Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted, Part 2 · Section 7

Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted · Part 2 · Section 7

p. 121§. 7.

The teſtimony of St. Iohn in his Revelation preſſed.

NEither can all the ſhifts in the world elude that pregnant Viſion and charge of the 02bleſſed Apoſtle St. Iohn (in whoſe longer laſting time the government of the Church, was fully ſetled in this threefold imparity, of the Orders and degrees (who having had the ſpeciall ſuperviſion of the whole Aſian Church, was by the Spirit of God commanded to direct his 7 Epiſtles to the Biſhops of thoſe ſeven famous p. 122Churches, by the name of ſo many Angels: To the Angel of the Church of Epheſus; To the Angel of the Church in Smyrna, &c. For what can be more plain, than that in every of theſe Chur hes (as for inſtance that of Epheſus) there were many Presbyters, yet but one Angel; If that one were not in place above the reſt, and higher by the head than they, how comes he to be noted in the throng? Why was not the direction to al the Angels of the Church 10of Epheſus? Divina voce laudatur ſub Angeli nomine p…aepoſitus Eccleſiae. Aug. Epi. 162.All were Angels, in reſpect of their Miniſtery, one was the Angel in reſpect of his fixed ſuperiorit…. There were thouſands of Starres in this firmament of the Aſian Churches, there were but ſeaven of the firſt magnitude, who can indure ſuch an invaſion? that one is mentioned, many are meant; as if they had ſaid;Non populum aggr…dit. ſed principem cla… utique Epiſcopum. M…rl…rat. To one, that is to more; To one Angel, that is to more Angels than one. To what purpoſe is it to inſiſt upon any propr…ety of 20ſpeech, if we may take ſuch liberty of Conſtruction? As if when the Prophet came to Iehu with a meſſage, and expreſly ſaid, To thee, O Captain, he ſhould have turn'd it off to the reſt, and have ſaid, To me, that is, Not to me alone, but to all my felllows with me: But to put p. 123this matter out of doubt, it is particularly known who ſome of thoſe Angels were; Holy Polycarpus was knowne to be the Angel of the Church of Smyrna, whom Ignatius the bleſſed Martyr mentions, as, by his Epiſcopacy, greater than his Clergie. Timothy had been, not long before, Biſhop of Epheſus, yea of the Aſians, now Oneſimus was; whoſe Metropolis Epheſus was; Wherein Ignatius acknowledges 10foreign, a very great multitude of Chriſtians; ſo large, that in the Emperour Leo's time,Iura Graec. p. 88. 90. it had 36. Biſhopricks under it; And ſo was Sardis, having under it 24. And ſhall we think, that theſe great Dioceſes, were as ſome obſcure Pariſhes, wherein were no variety of eminent perſons? ſo as the Angel that is noted here muſt needs be of a large Iuriſdiction and great Authority.

But if any man ſhall imagine, theſe things 20ſpoken to the Angel, as to him under that title, in the name of all the reſt, let him know that this cannot be, for that the charges and challenges there made, are perſonall and ſuch as could not be communicated to all; for who can ſay that all thoſe of the Church of Epheſus were patient and laborious,Revel. 2.2Rev 2:2 that none of them p. 124fainted, that they all loſt their firſt love; that all hated the work of the Nicholaitans; who can ſay that all thoſe of the Church of Smyrna were either poore or rich; That none in the Church of Pergamus denyed the fath.

Beſides, here is a manifeſt diſtinction betwixt the Paſtor or Biſhop, and thoſe of his charge; and they are deſcribed by the ſeveralties of their eſtates. As when he had acknowledged the Graces of Polycarpus the Angel of Smyrna, Revel. 2.10.Rev 2:10and 10incouraged that bleſſed Martyr, by way of premonition to ſome of his Church, Behold ſome of you the devill ſhall caſt into priſon; and ye ſhall be tryed, and endure Tribulation ten dayes: and then addreſſing to him, Be thou faithfull to the death, &c. And in his fourth Epiſtle,Revel. 2.24.Rev 2:24 diſtinguiſhing the Angel or Biſhop of Thyatyra from the reſt of his charge; But unto you ſaith ſaith he, and the reſt of Thyatyra, as many as have not this doctrine, and the depth 20of Satan, as they ſpeake, I will put none other burden upon them; but that which ye have, hold faſt till I come: So that this conceit is no leſſe wild than that other, which followes it, of my old acquaintance Brightman, who makes not only theſe Angels, the types of thoſe p. 125Churches, but thoſe Churches of Aſia, the Types and Hiſtories of all the Chriſtian Churches, which ſhould be to the end of the world. Thus the Bells ſay what ſome Hearers thinke.

