The Remains of John Corbet, Section 7
§ 7. Teſtimonies to prove, That the Epiſcopal Authority is really in the Presbyters.
1. THAT Presbyters have the power of the keys, and that the Apoſtles received it as Presbyters, is commonly agreed on all ſides. Mr. Thorndike in his form of primitive Government and Right of Churches, p. 128. ſaith, That the power of the keys, that is, the power of the Church, whereof that power is the root and ſource, is common to biſhops and presbyters. Biſhop Morton in his Apology, Dr. Field, and many others, ſay much more.
2. Presbyters have the power of juriſdiction and diſcipline, particularly of excommunication and abſolution. Spalatenſis proves, that the power of excommunication and abſolution is not different from the power of the keys, which is exerciſed in foro poenitentiali, and is acknowledged to belong to presbyters, L. 5, c. 9. n. 2. l. 5. c. 2. n. 48, &c. Jerome in his Epiſtle to Heliodor, ſaith, If I ſin, a presbyter may deliver me to Satan. In the Church of England a presbyter is ſet to paſs the ſentence of excommunication in the Chancellors Court, tho he doth but ſpeak the words when the Court bids him. Tertullian in his Apology c. 59. ſaith, that probati quique ſeniores, all the approved Elders did exerciſe diſcipline in the Church.
Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. l. 7. ſaith, that in the Church the presbyters keep that diſcipline which makes men better. Irenaeus l. 4. c. 44. With the order of presbytery they keep the doctrine of the Apoſtles ſound, and their converſation without offence, unto the information and correction of the reſt. This place ſhews, that diſcipline for correction as well as doctrine for information, did belong to the presbyters. Epiphanius haereſ. 42. reports, that Marcion was expell'd by the Roman presbyters, the Sea being vacant. Id Hereſ. 47. That Noetus was convicted, judged, and expelled by a ſeſſion of presbyters. Many Dioceſſes have been long without biſhops upon ſeveral occaſions, and governed all that time by presbyters. Vid. Blondels Apol. ſect. 3. p. 183, 184. The Church of England allows presbyters in the Convocation to make Canons. Alſo it allows presbyters to keep perſons from the Communion of the Church for ſome offences, and to receive them again if they repent. To ſay that the presbyters cannot exerciſe this power without the biſhops conſent, doth not derogate from the truth of their power herein; for in ſome ancient times it was ſo ordered, that presbyters could perform …o ſacred miniſtrations without their biſhop. They might not baptize (as hath been obſerved) without the biſhops command; but that limitation reſpected only the exerciſe of the power, but not the power in it ſelf.
3. Presbyters have power of ordaining, Acts 13.1, 2, 3. The Church of Antioch had not many Prelates at that time, if any; but the prophets and teachers there are mentioned as Ordainers. Whereas ſome ſay they were biſhops of many Churches in Syria; they ſpeak without proof, and againſt the text, which ſaith, there were in the church that was at Antioch, certain prophets and teachers, &c. which clearly expreſſeth, that they all belonged to that Church: this right of presbyters is confirmed by the paſſages before cited, concerning the ordaining and making the biſhops of Alexandria by the presbyters of that Church. Firmilian in Cyprian, Ep. 75. ſaith of them that Rule in the Church, that they have the power of baptizing, of laying on of hands, and ordaining; and who they be, he expreſſed a little before, viz. Seniors and Praepoſiti, by which the presbyters as well as the biſhops are underſtood. Foeliciſſimus was ordained a deacon by Novatus, one of Cyprians presbyters, ſchiſmatically; yet his ordination was not nulled by Cyprian, but he was depoſed for maladminiſtration. The firſt Council of Nice in their Epiſtle to the Church of Alexandria, and all the Churches of Egypt, Libia, and Pentapolis, thus determine concerning the presbyters ordained by Meletius [Socrat. l. 1. c. 6.] Let thoſe that by the grace of God, and helped by our prayers, are found to have turned aſide to no ſchiſm, but have contained themſelves within the bounds of the Catholick and Apoſtolick Church, free from ſpot of error, have authority of ordaining Miniſters, and alſo of nominating thoſe that are worthy of the Clergy, &c. Now tho they had not this power granted them to be exerciſed apart without their biſhop; yet it is to be noted, that they had the power, tho the Biſhop as preſident guided in all thoſe acts. The Author of the Comment on the Epheſians, that goes under the name of Ambroſe, ſaith, That in Egypt the presbyters ordain (conſignant) if the biſhop be not preſent. Alſo Auſtin faith, that in Alexandria and all Egypt, if the biſhop be wanting, the presbyters conſecrate. Presbyters ſent biſhops into England, and ordained biſhops for England. Bedes Hiſt. l. 3. c. 4, 5. The Abbot and other presbyters of the Iſland Hye, ſent Aydan, &c. at King Oſwalds Requeſt; and this was the ordinary cuſtom; tho in reſpect of the cuſtom of the Empire, it is ſaid to be unuſual. That presbyters may ordain, ſee Anſelm on 1 Tim. 4.14. alſo Bucer Script. Anglic. p. 254, 255, 259, 291. The Lollards and Wickliefiſts in England, held and practiſed ordination by meer presbyters, Walſingham Hiſt. Ang. An. 1389. ſo did the Lutheran proteſtants. Bugenhagius Pomeranus, a presbyter of Wittenberg, ordained the Proteſtant biſhops of Denmark in the preſence of the King and Senate, in the chief Church at Hafnia. See Melchior Adam in the Life of Bugenhagius, and Chytraeus Saxon Chronicle, l. 14, 15, 16, 17. Forbes in his Irenicum l. 2. c. 11. ſaith, that presbyters have a ſhare with biſhops in the impoſition of hands, not only as conſenting to the ordination, but as ordainers with the biſhop by a power received from the Lord, and as praying for grace to be confer'd on the perſons ordained by them and the biſhop. That the Ancients did argue from the power of baptizing, to the power of ordaining, is evident out of the Maſter, lib. 4. diſtinct. 25.
4. Presbyters with Biſhops laid on hands for Reſtoring the excommunicate, and bleſſing the people, Cyprian. Epiſt. 12. Nor can any return to communion, unleſs hands be laid upon him by the Biſhop and Clergy. Vid. alſo Ep. 9. & 46. Id. l. 3. Ep. 14. Eraſm. Edit. To the presbyters and deacons, againſt ſome preſbyters who had given the peace of the Church raſhly to ſome of the lapſed, with the knowledg of the Biſhop. In leſſer offences, ſinners after a juſt time of penance and confeſſion, receive Right of Communication by the impoſition of hands of the Biſhop and Clergy. Clemens Alexandrin. paedag. p. 248. ſpeaking againſt women wearing other hair than their own, ſaith, On whom doth the presbyter lay hands? whom doth he bleſs? Not on the woman adorn'd, but on anothers Hair, and thereby on anothers Head.