schisms, without some like Divine instigation and direction of the Holy Ghost? Wherefore let us not fear to be herein bold and peremptory, that if any thing in the church's government, surely the first institution of bishops was from heaven, was even of God; the Holy Ghost was the author of it. power from the Aug. Ep. 19. ad Hieron. et de Hæres. VI. A bishop, saith St. Augustine, is a presbyter's supe- What manrior: but the question is now, wherein that superiority did ner of consist. The bishop's pre-eminence we say therefore was bishops twofold. First, he excelled in latitude of power of order of order; first be secondly, in that kind of power which belongeth unto juris- ginning diction. Priests in the law had authority and power to do have had. greater things than Levites; the high-priest greater than inferior priests might do, therefore Levites were beneath priests, and priests inferior to the high-priest, by reason of the very 53. degree of dignity and of worthiness in the nature of those functions which they did execute; and not only, for that the one had power to command and control the other. In like sort, presbyters having a weightier and worthier charge than deacons had, the deacon was in this sort the presbyter's inferior; and where we say that a bishop was likewise ever accounted a presbyter's superior, even according unto his very power of order, we must of necessity declare what principal duties belonging unto that kind of power, a bishop might perform, and not a presbyter. The custom of the primitive church in consecrating holy virgins and widows unto the service of God and his church, is a thing not obscure, but easy to be known, "both by that which St. Paul himself concern- 1 Cor. ing them hath, and by the latter consonant evidence of other vii. 25. men's writings." Now a part of the pre-eminence which bi- Tertul. de shops had in their power of order was, that by them only such vel. virg. were consecrated. Again, the power of ordaining both deacons and presbyters, the power to give the power of order unto others, this also hath been always peculiar unto bishops. It hath not been heard of, that inferior presbyters were ever authorized to ordain. And concerning ordination, so great force and dignity it hath, that whereas presbyters, by such power as they have received for administration of the sacraments, are able only to beget children unto God, bishops, having power to ordain, do by virtue thereof create fathers to the people of God, as Epiphanius fitly disputeth. There Epiph. 3. are which hold, that between a bishop and a presbyter, touch- lib. x.1; VOL. III. 1 Tim. v. 9. Hær, 73. ing power of order, there is no difference. The reason of which conceit is, for that they see presbyters, no less than bishops, authorized to offer up the prayers of the church, to preach the gospel, to baptize, to administer the holy eucharist; but they considered not withal, as they should, that the presbyter's authority to do these things is derived from the bishop which doth ordain him thereunto: so that even in those things which are common unto both, yet the power of the one is as it were a certain light borrowed from the other's lamp. The apostles being bishops at large, ordained every where presbyters. Titus and Timothy having received episcopal power, as apostolic ambassadors or legates, the one in ▼. 22. Greece, the other in Ephesus, they both did, by virtue thereof, Acts xiv. 23. Tit. i. 5. 1 Tim. likewise ordain, throughout all churches, deacons, and presbyters within the circuits allotted unto them. As for bishops by restraint, their power this way incommunicable unto presbyters, which of the ancients do not acknowledge? I make not confirmation any part of that power, which hath always belonged only unto bishops; because in some places the custom was, that presbyters might also confirm in the absence of a bishop; albeit, for the most part, none but only bishops were thereof the allowed ministers. Here it will perhaps be objected, that the power of ordination itself was not every where peculiar and proper unto bishops, as may be seen by a council of Carthage, which sheweth their church's order to have been, that presbyters should, together with the bishop, lay hands upon the ordained. But the answer hereunto is easy; for doth it hereupon follow, that the power of òrdination was not principally and originally in the bishop? Our Saviour hath said unto his apostles, "With me ye shall sit, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel;" yet we know that to him alone it belongeth to judge the world, and that to him all judgment is given. With us, even at this day, presbyters are licensed to do as much as that council speaketh of, if any be present: yet will not any man thereby conclude, that in this church others than bishops are allowed to ordain. The association of presbyters is no sufficient proof that the power of ordination is in them; but rather that it never was in them we may hereby understand for that no man is able to shew either deacon or Apud Ægyptum presbyteri confirmant, si præsens non sit episcopus. Com. q. vulgo Amb. dic. in 4. Ep. ad Ephes. iii. 32. presbyter ordained by presbyters only, and his ordination accounted lawful in any ancient part of the church; every where examples being found both of deacons and presbyters ordained by bishops alone oftentimes, neither even in that respect thought sufficient. Touching that other chiefly, which is of jurisdiction; amongst the Jews he which was highest through the worthiest of peculiar duties incident unto his function in the legal service of God, did bear always in ecclesiastical jurisdiction the chiefest sway. As long as the glory of the temple of God did last, there were in it sundry orders of men consecrated unto the service thereof, one sort of them inferior unto another in dignity and degree; the Nathiners subordinate unto the Levites, the Levites unto the priests, the rest of the priests to those twenty-four which were chief priests, and they all to the high-priest. If any man surmise that the difference between them was only by distinction in the former kind of power, and not in this latter of jurisdiction, are not the words of the law manifest which made Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, chief captain of Numb. the Levites, and overseer of them unto whom the charge of the sanctuary was committed? Again, at the commandment iv. 27. of Aaron and his sons, are not the Gersonites