Catholic communion defended against both extremes, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…Catholick communion defended against both extreams, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…

XVII. There be essential and Integral Acts of the Sacred Ministry instituted by Christ: These none may take the Power of from any Ministers, nor alter the species or integrity of the Office, by setting up any such Superiors as shall deprive them of that which Christ hath instituted, or arrogating the like uncalled. But as in worship, so in Order and Church Government, there are undetermined accidents: As to choose the time and place of Synods, to preside and moderate and such like: And these the Churches by agreement, or the Magistrate may assign to some above the rest: And if the Magistrate affix Baronies, Honours, Revenues, or his own due Civil forcing Power, and make the same Men Magistrates and Ministers, whether we think it prudent and well done or not, we must honour and obey them.

XVII. There be essential and Integral Acts of the Sacred Ministry instituted by Christ: These none may take the Power of from any Ministers, nor alter the species or integrity of the Office, by setting up any such Superious as shall deprive them of that which Christ hath instituted, or arrogating the like uncalled. But as in worship, so in Order and Church Government, there are undetermined accidents: As to choose the time and place of Synods, to preside and moderate and such like: And these the Churches by agreement, or the Magistrate may assign to some above the rest: And if the Magistrate affix Baronies, Honours, Revenues, or his own due Civil forcing Power, and make the same Men Magistrates and Ministers, whether we think it prudent and well done or not, we must honour and obey them.

XVIII. Some call these humane Accidental Orders, forms of Church Government, and affirm (as Bishop Reignolds did, and Dr. Stillingfleet in his Irenicon and many excellent men by him cited) that no form of Church Government is of Divine Command. Which is true of all this second sort of Government which is but Accidental and humane; but not at all of the first sort which is Divine and Essential to Christ himself first, and to Pastors as such by his appointment; so that the essential Government of the Universal Church, by Christ, and of each particular Church by Pastors specified by him (if not of Supervisors of many as succeeding Apostles and Evangelists in their Ordinary work) are of unalterable Divine right. But the humane forms are alterable: Such I account 1. The Presidency and Moderatorship and accidental Government of one Bishop in a single Church over the other Presbyters, Deacons, &c. 2. The accidental Government of a Diocesan as an Archbishop over these lowest Bishops and Churches. 3. And the Superiority of Metropolitans and Patriarchs over them, so it be but in such Accidentals and within the same Empire, not imposing a foreign Jurisdiction. These tota specie differ from the Divine Offices.