twenty Lines he says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that does any thing without the Bishop the Presbyter and Deacon has not a pure conscience In that to the Magnesians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I admonish you to do all things in love the Bishop presiding in the place of God the Presbyters in the place of the Colledge of the Apostles and the Deacons most dearly bebeloved of me as those who are trusted with the Ministry of Jesus Christ. In that to the Philadelphians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hearken to the Bishop the Pâ—esbytery and the Deacons And again in the same Epistle he adds that it is necessary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To ordain there a Deacon to perform the Embassie of God One would think this a competent instance of our Authors intolerable insolence without any regard of truth or ingenuity to dictate to the World and pretend to correct learned men But this is not all it is manifest he never read this very Period whose Translation he pretends to mend For so Ignatius goes on there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So in like manner let all reverence the Deacon as Jesus Christ and also the Bishop as the Son of the Father and the Presbyters as God's Senat and band of the Apostles without these the Church is not call'd But we have not done yet Behold a piece of ignorance and impudence more inexcusable than the former Poor Petaviâ—s is taken to task for calling St. Laurence a Deacon which many hundreds before him had very innocently done and generally all that ever heard of his Grediron or his Martyrdom or indeed the occasion of it are of his mind but it is our Authors priviledge to be ignorant of what every body else is informed of Now in the present misadventure he attempts a greater Mastery goes beyond and surpasses himself For in that very place of St. Ambrose which he cites the direct contrary of what he goes about to prove is in terminiâ— asserted For that speech of St. Laurence which he recapitulates and says That it plainly shews St. Laurence was a Priest not a bare Deacon tells us that he was a Deacon The words are Lib. 1. Offic. cap. 41. Quo progrederis sine filio Pater Quò Sacerdos sancte sine Diacono tuâ— properas c. O my Father speaking to his Bishop going to Martyrdom whither go you without your Son O holy Priest whither hasten you without your Deacon Had it not been better for our Author to have said St. Laurence was an Arch-deacon to credit the matter or a Deacon Cardinal than thus run counter to the words he alledged Unless a man owed himself a shame and was in dread he should never make honest payment and therefore on purpose spoke what he knew most absurd mere chance could never fall out so unluckily that he should not in a whole Book make one true recital of an Author or matter of Fact as he has done Yet after all this as if he had come off with mighty credit he closes his Chapter with a quod erat demonstrandum So I leave says he the Deacons to their proper Office of serving of Tables not finding in Scripture any thing more belonging to them Our Author having thus taken away we will expect the next Course where it is to be hoped we shall be better served and that at last the Banquet will make amends for the very ill Fare we have hitherto had To the Chapter of Church-Government OUr Author has a dexterity of talking extravagantly of several weighty subjects and this he calls handling them which being beyond his strength he heaves them to as much purpose as if they were Timber and thinks he has acquitted himself to admiration Having therefore handled the former points that is talkt beyond all aim and measure Foolishly Now he says he comes to the Authority of Bishops to Govern as well as to Ordain And truly if they are to do one as they are on his principle to do the other their Authority is likely to signifie but little being shared by every the meanest Priest But the out-cry is that the Power of the Keys is left to Chancellors Lay-men who have no more capacity to Sentence or Absolve a sinner then to dissolve the Heaven and the Earth and make a new Heaven and an Earth And thus the good man runs on like an Horse with an empty Cart exceedingly pleased with the ratling of the Wheels and gingling of the Bells but he never considers that all the proceedings of Chancellors in the Bishops Court are in consequence of the Canons of the Church which are the Decrees of Bishops Authoritatively met together which have defined such and such Doctrines Heretical such and such actions punishable with Suspension Sequestration or Deprivation and the like Now all that the Chancellor has to do is to examine the matter of Fact take the allegations and proofs and apply the Sanction of the Law to them But where that extends to the use of the Keys that is reserved to them who by Christs Institution are trusted therewith And if Dr. Duck did do an ill thing the fault lies at his door and t is well if in this profligate age a