Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted, Part 2 · Section 5
§. 5.
The clear Teſtimonies of Scripture, eſpecially thoſe out of the Epiſtles to Timothy and Titus, urged.
NOw, becauſe this is the main point that is ſtood upon, and ſome wayward oppoſites are ready to except at all proofs but Scripture; I ſhall take leave briefly, to ſcan thoſe pregnant Teſtimonies, which I finde in thoſe two Apoſtolicall Epiſtles; and firſt Timothy is charged,1 Tim. 1.3. to charge the preachers of Epheſus, that they teach no other Doctrine than was preſcribed; That they do not give heed to Fables and Genealogies. If Timothy were an equall Presbyter with the reſt, thoſe Teachers were as good as he; what then had he to do to charge Teachers? Or what would thoſe Teachers care for his charge? How equally apt would they be to charge him to keep within his own compaſſe, and to meddle with his own matters? It is only for Superiors to charge, and inferiors to obey. Secondly, this charge S. Paul commits to Timothy to overſee and controll the unmeet and unſeaſonable doctrines of the Epheſian falſe teachers,1 Tim. 1.12. according to the prophecies which went before of him; and that in oppoſing himſelfe to their erroneous opinions, he might war a good warfare: This controlment cannot be incident into an equality; In this charge therefore both given and executed (however it pleaſed our Tileno-maſtix in a ſcurrilous manner to jeer us upon the like occaſion, with a profecto erit peſsimus Dominus Epiſcopus Paulus) that S. Paul was an ill Lord Biſhop) I may truly ſay that both St. Paul and Timothy his diſciple, doth as truly Lord it heer, in their Epiſcopall power, as thoſe Biſhops which they have abdicated.
1 Tim. 3.8.9.10.Thirdly, Timothy muſt prove and examine the Deacons, whether they be blameleſſe, or not; Whether they be ſo qualifyed as is by him preſcribed: and if they be found ſuch, muſt allow them to uſe the office of a Deacon, and upon the good and holy uſe of it, promote them to an higher degree; How ſhould this be done without a fixed Superiority of power? Or what other than this doth an Engliſh Biſhop?
1 Tim. 3.15.Fourthly, Timothy is encharged with theſe things in the abſence of St. Paul, that if he ſhould tarry long, he might know how to behave himſelf in the houſe of God, which is the Church of the living God; That is, how to carry himſelf, not in the Pulpit only, but in Church government; in admitting the Officers of the Epheſian Church; This could not be meant of the duties of a meer Presbyter; for what hath ſuch an one to doe with the charges and Offices of his Equals? par in parem &c. Beſides that houſe of God, which is the Church (wherin his behaving is ſo required) is not ſome one private Congregation; ſuch an one were not fit for that ſtyle of the Pillar and ground of Truth, but that famous Dioceſan Church of Epheſus (yea of Aſia rather (wherin there was the uſe of the variety of all thoſe offices preſcribed) Neither may we think that Timothy was before (after ſo much attendance of the bleſſed Apoſtle in his journeys) ignorant of what might concerne him as an ordinary Miniſter; it was therefore a more publique and generall charge, which was now impoſed upon him; he therefore that knew how to behave himſelf in a particular Congregation, muſt now know what carriage is fit for him, as a Dioceſan.
Fifthly, Timothy muſt put the brethren, that is,1 Tim. 4 6. the Presbyters, in remembrance of the fore…old dangers of the laſt times, and muſt oppoſe the falſe doctrine there ſpecified, with this charge, Command and teach. He muſt teach then himſelf, he muſt command others to teach them, Had he been only a ſimple Presbyter, he might command and go without; Now hee muſt command: If our Lords Biſhops do ſo much, what do they more?
Sixthly,1 Tim. 5.1. Timothy is encharged with cenſures and preſcribed how he muſt manage them towards old and yong; Rebuke not an Elder (roughly) &c. He is alſo to give charge con…erning the choyce, carriage, and maintenance of theſe widowes, which muſt be provided for by the Church, he hath power to admit ſome, and to refuſe others, and to take order the Church be not charged unduely, which a ſingle Presbyter alone, is not allowed to do, even where their own Presbytery is on foot.
Seventhly, Timothy muſt care and ſee that the Elders,1 Tim. 5.17. or Presbyters who are painfull in their callings, be reſpectfully uſed, and liberally maintained, what is this to an ordinary Presbyter, that hath no power of diſpoſing any maintenance? If every Presbyter had, and no body over them to moderate it, at what a paſſe would the quiet of the Church be? Who would not repute himſelfe to be moſt painfull, if himſelfe might be judge? No, it was the Biſhops work, that; A thing that the Biſhops once might well do, when all the Presbyters were (and ſo were all at firſt) as of the Biſhops family; all the tiths and means of the Church comming in to him, and he diſpencing among the Prieſts and other Church-officers, to every one his portion; Now indeed as by the diſtinction of Pariſhes, and ſince that, by other events, things are falne; it is that which our Biſhops indeed may endeavour and pray for; but ſure I am, it is more than they can hope to do, till God himſelfe be pleaſed to amend it.
