his Councels come to be Decrees in this Epistle there is not one word like a Decree but onely an Advice to him nothing like a Commission as Vasques and divers others phrase it for then it should be mandamus or concedimus potestatem we Command or grant you power nor of dispensation as Cardinall Bellarmine and others for then it should be in that language we dispence with you or non obstante notwithstanding any Law to the contrary but here is no such thing but sometimes he saith fraternibus vestra your brotherhood knows this or that and the like and here shews him the reason why he should come by more Bishops to assist him although I think he was deceived in his supposals for there were Bishops in Brittain at that time howsoever that reason was good to authorize Austin at that time and the like may be good for any man in the like Condition for this triplicity of Bishops to Consecrate cannot be necessary to Consecration according to any Divine Constitution but onely Ecclesiastical which cannot be understood to exact impossibilities or else to make a particular Church to lose all the benefit of Episcopall Government But then consider the language of all these men and see how inconsistent it is with their first principles that there must be three Bishops by Divine right to the Consecration of a Bishop can the Pope dispence with what is due by Divine authority or can he grant a Commission to act against Divine Laws I hope they will not say so unless they will set themselves against all that is called God and make an earthly god above our Father which is in â—eaven then let us consider how it was possible that Christian Religion could have been planted unless the power essentially had been in one Bishop to Consecrate when Timothy Titus and St. John who you will that went about with the power of Tongues into unknown Countreys to plant Religion and God blessing their industry the Churches increased learned Men were Converted fit to make Bishops of Can you think that these Itinerants would suffer them like Austin here in England to send to Rome for advice in such a matter or much less for a Commission or dispensation to use their Language it is not imaginable nay when a Church is in persecution I know a little what belongs to that can they send to many Bishops in the same Province to send their votes in writing or without that there can be no Consecration It cannot be I conclude thus although in a setled Church there is a great decency in practiseing according to that Rule of having three Bishops at a Consecration yet in these Cases it is not necessary and it may be validly acted by one alone and no Commission or dispensation is necessary And now Reader having walked through this intricacy I cannot think my self nor the Reader satisfied untill I have applied another Question which is what is it which so enables a Consecration that we may say when that is done this man is a Bishop CHAP. XII In which is discoursed what is essentially to the constitution of a Bishop THe Question introduced To understand which that I may write distinctly take this for a Praecognitum that since the power was given to the Apostles in these words As my Father sent me so send I you Therefore when this power is given by Apostles and Apostolicall men then this dignity is conferr'd upon Men But again because that it is necessary for the Church of Christians not onely that they have the power but that this power should be so administred as that other men who are to receive blessings from it should be able to take notice for else how is it possible to repair to the wells head unless they can know where it is that there is such a blessing bestowed upon them therefore this power must be given by some such means as are visible and that men may discern when it is granted for if it should be given by the Apostles without any outward sign onely with a vehitie a kind of secret grant it must be most uncertain to other men because each man may pretend to it and there is no confuting but by some outward sign which being proper to this Action may be an infallible assurance that then and not till then it is given and here will be required a diligent and curious inquest there are divers things pretended to which are not right and they being severed we may then safely pitch upon what is the truth to do which let us first consider that Adâ—m Tanner in his fourth Tome of Scholasticall Divinity upon the third of Thomas and the supplement Disp. 7. Quest. 2. Dubio 4. handling the doubt what is the matter and form of a Priest and Bishop at the last page 1900. he names as a Concessum and things to be supposed eight Actions at the consecration of a Bishop he quotes the Romane Pontificall for it I will not set them down the writing them is too much paines but what hath grown in reputation amongst Scholars I shall examine But yet I must make another pause SECT II. A discourse of Petrus Arcadius illustrated and applied THere is a learned man one Petrus Arcadius who hath writ a Book with a most pious title which is of the concord betwixt the occidentall Church or the Latine and orientall under which headâ— he reduceth the African and sometimes the Rutherian in the administration of the Sacraments which controvercy he hath very industriously and happily handled in very many things in particular