The Remains of John Corbet, Section 5
§ 5. That Biſhops and Presbyters are of the ſame order. The Teſtimony of later times concerning it.
THat this is not the opinion only of thoſe who are now called Presbyterians, let the teſtimonies both of ancient and later times touching this point be conſidered. I begin with thoſe of later times.
The French and Belgick Confeſſions aſſert the parity of order of all Miniſters of the Goſpel.
Reynold Peacock biſhop of Chicheſter wrote a book de Miniſtrorum aqualitate, which the Papiſts cauſed to be burnt.
Vid. Eraſmus his Annotations on 1 Tim. 4.
Caſſanders conſult. Article 14. ſaith, It is agreed among all, that of old in the Apoſtles days, there was no difference between biſhops and presbyters; but for orders ſake, and avoiding of ſchiſm, a biſhop was put before a presbyter. This his opinion he delivered to the Emperor of Germany, being ſent for by him to inform his conſcience about ſuch queſtions.
In the time of King Henry the Eighth, there was publiſhed a book by Cranmer and others called the biſhops book, wherein is affirmed, that the difference of biſhops was a device of the ancient fathers, not mentioned in Scripture. An. 1537. In the book called the Inſtitution of a Chriſtian man, made by the Clergy in a provincial ſynod, and ſet forth by the Kings Authority, and approved by the Parliament, it is aſſerted, That the Fathers of the ſucceeding Church, after the Apoſtles, inſtituted certain inferior degrees of Miniſtry; yet in the New Teſtament no mention is made of any degrees or diſtinctions in orders, but only of Deacons or Miniſters, and of presbyters or biſhops. The Parliament Divines at the Treaty in the Iſle of Wight in their Anſwer to the King, ſay, This doctrine of the ſameneſs of the order of a biſhop and presbyter, was publiſhed by King Henry the Eighth, An. 1543. to be received by all the ſubjects, and was ſeen and approved by the Lords, both ſpiritual and temporal, and by the lower houſe of Parliament: The words of the book are, The Scripture mentions theſe two orders only, to wit, Presbyters and Deacons, and the Apoſtles confirming them by prayer and impoſition of hands.
Mr. Mede diſcourſe 5. on 1 Cor. 4 1. ſaith, there are properly but two orders Eccleſiaſtical, Presbyters and Deacons, the reſt are but divers degrees of theſe two.
Dr. Hammonds opinion concerning biſhops and presbyters, is thus declared in his Annotations on Acts 11. Altho the Title of Elders hath extended to a ſecond order in the Church, and now is in uſe only for them; yet in the Scripture-times it belonged principally, if not alone, to the biſhops, there being no evidence that any of that ſecond order were then inſtituted in the Churches. Now if in Scripture-times presbyters of an inferior order to biſhops were not inſtituted (as this learned man ſuppoſeth) it is evident, that all thoſe Church-officers called presbyters, mentioned in Scripture, were biſhops; and if this inferior order of presbyters be not to be found in Scripture, I deſire to know, what proof can be made of its divine inſtitution.
Many, if not moſt, Papiſts acknowledg, that presbytery is the higheſt order in the miniſtry, and that Epiſcopacy is but a different degree of the ſame order: And it is no reſolved point of faith among them, whether biſhops differ from presbyters only in degree, or in order and office.
Catalogus Teſtium veritatis, Tom. 2 reports, that Wicklief held but two orders of miniſters, Walſing. Hist. in Rich. 2 p. 205. ſaith, That it was one of Wickliefs errors, that every prieſt rightly ordained had power to adminiſter all Sacraments.
Dr. Reynolds in his Epiſtle to Sir Francis Knolls ſhews, That they who had laboured for Reformation of the Church for five hundred years paſt, held that all paſtors, be they intituled biſhops or prieſts, have equal authority by the Word of God.
Ockham a great Schoolman, faith, that by Chriſts inſtitution all prieſts of whatſoever degree, are of equal authority, power and jurisdiction, Catal. Teſt. Verit. Richardus de Media Villa in 4 Sent. diſtinct. 24 q. 2. ſaith, That Epiſcopacy is to be called not an order, which is a Sacrament; but rather a certain dignity of an order. Council Colon. Enchirid. Chriſt. Religion Paris edit. An. 1558. p. 169. of holy orders, ſaith, biſhops and presbyters were the ſame order in the primitive church, as all the Epiſtles of Peter and Paul, and Jerom alſo, and almoſt all the Fathers witneſs. Richardus Armachanus l. 9. c. 5. ad queſt. Armen. ſaith, There is not found in the Evangelical or Apoſtolical Scripture any difference between biſhops and ſimple prieſts, called presbyters. It. lib. 11. q. Arm. c. 5. Johan. Semeca in his gloſs, diſt. 95. c. Olim, ſaith, In the firſt primitive church the name and offices began to be diſtinguiſhed, and the prelation was for the remedy of Schiſm. Gratian diſtinct. 60 c. null. ex. urb. pap. ſaith, The primitive church had only thoſe two holy orders, presbyterate and diaconate; And Dr. Reynolds ſaith, That this was once enrolled in the Canon-Law for ſound doctrine. Peter Lombard the father of the Schoolmen, Lib. 4. diſtinct. 24. tit. 1. ſaith the ſame, and that of theſe two Orders only we have the Apoſtles precept. Sixtus Senenſis heaps up the teſtimonies of others upon his own, to the ſame thing.