THE WINCHCOMB-Papers Reviewed.  
Wherein are contained some Choice Notes Concerning  

The Government of the Church.  
The Liturgy and Forms of Prayer.  
The Ordination and Power of Ministers.  
The Administration of the Sacrament,& some other Questions of our time.   
For the use of Glocestershire.  
In Veritate& Charitate.  
LONDON, Printed, for Richard Royston at the Angel in ivy-lane. 1657.   

S. Augustinus de fide& oper. c. 5. tom. 4. p. 13.  
Cum sieve per negligentiam praepositorum, sieve per aliquam excusabilem necessitatem, sieve per occultas obreptiones, invenimus in ecclesia malos, quos ecclesiasticâ disciplinâ corrigere aut coërcere non possumus; tunc non ascendat in cor nostrum impia ac perniciosa praesumptio, quâ existimemus nos ab his esse separandos, ut peccatis eorum non inquinemur; atque ita post nos trahere conemur, quoddle mundos sanctosque discipulos, ab unitatis compage, quasi à malorum consortio segregatos. Veniant in mentem illae descripturis similitudines& divina oracula, vel certissima exempla, quibus demonstratum& pronuntiatum est, malos in ecclesia permixtos bonis usque in finem seculi tempusque judicii futuros;& nihil bonis in unitate ac participatione Sacramentorum, qui eorum factis non consenserint, obfuturos.   

The Review.  
THat which at first gave life to the following Papers, is the cause also why they are now revived: namely, the consideration of many evils done to the Church of England, by the overbusy actings of some men that style themselves, Pastors of Gathered Churches; who, while they gather a few, scatter many. There is a short, but sad complaint, which I have lately seen, written in the name of many thousands of this Country, to this effect. 1 That in several great Parishes, Market Towns and other, Ministers are placed, who own but a very few as Members of their Church, and preach judgement to the rest, and deprive them and their children of the Sacraments, and other Ministerial Offices( yet receive the profits) and account them but as Heathens, except they will enter into to their private Covenant. 2 That the said Preachers wander abroad with their Disciples after them, invade other mens parishes, distracted the people, and alienate their mindes from their lawful Pastors. 3 That they spread( under pretence of preaching Christ) very dangerous opinions against parish-Churches, and parish-Ministers, and against that order and government that ought to be restored to the Church of God. 4 That the said preachers pretend to be the men, by whose favour or disfavour other Ministers must stand or fall: Whose Ordination they call Antichristian, and have a design to plant their illiterate followers( whom they exercise to that end) in their places. These and the like grievances we hope Authority will in time redress: In the mean time, it is the duty of Ministers that are left of the old stock, to teach the truth and warn the people of these errors: To which purpose the following Papers are not of no use. In the Review whereof we see the substance of them may be referred( chiefly) to these Heads.  

