Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted, Part 2 · Section 17

Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted · Part 2 · Section 17

p. 169§. 17.

Exceptions againſt our Epiſcopacy anſwered; and particularly of the diſsimilitude of 20our Biſhops from the Primitive; especially in their pomp and perpetuity.

BUt two main exceptions are taken at our Epiſcopacy, wherein it is pretended, there p. 170is an utter diſſimilitude betwixt the anciently acknowledged ſuperiority and ours: The one is perpetuity, the other, Lordlineſſe; In both which regards, Parker, (according to his loud langua…e) ſayes, there is as much likeneſſe betwixt the Engliſh Epiſcopacy and the ancient, as betwixt light and darkneſſe. For both theſe briefly. That there is and muſt needs be a ſuperiority of ſome Paſtors aboue others, Beza 10himſelf cannot deny (who makes the 7 Angels foreign) neither indeed can there be any government without it;Bez in Apoc 2.1Rev 2:1 but this preſidence, ſaith he, is not perpetuall, but only for the time and viciſſitudinary;Vid… Bez. & Saraviam in reſp. ad triplicatum Epiſcopatum, & De gradibus Miniſt. c. 23. There can be no Church without a Miniſtery: Thoſe Miniſters are divided into Presbyteries: Thoſe Presbyters muſt have an head, that head is to over-rule the body, for his turne; And this ſaith he, is that Regency, which was in the Primitive times, and is now 20renewed in ſome Churches; wherein the preſident takes his chair, moderates the aſſembly, hath Majority of rule, during his preſidency, and is for the preſent,…efut. of Mr. D… ham. the governour of his brethren; the action ended, and his courſe finiſhed, returnes to his old forme, with a ſumus ergo pares. And was this the inequality of the p. 171Church-governours in the Primitive times? Was this the forme of the Regiment and Preſidency of the Primitive Biſhops? Bleſſed God! Where was this monſter of opinion formed? Who ever read or heard of ſuch a courſe of Adminiſtration, from the beginning of Gods Church upon earth, untill this preſent age? And yet theſe men, the better to guilde their upſtart fancies to the eyes of the vulgar, dare 10thus confidently obtrude it upon the Primitive times. Did not James, Ignatius Polycarpus, and all thoſe noted Succeſſors, in their ſeverall charges, live and die Biſhops there? Do not all the Subſcriptions of Councels, all hiſtories that ever were in the Church, teſtifie ſo much? was there ever any Writer (but any one) that hath given intimation (but bare intimation) of any ſuch ſhifting of Church-governours (for that miſtaken 20allegation of St. Ambroſe is juſtly hiſſed out of all Countenance.) Did ever the man fall into any kinde of mention, that once practis'd it? And ſhall grave Divines give themſelves liberty to dream of ſuch ſtrange Chimaericall devices, and then (meerly to get glory to themſelves, and ſtrength to their own fancie… ) ſo boldly obtrude them upon Gods Church for p. 172good Law, and as highly tending to Gods glory? If we do not finde among the ancient ſo direct contradictions to this conceit, we muſt impute it to this, that they did not ſuppoſe ſo impoſſible a fancy could have fallen into any wiſe heads:C…r. l. 4. Epiſt 2. Yet that of bleſſed Cyprian is clear enough: where a Biſhop is once lawfully ordained, whoſoever would now (moreover) be made a Biſhop (in that See) it is neceſſary 10that he ſhould be forthwith put out of the Church, and that he have not the Churches Ordination, who doth not hold the Unity of the Church,Vid ſupra Epiſt. Clementis ad Corinthios. &c. And ſoon after, Foraſmuch as after the firſt Biſhop (viz.) during his life, there cannot be a ſecond; whoſoever after that one (who ought to be alone) is made, he is not a ſecond, but none at all; Thus he. But what need I urge this, when the very word of Ordination ſtrikes it dead: For what Ordination to 20that their In-and-out Office; have theſe ſucceeding and Momentary Preſidents? And what Biſhop was ever in the Church without Ordination? So as I muſt have leave to wonder at this uncouth Novelty, and to ſay that I cannot tell how to reſemble it better than to that old abuſive ſport, which was cryed down p. 173in the Councell of Salisbury (called Ep.^tus puor.) practiſed alſo in the Popiſh times here in England, Binius, Anno 1274. Epiſcopatus puerorum.upon St. Clements night and on St. Nicholas; wherein boys and youths dreſſed up after the manner of Epiſcopall habits, took upon them to act the Biſhops ſacred actions, and after the paſtime ended, diſroabed themſelves, and returned to their wonted trade; Both theſe I confidently ſay, are the meer mockeries of Epiſcopacie; 10and if that other ſport pleaſed but children and fools, it is a wonder how this could pleaſe wiſe men. As for the ſtate and Lordlineſſe which is uſually objected to our Epiſcopacy, it is indeed a common eye-ſore to our envious detractors. This is it that fills the world with Clamour, and Pamphlets with ſpightfull invectives. Quis furor, O Cives! As for the title firſt, alas, how poor a quarrell it is? Certainly, if there were that true piety, and 20thoſe gracious diſpoſitions in the hearts of men, profeſſing the Goſpell, towards Gods Ambaſſadors and Agents, which there ought to be, they would not, they could not grudge them any ſtyles of Eminence; their very feet would be beautifull, their hands ſacred, their heads glorious; now every thing is too much.

