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The
Reduction of Episcopacy unto the form of Synodical Government
Received in the Ancient Church: Proposed as an Expedient for
the compromising of the now Differences, and the preventing of
those Troubles that may arise about the matter of Church Government.
1656
Episcopal
and Presbyteral Government conjoined.
By
Order of the Church of England all Presbyters are charged (1) to
minister 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 (2), the Exhortation
of S. 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 your selves, and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to Rule (3) 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 on President; Whom our Saviour in his Epistle to that
Church in a peculiar manner styles the Angel of the Church of
Ephesus (Rev 2.1); and Ignatius, in another Epistle written about
twelve years after unto the same Church, called the Bishop thereof,
betwixt which Bishop and the Presbytery 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. Paul (1 Tim 4.14) understanding the Company
of the rest of the Presbyters or Elders, who then had a hand
not only in the deliverance of the Doctrine and Sacraments, but
also in the administration of the Discipline of Christ, for further
proof whereof, we have that known testimony of Tertullian in
his Apology for Christians. (4)
In
the Church are used exhortations, chastisements and divine censure. For
judgement is given with great advice as among those who are certain
that they are in the sight of God; and it is the chiefest foreshowing
of the judgement 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; were no other
(as he himself elsewhere intimates) but those from whose hands
they used to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist (5). For
with the Bishop who was the chief President (and therefore styled
by the same Tertullian in another place (6) 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 in matters of Ecclesiastical
judicature Cornelius Bishop of Rome used the received form of
gathering together the Presbytery (7); of
what persons did consist, Cyprian, sufficiently declares, when
he wishes him to read his letters (8) 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 his Clergy, and that otherwise the Bishops
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 Egbert, who was Archbishop of York in the Saxons times, and
afterwards into the Body of the Canon Law itself.
True
it is, that in our Church this kind of Presbyterial government
has been long disused, yet seeing it still professes, that every
Pastor has a right to rule the Church (from when 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 proceeds
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 his ancient form of government by the united Suffrages
of the Clergy might be revived again, and with what little show
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 impartial Reader may quickly perceive
by the perusal of the ensuing Propositions.
1. In
every parish the Rector or Incumbent Pastor together with the
Churchwardens 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 ay be presented unto the next monthly Synod; and in the
mean time debarred by the Pastor from access to the Lord’s
Table.
2. Whereas
by a Statute in the 26 year of King Henry the eight (revived
in the first of Queen Elizabeth) Suffragans are appointed to
be erected in twenty six 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
votes conclude all matters that should be brought into debate
before them.
To
this Synod the Rector and Churchwardens might present such impenitent
persons, as by admonition 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 doctrine or their conversation;
as also the censure of all new Opinions, Heresies, or Schisms,
which did arise within that Circuit; with liberty of Appeal,
if need so require, unto the Diocesan Synod.
3. 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 that Diocese might meet,
with whose consent, or the Major part of them, all things might
be concluded by the Bishop or Superintendent (call him whither
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 matters of difficultly could not
receive a full determination; it might be referred to the next
Provincial or National Synod.
4. The
Provincial Synod might consist of all the Bishops and Suffragans,
and such other Clergy as should be elected out of every Diocese
within the Province; The Primate of either Province might be
Moderator of this meeting (or in his room, some one of the Bishops
appointed by him) and all matters be ordered therein by common
consent as in the former Assembly.
This
Synod might be held every third year, and in the Parliament do
then sit (according to the Act for A Triennial Parliament) both
the Primates and Provincial Synods of the Land might join together,
and make us a National Counsel: Wherein all appeals from inferior
Synods might be received, all their Acts examined, and all Ecclesiastical
constitutions which concern the state of the Church of the whole
Nation established.
END.
The
Form of Government here proposed, is not in any point repugnant
to Scripture; and that the Suffragans mentioned in the Second
Proposition, may lawfully use the power both of jurisdiction
and Ordination, according to the Word of God, and the Practice
of the ancient Church.
ENDNOTES
(Not all the endnotes
have been copied because of the difficulty of reading them
in the manuscript available. Whereas Ussher gave most
of the notes in Latin the Engish version of Schaff has been
used here.)
The
form of Ordaining Ministers
Ibid.
ex Acts 20.17,28
poimainein – so
taken in Matt 2.6 and Rev 12.5 & 19.15
“In
the same place also exhortations are made, rebukes and sacred
censures are administered. For with a great gravity is
the work of judging carried on among us, as befits those who
feel assured that they are in the sight of God; and you have
the most notable example of judgment to come when any one has
sinned so grievously as to require his severance from us in prayer,
in the congregation and in all sacred intercourse. The
tried men of our elders preside over us, obtaining that honour
not by purchase, but by established character.” Tertullian
: Apology Chapter 39.
“We
take also, in congregations before daybreak, and from the hand
of none but the presidents, the sacrament of the Eucharist” Tertullian
: The Chaplet or De Corona, Chapter 3
Tertullian
: On Baptism, Chapter 17
“The
whole of this transaction therefore being brought before me,
I decided that the presbytery should be brought together; (for
there were present five bishops, who were also present today;)
so that by well-grounded counsel it might be determined with
the consent of all what ought to be observed in respect of their
persons.” The Epistles of Cyprian : Epistle 45 Cornelius
to Cyprian
The
Epistles of Cyprian : Epistle 53 to Cornelius
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