QUI, INVIRIVSQVE FORTVNA SEV DVRIS, SEV LVBRICIS
EODEM ANIMI TENORE VSVS;

NONDVM PAR ANIMO PERICVLVM INVENIT :
CUI, BONÆ, MALÆq; FAMÆ MEDIO PERGENTI,
NEC AB EA, QUAM FIXERAT ECCLESIA,
VERITATIS LINIA RECEDENTI VSPIAM,
(UTPOTE NEC HVJVS CONVITIIS TERRITO,
NEC ILLIVS ILLECEBRIS DELINITO ; )
UBIq; SVI SIMILI, UNDIq; Tleywives,

CESSIT TANDEM CALVMNIA,

་

NON VICTA SOLVM, SED ET TRIVMPHATA,
ET, QVANTVMVIS GARRVLA, OBMVTVIT:

GUILHELMUS SANCROFT,

PRESBYTER INDIGNVS,

PATERNITATI EJUS A SACRIS.

TIT. 1. 5.

Τότε χάριν κατέλιπόν σε ἐν Κρήτῃ, ἵνα τα λείποντα ἐπιδιορθώση, και καταςήσης · καὶ πόλιν πρεσβυτέρος, ως εγώ σοι διαταξάμω.

For this caufe left I thee in Creet, that thou shouldest fet in order the things, that are wanting, and ordain Elders in every City, as I had appointed thee.

Τ'

Marcion.l. S

(b) Vide

His Epifle is one of the three, not unfitly ftyled the Hierarchical Epifiles, de ftatu Ecclefiaftico compofita, as (a) Tertullian (a) Adv. fpeaks: being fo many Refcripts Apofto me. lical to Timothie, and Titus (the One defired by St. Pau! to ftay at Ephefus, Primate of Afia; the Other left S. Hieron. in Creet, Metropolitan of that, and (b) the neighbour in Catalog Ilands;) directing them, (c) how they ought to behave Script. Ecthemselves in the House of God,which is the Church of the (c) 1 Tim. living God. True, and genuine Decretal Epiftles; not (d) Vide D. like that counterfeit Ware, which (d) Ifidore Merca- Blondelli tor, under venerable Names, hath had the Hardiness to Pfeudo-Ifiobtrude upon the World; but of the right ftamp, and (e) De Doct. alloy; and fuch, as St. Auguftine faith, (e) a Bishop Chriftian.

B

clef

iii. 15.

dor.

ought 44. cap. 16.

25:

ought always to carry in his Hand, and to have before his Eyes.

The Verfe, I have read to you, following immediately upon the Salutation, begins the body of the Epiftle it felf; and, like an ingenious, and will contriv'd Perspective, gives. us, from the very Front, a fair Profpect into the Contents of the whole. It is, as it were, a kind of Magical Glass; in which an Eye, not blind with Ignorance, nor blear'd with Paffion, may fee diftinctly the face of the Primitive Church,in that Golden Age of the Apoftles; the Platform of her Government; the beautifull Order of her Hierarchie; the Original, and Derivation of her chief Officers, and their fubordination both to one another, and to (ƒ)1 Pet.ii. Christ, (f) the great Bishop of our Souls, in the last Refort; together with the Manage, and Direction of the most important Acts of the Government, both in point of Ordination, and Jurisdiction too. For here we have Пgo Burgus, Elders, that is Bifhops (as fhall be fhewed in due time) difpos'd of City by City in every City One: thefe Bishops both ordained, and ordered; conftituted, and corrected; created, and governed by Titus alone; and fo He, in right of the (g)Vide Re- Premifes, no other, than (g) Metropolitan, or ArchArmachan. Bishop there; the Angel, or the Arch-Angel rather of de Orig.Me- the whole Church of Creet. If you ask, who fix'd Him tropolis. the Intelligence of fo large an Orbe; 'twas St. Paul himself, (You have that too in the Text) For this Caufe left I thee in Creet. If yet higher, your Curiofity will needs fee the Derivation of St. Paul's Power too; He opens his Commiffion, verfe 1. and fpreads it before You, ftyling himself a Servant of God, and an A

verendifis.

