*

not but conceive, that there is something in the Practice and Opinion of the primitive Church, that ought to bring us a little nearer to your Lordship's Situation, than we seem to be at prefent; fomething in the Titles of Honour that were given to Presbyters of old, and in the Thrones whereon they were allowed to fit in the Churches; fomething in the Respect and Obfervance that Bishops paid them, never suffering them to ftand, when they themselves were fitting; fomething in the Right they had to partake in the Ecclefiaftical Government, to be Counsellors and Affeffors to Bishops, who could hear and determine no Controverfies, nor ordain or degrade any of their Order, without their Concurrence and Confent; fomething above all, " in their Liberty to appeal in case they "were injured, to the Metropolitan, or pro"vincial Synod, which the † Nicene Council, and many others, appoint to be held once or "twice a Year, for that very Purpose, that if any Clergyman chanc'd to be unjustly cen"fur'd by the Paffion of his Bishop, he might "have Recourse to a fuperior Court, and there "have Juftice done him."

IAM fenfible what ticklish Ground I am upon, and have therefore, for Fear of giving Offence, chose other Mens Words to express my Sentiments in, rather than mine own. "later Times, 'tis acknowleg'd + (fays the learn"ed Dr. Comber, many of the Privileges be

« In

longing to this fecond Order have been laid "afide, whether to reprefs the Ambition of the "Presbyters, who unjustly aim'd at an Equality,

* Vid. Bingham's Orig. Eccl. Vol. I. p. 232.

† Conc. Nic. Can. 5.

Comber's Difcourfe, &c. p. 264.

or

"or out of an Affectation of Singularity in fome "of the fuperior Degrees, I will not deter"mine. It is fufficient to my Purpose, of "fhewing the Honour of the Priesthood, that, "in the beft Ages, it was thought worthy to "act jointly with Bifhops in most Ecclefiaftical "Concerns, and to have the next Degree of "Reverence and Authority to them. And I look

:

upon it as equally pernicious to the Church, "for Presbyters to afpire to a Parity with Bishops, as for these to defpife the others as <c unworthy to advise or affift them for the "former deftroys, and the latter very much "impairs the good Government of the Church. "The Bishops cannot exercife that Authority, "which Chrift and his Apoftles left them, if

Presbyters be their Equals; this will make,

(as St. Hierom fpeaks) as many Schifms as "there are Priests: And they cannot have "that useful Affiftance, toward the Execution "of their Epifcopal Function, which was defign'd them, when they exclude fo many learn"ed and able Men, as this next Order affords, "from their Councils and Administrations. "Wherefore the Orders must be distinct, to "avoid Confufion; but, provided the Subor"dination be kept up, due Refpect should be "fhewn, to exclude arbitrary Dominion: This

Temper, fays he, is prefcribed by the Coun"cil of Carthage, where it decrees that the Bifhop fhall fit higher in the Affembly of "Presbyters in the Church, but within the "House he fhall confider them as his Collegues. So that Antiquity required of Pref

*Ut Epifcopus in ecclefia in confeffu presbyterorum fublimior fedeat, intra vero domum collegam presbyterorum fe efle cognofcat. Conc. Carth. 4. 35. Bing. T. 1. p. 589.

"byters,

"byters, to exprefs all imaginable Reverence in publick to their Bifhop; and of Bishops, to "thew them in private all poffible Respect, and "treat them with great Civility."

AND if this be the Method and proper Regulation of our mutual Behaviour, how diftant foever we may be from either having, or defiring any Share in the Government of the Church, we have cerrainly a Right to our Share in the Governors themfelves; and they perhaps may be induc'd to think fo too, when 'tis confidered,

3. WHAT an effectual Means this may prove, both to promote the Honour and Reverence that is due to them, and the Comfort and Encouragement that our Condition requires. A learned and ingenious Preacher of our Church* (for I ftill defire to talk under the Cover) enquiring into the Grounds of the Contempt of the fuperior Clergy, refolves a great deal into into their own Pronenefs to defpife others: "There is a kind of Refpe&t, fays he, due to "the meaneft Perfon, even from the greateft; "for it is the mere Favour of Providence, that "he, who is actually the greatest, was not "the meaneft. A Man cannot caft his Re"fpects fo low, but they will rebound and return upon him. What Heaven beftows upon "the Earth in kind Influences and benign Af"pects, is paid back again in Sacrifice, Incense, " and Adoration." A free and generous Benefaction cannot fail of illiciting Praise; and Praise in a skilful Hand, is fometimes the Confecration of a Man's Name to all Pofterity: but there is a Shock and Difguft attending the Thoughts of him, who after long and fruitless

་

* Dr. South's Serm. Vol. I. p. 211.
† Dignum laude virum mufa vetat mori.

Expec

Expectances, obliges his Dependant to accoft him thus,

Armand, l'age affoiblit mes yeux?
Et tout ma chaleur me quite :
Je verrai bientot mes ayeux
Sur le rivage du Cocyte :
Je ferai bientot des fuivans
De ce bon Monarque de France,
Qui fut le Pere des fçavans,
En un fiecle plein d'ignorance.
Lors que j'approcherai de lui,
Il voudra que je lui raconte
Tout ce que tu fais aujourdhui,
Pour combler l'Espagne de honte.
Mais s'il demande a quel emploi
Tu m'as ocupe dans le monde,
Et quel bien j'ai reçu de toi,
Que veux-tu que je lui reponde?

༣

BUT to proceed with our Author: "A great "Perfon gets moré by obliging his Inferior,

than he can by difdaining him; as a Man "has a greater Advantage by fowing and dref"fing his Ground, than he can have by tramp"ling upon it. It is not to infult and domineer, "to look difdainfully, and revile imperiously, "that procures an Efteem from any one; it "will indeed make Men keep their Distance "fufficiently, but it will be distance without "Reverence; fuch as will bring in Parafites "and Flatterers enough, but very few faithful Friends or Admirers."

FAR am I, my Lord, from quoting this Paffage with a fecret Purpose to fatyrize any of my

reverend

reverend Fathers in God. I know my Duty better, than to speak evil of Dignities, and am far from thinking that Difdain and Haughtiness has any Habitation in fuch devout and heavenly Breafts. The Multiplicity of Business, the Im portunity of Addreffes, the Concerns of the State, the Concerns of their own Families, befides the thing which comes upon them daily, the 2 Cor. xi, Care of all the Churches, may in a great mea- 24. fure apologize for that kind of Carriage which their Station in Life makes neceffary to preferve their Authority, and fecure to themselves fome leifure Hours. With however we may, that they would take all proper Occafions, to come down, as it were, from their Eminence and Superiority, to let their Inferiors know, that they are not altogether unmindful of them; and we wifh it for our own fakes too, because we chiefly feel the happy Effects of fuch Condefcenfions.

YOUR Lordship has had the Honour to be intrufted with Affairs of great Importance, and to ferve more than one crowned Head with juft Applause and Approbation: Think then, and recollect with yourself, what an unfpeakable Pleafure it was, what a Tranfport and Exultation of Mind it gave you, after a Return from an Embaffy, or fome weighty Negotiation, to be receiv'd graciously, and rewarded bountifully by your Sovereign; to have your Praises told, and a Well done good and faithful Servant, refounding in your Ears from the Mouth of Majesty!

THE like, if not a greater Tide of Joy, comes in upon us, and refreshes us, at the leaft Indication of Refpect that you vouchsafe us. A ready Reception, a pleas'd Countenance, a kind Expreffion, a fmall Commendation, nay to seem but tolerably eafy, and not altogether weary in our Company, raifes and revives our Hearts, D

and