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CHAP. II. The foundation of the Church of Hierusalem under the Government of Saint James the Apostle, and Simeon, one of the Disciples, the two first Bishops of the same.
- 1. Matthias chosen into the place of Judas.
- 2. The coming of the Holy Ghost, and on whom it fell.
- 3. The greatest measure of the Spirit fell on the Apostles, and so by consequence the great∣est power.
- 4. The several Ministrations in the Church then given; and that in ranking of the same, the Bishops are intended in the name of Pastors.
- 5. The sudden growth of the Church of Hie∣rusalem, and the making of Saint James the first Bishop there.
- 6. The former point deduced from Scripture.
- 7. And proved by the general consent of Fa∣thers.
- 8. Of the Episcopal Chair or Throne of Saint James, and his Successors in Hierusalem.
- 9. Simeon elected by the Apostles to succeed S. James.
- 10. The meaning of the word Episcopus, and from whence borrowed by the Church.
- 11. The institution of the Presbyters.
- 12. What interest they had in the common business of the Church, whilst S. James was Bishop.
- 13. The Council of Hierusalem, and what the Presbyters had to do therein.
- 14. The Institution of the Seven, and to what Office they were called.
- 15. The names of Ecclesiastical functions, promiscuously used in holy Scripture.
OUR Saviour Christ having thus Authorized his Apostles to Preach the Gospel over all the World, [unspec I] to every Creature; and given them power as well of mini∣string the Sacraments, as of retaining and remitting sins, as before is said; thought fit to leave them to themselves,* 1.1 only commanding them to tarry in the City of Hieru∣salem until they were indued with further power from on high, whereby they might be fitted for so great a work.* 1.2 And when he had spoken those things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a Cloud received him out of their sight. No sooner was he gone to the Heavenly glories, but the Apostles with the rest, withdrew themselves unto Hieru∣salem, as he had appointed; where the first care they took was, to fill up their num∣ber, to surrogate some one or other of the Disciples in the place of Judas, that so the Word of God might be fulfilled,* 1.3 which he had spoken by the Psalmist, Episcopatum ejus accipiat alter. A business of no small importance, and therefore fit to be imparted unto all the Brethren; not so much that their suffrage and consent herein was necessa∣ry, as that they might together joyn in prayer to Almighty God,* 1.4 to direct the action, whose business indeed it was, and unto whom alone the whole election properly per∣tained. All that they did was to propose two men unto the Lord their God (Et statuerunt duos,* 1.5 saith the Text) such as they thought most fit for so great a charge, and so to leave it to his providence, to shew and manifest which of the two he pleased to choose. In the appointment of which two, whether that statuerunt being a Verb of the Plural number, be to be referred to all the multitude, as Chrysostom is of opinion, or only unto the Apostles, and the Seventy, as some others think, it comes all to one. For the whole number being but an hundred and twenty,* 1.6 and being that the Apostles with the Seventy (out of which rank the nomination of the two was made) made up the number of fourscore; it must needs be that the appointment in effect was in them alone. And though I rather do incline to Chrysostom, in this particular, that the appointment of these two was done by all the multitude in general;* 1.7 yet I can yield by no means to the next that followeth. For shewing some politick and worldly reasons, why Peter did permit the people to have an interest in the business, he first asked this question, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; whether it were not lawful for Saint Peter to have chose the man. And then he answereth positively, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that it was most lawful, but that he did forbear to do it, lest he might seem to do it out of partiality. In this I must crave leave to dissent from Chrysostom. The power of making an Apostle was too high a priviledge to be intrusted unto any of the Sons of Adam.* 1.8 Paul was not made Apostle, though an Abortive one, as he calls himself, either of men, or by men, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father. What priviledge or