THe Lord hath ordayned that there should be one Bishop or Pastor (at the least) president over every Con­gregation, or Flocke, are of equal authority in their severall charges, and in the general govern­ment of the Church T. C. 1 Booke, pag. 22. & 2. booke 1. part, pag. 515.

They maintaine contrary unto this, these two, viz.

• 1. That one may have two or mo charges, and be absent from them, as their Dispensations and practice do proove.
• 2. That one Minister may have a soveraigne and Lordship over his fellow Ministers, which both be­ing disprooved, the former asserti­on will remaine still sure.

Reasons a­gainst the 1. proposition.1. One man may not have mo Charges then he is able in any mea­sure to discharge the duty, that is belonging unto mo flockes then one, seeing he cannot preach unto them, both in season and out of season: therefore no man may have more Charges then one, as I shall make it appear.

2. That which maketh an open entrance to the enemy to spoile, cannot be lawfull: for one to have mo Charges then one, maketh open entrance for the enemy to spoil, for the Wolfe watcheth to devoure and destroy, whilst the Shepheard is absent: Therefore no man may have mo Charges then one, and therefore it is unlawfull.

3. That which hath neyther Precept nor President for it, eyther in Gods Word, or any approved Writer, but only from Antichrist, is unlawful: But such is the having of more Charges then one: There­fore it is accounted and esteemed un­lawfull.

4. That which declareth a Mi­nister to be more desirous of the fleece, then to profit the flocke, that [Page 4]same is vnlawfull: But such is the having of mo Charges then one, for were it not for the gaine, they would thinke one a burthen as hea­vy as they could beare: therefore it is unlawfull.

5. All the reasons that be allead­ged in this booke, against Non-resi­dence, are forcible to this purpose, for if he may not be Non-resident, he may not have mo Charges, unlesse he be willing to be quartred, that e­very Charge may have a piece of him.

Hooper up­on 8 com­mand. He reckoneth them among Theeves, and their action to be theevery, con­demned by that Commandement.

Therefore, if one man cannot in any tollerable measure discharge mo Charges then one; Conclusion. if to have mo maketh an open entrance to the enemy to spoile; [Page 5]if it have neyther precept, nor president for it, but only in the Kingdome of An­tichrist; if it declare the practice to be more desirous of the Fleece, then to feed the Flocke; if all the reasons that con­demne Non-residency be against it: lastly, if it be plaine Theevery, then must it needs follow, that one may not have two, or mo Charges.

Their objections, such as they be, shal be set downe, and the answers to them hereafter. The second proposition that they hold & rea­sons against it.

The second propostion that they hold, is thus.

One Minister may have a soveraign authority and Lord over his fellow mi­nisters: is thus disprooved.

1. They that have their Com­mission indifferently given them, without difference between one and another, are of equal authority, and [Page 6]may not be one over another: But such is the Commission of all Gods Ministers indifferently, as appeares Mat. 28.19.20. Therefore they are of equall authority, and may not have any dominion one over another

2. That which Christ hath di­rectly forbidden, that one Minister should have dominion over another Matt. 20.25. Luke 22.25. Therefore one Minister may not have superiority or dominion over another.

3. They that may not be Lords o­ver the people of God, may much lesse be Lords over the Ministers; for the Mi­nisters be (in respect of the Ministe­ry) above the people: But a Minister may not be Lordly over Gods people (as is testified by him on whom they would father the greatest Lordlinesse) 1. Peter 5.3. Therefore one Minister may [Page 7]not be Lord, or have superiority o­ver another.

4. It is ordained,Cypria [...] [...] 1: Epist. 3. and is equall and right, that every mans cause be heard, where the fault was committed, and it is meet to handle the matter there where they may have both the Accusers and witnesses of the fault, which shew­eth that every Minister had authority over his own flock, and no other to medle

5. Bishops, whersoever they be in al the world, are equal to our Bishops,Luther ad­versus papat a Satana fun­dat: or Parish Ministers and Preachers, of none it can be said one is Lord, ano­ther is servant: whatsoever belongeth to the Church, belongeth equally to all, saving that some are of better gifts then others, howbeit such gifts cause no inequality or Lordship in the Church.

6. In the Apostolicke Church,Musscul: loc com: de mini: ver bi: the Ministers of the Word were none a­bove [Page 8]another, and were subiect to no head or president , &c.

7. The honour of a Bishop,The same upon the 2. Thes. 8.2. being taken from the rest of the Ministers, and given to one, was the first steppe to Papacy.

8. Christ did most severely forbid unto the Apostles and their Succes­sours,Confes. Hel. vet cap. 17. primacy and dominion.

