Five disputations of church-government and worship

To proceed to some further Evidence. 1. Its manifest in Clemens Rom. Epist. to the Corinthians there is mention of no more but two Orders; the one called sometime Bishops, sometime Presbyters, the other Deacons, page 54.55.57 ^*and this he saith the Apostles did as knowing that contention would arise about the name of Episcopacy, and that they so se•led the Ministerial Offices that others should succeed in them when some were deceased. For my part I cannot see the least reason to be of their mind that think Clemens here doth speak only of Prelates or supereminent Bishops, (of which I refer the Reader to Mr. Burtons notes in his English Translation of Clemen• ) But suppose it were so: If at that time the Churches had none but single Bishops, it is plain then that they were but single Congregations: For no other Congregations having communion in the•r-then-ordinary, public worship, could be managed without a Bishop or Presbyter ⟨p. 88⟩to do the work. But for them that sleight Mr. Burtons & other mens plain Reasons concerning the judgement of Clem. Romanus, and force his words to speak what they mean not, I desire them to observe the judgement of Grotius whom they profess so much to value: who in his Epistol. 162 ad▪ Bignon. gives this as one Reason to prove this Epistle of Clemens genuine [Quod nusquam meminit, exsortis illius Episcoporum autoritatis, quae Ecclesiae consuetudine post Marci mortem Alexandriae, atque eo exemplo alibi, introduci cepit, sed planè ut Paulus Apostolus ostendit Ecclesias communi Presbyterorum qui iidem omnes & Episcopi ipsi Pauloque dicuntur, consilio fuisse gubernatas. Nam quod [Greek or Hebrew], & [Greek or Hebrew] nominat, omnia ista nomina non ad Ecclesiam sed ad Templum Hieros. pertinent: unde infert omnia recto ordine agenda, si Judaeis, tanto magis Christianis] You see that Grotius (then,) and Clemens, in his judgement, were against Prelacy.

To proceed to some further Evidence. 1. Its manifest in Clemens Rom. Epist. to the Corinthians there is mention of no more but two Orders; the one called sometime Bishops, sometime Presters, the other Deacons, page 54.55.57