Answer to the Animadversions on the Dissertations, Treatise · Chapter 3

Answer to the Animadversions on the Dissertations · Treatise · Chapter 3

p. 45CHAP. III.

Of the Corruptions in Ignatius's Epiſtles.

Sect. 1.

The emondate Editions. Their authority equal to the Epiſtle of Clement or Polycarpe. foreign. Theodoret's citation out of Ignatius about the Euchariſt. Jerome's about Chriſts chooſing the greateſt ſinners, Publicans.

Num. 1. THE Prefacer is pleaſed not to diſmiſſe Ignatius ſo, but beginning with ſome ſhew of more moderation and temper toward him than he had obſerved in others, he yet ſoon reſolves that it ſhall not be very uſefull to him, or to us, that expect to receive benefit from his ſuffrages in the defence of Epiſcopacy: Thus then he proceeds.

2. I have not inſiſted on what hath been ſpoken, as though … were wholly of the mind of them who utterly condemn thoſe Epiſtles as falſe and counterfeit; though I know no poſſibility of ſtanding againſt the arg…ments levyed againſt them notwithſtanding the fo…em…n ioned D… attempt to that purpoſe, without acknowledging ſo much …up ion in them, Additions, and Detractions from what they were, when firſt w… as will render them not ſo clearly ſerviceable to any end or purpoſe, whereunto their teſtimony may be required, as other unqueſtionable writings of their antiquity are juſtly eſteemed to be, That theſe Epiſtles have fallen into the hands of ſuch unwo…hy Impoſtors, as have filled the later Ages with labour and uavail to diſcover their deceits, the Doctor himſelf gr…th Diſſe…t. 2. c. 2. ſect. 6. Nulla (ſaith he) qu…dom nobis in…umb…t neceſ…itas … in tanta exemplarium & edit…onum vari…t…t… & …ſtantia ni…. l uſquam Ign… interpola…um aut ad…utum …s.

And indeed the foyſted paſſages in many places are ſo evident, yea ſhamefull, that no man who is not reſolved to ſay any thing wi… proof or truth, can once appear in any defenſative ab… them: Of this ſort are the ſhreads and pieces ou… of that brande… cou… piece of Clemens, or the Apoſtles Conſtitutions, which are almoſt in ev… Epiſtle packed in, in a bungling manner, oftentimes diſturbing th… and coherence of the place: yea ſometimes ſuch things are thence tra…, as in them are conſiderable arguments of their corruption and falſhood: So is that period in the Epiſtle to the Magneſians taken from Clemens Con…. p. 46l 6. c. 2. foreign. This Abedaddan being mentioned next after Abſolem's dying by the loſſe of his head, is therefore ſuppoſed to be Sheba the ſon of Bickri, but whence that counterfeit Clemens had that name is not known: That the counterfeit Clemens by Abedaddan intended Sheba is evident from the words he aſſignes unto him in the place mention'd, Abedaddan ſaid, foreign. And joyns him with Abſolom in his rebellion: Such paſſages as theſe they are ſuppoſed to receive from that vain and fooliſh Impoſtor: But if it be true which ſome have obſerved, that there is not the leaſt mention made of any of thoſe fictious Conſtitutions in the three firſt ages after Chriſt, and that the foreign mention'd by Euſ…bius and Ath…n…ſius, as alſo the foreign in Epiphanius, are quite other things than thoſe eight books of Conſtitutions we have; it may rather be ſuppoſed that that ſottiſh deceiver rather raked up ſome of his filth from the corruption of theſe Epiſtles, than that any thing out of him is crept into them. Other inſtances might be given of ſtuffing theſe Epiſtles with the very garbidge of that beaſt. Into what hands alſo the Epiſtles have fallen by the way, in their journying down towards theſe ends of the world, is evident by theſe citations made out of them by them of old, which now appear not in them. Theodor…t. Dial. 3. adver. Haeret. gives us this ſentence from Ignatius, foreign. Which words you will ſcarcely find in that Epiſtle to the Church of Smyrna, from whence they were taken. Hierom alſo Dial. 3▪ cont▪ Pelag▪ hath this paſſage of him, and from him Ignatius, vir Apostolieus & Martyr ſcribit audacter, elegit Dominus Apoſtolos qui ſuper omnes bomines peccatores erant, which words as they are not now in theſe Epiſtles, ſo as one obſerves, if ever he wrote them, as is pretended, he did it audacter indeed. But of theſe things our Doctor takes no notice.

3. The things that are here ſaid, I am not ſo nearly concerned in (not ſo ſevere charges prepared and brought in againſt me) as in the former. I am but thrice and incidentally mention'd: The firſt mention concerns my anſwers to the arguments brought againſt Ignatius's Epiſtles; the ſecond, my confeſſion of the corruptions and interpolations in them; the third, my not taking notice of ſome special evidences which are by him mention'd againſt them. To theſe I ſhall not need to prepare any large reply. A few words may ſuffice to avert theſe charges.

p. 474. For the firſt, concerning my anſwers to the arguments brought againſt the Epiſtles, which notwithſtanding, ſaith he, there is no poſſibility of ſtanding againſt the arguments, with out acknowledging ſo much corruption in them, &c. I need but mind the Reader 1. that Salmaſius and Blondel being the two men that ſet themſelves expreſly to argue againſt the Epiſtles, I applyed punctual anſwers to every argument by them produced, and ſo that buſineſſe muſt reſt, till either new arguments be produced, or intimation given, wherein any one of thoſe anſwers hath been, or may be disproved or invalidated by any.

5. Secondly: That as there is no queſtion made by me, but that former Editions have been corrupted (otherwiſe there had been no uſe of the Lord Primates, and Voſſius's diligence, and pains in preparing, and ſetting out purer Copies) ſo 1. that being now done by them, and 2. the ſucceſſe being ſo remarkable, that they have concurr'd in publiſhing a Latine and Greek Copie from ſeveral Libraries, wherein the places cited from Ignatius by the Fathers, juſt as they are c…ted by them; and then 3. the number of the Epiſtles being reduced to that of Polycarpe's Sylloge or collection; and 4. our appeal to Ignatius being made in this forme, to this pure edition of theſe ſo teſtified Epiſtles, the ſame that Blondel our Adverſary acknowledgeth to have been uſed 1300 years agoe by Euſebi…, and which we have no reaſon to doubt but Euſebius received it from them who received it from Polycarpe; all this, I ſay, being layd by way of ground-worke, there will, I now hope, be no confidence in making the compariſon betwixt theſe, and other unqueſtionable writings, and aſſuming that theſe Epiſtles thus produced by us in defence of Epiſcopacy, are as fit to give in their teſtimony, and by all reaſonable men to be imbraced, as any writings of the ſame antiquity with them, which are moſt unqueſtionable, as Clemens and Polycarpe, and other the like.

6. For when many writings are in later times put upon the world under the name of Clemens Biſhop of Rome, Epiſtles, Conſtitutions, &c. And when the writings of the Antients are found to make mention of his Epiſtle to the Corinthians, as p. 48an undoubted writing of that holy man, and to recite many things from thence, and when out of a Manuſcript of Reverend Antiquity this Epiſtle of Clement, thus concordant with thoſe citations is lately publiſhed to the world, there is no ſober man which reaſonably may, or that I know of, doth appear to oppugne the authority of this Epiſtle. And the caſe is the very ſame, and in no particular that I diſcern, unequal, for Ignatius, as he is now publiſhed by Voſſius and the Lord Primate.

7. The ſame might be ſaid of Polycarpe, but that I have already ſpoken enough of this parallel betwixt Ignatius, and each of them in the firſt Section of the ſecond Chapter.

8 Then for the ſecond thing, my confeſſion of the Corruptions and Interpolations of the Epiſtles, I wonder how it ſhould be thought fit to be taken notice of; it being certain that that confeſſion of mine belongs not at all to the Editions to which I make my appeal, but onelyonly to the former Editions. And is it impoſſible for any Author that was once corrupted, ever to be reformed, for that to be cleanſed, which was once ſullyed? 'Tis true it may be a matter of labour and travail for Criticks by their own conjectures to make diſcoveries of ſuch deceits, and therefore though Vedelius his Edition was fit enough for the Prelatiſts pretenſions, and withall that Author not lyable to ſuspition that he ſhould be partial for Epiſcopacy (I might well hope that what came licenſed from Geneva, would not have been diſclaimed by thoſe of the Genevan party) yet I wiſht for a ſurer way of reforming Ignatius, than his diligence, without the aſſiſtance of old Manuſcript Copyes, could afford us: But when this was done by two learned men (one of which, Iſaacus Voſſius, had viſibly no intereſts to miſguide him) and the ſeverest Inquiſition was not able to deprehend any conſiderable objection againſt the Edition, and when this was it that I deſired, and offer'd to be tryed by, and inſiſted on the juſtneſſe of it, at the very time when I made that confeſſion, how can it ſtill be pertinent to argue or infer any thing from my confeſſion, that once theſe Epiſtles were ſet out corruptly?