single instance can only be pitcht upon We have blessed be God a great happiness in the protection of our Municipal Laws none in the World being a firmer Bulwark of the Princes Rights and Peoples Liberties but should every clamorous Person be hearkned to who complains of the exorbitance of a Judg when if the matter be truly examined probably the ground of the dislike is that he did his duty we should soon tear out one anothers Throâ—ts and every mans hand would be against his Brother We know the worst of our present Constitution and desire not the hazards of a change To the Chapter of Confirmation THis Chapter begins with a liberal Confession that Confirmation or some such thing is necessary but t is a little odd that in a matter which approaches to the being necessary a loose succedaneum of some such thing should be sufficient Our Author like a true Empiric in all cases strives to bring in aliquid Nostri his preparation of the Medicin will render it Soveraign but the old known and received Forms must by no means be taken Having then made up a narrative of matter of Fact jumbling as his way is true and false together his first objection against Confirmation as it now stands is That it is not possible for a Bishop of so large a Diocess as some of ours are some extended Three or Fourscore Miles many Forty or Fifty Personally to Confirm half the Youth in a Diocess if he duly examine each one as is fit and necessary We see how this is performed in their Triennial Visitations Having put in a Caveat in behalf of the present Constitution and minded my Author again of his promise to the Lords and Commons that there was not a word in his Book against the known
were from Heaven and stand upon that Scripture Basis of As my Father sent me so send I you by vertue whereof the Bishops during the first ten Persecutions governed their Flocks in despight of all Secular opposition and retaining part of their administration to themselves disposed of some to Priests and Deacons which is as notorious in fact as any thing in the world The Bishops may do tolerably well with this new word Commission instead of the old of Order Especially since in the close it is confest by our Author that in this order the Apostles left the Church at their death and in this order their Successors continued it as in duty sure they ought from time to time near 1500 years without any interruption wherefore for any to alter this way of Government or to take upon them to ordain not being chosen this way to it they would be guilty of great rashness and high presumption Nor will it be in my Authors power to kick all this down again as he endeavours in the following period by making the orders given by Priests though irregular yet firm and valid for if this power be from Heaven and separate from all Secular Authority as to its Nature and Original though limited by it in its Exercise and Application no man upon any pretence can take this honour to himself or confer it on others but they who were called of God as was Aaron But let us see how well our Author confutes the distinction of Order between Bishops and Priests T is ridiculous says he that the Priesthood which is capable to do the greatest things to Consecrate the Souls of men by Baptism and the Lords Supper yet forsooth cannot Consecrate Oil and Cups I desire to know whether a Deacon cannot Consecrate the Souls of men by Baptism and the Preaching of the Gospel or if they can whether they are of the same Order with Priests Or whether a Judg who has power of Awarding Life or Death which is the greatest thing may also make a Knight which is a less and if therefore a Judg and a King be of the same Order This word ridiculous is very unlucky and commonly returns on him who is most busie with it But since we are faln upon the instance of a King for farther illustration of this matter let us consider the Monarchs of the East who permitted the whole Administration of their Affairs to their Favorites as we read of Pharaoh that he pulled his Ring off his hand and said to Ioseph without thee no man shall lift up his hand or foot in all the Land of Egypt and according to thy word shall all my People be Ruled but for all this Pharaoh and this his Minister of State were not of the same Order for in the Throne he was greater then he Though the King had stript himself of the whole Execution of his Power and put it into the hand of his Favorite yet so long as the Origination of it continued with him he was as absolute and the other as subject as ever T is true the Bishops power is in itself Subordinate and Ministerial he must not Lord it over the Inheritance of God but as to the dispensing of it to the inferior Orders the Parallel will hold they all Act in Subordination and dependence upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Ignatius No Priest or Deacon for several Centuries ever did it without particular leave given by the Bishop nay the Lector or Reader did not so much as Read the Gospel till first he had brought the Book to the Bishop