Christian History Institute Presents Pastwords #64: Apostolic Gifts and Offices Have Ceased by Walter Travers ©2007

TRAVERS, WALTER. Full and plaine declaration of Ecclesiasticall Discipline owt off the word off God, and off the declininge off the churche off England from the same. Imprinted M. D. LXXIIII. [1574] [Zurich: Froschauer, or other authorities attribute it to M. Schirat, Heidelberg] quarto.

Walter Travers (c. 1548-1635), was a Puritan clergyman educated at Cambridge. He formed connections with Continental reformers during time spent abroad and became influential in the English Reformation. Because he would not subscribe to the Thirty-Nine Articles, he was denied a licence to preach and had to return to the Continent to obtain ordination, after which he served the English congregation at Antwerp. When he returned to England, he continued to refuse the Articles, even when it cost him substantial positions and brought him into controversy. Eventually, however, he was made first provost of Trinity College, Dublin. His principal work, the Ecclesiasticae Disciplinae et Anglicanae Ecclesiae ab illa Aberrationis plena e verbo Dei et dilucida Explicatio defended the Presbyterian form of Church government and strongly influenced the policy of the Puritan Reformers. Adapted from the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church.

Bound modern 1/2 morocco spine and corners with cloth over boards, modern bookplate, black letter, typographical ornament on title, 2nd leaf torn and repaired without loss, two woodcut initial letters, light foxing, last leaf duplicated, without the final chart that does not appear in all copies. Collation: a4, b2, AZ4, Aa4, Bb1, Bb1, Bb2 only, Bb2 only, b2 and final two leaves blank. Pagination: (xii) 193 (2) + (4) blank.

Walter Travers (ca. 1548-1635) celebrated English Puritan. "If Thomas Cartwright was the ''head' of Elizabethan Puritanism, Walter Travers was the 'neck,' as some contemporaries would have it... It was in Geneva that Travers wrote Ecclesiasticae Disciplinae et Anglicanae Ecclesiae..., published in 1574. This work, which was translated shortly afterwards by Cartwright as A Full and Plain Declaration of Ecclesiastical Discipline, was considered the authoritative statement of Presbyterian principles by English Puritans. Mullinger, the historian of Cambridge University, went so far as to say that this work 'in the later part of the sixteenth and earlier half of the seventeenth century exercised an influence on religious thought in England unsurpassed by that of any other work.' Perhaps this is an overstatement, but the influence of this work of Travers, along with that of the Book of Discipline, which he edited later, was surely very great." Everett H. Emerson: English Puritanism from John Hooper to John Milton, p. 79. Translated by Thomas Cartwright, the Book of Discipline includes an 8 page introductory "Epistle."

TRAVERS PROCLAIMS THAT ALL APOSTOLIC GIFTS AND OFFICES HAVE CEASED

he Authoritative Statement of Presbyterianism by English Puritans -- Now to prove that only Doctors and Pastors be Bisshopps, and that no man else (as it hathe been saide here to fore) may or ought to minister the word of god in the church, needeth a longer proofe. But seeing it cannot be doubted, that the Apostle rehearseth in the IV to the Ephesians all the offices and functions which have any thinge to do with the word of the ministery, and by which Christ would have his church builded up, and seeing that those offices of Apostles, Evangelistes, and Prophetes, are ceased, (as also they were given only to serve for a time, and not for the perpetual government of the church). It is manifest that there remaine no other Bisshopps or Ministers of the word of god but only Pastors and Doctors. But that it may the more clearly be showed, that those other offices served but for a time let us more at large consider the nature and condition of every one of them: And first for the Apostles office, what it was, it appeareth by the word of our Savior, whereby he ordeineth them to the Apostleship, namely, this, that they should go preached the Gospell in all the world, and baptize those which believe. So that an Apostle was not bound to preache the Gospell to any one and certain province, nation, or country, but to the whole world. So likewise Christ before his departure commended not to Peter and by him to the rest of the Apostles any certain sheep of some certain ground or pasture but all his flock. For as our Savior Christ had given the marvelous gifts of the Spirit, so he would have them bear greater offices. He assigned them not a few acres, to plow and till, or a little field not some small portion or his vineyard and inheritance. Such of all the Disciples of Christ there were only 12 to whome afterwards were added Paul and as some think Barnabas, who as certain chief captains should bring the world under subjection to the kingdom and empire of Christ. And as master builders who should draw out and describe the pattern and platforme of all the churches, and lay the first foundations and grounds. Which so great a charge being laid upon them, excellent gifts are also given them whereby they might be able to bear and uphold so great a burden. For they were endued with a marvelous knowledge of heavenly things, and diverse strange tongues and languages, as is rehersed of the 12 Apostles in the Acts, and as Paul testified of himself to the Corinthians.

Furthermore, there were many other things proper and peculiar to this office as, that they should be witnesses of the Lord’s resurrection; that they should be immediately called and appointed by Christ; and other light, which seeing they can be in no man now adays, it is plain and evident, that the Apostleship is ceased, and that this worthy and excellent office is no longer remaining in the church. Whereupon the Apostles who did choose Matthias into Judas place being void, yet when James was slain they did choose none into his room or the room of any other of the Apostles, when they died. So that it is plain that this office is abolished.

