Dissertation Concerning the Antiquity of Churches, Section 7
SECT. 7.
In the Second Century, Mr. Mede begins with the Teſtimonies of Ignatius the Martyr, A. D. 107. Firſt with his confeſſed Epiſtle ad Magneſios; and then with the ſpurious ad Antiochenos.
But had he lived to have ſeen what is now extant, of and concerning theſe Epiſtles, by the great Luminaries of Learning in this Age, A. B. Ʋſher, Dally, Bp. Pearſon, Larock, &c. he would never have laid ſuch ſtreſs upon them. The manifeſt difference between the ancient genuine Copies, and the latter, is evident by their Tranſlations; particularly that of Caius College in Cambridge, which A. B. Ʋſher prefers to the common Greek Copies. Wherein this very place foreign, &c. is quite differently rendred from Mede's; carrying the words for an unity in Doctrine, not Devotion: and that they ſhould all come into Chriſt, as into one Temple and Altar, making him both; as alluding to 1 Pet. 2.4. where the one Temple, into the which we are built up, coming unto him; and one Altar Jeſus Chriſt, and ſpiritual Sacrifices offered to God, in him as on an Altar, whereby they become acceptable.
Not to inſiſt upon foreign, or Temple, no ways agreeing to the meeting places of the Primitive Chriſtians: as both Bellar. de Rom. Pontif. l. 3. c. 13. and Vedelius hath ſhewn ſufficiently, from the Ancient Fathers. And that which follows in Mede, of one Biſhop, and one Altar, in every Church, is not only alien to the ſcope of Ignatius, but the Truth alſo. For the Church of Epheſus had foreign, or Biſhops, Acts 20.28. ſo had the Philipians, 1.1. and of Jeruſalem, Narciſſus and Alexander, who at the ſame time jointly governed the Church, as Euſebius relates. Gerſom Bucer in's Anſwer to Downam's Sermon, p. 302. proves the like in other Churches, by ten inſtances: and Vedelius the ſame, Exercit. 8. in Epiſt. Ignat. c. 3. And Epiphanius of old, profeſſed that the Church of Alexandria was ſingular in this, of having but one Biſhop. It's true, the Inſcription of the 7 Epiſtles, Apoc. c. 2 & 3. each, to the particular Angel of the Church, ſeems to imply that they had but one apiece. Which yet Mr. Mede himſelf ſufficiently ſhews is inconſequent, in's Comment on Apocal. p. 265. where he obſerves it the courſe in Scripture, to attribute that to one Angel, which is performed by the Miniſtry of many. What's alledged from Juſtin Martyr is anſwered by Bucer; and Sozomen acquaints us, (Hiſt. Eccl. l. 7. c. 3.) That even Villages had their Biſhops; and no wonder then, if one Lords Table in each might ſuffice to make them correlatives.
Mr. Mede proceeds with another proof out of Ignatius's Epiſtle ad Antiochenos, (wherein he ſalutes the Keepers of the holy Doors) concluding thence holy Houſes. This Epiſtle he endeavours to perſwade us is genuine (contrary to the judgment of all other Proteſtants) from ſundry probabilities.
But this is a ſtrange way of reaſoning, That it's likely ſuch a thing ſhould be done, and therefore it was done. And to ſay, becauſe the Antiochians were his own Flock, I think rather makes it improbable; becauſe he had ſufficiently eſtabliſhed them in the Faith before he leſt them; which, when he went thence to Rome, to receive the Crown of Martyrdom, he endeavoured by his Epiſtles to do for other Churches. And ſurely they would have been careful above all other Churches, in keeping their own Paſtor's Letter, if he had ſent them one. And was not Polycarp as likely to be acquainted with this, as the reſt. Beſides that, if he or Euſebius had had any inkling of ſuch an Epiſtle, ſurely they would have mentioned it, tho they could not meet with it. And how doth Mede prove any ſuch Officers in the Primitive Churches? that which he alledges for this from the Apoſtolical Conſtitutions, falſly father'd on Clemens, is yet ſtranger. For beſides others, my Learned Countriman Cook, in's cenſura Scriptorum, hath detected ſo much vanity, and many Lyes therein (whereof he reckons Eight) beſides the cenſures of Athanaſius, the 6 Synod in Trullo, Binius, Baronius, Bovius and Bellarmine; that I wonder Mr. Mede, who knew all this, ſhould once offer to produce them. I know Mr. Cook and many Learned Divines reject all Ignatius's Epiſtles: altho others, conſidering the Teſtimonies of the Ancients, acknowledge 7 for genuine, ſpecified by Euſebius, Hierom and others, tho robbed of ſome paſſages mentioned by the Fathers; and alſo have a number of beggarly patches added to his Purple, as A. B. Ʋſher ſaith: Of which 7, this ad Antiochenos is none, and therefore not genuine; for more were not found nor acknowledged by Polycarp (who compoſed them together) Euſeb. Hierome, Sophronius and Ruffinus.
