Learning of whiâ—h sort it were easie to name some hundreds were all exposed by the Presbyterians at least as far as in them lay to the utmost extremities of want and beggery without the least Mercy or Moderation Had they been Heapers up of Riches as Presbyterians and Iews are observed generally to be you might have squeez'd them as spunges without much harm And if the men of your party upon the present shifting the scene of things shall be forc'd to feel what they inflicted as some have presaged whilst they were reading your two Dedicatory Epistles wherein you are subscribed a Faithful Subject and wherein you complain of the * Epist. Ded. before Kâ—y for Cath. p 10. Democratical Polititians who were busie about the change of Government they will feel it so much the less by how much the greater the Treasures are which their Avarice and Rapine have raked up for them against their Winter A Vindication of Bâ—shops and D. Hammond's Paraphrase Sect. 36. Your principal Argument against our Bishops by law established in England which you urge from Scripture and Dr. Hammond's Paraphrase from p. 22â—to p. 27. I do the rather think fit for my consideration because I think it not fit at all that so learned a person as Doctor Hammond should ever take it into his own It s pity a Person of his employments should descend to a taske of so little moment And whilst he is doing those things which cannot be done but by himself let me have leave to do that for which your Argument's inability hath made me abâ—e You know the summe of it is this that Preaching Confirming Discipline Care of the poor Visiting the Sick Baptizing Congregating the Assemblies Administring the Sacrament of the Lords Supper guiding the Assemblies Blessing the people Absolving the Penitent and more then these p. 27. are the works of the Antient Episcopall Function But no one man can now performe all these to so many hundreds of Parishes as are in one Dioecess Ergo our Dioecesan Bishop is not the same with the Antient Bishop This being the summe of your chiefest Argument may be enlarged by my consent in the Major Proposition to the utmost pitch of advantage to which your own heart can wish the difficulty improved to wit by urging that the Bishops were at first invested by the Apostles with all manner of Ecclesiasticall both Power and Office And so the Bishop in every Dioecesse being lineally the successor of that numerical Bishop who was ordained by the Apostles is by consequence invested with all this power From whence there flow's another Sequel as unavoidable as the former that not the least part of this Sacred power can be possibly received but from the Bishop 3. All which being granted as very true and my thanks being returned for your service to the truth whilst you resist it for Presbyterian Ordinations are hence evinced to be null I shew you the vanity of your Minor by putting you in mind of a plain distinction per se aut per alium mediatè vel immediatè your meer forgetfullness of which for ignorant of it you could not be made you imagin there was a force where you will speedily acknowledge there can be none For what a Bishop is not able to do by himself he may very well do by the help of others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing more obvious then that when Moses is * Exod. 18.18 22 26. overtask'd he should take in others in partem Curae and yet lose nothing of his Preeminence And even for this very reason had the Bishops all power as well as power to communicate it either in whole or in part that what they could not perform alone they might by Proxy whether by Presbyters Deacons Subdeacons Arch-Deacons Chancellors Officials I will add Church-Wardens and Overseers of the Poor what is done by their Delegates is done by them 4. Now that this was the case in the earliest times of the Church our learned and Reverend Dr. Hammond hath irresistibly * Consulatur Summi viri Disseâ—t 4. p. 210 211. evinced And had you first been well acquainted with his four Latin dissertations you had not stumbled at the light of his English Paraphrase †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Rom. Clemens Romanus would have told you that in the Regions and Cityes where the Apostles had preached and gathered Churches they constituted Bishops to Rule those Churches and likewise Deacons to be subservient to those Bishops Why no Presbyters as yet Epiphanius would have inform'd you out of the oldest Records For whilst there was not saith he so great a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epiph. Haer. l. 3. t. 1. multitude of believers as to need the ordaining of any Presbyters between the two above said orders Bishops and Deacons they contented themselves with the Bishop onely who together with his Deacon