the Church Thus P. 363. Cyprian Epist ad Iubajanum asserts the Custom of offering such as were Baptized to such as he terms Praepositi in order to their Prayers and laying on of Hands with Prayer That by Praepositi he means in general the Ministers of the Church and not the Bishop is clear by many Passages of Cyprian particularly Epist. 3. Par. 1. and Epist. 69. Par. 4. where he calls the Successors of the Seventy Disciples Praepositos as well as these of the Apostles So likewise Epist. 62. Par. 1. and Epist. 65. Par. 4. Thus also Epist. 21. Par. 3. The Confirmation he speaks of in the First Passage Cited is that used in the Apostolick Church for the giving of the Holy Ghost for which he Cites Act. 8.14 This is further noticeable of Dr. Lightfoot viz. That he shews that Imposition of Hands was not given but only to such as were ad Ministerium Ordinandi and was not given ad Sanctificationem sed ad Dona extraordinaria See Answer to the Principles of the Cyprianick Age P. 53. who also Cites Piscator Beza Grotius as thus Expounding the Passage Controverted Festus Hommius Disput. Theolog. 46. Thes. 1. Having shown that the Apostles used this Ceremony of Imposing Hands for Confirming their Doctrin by visible and Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit adds Haec Dona quia ad tempus tantum in Ecclesia viguerunt bodieque ut Ecclesiae non amplius hoc modo necessaria cessarunt etiam ritus ille eum in Finem neâ—â—debet servari nec potest adhiberi And Thes. 2. speaking of the Commendable custom of the Primitive Church that the Catechumeni when become Youths and ineunte adolescentia were presented to be Confirmed it was by Exhortation and Prayer and for this end they were presented says he Ecclesiae Pastoribus and dismissed with a Blessing The Dr. holds this Ministry of Confirmation P. 446. to be performed by Prayer and laying on of Hands The Party Confirmed receiving the Gifts of the Holy Ghost And what Gifts I pray were they which the Dr. Asserts were alwise conferred by this Ceremony and as he expresses it received thereby Sure not the ordinary Gifts For he will acknowledge these received in the Sacrament of Baptism The Extraordinary he Acknowledges are ceased And if neither Ordinary nor extraordinary Gifts are thereby conferred I know not what the Dr. can make of it unless he make it a sort of adjutory further Confirming Symbolical ritual Accessory to the Sacrament of Baptism and a renewed Representation and Seal of the same priviledges as are Sealed thereby And then it should seem it is brought within the stroak and reach of Cartwrights Arguments and Reasons against the Rhemists above rehearsed and that it falls within the compass of such a vain and ludicrous sign of Episeopal vanity as is above expressed Ierom in the forementioned Epistle adversus Luciferianus thus lashes this supposed prerogative of the Prelat That if not by a necessity of Law but for the Honour of the Episcopal Office the Spirit is given their Case is to be Lamented who in little Villages or remote places from the Diocess have been Baptized by Presbyters and prevented by Death before the Bishops visit Beda expresly upon Psal. 86. ascribs this to vanity And Calvin Instit. Lib. 4. Cap. 19. thus lashes the Papists that so many of their Flocks being deprived of this supposed necessary Confirmation patiuntur in suo grege Semi-Christianos quorum imperfectionem mederi facile erat they admit many of their people to be but half Christians whose imperfection they may easily remedy And how far this is applicable to the Dr's Case I need not stand to subsum It s true the Dr. doth not in express terms call it a Sacrament yet seeing P. 447. he holds it is by Divine warrand placed in the same Class with Baptism and made one of the Principles of the Doctrin of Christ and in his sense appointed still to continue as a standing Ministry for Communication of the necessary influences of the Spirit It s left to the judicious to consider whether it fall not clearly within the compass of Cartwrights Reasons and of others above rehearsed as inferring its unlawfulness and in special an appeal is made to the Judicious to ponder how the appropriating of this Ceremony to a Bishop for the great ends mentioned can come within the compass of these Fundamental Principles of the Doctrin of Christ without the Knowledge and Belief whereof there can be no Salvation The Dr. I must needs say advances not only Prelacy it self but this supposed priviledge of Prelats to an high pitch in this Reasoning For what he adds of the Character and Quality of Philip and of Cyprians Opinion of his being one of the Seventy two Disciples Whether he he was Deacon or Evangelist it is all one in this Case since the Action here performed by the Apostles was proper to them upon the Grounds already Assigned and the account of their approach to Samaria after this begun Ministry of Philip is so represented by Protestant Divines as wholly overthrows his pleading and Razes it to the Foundation For What the Dr. alledges anent the constant Exercise of this supposed priviledge of Bishops in the Primitive Church As he has produced no Testimony of either Councils or Fathers in proof of this but only wraps up the Matter in a Confident general So he is forc't immediatly in the next words to make a sort of Retraction telling us That in later Ages there are Instances produced of Presbyters that Confirmed But least he should seem to fall foul upon his large Assertion immediatly premised he must needs lenify this and mix Water with his Wine adding That they Confirmed only in the Bishops absence and by his delegation and that it was in the later Ages We see these Charitable Lords became at last Liberal in parting with some Prerogatives admitting such as could only perform the mean Service of Baptizing to the High Episcopal Dignity of Confirming But the Account we have given of this Matter sufficiently discovers his unsoundness and prevarication in this Point and that as the Practice he pleads for had never any warrand from Scripture or prime Antiquity so what Imposition of Hands might have been practised in a supposed conformity to the Apostles Pattern was performed by the Elders or Ministers of the Church And therefore in opposition to the Dr's fair Conclusion as he calls it P. 448. that this Confirmation or Imposition of Hands was Peculiar to the Apostles in the Original and their Successors the Bishops in the continuation of it We may in the Confidence of Truth oppose this Antithesis or Counter-Conclusion That the Apostolick Confirmation which he instances was so peculiar to the Apostolick Office and so appropriat to extraordinary expired effects as therein the Apostles could have no Successors And that their Successors in all the necessary duties and Offices of a Gospel Ministry are the Faithful
this Great Divine was as to the Identity of Bishop and Presbyter both the Name and Office and their Interest and Authority in Church Government yea and in Councils both de Facto and de Iure Franc. Gomarus Explic. Epist. ad Gal. Cap. 2. P. mihi 487. having asserted the extraordinary Ecclesiastick Function of Timothie and Titus and upon the common Ground of their various Travels with the Apostle Paul proved their Evangelistick Office to be inconsistent with the Function of a Bishop who is tyed to a certain Post He adds deinde illa Episcopi significatio quae post Apostolorum tempora introducta in Sacris literis omnino insolens est in quibus idem quod Presbyterum notat ut Paulus Tit. 1.6 ostendit quos enim v. 5. Presbyteros Ecclesiae eosdem v. 7. Episcopos vocat c. That the signification or designation of Bishop introduced after the Apostles times is unknown to the Scriptures wherein it signifies the same thing with the Presbyter and Pastor as the Apostle Tit. 1.6 shews for whom in the 5 v. he Calls the Presbyters of the Church the same he calls the Bishops in the 7. v. as also the Presbyters of the Church of Ephesus so termed by Luke Act. 20.17 Paul calls the Bishops v. 28. and Philip. 1.1 he writes to the Saints with the Bishops and Deacons Where by Bishops he understands the Presbyters not the Prelats set over Presbyters otherwise which were absurd in one and the same Church of Ephesus and Philippi there had been a plurality of such ordinary Bishops of which every one had been set over many Pastors Finally where Paul recites the several kinds of the Gospel Ministers he acknowledges no such Bishops distinct from Presbyters and superior unto them as Eph. 4.11 To which purpose Ierom's Judgment is memorable which is extant Comment in Ep. to Tit. 1.1 where comparing the 5. and 7. v. he infers that the Bishop and Presbyter is one and the same which Point he doth likewise in the same manner as we have done demonstrat from Philip 1.1 and Act. 20.28.29 and other Passages adjoined thereunto concluding all with this weighty assertion that with the Ancients the Bishops and Presbyters were one and the same untill by Degrees the care and inspection was put upon one and that the Bishops were set over Presbyters rather by Custom than by Truth of Divine appointment which Custom saith the Author did at last bring upon the Church the mischievous dominion of Bishops contrary to the Apostles Command 1 Pet. 5. Thereafter he reasons the Ruling Elders Office from these Scriptures 1 Cor. 12.28 1 Tim. 5.17 Rom. 12.8 1 Thes. 5.12 P. 526. explic Epist. ad Philip. Cap. 1. Consect 1. Cum Paulus hic alibi ut Act. 20. Uni Ecclesiae plures Episcopos tribuat nec ullum inter Episeopos ordinarios Pastores statuat discrimen sequitur adversus pontificios Episcopum non significare Pastorem praefectum Pastorum sed Ecclesiae Pastorem ut docet Hieron in Ep. ad Evag. Comment ad Titum probat v. 1. Since Paul both here and elsewhere as Act. 20. ascribes unto one Church a Plurality of Bishops neither places any difference betwixt the ordinary Bishops and the Pastors it follows against the Papists and thus against this Dr. in Gomarus Sense that the Word Bishop doth not signifie both the Pastor and Prelatical Inspector over Pastors or a Pastor of Pastors but a Pastor of the Church as Ierom learnedly proves in Epist ad Evag. P. 704. Explicat in 1 Pet. 5. Consect 8. Quandoquidem Presbyterorum officium hic statuitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quemadmodum Paulus Presbyteros Ephesinos dictos Act. 20.17 vocat deinde Episcopos v. 28. Philip. 1.1 Ecclesiae unius Urbis Philippensis tribuit Paulus Episcopos Diaconos Neque ullibi in Sacris Literis Episcopus Presbyteris praefertur Inde sequitur non ex Divina Institutione sed Humana Traditione cui deinde accessit superbia Episcopos a Presbyteris fuisse distinctos iisque Potestate Authoritate praelatis That is since the Office of Presbyters is here held out to be an Episcopal Inspection as Paul doth accordingly call the Pastors and Presbyters of Ephesus Bishops Act. 20.28 who are likewise termed Presbyters v. 17. and Philip. 1.1 mentions the Bishops and Deacons of that one City Philippi neither is there a Bishop found set over Presbyters in any place of Holy Writ It hence follows that the distinguishing of Bishops from Presbyters and setting them over Presbyters in a Potestative and Authoritative Prelacy had its Rise from no Divine Institution but from Humane Tradition which was the Foundation of Pride Well shall I weary our Profound Dr with another of the same Stamp with the Scots Presbyterians Antonius Sadael Operum Theol. Tom. 1. De Legitima Vocatione Pastorem Ecclesiae In the beginning of that Dispute he professes to deal with such as profest to owne the Reformed Doctrine but studied to evert the chief part of Discipline rejectis iis quibus ex officio incumbit ipsius Disciplinae Administratio rejecting such who by their Office have the Administration of Government committed to them P. mihi 65 66 67. He thus proceeds having Answered an Argument of one of the Sorbon Doctors he proposes his Second which is this objicit primos nostros Doctores fuisse quidem Presbyteros sed non Episcopos itaque non potuisse alios Ecclesiae Doctores constituere cum soli Episcopi Ius Ordinandi habeant That our first Doctors were Presbyters and not Bishops and thus could not Ordain other Ministers of the Church since only Bishops have a Right to Ordain Quae Sententia saith Sadael quam falsa sit jam videndum est The Falshood of which Opinion he undertakes to discover And thus he confutes it Patet ex Verbo Dei Episcopum Presbyterum qui quidem Ecclesiam docent reipsa atque munere eundem esse Atque ita variis nominibus rem eandem fuisse significatam sic enim Paulus ad Titum Cap. 1.5 hujus rei causa inquit reliqui te in Creta ut constituas oppidatim Presbyteros sicut tibi mandavi si quis est inculpatus opportet enim Episcopum inculpatum esse It is evident from the Word of God that the Bishop and Presbyter such as Teach the Church of God are upon the Matter and in Office one and the same and that by these Names one and the same thing is signified For thus the Apostle to Titus Cap. 1. v. 5. For this cause left I thee in Crete That thou shouldest Ordain Elders in every City If any be blameless For a Bishop must be blameless c. He adds idem Apostolus ad Presbyteros Ephesinos Act. 20. attendite vos ipsos totum gregem in quo Spiritus Sanctus constituit Episcopos ad pascendam Ecclesiam Dei. Et in Epist. ad Philip. Cap. 1 v. 1. Salutat Sanctos qui erant Philippis una cum
