Discipline Which Christ Hath Prescribed for the Government of His Church, Chapter 10 – Chapter 11
CHAP. 10.
THe Lord hath ordayned that there should be one byshop or pastor (at the least) president ouer eueryevery congregation, who are of equall authoritie in their seuerall charges, & in the generall gouernement of the Churche, T. C. 1. booke, page 22. & 2. booke, 1. part, page 515.
They maintaine contrary vntounto this, these two.
1 That one may hauehave two or mo chardges, and be absent from them, as their dispensations and practize do prooue.
2 That one minister may hauehave a soueraigntie and Lordshipp ouer his fellowe ministers, which both being disprooued, the former assertion will remaine still sure.
1 One man may not hauehave mo charges then he is able in any measure to discharge:Reasons against the 1. proposition. No man is able in anye measure, to discharge the dutie that is belonging vntounto mo flocks then one, seeing he cannot preach vntounto them, both in season and out of season: Therefore no man may hauehave mo charges then one.
2 That which maketh an open entrance to the enemie to spoile, cannot be lawfull: for one to hauehave mo charges then one, maketh open entrance for the enemie to spoyle, for the wolffe watcheth to deuoure, whilest the shepheard is absent: Therfore no man may hauehave mo charges then one.
3 That whiche hath neither precepte, nor president for it, eyther in Gods worde, or anye approoued writer, but onelyonly from Antichriste, is vnlawfull: But such is the hauing of mo charges then one: Therefore it is vnlawfull.
4 That which declareth a minister to bee more desirous of the fleece, then to profite the flocke, that same is vnlawfull: But such is the hauing of mo charges then one, for were it not for the gaine, they would thinke one a burden as heauie as they could beare: Therefore it is vnlawfull.
5 All the reasons that bee alleadged in the third chapter, against nonresidence, are forcible to this purpose, for if he may not be nonresident, he may not hauehave mo charges, vnlesse he be willing to be quartered, that eueryevery chardge may hauehave a piece of him.
He reckoneth them among theeues,Hooper vponupon 8. command. & their action to be the eueryevery, condemned by that commandement.
Therefore,The conclusion if one man cannot in any tollerable measure discharge mo charges then one; if to hauehave mo maketh an open entrance to the enemie to spoyle; if it hauehave neyther precept, nor president for it, but onelyonly in the kingdome of Antichrist; if it declare the practize to be more desirous of the fleece, then to feede the flocke; if all the reasons that condemne nonresidency be against it; lastly if it be playne the eueryevery: then must it needes followe, that one may not hauehave two, or mo charges.
Their obiections (such as they be) are set downe in the 3. chapter, and the answers vntounto them.The second proposition that they holde, and reasons against it.
The second proposition that they hold is thus.
One minister may hauehave a soueraigne authoritie, and Lordshipp ouer his fellowe ministers: which is thus disprooued.
1 They that hauehave their commission indifferently giuen them, without difference betweene one and another, are of equall authoritie, and may not be one ouer another: But such is the commission of all Gods ministers indifferently, as appeareth, Matth. 28. 19. 20. Therfore they are of equall authoritie, and may not hauehave any dominion one ouer another.
2 That which Christe hath directly forbidden, that may not in any case be allowed, but is euer vnlawfull: But Christe hath directly forbidden, that one minister should hauehave dominion ouer another. Matth. 20. 25. Luk. 22. 25. Therfore one minister may not hauehave superiority or dominion ouer another.
3 They that may not bee Lordes ouer the people of God, may much lesse be Lordes ouer the ministers, for the ministers be (in respect of the ministery) aboue the people: But a minister may not be Lordly ouer Gods people (as is testified by him on whome they woulde father the greatest lordlines) 1. Pet. 5. 3. Therefore one minister may not be Lord, or hauehave superiority ouer another.
4 It is ordayned,Cyprian lib. 1. Epist. 3. & is equall and right, that eueryevery mans cause be heard, where the fault was committed: and it is meete to handle the matter there, where they may hauehave both the accusers, and witnesses of the fault; which sheweth that eueryevery minister had autoritie ouer his own flocke, and no other to meddle.
5 Bishopps, wheresoeuer they be in all the world, are equall to our bishops,Luther aduersus papat a Satana fundat. or parrishe ministers and preachers; of none it can be sayde one is Lorde, another is seruaunt: whatsoeuer belongeth to the Churche, belongeth equally to all, sauing that some are of better giftes then others, howbeit such gifts cause no inequallitie or Lordship in the Church.
