Letter of Resolution to Six Queries, Query 5

Letter of Resolution to Six Queries · Query 5

p. 313The fifth Quaere. Of Imposition of Hands for Ordination.

TO the next question concerning §. 1 Imposition of hands for Ordination, although much may be said, yet I suppose that which is necessary to the satisfaction of any reasonable man, may be contrived within a moderate compass, First, by examining the words, by which it is expressed, and in one of them the Ceremony, Imposition of hands, which is used in it, and then proceeding to that of which it is the ceremony, the office, or power conferred by it.

For the first of these, there are four §. 2 words used in the New Testament to express this matter: First, foreign,The words by which Ordinat…on is exprest i… Scripture. foreign. Tit. 1.5. to constitute, where Paul is said to have left Titus in Crete, to constitute Elders in each city. Secondly, foreign, a word that literally signifies to stretch out or hold up the band; but being used p. 314among the heathens for choosing, or any sort of suffrage, or giving of sentence, which among them in popular Judicatures, or choices, was wont to be done by that ceremony of stretching out, or lifting up of hands, it is in vulgar use among heathen, and Jewish, but especially among Christian Writers, brought to signifie, without any respect to giving of suffrages, (indifferently, whether by one, or more) constituting or ordaining, which is directly all one (and no more) with foreign before named.

§. 3 This is not so generally acknowledged by late Writers, but that it may be useful to give some few Testimonies of it, out of those Writers which were nearest the times of the Scripture. Thus Philo Judaeus of Joseph, foreign, He was ordained Governor of all Aegypt under the King, where it is clear, that without any others suffrages, he was by Pharaoh so constituted, Gen. 41.40. Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Thou shalt be over my house: and Psal. 105.21. He made him Lord of his house and Ruler of all his substance; and Act. 7.10. the very word [foreign] is used of it, Pharaoh constituted him Governor over Aegypt, and over all his own house. So again of Moses, foreign, He was constituted their Ruler, not by any choice of theirs, but onelyonly by Gods appointment. p. 315So of Aarons sons, foreign, God constituted them Priests. So in Josephus, Ant. l. 13. c. 5. Alexander son of Antiochus Epiphanes writes to Jonathan, foreign, We (i. e. I, in the regal style) constitute thee chief Priest of the Jews, and to be called my friend. So Lucian of Alexanders kindeness to Hephaestion, foreign, that he made him a God when he was dead. And when the word is used of the Romans, as oft it is in Appian, Dio, &c. it must necessarily be taken in this sense, because that of election by lifting up of hands was not in use among them, but onelyonly among the ancient Grecians. For the use of it among Christian writers, it is most evident, that it belongs not to elections by the suffrages of many, but to Ordinations by single Apostles, Take one place for many, in the Author of the Constitutions, l. 7. c. 45. foreign, Clement after the death of Linus, was ordained Bishop of Rome by Peter, and Timothy was ordained Bishop of Ephesus by Paul, and John by John. Where it is evident, that three single persons, S. Peter, S. Paul, S. John, are each of them, in several Congregations, affirmed to ordain Bishops▪ p. 316and this word peculiarly chosen to express it. And though there be question made of the Author, and Authority of those Constitutions, yet sure for the use of a word their Authority is sufficient, and might be backt with many others, who have never been questioned. By all which it appears, that the word is simply used for constituting, without any consideration of any ceremony of lifting up, or stretching out hands, whereby it was done. And thus it is used in the New Testament, Act. 10.41. where Christs disciples are said to be foreign, designed, or foreconstituted by God, the witnesses of his Resurrection. So Act. 14.22. of Paul and Barnabas, foreign, constituting, or creating Elders in every Church. Where they that have look'd so far back to the original of the word, as to think it necessary to render it suffragiis creare, to create by suffrages, are sure guilty of very impertinent nicetie: for to say that they created them by their own suffrages, is to say no more but that they joyntly did create them, and indeed being but two, there could be no place for suffrages; and to affirm they did it by the suffrages of others, is not agreeable to the pretended use of the word: for where it is used of choosing by suffrages (as when the people are said p. 317foreign to stretch out their hands, and choose) it is certain that their own, not others suffrages, are meant by it.

The like mistake it is, whereby foreign, §. 4 Act. 1.28.foreign Act. 1. mistaken.Acts 1 is (in favour to some mens interests) rendred, Communibus calculis annumerabatur, he was by joynt suffrages chosen, and numbred with the eleven Apostles, meerly by looking on the original of the word, and the parts of it taken asunder, foreign with, and foreign, to number, or to choose by stones or the like, whereas 'tis clear, First, that Matthias being there chosen by lot, was not chosen by consent, or suffrages of men; and secondly, that foreign signifying originally two things, 1. giving sentence, or voice by stones (on which the custome was in elections to inscribe a name, Rev. 2.17.) and 2. to number by stones, as counters (whence foreign is expressed in Hesychius by foreign (as that signifies counting) as well as foreign judgement) it may most probably in that place signifie no more then [was numbred] and so be all one with foreign, he was numbred with us, v. 17. and that explained by foreign, he obtained his portion in this ministery, i. e. office Apostolical: Or if it should possibly refer to the notion of election, must denote Gods choice of him, v. 24. by the disposing of the lot to fall upon him (and p. 318not any suffrages of others, which cannot be appliable to that matter) and in composition with foreign signifies no more then was expressed v. 22. foreign, his being by the lot joyned with the eleven, to be an Apostle or witness of Christs Resurrection.

§. 5 But this by the way, which yet was seasonable to be added here, because in that place foreign, if it should signifie choosing, would be all one in effect with foreign before-mentioned, neither of them relating to the manner of choosing, but both simply denoting to constitute, or appoint.

§. 6 By all which appears the no great weight or solidity of those Grammatical contentions, concerning theaaSee Zonaras and Balsamon on the Apostol. Can. I. identity or difference of foreign and foreign, the [foreign, hand] which is the same in both, perswading some for the identity, and the difference betwixt extending, and laying on, perswading others that they differ: whereas the truth seemeth to lye (as most commonly it doth) in the mids between the contenders, the agreement betwixt them being not from the common mention of the hand, but upon another score, because foreign signifying to ordain, and constitute in general, with out referring to any ceremony in doing it, may fitly (seeing it doth not exclude any ceremony) be used for the ordaining a p. 319Bishop, who is constituted with that ceremony of imposition of hands (and accordingly Theophylact on 2 Tim. 1.6. in stead of S. Pauls, foreign, by imposition of my hands, hath, foreign, when I ordained thee Bishop: and when Johannes Antiochenus mentions Evodius being made Bishop of Antioch, he expresses it by foreign, he received Episcopal Ordination, and many the like) and the difference between them, on another account also, because foreign imposition of hands, together with that of constituting, denotes also that particular ceremony used in some, but not in all designations and constitutions, and so must needs be of a narrower extent, then the other is, which belongs indefinitely to all, and doth not refer to that, or any other ceremony.

The short of it is, foreign signifies originally stretching forth the hand, and though that stretching out may be preparative (as it is in Jacob, Gen. 48.14.) to laying on in benedictions, yet being of an heathen, not Jewish origination, as in vulgar use it is taken for any kinde of appointing, or constituting, so onelyonly (and in no other respect) it is made use of in the Scriptures of the New Testament, for the constituting, or designing to any office in the Church, whether by God, or p. 320by men, (Apostles, that derived power from God) or by the whole Church, as in the nominating one to travel with Paul, 2 Cor. 8.19.2 Cor. 8.19.2 Cor 8:19 and that is all that is meant by, or can be justly collected from the Word.

§. 8 A third word there is once used Act. 13.2. foreign foreign.to separate] the holy Ghost said, Separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work, the same word that is used Exod. 13.2.Exod. 13.2.Exod 13:2 in consecrating to God the first-born, designing, setting them apart to those uses, to which God hath called, or shall please to imploy them.

§. 9 The fourth and last word is (that which was even now mentioned, and now must more largely be spoken of) foreign,foreign. imposition of hands; which, how, or by what peculiarity it belongs to this matter, must briefly be explained.

§. 10 To lift up the hands was a ceremony in prayer, Imposition of hands in the Old Testament.Exod. 17.11. and accordingly to lay the hands on any (differing no otherwise from lifting up, then by the determining that action to a particular object, the person that was prayed for) was generally among the Jews a ceremony of benediction, used first by the father to the children, in bestowing the blessing upon them (and with that the succession to some part of his estate, the inheritance) as appears in Jacobs blessing the children p. 321of Joseph, Gen. 48.14.Gen. 48.14.Gen 48:14 he stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraims head, and so his left hand on Manasses, and so he blessed, &c. v. 15. from thence it was accommodated among them to the communicating any part of power to others, as assistants, or to the deriving of any successive office from one to another. Thus when Moses had from heaven received, and long used his commission, to be, under God, the ruler of the people, and first, the Seventy Elders were by Gods appointment assumed to assist him, Num. 11.17.Num. 11.17.Num 11:17 and part of his spirit was by God put upon them, v. 25. this, saith Maimonides, Sanhedr. c. 4. was done by Moses laying hands upon them. And at length a little before his departure out of his life, when a successor was to be provided for him, God commands him to take Joshua, and lay his hands upon him, Num. 27.18.Num. 27.18.Num 27:18 and that as a token of his putting his honour upon him, v. 20. i. e. making him the successor in integrum of the whole dignity, and authority, which he had enjoyed so long, that, as the Text saith, all the Congregation of Israel may be obedient, paying him the same observance, that they had paid to Moses. And accordingly it was done, Moses laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, v. 23. i. e. by that ceremony derived p. 322to him the authority, which himself had had, constituted him his successor in that Government. And so 'tis repeated again, Deut. 34.9.Deut. 34.9.Deut 34:9 Ioshua was ful of the spirit of wisdome, for Moses had laid his hands upon him, and the children of Israel hearkned unto him, &c. And so for those seventy Elders (that were, by Gods immediate descent in a cloud, constituted assistants unto Moses, and consequently had their original immediately from heaven also) 'tis certain from the Jewish writings, though the sacred Scripture have no occasion to mention it, that the succession of these (under the name of the foreign or Sanhedrin, or Councel) was continued through all ages by their creating others in the place of those that dyed, by this ceremony of the foreign imposition of hands. To this purpose are the clear words of Maimonides tr. Sanhedr. c. 4. foreign &c. Moses our Master created the seventy Elders by imposition of hands, and the divine Majesty rested on them, and those Elders imposed hands on others, and others on others. And they were found created, until the house of judgement of Joshua, and unto the house of judgement p. 323of Moses, i. e. from time to time, ascending to the Sanhedrin in Joshua's and Moses's time.

From these three uses of this ceremony, §. 11 First, in praying for another; Secondly,In the New. in paternal benediction; Thirdly, in the creating of successors in power, either in whole, or in part; Three sorts of things there are in the New Testament, to which this ceremony of laying on of hands is accommodated. That of Prayer simply taken, was of two sorts, either for the curing of diseases, or pardoning of sins, and each of these was accompanied with this ceremony. Diseases, the corporal bonds, Luk. 13.16. were cured by imposition of hands, Act. 9.17. and 28.8. (and so it was foretold, Mar. 16.18. they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover) and so sins, the bonds, and diseases of the soul, they were done away by that ceremony also, and to this it is (the absolution of penitents) that that exhortation of Paul to Timothy belongs, that he should not suddenly (or without due examination, and proof of their penitence) lay hands on any, 1 Tim. 5.22.1 Tim. 5.2….1 Tim 5:2 lest by so doing he should be partaker of those sins, for the mortifying of which, the Censures of the Church were designed. And in that sense, I suppose, it is to be taken, Heb. 6.2.Heb. 6.2.Heb 6:2 For as the foreign, baptisms used among the Jews and Christians, both p. 324by John and Christ, for the admitting of Proselytes, may fitly referre to the faith toward God, the qualification of all, that would thus be admitted, Heb. 11.6. so the foreign, laying on of hands, may refer to the repentance from dead works, and so peculiarly denote absolution of the penitents.

§. 12 From the second, that of paternal benediction, was borrowed, first, that of blessing Infants, with that ceremony of imposition of hands, as that differed from Baptism, Mar. 10.16.Mar. 10.16.Mark 10:16 and secondly, that of confirming those of fuller age, that had been formerly baptized.

§. 13 Lastly, to creating successors in any power, or communicating any part of power to others, as to assistants, is answerable that imposition of hands in Ordination, so often mentioned in the New Testament, sometimes in a lower degree, in the ordaining of Deacons, Act. 6.6.Act, 6.6. constituted or ordained, foreign, for that particular employment, and elsewhere in the highest degree, setting Governors over particular Churches, as generally when by that laying on of hands, it is said they received the holy Ghost, whereas the holy Ghost contains all the foreign required to the Pastoral function, and also signifies power from on high, Luk. 24.49.Luk. 2… 49.Luke 2:49 the authority and function it self; so it being given by imposition p. 325of hands; makes the parallel exact between this of Christian Ordination, and that observed in creating successors in the Jewish Sanhedrin.

For as in the first creation of Moses, §. 14 and after of the Seventy, those functions were instated on him, and them, by Gods speaking (and appearing by Angels) to him, and by his taking the spirit that was on Moses, and its resting upon them, Num. 11.25. and agreeably all that by imposition of hands were after created to succeed them, were said to have the Majestatick Presence, the foreign rest upon them, and the Spirit, Deut. 34.9. (the foreign Divine Presence, and foreign holy Spirit, being all one in the Jewish writings) and this (as it is there said, because, &c.) by means of imposition of hands, so in the New Testament the holy Ghost first descended visibly upon the Apostles, and thereby they were instated in that power, which Christ designed and promised them, and then they by imposition of hands, as they made Deacons for lower services, to assist them, so they constituted others their successors, and the holy Ghost, i. e. not onelyonly the foreign, gifts, and graces, to fit them, but especially the function it self, descended on them.

