ONE might reasonably imagine, that a Doctrine of fo much Importance to the temporal and eternal State of all Mankind fhould be exprefly laid down, and fully explained in the Holy Scriptures, to prevent all Poffibility of Mistake about it. But instead of this, the Word, as far as I remember, is not once mentioned there, nor any other Word equivalent to it; fo that we are under a Neceffity of recurring to the Clergy themfelves for Information: And here too we are as much bewildered as before; for fome of them boldly affert it, and others flatly deny it.

BESIDES, thofe who hate and damn one another, claim it equally to themfelves, and deny it to others. Thofe who are Succeffors to the Apoftles in England, difown their Brother-fucceffors beyond the Tweed, and about the Lake; and they their Brother-fucceffors at Rome; and they theirs in Greece and Armenia, as well as everywhere elfe. Now all thefe, who fo confidently affume the Succeffor-fhip to themselves alone, are as oppofite to each other in Sentiments and Worfhip, as Light is to Darkness. They cannot there*fore all have it; and if only one has it, how fhall we know who he is? No Man's Teftimony ought to be taken in his own Cafe; and, if we take that of other People, there are twenty to one against them all.

If the Clergy of the Church of England, as by Law eftablifhed, be, of all the Reformed, fuppofed to enjoy this Line of Entail intire to themselves; pray, how came they by it? Not from the Reformation, which began not till near Fifteen Centuries after the Apoftles were dead; and Cranmer owned Ordination then to be no more than a Civil Appointment to an Ecclefiafti

cal

cal Office. It is certain, that at that Time this Utopian Succeffion was not fo much as thought of by any who embraced the Proteftant Religion. At prefent, indeed, and for a good while paft, the Jacobite High Clergy contend for it with equal Modesty and Truth. But, in order to adopt it, they are forced to drop the Reformation: For,

You must know, courteous Reader, that this fame Succeffion is now deduced from Rome, and the Pope has had the keeping of it, who, by all that adhered to the Reformation, was held to be Antichrift, and the Man of Sin. He was often an Atheift, often an Adulterer, often a Murderer, always an Ufurper; and his Church has conftantly lived in grofs Idolatry, and fubfifted by Ignorance, Frauds, Rapine, Cruelty, and all the blackeft Vices. It is certain, that he was full of Wickedness and Abomination, and void of all Goodness and Virtue, but that of having kept the Apoftolic Orders pure and undefiled for our modern High-Churchmen.

HOWEVER, I think, they themselves feem to be now fenfible, that it will be a difficult Matter to make out, this way, their Kindred to the Apoftles, without being nearer akin to Popery. They are therefore forced to own the Church of Rome to be a true Church. Nor ought we to be furprised, if, in fucceeding to the Orders of that Church, they also fucceed to most of her good Qualities. I confefs, amongst us Laymen, it would look a little abfurd, if any one fhould gravely affert, that" indeed Lais was a filthy Strum66 pet, and no virtuous Woman would converfe "with her; but, for all that, he was a true Virgin and all Chastity was derived from her !"

BUT

or

BUT fuch Abfurdities as thefe go for nothing amongft fome Sorts of Ecclefiaftics. We will therefore, in the next Place, inquire what it is which they would fucceed to. The Apoftles had no Ambition, Jurifdiction, Dignities, Revenues, to which they could be Succeffors. We read not in Scripture one Word of Ecclefiaftical Princes, Popes, Patriarchs, Primates, &c. On the contrary, our Saviour himfelf declares, that his Kingdom is not of this World; and when the young Man in the Gospel (St. Matth. chap. xix.) afked of him, What he should do to obtain eternal Life? he answered, that, befides keeping the Commandments, he should fell all that he had, and give it to the Poor. N. B. He did not bid him give a Peny to the Priests.

IN the xxth Chapter of the fame Gofpel, our Saviour takes Notice to his Difciples, that the Princes of this World exercife Dominion over them; but, fays he, it fhall not be so among ft YOU; but whoever will be great amongst you, let him be your Minifter; and whoever will be Chief, let him be your Servant, Nay, he fays, that even the Son of Man came not to be miniftered unto, but to minister. In the xxiiid Chapter he condemns the Scribes and Pharifees, for loving the uppermost Rooms, and the chief Seats in the Synagogue, and their defiring to be called of Men Rabbi ; and he forbids all this Pride to his Difciples, as well as his other Hearers; and orders them not to call one another Master: For one, fays he, is your Mafter, even Chrift: and he that is greatest among you fhall be your Servant. Nor do I find, that, while he was upon Earth, he laid Claim to any Power but to do the Will of Him that fent him. Indeed, after his Refurrection, he tells his Difciples, that all Power is given to

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him in Heaven and in Earth; and he bids them teach it to all Nations, and baptize them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; but he does not give them the least Power or Dominion, of any kind whatsoever.

AND it is plain, that his Difciples understood him fo. St. Paul tells the Corinthians, in his fecond Epiftle to them, Chap. i. that they had not Dominion over their Faith, but were Helpers of their foy. In the fourth Chapter of the fame Epiftle, he tells them, that they preach not themfelves, but Chrift Jefus their Lord, and themselves THEIR Servants for Jefus fake. In the first Epiftle to the Corinthians, Chap. iii. he admonishes them not to glory in Men, no not in himfelf, nor Apollos, nor Cephas; and tells the People, that even the Apostles themselves, and all Things, are THEIRS, and they are Chrift's, and Chrift is God's. In the ninth Chapter he tells them, that though he is free from all Men, yet he has made himself SERVANT unto all, that he might gain the more. St. Peter alfo, in his first Epistle, Chap. v. exhorts the Elders to feed the Flock of Christ and to take the Overfight thereof, not by Conftraint, but willingly; not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready Mind; neither as being LORDS over God's Heritage, but as being Examples to the Flock.

Now either thefe Elders were Clergymen, or they were not: If they were Clergymen, their pretended Succeffors may fee upon what Terms they are to be Feeders, and Overfeers of the Flock of Chrift: But, if they were only Laymen, then it is plain, that no other Qualifications were neceffary to a Spiritual Shepherd, than a willing, difinterested, and humble Mind; and all Sub

jection

jection is, in the fifth Verfe, commanded to be reciprocal-Likewife, ye Younger, fubmit your felves to the Elders: Yea, all of you be subject to one another, and be cloathed with Humility; for God refifteth the Proud, and giveth Grace to the Humble.

FOR myself, I confefs, that I am not Master enough of any Language to find Words more expreffive, or which can more fully renounce all Sorts of Jurifdiction and Dominion, than those in the Paffages which I have here quoted: And nothing can be more ridiculous, as well as impious, than to oppose them with equivocal, doubtful, and figurative Expreffions. If the Popish Priefts could but find out one fuch clear Text on their Side, how would they exult upon it!

As I have made it fully appear, that the Apostles understood our Saviour in this Senfe; fo it is evident, that the firft Chriftians had not the leaft Apprehenfion, that the Apostles claimed any Power or Authority to themselves. They were poor Men, of mean and mechanical Profeffions, who left Fathers, Mothers, Children, Families, Trades, and renounced all the good Things of this World, to wander about it, and preach Christ. Their Difinterestedness and Sufferings were powerful Arguments of the Truth of their Doctrines: Whereas, if they had told their Hearers in the modern High-Church Strain, That "as foon as they became their Converts, they "became alfo their Spiritual Subjects; That "they themselves were Ecclefiaftical Princes; and "that Spiritual Government was as much more "excellent than the Civil, as Heaven was than "Earth, yea much more fo; That the Epif"copal Honour, and fublime Dignity, could not

be