1 Novelty and Faction, and left an open door to Rome her felf to reform, if fhe lifted. Her Judgement about extraordinary Minifters, the delivers thus: It is not lawful for any man to take Articles of the upon him the Office of publick preaching, or miniftring the Sacraments Church of En- in the congregation, before he be lawfully called, and fent to execute gland, Art.23. the same; and thofe we ought to judge to be lawfully called and fent, which be chofen and called to this work by men, who bave publick authority given them in the congregation, to call and fend Minifters intothe Lords vineyard. Thus the Article. And for the Orders of her Minifters, the judged it unfafe to invent a new frame, because of corruption in the Romish Hierarchy, but veiwing the primitive conftitution of Apostles and Elders, how comely doth fhe frame her felf by Bishops and Priests, (not Sacrificers, but the contraction of Presbyters) both diftinctly named in her Book of Articles, whereunto all her Minifters were fworn, and those who were confcientious of their Oaths, ftrenuously defended both against Rome and Geneva. The diftinguifhing Rails betwixt which two Orders, the vifibly placed in a folemn and peremptory confinement of either Officer within the exercise of different official Actions. of her It cannot be denied, but in the Crisis of her late, and in some measure yet-continuing Agony, fhe was hardly able to put forth her power according to her principles, which rafh judging illwillers imputed to the crazedness of her firft frame, not to the multitude of ill humours, then drawing to a confiftencie, and Leading in the Diftemper under which the yet labours; yea even at that time fo out-ragiously violent upon her, that if any more obedient Sons durft affert the Divine Right of her higher Order of Officers, he was inftantly clamoured against for a Novelift, because Faction had over-perfwaded her open-ear'd party, that it was grounded upon an A&t of Parliament, not Chrifts Inftitution. A cavil begotten by want of will, or skill, to diftinguish betwixt what was meerly, what mixtly Ecclefiaftical in their Jurifdiction, or what they held under King CHRIST, what under King CHARLES. But let's obferve while fhe was yet in vigour, (when the onely true Judgement can be made of her) how the muzzles the Mouth of that Cavil, and ftrikes through the Loyns of that Objection. In that famous conference at Hampton Court, upon King James bis entrance upon the Government of the Realm of England, Bishop Bancroft protefted before the King, the moft honourable Perfonages, and the. greatest Oppofers of Ecclefiaftical Government by Bishops, in the. Court. Form of Or dination. the Kingdom, That unless be could prove his ordination lawful out Conference at of Scripture, he would not be a Bishop four hours longer. This fpo- Hamptonken upon this occafion, in fuch a place, and before fuch a prefence, cannot be turned off as one Doctors opinion. But this is not all we have to fay in this matter: The whole Church of Eng- Preface to the land profeffeth, That it is evident to all, men diligently reading the Book of the Scripture, and ancient Authors, that from the Apoftles time there bave been thefe Orders of Minifters in Chrifts Church, Bishops, Priefts and Deacons. And in the ordination of Bishops, fhe hath these words, in the exhortation of the people to pray for the Elect, viz. Brethren it is written in the Gospel of S. Luke, that our Saviour Christ continued the whole night in prayer, or ever he did chufe and fend forth his twelve Apostles. That the Disciples which were at Antioch did faft and pray, or ever they laid hands upon, or fent forth Paul and Barnabas. Let us therefore following the exam-· ple of our Saviour Chrift, and his Apostles, first fall to pray, or that we admit and fend forth this perfon prefented unto us, unto the work whereunto we trust the holy Ghoft hath called him. In the prayer fhe faith, That it may pleafe thee to bless this our Brother elected, and to fend thy grace upon him, that he may duely execute the office whereunto be is called, to the edifying of thy Church, and to the honour, praife and glory of thy name. And furthermore, fhe adds, Almighty God, Giver of all good things, which by thy holy Spirit baft appointed diverfe Orders of Ministers in thy Church, mercifully bebold this thy fervant, now called to the work and ministry of a BiShop. Nor did the content her felf with faying fo, for when fome Sheep marked by forraign Shepherds, (or Presbyters ordained by Presbyters) defired the Communion of her Fold, at the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, the fhore off their out-landish Mark, and caused them to receive hers, ere she admitted them. This Smedtymnuus