discipline of the Church were exercised upon them they should not communicate with the people of God till the Church were satisfied of their correction and amendment This also would give satisfaction to the tender consciences of those good Christians who like to those in St. Cpyrians time are scandalized when they see them admitted to the Communion who live without any the least amendment in a constant practice and profession of sinne There being then so much good Cypr. Ep. 551. and the prevention of so much ill contained in the Discipline of penance let it be the hearty desire of all knowing and well-affected Christians towards the State and Church that the Discipline commended to us by our Saviour and practised by the Apostles may be with all care and speed reformed and brought againe into use SECT IX HAving thus unfolded the nature of that power wherewith Christ invested his Apostles and from them derived it to his Church and that is the power of the Keyes whereof there be two appendixes Excommunication and the Discipline of Penance Mr. Th. proceeds to the discovery of the other part of the Churches Office and that is the constituting and ordaining of Ministers of which there be some vestigia or footsteps left for our imitation in the holy Scriptures as when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away Act. 13.3 Act. 14.23 1 Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that was given thee by Prophecie with the imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie which words are expounded 2 Tim. 1.6 by imposition of my hands so likewise 1 Tim. 5.22 To which we may adde the choice of Matthias Act. 1.23 and that passage in the choice of the seven Deacons Act. 6.3 Looke ye out among you seven men of honest report and verse 5. and 6. They chose Steven and the rest and set them before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands upon them Which place is alledged by St. Cyprian to prove that the people have an interesse and ought to have a share in the ordination of Ministers And that this was the custome and practice of the Primitive Church to publish the names of those persons who were to be ordained that so the people discussing their lives and manners might by their approbation ratifie the ordination of such whom they knew to be men well gifted and of an holy conversation This appeares by a remarkable passage in the life of Alexander Severus by an excellent saying of St. Cyprian to this purpose Ordinationes Sacerdotum sub populi assistentis conscientia fieci Cypr. and by the 6. Canon of the Councell of Chalcedon By all which it is evident that the people did not nominate but onely approve by their common suffrage and consent the persons who were to be ordained And that the Bishop did advise with his Presbyters about the nomination of those who were to be ordained Deacons or Ministers this is cleare by those words of St. Cyprian Ep. 54. where he excuseth himselfe to his Clergy that he had ordained Saturus and Optatus alone without their consent and approbation By this we may collect what was practised in that age of the Church First there was a nomination or publication of the persons names to the people Secondly upon their knowledge and approbation of the persons to be ordained there followed imposition of hands wherein consisted the accomplishment of the whole work which is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek Concerning the Ordination of Bishops onely this may be averred out of Saint Hierome who hath recorded that in the Church of Alexandria the Presbyters were wont to choose a Bishop out of their owne Classis or rank yet we must not deny that the first constitution of a Bishop there who was Hanania was made by Marke the Euangelist as we may see in Eutichius lately set forth by Mr. Selden And it is evident out of many other Authors that they nominated the person to be approved of by the people and to be ordained by the neighbour Bishops This too is maintained by Saint Ambrose in his Comment upon Ephes 4.2 Where wee must understand by those words Multorum Sacerdotum judicium Non ordo sed meritum creabat Episcopum multorum Sacerdotum judicio constitutum c. Vi. Can. 19. Concil Antioc as well the judgement of the Presbyters by whom the Bishop was elected as of the Bishops of other Churches by whom he was ordained and with whom he was to preserve the unity of the Church And unlesse three Bishops at the least were present it was not usuall to ordaine one Thus without consent of the Bishops all proceedings of the Clergy and people were quite disabled and to no purpose in the Primitive times And although the Bishops in some Churches usurped the power of Ordination of Ministers without the consent of their Presbyters Vi. Chrys Hom. 2. in 1 Tim. It. Hieron in Ep. ad Euagr. however it is manifest by the joynt consent of the Fathers who witnesse that the Presbytery was a Bench assistant to the Bishop without advice whereof nothing of moment was done or acted by the practice of the Apostles