A Treatise of Episcopacy, Part 2 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. That God inſtituted ſuch Presbyters as had the foreſaid power of the Keys, in Doctrine, Worſhip, and Diſcipline; and no other, proved by the Sacred Scriptures.
THat God inſtituted ſuch Presbyters and no other, I ſhall prove by the enumeration and peruſal of all the Texts of Scripture which mention them, (viz. as inſtituted in the New Teſtament, and now in force.)
Act. 14. 23. When they had Ordained them Elders in every Church—Compared with Tit. 1. 5. That thou ſhouldeſt Ordain Elders in every City, as I had appointed thee—7. For a Biſhop muſt be blameleſs as the ſteward of God. And his power is deſcribed v. 11, 13. Ch. 2. 1, 7, 15. and 3. 10. intimate it. Compare this with 1 Tim. 3. 1, 2, 5, 6.
1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, eſpecially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine: compared with 1 Cor. 9. 14. Gal. 6. 6. which ſhew that preaching the Goſpel was their work, as well as Ruling the Churches under them, as 1 Cor. 12. 28. Eph. 4. 11, 12. Rom. 12. 7, 8. intimate
Acts 20. 17, 28. He ſent to Epheſus and called the Elders of the Church—Take heed to your ſelves and to all the flocks over the which the Holy Ghoſt hath made you overſeers, (or Biſhops) to feed (or rule) the Church of God which he hath purchaſed with his own bloud. v. 31. Therefore watch &c. v. 35. So labouring, ye ought to ſupport the weak.
Acts 11. 30. They ſent it to the Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Soul. Acts 15. 2. 6. 22, 23. To the Apoſtles and Elders—And the Apoſtles and Elders came together to conſider——Then pleaſed it the Apoſtles and Elders with the whole Church——The Apoſtles, Elders, and Brethren ſend greeting—See v. 25, 28.
Acts. 6. 4. The decrees which were ordained of the Apoſtles and Elders which were at Jeruſalem.
Acts 2…. 18. The day following Paul went in with us unto James, and all the Elders were preſent—
1 …im. 4. 14. Neglect not the gift which is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery—
1 Pet. 5. 1. The Elders which are among you …exhort, who alſo am an Elder;—Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the overſight (or Epiſcopacy) thereof, not by conſtraint but willingly—Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage, but being enſamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd ſhall appear—
2 Joh. 1. The Elder to the Elect Lady—
Whether thoſe Texts, 1 Tim. 5. 1. Rebuke not an Elder. v. 19. Receive not an accuſation againſt an Elder] ſpeak of an Elder by Office or by Age, is uncertain; if it be by Office, the other Texts deſcribe them.
Jam. 5. 14. Is any man ſick? Let him call for the Elders of the Church. All theſe Texts ſhew that every Church had Elders by the inſtitution of the Holy Ghoſt: That they were the Teachers, Worſhippers, Rulers, and were among the people, preſent with their flock, perſonally doing their Offices, &c. And the Scripture mentioneth no other that I can find.
And of this I have Dr. Hammonds full confeſſion, Annotat. in Act. 11. & diſſert. before cited: with all thoſe whom he mentioneth of his party and mind. And as for them of the contrary opinion, they tell us that in Scripture times the Names Presbyter & Biſhop were common: And that the word [Biſhops] ſometimes ſignified all the Presbyters (the Biſhops as Presbyters and the Subpresbyters) as in Phil. 1. 1, 2. And that the word [Presbyters] ſometimes ſignifieth the Biſhops only, and ſometime both conjunctly: But they are none of them able to give us any one inſtance with proof, of a Text which ſpeaketh of Subject Presbyters? (I mean ſubject in Order or degree to Biſhops of the ſingle Churches, and not ſubject to the Apoſtles and General officers.) And while we prove that God appointed ſuch entire Presbyters as are here deſcribed, and they cannot prove againſt (Dr. Hammond or us) that any one text ſpeaketh of a lower order or rank, I think we need no other Scripture evidence.