Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted, Part 2 · Section 6
§. 6.
Some eluſions of theſe Scriptures met with, and anſwered.
THe eluſion of ſome (not mean Opponents) have deviſed, that theſe acts were injoined to Titus, as by way of Societie and partnerſhip with the Presbytery; ſo as that he ſhould join with them in theſe duties of correction, and Ordination, is ſo palpable and quite againſt the hair, that I cannot think the authours of it can beleeve themſelves. Had the Apoſtle ſo meant, he could as eaſilie have expreſſed it, and have directed his charge to more; Titus alone is ſingled out; now if it were in the power of every Presbyter to doe thoſe things, without him, what needed this weight to have been laid on his ſhoulders alone? And if the charge were, that he muſt urge and procure it to be done; By what authoritie? And if he had authority, either without, or above them, it is that we ſtrive for: And now I beſeech you, what doth any Biſhop of England challenge more, as Eſſentiall to his place, than power of Ordination, and power of correction of diſorders?
Titus 1.11.Secondly, It is alſo the charge given to Titus (foreign) to ſtop the mouthes of thoſe falſe teachers, who broach doctrines they ought not, for filthy lucres ſake; and to paſſe ſharpe cenſures upon them; what can do this but Epiſcopall authority?
Tit. 3 10,Thirdly, Again, it is the charge upon Titus, A man that is an Heretick, after the firſt and ſecond admonition, reject. So then it is to Titus, it belongs to proceed againſt erroneous teachers, to judge of hereſie; to give formall admonitions to the heretick; to caſt him out of the Church, upon his Obſtinacy; Can any man ſuppoſe it to be for a meer Presbyter to make ſuch a judiciall proceſſe againſt hereticks, or to eject them out of the Church; would not they have return'd it upon him, with ſcorne and deriſion? Or what is ſpirituall Iuriſdiction, if power to do this be not? To ſumme up all therefore, it is no other than our preſent Epiſcopall power, that by the bleſſed Apoſtle, is committed to Timothy and Titus; and that with ſo cleare Evidence, that for my part, I do not more fully beleeve there were ſuch men, than they had ſuch power, and theſe warrants to execute it.
It is a poor ſhift of ſome, That Timothy and Titus were Evangeliſts; and therefore perſons extraordinary, and not in this behalfe capable of ſucceſſion; For, what ever they were in their perſonall qualifications, yet here they ſtood for Biſhops; and received, as Church-governors, theſe charges, which were to be ordinary, and perpetuall to all that ſhould ſucceed in Eccleſiaſticall adminiſtration; As for the title; How will it appeare they were Evangeliſts? For Titus there is no colour; For Timothy; it is true; St. Paul charges him to do the worke of an Evangeliſt; What of that? That might imply as well that he was not indeed in that particular office, which yet Saint Paul would have him ſupply howſoever,Scot. foreign l. 1. c. 5. and no doubt he did ſo; So he did the worke of the Lord as St Paul did, and yet not an Apoſtle. He that jeeres this anſwer, might know, that the implication of the word is as large for both; who knowes not the promiſcuous uſe of theſe termes? As well may they ſay he was a Doctor, becauſe he is bidden to teach, and yet theſe Offices are challenged for diſtinct; Or a Deacon, becauſe he is charged with a foreign, What is it to do the work of an Evangeliſt, but to preach the Evangelium pacis, the Goſpel of peace? which he might, he muſt do, as a Biſhop: and what propriety is there of theſe injoined workes to an Evangeliſt, as he was an Evangeliſt? What, can they ſhew it was his office, to ordain, or to cenſure? nay rather, how ſhould thoſe works which are conſtant and ordinarie, and ſo conſequentlie derivable to all ſucceſsions, to the end of the world, be impoſed upon a meer extraordinarie agent: neither is there any oppoſition at all in theſe terms: they might be Evangeliſts whiles they were in their journey, attending on the Apoſtles, and preaching abroad; they might be, and were Biſhops, when they were ſetled upon the charge of ſome Territorie or province.
But ſaith our Tileno-maſtix, Four yeers after Saint Paul had given this charge of Epiſcopacie to Timothy, there was an equalitie of Preſbyters at Epheſus; they were all convented, and no news of Timothy, as their Biſhop: poorly; when the Sun ſhines, what uſe is there of the Stars? when Saint Paul was preſent,Act. 20. his greater light extinguiſhes the leſſe; what need any mention of Timothy? Or why may not I take upon me to affirme a more likely, that Saint Paul, who had aſſociated Timothy with him, in ſix ſeverall Epiſtles, would alſo call him as his Aſſeſſor, in this his laſt Exhortation to his Presbyters. Neither can wee be flouted out of that Conſtruction of the late learned Biſhops, Barlow and Buckeride, of, In quo vos ſpiritus ſanctus conſtituit Epiſcopos, that theſe Elders were indeed Biſhops, ſuch, as whereof Timothy was one; ſuch, as whereof Saint Peter acknowledges himſelf a Compresbyter; for, if it be alleaged, as it is, That this is againſt our owne Principles, who allow but one B…ſhop in one City, and theſe were many; let me put the Objector in minde, that though theſe Biſhops were called together by Saint Paul, from Miletum to Epheſus yet they were not all ſaid to be Elders of Epheſus; but from thence, monition went ſpeedilieſt out to all places to call them: and ſo we hear ſaint Paul ſay, Ye all, amongſt whom I have gone preaching the Kingdome of God: which plainly argues, they were not confined to the compaſſe of one City or Territory, but Over ſeers of ſeverall and far-diſperſed charges. As Saint Paul therfore to his Timothy, ſo Saint Luke here uſes the terms promiſcuouſl…, one being as yet in common uſe for both, though the offices were ſenſibly diſtinguiſhed.
And now, what ſhall we ſay to this? Tell me, ye that look upon theſe Papers with cenſorious eyes; tell me, is all this, think you, no other than a formall preſidence of an aſſembly, without any power or command? Is this to do but as a Conſull in a Senate, to propound Caſes, to gather Votes, to declare the judgement of the Presbytery or Synod; or as Zanchy reſembles it (ut Rector in Academia) as a Rector in one of their Academies: or rather, as Saint Ierome (whom you challenge for your Patron in this point, hath it) tanquam imperator in exercitu, …on. Epiſt. … Evang….as a Generall in an Army, who hath power both to Marſhall all the troops, and to command the Captains and Colonels, and to execute Marſhall law upon Officers. If you have a mind to ſuffer your eies to be willingly blinded with ſuch improbable ſuggeſtions, falling from thoſe, whom you think you have otherwiſe reaſon to honour; hugg ſtill your own palpable errour, not without our pity, though without the power of redreſſe; but if you care for truth, and deſire in the preſence of God to imbrace it for truthes own ſake, without reſpect of perſons, aske your own hearts, whether theſe charges and ſervices, laid by the elect Veſſell upon his Timothy and Titus, be any other than really Epiſcopall, and ſuch as manifeſtly carry in them, both Superiority and Iuriſdiction.