whom he could not conveniently be without did then abundantly suffice for so small a Diocesse But when believers did so increase in the single Diocesse of a Bishop as that there needed more Pastors and fit men were to be had then they admitted into the Priesthood I do not say into the Prelacy that other sort of Church-Officers whom we now call Presbyters And I conceive that such Presbyters were ordained in Asia by St. Iohn because Ignatius in Trajan's time throughout his Epistles to those Churches of Asia doth distinctly make mention of all three orders If then the Primitive Bishops did thus communicate of his power to Inferiour Pastors and still reserve unto himself the super-intendency over all what should hinder their Successors from doing according to their example And why should any man presume to take any power unto himself but he whom the Bishop hath first ordained unto the office of a Deacon a kind of secundary Presbyter and after that to a Cure of soules which belongs to a Presbyter plenarius and after that too to the Episcopal Office of Ordination 5. Having shew'd you the full agreement betwixt the Ancient and modern Bishoâ—s I hope you see your Inadvertency and acknowledge the vanity of your Argumentation For 1. In the Infancy of the Church * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Epiph. l. 3. t. 1. none were worthy to be made Bishops in diverse places and in such the Apostles did all themselves at least the place remained vacant †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. 2. Where need requir'd and worthy persons were to be had in such the Apostles ordained Bishops But 3. Whilst the Churches were so thin as that the Bishops with their Deacons could well discharge the whole work Epiphanius tell 's us expresly and that from the eldest of the Church Histories there was not yet a constitution of single Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And of this we have the first instance in Iames the Bishop of Ierusalem to whom
Deduction And if the Deduction is irregular why is your dealing the very same to prove your irregular Ordinations exactly regular 4. Come we now from the Form to the matter of your Syllogism Your major is proved from the words of Dr. Hammond that the * See the whole Annotation on Act. 11.30 B. p. 406. to p. 409. Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture times belonged principally if not onely to Bishops there being no evidence that any of the second Order were then instituted Which words if you observe them do not deny but suppose that as soon as any of the second order were admitted into the Church they were immediately subject unto the First that is to say to the scripture-Scripture-Bishops there having been given him in Scripture a twofold power first a power of ordaining inferiour Presbyters next of Governing or Ruling them when so ordained Had you but fairly transcribed the Doctor 's whole Period you must have added to your Citation these following words though soon after even before the writing of Ignatius Epistles there were such instituted in all Churches And had you read unto the end of that excellent Annotation you would have found Epiphanius for Bishop Timothy his power or jurisdiction over Presbyters from 1 Tim. 5.1 19. Where whatever the word Presbyter may be concluded to import whether a single Priest in the common notion of the word Presbyter subjected to the Bishop or a Bishop subjected to the Metropolitan it equally make's against you that Bishop Timothy had power to rebuke and to receive an Accusation against a Presbyter which no meer Presbyter can pretend to have over another This would imply a contradiction to wit that an equall is not an equall because a Ruler and a Judge to the very same person to whom he is an equall The same use is to be made of what is cited from Theophylact concerning Titus * Ibid. to wit that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudgement as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordination of so many Bishops was committed to him And I pray Sir remember one special Emphasis which evidently lye's on the Doctor 's words Which do not run thus the Title of Presbyters in Scripture times belonged onely to the Bishops but if not onely yet at least Principally to them And therefore however the case might be whether onely or not onely all the course of his arguing will be equally cogent and unresistible 5. Now for your minor that most of your Ordainers are such Pastors you prove it by saying first they are Pastors But this is petitio principii with a witnesse to say they are because they are And 't is a gross transition ab Hypothesi ad Thesin to say they are such Pastors because they are Pastors The word Pastor in our dayes doe's commonly