Aerium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That order which is Generative of Fathers Presbyters may beget Sons by Baptism but not Fathers by Ordination and Consecration This is the Bishops peculiar as Successor to the Apostles in that full Ministry which is perpetuated in the Church That the Seventy Disciples had not this full Ministry nor Presbyters the Successors to those Disciples who have power to Preach to Baptize and Consecrate the Eucharist that they have not this full Ministry is the evidence of sacred Scripture and Church History And we will now make the evidence clear as to that main particular the power of Ordination in which we have the Doctrine of the Scriptures to approve the practise of the Church and the practise of the Church to interpret the Doctrine of the Scriptures Consult we then 1 The Sacred Scriptures And the first Ordination we meet with is that of those Seven Acts 6. commonly called Deacons and here we finde no hands but those of the Apostles The second Ordination is that of Presbyters Acts 14.23 and this we finde to be by the hands of Barnabas and Paul Which two when separated to the work of the Ministry if we may call it an Ordination it is by the hands of Simeon Lucius and Manaen Apostolick-men Acts 13.1 2 3. Prophets ministring to the Lord who as Church History tells us were Bishops of Syria The last Ordination we meet with in Scripture actually executed it is that of Timothy 1 Tim 4 14. which though by the hands of the Presbytery yet is not that Presbytery without an Apostle even the laying on of the hands of St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.6 From Scripture practise pass we on to Scripture precept and for this consult we the Epistles to Timothy and Titus in which we have the exact platform of the Churches Ministry as communicated and perpetuated from the Apostles Behold we then the Church of Ephesus and the Churches of Creet in them we finde many Presbyters and above those Presbyters in dignity and office Timothy and Titus and that Timothy and Titus were in dignity and office above those Presbyters appears plainly by that power they had of enacting Ecclesiastical Laws of passing Church censures and of ordaining by imposition of hands in which is the work and the office proper and peculiar to Timothy and Titus above those Presbyters which were in their Churches And observe those instructions given by St. Paul to Timothy and Titus in their particular persons have been and yet are continued in the Church as sacred Rules to regulate for ever the Function and Office of an Episcopal presidency 1 Tim. 5.22 Tit. 1.5 1 Tim. 5.19 Tit. 3.10 which Function and Office extends it self not onely to the ordaining of Presbyters but also to the exercising a Disciplinary power and an Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over them as appears by many plain Texts given by the Apostle But 2 from the Scriptures Authority pass we on to take a short view of the Churches History Which History from the most sacred and inviolable Records tells us of many Bishops seated by the Apostles yea many successively continued during the lives of the Apostles And strange it were that St. John who tells us of so many Antichrists 1 Joh. 2.18 should not tell us of Episcopacy being Antichristian if he had had the Spirit of our present times to have believed it such which â—rer l. 3. c 3. sure we are he did not believe for that Irenaeus assures us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his yonger years he saw Polycarpe Bishop of Smyrna whom he knew to be so constituted by the Apostles and amongst those Apostles Tertullian Tert. de P aescript c. 32. is express that St. John himself was one After Tertullian consult we St. Basil and he calls Episcopacy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostolical prefecture and presidency August Ep. 44. yea St. Augustine he informs us That Radix Christianae societatis per sedes Apostolorum successiones Episcoporum certa per orbem propagatione diffunditur the Root of Christian communion hath branched and spread it self in a certain propagation throughout the world by the Apostolical Seats and Episcopal Successions which propagation to the spreading Church-fellowship and communion how hath it been transmitted but by Ministerial Ordination Which Ordination was so universally and assuredly owned and acknowledged to be proper to the Episcopal order that Aerius pertinaciously asserting the contrary was by St. Augustine yea by the Catholick Church says Epiphanius condemned of Heresie Further they are known examples which we have of Musaeus and Eutychianus two Grecian Presbyters who having ordained without the Bishop and themselves not being Bishops their Ordination is declared by the Council of Sardis about eleven years after Constantine the Great to be null Concil Sard. can 19. and those they had ordained are reduced to the state and condition of Laicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as such who had dissembled and forged their Ordination Again we read of Ischyras ordained by Colluthus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one who strongly yet vainly fancied himself a Bishop being indeed a meer Presbyter But as concerning Ischyras the Synod of Alexandria reduceth him to Lay-communion and determines concerning Colluthus that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever Ordinations he had made they should be all