if it asserts itself to the utmost, it is but that seldom or never. happens; for the very questioning of any authority, hoc ipso, makes a great intrenchment even to the very skirts of its clothing. But huc deventum est.' Now we are in, we must go over. SECTION I. Christ did institute a Government in his Church. FIRST, then, that we may build upon a rock. Christ did institute a government to order and rule his church by his authority, according to his laws, and by the assistance of the blessed Spirit. 1. If this were not true, how shall the church be governed? For I hope the adversaries of episcopacy, that are so punctual to pitch all upon Scripture ground, will be sure to produce clear Scripture for so main a part of Christianity, as is the form of the government of Christ's church. And if for our private actions, and duties economical, they will pretend a text, I suppose it will not be thought possible Scripture should make default in assignation of the public government, insomuch as all laws intend the public, and the general directly; the private, and the particular, by consequence only and comprehension within the general. 2. If Christ himself did not take order for a government, then we must derive it from human prudence, and emergency of conveniences, and concourse of new circumstances, and then the government must often be changed, or else time must stand still, and things be ever in the same state and possibility. Both the consequents are extremely full of inconvenience. For if it be left to human prudence, then either the government of the church is not in immediate order to the good and benison of souls, or, if it be, that such an institution, in such immediate order to eternity, should be dependent upon human prudence, it were to trust such a rich commodity in a cock-boat, that no wise pilot will be supposed to do. But if there be often changes in government ecclesiastical, (which was the other consequent,) in the public frame I mean, and constitution of it; either the certain infinity of schisms will arise, or the dangerous issues of public inconsistency and innovation, which, in matters of religion, is good for nothing, but to make men distrust all; and, come the best that can come, there will be so many church-governments, as there are human prudences. For so (if I be not misinformed) it is abroad in some towns that have discharged episcopacy. As St. Galles, in Switzerland; there the ministers and laymen rule in common, but a layman is president. But the consistories of Zurick and Basil are wholly consistent of laymen, and ministers are joined as assistants only, and counsellors; but at Schaffhausen the ministers are not admitted to so much, but in the Huguenot churches of France the ministers do all. 3. In such cases, where there is no power of the sword for a compulsory, (and confessedly of all sides there can be none in causes and courts ecclesiastical,) if there be no opinion of religion, no derivation from a Divine authority, there will be sure to be no obedience, and indeed nothing but a certain public, calamitous irregularity. For why should they obey? Not for conscience, for there is no derivation from Divine authority; not for fear, for they have not the power of the sword. 4. If there be such a thing as the power of the keys, by Christ concredited to his church, for the binding and loosing delinquents and penitents respectively on earth, then there is clearly a court erected by Christ in his church; for here is the delegation of judges, "Tu Petrus, vos Apostoli:" whatsoever ye shall bind; here is a compulsory, "ligaveritis :" here are the causes of which they take cognizance, " quodcunque;" viz. "in materiâ scandali." For so it is limited Matt. xviii., but it is indefinite Matt. xvi., and universal, John xx., which yet is to be understood, "secundum materiam subjectam," in causes which are emergent from Christianity, "ut sic," that secular jurisdictions may not be intrenched upon. But of this hereafter. That Christ did in this place erect a jurisdiction, and establish a government, (besides the evidence of fact) is generally asserted by primitive exposition of the fathers, affirming, that to St. Peter the keys were Simler. de Rep. Helvet. fol. 148 et 172. given, that to the church of all ages a power of binding and loosing might be communicated. "Has igitur claves dedit ecclesiæ, ut quæ solveret in terrâ, soluta essent in cœlo; scil. ut quisquis in ecclesia ejus dimitti sibi peccata crederet, seque ab iis correctus averteret, in ejusdem ecclesiæ gremio constitutus eâdem fide atque correctione sanaretur." So St. Austin. And again, "Omnibus igitur sanctis ad Christi corpus inseparabiliter pertinentibus, propter hujus vitæ procellosissimæ gubernaculum, ad liganda et solvenda peccata claves regni cœlorum primus apostolorum Petrus accepit; quoniam nec ille solus, sed universa ecclesia ligat, solvitque peccata:" "St. Peter first received the government in the power of binding and loosing: but not he alone, but all the church," to wit, all succession and ages of the church, "Universa ecclesia," viz. " in pastoribus solis," as St. Chrysostom"; " In episcopis et presbyteris," as St. Jerome: the whole church, as it is represented in the bishops and presbyters.' The same is affirmed by Tertullian, St. Cyprian', St. Chrysostom, St. Hilary", Primasius', and generally by the fathers of the elder, and divines of the middle ages. 5. When our blessed Saviour had spoken a parable of the sudden coming of the Son of man, and commanded them therefore with diligence to stand upon their watch, the disciples asked him, "Speakest thou this parable to us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household to give them their portion of meat in due season?" As if he had said, ' I speak to you; for to whom else should I speak, and give caution for the looking to the house in the master's absence? You are by office and designation my stewards, to feed my servants, to govern my house.' 