Of Church Government.  
Of public Prayers.  
Of The Ministry.  
Of Communion.   
And of these we shall note something in relation to the printed Papers.  
1. For Church-Government I cannot blame the Respondent, who had lived under the form of Episcopacy, to own that ancient way. He denies it not to have been subject unto faults and errors by the miscarriage of persons employed; whose faults, if th●● should be charged likewise upon other Governments, no form, neither Civil nor Ecclesiastical, would be of any long continuance. I suppose it were a good Reformation, to make some amendment in the Ecclesiastical laws( as about the abilities required in persons to be Ordained, &c.) and to bring up the practise of the Church to the Laws. That Episcopacy is not to be cast off, we the Ancients, Ignatius, and little reading in are verily persuaded by our other, and by what we find in our own best Reformed Divines. No more need here be name but Zanchy from beyond sea, and Bishop Davenant at home( whose words you have in the Testimonies) Bishop Davenant ( a man worthily much esteemed by all parties) saith, that among many Presbyters, that administer the Word and Sacraments in some one City, there was one by the Apostles themselves, set over the rest, and( endowed) with a certain singular dignity and power. And it is manifest, these Bishops thus established by the Apostles authority had their successo●s in the same Cities by a continual order. And Zanchy saith, That in the Protestant Churches are not wanting Bishops and Archbishops indeed and in effect: But the good Greek names being changed into bad Latin, they call them Superintendents and general Superintendents. And where these names are not, yet there are wont to be some prime men, who have almost all the Authority. And why should we contend about names, when we agree about the thing? I will onely add upon this first Head, what I hear is not displeasing to the Presbyterians, I wish it may not be to the Independents( whose chief Argument from Mat. 18. for the power of the Congregation, is answered by considering, that matters seem to be referred to the people, because they passed at their assemblies, though under censure of Bishops and Presbyters. See page. 112.) Namely the judgement of that most Reverend and learned Primate, Dr. Usher, now with God: who in four Articles lately printed, hath reduced Episcopacy to the form of Synodical Government. The sum is this, 1 That in every parish the Rector with the Churchwardens note the scandalous and admonish them. 2. That they present the obstinate to the monthly rural Synod, consisting of the Rectors of that part assembled under the Suffragan there to be censured. 3. That the Acts of the monthly Synods be revised once or twice a year by the Diocesan Synod, consisting of all the suffragans and some choice Rectors assembled under the Bishop. 4. That further Appeal may be made, in case of grievances, to the Provincial Synods, &c.  
This is a way of conjoining Episcopal government and Presbyterial into one: which might happily content all sober Christians, so as Church-affairs should be managed( to borrow words from the royal pen) neither with tyranny, ●●p●rity, nor popularity: neither Bishops ejected, nor Presbyters despised, nor people oppressed: Whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. So much of the first Head.  
2. For public prayers. I see no cause to dislike that which is( among the following testimonies) cited out of Mr. Calvin's Epistle to the Lord Protector, wherein he saith, I very much approve a certain form of prayers, from which it may not be lawful for the Pastors in their function to depart; for these reasons, that help may be given to the unskilfulness of some: that the consent of all the Churches may appear; that the levity and uncertainty of some men always affecting novelties, may be regulated and restrained. Yet neither doth Calvin here, nor do any of us deny a grave, modest, discreet and humble use of Ministers gifts, even in public, the better to fit& excite their own and the peoples affections to the present occasions. But that any mens private& single Abilities should quiter justle out the public forms of prayer, composed by the joint Abilities and gifts of Godly learned Governours of the Church, this is that we cannot allow of. Neither do we conceive the spirit of prayer to consist so much in utterance of words, which is but a gift of edification, as in stirring up the Graces of faith and humility, and other gifts of sanctification, wherein the very life and soul of prayer consisteth. And certianly he that saith, that short comprehensive prayer( justly called The Lords prayer, because he framed it for his Disciples) with an understanding, devout and faithful heart, prays very spiritually, very acceptably, and powerfully. Concerning this prayer, I censure it as too yieldingly spoken, which is said in the first Letter, as if the words might be laid aside and omitted, the sense being kept: When as, in my opinion, it is an honour to our Saviour, and a good mark of his humble and faithful followers, to keep not the sense onely, but the very form of words which he hath commended: Nor can I see any reason why so many in these times do omit the form, as if that omission were now become a distinctive character, whereby the most godly preachers and most Reformed Christians might be known. But enough of this.  
3. As to the Ordination and power of Ministers, that Text( Tit. 1.5.) insisted on in the Dispute( add Acts 14.23.) plainly shows the Apostolical practise of Ordaining Elders in every Church; and in succeeding Ages a succession of Christs Ministers was preserved by the like Ordination, as Ecclesiastical Records do abundantly witness. That Churches parochial should be filled with those that set up a new or no form of worship, and minister holy things before they have received holy Orders, this I think was never heard of in our land, before these our times; and what the consequence will be, we have great cause to fear, even the overthrow of all Religion, and the introducing of Atheism and profaneness among our people. Those words in the late Mournf●ll Complaint, presented to some Parliament men, are to the purpose: You have placed in many of our Churches, and given the Tithes, and other profits belonging to the cure of souls, to men that refuse to take any such charge upon them, and who are so far from having the affections, or performing the duties of faithful Pastors to us, that they do professedly disown any such relation, and consequently all the duties thereunto belonging: Thence they neither baptize nor catechize our children, ●●r do they administer the Lords Supper in our Congregations, our sick and seeble persons they visit not, nor own it as a duty incumbent on them to take care for our souls. These Ministers I conceive, being not Ordained, believ● their ministerial power to reach onely to those select persons that are in Covenant with them, and submit to their Church-way, as if the said power were received from the persons that consent thereunto. Thus have we Ministers that are Preachers to thousands, and Ministers( as themselves say) to some few gathered out of the multitude; the rest of the multitude in the mean time remaining( according to their opinion) almost in the quality of mere Heathens and Infidels: and if they be not such, this seemeth a way to make them so. For, being not owned as Brethren by the gathered Church, and having good reasons not to come into their communion, they are in many places destitute of divine ordinances without public Prayers, Sermons, Sacraments, and in a ready way to loose Religion altogether. But why do they not