send it back to the Dr. with a Censure of Impertinency till it be returned with a Testimonial of a better proof than of his bare Assertion and ipse dixit The Dr. enquires how we can argue a perpetual power of Ordination in the Church from the Ordination of Timothy and Titus citing Ius divinum Minist Evang. p. 159.167 if the Office they were ordained to were not perpetual And if perpetual then so is Episcopacy nothing different therefrom Answ. We hold the Ordination instanced to examplifie a Presbyterian Ordination as well as in General a Power of Ordination in the Church Timothy's Ordination having this Scripture account that it was by Laying on of the Hands of the Presbytrie which Power and Authority of a Presbytrie the Apostle Paul's presence and his Imposition of Hands tho supposed doth rather Strengthen than invalidat since neither the Eminent Gifts of Timothy nor his designment for such an Eminent Office nor Paul's Imposition of Hands the Great Apostle of the Gentiles did Swallow up or exclud the Presbytries Ordinary Power and Authority but Timothy must pass through this Door of a Presbytries Authoritative Ordination and Imposition of Hands in order to the Exercise of his Office therefore much more doth this Authority belong to the Presbytrie now when the Office of Apostles and Evangelists is ceased And for Titus's Ordination in an active Sense or his Ordination of Elders the Apostle tells him expresly Chap. 1.5 the Passage wherein the Dr. places his Chief Strength that it was to be performed according to the Apostles appointment which appointment in the Sense of our Divines is none other else than that which himself examplified and is Intimat 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 i. e. with Authoritative concurrence of the Presbytrie or Eldership So that Titus had no Episcopal Authority therein notwithstanding of his Evangelistick extraordinary Office And this is invincibly made good in opposition to the Drs Design and pleading in that the Apostle in the same very Text wherein he enjoins Titus to ordain Elders doth identify and make one and the same the Office of the Bishop and Elder which were a mere implicantia in terminis if the Apostle in this Precept did Authorize or enjoyn the Drs. supposed Prelatical Power in Ordination as Competent to an higher Order of Bishops Superior to Prerbyters For the Drs. asserting the Office of Episcopacy and that of Timothy to be one and the same he therein beggs thâ— Question and supposes what he has to prove The Office of the Prelat and Evangelist being so vastly different as we have already made appear And therefore his Reason and Argument is pitifully absurd from our assertting the Power of Ordination as inherent to the Church upon the Ground of the Apostles Ordaining Presbyters and Evangelists to conclud the standing Office of Prelatical inspection or Ordination The Dr. should also know that the asserting that a Church Officer such as an Apostle hath an extraordinary Authority conversant about Ordination can neither infer that the Power of Ordination it self is extraordinary and expired nor that every Person Ordained hath an ordinary standing Function Which the â—postles extraordinary Authority in the first Planting of Presbyters while the Churches were in fieri as to their Organick Being their Ordaining Evangelists extraordinary Officers together with their exercing extraordinary Gifts and Authority as well in their Actings of the Power of Order and Preaching with Miraculous Gifts of Tongues and Confirming their Doctrins with Miracles as in Point of Jurisdiction their Extraordinary Censures above exprest doth evince and make evident The extraordinary Mission of the Twelve Apostles hath derived from it a Ministry and Ecclesiastick Authority diffused and spread among all the ' Church Officers in the World none of which doth Succeed them into the same formal Office So Timothy's Evangelistick extraordinary Authority is derived handed down into and seated in a Presbytrie tho the Evangelistick Office is extraordinary and as such not Succeeded unto The Service and Work of Teaching and Governing to continue in all Ages and in all times doth not render the Apostolick Mission or Commission ordinary nor infer their being Succeeded in idem Officium eundem Ministerii gradum the ordinary Power being Institut and settled in the Hands of ordinary Officers by a New warrand and Commission according to the Scripture Rules of Ordination The Office of Moses was not rendered ordinary because many Works of Government exercised by him were recommitted to the Elders of Israel and so the Case is here The Evangelists extraordinary Office and Commission necessary as that of the Apostles for the First founding of the Churches for Watering the Apostles Plantation Building up the Churches in their Organick being and settling all the ordinary Officers thereof is changed into the Presbytries ordinary Collegiat Power of Ordination and Jurisdiction which we find was in the Apostolick Church exercised and even in this of Ephesus For the Drs Proofs from Antiquity upon this head and touching Timothies Episcopacy over Ephesus they are sufficiently obviat by what is said above and in special by what we have offered and evinced anent the Fathers various acceptation of the Names of Bishop and Apostle The Dr. brings an Anonymous Author to prove that Timothy was Enthroned forsooth Bishop of the Metropolis of Ephesus by Paul A pityful Proof indeed and fit only for a nameless Author It being evident by the best searchers of Antiquity that the Office of Metropolitans had not a Being till several Ages after Timothy For Chrysostom his asserting that Timothy was intrusted with a Church or whole Nation If we shall assert that this is applicable to his transient or temporary Evangelistick Trust in correspondence to the extensive Office of Apostleship it says nothing to our purpose And the Dr. should know that Chrysostom upon Tit. 1.5 makes the Office of Bishop and Presbyter one and the same and therein cuts the Sinews of the Drs. design and arguing For other Authors who do call Timothy together with other Bishops then in being Apostles which the Dr. further Pleads it doth sufficiently evince what is said above of their improper equivocal acceptation of the Term since no person of Sense who ever Read the New Testament can take the Office of Apostle as delineat in Scripture to be applicable to Timothy far less to ordinary Bishops fixed in certain Posts Nay the Dr. himself and in contradiction to himself doth unawares bewray this in his Greek Citation of Theodoret who asserts that the Twelve Apostles were more strictly called so or rather according to the Truth of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostles according to Truth or in very deed Clearly importing that the Name appropriat to other Officers was but used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or improperly as any Minister or Messenger of Christ may be thus called And if this be Theodorets general Rule as the Dr calls it that the Twelve Apostles were only such
according to Truth he doth consequently assert the Drs pleading for the Bishops as succeedanous Apostles and as holding and having derived unto them their entire Office to be not according to Truth So that he did not well to raise this Ghost As for the Storie or Fable of the Prince of Edessa which the Dr. next presents out of Eusebius to whom he tells us that Thaddeus was sent by St. Thomas and called an Apostle by Eusebius His Denomination as it is of it self of no weight to prove the Drs assertion as is clear in the like instances So this is so generally acknowledged to be a Fable and Eusebius thereupon so Censured by Judicious Divines that the Doctor hath been far to seek for his proofs when catching up so pityful stuff as this And thus we proceed to the Drs next Proofs CHAP. III. The Dr's Third Argument considered taken from an alledged punctual conformity of the Primitive Church to Christs Institution and the Apostolick Practice in Point of Episcopacy THE Dr's Third great Proof for the Divine Right of Episcopacy isâ—drawn from the punctual and universal Conformity as he calls it of the Primitive Church to this supposed Institution of our Saviour and the Practice of the Holy Apostles in this Matter But if the Dr's Proof of a Conformity be no better than his Proof of this supposed Institution and Practice of our Saviour and his Apostles and amount to no more than what he has made appear upon these Points we need not fear his Proof However before I engage the Dr. upon this head and examin his Proofs there are two things I would premise as that which the Dr. is obliged to prove 1. That the Office of Apostolat in its entire Nature as Institut by our Saviour and for its proper ends exprest in Scripture was transmitted by the Apostles unto the Church as a standing Office to continue till the end of Time And 2 That the Primitive Church and in an Universal consent and Practice did homologat this Institution and Embrace the same And when the Dr. hath proved both these erit mihi magnus Apollo and will far outstrip his Fellows whoever have pleaded in this Cause And if he fall short of his proof of either or both he losses his labour Before the Dr. come directly to his Proof he moves an Objection That our Saviour did Institut the Superior Order of Twelve Apostles to preside over the rest of the Church Officers yet with an extraordinary Commission which he did not intend they should derive down to the Church as a Perpetual Model of Government but was limited to the persons of the Apostles and to expire with them That the formal Office of Apostolat in its Nature and ends as delineat in Scripture did expire with the Apostles themselves is the consentient judgment of Protestant Divines The Dr. says this is an Objection of Adversaries and indeed if he account such his Adversaries as assert this he has entered the Lists with a strong party who probably will prove too hard for him Well What is his Answer to this Objection He Tells us That this Office was not Limited to the Persons of Apostles since he has proved that they derived it to others which had it been appropriat to their Persons they could not have done without violating their Trust and exceeding the bounds of their Commission How the Dr. hath proved the derivation of the Apostolat by the Persons of the Apostles to other Succeeding Apostles we have seen above and do refer the Reader to the premised discoveries of the utter insufficiency of his Proof this way And indeed the derivation of the Apostolat to Successors could not have been done without violating their Trust and exceeding the limits of their Commission Their Commission being to Disciple and Teach all Nations to found the Gospel Church and Plant the Gospel Ordinances therein and that with an infallible directive Power as living Oracles and immediat Ambassadors of the King of Saints So that the attempting to Substitut Successors in this work and Office had been both an unfaithful over-stretch of their Commission as contrar to its Nature and end and an endeavouring of that which was impossible unless he will say that the Work of laying the Churches Foundation and delivering our Lords mind as to the Doctrin Worship Disciplin and Government thereof is a work that could be twice done Which as it repugns to the common sense of all men so to the many Precepts delivered to the Churches anent holding fast the received Ordinances and contending for the Faith once delivered to the Saints and building upon that Holy Faith and Foundation laid by the Apostles Nay further it doth evidently appear that the Apostles exercising themselves and deriving to others such an Episcopal Primacy as the Dr pleads for had been a gross impeachment of their Faithfulness in the Execution of their Trust. 1. In their exercising and transmitting a Power in its very Nature distinct from what our Lord allowed and enjoyned them Viz. A Lordly Dominion not a Ministerial Service and Stewardship only which as we have heard the Apostle Paul disown the one and assert the other so we find the express and personal Prescription of our Blessed Lord in point of this Nature of their Power The Dr. will not disown that the Prelats he pleads for and as he pretends exemplified in the Apostolick Office have both the Name and thing of a Lordly Dominion yea and that not in Spirituals only in which respect they own the Designation and Character of Spiritual Lords but likewise a Lordship and Peerage in Civil Government and such a Dominion as Princes of the Gentiles exercise And that our Blessed Lord did expresly Discharg this to his Apostles As also that the Apostle Peter in his Masters Name discharges a Lording over Gods Heritage or Church or the Clâ—rgey as the Greek word with some will sound I suppose the Dr. will not deny or if he do the Proof is very easie and evident 2. Had the Apostles exercised or derived to Successors such an Episcopacy as the Dr. pleads for they should have unfaithfully in their own persons straitned the Apostolick inspection and carryed an Office incompatible with it unless the Dr. will undertake to reconcile contradictions he cannot deny this For as Apostles their Ministry was of an unfixed indefinit Universal Nature As Prelats they behoved to be fixed to such and such Posts so that thus they should have unfaithfully torn out a part of their Commission in exercising an ordinary Ministry in particular Diocesses whereas their Commission was to exercise an extraordinary unfixed Ministry towards all the Churches planted and to be planted Again in transmitting such a Prelacy to others their practice should have contradicted their Prescriptions in Point of Church Government and the Offices and Officers thereof wherein there is not the least Intimation of such an Officer nor any Rules given for either the Qualifications or
