and Prefbyters are not Diftinct Orders and Offcers; yea, that Bishops Ordain as Prefbyters, and that if they were not Presbyters they cou'd not Ordain. Now thefe Doctrines are notoriously Popish; and you may Remember, the Divine Right of Epifcopacy was Vigorously oppofed by the Pope himself, and all his trufty Partizans, in the Days of the Council of Trent: So that, as I faid, if this is a good way of Reafoning, you are Socinian, Arminian, Independent, Eraftian and Popish too. But, in Truth, Sir, 3. Such Reafonings are at beft, but Scare-croms, unworthy of M. M. Bugbears that ferve for nothing but to Amufe the Ignorant and Unthinking Mob. I need not infift on this. The Author of the Vindication of the Principles of the Cyprianick Age, in his 9th Chapter, has fully fhewn the pitiful Weakness of fuch mean Artifices; And particularly, that true Epifcopal Principles are, as inuch as any, Everfive of and Inconfiftent with the Fundamental Interefts of Popery. And fo far, I adhere to him. 10. II. You fay, my Opinion is Novel (p. 17. 1. 23.) Is it fo, when 'twas fo Notorioufly the Doctrine of the Primitive Church? But 'tis Novel among Proteftants. Tho' it was fo, what if I fhould Afk, who allowed Proteftants to recede from the Principles of the Apoftolical and Primitive Churches? But, indeed, 'tis not fo. It has been the conftant Doctrine of the Church of England, ever fince her Reformation. Nothing Clearer than this is from her Twentieth and Third, Article, and the Best Commentary on it, Her conftant Practice. The Article runs thus. It is not Lawful for any Man to take upon him the Office of Publick Preaching or Miniftring the Sacraments, in the Congregation, before he be Lawfully Call'd and fent to execute the fame. And thofe we ought to judge lawfully Called and Sent, which be Chofen and Called to this Work by Men who bave publick Authority given unto them, in the Congregation, to Call and Send Minifters into the Lords Vineyard. I have likewife given it in Latin on the Margent. (d) Now, by her Conftant Practice fhe has Determin'd the Men who have Publick Authority to Call and Send Minifters to be the Bishops: For the has always Rejected Ordina tions Perform'd without Bifhops, Re-Ordaining fuch as had no Better. And nothing Plainer (all that you have faid, p. 19. 1. 10. Notwithstanding) (d) Non licet cui quum fumere fibi mudi aut Adminiftrandi Sacramenta in Eccle. fie, nifi prius fuerit ad obeunda hæc legitime Atque illos legitime Vocatos & Miffos exiftimare debemus, qui per Homines quibus Poteftas Vocandi Mi nus Publice Prædican Vocatus & Miffus. niftros, atque Mitten Public in Ecclefia, co-optati hoc opus. &c. than that 'twas in Purfiance of the juft now tranfcribed Article that, particularly, fo many were Re-Ordained Anno 1660, &c. 11. But, Jewel, Downham, Bilfen, Davenant, Prideaux, Ufber, Field, Fern, Mafon, &c. have afferted the Validity of Presbyterial Ordinations, (p. 17.) Yes, Sir, thefe, and many more, thought thought they might affert fo against the Papifts, because they found divers Popish Principles favourable to fuch Ordinations: And they were willing to do other Proteftant Churches all the Service they could. But then 'twas only in Cafes of Extreme Neceffity, they fuftained their Validity: As I think, I can fully prove if you shall require me to do it: In all other Cafes, they as keenly condemned them as other Folks. Now Sir, I doubt very much if ever that Cafe of Extreme Neceffity happened. This is certain, 'twas never your Cafe; as has been already told you. 12. But however, they afferted fo; and they were Eminently Learned Men; and Men of the Epifcopal Way; and I am not to be put in the Ballance with them, &c. (p. 18. 1. 27. &c.) What? Sir, does every Man who diffents from other Men, put himself in the Ballance with them? Then it feems, you put your felf in the Ballance, not only with the Men you have nam'd (for certainly you differ from them, at leaft, about Epifcopacy) but alfo with the whole Catholick Church, for, at leaft, the first five Centuries: For, during all that time, as I have proved, fhe was of One Mind, and you are of another. For my part, Sir, I was not fo Foolifh as to put my felf in the Ballance with fuch Eminent Perfons; Nay, I am not for putting my self in the Ballance with any Man: I am very fenfible of my own Weakneffes, and want of Weight. But I hope it was no Vanity to say that those you named (even after you have added ten ten times as many to them) may be found Light, when put in the Ballance with the whole Catholick Church, for so many Centuries as I have accounted for: Efpecially confidering that their Pofition was not fo very agreeable to the 23d Article of their own Church. 13. But I have mifreprefented that Article. Why? The Learned Bishop of Sarum has given a quite different Senfe of it, and called them Hot Spirits who have understood it as I do, &c. (p, 17, 18.) Sir, I'll tranforibe his whole Paragraph (which it feems you durft not do) and frankly tell you my Opinion of it. This is it word for word. "Finally, if a Company of Chriftians find the Publick Worthip where they live to be fo defiled, "that they cannot with a Good Confcience joyn in it, and if they do not know of any place to which they can conveniently go, where they may worship God purely, and in a regular way, If, I fay, fuch a Body finding fome that have been Ordained, tho to the lower Functions, fhould fubmit it felf intirely to their Conduct, or finding 'none of thofe, fhould by a common Con• fent defire fome of their own Number toMi 'nifter to them in Holy things, and fhould upon that Beginning grow up to a Regulat"ed Conftitution, tho' we are fure that this is quite out of all Rule, and could not be 'done without a very great Sin, unless the Neceffity was great and apparent; yet if *the Neceffity is Real and not Feigned, this 'is . f is not condemned nor annulled by the Article: For when this grows to a Conftitutution, and when it was done by the Confent of a Body who are fuppofed to have an Authority in fuch an Extraordinary Cafe, whatever fome HOTTER SPIRITS have thought of this fince that time, yet we are very fure, that not only thofe who 'Penn'd the Articles, but the Body of this Church for above half an Age after, did, notwithstanding thofe Irregularities, acknowledge the foreign Churches fo Confti. tuted to be True Churches as to the Effen'tials of a Church, tho' they had been at firft irregularly formed, and continued ftill to be an Imperfect State. And therefore the general Words in which this part of the • Article is framed, feem'd to have been defign'd on Purpofe not to Exclude them. Thus his Lordship: And with all the Deference to his Parts and Character that can be expected from One who takes Leave to diffent from him, I muft tell you, he has faid divers things, I cannot readily fubscribe to. 14. Particularly, 1. His [nitetly go to] feems to me to Savour too much of the World, and too little of the Crofs. Divine Inftitutions are brought very low when made to yield to Temporal Conveniences. 2. I cannot digeft his Allowing fuch a Body as he fuppofes to fet up to themselves for Priefts, thofe who have been Ordained only to Lower Functions. E. g. 'twas never heard in Antient Times, at leaft, that Deacons might, 1 Can conve in |