9. Or how can this Prefacer reaſonably proceed to talk of p. 49the foiſted paſſages ſo evident and ſhamefull, that no man, who is not reſolved to ſay any thing, without care of proof or truth, can once appear in any defenſative about them? Have I ſaid a word in defence of thoſe, that have any of thoſe foisted paſſages in them? Or may not I be able to appear in defence of the innocent blameleſſe creature, though I cannot of the ſhameleſs and proſtitute? Certainly he that had read the Diſſertations ſo exactly, as to threaten a yet more ſevere cenſure of the whole Book in a few dayes or houres, and ſo cannot but have adverted that principal praecognoſcendum in it, viz. what Edition of Ignatius it is, which in ſuch variety I appeal to, might well have ſpared vouching of this confeſſion of mine, of the corruptions of former Editions, it being to viſibly, and ſo perfectly reconcileable with all other my pretenſions.

9. The third and laſt thing I am to account for, is, my not taking notice of ſome special evidences, which are here mention'd againſt them: The firſt is the mention of Abeddadan for Sheba, in the Epiſtle to the Magneſians.

10. But how can this be ſuggeſted againſt the Edition we appeal to, when it is certain there is no ſuch word in it, and when by the Lord Primate, that endeavoured to evidence the purity of this, and the corruptneſs of the former Editions, this very word foreign is particularly **Proleg…m p. 71.produced as an argument, that thoſe things are reformed here, which were vitiated before? And when it is viſible by the whole paſſage here ſet down, that he had conſulted the words of the Lord Primate (not in Ep. ad Magneſ. p. 15.) 'tis not eaſily conceivable how he could ſtill think fit to make this evidence of the incorruptneſſe of the Copy, an inſtance of the corruption of it.

11. So again when it is objected in the next place (as an evidence, what hands theſe Epiſtles have fallen into by the way) that ſome citations are made out of them of old, which now appeare not in them, and of this ſort two inſtances are tendred, one a citation from Theodoret, the other from Hierome: 'Tis hardly imaginable how he could think …it to make ſuch an objection.

12. The place cited by Theodoret is in the very ſame forme in the old Latine Copie, which the Lord Primate ſet out, and ſo p. 50in the Laurentian publiſhed by Voſſius, with very little change: Thus, foreign, They depart from the Euchariſt and prayer, becauſe they doe not acknowledge the Euchariſt to be the fleſh of Jeſus Chriſt our Saviour, which ſuffered for our ſins, which the Father raiſed up. All the difference is but this, that where Theodoret reads [foreign, they receive not the Euchariſt and oblations] Our Copy of the Epiſtle to the Church of Smyrna reads foreign, they recede from the Euchariſt and the prayer] (which is to the ſame ſenſe, which ſoever be the trueſt reading, and greater differences there oft are diſcernable in citation of places of Scripture in the Fathers) and then how could hee thinke fit to adde [which words you will ſcarcely finde in that Epiſtle to the Church of Smyrna, from whence they were taken] I cannot yet make any conjecture, what he ſhould aim at in thus affirming, contrary to every mans ſight, which ſhall but read that Epiſtle, and therefore I cannot farther apply fit remedy to it.

13. The caſe is evident; Theſe words are wanting in the corrupt Copies of Ignatius, and yet are cited by Theodoret out of him: This concludes, that there were more perfect Copies in Theodoret's time, than our former had been, and now the Copies lately publiſht have theſe words in them, which is an evidence of the accord between theſe Copies and that which Theodoret uſed; and ſo being an argument for the incorruptneſs of theſe Copies, and the very thing which cauſed the Lord Primate to make ſearch in our Engliſh Libraries for thoſe Copies, becauſe he found this particular place cited by three antients of this Nation, Wodeford, Robert Lincolnienſis, and Tiſſington, it was not either very reaſonably, or very luckily produced, as an evidence againſt them.

14. The full importance of the ſpeech it ſelf hath been formerly intimated, viz. that the haereticks, which denyed the reality of Chriſts death and Reſurrection, did, conſequently to their hypotheſis, reject the Euchariſt, and prayers, or oblations of p. 51the Church, wherein that death of his was ſolemnly commemorated, and the fleſh of the crucified Saviour Sacramentally offered, and received, and ſo maintained to be by the Orthodox believers.

15. The other ſpeech ſaid to be cited from Ignatius by St. Hierome, may alſo well be his ſaying, though I find it not in theſe Epistles: Our Saviour, we know, ſpake many things which are not written in the Gospels, and ſome of them are recited afterwards by the Apoſtles in the Acts, and ſome recorded by the Writers that followed the Apoſtles: And ſo well enough may ſome periods, delivered to Ignatius, be preſerved to us, not in his own Writings, but in the Writings of other men; and this far from prejudicing the Epiſtles, which have been tranſmitted to us, which may well be genuine, though all that was ſuch be not come down to us. As for the [audact…r] that it was a bold ſaying in him that ſayd it, I have little reaſon to be diſturbed by that, becauſe if Ignatius ſayd it, it is not my intereſt to inquire or examine, how boldly, and if he did not ſay it, then nothing can be inferr'd from his ſaying it: But then after all this, Chriſt, we know, call'd and choſe one of his Diſciples from the Toll-booth, where they that ſate were proverbially called ſinners, and generally accounted ſuch beyond all other men, their very trade was foreign, filthy and ſordid, ſaith **foreign. l. 4. c. 44 59.Artemidorus, and fit to be joyn'd with that of foreign and foreign, theeves and cheaters; and in Theophraſtus in his Characters, foreign and foreign, whoremonger… and Publicans, as in Scripture, Publicans and Harlots goe together, and accordingly when **Muſonius in Sto…us p. 31.Theocritus was asked what was the cruelleſt beaſt? he anſwer'd, Of thoſe in the Mountains, the Bear and Lyon, but of thoſe in the City foreign, Publicans and Sycophant…, and as of them the Poet concludes, foreign, they are all, generally all, Robbers, ſo the Jews are wont to cry out of them, that they are all foreign thieves, wicked ſinners: And then what boldneſſe is there in ſaying of Chriſt, who choſe ſuch, that he choſe thoſe who were ſinners above all other men: It being no way to the diſhonour of Chriſt to have choſen ſuch, who from the chief of ſinners, blaſphemers, p. 52and perſecutors, and injurious (as St. Paul ſaith of himſelfe) converted, and became the moſt zealous ſervants and Diſciples of their Master.

Sect. 2.

The ſtyle, and barbarous words in theſe Epiſtles. Varietie of ſtyles. Exuberance of affection. foreign. Ignatius's title, an indication of the language of that age. Compoſitions, and new formes in Scripture. The four Latine words in theſe Epiſtles, parallel'd by Hegeſippus. The Church of Smyrna, and many more in the New Teſtament.

Num. 1. THE next objection againſt theſe Epiſtles is taken from the ſtyle, and the uſe of barbarous words in Ignatius, and it begins thus.

2. The ſtyle of theſe Epiſtles doth not a little weaken the credit of them, being turgent, ſwelling with uncouth words and phraſes, affected manner and wayes of expreſſion, new compoſitions of words, multiplying titles of honour to men, exceedingly remote and di…ant from the plainneſs and ſimplicity of the firſt Writers among the Chriſtians, as is evident by comparing theſe with the Epiſtles of Clement before mention'd, that of Polycarpus in Euſcbius, the Churches of Vienna and Lyons in that ſame Author and others. Inſtances for the confirmation of this obſervation are multiplyed by Blondellus, my deſigned work will not allow me to inſi… particulars. In many good words this charge is waved, by affirming that the author of theſe Epiſtles was a Syrian, and near to Martyrdom, and that in the Scripture there are ſundry words of as hard a compoſition, as theſe uſed by him, Ham. Diſſert. 2. c. 3. And as he ſayes, from this kind of writing an argument of ſufficient validity may be drawn to evince him to be the Author of theſe Epiſtles. Hierome was of another mind ſpeaking of Dydimus, Imperitus (ſaith he) ſermone eſt, & non ſcientia, Apoſtolicum virum ex ipſo ſermone exprimens, tam ſenſum nomine, quam ſimplicitate ver borum; But ſeeing Ignatius was a Syrian, and near to Martyrdome (though he writes his Epiſtles from Troas and Smyrna, which without doubt were not in his way to Rome from Antioch, and yet every where he ſaith he is going to Rome: ad Eph…ſ. foreign, which in the cloſe he affirmes he wrote from Smyrna, whither he was had to his Martyrdome) what is it to any man what ſtyle p. 53he uſed in his writings, what ſwelling titles he gave to any, or words he made uſe of. Who ſhall call thoſe writings (eſpecially Ignatius being a Syrian) into queſtion.