their own times in which there was a distinction betwixt Bishop and Presbyters And therefore do call such as were before them Bishops whereas they were not so properly And the after Bishops succeeded these supposed First no otherways than Cesar did the Roman Consuls 4 ly The Catalogues resolving in Apostles or Evangelists do appear absurd viz That of Rome into Peter that of Alexandria into Mark that of Ephesus into Timothy that of Crete into Titus since neither Apostles nor Evangelists were Bishops in a formal Sense and having an Universal Commission and extraordinary Office could be Succeeded in neither the one nor the other tho in some part of their work they might by ordinary Officers as by Men of another Order but not as one Brother Succeeds another in the Inheritance And this doth fully remove what the Dr alledges out of Clem. Alexand. Strom. 6. And the Passage Cited by Eusebius out of him and from his Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 touching a distinction of Bishops and Presbyters and anent Presbyters not having the First Seat or Class in Ecclesiastick orders and that the Apostle Iohn returning from Patmos to Ephesus Visited the Province partly to Ordain Bishops and partly to set a part such for the Clergy as were pointed out by the Spirit For granting some distinction to to have crept in while these things were Written and as Augustin expresses it secundum honorum vocabula quae Ecclesiae usus obtinuit the Bishop was greater than the Presbyter Episcopus Presbytero Major yet this will never prove either 1. That this distinction was from the beginning which we find Augustin in this way of expressing himself contradicts Or 2 ly That there were Bishops of the Drs. Mould in a continued Line from the beginning and far less that the Apostle Iohn set up such Prelats since the Ancients as we have heard the Learned Iunius observe spoke of the Apostolick times in the Mould and after the manner of their own And surely if we acknowledg the late distinction of Clergy and Laity as we needs must to be far remote from Iohn's time we must consequently acknowledg that this Author spoke his own Sense and the Language of his time rather than the Sense or practice of the Apostle Iohn The Dr. next Generally Cites Tertullian Origen Cyprian for this continuance as he calls it of Apostolick Superiority from the Apostles themselves whose words he tells us he needs not Recit since Presbyterians acknowledg Episcopacy received about the year 140. Ans. As for the continuance and derivation of the Apostolick Office in a Succedaneous Episcopacy which the Dr. has been fencing for we deny it and have found his proofs utterly insufficient and that nothing he has adduced from the Fathers or Scripture can give the least shaddow of a sound Proof of this Point As for our acknowledgment of the Episcopacy introduced about the middle of the Second Century the Dr. should know that we acknowledg that Beza's Episcopus humanus or Episcopus praeces was about this time set up and obtained in the Churches and that as we have heard the First ordained Minister in a sort of Prostasie or fixed Moderatorship had some deference eo nomine and the next in order was set up to moderat in the Meetings when he was removed by Death or otherwise and had the Tittle of Bishop given to him and this was as Ambrose Phrases it multorum Sacerdotum judicio constitutum or by the Judgment and appointment of the Presbytrie Presbytri saith he unum ex se electum in excelsiore gradu collocatum Episcopum nominabant So that in Ambrose's Sense he had this fixed Prostasie or new Name as their Mouth and Moderator for Orders sake and this by the free choice of the Presbytrie which shews the folly of the Dr's inference of a supposed existent Hierarchy of his mould from the nominal distinction of Bishop and Presbyter in the Passages of Clemens and Eusebius and others generally mentioned or from these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being set in a higher Seat than Presbyterâ—s For upon the Constitution above rehearsed and confirmed by Ambrose both these might be Yet without any Impeachment of Pastors or Presbyters decisive Authority in Judicatories unless the Dr. will say that because the Moderator of an Assembly hath a peculiar Name and seat and a deference upon that Account He has therefore an Office and Authority paramount to that of the Assembly and such as inhances their decisive suffrage Besides the Dr. odly inferrs from our acknowledgment of this first human Prostasie our granting a derivation or continuance or even introductiion at that time of his pretended Office of Apostolat as he calls it and in the Nature and extent he pleads for who sees not that these are toto Caelo different Tho in the next Passage the Dr. seems to retract this telling his Reader That tho we acknowledg an Apostolick Superiority yet we deny that they left any to Succeed them in that Power But since he gives this our acknowledgment of the First Episcopacy as the reason why he needs not Cite his Authors Particularly to prove the derivation and continuance of Apostolick Superiority at that time he clearly supposes this and therefore speaks confusedly and inconsistently in the premised account of our Judgment and concession Well what further aocount gives the Dr. of Presbyterians Judgment in this Matter He adds We hold that the Church was every where governed by the common Council of Presbyters but this form of Government being found inconvenient as giving too much occasion for Schisms and divisions it was at last Universally agreed upon that one Presbyter should be chosen out to presid over all the rest and that this was the beginning of Episcopacy for which he says we Cite the famous Testimony of Ierom antequam Diaboli instinctu c. Where I find the Dr. either willfully or ignorantly misrepresenting our Cause and Principles First in alledging that we hold that this Form of Government by common Council of Pastors or Presbyters was found inconvenient or not suited to the ends of Government because it gave occasion for Schisms and Divisions A gross and lying imputation For all do know that we hold this Form of Government to be of Divine appointment and the Government established by the Apostles And it were a strange inconsistency and contradiction to the Scriptures of Truth to hold that this Divine Government appointed by God in the Scriptures of the New Testament and enjoined unto the Gospel Church was not suited to all the times thereof and to the great ends of Government and could of it self give a rise to Schisms and divisions What a gross imputation were this upon the Divine Institutions and opening a Door to lay them all aside upon pretence of eventual inconveniencies I dare challeng this Dr. or any of his mind to instance any Presbyterian Writer who ever asserted this For if he say we homologat
to Pastors This Objection is above fully removed And here again we repone 1. The Infant State of the Church requiring a Temporary Super-intendency of an Evangelist and Directions from an infallible Apostle 2. Episcopalians must confess that in many Points wherein Timothy and Titus are immediatly addressed ordinary Pastors and Presbyters have a necessary and essential Interest and that therefore they must acknowledge this to be one end of these addressed Instructions that Pastors or Presbyters may have a clear Vidimus of their Ministerial Office and Duties And that by consequence the addressing of these Directions to Timothy and Titus will not exclude Pastors from the Jurisdictional Power And no more make this peculiar to these persons than the Injunctions respecting the Reading Preaching of the Word Convincing the Gain sayers and Rebuking the Scandalous solely applicable to a Prelat as his incommunicable Prerogatives The Surveyer here Cants over again the Old Song That its the greatest possible evidence that can be in such a Matter of Fact that immediatly after all the Apostles Death until the Council of Nice the Church had no other Government but that of Bishops Ans. This Assertion especially as respecting the Patriarchal Bishop of the late Edition viz with sole Power of Ordination and Jurisdiction tyed to Preach to no flock and deriving all his Power from the Civil Magistrate is so grosly absurd so palpably false that the very Repetition is a Confutation the contrary having been demonstrated by several Learned Pens The best Antiquaries confess these first times dark as to Matters of Fact But the Surveyer quite mistakes this Question which is not anent a mere Matter of Fact or the Churches Practice simplely Considered but anent the Apostolick Instructions and Institutions in point of Church Government viz what Officers the Apostles set up and Instituted in what order and Cloathed with what Authority how qualified for their Office and instructed therein how they are found to have exercised this Power when thus Instituted and set up If this be clear in the Scripture Records then no defects or aberrations therefrom either in or after the Apostles times can direct or warrand our Imitation nor can be an Infallible proof of the Rule unless we will extend this to Regulat us as to every Scripture Truth and Duty therein held out Both Scripture and Church History do give us an account of the early aberrations from the Divine Rule both in Point of Doctrin Worship and Government such as those anent the Resurrection Justification by good Works Worshipping of Angels the Error of the Nicolaitans and in Point of Government the Mysterie of Iniquity the Embryon of a Papal Primacy was working in Pauls time and early appeared in Diotrephes aspiring after a Primacy Not to stand upon the Millenary Error the Error anent the Vision of GOD and others early appearing thereafter The Surveyer will needs strengthen his Notion by the Maxim Lex currit cum praxi consuetudo est optimus interpres Legis What interpretation and Sense this is capable of in reference to Human Laws or of what use is left to the Consideration of the Gentlemen of the Long Robe But sure with respect to the Divine Law 't is dangerous and sadly lax Divinity Israels Consuetudo and early practice of Idolatrie and the Worshipping of Images as that of the Golden Calf with a pretended design to Worship the Lord Jehovah was a shrewd and gross interpretation of the Second Command The People who told Jeeremiah that they would pour out Drink Offerings to the Queen of Heaven because their Progenitors in a long tract of time had done so were much in this Surveyers Mind But the great Lawgiver who enjoyned his People not to walk after their Fathers Commandments nor Judgments though of never so Large an extent and long Continuance but after his Laws and Judgments is of another Mind Tertullians Rule and Prayer is good speaking of Custom in it self considered and simplely Surge veritas ipsa Scripturas tuas interpretare quas consuetudo non novit nam si nosset non esset Did Custom know Scripture it would be ashamed of it self and cease to be any more Upon which ground he pleads that the Eternal Light himself might arise and expone his own Scriptures The Surveyer tells us That in these preceeding grounds he hath pleaded only for the Lawfulness of Prelacy though the necessity is not denied But sure if these grounds evince any thing they prove a Necessity as well as Lawfulness If the Apostles Directions and Practice in the Institution of Church Officers pursuant to their great Masters Commission together with his supposition of the Apostolical and Christian Churches Universal Reception and Practice will not evince and prove this I know nothing will Besides that we heard him plead upon the Ground of a Divine Institution which will bear this Conclusion of Necessity not of Lawfulness only But in this proof of the Lawfulness of Prelacy the Surveyer tells us he intended to quiet the Minds of People anent the Covenant obligation against it A good Pillow of security no doubt this had been had he proved that Universally and absolutely no Oath can oblige against a thing in it self Lawful or retrench our Liberty thereanent and answered the Arguments urged by Casuists on the contrary But it is not our purpose to digress on this head He adds That if Lawful it is Juris Divini that we submit to a Lawful Human Ordinance and Command for the Lords sake Which Reason were valid had he made good that the Human Ordinance in this Circumstantiate Case had for its object a thing Lawful And that the Human ordinance is the First Rule and adequat ground of our Judging the expediency of a Practice hic nunc though in it self Lawful And further that the Human Ordinance can of its own Nature loose solemn Oaths and Vows upon the Lawgivers themselves and the Subjects against such a practice as is commanded CHAP. II. The Surveyers Exceptions and Answers which he offers to the Scriptures Pleaded by Presbyterians Examined Particularly To these Passages viz Matt. 20 25 26 with the Paralels Mark 10 42 Luke 22 25 To that passage Mat. 18 17 and Act 20 17 28 Tit 1 5 7 1 Pet 5 1.2 The Vnsoundness and Inconsistency of his Exceptions and Glosses made appear THE Surveyer having thus presented his Episcopal Strength and his great Grounds for proving Prelacy Lawful doth in the next place undertake to Answer the Scripture Arguments that are pleaded for Presbyterian Government which we shall now Consider and Examinâ— The First Scriptures he tells us P. 197. that are made use of for proving the Parity of Ministers in the Government of the Church and disproving Imparity or Superiority of any over others are Mark 10.42 Matth. 20 25 26. Luke 22.25 Where because our Lord is speaking of the Kings and Great Ones of the Earth their Exercising Dominion and Authority over their Subjects