Eighthly,1 Tim. 5.19. Timothy was charged not to receive an accuſation againſt an Elder, or Presbyter, but before two or three witneſſes: So then Timothy, by his place, might receive accuſations againſt Presbyters; How could he do ſo if he were but their equall? Our Northerne paracleſis can tell us parium neutrum alteri ſubordinatur, and paria non ſunt foreign;Scot. foreign l. 1. c. 4. that fellowes cannot be ſubordinate; witneſſes muſt bee called before him, in caſes of ſuch accuſation: How can this be without a Iuriſdiction? And when he findes a Presbyter manifeſtly faulty, he may, he muſt rebuke him before all; that others alſo may fear;Epiphan. haere 75. That of Epiphanius is upon good ground therefore; The Divine ſpeech of the Apoſtle, teacheth who is a Biſhop, and who a Presbyter, in ſaying to Timothy, Rebuke not an Elder, &c. How could a Biſhop rebuke a Presbyter, if he had no power over a Presbyter. Thus he. The evidence is ſo clear,Camer. in 1 Tim. 4. that Cameron himſelfe cannot but confeſſe, Nullus eſt dubitandi locus &c. There can be no doubt, ſaith he, but that Timothy was elected (by the Colledge of Elders) to governe the Colledge of the Elders, and that not w thout ſome authority, but ſuch as had meet limits; Thus muſt, thus might Timothy do even to Presbyters: what could a Biſhop of England do more? And thus Cameron. Though I cannot approve of his election by the Colledge; that conceit is his own, but the authoritie is yielded.
1 Tim. 5.21.Ninthly, Timothy is charged before God, and the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and the elect Angels, to obſerve all theſe things, without preferring one Presbyter before an other, and doing nothing by partiality; plainly therefore Timothy was in ſuch place and authority as was capable of giving favour, or uſing rigor to Presbyters; what more can be ſaid of ours?
1 Tim. 5.22.Tenthly, Timothy is charged to lay hands ſuddenly on no man; he had therfore power of the impoſition of hands. On whom ſhould he lay his hands for Ordination, but on Presbyters and Deacons? therefore he above Presbyters; The leſſe, ſaith the Apoſtle to the Hebrews, is bleſſed of the better. H…br. 7.7.He laid hands then? Yes, but not alone, ſay our Oppoſites; My demand then is, But why then ſhould this charge be particularly directed to Timothy and not to more? The Presbytery ſome conſtrue to have laid hands on the ordained; but, the Presbytery ſo conſtituted, as we ſhall hereafter declare; but a meer Presbyter or many Presbyters (as of his or their owne power) never. An Apoſtle did ſo to Timothy himſelfe; and Timothy, as being a Biſhop, might do it, but who, or where ever any leſſe than he? Neither doth the Apoſtle ſay, lend not thine hand to be laid on with others; but appropriates it as his own act; whereas then our Antitilenus tells us the queſtion is not, whether this charge were given to Timothy, but, whether to Timothy alone; me thinks he might eaſily have anſwered himſelfe; Doth St Paul in this act joyne any with him? were there not Elders good ſtore at Epheſus before? Could they have ordained without him, what need was there of this charge to be laid on Timothy? Be there then what Elders ſoever, their hands without a Timothy will not ſerve; his without theirs, might: To his own, if, at any time, he joyned theirs; what elſe do all Biſhops of England? This concerning Timothy: We come next to Titus and his charge from St. Paul, Titus 1.…to ſet in order the things that were left yet undone in the large Iſle of Crete, or as is now called, Candia, A populous Iſland, and ſtored with no leſſe than an hundred Cities, whence it had the name of foreign; and to ordain Elders, or Presbyters in every of thoſe Cities, as he had been appointed by the Apoſtle; Lo, the whole Dioceſe of Crete is committed to his overſight, Not ſome one pariſh in it; And what muſt he do? Two things are injoined him; To ordain Miniſters, and to correct diſorders (foreign) To correct (as Beza turnes it not amiſſe) or, as Eraſmus, pergas corrigere, with an intimation of his former ſervice that way; where, that the extent of the work may be noted,Eccleſ. 1.15. foreign (as alſo, foreign in the Hebrew) comprehends, both things amiſſe, and things wanting; So as the buſineſſe of Titus was (as of a good Biſhop) both to rectifie and reform thoſe things, which were offenſive; and by new orders made to ſupply thoſe matters which were yet defective: As for the Ordination, it was not of ſome one Presbyter that wanted, to make up the number, but it was univerſall throughout that whole Iſland; foreign, per civitates; or as we, in every City; even through the whole hundred; and not one Presbyter in each, but as the occaſion might be; many in every one. The Dioceſe was large, the Clergie numerous.