'■'N ^ PRINCETON, N. J. "S, r 1 1 1 Division ??r?r;......r!tn. 5>J^^ Number ORDINATION if '^ BY JT i/ / P R O V D^^'''"'^''^"''^"c)^^,^ FO/D ^ndNULL CONFERENCTE BETWEEN Philalethes n. Presbyter of the Church of Englandy AND P s E u D o c H E us a VijJenUng Teacher. Verify, verily I Jay unto you ^ lie that entreth not by the Door into the Sheepfold, but cUmheth up fome other Way, thefavie is a Thief and a Robber, But he that entreth in by the Door^ is the Shepherd of the Sheep, St, Joh. lo. i, 2. LONDON, Printed by J. L. for W. F r e e m a n, at the Bib/e over againft the Middle-Temp/e-Gate in F/eetJlreet. M DCC VII. To the Worshipful AND MY Much Honoured Friend/ Hugh Smithfon, Efq-^ O F Tottenham in Middlefex. SIR, NO Sooner did I call to mind your hearty Zeal for our mo^ Excekent Church of England, andalfo your great Inte- grity which has been fo very mfible in your indefatigable Endeavours to promote the true Intereft of your A 2 Coun- The EPISTLE Country^ but 1 ceasd to debate any longer with my felf^ whofe Name / Jhwld borrow to Patronize my Di- fcourfe. 7'/?i5 Book, J/r, which I now humbly Prefent to your View, k a Conference with a Diffenting Teacher, concerning the Invalidi- ty of Presbyterian Ordination. And truly whenfoever we make any Enquiries into the Diffenters pre- tended Call, we fbould do well to ask them the fame ^uejiion concer- ning their Miffion, that our Blef- fed Saviour asKd the Jews concern mng the Baptifm of St. John, Was it from Heaven, or of Men * ? ]/ thefe Diffenting Teachers /haU fay that their Ordinations were from Men, then they muft produce their Orders from our Diocefan * S.'. Alatth, 21. 25. Billiops, DEDICATORY. Bifliops, who are the Holy Apo- ftles Succeffors, and who only have the Power of Ordirtttion : If they ff?all fay from Heaven, then they tnuft produce unqueftionable Cre- dentials to conmnce us, that their Call w 06 from the Clouds, like un- to St. PaulV, when he was in his Way to Damafcus. And then if this could be performed, yet we live in juch an Age of Scepticifm, that Men win not believe the Boaft of Revelation, without the Attefiation of a Miracle. And feriou/Iy^ the Chrifli^in World is not to be blam'd for this fufficious Humour ; for fo many Impoftures and Deliiiions have been imposd upon Mankind by this Pretence, that 'tis a Prudence highly commendable not to be too too Credulous. So that feeing our Se- A 3 daries The EPISTLE. daries have no Priefthood, 1 do believe their Conventicles to be no moreaSZhmdim^ than any Number of Merchants that are met together upon the Royal Exchange. For tho fome of their Congregations may retain Impofition of Hands as a Mockery of Ordination, yen the Impoling of Lay-Hands has no more Power to confer Priefthood, than I have to conjlirute a Judge of Oyer and Terminer. Indeed, Sir, I have a great Compaffion for thofe unftable and unwary Souls among the Diffen- ters, that are perverted ttnd drawn afide by theje Conventicle-Lead- ers, and certainly the only Method to undeceive them, and to recover them into our Lftablifh'd Church, k to Prove (^as I have here done ) that DEDICATORY. that thofe very Perfoas, whom they take to be their Spiritual Guides, are no other than Iinpo- ftors and Ufurpers; and then if they have not furrenderd their Reafon to their Deluding Teach- ers, and are not under any Per- tinacious Refolutions, they muji neceffarily be convincdy that by their Scnifm and Separation, they are in a mojt Dangerous and Deplorable Condition : And much more Gloomy would their Appre- henftons be^ if they were but truly fenjible, that God wiff. mofi affu- redly ratifie a Dil^union with the Eifliop on Earth, by a like Dif- union in Heaven. And now J Sir, I do very hum- bly beg your Pardon for prefix- ing your Name to this Vifcourfe, A 4 and Tlie E F I S T L E and if I have /aid any thing unworthy of your Patronage, / how that as your Judgment will injtantly difcover it, fa your great Goodnefs and Candor will freely fo'-give it ; fince ^twas my Duty to our Church, and \to its excellent Governours f^^? frompted and encouragd me to thif> Attempt. I ffjall add no more^ hut my mofl earmjl Petitions to the Throne of Grace, that the fame All-wife and Omnipotent God, %yho haf hitherto Supported and Preferved jiou, among all the Changes and Chances of this mortal Life, will be pleased to go on fim to be Gracious un- to you J to be your Comfort, and your exceeding great Re- ward DEDICATORY, ward hereafter in the King- dom of Heaven; which Jhall be the conjlant prayer of Sept. 6. 1706, Honour d Sir^ Tour niofi Faithful and Humble Servant John Jacclues. H E THE PREFACE TH E Viriilency of Schifm is reftlels and implacable^ and there is nothing lo apt to be revird and fpurn'd at as our molt Excellent Church and its Sacred Con- Jikutions. We muft therefore in thele loofe and licentious Times of Athe'ifm and IrreUgton guard and fortine our felves with Courage and Refolution agamft all Cahunnks and ContradiEtions whaffoever. For Sa- tan that Arch-Enemy of all Man- ]cind;> and the frit Sch'ifmatkk that ever was in the World^ did not on- ly by his [aucy JffeBation of a Pa- rity with GO JJ caufe a Dhijion and Tumult in Heaven^ but he has alfo ii The PREFACE. alio Hill his Jgents and FaHors to create the like D'ijfereuccs here Be- low; he i nip! fits them with a fiery and malign ant Zeal^ a2;ainft the pii- reft iVorJh/p and Difcipline^ that iince tlie JpGJfoUck Times has appear- ed upon the Face of the Earth. And indeed there lias been no Age fmce the Holy JpoftI eswhoWy free from Scbifmatic/iS and Liipoftors, but per- haps none ever aflbrded fuch Swarms of them, as our unhappy Days^ in whicli theie Sons of Craft a6l under various Difguiles^ and wheedle the People with th^irp/oits Frauds ; they creep into Houfes, and lead Captive fi/Iy il^ojnen laden ^vith divers Lufts ^ they beguile the weaker Sex, fway'd more by Pajjion than by Reafon^ and fo more ealily ar^ leduc'd by them. Therefore we are exhorted by the Holy ylpojfle^ To mark them that caufe Divijions^ and to avoid them ; for they ferve not the Lord fefus ChriFt hut their o'^n Belly ^ and with good Words and fair Speeches deceive the The F R E F J C £. ni the Hearts of the Simple* Rom. 6. 1 7. So that he would have a Mark igSi fet upon Schifmat'icks ^ that ther may be known and ihun'd by all ChrijUans^ as Perfons of a very D^;/- geroiis and Contagions Society. Shall we then^, that are the Watchmen of Ifrael^ fee &Z>//;;/ and FacVioii thrive and profper^ and again to Infidt the Z'^yf (9/ Churches in the Worlds and not endeavour to prevent their Growth^ and fpreading Infection ^ Shall not we give our People warn- ing to avoid the infnarhig Tempt a- tions of Sch'ifm^ and fhall not we encourage them to jiand fajt in the Lord f^ Shall not we ftrive to pre- ferve them from all Damnable Do- cir'ines^ and to keep them ftedfaft in their moft Holy Faith? Thefe truly are our great Duties^ which if we did nt'^^ok^ we fhould then moft {hamefully betray the Cau^e of our Blefjed Mailer^ and eipofe it to the great eft Obloquy and Contempt imaginable. In iv The PREFACE In the latter end of the Year 1692. My Neighbour Pfeudocheus fent me a Letter^ wherein he re- qiiir'd me to prove what I had laid concerning the htvahdity of Pre/- hyter'ian Orders ^ hecaufe he was informed by one of his Hearers^ that I had afferted the Min'tfiry of all Nonconfor?mfis to be Invalid and Nidl^ who had not receiv'd Epif co- pal OrdinaUofi. At this time I was engag'd in many urgent Af- /fairs;, and had only leifure to re- turn him a very Friendly Epijile -^ part of which was fome few Col- leBions from an Excellent Difcourfe of a Celebrated Champion for the Epif copal Caufe"^^ wherein was a plain Proof of this Pofition^ That it was never in the Power of Meer Presbyters to admit into the Mini- jiry by Impofition of Hands in Or- dination. Then to thefe I added fe- ■ ■ ■'" ■' .— ^ . . - * % MoHbm on Matth.iS. 19, &c^^ veral The PREFACE. ^ veral pertinent and neceflary Ob- fervations^ as alfo an Jdmomtory Conchijiojh Now my fole Defign in fending him this Epiftle was for his particular Information and Re- covery from Schifm^ but Inth ex- iflens proh'ihet alhmd^ adveniensy That which is got in already;, keeps out better^ which fliould come in its Place 5 Non bem convenlimtnec inima fe- de niorantur Majejias & Amor. Ovid. The Majefty oi Grace and the Fond- nefs of Gaifiy do not well agree together;, nor cohabit in the fame Breaft. The inordinate Love of Self-Intereji is fo predominant in our Diffentmg Teachers^ and does fo powerfully fence off all Conv't- Hhns of Conjcience^ that unlefs the Grace o^ God did a6l irrefiftibly;, they will never be convinc'd of their Damnable Stn^ even the Ufur- pation vi The P R E F AC E. pation of the MiJiijierial Office. What faith the Holy Jpojlle?^The Natural Man^ (for not one of thefe can be faid to be Spiritual^ «^'- X^'^^^ does not receive the things of the Spirit of God^ i Cor. 2. 14. he has not any Inclination for them^ and therefore will never be brought to entertain them. And truly fuch a perverfe Spirit does prefide in this fort of Men^ that all Advices of this Nature do but rather tend to fire and inflame them , for after that Pfeudocheus had receiv'd my Letter^, initead of fhewing that Gr^- titude^ which was due to my cha- ritable Endeavours^ he lent me a rude and indigefied Anfwer^ v^'hich. confiiteth of luch naufeous Repeti- tions^ inexciifahle Blunders^ forced and fallacious Inferences^ thcit they are all of them very obvious to a- iiy Perfons Underitandihg. Thele were the fmall Velitations^ that then paiVd between us^ which for Ten Years and more have lain in Ob-. The F R E F A C E. Vll Oblcurity^ and why they were re- viv'd and thriilt cut into the World^ I can conceive no other Reaion but this. At a late Cojiference^ after other various Difcourfes^ we at the lalt began to have fome warm De- hates upon our former Controver- fie; but before we had half can- vas'd the Matter^ or brought the Point to any fort of Conclufion^ our Pamphleteer was fo wretched- ly foundered and bewildefd^ that he had nothing farther to urge in his own Vindication- nay^ inftead of defending he deferted his Caufe^ and FroteiiS'like, he turn'd Inde- pendent^ and ftraightway afferted^ That the Suffrage of the People qua- lify d any Perfon to Preach the Ho- ly Gofpel^ and to Jdm'mifier the Holy Sacraments mthoiit Ordina- tion '^. At this Conference of ours^ feveral Perfons were prefent of both Congregations -, and the Report they * This will he attefted h) the Rev. Mr. C. G -k. a made viii The F RE F J CE. made of it ( as far as I can find ) was faithful and true^ which no fconer reach'd his Ears^ and fome others of his Party ^ but Choler and Sp'ight appeafd very vifible in their Faces 5 and according to the Pro- phet;, The jhevo of their Countenance did witnefs agamfi thern^ If a. 3. 9. And thus they continu'd under feme ftrange Confufions and Per- plexkies of Mhid>, till (uch time as thej^ came to this Refoluticn^ that the only way to aggrieve me^ was to Print all thofe Letters^ which had formerly pafs'd between us. But inftead of being difgufted by the Publication of thofe Letters^ I am rather oblig'd by it ^ for now he has given me a fair Opportuni- ty to vindicate what I then wrote from his falfe Gloffes and corrupt Interpretations. "^ The Preface to his Book begins with many fpeciom * See a Pamphlet entitled^ Some Letters concerning the Validity of Ordination by Presbyters, &c. ^j J. W — s. Sold by John Lawrence ^f the Angel wths Poultry, London. Pre- The F R E F J C E. ix Pretences to Peace and Unity -^ but what Triitb can there be in iuch fair Speeches^ or what Regard can be given to his Words^ when his Practices at the lame time confute them ? He can never be one of the Sons of Peace ^ but an avow'd^pro- fefs'd^ and downright Enemy unto it^ in endeavouring to deltroy^, what he would be thought to preferve : 'Tis a meer Belufion^ and a Ridi- culom Sham to cry Peace ^ Peace], when at the fame Time this Jd- verfary of ours has entred the Lifts ^ and made himfelf ready for Battel. In this^ and many other particu- lars^ you may clearly difcern the Spirit of the Man , For can he e- ver be inclind to repair our Breaches ^ and heal our Divifiofis^ when all the while he is making of Parties to widen and increafe them ? Can he be defirous to pro- mote Peace and Umty among Pro- t eft ant s^ when at the fame time he draws as many as ever he can in- a 2 to X The F R E F AC E. to the lame Scbifm and Separation with himfelf ? No certainly^ for a:ll his Pretences are juft like the Po- licies of the Mgerines^ who molt defign the Slavery of Chr'iUianSy when they hang out Chr'ifiian Co- lours. But after all his glorious Breathings towards Peace and Uni- ty^ is it not ftrange that this Jd- verfary of mine lliould turn luch an Acciifer of the Brethren'^. His Words are thefe • "^ But alas ! Such narroW'SouV d Creatures are foJiWy and fo addicted to their own Par- ty^ that they will hardly allow any to he Chrijiians in this Kingdom^ that are not coJijtant Members of their Englilh Catholick Churchy nor own thofe as Brethren in the Mi- mstry ( either here or in Eorein Parts ) who were not Ordain'd hy the Hands of Diocefans. Now this grand Partiality I have always ob- lerv'd in the Presbyterians them- * See the Preface to the [aid Book^^ p, 2. felves. PREFACE. XI felves, who would never vouchlafe the Title of ^ood Chr'ijUaii to any Perlon, unlefs he was one of their own henoinhiaUon : And as the old Donatifis confin'd the Limits of the Churchy /;/ Angulo & partktda A- fric^^ in a corner and Imall part of Africa • fo our Jiew Enghjh ones do impale the . true Church of CbriH within their own Party. Thefe^, thefe are the Godly ^ the Brethren^ the Precious^ the Children of God -^ for all others are reputed unfavoiiry Salt J M'lferable Caft-aways^ and A- hominahle Barbarians. But is this the true and genuine Spirit of Chri- ftianity ? Is it not rather the Spirit of Bigpttry and Infatuation ? And is not this Pfeiidocheus adled by the very fame Spirit ? He accufeth me of unhappy Principles^ and no lefs unhappy Temper^ which made me to attempt the blajiing of his Aiinijtry ( as he calls it ) without any Provo- cation on his Part, Good Man ! Is it no Provocation to an Yfiahlijh'd a 3 Cler-' xii The PREFACE, Clergyman to lee the Gather'ing of Churches out of Churches^ and the fetthig lip of Altar again ji Altar? Is it no Provocation to lee Ffeudo- cheiis iifmg all his little Arts and Ilevices to draw Difdples after him^ to increale his Party ^ and to fill up his Conventicle ? He would do well to peruie that Presbyterian Book^ Entitled^ "^ Jus Divinmn Reghmnis Ecclefiajlk?^ and there he will be in- fcrm'd^ That this Practice oi Gather- ing Churches out of Churches^ and of fettin^ iipfeparate Meetings againlt an EJiablijhd Churchy is bitterty in- veigh'd againft^ as the Mother of Confiifion^ and the Nurfe of Schifnu This was a thing that was feverely condemn'd by the Puritans of old^ in the Broivnijts ^ and by the Pre shy- terians of late, in the Independents^ and other Sectaries : But in thefe Days of ours^ wherein Religion be- comes Tributary to Interefi^ the Na- t A BgoI^ made h f,^? London Alimficrs^ Ann, 16^7. ture The F R E F J C E. xiii ture of Sc/jifin muft not be laid open and expos'd;, becaule PfeucJocben/s Conventide is founded upon it. If the tender Points of Divijion ^ io fliarply rehuk'd by the Holy Apojtle^ be fo much as touched upon in any of my publick or private DifcourfeSj no fooiier .does he hear of them.;, but he prefently calls them my Infolent Cla- jnours. If I inform the People^ that the D/^^///'6'ri' induftrious way of ma- king Profelytes is not to the Y^mbra- dng oiChrislianHy^ and to the true Practice of Piety and Fertile -^ but to ft Party ^ a FaBion^ a ScJjifm and Se- paration from an Ejtabli/h'd Church ; then this tdiy Sfiieltymnuan "^^ calls me an Incendiary. Thus he Hath gi- ven his Mouth to Evil^ and his Tongue franieth Deceit , and he appears to be wholly diredted by that pernicious Maxim 5 Calumniare fort iter ^ & ali- quid adhdirebit^ Slander itoutly^, and fomething will ftick behind. Do but *So calld from Ste^h. Marfhall, EdmXalamy^ Tm. a 4 ob^ XIV The PREFACE. obferve the many rancorous Infinua- tions and Mifreprefentat'ions through out his whole Preface ^ but thele be- ing his own Bra'in-Jick CoiijeFtureSj are all of them notorioifjly faJfe^ and to his ConviFt'ion and Shame they have been already prov'd lo. Is it then fo very natural to our T)}]! en- ters to prom.ote their own Interest and wUy Dejigns by odious Falfities. and Jlanderous Criminations ? Does Fanaticifm Itandin need of fuch im- pious Forgeries y and muit Pfeudoche- us talk fo deceitfully for its Jdvance- ?nent ? If fo^ then here the Cenfure mult fall ; That 'tis certainly a very ftrong Prefumption of a moft weak and feeble Caufe^ when the Refuge and Support of it are Impudent and Audacious Lies* Thus I have done with my Adver- farys Preface^ and Ihall now pro- ceed to the Conference it felf, where- in the Reader will find^ That Ordi- nation hy Meer Presbyters is provd Void and Null., That Diocefan Epi- fcopacy The PREFACE xv fcopacy is an Jpojiolkky and conle- quently a Div'me Injiitutwn-^ and that all Pfeiidocheus's poor OhjeB'ion^ againft it are utterly overthrown and defiroyd. What then remains after- wards is^ to advile all good Chrijti- ans^ as they tender their everlaWmg Salvation^ molt carefully to avoid all Schifmatkks and their pernicious Principles^ and to renounce all man- ner of Communion with fuch falfe and counterfeit MiniBers ^ and if I am thought to be too plain and free in this my Advice to a loofe and li- centious Jge^ I Ihall be fure to con- tinue fo;, whenfoever 1 find an occafi- on : and tho' perhaps I may offend fome nice and captious Ears^ and ex- afperate thofe whom I do oppofe, that's none of my Faulty but theirs ^ For none fliould be offended at the Truths and he that is exafperated and enraged by it^ difcovers a maJig- nant and idcerated Mind. THE THE CONTENTS THE Presbyterians wufl firjl produce an O- riginal Chm ch founded ly theWoXy Apo- llles, whofe chief Governour was no other than a Meer Presbyter, and then a conftant and uninterrupted Succeffion of fuch Governing- Presbyters down from lAm to thefe very Times y lefore they can prove any Succeffion in their pretended Miniftry, Tag, i, 2. What Things are requird in a lawful Call and Or- dination into the Miniftry, 3 The Presbyterians h:ive heen frequently imposed up- on ly Romiili Priefts in their Conventicles, lO Pfeudocheus does fymbolize with Romilli the Priefls, I J All irregular Ordinations rvere ever accounted as Nullities, 14 Kone hut Minifters Ordain'd hy Diocefan Bifliops may prefume to Baptize, 19, 20 Baptifm no fit Prefcription for other Clergy-Offi- ces, ai A Flalf-Conforming Clergy very pernicious to the true Intereft of the Church of England, 24 The Holy Apoftles Ordain'd the Seven Deacons, when The CONTENTS. ivhen the Seventy ivere preje fit ^ who did not pre- tend to the Power of Ordination, hecaufe they had no fuch Commiffion from our BlefTed Sa- viour, 29 The Word Yl^ia^v-n^iov esflaind ?^> 32^ Evangelifls vctre chojen hy the Holy Apofllcs 33 Timothy no Evangelift 34j 3 5" St, Paul and St. Barnabas had their Ordination to the Apoftolate hy Prophets, who were thereunto Commiffion'd hy the Holy Ghoft, 3<^9 37 The lVordX^^'7Dvm(tvTi(;in AH. 14. i J. explain d 39»40 No Injlance of any Popular Election in the Holy Scriptures, 42., ©c. Pfeudocheus contradicts himfelf 47 The Impofition of Hands hy Presbyters in Ordi- nation, was permitted hy the Biihop wore for the Honour of the Pried hood than the Effence of the Work, 5 1 The Power of Ordination folely vefled in the Per- fon of the Bifhop, 5^^ 5'^ In the Greek Church, none hut the Bifliop lays on his Hand at the Ordination of a Priefl, as well as of a Dczcon^ 52 The Diflenting Teachers, that were Ordain'd hy their Rebel-Priefts, are not qualify d to perform any Minifterial Adts, without a New and law^* ful Ordination, ibid. The exadt Platform of the Church'j Miniftry // in the Epifiles to Timothy and Titus, 5:5 Bifliops and Presbyters alfo did attend 5/. PaulV Vifitation at Miletus, 60, &c. Titus w Evangelift, 68, &c. The CONTENTS. ''E7n(JKzisr@^ in the New Teftament doth aL vcAjs fignifie a Bifhop, 6 ^^66 Timothy had an Archiepifcopal Jurifdidion at Ephelus, and Titus had alfo the fame in Crete, Pfeudocheus permits the Power of Ordination to Biftiops, hut not to Archbifliops, ibid. The Time fixd when Timothy entrti upon his Charge at Ephefus, 74, ^c. The Apoftles dtd tranfmit their Ordinary Power of Ordination and JurifdicStion to Diocefan Biflhops, whodidfucceed the ApoRks; lut the Presbyters did come in Place of the Seventy Difciples, 85,&'c. Pfeudoclieus'j great Dif-ingenuity to Dr. Ham* mond, 92 Dr. Hammond /r^?^^f/y miflakeny 9; St. James the Lefs was the firfi Diocefan Bifliop of the Church of Jerufalem, 95, 96 There were feveral Presbyters in the Church of Jerufalem, who were Paftors and Teachers of feveral Congregations in that Otyj and all of them were under St. James Epilcopal Care and Government, 101, &c. There were feveral Churches in the Holy Apoftles Times J which had many Presbyters, over whom the Apoftles or Apofl:olick Men did prefide^ 107 John Calvin might have leen Confccrated a Bi- jfhop/(?r the City (?