and had his permission to go to the Ambo or Reading Puâ— with it and though the Licence with us be not noâ— every day renewed yet the dependence is still owned in thâ— very Form of our Ordination where the Bishop says to the person Ordained take thou Authority to Read the Gospel in the Church of God and Preach the same when thou art thereunto Licenced by the Bishop himselâ— But a farther Argument is taken from the promiscuous use of the name of Bishop and Presbyter to prove they are of the same Order which sure is one of seeblest ways of proving any thing the whole force of it amounts to this St. Peter and St. Iohn call themselves Presbyters but were also Bishops therefore Presbyters and Bishops are all one which is as much as to say that his Majâ—sty is King of Great Britain and Knight of the Garter therefore to be King of Great Britain and Knight of the Garter is all one Nay St. Paul stiles himself a Deacon as well as an Apostle therefore to be a Deacon and an Apostle is all one but if our Author be not satisfied with this let him Read the Thirteenth Chapter of the most Learned Bishop of Chester's Vindiciae Ignatiâ— and he will see how accurate the first Christian Writers were in distinguishing the three Orders of Bishop Deacon and Priest We will go on and attend him in his Talent of Book Learning wherein he has been hitherto so unfortunate and see how in his following expedition he mends the matter And here he tells us that Aerius whom by the way he constantly calls Arius was not a Heretick upon the account of his introducing a parity between Bishops and Priests but only for being an Arian That is Epiphanius made a List not of several Heresies but a Catalogue of several Arians and the 69. Heresie being assigned to Arius it passes the Muster again in the 75. Heresie under the auspice of Aâ—rius It is agreed on all hands that discontent made Aerius a Heretick for that Eustathius whom he thought a worse man then himself was preferred before him and being in power though formerly his particular Friend considered him no farther then to make him Master of an Alms-house We are then to believe that out of discontent Aerius turned Arian but as ill luck would have it Eustathius was of that Sect and if he had a mind to quarrel with him nothing could have been so proper as to have turned Orthodox in spight It is manifest he was originally an Arian and the prime part of his Heresie was what his malice naturally dictated and all Writers agree it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He entertained a mad opinion beyond what a man would receive saying What is a Bishop better than a Priest There is no difference between thâ—m there is but one order the same honour and dignity Since our Authors Greek reading fares no better let us go on to consider his Latine and there is no missing St. Ieroms Epistle to Evagrius which is so clear in the point that without more ado it converted our Author who it seems was once an Episcopal man into that errant Presbyterian that now he is Withal it makes him wonder and if the Reader understand Latine he will wonder to see men have the confidence to quote any thing out of it for the distinction between Episcopacy and
a few Complements sprinkled upon Discipline and Order labours to disparage the present Constitution and levels those who are concerned for their duty and obedience with the wild Rabble of Sectaries and Fanaticks I shall without more words dismiss the Inquest and go on to what follows To the Chapter of Preaching THe Chapter concerning Preaching is a most unreasonable reproach of the Church of England After that the Uniform Vote of all our Neighbours has given us the preference in this particular the Ministers of the Reformed Churches Germans Hollanders Danes Swedes French and Switzers learning our Language generally to take benefit of our Sermons and many travelling hither for that end our Author led to it by his excellent good nature labours to shew his Talent in depreciating what strangers so must esteem There was a time when Nicity of Division and the flowers of a Polyanthea were somewhat in fashion but those days are long since done a practical sober way of pressing Christian duty is generally taken up which has as little of the Quid or the Quale or the Quantum as our Author seems to have in his head or has discovered in his Writings His project for Preachers is as extravagant as his Character of our Sermons They must be grave elderly men not raw Novices from the Vniversity with all their Sciences and Languages but rather â—ober persons of Age and Experience having a good natural capacity c. that never saw the Vniversity and knew no other Language than their Mother Tongue That is they must be experienced Farmers illuminated Coblers or gifted Weavers and these no doubt as they did twenty years since would bring about a thorough Reformation These would redeem the Church from that great contempt the Aristotelists Scotists Aquinatists with their knacks of quiddities and qualities Syllogisms