Of this ceremony thus used, these several §. 15 mentions there are: First, Act. 8.17.Act. 8.17.Acts 8:17 p. 326where, after Philip the Deacon had preached and baptized in Samaria, Peter and John the Apostles came from Jerusalem to perfect the work, and laid hands on them (not on all that were baptized, but some special persons whom they thought meet) and they received the holy Ghost. So Act. 13.3.Act. 13.3.Acts 13:3 by praying and laying on of hands, Paul and Barnabas were separated to the Apostleship. So Timothy's being made a Bishop is expressed, 1 Tim. 4.15.1 Tim. 4.15.1 Tim 4:15 by the foreign gift, or function, that was given him foreign by prophecy, (direction from the Spirit of God) foreign, by the laying on the hands of the Presbytery, referring either to some number of Apostles, S. Paul, (2 Tim. 1.6. the gift which is in thee by the laying on of my hands) and Barnabas, and such others that were Apostles, or Apostolical men (in the sense that the Apostles are called byaaEp. ad Philadelph. Ignatius, foreign, the Presbytery of the Church) or else by some Assembly of Bishops joyning with S. Paul in this Ordination.

§. 16 And thus much may suffice for the first thing proposed,The power conferred in Ordination. the examining the words, by which it is exprest, which will have prepared the way to the second, that of the Office or Power conferred in Ordination.

§. 17 To which purpose it must first be laid p. 327for a foundation, that Christ Jesus, Christs Mission and Power.the eternal Son of God, was sent down in our humane flesh to exercise in his own person (and so to found) an office of Government upon the earth. Thus was it prophecyed of him, Isa. 9.6.Isa. 9.6.Isa 9:6 that the Government should be upon his shoulder; and Isa. 61.1.Isa. 61.1.Isa 61:1 that the Lord God had anointed (which the Chaldee Paraphrase generally renders by foreign exalting) him, and (as a preparative to that) that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, to preach the Gospel, &c. and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Which Prophecy is acknowledged to be fulfilled in Christ, Luk. 4.18, 21.Luk. 4.18, 21.Luke 4:18Luke 4:21 that Spirit of God, upon his being baptized by John, immediately descending upon him, Mat. 3.16.Mat. 3.16.Matt 3:16

What this office was, is by himself set §. 18 down, first Negatively, His Office set down Negatively.them Affirmatively. Negatively, that he was not constituted a Judge of Civil Interests, Luk. 12.14. and Joh. 18.36.Joh. 18.36.John 18:36 that it was not a Kingdome of this world, which he pretended to. And so all pretension of right from him to interpose in, or disturb Civil Governments, or Judicatures, No Civil Power.or to make any change in the Principalities of the world, is utterly disclaimed in the foundation. And they that from Christ incarnate think to deduce, or plead any such Charter, are upon the Christian Principles to be look'd on, as Impostors, p. 328and designers against the peace of the world, and the quiet, and settlement of the several Kingdomes in it, which Christian Religion was designed to secure, not onelyonly by prescribing continual Prayers for all that are in authority, but also by enacting and enforcing the strictest Laws for obedience to the Supreme Powers (to be performed by all, without exemption of any, even of Christ himself, when he was here on earth, or the Apostles and Governors of the Church afterward) to defend, and perpetuate it.

§. 19 In recompense to which it is foretold in Scripture, that Kings and Queens should be the nursing fathers and mothers of the Church, which is a very distant Title from that of Subjects, or Pupils, or Children of it. And when it is foretold of Christ, that he should have on his vesture, and on his thigh a name written King of kings, and Lord of lords, Rev. 12.16.Rev. 19.16.Rev 19:16 that sure is but a Prophetical, expression, to signifie that the Kings of the earth should generally receive the faith, not that any Secular Dominion should be set up over them by Christ, who had so professedly disclaimed it. Thus far is Christian Religion from laying any grounds of undermining, or shaking the Political order, or cutting asunder any of those sinews, whereby it was formerly compacted.

p. 329And, as Negatively, so also Affirmatively §. 20 is his office set down, First, in general,Affirmatively. The parts of Spirituall power. that he came to call sinners to repentance, to save that which was lost, to bring the spirits, and souls of men into a regular complyance with the Laws of God, to rule, and reign in mens hearts by faith; and then in particular, first, to preach, and reveal the Will of God: Secondly, to gather Proselytes, and admit them by baptism into his Church, the society of those which profess the faith of Christ: Thirdly, to confirm, and farther build up, and instruct those that are thus admitted: Fourthly, to remove those from the privileges of that society, who walk unworthy of them, by that means most probably to reduce them, as withdrawing of mercies is the most profitable discipline for those that surfet of them: Fifthly, to receive these, upon testification of their repentance, into the embraces of his arms, the Communion of the Church again, And lastly, to communicate this power to others in what measure he thought expedient.

In all these respects he is said to be §. 21 sent into the world, Joh. 17.18.Ioh. 17.18.John 17:18 sent by his Father, Joh. 20.21.Ioh. 20.21.John 20:21 (as Governors are said to be sent, foreign, 1 Pet. 2.14.1 Pet. 2.14.1 Pet 2:14 sent by the Supreme Ruler with Commission to that purpose) to have power on earth to forgive sins, Mat. 9.6.Mat. 9.6.Matt 9:6 to have p. 330all power delivered to him in heaven and in earth, Mat. 28.18.Mat. 28.18.Matt 28:18 and particularly to be the teacher, and Lord of his Church, or disciples, Joh. 13.13.Ioh. 13.13.John 13:13 Our High-Priest and Apostle, Heb. 3.1.Heb. 3.1.Heb 3:1 the great shepherd of the sheep, Heb. 13.20.Heb. 13.20.Heb 13:20 and so the onelyonly Pastor, and Bishop of our souls, 1 Pet. 2.25.1 Pet. 2.25.1 Pet 2:25

§. 22 What Christ had thus received from his Father by his Mission, Christs personal exercise of his office on earth.or Commission, he exercised in his own person, as long as he remained on the earth, preached the Gospel, instituted Rites, called, and entertained disciples, by them received, and baptized Proselytes, or beleivers, commanded them, and used their Ministery, their voluntary, not constrained obedience, designed some to certain offices, and onelyonly for a time, (the Seventy, as harbingers in one journey of his) to assist, or be useful to him, others he invested with a weightier, and more lasting authority, left them his successors on earth, sent them, as he was sent by his Father, gave them the same Commission, which he ha… received, to be executed in the same manner by them and each of them, after his departure, as Joshua succeeded Moses in his office and power. All which is, in every branch of it, clear from the express words of Scripture.

§. 23 They that had this Commission from him, were in his life time called Apostles, p. 331that title denoting Proxies, The Apostles Christs successors.or Procurators, which act in the name, and stead of him, whose Proxies they are, according to the known rule of the Jews, Apostolus cujus{que} est ut quisque, every ones Apostle is as himself, to which our Saviour seems to refer, Mat. 10.40.Mat. 10.40.Matt 10:40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me, making himself his Fathers Apostle, or Proxy, and the twelve, his. But at his departing from the world, then he solemnly instated his power on them, sealed their Commission to them, Joh. 17.18. and 20.21.Ioh. 17.18.20.21.John 17:18John 17:20John 17:21 as it had been sealed to him by his Father.

This also is very distinctly and particularly §. 24 set down in holy Writ, through the several branches of this power. As the Father gave judgement unto the Son, Joh. 5.22.Ioh. 5.22.John 5:22 so the Son gave judgement to the Apostles, Mat. 19.28.Mat. 19.28.Matt 19:28 Luk. 22.30.Lu. 22.30. 1 Cor. 6.3.1 Cor. 6.3.1 Cor 6:3 2 Cor. 10.6.2 Cor. 10.6.2 Cor 10:6 As the Father gave the Son power on earth to remit sins, Mat. 10.6.Mat. 10.6.Matt 10:6 so the Son gave the Apostles power to remit sins on earth also, Joh. 20.23.Ioh. 20.23.John 20:23 As the Father gave the Son the keyes of the house of David, Isa. 22.22.Is. 22.22.Isa 22:22 Rev. 3.7.Rev. 3.7.Rev 3:7 so the Son gave the keyes to the Apostles, Mat. 16.19.Mat. 16.19.Matt 16:19 As the Father gave the Son to sit on his Throne, so the Son gave the Apostles also to sit on twelve Thrones, &c. Mat. 19.28.Mat. 19.28Matt 19:28 Luk. 22.30.Lu. 22.30. As the Father gave the Son to p. 332be the foundation or corner stone of his Church, Mat. 21.42.Mat. 21.42.Matt 21:42 so the Son gave the Apostles to be foundations upon the foundation, Eph. 2.20.Eph 2.20.Eph 2:20 and lastly, as the Father sent the Son, Joh. 5.24. and 17.18.Ioh. 5.24.17.18.John 5:24John 5:17John 5:18 so the Son sent the Apostles, Joh. 20.21.Ioh. 20.21.John 20:21 And hence it is that the Angel sent from heaven to S. John, who was one of this number, calls himself the fellow-fervant of him, and of those that have the testimony of Jesus, Rev. 19.10.Rev. 19.10.Rev 19:10 i. e. of the Apostles, adding this reason of it, because foreign, the testification of the Resurrection of Christ (and the Christian faith) the Apostolical office, Act. 1.22.Acts 1.22.Acts 1:22 was the Spirit of prophecy, i. e. a succeeding of Christ in his great Prophetick office, the most honorable employment of that kinde, to which any mortal man could be designed by God, and so fit to be compared with the Angels employment at that time, in bringing the news, that the Emperors would receive the faith of Christ, v. 6.

§. 25 This power (wherein the Apostles, not all of them together, but Peter, Mat. 16.19. and each other of them single, in his foreign, or foreign, Province, or proper place, Act. 1.25.Acts 1.25.Acts 1:25 (as hath**Dissert. III. c. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. elsewhere been largely shewn) succeeded Christ) being thus, not in part, but intirely conferred on each of them, a several Throne for every one, Mat. 19.28.Mat. 19.28.Matt 19:28 and p. 333being of so visible use, not onelyonly for the first planting, but propagating, and conservation of the Church, it cannot be imagined, that it should be temporary, Their office not temporary.and determine in the persons of those twelve. The necessity of order, of rules, both for the supply of those things, which should be found wanting for the well-being, and preservation of each Church, Tit. 1.5. and also for the securing of the flock from the foreign, Act. 20.29. the wolves, the hereticks, which it was foreseen would so early infest them, and the plantation, and propagation of the Christian faith, without any assistance of the Rulers among the Jews, and the Emperors and Princes among other parts of the heathen world, nay, when it was so opposed and persecuted by them, is a competent collection of Reasons to assure us, That that power which Christ gave the Apostles, which were but short-lived, and should, many of them, be put to death by those Persecutors, was designed to endure longer then their time. But Reason is not a commodious medium to infer, or conclude a matter of fact, and therefore that must of necessity be done either 1. by Affirmations, and Promises of Christ touching this matter, or if those be not so clear, as to convince gainsayers, then 2. by supplying that want of light from the Histories and relations of those p. 334times, by which it will as clearly appear, as any thing in story can, that the office of power in the Church bestowed by Christ on the Apostles, was not to determine in their persons, but to continue in their successors to future ages.

§. 26 For the former of these we may discern somewhat perhaps from that passage in Christs Prayer to his Father, The proofs of that, 1. Christs affirmation, Joh. 17.18, 20.John 17:18John 17:20Joh. 17. where having spoken of his Apostles, whom he had sent, as his Father sent him into the world, v. 18. i. e. given them (in designation) Commissions for the governing of his Church; and then to his Prayer for them, v. 17. (that God would sanctifie them foreign in, or for his truth, i. e. consecrate them for the preaching of the Gospel, as S. Chrysostome expounds it) adding farther, v. 19. that for their sakes he sanctifies himself, i. e. offers up himself a Sacrifice, for the consecrating of them, that they also may be sanctified for the truth, i. e. consecrated, and set apart for this function, and after his example venture their lives in their preaching of Gods will, as he hath done: at length he concludes, foreign, But I pray not for these alone, v. 20. which being in all reason to be interpreted of the same matter, concerning which he had praid for the Apostles before, it follows that this Prayer of his, for the consecrating of officers in his Church, is not confined p. 335to his Apostles alone, which then attended him, foreign, &c. but the same Prayer he offers up for those also, that shall beleive through their word, i. e. for others, that by these Apostles preaching should be brought to the Faith, and, as the event demonstrates, ordained by them to be Bishops and Deacons in several Churches. This, if we have not mistaken the meaning of it, is an express affirmation of Christs in this matter.

And we shall have less reason to suspect, §. 27 that we have mistaken, 2. His Promise.if we consider Christs Promise to his Apostles at his parting from them, Mat. 28.20.Mat. 28.20.Matt 28:20 And behold I am with you all the dayes, foreign, until the end of the world. 'Tis certain that this presence of Christ with them, refers to his authority derived, and assistance made over to them, in order to the discharge of their office of gathering disciples, baptizing and teaching, v. 19. and as certain, that the Apostles should not personally live to execute that office, till the period there named, the end of the world, and then it is not imaginable how Christs presence should be continued with them till the end of the world, unless they be considered in complexo, in conjunction with their posterity, or successors in that office (as the Promises made to Abraham, are performed p. 336to his posterity, though not to his person) to whom therefore this promised assistance belongs foreign, all the dayes, i. e. for the whole term of this new age. And this is the more demonstrative, because this was said by Christ after his Resurrection, immediately before his ascending to heaven, which being the beginning of the foreign, the last age of the world, the Kingdome of Christ, when all power was given to him, v. 18. it necessarily follows, that what was to be continued till the foreign consummation, or conclusion of that age, should last till the end of the world, in the largest sense, that those words can signifie.

