-4 (53) be two Circumfl:ances in the Administration of Bifhops, wherein I confess I could never be fatisfyed : The One, Thefoie exertfè oftheir Authority : The other, The Depu+ tationof their Authority. For the first, The Bifhop giveth Orders-alone, Excom ,nunicateth alone, ,7udgeth alone : This feemeth to be a thingalmoft without Example in good Government, and therefore not unlikely tohave crept in in the degenerate and corrupt time: We fee the greatefi Kings and Monarchs have their Councils: There is no Temporal Court in Eng- landof the higher fort, where the Authority doth rest in oneperfon. The Kings-Bench, the Common-pleas, and the Exchequer, are Benches of a certainNumber of Judges. The Chancellor of England, hath theAlliftance of twelve Mailers of the Chancery. &c. The like is to be found in all wolf- Commonwealths abroad, where the Ju- rifdiftion is more difperfed : As in the Court of Parlia- ment of France, and in other places. NO man will deny, but the Ads that paf3'e the Bifhops Júrifdi&ion, are of as great importance as thofe that pafs the Civil Courts : For mens Souls are more precious than their Bodies or Goods:And fo are their Good-names Bifhops have their infirmities ; and have no exception from that general Maledi(tion, pronounced againfi all Men living : Va Soli, nam (i occident, &c. Nay we fee that the firft Warrant in Spiritual Caufes isdire&ed to a Num- ber, Dic Eccle/ie,which is not fo inTemporal Matters, Ab initio non fìtit f e. For the fecond Point, which is the Deputation of their Authority, I fee no perfe& nor fure ground for that neither. Being fomewhat different, from the Examples and Rules of Government. The Bifhop exercifeth his Jurifdi&ion by his Chancellourand Commifrary, Official, &c. We fee in all Laws in the world, Offices of Confidence and Skill can= not
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