and Enthymems Distinctions and Subsumtions and the handsome School-boy exercise of the very good Preachers of the Age have brought upon it He goes on to tell us That his heart bleeds to think how many thousand poor souls there are in this Land that have no more knowledge of God than Heathens c. It is truly a lamentable thing that where the Gospel has been so long and so hâ—ppily planted any should be ignorant of it Would to God all the Lords People were Prophets but in the mean time let us not be so ungrateful as not to own with all due acceptation and thankfulness that our People generally speaking are better instructed in all the parts of Saving Knowledge than any Nation in the World And we may say it with perfect truth and therefore without vanity that they have also the most learned and sufficient Clergy Men that understand the Athanasian Creed much better than our Author who in his first Chapter has done what his little knowledge and violent passion could effect toward the undermining of it The truth is I cannot but wonder how it is possible for a man that did not design to put scorn upon Religion to offer such mad and unaccountable Proposals and the while talk demurely and in Scripture Phrase as if he would be thought to be in earnest To the Chapter concerning Bishops and Priests THe long Chapter of Bishops and Priests is of the same strein with the former it cries Hail Master to Episcopacy acknowledges the Apostolical Antiquity and Dignity thereof and then fairly goes about to betray it Whether Presbytery or Erastianism or Atheism be at the botton of the design it is not easie to divine That which is obviously apparent is that one thred of ignorance runs through the whole discourse neither what Petavius means nor what the Character of Priesthood is nor what the practice of thâ— Châ—rch wâ—s iâ— at â—ll understood bâ—t a long blunder is â—ade about A. B. C as if there weâ—e no other Characterâ— in the world besides those of the Alphabet or as if the matter were as uninâ—elligible as the great mystery he talks of Which is to be known only in a Metaphysicâ—l wâ—y of abstraction that the superiour Species contains thâ— inferiour Genus Indeed the nature of a Genus or a Species which is no more than every School-boy understands who has learnt so much of his Grammar as to know what a Noun Appellative is requires not much niceness of Metaphysicks but the superiour Species and inferiour Genus are terms of Art that the dull Logicians of the University stand amazed at Aristoâ—le said of a man that he was Arbor inversa but our Author has here turned upside-down Porphyrâ—es Tree and by it turned a Man into a Horse for so he goes on in his learned Metaphysick Lecture A man a rationâ—l Creâ—tâ—re contains the Animâ—lâ—ty of an Hoâ—se the inferiour Creaâ—ure But doth not contain a real Horsâ— in his belly nor can a man bâ—get horsâ—s or men when he pleases Nor can you truly say a man is a horse I believe my School meâ— would take it in snuff should I affirm â—ny of them to be horseâ— Here having mended the matter and reformed a horse from being an inferiour Genus to a man and made him an inferiouâ— Creature he says that he contains the Animality of a Horse Upon which Hypothesis whether he will be as ill natured as the Schoolmen and take it in snuff I know not but I am sure that I can irrefragably prove him to be a Horse And the thin Sophism which every Fresh-man learns to solve within a Week after he comes to the University will be against him an unanswerable demonstration Which to try his patience I propose to â—im in common form thus He that says my Author is a living Creature says true hâ— that says he is a Horâ—â— says that he is a living Crâ—aâ—â—re therefore he who says he is a Horse says true There is no denying the Syllogism and saying it has four terms That though indeterminate animality be enunciated of the Species yet that which is determined by the contrary diffeâ—ence may noâ— Thaâ—â— is the Aniâ—ality of a Bâ—ute câ—â— belong only to an irrational animal as that of a man to a rational for our Author has precluded himself from that answer by saying expresly that a man a rational Creature contains the animality of a Horse the inferiour or irrational Creature And now if my Author be not a mere animal let the World judge and this comes of despising Logick Let us now see whether his Divinity be better than his Philosophy After this hog-shearing where we have had so loud a cry and no wool we will if we can pick out a little sense The thing he aims at proving is that Bishops are not superiour in Order to Priests a thing by the way directly contrary to the Liturgy of the Church and thereby the Law of the Land but yet they are superiour in Commission and by vertue of that can govern exercise the power of the Keys and ordain Priests and Deacons which Priests ordinarily speaking may not Well if this Commission
