CONSID. I.

Firſt, Whether the Biſhops of England (and to whom only the bill extends) be not hereby in effect aboliſhed, not only as to their poſſe, but alſo as to their eſſe; for,

1. There remains no viſible way of making any Biſhop hereafter, becauſe the Deans and Chapters, who were by the lawes and uſage of this Kingdom to elect the Biſhop recommended to them by the Kings Conge de liere, are utterly taken away, ſo as there can be no proceeding to an Ordination of them, and if the book or form of conſecration be together with the Book of Common Prayer alſo aboliſht, I cannot ſee but that the Biſhops are aboliſht alſo, and cannot be made without ſome new way of conſtitution which reſts in the power of the Parliament.

2. The Biſhops that now are, cannot after three years ordain, except the Houſes agree to appoint Presbyters to joyn with them in that action, which if the Houſes ſhall not do, the Biſhops power is ſtill under ſuſpenſion; and if the Presbyterial Government and Ordination were but granted indefinitely, as it is for three years, I do not ſee but it would reſt in the power of the Houſes, whether the Biſhop ſhould ever ordain or no, and ſo in effect be vacated, being limited to a concurrence of Preſbyters which are not found.

3. His Majeſty in this Conceſſion ſeems to me, (which I ſpeak under his Majeſties favour) to have gone quite beſide his own level; for in his Papers given to the Divines at Newport, He cuts out the Epiſcopal office by the pattern of the Apoſtles, and of Timothy and Titus, whoſe Epiſcopal office (as he calls it) did not conſiſt only in a concurrence with a major part of Presbyters in Ordination, or a negative voice to ſuch a major part; nor do the Scriptures by his Majeſty alledged, prove them to have bin Biſhops in this ſenſe and latitude only, but the primitive Biſhops of the ſecond, and haply ſome of the firſt century after Chriſt, were rather of this model, being of the Quorum in Ordination; which primitive Biſhops, (as the Divines ſay in their anſwer) might poſſibly be, and yet the Biſhops of England be aboliſht: and ſo it appears, that the Biſhops in the Bill preſented to his Majeſty, are by this Conceſſion of his quite altered and caſt in a new mould; which if his Majeſty would pleaſe to make as a new tendry to his Houſes of Parliament, and expreſly remove the old, the rub would be in a manner quite taken out of the way, which remains in the opinion of many, becauſe his Majeſty doth under the name of the preſent Biſhop capitulate before-hand for a new Epiſcopacy, which preſent Biſhop, if you ſhall not concur with me in opinion that he is in effect aboliſht by his Majeſties Conceſſion, yet certainly he is reduced to ſo ſmall a hair as cannot be divided any more; for if the King ſhould go but one ſtep further, and take off that negative voice, which this Biſhop that is offer'd is to have in Ordination, he would be then no more then one Presbyter, as he is very little more by this Conceſſion, in the affirmative part of acting, though he be more in the negative part of not acting, which negative voice of the Biſhop would very ſeldome be uſed, or if it were, all reaſon is, that the Expectant or Candidate of the Miniſtry, ſhould have ſome relief of his gravamen, by appeal to the Provincial meetings, or ſome other aſſembly which ſhould have power to determine the caſe; and then I cannot ſee but that even this negative voice is rendred in effect nothing, and ſo the Biſhops in effect aboliſhed; and if I was in a capacity to ſupplicate his Majeſty, I ſhould beſeech him to conſider that there is ſome difference between gravamen Spiritus and ligamen conſcientiae. For the affection he bears to that Government of Epiſcopacy, and the long uſage of it in the Church, may be heavy on his Spirit, and make the Abolition unpleaſing, which yet do not bind the conſcience, or make the doing it unlawfull to him.

CONSID. II.

Secondly, It may be conſidered if the Biſhops be not in effect aboliſht in regard of this being,

1. Whether it be any inconvenience, to ſet up in every County or Province a Presbytery for Ordination, (the juriſdictive part to go as is already eſtabliſht in Elderſhips, Claſſes and Synods) of the graveſt and moſt judicious Miniſters, both to give reputation to the ordination, and to prevent the miſ-adminiſtration thereof in the Claſſes, moſt of which in England may haply not conſiſt of a competent number of men ſo fit to exerciſe it; for I am of opinion, that Ordination by Presbyters is good and lawfull, and that one of the Quorum concurring with them in Ordination, renders not the ſame evil or unlawfull; for if it did ſo, I ſee not how the Presbyters now in being, can well juſtifie their own.

2. This way propounded by his Majeſty might happily reduce all the Divines of England into a liking or acceptance of the Government, and ſo take off that odium or prejudice which it lies under with them and others.

3. The way of Ordination by Presbyters in every Province or County ſelected by Parliament prima vice, might prevent a great deal of influence which the now ſequeſtred Divines being reſtored to a capacity of Paſtoral charges, will have in the ſeveral Claſſes where they ſhall be ſeated.

4. That the Presbyterians ought to take heed that the cauſe of the continuance of the Warre and all the miſeries of it be not laid at their door, and that for oppoſing a thing in it ſelf lawfull, but not at preſent to be gotten quite off, by reaſon of the Kings preſent unſatisfaction, and his deſire of time and means of better information.

5. That ſuch Presbyterians as cannot find a Jus Divinum for Ruling Elders acting in Ordination, do judge it as great a diſconformity to allow the Ruling Elder a power of co-operation and authority in ordaining Miniſters, as to allow one to be of the Quorum, who is thereby no more then a Presbyter, nor hath the Keyes any more in his hand for that, then a Moderatour for the preſent time may have, for orders ſake.

6. That the Covenant binding to extirpate Biſhops, if it be underſtood in ſenſu diviſo in that Article, and not (as many conceive) in ſenſu compoſito only, doth not oblge us to break the peace of all, if every thing be not to be had at firſt; and if the great and ancient Tree be to be felled down by agreement, ſhall the parties fight with one another, becauſe the one will fell it down chip by chipe; the other will tear it up at once by the roots? And therefore I humbly pray the honourable Members of Parliament, the warned Presbyterians, and (as they are called) Independents, to conſider of this Punctillio, as it is laid in the ballance againſt the loſs of all his Majeſty his other Conceſſions, and the fruits and conſequences of new diſtractions and ſadder times; for (I ſpeak only in caſe that the King can be got no further) it ought to be well weighed, whether this negative vote in Ordination, be ſuch a thing as may juſtly imbitter all our peace beſides. And if any ſhould ſay that out of this old root the old Epiſcopacy will grow again; I do not conceive that it is poſſible, being hoop'd about by the iron hoop of Laws; for the Primitive Epiſcopacy grew ſo faſt, becauſe the Pagan Princes looked not after that Government, which was but exerciſed over ſuch Voluntaries as put their necks under it, and Chriſtain Princes thought they ſhould allow it as much as it had under Heathens. But as for the reſurrection of it after it's dead, it cannot be, but by Parliament, and againſt an Act of Parliament, there is no fortification to be made; In fine, if I cannot prevail with you to accept leſs then you ask, I humbly beſeech the King to grant more then he yet offers, for the common peace ſake, which is to be purchaſed at any rate next the price of truth, and even ſome truths are to be abated, or ſorborn to be exerciſed for the preſent, for the common and publick peace.

Vale Novemb. 8. FINIS.