dering the whole precarious, and without, any foundation. And it is a fuppofing, that Providence is more obliged to ftand, by a church fet up in direct oppofition to his inftitution, than by that church which Chrift himfelf has founded, and promised to be with it to the end of the world. And though he has permitted errors and herefies to overfpread feveral parts of it, at several times, for the probation of the elect, like the waining of the moon, yet has he not left himself without witnefs, and has reftored light to her, pursuant to his promife, that the gates of hell fhould not prevail against her: and this by the means of his fervants and substitutes, the Bishops of his church, whom he has not deferted. All of whom, through the whole world always did, and still do maintain and own the Apoftolick Creed. And wherein fome, as the Arians, have perverted the fenfe of fome articles, that lafted but a fhort time; and the truth has been more confirmed by it, in the unanimous consent and teftimony of the whole epifcopal college, to the primitive doctrine which they had received from the beginning. God healed thefe herefies in his own way, by the Bishops and Governors' of his church, whom he had appointed, and without any infraction upon his own infti

tution.

。

Andes obfervable that these herefies began by infraction, which men made upon his inftitution of Bithops, as Arius, an ambitious prefbyter, first rose up against his Bishop, before he was given up to that vile herefy, which he vented afterwards by degrees, to gain a party after him, thereby to maintain the oppofition which he had made against his Bishop; and, by a just judgment, he fell from one error to another, till he at last com pleated that deteftable herefy which bears his name.

And in all the annals of the church, whether under the law or the gofpel, there is not one inftance of a schifin against the priesthood which God had appointed; but great errors in doctrine and worship did follow it. Thus the priesthood which Micah fet up of his own head, and that which Jeroboam fet up in oppofition to that of Aaron, both ended in idolatry. Thus the Novations and Donatifts, who made fchifms against their Bishops, fell into grievous errors, though they did not renounce the faith.

And into what grofs errors, both as to doctrine and worship, has the church of Rome fallen, fince her Bifhop fet up for univerfality, and thereby commenced that grand fchifm against all

the Bishops of the earth, whom he fought to depress under him; but while he would thruft other churches from him, he thrust himfelf from the Catholic church.

What hydra heresfies, and monftrous fects (fifty or fixty at one time, of which we have the names) flowed like a torrent into England, in the times of forty-one, after epifcopacy was thrown down!

So evident is that faying, that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, that we can hardly find any error which has come into the church, but upon an infraction made upon the episcopal authority.

XIV. An Infallible Demonftration of Epifcopacy.

For which this is to be faid, that it has all the four marks before-mentioned, to ascertain any fact, in the concurrent teftimony of all churches, at all times; and therefore must infallibly be the government which the Apostles left upon the earth. To which we must adhere till a greater authority than theirs shall alter it.

I doubt not but all this will determine you to the church of England, and keep you firm to episcopacy, as a matter not indifferent.

And I pray God, that "he who hath begun a gwork in you, may perfect it until the day of Jefus Chrift. Amen."

A

DISCOURSE

ON THE

QUALIFICATIONS REQUISITE TO ADMINISTER THE SACRAMENTS.

The Neceffity of an outward Commission to the Minifters of the Gospel.

SOME Quakers having perused my discourse of Baptism, think the Quaker arguments against it fufficiently answered; and they have one difficulty remaining, that is, who they are (among the various pretenders) that are duly qualified to admi

nifter it.

And if fatisfaction can be given to them herein, they promise a perfect compliance to that holy inftitution.

The chief thing they feem to ftand upon is, the perfonal holinefs of the administrator, thinking that the fpiritual effects of baptism cannot be conveyed by the means of an unfanctified inftrument.

But

yet they confefs that there is fomething elfe neceffary befides the perfonal holiness of the administrator: otherwise they would think themselves as much qualified to administer it as any others; because, I prefume, they fuppofe themselves to have as great a measure of the Spirit as other men.

This requifite which they want is that of lawful ordination. But the Prefbyterians, Independents, and Baptists do pretend to this; therefore their title to it is to be examined.

