The Diocesans Trial, Part 2 · Argument 5 – Argument 8
The fifth Argument.
The Ministers which the Church h…d generally and perpetually the first 300. yeares after Christ and his Apostles, and was not ordained by any generall Councell, were undoubtedly of Apostolicall institution. But the Church ever had Diocesan bishops in singularity of preheminence during life, and in majority of power of ordination and jurisdiction above others, and these not instituted by generall Councells. Ergo, The proposition is plaine both by Austin de Bapt. contra Donat. lib. 4. & Epist. 118. and by Ter…ul. Constat. id ob Apostolis traditum quod apu… Ecclesias Apostolorum fuit sacrosanctum. For who can thinke that all the Churches generally, would conspire to abolish the order of Christ planted by the Apostles, and set up other Ministers then Christ had ordained. The assumption it plaine: for if the Church had Metropolitans anciently, and from the beginning, as the Councell of Nice test…fieth, much more bishops. For Dioces in bishops must bee before th…m, they rising of combination of Cities and Dioces. And the councell of Ephesus test…fieth, the government of those bishops of Cyprus, to have been ever from the beginning, according to the custome of old received. Yea, that the attempt of the bishop of Antioch, was against the Canons of the Apostles. Againe, Cyprian doth testifie, that long before his time, b…shops w…re placed in all Provinces and Cities, besides the s…cc…ssion of bishops from the Apostles times: for they prove their orig…nall to have beene in th… Apostles times. Neither were they instituted by any generall councell. For long before the first generall councell, we read Metropolitans to have beene ordained in the Churches. Yea, Ierom himselfe is of opinion, that no councell of after times, but the Apostles themselves did ordaine bishops; for even since those contentions wherein some said, I am Pauls, others, I am Apollos, they were set up by generall decree: wh…ch could not bee made, but by the Apostles themselves. And in Psal. 44. hee maketh David to prophecy of bishops, who should be set up as the Apostles Successors.
Answer.
First, we deny the proposition. For first, this doth presuppose such an assistance of Gods Spirit with the Church, that she cannot generally take up any custome, or opinion, but what hath Apostolicall warrant, whereas the contrary may be shewed in many instances. Keeping of holy dayes was a generall practise through the Churches, before any councell enacted it, yet was no Apostolicall tradition. Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 22. Evangelium non imposuit hoc, ut dies festi observentur, sed homines ipsi suu quique l…cis ex more quodem introduxerant. Taking the Eucharist fasting, the fasts on Wednesday, and Saturday, fasting …n some fashion before E…ster, ceremonies in baptising, the government of Metropolitans were generally received before any councell established.
2. It doth presuppose, that the Church cannot generally conspire in taking up any custome, if she be not led into it by some generall proponent, as a generall representative councell, or the Apostles, who wert Oecumenicall Doctors, but I see no reason for such a presumption.
3. Th… doth presuppose, that something may be which is of Apos…licall auth…ity, which neither directly nor consequently is included in th… wo…d written. For when there are some customes which have beene generall, which yet canot be grounded in the word written, it is necessary by this proposition, that some things may be in the Church having authority Apostolicall, as being delivered by word unwritten. For they cannot have warrant from the Apostles but by word written or unwritten. To the proofe we answer: That of Tertullian maketh not to the purpose, for hee speaketh of that which was in Churches Apostolicall, as they were now planted by them, which the sentence at large set downe w…ll make cleare. Si cor stat id bonum quod p…ius, & id prius quod esta… initio, ab initio quod ab Apostolis, pariteruti que constabil id …sse ab Apostolis traditum quod apud Ecclesias Apostolorum funit sacrosanctum. Touching Austins rule we would a…ke what is the meaning of these words, Non nisi Apostolica authoritate traditum rectissime cre…itur. If th…y say his meaning is, that such a thing cannot but in their writings be delivered, they doe pervert his meaning, as is apparent by that, Cont. Don. lib. 2.27. Confuetudinem ex Apostolo…em traditions ven…entem, si…ut multa non inveniuntur in literis corum, & tamen quia custodiunt… per universam Ecclesiam, non nisi ab ipsit tradita & commendata creduntur. And we wish them to shew from Scripture what …hey say is contained in it. If th…y yeeld, he doth meane as he doth of nowritten tradition, we hope th…y will not justifie him in this; we will take that liberty in him, which himselfe doth in all others, and giveth us good leave to use in his owne writings. Now count him in th…s to favour Traditions, as some of the Papists do not causel…sly make this rule the measuring cord▪ which doth take in the l…titude of all traditions: y…t wee appeale to Austines judgement otherwhere, who though by this rule hee maketh a universall practise not begunne by Councells, an argument of Divine and Apostolicall authority, yet dealing against Donatists, Lib. 1. Don. cap. 7. hee saith, he will not use this argument, because it was but humane and uncertaine, ne vide…r humanis argumentis illud probare, ex Evangelio profero certu document….
