Perth Assembly, Part 5 · Subpart 4
Of Bishoping.
WE hauehave abjured Episcopall government, and therfore we can not lawfully admit Episcopall confirmation, giving and not granting their office were lawfull, and that they hauehave gotten a lawfull calling by the Kirk to the sayd office: thirdly that we were free of our oath: and fourthly that confirmation were to be allowed, whether as a ceremony, or as a sacrament, yet it is damnable presumption to appropriate unto themselues the duty that belongeth to all Pastors.
They alledge some similitudes for their purpose: it appertaineth to the Captaine to take up the role of the souldiers, and furnish them with armor, the shepheard should mark his owne sheep &c. As if every Minister were not a Captaine in the Lords Army and a shepheard feeding the flock concredite to him Bonaventura sIn lib. 4. dist. 7. num. 17.confesseth In talibus nempe rationibus & convenientijs magis locum habet congruitas quam necessitas quia institutio necessitatem facit precipuè. That there is no necessity, but congruity in such reasons, and that institution cheifly maketh necessity. as for the congruities they agree as well to simple Ministers as to Bishops. Bellarmine himself saithtDe confirmation…. Non necessario id requirit natura rei quasi aliter sieri non posset, sed quia voluit Dominus hac re honorare episcopalem dignitatem. That the nature of the thing it selfe doth not necessarily require it, but onelyonly that the Lord wil honor Episcopall dignity by it, they are forced therefore to forsake their reasons and congruitie as unsufficient: and to take them to the will and institution of the Lord.
Our first reason then against them, is, the want of institution or example in the Scripture. They can alledge no other place Act. 8. where Peter and Iohn are sent to Samaria to impose hands on those who had bin baptized by Philip. If Phillip might hauehave done it, what needed the Apostles to hauehave travelled to Samaria for that purpose? none but Apostles imposed hands: Bishops are the only successours of the Apostles. Answer. giving and not granting that Bishops are the Apostles successours, first it is untrue that the Apostles only imposed hands, when the holy Ghost was bestowed: for Ananias layed hands on Paul Act. 9.17. he not onelyonly cured him of his blindnes but also said the Lord hath sent me unto thee, that thou mayest be filled with the holy Ghost. 2. Peter and Iohn were sent, not onelyonly to impose hands, but generally to advance the work begun by Philip. 3. There is no imposition of handes mentioned in that place, but extraordinary, and onelyonly extraordinary effects are reckoned, as hath already been said. They exercised this extraordinary power not as Bishops, but as Apostles. Bishops are not their successours in their extraordinary power, for then they might giuegive the gift of tongues and prophecying. 4. Admitting that imposition of hands to hauehave been ordinary, and accompanied at that time with miraculous gifts, as accessory to the strengthning grace of confirmation; it followeth not that the Bishops succeed only to the Apostles in the said ordinary part of their power: because the Apostles being both Bishops and Presbyters, the text maketh not manifest, whether they imposed hands as Presbyters or as Bishops as Durandus vDurandus in lib. 4. Dist. 7. Quest. 3.saith Ex illo textu non est clarum an Apostoli confirmaveri…t tanquam Episcopi vel tanquam sacerdotes: sacri etiam canones hoc cl…e non determinant. Augustine xQuest. veteris et nov… testamenti. 101.saith plainly they did it as Preists. 5. Philip the Evangelist could not doe it, and will Bishops presume that they can doe more then Philip the Evangelist, the truth is it was an extraordinary and wonderfull power exercised by the Apostles.
Next confirmation belongeth not to the power of jurisdiction, but of order. Bishops and Presbyters are equall in the power of order, as not onelyonly many schoolmen of old but also some of our opposits of late do acknowledge. If they wil say that they differ only in the exercise of rhis power; it may be easely answered, that a power granted, and never permitted to be put in execution agreeth not with the wisdome of Christ as Swarez sayth, In Aquin part. 3. quaest. 27. Si presbyteri ex vi sua ordinationis haberent sufficient …m potestalem ordinis ad hoc sacramentum ministrandum duplicate page duplicate page sine causa in universum prohiberentur illud conferre.
Thirdly, they may impose hands in ordination, therfore they may doe it also in confirmation. Armacanus reasoneth after this manner out of 1. Tim. 4.14.
Fourthly, they may minister the Lords Supper, therefore they may minister it also, for it is not more excellent then the Sacrament of the Supper. Hierome reasoneth after this manerzEpi. ad rusticum Narbonensem..
