Vindication and Assertion of Calvin and Bezas Presbyterian Principles, Chapter 3
CHAP. Third.
An Examination of the Definitions in Point of Church-Government, imputed by this Pamphleter to Calvin and Beza, wherein is discovered his gross Perversion of the Doctrine of these Divines.
I Confess, that upon first reading of these Definitions, I was a little surprised, to find this Man, (who by his Profession, no doubt is skilled in the Nature and Terms of Definitions) Found these Assertions upon what he here cites out of Calvin and Beza, and to present them under this Character, but to view them shortly.
Defin. 1.
The first is this, The Power of Ordination, is that Right in the Governours of the Church, to separate Persons duely qualified unto the holy Ministry of the Gospel. To prove this Definition to be Calvins, he cites instit. Lib. 4. Cap. 4. Sect. 2. annexing these words, this is to be considered, that only the Pastors, and not the whole Multitude laid Hands on their Ministers at Ordination.
Answer.
Hence I infer, First, these Governours who have Right in Ordination, are the Pastors in Calvin's judgment. 2. If Pastors, as such; then all Pastors, for a Quatenus adomne valet consequentia. 3. Pastors, properly such, having in Calvin's Judgment one and the same Office, being called to the same function, and no preheminency in one over another allowed, as we heard him above assert; Ergo in Calvin's Judgment, all Pastors have the same and equal Authority in Ordination. 4 The Pastor being with Calvin, the h…ghest ordinary Church-Officer, and the formal Office of Apostles, and Evangelists being expired, as is above cleared: Ergo in Calvin's Judgment, all who have an ordinary standing Interest in Ordination, as Church-Officers of Christ's appointment have it equally, and no ordinary Officer of the New-Testament-Church, hath a supereminent and peculiar Interest therein.
Defin. 2
The second Definition is, That the power of Jurisdiction, is that Right, in the Governours of the Church, to make Cannons which are wanting, or to execute these already made, for the Regulation of Church Members. To prove this, Calvin is adduced on Tit. ch. 1 v. 5. The words cited are, we learned indeed from this place, that there was no such equality among the Ministers of the Church, but that some one was pre-heminent in Authority and Counsel.
Answer.
In Answer to which, First, I Note the impertinency of this Passage, to prove the power of Jurisdiction, here Defined, which speaks only of Counsel and Authority, in Church Governours, not of the Object of it, whereof this Definition speaks.
2. Since the power of Jurisdiction, is correspondent and adequat to the power of Ordination, as our Author expressly assert, (Definition 3. compared with Axiom 2.) an… withall, since it is made good, that with Calvin, the power of Ordination is one and the same in all Pastors, as being the highest ordinary Church Officers; Hence it follows inevitably, That with him the power of Jurisdiction, is the same, and equal in all Ministers of the Word.
3. The Definition seems too narrow, if we take it as importing, all that's beyond that Power of Ordination, first described, that is all the exercise of both the Keys, which will far go beyond the limits of this Description. Besides, these Cannons must be limited by the general Rules of the Word, in Calvin's Judgment, for speaking of the Apostolick Decision (Acts 15.) He says, they would not step beyond the limits of the Word▪ Next, for that Preheminence, which Calvin ascribes to those Officers in Authority and Counsel.
I Answer first, What ever this Preheminence was, Calvin limits it to that State and Time of the Church, for he says Tun…, or at that time, wherein those Offices did exist, which he holds to be extraordinary, there was such an Official difference, as is mentioned, otherwise, if our Author say he means a standing Pastoral fixed Authority, he will involve him in a double contradiction; first, in that he says, The Evangelists were Coajutors of the Apostles, and fixed to no Station. 2. In that he shews upon the 7. v. of this Chapter, that there is no Official difference, in the pastoral Office. Again, Calvin shews upon the same place, that Paul enjoyns him not to take an arbitrary power over this Church, but only to preside over the Elections, as Moderator.
