sitteth as a judge in a throne, even the presbyter sitteth also." A presbyter therefore doing thus far the selfsame thing which a bishop did, it was by Aerius enforced, that they ought not in any thing to differ. Are we to think Aerius had wrong in being judged a heretic for holding this opinion? Surely if heresy be an error falsely fathered upon scriptures, but indeed repugnant to the truth of the word of God, and by the consent of the universal church in the councils, or in her contrary uniform practice throughout the whole world, declared to be such; and the opinion of Aerius in this point be a plain error of that nature, there is no remedy, but Aerius so schismatically and stiffly maintaining it, must even stand where Epiphanius and Augustine have placed him. An error repugnant unto the truth of the word of God is held by them, whosoever they be, that stand in defence of any conclusion drawn erroneously out of Scripture, and untruly thereon fathered. The opinion of Aerius therefore being falsely collected out of Scripture, must needs be acknowledged an error repugnant unto the truth of the word of God. His opinion was, that there ought not to be any difference between a bishop and a presbyter. His grounds and reasons for his opinion were sentences of Scripture. Under pretence of which sentences, whereby it seemed that bishops and presbyters at the first did not differ, it was concluded by Aerius, that the church did ill in permitting any difference to be made. The answer which Epiphanius maketh unto some part of the proofs by Aerius alleged, was not greatly studied or laboured; for through a contempt of so base an error (for this himself did perceive and profess) yieldeth he thereof expressly this reason; men that have wit do evidently see that all this is mere foolishness. But how vain and ridiculous soever his opinion seemed unto wise men; with it Aerius deceived many, for which cause somewhat was convenient to be said against it. And in that very extemporal slightness which Epiphanius there useth, albeit the answer made to Aerius be in part but raw, yet ought · Ἐν τούτω πολλοὺς ἠπάτησε. b As in that he saith, the apostle doth name sometimes presbyters and not bishops, 1 Tim. iv. 14. sometimes bishops and not presbyters, Phil. i. 1. because all churches had not both, for want of able and sufficient men. In such churches, therefore, as had but the one, the apostle could not mention the other. Which answer is nothing to the latter place abovementioned: for that the church of Philippi should have more bishops than one, and want a few able men to be presbyters under the regiment of one bishop, how shall we think it probable or likely? Titus i. 5. 1 Tim. iii. 5. Phil. i. 1. 1, 2. for one and the selfsame office, so constantly and perpetually in all places, declareth that the word bishop in the apostles' writing importeth not a pastor of higher power and authority over other pastors. 1 Pet. v. 2. "All pastors are called to their office by the same means of proceeding; the Scripture maketh no difference in the manner of their trial, election, ordination : which proveth their office and power to be by Scripture all one. Answer. 3. "The apostles were all of equal power, and all pastors do alike succeed the apostles in their ministry and power, the commission and authority whereby they succeed being in Scripture but one and the same that was committed to the apostles, without any difference of committing to one pastor more, or to another less. 4. "The power of the censures and keys of the church, and of ordaining and ordering ministers (in which two points especially this superiority is challenged), is not committed to any one pastor of the church more than to another; but the same is committed as a thing to be carried equally in the guidance of the church. Whereby it appeareth, that Scripture maketh all pastors, not only in the ministry of the word and sacraments, but also in all ecclesiastical jurisdiction and authority, equal. 5. The council of Nice doth attribute this difference, not unto any ordination of God, but to an ancient custom used in former times, which judgment is also followed afterward by other councils." Concil. Antioch. cap. 9. 6. Upon these premises, their summary collection and conclusion is, "That the ministry of the gospel, and the functions thereof, ought to be from heaven and of God." John i. 23. "That if they be of God, and from heaven, then are they set down in the word of God; that if they be not in the word of God (as by the premises it doth appear (they say) that our kinds of bishops are not), it followeth, they are invented by the brain of men, and are of the earth, and that consequently they can do no good in the church of Christ, but harm." Our answer hereunto is, first, that their proofs are unavaila So that it appeareth that the ministry of the gospel, and the functions thereof, ought to be from heaven: from heaven, I say, and heavenly, because although it be executed by earthly men, and ministers are chosen also by men like unto themselves, yet, because it is done by the word and institution of God, it may well be accounted to come from heaven and from God. T. C. lib. i. p. 13. able to shew that Scripture affordeth no evidence for the inequality of pastors: secondly, that albeit the Scripture did no way insinuate the same to be God's ordinance, and the apostles to have brought it in, albeit the church were acknowledged by all men to have been the first beginner thereof a long time after the apostles were gone; yet is not the authority of bishops hereby disannulled, it is not hereby proved unfit, or unprofitable for the church. i. 20. 