678 ?he HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VIII x. Charles I. " matter of an higher nature and confequence, efpecially confidering 1640. "'that this government by epifcopacy is not only lawful and convenient " for edification, but likewife fshable to, and agreeablewith the civil po- " licy and government of this ftz.te. 5. " That this government is lawful, it appears by the immediate uni- " verfal and confiant praClice of all the chriftian world, grounded upon fcripture, from the apoftles time to this lift age, for above fifteen hun- " dreg years together, it being utterly incredible, if not impoffible, that " the whole church for fo long a time, fhould not difcover by God's word, this government to be unlawful, if ithad been fo ; to whichmay " be added, that the moft Ieafr edproteftants, even in . thofe very churches " which now are not governed by bifhops, do not only hold the go- " vernment by epifcopacy to be lawful, but with that they themfelves " might enjoy it. " Again, that the government by epifcopacy is not only lawful, but " convenient for edification, and as much or more conducing to piety " and devotion than any other, it appears, becaufe no modefl man de- " nies that the primitive times were moil- famous for piety conftancy " and perfeverance in the faith, notwithftanding more frequent, and " more cruel perfecutions than ever have been lince, and yet it is " confeffed that the church in thofe times was governed by hi- " (hops. " Lafly, That the government of the church by epifcopacy is moft " fuitable to the form and frame of the civil government here in this king- " dom, it appears by the happy and flourifhing union of them both for fo long a time together ; whereas no man can give us an affurance how " any churchgovernment befides this (whereof we have had fo long " experience) will fuit and agree with the civil policy of this ftate. " And we conceive it may be of dangerous confequence for men of " fettled fortunes, to hazard theireftates by making fo great an alteration, and venturing upon a new form of government, whereof neither we " nor our anceftors have had any trial or experience, efpecially confider- " ing that thofe who would have epifcopacy to be abolifhed, have not " yet agreed, nor (as we are verily perfuaded) ever will or can agree " upon any other common form of government to fucceed in the room " of it ; as appears by the many different and contrary draughts andplat- " forms they have made andpublifhed, acecrding to the feveral humours " and feéts of thofe that made them ; whereas, feeing every great altera- tion in a church or ftate muff needs be dangerous, it is jufi and rea- " fonable, that whofoever would introduce a new form inftead of an " old one, fhould be obliged to demonfirate and make it evidently ap- " pear afvrehand, that the government he would introduce is proportion- ," ably
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=