Two Sermons, Sermon 2 – Errata 3

Two Sermons · Sermon 2 – Errata 3

p. 1A SERMON PREAched at Lambith.

APOCAL. 1. 20.

The seauen Starres, are the Angels of the seauen Churches.

OVr Lord & Sauiour Christ, hauing appeared to Saint Iohn, in a glorious forme, 11v. 13. &c.(before described) in the midst of seauen goldē Candlesticks, hauing seauen 22v. 16.Stars in his right hand: In this verse, hee expoundeth the mysterie both of the seauen Starres, and also of the seauen golden Candlesticks; shewing, that as by the golden Candlestickes are meant the seauen famous Churches of Asia, viz. Ephesus, Smyrna, and the rest before p. 2specified, vers. 11: so the seauen Starres are (that is, doe signifie) the Angelles of those seauen Churches. In handling of which wordes, I am to performe two things First, because this expositiō is, as33In Apoc. 1.Rev 1 Albertus noteth, allegorical, we are to examine, who, and what manner of of persons are meant by the Angels of the Churches. For although it bee a thing agreed vponupon among the44Those fewe which by the Angels vnderstand, either the Angels of heauen, or the whole churches, are easily confuted: the former, because the faults reproued, and repentance enioyned in the Epistles, cannot agree to Angels; the latter, because they confound the seauen Stars, which Christ held in his hand, with the seauen golden Candlestickes, in the midst whereof hee walked. interpreters both new and old, that by the Angels we are to vnderstand the Pastors or Bishops of the Churches: yet is it become a great controuersie in our time (which I wish were as likely to bee determined and ended, as it is easie by euidence of truth to be decided) what manner of Bishoppes they were: whether (for the substance of their calling) such as the reuerende Fathers of our Church are (which, by the grace of GOD, I will plainely prooue), or such, as some of our time hauehave fancied.

Secondly, wee are to consider the quality of their function, and out of the wordes to shewe, that the office and function of Bishops heere meant by Angells, is in this text both approued as lawfull, and commended as excellēt: p. 3they hauing this relation to the Churches whereof they are Bishoppes, that where the Churches are compared to Candlesticks, they are presupposed to bee the lightes sette there on, to55Mat. 5 15. Iohn 5. 35.Matt 5:15John 5:35 giuegive light to all in the house of God: where the Church in this booke is tearmed heauen (as it is the heauen vppon earth) the Pastors and Bishoppes are the Starres of heauen: where it is called the kingdome of heauen, as though it were the heauē of heauens, they are the Angels in this heauen.

For the deciding of the former question, two things are in the wordes offered to our consideration. For whereas they are said to be Angels of the Churches, wee are first to consider what manner of Churches they were, whereof they were Angells; and secondly, what manner of preheminence they had in those Churches, in regard wherof they are tearmed the Angels of the Churches. As touching the first: we are to try, whether these Churches whereof they were Angels or Bishops, were parishes, or dioceses: and consequently, whether they were parishionall, or diocesā Bishops. For som of late hauehave taught, p. 4that properly there is no visible Church, but a parish, nor lawfull Bishoppes but parishionall; and that for the space of two hundred yeares after Christ, there were no other but parish-bishops. And that we should not think, they vse the word parish, in so ample a sense as the auncient Fathers and Councilles were wont to vse the worde foreign, (as after you shall heare): they define a Parish to bee a particular, ordinarie, or set Congregation or Christians assembling in one place (as it were in one synagogue) to the solemne worshippe and seruice of God; such as bee our parishes here in England. To make good this newe-found opinion (the noueltie wherof bewrayeth the falsitie) they hauehave coyned others, as newe, and therefore as false assertions. As first, that euerie parishaaIure diuino▪ by right hath sufficient authoritie within it selfe immediately deriued from Christ, for the gouernement of it selfe in all causes ecclesiasticall. And secondly, least they might seeme to set vppe an absolute Popeling in euerie parish, who should hauehave not onelyonlybbFor they say, that the Pastor of a particular congregation is the highest ordinarie ecclesiasticall office in any true cō stituted visible Church of Christ. supreame, but also sole authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall: they adioyne vntounto him, his p. 5consistorie of lay or gouerning Elders. And to this parishionall presbyterie consisting of the parish Bishoppe (forsooth) and his parish elders, they doe ascribe that sufficient, immediate, and independent authoritie for ecclesiasticall gouernement of euerie proper visible Church, otherwise called a parish. Thirdly, as for diocesan or prouinciall Bishops, they hold them vnlawfull, & Antichristian: neither may they (good men) bee acknowledged to bee so much as members of the true visible Church; because forsooth they bee not members of some one onelyonly parish; which in these mens conceipt must needes be the kings owne case.

Concerning the second; viz. what was the preheminence of these Bishoppes in the Churches, in respect whereof they are called the Angels of the Churches; Others more wise and learned then the former, graunting they were Bishops of whole Cities, and the Countreyes adioyning (that is to say of Dioceses) notwithstanding the sway of the gouerment they ascribe to the Presbyteries of those Churches, consisting partly of ministers and partly of annuall or Lay-presbyters; making p. 6these Angels or Bishoppes nothing else but foreign, or presidents of those presbyteries: and such presidents, as were not superiour to the other presbyters in degree, but onelyonly in order; hauing an authoritie committed to them by the free consent of the rest, to assemble the Presbyters, to moderate the action, to propound matters, to aske voyces, euer pronouncing what the greater part decreeth, and lastly to execute the presbyterial decrees: and further, such president, as had not this superioritie for terme of life, but for a shor time, as a weeke or a monethmonth, and that by course; this presidentshippe being, according to their conceipt, common to all in their turnes.

Now for the clearing of this matter, which wee hauehave in hand: forasmuch as both sortes obtrude lay-elders to extrude Bishops; I will 1first proue against both, that there were no lay-gouerning-elders in the primitiue church & that the presbyteries then consisted wholly 2of ministers. And then more particularly against the former sort, that in the first two hundred yeares, the visible Churches (such as they speak of) indued with power of ecclesiasticall p. 7gouernement, were dioceses properly, and not parishes: & that the presbyteries which were in those times, were assigned not to parishes, but to dioceses. And consequently, that the Angels of the Churches and presidents 3of the presbyteries, were not parishionall, but diocesan Bishops.

Against the latter, that the Bishop being aduanced 4to a higher degree of the ministerie, was set aboue the other presbyters, not onelyonly in prioritie of order, but also in maioritie of rule: and that, neither for a short time, nor yet by course: but, as for his worth hee was either at the first appointed by the Apostles, or afterwards elected by others; so was he to continue for tearm of life, vnlesse for his vnworthinesse he were displaced.

And so in the last place I will come to the other thing, which is to bee obserued in this 5text, which is, cōcerning the qualitie of their function: wherein I am to shew, and by euidence of truth to demonstrate, that the calling of such Bishops, is of apostolicall and diuine institution. VntoUnto which last, that I may in due time come, I will be the shorter in the former.

p. 8ANd first,First, no presbyters, but Ministers. I am to shew, that there were no other Presbyters in the primitiue Church but Ministers. A sufficient proofe whereof may bee this: that, as in the writings of the Apostles, in the auncient Fathers and councils, the word foreign or Presbyter (noting an Ecclesiasticall person) doth euermore signifie a Minister of Priest (which word, though abused by the Papistes to signifie sacrificing Priests, is the proper english of Presbyter, and from thence deriued:) and therefore question might as wel be made whether there were anie annuall ministers or lay-priests, as presbyters, (that being also a name, as themselues say, confounded in the Scriptures with Episcopus, and noting a person, who must by the Apostles rule be**Able to teach. foreign): so can ther not any one pregnant testimonie be alledged out of the scriptures, Councils or Fathers, mentioning or meaning any lay, annual, onelyonly-gouerning presbyters: which no doubt will seem strange to those; who remember with what vehemencie this kinde of presbyters hath beene vrged and obtruded vponupon vsus. For although manie places are vsually alleadged out of the Scriptures and Fathers: yet I doe p. 9vnfainedly professe, that (to my knowledge) there are onelyonly two allegations, which I esteeme worth the answering: the one, out of aa1. Tim. 5. 17.1 Tim 5:171. Tim. 5. the other, out of Ambrose on the same Chapter. The Presbyters, sayth Paule, that rule well, let them bee counted worthie of double honour, especially they who labour in the worde and doctrine. From whence they gather a distinction of Presbyters or elders; that some are gouerning elders onelyonly: others, also Ministers. Whereunto I answere, that not anie of the Fathers, or any other before our age, did euer vnderstand this text of any other, but of the ministers of the word, they cōceiuing of it, as if the Apostle had said: Let those Ministers or Priests which rule wel &c. Neither doth the Apostle indeed note 2 sorts of Elders, as they imagin, but two dueties of the Ministers, in respect wherof double honour is due vntounto them: the one generall, foreign, to bee good presidents; the other speciall, foreign, to labour in the word and doctrine. Putting onelyonly this difference, that whereas double honour is due to all ministers for the performāce of their duty in general, (for p. 10sobbHiero. nym. in 1. Ti. 5. Ierome expoundeth these wordes, qui bene praesunt (i.ccThat is, who fulfill their office. qui implent officium suum:) yet especially they are to bee honoured for their paines in preaching the word; that being, in Pauls estimation, the chiefe worke of the Ministerie. For foreign is all one with that phrase of going out and in before others, wherby the conuersation of publike persons in the scriptures is signified. And they are said foreign, who goe out and in before the people of God as it becommeth them. And thus also the ancient Syriack Paraphrase expoundeth those wordes, foreign qui bene segerunt, who demeane themselues well in their place. And this is to be vnderstood both of their priuate conuersation (in which sense the word foreign is vsedddTit. 3. 8. 14.Titus 3:8Titus 3:14 Tit. 3. 8. 14. where those which beleeue, are exhorted foreign, to bee presidents of good workes) and also of their publike administration. Both which the Apostle expresseth in his farewell-sermon to the same Presbyters of Ephesus, of whome hee speaketh to Timothe, eeAct. 20. 28.Acts 20:28Act. 20. 28. which may serue as a cōmentarie to this place. As if the Apostle had sayd, those Presbyters or Ministers among you, p. 11who fulfill their ministerie according to that directiō which at my departure I gaue them, viz. that they should attend to themselues and to the whole flocke, ouer which the holy Ghost had made them ouerseers, (that is foreign) and more specially, to feede the Church of God which hee hath redeemed with his owne bloud, (that is, to labour in the word and doctrine) let them bee counted worthie of double honour. It is plaine therefore, that the Apostle in that place speaketh onelyonly of Ministers. And that hee speaketh not there of lay or onelyonly-gouerning elders, it may further bee proued by plaine euidence out of the text. For, seeing by honour in that place the Apostle vnderstandeth honourable maintenance, which by their owne confession is not due to lay-elders; it is therefore certaine, that this place acknowledgeth none such. Thus therfore I argue;

To all those elders, who are mentioned or meant in this place, the honour of maintenance is due for their worke sake.

To the Lay-elders the honour of maintetenance is not due for their work sake.

p. 12Therefore lay-elders are not mentioned nor meant in this place.

The proposition the Apostle prooueth in the next words by 2.aa1. Tim. 5. 18 Deut. 25. 4.1 Tim 5:18Deut 25:4 testimonies. For the Scripture sayth, thou shalt not moosell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne. Which testimony hee also alleagethbb1. Cor. 9. 9.1 Cor 9:9 1. Corin. 9, to proue that mainetenance is due to the Ministers of the Gospell. And againe, ccLuk. 10, 7.Luke 10:7The workeman is worthie of his stipend.

The Assumption thēselues confesse, both by their doctrine and their practise. For, whereas some obiect, that their lay-elders, if they stand in neede, are to bee maintained: I aunswere, that theyddSee the Suruey of the pretended discipline cap. 10. choose such as hauehave not neede; and if they hauehave, that the maintenance which is allowed, is for their neede, and not for their worke sake. But the Apostle sayth, the Presbyters are worthie of double honour, and the workeman is worthie of his stipend; to signifie, that the honour or mayntenaunce, whereof hee speaketh, is not a beggerly almes giuen onelyonly in charitie for neede; but an honourable stipende, in iustice due to the Minister p. 13for his worke sake.

Seeing therefore this Scripture failes them, wee may conclude, that lay-elders hauehave no footing in the Scriptures; and therefore by their owne principles ought not to bee obtruded vponupon the Church of God.

I come to Ambrose, writing on the first verse of the same ChaptereeAmbrose. in 1. Tim. 5. 1.1 Tim 5:1 Where the Apostle exhorting Timothie, not to rebuke an elder or aged man, Ambrose giueth this reasō: For among all nations old age is honourable: and then addeth, vnde & synagoga, & postea ecclesia seniores habuit, quorum sine consilio nihil agebatur in Ecclesia. Quod quâ negligentiâ obsole verit nescio, nisi fortè doctorum desidiâ aut magis superbiâ, dum soli volunt alquid videri. Whence it is, that both the Synagogue, and afterwards the Church had Seniors, without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church. Which by what negligence it is growen out of vse, I knowe not, vnlesse perhappes by the slouthfulnesse of the learned or teachers, or rather pride, whiles they alone will seeme to bee some thing. Which wordes, whosoeuer vnderstande as giuing testimonie to lay-elders, they p. 14wrong Ambrose, in making him against his meaning to testifie that, which hath no warrant either in Scriptures, or in the elder writings of Antiquitie. For, Ambrose himselfe was a Diocesan Bishoppe, and one who laboured as much as anie, not to iustifie (for that needeth not in those times) but to magnifie the calling of Bishoppes; and was as farre as any, from subiecting either Bishoppes or Ministers (as these men doe) to the Presbyteries of lay men.