This will be convincingly evident, to any that will be at the pains to read Calvin, upon that 5 and 6 verse, For
First, He asserts, That Paul had deputed to Titus, a Vicarious Administration in his own room, and that the Apostles having a transient unfixt Ministry, being about to spread the Gospel every where, behoved when going from one place or City to another, to surrogat fit men to finish what they had begun.
2. He asserts in terminis, that this Vicarious Office and Administration, was ultra ordinarium Pastorum munus, beyond the ordinary Office of Pastors, and that the trust put upon him of Exedifying this Church, was of that Nature; and in this states the difference betwixt his Administration, and that of the Pastor, which is ordinary, in that Pastors are set over Churches already Formed and Constitute; But Titus had an Office beyond this, viz. To give this Form to Churches, not as yet modelled, as to Government; asserting evdently, that the Evangelistick Office of Titus, in so far as extended beyond that of the Pastor, did suppose the Church as yet, in fieri, as to its Constitution; Yea, and the Existence of the Apostolick Office too, upon whose foundation these Evangelists were to build, and exedifie what they had begun. 3. He asserts expressly, That the preaching Presbyter and Pastor, is the highest ordinary Officer set in the Churches. 4. He moves an Objection, whether this power of Titus, did not seem to infringe the Judicial power of the Colledge of Pastors, or their consistorial decisive Authority in Government, and Answers, that matters were not committed to Ti…us arbitriment, to set up what Pastors he pleased, but he was only to preside over the Elections, as Moderator, &c. as the Consul or Dictator, who held the Court for gathering the Votes. In all which we see, how pitifully this man hath abused his Reader in this Definition.
Defin. 3.
The 3d Definition is thus, The President Bishop is he, who from his Office, preheminent to other Ministers, is invested with a fixed power of Ordination, regulat by Cannons; (to prove this, he adduces Calvin on 2 Tim. 1. v. 6. who asserts, that Paul himself declares, that he alone, and no other Ministers with him, laid hands on Timothy) he adds in the Definition, (and of Jurisdiction, ballanced by assisting Ministers,) for proving which part of the Definition, he adduces Calvin, Instit: lib: 4. cap: 4. Sect: 1. Asserting, That whatever parts the Consul had in the Senat, the same Office did the Bishop always sustain in the meeting of Presbyters.
To the First Branch, I answer, That he is guilty here of pitiful Forgery, and begging the question, evident to any considering person, upon the very first vie….
Answer.
For, 1. If Calvin's assertion prove any thing for him, it will prove not only a preheminent power of Ordination, in this supposed President B…shop, but a sole Power, competent to none but himself, as his sole Prerogative; because if he alone (as Paul did) and none else must lay on hands, he, and no other Minister jure; Ergo, Then this is his sole Prerogative; For certainly the laying on of hands, must import the Power and Exercise of Ordination, in Calvin's Judgment, according to that mans pleading, and so this proving too much, proves just nothing.
Answer 2.
2. I ask, whether this supposed Power of Ordination, is to be ballanced, as that of Jurisdiction, by assisting Ministers, or authoritatively concurring; yea, or not; (by assisting he must needs mean this, if he hold to that S…ilitude, of the power of the Consul in the Senat, and turn not his President Bishop, to an Absolute Prince, and his power to a power of Dominion over the meeting,) if not, then first, How can be suppose the one to be ballanced thus, in Calvin's Judgment, rather then the other. 2. How will this consist with what he asserts, that according to Calvin, the power of Jurisdiction is of alike nature, and correspondent to that of Ordination; The preheminence in Office and Jurisdiction, being one and the same, in Axiom. 2.
If this Power of Ordination, is to be ballanced in Calvins Judgment by Assisting Ministers, how will he make his Proof quadrat to it, viz, That Paul laid Hands on Timothy alone, and no Minister else; If he infer the Power of his President Bishop from this Assertion, he must call it a Sole Power.
