in Chrift, notwithstanding his receiving no Temporal Advantage by it, faying, (u) Though ye have ten thousand Inftructers in Chrift, yet have ye not many Fathers: For in Chrift Jefus I have begotten you through the Goffel. Wherefore I befeech you be ye Followers of me. Which is an evident Proof that the Spiritual Relation a Bishop bears to his Flock has no Dependance upon the Maintenance to be receiv'd from that Flock. And that although God have given the Bishop a Right to fuch Maintenance, yet if he has it not, he is no lefs the Father of that Flock than if he had it. Confequently when a Bishop (of this Realm for Inftance) is vested by the Metropolitan to whom the Spiritual Power of every vacant Diocefe devolves, he from that time becomes the Spiritual Father of that Diocese, and the People are obliged to obey him in Spirituals even before the King has restored the Temporalties to him. Which is an Evidence that even according to our own Conftitution the Spiritual Relation of a Bishop to his Flock has no Dependance upon the Crown, or the Civil Magiftrate. They are diftin&t Things, and upon every Vacancy are under the Guardianship of different Powers. For as upon the Death of a Bishop the Guardianship of the Temporalties of the Bishoprick is taken by the King as the Sovereign Protector of all Worldly Things, whether they belong to the Church or the State, fo the Spiritualties devolve to the Metropolitan as Head of the Epifcopal College; or if there be no Metropolitan, they devolve in these latter Centuries to the Metropolitical Chapter as Guardians of the Spiritualties for that time. And as the Metropolitan now lays no Claim to the Guardianfhip of the Temporalties, fo neither does the King or any other Civil Magiftrate lay any Claim to the

(u) 1 Cor. iv. 15,16.

Spiritualties

Spiritualties of a vacant Bishoprick. Confequently if the King or the whole State affembled in Parliament, take upon them to deprive a Bishop, fuch Deprivation cannot affect his Spiritualties which they lay no Claim to, even in a Vacancy. It can only deprive him of their Protection as to the actual keeping the Poffeffion of his Temporalties: His Spiritual Relation to his Diocese, and his Spiritual Power over it, has another Original, being derived to him directly from Chrift himself, and conveyed to him by Impofition of Spiritual Hands in a regular Succeffion. The People of that Diocese are still obliged to adhere to him as their Spiritual Father, notwithstanding the Temporal Magiftrate has thought fit to take away the Revenues belonging to his See and to give them to another.

§ XXVII. It is the Apostle's Command, that the People should know, receive and adhere to their Bishop or chief Spiritual Father. And therefore when St. Paul fent home Epaphroditus (m) the Bishop of the Philippians to his Flock, he required them to receive him in the Lord with all Gladness; and to hold fuch in Reputation. For that Epaphroditus was their Bifhop or chief Spiritual Governor is manifeft from what goes before, where he says, I fuppofed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my Brother and Companion in Labour and Fellow-Soldier, but your Apoftle. For those whom we now call Bishops were in the firft Age of the Church called Apostles, (x) as I have elsewhere proved. For it is evident from the Scriptures, that the Apostles were the chief Governors of the Church, as the Bishops have been ever fince their Times: And that not only the Twelve and St. Paul, who were

(w) Philip ii. 29. Governors, Chap. 4.

G

(x) Account at burch-Government and

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immediately chofen and fent by Chrift himself, but divers others alfo (y) as Barnabas, Epaphroditus already mentioned, (2) Andronicus and Junia, (a) Titus and others. Our Tranflation indeed calls Epaphroditus, Titus and his Brethren, in the Places quoted, Meffengers of the Churches, but why, or for what Reafon I know not, for in the Original they are called Apoftles, and it is the Original that is properly the Scripture or Word of God, and not our Translation where it differs from it. Now the Scripture teaches, that the Apostles were the chief Governors of the Church, each in his own Line, District or Diocefe, as St. Paul teaches, who plainly claimed this chief Government in Spiritual Matters over the Corinthians and the other Churches which he had planted, but pretended not to the like Authority in any other Apoftle's Line or District, faying, (b) We will not boaft of things without our Meafure, but according to the Meafare of the Rule (or Line, as it is in the Margin) which God hath deftributed to us, a Measure to reach even unto you. For we ftretch not our felves beyond our Meafure, as though we reached not unto you: For we are come as far as to you alfo in preaching the Gospel of Chrift: Not boafting of Things without our Measure, that is, of other Mens Labours. From whence it appears, that each Apoftle or chief Governor of the Church, which we now call a Bishop, had his proper Diocese, Rule, Line or District, in which no other might claim a Spiritual Jurifdiction independent on him: For this would be to make a Schifin in the Church. And therefore as St. Paul claims a Spiritual Jurifdiction over the Corinthians, as within his Rule or Line,within that District which was committed to his Charge, fo he challenges it exclusive of all others who pre

