ware in the least what Advantage this can be to the Point in Question, to obferve that a particular Church is ordinarily expreft in the Singular Number, fince 'tis a natural Expreffion for it, and no otherwife explains the Conftituent Parts of it, than to fay, 'tis a Church fomewhere in fome Place or another, which how much it clears up the Notion of it, we have feen before. Nor is it of better Ufe to obferve, that National or Provincial Churches are ufually expreft in the Plural Number, fince it affords no Evidence at all to prove what manner of Churches they were, that were comprehended under them, which is the only Point in question.

I make no doubt, but our Author's Suggeftion in it is this, That if a particular Church had more Congregations than One in it, it would furely be expreft in the Plural Number; and why? Because a fingle Congregation and a particular Church (he would have us take for granted) were one and the fame thing in the Senfe and Language of the Ancients; which tho' he has not prov'd yet, (and I think by the little already faid, he will find it hard to do) yet this is an early Preparation for it, and fomething like begging the Question beforehand; therefore I thought it not improper to take a little Notice of it, especially fince in Matter of Fact 'tis a mere Overfight of the Enquirer; for I fhall fhew Inftances to the contrary in the Beginning of the next Chapter.

The Notion of a Primitive Church thus clear+ ed, as we have feen, he proceeds in a regular and proper Method, to enquire into the Conftituent

ftituent Parts of it, and to confider the particular Offices, together with the joint and seve→ ral Acts of the respective Members of the Church he has before defin'd for us.

I am willing to fet out, and go along with him as far as Truth and Primitive Authorities (fairly represented) will give me Leave to do. His firft Divifion of the Members of a Church is juft and unexceptionable; he distinguishes them both as primitive and modern Chriftians do, into Clergy and Laity, fhutting out Tertullian's wild Conceit now, (tho' offer'd unawares before) as a Notion of a Church wholly unaccountable. His Division of the Clergy afterwards into their particular Orders and Degrees (as far as Names and Titles go) is as Orthodox and Primitive as the other: For Bishops, Priests, and Deacons (fo call'd at least by him) are as approv'd Ecclefiaftical Officers in his fingular Scheme, as, in a genuine and properer Diftinction of them, we are fure they always were in every true Church of Chrift fince the Apostles Times. But I am forry to say here, that this close Adhering to a Primitive Form of Words, without retaining faithfully the Primitive and Genuine Signification of them, is only a more plaufible and dangerous Way of fetting off Mistakes, and makes Men lofe the Truth, without being fenfible how it steals away. And this, I am afraid, will prove the Cafe of our ingenious Enquirer himself, and has caufed his Performance to pafs fo infenfibly with others; because there are fome

* Pag. 9.

fome Shades of Antiquity in the Draught, tho', nearly examined, but very few natural and original Lines are to be found. And when you have seen what Bishops and Priests he has fettled in his Church, what Offices, A&ts, and Powers he has affign'd to the feveral Members of it, you will need no other Light to discover this by, or to difcern the Difference between Things and

Names.

To proceed then; he feems fairly to derive all Power and Authority in the Church from the true Fountain of it, our Blessed Lord himself, and his infpir'd Apoftles commiffion'd and empower'd by him to plant and govern Churches : But the Manner of their conveying this Power to others, either for Assistance or Succeffion to themselves in their great Charge, (which is a main Part of this Enquiry) I am afraid will not appear fo plain. Let us fee his Thoughts of it.

He begins with quoting two Authorities from Antiquity, to fhew the Apoftles Method of conftituting Paftors and Governors in the Churches they gather'd. The first is from Clemens Romanus, (in his 1ft Ep. ad Cor. p. 54.) where that Father fays, The Apostles went forth preaching in City and Country, [as our Enquirer is pleas'd to tranflate and place the Words] but in Countries and Cities, as it is in Clemens himfelf, and perhaps that flight Variation has fome Ufe in it afterwards, and therefore the Greek Words are omitted in his Quotation] appointing

*

C

* Κατὰ χώρας ὧν καὶ πόλεις κηρύποντες καθίσανον τὰς ἀπαρχὰς αὐεἰς Ἐπισκόπες και Διακόνες, ε Clem. Rom. Ep. 1. ad Cor. p. 54.

pointing the First Fruits of their Miniftry for Bifhops and Deacons. Thus far Clemens: Το which our Enquirer adds, that the Apoftles generally left thofe Bishops and Deacons to govern thofe particular Churches over which they had placed them, whilft they themselves pass'd forward, &c. Now, if he means that they left them always as fupreme Church - Governors there, I conceive the Holy Scriptures will be clear against him; for that Supremacy of Power over all the Apoftolical Churches, for the greatest part, at leaft, of the Apoftles Lives, was referved in their own Hands, by which S. Paul fo juftly imputed to himself the Care of all the Churches; and his Commands, Cenfures, and peremptory Precepts (fo visible in most of his Epiftles to them) do evidently prove the fame; and therefore, whatsoever Afsistants they were to the Apostles by their Ministry and Regulation of the Churches under them, they could not be Ecclefiaftical Officers invested with a Plenitude of Church-Power: I only note this here (which must be more at large confider'd afterwards) for the fake of his fecond Authority immediately quoted from Tertullian, to the fame Intent with this: For thus (fays he ) Tertullian faith, Clemens was ordained Bishop of Rome by S. Peter, and Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna by S. John.

Now, fee here, how the fundamental Miftake infinuates itself, as it were, at unawares. Here are two Quotations brought to prove that the Apostles themselves ordain'd Paftors and Spiritual

* 2 Cor. xi. 28.

Spiritual Officers in the feveral Churches they planted; and because the Name of Bishop is attributed to them in both Places, therefore they are to pass for Church Officers, not only equal in their Apoftolical Inftitution, but in the Fulnefs of their Commiffion, Powers, and Order too. Here lies the fecret Spring, indeed, that governs the Motions of the whole Difcourfe; and if it were set right by an even and unbyass'd Hand, the Controverfy would move in a regular and uniform Manner on both fides, till the Adverfaries met (I verily believe) in a blesfed Harmony and Confent with one another. For if these Apoftolical Church-Officers (exprefs'd only by a common Name with one another) were but understood to be of a different Order and Degree by the very Tenor of their firft Commission, as to the Extent of Powers, Prerogatives, and Jurifdiction, convey'd and affign'd to each of them, as I think the Epiftles to Timothy and Titus alone would fatisfy a fober Chriftian, that fuch a Difference there really was) the most entangled Knot of the Difpute would then be unty'd, and probably whole Churches and Nations of divided Chriftians now, would (to the unspeakable Joy of all good Men) go hand in hand to the House of God together, upon the fettling of that single

Point alone.

What unexceptionable Authorities there are in the venerable Records of Antiquity for it, besides the holy Scriptures themselves, and the uninterrupted Harmony of the Catholick Church in it, before the modern Innovation at Geneva against it, I shall have Occasion enough to obferve C 2

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