Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 2 · Section 4
Bishop Brownrigg' s Answer about Government.
Prop. 1. YOur first Proposal is, In every Parish where there are more Presbyters than one, let one be the Chief, and his Consent chiefly taken in the guidance of the Church.
Answ. 1. This Case is rarely to be found in the Parishes of England, nor can there be a sufficient Maintenance for a Plurality of Presbyters in our Parochial Congregations, yet if such be found, it may be a good means to preserve Order and Peace; that the ordering of Affairs, which shall be referred to them, be managed by him that hath the Praesecture of that Parish, I wish that in those Churches which beside the Incumbent have had Lecturers, this Rule had been observed.
Prop. 2. Let many such Churches be associated (call it a Classis or what you will) and let the fittest Man be their President, as long as he is fit, that is, during life, unless he deserve a removal.
Answ. 2. This Proposal looks like our Rural Deaneries, or Choriepiscopal Order, which hath been laid much aside, but for the reducing of it, and to make it profitable, I wish that it may be bounded with fit Canons, prescribing what they may do, and with intimation from the Bishop and his Inspection, and that such a Dean or President may be continued for Life, that being a means to breed Experience, if he do not deserve a removal.
Prop. 3. Let divers of these Classes meet once or twice a Year in a Provincial Assembly, and let the fit…est Man in the Province be their standing President.
Answ. 3. This Course hath been by Law and Practice already used in our Church in the Archidiaconal Visitations and Synods, which may be more quickened and actuated by sit Canons for their Direction; what and who the President must be, may be provided for by Canons, and his Station continued; and that Presbyters having Cure of Souls should not be accounted meer Preachers but Church-Guides, and as they are already acknowledged Rectors of Churches.
Prop. 4. Let it be left to every Man's Conscience, Whether the President be called by the Name of Bishop, President, Superintendent, Moderator, &c. seeing that a Name is no meet Reason of a Breach, &c.
Answ. 4. If by President you understand him that must moderate the Half-year or yearly Synods under the Inspection of the Diocesan, as his Order may be newly framed, so his Name may be newly imposed; but that the Primitive Name of Bishop should be turned into a new Name, is, as you say, no meet Reason for a Breach; and we see Presbyters assume that Name to themselves, and to put a new Name upon an old Institution is, as Augustine speaks in the like Case, Indoctis struere fallaciam doctis facere injuriam.
Prop. 5. Let no Man be forced to Express his Iudgment de Jure, Whether the President have a Negative Voice in Ordination or Excommunication; or whether he be distinct in Order or Degree, seeing it is not the unanimous and right Belief of these things that is of Necessity (for then they must have been in our Creed) but the unanimous and right Practice; but let them all agree that they will constantly joyn in these Classical and Provincial Assemblies, and then only Ordain; and that they will not Ordain but when the President is one; unless in Case of flat Necessity, which is never like to befall us if this may be taken…
Answ. 5. If by President you understand the Diocesan, then that the Bishop should be deprived of his Negative Voice in Ordination or Excommunication, and so I conceive in other Censures and Acts of Government, is, to make him a meer Shadow without any Authority, like our Scrutators in our University, to propound Graces, and collect Suffrages, and pronounce Sentence: Surely St. Paul invested Timothy and Titus with more Power and Authority, both for Ordination and Censures; but then to remedy the Inconveniencies of a wilful Negative, it's fit that an Appeal may be made to a Provincial Synod, that may examine, and if need be, rectifie what was amiss in the Negative.
That Church Businesses were Ordered by the Concurrence of more Presbyters besides the Bishop in Cyprian's time, was fit at that time; when the Government of Church Affairs was Arbitrary, and not Regulated by Law; in which Case it was safest for the Bishop to have the Consent of others with him: This is not our Case, we have express Canons and Laws laid upon Bishops, beyond which they cannot go, and so may well be intrusted with the Execution of the Sentence of the Law, the Sentence of the Judge being only Declarativa & Executiva, and if he transgress those Rules prefixed, he is liable to Censure. In our Church plurimum legi, minimum Episcopo relinquitur, as we see in Civil Matters, one Justice of Peace hath the Power of Executing the Sentence of a Law or Statute, but no Arbitrary Power granted to him.
That the Bishop be distinct from the Presbyter, whether ordine or gradu, is the Schoolmens Debate, and I conceive may have such accord as may not ingender strife.
That Ordination be by the Assistance of Presbyters is already required in our Form of Ordination, and if it be fixed to the Times of Synods it may be easily granted, and sure that Blame that hath been laid upon our Bishops for Ordaining of insufficient Men is most what an undue Charge: the Law of the Land hath set that lowness of sufficiency in Men to be ordained and instituted, that if a Bishop refuseth to give Orders or Institution to a Man presented by the Patron, he is punishable by the Judges: As I have heard, Archbishop Abbot was fined an Hundred pounds in case he did not admit a Clark so meanly qualified as the Law requires.