Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted, Part 2 · Section 11
§. 11.
The pregnant and full teſtimonies of the holy Saint and Martyr Ignatius urged.
AFter him, what better and more convincing authority can we appeal unto, than that of holy Ignatius, the famous Martyr of Chriſt, whoſe memory is juſtly precious to the whole Church of God, to this very preſent age, that Miracle of Martyrs, who called his fetters, Chriſt's chains of Spirituall pearls; who (when he was to be throwne to the wilde beaſts for the profeſſion of Chriſt) could boaſt,foreign, &c. Hier. Catalog. Script. Eccleſ. that he ſhould ſet to the world, as the Sunne, that he might riſe to God; and when he heard the Lyons rooring, I am, ſaid he, Chriſt's Wheat; Oh let me be ground with the teeth of wilde beaſts, that may be found pure bread for my God; make much of theſe wilde beaſts, that they may become my Sepulcher, that nothing my be left of my body, &c. I had rather dye for Chriſt, then raigne over the whole world. This bleſſded Saint in all thoſe confeſſedly-genuine Epiſtles, which he wrote, Seaven in number, ſtill ſo beats upon this point, (as if religion depended upon it) Reverence and Obedience to their Biſhops. This man lived in the dayes of the Apoſtles, converſed with them, and in likely-hood ſaw Chriſt in the fleſh, being martyred in the Eleventh yeere of Trajan, according to Baronius, and therefore throughly acquainted with the ſtate of Gods Church in the Apoſtles time, and his own; and ſhould in this name be more to us then a thouſand witneſſes; Eevery word of his, is worthy to carry our hearts along with him; Heare then, what he ſaith in his Epiſtle, ad Trallianos; Be ſubject to your Biſhop, Ignat. Epiſt. ad Trall. foreign.as to the Lord, for he watcheth for your ſoules; And ſtreight, Neceſsary it is, that whatſoever ye doe, ye ſhould doe nothing without your Biſhop; But be ye ſubject alſo to your Prieſts, as to the Apoſtles of Chriſt. See what a diſtance here is; whereas other of the Fathers compare the Biſhops to the Apoſtles, Presbyters to the 70 diſciples; this man advanceth his patterne higher, requiring obedience to Biſhops, as to Chriſt, to Presbyters, as to the Apoſtles: And what proportion is there betwixt the reſpects we owe to God and to man. And a while after yet higher. The Biſhop, ſaith he,Ibid. foreign, &c. bears the reſemblance of God the Father of all things; The Prieſts are as the bench of his Apoſtles, &c.
And leſt any man ſhould conſtrue theſe words to ſound onelyonly of a generality of reverent reſpects, without yeelding of any power of command; Soone after, he ſpeaks home, for what other, ſaith he, is a Biſhop, then he that is ſuperiour to all principality and power,Pag. 9. foreign, &c. and as far as a mans power may reach, made an Imitator of the Chriſt of God; And what is the Presbytery or Prieſt-hood, but an holy company, the the Counſellors and Aſſeſſors of the Biſhop, and what the Deacons, but the Imitators of the Angelicall powers, which give him pure and unblameable attendance.
What ſay ye now to this, ye Patrons of Paritie in Church-government? How do yee think your opinion conſorts with this bleſſed Saint, the holy partner of the Apoſtles? Here ye have the three diſtinct Orders of Biſhops, Prieſts, or Presbyters, and Deacons: Here you have a cleare, and conſtant Superiority of Biſhops, above Prieſts, with no leſſe difference then betweene a Prince and his Councell-bord; above Deacons, no leſſe then betweene a Prince and his attendants; And this, delivered according to the received judgement and practiſe of the Primitive Church; The teſtimony is too pregnant to be eluded; And yet wel-fare a friend in a corner: Nico: Ʋedelius; becauſe he ſees the witneſſe ſo cleare, that he cannot be ſhifted off, charge him with corruption, and ſubordination, pretending that ſure theſe words are foyſted in, he knows not how, into the Text; we are yet beholding to him for aſſerting the truth, and legitimation of theſe ſeven Epiſtles of our Martyr, which Coke, and Parker, and Antitilenus; being netled with their unavoydable evidences, durſt cry downe for baſtardy; whom I leave to be throughly Schooled by Chamier, Rivitus, Crit Secr. Vedel. Apol. & exercit.