void and invalid To close then we have made good unto you by infallible proofs that imposition of hands in Ordination so plain and evident in the planting is requisit and necessary in the propagating the Church of Christ as being productive of issue and succession in the Ministry which Ministry shall continue in the Church whilest the Church continues in the world And now seeing that onely Apostles and Apostolick-men did ordain and that no meer Presbyters in all the Scriptures are exprest nor in all Church History allowed we see by what Ordination we receive our Saviours Mission here of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go ye Disciple all Nations Baptising them c. But before we pass this point it will be some further confirmation and much more illustration of the truth that we give you some plea of Divine Reason to make good the equity of our present assertion Know then in the Apostles times and Infant-state of the Church Parishes were not divided nor Congregations with their particular Ministers fixt and setled but in one City there were many Presbyters and still as Believers increased their Meetings and Assemblies being in several places they had several persons assigned them for the service of the Ministry which how could it be well ordered without confusion but by the Authority and Presidency of some one above the rest Which Presidency the Apostles during their over-sight over the Churches they retained in themselves but upon their remove they committed to some Apostolick-men as their Successors And indeed it is most agreeable to right reason that that office should not expire whose end did continue
and such is the end of the Apostolical Presidency even the preventing Schism and the preserving Order and Unity in the Church A Prudential Experience doth tell us it is with Christs Church as with Davids Harp in all a parity of office is as far from peace as the unison of strings is from harmony subordination in some and superiority in others is as requisit to Ecclesiastical as Civil Polity without which Schism becomes as fatal to the Church as Rebellion is to the State So that we must subscribe to the grave sentence and judgment of St. Hierome unless the Episcopal pre-eminence of Authority and Office be preserved Hieron Dialog Adv. Luciferian Tot in Ecclesiis efficientur Schismata quot Sacerdotes There will be as many Schisms in the Church as there are Presbyters especially if every Presbyter hath power of Ordination intrinsecal to his Office by the Divine Right of Apostolical Institution For what then would be the use of Ordination but chiefly to propagate Schism But some may say to prevent this Though the power of Ordination be common to all yet the act of ordaining is restrained to a few Presbyters But I ask by what Authority of Scripture they do it and what Primitive patteâ—n they have for their practise Besides to exclude their Brethren from the exercise of what they acknowledge is proper and intrinsecal to their office is a manifest injury and violation and if all should exercise what is their right of office and cannot be taken from them this would be a strange disorder and confusion Wherefore Beloved in what we have asserted the Apostolick Constitution and the Churches practise doth engage our consent of judgment and conformity of obedience upon a double tye of Reason and of Religion So that if we be either prudent men or pious Christians we must submit to the truth of this assertition That by imposition of hands to ordain into the Ministry is not in the power nor belongs to the office of any meer Presbyter Acts 20.17 28. Phil. 1.1 But what do we not finde that frequently in sacred Scripture Presbyters are called Bishops and are they not therefore one in office being one in name and not to be differenced in the Church not being distinguished in the Scripture To this so specious an Argument we answer our adversaries That as we are not so ignorant as from the name to prove the office of Bishop so nor should they be so erroneous as from the community of name to prove the identity of office in Bishop and Presbyter We finde in the Acts and Epistles those sacred Records which give us the first path of Ecclesiastical Government not so obvious to the eye as when Church practise had trod it out into a beaten road we finde I say in the Acts and Epistles the same persons sometimes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministers sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops so that by the signification of name it is clear we have not the distinction of office 1 Pet. 5.1 2 John 1. And therefore Presbyter being spoken of the Apostles as well as Bishop of Presbyters As from hence That the Apostles were called Presbyters we may not conclude That Presbyters are no less then Apostles so nor from this That Presbyters were called Bishops may we conclude That Bishops are no more then Presbyters It is easie to observe how words common at the first became appropriate in their use and so in some process of time even within one Century of years after Christ the distinction of office became commonly known by distinction of name Bishop being appropriate unto him who had an Apostolical presidency of Ordination and Jurisdiction in the Church We close then with this sure inference from the premisses That this late Schism in our Church of meer Presbyters ordaining to the Ministry as it hath not any clear Text of Scripture to warrant it nor any allowed practise of the Church to approve it so nor hath it any argument of Reason to abet it as being contrary to that Mission constituted by our Saviour in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go ye disciple all Nations Baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of thy Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Applic. 