But perhaps ſome farther queſtion may here ariſe (and which hath by ſundry been already ſtarted) about the uſe of divers Latine wo…ds in thoſe Epiſtles, which doubtleſs cannot be handſomly laid on the ſame account of the Author, being a Sy…ian, and nigh to Martyrdome▪ foreign, are uſually inſtanced: words to which no Roman… Cuſtoms, Obſervations, Orders, nor Rules of Government doe adminiſter the leaſt occaſion. Of theſe the Doctor tels you, he wonders onelyonly that in ſo many Epiſtles there are no more of this kind. And why ſo? the Epiſtles are not ſo large a volume, a very few houres will ſerve to reade them over; and yet I am perſwaded that in all that compaſſe of reading, in the Greek Fathers, which our Doctor ownes, he cannot give ſo many inſtanc…s of wo…ds barbarous to their language, no way occaſioned by the meanes before mentioned, as have been given in theſe Epiſtles. But he wonders that there are no more, and ſome wonder that all are not of his mind. But he farther informes us, that a diligent reader of the Scripture may obſerve many more Latine words in the New Teſtament, than a… uſed in theſe Epiſtles; and for a proof of his diligence and obſervation, reckons up out of the end of Paſſor's Lexicon, ſundry words of that kind made uſe of by the Sacred Writers. I feare unto ſome men, this wi…l ſc…ce be an Apologie prevalent to the diſmiſſion of theſe Epiſtles from under the cen…ure of being at leaſt foulely corrupted. Of the whole co…lection of words of that ſort made by P…ſsor, among which are thoſe eſpecially cull'd out by our Doctor to confirm… his Obſervations, there is ſcarce one, but either it is expreſſive of ſome Roman Office, Cuſtome, Money, O…der, or the like: words of which nature paſſe as proper names, (as one of thoſe mentioned by the Doctor is, and no otherwiſe uſed in the New Teſtamen) from one Country and Language to another, or are indeed of a pur… G…eek Original, or at leaſt were in common uſe in that age, neither of which can be ſpoken of the words above mentioned, uſed in the Epiſtles: which were never uſed by any before or after them, nor is the…e any occaſion imaginable why they ſhould: Parvas hab…nt sp…s Epiſtolae, ſi tal…s habent: I would indeed gladly ſee a faire, candi…, and ingenious defenſative of the ſtyle and manner of writing uſed in theſe Epiſtles, departing ſo eminently from any thing that was cuſtoma…y in …he writings of the men of thoſe dayes, or is regular for men in any generation, in Repetitions, affected Compoſitions, Barbariſmes, Rhyming expreſſions, and the like: for truly notwithſtanding any thing that hitherto I have been ab… to obtain for help in this kind, I am inforced to incline …o V…s his anſwers to all the particular inſtances given of this nature; this, and that place is corrupted, this is from Clement's conſtitutions, this from this or that Tradition, which alſo would much better free thoſe Epiſtles from the word foreign uſed in the ſenſe whereunto it was applyed by the Valentinians long after the death of Ignatius, p. 54than any other Apologie I have as yet ſeen, for the ſecuring of its abode in them.

3. The, total of this double objection againſt turgencie of ſtyle and barbarouſneſſe of words, is this, The objections formerly drawne by D. Blondel from thoſe two heads, and punctually anſwered by me Diſſert. 2 c. 3. are againe call'd up, and ſome general heads of my anſwers ſlightly repeated, and ſcoffed at, and put into as diſadvantageous a dreſſe, as he could chooſe for them, and then the old anſwered arguments may ſtand good againe, and all muſt be rejected as ſuppoſititious, which hath any of this turgent style, or theſe barbarous words in it.

4. In full anſwer to this, I, that know beſt the force of my own anſwers, and wherein their ſtrength lyes, ſhall very briefly give the Reader, that is not at leiſure to turn to the Diſſertations, a view of them, and vindicate them from any appearance of reply which here is made to them.

5. Three things are more diſtinctly objected by Blondel on this head, turgency of ſtyle, new forms of compounded words, and a few, viz. four Latine words made Greek.

6. To the firſt of theſe my anſwer is, 1. that the ſtyles of men in the ſame age are oft very different, I adde, as different and diſcernable to a curious obſerver, as their hands or characters, or as their countenances, ſeveral lines and features, and airs as it were, ſeveral daſhes and forms viſibly obſervable in them. Accordingly we **Cicer fam. Ep. lib. 9. Ep. 16.read of Caeſar, that if any paſſage were brought to him for Cicero's, which was not Cicero's, he would conſtantly reject it. And the ſame could **Ibidem.Servius doe, if any verſe in the name of Plautus were recited to him, which was not his. And we know it is the part of an Ariſtarchus, or skilfull Critick, and the common way of diſcerning ſuch or ſuch a writing, whether it be his, whoſe it pretends to be or not, diligently to obſerve the ſtyle or character, which could not be any probable way of judging, if all others, which wrote in the ſame age, wrote the very ſame ſtyle: And ſo that which is here added of comparing Ignatius his ſtyle with that of Clement and Polycarp, and the Church of Vienna, is a very ſtrange argument, juſt as if one p. 45ſhould ſay, he that ownes this Preface is not the Author of it, and bind him, for the juſtifying that he is, to demonſtrate the agreement of his ſtyle with all men that have written in this laſt age in our language.

7. 2ly. When Blondel ſaith, that the Author of theſe Epiſtles doth nimis Rhetoricari, too much rhetoricate; I anſwer, that it is hard to define the bounds of Eloquence, within which it is obliged to contein it ſelf. Cicero in his Inſtitution of an Orator commending that plenty, cui aliquid amputari poſſit, where there is ſomewhat to ſpare, which is an evidence that that Maſter of Eloquence is no way diſpleaſed with all exuberance; And to this particular it was, that peculiarly I added the mention of his being neer his Martyrdome, and his flagrant deſire of it, which might enflame his ſoule, and that ſend out thoſe warmer breathings or expreſſions, which might be as much above the ordinary ſimplicity of speech, as he was at that time above the ordinary cold temper of other men. And againſt this there is not the leaſt word here objected by this Praefacer.

8. For the ſecond part of the objection, the new formes of compounded words, obſervable in theſe Epistles, my anſwer is, that though Blondel ſet down 17. of ſuch words, yet many of them are of the ſame kind, compounded of foreign, and foreign & foreign, & ſo ariſe by the ſame analogie, that fewer would do, and conſequently the multitude of them ſignifies no more than a ſmaller number of the ſame. And of theſe it is obſervable, that the title, by which Ignatius was vulgarly known at that time, was foreign, one that carried God, and when Trajan condemned him to death▪ it was upon this point and in this forme, that he owned that name, Ignatium praecipimus in ſeipſo dicentem circumferre Crucifixum, vinctum à militibas duci ad magnam Romam, My ſentence is that Ignatius, that ſaies he carries about in himſelfe the crucified, i. e. that calls himſelfe Theophorus, (as he did in that anſwer to Trajan's calling him Cacodaemon, Nullus Theophorum v…cat Cacademo…em) ſhall be carried bound to great Rome, and caſt on the Theatre to the wilde beaſts, as we finde it in the relation of his Martyrdome. Now this being then his ordinary title, the p. 56other like words are directly of the ſame compoſition with that: foreign, and from hence I argued (and I ſtill thinke probably) that his uſe of ſuch compoſitions was an argument that he wrote theſe Epiſtles, not that he wrote them not, it being evident by that one word (ſo vulgarly then uſed to ſignifie him) Theophorus, that ſuch compoſitions were then agreeable to the eares and genius of that age.

9. And the argument thus uſed by me, was neither not apprehended, or very uneffectually anſwered, by oppoſing the words of Saint Hierome of Didymus, that he expreſt himſelf an Apostolical perſon by the ſimplicity of his language. So Didymus might, and yet the argument conclude probably, that theſe Epiſtles were written by Ignatius, becauſe as he was vulgarly called foreign, ſo words of the like nature with that, foreign and foreign, familiarly diſcernable in thoſe Epiſtles.

10. As for the other words by Blondel objected, which were of other formes of compoſition, foreign. My anſwer is, that none of theſe are at all Monſtreus in the language of a Syrian, that writes Greek, and that in the New Teſtament, words are to be found, as diſtant from common language, and as extraordinarily compounded as theſe, for inſtance, foreign and foreign, in Saint Luke, foreign and foreign in Saint John, foreign, in Saint Peter, foreign in S. Paul, and foreign, a word made on purpoſe by Saint Paul, without example of the like (not onelyonly of the ſame) in other authors.

11. To this anſwer of mine, here is no kind of reply, but of ſcoffes onelyonly, [But ſeeing Ignatius was a Syrian, and neer to Martyrdome (though he writes his Epiſtles from Troas and Smyrna, which without doubt were not in his way to Rome from Antioch, and yet every where he ſaith he is going to Rome—) what is that to any man what ſtyle he uſed in his writings—and ſo in the mode of ſarcaſme.

p. 5712. But I wonder what cauſed this mirth, and in ſadneſſe demand, whether I ever rendered it as the reaſon of his uſing thoſe new compoſitions, that he was neer to Martyrdome, he cannot but know that that was the plea for the exuberance of his affection, which might render the reaſon of the warmer expreſſions, which Blondel had cenſured for too much Rhetorick; and to that it was proper, though not to making of new words, which is the preſent buſineſſe.

