Vindication of the Dissertations Concerning Episcopacy, Chapter 3 · Section 3

Vindication of the Dissertations Concerning Episcopacy · Chapter 3 · Section 3

p. 143Section III.

A vindication of Ignatius's Epiſtles, Voſſius's edition of them, and the Archbiſhops of Armagh. Some Teſtimonies out of them. The cauſe of his ſo inculcating obedience to Biſhops. Mr. Cauſabones Teſtimony conſidered, and the Allegations from the Archbiſhop of Armagh. Three Reaſons againſt theſe Epiſtles anſwered. (No Marriage without the Biſhop.) Of the Reformed Churches. Of the Church of Scotland after the firſt converſion.

THus therefore they proceede, Num. 1.p. 107. Againſt all that hath been ſaid in this propoſition, it is objected, that the bleſſed St. Ignatius, who lived in the firſt century, hath in his Epiſtles clearely and fully aſſerted Epiſcopall Government, as it is diſtinct from Presbyteriall, and that therefore there was no ſpace of time, wherein the Church of Chriſt was governed by the common councell of Presbyters without Biſhops properly ſo called.

I doe not conceive that they have ſaid any thing of any p. 142availe, for the proving their Propoſition, and preſume that neither from Clement nor Polycarpe it hath appeared that they have gained any thing; And therefore againſt all that they have ſaid there is no need that I ſhould make any Objection. But in a farre larger ſtyle I think it were no inſolence to ſay, that againſt all that was ever imagined by any to be producible out of Antiquity in behalfe of Preſbytery, the bare teſtimonies of this one Apoſtolicall Martyr, Ignatius, will be abundantly ſufficient, being put in the other Scale, to weigh them all downe and decide the controverſie on the Prelatiſts ſide.

It were here unreaſonable at large to recite all theſe teſtimonies, 2being already ſet downe particularly Diſſert. 2. c. 25. and the notoriety of the fact being ſuch that a ſpeciall Objection againſt the Epiſtles is, that he every where aſſerts Epiſcopacy. And therefore the onelyonly way that could be invented for the ſupporting the Preſbyterians intereſt againſt ſuch direct Teſtimonies, ſo (every where) inculcated, and ſo impoſſible to be reconciled with their aſſertions, is this which they give us, p. 108. in theſe words.

In anſwer to this we muſt intreat the Reader to take notice that in the Primitive Times there were abundance of spacious and ſuppoſititious workes put forth under the Names of the Apoſtles and bleſſed Martyrs, 3which were none of theirs, &c. The like fraud hath been uſed in Ignatius's workes, &c.

Here firſt 'tis a little ſtrange that the ſpurious and ſuppoſititious workes of the Apoſtles and Martyrs ſhould be ſaid to be put forth in the Primitive Times, 4unleſſe that phraſe Primitive, be taken in a very great Latitude, I had thought that it had been in after times, when errors were gotten in, and ſought patronage and covert from the Primitive Fathers, that theſe ſpurious brats were borne, and affixt to great Names; And by this meanes indeed they are generally deſcryed, by their impudent mentioning of ſome matters of fact, which fell out in thoſe latter times, and ſo diſcovered the imposture.

But this miſtake importeth not much to our preſent controverſy; 5If what is here confidently affirmed, [The like p. 144fraud was uſed in Ignatius's workes] can be any way proved to have truth in it, either in reſpect of the Primitive or after-times, I ſhall not quarrell upon ſuch niceties. I ſhall therefore examine their proofes which follow.

And firſt, ſay they, 6it is certaine the Epiſtle of the bleſſed Virgin Mary to Ignatius, and of Ignatius to the bleſſed Virgin, and two other Epiſtles of Ignatius to John the Apoſtle are spurious and counterfeit.

To this I moſt willingly yeild, 7that the Epiſtles under Ignatius's name to the bleſſed Virgin and St. John may very probably be deemed none of his, and ſo they are generally rejected by thoſe who mainteine ours, as well as their intereſts. I ſhall onelyonly adde that there is no one word in them concerning Biſhops, nor were they ever produced by any Prelatiſt in defence of them.

Next then, 8ſay they, As for his other twelve Epiſtles, five of them are by invincible arguments, as we conceive, proved by Vedelius to be written by a Pſeudo-Ignatius. Euſebius and Hierome make mention but of ſeven.

Here alſo will eaſily be granted by us whatſoever is demanded; 9For though Vedelius a Divine of Geneva ſince the caſting out of their Biſhop and ſetting up of the new Government, might well be lookt on as a partiall arguer or Judge concerning Ignatius's writings, yet it being true, and by me formerly acknowleged that Euſebius and St. Hierome mention but ſeven Epiſtles of his, I ſhall alſo be ready to yeild to the utmoſt that Vedelius contended, that there be no more then ſeven Genuine Epiſtles of Ignatius, not that every of the other five can be proved to be ſuppoſitious, but becauſe the antient teſtifications of the Church doe not make it ſo evident, that thoſe other five are all his, as of the other ſeven they doe.

According to this conceſſion it is, 10that in the Diſſertations all the Teſtimonies which are produced in defence of Epiſcopacy, are taken out of thoſe ſeven Epiſtles which St. Hierome, the Presbyter, and onelyonly truſted friend of the Preſbyterians, doth acknowledge to be his.

But of theſe ſeven alſo they have ſomewhat to ſay, 11in theſe p. 145words: And for thoſe ſeven, though with Scultetus, Vedelius and Rivetus we doe not renounce them as none of his, yet ſure we are, they are ſo much adulterated and corrupted, that no man can ground any ſolid Aſſertion about Epiſcopacy from Ignatius's workes.