3. I confess he did well to put in the Clause of a Fixed Power, but he must add another Clause and Qualification, viz. an Ordinary Power; And if he can prove from Calvin, that either Apostles or Evangelists exercised a fix'd ordinary Power of Ordination over any particular Churches, his Proof will speak home to the Point; and if we can prove the contrary from Calvin, he is but beating the Air, and rolling Ssiphus-Stone in this Matter. Now this our contrary Proof from Calvin is very easie, for on this 5th Verse, he says, that Apostolis nulla certa statio erat assignata, that they had no fixed Station, and consequently neither a fixed nor ordinary Power, thus upon 1 Corinth. 12. 28. he says, Paul reckons up both perpetual and temporary Officers; the Temporary was that of Apostles, who were appointed to found Churches, and erect Christs Kingdom therein, whose Office shortly after ceast and evanish'd; the Apostles were appointed to spread the Gospel through the World, and had no certain Charges and limits of Paroches, but wherever they came, were to deliver their Message, wherein they differ from Pastors, who are tyed to their Churches, &c. upon Eph. 4 11. he tells us that the Apostles Office, was to Preach the Gospel in whatever place they came into. To plant Churches and erect the Kingdom to Christ, so that they had not every one peculiar proper Churches assigned to them, but all of them had a general command to preach the Gospel where…ver they came. To these the Evangelists were next, and had alike Office, only in a different degree of Dignity, of which kind were T…mothy, and such like—of their subsidiary help the Lord made use next to that of Apostles—and having thereafter described the Office of the Pastor and Doctor, he adds, Notandum est ex his officiis quae hic enumerat Paulus, postrema tantum du… perpetua esse; We must observe, that among these Offices which Paul reckons up, the last two only, are perpetual, for God did for a time only a…o…n his Church with Apostles, Prophets & Evangelists, but without Pastors & Doctors, there can be no Government of the Church, Ergo according to Calvin, without the expired Offices of Apostles and Evangelists, this Government doth subsist. At the Close, he commends Cyprian's Saying, That there is one Episcopacy, which is Christ's alone, whereof every Minister hath intirely a part that none lift up himself above his Fellow. Thus in Instit. lib. 4. cap. 3. sect. 4. speaking of this place of Paul in describing the New Testament-Church-Officers, he Characterizeth the Apostles thus, that they were the first Founders of the Church through the World, in Preaching the Gospel every where: The Evangelists thus, that they were in Dignity inferior to the Apostles, yet next to them in Office, and consequently did represent them as supplying their Rooms, such were Luke, Timothy and Titus; and such like also the 70 Disciples, which Christ appo…ted in the second place after the Apostles. These three Functions (viz. Apostles Prophets & Evangelists,) (saith he which seems most consonant to Paul's Scope & Words, were not for this end institute to be perpetual in the Church, but were for some time only, when Churches were to be erected, where none were before, or to be brought from M…ses to Christ. Then speaking of ordinary Off…cers, he thus expesseth himself as before, their Fellow-Pastors and Doctors, which the Church can never want; and the 5th Section he begins thus, We see what Ministry and Offices in the Government of the Church were Temporary, and what Offices were instituted to endure continually, &c. From all which I dare refer it to any man of Candor and Conscience, whether Calvin hold not
First in general, That the Official Power of Apostles and Evangelists, was temporary, and expired with themselves.
2. That neither the one, nor the other imported a fixed Inspection over any particular Church.
3. That both did suppose the Churches in fieri, and were exercised in erecting, and edifying of Churches accordingly.
4. That neither the one nor the other was to incroach upon, or in that Age by themselves, or thereafter by any pretended Successors, to derogate any thing from the ordinary decisive Collegiat Power of Pastors.
