A Treatise of Episcopacy, Part 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Whether converting a Dioceſe give right to the Converter to be their Biſhop or Governour.
1: WE deny not, but that Converts owe a peculiar love and reſpect to thoſe as their fathers in Chriſt which did convert them; which Paul claimeth of the Corinthians. 2. And we deny not but caeteris paribus, that man being as fit a man as others, and his abode being nearer, and his Church being not full, but capable of them, this advantage ſhould encline his converts, to chooſe him rather than another for their Paſtor,
But yet converting them as ſuch giveth him not a right to govern them as their Paſtor, nor neceſſitateth them to chooſe him: As I prove.
1. Becauſe a Lay man (as Frumentius and Edeſius and Origen, &c.) may convert men, who are not Paſtors to them or any.
2. Becauſe Converſion and Baptiſm as ſuch is but mens admiſſion into the Univerſal Church (as in the Eunuchs caſe, Act. 8. is manifeſt) and not into any particular Church: It uniteth them to Chriſt, but not to any particular Paſtor: For they Baptize not into their own name.
3. Becauſe when two or three go together, as Paul and Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Luke, &c. it is to be ſuppoſed that one converteth not all, but one ſome and another ſome; and therefore if converting gave right there muſt be many Biſhops and Churches in a place.
4. Becauſe when a Church is ſettled, a ſtrange preacher that cometh after, yea one that hath a charge elſewhere, may convert many neighbours, that were not Converted, and yet it will not follow that he muſt come, and ſet up another Church there for that, nor that they muſt remove their dwelling to follow him.
5. Becauſe a man may (and abundance of excellent preachers haveYet I confeſs that he that converteth many caeteris paribus is fitteſt to be choſen for their Paſtor: on which account Greg. Nazianz. was choſen at Conſtantinople, for the Succeſs of his Miniſtry againſt Arianiſm: And in my Church-Hiſtory, I have told you of a Council that decreed, that if a Biſhop neglected to turn any of his City from hereſie, he that converted them ſhould have them for his flock: which ſheweth that there might on juſt cauſe be then more Biſhops and Churches than one in a City; and that they were not neceſſarily meaſured by the compaſs of ground, but Churches might be mixt among each other as to habitation, on ſuch occaſions. done it) convert many ſouls in many Countries where they go at great diſtances from each other: But he cannot be the Biſhop of ſo many people or Churches ſo far diſperſed.
6. Becauſe it would make it uncertain who it is that hath any where the Epiſcopal power. For Converſion is, 1. a ſecret work known only to the perſon converted. 2. And it is an obſcure and uſually a gradual work, not done at once, but by ſuch degrees, that the convert ſeldome knoweth himſelf who it was that converted him: Though he may know that one mans miniſtry ſo far convinced him, and another ſo far, and ſo on; It will be hard to ſay juſt when it came to a converſion. And if you ſay it is he that perſwaded him to be baptized, that may be a lay man, or long after his Converſion. Princes in ſome Countries force or perſwade thouſands to be baptized. If you ſay, that it is he that Baptized him, than Paul ſhould be Paſtor but to few of the Corinthians, who thanked God that he baptized none of them but Stephanus houſhold, Gaius and Criſpus; as being not ſent to baptize, but to preach the Goſpel.
7. Becauſe elſe many perſons ſhould be neceſſitated to chooſe a bad or very weak man, if not a heretick for their Biſhop, when they may have far better and ablermen. For it hath been known that a bad Miniſter, and a heretical Miniſter, much more a very weak Miniſter hath converted men. But God doth not allow ſuch converts therefore to caſt their Souls under the danger and diſadvantage of ſuch a ones Miniſtry, or overſights when much fitter may be had.
8. Becauſe both nature and Scripture example direct men to another courſe; that is, 1. To be members of the Church where they are cohabitants, if there be a worthy Paſtor; 2. And to get the beſt they can. For cohabitation or proximity or vicinity is neceſſary to Church ends, both to publick and private communion and mutual help. But the Miniſter that converth them may dwell far off that.
Therefore indeed the Reaſons why all in a City and vicinity were wont to be of the ſame Church (if there were room) was not becauſe that Miniſter converted them, but becauſe they were fit for ſuch Communion by cohabitation.
9. And were it otherwiſe the Biſhop and his Presbyters preaching to the ſame people, the Presbyter might convert more and become joint Biſhop.
10. And certainly it would unbiſhop all the Engliſh Biſhops almoſt that I am acquainted with, who nether converted their Dioceſes from Infidelity, nor baptized them, nor convert many that ever we hearof from a wicked life, to ſerious holineſs: which the Presbyters have done by very many, and ſo muſt there be made the Biſhops (if they would.)