Pope who firft affum'd the Title of univerfal Bishop; and fhewn the Oppofition made to that Pretence ever fince, even by the Bishops and Divines of the Church of Rome. So that this Caufe and that of Epifcopacy come not near one another, upon our Argument, unless the Diffenters can fhew the like Beginning of Epifcopacy, and the like Opposition made to it from the very Beginning.

AND as I faid before, The far greatest Part of the Chriftian Church never did own, nor do own at this Day the Supremacy of Rome, without reckoning thofe in the Weft who have broken off from it fince the Reformation. But the Diffenters cannot fhew any One fingle Church in the whole World that did not own Epifcopacy, and was not it self Epifcopal, from the Days of the holy Apoftles down to Mr. Calvin. AND at this Day they are all Epifcopal,except a Few, very Few in Comparison where his Difcipline has prevail'd in fome Corners of the World. And I have fhewn before, that He and Beza and the firft Reformers did give full Atteftation to Epifcopacy, and pleaded Necefity for their Departing from it; but anathematiz'd, and reckon'd thofe as Mad-men who did oppose it, or wou'd not join with it where they might have had it with Purity of Dodrine and Worfhip, as in England, which they particularly nam❜d, and wifh'd they cou'd enjoy fo great a Bleffing, and pray'd for the Profperity of our Epifcopacy.

OUR Diffenters and their Caufe is difarm'd and deferted every where, and by all. They plead no Neceffity, but difpute against the Government of Epifcopacy, as Novel, and as an Ufurpation upon the pri mitive Government of the Church. And yet they can fhew none other that ever was, before Mr. Calvin, in any Part of the Chriftian World. Never was, a Caufe, I think, fo expos'd, and ftrip'd fo naked as

this!

HERE I wou'd defire the Reader to take notice, that tho' there is not the fame Reafon or Demonftration to fee the Beginning of Errors in Opinion, as the Re

volutions

volutions of Government in any Society; yet that we can trace out the Beginnings even of thofe Doctrinat Errors we charge upon the Church of Rome, fome of which I nam'd. And the Method to come at the Knowledge of their Original is this; When Opinions come abroad, and make a flir in the World, they are then Facts, and may be difprov'd as other Facts are. We can tell when they first appear'd, and that they did not appear before. And this is the Method by which we difprove the Doctrinal Errors in the Church of Rome, and fhew them to be Novelties.

AND here I beg leave to give a little friendly. Advice to our misled Diffenters of all Denominations. My Friends, what has been faid as to Epifcopacy is undeniable, and a plain Demonftration from Fact, which is fo fure an Argument that nothing can be reply'd.

AND I am likewife as fure, that it is downright impoffible, but that what has been faid, muft create a Doubt at leaft in any confidering Man, whether he ought not to fubmit to Epifcopacy.

Now fuppofe I come to the Sacrament, and have any Doubt whether this Man is lawfully ordain'd, and can confecrate and adminifter the Holy Sacrament to me, will not that of Rom. 14. 23. come into my Mind? He that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of Faith, for whatsoever is not of Faith, is Sin. In what a Condition then are our unhappy Diffenters who cannot eat in Faith, unless they fully, plainly, and clearly answer what has been faid, fo as to leave no Doubt behind it! They may (which God forbid) ihut their Eyes, and go on willfully, but this will be a fresh Aggravation, and will double their Sin.

WHAT Compaffion can they have for their tender Infants, to carry them to difputed Baptifm, when they may have that which is clear, and undisputed offer' to them! will they prefent the Provo cation of their Offerings, and pawn their Souls upon the greatest Uncertainty! Will they

dare

dare to fay, that it is not an Uncertainty at best, when they will not because they cannot aufwer for themselves! Is not this to be felf-condemn'd! To put the Stumbling-block of their Iniquity before their Faces, and then come to enquire of the Lord!

THIS I fhou'd think were enough to roufe the Confcience of any Diffenter that is not harden'd to a Stone. I'm fure, if I was a Diffenter, it wou'd prick me to the Heart. And 'till I cou'd give an Anfwer to what has been faid in thefe Papers, I wou'd never go to a Meeting, left I perifh'd in their Sin: I wou'd not receive their Sacraments, left I offer'd their Provocations: AndI fhou'd think my felf guilty of the Blood of my Child, if I brought it to their Baptifm: At leaft my own Blood wou'd lie upon my HEAD, if I did it with a doubting Mind, while I cou'd have that Baptifm which was undifputed to make my Child a Member of the Church. And how can he who has thrust himself out of the Church, admit another to be a Member of it? Can I make another Free of any Corporation, who am not Free my felf? No. If I am baptiz'd by a Schifmatick, I am baptiz'd into his Schifm, and made a Member of it, and not of the Church againft which he is in Rebellion and open Defiance to it. The Children of Korah, Das than and Abiram were fwallowed up with Them. If we will hazard our felves, let us have fome Compaffion for our innocent Children!