I hope I ſhall not now be lookt on, 12as an intemperate aſſerter of Epiſcopacy, if in this third ſtep alſo I goe ſo farre with the Presbyterians as to yeld that I ſhall reſt contented even, with thoſe parcells of thoſe ſeven Epiſtles, which theſe moſt rigid cenſors, even Vedelius himſelfe, which publiſhed him at Geneva, is content to acknowledge for his. If this be allowed me I ſhall need demand no more; The matter is evident, any man may conſult Vedelius's edition, and finde testimonies as cleare for our turne, as could be wiſht, in thoſe parts of thoſe Epiſtles which he allowes of.

But for the purging of Ignatius, 13as of all other Antients, I ſuppoſe the Method, which Vedelius uſed, proceeding for the moſt part, by his owne conjecture and phanſie, is not likely to be the beſt; The one courſe which any Judicious Man would require or depend on, hath been uſed in this matter, ſince Vedelius had done his beſt; I meane the moſt antient copies in Europe have been conſulted, and God's Providence hath been eminently diſcernable in the reſult of that inquiry.

Iſaac Voſſius, 14a knowne learned Man of that part of the Reforme… Church, which is governed by Preſbyters, hath met with an Antient Manuſcript in the Medicaean library, which hath none of the ſuspected Epiſtles, and is perfectly free from thoſe paſſages, which were formerly among ſober Men made matter of ſuspicion againſt the Epiſtles; And as in them we finde thoſe very paſſages intire, which the Antients have cited out of them, ſo from them againe all the Teſtimonies are fetcht, which we deſire to make uſe of in this matter.

So that if ever Ignatius wrote thoſe Epiſtles which from Polycarpe downward the Antients generally agree that he wrote, 15I have no reaſon to feare or doubt but his authority, and the Teſtimonies I have brought from him, will be of full value and force in this matter.

p. 146When this Copy out of the Medicaean Library was firſt tranſcribed by Voſſius, 16the greateſt enemies of Epiſcopacy were much taken with it; D. Blondel confeſſes that he preſently got a Tranſcript of it, compared it with the Teſtimonies, which the Fathers (Polycarpe, Irenaeus, Origen, Euſebius, Athanaſius, Ierome, Chryſoſtome, &c.) had cited out of Ignatius, and finding them all to agree with this copy, confeſſeth of himſelfe that he was glad for this age of ours, that we had now gotten that very copy that 1300. yeares ago, Euſebius had uſed, and expected great light from thence. But at length this proved not for his turne, the Author ſpake ſo much of Biſhops foreign, in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, that he ſet himſelfe to form arguments againſt it, which are anſwer'd at large in the Diſſertations.

But beſide this Greeke copy of Voſſius's Edition, 17it fell out very opportunely, that the moſt Reverend Archbiſhop of Armagh about the ſame time met with ſome antient Latine copies in England, which he thought fit to publiſh, although the Tranſlation were rude and barbarous, and that Latine Edition of his was found every where agreeable to that Greeke of Voſſius, freed, as that, from all interpolations, and by this concurrence of theſe Providences, there is all reaſon to think that we have at laſt the Epiſtles of Ignatius, as purely ſet out as either that of Clemens, or Polycarpe, or any other antient writing.

And in this purity it is that we now appeale to it, 18and have the three orders in the Church, Biſhops, Presbyters and Deacons, and the Obedience and reſpects due to them, as evidently and irrefragably aſſerted in very many places, as any truth of Scripture can be expected to be.

After all this, 19moſt diſtinctly deduced in the Diſſertations, they yet proceed, we will not, ſay they, for our parts trouble the Reader with a large diſcourſe about this ſubject. If he pleaſe he may read what the Archbiſhop of Armagh, what Rivet, Vedelius, and Cooke in his Cenſura Patrum, and what Salmaſius and D. Blondel ſay about it, who all of them bring divers arguments to evince the invalidity of theſe Epiſtles. There is a—Doctor that hath undertaken to anſwer the Objections of p. 147the two laſt, But this Doctor ſhould doe well to anſwer alſo what the Archbiſhop of Armagh, hath written about theſe Epiſtles, who proves at large that ſix of them are nothae, the other ſix mixtae, and none of them to be accounted omni ex parte ſincerae & genuinae, who alſo tells us out of Caſaubone, that among all the Eccleſiaſticall Monuments there are none in which the Papiſts put more confidence, than in Ignatius's Epiſtles.

This being the ſumme of their charge on me in this place, 20that having anſwer'd all the Arguments of Blondell and Salmaſius (I hope ſatisfactorily, or elſe they were very unkinde not to expreſſe their diſlikes of ſome one anſwer) I have not yet anſwer'd the Arguments of the Archbiſhop of Armagh againſt theſe Epiſtles, I ſhall hope, that when either I have done that, or given competent reaſon, why I need not do it, I ſhall not need to travaile any farther in this Argument; yet to omit no paines which they can but thinke of preſcribing me, I ſhall take the whole matter of this their laſt Section before me, and conſider every part of it.

And 1. For Rivet, 21Vedelius and Cooke in Cenſura Patrum 'tis evident, that their exceptions and cenſures belong to the former Printed Copies of Ignatius, that eſpecially which had beene ſet out by Maſtraeus a Papiſt, againſt whom Vedelius his Edition and Exercitations were chiefly deſigned.