What Mede obſerves beſides, is the Argument of Baronius An. 109. numb. 19. and Gretſer againſt Whitaker de S. Script. l. 4. c. 7. Which I ſhall not need to anſwer, it being done already ſo fully by Vedelius on Ignatius's Epiſtles (whom Mede more eſpecially undertakes in this Treatiſe) in's pref. c 3. (wherein he refutes Martialis, Maſtraeus, Baronius and Pellarmine) and his Exercitation on this Epiſtle: that I need not mention, Cook, Scult…tus, Rivet, Gerhard, Erockman, &c.
Mede's next Teſtimony, is from two Epiſtles of Pius the Firſt, Biſhop of Rome; relating in the former how Euprepria, titulum domus ſuae pauperibus reſignavit, ubt nune cum pauperibus noſtris commorantes miſſas agimus; reſigned the Title of her houſe to the Poor, where now (ſaith Pius) we reſiding with our poor, ſay Maſs. And in the latter of a Presbyter that erected a Titulus or Church.
To this, which Baronius alledged before to the ſame purpoſe, an. 57. numb. 98, 99, 100. and Vedelius anſwered: We further ſay, (1.) Theſe Epiſtles are forged, as Cauſabon's Exercit. 16. ſhews, For if Maſs was ſo early, how came it, ſaith he, that no footſteps thereof is extant in approved Authors, for above 300 Years? And Biſhop Morton in's Book of the Maſs l. …. §. 1. not before St. Ambroſe time, about A. D. 373. who uſes it in another Notion than Papiſts do ſince. And Morney of the Maſs, l. 1. c. 1. ſaith it was unknown for 400 years.
Not to mention the many Authors, who have handled this Argument of the Maſs, againſt Bellarmine, and other Papiſts largely. I ſhall only name du Moulin on the Maſs in French, and more largely in Latine, c. 1. for the Pedigree of the Maſs. (2.) We anſwer, This was moſt likely ſome room in the Houſe (ſeeing they dwelt therein) where they ſaid Maſs; and were it the whole Houſe, yet was it but a private one, which ſcarce any wiſe man would call a Temple. And for the name of Title, that was given at pleaſure. So that were theſe ſpurious Epiſtles authentick, they neither prove our adverſaries Opinion, nor diſprove ours.
Mr. Mede produceth next Theophilus Antiochenus, l. 2. ad Antolycum; who ſaith, God hath given Synagogues, which we call holy Churches, &c. Which yet is confeſt by him to be doubtful. For (ſaith he) if it were probable Synagogue was here taken, as uſually in the New Teſtament for a place, then Church likewiſe for a place.
To which we ſay, that if Church, in a hundred places of the New Teſtament, be taken for a Congregation: then 'tis moſt probable, it's ſo taken here. And the ſenſe of the words makes this evident; for Theophilus compares Hereſies to rocky Iſlands; and the wholeſome Doctrine of Truth and Holineſs, to good and habitable Iſlands; and not the places of Truth and Hereſies.
The laſt Author in this 2d Century alledged, is Clemens Alexandrinus; who uſeth the word foreign or Church, for the Place, and not the Congregation only, Stromat. l. 7. And ſo again in the ſtory of the young man, who had left the Church, and betook himſelf to a Mountain with Robbers.
That Chriſtians had places of meetings is beyond all doubt; but we ſay in private Houſes and Places for 200 years and upwards. Nor doth Clemens or any other, prove they had publick Oratories. And Vedelius, p. 74. upon this paſſage of Clemens, ſhews, they did not think this appellation ſo proper and convenient. Therefore Salvian 200 years after, l. 3. de gub. Dei, Itaque Eccleſias vel potius Templa, &c. correcting the impropriety, in uſing Churches, for the places of aſſembling, and preferring the word Temples.
And for the oppoſition of Church and Mountain, in the ſtory of the young man, that became Captain to a Band of Robbers: The ſenſe is plain, that he left the company of Chriſtians, rather than the place of their Aſſembly, to aſſociate with Robbers on the Mountains.
Thus for the two firſt Centuries, we have heard the noiſe of our Adverſaries Artillery, which was nothing but Powder, and vaniſhed into Smoak, without any Shot, that might in the leaſt wound our cauſe.