Chap. I. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 25 In the chapter of the facraments " All the feven facraments are then- King tained ; and in particular, the corporal prefence of Chrift in the eucha- He vlll. 543+ " rift. C./v'\.7 In the facrament of orders, the book maintains no real diftin&ion be-. Of Bilhops tween bithops and priefts ; it Pays, that " St. Paul confecrated and ordain'd and PrJ?,. « bishops by impofition ofhands ; but that there is no certain rule prefcribed " in fcripture for the nomination, election, or prefentation of them ;. " this is left to the pofitive laws of every country. That the office of the " faid miners is to preach the word, to minifler the facraments, to bind " and loofe, to excommunicate thofe that will not be reformed, and to pray " for the univerfal church; but that they may. not execute their office with- " out licence from the civil magifrate. The facraments do not receive ef- " ficacy or ftrength from the minifration of the prieft or bishop, but from " God ; the faid minifters beingonly officers, to adminifter with their hands " chose corporal things by, which God gives grace, agreeable to St. 4,nbr , " who writes thus, Thepriefl lays his hands upon us, but it is God that gives " grace ; theprig layson us his beseeching hands, but God blfeth uswithhis " mighty hand. Concerning the order ,of deacons, the book Pays, " Their office in the OfDeacam. primitive church was partly to minister meat and drink, and other ne- " ceffaries to the poor; and partly, to minifter to the bithops and-priefts. " Then follows this remarkable paffage, Of theft two orders only, that is to " fay, prie/is and deacons, fcripture maketh exprefs mention, and how they " were conferr'd of theapofIles byprayer and impofation of hands; but thepri- " mitive cburcb afterwards appointed inferior degrees, asfub-deacons, acolytes,, " exorcßs, &c. but leaft peradventure it might be thought byforce, thatfuch " authorities, powers, andjurifdiolions, as patriarchs, primates, arcbbifhops " andmetropolitans now have, or heretofore at any time have had, juftly and " lawfully over other bifhops, were given them by God in holyfcripture; we " think it expedient andnecepary, that all menshouldbe advertisedand taught, " that allfuch lawfulpower and authority ofany one bopover another, were " ° and begiven them by the confent, ordinances, and pofitive laws of men only, " and not by any ordinance of God in holyfcripture; and allfuch power and " authority which any bi/hop has ufed over another, which has not been given " him byfuch confent andordinance ofmen, is in very deedno lawfulpower but " plain usurpation andtyranny. Thefe were the sentiments ofour first reformers; and this was then the Rrnmrks. eftablifh'd doctrine of the church of England: For by the flatute of the 32d of Henry VIII. cap. 26. it is ena&ed, " That all decrees and. ordi- " nances which fhall be made and ordained by the archbifhops, bithops and " dottors, and (hall be published with the king's advice and confirmation, by his letters patents, in and upon the matters of chriftian faith, and law- Vol.. I. E « fu4
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