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dropped overworn from the toiling shoulders of time, with these deformedly to quilt and interlace the entire, the spotless, and undecaying robe of truth, the daughter not of time, but of Heaven, only bred up here below in christian hearts, between two grave and holy nurses, the doctrine and discipline of the gospel.

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Next follows Irenæus bishop of Lyons, who is cited to affirm, that Polycarpus “was made bishop of Smyrna by the apostles;" and this, it may seem, none could better tell than he who had both seen and heard Polycarpus: but when did he hear him? Himself confesses to Florinus, when he was a boy. Whether that in Irenæus may not be liable to many mistakings; and whether a boy may be trusted to take an exact account of the manner of a church constitution, and upon what terms, and within what limits, and with what kind of commission Polycarpus received his charge, let a man consider, ere he be credulous. It will not be denied that he might have seen Polycarpus in his youth, a man of great eminence in the church, to whom the other presbyters might give way for his virtue, wisdom, and the reverence of his age; and so did Anicetus, bishop of Rome, even in his own city, give him a kind of priority in administering the sacrament, as may be read in Eusebius: but that we should hence conclude a distinct and superior order from the young observation of Irenæus, nothing yet alleged can warrant us; unless we shall believe such as would face us down, that Calvin and, after him, Beza were bishops of Geneva, because that in the unsettled state of the church, while things were not fully composed, their worth and learning cast a greater share of business upon them, and directed men's eyes principally towards them and yet these men were the dissolvers of episcopacy. We see the same necessity in state affairs; Brutus, that expelled the kings out of Rome, was for the time forced to be as it were a king himself, till matters were set in order, as in a free commonwealth. He that had seen Pericles lead the Athenians which way he listed, baply would have said he had been their prince; and yet he was but a powerful and eloquent man in a democracy, and had no more at any time than a temporary and elective sway, which was in the will of the people when to abrogate. And it is most likely that in the church, they which came after these apostolic men, being less in merit, but bigger in ambition, strove to vade those privileges by intrusion and plea of right, which Polycarpus, and others like him possessed, from the voluntary surrender of men subdued by the excelency of their heavenly gifts; which because their successors had not, and so could neither have that authority, it was their policy to divulge that the eminence which Polycarpus and his equals enjoyed, was by right of constitution, not by free will of condescending. And yet thus far Irenæus makes against them, as in that very place to call Polycarpus an apostolical presbyter. But what fidelity his relations had in general, we cannot sooner learn than by Eusebius, who, near the end of his third book, speaking of Papias, a very ancient writer, one that had heard St. John, and was known to many that had seen and been acquainted with others

of the apostles, but being of a shallow wit, and not understanding those traditions which he received, filled his writings with many new doctrines, and fabulous conceits: he tells us there, that "divers ecclesiastical men, and Irenæus among the rest, while they looked at his antiquity, became infected with his errours." Now, if Irenæus was so rash as to take unexamined opinions from an author of so small capacity, when he was a man, we should be more rash ourselves to rely upon those observations which he made when he was a boy. And this may be a sufficient reason to us why we need no longer muse at the spreading of many idle traditions so soon after the apostles, while such as this Papias had the throwing them about, and the inconsiderate zeal of the next age, that heeded more the person than the doctrine, had the gathering them up. Wherever a man, who had been any way conversant with the apostles, was to be found, thither flew all the inquisitive ears, although the exercise of right instructing was changed into the curiosity of impertinent fabling: where the mind was to be edified with solid doctrine, there the fancy was soothed with solemn stories: with less fervency was studied what St. Paul or St. John' had written, than was listened to one that could say, Here he taught, here he stood, this was his stature; and thus he went habited; and, O happy this house that harboured him, and that cold stone whereon he rested, this village wherein he wrought such a miracle, and that pavement bedewed with the warm effusion of his last blood, that sprouted up into eternal roses to crown his martyrdom. Thus, while all their thoughts were poured out upon circumstances, and the gazing after such men as had sat at table with the apostles, (many of which Christ hath professed, yea, though they had cast out devils in his name, he will not know at the last day,) by this means they lost their time, and truanted in the fundamental grounds of saving knowledge, as was seen shortly by their writings. Lastly, for Irenæus, we have cause to think him less judicious in his reports from hand to hand of what the apostles did, when we find him so negligent in keeping the faith which they wrote, as to say in his third book against heresies, that "the obedience of Mary was the cause of salvation to herself and all mankind;” and in his fifth book, that "as Eve was seduced to fly God, so the virgin Mary was persuaded to obey God, that the virgin Mary might be made the advocate of the virgin Eve." Thus if Irenæus, for his nearness to the apostles, must be the patron of episcopacy to us, it is no marvel though he be the patron of idolatry to the papist, for the same cause. To the epistle of those brethren of Smyrna, that write the martyrdom of Polycarpus, and style him an apostolical and prophetical doctor, and bishop of the church of Smyrna, I could be content to give some credit for the great honour and affection which I see those brethren bear him; and not undeservedly, if it be true, which they there say, that he was a prophet, and had a voice from heaven to comfort him at his death, which they could hear, but the rest could not for the noise and tumult that was in the place; and besides, if his body were so precious to the