/ Geneva hy Archhifhop Cran- mer, where a Reform'd Epilcopacy would have leen as foon received as a pretended Presbytery, for John Calvin was never Ordain'd, i it Tei The CONTENT S. Ttt Calvin and Bcza alfo ivere great Approvers of biocefan Bifhops, 113, 1 1 ^ Archhijhop Uflier'j Reafons for his Redudion of Epifcopacj' to the Form ^/Sy nodical Govern- ment, * 118, 119 The Bkffed Martyr King Charles I. was an excel- lent Difputant/(?r Epilcopacy, 121, ixj Mr, Baxter'^ gre/tt Dif-ingenuity in his Mil-re- preientations of Pious and Orthodox Bifliops, 12,7 What fort of Men they were, on whom the dreadful Confequences ^^d they ordain d Dea- cons^ Presbyters and Bijhops ( c )^ but they gave the Power of admit- ting all others only to the Bijhops^ to whom alfo they only gave Rules to diredt them in examining and ap- proving the Candidates for Holy Or- ders ( /^ );, and charg'd them to Or- dain none haftily • that is, not till they had thoroughly try'd them (e). And fmce there are no fuch Rules in all St. Paid's Epiltles ^ but in thofe that are directed to Timothy and Titus ; it is a plain Demonftra- tion_5 that the Holy Apoftle did in- tend^ not only the Ordination^ but (b) A<(atth. 10. I, 2. ch,2S, 19,20. Mar. 3. 14. ( c ) ^ci, 6. 6. &. 14. 23. 2 Ttm, 1,6. ( d) 1 Tim, 3. i, &c/j'tt<, i.S^C^c, ( t ) I Tim. 5. 2 2« i*e, M« k ^coiv^cfh- Eta Theophil. in IcCa the Provd Void and- Null. tiie Scrutiny and Approbation of all Ecclejiafiical Officers^ lliould be fole- ly m the B /pop's Power. Tlie Apo- ftolical Canons are very exprefs. tli^it two or three Bijhops are nece / to the Confecrating a Bijhops and one to the Ordaining a Pr/^^ and Deacon (/); Neither of v/hich^ as Diony Jilts obferves, can be initiated without the B [[hop's Prayer (^ )• 'Tis uncertain how Ancient thefe Canons are^ but Blondel grants that they were extant at lealt in the Third Age (^) 5 and the Author of them, does feem to have reduc'd into that one Body the former Rides and Cti- fioms of the Jpofiolick Churches. The Learned Daille'^ the great Pa- tron oi Presbytery ^ di4 acknowledge Ordination in St. Cyprians time was peculiarly the BiJhop\ Right ( i ) : So that this Confejfion of fo great ( f) Can. A^ofhL i.&z. ( g ) Dknyf. Ecclef, Hieran cap, 5. ( h ) Blonde l. Apolog. fro Hieron. /?. 157. {i ) Or^ dinationem r- £pifco}a!is jfiris \<^coi fmjje in Cypriamci fecull Ecclefta conptemur. Daille de cuko Lac. Relig. Itl. 2* B 4 ail 8 Ordination by Meer Presbyters an Adverfary may exciife any fur- ther Proof for that Age • and if it be confider d^ that the Bijhops down from the Holy Jpojiles to St. Cypri- ans Days were very poor and perfe- cutedy as well as very pmiSy it can- not be thought they fhould have u- Jtirp'd any Authority which was not left them' by the Holy Jpojiles. And 'tis very evident that thofe good Pri- mitive ^i/^o^j'^ the ^re^t Propaga- tors of our Chrijlian Religion^ did affume this Power ^ and the Prtefts^ Deacons and Laity did yield an en- tire Obedience • wherein that the one did wrongfully ufurp^ and the other did v/eakly comply ^ is neither probable nor juji to fuppole. Pfeud. Tou have told me^ Philale- thes^ What is to be efteemd a Lawful Cali^ and what Ordination is reqiii- Jite to invefi a Man in the Sacred OfT fice of the Miniftry ; Isow though we Diffenting Teachers cannot pretend to fuch a Regular Call and Ordina- tion, as you have juji now defcribed^ Provd Void and Null yet xve do not look upon our j elves as Ufurpers of the Minilterial Fundtion, hut as true Minifters^ and we are aU of us jo careful andjiritt to prevent ^ Herefies and Schifms, Errors and hnpkfies from mfeEtwg or trou- hling the Churchy, by the Rajhnefs of bold Intruders -, that we allow not thofe to he Seeds-Men amongft m^ who either on one Side ignorantly pretend to the Spirit, or on the other ^ jhall dare to deny his Office^ or mock at his Operations. Fhih Thefe are fpeeious Pretences^ Pfeudocheus^ yet when tliey come under an impartial Scrutiny^ there will not appear the leait Shadow of Truth or Sincerity in them ^ For Til plainly prove, that the Diffenting Teachers^ who were Ordain d by Meer Preshyters^ are all of them Ufurpers of the Alinijterial Office: But before I proceed upon that Head, I muft make a few Remarks t Mr. 7, fvy. Utters, p, n, 13. con^ lo Ordmation by Meer Presbyters concerning that great Care and Str/Shiefs^ wliich you fo miglitily boaft of, in preventing Herefies and ScbifjjiSy Errors and Impieties from infecting and troubling the Church by the Raflmefs of bold Intruders. Certainly your Party has but fmall Reaion to Glory in fuch l:^oble En- deavours ; How frequently have Di^ enters been impos'd upon by Ro-- vitjh Emijjar'ies in their very Conven- ticles ? Not only Faithful Commin and Thomas Heth^ the one a Doini- fikan Friar ^ and the other a Jefuit^ ^ but many more in thefe latter Days have adted the Parts of D'lffent- hig Teachers J and Preach'd in your Conventicles : That Whitebread and Gavan^ who were Executed in the time of the Popijh Plot^ have fre- quently Preach'd in Conventicles in SouthvQark^ and other Places; and that the faid Whitebread^ alias White ^ did Preach in a Presbyterian Conven- I Foxes and Firdrands. tkh Fro'dd Void and Nidi. 1 1 t2c/e at Spaldivkk near Hwitingdon j and that Wright:, Morgan and Ire- land:, who were in Rom'ij}) Orders ^ did Preach in Scotland under the Notion of, Presbyterian Teachers^ are notorious and unc[neftionable Truths. For if a Jefwt can bring a Counterfeit Letter of Recommen- dation from any remarkable Dijf en- ter^ or if he does but get a Certifi- cate that he has Preach'd in fuch or fuch Congregations^ with their Ap- probation ^^ which he is iiire to have^ if he inveighs againft Popery ^^ Bi- fhopS:, Ceremonies :, Conimon-Prayer^ and fets up for Liberty of Confci- ence^^ his Bufmefs is inftantly done^ and without any further Scrutiny ^^ he is admitted to Hold Forth^ and he is ftraightway applauded by fuch undifcerning Auditors for a moft zealous Protejfant^ a powerful and right Heavenly Man. Whereas the Church of England takes Care that none be admitted to the Charge o£ Souls^ without all the Caution ima- ginable 12 Ordmation by Meer Presbyters ginable againft Popery ^ The Clergy of that Church muft take the Oaths appointed to be taken by Law • they mult have Tejthnoniah from Perfons that know them,, of their Ability andSoimduefs of Judgment^ they ,muit Ihew their Letters of Ordina- tion ^ before they are admitted to Preach in any unknown Con- gregation ^ and they muft have a Licenfe from the Bifoop of the Dio- cefe ^ before they can regularly Preach in a Congregation^ v/hereun- to by Law they are Inftituted and Jndu6led. If then the Care of vour Teachers had been as great to pre- ferve your People from Error, ^s their Endeavours have been to keep them in Igjjorance, they would have been lefs culpable and pernicious. And why was you^ Pfeudocheiis^ fo treacherous to the Souls of your poor deluded Fol- lowers^ as to prevent any Informa- tion that might have brought them to the Knowledge of the Truth ? It was but lately that a certain Perfon^ who was Frovd Void and Null. 1 3 was then one of your owii Party ^ but is now of our Communion^ did put into your Hands a Book con- taining feveral Reafous againlt Oc- cajional Conformity^ and thereupon did requelt your Opinion • but you like a Faithful Pajior^ after you had perus'd it^ return d it to him again with this particular Caution^ That hy no means he muft Jhew it to aiiy Perfons of your CoJigregation. Was not this^ Pfeudochem^ a plain lym- bolizing with Popery ? For you endeavour to keep your Followers in Ignorance by the fame Methods the Romijh Priejis do theirs. Pfeud. Come^ come^ Philalethes, How will you prove the DifTenting Teachers that were Ordain'd by Meer Presbyters to he Ufurpers of the Mi- nifterial Office^ and that their Or- dinations are Invalid and Null ? We do fuppofe "^that Presbyters cannot Regularly admit into the Mintftry * Mr. y }V[% Letter Si p. i3> 14. 14 Ord'matwn by Meer Presbyters by Ordination , yet it iv'ill ?2ot fol/ow hence^ that none fo admkted are true Minifters^ nor that their Ordi- nation is therefore Invalid and Null. For oftenthnes (according to that old Maxim y Quod fieri non debet^ fadtum valet ) That which ought not to have been done^ as being Irregular^ yet being done^ ought not to be an- 7iulVd for want of fome fit Circum- fiances. PhiL Would ever any Man^ but you^ Pfeiidocheus^ -produce thh Max- mi^ to prove the Validity of Presby- terian Orders ? All Antic[uity will not afford one Inftance of Presby- ters making Ordinations without a Bifhop ; If any Presbyters did claim a Right to Ordain^ and did prefume againit the Rule of the Church in that particular^ the Church of thofe times did declare their Ordinations Null ^ and thought that Jntichrift was near at hand^ when fuch new and unprefidented Confufions were permitted to arile. What Sentence fhall Provd Void and JSulL 15 fliall we think would they have pronounc'd upon Preshxterian Or- dmca'ions^ when they did not only refcind Orders conferr'd by BifhopSy againft the Canons and EfiahUJh]d Difaplme of the Church ( k )^ but in fome Cafes did Re-ordain ( I J ? If a confiderable Party of the Scot- tijb Laity^ difliking fome Pradices of the prefent Kirk:, and attempt- ing (as they thought ) a purer Re- fonnationy Ihould take upon them, to Ordain Pajlors m their feparate Congregations^ in oppofition to the receivd DifcipUne fettled in their General Synods^ I would appeal to yoU;, or any Teachers in thofe Churches^ Whether you or they held fuch an Ordination valid. This, Pfeudocheusj I take to be your own Cafe^ and cannot but tell you^ that not only fuch as thefe^ but all o- ther Irregular Ordifiationshavchccn ever accounted as Nullities ^ for ik) Can.Nic 9, lO; i6. Can, Ant-^i^ (/) NicCan, i^ which i6 Ordination by Meer Presbyters which feveral have been depriv'd of Holy Orders^ and reduc'd to a Lay- Co77imumon> In the Council of Sar- dicay thofe Clerks ^ that were Or- dain d by Muf^iis and ^utychiajiuSy who were not Bifhops^ but only- two Grecian Presbyters ^ were redu- ced to the State and Condition of Laicks ( m J. The like Decree alfb was made about the Ordination of MaxijnuSy a pretended^ but no real Bijhopy that the Perfons fhould be reputed no Clergyjnen^ and all his A8ts annull'd {ny So it was de- ter mind in a Synod at Alexandria^ by the famous Confeffor Hojius and other Bijhops there affembled^ Th^t Ifchyras who was Ordain d by one CoUuthus a Meer Presbyter ^ fhould be depriv'd of that Degree to which he had falfly pretended (o), for ( fay they) fmce CoUuthus died but {m^ Concil. Sardlc. Can. i8, 19. Bev.Tom. i. p. 505. C") Mh75 THi Tidp hinS Xei^Tvvn^vTtii iv oia J^)7n)-n CcSfJi^ Khn^a^ &c. Concil. Con(t. 2. Can. 4. Bev.T. i. />. 91. iS"(?-^. //^i 1.^.9. and, a^. Athanaf, Apsl, 2. a Provd Void and ISulL 17 a Presbytery all his Ordinations are void f p ). The Council of Hifpa- lis degraded a Priefi and two Dea- cons for this only Realbn • Becaule the Bifliop of Jgahra being afflidled with Sore Eyes^ and having fome prelented to him to be Ordain d Presbyters and Deacons ; did only lay his Hands upon them^ liiifering a Presbyter that flood by to fay the Prayers over them^ and read the Words oi Ordination ( q^). This being confider'd in the aforefaid Council^ upon Mature Deliberation it was thus deter rnind. Firft^ The Presbyter that affifted^ for his Bold- nels and Prefumption^ he had been fubjedt to the Councils Cenfure^ but that he was before Deceas'd : N§x:r^ The Presbyter and Deacons ^ who were lb Ordain d^ lliould be a6tual- ly depofed from all Sacred Orders ^ concluding thus^, Tales enim merito judicati funt rejiiovendi^ cj^uia prave ( f>) Epift, Synodal, ap. Bin, T* i.p.^os- ( q) Cdncil' Bifpd, 2, Can. 5. An, 619. Bin* T 2, par. 2* />. 32^. c k- "i8 Ordmathn by Meer Presbyters tmenfi fw/t conjlitiiU -^ that they were worthily adjndg'd to lo{e their Orders^ which they had wrongful- ly receiv'd. So little Influence had the Presbyters in the Efjent'ial Parts of Ordmathn^ as that their bare Reading of the Words (though requir'd to it by the B'ljhop^ was adjudg'd enough^ not only to make them liable to the ChtircJjs Cenfure^ but alfo for their Sakes to make void the AElwn. I could produce other Examples of this Nature^ but thefe may fuffice to let you fee^ what were the Eftefts of fuch Irre- gidar OrdhiatioJiSy they were ac- counted as Nullities^ tho' perform'd by thofe who were in Sacred Or- derj. rfeud. "^ I could give you many In- Ranees to clear the Truth of what I have before afferted^ but I flmJl con- tent my felf at prefent with this one^ which is ad Hominem and clofe to : Mr. J. fV's Lmfrs^ f. 14, the Provd Void and Null. 19 the purpofe. Lay-men have not Power to Baptize. Now thd you ejieem us^ who were not Ordain'd by Diocefans, to be no true Minifters hut Lay-men : Tet you do not Re-Rap- tize any of thofe who had been Bap- tized by us^ but admk them to the Lord's-S upper ^ without queftwning their forfjier Baptifm as Invalid. If you fay t^^at Lay-men have Power to Baptize- prove that^ and by the fame (yea much jlronger ) Reafons I wiU prov'e^ that Presbyters have Power to Ordain. Phil. Indeed your grofs Ignorance requires much Pity and Compaffion. Don't you know that no Perfon may prefume to Baptize^ unlefs he is a lawful Minijler (" For Chrijl gave this Commijfion only to his Jpo- files, to their lawfid Succejfors, and to all others Ordain d by them ^ and he join'd the Office of Preaching to it : So that un-ordaind Per ions may as well prefume to Preach as to C 2 Bap- 20 Ordination by Aieer Presbyters Bapt'/ze ( r J. And therefore the Church of old forbad Women to Baptize^ and Ep'iphanhis did ac- count it ridiculous in Maraon and his Followers to permit Women to do this Office ( J") • and our Church requires it to be done by a lawful Mm'ifier. 'Tis certainly a moft hor- rid Prefumption for a Lay-man to invade the M'tmjlerial Office with- out any Commijfion ; and as to the Pretence that an Infant may be in danger^ I do verily believe the In- fant may be as Safe upon the Stock of God's Mercy without any Bap- tifnij as with a Baptifm^ which is not commanded by God^ and to which he has made no Promifes. But the Reafon why Baptifm by Laicks^ or by Women^ fuch as is moft commonly pra6lis'd in the Roman Churchy is not efleem'd Null by us^ nor is repeated, is this ; Be- (r ) Petulama autem M filler is qua nfur^avit docere^ non etUm tirgeyidi ]m fihi parift, Teit. de Bapt. cap. 17. ( ^ ) £pfhm, Famr, itj^. i. Tom, 3, h^rff, 42. caufe Provd Void and Nidi. 2 1 caule we make a Difterence between what is EjJenUal to a Sacrament^ arid what is requifite in the Regu- lar way of ufmg it. None can deny this among us^ but thole who will queftion the whole Chr'ijVianity of the Roman Churchy where the Mid- lyives do generally Baptize : But if this invalidates the Baptifin^ then we muft queftion all that is done a- mong them : For Perfons io Bapti- zed^ if their Baptifm is void;, are neither truly Ordain d^ nor capable of any other JB of Clmrch-Commu- ?iio%. Therefore Mens being in Or- ders^ or their being duly Ordain d is .not neceflary to the Effence of the Sacrament of Baptifm^ but only to the Regidarity of its Adminiftra- tion : And lo the want of it does not void it^ but does prove fuch Men to be under great Defe6ls and Diforders in their Conftitution. And agreeable to this was th^ Senfe of the Ancient Chruchy which did pofi- tively condemn the repeating of C 3 Bap- 22 Ordmat'jon by Meer Presbyters Baphfm ft^^ provided the Perfon was Baptized in the 'Name of the fa- ther^ the Son ^ and the Holy Ghoft. And when the Council of Nke^ Can, 10. St Cyprian and TertuUian fpeak of Re-haptizmg thofe who had been Baptizd by Hereticks^ it was becanie thev efteem'd their Bapt'ifju void and null fuj^ when not Ad- miniltred in the Name of the Holy Trinity according to our BlelTed ^S*^- vmirs Appointment. So that Bap- tifm is no fit Prefcription for other Clergy-Offices^ for the Eftecl does wholly depend on the Sacram$nt^ that is^ on the Matter and Words thereof rightly apply 'd^ not on the Authority^ or Povoer of him who conferreth it • and fuch Baptifm is valid and unalterable^ when done by any Perfon^ tho' there was no neceffity for fuch an Adminiftrati- on. Thus I have Invalidated your trifling Inftance^ and have given you ( t ) ConciLi. Cart hag. Can, i.An, 33.0. item Concil. 3. 2c»-] ytan, {h) TmnL dc Ba^u ca^, 15. the Provd Void and Null. the true Senie of the moit Learned Divines upon this Pointy of which before ( I find ) you was utterly ig- norant. ' Pfeud. ^ Tou are of a differ cvit Opi- nion from the o/JEpifcopal Divines^ fuany of which were Bifhops ^ and thd they judgd Ordination by Dio- cefans to be iiiofi Regular^ and to tend to the Bene t&^ the Well-being of the Miniltry ^ yet they did not fall into that Dotage^ which has of late pf^evaird among fome^ to Dream^ that it was necefjary to the EiTe or ver^ Being of the Miniftry. This I am fo weU afjurdofy that I can (and will if it be needful J produce a Cloud of WitJiejJes from the Wri- tings of thofe^ that were unquejiiona- hly Epifcopal in their Judgment and Pra6lice. Fhil. Thefe Divines^, Pfeudocheus^ whom you fpeak of^ had one Heart for Old England and another for tMi, J. fTi Letters, f. 14. C 4 New; 24 Ordmation by Meer Presbyters \ 111 I III I I t I n New I Theie were the Men that by their lame and partial Conformky did very much contribute to the Growth oiFaBioji fmce the ChurcJjs Rejiauratmi^ for People have readi- ly concluded^ that certainly there muft be fomething that is very ill in our Worjhtp and Ceremonies^ other- wife fuch Men as were under the Obligations of Oaths and Subfcrip- tkns would have fhew'd their Li- king and AlTent to them by a more regular Conformky : Thefe were a fort of Men that knew how to comply with weak and tender Con- fciencesy tho' it was againft the Senfe of their own ;, Thefe could give the Holy Sacram.ent to any either jftand- ing or kneelingj, Thefe could ^.^j:;- ttze with the Sign of the Crofs^ or without it ^ Thefe could vifit the Sick with the Church's Prayers or their own^ as the ferfon was in- clined; Thefe were the Men that have been always applauded by yovir Party ^ and by fuch you have ever ex- Provd Void and Null. 25 expedted to compafs your Defiras-, and certainly there is no fucli dan- gerous Enemy ^ as one within our own Walls;, that can betray us unluipecSled. And tho' the like Men may acquire from fuch as you thoie fine and cu- rious Names of Moderation^ Difcre- tion and Prudence^ }^et they will ne- ver ferve the Intereft of our Holy Religion^ or fecure the Honour and Safety of the Englijh Church ; For when fuch Perfons give Example and Encouragement to others to break the Church's Laws^ and to contemn her Authority ^ no wonder then^ that Vice and FaElion does appear fo Info- lent and lo Daring. Pfeud. Pray^ Philalethes^ VQave that Topick^ and let me hear how you will prove that Meer Presbyters have no Power to admit into the Mi- niitry hy Impofition of Hands in Ordination. Phih I will prove it clearly from the Holy Scriptures^ which do not afford one Inftance^, that Me^r Pref- hyters 26 Ordination by Meer Presbyters byters did ever admit into the Mi- niftry hj hnpojition of Hands. For the fir ft Ord'mation that we meet with in the Holy Scriptures ^\^ that of thofe^u^z/^commonly call'd Deacons-^ And there we nnd no Hands mpo- fed hut thofe of the Holy Jpojiles. ja. 6. Pfeud. "^ Hold, Philalethes^ this Injtance of the Jpojties Ordaining Deacons^ will not be fufficient to prove, that Presbyters may not Or^ dain- For, I. Ty^^ Apoftles (as far m appears by the Context ) were the only Church-Officers then prefent at Jerufalem , and therefore no wonder that the Apoftles only are mention d to have laid on their Hands^ when either they tnuji do it, or it could not then be done at all 2. Thd the Apoftles only Ordain d the Seven Deacons^ yet Timothy was Ordain d by Presbyters ^^ as the ♦ Mr. J, Ws Letters, /?. 15, i6. * Pfeudocheus contradiSis klmfelf, p. S4. ' " Scri- Proud Void and Null, 27 Scripture tcjiifies^ 1 Tim. 4.14. Fro?7i whence I argue thus a Majore. Thofe that have Power to Ordain an Evan- geliit^ (voho is an higher Officer) have Power much more to Ordain a Presbyter : ( who u an inferior Offi- cer ) But Presbyters have Power to Ordain ^;/ Evangelift^ therefore they have Power to Ordain Presbyters. 3. The Apoftles having Ordain'd the Deacons at Jerufalem^ is no Ar- gument that none hut Apoltles may do this Work. For we Read in A6ts 1 3. ly 2^ 3. That Barnabas and Paul re- ceived Impofition of Hands from Presbyters without Apoftles. The Words of the Text are thefe^ Now there were in the Church that was at Antioch^ certain Prophets and Teachers^ as Barnabas and Simeon as they miniftred to the Lord and fafted^ the Holy Ghoft faid^ Separate now unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fafted and prayed;, and laid their hands 28 Ord?7iatio7i by Meer Presbyters hands on them^ thej^ fent them a- wav. From whence it is apparent ^ that thofe who hid Hands on Barna- bas and Paul^ were Presbj^ters^ the ordinary Pajtors or Teachers of that Churchy which was at Antioch. So that this is a fure Argument from this Place. ^ If Presbyters might lay their Hands on Apoities themfeJves^ then they may lay their Hands on Presbyters much more : But the An- tecedent 2s true^ therefore the Con- fequent. PhiL What ftrange Conje6lures are tliefe^ Pfeudocheus^ that have not one Te)<^t to lupport them in all the Holy Scriptures ? You fay^ that the Holy Jpoftles ( as far as appears hy the Context ) were the only Church-Officers then prefent at Je- rufalem ^ and therefore no wonder^ that the Apofiles are only mention d to have laid on thtir Hands ^ when either they muft do it^ or it could not be then done at all. 