5. That herein lyes the ordinary necessary Church-Government, to be continued to the end.
Finally, To make it further convincingly evident that Calvin placed the ordinary Collegiat Power of Ordination in Pastors. In this Instit. (lib. 4. Cap. 3. sect. 14.) speaking upon that Passage (Acts 13.) of Paul and Barnabas Separation, by Imposition of Hands, he shews that the Holy Ghost enjoyned this manner of Separation, even of Perso… thus singularly elected by himself, that by this grave Document, Ecclesiastick Discipline might be preserved, in setting Men apart for the Ministry, viz. by Ministers joynt Authoritative Imposition of Hands; and (Sect. 15.) stating the Question anent a Collegiat Power in the Election of Ministers, whether it ought to have place, or the Minister may be constitute by the Authority of one, for which (saith he) Paul's Word; to Ti… (I left thee in Crete to ordain Elders, and his Precept to Timothy, lay hands suddenly on no man) are Cited, he Answers, they are deceived who imagine that either Timothy or Titus, had … other Power than to moderate-Elections, as the Consul in the … created new Magistrats, by receiving the Suffrages; which, … with what is above said, evidently p…oves, that in Calvin's Judgment, the Power of Ordination is a Collegiat Power, seated in the Meeting of Pastors, and exercised by their joynt decisive Suffrage.
Lastly, For that Passage here Cited by him. I Answer first, These Words here Cited are not found on that 6th Vers. lib. edit: mihi M. D. LXXII. Secondly, Granting them as here set down. 1. Calvin makes it doubtful, whether this Rite was not in the Churches usual Practice performed by one in Name of the rest. 2. He holds it debateable, whether Paul speaks not of the Imposition of Hands, in order to Gifts, where no formal Ordination followed, as Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 13. of of-Ordination; and inclining to the last Opinion, he makes this place parallel with 1 Tim. 4. vers. 14. upon which place he says, they judge right who take the Word [Presbytry] collectively, for the Colledge of Presbyters. So that Calvin will be found to hold, that Paul's Imposition of Hands, though solely, will nothing derogat from the ordinary Collegiat Power of the Presbytry. 1. Because the conferring of Gifts thus, was his Apostolick Priviledge. 2. The simple Imposing of Hands alone will import no sole Authority, since ordinary Pastors might intrust the Ritual Performance to one in their Name. 3. As no Apostolick Prerogative was in Calvin's Sense to encroach upon the ordinary Power of Pastors, and consequently not this of Paul's sole Imposition of Hands, though supposed, so his Supposition anent the Presbytries Authoritative Concurrence in this Action, clearly overthrows our Pamphleters pleading and scope.
To the proof of the second Branch, anent a fixed preheminent Power of Jurisdiction, in this President Bishop, which our Author endeavours to evince from Calvin Instit. lib. 4. cap. 4. sect. 2. It's answered (beside what is said above) That 1. the Word (always) is not found in all that Section. 2. Calvin clearly asserts, that this Titular Bishop had no dominion over his Colleagues, but what parts (not whatever parts) the Consul had in the Senat, to report Matters, ask Votes, Consult, Admonish, govern the Action by his Authority, and see it Execute, which was by Common Council decreed; Ergo, his Office was not so preheminent in Calvin's Judgment, as to Infringe the joint Collegiat, Decisive Power of Presbyters, to whose Votes, he was tyed; and what differed this from that of a Moderator, if we except his being fixed.
Next, Whatever Power he might Exercise beyond that of a Moderator, Calvin tells us, that this was Humano consensu inductum pro temporum necessitate, by Humane Advice and for the times Necessity; therefore he holds it not to be received for a fixed divine Appointment, citing Ierom for the Judgment of the Ancients on this point, who asserts upon the Epistle of Titus, the Bishop and Presbyter to be one, and the then Bishops, to have had this preheminency from Humane Custom, and not Divine Institution. 3. He acknowledgeth, (Sect. 1.) that whatever sincere Aims the Antients had, in conforming to the Scripture in their Church-Government, yet they keep not that Path-Rode exactly, but had their Abe…ations from it, and in a Word, towards the Close of that second Section, he tells us that this President Bishop, was subject to the Assembly of his Brethren; so that a fixed preheminent President Bishop, having an Authority preheminent over the Votes and Suffrages of Presbyters, and not subject to the, with a peculiar Title of Bishop, as thus preheminent, was not received by the Church de facto in her first purest times, far less jure divino; and never after Warrantably, or as a Divine Officer in Calvin's Judgment; from all which it is demonstratively evident, that our Pamphleters 3d Definition, is none of Calvin's, but a Chymera of his own Fancy. We come then to the 4th Definition, which is this.
