Plea for Pauls Presbytery in Scotland, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Quest. 4.Whether or no our brethren prove strongly, that the Church of believers is the first Church, having supreme jurisdiction above the Eldership.
MAster Parker of good memorie, to prove that the Church of believers is above and superiour to the ministerial Church of Bishops or Eldership, Parker de po…it. eccle. l. 3. c. 12 …ecret. regn ju…s 35. pa…s in toto contine…u…: minus in majore. Gerson.1. Reasoneth thus. The member and the part is inferiour in authoritie to the body, and the whole. But guides are members of the Church of believers: Therefore guides are inferiour to the Church of believers: So saith the law, The part is contained in the whole. Aenea… Sylvius.So Gerson, and the fathers of Basill, as Aeneas Silvius cited by Morton, Morton. Apol. part. 2. l. 4. c. 12.prove the Pope to be inferiour to a Generall Councell, and that he must be judged by them. Answ. We deny not, but the guides as guides are inferiour to believers, inferiour in Christian dignitie and eminency, and this in as far as the guides are believers; for one believer is inferiour to ten believers, because a part of a Church of believers is inferiour to the whole: but hence is not proved, that the guides every way that are in authoritie and jurisdiction are inferiour to believers. The eye as a part is inferiour to the whole body, but as indued with the excellent facultie of seeing is not inferiour to the whole body. 2. Rulers as Rulers are not parts, nor members of a Congregation consisting only of believers, for in so far as they are Rulers, they are members of a Presbyteriall Church, and so they are inferiour in dignitie and authoritie to the whole. The Pope is a part and a base part of the ministeriall Church, but it followeth not hence, that the body or communitie of believers may censure him: neither may every whole, or every body exercise jurisdiction over the members: for then every familie of believers might excommunicate the master of the family, ten believers might excommunicate five. Every body that hath authoritie, and is a free incorporation within it selfe may censure every member, but as a company of believers cannot ordaine, so neither can they depose or excommunicate a Minister.
Secondly,Parker 16. arg. de polit. Parker reasoneth thus. Every meane is inferiour to the end, 2 Argument.but Church guides are meanes ordained of Christ for the Church of believers, and the gathering of the Saints as Gods intended end. Therfore Church guides are inferiour to the Church of believers, and subject thereunto. So Paul 1 Cor. 11. proveth the woman to be subject to the man, because the woman is for the man. Answ. From this is only concluded, that Rulers are inferiour in dignitie to the believers, which is neither questioned nor denyed by us: but it is not hence proved, that believers have majoritie of jurisdiction above the overseers, or that overseers borrow the power of the keyes from the believers as from the first subject. The woman is inferiour in dignitie to the man, and the man more excellent, but the man (suppose he be the end) hath not a jurisdiction or Lordly power over the woman. Christ the mediator is for the Churches salvation as for the end, it followeth not that the Church hath a jurisdiction over Christ. The good Angels are ministring spirits for the good of the heires of salvation, Heb. 1. 14. It followeth not by good Logick, that the heires of salvation have power of jurisdiction over the good Angels.
Thirdly,… Argument. Parker reasoneth thus from the dignitie of the Church.Parker. If the Church bee a Mistresse, Spouse, and Mother, then her guides must be subject to her, Bergens Apol. pa…t. 2. l. 4. c. 14.as servants and sonnes. So Bergensis in the councell of Basill, So Whittaker, proveth the Pope to be subject to the Church as his Mother. Answe. The Church of sole believers is not the Spouse and mother of the Church guides, but the ministeriall Church of Pastours and elders is Queene Mother, that begetteth the sonnes of Zion to God, and so all the authoritative power that the mother hath it is from the Fathers and Pastours,Gal. 4. 19. that beget children to God; Other wayes one private Christian that is a meanes of begeating a pastour to the faith of Christ hath power of jurisdiction over the Pastour, which no wise man will averre, when Divines subject the Pope to a generall Councell, they make him with good reason inferiour to a ministeriall Church.