And, that we may proceed the more clearly in this matter with refpect still to that difficulty upon which the Quakers lay the ftrefs, we will enquire concerning thofe qualifications which are

requifite in any perfon that fhall take upon him to adminifter the facraments of Chrift's inftitution.. And,

Thefe qualifications are of two forts, perfonal or facerdotal.

1. Perfonal; the holiness of the administrator. And though this is a great qualification to fit and prepare a man for such an holy administration, yet this alone does not fufficiently qualify any man to take upon him fuch an administration.

2. But there is moreover required, a facerdotal qualification; that is, an outward commiffion to authorife a man to exccute any facerdotal or minifterial act of religion: For, "Fhis honour no man taketh unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was "Aaron." Heb. 5, 4. "So alfo Chrift glorified not himself to "be made an high-pricft; but he that faid unto him, Thou art my fon-Thou art a priest, &c.”

Accordingly, we find that Chrift did not take upon him the office of a preacher, till after that outward commission given to him by a voice from heaven at his baptifm; for it is written, Matt. iv. 17, "From that time Jefus began to preach :" Then he began, and he was then " about thirty years of age," Luke iii. 23. Now no man can doubt of Chrift's qualifications before that time, as to holinefs, fufficiency, and all perfopal endowments. And if all these were not fufficient to by tift himself without an outward commiffion, what other man cah pretend to it upon the account of any perfonal excellencies in himfelf without an outward commiffion?!?

3. And as Chrift was outwardly commiffioned by his Father, so did not he leave it to his difciples, to every one's opinion of his own fufficiency to thrust himself into the vineyard; but chofe twelve Apoftles by name, and after them feventy others of an inferior order, whom he fent to preach.

4. And as Chrift gave outward commiffions while he was upon the earth, fo we find that his Apostles did proceed in the fame method after his afcenfion. Acts 14, 23. "They ordained them elders in every church."

5. But had they who were thus ordained by the Apostles, power to ordain others? Yes, Titus i. 5. 1 Tim. v. 22. "For this "caufe left I thee in Crete, that thou fhouldest ordain elders in "every city. Lay hands fuddenly on no man, &c." St. Clement, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, writing concerning the fchifm which was then rifen up amongst them, fays, parag. 44, "That the Apoftles foreknowing there would be contests

"concerning the episcopal name, (or office) did themselves ap"point the perfons:" and not only fo, left that might be faid to be of force only during their time; but that they " afterwards " established an order how, when those whom they had ordained "fhould die, others, fit and approved men, fhould fucceed them "in their miniftry." Par. 43. "That they who were in"trusted with this work by God in Chrift, did constitute these "officers.".

But this matter depends not upon the teftimony of him, or many more that might be produced: it is such a public matter of fact, that I might as well go about to quote particular authors to prove that there were Emperors in Rome, as that the Ministers of the church of Chrift were ordained to fucceed one another, and that they did fo fucceed.

The deduction of this commission is continued in the fucceffion of Bishops, and not of Prefbyters.

But here is a difpute whether this fucceffion was preserved in the order of Bishops or Prefbyters? Or whether both are not the fame?

1. This is the contest betwixt the Prefbyterians and us; but either way it operates against the Quakers, who allow of no fucceffion derived by outward ordination.

2. But because the defign of this difcourfe is to fhew the fucceffion from the Apoftles, I answer that this fucceffion is preferved and derived only in the Bifhops; as the continuance of any fociety is deduced in the fucceffion of the chief governors of the fociety, not of the inferior officers. Thus in kingdoms we reckon by the fucceffion of the kings, not of fheriffs or conftables; and in corporations by the fucceffion of the mayors, or other chief officers, not of the inferior bailiffs or ferjeants: fo the fucceffion of the churches is computed in the fucceffion of the Bishops, who are the chief governors of the churches; and not of prefbyters, who are but inferior officers under the Bishops.

3. And in this the matter of fact is as clear and evident as the fucceffion of any kings or corporations in the world.

To begin with the Apostles; we find not only that they conftifuted Timothy Bishop of Ephefus, and Titus of Crete, as in the fubfcriptions of St. Paul's epiftles to them, but in Eufebius, and other ecclefiaftical hiftorians, you have the Bishops named who were conftituted by the Apostles themselves over the then famous