Presbytery Well I have read over the Epistle and as our Author says wonder but it is at his great confidence to say that there is nothing to be met with in it to found a distinction between Episcopacy and Presbytery when as he expresly reserves the power of Ordination peculiarly to the Bishops which is the point chiefly contested between the Assertors of Episcopacy and Patrons of Presbyterian parity As to the second desire that the Reader should observe the various fate of St. Jerom and Aerius that the one is reviled as an Heretick the other passes for a Saint I will satisfie my Author in that particular and shew him a plain reason for it Aerius set himself against the Apostolical Government by Bishops dogmatized and separated himself from the Church St. Ierom always obeyed his Governours and remained in Communion with them upon other occasions exprest his opinion in behalf of their Authority And here only in a private Epistle to a Friend and that a very short one being scandalized at an unseasonable opinion which pretended Deacons to be equal in dignity to Priests as it is usual in such cases he depresses what he can the Order of Deacons and exalts to his utmost that of Priests in the mean time does not so much as attempt to prove any thing more than barely saying Quid aliud facit Episcopus excepta Ordinatione quod non facit Presbyter What does a Bishop more than a Presbyter besides Ordaining And then reckoning up several actions common to both Our kind-hearted Author hereupon tells us that this presently converted him nay as if this good nature of his were as meritorious as grace he thereupon assures himself that great is his reward in heaven Our man of learning with his accustomed dexterity and confidence runs down the business of Colluthus his Ordination of Priests and pities poor Bishop Hall for going about to prove from thence that Presbyters were not capable to Ordain How slightly soever our Author thinks of the matter Socrates in the first Book of his History puts it under the blackest Character 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He privately adventured on an action worthy of many deaths who having never been ordained a Priest did those things which belonged to the Function of a Priest This you are to know was said of Ischryas who had as good Orders as Colluthus a Priest could give him but yet antecedently to the Decree of the Council of Alexandria is declared never to have been ordained a Priest Let up now see why the old man was so much to be pitied because he had quite forgot that the famous Council of Nice consisting of above three hundred Bishops had made a Canon wherein they declare that if any Bishop should Ordain any of the Clergy belonging to another Bishops Diocess without consent and leave had of that Bishop to whose Diocess they did belong their Ordination should be null You see the irregular Ordination of a Bishop is as null as the irregular Ordination of a Presbyter Therefore the irregular Bishop and the irregular Presbyter are of the same Order of the same Authority neither able to Ordain Our Author according to his usual Sagacity knows no difference betwixt an Act that is null and void in it self and an Act voided by Law There is no question but Bishops and Priests and Deacons for their Crimes may be degraded and deposed but that is not the same thing with the never having been Bishops Priests or Deacons The Council of Alexandria declared the Ordinations of Colluthus to have been void ab initio that of Nice voids those that are irregular Surely these are very different matters That the invalidity of the Ordination in the later case was of this kind that is made invalid by way of Penalty and Sentence we may learn from the thirty fifth Apostolick Canon by which both Zonaras and Balsamon interpret this of Nice who decree that in case of ordaining in anothers Diocess the Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both he be deposed and they who were ordained by him And truly if they were to be deposed it is plain the Orders were in themselves valid and it is unquestionable that the Ordaining Bishops were so which is not to be said and can never be proved of a mere Presbyters And therefore the Triumph which is added here of dashing out the indelible Character or that the Line of a Diocess is a Conjurers Circle might very fairly have been laid aside And I appeal to the Reader and more than hope he will see how no proofs are brought for this Identity and parity of Order no Scripture no Primitive Council no general consent of Primitive Doctors and Fathers that he is perfectly out in every thing he avers and therefore for his poor judgment he may do well to keep it to himself and probably his Judgment is so poor because he himself is rich He in likelihood has imployed his time in Secular Concerns which had it been spent in Study would have rescued him from such gross misadventures as he at every turn incurrs But though the matter stand thus plain befâ—re us yet â—ince our Author has had the confidence to cite the Council of Nice in proof of the nullity of irregular Orders to shew with greater evidence his perpetual ignorance