A treatise of episcopacy confuting by Scripture, reason, and the churches testimony that sort…

But as for the aforesaid work of a Bishop of a particular Church, he is not to do it, nor any one part of it, that I know of. For whereas the true office of such a Bishop is (as Dr. Hammond in his Annotat. well describeth it) by a Ministerial participation to subserve Christ to his whole flock in the threefold work of a teacher, a Priest, and a Ruler, he doth no one part of all. 1. Instead of Teaching his flock, he (if he be one of the extraordinary best) doth only publicly preach once or twice a week to the thousandth or five hundredth or hundredth part of his flock: (But so do very few of them, but some it may be once in a month or a year) And as to the personal care of their Souls, he hath not one Parish that he taketh the care of, to teach them personally. 2. He seldom doth officiate in public Prayer, Praise, and Sacrament to any part of his flock: And when he doth, it is but to a particle of the foresaid proportion: But when others do it, he saith, He doth it by them. 3. He doth not at all govern his flock with that which is the true Pastoral Government; which is in person among them to guide them, and resolve their doubts, and admit those to Communion that are fit, and refuse the unfit; To admonish all the scandalous and unruly, as personally known to him, to watch over them and confirm the weak, and refel seducers when they come among them. But instead of this, he never seeth them, (as to the main body of his flock) nor knoweth them, but summoneth their Teachers and Church-wardens, (and such as others that dwell among them, or his Apparitors will accuse to him) to come before his Lay-Chancellors Court, as aforesaid, and in his Visitation to meet him: so that here is none of the same work no nor Government it self, but another kind of Government.

But as for the aforesaid work of a Bishop of a particular Church, he is not to do it, nor any one part of it, that I know of. For whereas the true office of such a Bishop is (as Dr. Hammond in his Annotat. well describeth it) by a Ministerial participation to subserve Christ to his whole flock in the threefold work of a teacher, a Priest, and a Ruler, he doth no one part of all. 1. Instead of Teaching his flock, he (if he be one of the extraordinary best) doth only publickly preach once or twice a week to the thousandth or five hundredth or hundredth part of his flock: (But so do very few of them, but some it may be once in a month or a year) And as to the personal care of their Souls, he hath not one Parish that he taketh the care of, to teach them personally. 2. He seldom doth officiate in publick Prayer, Praise, and Sacrament to any part of his flock: And when he doth, it is but to a particle of the foresaid proportion: But when others do it, he saith, He doth it by them. 3. He doth not at all govern his flock with that which is the true Pastoral Government; which is in person among them to guide them, and resolve their doubts, and admit those to Communion that are fit, and refuse the unfit; To admonish all the scandalous and unruly, as personally known to him, to watch over them and confirm the weak, and refel seducers when they come among them. But instead of this, he never seeth them, (as to the main body of his flock) nor knoweth them, but summoneth their Teachers and Church-wardens, (and such as others that dwell among them, or his Apparitors will accuse to him) to come before his Lay-Chancellours Court, as aforesaid, and in his Viitation to meet him: so that here is none of the same work no nor Government it self, but another kind of Government.