But let vsus examine the force of their argument. Ambrose saith, there were elders in the Church as well as in the Synagogue, therefore (say they) there were lay elders. It followeth not. For euen the Synagogue had**Ierom. 19. 1. Seniores sacerdotum, Seniors of the Priests, as well as Seniores populi, Seniors of the people. And, of such, Ambrose speaketh, when hee sayth, in the Church or Church causes nothing was done without their aduise. If it be said, that Ambrose speaketh of such Seniors, whose aduise was neglected through the default of the learned or teachers, and therefore of such as were not teachers; I answere againe, neither doth this follow: p. 15for, doctorum, the learned or teachers, being a common title both to Bishoppes and Presbyters, and so to bee vnderstood in this place; wee may easilie conceiue, how the assistance of the Seniors, through not lay-men but Ministers, was grown out of vse, through the default of such as had beene teachers in the Church, either as Presbyters, or as Bishoppes. For, whereas in the Primitiue Church, the Bishoppe had vsed the aduise of certaine graue Ministers, who remained with him, after the greatest number of Presbyters (being now allotted to their seueral titles or charges) were seuered from him: (a liuely resemblaunce whereof remaineth in the Deanes and Chapters of Cathedrall Churches) and nothing almost was done in Church causes without their aduise: Ambrose complaineth, that their counsell in his time was neglected, & their assistance growen out of vse, by what negligence hee could not tell: but as hee ghesseth, it was to bee attributed either to the idlenesse doctorum of the learned or teachers, that is to say, of the Presbyters, who for their owne ease gaue ouer medling in matters appertaining to gouernment; p. 16or else to the pride doctorum of the learned or teachers, that is to say, of the Bishoppes, who tooke all vppon themselues, that they alone might seeme to bee somewhat. For if you expound Doctorum, for pastors of parishes alone, as the Presbyterians doe, or for Bishoppes alone, as others doe: I cannot see, how the excluding of Seniors, and taking the whole burden and imployment vponupon themselues, could by Ambrose bee imputed as a matter of sloath or idlenesse, either to the Pastors, excluding the lay Elders; or to the Bishoppes, excluding the learned Presbyters. But howsoeuer Ambrose knewe not what to saye of this matter, otherwise then by coniecture; yet I doubt not but the true causes, wherefore the assistaunce of the Seniors grewe out of vse, were these: First, because it beeing a matter of greate trouble, whereby they had no profitte, they prouided for their owne ease, giuinge ouer to intermeddle in those combersome imploymentes, (which was Ambrose his first reason). Secondly, because it grewe needelesse; for that the frequent Synodes p. 17of Bishops, which in eueryevery Province were assembled, not onelyonly determined many causes, which before were wont by Presbyteries to bee decided: but also decreed many canons and constitutions, whereby the Bishop, without his former assistance, might seeme sufficiently directed. I conclude therfore the first poynt, viz. that in the Primitiue church there were no lay Elders, and consequentlie, no parishionall Presbyteries. Wherevpon, it will necessarily follow, either that eueryevery parish Bishop (as they call him) must rule as a Pope, or be subjected to the authoritie of the diocesan Bishop.

I come to the second;2. The Churches, dioceses. which is, to shew, that in the Apostles times, & in the age following, the Churches, whereof the Bishops are called Angels (or, to vse their words, the visible Churches, endued with power of Ecclesiastical gouernment) were dioceses properly, and not parishes. This is prooved out of this place. For, whereas our Sauiour Christ, writing to the Churches of Asia, numbreth but 7. and naming the principall, and (some of p. 18them) mother-cities of Asia, saith, the seauen starres, were the Angels of those 7. churches; it cannot bee denied, but that the churches whereof they were Bishops, were great and ample cities: and not the cities alone, but also the countries adjoyning. For, it is euident, that the Apostles, when they intended to cō vert any Nation, they first preached to the chiefe cities thereof. Wherein, whē through Gods blessing they had converted some, their manner was to ordaine Presbyters; hoping by their Ministerie, to convert not onelyonly the rest of the citie, but also in the countries adjoyning, so many as did belong vntounto GOD; the kingdome of heauen beeing like a little aaMat. 13. 33Matt 13:33leaven, which beeing put into any part of the meale, seasoneth all. Neither were the parishes distinguished in the Apostles times, nor the presbyters assigned to their seuerall titles or cures; but in common, the presbyters were to attend thebbAct. 20. 28Acts 20:28 whole flock converted, feeding them with the Word and Sacraments, and to labour the conversion of the residue, so farre as they should be able, both in the citie, and in the countries adioyning. The presbyteries therefore in the Apostles p. 19times, were appointed, not to seueral parishes, but to whole cities, and the countreyes annexed, that is to say, to Dioceses; that both they might convert them, and attend and feede them beeing converted.

Against this which hath been said, they do object; that in the first 200. yeres, all the christians in any one great city, did make but one particular ordinarie congregation assembled in one place; & consequently, that both the presbytery, and the President thereof, were assigned but to one congregation.

I answere, first, that the presbytery and the President thereof, were prouided, not onelyonly for the cities thēselues, but also for the countries adjoyning, which were converted, or to be converted, by the Bishop & presbyters of the citie; and being converted, were counted part of that church. And therfore though the antecedent of this objectiō were true, yet the consequence were to be denied. But the antecedent, is not onelyonly false, but also vnreasonable, & vncredible. For, if you consider the number of the christians in the greatest cities within the first two hundred yeeres, or the times vvherein they liued, or the places p. 20where they vsed to assemble; you will acknowledge, that all the Christians in the great Cities, neither did, nor could ordinarilie assemble in the same place, as one set particular ordinary congregation.

What the number of Christians were before the first 200. yeers were ended, in Rome, Ephesus, Alexandria; and such like Cities, we may imagine by that great multitude of Christians which were atccActs. 4. 4. 5000.Acts 4:4 Ierusalem; within a few weeks after the death of Christ: 3000. hauing beene converted inddActs. 2. 41.Acts 2:41 one day. At Rome▪ about the yeere 100. the company of Christians beeing much increased, (& til then both the Presbyters attending them promiscuoslie, and the people meeting in diuerse places vncertainly) Euaristus the Bishop of Rome, was faine, for avoyding of confusion, to distinguish thē into diuerseePlatina, ex Dama…o. Onuphr. de episcopat. et titulis. &c. parishes, or titles, assigning vntounto them, not presbyteries, but seuerall Presbyters; the number whereof byeePlatina, ex Dama…o. Onuphr. de episcopat. et titulis. &c. Hyginus was augmented, about the yeere 138. In the time of Cornelius, Bishops & Martyr, about the yere 250. there were in the Church of Rome (as himselfe sheweth in an Epistle yet extant in Eusebius) one,Eusebius. lib. … cap. 43. and but p. 21one Bishop, 46 Presbyters, 7 Deacons, and of other Clergie-men 101, of widdowes and other distressed people, aboue 1500: all maintained by the charitable contribution of the Christian people in Rome, which afterwardes he calleth foreign, a very great and innumerable people. And well might he so call it: for, Tertullian within the first 200. yeres saith no lesse. See his Apologet. cap. 37. Adde to the multitude of the people, the consideration of the times, raging for the most part with persecution, & not permitting the Christians ordinarily to meet in great multitudes; also the consideration of the places wherein they vsed to assemble, as it were by stealth (as priuate houses, and …aults called Cryptae, and other priuate and priuie places, not capable of such multitudes) and you will easily acknowledge, that the Churches which were in the Cities alone, contained many particular congregations, vntounto all which, there was but one presbyterie, or Colledge of Presbyters assigned.

p. 22NOw,3, The Angels, not parishionall, but diocesan Bishops? these Presbyteries in the Apostles times, as the presbyterians cōfesse, had & by divine ordinance ought to hauehave a President, whom the holy Ghost heere calleth an Angell, and the Fathers, a Bishoppe; which, by that which hath been said, may be proued to have been, not a parishionall, but a diocesan Bishop. And that is the 3. point, which I was to prooue. For, if the churches whereof they were Bishops, were dioceses, & not parishes; if the parishes were not yet distinguished, nor Ministers assigned to their peculiar titles, or seuerall cures; if the presbyteries were allotted to whole dioceses, and not to seuerall parishes: then the Bishoppe, who was set ouer a whole diocese, and not a particular parish, who was president of the presbyterie allotted not to a seuerall parish, but to a whole diocese, was vndoubtedly not a parishionall, but a diocesan Bishoppe. And this was the state of the Church in the Apostles times. Howbeit, in the end of the Apostles time, parishes began to be distinguished in cities, and afterwards in the country. For, about the yeere 100. and therfore before the p. 23death of S. Iohn, Euaristus Bishop of Rome, distinguished the parishes or titles in Rome, Damasus, &c. vt supra.and assigned not a presbyterie, but seuerall Ministers to eueryevery of thē: which was also practiced in other cities. We may gather out of Eusebius, that before the time of Iulianus, that is, before the yeere 180, diuers particular congregations or churches, were subiect to the Bishoppe of Alexandria. For, in the first yeere (saith hee**Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 9.) of Commodus, the Bishoprick foreign, of the Churches in or about Alexandria, was committed to Iulianus, after that Agrippinus had fulfilled his ministerie for the space of twelue yeeres. Neither may we omit that, which Eusebius saith of Titus, and Theodoret both of Titus and also of Timothe, because it also plainely confuteth their newe assertion, who deny, that more particular congregations then one, were subiect to any Bishoppe, within the first two hundred yeeres.

Titus (saith Eusebius) the Bishop foreign Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 4.of the churches in Creet.Theodoret. in 1. Tim. 3.1 Tim 3 Theodoret saith, Titus was the Bishop Cretensium, of the Cretians, and Timothe Asianorum, of them in Asia.

p. 24Epiphanius saith Singuli ecclesia…ū episcopi habeut beut sub se ecclesias: Epist. ad Ioan. Hiei … sol. apud Hieron. tom 2.all Bishops of the Churches, hauehave Churches vnderunder thē. As touching countrey Townes, they were indeede converted aftor the Cities: and because they remained heathenish for a time after the conversion of the Citie, therefore heathenish people are still called Pagans: Notwithstanding the Bishop and Presbytery of the Citie acknowledging them to belong to their charge, laboured their conversion as soone as they could; and when they were converted, the Bishoppe out of his Presbyterie assigned not a Presbyterie, but a Presbyter or Minister to eueryevery of them; a Presbiter, I say, & not a Bishoppe: sauing that where the Diocese was large, the Bishop being not able to performe all episcopall duties in all places (things beeing as yet not so well setled) was faine to appoint a Presbyter heere and there, to be foreign, a country Bishop, who, together with his charge, remained subiect to the Bishop of the Citie, in whose diocese hee was; neither might hee meddle any further in Episcopall affaires, thē by the Bishop was permitted vntounto him. The Councell of Sardica determined, p. 25that one Presbyter is sufficient for a village; or a little Cittie or Towne, Council. sard. capit. 6.and therefore licence not to be granted to ordaine a Bishop in such places. VVhichWhich euidently sheweth, that Bishoppes were set ouer cities and dioceses, and that eueryevery parish and Countrey-towne had not a Bishoppe, or a presbytery, but one onelyonly Minister, as sufficing for such a charge.

Thus thē parishes were distinguished, both in the cities and countries, & seuerall presbyters peculiarly assigned vntounto them. VponUpon which division of parishes, & assignement of presbyters vntounto them, there happened no alteration to the state of the Bishop: the difference was in the imployment of the presbyters. For whereas, before, they attended the whole flocke in common, by the direction of the Bishoppe: now, by his assignement, they were deputed to their seuerall charges. The Bishops iurisdiction was not altered, hee hauing, as before, the same episcopall charge of the citie and country adjoyning. In respect wherof, a diocese cōtained foreign & foreign, in this division, signifying, not as the vulgar vse of our English word Parish importeth p. 26a particular ordinary congregation, answerable to a Iewish Synagogue, but the whole citie & suburbs, though containing as many particular parishes, asaaIn Ierusalē were 400. Synagogues. Ioseph. Ierusalem did Synagogues; & in that sense (euen after the division of Parishes) is ordinarily vsed in the bestbbEuseb. hist. passim. Epiph. Epist. ad Ioan. Hieros. apud Hieronym. tom. 2. writers. One of the anciētccCanon. Apost. 33. Canons, called the Apostles, appointeth eueryevery Bishop to deale in those matters foreign, whatsoeuer appertaine to his own See, & the countries subiect vntounto it. Which Canon the council of Antioch reciting, & calling it the anciēt canon of their fathers, explaneth in these wordes;ddConcil. Antioch. c. 9. For eueryevery Bishop ought to hauehave authority ouer his owne paroecia, & to hauehave care foreign, of the whole region which is subiect to his citie, vsing foreign and foreign promiscuously.

These three points wherof hetherto I hauehave intreated, are of such euident and vndeniable truth, that Calvin, the first founder of the Presbyterian discipline, doth acknowledge the same. For, speaking of the discipline of the primitiue Church, whicheeInstit. lib. 4. ca. 4. §. 1. hee confesseth was framed according to the worde of God, & scarcely had any thing differing therfrom; p. 27he saith:ffCalv. Instit. lib. 4. cap. 4. §. 2. Quibus ergo docendi &c. to whom the office of teaching was inioyned, all thē they named Presbyters. They, out of their number chose one in eueryevery citie, to whom they specially gaue the title of Bishop: ne ex aequalitate, vt fieri solet, dissidia nascerentur; least out of aequality, as vsually it happeneth, dissensions should arise. And some-what after, Habebant ergo, &c. EueryEvery citie had their Colledge of Presbyters, who were Pastors and Teachers. And againe, To eueryevery citie there was attributed a certaine region or country, which frō thence should receiue their Presbyters, & be reckned as part of that church. And yet againe: But if the coūtrey which was vnderunder his Bishopricke, were more large then that hee could sufficiently discharge all the offices of a Bishop in eueryevery place: through the countrey, in certaine places, some Presbyters were appointed, who in matters of lesse importance should bee the vicegerents of the Bishop. Such they called Chorepiscopi, because in the province they represented the Bishop.

Thus farre, that worthy seruaunt of Christ, Calvin: who though in these three thinges hee agreeth with vsus, namely, that the Presbyteries consisted of Ministers, that the Churches p. 28indued with power of Ecclesiasticall gouernment, were dioceses, and that Bishops vnderunder their charge, had both their cities and countries adioyning: yet I confesse, in the fourth point he differeth from vsus, and as I am vndoubtedly perswaded, from the truth.

IN the 4.4. Bishops, superior to other Ministers, in degree. place therfore, wee are to intreat of the superioritie of Bishops ouer other Ministers. For, although the presbyterians & we agree in this, that by divine institution, there was in the primitiue Church, and still ought to be one, set ouer the Presbyters: yet in diuers things they dissent from vsus, and as I said, from the truth. First, in that they make the Bishop superior in order onelyonly, & not degree. Secondly, in that they assigne a superioritie or presidentshippe vntounto him for a short time, and that by course. Thirdly, in that they ascribe vntounto him a prioritie onelyonly of order, & not a majority of rule or power. And to this pupose, it pleaseth thē to distinguish Bishops into 3. sorts, divine, humane, divelish; acknowledging such onelyonly, as they fancy, for divine. Howbeit, I must needs cōfesse, that reverend Beza, though an earnest patron of the presbyterian p. 29discipline, & one who came far short of Caluins moderation in this behalfe, notwithstanding he speaketh farre otherwise of our Bishoppes, then our men vse to doe.Beza de ministr. euang. cap. 18. see▪ also cap 21. in fine. Quòd si nunc Anglicanae Ecclesiae, saith hee, &c. But if now the reformed English Churches do persist being vpheld by the authoritie of their Bishoppes and Archbishops (as this hath happened vntounto them in our memorie, that they hauehave had men of that order not onelyonly famous martyrs of God, but …o most worthie Pastors and Doctors:) let England surely enioy that singular blessing of God, which I pray God may be perpetuall vntounto it. And that wee may all say Amen to Beza his wish, I will shew you first in generall, that the Bishoppes or Angells of the primitiue Church, were superior, as wel as ours, in degree to other Ministers: and then more particularly I will declare, wherein their superioritie did consist.