13. Secondly, why might not he be a Syrian, and write as a Syro-Graecian would write, although his Epiſtles were dated from Troas and Smyrna? 'Tis ſure enough that he lived at Antioch, and that was the Metropolis of Syria, & the ſouldiers carrying him bound to Troas and Smyrna, was not likely ſo ſuddenly to change his dialect, or make him write more familiar Greek, than in Antioch he would have written, and being called vulgarly foreign at Antioch, what wonder is it that he ſhould now write in the ſame ſtyle, uſe foreign and foreign at Smyrna?

14. Thirdly, For his going by Tr…as and Smyrna from Antioch to Rome, all records of his journey make it certaine, and if it were not the neereſt way, the account hath been given of that in the former ſection, And ſo the Praefacer might well enough have kept his countenance, and ſpared his Sarcaſmes, Here was nothing to diſcompoſe him, nothing ridiculous in all this.

15. Laſtly, therefore, for the foure Latine words turned into Greek, & uſed in thoſe Epiſtles produced by D. Blondel, foreign, my anſwer is, 1. that there is nothing ſtrange in that, it might be as great matter of wonder, that in ſeven Epiſtles there are no more of that kinde.

16. To which here it is replyed, 1. that the Epiſtles are not ſo large a volume, a few houres will ſerve to read them over, 2. that no Roman Cuſtomes, Obſervations, Orders, nor rules of Government did adminiſter the leaſt occaſion of the uſe of theſe words, and 3. that the like number cannot he produced out of all the Greek Fathers that I own the reading of

17. To theſe I anſwer, 1. that as farre from large as the Epiſtles p. 58are, there might as probably have been more ſuch words, as ſo many, ſeven Epiſtles, each of them being much longer than ſome of the Apoſtles in the Scripture, if they had had but one ſuch word a piece (which ſure each might as reaſonably have as any) this had almoſt doubled the number, which now we finde in the objecters own computation. And indeed three of theſe foure being altogether in the Epiſtle to Polyear…e (which if, with ſome, I ſhould leave out of the Collection of the Genuine, I ſhould have enough behind to maintain Epiſcopacy) in all the other ſixe there remaines but one, which in no immoderate proportion.

18. Secondly, That as in Hegeſippus fragments left to us in Greek, Blondel hath taken notice of foreign, as perfect and unexcuſable a Latiniſme as any of theſe, ſo in the one Epiſtle of the Church of Smyrna (of a very moderate length, concerning Polycarps Martyrdome (another piece of the ſame ages production) we have foreign, another parallel inſtance of the uſe of ſuch words at that time.

19. 3ly. The like words and phraſes in the New Teſt. which is alſo no vaſt volume (though not fit to be read ad clepſidram, the length of it meaſured by the houre-glaſſe) are ſo many more than theſe that are accuſed, and produced from theſe Epiſtles (neer thirty for foure) that this may well vindicate ſo ſmall a number, and make it more ſtrange that there are no more than foure, than it ought to be that there are ſo many.

20. So in the next place for the foure heads into which he brancheth the cauſes of the uſe of Latine words among Greek writers, I anſwer 1. that if he hath obſerved foure, other men may as lawfully obſerve ſome other, and are no way obliged to marſhall all they finde of this nature, under one of his foure heades. 2. That if there be by him acknowledged foure ſuch heads of cauſes, I may reaſonably allow Ignatius to have uſed foure ſuch words, and render but this one ſingle reaſon for them all, that Antioch, being part of the Roman dominion, and many that ſpake Latine inhabiting there, foure Latine words might eaſily be transfuſed into common uſe among them, acceptum, depoſitum, deſertor, exemplar.

p. 5921. If this ſeem ſtrange, let it be remembred, that if …ot all, certainly the three later of theſe very four are in vulgar uſe among us of England, derived certainly from the ſame fountaine whence Ignatius had them, and ſo may well be allow'd them, who had the ſame occaſion, and the ſame liberty.

22. Thirdly, that three of theſe four, foreign, are all Military words; as for the firſt of them, 'tis clear, and for the other two, he might be inform'd from Halloix, When Souldiers went on an expedition ſaith he, in civitatibus peculia ſua caſtrenſia deponebant, quae reverſi recipiebant, Illa depoſita appellabantur ab eo qui deponebat, accepta ab eo qui accipiebat, confectis ergo bellis illi depoſita repetebant, hi accepta reſtituebant. And then what was thus taken from the Militia, may well be reduced to one of the Prefacers heads, the firſt, that of Roman cuſtomes, and ſo by his own rules theſe Latine words might here be lawfully uſed, in a metaphorical paſſage eſpecially, which was all Military.

23. Laſtly, what need I take the pains to turn over the Fathers, to parallel theſe four words, when if I doe ſucceed in the attempt, he hath his reſerve [yea, but they are taken from one of the four heads mention'd by him, Cuſtoms, Obſervations, Orders▪ or Rules of Government] (which are pre…tily comprehenſive indeed, as they may be applyed) and when out of the very Greek Teſtament (which was written nearer to the time of Ignatius than the Volumes of the Greek Fathers were) I have already produced ſo many more, than are voucht from theſe Epiſtles.

24. But to this it is ſaid, 1. That as a proof of my diligence and obſervation, I reckon ſundry words of this kind out of the end of Paſſor's Lexi…. 2. That of that whole collection there is ſcarce one b…t either is expreſſive of ſome Romane Office, Cuſtome, Money, Order, or the like, or elſe a proper name, as one mentioned by me, or indeed of a p… Greek Original, or that were in common uſe in that age. 3. That neither of theſe can be ſpoken of thoſe which are uſed in theſe Epiſtles.

p. 6024. To all theſe I make my rejoynder. To the firſt, 1. That 'tis as good an evidence that there are ſuch words in the New Teſtament, if Paſſor collected them, as if I, or this Prefacer were ſuppoſed to have done it. I was not then contending for commendation of diligence or obſervation, but demonſtrating one truth and vindicating another, and this might as effectually be done (without my reading over the New Teſtament on purpoſe) by any other eaſier method, that could offer it ſelf unto me.

25. But then ſecondly: if this were ſo accurately done by Paſſor before me, my advantage was the greater againſt Blondel, who might ſo eaſily have diſcerned ſo many, and yet would take notice but of one in all the New Teſtament, viz. foreign.

26. Thirdly, That the Prefacer was not acquainted with me, nor knew ſo much of my ſecrets, as that he can upon knowledge, or with truth affirm, what he doth without any peradventure, that I reckon them up out of Paſſor's Lexicon. I had not converſt with, nor, that I know of, was ever owner of that Author of his, but did, as was neceſſary for me, that knew no more compendious way, write them out of my ill memory, and imperfect Notes, taken at leaſt twenty or thirty years before: And accordingly the Catalogue then made by me was but imperfect, and I have ſince found occaſion to increaſe it, and when I meet with Paſſor, may perhaps have reaſon farther to inlarge it (and if I doe, ſhall be obliged to acknowledge by whom I was directed to him.)

27. And ſo in the ſecond part of the reply, the Prefacer hath thought fit to doe, having added one head more, that of Money to the four which he had formerly made uſe of, and not onelyonly ſo, but left room for more by a large form of Analogie [and the like] and yet farther reckon'd up three heads more, to each of which he acknowledges the [like] to be equally imputable.

28. As for the proper name (that, I ſuppoſe, muſt be foreign, Juſtus) as it is true, that it is ſuch, ſo 'tis certain that that p. 61Latine proper name is firſt a Latine common Adjective, and being ſpoken of, in Greek, might as well hae been tranſlated into foreign, as either Cephas is into foreign, or Tabitha into foreign if there had been any criminous barbarouſneſs in uſing forreign words, or turning them into Greek: As for the pure Greek Original, that ſome of the words are of, if he mean any of thoſe mentioned by me, I confeſſe I know not what he meanes; If he means thoſe mention'd by Paſſor, I have no commodity to know, nor obligation to account for it.

29. As for the laſt, that they were of common uſe in that age, I doubt it not, and ſhall therefore haſten to the laſt particular, and give the like account of that, and that I doubt not but the four words in Ignatius, were at Antioch, where he lived, in frequent and common uſe at that time, and till that be diſproved, we are perfectly agreed upon the account, that it was very lawfull for Ignatius to uſe them. And this I hope may at laſt be ſufficient to have added to the former competent length of account, concerning the ſtyle of theſe Epiſtles.

30. In the cloſe, there is a mention of the word foreign, another of D. Blondel's exceptions, but of that I have ſpoken ſo largely, both to Blondel's original objections, and to his replies (and there is not one word here ſaid to the confirming of his, or refuting of my pretenſions, that I muſt not ſuperadde one word more of that ſubject.

p. 62Sect. 3.

The immoderate exaltations of Biſhops objected to theſe Epiſtles. But belong not to our Copies, ſave in one teſtimony, and that no way immoderate.

Num. 1. THe next charge againſt theſe Epiſtles is, the frequent commendation of Biſhops, &c. Thus it lyes.

