yeers before this book of the Revelation of St. John was written and Onesimus probably the then Bishop the Angell of the Church of Ephesus Their Office Power and Commission are there intimated to have been Episcopall and charged upon them by Christ in that five of the Angels are charged as blameable and accomptable for the faults of both Presbyters and people and therefore surely were trusted with authority over Presbyters and people to have corrected and censured them Particularly Episcopall power is intimated there chap. 2. of the Revel. vers. 20. and that power of excommunication is sufficiently grounded on the 14 verse Mr. Perkins in locum affirmeth Their mission to that office also as it is there confirmed by the Sonne of God and by the holy Spirit So also to have been at first from God is in their title implied For Angels sent forth for the Churches sake are never said in holy Scripture to be any's Messengers but Gods and if his Messengers or Angels then sent by him That their superiority was fixed not weekly or annuall is clear as from the Ecclesiasticall History of Polycarp and Onesimus so also from the Text it self c. 2. 10. Where the Angell of the Church of Smyrna as Angell of the Church is bidden to be faithfull in his Office surely untill death b Nor was it personall onely but describing the Office of the Angell of any Church in like laudable or blame-worthy state unto the comming of Christ as it is implied v. 24. 25. of the second chapter For what is said to them so long as there is any that hath an eare to hear he must hear c. 2. v. 3. Nor did the personall blameworthy carriage of the Angell of the Church of Sardis c. 3. v. 1 c. or of the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans v. 14. 16. hinder Christs approbation of their Office who are in regard of their Office not of their personall Excellency stiled the Angels of the seven Churches and the Stars in the right hand of the Son of man both which stiles that they are there singularly appropriated to these successours of the Apostles ought not to seem strange since the twelve Apostles are confessedly meant by the crown of twelve Stars Apoc. 12. 1. And St Paul the Apostle of us Gentiles speaks of himself received as an Angell of God Galat. 4. 14. Summarily therefore out of holy Scriptures thus we reason Many Presbyters and Preachers in one Church and one chief having eminency and power over all Presbyters and people therein proveth the Office of a Bishop but so holy Scripture witnesseth were in Ephesus many Presbyters Act. 20. 17. or if they were Bishops in the sense now disputed some of them at least as Irenaeus thought l. 3. c. 14. we need go no further in the argument and more afterwards surely and yet one chiefe Pastor or Bishop over all such as was Timothy in his time and the Angel of that Church whosoever he was mentioned Rev. 2. 1. So also in the Church of Pergamus there were divers Teachers true and false c. 2. v. 13 15. one Angel Governour in chief v. 1. For be it that all the Presbyters of each of the Churches might well have been called Angels c yet that one among them in each Church in such a compatible community of name is so called by way of eminency proves an eminency in the one so called which must either be of personall excellency above all the rest and this who can shew us in the Angel of the Church of Sardis Laodicea or Thyatira or else and rather of Office and power so as Iohn Baptist was called an Angel Malac 3. who was more then a Prophet and St. Paul received as an Angell Gal. 4. 14. who was more then a Minister and our Saviour Christ is called Michael Apoc. 12. 7. with his Angels fighting under him One objection more we shall take notice of viz. the pretended necessity of understanding by each of the Angels there a collective body from c. 2. v. 10. 24. But this is manifestly clear to be no necessity at all from the like manner of speaking of the holy Ghost 2 Chron. 28. 1. to the 5. Compare and judge And therefore it is not lawfull without any necessary reason to depart from the literall and determinate individuation of one chief spirituall Church-governour in each of the seven Churches for otherwise as Tertullian speaks lib. de carne Christi cap. 13. Omnia periclitabuntur alitèr accipi quà m sunt amittere quod sunt dum alitèr accipiuntur Yea there is not onely no necessity but much in the Text which doth resist such an interpretation of a collective body for it should be either an Angel put for the whole particular Church and this cannot be seeing the Angels and the Churches are accurately distinguished c. 1. v. 20. Or an Angel put for the whole collection of the Presbyters but neither may this be admitted inasmuch as in the same 20 verse the Angels are called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} seven no more and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} stars not constellations as Suidas distinguisheth the words You have our reasons from these Scriptures why to us it seems that to swear to endeavour the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops is to swear to endeavour the extirpation of that whose Root is in holy Scripture and to swear to endeavour which we tremble to think of to wrest these Stars out of the right hand of the Sonne of man who is also the Son of God For in his right hand are they held the Angels of the Churches Revel. 