That Bishoppes were superiour to other Ministers in degree, all antiquitie with one consent (if you except Aërius, who for dissenting in this point was accounted an hereticke by Epiphanius and Augustine) doth acknowledge;Concil. fard. c. …3. distinguishing three foreign degrees of p. 30Ministers, Bishoppes, Presbyters, Deacons, aunswerable to the high Priest, Priestes and Leuits; making the Bishoppes to be the first degree, Presbyters the second,Aduers. Parmenian. libro 1. Quid commemorem Laicos, qui tunc in ecclesia nulla fuerunt dignitate suffulti? quid ministros plurimos? quid diaconosintertio? quid presbyteros in secundo sacerdotio cō stitutos? ipsi apices & principes omnium aliqui episcopi illis temporibus, vt damno aeternae vitae istius incertae lucis mora… breuissi mas compararent, instrumenta diuinae legis impiè tradiderunt. & Deacons the third. So sayth Optatus, What should I mention the Deacons placed in the third, or the Presbyters in the second Priesthood or Ministerie? the verie chiefe, & principes omnium Episcopi &c. and princes of all, the Bishoppes &c. Neither is any thing more vsuall in Councils and Fathers, then the distinction of ministers in… these three degrees.

Ignatius, who liued in the Apostles times, often mentioneth this distinction: as, ad smyrn. aaIgnat. ad smyrnenses.Let the Lay men be subiect to the Deacons, the Deacons to the Presbyters, the Presbyters to the Bishoppe, the Bishoppe to Christ: and ad Tarsens. bbAd TarsēsPresbyters submitte your selues to to the Bishoppe: Deacons to the Presbyters: the people to the Presbyters and Deacons. foreign, my soule for theirs, who obserue this good order, and the Lord be alwayes with them. And again, ccAd Philadelph.foreign. Let the Presbyters, and the Deacons, and the rest of the p. 31Clergie together with all the people, be obedient to the Bishoppe, as their ruler; for so much is implied in the word.

And such was the difference betweene the degree of a Presbyter and of a Bishoppe, that when Eustathius the Bishoppe of Tyrus sought vponupon secrete displeasure to disgrade certaine Bishoppes whom Photius had ordained; the censure of the great Councill ofddEx actis Concil. Chalced. de Photio & Eustathio. Chalcedon was this, foreign: to reduce a Bishop to the degree of a Presbyter, it is sacriledge. To omitte others, let vsus heare Ieromes confession, because he vsually is alledged as fauouring the heresie of Aërius. eeHyero…i…. ad Euagrium.At Alexandria (sayth hee) From Marke the Euangelist vntounto Heraclas & Dionysius Bishoppes, euermore the Presbyters hauing chosen one from among themselues, and placed him in excelsiori gradu in a higher degree, called him Bishop, euē as an army maketh an Emperour; & in the end of the same Epistle, That we may know, saith he, that the apostolicall traditions are taken out of the old testament, looke what Aaron & his sonnes, and the Leuites were in the Temple, the same let the Bishops, Priests & Deacons challenge in the Church. p. 30duplicate page p. 31duplicate page

p. 32But let vsus consider more particularly wherein the superioritie of Bishoppes did, and doth consist. Paule writingffTit. 1. 5.Titus 1:5 to Titus, the Bishoppe of Creet, sayth, I left thee, that thou shouldest continue to redresse those thinges that are amisse, and that thou shouldest ordaine Presbyters in euerie Citie, as I appointed thee. From whence wee may gather a threefolde superioritie of Bishoppes; the first, Singularitie of preeminence, during life: I left thee, that thou sholdest &c. The second, the power of ordination; that thou shouldest ordaine Presbyters: The third, the power of iurisdiction; that thou shouldest redresse &c. and this twofold power not confined to a parish, but extended to the whole Island of Creet, and to all the Cities thereof. From the first of these dependeth the vnitie, from the second the perpetuitie, from the third the eutaxy or good order of euerie Church.

As touching the first,Bishops, superior to other Ministers in singularitie of preeminence, during life. whereas there were many Presbyters in one Citie, (as in the time of Cornelius ggEpist. Cornel. apud Euseb. lib 6. c. 43.there were 46. in Rome;) yet there neither was nor might be, as hee there sayth, any more Bishops but one in a whole Diocesse, or as the holy Ghost here teacheth p. 33vsus, but one Angell in a Church; one Timothe at Ephesus, one Titus in Creet, one Epaphroditus in Philippi, one Archippus at Colossa &c. which is a truth that Councilles and Fathers with one consent doe testifie.aaConcil. Nicen. apud Ruffin. eccl. hist. lib. 10. c. 6. Ruffinus reporteth this Canon out of the Coūcil of Nice, which indeed agreeth with the 8. Canō, Ne in … ciuitate duo sint Episcopi, that in one Citie there be not two Bishops. bbHieronym. Chrysost. Ambros. Theodoret. Oecumen. In: Philipp. 1.Phil 1Ierom writing on the first to the Philippiās saith, Here, by Bishops we vnderstand Presbyters, for in one Citie there could not be more Bishops then one: the like hath bbHieronym. Chrysost. Ambros. Theodoret. Oecumen. In: Philipp. 1.Phil 1Chrysostome, Ambrose, Theodoret, Oecumenius, writing on the same place.

This, as it was ordained for the preseruation of the Church in vnitie, and for the auoiding of schisme; so is it for the same cause to bee retained. For whence, saith CyprianccCypr. lib. 4. Epist. 9. hauehave schismes and heresies risen and doe rise, but whiles the Bishop, who is one and gouerneth the Church, by the proud presumption of some is cō temned; and the man, honoured by Gods acceptation of him as worthie, is iudged of vnworthie men?

The like hathddHier. aduers. Luciferian. Ierome, who sayeth, that vnlesse this singularitie of preeminence p. 34bee yeelded to the bishoppe, tot in ecclesi… efficientur schismata, quot sacerdotes, there will bee so many schismes in the Churches as there bee Priestes. And in the place before eeAd Euag…ium.cited, hee sayeth, that the Presbyters hauing elected One from among themselues, and placed him in a higher degree, called him a Bishoppe. And that wee should not thinke this to hauehave beene peculiar to Alexandria; elsewere, hee sayeth, after that euerie one sought to drawe disciples after him,ffIn Tit. 1:Titus 1 toto orbe decretum est, vt vnus de Presbyteris electus superponeretur caeteris, ad quem omnis ecclesiae cura pertineret: It was decreede in the whole worlde, that one beeing chosen from among the Presbyters, should bee set ouer the rest in eueryevery Church, vntounto whom the whole care of that Church, or care of that whole Church, should appertaine.

The Presbyterians also confesse, that by Gods ordinance there ought to be one set ouer the rest: but that one, they say, was for a short time, as for a weeke or a MonethMonth, and that by course; this superiority being commō to all in their turns. And to this purpose they p. 35alleage the courses of the Priests, and the testimony ofggIn Ephes. Ambrose. But, the courses of the Priests make nothing to this purpose. For though the seuerall orders of Priestes serued in their course; yet hee, who was chiefe of his order, kept his preeminence when their course was ended. And to their testimonie I aunswere: first, that the author of those commentaries is suspected. Secondly, that his testimony is false: for nothing is more euidēt, thē that bishoppes were elected to their places. Ierome, in the two last testimonies which I alledged, witnesseth the same. And lastly it is falsified by them who alleage it: for that author speaketh not of a running regency to be changed euerie week or monethmonth; but of the succession of one bishop after the deceasse of another, according to their senioritie. Neither can any thing be more euidently proued out of the monumēts of Antiquitie then this, that bishoppes continued their regency for term of life. Was notaaEuseb. lib. 3. 13. & 21. &c. Anianus bishop of Alexandria 22. years, and Abilius after him 13. yeares, euen in the Apostles times? Likewise Iames at Ierusalem 30. yeares, and after him Simeon the sonne of Cleophas 3…? Euodius p. 34duplicate page p. 35duplicate page p. 36at Antioch aboue 20. yeares, and Ignatius 40? Linus at Rome 12. yeares after the death of Peter and Paul, 22. in all? Anacletus 10. and odde monethes: Clemens, 9. Euaristus 8? and so throughout the succession of Bishoppes from the Apostles to the Councill of Nice, and so downeward? Notwithstanding if you will beleeue them, such Bishops as were for a weeke by course (for they suppose it was Hebdoma…ica foreign) must bee esteemed diuine; though there cannot bee alleaged out of all antiquitie, either in the Apostles times or since, any one example of such. As for those who be for terme of life, they (forsooth) are but humane, though superiour onelyonly in priority of order: but if superiour also in power or maioritie of rule; then are they, in their iudgement, worse then humane.

Let vsus therefore see,B B. Superiour in power or maioritie of rule. if Bishops were not also superiour in power. Hearken to Ierom. bbAduers. Luciferia…os.The safetie of the Church (saith he) dependeth on the dignitie of the chiefe Priest or Bishoppe: to whom if there be not giuen exors & ab omnibus …minens potestas, a peerelesse power, and eminent aboue all, there will be so many schismes in the Churches, as there be Priests.

p. 37This power is two-fold: the power of ordination, and of iurisdiction. As touching the former: it hath been the receiued opinion in in the Church of God, euen frō the Apostles time vntill our age, that the right of ordination of Presbyters, is such a peculiar prerogatiue of Bishops, as that ordinarily, and regularly, there could bee no lawfull ordination, but by a Bishop.

At Ephesus, there were diuers Presbyters, Acts 20. and so no doubt in Creet▪ yet the Apostle for this cause substituteth Timothe at Ephesus, & Titus in Creet, that they might ordaine Elders by imposition of hands. Which authoritie, as it was not in the Presbyters before their comming, but in the Apostles; so was it not at their deceasse deriued to thē, but to such as were successors of Timothe at Ephesus, and of Titus in Creet.

They object, 1. Tim. 4. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was giuen thee by prophecie, with imposition of hands of the Presbyterie. VponUpon which place especially, they build the authoritie of their presbyteries. But without cause; this place admitting two expositions, neither whereof doth fauour their presbyterie. p. 38For first, Presbyterium heere may signifie, not the fenate, or company of Presbyters, but the office of a Presbyter or priesthoode; in which sense the word is often vsed.

And so, not onelyonly diuers in former times, as Ierome, Brimasius, Anselmus, Haymo, Lyra, but Culvin also expound it. Paul, saith Calvin aaInstit. lib. 4. cap. 3. in fine.in another place, saith, that he, and not any more, imposed hands on Timothe. 2. Tim. 1. 6. I admonish thee that thou stirre vp the grace which is in thee by imposition of my handes. For that, which in the other Epistle is said concerning the imposition of handes of the Presbyterie; I doe not so vnderstand, as if Paul did speake of the Colledge of Seniors: but vnderunder this name I vnderstand the ordination it selfe; as if hee should say, endevoure that the grace which by imposition of handes thou diddest receiue vvhen I made thee Presbyter, be not in vaine.

Againe, though it should signifie a companie of Seniors; notwithstanding, this place is so farre from prooving either parishionall Presbyteries (which neuer were, or if they had beene, should not hauehave had authoritie to p. 39ordaine him, who was not to serue a parish) or lay presbyteries whatsoeuer, (whichbbCalv. lib. 4. c. 3 §. 16. hoc postrem… habendū est, solos pastores manus imposuisse ministris. And Beza speaking of the worde foreign in his annot. quo nemine coetus omnis ille significaatur qui in verbo laborabant. Calvin and Beza acknowledge to hauehave no right to impose handes) as that thoseccChrysost. Theodor. Theophy. Oecumen. in. 1. Tim. 4.1 Tim 4 Fathers, who expound this place of a company of Elders, vnderstand, heere, the ordination of Timothe to be a bishoppe by the imposition of their handes, who were either bishops, or more then bishoppes; the worde beeing heere, and elswhere, generally taken; as Beza also confesseth. Insomuch, that as the Apostles sometimesdd1. Pet. 5. 1. 2. Iohn. 1. and 3. Epist. 1.1 Pet 5:12 John 1 are called Presbyteri, so Presbyterium heere may signifie a company of Apostles or apostolicke men; in which numberee2. Tim. 1. 62 Tim 1:6 Paule was one. For Presbyters, as these Fathers say, might not ordaine a bishoppe.

Ne que enim sas erat, saithffAmbr. in 1. Tim. 3.1 Tim 3 Ambrose, ne que decebat, for neither was it lawful, nor decēt, that the inferiour should ordaine the superior: For no man giueth what hee hath not receiued. And without all cōtradiction, saith theggHeb. 7. 7.Heb 7:7 Apostle, the greater blesseth the lesse, and not contrariwise, namely, ex aut horitate.

Yea, but the Coūc. of Carth. say they, cōmitteth authority of imposing handes to Presbyters.

p. 40The words of the Canon are these:hhConcil. Carth. 4. c. 3. Whē a Presbyter or Priest is ordained, the Bishoppe blessing him, or holding his hand vponupon his heade, let all the Presbyters also which be present, holde their hands vponupon his head, by the Bishops hand. Where, we plainly see the power of ordination to be ascribed to the Bishop, & the Presbyters hands to be adjoyned (as with vsus) not for necessitie, but for the greater solemnity of the action, and the better encouragment of the partie ordained, hauing the consent and approbation of more then one. Otherwise, the perpetuall consent of the church of God, appropriateth the ordinarie right of ordination to the Bishop alone; the Councils & Fathers speaking of the Ordainer, as of one: As, aaConcil. Antioch. c. 9.EueryEvery Bishop, within his own diocese, may ordaine Presbyters and Deacons. bbCanon Apost. 2.foreign, let a Presbyter be ordained of one Bishop. ccConcil. Carth. 3. c. 45. et Africā. c. 22By one Bishop, many Presbyters may be ordained. ddConcil. Hispal. 2. c 6.A Bishop alone may giuegive to Priests and Deacons their honour: but he alone cannot take it from them.