§. 28 This, I suppose, is also meant by the Promise of Christ, Rev. 2.And the like, Rev. 2.26.Rev 2:26 to those of the Church of Thyatira, which should overcome and keep, v. 26. i. e. adhere constantly to the faith, in spight of all temptations, that he will give them power over the nations, as he received of his Father, v. 27. where, in the very same manner, that Joh. 20.21. power is instated on the Apostles, [as my Father sendeth me, so send I you] (sending, and giving power, being sent, and receiving power, being phrases of the same importance) the like power is by Christ promised to be instated on these faithful Confessors afterward, and that belonging to the planting and propagating the faith among the Gentiles, p. 337bringing them in to repentance (which is the breaking them to shivers there) and ruling them with a rod of iron, i. e. the Scepter of Christs Spiritual Kingdome, his Gospel, and Power, and Pastoral Authority committed to them. If this, being (by the Prophetick style, wherein it is veiled) somewhat obscure, bring not that evidence with it, which is expected, I desire it may be past over, as a conjecture which pretends onelyonly to be considerable, by the accordance and consent with other greater evidences, which are now to follow.

To proceed then to the next Topick of §. 29 probation (the Histories of those Times, 3. The histories of those timeswhich are most competent to clear the fact) A first evidence of this sort, is the assumption of Matthias into the place of Judas the traditor and desertor, Act. 1.Act 1.20, 22, 25.Acts 1:20Acts 1:22Acts 1:25 who lost his office, and soon after, his life. Wherein we see S. Peter, upon the Prophetical Prediction of Judas's fate,The assumption of Matthias to the Apostolacy. and the last branch of that [his Bishoprick let another take] v. 20. concludes with a [foreign] a necessity, that one of those that had continued with them from the beginning, and so was qualified for it, should [foreign] v. 22. become with them a witness of the Resurrection, and by the form of their prayer for Gods direction, and revelation of his Will, which he had pitch'd on, it is evident, that taking his Bishoprick, p. 338v. 20. is all one with taking the lot, or portion of that Ministery and Apostleship, v. 25. and consequently, that as foreign Bishoprick, denoted an office, so that was all one with foreign the office of Apostles, and that still a foreign, a ministration, a ministerial office for the benefit and good of others. And there is one passage more observable in the end of that 25. v. that he that thus succeeded Judas (and so by analogy of reason, every other of the twelve) had his foreign,foreign. peculiar place or Province, to which he was designed, and sent to preach the Gospel, not the whole Colledge of Apostles together to all and every place, but every one of them single endued with that power, that he might alone, without assessors, discharge his office, and so was obliged foreign, to go to his own place, which words being divided by a comma, from [foreign, from which Judas by transgression fell] which therefore are to be read as in a parenthesis) are yet by some conceived to belong to Judas's fate after death, his going to that place of punishment, appointed for him. But sure that is a mistake.

§. 30 Soon after this, 'tis apparent Act. 6. that the Apostles, to make their burthen more supportable, did by imposition of hands create seven Deacons The seven Deacons.in Ierusalem, p. 339which although it be not an example of their constituting successors to their whole office, and therefore is not here mentioned in the same rank as the former was, yet it is an evidence, that they were able to communicate to others any part of that power committed to them by Christ. And that is a sufficient proof, that the Apostles power was not temporary, and determined to their persons. And then secondly, why they might not, in whole, as well as in part, communicate it to others, who might succeed to it (after their departure from any place, or finally out of the world) as well as assist them, being present, by undergoing, in their stead, some part of it, there is no imaginable reason to be rendred; but, on the contrary, the example of Moses, who first assumed the Seventy to assist him (and at that time God gave them of his Spirit, and so part of his power) and after, constituted Ioshua to succeed him, will be directly applicable to this matter.

Thirdly, it is apparent, that after, and §. 31 beside the instating of this office on the twelve, it was the will and appointment of God, that Saul and Barnabas Saul and Barnabas.should be assumed to it, Act. 13.2.Act. 13.2.Acts 13:2 and that immediately after Iames the Apostle's death, c. 12.2. in the same manner as Ephraim and Manasses supplyed the place of Ioseph, when he dyed. By which testimony from p. 340heaven appears likewise, that that office was not determined to the persons of the twelve Apostles, or those on whom the holy Ghost descended, Act. 2. but was to be communicated to others also.

§. 32 Fourthly, by comparing some passages of Scripture with the plain assertions of ancient Writers,James the Just B…shop of Jerusalem. and Fathers of the Church, it may be concluded, that Iames the Iust, that had the title of Brother of the Lord, was constituted Bishop of Ierusalem (being none of those twelve Apostles) by Christ himself, say**Theophyl. in 1 Cor. 15.7.1 Cor 15:7 some, at his appearing to him after the Resurrection, but (as 'tis more generally resolved on) by the Apostles, which having received their power from Christ, Eusebius's phrase is, that he had it foreign, from our Saviour himself and his Apostles, from him mediately, and from them immediately. This is manifest by Ignatius, who was his contemporary, in his Epistle to the Trallenses, mentioning Steven the Deacon, foreign, waiting on Iames peculiarly. And so in Ep. ad Hieron. foreign, Thou art employed as a Deacon, as Stephen was to Iames. And so saithaaforeign. Euseb. l. 2. c. foreign. Hegesippus, andbbforeign. l. foreign. Clemens Alexandrinus, ccIn Synops.Athanasius, ddHaer 78.Epiphanius, eede Resur. Or. 2.Gregory Nyssene, ffIn Catal. & in Gal. 1.Gal 1S. Hierome, and divers others, all agreeing in this, that Peter, and Iames, and Iohn, chose p. 341and constituted James the Bishop of Ierusalem, and that in the XIX year of Tiberius, i. e. the next year after the death of Christ, saith Eusebius in his Chronicle, p. 43.

Hence it is that this Iames, though §. 33 none of the twelve, is called an Apostle, Called an ApostleGal. 1.19.Gal. 1.19.Gal 1:19 and perhaps Act. 15.6. and 22.Act. 15 6 22Acts 15:6 and in the inscription of his Epistle, (though in the beginning of it he call himself the servant of the Lord) he is intitled the Apostle Iames; and accordinglyaaCom. in Isa. S. Hierome calls him the thirteenth Apostle, which farther yields him a priority before Paul and Barnabas, (as being after him admitted to that dignity) to whom he gives the right hand of fellowship, Gal. 2.9. and being at Ierusalem, his Episcopal See, is there named before Peter and Iohn, two principal Apostles, who, with Iames the other son of Zebedee, would not, saithbbforeign. l. foreign. Clemens, foreign, contend for the glory or dignity, foreign, chose Iames the Iust Bishop of Ierusalem. Whatsoever there is of seeming difficulty in this matter, hath been cleared inccDiss…rt. IV. c. 3. other Papers. And by this again appears, that that office of praeeminence and authority in the Church, was not given to the persons of the twelve, so as to be determined in them, but so as to be from them communicated to others also.

p. 342§. 34 Fifthly, of S. Paul 'tis not onelyonly said by himself expresly, that he had laid hands on Timothy, Timothy.and that thereby the gift of God, fitting him for the Episcopal function, was given him, 2 Tim. 1.6.2 Tim. 1.6:2 Tim 1:6 and 1 Tim. 4.14.1 Tim. 4.14.1 Tim 4:14 but farther, that he was by him left at Ephesus to exercise this authority, foreign, to command some, (which includes power) to teach no other doctrine, i. e. to suppress hereticks, 1 Tim. 1.3. and the same is as clear of Titus, Titus.who is by him left in Crete, with power of regulating things that were not yet ordered in that Island, and to ordain Elders in every Church, Tit. 1.5.Tit. 1.5.Titus 1:5 which being two b…anches of Episcopal Power, it is by all the ancients generally affirmed, that he was instituted theaaforeign. Chrysost. Hom. 1. in Tit. Theophyl. in Arg Epist. Metropolitan, or chief Bishop of that Island, asbbforeign. Anon. in Phot. Num. 254. Timothy of Ephesus, the chief Metropolis of Asia, and accordingly these two are styled Apostles also (as receiving the same power, or Commission, that Christ had given to the twelve, and to S. Paul) So thatccIbid. Anonymus in Photius mentions the martyrdome of Timothy the Apostle, and Theodoret, foreign, Timothy the Apostle of the Asiaticks, and foreign, Titus the Apostle of the Cretians. And the same is observable p. 343of Mark, Luke, Thaddeus, Epaphroditus, Clemens, and Ignatius, and others, as isaaDissert. IV. c. 3. elswhere shewn.

Sixthly, of S. Paul it is farther plain, §. 35 that in Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch, and in those parts,Elders ordained by Paul and Barn bas. Act. 14.2.Acts 14:2 he and Barnabas foreign, ordained them Elders Church by Church, Act. 14.2. i. e. a Bishop, or Governour in every Church; which is again the communicating that power to others, which they held by Commission from Christ.

Of these acts of S. Paul, 2 Tim. 1.6. §. 36 Tit. 1.5. and Act. 14.23. it will not be amiss to consider a while what is observed by Mr. Selden, de Syned…. l. 1. c 14.and recommended as most worthy to be observed by all that are lovers of truth, viz. Mr. Seld ns notion of it.That this of S. Pauls creating of Presbyters, was according to the Jewish custome of creating of Elders; that Paul, forsooth, was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, as his disciple, Act. 22.3. and there instructed more exactly in the Iewish Law; that Gamaliel was the Nephew of Hillel, and Prince of the Sanhedrin at that time; that he, as an Elder among the Iews, might create his Scholars to the same dignity, as he pleased, and therefore that it is not to be doubted, but that Gamaliel created Paul to the dignity of a Iewish Elder, while he was his disciple, i. e. before he was a Christian: and that a while p. 344after Paul becoming Christian and an Apostle, thought it lawful in Asia, Crete, and elswhere, as well as within Iudaea, to create Elders, for the preaching of the Gospel, accounting himself and the other Apostles free from that new Law of having the license of the Prince of the Sanhedrin, and so that that custome prevailed in creating the Christian Elders, that every one that was duly created himself, might also duly create his own disciples; and to conclude, Hinc de Paulo & Barnabâ dicitur, foreign, Hence, saith he, it is said of Paul and Barnabas, Having ordained them Elders through the Churches. And Hinc Paulus ad Titum, &c. Hence Paul to Titus, that was before created to the dignity of Eldership, I left thee at Crete, &c. that thou mayst constitute Elders through the Cities.

§. 37 Having set down this observation, or interpretation of this Gentleman, An examination of it.and so his account of S. Pauls power to ordain Elders in the Church, I shall in stead of the many unproved affirmations contained in it, take notice onelyonly of these few inconveniences which necessarily follow on it: First, that according to these premises, S. Pauls power of ordaining Elders in the Church of Christ, was no other power, but that which Saul the Persecutor of Christians had, when he was that p. 345Persecutor: Secondly, that he received it from Gamaliel the Iew, and not from Christ, the Head and Founder of the Christian Church: Thirdly, that he that would not own to have received any part of his Apostolical Power from S. Peter or any other man in the world, Gal. 1.1.Gal. 1.1.Gal 1:1 onelyonly that he might owe it all to the Commission received from heaven, should now be constrained to acknowledge the receit of it from his old Master in the Iewish Religion: Fourthly, that Barnabas which appears equally with Paul in ordaining of Elders, Act. 14. should not in this interpretation be taken notice of at all, nor consideration be had, whether what is said of Paul were in any degree appliable to him.

These, I think, are inconveniences enough, §. 38 to which this doctrine is lyable upon the Christian score; and yet there are many other discernible upon the bare Iewish account. For first, for the Prince of the Sanhedrin at Ierusalem to create, and constitute an Elder, must, I suppose, signifie to take him into the Sanhedrin at Ierusalem. And surely no man imagines that Paul before his Conversion was thus created, it being said of him expresly, Act. 7.58.Act. 7.58.Acts 7:58 at S. Stephens martyrdome, that he was foreign, a yong man, at whose feet the witnesses laid their raiment, when they went to stone him: where the word p. 346foreign, if it be onelyonly a note of his age, or if it be all one with foreign in other places, must signifie either a yong man, or a person of mean quality, or perhaps an inferior officer, such as Act. 5.6.Act. 5.6.Acts 5:6 carried out the dead to burial, and in any of these notions will be far enough distant from one of the Elders, or members of the Sanhedrin. And that farther appears by what was said of him, just before his Conversion, Act. 9.2.Act. 9.2.Acts 9:2 that he came to the High-Priest, and desired letters from him to the Synagogues at Damascus, that if he found any Christians there, he might bring them bound to Ierusalem. This makes it probable, that he was some inferior officer, or Serjeant, but evident that he was neither Elder in the Sanhedrin, nor member of any Consistory in another City, and so sure it is more then to be doubted, whether Gamaliel had created him to this dignity, It is most apparent that he had not. All that is imaginable in this matter is, that Gamaliel being a Doctor of the Law, might create this his disciple to that dignity of Doctor of the Law. And if that had been so, certainly he that held it useful to put into his apology that he had been brought up at Gamaliels feet, would have thought fit, for the inhancing those pretensions, to have added, that he was once made a Doctor by the Prince of the Sanhedrin. But besides that, there is as p. 347little appearance, or (for the former reasons) probability of truth in that, as in the former, It is evident that this, if it were granted, were impertinent, and unappliable to this matter: For that would not denominate him a foreign or Elder, but rather a foreign, which we render Scribe, such were they that had been taught foreign, the Books and Writings of the Law, and themselves after become teachers in their foreign houses of Information, or Instruction, and sometimes chosen into the Sanhedrin; for that consisted of three sorts of men of several denominations, Chief Priests, Elders and Scribes (see Mat. 26.3.) the Doctors of the Law, were the foreign, Scribes, not foreign Elders, and if all of them together in Councel be sometimes styled foreign, or Eldership, that is but a denomination of the whole from one special part of that Councel, and no way concludes (against express testimonies of Scripture) and Iewish Writers) that the Sanhedrin was all made up of Elders at that time. Nay, it is said of Gamaliel expresly, that he was foreign, a Doctor of the Law, and one of the Sanhedrin, Act. 5.34. who as a Doctor might have disciples to instruct in the Law, sitting at his feet, but cannot from thence be concluded to be the Prince of the Sanhedrin at that time (as is by p. 348Mr. S. pretended) but on the contrary, by being called foreign, a certain Pharisee in the Sanhedrin, it may well be conjectured that he was not, but an ordinary member of it, though of great reputation at that time. And so still though he might make his disciple a Doctor of the Law (of which there were other uses, besides being of the Sanhedrin) yet an Elder he could not, nor consequently could Saul bestow that dignity upon any other Iew, much less upon them abroad in the dispersions, least of all upon any Gentile Christians (as 'tis more then probable, ever since his departing to the Gentiles, c. 13.46. some of those Elders c. 14.23. were, and of those in Crete, Tit. 1. there can be no place of doubting) upon that score of having been a Scholar of Gamaliels. Many other things there are in this notion, utterly unreconcileable with the Iewish Customes, if it were here seasonable to discover them.