THE Hierarchical Bishops CLAIM TO A Divine Right TRIED AT The SCRIPTURE-BAR OR A CONSIDERATION of the Pleadings for PRELACY from pretended Scriptural Arguments Presented and Offered By Dr. SCOTT in his Book intituled The Christian Life Part II. A. M. D. D. in his Enquiry into the New Opinions c. And by The Author of the Second Part of the Survey of Naphtali Exposing their Bold Pervertings of the Scriptures pleaded by them and Vindicating the Sound Sense of the Scriptures brought in Debate from their Scope and the Judgment of Protestant Writers The Whole issuing in a clear Discovery of the Solid Grounds of Presbyterian Government in opposition to Prelacy By THOMAS FORRESTER Minister of the Gospel and Principal of the New Colledge in St. Andrews ISAI 9.6 The Government shall be upon his Shoulder HEB. 3.5.6 Moses Faithful in all his House as a Servant But CHRIST as a Son over His own House EDINBURGH Printed by Iames Watson on the North-side of the Cross M. DC.XC.IX To the Right Honourable PATRICK Earl of MARCHMOVNT Viscount of BLASONBERRY Lord POLWARTH of POLWARTH REDBRAES and GREENLAW c. LORD HIGH CHANCELOR Of the KINGDOM of SCOTLAND MY NOBLE LORD THAT these Sheets do appear in publick under the Patrociny of Your Lordships Honourable Name Flows from the same Motives offered in the late Dedication of this Nature Not to insist upon the Proofs of your Lordships undeserved Respect to me or my more immediat and Personal Knowledge than many others of my Capacity of your Lordships Christian Fortitude and Unbyassed Stayedness in such a Tryal of your Faith and Patience and Juncture of searching Tryals as may Justly be called the Persecutionis turbo The Affinity of the Subject and Scope of this Work doth Justly Plead for the same Patrociny As Pastors are set for the Defence of the Gospel have a special Concern in the Vindication of Opposed Truth so the Magistrate according to his Capacity being a Keeper of both Tables hath by his Office an unexceptionable interest in this Important and Honourable Employment It is an additional Argument in point of Equity and True Honour that the Writings Examined do highly asperse and cast a base Imputation upon the Nations Authority and Laws as if Erecting and Maintaining yea and engaging His Majesty in the Maintenance of a Government of the Church cross to Apostolick Institution and the Churches Universal Practice such as is eversive of True Unity and Order a Nursery of Novel Bigotrie tending to Revive the late Bloody Broils infesting these Kingdoms None will doubt when the Honour of the Nation is thus Wounded Rulers Concern in a Just Vindication But the Ground appears yet of a Higher Import and Elevation if it be supposed that the Government Aspersed is that Divine Frame appointed by the Ascended Saviour of the World Recorded in his perfect Testament and Sealed with his Blood and the Exercise of his Kingly Office as Political Head of His Visible Church Who will doubt in this Case that this King of Kings requires of Rulers a Proof of their Faithfulness to him in a Suitable Vindication and Assertion of this His Interest The High and Honourable Character wherewith your Lordship is Dignified hath no doubt made upon your Heart such an Impression of the preventing Goodness of GOD as will excite to a due endeavour of the Best improvement thereof and the Scriptures of GOD presents many strong Arguments to this Scope in the Instances of such who have been fitted for the most Eminent pieces of Services to GOD's Church in their Generation by preparatory Tryals in His Furnace of Affliction and sometimes unexpected promotions have had such a Comfortable Issue We know by whom Hamans Mischievous Plot was defeated and what Argument Mordecai made use of to excite to Act for this great Interest when Carnal Wisdom and Prudence offered a strong Disswasive that Glorious 〈◊〉 who owns Promotion to places of Eminency as his Prerogative who changes the Times and Seasons removes and sets up according to his Pleasure hath told us that he knows them by Name Surnames them holâ—â— their hand and hath a special Eye upon them whom he calls for his Servant Iacobs sake to do him Service It is Considerable that one of the best of Men and best of Rulers had this in a sadly wrong Step Objected as an Aggravation of Guilt that GOD had Raised him up when he was little and low in his own Eyes There is a time when GOD not only gathers the Outcasts but confers Honour upon them He hath his Fire in Sion and Furnace in Ierusalem at that Furnace He sits as a Refiner intent upon this Work To be brought forth out of this Furnace of Affliction as Gold in proof of GOD's having Chosen a Man in the same is a great and pregnant Blessing but to be brought forth as a polished Instrument of signal and Honourable Services to him and His Interest is a double and Crowning Blessing especially when Tentations upon the right and left Hand are vigorous and strong The Promoting of the Glory of this Great and Gracious GOD in Maintaining and Contending for His Truth and Interest the true Established Doctrin Worship Disciplin and Government of this Church is that which in the first place is to be intended and all other Concerns in a due subserviency thereunto It is worthy of Observation which is Recorded of one of the Wisest Men and Rulers that his First Care was the Building the House of GOD he finished it in Seven Years but was in Building his own House Thirteen Years thereafter and when this work was wholly perfected 1 King 6.37 38. 2 Chron. 8.1 his preparing his Store Cities his Fenced Cities and taking Care for his Tribute and Navy was his Secondary and reserve Work The Iewish Historian Iosephus hath this Remark upon it and gives us this account viz That this First work of Solomons was by GOD's special Assistance perfected in so short a time but the Palace though its Magnificence was Inferior to the Temple yet the Materials thereof not being so long prepared and the House being to be Built for the King and not for GOD it was the more slowly brought to Perfection That the whole of your Lordships Walk in this Eminent Station may Demonstrat to the Refreshful Observation of all the Lovers of our Sion that GOD hath Preserved and Polished your Lordship in all preceeding Tryals to be a Honourable Instrument of Raising of this decayed and desolate Church a Successful Maintainer of Equity and Justice and that this your Faithful acquittance may yeild Solid Peace Embalm and make Savoury your Name in after-Generations and be found a Successful mean of entailing the Choisest Family-Blessings upon Your Lordships Posterity is the Serious Prayer of MY NOBLE LORD Your Lordships Devoted and most Humble Servant T. E. The PREFACE WHAT the Israel of GOD had to Complain of many times from my Youth have they Afflicted me hath been the Lot of the
the Method of procedure which our Lord Institute Matth. 18. he must by Parity of Reason allow the other part of the Institution touching the Juridical or Censuring Church to have its own place therein And that Consequently the Apostle was to take along the Authoritative concurrence of the Church Officers of Corinth in this procedure But the truth is he quite mistakes the Passage For in that Clause of Two or Three Witnesses the Apostle Intimats only the certainty of his coming the Third time He had taken up thoughts of and was preparing for his Journey and giving them previous warning of his coming he alludes to that of Deut. 19.15 to ascertain them thereof accordingly Thus Pool Annot. and Interpreters generally He had been at Corinth once Act. 18. Afterward he had twice purposed and promised to come once in the 1 Ep. Chap. 16.5 And now again here And then he adds in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses c. Thus Belgick Annot. Diodat thus senses this Clause in the Mouth of Two or Three Witnesses c. The meaning is saith he these Three warnings of my coming shal be as so many Witnesses by which if ye do not amend you shall be sufficiently convinced of incorrigible Rebellion to proceed to a sentence already penned 2 Cor. 10.6 cum jam bis terve id dixerim tandem ratum erit thus Grotius As for the Apostles threatning sharpness of Censure v. 10. And his Apostolical Rod 1 Cor. 4.21 It receives the same Answer by the forementioned distinction of the Apostles ordinary and Extraordinary Power and the cumulative and privative exercise thereof And if the Dr. will not take this from me may I hope he will from a far greater The Learned Iunius in Answer to Bellarmin pleading much to the Dr's Scope and Sense from this Passage of the Apostle Shall I come unto you with a Rod offers the same distinction De Concil lib. 2. Cap. 16. of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Rod secundum illam c. According to the common ordinary Rod saith he Peter was a fellow Presbyter 1 Pet. 5. but according to the singular and extraordinary he stroke dead Ananias and Sapphira He adds in respect of this common Rod Paul saith 1 Cor. 5. You being gathered together and my Spirit in the Name of the Lord Iesus But as to this singular one he saith Shall I come unto you with a Rod 1 Cor. 4.21 This common Rod he denyes to have been in the Hand of any one Man whether Apostle or other or that they had any sole or singular Prerogative in Churches constitute Grotius and others do here take in the same which Iunius mentions of the extraordinary stroke either the inflicting of Death as upon Ananias and Sapphira or Blindness as upon Elymas or Diseases The Belgick Divines joyn together the Exercise of punishment and Discipline in this Clause While I have been mentioning Iunius I must upon this occasion shew that in opposition to the Dr's Pleading in Relation to Successor Bishops to Apostles by Testimony of the Fathers Iunius will tell him De Clericis Cap. 14. Not. 15. that this is not to be understood of a Succession from Christs Institution quia nunquam instituit Christus ut Apostolis secundum gradum in Ecclesia Succederetur Christ never appointed Successors to the Apostles according to Degree And that the Fathers understood it of a Succession ex simili non ex pari of similitud not Parity And a similitud Secundum quid or imaginary according as Bishops were then Moulded The same Answer and distinction above Rehearsed serves for what he Adduces of Pauls delivering Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan 1 Tim. 1.20 And that this is the Sense of Sound Divines appears in that this is made Paralel with 1 Cor. 5. wherein the Apostles Extraordinary Authority is by them distinguished from the Churches Ordinary Power As for his further Proof from the Apostles deriving this Spiritual Iurisdiction to Timothy and Titus the pretended Bishops of Ephesus and Crete and their supposed singular Authority and Censures and Judicially Cognoscing upon Ecclesiastical Causes which he draws from these Passages 1 Tim. 5.19 20. Tit. 3.10 We have above spoken to it at length and provenfully that the Evangelistick Function of them both who were fixed to no particular Posts together with the clearly supposed Power of Church Judicatories when Established as is evident in several Paralells and of the supposed Concurrence consequently of ordinary Officers with them in the Nature and Scope of these very Instructions themselves doth clearly eveâ—t his Pleading For what he adds of the Censuring Power of the Angels of Ephesus and Thyatira Rev. 2. What we have made already good of the Collective Sense of the word Angel and the Insufficiency of admitting him to be a single person or President to bear the weight of his Conclusion discovers the Vanity of this his Repeated Notion in this place The Dr. adds that the Bishops of the Primitive Ages were the sole Administrators of Spiritual Iurisdiction This we have above convict of untruth And whereas he tells us further that they ordinarly admitted their Presbyters Concurrence for Advice we have made appear that their Concurrence after Bishops were set up yea and by Confession of Bishops themselves was Authoritative not for Advice only The Dr. will needs have Cyprian to challenge a singular Authority of Excommunication Ep. 38 39. But if he will not set him by the Ears with himself Ep. 6 18 28. where he professes he neither could nor would do any thing without the Clergy and Ep. 78. where he shews that Presbyters had the Power of Imposing Hands and of Ordaining and unless also he can disprove what is made good anent their Ordaining alone especially in Aegypt in absence of the Bishop what we have touched anent the Chorepiscopi their Authority and Power herein which is at large made good by our Writers the Dr. must acknowledg that he misses his Mark in this Citation Cyprian also is so far from challenging a Cathedral Authority of sole Censuring as the Dr. wouâ—d make him that Epist. 33. he ownes the Presbyters as his Collegues even in the Point of Ordination and disownes any such usurped Authority In the Ordination of the Confessor Aurelius he thus expresses himself hunc igitur fratres dilectissimi a mâ— a Collegis qui presentes aderant ordinatum sciâ—tis Thus also Ep. 58. speaking of the Pastors he expresses himself Ego Collegae Fraternitas omnis And Ep. 6. shewing his earnest desire to meet with the Pastors while absent from them he gives this Reason ut ea quae circa Ecclesiae gubernacula utilitas communis exposcit tractare simul plurimorum examinata limare possemus And speaking there of the turbulency of some persons he says they were such as nec a Diaconis nec a Presbyteris regi posse c. Upon which Pamelius has this Note hinc non obscure colligitur
few Instances their Sense of the Apostolick and Pastoral Office And of a vast Number shall instance but a few First The Professors of Leyden Synops. Pur. Theol. Disput. 42. Thes. 17. They reckon among extraordinary Officers that of the Apostolat adding Prophets and Evangelists quorum vocatio say they fuit temporaria sub novo faedere ad Ecclesiae Dilatandae propagationem ordinata whose Vocation was temporary or transient as being ordained and appointed for the Propagation of the Church of the New Testament Thes. 18. They shew the ordinary Vocation to be that whereby Officers with ordinary Gifts performs the ordinary and Common Service of the Church such as that of Pastors and Doctors who promot the Edification of the Church through all Nations according to Christs Promise a temporibus Apostolorum per totum terrarum orbem dispersi edificationem quibus libet in locis promovendam usque ad finem mundi locum habebit juxta Christi promissionem Matth. 28.20 Ite Docete c. As being sent from the times of the Apostles for the Edification of the Church in every place to the end of the World according to Christs Promise Go teach all Nations Where it 's evident that the Apostolick Office as such in universum is by them held to be Extraordinary and that the Pastors and Doctors are their Successors as ordinary Ministers appointed for propagating the Church and promotting its Edification to the end of the World and that upon the Ground of and according to that same very Promise which this Pamphleter pleads to prove the standing Office of Apostolat to the End Thereafter having noticed Thes. 19. That the Apostle having Eph. 4.11 12. placed the three Extraordinary Officers in the first Rank they add Thes. 20. hos duos tantum extraordinariorum ac perpetuorum verbi Divini administratorum ordines ibidem conjunctim subjicit cum addit eundem Christum alios praeterea dedisse Pastores Doctores That the Apostle doth thereafter subjoyn in a Conjunction the Pastors and Doctors as the only perpetual Ministers given for the Edification of the Church Thes. 21. They thus describ the Apostolick Office Apostoli erant praecones Evangelii universales ad Ecclesiae Catholicae fundamentum quod est Christus ubique terrarum ponendum ab ipso Christâ— immediate atque extra ordinem missii dono absque errore alios docendi Doctrineque suae veritatem miraculis confirmandi a Deo instructi Citing Matth. 28.20 1 Cor. 3.10.11 Matth. 