Review and Examination of the Doctrine, Part 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Some more Arguments against the Diecesian Prelat. That his office debases the Acts and exercise, of the power of order, cleared. It maims and diversisies the Pastoral office, by anti-scriptural now invented degrees thereof. His office, many wayes contrare to the very nature of the Gospel-Church-Government.
THe Diocesian Bishop, his office is in this contrare to the Word of God.
V. In that it Debases the highest Acts and exercise of the power of order, in a Gospel Ministery. For all do grant preaching of the Word and the Administration of the Sacraments and Seals of the Covenant of grace to be such: So that he who can do thes Acts, hath the badge of the highest Ministerial Authority as ane ordinarie Church Officer, these being among the most emnient Acts of the Apostles there office and Authoritie—Go teach, baptize, &c. They must have some to serve Tables that they may give themselves continually to the Ministery of the Word. Timothy, our prelatical mens Supposed-Bishop, must preach the Word, and be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and Doctrine 2 Tim. 4: 1, 2. The great Apostle of the Gentiles who had the care of all the Churches coming upon him, and therin a great ruleing work, Yet pronunces a woe upon himself, if he preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9: 28.—And he tells us this was a speciall trust committed to him: In this he admires the rich grace of God that he was putt into the Ministery, and honoured to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Peter, that great Apostle of the circumcision, when by the Lord restored to his office, and encouraged to its exercise, by a Threefold renovation of his Mission; is thryce enjoyned (as the great badge of his love to his Master) to feed his Lambes and Sheep. Accordingly, the Scripture Bishop must be foreign Apt to teach; and he that teacheth (by office scilicet) must waite upon teaching, and the wise and faithful Steward appointed by the Lord to give the children their meat in dew Season, must be found So doeing when the Lord comes to reckon with him; and not lay up this noble Talent in a Napkine. To this, the key of diseiplin is inferior and Subordinat, as themean to its end. the higher honour above ruleing only being allowed to the labourer in the word & doctrine, 1 Tim. 5: 17. This being clear, I say the office of the Diocesian Bishop debases and tramples upon, these highe and noble Acts of a Pastor, and consequently upon the premised Scriptures asserting the same, and that in these wayes. I. In that the quondam Presbyter only, when made a Prelat, leaves off, The feeding of the flock, and layes by the preaching talent, the Church wher he did preach or officiat, it may be, shall never see or hear him againe, but is ipso facto, voyde to be possed by another, nor by his now-office is he oblidged to preach or Minister the Sacraments any more at all, these petty peeces of work being below his new Lordship. Trew, he may preach if he please, and at the Church wher he reseeds, but that is per accidens ex abundanti, and out of courtesie: but by his office, Qua Prelat, he is bound to preach no more to any frock, nor is he in the least judged faultie or deficient in his Episcopal office if he be wholly silent. Nay, in England preaching Prelats have been highely upbraided and reproached by their fellowes, and called preaching Cox Combes. Wee all know, what ane odd peece of work Mr Lightoun's preaching was esteemed by the generalitie of the Prelatick partie when he turned Prelat. Now, let any of commune Reason or ingenuity judge, what ane office that must be, which putts a Minister intrusted with the Lords great commission to preach the Gospel, under pretence of advancement to a higher Sphere in the Ministery, to lay by this work which is the noblest and highest of the Ministerial Authoritie, wherin the Apostles themselves mainely laboured and gloried, as the most noble meane of the conversion of Sonles: and consequentlie of the glorie of Christ therin; Nay, to lay by this noble work under pretence of new burdene of Government. Wheras the Apostles who had the wholl Churches to plant and Govern, most enixely plyed this work still. If this man become not a dumb dog and a sloathfull unprofiteable servant, let any judge. 2. The Diocesian Prelat debases and tramples upon this noble work, in that be makes it in all the Pastores of the Dioces, to depend upon his Lordly disposal, and the authoritie thereof to be deryved from him as the sole proper Pastor of all the Diocess, whose deputs the preachers are in this work, although himself is obleiged to feed no flock. 3 He maks these high and noble Acts of the power of order, [preaching and administration of Sacraments] a lower and subordinat work and office, to the work and office of ruleing only, which is his Characteristick whereby he holds himself Superior to all the preachers of the Diocess? whereas the Scriptur doeth (as we heard) appropriat the highest honour to the labourer in the word and doctrine as the nobler employment and office, above the Ruler only.
