§ XXV. However, though Bishops are now thus nominated by the Temporal Magiftrate, yet forafmuch as fuch Nomination neither does nor can make them Bishops, but they are fo made by a regular Confecration, or Ordination, as appears from what has been already faid, and alfo from the very Form of Confecration in our Liturgy, where the Archbifhop fays to the Perfon to be confecrated, Receive the Holy Ghoft for the Office and Work of a Bishop in the Church of God, now committed unto thee by the Impoition of our hands, it is evident, that our Bishops have the fame Spiritual Power which the Apoftles and Primitive Bifhops had, and hold it Independent on the Civil Magiftrate, without deriving any part of it from him. His Epifcopal Office and his Spiritual Relation to his Flock are ftill conferred upon him by the Spiritual Governors of the Church.

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Metropolitan, as Head of the Epifcopal College, or four Bishops, in cafe there be no Metropolitan, confirm the Perfon nominated and elected, and thereby give him the Spiritual Government of that See to which they fo appoint him by that Confirmation, and if he have not been confecrated before, they alfo then confecrate him to the Epifcopal Office. Thus every Bishop of our Church receives all his Spiritual Power and his Spiritual Relation to his Flock from the Spiritual Governors of the Church only: For without this be done by them all, the Temporal Powers of the World are not able to veft him witha Spiritual Authority over any People whatsoever. They may recommend, they may nominate, and whether the Bishops will confecrate him or not, if they are refolv'd to ftretch and abufe their Power, they have Strength to put him in Poffeffion of the Epifcopal House; nay, and the Cathedral or Epifcopal Church too; they can fine, imprifon, or even put to Death the Bishops who have refufed to confirm and confecrate

confecrate him; but all this cannot make him a Bishop, or give him any Spiritual Authority. over the People they would have to be committed to his Charge. The People would lie under no Obligation to receive the Word and Sacraments at his Hands, or at the Hands of any that should pretend to be his Presbyters: Nay, if fuch pretended Bishop or any Presbyters pretendedly ordain'd by him, fhould prefume to minifter the Word and Sacraments, they would be guilty of the highest Profanation of these Divine Ordinances: And the People which knowingly receive them at their Hands: would reap only a Carfe and not a Bleffing from them. And therefore even King Henry VIII. who would be called Supreme Head of the Church, (r) (a Name, which his Daughter Elizabeth declar'd, could not be given to any mortal Man, and therefore refufed herself to be fo called) never pretended (ashas been already observed) to make a Bishop himself, if the Bishops fhould refufe to confecrate him. All that he thought himself capable of doing in that Cafe was to punish the Bishops who fhould refuse the Man he or his Succeffors fhould nominate. It is true this is a great Stretch of the Temporal Power, and fuch as former Ages have no Precedent for; but ftill it gives no Spiritual Power to the King: For if all the Bishops fhould ever have the Courage to face a Pramunire, upon the Nomination of an unworthy Perfon to a Bishoprick, all the Power of the King

(r) Regina non vult appellari aut fcribi, Caput Eccles fiæ Anglicané: graviter enim refpondit, illam dignitatem foli effe attributam Chrifto: nemini autem mortalium convenire. See a Letter of Bishop Suell's to Bullinger, dated May 22, 1559. that is in the first Year of Queen Elizabeth, publish'd by Bishop Burnet in the 3d Volume of his Hiftory among the Records, Book 6. Num. 48. And by Strype in his Appendix to bis Hiftory of the Reformation, Num. 20.

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dom cannot make him a Bishop. And if the Bishops who refuse to confecrate fuch a Perfon fhould fuffer the Penalty of the Laws for fo doing, they would fuffer not as difobedient rebellious Subjects, but as Confeffors or Martyrs. And the Prince who fhould execute this Law upon them in fuch a Cafe where the Perfon nominated was apparently unworthy or unqualified for the Office, would be a Perfecutor of the Church of God: And though no Power in this World could call him to an Account for it (for the Apostles and Primitive Chriftians never pretended they could depofe an Emperor because he perfecuted them) yet he would be liable to the juft Vengeance. of God, and anfwer for it in the other World. But : if the Perfon be worthy or well qualify'd for the Office of a Bishop, the Nomination of the Prince can by no means make him lefs worthy or lefs fit for that Office. And therefore fo long as Princes name only those that are worthy and qualified (though poffibly others might be found more worthy or better qualified) it is no Fault in the Bishops to receive and confecrate them, and fo to commit the Spiritual Power to them.

