registred by themselves which we must believe they did or enacted For doctrine necessary for salvation we are for him but surely for evidence of fact or rituall observation this is no better than absurd rigour than unchristian incredulity Where is there expresse charge for the Lords Day Where for Paedobaptisme Where for publike Churches Where for Texts to be handled in Sermons Where for publike Prayers of the Church before and after them and many such like which yet we think deducible from those sacred authorities That is true of Hierome Hieron Tom. 6. in Agge 1. Quae absque authoritate c. Those things which men either finde or feigne as delivered by Apostolike tradition without the authority and testimonies of Scripture are smitten by the sword of Gods Spirit But what is this to us who finde this which we challenge for Apostolicall recorded in the written Word of God Or with what conscience is this alledged against us which is directly bent against the hereticall doctrines and traditions of the Marcionites either utterly without or expresly against the Scripture §. 11. The two famous Rules of Tertullian and S. Augustine to this purpose asserted I May not baulke two pregnant testimonies of the Fathers wherewith this great Anthierarchist and his Northerne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much and justly troubled as our cause is advantaged not so much because they are the sentences of ancient Fathers which they have learned to turne off at pleasure with scorne enough as for that they carry in them such clearenesse and strength of reason as will not admit of any probable contradiction The former is Tertull. conâ—r Marcion c. 4. that of Tertullian Constabit id esse ab Apostolis traditum quod apud Ecclesias Apostolorum fuerit sacrosanctum That shall clearely appeare to be delivered by the Apostles which shall have been religiously observed in the Churches of the Apostles What evasion is there of so evident a truth Vbi supra Me seemes saith Parker that Tertullian understands onely those Churches which were in the very time of the Apostles not the subsequent for he saith not Quod est but Quod fuerit and thus it may be held true But this is to mocke himselfe and those that trust him and not to answer all the Fathers testimony The question must be what in Tertullian's time should be held to have beene Apostolike and therefore he saith Constabit not Constitit now if he shall speak to Parkers sense he shall say That which was religiously kept in the Church planted by the Apostles and in their own time is to be held Apostolike what is the reader ever the wiser since it were equally hard to know what their Churches then did and what they themselves ordained to be done were it not for the continued tradition and practice descending from them to the succeeding ages so as either they must trust the Churches then present for the deduction of such truth or els nothing would be proved Apostolike Neither is there any thing more familiar with the Fathers than to terme those the Churches of the Apostles even for some hundreds of yeares after their decease wherein they after some residence had established a government for future succession which had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Synesius speaketh as it were too easie to instance in a thousand particularities yea that it may appeare how Parker shuffles here against his owne knowledge there is a flat mention of the Churches after the time of Saint Iohn the longest liver of all that holy traine which he cals Ioannis alumnas Ecclesias Tert. l. 4. contra Marc. c. 5. So as this of Parkers is a miserable shift and not an answer The other is that famous place of Saint Augustine against the Donatists agiâ—ated by every pen Quod universa c. That which is held by the universall Church and not ordained by any Councell but hath beene alwayes retained in the Church is most truly believed to be delivered by no other than Apostolicall authority which Parker sticks not to professe the Achillaean argument of the Hierarchists Neither have they any cause to disclaime it the authority of the man is great but the power of his reason more For that which obtaineth universally must either have some force in it selfe to command acceptation or els must be imposed by some over-ruling Authority and what can that be but either of the great Princes as they are anciently called of the Church the holy Apostles or of some generall Councels as may authoritatively diffuse it through all the world If then no Councels have decreed the observation of an ordinance whence should an universall not reception onely but retention proceed saye from Apostolike hands No cause can work beyond his owne Sphere Private power cannot exceed its owne compasse Let not any adversary think to elude this testimony with the upbraiding to it the Patronage of the Popish Opinion concerning Traditions we have learned to hate their vanities and yet to maintaine our owne Truths without all feare of the patrocination of Popery We deny not some Traditions however the word for want of distinguishing is