6. In Scripture, and other writers, to feed,' and 'to govern,' is all one, when the office is either political, or economical, or ecclesiastical. "So he fed them with a faithful and true heart, and ruled them prudently with all his power'." And b De Doctr. Christ. lib. i. c. 18. tract. 118. In Johan. vide etiam tract. 124. et tract. 50. In Joh. de Agon. Christ. cap. 30. De Bapt. contr. Donatist. lib. iii. e. 17. De Sacerd. lib. iii. h De Trinit. lib. vi. * Luke, xii. 42. d In Matt. xvi. Lib. de Pudicit. Lib. quod Christus est Deus. In Apocal. lib. iii. 1 Psal. Ixxviii. St. Peter joins. ἐπισκοποῦντες and ποιμαίνοντες together, ποιμάνατε τὸ ἐν ὑμῖν ποίμνιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπισκοποῦντες m. So does St. Paul, προσέχετε οὖν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ πάντι τῷ ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο Επισκόπους ». — Επισκόπους ἐν ποιμνίῳ, Rulers or 'Overseers in a flock;' Pastors. It is ordinary. Пoiμéva λaõv, Homer; i. e. Barinéa öxλav. Euripides calls the governors and guides of chariots, Touévaç öxwv. And our blessed Saviour himself is called the "great Shepherd of our souls ;" and that we may know the intentum of that compellation, it is in conjunction also with 'Enionowos. He is, therefore, our Shepherd, for he is our Bishop, our Ruler, and Overseer. Since, then, Christ hath left pastors or feeders in his church, it is also as certain he hath left rulers, they being both one in name, in person, in office. But this is of a known truth to all that understand either laws or languages: οἱ δὲ ποιμαίνοντες ἀρχόντων καὶ ἡγεμόνων ἔχοντες δύναμιν, saith Philo "; " They that feed have the power of princes and rulers :" the thing is an undoubted truth to most men; but because all are not of a mind, something was necessary for confirmation of it. SECTION II. This Government was first committed to the Apostles by Christ. THIS government was, by immediate substitution, delegated to the apostles by Christ himself, "in traditione clavium, in spiratione Spiritûs, in missione in Pentecoste." When Christ promised them the " keys," he promised them "power to bind and loose;" when he breathed on them the Holy Ghost, he gave them that actually, to which, by the former promise, they were entitled; and in the octaves of the passion, he gave them the same authority, which he had received from his Father, and they were the "faithful and wise stewards, whom the Lord made rulers over his household." But I shall not labour much upon this". Their m 1 Pet. v. 2. n Acts, xx. In lib. de eo quod deterior potiori insidiatur. founding all the churches from east to west, and so, by being fathers, deriving their authority from the nature of the thing; their appointing rulers in every church; their synodal decrees "de suffocato et sanguine," and letters missive to the churches of Syria and Cilicia; their excommunications of Hymeneus and Alexander, and the incestuous Corinthian ; their commanding and requiring obedience of their people in all things, as St. Paul did of his subjects of Corinth, and the Hebrews, by precept apostolical; their threatening the pastoral rod; their calling synods and public assemblies; their ordering rites and ceremonies; composing a symbol as the tessera of Christianity; their public reprehension of delinquents; and, indeed, the whole execution of their apostolate, is one continued argument of their superintendency, and superiority of jurisdiction. SECTION III. With a Power of joining others, and appointing Successors in the Apostolate. THIS power, so delegated, was not to expire with their persons; for when the great Shepherd had reduced his wandering sheep into a fold, he would not leave them without "guides to govern?? them, so long as the wolf might possibly prey upon them, and that is, till the last separation of the sheep from the goats. And this Christ intimates in that promise, "Ero vobiscum (apostolis) usque ad consummationem seculi." "Vobiscum;" not with your persons, for they died long ago; but " vobiscum et vestri similibus," with apostles to the end of the world. And, therefore, that the apostolate might be successive and perpetual, Christ gave them a power of ordination, that, by imposing hands on others, they might impart that power which they received from Christ. For in the apostles there was something extraordinary, something ordinary. Whatsoever was extraordinary, as 'immediate mission, unlimited jurisdiction, and miraculous operations,' that was not necessary to the perpetual regiment of the church, for then the church should fail, when these privileges extraordinary did cease. It was |