The Cyprianick-Bishop examined, and found not to be a diocesan, nor to have superior power to a parish minister, or Presbyterian moderator being an answer to J.S. his Principles of the Cyprianick-age, with regard to episcopal power & jurisdiction : together with an appendix, in answer to a railing preface to a book, entituled, The fundamental charter of presbytery / by Gilbert Rule ...

THE PREFACE.

OF this Controversie about Episcopacy, the Learned Vitringa, de Synagog. vet. lib. 2. C. 2. P. 474. hath this Observation; à quo tempore Ecclesia Re∣formati nominis, secessionem fecit à Pontificia Romana, & diversam recepit regiminis formam, tantopere praeferbuit litibus, de vero typo Regimi∣nis Ecclesiae, ut nulla controversia fere eruditorum calamos tam diu, tam seriò, & pertinaciter, & tanto utrinque stu∣dio & contentione, & vincendi tam spe, quam desiderio, exer∣cuerit, atque haec ipsa. It also hath long divided the Church in these Nations, and seemeth, in our days, to be further from Accom∣modation, than ever: Presbyterians, on the one Hand, growing daily more and more clear, and confident, that Parity is of Divine Institution, and cannot lawfully be changed, tho' mean while, they have Charity to good Men who are otherwise minded: and some of our Episcopal Brethren, on the other side, beginning to talk higher for a Jus Divinum to be for Prelacy, than their Predecessors did: and counting all the Societies of Christians which are without Bishops, to be no Churches of Christ, but a Company of damnable Schismaticks; among whom there can be no Salvation: if these men be for Peace, let any judge. But it is unaccountable, that in a Matter that Salvation does so much depend upon, in their Opinion, they should lay so much stress (as they commonly do) on the Opinions of Men, and the Testimo∣nies of the antient Church: seing, 1. All, except Papi••••s, agree, that Matters of Faith, and which Salvation dependeth on, must be deter∣mined only by Scripture: and that God speaking in his Word, is

the only Judge in such Controversies. Secondly, The Fathers them∣selves plead for this, and disown both each himself, and one another as either Judge, or sufficient Witness in such Debates: Optat. Mi∣levit. contra Parmen. lib. 5. de Coelo quaerendus est judex, sed ut quid pulsamus ad Coelum cum habeamus hic in Evangelio Testa∣mentum. Jerom in a Debate with August. had cited seven Fathers for his Opinion, and craved leave to err, (if he did err) with so many Learned Doctors, to whom Augustine replyed, ipse mihi pro his omnibus, imò supra hos omnes, Apostolus Paulus occurit, ad ipsum confugio, ad ipsum omnes qui aliud sentiunt provoco, &c. Augustin. Hieron. Ep. 19. the same August. Ep. 3. Fortunatiano. Neque enim (saith he) quorumlibet disputationes quamvis Ca∣tholicorum, & laudatorum hominum velut Scripturas Canonicas ha∣bere debemus, ut nobis non liceat salva honorificentia, quae illis debetur, aliquid contra &c. and Tom. 2. Ep. 112. Paulinae: nun∣quid ullo modo Evangelio nos comparabis, aut scripta nostra (he speaketh of himself and Ambrose) Scripturis Canonicis coaequabis? Profecto si recte in judicando sapis, longe nos infra vides ab illa authoritate distare. Yea, in particular, this mark of Insufficiency to prove a Divine Truth, is set on Cyprian's Authority, by Augustine, l. 2. contra Crescon. cap. 32. Hujus Epistolae authoritate ego non teneor; quia literas Cypriani non ut Canonicas habeo. Et ibid. c. 31. Nos nullam Cypriano facimus injuriam, cum ejus quaslibet literas à Cano∣nonica divinarum literarum authoritate distinguimus. Thirdly, It is observable, that even the Affrican Fathers, after Cyprian, do not speak so high of Episcopal Praelation, as Cyprian doth; as Augu∣stine, Cited in the Book it self, his secundum honorum vocabula, and usus obtinuit; are two considerable Diminutives, and derogate the one from the Degree of Episcopal Authority, the other from the Perpetuity and Divine Right of it. And Primasius Uticensis cal∣leth the Presbyterate, secundus, & penè unus Gradus cum Episco∣patu; sicut multis Scripturarum Testimoniis comprobatur. In Tim. 1. C. 3. Now these two Affrican Bishops could not but know Cy∣prian's mind, and therefore they either differed from him in this