from their abuse growne into an ill name must have their place and use and in vaine should learned Chamier Fulk Whitakers Perkins Willet and other Controversers labour in the rules of discerning true Apostolicall Traditions from false and counterfeit if all were such and if those which are certainly true were not worthy of high honour and respect And what and how farre our entertainment of Traditions is and should be I referre my Reader to that sound and judicious discourse of our now most Reverend Metropolitan against his Iesuite A.C. Onwards therefore I must observe That whereas Chamier doth justly defend Cham. Panstrat de Traditionibus that the Evidence of these kind of Traditions from the universall receipt of the Church doth not breed a plerophory of assent he doth not herein touch upon us since his Opposition is only concerning points of faith Our defence is concerning matter of fact neither do we hold it needfull there should be so full a sway of assent to the testimony of the Churches practice herein as there ever ought to be to the direct sentence of the sacred Scripture Will none but a divine faith serve the turn in these Cases which Parker himselfe professes to bee farre from importing salvation Is it not enough that I doe as verily believe upon these humane proofes what was done by the Apostles for the plantation and settlement of the Church as I doe believe there was a Rome before Christ's Incarnation or that a Iulius Caesar was Emperour or Dictator there or Tully an Oratour and Consul or Cato a wise Senator or Catiline a Traytor Certainly thus much beliefe will serve for our purpose who so requires more besides the grounds of the Apostolike Ordinances recorded in Scripture thus seconded may take that counsell which boyes construe the Lapwing
to give for her nest Two things are answered hereto by Parker and his Clients The one That the rule of S. Augustine availes us nothing since that the Originall of Episcopacie is designed as from Decree by S. Hierome as from Councels by S. Ambrose but what that decree was or could be besides Apostolicall or what those Councels were hee were wise that could tell He and all his abettors I am sure cannot But of this in the Sequell The other after some mis-applied testimonies of our owne Authors who drive onely at matter of faith that hee can make instance in diverse things which were both universally and perpetually received no Councell decreeing them and yet farre from an Apostolike Ordination Sibrandus Lubbertus helpes him to his first instance borrowed from S. Augustine a fixed day for the celebration of Easter And what of that How holds his argument in this For that this or that day should be universally set and perpetually kept for that solemne Feast who that ever heard of the state of the Primitive time can affirme Since those famous quarrels and contrary pretences of their severall derivations of right from the two prime Apostles are still in every mans eye but that an Easter was agreed to be solemnly kept by the Primitive Church universally Euseb l. 5. hist c. 24. Quanquam enim in ipso die differeâ—tia erat in hoc tamen omnes Eâ—â—lâ—siae conspirâ◠unt Diem Paschatis observandum aliquem esse Ibid. Polit. Eccles those very Contentions betwixt Polycarpus and Annicetus do sufficiently declare and Parker himselfe confesseth Thus it was kept and withall decreed by no Councell yet not saith he by any Apostolicall institution How doth that appeare Nihil illi de festis c. They .i. the Apostles never delivered ought concerning Feast-dayes nor yet of Easter Why but this is the very question Parker denies it and must we take his word for proofe whereas we have the Apostles direct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us keep the feast And afterwards there is a plaine deduction of it from and through the times succeeding as is fully and excellently set forth by our incomparably-learned the late Bishop of Winchester to whose accurate discourse of this subject B. Andrewes Serm. of the Resur Ser. 13. I may well referre my reader His second instance is the Apostles Creed which our Authors justly place within the first three hundred yeares after Christ used and received by the whole Church and not enacted by any Councels yet not in respect of the forme of it delivered by the Apostles A doughty argument and fit for the great Controller of times and Antagonist of government we speak of the matter of the Creed he talkes of the forme of it we of things he of words and just so Tilenus his friend instances in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 found in Ignatius But do these men suppose S. Augustine meant to send us to seek for all common expressions of language to the Apostles Let them tell us Is there any thing in the substance of that Creed which we cannot fetch from the Apostles Are not all the severall clauses as he cites them from S. Augustine per divinas Scripturas sparsae indè collectae in unum redactae scattered here and there in the Scriptures penned by the Apostles gathered up and reduced into this summe As for the syntaxe of words and