in this business having handled before the form used in both Churches at the ordination title 6. de Sacramento ordinis cap. 4. he comes to reconcile them and doth it upon this foundâ—tion I am now handling that is that they agree in the essentialls that is the Doctrine of all the three Churches and the difference is onely in Accidentalls this saith he may be done first by saying our Saviour did so institute this Sacrament that the Consecration of Ministers should be by certain words and outward signs by which it should sufficiently appear to what part of Ministry they were ordained but he left it to the arbitrement of the Church what these signs and words must be this he illustrates by the Councell of Trent wherein Sâ—ssion 23. Canon 3. the Councell decrees the thing that holy ordination should be made with signs and words but determines not what so that it excludes not the Graecian or African Ordination Again he illustrates this by Marriage most rightly for they make Matrimony a Sacrament as well as ordination there the word of God establisheth for men how they should live in holy wedlock but never determines what shall be the manner with what words or signs they shall be married but leaves that to the determination of every Church yea Common-wealth thus you may perceive his Conclusion how strengthned I will set down my Judgements and reasons
I put down lest he may start from it hereafter and so will passe it over and proceed with the same succinctnesse to his second Conclusion which is p. 48. and is this It is an Act of power as an Instrument or means under Christ to give an Officer the being of an outward Call in the Church Here an Instrument being taken as I expounded it before a moral Instrument This Conclusion hath Truth granted likewiâ—e and so I passe to his second head pag. 49. by what means the essential of this power may be Conveyed SECT IX Whether Ordination doth communicate the Essence to the Outward Call HIS first Conclusion is Ordination as it is Popishly dispensed under the Opinion of a Sacrament and as leaving the Impression of an indelible Character doth not Communicate the Essence of this outward Call In the handling this Conclusion there are two thingâ— he insists upon First to shew that the Prelatical party are Popishly affected in this Doctrine 2dly to dispute against the Indelible Character for the first he draws it from the Answer in the Catechism which is in the Book of Common Prayer where it is said that there are only two Sacraments as generally necessary to Salvation not as he puts it down two only Absolutely necessary to Salvation and then glosses on it q.d. there are more and those necessary but not absolutely necessary These are his words which you see is a false Quotation But because that ever-to-be-honoured Book the Common Prayer is named I will first vindicate that and then proceed Know then It is the first time that ever read the Prelatical party accused under that Notion that the Common-Prayer Book held the Doctrine of the Church of Rome because it was the most Authentique piece which expressed the Doctrine and Religion of the Church of England 2ly Let the Reader observe that this word Sacrament is a Term not found in the New Testament but an Ecclesiastical Term taken up by the â—athers and used by all Christians for that thing which is Ordinarily defined a visible sign of an invisible and spiritual Grace Now if that have the Notions which the Word Sacrament expresseth then Mr. Hooker cannot deny Orders to be a Sacrament because he grants an outward Call to be necessary which is an outward Sign and he grants the Effect of that Call to be the Order given by it which is an Invisible grace as Grace is taken largely for Gratia gratis data and yet the Common Prayer Book is most true which saith there are two only generally necessary that is to all men for Orders are not generally necessary to all men as Baptism and the Lords Supper are but only to such persons as undertake such Duties Let this suffice to have been spoken to that which he unnecessarily to his businesse or mine inserted SECT X. Of the Character left after Ordination AND such another passâ—ge I shall have with his 2d Discourse concerning the Indelible Character a Thing not material to his businesse but only to vaunt and shew his reading in the School â—or this understand that this Character that he and they speak of is the relict of that gift of Ordination by which the Ordained is enabled to do these Duties he is ordained to Now that there is some such Thing he must needs confesse who discourseth of the Causation of these Essentials which imports an Effect and certainly this Effect must be permanent remain in the Ordained or else he hath nothing in him which should Authorize and enable him for those duties Now then it is in vain for him to fustian the Reader with the various opinions of the School whether this Effect be a Quâ—lity or Relation and such unnecessary Discourse unlesse he could shew what it is if not one of these since he holds that it is somwhat I must needs say that the worst of those Writers hath done better than he because those Authors have expressed something with a guesse of reason to it but he without reason to the contrary laughs at them all and yet hath said so much as invincibly proves there is a Character