to the church: and that is worse for them that feel it, and better for them that are but threatened; for it is true, that by repentance they may escape that which is threatened by the church, which, in the commonwealth, they cannot but these that feel it, are in a worse condition; for "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;"-and "Who can dwell with the everlasting burnings?"-" For our God is a consuming fire.”—

RULE II.

The Church hath Power to make Laws and to give Commands obliging the Conscience, that is, tying the Subjects to Obedience under the Penalty of committing Sin, or of incurring the divine Displeasure.

• the

1. By the church' it is certain I must first mean church catholic,' or all the governors of the Christian assemblies in the world: because if it be in a part, it is in the whole; and if it be neither in a part nor in the whole, it is no where. But yet because the whole catholic church, that is, all the governors of churches (for if we speak of the church making laws, we must mean the governing part of the church) did never meet since the days of the apostles, who, being few and united and absolute and supreme, could then do what could never be done since: it is necessary for the reducing this rule to practice, that the legislation and the power of commanding be subjected in some more particular subject; and therefore I shall instance in the least. By the church,' I mean every particular church joined to the head of union;' and by the particular church,' I mean the angel of that church,' the bishop;'-according to that saying of St. Cyprian; "Scire debes episcopum in ecclesia esse, et ecclesiam in episcopo;" "The bishop is in the church, and the church in the bishop :" that is, he is in the church, as the head is part of the body,-and the church is in him as in their representative; and all their power is ministered by his hand, and their interest promoted by him; and he is the hand of God and the hand of the people: this lifted up, and that • Epist. ad Florent. Pupian. lib. 4. cp. 9.

let down; this in the ministry of prayers, and that in the ministry of blessings. And therefore St. ChrysostomP expounding those words of Christ, Tell it unto the church,'says, that they mean, Tell it to the bishop of the church, who is to minister food and discipline to the congregation.'

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2. Now all the power of commanding and making ecclesiastical laws, that is, laws of religion, is wholly in the pastors and bishops in the supreme order of ecclesiastics. If there be two orders of divine institution, it is certain that one is the superior; and therefore one only is to rule in eminency, and the other can rule but in minority and substitution: and that which is appointed to rule is the superior. Now the case then is clear as to the present purpose: the presbyters were under bishops, and might be accused before them and rebuked by them; we see it plain in the case of Timothy and Titus, to whom St. Paul gave rules of court, and measures of taking cognizance of causes brought before them. There was plainly the judging order and the judged: the elders or presbyters were judged; over them were overseers placed. "Par in parem potestatem non habet." Since therefore a judicatory was placed in the church, though it was a spiritual only and without temporal coercion, yet it had a just authority; and therefore, must suppose a distinction in the clergy of superior and inferior. Now because there can be no union political without government, and the government which was appointed, was that of the avopes ἡγούμενοι, youμevo, the ruling clergy,' it follows, that, the bishop being the head of spiritual union in the first institution of the church, every society of Christians is reckoned one by the unity of the bishop; and therefore, that society of a bishop and his parish is the least indeed, but it is a Christian, commonwealth. Now the practice apostolical and primitive administering this power by one and one in every church, where there were many presbyters, it must be evident, that he who was superior to the presbyters, was to rule in every congregation; and because there was none superior to him by divine or apostolical appointment, all the legislative or commanding power in the church is founded in the episcopal order; and therefore that one bishop hath in his own charge a legislative or power or power of command; and therefore much more,

P Homil. 61. in Matt.

IN CANONS AND CENSURES.

when many bishops meet together. A diocess is the least circuit of government, but it is an entire body subject to distinct commands; that is, every diocess hath one set over them in the Lord, to whom the people are, by the commands of Jesus Christ, tied to give obedience.

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3. Whether the diocess be little or great, allowed or disallowed, in city or in country, divided into parishes or not divided, under metropolitans or not under, of many churches or but one, it matters not: where there is a bishop and a congregation, there is a diocess, and there is a power of commanding and a necessity of obeying, intra limites disciplinæ,' within that pale,' in which they have warranty and power to govern and to give commandments. As for parishes in the late sense of the word, that is the charge of a single presbyter,-it is no body politic of apostolical or divine appointment: for the presbyters were called in partem solicitudinis,' ́into the help of the ministry;' but they had no cure of souls, save only by delegation and special and temporary appointment, for some whole ages in the church: and therefore the governing and the commanding authority cannot be extended to parishes and to their curates, which are of late date, and received no power from Christ but that of ministry,—which is also conveyed by the bishop's hands. But then because, above the bishop, there is no appointment in the whole religion,-it is necessary that the legislative be established in him: if we go higher, we can never come to a society of apostolical or divine institution in the church,because, between the whole catholic church, either in diffusion or representation, and a single diocess, all the intermedial unions, as of metropolitans, primates, patriarchs, council provincial or œcumenical, are by consent and positive and human institution, but they directly establish no divine government. This only is properly such. And though this can suffer alteration as to the administration of it, yet the proper seat of the authority is the bishop, by virtue of his order. Whether the bishop of Rome received the power into himself alone, and so conveys it to all other bishops, is not material to our present inquiry; for that is a question of the manner of receiving it, not of the power when it is received. I shall, in order to other purposes, discover the unreasonableness of that fond pretence and novelty. But that which I