come into the Preachers placed among them by Authority? Because they believe those Preachers, however settled by the civil power, have not received the sacred Office by lawful Ordination: For we may easily distinguish between the Office and the place wherein the Office is exercised. Preachers and Ministers are placed, and confirmed in their places by the Magistrate or Civil power, but they receive their ministerial Office, or spiritual function by lawful Ordination, and laying on of the hands of the Presbytery. This is called the Power of Order, derived, not from the Magistrate or Prince; not from the people( they cannot give what they have not) but from Bishops and Presbyters, who also have received it from their Predecessors. The Ministers, Servants, Officers and ambassadors of Christ, must have their Authority and Commission from Christ, either immediately, as the Apostles had, or m●di●t●ly by the hands of Elder Ministers, as the lawful Ministers of our time have; nor may any take this honour unto himself, but he that is thus called of God. The people indeed may be said to Call, that is, to invite and entreat Ministers to come unto them, but their Calling or Function is from God. The Lord of the harvest sends in the labourers; the great shepherd setteth Pastors over his flock; the Master of the Family appointeth Stewards for his household to dispense unto them the Mysteries of God.  
4. For the administration of the holy Sacrament, that such as have not received the power before mentioned by lawful Ordination, do not administer the Sacrament to all, we will not blame them, because we conceive they have not power of ministering to any one; but that they condemn the lawful Ministers for ministering unto the people of their Parishes, the sacred things which cannot rightly be denied them, this we may complain of. In the above-cited Mournful Complaint, among many other sad passages, we find these words: You permit us not to celebrate the memory of our dying Saviour in the Sacrament of his last Supper, and so deprive our souls of that heavenly food, that our dear Lord hath with so much cost provided for us: We would after many sad violations, renew our Covenant with Christ, and engage our souls more firmly to him, but you will not permit us. You complain of the looseness of our spirits, whilst you withhold the bonds that should knit us faster unto Christ; you complain of our weakness in resisting corruptions, whilst you withhold the food whereby we should be strengthened; you complain of seism, strife and division, whilst by you the sacred pledge of Union is detained from us. Surely, I had rather the Church-gatherers should blame the Minister for his indulgence to the people, than that the people should have cause in this manner to complain of his severity; but the golden mean is to be enquired for. And this is discovered in the ensuing Papers; where the Author endearours on the one side to avoid the preciseness of some, that admit to the holy Table onely some few persons chosen out of many hundreds; and the looseness of some on the other side, who admit hundreds and exclude not some few; namely, such as are ignorant and scandalous, such he would have noted, kept back and avoided, if after due admonitions they will not be amended. Whosoever shall peruse two of the following Papers, the first entitled, A reformed Congregation. The second, The Congregation of S. will aclowledge the Author to be no favourer of ignorance and scandalous living, but one that is studious to advance and increase knowledge and piety, and to procure and maintain good Order. The more cause have I to note either the want of charity, or want of care in that Writer, who in a certain Preface hath snatched the Argument out of the Letter May 26 and contrary to the Authors mind and the many expressions in the Book, put upon him this Thesis, That the ignorant and scandalous must be admitted to the Communion: For it is one thing to administer the Sacrament in a Congregation, though mixed, i.e. though after your diligence in doing your part, there be a mixture of good and bad, as there will be while men are men; and it is another thing to administer carelessly to all sorts, without preparation, without observation, without suspension of such as the Minister is assured, are uncapable of receiving any benefit thereby. That the fear of a mixture is not reason enough to forbear the Sacrament, is( we still believe) evinced by some( at least) of those Arguments. How they are perverted by the Repenter, the impartial Reader will easily observe, if he please to compare the places. I will here mention onely the last. As we offer the Covenant to All, so must we offer the Seal to All, that do outwardly submit to the Covenant. Out of these words the Repeater frames this Argument: The Covenant must be offered to all; Therefore the Sacrament must be offered to all, even to the ignorant and scandalous: Leaving out the qualification added to All in the letter; namely, that outwardly submit to the Covenant, by which he might if he had pleased, have understood, those that profess faith and repentance, and outwardly or in the eye of their neighbours, are not rebellious against good counsel and admonition. If profession of faith and repentance, that is, a voluntary subjection to the Gospel be not the proper Quality of a Receiver, what is? And when shall Ministers perform their duty of administration, if they must behold first the work of Grace wrought in the heart of every Receiver? Let the Minister instruct, exhort, admonish his people; let the people also exhort, and admonish one another, yea let them separate and gather as long as they will; yet still there will be a mixture: Perfect purity is reserved for heaven. Labour for purity, labour for perfection we must, but in the way of charity and humility, in the way of peace and order. The defence, not of negligent, but of faithful Ministers in Parish-Churches was the thing undertaken by this Respondent, who whilst he laboured to compose the difference by private conference, was unhappily engaged to a kind of public Dispute, wherein the Reader will quickly find a great fault, wandring from the Question, and he will find as easily where to lay the blame. However, it may pass among the scuffles of our time, not the worst. In the Relation we know not of any wrong done to the Opponents, with whom the Respondent wisheth no more contention, but what shall pursue Truth and Peace with the swiftest foot. For he is not glad to see the divisions of Protestants and Papists, muchless of Protestants among themselves; least of all, of English Protestants st●iving to the ruin of our Mother Church.  
All good men will join in Reverend Doctor Bernard's most charitable wish, That such as do consent in substantials for matter of Doctrine, would join in Discipline, and not let private interests and Circumstantials keep them thus far asunder.  
I conclude with the words of an honourable and religious person: This therefore is the best and surest way, because we are all apt to be deceived, to be sincere in our disquisitions, modest in our determinations, charitable in our Censures, and apt to communicate in things of evident Truth and confessed Holinesse.  
Mar. 25. 1657.   

Post-script.  
THe Respondent hath been heavily censured for what he said, at the end of the Dispute, concerning Universal Redemption[ vide Epist. Davenantii ad Duraeum.] But he saith, he will change his Opinion, when he shall see the following Paper of that Title solidly answered. Mean while, he hopeth he shall ( by Gods Grace) patiently endure the loss and displeasure, that in these times attend upon that and other wholesome Doctrines.