'Tis certainly true^ Pfeudocheus^ that the Holy Jpo^ Provd Void and NnlL 29 Jpofiles were the 011I7 Church-Offi- cers that had the Fower of Or darn- ing the Seven Deacons ; for the Se- venty D'lfciples that were prefent at their Ord'mation^ would not u- furp any Authority whereunto they were not Commijfion d by die Holy Jefiis • and that Conmujfion which they did receive, was not Temporary^ and fuch as prefently expif d^ but was Diirahle and for Term of Life : For we find that when St. Peter flood up in the midlt of the Difciplesj the Number of the Names (^ /. 6^. the Perfons ) together were an Hundred and Twenty^ and among thefe were the Seventy as well as the Eleven ^ ABs r. 15. fwj^ Again of the Number of thefe Se- venty Difciples were St. Matthias and St. Barnabas ( x )j who Itood Competitors for the' Apoftlefhip^ from which Judas by Tranlgreffion {w) Vid, Llghtf, in Uc ( x) Eufek Hifi* lih.icii. & l\h» 2' c, 9. Epifhan^ Haref, 20. Hieron, de Script, Ecdef, in Manh* Vid,Ir€n<:^Hmlib,A,c»6i^ TtrtaLdf Frafcript. . " fell. 30 Ord'inaUon hy Meer Presbyters fell, and die Lot falling upon St. Matthias^ he was cliofen from the Inferior into the Superior Order^ Acts I. 26. Then alfo thofe Jemfa- leuhElders ( /. e. o; Upij/SvT^^oi Friejrs ) fo frequently mention d in that firlt General Council there held ( ^ ) were no other than fome of the Seventy Dif copies ^ Jtis 15. 2y 4,6^ 22. Now all thele had no other Cojnmijjion than what they before receiv d from our Bleffed Saviour^ of which they were Itill fully pofTefs'd^ and were prefent at the Ordination of the Se- ven Deacons J but had no Power to Ordain them. 2. You fay^ ^^ Tbo[ the Holy Apo- fiies only Ordain'd t/je Seven Dea- cons^ yet Timothy was Ordain'd by Presbyters^ as the Scripture te- fiifiesj I Tinu 4. 14." Who^ but Fjeudocheus^ or fuch another^ would ever have faid fo ? The Scripture (y) The[e are call' d Presbyters /» the Greek Originals, rfihlch being often rendred Seniores in the Vulgar Latin, of- cafiond ofir firft Tranflntorj to caU thjm Elders. tefti- cc cc cc Provd Void and Null. 31 teltifies no fiich thing, it does not fay that he was Ordamd by Presby- ters^ but by the Presbytery ^ of which St. Paul was the Chief^ and by the ImpofiUon of his Rands (with the Hands of other BijJoops ) was he Ordain d. As in 2 Ti/;/. i. 6. Where- fore I put thee in remembrance^ that thoufiir up the gift of^ God which is in thee^ by the putting on of my Hands. But that you may better know the meaning of this Word Presbytery^ take this Information. The Word npe^/£:;T.'pr.r, Presbytery^ is only us'd three times in the New Te- Jiament , Firft in St. Luke 22. 66. where we render it the Elders of the People • but it is in the Origi- iial the Presbytery of the People. The fecond Place is in AEts 22- 5. where we read all the Eftate of the Elders , the Word is the fame^ Tif^icf/Buripiov, the whole Presby- tery. Now the third Place is in I Tim. ^. 14. NegleEt not the Gift that is in thee^ which was given thee by 32 Ordhiation by Meer Presbyters hy Prophecy^ xoith the Laying on of ^the Hands of the Presbytery. In the two firlt Places Presbytery is taken for the Magiftrates or Senate of the People of the Jews^ no Chr'ijimn Or- der ; then from the nfe of the Word in other Places^ i t cannot be thought that this Place fliould particularize this lower Order^ as you fancy^ fmce there is no Place to parallel it : But becaufe Presbytery doth fignifie an Ecclejiafikal Order in the Mmi- 7? r>s therefore this Presbytery Ihould do fo like wife : but in as large a Seiife as Presbyter^ and not in a more re- Jlramd Senfe. Now Presbyter takes in its Latitude the whole Order of Priefthood^ both Bijhop and Presby- ter : So that this Place muft be un- derftood according Xo the Judgment of theie Ancient Fathers^ St. Cbry- fojiom^ TheophylaBy Theodoret and others^ who faid that the Presby- tery here mentioned ^ was not a Presbytery of the Inferior Order^ but of that Rank of Presbyters whiclj Frovd Void and Null 3 3 which we term Bijhops (z). Thus I have prov'd tliat Thnothy was not Or dam d by Aieer Presbyters ^ and Ihall next confider your Argument ^ Majore^ which is this, ^'^ Thofe ^^ that have Power to Ordain an ^^ Evangelift^ (who is an higher ^*^ Officer) have Power much more ^^ to Ordain a Presbyter : (who is "^^ an inferior Officer) But Presby- ^^ ters have Power to Ordain an ^"^ Evangeliji -^ Therefore they have ^^ Power to Ordain Presbyters.'^' Your Minor I deny. Presbyters ne- ver had any Power to Ordain Evan-^ geJiJtsj for they were Perfbns chofen by the Holy Jpofiles to Preach the Gofpel to fuch as formerly had not heard of it ; at lealt^ to fuch as had yet refifted the Light of it^ and were not converted by it (a): Their Rank in the Clmrch was after the C ^ J The Greek Fathers and the Ethiopick Verfion do fay that thefe -were Bifhops, who wind with St, Paul in ma^ king Timothy a Bifhop. 'Cy Tnd 'SffiKT^vii^MV '^mv ivTVLv^Af A>^il 7nd ^(FKOTT^v. Chryfoft. & Theoph. in i Tim, 4. 14, Imfofitione mamum EpfcovoYHm* Verf, ^thiopic (a) Eu^, fch.Hifi,Ecc!efi^^c.ii: D Apc-^^ 34 Ordination by Meer Presbyters Jpojiles and Prophets^ and before the Pajiors and Teachers. And he gave ibme^ Apofiles : and fome Pro- phets : and lome^ EvangeJifis : and fome Pajtors and Teachers : Eph. 4. II. ( Z' ) They differed from Pajiors only inthis^ that thofe were Statio- nary^ had a fix'd and fettled Refi- dence in Churches already planted^ thefe were Itinerant^ and went up and down to impart the Holy Gof- pel^ according to their Inftrudlions received from the Apofiles ^ In fhort^ their Office was twofold^ to Write ^ as well as to Preachy which being Extraordinary^ expir'd with the Ho- ly Apofiles. Here you fee what an Evangeltfi w^as^, but why Timothy is faid to be only fuch^ I cannot con- ceive^ That Text in 2 Tim. 4. 5. will not prove him an Evangeltfi^ and fo does not fupport your drown- ing Cattfe : The Words are thefe ^'E^yv '23^rJy^aoy 'Evctyyi?[ic'5^ E)o the Work^ ( ^ ) Some part of the FunEhion of the fir ft Three tvas Ex- traordinary and Temporary \ In what TPi^4 Ordinary and Per- petml Bl/hops do Succeed, not Provd Void and Null. 35 — ' ■ • -■ i^riMiiiii iiMii ^ not the Office of an Evangelift. And what's that ? You may fee it im- mediately going before^ verf. 2. Preach the Word^ he mil ant m fea- fon^ out of feafoji ^ reprove^ rebuke^ exhort with all long-fujferhtgj and docirme. AndJf this be the Work of an Evangelic ^ which St. Paul would have Timothy to do^ viz^ To Preachy to he in'dant hi feafon^ and out of feafon^, &c. 'tis certainly the Work of a B'lfjopy who ought to per- form all this. But truly^ Pfeudo- cheus^ I do very much wonder^ that in your levelling Himiour you did not reduce him to a Deacon^ for the next V/ords that follow^ are thefe Ver. K . T^^ ^ictnovloLV ^An^pi^naov^ Fulfil thy Deaconjhip : So that you might as well have call'd him a Dea- con^ as an Evangel'ifl. But now your third Confiderati- on^ Pfeudocheus. is wonderfully fur- prifmg. The jlpo^les ( you fay ) having Ordahi'd the Deacons at Je-' rufalem^ is no Argument that none but ApoBles may do this Work. For D 2 we 36 Ord mat 2072 by Meer Presbyters we read ( you tell us) in JBs 13. i^ 2:, 3. That Barnabas and Paul received Inipofitwn of Hands from Presbyters without JpoHJes. The Words of the Text are thele^^ Now ther^ were in the Church that was at Antiochj, certain Prophets and Teachers-^ as Barnabas^ and Simeon that was called Niger, &c. Qc J ob- ferve the Words^ thefe are call'd Prophets and Teachers^ and there is no mention of Presbyters in the whole Chapter • St. Mark the Evaai- gelM was then prelent with them^ but we do not find that he was any way concern d in this hnpojithn of Hands. AEls 12. 25. & ABs 13. 5. Thefe Prophets then were not iuch as Jgabiis^ and the Daughters of PhiUp the EvangehU^ but they were Prophets of extraordinary PredicSii- on;, next to Jposlles^ Eph. 4. ii. Such as Epaphroditusy and Barna- (c) Thefe -were common Maxims Among the Jews, Quicquid Prophetic prsedixeruntj poflent facere, & ProjAc- ta ovnnia poteft, has^ Frovd Void and Null. 37 bas^ and St. Faid liimlelf {d J^ And, although St. Paid had his Immediate Call by Jefiis C/jrifl: {e J^ and St. Barnabas was one of the Seventy D if a pies f f Jy yet it was by thefe Prophets at Anfioch that they had their Ordination to the JpoHIeJhip^ for before this they were not call'd Apostles f g Jy but are prefently af- terwards^ Atts 14. 4^ 14. This then was an extraordinary Call^ and 'twas done by extraordinary Means and Ministers y not by Presbyters^ as you fhamefully aitert^ but by I^o- p/jets^ even Simeon^ Lucius and Ma- (d) GaL 19. 'fi^Ta^pocT/T^i; u^> 'Attoj^aov, Phil. 2. 25, (^J C/^/. I. I. A^s^. (f) *S>. Barnabas had no new Or» dination from the Holy Apoftles, yvhen he Preached to the Chriflians at Antioch, AEis 1 1. 23, 26. for he did it by Vir-^ tue of that CommKTion he receivd from our Biejjed Saviour, when be was made one of the Se'^enty Difciples. (^) Tho" Simeon, Lucius ^»^Manaen did lay their Hands tipn St, Paul and St, Barnabas, )et thty received their Ordi- nation to the Apoftlefhip, (j'm.t^hv <^ou7r^ ^ ^vivual©-, rather by the Holy Ghoft : And that they had not the Apoftlefhip before^ is manifefi by what followed after 5 For we do not find in all the Story of their AEls^ that either they Ordain d Pref- byters, or gave the Holy Ghoft, or wrought any Miracles, which were the Signs of their Apoftleftiip, before this Solemn Ordination, or Impofition of the Hands of the afcre faid three Prophets ; as afterwards we find they did in fever al Place^ of that Book, Vid. Chryfoftoni. Hom. 20. in Aft. D 5 naen: 38 Ordination by Meer Presbyters naen : Therefore in all this we may affirm with St. Chryfoslcin^ SUg ^Mv dvQpoi'TnvovKv yivofjuivxp, that of all the things which did befal St. Paul in his whole Vocation^ there was no- thing Ordinary J but every part was adied by the Hand of God. So that I deny this Argument which you draw from ^Els 13. I3 2^ 3. Presbyters (fay you) might lay their Hands on ApoUles themfelves, therefore they may lay their Hands on Presbyters much more. Here your Antecedent is falfe^ and there- fore the Confequent: For this Pow- er of Impofition of Hands in Ordi- nation was fix'd upon the Holy Jpo- slles and JpoBolick Men (Jj)^ and was never communicated to the Seventy Difciples or Presbyters ^ for the A- poslles and ApoRolick Men did fo de FaSto^ and were commanded fo to do;, and the Seventy and the Presbyters never did fo; therefore fi .. M .-.i.. . ' ■ ■ ' ' ' — ( h) Thej vpere Prophets, "who m here calfd i\poftolick Men; -" • • : • ' "~^ ■■ ~" '- """• this Provd Void and. Null. 39 this Office of the ApoUlejhip is di- ftindt:;, and Superior to that of Pref- byters ^ and this DifimBhn muft be fo Gontinu d to all Ages of the Chri- ftmn Churchy for the thing was not Temporary y but productive of Ifjue and Succeffion even to the end of the World. Pleud. Pray^^ Philalethes^ which is the next Ordination that you meet with in the Holy Scriptures ? Phih The next Ordination^ Pfeu- dochem^ is that of Presbyters in Act. 14. 23.. and this was by St. Paul and St. Barnabas^ without the Jffi- fiance of any Presbyters of thofe Times^or the Suffrage of the People. Pfeud. ^ Pray^ Sir^ permit 77ie to give you my Explication of that Texto The Word which we render there [ Ordain d ] is in the Original Greek x^pplovnaavlig^ vohich primarily fignifies SufFragiis creare^ or to choofe by Votes ^ which was ufually done by tMu J*IV[$ Letters, p. IT . D 4 ftretch- 40- Ordmahon hy Meer Freshyters ftretching out of the Hand^ and is the Adion of the People. Where m the Adtion of the Ordaiiiers is called i.^^^oU^ or lajdng on of the Hands. However^ I grant ^ that the Impofi- tion of the Apoftles Hands concur rd with the Peoples Choice^ m Ordain- ing thofe Elders m every Church vientiond in the Text. FhiL If you had a little more con- vers'd with the Cr kicks ^ Sir^ you would have found that 'K^zs^qv^(juv%^, which in j4Sl. 14. 23. is tranflated Ordamd^ is a Phrafe of Speech^ 'ATTc'fct^^ij/jborrow'd from an Ancient Greek Cuftom oi ftretching forth the Hand in a Voting of Bufineffes^ and 'tis apply'd to God himfelf touching his fore-eternal Choice of the Apo- ftle^ to be Witneffes of the Holy Gof- pel^ AEt. ID. 41. where it cannot poffibly be taken in its fiative Senfe^ as it denotes a choojing hy Suffrage ^ no more than ^vv>t^v4^i^^-n, in the E- iediion of St, Matthias hj Icjf^which IS rendrcd^ he '^as mwihred with tho Provd Void and Null. 41 ' the Eleven Apofiles^ JEt, i. 26. For among the Ileathen ^ their Priefis and Magifirates were eligible b^ Lots ( t Jj as well as by Voices^ the Prkjh eipecialij/^ faith Anfiotle^ Fol. l. 4. c. 15. This Word then does not fimply fignifie an hnpojithn or Laying on of Hands ^ for that the Holy Ghoft commonly expreffeth in other Terms^ as .XGie^3i3-ia, 'E^nS^a-^' top Xg^I'^v, JEt, 6. 6. I Tim. 4. 14. 2 Tim. I. 6. But it befpeaks the w^hole com- pound A6t confifting of both i'/c'/:?/- on and Ordination together- and js the fame with k^'^^^jj^c, J>>. -j. ^. ge- nerally to Order or Appoint^ whe- ther by Suffrage or without, and fo 'tis frequently us'd in ClaJjJc Au- thors^ ( even Cofetaneous with St. Luke^ or before him,^) as Learned Mr. Selden has by molt pregnant Injtances at large prov'd it to my Hand^ De Synedr, /. 1. c. id, Now ( i ) Herodot, A 3. c. 83. Demo^h* contra Ncay. JEfchin, In Or at, contra Ctefyhoj[t, T^cir, JmMjt i, c, ji. /, 13, tiiiS 42 Ordmat'ton hy Meer Presbyters this is an A6t that is all along in ^crip/'^/r^'.folelf afcrib'd to the chief Govermurs of the Churchy as in the aforefaid Texr^ AB. 14.23. \yiil ve- ry eafily appear^ if we confider but the Context^ or Grainmatical Syii-^ taxis of the Words ; And when they had Ordain d them Elders^ &c. what they ? They voho came from Derhe^ V. 20. Returnd thence to Lyitra^ Iconium and Antioch^ v.^l. And thefe were none other than St Paul and St. Barnabas. So that here is 210 Mention^ or the leait Intimation of the Peoples joint Concurrejice in the AEiion. And truly I do not find in all the Holy Scripture any Foot- Iteps of either Right or FaB: as to Popular EleBwns. ^^ For after our Blefled Saviour did enter upon his Minijiry^ ( faith Dr. Comber^ ) he chole his Apojiles ^nd the Seventy Difciples himfelf ; and 'tis plain he gave his Apofiles power to I Dr. Comber^ Vol. 2. p. 207- chufe cc cc cc cc Fraud Fdid and Null.. 43 cc cc cc chiifeand Ordain others^ and left no manner of Intimation^ that the People llioiild have any fort of Right herein. Then thofe ^^ Hundred and Twenty^ who ap- ^^ pointed two Candidates for the ^^ vacant Place of Judas ^ and left ^' the Choice, by Lot to God (k^ ^^ were not all the Believers^ but the Apofiolkal College of Pajtors fl^^ which confiited of the Jpo- files and Seventy Difdplesy and ^^ about thirty eight more of the principal DifcipJes fitted for the Mmfiries of the Churchy as a ve- ry Learned Divine hath proved ( m ). 'Twas the Holy Ghofi that ^^ chofe St. Paul and St. Barnabas "-^ ( n ). And by the fame Spirit ^^ were the Apofiles only guided in choofmg B'ljhops for their fixed Succeffors (^oj^ they had a pecu- ' ' 1 (k) Solent, qua forte dantur^ did divmtks daru Aug*. Gen. ad lit. 1. i. c. i8. ( / ) A^. i. 23, 26. {nt ) DwLight^ foot's mrks, 7o?».i.^744. &c, & j^, -]-]%* (») A^, 13. ?» 2> 3* (^) i ^^* '• iS* ?''4 'f'^^'!' ^'^^^- "^ ^''^^' " liar CC CC cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc 44 Ordination hy Meer Presbyters "^^ liar G'tjt of difcernins; Spirits^ ^^ and knew who were litteit for fucli Offices (p); they gave Rules to the Bijhops^ Thnothy^ndi Tkus^ what fort of Perfons they ^^ flioiild. choofe into the Minijiry ^^ ( ^ ):> therefore they then only had a Rig/jt to EletJ. The Peo- ples part ( aliow'd by St. Paul ) ^'^ being no more but only to de- ^^ clare them blamelefs^ as Witnejfes ^^ of their Converfation : And cer- ^^ tainly ^o long as the Holy Apo- ^^ files iiv'd^ who had fuch an ex- ^^ traord'mary Infpirathn ; it had ^^ been the h'tghefi Prefwnpthii for ^^ the People to meddle any further ^*^ in £/^fi^io;;^ than to applaud their ^^ CZfoic^.Thus you fee 'twas the Spirit of God in thofe Times^which did de- fign and mark out the Men^ that God intended to employ in his holy Mm'ifiry. The Words of St. Paul (p) I Cor, 1 2 . I o« (q) Vid, Theoph, Prof, ad i £p. ad Tim, & ad Epifi, ad Tit* See Ati. 20. 28 Over which the Holj Ckofi hath madf^su Over[eers^ mt the People, to Frovd Void and Null to Timothy make this very clear^ where it is faid^ NegleB not the Gift that is in thee^ which was given thee by Frophejie^ &c, i Tim. 4. 14. and that there went fome Frophejies be- fore concerning Timothy^ you'll find in I Tmu i. 18. And St. Chryfoftom obferves upon theie Words^ that in thofe times ^' 'Z^^ep^'^^^^^ lyivovlo o« i^^g^c, the Friefts and Minifiers of God were made by Frophejie^ that is^ faith he^ ^ tS ^rci;>a7@l. a^^^, by xhQ Holy Ghoft • and finally gloifmg on thefe Words^ he does thus exprefs it ; ^O 0c^; ai il^\^a.\ God, faith he, did eleS thee to this weighty Charge^ he hath committed no fmall part of his Church unto theb^, ^^ dvQ^c^Tnv^j yty- vctc,Mv-fy no Mortal Man had any hand in th^tDeJignation ^ and there- fore take thou heed that thou dif grace not;, nor difhonour fo divine a Calling. Chryfofx. Horn. 5» in i. ad Tnih c. I. The main Arguments for Popular EleBions^ are fome milta- kQxi PaiTages of St, Cyprian^ And tho' this 46 Ordinatio?! by Meer Presbyters this Holy Father fometiiT)es did ufe to confiilt with the Frkfls^ Dea- consj and People m Ordamhtg to the lower Degrees^ yet the Reafon was this^ that he might weigh every ones Merits and Manners hj their common Advice (^r^: ^^ Buttoihew this gave them no Rigbt to EleSl^ ( faith Dr. Comber "^ ) he there {peaks of one that he Ordain d privately^ becaufe he knew the Perfon was worthy C^% and his next Epiftle prefents ns with a like Cafe (t): Now it is not likely^ this ftridl Father and holy Martyr would have chofen Men into his Clergy^ without the Peo- ple^ if they had a Right to EleEl. cc cc (r ) Solemiis vos ante confulerc, &c, Cypr. Ep. ^3. f.-j6» ^Dr. Comber^ Vol. 2. p. 210. {s ) Cj^r, ep, ead. />. 77. ( t ) Cjpr. ep. 34. p, 80. Fid. item ep. 35, p, 84. ^^ vide Provd Void and Null. 47 cc yet 48 Ordination hy Meer Presbyters yet will not this at all help your Caufe^ nor prove^ that the Ordina- tion perfornid hy a Presbytery is m- fiifficient. Fhih An Ordination tliat is per- form'd by fucli a Presbytery^ as is mention'd in i T'mi. 4. 14. is truly fufficient • for tlie Presbytery there fpoken of^ as I told you before^ was not a Presbytery of tlie Inferior Order^ but of that Rank of Presby- ters which we term Bipops. And 'tis cejjtainly true^, that the Presby- ters laying on of Hands only^ and always with a Biflmp^ cannot imply their having any direcSt Power in Ordmation^ but only their Agree-^ ment to the Eletlion^ teftify'd by their puhlick Concurrence in this Ad: of their Solemn Adnujjion. Pfeud. Say you fo^ Sir ? I defire then you would pleafe to anfwer thefe Ouejtions. I. Whether a Biraop ?nay delegate this Power of laying on Hands with hhn Pirovd Void and ISIuU. 49 hhn m Ordination to a Lay-man^ or only to a Presbyter "^ ? The firjt you will not fay^ I am confident-^ for you hiow what would follow from that Concefjion. But if you fay the Second^ m\t> That this Vow^tx can he delegated only to a Presbyter^ then I ask again ^ 2. What Reafon can he given why a Presbyter only may lay on Hands with the Bifliop^ unlefs it he a Work belonging to his Office^ as well as to the Bifhop's ? Tor if it helong to him only hy Virtue of a Delegation from the Diocefan • then if a Bifliop give a Delegation to a Lay-man^ to lay on Hands with himfelf^ this will Au- thorize him as much as a Presbyter. Thih 'Tis thought by many Learn- ed Men^ Pfeudocheus^ that John Calvin would never have been a Preshyterian^ if he had been better acquainted with pious Antiquity^ and Ecclejiajtical Hifiory • whofe Ig- * Mr. 7* P^fs Litters J p, 19. E nor a nee 50 Ordination by Meer Presbyters norar.ce therein was much to be piti- ed^ becaufe it led him into fuch unaccountable and extravagant Er- rors. And if you had ever read any thing of the Govermnent of the Pr't- vutke Church or the Decrees of her CotmcUs^ you would never have pro- pos'd thefe idle^ frivolous and imper- tinent QuejUons : Sure you know in the firit Place^ That a Bijhop cannot delegate this Power of laying on of Hands with him in Ordination to a Lay-jiian^ becaufe fuch Men are pro- hibited to ac^ therein by all our Laws^ as well Humane^ as Divine. And in the Second Place^ it may not be amifs to tell you • that altho' the fourth Council of Carthage"^ ^ which was held in the Year 401. did Decree^ -That when a Presbyter was Ordain d^ the Bijhop blejfing him J and holding his Hand upon his Head^ etiam oinnes Presbyteriy qui pr(2fentes funt^ manus fuas jux- * Cor:ciL Cartha^. 4. Q». 3, ta Provd Void and Null. 5 1 ■ — ■ , , ta manum Epifcopi fiiper caput illi- us teiieant ; all the Presbyters which are prefent^ fhall likewife lay their Hands upon his Head^ near the Hand of the Bijhop -^ yet it is as true withal^ that this ConjunEtion of the Presbyters in the Solemnities of this JB^ was rather ad Honorem Sacer- dot a quam Ejfentiam Operis^ more for the Honour of the Priefihood than for the Ejfence of the Work. And if you do obferve^ this Canon doth not fay^ that if there be no Presbyters m place ^ the Bijhop fliould defer the Ordination till they came ; but Presbyter i qui prd^fentes funt^ if any Presbyters were prefent at the doing of it^ they lliould lay their Hands upon his Head^ near the Hand of the Bijhop. So that howe- ver the Presbyters did ijiipofe Hands with the Bijhop^ upon the Perfon to h^^Ordaind^ and fo concurr'd in the performance of the outward Ceremo-^ ny • yet the whole Power of Ordina- tion was veiled in the Person of the E 2 Bi- 52 Ordiiiatwn by Meer Presbyters Eijhop oiily^ as to the Ejjence of the Work' And in the Greek Churchy none but the E'ljhop lays on his Ha?id at the Qrdhiathn of a Fr'iejl^ as well as of a 'Deacon f s ) -^ for Eptphanms filthy How can a Presbyter Ordah/y or conjVitiite a Presbyter ^ f^^^ ^'x^^ '^^^' ^o3^7icLv r§ ;;^Gfe^7ci'&iv, "wlio in his Ordi- fiation did receive no Power to i^;/- j^o/^* Hands upon another f t^} I Thus 'tis plainly evident that M(?