CHAP. I.

"I profess before God, that in my conscience, I DISS. I. repute them no other than schismatics who make it a part of Reformation of the Church to have no Bishops, who should preside over their Presbyters in degree of authority, where this may be had. Furthermore, with Mr. Calvin, I deem them worthy of all manner of anathemas, as many as will not be subject to that Hierarchy which submits itself to the Lord Jesus'." In another work he argues the same point at greater length. Speaking of the different orders established in the Church, "I believe," he says, "that such things as have been decreed and received by the holy Fathers, assembled in the name of the Lord with a general consent of all, without contradiction of holy writ; I say, I believe that such things (although they be not of the same authority with the Holy Scripture) are also of the Holy Ghost. Hence it is, that I neither can, nor dare disapprove, with a good conscience, things of that nature. Now, what is more certain out of histories, councils, and all the writings of the Fathers, than those orders of ministers of which we have said, that they were established and received in the Church by the common consent of the whole Christian commonwealth? And who am I that I should disapprove what the whole Church hath approved??"

any

1 Ibid. And see also his Tract de Necessitate Reformandæ Ecclesiæ," quoted by Barbon.

2

Credo enim quæ a piis Patribus, in nomine Domini congregatis, communi omnium consensu, citra ullam sacrarum literarum

DISS. I.

CHAP. I.

Respecting the Lutheran churches of the North, throughout Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, we Reformers need here observe no more than that they adopted and acted upon the episcopalian principles of the Augsburgh confession already quoted.

of Scandi

navia.

Reformers

of Scotland.

Knox.

Proceeding to Scotland, we find that even Knox, the uncompromising reformer of that country, had no desire to introduce a needless innovation; but adopting the ecclesiastical axiom of Calvin, that

66

parity breedeth confusion," was desirous to have maintained a form of Church Polity more agreeable to the primitive model than the prejudices of the Scottish people would allow. Indeed, the superintendents or Bishops (for the latter term is a translation of the former) whom Knox contributed to establish in Scotland, were invested with such ample powers, that many Prelates, in later times, publicly declared their perfect readiness to be satisfied with the same jurisdiction'. Knox in his own

esse;

contradictionem definita et recepta fuerunt: ea etiam (quanquam haud ejusdem cum sacris literis auctoritatis), a Spiritu Sancto ea ego improbare, nec velim, nec audeam bond conscientiá. Zanch. in Observ. ad suam ipsius confessionem in cap. 25, ad Aphor. 10 et 11, quoted by Durel, p. 252, and referred to by Hooker, Ecc. Pol. book vii. §. 11.

1

Among various authorities, we may specify the three following: Archbishop Spottiswood, in his "Refutatio Libelli," A. D. 1620; Lindsay Bishop of Brechin, in his "True Narrative," A. D. 1618; and Maxwell first Bishop of Ross, and afterwards Archbishop of Tuam, in his "Episcopacy not abjured in Scotland.” -See Bishop Sage's Vindication, Chapter IV.

Knox refused a bishoprick offered him by Edward VI., and his

life describes himself as having been for some years an officiating minister of the Church of England, both at Berwick and at Newcastle. He is stated by his biographers to have been chaplain to King Edward the Sixth, at a time when, as now, the common prayer-book contained in the introduction to the ordinal for consecration the following declaration : "It is evident unto all men diligently reading holy Scriptures and ancient authors, that from the Apostles' times there have been these orders of ministers in Christ's Church, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons." The family of this great Scotch reformer gave hereditary proof of episcopal partiality by becoming members and ministers of the English establishment'.

To the above testimonies might be added others to an unlimited extent. We have only selected

refusal has been interpreted into an evidence of his aversion to Episcopal government. But he himself assigns a different reason for that act of self-denial. In a private letter to Mrs. Bowes (his mother-in-law), he ascribes his forbearance to "the foresight of trouble to come," alluding to the anticipated persecutions under Mary. He elsewhere complains that Bishops did not oftener come forward as preachers, and that no minister had authority, by the existing laws of England, to prevent the unworthy from participating the Sacrament, which he pronounces to be "a chief part" of the ministerial office.-See Knox's Historie. Fol.

1 His two sons, Nathaniel and Eleazer, were sent for their education to England. Both of them were matriculated at St. John's College, Cambridge, A. D. 1572, and both became Fellows of that Society the former remained till his death, A. D. 1580; the latter was instituted to the living of Clacton Magna, and dying A. D. 1591, was buried at St. John's College.

:

DISS. I.

CHAP. I.

CHAP. I.

DISS. I. the most prominent out of the different countries of Christian Europe. We must not conclude, howof Holland ever, without some notice of one further eminent and the Low individual, and of one other remarkable Synod

Reformers

countries.

Grotius.

connected with a distinguished seat of theological learning. Grotius, the celebrated lawyer and statesman, the acute metaphysician and divine, well known to all the Christian world as an able "defender of the Faith," thus sums up the argument between the Episcopalian writers and their adversaries in his time. "So light and foolish is what the latter have put forth in answer to the former, that to have read the one is to have already refuted the other: especially touching the angels of the Churches, concerning whom, that which the disturbers of ecclesiastical order bring, is so absurd and contrary to the sacred text itself, that it deserves not confutation 1." In another work he remarks that" Episcopacy had its beginning in the apostolic times."-"The Bishop is of approved Divine right. For this assertion the Divine apocalypse affords an irrefragable argument."—"The histories of all times manifest the vast advantages that have accrued to the Church by Episcopacy."-" Those who think Episcopacy repugnant to God's will, must condemn the whole primitive Church of folly and impiety."

2

1 Discussio de Primatu Papæ.

Grot. de imper. Summ. Potest. circa sacra. Cap. XI. sect. 5; also Brett on Church Government, and note (B) at the end of the volume.

CHAP. I.

Dort.

To quote, as was proposed, one more authority DISS. I. from the same quarter-namely, Holland—and to end as we began, with the judgment of an Assembly of Divines: the Presbyterian Synod of Dort, Synod of called together for the establishment of Calvinism in that country, bear the same testimony with Grotius, who belonged to the Arminian party, their opposers. The Synod, on being urged by the English Church respecting the necessity of Episcopal government on the Apostolic plan, replied, that "they had a great honour for the Church of England, and heartily wished that they could establish themselves upon this model; lamenting that they had no prospect of such a happiness; and since the civil government had made their desires impracticable, they hoped God would be merciful to them 1."

The reader may perhaps imagine that we have

1 Collier's Eccles. Hist. Vol. II. p. 718.

The testimonies in the text have reference principally to the subject of Episcopacy, but I cannot forbear subjoining an eulogium from the celebrated M. Daillè, on the entire polity of the Anglican Church. "As to the Church of England, purged from foreign wicked superstitious worships and errors, either impious or dangerous, by the rule of the Divine Scripture; approved of by many and illustrious martyrs; abounding with piety towards God, and charity towards men, and with most frequent examples of good works; flourishing with an increase of most learned and wise men from the beginning of the reformation to this time: I have always had it in true and just esteem, and till I die, I shall continue in the same due veneration of it."-De Confess. advers. H. Hammond, c. i. p. 97. 98.