acknowledgeth: they fay, SmeЯym. p.5. When fome of our Brethren who flying in Queen Mary's days, had received impofition of hands beyond the Seas, returned again in Queen Elizabeth's days, they were urged again to receive impofition of hands from our Bishops, and fome of them did receive it. This they urge as a horrid and unpardonable crime in Epifcopacie, at a time when. every charge was adjudged a convicted crime, and no Writ of Errour or Defence might be admitted or argued. But may they now be pleased to hear, 1. That Ordination was never committed to Presbyters in the Apostles days; and that for them to take more now, then was then allowed them, is to reform primitive Inftitutions, by prefent practices. 2. That Y 3 cramen tum 2. That their great Patron S. Jerom appropriates Ordination to Epifcopacy, as an Act differencing it from Presbytery: And whereas they tell us, Bishops and Presbyters are all one Order, Epifcopacie being onely a Degree of the fame Order, above Presbytery; we must answer them, That this mud is raked out of the standing -pits of the Schoolmen, and hath no colour Ordinatur on- but their wrong Definition of Ecclefiaftical Order, namely, That nis ordo ad fa- the fupremity thereof is the administration of the Eucharist; whereas Euchariftia this was a work commonly done both by Apostles and Presbyters, Tho. Aquin. in the primitive time, confequently the affixing of a parity of OrDditad 3. per fum. &der to all of its Adminiftrators, muft neceffarily remove all for40. Art. 5. mall difference betwixt the first Apoftles and Presbyters, when yet Scripture is in nothing more exact then the maintenance of fuch diverfity; it frequently affigning diftinct official works unto the Apoftles, as Ordination cf Minifters, exercise of Cenfure, &c. Besides the fame Schoolmen, when they give Order its proper Definition, are neceffitated to ackowledge that EpifcopaEpifcopatus cie is an Order diftinct from Presbytery: they fay, Epifcopacie is non eft ordo,ni- not an Order, unleß in this refpect, that order is a certain Office (fafi fecundum And moreover, Order culty or power) to do fome facred actions. quod, ordo of- may be confidered in another fenfe, in which refpect it is a certain dam eft ad fa- Office Relative to fome facred actions; and fo fince the Bishop bath cras actiones. power in fome Hierarchick actions above a Presbyter, respecting the Tho Aquin. 3. Bady mystical fo far forth Epifcopacie will be an Order. With this agrees the grand Definition Order, framed by the Father of the Schoolmen, or the Master of the Sentences, which is, Order Alio modo po- a certain Ecclefiaftical Signature, by which spiritual power is given teft confidera- to the ordained, But the Epifcopal Confecration capacitates for ri ordo fecun- feveral Church-works, as Ordination, Confirmation, &c. which dum quem eft officium quod none without it can do; therefore thofe acts do as really diffedam respectu rence the Bifhop from a Presbyter, as adminiftration of the Saquarundam a- craments, or giving of Abfolution differenceth a Presbyter from &tionum facra- a Deacon. In the fame place the fame perfon faith, This differum, & fic rence betwixt a Bishop and a Presbyter was always marked out by its cum Epifcopus inftitution to be of Divine Right in the Church; for Christ ordainftatem in alti ficium quod par fummæ quæft. 40. Art. habeat pote onibus Hierarchicis respectu corporis myftici fupra Sacerdotem Epifcopatus erit ordo. Id. ibid. ad primum. Ordo eft fignaculum quoddam Ecclefia per quod Spiritualis poteftas traditur ordinato. Lomb. lib. 4. fentent, dift. 24. Atqui difcrimen boc Epifcopi, & Presbyteri, Divino Jure, per Chrifti inflitutionem femper fuit in Ecclefia defignatum. Id ibid. his Apoftles Bishops, as S. Auguftine in his Questions upon the old and new Teftament, takes for most affured, whereas Presbyters onely Jupply the places of the feventy two Difciples, as Pope Anacletus teacheth. I cite the words of my Author, but let no man boggle at them, for Popery was not what is now, when Anacletus was Bifhop of Rome, and inftances fhall not be wanting in the tract of Apoftles, that this was not Anaclet us his fingle opinion: Learned Doctor Davenant late Bishop of Salisbury, after a brief view of the Schoolmens opinions, faith, It fufficeth us, (ibis skirmish- Nobis fufficit ing of words being difmiffed) to fhew that those who appropriately (hac verboare called Bishops, have a higher Dignity, a greater Power, and more rum velitatione Sepofita eminent offices annexed to them, then have other Presbyters; and that on fi oftendamus, not oppofed by the word of God; but we have faid too little in affirm- eos, qui approing that it is not oppofed by the word of God; for 'tis eafie to