Fourthly, Parker reasoneth thus. If Christ communicate a greater measure and a more immediate presence of his spirit to the Church of believers, Whittaker.than to the overseers. Then the most supreme power of jurisdiction is given to the believers, and not to the overseers. So Whittaker, where there is m…joritie of power, there is majoritie of assistance of the Holy Spirit ruling the Church; many eyes see more than one. (I will be with you to the end of the world) is promised to the Church. So our Divines reason against the Pope. Greater is the Temple than the gold that sanctifieth the Temple, the altar than the sacrifice. The faithfull cannot fall away, the guides, except they be believers may fall away, neither is there a promise of salvation, remission of sinnes made to the guides, which is made to the Church of believers. Ans. If the wayes of Christs presence with the believer, and with the overseers were one and the same, the argument would say some thing, but they are of divers kindes. Therefore I deny this (Where Christ is more immediately present, there is the more supreme power of the keyes, or there is the power of the keyes more principally) for it is a caption a non causa: for Christs presence by faith is not the cause of the power of the keyes Saving grace is not the cause why God giveth common gifts; for then a holier pastor should be more essentially a Pastor. Baptisme administrat, by him should bee more essentially baptisme, then the baptisme administred by a lesse holy or a prophane pastour, this is the errour of the Donatists to hang the worthinesse of Gods ordinances upon the worthinesse of the instruments, one baptisme is not more essentially baptisme than another: Whatever be the goodnesse or badnesse of the Minister, the power of the keyes essentially is one and the same in all. God doth more assist and more abundantly blesse one mans ministerie than another, but the difference there is in the effects and manner of working, not in the essence and nature of the keyes, as we say a man of thirty yeares is more and greater of stature and a bigger man than a child of foure years old, but a man of thirty yeares is not more essentially a reasonable creature than a child of foure yeares old, for the nature of man is alike essentially in both. The goodnesse of God and his good pleasure is the cause why God giveth the power of the keyes to some persons and not to othersome, the grace and holinesse of a man is not the cause. It is dangerous to averre that the power of the keyes is more or lesse in persons, according as they are more or lesse sanctified and graced of God, for then Mary Magdalene hath more power of the keyes, and hath more ecclesiastick authoritie than Iudas, or any unbelieving Pastour duely called of Christ, and his Church. And therefore it is a sickly consequence to reason from the excellencie of the promises of grace and the measure of holinesse to the power of the keyes, or the measure of the power of the keyes. Our Divines reason well from a greater majoritie of grace and light pastorall, or of gifts pastorall or ecclesiastick to inferre the majoritie of power of jurisdiction, and of this speaketh Whittaker and our Divines, There is a greater measure of the Spirit of prophecy and of grace ministeriall, promised to the whole representative Church of Christ, convened in a Councell Occumenick, than to one man, the Pope, or to a Prophet, and they give, but doe not grant that the Pope is a Prophet, when they hold him to be a thiefe or a robber. Hence they prove well the Pope to be inferiour in power of jurisdiction to a generall councell of Pastours and Elders. 2. It is utterly false that they say, where there is more stabilitie of grace and holinesse, there is more authoritie and ecclesiastical power, When both the subjects are not capable of ecclesiastick power, now the subjects are so here, the Eldership is a subject capable of the keyes, but the communitie of believers that are private Christians, and no more, are not capable of this power, and they beg the question who reason with us in this argument. It is soule reasoning to say, the snow is whiter than a Raven, because there is more of cold qualities elementarie in the snow, nor in the Raven because the Raven is not white at all.Ariste top. 1. l. 8▪ Aristotle taught us long since at the Schooles that the comparative degree could not be ascribed to the subjects of whom the positive degree is denyed. Because a Raven is not white, it is vanitie to prove that snow is whiter than a Raven. Believers are not capable of the keyes remaining only believers, except God freely call them to the Ministeriall state. Believers (I grant) have authoritie of grace to be Kings and Priests to God (for grace hath with it heavenly Majestie and authoritie) but they have not authoritie officiall, or power ecclesiastick, they want both power of order and jurisdiction, except they be called Pastours and Elders, but then they are believers and somewhat more. But if they want power of jurisdiction, their power as members of the congregation is christian, popular, private, not authoritative, not a power of the keyes. Grace true and saving addeth a faire lustre to the power of the keyes, and doth graciously qualifie and adorn that power, but where there is no power of the keyes in simple believers it cannot adorne it: to please and embrouder a wicked man is not Christ. What is the power of believers shall be declared hereafter, if God permit.
