A Preface to the Reader. rent fuffrage ofthe People. Such a Presbytery it feemes Blandellus does not defend. But yet neither the Dodours Outcryas at a Prodigy, nor this retortionupon Presbytery,is any anfwer to the teflimony ofClemens , nor indeed is there the leaftpoffible refietlion upon an orderly Gofpel Presbytery in any Church , and0ver it , by what Clemens here profeffeth CO be the power ofthe People , all the appearance ofany fuch things is from the terme S'olitu foyfted into the difcourfeofBlondellua by the Dotlour,_inhis taking of it up to retort at. Clemens in the verynext wordsfecures us.from any thought,that all things depended el multitudiniafolitee arbitrio. His verynext words are , tcdvor twf srrov xessi ei'pnrsvilru un xceawluévrp evsaßa7é- prur.. Our Dot/ours and t_Mafers havingftuft their imaginations with the rhape,and linea- ment ofthat Hierarchichalfabrick, which theCraft, Pollicy, Subtilty, Avarice, Pode, Ambi- tionofmany ages fucceflively , had formed , and framed according to the Paterne theyfade in the Mount ofthe World , and thegoverments therm, upon the fidt hearingof a Church ,a flock of walking in orderly fubjettion, to theirownEiders concurring with them, and contenting to them,in their Rule andGoverment,inftantly as risen amazed,cry out a Prodigy. It is not imaginable into whatridiculous, contemptible mifcarriages,pride, prejudice, and felfulnefs dooften-times betray men , otherwife of good abilities in then, wales, and very commendable Induftry. But Seilion the Gxth, the Dotíour comes doter,and.gives his Reafonwhy thisTeltimony ofClement is not ofany.elficacy to the purpofein hand, faith He I o.4: quo ( [odes ) a ftdelibsu ¡Epifcopatu(ut vis) contra ipfos ab eApoftolis eonftitutosEpifcopes conrendentibuc ; quit ei pe- ulo contraprancipemfutim tumulttu ciente ; tit u verbisádretundendum feditionemad plebemfa- (lit, argument's ade/luthoritátempopuláadjudicandum prinéipiderogandum disci poffeexiflimavit? Though many words follow inthenext Seaton, yetthisisahofAnftVer that is given to this fi- gnal Teftimony ofClement°.t. I know the Doftosr for themot, part meetsnot only withfavo- cable Readers, but alto partial Admirers ; or elfe certainlyhis..,Exclaiearion would karce pats for an invincible e/bgument,- nor fuch Rhetoricaldiverfions -as this be efteemed folid An- fwers.There is not by Blondellua any Argument taken from the faithfuliatumultuatingagainft theTrPji ( that if .rppobnted by she ApoJlleswhitb is thrufi in taken forthepeefonsofthofe Bifhops, isagainft the exprefsTeftimonyrofClemens inthis Epiftle ) nor from the peoples feditionily rebellingagain({ theirPrince , nor fromanyword fpoken to thePeople CO reprelfe theirfedition ; neither was anyrthing .of.this nature urged in the leaft;byRlondellau : nor is thereany colour given to fueh a colleetionfrom any thing in thewords cited from theEpi- flle or the context of them.. dt is the advifeof theChvrchof.Rome enthet;erIons ( whether already in office , or afpiring thereunto) about whomthe,contention,and divifionwas in the Church of Corinth,that is infifiedon. It is not theword's: nod plea ofthem whowere ind¿for. der, thereisnot any reprehenûon given to the body of the Church , the multitude or people who are fuppoled totumultnate; toquiet tbem butàdiredion given ( as was faid ). by the Churchof Rome to the perfons that occaflonedthe difference , how to behave themfelves fo, that a timely iffue might beput to the divifion Of the Church. To this end are they advifed to obferve the ,sesgdyissilss,the e orders, precepts,decrees,orappointmentsofthemultitude,as ( from e/llls the fifteenth) the.bedy,ofthe,Charch is called. - It is not,that they fhould yeild to their tumultuating, but toyeildobedience to their orderlyprecepts, Td ,Tessusvc±u rz z d ea' ®r tí9as, are by him approved; & had .it not been lawful for them;with thePresbyters xeist177itt inthe Affaires of theChurch, Clthrevs writing this Epiftle to the wholeChurch,could nocpofii- bly have led them intoa greater loare: It is a fad thing toconfider the pittiful-entanglements,and (hares that Tome men renne into, who will undertake to makegood , what they have once.engaged for, let what will come againft rhern. To retureie then; It is evident,that in the timeofClement> therewere but two forts ofOf- ficers in theChurch ,'Dither , and Deacons; whereas,theEpi/llesof lgndtiuudoprecirely in every place;where:any Mentionis madeof them , as there is upon occafions ,and upon none at all, infli pthreeOrdersdifindt in rime, andahings With Clement it is not fo. Thofe whom heeailsRifhops irsone e.the veìyfame perlons he immediady calls Presbyters ( af- ter the Esah pfe ofPatti: Attte,no. 28. Mid Titus:r.5.7.) And plainly afferes Epifcopcy to be the offrceof Presbyters. apcéprie( faith.-110i since l ts+r istu =,tu and duitsvxs, 5' w eoosv =.y óv rz r ,k- ed mixo ñrs:*roRdrrüa t; ïwra°esoi isap0od2 sstite4ssmc zpesRsív-r i : viz: Becaufe theyw.ere in no danger tòtbe, caft from their. Epifeepacy. And.whereas the fault which he reproves in the Church o bfintb,istheirdivifion,andwant of duefubjedion to. their fpiritual Governours, accordingtó the'order ' 1 iWhÍèhChriü'hatn'peinted in all the Churche4ofthe Saints , he af- firmes
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