iitii4f44444444444444i44_44 Reverend Sir, Stier(landing by the Preface to thhe Readerbefore your Gi1da: Salviaáus, thatyou intend a fecend part,whereinyou promife fY to Jpeak of the wayhow to dafcern the true Church and Mini- ßry, I make bold to_prefent youwith the defare offume Godly MMntft¿rs :' viz. that of you fee it convenient,yon would de fore thing towards the vindication of :the"prefent Churches and Miruftersf rom theafperflonsof the newPrelatical party pz England. It is a principle much made ofby many ofthe Gentry andmthers, that we are but Schifmatacal branches brokenofffrom the true bodyr ; and thisby faith> full tradition is fftread amongft them: the learning oform rigid Prelatical Schol lire is veryprevalent with them to make them thus "at'count of tis. With thefe men we mull be all unchurchedfor calling off Oiocefanlïpiféepacy : though we bt found in thefaith, and would fpendour f Ives to fave fouls, and the main fubltance cfour Ordination ( at leaft) cannot befoundfault with; yet becaufe we had not a Itefhop t o lay his hands on us, we are hot fent fromGod. Ofwhat confequence this opau:onmayprove, if it fpreadwetbout being checked, art ordi- nary apprehenfion. mayperceive. I canpets fom: thing fromwhat 1 obfervefrom thofeofthis leaven already, that our mollferioies pains will be little regarded, if our people take this infelion; when we wouldawakenthem, we cannot, becaufe they take it that we baveno power to teach them. It mull not be men ofrItian parts that mull undertake more fully towipe of this reproach :for the learned ad= verfaries are tall cedars in knowledge in comparifon ofmany ofsts : andifmen ofparts do not grapple with them herein , they will cafzly carry the vote in many mens judgements ; for they judge that the greater Schollars byfar certainly haze the better an the contefì. Sir,We Viefeech youthatyou would improve your acquain- tance in Antiquity for our help in this cafe. Not that we would engage you in wraa.glingwith particular men by name, who will not wantwords: but how- ever cut would evidence it that our Ordination by Presbyters is not void, and of no e fct.1 have this reafon ready togive for this reque(l:for (betides what I had fo: mer ty heard) I was latelywithforce ofthofe not of the meatyft influence, whet urged tpt copacy as of abfolute necejfty,afirming that this of der the Church of God ever ohferved : and that it was doaebtlefs of Apoftolical irz(titution, being a thing of catholic tradition, and that's the belt (tandard to intepret Scriptureby. ghat then are we arrived at,that have forfaken the whole churchherein? Though x arm lit t!e verfed in the Ancients, yet I tell themwe acknowledge that foonafter the Apoftles times the name Bifhop came up as difiintt f om the Presbyters; but th n I call for their proof that the Primitive Bithops had thepower oflurisdation over Presbyters, or that to him onlyordinationwas appropriated. I tell them alto that we have certainevidence that infeme Churches theft Bithops were made by
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