But then Vedelius having called this volume to a very ſtrict examination, 22'tis evident that that Copy, which he had thus purged, cannot be ſtill lyable to his and the like exceptions, which before were made againſt the former Copies.

As for Salmaſius and Blondell, 23their exceptions have, as is here confeſt, been already examined, and I need ſay no more of them till thoſe anſwers be ſome way attempted to be invalidated, which here they are not, but inſtead of it, I am called to anſwer the Archbiſhop of Armagh his Arguments. Laſtly, therefore for the Archbiſhop of Armagh; It is firſt ſomewhat unexpected, that what he had ſaid, as the ground and occaſion of making a new Edition, ſetting out this very antient Copy, and by it purging Ignatius, who had before p. 148been ſo corrupted in his opinion, ſhould now be propoſed to me to be anſwered, who uſe that very Copy, which that Archbiſhop ſet out, and acknowledge it was formerly as corruptly ſet forth, as he conceived it to be.

Is it not viſible that the Archbiſhop's whole deſigne in two impreſſions of thoſe Epiſtles, 24was to ſet them out free from all corruptions and mixtures, and interpolations, which they had before been under: And that all his diſcourſes in his Prolegomena, were to prove the former editions to have been corrupt, and ſo that the…e was great need of ſeeking out better Copies, and that he verily thought he had now found ſuch? And then what can be required of me to anſwer in his writings, who am directly of his opinion in all the ſubſtantiall parts of the whole matter?

As for leſſer doubts, 25as whether that one to Polycarpe be among the genuine or no, though with Euſebius and St. Hierome I believe it is, and have given the reaſons of my opinion, yet I need not controvert this with any, becauſe the other ſix will ſtill ſerve my turne abundantly, and the Teſtimonies out of the moſt purged Geneva, or Amſtelodam-editions of thoſe ſix, will ſufficiently vindicate Epiſcopacy in our preſent notion of it to be then received, and of the Apoſtles erecting in the Church.

A few of theſe Teſtimonies I ſhall here ſet downe foreign, 26that the Reader may know the unqueſtionable opinion of Ignatius, and how farre I am from neceſſity of uſing any corrupted copy of thoſe Epiſtles. Firſt, then in his Epiſtle to the Smyrnaans, we have the three Orders ſet down diſtinctly, foreign, and againe foreign, the like in 3. places to the Epheſians, in 3. to the Magneſians, in 4. to the Philadelphians, in 4. to the Trallians. So ſecondly we have their particular Biſhops mentioned, as ſuch, Polycarpe of Smyrna, in the Epiſtle to the Magneſians, Oneſimus of Epheſus in his congratulation to the Epheſians, foreign, that they had ſuch a Biſhop, adding▪ Burrhus his Deacon: Damas of the Magneſians, together with the names of two of their Preſbyters, p. 149Baſſus and Apollonius, and Sotion the Deacon, all in the Epiſtle to the Magneſians. Polybius of the Trallians, in the Epiſtle to them. Thirdly we have his affirmation concerning Biſhops through the whole World, that they are conſtituted as, or by the minde of Chriſt, i. e. ſent by him, as he by his Father, foreign **Perhaps foreign in both places.foreign. Jeſus Chriſt is the mind or by, or according to the mind of the Father (ſent and Commiſſionated by him to reveale his will to us) and ſo the Biſhops conſtituted through the World are the minde, or by the minde of Chriſt. Fourthly, he tells us that all in the …hurch, particularly Preſbyters, muſt yeild obedience to the Biſhop, foreign, all follow the Biſhop, in the Epiſtle to the Smyrnaeans, foreign, that being ſubject to the Biſhop yee may be ſanctified in all things, in Ep. ad. Eph. foreign, yee ought to pay all reverence to the Biſhop, adding, foreign, as he had obſerved their pious Presbyters to doe, though their Biſhop were yong in Ep. ad Magneſ: and againe, foreign, be ſubject to the Biſhop, ſo foreign give heed to the Biſhop, in Ep. ad Philad. foreign, & foreign, be ſubject, and it is neceſſary to be ſubject to the Biſhop, and foreign. Farewell yee that obey the Biſhop, in Ep. ad Trall. Fifthly, he oft addes, that nothing ought to be done in the Church without licence of the Biſhop, foreign, Let none without the Biſhop doe any of the things that belong to the Church, inſtancing in Baptiſme and the other Sacrament, in Ep. ad Smyr. and ſo in the Epistles to the Philadel…hians and Trallians. Sixthly, that a convenient reverence and respect is alſo due to the Preſbyters, and to the Deacons, as is every where taken notice of by him, almoſt in every Epiſtle.

And all this and much more we have in the Copies, 27which are now come, moſt uncorrupt, unto us, And there is no imaginable way to avoid the force of theſe Teſtimonies, and p. 150the authority of that holy Martyr for Epiſcopacie, but the una litura, expunging or caſting away the whole volume of Epiſtles.

For the truth is, 28his whole deſigne, before his departure from the world, being this one of divine Charity, to fortifie the ſeverall ſtocks, to which he wrote, againſt the poyſon of Hereticks, the Gnoſticks, ſo early creeping in, and deſpiſing the Governors of the Church, (as they had done the Apoſtles themſelves) and the Doctrine of the Apoſtles being by him knowne to be depoſited with the Biſhops in each Church, and having particular aſſurance of the ſanctity, and foun… faith of the preſent Governors of theſe Churches, to which he writes, He thinkes fit to make uſe of this one moſt compendious courſe, moſt immediately tending to his end, to keep them all in obedience to their Biſhops and officers under them, and to make the contrary (as it was indeed) the ſure marke of Haereticks, whom they were to avoid.

