206 Ehe LIFE of the Y. B. I. though I found that it was that which was the end of his Defign. This Jug'er hath this Twenty years and more gone up and down thus fecretly, and alto thruft himfelf into places of Publick Debate ; ( as when the Bithops and Divines difputed before the King at the Ifle of Wight, &c.) And when we were lately offering our Propofals for Concord to the King, he thrult in among us; till I was fain plainly' to decal him before fome of the Lords, which enraged him, and he denied the words which in fecret he had fpokento me! And many Men of Parts and Learn- ing are perverted by him. I6r. In this time of my abode at the LordBraghill's, fell out all the Acquain- tance I had with the molt Reverend , Learned , Humble, and Pious Primate of Ireland, Archbilhop Ufher, then living at the Earl of Peterborough's Houfe in Mar-. tin's-Lane. Sometimes he came to me, and oft i went to him : And Dr. Kendal who had wrote pettifhly againft me about Univerfàl Redemption, and the Speri. ficationofSaving Grace, defired nie, ( when I had anfwered oneof his Inveltives, and had written part of the Anfwer to the other ) to meet him at Bifitop Ufher's Lodgings, and refer the matter to himfor our Reconciliation and future Silence : which I willingly did, and when the Bifhop had declared his Judgment for that Doctrine of Univerfal Redemption which Iafferted, and gloried that he was the Matt that brought Bithop Davenant and Dr I'reffon to ir, he perfwaded us (who were both willing) to Silence for the time to come. § 62. In this time I opened to hilltopUfher the motions ofConcord which I had made with the Epifcopal Divines, and defiredhis Judgment of my Terms, which were thefe : r. That every Paftor be the Governour , as well as the Teacher of his Flock. z. In thofe Parifhes that have moré Presbyters than one , that one be the flared Prefident. 3. That in every Market Town, or force filch meet Divifi- ons, there be frequent Affemblies of Parochial Paftors affociated for Concord and mutual AfliFance in their Work; and that in thefe Meetings, one be a Fated, (not a temporary Prefident). 4. That in every County or Diocefs there be every year, or half year, or quarter, an Affembly of all the Minihers of the County or Dio- cels; and that they alfò have their fixed Prefident ; and that in Ordinationnothing be done without the Prefrdent, nor in matters of common or publick concern- ment. y. That the coercive Power or Swordbe medled with by none but Magi - ffrates. To this Senfe were my Propofals ; which the toldme might fuffice for Peace and Unity amongmoderate Men : But when he had offered the like to the King, intemperate Men were difpleafed with him, and theywere then rejetéed; but afterwardwould have been accepted : And fuch Succefs I was like to have. I had heard of his Predi&ions that Popery would be rellored again in England for a fhorttime, and then fall for ever. And asking him of ir, he pretended to me no prophetical Revelation for it, to himfelf, but only his Judgment of the Senfeof the Apocalyps. § 63. Iasked him alfo his Judgment about the validityof Presbyters Ordination; which he afferted, and told me, that the King asked him at the 111e of Wight, whereever he found in Antiquity that Presbytersalone ordained any ? and that he anfwered, I can chew your Majefly more, even where Presbytersalone fucceflvely ordained Bithops; and inftanced in Hierom's Words Epifl. ad Evagrium, of the Presbyters of Alexandria chuffing and making their own Bifhops from the Days of .Mark, till Heraclus and Dianyfiur. I asked him alfo whether the Paper be his that is called [ A Redaction of Epifiopacy to the Farm of Synodical Government ] which he owned ; and Dr. Bernard after witneffedto be his. b 64. And of his own Accord he told me confidently, [That Synods are norpro- per y for Government, but for Agreement among the Paftors anda Synodof Billups are not the Governors of any one Eifhop there prefect ]. Though no doubt but every Pa- llor out of the Synod, being a Ruler of his Flock, a Synod of fuch Pallors may there exercifè Alls of Government over their Flocks, though they be but Alts of Agreement or Contraté for Concord one towards another. Quere, If the whole Sy- nod have no governing Power over its Members, barb the Prefident of that Synod any qua talcs ? § 6q, When OliverCromwel was dead,and his Son almofl as Coon pull'd down as fet up (or upon their Tumults voluntarily refigned their Places) the Anabaptilts grew infolenr, in England and Ireland ; and joining with their Brethren in the Ar- my, were every where put in Power ; and thofe of them that before lived in fome teemingFriendlinefi near me at Bewdley, began now to Phew that they cemem- bred all their former Provocations (by my publick Difputation with Mr. Tombe,, and writingagainft them, and hindring their increafein thofe parts.) And though they
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