It is not a little burthenſome to the thought of ſober and learned men, to conſider how frequently, cauſeleſly, abſurdly in the midſt of diſcourſes quite of another nature, and tendncy, the Author of thoſe Epiſtles (or ſome body for him) breaks in upon the commendation of Church Officers, Biſhops and Presbyters, exalting with titles of honour to the greateſt Potentates on earth, and comparing them to God the Father & Son, whereas none of the ſacred Writers that went before him, nor any of thoſe good & holy men, who (as is ſuppoſed) followed after him, do hold the leaſt communion or ſociety with him in that courſe of proceeding, foreign, Epiſt. ad Trall. Whereunto is immediately ſubjoyned that Doctrine concerning Deacons, which will ſcarcely be thought to be exege…cal of Act. 6. foreign—And foreign. What the Writer of this paſſage intended to make of a Biſhop, well I know not, but thus he ſpeaks of him, Epiſt. ad Mag…. foreign (as the Apoſtle ſpeakes concerning God, Heb. 6. 10. foreign. Thus indeed ſome would have it, who to help the matter, have further framed ſuch an Epiſc…pacy, as was never thought on by any in the dayes of Ignatius, as ſhall afterwards b…e made evident: And in the ſame Epiſtle this is ſomewhat uncou…h and ſtrange. foreign. Whether the Lord Chriſt hath bound any ſuch burthen upon the ſhoulde…s of the Saints, I much queſtion; nor can I tell what to make of the compariſon, b…tween God the Father, and the Biſhop, Chriſt, and the reſt of the Church, the whole p. 63ſentence in word and matter being moſt remote from the leaſt countenance from the ſacred writings. Ep. ad Philad…l. foreign (well aimed however) foreign. The Epiſtle to the Church of Smyrna is full of ſuch ſtuffe, inſerted without any occaſion, order, coherence, or any colour to induce us to believe that it is part of the Epiſtle as firſt written. O…e paſſage I may not omi…, foreign (in the language of our Saviour repudiating the Phariſces corrupted gloſſes on the Law) foreign. So Peter… miſta…e is corrected; his reaſons follow, foreign (as was Jeſus Chriſt) and it is added, foreign. How well this …ui…s the doctrine of Peter and Paul the Reader will eaſily diſcerne; Caeſar or the King is upon all accounts thruſt behinde the Biſhop, who is ſaid to be conſecrated to God for the ſalvation of the world; him he is exhorted to obey, and in expreſſe oppoſition to the Holy Ghoſt, the Biſhops name is thruſt in between God and the King, as in a way of prae…minence above the latt…, and to doe any thing without the Biſhop, is made a farre greater c…ime than to riſe up 2▪ gainſt the King. As this ſeems ſcarce to be the language of one, going upon an accuſation to appear before the Emperour, ſo … am certaine, it is moſt remote from the likeneſs of any thing that in this affair we are inſtructed in from the Scripture. Plainly this language is the ſame with that of the falſe Impoſtor Pſeudo-Clemens, in his pretended Apoſtolicall Conſtitutions. At this rate or ſomewhat beyond it, you have him …anting l. 2 c. 2 foreign. All Popes, with all …s of perſons whatſoever, Prieſts, Kings and Princes, Fathers, and childen, all under the feet of this exemplar of God, and ruler over me…, a pa…ſag… which doubtleſſe eminently interprets, and illuſtrates that place of Peter, 1 Epistle, c. 5. v. 1, 2, 3. The Elders that are among you I exhort, who am alſo an Elder, and a witneſſe of the ſufferings of Chriſt, and alſo a partaker of the glory that ſhall be revealed, feed the …lock of God, which is among you, taking the overſight thereof not by conſtraint, but willingly, not for fil…y p. 64lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being Lords over Gods heritage, but being examples to the flock: But yet as if the man were ſtark mad with worldly pride and pomp, he afterwards in the name of the holy Apoſtles of Jeſus Chriſt, commands all the …aity (forſooth) to honour, love, and fear the Biſhop, foreign, lib 2. c. 20. And that you may ſee whither the man drives, and what hee aims at, after he hath ſet out his Biſhop like an Emperour, or an Eaſtern King in all pomp and glory, he addes, foreign. The paying of Tribute to them as Kings, is the iſſue of theſe deſcriptions, that they may have wherewithall to maintain their pomp and greatneſſe▪ according to the inſtitution of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and his bleſſed Apoſtles But I ſhall not rake farther into this dunghill, nor ſhall I adde any more inſtances of this kind out of Ignatius, but cloſe i… to one inſiſted on by our Doctor, for the proof of his Epiſcopacie, Di…r…. …, …. 25. 7. ſaith he, Qu…ò, foreign. Epiſcopo attendite ut & vobis Deus attendat, ego animam meam libenter corum loco ſubſtitui, cuper… (Quod Arglice optimè decimus, my ſoul for theirs) qui Epiſcopo, Presbyteris, & Diaconis obſequuntur. I hope I may without great difficulty obtaine the Doctors pardon, that I dare not be ſo bold with my ſoul as to jeopard it in that manner, eſpecially being not my own to diſpoſe of.

2. I ſhall not need to inquire who thoſe ſober and learned men are, with the mention of whom the Prefacer here begins; I queſtion not but that they are he, and thoſe of his perſwaſion, I onelyonly hope it is poſſible that they have not the incloſure of that title, and then there may be others as ſober, and as learned, that conſent with me in their opinion of this matter.

3. What is ſaid here of thoſe ſober and learned men, that it is not a little burthenſom to their thoughts, that the Author of theſe Epiſtles ſo frequently, cauſeleſly, and abſurdly breaks in upon the commendation of Church-Officers] may be juſt matter of compaſſion in me; as far as I believe there is any truth in it: For truly I ſhould be ſorry, that any ſober, or learned man's thoughts ſhould be ſo cauſeleſly, and yet ſo heavily burthen'd and diſquieted: And yet if that be the caſe, I may certainly be able to doe more than compaſſionate, I may adminiſter comfort alſo: For if that Authors commendations p. 65of Biſhops be cauſeleſs and abſurd, then their grief and preſſure of thoughts muſt be as cauſeleſſe (that I adde not, abſurd) who are much diſturbed with them: If the ſuppoſititious Ignatius that hath taken that perſon on him, act and perſonate ſo very abſurdly, any ſober, or learned man will be glad, that he hath ſo luckily diſcovered his fraud, that the Viſor is fallen off by this means, and the cheat ſo ſpeedily come to an end.

4. If therefore there be any thing ſerious in this expreſſion (as [not a little burthenſome to the thought of ſober and learned men] is a very ſolemn and grave ſtyle, that admits no ſuſpition of Smile or Ironie) it muſt to my underſtanding ſignifie, that they that are not friends to Epiſcopacy, are not a little burthen'd to think, that Ignatius, that Primitive glorious Saint and Martyr, ſhould ſo frequently (which they muſt be ſuppoſed to think cauſeleſly and abſurdly) commend and exalt Biſhops: And though in their doing this, I know they do not expect I ſhould commend them, yet …t ſo falls out, that I am very well able to excuſe them, if the paſſages, which are here ſet down by the Prefacer, be the only matter of burthen to their thoughts.

5. For indeed it is a little ſtrange, that he that hath undertaken to write Animadverſions on my Diſſertations, and knows what Copies they are of Ignatius, which I defend, as the genuine Epiſtles, ſhould produce teſtimonies out of theſe Epiſtles to invalidate their authority, and yet never but once conſult theſe Copies to which I appeal, but gather up the offſcourings of the corrupt Editions, which even now he had call'd the very garbidge of the beaſt, when, if he had pleaſed, he might have entertained himſelf and the Reader with much whole…omer diet in the volumes ſet out by Voſſius and the Lord Primate.

6. As it is, the task lyes more truly burthenſome on me, who muſt now be faine to ſurvey, very unneceſſarily all the teſtimonies here ſet down, and demonſtrate that it is unjuſtly ſuggeſted by the Prefacer, that the Author of theſe Epiſtles (he ought to mean thoſe, which he, with whom he diſputes, takes for his) exal…s Biſhops with titles of honour to the greateſt Potentates on earth.

p. 667. For the firſt teſtimonie then, taken from the Epistle to the Trallians, he might onelyonly have corrected the reading out of the emendate Copies, and ſo have read foreign for foreign, and then, as the teſtimony had been more Grammatical ſenſe, not [whatſoever things you doe, do nothing—] but [it is neceſſary, as already you practiſe, to doe nothing without the Biſhop] ſo the reaſonableneſſe, and moderation of that ſpeech had been diſcernable enough, being both the ordinary language of the antient Canons (alwaies thought neceſſary to the unity of the Church) and peculiarly uſefull at that time to be inculcated (to keep out the poyſon of the haeretical and ſchiſmatical Gnoſticks) as hath at large been formerly demonſtrated, both in anſwer to **Diſſert. 3. numb. 9.Blendel, and again to the ††Cap. 3 ſect. 3. numb. 54.London Aſſemblers, and need not now be repeated here.

