unto others, overresbyters Neither is it, of any force to fay our higher Order of Officers are now called Bishops, not Apofles, for 1. They have been called Atles long, and long afterthe death of the twelve molto puitengo yato vip eft thig t. They own and maintain themselves to be the Apestes, BAM ceffore Letovsh flow ads to 29.107 1910 di They do the Apostler works, and in virtue of then commifT fiona ni * Thee are 4 They may as well he called Bishops as St. Peter could call moft evidert the Apatalają a Bispupnick,, A&t. 1. 26. For it is written in the book, truths, that the of the plains, let his babitation, be defolate, and his Bilpaprick let Apoftles were other take the word Bishoprickor,irmatan, Beza renders EBishop's over thofe Presby Afcopatum, and faith, bed willingly retain the term, because ters they or the Apostle treats of an ecclefiaftical Office, and that indeed the Apcdained, as policial. Beides me thinks the holy Ghoft in calling the Apifto well as over lasca Biepriek, confequently the Apostles Bishops, in that place the Churches they planted, whichistes poly mit St. Cyprians confequence, as hath and that go Theem before Exeve) and Breslagers, compresbyters, Deacons, vernment but other place gems to hint, that fo long as the offices be ing neccffaty for the Chus diltin and each Officer limited to his proper work; Arigid and ches welbeing perpetual diftinction of the names of thofe Officers, is not abfo when multi- lunely, neceflary And furthermore to improve this promi plied, and fo- cuous ufage of names to confound the orders of minifters, muit ciated, muft uno įdably fink the Apalohase, intothe Presbyterate, or Piaconate, alfo neceffarily defcend whenapaputtle is called Presbuenama Desequ Lafiti sev apen, dead from the Apoftles to others, ter the example efihat perterity and power they had above others, which could not end with their perions, fince the life and end of thar government ftill continue a ca. 17.ch of the differences betwist the King and two Houses. Epifcopatum: Nos vocabulum in libenter vinkimus quia de ecclcfiafticos do co qui dem Apoftolico munere lic agit Bez, demo 152 boszo notimpul suo vaillent doidw A Lovato si sosyal.. Their Arg. Battis time to come to their fecond Argument drawn from from St. Fe the authority of St. Jerome and his followers, which we delive of his fellow may be reconeiled to the Churches uninterrupted practice, beers briefly fore, andnißt, Jeremes Wine, Spin Augufton, St Jromen equal in confidered time, au in many other things much his fuperiour, call Sti and referred Jonker oplies as I gachell by Aerius, proprium dogma, ar 4 farz Apoffles, and seven And when it fall he proved in the Auguftin. de det concerningi Apostles, to which the full profecution of this Heref en 53. Work belongso nisig shot in 19 rome and fome Genen & 15590 Fun ThatTalk Exportowy, Proteflant, and Pontifician, reject; more fingularities in St. Jerome, then in any other Tocefiaftical writer of unfufpected credit, and of like antiquion; you men qui? 2. That all his antients, Clemens, Ignatius,and Irdness, Terterlian, Cyprian,&c. All his equals and contemporaries, Atbunnfien,ElafeliRuffinus Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory Nyfa Baftigiatarkenfis, Hilarius Pictavenfis, Ambrefus, Epiphanine, Auguftinng! @phatis, Chryfoftomus, Cyrillus Hierofolymitanus, Salvianus year and Stɔɔ A & Jerome hinfelf did elsewhere profefs, and maintain the contrary opinion. gola obr 3. That lie was a Presbyter, and in actual Schifm against his q own Patriark John of Jerufalem, whom he most paffionately, and oirulently reviles and reproachethonto retain oft has no 4. That while they continued at variance his brother Plinyanus being to be ordained Presbyter, he did not open the pack of Aerianifme, and set up for himself, but against the Canons, all due order, and Scripture warrant, he fetcheth another BiThop (Epiphanius) to Allotribepiferpize, Bishop it in his Patriarks Diocefs.1021 20. on ensor (1919 dayko me 4. That afterwards (the Sea of this contention yet flowing betwixt them) he fayls to Rome, and is the firft Champion of all the Antienes in defence of the Bishop of Romes ufurped poweb to tolerate, and indemnifie Rebels against their own Bifhops. And shab bormo sono da stoltur 6. That while he was at Rome, Pope Syricius and his Clergy, were equally diftafted at his paffion, and intemperance as his own Patriark Euffinus, and others had