Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted, Part 2 · Section 9
§. 9
The teſtimony and aſſent of Bucer, and ſome famous French Divines.
BY the perpetuall obſervation of the Church, even from the Apoſtles themſelves (ſaith Bucer) we ſee, it ſeemed good to the holy Ghoſt, that among the Presbyters to whom the charge of the Church is ſpecially committed, one ſhould have the ſingular Charge of the Churches, and in that Charge and Care, governed others; for which cauſe the name of Biſhops was attributed to theſe chiefe Governours of the Church; Thus he in full accord with us.
And Chamier when he had firſt granted, that ſtatim poſt Apoſtolorum exceſſum; immediately after the deceaſe of the Apoſtles began the difference between a Biſhop and Presbyter;Cham. de membris Eccleſ. mil… t. l. 4. c. 1. ſtraight, as correcting himſelfe, addes; Quid? Res ipſa caepit tempore Apoſtolorum, vel potius ab ipſis profecta eſt; The thing it ſelfe began in the very time of the Apoſtles, yea proceeded from them; Thus hee; although withall hee affirmes this difference not to have been Eſſentiall, but Accidentall; A diſtinction in this reſpect unproperly, perhaps applied by him; but otherwiſe.Nulla eſt Eſſē tialis diſtinctio inter Epiſcopos & Presbyteros reſpectu miniſteri…: idem enim utriſ que eſt: Apoſtoli tamen erant primarii a Chriſto miniſtri inſtituti; qu bus & non aliis Eccleſiae ſuae fundationem & regimen commiſit. Spalat. de Rep. Eccl. 1. 2. c. 3. Spalatenſis juſtly, both yelds, and makes, in a right and ſure ſenſe; For certainly, in the proper works of their miniſteriall function, in preaching and adminiſtring the Word and Sacraments, they differ not; or only differ, in ſome accident, but yet in thoſe points which concerne Ordination and the adminiſtration of government, then the difference is reall and palpable; and that, (as we ſhall ſoon ſee) not without a fixed Iuriſdiction. To the ſame purpoſe my reverend and ancient friend Moulin, in one of his Epiſtles to the renowned Biſhop of Wincheſter, Molin Epi. ad Winton Ep. 3.Statim poſt, &c. Soon after the Apoſtles time, ſaith he, or rather in their owne time, as the Eccleſiaſticall ſtory witneſſeth, It was conſtituted, That in one Citie one Presbyter ſhould have preeminence over his Colleagues who was called a Biſhop; Et hanc regiminis formam omnes ubi que Eccleſiae receperunt, and this form of government all Churches every where receive.
I do willingly take the word of theſe two famous profeſſors of the French Church; The one ſayes Conſtitutum eſt, It was conſtituted in the time of the Apoſtles; the other, that it proceeded from the Apoſtles themſelves. If it were conſtituted in their time, and proceeded from them, and were in this name received of all Churches, then certainly it muſt be yielded to be of Apoſtolicall, that is, divine Inſtitution: More, if it needed, might be added, and that out of Chamier's owne allegations; Thus much truth is not grudged us by theſe ingenuous Divines; All the queſtion is, of the nature and extent of this Superiority. This difference there was; but, as that great Pancratiaſt, & others with him, contend; though many prerogatives were yielded to the Biſhop in his place, eſpecially in the nobler Cities; yet this place,Cham. ubi ſupra. was but Primatus ordinis; a Primacy of order onelyonly, nulla erat hic dominatio, aut juriſdictio, ſed ſancta charitas; Here was no rule, no juriſdiction, but all was ſwayed by an holy Charity. Here's the knot, wher's the wedge? Why, 'tis here. If charity did it then, it doth it ſtill; for I hope Juriſdiction and charity may well ſtand together; and Chamier had no reaſon to oppoſe things which agree ſo well; & as well in a Biſhop as in a civill Magiſtrate: for, as for rule, if we affect any but fatherly, and moderate, and ſuch as muſt neceſſarily be required for the Conſervation of peace, and good order in the Church of God, we doe not deprecate a Cenſure: We know how to bear humble minds in eminence of places, how to command without imperiouſneſſe; and to comply wth out expoſing our places to contempt: ſo as thoſe are but ſpightfull Frumps, and malicious ſuggeſtions, which are caſt upon us, of a tyrannicall pride, and Lordly domineering over our brethren; We are their Superiours in place, but we hate to think they ſhould be lowlier in mind. But hereof we ſhall have fitter occaſion in the ſequel.