And ſo this is it which hath ſo fill'd all the Epiſtles (except that one to the Romanes) with continuall diſcourſe of the Biſhops, 29&c. And it is evident that in that preſent conjuncture of affaires, nothing could with more reaſon and …tneſſe have been inſiſted on.

Meane while that I may returne to the place from which I have a while diverted, 30It is ſo certaine and evident of the learned Archbiſhop of Armagh, that he never diſputed againſt the validity and authority of theſe Epiſtles thus purged, that it cannot be unknowne to them that thus diſpute, what arguments he hath urged for the authority of them, and in like manner what and how ſatisfactory anſwers he hath given to the ſpeciall exceptions of others, which very thing occaſioned a particular letter of reply to him from D. Blondell, which by that Archbiſhops favour I received, and made my rejoinder to it in the**Diſſ. 2. c. 9. Sect 6 &c. Diſſertations.

This I hope may be ſufficient to have ſaid in this matter, inſtead of undertaking ſo unreaſonable a taske of anſwering any thing aſſerted by that Archbiſhop.

As for that which followes out of him and M. Caſaubone of Baronius and the Papiſts making ſuch uſe, 32and placing ſuch p. 151confidence in theſe Epiſtles above all other Eccleſiaſticall Monuments, it is ſpeedily anſwered alſo out of what is already ſaid, that they were the former corrupt editions, which were abroad in Baronius's time, with all thoſe ſuppoſititious additions & interpolations, which the Papiſts are either by Mr. Caſaubone, or that Archbiſhop ſaid to have made uſe of; there being no one word or period in this volume, to which my appeale is made, which yeildeth any advantage to the Papiſts in any point, nor is it, nor can it be pretended by any that it doth, unleſſe by thoſe in whoſe opinion the mainteining of Biſhops is reputed for ſuch. And therefore that very learned man, M. Caſaubone, is ſo far from rejecting all theſe Epiſtles, that he diſtinctly promiſeth nonnullaru…n ex illis antiquitatem ſe novis rationibus tuiturum, that he will, if God permit, defend the antiquity of ſome of them, by reaſons which others had not taken notice of: Exerc. 16. Cont. Baron. Sect. 10. And this promiſe of his is cited by the Archbiſhop, Diſſert. de Epist Ign. pag. 136. ſo farre is it from all appearance of truth, which is cited as the opinion of theſe two learned men.

After all this▪ 33three Reaſons they will briefly off…r, why they cannot build their judg…ment concerning the Doctrine of the Primitive Church, about Epiſcopacy upon Ignatius's Epistles.

1. Becauſe there are divers things quoted out of his Epiſtles by Athanaſius, Gelaſiu…, and Theodoret, which are either not to be found in theſe Epiſtles or to be found altered and changed, and not acco…ding as they are quoted▪ This is R…vets argument, and purſued at large by the Archbiſhop, to whom we referre the Reader.

Being among their other Readers referr'd to the Archbiſhop of Armagh for the validity and purſuit of this firſt reaſon, 34I ſhall to him very ſecurely make my appeale, what force there is in it, againſt the volume of Epiſtles now twice in ſeverall formes publiſhed by him. And in the …rolegomena to the former of them, pag. 15, 16 &c. this is moſt evident that the paſſages cited by Athanaſius, Gelaſius, and Theodoret, which were not indeed to be found in the former printed Greek copies, are exactly diſcerned and evidenced by him to be in the old latine Interpreter, which he therefore thought fit to publiſh p. 152both out of Caius College and Biſhop Montacutes Library. The ſame hath he farther ſhewn, cap 4. pag. 19. &c. out of the ſame and other of the Antients, Euſebius, Hierome, &c. and ſet downe the places in columnes, by way of parallel, to demonſtrate the agreement of this Copy with the genuine Ignatius.

And is it not a little ſtrange, 35that I ſhould be now referred to that Archbiſhop for the purſuit of this argument, which he hath ſo diſtinctly proved to be of no force againſt the Copy which now I uſe, but to concurre in demonſtrating the purity of it?

Their ſecond Reaſon they draw from his over-much extolling himſelfe in his Epiſtle to the Trallians, 36where he ſaith that he had attained to ſuch a meaſure of knowledge, that he underſtood heavenly things, the orders of Angels, the differences of Archangels, and of the heavenly hoſt, the differences between powers and dominations, the diſtances of thrones and powers, the Magnificencies or Magnitudes of Aeones or Principalities, the ſublimity of the Spirit, the excellencies of Cherubims and Seraphims, the Kingdome of the Lord, and the incomparable Divinity of the Lord God almighty. All theſe things I know, and yet am not perfect, &c. Now who is there that can believe that ſuch arrogant boaſting can proceed from ſuch an holy man, and humble Saint, as Ignatius was?

And who would believe that the writer of this Appendix, 37which had cited the Archbiſhop of Armagh in his Prologomena to his firſt Edition of Ignatius, and ſo could not but be able to have conſulted that Edition, ſhould thus thinke to defame, and blaſt the whole volume of Epiſtles, for one ſuch periods ſake, which is not to be diſcerned in this, or that Archbiſhops latter, or in Voſſius's edition of them, to which onelyonly he muſt know we make our appeale for Epiſcopacy?