10.1 Ioh. 16.13 Act. 2.2 c. That the Apostles were universal Preachers of the Gospel sâ—nt by Christ for laying every where the Foundation of the Gospel Church instructed and furnished with the Gift of Teaching infallibly and confirming their Doctrine by Miracles having also an immediat and extraordinary Mission from him Which Sense is confirmed by the Passages above cited And here I appeal to all Men whether the learned Professors offer not the same Description and Characteristicks of the Apostolick Office which this Man makes the Opinion of the Scots Presbyterians and Socinians Further after the Description of the Extraordinary Office of Evangelists Thes. 23. The ordinary Pastoral Office is thus described Thes. 25. Pastores erant verbi divini dispensatores certis Ecclesiis docendis ac regendis ab Apostolis Evangelistis praefecti That the Pastors were Dispensers of the Word appointed for Governing and Teaching particular Churches by the Apostles and Evangelists Adding that their Office is described Act. 20. Viz to feed and Rule as Bishops set up by the Holy Ghost as also 1 Tim. 3. and Tit. 1. where their Office is clearly Identified with that of the Bishop Likewise 1 Pet. 5. where the same is evident The parts of the Pastoral Office common with the extraordinary Officers they hold to be 1. Populum Dei ex verbo Dei docere To Teach Gods People from his Word 2. eidem juxta Christi institutionem Sacramenta administrare To Administer Sacraments to them according to Christs Institution 3. pro eodem preces ad Deum fundere To Pour out Prayers for the People 4. â—um fraeno disciplinae Ecclesiasticae intra limites obedientiae Deo secundum verbum ipsius debitae contineri To keep them within the limits of Gospel obedience by the restraints of Ecclesiastick Discipline Citing Matth. 28. anent the grand Commission of Teaching and making Disciples c. and Mat. 18.17 where our Lord enjoins the ultimat appeal to be to the Collegiat Body of Church Officers So Act. 20.28 anent the Teaching and Governing Power entrusted to Pastors and Elders of Ephesus c. Now whether our Sense of the Apostolick Office of its extraordinary Nature and proper marks and essentials As also our Sense of the Pastoral Office be not the same with that of the Leyden Professors let any Judge And whether these Professors or we do in this strike hands with the Blasphemous Socinians as this Man has the Fore-head to affirm the Appeal is also made to all Men to judge Nay if he has not in this point blotted himself with the Stain of an infamous Calumniator especially it being evident that the Socinians in the place Cited by him do absolutly deny a Ministerial Mission and Authority whom the Learned Professors in that same Passage Cite for this together with some other places of Socinus and refute the same Thes. 6.7 8 9 10 c. Let us hear next the Professors of Saumâ—r whom we will find Fully to accord with us in this Point in contradiction to our Calumnious Dr. de divers Minist grad Thes. 7. extraordinariorum Ministrorum tres fuerunt gradus seu ordines Apostoli Prophetae Evangelistae De Apostolis planum eos supremum inter Evangelii Ministros constituere gradum quorum hae supra reliquos preregativae c. That the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists were the three degrees of extraordinary Ministers of whom the Apostles had the first place Having these Prerogatives beyond others which they thus recite 1. Quod a Domino nostro Iesu Christo immediate vocati c. That they were called immediatly by Jesus Christ to the Office of Preaching the Gospel to all Nations citing Matth. 28.18.19 2. Quod ita a Spiritu sancto instructi c. That they were so furnished by the Spirit of GOD and lead into all Truth that they were infallible in Teaching since otherwayes their Function and Mission had been in vain had it been Lawful to disbelieve them in their Teaching 3. Quod nulli loco vel Ecclesiae singulari addicti That they were fixt to no place or particular Church but were to preach the Gospel and govern the Churches through all places of the World according to the Spirits Conduct 4. Quod pluribus majoribus c. That they were beyond all other Ministers endued with more excellent and various Gifts of the Spirit according to 1 Cor. 14.18 where Paul magnifies his gift of Tongues above all others And mentioning the conferring the miraculous
every approven Presbyter as he expresses it Apol. Cap. 39. presided over the Collegiat Meeting of Pastors and was called Bishop The same he tells the Iesuit may be applyed to Ignatius's Epistles and what is Cited from them to this Scope si sicuti jam se habent fidem mererentur upon condition that they deserved to be credited as they are now presented But then subjoins sed omnibus notum est eas additionibus ac dimunitionibus fuisse corruptas But it is known to all that they have been corrupted with additions and Dimunitions Referring upon the Margin to his Crit. Sacr. Lib. 2. Cap. 1. Cooks Censure Vedel Not. Wallaeus de past P. mihi 473 ascribs also to Apostles the extraordinary call and Function upon Grounds of their immediat vocation citing Gal. 1 1. Paul's calling himself an Apostle not of Men nor by Man their infallibility in Doctrin c. The ordinary Officers and Successors of Apostles he holds to be the Pastors as being first planted by them in the Churches for which he Cites and improves these places Act. 14.23 where we find the Apostles Ordaining Ministers or Elders Church by Church as their proper immediat Successors in an ordinary Ministry Tit. 1.5.7 where the Office of Bishop and Presbyter is identified in Name and thing 2 Tim. 2.2 where he is enjoyned to commit what he had heard of Paul to faithful Men able to Teach others So Act. 20.28 where the Episcopal Office is enjoined to Elders by Paul in his last farewell to the Church of Ephesus So also Eph. 4.11 with Rev. 2.3 In which places the Pastors power and Jurisdiction is to this Scope asserted Iunius Cont. 5th Lib. 1. Chap. 14. Not. 15. hath these notable words nunquam instituit Christus ut Apostolis Secundum gradum succederetur quae res si fuisset jam Apostolatus functio ordinaria dicenda esset hoc autem veritati rationi adversatur omnes Dei servi in Doctrinam Apostolorum suecesserunt in gradum eorum neminem adoptavit Deus God never appointed or allowed any succession to the Office and degree of Apostolat which had it been the Office of the Apostles might be called ordinary but this is contrary to the Truth and sound Reason All the servants of God have succeeded into the Doctrin of the Apostles but God hath adopted none of them into the Apostles degree and Office None succeeded to Apostles and Evangelists as to the degree and Office saith Baynes since it was extraordinary and temporary The Pastors and Presbyters because ordinary Officers succeed them from another Line but not as one Brother succeeding to another in the Right of inheritance As the Laws of Moses during that Oeconomy were to be kept tho Moses who delivered them had none Succeeding him in his Office and degree So neither were the Rules in Government presented in the Epistles of Timothy and Titus delivered to any succeeding them in their Office Ecclesiastical Authority saith Gerson de potest Eccles. considerat 6 ta may be considered either formally absolutely or respectively as applyed to this or that person and executively Altho the Authority absolutely considered continues the same yet in the application it is various and that which was in Apostles and Evangelists remained not alwise with such Apostles and Evangelists As in Point of Right none could succeed to the degree of Apostles and Evangelists so in Matter of Fact none did succeed Causabon exercit 14. P. 314. makes this the quarta Nota of the Apostolat Potestas longe major Augustior quam ulli unquam alii functioni Spirituali fuerit attributa The fourth discriminating mark of an Apostle is with Causabon their greater and more Venerable Authority and Power than was competent or allowed to any other Spiritual Function or Office Which he illustrats from Chrysostom 1 Cor. 12.29 asserting the Apostles to be above all other Spiritual Functions Quis nescit saith August lib. 2 de Baptismo cap. 1. illum Apostolatus Episcpatum cuilibet Episcopatui praeferendum Who knows not that the Episcopacy of Apostles is set above all other Episcopacy whatsomever Now I supose from what is said it is evident that this Man in stead of exposing the Presbyterians in this account of their Judgement anent the Apostolick Office hath opposed himself to Protestant Divines and hath blotted himself as a Calumniator of the true Protestant Doctrine in this point espousing therein the Popish Cause and Interest But let us hear what is our Dr's Account of the Apostolick Office It is thus In opposition to which saith the Dr. P. 96. i. e. the premised Presbyterian or rather Protestant Account of the Apostolick Office We affirm had he added we Catholicks and Iesuits some would alledge the Epithet had been suteable to his Doctrine Well What affirms he That the true Characteristick formal and distinguishing Mark of an Apostle was his Constant Supreme Spiritual Perpetual Power Authority and Iurisdiction over all subordinat Officers and all others believing in Christ and his Power to transmit this Authority to his Successors according to the Command of our Saviour Here we have it in his own Words Upon which 1. Let it be considered that he presents this Description and Account of the Apostolick Office in opposition to that which he premiseth as ours We hold as well as he that the Apostles had a Supreme though collateral and equal and Spiritual Power and Authority over Officers and Members of the Church Only we add these further Characteristicks of their Office viz Their extraordinary Gifts their immediat Call including and having connected therewith an unconfined Commission to propagat the Gospel among all Nations as himself words our Tenet and which is also proved from that Passage he cites Matth. 28. Now since in opposition to our Description he holds that his not ours are the proper discriminating Marks whereby Apostles were distinguished from other Officers he must of necessity hold that these Characters are proper to other Officers as well as them For there is no Mids Either these Prerogatives were peculiar to Apostles or proper to others also and thus common to both and it being so not to mention other properties since their unconfined Commission to Preach to all Nations And he cannot but acknowledge as immediat Officers of all the Churches in actu exerciso and in order to the founding them and planting Gospel Ordinances and Officers therein according to our Saviours Commission Matth. 28. is our great Mark and Characteristick of an Apostle I challenge him to shew me what succeeding ordinary Officer had this applicable to him whether of his supposed Episâ—opal Mould or any other The Dâ— will not deny that upon this Ground the Churches are said to be built upon the Apostles Foundation and this in an exclusive Sense not the Foundation of any succeeding Officers whether the Dr. call them Subordinat or otherwise And he knows the Churches Foundation is not to be twice laid So that he is obliged either
them that believe And in these first times gives Instance viz. their Casting out Devils Speaking with Tongues Taking up Serpents without Hurt this we read of Paul Act. 28. their Drinking Deadly Things without Prejudice yet Paul says speaking of these extraordinary Gifts truely the Signs Wonders and Mighty Deeds of an Apostle are wrought among you But notwithstanding this we know that Stephen tho no Apostle did Wonders among the People But who knows not that in the Apostles these Actings of the Divine Power were of another Nature and for another immediat End viz. To Confirm and Ratifie an Apostolick Authority as the Churches Infallible Universal First Messengers upon whose Doctrine the Foundation of the Church was to be laid Thus according to the Sense of the Judicious and Learned Professors of Leyden their Office consisted in this That they were Christs Universal Ambassadours to lay every where the Foundation of the Gospel Church and were sent immediatly and extraordinarly by him instructed with Infallibility in Doctrine and Power to Confirm it with Miracles So that in their Sense and in the Sense of Sound Divines already exhibit when we speak of the Apostolick Office somethings were more remotely and less principally Ingredients therein somethings more immediatly and properly to which the other was subservient Their Office lay in that Universal Legation mentioned and as Levelled at that great End of Founding the Gospel Church which necessarly included their immediat Mission as is said other things as Correspondent to this End were Ingredients in their Office in the remote Sense above cleared such as the Gifts of Tongues Miracles c. This serves to Unravel our Dr's Foolish Notion which he has P. 98 99. to disprove our Sense of the Apostolick Office Such as First That the Laity many of them had Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost I Answer not to stand upon his Expression the Laity or upon an Enquiry who of them had these Extraordinary Ministerial Gifts by denying they were either of that Nature Measure or for such an immediat End as those of the Apostles None certainly had such a clear comprehensive immediat infallible Light in Divine things as they And many things may convince the Dr. of this his Error For First What meant else their Solemn Extraordinary Seal of the Spirit Act. 2. striking the World with such Admiration What need the Promise of the Spirit to lead them unto all Truth and endue them with Power from on High Again the Dr. will acknowledge that the Apostolick Office was to Plant the Christian Church and Gospel Ordinances through the World And therefore he must by necessary Consequence acknowledge that their Gifts behoved to be of such a Nature and Measure as were suted to this End and in special to the immediat infallible Government of the Churches and the Direction of both Members and Officers thereof in their respective Duties Hence our Lord spent fourty Days after his Resurrection in instructing them in the things pertaining to his Kingdom that they might be thus immediatly fitted for this Work The Dr. will not deny that the Pastoral Gifts before Instanced of Scriptural Knowledge Skill in the Languages Prudence c. are proper Ingredients in that Office and Characteristicks thereof as suted to the Ends of the same and the Evidences of the Divine Call all other things concurring notwithstanding that some of the Laity may have these Gifts Next for their Infallibility the Dr. tells us That the Evangelists and Seventy Disciples were such I Answer