1 Cor. 9.16 1. You see Beloved what is our Mission Christ hath bid us go and a necessity is laid upon us Wo unto us if we preach not the Gospel But then much more wo unto them who stop our mouths that we cannot preach or that binde our feet that we cannot go Let such dread Jeroboams judgment their arm withering 1 King 13.4 their power shrinking and wasting with a curse God did bear long with Judah but when they came to this That they mocked the Messengers of God 2 Chron 36.16 17 c. despised his words and misused his Prophets then there was no remedy his mercy had borne so long that his justice could bear no longer but wrath does arise against his people to captivity and to desolation Oh Beloved the Ministers souls lie at stake for the peoples if we warn you not your perishing through our default is a default whereby we perish Oh the blood of Souls how loud does it cry for vengeance when spilt by the hand of ignorance error slothfulness or cowardice in the Minister See in the course of our Ministry Christ gives us our Mission to go O let us not through your perversness and obstinacy in sin go upon thorns and bryars finde torture and trouble of Soul in our service but in your obedience of Faith to the Gospel of Christ O make beautiful our feet make pleasant our paths Sure there is no greater joy and blessed even thrice blessed be God I can call it much my joy there is no greater joy in the service of our Ministry then to preach the Gospel to a willing and reverent Auditory But oh Beloved and my dearly beloved in the Lord this this is too too much the disparagement of your profession and the discouragement of my Ministry that your holiness of life and righteousness in the world answers not your reverence in the Church your zeal for the Church O that he who gave me my Mission to preach would give you his Grace to practise 2 Cor. 3.3 that I might say of you what St. Paul says of his Corinthians Ye are the Epistle of Christ ministred by us known and read of all men The Epistle of Christ such in whom he hath imprinted the truth and holiness of his Gospel which hath been preached unto you This this would very much seal the lawfulness of my Ministry even its efficacy in your lives which though it is not the most infallible yet is it the more comfortable seal of Christs Mission in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go ye disciple all Nations c. 2. As I have shewed
discendum quod de Deo intelligendum as Hilary speaks we must learn from God what we may understand of God even as we discover the Body of the Sun by the light of its own beams yea God it is who prepares the eye of the practical judgment and proportions the palate of the rectified will to discern the evidence and rellish the sweetness of supernatural Truths and he does it in this order The Church by a Ministerial Manuduction and Ecclesiastical dispensation to those matriculated by Baptism born in her Lap and bred in her Bosom tutored to a reverend esteem of her Maternal Authority to them she transmits this indubitate principle of Christian Verity That the sacred Scriptures are the Word of God But to them who are without the Infidel and Heathen the Church hath her arma praelusoria her preparatory Arguments of Right Reason to fit the minde for a candid reception and diligent examination of the Scriptures And upon this the Spirit of Truth comes in with Conviction to the Conscience perswading the Soul to this assent of Faith that they are the Word of God Wherefore besides the Ministry and Manuduction of the Church there must be an illuminating power of the Spirit yea a power rectifying and raising the minde to a capacity of supernatural light otherwise the Mysteries of Grace to the Natural man will be as the varieties of colours to the blinde the colours are not discerned till the faculty be restored nor are those Mysteries understood till the minde be healed And when thus by the Spirit of God the minde is fitted to the Word and the Word revealed unto the minde then does the Soul discern an excellency in the sacred Scriptures above what is in Humane Writings with as sure a distinction though not so clear an evidence as the eye does discern a beam of the Sun from the blaze of a Candle Quest 3 Thirdly In doubtful cases how may we best interpret the sacred Scriptures Answ I answer That Interpretation of Scripture is best which holds conformity to the Analogy of Faith and consent with the judgment of the Church two sure rules of Scripture interpretation approved and observed by the ablest Expositors of Gods Word 1. Which holds conformity to the Analogy of Faith Rom 12 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Analogy of Faith is none other thing then that summary and fit proportion which is in the general principles of Christianity and cheif mysteries of Grace plainly set down in the sacred Scriptures A sum whereof we have in our publick Confessions of Faith the Decalogue the Lords Prayer and the Doctrine of the Sacraments seeing then it is the Scripture phrase to be built up in our holy Faith As that stone Jud. 