Christians, that he was never wont to pull off his shoes | them placed in several churches by the apostles; we for one or other that still strove to have the office, grant that Irenæus and Tertullian affirm this; but that that they might come in to touch his feet; yet a light they were placed in a superior order above the presbyscruple or two I would gladly be resolved in: if tery, shew from all these words why we should grant. Polycarpus (who, as they say, was a prophet that It is not enough to say the apostle left this man bishop never failed in what he foretold) had declared to his in Rome, and that other in Ephesus, but to shew when friends, that he knew, by vision, he should die no other they altered their own decree set down by St. Paul, death than burning, how it came to pass that the fire, and made all the presbyters underlings to one bishop. when it came to proof, would not do his work, but But suppose Tertullian had made an imparity where starting off like a full sail from the mast, did but reflect none was originally, should he move us, that goes about a golden light upon his unviolated limbs, exhaling to prove an imparity between God the Father, and such a sweet odour, as if all the incense of Arabia had God the Son, as these words import in his book against been burning; insomuch that when the billmen saw Praxeas? "The Father is the whole substance, but the that the fire was overawed, and could not do the deed, Son a derivation, and portion of the whole, as he himone of them steps to him and stabs him with a sword, self professes, because the Father is greater than me." at which wound such abundance of blood gushed forth Believe him now for a faithful relater of tradition, as quenched the fire. By all this relation it appears whom you see such an unfaithful expounder of the not how the fire was guilty of his death, and then how Scripture: besides, in his time, all allowable tradition can his prophecy be fulfilled? Next, how the standers- was now lost. For this same author, whom you bring by could be so soon weary of such a glorious sight, and to testify the ordination of Clement to the bishopric of such a fragrant smell, as to hasten the executioner to Rome by Peter, testifies also, in the beginning of his put out the fire with the martyr's blood; unless perhaps treatise concerning chastity, that the bishop of Rome they thought, as in all perfumes, that the smoak would did then use to send forth his edicts by the name of be more odorous than the flame: yet these good bre- Pontifex Maximus, and Episcopus Episcoporum, chief thren say he was bishop of Smyrna. No man ques- priest, and bishop of bishops: for shame then do not tions it, if bishop and presbyter were anciently all one, urge that authority to keep up a bishop, that will neand how does it appear by any thing in this testimony cessarily engage you to set up a pope. As little can that they were not? If among his other high titles of your advantage be from Hegesippus, an historian of prophetical, apostolical, and most admired of those the same time, not extant, but cited by Eusebius: his times, he be also styled bishop of the church of Smyrna words are, that "in every city all things so stood in in a kind of speech, which the rhetoricans call kar' his time as the law, and the prophets, and our Lord did oxyv, for his excellence sake, as being the most fa- preach." If they stood so, then stood not bishops mous of all the Smyrnian presbyters; it cannot be above presbyters; for what our Lord and his disciples proved neither from this nor that other place of Ire- taught, God be thanked, we have no need to go næus, that he was therefore in distinct and monarchical learn of him: and you may as well hope to persuade order above the other presbyters; it is more probable, us out of the same author, that James the brother of that if the whole presbytery had been as renowned as our Lord was a Nazarite, and that to him only it was he, they would have termed every one of them severally lawful to enter into the holy of holies; that his food bishop of Smyrna. Hence it is, that we read some- was not upon any thing that had life, fish or flesh; times of two bishops in one place; and had all the that he used no woollen garments, but only linen, and presbyters there been of like worth, we might perhaps so as he trifles on. have read of twenty.