§. 39 That the learned Grotius was favorable to this notion, is pretended by Mr. S. setting down to this purpose these words of his, on Act. 11.30. (Totum regimen Ecclesiarum Christi conformatum fuit ad Synagogarum exemplar, The whole Government of the Churches of Christ, was conformed to the pattern of the Synagogues) and referring the Reader to his Notes on Act. 13.1.20.7.18.8. But this is no way p. 349to be deduced from that learned mans words; for 'tis certainly one thing to affirm the Government of the Church to be formed after the Iewish pattern, (which it is acknowledged that it was, Christ accommodating, and lightly changing the Iewish Customes into Christian Institutions) another to deduce the power of making Elders in the Church (which certainly had the original from Christ, who came down from heaven to plant, or gather a Church of Gentiles, as well as Iews) from the authority of the Iewish Sanhedrin, which as it was used for the putting of Christ, and some of his disciples, even of Paul himself, to death, so it was never used to propagate Christianity, nor could be imagined to communicate a power to men of, and in other nations, particularly in Crete, which were not so much as Proselytes of the Iews, had nothing to do with them.

The other affirmations of Grotius referred §. 40 to, will yield as little ayd, being all to the same purpose, that the Customes in the Iewish Synagogue were imitated, and accommodated by Christ to the Christian uses, not that Paul, an Apostle; or Commissioner of Iesus Christ, indued from heaven with that power, which he communicated (as he saw fit, and as the Spirit directed him) to others, neither had, nor communicated any power, but what he had p. 350from Gamaliel his Iewish Master; That Paul was indued with this power from heaven, when he was called to his Apostleship, that he and Barnabas together were actually separated to that work by the imposition of the hands not of Gamaliel, the unconverted Iew, but of the Christian Prophets and Doctors, or Bishops, whose names are recorded Act. 13.1, 2, 3. was sure the acknowledged opinion of that excellent man, H. Grotius, and never any other original assigned by him, or any Christian to this power of making Elders, I shall not need to say any more of it.

§. 41 Seventhly then, It farther appears, that as Timothy and Titus were thus ordained by S. Paul, Timothy and Titus had power to ordain others.so they had thereby also power to others, through all Churches in those Regions where they were placed, and accordingly did actually ordain them. And so the power, which was given the Apostles, was sure no temporary power, but as from them derived to others, so from those others farther communicated, and all this by express Testimonies of Scripture. For that S. Paul should leave Titus in Crete on purpose to ordain Elders there, and prescribe Timothy, as well as him, what sort of men, and how qualified, should be constituted Bishops (and Deacons) in the Churches, and they should make no use of that power, is not imaginable, p. 351nor could be controverted, though there were no other book in the world, but the New Testament, whereas the testimony of the following Church-writers is clear, that in Crete the one, (and in Asia the other) had the ordaining first, and then the judging of so many Bishops (by name an hundred) in that Island, and that (as there, so every where else) the Bishops in their several Churches were the successors of the Apostles, and therefore many of them called Apostles also.

This we have seen already in Iames the §. 42 Bishop of Ierusalem, Bishops successors of the Apostles, and called Apostles. Thaddaeus.called so in the Scriptures themselves. And the like we finde of divers others; Of Thaddeus (not he that was one of the twelve, Iudas, or Lebbeus, but) he that was, ten years after Christs Resurrection, sent by S. Thomas to the King of Edessa, we have, out of the Records of that Nation [foreign, the Apostle of Iesus] the Apostle Thaddeus, and simply the Apostle. See Eusebius Hist. l. 1. c. foreign.

So Luke, Luke.that is thought to be the person §. 43 that was ordained S. Pauls fellow-traveller, 2 Cor. 8.19. and if he were not (as there are some reasons to beleive it was Silas) must in all reason be placed there among the foreign, Apostles of the Church, v. 23. is by Epiphanius distinctly styled an Apostle, Haer. 51. and in foreign.

p. 352§. 44 So Mark, Mark.he that wrote the Gospel, and is called by S. Peter his son, as converted by him, and of whom Papias truly affirms, foreign, he neither heard nor followed Christ, yet being, eleven years after Christs assumption, sent into Aegypt to preach the Gospel, and there affirmed by S. Hierome, out of the Records of those first times, to have ordained Anianus Patriarch of Alexandria, and, by the writer of his life in Photius, to have done the like in Pentapolis, is by Eusebius l. 2. c. foreign. and by Epiphanius Haer. 51. called foreign, Apostle.

§. 45 So Timothy, Timothy.that by Prophecy (i. e. revelation of the Spirit, say theaaOecumen. in 1 Tim. 3.1 Tim 3 Scholiasts) was ordained Bishop of Ephesus, is by the Anonymus in Photius, Num. 254. called foreign, Timothy the Apostle, and bybbIn 1 Tim. 3.1.1 Tim 3:1 Theodoret, foreign, the Apostle of the Asiaticks, and so by Theophanes, he, with others, is foreign, an holy Apostle.

§. 46 And so of Titus, foreign, Titus Titus.the Apostle of the Cretians, in Theodoret.

§. 47 So Epaphroditus Epaphroditus.the Bishop of Philippi, is acknowledged by Theodoret, to be therefore called their Apostle, Phil. 2.25. foreign, &c. S. Paul manifestly called Epaphroditus their Apostle, having, saith p. 353he, the appellation of their Bishop.

So Clemens Clemens.mentioned Phil. 4.3. as a §. 48 fellow-labourer of S. Pauls, and first a Deacon to S. Peter, (saith Ignatius ad Trallenses) afterward Bishop of Rome, is called by Clemens Alexandrinus, Strom. 4. foreign, the Apostle Clemens, and byaaIn Isa. 52.Isa 52 S. Hierome, Vir Apostolicus, an Apostolical person, and so bybbde adulterat. lib. Origenis. Ruffinus adding, Imò pene Apostolus, yea and almost an Apostle.

So Ignatius, Ignatius.that is said by S.ccforeign. Chrysostome §. 49 to have conversed familiarly with the Apostles, and by them made Bishop of Antioch, the hands, saith he, of the blessed Apostles touching his sacred head, is by him called both Apostle and Bishop.

And accordingly 'tis the general affirmation §. 50 of Theodoret, foreign, those that were (in his time, saith he) called Bishops, they called Apostles, foreign, &c. but in process of time they left the name of Apostles to those that were truly so, sent immediately by Christ, and imposed the name of Bishops on those others, that had been anciently called Apostles.

So Rabanus Maurus on 1 Tim. 4.14. §. 51 Episcopi provincias integras regebant Apostolorum nomine nuncupati, the Bishops ruled whole Provinces, being called Apostles.

p. 354§. 52 So when Irenaeus l. 1. c. 9. and from him Epiphanius l. 1. Haer. 14. and 34. saith of the heretick Marcus's followers, that they were so puffed up, that they contemned the Apostles themselves in respect of them, it must sure be understood of the Bishops of those times, who thereby appear to be styled Apostles.

§. 53 Eighthly, It is manifest by the Epistle of Christ to the seven Churches of the Proconsular Asia, The seven Churches of Asia.delivered by vision to S. John, that there were, at the date of that Epistle, Rulers or Governors of each of those Churches, to whom, under the title of Angels, the care of those Churches was committed. That these were any of the twelve Apostles, or others constituted from heaven immediately, neither is, nor can be pretended by any; It remains therefore that it must be a derived, communicated power, whether mediately or immediately from one, or more of the Apostles, that first preached the Gospel there, which was thus vested in those Angels, in respect of which not onelyonly that honorable title of Angels is bestowed upon each of them by Christ himself, the same that on theaaforeign, They call him the chief Priest, and think him to be an Angel or Messenger of Gods, to bring his commands to them. Diodor. Sicul. ap. Phot. de Iudaeis. high Priest among the Jews, Mal. 2.7. but they are also resembled to so many Stars held by Christ in his right hand, Rev. 1.16. and 2.1. p. 355which is an infallible evidence, that this dignity, and power of theirs was approved and confirmed by Christ.

And to so clear a testimony of Scripture, Testimonies out of Antiquity.§. 54 we may farther adde the words of the Councel of Chalcedon, Act. 2. concerning the Church of Ephesus, that from Timothy to that time,Councel of Chalcedon. there had been twenty seven Bishops there, to which it is consequent, that either Timothy, or some follower of his, was this very Angel that Christ wrote to, c. 2.1. And so Polycrates, Polycrates.that was not long after S. Johns time, affirms himself to be the eighth Bishop of that City, Epist. ad Victor. apud Euseb. Hist. …ccl. l. 5. c. foreign.

And so whenaal. 3. c. 3. Irenaeus S. Irenaeus.affirms of Smyrma, §. 55 another of those seven Churches, that Polycarpe a disciple of the Apostles, was by them constituted Bishop of that City, and whenbbTertullian de Praescr. c. 32. Tertullian saith of him, that he was so constituted by S. John, as Clemens was at Rome ordained by S. Peter, 'tis clear that the Apostles power was not determined in themselves: and of thisccIbid. Tertullians testimony is most distinct, and universal, that, as in Smyrna, and Rome, perinde utique & caeterae Ecclesiae exhibent quos ab Apostolis in Episcopatum constitutos, Apostolici seminis traduces habent, the rest of the Churches in like manner exhibit those, which being by the Apostles, constituted Bishops, were p. 356their successors, spiritually begotten by them;Adv. Marcion. l. 4. c. 5. and again, Ordo Episcoporum ad originem recensus in Johannem stabit authorem, the order of Bishops being recounted to the beginning, devolves to John the Apostle, the first author of it, speaking of these Churches of Asia, Johannis alumnae, which were taken care of, and fed by S. John.

§. 56 To which in the latitude (and not onelyonly as it concerns those Churches) 'twere easie to adde many more. That ofaaEp. ad Cor. Clemens Romanus, Clemens Romanus.mentioned by S. Paul, is most clear, foreign. Christ was sent by God, and the Apostles by Christ; and they went out preaching the Gospel, and doing so, they constituted their first-fruits into Bishops and Deacons of them that should after beleive. SobbS. Irenaeus Cont. Haer. l. 4. c. 63. S. Irenaeus, Successiones Episcoporum quibus Apostolicam, quae in unoquo{que} loco est, Ecclesiam tradiderunt, The successions of Bishops, to whom they delivered the Apostolick Church, which is in every place. And, habemus enumerare eos, qui ab Apostolis instituti sunt Episcopi in Ecclesiis, Ibid. l. 3. c. 3.We can reckon them that were by the Apostles instituted Bishops in the Churches, p. 357and of Rome, Ibid.that the blessed Apostles committed to Linus the Ministery of that Church. And again speaking of Bishops, qui cum successione Episcopatus charisma veritatis certum acceperunt, who with the succession of Episcopacy received the certain grace of truth.

So S. Cyprian speaking of the Keyes §. 57 given to S. Peter, S. Cyprian, Ep. 27.and so to the Bishops of the Church, Inde per temporum & successionum vices, Episcoporum ordinatio, & Ecclesiae ratio decurrit, ut Ecclesia super Episcopos constituatur, & omnis actus Ecclesiae per eosdem gubernetur, Thence by vicissitudes of times and successions, the ordination of bishops, and the account of the Church doth run, that the Church may be constituted upon bishops, and every act thereof be governed by them.

And Tertullian again, Percurre Ecclesias §. 58 Apostolic…s, &c.Tertullian. de Praesc. c. 36. Run through the Apostolick Churches, and there as yet the Chairs of the Apostles praeside in their places, thus have you Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Rome.

So S. Athanasius, among those things, §. 59 foreign,S. Athanasius. Ep. ad Dracent. which the Lord formed by the Apostles, names the office of the bishop, and therefore addes, that he that despiseth this function, foreign, despises Christ which ordained it.

So S. Basil S. Basil.the Great calls Episcopacy §. 60 p. 358foreign, and foreign, the prefecture, or precedency which the Apostles had from God.

§. 61 So S. Ambrose, Claves illos in beato Petro cuncti suscepimus sacerdotes, S. Ambrose. de Dignit. Sacerd. c. 5, 6.We all received those Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven in the person of S. Peter.

§. 62 So S. Augustine, Radix Christianae societatis per sedes Apostolorum & successiones Episcoporum certâ per orbem propagatione diffunditur, S. Augustine. Epist. 44.The root of Christian society is diffused by a certain propagation through the world, by the seats of the Apostles, and the successions of Bishops.

§. 63 And S. Hierome, Quia Apostoli à mundo recesserunt, habes pro illis Episcopos filios, S. Jerome in Psal. 45.Ps 45Seeing the Apostles are departed from the earth, you have the bishops, their sons, in stead of them.

§. 64 And Photius, Photius.Epist. 54. foreign, The Apostolical and divine dignity, which the Pontifical race inherits by succession.

§. 65 And Theophylact, Theophylact. in Mat. 18.Matt 18foreign, They that in like manner with S. Peter were vouchsafed the grace of being bishops, have the power to binde and loose, as he had.

