XI. CHAP. to the people; because the Church, being a mere spiritual commonwealth, and not endued with temporal strength, so much as to execute those sentences which the power of the keys, given by Christ, obligeth it to inflict-always setting aside that power of working miracles which was in the 148 Apostle, upon which some think he reflecteth in some passages of those epistles-requisite it was, then, the congregation should be satisfied of the course of those proceedings, which must come into execution and effect by their voluntary submission to the will of God, and the office of His ministers. And what is required at the hands of the wealth. § 16. And as the matter is now, that things of this nature proceed not upon men's private consciences and judgments in particulars, but upon general rules of common right, requicommon- site it is that the commonwealth have satisfaction of those laws according to which the Church now must proceed in their censures; it being acknowledged that they cannot proceed with effect but by virtue of those laws that are put in force by the secular arm. But as it is now no longer time to leave matters to the conscience of men's places, which may 149 be regulated by laws which experience maketh commendable, so is it no longer time to expect at the people's hands voluntary submission to the discipline of the Church, further than it is enabled by laws of the kingdom to exercise it. And therefore it is much to be wished that the laws by which the ministers of the Church are enabled, directed, constrained to exercise this prime part of their office, may prove so sufficient, and that the power of the keys given it by our Lord in the Gospel may be so strengthened by the secular arm, and rules put in force by it, that it may be able to reduce all heinous and notorious offences under the discipline of penance, and to cut them off from the Church that refuse it. Is it to be believed that our Lord's intent was, in settling such a power as this is, that it should take hold of sins of incontinence, or the like, letting all others, of as deep a stain, and as 150 well known, escape uncensured? Or could any man devise a more puissant means to discountenance malefactors in a Christian commonwealth than that which our Lord hath appointed, by making them know that, when they have satisfied the laws of the kingdom with loss of goods or fame, or have escaped with life by the gentleness of them, the fact being XI. proved, nevertheless they cannot communicate with the people CHAP. of God till the Church be satisfied of their correction and amendment? Nay, shall we imagine that the institution of our Lord Christ is satisfied and in force in a Christian commonwealth, so long as the case of particular offences, upon occasion whereof it is settled by Him in the Gospel, is scarce understood among us, because it is so far from common 151 practice by the laws of the kingdom? whereas it might easily appear what an excellent and charitable course our Saviour hath chalked out to us, if a good Christian heart, being desirous rather of his brother's amendment than of his own satisfaction, and able to make an appearance of such an offence, as our Lord intended, by witnesses, the Church, enabled by rules of law established by the secular arm, should call the person offending to the acknowledgment of wrong on his side, cutting him off in case he refused amendment. Thus much for certain: if the zeal of well-affected Christians towards the state of this Church did not mistake the true mark, the discipline of penance must needs be thought one of the first points to be reformed in it. And then the rest of that satisfaction, which the people can demand of the 152 Church, will consist in not releasing the correction inflicted until there be reasonable appearance of the effect wrought by it. For if, in St. Cyprian's discipline, the people rested so unsatisfied of some whom his gentleness had reconciled, that they were hardly persuaded to admit them to communicate, as he writeth, Epist. lv.,—just cause have good Christians to be scandalized when they see them admitted to communicate of whose offences they are sure, but have no cause to be sure of their amendment'. "If, after a person is excommunicated, there comes a general act of pardon, which pardons all contempts, &c., it seems that this offence is taken away without any formal absolution.”Bacon's Abridgment of the Laws, Tit. Excomm. k Vix plebi persuadeo, immo extorqueo ut tales patiantur admitti.-Ep. ad Cornelium 59. p. 137. ed. Oxon. See the twenty-fifth and twentyninth chapters of Thorndike's Discourse of the Forbearance or Penalties which a due Reformation requires. СНАР. XII. Of ordi what is remem bered in Scripture. CHAPTER XII. OF ORDINATIONS WHAT IS REMEMBERED IN SCRIPTURE. THE COURSE HELD IN THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH. THE ELECTION AND CONSTITUTION OF 66 153 As for the constituting and ordaining of ministers, which is behind of my promise, these are the particulars remembered nations, concerning it in Scripture, for the most part touched upon occasion heretofore: Acts xiii. 3, "And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them 154 away." Acts xiv. 23, Paul and Barnabas, "when they had ordained them elders in every Church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed;" and 1 Tim. iv. 14, " Neglect not the gift that was given thee by prophecy, with the imposition of hands of the presbytery;" which is 2 Tim: i. 6, "by imposition of my hands;" and the charge of the Apostle unto him 1 Tim. v. 22, "Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins ;" and the whole instructions of the Apostle to Timothy and Titus, by