but not said what If it were pertinent to his or my Discourse I would insist upon it but although he is Tedious in such impertinencies I will not follow him in them it is enough that there is a Character something left in the person of a man perhaps that is a righter phrase than to say in either Soul or Understanding or Will unlesse for subjectum quo But something there is left by that Act of Ordination by which that man in whom it is left is capable to do those Divine duties whether this be delible or not is not yet material to this Question we will come therefore to his second Conclusion where will be new dispute SECT XI His Second Conclusion discussed HIS Second Conclusion is Page 52. That Ordination administred according to the method and mind of Mr. Rutherford namely as preceding the Election of the people it doth not give Essentials to the outward Call of a Minister An uncouth kind of phrase doth not give Essentials to the outward Call no it doth not for it is the outward Call of a Minister what 's that a Deacon he should have spoken clearly as his meaning expressed afterwards is and have said to a Presbyter but his meaning is in clear Terms that without the Election of the people to a Cure of Souls by no Ordination preceding a Presbyter doth receive his being a Presbyter And this I oppose His first Argument to prove it is taken from Acts 6. where it is said to the multitude vers 3. Look ye out among you seven men c. Contrary saith heâ— to their present practice Ver. 5. And the saying pleased the people and they chose and they set them before the Apostles His Collection hence is If none but those who were first Elected by the people should be ordained and all such who were so chosen could not be reâ—used then to ordain before Choice iâ— neither to make Application of the Rule nor Communion of the right in an orderly manner I set down his very words lest it might be urged upon an Alterâ—tion I spoyled his Argument But the first is plain from the place alledged Then he answers that seeming Objection that this is only concerning Deacons When saith he the reason is the same in both and stronger in Presbyters because the people have a greater dependance upon the other and are engaged to greater subjection to them and to provide for their honour in a more especial manner This kind of Arguing forceth me to a repetition Conceive therefore that this Instance being singular and occasional cannot be fitly called a rule which must give others but only prudentially when the like Circumstances concurre 2ly Though the people may have a fitnesse to choose such an Officer for such an employment as that was the relief of the poor yet not â—it to choose such
unites us to Christ either in a perfect union or in a remisse or in the lowest degree In a perfect union that is by it which St. James phraseth a lively faith a faith quickned and inflâ—enced with Charity that dare with Abraham forsake all Lands Wife Children yea offer his Son himself a sacrifice to the good pleasure of God this the Church of Rome calls an informed saith actuated and informed with Charity this is the highest union and communion Then there is an union lower than this which is the faith which believes aright and makes a profession of it but will not bide the Test of a Confession when it comes to the Touch and these are by all held so long to be in the Church as they have this union with Christ and so long retains its Community untill some Temptation of fear or hope or perhaps some Carnal Argument perswade otherwise and then they fall into Heresie or Apostacy to have or gâ—in something and these I think to be those of whom the Apostle spake men who lived in a formal shew of a right faith by conversing in a seeming manner with the Godly and the Church but then went from them I will not dispute the falling from Grace here But thus when men had this faith before spoken of and professed it or professed it and had it not they had an union with the Church at the least outward if but by profession but inward likewise if they had that second sort of faith yet they were not of us the number of those who had justifying faith then when these left us but now there is another union and that is per Sacramentum fidei by the Sacrament of Faith as Baptism is called the which no man leaves and this is an union by which a wicked man after his repentance hath a Title to claim mercy and absolution as likewise the Church owes it him So that I dare say Bellarmine nor any Jesuite I have read against this Doctrine can deny that there is such a Title or that that Title is not by this union So then they went from us that is the Communion with us that shewed they were not then of us of that dear union of a lively faith for then they would not have left us you see this cannot be understood of lack of Election The Elect may go out and come in again It cannot be understood that they left union but Communion for the Antichrist himself hath a union with the Church though he keeps a Communion against it I think this is enough to shew that although this departure which St. John speaks of be by Heresie or Apostacy as Bellarmine insinuates yet it is not a leaving all union of and with Christ but only Communion as I have before expressed Reader be not hasty to Judge of this Conclusion and then I hope thou shalt find it most agreeing to all principles of Religion Secondly Bellarmine quotes the Council of Nice Can. 8. 