signify a Priest to whom is committed a Cure of Soules And when I have lately so us'd it it hath been onely in complyance with that vulgar Catachresis But in the use of Scripture and antient Writers Pastor signifies him to whom the charge of the Flock is Originally intrusted whereas our English acception of the word Rector which is not the Scriptural or antient stile is wholly extended to a deputed or partiary Government in the Church to wit a Government over part of the Pastors Diocess which Pastor in the old stile hath the plenary charge committed to him Your error therefore was very great in confounding the Pastors with the Rectors of the people unless you spake with the vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and supposing that so you did you spake completely besides the purpose And whereas you say in your Margin Mr. T. P. call's himself Rector of Brington I know not what you can mean by it unless an unkilfull intimation that I arrogate to my self somewhat more then is my due And therefore to undeceive either your self or your Readers I must tell you that in all Records which concern this Church or its Incumbent in all Leases and Compositions and Iudgments of Law in all Directions and Orders which have ever been sent by Supreme Authority the Church hath been stiled the Rectory and the Incumbent the Rector of it You may gather the reason from Mr. Sparrow's Learned Rationale upon the Book of Common Prayer The chief Rector oâ— a Parish called the Cardinal Priest of old quia incardinatus in Beneficio was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the rest under him his Clerks Where there were Chantries as there were in most Churches of England their assisting the Rector of the Church made up that Form of speech the Priest and Clerks And Brington being a Parish consisting of five distinct Members hath occasion'd the Rector in all times to be at the charge of an Assistant I have told you what I mean whensoever I write my self Rector of Brington If Mr. Cawdrey hath meant more when he hath written himself as publickly the Rector of Billing I leave him to give you a Reason for it Having done with your Argument and with your persoâ—all reflection I shall observe but one thing more to wit that whilst you say most of your Ordainers are such Pastors as Dr. Hammond spake of in Scripture-times which yet I hope you will retract you imply a confession that some are not Nor can I see by what meanes you will excuse your selves unto your selves for having admitted of such Ordainers As for your second and third sentences in your Sect. 5. p. 199. You have an answer included in what went before and so you will have in that which follows For Sect. 38. In your seventh Chapter Presbyterians are not Bishops by having Deacons under them p. 203. Sect. 18. You again pretend to fetch an Argument from the words of the Reverend Dr. Hammond Your naked affirmation is express'd in these words Where there are no such Presbyters with a President it is yet enough to prove him a Bishop that he hath Deacons under him or but one Deacon Your pretended proof of this assertion is from the words of Doctor H. which now ensue When the Gospel was first preached by the Apostles and but few converted they ordained in every City and Region no more but a Bishop and one or more Deacons to attend him there being at the present so small store out of which to take more and so small need of ordaining more Reduce this proofe into a Syllogisme which may serve your interest in any measure and it will be like your former most dishonourably false For thus you must form it do what you can if you intend to make it in imitation of a proof A primitive Bishop had no more then a Deacon or Deacons to attend him A Presbyter hath no more then a Deacon or Deacons to attend him therefore a Presbyter is a Primitive Bishop Here you see are three affirmatives in the second Figure And by an Argument so form'd I will prove you to be anything either Fish or Fowle
moderation like an Episcopal Divine Ego Hieronymus Zanchiuâ— septuagenarius cum tota familia mea testatum hoc volo toti Ecclesiae Christi in omnem aeternitatem The same Zanchy did acknowledge in the seventieth year of his age that the Church of Rome was a true Church of Christ however defiled with innovations because she retained the fundamentals of Christianity See Zanchy's Preface to his * Edit Neostadii Palat. A.D. 1585. Confession and compare it with what he saith in the Confession it self Art 8. de Eccles. Milit. p. 149. and again with his p. 157. where he doth not scruple to use these words †Non ab Ecclesiâ Rom. simpliciter in omnibus defecimus sed in illis duntaxat rebus in quibus ipsa defecit ab Apostolicâ atque adâ—ò a seipsâ veteri purâ Ecclesiâ neque alio discessimus