Assertion of the Government of the Church of Scotland, Part 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The consent of Protestant Writers, and the con…es…ion of our opposites for ruling Elders.
THE office of Ruling Elders is not onelyonly maintained by … ▪ Cart…right, A…rs…, Bucer…, and others whom our opposites will call partiall Writers, let him who pleaseth read the commentaries of Martyr, …, Gualther, Hemmingius, Piscator, Paraus upon Rom. 12.8. 1 Cor. 12.28. Aretius on Act. 14.23. Zepper. de Polit. Eccles. l. 3. c. 1. & 12. Bullinger on 1 Tim. 5.17. Arcul…rius on Act. 14.23. Catal. Test▪ verit. col 103. Os…and. cent 1 l. 4. c. 11. Chemn…t exam part 2. p…g 2…8 Gerard. lo…. Theol. tom. 6 p…g. 363 …64. Muscul. loc. com. de Eccles. c. 5 Bucan. loc com. …oc 42. Suetanus de Discipl. Eccles. part. 4 c. 3. Polanus Synt. l. 7. c 11. Zanchius in 4 praecep col. 727. Iunius animad. in Bell…r cont 5. l 1. c 2 Danaeus de Polit. Christ. l. 6 p 452. Alsted. Theol. cas. pag. 518.520. Soping…us ad bonam fidem Sibrandi▪ pag. 253. &c. The Professours of Leyden, Synt. pur. Theol. Disp. 42. and sundry others, whose testimonies I omit for brevities cause, it is enough to note the places. The Author of the Assertion for true and Christian Church policie, pag. 196.197. citeth for ruling Elders, the testimony the Commissioners of King Edward the sixt, authorised to compile a booke for the reformation of Lawes Ecclesiasticall; among whom were the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of Ely. They say, Let the Minister going apart with some of the Elders, take counsell, &c. Voet…us citeth to the same purpose, Marlorat, Hyperius, Fulke, Whittaker, Fenner, Bunnius, Willet, Sadeel, Lubbertus, Trelcatius (both the one and the other) yea Socinus and the Remonstrants.
Besides we have for us the practise of al wel reformed Churches, and the Confessions of the French, the Belgicke, and the Helveticke Churches to be seene in the harmony of Confessions.
But what will you say if the adversaries of ruling Elders be forced to say somewhat for them?Def. tract▪ 17▪ cap. 1. Whitgift confesseth not onelyonly that our division of Elders, into preaching Elders and ruling Elders, hath learned patrons; but also that the Christian Church when there was no Christian Magistrate had governing Seniors:Answer to the Admonit. p. 114. and elsewhere he saith, I know that in the Primitive Church, they had in every Church Seniors, to whom the government of the Congregation was committed. Saravia lendeth them his word likewise,Ubi supra cap. 9. p. 104. Quod à me, &c. Which is not disputed by mee in that meaning that the Belgicke Churches, or any other which doe with edification use the service of these Elders, should rashly change any thing, before that which is better bee substitute. Againe, speaking of the government of ruling Elders;…b. cap. …1. p. … 118. he saith, Quod ut, &c. Which as I judge profitable and good to bee constitute in a Christian Church and Common-wealth, so I affirme no Church, no Common-wealth to bee bound thereto by Divine Law: except perhaps necessity compell, or great utility allure, and the edification of the Church require it. Loe here the force of truth struggling with one contrary minded. Hee judgeth the office of ruling Elders, profitable and good, yet not of divine right; yet h…e …cknowledgeth that necessity, utility, and the edification of the Church, maketh us tyed to it even by divine right. But if it be profitable and good, why did he call in question the necessity, at least the utility and the edification of it? can one call in question the utility of that which is profitable? he would have said the truth, but it stucke in his teeth, and could not come forth. Sael…vius de concil. lib. I cap. 8. saith that among the Jewes, Seniores tribuum, the Elders of the Tribes did sit with the Priests in judging controversies of the Law of God. Hence hee argueth against Bellarmine, that so it ought to bee in the Christian Church also, because the priviledge of Christians is no less… th…n the priviledge of the Jewes. C…mero tells us,… that when the Apostle, 1 Co…. 6. reproveth the Corinthians, for that when one of … had … matter against anoth… they … the Saints to bee …udges … no… by the … the … m…ltitude, sedeos qui in Ecclesia constituti cra…t, De regis primatu lib. … p. 68.ut vacarent gubernationi Ecclesiae: that is, …hose who were ordained in the Church, to give themselves to the government of the Church. My Lord Craigtanne finding the strength of that Argument, that if beside the Ministers of the Word, other grave and wise Christians may be present in the greatest Assemblies and Councels of the Church, why not in Presbyteries also? answereth, that indeed it is not amisse that the wiser sor… among the people be joyned as helpers and assistants to the Pastors, providing that this their auxiliary function be not obtruded as necessary. This is somewhat for us; but we say further, if it be necessary in Oecumenicke Councells (for no lesse doe the Arguments of our Divines in that question with the Papists conclude) then is it necessary in Presbyteries also.