forma choofeth the Bishop, which is the higheft Point of Jurifdiction. And that the Bishop, when he giveth Orders, if there be any Ministers cafually prefent, calleth them, to join with him, in Impofition of Hands, and fome other Particulars. And therefore it feemeth to me, a thing Reasonable and Religious, and according to the first Institution, that Bishops in the greatest Causes, and thofe that require a Spiritual Difcerning; Namely, in Ordaining, Sufpending, or Depriving Minifters; In Excommunication (being restored to the true and proper Ufe; as shall be afterwards touched;) In fentencing the validity of Marriages, and Legitimations; In judging Caufes Criminous, Simony, Incest, Blafphemy, and the like; fhould not proceed fole and unaffifted. Which Point, (as I understand it) is a Reformation, that may be planted without Noife, without any Perturbation at all: And is a matter which will give Strength to the Bishops; Countenance to the Inferior Degrees of Prelates or Ministers; And the better fue or Proceeding to thofe Causes, that fhall pass.

Certainly what this great Man, once a Glorious Ornament of our State, has faid upon this Occafion, deserve at least to be well weighed and confidered: And it is not improbable but if his Difcourfe had been examined when it was first Written, and the Reformation he here proposes had been made or fomething like it at that time, it might have been a great Means to have prevented that miferable Confufion and Destruction of this Church and State, which fome-time after followed. It muft at least have stopped those loud Exclamations against the Tyranny of Episcopacy and the uselesness of Deans and Chapters, which were

made

made at the beginning of thofe unhappy Troubles in 1641, and which there could have been no color for, if the Bishops would have remitted a little the Exercife of their Jurifdiction Solely and without Affeffors, and have taken in the Affistance of their Presbyteries, the Deans and Chapters.

But leaft it should be faid, that this perfon was a Lay-man, and tho' otherwise a Man of most excellent Parts and Learning, and of extraordinary Judgment, yet as appears from fome parts of that very Difcourfe from whence this Paffage was taken, did not throughly understand the Nature of Church-Government. I will add hereto the words of an Eminent Presbyter of this Church, a Person who understood the Ecclefiaftical Conftitution both of the Primitive Church and our own, at least as well as any Man now living will pretend to do, and has wrote most admirably in Defence of it, I mean Mr. Thorndike, who concludes his Primitive Government of Churches (which I have before cited at the beginning of this Chapter) after this manner :

Having spoken of the Honor and Esteem which the Learned of the Reformed Churches abroad have profeffed of the State of our Churches with regard to Epifcopacy, he proceeds, and fays; But he that acknowledgeth and is glad to fee thefe Heads (meaning the Bishops) ftand in their right Place, looking back upon their Beginning, which was to fucceed the Apoftles over feveral Presbyteries, in the place which they held over all for the Time, muft needs mifs their Relatives, the "Bodies of these Presbyteries, in the Government ⚫ of Churches. And tho' that Alteration can

" not

not be charged upon any Man, which is come to pass thro' Time and infenfible Custom : Efpecially, feeing it cannot be counted an Alteration in this Church of England, be'cause we are to think it had prevailed in the • Church before this Nation received the Faith: Yet muft it needs be remembred, by him that believeth all the Evil Confequences which this Government is charged with, whether in Opinion or Truth, to have come from the Discharge of Presbyters from their part of the Office. One particu lar no Man need to be Nice in reckoning to be of that Nature, tho' it is not in the Power ' of one Man (were he as much in Love as I am with the Primitive Form) or scarce of one Age, without a Publick Act to mend it: That is, the committing of Jurifdiction at large, (even that which is proper and effential to the Church, by the Power of the Keys which our Lord hath given it) in effect, to 6 Lay-Perfons. Which Jurifdiction, tho' for the prefent, it pafs not on prefent Advice, but upon Laws of the Church for the purС pofe, yet fo long as Laws are General and Few, Cafes particular and numberlefs, will always deferve to be exercifed, with mature and charitable Advice of thofe to whose 'Charge our Lord firft committed it, if we mean to attain the ends of Correction and ' Example. Though the Profeffion by which it is miniftred, deferve to retain the Rank it holdeth, in regard of thofe other Points of Jurifdiction in charitable Caufes, by the Favour of Princes, and Laws of Common• Wealths annexed to the Church, paffing as it doth, by the Laws whereof they profefs • Knowledge

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Knowledge. This Inconvenience, if fuch it be counted, feemeth to proceed from that. unfenfible Change whereof hath been faid: For had the Presbyteries continued, as at the Beginning, upon the Exercife of this Difcipline of Penance, it is not to be thought that Power could have been fo lightly alienated as 'from one, wherein a Number had their Intereft. But this and the like Confequences 'feem to have brought this undue Opinion upC on the Church-Government, that as Cathedral Churches long fince, fo now the State of Bifhops among indifferent Men, is counted a matter of Indifference: Which had they 'continued in the Primitive Charge, muft 'needs have been counted, as counted they 'ought to be, inviolable. And therefore as L the cafe ftandeth, it is neither poffible nor desired, to call the whole Presbytery of a 'Diocess to a share in the Publick Government; yet let me have leave to fay, that the next courfe to retrieve the Primitive Form, 'with the wholfome Grounds and Confequen'ces of it, is to reinftate these Presbyteries in 'Cathedral Churches, and perhaps in other po'pulous Places, Seats of Jurifdictions where 'the Diocefs is great, furnishing them with ' number of Men of Abilities, and joining 'them with and under the Bishops, in all parts ' of the Office hitherto proved common to 'both. It feems the means that hath brought 'to pass this infenfible change whereof we fpeak, was from the Beginning no other than this; Because the Form of proceeding was 'never regulated by Canons of the Church, 'but left to particular Custom: And therefore it is past my Apprehenfion how more 'Right

Right fhould be done, than diftributing the 'common Charge into particular Intereft, by 'fuch Rules as may best express those general Terms, which the pureft Primitive Times C were content with; that as without the Bifhop nothing to be done, fo the Bishop to do nothing without Advice of his Presbyters. The Performance of Divine Service in the Cathedral, Common-Senfe finds too flight a Work for fuch Perfons; The Cures of all Churches within fuch populous Places, if they belonged to their Titles, would be a Work futable to fuch prime Abilites. Then in the Exercise of the Power of the Keys in the Discipline of Penance, Trial, and Approbation of Perfons prefented to Cures, or Affiftance of Cures, according to Laws, (ex'cluding all Ordinations without fuch Title) 'cenfure of Offences in Doctrine, or Life of 'Perfons Ordained, always under the Bishop, and for his Affiftance, are Works that require mature Advice, and pafs best in com'mon for Satisfaction to the Publick, Matters ' of Religion being by Nature more popular than the Common-Wealth.

This is the Opinion of two as great Men for Learning and Abilities as this Nation ever bred, and the Reasons they give for it, appear to me to be very strong and Cogent, and worthy the most ferious Confideration : And without Difpute, if ever any end be put to our unhappy Divisions in matters of Religion, it must be by fome fuch Method. If ever the North or South of Great Britain be happily united into one Church as they are now into one State, it must be by reftoring the Presbyteries to the Bishop, as in the Apoftolical and moft Primitive