As for Presbyters, they are by Councils forbidden to ordaine: and if at any time they presumed so to do, (there being thē no want p. 41of orthodoxall Bishops) their ordination was repealed and iudged of none effect. Because Colluthus eeAthanasi. apol. 2. contra Arian. in epist. presbyt. et diac. Mareotic. ad Curios. et Philagr. praefect. Agypti.was not a true, but an imaginarie Bishop, not onelyonly himself was commanded in a general coūcil to cary himself as a Presbyter: but Ischyras also and others, who by him had been ordained Presbyters, were returned to their former order. Likewise the coūcil offfCōcil. Cō stan. 1. c. 6. Constantinople, iudging Maximus to hauehave bin no lawful Bishop, iudged also the ministers by him ordained, vnlawfull. Yea the Chorepiscopi themselues, sometimes wereggConcil. Antioch c. 10. restrained, & somtimes forbiddenhhConcil. Ancyr. c. 12. Damas. epist. 4. Leo, epist. 88. altogether, to ordain Presbyters or Deacons. Nay further we read, that whē a certaine Bishop in the ordination of a Presbyter and two Deacons imposed his hands on them, and vsed the helpe of a Presbyter, onelyonly to read the words of consecration and to blesse them, himselfe oculorum dolore derentus, beeing not able to reade for the paine of his eyes: the councill ofiiConcil Hispal. 2. ca. 5. Hispalis reversed the ordination as vnlawfull.

And this is one principall reason whereby kkEpiph. haeres. 75.Epiphanius prooueth against Aërius the heretick, that the office of a Bishop is a higher degree then that of Presbyters, foreign, p. 40duplicate page p. 41duplicate page p. 42for the functiō of Bishops, is an order generatiue of fathers; for it begets fathers to the church: vvheras the order of presbyters, being not able to beget fathers; by the laver of regeneration, begetteth children to the church, not fathers, or teachers. And this is so clear a case, that bishops only, in the iudgement of the fathers, hauehave right of ordaining Ministers regularly; as that Ierome himselfe, euen where and when hee seeketh to advance the presbyters as high as he can aboue the deacons, doth cō fesse ordination to be peculiar to bishops.llAd Evagr. Quid facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus, quod presbyter nō faciat? what doth a bishop excepting ordinatiō, which a presbyter may not do? Where, you are not to vnderstand him, or other or the Fathers, speaking somtime to the likemmChrysost. hom. 11. in 1. Tim. episcopi sola ordinatione superiores sunt, at que hoc tantū plusquam presbyteri …abere videntur. purpose, as though the bishop were not superior in any thing els: but that potestate ordinis, as touching power of order, he is superior onelyonly in ordination. For, that he is superior potestate jurisdictionis, in power of iurisdiction, they eueryevery where acknowledge.

Thus hauehave I reported the iudgement of the anciēt church, ascribing the ordinary right of ordination to bishops: But yet, not so appropriating it vntounto them, as that extraordinarily, p. 43and in case of necessity, it might not be lawful for presbyters to ordaine; & much lesse teaching (as the Papists imagin) absolutely a nullity in the ordination which is not performed by a bishop. For suppose a churchaaThe state of some reformed churches. either altogether destitute of a bishoppe, or pestered with such as the popish prelats are, heretical & idolatrous, by whō no orthodoxall Ministers might hope to be ordained; wee neede not doubt, but that the ancient Fathers would, in such a case of necessity, hauehave allowed ordination without a bishop, though not as regular, according to the rules of ordinary church gouernment; yet, as effectual, & as iustifiable, in the want of a bishop. For, seeing the Coūc. of bbConc. Antioch. c. 10.Antioch, permitted the licēsed Chorepiscopi, who were but presbyters, to ordain presbyters & deacons in the country, in the local absence of the bishop, to whom with a litle more paines they might hauehave repaired: how much more would they hauehave allowed the same to a company of graue & learned Ministers in the totall want of a bishoppe? Yea, doth not the church of Rome, in her practice allow Chorepiscopos or Suffragans to ordaine? & hauehave not some learnedccSee D. Field. de ecclesia. lib. 3. ca. 39. men among them (in their iudgement) approued the ordination, not of p. 44priests alone, but of Bishops performed by Presbyters, where no Bishops are to be had? Yea, suppose that the right of ordinatiō doth belong to the power of th' episcopall order: yet I am sure the begetting of fathers to the church by ordination, doth no more belong to the power of order in Bishoppes, then the begetting of children to the church by Baptisme, to the power of order in all Ministers. Yet, in the case of supposed necessity, in the absence of their priests, not onelyonly other men, but women also, among them are permitted to baptise. The truth is, where Ministers may be had, none but Ministers ought to baptise: and where bishops may be had, none but bishops ought to ordaine. But though neither ought to be done; yet beeing done, the former, by other christians in the want of a Minister, the latter, by other Ministers, in the defect of a bishoppe, as the one in the iudgement of the fathers is of force, the church receiuing the partie baptized into the communion of the faithfull; so also the other, the church admitting the party ordained as a lawfull Minister. Thus much by the way, to prevent popish cavills.

p. 45Now am I to shewe, that the Bishop is superiour also in the power of jurisdiction. The Presbyters indeede doe gouerne, but the people onelyonly of their particular flocke; and that notdd…ot in an outward court, but in the Court of the conscience. in foro externo, but in foro conscientiae, …eeding and guiding them by the ministerie of the word and sacraments, and by watching ouer them. And that pastoral authoritie which they hauehave, is delegated and committed vntounto them by the Bishop; vntounto whom the care of the whole Church, aseeIn Tit. 1.Titus 1 Ierome saith, doth belong. But the Bishoppe doth gouerne also in foro externo, not one particular flocke, but the whole diocese; and not the people onelyonly, but the Presbyters also, hauing authoritie both to direct, & also to correct them. And that authoritie is deriued vntounto them from the Apostles, as to their successours in the gouernement of the Church. For which cause, as wee shall heare anon, Bishops at the first were called Apostles. For, as Ierome aaHieronym ad Marcella …. aduers. Montan.saith, Apud nos, that is, in the true Church, Bishoppes doe hold the place of the Apostles. And Irenaeus bbIrenaeus. lib. 3. c. 3.testifieth that the Apostles left the Bishops their successours, deliuering vntounto thē their owne place of gouernement.

p. 46I shal not neede to proue their authoritie ouer the people of their diocese, if I demonstrate their rule ouer the presbyters thereof.

Consider therefore the Presbyters, either as they were parts of the Presbyterie assisting the Bishoppe; or as Pastors, seuered from the Bishop, and allotted to their seuerall charges. As touching the former; it is euident, that the Bishops had not onelyonly a prioritie of order, ouer the seuerall Presbyters; but a majoritie of rule, ouer them all. ForccAduers. Luciferianos. Ierome (as you heard) yeeldeth to the Bishop a peerless power and eminent ouer all, or as the word exors may signifie, admitting no partener. Likewise Ignatius that holy martyr, who for many years was Bishop of Antioch in Saint Iohns time, foreign saith he,ddIgnat. ad Trallian. foreign; What is a Bishoppe else, but such an one as holdeth or menageth the whole power and authoritie aboue all? And writing, a little before his Martyrdome, to the Presbyters of Antioch, where himselfe was Bishoppe, foreign sayth hee,eeIdem ad Antioch. foreign. You Presbyters feed the flocke which is among p. 47you, vntill God shall declare who shall be your gouernour; for I am euen now to bee sacrificed, that I may gaine Christ. And in diuerse of hisffAd Smyrnens. ad Tarsens. ad Philadelph. Epistles (as you heard before) hee exhorteth the Presbyters to bee subiect and obedient to their Bishop.

Now, the Presbyters were subiect to their Bishop, both as to their Ruler, to be guided and directed by him; and also as their iudge, to bee censured and corrected of him. For by auncient Canons, and Councils, the presbyters might not doe any thing of importance, without the direction of their Bishop. Let Presbyters and Deacons doe nothing sayth the auncient Canon,ggCanon apost. 40. foreign without the sentence or appointment of the Bishop. The first CouncillhhConcil. Arelatens. 1. c. 19. of Ar…es likewise decreede, vt presbyteri sine conscientia episcoporum nihil faciant: and to the like purpose the Councill ofiiConcil. Ancyr. c. 12. Ancyra. As touching Baptisme, kkTertull. de Baptismo.Tertullian sayth, The chiefe Priest, which is the Bishop, hath the right of giuing baptisme: then, the Presbyters & the Deacons, but yet not without the authority of the bishop for the honor of the church; which being safe, peace is safe: & for the cōmunion;llCypr. lib. 3. Epist. 14. Cypryā findeth fault p. 48with the Presbyters of Carthage, where hee was Bishoppe, that they not regarding propositum sibi episcopum, the Bishoppe set ouer them, had receiued some to the communion who had fallen in time of persecution, without warrant from him, though absent. In a word, Let no man, sayth Ignatius mmIgnat. ad smyrn.doe any thing appertaining to the Church, without the Bishoppe: and more particularly hee sayth,aaIbid. that the administration of the Eucharist is then to bee esteemed firme and good, when it is done either by the Bishop, or by him whome the Bishoppe hath authorized.

But as the Bishoppes had authoritie to guide and direct, so also to censure and correct the Presbyters. For proofe wherof, what should I tell you ofbbCypr. lib 3. Epist. 9. Cyprian, partly assuring Rogatianus a Bishop (who in modesty, hauing been reproched of his Deacon, complained to his fellow Bishoppes) that pro episcopatus vigore & cathedrae authoritate, for the vigour of his Bishopricke, and authoritie of his chaire, hee had power to reuenge his owne cause: and partly aduising him, if the Deacon did persist, hee should either depose or suspend him? OfccAduers. Vigilantium ad Riparium. Ierome, maruelling that p. 49the Bishoppe of the Church, where Vigilantius was Presbyter, did not virga apostolica, with the Apostolicke, and with an iron rodde, breake that vnprofitable vessell, and deliuer him vntounto the destructiō of his flesh, that his spirit might be safe? Doth not the scripture testifie the same, when the Angel of the Church ofddApoc. 2. 2.Rev 2:2 Ephesus is commended for examining & not suffering those which said they were Apostles and were not? and contrariwise the Angel of eeAp. 2. 20.Thyatira reproued for suffering the teachers of the Nicolaitan heresie, who are compared sometimes to Balaam, and sometimes to Iezabell, because they perswaded to fornication & Idolatry? But most plainly doth Paul attribute to Timothe and Titus (who, as afterwards we shal proue, were Bishops) this episcopall power, whereof we speake: to them alone & their successors, doth he direct his injunctions for the execution of that power; & on thē he laies the whole charge. For this cause I left thee in Creet, ffTit. 1. 5.Titus 1:5sayth hee to Titus, that thou shouldest foreign reforme and correct what is defectiue or amisse, and shouldest ordain Presbyters in euerie Citie, as I appointed thee. And to Timothe, I requested thee gg1. Tim. 1. 3.1 Tim 1:3sayth he, p. 50to abide still in Ephesus, that thou mayst commaūd some that they do not foreign teach strange doctrine: hh1. Tim. 5. 22.1 Tim 5:22lay not thou hands hastilie on no man, neither be thou partaker of other mēs sinnes, keepe thy selfe pure. ii1. Tim. 5. 19. 20.1 Tim 5:191 Tim 5:20Against a Presbyter receiue not thou an accusation, but vnderunder two or three witnesses; them that sinne rebuke openly, &c. On which words,kkHaeres. 75. Epiphanius inferreth against Aërius, therefore Presbyters are subiect to the Bishop, as to their iudge; and therfore as to their superiour. Now followeth the charge:ll1. Tim. 5. 21. &c. 6. 14.1 Tim 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the lord Iesus Christ, and the elect Angels, that thou obserue these things without preiudice, and without partialitie.

But consider also the Presbyters, as seuered in place from the Bishop, and affixed to their seueral cures: First, in the Citie, and then in the Country. For as in the City, the Bishop, to whom, asmmIn Tit. 1Titus 1 Ierome saith, the whole care of the Church did appertaine, distinguished the parishes, and assigned a Presbyter to eueryevery of them: so in the Countrey, when the townes & villages were conuerted (which was effected by the Bishop of the Citie & his presbytery.) they had their presbytersaaHere note by the way▪ that presbyters first were ordained (as diuines be in our vniuersities) to the nationall or diocesan Church (where they liued) in common, before they were assigned to their peculiar titles or cures. by the Bishop p. 51appointed vntounto them: & when any place was void, the Bishop out of his presbytery, or if he could not, the Metropolitan supplied it. These presbyters, as I said before, might doe nothing but by authority frō the bishop, or as the ancient council ofbbConcil. Ancyr. c. 12. Ancyra speaketh, sine authoritate literarū eius, without the authoritie of his Letters. Nay, they might not so much as trauel frō place to place, and much lesse remoue from one cure to another, without the Bishopslicence. To his iurisdictiō & censures they were subiect: for to him they were accused; being accused, by him they were conuented, and examined; being faulty, by him they were**Concil. Nicen. c. 5. Carthag. 2. c. 8. & alijs. censured, according to the qualitie of their offence; by reproofe, putting to silence, suspension, depriuation, excommunication.

To conclude, the pastors of seuerall parishes either had assistants to restrain them, or they were subiect to the bishop, or they ruled alone without cōtrolement, neither subiect to Bishop, nor restrained by assistants. But this last is absurde: for that had been to set vp a Pope in eueryevery parish, and to make as manie schismes as there were parishes. Associates p. 52of lay Presbyters in euerie parish they neuer had, nor yet hauehave in those Countreyes where Presbyters be erected. For there is but one Presbyterie in the Church of Geneua, for all the parishes in the Citie, and territory thereto belonging: and in all Scotland, where be some thousands of parishes, there bee scarce halfe a hundred presbyteries. To hauehave a Presbyterie of ministers to assist the pastor in euerie parish, it neither was, nor is possible. It remaineth therefore, that the Ministers of seuerall parishes euer were, and still ought to be, subiect to the bishoppe; whose pastoral care extended it selfe to all euen the remotest parishes in his Diocese, to see them furnished with sufficient Ministers, to prouide that they were soundly taught, and discreetly guided, to reforme abuses notified vntounto him, to suppresse schismes, to decide controuersies, to exercise Church-censures against offenders, &c.