animo c. ut supra Zanch. ib. p. 157. We have not simply and in all things made a defection from the Church of Rome but in those things alone wherein she hath departed from the Church Apostolical and so by consequence from her ancient and purer self Nor have we left her even so but with an intention to return as soon as she shall return her self to that pitch of integrity from which she fell All which being considered either let Grotius have been a Protestant as well as Zanchy and Blondel or let them both have been Papists as well as Grotius No other Primacy to the Popedom did he allow but what †Farente Melanchthone Primatum secundum Canonas necessarium esse ad retinendam unitatem Discuss p. 255.256 Melanchthon thought necessary to conserve the unity of the Church Nor would he have all to joyn with Rome as Rome now stands which yet you confidently suggest p. 35. but upon friendly condescensions on either side implying * Vide inter alia compluscula Grot. Animadv in Animadv A. Riveti p. 35. Vot pro pa. 7 8 9. Discuss p. 160.161.18.20 etiam p. 71 72. Reformation in some particulars and mutual forbearance in many others You confesse that Bishop Bramhall allowes the Pope to have his old Patriarchal power and his Primacy of order and somewhat else p. 22. whom yet you take not to be a Papist p. 23. Nor can I see that Grotius allowes him more And as Principium unitatis or Concordiae coagulum you will certainly allow it as well as Grotius Arg. 16. If you compare one passage of his Discussio p. 256. with his Epistle to Cordesius p. 352. you will find him so steadfastly and pertinaciously a Protestant that the largest offers of a King could not make him any thing else You say the French moderation is acceptable to all good men you think that many such Papists are blessed souls now with Christ and you pronounce that Nation an honorable part of the Church of Christ p. 10. yet all the advantages in the world could never work upon Grotius to have communion even with them no not at that point of time when the Calvinists had deprived him of his liberty of his livelihood Gratias ago summas Regi quod in me etiam absentem beneficia sua depluere voluerit amicis quod meis commodis tam perseveranter invigilent Caeterum ego ex quo Gallias reliqui nullam cur tali beneficio utar probabilem causam video ideoque comiter excusari volo Epist. 143. ad Cordes p. 352. and in preparednesse of minde of his very life In the depth of his poverty immediately after his bonds and banishment and confiscation of goods he refused the great offers which daily courted him in France I pray observe in what words he confuted that calumny which Rivet was bold to cast upon him Si Grotius tanto viro invitante voluisset id promittere quod eum promisisse fingit D. Rivetus poterat ille per malos Calvinistas exutus patriâ exutus bonis ampla illa honorum commodorum promissa adipisci quae à Rege Galliae nunquam aut habuit aut speravit neque illi opus fuisset exire Galliâ rebus alterius regni operam suam addicere Et nunc quoque cum omnia adferat ad pacem Ecclesia restituendam quae potest nihil illi dat Gallia si dare velit nihil iâ—le accipiat Discuss p. 256. Here you see the great reason why he went out of France when courted in it and why he chofe to serve a poorer because a Protestant State As he never had been brought to accept of any thing from France so you see he resolved he never would Arg. 17. That Grotius did never once communicate with any part of the Church of Rome Discuss p. 59 60 61. is a manifest sign he was never of them and he gives such reasons for his own abstinence from all communion in France with either Papists or Presbyterians as could not possibly be prâ—tended by any Romanist whatsoever and so they prove him by consequence to have been none for whose excuse or defence they were pretended Arg. 18. Whilest you say he turn'd Papist you cleerly grant him to have been Protestant it lies upon you then to prove that he renounced the one in exchange for the other and you must shew both when and where he did it For whosoever turns Papist is ever bound by them to whom he turns to make an abrenunciation of all other Churches upon which he is solemnly reconciled and received into the bosom of that at Rome of which you have the Queen Christina and the late Minister of Montanbaâ— exhibited as examples in the Weekly Newes-book Had Grotius been such a Convert in their language or such an Apostate in ours the Church of Rome had been proudeâ— of it then of a thousand such Queens as now I mentioned and their Gazetts had told us of it with great ambition But in the whole that you have said in a matter of Fact too you have not pretended any such thing how unadvisedly soever you have impli'd it Arg. 19. Notwithstanding all that I