20. which holds not proportion with the rest of the building is either fitted or rejected by the Architect so that interpretation of Scripture which holds not Analogy with the received Doctrines of Faith it must be either amended or cast away by the Religious And in doing this the Faithful of Christs Church they shall according to St. Pauls precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3 16. walk orderly by one and the same rule and so preserve the unity and peace of the Church in being of one and the same minde 2. Consent with the Judgment of the Church For that no Scripture is of private interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.20 to be interpreted by a mans own wit fancy or reason but by the enlightning power of the Spirit of Truth for as the Scriptures came not by the proper will Vers 21. so nor are they to be interpreted by the private judgment of men but the same Spirit who is the Author must also be the Interpreter And where may we with more confidence rest assured that this holy Spirit is then where Christ did expresly promise he should ever be with his Church Matth. 28.20 John 16.13 And especially with the Pastors of his Church to whom our Lord gives the promise that His Spirit should lead them into all truth But here it may be demanded what I call the Judgment of the Church I answer The antient perpetual and universal consent of holy Doctrine received at all times in all places and of all the faithful But especially do we fix upon that judgment of the Church in the antient perpetual and universal consent of holy Doctrine collected out of the most consonant Writings of the Primitive Fathers and the sacred Decrees of the first Councils For that without controversie even by confession of all parties in that time were the most Eminent Saints for holiness of life excellency of learning purity of doctrine and constancy of martyrdom And he that will think to go to Heaven in any other path then what these blessed Saints have trod before him I say to him as Constantine to Acesius Erige scalam ascende solus Raise thy self O man a Ladder and climb up alone Now this antient perpetual and universal consent of holy Doctrine collected out of the most consonant Writings of the Primitive Fathers and the sacred Decrees of the first Councils This is that we may call in the language of St. Ambrose Liber Sacerdotalis Ambr. de fid ad Grat. l. 3. c. 7. That Sacerdotal Book signatus a confessoribus multorum Martyrio consecratus signed by the confessions of the most eminent Saints and consecrated by the blood of the holiest Martyrs As then the Authority of the sacred Scriptures gives us the sure rule of Faith so the judgment of the Universal Church gives us the right line of interpretation according to which two it is well worthy our observation the Church of England did exactly draw the platform of her Reformation And this is evident in her Doctrine and Practice 1 In her Doctrine Art 20. amongst many other instances see it in her Book of Articles expresly acknowledging the Church to be the witness and keeper of the sacred Oracles and in her Book of Canons as expresly denying any doctrine necessary to be religiously held and believed which the Catholick Fathers and old Bishops of the Primitive Church have not collected out of the Scriptures And 2 that her practice is suitable to her Doctrine appears by her owning the four General Councils the Apostles Nicen and Athanasian Creeds And in all her disputes against the now silent adversary otherwise too busily employed the Jesuite justifying her reformed estate as conformed to the Primitive Church within the first five Centuries of years And here give me leave to observe unto you how the Presbytery laid the way to their own and our Churches ruine even by setting up private interpretation of Scripture in opposition to the received judgment of the Universal Church For do not the Brownists the Anabaptists under the name and notion of Independents presently beat them with their own weapon The Presbyterian abolisheth the Publick Liturgy and takes away Regular Ordination
brings in the Directory and sets up Lay Elders and all upon this ground That what they did was conformed to the Doctrine of the Scriptures of whose interpretation themselves would be Judges But at the heels of the Presbyterian follows close the Independent and treading in his steps at last over-teacheth him in his design and carries away his Helena from him he pulls down the Classes and the Synod as humane inventions and remains of Antichrist denying That by the Scripture any Presbyters or persons whatsoever ought to have power over the Churches of Christ which are by Scripture-rule Independent in their Government to any Secular or Ecclesiastical power whatsoever And for this they urge their Scripture Texts with much heat of contention against the Presbytery pleading this their common ground of interpretering Scripture by the Spirit whose inspirations and revelations they pretend to above what the Presbytery dare own or acknowledge As then in joyning the Authority of the Scripture with the judgment of the Church was our Reformation so is it Satans subtlety and the Jesuites design both acting by the Enthusiast That in dividing the judgment of the Church from the authority of the Scriptures may be our ruine To the prevention whereof what God hath joyned together let no man put asunder The Word of God and the Ministry of the Church for