Episkopos apostolikos, or, The episcopacy of the Church of England justified to be apostolical from the authority of the antient primitive church, and from the confessions of the most famous divines of the reformed churches beyond the seas : being a full satisfaction in this cause, as well for the necessity, as for the just right thereof, as consonant to the word of God / by ... Thomas Morton ... ; before which is prefixed a preface to the reader concerning this subject, by Sir Henry Yelverton, Baronet.

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Author:	Morton, Thomas, 1564-1659.
Title:	Episkopos apostolikos, or, The episcopacy of the Church of England justified to be apostolical from the authority of the antient primitive church, and from the confessions of the most famous divines of the reformed churches beyond the seas : being a full satisfaction in this cause, as well for the necessity, as for the just right thereof, as consonant to the word of God / by ... Thomas Morton ... ; before which is prefixed a preface to the reader concerning this subject, by Sir Henry Yelverton, Baronet.
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Print source:	Episkopos apostolikos, or, The episcopacy of the Church of England justified to be apostolical from the authority of the antient primitive church, and from the confessions of the most famous divines of the reformed churches beyond the seas : being a full satisfaction in this cause, as well for the necessity, as for the just right thereof, as consonant to the word of God / by ... Thomas Morton ... ; before which is prefixed a preface to the reader concerning this subject, by Sir Henry Yelverton, Baronet. Morton, Thomas, 1564-1659. London: Printed for J. Collins ..., 1670.
Subject terms:	Church of England -- Clergy. Episcopacy -- Early works to 1800.
URL:	https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A51420.0001.001
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Table of Contents

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title page

To the Most Reverend Father in God GILBERT By Divine Providence, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All ENGLAND, and Metropolitane; and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privie Council.

TO THE READER.

CAP. I.

SECT. I. That the Church of Geneva hath both justified, and praised our Episcopal Government in England, and prayed for the prosperous continuance thereof.

SECT. II. That the Church of Geneva disclaim∣ed the Opinion of thinking, that their Churches Government should be a pattern for other Churches.

SECT. III. That also other Protestant Divines of Reformed Churches have observed the Worthiness of the Episcopal Go∣vernment in England.

SECT. IV. That the Episcopal Government in the Church of Christ is for Necessary Use the best, according to the judg∣ment of Primitive Antiquity.

SECT. V. The Protestant Divines of remo Churches have generally acknow∣ledged Episcopal Government, to for Necessary Use the best.

SECT. VI. That the Episcopal Government is farr more practised among Pro∣testants of remote Churches, than is the Presbyterial.

CAP. II.

SECT. I. The second general part of this full satisfaction, is concerning the Right of Episcopacy, which is to accord to the Word of God, which is the second reserved Condition in the Common Covenant.

SECT. II. First, That no Antient Father hath been justly objected as gainsaying the Apostolical Right of Episcopacy, no not Hierome.

SECT. III. That Augustine objected against the Apostolical Right of Episcopacy is directly for it.

SECT. IV. Thirdly, Gregory Nazianzen a Pri∣mitive Father, who is verbally ob∣jected against Episcopacy, doth re∣ally contradict the Objectors.

SECT. V. That Clemens, one of the most An∣tent of Fathers objected, proveth to be a Counterwitness against the Objectors.

SECT. VI. The justification of Episcopal Prelacy by the Universal practice of the Church Christian, in times approach∣ing towards Primitive Antiquity. First, By condemning Aerius the on∣ly famous Adversary against Epis∣copal Prelacy in those times.

SECT. VII. That in the time of the foresaid Fathers the whole Church of Christ held the Derogation from Episcopal Prelacy to be Sacrilegious.

SECT. VIII. That the immediate Succession of Bi∣shops from the days of the Apostles, is liberally Confirmed unto us by Learned Protestant Divines, albeit sufficiently Presbyterial.

SECT. IX. That there was an immediate Successi∣on of Bishops from the Apostles times, proved first, because no time can be assigned wherein it was not in use.

SECT. X. That the whole Church Christian did profess and practise the Apostolical Right of Episcopacy.

CAP. III. After these our Evidences from Pri∣mitive Antiquity, according to our precedent Method, we are to con∣template of the Coelestial Sphear, the Word of God it self.

SECT. I. Against the first Objection from the Identity of Names (as they call it) of Bishops and Presbyters in Scripture.

SECT. II. That the former Objection is rejected by the choycest and most accepta∣ble Divines, which our Opposites themselves can name.