4. Parker disputeth thus.4. Argument. The Church-guides must be subject to the censures of the Church of believers, Parker ib. arg. 9. Col. 4. 17.whereof they are members, The Colossians must say to Archippus, Ambr. Quid honor … qua u… imperator ecclesiae filius …take heed to the ministerie that thou hast received of the Lord. So Ambrose thinketh it the rulers, even the Emperours honour to bee subject to the Church. Nazian. calleth the Emperour himselfe a sheepe of the flocke, and subject to the tribunall, as Bellarmine granteth, Decret. p. 2. c. 25 Q. 8. Can. Nazian. orat. ad Bellarm. de pontif. Rom. l. 3. c. 14.and that (tell the Church) bindeth Peter, and the highest ruler. So Barrow, Every member is bound to the edification, service, and utilitie of the whole body commanded to reprove his brother, to bind their sins by the word of God, even their Princes with chaines,Barrow discover of the false Church p. 166. to admonish Archippus, yea, though an Apostle or Angell preached an other Gospell to pronounce him accursed, Answ. That the Prelate should be above the Church, and exempted from the lawes and censures of the Church, whereof he is a Prelate, is most unjust, and this worthy Parker proveth unanswerably. Emperours being pastours are under the lawes of Jesus Christ the highest lawgiver, and so Ambrose and Nazianzen say well. But hence is not proved, because the Collossians are as private Christians to admonish or rubuke their pastour Archippus. Therefore the body of believers have the power of the keyes to depose and excommunicate, and consequently to ordaine and lay hands on pastours, 1 Tim 5. 22.which is commanded and commended only to such as to Timothy and Titus, Tit. 1. 5.and in them to the Elders and Presbyterie,1 Tim 4. 14. and that (tell the Church) doeth bind Peter and oblige all Pastors and Rulers, to be lyable to the lawes and censures of the Church, but by the word Church is not meaned the Church of believers; but the Eldership of all incorporations ecclesiastick, respective of congregations, presbyteries and Synods, as God willing I shall make good.
3. Barrowes Scriptures are most corruptly wrested, for Ioseph a prince did bind in fetters the Senators of Egypt, therfore a private believer hath the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven to shut and open. What reason is there here? An Apostle or Angell preaching another Gospell is accursed, it followeth not. Therefore a private believer, suppone a woman who is no lesse than a man, bound to the edification service and utilitie of the whole body, is to excommunicate an Apostle, or an Angell who shall preach an other Gospell. The keyes shall be too common, if all private Christians may put to their hand, and use them, because they are to teach, admonish, rebuke, comfort, and edifie one another in a private and popular way: any may see, it is one thing for one member of the body to help one another by exhorting and rebuking (which is a worke of common charitie) and for pastors publikely as the ambassadors of Christ Jesus, to use the keyes by publike preaching of the Gospell (which is a worke of his pastorall charge) yea these two differ as an act of obedience to the law of nature and common charitie, and an act of obedience to a divine positive law.
