Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/468

 4 espies. [Boor with the person judged. And though the apostle teaeheth that those most esteemed ought to be set to judge, yet he meaneth those who were of equal ecclesiastical grade, as is plain from the context. Cam there be no pre-eminence and superiority in the church but that which is princelike ? Is every* judge a prince over those whom he judges  3. Timothy was not a bishop at Ephesus, such as Roman Catholic bishops in a diocess. If he were, the apostle would never have called him so often fwm his charge as he doth, and have employed him in the service of other churches: for he sends him to Corinth, to the Thessalonians, to confirm their faith, and to other churches. 4. Timo- thy had the place of an evangelist, whose office was to aid the apostles in their ministry, and to water that which the apostles planted. And that the calling of evangelists and bishops, or pastors, was different in the apostles' time, is plain from St. Paul's words: "He hath given some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors,"&c., Eph. iv, 11. And that Timothy was such an evangelist we learn from ,h,e, place where the apostle exhorts him to do tl urk of an evagdist,  Fire. i', 5. 5. Besides, as Timothy was ordained by the eldership, (1 Tim. iv, 14,) which they themselves translate priesthood, and the Rhemists expound it of the ancient practice of the church, when the presbyters, together with the bishop, laid their hands on him that was ordained, how then could Timothy be such a bishop as they contend iiJr, when he was ordained by presbyters ? 6. But admitting that Ti- mothy was a bishop, or, which is all one to the matter in hand, an e. vangelist, or one greater than a bishop; yet the princely power over presbyters as their subjects, and an absolute or plenary power over them, nd to the exclusion of them from pastoral authority, can never be proved by the passage under consideration. For St. Paul instructs Timothy not to re/m/e, but to ex/t the elders as fathers. Therefore he giveth no princely dominion to Timothy, such as Roman prelates ure accustomed to exercise. Again: where he says, Receiw no acc. .vation, though he speaks by name to Timothy, as chief, he does not ,;xclude the rest, any more than the Holy Spirit, in addressing the in- dividual angels of the seven churches, excludes other individuals or the churches themselves. Nor can it be gathered from those words of the apostle, Lop lmnd uddcnl/on no ma,, that Timothy had this sole power in himself; for the apostle would not give that to him which he did not take to himself, who associated with himself the rest of the presbytery in ordaining Timothy. From the whole we must conclude that the princely monarchs or mitred prelates of the Church of Rome are not nuthorized by the text in question. (2.) They affirm that bishops only are properly pastors, and that the preaching of the word, as a right of jurisdiction, belongs to them. In support of this they affirm that the apostles properly had the preaching of the worl committed to them, as others were chosen to attend on tables. Acts vi. To this we answer: 1. Bellarmine denies that bishops do properly succeed the apostles,* because he would magnify the pope above bishops. Yet in another place he saith, Etcopi prri te. dunt a.otolis: Bishops properly succeed the apostles. Thus Roman Catholics do not agree as to the true successors of the apostles, of Cap. 14.
 * De Pontifice, 1. iv, c. 25.

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