6. In this the Diocesian Prelats office is contrare unto, and reprobat by the Scriptur, in that by Apocriphal, Antiscriptural, new invented, Degrees and orders. It diversities and cutts asunder what God hes made one and the same, I mean the Pastoral Office, and by consequence other offices mentioned in Scripture, as that of Prophets, Evangelists, Deacons; non of which offices admites of Subordinat Spheeres and degrees, but all the persons that are Intrusted with these offices, are of the same degree and authority therin by the Word of God. No Evangelist, Prophet, or Apostle is found of a Superior office or order to other Apostles, Evangelists, &c. Whence comes this diversity then in the Pastoral office, that one Pastor must have a Lordly Dominion over some hundreds of his fellowes? If it be said, that the Episcopal office succeeds that of the Apostles or Evangelists? besides that wee shall disprove this afterward, and shew that these offices taken formaliter as superior to that of the Pastor, are expyred, as sound Divines doe almost universally grant; I answer that most, if not all Prelatists ancient and modern, doe hold the Diocesian Prelat to be no officer Specifially distinct from the Presbyter or Pastor, but only gradually distinct, as being a Pastor with a more amply extended authority for order of Government. Mr Burnet, in his pretended vindication of the present Prelacie, 4t. Conference, pag. 310, 311. tells us, that he is not clear anent the notion (as he calls it) of the distinct offices of Bishop and Presbyter and akonowledges the Presbyter to be of the hiest office in the Church, telling us that the Prelat is but a different degree in the same office. Although in this he and the rest doe speak most inconsequently, the forementioned ingredients of the Prelatical function, being such, as doe certanly amount to make up a new species of ane office, such as a different work, consecration or ordination, the actus primus of a State Ruler, different qualifications (by consequence) above and beyond these of a Presbyter. The diversitie of these distinguishes the Scripture offices of Apostles, Evangelists, &c. which Paul setts in several Classes, as, first, and second. 1 Cor. 12: 28. Mr Burnet his reason is the same with that of others herine (viz) the Pastors authority to administer the word & Sacraments which are the highest acts of the power of order. He tells us [that since the Sacramental actions are the highest of sacred performances: he cannot but acknowlege that such as are impowered for them, must be of the hiest office, in the Church] now I say, since they will needs have the Diocesian Bishop to be only a different degree of the Presbyterat or Pastoral office, they cannot with any shaddow of reason make him Successor to the Evangelists or Apostles in their formal office, which they will not dare to affirm to be only a different degree of the Presbyterat or Pastores office, and will affirme it to have been specifically distinct from the same. The Ancients and Schoolemen held that the Pastor in his ordination receaved the same Power of Government that the Prelat hath, but that the Prelat is the [primus Presbyter,] who hath the raines of all the exercise, in his hand. But how cross is this to Scripture, that any Church officer hath a power and authoriritie which he cannot exercise? To whomsoever God hath given the power, he hath certainlie commanded the exercise of it; and particularly Pastores or Presbyters are (as we have heard) enixely commanded to exercise all their Pastoral authority and power, as they shall answer to their great Master. Besyds, if the Pastoral office, or its official power of order and jurisdiction, may be warrantably thus divided and cutt out in Shreeds and parcells, and divyded among different recipients, then it were lawful to divyde preaching and administration of the Sacraments, so as one Presbyter (notwithstanding of his authority and mission, in relation to both word and Sacraments, receaved in his ordination) might have preaching only allowed to him, but no administration of Sacraments: Another might be allowed to administer Sacraments, but not to preach. One Presbyter upon the pretence of order or union (pretences are never wanting to humane inventions) might be sett a part and authorised to Baptise all the Children in a wholl Province, doing nothing else of the Pastoral Office, And this power by the same authority might be taken from all the Pastoures of the Province, Sure all would acknowledge this to be a most wicked divyding and diversifieing what God the conjoyned. And such is this Prelatical divyding of the Pastoral charge in relation to order and jurisdiction, or the keys of Doctrine & Government? the power wherof, the Pastor receaves intirely in his ordination, as well as the Authority of administrating Sacraments.
