I. The Lawfulness and Regularity of their Miffion. I prefume it will be granted by all that fincerely profefs Chriftianity, That the Bleffed Author of our Religion [Jefus Chrift] in the Fulness of Time, was fent from God to reform, and redeem the World; and that all Power in Heaven and Earth was committed to him; that before his Afcenfion, he folemnly appointed the Apoftles his Reprefentatives, and Vicegerents in the Church; and invested them with the Authority of Ordination, and the Power of the Keys. This is undeniably plain from his own Words. As my Father bath fent Jo. 20. 21. me, fo fend I you. And when he had faid this, he breathed on them, and faid unto them, receive ye the Holy Ghoft. Whofoever Sins ve remit, they are remitted unto them; and whofoever Sins ye retain, they are retained. By Vertue of this Commiffion, the Power of Ordination and Difcipline, did reft folely upon the Apoftles, as all Expofitors agree. 22.23. Having receiv'd this folemn Inveftiture and Authority from Chrift, the Piety of those early times took fpecial care to continue and tranfmit the Line of Succeffion down to Pofterity, entire, and unbroken. Timothy was ordain'd Bishop of Ephefus; Titus of Crete, as is evident from St. Paul's Epiftles. And tho' there were many Presbyters in thofe Dioceffes, yet they were only to ordain Elders, and to adminifter Church Affairs. For this Caufe left Is Tit. 5. thee in Crete, that thou fhouldeft fet in order the Lib. 3. Adv. Her. cap. 3. Claror. Pag. 241. the Things that are wanting, and ordain Elders in every Church, as I had appointed thee: This was fo carefully preferv'd afterwards, that Ireneus tells the Hereticks of his Time, they could number all the Bishops fucceffively from the Apostles to his Days, Habemus (fays he) enumerare eos, qui ab Apoftolis inftituti funt Epifcopi, & fucceffores eorum ufq; ad nos. Twere eafy to multiply Teftimonies of this, were it not that it wou'd be both tedious and needlefs. For it is confefs'd by the most learned and judicious Oppofers of Epifcopacy, that fuch Bishops as we contend for, were univerfally allow'd, very Antient, and very Expedient in the Church: Calvin, Bucer, Beza, Melancton, Zanchius, and all the Divines of the Auguftan Confeffion, did declare that Epifcopacy was a very Antient Church-Government, and that it was ordain'd, ---ad tollenda Schifmata, of which Epift. Vir. more by and by. Peter du Moulin, in an Epiftle to Bishop Andrews, concerning Epifcopacy acknowledges that it was -- Res, que jam indè à feculo Apoftolis proximo, recepta fuit in Ecclefia, and that he would not fe opponere toti Antiquitati. Blondel, after he had writ with Heat enough against the Popish, spoke very honourably of the English Epifcopacy, had he not been prevail'd with to fupprefs his Thoughts concerning it, through the vehement Dr. Durell Importunity of the Affembly of Divines, as Dr. P. 339. Durell informs us. However, fince these Conceffions of the Foreign Reformed Divines, are either not known, or not regarded by our Diffenters, it may be neceffary to examine a little more particularly the old Objections which have been made, and upon which (as far as I can learn) the Schifm is ftill continued and carried on amongst us; and they are chiefly Two. I. That the Mystery of Iniquity began to work even in the Apoftle's Times; and therefore we are not to be concluded by any Examples though never fo antient. II. That this Superiority of Bishops in the Antient Church, was the Effect of Prudence, Conveniency, and joint Agreement, not of Apoftolical Inftitution. 1. That the Mystery of Iniquity began to work in the Apostles Times. True indeed it is, that St. Paul tells us, in his Second Epiftle to the Theffalonians, That the Miftery of Ini-Cap. z. quity doth already work; But what that ver. 7. might be; whether the Licentious Doctrines of the Gnofticks of Ebion, and Cerinthus, which then began to infeft the Church, I am not able to determine. But fure it was never intended, nor can it be applied to this Matter, without condemning the Generation of God's Children; without involving the most holy Men, the moft glorious Martyrs, and the infpired Apoftles themselves in the Guilt of it. Such were Ignatius and Polycarp; Linus and Clemens; (whofe Names are in the Book of Life) Timothy Timothy and Titus; all which had undoubtedly an Epifcopal Character, and Power. Befides, is it not exceeding hard, to conceive how the Mystery of Iniquity (whatever that be fuppofed to be) fhould work fo univerfally in fo fhort a time? That it should meet with no Oppofition from the Presbyters of thofe Ages; who may reasonably be prefumed as Knowing, and Zealous and Honeft as thofe of Ours? That there fhould be no Church where this Infection, this Myftery of Iniquity had not fpread it felf? All Incroachments creep upon the World gradually by little and little, and require fome time before they come to their utmoft Growth and Maturity. 1 Once more, who can imagine that they who muft of neceffity be acknowledged fuch humble, fuch mortified, fuch felf-denying Men, fhould in the times of a hot Perfecution, go about to aggrandize their State, by exalting themselves above their Brethren? Nay unless we can think them foolish, as well as difhoneft; unless we can fuppofe they courted Martyrdom, or gloried in burning at a Stake in the Market-place; or in being thrown to the Wild Beafts, and torn to pieces in the Amphitheatre; for that was all they were like to get by their Afpiring, viz. to be the first, who fhould undergo the fiery Trial. But, 2dly, It is faid, That this Superiority of the Bishops was the Effect of Prudence, and Conveniency, not of Apoftolical Inftitution. For though the Apoftles did exercife a Superiority over the other Orders, yet that was perfonal, and 119 Ad quem 1. That this is the Teftimony of one fingle Witnefs, and of a Party too; of one who lived after the Matter in Difpute; and who elfe-Adv. Luwhere (when under greater Calmnefs of Spi-cifer. in rit) fpeaks very much in favour of Bishops as Marcell. useful ad |