Thus then you hauehave heard, that the Angels or Bishoppes of the Primitiue Church were, for the substance of their calling, such as our bishops are; that is to say, Diocesan and prouinciall bishoppes, being superiour in degree p. 53to other Ministers, and hauing a singularitie of preeminence for terme of life, and a peerelesse power both of ordination and iurisdiction. For, as for titles of honour, which in our church are giuen to bishops; sure it is, they are inferiour to those which the holie Ghost assigneth vntounto thē in this place. Neither should we thinke much, that they, in respect of their honourable calling, are termed Lords (a title in Scriptures giuen not onelyonly ccGen. 31. 35 Let not my Lord be angry, saith Rabel to her father.Gen 31:35to naturall, but also, and that more woorthily, to spiritualldd1. King. 18. 7. 13. Art not thou my Lord Eliah? and, was it not told my Lord, saith religious Obadiah.1 Kgs 18:71 Kgs 18:13 fathers) when the holy Ghost termeth them Angels of the churches. Not that Bishops may behaue themselues as aa1. Pet. 5.1 Pet 5LL. of the churches; but that they being angels, & spiritual fathers, to whō, a paternal and pastoral authority is committed ouer the churches, may worthily be honored with the title of Lords. Neither is there such great difference between Master & Lord, that inferior Ministers, which assume to themselues the title of Master, should deny the title of Lord to Bishops. Neither doth it follow, that Bishops are Lords of the churches, or they masters of the churches, because the titles of Lords are attributed to Bishops, and Masters to them.

p. 54IT remaineth,5. The quality of the episcopall function. that I should demonstrate not onelyonly the lawfulnes of the Bishops calling, but also the excellencie, and dignitie thereof, in that they are heere called starres and angels. But to intreat of the excellencie, it shall not be needfull, if we be perswaded of the lawfulnes. For if the function of all Ministers in generall, be (as I hauehave else-wherebbIn 1. Tim. 3. 1.1 Tim 3:1 manifestly prooued) honourable, and they, in regard of their calling, are to becc1. Tim. 5. 17.1 Tim 5:17 esteemed worthy of double honour; then much more the office of Bishops, who are the chiefe and principall Ministers, is a worthy or excellent worke. If eueryevery Minister in a diocese is to be honored in regard of his calling; much more that one, who in a place of singular preeminence is set ouer the rest. And if a worthy minister be among men as one of a thousand, as Elih… ddIob. 33. 23.Job 33:23speaketh; vndoubtedly a worthy bishop is as one of a million. If it be an honor to beget children to the church, as all ministers do, by the ministery of the Gospell, & by the laver of regeneratiō; much more to beget fathers to the church, as bishops do, by ordination. If it be a great honour to be set ouer the people of one particular flock; what is it to be p. 55set ouer not onelyonly the people, but the Pastors also of many flocks, as a chiefe steward ouer Gods family, as a principall spirituall Gouernour of his body, which is his church, as a singular successour (as touching ordination and jurisdiction) in eueryevery church, of the glorious Apostles of Christ.

All the question now adaies is of the lawfulnes. For those, who vnderstanding the words of the Apostle, 1. Tim. 3. 1. (that the office of a bishop is foreign) of the ministery in general, acknowledge it to be both good & excellent; they are so far from granting foreign, the office of a bishop, properly vnderstood of those, whom the church of God, euer since th' Apostles times, hath peculiarly termed Bishops, to be excellent, that they do not acknowledge it to be good. Yea, they are so far from acknowledging it to be good, that they thinke it neither lawful, nor indifferent, nor tolerable.

I will therefore shew that the function of Bishops is lawful and good, in that they hauehave divine both institution, being Angels (and therfore sent of God) & approbation, being stars, which Christ holdeth in his right hand. And this I will prooue, first, by consequence; and p. 56then directly.The function episcopall, an apostolicall and divine ordinance. For, what function or gouernment is of apostolicall institution, that is to bee acknowledged a divine ordinance, in respect of the first institution; as hauing GOD the author thereof: the episcopall function, or gouernmēt by bishops, is of apostolicall institution: therfore the episcopal function is a divine ordinance.

The proposition is of vndoubted truth, and is so acknowledged by Beza. Surely, saith he,aaDe grad. Ministr. c. 23. if it proceeded from the Apostles, I would be bold to ascribe it wholly, as al other apostolical ordinances, to the institution of God.

The assumption I will proue by three arguments: in which I will proceede as it were by degrees. 1. That gouernment which was generally and perpetually vsed in all Christian churches in the first three hundred yeres after Christ, and his Apostles, and not ordayned by generall councils, was vndoubtedly of apostolicall institution. This proposition, besides that it is Augustines rule, is also of manifest truth. That which the whole church obserueth, saithbbDe baptis. contra Donatist. l. 4. c. 24. quod vniuersa tenet ecclesia, nec cōcilijs institutū, sed semper retentū est, non nisi authoritate apostolica traditū rectissimè creditur. Augustine, and was not instituted by Councills, but alwaies retayned, it is very rightly belieued to hauehave beene ordained no otherwise but by the authority of the Apostles. And againe, to dispute p. 57whether ccAug. ep. 118that which the whole primitiue church throughout the world obserueth, is to be done or not, insolentissimae insan…ae est, it is most insolent madnesse. For, can it enter into the heart of a modest and charitable Christian, to imagine, that all the godly learned Fathers, whereof many had liued and conversed with the Apostles, all the famous Confessors, and glorious Martyrs of the primitiue Church, all those pure & orthodoxall churches, planted by the Apostles, did all with one consent, immediatly after the deceasse of the Apostles, cōspire to abolish that forme of gouernmēt, which the Apostles had established, and (as these men vse to aggravate the matter) to turne Christ out of his kingdome? Or if wee could find in our harts to thinke they were so vngodly (which be it far from vsus once to imagine:) yet how is it possible, that al christians, in all places, so far distant one from another, should suddainly, & at once, jumpe, not onelyonly in abolishing the Apostolical gouernment, but also in setting vp in all places throughout the Christian world, one vniforme gouernment, which they had not receiued from the Apostles? Therefore this proposition also, is p. 58of infallible truth.

I will therefore adde th' assumption. But the gouernment of the churches, by such Bishops as I hauehave spoken of, was generally and perpetually vsed in all Christian churches, in the first three hundred yeeres after Christ and his Apostles, & not ordained by any generall Councill.

That it was so vsed, appeareth first by that which hath been said: when I shewed that the Angels or Bb. in the primitiue Church, were diocesan Bb. superior in degree to other Ministers, hauing singularity of preeminence during life, and majority of power, in respect both of ordination, and also iurisdiction.

Secondly, by the confession of Ierome, who saithaaHier. in Tit. 1.Titus 1 when factions began in the church, toto orbe decretum, it was decreed in the whole world, that one elected from the rest of the Presbyters, should bee set ouer the rest, viz. in eueryevery church, vntounto whom the whole care of that church should appertaine, and that the seeds of schismes might be taken away. And in another place, he saithbbIn Psal. 44.Ps 44 that the church when th' apostles deceassed, in stead of them who had bin fathers, had her children, that is, bishops, who should become Princes or Gouernors in all Lands. p. 59In omnibus finibus mundi (saith hee) principes ecclesiae. i. episcopi constituti sunt: In all the ends of the world, the princes of the church, that is, Bishops, were ordained or established.

Thirdly, by the testimonies of Councils, histories, and Fathers, who with one consent giuegive testimony to this gouernment. Neither can any one pregnant testimony of any sound writer, or example of any one orthodoxal or apostolicall church, be produced to the contrary. Fourthly, the successions of Bb. in all the most famous churches, deduced from the Apostles times to the council of Nice, do yet remaine vponupon record in theccEus…. passim Epiph. haer. 66. Iraeneus and Tertullian doe proue the deriuation of the orthodoxall doctrine from the Apostles, by a continuall succession of Bishops in the churches, teaching the same truth. Irae. lib. …. c. 3. Tertul. de praescrip. histories & other monumēts of best credit. Neither is any thing objected against this succession, which I hold worth the mentioning. Verily, to a moderate christian, this might seeme a sufficient cōmendation of the episcopal functiō, thogh no more could be said to iustifie it; that in the best times of the primitiue church, it was borne of so many thousand godly & learned Bb. receiued in al true churches, approued of al the orthodoxall & learned Fathers, allowed & cōmended of all the famous councils. Allowed I say, & cōmended, but not first ordayned p. 60by Councils. For, the most ancient provinciall Councils, consisted chiefely of such Bishops, assembled & guided by the Metropolitanes. And the councill of Nice, which was the first generall councill (for vntill the time of Constantine, there was no meanes for assembling a Councill generall) is so far from first ordayning Bishoppes, as not onelyonly that Councill consisted of such bishops, but also it speaketh of Metropolitanes, as being long before in vse; yea, and ratifieth the ancient custome (for so it saithaaConcil. Nic. ca. 6. foreign) of subjecting diuerse prouinces to the Patriarches or Archbishops of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch, and confirmethbbCap. 7. the next place of honour (according to the ancient custome) to the bishop of Ierusalem.

Therefore the gouernment of the Churches by such Bishops, as I hauehave spoken of, was vndoubtedlie of apostolicall institution.

Againe, that gouernment which no where was in vse in the first three hundred yeeres, is not of Apostolicall institution:

The gouernement of the Churches, by a paritie of Ministers, and assistance of Lay-Elders in eueryevery parish, was no where in vse p. 61in the first three hundred yeares. Therefore it is not Apostolicall institution.

Now I proceede to the second degree, ascending to the Apostles times, from whence in the second place I argue thus:

That gouernement which euen in the Apostles 2times was vsed in the Apostolicall Churches, and was not contradicted by them, was vndoubtedly of apostolicall institution. This I take for graunted.

The gouernement by Bishoppes was vsed euen in the Apostles times, and not contradicted by them. This I proue, both by Scripture, and by other euidence. The seauen Angels were the Bishoppes of the seauen Churches as all confesse, and for the substance of their calling like to ours, as I hauehave prooued. Besides, it is wel knowen, that the Angel of the church of Smyrna, to whome the second Epistle is directed, was Polycarpus ccBulling. in Apoc. conc. 9. noteth that Polycarpe was made Bishop of Smyrna, 13. yeares before the reuelation was giuen, and so hee continued for many yeares after.that renowned Martyr, of whom the Church of Smyrna that then was, writethddEuseb. lib. 4 c. 15. thus in an Epistle yet extant in Eusebius: Of which elect (say they) this Polycarpe was one in our times, an Apostolicall and propheticall Doctor p. 62foreign hauing beene the Bishoppe of the Catholike Church in Smyrna. And it may well bee supposed, that the Angell of the Church at Ephesus, to whom the first Epistle is directed, was Onesimus. For when Ignatius wrote his Epistles, hee testifieth,eeIgnat. ad Ephes. & ad Antioch. that at that time, Onesimus was Bishoppe of Ephesus. Nowe hee wrote, while Clemens was Bishoppe of Rome; as appeareth by his firstffIgnat. ad Mariam Cassob. Epistle: That is to say; betweene the 90. yeare of our Lord and 99. in the middest of which time the Reuelation was giuen. And that wee should not thinke that Testimonie counterfeit and falsely fathered on Ignatius, who was Bishoppe of Antioch at the same time: Eusebius also alledgeth it out of the same Epistle. Ignatius, sayth hee,aaEuseb. lib. 3. c. 35. being at Smyrna where Polycarpus was, hee writeth one Epistle to the Church of Ephesus, mentioning their pastor Onesimus.

Moreouer it is euident, that from these seauen Angels, a succession of Bishoppes was continued in all those seauen Churches, vntil the Councill of Nice, and long after: for both to that council, and to diuerse others following, p. 63the Bishops of those seauen ChurchesbbVide subscriptiones Concil. Niceni; Ephesini interact. Chalced; Chalcedonensis, & Constantinop. 6. subscribed their names: As, to to the Councill of Nice, Menophantes bishop of Ephesus, Artemidorus of Sardis, Eutychius of Smyrna, &c. to the council of Chalcedon, Stephanus B. of Ephesus, Florentius of Sardis &c. Again, it is with great consent testified byccIrenaeus. Eusebius. Epiphanius. Augustine, &c. Authors of best credite in the Church of God, that in the Apostles time (reckoning vntill the death of S. Iohn: that is to the yeare of our Lord, 101, or 102), there were not onelyonly Bishops, but also a succession of Bishops in diuerse Churches. As, at Rome these were bishops successiuely in the Apostles time;ddIrenaeus. lib. 3. c. 3. Euseb. lib. 3. c. 2. & 4. & capp. 13. 14. 34. Linus, Anacletus, Clemens, and about the yeare 99. Euaristus.

At Ierusalem eeEuseb. lib. 2. c. 23. & l. 3. c. 11.Iames the iust, and Simeon the sonne of Cleophas.

At Antioch, ffIgnat. ad Antioch. Euseb. 3. 22.Euodius and Ignatius.

At Alexandria, ggEuseb. l. 2. c. 24 & l. 3. c. 13.Saint Marke, Anianus, Ab…ius, Cerdo.

Neither were they contradicted by the Apostles, but approued by them: As, these Angelles of the seauen Churches, in respect of their function approoued by Saint Iohn, or rather by our Sauiour Christ. Epaphroditus, the Apostle or Bishoppe of the Philippians, p. 64(who therefore is not mentioned in the inscription, because that Epistle was sent by him) commended by Paule as hishhPhil. 2. 25.Phil 2:25 foreign copartner both in his function and in affliction, and the Philippians hhPhil. 2. 29. foreign.Phil 2:29commanded to hauehave in honour such. Iames the iust, Bishoppe of Ierusalem, generally approued, iiAct. 15. See the Geneua note on Act 21. 18.Acts 15Acts 21:18Act. 15. and 21. Gal. 1. 19. Archippus the Bishoppe of Colossa, in respect of his function,kkColos. 4. 17Col 4:17 approued of Paul Coloss. 4. 17. Antipas, llApoc. 2. 13.Rev 2:13who had beene Bishoppe of Pergamus (as Arethas reporteth) highly commended by the holy Ghost. Apoc. 2. 13.

Hereunto adde the confession of Ierome, mmIn Tit. 1.Titus 1that when factions began to arise in the Church, some saying I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of nn1. Cor. 1.1 Cor 1Cephas, (which was in the Apostles times, 1. Cor. 1.) it was decreed in the whole world (and therefore by the Apostles; for Ierome himselfe calleth the episcopall function,ooAd Euagr. a tradition Apostolicall) that one being chosen from among the Presbyters, should bee set ouer the rest, &c. Hee also confesseth,ppCatalog. script. that Iames the iust, shortly after the passion of Christ, was made Bishoppe p. 65of Ierusalem. And that at Alexandria, euen fromqqAd Euagr. Saint Marke (who died fiue or sixe years before Peter and Paul, and after whom there was a succession of three more in the Bishoprick, during the Apostles time) there had been Bishops chosen successiuely. And least we should thinke, as some doe, that the words, A Marco, are vnderstood exclusiuely, as though Marke himselfe had not beene Bishippe of Alexandria; Ierome telleth vsus elsewhere, aaProoem. in Matth. Marcus interpres Apos. Petri, & Alexandrinae Ecclesiae primus Episcopus.that Mark was the first Bishop of the Church at Alexandria.

