the Revelation of Chrift, whence an oppofition to the Kingly and Prophetical Office of Chrift may rationally be concluded. This alfo by the induction of a few particular instances, will be evinced beyond exception.

They own and acknowledge,

1. That there may be other Arch-Bishops, and Lord-Bishops in the Church of Chrift, befides himself which is contrary to i Pet. 5.3. 1 Cor.12.5. Eph.4.5. Heb.3.1. Luk.22.25,26.

2. That men may, and ought to be made Minifters, only by these Lord-Bishops which is contrary to Heb. 5.4. Fob. 10. 1,7. & 13. 20. & 14.6. Act.14.23. with 6. 3, 5.

3. That Prelates, their Chancellors and Officers, have power from Chrift to caft out of the Church of God; contrary to Mar. 18. 16, 17. 1 Cor. 5.4.

4. That the Office of Suffragans, Deans, Canons, Petty-Canons, Prebendaries, Querifters, Organists, Arch-deacons, Commiffaries, Officials, Parfons, Vicars and Curats, are lawful and neceffary to be had in the Church: evidently contrary to 1 Cor. 12. 18, 28. Rom. 12.7. Eph.4. 11. The Officers inftituted by Chrift are fufficient for the edification and perfecting of the Saints, till they all come unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift, ver. 12,13, in what fenfe the fore-mentioned, being not one of them of the inftitution of Chrift, may be owned as lawful or neceffary," without an high contempt of the Wisdom and Soveraignty of Chrift, cannot by fuch dull perfons, as my felf, be conjectured. That any others fee them any way ufeful to the Church of Chrift, may be imputed to fuch a harp-fightedness as was that of Caius Caligula, to whom, when he enquired of Vitellius, whether he faw him not imbracing the Moon? 'twas answered,

Solis (Domine) vobis Diis licet fe invicem videre?:

5. That the Office of Deacons in the Church, is to be imployed in publick Praying, Adminiftration of Baptifm, and Preaching, if licenfed by the Bishop thereunto. Contrary to Act.6.2. Eph.4.11.

6. That the Ordinance of Breaking-Bread, or the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, may be adminiftred to one alone; as to adfick-man ready to dye which is diametrically oppofit to the nature and inftitution of that Ordinance, 1 Cor.10.16. & 11. 33. Mat. 26, 26. Alt.2.42. & 20.7.

7. That

7. That a prefcript form of words in Prayer, a ceremonious,pom. pous Worship, devised by Man, and abufed to Idolatry, is according to the will of God, and may lawfully be ufed under the New-Teftament-difpenfation; contrary to Mat. 15.9. & 28.20. John 4. 23. Deut. 12.32. Fer.51.26. Rom. 8. 26. 1 Cor. 14. 15.

8. That wicked and ungodly perfons, and their Seed, are lawfull Members of the Church, and if they confent not willingly to be fo, they may be compell'd thereunto: contrary to Pfal.110. 3. Act. 2. 40,41,47. & 19.9. 2 Cor.6. 14, 17. & 9.13.

9. That Women may adminifter the Sacrament of Baptifm: contrary to 1 Cor.14.34. 1 Tim.2. 12. Matth. 28, 18, 19, 20. Ephef

4. 11.

10. That the Lord's Supper is to be received kneeling, which is di rectly oppofit to the practice of Chrift, in the first inftitution thereof, Mark 14. 18, 22, 23. and pofitive precept, as being what hath an appearance of evil in it(being a gefture ufed by the Papists in the adoration of their Breaden-god) 1 Thef. 5. 22. as alfo to the practife of the Churches of Chrift for feveral hundred years after, to the time of the invention and introduction of the Popish Breaden-god. Not to mention its contrariety to the judgment and practise of most of the reformed Churches (if not all) at this day. What should I mention the Conftitutions and Canons before pointed to, wherein 'tis forbidden to any to preach, not licensed by the Bishops thereunto, to Marry, or eat Flesh at certain times, with many more of the like na ture; all directly contrary to the Soveraign Edicts of Chrift, and fome of them evident characters of the laft dayes Apoftates, 1 Tim. 4.3. from whom Saints are warned by the Lord, to turn afide, ver. 5. Thefe we have produced, carry an undeniable evidence with them, that the préfent Minifters of England do own, fubmit and fubfcribe to Orders and Ordinances, that are contrary to the revelation of Chrift, and therefore deny his Propheticall and Kingly Office. To all that hath hitherto been offered in this matter, we fhall yet adde, as a further demonstration of the truth we are in the difquifition of,

Argument 3.

Thofe that acknowledge another Head over the Church befide Chrift, deny his Prophetical and Kingly Office: but the prefent Mifters of England do own and acknowledge another Head over the Church befide Chrift: Therefore..

If

If the affertion of another King in England, that as the Head thereof, hath power of making and giving forth Laws to the free-born fubjects therein, be a denyal of his Kingly Authority (as no doubt it is) the major (or first Propofition) cannot be denied. If Chrift be the alone King of his Church (as fuch) he is its alone Head & Lawgiver: If he hath not by any Statute-Law established, any other Headfhip in and over his Church, to act in the holy things of God, from and under him, befides himself; who fees not the affertion of fuch an Headship, carries with it a contempt and denial of his Authority? if there be any fuch Headship of the inftitution of Chrift, let us know when and where it was inftitured; whether fuch a Dominion and Soveraignty over the Subjects of his Kingdom, with respect to Worship, be granted by them to any of the Sons of men, abfolutely, or conditionally if the firft, then must the Church (it seems) be governed by perfons, cafting off the Yoak of Chrift, trampling upon his Royal Commands and Edicts: for fo it's poffible, it may fall out thofe that attain this Headship may do; as it's evident many Popes of Rome (the great Pretenders hereunto) have done. If the fecond, let one iota be produced from the Scripture, of the inftitution of fuch an Headship, with the conditions annexed thereunto, and we shall be fo far from denying of it, that we shall chearfully pay, whatever refpect, homage, or duty by the Laws of God or man,may righteously be expected from us. But this will not, we humbly conceive, in haft be performed; and that because,

1. The Scripture makes mention of no other Head, in, and over the Church, but Chrift, Eph.1, 22. & 5.23, 29. 2 Cor. 11. 2.

