themselves cisterns of clay, and these leaky too, with great and unprofitable labour. O! wretched deceitfulness of every earthly hope, which mocks and deludes us so much the more in proportion to the extravagance of its promises. Blessed are they, and only they, who fix their eyes and their souls above, and say with the Psalmist, Lord I wait on thee, my soul does wait, and in thy word do I trust: and as elsewhere, And now Lord, what wait I for, my hope is in thee. Happy they who have quitted all those low desires and pursuits, which are unworthy of a generous and immortal spirit, and have fixed their love on one whose heart and hopes are set upon that one, in whom all things excellent meet and center. A chearful joy always shines on their face; nor do their cheeks glow with the shame of repulse and disappointment. While we are wandering hither and thither, in the vicious and perplexed pursuit of flattering objects, what frequent lamentation, what fond complaint of delusive fortune, and that tragical outcry, ii rpauralwv iwwduvwv, of grievous and painful wounds! What crowds of fears and cares divide the mind, and hurry it now one way, and now another? but when we fix our hope and our heart on the only support, on the only true and all-sufficient good, all is safe, and the soul treads firm as it were, while the whole globe trembles. Let external things be borne this way or that, there is peace within; nor when all methods have been examined, can any other be found for the establishment of the mind, than that it should lay all its stress upon the one immoveable and immutable Rock,

A MODEST DEFENCE

OF

MODERATE EPISCOPACY,

As established in Scotland at the Restoration of King Charles II.

1. E

PISCOPAL government, managed in conjunction with presbyters, presbyteries, and synods, is not contrary to the rule of scripture, or the example of the primitive church, but most agreeable to both.

2. Yea, it is not contrary to that new covenant, which is pretended by so many as the main, if not the only, reason of their scrupling; and for their sakes it is necessary to add this: for notwithstanding the many irregularities both in the matter and form of that covenant, and in the illegal and violent ways of pressing and prosecuting of it; yet to them who still remain under the conscience of its full force and obligation, and in that some inconvinceably persuaded, it is certainly most pertinent, if it be true, to declare the consistence of the present government, even with that obligation.

And as both of these assertions, I believe, upon the exactest (if impartial and impassionate) inquiry, will be found to be in themselves true, so they are owned by the generality of the presbyterians in England, as themselves have published their opinions in print, with this title, Two Papers of proposals, humbly presented to his Majesty, by the reverend

* Even this Modest Defence takes for granted the leading point in debate between Episcopalians and Presbyterians, namely, the superiority de jure, and ex officio, of one scriptural bishop, or teaching presbyter, to another overseer, or teaching elder.

Several other animadversations on the Modest Defence might be made, particularly respecting the alledged violence of the Scotch Covenanters, which we forbear to make. EDIT.

ministers of the Presbyterian persuasion, printed at London, anno 1661.

Besides other passages in those papers to the same purpose, in page 11 and 12 are these words: "And as these are our general ends and motives, so "we are induced to insist upon the form of a synodi"cal government, conjunct with a fixed presidency "or episcopacy; for these reasons:

"1. We have reason to believe that no other "terms will be so generally agreed on, &c.

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2. It being agreeable to the scripture and the primitive government, is likeliest to be the way "of a more universal concord, if ever the churches "on earth arrive at such a blessing: however, it "will be most acceptable to God and well informed "consciences.

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"3. It will promote the practice of discipline "and godliness without discord, and promote "order without hindering discipline and godli

4. And it is not to be silenced (though in "some respects we are loathe to mention it) that it "will save the nations from the violation of the "solemn vow and covenant, without wronging "the church at all, or breaking any other oath, " &c."

And a little after, they add, "That the prelacy "disclaimed in that covenant, was the engrossing "the sole power of ordination and jurisdiction; and "exercising of the whole discipline, absolutely by "bishops themselves, and their delegates, chan"cellors, surrogates, and officials, &c. excluding wholly the pastors of particular churches from all "share in it."

And there is one of prime note amongst them, who, in a large treatise of church-government, does clearly evidence, that this was the mind both of the parliament of England, and of the assembly of divines at Westminster, as they themselves did expressly declare it in the admitting of the covenant,

That they understood it not to be against all Episcopacy; but only against that particular frame, as it is worded in the article itself *. As for our present model in Scotland, and the way of managing it, whatsoever is amiss (and it can be no wrong to make that supposition, concerning any church on earth) the brethren that are dissatisfied, had possibly better acquitted their duty, by free admonitions and significations of their own sense in all things, than by leaving their stations, which is the only thing that has made the breach (I fear fear very hard to cure, and in human appearance near to incurable). But there is much charity due to those following their own consciences; and they owe, and I hope they pay, the same back again to those that do the same in another way. And whatsoever may be the readiest and happiest way, of re-uniting those that are naturally so minded, the Lord reveal it to them in due time.

This one word I shall add, That this difference should arise to a great height, may seem somewhat strange to any man, that calmly considers, that there is in this church no change at all, neither in the doctrine nor worship; no, nor in the substance of the discipline itself; but when it falls on matter easily inflammable, a little sparkle, how great a fire will it kindle!

Oh! who would not long for the shadows of the evening, from all those poor childish contests!

But some will say that we are engaged against prelacy by covenant, and therefore cannot yield to so much as you do, without perjury.

Ans. That this is wholly untrue, I thus demonstrate. When that covenant was presented to the assembly with the bare name of prelacy joined to

1

* Baxter of Church Government, P. III. C. 1. tit. page 275. "An Episcopacy desirable for the reformation, preservation, and peace of the churches, a fixed president, durante vita." See p. 297 and 330. ibid.

popery, many contrary and reverend divines, desired that the word (prelacy) might be explained, because it was not all Episcopacy they were against; and thereupon the following clause, in the parenthesis, was given by way of explication, in these words, (That the church government by archbishops, bishops, their chancellors, and commissaries, deans, and chapters, arch-deacons, and all the other ecclesiastical officers depending on that hierarchy) by which it appears, that it was only the English hierarchy or frame, that was covenanted against; and that which was then existent, that was taken down.

II. When the house of lords took the covenant, Mr. Thomas Coleman, that gave it them, did so explain it, and profess that it was not their intent to covenant against all Episcopacy; and upon this explication it was taken; and certainly the parliament was most capable of giving the due sense of it, seeing it was they that did impose it.

III. And it could not be all Episcopacy that was excluded, because a parochial Episcopacy was at that same time used and approved commonly in England.

IV. And in Scotland they had used the help of visitors, for the reformation of their churches, committing the care of a country or circuit, to some one man, which was as high a sort of Episcopacy at least as any I am pleading for; besides that, they had moderators in all their synods, which were temporary bishops.

V. Also the chief divines of the late assembly at Westminster, that recommended that covenant to the nations, have professed their own judgment for such a moderate Episcopacy as I am here defending, and therefore they never intended the exclusion of this by covenant.

After the same author saith, As we have prelacy to be aware of, so we have the contrary extreme to avoid; and the church's peace, if it may be so