the two sons of Zebedee Iames and Iohn to be chosen the peculiar Bishop of Ierusalem the then mother Church of the world After the death of Iames the Just Hegesippus declareth that Symeon the sonne of Clopas or Cleophas was constituted Bishop and so continued untill the dayes of the Emperour Trajan under whom he suffered a glorious Martyrdome about the same time that Ignatius did being then an hundred and twenty years of age and by that account borne before the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour Where the observation of this prime Historian is not to be passed over that untill these times the Church was called a Virgin as being not yet corrupted with the overspreading of hereticall doctrine For howsoever heresies did spring up before yet they were so kept down by the authority of the Apostles and the Disciples who had heard our Lord himselfe preach that the authors and fautors thereof were not able to get any great head being forced by the authority of such opposites to lurk in obscurity But as soone as all that generation was gathered unto their fathers and none of those were left who had the happinesse to hear the gracious words that proceeded from the Lords own mouth the Hereticks taking that advantage began to enter into a kind of combination and with open face publickly to maintain the oppositions of their science falsly so called from whence they assumed unto themselves the name of Gnosticks or men of knowledge against the preaching of that truth which by those who were eye-witnesses and ministers of the Word had been ONCE delivered unto the Saints The first beginner of which conspiracy was one Thebûthis who had at the first been bred in one of the seven sects into which the people of the Jewes were in those dayes divided but afterwards because he missed of a Bishopricke unto which he had aspired this of Jerusalem as it may seem whereunto Iustus after the death of Symeon was preferred before him could think of no readyer a way throughly to revenge himself of this disgrace than by raising up the like distractions among the Christians Which as in the effect it sheweth the malignity of that ambitious Sectary so doth it in the occasion discover withall the great esteem that in those early dayes was had of Episcopacy When Hegesippus wrote this Ecclesiasticall History the ancientest of any since the Acts of the Apostles Eleutherius as we heard before was Bishop of the Church of Rome unto whom Lucius King of the Britains as our Bede relateth sent an Epistle desiring that by his means he might be made Christian. Who presently obtained the effect of his pious request and the Britains kept the faith then received sound and undefiled in quiet peace untill the times of Dioclesian the Emperour By whose bloudy persecution the faith and discipline of our Brittish Churches was not yet so quite extinguished but that within ten years after and eleven before the first generall Councell of Nice three of our Bishops were present and subscribed unto the Councel of Arles Eborius of York Restitutus of London and Adelfius of Colchester if that be it which is called there Colonia Londinensium The first root of whose succession we must fetch beyond Eleutherius and as high as S. Peter himself if it be true that he constituted Churches here and ordained Bishops Presbyters and Deacons in them as Symeon Metaphrastes relateth out of some part of Eusebius as it seemeth that is not come unto our hands But to return unto the Angels of the seven Churches mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn by what hath been said it is apparent that seven singular Bishops who were the constant Presidents over those Churches are pointed at under that name For other sure they could not be if all of them were cast into one mould and were of the same quality with Polycarpus the then Angel of the Church in Smyrna who without all question was such if any credit may be given herein unto those that saw him and were well acquainted with him And as Tertullian in expresse termes affirmeth him to have been placed there by S. Iohn himself in the testimony before alledged out of his Prescriptions so doth he else-where from the order of the succeeding Bishops not obscurely intimate that the rest of that number were to be referred unto the same descent We have saith he the Churches that were bred by John For although Marcion do reject his Revelation yet the order of the Bishops reckoned up unto their originall will stand for John to be their Founder Neither doth the ancient Writer of the Martyrdome of Timothy mentioned by Photius mean any other by those seven Bishops whose assistance he saith S. Iohn did use after his return from Patmos in the government of the Metropolis of the Ephesians For being revoked from his exile saith he by the sentence of Nerva he betook himself to the Metropolis of Ephesus and being assisted with the presence of SEVEN Bishops he took upon him the government of the Metropolis of the Ephesians and continued preaching the word of piety untill the Empire of Trajan That he remained with the Ephesians and the rest of the brethren of Asia untill the dayes of Trajan and that during the time of his abode with them he published his Gospel is sufficiently witnessed by Ireneus That upon his return from the Iland after the death of Domitian he applyed himself to the government of the Churches of Asia is confirmed likewise both by Eusebius and by Hierom who further addeth that at the earnest intreaty