PART II. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 251 8. TheWords which you here except againft withAdmiration .of theCorrup- tiens, Partialities, Tyranny, which Church -Government by a finglePerfori is lyable to, was taken by us outof the Book commonly afcribed to King Carlohimfelfcall- ed !con. Bag but we purpofely fuppreft his Name to try whether you wouldnot be as bitter again(( his Words, as againft owl, and did not efteem Fidem per perfonae, non perfonae per fidem. And further we reply, it is one thing for a Bithop to rule.alone when there are noPresbyters, or to rule the Presbyters themfelves alone: and another thing when hebath Presbyters yet to rule all the Flock alone; for by this means, he quoad Ex. ercitium at lean degradethall the reff, or changeth their Office ; which is toguide as well as to teach : As if the Generalof an Army, or the Collonel of a Regiment fhould rule all theSouldiers alone; doth he not thendepofe all his Captains, Lieu- tenants, Cornets, Corporals, Serjeants, erc. Bat efpecially, it is one thing for Ignatius his Bifhop of one Church that had but one Altar-to rule it alone (though yet he commandeth the People to obey their Presbyters ) and another thing for an Eng- lifh Diecefan to rule aThoufand fuch Churches alone And whenall is done, do they rule alone indeed ? Or doth not a Lay-Chancellor exercife the Keys? fo far as is ne- ceffary to fupprefi private Meetings for Fatting and Prayer, 6c. and to force all to the Sacrament, and enforce the Ceremonies, and Tome fuch things ; and for the great Difcipline it is almoft altogether left undone. We are forty that you fhould be able to be ignorant of this ; or if you know it, that fuch Camels flick not with you, but go down fo eafily. iInfiances of things arnifr. § 9. x. That which you cannot grant (that the Dioéeffes are to great) you would quickly grant if you-had ever confcionably tryed the task which Dr. Bam. mond defcribeth as theBifhops Wort ; yea, but for one Parifh, or hadever belie, ved Ignatius and other ancient Defcriptionsof a Bifhop's Church. -. But is it faithful dealing with your Brethren or your Confciences (pardon our Freedom in fo weighty a Cafe) to difpute as though you made a Bithop but an Archbilhop tofee bya general Infpeetion of the Parifh-Paffors that they do their Office, and as if they only ruled the Rulers of the particular Flocks ( which you know we never (trove againft )? when as no knowing Englilh Man can be igno- rant that our Bithops have the file overnment ofPaftors and People, having taken all Jurifdi&ion or proper Government (ornext all) from the particular Paltors ofthe Parithes, to themfelvesalone. Is not the Queffion rather as whether the King can rule all the Kingdom by the Chancellor, or a few-fuch Officers, without all the Jtìttices and Mayors ; or whether one Schoolmal'eer !hallonly rule a thoufandSchools and all the other Schoolmaflers only teach them. You know thatthe depriving of all the Parifh Pa/toreof the Keys ofGovernment is the mattedofour greatef .. Controverfies Not as it is any burr to them; but to the Church, and a certain Exclufionof all true Difcipline. And whether the Office of the Bithops of particular Churches infimi Ordinee, vel grades, benot for Perfonal Infpeetion and Miniftration, -es well as the Office of a.Shoolmafter or Phyfician, you will better know when you come to try it faithfully, or anfwer fearfully for Unfaithfulnefs. We know that the knowing Lord Bacon-in his Conderations -faith fo aswell as we, And for what you fay of Suffragans, you know there are none fuch. § no. z. We are glad thatin fogreat a matterasLae-Chaticellors:Exercifeof the Keys in Excommunications and Abfolutions, you are forced plainly, and without anyExcufè toconfers the Errors of the way of Government. And -let this ¡landon Record before the World toJuffif us when we fhallbo Silenced and reproached as Schifmaticks, for defiring the Reformation of fuch Abufes, and for not fwearing Canonical Obedienceto fucha Government. er. g. And you havealmoll as little to fay in this Cafe. Mark Reader, that we mutt all be Silenced, and caft out of our Offices, if we fubfcribe not to the Book of Ordination ex Anime, ae having nothing contrary to the Wordof God: And the very Preface of that beginnethwith the Affirmationof this Diftintien ofOrders, Q ces, Fnnd,'ions, from the Apoflles Days, and one of the Prayers afcribeth it to the Spirit of God.; and yet now it is here laid, that [whether aBilbop be a difiinEt Order from a Presbyter ornot, a none of the Dneftion]: That muff be none of the . Queftion when the King calleth them to treat for a Reconciliation or Unity, K k a which
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