whom he had appointed them to be ordained. To which must be added the choice of Matthias, and the seven deacons, where is said, "that they"—the congregation-" put up two," Acts i. 23; "and the twelve said unto them, Acts vi. 3, Look ye out among you seven men of honest report ;" and ver. 5, "and they chose Stephen," and the rest; and ver. 6, "they set them before the Apostles; 155 and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them." Which are alleged by St. Cyprianm for the interest of the people in this business. § 2. Wherein we shall discern the course of proceeding in the Nec hoc in Episcoporum tantum et Sacerdotum, sed in diaconorum ordinationibus observasse Apostolos animadvertimus, de quo et ipso in Actis eorum scriptum est, "et convocaverunt," &c. Quod utique idcirco tam diligenter et caute convocatâ plebe totâ gerebatur, ne quis ad Altaris ministerium vel ad sacerdotalem locum indignus obreperet.-Ep. lxvii. ad clerum et plebes in Hispania, p. 172. ed. Oxon. XII. Thecourse Church. primitive Church, by that which is read in a heathen" who CHAP. being an enemy to all, cannot be thought partial to any rank of Christians. It is in the life of Alexander Severus; where held in the you have related how that excellent young prince, being to primitive promote to the government of provinces, or the like charges, was wont to set up the persons' names, inviting the people to come in against any of them, upon any crime whereof they could make evidence, upon pain of life if any failed in it. And then it follows, Dicebatque grave esse, quum id Christiani et Judæi facerent, in prædicandis sacerdotibus qui ordinandi 156 sunt, non fieri in provinciarum rectoribus, quibus et fortunæ hominum committerentur et capita. "And, he said it was a heavy case, when Christians and Jews did it in publishing those that were to be ordained priests, that it should not be done in the governors of provinces, to whom both the fortunes and persons of men were committed." These words, in prædicandis sacerdotibus qui ordinandi sunt, the learned Casaubon understandeth to be meant of that publication of men's merits and qualities which must needs fall out in discussing the competence of persons put up to the approbation of the people, to be ordained in any rank of ministers, at the assemblies of Christians, according to the custom then in practice. Which custom St. Cyprian commendeth upon the pattern of Eleazar, made and invested High-priest by Moses in sight of the people; whose interest he specifieth when he saith Ordinationes sacerdotales non nisi sub populi assistentis conscientia fieri oportere, ut plebe præsente, vel detegantur malorum crimina, vel bonorum merita prædicentur ; et sit ordinatio justa et legitima, quæ omnium suffragio et judicio fuerit examinata. "That ordinations of priests be made under the privity of the people standing by, that either the crimes of the bad, or the merits of the good, may be published in presence of the people; and so a just and lawful ordination be made, being allowed by the suffrage and judgment of all." nation § 3. But before men's deserts and qualities could be scanned, [Nomi157 it behoved that their persons should be nominated in the first of the persons.] place, the publication whereof is called in the sixth canon Elius Lampridius apud Historiæ Augustæ Scriptores vi. tom. i. p. 997. Lugdun. Batav. 1671. 。 in loc. citat. XII. CHAP. of the Chalcedon council éπnputs: where is provided, Μηδένα δὲ ἀπολελυμένως χειροτονεῖσθαι μήτε πρεσβύτερον, μήτε διάκονον, μὴτε ὅλως τινὰ τῶν ἐν τῷ ἐκκλησιαστικῷ τάγ ματη, εἰ μὴ ἰδικῶς ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ πόλεως ἢ κώμης, ἢ μαρτυρίῳ ἢ μοναστηρίῳ, ὁ χειροτονούμενος ἐπικηρύττοιτο, — that no man be ordained presbyter, or deacon, or in any rank of the Church at large, unless he be published to be ordained in some particular church of a city or village." That which is called here ¿πiкýρužis, prædicatio in Latin, meaning the publication of persons' names that were put up to be ordained, seems to come nearer that which the historian meaneth when he saith in prædicandis sacerdotibus, because hereupon followed the examination of their competence which St. Cyprian declareth to be the interest of the people. For if we conceive that all 158 men indifferently had the right to nominate, we must think a great deal of unsufferable confusion must needs follow at such assemblies. And the same St. Cyprian, when he writeth to his clergy, Ep. xxiv., concerning the ordination of Saturus and Optatus, in these words, quos jampridem communi consilio clero proximos feceramus, "whom long since by common consent we had made next to the clergy," excusing himself to them that he had ordained them alone, upon this, that they had before promoted them to be next the clergy by common advice,-sufficiently sheweth that the course was to advise with the presbyters and rest of the clergy about the persons to be propounded to the people. We need then no more to shew us the course of that time. [Order § 4. There was first nomination of the person to the people ; of proceeding.] upon their knowledge and approbation of the persons, and agreement, there followed imposition of hands, wherein con- 159 sisted the accomplishment of the work, from whence the whole was called in Greek xeipotovía, as ordinatio in Latin compriseth the whole work whereby they are promoted. In the ordination of Bishops there must needs be something particular. By the precedent which St. Hierome hath recorded us in the Church of Alexandria—where he said afore, that the presbyters were wont to choose a Bishop out of their own rank—it is plain their stroke was the greatest in nominating the person, |