May man make new [hu~·c!J,farms or Officers ! 837 or the wholeClergy or both, which they Reprefent, Reprefcntation oftho[c that are noNational Head maketh them not aNational Head. · ' 3 . From the ordinary judgement of Epifcopal Divines, (maintained by Bi01op Bilfim and tnany others at large againfi the Papifis ) that all Bifhops jute divino arc Equal and lndependant, further than humane Laws, or Agreements or difference of Gifts may dilfcrence them, or as they arc bound tO , 011 fociat1on for Concord. 6. How (hall I deny not only the Lawfulntfl, but thenwffity of fuch a Papacy as really was in the Roman Empire, on your grounds? l have proved againfi W. J ohnfon that thePope was then actually but the Head ofthe lmpenal Churches, and not of all the World. And tf there mufi be one N"ional Ecdcfiafiical Head under one King, why not one alfo in one Empire ?And whether it be one Monarch, or a colldlivc pcrfon,it is fiill one Political perfon which is now in quefiion. (Either aRuling Pope, or i Ruling Arif\ocracy or Democracy, which is not the _great matter in Co~trovcrG:. ) ?• And why will not the-lime Argument carry 1t alfo, for one Umverfal VJ_fible Head_ of all the Churches in the Wmld ? at teal\ as Lawful? At lea(\ _as far as humane capaCity and convcrfe will allow? And who {ball choofc this Univerfal Head ? And who can lay fo fair a claim to it" as the Pope? And if the form be indifferent, why m.iY not the Churches by confent at leaf\, fer up one man as well as many? Whether ymt carry it to an Imperial CburciJ, or aPap.zl, to a Patriarchal, or 'Provincial or N.ttional, till'you have proved it td be of Pivine infiitution, (and Particular Churches to beunn:uffary, alterableand of humilnt inftitution, ) I lhall neyct grant you that it is (O be preferred before thai which,is unquefiionably of Go~. For though I ~afily grant that all the Churches of a Nac tion Empire or the World, are to be mt>re efieemed and carefullnrefervcd, than one B1fhops or Pa– fior; particulu Church; yet I will not grant you that )JQ#t humane policy is more neceffarY to the f•fctyof all thcfc Churches than the Divine. For the fafety of !hefc Churches may be hetter_preferveil by G•d 1 ihree grtal mtaHJ ('I· The pohty of parttcular Churches wtth the conduct of thm prefent faithful Bilhops or Pa£\orS ; 2. The lovingConfociation ofNeighbour Churches for Concord; 3· The prow1ion and countenance~~ ~a~iftratcs) without any ne~ Chu~ch-fotm, (or National or Imperial or Univetfal Pafior ) than wuh 11. ·' · . . N•y when that fort of ufurpation hath been the very Engine of dividing, c!orruptiog and und6ing' the Chrifiian Chutchcs above a thoufand years, we are not eafily pcrfwaded now, that yet it is either nccdfJry or defirablc. 1 g, But thebefl and eafiefl way to difcern how far the-making new"Churches or Church offices is bwful or unlawful, is by trying it by the quality of their officc·wor/!,_. For it is thewor/!,. which giveth us the defcription of \he office ; _and theoffict9f the ~uling pm, which giveth us the definition cf the Church, which that office cOnfiituteth. '- "' ~ " ' · '· ·· · · Tile work .which the new humine officer is to do, is either, I. The fame which God bath already appointed Bilhops or Pafiors to do, Or at leafi rthe unfixedMinifiers in the univerfalChurch; 2• Or ~ it is fuch as hehathappoinredMagijlralestodo; 'l• Or it is fuch as bdongeth to private and la)t · · men; 4• Or it is fomewhat different from all i:hefc. .. · 1 , If it be of thefir]~ fort, it is acontradiCtion. For men that :he by office appointed to do the fame worit which Minifiers arc already appointed to do, are not antJV office, but Minijlers indeed, fuch as Chrifl ,hatlr infiituted : for the offise is nothing but an Obligation and Authority 10 do the work. . -.. lf it be the fame"'"!\. which bdongeth to the Magijlratt, then it is no new office, for they :ire Magijlram. 3 • If it be that which belong<th to prlDate men, by Gods appointment, they cannot Sifoblige the\n, felves by transferring it to anew officer: . _ . '\-· If it be none of all thefe, what IS 11·? I doubt 1t may prove fame nccdlefsor rather finful work, which God committed to none of thefe three forts, and therefore uhfit to make aChurch·office of. Unlefs it be fuch as I before defcribe~ and gran·red. r. I confefs that the Magi!Irate may make new inferiour 'officers, to do hisowa~art ( As·Chu~ch-Jutlices, Church-warde_ns, &c.) 2. I grant that the people may make an office for the better domg of fame parts of therr own Work : They may make Col– leam, Door·k,!tprrs, Artijlsby office, to keep the Clock, and Bells, and ~hurch-buildings, &c, if the M1gitlntcs leave it to them. · 3 • I grant that the Bifhops or Pafiors ll\ay do fame circumjla11cts of their work by humane officerS i As to facilitate their concord in Synods, by choofing one to prefide> to choofe time and place, to fend rndfengets to take votes, to moderate difputes, to record 'agr~emcnts, &c. as aforefaid: And thcfC circurnO:antials are the things that officers may be made for. . But the very modes and circum/lG.cu which are part. ~f the worJt to which every B"tfhop or Pafior is· obliged, ?e cannot commit to an(n!W:r ; As to ,hooft: his ttxt,jubjelJ, methOd, wordt, ecc. Thefe arc partS of his own work: ThoughConcord in thefe is the work of many. Now what is the work hefides all thefe that we mu!\ have tiew Churches arid effices tllade for 1 ·ts it to Govern all thefc B1fhops and Churches? l'low? By the Word or by the Sword 1 I( by the Sword, .the Magijlratt b to do it ? If by the Word ( or JPiritual Authority) either God. hath made fuch an office as Arch·b•fhops or General B1fhops over many, or he bath not : If he have, we nee? no new humane office for it, God having provided for it already: If not, but God hith left all Bi· ~ops indepcndant, ~nd to learn of one another, as .equals inOffice, and Unequal only in gifu, then ~tthtr (~eh an office ~s fit and necetfary o! not. If 1t be, you accufe Go~ of omillion in not appoint.. mg aB"!filOp rNer 1!1fhops as well as a B1fhop of the lowefi ord·er. If not, then liy wh>.t rcafim or 0 o o oo 2 powct
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