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THE

REDUCTION OF EPISCOPACY,

&c. &c.

Episcopal and Presbyterial Government conjoined.

By order of the Church of England, all presbyters are charged "toa administer the doctrine and sacraments, and the discipline of Christ, as the Lord hath commanded, and as this realm hath received the same;" and that they might the better understand what the "Lord had commanded" therein, the exhortation of St. Paul to the elders of the Church of Ephesus is appointed to be read unto them at the time of their ordination: "Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock among whom the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to rule the congregation of God, which he hath purchased with his blood."

Of the many elders, who in common thus ruled the church of Ephesus, there was one president, whom our Saviour in his epistle unto this church in a peculiar manner stileth"thed angel of the Church of Ephesus:" and

a The book of ordination. b Ibid. ex Act. cap. 20. 27, 28. cПopaivεiv, so taken in Mat. chap. 2. ver. 6. and Rev. chap. 12. ver. 5.

and chap. 19. ver. 15.

d Rev. cap. 2. ver. 1.

Ignatius in another epistle, written about twelve years after unto the same church, calleth the bishop thereof. Betwixt the bishop and the presbyter of that church, what an harmonious consent there was in the ordering of the church government, the same Ignatius doth fully there declare, by the presbytery, with St. Paule, understanding the community of the rest of the presbyters, or elders, who then had a hand not only in the delivery of the doctrine, and sacraments, but also in the administration of the "discipline of Christ:" for further proof of which, we have that known testimony of Tertullian in his general apology for Christians: "In the Church are used exhortations, chastisements, and divine censure; for judgment is given with great advice as among those who are certain they are in the sight of God, and it is the chiefest foreshowing of the judgment which is to come, if any man have so offended, that he be banished from the communion of prayer, and of the assembly, and of all holy fellowship. The presidents that bear rule therein are certain approved elders, who have obtained this honour not by reward, but by good report," who were no other, as he himself intimates, elsewhere, but those from whose hands they used to receive the sacrament of the eucharist.

For with the bishop, who was the chief president, (and therefore stiled by the same Tertullian in another place, "summus sacerdos," for distinction sake) the rest of the dispensers of the Word and sacraments joined in the common government of the church; and therefore, where

e 1 Tim. cap. 4. ver. 14.

f "Ibidem etiam exhortationes, castigationes et censura divina; nam et judicatur magno cum pondere, ut apud certos de Dei conspectu, summumque futuri judicii præjudicium est, si quis ita deliquerit, ut a communicatione orationis, et conventus, et omnis sancti commercii relegetur: præsident probati quique seniores, honorem istum non pretio, sed testimonio adepti." Tertull. apologet. cap. 39.

"Nec de aliorum manibus quam præsidentium sumimus." Tertull. De corona militis, cap. 3.

"Dandi quidem baptismi habet jus summus sacerdos, qui est episcopus, dehine presbyteri et diaconi." Tertull. de bapt. cap. 17.

in matters of ecclesiastical judicature, Cornelius bishop of Rome used the received form of "gathering together the presbytery;" of what persons that did consist, Cyprian sufficiently declareth, when he wisheth him to read his letters" to the flourishing clergy, which there did preside," or rule "with him :" the presence of the clergy being thought to be so requisite in matters of episcopal audience, that in the fourth council of Carthage it was concluded, "That' the bishop might hear no man's cause without the presence of the clergy: and that otherwise the bishop's sentence should be void, unless it were confirmed by the presence of the clergy:" which we find also to be inserted into the canons of Egbertm, who was archbishop of York in the Saxon times, and afterwards into the body of the canon law" itself.

True it is, that in our Church this kind of presbyterial government hath been long disused, yet seeing it still professeth that every pastor hath a right to rule the church (from whence the name of rector also was given at first unto him) and to administer the discipline of Christ, as well as to dispense the doctrine and sacraments, and the restraint of the exercise of that right proceedeth only from the custom now received in this realm; no man can doubt, but by another law of the land, this hindrance may be well removed. And how easily this ancient form of government by the united suffrages of the clergy might be revived again, and with what little shew of alteration the synodical conventions of the pastors of every parish might be accorded with the presidency of the bishops of each diocese and province, the indifferent reader may quickly perceive by the perusal of the ensuing propositions.

i "Omni actu ad me perlato placuit contrahi presbyterium." Cyp. epist. 46. op. pag. 60.

Cornel. apud

* "Florentissimo illic clero tecum præsidenti." Cyprian. epist. 55. ad Cornel. op. pag. 89.

"Ut episcopus nullius causam audiat absque præsentia clericorum suorum, alioquin irrita erit sententia episcopi nisi clericorum præsentia confirmetur," Concil. Carthag. IV. cap. 23.

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15. qu. 7. cap. Nullus.

I.

How the Church might synodically be governed, archbishops and bishops being still retained.

In every parish, the rector, or incumbent pastor, together with the church-wardens and sidesmen, may every week take notice of such as live scandalously in that congregation, who are to receive such several admonitions and reproofs, as the quality of their offence shall deserve; and if by this means they cannot be reclaimed, they may be presented to the next monthly synod; and in the mean time debarred by the pastor from access unto the Lord's table.

II.

Whereas by a statute in the six and twentieth year of King Henry the eighth, revived in the first year of Queen Elizabeth, suffragans are appointed to be erected in twenty six several places of this kingdom; the number of them might very well be conformed unto the number of the several rural deaneries, into which every diocese is subdivided; which being done, the suffragan supplying the place of those, who in the ancient church were called chorepiscopi, might every month assemble a synod of all the rectors, or incumbent pastors within the precinct, and according to the major part of their voices, conclude all matters that shall be brought into debate before them.

To this synod the rector and church-wardens might present such impenitent persons, as by admonitions and suspension from the sacrament would not be reformed; who if they should still remain contumacious and incorrigible, the sentence of excommunication might be decreed against them by the synod, and accordingly be executed

in the parish where they lived. Hitherto also all things that concerned the parochial ministers might be referred, whether they did touch their doctrine, or their conversation, as also the censure of all new opinions, heresies, and schisms, which did arise within that circuit; with liberty of appeal, if need so require, unto the diocesan synod.

III.

The diocesan synod might be held once or twice in the year, as it should be thought most convenient: therein all the suffragans, and the rest of the rectors, or incumbent pastors, or a certain select number of every deanery within the diocese, might meet, with whose consent, or the major part of them, all things might be concluded by the bishop, or superintendent, call him whether you will, or in his absence, by one of the suffragans; whom he shall depute in his stead to be moderator of that assembly.

Here all matters of greater moment might be taken into consideration, and the orders of the monthly synods revised, and, if need be, reformed: and if here also any matter of difficulty could not receive a full determination, it might be referred to the next provincial, or national synod.

IV.

The provincial synod might consist of all the bishops and suffragans, and such other of the clergy as should be elected out of every diocese within the province; the archbishop of either province might be the moderator of this meeting, or in his room some one of the bishops ap

• “'EπLOKOTOŬVrɛç, id est, superintendentes ; unde et nomen episcopi tractum est." Hieron. epist. 85. ad Evagrium.

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