Fiftly the Sacraments that are for the vtility of the people ought not to be reserved, to the Bishop, because it may often fall out that the people depart without this benefit, which they might easely hauehave had at home.
Sixtly, we hauehave the testimony of the ancients. Hierome aIbid.saith it was the custom in the orient, in Ilyricum, in Italy, in Africa, and in all places in the Apostles time. Ambrose bin Ephes. 4saith Apud Egiptum Presbyteri consignant si presens non sit Episcopus. that the Presbyters consigned, that is, confirmed in Egipt, if the Bishop was not present. Augustine saith the like cQuest. veteri & novi …stam. 101.in the decretales dLib. 1. tit. 4. cap. 4.it is said that simple Preists at Constantinople according to the custome, did minister the Sacrament of confirmation. Turrianus reporteth that the Grecians reproue the Latines because they inhibit Preists to anoint the foreheads of the baptized with chrisme, as Swarez testified in the place aboue cited. And the Councile of Florence eSess. 25.saith Apud Grecos sacerdotes non Episcopi chrismant. that the Preists make Chrisme: to make Chrisme is more then to confirme with Chrisme. Hierom fAdversus Lucifer.saith, If the holy Ghost should come downe onelyonly at the prayer of the Bishop, th…se were to be lamented which in prisons, or Castels, or in far places, being baptised by Preists & Deacons, die before the Bishop visit them. The Armenians affirmed that it was lawfull to any Preist to confirme the baptized gArmaehanus de question. Armanorum. lib. 11. cap. 5.If Bishops did confirme in respect of their Episcopall, and not their Preistly consecration, then the Pope can not dispence in this case and giuegive a simple commission to that effect: but so it is that the Pope hath dispensed in this case. Gregory excuseth him self to Ianuarius with the custome of his owne Kirk for discharging the Preists in the Ile of Sardinnia, to confirme; but he recalled his discharge, when he perceaved that offence arose thereupon. Rurall Bishops and Abbots did sometime confirm, if we speak regularly; rurall Bishops and Abbots were but simple Preists. Hooker hEccles. po… pag. 353.confesseth that baptisme and confirmation went commonly together. I demand then if the Bishop was present at the baptisme of every one within his diocesse.
Our opposits are forced to confesse, that it is not the proper and essentiall part of a Bishops office, but it was given them for honor of their preisthood, according to the saying of Hieromie neither was this universall in Hieromes time, for he saith Multis in locis id esse tantum factum reperimus ad honorem potiùs sacerdotij quam ob legis necessitatem. In many places, not all places it was so iAdvers… Lucifer.their honour proved prejudicall to the will of the Kirk. Balthasar Lydius saith kNotae in disp. Taboritarum. p. 28.it was untolerable superstition that the Priest might annoint the breist and the shoulder, but all behoued to abstein from the forhead, except only the Bishop. Beda lin psal. 26.saith Confirmatio propter arrogantiam non est concessa singulis sacerdotibus sicut et multa alia. That for the arrogancie of Bishops, confirmation and many other things were not permitted to Preists. This appropriation of confirmation to Bishops hath made confirmation that is my Lord Bishops baptisme, to be preferred to the Lords baptisme, parents must bring their children to them many miles, as if the holy Ghost could no where breath but from their fingers. they will scarce once in three yeare goe to them, and so great numbers depart this life without confirmation. They vilipend in their deeds, that which they magnifie in their words, and the solemne entrance into the society of the communicants which should be made at home in presence of their owne congregation, is taken away with their Lordly Bishoping. I end with the saying of Tindal, mObedience pag. 152.After that Bishops had left preaching then sained they this dumbe ceremony of confirmation, to hauehave somewhat at the leastway whereby they might reign over their Diocese. They reserved unto themselues also the christning of bels, and conjuring, or hollowing of Churches and Churchyards and of alters and superalters, and hallowing of chalices, and so forth whatsoeuer is of honor or profite, which confirmations, and the other conjurations also, they hauehave now committed to their suffragans: because they themselues hauehave no leasure to minister such things for their lusts and pleasures and abundance of all things, and for the cumbrance that they hauehave in the Kings matters and busines of the Realmes. One keepeth the privie seale, another the great seale, the third is confessor that is to say a privie traytor and a secret Iudas he is presedent of the Prince his Councel, he is an Embassadour; an other sort of the Kings secret Counsell. Woe is unto the Realmes, where they are of the Counsell, As profitable are they verily unto the Realmes with their Councill, as the woules unto the sheep, or the foxes unto the geese, thus farre. Tindall.