6 In the Apostoilke Churche,Muscul. loc. com de minist. verbi the ministers of the word, were none aboue another, & were subiect to no head or president, &c.
7 The honor of a bishopp,The same vponupon 2. Thes. …. 2. being taken from the rest of the ministers, and giuen to one, was the first step to papacie.
8 Christ did most seuerely forbid vntounto the Apostles and their successors,Confes. Heluet. cap. 17. primacie and dominion.
9 Equall power and function is giuen to all ministers of the Church,The same cap. 18. and that from the beginning, no one preferred himselfe before another, sauing onelyonly that for order, some one did call them together, propounded the matters that were to be consulted off, and gathered the voyces.
Therefore,The conclusion if all ministers hauehave their cōmission indifferently giuen vntounto them; if Christe hauehave forbidden, that one minister should hauehave dominion ouer another; if no minister may exercise dominion ouer Gods people; if authoritie to handle controuersies, belonged to eueryevery seuerall congregation; if a bishopp and parrish minister be all one; if in the Apostles time, no minister was aboue another; if the superioritie of one aboue another, was the first step to the papacie; lastly, if they hauehave equall power and function from the beginning: then must it needs followe, that no minister may hauehave superioritie, or exercise dominion ouer another.
Their obiections herevnto (so many as are worthy any answere) be these.
1 Obiection Christ Matth. 20. 25. forbiddeth onelyonly ambition, and not dominion, as Musculus expoundeth it.
Ansvvere Musculus his iudgment appeareth in the 6. & 7. reasons, the place is expounded against superioritie by Caluin, Bullinger, Zwinglius, Gualter, Hemingius, &c. But let it bee so expounded: that dominion is ambition, because it causeth a man to aspire aboue his fellowe ministers.
2 Obiection The Greeke word signifieth rule with oppression, which is the thing that is forbidden.
Ansvvere That is not so, for Luk. 22. 25. vseth the single verbe Keurieuem, which signifieth simplie to rule: the sonnes of Zebedeus desired not to oppresse but to rule, which desire he reprooued.
3 Obiection Christ sayth not, no man shalbe so, but he that will be so, desiring it.
Ansvvere But Luke saith, let the greatest be as your seruant, and therefore that is but a silly shifte.
So that their assertions beeinge ouerthrown, and their obiections answered,A bishop should be in eueryevery congregation. it remayneth, that we prooue yet more directly, that the Lorde hath ordayned, that there should be a bishop resident ouer eueryevery congregation; which is thus prooued:
1 If a bishop and minister be all one, then must there be a bishop in eueryevery congregation, for eueryevery man will confesse that eueryevery congregation ought to hauehave a minister: But a bishopp and a minister is all one, as appeareth by this that S. Paule discribeth not one quallity for the bishop, but it is also the quallitie of eueryevery good minister; and also in that hee describeth no other minister but the bishop: Therefore there ought to be a bishop in eueryevery congregation.
2 S. Paules bishopps and his deacons, were appoynted to one place, as appeareth both in the description of them, and the practize of the Apostles: But the deacons were in eueryevery congregation, which appeareth Phil. 1. 1. Actes. 6. …. that office being needfull eueryevery where; and in that it continued so, longer then the office of bishops, Athanasius Apol. 2. Ierome Contra Luciferianos. &c. Therefore there ought to be a byshop in eueryevery congregation.
3 That which Paule enioyned to Titus, is also to be practized alwaies in the like case: But he commanded him to ordaine Elders in eueryevery citie, Tit. 1. 5. which are expounded in the next verse to be bishops: Therfore there must be a bishop in eueryevery congregation.
4 EueryEvery Church should hauehave her Communion table,Ignatius ad Philadelp. and eueryevery Church her bishop.
5 Where there was found any worthy to be a bishopp,Epiphan. lib. 3. tom. 1. haeres. 75. there a bishopp was appointed, and where there was not to furnish both bishop and preaching elder (he meaneth the doctor) there the Apostles made a bishop, and left the elder.
6 If a bishop run into a slaunder,2 Concil. Carthag tom. 1. cap. 10. and manye bishops cannot suddenly be gathered; his cause shalbe heard of twelue bishops, &c.
7 If an elder be accused,3. Concil. tom. 1 cap. 8. he may call sixe bishops from the places hard by.
8 Stories make mention of bishops of little townes, asaEuseb. lib. 5. cap. 16. Solicus bish, of the village Cuman: bTheodoret. lib. 5. cap. 4.Mares, bishop of a small towne called Solicha: cSocrat. 4. 26.Gregory bishop of a smal citie, called Nazianzum: dQuest. 16. dist. 50.The bishop of a Castle.
