enter into Covenant with Mifchief, and Commence Tyrants by Turning Minifters of Chrift? If not, where is the Force of this Argument against Difcipline, from the Abuses of it in the Hands of the Clergy? What Things, I pray, are not subject to Abufes? the Worship of God, the Sacraments, the Scriptures, have been all abus'd; not one Office from the Scepter to the Conftable's-Staff, but Some time or other has been abus'd, and are all Thefe then to be laid afide for fear of Corruption? if not, why is the Government of the Church to be wrefted out of the Epifcopal Hands for this Reason?

But this is not all, for the Queftion turns not fo much upon the Nature of the Difcipline, as the Authority of its Founder: For if Chrift has Jet up a Kingdom of his own, perfectly distinct from that of Cæfar, and fet apart his own Minifters, and lodg'd the Government in their Hands alone, with particular exprefs Rules about Order and Difcipline, aud promis'd to be with them to the end of the World, and if Men will call this Government Tyrannical, it reflects directly upon the Founder, however 'tis a Tyranny of Divine Inftitution, and must be obey'd, be the Confequen ces of Obedience what they will. And if fuck a Form of Church-Government, and the Particulars of Difcipline already mention'd, are not evident from Scripture and Church-Hiftory, 'tis in vain to argue any thing from either, if they are evident, then tho Circumstances may be varyed, yet as to Subftance, they are Both Invariable, be caufe of Divine Appointment; unless the Word of God can as evidently be produced for the Inwefting the Civil Magiftrate with an entire Au

thority

thority in Spiritual Matters upon his Embracing Christianity, this then is the Point to be proved.

After all, what is this Tyranny, or Abuse of Church-Power, which is charged upon our Church? Why nothing but a Primitive Right of Proceeding against Notorious Sinners, either by Cenfure, Sufpenfion, or Excommunication, accor→ ding to the Nature of the Crime, and the Degrees of Obftinacy; and upon Hearty Repentance, to Receive 'em again. And is this any more Tyranny, than what the meanest Society pretends to over its Members, as well as the Church? without which, there will not in Time be fo much as the Face of Religion, or the very Virtue of Hypocrify left amongst us. Now that which I wou'd leave upon the Mind of my Readers from bence, is this

1st, That we fearch the Scriptures, and the Primitive Fathers to know what Particulars in Difcipline are appointed by God, and do what we can to have them Reftor'd to Life again. 2dly, That we Confider feriously what the Refor mation of Manners, and the Reputation of Chrift's Church require farther in Point of Difcipline, and berein Copy after the Ancients in what is most edifying. And, 3dly, That we take all the Care imaginable not to exceed the Bounds of our Com miffion, and intrench upon the Civil Prerogative, but perfue our Orders as deliver'd in Scripture, and Understood and Practis'd by the First and Faithfullest Minifters of Chrift, then fall we proceed upon the most warrantable Grounds, and be fure to Render unto Cæfar the Things that are Cæfar's, and unto God the Things that are God's.

I have now done with the Three Things propos'd; viz. Concerning the Ufe and Authority of the Fathers; Concerning the Objections againft them, and The ill Confequences of too lightly Departing from them.

And if I have prov'd the Ancients, incomparably the beft Interpreters of the Divinely-inspired Writings, if I have done Juftice to their injur'd Memories, or in fome measure wip'd off the Dirt and Calumny of Ill-given Criticks; if I have expos'd the Tragical Effects of indulging our private fancies in Religion, and of furrendring up our felves entirely to the Conduct of clear Ideas in matters of Faith, without vouchsafing to conJult thofe who were inftructed by the Apoftles. If I have gone out of the way a while, the deeper to imprint the Indifpenfibleness of the Primitive Difcipline in fome Particulars; and if these are but too feafonable Subjects in this Age of Licentioufnefs, where Men will be Chriftians without Baptifm, and Priefts of their own Ordination, and Eat and Drink at their own Tables in Remembrance of Chrift, in the Nature of a Grace-Cup merely; Then I hope Digreffions of this Kind may be Tolerable in fuch a Crifis; and that I fhall not be condemn'd at least by the Lovers of Chriftian Antiquity, for being fo Long in the Vindication of the best Men next the Apoftles, and the best Books next the Bible. I was willing likewife to say what I cou'd, to infufe an Ambitious Warmth into the Tounger Clergy of entring upon the Study of Divinity, with the Scriptures in Conjunction with the Fathers, and to Form their Notions, and Fafhion their Minds by the Doctrine and Example of