^r Presbyters have no Power to Or dam into the Mhnfiry by hnpofitmi of Hands ^ that all fuch Ordinations have been eyer accounted as NuUitifs^ and coniequently that the D'lfjent'ing Teachers y who have been only Or- dahid by their Rebel-Priejts^ are not qiialify'd to perform any Mini- Jierial JBs^ without a 7;^u? and /^rp- //// Ordination- But for your far- ther Satisfaction^ Pfeudocheus^ in feveral of the foregoing Matters^ I would advile you to confult St. Pjz// s ( s ) Euchol, in Or din. Dlac* />• 250. c^ in Grain, Preshj/t, P''^93* i^ ) i^M^^^' H^^^f* 15' contra Aerjrm* Epi' Frovd Void and NidL 5 3 Epiftles to Timothy and Titws^ in which we have the exadl Flatform of the ChitrcJjs Mmiftry^ as communi- cated and perpetuated from the Holy Jpoftles. "^ Obierve then the Church of Ephefm, and the Churches of Crete. In them we find many Pref- hyters^ and above t\\o{c Freshyters in Digiiity and Office Tmothy and Titm. Pfeud. "^ I have thoroughly conful- ted the Epijtles to Timothy and Ti- tus ', let cannot find therein any Plat- form of Dioceian Prelacy^ nor the leajl Word in favour cf it. I have ohfervd alfo in the Church of Ephe- fus jnaiiy Presbyters -, which Presby- ters were the fame x\}ith Bifliops hoth in Name and Office : For fo the Scri- pture it felf tells me^ Ad:s 20. ^"7* And from Miletus he fent to Ephe- fiis^ and called for the Elders C ^«5 u^calou'A^v^^ or Presbyters] of the Church. Compare this with v. 28. * Bp. Moffom on Matth* 28. 19, &<^» * Mr. y. fV's Let-_ E 3 Take 54 Ord'rnatwn hy Meer Presbyters Take heed therefore unto your lelves and to all the Flock^ over which the Holy Gholt hath made you Overfeers^ ['ETHj-ydi^'d^j Bifhops] to Feed [or Guide and Rule ^ ^^oi/xcump ] the Church of God T/je fame Per- fons whom the Apoftle calls Elders in . V. i7„ he calls Bifliops in v. 28. and charges it upon them as their Duty^ ( effential to their Office ) to Rule m well as to Teach the Church commit- ted to their Charge. Phil. When a Schifmatick has fti- fled the Convitlions of his Confcience^ and fettl'd his Felicity upon worldly jldvantages '^ then he is perverlly Blind to the hrighteft Truths^ that thwart and oppofe his Schifmatical Principles : He cannot difcern the ex- a6l Platfoym of the ChurcJfs Mini-- Jtry in the Epiftles to Timothy and Titiis^ becaufe 'tis fo deftrudive to his lipftart and novel Devices. Now in thefe Epiftles are moft excellent InjiruBions^ how a Btjkop ought to behave himfelf in fuch a weighty Ojfice, Provd Void and Null. 55 Office^ and 'twas very convenient and neceiTary^ that thefe (lioald be recor-. ded at the iirlt Infikuthn of Epi- Jcopacy^ and Settlement of the Church in that Courle^ wherein it was to continue, being; deltitute of the ex- traordinary Jjjijtajice of the Holy Jpojlles. And in thefe is alfo mani- felted the Powers as well as the Du- ty of a Bijhop. Which is^ I ft. To take Care that no Innova- tion in DoBrine be admitted, and to piinijh all Heretical and Scbiffnati- cal Teachers^ which tranfgrefs'd his Commands^ as St. Paid fays^ he had exconimimicated and delivered over to Satam^ H)- nieneiis and Alexander^ I Thn. i. ^^ 20- 2dly. To order the Puhlkk Jljein- hhes both as to Prayers dindi Teach-- hig^ 1 Twh chap. 2. 3dly- To Ordain the Clergy or Church-Officers^ both fnch as were to fupply vacant Places^ and to fuc- ceed him^ and them alfo^ with their feveral Qualifications^ 1 Tim, ch^ 3- E 4 4thly. 56 Ordinahon by Meer Presbyters 4t]]ly. To teach himfelf^ and com- mand others to tCcich fou?id DoBr hie ^ and to refufe or rejedl all Novelties either in DoBrhie or Practice. Where St. Paul gives warning with what Herefies he muft expecSt to be trou- bled^ I TwL ch. 4. i;. 11. and how he ought to demean and behave him- lelf in his own particular Converfa- tion and Jffairs. 5thly. To execute EccleJiafUcal Jiir'ifd'iclion over the Vv^hole Churchy and to be wary in his Ordinations^ I Tim. rZ?. 5. 21;, 22. and to fee that all forts of Per fens perform their Duties as they ought to do. And in the Second Epiftle you will find leve- ral Injunctions and Exhortations of the fame Nature v/ith thofe in the Firlt. Then afterwards St. Paid in his Epiftle to Titus ^ whom he had made Bijhop of Crete ^ does charge him to fet in Order the things that were wanting;, and to Ordain Elders in every City ( uy Several of the Cha-- Provd Void and Null. 57 CharaElers^ bv which he was to try them^ are alfo fet down -^ He is char- ged to rebuke the People Jharply^ and to fpeak the things that became found DoBrme.'^ He is inftruded concerning the DoBrines he was to teach;, and thofe he was to avoid; and alfo how to cenfure an Here- tick : He was to admonilli him twice^ and if that did not prevail^ he was to rejecft him by (ome pub- I'lch Cenfure ( xq J. Now thefe Ad- monitions had been to no manner of purpofe^if r////o/^Z^jy and Titus]\?i^ not a l^ovQer oi Ordaining 'Presbyters^ and a JurifdiBion OYQX them. It is certain there were Elders in the Church of Ephefiis^ before Timothy was left there /^ ^ );, and probably in Crete ^ before Titiis was fettled in that place^ for it was St. Paul\ Cuftom to Or- dain Presbyters in every Church {y ) / And if thele Presbyters could have Ordain d others as the number of {1^) Tiu^, 10. ( :i) A^. 20. 17. O) ^^- H-'^y Con- 58 Ordmation by Meer Presbyters Converts increased ^ it would certain- ly have been very needlefs to let any Perlons over them to perform that Office. And that Timothy and Titm had not this Fovoer committed to them as Evangelijts^ is molt certain^ h€ca,uicEvaj2genjfs^ asfuch,, had not that Povper : For then Meer Deacons might have Ordamd and Govern d Frkjls^ for fuch was 'Ph'iUp the E- vangelijl^ yet he never attempted to do it (2). But you further fay^ that you have obferv'd in the Church of Ephefus many Presbyters • and that thole Presbyters were the fame with Bijhops both in Name and Office: Then you tell me^ the Scriptures inform you fo^, AEl. 20. 17. Jnd from Miletus he fent to Ephcixis^and called for the Elders [IkTi^i^/SvliPjv;] or Presbyters of the Church. And then you lay^ compare this with z'. 28. Take heed therefore unto your felves and to all the Flock^ over ( <. ) Compare J^, 21. 8« mth A^, 6, 5. which Proud Void and Null. 59 which the Holy Ghoji hath made yoii OverfcerSy ["^'7nayj7^-^<;, Bijhops~] to Feed [ or Guide and -Rnle^ •^rot/uci/W] the CJmrch of God So that the fame Perfons whom the Jpojtie calls Elders in the 17th verf- you lay^ he calls them B'ljhops in the 28th verf. Now what is this^ Ffeudocheits ^ but a wrefi'wg of the Holy Scriptures from their true Seufe and Meaning to ferve vour own Purpofes and De- Jigns ? For thefe were not all Meer Presbyters that heard this Fareivel Sernion of St. Paid^ hut here were feveral B'ljhops aUo^ and this is te- ftified by a Witnefs beyond all ex- ception^ even the Ancient St. Ire- jmus^ whole Integrity and Authori- ty no Presbyterian did ever dare to difpute • He liv'd within 180 Years of the Birth of Chrifi^ and was the Difciple of St. Polycarpy who was brought up at the Feet of St. John the Jpojile^ and convers'd with ma- ny Jpojtolick Men. His Words are thefe^ In Mi/eto eniin convocatis Epi- fcopis 6o Ordination by Aleer Presbyters fcopis & Freshyteris^ qui erant ab Ephefo^ & a relkiiiis proxbms Gvi- tat'ibiis^ qiioniavi ipfe fejimaret Hie- rofolynus Pentecofien agere^ &c. {a). St. Paul makins; haft to keep his CD i Pejitecoft at Jerufalejn^ at Miletiui did call together the Bijhops and Presbyters^ from Ephefus^ and the Nei2;hboiiring Cities. Now to all theie did St, Paul fpeak^ and to thefe the Holy Ghofx had committed his Church to be fed and taught with Pafioral Infpettion^ but in the mean time here is no Coimmjiion of Power ^ or Jurijdictmi^ that was given to Presbyters diftindlly^ nor any lup- pofition of inch prdi-ex'ijient Power. "^"^ But to put this Matter out of all ^^ farther doubt^ faith ^/7. T^j'/or "^^ ^^ we have all the reafon imagina- ^' ble to believe ^ that many of thefe ^'^ Presbyters^ which came from E- ^' P^^^fi^^ ^^^d the other Parts of (a) Iren, lib. 3, r.?/?. 14. *£p^fcopacj ajferted, fag, u Jfia Provd Void and Nii/I. ^i ^^ Jjia the lefs ^^ were made Bijhops ^^ at Miletus ; for it w^as aa;reeable to the Fradlile of the Holy Jpo- files ^ and the exigence of tlie thing it lelf^ that when they were to leave a Churchy they then did fix a Btjhop in it ; for why elfe was a Bifhop plac'd in Jerufalem^ lo long before there were any in ^^ other Churches ^ but becaufe the ^^ Apofiles were to be diipers'd from ^^ thence^ and there the frit bloody ^^ Field of Martyrdom was to be ^^ fought. And the Cafe was equal ^^ here^ for St. 'Paul was never to ^^ fee the Churches of J[ia any more^ and he forefaw, that ra- vening Wolves would enter into the Folds, and he had adlually fix'd a Bijhop in Ephefm, and .^^ 'tis unimaginable^ that he would ^^ not make equal Provifion for o- ^^ ther Churches, there being the * The Proconfukr Afia, or Afia the lefs, comprehendsii only Ionia and Jiolis, yelth the Ijlands of the ^gean Sea, arJ aboH^ the Hellefpont, fame cc cc cc cc cc cc 62 Ordination by Meer Presbyters lame neceffity from the fame dan- ger^, in them all^ and either St. ^^ ver.2.^. he tells them^ And norp^ ^^ behold y I know t bat ye all^ among ^^ wbom I have gone preaching the ^^ Kingdom of God ^ jh all fee my Face ^^ no more. And 'tis very plain that ^^ about this tinie^ the other fix Jf- '^ an Churches had Angels or Bifhops ^^ fet in their Candle (licks , for there *^^ had been a Succejfion in the Church ^^ at PergamuSy Antipas was dead ^ ^^ and Timothy had fat in Ephefus^ ^^ and St. Polycarp at Smyrna many ^'' Years before St. John did write his ^^ Revelation. Pfeud. "^ But hold, Sir, I find the fame thing in the Churches of Crete^ which I before obfervdinthe Church of Ephefus^ that thofe Perfons who?n the Apoltle calls Eiders^, he alfo calls BifhopS;^ who were the very fame Toith Presbyters both in Name and * Mr. 7. W^% Letters^ p, 20. Office^ Provd Void and Null. 63 Office^ Tiin. i. 5^6^, 7. compard to- gether ; For this caule left I thee in Crete ^ that thou Ihouldeit id in or- der the things that are wanting^ and ordain Eiders in every Cit}% as { Iiad appointed thee. If any be blamelefs For a Bifhop miijl he blamelefs^ &c. PhiL What makes you fpeak of Thn. I. 5;> 6;, 7? I fuppofe you mean Tit. I. 5^ 6;, 7. And to what pur- pofe do you produce thefe T-exts ? Do you fancy the Elders here to he Ordain d^ were to be no other than Meer Presbyters ^ If fo, I muft re- 6line your wrong Notions of them by a true Expofition of thofe Verfes. As foon as St. Paul hd^d Ordain a Ti- tus Bijhop of Crete ^ his firft Work was '^^ AB^oi/7a '^inho^^^^Gai, {q let in Or- der the things that were wanting, viz. to conftitute Rites and Forms of publick Liturgy^ to eredt a Conffiory for cognizance of Criminal Caufes^ to dedicate Houfes for Prayer^ and other Divine Services^ and in a word, by 64 Ordination by Meer Freshyters bv his Authority to eftablilli fiich Difciplhie and Rituals^ as liimfelf did judge might be molt fuitable for the Edification and Ornament of the Church oi God. For he that Avas appointed by St. Faul to fet things in Order^ to fupply what was defe- (Slivey and to correct what was a- mifs;, was molt certainly thought by him to be the fittelt Judge of all thole Obliquities which he was to redlifie. Then in the next Place^ he was to Ordain Elders (that is Presbyters) in every City. Not Presbyters col- ledtively in every City^ but diftri- butively;, ^^7a'3roA{r, City by City^ that iS;, Presbyters in feveral Cities^ one in a City. Now thele Elders or Presbyters were very Bijhops^ one of which was appointed for every City^ and the Suhurbicarian Region thereof And this is molt agreeable not only to the Expofition of the Ancient Church:, (the hdt CojJimeTit ^ w^hen all is . done^ upon doubtful Places, Provd Void and Null 65 Places of Holy Scripture^) but to the Text it felf ; and the Diftributi- 011 of thefe Presbyters by Cities^ the peculiar Seats of Bijhops^ is accord- ing to the Scheme of Jficierit Church and the Method which the Bleffed Jpofiles thought good to ufe in the planting and model ing of it. Then fee how all this is confirm'd by the Context y which exprefly calls them Bifhops in ver. 7. Now were it not for this^ and what follows after- wards^ we might be perhaps at li- berty to leave the Word at larre in its general Accept'ion^ as it takes in both Orders y both ufeful in ever\^ Cityy and lo both to be fupply'd by Titus : But we are fully convinced in this Matter^ for tho' rfpa^iS'jTTp©. in the New Te'slament doth fometimes fignifie a Bipop^ and fometimes a Presbyter:^ yet that 'E'7n7;cccp-(^ doth always fignifie a Bijhop^ I fhall not doubt to affirm. Becaufe it cannot be Ihewed in all the Holy Scriptures that anv Meer Presbyter is called a F Bij})op 66 OrcVmathn by Meer Presbyters Bijbop^ but it may be often found that a Bijhop^ nay^ an JpoHIe is cal- led a Presbyter^ for St. Peter enti- ties liimlelf a Co-Presbyter, j Pet, 5. I. St. JoZ^// calls himfelf a Pr^'j'Z'jv/^^r^ 2jo/j^ I. 3.7o^ I. And St. PW calls Iiimlelf frequently Aidzzv^, a Deacon^ Col. t. 23^ 25. I Cor. 3. 5. 2 Cor. 3.6- 2 Cor. 6. 4. 'Tis the Obfervation of St. Cbryjojfom (in Pljilip ) itj^cl^ov®. ^^7i» And a B'ljhop was call'd a Dra- €071 y wherefore writing to Timothy. he laith to him being a B{fhop^ Ful- fil thy Deacoiijh'ip ^\ And truly ever fmce that St Peter did fet us an Ex- ample in the Compel! athn of the Pro- totype^ calling him the great Shep- herd and Bifhop of our Souls^ i Pet. * See Phil. chap. i. ver, i. — ■ — -wiih the Blfhops and Dea- €ons» New tkefe Biihops vpere not Bifhops of Philippi that o'/je Cttj^ but the Bi ill Ops of fever al neighbouring Cities in Macedonia, tvho did Jfjemble At Philippi, when Epaphro- ^\t\JiSthe Bifhop thereof was at Rome, and then did receive St, PauTs Epiftle, yi^hich was direEied to the Philippians. And then under the Word Deacons, / . but to Preach tlie Holy Gofpel : 'Tis true manj^ of them did Travel y but they were never the more YroaiigelMs for that^ for the Oljice of an Y^vangeUfi does not imply a perpetual Motion. Indeed^ Sir^, to deal a little freely with you^ 'tis re- ally my Opinion^ that you cannot believe the(e iinaccoimtahle Whhnjiesj which you endeavour to obtrude up^- on the World^ but you think this way to drive on your De/igns with the People^ who hearing the Name of an Evafigel'/Jt^ and not knowing what it is^ imagine any thing of it what you pleafe to infinuate ; as that an Evaiigelijt had fome tranfcendejjt Power over Presbyters^ both to Or- dam^ and to Govern them, which was not communkahle to others ^ but you never Ihew that any luch Jidho- rity was ever ailign d to them, or a- ny fuch Duty ever exa6led from them. Now all thefe things being rightly conlider'd:, 'tis very evident F 5 ' that' yo Ordination by Meer Presbyters that both Timothy and Titus had E- pifcopal Jurtfdiclion^ if not fome- thing more ; and that this Name of 'Evangelijt^ which }^oii impole upon them, is for no other end and pur- pofe but 7neer Trick and Delujion. Pfeud. Pray what do you viean^ when you fay^ that Timothy and Ti- tus had Epifcopal Jurifdidtion^ if 72ot fomething more r^ Phil. All the Ancients do fay that Tifnothy.and Titus. had greater Jurif- diBions than the ordinary Epifco- pal f b ) : either of Secondary Jpo- {h ) See the Fragment of Polycrates concerning the Aiar^ tyrdom > ooyJ}^of, that Seven of his Kinftnen were Bifhops, himfe If being the Eighth. Polycrat. Epift. ad Vi6^orem : apud Eufeb. 1. 5. Hi!i. Eccl. cap. 24. And we find it openly declard in the General Council of ChsilcQdon^ by Leontius Bifliop of Mag^ nefia, that d-n^ tS ct^is T/^ao^'« y-'^-yP' vvr^ Sec, there had been a continued Succeffion of i.-] Bifhops of the Church as fuch^ ac- cording to your own Principles. And thus you woidd be guilty of a Sel& Contradi6lion. Phil. I am not guilty of any Self ContradiBion^ Sir^, but you are guil- ty here of a raoft notorious Blunder-; fed Rifiim teneatis Amici ! Methinks' you fliould have known^ that Arch^ -^ • — ■ , _ ; .> . \\ — : — T — * Vid. Mtrd lib. 4. dc NoU Efifc. ^ 18 u f Mr. J* ^s F 4 Vi* 72 Ordinathjt by Meer Presbyters b/fbops ^nd Bijhops are the fame in Order ^ iho difterent in Jurifd'iEimi: And that every Jrcbbijhop has his peculiar Diocefe^ as well as his Pro- vmce^ in which Diocefe he has the fole Power of conferring Orders. So that an Jrcbbijhop is no other than the highejl of the BiJJ;ops^ who is as a Head let over other Bijhops : And altho* we do not meet with this Word in the Holy Scriptures^ yet it agrees thereunto for the preferving otQrder in the Cbmxb -^ therefore *tis prudent and ufeful to conititute Degrees in the Church of different Dignity and Authority. In the Old TeJta?7ieTity there was a High-Priefi^ and Priejts of a fecond and inferior Order : In the iV(?ip^ there were A- pojtles^ Prophets^ Evangelijis^ Pa- Jtors and Teachers : And it is not contrary to the Word of Gcd^ that one fhould be above another in the Church for Governments fake, Pfeud. JVeff^ but the ScniptnYC does ?fQt iiv^ t^e h^U Ground to think^ that Frovd Void and ISItdL 73 tbcit "^Timothy a72d Titus were fet- tled ^ the one over Afia die lefs^ the other over Crete; as Bifhops or Me- tropolitans^ any more than over o- ther Places^ where they came • hut plainly the contrary^ as Mr. Prynne has nnanfwerably made appear m his Book of The Unbiflioping of Ti- mothv and Titiis^ pag. 37, and 72. He proves from Scripture thetr feve- ral Removes from Place to Place^ which Jhexvs them to be no fettled Bi-- fhops or Archbilhops^ Init Evangeliits and Itinerant Preachers. Therefore Tlieodoret and others ajfirmmg the contrary^ is no Argument agahijf Scriptii re-Teltimony- PhiL What a wretched and per- verfe Age do we live in, when the falje and frivolous Stories of Infa- mous Prynne Ihall procure more faith and 0^/7//- with a Itrange Ibrt of People^ than all the Authorities and Tefti?nonies cf the pious ^ primi- tive 74 Ordination by Meer Presbyters five B/fbops and ancient Fathers of our Church! All which do unani- moufl)^ affert^ That Timothy was Bi- jhop of EphefuSy and that Titus was Bijhop of Crete. I know very well thdtFryjine and fome others of your Party do raife feveral trifling Obje^ Hions againit Timothys being a Pr//^-. f^r;/ for Epifcopal Power ; for^ they fay, '' That St. Pjz// did fend him ^^ up and down to feveral Places, as "^^ he thought fit- He took him firft ^^ of all into his Attendance at Ly-^ ^^ tJra (c); from whence he accom- ^^ pan}^'d him thro' Phrygia^ Gala- ^^ tia^ Macedonia ( d )^ and there ^^ from Philippi to Thejjalonica and ^^ Berea ( e ). And when he went "^^ to Athens , he lent for Timo-r ^^ thy to him {f J^ and fent him ^^ back from thence to The/Jalonica • ^^ and he return'd from Macedonia ^' ( g ) to him at Corinth (h ). 10. (f) ^^.47,15. (g) iTh4^^.i,z. (h)ja.i^.s. ^^From Frovd Void and Null. 75 "^^ From thence St. Paul went into ^'^ Syria ( i ), and fo to Y.phcfus { ky, "^"^ and there again he {ent Timothy ^"^ into Macedonia with Erajh/s {I J • '^ whither St. Paul went afterwards "^"^ himfelf ( /;/ J> And upon his re- ^"^ turn to Miletus^ he {peaks to the "^^ Elders^ and not to Timothy as "^^ their Bipop. From hence, they "^^ {a^^;, St. Pj^// took him to Jcrufa- ^^ Icm^ and io to Rome^ as appears ^^ by the Epijtles written from thence ". ^^ Now from this 6V- ries of the ^Vfor^ ( laith Bp. Stil- lingjicet) they conclude Timothy to have been only an EvangeliH^ and not a fix'd BiJJ^op '^. But to this^ faith he^ I anfwer ; That the fre- quent Removes of Timothy ^ before this EpiHle to him at Ephefus.^ are not material to this purpofev But it is very material to confi- ^^ der^ what Power of Government cc cc cc (.C cc cc cc cc cc cc (/) AEl, i8. i8. {l^) /M. 18.19. (0 y^pi. 19-22. ( m) A^, 20. I. * B^, SxWl'ing^^tls Sermon on i 2;w. 5, St, cc 76 OrdmaUon by Alecr Presbyters ^^ St. Paul then committed to him^ ^^ which is a certain Proof, thatfuch ^^ a Power was not fo peculiar to the ^^ Jpostles^ by Virtue of their hn^ ^^ mediate Coimm^wn from Chr)j\^ ^^ but it might be delegated 10 others ^^ in their ftead. Whether for a Ion- ^^ 2;erorfhortertime^ whether while ^^ the JpoHles went up down^ or near their Deceafe^ makes no dif- ^^ ference as to the Point of Delega- ^^ tio?i' And if it be granted^ that '"^ fuch an Jpqftolical Power of Go- ^^ ver fling Courches might be com- ^^ niitted to others^, and was actual^ ^^ ly fo by the Aposlles , then there ^^ is no more to be done^ but to en- ^^ quire^, Whether upon their Remo-^ ^^ val or Departure^ they did en- ^^ truft any Perlbns in fuch a man- '^ ner^ as it is certain from Scri- ^^ ptttre St. Paul did Timothy^ as to "^"^ the Churches of ^/^^ when he '^ went into Macedonia''. Now for the time in which Timothy was made £//)^(9j) of Y.phe^uSy that may be belt col- Provd Void and Nrdh 77 »: ■ " I ■ ■ II i i . Ill • ■ . I colleded from thele Words^ i Tim. 1. 3. where St. Paul relates^ that he belought him to abide ftill at Ephe- fus^ when hehimielf went mto Ma- ce doma. Now St. Paul\ Journey in- to Macedonia^ which is here intend- ed, is not that mentiond^ JB. 16. for then there was no Church of E- phefus to be Biffjop of ^ St. Paul had not then feen Ephefus^ nor planted any Church there till a confiderable time afterwards ( ;/ ). Neither could it be when he left Ephefus^ when he went the Second time into Macedo- nia^ mention d J8t. 20. j. for he had fent Timotheus and Erajtus before him thither^ Jet. 19. 