of the Bishops of Asia he wrote there his Gospel And that he himselfe also being free from his banishment did ordaine Bishops in diverse Churches is clearely testified by Clement of Alexandria who lived in the next age after and delivereth it as a certain truth which he had received from those who went before him and could not be farre from the time wherein the thing it self was acted When S. John saith he Domitian the Tyrant being dead removed from the Iland of Patmos unto Ephesus by the intreaty of some he went also unto the neighbouring nations in some places constituting Bishops in others founding whole Churches Among these neighbouring Churches was that of Hierapolis which had Papias placed Bishop therein That this man was a hearer of S. John and a companion of Polycarpus is testified by his own Schollar Irenaeus and that he conversed with the disciples of the Apostles and of Christ also he himself doth thus declare in the Proëme of the five books which he intituled A declaration of the words of the Lord. If upon occasion any of the Presbyters which had accompanied the Apostles did come I diligently enquired what were the speeches which the Apostles used what Andrew or what Peter did say or what Philip or Thomas or James or John or
CONFESSIONS AND PROOFES OF PROTESTANT DIVINES OF Reformed Churches That EPISCOPACY is in respect of the Office according to the word of God and in respect of the Use the Best TOGETHER With a brief Treatise touching the Originall of BISHOPS and METROPOLITANS Printed in the year 1662. TO The Pious and Religious Reader Grace and Peace in Christ Jesus THe matter subject of this Treatise being yet in suspense and to be determin'd de future viz. What Ecclesiasticall Government is to be judged to be according to the Word of God in respect of the office it self and also the Best in respect of its use After that upon more and more deliberation I had perfected my conlusion the saying of Augustine came into my mind He that concealeth a truth and he that teacheth a falshood are both guilty the first because he will not profit the other because he intendeth to hurt and delude which I apprehend as a double caution both of not publishing any Utopian Ecclesiasticall form of Government of mine own forging as also of not stifling by my silence a form truly Apostolicall Which Resolution notwithstanding I did not adventure to take before that I was fortified in my perswasion by a general consent of Protestant Divines of reformed Churches and among others in some principal points appealing to the Divines of the Church of Geneva Nor yet do we so much insist upon their Confessions as upon their Proofs especially being grounded upon two infallible foundations The first the general verdict of Antiquity as well Doctrinall as Historicall Though we should not name that general Council of Calcedon consisting of 630 Fathers which by one Canon decreed it to be a Sacriledge to presse down a Bishop into the degree of a Presbyter The same Council that did also ordain another Canon which was then the very break-neck of Romish Popedome 2. The Authenticall Texts of Scripture so far as thereby to demonstrate Christ his own approbation of Episcopal Prelacy after his Ascension in the Churches of Asia in one whereof without all contradiction was one Polycarpus Bishop and Martyr As for the Churches whereof we are to speak the Tractate hath been undertaken in behalf of Protestant Churches which practice at this day the same Prelacy under these two divers names of Episcopacy and Superintendency as much exceeding the number of those which are destitute of Bishops yet so as justly condemning the Romish Hierarchy rather Tyranny poysoned with most grosse Idolatry and not so onely but so far opposite to the Episcopacy which we defend that it is a false Usurpation that all Bishops be originally deduced from the Pope and dependant upon him Other Churches destitute of Bishops we differ from yet not so far be it from us as not to account them essential Churches of Christ but to whom as formerly we do desirously give the right hand of Brotherly fellowship to joyn against the common and grand adversary in the Romish Babylon Concerinng other points circumstantial we have provided that our Method be with coherence our Styl plain and even our Allegations direct and punctual our Authors justly approveable our Taxations toothless and our Inferencies brief pertinent and consectary As for you good Christian Reader his hope is that he shall not need the use of the Apostles Expostulation saying Am I your enemy because I tell you the truth And his prayer to God shall be to protect and blesse you to the glory of his saving Grace in Christ Jesus that he also will distribute to this our lacerated Church some portion of that his peerlesse Legacy left unto his Apostles when he said My peace I leave with you by vertue whereof we may with one heart and mind faithfully worship God in Spirit and in Truth The Contents of every THESIS I. THesis That our English Episcopacy hath been justified b the confession of the most learned Protestants of remot Churches in speciall by the Church of Geneva Pag. 1 II. Thesis That there was never any visible constituted Church in all Christendome since the Appostles time for 1500. years and more which held Episcopacy in it self to be unlawful 5 III. Thesis That Episcopall Prelacy is acknowledged by Protestant Divines of remote Churches to be according to the Word of God and their consent therein