supposing the Seventy to be Evangelists I deny this Infallibility competent to them understanding it of such a Nature and Extent as competent unto Apostles and an Ingredient of their Office else I beseech him why was Timothy after his Inauguration instructed by the Apostle in reference to so many Points of his Office and Duty and so many things pointed out to him to beware of As for Lukes Writing from the Testimony of Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word Any with half an Eye may see that this falls utterly short of proving an Apostolick Infallibility in its Nature and Extent and with respect to its Ends Altho the Spirit of GODs infallible Guidance in what he wrote is necessarly supposed What he means by Under-Ministers I understand not If the Spirit of GOD made use of his Information by Apostles or others in order to His End of this infallible Writing can any imagine that this will prove an Apostolick Infalibility properly and formally such As for Stephens doing Miracles and being endued with such Wisdom as Adversaries could not resist him I deny the Consequence that therefore he had Infallibility or Gifts of Miracles of that Nature and Extent or to such a proper immediat End as was competent to the Apostles upon the Ground already exhibite Next He tells us That Matthias was not immediatly called but by the Apostles yet had power to continue that Succession to the End I deny his Assertion which is among the rest of his gratis dicta It is evident to any that but reads the History that Matthias was by GODs immediat choice and Declaration by a Lot the Disposal whereof is of the LORD set a part for his Work and Office and GOD was sought unto by Prayer to shew His Mind as touching this Choice Which therefore was immediatly his own It is true the Apostles who had the Mind of CHRIST did with the consent of the Church present the two to the LORD but the Choice and Call was GODs And the presenting of these Eminent Persons to GOD by the Church will no more prove that Matthias was called and authorized by them than the Peoples presenting the seven Deacons to the Apostles to be ordained will prove that they not the Apostles ordained them The Dr. tells us That the first Apostles were Witnesses of Christs Resurrection yet this did not make them Apostles What does he drive at None sayes that merely to witness this made any of them Apostles or that to be an immediat Witness of it was indispensably needful in order to the Apostolick Office For so was not the Apostle Paul Altho there is no doubt but that the Testimony of CHRISTs Resurrection was a great Point of the Apostolick Doctrine and Testimony But the Dr. will needs add his Proof Or else saith he Matthias had been an Apostle before he was Invested Who would not pitty such impertinent triffâ—â—gs I know none who asserts that to be a Witness of CHRISTs Resurrection made an Apostle Who knows not that several Women incapable of a Ministry were among the early and first Witnesses of our LORDs Resurrection Besides that the Dr. has not proved that Matthiaâ— was such an immediat Witness The Dr's Conclusion ibid. is That the Essence of the Apostolick Office consisted not in extraordinary Priviledges so plentifully poured out on the first Ministers and Converts We have told him in what Sense the Apostolick Office included these Ingredients thereof And even
is changed unto a Limited and Confined Inspection of Bishops Tho the Contexture of his Reasoning renders him in this inconsistent with himself Christs Care and Promise are abundantly verified in the Establishment of such a Government and Officers in His Church as are suted to her Edification and Preservation in all times and places I cannot but further remark the Dr's changing the Term of Apostolick Office which he holds to be transmitted to Successors into that of Episcopal Power as if these were all one But this is such a confusion of Names and Things as cannot be admitted But proceed we The Question the Dr. will needs have to be a Matter of Fact to be decided by Testimony Whom the Apostles appointed Successors is Matter of Fact simplely considered But this Matter of Fact must have a Divine Testimony to clear it it being a Divine Fact to call it so of Christs Infallible Divinely Inspired Apostles in the management of the Trust committed to them in founding and modelling the Gospel Churches And consequently in enquiring into this Point we must take our Measures both from their Doctrine and Practice if we acknowledge the Apostles had no Soveraign independent but Subordinat Subaltern Power Authorized and prescribed by their great Master whose Doctrine and Measures prescribed in his Holy Testament we must therefore look unto So that when the Dr. asserts There can be no decisive proof of this but by Testimonie He should have called it Divine Testimonie for an Human Testimony can here have no place when the Question is anent the Apostles Doctrine and Practice in point of Church Government And therefore what the Dr. adds viz That the Testimony alledged by him and the Episcopalians is so much the stronger upon the Ground of the Reception thereof Discovers his bad Design of leaving out the Qualification of Divine in the Testimony to which he appeals And likewayes his absurd alledging that a Divine Testimony is strengthened by an Human as influencing a stronger Prâ—of in eodem genere Causae That the Church knew no other Government than Prelacy for fourteen hundred Years as the Doctor is bold to assert shall be admitted when he shall exhibit the full Accounts and Records of these 1400 Years asserting so much To proceed To prove that the Apostles Rectoral Power was by them transmitted immediatly to single Successors the Dr. tells us ibid. that he will first view the Holy Scriptures then Ecclesiastical Records First view I say only and properly view in order to this proof For 1. our Faith of this is a Divine Faith which therefore cannot be founded upon an human Testimony else it were but an human Credulity 2. Ecclesiastick Records cannot be an infallible Comment upon the Sense of these Scriptures wherein this Testimony is contained And this upon several weighty Grounds which I have elsewhere exhibit Since this were 1. To set up an higher Tribunal than the Scriptures 2. Ye exclud an examination of the Human Testimony by the Scriptures 3. To make the Churches practice the infallible Rule to direct our perswasion and practice in reference to every Scripture Truth and Duty therein held out Besides that neither this Dr nor any for him will ever exhibit Authentick Records of the Churches Universal Practice since the Apostles many of the Ancients having written nothing at all many of their Writings also being lost many going under their Name being Counterfeit and supposititious And that none of these did in this Matter contradict thâ— Writers whom the Dr. alledges in this Point but did accord in judgment and practice with what he supposes them to hold in Point of Episcopacy is a proof which lyes upon the Doctor as the affirmer before his Argument can be admitted as valid and his Testimonies be supposed harmonious and this he will no doubt perform ad calendas Graecas Who knows not that the prime Historian Eusebius with many others do acknowledge that the shattered and maimed Records of the First Ages after the Apostles which are in this Point most considerable are most uncertain and dark as to Matter of Fact And do therefore exhibit but a Lame and imperfect Testimony in this Matter My work and scope then is to examin the Dr's Pleadings from a Divine Testimony which I shall fully perform CHAP IV The Dr's Proof of the Divine Right of the Hierarchical Bishop drawn from the pretended Episcopacy of Timothy and Titus and the Seven Asian Angels Examined HEre we find the Doctor Tracing the Steps of his Fellows but giving their Notions and Arguments pitifully Insipide and nothing Recocted In the first place saith he P. 106 107. we find Timothy set over Ephesus by Paul when he went unto Macedonia Which place he compares with Act. 20.3 4. 1 Tim. 1.3 I besought thee to abide at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia that thou mightest charge some that they Teach no other Doctrine That Timothy thereafter waited upon Paul to yield Assistance in the Service of Religion he tells us cannot infer he was disingaged upon Occasional Iourneys from that Episcopal Inspection particularly committed to him in the Church of Ephesus by Paul Here is such a Proof as he might have seen long since Baffled and Disproved 1. All that hold Timothies Office as Evangelist to be extraordinary and to have expired with that of Apostles and this do the Body of Protestant Divines hold as is above evinced will consequently deny his Episcopal Instalment over Ephesus And put the Dr. to prove that his Evangelistick Office here expresly enjoyned him was First an ordinary Office to be continued Secondly Formally and properly Episcopal or such as did import a sole and singular Authority Paramount to all the ordinary Officers Authority in that Church and Exclusive thereof And what Answer to these Demands and Proof of these Suppositions is in the premised Argument let all Men judge 2. Had the Dr. been serious in this Debate he might have found that Presbyterians have exhibite from Scripture Timothieâ— continual transient Imployments through the Churches both before and after this supposed Instalmentâ— Ius Divinum Minist Angli Smect with diverse others have made this evident 3. The Dr. did well to exhibit the supposed Scripture Charter of Timothies pretended Instalment I besought thee to abide at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia that thou mightest Charge some that they Teach no other Doctrine c. Which the Presbyterians have long since told him is a clear Proof of the contrary since there was no need of such Importunity if Paul had Committed the Episcopal Charge over Ephesus to him For thus he might have laid as Dreadful a Charge upon him to abide at Ephesus as he doth afterward to Preach the Gospel 2 Tim. 4.1.2 They have told him that the Words specifie an Occasional Imployment and are not Words of Instalment to any â—ixt Office or Bishoprick over that Church and do clearly insinuat and point at an Intendment to Call him away again As accordingly both he
and Nerves of this Objection We know that Superior and Inferior Officers do come under general Names and Designations But our Assertion is this That no Name of the Superior Officer which is the proper Characteristick of his Office and whereby he is distinguished from the Inferior is attributed to such Inferior Officers since this would Brangle the Scriptures Distinction thereof and remove the March-Stones which God hath set So that his Instance of the common Name to Superior and Inferior Officers upon the ground of common Qualifications is impertinent to the Point For no Names of this Nature and Import can be the proper distinguishing Names of the Superior from the Inferior since this would infallibly infer a Confusion in the Holy Ghosts Language such as cannot without Blasphemy be imputed to him Thus the Name Apostle in its proper Sense or Evangeâ—ist is ascribed to no Inferior Officer To apply this the Name of Bishop is in the Surveyers Principâ—es a distinguishing Character of an Officer superior to a Pastor or Presbyter and therefore the Absurdity of his Inference or paralel Reason is palpably evident this Name being by his own Confession ascribed to ordinary Pastors The Surveyer in the Fifth place repeats again to us for Answer this poor hungry shift which we have before refuted viz That granting there were none but mere Presbyters at that time in that Church of Philippi who are called Bishops yet upon what grounds shall the Constitution thereof be the Measure of all Churches unless a Divine Rule for Managing the Government in that uniform manner could be produced Ans. The Surveyer in Repeating this Subterfuge which he made use of to eschew our Argument drawn from the State of the Church of Corinth told us that that Church which is but one ought not to be a Rule to others and that one instance cannot make a Rule Here it seems he he hath found another Instance to make the Number two yet this will not please him unless a Divine Rule be produced for managing the Government in that manner It is certain that the Apostles practice in the constitution of Churches in their Officers and Ordinances pursuant to their great Masters Commission hereanent and upon the necessary supposition of their Infallibility and Faithfulness in managing this Trust is a sufficient Rule and Divine Warrand to found our Perswasion and Faith in this Matter This is so clear that the Episcopalians must either acknowledge it or baffle and overthrow their own Principles and Arguings for Prelacy For I pray how will they make their supposed Constitution of the Churches of Ephesus Crete under the pretended Episcopal Inspection of Timothy and Titus a Standart and Measure for all Christian Churches if this Apostolick Constitution therereof be not admitted as an infallible ground of this Argument And if Presbyterians shall repone to their Episcopal Pleadings that the Constitution of these Churches cannot be a Standart for ever unless a Divine Rule be produced for managing the Government in that uniform manner they are destitute of an Answer So that it appears the Surveyer behoved either in granting the Churches of Corinth and of Philippi to be thus governed to yield the Cause to the Presbyterians in acknowledging a Divine Presbyterial Constitution of these Churches or stoâ—d obliged to retract and disown all his Episcopal Pleadings in the Instances exhibit The Episcopalians might have found that these Instances are exhibited by us as proofs and Demonstrations of the common Universal Rule The Constitution of the other Apostolick Churches after this manner hath been exhibit and evinced as by several others so in special by the Judicious Authors of the Ius Divin Minist Eccles. who have at large made appear and proven a Presbyterial Classical Unity and equal Official Authority of Pastors in Government 1. In the Church of Ierusalem 2. In the Church of Antioch 3. In the Church of Ephesus 4. In the Church of Corinth And that in all these Instances there is in the Word a Pattern 〈◊〉 Presbyterian Government in common over diverse single Congregations in one Church See Ius Divin Minis Eccles. from P. 292. c. And in special the Surveyer and his Fellows might have found this made good which he here pretended to seek a Proof of Viz That the Pattern of the said Presbytrie and Presbyterian Government is for a Rule to the Churches of Christ in all after Ages Which is made good First From this that the First Churches were immediatly Planted and Governed by Christs own Apostles and Disciples The strength of this Reason is illustrated from several Grounds As that 1. The Apostles immediatly received the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven from Christ himself Matth. 