In theſe Copies the words are quite diſtant from what is here cited, 38and in effect, directly contrary to them, evidences of the greateſt humility, now when he was ſo neer the honor of Martyrdome, foreign, For p. 153I am not, becauſe (or in that) I am in bonds able alſo to underſtand heavenly things, the Poſitions of Angells, their aſſemblies of Principalities (or of the Rulers of them) both things viſible and inviſible. Beſides this, I am yet alſo a Diſciple, &c. What arrogance, I pray, or boaſting is there in this? and yet he addes no more in that place but onelyonly, foreign, foreign, For many things are wanting to us that we may not be left behinde by God, thinking himſelfe utterly unworthy of the honour (and fearing he may yet miſſe of it) to ſuffer Martyrdome for him. And ſo much for the ſecond Reaſon.

The third (which, 39ſay they, is moſt for our purpoſe) is from his over eager and over-anxious defence of the Epiſcopal Hierarchy, which he doth with ſuch ſtrange and Hyperbolical expreſſions (as if all Chriſtianity were lost, if Prelacie were not upheld) and with ſuch multiplyed repetitions, ad nauſ…am uſque, that we may confidently ſay as one doth,Ceci cenſur…. Certo certius eſt has Epiſtolas vel ſupp…ſitias eſſe, vell …oede corruptas, and that they doe neither agree with thoſe times wherein he wrote, nor with ſuch an holy and humble Martyr as he was. We will inſtance in ſome few of them.

What reaſons and deſigne Ignatius had to exhort the Chriſtians, 40to whom he writes to o…edience to their Governors, in the Church, hath already been ſaid at large, this being the onelyonly expedient, that, at that time, could be thought on, to keep out moſt dangerous hereſies out of the Church. And therefore what that holy Mart…r did in that kind, when he was carryed from his owne Church, never to returne to it againe, cannot be lookt on, as the ſeeking any great things for himſelfe, and ſo contrary to either his piety or humility, but as a deſire full of both thoſe, that the Church of God might enjoy truth and peace, after the beaſts had devoured him.

As for the ſtrange and hyperbolicall expreſſions, 41mentioned in the objection, and exemplified in the two following pages, the Reader muſt againe be told, that what they had done moſt unreaſonably before, is here practiſed againe at large, ſeverall places brought out of the former corrupt editions of Ignatius, of which no one word is to be found in the new editions out of p. 154the moſt antient Copies Greek and Latine, from which alone it is evident that we produce all our teſtimonies for Epiſcopacy, and ſo have produced very few of thoſe, which they are thus pleaſed to finde fault with.

The places which they urge, 42are eight, I ſhall not need to ſet them down, but give the leader a much ſhorter, and yet as ſatisfactory an account of them. Two are cited from the Epiſtle to the Trallians, and neither of them are in any part to be found in our Editions. Two are cited from the Epiſtle to the Magneſians, and the firſt is not at all in our Editions, nor the ſecond any farther than thus, foreign. As Chriſt being one with his Father did nothing without him, either by himſelfe or by his Apoſtles, ſo neither do ye act any thing without the Biſhop and the Preſbyters, nor endeavour that any thing ſhould appeare reaſonable to you which is private, or of your owne deviſing A ſpeech in every ſillable of it, very well becomming that Holy Martyr, written by him at a time, when the truth being by the Apoſtles depoſited with the Biſhops, all private deviſes of their owne were moſt juſtly to be ſuspected.

The fift is in the Epiſtle to Polycarpe, 43and is in our Copies thus, foreign. It becomes the men that marry, and the women that are married, to conſummate their union with the conſent of the Biſhop. And I wonder what age of the Church there hath been from that time to this, which hath not been of the ſame opinion. For what is by Biſhops committed to Presbyters, that is not done foreign, without the mind of the Biſhop (as elſewhere in thoſe Epiſtles appeares of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, neither of which, ſaith he, are to be meddled with without the conſent of the Biſhop, and many teſtimonies out of Antiquity are**See N…m. 55. elſewhere produced in perfect conformity therewith.) And conſequently, if in the Chriſtian Church, marriage hath alwayes been conſummated by the Prieſt or Preſbyter, then cannot this ſpeech of Ignatius have any blame in it.

p. 155And that thus it hath been through all ages, 44there is little matter of question (and no word here produced by the Objectors to the contrary) * Tertullian will be a good competent toſtimonie for the next Centurie,Ad Uxor. l. 2. c. ult. ſpeaking of the felicity of the Chriſtian Marriage, quod Eccleſia conciliat, & confirmat oblatio, & obſignat benedictio, Angeli renuntiant, &c. Which the Church makes, the Sacrament of the Lords Supper confirmes, the benediction of the Prieſt Seales, and the Angels pronounce valid. And in * another place, De Pudic. c. 4.Penes nos occultae co…junctiones, i. e. non prius apud Eccleſiam profeſſa, juxta moechiam & fornicationem judicari periclitantur, Marriages that are not done publickly before the Church, are in danger with us, to goe for adultery and fornication.

The ſame is every where to be found in the Decretal Epiſtles of Euariſtus, 45about Ignatius's time (which makes it a tradition from the Apoſtles and their ſucceſſors) of Soter not above 50. yeares after, of Calliſtus neer fifty yeares after him, of Silveſter an 100 yeares after him, of Siricius 70. yeares after Silveſter, of Hormiſdas 130. yeares after Siricius: And though ſome of theſe be by D. Blondel thought to be of later dates than the titles of them would pretend, yet the authority of moſt of them is unqueſtioned, as to this matter.

