Numb. IV. 1LPPENDIX far only ceafed, and partly ordinary and continued, and fo Chrifl promifed to be with them to the endof the World : And fach were Evangelifls fent forth with and by the Apollles to gather andoverfee many Churches and Pallors : Such were Thu, 7imathy, Luke, Mark, Earnabac, Silas, and many more. God never recall- ed thisOrder of Minifters, ifany fay he did, it lyeth in them to prove it. This was thefirft fort ofPaftors. II- The Second Sort were the fixed Elders which there ordained in every Church ; who wereall Bithops over theFlocks, and fo called : but under the gene- ral Minifters (who yet had none of them any forcing Powerby the Sword) thefe two God inflituted. III. The Third Sort (between thefe Two) was a Prefident Paftor in every par- ticular Church, like the Prefident of a Colledge, who had tome moderating guid- ing Poweramong the reit of the Elders : This was fet up to avoidDivifion among the Elders (every Churchhaving ufualiy many) and received even in fome of the ,ApoftlesDays, and never reje&ed for a Thoufand Years 3. Particular Churches in Scripture Times were diflinguilhed by the places of their Neighbourhood, as I raid before ; and there were never two Churches in the fame Bounds, except Hereticks, and Menof divers Languages. From this it is plain, that the molt Divine Form of Government is a. A Chri- ftianKingdom. z. With (Reformed) General Minifters. y. And (Reformed) Pa- rith-Churches, having fixed Paltors (and where it may be our Chief) erc. More- over (as to your fixing) the Churches in Queltion with you, I fuppofe, are not the Papifts, the Quakers, the Familifts, 7c. But the Epifcopal, the Presbyterian, the Independentand theSeparatift (if not the Anabaptills alto). L The Epifcopal are of Two Sorts, Conformifts and Nonconformifts. The Epifcopal Conformifrs are of Two Sorts ; Mine lately fprung up, that followArch-. Whop Laud and Dr. Hammond, hold that there are no Political Churches lower thanDiocefan, becaufe there are no Bithops under them; and fo that the Parini- Churchesare no Churches, properly, but part of Churches; nor the Incumbants true Bithops, but Curates under Bithops; nor the Foreigners true Minifters or Churches that have no Diocefan Bithops. This Party called themfelves the Church of England, 1658, 1659. When we knew but of Four or Five Bill-alas left alive (whoDr. Hammond laid (with that Party of theClergy) were of his Mind) And there feemed uppermofl in x 6o,and 166-r, and were the men whom I difputed with its my Treatife of Epifcopacy.., ' The other Epifcopal Confornailts are they that follow the Reformers, and hold the Dotrine of the Scripture as only fufficient to Salvation , and as explicatory of it, the Thirty Nine Articles, the Homilies, Liturgy, Book of Ordination, Apology, t'-v. Thefe take the Parifh-Paftors fortrue Redors, and the Parith-Churches for true Churches, but fubordinate to the Diocefans, and to be ruled by them. But the Laws have impofed on them fome Declarations and Subfcriptions, which they think they may put a good Senfe on, though by ftretch- ing theWords from their ufual Signification. The Bithops and Deans are chofen by the Dug indeed, and by the Prebendo in fit w. The Incumbant are chofen by Patrons ordainedby Diocefans with Presbyrer;, and accepted by Content of the Communicants of the Patifh. The Epifcopal Government is managed partly by the Bithops, and partly by Lay - Civilians and Surrogates. The Epifcopal Nonconformrfs-are for true Patilla Churches and Minifters, re- formed, without fwearing, promifing, declaring, or fubfcribitig to any but lure, clear, necefrary things ; defiring that the Scripture may be their Canons, difown- ing all perfecuting Canons, taking the capable in each Parifh for the Communi- cant and Church, and the reit for Hearers and Catechized Perlons: defiring that theMagiftrate be Judge, whom he will maintain, approve, and tolerate, and the Ordainers Judgeswhom they will ordain, and the People be free Confenters to whofe Paftoral Care they will truft their Souls ; defiring that everyPresbyter bean Overfeer of the Flock, and every Church that hath many Elders have one Incum- bent Prefidentfor Unity and Order; and that Godly Diocefans may (without the Swordor Force) have the Overfight ofmany Minifters and Churches; and all there be confederate and under the Government of a Chrillian King, but under no Fo- reign Jurifdiftion ; though in as much Concord as is polftble with all theChriflian World: And they would have the Keysof Excommunication and Abfolution ta- ken 71
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