and mistake I will throw in for vantage the proceeding of this very Council in the Case of Meletius who had usurpt upon the rights of Peter Patriarch of Alexandria in the point here contested of Ordaining within his Diocess the words of Theodoret are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He invaded the Ordinations belonging to the other Now the Council decreed herein that Meletius should be suspended from the future exercise of his function and retain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bare name of a Bishop but do no Act of his Function either in the City or Villages but the Orders conferred by him were as to their intrinsick validity ratified and acknowledged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those already Ordained should Communicate and Officiate but come after the Clergy of each Church and Parish 'T is to be wondered at how this man who seems to have always lived in a hollow Tree came to have heard by chance that there was once such a thing in the World as the Council of Nice To the Chapter of Deacons OUr Author is resolved on all occasions to shew that he thinks himself wiser then both the Church and State and therefore in defiance unto both he attempts to prove that Deaconship is not Holy Orders and to bring about so gâ—nâ—rous a dâ—sign he makes nothing of stâ—â—ining a point with the Scripture since t is so unkind as to stand in his way It so happen'd that Petavius discoursing of Deacons had said what the Contents of our English Bibles and Commentators generally agreâ— in that Pâ—ilip the Deacon Preacht did Miracles and Baptiz'd and Converted the City of Samariâ— and that the History describ'd Act. 8. belongs to
him Now our Author is better advis'd and assures us that this more probably was Philip the Apostle St. Luke 't is true tells us that upon the Persecution against Stephen several of the Brethren went through all the Regions of Iudea and Samaria except the Apostles 't is says our Author a gross mistake the Apostles are not to be excepted but Philip the Apostle and not the Deacon went about these Regions Having thus happily entred himself into the Lists he goes on and tells us that the first we shall find of Deacons Officiating in Spiritual matters is in Iustin Martyr A modest man would thing that to be competent Antiquity but it seems to him that though in Greece it was then receiv'd it was not so in Africâ— for Terttullian says that the Christians received the Sacrament only from the hand of the President or Bishop that is what I said even now out of Ignatius that neither this nor any other sacred Office was to be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the knowledg or consent of the Bishop Which thing our Author himself hereafter confesses And sure when the Bishop Consecrated both Elements and with his own hand delivered the Bread immediatly to every Communicant and gave the Cup to the Deacon to distribute after him 't will be a great truth to say that the Eucharist was only received from the hands of the Bishop But 't is a fatal thing to be haunted by ill luck what will become of our Authors Profound Learning if it should appear that the Deacon did distribute the Cup in Africa St. Cyprian will I hope be taken for a competent Witness in the Case who says in his Book de Lapsis Vbi solennibus adimpletis calicem Diaconus offerre praesentibus coepit When the other solemnities were performed and the Deacon distributed the Cup to them who were present Nay if St. Cyprian be to be believed he utterly confounds all our Authors pretensions at once saying that Diaconis non dâ—fuit sacerdotalis vigor there was not wanting to the Deacons sacerdotal power Ep. 13. allowing them somewhat of Priestly jurisdiction and in the twelfth Epistle giving them power to release from the Censures of the Church In articulo mortis si Presbyter repertus noâ— fuerit urgere exitus coeperit apud Diaconum quoque exomologesin facere delicti sui possint ut manu ejus in poenitentia imposita veniant ad Dominum cum pace If a Priest be not to be foâ—nd and death draw on they may make their Exomologesis or Confession before the Deacon that hands being laid on them as Penitents they may go to the Lord in peace Our Author proceeds and according to his wont shews his Learning backward and quoting an Epistle of St. Ignatius ad Tralli Trallianos I presume he means finds and often laments that learned men go on in a Track one after another and some through inadvertency some through partiality take many passages of ancient Authors quite different from their meaning One would now expect some eminent discovery The fault in short is this that our Authors good Friend Vedelius Bishop Vsher Doctor Vossius Coâ—ellerius and as many others as have put forth Ignatius â—ave gone on in a Track and falsly translated these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Deacons being Ministers of Jesus Christ are to be honoured for they are not the Ministers of meats and drinks but of the Church and Servants of God to