If therefore the tradition of the church were now grown so ridiculous, and disconsenting from the doctrine of the apostles, even in those points which were of least moment to men's particular ends, how well may we be assured it was much more degenerated in point of episcopacy and precedency, things which could afford such plausible pretences, such commo

Tertullian accosts us next, (for Polycrates hath had his answer,) whose testimony, state but the question right, is of no more force to deduce episcopacy, than the two former. He says that the church of Smyrna had Polycarpus placed there by John, and the church of Rome, Clement ordained by Peter; and so the rest of the churches did shew what bishops they had receiv-dious traverses for ambition and avarice to lurk behind! ed by the appointment of the apostles. None of this will be contradicted, for we have it out of the Scripture that bishops or presbyters, which were the same, were left by the apostles in every church, and they might perhaps give some special charge to Clement, or Polycarpus, or Linus, and put some special trust in them for the experience they had of their faith and constancy; it remains yet to be evinced out of this and the like places, which will never be, that the word bishop is otherwise taken, than in the language of St. Paul and The Acts, for an order above presbyters. We grant them bishops, we grant them worthy men, we grant

As for those Britain bishops which you cite, take heed what you do; for our Britain bishops, less ancient than these, were remarkable for nothing more than their poverty, as Sulpitius Severus and Beda can remember you of examples good store.

Lastly, (for the fabulous Metaphrastes is not worth an answer,) that authority of Clemens Alexandrinus is not to be found in all his works; and wherever it be extant, it is in controversy, whether it be Clement's or no; or if it were, it says only that St. John in some places constituted bishops: questionless he did, but where does Clemens say he set them above presbyters?

No man will gainsay the constitution of bishops: but | order their usurping and over-provendered episcopants; the raising them to a superior and distinct order above and God hath blessed their work this hundred years presbyters, seeing the gospel makes them one and the with a prosperous and stedfast, and still happy success. same thing, a thousand such allegations as these will And this may serve to prove the insufficiency of these not give prelatical episcopacy one chapel of ease above present episcopal testimonies, not only in themselves a parish church. And thus much for this cloud I can- but in the account of those ever that have been the folnot say rather than petty fog of witnesses, with which lowers of truth. It will next behove us to consider the episcopal men would cast a mist before us, to deduce inconvenience we fall into, by using ourselves to be their exalted episcopacy from apostolic times. Now, guided by these kind of testimonies. He that thinks although, as all men well know, it be the wonted shift it the part of a well-learned man to have read diligently of errour, and fond opinion, when they find themselves the ancient stories of the church, and to be no stranger outlawed by the Bible, and forsaken of sound reason, in the volumes of the fathers, shall have all judicious to betake them with all speed to their old startinghole men consenting with him; not hereby to control, and of tradition, and that wild and overgrown covert of an- new fangle the Scripture, God forbid! but to mark how tiquity, thinking to farm there at large room, and find corruption and apostasy crept in by degrees, and to good stabling, yet thus much their own deified an- gather up wherever we find the remaining sparks of tiquity betrays them to inform us, that tradition hath original truth, wherewith to stop the mouths of our adbad very seldom or never the gift of persuasion; as versaries, and to bridle them with their own curb, who that which church-histories report of those east and willingly pass by that which is orthodoxal in them, western paschalists, formerly spoken of, will declare. and studiously cull out that which is commentitious, and Who would have thought that Polycarpus on the one best for their turns, not weighing the fathers in the balside could have erred in what he saw St. John do, or ance of Scripture, but Scripture in the balance of the Anicetas bishop of Rome on the other side, in what he fathers. If we, therefore, making first the gospel our or some of his friends might pretend to have seen St. rule and oracle, shall take the good which we light on Peter or St. Paul do; and yet neither of these could in the fathers, and set it to oppose the evil which other persuade either when to keep Easter? The like frivol- men seek from them, in this way of skirmish we shall ous contention troubled the primitive English churches, easily master all superstition and false doctrine; but while Colmanus and Wilfride on either side deducing if we turn this our discreet and wary usage of them their opinions, the one from the undeniable example of into a blind devotion towards them, and whatsoever we Saint John, and the learned bishop Anatolius, and find written by them; we both forsake our own grounds lastly the miraculous Columba, the other from Saint and reasons which led us at first to part from Rome, Peter and the Nicene council; could gain no ground that is, to hold the Scriptures against all antiquity; we each of other, till King Oswy, perceiving no likelihood remove our cause into our adversaries' own court, and of ending the controversy that way, was fain to decide take up there those cast principles, which will soon it himself, good king, with that small knowledge where- cause us to soder up with them again; inasmuch as with those times had furnished him. So when those believing antiquity for itself in any one point, we bring pious Greek emperors began, as Cedrenus relates, to an engagement upon ourselves of assenting to all that put down monks, and abolish images, the old idolaters, it charges upon us. For suppose we should now, negfading themselves blasted, and driven back by the lecting that which is clear in Scripture, that a bishop prevailing light of the Scripture, sent out their sturdy and presbyter is all one both in name and office, and monks called the Abramites, to allege for images the that what was done by Timothy and Titus, executing ancient fathers Dionysius, and this our objected Ire- an extraordinary place, as fellow-labourers with the 1203: nay, they were so highflown in their antiquity, apostles, and of a universal charge in planting christhat they undertook to bring the apostles, and Luke tianity through divers regions, cannot be drawn into the evangelist, yea Christ himself, from certain records particular and daily example; suppose that neglecting that were then current, to patronize their idolatry: yet this clearness of the text, we should, by the uncertain ir all this the worthy emperor Theophilus, even in and corrupted writings of succeeding times, determine these dark times, chose rather to nourish himself and that bishop and presbyter are different, because we dare his people with the sincere milk of the gospel, than to not deny what Ignatius, or rather the Perkin Warbeck drink from the mixed confluence of so many corrupt of Ignatius, says; then must we be constrained to take and poisonous waters, as tradition would have persuad-upon ourselves a thousand superstitions and falsities, ed him to, by most ancient seeming authorities. In which the papists will prove us down in, from as good like manner all the reformed churches abroad, unthron- authorities, and as ancient as these that set a bishop ing episcopacy, doubtless were not ignorant of these above a presbyter. And the plain truth is, that when testimonies alleged to draw it in a line from the apos- any of our men, of those that are wedded to antiquity, tles' days: for surely the author will not think he hath come to dispute with a papist, and leaving the Scripbrought us now any new authorities or considerations tures put themselves without appeal to the sentence of into the world, which the reformers in other places synods and councils, using in the cause of Sion the were not advised of: and yet we see, the intercession hired soldiery of revolted Israel; where they give the of all these apostolic fathers could not prevail with Romanists one buff, they receive two counterbuffs. them to alter their resolved decree of reducing into Were it therefore but in this regard, every true bishop