So cleer is this truth, that the Oppoſites have been forced to yield Priority here intimated; but a Priority of Order onelyonly, not of power; a Priority of Preſidencie for the time, 10not perſonall. Beza yields him, foreign, as he acknowledges Juſtine Martyr to call him, Preſident of the Presbytery (imo ne perpetuum. q. iſtud foreign, munus eſſe neceſſario opportuiſſe) but perhaps not perpetuall; wherein I bleſſe my ſelf, to ſee how prejudice can blinde the eyes of the wiſe and learned: for what Author in the whole world ever mentioned ſuch a faſhion of ambulatory Government in the Church? And do not our Hiſtories teſtifie, that 20Polycarpus the Angel of Smyrna, dyed Biſhop there, that Oneſimus (by Ignatius his teſtimony) ſo continued Biſhop of Epheſus, James at Ieruſalem, and of theſe errors, taxed by the holy Ghoſt, were but for the time, of a ſhifting Preſidencie, why ſhould any one of the momentany guides of the Churches be charged ſo p. 126home, with all the abuſes of their Iuriſdiction? How eaſie had it been for him to ſhift the fault, as hee did the chair; for how could it concerne him more then the next men? ſurely, this conceit is more worthy of pity, than Confutation. No indifferent Reader can looke upon that Scripture, and not confeſſe it a ſtrained Conſtruction. Here then were certainly both Continuance, and Iuriſdiction. Wherein Parker braves our learned Docter Field, as relying meerely upon the proofs of humane authority: 10but that worthy Divine, had he inſiſted upon the point (which hee but touched in the way) could eaſily out of the very Text it ſelf, have evicted the Angels power, and Iurisdiction; for how plain is it, that the Angell of Epheſus had taken the Examination of the counterfeit Apoſtles, and found them lyers? which, if a meer Presbyter had undertaken to do, to bee ſure, hee had been ſhaken off with 20ſcorn enough. It is imputed to the Angell of the Church of Pergamus, that however himſelf, in his own perſon, held conſtant to the Faith, yet that there were thoſe under his charge, who held the doctrine of Balaam, the beaſtly errours of the Nicolaitans; lhey were p. 127of his Clergie that taught theſe wicked Doctrines; And for this the Biſhop is texed and menaced: how ſhould this be, if he had not had a coe cive power to reſtraine and puniſh them.

And more plainly; the Angell of the Church of Thyatyra, notwithſtanding all his good parts, graces, ſervices, is ſharply taxed: What is his fault?Revel. 2.26.Rev 2:26 That thou ſuffereſt the woman Iezabel (who calleth herſelf a propheteſſe) to 10teach and ſeduce my ſervants, &c. Were he but an Ordinary Presbiter, unarmed with power, how could he helpe it? Or why ſhould he be charged with what he could not redreſſe? Let an ingenuous reader now judge whether theſe bee not more than probabilities of a Supereminent, and Iuriſdictive power, in theſe ſpeciall Angels of the Aſian Churches. Shortly then upon theſe clear paſſages of Saint Paul and Saint Iohn, meeting with the grounds laid by our 20bleſſed Saviour; I am for my part, ſo confident of the Divine Inſtitution of the Majority of Biſhops, above Presbiters, that I dare boldly ſay, there are weighty points of faith, which have not ſo ſtrong evidence in holy Scriptures: Let me inſtance in that power, which we that are Evangelicall Miniſters, have by the vertue of p. 128our ſacred Ordes, given to us alone, for the Conſecration and diſtribution of the holy Euchariſt; a point not more highly than juſtly ſtood upon, by all Orthodox Divines, yea Chriſtians; What warrant can we challenge for this right, but our Saviours practiſe? And with all that ſpeech of his to his Diſciples,Luke 22.20.Luke 22:20 Do this in remembrance of me; Now if this, Hoc facite ſhall be taken (as it is by ſome) as not ſpoken of the Conſecration or benediction but of the receit; what warrant had the Apoſtles and all their 10holy ſucceſſors in the Church of God, ever ſince to enjoyne and appropriate this ſacred worke to none but thoſe that are Presbyters by Ordination? The receiving of Infants to holy Baptiſme is a matter of ſo high conſequence, that we juſtly Brand our Catabaptiſts with hereſie, for denying it; yet, Let me with good aſſurance ſay that the evidences, for this truth, come farre ſhort of that, which the Scriptures 20have afforded us for the ſuperiority of ſome Church-governors over thoſe, who otherwiſe indeed, in a ſole reſpect of their miniſteriall function, are equall.

He therefore that would upon pretence of want of Scriptures, quarrell at the divine Inſtitution p. 129of Biſhops (having ſo evident and unavoydable Teſtimonies) might with much better colour cavill at thoſe bleſſed Ordinances of God, which the whole Church hath thought her ſelf bound upon ſufficient reaſon to receive and reverence.