And the antient piece lately publiſht by Sirmund concerning the Hereſie of the Predeſtinati, 46written, ſaith he, 1200. yeares ſince, ſpeakes of it, as a knowne cuſtome and Canon of the Church, over all the world, For, ſaith that antient author, If marriage be unlawfull, Emendate ergo Eccleſia regul…m, damnate qui in toto orbe ſunt, ſacerdotes, Nuptiarum initia benedicentes, conſecrantes, & in Dei mysteriis ſociantes, Amend then the rule the of Church, and condemne the Prieſts which are in all the world, who bleſſe the beginnings of Marriage, conſecrate, and joyne the parties together with the Holy Sacrament.

And the fourth Councel of Carthage, 47before the yeare 400. hath theſe words, Sponſus & sponſa cum benedicendi ſunt à ſacerdote—When the Bridegroom and the Bride are to be bleſt by the Prieſt, Can. 13. And for latter ages the matter is out of Queſtion.

p. 156And ſo it will be much more reaſonable, 48from this paſſage in Ignatius, being found ſo perfectly concordant with other paſſages of the times ſo neer him, to reſolve the rule of the Church concerning ſacerdotal benediction in marriage to be received from the Apostles and their ſucceſſors, than from finding this ſpeech in one of Ignatius's Epiſtles, to caſt away the whole volume.

As for that which is added at the end of this teſtimony from the Epiſtle to Polycarpe, 49My ſoule for theirs, that obey the Biſhop, Presbyters and Deacons, there can be no fault in that, ſuppoſing as hath been ſaid, that the Biſhops at that time, & the Presbyters & Deacons living regularly and in union with them, had the true ſafe way among them, wherein any man might walke confidently, all danger being from the Hereſies that crept in, and brake men off from that unity of the faith.

The ſixth place from the Epiſtle to the Philadelphians, 50of the Princes and Emperors obeying the Biſhop, is certainly inſerted by forgery in the former, for not one word of it, or like it, is to be found in our editions.

So likewiſe for both parts of the ſeventh place out of the Epiſt…e to the Smyrnaeans, 51they are not to be found in our Editions.

The laſt onelyonly is to be met with there, 52but that in a much more moderate ſtraine, than the former, in words and ſenſe very agreeable to wholſome doctrine, and the exigencies of thoſe times, wherein there was no viſible way to keep out the tares of falſe teachers, but by requiring all to be kept to the managery of the true huſbandman. And accordingly I have cited this very ſpeech out of Ignatius for the aſſerting of Prelacie (and if there were no ſuch, the Epiſtles might paſſe well enough with theſe, as with all other men, they would have needed no vindication, having no adverſary) The words are theſe, foreign—All of you follow the Biſhop as Chriſt Jeſus did his Father (i. e. as elſewhere appears by the like expreſſion, with [foreign] added to it, be at perfect unity of doctrine, &c. p. 157with the Biſhop, as Chriſt was with God the Father) and the Presbytery as the Apoſtles, and reverence the Deacons as thoſe that are appointed by God, (viz. mediately by the Apoſtles.

Where it may be obſervable, 53that the obiectors which find ſuch fault with this ſpeech of Ignatius in their quarrelling with it, leave out this latter part of Presbytery and Deacons; they cannot finde in their hearts to quarrell, or accuſe him for bidding them follow the Presbytery as the Apoſtle, the onelyonly crime was to bid them follow the Biſhop (not, as Chriſt in the dative, i. e. as they follow Chriſt, but) as Chriſt followes his Father, the onelyonly p…acular offence, to recommend unity with, and obedience to the Biſhop. But that by the way.

It followes in the place, 54foreign, Let no Man without the Biſhop doe ought which belongs to the Church, Let that be accounted a firme Euchariſt, which is done by the Biſhop, or him whom the Biſhop ſhall permit. Where the Biſhop appeares there let the multitude be, as where Chriſt is, there is the Catholick Church, It is not lawfull without the Biſhop (i. e. as before, without commiſſion from him) either to Baptize or Adminiſter the Euchariſt, but what he approves of (thus in theſe publick Miniſtrations) that is well pleaſing to God, that it may be ſa…e and firme whatſoever is done; It doth well that men know God and the Biſhop. (as their Ruler under God, with whom his truth is by the Apoſtles depoſited) he that honours the Biſhop, is honoured by God, he that doth any thing clancularly without him, ſerves the Devill (performes a very acceptable ſervice to him; For ſo in a very eminent manner the Hereticks of that age, the Gnoſticks did, which ſecretly infuſed their deviliſh Leaven, and deadly poyſon into mens hearts, by which they took them quite from Chriſt, but could not have done ſo ſucceſſefully, if this Holy Martyr's counſell here had been taken.)

What inconvenience can be imagined conſequent to our affirming that Ignatius was the author of theſe words, 55I confeſſe not to comprehend; Of this there is no queſtion, but p. 158that it is the ordinary Language of the antient Church, and accounted neceſſary in an eminent degree, to preſerve unity and truth in the Church, and to hold up the authority of Governours among all, foreign, The Presbyters and Deacons muſt doe nothing without the minde of the Biſhop, Can. Apoſt. 40. and the reaſon is added foreign, for he is intruſted with the people of the Lord, So in the 56. Canon of Laodicaea, foreign, The Presbyters muſt do nothing without the minde of the Biſhop, and ſo in the Councell of Arles, Can. 19. The Presbyters muſt doe nothing in any Dioceſſe ſine Epiſcopi ſententia, without the Biſhops minde, and ſine authoritate literarum ejus, without authority of his Letter….

