That in the judgment of Clemens no more were instituted in the church is no less evident. And this carries the conviction of its truth so clearly with it that Lombard himself confesseth, " Hos solos ministrorum duos ordines ecclesiam prim.itivam habuisse, et de his solis prseceptum apostoli nos habere," lib. iv. Sen. D. 24. It seems, moreover, that those bishops and deacons in those days, as was observed, were appointed to the office by and with the consent of the people, or whole body of the church ; no less do these words import, 'S,v\/ivdo-/.rjSd(ryig tt^c Iz/cAjjcr/as craffTjc. Our doctor, indeed, renders these words, " Applaudente aut congratulante ecclesia tota ; " and adds (satis pro imperio) " nihil hie de acceptatione totius eccle- sire, sine qua episcopos et diaconos ab apostolis et apostolicis viris consti- tutes non esse, ex hoc loco concludit Blondellus, quasi, qui ex Dei jussu et approbatione constituebantur, populi etiam acceptatione indigere putandi esscnt," Dissert, iv. cap. vii. 8, 10. And who dares take that confidence upon him as to affirm any more what so great a doctor hath denied ! Though the scope of the place, the nature of the thing, and first most common sense of the word here used, be willingly to consent (as it is also used in the Scripture, for the most part, Acts viii. 1, 1 Cor. vii. 12) to a thing to be done, or to the doing of it, yet here it must be taken to applaud or congratulate, or what else our doctor pleases, because he will have it so. 'EkXoyi/xoi dvd^ig, also, must be " viri apostolici," men with apostolical or extraordinary power, when they are only the choice men of the church where such a constitution of officers is had that are intended, because it is to our doctor's purpose to have the words so rendered. " Ex jussu Dei et approbatione" is added, as though any particular command or approbation of God were intimated for the constitution of the bishops
S8 A PREFACE TO THE READER.
and deacons mentioned, beyond the institution of the Lord Jesus Christ that oklers should be ordained in every church; because this is, it seems, to be exclusive wholly of the consent of the people, as any way needful or required to their constitution ; which yet, as it is practically false, no such thing being mentioned by Clemens, who recounteth the ways and means whereby officers were continued in the church even after the decease of the apostles and those first ordained by them to that holy employment, so also is it argumentatively weak and unconcluding. God a])pointed, de- signed Saul to be king, approving of his so being, and yet he would have the people come together to choose him : so also was it in the case of David. Though the apostles, in the name and by the authority of God, appointed the deacons of the church at Jerusalem, yet they would have the whole church look out among themselves the men to be appointed. And that the ordaining of the elders was with the people's election, Acts xiv. 23, it will ere long be manifested that neither our doctor nor any of his associates have as yet disproved. This poor thing " the people," bemg the peculiar people of Christ, the heritage of God, and holy temple unto him, etc., will one day be found to be another manner of thing than many of our great doctors have supposed. But he informs us, cap. iv. sect. 3, from that testimony which we cited before, that the apostles in the ap- pointment of bishops and deacons (for so the words expressly are) are said rw UniiixaTi hoKifideat, — that is, saith he, " Revelationibus edoctos esse, quibus demum ha;c dignitas eommunicanda esset;" that is, that they ap- pointed those whom God revealed to them in an extraordinary manner to be so ordained, and this is the meaning of rCi UnufLuri ^oy.i,adaavr;c. And why so ? The Holy Ghost orders concerning the appointment of deacons do-KifJba.^saSuaav 'TTPvrov, 1 Tim. iii. 10. That those who are to be taken into office and power in the church had need first to be tried and approved is granted, and this work the apostles give to the multitude of the church, Acts vi. 3; — where yet, after the people's election, and the apostles' appro- bation, and the trial by both, one that was chosen is supposed to have proved none of the best ; and yet of him and them are the apostles said by Clemens that they did rw nvivf/^au do-Ki/Musai. But how shall it be made to appear that " Spiritu probantes," trying or proving by the Spirit, or spi- ritually proving them, to try whether they were able ministers of the new testament, not of the letter but of the Spirit, proving them by that Spirit which was promised unto them " to lead them into all truth," must needs signify they were taught whom they should appoint by immediate revela- tion? To prove by the Spirit, or spiritually, the persons that are to be made ministers or bishops, is to have their names revealed to us ! Stephen is said to speak h rw nviv/juun, Acts vi. 10 ; and Paul purposed h r<Z UvivfMari, Acts xix. 21 ; and we are said to serve God sv rw Uviufjbctri, Gal. V. 5; and to make supplication Iv rip Uvsv/xaTi, Eph. vi. 18; with many more expressions of the like nature. Does all this relate to immediate revelation, and are all things done thereby which we are said to do in the Spirit ? Before we were instructed in this mystery, and were informed that doxi/jbdaavng rtZ ITfe^aar/ did signify to be " taught by revelation," ■we had thought that the expression of doing any thing r^ nnj,aari had manifested the assistance, guidance, and direction, which for the doing of it we receive by the holy and blessed Spirit of God, promised unto us, and bestowed on, in, and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Yea, but he adds that it is also si)oken of the apostles, rr^oyvcAjsiv pwcognitiotiem, that is, reve- lationem BiKrjipoTig TiXilav, they ai)pointod them bishops and deacons ; by the help and presence of the Spirit with them the apostles examined and