intercessions, and giving of thanks should be made -for kings and for all that are in authority. 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.

Fourthly, wherever episcopacy has been abolished or laid aside; a true churchman thinks it the duty' of every man who professes Christianity, to do what, in his station, he fairly can for the re-establishment of it and that because he takes it to be a divine ordinance. But how far the necessities, or invincible prejudices of any of the foreign reformed churches, will excuse them before God, either for the laying aside or not restoring of the episcopal office, he will not take upon him to judge; although, in such cases as these, his charity will always incline him to the most favourable opinion.

But, fifthly, if, by the Providence of God, a true churchman should be under a necessity of living in a place, where he cannot have the benefit of communicating with an episcopal church; there is no principle, that I have here ascribed to him, that will lay him under a necessity of absolutely refusing the communion of a church, that wants nothing but episcopacy to render it truly agrecable to the Apostolick model. Wherever he finds a defect in a church, he thinks it his duty to endeavour, what in his station he can, the supplying of it: but it is not every real defect in a church that can lay a private Christian. under an obligation of renouncing, or absolutely refusing her communion. Every man is certainly bound to serve God, both privately and publicly, as near as he can according to what God himself has

prescribed: but if things (where I am) are not ordered, in all respects, exactly according to this rule; and it be no way in my power to remedy it; I think I ought to serve God as well as I can, if I cannot do it as well as I would. What God has forbid I must not do; but if it be not in my power to do every thing according as he has commanded; I doubt not but he will accept me, if I do the best that in my circumstances I can.

I am, Sir,

October 20, 1708.

Yours, &c.

POSTSCRIPT.

BECAUSE (upon a careful recollection of our late discourse) I cannot but remember, that you dropped some expressions that seemed to have a tincture not only of antiepiscopal but even antiministerial principles: although I have already exceeded the bounds of a letter; yet I shall beg the favour of you a little, with me, to review what I have but just now said touching the necessity of episcopacy.

And when you look back upon the three first propositions which I have there laid down, I pray consult the New Testament and consider those places, where not only a command is given for the performance of the several parts of the ministerial function ; but also certain persons appointed for the discharge of that office; and that either with plain direction, or a very sufficient intimation that they should take care to appoint others who should go on with the same work, when they themselves should be gone off the stage of this world: for example,

Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. It was to the eleven disciples, v. 16. that our Saviour said, Go teach all nations baptizing them-And lo I am with you alway (that is, with you and your successors in this office) even to the end of the world.

John xx. 21. To the same persons (only Thomas being absent, v. 24.) it was that he said, As my

Father hath sent me, so send I you, &c. Which plainly implies a power of sending others where they could not go themselves, or when they should be about to leave the world.

And that the Apostles understood this power to be thus given them in order to be continued to succeeding generations, is so plain from their practice that nothing can be more. For this cause left I thee in Crete (says St. Paul to Titus, chap. i. 5.) that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting; and ordain elders in every city. Again, 2 Tim. ii. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me-the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. And if any man's bare personal qualifications, without any other mission, were a suffi`cient warrant for him to take upon himself the office of a minister of the Gospel, what could St. Paul mean when he puts the question, as of a thing beyond all manner of doubt, Rom. x. 15. How shall they preach except they be sent ?

As to the fourth proposition; I wave all dispute about the NAME of bishop and presbyter, or by what other title they were or might be distinguished. But that the OFFICE, there described by Mr. Chillingworth, was not only exercised by the Apostles themselves, (which I think no man denies), but also by other persons particularly appointed by them for that purpose, is beyond contradiction evident from the instances of Timothy and Titus, and the epistles to them written: nor is it by any means a sufficient reply, to say, that Timothy and Titus

were, in an extraordinary manner, appointed by St. Paul to finish that work of settling and establishing the churches of Ephesus and Crete, which he, being called away to other places, could not stay to make an end of; and were not in that capacity, ordinary officers to be always continued in the Christian church: for, besides that this is spoken without any manner of proof, and is contrary to the unquestioned opinion of the Christian church for above fifteen hundred years after Christ.* I desire you to tell me: did all those persons, who in the several parts of the church, had upon the like occasions received the same power, from some of the Apostles, as Timothy and Titus had done from St. Paul-did they, I say, all lose this power as soon as the Apostles that employed them were dead; as the death of any prince or potentate makes void the commission of his substitute or embassador? If they did, then it will follow, that when the churches dispersed throughout the world had most occasion for the exercise of this power (viz. when, by the death of the Apostles, they were deprived of their personal care and inspection) they could not have the benefit

Timothy is called the First Bishop of Ephesus, and Titus of Crete, in those inscriptions which are placed at the end of the epistles, written by St. Paul to them: which inscriptions, though not of canonical authority, I take to be of credit sufficient to shew the notion that the ancient church bad of their office in those places. Nor is it denied that Eusebius styles them Bishops of those places in the same sense that we now understand the word Bishop. Hist. Eccl. 1. iii. c. 4.