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A55778 A Parallel between Episcopacy & Presbytery, or, The Church of England vindicated from all the false and uncharitable reports and suggestions of either papist or Presbyterian 1680 (1680) Wing P334; ESTC R28149 7,728 6

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Liberties of the Subject and that he in the mean time poor Gentleman was careless even of his own preservation By these and such like Tricks and Artifices they ruin'd this flourishing Monarchy and by such signs and Symptoms as these if we would prevent a relapse we may guess at the return of this fatal Distemper from which Good Lord deliver us Now that our deceived Country-men may see how they have been abused into a belief of enjoying I know not what happiness under the Term of Reformation in Church generally called Presbytery I have here inserted a short Parallel of both Governments taken out of the Writings of a learned and conscientious Divine of this Nation The Parallel of Episcopacy and Presbytery Episcopacy in it self considered is a Prelacy or Superiority of one above all the Presbyters within such a Precinct or Diocess which one is apointed to have care of all the Churches within that compass and furnished with power and authority for ordination and jurisdiction that authority not being arbitrary but bounded by Laws and administred or exercised with advice and assistance of certain choise Presbyters to the intent that all Churches or Congregations under him may be provided of able Pastors and that both these inferiour Pastors and People may perform the duties required of them Presbytery is such a form of Church-Government as is administred by Preaching and Lay-Elders joyntly with equal voice and power in the several judicatures of their Parochial Sessions of their Classical or greater Consistories of their Provincial Synods and National Assemblies 1. Under Episcopal there is in every Parish a preaching Minister with Church-Wardens and in some Deacons or Curates by these Offenders are noted and admonished and the offences presented to the Ecclesiastical Courts or Consistories where they may be heard and censured the Minister having power in some cases of notorious scandal to restrain from the communion until the offence may be heard and judged in the Court and the party so offending by the censure of the Church brought to give publick satisfaction Vnder the Presbyterian Government there is in every Parish a Minister with a Competent Number of Lay-Elders and Deacons according to the largeness of the Parish these make the Parochial Session and have power to censure scandalous Livers Contentious Persons and the like to enjoyn publick penance and impose upon the penitent before he be received into the Church a Fine to be employed on pious Vses 2. Under Episcopal in every Diocess there are several Divisions the lesser and the greater these being called Deanaries those Arch-Deaconries in those the arch-Arch-Presbyters in these the arch-Arch-Deacons have power to call the Parochial Ministers together to enquire of Doctrine and manners and see to the redressing of smaller Abuses In the Mother-City is the Bishop's Residing with his Presbyters having the power of ordination of judging and determining of all matter of Doctrine or Scandal reserved to his Hearing by his arch-Arch-Deacons and of rejudging what was judg'd amiss by them This he doth either in his Consistory which he holdeth in his City assisted by his Presbyters or in his Visitations going through his Diocess and causing his Clergy personally to appear or in his Diocesan Synod which is made up of the city-City-Presbyters Dean and Chapter the arch-Arch-Deacons and other choise Presbyters under the Presidency of the Bishop Vnder the Presbyterian in every County there are also several Divisions or Classes containing such a Number of Parochial Ministers who have their set Meetings for conference and in the City or more eminent Town is the great Presbyterian Consistory commonly called the Presbytery made up of all the Parochial Ministers within its Precincts and of Lay-Elders from each Parish one in this is the power of Ordination of censuring Crimes of the higher strain with the greater Excommunication of hearing Appeals from the Parochial Sessions and rejudging what was there judged amiss 3. Under Episcopal Government are held Provincial Synods consisting of all the Bishops Deans arch-Arch-Deacons and of certain choise Presbyters from every Diocess within the Province These have power to order all matters concerning the whole Province to hear appeals from every Diocess to rejudge what was done amiss that could not be well determined in a Diocesan Synod Vnder the Presbyterian also are held Provincial Synods made up of Commissioners that is certain preaching and Lay-Elders from every individual Presbytery or Presbyterian Consistory within the Province These judge and determine matters pertaining to the whole Province also difficult Cases that could not well be determined within the Presbytery They receive Appeals also from the Presbyters and examine what was there thought to be done amiss 4. Under Episcopal Government are also held National Councils consisting of the like Members as do the Provincial these are of great Authority they examine and judge any thing done amiss in any Province they consider and determine matters of Doctrine and Discipline in order to the whole National Church Vnder the Presbyterian likewise are held National Assemblies consisting of Commissioners from all the Presbytery in the Kingdom each of them sending two preaching and one Lay-Elder also from every Burrough one and he a Lay-Man and from every Vniversity one and for the most part a Lay-Man too In these is the Supream and Final Determination of all complaints and controversies and unto the Decrees that issue thence all must obey under pain of Excommunication Now by this you may perceive that they both agree in ipso Regimine Ecclesiastico In the Government it self considered as it referreth to the Church that is all Members therein that are to be governed though not in the manner number or qualification of the Persons governing both parties confessing that the power of Ordination and of Judicature so far forth as the Keys left by Christ in his Church do extend is of divine institution and that this power must be exercised or administred in his Church by some so that I say the difference is whether the exercise or ministration of that power be restrained to certain choise Men or indifferently left to all Presbyters and all their assisting Lay-Elders Therefore the next question will be Which of these two Governments have the more effectual means to procure the end of Church-Government the Preservation of Truth and Peace and the suppression of Heresie and Schism I answer Episcopal for 't is strange That Lay-men from whose Education no Knowledge beyond their Trades and such like Affairs can be expected should be as fit Instruments for such kind of Employments as Grave and Learned Scholars whose only Business is to tread the Path of all Arts both Humane and Divine So that these Lay-men will be lookt upon in the Presbytery but as so many Cyphers Quorum potius numerantur suffragia quam argumenta ponderantur as was once said of the Papal Consistory Again Bishops assume not the exercise of any power within any Prince's Dominions or use it over