§. 66 And Oecumenius, Oecumenius.foreign, &c. The bishops p. 359were by the Ordination of the Spirit, as succeeding the Apostles, which were so ordained.

To all which it will not be amiss to §. 67 adde one Testimony of many, out of the Chronography of Johannes Malela Antiochenus, (a Manuscript in the Oxford Publick Library) which pretends to a much greater Antiquity then his own, That at the beginning of the Reign of Claudius Caesar, some ten years after Christs ascension, foreign—foreign. Euodius next after S. Peter (viz. on the Judaical part, as Ignatius after S. Paul on the Gentile part) was ordained bishop of Antioch, foreign, the great City, i. e. Metropolis of Syria. Adding, that in his time it was, that the name of Christians, Act. 11.26. began, Euodius preaching to them, and imposing that name upon them, who were before called Nazaraeans and Galilaeans. And this passage is by Suidas transcribed from this Author.

Thus hath this Controversie been sufficiently §. 68 cleared by some remains in the Scriptures, to which, as they are interpreted by us, to the deducing our conclusion from them, the concordant Testimonies of all Antiquity have most readily afforded their suffrages.

p. 360§. 69 And then, as to the setling the Monarchy of the Jews, the way set down in Scripture is this, that God by a Prophet sent immediately from him, designed first the person of Saul, and after of David, and after, the succession or line of David (by Solomon, and Rehoboam) came down from father to son, through all the Kings of Judah, without any new revelation, or mission of Prophets, to anoint and constitute a new King, when the former was deceased: or (rather) As, when God had first called Moses, and by Miracles sealed him a Commission from heaven to be ruler over the Jews, and after taken of the Spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the Elders to be his assistants, For the succession to either of those Offices, there was no more used, or thought needful, but that Moses should lay his hands on Joshua, and give him a charge, and put some of his honour upon him, &c. Num. 27.18, 19, 20, 21. and that the Seventy, which were thus created to their office, should by imposition of hands admit others to the same dignity, So for the setling Governors in the Church, God first sent down his Son Jesus Christ to be personally the founder, and Head of it, sent down his Spirit to demonstrate, and constitute him so, and after his departure, this power being before his death instated on the Apostles, the holy Ghost again descended p. 361on those Apostles, The manner of succession.and some the like prodigies from heaven were used towards others, for their first setling them in their dignities. But when that was done, the whole business of a succession was provided for, by a more easie & familiar course, that those that were thus sent by the Apostles, through imposition of their hands (as they had been by Christ, through the descent of his Spirit, hovering over, and resting on them, and as Christ by his Father, with the like solemnity) should, after the same manner, communicate it to others, fitly qualified for it.

Which that it was actually done in the §. 70 several Churches, as it cannot be expected to be recorded in the New Testament, which can speak no farther then to those times of which it writes, so to some mentions of it, which are found there, infinite suffrages are added from the following Writers, by whom it far more evidently appears, that this Power of the Church did not end in the Apostles persons, but continued to their successors, the Bishops in the several branches, then by the Old Testament, & other Iewish writings now extant, it appears, either that it was Gods Will that the son should succeed the father in the Kingdome (of which yet there is no doubt, when it was not countermanded by a Prophet sent from God) or that in the Sanhedrin new men were received into p. 362the places of the deceased, of which there is yet no doubt made by any.

§. 71 Having cleared the whole matter thus far, there will now be no need to declare what Powers they are, which are thus conveyed to the Bishops, or other Officers in the Church, it being already manifest, that the power of planting, governing and continuing of the Churches, being first vested in Christ, was from him derived to the Apostles, and from the Apostles to the Bishops, and so that the power of Preaching, Baptizing, Teaching, Confirming, Consecrating the Sacrament of the Eucharist, binding and loosing, blessing in Marriage, visiting and praying over the sick, and, at last, constituting others like themselves, either in whole by communicating intirely their whole power to them, or in part, by giving them some limited Powers for some certain Offices were thus communicated.Commission required.

§. 72 Of which all that will be necessary to be added, is onelyonly this, which natural reason dictates to every one, that no man ought to assume to himself any Office in any Society, but he that is designed to it by him that hath the supreme Power in it, nor consequently in the Church, but he that is called, as was Aaron, i. e. hath received Mission, or Commission from God, which being not now pretended by any to be received immediately from heaven▪ p. 363there is but one way imaginable for any man to claim it, viz. by receiving it from them, who immediately have received it from heaven. And therefore S. Cyprian speaking of the Hereticks and Impostors of his time, de Unit. Eccl. p. 23. chooses to give this, as a principal part of their Character, Hi sunt qui se ultrò apud temerarios conven…s sine divinâ dispositione praeficiunt, qui se Praepositos sine ullâ Ordinationis lege constituunt, qui nemine Episcopatum dante Episcopi sibi nomen assumunt, sedentes in Pestilentiae Cathedra, &c. These are they that of their own accord, without Gods appointment, set themselves up among their temerarious assemblers, who constitute themselves Rulers without any Law of Ordination, who assume the name of Bishops, when no man gives them the power, and so sit in the Chair of Pestilence (in stead of the Episcopal Chair) &c.

And then the whole matter is devolved §. 73 to a short issue, that every one that thus runs, is obliged to shew his Commission, by which he may appear to be sent. And that being once produced, to whatsoever acts that extends, to those he will be allowed to be sufficiently authorized, but to nothing else.

And whosoever will not stand to this §. 74 award, must not onelyonly cast off the Church of Christ from being his Mother, confess p. 364Christ so far from being a favourer, that he is a professed enemy to his pretences, but withall must acknowledge himself to have given a precedent for all the unreasonable claims, and violences, and oppressions in the world, which must all commence regular, and just, when it shall once be allowed, that any power belongs to any, which cannot justifie (and doth not so much as plead) the derivation from above.

§. 75 To deduce this general conclusion concerning Ecclesiastical Power, to the particular branches of the Ministerial function, hath been of late undertaken by my worthy friend Dr. Jeremy Taylor, which hath therefore superseded that part of the task, to which I were otherwise obliged now to proceed.

§. 76 In stead whereof, it will onelyonly be seasonable to admonish this one thing,The office of Teaching. That the office of publick teaching, which is of all others now adayes most frequently invaded by those, who are not sent, is so far from being a light and unconsiderable, that it is indeed, next that of Ordination, (which is the communicating of the whole power) the most Apostolical part of the Ministerial function, and that which cannot with any safety to the Church of Christ, be permitted to lye in common to all invaders, as being the proper instrument of disseminating true or false doctrine, p. 365and giving confidence to all the practises, that are consequent to either, and upon the concord, or disagreement of the teachers, it is visible, that either unity or divisions in the Church are directly, and immediately built.

From whence it is necessarily consequent, §. 77 that the whole well-being of the Christian Church, which consists in unity, as the well-being of a body in the health of it, nay the very being it self, which consists in the truth of the Doctrine, and obedience to the Institutions of Christ, depends, in an eminent manner, upon the due qualifications of those which are instructed with the office of teaching in the Church. And if it be not in the power of the Governors of any National Church, to design the persons that shall be intrusted with that office, to restrain those, whom they shall judge unmeet for that trust, and to prescribe forms of wholesome doctrine, within which all shall be obliged to contain themselves, It will not be possible to preserve either truth or peace in any Nation, nor consequently Christianity it self, which is made up of these two, and may as possibly be transformed into the direct contrary (whether Judaism, or Mahomedanism, or Idol-worship, or Atheism) as we see it is from truth in any particular point to the contrary error, by the advantage of p. 366this one instrument of Conveyance, when he that goes out to sow, carries nothing but cockle and darnel in his sack with him.

§. 78 And therefore it is observable, that among the several Titles of the Bishops in the Scripture, Teacher, the title of the Bishop in Scripture. 1 Cor. 12.28. Eph. 4.11. 1 Tim. 5.17.1 Cor 12:28Eph 4:111 Tim 5:17that of foreign, Teacher, is a principal one, 1 Cor. 12.28. Eph. 4.11. the office of labouring foreign in the doctrine, 1 Tim. 5.17. belonging to the foreign the Praefect there, As in Justin Martyr, Apol. 2. after the Anagnostes, or Reader, had read the portion of Scripture out of the Apostles or Prophets, foreign, the Praefect, i. e. the Bishop makes the Exhortation, in like manner as Act. 13. we see practised by S. Paul the Apostle, where after the reading of the Law, follows the foreign, the word of Exhortation to the people, which, it seems, was not the Readers, but the Doctors office.

§. 79 And although the Office of Teaching in the Church have been permitted to others besides Bishops, yet sure to none, but those, to whom the Bishops have thought fit to communicate it, by imposition of hands, and special license, the force of the Ancyran and Laodicean Councel, foreign, that none should do any thing in every Province, without being permitted p. 367by the Bishop with his Letters, extending to this, that no man should undertake the office of teaching the people, but he that had his mandate, were thus licentiate to do it.

Having thus briefly set down the positive §. 80 doctrine, and deduced it out of the clear story of Scripture, and the first times, which demonstrate the succession of Officers in the Church, to be no temporary Institution, confined to that season of the planting of the Gospel, I should be willing now to consider all that hath by any adversary been with any shew of reason pretended to the contrary: but being not so well versed in the Modern Pamphlets, as would qualifie me to attempt the doing of that exactly, the most probable way I can think of, is to consult the Sociman Writers, who being certainly the first, that from the beginning of Christianity have in this Controversie appeared against us (and the men to whom the late Divinity of these evil times oweth so extremely much, that I cannot doubt,The Socinians objections. but their weapons have been made use of on this Theme also) and having in other their invasions of the Catholick Christian Doctrines and Institutions, written the most subtilly of any, may therefore be presumed not to have betrayed this part of their cause, through any personal defects of theirs, but improved it to the highest, of which the matter hath been found capable.

p. 368§. 81 And to this end I shall give a short view of what Volkelius, Volkelius's arguments, proposed,their great Master, hath said in this matter, l. 6. c. 12. de Miss. Eccl. Doct. where, under the name of the Pontificii, he sets himself against those, who being not content with the ancient custome of choosing Doctors and Pastors, do now require some singular Mission of them, and demand a continual uninterrupted, and that personal succession of Pastors. Against Mission.From hence there arise two branches of the discourse, 1. of the Mission, 2. of the Succession of Pastors. On the first head, he hath three things to say, First, that the place of Jeremy, c. 23.21. I have not sent them, and yet they ran] can prove nothing against his pretensions, because there they that are found fault with, took upon them to be Prophets, and assumed a Mission, gloryed that they had a Province assigned them by God, of revealing some new things to his people, and consequently required credit to be yielded them, as Embassadors of Gods: But the modern Pastors of the Church, profess they are no Prophets, brag not of any such Embassie, undertake not to reveal any new thing, but onelyonly inculcate that, which they finde in the writings of the Apostles, and acknowledge they may erre in understanding and explicating them, and require men to examine what they say, and beleive them no farther, then p. 369they shall be found to agree with Scripture.

The second thing (which is but consequent §. 82 to this) is, that those words, Rom. 10.15. How shall they preach except they be sent?] can yield as little ayd to our pretensions, for that is spoken of those who were first to deliver the Christian faith, and so a new thing, to mankinde, and to confirm it so, as all were obliged to acquiesce in their doctrine, which they could not have done, if they had not been sent as Embassadors on this errand: Whereas the modern Pastors make not themselves the first Preachers of the faith, assume no such authority to themselves, but contenting themselves with that Ordination of the Church, which the Apostles introduced, think they have done well, if they can but assist Christians in the knowledge and practise of Christian doctrine, which Ordination though it be laudable, and to be retained in the Church, whilst it continues prosperous, yet if in time of persecution the Church be dissipated, and, on any occasion, that Ordination cannot be had, nothing hinders but that they which are able to instruct others to e…ernal life, may, without Ordination, propound the Christian doctrine to men. And then his third thing is the proof of this last assertion from the example of those Act. 8.4. who being after the death of Stephen p. 370dispersed, were not ordained by any, and yet preached the doctrine of Christ, and the hand of the Lord was with them, saith S. Luke. And this is all he saith on the first Head.

§. 83 Of the second, concerning the succession of Pastors, Against succession. c. 13. De success. Pastorum.His first observation is, that the Apostles in creating Pastors looked not themselves after any succession, nor desired that it should be looked after in others, but thought it enough if they were so qualified as was required, 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. where describing their office very largely, they yet give no precept, or syllable concerning succession; which shews, that this is but a figment of those, that would advance the authority of the Church, and more easily obtrude their doctrines upon others. But, saith he, this stratagem hath not succeeded, as they desired, with wise men, who do deny the necessity of that succession of Pastors, and onelyonly assert the doctrinal, not personal succession and therefore unless the assertors of that necessity (under the name of Pontificii again) can prove that their Bishops succeed the …postles in purity of doctrine, they do nothing, though they never so oft inculcate the succession of the persons. For the doctrinal succession is not so conjoyned with the personal, that one cannot subsist without the other, nothing hindring but that the doctrine may be changed, where the p. 371personal succession continues: Which appears by their own confession, who acknowledge Bishops of Apostolical Sees to have proved many of them haeretical. From whence he concludes, that the personal succession without the doctrinal, doth no more constitute a true Pastor, then the carnal succession from Abrahams loyns, makes the Jews the true people of God; and therefore they are not to be counted the successors of the Apostles, who are not begotten by them either after a carnal or a spiritual manner, though they can brag of sitting in their seats And as they that are not born of Abrahams seed, yet imitating his faith, are the true sons of Abraham, so they that follow the Apostles doctrine are true Doctors, though they do not personally succeed in their places.

This is all that is said by him on this §. 84 matter, and is far from any close arguing, Answer to those against Mission.or pressing our pretensions with any inconvenience, or absurdity.