unto Primitive Antiquity 7 IV. Thesis That Episcopall Government in the Church is in respect of the necessary use thereof the Best by the consent of Protestant Divines of other reformed Churches 9 V. Thesis That the most Protestant Churches do professe and practise a Prelacy over Presbyters 13 VI. Thesis That the former Reasons of Confessions of Protestant Divines concerning the necessity of Episcopall Prelacy for preservation of concord and preventing of Schisme is correspondent to the judgement of Antiquity 14 VII Thesis That Bishops primitively were not only the chiefest Champions for the Christian Faith but also the greatest adversaries to Romish Popedome as have also our English 16 VIII Thesis That to be of Aposticall Institution argueth in it a Divine Right by the confession of excellent Divines of the reformed Churches 18 IX Thesis That no Ancient Father absolutely denyed the Aposticall Originall of Episcopacy no not the objected Hieròme who will shew himself a manifest Patron thereof 19 X. Thesis That Clement an Apostolicall Disciple to whose arbitrement both our Opposites and we offer to yeild our selves doth patronize Episcopacy as being Apostolicall 21 XI Thesis That other Primitive Fathers before Hierome did unanimously testifie an Apostolical Right of Episcopacy 24 XII Thesis That the Apostolicall Antiquity of Episcopacy is confessedly proved out of Ignatius 26 XIII Thesis That Antiquity hath given us Rules of Resolution for the knowledge of any Apostolicall practice which may serve in the case of Episcopacy 27 XIV Thesis That Protestant Divines of other Reformed Churches have held it most equall to be directed by the judgments of Ancients for a proof of a Practice Apostolicall 28 XV. Thesis That Mr. Beza himself is challengable to yield unto an Apostolicall right of Episcopacy from his own former confession 30 XVI Thesis That the testimonies of Nazianzen and Augustine are unworthily objected to the contrary 30 XVII Thesis That Timothy and Titus both had a Prelacy over Presbyters notwithstanding the objection of the Community of names of Bishops and Presbyters is sufficiently confessed by Protestant Divines of remote Churches 32 XVIII Thesis That Timothy and Titus have had a Prelacy as Bishops over Presbyters in the Apostles times notwithstanding the Objection that they were called Evangelists according to consent of Protestants of Reformed Churches 34 XIX Thesis That Antiquity taught an Episcopacy both in Timothy and Titus 36 XX. Thesis That our Opposites first Exposition which interpreteth the Angell to meane the whole Church and Congregation is notably extravagant 38 XXI Thesis That our Opposites second Exposition of the word Angell to signifie onely the Order and Colledge of Presbyters is erroneous notwithstanding the Arguments of
our Opposites to the contrary 39 The Answer to the first Argument 39 To the Second 39 To the Third 41 To the Fourth 42 To the Last 43 XXII Thesis That our Opposites third Exposition of the word Angell to signifie one only Pastour in the Church of Ephesus is extremely new and naught 44 XXIII Thesis That by the word Angell of Ephesus to signifie a singular and individuall Pastour having a Prelacy over Presbyters is proved by a large consent of Protestant Divines without Exception judicious and ingenuous 45 XXIV Thesis That Antiquity held not the word Angell whereof we treat to be taken collectively for a Multitude of Pastours 48 XXV Thesis That the word Angell in other places of the Revelation is commonly if not alwayes individually taken 48 XXVI Thesis That by Angell is meant individually one Bishop is demonstrated by Historicall learning without contradiction 50 XXVII Thesis That Christ himself shewed his approbation of Prelacy which the foresaid Angels had in their severall Churches 52 The judgment of Protestant Divines of remote Churches as well such as were the first Reformers of Religion as others after them in behalf of Episcopal degree in the Church THis they perform both by their direct and ingenious confessions and after by sound and solid Proofs so far as to shew Episcopal Prelacy to be According to Gods Word as also to acknowledge the same for use to be the Best kinde of Ecclesiastical Government We are in the first place to try their plain confessions concerning the said Prelacy as well in special for our English as touching Episcopacy in generall in what Orthodox Church soever and afterwards to adjoyn the proofs 1. THESIS That our English Episcopacy hath been justified by the confession of the most learned Protestants of remote Curches in special by the Church of Geneva OUr Episcopall Prelacy we are sure was profess'd and practis'd by Bishops 1. In the dayes of King Edward the 6. who as they were the principal Authors of the Reformation of our Protestant Religion so did some of them seal the truth of their profession with their bloud and have therefore been with others thus extoll'd by that golden mouth of the French Church Master Moulin saying That they were for zeal nothing inferiour to the most excellent servants of God that Germany or France ever had which saith he none will deny is so if not wilfully stupid and blinded in day-light Yea and touching those then Archbishops and Bishops Beza for the Church of Geneva It happened in our memory that she speaking of our English Church hath had men of that calling not onely constant Martyrs of God but also excellent Pastours and Doctors 2. In the dayes of Queen Elizabeth Calvin the most