7. In this the Diocesian Bishop is contrare to Scripture. In that his Office is in many respects cross to the very nature of the Gospel-Church Government, and is ane Office which the man that exercises, cannot but in so farr cease to be a Gospel Church-ruler, Which I prove thus. 1. Since all authority in the Diocess, as to either the Word or Disciplin, is deryved from the Bishop, as its proper fountaine and subject, this power of the Bishop is properlie and of its own nature, not a Gospel Ministery, But a dominion and principalitie, discharged to Church Officers of what ever sorte, whose authority is not a despotick, nomothetick, or architectonick power, but a Ministerial Stewardship only. Matth. 20: v, 25, 26. 2 Cor. 1: 24. 1 Cor. 4: D. 1 Pet. 5: 2, 3. 3 Epist. John. 9. The work of all Church Officers, is called a Ministery, Pastours, Doctores, yea Apostles, Evangelists were appointed foreign for the worke of the Ministery, Ephes. 4: 12. 2 Cor. 4: v. 5. Paul calls himself a fellow servant with Epaphras, Collos. 17. with Tichicus Collos. 4: 7. And calls Ministers his fellow-souldiers and fellow-labores Philip. 4. 3.-2. 25-Rom. 16: 3.-2. The Bishops power inverts Christs rule, as to the gradation in point of censures and appealls, which is from one one to more, from the lesser number to the greater, from the Presbytery to the Synod, as from the Presbytery at Antioch, to the Synod at Jerusalem: Not to any one Apostle, Pop, or Prelat; Whereas the last appeal and reference in this Diocesian Mould, is to the Bishop. Our Lords rule is this in relation to the removeing of Scandales. First, tell the offending Brother Alone, then take two or three more, then if he be farder contumacious, tell the Church, the greater embodied court or Judicatorie, who have the official power of binding or lowseing. He bidds not toll it, uni, to one, but unitati, a multitud gathered into one, for so the Greek word doth necessarly Import, whereas in the Diocesian sea, the gradation is from many to one Prelat, whose sole prerogative this highest censure, is. And with Prelatists the rule runns thus, tell two, or three, lastlie and finallie one Lord-Bishop: Which is point blank contrare to the Scripture rule. 3. The Diocesion Bishops power, and Ministerial Pastoral pretended duties, as Diocesian Bishop are such as falls within he compass of no command, and which it is impossible to performe according to Scripture rules, which I prove thus. 1. The Prelat according to their principles is the proper Pastor of the whole Diocess, for he being peculiarly Bishop of it, and consecrat in order to his Episcopal inspection over the same (for to the participation of his power & office, denoted by this term [Bishop of Edinburgh] &c. He admitts non in the diocess, it being the characteristick of his Superioritie over Presbyters) & withall, it including the wholl Ecclesiastick Authority both of order and Jurisdiction with in the Diocess; It followes of necessity that he is the sole and proper Pastor thereof according to this mould of Government. Now it being so, let it be considered. 1. That the trew Scripture etimon of Episcopus or Bishop, imports all the Pastorall duties of feeding and ruling, and layes a…e obligation upon the person under this relation and cloathed with this Office, to perform all these duties accordingly to these to whom he stands in that relation. 2 That its impossible the Bishop can feed, Rule, Oversee, and perform the Pastoral duties unto, and watch for the souls of all that large flock, in which, some hundereds of painful▪ Pastores will find their hands full of work. So that the Bishop assumes a charge, which it is impossible he can dischag or perform. 3. The Scripture allowes no Derivation or Deputation of the Pastores work and Office to which he is called of God, unto other subserviant Officers. Because God intrusts no man with any peece of Stewardship in his Family, but what he must both oversie and execut immediatly by himself, and is likewayes disposed and enabled to manage and overtake. God still conjoyneing the Office, gifts, and call together, for every peece of his work: Which the man that is intrusted with; and called unto, must himself immediatly waite upon and attend Rom. 12. 7. and not intrust it to others for him. Hence 4. By clear consequence, it followes, that the Diocesian Bishopes work qua talis, is such, as he can neither mannage nor hath warrand from the great Shepherd to exercise or assume. In the 4t. Place, the present Diocesian Bishop is a Person who is authorised to sitt in Parliament, Council, and other civil Judicatories, as a constituent member therof: For they are restored to their places in Parliament & civil pretended dignities, which places they a… by there Office bound to manage, as civil Rulers. But so it is that all civill dominion, & Magistraticall Rule, is expresly prohibit to Church Rulers, so that the Church Officer who is installed in these Offices, falls from Heaven to Earth. The Princes of the Gentiles exercise Dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authotie upon them, but it shall not be so among you. Matth. 20: 25, 26. This charge our Lord gave to his Apostles and their Successors Pastores or Bishops, who are here forbidden all civill rule or Magistracy, the nature wherof is properly a Dominion, and thus distinct toto coelo from the nature of Ecclesiastick Offices which is a Ministerial service or stewardship only. All our divines impugne from this text the popes civil Dominion and the amphibius civily ruleing or domineering Prelat falls under the lash thereof. Non who goe Christs errands and his warrfare must be in…angled with these things that are temporal. The Minister must waite upon his Ministrie. So the civil Magistrat is Gods Minister in civiles, attending Continually upon this employment Rom. 13: 4, 6. Now, those being in their nature so disparat employments, and both requireing a constant waiting and attendance, he is a strange man, That can be called and sufficient for both: Who is sufficient for these things said the great and highly gifted Paul, speaking of his Ministerial employments: Are our Prelats beyond his sufficiencie, who can act the Pastor of a wholl Diocess and guide State affaires too? Christs Kingdome is not of this World, and so are not its Officers, the weapons of whose warrfare must not be carnal. Who made me a judge, said the great Shepherd himself, when desired but to giuegive a deciding advice in a civil cause Luk, 12: 14. Where is there any thing like the work or qualifications of the Magistrat in all the New Testament Rules and instructions anent the work, Office and call of Church Officers.