Whether Bishops and Presbyters differ in Order Whether Ordination be an Act of the Power Whether, the Epifcopacy was of Divine Infti- tution, Presbyters might Validly Ordain? Whether the Force of Apprehenfion may Legi Whether thofe Prelatifts who do fo Appropriate it, are the only Proteftants who Grate upon the Conftitution of fome Reformed Church- Whether the Scottish Prelatifts can Reasonably P ERRAT A's. Ag. 230. line 32. add a before Spirit. p. 239. 1. 9. BOOKS Geo. Strahan, at the GoldenBall over-against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil. CA Affandra. (But I hope not) telling what will come of it. Num. I. and II. In Answer to the Occafional Letter. Num. I. Wherein the New-Affociations, &c. are confidered. L'Eftranges Efop's Fables. Heylin's Cofmography, laft Edition. All Mr. Dryden's Plays, Folio or Quarto. A Difcourfe concerning the Divine Right of Tythes. A Defence of the Snake in the Grass. An Anfwer to the Switch for the Snake in the Grafs. A short and eafie Method with the Deifts. A Discourse on Marriages in Different Communion. On the Divine Right of Epifcopacy? Thefe by the Author of the Snake in the Grafs, where all the faid Author's Works are Sold. Letter (1) Letter I. Concerning TOLERATION. SIR, A LL that feems Material against a Toleration to thofe of the Epifcopal Per fwafion, in Mr. Meldrum's Sermon, Preach'd before the Commiffioner, &c. May 16: (which I received on the 28th.) I take to be fully Anfwer'd in the Cafe of the Epifcopal Clergy, &c. (which I had, on the 27th from another hand) two things only excepted. You have both, p. 14. Them, therefore, I fhall only confider. One is, That be knows no Epifcopal Minifter who judges Communion with the Prefbyterians Un lawful unless there be any of them who affert fuch a Neceffity of Epifcopal Ordination as Nullifies the Miniftry, and all the Ordinances difpens'd by Such who want it. The other, That fuch an Opinion fhould not be tolerated in any Proteftant Church. A 1. He fays, he knows no Epifcopal Minifter, &C. What or whom M. M. knows, I know not: This I know, there may be Solid Reafons for Refufing to holdCommunion with fomeChurches, the Ordinations of whofe Clergy are Unquestionable. When I call thofe Societies, with which Communion is not to be held, Churches, I fpeak the Common Dialect. M. M. I hope will own the Truth of my Pofition, when he adverts to it. He will, I hope, allow the Orders (if not of the Romish, yet) of the Greek and English Churches to be Valid, and yet I doubt if he is much for Communion with either. I hope he will allow of the Validity of the Orders of the Epifcopal Church, even in Scotland, (in whofe Communion he liv'd full twenty Years; and while living in it, I am certain, fometimes affifted Bishops in Ordinations ) yet, Did he not Jeparate from it? Men may juftly Refufe to hold Communion with Churches, which require Sinful Terms of Communion: And Ordinations may be Valid in. Churches which require fuch Terms. This M. M. feems to grant, p. 12. Whether he grants it or no, 'tis Receiv'd Truth. 1. Subfcription to Erroneous Propofitions is a Sinful Term of Communion. Communion therefore, however Defirable, is not to be Purchas'd at any fuch rate. 2. Subfcription to Propofitions very Dubious; to Propofitions which have been much oppos'd by Grave, Holy, Learned and Orthodox Men, with very plaufible Arguments, is not haftily to be granted. Such propofitions are not rafhly to be Subfcrib'd to, (efpecially when Subfcription figni fignifies Affent) for getting into any Communion, far lefs, for getting into a Communion against. which there are other weighty Prejudices. 3. The Orders of a Church may be Unqueftionable; and yet it may be Unlawful to hold Communion with her; because of Pollutions in her Worship. The great purpose of external Visible Communion with any Church is the Purification of Souls; The difpofing them for Communion with the Fountain of all Purity. Nothing, therefore, more carefully to be avoided, than that which naturally tends to pollute Souls: And nothing tends more naturally to pollute Souls, than Communion in polluted Worship. To apply these things. The prefent Prefbyterian Church in Scotland requires of all thofe, whom she is willing to admit into Minifterial Communion, Subfcription to all the Propofitions contained in the Weftminster Confeffion of Faith; and this, not as Subfcription may import an Obligation to preferve Peace, but as it imports Affent to every Propofition: And 'tis not to be doubted, that the Profeffion of the fame Faith, which is required of Paftors is alfo required of the People. Many, therefore, of the Epifcopal Clergy cannot, with a good Confcience, fubfcribe. They are perfwaded, that there are fome very erroneous Propofitions in that Confeffion. This is certain, There are many Propofitions in it very Dubious; Many Propofitions which have been much oppos'd by Grave, Holy, Learned, and Orthodox Men, with very plaufible Arguments. Yea, I am apt to think, there are fome Propofitions in it, which fome Prefbyterians themselves do not cordially believe. Does every one of them heartily be-, A 2 lieve |