illustrious star of the Church of Geneva doubted not to instile Archbishop Cranmer A most accomplish'd Prelate saith he who hath the cure not onley of England but also of the whole Christian world which he did to the dignifying of the Government of our English Church and no marvel seing that he durst professe to yeild in behalf even of Popish Bishops upon condition that renouncing the dependance upon the Pope and acknowledgment of Christ as their onely Head with profession of his Truth Then shall we professe all them saith he who shall not reverently and willingly submit to their Government to be worthy of whatsoever Anathema or curse So he even in his Tractate of Reformation of the Church at what time also Beza after his congratulating the restitution of our Protestant Religion in England earnestly desired the whole Clergy under the Government of Grindal then Bishop of London to submit unto him holding him worthy of much punishment who should despise his Authority Yea and so well did he approve of the then Government by Archbishops and Bishops as to wish it might be perpetual unto them Sadell likewise who is sufficiently commended by his excellent writings in defence of the Protestant Religion did joyn together with Beza in an Apology to vindicate themselves from a sinister report as if they had detracted from the Right of Government by Arch-bishops and Bishops avouching the same aspersion to have been a most impious slander And Bishop Jeuell how was he honoured by Peter Martyr calling him A most renowned Prelate and by Sibbrandus Lubbartus entitling him The Ornament not onely of England but also of the whole world Hierom Zanchee one in the opinion of our Opposites we doubt not worthily renowned in his Letters to Queen Elizabeth he exhorteth her Majesty with an imprimis and especially to extend her care power and authority to have godly Bishops skilfull in holy Scriptures of which sort saith he by the blessing of God you have already very many and to cherish and hear them Also in his Epistle to Arch-bishop Grindall upon occasion of his remove to Canterbury he expresseth his joy for that accesse of dignity as a testimony of Gods love towards him and a means whereby he might more and more promote Gods true Religion Our Opposites ought not to be offended with us although we offer unto them next an Author somewhat distastfull unto them at the first hearing namely D. Saravia because as he is a Religious Divineâ— and as un-Episcopall as any other so also is he as Orthodox every-where as they know inveighing against the Romish Hierarchie he confesseth himself to wonder at the wisdome of the Reformers of Religion in England So as not any where deviating from the antient Church of Christ and concludeth with this Epiphonema saying I hold it a part of her happiness that she hath retained with her the order of Bishops 3. In the raigne of King James that famous Isaack Casaubon whom we reckon as the fourth witnesse from the Church of Geneva had that estimation of our English Episcopall government as to confesse That no Church doth come nearer the form of the primitive Church then it doth so farre that even they who envyed her happinesse are notwithstanding constrained to extoll it He proceeds furthermore to blazon the worthinesse of it If saith he the essentiall part of the Church be enquired into and what either necessarily belongeth unto the Doctrine of Salvation or else to the decency of the Church then praysed and magnified be God no Church upon earth can be found which more professeth the faith and resembleth the form of the ancient Catholique Church then it doth So he But to return to our French witnesse again worthy Master Moulin in an answer to a Papist who upbraided him with the discipline of England doth avouch the dignity thereof telling him furthermore That their agreement is such that England saith he hath been a refuge to our persecuted Churches and correspondently the excellentest servants of God in our Churches as Peter Martyr Calvin Beza and Zanchee have often written Letters full of respect and amity to the Prelates of England
as not to give it up untill they perfectly understand concerning Episcopacy it self Quid mali fecit I shall speak at this time only of the first of these three points That Episcopacy is not repugnant to the government setled in the Church for perpetuity by the Apostles Whereof I conceive this which followes as clear a demonstration as any thing of this nature is capable of That this government was received universally in the Church either in the Apostles time or presently after is so evident and unquestionable that the most learned adversaries of this government do themselves confesse it Petrus Molinaeus in his book De munere postorali purposely written in defence of the Presbyteriall government acknowledgeth That presently after the Apostles times or even in their time as Ecclesiasticall story witnesseth it was ordained That in every City one of the Presbytery should be called a Bishop who should have preheminence over his Colleagues to avoid confusion which oft times ariseth out of equality And truly this form of government all Churches every where received Theodorus Beza in his Tract De triplici Episcopatus genere confesseth in effect the same thing For having distinguished Episcopacy into three kinds Divine Humane and Satanicall and attributing to the second which he calls Humane but we maintain and conceive to be Apostolicall not only a priority of order but a