Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Proteftation fhall excufe us to all Pofterity, C that the overthrow of the ancient Polity be not imputed to us. Which Confeflion Calvin among others did foon after Subfcribe.

Melanthon alfo in a Letter to Luther fays, You will not believe how I am hated of the Noricians and others; It is not well that Men fhould fo abhor the Restoration of Bi'fhops: For I know not with what Face we

can refuse them, if they will let us have Pu'rity of Doctrine. And I do fear that Epifcopal Authority being diffolved, we fhall have more Tyranny in the place of it. Alfo in another Letter of his written to another Perfon he fays, Luther did always judge as I do, who knew himself to be more liked by fome • Men, because by his means Bishops had been caft out and themselves fet at Liberty, which ' will be dangerous to Pofterity: For what "State of the Church fhall we have, when the ' ancient Polity being shook off, there shall be no certain Rulers. This folid Judgment of Melanthon is praised by Cameraries in his * Hiftory of the Augustine Confeffion, faying, Pag. 389. "That he endeavoured the Restoration of Bi'fhops, if they would permit the ufe of Sound 'Doctrine, notwithstanding he was violently oppofed by many, and that Luther not only ftood by him in this matter, but also put him upon it. And we find that Epifcopacy is ftill retained in the Lutheran Churches of Sweden, Denmark, &c. Alfo in another little Treatife published about the beginning of the Reformation, entituled Articuli Proteftantium de Unitate Ecclefia, there is this Paffage. As to the Degrees of Bishops, Archbishops and Patriarchs, we esteem them very useful to the

'

'fafety

[ocr errors]

See Difcourfe

the Author of the

Graís, p. 93.

fafety of the Church, if those that are advanced to them do their Duty.

* Calvin and Beza, and the rest of the learof Epifcopacy by ned Reformers on their Part, did also give their Snake in the Teftimony for Epifcopacy as much as any. They counted it a moft unjuft Reproach upon them, to think that they condemned Epifcopacy; which they fay they did not throw off, but could not have it at Geneva, without coming under the Papal Hierarchy: They highly applauded and congratulated the Epifcopal Hierarchy of the Church of England, in their feveral Letters to Queen Elizabeth, to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and others of our English Bishops: They prayed heartily to God for the Continuance and Prefervation of it: Bemoaned their own unhappy Circumftances, that they could not have the like, because they had no Magiftrate to protect them; And wished for Epifcopacy in their Churches, the want of which they owned as a great Defect; but called it their Misfortune rather than their Fault. As the Learned of the French Hugonots have likewife pleaded on their behalf.

+ De neceffitat. Ecclef.Reformand.

De Minift. Ev. Grad, c. I.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

If they will give us fuch an Hierarchy (fays Calvin) in which the Bishops fhall fo exC cel, as that they refuse not to be subject to Chrift, and to depend upon him as their only Head, and to refer all to him; then will I 'confefs, that they are worthy of all Anathemas, if any fuch fhall be found, who will not Reverence and fubmit themselves to it with all Obedience.

[ocr errors]

If there be any, (fay Beza) which you fhall hardly perfwade me to believe, who reject the whole Order of Epifcopacy, God forbid that any Man in his Wits fhould affent

to

he Ibid. c, 18.

to the Madness of fuch Men. And particularly as to the Church of England and her Hierarchy by Archbishops and Bishops, fays, That he never meant to oppugne any thing of that; but calls it a fingular Blessing of God, and wishes that she may ever enjoy it.

No doubt then but these first Reformers, as well of the Calvinist as Lutheran Churches, would gladly have had the fame Epifcopacy which we retain, if they could have had the fame Protection, which the Letter above Cited fhews they were kept from by the Artifices of the Papifts. And I queftion not but it is by the Artifices of Rome that the Presbyterians are now gone fo far as to condemn the whole Order of Epifcopacy as Antichriftian and an Infupportable Grievance. For which by the Sentence of Calvin and Beza, whom they pretend to be followers of, they are Anathematized, and counted as Mad-men.