For first, as to the two places of Scripture §. 85 from Jer. 23.Jer. 23.Jer 23 and Rom. 10. which he saith are not pertinent to our purpose, this discourse, which hath not chosen to make use of them, is no way pressed, or disparaged by them: OnelyOnly it may deserve to be considered, whether when the fault is so great to pretend Mission from God, for those Messages or Prophecies which are not delivered by p. 372him, it be not a dangerous thing for any man to undertake to interpret Scripture publickly (which is the New Testament notion of Prophecying) who is so farre from having any Commission from God for so doing, that he is not authorized by the Governors of the Church, wherein he lives, or by any that have any so much as pretence of authority, to justifie him, but onelyonly by his own presumption in assuming an Office (for such that of the Doctor is acknowledged to be) without any Call, or Commission for it, from any but himself.

§. 86 And for the second place Rom. 10.Rom. 10.15.Rom 10:15 How shall they preach, except they be sent?] though I acknowledge the circumstances of the place to determine it to another notion, then is ordinarily thought on (viz. that as the Jews could not beleive, unless the Gospel were preached to them, so 'twas not imaginable that it should be preached, or they beleive, if the Apostles did not look upon them, as their Province, to which they were sent, if they forsook them, and departed to the Gentiles) yet Volkelius's answer supposing a Mission necessary to the first preaching of the Gospel, because that was a new thing to mankinde, must acknowledge the same necessity of Mission to authorize any to preach to the Indians, where the Gospel hath not been preached yet; and that being granted, p. 373there will be little reason to doubt, but that Catechizing and Preaching in a Christian Commonwealth, being the onelyonly publick way to plant Christian Religion in any (which certainly is not born with men here, any more then at Japan) that Mission will be as necessary to this Office of Preaching here, as to the preaching to Indians it would be; The danger being as great in mis-teaching of the baptized ignorant Englishman, as in mis-preaching to the heathen Indian, and the care that is due from the Church to her own members, being as great, as that wherein those that are without are concerned, and no way to prevent that danger, or to express that care, but by maintaining of Order in a Church, and not leaving the Pulpit to the ignorant, or permitting them, whose boldness qualifies them for nothing but errors and impieties, to infuse into others all that poyson, which their humor is apt to breed in themselves.

But then thirdly, the whole ground of §. 87 his answer, viz. that difference betwixt the Preachers there meant, and the Pastors of the present Church] is very infirm, and impertinent to this matter. For, granting the present Pastors not to assume to be the first Preachers of the faith, &c. why should that render their Mission or Ordination unnecessary? Titus was ordained Bishop of Crete by S. Paul, and p. 374Timothy of Ephesus, and that by the imposition of hands, yet neither of them to be the first Preachers of the faith, but foreign, to set right things that were left unregulated, Tit. 1.5.Tit. 1.5.Titus 1:5 and to charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Both which suppose established Churches, and not the new planting of the faith. And both these were to ordain Elders, or Bishops, i. e. Pastors, one in every City. And so those again, that were to reside in Christian Cities, and not to preach to Infidels, had yet need of Ordination, and Mission, to fit and qualifie them for that (which is now the acknowledged office of the Pastor) as much as Paul or Barnabas had to preach to the Gentiles, that had not heard of Christ.

§. 88 But then fourthly, this Author having said of the modern Pastors, that they content themselves with that Ordination of the Church, which the Apostles introdueed, hath made all farther answer of ours unnecessary: For it being manifest by what hath been said, that the Apostles introduced the Ordination for which we contend, if that be had by all that undertake the office of teaching in the Church, I shall have nothing to charge, or except against them: and because he acknowledgeth that Ordination laudable, and such as is to be retained in the Church, whil'st it continues prosperous, and onelyonly pleads for p. 375the instructing others to eternal life without Ordination, in case that cannot be had, through persecution, &c. therefore I suppose the whole question, as it is by him argued, devolves to this, What is lawful, or fit to be done in case of tha… necessity: And to that belongs his proof produced from Act. 8.4.Act. 8.4,Acts 8:4 when, faith he, they that were dispersed after the death of Stephen went out and preached without Ordination.

But to this issue of the whole matter, the §. 89 answer is obvious, First,Case of necessity. that whatsoever excuse from necessity can be pretended for them that are persecuted, this cannot with any reason be produced for the persecutors, when they that have cast out the Governors, and setled Ministery of any particular Church, shall assume and invade their Offices, and so being guilty of introducing the necessity (or being themselves the onelyonly Fates, that have imposed these indissoluble Laws) cannot be excused by that pretended Necessity.

But then for the persecuted, who alone §. 90 can be supposed to make this claim to the excuse of necessity, I answer, Secondly, that when any persecution lyes on any particular Church, nothing hinders any persecuted son of that Church to seek Ordination, or Mission from the fathers of it, unless all of them be swept away by the supposed persecution, and their light be p. 376quite put out in Israel. And if that blast that extinguishes all, should be so sudden and violent, that it cannot be prevented, or resisted, the old Israelitish way of calling to the next of kin to raise up seed to the deceased brother, is a good hint of advise and direction in this case, viz. to borrow light from some neighbors Candle, Ordination, or Mission from some other Church, which cannot without great unchristian charity think fit to deny that duty of Mercy, when it is begg'd of them.

§. 91 And if yet, upon this morally impossible supposition, Ordination should be no way compassable, then thirdly, I shall not doubt to yield as much as is pretended, that, in case of unblameable necessity, they which have received the Faith, and are able to instruct others to eternal life, may without Ordination propound the Christian doctrine to men, and to an Orphan brother or sister, any brother supply the place of the Charity, though not usurp the Authority of a Father.

§. 92 But then fourthly, to the Argument drawn from Act. 8.4.Act. 8.4.Acts 8:4 I answer, that those that are there said to have gone every where preaching the Word, do not any way appear to have done it without Mission or Ordination. For first, the [all they that were scattered abroad] v. 1. cannot be supposed to be [the whole number of p. 377Christians (called the multitude of disciples, c. 6.2.) that were at Jerusalem, except the Apostles] for if so, there would then have been little for the Apostles to do that were left behinde. 'Tis much more reasonable to refer the [foreign all] to the [foreign Church] (which is the immediate antecedent, and may denote the Governors and Officers of the Church, all Ecclesiastical persons, the Apostles, the Bishop of the Church, and his seven Deacons, and those sure were the men, on whom the persecution fell, witness Stephen, c. 6. 9. and consequently those will be supposed to be dispersed by it) or else to the seven Deacons peculiarly, who had been constituted c. 6. and from that place to this, the story of Stephens dispute, and Sermon, and stoning, set down as it were in a Parenthesis, and then c. 8.1. upon the great Persecution that was against the Church, foreign, they were all dispersed; Of these seven, Stephen slain, and all the rest dispersed, and agreeably it follows immediately, v. 5. Philip (one of these seven ordained Deacons) went down and preached Christ to the Samaritans, and, having converted, baptized them, but, being but a Deacon, could not lay hands on them, or ordain Elders among them, the Apostles from Jerusalem were sent to do that: And then this passage of story will be as far as any in Scripture, p. 378from inferring the uselesness of Mission or Ordination, being a clear Testimony for the necessity of it.

§. 93 To this it might be farther added, that although they are all said to be dispersed, except the Apostles, yet it is not said that all the Apostles remained behinde, and indeed we finde not in this, or any other story, that above three or four of the Apostles did any time continue there, and then, beside the six Deacons, there might be eight or nine Apostles contained in that number of the [foreign, all] And as that makes it more reasonable to conclude [the Church] in the notion of Ecclesiastical persons, and not [the multitude of disciples] to be the antecedent to [foreign, all] so it makes it less necessary to conclude, that they that Preached the Word every where, did it without Ordination.

§. 94 However, if these were not the [foreign the all] but others beside these contained in that number, c. 11. 19. yet of them these two things must be observed, First, that they were, in a remarkable manner, filled all with the holy Ghost, c. 4. 31. which was certainly done to fit them for some extraordinary work, such as there follows, the speaking the word of God with boldness. And for this they were as fully qualified by the descent of the holy Ghost upon them, and the effects thereof, speaking with tongues, or Prophecying, or p. 379gifts of healing, as any are by imposition of the Apostles hands pretended to be. And yet secondly, all that we finde assumed by them, is divulging the Gospel, wheresoever they came, c. 8.4. and 11.19. And that liberty where the Gospel is not yet known, we shall not deny to any. And this is all that is necessary to be said to his Objections on the first branch of the Question.

As for the second, his exceptions against §. 95 the necessity of an uninterrupted succession, Answer to those against succession.the frivolousness of the arguments will render a sufficient reason of the designed brevity of these returns to them. For first, the arguments from the Apostles not looking after succession, nor desiring that others should look after it, nor giving any mandate concerning it, are all Negative Arguments, à testimonio, and therefore conclude nothing.

But then secondly, the Apostles ordaining §. 96 of others, which is mentioned, being it self the taking care for succession, and so their setting down the qualifications of those that were to be ordained, and especially the leaving Ti…us distinctly to this end, that he might ordain in every City, are so many clear demonstrations of this truth, that the Apostles took care of succession.

And it falls out, that we have (ex abundanti, §. 97 much more then is needful to the p. 380justifying of our pretensions) a most eminent Testimony of Clement, The Testimony of Clemens Romanus for succession.S. Pauls fellow-labourer (mentioned by him with so much honour) in his Epistle to the Corinthians, (foreign, &c. Our Apostles knew by our Lord Jesus Christ, that there would be contention about the name (i. e. Dignity, or Authority) of Episcopacy; for which cause therefore having perfect fore-knowledge, they constituted Bishops (and Deacons) and after gave a aaforeign. See Dissert. V. c. 7. §. 2.series, or catalogue, or succession, that when they dyed, other approved persons might succeed (foreign) to that office. So far is it from truth, that the Apostles took no care for succession, and so far that from concluding that this pretended succession is but a commentum, or stratagem to advance the designs of ambitious men, or seducers.

§. 98 But for that which he next addes, that this stratagem hath not succeeded with wise men, who deny that necessity of succession, &c. It is far from concluding any thing, but that the Writer was willing to perswade men, that he and his fellow-Sectaries, were wise men, for, besides that the unsuccessfulness of it doth not prove it a lye, (for truth hath not alwayes had the Monopoly of successes) it would be hard for him to shew any one man in the world, before Socinus, and his followers, that have avowedly opposed the Mission, p. 381and succession of Apostolical officers. And then to make such a leap over almost 1600. years, from the Apostles time to them, to pitch upon a thin society of wise men, and then, without any Testimony, but their own of themselves, to presume their own wisdome, and, by drawing an argument from it, prejudge all other men, is a practise so far from concluding in any mood, or figure, that it is indeed a proving the same by the same. Volkelius and some few of his Compeers oppose succession, and their argument to justifie their doing so, is, because they have thought fit to oppose it.

As for the distinction betwixt doctrinal §. 99 and personal succession, as I acknowledge it a reasonable distinction, so I cannot but proclaim that most unreasonable, which from thence he immediately infers, that therefore, unless the assertors of the necessity of succession, can prove that their Bishops succeed the Apostles in purity of doctrine, they do nothing. For certainly they which do not all, may yet do something, and he that said, half was more then all, was not so grosly out, as he that made it equal with nothing. It may, and is doubtless true, that the now present Bishop of Rome succeeds the first Bishops of that See, and he that asserts that, asserts one truth, and I, in asserting (if I can also justifie) it, have done all that is necessary p. 382in the point in hand, (because the present Question engages me to no farther undertaking) though to him that would infer that the Church of Rome hath no errors in it now, it is a most feeble medium for his turn. And in order to that conclusion 'tis true, that he that doth not prove a doctrinal as well as personal succession, doth nothing in effect, nothing of force or validity toward his end, viz. of proving that there are no errors in the Church of Rome.

§. 100 And for the small inconsiderable improvement which he makes to his argument by the resemblance of the carnal and spiritual seed of Abraham, that the personal succession without the doctrinal, doth no more constitute a true Pastor, then the carnal succession from Abrahams loyns, makes the Jews the true people of God; this is founded in the old trivial aequivocation of the word [true.] For as the true Pastor signifies him that is truly called to that office, it is apparent, that the personal succession alone infers that, there being no doubt with any, but that he may be this day a true Bishop, which is to morrow an Heretick, fit to be degraded, and indeed he were not capable of being deposed were he not truly possest of that honour And this is the onelyonly notion of a true Pastor that our present pretensions are concerned in; For that the succession to S p. 383Peters Chair, doth conclude the infallibility of the Popes Decrees, or the [verity] in the other notion, i. e. veracity of all that so succeed, is no part either of our faith, or present Interests, who know that the Jews are Jews, even when they have crucified Christ, and as truly so now, since their sins have made that name the vilest Proverb of Reproach, as they were, when it denoted most magnificently the peculiar People of God. And though by Christs taking down the partition, and Gods making his Promises not to Abrahams progeny, but the children and followers of his faith; it comes oft to pass, that he is a spiritual, which is not a carnal son of Abraham, yet can it not, by that incompetent similitude, be concluded, that he that follows the Apostles doctrine, is a true Pastor, though he succeed not personally in any of their places: For if so, it would presently be concluded, that every orthodox female Christian, which by being so, is supposed to follow the Apostles doctrine, were a true Pastor also. The old rule is true, that similitudes are not argumentative, and that the thing which they are most apt to infer, is, that he is to seek for arguments, that thinks fit to make use of them.

I shall need say no more to these objections, §. 101 but that they are the best, that a sort of very subtile disputers have been p. 384able to produce, and, that the matter yielded them no better, is not to be imputed to them, that are not ordinarily observed to be ill managers. As it is, I have no reason to complain of the injury, that I have by this means come more speedily to my harbour.