p. 174But not to ſcan the Originall foreign, and Dominus, which every man knows how common it was of old to Fathers, Maſters, Huſbands, Governours, Prophets; that no man may wonder,Gen. 24.18.Gen 24:18 Sara called Abraham Lord: Rebecca calls Abraham's ſervant ſo; Drink my Lord: Nay what if it be made to appear that even thoſe Titles which are now ſtumbled at, were the uſuall ſtyle of the ancient Biſhops? So Euſebius to the Biſhop of Trevers: foreign.To my 10Lord Paulinus; and Paulinus in his Epiſtle to him, to my Lord Euſebius. So the Biſhops of Aegypt to the Biſhops aſſembled in the Councell of Tyre, foreign.To our moſt honourable Lords. The Synode held at Jeruſalem to the people of Aegypt, foreign.Libya, &c. calls Athanaſius their Paſtor and Lord: And Julius Biſhop of Rome, the great Abbettor of Athanaſius, is by the holy Biſhops ſtyled foreign moſt bleſſed Lord: 20And Nazianzen, My Lords the Biſhops: And George the Biſhop of Laodicea, writing to certain Biſhops,foreign calls them moſt honourable Lords; and in the ſame Epiſtle putting both together; Moſt reverend and moſt honorable brethren:Vide B Downham defence 3 b cap. 6 And Biſhop Downham (to whom I referre my reader for this point) hath inſtanced p. 175abundantly: yet I may not omit thoſe more aged titles (which he hath omitted) even of bleſſed Ignatius himſelf,Ignat. Epiſt. ad Magniſianos Epiſt. ad Smyrnenſes. who calls the Biſhop of the Magneſians foreign; and Polycarpus the Biſhop of Smyrna foreign God-worthy Biſhops; which I ſuppoſe, comprehends the higheſt degree of Grace. Much like to thoſe which the late worthy Patriarch of Conſtantinople gave in his Epiſtle to our late Arch-biſhop of Canterbury. 10Vid. Epiſt. in ſine hiſtor. Turci…ae: Append. &c.And how much more is this than we finde in their own letters; To our moſt reverend Brother M^r. Cartwright; Chap. to Mr. Cartwr. Calvin Epiſt. Farello de Baſileenſ… quodam. Practice of Prelates D. 2. Cited in the ſurvay of Diſc. p. 372.and how much below that other, Non minus Farello, quàm Paulo, meaning the bleſſed Apoſtle of the Gentiles: And again that in the practiſe of Prelates, Calvin, Beza, Viretus, Knox, Cartwright, are the only Worthies of the world, that have maintained Diſcipline: For us; If then it hath pleaſed gracious Princes, for expreſſion of the honour which they gave to God, in the honor given by them, to our holy function, to grace us with eminent titles and rights, can any Chriſtian man be ſo fooliſhly ſpightfull, as to think, becauſe we are Lords-Biſhops, that we challenge to be Lords of our Clergie: as he ſaid well, becauſe they themſelves are uſually ſtyled Maſters, p. 176are they therefore the Maſters of their Church? I would theſe maligners ſhould know that with high titles, we can bear as humble minds (to ſay no more) as thoſe that pick that quarrell; and are ſo little tranſported with theſe puffes of ſtyle, that we account it (according to our Saviours preſcription) our greateſt glory to be ſervants to the ſouls of the meaneſt drudges in the family of our God.

