Five Disputations of Church Government, Section 3
TO draw some of this which I have said into a narrower room, I shall briefly tell you what I could heartily wish both Magistrates and Ministers would speedily accomplish for the order and Peace of the Church in these matters.
1. I could wish that they would choose out the ablest Godly men, and let them be appointed General Teachers, and Guides, to call the uncalled, and to order, confirm, and so take care of the Churches that are gathered: And if by the Magistrates consent and their own, they divide their Provinces, it will be but meet. These I would have to go up and down to the several Parishes in their Provinces, and to have no particular Parishes of their own, nor to take the fixed Pastors power from them, but to take care that it be by themselves well exercised: And I would have the Magistrate keep his sword in his own hand, and let these prevail with mens consciences as far as they can; and in that way, if they would exceed their bounds, and arrogate any unjust power to themselves, we shall dissent and deny it them, and stand upon our ground, and deal with them upon equal terms, and so need not to fear them. And I have cause to think that neither Presbyterians nor all the Independents will be against such General Officers (Successors of the old ones) as I here describe: Not the Presbyterians: for in Scotland they appointed and used such in the beginning, of their Reformation when they made Visitors of the particular Churches, and assigned to each their limited Provinces, and so they were Commissioners, to cast out Ministers, put in others, and plant Kirks, and they had several Superintendents, all which is to be seen in the Doctrine and Discipline of the Kirk of Scotland (printed not long agoe again.) And the Itinerant Comm…ssioners in Wales that were set there to go about preaching and Reforming, doth shew that their Judgements were not against the Power.
2. I could wish that every Parish Church may have one Eldership (where they may be had) or some Elders and Deacons, with one Constant Fixed, Perfect for Order and Unity.
3. I could wsh that Ordination and Constitutions for Unity and Communion may be done only in Synods, less or greater:Essentiale fui…, quod ex Dei ordinatione perpetua; necesse fuit, est & erit ut Presbyterio quispiam & loco & dignitate primus actioni gubernandae praesit, cum …o q…od ipsi divinitus▪ attributum est jure. Beza de Minist. Evang. Grad. cap. 23. and that of many Presbyteries there may consist a Classis, as commonly called, and of many of those a Province: And that the Classical meeting may be frequent, and that some one, the fittest man, may be standing President of that Classis during life, except he deserve removal.
4. I could wish also that the Provincial Assembly (to be held once a quarter or half year in each County) may have the most able, discreet, godly Minister chosen to be the standing President also during life▪ unless he deserve removal.
So that here are four several sorts of Bishops that for Peace and Order I could consent to: to wit, 1. A General unfixed Superintendent. 2. A fixed Parochial Bishop President of that particular Presbytery. 3. A Classical Bishop, President of that Classis. 4. A Provincial Bishop, President of the Provincial Assembly. But there is no necessity of these.
5. Of the degree of their Power I said enough before. It is intolerable they should have a Negative vote in Excommunications and Absolutions and such Government of the people (except the Parochial Bishop) save only in case of appeals, and there I leave it to each mans consideration, though I had rather they had none: But whether they should be admitted a Negative in Ruling the Pastors, I determine not. Only in case of Ordination, I would have all resolve to do nothing (except in a case of Necessity) but when the President is One: and stop there; which will permit him de facto the use of his Negative, and yet trouble no mans conscience to acknowledge de jure that it Must so be▪ for to that none should be forced.
This much I could willingly yield to for reconciliation and unity: And I doubt not but I shall be sufficiently reproached by some for yielding so far, and by others for yielding no further.