have urged to prove that Grotius was no Papist I shall adde one Argument from the signal manner of his Death which will also be much confirmed from the place and manner of his burial they are both attested by Doctor Quistorp a Lutheran Divine and so no Papist at the earnest entreaty of an eminent person as known a Protestant as Quistorp and they are published by both to embalm the memory of that Phoenix of learned men as learned Quistorp doth fitly call him Had Grotius been a Papist uâ—on his death-bed he would not have admitted much less have sent for a Protestant Minister to assist him in his last and greatest triall Nor would the chief Pastor of Rostock the publick Professor of Divinity have given his Narrative to the World with so much Eulogie as he hath done much lesse would he have buried him in the most honorable place of the chiefest Temple nor
universal visible Head p. 302. For the Primacy allow'd unto the Pope by the learnedst Adversaries of Popery Melanchthon and Bishop Bramhall Dr. Hammond and Bloâ—del as well as Grotius is not an universal Headship as that signifie's Pastorship but at the most a Patriarchate of the west which does not imply but exclude a Monaâ—chy and is exactly reconcileable with an Aristocratick Government of the Church And even this is but according to the Ancient Canons by which he is qualified if he please to advance the Honour of Christianity but not to hinder or obstruct it Again this Primacy thus allow'd is not so properly the Proposal as the Concession of the Protestants with a proviso that the Pope will require no more And for the buying of Peace I told you long since how great a price is to be paid How it removeth the whole mistake Sect. 27. To conclude the whole subject and to remove the cause of your Mistakes to make it very hard for you to persevere in your impertinence or to make you unexcusable in case you do so I give you warning to distinguish between the New Romish Canons and the * Note that the four Generaâ—l Councils were confirmed in Engl. by Act of Parlament in the first year of Queen Eliz. as Dr. Featly well observed in his Letter to the late Primate Ancient Canons of the universal Church between a Primacy of Order and a Supremacy of Power and not to delude your self any longer by fixing your thoughts upon the one when Grotius and other Protestants do not approve but of the oâ—â—er You profess to approve of the Pacifick design It was Grotius his judgement that the likelyest way to make it take a good effect is to take from the Pope his universal Supremacy over the Church and to make him content himself with a Primacy of Order aâ— that Principium unitatis for the peace of Christendom which Melanchthon King Iames Isaaâ— Casaubon Bishop Bramhall Dr. Hammond David Blondel and all intelligent Protestants have still allow'd him By this meanes the whole Church should have one Common Regiment under Bishops and Metropolâ—tans and Primates and Patriarchs which as it iâ— much cast down if not destroyed by the universall Monarchy of the Pope so it well consists with his Primacy according to the Canons of Generall Councils Upon these precise termes an universal peace might be begun if all Protestants would agree under the Government of Bishops and the Popes descend from their usurpations and all other things might be reformed by the Supreme Magistrates and Bishops in their respective places of jurisdiction Now this being the utmost that Grotius pretend's towards a Peace you are highly injurious whilst you joyne the Grotians and the French Papists in making the Pope to be the ordinary judicial Head p. 380. For the Ancient Canons make him but one although the first of five Patriarchs and allow every Primate to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his own Province as Dr. Hammond hath made apparent in his most satisfactory Treatise concerning Schism which hath been twice or thrice rail'd at but never answer'd * Dr. Hammond of Schisme Chap. 5. Sâ—ct 6. p. 100. Especially from the Canon of the Ephesine Council in the particular cause of the Archbishop of Cyprus over whom the Patriarch of Antioch though he extended his Patriarchate over all the Orient was adjudged to have no manner of Power I hope you see your obligation to make amends for your Calumny in which you cannot persevere without incurring the danger of calumniating others as well as Grotius Ibid. ch â— p. 59. even the ablest Supporters of the Protestant cause For Dr. Hammond hath told us as well as Grotius and sure I am that they were both of the same Religion That if we respect order and primacy of place the Bishop of Rome had it among the Patriarchs as the Patriarchs among the Primates that City of Rome being the Lady of the World and the seat of the Empire Ibid. ch 5. p. 