themselves required to do all their service in the whole charge belonging unto the Gersonites, being inferior priests, as Aaron and his sons were high-priests? Did not Jehoshaphat appoint Ama- 2 Chron. zias the priest to be chief over them who were judges for the cause of the Lord in Jerusalem? "Priests (saith Josephus) Joseph. worship God continually, and the eldest of the stock are go- p. 612. vernors over the rest. He doth sacrifice unto God before others, he hath care of the laws, judgeth controversies, correcteth offenders, and whosoever obeyeth him not, is convict of impiety against God." But unto this they answer, that the reason thereof was because the high-priest did prefigure Christ, and represent to the people that chiefly of our Saviour which was to come, there is no cause why such preeminence should be given unto any one. Which fancy pleaseth so well the humour of all sorts of rebellious spirits, that they all seek to shroud themselves under it. Tell the anabaptist, which holdeth the use of the sword unlawful for a Christian man, that God himself did allow his people to make wars; they have their answer round and ready, "Those ancient wars were figures of the spiritual wars of Christ." Tell xix. 11. Antiq. Cypr. 1.3. ad Roga tianum. Hier. Ep. 85. Ep. ad. Smyr. the Barrowist what sway David, and others the kings of Israel, did bear in the ordering of spiritual affairs, the same answer again serveth, namely, "That David and the rest of the kings of Israel prefigured Christ." Tell the Martinist of the high-priest's great authority and jurisdiction among the Jews, what other thing doth serve his turn but the selfsame shift: "By the power of the high-priest the universal supreme authority of our Lord Jesus Christ was shadowed." The thing is true, that indeed high-priests were figures of Christ, yet this was in things belonging unto their power of order; they figured Christ by entering into the holy place, by offering for the sins of all the people once a year, and by other the like duties: but, that to govern and maintain order amongst those that were subject to them, is an office figurative and abrogated by Christ coming into the ministry; that their exercise of jurisdiction was figurative, yea, figurative in such sort, that it had no other cause of being instituted, but only to serve as a representation of somewhat to come, and that herein the church of Christ ought not to follow them; this article is such as must be confirmed, if any way by miracle, otherwise it will hardly enter into the heads of reasonable men, why the high-priest should more figure Christ in being a judge, than in being whatsoever he might be besides. St. Cyprian deemed it no wresting of Scripture, to challenge as much for Christian bishops, as was given to the highpriest among the Jews, and to urge the law of Moses as being most effectual to prove it. St. Jerome likewise thought it an argument sufficient to ground the authority of bishops upon. "To the end (saith he) we may understand apostolical traditions to have been taken from the Old Testament; that which Aaron, and his sons, and the Levites, were in the temple; bishops, and presbyters, and deacons in the church, may lawfully challenge to themselves." In the office of a bishop, Ignatius observeth these two functions, iɛpatɛúɛiv kaì apxev. Concerning the one, such is the pre-eminence of a bishop, that he only hath the heavenly mysteries of God committed originally unto him, so that otherwise than by his ordination, and by authority received from him, others besides him are not licensed thereint o deal as ordinary ministers of God's church; and touching the other part of their sacred function, wherein the power of their jurisdiction doth ap-. pear, first how the apostles themselves, and secondly how Antioch. Titus and Timothy had rule and jurisdiction over presbyters,* no man is ignorant. And had not Christian bishops afterward the like power? Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, being ready by blessed martyrdom to end his life, writeth unto his presbyters, the pastors under him, in this sort: Oi πρεσßúτεροι, ποιμάνετε τὸ ἐν ὑμῖν ποιμνίον, ἕως ἀναδείξῃ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Iguat. μέλλοντα ἄρχειν ὑμῶν. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι. After the death Epist. ad of Fabian, bishop of Rome, there growing some trouble about the receiving of such persons into the church as had fallen away in persecution, and did now repent their fall, the presbyters and deacons of the same church advertised St. Cyprian thereof, signifying, "That they must of necessity defer to deal in that cause till God did send them a new bishop which might moderate all things." Much we read, of extraordinary fasting usually in the church; and in this appeareth also somewhat concerning the chiefty of bishops. "The custom is (saith Tertullian)," that bishops do appoint when the people shall all fast.” “Yea, it is not a matter left to our own free choice, whether bishops shall rule or no, but the will of our Lord and Saviour is (saith St. Cyprian), that every act of the church be governed by her bishops." An argument, it is of the bishop's high pre-eminence, rule, and government, over all the rest of the clergy; even that the sword of persecution did strike, especially, always at the bishop as at the head, the rest, by reason of their lower estate, being more secure, as the selfsame Cyprian noteth; the very man- Cypr. ner of whose speech unto his own both deacons and pres-Vide Ignat. Ep. 39. byters who remained safe, when himself, then bishop, was ad Magues. driven into exile, argueth likewise his eminent authority and rule over them. "By these letters (saith he), I both exhort and command, that ye whose presence there is not envied at, nor so much beset with dangers, supply my room in doing those things which the exercise of religion doth require." Unto the same purpose serve most directly those comparisons, than which nothing is more familiar in the books of the ancient fathers, who as oft as they speak of the several degrees in God's clergy, if they chance to compare presbyters with Levitical priests of the law, the bishop they compare a Against a presbyter receive no accusation under two or three witnesses. 1 Tim. b Tertul. advers. Psychic. Episcopi universæ plebi mandare jejunia assolent. Cypr. Ep. 27. v. 19. Quod Aaron et filios ejus, hoc episcopum et presbyteros esse noverimus. Hier. Ep. 2. ad Nepotianum. |