Ʋidelius; By whom out of all antiquity, they are ſufficiently vindicated to the ſhame of the injurious accuſers. It is out of my way to follow this Chaſe; but herein Ʋidelius playes his part; that thoſe paſſages which he finds in theſe (confeſſedly Authentique Epiſtles, moſt convictive for our purpoſe; He would faine challenge to be corrupted; And why ſo? Surely, ſaith he, theſe words of Principality and power aſcribed to Biſhops, doe not ſavour of that golden age of the Apoſtles, wherein Ignatius lived, when Epiſcopacy was not Imperium & poteſtas, a rule and power, but a ſervice rather; And why not both? As if excellency of dignity, could not conſiſt with humility of Officiouſneſſe; What elſe doth our Saviour imply in his charge, he that is greateſt amongſt you, let him be your ſervant: their glory, like as their Saviours Kingdome, was not of this world: Spirituall greatneſſe may well agree with outward lowlineſſe.1 Cor. 2.3, 4. 1 Theſſ. 1.5. St. Paul matcheth foreign, and foreign. weakeneſſe and power; and even whiles he was Tent-making could ſpeak of his (foreign) and foreign: And why ſhould this phraſe be here ſeized upon ſuſpition, rather then in other paſſages of holy Ignatius, where it is plainely attributed to Biſhops? as in that to the men of Smyrna, as we ſhall ſee in the ſequel: And why might not hee digeſt this Phraſe, which he ſo commonly met with in antiquity?foreign. Chryſoſt. in Act. c. 1. Citat. in Append. Notarum Criticarum Nic. Vedel. Amonſt the reſt, it is remarkable, that the very ſame ſentence that hee cites for his defence out of Chryſoſtome, cuts his throat: then their praefecture (ſpeaking of the Apoſtle's Biſhop) was not an honour, but a provident care for thoſe whom they ruled over. Lo here was a praefecture firſt, and then here are foreign, which implyes foreign, a rule not alluding to the abuſes of his owne time (as Vedelius, poorely) but to the Apoſtles, in whom honour did well agree with care; was there ever man that denyed Apoſtle-ſhip to be an honour? much leſſe, holy Chryſostome: The Fathers meaning plainly is, that the Apoſtles did not ſtand ſo much upon their own honour, as the care of their charge, as what good Biſhop doth otherwiſe? In the meane time, here is an (foreign) a rule, implyed in that Teſtimony, which is brought to impugne it; for Ignatius, his paſſage, is as undoubted as his Epiſtle, and the Biſhops power is not foreign, onelyonly which Vedelius could yeeld, but foreign. And what need Vedelius to ſtand upon this terme, when Chamier himſelfe ſo fully yeelds it.Cham. de Occumen. Pontif. l. 13. c. 19. ex Nazianzen. foreign. Revera Epiſcopatus eſt foreign, and ſinguli Epiſcopi in ſuis Eccleſiis ſunt principes. The Martyr for a cloſe ſhuts up with a Fare-well in the Lord Jeſus, and be ſubject to your Biſhop, &c. In the ſecond Epiſtle to the Magneſians (for I love to follow the trace of that bleſſed Saint) I exhort you,Ignat. ad Magneſ. foreign, &c. pag. 54. ſaith he, that your care and ſtudy be to do all things in a godly Concord; your Biſhop being preſident in the place of God, your Prieſts in the place of the Senate of the Apoſtles, &c. And not long after; As the Lord, ſaith he, did nothing without his Father, who ſaid I can do nothing of my ſelfe,foreign. ſo neither may any of you do ought without your Biſhop. Whether it be Prieſt, or Deacon, or Laick; Neither let any thing ſeeme meet for you to doe without his judgement, for whatſoever is ſo done, is wicked, and an act of meere enmity to God.
What will our refractaries ſay to this, who affect to make head againſt their Biſhops, yea not onelyonly ſuffer him to do nothing without them, but ſuffer him to do nothing at all, yea ſuffer him not to be: Oh God! if thy bleſſed Martyr Ignatius now lived, and ſaw theſe inſolencies, how would he thinke himſelfe falne amongſt more fierce beaſts, than thoſe which were prepared for him!Ignat ad Philadelph. p. 91. foreign, &c.