so faith Christ in Instruction to his Apostles Go ye disciple all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptising and teaching Teaching whatsoever I have commandâ—d you 2 Having resolved you the three seasonable Questions we proceed to clear unto you two Vulgar Errors no less dangerous then epidemical as mischievous in their consequents as spreading in their infections First That the sacred Scriptures are the onely rule of all mens actions Secondly That every man may be an Interpreter of sacred Scripture Which two make up that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that grand and primary falshood which laid the ground for all that division and disobedience which hath of late broken forth into violence and blood both in Church and State 1. That the sacred Scriptures are the onely rule of all mens actions 1. Vulgar Error An opinion however made plausible yet is it indeed pernicious To state the case right That the Sacred Scriptures are our perfect rule of direction as to the knowledge of supernatural Truths in the objects of divine Faith and the exercise of supernatural Graces in the duties of Evangelical obedience we willingly acknowledge and therefore reject all humane Traditions urged by the Romanist as supplements to the Doctrine of Faith and Codicils to the Testament of Christ But now that the sacred Scriptures are our onely rule of direction in matters Civil or Natural especially as extended by the Brethren of the Separation to indifferent actions whereas indeed this opinion makes no actions to be indifferent all being commanded by the Word of God This we can by no means admit of it being an opinion which makes an inâ—et to all Schism and Sedition For Beloved upon diligent search and judicious observation you may finde That in the Controversies of this last age since the Reformation they who have so earnestly preached printed and what not for the change of Church Discipline and Government they have certainly made this the head Theorem of all their Pulpit discourse the very Corner stone of all their Babel-argumentation That simply whatsoever we do and are not thereto commanded and directed by the Word of God it is sin As if when God gave his Scriptures he then made null the Law of Nature and of Right Reason which Law of Nature and Right Reason imprinted in our hearts is as truly and indeed the Law and Word of God as that written and printed in our Bibles And therefore Non differet Scripturâ an ratione consistat Tert. de cor Miâ— c. 4. so Tertullian it will not matter much whether our warrant be from Scripture or from Reason both being the Word of God onely with this difference That Humane Reason is subordinate to Divine Revelation Besides if the Scriptures are the onely rule of all our actions then where there is no Scripture there should be no rule and where no rule no Law But to the Gentiles having no Law written in Tables there is a Law written in their hearts Rom. 2.15 and according unto this Law their Consciences do either accuse or excuse them And thus If the Gentiles have a Law then have they a rule of their actions and that to excuse too and so not every thing which is done without direction of the Scriptures is therefore sin nor yet the written Word the onely rule of what is Natural and Civil To say as some do to mitigate the rigidness and harshness of this opinion to say That the Scriptures are the rule of all mens actions in those general maxims dispersedly and occasionally set down of doing unto others Matth. 7.12 as we would they should do unto us and of doing all things decently 1 Cor. 14.40 Rom. 15.2 Phil. 4.8 orderly and to edification and the like especially of doing whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report c. This were indeed to the purpose if those maxims known principles of Nature and Reason had never been heard of but by Scripture Revelation But in that holy Scripture points us expresly to those maxims in general it withal directs us implicitely to the use of Nature and Reason in all ordinary affairs in particular To convince you more fully of the great danger see the evil consequents of this Erroneous opinion which are especially these three 1. An unavoidable guilt of Superstition 2. A vexatious perplexity of Conscience 3. A seditious contempt of Humane Laws whether Civil or Ecclesiastical First An unavoidable guilt of Superstition For that this opinion takes away the indifferency of things and actions making all necessary as commanded or else to be sinful So that it is well observed the Romanist and Separatist as they go upon contrary grounds yet both false so they run into quite contrary errors yet both superstitious The error and superstition Affirmative on the one hand that 's the Romanists who cutting short the Scriptures perfection impose Humane tradition with an opinion of absolute necessity and divine authority The Error and Superstition Negative on the other hand that 's the Separatists who extending too long or rather laying too low the Scriptures perfection they condemn Natural and Civil Actions with a censure of being sinful which yet the Word of God condemneth not And thus to take away what is indifferent in its self by commanding it as absolutely necessary or forbidding it as absolutely unlawful is Superstitious By commanding it as necessary when Gods Word requires it not and by forbidding it as unlawful when Gods Word condemns it not Secondly A vexatious perplexity