fary as alfo, that men, so separated from the falfe and counterfeit Church, are to affociate themselves unto fome Church; not to ours; to the Popish much less; therefore to one of their own making. Now the ground of all these inferences being this, "That in our Church there is no means of falvation," is out of the reformers' principles most clearly to be proved. For wherefoever any matter of faith unto falvation neceffary is denied, there can be no means of falvation; but in the Church of England, the difcipline, by them accounted a matter of faith, and neceffary to falvation, is not only denied, but impugned, and the profeffors thereof oppreffed. Ergo.

Again, (but this reafon perhaps is weak,) every true Church of Chrift acknowledgeth the whole Gospel of Christ : the discipline, in their opinion, is a part of the Gospel, and yet by our Church refifted. Ergo.

Again, the difcipline is effentially united to the Church: by which term effentially, they must mean either an effenB b 4

tial

tial part, or an effential property. Both which ways it muft needs be, that where that effential difcipline is not, neither is there any Church. If therefore between them and the Brownifts there should be appointed a folemn difputation, whereof with us they have been oftentimes fo earnest challengers; it doth not yet appear what other answer they could poffibly frame to these and the like arguments, wherewith they may be preffed, but fairly to deny the conclufion, (for all the premises are their own,) or rather ingeniously to reverse their own principles before laid, whereon fo foul abfurdities have been fo firmly built. What further proofs you can bring out of their high words, magnifying the difcipline, I leave to your better remembrance: but, above all points, I am defirous this one should be ftrongly enforced against them, because it wringeth them most of all, and is of all others (for aught I fee) the most unanswerable. You may notwithstanding say, that you would be heartily glad these their pofitions might be falved, as the Brownifts might not ap

pear

pear to have iffued out of their loins: but until that be done, they must give us leave to think that they have caft the feed whereout thefe tares are grown.

Another fort of men there are, which have been content to run on with the reformers for a time, and to make them poor inftruments of their own defigns. These are a fort of godlefs politics, who, perceiving the plot of difcipline to confift of these two parts, the overthrow of episcopal, and erection of presbyterial authority; and that this latter can take no place till the former be removed; are content to join with them in the destructive part of difcipline, bearing them in hand, that in the other also they fhall find them as ready. But when time fhall come, it may be they would be as loath to be yoked with that kind of regiment, as now they are willing to be releafed from this. These men's ends in all their actions is diftraction; their pretence and colour, reformation. Those things which under this colour they have effected to their

own

own good, are, 1. by maintaining a contrary faction, they have kept the Clergy always in awe, and thereby made them more pliable, and willing to buy their peace. 2. By maintaining an opinion of equality among Ministers, they have made way to their own purposes for devouring cathedral churches, and Bifhops' livings. 3. By exclaiming against abuses in the Church, they have carried their own corrupt dealings in the civil State more covertly. For fuch is the nature of the multitude, that they are not able to apprehend many things at once; fo as being poffeffed with a diflike or liking of any one thing, many other in the mean time may escape them without being perceived. 4. They have fought to difgrace the Clergy, in entertaining a conceit in men's minds, and confirming it by continual practice, "That men of

learning, and specially of the Clergy, "which are employed in the chiefest "kind of learning, are not to be admitted, "or fparingly admitted, to matters of "State;"

"State;" contrary to the practice of all well-governed commonwealths, and of our own till these late years.

A third fort of men there are, though not defcended from the reformers, yet in part raised and greatly ftrengthened by them; namely, the curfed crew of Atheifts. This alfo is one of those points, which I am defirous you fhould handle most effectually, and strain yourself therein to all points of motion and affection; as in that of the Brownifts, to all ftrength and finews of reafon. This is a fort most damnable, and yet by the general suspicion of the world at this day most common. The causes of it, which are in the parties themselves, although you handle in the beginning of the fifth book, yet here again they may be touched: but the occafions of help and furtherance, which by the reformers have been yielded unto them, are, as I conceive, two; namely, fenfelefs preaching, and difgracing of the miniftry for how fhould not men dare to impugn that, which neither by force of reason, nor by authority of persons, is