run thus and to concern Deacons when as indeed the words are meant of Priests Whosoever first translated this Epistle of Ignatius says our Author sure this fancy of Deacons ran much in his head otherwise he could never have found them here for it is evident the word Diaconus in this place relates to the Presbytery newly before mentioned c. Well we hear what you say but for all this are convinced you are infinitely mistaken And are sure that Doctor Isaac Vossius whatever became of other learned men did not go in a Track nor by inadvertency nor prejudice his Education if he could have been seduced leading him the other way but considered the place very particularly and adhering to the Translation which you despise concludes Miror Antiochum qui sermone 124. haec Ignatii citâ—t itâ— illa mutasse ut id quod de Diaconis hic dicitur Presbyteris attribuat modo apud illum locus sit integer nec aliqua exciderint verba I wonder Antiochus who in his 124. Sermon quotes these words should so change them that what 〈◊〉 here said of Deacons should by him be attributed to Priests if so be the place be entire with him and some words not left out Well but our Author has a mind that we should see the utmost of his skill I do the more wonder at the Interpreters mistake in this place because by the following words Ignatius here excludes the specifical Deacons saying not the Ministers of meat and drink To see the wonderful difference of mens understandings the most learned Doctor Isaac Vossius from these very words concludes the beforegoing Period was meant of Deacons specific Deacons since they must be called so from whence our Demonstrator proves they could not be spoke of them It is it seems a Scheme of speech which our Author never met with to say of things or persons you are not this or this but that when they are remarkably more that than this or this Thus God says to Samuel of the People who complaining of his Old Age and evil Sons desired a King that they had not rejected Samuel but God All men of common sense know very well the meaning to be that though they rejected the Prophet that was not to come into account with the Rebellion and Insolence wherein they rejected the Lord himself Though God commanded Sacrifices under the Law he expresly says he will have no Sacrifice and delights not in nay abhors Burnt Offerings yet this did not abrogate the Divine Institution nor make Almighty God contradict himself So St. Paul advises Philemon to receive Onesimus his servant not now as a servant but above a servant a Brother beloved By which words it is not to be inferred that he should presently manumit him but use him with kindness But vanity and ignorance are most incommodiously quartered together our Author had a mind to shew his reading and pick a quarrel with the Translator of a Father And then no doubt he must be a Giant in Learning and list himself with those Worthies that have slain their thousands But such is our Authors hard Fate that this inconsiderable Pâ—â—â—od which is here so earnestly controuled is said unquestionably almost in every Page of this holy Martyr So that should he have happened once in his life to be in the right he had gained nothing to his cause and besides from hence it is morally certain that our Author never read a Page together in Ignatius In this very shorâ— Epistle within
Laws I cannot but reflect that surely he lives in a Country where the Bishop is not over-diligent in his duty else he would never make the task to be so impossible unless the Bishop never comes into his Diocess or never stir any where abroad in it surely a very little contrivance with the diligence of the Ministers would make it possible both for the Bishop and Youth to meet together without much trouble to either There is no doubt if the affair be adjourned over to the Triennial Visitation 't is not likely to be well done but as this ought not to be the course so thanks be to God it is not The next inconvenience in the present Constitution is the disability of the Curat to fit for Confirmation and the little credit to be given when he assures the Bishop when he presents the Children that they are fully instructed for it and therefore he concludes it necessary to appoint some discreet conscientious Ministers in the several Circuits to examine and Licence for the Lords Table for he passes it for granted that Confirmation is no Sacrament and if it were why may not Priests not Bishops perform it Well but suppose these discreet conscientious Ministers that are to supply the place of the Parochial ones should not be better qualified be more discreet or conscientious then them as it may very probably happen t is plain they cannot have those opportunities either to instruct the Youth of each Parish or know they are instructed as the local Minister is furnisht with but then farther is it likely that the several Parochial Ministers will readily admit their neighbour Minister whom they may reasonably think not much wiser or better then themselves to meddle in their