that the Presbyters ought to have a share with the Bishop in the imposition of hands 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 16. Timothy received imposition of hands from Saint Paul and the Presbyters of Autiochia This last Thesis may be confirmed by the authority of Saint Cyprian who oft expresses himselfe in this particular That he would never ordaine any without the advice of his Presbyters and consent of the people which advice implyes that they concurred with him in the Ordination of Ministers And as for imposition of hands that the Presbyters also conjoyned with the Bishops in this it is evident by the 22. Episcopus sine Concilio Clericorum suorum Clericos non ordinet ita ut civium assensum testimonium quaerat Canon of the fourth Councell of Carthage and by the aforesaid Epistle of Firmilianus Bishop of Cesarea Cappadocia as also by Ignatius his Epistle to Hero By all these authorities it evidently appeares that the Presbyters concurred with the Bishops in the act of Ordination assisting them by their prayers gracing them by their presence and countenancing their act by a joint consent in their Suffrages The like is affirmed in the fourth Councell of Carthage c. 3. where it is provided and appointed that when the Bishop giveth imposition of hands the Presbyters also shall impose theirs by his which they did to argue their consent to what was done by the Bishop In which act the people had no share And this joynt act of the Bishop and Presbyters in laying their hands upon the heads of the Ministers signified the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost which they then prayed might light upon them who are to be ordained As for the constituting and ordaining of Bishops the advice of
parts Vid. Tit. 1.5 hee appointed those two Disciples Timothy and Titus to be in his stead over those Churches And that their charge was as great as that of Bishops is not questioned by those who are versed in the most ancient Records of our Church Quid est Episcopus nisi primus Presbyterorum sayes St. Augustine Therefore if Timothy and Titus had a full power and authority to ordaine Presbyters and Deacons and to fit them with instructions to manage their severall offices we may not doubt out of a â—ond nicety to stile them Bishops or Overscers for that they were the Heads of their severall Presbyters and had a directive and coercive power over them in their particular charges which might be proved by many places in the holy Scriptures Wee may conclude then that S. Paul in that hee placed two of his prime Disciples in two principall Cities * Of Crete and Ephesus in which there were Presbyters and gave them in charge to ordaine Presbyters in every City as there should be need Hence I say we may inferre that our Apostle thus setling the Easterne Churches and appointing them their Heads and Bodies of Ecclesiasticall Governours Rev. 2.3 chap. This is also manifest by Ignatius his Epistle who was S. Johns Disciple who likewise makes often mention of Bishops and Presbyters intended to leave a patterne which afterwards should be followed in all Ages And that this Government was setled in Asia under Timothies charge it appeares by S. Iohns seven Epistles sent from our Lord to the 7. Churches directed to the Angels there who no doubt were Bishops And that act of his in directing his Epistles to one in the name and behalfe of the whole Church argues the eminencie of the Head fit to answer for the body it representeth SECT IV. ANd that the same forme of Government which was setled in Hierusalem and the forenamed Churches was likewise established in the Church of Antioch may be proved by that Text in the 13. of Acts where we read Act. 12.2 that there were in the Church of Antiochia certaine Prophets and Teachers and as they ministred unto the Lord and fasted the Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the worke whereunto I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands upon them they sent them away It is safe to affirme that these Prophets and Teachers were no other then that ranke and order of Presbyters because we reade that they ministred unto the Lord and gave imposition of hands which was the worke of ordinary Ministers though that particular imposition of hands upon Paul and Barnabas was not an ordination of Paul and Barnabas but a separation of them v. 2. and destinating them to distinct Countries The Heads of the Church were S. Paul and Peter as appeares by Ignatius in his Epistle ad Magn. where wee have these words For at Antiochia the Disciples were first called Christians Paul and Peter founding the Church But to untwist a doubt which some may make that is How it came to passe that there were two Heads of that Church Gal. 2.9 10. Wee may answer that there were two severall congregations at one and the same time there the one of the Gentiles called by the Apostle Uncircumcision the other of the Jewes the care of the one was committed to Peter the other to S. Paul These two Apostles being called away by their