8. The ſecond testimony, which concerns Deacons, and is not conceived to be reconcileable with their inſtitution, Act. 6. is in our Copies, both in words and ſenſe, different from that which is here cited out of the corrupt, and hath nothing of high or ſtrange in it. It is thus, foreign, The Deacons being Miniſters of the Myſteries of Jeſus Chriſt, ought to pleaſe all men; for they are not dispenſers of meat and drink (i. e. not onelyonly, or eſpecially ſuch) but officers of the Church of Chriſt, they ought therefore to keep themſelves from accuſations as from fire. What is there in this above the proportion of moderate and ſound doctrine?

9. But the third teſtimony is an immoderate one indeed, and gives him, I confeſſe, a ſupereminent juriſdiction in the [foreign, and the foreign] But by good hap there is not a word of it in our Editions, and ſo we are not farther concern'd to vindicate or examine it.

10. So for the fourth, from the Epiſtle to the Magneſians, the immoderate height whereof is argued from the foreign uſed of God, Heb (I ſuppoſe it ſhould be) 10. 31. I need ſay no more again, but that there is no part of it in our Copies nor any thing inſtead of it above this moderate pitch, foreign p. 67foreign—To the honour of God, whoſe pleaſure it is, it becomes us to obey the Biſhop without any hypocriſie.

11. Of the fift there is onelyonly thus much in our Copies by way of caution againſt Schiſms, foreign, Be united to your Biſhop, and thoſe that are ſet over you, for a copy and doctrine of incorruption. Which, by the way, ſets down the plaine reaſon of his ſo frequent inculcating obedience to, and union with their Biſhop (juſt as in our Vindication to the London Aſſemblers, and elſwhere, hath oft been ſaid) becauſe the true doctrine being by the Apoſtles before their deceaſe depoſited with theſe, as their ſucceſſors in every Church, and becauſe having particular knowledge of the Orthodoxalneſs of Damas in this, and the like of other Biſhops and Preſbyters under them in the other Churches, there was no way ſo prudent, and ſo compendious to preſerve them from the corruptions of the haereticks (who were then creeping in clancularly) as their keeping themſelves exactly cloſe to the Biſhop, and their Superiours under him. And accordingly it follows, As therefore the Lord being united to his Father did nothing without him, either by himſelf, or by his Apoſtles, ſo neither doe ye any thing without the Biſhop, and the Preſbyters; nor indeavour to account any thing reaſonable which is private, or of your own deviſing: Which again differs from the reading that is here offered, and tels us clearly what is meant by the compariſon betwixt God the Father and the Biſhop, Chriſt and the reſt of the Church, even no more than Chriſt means when he ſaid, Learn of me, for I am meek: Christ did all by commiſſion from, and nothing without his Father, and ſo betwixt them unity was preſerved: And in like manner the Members of the Church muſt obey, and doe nothing without their Governour, and ſo union may among them be preſerved alſo. But of this intire place we have formerly ſpoken in the Vindication to the London Aſſemblers, c. 3. ſect. 3. n. 42.

12. The ſixt place is of ſome weight indeed, from the Epiſtle to the Philadelphians, requiring all, of what ſort ſoever, not onelyonly Presbyters, Deacons, and the whole Clergy, but all the p. 68People, Souldiers, Princes, Caeſar himſelf to perform obedience to the Biſhop. And here, I acknowledge, there is a teſtimony and evidence of the charge of extolling Biſhops above the greateſt Potentates; for ſure Caeſar was ſuch, and if Ignatius had thought fit to uſe ſuch language, and done it at a time when Caeſar was heathen, and he by Caeſars ſentence already condemn'd, and within a while to be brought forth to the Amphitheatre, I might have juſtly deſerved a ſevere Animadverſion for moving tongue or pen in defence of this rebellious, extravagant, ſenſleſſe doctrine. But I need not take pains to examine the place, my memory, as ill as it is, aſſures me there is no ſuch thing in the Epiſtles own'd by us Prelatiſts; and upon conſulting the place, I find there are almoſt eight pages together inſerted by ſome Impoſtor, of all which there remains not above one page in our Editions, which certainly is an evidence, that ſome Reformation was wrought, ſome degree of purity reſtored to theſe Epiſtles, by this ſo fiery a purgation: And 'tis very ſtrange that this Prefacer could not take notice of it.

13. So again the ſeventh, in the Epiſtle to the Smyrnaeans, is advanc'd to the ſame pitch of Inſolence, placing the Biſhop betwixt God and the King, and that by way of correction of the words of Scripture [My ſonne, fear God, and the King] and all the ſeveral branches of that place here cited, are every word vaniſht out of our volume of Epiſtles. And ſo the Prefacer hath onelyonly had an opportunity to betray his miſtake, in affirming of Ignatius at the time of writing that Epiſtle, that he was going upon an accuſation to appear before the Emperour, whereas it is certain he had before this, received his condemnation from Trajan the Emperour at Antioch, and was now carrying to Rome for his execution, and that is all he hath gained by producing this teſtimony.

14. And ſo you ſee I have no reaſon to make any further anſwer to what the Prefacer here juſtly addes concerning the unreaſonableneſſe, and unchriſtianneſſe of theſe expreſſions, whether in theſe inſertions publiſhed once under Ignatius his name, or the like in the Conſtitutions fathered alſo upon Clemens, I am as perfectly of his opinion concerning the impiety p. 69of them, as he could wiſh, and am thereby obliged to value our new Editions, the more for freeing an innocent Martyr and his Reader from ſuch Impoſtures.

15. OnelyOnly I wonder that over and above all thoſe that are by that Impoſtor appointed to obey the Biſhop, the Prefacer (as if the other had been too wary) ſhould think fit to make a further inſertion, and to the Catalogue of the Biſhop's ſubjects, adde [All Popes] when the Greek cited by him hath onelyonly foreign, which he truly renders Prieſts in the words following. What is this but to corrupt the ſink, to help the Garbidge to get a ſtronger ſavour, to go beyond the Artificer at his own weapon, to phanſie a command to the Biſhop to obey himſelf, to Pope Clemens to be ſubject to Clemens the Pope? If the ſuppoſititious Clemens had written at that rate, he had certainly never impoſed on any. But I muſt not adviſe my Monitor, elſe he ſhould have rendred the Greek in plain Engliſh, and ſpared that whether paraphraſe, or inſertion [All Popes.]

16. The laſt place produced out of the teſtimonies cited in the Diſſertations is indeed to be found in Voſſius's edition, and the Medicean Copy of our Epiſtles. And the producing of that from thence, and mentioning it as produced by me, is an evidence that the Prefacer knew the way, if he had pleaſed to make uſe of it, to have cited none but Genuine Teſtimonies: For all ſuch, as far as the uncorrupted Copies would afford, were by me ſet down to his hand: But that method was not, it ſeems, for his turn, the Reader could not have been ſo amuzed with a multitude of odious paſſages out of Ignatius, if this, as fairer, ſo eaſier courſe had been taken.

17. For this one place then, where the genuine Ignatius bids them, or rather exhorts Polycar… the Biſhop to adviſe them, to give heed to the Biſhop that God may attend to them, and adds, my ſoul for theirs who obey the Biſhop, Presbyters, and Deacons] though I cannot wonder that in theſe da…es there are ſome, who are not well qualified to ſay Amen to it, yet being taken as it was meant by that holy man, there is certainly nothing in it to be ſtartled at, or improbable to be written by the Saint Ignatius. 'Tis in the Epiſtle to Polycarp, and it concerns p. 70the Church under him, And at that time it appears the Gnoſtick haereticks were infuſing their poyſon there, and their firſt artifice of inſinuation was, taking upon them to underſtand or know more than their Biſhop or Teacher did, though he the moſt famous Doctor of all Aſia, foreign, and foreign, an Apoſtolike, and Prophetike, and illuſtrious Doctor, ſaith the Epiſtle of the Church of Smyrna concerning him. This is ſet downe in the words precedent, foreign, If a man aſſume and b…aſt of his knowledge, take upon him to know more than the Biſhop, by this you may know that he hath imbibed and ſuckt in that Gnoſtick poyſon (that makes him ſo ſwell preſently) And in oppoſition to theſe it is, and upon perfect knowledge of their Biſhop, that he thus proceeds to exhort and conjure them to attend to their Biſhop, and not to ſuch aſſuming Corehs, and to doe it more effectually, offers to jeopard his ſoul for theirs, that they ſhall ſuffer no damage for ſo doing. And ſuppoſing the Biſhop to be in the right▪ Orthodox and carefull to build them up in the truth, and that the haereticks which advanced themſelves above the Biſhop, deſign'd that which would be their ruin and perdition, if they ſucceed in their attempt (as it is certain that this muſt, at this time, in this matter, be ſuppoſed) what danger was Ignatius in by venturing his ſoul in this manner: This certainly he might doe, as far as foreign reacheth (no more than this, that he durſt or would be content to venture it) though his ſoul (nay more than his life, which he now more than ventured) was not his own to dispoſe of.

p. 71Sect. 4.

Of the three Orders in the Church. Of the Order of Preſbyters when it came in. No mention of it in Clemens Romanus, or Polycarpe, but in Ignatius. Lombard words of the two Orders. The Popiſh Doctrine concerning Biſhops.

Num. 1. FRom theſe premiſes thus layd, and, I ſuppoſe, by this time, removed out of the way, from being occaſion of ſtumbling to any, he now proceeds to inferre his concluſion, thus.