19. Where saith he Hereticks are said to be received into the Church if they will return upon certain Conditions For Answer It is worth our marking that those two Canons are made for two sorts of Hereticks the 8th Canon for the Cathari or Puri as the Canon calls them or the Novatians as Balsamon expounds it for they were the same these the Canon receives into the Church upon repentance with Imposition of hands only but they must expresse their profession in writing The other in the 19th Canon were the Pauliani or Paulianites who were re-baptized upon their re-admission the first was a reception of such who had gone out of the Communion of the Church by denying re-admission of Penitents who forsook their Religion by sacrificing to Idols and communication with the Digami such as had been twice marryed whom they held unclean These things were their Heresies and therefore were called Cathari because they must by these Things proâ—esse themselves holyer than other men but these being not things which nulliâ—ed Baptism although pertinaciously held they could not be rebaptized But for the Paulinians because they they denyed the Trinity they could not baptize according to Christs Institution and therefore such as came from them to the Church were re-baptized You see now how upon examination of these Canons of that most sacred Council the Case is stared for me because it seems the Cathari had but left the Communion as is before expressed and therefore the removing the Obstruction with proper physick 〈◊〉 but the Paulinians had no union and therefore to be grafted into the body I have insisted the longer upon this because the Story of these several Heresies is not perhaps apparent to every one and that difference of Condition upon the diversity of the Heresie perhaps by a negligent Reader would not have been observed What he produceth out of the Council of Lateran That the Church is Congregatio fidelium I need not examine I yield it but he saith That Hereticks are not fideles is denyed by many of his own Religion for although that they have not a fulnesse of faith which he cannot exact in a member yet they may have faith in many Articles which may preserve them in the unity of members though sick members but this serves not my turn comes not home to my businesse I therefore say that as homo is Animal rationale which is one of the compleatest Definitions given to any thing and the most exemplar yet every part of man is not rationale the hand cannot discourse nor the feet so the Church is Congregatio fidelium but it doth not follow that every part of the Church is faithfull Infants are members of the Church and such members as are in a saving Condition yet they have but Sacramentum Fidei and Faith in Potentiâ they are not actually sideles nay perhaps not habitually I am certain as we know of they have no habit of it But it may be objected that these non ponunt Obicem as the School speaks as they reach not out their hands of faith to lay hold on Christ so they do not hinder or oppose it but these men do with violence thrust Christ from them I answer that violence returns to their own Soul in thrusting themselves out of the state of grace and favour with God protempore for that time they do so and it hinders Grace in its operari in its great and noble Effects which it drives at but doth not extinguish it in its first Act which is to make a man a member yea therefore they are more sinfull than if done by an Heathen or any who had not knowledge of Gods Law nor been admitted into his membership Therefore the Apostle urgeth this Argument Shall I take the members of God and make them the members of an Harlot In a word therefore the Church is the Congregation of the faithfull the Essential and Constituting parts of it are such yet many parts of it are not such
should not Ordain Priests Vasques in answer to this saith that the imposition of the Hands of Bishops is not to be understood of many Bishops laying on their Hands at the same time upon the same man but that several Bishops at several times laid their Hands upon several Chori-Episcopi but to this may be urged that word quamvis as one or etiamsi as another Edition why should the Canon say although he be Ordained by the imposition of Hands of Bishops and Consecrated as a Bishop this although would there signifie nothing for he should not be by it distinguished from a Presbyter but because some were and some were not Ordained by Bishops it reacheth even those who were so Ordained Doctor Forbes is not content with this answer of Vasques but adds another of his own at the bottom of Page 171. and throughout 172 where before cited the sence of which is that the imposition of Hands here mentioned is not to be understood passively for the imposition of Hands which they receive themselves but actively for that imposition of Hands which they had power of to give I think I have set it down as clearly as his words can be rendered for indeed his Language is as obscure as the Canon it self but this is most forced nor indeed can a man conceive Canonically how a Chori-Episcopus could receive that active which he mentions unless he had received it passively first by the imposition of Hands of