2. If there be any other Head, he must be either within, or with out the Church: The latter will not be affirmed; Chrift had not fure fo little refpect unto his Flock, as to appoint Wolves and Lions to be their Governours and Guides in matters Ecclefiaftical, nor can the former; for all in the Church, are Brethren, have no dominion or authority over each others Faith or Confcience, Luke 22. 25.

3. If any other be Head of the Church but Chrift, then is the Church the Body of fome others, befides Chrift; but this is abfurd, and falfe, not to say impious and blafphemous.

4. There was no Head of the Church in the Apoftles dayes, but Chrift.

5. If any be Head of the Church befide Chrift, they either have

their Headship, from an original right feated in themselves, or by donation from Chrift. To affert the firft,were no less than blafphemy; if the fecond, let them fhew, when, and where, and how they came to be invested in fuch a right, and this controverfie will be at an end.

6. He that is afferted in Scripture to be the Head of the Church, is faid to govern, feed, and nourish it to Eternal life; is her Spouse and Husband, 2 Cor. 11. 2. In which fenfe,none of the fons of men, one or other, can be the Head thereof; and yet of any other Head, the Scripture is wholly filent. But of this matter thus far. It cannot by any fober perfon be denied, but an owning of a vifible Head over the Church, having power of making and giving forth Laws, with refpect to Worthip, (fuch an Headship not being of the Inftitution of Chrift) must needs be a denial of his Soveraign Authority and Power. That the prefent Minifters of England do own and fubmit to fuch an Headship is undeniable: witness their Subfcription, Qath, Conformity in Worship, to Laws and Edicts, made and given forth by the fons of men, as Heads and Governours of the Church; which are not onely forraign to, but (as hath been already demonftrated) lift up them-felves in oppofition against the Royal Institutions of Chrift. This being matter of fact, the Individuals charged herewith, muft either acquit themselves, by a denial of what they are impleaded as guilty, or prove that what they do, is not criminous, but lawful to be done. The former being too notorioully known to admit of a denial: 'tis the latter must be infilted on: what is therein offered, is nextly to be confidered. This is that fome fay,

Obj. 1. That they acknowledge another Head befides Chrift, cannot indeed be denied: but the Headship owned and acknowledged by them, is an Headship only under Chrift. To which we answer:

Anfw. 1. But this Head hip is either of Chrift's Appointment, or 'tis not; if it be, let it be fhewn where it was inftituted by him, and (as we faid) this controverfie is at an end: if it be not, the Affertion of fuch an leadship, even in fubordination to Chrift over his Churches as fuch, hinders not but perfons owning, fubmitting thereunto,, are guilty of denying the Kingly Office of Chrift. 2. The Headship pleaded for by the Church of Rome is no other. 3. 'Tis not fo as is pretended, they own an Headship that is not in all things fubordinate to Chrift, having a Law-making and Law-giving Power touching Inftitutions of Worship, that never came into his heart, are flatly

againft:

against his Appointments, as hath been proved. 4. One Head in fubordination to another, doth as really make the Body a Monster, as two heads conjoyned. If it be faid,

Obj. 2. That the Kings of Ifrael were the Heads, fucceffively, of the then Church; and therefore a visible Headship over the Churches of Christ, in the New-Teftament is lawful.

We anfwer, 1. That betwixt the Oeconomy of the Law and Gofpel, there is a vaft difproportion; many things were lawful in that day, which to do, or fubject to now, were no less than a denial of Chrift come in the flesh. 2. The Kings of Ifrael were Types of Chrift. 3. That the Kings of Ifrael were Heads of the Church, is falfe. God was its alone Head and King. Hence their Hiftorian faith, their Government was Conaria, and when they would needs choose a King, God faid, they rejected him, to whom even, as to their Political Head, a Sicle was paid yearly as a Tribute, called, The Sicle of the Sanctuary. True indeed, as they were a Political Body, they had visible Political Governours, who when they ceased, their Polity was at an end; but that thefe had any Headship over them, to make any Laws, introduce Conftitutions of their own framing in matters relating to Worship, will never be proved.

CHAP. VI.

A fifth Argument against hearing of the prefent Minifters of England, advanced. That ibey have the characters of falfe Prophets upon them, manifefted in 15 Particulars.

Argument 5.

Hofe who have the characters and properties of falfe Prophets and Priests upon them, are not to be heard, but feparated from: But the prefent Minifters of England have the characters and properties of falfe Prophets and Priefts upon them. Therefore.

The major (or first Propofition) stands upon too firm a bafis, to be quickly removed: nor will any attempt fo to do, Chrift having charged his to beware of fuch, Mat 7. 15. to take heed that none deceive them, Mat.24. 4, 5,23,24, 25. not to believe every spirit, but to try the fpirits, because many falfe Prophets are gone out in the world, 1 Joh.4. 1. not to receive fuch into their houfes, 2 John 10, 11. to watch against them, Act.20.29,30,31. with much more that might be faid (if needful) for its confirmation,is a fufficient evidence

of