But if the name offend, the thing offends much more: We have the Lands, Rents, Royalty, poſſeſſions of Lordſhips, Rights of Barony: What? Have we not yet been prey enough to this malignant and ſacrilegious envy? Are we not yet deſpoyled to purpoſe? Is that little pittance which hungry ſacriledge, and cruell rapine have left behinde them, ſtill a beam in theſe evill eyes? We are Barons by our places, but, as one ſaid truely, Bare-ones indeed, 20for the moſt part; and if theſe men may have their wiſh, ſhalbe (as a Lawyer was long ſince pleaſed to tearm us) Barones Elemoſynarij; Ex …u…iſ conſulto quodam D. Henric. Spelman Collect. Synod in Anno … 34.Caſt your eyes you greedy Church-robbers, upon what we had, and then tell me if you can grudge us a feather of that ſoul which you have ſtolne and devoured. To ſpeak of one p. 177which I have reaſon to know; There is a Biſhoprick in the world which had 27 rich Mannors within the Dioceſe (beſides other forrain) and 14 faire houſes and Parkes about them; which bath now but 7 of the meaneſt Mannors left, in full Leaſe, and one only houſe, without ſo much as a ſtick of wood for the heirth, or an handfull of Hay for the ſtable, and yet none of the ancient burdens ſubtracted. 10What think you of this abatement? There are others (I ſuppoſe) proportionably in the ſame predicament. If it be not yet low enough, ye that have our Cloak, take our Coat too; We were not worthy to be St. Paul's Diſciples, if we had not learned to want, and to abound.

Little do theſe men think what charges do neceſſarily attend our places) what hoſpitality is expected from us, what Competencie of 20means is requiſite to bear us up from that contempt which unavoidably accompanies a baſe Condition; But if this ſatisfies them not, ringantur. In the mean time, what a difference is there between times. Our poor well meaning ignorant forefathers, thought their Clergie could never have enough; Statutes of Mortmain needed to hold their hands; their knowing, p. 178rich, zealous off-ſpring, think their better deſerving-Clergie can have never too little. We ſee and heartily pity the incompetent proviſion of our forraign brethren, whoſe parts are as eminent as their maintenance poor. And this is that paſſe of perfection which theſe miſ-zelotes would bring our Clergy unto, and are angry becauſe we are not enough beggers. They would have their Paſtors true Miniſters, that 10is, their ſervants; and even in that ſtate, not too full fed.

Sarav. de gradi…. miniſt.I remember what learned Saravia over heard ſome of his Antwerpian maſters ſay, when ſpeech was concerning the augmentation of his ſtipend;Prov. 29.21.Prov 29:21 He that delicately bringeth up his Servant, ſhall have him become his Son at the laſt. Bleſſed be God that we are not under ſuch mercy; though it is the regret of ſome that we are not. That double honour which St. Paul 20thinks ſome good Elders worthy of, is held too good for our beſt and that moyens is too vaſt for a Biſhop, which ſome Lay Presbyter may put over without envy; yea ſome noble Elder (for ſuch the time now yields) ſhalbe cryed up for ſpending upon one Supper a Biſhops yeerly revenue. As it is, we bleſſe God and our good p. 179Kings, for what we have left; But I wis it is not ſo much, as that any man ſhould at the ſight of it, need to feed upon his own heart, in ſtead of our Trencher: But if any of our profeſſion being bleſſed with plenty of means, ſhall run forth into laviſh exceſſe; pampering his Appetite with Apician delicates, or ruffling in proud and coſtly attyres, and furnitures, beyond the 10bounds of gravity and holy Moderation (as I verily ſuppoie our Iſland yeildeth none ſuch) let his perſon ruler, let his calling be innocent, and honourable: It is not wealth or power, that is juſtly taxable in a Biſhop, but the abuſe of both; and that man is weakly grounded, which would be other than faithfull to his God, whether in an higher or meaner Condition.

Foraſmuch therefore as theſe imaginary diſſimilitudes 20betwixt the Primitive Epiſcopacy and ours are vaniſhed, and ours for ſubſtance is proved to be the ſame, with the firſt that ever were ordained, and thoſe firſt were ordained by Apoſtolike hands, by direction and inſpiration of the holy Ghoſt, we may confidently and irrefragably conclude our Epiſcopacie to be of no leſſe than Divine Inſtitution.