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which a Presbyter does not, excepting Ordination? Tho', by the Way, that he degrades Bishops into the Rank of Presbyters, is not fo evident as fome would make it, who brand him for it. Indeed, he says (a) the Apostle plainly teaches, the very fame to be Presbyters, that are Bishops.

But then, tho' all Bishops are Presbyters, all Presbyters are not Bishops (as thro' Mistake they have been thought) which the good Man not animadverting, might occafion his (b) flip, if in this Cafe he was guilty of one. For that he could not intentionally and heartily fo diminish Bishops here, we may well suspect, in that he had great Deference for them, as Marianus obferves, in his Epiftle to Evagrius. In his Glofs upon which, as he reproves Erafmus for dreaming odd Things of that Father, fo he afferts of him, (c) that he always gave greatest Honour to Bishops and Presbyters, and were be living, he would do it now likewife.

(a) Apoftolus perfpicuè docet eofdem effe Presbyteros, quos & Epifcopcs. Ib. (b) That he might stumble at this Stone will, I conceive, be more plain to them that perufe his Comment upon Titus the first, Putet aliquis, &c. (c) Hieronymum & Epifcopis, & Presbyteris maximum femper detuliffe honorem-ut in Epiftolâ primâ ad Heliodorum, in fecundâ ad Nepotianum, & alibi̟ quem honorem nunc etiam, fi viveret, deferret.

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And truly in this very Epiftle, where he feems to fet Bishops too much upon a Level with Presbyters, he really does the contrary; for he immediately deftroys that Equality again, by giving Bishops as much Superiority to Presbyters and Deacons, as (a) Aaron had over Priests and Levites; which was tantamount to what our Bishops have over the inferiour Clergy. For tho' Aaron's Sons were the Jewish Priests (not those of the Line of the First-born, to that the Highpriesthood was tied) yet they were Priests but of the fecond Order, 2 Kings xxiii. 4. and fo Aaron must be of the First. And thus the good Father quite undoes or finks that Parity, which in the Hierarchy (fome think) he was fetting up: For according to the Rule he chofe to go by, Chriftian Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, must be three as diftinet Orders, and as gradually different, as High-priests, Priests, and Levites were in the Church of Ifrael. And whereas he tells Evagrius in the fame Epiftle, That when afterward one was elected, who was placed above the reft, that was done for a Remedy against Schifm; what greater Honour could he do

(a) Quod Aaron, & filii ejus, atque Levitæ in templo fuerunt, hoc fibi Epifcopi, & Presbyteri, & Diaconi vindicent in Ecclefiâ.

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Epifcopacy, than to give it an Encomium so truly glorious? For thus be declares it fingularly useful to prevent that Evil, which Presbyterian Parity, it feems, is apt to lead to and produce. And if this makes the great Father a little inconfiftent with himself, that indeed I cannot poffibly help; and instead of Apologizing for him (to be ingenuous and plain) I must charge him with being fo upon the fame Subject, in another Place, where he delivers himself in this Manner: (a) As Presbyters know, that they from the Custom of the Church, are fubject to him who is fet over them; fo Bishops know, that they are greater than Presbyters, more from the Cuftom of the Church, than from a true Order of the Lord's, and that they are to Rule the Church in common, in imitation of Mofes, who alone having the Power over Ifrael, chofe feventy, together with which he might judge the People. Now when Presbyters are fubject to Bishops, and Bishops are greater than they, and the one are like Mo

(a) Sicut Presbyteri fciunt fe ex Ecclefiæ confuetudine, ei qui fibi præpofitus fuerit effe subjectos, ita Epifcopi noverint fe magis confuetudine quìm difpo. fitionis Dominicæ veritate, Presbyteris effe majores, & in commune debere Ecclefiam regere, imitantes Moyfen qui, &c. Comment. in Titum, cap. 1.

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fes (King in Jefburun) and the other like the feventy Judges under him ; Where's the Parity between Bishops and Presbyters, either in Place, or Power ?

CHAP

CHAP. V.

Her Power as to Excommunication.

HERE there is Government, and proper Officers rightly placed in it, there are commonly fixed Penalties too, to fupport that Government, and them concerned in its Administration. . Nor is our Church defective here, as having a fuitable one in her Power; which now very properly comes under Confiderati

on.

Her PUNISHMENT which SHE inflicts, is Spiritual and Dreadful. It must be the one, because it is the other; for by being Spiritual, as it is of an high Nature, fo that makes it of fearful Confequence. And that the Punishment, wherewith the Chriftian Church was at first intrufted, was Spiritual, appears from this fcriptural Paffage, St. Matt. xviii. 17. If he shall neglect to bear them,

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