Seeing therfore godly and worthie Bishops were ordained in the Apostolicall Churches in the Apostles times, & they not oppugned, but approued of the Apostles; it followeth therefore, that the gouernement of the churches by Bishops, is of Apostolicall institutiō.

But yet I proceed to a further degree. Which 3is, to proue that the Apostles thēselues ordained bishops, & cōmitted the Churches vntounto thē; & therfore that the episcopal function, is without questiō of Apostical institution. The Antecedent is to be explained & proued, by shewing the time when, the places where, the persōs whom, the Apostles ordained bishops.

p. 66As concerning the time, there is some difference betweene the Church of Ierusalem, and the rest. For there, because shortly after Christes passion, a great number were conuerted to the faith (for weebbActs. 2. 41. & 4. 4.Acts 2:41Acts 4:4 reade of 3000. conuerted in one day:) and because that was the mother Church, vntounto which Christians from all partes were afterwards to hauehave recourse; the Apostles before their dispersion, Statim post passionem domini, straightwayes after the passion of our Lord, ordained Iames the iust, Bishoppe of Ierusalem, as lerome ccCatelog. scriptorum.testifieth.ddEuseb. lib. 2. cap. 23. foreign. Eusebius reporteth out of Hegesippus, who was neere the Apostles times (as Ierome saith) that to Iames our Lords brother, the throne of the Bishopricke at Ierusalem was committed by the Apostles. Likewise eeEuseb. lib. 2. cap. 1.out of Clemens Alexandrinus, hypotopos. 6. that Peter, Iames and Iohn, after the ascension of our Sauiour, did choose Iames the iust, Bishoppe of Ierusalem. The same is testified by Epiphanius ffEpiphan. haeres. 66.haeres. 66. where also hee setteth downe the succession of the Bishoppes of Ierusalem from Iames, to his time. Bygghomil. 3. & 33. in initio. Chrysostome on the Acts. ByhhAmbros. in Galat. 1. 19.Gal 1:19 Ambrose on the Epistle to the Galathians, Paule p. 67sawe Iames at Ierusalem, because there hee had beene ordained Bishoppe by the Apostles. By Eusebius iiEuseb. lib. 3. c. 5. & Chronic. Anno 33.himselfe, bykkDoroth. in synops. Dorotheus, by llAug. contra …resconium. l. 2. c. 37. in order, not in degree.Augustine, &c.

If any obiect (as somemmde gradib. ministr. c. 23. hauehave done) that Iames was ordine, but not gradu, superiour to the Presbyters of the Church at Ierusalem, or that hee was (according to their conceipt) president of the presbyterie for a short time, and that onelyonly in his course: they must remember, that he was an Apostle, and his honour and degree by his Bishoprick not impaired. Yea, Eusebius reporteth out of Clemens Alexandr. nnEuse. l. 2. c. 1 foreign.that Peter, Iames and Iohn after the ascension of Christ our Sauiour, though the Lorde had vouchsafed them some prerogatiue of honour, yet they would not arrogate to themselues that glorie, but chose Iames the iust to bee Bishoppe of Ierusalem. And good AuthorsooEuseb. lib. 3. c. 11. & 4. c. 22. ex Hegesippo. testifie, that both hee, and his successour Simon, the sonne of Cleophas, were by the Apostles preferred to that place, because they were our Sauiour Christs kinsmen according to the flesh.

What then? was he superiour to the rest of p. 68the Apostles? In degree he was not; but in order he was, when and whilest they were at Ierusalem, after his election, as appeareth Act. 15. howbeit their purpose in making him Bishop, was not to set him ouer themselues, but ouer the presbyters & people of Ierusalem. For indeed the Apostles first ioyntly ruled the Church at Ierusalē; but being to goe into all the world, & no longer to be accounted mē bers of that particular church, ordained Iames to be bishop: & that charge which before they had in common, they now committed to him in particular. And this is that which Ierome citeth out of Hegesippus. Hegesippus (saith hee) aaCatalog. scriptor. in Iacob.who was neere the Apostles times, in the fift book of his cōmentaries speaking of Iames, sayth, Suscepit Ecclesiā Hiero solymae post apostolos frater Domini Iacobus, cognomento Iustus. Iames the brother of our Lord, sirnamed Iustus, receiued or vndertooke the Church of Ierusalem after the Apostles.

For the other point: (to omitte his continuance at Ierusalem, as the superintēdent of that Church testified by thebbAct. 15. Act. 21. Gal. 1.Acts 15Acts 21Gal 1 scriptures) the same authors which say hee was Bishoppe, doe also testifie that hee continued so vntill p. 69his death.ccCatalog. script. in Iacob. Thirty yeeres, saith Ierome, rexit he ruled the Church at Ierusalem, that is to say, euen vntounto the seauenth yeere of Nero; & in like manner his successour, 38. yeeres.

As touching other churches; we are to obserue, that the Apostles did not, at the very first planting of them, appoint bishops vntounto them; because as yet, there was neither that choice, nor yet that vse of thē, among a people, which was to be converted, before it needed to be gouerned: but first they ordayned ddAct. 14. 23. 19. 6. et 20. 17. 28.Acts 14:23Acts 14:19Acts 14:6Presbyters, to labour the conversion of the people, and to seede them which were converted by the Word and Sacraments, and attending them in cōmon, to gouerne them after a priuate manner, and as it were, in foro conscientiae. But the Episcopall power, which consisteth specially in the right of ordination, and in the sway of ecclesiastical iurisdiction committed to one, the Apostles each of them retained in their owne hands, as it is manifest ee2. Thes. 3. 14. 1. Corin. 5.2 Thess 3:141 Cor 5whiles either they continued neere them, or meant not to be long frō them. All which while, bishops were not so needful; the Apostles providing for the necessity of those churches, either by their presence, or by their p. 70Letters or Messengers. And this is the cause, why in the writings of th'apostles, bishops are so seldom (though not so seldom as some imagine) mentioned, & the name with Presbyter confounded. But when as they were to leaue the churches altogether, either by departure, or by death, (that the churches should not be left fatherlesse, they fulfilled that in Psal. 45. according to Augustine & Ieromes exposition, In stead of fathers, that is, th'apostles, there shall bee children borne vntounto thee, whom thou shalt make Princes ouer all the earth; aaHieronym. et Augustin. in Psalm. 44.Ps 44that is, bishops succeeding th' apostles in the regiment of the church:) at their departure they left substitutes, and at their death appointed successors, to whom they committed the gouernment of the churches; furnishing them by a singularity of preeminence, both with the right of ordination, and with the power of iurisdiction, as well ouer the Presbyters, as the people of each Citie, with the country adioyning. And these, at the first were called, sometimes Angels of the churches, as Apoc. 1. 2. 3. some-times foreign, praepositi, Rulers. Hebr. 13. 17. (which text in thebbCanon. 44. canons of th' apostles, & in the second p. 71Epistle ofccIgnatius ad Trallian. Ignatius, as also the name praepositi, in Latine Fathers, from thence is appropriated to Bishops.) some-times, th' apostles ddPhilip. 2. 25Phil 2:25of the churches, as succeeding th' apostles in the gouernement of the particular churches: as, Philip. 2. 25. Epaphroditus, who was the Bishop or Pastor of Philippi, is therefore called their Apostle; as not onelyonlyeeAmbrose. Hieronym. Theodoret. Calvin. Tho. Aqui. &c. in Philip. 2.Phil 2 Ambrose; Ierome, Theodoret, but also Calvin teacheth vponupon that place, and obserueth the mutual affectiō, both of Epaphroditus as their Pastor, and of the Philippians, as his stock. For, whiles th' episcopall power was for the most part in th' apostles & apostolicke men, those, who also had that power, were called apostles: & therfore Ambr. ffAmbr. in Ephe. 4. et in 1. Cor. 12. 28.Eph 41 Cor 12:28vnderstāds by apostles, in some places of the scripture, bishops, as Eph. 4, 11. & 1. Cor. 12. 28. Apostoli, episcopi sunt. And to the like purpose, Cyprian, ggCypri. lib. 3 epist. 9.Apostolos. i. episcopos et praepositos dominus elegit. For, as Theodoret hhTheodoret in 1. Tim. 3.1 Tim 3hath wel obserued, on 1. Tim. 3. Intimes past, saith he, they called the same men Presbyters & Bb. and those who now are called Bishops, they named Apostles. But in processe of time, they left the name of Apostle, to those who are properlie called Apostles, and the name of p. 72Bishop they imposed on them who had been called Apostles. Thus Epaphroditus was the Apostle of the Philippians, Titus of the Cretians, and Timothe of the Asians. Neither was it long, that the name Episcopus was cōfounded with Presbyter. For, Ignatius, who was a bishop aboue 30.iiFor S. Iohn died anno. 101 and 5. of Trajane. And Ignatius, after he had beene 40. yeeres Bishop, died in the yere 107. and 11. of Trajane. yeeres in th' apostles times, appropriateth the name foreign, to a Bishop, & distinguisheth the three degrees of the Clergy (as the church, euer since the time of th' apostles, hath distinguished thē) by these three names, Bishop, Presbyter, Deacon. So do thekkCan. 2. 6. 7. &c. canons which are called the Apostles, & some other monuments of Antiquity, which were written neere the Apostles times; of which sort are diuers testimonies in Eusebius, cited out of the most ancient writers of the church.

But, we are also to shew the places where, & the persons whom, th' apostles ordained Bishops: and first out of the Scriptures. For, by the Epistles of Saint Paule to Timothe and Titus, it is apparant, that hee had ordained Timothe Bishop of Ephesus, & Titus of Creet; The Epistles themselues, beeing the verie patternes and precedents of th' episcopall function. For, as the Apostle had committed p. 73(vntounto them episcopall authoritie, both in respect of ordination and jurisdiction, which in th' epistles is presupposed: so doth he by those Epistlesaa1. Tim. 3. 15. Ambros. praefat. in 1. Tim. Timotheū iam creatum episcopum instruit per epistolam, quomodo deberet ecclesiam ordinate.1 Tim 3:15 informe them, and in them all Bishops, how to exercise their function; First, in respect of ordination (as Tit. 1. 5, I left thee in Creet, that thou shouldst ordaine presbyters in eueryevery citie, as I appointed thee. 1. Tim. 5. 22, Impose hands hastily on no man, neither be partaker of other mens sinnes: And to this purpose describeth how Presbyters & Deacons, whō they were to ordaine, should be qualified. 1. Tim. 3. 2. and 8. Tit. 1. 6. 7. 8. 9.) Secondly, in regard of iurisdictionbbTit. 1. 5.Titus 1:5 not onelyonly ouer the people, but also ouer the presbyters; appointing them to be both guides & censurers of their doctrine, (as 1. Tim. 1, 3,) I required thee to continue in Ephesus, that thou shouldest commaund some that they teach no strange doctrine▪ neither that they attend …, &c. …. Tim. 2, 10, stay prophane… & vaine bablings. T…. 1, 10, 11, There are many deceiuers, foreign, whose mouthes thou must stoppe, which subvert whole houses, reaching things which they ought not for filty by lucres sake: wherefore rebuke theme sharply▪ that they may bee sounde in the faith. p. 74Tit, 3, 9, Stay foolish questiōs & genealogies, &c.) and also iudges of their persons & conversation: as, 1. Tim, 5, 19, 20, 21, Against a Presbyter receiue not an accusation, but vnderunder two or three witnesses. Thē that sin rebuke openly, that the rest also may feare. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Iesus Christ, & the elect angels, that thou obserue these things without preiudice, & without partiality. Tit. 3, 10, Reicet him that is an hereticke, after once or twice admonition.

And that wee should not thinke (as some do) that these things were spoken to them, as to extraordinary persons (whose authoritie should did with them) but to them and their successors to the end of the world: he straightly chargeth Timothe, that the cōmandements and directions which he gaue him, should be kept inviolabledd1. Tim. 6. 13. 14.1 Tim 6:131 Tim 6:14 vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ; and therefore by such as should hauehave the like authority vntounto the end. Ambrose, writing on those words, faith,aaAmbrose in 1. Tim. 6.1 Tim 6 Paul is so circumspect, not because hee is fearefull of Timothe his care; but for his successours, that they, after the example of Timothe, might conti…inue the will ordering of the church. For the authority which was committed to them is perpetually p. 75necessary: without which, the church neither can bee gouerned (as without jurisdiction) neither yet cōtinued, as without ordination; & therefore not peculiar to extraordinary persons, but by an ordinary deriuation to be cōtinued in those, who are the successors of Timothe and Titus. Now I appeale to al, who hauehave any iudgement, whether their supposed Presbyteries (which cōsist of Laymen for the greatest part) or the Bb. which succeeded them in the gouernement of the church, were to be accoūted their successors. Why but, did bishops indeede succeed Timothe in the gouernment of Ephesus? yes, without question▪ For (to omit not onelyonly this angel of Ephesus, Apoc. 2. which was one of the next successors vntounto Tim. whether it were Onesimus or any other, but also Polycrates thebbEuseb. lib. 5. cap. 25. B. of Ephesus in the time of Victor, who professeth that he was the 8. bishop of his kinred) in the councill of Chalcedon, ccCōc. Chalc. Act. 11.Acts 11Leontius the B. of Magnesia saith, that frō S. Timothe to that time, ther had bine 7. Bb. of Ephesus al ordain'd there.