22. But it was after he had ftay*d three Months in Greece^ when hearing that the Jews laid wait for him^ as he went about to Sail into Syria ;, he changd his Courie^ and purposed to return thro* Macedonia (0). Then was the time when he went into Macedonia^ that - , ,. I ■■- ■ ■ ■( ' t ■ ■■■ I I ■ ■ (n) A^, i%.i<^,& A^* 19. 1,2, l^&£* {0) AB.20.Z. he 78 OrdmLitwn by Meer Presbyters he requir'd or beioii^ht Timothy to 2,0 to Vjihefiis^ the Metropolis of the Proconfular Jji^y and to undertake the Cover mnent of that Church. To which when Tiwothy had condefcen^ ded,he was fent before widi Sopater^ Jrijiarchiis and the reft^ who all tarried at Troas for the coming of the Holy Apojlle. And 'tis rnoit likely he was there^ when the Jpojiles BrU Epijile came unto his Hands^ which was not written from Laodkea^ ac- cording to tlie Subfcription thereof^ but ^^ McLK^.^cv(cL^.^ out of Macedonia^ as St. At han alius does exprelly fay fpj.^ And tbo' the Holy Jpojile did hope to come unto him fhortly f q )., and to inftru6l him more fully for his weighty Imployment^ jxt well confi- dering how many Lets and Impedi- ments might intervene^ he thought it convenient^ in the mean time^ to lend him that hijlriiBroe Yp'ifile^ that he might know^ how he ought ( p ) Ath^naJ, In Synoj^, S^cr, Serif t, ( 3' ) i Tim, 3.14. to Frovcl Void and NidL 79 to behave himfelf in the Honfe of God^ which is the Church of the li- ving God^ the Pillar and Ground of Truth ( r j. After tliis time^ I do not find that the Jpostle did employ Timothy in any other general Ser- vice^ which concern cl the Church ^ or that he ever call'd him from 'Ephe- fus^ except that time^ when he was to make haft to Rome,^ to be an Jjji- Uant there to St. Paul in that dan- gerous Exigency. And this was no other^ than what St. Paid might re- quire^ and wliat Timothy might per- form^ without any manner of Be- tratlion frOni the Ypif copal Dignity and Power ^ which had been confer- red upon him : All ^ the F.piHles^ wherem the Name of Timothy is jjoin'd with St. Pauls ^ were written within the compafs of two Years, which was lo fliort an abfence from his Ypifcopal Charge^ that it might be very eafily diipens'd withal^ efpe- (r) I Tim, 3. 15. cial- ho OrdinaUon by Meer Presbyters ciallr when the puMkk Service of the Church did fo highly require it. Now feveral Ancient and Modern Divines will not have Timothy to be made Bijhop of the Church of E- phefuSy till after St- Pauls coming to Ro?ne :, but the Second of the two T.pijtles doth clearlv overthrow that OpintoUy in w^hich the Holy Apoitle acquaints Timothy ^ how he had di- fpos d of his Retinue ; Titus being gone into Dalmatia f s)^ Crefceiis to Galatiiiy Y.rafius taking up his a- bode at Corinth ^ and Tr^ophimus left at Miletum fick ; he alfo there takes care to have the C/oak and Parch- ijjentSy which w^ere left at TroMy where Timothy ftaid for him^ JtL 20. 5. to be {ent fpeedily unto him. And fince that Timothy was with St- Paul at TroaSy when he went from thence to Miletus ^ it is a fufficient Reaion^ why he did notaddrefs him- fclf to himj but to the Bijbops and (/) a Tim. 4. 10. T^ki^g /V, 4/ >V fccmcth^ in his waj to Crete. Pre/. Provd Void and Null. 8i Presbyters of the leQer J^Jia^ who came from Ephefus^ where they were gather'd together^ and expe6ted the Orders and Direct loiis of th^ Holy Apofile : ^^ Thefe were thei '' Men ( faith Bp. Shllingjleet ^ ) ^^ whom he then put in mind of ^^ t\mv Duty by his Speech^ as he ^"^ had done Thnothy by an Epijili^ ^"^ not long before diredied to him. ^"^ Whofe Office was no more luperfe- *^^ ded by this Charge given to them ^ ^^ than a Proconjids was by the &-^ ^^ 7/i^/*(?'s InftruBions to his Legats^ ^'^ when himfelf was prefent. If it ^^ were evidently prov'd^that St.Paul ^^ then carry'd away Tiviothy with ^^ hlxn to Jerufalein^ and io to Rorne^ ^^ there wmild be greater Force in the OhjeHhn. But hov/ doth that appear ? Not from Scripture. For* when St. Paul appear'd at the Te7n- pley the JevQs laid hold on him^ becauie they fuppos'd he had * ^p. Stillingfleet V Sermon on i Tim. j.u. />. 24, 25. G *' brought bz Ordinat'jGii by Meer Presbyters n cc o; brought Trophhiius the ' 'Ephejian with him into the Temple^ whom I ■ thej^ had feen fo much with him "^^^.^n the Cit}^^ A'ct. 21. 29. How *- came Timothy not to be as much ^^ taken notice of, if he were there ? ^f:Eor he being difcoverd by the ^^ JexQs of A[iay there was far great- ^^ er Reafon for them to have rais'd ^'' a Tumult about Thnothy^ than a- ^'^ bout Trophhniis. After this we ^' find St. Paul kept Two Years in ^^oPriion, Jtt. 24. 27. and not a ^^ word of Thnothy ^ whom we ^^ may juftly fuppofe exercifing his ^hCb/irge all that time at Epbefus. 55: When St. Paul w^s carrv'd to Rome. ^,^ we find not Thnothy in his Com- 55rpany^ no mention being made of ^^: him till he wrote the Epijiles to ^^ the PhUippians ( t)^ and to the ^^ Cohjfians ( r/ )^ and then Timothy ^^ was. with him. For St. Pjz// had ^^ fent for him from Ephefus in his {t).rhiL M, {u)CohJf, I.I. ^^ Second Provd Void and Null . 83 ^^ Second Epijile fvi^J-^ where in ^'^ all probability^ he remain'd till ^^ that time. During his ftay at ^^ Rofne thofe 'Epijiles were written^ ^^ as likewife that to Philemon ^^ndi to ^^ tht Hebrews -^ in which it islaid^ That he had been Imprifon d^, and was then at Liberty ( ^ ) ^ and in- tended Ihortly to return into the Eajiern Parts. From hencefor- wards we read nothing of Tmiothy in Scripture. But St, Jerome makes him Bijhop of the Epbeji^ ans ( y )y and lb doth Eujebius (z)\ Theodoret calls him^, the A- pojile of thofe in Afia (a)-^ and St- Chryfoftom faith^ The whole People of Afia were comjmtted to his charge ( b )^ i. e. of this Pro- confular Afia^ which lay about Ephefiis '*. So that Timothy could not be then in the Office of an Evan- gel ijt^ which was to expire when (w) 27/^.4.9. {x) //(f^. 13.23. (;y) Hier.inCet' tal. ( z ) Eftfek Hili. Ecclef, L 3 . ca^. 4. \a) Theod, in I Tim, 3. 1, {b) Chrjf in 1 Tim. 5. 19,- Horn* 15. G 2 Chri- cc fion Proud Void and NuR. 91 Jion from Jefus Chrift^ an Infallible Jf]iirance of his Truths a Vijihle Jf- fifiance oi' his Spirtt^ a ^nighty Pow- er of working Miracles ^ and of f peaking with divers Tongues^ all which Peculiars did expire with their PerlonS;^ being only necefTary to the Plantings not to the Perpetuating of the Cbrijiian Church. But^ in the Ordinary and Permanent Minifirafi- ens of -the Holy ApojileJJjip^ as Preaching the Word^ Difcipling by Baptifjn^ Confecrating the Eucharijf^ ExcojJimunicating the Scandalous^ Ah- fohing the Penitent ^ Governing by Discipline ^ and Ordaining to the Priejrhood^ Diocefan Bijhops did fiic- ceed the JpojUes , and the great Ne- cejjities of the Church do require that fuch a SucceJJion fliould conti- nue even to the Second Coming of our Bleljed Saviour. Pfeud. I wonder^ PhilaletheS;, that fuch a zealous Jjjertor of Diocefan Epifcopacy^, as youy fhould fo flrange- ly differ in your Opinion from the Learn- 92 Ordination by Meer Presbyters Learned Dr» Hammond : \He faith ^ that there is no Evidence for any Subjedt-Presbyters ;;/ Scripture times ( as you may fee^ if you pleafe to confidt him ). And if fo^ how did the Apoitles or Apoftolick Men pre- fide over the primitive Presbyters'^? Did they take themf elves to he rela- ted to this or that particular Diocefe^ as the Paltor thereof in Pecidiar^ ejleeming it their Church or Chair^ fo as one Apoltle had one Diocefe al- lotted for his Care ^ another Apo- ftle another Dioceie for his? Did they keep within the Limits of any Dijlrifly in the Exercife of their A- poltolick Fundlion^, fo as to have lefs Power in another ? If you can pro- duce any appearance of Proof for this^ 1 pa/J ( I hope ) be able to confute it^ as foon as it is producd- If you mean not fuch a Prefidency as + Mr, J. TV's Letters, />. ? 3 . * Obferve the craft ofPfeu- docheus, he believes with Dr. Hammond, that there were no Subiecl- Presbyters in Scripture Times ^ but he does not tell us with Dr. Hammond, that theCe were Biihops of the fever al dities that were in Judea, am not fresbjcers of Jerulalem. this^ Provd Void and NhIL n thls^ you had as good fay nothhig : For 'tis fuch xvhkh de Fa6to is now in ufe^ hut hy what Right^ is not eafi-^ lyjaid. Phil. Indeed^ Sir^ I have a pro- found elteem and value for the Name and Memory of the Excellent and Learned Dr. Hammond^ but yet by- no means can I agree with him in his Annotations upon A^/. ii.verf.^o. where he faith^ ^^ That the Word u^ccriSvliPji, Elders or Prieits^ did in Scripture-tifnes belong princi- pally-, if not alone^ to BiJhopSy there being no Evidence^ that any ^^ of that Second Order were then In- ^^ ftituted 5 And he there alfo tells xxSy '^ that St. y^/7/ if you elpoufe his Opinion^ as you would feem to do^ how can ycu alTert that St Paid and St. Barnabas were Or dam d by Presbyters^ when you fay with him^ that there were none of that Second Order in Scrip- ture-thiies^. You ou^ht to have fet- tled your Hypothejis upon firmer Principles^, and not after this man- ner to contradidl and overthrow it : All that you can plead in your Vin- dication^ is this^ that you have had the Misfortune to be miftaken with fuch a celebrated and learned Author * 'Tis evident from AEls 21. 19. that there were fixed Presbyters in' the Church of feriifale??!^ for 'tis there faid^ that St. Paid went unto James ^ and all the Elders were prefent. They muft therefore refide in that Citv, for there was not Sufficient rime to Summon them from all Parts of Provd Void and NiilL 95 of the Country. And therefore the Enemies ofEpifcopaJ Superiority are fo far from p;aining any Advantage to their Caufe by proving thefe Prep hyters Aflembled at JeriifaJem to be no Bijhops^ that it is a plain Demon- ftrationof the true Frhmtive Govern- ment of the Church from clear and exprels Jpojlolical PraBke^ viz. A Bijhopy with his SubjeSt- Presbyters^ refidmg in the City or Church of Je- rufale?n. For how can you imagine^ that fuch a Number of Chrifiian Con- vert s^2i^ there werein Jerufalem^could ever becrouded into one Congrega- f ioT/^but that the greateft part of them muft be under the Care and Inftrufti- ons of the Jerufalein-Presbyters^wlio were all of them under St. James the Bijhop of that Church ? And that you may not in the leaft queftion the Truth of what I now fay^ Til plain- ly prove^ I. That the Jpojile St. Jafnes the Lefs^ who is alfo called the Jujl^ and the Brother of our Lord^ was the firit Diocefan q6 Ordination hy Meer Presbyters Biocefan BiJJjop of the Ckircb of Je- ritfalem ( i )• And then ^dly. That there were many Freshyters in the Church of Jerufaleniy the Pajiors and Teachers of feveral Congregatmts in that City^ and all of them were under St. James'^ Epif copal Care and Govern- ment. I. That St. James the Apojtie was Diocefan B'lfhop of Jerufalem, ap- pears very plainly from the i/o/y Scriptures. When St. P^'/'dr was de- liver d from his Imprifonment by the Angela he (aid to thofe that were iurpriz^i and altonilh'd at his Pre- fence^ Go a7id fhew thefe things to James and to the Brethren, ASt. 12. 17. In which Words the Deference ( / ) St. James was Sirnamd the Juft for his many eminent Vertues, and to diflingu'tfh him from the other Apoltle of the fame Name, he was calfd James the Lefs, the Son o/Alphe- us, who was the fame with Cleophas ; for Mary the Mother of James the Lefs is by St, John calld Mary the Wife o/Cle- ophas. Compare thefe Text s^ Matth. lo. 3. Mar. 15.40. Mar. 16. 1. Joh. 19.25. Gal.1.19. SothatSt, James, being cur Lord'/ Coufin-German, is calld his Brother, according t9 nn ordinary Ex^reffwn in th€ Sacred Dialed. paid Provd Vo'?d and Null 97 paid to St. James is vifible^ and ta- ken notice of ellewhere frequently, as Gah I. 19. Gal. 2. i^ 9. but molt of all, AEt. 15. 13, 19. Where yon may obferve^ that fome Chriftians of Judea about the Year 51, coming down to AitUoch in Syr'ia^ Ihewed their Zeal extremely for the JewiJI) Rites and Ceremonies^ which were as yet Tolerated in the Chrijlian Church • and as if they had been ne- celTary to Salvation, impos'd them upon the Gentile Converts^ without any Order or Advice from St. James ^ or any other of the Jpojiles. Thefe DoEtrhies St. Paid and St. Barnabas endeavoured to refute by Difputati- on^ but when all they could do pro- ved unfuccefsful, the Church of An- tioch agreed to fend St. Paul and St. Barnabas to Jerufalem^ to the Apo- Bles and Presbyters^ who did meet in Council^ and confult about this Matter. In the Deter mxi nation of this Bu- fmeis^ tho' St. Peter and others pro- H pounded 98 Ord'mathn by Meer Presbyters pounded their Judgment ^ yet St. James s Authorky ( m j^ who was B if hop of Jeriffalem, did Iway all lo far "^^ that they all fubmitted to it- and according to his Direction^ a Letter was fent to tlie People oi Ait- t'loch^ to pacific their Minds^ and fettle their Pradlice for the future. Now this was eleven Years after St. FauVs firit fight of St. James ^ and fourteen Years after his Converfion:^ and then nine Years after this^ being the 58thof C^ri/fs Nativity^ St. Paul makes his laft Journey to Jerufalem^ V^here Itill he f nds St. James. And the day foJlow'mg Paul went in XQith us unto James - and aU the Elders (that is Presbyters^ were prefent^ AEt- 21. 18. So that for twenty Years toge- ther^ we have apparent Evidence in Scripture of St. James's Refiding at (m) AEh, 15. 13. James anfrvered, fafing^ Men and Bre- threnjiearken unto me, va^. therefore my Sentence is, . or I determine. * '£7^ vAvco, Illud h^ cum Emphafiprofe- rendum* Vid. Jo. Pric«i Annor. in Loc. Sic Kei'eiv zexJky litem difcernere, to determine a Controverfe* apud De- mofth. Provd Void and Null. 99 Jerufalem^ as B'ljhop of that Church. And indeed there is fcarce any An- cient Writer J but what gives a full Jttefiation to this Truth. For 'Eu- febius out of St. Clemens doth tell us^ That St, James was made Bijhop of Jerusalem by the ApoJileSj f^^"^-^ ^^ ^- ya A^ir tS cTyrSei?^, after the Jfcenjion of our Saviour f nj. Then alio St. Je- rome as plainly from Hegefippm^jia- tim poH Fajjionem Domini^ immedi- ately ,after the FaJJion of our Lord (0). And Epiphanius'y for his greater Cre- dit^ makes him not only the frft Bi- jhop that ever was^ adv. Hd^ref. 29. ;/. 3. but Bijhop of the Lords own Throne^ ^ ^si-iTng^vyji iwt/©^ lov 6^Vov duT^ S^' 7^^ >4;?, and that too by the Lord's Appointment f p J. Add to thefe the joint Confent and Suffrage of 289 Bifhops in the Sixth General Council of Conjiantinople^ who did all affirm;, That St. James ^ the Lord's Brother^ was the firft Bijhop of Jeru- (») lE^cclef, Hift. L 2. r. i. (0) In Script, Ecdef (p) £- ftphart. adv. Haref. 78, ». 7 . H 2 fale?n xoo Ordination by Meer Presbyters falem ( q)^ Now theie are fuffici- ent Tejthnonies^ and we need not to bring any more from Holy Scripture^ Fathers or Coimals^ fmce our Adver- laries themfelves do freely confefs^ that the fame St. James was the firft B'ljhop of Jerufalem^ the Metropolis of the Jews. Thus Blondel declares^ That all the kncients do conftantly affert^ that James the Brother of our Lord was Ordamd by his Colleagues Bifiop of the Church of Jerit^alem ( r ). And Sahna[im tells us^ That St. James Itirr'd not from Jerufa- lem^ tho* the other Apojiles w^ere fcatter'd and dilpers'd to Plant the Holy Go [pel in other Countries (s). Nay Calvm himfelf grants all that we plead for^ in his Coimnentaries on Gah 2.9. He faith^ That St. James was preferr'd to St. Peter ^ becaufe he was Ecclefi(Z H'lerofolymkandi Pr^^ ( ^ ) Conci.- Confiar.tinof, in Can. 32. ( r ) Blondel in A- polog. p- 50. Jacohfiw Domini Tratrem Htero/blymitana EC' cle/ia Eflfcofum ^ Collegis ordinatum conflanter ajjerum ve- teres omnes, ( j) Hierofolywis non ahflitit^ vec qi^oquam ex» tra Vrhem pedcm wovit, PV^L Mcjfal. /?. 20. feEliis Provd Void andNulL loi feEtiis^ Governour of the Church of Jerufalem. Npw for the Time that St. James continu'd Bifioop of Jeru- falem^ we do find that St Jerome does declare^ That this BJeffed Apo- file and Bijhop was Martyr'd in the feventh Year of Nero ( Anno Chrifii 63.) poftqtiam trigmta annos I/ieror folymis rexerat Ecclejiam ^ after he had been Bijhop of Jerufalem thirty- Years (/*). And when St. James was dead;> then Simeon the Son of Cleophas^ one of our Saviours ^{Z^^- pies and Kindred^ was made the Bi- jhop of that Churchy St. Peter ^ St. Fauly and St. John^ and others of the Apojiles being then alive^ and all contenting to it (z/). He liy'd to a great Age^ and Epiphanms in his Ca- talogue of the Bijhops of Jerufalem^ reckons firlt St. James ^ and next Si- meon^ who was Crucify'd under Tra-* jan (x^). ( t ) Hierort, de Script, Ecclef. ( ») Eafeh. E^clef, Hlft: I* 3. ^'i 10. ( »» ) Epipharf, Haref, 66, H a Thus 102 Ordination hy Meer Presbyters Thus you fee^ Pfeudocheiis^ That St. James the Lefs^ one of the twelve Apojtles^ was Diocefan Bijhcp of the Church of Jerufalcin ^ and kept con- itantty within his DiJiriSt^ in the Exercife of his Epij copal FunElion. And this being lb very clear ; I know not what better Form of Government we can have^ than that which was Eflablilli'd at JerufaJem in the firft Chriftian Church that ever was^ and of which fome of the Kindred of our Saviour had the Admin'ijlrat'ion. And now aJ/jy. I come to Ihew^ That there were many Presbyters in the Church of Jerujalemy the Pa- Jlors and Teachers of feveral Congre- gations in that City^ and all of them under St,Jameis Epifcopal Care and Government. After our BlelTed Sa- viour had chofen the twelve Apojiles^ he appointed other Seventy alio^ and fent them Two and Two before him to prepare his Way. Of thefe the Lord made choice of fome to be Prophets^ and others to be Evange- Provd Void and Null. 103 Iijis^ iome to be Faslors and Teach- ers^ and others to be Helps in Go- vernment ^ according to the Meafure and the Purpofe of his Grace be- llow'd upon them^ in the Eftiifion of his Spirit, i Cor. 12. & Eph. 4. 8. Now out of thefe thus qualify'd and prepar'd for the Work of God, there were feveral appointed to affift St. James, in the difcharge of that great Tritft committed to him^ by the u- nanimous Confent of the Holy Jpo- files. And St. Ignatius does tell us. That there were Presbyters in the Church of Jerusalem, before the E- ledtion of the Seven Deacons, for faith he^ St. Stephen did minifter; layJ/S^ KcxA TDJg U^ia^vn^acj &;C. tO jfanies and to the Presbyters ( ^ ). Now thefe Presbyters are mentiond by the Name of Elders, in three feve- ral Chapters of the JlHs of the Ape- files, during the time that St. Janies was Btfi:)Gp of that Church. The firft ( v) Ignat^ef, ad Heron, H 4 meii« I04 Ordination by Meer Presbyters mention of them is in Aci. ii. 30. where we read^ That when the D//- ciples^ which dwelt at Antioch^ had made a Contribution for the Bre- thren of Judea^ they fent it to the Elders ( u e. the Presbyters ) of Je- riifalem by the Hands of Barnabas and Said^ The fecond Mention of thefe Presbyters is in AH> 15. 4. and in the 6y 22^ 23 Verfes of that Chap- ter. Then the third Mention of thefe Jeriifalefn-Presbyters is in AEl. 21. 18. and there St. Luke relates^ That St. Paid at his kit going to Je- riffaJem^ went in unto James y and that all the Elders ( i^ e. the Pr^/- byters ) were prefent ; and he alfo tells you^ what Courifel and Advice they gave him^, how he might ingra- tiate him felf with t\iQ Jews. Here we find St. James xho. Bifli op attend- ed by his Presbyters y at the Reception of St.PauI : and they together joining with him in the Confultation then in hand^ the Bujinejs being great and wejghty. And indeed there was a great Provd Void and Null. ic5 great Neceffity, that leveral Preshy- ters fliould be refident at Jerufalefji^ fmce there were among fuch large Numbers of Chr'ijlian Converts ( as we have all the Reafon imaginable to believe ) a great many (everal Con- gregations-^ for we read in JSt. 2- 41. That there were Three Thoufand Perfons converted at St. Peters firft Sermon. > And again in JB. 4. 4. we find that many of them which heard the Word:, ( then Preach' d^ not in a Set Affemhly^ but occafionally in the Temple ) believ'd ; and the Number of the Men was about Five Thoufand. And then in AB. 5. 14. St. Luke faith^ That Believers were the more added to the Churchy Multitudes both of Men and Women. Then ftill there were greater Additions made to the Churchy as we find in JB. 6. 7. That the Number of the Difciples multiply 'd in Jerufalem greatly ^ and a great Company of the Priejls^ or as the Syrtac reads it^ of the JevQs^ were obedient^ or fub- mit- io6 Ordination hy Meer Presbyters mitted to the Faith* But there re- mains yet another Inftance^ that's more decifive • For St. James and the Elders ( i. e. the Presbyters ) of Jeriijalem ohierve to St. Paid^ That there were many Myriads of the Cir- cumcifion which believed. Thou fe eft Brother hovo many Thoufands i My- riads ] of Jews there are which be- lieve^ and they are all zealous of the Law (jk). And now after all thefe Accefiions^ what manner of Church fhall we conceive this to be^ a Con- gregational ont^ Ih all all thefe Thou- fands make but one Jfjembly for Communion in Prayer ^ and the Sa- craments ? Tis Incredible, There was no Place in Jerufalem that was large enough to hold them^ there were^ as I faid before, many feveral Congregations^ and this Church was no other than a Diocefe^ which was Govern d by St. James ^ and Taught by his Presbyters* Cj J AB^ 2 r, 20. Qicape^i d over whom Aposfles or Jpojiolick Men did prefide. This the Holy Scriptures do plainly at- teft ; In the Church of Ephefus^JSl. 20. 