5. Parker reasoneth thus. Coactive jurisdiction as excommunication, 5 Object,is a meane of edification, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 5. 4. Now the soules of guides (Parker saith the soules of Prelates) shall bee in a wors… case, than the soules of the flocke, if they bee not subject to a particular Church, as Corinth: for they want that meane of edification which others have. Some say Synods are to take order with pasto…rs, and not the Church of Believers; But Papists answer, The Bishop is to be judged by the Archbishop or Patriarch, if they shall scandalously sinne, then they are to be left to the Pope, and the Generall Councell, which cannot be had. Answer. I deny not but every pastour is subject in some things to the Eldership of the congregation, where he is, and if he were not lyable to lawes or censure, hee were a pope, but in the matter that deserveth deprivation he is only to be censured by the Presbyterie and Synods,…uriscon ejusdem est dignitatem conferre cujus est aufer…e. & contra. for a number of believers, nay a number of Ruling Elders cannot deprive him, because they cannot ordaine a pastour: for the law saith well, It is one power of the keyes to ordaine and to exauthorate and deprive: But no word of God will warrant a number of believers to censure ecclesiastically their pastor, not because hee is their pastor and they his flocke (for so the Eldership of his owne congregation might not ecclesiastically censure him, which I judge to be false) but because the Church of sole believers hath not the power of the keyes, and they have not power to censure any other believer, except in a private way, as fellow members of that same body: but in a constitute. Church, a Colledge of pastors and Elders only hath power to deprive or excommunicate a pastour, and there remaineth CHRISTS way of edification, that hee bee in this case censured by Synods. But yee will say, this is the Papists answer. I answer, it is not, for they will have the pastour censured by the Prelate, the Prelate by the Arch-Prelate, which we deny as Antichristian, for all are to be by the Church. But Synods m…y erre. Then appe…le to a greater Synod, for united force is stronger. But they also (you will say) may errr…, I answer, and the Congregation of sole beleevers is not free from error, but this doctrine of our brethren shall resolve all government in the hands of th… people, as in the highest and most soveraigne ju…icature, which is to make all Pastors, all oversee…, all Judges.
6. Parker reasoneth from the necessary defence of the Church.Object▪ 6. Every particular Church is an Armie, Keckerman polit. l. 2. c. 28.a Ship, a body, 1 Cor. 12. Therefore when they are neare danger, they have power to take order with a drunken Pilot, Hottomanm de jure reg…i … l. 1. c▪ 12.and put him from the rud…er, and to take order with a tyrann…u… Capt…ine, and to purge out the filth and excrements of the body. So politicians, as Keckerman, Hottomanus say a wicked Magistrate is to be deposed, if no other remedy can be found, Gerson de pa… Cons. 12.So Gerson. Answ. It is one thing what a multitude may doe in a desperate case of necessity, when overseers will not by their authority remove a wolfe and a false teacher, extremis morbis extrema remedia; Hard diseases and desperate have need of desperate cures. But it is an o…her case when in a constitute Church, there is a government of Christ established, for there are two things to bee considered here. 1. A popular, but withall a private substraction and separation from the Ministery of a knowne Wolfe and seducer, and this the Law of nature will warrand,Saravia lacet tutela inculpata …, si malus … ab ecclesia depon… nequ… than licet tutelâ inculpatâ uti as Parker saith from Saravia. So the son may save himselfe by a just defence in …leeing from his madde father, or his distracted friend comming to kill him. Now this defence is not an authoritative act, nor act judiciall of authoritie, but an act naturall that is common to any private person, yea to all without the true Church as well as within to take that care in extreme necessity, for the safety of their soules, that they would doe for the safetie of their bodies. 2. The question is whether the community of beleevers may doe this, that is, whether they by the power of the keyes given them by Jesus Christ may deprive and excommunicate the Pastor, because the Law of Nature in some cases may warrant a private separation from a corrupt ministery. 3. The case is not a like here as in a free Common-wealth, for a free Common-Wealth containeth, Ordines regni, the estates that have nomotheticke power,Iunius Brutus q. 3. and they not only by the Law of Nature may use justa tutela, Bucherius l▪ 1. 16 Althus. polit. c. 15.a necessary defence of their lifes from a Tyrants fury, but also by the Law of Nations may authoritatively represse and limite him as is proved by Iunius Brutus, Bucherius, H…nonius polit. disp. 2. 11. …,Althusius, H…nonius. Therefore Henning, Amisaeus, do well distinguish betweene plebem & foreign populum, Isiodor l. 9.for indeed the multitude excluding the States,Orig. cont. Cels. c. 9. or the base of the people can hardly have an other Law against a Tyrant,Aristo. polit. l. 1… c. 3. then the Law of Nature,Plato de repub. c. 8. but the Common-wealth including the estates of a free kingdome, hath an authoritative.Livius l. 24. natu…am multitudinis fi…it. So Isiodor, Origen, Aristotle, Plato, Tit. Livius, Plutarch, and that of the Councell of Basil, Plutarch in Aegid. in princ. Aenea… Silvius de Gest. concil.Plus valet regnum, quam rex, the Kingdome is more worth than the King, (as Silvius citeth,) is approved by all: but the multitude of sole beleevers, have not the keyes at all and therefore they can doe no other thing,Basilens. l. 1. but use a necessary defence of their soules.Gerson consid. 4 ver…t. 12. And what Keckerman and Hottoman saith is not against us. Also Gerson in name of the Parisians, going to the Councell of Pisan, saith a Councell may be gathered without the Pope (without the guides) of the Church) two wayes, Charitative, when Charity reigneth. 2. Authoritative, when the case of the Churches ruine requireth that a Councell should bee, and if the Pope (and Pastors) refuse to convene; and the necessary defence of soules is the like here.