Against this, two things are obiected; first; that Timothe and Titus may seeme not to hauehave beene appointed Bishops of Ephesus and Creet, p. 76because they did not continue there, but were remoued to other places. Where-vntounto I answere, that although vponupon speciall & extraordinarie occasions, they were by th' apostles called to other places, as his, or the churches necessity required; yet these were the places of their ordinary resiance, where they both liued and died. Paule willeth Timothe dd1. Tim. 1. 3.1 Tim 1:3foreign, permanere, (the word iseeSee the vse of the worde, Math. 15. 32. Acts. 11. 23. & 18. 18. 1. Tim. 5. 5.Matt 15:32Acts 11:23Acts 18:181 Tim 5:5 significant) to abide still, or continue at Ephesus: and he left Titus not to redresse things in Creet for a brunt, & so to come away; but that he shuldffTit. 1. 5.Titus 1:5 foreign, continue in redressing what should be amisse, and still keep that church, as it were, in reparation, For wheras someggDe Ministr. grad. c. 22. et in 1. Tim. 1. 3.1 Tim 1:3 thinke that Timothe was commanded Acts, 20, to stay at Ephesus for a short time, only to confirme the church there, being troubled with the sedition raised by Demetrius; they are vtterly deceiued. For, Paul appointed, Timothe to continue in Ephesus, hh1. Tim. 1. 3.1 Tim 1:3foreign, when himselfe was going into Macedony. But this cannot be vnderstoode of either of those voyages into Macedonia, which are mentioned Acts, 20: the first, from Ephesus▪ after the tumult vvas appeased, Acts, 20, 1. at which time he could p. 77not leaue Timothe at Ephesus to settle the christiās after the vp-rore raised by Demetrius; for immediatly before the historie of that tumult, it is said, that hee had sentaaAct. 19. 22.Acts 19:22 Timothe before into Macedonia, and himself followed Act. 20. 1. and when he had gone through those partes, (namely of Macedonia) hee came into Greece, purposing from thence to goe towardes Ierusalem. But vnderstanding that the Iewes laid waite for himbbAct 20. 3.Acts 20:3 hee resolued (that hee might auoyde their ambushments) to returne into Macedonie, and from thence to …ayl towards Ierusalem, trauelling along by the coasts of Asia: in which iourney it is expressely saide,ccAct. 20. 4. 5. 14.Acts 20:4Acts 20:5Acts 20:14 that Timothe **Their conceipt therefore is strange who say that the first Epistle was write to Timothe out of Macedonie.accompanied him, and from Philippi with others went before him to Troas, and to Assos, from whence hee accompanied him to Miletum; ddAct. 20▪ 17.Acts 20:17whether the Apostle sent for the Presbyters of Ephesus. Seeing therefore Paul appointed Timothe to stay at Ephesus, when himselfe was going into Macedonia; & in all those iourneyes into Macedonia mentioned in the Acts, viz. cap. 16. 19. 20, Timothe was with him in Macedonia; and forasmuch as hee went no more thither vntill hee had beene at Rome: p. 78it is apparant therfore that this iourney happened in Paules peregrinations, after his departure frō Rome; when he hauing staid there aboue two years, was at length dismissed and set at libertie by Nero, in the 4. of his reigne, which was the 57. yeare of grace. From which time vntill the 13. of Nero, hee renewed his former paines in trauelling from place to place. Now, the historie of the Actes of the Apostles ending with Paules first being at eeAct. 28. 30.Acts 28:30Rome, the rest of his acts in the 9. yeares following, cannot otherwise bee knowen but by those his Epistles which were written in that time, & other monuments of Antiquity, which testifie that Paul ordained Timothe Bishoppe of Ephesus, and Titus of Creet. Wherunto wee may adde the credible testimonie offfHieronym. siue Sophronius in Catalog. in Tito. Dorotheus in synopsi. Isidorus de vita & morte sanct orum. 87. & 88. Vincentius lib. 38. c. 10. & Antonius ex Polycrate, part. 1. tit. 6. cap. 28. §. 6. Niceph. lib. 10. c. 11. diuerse authors, who report, that Timothe and Titus, as they liued, so also died, the one at Ephesus, the other in Creete.

The other thing which they obiect, is, that they were Euangelists. But that doth not hinder, but that when they were assigned to certaine Churches and furnished with episcopall power, they became Bishoppes. For as Zuinglius ggIn Ecclesiaste.hath well obserued, Philippe the p. 79Euangelist, who had beene one of the Deacons, was afterwardes Bishoppe of Caesarea. Iames the Apostle was Bishoppe of Ierusalem, and diuerse of the Apostles (which also may bee verefied of theggSo was Marke of Alexandria. Euangelists) when they ceased from their peregrination, became Bishops of certaine Churches, as by the ancient histories is manifest. Hereof we may conclude thus: The supposed Euangelisticall function of Timothe and Titus, was to ende with their persons, and admitted no succession, being (as thēselues …each) both extrordinarie and temporarie. but the function and Authoritie which they had, as being assigned to certaine Churches, viz. of Ephesus and Creete, (consisting specially in the power of ordination and jurisdiction) was not to ende with their persons, but to bee continued in their successours; as being ordinarie, and perpetually necessarie, not onelie for the well beeing, but also for the verie beeing of the visible Churches: (For, if whiles the Apostles themselues liued, it was necessarie, that they should substitute in the Churches alreadie planted, such as Timothe, and Titus, furnished with episcopall power: p. 80then much more, after their decease, hauehave the Churches need of such gouernours.) Therefore the function and authoritie, which Timothe and Titus had, as being assigned to Ephesus and Creet, was not extraordinarie and Euangelisticall; but, as I will further proue, Episcopall. For, that Timothe was Bishoppe of Ephesus, and Titus of Creet, it appeareth not onelyonly by the subscriptions, annexed to the ende of the Epistle to Titus, and second to Timothe: but also by the generall consent of the auncient fathers, and histories of the Church. Eusebius reporteth out of the ecclesiasticall histories which were before his time,Euseb. lib. 3. c. …. that Timothe first had the Bishopricke of the Church at Ephesus, and Titus of the Churches in Creet. The Author of the book, which goeth vnderunder the name of Dionysius Areopagita, dedicating his treati…e de diuinis nominib. to Timothe the Bishoppe of Ephesus, doth at the least signifie, that in his time it was a thing confessed, that Timothe was Bishoppe of Ephesus. The Catalogue of Ecclesiasticall writers, which is in Ierome, reporteth, that Timothe was ordained of blessed Paul Bishoppe of the Ephesians, and that p. 81Titus was Bishoppe of Creete. The same is testified by Ambrose, praefat. in. 1. Tim. & praefat. in Tit. by Dorotheus in Synopsi. by Theodoret in 1. Tim. 3. by Chrysostome in argum. 1. Tim. & in Epist. ad Philipp. homil. 1. by Epiphanius, haeres. 75. by Gregorie the great, Pastoral. part. 2. cap. 11. by Polycrates apud Antoninum part. 1. tit. 6. cap. 28. §. 6. by Oecumenius in Ephes. 4. & in 1. Tim. 1. & …. & in Titum. 1. by Primasius praefat. in 1. Tim. & in 2. Tim. 1. by Nicephorus, lib. 2. c. 34. by Isidorus, de vita & morte sanctorum 87. 88.

To these two mentioned in the Scriptures, wee may adde others out of other the most auncient recordes of the Church, wherof some were made by Peter and Paul, some by Iohn the Euangelist, some by diuerse of the Apostles.

Anticch, (where the professours of the Christian faith were first called Christians) had the first Bishoppe, after Ierusalem, ordained by the Apostles, Peter and Paul, about the yeare of our Lord 45. (asaaChronie. Euseb. anno 45. Eusebius sayth) viz. Euodius, whombbEuseb. l. 3. c. 22. Ignatius succeeded. Hee, in his Epistle to them of Antioch, p. 82hath these words;ccIgnat, ad Antioch. You were the disciples of Paul and Peter, lose not that which was committed to your trust. foreign. Remember Euodius your most blessed pastor, to whom the gouernment of you was first committed by the Apostles.

As touching the first Bishoppe of Rome, though I finde great varietie of opinions, yet this I take to bee the truth; that Peter and Paule being bothIIPeter came to Rome to op pugne Simon Magus in the second of Nero. Paule shortly after, vponupon the occasion of his appeale; frō whence, after two years they departed; Paule being dismissed and set at libertie, Peter driuen thence by Nero. Prudēt. peristeph. passio. Petti & Pauli. viuis vtrunque dies, ple…o tamen innou…tus anno vid…e superba morte laureatum. Peter crucified Iun. 29. anno Neronis. 12. Paule beheaded sun. 29. anno Neronis. 13. not. 14. for Nero himselfe died on the 10. of Iune in the 14. yeare of his Empire. at Rome (where they staid either of them somewhat aboue two yeares, but neither of them professing themselues Bishop of Rome) about the year of our Lord 56, ordayned Linus the bishoppe of Rome; who continued Bishoppe there ten years before the death of Paul, and twelue yeares after. And this is that which Irenaeus one of the most auncient writers doth testifie: namely, that the ddIrenaeus, lib. 3. cap. 3.blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, the founders and instructors of the Church of Rome, Lino episcopatum administrandae ecclesiae tradiderunt, committed the Bishopricke and administration of that Church to Linus: after whom followed, successiuely, Anacletus, and then Clemens; as not onelyonlyeeIren. 3. 3. Irenaeus, and p. 83ffEuseb. l. 3. c. 22.Eusebius (who saith, that he was the third after Paule and Peter: for Linus, saith he, was the first, and after him **foreign.Anacletus) butggIgnat. ep. ad Martam Cassobolit. Ignatius also (who liued at the same time) doe witnesse.

I come to Alexandria, where Marke the Euangelist was the first bishoppe, by the appointment of Peter. For although this be not certainely knowen, whither Peter leauing Rome, did take Marke with him into Egypt, and ordayned him there, (ashhNiceph. lib. 14. c. 39. Nicephorus writeth, and as wee may well thinke, if by Babylon where Marke was with him, 1. Pet. 5. 13. we vnderstand Babylon in Egypt,) or whether he did send him thither from other parts, as iiGregor. lib. 6. Epist. 37.others testifie; yet this is confessed, that he was by Peter apointed bishop there. And surely if he were bishop there, we need not doubt, but it was by Peters assignemēt. For being his disciple, & perpetual follower, it may not bee thought, that he separated himself frō Peter, & bestowed himself, whiles Peter liued, without his direction. But that hee was bishoppe there, whiles Peter liued, we hauehave certain euidēce. In the eight year of Nero his reigne, saith**Euseb. l. 2. c. 24. Eusebius (that is 4. or 5. years before Pet. death) Anianus succeeded Marke the Euangelist in the Church p. 84of Alexandria, being a religious man and eueryevery way admirable. Hierome saith,bbProoem. in Matth. that the second Euangelist is Mark, interpres Apostoli Petri, & Alexandrinae Ecclesiae primus episcopus, the interpreter of Peter the Apostle, and the first Bishoppe of the Church at Alexandria. And againe,ccIn Catalog. script. that Marke hauing established the Church at Alexandria, died in the eight yeare of Nero, and was buried at Alexandria, Anianus succeeding him: & in another place, that ddAd Euagr.at Alexandria, euen from Marke the Euangelist, there had alwayes Bishops beene elected &c. Dorotheus also sayeth, that MarkeeeDoroth. synops. was the first Bishoppe of Alexandria, and that hee was martyred and buryed there.

From Alexandria I returne againe to Ierusalē for after Iames the iust was put to death, the ffEuseb. lib. 3. c. 11.apostles and disciples, and kinsmen of our Sauiour Christ, which yet were remaining, assē bled themselues from al parts, and hauing consulted among themselues, whom they should think worthy to succeed Iames; with one consent made choyse of Symeon the son of Cleophas, of whome there is mention in the Gospell, because hee also was our Sauiours cousin: For Cleophas, as Hegesippus reporteth, was Iosephs brother.

p. 85Thus hauehave you heard, that the Bishops of the foure principall churches, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Ierusalem, were all ordayned of th' apostles. To these I will adde Smyrna, because thereof there is most euident proofe: namely, that S. Iohn th' apostle, ordayned Polycarpe the bishop of that church. That he was bishop there, the church of Smyrna, as you heard before, which liued vnderunder him, did by their Letters professe: and Ignatius, who was well acquainted with him, doth ggIgna. epi. 7 ad Smyrn. et 8. ad Poly…. episc. S…yrnens.witnesse. That he was made bishop by the Apostles, Irenaeus, who was his scholler, doth plainly testifie. Polycarpus, saith he,hhIre. l. 3. c. 3. was not onelyonly taught of the Apostles, and had conversed with many of them, who had seene our Lord; but also he was, by the Apostles, ordained Bishop in Asia, in that church which is at Smyrna. The like hath Eusebius, iiEuseb. lib. 3. cap. 35.foreign. And more particularly, that he was ordayned by Saint Iohn, not only Tertullian kkDe praescr…p.doth acknowledge: (for, hauing saide that the churches were able to shew, that their first bishop was ordained by some of the Apostles; hee p. 86addeth, Sicut Smyrnaeorum ecclesia Polycarpum ab Ioanne conlocatum refert, as the church of Smyrna recounteth Polycarpe placed by Iohn:) But Ierome also doth confesse. Polycarpus Ioannis Apostoli discipulus, et ab eo Smyrnae episcopus ordinatus: 11Catalog. scriptor.Polycarpe, Iohn th' apostles scholler, and by him ordained Bishoppe of Smyrna.

And not to mention any more particulars, the most ancient Writers, who liued next the Apostles times, doe witnesse, that Iohn, after his returne from exile, ordained Bishops in diuers places, according to the direction of the holy Ghost. So saith22Euseb. ex Clem. lib. 3. cap. 23. Clemens. Irenaeus saith,33Iren. lib. 4. cap. 63. th' apostles cōmitted the church, which is in eueryevery place to bishops; And44Lib. 3. c. 3. that th' apostles left them their successors, sunm ipsorū locum magisterij tradentes. And againe,55Ibid. habemus annumerare, &c. We are able to reckē those who were by th' apostles ordained Bb. and their successors vntounto our time. Likewise Tertulliā 66Tertul. de praescrip. advers, haeretic.professeth, that th' apostolick churches could shew the order of their bishops, so running along by successions from the beginning, that their first Bishop had for their founder and ancecessor, one of the Apostles, or apostolicke men, who had continued p. 87with the Apostles.

Against all this, which hath beene saide to proue that th' episcopal function is of apostolicall institution, the authoritie of Ierome is obiected. First, where he saith,77In Tit. 1.Titus 1 vntill factions did arise in the church, some saying, I am of Paule, I am of Apollo, &c. the churches were gouerned by the common counsell of the Presbyters: But when they began to draw disciples after them, namely, such as themselues had baptized, it was agreed in the whole world, &c.

I answere, first, that this speech of Ierome, in respect of the church at Ierus. is vntrue: which was first gouerned by th' apostles in common, and after, committed to Iames in particular, before we read of any presbyters there ordained. 88Catalog.Ierome himselfe hath tolde vsus, that Iames straight-waies after the passion of our Lord, was by the Apostles ordained Bishoppe of Ierusalē. Secondly, in respect of other churches; that which he saith, neither proueth that the office of Bb. & presbyters were cōfoūded (which notwithstanding seemeth to hauehave bin his scope by that which followeth in the same place) neither doth it hinder, but that the distinct office of Bb. is of apostolicall institutiō.

p. 88It is true, that for a time the Presbyters by common counsell gouerned the churches, but as vnderunder the Apostles, who kept in their owne hands the Episcopall authoritie; they, I meane the Presbyters, hauing neither the right of ordination, nor the power of outward iurisdiction. This therefore doth not prooue, that the offices of Bishops and Presbyters were confounded. The name of Bishop was confounded with Presbyter: but the office and authoritie of the Bishop, was as yet in the Apostles; The Presbyters beeing such then vnderunder the Apostles, as they were afterwards, vnderunder the Bishop.