100. Sect. 5. Again speaking of the preeminence of the Roman See heretofore though he denies her any supreme Authoritative power over other Primates yet he allows her a precedence or priority of place in Councils an eminence in respect of Dignity which is perfectly reconcileable with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Independence the no-subordination or subjection of other Primates Thus our Reverend Dr. Hammond whom I am verily perswaded you will not dare to call Papist for fear of derision from your most popular Admirers However you do acknowledge that Bishop Bramhall is a right Protestant and he hath told you very lately * Bishop Bramhall in his Schisme Garded c. p. 4. That the main Controversie nay he thinks he might say the onely necessary Controversie between them and us is about the extent of papal power If the Pope would content himself with his exordium Unitatis which was all that his primitive predecessors had and it is as much as a great part of his Sons will allow him at this day we are not so hard-hearted or uncharitable for such an innocent Title or Office to disturb the peace of the Church Nor do we envy him such a preeminence among Patriarchs as St. Peter had by the confession of his own party among the Apostles †Ibid. p. 24 25 26. Primatus Pâ—tro datur ut una Christi Ecclesia una Cathedra monstratur Cyprian Epist. ad Actonium de Uuiâ—ate Ecclesiae Together with this compare his citation of Bishop Andrews expressing his own sense and the sense of King Iames yea and the sense of the Church of England To which having added the like sense of St. Cyprian he doth thus very briefly conclude his own * p. 26. This primacy neither the Ancients nor â—e do deny to St. Peter of Order of Place of Preeminence If this first Movership would serve his turn this Controversy were at an end for our parts A Câ—njecture passed upon some Lâ—tters Sect. 28. It is not amiss to take notice of the applauding Letters of which you boast p. 393. and to conjecture at their design if there were any such things Some who saw in your Aphorismes and in some other things which you had publish'd more of Truth and Moderation than in other writings of Presbyterians were willing to pardon many things which they saw amiss in you for the love of that Truth of which they found you a Patronizer No doubt but that Charity which hopeth all things did make them hope that more study would daily discover more Truth which for want of good study you had not hitherto discern'd and which as soon as you had learn't might serve to rescue your Inward man from all schismatical and factious wayes In which charitable hope if they were very much mistaken theirs was the error but yours the fault and you alone are accomptable for having so guiltily deceived their expectations
that they should pay you in your own Coin and say yee took too much upon you and that all the Congregation was at least as holy as themselves Had your spirituall Superiours been more venerable in yours yee had not certainly been so vile in the Peoples eyes Th Lord Primate's censure of Presbyterian Ordinations as Iâ—valid and Schismaticall Published by Dr. B. p. 125.126 2. Next for his Grace of Armagh whom I can never find you calling by a higher Title then Bishop Usher I shall but mind you how he hath pleaded for the Prelacy of England in other workes and onely recite his words at length out of that very piece in which you seem to have taken the greatest pleasure For even there he hath concluded your Ordinations by Presbyters to be invalid in as much as they were made where Bishops might have been had there being nothing but necessity in case Bishops cannot be had which in the judgement of the Primate can make such valid And that you may not flatter your self his Grace intended such a necessity as against all reason you sometimes offer to pretend you shall read him subjoyning these following words Holding as I do that a Bishop hath Superiority in degree above a Presbyter you may easily judge that the ordination made by such Presbyters as have severed themselves from those Bishops unto whom they had sworn Canonical obedience cannot possibly by me be excused from being Schismaticall You see what necessity the Primate admitted for an excuse and in what respect you are unexcusable For besides that you are not under any necessity of ordaining Presbyters without a Bishop no necessity can happen but what will be of your own making and such an home-made necessity will but aggravate the wickedness of them that made it I make no doubt but you will say the same thing if a power succeeding shall deal with you and your Function as you have dealt with your Superiours I shall not add more of the Primate now than that the Reduction of Episcopacy is a