7. No power is given to Pastors absolutely,Arg. 7. but to edification, and so upon condition,…. and therefore if the condition cease, the power ceaseth: But say yee, It ceaseth; What then? it followeth not they should be deprived, by the Church, but by the Synod: yea, but you will say, it followeth, for the power is not given for the edification of the Synod, and not for their destruction, but for the edification of the Church, and this destroyeth the Church. Also Synods cannot alwayes bee had.
Answ. If the power bee abused wholly, it ceaseth and the Pastor before God, in foro interno, hath losed his power; If it bee abused in one or two acts, it is not losed, else a King doing against judgment and justice, and a Pastor doing against pietie should leave off to be a King, and Pastor; which is hard to affirm. 2. The power authoritative, is given by the Presbytery for the edification of the Church principally, and for the edifying of Synods and Elderships, Secondarily, but hence it followeth not that this power should bee taken away by the Church of sole beleevers. Object. Synods (saith hee) cannot bee had ordinarily. Answ. So neither publike preaching at some times; It followeth not therefore that publike preaching is not a meane of edifying, because through accident, and iniquitie of time the publike preaching cannot be had.
8 Parker reasoneth from the stability of the Church. 8. …g.Where there is more stabilitie, there is more authority, as our Divines reason, proving the Pope to be inferiour to the Councell. 1. A Church cannot be gathered in the name of Christ, but there is the power of Christ, 1 Cor. 5. 4. Matth. 18. But a Church may be, Saravia.and was constitute at first, saith Saravia, without El…ers and Pastors. 2. The Church hath ecclesiasticke au…hority, when the overseers are absent, as in the reformed Churches, or when by heresie they lose their authority, the authority of the overseers, dependeth on the Church, Morton.but the authority of the Church dependeth not on the overseers. 3. When the Pastor is dead, the Church keepeth still her authoritie, Bellarmine.when the Pope is (saith Bellarmine) the keyes remaine in the Christs hands, and he giveth them to the next Pope: Behold fleeing keyes (saith Morton.) Ans. A ministeriall Church is never gathered in Christs name, while there be a ministerie, unlesse you would say, Peter is a man before he be a reasonable creature which is a contradiction, some few beleevers may meete together, but they cannot preach, baptize, censure, while Christs power of the keyes bee given them, except by an extraordinary power from I. C. 2. What if a Church of beleevers bee by order of nature, before there be overseers? Yet have they not the keyes while CHRIST call some of their number out to give them the Keyes, for there was no power of the Keyes of the New Testament, while Christ gave it to Iohn Baptist, and called the twelve Disciples; else their calling to bee Apostles should not bee a conferring on them the Keyes, which is false: for when, Matth. 10. 1, 5. they are sent out with power to preach, he gave them the Keyes, …nd yet they were a Church of Disciples before, and first called to faith, and then to the Keyes, and to the Apostleship. 2. The Church of beleevers have no authority Ecclesiasticall, nor power of the Keyes, if all the Pastors on earth were removed from the Church by Death, and in that case the Keyes should indeed bee only in Christs-hand, and the case being extraordinary, Christ behoved extraordinarily, to supply the want of ordination, which Timothy, Titus, and other Elders doth ordinarily give, for the Church of beleevers could not give that which they have not, and yet Bellarmines Keyes are …leeing Keyes, for he hath no cause to say, when the Pope dieth; The Keyes flee to Heaven, for there are living many thousand Pastors and Elders who have the Keyes suppone the Pope died, and never lived again.