pag. 71,72.

poftle

xviii. 12.

minum in

Επεσήρικτο

poftle of Jefus Chrift, One fent abroad into the World
by His Commiffion, acted, and affifted by His Spirit,
to plant, and to govern Churches after this Scheme,
and Model. So that my Text, like (h) Homer's Sym (h) II. .
bolical Chain, confifts, you fee, of many Links; but
the Higheft is tyed to the foot of Jupiter's Throne: or
rather, like Jacob's myfterious Ladder, the Foot of
it ftands below in Bethel, the House of God, (i) (i) Gen.
'H 3' x«pan» cis ☀ segòr, the Head of it is in Heaven, Verfio. Lxx.
and God himself stands at the top of it, and (1) leans (1) 16. v. 13.
upon it, and keeps it firm; Angels afcending, and de- Vulg.Et Do-
fcending upon it in the intermedial degrees; the Bi- nixum fcalæ.
fhops of the Church, like thofe bleffed miniftring Lxx,
Spirits, inceffantly bringing down the Commands of s
God to the Church in their Doctrine, and carrying up
the Prayers of the Church before God's Throne, in
their holy Offices, and Interceffions. So that, you fee,
this holy (m) Oyl, which without measure was fhed upon (m) Pfal.
the Head of our great High Prieft, (n) (all Power being cxxxiii. 2.
(n) Matth.
given to Him, both in Heaven, and Earth;) runs down in xxviii. 18.
full ftream upon the Beard, (for, (0) As my Father fent (0) Joh. xx.
me, faith he to his Difciples, even fo fend I you;) and fo
by, and through them to their Succeffours, holy Bi-
hops, and Presbyters, even down to the skirts of his
Garment: For in this comely, and exquifite Order,
we find it in my Text, For this Caufe 1(Paul an A-
poftle of Fefus Chrift, left thee (Titus) in Creet,that thou
Shouldeft fet in order (ot, correct) the things, that are
wanting, and ordain Elders in every City,as I had ap
pointed thee.

In which words we have these three Parts.
First, The Erection of a Power in the Person of

21.

Titus; a Metropolitical Power over the whole Inland of Creet: I left thee in Creet.

Secondly, The end of this Inftitution, or the Ufe; and Exercife of this Power, in a double Instance, Amdogter, ný nadisával, to Order, and to Ordain; to Cor rect, and Conftitute; to make Bishops, and to govern (p)Theophyl. them; (P) Kelors, & xgorovin, as the Greek Scholia in Hypoth. have it: For this cause---that thou shouldest set in order what was wanting, and ordain Elders in every City.

Thirdly, The Limitation of All to Apoftolical Prefcript, and Direction; both Ordination, and Jurifdiction too, the whole Office must be managed, “As ézá 001 detažáulu, As I had appointed thee. These are

the Parts.

Of which that I may fo fpeak, and you fo hear, and all of us fo remember, and fo practice, that God's holy Name may be glorified, and we all built up in the knowledge of that Truth, which is according unto Godliness; We befeech God the Father, in the Name of his Son Jefus Chrift, to give us the affiftance of his Holy Spirit.

And in thefe, and all other our Supplications, let us always remember to pray for Chrift's holy Catholick Church, i.e. for the whole Congregation of Chriftian people,difperfed thorough the whole World; That it would please Almighty God to purge out of it all Schifm, Errour, and Herefie, and to unite all Chriftians in one holy bond of Faith, and Charity; that fo at length the happy Day may dawn upon. us, in which all that do confefs his Holy Name, may agree in the truth of his holy Word, and live in Unity, and godly Love. More especially let us pray for the Churches of England,Scotland, and Ireland: that the God of Peace, who

maketh