Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted, Part 2 · Section 22
§. 22.
The government by Biſhops, both univerſall and unalterable.
WE have ſeen the grounds of Church-government laid by our Saviour himſelf in imparity: We have ſeen it ſo built up by Apoſtolike hands; we have ſeen the practiſe of the ancient and ſubſequent Church, laying on the roof to make a perfect Fabrick; Yet what is all this, if the charge be not univerſall and perpetuall? yeild it to be ſo ancient as the Apoſtles themſelves; yet if it be arbitrary, whether for time or place, what have we gained? Surely as God is but one, and ever himſelf, ſo would he have his Church. There may be threeſcore Queens, and fourſcore Concubins, and Virgins without number; but his Dove, his undefiled is but one; and though ſhe may go in ſeverall dreſſes and trimmings, yet ſtill and ever the ſtuffe is the ſame. Plainly, though there may be varieties of circumſtantiall faſhons in particular Churches, yet the ſubſtance of the government is, and muſt be ever the ſame. That ordinary power which the Apoſtles had, they traduced to their ſucceſſors, as bequeathed by our Saviour, in his laſt fare well to them unto the end of the world. For we may not think, as one ſaid well, that the Apoſtles carried their Commiſſion with them up to heaven. They knew it was given them for a perpetuity of ſucceſſion. He that ſaid, Go teach all Nations, and baptize, added, Behold I am with you to the end of the world; He could not mean it of their perſons which ſtaid not long upon earth after him; he meant it of their Evangelical ſucceſſors; So was he with them; as he was with his domeſticks their Predeceſſors, not in the immediatneſſe and extraordinary way of calling; not in the admirable meaſure and kinds of their foreign, or gifts, not in the infallibleneſſe of their judgement, nor in the univerſality of their charge, but in the effectuall execution of thoſe offices, which ſhould be perpetuated to his Church, for the ſalvation of mankinde. Such were the preaching of the Goſpell, and the adminiſtration of the Sacraments, the ordaining Church-officers, the ordering of Church affairs, the infliction of cenſures, and, in ſhort, the power of the Keys, which we juſtly ſay, were not tyed to St. Peters girdle, but were communicated to all his fellows, and to all his and their ſucceſſors for ever. By vertue whereof, all true Paſtors can open and ſhut heaven gates above, much more the Church doors hereupon earth: And all theſe as are of ſuch neceſſity, that without them the Church could not at all ſubſiſt; at leaſt, not long and in any tolerable Condition. The power of theſe acts, as it was by our Saviours Commiſſion, originally in the Apoſtles, being by them conveyed to the Church, and not by the Church conveyed to them; So it ſucceeded accordingly in, and to their ſucceſſors and was incorporated into their office; we that are Prieſts receive the Keys in Peter (ſaith St. Ambroſe) Veniat ad Antiſtites, ſaith St. Auguſtine; Let them come to the Biſhops, by whom the keys are miniſtred in the Church. As Beza ſaid truly of the promiſe of the holy Ghoſt,Beza de Graeci. miniſt. c. 5. that it was given for the good of the whole Church, yet not unto the whole Church; but peculiarly unto the Apoſtles (to give to others at leaſt) ſo muſt it be ſaid of this power And ſo indeed by Calvins own determination,Calv. Inſtit. 1. 4. c. 3. none but Paſtors might lay hands on the ordayned,Hoc poſtremo h…bendum eſt non univerſam multitudinem manus i…poſuiſſe ſu…s miniſtris, ſed, folos paſtores. and none but they were capable to weild the great cenſures of the Church: Shortly then, was this power left by the Apoſtles, or was it not left? If it were left, (as we could elſe have no Church) was it left with all, or with ſome? with all it cannot; the multitude cannot be thought fit for theſe affaires; If with ſome, then whether with one in a City or territory, or with more? If with more, why is the charge then impoſed upon one. One Timothy in Epheſus; One Titus in Creet; One Angel in Thyatira; One other in Philadelphia; Laodicea, and the reſt: And why are thoſe ſingle perſons challengeable for the neglect? And if this power and this charge, were by the very hands of the Apoſtles, entayled upon theſe eminent perſons, which ſhould by due ordination therein ſucceed them, and from them lineally deſcend upon us, I wonder what humane power dare preſume to cut it off. Neither do I leſſe marvell at the opinions of thoſe Divines, which holding Epiſcopacy thus to ſtand Jure Apoſtolico, in the firſt inſtitution, yet hold it may be changed in the ſequel. For me I have learned to yeild this honour to theſe inſpired men, that I dare not but think theſe their ordinances, which they intended to ſucceſſion; immutable. Some kinds of Ceremonious preſcriptions fell from them, which were meant to be only locall, and temporary; thoſe we have no reaſon to think our ſelves oblieged to, but thoſe which they left for the adminiſtration of Gods Church, it ſhall be high preſumption in any to alter: becauſe the Apoſtles did but meet together divers times, on the firſt day of the week; and St. Paul ordered that day for the laying aſide their Collections; And that is only called the Lords day by the Apoſtle; How ſtrongly are the vehement oppoſites of Epiſcopacy, wont to maintain that day, in ſucceſſion to the Jewiſh Sabbath; and that in all points unalterable, by any humane authority? Surely had they but the tenth part of that plea from the Apoſtles, for this their Judaicall-Evangelicall Sabbath, which we have for our Epiſcopacy, they would make us feel the Dint of this argument, and would in the rigorous obſervation of it, out-do the Jews: But you are now ready to choak me with ſome Apoſtolicall ordinances, which were even of t… emſelves reverſed. Be it ſo: Then you tell me of the firſt form of their goverment of the Church, which (ſay you) was by an equality from: which, if (as we plead) they afterwards aſcended to this imparity (which we now contend for) why is it not as ſafe ſay you, for us to take up that their firſt form, as this latter. Admitting all this, our anſwer is the readier; we like well to make thoſe holy men of God our chooſers: They thought fit to alter to this: and therefore we think fit to hold to it: They tryed both, and left this to be continued. The truth is, the Church of God at the very firſt, was only in framing, and not all of a ſuddain framed; In framing thereof, as the equality among themſelves by the fulneſſe of Grace which they all had) conduced to that work; ſo all that while, for the better promoting of the ſame work, they themſelves maintained their own ſuperiority and power over other Presbyters: So then the change being made by the Apoſtles themſelves, and not by other; they being infallibly guided by the Spirit of God, though they changed, we may not; Nay, becauſe they changed, we may not; the holy Ghoſt led them unto it; and therefore we, unleſſe we will oppoſe the ordinance of the holy Ghoſt, muſt not detrect to continue it. Otherwiſe, why may I not urge the ſame argument in the inſtanced Sabbath, The Apoſtles had duly kept the ſeaventh day according to the Law; they after fell to the obſervation of the firſt day. What, ſhall any man now infer, why not the Jewiſh Seaventh, which was firſt kept rather than the Evangelicall firſt, which was laſt taken up? However then (as it is uſually upbrayded to us out of our reverend Whitgift) there may be ſome appendances and formalities of government, alterable by the wiſedome and diſcretion of the Church; yet for the main ſubſtance, it is now utterly indiſpenſable, and muſt ſo continue to the worlds end. Indiſpenſable by any voluntary act (what inevitable neceſſity may do in ſuch a caſe, we now diſpute not) neceſſity hath diſpenced with ſome immediately Divine Laws:Niſi coegerit dura neceſſitas cui nulla ſex eſſt poſita Hadr. Sarav. reſp. ad Bez. de gradi… . &c. Where then that may be juſtly pleaded, we ſhall not be wanting both in our pity, and in our Prayers.