In his third Epiſtle to the Phyladelphians; So many, ſaith he, as are Chriſts, are for the Biſhop, and thoſe that decline from him, and take part with the accurſt, they ſhall be cut off together: And not long after in the ſame Epiſtle, in Chriſt ſaith he, there is neither bond nor free; Let the Princes, or chiefe governours obey Caeſar: Let the ſouldiers obey their chiefe governours; Let the Deacons and the reſt of the Clergie, with all the people, ſouldiers, governours, and Caeſar himſelfe obey their Biſhop: Let the Biſhop obey Chriſt, as Chriſt obeyed his Father, and thus ſhall Vnity be conſerved in all things: Thus he. Now comes in Nic: Ʋidelius, and ſeconding Scultetus, cries out of manifeſt interpolation; I wiſh I had leiſure in this place, to follow him home, he is out of my way, yet I muſt ſtep aſide to him a little; And what, and where, then is this ſo open fraud, in foyſting in this clauſe of Ignatius? Caeſar was then no Chriſtian. In vaine ſhould the true Ignatius have charged Caeſar to obey the Biſhop. weakly objected, for as Maestraeus anſwers him well: The Martyr tels us what ſhould be done, not what was. It is true that the greateſt Monarchs of the world, even thoſe, whoſe vaſſals we confeſſe our ſelves in temporall reſpects, yet in Spirituall reguards, ought to ſubmit their ſoules to our government, or rather to Gods in us. But Ignatius admoniſheth Chriſtians, not heathen of their duty. Weake ſtill! His amonition is univerſall, though directed to Philadelphians, and thoſe men which were now Ethnicks, might prove Chriſtians. The rules muſt not vary with the perſons; But, it would have been ſcandalous, eſpecially in thoſe times, to exhort an Heathen Emperour, to ſubmit himſelf to a Chriſtian; ſtill alike; what ſcandall more in this, than in the reſt of the doctrine of the Goſpell, which in the mouthes of all faithfull Preachers, requires Princes to yield their necks to the yoke of Chriſt? Why more then; Go tell that Foxe? And the Non licet, of the Baptiſt to Herod? why more than the bold ſpeeches of the Martyred Saints to their heathen perſecutors? Why more than of that Chriſtian Biſhop to Julian; of Chryſoſtomus to Eudoxia why more than the high language of Valentinian and Trajan to Valens, and hundreds other of this kinde?Socrat. lib. …. cap. 16. Theod. lib. 5. cap. 31. & 3…. But (which is groſſeſt of all) he makes the end of all, the Conſervation of unity in the Church; And what, ſaith he, are heathens within the Church? Or is there any Union betwixt Chriſt and Infidels? As if Ignatius had written only for a day; as if theſe men muſt needs live and die Heathens; The Cavills muſt be more probable that muſt caſt a Martyr, or rob us of his holy inſtruction.
Yet again therefore hear what our St. Ignatius ſayes in the ſame Epiſtle;Pag. 102. Edit. Vede. foreign, &c. It is hard ſaith he, to reject the preaching of the Apoſtles; The Prieſts are good, and ſo are the Deacons, or Miniſters of the word; but the chief Prieſt, is better,foreign. who is truſted with the Holy of Holies, who only is intruſted with the ſecrets of God; Here Vedelius ſtartles, and not he only, but Chamier too, contends the Chief Prieſt, not to be meant of the Biſhop, but of Chriſt; but the place eaſily quits it ſelf: Ignatius, plainly compares theſe holy Offices with themſelves, not with Chriſt; How abſurd had it been to make a compariſon betwixt the goodneſſe of Prieſts and Deacons, and the goodneſſe of Chriſt, as if there had been any poſſibility of proportion, as if any doubt could have riſen this way. This meliority therefore, or betterneſſe above the Prieſts and Deacons, is aſcribed to the Biſhop, by the name of the high Prieſt, in alluſion to the Jewiſh Priviledges of the great Pontife, who only might enter the holy of holyes.