SECT. III. The second Objection out of Scripture in that place Phil. 1.1. With the Bishops and Deacons, &c. is re∣pugnant to the general Expositions of Antient Fathers.

SECT. IV. The third Objection is against the ap∣propriation of the word Bishop unto one, which Appellation is shewn to be most justifiable.

SECT. V. The last Objection, 3 John 9.

CAP. IV. Our Propositions grounded upon the Word of God. Our first Evidence out of the Epistles of St. Paul.

SECT. I. That the Presbyterial Order was al∣wayes substitute to an higher Go∣vernment, as first to the Jurisdiction Apostolical.

SECT. II. That divers of the Apostolical Disci∣ples were even in their times both in Dignity and Authority Superin∣tendents over Presbyters.

SECT. III. That the aforesaid Apostolical Disciples were as Bishops over the Presbyters. Among whom were Timothy, and Titus by evidence from Scripture.

SECT. IV. That Timothy and Titus were proper∣ly, and distinctly Bishops, notwith∣standing their Title of Evangelists, as is confessed by Protestant Divines of remote Churches.

SECT. V. That Timothy was Bishop of Ephesus, notwithstanding that objected Scri∣pture Act. 20.

SECT. VI. That Timothy and Titus were both of them properly Bishops, by the judgment of Antiquity.

SECT. VII. That Protestant Divines, of very great esteem, have acknowledged Timo∣thy and Titus to have been properly Bishops.

SECT. VIII. The second Evidence from Scripture, for proof of Episcopal Prelay, is out of Christ's Epistles, To the An∣gels of the seven Churches of Asia, [To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus] write, &c. Cap. 2.1.

SECT. IX. That the first Exposition of our Oppo∣sites, by Angel, understanding the whole Church, is flatly repugnant to the Context.

SECT. X. That the second Exposition is, in in∣terpreting the word Angel, to sig∣nifie the Order of Presbyters in the Church. The state of which Questi∣on is set down by our Opposites.

SECT. XI. That the Objections made for this Ex∣position, are confuted by their own best approved Protestant Authors.

SECT. XII. Their second Reason confuted by their own alleadged Author.

SECT. XIII. Their third Argument likewise con∣futed by their own Chiefest Au∣thor.

SECT. XIV. Their fourth Argument confuted by the same their own much applauded Author.

SECT. XV. The fift Objection (as a body in a Con∣sumption) languisheth in it self.

SECT. XVI. Their last Argument standeth confuted by their own selves.

SECT. XVII. Our Arguments to prove that the word Angel, in the aforesaid Epistles of Christ, signifyeth an individual per∣son, as a Prelate over Presbyters.

SECT. XVIII. Arguments in special collected from the Texts.

SECT. XIX. The second kind of Arguments taken out of the Doctrinal Testimonies of Antiquity.

SECT. XX. That Historical Evidence from Anti∣quity demonstrateth what Bishops some of these Angels personally were by their proper names, and from them some of their Successors.

SECT. XXI. A Torrent of Protestant Divines of the Reformed Churches consenting to the same Exposition, of an Indivi∣dual Person having Prelacy over Presbyters, under the Name of Angels.

SECT. XXII. The second of our English Protestant Divines, in the opinion of our Op∣posites, as competent Witnesses as any.

SECT. XXIII. Of two notable Subterfuges of our Op∣posites, What they are.

SECT. XXIV. Against the Opposites Exception to Episcopal Jurisdiction from Scri∣pture.

SECT. XXV. That Episcopal Government exerci∣sed in the Primitive Church was Authoritative.

SECT. XXVI. That the personal continuance of Epi∣scopacy was during life, against the most novel Figments to the contra∣ry.

SECT. XXVII. That the Novelty of this Opinion of a Deambulatory Prelacy evinceth the Falsity thereof.

SECT. XXVIII. That the Foundation of the Deambula∣tory Opinion was altogether ground∣less.

CHAP. V. Our last Consideration is, whether this Apostolical Right of Epi∣scopacy in some sense be called Divine?

SECT. I. That the Doctrine of the Divine Right of Episcopacy is repugnant unto Pope∣dome and Papal Usurpation.

SECT. II. The Judgment of Antiquity concern∣ing the Divine Right.

SECT. III. That two eminent Protestant Divines grant this Supposition, which is the ground of the said Truth.

SECT. IV. That Episcopal Prelacy hath been di∣rectly acknowledged by Protestants of remote Churches to be of Di∣vine Right.

SECT. V. That Episcopal Prelacy had the Appro∣bation of Christ himself after his Ascension into Heaven.

THE CONTENTS.