[ocr errors]

CHAP. VI.

Of the College of Presbyters, and the manner how the Bishop lived with his Clergy.

[ocr errors]

Ut altho', as has been faid, and I think in fome Measure proved, the Bishop was Originally the fupreme Governour of all Perfons in his Diocess, in which related to the Church, yet he had not, or at least did not act with a Defpotick Power. He was as Ignatius fays in his Epistle to the Church of Smyrna, The High-Priest, bearing the Image of God; of God, I fay, as to what relates to Govern

ment,

ment, but of Christ with Relation to the Priefthood. However he did nothing of Moment by himfelf alone; He had his Presbytery or standing Council of Priefts, over which he prefided. With the Affiftance and Advice of these he governed his Church, and ordained more Priefts as occafion required."

At first, in the Primitive Times, the Bishop lived together with all his Clergy in common upon the voluntary Offerings and Oblations of the People: And he fent abroad his Priests and Deacons to officiate in feveral Parts of his Diocefs, as was judged expedient by him.

All

Perfons at that time being looked upon to be under the immediate care of their Bishop. Therefore 'tis ordained by the thirty ninth Apoftolical Canon, Let the Priests and Deacons not attempt any thing without the Bishop, for to him is committed the care of the Lord's People, and he must give an Account of their Souls. And Ignatius in his Epiftle to the Church of Smyrna fays, Let no one do any thing belonging to the Church, without the Licenfe of the Bishop. Such as to baptize, celebrate the Lord's Supper, and the (a) De baptifmo, like Minifterial Offices. (a) Tertullian alfo

cap. 17.

fpeaks to this purpose: It remains for the Conclufion of this Matter to give a caution concerning giving and receiving Baptifm. The chief Prieft, which is the Bishop, has the Right of adminiftring it: From hence the Presbyters and Deacons receive a Right to adminifter it allo, but not without the Bishop's Authority. And so likewise Adverf Lu- (b) St. Jerom, Without the command of the BiShop, neither Priest nor Deacon has a right to Baptize. And this is ftill the Practice of the Church of England, where no Prieft or Deacon has a Right to adminifter either of the Sacraments,

cil. Tom. 2.

Op. p. 47.

or

or perform any other Ministerial Offices without a License from the Bishop of his Diocefs, except in Donatives, which are true Remnants of Popery. And tho' a Priest or Deacon has a general License to perform Ministerial Duties within a certain Parish or Precinct, yet ought he not to Baptize any Perfon of riper Years (c) without a Special License or Order () Rubr. in Offrom the Bishop. fice of Baptizing of Perfons

of Civil and

$4.

The Offerings and Oblations of the People of riper Years. were Collected for the use of the Church and all put into the Hands of the Bishop, and by him were divided into four Parts, (as (d) J• (d) Annotations Gregory has obferved from the Arabick Para- on Ridly's View phrafe of the Canons of the Church now in Ecclefiaftical Manufcript in the Bodleian Library at Oxford: Law. p. 3.c. 2. AndPamelius from St. Cyprian.) One part Annɔt. ad. to his Clergy, another to repair the Churches, Ep. 60. Num. 6 a third to the Poor, and the fourth to himfelf. The fourth, the thirty eighth, and the fortieth Apoftolical Canons plainly refer to this Custom, where the Bishop is ordered to keep his own proper Eftate diftinct from that of the Church, that neither the Church may receive any Wrong, nor yet his own Relations, whether Wife, Children or other Kindred. That this was the Practice of the Church in the Apostles Days, is probable from St. Paul's Precept to Timothy. (e) Let the Elders that rule Well be counted worthy () 1 Tim. 5. 17: of double Honour. In which Place (as moft Interpreters expound it) Honour fignifies Maintainance, which was to be difpofed among the Clergy of Ephefus as Timothy their Bishop faw it convenient: That he might give to one more, to another lefs, according as they discharged their Duties. And this Custom feems to have taken its Original from the Practife of the first Converts

« ZurückWeiter »