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order which Christ hath appointed in all the churches of the saints, he affirms plainly that those governors were the presbyters of the church: αἰσχρά, saith he, καὶ λίαν αἰσχρα, καὶ ἀνάξια τῆς ἐν Χριστῳ ἀγωγῆς ἀκούεσθαι τὴν βεβαιοτάτην ἀρχαίαν Κορινθίων ἐκκλησίαν, δι' εν ἢ δυὸ πρόσωπα στασιάζειν πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους. And in all places throughout the whole epistle, writing (ἐκκλησία τοῦ Θεοῦ παροικούσῃ κόρινθον) to that particular church of Corinth, the saints dwelling there, walking in the order and fellowship of the gospel, where he treats of those things, he still intimates a plurality of presbyters in the church (as there may, nay there ought to be in every single congregation; Acts xx. 28.) without the least intimation of any singular person, promoted upon any account whatever above his fellows. So in the advice given to the persons who occasioned the division before mentioned ; μόνον τὸ ποίμνιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰρηνευέτω, μετὰ τῶν καθισταμένων πρεσβυτέρων. Had there been a singular bishop at Corinth, much more a metropolitan, such as our doctor speaks him to have been, it had been impossible that he should be thus passed by in silence.

But the doctor gives you a double answer to this observation, with the several parts whereof, I doubt not but that he makes himself merry, if he can suppose that any men are so wedded to his dictates, as to give them entertainment: for indeed they are plainly jocular. But learned men must have leave sometimes to exercise their fancies, and to sport themselves with their own imaginations.

1. Then, for the mention that is made of many presbyters in the church of Corinth, to whom Clemens, in the name of the church of Rome, exhorts to give all due respect, honour, obedience. He tells you that by the church of Corinth, all the churches of Achaia are meant and intended. The epistle is directed only τῇ ἐκκλησία θεοῦ παροικούσῃ Κόpov, without the least intimation of any other church or churches. The difference it is written about, was occasioned by one or two persons in that church only: it is that church alone that is exhorted to order, and due subjection to their elders. From the beginning to the end of the epistle, there is not one word, apex, or tittle, to intimate the designation of it, to any church or churches beyond the single church of Corinth or that they had any concernment in the difference

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spoken to. The fabric of after-ages lies so close to the doctor's imagination,, that there is no entrance for the true frame of the primitive church of Christ; and therefore every thing must be wrested, and apportioned to the conceit of such an episcopacy as he hath entertained. Whereas he ought to crop off both head and heels of his own imagination, and the episcopacy of the latter days, which he too dearly affects; he chooseth rather to stretch and torture the ancient government of the church, that it may seem to answer the frame presently contended for. But let us a little attend to the doctor's learned arguments; whereby he endeavours to make good his assertion.

1. He tells you that Corinth was the chief city of Achaia: the metropolis (in a political sense and acceptation of the word) of Greece, where the proconsul had his residence: Diss. 5. cap. 2. sect. 3. Let us grant this to our learned doctor, least we should find nothing to gratify him withal; what then will follow? Hence, saith he, it will follow, sect. 4. that this epistle which was sent, ‘Ecclesiæ παροικούσῃ Κόpivov, non ad unius civitatis ecclesiam, sed ad omnes totius Achaiæ Christianos, per singulas civitates et regiones, sub episcopis aut præfectis suis ubique collocatas missa existimetur.' But pray doctor why so? We poor creatures who are not so sharp-sighted, as to discern a metropolitan archbishop at Corinth, of whom all the bishops in Greece were dependant, nor can find any instituted church in the Scripture, or in Clemens, of one denomination, beyond a single congregation, cannot but think, that all the strength of this consectary, from the insinuation of such a state of things, in the church of God, is nothing but a pure begging of the thing in question, which will never be granted upon such

terms.

Yea, but he adds, sect. 5. That 'Paul wrote his epistle not only to the church of Corinth, but also to all the churches of Achaia, therefore Clemens did so also.' At first view this argument seems not very conclusive, yea appears indeed very ridiculous: the enforcement of it, which ensues, may perhaps give new life and vigour to it. How then is it proved that Paul wrote not only to the church of Corinth, but to all them in Achaia also? Why saith he in the 2 Epistle, 1 chap. 1. verse, it is so expressed; he writes, tý ikkλnoių tov Jeoũ tỷ