9 A minister, that is to say, a bishopp, and (a little after) the Apostle doth plainly teach,Ierome ad Euagrium. that a minister and a bishop is all one, and (vponupon Titus) a bishopp and a minister are the same: and (ad Occanum) with the ancient fathers, bishopps and Elders were all one.
10 D. Barnes (in his sixt article) sayth,Acts and Monuments. fol. 116. I will neuer beleeue, neyther can I euer beleeue, that one man may by the law of God, be a bishop of two or three cities, yea of a whole countrie, for that it is contrary to the doctrin of S. Paul, who writing to Titus, commandeth that he shoulde ordayne a bishop in eueryevery towne.
11 It is pitie to see howe farre the office of a bishop is degenerated from the originall in the Scripture;Hooper vponupon 8. command. page 90. it was not so in the beginning, when bishops were at the best, as the Epistle to Titus testifieth, that willeth him, to ordaine in eueryevery citie, &c. They know the primitiue Church had no such bishops as we hauehave, vntill the time of Siluester the first.
Therefore,The Conclusion if a bishopp and a minister be all one; if bishops were to be where Deacons are, who were in eueryevery congregation; if Paule enioyned Titus to ordayne bishops in eueryevery city; and if eueryevery church had her bishop a long time after the Apostles, as appeareth by the testimonies of Councels, Histories and learned writers, both olde and newe: then must it needes follow, that there ought to be a bishop in eueryevery congregation.
CHAP. 11.
FOr the further reuealing of the trueth, God hath ordayned, that there shoulde be in the Churche Doctors, whose office is to be employed in teaching of doctrin, and is an office different from that of the Pastour.
The latter part of this proposition, is the thing which especially they doe deny, which is thus prooued to be true.
1 Those whiche the Apostle (in speaking of distinct officers) doe distinguish one from another, are seuerall & distinct one from another: But the Apostle distinguishe the Pastoure and teacher, one from another, Rom 12. 7. 8. and Ephes. 4. 11. euen as hee distinguisheth man and woman. Gal. 3. 28. See the Greek of them both: Therefore the office of pastour and Doctor are distinct one from another.
2 As are the gifts that adorne offices, so are the officers themselues, for the execution of the office, consisteth in the employing of the gifts: But the gifts of the pastour and Doctor are diuers, as appeareth 1. Cor. 12. 8. and by experience, for some hath an excellent gift in doctrine, and not in application, and others excel in application and exhortation, that are verye meane, in deliuering of doctrine: Therefore the office of a pastor & teacher, are distinct one from another.
3 Those that are to take a diuers course in teaching are diuers, and different in their functions, for els why should they be enioyned to take a diuers course: But the pastor is to take one course, & the Doctor another, for the one is to direct himselfe principally to exhort, and the other to attend vponupon doctrine: Rom. 12. 7. 8. Therefore the office of pastour and Doctor, be distinct offices the one from the other.
4 The Ecclesiastical stories (especially speaking of the Church of Alexandria) doe vsually make a difference betwixt the bishopp and the Doctor.
5 Cathedrall Churches hauehave yet som shew thereof left in them, who (besides the bishopp) hauehave also one that readeth a Lecture in diuinitie,
6 If the distinguishing of them, make more for the buylding of the Churche, then the vniting of them; then are they to be distinguished, and not made all one: But the former is true, as appeareth by this, that hardly is a people broght to a sounde knowledge of godlines, by him that instructeth in doctrine continually, & as hardly are wee stirred vp to a zealous care of our duetie, though we be exhorted continually; which both shoulde bee with lesse continuance, if one man were to performe all: Therefore they are to be esteemed distinct offices, & not parts of one office, which one is to perform.
Therfore,The conclusion if the Apostle Paul distinguisheth them one from another; if God do vsually bebestow doctrine and exhortation vponupon seuerall persons, wherein eche is found to excell, and to be no bodie in the other; if the pastor be commanded to take one course in teaching, and the Doctor another; if Ecclesiasticall stories doe vsually distinguish them; if Cathedrall Churches hauehave yet some steps left of the distinction; if to distinguish them, maketh more to the building of the Churche, then to vnite them: then must it needs follow, that the office of pastour, and Doctour be distinct, and different the one from the other.