1. 16 20. As Church-government by Bishops hath been evidenced by holy Scripture so was it also the judgement of the ancient godly Fathers that it was an institution Apostolicall and Divine {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith Theodoret l. 4. c. 18. by St. Cyprian ep. 55. the power of Episcopacy is exegetically called Ecclesiae gubernande sublimis divina potestas epist. 27. Dominus noster Episcopi honorem disponens in Evangelic And anon after ut omnis actus Ecclesiae per Episcopos gubernetur cum hoc itaque divina lege fundatum sit miror quosdam audaci temeritate c. epist. 65. Episcopos Praepositos Dominus elegit And anon after Deus Episcopos facit Athanasius epist. ad Dracontium saith that he who contemns the function of a Bishop {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and that the Office is of those things {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ignat. epist. ad Magnes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Idem Ignat epist ad Ephes. Oecumen. c. 9. in Tim. 4. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Theophylact. and Oecumenius found Bishops upon Ephes. 4.11 and on Hebr. 13.17 Oecumenius and
Nazianzen in Apologet in 1 Pet. 5. vide Hegesippum apud Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 22. and Chrysostom in Tit. 1. Hom. 2. Saint Ambrose de dignitate Sacerdot c. 2. 6. Isidor Pelusiot lib. 2. ep. 125. Further out of the holy Scripture we might alledge according to Saint Hieroms interpretation that this distinction between the Bishops and his Presbyters was signified in Moses and the 70. So Hierom in Tit. 1. the distinction of Presbyters and Deacons to be that which was under the Law of the high Priest Priests and Levites So S. Hieron. Ep. 2. ad Nepotianum Ep. ad Evagrium and before him Ignat. ad Philadelph Clement ep. ad Corinth Chrysost. Hom. 20. ad pop. Antioch and after Leo ep. 66 Isidor Hisp. de officiis Eccles. l. 2. c. 5. 7. That the eminent dignity and office of Bishops was prophecied of Psal. 45. 16. where Bishops are meant say S. August in loc. Comment. called S. Hieroms in locum S. Cyril of Alex. in loc. Theodoret in locum Ruffinus in locum as the other of Presbyters and Deacons were prophecied of Isaiah 66. 21. And further for imparity of Teachers in the new Testament that answerably to Prophets in the old and sons of the Prophets among some that served in the Gospell some were as Fathers others serving with them as sont So also that we read of Builders and Master-builders in Gods building 1 Cor. 3. and we read also among those builders of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. 1 Cor. 12. 28. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Hebr. 13. 17. and under them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luc. 22. 27. But for the confirmation by Scripture of the office of a Bishop we adhere especially to the Epistles to Timothy and Titus and those seven Epistles Apoc. 1 2 and 3. And if it be acknowledged of institution Apostolicall and approved by God but temporary onely the contrary will be made manifest as from the proper light of the Texts alledged and from the forecited Text 1 Tim. 6. 14. So also from this Proposition which we avow No Constitution Apostolicall received by the universall Church perpetually in all ages unto this age of this controversie can without scandall and dangerous consequence be called Temporary the universall practice of the Church practising continually and perpetually an Apostolicall Institution being a most sure Commentary that it was no temporary institution Forasmuch as we are taught by the holy Ghost in divine Scripture that contention in what the Law of God is pretended not to be expresse may be warrantably taken off by the custome of the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11. 16. See Theophylact. in locum Custom I doe not say any but of the Churches of God i.e. Primitive also Universall Perpetuall interpreting the controverted Law of God whether Naturall as vers. 14. or Positive by no lesse reason Whereunto agreeth well the rule of S. Augustine contra Crescon. lib. 1. c. 32. contra Donat. l. 4. c. 24. Quod universa tenet Ecclesia c. ep 86. ad Casul epist. ad Januarium 118. si quidtota hodie c. Vincent Lyrin adversus haereses c. 2. c. 3. Quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus c. And if not by such traditive interpretation from the custom of the Churches of God according to the Apostles rule how shall we convince contentious gainsayers that the sense of those Texts Goe and teach all Nations baptizing them c. Matth. 28. and those other of baptizing the houshold of Stephanus and of the keeper of the prison 1 Cor. 1. Acts 16. or any other Scriptures to be a divine warrant as they are for Baptisme of Infants Or the sense of hoc facite c. Luk. 22. to imply a divine right of Presbyters onely to consecrate the Elements of the blessed Sacrament or the sense of those Texts Iohn 20. 1 19 26. Acts 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 2. Revel. 1. 10. or Psalm 118. 