imployments in other parts tooke the same course with this Church which before was done by S. Paul with those which he commended to the care of Timothy and Titus For both congregations being by that time united together in a sweet harmony of Love and Peace he commended them joyntly to the care of Euodius the Bishop who was predecessour to Ignatius To maintaine yet further the truth of the position we are assured by the authority of Dionysius Bishop of Corinth that Dionysius the Areopagite S. Pauls Convert was Bishop of Athens In Alexandria Act. 17.34 from Mark the Evangelist who was first set over that Church there was a continued succession of Bishops and Presbyters even untill the times of Heraclas and Dionysius as Saint Hierome witnesses in his Epistle to Euagrius SECT V. HAving proved that the Apostles ordained Presbyters to governe the Churches planted by their care and paines the Heads whereof after their departure were Bishops from this proofe we may easily draw this influence That the government of the Churches was for a long time upheld in common by Bishops and Presbyters as from the beginning the Presbyters governed joyntly with the Apostles This inference Mr. Th. confirmes at large by many demonstrative and undenyable arguments viz. p. 69 70 71. where out of Ignatius his Epistle ad Traâ—â—ianos and the Commentaries under S. Ambrose his name upon 1 Tim. 5.1 he proves what has been asserted Nothing was done in the Churchly the Bishop without his Presbyters advice and consent S. Ambrose his words are these Apud omnes utique gentes honorabilis est senectus unde Synagoga postea Ecclesia seniores habuit sine quorum consilio nihil agebatur in Ecclesiâ This likewise is confirmed by S. Hierome upon Titus 1.5 and by the Authority of S. Cyprian Ep. 6. And by reason of this concurrence of the Presbyters with the Bishops in the Government of the Church it is that the most ancient Church Writers comprized both Bishops and Prebyters under the same titles entitling the Bishops Presbyters not because there were then no Bishops as some fondly deeme but because both concurred as hath been said in a joynt care of managing the affaires of the Church That their names were confounded Mr. Th. proves out of the Epistle of Clemens vide p. 54. and out of Ignatius his Epistle to Hero his Deacon Vi. Euseb Ecc. Hist p. 3. c. 23. where one and the same is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also out of Tertul. de praescrip c. 3. The Apostle S. Peter stiles himself an Elder 1 Pet. 1.5 of which no other reason can be given but this that he so termes himself both in regard of his age in regard of his office which was common in the care of the Church with the Presbyters To evince farther that there was ever a coÌ„munity of names though a distinction in the order and office of Bishops and Presbyters he cites a place out of Tertull in his Apol. c. 39. Praesident probati quicque seniores c. where by the name of Elders or Presbyters is to be understood the order of Bishops With this of Tertullian accords that of S. Ambrose in his 1. Book de Offic. vid. c. 20. and of Irenaeus l. 4. c. 43. both which authorities you may reade at large in Mr. Th. book p. 77 78 79. And that both rankes or orders of Bishops and Presbyters were comprized under the name of Praepositi and Praesidentes
Eucharist celebrated by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Bishop so that the Presbyters did not preach but when the Bishop was absent and administred not the Sacraments i. e. did not consecrate in his presence This is evident in the life of St. Austin by the story of Valerius a Greek Bishop who comming into St. Austines Church at Hippo desired Saint Austine who was not then a Bishop to officiate in regard that he was not well skilled in the African nor the people in the knowledge of the Greek tongue Tertullian affirmes the same l. de Bapt. c. 17. so does Ignatius in Epist ad Smyrn Where to shew the preeminence of the Bishop he proves that as by the ancient constitutions of the Church the Presbyters ought not to doe any thing without the consent of the Bishop nor the Bishop in great matters without the consent and advice of his Presbyters so neither ought the Laity to doe any thing in the Church without the Bishop and Presbyters approbation or liking This may be farther proved out of Ignatius in his Epist ad Trall And so still in Ignatius the Presbyters are assistant to the Bishop in all things Which is likewise confirmed by the sixth Canon of the Councell of Gangra Vi. Mr. Th. p. 118 119. Where hee also proves that the Deacons were not suijuris i. e. had not the sole disposing of the maintenance of the Church and poore but did onely execute the will and judgement of the Bishop and Presbyters and distributed the Churches almes to those whom they appointed SECT VIII HAving thus declared in part the preeminence of the Bishop over the Presbyters i. e. the priviledge he has in some cases above these and also that the Deacons as well as the Lay-persons are subject to the power of both the former Mr. Th. proceeds to discourse of two particulars in the Office common to Bishops and Presbyters wherein the people have a share and may claim an interesse The one is the discipline of Penance The other the ordaining of Ministers And first of all by way of manuduction to his discourse he explaines that Text Matth. 