§. 102 Where having put in, I soon finde my self called out again by our own Countreyman, Mr. Hobbes's objections.Mr. Hobbes in his Leviathan (c. 42. Of a Christian Cemmonwealth) Where in the midst of a Rapsody of as strange Divinity, as since the dayes of the Gnosticks, and their several Progenies, the Sun ever saw (a new Trinity, not of persons, but personators, a new Heaven, and Hell, both upon this Earth of ours, the Heaven consisting of single persons, that are aeternal in their own persons, the Hell of married men, that by the advantage of getting children, are, though their persons be annihilated, aeternized by their successive Posterity, and a whole scheme of Phaenomena, bearing sutable proportion with these Principles) I finde a Section Of Ordination of Teachers, and am unwilling to resist the Temptation of annexing here a brief view of it.

§. 103 It begins thus, As the Apostles, Matthias, Paul, and Barnabas, were not made by our Saviour himself, but were elected by the Church, i. e. by the assembly of Christians; namely, Matthias by the p. 385Church of Jerusalem, and Paul and Barnabas by the Church of Antioch: So were also the Presbyters and Pastors in other Churches elected by the Churches of those Cities: For proof whereof let us consider, &c. The whole doctrine of that Section being contained in these words, and all that follows being but attempts to prove, It will not be amiss to consider them more particularly, and observe how many misadventures will be soon discernible in them. The first is the confounding of Election and Ordination, Election & Ordination.which are by him supposed to be one, but are indeed two distant things. That by him they are made one, already appears, by comparing the title with the subject matter of the Section. The title is Ordination of Teachers, but the subject matter Election; and to that the subsequent proofs belong also, that from Act. 14. from Tit. 1. from the practise of the Election of the Bishops of Rome, put it out of question.

Now that Election and Ordination are §. 104 several things,Differ. is sufficiently known to every man that measures the nature of words, either by Usage or Dictionaries; onelyonly for the convincing of this Gentleman, or others, who think not themselves obliged to the observation of such vulgar Laws, I shall propose these evidences. In the story of the creation of the Deacons p. 386of Jerusalem, Act. 6. there are two things distinctly set down, one proposed to the multitude of disciples to be done by them, another reserved to the Apostles; that which the foreign or foreign, brethren or disciples, were to do, was foreign, to look out men, v. 3. but that with these three bounds, 1. to take seven, neither more, nor fewer; 2. those, men generally known, and reputed of, foreign; 3. in such estimation for fulness of the Spirit of Faith, of VVisdome, or discretion for managery of affairs. According to which rules prescribed them by the Apostles, they proceed v. 5. foreign, &c. and they chose Stephen, &c. Here (looking out, and choosing, either one preparative to the other, or two words signifying the same thing) Election of the persons was by the Apostles permitted to the multitude of the brethren; but still the foreign, constituting, or ordaining, v. 3. is reserved to the Apostles. In order to which it follows v. 6. that as they which chose the persons, foreign, set them before the Apostles: so the Apostles, and not they, prayed and laid their hands upon them. Where constituting and imposition of hands being directly the thing which is by all men understood by Ordination, is appropriated to the Apostles, though the Election of the persons within the forementioned p. 387limits, is by them allowed or permitted to the multitude of the disciples.

The same may appear in that higher §. 105 matter, the advancing of Matthias to the Apostolacy, if (as S. Luke must, so) this Gentleman may be beleived against himself, That the Election of Matthias was not by suffrages of men, but by lot, Act. 1.26.Act. 1.26.Acts 1:26 and that as an foreign demonstration, foreign, whom God (not whom the Congregation) had chose, v. 25. appears most evidently by S. Luke. But for the Ordination of this Apostle, that, saith this Gentleman, p. 288. lin. 10. was the act of the Congregation, which though it be far from all truth (all that was done in it being done by the Apostles onelyonly in the midst, i. e. in the presence of all the disciples) yet I shall not now resist it, but take him at his word, and from thence conclude, that the Election being by S. Luke attributed to God, and the Ordination by himself to the Congregation, Election and Ordination must be two severals, and not the same act.

The same may appear again in his own §. 106 instance of Paul and Barnabas, Act. 13.2.Act. 13.2.Acts 13:2 The holy Ghost said, Separate me Paul and Barnabas for the work whereunto I have called them. There again it is apparent, that God from heaven had chosen Saul (that foreign, Act. 9.15.Act. … 15.Acts 15 vessel of p. 388Election, to bear his name) and Barnabas, to that office of Apostolacy, and given appointment to Simeon, and Lucius, and Manaen, the Bishops of Syria, to separate, i. e. (as we have shewed) to ordain them, or send them forth to the work. And accordingly they did, v. 3. having prayed, and fasted, and laid hands on them, they dismissed them, or gave them their solemn Mission or Commission. Where 'tis again clear, that the Election of the persons was the act of God, from the holy Ghost, but the imposition of hands, Separation, Missien, Ordination, was the work of men there named, and commanded to do it. So when Timothy was made Bishop by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery, as his Ordination must be imputed to those Bishops or Elders, that laid hands on him: so there is also mention of foreign, 1 Tim. 4.14.… Tim. 4.14. of Prophecy, or revelation of Gods Will, by which that grace was given him, i. e. by which he was elected to that dignity; and so S. Chrysostome, and Theophylact affirm of that place, foreign, The dignity of Teaching and Priesthood (i. e. Episcopacy) being great, stands in need of Gods suffrage for the admitting of a worthy person, and so (as of old by Prophecy p. 389Priests were made, so) was Timothy chosen to the Priesthood.

And as of Timothy, so of all other the §. 107 Bishops of Asia, when S. Paul saith of them, Act. 20.28.Act. 20.28.Acts 20:28 that the holy Ghost foreign had set them overseers, I suppose that is to be understood of their election or nomination to those dignities. For so I am sure Clemens Alexandrinus, Apud Euseb. Hist. l. 3. …. foreign.speaking of S. John, that he was intreated to go to the neighboring Cities, addes, that he went accordingly, foreign, &c. foreign, and constituted Bishops, &c. of those that were signified by the Spirit, where the Spirits signification notes the election or nomination of the persons, which was from God immediately, but the constituting them was the ordination of S. John.

And so in that Testimony of Clemens §. 108 Romanus formerly produced, foreign, the Apostles constituted bishops, trying or approving them by the Spirit: where still the tryal or approbation, being all one with the election of the persons, was an act of the holy Spirit, revealed to them, but the constitution or ordination, their own act, to which they were formerly authorized by Christ.

And so in his other instance of the Bis…ops §. 109 of Rome, from the beginning till p. 390this time, as in all other practise over the Christian world, Election and Ordination are distinguished, not onelyonly in respect of the acts, one subsequent to the other, but very frequently in respect of the Electors and Ordainers, the whole Colledge of Cardinals, that are present, being the persons, to whom the election of the Pope now belongs, but onelyonly the Bishop Cardinals laying on their hands in the ordination.

§. 110 And so it is known in this Kingdome, that the Conge d'eleir, the Commission to choose a Bishop was by the King sent to the Dean and Chapter in the Cathedral, as to the standing Synod of that Diocese, but the ordination was to be done by those that were Bishops before him.

§. 111 This I should not thus largely have insisted on, were it not the foreign, the procreative mistake, or ignorance, that produced those other, that I am now to proceed to.

§. 112 A second great mistake is, that he affirms of Matthias, Election Matth…as.Paul and Barnabas, that they were elected by the Church: where first, it hath already appeared by plain Texts of Scripture, that every one of these three was elected by God himself. Of Matthias 'tis clear by the manner of it, by lottery, the disposition of which is of the Lord, saith Solomon, and by the foreign, Act. 1.24.Act. 1.24.Acts 1:24 thou (i. e. God) hast p. 391chosen. And of the other two, foreign, the holy Ghost said, i. e. commanded to separate them (by name) to the work, foreign, to which I (i. e. the holy Ghost) have called them. And it is not imaginable how this Gentleman should view, (as 'tis clear he did) and not discern the importance of such plain places.

And secondly, when by the Church he §. 113 expresses himself to mean the Assembly of Christians, the Church of Jerusalem and of Antioch, It is by that rendred much more unreconcileable to all appearance of truth: For till Church was so explained, it was possible he might have meant the Apostles, or Governors of the Church, who had somewhat to do in this matter; whereas the Assembly of Christians were (as far as can be discerned by the Text) utterly unconcerned in both of them.

Of the choosing of Matthias there were §. 114 two parts, the naming of two, and the casting lots between them two; the former of these was no act of the Church, much less the latter.

The two were not named by the Church, §. 115 but by the Eleven, for in the midst of them (under the title of foreign, Peters brethren, or fellow-disciples, and those set down by name, v. 13.) S. Peter stood up, v. 15. and speaking of Judas, saith, he was numbred with us, v. 17. i. e. with himself, p. 392and them, to whom he spake, the Colledge of Disciples, or Apostles peculiarly, not the whole number of beleivers, or the Church of Jerusalem; and so again v. 21. the men that consorted with us, are those that followed Christ together with the twelve, and v. 22. A witness of the resurrection foreign with us, must needs refer to the eleven peculiarly, for they onelyonly, not the whole Church, were to be those witnesses: Upon which it follows, foreign, v. 13. and they appointed, or pitched on two, where the [they] must needs be they, to, and of whom he spake all this while, and so the eleven, and not the hundred and twenty, which are never mentioned but once, and then 'tis in a parenthesis, v. 15.

§. 116 And if the eleven were they that nominated the two, then it must needs follow, that it was they also that gave in the foreign, the lots of them, one lot with the name of Barsabas, the other of Matthias upon it, for so the foreign, they gave, v. 26. must connect with the foreign, they appointed, and conclude the same persons to have done both. And indeed there could be no use of the Congregation for that, to throw in, and take out the lots, That must be the work of some two persons at the most, and so no work of an Assembly.

§. 117 And so likewise at the constituting of p. 393Saul and Barnabas, the Text is express,The Election of Paul and Barnabas. that they were Doctors and Prophets that prayed, and laid hands on them, and so the Ordination was no more the act of the Assembly, then the Election appeared to be.

It was hardly possible to have contrived §. 118 a greater number of affirmations into so small a compass: And then if that which follows with the [so] be so indeed, If the Pastors and Presbyters in other Cities, were elected by the Churches in those Cities, so, as Matthias, and Paul, and Barnabas were, if one be no truer then the other, the whole matter is soon come to a fair issue.

But however it hath proved with his §. 119 first affirmation, which was without offer of proof imposed upon us, The practise of the other Cities he undertakes to make proof of.

And his proofs are two, one taken from §. 120 Act. 14.23. the other from Tit. 1.5. In the first, Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders in every Church; In the second, Titus constituted Elders in every City: Most certainly true. But what is to be inferred from hence? Ergo, The Presbyters and Pastors of other Cities were elected by the Churches of those Cities.

A Conclusion very remote from these §. 1211 premises: For, first, there is not one word of Election in either place, but of constituting p. 394and ordination, which is quite another thing; and secondly, there is nothing in either place attributed to the Churches of those Cities, but onelyonly to Paul and Barnabas in the one, to Titus in the other. Thus beyond all measure improsperous are this Gentlemans undertakings on this subject.

§. 122 The former of these he ingenuously confesses may at first sight be taken for an argument against him, that they themselves (Paul and Barnabas) chose, and gave them their authority: And so sure 'twill do at the tenth, and twentieth review of it.

§. 123 But, saith he, if we consider the original Text of it, it will be manifest, that they were authorized and chosen by the Assembly of the Christians of each City: Act. 14.23.Acts 14:23For the words there are, foreign, When they had ordained them Elders by the holding up of hands in every Congregation: What is the importance of foreign, we are not now to be taught, having in the beginning of this discourse set it down at large, that though the original of it refer to the ceremony of holding up of hands, yet it signifies simply to ordain or constitute, without any respect to that ceremony; and when it doth refer to it, it alwayes denotes their hands, and suffrages, of whom it is spoken, and cannot p. 395be imagined so much as to intimate the suffrages of other men. And then, first, it would be as unreasonable to infer from the original of the word, that that ceremony was there used, as Act. 1. to resolve that they used Counters in reckoning, or numbring Matthias with the eleven Apostles, because the word foreign there, is derived from foreign a Counter, which was usual in numbring.

And secondly, if it were granted, that §. 124 the word must here import (according to the original of it) to ordain by holding up of hands, there is not from thence the least advantage gained toward the desired conclusion. For it was distinctly Paul and Barnabas which did thus foreign ordain by thus holding up the hands, and not the Assembly of all the Christians. And if no part of this were so, yet thirdly, what he saith of their being authorized and chosen by the Assembly of Christians, is another heap of Confusions: For whatever choosing can be imagined of the Assembly, that must (as the choosing of the Deacons, Act. 6.) be by authority from the Apostles, who again after that, were to give unto them that were so chosen, all the authority that they were to have; And so the choice, whatsoever it were, proceeded, and the authority, followed after; and again, the choice onelyonly was supposeable to be from the Assembly, p. 396the authority being totally derived from the Apostles: both which are confounded and transposed by this Gentleman.

§. 125 But, saith he, the manner of choosing Magistrates and officers in all those Cities, was by plurality of suffrages, and to ordain an officer in any of the Cities, was no mo…e but to bring the people together, to elect him by plurality of Votes: It was therefore the Assembly that elected their own Elders, the Apostles were onelyonly Presidents of the Assembly, to call them together for such election, and to pronounce them elected, and to give them the benediction, which now is called consecration. This is again very far from prevailing any thing toward the desired conclusion. For first, whatsoever be supposed of the manner of electing officers and Magistrates in those heathen Cities, 'tis sure enough that was not the business then in hand; Paul and Barnabas came not thither for the election of an foreign or foreign (as of a Maior, or Sheriffs, or Aldermen) in that City. These itinerant Apostles, that were not of their Corporations, were not certainly the Presidents …f their Courts or Common Councels, to assemble, or bring them together for those Elections. This is as remote a conjecture, as that formerly mentioned of Pauls ordaining Elders by the power which he had received from his Master Gamaliel; The truth is visibly p. 397in the midst between them, what they did was to constitute Bishops in each City over the Christians, and therein they acted neither as Jews, nor Gentiles, but as Apostles of Christ, from whom they had their authority to preach, to receive beleivers, to order them in the service of God, and so leaving them, to constitute those which should do it in their absence. All which hath nothing of their heathen Customes in it, nay the Apostles (saith**In Ep. ad Cor. Clemens, a writer of those times) constituted their first-fruits Bishops of those who should beleive, foreign, who therefore not yet beleiving, are not imaginable to be the Electors of their Bishops.