24. or of any other Scriptures to be a divine warrant for the translation of our one day in seven from the seventh day of the week to the first Or on the other side how shall we convince those of the Church of Rome that that Apostolicall divine Precept Iames 5.14 as to the anointing the sick with oil was a temporary Precept onely but negatively from the interpretation of the custom of the Churches of God Since miraculous gifts were also conferred by the laying on of hands which yet was not temporary Heb. 6 2. Now that this Apostolicall institution hath been universally practised and perpetually in the custom of the Churches of God of all times and places excepting onely some narrow place and time of this age of this controversie and that in Churches founded by different planters by all the severall Apostles and others sent by them as well those Churches which have in severall ages rejected the Antichristian Monarchy of the Bishop of Rome over all the Church as others and that order preserved by God from extirpation thorow all the ten persecutions and descending in each Church or City by particular continued succession as for example 27 Bishops from S. Timothy to the time of the Chalcedon Councell as was declared there act 11. that in all times primitive and following Bishops have been chief in Ecclesiasticall government in Councels in Martyrdom in Piety in Learning in the conversion of Nations in the mighty confounding of Heresies and Heretiques we beleeve we are able if any deny to make good And first here for the Primitive Churches we alledge all the forecited Testmonies of Antiquity proving Bishop to have been instituted by the Apostles themselves vide supra Yea and early within the Apostles times there having been not onely three Bishops of Rome successively Linus Cletus and Clemens and within Saint Johns time of life four Bishops of Alexandria successively Saint Mark Anianus Abilius and Cerdo three Bishops of Antioch Saint Peter Evodius and Ignatius two of Jerusalem Saint Iames and Simeon all while Saint John the Apostle yet lived Euseb hist eccles. lib. 3. cap. 12. But also Saint Iames made Bishop of Ierusalem soon after the passion of our Lord saith Saint Hierom. de Script Eccles. After the Ascension of our Saviour saith Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 1. before Saint Stevens Martyrdom for Saint Steven was Deacon to Iames Bishop of Ierusalem saith Ignatius epist. ad Trall and the ancient Author of the Epist. ad Heronem under his name and that James himself was martyred after he had governed the Church of Ierusalem 30. yeers saith Saint Hierom. de Script Eccles. And as Saint Hierom affirmeth Iames the Apostle to have been the first Bishop of Ierusalem in Gal. 1. So also Peter to have been the first Bishop of Antioch in Gal. 2. And
have determined but seeing there hath not it must run over the Chronicles In the meane time in such cases as are found it may anticipate instances to the contrary as in Queen Maries dayes and those of Henry the 8. when there was more just reason in respect of Religion if there might be any then now is alleaged and other Arguments such as the Doctrine of the Church of England ever since the Reformation and the like to equipoize this which is asserted gratis and if after disquisition this be not found true the conclusion of the conscience will be according to those premisses According to the example of Gods people c. This is of the same nature with the former warrant and therefore the conscience upon this may proceed as upon that seeing they have not set downe which of Gods people in any age or place upon the like causes have taken the like course till this be represented to the conscience the safest way will be to examine what our Saviour himself and the Apostles and primitive Christians who were assuredly Gods people did hold and practice for doctrine and example in the like if there have ever been or a worse case them is proved or pretended And if they have not resisted or held it lawfull their Princes in the greatest persecutions and utmost danger of Religion and all that could be dear unto them it may raise a conclusion till some stronger reasons can be presented or the errour of these be cleared and taken off what is to be done when we are required to assist a warlike entrance of Subjects with all the other circumstances which attend this action of the Scots made onely upon a beleeved charity of helping their neighbours The summe of all is That if all and every of the materials of this Preface in as much as concernes the Premisses were true our consciences cannot assent to the consequence that it is lawfull for us as Subjects of the Church England though we had not sworn or subscribed to some particulars against which some of the Articles are contrived to assist the Scots or consent to them in this warre which assistance is the generall end of this Covenant Secondly there is not any one member which doth conclude any thing to our consciences to move us to take it neither in the complication doe they conclude Thirdly there is not any particular member of it which doth not either directly or by considerations naturally suggested by them and altogether unforced prevaile with us to the contrary So that till every one of these obstacles and scruples be taken off we cannot without violence to our consciences