17. in the Church of Rome^ Rom. 16. o£ Corinth^ i Cor^ 14. 29. of Phi- lippi:, Phil. I. I. of Thejfalonicay I Theff. 5. 12. of other Churches the like is affirmed;, Heb. 1 3. 17. St. James 5. 14. I St. Pet. 5. I. Now by God's perpetual Ordinance^ as your felves con* io8 Ordmatton by Meer Presbyters confefs^ there tmift be one chief Pa- ftor of each Presbytery ^ to guide as well the Presbyters that are Teachers^ as the Flock ^ that are Hearers : Tell me thetij what Diiference betwixt chief Pajlors eftablifli'd in every Ci- ty^ by Go J s LaWy as you are fore d to grant , and the Bijhops fucceed- ing the Aposiles in their Churches and Chairs^ as the Fathers affirm ( 2 ). If you diflike the Word BilJuop it is CathoUck and JpoHoHck ; if you diflike the Office^ it is God's Ordi- nance^ by the Affertion of your own Party. For Bd^^^ does make it an E(fe?2tial and Perpetual Part of Go J s Ordinance to have one G^/^/ in eve- ry Presbytery. ' His Words are thefe^ E(fentiale fu- 7t in eo de quo h'lC agimus^ quod ex Dei Ordinatione perpetua neceffe fu- tty eftj & erit^ ut in Presbyterio ( ;?, ) Bufeb, Chrort, Hieron, Inter^rete. Theodoret. in Phi^ ^"ErnfKowdi 'A7nj5T5^«^ mofjuL^o;. Thofe very Perfons were call*d Apoftles, Tvkom by Vfage of Speech, the Chftrch no-w calls Bifiiops. qu'if Provd Void and Null. 109 qtiifpiajn & loco & dignitate pr 271ms y aStioni gubernand^ p^^fif^ ^^^^^ ^^y quod 2pji attributti:n eB jure ( a ). This was Effential in the Matter we have in Hand;, that by GoJ's Ordi- nance which muft always endure^, it has been;, is and fhall be needful^ that in the Presbytery one Chief in Place and Dignky^ Ihould moderate and rule every Action;, with that Rigbt which is allow'd him by God's Law. Yea;, Calvin himlelf fayS;, Nee humanum eft Inventimiy fed Dei ipji- us Inftitiitumy cpitod fingidis fuas af fignamits Ecclejias. Pauhis Arcbip- pum Cohfjenfium Epifcopum comme- 7norat (by It is not Man s Device^ but the very Ordinance o€ God^ that we affign to every Man his Church. Paid himfelf mentions ArchippuSy Bijhop of Cdlofjtis. And Calvin fur- ther faySj That Equality breeds Fa- Bions f c J. ^^ Subordination then (a) In Refponf. ad TraBat, de AUniftror. EvangeL Gra* dlbus. Cap. 23. FoL 153. (h) Calv.. Tnfittftt, lib, 4. cap^ 3, {c) Cah* hftitfit, lib. 4. cap, 4. " in 110 Ordmation hy Meer Presbyters ^^ in fome^ and Superiority in o- "^"^ thers "^^ is as requifite to Ecclejia- ^^ Jfkal as Civil Polity^ without ^^ which Schifm becomes as fatal to ^^ the Churchy as Rebellion is to the ^^ State. So that all of us muft fub- ^^ fcribe to the grave Sentence and "^^ Judgment of St. Jerofn-^ unlefs ^^ the Epif copal Pre-eininence of ^z/- ^^ thority and O^c:^* be prefer v'd. ^"^ For^ faith he^ To fupprefs the ^' aS'i^^'J^ of Diffention^ one was fet "^^ above the reft ; otherwife there would be^ Tot in 'EccJeJiis efficien- ter Schifrnata ^ cjuot Sacer dotes ( d y As many Sc/jifins in the ^^ Churchy as there are Presbyters , "^^ efpecially^ if every Presbyter has ^^ PorPi^T of Ordination intrinfecal to ^^ his 0//c^^ by the Divine Right of '^ ApofioUcal Inftitiition. For what ^^ then would be the Ufe of Ordinati- ^^ 0?^^ but chiefly to propagate Schifm? k — — ■' ■ — ■ — — . * EH)- Mojfom on Matth* 28. 19, &c» {d) Hieron, ad Eva^r, ^ contra Lncif crams* Pieud. cc cc Provd Void and Null. Ill Pfeud- "^ Tou fay^ Sir, that there niufi he one chief Paftor ;;/ every Pref- hyltxYy to guide as well the Presby- ters that are Teachers^, as the Flock that are Hearers. This is very true^ and in all Presbyteries or Synods (whether great or finall ) 'tis fity for Order' J- fake^ that there fhould he a Prefident or Moderator over the rejty and it has been our ufual Pra- Bice. Now if you will call the Mode- rator of a Presbytery by the Name of ^ Bifhop;, I fl) all not gain-fay it y pro- vided you grant the Presbyters to he i&/^ Colleagues^ andof the fame Of- fice with him. Such a Bifhop as this Beza pleads for in the Words by you alledgd. And as to your Quotation out of Calvin^ it ferves not your pur- pofe at all'^ for his ajferfmg the Di- vine Right of a Bifhop or Presbyter over every particular Churchy, is fo far from favouring Diocefan Prelacy that it is direBly contrary to it. But # ' '■■ " ■ ' ' ' ■ > * Mr. y. ^s Letters, ^, 34, 37. if 12 Ordination hy Meer Freshyters if you would be contented with fuch a Prefidency or Epifcopacy^ as the Re- verend and truly Learned Biftiop Ufher proposd to King Charles L cis an expedient to unite the Englifli Pro- teftants^ and Reform the Churchy I believe fevQ of the Nonconformifts would refufe to fubmit to it ( e ). For my Part^ I could readily co?nply therewith. But this Excellent B'liho^ , in his Book ( as is evident fro?n ma- ny Exprejfions therein ) fuppofes Bi- Ihop and Presbyter to be really of the fame Office^ and to differ only Gradu in Degree ^ not Ordine in Order ^ as if they were of a DiflinEl Office, Phil. Indeed^ Pfeudocheus^ if you will have your Moderator to be a Bifhopj I Ihall not gain-fay it^ pro- vided that he be fuch a Moderator^ who fhall be a fianding Officer^ du- ring Life^ to whom all the Presby- ters are to be obedient as to Christ ^ that is^ to the Moderator^ as repre- ( a Singular Rleffing of God^ OS Fruatur jane t'sta Jingtdari Dei he- icjiQentta^ qiit£ uttnam fit illi Perpe- tua (/); and wiflies that the CZ?//rc/^ may ever enjoy it. So that you, Pfeiidocheids^ and the Modern Pre]- hyterians^ are difarm'd of the Pre- cedent o^ Calvin and Beza^ and all the Reformers abroad ^ by whofe Sentence ve are Anathematizd. and counted as Mad-men. And novv^ that you fpeak of Archbifhop UJhers Re- duEtion of F^pifcopacy to the Form of Synodical Government^ pray take this Account of it from his Grace's then Chaplam ^ Dr. Nicholas Bernard^ foraetime Preacher to the Honoura- - ble Provd Void and NiilL . 119 ble Society of Grays-Inn^ London. In that Book of liis Entitled^ C/.^u^ Trahales^ pag. 54. lie there faith^ ^^ As for that of his RediiBhn of "^^ Epifcopacy to the Form of Syiio- ^^ dical Government^ &c.- prelented ^"^ to his late Majeity of Blejjed Me- mory^ Anno 1641. It is to be con- fider'd^ how it was cccafion'd by the prefent Tempe^liwus Violence of the Times ^ as an Accommoda- ^^ tion by way of Prevention of a total Shipwrack threatned by the Jdoerfaries ot it^ as appears fuf- ficiently by the Title before it^ viz. Proposed in the Tear 1641. as an Expedient for the Prevention *^^ of thole Troubles which afterwards ^^ did arife in Matters of Church- "^^ Government^ &c. Now what can this^ in the Senfe of any Prudent Unbiais'd Perfon prejudice him in. his Judgment or Afledion to Epi- fcopacy it (elf^ which rather con- " firms it. The Merchant parts [[ with that in a Storm^ that he I 4 ^^ would cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc CQ CC CC CC CC c. CC CC CC 1 20 Ordination by Meer Freshyters would not have done in a Cahn^ and at Shore recruits hi mlelf with the like Goods again. St. Faiil in that Wrack^ AEL 27. conlent- ed not only to the lightning of the •^ Ship of its Ladings but of the Tackling alfo^ We cajl them out ( faith he, or St. Liihe ) mth our own Hands ^ and all for the favmg (if it were pofiible) of the Shipy and tie Pajjengers in if\ But now by the way^ fince Archbp. Upers Judgment fways fo powerfully with you^ pray comply with it in another Particular ^ 'tis fet down by the fame Dr. Bernard^ in pag. 5 5. of the afore- faidEook. ^^ For the Form of Words us'd by the Bifhop in the Ordina- tion of the Church of England ^ he ( meaning the Archbilliop ) did much approve thereof^ viz- Receive the Holy Ghoji^ Whofe Sins thou ^^ dojt remits they are remitted^ and ^^ whofe Sins thou doji retain^ they ^^ are retained , and be thou a faith- ^ ful Difpenfer of the Word of God ^ and CC CC CC CC CC Provd Void and Null. 12 f ^^ aiid of bis Holy Sacraments^ &c% ^^ And the Delivering of the Bible *^^ into the Hands of the Perfon Or- ^^ dain'd^aying^r^X^fZ^o// Aiithorky ^'^ to Preach the Word ofGod^and Ad- *^^ min'ifier the Sacraments y &c. Which ^^ being wholly omitted in that ofthe ^^ Preshyter'ian Way^ and no other ^^ Words to that Senfe us'd in their Rcom^ and thereupon no exprefs tranfmijfion of M'lnifier'ial Power ^ the Archbiftiop was wont to fay^ That fuch an hnpofithn of Hands ( by (ome call'd the Seal of Ordi- nation J without a Commiflion an- nex' d^ feenid to him to he as the putting of a Seal to a Blank^ That the Scruple was not only in the In- ftrumental Caufe^ hut in the For- mal ; and that if a Bifhop had been prefent^ and done no more^ the fame Query might have been ofthe Validity of if\ And in a Letter to Dr. Bernard^ which was publifh- ed;, he there declar'd:> ^"^ That the ^J Ordination made by fuch Presby- ^^ ters cc cc cc <^.c cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc 122 Ordination by Meer Presbyters ^^ ters^ as have lever'd themlelves ^^ from their BifbQps^ unto whom ^^ they'd fworn CanofJical Obedience^ ^'^ cannot be excus'd from being ^' ScJj'ifmatkal ( k ) ". So thit this Learned Primate could find lio Sal- vo for oiir EngUJh Prcsbytenans^hat he leaves them under the Gailt of their ScJj'ijm. And now I fliall clofe mv Anfvver to your lalt Objedlions^ with the Words of that Glorious Martyr King Charles I. of eve^ Blef- fed Memory^ which he delivered in his Dilpute at Newport in the IJIe of Wight '^ where that Royal Champion ( like another Athanajms^ fighting againit the ¥/orld ) tells thole Pref- hyterian Mmijiers^ ^"^ That he is not much concern d^ whether they call Epifcopatus Ordo^ or Gradus^ or what Name they give it ^ pro- vided they acknowledge the Stipe- cc cc cc cc {k) This rPAs vpritten in his Note -Book^wkh his own Ha»d^ dated 1 6$^. a little before his Death, a^ we are a^urd by the Lord Primate s Grandfon^ James Tyrrel, Bff^ in the Ap- pendix to his Grandfather 5 Life^ p. ^, when Epifcopacy was at its Imefi Ebb in this Ifland, ^^ riority Frovd Void and Nidi. 123 ^^ riority of thofe CImrch-Ojficers ^^ over Presbyters and Deacons '\ This was formerly infiiiuated by that Great and Good Prince^ in his Dif- putation with Mr. Hendcrjon at NevQcajile^ whom he routed both Horlc and Foot^ and fent home that Jpojlle of the Covenant^ a Royal Pro- felyte. ¥ox x\ns ^rc^it Jthleta (like to the invincible Hercules m all his Labours ) was^ in all the Difputes that he manag d with his unparallel- led Peny more than Conqueror ^ thro* him that lov'd him. Yea^ Salmaji- us and Elondel (the two great Cham- pions o? Presbyteiy J are conltrain'd to grant a Difierence^ at lealt in the Second Century ^ betwixt Presbyters and Bijhops. And if Blondel from the Year 146^ (which he makes the Epocba of that Nominal Impropria- tion 5 ) had made a Retrogradation to CXI^ he would have found Sr. Igna- tius ^ m his EpifileSy which are ac- counted Genuine^ clearly and fre- quently diltinguifhing betwixt Bi- jhops, 124" Ordmathn by Meer Presbyters (hops ^ Presbyters ^ and Beacons ; (and that in no Ids than thirty five leveral Tefthnomes ) and theie Epi- files are now fo fully vindicated by Archbifhop Ujher^ If. Vojjiits, Dr. Hammond and Bifhop Pearfon • that all the Gratings o^Daill^^ Sahnafiusy Blondel^ Capellus^ Larroque^ and Dr» Ovoen^ will never file oli^the leaft A- torn from their Sohdity. Pfeiid. "'Pray, Philalethes, Has Diocefan Superiority done any ^ood in preventing or curing any Schiims ? Has it not rather been an Occasion (at JeaftJ if not the caufe of the Increafe thereof ever Jince its jirfi EreBion? Witnefs the fad Accounts which Hifto- rians and ofZ^^r Ecclefialtical Writers give of the many Tumults that have been raisd^ and Seditions fiirrd up by thofe that Ambitioufly firove for this Pre-eminence and Dignity. Wit- nefs alfo thofe frequent Excommu- nications of each other ^ and often-^ * Mr. /. W% Letters, f. 40. times Provd Void and NiJL 125 times for Trifles. Wiiiiefs thofe groundlefs Impofitions of Things part- ly needlefs • partly jjiifchievous and hurtfid^ on the Conferences of Oiri- ftians^ ivit/jotit the leafl Viarr ant from GodV Word or right Reafon^ imder pretence of Decency and Qvditv. By which Lording it over GodV Heri- tage f as St. Peter calls k^ i Pet. 5. 2. ) they have aiidacioufly prefimid to exclude many from Church-Com- munion/ whom Clirift Jeiiis and his Apoitles never excluded: And that meerly for refujing to fiihmit to thofe Terms ^ which f as they have no Rea- fon for which they fhoidd he urged ^ but the Will and Fleafure of the Im- pofers^ foj were never prefcrih'd by our Lord. Hence are the Con- fciences of weak Chriftians infnard^ and their Minds filTd with perplex- ing Scruples y ivho ought to have been receivd into the ChurcliV Commu- nion f if found in the Faith ^ and Ho- * Mr. y. Ws Leturs, p, 40, 41, ly .6 Ordmatton by Meer Presbyters ly in Life J without requirmg need- le] s and doubtfid Things as the Con- ditmi of that Qovcivci^xmoxi^ Ronu\4^. 1^ 6^ i^y 15^ '^Vy^'^^y 23. Hence Schilms and Divilions^ which have Rent the Church of Chrift and fplit it into feveral Parties , owe their Original (for the mojt parr^ to the Impoftions of Dioceian Pre- lacy. Phil Is this heavy Charge againft Epifcopacy^ Pfeudocheus, laid upon the Bijhops of the Roniijh Churchy or upon the BijJoops of our Church of England^ If 'tis laid upon the Bifhops of the RoiiiifJo Churchy it does not then concern us : But if 'tis laid up- on the Bijhops of our Church ofEng- landy then you had it either from Mr, JViUiam Prynne of Infajnous Me- mory ^ or from Mr. Richard Baxter of Inveterate Malice. If from Prynne s Hijiory of Bifhops fince the Reformation^ then you found no- thing but invidious Mifreprefenta- tions and notoriousjOalmnnies^ And # if ProD^dVohi and NulL i^j if from Mr. Baxter^ Treatife of Di- ()cefan Bijhops^ his Church Hijicry^ or his Plea for Peace ^ then you have nothing elie but abommahle Stories taken from Heretical Jiithors^ as PhUofiorghis^ Sondiiis^ and fuch o- thers : all which are various Ac- counts of a great many Confufions^ rais'd by Jinhkmis Presbyters^ and their Party ^ againft the Pious and Orthodox: Bijhops^ who fufler'd un- der Heathen^ Arian^ and Heretical Emperours. And all thoie Tranf- adtions does Mr. Baxter molt fliame- fully mifapply to the Bijhops and Coimcils • and he often Ipeaks more favourably of Hereticks^ viz. of A- riiiSj the Novatians^ and the Dona* tijls^ who tho' they were uliirping Presbyters^ he calls them Bijhops ; and thro' their Sides he ftrikes at the Sacred Office^ pag. 276 of his Plea for Peace. It was^ faith he^ by Bi- fliops ftriuing who fhould he Chief^ that the Donatifis fet up: whereas the Donat'Ms were dikontented ^ Pref- 128 Ordination hy Meer Presbyters Presbyters. And evident it is^wliat- ever Quarrel there was in all Church- Hijiory^ wherein a Bijhop was con- cern'd^ howiocver Innocent ^ howfo- ever Orthodox ^ Mr. Baxter made him the Caufe of the Quarrel^ and was his avow'd Adoerfary. For did not Mr. Baxter know^ ( however he dilTembrd it) that Ariiis and Je- rius^ Novatus and Novatian^ Majo- rinus Chaplain to Luc ill a ^ a Noble Woman^ with Botruus and Silejius'^^ who firlt oppos'd Cecilian Bilhop of Carthage^ ( and fet up for Bijhops by the Help of Donatus^ who fiic- ceeded them^ and gave Name to the Schifvd ) were all of them Presby- ters ? Then afterwards they diib'd one another Bijhops^ and with M^hole Armies oppos'd their lawful Bijhops^ who with great Patience and Con- ftanc}^ withitood their Malice. And thus after the fame manner^ and with the like Injuitice^ you may * Some Writers call thefe Bonus and Celefius. throw Provd Void and Null throw all the Rebellions and Outra- ges^ all the Blafpbemies^ Faclions^ and Schifms^ that have been for thefe Sixty Years and upwards^, upon the Bijhops of this Realm^ whereto (as 'tis very well known) the Presbyteri- ans firit open'd the Way^ and then led the Dance. Then it was^ in thole Times of Violence and Ufurpa- tion^ ( when Men did difregard their Spiritual Guides and Cover nours^ that Jtheifm and Infidelity ^ Pro- fanenefs and Diffolutenefs of Man- ners^ and all kinds oi Dijhone^y and Bafenefs did Grow and Increafe, What Difmal Tragedies had we in that Age adled upon the Stage of our own Country ? What Bloody Wars and Murthers^ ( Murthers of the beU of Kings ^ and beji of Bifhops^ as alio of Nobles and Priests ? ) What miferable Opprejjions^ Extortions^ and Rapiiies ^ What execrable Sedi- tions and RebelIio72s ? What barba- rous Animofities and Feuds? What abominable Treafons^ Sacrileges^ Per- K jm^ies 1 30 OrdinaUon by Meer Presbyters juries and Blafpbemies ? What hor- rible Violations of all Jujtice and Honejly ? And Vv^hence I pray was the Source and Original of all thefe Things ? Did they not proceed from your Murmurings a2;ainfl: and from your Rejecting and Perfecuting your Spiritual Governours ^ from your calling them down^, from your fpur- iiing their Advice^ and from your trampling upon their Authority? Your Anceftors would have done well to have taken the Advice of St. Ignatius^ that Holy Martyr^ and Difcipleo£ the JpoJUes J, who^ in all his Epiftles to the ieveral Churches^, to whom he wrote^ did moft earnelt- ly preis the Indifpenfible Obligation of a firiB Obedience to their refpe- (Sive Bijhops. That the Laity fliould lubmit themfelves to the Presbyters and Deacons^ as to the JposloUcal College under Chrift ^ And that the Presbyters and Deacons^ as well as the Laity ^ fliould Obey their Bijhop as Chriji Himfelf^ whofe Perfon he did Reprefent. For^ laith he^, as the BiQiop Provd Void and Null. 151 Bifhop doth prejide hi the Place of God^ we fjjuji therefore look upon him as our Lord hnnfelf\ or as our Lord's Reprefentative ( / ). And that we muft be fubjedt unto him^ as unto Jefus Chriji ( ?7i ). And that there- fore whoever kept not outward Cofn- munion with his Bifjop^ did forfeit his inward Co7n?nunion with Jefiis Christ. And 'tis not lawful without the Bijhopy either to Baptize^ or ce- lebrate the Offices ; But what he ap- proves of ;^ according to the good Pleafure of God^ that is firm and fafe^ and fo we do every thing fe- curely (//). Beware then^ Pfeudo- cheuSy of calling any vile Jfperfjons upon the Sacred Order of Epifco- pacy : For they were Protejlant Bi- jhops that did defend the Refor?na- tion by their Writings^ and did feal it with their Blood> What Chainpi- C I J UejY^'^yLkyH ^ ^^'mcunr^ m ^iTniv ©£«• Ignat. ad Mag- . Ignat. ad Ephef. (m )Tu 'E'mjKo'vca -ustotu vt<^ *j t^ Kveia* Ignat. ad TraD. (n) Igmt , ad Smyrn. K 2 ons 132 Ordmation by Meer Presbyters ons has the Protejiant Religion ever had to be compar d in all Refpedls with our Cra?imer^ Ridleyy Sands^ Jewels Parker^ Btlfon^ Andrews^ Biickeridge^ Morton;^ Hall:, D^u^?- 7ta?tt:, Wbite^ Ufher^ Morley^ Bram- haUy Gunnmg:, Pearfon^, Stillmgfleet:, and many other Bifiops of the Church of England? And notwithitanding the hard fortune Archbifhop Laud had in other RefpeftS;, not to be well underftood in the Age he liv d in ^ yet his Enemies cannot deny his Book to be written with as much Strength and JudgmejJt againlt the Church of Rome^ as any other what- foever. And had that Great and Good Prelate but liv'd in more ho- neji and better Times ^^ he would have httnhighly Infirumental in tran(mit- ting this Epif copal Church of l^ng- land invulnerable to all Pofteritv, bv fuch fecure and prudent Laws^^ that no Perfon whatfoever fhould have ever prefum'd to attempt its Ruin. Then Provd Void mid Nidi. \ 3 3 Then FatJion and Sedition would have been chasd into their pro- per Dens^ and fent back to inhabit thofe Black and Difinal Regions^ where they were jfirft invented. And this I fliall farther fay of the Bijhops of the Church o^England^, that thev have done incomparably more Service againft Popery^ from the Re- foTfnation to this Day^ than all the other Parties among us put toge- ther. Pfeud. Have you done^ Philale- thes? Phih No;> Sir, your fenfelefs 3.nd indecent RefieBions upon our moft excellent Liturgy^ and our very Jig- ni fie ant and ufeful Ceremonies fhall in the next Place fall under my Con- fideration. You fay ^ ^ Thefe are groundlefs Impofitions of Things partly needlefs- partly raifchievous and hurtful ^ on the Confciences of Chriftians^ without the leajt warrant t Mr. y. f^s Lmers, f . 40. K 3 front 134 Ordination by Meer Presbyters from God's Word or right Reafori;, under pretence of Decency or Order. To this I anfwer;, ift. If it be mifchievous and hurt- ful to the Confciences of Chrijiians to ufe any thing in the Worjhip ofGod^ which he himfelf has not command- ed^ and which is not prefcrib'd by a Divine Law ^ then what fhall we think of the Diffenters themfelves^ for they ufe feveral Things in their JVorJIjipping of God ^ for which there is no Divine Law or Command ? Where is it commanded that they fhall ufe a conceiv d Prayer of their own;, and not Pray by a Form? Where is it commanded that they fhould receive the Sacrament fitting not kneeling ? Where is it command- ed that the Minijier Ihall be cloath- ed in Blacky and Ihall not wear a Surplice when he officiates ? Nay^, fe-r veral Things befides that are in ufe among your Party ^ are no more ex-^ prefly commanded by ^ Law ofCod^, Xh^^n thofe among us. And Provd Void and Null. 135 And then 2dly. IF it be imjchic- voiis and hurt fid to ufe any thing in the Worjhip of God^ that God him- felf has not prefcrib'd, then what fhall we think of feveral things^ that the Jews us'd in their Worjhip^ which God had not commanded^ and yet both our Blefjed Saviour^ and his Holy Jpojiles comply'd with them. The Jews had only a Comjiiand for their Worjhip in the Temple or in the Tahernade^ not in their Synagogues^ whither our Saviour and his JpojUes often reforted. The Jews had no Cojjimand m their Law for reading or preaching Mofes there every Sab- hath day^ as was accultom'd^ Act,i^. 