§ XXVI. And as it is thus evident that a Prince or Civil Magiftrate can give no Spiritual Power to a Bishop, or veft him with the Spiritual Care of a Diocefe or Bishoprick, but he must receive that Power from the Bishops of the Church; fo it is no less evident that when he is vefted with fuch a Power he cannot deprive him of it, or take it from him during his Life. His Authority will be the fame as to all Spiritual Matters, and his Spiritual Acts as valid after any fuch pretended Deprivation as they were before. it: And the People which were committed to his Charge by the Authority of the Epifcopal College will be as much obliged to acknowledge him for their chief Governor in Spirituals as ever they were. In

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deed the Temporalties and Revenues of a Bishoprick being outward and vifible Things, may happen in Fact to be taken from a Bishop, even as any Man's Estate may happen to be taken from him, though he have never fo good a Right to it: That is, it may be taken or detained from him by unjuft Force and Violence. And when a Bishop's Temporalties are fo taken and detained, he cannot repel that unjuft Force by any outward compulfary Method otherwife than by applying to the Civil Magistrate for his Protection and Affiftance. And therefore though. our Kings as Protectors and Guardians of the Church, when a Bifhoprick is vacant, take the Temporalties into their own Hands till the College of Bishops have filled the See: Yet the Bishop who is fo put into that See fues the Temporal ties out of the King's Hands as of Right belonging to him: And if the King will not then deliver them to him, he is guilty of the fame Injuftice, at leaft, as if he detained any other Perfon's Eftate which of Right belonged to him. And a like Act of Injuftice will that King be guilty of who fhall feize the Temporalties of a Bifhoprick and take them into his own Poffeffion, or give them to another, whilft the Bishop to whom they were granted is living, and has a juft Claim to them. And thus the Independency of the Church upon the State as to its pure Spiritual Powers is very plainly preferved amongst us, notwithstanding that our Bishops are nominated by the King, and ufe to receive their Temporalties or Revenues from him, and to pay him Homage for them. For though the King nominate the Perfon, and gives him the Lands and Lordships belonging to his See, yet it is the Metropolitan or other Bifhops only that give him his Spiritual Power and a Spiritual Jurifdiction over that Flock which they commit to his Charge. And for this Reafon, when a Bifhop is confecrated and appointed to his Charge, he from that time becomes

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the Spiritual Father of his Diocese, and the People are obliged to receive the Word and Sacraments at his Hands and at the Hands of his Presbyters, although the King should refufe to veft him with the Lands and Lordfhips belonging to his Bishoprick : And the Cafe is the fame if the King fhould afterwards think convenient by Act of Parliament, or by a Judgment in any of his Courts to diveft or deprive him of any or of all thofe Lands and Lordships, or other Revenues which may have been fettled on the Bishoprick: He will ftill continue the rightful Paftor of that Flock, he will be the true Bishop and Spiritual Father of that People, and they will be obliged to receive the Word and Sacraments from him and his Presbyters, and from no other in Oppofition to him, notwithstanding any fuch Deprivation or Divestment; for the Spiritual Relation of a Pastor to his Flock has no Dependance on his Temporal Revenues: (s) For though the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel fhould live of the Gospel, yet if the Paftor have no Maintenance from thofe to whom he preaches the Gofpel, this does not by any means deprive him of his Spiritual Relation to his Flock. St. Paul, though he told the Corinthians, that he had fuch a Right to a Maintenance from them, yet at the fame time declared, that he had used none of thefe Things; that is, had received no Temporal Subfiftence from them; but fays he, (t) I robbed other Churches, taking Wages of them, to do you Service. And when I was prefent with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no Man: For that which was lacking to me the Brethren which came from Macedonia fupplied: and in all Things I have kept my self from being burthenfom unto you, and fo will I keep my felf. And yet he infifted upon his Spiritual Relation to them as their only Father