divers Bishops nor can a man well imagine in that Language ut Episcopi Ordinantur what that ut should mean if it did not come to explain the former Phrase of imposition of Hands of divers Bishops so that then for ought I see Bellarmines exposition against both these adversaries is the most clear and congruous to the Canon let us now examine Pope Damasus's Arguments as they are scholastically urged by Vasques and that is the marrow of all that is in this Epistle SECT V. Damasus his first Argument against the Chori-Episcopi answered Damasus seems to me eitheir with Bellarmine to think there were two sorts of Chori-Episcopi in the time of making the Canon which may be perswaded because although he begins with this Argument from the Plural number before urged yet he never endeavours an answer to it or else believing them all but Presbyters he thinks that his other Argument may invalid this and notwithstanding this being deficient in other things they are not Bishops by it His first Argument is drawn from the word Chori which signifies Countrey they were but country Bishops when as all Bishops should be of a City To this I answer that although such Canons may be made for the establishment of the government of Churches in a setled Kingdom where are such Cities for the Decorum and honour of the Episcopal Sea yet it cannot be in unsetled States as suppose the Gospel should be preached in the barbarous places of the West-Indies where are no such places to give Episcopacy that honour yet the Church may and ought to be planted and governours put into them to regulate their discipline oâ— else things will go backward faster than forward in the matters of Religion Again we may conceive if such Canons be insisted upon that they should be understood of prime and chief Bishops not such as are Vicarii Episcoporum that is vicars of the chief Bishops Now it may happen that there be a necessity of such vicars and they may be of great use to the Bishop of the City whose Diocess is large as will appear shortly and these Chori-Episcopi although they may be impeded in the execution of their office by the superior authority of the Bishop of the City yet with his consent are impowred to Ordain in these cases which is most agreeing to the letter of the Canon according to any Edition either sine or praeter or whatsoever it is This is enough I think for the first Argument of Pope Damasus SECT VI. His next Argument answered ANother is thus framed there are but two Orders of Priesthood Bishops and Presbyters this he enlargeth and proves from the Church under the Law where were Aaron and his Sons only in the Priesthood as likewise from our Saviour himself who had only Apostles and Disciples so saith he it should be in the present Church now it seems these Chori-Episcopi are neither they esteem themselves greater than Presbyters and yet are not Bishops wherefore nothing in answer what they esteem themselves I know not but we have good reason to think some were Bishops and some only Presbyters and they who were Bishops might act these great offices of Ordaining Priests and Deacons with leave of the Bishop of the Diocess those who were only Priests could not Thus Damasus his Arguments are are of no force against that Canon of Antioch and therefore Vasques himself acknowledgeth in that 238. Disp. Cap. 7. That Damasus did conceive that in the time of the Council of Antioch some Chori-Episcopi were Bishops and he affirms that if they had Episcopal Consecration although they were but titular Bishops and so had no place assigned at their Consecration where they should officiate yet they had that power granted them at their Consecration which might be reduced into act whensoever a place was assigned them and yet Damasus condemns them for the future which was never obeyed SECT VII One word in the Canon more explained THere is one word more in the Canon which may abide a misinterpretation and is somewhat insisted upon by Doctor Forbes that is in the latter end of the Canon it is said that he the Chori-Episcopus must be Ordained by the Bishop to whom he and his possession are subject Now if he be Ordained by one Bishop only certainly he is but a Presbyter for although as I have said in a case of necessity one Bishop hath been allowed to Consecrate and the power Apostolical was to them Separative to every one to Ordain yet when Laws were substituted by Ecclesiastique authority for the well government of the Church and severe punishments inflicted upon the violation of them as are in this case it is not reasonable to think that men living in obedience to that Church should dare â—o break them in publique and that constantly as it seems this is for answer to this I say that this makes it evident that this Canon is delivered concerning a double sort of Chori-Episcopi some that were made by the imposition of Hands of divers Bishops and others that were ordained by one only which is all is required and so I will pass to my last proposal to shew what these Chori-Episcopi were CHAP. XVI What the Chori-Episcopi were IT is a hard task which I do not find clearly delivered by any what I find shall be set down and leave the determination to others In general my conceipt of them is this that as it happens in other Parisnes where Presbyters have the charge that where they are large and