferior Minister And I never read testimonie in the Word of God or any ancient Writer to the contrary Saint Paul decreed the Excommunication of the incestuous person commanded the Church of Corinth the execution thereof reprehended them for their neglect As we are to receive our doctrine from the Apostles so our fellowship and all proofe of succession in the Ministery is taken from thence Tertull. lib. de praescript c. 32. Evolvant ordinem Episcoporum suorum it a per successiones ab initio decurrentem ut primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis viris qui tamen cum Apostolis perseverarit habuerint auctorem antecessorem hoc enim medo Ecclesiae Apostolicae census suos deferunt sic Smyrnaeorum Ecclesia habens Polycarpum à Ioanne collocatumrefert sicut Romanorum Clementem à Petro ordinatum edit Let them examine the order of their Bishops that so hath held by succession from the beginning that that first Bishop might have for his authour and predecessour some of the Apostles or Apostolicall men yet such as have persevered with the Apostles for so the Apostolicall Churches gave their Suffrages So he relates of the Church of Smyrna where Polycarpe was placed by Saint Iohn and shewes the like of Clement ordained by Peter for the Romanes Cyprianus l. 2. Epist 20. or Pamelii 42. laborare debemus ut unitatem à Domino per Apostolos nobis successoribus traditam obtinere curemus we ought to labour that the unitie from the Lord and by the Apostles to us his successours given through our care might be retained S. Augustine in Psal 44. quid est pro patribus tuis nati sunt tobi filii patres missi sunt Apostoli pro Apostolis filii nati sunt tibi constituti sunt Episcopi Hodie enim Episcopi quisunt per totum mundum unde natisunt Ipsa Ecclesia patres illos appellat ipsaillos genuit ipsaillos constituit in sedibus patrum What means this in stead of fathers sonnes are borne to thee the Apostles are sent fathers for Apostles sonnes are sent to thee Bishops are constituted for the Bishops at this time that are through all the World whence are they born the Church it selfe calls them fathers that begot them and that constituted them in the seats of the fathers many moe such passages might be cited and sent both to Rome and some other Churches as citations nay as sentences of condemnation for two errors both contrary to this truth as they are also contrary one to another and agree in nothing but falshood first Bellarmine l. 4. de Pontific cap. 25. sayes thus Magnum est discrimen inter successionem Petri aliorum Apostolorum Nam Romanus Pontifex propree succedit Petro non ut Apostolo sed ut pastori ordinario totius Ecclesiae at Episcopi non succedunt proprtè Apostolis quoniam Apostoli non fuerunt ordinarii sed extraordinarii pastores quibus non suceeditur nisi improprié But God appointed his Apostles such as should be succeeded for how otherwise is his promise made good of being with them to the worlds end Others to avoid the Pope and all Bishops say this fellowship may come from all Pastors and that they have power to ordain nay some are so absurd that they stick not to say Pastors maybe made by the people and Magistrates may set up Ministers and never be beholding to Rome or any Bishops or Pastours that were ever ordained by them Saint Ignatius Epist ad Ephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obeying the Bishop and Presbytery with immoveable and stedfast minde breaking one bread c. He shews plainly that breaking of bread must follow our undivided fellowship from the Apostles and their successours and surely how can we have the Sacraments duly administred if wee be not truly informed of our Pastours calling and the comming of it from the Apostles Let mee exhort all good Christians to keepe close to these notes of the Church first sound Doctrine which the Apostles have only delivered Secondly an holy fellowship fetched from the Apostles and kept by the
Preachers of it and both these are so called from the object of their imployment and not from the author of their calling We must therefore finde out in the third place Evangelists by calling such as was Philip Acts 21.8 who being compared with the seventy Luke 10.1 seemes to be an example of that calling First they preached so did Philip. Secondly they wrought miracles so did Philip. Thirdly they went before Christ to make way for him and his Ministery so did Philip before the Apostles as will appeare Acts 8.5 and not onely hee but many more Ver. 4. which Christ had called before his death of the seventy the Apostles remayning at Ierusalem Verse 1. which followed Philip when they heard of his successe Verse 14. and ordained Pastours where he had begun the Gospel Verse 17. This immediate power to ordain Christ gave his Apostles and by ordinary Pastours they are succeeded and not by extraordinary and Timothy and Titus are examples so is Epaphras Colos 4.12 who was one of Colosse when he was at Rome for it is not following of the Apostles that makes men Evangelists or every absence that denies them to be Bishops In Colosse wee may conjecture that Epaphras was Bishop of that place and had Laodicea and Hierapolis adjoyned unto it Colos 4.13 Archippus may be counted for the Presbyter with the Bishop and Philemon in whose house he was the Deacon for Saint