before been, they after a fort expulfing him the City. We fall leave it to all sober men to pafs Judgment, of what Mihi videtur, Force St. Jeromes angry lines are in this matter whether his nout pace tanti tion may not as well be termed a fingularity in hing as in Aerius. viri dicam, And whether it be not defervedly cenfured by the lear- nec Scripture ned Efibius, As neither agreeable to Scripture,nor antient History, Sacre,ec antiquitatis hiftoObj. Do any fay the diftinction betwixt ordinary, and extra- ria confentaordinary Officers, was entertained in the Church long before neum. Efth. Calvin's, Beza, or Zanchyes dayes. edstavi vi cong but obla ad Tit. 1.5. Panfwer; This will no whit advantage, much less exeufe them, for fince it is neither fiably by Scripture, nor by the writings of the mcft Antient fathers, who unanimoufly affigne fucceffors unto the Apoftles, diftinct from, and fuperiour unto Presbyters, and thereby make all Orders inftituted by Chrift crdinary, and continuing; True Reformers fhould have rejected the diftinctions, not make a farther, and wosfe ufe of it X 2 than far the moft fed. shan the Pope did before them, for the fpecial fervice of whofe Supremacy,together with an officious attendance upon the Sacrifice of Mafs, I beleeve it was, if not at firft coined, yet at leaft paffed for currant in the Church. This might fuffice in anfwer to the firft Objection, but leaft Spider thould fuck poyfon out of this free difcuffion of A confide- the errors of Calvin, Beza, &c. And fay I defign to lay their ration how honour in the duft, to prue contempt upon all their labours, eminent men and to caft a longer fhadow by travailing in the afternoon of may be oppo- their declining eminencies, because they were godly, and learned men of a different Judgment, I add for my own vindication, and the fatisfaction of moderate men, that I do honour. (fo far as fallible humanity can expect) their paws, abilities, and pains in many of their undertakings They were all learned, and Judicious perfons, men as able to ferve truth, and in many things doing her as eminent and useful fervice, as almost any - other whom the entertains. Her challenge to them (whereof am only the bearer) concerns not the reprobation of their parts and perfons, but the rectification of their errours Neither are they the first famous mea who have been mistaken in Church matters. This they freely marked in their Predeceffors, this if they give occafion, their Succeffors must observe in them, otherwife truth once buried under à noted mans ant -thority, can never expect a resurrection, on alacam There is a twofold Rock, against which moft ill ballasted, and worse fteered Judgments, bulge, and fhipwrack; either they will beleeve nothing from any man, let the divine Majesty "print never so fair characters ofits wifdome, and of irrefragable -reafon upon whip expreffions, they will beleeve every thing from fome men! The former lifts up a ruin-threatning head -more vifibly, the latter though covered under water, is equally, if not more dangerous, because it is not fo eafily difcerned, or avoided. That imbrutisheth all men; this all but our own Faction Truth, fayls in a middle channel, and anchors the fteddy Judgment in a fafe harbor, even to beleeve what is rati. onal, though fpoken by a fool, or an enemy; to reject the contrary, though pronounced by the wifeft, and moft friendly. Were this ingenuity entertained among Chriftians (in matters of opinion and private determination) we fhould not with fuch fruirless, and unanswered words, and wifhes, call back the Primitige love and caadom into our focieties, and in the mean time bire, and devour one another Bit where truth is party there there is no nutrality; In this cafe our Saviour faith, he that is, not with me is against maTis noturbanity, to our it end, but treachery to truth, to applaud him to her prejudice, and it is hardly utterable what mifchiefs,and inconveniences fhe receives, when her prefumed defenders excur into a juftification in grofs, of thofe, who in fome things complying with their opinions, are in others contrary to her; he is most glorious in her own) nakedness, our paffions and our prafes, equally diguife, and difhonour her: When I have obferved fome eminent mien vainly prefacing what they beleeved to be, and really was truth; with their unwillingness to diffent from others oftheir own rank and reputation, it hath fufpended my Judgment