Matter, or (which I rather think) Cyprian used higher, and more keen Expressions, for the same things, and that out of a pecu∣liar Zeal, that he had for the Dignity of the Church; and to mag∣nifie his Office. Fourthly, It is evident that the Antient Bishops, and other Divines, when they gave Marks of the True Church, brought them always from the Scripture, not from Humane Testimo∣ny. August. Ep. 50. Bonifacio Comiti: in Sanctis Libris ubi manifestatur Dominus Christus, ibi & ejus Ecclesia declaratur: Where also he Chargeth them with Wonderful Blindness, who seek Christ in the Scripture, and the Church in Humane Writings. Also Cyprian. Ep. Coecilio; and in that to Pompeius, proveth that we must follow Christ and his written Word only, as our Rule, and not old Customs and Practices. The same thing Gerson proveth, in a Sermon before the Pope, and asserteth that the Scripture is sufficient for the Government of the Church: and calleth it Blasphemy to say, that it can be better done by mens Inventions. Fifthly, The Antient Bishops (even such of them as were Holy and Humble,) might have too high Thoughts of their own Praelation, and too much Inclination to greaten it. That Temper appeared among the Apostles, while Christ was with them. Great Corruptions in the Church have Insensibly had their Beginning from Good and Zealous Men. Sixthly, Many Famous and Learned Bishops, much later than these called Fathers, and yet before the Reformation from Popery, held that Bishops and Presbyters were by Divine Institution every way one, so Anselm Arch-Bishop of Canterbury on Philip. 1. and Tit. 1. Rich. Armachan. in quaest. Armenorum: Aeneas Sylvius, (afterward Pope Pius se∣cundus) Ep. 130; which is concerning his Conference with the Ministers of the Taborites. Also in the time of the Reformation, the English Bishops and Clergy, who still were Popish, in the Book cal∣led the Institution of a Christian Man; Chap. of the Sacrament of Orders. Cassander in his Consultation Art. 14. saith, non con∣venit inter Theologos, & Canonistas, an Episcopatus ponendus inter Ordines Ecclesiasticos: convenit autem inter omnes, Aposto∣lorum Aetate inter Episcopos & Presbyteros nullum Discrimen, &c

Seventhly, Even Mr. Dodwell (as high as he is for Episcopal Au∣thority,) saith, that the first Bishops were made by Presbyters: and that it behoved to be so, otherwise the Succession could not be secu∣red in the first times of Persecution. How this consisteth either with our Author's Book or with his own, against Separation from the Episcopal Chairs, let the Reader judge. It's true, Mr. Dod∣well (it is 521, 522.) pretendeth not to be afraid of the Conse∣quence of this Assertion, with Respect to the Bishop's absolute Power, because Kings also are Invested by their Subjects, (this Paralell I might, but shall not Debate with him,) but how can he, on this Supposition, defend their sole Power of Ordination to be of Divine Right; I cannot see, but shall be glad to be instructed. I insist not on the Suspicion, that Cyprian's Epistles are corrupted; tho' Au∣gustine Ep. 48. Vincentio; hath these words, neque enim potuit integritas atque notitia literarum unius quantumlibet illustris Epis∣copi, (Cyprian scil.) custodiri quemadmodum Scriptura Ca∣nonica, &c. What is said, may derogate much from the Testimo∣nies that my Antagonist bringeth, and warrant our putting a sense on them, different from the sound they have in the Ears of this Au∣thor, and some others of his Perswasion. The Reader may know, that our Debate is not about the Jus, but Factum; not how the Church should be Governed, but how it was done in the Age mentioned. In which, I affirm that tho' it is manifest, that the Bishop was above the Presbyter in Dignity and Order, yet he did not Rule the Church by himself, but the Presbyters had equal Power with him in mana∣ging Church-Government.