Five disputations of church-government and worship

§. 1. IT is but delusory dealing of them that make the world believe that the question between the Prelatical Divines and the rest of the Reformed Churches, is, Whether the Church should be Governed by Bishops? This is a thing that is commonly granted: But the controversy is about the Species of Episcopacy: Not whether Bishops, ⟨p. 276⟩but what sort of Bishops should be the ordinary Governors of the Church of Christ?

§. 1. IT is but delusory dealing of them that make the world believe that the question between the Prelatical Divines and the rest of the Reformed Churches, is, Whether the Church should be Governed by Bishops? This is a thing that is commonly granted: But the controversie is about the Species of Episcopacy: Not whether Bishops, ⟨p. 276⟩but what sort of Bishops should be the ordinary Governours of the Church of Christ?

§. 2. And therefore it is also very immethodical and unsatisfactory of most that ever I read for Episcopacy, that plead only for Episcopacy in General, but never once define that sort of Episcopacy which they plead for, but go away with it as smoothly when the question is unstated, as if they understood themselves, and others were capable of understanding them; and so they lose their Learned labours.

§. 3. I have already in the first Disputation told you among ten several sorts of Episcopacy, which they be that I think desirable, and which I judge tolerable, and which intolerable. And I have there already given you the Reasons why I judge such a general unfixed Bishop to be of standing use to the Church and world, as here we are speaking of: and therefore I shall forbear here the repeating of what is said already.