Definition 4.
The Angel of any Church Representative, is the President Bishop over other Ministers, within their respective Diocess, Province, or Patriarchat. To prove this, Beza is adduced on Rev. 2 c. 1, and 24 v. To the angel, that is to the President, as whom it behoveth, especially to be admonished, touching these matters; and by him, both the rest of his Colleagues, and the whole Church, v. 24. But unto you, that is, unto you the Angel, the President and the Assembly of your Colleagues, and to the rest, that is, to the whole Flock.
Upon this we need not much insist, the absurdity of his Scope and Inference, being abundantly evinced from what is above touched, and is obvious to the meanest.
Reflection 1.
How proves our Pamphleter from Beza's words, That these Angels did climb up so high as the Patriarchs, this cast even of Diocesian and Provincial Churches, will hardly, if at all be found, till 260 years after Christ. 2. How proves he from these words, that Beza esteemed every Representative Church, to be either that of a Diocess, Province, or Patriarchat? he must have Lyncian-Eyes, that will see this in these words of Beza. 3. Granting, that by (Angel) Beza understands one single person, who was especially to be admonished, and his fellows by him; How proves he from these words, that he was in Beza's Judgment, a fixed, constant, far less a preheminent Bishop, with a fixed official Presidency over other Ministers? May not all this be verified of a Moderator, pro tempore, or a Speaker of the Parliament, viz. That an Epistle from the King, to the Synod or Parliament, is especially to be addressed to these Presidents, and by them to be communicated to their Colleagues, or fellows. 4. Had this man pondered, what Beza asserts, in his Treaties de Episcopa…u triplici, ane…t the Episcopus divinus, humanus & Satanicus. He would have kept off this phantastick conceit; For we find Beza therein exclude, as beyond, the limits of the Divine Bishop, whatever power in Government, is assumed, by any beyond that of a Pastor; and that he acknowledged no preheminency or presiding in any Pastor, which encroaches upon the Decisive Power of his fellows, to be allowed of God. Finally, To convince yet further, of the folly of this Citation, out of Beza, let us hear how in the same place, he antidots this mans washpish extraction out of his words, for after he has Exponed that Clause foreign (to the Angel) to the President, he adds, Sed hinc statui Episcopalis ille gradus, &c. But that Episcopal degree which was afterward brought into the Church of God, certainly, neither can, nor ought to be hence concluded, nay not so much as the necessity of the Office of a perpetual President, as the thence arising Olligarchical Tyranny, whose Head is the Antichristian Beast, now at length, with the most certain ruine not of the Church only, but of the World also, makes manifest; so the Beza (as is from hence above cleared) holds the very fixed Moderator to be an humane invention, and the poysonous Egg, out of which Antichrist was hatched. Add to all this, that Beza by this mans acknowledgem…nt, calling the other Ministers, the Colleagues of this President, doth in that very term deny to him, a super-eminent fixed Authority over them; and Calvin (whom he will not say, Beza doth in this point contradict, since he acknowledges their Writings on this Subject excellent) expones Colleagues, to be such as have one and the same …unction, and upon this very ground reprehends (as we heard above) the making the name Bishop peculiar to any one of them; from all which, the forgery and vanity of this Definition, and of the preceeding, as relating to his Scope, doth convincingly appear.