superiority of power and authority over other Presbyters bounded yet by lawes and canons provided against Tyranny he clearly professeth that of this kind of Episcopacy is to be understood whatsoever we read concerning the authority of Bishops or Presidents as Justin Martyr calls them in Ignatius and other more ancient Writers Certainly from these two great defenders of the Presbytery we should never had this free acknowledgement so prejudiciall to their own pretence and so advantageous to their adversaries purpose had not the evidence of clear and undeniable truth enforced them to it It will not therefore be necessary to spend any time in confuting that uningenuous assertion of the Anonymus Authour of the Catalogue of Testimonies for the equality of Bishops and Presbyters who affirmes That their disparity began long after the Apostles times But we may safely take for granted that which these two learned Adversaries have confessed and see whether upon this foundation laid by them we may not by unanswerable reason raise this superstruction That seing Episcopall Government is confessedly so ancient and so Catholique it cannot with reason be denyed to be Apostolique For so great a change as between Presbyteriall Government and Episcopall could not possibly have prevailed all the world over in a little time Had Episcopall Government been an aberration from or a corruption of the Government left in the Churches by the Apostles it had been very strange that it should have been received in any one Church so suddainly or that it should have prevailed in all for many Ages after Variâsse debuerat error Ecclesiarum quod autem apud omnes unum est non est erratum sed traditum Had the Churches err'd they would have varied What therefore is one and the same amongst all came not sure by errour but tradition Thus Tertullian argues very probably from the consent of the Churches of his time not long after the Apostles and that in matter of opinion much more subject to unobserv'd alteration But that in the frame and substance of the necessary government of the Church a thing alwayes in use and practice there should be so suddain a change as presently after the Apostles times and so universall as received in all the Churches this is clearly impossible For what universall cause can be assigned or fained of this universall Apostasie you will not imagine that the Apostles all or any of them made any decree for this change when they were living or left order for it in any Will or Testament when they were dying This were to grant the question to wit that the Apostles being to leave the government of the Churches themselves and either seeing by experience or foreseeing by the Spirit of God the distractions and disorders which would arise from a multitude of equalls substituted Episcopall government instead of their own Generall Councells to make a Law for a generall change for many ages there was none There was no Christian Emperour no coercive power over the Church to enforce it Or if there had been any we know no force was equall to the courage of the Christians of those times Their lives were then at command for they had not then learn't to fight for Christ but their obedience to any thing against his Law was not to be commanded for they had perfectly learn't to die for him Therefore there was no power then to command this change or if there had been any it had been in vain What device then shall we study or to what fountaine shall we reduce this strange pretended alteration Can it enter into our hearts to think that all the Presbyters and other Christians then being the Apostles Schollers could be generally ignorant of the will of Christ touching the necessity of a Presbyteriall government Or dare we adventure to think them so strangely wicked all the world over as against knowledge and conscience to conspire against it Imagine the spirit of Diotrephes had entered into some or a great many of the Presbyters and possessed them with an ambitious desire of a forbidden superiority was it possible they should attempt and atchieve it once without any opposition or contradiction and besides that the contagion of this ambition should spread it self and prevail without stop or controule nay without any noyse or notice taken of it through all the Churches in the world all the watchmen in the mean time being so fast asleep and all the dogges so dumb that not so much as one should open his mouth against it But let us suppose though it be a horrible untruth that the Presbyters and people then were not so good Christians as the Presbyters are now that they were generally so negligent to retain the government of Christs Church commanded by Christ which we now are so zealous to restore yet certainly we must not forget nor deny that they were men as we are And if we look upon them but as meer naturall men yet knowing by experience how hard a thing it is even for policy arm'd with power by many attempts and contrivances and in a long time to gain upon the liberty of any one people undoubtedly we shall never entertain so wild an imagination as that among all the Christian Presbyteries in the world neither conscience of duty nor love of liberty nor aversenesse from pride and usurpation of others over them should prevail so much as with any one to oppose this pretended universall invasion of the Kingdome of Christ and the liberty of Christians When I shall see therefore all the fables in the Metamorphosis acted and prove stories when I