Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…

There are as Learned Men as any that ever appeared in Defence of the Diocesan Episcopacy, who finding Bishops with Deacons in the Primitive ⟨p. 198⟩Church at Philippi, which they have heard was but a little Flock, they therefore think that the Apostles knew of no Bishops, but only those P•j••s, whereof there may be several in a Parity, •ee•ing one small Congregation. When they find the first Epistle to Timothy passing from the Directions for the Good Conduct of Bishops, immediately to those, for that of Deacons, without any mention of Presbyters, distinct from them, they think it as plain as the Noon day Sun could make any thing in the World, that there are only those two Ordinary Officers, instituted by the Lord, for the Service of His Churches, and that there is no Institution for any other Bishops, but the Pastors of particular Congregations. And so wh•n in the Church of Thessalonica, we read, that there was a Plurality of Presidents, the Presidency was not in one alone. This Identity between Bishops of the Divine Appointment and such Pastors, appears in the same Evidence unto them, from the Apostles Words unto Titus, where mentioning the Qualifications of those whom he would have ordained for Presbyters, he does it so; A Bishop must be blameless. That which renders it yet more evident unto them, is, That the Apostle Paul calling together the Presbyters of the Church of Ephesus, charges them, To take he•d unto the Flock, unto which the Holy Spirit had made them Bishops; where our Translation substituting the Word Overseers, is guilty of a shameful Prevarication, which every one may see the Reason for: And the Apostle Peter exhorts the Presbyters to exercise the Office of a Bishop, over the Flock, which we translate, The taking the Oversight thereof. ⟨p. 199⟩When Men that have looked in a Book, fi•d Aerius brought into the List of Heretics by Epiphanius for bringing some of these very Scriptures to establish his Nonconformist Sentiments, the Arguments with which that Passionate Old Man attempted to confute Aerius, do but confirm them in the Aerian Heresy. The Truth is, The Remarkable Confusion among the Prelatic Writers, who are not at all agreed among themselves, but perpetually opposing one another, upon the Bottom whereon they would build the Darling Usurpation, is a further Invitation unto impartial Inquirers to suspect, that they are building of a Babel.