21. Nor for that Form of Prayer and Liturgy w^hich they ns'd there^ and in which there is no donbt^ but that our Saviour and his Jpojiles ]oin'd with them. There was no Divine Command for the Feajl of the Dedication of the Temple ^ at which our Saviour was prefent^ Jo. 10. 22. and yet he never in the leait repro- K 4 ved 1 3<5 Oidination hy Meer Presbyters ved thole appointed Ufages, as ha- ving any thing that was rmjchiemm and hurtful in them ; but he com- ply'd with them, and countenanc'd them by his own Example: So alfo in the Pajjover, which was a very confiderable Rite and Part of the Jemjh Worjhip, our Saviour us'd the Pofture of Difcumbency in the Eat- ing of it^ tho' that was not the Po- fture commanded in the Law at the firft Inftitution of it, Exod. 12. ii. but it was taken up afterward by the Jew'ifi) Church, when they were fet- tled with Eafe and Liberty in the Land of Canaan. And the Cup of Charity likewife, that was not of Divtne Injhtution, yet this our Savi- our us'd alfo after the manner of the Jem, Luke 22. 17. and he was plea- fed to conform to many innocent and inoffenfive Rites of the Jewijb Church, in their Divine Worjhip, tho' they were not all of them ex- prefly commanded or prefcrib'd hy God, I know. Sir, that the Teach- ers Proved Void and Null. 1 37 ers of your Farty do argue from Cbriji's putting an end to the Cere- monial Law^ that therefore they are ahfolvd from all Obedience to Cere- monies imposed ; and that this is their Cbrijti an Liberty^ to which they are. oblig d to itand fait^ Gal. 5.1. Now at this rate^ They might as well rea- fon from the Abolition of their Judi- cial Law alfo;, that they are freed from their Civil Obedience. Can God be ierv'd without Ceremony? And is there not a vaft Difference be- twixt the Ceremonies of the JewiJJy and of our Chrifiian Church ? Thofe were Types of Chrifi to covie^ and to retain them were in effedl to deny Chriji's being come. And the Liber- ty St. Paul {peaks of^ is that of the Gentile Christians^ that they fliould not fubmit to the Jevoijh Toke^ and has nothing at all to do in the Cafe betwixt us. And mult we now be fo jealous cf Judaifm., that becaufe they had many Ceremonies^ we mufl Ji?,ve none ? According to this fort of 138 Ordination by Meer Presbyters o£ Reafo7i277g ^hccaiiic they had Priests and Sabbaths^ we muft have none. For any other Oflfence that may be taken againlt our Rites and Ufages^ either as to Multitude or Danger of Superjtition^ the Church her (elf has given that pons and prudent Ac- count "^ ^ that all 3 who are pious and humble themfelves^ cannot but be fa- tisfy'd ^ and truly where there is no Humility^ I may very well que- ftion. whether there can be any [in- cere Piety. And again 3dly. If it be inifchie-^ vom and hurtful to uie any tiling in the WorJIj'ip of God^ which has not been preicrib'd in his Holy Word^ what then lliall we think of the whole Chrijtian Churchy who did ufe fome things in their Worjhip^ which were no way commanded by our Saviour Chrijt ? The Salutation of Charity^ which is mention'd in Ronu 16. 16. I Pet. 5. 14. was an outward , I a I II I Mil .w^ * In the Preface to the Common-Prayer-Bookf Synh^ Frovd Void and Nidi. 1 39 Symbol of Love and Chanty^ which the Chr'i\Ytans iis'd at their Meeting at Prayers and the Sacrament ; and fiich alio were their Love-FeaUs or Feafis of Charity^ which were Cele- brated together with the Lord's-Sup- per^ I Cor. 11. 20. Jud. 12. Thefe and Ibme others were only fiich Rites as the Chrifi'ians^ without any Com- mand of Cbrifi^ thought fit to join with the molt folemn Farts of the Chriji'ian V/orjhip ; and yet they were of io indifferent and alterable a Na- ture^ that the Chrifttan Church has thought it a Matter of Frudence to lay them afide. For God has left fuch R'ltes and Ceremonies to be de- terrain d by particular Chmrches and their Governoiirs^ and has only com- manded the Suhftant'ials of his Wor- Jhip^ and p^tn general Rules for all things to be done decently and in Order (0). 'Tis very plain that God has no where commanded them ' (0) I Cer. 14. 4Q. him- 140 Ordination by Meer Presbyters himielf, nor can there be any parti- cular D'lreciory for them produc'd out of the Holy Scriptures • and as plain it is that there would be perpe- tual Confufion and Diforder in the ChiiYch^ if thefe were not appointed in feveral Places^ by thofe who are Governours of it ^ and when they are fo commanded^ if there is no- thing in them^ that is contrary to the Law of God^ they are to be o- bey'd and obferv'd • they cannot be tmlavpful when no Law forbids them^ but they may become neceffavy in their Vfe^ when they were indiffe- rent m their Nature^ by the Co?n- mandment of a lawful Authority-^ and lurely there can be no Sin or Superfiition m them upon that Ac- count. Certain it is^ that many Mens Diflike to our incomparable Cojmnon-Prayers proceeds from thofe wrong Notions they have of them j They think becaufe the Roman Devo- tionals retain fome part of them^ that they cannot be good^ becaufe they Provd Void and NuU. 141 they have been lometinies mix'd with what is evil : But muft we renounce the Holy Trimty^ and other Articles of our Chriftmn Fa'ith^ becaufe the Papijls hold the fame • this would be altogether unaccountable? The Ve[jels of the Ternple were carry'd to Babylon^ and prophaiid by Beljhaz- zar^ yet were they not refiord and confecrated by Ezra to the Service of God? There were Liturgies eitant in the Church before the Mafs had either Name or Being ; and Route Chrifiian was much elder than that of Papal : When therefore the Myjiery of Iniquity began to appear^ the Old or Fir ft Common-Prayer was not abo- lifh'd;, only mix'd with Errors and Corruptions-^ which BleiJiijhes being now taken away^ is it not as Beauti- ful as ever ? This then was the pioiu Care of our firU Reformers^ to re- fine it from its Drofs^ and to bring it to its Primitive Purity ^ retaining nothing but what is Pure Scripture ^ or drawn therefrom by the Jiidg' vient 142 OrdinaUon by Meer Presbyters vient of our Holy Mother the Church. But we io mightily degenerate from our fir\l Reformers^ that we will not follow thofe Forms ^ which were pre- fcrib'd by them ; we are for new Lights and new Ifiventwns to guide us to Heaven^ we deny Coinmon- Prayer ^ and magnifie the fudden Raptures of illiterate Men^ as the Illiimtnations of the Holy Spirit-^ when really what are they better^ than an heap of Noiifeiife in crampt Words ^ only glaz d over with the Samt'hke Varmfhes of a cajt-up Eye^ and a canting Tone ? What Prayers then I pray do belt adorn the Beauty of Holme fs ? Thofe^ which are jhuf- fed together by Chance^ or fuch as be refind and polip'd ? Who prays nioft believingly ^ he who d/gejteth what he praj^s for ? Or he who ut- ters his firjt Senfe and firfi Thoughts? Who prays with the fuUefi Jffurance to have his Prayers heard and crown- ed with Succefs ? He who weighs and ponders his Petitions ? Or he who Provd Void and Null. 143 who either by implicit Devotioji gives Jjjent to all that proceeds from the Mouth of a Gifted Brother • or elfe fufpends his Amen^ when he hears things inconfiltent with his Reafon^ or the Rule of Faith? Thus the Frayers of the Church moft certain- ly are the beft of all^ and tho' we may be allow'd in private a greater and more iinconfind Freedom of Ex- preffion^ or with our Families in fome particular Cafes 5 ( tho' there I think Forms^ generally fpeaking^ molt proper to be obferv'd ) yet for the Church of God^ I efteem Forms of Prayer^ and an EfiahUfh'd Litur- gy^ fo far from a fiint'ing of the Spi- rit (as fome Men would have it^ who know not what they mean^ or elle would not have other poor igno- rant Souls underlknd ) that nothing but wild Diforder and Cofifufion would arife among US;> if every one (who only fancies himfelf/i/^'ci^//^ for the Work ) was to be his own^ and the Congregatioii^ Frayer-maker^ iipoja 144 Ordmat'wn hy Meer Freshyters upon every return of Divine Worfhipy who knows not how to pray with the Spirit y and to pray with the Under- Jlanding alfoy i Cor. 14. 15. Confider then^ PjeudocheuSy whence our Di- vifions do proceed. Is it not a great pity^ that our Blefjed Saviours Body fliould be rejtt and torn upon fuch poor Pretences ? As^, Whether a Cloak be not more decent in the Worjhip of Gody than a Gown or a Surplice ? Whether it be not a greater Scandal to kneel at the Communion with a Papifiy than to Jit or /(?i3^;/ as does their Head the PopeF Whether fet Forms of Prayer compos'd to the Mind of Holy Scripture^ have not as fair a Claim unto the Spirit^ as any unpremeditated exteniporary Ef- fufions ? Whether the Liturgy ^ in which the People bear a Part (whence it is call'd the Cojnmon-Prayery be- ing performed in common by the Flock and Pajtor^ ) be not a Worjhip full as Edifying^ as that which may betray Men to the Surreption of wan- Provd Void and ISull 145 wandring Thoughts^ having no Of- fice to recal their roving Minds^ but what concludes ^ the laft Amen ? Whether it be a Super-errogathn of Devotion y to fet apart and confecrate fome particular Days to the Worjhip of God^ in which we may comme- morate what was heretofore tranf- acled^ the 7noft ilMJrious Triiwiphs of our Blefjed Saviour and his Holy ApojUes ? Whether the figning of In- fants with the Cro^s in Baptifm^ can make us more fuperftitiom than o- thers^ whofe Averfion looks;> as if they were afliam'd of the Crofs of Chrifi ? Whether the Religions Edu- cation of InfantS;> may not be pru- dently fecuf d^ by requiring Parents to provide Sponsors or Sureties^ ei- ther to rebuke their Negligence if themlelves fliould be flacky or fup- ply their Office ^ becaufe they are Mortal? Whether Confirmation^ the 'Laying on of the Hands ^ or the Ble fi- fing ofi the Bifhop^ upon the Cojifiefji- on of a Novice % Faith y be not an ad- L van- 146 Ordmat'iGU by Meer Presbyters vantas!;ioiis Expedient for the grotmd- hig of Youth in the Prhic'iples of the true Religion ? In fliort^ Whe- ther the Comnimikatmg with the Primitive Chr'ijiians in fuch Rites and Ceremonies^ as they daily pra- 6tis'dj before the See of Rome ufur- ped upon the Wejier?i Churchy can be a fymbolizing with the prefent Pa- pacy ? Or^ if you pleafe^ Whether the abufe of things themfelves moft Jigmjicaiity be a fufficient Reafon to rejedt their Uie ? Thefe^, and (uch as thefe^ Pfeudocheus^ are the Things which make weak Men fhun our Communion^ Hock into Conventicles ^ and divide into FaBions : Thefe were the Beginnings of that Breach^ which is now grown up into an o- pen and molt dreadful Schifpi : And is the Peace of the Church to meer a Cypher^, that Men are lefs tender of it^ than tenacious of their own Opi- nions ? But Scruples and Dif[entions will arife^ fo long as Men are fir'd from beioW;, and fo wretchedly de- luded Provd Void and Null. 147 luded and infatuated by the Prince of Darknefs. How fuccefsful has that evil Spirit been in fomenting our . Enmities and heightning our Ammo- fities ? Was it not he who caus'd the Schifm of Cor ah y Darhan and Abi- ram ? Did not he caufe the Separa- tion of the Euftachians ? Was it not he who kindled that Schifmatical Fire of the Donatijis ? Did not he blow it up into fuch difmal and ra- ging Flames y that they had almclt burnt and confunid the whole Churchy yea even turn'd it into Jfoes^ had not that Council in Jfrica been Af- fembl'd to ciuench and aUay its Fury ? And tell me^ I befeech you^ are not thele Embers afrefli revived ? If we refledl on thofe^ who at this very Day^ difturb the Peace of out Jeru- faleniy we fhall find them to be of the fame Dye and Complexion^ here- in only differing^ that thofe of this Age have fcrap'd the fhreds of all old and outworn Heterodoxies ^ to patch them up in a Scotch or Geneva Garb. L 2 Where- 148 OrdmaUonby Meer Presbyters Wherefore^, Ffeiuhcheus^ let every- one of us^ with bended Knees and lift up Hands^ intreat the Holy God^ that he would be pleas'd to pity the Vine^ that his own R^ght Hand hath planted^ that the Catholick Church may be fo guided and govern'd by his good Spirit^ that all who profefs and call tliemlelves Chr'nlians^ may be led into the way of Truth ^ and hold tlie' Faith in Unity of Spirit ^ m the Bond oi Peace ^ and in Righ- teoufnefs of Life. Pfeud. Indeed y PhilaletheS;, you have largely conjiderd moji of my Jrgwnents agahift Diocefan Epifco- pacy^ but Jome others there are that you have pafsd by^ without any man- ?ier of regard'^ Pray^ Sir^ let me knoiv what you mean by your fo doings nnd what alfo you have to fay to this very Argument among the reji ? If there fnujl be Diocefan Bifliops to prevent Schifm among the Presbyters^ then there muU be Archbifliops to prevent Schifm among the Biihops ^ and Provd Void and Null. \ 49 and then Patriarchs to govern Arclr bifbops ^ and lafily^ a Pope to ptx'' vent Schifm aniong the Patriarchs- And thtis hy your prcfound Reafon- htg^ the Papacy will he EftahUjh d 0- ver the whole Chriftian Worlds hy Vertiie of the fame NeceJJity which is pleaded for a Bifliop over his Dio- cefe. Fhih I have confiJerd^ Sir^ all j^our 'Doughty Arguments^ and have lufficiently difprov'd them • and as for the others (you fpeak of) that are omitted;, they are fo weak^ fo trifling and io illogical^ that they do not deferve any (erioiis Confutation ^ yet to oblige you a little in your Requeft^ be pleas'd to fee what John Calvhi faith to your laft Argument. You'll find it in the ift and ^h SeBz- ons of the /{th Chap* of his Injiitiifi- ons : His Words are thefe : ^^ As we have (hown there is a threefold Mimftry commended to us in Scripture ^ So whatever Minifiers ^^ the Ancient Church had;^ it diftin- L 3 ^"^guifti'd cc cc cc 150 Ordination hy Meer Presbyters ^^ guifli'd them into Three Orders^ ^^ Bijhops^ Presbyters and Deacons^ And §.4. '''^ That every Province ^^ had among their Bijhops^ one who ^^ was an Archb'ijhop^ and that in '^ the Council of 'Nice^ Patriarchs ^^ were appointed^ who in Order ^^ and Dignity might be Superior to Archbijhops ^ This was for Prefer- vation of Difcipline^ that if any- thing hapned in any Church which could not well be deter mind by- a few, it might be referred to a Pro- vincial Synody and if the Affair was of fuch Importance that it re- quir'd a greater Difciiflion;, Ap- plication was made to the Patri- ^^ arch with the Synods ^ from whom ^^ there was no Appeal^ but to a ^^ General Coimcir. And faith he a little farther in the fame SeBion^ '' We Ihall find that the Ancient Bi- ^^ fiops had no mind to frame any o- ^^ ther Form of Church Government^ ^^ than what was prefcrib'd by God ?^ in his Word. But cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc Provd Void and Null. 151 But, Sir, there are fome other fort of Arguments, which )'ou have fo peculiarly manag'd, that you feera to be alike Skilful in Logkk,^ as here- tofore I once obferv'd you in Natu- ral PbMop/jy, when I heard you fay. That our Cold Summers rocye cauid by th^ late Earthquake^, vohkh had removed the Earth 15 V)egrees towards the North-Pole. Pfeud. Tou may reprejent me as you pJeafe, hut methmks you might have had a greater RefpeB for the Ale- mory of our late Pious and Precious Friend Mr. Richard Baxter, than to charge fuch an Holy Man with the Guilt of fo many Crimes. What fay you to this^ Philalethes ? Ph'il. This I fay, Pfeudochem, that a great Part of the Venom you have difcharg'd upon the Church of Eng- landj you before imbib'd from Mr. Baxters virulent Principles. You lay. That the Schifms and Divifions f Tfew Earthquake ha f fetid in the Tear, 169 1- L 4 which 152 Ordination by Meer Presbyters xohich^ have Rent the Church of Chrift *, and Split it into fever al Parties, ovce their Original f for the moji Part J to the Impofitions of Dio- cefan Prelacy. Now this is all over Mr. Baxter. But if 5-011 had conful- ted the Hiftories of EccJefialiical Feuds and Tumults, or thofe Schifms occafion'd hj Novatus and the Dona- tijfs, you would have found it a ve- ry difficult Task to prove any lawful Bifhop to have been the Founder of any of thofe Schifms and Divifons which you fpeak of And it may be with fome fort of Reafon faid of you, what Mr. Herle (p\ a noted Presbyterian faid of Mr. Baxter, as vour own Mr. Bagfhaw reports ^ That it had been happy for the Chiirch of God, if Mr. Baxter'^- Friends had never fent him to School. Of which Opinion was Mr. Cawdry alfo, who was another of his own Ut.J.frs Letters, f.^i. (/>) Afr. Herle w/ Prolo- cutor to the Aflembly of Divines, and ReElm- of Wmmck in J-ancafliire >» r^^ 7/ w o/f^f Great Rebellion, Fra- Proved Void and Nidi. 15 '^ Fratermty- Then lee what Char a- cler Mr. Baxter is pleas'd to give of himfelf, in his Letter to Dr. H2IJ. I have heen^ laith he^ hi the Heat of my Zeal fo forward to Changes aiid Ways of Bloody that I fear God wdl not let me have a Hand in the peace- able Building of his Chiirch^ We com- monly fay^ Pfeiidocheiis^ De Mortii- is nil nifi hen^^ That we ought to fay nothing but well of the Dead ; Yet when Men have been notorioufy wick- ed m their Principles and PraSlices^ they fhould then be expos' d^ that o- thers may ahominate and deteU thcfe flagrant ViJlanies ^ that fuch have been guilty of, and of which ;> as 'tis very well known^, Mr. Baxter him- felf was not wholly innocent* Do but take this one Initance^^ as 'tis re- lated by Mr. Vernon^ in the Cloie of his Preface to Dr. Heylins Life. ^'^ Mr. Baxter ( fays he ) may be ^^ pleas'd to call to mind what was ^^ done to Old Major Jennings^ m ^' thelaftWar, in the Fight that was '' be-^ 154 Ordination by Meer Presbyters *^^ between Linfel and Longford m ^^ Salop ^ where the Kings Party ^^ being worlted^the Major w^as Itript ^^ ahiioft Naked^ and left for Dead "^^ in the Field : But Mr. Baxter and ^"^ one Lieutenant Hurdman w^alking ^'^ anions the w^ounded and dead Bo- cc dies^ perceiv'd lome Life left in the Major • and Hurdman run him thro' the Body in cold Bloody Mr. ^\ Baxter all the while looking on^, and taking off with his ow^n Hand the Kings Picture from about his Neck * telling him as he was fwim- ming in his Gore^that he was a Po- pijh Rogue^ and that w^as his Cruci- fix : which Pidure w^as kept by Mr. Baxter for many Years^ till it w^as got from him^ but not without much difficulty^ by one Mr. Sum- inerfield^ who then liv d with Sir Thomas Rous^ and generoufly re- llor d it to the poor Man now alive at Wiche near Parjhore in Worce- fterjhire^ altho' at the Fight liip- pos'd to be dead^ being after the '^ Wounds CC CQ CC CC CC CC u CC CC CC CC CC CC CC CQ Proud Void and Nidi i :>> ^^ Wounds given him^draggdiip and ^^ down the Field by the niercilefs *^^ Soldiers ^ Mr. Baxter approving or the Inhumanity^ hy feeding his Eyes with fo bloody and barbarous a Spectacle. For the Truth of cc cc cc ^^ which we have this Subfcriptkiu J Thomas Jennings fitbfcribe to the Truth of this Narrative above- 77ientiondy and have hereunto put my Hand and Seal the Second Day of March^ 1684.. Signd and SeaVd in the prefence of John Cleric^ Minifier ofWidi^^ Tho. Darke. Pfeud. Enough^ enough^ Philale- thes^ Let all his IinperfeEtions be hi- ried with him in his Grave ^ Earth to Earth, Jjhes to J foes, Dufi to DiisL Phil I knew you would not pro- ceed any farther according to the Forjji us'd in the Church of England. What^ have you not a Hope of your Friend's RefurretJion to Eternal Life ? It may be you have heard as much 156 OrdmaUon by Meer Presbyters much of Mr. Baxter as the Learned and Ingenious Mr. Long of Excejler has recorded of him in this Char a- Berijtkal Epitaph. Hicjacet RICHARDUS BAXTER, Theologus Armatus, Loiolita Reformatus, Haerefiarcha Amnvis, Schifmaticorum Antifignanus : C13JUS pruritus difputandi peperit, Scriptitandi Cacoethes nutrivit, Praedicandi zelus intemperatus maturavit, ECCLESIit SCABIEM: Quidiflentlt ab iis quibufcum confentitmaxime, Turn fibi cum aliis Nonconformis Pra^teritis, praefentibus, & futuris : Regum & Epiicoporum Juratus Hoftis, Ipfumq; Rebellium Solenne Fosdus: Qui natus erat per Septuaginta Annos, Et Odoginta Libros: Ad perturbandas Regni Refpublicas, Et ad bis perdendam Ecclefiam Anglicanam : Magnis tamen excidit Aufis, Deo Gratias. And fo much for your precious Mr. Baxter. Pieud. Provd Void and Null. 157 Pfeud. I a??i very glad you have done XQith Mr.Baxter^^/or Ibadalmoji forgotten^ xvhat I have jiift now re- colleEied. Pray tell me what you think of the French and Scotch Chur- ches ? V\Fas there not more Umon and Concordy andlefs Errors and Here- Jies among them^ before the Introdu- Bion of Prelacy than in any Prelati- cal Church in the World "^ ? And yet both thefe renouncd all Subordinati- on to Bifhops as to a Superior Office^ nor could ever acknowledge their Di- vine Right. Phil. How now ! Sir. Shall we never' have done with Mr. Baxter ? This you had from his Treatife of Epifcopacy \^ where he £iith^ '"^ The ^^ Church of Scotland is an Eminent ^^ Inftance^that Churches which have ^^ no Bijhops have incomparably lefs ^^ Herefie^ Schifm^ Wickednefs^^nd ^^ more Concord than we have". Now how contrary are thefe Thoughts to * Mr. 7. IV$ Lfttcrs^ />, 4 1 , ^Tr fatifi of Eptfcopacj^ p* I'p. 164. thofe 58 Ordmation by Meer Presbyters thofe of the molt Worthy Men of the Foreign Churches ^ who were no Oppojers^ but Jpprovers of Epif co- pal Order and Government for the prevention of Errors and Herejies^ as has been fiifficiently Ihew'd by many Principal Perfons among them? And even in the Synod of Dort^ when thofe fent from England aiTerted E- pifcopacy as Jpojtolkal^ there was not ( as they declar'd in their joint Atteftatwn J any one Perfon in that Synod who Ipake a Word againft it ^ and as