flmENDYX Numb.I. Except. Sea. r r. And elfewhere by Irony , he adds, 0 what is raj', thing it was to imprifon ( though when be was imprtfoned, I believe it mar by the Name of Dr: Wren, or Bifbop Wren)for excommunicating, depriving,&c. p.5x. andp. 68. (To begin at home it is molt certain, according to many ancient Canons (which are their Laws) our Englifh Bithops were incapable of ordaining ; for they loft their Authority by in: volving themfelves in fecular and publick Adminiftrations, Canon 80. Apafiólig,] N. B. ThatCanon is o. beyond the Canons Apoftolical, for even the Papiftsthem- felves admit but of fifty genuine, and he would ejeâ all our Bithops by the Both Canon Apoftolical : [Loft their Authority alto for negleâ of inftrueling their Flocks, molt or many of them, and many more for non Refidence, era. Reply to Sea. t r. . And why not [Wren] without any further Title , as well as Calvin, Luther, Beza, Zanchj,Groti,u,en. z. Let the indifferent Reader-palate all my words, andblame me ifhe can. What ? feems it fofault a matter in your eyes to expel lb many thoufand Chrifian Families, and filence and fufpendand deprivefo many able Miniflers, in fo fmall a room, andfo fhort a time ? as that it is difobedience toour Fathers notto content to theirpunititment ? It feems then thofe filly. Lambs muff be devoured,not only without refiftance, but without complaint, or accufing the Wolves; becaufe they fay, they were our Fathers ? . God never í t filch Saturnine Fathers over his Church, foas to authorize them.in.this , orto prohibite jilt remedy. He never gave them power for Deftruaion ;but for Edification. 3. What I làid ofour Bi- Ihops incapacity upon that reafonwas exprelly ad bominem,againf urine ownJudge- ment, viz. upon fuppofition thatthofe Canons areof _ filch force as thofe imagine againft whom I difpute. 4.The Canon 8o Apaft. wasalfo brought ad hominem; for . though it beconfeffed not of equal Antiquity with the rest, yet for that Antiquity they have, it is known how much ufe chofe menmake of their frppofedjAuthority. But are there not enough others that may evince the point in hand betides that may eafily know it,and inmany Canonsthat null their Office who corn in by the Magiftracy. Exbeption to Sett. 12. Andwhereas we are ready to make goodagainft all thePapifts in the world, that our Englifh Proteftant Bithops had due Ordination in Queen Eliz. and jKing Ed- wardstime, by fuck whohad beenOrdained inKing Henry the Eighths time ; Mr. Baxter tells us, the Popifh Bithops who Ordained in the days of Hen. 8. and many Agesbefore, had no power of Ordination, (and ggthis he fpeaks as his own judgment) not they received their Ordination his ocherBithops for he of the Province noroMstropo- litan, but only from the Pope frngly ? yet this is all the Argument hehash to over- throw (confequentially upon our objeâions) the Ordination of thofe Proteftant Bi- Ihops, which himfelf acknowledges Learned, Pious, Reverend Men and all that Ordained , or were Ordained, in Hen. 8. &r 7. and many Ages before, ashe faith. And indeed if hisDifcourfe were of any force, not only in our Englith Church, but alto' in all the Churches of theWelt,. France, Spain, Polonia, Swedland, Denmark, and throughout the Empire of Germany, for thelè and thole many Ages before which he fpeaks of, and all this that our new Presbyterians of Enngland, (Volunteers in Ordaining, and being Ordainedwithout Bilhops, without pretenceof necetlisy,yea or difficulty, or colour of difficulty, except what themfelves had created : (wherein they haveas little Communion with the Proteftants beyond feas, as they havewith the Epift:opal Proteltants of the true Reformed.Church of England) may be ac- knowledged good and lawful Presbyters andPatton, with power conjunttimer divz- fim,any one of them alone (as Mr.Baxter thinks) to Excommunicate andAbfolve i» foro Ecclefraftico. Reply tó Sell. rz, The word [Due] may fignifie either fach asis not nnii, orelfe lath as isfullyregular, of elfefilch as they badAuthority to perform, whodid ordain, though theymight have tome Faultsor Irregularities: Ifyou take it in the firft Senfe,many will yield it,who yet denyit in thelaff,asfuppofing in forne CafesOrdinationPaf five may be valid,and fo due in the Receiver; when yet OrdinationAâive,iswithout all jultAuthority in the Ordainer : Though this may teem ftrange, I am ready to give fome Reafons for ir. It.mift be in theiaft Senfe, conjunâ with the firlt, that you mulltake the Word [Due] if you will fpeak to thepoint inHand. 2. I do exprefly fay there that it is [according to the Doârine of the Objeâorsconfequegtially] that I affirm this (not affirmingordenying it tobe mine ownJudgment) and to that end bring the Proof
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