should be afraid to conquer in his cause by such authorities as these, which if we admit for the authority's sake, we open a broad passage for a multitude of doctrines, that have no ground in Scripture, to break in upon us.

Lastly, I do not know, it being undeniable that there are but two ecclesiastical orders, bishops and deacons, mentioned in the gospel, how it can be less than impiety to make a demur at that, which is there so perspicuous, confronting and paralleling the sacred verity of St. Paul with the offals and sweepings of antiquity, that met as accidentally and absurdly, as Epicurus's atoms, to patch up a Leucippean Ignatius, inclining rather to make this phantasm an expounder, or indeed a depraver of St. Paul, than St. Paul an examiner, and discoverer of this impostorship; nor caring how slightly they put off the verdict of holy text unsalved, that says plainly there be but two orders, so they maintain the reputation of their imaginary doctor that proclaims three. Certainly if Christ's apostle have set down but two, then according to his own words, though he him

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self should unsay it, and not only the angel of Smyrna, but an angel from heaven, should bear us down that there be three, Saint Paul has doomed him twice, “Let him be accursed;" for Christ hath pronounced that no tittle of his word shall fall to the ground; and if one jot be alterable, it is as possible that all should perish: and this shall be our righteousness, our ample warrant, and strong assurance, both now and at the last day, never to be ashamed of, against all the heaped names of angels and martyrs, councils and fathers, urged upon us, if we have given ourselves up to be taught by the pure and living precept of God's word only; which, without more additions, nay with a forbidding of them, hath within itself the promise of eternal life, the end of all our wearisome labours, and all our sustaining hopes. But if any shall strive to set up his ephod and teraphim of antiquity against the brightness and perfection of the gospel; let him fear lest he and his Baal be turned into Bosheth. And thus much may suffice to shew, that the pretended episcopacy cannot be deduced from the apostolical times.

THE

REASON OF CHURCH-GOVERNMENT

URGED AGAINST PRELATY.

IN TWO BOOKS.

[FIRST PUBLISHED 1641.]

THE PREFACE.

In the publishing of human laws, which for the most part aim not beyond the good of civil society, to set them barely forth to the people without reason or preface, like a physical prescript, or only with threatenings, as it were a lordly command, in the judgment of Plato was thought to be done neither generously nor wisely. His advice was, seeing that persuasion certainly is a more winning and more manlike way to keep men in obedience than fear, that to such laws as were of principal moment, there should be used as an induction some well-tempered discourse, shewing how good, how gainful, how happy it must needs be to live according to honesty and justice; which being uttered with those native colours and graces of speech, as true eloquence, the daughter of virtue, can best bestow upon her mother's praises, would so incite, and in a manner charm, the multitude into the love of that which is really good, as to embrace it ever after, not of custom and awe, which most men do, but of choice and purpose, with true and constant delight. But this practice we may learn from a better and more ancient authority than any heathen writer hath to give us; and indeed being a point of so high wisdom and worth, how could it be but we should find it in that book, within whose sacred context all wisdom is unfolded? Moses, therefore, the only lawgiver that we can believe to have been visibly taught of God, knowing how vain it was to write laws to men whose hearts were not first seasoned with the knowledge of God and of his works, began from the book of Genesis, as a prologue to his laws; which Josephus right well hath noted: that the nation