All that is here offer'd by them to make the like words in Ignatius a competent charge, 56upon which to throw away the whole volume of Epiſtles, is onelyonly this, If this be true Doctrine, what ſhall become of all the Reformed Churches, especially the Church of Scotland, which (as John Major ſaith lib. 2. Hiſtor. de Geſtis Scotorum, c 2.) was after it's firſt converſion to the Chriſtian faith above 230 yeares without Epiſcopall Government.

To this double queſtion I might well be allowed to render no anſwer, 57It being certainly very extrinſecall to the Queſtion in hand, (which is onelyonly this, whether Ignatius wrote or wrote not thoſe Epiſtles) to examine what ſhall become of the Reformed Churches, &c. It were much more reaſonable for mee to demand of the Objectors, who ſuppoſe their Presbyteriall platforme, as that is oppoſed to Epiſcopall, to be ſetled in the Church by Divine Right, If this Doctrine be true, what did become of all thoſe Primitive Churches all the World over, which they confeſſe departed from this modell, and ſet up the contrary, and ſo of all the ſucceeding ages of the Church for ſo many 100 yeares, till the Reformation, and ſince that alſo, of all the other Churches, which doe not thus farre imitate Mr. Calvin, caſting out the Government by Biſhops?

p. 159Is it not as reaſonable that they ſhould be required to give a faire and juſtifiable account of their dealing with (and judging, 58poſt factum, of) all theſe, as I ſhould be obliged to reconcile Ignatius his ſpeech concerning his preſent age, with the conveniencies of the Reformed Churches, which he could neither ſee, nor be deemed to ſpeak of, nor conſequently to paſſe judgement on them by divination.

What they were guilty of which ſecretly infuſed their poyſon into Men and Women in his age, 59and would not let the Biſhop the Governour of the Church, be the Judge of their Doctrines and …ractices, he here tells us, viz. That they performed ſervice to the Devill, in ſtealing Mens hearts from Christ; But what crime it was in thoſe of Corinth, and through all Achaia, to turne their Biſhops out of their places, foreign and foreign, to caſt them out of their Epiſcopacy their Office and Miniſtration, this he tells them not in that place, Clemens Romanus had done it competently in his Epiſtle.

As for the particular caſe of thoſe Reformed Churches, 60which have done more then ſo, not onelyonly caſt out their preſent Governours, but over and above utterly caſt off the Government it ſelfe, there had been I confeſſe, a great deale ſaid, both in this and other places of Ignatius, and many other Antient Writers, who yet never foretold theſe dayes, abundantly ſufficient to have reſtreined them from ſo diſorderly proceedings, if they would have pleaſed to have hearkned to ſuch moderate counſells. But having not done ſo, Ignatius hath gone no farther, he is only a witneſſe againſt them, he undertooke not the Office of a …udge ſo farre beyond his Province, hath pronounced no ſentence upon them.

And to proceed one degree farther, 61to the ſucceſſors of thoſe in the Reformed Churches (as many as are juſtly blameable for treading in their Leaders ſteps) though I may truely ſay, they have as little taken that Hol… Martyrs adviſe, and more than ſo, that they have retaind a conſiderable corruption in their Churches, and that they ſhould doe well, if now they know how, to reſtore themſelves to that medell, which they find every where exemplified in Ignatius, yet till they p. 160ſhall have done ſo, I know that they are exactly capable of being concer…d in any part of theſe words, laſt cited from Ignatius.

For they that have no Biſhop at all, 62cannot be required to doe nothing without conſulting with the Biſhop; They are juſtly to be blamed, as farre as they are guilty, that they have no Biſhop; but then that is their crime (and they are to reforme it as ſoone as they pleaſe) but that being ſuppoſed, this of not conſulting the Biſhop, while they have none, is no new crime, nor liable of it ſelfe to the cenſure of foreign here, which was affixt to thoſe that had Biſhops, and would not have their Doctrines examined by that ſtandard, of which they were the Depoſitaries. And this is as much as is needfull to be ſaid in this place for that firſt inconvenience affixt to Ignatius's words.

As for the other, 63the Church of Scotland in it's firſt converſion, the matter againe is ſo remote from the taske we have now in hand, for the vindicating the Authority of Ignatius's volumne of Epiſtles, and withall ſo uncertainly ſet downe by Authors, that it would be unſeaſonable to engage farre in ſo darke a part of Hiſtory ſo impertinently. In briefe therefore, though I have not John Major by me to conſult, yet I conceive I ſhall not gueſſe amiſſe at the grounds, and conſequently at the truth and weight of his aſſertion.

Joannes Jordanus was of opinion that **Demſter. Appar ad Hiſt. Scot. l. 1. c. 6.Paſchaſius a Sicilian prima Chriſtianae pietatis rudimenta mandante P. Victore in Scotia nuntiavit, 64firſt preacht the Chriſtian Faith in Scotland by the command of Pope Victor. And this was about the year 203. And ††Eccle. Hist. l. 1. c. 13.Bede ſaith that in the eight yeare of Theodoſius Junior, that is about the yeare 431, Palladius ad Scotos in Chriſtum credentes a Pontifice Romanae Eccleſiae Coeleſtino primus mittitur Epiſcopus, Palladius was by Celeſtine Biſhop of Rome ſent firſt Biſhop to the Scots that believed. And the diſtance betwixt theſe two termes being 228. yeares, this I conceive the ground-work of John Major's affirmation here cited, of the 230. yeares, wherein that Church after it…s firſt converſion remained without Epiſcopall Government.