But when th' apostles were to discontinue from those churches, which they had planted, then were Bishops substituted: wher-vntounto the factious behauiour of the Presbyters (wherof Ierome speaketh) might be some inducement. For, parity indeede breedeth faction & confusion. For the avoyding whereof in the absence of the Apostles, Bishops were instituted; but when, and where, and by whom, and to what end, let Ierome himselfe testifie. Whē? when factions began to spring in the church, saith aaIn Tit. 1.Titus 1Ierome, some saying I am of Paule, I am of p. 89Apollo, I am of Cephas, which was in the Apostles time, 1. Corin. 1. and it were fonde to imagine, that factions did not begin till after their time.

Where? in toto orbe, saith Ierome, it was decreed in the whole world. Which could not be in the Apostles times, without their consent; nor neere the Apostles times, without a generall Councill, which was not.

By whom? Ierome bbVide. supra.hath told vsus, when, and by whom, Iames was made bishop of Ierusalem, Marke of Alexandria, Timothe of Ephesus, Polycarpe of Smyrna, &c. To what end? to avoyde schisme, saith Ierome: And therfore,Aduers. Luciferian. for the same end to be retained, as hee doth also acknowledge. For, the safety of the church, dependeth on the dignity of the Bishop; to whō if a peerelesse power & eminent aboue all be not giuen, there will be as many schismes in the churches as there be Priests.

Secondly, they vrge Ieromes inference in that place: Presbyters, at the first, ruled the church by common counsell; therefore the bishops, and they, ought to rule the church in common still. I answer, it followes not in respect of the Presbyters themselues. Before titles were distinguished, p. 90and presbyters assigned to their seuerall cures, they attended the whole flock in common; which after the parishes were distinguished, and they seuered to their seuerall cures, they did not: OnelyOnly the Bishop, and the presbyters which remained still about him, had the like care, which th' apostles and presbyters had, at the first; The Bishop vsing the advise of the Presbyters (though not to bee over-ruled by them) vntill their advise and assistance, to themselues seeming troublesome, and to the Bishop (by reason of the frequent Synodes, and synodall constitutions) needlesse, grew out of vse.

Thirdly, they alledge out of Ierome, ccEpist. ad Oceanū, item ad Evagrium. in Tit. 1.Titus 1that Bishop & Presbyter is all one: & therfore Bb. are to know, that they be greater thē Presbyters, rather by the custome of the church, thē by the truth of divine disposition. I answere: where Ierome saith Episcopus and Presbyter is all one, he is to be vnderstood in respect of the names, which he proueth, byddPhil. 1. 1. Act. 20. 17. 28. Tit. 1. 5. 7. 1. Pet. 5.Phil 1:1Acts 20:17Acts 20:28Titus 1:5Titus 1:71 Pet 5 many testimonies, to be confounded in the writings of th' apostles. And in this sense it is true, that whereas now Episcopus is more then Presbyter, it is to be ascribed to the custome of the Church; as p. 91before I hauehave noted out of Theod. And in the same sense, Augustine eeEpist. 19. ad Hieronym.is to be vnderstood, when he saith, according to the names of honour, in which the vse of the church hath prevailed, Episcopatus est maior Presbyterio; that is, Episcopatus, Bishop-ship, is a name of greater honour then Presbyterium, Priesthood. But if you think that Ierome, in affection towards his owne degree, (which hee sought to set as high aboue the deacons as he could, whoffAd Evagr. at that time beganne to compare with the Presbyters) did meane, that the functions, as well as the names, were confounded, or that it is not an Apostolicall ordinance, that Bishoppes should be set ouer the Presbyters: you shall make him, not onelyonly to striue against the streame of all Antiquitie, but also to be contrary to himselfe: as appeareth by all those allegations, which I hauehave alreadie cited out of his writings.

If his meaning should be, that the superioritie of Bishops ouer Presbyters, though it be an apostolicall tradition (as11Ad Evagr. him-selfe calleth it) yet notwithstanding, is not directlie of diuine institution; although there be p. 92smal22Though in respect of the first institution, there is small difference between an apostolical & divine ordinance, because what was ordained by the Apostles, proceeded frō God, (in which sense & no other, I doe hold the episcopall function to bee a diuine ordinance:) yet in respect of perpetuity, difference by some is made betwixt those things which be divini, and those which be apostolici iuris: the former in their vnderstanding beeing generally, perpetually, and immutably necessary; the latter, not so. difference between these two (as I vnderstand divine institution) because what th' apostles did in the executiō of their apostolical function, they did by direction of the holy Ghost, so that they might truly say, both of their ordinances,33Act. 15.Acts 15 it seemed good to the holy Ghost and vsus; and of the parties by them ordained,44Act. 20. 28Acts 20:28 attend the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made you bishoppes: notwithstanding, for more euidence, I wil in the last place directly, yet briefly proue, that the episcopall functiō, is of divine institution, or, that bishops were ordained of God. For, by whō was Timothe ordained Bishop? By Paul, I confesse, as the instrument; but yet by the holy Ghost, as the author & director of his ordinatiō. For he was made bishop by prophecy,551. Tim. 4. 14.1 Tim 4:14 1. Tim. 4. How is that? foreign, thou wast made bishop saith66Chrisost. homil. 5. in 1. Tim. Chrysostome, not by humane suffrage, but by prophecy, that is, by divine reuelation, saith77Theodoret. Theophylact. Oecumen. In 1. Tim. 4. See Calvin also in 1. Tim. 4. 14.1 Tim 41 Tim 4:14 Theodoret. That is, spiritu sancto iubente, by the cōmandemēt of the holy Ghost, saith Theophyl. foreign, saith Oecumenius, p. 93foreign, for by the appointment of the holy Ghost, Bb. were made, & not at rādon. By whom was Archippus made Bishop of Colossa? Col. 4. 17.Col 4:17see Col. 4. 17. Where Paule vsing the same exhortation to him, which hee gaue to Timothe the Bishop of Ephesus aa2. Tim 4. 5.2 Tim 4:52. Tim. 4. namely that hee should fulfill his ministery, hee addeth, which thou hast receiued in the Lord; and therefore by Gods ordinance, and as it were at the Lords hands. And to conclude, the same may euidently be proued out of this text, which I hauehave in hand. First, in that the Bishoppes of the seauen Churches are called Angels: which not onelyonly sheweth the excellencie of their calling, but also proueth, that they were authorized and sent of God. Secondly, that they are commended vnderunder the name of Starres; to signifie both the preeminence of dignitie which they hauehave in this life (for the Starres are thebbApoc. 12. 1Rev 12:1 crowne of the Church, Apoc. 12.) and also the prerogatiue of glorie which they shall hauehave in the world to come, when they hauing faithfully perfourmed their duetie shall shine asccDan. 12. 3Dan 12:3 Starres in the Firmament for euer. Daniell, 12.

p. 94Thirdly, that these bee the seauen Stars which our Sauiour Christ didddApoc. 1. 16. … 20.Rev 1:16Rev 1:20 hold in his right hand. Which plainely argueth, his, both approbation of their function, and gratious protection of their persons.

Thus hauing proued this doctrine arising out of the text, that the episcopall function is of apostolicall and diuine institution: it remaineth, that we should from thence gather som vses to our selues, both for the informing of our iudgments & reforming of our liues. For the rectifying of our iudgements, the same doctrine which by way of explication of my text I proued; I doe now by way of application commend vntounto you: that as the episcopall function hath beene manifestly prooued to bee lawfull and good, as being the ordinance of God; so you would bee perswaded to acknowledge it. But you will say; Some further matter, by your doctrine, may seeme to bee intended. For whereas it hath bin proued, that the gouernment of the Churches by Bishoppes, is an apostolicall and diuine ordinance: may not wee also inferre, that all Churches are so necessarilie and perpetually tied vntounto it, as that no other p. 95forme of gouernement is warrantable in the Church of GOD? and that not onelyonly this gouernment is lawfull, but that it onelyonly is lawfull? This inference I referre to their consideration who hauing fancied that the Presbyteriall plot-forme is commended vntounto vsus in the scriptures; doe therfore vrge the same vponupon vsus, as perpetually and vnchaungeably necessarie in all Churches. As for others, who being of better temper, doe so commend their forme of discipline, as that they doe not condemne all others, neither seeke to force other Churches to their imitation; they are to expect the like moderation from vsus. For although wee bee well assured that the forme of gouernement by Bishoppes, is the best, as hauing not onelyonly the warrant of Scripture for the first institution, but also the perpetuall practice of the Church from the Apostles time to our age, for the continuance of it: notwithstandinge, wee doubt not, but where this may not bee had, others may bee admitted; neither doe we denie, but that siluer is good, though gould be better.

p. 96But some will say, the protestants, which were the blessed instrumentes of GOD for the reformation of religion in this last age, are thought to hauehave preferred the other discipline by presbyteries, before this by Bishops: and therefore in thus magnifying the Bishoppes, you seeme to ioyne with the Papists against them. Whereunto I aunswere, that those godly and learned menaaSee the Suruey of the pretended discipline. cap. 8. pag. 110. 111. &c. allowed the episcopal function, and simply desired the continuance thereof. Notwithstanding, when together with it they could not enioy the profession of the Gospell, (such was the obstinacie and tyranny of the Popish Prelates:) they were forced with the losse of the episcopall gouernement, to redeeme the most pretious iewell of the Gospell; which is to beebbMat. 13. 45. 46.Matt 13:45Matt 13:46 redeemed (if neede bee) with the losse of all outward things. Which losse, notwithstanding, they endeuoured to repaire in some places, by renewing the function of Bishoppes and Arch-bishoppes, vnderunder the names of superintendents, and generall superintendents, as in Germanie. In others, where that could not bee done, either because the Popish Bishoppes were still countenanced p. 97by the ciuil magistrate, as in France; or because the form of ciuil gouernment being after the expulsion of the B. changed into a popular state, could no more endure the gouernment of a Bishop, then Rome after the expulsion of Tarquinius the regiment of a King, as at Geneua: they were forced to bring in that forme of gouernment, which is next the best, and by a Senate or Aristocratie of graue men, to supply the absence of a Bishoppe. But, as in those places, where orthodoxall Bishoppes could not bee had, presbyters were wisely brought in, (for any gouernment whatsoeuer, is better then none at all:) so are they verie inconsideratly obtruded on those Churches, where Bishops, most soundly professing the Gospell of Christ, are established; especially, considering that the gouernment by Bishoppes, is not onelyonly simplie good and lawfull; but also in comparison, to bee preferred before theirs, as hauing better warrant.

Now let vsus consider, what practicall vses this doctrine doth afforde: first, to thē, whom God hath subiected to the authoritie of Bishops. For if their authority be the ordinance p. 98of God, and they in respect of their function are termed Angels, as sent frō God; & Stars, which Christ holdeth in his hand, as approuing their office, and protecting their persōs; then are we bound in cōscience, first, to reuerence their persons, & as the Apostle exhorteth theccPhil. 2. 29.Phil 2:29 Philippians, to hauehave them in honour, as spirituall fathers; & as they are heer called, so to receiue them, as the Angels of God.

Secondly, to obey their authoritie, as being the holy ordināce of God: It is the exhortatiō of the Apostle,Heb. 13. 17.Heb 13:17 Heb. 13. 17. as the Canons ddCanon. 40. Ignat. ad Trall.of the Apostles, and Ignatius doe expound and apply it. And the rather we shuld make conscience of these three vses alreadie mentioned, because the schisme, which is in our Church, and all the euilles which arise from thence, (which are worthie to bee lamented with aboundance of tears,) are to be ascribed to the neglect thereof; that is, to the not acknowledging of their lawfull function, the contemning of their persons, & oppugning their authoritie.

As for the reuerend Bishops themselues, they may reape comfort and encouragemēt from this text. For, seeing they bee Starres in p. 99Christs right hand, they may be assured whiles they receiuing their light frō him, who is the Sunne of righteousnes, do shine vntounto his people in the light of doctrine, & of a godly life, they shall be protected frō euill (for who shal be able to pluckeccIohn. 10. 28John 10:28 them out of his right hand?) and also be preserued, both from falling with the fallingddApo. 12. 4. starres, & from erring with theeeIud. ver. 13. wandring starres. And seeing they be the Angels & Embassadors of God; whiles they perform their office & embassage faithfully, they may expect, that he will blesse, defend, reuenge, and reward them.

And lastly, from these words they are to be put in minde of their dutie, that as they be heere honored with the titles of Angels and starres; so they would endeuour to be answerable to their names; that they would fulfill ffColo. 4. 17 2. Tim. 4. 5.2 Tim 4:5their ministerie, that they woulde keepe theirgg1. Tim. 6. 20.1 Tim 6:20 depositum, or that which is committed to their trust; that, as starres, they would shine before others in the light of pure doctrine, hh1. Tim. 3. 2.1 Tim 3:2and of a godly conversation; that they acknowledging themselues as Angels, entrusted with theiiPsal. 91.Ps 91 custody and gardianship of Gods people, may faithfully, cheerefully, p. 100vprightly, discharge the trust reposed in them; and as Angels sent frō God for the kkHeb. 1. 14.Heb 1:14good of those who shal inherit saluation, they may faithfully and zealously seeke the glory of God, from whom they are sent, in the saluation of his chosen, for whom they are sent: that so hauing shined as starres vponupon the earth, and demeaned themselues as Angels in the church militant; they may also shine as the starres in heauen, as Daniell llDan. 12. 3.Dan 12:3hath promised, and be like the electmmMath. 22.Matt 22 angels in the Church triumphant. Which the Lord grant for his Christs sake; to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, one eternall, all-sufficient, infinite, most gracious, and most glorious GOD, be all glory, honour and praise, both now and euer-more. Amen.

Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace.

Corrections, and additions.

Pag. 4. in marg. lin. a fin. 5. officer. p. 14. l. 6. 7. needed. in marg. Ierē. p. 31. in marg. ad 4. lin. adde et editionis graecae. ca. 29. p. 34. l. 10. else-where he. p. 40. ad lin. 9. Calv. Instit. lib. 4. …. 3. §. 16, Incertū est an plures imposuerint manus, nécne. p. 48. l. 2. praepositum. p. 65. l. a fine 4. apostolical. p. 73. l. 15. ad 8.

End of the text · George Downame, Two Sermons (1608)