take this Oath That we shall sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God endeavour in our severall places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common Enemies the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the neerest conjunction and uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church Government Directory for Worship and Catechizing That we and our posterity after us may as brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us In the first Article are we to be sworne to endeavour the preservation of the Doctrine Worship and Discipline of the Church of Scotland absolutely or with this added as a restriction against our common Enemies By whom doe we not rightly conceive to be meant the common Enemies to the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland That those words against our common enemies are to be taken restrictively it may be thought because they otherwise should have been vainly added and that by common Enemies those are meant the necessity of the Grammaticall sense implies there having preceded no other division to which this community can referre besides that of England Scotland and Ireland in the Preface So that the word Our must referre to We in the beginning of the Preface whose onely distribution which can referre to common here is that of the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland Is not therefore the true sense of this part of the Article this viz. I will sincerely really constantly through the grace of God in my calling against those who are enemies for example both to the Articles of the Church of England and those of Scotland both to our Liturgy and their directory for worship both to our Church-Government and to Presbyteriall Government endeavour to preserve their Articles manner of worship and Presbytery If thus it be these things are to be considered If the imposers of this Oath are assured in their Conscience that the Doctrine Worship c. of the Church of Scotland can infallibly be proved out of the Word of God why would they have us sweare to endeavour in our calling of the Ministery to preserve it with a restriction against some men onely and not absolutely and indefinitely Whether is this so free from the scandall of respect of Persons as an oath for the impartiall defence of Truth doth require If they doubt it cannot be infallibly proved how can our Brethren of Scotland without spirituall Tyranny desire an Oath to be imposed upon us Ministers of the Gospell of another Church to endeavour sincerely really c. in our calling viz. by preaching disputing or otherwise the preservation of it thus far Secondly how can we take an Oath to endeavour the preservation of that Doctrine which we neither know what it is as it now stands nor are told in any Declaration or Exhortation to us nor were bound to know or search no opportunity offering it self How then can this Oath be by us taken in judgement Or since we doubt thus though in generall how can it not being of Faith be other then Sinne Whether are we not if any thing shall be by us hereafter found in the Doctrine of Scotland contrary to sound Doctrine bound to endeavour by the second Article to extirpate it and by the first to preserve it As for their Discipline and Government so much as we understand of it though otherwise we never interposed yet being now called to give our consent to it or reason to the contrary we professe it to be such as that we dare not binde our selves by Oath to endeavour its preservation constantly and indefinitely for all time to come till it be evidenced unto us that it hath been in any time before untill this our last age If it shall here be replyed that we are required to endeavour the preservation of their Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government onely against our common enemies that is of us of the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland and so the preservation of it onely so
farre as we all agree this we cannot conceive to be the adequate sense of those words especially according to the intention of the imposers For it is clear as we have already touched that our common Enemies are not onely they who are adversaries to us in that wherein we all three doe agree but those also who in such things wherein we differ amongst our selves are yet by opposing themselves to us all our common Enemies against whom therefore by this Oath we should be bound to preserve to each that also wherein we differ amongst our selves Moreover that that Sense is neither the onely nor the chief Sense intended by the Imposers we have cause to think because if so restrained our Brethren of Scotland in favour of whom we conceive this part of the Article to have been proposed would be no whit secured against the fears of innovations from England if we were onely sworn to preserve unto them those things wherein we all agree at the entring this present League and Covenant Thirdly we desire to know why our Brethren of Scotland should desire it to be imposed upon us by Oath to maintain the Articles of their Religion so far forth as hath been said since our Mother the Church of England never yet hath imposed upon us by Oath to preserve her own known Articles but hath testified her