16.19 Ioh. 20.21.23 2. Had immediatly the promise of his perpetual presence in their Ministry Matth. 28.18.19.20 The plentiful donation of the Spirit to lead into all Truth Ioh. 14.16 Act. 15. Ioh. 16.14 15. 3. They received immediatly Commands from Christ after his Resurrection and were instructed Forty days in the Nature of his Kingdom That they were first and immediatly Baptized of the Holy Ghost extraordinarly Act. 2.1 to 5. So that whether we consider the Spirits infallible influence upon the Apostles in this great work of ordering and Governing the Primitive Churches or their performing Christs Commandments in this work which he did impose upon them touching his Kingdom and consequently their infallibly Right use of the Keys of his Kingdom which he Committed to them it is evident beyond all contradiction that the Pattern of their Practices herein must be a Rule for all the succeeding Churches Secondly This is made good from the end proposed by the Holy Ghost in the careful Records of the Apostolical Churches State and Government which must needs be in order to succeeding Churches imitation since this Record as the other Scriptures must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our Learning or Instruction which Instruction must Relate not merely to the Factum but mainly to the Ius viz the Reasons and grounds of this Apostolical Government this being the most proper and profitable Instruction Thirdly That if in the Point of Government such Apostolick Patterns will not amount to an obligatory Rule we will impeach the Authority of other Acts of Religion received from them and bottomed only and Chiefly upon the Foundation of the Practice of Christs Apostles and Apostolical Churches such as the Reciving of the Lords Supper on the Lords days c. See Ius Divin Minis Eccles. P. 213 214. Nay this is so evident that the Surveyer without contradicting himself cannot but admit this Rule For P. 195 he will needs have the determination of this Question to depend upon the Historical Narrations of the Acts of the Apostles contained in Scripture and the surest Light History can afford in the Churches most Virgin times Now here is exhibit Historical Accounts and Narrations of the Churches pure and Primitive pure Constitution in its first and most Virgin times
98. This Surveyer did but ridicule the Scriptures or rather expose himself while pretending to impugn the Presbyterians and answer their Scripture Reasonings for he comes on with his may be this and may be the other Sense the one sense may be striking out and Contradicting the other whereas in the Judgement of all who own the Truth and the Authority of the Scriptures the true sense is but one since otherwise there can be no Truth where there are different and various Senses In his first Answer he will needs have High Officers of the Church as he calls them to concur with the Apostle Paul in Imposing Hands upon Timothy these High Officers he no doubt advances far above the Sphere of Presbyters and Pastors and puts them in the Character of his Magnates or Hierarchical Bishops yet in this second Answer he will needs in a palpable Contradiction to the First croud in all these High Officers into one Congregation yea and positively asserts that there is no evidence in the Text to prove that this Presbytrie was any other than a Paroch-Presbytrie and that it will trouble the Presbyterians to prove the contrary But would it not much more have troubled this Fantastical Dictator with his Linsey-Woolsey party coloured Senses and Comments to prove that these High Officers near to the Apostolick Character were all related to one Congregation and but a Meeting of a Paroch Presbytrie as he speaks His Third answer is taken from collating this Passage with 2 Tim. 1.6 where Paul enjoins Timothy to stir up the Gift that is in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the putting on of my Hands as here 1 Tim. 4.14 He saith Grace was given thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytrie The former place importing his Authority in the Action and the latter the concern and consent of the Meeting of Presbyters with him So that granting a Presbytrie present there is no ordaining power can be hence inferred Ans. We have already made appear that these places Collated do clearly evince a Presbyterial Authority in the Point of Ordination and that since the imposing of Pauls hands in order to the Gifts is clearly distinguished from the imposing of the Hands of the Presbytrie which must needs respect his Ordination and consequently their Authoritative influence thereupon these Texts collated do confirm this Point and further do thus give light unto it that supposing that the Imposition of Pauls hands and the Hands of the Presbytrie were contemporary the Presbyterian Cause is the more strengthened in that the imposing of an Apostles Hands did not swallow up nor exclude the Presbytries Authoritative imposition So that this Authority may be much more now supposed competent to them when the Office of Apostle is gone I must here again Reflect upon it that this our vertumnous Expositor who will needs have in his First Answer several High Officers to concurr with Paul in this Imposition of Hands makes Timothy thereby to receive a Presbyterate only And I pray what needs such High Officers to concur with Paul in order to this end But in this Answer we find ordinary Pastors concurring in the Ordination of this his supposed Presbyter for the Surveyer in collating these Texts insinuats no Officers of a higher Order to have been present except the Apostle Paul And indeed the Passages themselves do only point at the Presbytrie and the Apostle Paul Here also Presbyters are found laying hands upon our Surveyer and his Fellows supposed Hierarchical Prelat set over the Church of Ephesus Next he acknowledges that the mention of imposing of Pauls hands 2 Tim. 1.6 with the emphatick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by respects the Gift of GOD in him wherein he seems to distinguish the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Authority and the Gift yet expones this precisely of Pauls Authority in his Ordination exclusive of that of the Presbytrie But so it is that the imposing of Hands in order to Gifts of the Spirit he must needs acknowledge to be of it self distinct from such an Imposition of Hands as is in order to Ordination Yea even some of his own party acknowledge that Hands were twice laid upon Timothy and once by the Presbytrie alone Besides that Passage 1 Tim. 4.14 we find him very confusedly and inconsideratly exponing thus Viz. The Grace given him with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the laying on of the hands of the Presbytrie Whereas the Text runs thus neglect not the Gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophesie with the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytrie where it is evident the Gift given and the Prophesie are in two distinct Clauses and the laying on of Hands of the Presbytrie is in the third and last and diversified by a distinct Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both from the Gift and from the Prophesie So that it is apparent that this Grace or Gift hath a special Respect to the Prophesie but the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytrie is here set down in a distinct Clause as a distinct Priviledge from the other two and therefore must either import their Authoritative action or doth here signifie nothing especially since as is said the variation of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or with doth here import so much and diversifie the one from the other Which baffles his Sense and Exposition that makes the imposing of the Presbytries hands to import no more but a Consent or Concurrence The folly of which Exposition is further evidenced in that 1. This solemn Action of Imposing Hands being in the Scripture Accounts and Sense a badge of Authoritative Blessing must neeeds import much more than a bare Consent or Concurrence for he will not dare to say that all those whose Hearts do concur in praying for the Blessing had right to impose hands upon the Ordained 2. He tells us in the beginning of his Answer that the Presbytrie imposed not hands alone without a Higher Officer joyned with them in the Act. Now I pray what was this Act if not of Ordination Now if the Presbytrie had an Authoritative Concurrence in the Act or rather an influence thereupon as their Act how can he say they did only consent to the thing For upon this ground of a naked consent he could not say that Paul was joined with him in the Act which imports their joint Authoritative Concurrence if this phrase have any Sense and yet notwithstanding of this according to his exposition in the latter part of his Answer the Action was Pauls alone and not theirs and he Confines the Authority of the Action within the compass of the Apostles Imposition solely I only add if the Actions were supposed diverse as severals do hold the Surveyer hath no Shield nor Buckler against such a Weapon which notwithstanding quite baffles this his Answer if admitted His fourth Answer is That since the Name of
Commission or Grant Now none can pretend to any Grant or Commission from Him but what is in the Scriptures Which is especially evident and further convincingly clear both from the Perfection of His Word and Testament hereanent And likewise from this that the Church Government in the whole of it must needs be acknowledged to be founded upon a Divine and positive Institution Secondly Our LORD did thus actually exercise His Kingly Power and derived the same to Church Officers thus he gave the Pâ—wer to Bind and Loose and the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to his Apostles promised His Presence with them and their Successors to the End And this for the Edification and Building up of His Church till her Warfare is accomplished Matth. 16.18.19 with Matth. 18.19.20 Ioh. 21.23 Matth. 28.18.19 20. 2 Cor. 8.13 Eph. 4.11.12 Finally When this Fundamental Truth of our LORD' 's political Headship and Influences accordingly in the Government of the Church and the Perfection of His Holy Testament in reference to the Laws Ordinances and Officers thereof is denyed the Foundations of a Christian Church are removed the Rules Limits and Boundaries in reference to the Duties both of Church Officers and Members so annihilate as the Church becomes a Chaos of all Confusion and arbitrary Disorder whatsomever or at least the Leaden and Versatile Rule of Worldly Wisdom being made her Measures of Ordinances and Government a Door is opened for Inundations of all Errors and Superstitions and for the most wicked Usurpations and Disorders in point of Government that the wicked Mind of Man by the influence of Satan can invent FINIS The CONTENTS PART I. CHAP I. Dr. Scot's stating of the Question and his Argument taken from the Institution of of our Saviour Examined Pag. 1. CHAP. II. His Argument from the Practice of the Apostles Examined P. 11. CHAP. III. His Argument taken from an alledged punctual Confâ—rmity of the Primitive Church to Christs Institution and the Apostolick Practice in Point of Episcopacy Considered Pag. 35. CHAP. IV. His Argument Examined taken from our Saviours alledged Allowance and Approbation of Episcopal Government in his Epistles to the Seven Asian Churches Pag. 69. CHAP. V. The Dr's Scripture proofs of a Four â—old Ministry or Prerogative of a Bp. as Superior to a Pastor in Point of Government Considered Pag. 85. PART II. CHAP. I. Dr. Monro's unsound and Impertinent Reflections upon our first Reformers as to Church Government exposed Together with his unsound and Popish Method in his Answer to the Argument against Episcopacy from Matth. 20.25 And with the Paralel Texts Pag. 1. CHAP. II. A Confutation of what he Offers in Answer to our Argument for Parity of Pastors taken from the Official Identity of Bishop and Presbyter in Scripture Pag. 31. CHAP. III. The Dr's absurd description of the Apostolick Function in opposition to Protestant Divines exposed His Assertion about the Succession of Hierarchical Bishops to Apostles in a proper formal Sense His Opinion Loaded with gross and palpable Absurdities Pag. 85 CHAP. IV. His proof of the Divine Right of the Hierarchical Bp. from the pretended Episcopacy of Tim. ct Tit. the 7 Asian Angels examined P. 119. PART III. CHAP. I. A Consideration of the Scripture Grounds upon which the Surveyer pleads for the Lawfulness of the Episcopal Office Pag. 1. CHAP. II. His Answers offered to the Scriptures pleaded by Presbyterians Examined viz. Mat. 20.25 26. with the Paralels Mark 10 42. Luk. 22.25 Mat. 18.17 Act. 20.17 28. Tit. 1.5 7. 1 Pet. 5.1 2. The unsoundness and inconsistency of his Glosses made appear Pag. 13. CHAP. III. Some more of his Exceptions and Answers examined viz. to 1 Cor. 5. Eph. 4.11 To which the Paralels 1 Cor. 12.28 Rom. 12.6 7 8. are to be joyned to Philip. 1.1 And to 1. Tim. 4.14 His unsoundness and inconsistency therein further made appear Pag. 38. CHAP. IV. Wherein is considered his Answer to our Charge against the Diocesan Prelat as a New Officer different from those Instituted by our Lord and standing in opposition to the New Testament Church Government and this upon the Ground of the Perfection of the Scripture Records hereanent and our Lords Faithfulness in the ful Institution of the Officers and Government of his Church Pag. 65. See page 388 389 390 391. See pag. 392. p. 392. Differ of the time pag. 14. See p. 394. pag. 394.395 P. 397 P. 398 ibid. P. 400. ibid. P. 401. P. 401. sub finem P. 403. P. 404. P. 402 403. P. 404. Ibid. P. 406.407.408 P. 407. ibid. P. 408. P. 408.409.410.411 P. 409. P. 409. ibid. P. 398.399.400 c. p. 410. P. 410.411 P. 411 P. 412 Ibid. P. 412.413 Prop. 7. Pag. 123.124.125 P. 413. P. 414. ibid. P. 414.415 Ibid. ibid. ibid. P. 415.416 ibid. ibid. ibid. ibid. P. 417. ibid. ibid. ibid. P. 417.418 ibid. P. 418 419. ibid. ibid. ibid. ibid. P. 419 420. ibid. ibid. ibid. P. 421. ibid. P. 422. ibid. P. 423. P. 422. ibid. ibid. P. 424. P. 426. P. 426. P. 427. P. 433. ibid. ibid. ibid. P. 435. P. 435.436 P. 436.437.438 P. 438. ibid. ibid. ibid. P. 439.440.441 P. 442 P. 428. P. 442.443 P. 443. P. 443. ibid. P. 444. P. 444 445. P. 445. P. 445. P. 446. ibid. P 447 ibid. P. 446. P. 447. ibid. ibid. a 1. Cor. 5. b Act. 20. c 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 d Philip. 1. 1. Tit. 1.6.7 e 2 Cor. 1.24 f 1. Cor. 4.1