Paul stiles him in a manner as Ignatius did the Deacons in his time σÏνεÏγος fellow-labourer σÏνδουλος fellow-servant for such work together in their Masters businesse This order being observed the Apostles and Bishops continue the succession and without theÌ„ there is none in the Church In these two Iesus Christ immediatly communicates his power of the Keyes to the Church and none receive it ordinarily but from some one of them The Pope abuseth all Bishops to fetch them under his power The people prophane Gods ordinance when they appoint Pastours We must confine our selves to these two heads or else we misse Christs order and this is not my conjecture but the conceit of antiquitie and by modern Divines is brought against the Popes usurpation above Bishops Saint Cyprian in the Councell of Carthage hath these words neque quisquam nostrum Episcopum se esse Episcoporum constituit aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem collegas suos adigit The Monarchie of one Bishop in the universall Church is a plain tyranny and so is a Presbytery in every Parish where there is no remedie as well against the popular as papall jurisdiction If the Pope infect the Church it must needs perish because there is no power above him so must the Parish for none can helpe it being so independent in it selfe and absolute from the command of all others both these take away all libertie of calling Councels and are uncontrouleable in their own wayes This cannot be of God to leave his Church desperate of meanes to helpe it Betweene both there is a middle way and that is to have the Churches power in the hands of many so that one may helpe another In the first Councell Acts 15. the Apostles as heads with the Elders meet in consultation determine what is best for the Churches in Antioch Syria and Cilicia V. 23 and wisely apply the remedie according to the disease for it seemes to some good Divines that the act involves no more then are mentioned in it and that Corinth and other Churches were not tyed by this Canon but might eat of meats sacrificed to Idols and onely were to use charitie and discretion at such times as it might offend the weake Apostles and Elders consider of the matter Verse 6. dispute and determine it and disperse abroad the Decree to be observed of those Churches that are specified in it A cleare and evident truth How the Apostles attempted to do nothing without consent It s a true rule that no one man makes Canons for all Churches there was never any Bishop save the Pope that challenged all power but as men most peaceably sought to governe after the divine Canon and approved Customs Councels of Gods Church No Bishop makes Lawes but takes as he ought the sole power to see them executed for if God trust them with his power to see it executed shall the Church distrust them with her Councels Bellarmine would help the Pope into his chaire by this poore shift Bishops are absolute in their Dioceses and have none above them therefore is the Pope so in all the World An Argument of an ill consequent and contrary to Christ and his Church To Christ Iesus to deprive him of his Monarchie and order of ruling who began with many and Ephes 4.11 makes mention of all his officers in the plurall number and in no ranke can wee thrust in one to be above al when the Apostles were above the 70 they were many and it is but a miserable begging of the question to bring in Saint Peter as the head of all the rest Wee finde that in a multitude yet well ordered and see in the extraordinary calling a number of Apostles above all the rest and in the ordinary we finde numbers of Doctors and teachers yet not confused as to set them all in one and the same indifferencie and equalitie of place dignitie for this would bring the Church to an anarchie for where there is no order there is just contestation that no man is bound to any obedience to another and whiles all strive to be equall the Church will never cease to quarrell I must therefore thinke the tyranny of one and all alike for what the Pope pleads to have none above him so all plead the same that they will have none above themselves To say none are above Bishops makes them equall and such an equalitie stands with the Churches peace and without it it will never be obtained or mayntained Vnus est Episcopatus cujus à singulis in solidum pars tenetur Cyprian de unitat Eccles Before I produce my testimonies for them three mayn objections would be cleered First From their election they may be chosen of others Secondly they may choose others to ordain with them or for them Thirdly they are the Churches invention Others may choose them Saint Ignat. Epist ad Philadel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It behoves you of Philadelphia as the Church of God to choose a Bishop and Saint Cyprian for all Priests Plebs maximè habet potestatem eligendi dignos sacerdotes vel indignos recusaudi Concil African apud Cyprian Epist 68. If the people may chuse Bishops and Priests their power is not so immediatly of God but the Church may intercede and act a part between God and them as it did Acts 1.23 6.3 13.2.3 Saint Ignatius will give us light and leading to answere sufficiently all these testimonies It behoves you of Philadelphia to choose a Bishop for the Church of Antioch in Syria ut