Members (for we find a Balaam amongst the Prophets, a Caiaphas amongst the Priests, and amongst the very Apostles, a Judas) yet abundance of them are fo diligent in their Function, in learning of fuch Eminence, and So very exemplary for pious Life, that many Ages have not been happy in so laudable a Set of Men.

And tho' thefe have not the Rule, but the Care of Souls, yet being near to God, and their Office high, to inftruct immortal Spirits, that is, leading them thro' this tranfient and cloudy, to the glorious and eternal, World; yet those of them, that are faithful in their Calling, deferve great Refpect. And accordingly, our Church, in her Catechism, directs thofe of her Communion, to fubmit to Teachers and Spiritual Paftors,

Nor is fubmiffion to Paftors to be in the least wondred at, or with-held, when as (a) the learned Man hints, there is in the Prieft, a Spiritual Regality; this is he, who is the truly royal Man: This the holy Prieft of God. And truly when their Work is the Miniftry of Reconciliation, and fo Presbyters are vigyoi, Co-workers with God, 1 Cor. vi. 13. there may well be Majefty in their Office.

(α) Clem. Alexan. τα όντως ὁ βασιλικός άνθρωπο, Strom. lib. 7. r ISPEÙS OF TOEN.

And

And that, which makes them the more to be refpected, is the Power of Abfolution, and Retention of Sins, which they are honoured with, when Ordained: Whofe fins thou doft forgivé, they are forgiven; and whofe fins thou dost retain, they are retained. Which made S. Chryfoftom cry out, (a) Great is the Dignity of Priests And S. Jerome to fay, that (b) the Bishop and Presbyter binds and loofes.

And when these Fathers (to name no more) own the Authority of Priests, binding and loofing the Sins of Men, and ground it upon, and derive it from, the fame Texts, that we do : Is not here good Warrant for the fame Practice amongst us, and for our Expounding thofe Texts in Favour of it? And when as to this, we teach nothing but what the Ancients did, methinks propter confanguinitatem doctrina (to ufe Tertullian's Words) for the Affinity our Doctrine has with theirs, it must be allowed. Efpecially when it is fo fully confirmed by the noble Teftimony of our Church,

For, as he appoints the Priest to pronounce the daily Abfolution in her Liturgy, fo in it fhe afferts, that Almighty God hath given Power and Commandment to his Mini

(a) Meyάan û rŵv ispív ážía, Hom. 86. in Johan. 20. (b) Alligat & folvit Epifcopus & Presbyter. Comment. in S. Mat. lib. 3. cap. 16,

fers

fters, to declare and pronounce to his People, being penitent, the Abfolution and Remiffion of their Sins. Whereby fhe openly avows, and every Day proclaims, in hundreds of Places, that the Power of abfolving Penitents from their Sins is lodged, by GOD himself, in bis Priefts; and then the Power of Binding, or Retaining the fame, must be fo too : Which fome, now a-days question, or deny. But the affiduous folid Ufage of our Church may be looked upon, as one fubftantial Argument, to prove, that all fuch Men can say against this Minifterial Power, is extravagantly weak and wild. And therefore, ber plain and honeft Members, who can't difpute, having fo clear a Proof of this Matter, as her conftant Practice, may rely upon its Strength, and fo maintain their Ground, by a well fixed Confidence against all Objectors. For being under Covert of fo strong a Defence, they may refolutely defie the furious Attacks of the Bold.

And in further Countenance to this Prieftly Authority, and to the Truth, or Reality of it, our Church injoins, private (as well as publick) Abfolution, upon Occafion, and prefcribes a (a) Form to be used, when the Sick defire it. But then if that be true,

(a) See the Order for the Vifitation of the Sick.

which some proclaim, that our Priests have no Right to abfolve from Sin, and that in challenging it, they are falfe Pretenders, and what they do, of that Nature, is by a Power incompetent; Lord! what abominable Wretches do they make them! For then, as they daily trick People with fham Abfolutions, while they live here; fo when they go bence, and amongst their dying Solemnities, would have Abfolution to be one, they only tantalize, and abufe their departing Souls, by a Piece of facrilegious Fiction, or Mockery! And fo they will be branded for most hellish Cheats, or a Crew of blind, Spiritual Juglers, bafe and villanous, beyond Expression! And yet, by this Way of Reasoning, the very fame infamous Character may be fixed upon the best Primitive Bishops and Priests; inafmuch as to bind and loose the Sins of living and dying Chriftians, was an ancient and perpetual Custom in the Church : And fo not the worst Proof, that they had a Right to it, and we may have the same ; for what fhould null, or

invalidate our Title ?

Deacons, a

third and

last Order

of our Clergy.

V. The third, and lowest Rank of our Clergy, are Deacons, but even to them, tho' of inferiour Quality, our Church gives their proper and full Due. For whereas fome think, they ought to ferve Tables only, and to

give

give Alms to the Poor, and take Care of the Sick; he acknowledges them Ministers of Christ, and by Ordaining them to that facred Office, makes them fuch.

And that fhe owns them for a Minifterial Order, the first Rubrick in the Form for making them afcertains us; for there the appoints a Sermon, at their Admission to the Office, to declare how neceffary that ORDER is in the Church of Christ, and how the People ought to efteem it.

And in judging Deacons to be a Clerical Order, fhe goes upon warrantable Grounds: For in the eighth Chapter of the Acts, we find that Philip, a Deacon, preach'd, and baptized, as well as wrought Miracles; and Ignatius affirms, that Deacons (a) are not Servants of Meats and Drinks only, but Ministers of the Church of God. S. Cyprian also calls them Minifters of the Church, and their Office, an Holy Miniftry. For relating to Cornelius the Sacrilege of Nicoftratus, he tells him, how by that Crime he had (b) loft the DeaconShip of the Holy Administration. And in the Apoftolick Conftitutions, a Deacon is faid to

(α) Ου βρωμάτων καὶ ποτῶν ἐἰσιν διάκονοι, ἀλλ ̓ Εκκλησίας Oi Ungira, Ep. ad Trall. (6) Amiffo fanctæ Adminiftrationis Diaconio, Ep. 49.

be