which he says is as clear as any thing in Ecclesiastick History he therein crosses the Judgment of Learned Protestants who have made the contrary appear as is above evinced The Accounts of this supposed Succession being Contradictory one to another and sometimes Persons Contemporary made Succedaneous therein yea and the very Name and Office of Persons designed being of a various and different Nature and Signification some of these pretended succeeding Bishops being mere Presbyters But says the Doctor who will question an ancient Monarchy because of some Defect of the Historical Accounts of its Succession I answer The Original of the Monarchy being clear in History and also the Successors of the first in Point of an Historical Faith this will not be questioned And when the Dr. shal let us see the Bishops of his Mould set up by the Apostles and present to us the Scripture Escutchions of their Power together with clear Historical Accounts of their first Successors accordingly we shal admit his paralell Argument else it is a mere non sequitur The Dr. in the next place tells us That the Story of Jerom's Universal Decree being Unattested and Contradictory to all Antiquity it must needs be lookt upon as a mere Figment of his Fancy But from what is said its evident that the Dr. instead of Impugning the Decree which Jeroms Testimony speaks of has been in all that is premised but Fighting with his own Shadow and a Figment of his oâ—n Fancy and has never touched his Meaning and Scope nor has shown any much less all Antiquity against what Jerom asserts The Dr. demands an Instance of any Church of another Form of Government than Episcopacy Which Demand he might have found sufficiently answered by Presbyterian Writers who have made appear that the first Apostolick Churches were Governed Presbyterially The Authors of the Jus Divinum Regim Eccles. have long since exhibit clear Scripture Proofs of this which the Dr. should have Answered before he had made such a Challenge Besides the Multitud of Fathers who maintain the Identity of Bishops and Presbyters will go far in this Proof And if Blondels Demonstration from Antiquity Apol. Sect. 3. P. 308. c. that Bishops came not in till the year 140. hold good surely all the existent Churches in that Period of Time are so many Instances of such a Government And for this Church of Scotland we have its first Presbyterian Government attested by Iohan. Major de gest Scot. Lib 2 Fordons Scotochron Lib 3 cap 8 Blond Sect 3. That from the year 79. till 430. it was Governed by Presbyters without Bishops and that in that year the Bishop of Rome sent Palladius as our first Bishop So that we had our Union to the See of Rome together with Prelacy We come now to the Dr's last Exception to this Testimony of Ierom wherein he reposes great Confidence Ushering it in with an especially Considering Well what is that under his Consideration the Dr. will Amuse us with and Arrest our Thoughts upon This Conceit saith he reflects odiously upon the Wisdom of our Saviour and his Apostles in Devolving the Government upon Presbyters common Counsel which was the Occasion of sundry Schisms and Divisions for Removal of which the Church found it needful to dissolve those Presbytries and introduce Episcopacy in their Room But the Doctor might have found this his Conceit and Notion long since removed and that his supposed Reflection depends not upon any Words of Ierom. Ierom says That Diaboli Instinctu by the Devils Instinct there fell Divisions and Factions one saying I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo and that thereupon this Remedy of setting up fixed Presidents was fallen upon Which the Learned Whittaker has told the Dr was a Remedy worse than the Disease And Ierom himself distinguishes this Humane Custom from the Divine Institution Now where is the Dr's Consequence Because Jerom says that for preventing Schisms at that time the Government was changed doth he therefore charge this upon the Apostles Government or Christs Institution He may as well say that a Mans asserting Corruptions to be in the Church will inferr his imputing them to the Ordinances Was there not Discord among the Apostles under Christs own immediat Government But did this Discord or the Record thereof in Scripture reflect on His Holy Government Paul and Barnabas divided and parted asunder but doth Luke in Recording this charge it upon the Apostolick Government To make the Folly of the Dr's Inference yet further to appear let these three things be considered 1. He confesses that Jerom asserts that the Apostolick Government of Presbyterian Parity was the Occasion only of these Schisms Therefore say I he makes it not the Cause If the Dr. assert this he will pitifully expose his Learning in not distinguishing these things which are so obviously distinguishable and reflect upon our Saviour in saying he came not to send Peace but a Sword and Division to kindle Fire upon the Earth to set a Man at Variance against his Father and to make those of a Man 's own House his Enemies as if His Holy Doctrin were the Cause of these Evils Paul tells us that his Corruption and Sin took Occasion from the Commandment and was irritat by the Law but prevents so gross a Mistake as to suppose any Imputation upon the Holy Law thereby Is the Law sin saith he God forbid He abhorrs the Consequence as absurd and blasphemous 2. The Dr. holds that Jerom asserts The Church found it necessary upon this Occasion to change the first Government by the Common Counsel of Presbyters and as he expresses it to Dissolve Presbytries and Introduce Episcopacy Wherein he abuses Ierom and pitifully Wire-draws his Words offering a mere Distortion of them For 1. Ierom speaks only as is above cleared of an Innovating Custom growing up by Degrees not of a Government introduced by the whole Church upon Ground of Necessity 2. He makes Ierom assert that upon the first Introduction of this Custom Presbytries were wholly dissolved which is most cross to Ieroms Meaning For even in his own time long after the first Origine of this Custom he says quid facit c. what doth the Bishop except Ordination which the Presbytrie doth not So that in the first Introduction of this Episcopus Praeses Ierom could far less suppose a Dissolution of Presbytries or total Abolishing of their Authority as the Dr. foolishly suggests but only such a fixed President or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who as in that Capacity had a Deference and the Care committed to him but not so as wholly to exclud Presbyters Decisive Suffrage Again in the 3 d. place what ever may be said of this after-Practice and Frame of Government Ierom expresly denies a Divine Right or Ius to it and distinguishes it from the Truth of the Divine Appointment which first took place So that tho we should grant to the Dr that in Ierom's
Sense the whole Church by joynt Determination had simul semel made this Alteration it is evident that he charges the Error upon the Church as a Recess from the Divine Path but not at all upon the Divine Appointment it self which he diligently distinguishes from and sets in Opposition to this Custom and Practice of the Church So that the absurd Reflection upon the Apostles Government and the Wisdom of our Saviour the Dr. may see to be lodged nearer home viz. not only upon these who first brought in this Human Prostasie especially such as Scrued it up to an Hierarchical Primacy which is so cross to the Apostolick Parity but also and in a singular manner to be chargeable upon these who uphold it after its many Evils are discovered Ierom asserts only the Matter of Fact viz. That this Imparity was brought in for Remedy of Schism but leaves the chargâ— of Reflecting upon the Apostolick Government upon the Authors of this Innovation And upon the Promotters thereof it must still ly The Dr. alledges That Iorom approves of this as a Wise aâ—d Prudent Action An odd Approbation indeed To approvâ— a Custom or Action as Wise and Prudent which he holds to be opposit to the Divine Appointment For his proof viz. That Ierom asserts the Safety of the Church to depend upon the Authority of the High Priest or Bishop to whom if Supreme Authority be not given there would be as many Schisms as Priests As the Dr. has pointed us to none of Ieroms Writings for Proof of this so as we have cleared above Ierom and the Ancients in such Allusive Expressions intend nothing else but a Distinction of Offices in the Gospel Ministry and to assert the Authority thereof Blond Sect. 3. P. 135. shews out of diverse Councils their expressing the Gospel Ministry under the Character of Priests and Levites And I dare referr it to this Dr or any Man of Sense if a grosser Contradiction or Non-sense could ever fall into any Mans Thought than to hold the Necessity of an Hierarchical Bishop with Supreme Authority and yet the Necessity of a Divine Appointment to the contrary That which the Dr. calls the Unavoidable Consequence of Jerom 's Hypothesis viz. That the Church had gone to Ruine if a Wiser Form of Government than that of Apostles had not been taken up to supply its Defect We have made appear to be a very easily avoided Consequence and by no Twist of Reason to be deducible from Ierom's Hypothesis and that the Dr in drawing such a Consequence has in stead of Ierom involved himself in absurd Deductions He calls this Testimony of Jerom the only considerable Objection against the Universal Conformity of the Primitive Church to Episcopal Government And therein discovers his small and slender Reading in this Controversie since he might have seen in Blondel Salmasius and many others many more considerable Objections And this one we have found so very considerable that it hath quit baffled and born down the Dr's mean and inconsiderable Answers But to proceed In the close of this Section P. 421. the Dr. flies high in these his supposed victorious Answers to Jerom's Testimony telling us that the Apostolick Superiority of Bishops being handed down by Testimonies from Age to Age it s as unreasonable to reject the same as the Canon of the Scriptures thence derived The Dr. here discovers what Spirit he is of I had alwise thought that the Divine Impression of the Scripture Canon the intrinsick infallible evidences of a Divine inspiration had been the great ground of the Churches reception not its being handed down to us from former generations or the First receivers And that our Divines had alwise distinguished the Church and former Generations Testimony and recommendation from the innate Essential evidences of its Divine Authority as to the Ground of our Faith and reception But however I shall tell him that he should have exhibited as full and Divine proof and unanimous recommendation of all the Churches for his hierarchical Prelacy as there is for the Scripture Canon before he had offered such an high flown notion Before I part with the Dr. upon this head I must needs tho I have a little before touched it take notice of two pieces of signal unsoundnness and unfair dealing in this Matter of Jerom's Testimony First That in all his Animadversions and muster of Episcopal strength against it he doth not in the least take notice of Jeroms Scripture proofs of the parity of Bishop and Presbyter in correspondence to our Sense and Pleading Upon Philip 1.1 He argues That many Bishops are saluted by Paul in that Church and that it could not have many of the Diocesian stamp That therefore the Apostle speaks indifferently of Bishops and Presbyters as one and the same That Act. 20. Paul called the Elders of Ephesus Bishops set up by the Holy Ghost and that therefore he owned the Elders of that one City as Bishops That in the Epistle to the Hebrews the care of the Churches is divided among many obey them that have the Rule over you for they watch for your Souls That Peter called so from the firmness of his Faith exhorts thus the Elders the Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder and Witness of the sufferings of Christ Feed the Flock of God which is among you not by constraint but willingly c. These things I write saith Ierom to shew that among the Ancients Bishops and Presbyters were one and the same and that by little and little the care was devolved upon one Now what says the Dr. to these his Arguings upon the Apostles Doctrin If they are not found why doth he not discover his mistake If they hold good the Dr's exceptions evanish unto Wind. As for instance That Ierom is too late a Witness that he is a Witness in his own Cause that he talks otherwise when not byassed with partiality c. For if these Reasonings be sound his Witness is both a most early and Divine Witness and in the cause of God and Truth And whatever other Testimony he may be supposed to give this Divine Testimony ought to be preferred wherein there can be no partiality unless the Dr. will impute partiality to the Divine Oracles and the Decision of the Holy GOD of Truth in this Point This also answers the Drs quible about a Decree Apostolick as the Ground of the Change of Government and that Ierom could mean no such thing since none can be so brutish as to impute to the Apostles a contradictory Decree to their own Doctrin As also that other exception of his evanishes upon this Ground Viz. That no such Decree of the Church was Recorded And that therefore there was none such For say it was either a Decree or gradual Custom if cross to the Apostolick Doctrin it ought to be rejected Thus also appears the Folly of his last exception That he imputes to the Apostolick