ὄυση ἐν Κορίνθῳ, σὺν τοῖς ἁγίοις πᾶσιτοῖς οὖσιν ἐν ὅλη τῇ Αχαίᾳ. Very good! It is indisputably evident that Paul wrote his second epistle to the church at Corinth, and all the rest of Achaia, for he expressly affirms himself so to do, and for the first epistle, it is directed not only to the church of Corinth, 1. chap. 2. verse ; but also πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ; that is, saith our doctor, in the whole region of Achaia. So indeed says the doctor's great friend Grotius, to whom he is beholden for more than one rare notion. I say it not in any way of any reproach to the doctor, only I cannot but think, his careful warding of himself against the thoughts of men that he should be beholden to Grotius, doth exceedingly unbecome the doctor's gravity and self-denial. This is complained of by some who have tried it in reference to his late comment on the Revelation. And in this dissertation, he is put by his own thoughts (I will not say guilty), to an apology, cap. 1. sect. 24. Qua in re suffragium suum tulisse Hugonem Grotium Tòv Távu ex annotationibus posthumis, nuper editis, et postquam hæc omnia Typographo transcripta essent, cursim perlectis edoctum gratulor.' Let not the reader think that Doctor Ham. had transmitted his papers full of rare conjectures to the printer, before Grotius's Annotations upon the Revelations were published, but only before he had read them. The doctor little thinks what a fly this is in his pot of ointment, nor how indecent with all impartial men, such apologies, subservient to a frame of spirit in bondage to a man's own esteem and reputation, appear to be; but let this pass: and let the saints that call upon the name of Jesus Christ in every place, be the saints in every part of Achaia, though the epistle itself (written indeed upon occasion taken from the church of Corinth, yet) was given by inspiration from God, for the use not only of all the saints in the whole world, at that time wherein it was written, but of all those who were to believe in any part or place of the world to the end thereof; although the assertion of it be not built on any tolerable conjecture, but may be rejected with the same facility wherewith it is tendered; what now will hence ensue? Why hence it follows that Clemens also wrote his epistle to all the churches in Achaia. Very good? Paul writing an epistle entitled chiefly to the Corinthians, expressly and pηrs

directs it to the saints or churches of Achaia, yea to all that call upon the name of God in every place, so that his epistle being of catholic concernment, is not to be confined to the church of Corinth only, although most of the particular things mentioned in that epistle related only to that particular church; therefore, Clemens directing his epistle to the church of Corinth only, not once mentioning nor insinuating an intention of extending it to any other, handling in it only the peculiar concernment of that church, and a difference about one or two persons therein, must be supposed to have written to all the churches of Achaia. And if such arguments as these, will not prove episcopacy to be of apostolical constitution, what will prevail with men so to esteem it? 'Si Pergama dextra defendi possent, etiam hac defensa fuissent.' And this is the cause of naming many elders, or presbyters in one church. For my part I suppose the doc tor might more probably have adhered to a former conjecture of his, Dissert. 4. cap. 10. sect. 9. Concerning two sundry different churches, where were distinct officers in the same city: Primo,' saith he, 'respondeo non usque quaque verum est, quod pro concesso sumitur, quamvis enim in una ecclesia aut cætu plures simul episcopi nunquam fuerint' (pray except them mentioned, Acts xx. 28. and those, Acts xiv. 23.) 'nihil tamen obstare quin in eadem civitate duo aliquando cætus disterminati fuerint.' He might, I say, with more show of probability have abode by this observation, than to have rambled over all Greece, to relieve himself against his adversaries. But yet neither would this suffice. What use may, or will be, made of this concession shall elsewhere be manifested. But the doctor hath yet another answer to this multiplication of elders, and the mention of them with deacons, with the eminent identity that is between them and bishops through the whole epistle, the same persons being unquestionably intended in respect of the same office, by both these appellations. Now this second answer is founded upon the supposition of the former; (a goodly foundation!) namely, that the epistle under consideration was written and sent not to the church of Corinth only, but to all the churches of Achaia, of which Corinth was the metropolitan.

Now this second answer is, that the elders or presbyters here mentioned, were properly those whom he calls bishops,

diocesans: men of a third rank and order above deacons and presbyters in the church-administrations and government. And for those who are properly called presbyters, there were then none in the church, to give colour to this miserable evasion, Dissert. 4. chap. 10, 11. He discourseth about the government and ordering of church affairs by bishops and deacons. In some churches that were small, not yet formed or completed, nor come to perfection at the first planting of them: how well this is accommodated to the church of Corinth which Clemens calls, βεβαιοτάτην καὶ apxaíav: and which himself would have to be a metropolitical church, being confessedly great, numerous; furnished with great and large gifts, and abilities seen with half an eye. How ill also this shift is accommodated to help in the case for whose service it was first invented, is no less evident. It was to save the sword of Phil. i. 1. from the throat of the episcopacy he contendeth for; that epistle is directed to the saints or church at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. Two things do here trouble our doctor: 1. The mention of more bishops than one at Philippi. 2. The knitting together of bishops and deacons, as the only two orders in the church, bringing down episcopacy one degree at least from that height whereto he would exalt it. For the first of these, he tells you that Philippi was the metropolitan church of the province of Macedonia, that the rest of the churches, which had every one their several bishops (diocesan we must suppose) were all comprised in the mentioning of Philippi: so that though the epistle be precisely directed rois ἁγίοις τοῖς οὖσιν ἐνΦιλίπποις, yet the bishops that were with them, must be supposed to be bishops of the whole province of Macedonia; because the church of Philippi was the metropolitan: the whole country must have been supposed to be converted (and who that knows any thing of antiquity will dispute that), and so divided with diocesans, as England of late was; the archbishop's see being at Philippi: but how came it then to pass, that here is mention made of bishops and deacons only, without any one word of a third order, or rank of men distinct from them called presbyters or elders? To this he answers, 2dly, That when the church was first planted, before any great number was converted, or any fit to be made presbyters, there was only those two

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