10. Parker reasoneth thus, …If Peter stand up, Acts 2. in signe of reverence (as standing is in Scripture, Numbers. 16. 9. 1. …hro. 19. 11. Ezec. 44. 11. John 3. 29.) before the multitude of believers, then he acknowledged their authority above his; But Peter did the former, Acts 2. Answ. This argument concludeth not the power of the Keyes to bee in the multitude: There is Authority of grace in a multitude professing the Truth but not power of the Keyes, and certainely we denie not simply, but beleevers are farre above all overseers. But the question now is of superioritie and honour of jurisdiction.
11. If nothing must be done in a Church without the common consent of believers,Obiect. 11. then beleevers have jurisdiction above their over-seers;The Bretheren of the separation petitiō … to K James positi… 5. pag. 47. but the former is true. Act 15. Act. 1. I may adde what these of the Separation say. The faithfull had knowledge and consent in elections, Act. 1. 15, 23, 26. Act. 6. 2, 3, 5. and 14, 23. and 15. 23 25. For hearing and deciding Ecclesiasticall controversies, Act. 11. 2, 18. and 15. 2, 22. and 21. 18. 22. for writing generall letters. Act. 15. 25. for sending some to build other Churches, Act. 11. 22. for sending the benevolence of Brethren to other Churches, 1 Cor. 16. 3. and 2 Cor. 8. 19. for excommunication, 1 Cor. 5. Mat. 18. Ans. If this be a good Argument, All publike Church businesse is to be done by knowledge and consent of beleevers, and cannot be done by their over-seers done. Therfore the faithfull have jurisdiction over the over-seers.
Answ. We will borrow the Argument (and give it back againe) for us; no publike businesse is to be done without the knowledge and consent of Eldership.Beza Confes. Q. 43. Ergo, The Eldership hath the jurisdiction. 2. That all be done by their consent,Ne que enim ijs assen…ior qui non nisi ex totius Ecclesiae consensu & rogati… singulu quemqu… excommunicari volunt. I grant, but with these distinctions, 1. Their quiet and tacite consent, for there is not required an expresse consent by word of mouth of all the multitude (as of women) speaking in the Church, for they should give reasons of their consent, if an expresse consent be required. 2 Consent of manyest, not all, els the Churches deed should bind none absent. 3. A consent popular, not judiciall, els they are all made Judges. 4. Their privity is thought a consent; how could six thousand that our Bretheren make an independent Church in the Apostles time all speake. 2. All judge in Excommunication. 3▪ All reason, dispute, propone, answer, as Judges must doe; heere grave Beza, our Divines Calvine, Bucer, Bullinger, Melancton, Beza, Bucan, Pareus, Rivetus, Sibrandus, Junius, Treleatius, the fathers Cyprian, Jerome, Augustine, Nazianzen, Chrysostome, Ambrose, Theodoret, Theophylact require all to be done, consentiente plebe. But my Bretheren, what if there be a discord, and beleevers deny consent. In a matter of Excommunication Zepperus, Pareus Vrsin, quest Catech 85. art 3. pag 47…. Si videant sequi maiora mala multos inter se dissentire, scindi Ecc…esiam, non debent procedere▪Zanchius, Beza, Bucanus, Pareus thinke the Eldership should not excommunicate. 2. But what if the contagion of the not excommunicated leaven the whole lump? I see not how believers have a negative consent. 3. If the matter be a point of necessary truth to be determined, and the Pastours and Elders in the Lord and from his Word command it as a necessary truth to be obeyed, but the Beleevers consent not, I aske whither or not that which Watchmen command from Gods Word and authoritatively and judicially in his name, ought not to stand as an obliging Mandat and Canon, even when the Beleevers gain-say? Our Bretheren say, the Mandat tyeth and obligeth materially and in it selfe, but not ecclesiastically, because beleevers doe not consent, it hath not the force of a Canon, seeing they have the keyes. Ans. But this Canon (Arrianisme is Heresie) we suppose is all one both materially and Ecclesiastically, according to that (Hee that heareth you, heareth me) and so it tyeth being determined by Pastours with others Synodically conveened. Shall it oblige the one way Ecclesiastically being preached, and not the other way being Synodically determined, because the people consenteth not? Certainly if power of preaching be a power of the keyes, all that are silent to that which is preached give a consent to what is preached, for silence at the hearing of a vow, when it is lawfull to speake is a consent, Numb. 30. ver. 14. Now it is lawfull to any member of the Congregation, to speake against what is unfound in Doctrine publickly delivered, so it be spoken timously: Hence it must follow that what tyeth and obligeth as an act of the keyes in preaching, tyeth also when determined by the Eldership, suppose all the Congregation doe not judge and determine judicially: I may say that by our Bretherens grounds, preaching is a publick Ecclesiastick act of the keyes, and of the whole Church, for the Church preacheth by her Pastour, as by her mouth and servant receiving authority, and the keyes to preach from the Church. Therfore all must give their consent to what is preached, els it is not the Word of God or to be judged and reputed to tye us to faith and obedience, no lesse then publick acts of the Church, and this were strange, to say, the word preaching is not the word obliging ecclesiastically, except all believers women and children confirme it by their consent and suffrages judicial.
12. Parker reasoneth thus. 1…. Argument.If Peter render an account to the particular Church of believers at Jerusalem, Parker 16.of his eating with the uncircumcised,Gratian. Decr. part. 2. c. …. q. 7. c. 4. and of what may be judged scandalous,Gerson de auss…rib. pa. cons. 1…. then the judiciall power of censuring Church-guides is in the hands of the people;Best Churches plea, p 22. …8. But this Peter the Apostle did Act. 11. not (as Gratian saith) ut doctor mansuetudinis, but,Concil. Basil…ns. as …erus saith, ex officio. And as Gerson saith,Doctor Paris…e polit. Eccles. p. 13. non ex humili condescensione, sed ex debito & obligatione, Jac. Almain. de authorit. Eccl c 7.not of Humility, but of duty. So reasoneth Best also. So Almain saith, Pope Nicolas said to Lotharins, except he would abstaine from the co…pany of his excommunicated whore, he would complaine to the Church,Occam. Dialog. l 6. part 1 c. 60. he said not, he would take order with him himselfe, as being above a Councell.Papa de nec…ssitate … tenetur se purgare si grave scandalum oriatur apud Catholicos, probatur 8▪ ra…. When Symmachus the Pope contended with some, he gathered a Councell, and they iudged the matter: If two Popes contend for a Popedome (saith Almaine) a generall Councell is to determine.
Answ. The Major is not true, Peter is to purge himselfe before any one brother offended of a scandall, and farre more before the Church: Yea, the necessity of his salvation, and so the law of nature forbidding to offend the weake, willeth him to purge himselfe, if he were a Pope (saith Occam) now one offended brother is not a church, and so the Superiority of jurisdiction in believers is not hence concluded. 2. He purged himselfe before the Apostles and Bretheren, ver 1 and not before the Brethren onelyonly. 3. If he had done wrong, he was obliged to confesse his scandall before one offended believer, and also before all the Church, but that prooveth not jurisdiction in the believers.
13. Paul rebuketh Peter before the Church of Antioch, Obiect. 13.ergo. That Church of Antioch might iudge Peter.
Ans. The same answer sufficeth▪ 2. It is not proved that in the presence of Believers only Paul did rebuke him from this Text.
14. Christ immediately and without the mediation of the Church (saith Parker) communicateth himselfe to beleevers,Obiect. 14. ergo, he communicateth his power also immediately to his Church.
Ans. It followeth not, because he communicateth not his power of the keyes to the Church of believers, either mediately or immediately, because he giveth it not to them at all.