2. Upon theſe, and many more the like accounts doe the Epiſtles ſeem to me to be li…e the children that he Jews had by their ſtrange wives, N…h. …3. who ſpake part the language of Aſhdod, and part the language of the Jews That there are in them many footſteps of a gracious ſpirit, every way worthy of, and bee ming the great and holy perſonage whoſe they are eſteemed, ſo there is evidently a mixture of the working of that worldly and carnal ſ… it, which in his dayes was not ſo let looſe as in after times. For what is there in the Scripture, what is in the genuine Epiſtle of Clemens, that gives countenance to thoſe deſcriptions of Epiſcopacy, Biſhops, and the ſubjection to them, that are in thoſe Epiſtles (as now … have them) ſo inſiſted on? What Titles are given to Biſhops? What Soveraignty, Power, Rule, Dominion is aſcribed to them? I …here any thing of the like nature in the Writings of the Apoſtles? In Clemens, the Epiſtle of Po…ycarpus▪ &…? …r any unqueſtionable legitimate off-ſpring of any of the firſt Worthies of Chriſtianity? Whence have they their …hree Orders of Biſhops, Presbyters, and Deacons, upon the diſtinct obſervation of which ſo much weight is laid? Is there any one word, iota, tittle, or ſyllable in the whole B…o… of God giving countenance to any ſuch diſtinctions? Eph 4. 11. We have Paſtors and Teachers. Rom. 12 7, 8. H…m that teacheth, him that exhorteth, him that ruleth, and him that ſheweth m…cy Phil. 1. 1. We have Biſhops and Deacons; and their Inſtitutions with the order of it, we have at large expreſſed 1 Tim. 3. 1, 2. Biſhops and Deacons without the interpoſition of any other Order whatſoever; Deacons we have appointed Act. 7. and Elders Act. 14, 23. thoſe who are Biſhops we find called Presbyters Tit. 1. 5, 7. And thoſe who are Presbyters we find called Biſhops Act. 20. 28. So that Deacons we know, and Biſhops who are Presbyters, or Presbyte…s who are Biſhops we know, but Biſhops, Presbyters, and Deacons, as …hree diſtincct Orders in the Church, from the Scripture we know not. Neither did Clemen… in his Epiſtle to the Corimb…ans know any more than we doe, which a few inſtances will p. 72manifeſt: Saith he, ſpeaking of the Apoſtles, foreign—Biſhops and Deacons (as in the Church at Philippi) this man knows, but the … Order he is utterly unacquainted withall And that the difference of this mans expreſſions concerning Church Rulers from thoſe in the Epiſtle under conſideration, may the better appear; and his aſſerting of Biſhops and Presbyters to be one and the ſame, may the more clearly be evidenced, I ſhall tranſcribe one other paſſage from him, whoſe length I hope wi…l be …xcuſed from the uſefulneſſe of it to the purpoſe in hand, Page 57▪ 58. foreign (for ſo it ſeems was the manner of the Church in his daies, that their Officers were appointed by the conſent of the whole Church) foreign (or the Biſhops of whom he was ſpeaking) foreign, &c. And ſu…d…y other diſcoveries are there in that Epiſtle of the like nature: It is not my deſign nor purpoſe to inſiſt upon the parity of Biſhops and Presbyters, or rather the Identity of the Office denoted by ſundry app…llations from theſe, and the like places: This work is done to the full by Blondellus, that out labour in this kind (were that the purpoſe in hand) is prevented. He that thinks the arguments of that Learned man to this purpoſe are indeed anſwered throughly, and removed by D. H. in his fourth Diſsertation, where he propoſes them to conſideration, may one day think it needfull to be able to diſtinguiſh between words and things. That Clemens owns in a Church but two ſorts of Officers, the firſt whereof he calls ſometimes Biſhops, ſometimes Presbyters, the other Deacons, the Doctor himſelf doth not deny. That in the judgement of Clemens no more were inſtituted in the Church is no leſſe evident. And this carries the conviction of its truth ſo clearly with it, that Lombard himſelf confeſſes, p. 73Hos ſolos miniſtrorum duos ordines Eccleſiam primitivam habuiſſe, & de …is ſolis praeceptum Apoſtoli nos habere, lib. 4. ſent. D. 24.

2. To ſuperſede a concluſion not magiſterially dictated (that were the confidence quarreld at in me) but regularly inferr'd from premiſes, there can be no more neceſſary than to diſcover the falſeneſſe of the premiſes, or their weakneſſe and incompetency to induce that concluſion. And this being already done particularly and at large, 'tis impertinent to give any further anſwer to, or account of this concluſion. I ſhall onelyonly lightly paſs through the ſeveral ſteps of it, and acknowledge of his concluſion, as much as either here, or from the premiſes I find any reaſon to acknowledge, and briefly touch at the reaſons (before more largely rendred) why other parts of it may not be conſented to.

3. And 1. what he ſaith of theſe Epiſtles, that they ſeem like the children of the ſtrange wives. [ſpeaking part the language of Aſhdod, and part the language of the Jews] hath perfect truth in it, being applyed to the former corrupt Editions of Ignatius, but none at all, nor any appearance of any, as it is applyed to that volume, by which we deſired to be judged, in the buſineſſe of Epiſcopacy.

4. Secondly, what is by theſe Epiſtles, as they are in our more emendate Copies, affirmed of Biſhops, is very agreeable to what is by the Scripture, by Clemens, by Polycarpe, ſaid of the ſame ſubject, all which under the name of foreign, and the like, deſcribe their office, and require ſubjection and obedience to be payd to them.

5. Thirdly; for the three orders, particularly for the ſecond of thoſe three, which antiently, and ſtill (but either rarely, or not at all in the Scripture) are called Presbyters, but may moſt diſtinctly be ſtyled Presbyteri ſecundarii, or partiarii, Elders of a ſecond rank, admitted to the exerciſe of ſome parts of the Epiſcopal office, but not to all, and ſo diſtinguiſht from Biſhops, or Elders of the firſt rank. Theſe the Prefacer cannot but know that I doe not undertake to find either in the Scripture, or in Clement's, or in Polycarp's Epiſtle, and that though I have reaſons to aſſure me, that when the p. 74namber of believers increaſed ſo far, that there was both need of them, and competent ſtore of fit perſons to undergoe that office, then ſuch Presbyters were ordained to bear part of the burthen with the Biſhop, as the ſeventy Elders with Moſes (and I have compent reaſons to perſwade me, that this was done, in ſome places, before the departure or deceaſe of all the quire of Apoſtles, particularly that St. John inſtituted ſuch in Aſia, when he **Clem. foreign. apud Euſeb. l. 2. c. foreign.did foreign) yet this was not ſo univerſally done thus early, as that either the Writers of the Scripture could, or after them Clement at Rome ſhould be required to make mention of it: And for Polycarpe, though I ſuppoſe, and doubt not but he lived to ſee ſuch in the Church, yet there was no neceſſity that in that one Epiſtle of his, he ſhould mention them, or uſe the word foreign Elders of any others but Biſhops, it being certain that after the ſecundarie Presbyters were inſtituted, the name foreign ſtill continued common to Biſhops, and was not preſently appropriated to Presbyters, as is elſwhere made clear out of Iraeneus, Clemens Alexandrinus and Tertullian, Diſſert. 4. c. 22. and in the vindication of them from the exceptions of the London Miniſters.

6. It remains therefore that the Epiſtles of Ignatius are the beſt records of Primitive Antiquity, on which to build this ſecond Order of Secundarie, or Partiarie Presbyters, which if they were inſtituted perſonally by St. John, or if they were deſigned by the other Apoſtles, and not ordained in their times, onelyonly becauſe thus early (foreign and foreign, in Epiphanius's ſtyle) there was no need of them, their Inſtitution will ſtill be Apoſtolical, though not mentioned in the Apoſtles writings, as in the Anſwer to the London Aſſemblers hath been ſhewn alſo.

7. Fourthly, concerning the title of Paſtors …nd Doctors, or Teachers, foreign in Scripture, he cannot but know the account given by me, viz. that by all, and each of thoſe Biſhops are to be underſtood, as hath been ſhewed Diſſert. 4 c. 14, 15. and nothing being here ſaid to diſprove it, 'tis but petitio principii to ſuppoſe the contrary: So alſo of foreign Rulers, I have ſpoken at large, Diſſert. 4. c. 13. The like p. 75of foreign, when they have none but Deacons joyn'd with them, Phil. 1. 1. and 1 Tim. 3. All which are perfectly agreeable to my hypotheſis, that there are no ſingle Presbyters, or middle order of Officers betwixt Biſhops and Deacons that I diſcern mention'd in Scripture. So the uſe of foreign, Elders for Biſhops, Tit 1. 5, 7. is by me acknowledged (though not of Biſhops for Presbyters, which conceit is as largely **Diſſ. 4. c. 8. vindic. of Diſſ c. 3. ſect 19. n. 27.elſwhere confuted.)