(y) Ats xiv. 14. 1 Cor. ix. 5, 6. (a) 2 Cor. viii. 23.

(z) Rom. xvi. 7.

tended

(b) 2 Cor. x. 13, 14, 15.

tended to act there independently on him. And therefore though he very well approved that Apollos and Cephas, or any fent by them, fhould affift him either in the Conversion or Inftruction of the Corinthians, yet he could not allow that any under Pretence of being fent by thofe Apoftles fhould undertake to execute a Spiritual Power in that District in Oppofition to him, or to draw away the People from their Obedience to him, and encourage them to follow fome other Spiritual Guide in Oppofition to him. Not that Apollos or Cephas, had really themfelves done any thing in Oppofition to St Paul, for they only watered what St. Paul had planted, and acted in Union with him as Friends and Affiftants. But fome other made ufe of the Names of thofe Apoftles, and pretended a Commiffion from them to ac independently on St. Paul within his Jurisdiction. And this was what he declared to be contrary to the Will of God, and what he could by no means allow : (c) For, fays he, though ye have ten thousand Inftructers in Christ, yet have ye not many Fathers: For in Chrift Jefus I have begotten you through the Gofpel. Wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me. That is, be obedient and fubject to me as your rightful Father or Spiritual Governor, for you cannot reject and caft me off to follow other Spiritual Guides in Opposition to me without a grievous Sin. And then he adds, For this Canfe have 1 fent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved Son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into Remembrance of my Ways which be in Chrift, as I teach every where in every Church. As if he had faid, I have, for this Reafon, fent Timothy as my Deputy to take the Care and Charge of you under me, and inftru&t you what you ought to do till I can come my felf amongst you. Now fome are puffed up as though I

(c) 1 Cor. iv. 15, 16.

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would not come to you. Some I understand have entertained an Opinion that I will come no more amongst you, and that I have abdicated my Charge; and therefore suppose they may take it upon themselves as if I had no longer any Authority over you. But I will come to you fhortly, if the Lord will, and will know not the fpeech of them which are puffed up, but the Power. By the Grace of God I intend to be with you in a little Time, and fhall then make it my Business to enquire, not what Doctrines thefe Men which have acted in Oppofition to me have taught, but by what Power or Authority they have taken upon them to come and act within my District independent on me the chief Spiritual Father. For the Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power. For the Church of Chrift, that Society which our Saviour has chofen out of the World to be his peculiar People, does not fubfist upon Doctrines and Opinions only, it is not fufficient that Men believe fuch and fuch Things as Matters of Faith, this alone makes not a Kingdom, Corporation, City or Society of Men: For every Society or Corporation of Men, as the Kingdom of God is (o. therwise it cannot be a Kingdom) must have a Power and Authority within itself derived by Commiffion from the Founder of the Corporation, which Commiffion is certainly given to me as your proper Father in Chrift, and thofe that are puffed up against me are by confequence puffed up against Chrift, whatever Doctrines they teach: Upon which Account I fhall have no Occafion to examine their Doctrines, but to enquire whether they have a legal Power and Authority to act as Minifters of Chrift within my Jurifdiction in Oppofition to me; or whether they have a Commiffion that fuperfedes mine, for otherwife they are no better than Intruders and Ufurpers. What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a Rod, or in Love and in the Spirit of Meeknefs? Will you fubmit to me quietly and peaceably, or must be forced to exercife