16.19 And I will give thee the keyes of heaven And whatsoever thou bindest on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Which power of binding and loosing he affirmes to be the same with that given to the Apostles John 20.24 Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto him and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained The Bishop and Presbyters that exercised this power of binding and loosing remitting and retaining sins represented the office of Judges and Physitians Lapsis fratribus per poenitentiam medela quaeratur Firmil in Ep. ad Cypr. Ep. 75. Judges they were in shutting Gods house upon offenders and binding their sinnes upon their consciences Physitians in prescribing the medicine of repentance And in that respect alone are said to remit sinnes as a Physitian who does no more but prescribe the medicine or at the most see it prescribed is said to cure a mans disease And having a spirituall eye to judge when repentance is sound and unfained upon due knowledge of this they may assure men that their sinnes are pardoned and pronounce their absolution declaratively whereby they unloose that knot wherewith their consciences were tyed The medicine of Repentance prescribed to a delinquent was wont to be strengthened with the prayers and intercession of the Congregation but in the chiefe place of the Bishop and Presbyters whose prayers were correspondent to that which is given to make physick work Vi. Mat. 18.19 out of which text following that wherein Christ gives to the Apostles power of binding and loosing may be proved that the Congregation interceding by their prayers with God for a sinner in this respect bore a part and had a share with the Church the Bishop and Presbyters in the discipline of penance which these imposed upon delinquents but * i. e. The congregation or people they medled not with the keyes of Gods house i. e. they did not as the Jewes were wont to doe usurpe the power of Excommunication upon causes of their particular interesse but left that wholly to the Church i. e. to the Eccelesiasticall Governours to whom only that power did belong Dic Ecclesiae Matth. 18.17 implyes as much That censure of Excommunication as appeares by 1 Cor. 5.13 did cut men off from the conversation of Christians for that such persons forfeited by their hainous sinnes the priviledge of Gods sonnes and so delivered them over to the power of Satan to be led captive by him at his will and pleasure As those among the Israelites that lodged without the Camp were in danger to be lickt up and devoured by the Amalekites That course of Excommunication as it was a preservative in regard of those that were not tainted yet might be so was it medicinall in respect of the sicke which were usually restored to their former soundnesse by shame and griefe Vi. 1 Cor. 5.6 1 Tim. 1.20 and this power of excommunicating was exercised in common by the Bishops and Presbyters which practice was a good glosse upon the words of our Saviour to Peter Behold I give thee the keyes of heaven for what was promised to Peter was given to his fellow Apostles but was to rest in the Church throughout all ages Witnesse that of Saint Austine Ep. 79. Si hoc in Ecclesiâ fit Petrus quando claves accepit Ecclesiam sanctam significavit Vid. Mr. Th. p. 143. where you shall finde for the confirmation of this an authority out of Tertull. Apol. c. 39. and another out of St. Aust Homil. ult ex 50. Hom. c. 11. How because the Church cannot proceed in their Censures effectually or to any good purpose but by vertue of those lawes which are put in force and maintained by the Secular powers and because it cannot be expected that the people should yeeld a voluntary submission to the Discipline of the Church farther then it is enabled by the Lawes of the Realme to exercise it Therefore it is much to be wished that those wholesome and usefull Lawes by which the Ministers of the Church are enabled directed and constrained to exercise and discharge this necessary part of their office may be revived and put into act that so the power of the Keyes given to the Church by our Lord being assisted and strengthned by the Secular arme may be enabled to reduce all notorious offenders to a good life and conversation by the Discipline of penance and to cut them off from the Church that refuse it Then this Discipline of penance there is not a more puissant way to beat down Vice and to discountenance Malefactors in a Christian Commonwealth In regard that when they have satisfied the Lawes of the Kingdome with the losse of goods and reputation or have escaped death by the connivence and gentlenesse of their Judges Neverthelesse if the