posthumous work and yet pretend's to no other modell than what may stand with the preeminence both of Bishops and Archbishops 3. Dr. Holdsworth's Iudgement is as well known Dr. Holdsworth's sufferings a declaration of his judgement as what he suffered for his judgement during the memorable Reign of the Presbyterians Which puts me in mind of what was said by that learned Gentleman Mr. Morrice * The Nâ—w-inclosures broken down Sect. â—1 p. 212. the digladiations about Discipline have laid open Doctrin to those destructive wounds it bleed's under the discountenancing and depressing of so many learned Champions of the truth hath been the leaving the Church without a Guard When you were swearing and fighting to level the Bishops with the ground for want of merit and suâ—ficiency to seat your selves among the Bishops you had not the patience to consider or not the prudâ—nce to believe that you were laying out your strength as blinded Sampson did his to pull down a house upon your heads by laying your hands upon its Pillars Iudg. 16.29 But now you are taught by sad experience that what you covenanted against was even the glory and support of your own profession you will I hope be so just as to blame yourselves if you shall live to suffer as heavy things as you have done Sect. 34. Whereas you say in your excuse The Presbyterian excuses are aggravations of their offences that some of your party did not swear obedience to the Bishops or did not disobey such Bishops as Bishop Vsher assureth us were the Bishops of the Antient Churches and that the Schism is not such as makes men uncapable of our Communion and that since Bishop Prideaux dyed there hath been none in his place p. 12.13 I briefly answer first that you speak against your knowledge unless you know not what you did when admitted into the Priesthood And that I may not repeat two or three pages of what I have said in another book I refer you for a sight of your great and manifold obligations to obey your Ordinary with reverence and other chief Ministers unto whom the Government and Charge was committed over you to acknowledge the order of our Church as then it stood to be according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christ to approve of Bishops and Archbishops to use the Common prayer to observe the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church and all according to the Lawes of this Realm I say I refer you for a sight of your great and manifold obligations to my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ch 2. p. 51.52 53. Next I must mind you that the Lord Primate did onely speak of Communion with the Transmarine Protestans in France and Holland upon this supposition that he were in those Countries But our English Presbyterians were under another consideration He never received the blessed Scrament at any one of your hands nor would he ever hold Communion with any one of your Revolting Scotizing Churches But if you return to our Communion from which you fell by transgression both our Armes and our hearts are alwaies open to receive you And that you may do it so much the sooner let me admonish you of the disorder which the Lord Primate wonder'd at in your late Presbyterian ordinations A disorder so great that it sufficeth of it self without your other imperfections to say no harder things of them to make a nullity in the things that you most confide in * See the Primates judgement of Ordinat by Pres. set out by Dr. Bern. p. 136.137 138 139. To give the Seal of Ordination as some are pleas'd to call imposition of Hands without any express Commission annexed or Grant of Authority to the person the Primate was wont to say seemed to him to be like the putting of a Seal to a blanck Your Presbyterian Ordinations he judg'd no better and the reasons of it at large you may find in those pages which I have cast into the Margin What Bishops there were in the Antient Churches or what the Primate thought of them it matter 's not Your disobedience was not the better for being acted against those to whom you had promis'd to yield obedience And those alone are the Bishops which here t is pertinent to speak of for they alone were the Bishops to whom the men of this Age had sworn Canonical obedience through the Non performance of which obedience you had extorted from the Lord Primate that heavy censure If since the Death of Bishop Prideaux none hath succeeded in his place remember what I said lately of self-created necessity and do not imagin your Sin is lessen'd by a principall part of its aggravation Add to this that there are Bishops though not perhaps in your County And where Bishops are to be had you were forbid by the Primate to ordain without them Sect. 35. Whereas you say of Bishop Prideaux Bishop Prideaux