of the multitude, whom the obstinacy and mismanagement of their spiritual superiors had goaded almost to frenzy. In that celebrated symbol of faith, the earliest declaration of doctrine among Protestants, entitled the " Augsburg Confession," these conscientious and reluctant innovators, express openly their sorrow that the canonical form of Church government which they earnestly desired to maintain, should, in some places have been dissolved'. In another passage of the same important record they thus express themselves :-"Now here again we desire to testify to the world that we would willingly preserve the ecclesiastical and canonical government, if the Bishops would only cease to exercise cruelty upon our churches. This our desire will excuse us before God, before all the world, and unto all posterity; that it may not be justly imputed unto us that the authority of Bishops is impaired amongst us; when men shall hear and read that we, earnestly deprecating the unjust cruelty of the Bishops, could obtain no equal measure at their hands 2." The venerable Melancthon, by whom this Confession was drawn up, thus expresses in an Epistle to Luther the congruity of his own private sentiments with those of this public document. "I know not," he says, "with what face we can refuse Bishops, if they will suffer us to have purity of doctrine "." And he elsewhere quotes his illustrious correspondent as maintaining the same opinion. His words are (in allusion to this question), "Luther did always judge as I do*."

The sentiments of allegiance to the episcopal system of Church polity, here expressed by the original Protestants in Germany, were promulgated with equal earnestness by other eminent Reformers, who, under the pressure of the same necessity, departed from a system which they revered.Calvin reports himself to have subscribed willingly and heartily to the confession above quoted3. "Bishops,"

66

1 Quam nos magnopere conservare cupiebamus.-See Bishop Hall's 'Episcopacy by Divine Right,” p. 11.

2 Ibid. p. 11.

3 See Brett "on Church Government," p. 121.

4 Ibid. in l. c.

5 The words of Calvin are,—cui pridem volens ac libens subscripsi.— Vide Epist. ad Martin Schaling, quoted by Barbon in the Preface to his work on Liturgies.

says he, in another passage of his writings, have invented no other form of governing the Church but such as the Lord hath prescribed by his own word." Again, in another place, after describing the character of a truly Christian Bishop, he subjoins (in that strong language for which he was remarkable), "I should account those men deserving of every the severest anathema, who do not submit themselves reverently and with all obedience to such a hierarchy 1." This great man was by no means adverse to a considerable variety of grades in the Church. Speaking of Metropolitans or Primates, he observes that their appointment was of primitive institution, "to the end that the Bishops might, by reason of this bond of concord, preserve a closer union among themselves ".". And lest the supremacy of the Roman Pontiff should be inferred from this concession, he makes the following distinction. "To bear

a moderate rule is a very different thing from comprehending under one vast dominion, the whole circuit of the world"." The same favourable view of episcopacy was entertained by other celebrated fathers of the Genevan church. Bucer on all occasions expressed his anxiety, that those churches which enjoyed an episcopal constitution, should not, without sufficient reason, relinquish this advantage; nor obliterate, by excessive change, their resemblance to the Christian communities founded by the Apostles. In his book, De Regno Christi, he writes to this effect. "We see by the constant practice of the Church, even from the time of the Apostles, how it hath pleased the Holy Ghost, that among the ministers to whom the government of the Church is especially committed, one individual should have the chief management both of the churches and of the whole ministry, and should, in that management, take precedence of all his brethren. For which reason the title of Bishop is employed to designate a chief spiritual governor." Beza, the friend likewise of Calvin, and one among the most learned and

1 Tractat. de Reform. Eccles.

2 Calvin. Serenmo Regi Polon. p. 190.

4

3 Vide Epist. cxc. For some curious information with respect to Calvin's subsequent change of language on the subject of Episcopacy, see note (B) at the end of the volume.

4 See also Brett on Church Government. Chap. v. p. 85.

indefatigable commentators upon Scripture, writing to the English Primate in the name of the Genevan Church, warmly eulogizes the church polity of England. He elsewhere refers emphatically to the authority of Bishops and Archbishops in our English establishment, and pronounces what we may consider his benediction, "Let England enjoy, by all means, that special benefit of God, and God grant that it may be perpetual unto her1." In another passage he describes it as a thing incredible, that the episcopal order should be rejected. "If," says he, "there be any who reject altogether episcopal jurisdiction (a thing I can hardly be persuaded of), God forbid that any one in his senses should give way to the madness of such men '.'

29

Passing from Geneva to the East of Europe, we find the same attachment for the primitive constitution of the Church. In the book of ecclesiastical canons agreed upon by the Reformers of Poland and Hungary, anno 1623, the following oath of canonical obedience was required of every candidate for admission to Deacon's orders.—“ I, N. N. swear before the living God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and before his Holy Angels, that I shall yield unto the Bishop and Presbyters (senioribus) all due obedience, as unto my superiors. So help me God"." In another canon of the same church and synod, after enumerating the several authorities from Scripture for different ranks in the ministry, the assembled Fathers make a declaration as follows. "We also do acknowledge in our churches the orders and degrees aforementioned, insomuch that we have certain Bishops, as also Presbyters eminently so called, or Seniors, who ought to govern, according to established rules, the other persons termed in Scripture Ministers of God, and Pastors of the Churches."

1 See Durel's view of the Reformed Churches, 4to. 1662. p. 280. 2 Theod. Beza ad tractat. de minist. Ev. gradibus ad Hadr. Sarav. Belgæ editam. A negociation was carried on for some years with the sanction of the King of Prussia at the beginning of the last century, between Dr. Jablouski, his chaplain, and Archbishop Sharpe of York, for the restoration of the apostolical succession in Germany. A full account of this very interesting correspondence will be found in the Archbishop's life by his son. Vol. i. p. 402-449.

3 Canon. Eccl. Synod. Comiathinæ in Hungariâ. Class. iii. Can. 8. 4 Ibid. Can. 2.

Among the Reformers of Italy, there was the same respect for Episcopacy as among those already noticed of Germany and Switzerland. Jerome Zanchius, a very learned native of the Venetian territory, in his thesis on the true method of Reforming the Church', makes this strong protestation. "I profess before God, that in my conscience, 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 2." 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 any 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 3 ?"

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

1 His Treatise is entitled, "De verá Reformandarum Ecclesiarum Ratione." He was by some reputed among the most learned of Calvin's contemporaries. He succeeded Peter Martyr at Strasburg, when the latter, in 1549, was called over by King Edward the Sixth to be Professor of Divinity at Oxford.

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

3 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.

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 "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 1. Knox, in his own 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 2.

66

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 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 motherin-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.

2 His two sons, Nathaniel and Eleazer, were sent for their education to England. Both of them were matriculated at St. John's College,