Wee answer to the assumption two things: First, it canot bee proved, that un…vers…lly there were such Diocesan bishops as ours. For in the Apostles times it cannot be proved, that Churches which they planted were divided into a mother Church, and some Parochiall Churches. Now while they governed together in common with Presbyters, and that but one congregation, they could not be like our Diocesan b…shops. And though there bee doubtfull relations, that Rome was divided under Evaristus, yet this was not common through the Church. For Tripa…tit… story test…fieth, that till the time of Sozomeh, they did in some parts continue together. Trip. hist. lib. 5. cap. 19. Secondly, those B…shops which had no more but one Deacon …o helpe them in their ministery toward their Churches, they could not be D…ocesan B…shops. But such in many parts the Apostles planted, as Epiphanius doth testifie. Ergo. Thirdly, such Countries as did use to have bishops in villages and little townes, could not have Diocesan b…shops. But such there were after the Apostles times in Cyprus and Arabia, as S…zom. in his 7. booke, cap. 10. testifieth. Ergo. Diocesan bishops were never so universally received. Secondly, bishops came to be common by a Councell, saith Ambrose, Prospiciente Concilio. Amb. in 4. ad Eph. or by a D…cree p…ssing through the world: toto orbe decretum est, saith Ierom ad Evag. which is to bee considered not of one Oecumeniall Councell, but distributively, in that singular Churches did in their Presbyteries decree, and that so, that one for the most part followed another in it. This interpretative, though not formalitèr, is a generall decree. But to thinke this was a decree of Pauls, is too too absurd. For besides that the Scripture would not have omitted a decree of such importance, as tended to the alteration of and consummation of the frame of Churches begun through all the world. How could Ierom (if this decree were the Apostles) conclude that bishops were above Presbyters magii consuetudine Ecclesia, then Dominicae dispositionis veritate. If the Doct. do except, that custome is here put for Apostolicall institution; let him put in one for the other, and see how well it will become the sense. Let Bishops know they are greater the… Priests rather by the Decree of the Apostle, then by the truth of Christs disposition. Is it not fine, that the Apostles should be brought in as opposites, facing Christ their Lord? And this conclusion of Ierom doth make me th…nke that decretum est imported no more, then that it was tooke up in time for custome through the world. Which is elegantly said to be a decree, because custome groweth in time to obtaine vim legis, the force of a decree. But Amb…ose his place is plain, Prospiciente Concilio, he meaneth not a councell held by Apostles. For he maketh this provision by councell to have come in when now in Egypt & Alexandria, Presbyters according to the custome of that Church, were not found fit to succeed each other, but they chose out of their presbyteries men of best desert. Now to Heraclas and Donysius, there were a succession of Presbyters in the Church of Alexandria, as Eusebius and Ierom both affirme. Wherefore briefly, seeing no such universall custome can be proved, all the godly …athers never conspired to abolish Christs institution. Secondly, could a custome have prevailed with all of them, whom we have to Constantines time, yet it might enter and steale upon them through humane frailty, as these errours in doctrine did upon many otherwise godly and fa…thfull Martyrs: the rather because the alteration was so little at the first and Aristocraticall government was still continued. Thirdly, say, they had wittingly and wittingly done it through the world, they had not conspired, because they might have deemed such power in the Church, and themselves to doe nothing but what they might with Christs good liking for the edification of it. How many of the chiefe Patrons of this cause, are at this day of this judgement, that if it were but an Apostolicall institution, as Apostolicall is contradistinguished to divine, they might change it. But if the Apostles did enact this order, as Legats and Embassadours of Christ, then is it not theirs, but Christs owne institution. What an Embassadour speaketh as an Embassadour, it is principally from him that sent him: but if they who were Legates, d…d not, bearing the person of Legats, but of ordinary Ecclesiasticall governours, decree this; then it is certaine, Church governours may alter it without treasonable conspiring against Ch…ist.