moderation to all in that she hath required subscription onely of all men which were admitted into holy Orders or Ecclesiasticall Benefice or to degrees in the University And yet this was lately judged since the sitting of this Parliament to be too harsh an imposition upon younger Students at their admission to degrees and the urging of it suspended And we know not whether ever it was in use before this age even in any not corrupted Church to command men to swear the maintaining the Articles of their Religion much lesse their Discipline and Church government As to the second thing in this first Article to which we are to swear How can any who are perswaded that there is nothing in the Doctrine of the Church of England which is not consonant to the Word of God without vanity swear to endeavour the Reformation of it according to the VVord of God especially since we have lately protested to defend that Doctrine of the Church of England And how can any who reverently beleeve this Church to be in respect of her Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government established by Law no lesse perfect then any of the Reformed Churches swear to endeavour its reformation in all those according to the example of the best reformed Churches And here by the way we cannot but take notice that this part of the Article is so framed as if there were nothing in the Doctrine c. of the Churches of England and Ireland to be preserved and nothing in theirs of Scotland to be reformed Moreover the best direction for Conscience in examining what is here meant by Reformation will be to consider those instances wherein in the following Articles is declared the Reformation and then if perswaded that there is any thing there exprest as instances of reformation which is not according to much more if against the Word of God how can we take this part of the Oath at least in the sense of the Imposers As touching the third thing an endeavour of Uniformity c. the considerations for direction of conscience will be the same with the second For we are required to swear to endeavour an uniformity and that in the reformation before mentioned and after that reformation so that in whatsoever sense or kind the reformation by them mentioned and after described is not to be undertaken in the same our endeavour for uniformity is not lawfull Lastly in the taking of this first Article we should as we conceive make our selves guilty either of rash swearing or of perjury and that from the necessary consequence of the complication of these two clauses wherein first we should swear to preserve the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common enemies And secondly to bring the Churches of the three Kingdoms to the neerest conjunction and uniformity in those particulars among ourselves If we endeavour in our callings but by prayer to alter any thing in the Church of Scotland wherein our enemies are theirs also though therein we differ amongst our selves we commit perjury because we swear to preserve it To effect therefore the neerest uniformity in those particulars in the three Kingdoms we are sworn to endeavour to bring the other two Kingdoms to the neerest conformity to the Church of Scotland Now how can we swear to regulate by a rule and to reform by a form which we fully know not and much lesse know to be a fit rule or form without rash swearing sure we are we cannot swear it in judgement and for ought we know not in righteousnesse That we shall in like manner without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-government by Archbishops Bishops their Chancellours and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-deacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse lest we partake in other men sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms How can we swear to this part of the Covenant who doe believe that to endeavour the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops is an act utterly unlawfull for all severall places and callings and especially ours by the Law of God and this Land and to swear it much more sinfull And are we not here bidden to covenant and swear to endeavour the extirpation of Church-government by Bishops To us either the words are ambiguous and to ambiguities we may not swear or rather for we are loath to charge the words with ambiguitie the Grammatical sense according to which the Oath is to be taken speaks so for as to what we hear by some said that onely our Church-government in aggregato by all those Governours together in a collective sense taken formally is to be endeavoured to be extirpated and not each there mentioned first Such interpretation given out is private onely and not by the authority of the imposers and secondly those words and all other c. do manifest that all the formerly mentioned particulars in the parenthesis are to be construed distributively so farre forth as to the extirpation of them To omit that the word Prelacy there interpreted more properly agreeth to Arch-bishops and Bishops then to the rest there mentioned and a Prelacy they would be without them because preferred before Presbyters and if it no more were meant to ejure Bishops then Presbyters or Deacons since as well Presbyters and Deacons make up part of