Cures or that the people will be contented with it Will not animosities and quarrels and contempt of the duty certainly follow As to the lawfulness of Priests and not Bishops performing it upon the supposal that Priests and Bishops are the same thing and that Priests may Ordain which is the Doctrine taught in one of the preceding Chapters this of Priests â—onfirming may â—easonably enough be admitted but the falseness of that imagination being abundantly evident the absurdity of this will necessarily follow And therefore notwithstanding our Authors project Bishops may do well to go on in the Execution of their Duty in this most Ancient and Useful Right in which from the first Planting of the Gospel to this moment they have been in possession They who of late invaded the power of Ordaining Priests having been so modest yet as not to usurp this part of the Episcopal Office As to the expedients proposed about framing additions to the Catechism making Paraphrases on the Lords Prayer and Ten Commandments regulating the Ministers way of Catechising and enforcing Parents and Masters to bring their young people to be Catechis'd I shall only say that if every body in the Nation who is as wise as our Author shall be allowe'd to make Models for the Church we shall have almost as many Schemes of Government as there are persons to be Governed In the mean time we will take old Cato's rule and be well pleased with the State of things as it stands at present The next pâ—que is at the bounds of each Bishops Diocess and having told a Story of Rome Constantinople Alexandria Antioch Ierusalem Ephesus Corinth and Philippi which sound big and look well in the Inventory he informs us that partly by great distances of Citys partly by the favour of former Princes several Towns being cast into one Diocess they became so large as t is impossible any one Bishop should have a sufficient inspection into them the Bishop knows not the names nor faces of half a quarter of them much less their behavior he may have as well a part of France in his Diocess to Govern Our Author never considers where his argument will light is it possible to Govern three Kingdoms nay are they therefore happy because entire and under one Government Is there no manner of need why the Prince should know the names of the Aldermen in his Metropolis much less of the people in his Dominions and is it so impossible a thing to comprehend all the necessary interests of an Episcopal Diocess The truth is our Author would make every Parish-Priest a Bishop and then the Diocess will be little enough and the Revenues of the Bishops will be needless things and as he says the greedy Harpyes will readily make use of his zealous intentions but I pray let us make a parallel to his Ecclesiastial Policy in the Civil State There are a certain sort of men made Iudges in the several Circuits of England which Circuits are many of them Fifty Sixâ—y an Hundred or more Miles in Compass they know not the name or faces of half or a quarter of them much less of their behavior they may as well have a part of France in their Circuit Were it not therefore better that every Lord of the Leet should distribute Justice in the Precincts of his Mannor that no man should be at the expence of seeing Councel taking out Writs or of going to the Shire-Town or vamping upon the Hoof with shooes at back to Westminster-Hall but the Steward of the Court who knows the name and face and concern of every one should dispatch all things and doubtless this would make a happy World The Parish would quickly find the advantage of this new Scheme to have their Estates their Lives and Fortunes in â—he hand of a little Attourny and be all together by the Ears and have none to part them but him whose interest it is to set them on I need not set down the Moral Thus mad is the Ecclesiastical Policy of our Divinity-Common-Wealths-man t is no very good account of time to write an Vtopia a Politick Romance but to play tricks in Holy things and set on foot a Christian Oceana is an unpardonable fault But our Author proceeds to consider a second abuse in Church Government which is exempt Iurisdictions Whatever a man thought of the unexpedience of any thing Establisht by Law surely in good manners he should not give it ill Language and call it an abuse while it stood so Authorized and supported Which should be done especially by him who has past a solemn promise of not speaking a word against the known Laws of the Land But of all men in the World our Author whose business it is to make all the Parishes in England peculiars and have them straitned to the narrow limits which admit the knowing every name and face should not speak against exempt Jurisdictions for if the whole Nation were so Cantoned out and we had ten thousand Bishops in England we had exactly the Scheme which he recommends and at the same time complains of It seems my Author may freely write against what is Establisht in Church and State as having obtained an exempt Jurisdiction from the power of both