sentences who of us ever said they were or needed to be fathered upon those great Legates of the Sonne of God Our Cause is no whit the poorer if we grant there were some universall termes derived by Tradition to the following ages whereof the Originall Authors are not knowne This will not come within the compasse of his quiddam vox est praetereà nihil His third instance is in the Observation of Lent for which indeed there is so great plea of Antiquity that himselfe cannot deny it to be acknowledged even by old Ignatius a man contemporary to some of the Apostles and as overcome by the evidence of all Histories grants it to be apparent that the whole Church constantly ever observed some kinde of Fast before their Easter no lesse than Theophilus Alexandrinus Polit. Eccles ubi suprà Lex abstinendi the Law of fasting in Lent hath beene alwayes observed in the Church and what need we more And yet saith Parker for all that Lent was not delivered by Apostolike authority Et in eo lapsi sunt Patres therein the Fathers are mistaken Magisterially spoken and we must believe him rather than S. Hierome who plainely tels us it is secundùm Traditionem Apostolorum according to the Tradition of the Apostles The specialties indeed of this fast admitted of old very great variety in the season in the number of dayes in the limitation subject and manner of abstinence as Socrates hath well expressed Socrat. l. 5. c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but for a quoddam jejunium some kinde of fast I see no reason why the man that can be so liberall as to grant it alwayes observed by the universall Church should be so strait-laced as to deny it derivable from the Tradition of the holy Apostles and when he can as well prove it not Apostolike as we can prove it universall we shall give him the Bucklers To what purpose do I trace him in the rest the ancient rites of the Eucharist and of Baptisme urged out of Baronius of gestures in prayer of the observation of solemne Feasts and Embers let one word serve for all it will be an harder work for him to prove their universality and perpetuity than to disprove their originall let it be made good that the whole Church of Christ alwayes received them we shall not be niggardly in yeelding them this honour of their pedigree deducible from an Apostolicall recommendation In the meane time every not ungracious sonne of this spirituall Mother will learne to kisse the footsteps of the universall Church of Christ as knowing the deare and infallible respects betwixt him and this blessed Spouse of his as to whom he hath ingaged his everlasting presence and assistance Behold I am with you alwayes to the end of the world and will resolve to spit in the face of those seducers who go about to alienate their affections from her and to draw them into the causlesse suspicions of her chast fidelity to her Lord and Saviour To shut up this point therefore if we can show that the universall practice of the Church immediately after the Apostles and ever since hath been to governe by Bishops superiour to Presbyters in their order and jurisdiction our Cause is won §. 12. The fifth ground That the Primitive Saints and Fathers neither would nor durst set up another forme of government different from that they received from the Apostles FIftly we may not entertaine so irreverent an opinion of the Saints and Fathers of the Primitive Church That they who
of power a Priority of Presidencie for the time not personall Beza yields him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he acknowledges Justine Martyr to call him President of the Presbytery imo ne perpetuum q. istud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 munus esse necessario opportuisse but perhaps not perpetuall wherein I blesse my self to see how prejudice can blinde the eyes of the wise and learned for what Author in the whole world ever mentioned such a fashion of ambulatory Government in the Church And do not our Histories testifie that Polycarpus the Angel of Smyrna dyed Bishop there that Onesimus by Ignatius his testimony so continued Bishop of Ephesus James at Ierusalem and of these errors taxed by the holy Ghost were but for the time of a shifting Presidencie why should any one of the momentany guides of the Churches be charged so home with all the abuses of their Iurisdiction How easie had it been for him to shift the fault as hee did the chair for how could it concerne him more then the next men surely this conceit is more worthy of pity than Confutation No indifferent Reader can looke upon that Scripture and not confesse it a strained Construction Here then were certainly both Continuance and Iurisdiction Wherein Parker braves our learned Docter Field as relying meerely upon the proofs of humane authority but that worthy Divine had he insisted upon the point which hee but touched in the way could easily out of the very Text it self have evicted the Angels power and Iurisdiction for how plain is it that the Angell of Ephesus had taken the Examination of the counterfeit Apostles and found them lyers which if a meer