The Remains of John Corbet, Section 1
§ 1: What was anciently a Biſhops Church.
THE Name Church is the firſt and only Scripture-name properly belonging to a Biſhops charge. In the beginning of Chriſtianity, Biſhops or Paſtors had their Churches in Cities or Towns: And commonly the Converts of the Adjacent Villages were by reaſon of their paucity taken in as parts of the City Congregation, and all made but one particular Church, the members whereof had local Communion with each other: Accordingly, the name of city applied to a Biſhops charge, could be but extrinſecal, it being not the name of the thing it ſelf, but only of the place where it was congregate. The name of Pariſh came next in uſe for the ſaid charge; And this name is ſtill in uſe for a particular Church or Congregation, which hath its proper and immediate Biſhop or Paſtor. The word Dioceſs, as relating to a Biſhop, was unknown for ſeveral ages of Chriſtianity; but afterwards it was borrowed from civil uſe, and applied to the Church. A Dioceſs was one of the larger diviſions of the Roman Empire, and comprehended ſeveral Provinces. Accordingly when it was firſt applied to the Church, it was uſed for the ſame circuit; and as a Province was the charge of a Metropolitan, who had many Biſhops under him; ſo a Dioceſs was the charge of a Patriarch, who had many Metropolitans under him: And according to this ſence there was a Canon made to forbid the running for ordination, without the Dioceſs, that is, without or beyond the foreſaid patriarchal circuit. But the uſe of the word for the charge of ſuch a Biſhop, as had no Biſhops but only Preſbyters under him, came up in latter times.
From the firſt and only Scripture-name properly belonging to a Biſhops charge, it is inferred, that a Biſhop and a particular Church are correlates. A particular Church as ſuch, hath its own proper Biſhop; and a Biſhop as ſuch, hath his particular Church, as his proper and immediate charge.
The biſhops Church was anciently but one ſociety Eccleſiaſtical, which might and did perſonally meet together at once, or by turns, for Worſhip and Diſcipline under the ſame immediate Paſtors; which appears by the proofs here following.
1. All the members thereof, even men ſervants and maid-ſervants, as well as others, might and ſhould be known by name to the biſhop. Ignat. Ep. to Policarp. Id. ad Trall. In the Panegyrick of Paulinus Biſhop of Tyre, Euſeb. lib. 10. cap. 4. It is ſaid, 'Tis the work of a biſhop to be intimately acquainted with the minds and ſtates of every one of the flock, when by experience and time he hath made inquiry into every one of them.
2. One Church had but one Altar, and conſequently but one ſtated aſſembly for full Communion. Ignat. Ep. ad Philadelph. To the Presbyters and Deacons my fellow ſervants. If one biſhop muſt here be taken numerically, ſo muſt one altar. The Apoſtles Canons, c. 5.32. make it appear there was but one altar and one biſhop, with the Presbyters and Deacons, in a church. Alſo Council Antiochen. c. 5. Hereupon Mr. Mede ſaith, that before dioceſſes were divided into pariſhes, they had not only one altar in one church or dominicum, but one altar to a church, taking church for the company or corporation of the faithful united under one biſhop or paſtor, and that was in the city or place where the biſhop had his Sea or Reſidence. Add hereunto, that to ſet up another altar, was accounted a note of ſchiſm.
3. Each ſingle church had its proper and immediate biſhop. Ignat. ad Philad. as before; to every church one altar, one biſhop. He ſhews alſo, that without a biſhop, the ſtate of a church exiſts not, Ep. ad Smyrn. Whereſoever the biſhop appears, there is the church; as whereſoever Jeſus Chriſt appears, there is the Catholick church. A particular church was then no larger than that where the biſhop appeared. Id. ad Trall. The biſhop is a type of the higheſt father; and the Presbyters are as the foreign of God, and the bond of Apoſtolical concord, Ib. Be ſubject to the biſhop, likewiſe to the presbyters and deacons. This ſhews that the biſhop and presbyters were together in one and the ſame particular church, and jointly took the immediate charge of the flock.
4. Some of the Ancients teſtifie, that the Apoſtles placed only biſhops without presbyters, in ſome churches. Epiphan. Hereſ. 65.