Secondly, what reason can be rendred, §. 126 why to ordain should be no more, but to bring the people together to elect? It was even now to hold up hands, and ordain by doing so, That differs much from the bare assembling the people: So no grounds are there yet produced for the inferring the Conclusion [It was therefore the Assembly that elected.]

And yet thirdly, If again all this were §. 127 granted to him, he hath so ordered the matter, that it would be nothing available to him: For 'tis by him still acknowledged, that the Apostles gave the benediction, which now is called consecration. And if they did so, that is all we mean by ordination, when by that word we p. 398render foreign, and so all that we contend for in this business: For of ordination it hath formerly been shewed at large, that it was the communicating that power to others, which had by Christ been given to the Apostles; To them it was conveyed by the visible descent of the holy Ghost upon them, from them to others, onelyonly by prayer, and benediction, and imposition of hands, the ceremony of conveying power to successors. And all this we now adayes call Consecration, the separating men, i. e. the consecrating, setting them apart to holy offices and dignities in the Church, and if this, all this while, be allowed the Apostles peculiarly, and not the Assembly of Christians, then is all granted, that is by any man pretended to, on this head of Ordination of Teachers.

§. 128 For to conclude this matter, though both here and in the place to Titus, there is no one word of Election, or choice to this office, but onelyonly of ordination, giving them Commission who were chosen, yet it is willingly allowed, that the Election of Church-officers doth not alwayes belong to the same persons, who are to ordain. The practise is sufficiently known in this broken Church of ours, The Parochial Minister is chosen, and nominated by the Patron, who is sometimes the whole Congregation, sometimes one principal person p. 399in it, the Lord of the Manor, the King, the Bishop, &c. And he (save when it is the Bishop himself that hath the right of Patronage) presents him to the Bishop, and as he, upon approbation of the person, institutes him to that Cure of Souls, so he ordains him by imposition of hands, to the office of a Deacon and Presbyter.

And so likewise for the ordination or §. 129 consecration of a Bishop, as was formerly said, The King nominated, the Dean and Chapter did choose, (and if they found just cause to return an foreign, he is unworthy, in stead of signifying their choice, no doubt they should be heard) but the Councel of Bishops ordained him. And so still the Election differing so clearly from the ordination, and the election being not the thing contended for, but onelyonly the ordination or consecration, that being yielded to belong to the Bishops or Elders peculiarly, and not to the assembly of Christians, the whole Controversie is yielded us, in the eager'st part of the Contention.

Which being done, I shall not need to §. 130 contend any farther, or make any answers to the subsequent parts of that Section; Otherwise it were easie to shew, that foreign foreign.or Antistes, the ordinary title of Bishops in Justine Martyr, and some of the Ancients, was somewhat more p. 400then a bare Pres…dent of an Assembly, as that extends but to numbring of votes, declaring who is chosen, and giving a single vote] the name being a name of rule, and dignity, and power, and not onelyonly of Presidency, but Prefecture, and all one with foreign Bishop (who had the rule of the whole Church, and not onelyonly the principal place, or foreign in the Councel) as may appear (among many others) by three ancient Records.

§. 131 The one of Dionysius Bishop of Corinth, in his Epistle to the Athenians, Euseb. Hist. l. b. 6. foreign.where having made mention of Publius foreign, the Prefect or President of them, he presently mentions Quadratus foreign, that after the martyrdome of Publius was constituted their Bishop. Epiphan. Haer. 72.The other of Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra, in his Epistle to Julius Bishop of Rome, where speaking of himself, and other Bishops of the Churches infested by the Hereticks, foreign, saith he, foreign, they have attempted shrewd things against the Churches of God, and us the Presidents, i. e. Bishops of them. The third of the Councel of Ephesus, Act. 18. where foreign, the Presidents of the Churches of Cyprus, are the same that in the beginning of the Canon are p. 401foreign, the Bishops of the Province of the Cypriots. And in a word, their very title of foreign, Presidents, or Prefects of Churches, and not of Synods or Councels, is a determination of this business, and concludes them to have had the rule of the Church, and not onelyonly the first place, or Presidency, or Prolocutorship in the Councel; And therefore Praesidentes is oft the title of Bishops in Tertullian, who yet is known to have asserted the Supreme Authority and Power in the Churches to belong to them.

I now proceed to the second place, §. 132 that to Titus, c. 1.5.Tit. 1.5.Titus 1:5 to examine what advantage he can draw from thence to his pretensions. His words are these, Because all the Churches had their Presbyters ordained in the same manner: where the word is constitute (as Tit. 1.5.) foreign, for this cause have I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldst ordain Elders in every City, we are to understand the same thing, namely, that he should call the faithful together, and ordain them Presbyters by plurality of suffrages. That in this place to Titus there is no syllable of mention either of assembling the faithful, or of suffrages in the ordination of Elders, is apparent to any that shall reade the words, and the contrary is not by this Gentleman pretended; p. 402OnelyOnly by way of analogie with that former place, where he seems to have concluded an intimation of suffrages by holding up of hands, he concludes it must be so here also, though it be not so much as intimated.

§. 133 Where first, it were sure more reasonable to interpret S. Lukes obscurer word by S. Pauls plainer (and from thence to conclude, that as Paul at Iconium, so Titus at Crete, was the person that ordained Elders, and not the whole Church) then to interpret S. Pauls plainer by the obscurer of S. Luke, and conclude as he concludes: But then secondly, it hath sufficiently been demonstrated, that no such advantage can be drawn from the word foreign in that Text where it is used. And then sure it can have no influence on this other, where it is not used, but another of a more undoubted signification. The short is, foreign signifies indifferently to ordain, or design to any office (without looking back to the Gentile customes from whence it was taken) and being sometimes used of God personally, Act. 10.41. is no way limited to popular Elections, unless when it is applyed to the Church, or Assembly of many (as 2 Cor. 8.19. it is) and therefore when the Text is clear, that (not the Church, but) Paul and Barnabas did ordain, what a complication of unreasonables p. 403will it be, First, from a bare possible Grammatical connotation of one word, to conclude the direct contrary to the whole verse, viz. that they did not ordain, who, saith S. Luke, did, but the Church by plurality of voices; and then secondly, from this one practise thus strangely concluded, to interpret all other plain affirmations of Scripture to a sense quite contrary to the words, and infer that Titus did not ordain, when S. Paul saith expresly he did, but onelyonly the Assembly of Christians called together by him?

But, saith he, it had been a strange §. 134 thing, if in a Town where men perhaps had never seen any Magistrate otherwise chosen, then by an Assembly, those of the Town becoming Christians, should so much as have thought of any other way of election of their Teachers and Guides, i. e. of their Presbyters; otherwise called Bishops, then this of plurality of suffrages. I shall not need dispute whether every Town in Crete, as also Iconium, Lystra, and Antioch, chose all their Magistrates by plurality of suffrages. 'Tis sure enough that in this matter there is no place for such arguings: for first, to his mention of a Town, &c. 'tis evident, that beleivers were at first but few in every Town or City, (they were not whole Corporations at once converted, nor consequently could p. 404they act in such capacities) but, as Clemens Romanus saith) they that were by the Apostles constituted Bishops and Deacons in several Cities and Regions, were constituted over those that should after beleive, there were oft so few at the present. And then as fast as any did come in to the faith, they readily submitted themselves to those by, and under whom they did come in, and were not at all troubled with the consultation or deliberation, about the way of electing their Teachers and Guides, i. e. their Bishops, as is here by this Gentleman supposed.

§. 135 Secondly, it must be remembred, that wheresoever the Gospel was preached, it came originally from Jerusalem, and then, as Agrippa in Philo saith of that City, that it was foreign, The Metropolis not only of Iudaea one region, but of many others, foreign, &c. because of the Colonies which that sent out to Aegypt, Phoenice, and both the Syria's, nay to Pamphilia, Cilicia, and a great part of Asia, as far as Bythinia and Pontus, &c. So in reason the Church in Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders, Act. 14. were to follow the patterns at Jerusalem. And there we know it was not p. 405by the suffrages of the people that an Elder assumed into the Sanhedrin, but the Prince or head of the Sanhedrin received him in by imposition of hands, and so in the creation of Scribes and Doctors of the Law: And for the Church of Christians there, we have already shewed that James the Just, the first Bis…op of that Church, was by the Apostles, not by the Assembly, advanced to that Praefecture. And agreeably in other Churches, it will be much more reasonable (if such considerations may prevail) to deduce the circumstances of ordaining Elders, from the Cu…omes familiar to them that preached the faith unto them, then from the former usages of them to whom it was preached, who were not to dispute, but to beleive, and receive the Institutions, as well as doctrines which were brought them.

But then thirdly, the matter is yet farther §. 136 beyond all controversie; For sure the heathen (as formerly the Jewish) Cities, to whom the Gospel was to be preached by Christs command, were not to choose their guides, or Teachers, Christ was not chosen by those to whom he preached (Ye have not chosen me, saith he) he came from heaven on that errand of his Fathers, and happy they, whom he was thus ple…sed to choose, to call, and preach to. And when his Apostles, after his example, go and preach to all nations, and p. 406actually gather disciples, they choose their Auditors, and not their Auditors them: And they that give up their names to the obedience of the Gospel, one branch of that obedience obliges them to observe those who are placed over them by God, not onelyonly their Civil Parents and Magistrates, but Pastors, whom the holy Ghost, either mediately or immediately, hath set over them.

§. 137 And so sure there is no place of disputing left, whether they whom the holy Ghost made their overseers, Act. 20.28. had the plurality of the suffrages of the people or no: For, besides that if it were so, never any Apostle or Pastor should be received by the faithful in any City, till a major part of the City, by having received the faith, were made capable of receiving him, (which, we know, was not the way, when there was, in comparison, so little faith on the earth, to the far wider fields of infidelity) It will also follow, against those express words of Scripture, that not the holy Ghost, but they have placed the foreign overseers over them. And then I should gladly be advertised of the reason, why, when S. Paul wrote so many Epistles to whole Churches, he never gave directions for the qualifying, and choosing, and ordaining of Church-officers in any of them, but reserved that seasonably for the business of those Epistles, p. 407which were directed to the single persons of Bishops, Timothy and Titus, and that with a foreign, these things I write to thee, 1 Tim. 3.14. immediately annexed to the discourse on that matter: It being perfectly vain to instruct him in the due qualifications of those that were admitted to those offices, to which he had no power to choose or ordain any.

Besides these, many other evidences §. 138 there are premised in this discourse, which must not in any reason be here repeated, which render the conclusion of this Section most visibly void of all appearance of truth, that there never was any choosing of Bishops, (before the Emperors found it necessary to regulate them, &c. i. e. at least till Constantines time) but by the Assemblies of Christians in every several Town.

As for the continual practise even to this §. 139 day, in the Election of the Bishops of Rome, by which he thinks his assertion confirm'd, It is directly and visibly contrary: for at this day, 'tis known, that the Cardinals, that are present, do elect the Pope, and the Bishops among them consecrate or ordain him; and so whatsoever is meant by Election, whether choice of the person, or conveying the office to him, 'tis certain it is not done by the Assembly of the Christians, meaning, as before he expresses himself to do, the whole Congregation.

And for the argument added to back this §. 140 p. 408Testimony, That if the Bishop of any place had the right of choosing another to the Pastoral office, in any City, at suchtime as he went from thence, much more had he the right to appoint his successor in that place in which he dyed. 'Tis not imaginable what this argument can conclude in favour of the disputer: Fo… first, if the Bishop cannot choose his own successor, either removing or dying, yet it follows not (but is far removed from all truth) that the Assembly chooses him; If we speak of Election strictly taken, and differing from Ordination, the Principal of the Clergy, Colledge of Cardinals at Rome, the Chapter of the Cathedral Church in other places, may and are known to do it: And yet a notable testimony of that matter we have already mentioned out of Clemens Romanus, that the Apostles that constituted Bishops in every City, did in their life times make a catalogue of persons that should succeed in every See.

§. 141 But if we speak, as this Gentleman doth, more loosely, and make Election and Ordination all one, then the Metropolitan, as Titus in all Crete, and not any inferior Bishop in his own Church, or else the Councel of Bishops, and not any one Bishop, or, as the ancient Canons require, three Bishops at the least, may and do ordain the successor, and so, though not the removing or dying Bishop, yet not the whole Church, p. 409or Assembly of Christians neither.

That ordinarily the removing or dying §. 142 Bishop cannot ordain his own successor, is true upon these other accounts, and not upon that one, which is pretended, First, that the election of the Bishop doth belong to other hands, as is premised; Secondly that one single Bishop is by the Canons made incompetent for the consecration of a Bishop, There are to be three at least, See Can. Apost. 1. & 2. and Synod. Nicen. c. 4. And thirdly, that the Canons again command that no Bishop shall be ordained sine titulo, without a Church (to which he is elected) vacant to receive him; which therefore cannot be pretended, as long as the Bishop lives. All which reasons being of force against any mans ordaining his successor, are far from hindring him from being one of the three Bishops, that may ordain any to a vacant Church. And of that sure this Gentleman is sufficiently satisfied, that although the Bishop cannot ordain his own successor, yet he can with other Bishops ordain anothers successor. And therefore it is apparent, that this was but an artifice to amuze his Reader, himself acknowledging the conclusion, which he would seem to invalidate or confute by it.

Having now dispatched all that this §. 143 Gentleman hath said of the Ordination of Teachers, I am again permitted to retire, and conclude this Treatise.