8. And for the two large and expreſſe places here tranſcribed out of Clemens, they had before been particularly produced by me, and found perfectly to conſent, and accord with the notions, which out of Scripture I had received, and which by Epiphanius were vouched foreign out of the profoundeſt Records. And for Blondel's collection to the contrary, I ſhall hope that to other men my anſwers will appear more than verbal, and though I have here ſomewhat an unkind character given me of them, viz. that they that approve them may one day think it needfull to diſtinguiſh between words and things, yet I am not quite diſcouraged, being competently aſſured, that if he that ſaid ſo, had had any thing elſe to ſay, any more than words to object againſt them, he would not have been ſo reſerved, or ſparing of his pains, as to have denyed it place in his Animadverſions.

9. Laſtly, 'Tis evident (what he ſaith) that I doe not deny Clement's owning but two ſorts of Officers in a Church, Biſhops (ſometimes called alſo foreign, Elders) and Deacons: But it is as evident by my words what I mean, & by Clement's words, that I mean as he doth, viz. that at the Apoſtles firſt preaching, and planting the Faith in Cities and Regions before any multitude of Believers came in, they conſtituted in each City no more but a Biſhop, and one, or more Deacons, after the exemplar in Jeruſalem, where James the Lord's Brother, ſoon after our Saviours aſcenſion was conſtituted Biſhop there, and ſeven Deacons, Act 6. to attend him, but as yet no Preſbyters of any middle order between them and him.

10. This I have cleared concerning thoſe firſt times out of Epiphanius, and taken notice of the cauſes of it, intimated both by Clemens and him, 1. The paucity of fit men for that p. 76office, foreign, there were not found among them men fit to be conſtituted Presbyters; and 2. The no need of any more at that time, foreign, a Biſhop in each City or Region ſerved the turn (onelyonly he could not be without a Deacon) which is the more manifeſt, becauſe the Biſhops and Deacons, which were then inſtituted, were (as in the former of theſe teſtimonies from Clemens appeares) the foreign, the firſt fruits of their labours, their firſt converts, and the flock aſſigned them, the foreign, thoſe that ſhould afterwards believe.

11. To this if the words of Lombard would agree (as they will ſo far as here cited, if only by Eccleſia Primitiva we underſtand the firſt age, or infancie of the Church, at the time of the foreign, the firſt preaching of the Apoſtles) then that teſtimony would by me be fully ſubſcribed alſo, meaning by the duos ordines, the Biſhops truly ſo called (and by him ſtyled Epiſcopos & Preſbyteros) and Deacons, concerning whom, and whom onelyonly, 'tis true, praeceptum Apoſtoli nos habere, that we have the precept of the Apoſtle, viz. St. Paul in his Epiſtles to Timothy and Titus. But the truth is, Lombard's words belong to another matter, a nicety that is gotten into their ſchools, that Epiſcopacy and Presbyterie are not diverſi ordines, but diverſi gradus, not different orders, but onelyonly different degrees of the ſame one order of Sacerdotium or Prieſthood, upon a phanſie that Sacerdo is ſo called from ſacra do, delivering, or imparting holy things, ſo faith he expreſly, Ideo autem etiam Preſbyteri ſacerdotes vocantur, quia ſacrum dant, Preſbyters are alſo called Prieſts, becauſe they give holy things. In which matter as it is of little importance which way the queſtion is decided, as long as the ſuperiority of Biſhops over Preſbyters is agreed on to be ſuch, as hath ſome Powers reſerved to the one which are not common to the other, ſo if Lombard's words ſhould by any be thought farther extenſible, as founded in that opinion, that firſt Preſbyters ruled in common, and that beſide them there were none then but Deacons, I muſt then think it as reaſonable for me to be permitted to forſake Lombard in this, as the Prefacer p. 77will deeme it for him to depart from him in other matters.

12. For though it be here ſet down as an argument of the evidence and clear conviction, and ſo of much more, than of the bare truth of the poſition, that Lombard himſelfe confeſſeth it (which, I ſuppoſe, is not an acknowledgement that all that Lombard ſaith is true, but an inſinuation that this of Biſhops, as maintained by me, is for the matter a Popiſh Doctrine, and yet is in this particular rejected, and the contrary confeſt by Lombard an eminent Popiſh Doctor) yet I muſt crave leave to interpoſe my exceptions to this way of arguing or concluding.

13. 1. That neither I, nor any true member of the Church of England, owe or pay any obſervance to the bare dictates of Lombard, or indeed farther than he hath reaſons or proofs of Scripture or Antiquity to confirm them.

14. 2. That in this point, which muſt be waged by Teſtimonies, there are none produced, I ſhall adde, producible by him out of Scripture, to prove that ever there was a time, when there were in the Church none but thoſe two orders of Preſbyters (in our modern notion) and Deacons, I may (without immoderate confidence) aſſume, that all that can be offer'd to this purpoſe are conſider'd, and anſwer'd in the Diſſertations.

15. 3. That the principal Teſtimonies of Antiquity, on which in this matter ſome Papiſts build, being ſome obſcure words of St. Hierome the Preſbyter, which yet muſt be ſo underſtood, as to be reconciled with his making the three orders to be of Apoſtolical tradition, the reſult muſt be this, that though they are miſtaken in ſome circumstances, yet they maintaine with us the more ſubſtantial truth, that Biſhops are inſtituted by the Apoſtles.

16. So 'tis elſwhere made made evident of Panormitan, who though he affirme, that immediately after the death of Chriſt, all the Preſbyters in common ruled the Church, yet poſtm…dum, L. 1. Decret. de Con…uet c. 4.ſaith he, ordinaverunt Apoſtoli ut …rearentur Epiſcopi & certa Sacramenta eis reſervarent, illa interdicend… ſimplicibus Preſbyteris, Within a while the Apoſtles ordained that Biſhops ſhould be created, and reſerved certain Sacraments to them p. 78(Confirmation and Ordination) and forbade them to be meddled with by ſimple Presbyters. And accordingly it is alſo in the forecited place of Lombard, in the beginning of that 24 Diſt. Presbyteri, licet ſint Sacerdotes, tamen Pontificatus aepicem non habent, ſicut Epiſcopi, quia ipſi nec chriſmate frontem ſignant, nec Paracletum dant, quod ſolis deberi Epiſcopis lectio Actorum Apoſtolorum demonſtr…t. Presbyters though they be Priests, yet have not that ſuperior part of the Pontificate, which the Biſhops have, becauſe they neither Confirm nor Ordain, which, that it belongs to the Biſhop onelyonly, the reading of the acts of the Apoſtles demonſtrates. Where whatever his opinion was concerning that nicety, of diſtinction betwixt Degree and Order, it is evident that hee gives the ſuperiority of degree to Biſhops, and reſerves to them thoſe two Powers, and foundeth this in the Apoſtles times and practiſe.

17. 4. That though this may ſeem at the firſt, but a ſlight difference in theſe men from that which the Antients have more generally taught, viz. that the Apoſtles firſt inſtituted Biſhops and Deacons, not ſimple Presbyters and Deacons (as beſide the plain words of Clemens and St. Paul, the ſenſe whereof may poſſibly be controverted, the teſtimonie of Epiphanius, and of the profoundeſt monuments of Hiſtory irrefragably inforceth) yet their intereſts for the magnifying of the Papacie, upon the ſcore of ſucceſſion to St. Peter, doe clearly diſcover themſelves in this way of deciſion, and ſo make Papiſts very incompetent witneſſes in this matter.

18. For upon this conceit [that there was a time in the firſt plantation of the Gospel, when the power of Biſhops and Prieſts lay confuſed, though afterward ſeparated by the Apoſtles themſelves] the concluſion aimed at, and, when occaſion requires, deduced by them, is evident, that this later, though Apoſtolical inſtitution, may be altered by the Po…e, out of the ſupereminence of his power, as he is the Vicar of CHRIST, though they pretend not, that he may lawfully attempt to overthrow the primarie and fundamental Sanction. And ſo though Prieſthood may not be taken out p. 79of the Church, yet the tenure, by which Biſhops hold, is not ſo firm; but muſt ſtand wholly at the pleaſure of the Pope.

19. The defence of which concluſion, being none of the Intereſts of the Cauſe, which I aſſert, I ſhall no farther be obliged to hearken to the premiſes, as they are here but intimated by Lombard, and frequently repeated and built upon by ſundry of that party, than they ſhall be able regularly to prove them: Which being not here attempted, but only the ſpecious (but fallacious) argument propoſed from the confeſſion of Lombard himſelf (whoſe confeſſions are no obligations to all other men) I have no more occaſion to inlarge on this particular.

20. Which if it were ſeaſonable, I might eaſily doe, in obſerving other particulars among the Popiſh Writers, wherein they ſhew themſelves far from paſſionate eſpouſers of Epiſcopacy. The Pope, forſooth, muſt be the fountain of all Eccleſiaſtical authority, and all other Rivulets muſt runne in a weake ſtreame, and then alſo derive all they have from him. And ſo much on occaſion of this teſtimony from Lombard, and much more than was neceſſary to have ſaid, if I had lookt no farther than his Teſtimony.