5. Concerning the largeneſs of a biſhops church, let that inſtance of Gregory Thaumaturgus be conſidered. He was made biſhop of Neocaeſarea, when he had but ſeventeen Chriſtians; afterwards when many were converted at Comana, a ſmall town that was near, he did not make it a part of his own dioceſs, but ordained Alexander the Collier, a right worthy perſon, to be their biſhop. And they were of no greater number than what met to chuſe him, and hear him preach.
6. The ordinary work of a biſhop, ſhews that it was but one ſingle church that he had charge of. Juſtin Martyr ſetting forth the manner of the church aſſemblies, tells us, that the Preſident himſelf preached, gave thanks, adminiſtred the Euchariſt, and exerciſed diſcipline. Tertullian de corona Militis, c. 3. ſaith, We take the Sacrament of the Euchariſt from the hand of no other than of the Preſident. It is to be noted, that in thoſe times they received the Sacrament at leaſt every Lords day. And it is confeſſed by Epiſcopal Divines, that this Preſident was the biſhop. But if any ſay that he was a meer presbyter, they muſt grant that a presbyter had the name of Preſident, and a governing power.
7. It is much aſſerted among the Hierarchical Divines, that anciently biſhops only were allowed to preach. And if this was ſo, it was and could be but one ſingle church that a biſhop had as his immediate charge; for we cannot imagine that there were churches which ordinarily had no preaching, or in which preaching was not ordinarily allowed; yea, the presbyters might not baptize without the biſhops command or conſent. This ſhews that each particular church had its proper biſhop.
8. That church in which divine worſhip was performed, had alſo diſcipline exerciſed in it, Tertul. Apol. c. 39.
9. The biſhops church was no greater than that all the people could meet together and chuſe their biſhop. In Cyprian's time, at the ordaining of a biſhop, the next biſhops came to the people, for whom the biſhop was to be ordained, and every one was acquainted with his converſation, Cypr. lib. 1. Ep. 4. Eraſmus Edit. to Felix a presbyter. Nor let the people flatter themſelves as free from the contagion of the ſin, when they communicate with a prieſt that is a ſinner—They ought to ſeparate themſelves from him, ſeeing they chiefly have the power either of chuſing worthy, or refuſing unworthy prieſts. Sacerdotal Ordinations ought not to be made, but under the conſcience of the aſſiſting people.—The cuſtom is with us, and almoſt throughout all provinces, That to the celebrating of Ordinations, all the next b…ſhops of the ſame province aſſemble with the people to whom the Praepoſitus is ordained. To the ſame purpoſe we find much in very many of his Epiſtles. This was the ordinary courſe of the firſt Ages, for all the people to chuſe their biſhops, and to be preſent thereat; for which a multitude of teſtimonies may eaſily be produced.
10. Apoſt. Can. c. 5. ſhew, that the biſhop with his presbyters and deacons lived on the gifts of the ſame altar. 'Twas the cuſtom of biſhops and their presbyters to dwell together, and be in common.
11. The numerouſneſs of the ancient biſhops and their churches, ſhew, that thoſe churches were of no large extent. In the firſt council of Carthage it was decreed, c. 11. That for examining every ordinary cauſe of an accuſed presbyter, ſix biſhops out of the neighbouring-places were to hear and determine; and for every cauſe of a deacon, three biſhops.
It is reported that Patrick planted in Ireland three hundred ſixty five churches, and as many biſhops. In the Vandalick perſecution ſix hundred and ſixty biſhops fled out of one part of Africa, beſides all that were murthered, impriſoned, and tolerated. Many proofs hereof might be alledged; but in general it ſufficeth to note, That a great number of biſhops could on a ſudden meet together in a Provincial Aſſembly, as in the ſixth council of Carthage two hundred and ſeventeen biſhops were met. And in the times of perſecution under the heathen Emperors, there were numerous Aſſemblies of biſhops when they went in fear of their lives.
12. The paucity of Presbyters in a Biſhops Church ſhews that it was not very large. In greater Churches they had a greater number of presbyters, but in ſmaller they had often two, ſometimes one, ſometimes none.
The matter here conſidered, touching the ancient form and ſtate of a biſhops Church, will be further cleared in the following Sections.