Our Martyr goes on: In his Epiſtle to thoſe of Smyrna he is,Ignat ad Smyr. foreign, &c. Pag 16 11 if it be poſſible, more punctuall; Follow your Biſhop, ſaith he, as Chriſt did his Father; and the Colledge of Prieſts, as his Apoſtles; reverence your Deacons as miniſtring according to the command of God. Let no man, without the Biſhop, do any of thoſe things which appertains to the Church; Let that Euchariſt be held right and unqueſtionable, which is done by the Biſhop, or by ſuch an one, as he ſhall allow. Where the Biſhop ſhall appear, there let the multitude aſſemble, as where Chriſt is, there all the heavenly hoaſt ſtands by him &c. It is not lawfull without the Biſhop to baptize, nor to offer &c. And ſoon after; foreign, &c. Honour God as the Author and Lord of all things, and your Biſhop, as the chief Prieſt, bearing the image of God; of God, I ſay, as chief, and of Chriſt, as Prieſt &c. Neither is there any thing greater in the Church than the Biſhop, who is conſecrated to God, for the ſalvation of the world; neither is there any among the Princes, like to the King, who procures peace and equity to his ſubjects &c. And anone; Let all your things be done in decent order in Chriſt. Let your Laicks be ſubject to the Deacons,Pag. 48. foreign, &… the Deacons to the Prieſts or Presbyters, the Presbyters to the Biſhop, the Biſhop to Chriſt, as he to his Father. Could he ſpeak plainer? Lo, ſaith Vedelius, and our Scotus foreign, this ſavours not of the age of Ignatius, in whoſe time no ſuch diſtinction, as of the Clergie and Laity was on foot: Weakly ſuggeſted! Had they but read our Clement, Clem. ad Corinth.in his fore-recited Epiſtle to the Corinthians, they had ſoon eaten this word foreign, ſaith he, to the Prieſts, their proper place is aſſigned. The Laickes have their ſervices foreign, A Lay-man is bound to lay Ordinances: But I may not ſo far hinder my way, as to make excurſions to meet with Cavills: if any man be diſpoſed to accept, I am ready to give him full ſatisfaction in a meet ſeaſon.foreign. In his Epiſtle to Polycarpus, he requires, that no man ſhould ſo much as marry without the Biſhops conſent; and ſoon after,Pag. 208. foreign, &c. Let all things, ſaith he, be done to the honour of God: give regard to your Biſhop as God to you.foreign &c. My ſoul for theirs who obey their Biſhop, Presbyters and Deacons.
In his Epiſtle to the Epheſians, magnifying their Biſhop Oneſimus, he charges them to give all reſpects to him, and addes, Ye ought to look upon your Biſhop, as upon God himſelf, ſince he waits upon the Lord, and ſerves him. And towards the end, Following the holy Ghoſt for your guide, obeying your Biſhop, and the company of Presbyters, with an intire heart, &c.
What ſhall we think of all this? was not St. Ignatius ſee'd to ſpeak on the Biſhops ſide; Or how would theſe words have ſounded in the late Aſſemblies of Glaſco and Edinborough? Are we more holy than he? Is the truth the ſame it was, or is the alteration on our part? All theſe have been large and full Teſtimonies of the acknowledged ſuperiority of Biſhops, and of the high reſpects that are, and were ever due to theſe prime governours of the Church: But if any man think theſe came not yet home to the point, let him caſt his eye back upon the firſt Epiſtle ad Trallianos, and mark well what he ſaith: where having reckoned up the three (ſo oft mentioned Orders) of Biſhops, Presbyters and Deacons, he addes; Without theſe, Pag. 5. foreign, &c.there is no elect Church, without theſe, no holy Congregation, no aſſembly of Saints; And I perſwade my ſelf that you alſo are of the ſame minde; Lo here, words which no Vedelius can carp at as interpolated, impoſing ſuch a neceſſity of the being of theſe three ſeverall Orders in Gods Church, that it cannot be right without them. I ſee and pity his ſhuffling,Append. Nota…rum Crit. but would be glad to ſee a ſatisfactory anſwer from any hands:Epiſt. ad P: Molin.
In the mean time, I wiſh, with learned Biſhop Andrews, thoſe Churches where they are miſſing, that happineſſe, which now to our grief, and I hope theirs, they are forced to want. I have dwelt long with bleſſed Ignatius, where could I be better? That one Author is in ſtead of many; why ſhould I not boldly ſay, if beſides the divine Scriptures, there were no other teſtimony but this one Saints, it were abundantly enough to carry this Cauſe; and I muſt wonder at any man, who confeſſing Ignatius to have been ſo holy a Biſhop, ſo faithfull a Martyr, ſo true a Saint, can ſtick at a Truth ſo often, ſo confidently, ſo zealouſly, recommended by him to the world; For me let my ſoul go with his, let his faith be mine, and let me rather truſt one Ignatius, than ten thouſand Cartwrights, Parkers, Ameſes, or any other their ignorant and Male-contented followers. Tell me now, my dear brethren, tell me in good eaneſt, Do you not think this Ignatius a likely man to build up the kingdome of Antichriſt? were not theſe ſhoulders fit for the ſupportation of that man of ſin? Away with theſe abſurd and wicked fancies: and if this charge of his were holy and Apoſtolicall, wherein he requires us to honour our Biſhops, as the Lord himſelf, whom they ſerve and repreſent; what doom do you ſuppoſe would he have paſſed upon thoſe, who (as ſuch) abhorre them, and eject them as Devills. I cannot without horrour think of either the act or the iſſue