say is, that those persons who, by Christ's appointment to or by the apostles, were authorized to govern the church, are the heads of Christian societies, and every such society is a distinct government; and that this cannot be the division of parishes, because that division was later than the authority: and though this be true also of diocesses, as they are now divided, yet that division being but accidental to the charge, and the charge being an appointed relation,-that which is accidental and superinduced, cannot prejudice the nature and institution of it, but that a bishop and his charge, more or less, is an entire society or commonwealth, as much as the thing can be; that is, according to the nature and сараcity of the subject-matter, it is an entire government, and prelate and people make the parts of the integral constitution.

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4. To the verification therefore of the power thus subjected, all those titles of eminency and superior office recorded in Scripture do aptly minister: as that they are called 'pastors,' and 'rulers,' and 'præpositi,' and ionowo,, · bishops' or 'overseers' of the church; he that hears them, hears Christ,-who hath sent them, as himself was sent. Upon the account of these, the first rulers of churches in Scripture did give laws to their people, and threatened the disobedient not only by the force of their extraordinary power, but by the effects of their ordinary ministry. The particular instances of command I shall enumerate, when I give account in what things they have power to make laws; but these words of power were sufficient warrant, and were like seals to their commissions and monitors of their duty. But so the rulers of the church did practise their power, and taught the necessity of obedience.

5. To this purpose are those words of St. Clement to St. James the brother of our Lord; "These things, most dear brother, I have received from the mouth of holy Peter, who gave the commands, and I have endeavoured to show them to thee, that thou mayest command them all to be kept inviolate, because ecclesiastical affairs ought not to be done carelessly, but with diligence. Therefore let no man think, that, without danger, he can neglect these precepts, or dissemble them; quia in judicio Dei ignis æterni tormenta sustinebit, 9 Epist. Clem. 1. in fine.

qui ecclesiastica decreta neglexerit;' because, in the judgment of God, he shall suffer the torments of an eternal fire, who shall neglect the decrees of the church.' But he that shall hear thee as the minister of Christ commanded, shall receive glory but he that shall not hear thee, or rather the Lord speaking by thee, shall receive to himself damnation." 6. St. Ignatius, is very frequent and express in this particular::"Be subject to the bishop as to the Lord. For he watches for your souls, as he that must give an account to God. For it is necessary, that you do nothing without the bishop. For he that is disobedient to bishops, will be altogether without God, impious, and a despiser of Christ, and a disparager of his ordinance."-And agains; "It is fit that you obey your bishop, and in nothing to contradict him. For he that does, despises not him that is visible,—but, in him, despises the invisible God, who cannot be despised of any one. For the bishop hath not his promotion from men, but from God."

7. Tertulliant, speaking of the power and judicatory of the church, saith, "Ibidem etiam exhortationes, castigationes, et censura divina; nam et judicatur magno cum pondere, ut apud certos de Dei conspectu;" "There are exhortations chastisements, and a divine censure; for the judgment of the church is with great weight and efficacy, because it is amongst them who are certain that they shall appear before God: and it is the greatest forerunner of the great judgment, if any one sins so that he be banished from the communion of prayers, assemblies, and all holy intercourse."

8. To which if we add the words of St. Cyprian", we shall find not only the power and authority warranted, but the subject of the power declared to be the bishop:-" Since there are such and so great and many other examples and precedents, by which the authority of the bishop and his powers are established by divine ordinance, what sort of men do you suppose them to be, who, being enemies of bishops and rebels against the catholic church, are not affrighted with the threatening of God admonishing them, nor yet with the revenge of the future judgment? For heresies have arisen and schisms commenced from no other cause than this, that men

r Epist. ad Trallian.

t In Apologet.

s Epist. ad Magnes.

u Ep. ad Cornel. Papam, lib. 1. ep. 5.