ing" decisively" and "unanimously" in favour of Prelacy, as some of our high-toned Episcopal brethren assert, do not produce a single testimony, within the prescribed limits, which gives the least countenance to the prelatical claim; and that we are abundantly warranted (to repeat the language of Bishop Croft, formerly cited) in pronouncing, that the proofs brought to support this claim are altogether "weak; no Scripture; no primitive "general Council; no general consent of primitive "Doctors and Fathers; no, not one primitive Fa"ther of note, speaking particularly and home to "the purpose," of its advocates.

LETTER VI.

Testimony of the Reformers,

CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,

IN the sixth of my former Letters, I endeavoured to show that the great body of the Reformers, and other Witnesses for the Truth, in different ages and nations, were Presbyterians in principle. This allegation, and the proof by which it is supported, Dr. Borden, according to his usual manner, confidently rejects, and pronounces a total misrepresentation. With what justice he does this, a few remarks will enable you to determine.

I asserted that the Waldenses were substantially Presbyterians, both in principle and practice; that, among other points, in which they rejected the corruptions of the Romish Church, they held, that there ought to be no diversity of rank among the ministers of the Gospel; and that Bishops and Presbyters, according to the word of God, and primitive usage, were the same order. All this, Dr. Bowden denies; and insists that the Waldenses were uniformly Episcopal in their ecclesiastical character. The following testimonies will show on which side the truth lies.

T

John Paul Perrin, who was himself a Pastor among them, in his History of that people, delivers at length, "the discipline under which the “Waldenses and Albigenses lived; extracted out "of divers authentic manuscripts, written in their own language, SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF YEARS

BEFORE LUTHER OR CALVIN." From this work

the following extracts are made. Art. 2." Of "Pastors." "All they that are to be received as "Pastors amongst us, whilst they are yet with "their own people, are to entreat ours, that they "would be pleased to receive them to the mi"nistry; and to pray to God that they may be "made worthy of so great an office. We also "appoint them their lectures, and set them their "task, causing them to learn by memory all the "chapters of St. Matthew and St. John, and all "the Epistles that are canonical, and a good part "of the writings of Solomon, David, and the Pro"phets. Afterwards, having produced good tes"timonials, and being well approved for their suf"ficiency, they are received with imposition of "hands into the office of teachers. He that is ad"mitted in the last place, shall not do any thing "without the leave or allowance of him that was

admitted before him. As also he that was ad"mitted first, shall do nothing without the leave of "his associates, to the end that all things, with us, may be done in order. Diet and apparel are given unto us freely, and by way of alms, and that "with sufficiency, by those good people whom we

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"teach. Amongst other powers and abilities "which God hath given to his Servants, he hath "givenrity to choose leaders, to rule the peo"ple, and to ordain Elders in their charges."When any of us, the aforesaid Pastors, falls "into any gross sins, he is both excommunicated, "and prohibited to preach." Art. 4. "Our Pas"tors do call assemblies once every year, to deter"mine of all affairs in a general Synod*."

In another Confession of Faith, drawn up about the year 1220, they declare that the functions of Ministers consist in "preaching the word and administering sacraments," and that "all other ministerial things may be reduced to the aforesaid." Speaking of the rite of Confirmation, and of the Po. pish claims that it must be administered by a Bishop, they assert, that "it has no ground at all in "Scripture; that it was introduced by the Devil's " instigation, to seduce the people; that by such

means they might be induced the more to be"lieve the ceremonies, and the necessity of the Bishopst."

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In the same work, (chap. 4.) it is expressly and repeatedly asserted, that the Synods of the Waldenses were composed of Ministers and Elders. This mode of speaking is surely not Episcopal.

The same historian tells us, that Waldo, (from whose name that of the Waldenses is said to be deriv

* PERRIN'S History of the Old Waldenses, Part 11. Book v. Chap. 7.

Ibid. Chap. 8.

ed,)" upon his departure from Lyons, came into “Dauphiny, and thence, having erected some "Churches, and laid the foundation of those which "have been miraculously preserved there to this

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day, he went into Languedoc, and left some nota"ble Pastors there, who set up and governed those “Churches, which afterwards cost the Pope and "his clergy so much pains to destroy*." Now it is certain that Waldo himself was no Prelate; neither can we suppose that the Pastors whom he left in Languedoc, were Prelates. Yet these Pastors set up and governed Churches.

ces.

In perfect coincidence with all this, is the testimony of Gillis, in his History of the Waldenses. This writer, like Perrin, was one of the Pastors of that people, and therefore perfectly qualified to give an account of their peculiar doctrines and practiHe speaks familiarly of the Pastors of their Churches, in the Presbyterian style. He says, "These Pastors, in their ordinary assemblies, 26 came together and held a Synod once a year, and "most generally in the month of September, at "which they examined the Students, and admitted "them to the ministry." Chap. 11. p. 12.

In their Confession of Faith, which Gillis inserts at length, in the "Addition" to his work, p. 490, and which he expressly informs us was the confession of the ancient as well as the modern Waldenses; in Article 31, they declare," It is necessary for the

*Part 11. Book 11. Chap. 9.