demon- priate vocanftrate that this eminencie of Bishops above Presbyters is adumbrated, tur,Epifcopos delineated, and established by the Apofiles in the word of God. In habere dignithe fame determination a confulter of the place may obferve poteftatem mahow he proves this Affertion by Analogie from the Jewish jorem & emiChurch, and pofitively by the inftitution and practice of Chrift nentiora officia and his Apoftles. And furthermore he adds; That there are three fibi annexa, proper Ornaments of Bishops, whereby they are easily diftinguished quam habent alii Presbytefrom other Presbyters, and may be acknowledged to be fuperiour un-ri idque verba to them, Viz. tatem altorem Dei minime. repugnante. Sed parum eft quod dicimus non repugnante, nam in verbo divino adumbratam delineatam, & ab Apoftolis ipfis conftabilitam fuille banc Epifcoporum, fupra Presbyteros eminentiam, facile eft demonftrare. Dav. deter. quæft. quand Theol. q. 42. Tria autem funt infignia Epifcoporum propria, quibus facile a cateris Presbyteris diftinguantur ceterifque fuperiores agnofcantur. Firft, When many Prefbyters were created in large and populous x. Quod in cicities, the Apostles ordained onely one Bishop, upon whofe decease another fingly fucceeded. vitatibus quantumvis amplis & po pulofis in quibus plures Presbyteri creabantur, unicum tantum Epifcopum ordinarunt Apofloli cui decedenti, alius fingulariter in eadem fede fuccedebat. Secondly, Right and power of Ordination, tranfmitted by the A-2. Jus & po poftles unto Bishops, and denied unto inferiour Presbyters. Apoftolis ad Epifcopos tranfmifla, Presbyteris autem inferioribus Thirdly, Power of Juridiction, whereby both Clergy and were fubjected by Apoftolical Institution unto Bishops. teft.us ordinandi que ab denegata eft. Laity 3. Furifdicti onis poteftas. Non modo fu pra Laicos, fed fupra Clericos, etiam Apoftolica inftitutione Epifcopis fubje&tos. Id ibid. I readily ὅτι κόλλυθος poßes To ex fecunda Apologia Athan. pag. 570. ex melin. I readily acknowledge this learned man doth not call Epifcopacy an Order (for what reafons he himself knew best.) But whether to lay; Bishops appropriately fo called, have an higher dignity, a greater power, and more eminent Officers annexed to them by Chrifts inftitution, and Apoftolick practice: All which he afterwards.particularly enumerates (as hath been already hinted) do not import and imply as much, as if he had called them a diftin&t Order I leave to judicious men to determine, fince the effentials of Order, or fuperiority over inferiours, and right power of doing diftinct Office-works, is thereby a lowed unto Bifhops. But to proceed. Thirdly, That the Church of England in this annulling of Presbyterian Ordination, as fhe kept close to her own conftituofficina Con- tion, fo followed the fairest Copy of leaft queftioned Antiquity; when Aerianifme (or modern Presbyterianime call it which you will, for 'tis one Tragedy acted by feveral perfons, upon divers Stages) firft fprouted in the arrogant practice of Collythus, who being a Presbyter and no more, and prefuming to ordain Presbyters, the Patriarchal Synod gathered out of Egypt, Thebais, Lybia, and Pentapolis, and and affembled at Alexandria, declare all his Ordinations null, all ordained by him to be reduced among the Laity for this only reason, or be caufe Collythus died a Presbyter; nay more, the fecond Council of Spain upon relation of a certain Bishop (then dead) who by Relatum eft reafon of a pain in his eyes (in his life time) did only lay on hands nobis de qui- in the ordination of one Presbyter and two Deacons, fuffering a bare bufdam clericis quorum Presbyter to give the blessing unto them against ecclefiaftical order. dum unus ad They decreed, if the Bishop had been alive, he ought to be accused, ·Presbyterium and condemned for this boldness, and that the Presbyter and Deaduo ad vita cons fo ordained, should loose the degree of the Priesthood, and Deaconum facraren- Ship, which they had perverfely obtained. rum ministeri tur. Epifco pus oculorum dolore detentus, manum fuam fuper eos tantum impofuiffe, Presbyter quidam ili contra ecclefiafticum ordinem benedictionem dediffe, qui licet propter tantum audaci am poterat accufatus damnari, tamen quia jam ille examini divino reliftus humano judicio accufari non poteft, hi qui fuperfunt gradum facerdotii, vel Levitici ordinis, quem perverfe adepti funt, amittant. Concil. fecund. Hifpalen. can. 5. ex fum Concil. edit. per CaranKam Rothomag. 1633. Thus warranted our Church of England acted at home to maintain her conftitution, and to give her teftimony against the contrary; and was fhe afraid, or afhamed to do it abroad? no, but fending feveral of her renowned Sons to affift in the Sinod of |