p. 161But firſt it is to be noted here, 65that the ſaying of Jordanus of Paſchaſius in Victor's dayes, is no more than this, that he preached the Gospell there, prima rudimenta nuntiavit, declared the firſt rudiments there, and, as it followes in Demſter, tyrocinia fidei fecit, laid the grounds of Chriſtianity among them; And that might be done, and ſoone moulder away againe, and never come to ſo much maturity, as either to have Biſhops or Presbyters conſtituted among them. And ſecondly, though Bede ſay that Palladius was ſent to them Epiſcopus primus, their firſt Biſhop, yet neither he, nor any other affirmes that they were formerly ruled by a Preſbytery, or ſo much as that they had any Preſbyter among them. Nay thirdly, Demſter reports it from Jordanus but ſlightly, Joh. Jordanus putavit, it was the conceit or opinion of that author. And that which**Lib. 8. de ſignis Eccl. c. 1.Eccl 1 Bozius tells us will take off much from the creditableneſſe of that Opinion, Traditur in Scotiâ, quae tunc erat Hibernia, Chriſti cultum diſſeminatum eodem tempore quo in Britanniâ, ſub annum Chriſti 203. Victore ſedente. They ſay that the faith of Chriſt was diſſeminated in Scotland, which was then Ireland, at the ſame time that it was in Britanny, about the yeare 203. in the time of Victors Papacy.

By this it appeares that the conceit of Jordanus belonged to Ireland, 66not to Scotland, Ireland being antiently called Scotia (as in††Li. 2. c. 4. Bede we finde, Scotorum qui Hiberniam inſulam Britanniae proximam incolunt, the Scots which inhabit Ireland, and **L. 3. c. c.Gentes Scotorum quae Auſtralibus Hiberniae partibus morabantur, the Scots which inhabited the Southerne parts of Ireland) and that which is now Scotland, was then ſtyled Nova Scotia, to diſtinguiſh it from the other. And it is worth remembring that Marianus the Scotch Antiquary had no knowledge of this converſion of Scotland under Victor, † See Baron. Annal. Tom. 5. Anno. 429. Sect. 2.nor is there any ſhew of it in Bede, who tells us of the latter.

Nay it is yet more evident**Adv. Coll…s. in fine. by Prosper, 67that 'twas a converſion from barbarous to Chriſtian, which is ſpokon of in Coeleſtines time, and that the Faith was planted, and the Biſhop conſtituted there together, Venerabilis memoriae Pontifex p. 162ab hoc codem morbo Britannias liberavit, & ordinato Scotis Epiſcopo, dum Romanam inſulam ſtudet ſervare, Catholicam fecit etiam barbaram Chriſtianam, Pop… Coeleſtine freed Britaine from Pelagianiſme, and ordained a Biſhop for the Scots, and ſo while he indeavoured to keepe a Romane Iſland within the bounds of the Catholick Faith, he alſo made a barbarous Iſland Chriſtian. Which as it differs ſomewhat from Bedes expreſſion of Palladius's being ſent ad credentes, to believers, ſo it gives us occaſion to propoſe that which may reconcile theſe ſeeming differences, viz. 1. That Chriſtanity was planted in Scotland before Caeleſtine's time, derived to them moſt probably from their Neighbours the Britaines here, with whom they are**See Bede l. 2. c. 4. Scotos nihil diſcripar… à Britonibus in eorum converſatione didicimus, and c. 19. & l. 3. c. 3. Hoc enim ordine ſeptentrionalis Scotorum Provincia & …nis n…tio Pictorū Paſcha Dominicum …lebrabat. known to have agreed in the keeping of Eaſter, contrary to the cuſtome of the Romane Church, and ſo cannot be deemed to have received the firſt Rudiments of their converſion from Rome: Then ſecondly, that this Plantation was very imperfect, differing little from Barbariſme, and ſo reputed by Prosper, till the comming of Biſhop Palladius among them. Thirdly, that even after that, they retain'd the uſage of Eaſter, contrary to the Romane custome, which ſtill referres to ſome rude converſion of theirs before Palladius.

By all this it is cleared to us, 68what is to be thought of John Major's affirmation, which hath now very little appearance of truth in it, and if it had, would be little for the Preſbyterian intereſt to inſiſt on it, when after all that time of the ſuppoſed government of that Church by Preſbyters, it was found directly barbarous, and to be planted with Chriſtianity anew, at Palladius'… coming.

Some uncertainty we ſee there is of the time and meanes of planting Chriſtianity in Scotland, 69▪but as to this matter of the 230. yeares under Preſbytery, there can be no ground to affirme it; For if the converſion of it be dated from Victor's time, as that opinion would have it, yet even by that account 'twas after the ſpace, wherein the Presbyterians themſelves acknowledge Epiſcopacy to have prevailed over all the World; and then, upon that account, it muſt be granted, that whenſoever their firſt converſion was, 'twas certainly derived to p. 163them by thoſe who had Epiſcopall Government among them, and then they having ſent them Preſbyters to inſtruct and officiate (as Presbyters not as Biſhops) among them, thoſe Presbyters muſt be ſuppoſed to have continued under thoſe Biſhops by whom they were ſent, whether from Rome, or neerer home from the Britiſh, ſo farre at leaſt, as that when they failed, their number was ſupplied from the ſame Fountaine from which they firſt ſprang, (in the ſame manner as our own experience tells us of Virginia, which ſince the firſt Plantation continued to receive Presbyters from hence) and ſo continued to be, untill they had Biſhops ordained and planted among them. And ſo much for that ſecond ſuppoſed inconvenience alſo.