Presbyter had undertaken to do to bee sure hee had been shaken off with scorn enough It is imputed to the Angell of the Church of Pergamus that however himself in his own person held constant to the Faith yet that there were those under his charge who held the doctrine of Balaam the beastly errours of the Nicolaitans lhey were of his Clergie that taught these wicked Doctrines And for this the Bishop is texed and menaced how should this be if he had not had a coe cive power to restraine and punish them And more plainly the Angell of the Church of Thyatyra notwithstanding all his good parts graces services is sharply taxed What is his fault Revel 2.26 That thou sufferest the woman Iezabel who calleth herself a prophetesse to teach and seduce my servants c. Were he but an Ordinary Presbiter unarmed with power how could he helpe it Or why should he be charged with what he could not redresse Let an ingenuous reader now judge whether these bee not more than probabilities of a Supereminent and Iurisdictive power in these speciall Angels of the Asian Churches Shortly then upon these clear passages of Saint Paul and Saint Iohn meeting with the grounds laid by our blessed Saviour I am for my part so confident of the Divine Institution of the Majority of Bishops above Presbiters that I dare boldly say there are weighty points of faith which have not so strong evidence in holy Scriptures Let me instance in that power which we that are Evangelicall Ministers have by the vertue of our sacred Ordes given to us alone for the Consecration and distribution of the holy Eucharist a point not more highly than justly stood upon by all Orthodox Divines yea Christians What warrant can we challenge for this right but our Saviours practise And with all that speech of his to his Disciples Luke 22.20 Do this in remembrance of me Now if this Hoc facite shall be taken as it is by some as not spoken of the Consecration or benediction but of the receit what warrant had the Apostles and all their holy successors in the Church of God ever since to enjoyne and appropriate this sacred worke to none but those that are Presbyters by Ordination The receiving of Infants to holy Baptisme is a matter of so high consequence that we justly Brand our Catabaptists with heresie for denying it yet Let me with good assurance say that the evidences for this truth come farre short of that which the Scriptures have afforded us for the superiority of some Church-governors over those who otherwise indeed in a sole respect of their ministeriall function are equall He therefore that would upon pretence of want of Scriptures quarrell at the divine Institution of Bishops having so evident and unavoydable Testimonies might with much better colour cavill at those blessed Ordinances of God which the whole Church hath thought her self bound upon sufficient reason to receive and reverence §. 8. The estate and order of Episcopacy deduced from the Apostles to the Primitive Bishops DId not the holy Scriptures yield unto these firme grounds whereon to build our Episcopacy in vain should we plead the Tradition and practise of the Church ever since for as much as we have to deal with those who are equally disaffected to the name of a Bishop and to Tradition and are so fore-stalled with their own prejudice that they are carried where Scripture is silent to an unjust jealousie against the universall practise of the whole Church of God upon earth But now when Christ and his Apostles give us the text well may the Apostolicall and universall Church yield us the Commentary And that let me boldly say is so clear for us that if our Opposites dare stand to this triall the day is ours their gultinesse therfore would fain decline this barre Tertull. de prescrip c. 24 25. Parker taking advantage from a word of Tertullian Nihil interest quando quid sit quod ab Apostolis non fuit It matters not when any thing is which was not under the Apostles that is Adulterine what ever it be that is not named by the Apostles inferres What then It matters not when the Episcopall Hierarchy began whether sooner or later Qi d igitur Nihil interest c. l. 2. c. 8. it is enough that it is Adulterine for that it is not named by the Apostles And contrarily it matters no whit at what time the reformed dis ipline was impayred whether in the very first Church or no or whether in the time immediatly succeeding Thus he And shall we take him at his word Where then did the Apostles name this mans Consistory Where his Lay-changable Presbytery Where his Discipline It is therefore Adulterine As also Where name they the peoples voyce in their Ministers Election where Classes or Synods Are all these adulterine For us we are not concerned in this Censure Our Episcopacy is both named and recommended and prescribed by the Apostles As for his discipline seeing it never came within the mention either of an Apostle or of any Christian for above fifteen hundred yeers since our Saviour left the world what can that be but grosly adulterine But to make up all Parker should have done well to have taken notice of the following words of