As for those proofes, that Bishops have beene throughout all Ch…rches from the beginning they are weake. For first, the Councell of Nice useth foreign, not simpliciter, but secundum quid, in order h…pply to th…t time wherein the custome began, which was better knowne to them then to us: the phrase is so used, Act. 15.8. in respect of some things which had not continued many yeares. They cannot meane the Apostles times, for then Metropolitans should have actually beene from the Apostles time. Secondly, the phrase of the Councell of Ephesus, is likewise aequivocall; for they have reference to the fathers of Nice, or at least the decrees of the fathers, who went before the Councell of Nice. For those words being added, definitiones Nicenae fidei, seeme to explaine t…e former, Canones Apostolorum. It is plaine the decree of the Councell doth asc…ibe this th…ng onelyonly to ancient custome, no lesse th…n that of Nice, Constantinople and Chalcedon; and therefore cannot rise to the au…ho…ity of sacred Scriptures. Let him shew in all antiquity where sacred Scriptures are called Canons of the Apostles. Finally, if this phrase note rules given by the Apostles, then the Apostles themselves did set out the bounds of Cyprus and Antioch. As for the auth…rity of Cyprian, he doth testifie what was Communiter in his time, Bishops odained in cities; not univers…liter, as if th…re were no city but had some. Second…y, hee speaketh of Bish…ps who had their Chu…ches included in Cities, not more then might meet together in one, to any common del…berations. They had no D…ocesan Churches, n…r were bishops who had majority of rule over their Presbyters, nor sole power of ordination. As for the Catalogue of succession, it is pompae ap…ior quam pugnae; R…me can recite their successors. But because it hath h…d bishops. Er…o, Oecumenicall b…shops is no consequence. All who are named b…shops in the Catalogue, were not of one cut, and in that sense we con…rovert.
Touching that which doth improve their being constituted by any Councell, it is very we…ke. For though wee read of no generall Councell, yet there might be, and the report not come to us. Second…y, we have shewed, that the Councell of Nice doth not prove this that bishops were every where from the beginning; the phrase of from the beginning, being there respectively, not absolutely used. Neither doth Ierom ever contrary this: for hee doth not use those words in propire…y, but by way of allusion; otherwise if hee did think the Apostle had published this decree, when the first to the Corinths was written, how can he cite testimonies long after written, to prove that Bishops were not instituted in the Apostles time, but that they were ordained by the Church jure Ecclesiastico, when the time served for it.
The sixt Argument.
Such as even at this day are in the reformed Churches, such Ministers are of Christs institution. But Ministers having singularitie of preheminence and power above others, are amongst them, as the Superintendents in Germany, Ergo. Answ. The assumption is utterly denied. For Superintendents in Germany are nothing like our Bishops: they are of the same degree with other Ministers, they are onelyonly Presi…ents while the Synod lasteth; when it is diss…lved, their prerogative cease…h: they have no prerogative over their fellow Ministers; they are subject to the Presbyteries, Zepp. lib. 2 cap. 10. pag. 324. The Synod ended, they returne to the care of their particular Churches.
The seventh Argument.
If it were necessary that while the Apostles lived, there should bee such Ministers as had preheminence and majority of power above others, much more after their departure. But they thought it necessity, and therefore appointed Timothy and Titus, and other Apostoli…ke men furnished with such power. Ergo, much more after their departure. Answ. The assumption is denyed, and formerly disproved: for they appointed no such Apostolicke men with Episcopall power, in which they should be succeeded.
The eighth Argument.
Such Ministers as were in the Apostles times not contradicted by them, were lawfull. For they would not have held their peace, had they knowne unlawfull Ministers to have crept into the Churches.
But there were before Iohns death in many Churches a succession of Diocesan Bishops, as in Rome, Linus, Clemens, at J…rusalem Iames Simeon, at A…tioch, Evodius, at Alexandria, S. Ma…k, Anianus, Abilius. Ergo, Diocesan Bishops be lawfull.
Answer. The assumption is denyed: for these Bishops were but Presbyters, Pastors of one congregation ordinarily meeting, governing with common consent of their Presbyteries. If they were affecting our bishops majority, they were in Diotrophes sufficiently contradicted.