their Councils abridged. 2 S. 64. And indeed neither nature nor Scripture obligeth us to turn fuch occafional helps into the forms of 'a State policy, and to make a Go- vernment of friendly confultations. And therefore thoùgh where it may be done without fear of degenerating into tyranny, known times of Ra- ted Synods or meetings ofPaftors for Concord arebelt, (as once a month in leffer meetings, andonce a quarter in greater,) yet where there is dan- gerof fuchdegeneracy, it is better tohold them but pro re natâ,, occafion ally, at various feafons and places. 4. 65. The letter Synods and correfpondency of Pali ors before there were Chrifttan Magiftrates were managed much more humbly and harm- telly than the great ones afterward Becaufe that men and their intereft andmotives differed. And evenof later times, there havebeenfew Coun- cils called General, that have been managed fo blamelefly, or made fo many profitable Canons, as many Provincial or fmaller Synods did. Di- vers Tolerane Councils, and many others in Spain, England, and other Countrieshave labouredwell to promote piety and peace As did the A- frican Synods, andmanyothers of old. And fuch as thefe have been fer- viceable to the Church. And theGreater Councils, though more turbu- lent have manyof them donegreat good, againft Herefie and Vice ; efpe ciallythe firft at Nice: And nothing in this Book is intended to cloud their worth and glory, or to extenuate any good which they have done: But I am thankful to God that gave his Church fo many worthy Paltors, and made fo muchufe as he didofmany Synods for the Churches purity and peace. 4. 66. But the true reafon , of this Collection, and why I have befides good products, madefo muchmention of the errours and mifchiefs that many Councils have been guilty of, arethefe following. L. The carnal and afpiring part of theClergy, do very ordinarily, un- der the equivocal names of Bithops, confound the Primitive Epifcopacy with the Diocefanetyranny before defcribed : And they make the ignorant, believe, that all that isfaid in Church-Writers for Epifcopacy, is faid for their DiocefaneSpecies: And while they put down anhundred ora thoufand Bifhops and Churches of the PrimitiveSpecies, theymakemen believe that it is they that are for the old Epifcopacy, and we that. are - againft it, and that it is we and not they that are againft the Church : whilewe are fubmif- five to themas Arch- bithops, if they would but leaveParifhes tobe Churches (or Great Towns formerly calledCities at leaft) and make the Difcipline of all Churches but apoffible practicable thing. f. 67. 1l. And topromote their ends, as thefe men are for the largeft Dioceffes and turning a thoufand Churchesinto one only, fo they are com- monly forviolent Adminiftration, ruling by conftraint, and either ufurp- mg the powerof the fword themfelves, or perfwading and urging the Ma- giftrate to punifh all that obey not their needlefs impofitions, and reproach- ing or threatning (at leaft) the Magiftrates that will not be their Execu- tioners. Andmaking themfelves the Church fnuffers, (ot, made without E the
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