Chap. VII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. " as St. 7erom fays What does -a bilhop except ordination which a Friel? 2yeen " does not ? meaning, that in his time bi/hops had only that power above Eliz`$gc prie/ts; which Chryfofom alto witneffes in Homily xi. on I Timothy. 1 Nor had they this privilege alone in all places, for in the council of " Carthage it is Paid, that the prießs laid their hands together with the " Whops on thofe who were ordained. And St. ferom having proved by " fcripture, that in the apoftles time bithops and prietts were all one, yet " granteth that afterwards bifhops had that peculiar to themfelves fame- " where, but nothing elfe ; fo that St. 7erom does not fay concerning " the fuperiority in queftion, that bithops have had it ever fince St. " Mark's time. " Nor does Calvin confefs it ; he Pays, that in old time minifters chofe " one out of their company in every city, to whom they gave the title of bifhop ; yet the bifhop was not above them in honour and dignity, " but as confuls in the fenate propofe matters, afk their opinions, direct " others by giving advice, by admonifhing, by exhorting, and fo guide " the whole anion, and by their authority fee that performed, which was, " ° agreed on by common confent; the fame charge had the bifhop in the " affembly of minifters; and having (hewed from St. yerom, that this. " was brought in by confent of men, he adds that it was an ancient " order of the church even from St. Mark; from whence it is apparent, " that the order of the church he mentions, has relation to that above " defcribed, in which he affirms, that the bifhop was not fo above the refl " in honour, as to have rule over them. It follows therefore, that Calvin " does not fo much as feem to confefs of St. yerom's report, that ever fince St. Mark's time, bithops have had a ruling fuperiority over the " clergy." We (hall meet with this controverfy again hereafter. Whitgift Paid, the donor's fermon had done much good, though he himfelf rather whiled than believed it to be true It was new dottrine at this time. Mott of the clergy who approved the fuperiority of the epifcopal order, were againft the divine right; but the bithops in the next age revived the debate, and carried their pretenfions fo high, as to fubvert the very foundations upon which they built. The queen having fuffered Mary queen of Scots to be beheaded at Spanilh rx- Fotheringay cattle, February 1587-8, all the Roman catholick princes vafion, were alarmed, and threatened revenge; among others, the Spaniards haflened their InvincibleArmada, to reduce England to the catholick faith, which had been three years preparing at a prodigious expence: The fleet was well manned, and furnifhed with ftrange inftruments of torture for the Englifh hereticks ; they came through the channel like fo many floating tattles, being to take in a land army from the Low Countries; but 333
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