Bp. Hall acquaints us^ The Prefident of the Symod faid"^^ Do?7ii- 7ie^ nan licet nobis efje tarn felkes : We may not be fuch happy Men (c/). And iirlt^ As for the French Chur- ches^ they Vv^ere feveral times in great Danger of being Rent in Pieces^ by the many Feuds and Diffentions^ which daily arole among them • had not the Great and the Good Du- FleJJls by his Learning and Prudence * Jqhannes Bogermannus Aftmfler of Lewarden. ('i) ^P' HallV Divine Right of Epifcop.icj^ pan, c, 4. very Provd Void and Null. 159' very frequently appeas'd their J712- jmjities, and put an End to their Controverjies. ^"^ But after his Death^ "^^ the Peace of thofe Churches was very much endanger'd by a New Controverjie about Unkerfal Re- demption ^ and the Nature of Ori- ginal Sin : and the DifJ'ention was not far from a Schifm. Canieron, '' tho' he had clear'd himfelf of all Sufpicion of Heterodoxy at his Promotion to the Profejj'orjhip of Saumur^ wasfo unfortunate after- ^^ wards to be fufpeded of Herejie : ^^ and his Pupils and Followers were ^^ not a little perplex'd. What had "^^ been approv'd by the Synod of " Dort:, ^s Orthodox Do^trifie in the Englijh Divines^ was now call'd into Queition in France -, and "^^ what was allow'd in Ca??iero?i ^^ while he was alive^ was Heretical ^"^ and pernicious after his Death "*". ^^ It is hardly to be itnagind (faith CQ CQ cc cc cc cc cc cc * A^s Amkntiq,t4€s^ fer Bkndd. ^^ my i6o Ordinathn hy Meer Presbyters my Author ) what great Conten- tion this little^ and to fome^ im- perceptible ID/fference did create ^ or how many Synods it imploy'd^ Jmyraldus^ DaUle'^ Blondel^ and feveral others were looFd upon ^"^ as little better than Heretkks • and ^^ their DoBrine about Original Sin Condemn'd m a National Synod at Charenton^ and an Abjuration of it required of all thole that were to enter into Holy Orders , and a ftridl InjimBion was laid on all Minifters^ upon Pain of all the Cenjures of the Churchy not to Preach any other wife of this Pointy than according to the Common O- pinion. And all this Stir^ as Blon- dely fp'^o.J deduces it^ wasrai- fed from little Private Quarrels between feme of the Profeffors ^ and from the Dif contents of the Univerjity o? Montaiiban^ that they "^^ of Samnur ihould be favour'd too ^^ much in the Diitribution of fuch ^^ Penfions as the Churches furnifh- '' ed cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc Provd Void and Null. i6i — — I , "^"^ ed for the Maintenance of their ^^ Un'iverJiUes ; and they thought ^^ themlelves wrong'd and nnderva- ^^ lu'd^ becaufe their Salaries were ^^ lefs : Thus we fee that leffer Mat- ^^ ters than a Btjhoprkk can fome- ^^ times difturb the Feace of the ^^ Church ; and that Presbyters^ as ^^ well as Bijhops^ can profecute their ^^ Private Quarrels to the hazard of ^^ the Puhlick Peace y and that there ^^ will be Errors^ Contentions^ and ^^ Aniniojities where there is no jE"/;/- ^^ fcopacy. And then 2dlv. The Concord of the Church of Scotland^ was much greater while it continu'd under .Si- /i^opj-^ than it has been fmce Andrew Mehil inflam'd it with the Geneva- Government and Difcipline. And be- caule you would perfwade us^ that there has been more Jjjiion and Coti- cord in this Scotch Anti-Epifcopal Churchy than in the Epif copal Church ofEnglaJid'j I will give you one In- ftance^ that you may fee how far this M. Way l6z Ordhiation by Meer Presbyters is from Yjlablijhing an Union and Concord'^ and that this Parity here pretended;^ is no other than a meer Pretence^ the Leading-Men againft Bijhops commonly affuming a great- er Authority^ and exercifmg it with greater JbJ'olutenefs^ and are more hnpatknt of being oppos'd and con- trad idled^ than am^ Bijhops who are legally Invefted with PovQcr. ^^ "^ There happen d a great Dm- ^^ Jion in -the Presbytery of St. ^;/- ^^ ^/r(?ipjVj about preferring a Minifter ^"^ to the Church of Luchars. There '^^ were two Pretenders^ and Melvil ^^ with a few more was for one^ and ^^ the Relt^ who were three times as *^^ many in Number^ were for the ^" other -^ MelviJ looking upon him- ^^ lelf as an JpoHle^ and difdaining ^^ to be over-rui'd by the Majority ""^ of the Presbytery^ left the Place^ ^^ and with his iix Presbyters that ^^ follow'd him^^ made another Synod * Spotfwood'j Hlfi. of Scotland. "by cc cc cc cc Provd Void and Null. 16:^ ^^ byhimfelf : and both thefe Pr-eshy- ^^ ters^Akt Anti-Popes ^iffiid. outtheir ^^ feveral Plealures. The Gentlemen ^^ of the Par'ifh upon this were divi- ded into FaBions ; fome holding with one^ and feme with the o- ther^ which occafion'd great Scan- dal : and the Heats grew to that ^^ Height;, that the Presbytery was ^^ fore d to be divided , one Part of ^^ it to fit at St. Andrews^ the other ^^ at CovQper ; the one under the In- ^^ fluence of MehU^ and the other ^^ under that of Thomas Buchanan ; ^^ fo hard it was for one Presbyter lal ^^ Diocefe to hold two Topping Pref- ^^ byters\ The Obfervation upon this in Spotfwood f p. 386. ) is very- remarkable. ^^ Thus was that great ^^ Strife pacify 'd^ wKich many held ^^ to be Ominous ^ and that the Go- ^^ vernment which in the Beginning ^^ did break forth into fuch Schifins^ ^^ could not long continue • for this ^^ every Man noted^ That of all Men ^^ none could worfe endure Parity^ M 2 '' and 164 OrdinaUonhy Meer Presbyters ^ and lov'd more to Command^ than ' the}^ who had introduc d it into the Church. This fort of Men did afterwards make not only a Fonnal Schijni^ and Inftirrettion agaihft thofe Bijhops plac d over them by Authorky^ but after that Epifco- pacy w^as Abolifb'd in Scotland^ could be as little at Peace among themfelves. They were in the firlt place divided about receiving the Kmg^ and the Conditions to be im- posed upon him ^ and in this they proceeded even to the Y^xcommiini- cation of one another. After his Mijjejty's Refiauratmi^ when Epi- fcopacy was Eftablifh'd again in the Church , the Presbyterians who feparated from the Communi- on of the Bijhops^ were divided yet among themfelves^^ forae ac- cepting the Kings Indulgence and Licence to Preachy others renoun- cing it as derogatory to the King- dom of Jefm Chrijt ^ and upon this they parted Communion : Nor cou'd '' thefe Frovd Void and NidL :i 6 5 cc cc cc cc thefe Rcfohite Renoiincci^s of In- dulgence agree ytt among them- ^"^ felves^ about the ineai'ure of their ^^ Contempt oi Authorky^ fomewere ^^ content to Conventicle^ and Preacli ^^ againlt the Kings Order ^ and car- ^^ ry their Contempt no farther, the ^^ others under Cameron were more ^^ fiercely zealous^ and thouglit them- felves oblig'd bv the Covenant to attempt the Depofing of the Kiiig.ns they manifefted (befides their le- veral Writings to that effect ) by ^^ two Formal Rebellions. Theie are ^^ the Fruits^ this the Peace^ Unity ^ ^"^ and Concord that Presbytery hath ^^ produc'd". And truly after all., to judge of things impartially^ with- out Prejudice or Paffion^ Fpifcopacy feems not only the moft Ancient^ but the moft Natural Government of the Church 5 and we may obfervc in the manifold Revolutions and Changes of the Church of Scotland^ and the dif- ferent Schemes of Government intro- duc'd in that Nation;, which vvcre M 3 found i66 Ord'maUon by, Meer Presbyters found vjole72t and bitrthenfome, fo that the People would not bear them long, their final and common Refuge was Epifcopacy, as the luitable and proper Gover?mieut thereby to reco- ver their Breath. Thus you lee^ Pfeudbcheus , that in the Fi^eJich and Scotch Churches there has not been that Umon and Concord^ whicli has been in our Ep;- fcopal Church of Engla?td, and tho' )'ou fay alio that there has been lefs Herefies Errors and in thofe Chur- ches than in any Prelatkal Church whaticever • yet I mult needs tell you, that there were never any Hereticks in the World, but what were likewife Ant2-Ep\fcopal; and at the lame time they began in Schtf?n, and be- came Enemies to Truth, they decla- red Wai againft the Bijhops ^who were the Guardians of it, and fo ended in Enthujiajjn and Madjiefs. Some of them wsre fuG: Presbyter mtis^uid when that Jj^Jpenfatwii was not Spi- ritual enough, thej^ then Improv'd into Provd Void and Null. 167 into Independents, and from thence turn'd into QuakeriJ'm. So that all the Extravagant Herejies among tis are but the Sp-awns of the/n? Schif?n, and the Conlequences of thofe Frm- c'lpJes o^ Separation, that draw them from the Communion of the Bijhop. Pfeud. Well, Sir, here are two more- Ouefihns for you, and then I have 'done. The firjl is, * Why do you not admit the French and Dutch Prote- ftant Minifters to the Cures of Souls in this Kingdom ( tho never Jo Lear- ned, and willing to comply with you in all other things ) without jiihmit- ting to Re-Ordination hy a Bifbop ; When at the fame time you admit a Popilh-Prieft, that turns Proteftant, without any New Ordination, hecauje^ he was Ordain'd by a Bifhop, altho a Popifli one ? Tou plainly hereby de- clare, what the Tendency of your Do- ctrine is. . , n Phil The XXIIId. Article of our Religion, an d the Statute La ws ot * Mr. 7. Ws Letters, f. 52. 1 M 4 ' *he i68 Ordination by Meer Presbyters tlie Realm will not permit any Fo- reign Frotefiant Mimfier to hkve a Oire of Souls in this Kingdom with- out Ep'if copal Ordmathn: But aPo- p2Jb Frieji that turns Protejtant, has no more need of Re-Ordinatwn, than Archbifliop Cranmer had of Re-Con- jecratkn^ after he had been Co?tfe- crated by three Pop'ijh Bifiops upon the ^ot/j. of Mard), 1533. in the 24?^. of Henry VIII. % who were Jobn LongJand, Lord Bifliop of L'm- cohi, John Voyfey, Lord Bifliop of Exeter, and He?iry Standifi, Lord Bifliop of St. Jfap/j. And the Rea- lon of this is very plain, becaufe the C/jurc/j of Rome is a ^rz/d- G3^/rc/^, fo far as it agrees with Triitb ; and tho' it is Idolatrous a.nd wonderfully cor- rupted in its PrincipJes, yet it's Ido- latries and Corruptions has no more Vn-ClmrcUd'Wi, than ^.^row's Idola- try Un-Pnejfed him, for he conti- imd_th ^}gb-Pr}eJ{ ftill. Here eve- *. JVf MafonV Confecmm of BiJhoPs in the Church of Ene- iMa, p,66. . _ TV Provd Void and Null. 169 ry Body may plainly fee the Ten- dency of your Learning and Jitdg- vient. Pfeud. This is more than 1 have heard before^ and therefore I Jhall 720t give you any farther trou- ble upon that Head^ but will now pro- ceed to my laji Quejtion. How do you know that you was lawfully Or- dain d ? ^ He that Ordain d you muft have been a Bifliop rightly Ordain'd by another Biihop •, ( if not Three ) and He by a Third f-^ and fo to the very Apoftles in an uninterrupted Succejjion of true Bifhops : Elfe you are no true Minifter. For the leaji Interruption or Failure in this Sue- cejfion does^ according to you^ caufe a meer Nullity. Then you must either Recant your odd Notion^ or be forcd ( if you would be Confident XQith your felf J to turn Seeker. Now teJlme:, if you can^ whether fuch a Succeffion as this be pojfible to be provd F * Mr. J, PV's Letters, /». 53, t Pl'eudocheus w^^^/ Three others. PbH. x/o Ordination by Meer Presbyters Phil. The Church of England has thole indubitable Records to prove the Confecrations and uninterrupted Succejfions of her Bijhops^ that any Clergyman finding out that Bijhop^ that j^ave him Orders^ may afcend in a jRi^Z'/' L;?/^ of BiJbopSy even to the Time of the Holy Apofiles. And the Truth of this is fo very obvious to any Perfon^, who has confulted our 'Ecclejiajiical Hiftories^ that I have no manner of Reafon to recant my Noti- ons in thefe Matters^ or to feek for any farther CharaEier of your Qua- lifications^ becaufe I am very well af- fur'd;, that your Ignorance in Church- Affairs does moft wretchedly betray you into many grofs and unaccoun- table Errors. ^ And now after all^ if you will per- mit your felf to weigh and confider the foregoing Tefiimonies and Argu- mejits^ which I have here produced for the miablijhmejtt and Confirmati- on of Diocefan Epifcopacy^ I do not perceive how you can deny it to have been cc cc cc cc cc Provd Void and Null. 171 been pradlis'd in the Jpofiolkal AgCy without deftroying the very Fahh of the Prhnitive Churchy without weak- ning that Te\\tmony on which we re- ceive the Canon of the Nexo Te^ anient in a Matter as Notorious ^ as that Ca- non it felE ^^ Not to mention the Tefiiniony of Ignatius ^ faith the very Judicious and Learned Mr- Dodwel frjy tho' truly I think they who queftion it^ ( fince the late excellent Defence of it perfor- ^^ med with as great Evidence as a ^^ Matter of that Antiquity f s J^ af- ^^ ter the mifcarriage of fo many ^^ Primitive Records ^ is capable of) ^"^ might as well have queftion'd fe- ^^ veral Books of the Neiv Tejiament ^^ it felf^ which notwithnanding ^^ they receive on leffer Evidence • I ^^ fay;> not to mention this^ What ^^ can they fay to the JngeJs in the "^^ Revelations ? What to the TtjlimO' ^^ ny of St. Irendius concerning St. ( r J See Mr, DodweU'/ Sefaratlon of Churches^ Sec, ch, 24. § viii, ^ ix. (s) In vindic, Jgmt, cont, DaUnm* " Poly- cc cc 172 Ordination hy Meer Presbyters Poly Carp ^ who feems to have been one of them^ whom he makes to have been Ordamd Bijhop of Smyrna by the Aperies themfelves ^^ ft J? What to the Tefiimony of Clemens Jleyandrhms who men- tions Bijhops among; other Offices of the Church fettled by St. John (u)? What to the Tefthnony of Hegefippus^ who makes the Kinf- cc cc cc cc cc ^"^ men of our Saviour to have been '' made Bijhops from Domitians CC cc time to that of Traja?/ ( x^ )? What to thofe who mention St. •' James to have been made B'ljhop '■' oijerufcilem by the JpojUes them- " felves ( X )? "What of the Sevejt PoJycrates mentions as Bijhops in his own See before himfelf^ the ^/ firft of which ieems, in all likeli- '^ hood^ to have begun in the Jpo- '' files times f y J >' Nay, what to (0 Iren. I. 3. adv. Hxref. & afud Euf. Hlfi. 4. 14. ( tt) Clem. Akxand. v; i 'sKia. !!u'(. afud Euf. Hift. 2 22* iy) Euf.Htft,s.2o/)j and their Presbyters, and to r^par jrc- from them, is m thole Epi- ^^ N 4 it^es 184 Ordination by Meer Fresbyters ftles charg'd with Schifm. And 'tis a known and approved Saying of Di- onyjius Alexandrimis, That to fuffer Aiartyrdom w^i» rS /m ^jcrai rather than to divide the Church by Schifm^ is not lefs glorious than to be a Mar- tyr for refufmg to offer Sacrifice un- to Idols ( h ). Tothefewemayadd St. Cyprian the worthy Bifhop of Carthage, who in his Fortieth Epi- Itle ad Populum Carthaginenfem de qumque Presbyteris Schtfmaticis^ ex- horts them to have no Communion with thofe who had divided them- felves from their Bijhops ; for he tells them in that Epiftle, That to he fine Epifcopis, without Bijhops, was to be extra EccJefiam, without the Church. And in his Book de Unita- te, he gives us this Notion oi Schifm, Contempt IS Epifcopu & dereliElis Dei Sacerdotibus conjtituere aliud Alt are, aut Conventicula diverfa cojijiituere] That it was Schifm t o contemn and il>)Euf. Bed Hifi. A 6, c. ^. ~ ' for- Provd Void and Null. 185 foriake the, Bipops J and Pnefts 'of God, and to fet up another Jltar, or to fettle diftind ComentkJes. In the very fame Book he alfo aflerts that the Sin of breaking the Church'^ Peace by Schifm, is in divers Refpedts more hainous than the Sin of thofe lapfed Chrijiiansy who in the time of Perfecution, yielded to ofter Sa- crifice to Idols. Becaufe the latter lamented his great Infirmity, and by his Repentance fought for Pardon from God, and Communion with his Church, his ftraits and dangers were the Caufes of his Cri7»6', and though he mifcarry'd himfelf, he did not al- lure and periwade others into the fame Tranfgrejfion, but might after- wards be honour d as a Martyr: Whereas the former was fwell'mg and pleafing himfelf in his Sin, did di- Iturb, oppofe and reje6t the Church, his Sin was of his own free and vo- luntary Choice, and he alfo beguil'd and e'nfnard others. And all this wasexprels'dby thefe twolaft menti- on'd i86 Ordination by Meer Presbyters on'd Writers, with peculiar reference to the Novatian Schifm, which then made a Breach in the Church's Uni- ty ^ about matters of Difcipline, with- out denying any Articles of the Faith. And then St. Cyprian pro- ceeds fo far as to declare, ^That if the Man who fbws Difcord in the Church ihould lay down his Life in the De- fence of the Name ofChriJi, the ftain of his Sin could not be.wip'd out (that is fo as to render him honour- ed in the Church) by the ftream of his Blood., but as he goes on, Inex- piabilis & gravis efi culpa difcordi<2, nee pajfione purgatur, That Martyr- dom it felf cannot expiate the Guilt of Schifm ( c ). I tremble to think "^vhat a dreadful Aggravation of the Condition of the V>amnedit is, that they are banijh'd from the Prefence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power. The lame is their Condi- tion alio who are difunited from Je- ic) Cyp.de Vttit.Ecclef. fus Froud Void and Null. 187 fus Chr'ijl by being difu7i'ited from •his vifible Reprefentative the Bifhop. They can have none of that Peace which paffeth all Underftanding^who are no Subje6ts of the Prince o\^ Peace ^ nor Members of his Kingdom. They can have no V'tfitations of the Hea- venly Spirit, who are divided from, that Body of which the Spirit is the Bond and Cement. And, which is the mo{t piercing and dreadful Refle- xion of all, this mi fer able Condition cuts them off from thofe future Ex- peStations, which are the only Sup- ports and Alleviations of good Men in this Life under their fevereji Suf- ferings. They then who are difwii- ted from Jefu^ Chrift in this World, have no Hopes of recovering an Union with him hereafter in the World to come. It is very certain, that in whatfoever Condition they iliall die, in that they mult abide to all FJerni- ty. And how difconfolate and de- plorable mult it I'eem to an)' &!//, that 1 88 Ordination by Meer Presbyters that it mult want the Comforts of Re- ligion here, and lofe the Hopes of enjoying them everlaftingly hereaf- ter ? Let all Perfons then have an e- fpecial Care^ that they do not in any wife attempt the ovei^turning and ab- rogating the Sacred Order of Epi- fcopacy^ which was Ysiablijh'd by Chriji in his Church • For 'tis no lefs than a Sacrilegious Robbing the Church of th^.t Minijiry^ which Chriji in his infinite Wtjdom thought necef- fary for her Edification and PerfeBi- on. You know what a dreadfid Curfe is pronouncd againft them^ who either add to^ or take away from the Injlitutions of Jefus Chnji^ Rev. 22. 1 8^ 19. I know 'tis pretended by fome^ that ( in the prefent State of the Church ) Diocefan Epifcopacy may be laid afide ^ and that the Church may be as well Govern d hy Presbyters^ and therefore it is need- lefs to keep up any DiJiinBion of Of- fices : But is not this to pretend to be wi' Provd Void and NjM. 189 "witer than Jejus Chrift ? Is not this to confound and jumble together the different Orders ' Inftituted by him ? Is not this to fet up a new Model different from what he not only YftahUjh'dy but alfo appointed to continue in his Church to the End of the World? Is not this to calhier Chrifi'i Frhne Officers and Represen- tatives, and the Church's Principal Guides? In fbort, Is not this to rend and tear from the Church the Pledges of our Saviours Care and Kindnefs which he beftow'd upon her^ when he Amended up into Hea- ven? And now in the Clofeofthis Difcourfe,! do heartily ad vife all thole Schifmaticks, who ftill wander from the Fold, and walk in bye and for- bidden Paths, that they would now return to the Shepherd and Bijhop of their Souls, and that they would confefs in the Words of our Church, That^ They have erred and strayed from Gods ways likeloji Sheep : And fince 190 Ord'maUon hy Meer Presbyters iince many of tliem have left the Vuhhck Prayers of the Churchy for the Private Conceptions of Men's Brains, they have great Reafon to favj That, They have followed too much the Devices and Dejires of their own Hearts. Beware then how you tarn your Backs upon thofe incomparable Prayers and Confejjions in our Liturgy, which are lo well adapted to the Wants and Neceffities of your Souls : But do you fet a Value upon that in- eWmiahle Treafury of Piety and Devotion; in the Ufe of which, you may be furnifh'd with all Di- vine Bleffings, necelTary for the Life that now is, and that which is to come. How happy then fliould I be, if I might prevail with you to be re- concil'd to our Moft Excellent Churchy and to frequent our Pub- hck JJJhnbUeSj where God is great- ly Reverencdj in our Approaches to ProvdVo'id and NuU. 191 tft Him^ with the humhle and de- cent Gejtures of our Bodies. O then may we all of us fo imite in one Fellow jbip and Communion here upon Ei^r/*^^ that we may be hereafter Tranllated into the ever- bleffed Society and Cormnumon of Saints in Heaven. FINIS. Books lately Printed for ^. Freeman^ againft the MlMle^ Temj^le-Gate^ Fleetjireet* ACompleat Hiltory of EnaUnd^ with the Lives of all the Kings and Queens thereof, from the Earlieft Account of Time, to the Death of his late Majcfty King William III. Written by Mr. John MiU ton^ S. Bartiel^ Elq*, ?. Hahington^ Efq-, Sir T. Moore^ G, Biid^ Efq; the Lords Bacon and Herbert^ Sir J. Hayward^ Bifhop Godwin^ W. Camden^ Efq^ J. WiL fon^ Efq*, and the Four laft Reigns by a Learned and Impartial Hand. ) Containing a Faithful Relati- on of all Affairs of State Ecclefiaftical and Civil. The whole llluftrated with large and ufeful Notes, taken from divers Manufcripts and other good Authors \ And the Effigies of the Kings and Queens from the Originals, Engraven by the befl: Mafters. In Three Vol. in FoVo, New Ohfervations on the Natural Hiftory of this World of Matter, and this World of Life. Being a Philofophical Difcourfe, grounded upon the Mofaick Syfiem of the Ceation and the F/o ■Ma ,^ ♦vJ^^