in an aquilibrious doubtfulness, whether they thought, to bear out, truth, or be born out by her; Truth (as Chrift) may be be trayed with a kiss and complement; and this is a degree of treafon, whereunto the grofleft rudenels cannot afcend. Reverend, and eloquent Dr. de Moulin did not advance the French Church, or her Presbyterian Government, in his Apologetical letters to Bishop Andrews, nor did the Church of England, receive a little prejudice by the Encomiafticks, which fome of her learned men, and obedient fons,made upon the Genevian Dif cipline. Divine inftitutions if widened, or straightned by our conceffions or denyals will loofe their authority, and be accounted the res Jults of prudence and conveniency, by judicious and cunning men. If we will be giving, let us part with our own, not Gods right; let us not confound our inventions with his inftitutions, to mingle both together is the ready way to make neither oblige the confcience. Witnefs Eraftianifme, and Socinianifmé. "Tis a Jus divinum we muft ftick to, if we will prove our Miniftry to be Gods Ordinance unto our people, or have them own it as fuch; wherein if we waver in our Epiftles, or Treatifes unto ftrangers (in what language fo ever they are written) how eafi-ly comes it, and how many are there to bring it to their notice, and when they know it, and object it against us, with what words can we excufe our felves, or defend our Order? The : Church is not now as of old, confined within two Nations or Profeflions, viz. Jewish and Samaritane, for befides feveral Churches under reformed Epifcopal, or Presbyterial Government; there are many of a third fort, whofe Minifters pretend -confidently,and conitantly their Divine Right. But if we (be our ends what they can he) are indifferent in our Affertions, and hang it in fufper.ce, whether we, or others, or both of us (when 1 X 3 the : the world is fenfible of our contrary conftitutions) be Governments by Divine right: uninterreffed perfons will fettle there, where there is moft confidence, and leaft difpute tolerated. I know the world is too bankrupt in civility, too flow in making just payment of thofe obfervances, due from all men unto the worthy advancers of truth; my intent is not to forth their Charter of Protection, but to caution the friends of truth, not to fetter her freedom by their complements. We may honour men, fo hath God ordained; Render bamour to whom honour is due, Rom. 13.7. Thats the Kings. Hold fuch in reputation. Philem. 2. 29. thats the Minifters. In hon ur preferring one another,Rom. 13. 7. That's one Chriftians duty to ano ther. But we muft diftinguifh what honour we give to men, and when we give or take it; what honour, leaft what we give to men be ftollen from Chrift, and our refpects (as Gideons armies bounty to him) prove a fare to them. Judg. 8.25, 26, 27, 28. Tis Chrifts peculiar honour to be, and be efteemed infallible, to be indifputably ered red uponhis own word } wife, or gobd nien, will neither take, nor give this honour to themselves, or others, for humanity must be laid afide, or taken into an indiffolable union with the deity,ere man can beinfallible The best of men have, and will acknowledge they have errors. St. James the Apoftle, and a Pen-man of Holy Writ, who might have pleaded infallibility, if any meer man may do it, ch the contrary faith; Jam. 3. 1, 2. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation, for in many things we offend all; If any man offend not in word he is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body, the laft words (or If any man fend not) run Hypothetically, but do not contain a grant that fome men are impeccant, for that the foregoing claufe,or in many things we offend all,contradicts. Rather they enforce the proportion of all mens fallibility,and imply,if fo much perfection is required in bridling the tongue, of which notwithftanding he faith, ver. 8. the tongue can no mantame, it is an unruly evil full of deadly poyfen; then how much more perfection is requifite, for the unerring regulation of the thoughts and actions. And will the beft of men, even Apoftles acknowledg they have errours? what is it for others to deny it,but to charge them with want of charity unto, or Judgment of themselves, and to prefime we know them bettter then they know themfelves. We admire the ftupidity of Heathens, in worshipping of flocks, ftones, and dumb creatures, which they knew were no |