THE Charge upon them is very, very heavy; I muft confefs it is exceeding heavy, but it is as true as it is great. I know it will raife the Indignation of many of them, and I fhall hear it from all Hands. What! fay they, wou'd he un-Church us, and annul our Sacraments? wou'd he make the ordinary Miniftrations of our Minifters as little valid, and more guilty than if perform'd by a Mid-wife in Cafe of Neceffity? Where, where is the Moderation of this Man? Where is his Charity? He makes all our Meetings to be Affemblies of Korah, in Rebellion against God! We are not able

to

a

to bear it-We will not bear it It is not fit fuch a Man fhou'd live upon the Earth. All this I expect to hear. And now I defire them to hear my Defence. I hope they are not all provok'd beyond the Bounds of Reafon.

FIRST then, I defire them to tell me, what they think it is a Man's Duty to do, if he is only verily perfwaded this is their Cafe? (But methinks if he proves it too, he fhou'd be fuffer'd to speak) fhall he be filent and let them go on in their Sin? and let them perish eternally for him, rather than he wou'd be at the Pains to convince them if he cou'd; or rather than difplease them, or lofe their Favour, or run the hazard of what they might do to him (if permitted) in the Bitterness of their Spirit? Or, in the next Place, if fuch a Silence wou'd be highly guilty, and argue Self-love, rather than the Love of our Neighbour? fhall he then, fince he muft fpeak, or offend his own Confcience, fhall he mince the Matter, and alleviate or excufe, and fmooth over their Sin till it appear tolerable? This wou'd be really to few Pillows, to hate our Neighbour, and fuffer Sin upon him, and to bear Sin for him, as our Margin reads, Lev. xix. 17. For that fin lies upon me, which I fuffer to go unreprov'd in another.

AND (if I do my Duty as a good Chriftian) I am to lay out his Sin before him in its proper Colours, to let it appear as black and beinous as it is, that he flatter not himself in his own Sight, until his abominable Sin be found out. Till it find him out, and Judgment overtake him, when (alas!) there fhall be no Remedy. But if he repent, then, as Solomon fays, he that reproveth, will find more Favour than he that flattereth with his Lips.

Therefore I hope ftill to find their Favour in an boneft Way; in a true and confcientious Discharge of my Duty, tho' at prefent I purchase their Difpleafure.

AND

Jure. But if (which God forbid) it shou'd happen otherwife, yet I have delivered mine own Soul.

AND I do here proteft before God, in the moft ferious manner, that I believe their Cafe to be really as I have put it And the Arguments which I have offer'd to them have fully convinc'd myself (and many others) that Epifcopacy was the primitive and Apoftolic Inftitution of the Government of the Church. And confequently that thofe Presbyters and others who break off from it, are guilty of the very Sin of Korab, and of those Chriftians of whom St. Jude fpeaks, who feparate themfelves, and perish in the Gain-faying of Korah. I know nothing wherein his Gain-faying did confift, but in his Gain-faying to the Priesthood of Aaron. He differ'd not with Aaron in any other Point either of Doctrine or Worship. And fince St. Jude brings down this very Cafe of Korab to the Chriftian Church, and applies it to those who separated themfelves, and broke off from their lawful Governors in the Church, I fee not why it is not as applicable at this Day.

AND that ufurping upon the Chriftian Priesthood, and Separating our felves in Oppofition to it, is as great a Sin as it was in the Levitical Difpenfation, if not greater, as much greater as the Priesthood which God ordain'd by Chrift, is of more Dignity and Regard with HIM than what HE appointed by his Servant Mofes. For Mofes was but a Type of Chrift, and the Priestbood and Sacrifices appointed by him, were but Types of the nearer and more expreffive CHRISTIAN Sacrifice and Prieft-bood.

SHALL then the Ufurpers of the Levitical Priefthood be swallow'd up quick into the Pit, and is there no Fudgment of God due to the Ufurpers upon the Chriftian Priesthood? Was it Death for any but the Priefs to offer the-legal Sacrifices, and may the Evangelical Sacrifice be offer'd, without Offence, by any Hands not lawfully ordain'd?