of the Jews, reading therein the universal goodness of God to all creatures in the creation, and his peculiar favour to them in his election of Abraham their ancestor from whom they could derive so many blessings upon themselves, might be moved to obey sincerely, by knowing so good a reason of their obedience. If then, in the administration of civil justice, and under the obscurity of ceremonial rites, such care was had by the wisest of the heathen, and by Moses among the Jews, to instruct them at least in a general reason of that government to which their subjection was required; how much more ought the members of the church, under the gospel, seek to inform their understanding in the reason of that government, which the church claims to have over them! Especially for that church hath in her immediate cure those inner parts and affections of the mind, where the seat of reason is having power to examine our spiritual knowledge, and to demand from us, in God's behalf, a service entirely reasonable. But because about the manner and order of this government, whether it ought to be presbyterial or prelatical, such endless question, or rather uproar, is arisen in this land, as may be justly termed what the fever is to the physicians, the eternal reproach of our divines, whilst other profound clerks of late, greatly, as they conceive, to the advancement of prelaty, are so earnestly meting out the Lydian proconsular Asia, to make good the prime metropolis of Ephesus, as if some of our prelates in all haste meant to change their soil, and become neighbours to the English bishop of Chalcedon; and whilst good Breerwood as busily bestirs himself in our vulgar tongue, to divide precisely the three patriarchates of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch; and whether to any of these England doth belong: I shall in the mean while not cease to hope, through the mercy and grace of Christ, the head and husband of his church, that England shortly is to belong, neither to see patriarchal nor see prelatical, but to the faithful feeding and disciplining of that ministerial order, which the blessed apostles constituted throughout the churches; and this I shall assay to prove, can be no other than presbyters and deacons. And if any man incline to think I undertake a task too difficult for my years, I trust through the supreme enlightening assistance far otherwise; for my years, be they few or many, what imports it? So they bring reason, let that be looked on: and for the task, from hence that the question in hand is so needful to be known at this time, chiefly by every meaner capacity, and contains in it the explication of many admirable and heavenly privileges reached out to us by the gospel, I conclude the task must be easy: God having to this end ordained bis gospel to be the revelation of his power and wisdom in Christ Jesus. And this is one depth of his wisdom, that he could so plainly reveal so great a measure of it to the gross distorted apprehension of decayed mankind. Let others, therefore, dread and shun the Scriptures for their darkness; I shall wish I may deserve to be reckoned among those who admire and dwell upon them for their clearness. And this seems to be the cause why in those places of holy writ, wherein is treated of church-government, the reasons thereof are not formally and professedly set down, because to him that heeds attentively the drift and scope of christian profession, they easily imply themselves; which thing further to explain, having now prefaced enough, I shall no longer defer.

CHAP. I.

That church-government is prescribed in the gospel, and that to say otherwise is unsound.

THE first and greatest reason of church-government we securely, with the assent of many on the adverse part, affirm to be, because we find it so ordained and set out to us by the appointment of God in the Scriptares; but whether this be presbyterial, or prelatical, it cannot be brought to the scanning, until I have said what is meet to some who do not think it for the ease of their inconsequent opinions, to grant that churchdiscipline is platformed in the Bible, but that it is left to the discretion of men. To this conceit of theirs I auswer, that it is both unsound and untrue; for there is not that thing in the world of more grave and urgent importance throughout the whole life of man, than is discipline. What need I instance? He that hath read with judgment, of nations and commonwealths, of cities and camps, of peace and war, sea and land, will readily agree that the flourishing and decaying of

all civil societies, all the moments and turnings of human occasions, are moved to and fro as upon the axle of discipline. So that whatsoever power or sway in mortal things weaker men have attributed to fortune, I durst with more confidence (the honour of Divine Providence ever saved) ascribe either to the vigour or the slackness of discipline. Nor is there any sociable perfection in this life, civil or sacred, that can be above discipline; but she is that which with her musical cords preserves and holds all the parts thereof together. Hence in those perfect armies of Cyrus in Xenophon, and Scipio in the Roman stories, the excellence of military skill was esteemed, not by the not needing, but by the readiest submitting to the edicts of their commander. And certainly discipline is not only the removal of disorder; but if any visible shape can be given to divine things, the very visible shape

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