F

We have not retained any of these Orders in the Church of England, both because we have no ground to derive them from the inftitution of Christ, or his Apostles, as we have for the Three Orders which we Retain; and also because the Offices which they performed may be, and are as well performed by other Perfons, and our Church Revenues will not maintain unnecessary attendants at the Altar. In the Cathedral Churches the Offices of the Subdeacons, Acolyths, Pfalmifts and Doorkeepers, are performed by the Singing-men, Vergers, &c. And in the Parish Churches by Parish Clerks and Sextons. The Readers part is performed by Priests or Deacons, and fo is the Exorcifts with relation to Catechifing: And for cafting out Devils, I know none among us pretend to be specially vefted with fuch a

Power.

(b) Rom. 16. 1.

There was alfo an Order of Women in the primitive Church, called Deaconeffes, fpoken of by (a) St. Paul, and fuch a one was (b) (4) 1 Tim. 5. 9. Phabe in the Church of Cenchrea, (c) Their & Tit. 2. 3. Business was to attend and wait upon the Bi-(e) Conftit. Ap. fhops, Priests and Deacons in the feveral lib. 3. cap. 15. Epiph. Hær. 79. Churches, to wash the Church Linen, and juftinian Nov. perform fuch other Offices as properly belong cap. to Women, and to prevent Scandal were always chofen out of Aged Widows. They were to affift at the Baptifms of Women, especially to prepare new Converts of that Sex, for the Reception of that Sacrament, when frequent Vifits from a Prieft or Deacon upon that occafion might give some caufe of Offence. They were alfo as Nurfes to the Ff4 Poor

Can. 19.

Poor and Impotent, which were maintain'd by the Publick Alms of the Church. They received no impofition of Hands, and were esteemed altogther Lay-perfons, as appears from the Council of Nice: And being no more than a prudential Inftitution for those first Ages of the Church, might be laid afide in after times as they are at present.

THE

441

T

The Conclufion.

HUS have I endeavoured without prejudice or partiality to give the best Account I am at prefent able to do concerning the Government and Governours of the Church, both as they were anciently in the Primitive Church and as they are at this Day in England. And have, I truft, in fome measure proved that the Government of the Church of England is Modeled as near as may be to that which was founded by Chrift and his Apostles; and that there are no Alterations made from the primitive Constitution but what the different State of the Church has made in fome manner neceffary. Indeed I have taken occafion to fhew that in some matters of Practice we have varied from the primitive Church. As that the Bishop should act folely without Assistants in all parts of his Function, even without the Advice or Concurrence of his Presbytery or Chapter, only that in conferring Orders he commonly takes two or three Clergy-men to lay on Hands together with him: And that he fhould depute his whole Jurifdiction to another, and that commonly a Lay-man. A thing altogether unheard of in any other Epifcopal Church. Let us hear what my (a) Lord Bacon (4) Baton's Refaid to this matter an hundred Years ago. As to the Deputation of their [the Bishops] Authority, I fee no perfect or fure Ground for that neither; being fomewhat different

from

mains, p. 249.

८

from the Examples and Rules of Government. The Bishop exerciseth his Jurifdiction by his Chancellor, and Commissary, Of'ficial, &c. We fee in all Laws in the World, Offices of Confidence and Skill, cannot be put over, nor exercised by Deputy, except it be efpecially contained in the Original Grant; and in that Cafe it is Dutiful. And ' for Experience there never was any Chan'cellor of England made a Deputy. There ' never was any Judge in any Court made a Deputy. The Bishop is a Judge, and of an high nature, whence cometh it that he fhould ' depute? Confidering that all truft and confidence is perfonal and inherent, and cannot, C nor ought not, to be Tranfpofed? Surely in this again; From the beginning it was not fo; But it is probable, that Bishops, when they gave themselves, too much, to the glory of the World, and became Grandees in Kingdoms, and great Councellors to Princes, then did they deleague their proper Jurifdictions as things of too inferior a Nature to their Greatnefs. And what this noble Lord fays, that from the beginning it was not fo, I have proved, and fhewn from the Authorities of Mr. Somner and Bishop Stilling fleet, two of our greatest Antiquaries, that thefe Officers called Chancellors, Commiffaries, Officials, &c. were not known, in England at least, till the Reign of King Henry II. about which time the Bishops took them for their Affiftants in the Dispatch of Caufes, when the King required their strict Attendance on the publick Affairs, in the fupreme Court of Parliament: And that this Custom was introduced when the Papacy was at the height, and that this and the fole exer

cife

cife of Jurifdiction by Bishops is no better than a Relick of Popery. As are alfo all exempt Jurifdictions, where Epifcopal Jurifdiction is exercised by thofe that neither are Bishops or derive their Authority by which they exercise fuch Jurifdiction from any Bishop, except an antiquated Authority from the Bishop of Rome, the grand fubverter and confounder of the true primitive and Apoftolical Difcipline as well as Doctrine of the Chriftian Church in all places where he could at any time ufurp an Authority and find the means to execute it.

Part. 11. Ch. 11.

However as to the fole exercife of Jurifdiction by the Bishop alone without Affiftants, it is not as, I have obferved, so much the fault of our Constitution as of our Practice, fince our Constitution still efteems the College of Presbyters, that is the Dean and Chapter to be a Council to the Bishop as well to affift him in his Calling, as to affent to every Grant, &c. Then as to the point of Deputing this Epifcopal Jurifdiction, our Law does perhaps make it in fome measure neceffary, if what (b) Sir Thomas Ridley fays be (b) view of Civ a part of the Law of this Realm, (for he only and Eecies. Law. quotes Canonifts for it) viz. That Chancellors Sect. 3. are fo neceffary Officers to Bishops, that every Bishop muft of neceffity have a Chancellor; and if any BiShop would feem to be fo compleat within himself, as that he needed not a Chancellor yet may the ArchbiShop of the Province wherein he is, compel him to take a Chancellor, or, if he refuse so to do, put a. Chancellor on him: For that the Law does prefume, it is a matter of more Weight, than one Man is able to fuftain, to govern a whole Diocese by himfelf alone; and therefore, howsoever the nomination of the Chancellor be in the Bishop, yet his Authority comes from the Law, and therefore he is no less accounted }