Christ

Chrift and his Apoftles, and the Noble Army of Martyrs; and not to take up, and quench their Thirst with the Corrupted Streams of Modern Syftems; and the Publick, I'm fure, has nothing to fear from a Clergy fo Initiated. For they will inStruct their People in Primitive Holiness, and Primitive Obedience; They will have a just and knowing Zeal for the Unalienable Rights of the Christian Church, and a judicious Charity and Tenderness for their Diffenting Brethren, They will never preach up the Church into Secular Dominion, nor preach it down to a Kirk for the fake of Unity. They will do what is poffible, according to the Apostle's Rule, to live peaceable with all Men; they will part with their Coat and Cloke alfo towards an Accommodation, but they cannot be fo Comprehenfive as to part with their Head, they cannot in duty to Chrift and his Apofiles, or in Refpect to their Succeffors till of refterday, comply with an Ordination without a Bifhop. They are ready to pay all Deference to the Moderns in Points of Philofophy, but can fee no reafon to depart from the Ancients in fuch Matters of Divinity, as they univerfally agree upon. And therefore I fhall speak yet but once more in the behalf of the Fathers, and that too in the Words of Job, *Enquire, I pray thee, of the former Age, and prepare thy felf to the search of their Fathers. For we are but of Yesterday, and know nothing. Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter Words out of their Heart.

Job chap, 8. ver. 8, 9, 10.

ER

PREF

ERRAT A.

1.

1. 14.

REF. p. x. 1. 23. r. convenient. p. lxxxviii. 1. 19. for other, r. of the. p. 16. No. 1. 3. for fome, r. fame. p. 27. No. 1. 1. r. fufpenfion. p. 28. No. 1. 4. r. 5. p. 29. 1. 11. for mortal, r. immortal. p. 65, No. 1. 2. r. vsue. 1. 5. r. wisews. p. 73. L. 14. after bide, add themselves. p. 81. No. 1. 7. r. potirentur. p. 83. No. 1. 5. r. iviál. p. 84. No. 1. 4. r. λófor. p. 94. λόγον. r. opiniatrety. p. 107. No. 1. 25. r. Inov. 1. 29. r. Eadóv. p. 115. No. 1. 26. r. wegesws. 1. 31. r. wegesŵs. p. 116. No. 1. 21. wolnerov, &c. begins a new Note. p. 117. No. 1. 23. r. cuxaεισήσας. 1. 37. r. ευχαρισία. p. 118. No. 1. 15. r. αναμνήσε. p. 119. No. 1. 1. r. ἐπιβλέπης. Ι. 2. r. καταπέμψης. 1. 17. το πάς ib. r. iπdonut. ib. r. aéfav. p. 120. l. 37. for most, г. must. p. 122. No. 1. 25. r. didáxonuw. p. 127. l. 10. r. Saturday, p. 268. No. l. I. r. Xenophon. I. 14. r. Xenophon. p. 269. No. 1. 25. r. woλλoì. p. 276. No. I. 22. r. Delphi. p. 277. No. 1. 1. r. Avib. 1.2. r. ifnalnutún. 1. 19. r. Deorum. p. 290. No. 1. 10. r. ON. P. 299. No. 1. 4. r. Kaioas. p. 308. No. 1. 4. r. weisest. ibid. Chuaivd. p. 328. No. 1. 13. r. Xysti. p. 365. No. 1. 28. r. n. P. 366. No. penul. r. Scripturis. 367. No. 1. 10. r. A77Ini?wv.