Which being plain of the Apostles must be likewise understood of the evangelists who served and ministred unto them, and were after a sort their vicars and deputies for as it doth appear in the Acts this was the office of the evangelists to accompany the Apostles whom them (when they had gathered) any company of a church together and must needs depart) left behind them being instructed by them in what sort and order to establish the church, who having set the church in order and provided Pastors and Elders to govern it, left it and followed the Apostles again, so they as emperors and generals, when they had overcome any city, left as it were some chief captaines behind them, until thinges could be brought to a better stay, and that ancients and elders, as certain perpetual garrisons were set over them, for the Apostles were appointed to conquer and to overcome. The Evangelists to establish and set in order. The Elders to maintain and preserve the church of God. Therefor this office of the Evangelist must needs cease, seeing the Apostleship is ceased already.

As for the Prophets office, although it consisted in expounding the scriptures, yet seeing it was joined with extraordinary gifts of foretelling things to come, necessary for the primitive church, but now no more in use, it can not be doubted but that the office is ceased as well as the gift, whereupon we may conclude that seeing as Saint Paul witnessed only Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, Pastors and Doctors, were given by Christ to the edifyng of the church and the word of the ministry. That the three first ceasing, there remain only Pastor and Doctors perpetual and ordinary ministers of the word.

Indeed sometimes the Lord extraordinarily in a (different) state, where is no place of ordinary calling, stirreth up as he did in our time as it were certain new Apostles to lighten the world again with the light of the Gospell. And Eusebius makes mention of some, who says he with a heavenly zeal of following the Apostles went preaching the Gospell to the Indians. But I speak of the ordinary state of the church, such as ours ought to be after so many years. Therefore Saint Paul in Romans speaking of this state makes no mention of Apostles, Evangelists, or Prophets but only of teachers and exhorters. Calling Pastors exhorters as it shall appear hereafter. Neither was it needful that they should continue any longer in the church. No more then it is needful after the platform be drawn that the master builder tarry any longer, but that there be carpenters and workmen to build and raise the work as he has appointed.

And it seems that our Savior Christ in the establishing of his kingdom followed a kind of order not diverse from that which is used by earthly kinges and princes, who at the day of their coronation, and for a certain time after many officers for diverse and sundry uses, who serve not only for a solemnity, pomp, and show, but also to great use and service for that time, but when things are set in order and the kingdom established are used no longer. So Christ our Lord and King, when as being ascended into heaven he was as it were invested into his kingdom, created Apostles and such other officers which should set his kingdom in order and appoint and ordain a certain ordinary state for the government and administration of it. Which being so established and set in order, these offices should cease and the kingdom should be governed as they had appointed.
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Therefore there is no cause why we should think the love and care of our Savior towards his church to be diminished for his cause, or that he deals not bountifully and liberally with us; no more than subjects for the like cause, have occasion to suspect their kings good will and favor to be changed towards them. For these thinges are but for a certain time and pertain to the beginnings of the kingdom, which time seemeth necessarily to require some other kind of order than all the rest that followeth. Therefore to continue the same similitude, after he was crowned king; he scattered in great abundance spiritual gifts of knowledge, prophesying, healing, and other graces, as gold and silver among his people. All the conduits ran with sweet and wine. All the pipes and cocks ran with rose water and other sweet and pleasant waters. But although he gives us daily all things liberally and plentifully, yet he gives us not daily a largess as at the time of his coronation. Therefore we ought to be content with that liberality which the Lord shows unto us; and not to look to have always alike.

The same reason is of the perpetual ministers of the word, with whom he would have us to be content and not to wish for the first, and those which were extraordinary and appointed to serve but for a time. For as something was given more liberally and extraordinarily to the extraordinary times of the church. So we are sufficiently provided for, of all things which belong to the continual and necessary use of the church. Therefore being content with this mean estate and condition, let us use that which is given unto us, and seek not for offices which served but a time, in the perpetual government of the church, nor will be extraordinary functions in an ordinary state. Wherefore, we ought to have pastors and doctors appointed in our church, and not to retain still the extraordinary office of preachers; which yet I reprove more sparingly, for the respect I have to many worthy men who have labored with some fruit after this sort, for I see that some (by the negligence) of those who ought to have provided meet pastors for the churches for the love they had unto the Gospel, thought it lawful for them in these times to take upon them this Apostolical or Evangelical kind of office and embassage where as rather they ought to have urged the full and perfect reformation of our church, and to have striven by the word of God, that every church might have been provided of a fit pastor and that the Lord’s heritage might be no more left barren and untilled, lest that at the last, the Lord be angry with us, and take it from us and let his farm to others that will dress it better.

But if there be any which please themselves to much in this gadding abroad through out the churches, and will contend they do so by the example of the Apostles and Evangelists, let them show us the signs of their Apostleship as Saint Paul did to the Corinthians, let them prove that they are endued with these Apostolical gifts of knowledge and understanding, tongues, healings, doing of miracles, and such like. Let them bring forth the commission of this their so large embassage to all churches. Last of all let them prove that they are immediately called there unto of God. For not only one bishopp but all the bishopps in the world, are not able to ordain and make an Apostle. Seeing that (as it appeared by the argument I have alleged) their office is already ceased. They cannot be Evangelists neither seeing that they were as it were the Legates of the Apostles, who in respect of them were as Proconsulles or Presidents. For prophets I think they will not say they be, seeing they cannot tell us of things to come. Besides that we read not that the Prophets went this abroad thru out all the churches, but it seems the rather that they were want to abide in certain places.