9. Equall power and Function is given to all ministers of the Church,The same cap. 18. and that from the beginning, no one preferred himselfe before another, sa­ving only that for order, some one did cal them together; propounded the mat­ters that were to be consulted of, and ga­thered the voices.

Therefore, if all Ministers have their Commission indifferently gi­ven unto them;Conclusion. if Christ have for­bidden, that one minister shold have [Page 9]dominion over another; if no Mi­nister may exercise dominion over Gods people; if authority to han­dle Controversies belonged to eve­ry several Congregation; if a Bishop and parish Minister be all one; it in the Apostles time no Minister was a­bove another; if the superiority of one above another was the first step to the papacy; lastly, if they have e­quall power and function from the be­ginning: then must it needes follow, that no minister may have superiori­ty, or exercise dominion over another.

Jt remaineth that we proove more directly, A Bishop should be in every Con­gregation. that the Lord hath ordained that there should be a Bishop Resident over every Congregation, which is thus proved

1. If a Bishop and Minister be all one, then must there be a Bishop in e­very [Page 10] Congregation, for every man wil confesse that every Congregation ought to have a Minister: But a Bi­shop and a Minister is all one, as ap­peared by this, that St. Paul dis­cribeth not one quality for the Bi­shop, but it is also the quality of e­very good Minister; & also in that he describeth no other Minister, but the Bishop: Therefore there ought to be a Bishop in every Congregation.

2. S. Pauls Bishops and his Dea­cons, were appoynted to one place, as it fully appeareth both in the des­cription of them, and the practise of the Apostles: But the Deacons were in e­very Congregation, which appeareth, Phil, 1.1, Acts 6.2. That office being needfull every where; and in that it continued so; longer then the Office of Bishops: Athanasius apol. 2. Ierom contra Luciferianos, &c. Therefore [Page 11]there ought to be a Bishop in every Con­gregation.

3 That which Paul injoyned to Titus, is also to be practised alwayes in the like case: But hee commanded him to ordaine Elders in every City, Tit. 1.5. which are expounded in the next verse to the Bi­shops: Therefore there must be a Bishop in every Congregation.

Ignatius ad Philadelph.4 Every Church should have her Com­munion Table, and every Church her Bishop.

5 Where there was found any worthy to be a Bishop, there a Bishop was appoynted, Epiphan. lib. 3. tom 1. haeres. 75. & where there was not to furnish both Bi­shop and preaching Elder (hee meaneth the Doctor) there the Apostles made a Bishop, and left the Elder.

6 If a Bishop runne into a Slander,1 Con [...]: Carthag: tam: 1. c. p: 10. and many Bishops cannot suddenly be gathered; his cause shall be heard of 12 Bishops, &c.

7 If an Elder be accused, 3. Concil. tous. 1. cap. 8 hee may call sixe Bishops from the place hard by.

8 Stories make mention of Bishops of little Townes, as Euseb. lib. 5 cap. 16. Solicus Bishop of the village Cuman:Theodoret. lib. 5. cap. 4. Mares, Bishop of a small Towne called Solicha:Socrat. 4.26. Gregorie Bishop of a small Citie, called Nazian­zum:Quest. 16. dist. 50. The Bishop of a Castle.

Ierome ad Evagrium.9 A Minister, that is to say, a Bishop, and (a little after) the Apostle doth plain­ly teach, Minister and a Bishop is all one, and (upon Titus) a Bishop and a Minister are the same: and (ad Oceanum) with the ancient Fathers, Bishops and Elders were all one.

10 D. Barnes (in his first Article) saith, Acts and Monuments fol. 216. I will never believe, neither can I ever believe, that one man may by the Law of God, bee a Bishop of two or three Cities, yea of a whole Coun­trie; for that is contrary to the [Page 13]Doctrine of St. Paul, who writing to Titus, commandeth that hee should ordaine a Bishop in every towne.

11 It is pitty to see how farre the of­fice of a Bishop is degenerated from the originall in the Scripture;Hooper upon 8 Command. pag. 90. it was not so in the beginning, when Bishops were at the best, as the Epistle to Titus te­stifieth, that willeth him, to ordaine in everie City, &c. They know the Primitive Church have no such Bishops as wee have, untill the time of Silvester the first.

The Conclu­sion.Therefore, if a Bishop and a Mini­ster be all one; if Bishops were to bee where Deacons are, who were in every Congregation; if Paul enjoyned Ti­tus to ordaine Bishops in every Citie; and if every Church had her Bishop a long time after the Apostles, as [Page 14]appeareth by the testimonies of Coun­cels, Histories, and Learned Wri­ters, both old and new: then must it needs follow, that there ought to to bee a bishop in every Congrega­tion.