1. That the word of God doth acknowledge no inequality of power amongst pastors of the church,-neither doth it appear by the signification of this word bishop, nor by the indifferent use thereof. For, concerning signification, first, it is clearly untrue that no other thing is thereby signified but only an oversight in respect of a particular church and congregation. For, I beseech you, of what parish or particular congregation was Matthias bishop? His office Scripture Acts doth term episcopal: which being no other than was common unto all the apostles of Christ; forasmuch as in that number there is not any to whom the oversight of many pastors did not belong by force and virtue of that office; it followeth that the very word doth sometimes, even in Scripture, signify an oversight such as includeth charge over pastors themselves. And if we look to the use of the word, being applied with reference unto some one church, as Ephesus, Philippi, and such-like, albeit the guides of those churches be interchangeably in Scripture termed sometime bishops, sometime presbyters, to signify men having oversight and charge, without relation at all unto other than the Christian laity alone; yet this doth not hinder, but that Scripture may in some place have other names, whereby certain of those presbyters or bishops are noted to have the oversight and charge of pastors, as out of all peradventure they had whom Rev. St. John doth entitle angels. 2. As for those things which the apostle hath set down concerning trial, election, and ordination of pastors, that he maketh no difference in the manner of their calling, this also is but a silly argument to prove their office and their power equal by the Scripture. The form of admitting each sort unto their offices, needed no particular instruction: there was no fear, but that such matters of course would easily enough be observed. The apostle, therefore, toucheth those things wherein judgment, wisdom, and conscience, are re ii. 1. Titus i. 5. 1 Tim. for one and the selfsame office, so constantly and perpetually in all places, declareth that the word bishop in the apostles' iii. 5. writing importeth not a pastor of higher power and authority over other pastors. Phil. i. 1. 1, 2. 1 Pet. v. 2. "All pastors are called to their office by the same means of proceeding; the Scripture maketh no difference in the manner of their trial, election, ordination: which proveth their office and power to be by Scripture all one. Answer. 3. "The apostles were all of equal power, and all pastors do alike succeed the apostles in their ministry and power, the commission and authority whereby they succeed being in Scripture but one and the same that was committed to the apostles, without any difference of committing to one pastor more, or to another less. 4. "The power of the censures and keys of the church, and of ordaining and ordering ministers (in which two points especially this superiority is challenged), is not committed to any one pastor of the church more than to another; but the same is committed as a thing to be carried equally in the guidance of the church. Whereby it appeareth, that Scripture maketh all pastors, not only in the ministry of the word and sacraments, but also in all ecclesiastical jurisdiction and authority, equal. 5. The council of Nice doth attribute this difference, not unto any ordination of God, but to an ancient custom used in former times, which judgment is also followed afterward by other councils." Concil. Antioch. cap. 9. 6. Upon these premises, their summary collection and conclusion is, "That the ministry of the gospel, and the functions thereof, ought to be from heaven and of God." John i. 23. "That if they be of God, and from heaven, then are they set down in the word of God; that if they be not in the word of God (as by the premises it doth appear (they say) that our kinds of bishops are not), it followeth, they are invented by the brain of men, and are of the earth, and that consequently they can do no good in the church of Christ, but harm." Our answer hereunto is, first, that their proofs are unavaila So that it appeareth that the ministry of the gospel, and the functions thereof, ought to be from heaven: from heaven, I say, and heavenly, because although it be executed by earthly men, and ministers are chosen also by men like unto themselves, yet, because it is done by the word and institution of God, it may well be accounted to come from heaven and from God. T. C. lib. i. p. 13. able to shew that Scripture affordeth no evidence for the inequality of pastors: secondly, that albeit the Scripture did no way insinuate the same to be God's ordinance, and the apostles to have brought it in, albeit the church were acknowledged by all men to have been the first beginner thereof a long time after the apostles were gone; yet is not the authority of bishops hereby disannulled, it is not hereby proved unfit, or unprofitable for the church. i. 20. 1. That the word of God doth acknowledge no inequality of power amongst pastors of the church, neither doth it appear by the signification of this word bishop, nor by the indifferent use thereof. For, concerning signification, first, it is clearly untrue that no other thing is thereby signified but only an oversight in respect of a particular church and congregation. For, I beseech you, of what parish or particular congregation was Matthias bishop? His office Scripture Acts doth term episcopal: which being no other than was common unto all the apostles of Christ; forasmuch as in that number there is not any to whom the oversight of many pastors did not belong by force and virtue of that office; it followeth that the very word doth sometimes, even in Scripture, signify an oversight such as includeth charge over pastors themselves. And if we look to the use of the word, being applied with reference unto some one church, as Ephesus, Philippi, and such-like, albeit the guides of those churches be interchangeably in Scripture termed sometime bishops, sometime presbyters, to signify men having oversight and charge, without relation at all unto other than the Christian laity alone; yet this doth not hinder, but that Scripture may in some place have other names, whereby certain of those presbyters or bishops are noted to have the oversight and charge of pastors, as out of all peradventure they had whom Rev. St. John doth entitle angels. 2. As for those things which the apostle hath set down concerning trial, election, and ordination of pastors, that he maketh no difference in the manner of their calling, this also is but a silly argument to prove their office and their power equal by the Scripture. The form of admitting each sort unto their offices, needed no particular instruction: there was no fear, but that such matters of course would easily enough be observed. The apostle, therefore, toucheth those things wherein judgment, wisdom, and conscience, are re ii. 1. |