Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

Ghost, their calling was declared unto them, and their mission
authorized by the particular church of Antioch. And that this their
calling was to the apostleship is apparent by that, that they are both
called Apostles:* and that it was by virtue of this act of the
church of Antioch that they were Apostles, St. Paul declareth
plainly in that he useth the word, which the Holy Ghost used at his
calling, for he styleth himself, "An apostle separated unto the gospel
of God,"*(2) alluding to the words of the Holy Ghost, "Separate me
Barnabas and Saul," etc. But seeing the work of an Apostle was to be a
witness of the resurrection of Christ, a man may here ask how St.
Paul, that conversed not with our Saviour before his Passion, could
know he was risen. To which is easily answered that our Saviour
himself appeared to him in the way to Damascus, from heaven, after his
ascension; "and chose him for a vessel to bear his name before the
Gentiles, and kings, and children of Israel"; and consequently, having
seen the Lord after his Passion, was a competent witness of his
resurrection: and as for Barnabas, he was a disciple before the
Passion. It is therefore evident that Paul and Barnabas were Apostles,
and yet chosen and authorized, not by the first Apostles alone, but by
the Church of Antioch; as Matthias was chosen and authorized by the
Church of Jerusalem.
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* Acts, 14. 14
*(2) Romans, 1. 1
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Bishop, a word formed in our language out of the Greek episcopus,
signifieth an overseer or superintendent of any business, and
particularly a pastor or shepherd; and thence by metaphor was taken,
not only amongst the Jews that were originally shepherds, but also
amongst the heathen, to signify the office of a king, or any other
ruler or guide of people, whether he ruled by laws or doctrine. And so
the Apostles were the first Christian bishops, instituted by Christ
himself: in which sense the apostleship of Judas is called "his
bishoprick."* And afterwards, when there were constituted elders in
the Christian churches, with charge to guide Christ's flock by their
doctrine and advice, these elders were also called bishops. Timothy
was an elder (which word elder, in the New Testament, is a name of
office as well as of age); yet he was also a bishop. And bishops
were then content with the title of elders. Nay, St. John himself, the
Apostle beloved of our Lord, beginneth his Second Epistle with these
words, "The elder to the elect lady." By which it is evident that
bishop, pastor, elder, doctor, that is to say, teacher, were but so
many diverse names of the same office in the time of the Apostles. For
there was then no government by coercion, but only by doctrine and
persuading. The kingdom of God was yet to come, in a new world; so
that there could be no authority to compel in any church till the
Commonwealth had embraced the Christian faith; and consequently no
diversity of authority, though there were diversity of employments.
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* Acts, 1. 20
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Besides these magisterial employments in the Church; namely,
apostles, bishops, elders, pastors, and doctors, whose calling was
to proclaim Christ to the Jews and infidels, and to direct and teach
those that believed, we read in the New Testament of no other. For
by the names of evangelists and prophets is not signified any
office, but several gifts by which several men were profitable to