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(1) WE have heard, in old time, of making || its place again among the sacraments: and priests; and, of late days, of making ministers; therefore both Dr. Bramhall and Mr. Mason but who has ever heard in England of making reckon it for a sacrament, though quite contrary elders by election? yet, in their first translations, to their scripture translators, (d) who, lest it it continued a phrase of scripture till King should be so accounted, do translate "gift" inJames the First's time; and then they thought stead of "grace;" lest it should appear, that good to blot out the words by "election," begin- grace is given in holy orders. I wonder they ning to consider, that such elders as were made have not corrected this in their latter translaonly by election, without consecration, could not tions: but, perhaps, they durst not do it, for pretend to much more power of administering fear of making it clash with the 25th of their the sacraments, than a churchwarden, or con- 39 Articles. It is no less to be admired, that stable of the parish; for, if they denied ordina- since they began to be enamoured of priesthood, tion to be a sacrament, (a) and consequently, they have not displaced that profane intruder, to give grace, and impress a character, doubtless "elder," and placed the true ecclesiastical word they could not attribute much to a bare elec- "priest," in the text. But to this I hear them tion and yet, in those days, when this transla- object, that our Latin translation hath Seniores tion was made, their doctrine was, "that in the et majores natu; and therefore, why may not New Testament, election, without consecration, they also translate "elders ?" To which I anwas sufficient to make a priest or bishop." Wit- swer," that this is nothing to them, who profess ness Cranmer himself, who being asked, whether to translate the Greek, and not our Latin; and in the New Testament there is required any the Greek word they know is лsσẞviéqvo presbyconsecration of a bishop or priest? answered thus teros. Again, I say, that if they meant no worse under his hand, viz., "In the New Testament, than the old Latin translator did, they would be he that is appointed to be a priest or bishop, as indifferent as he, to have said sometimes needeth no consecration by the scripture; for priest and priesthood, when he has the words, election thereunto is sufficient; (b) and Dr. "presbyteros" and "presbyterium," as we are Stillingfleet informs us, that Cranmer has de- indifferent in our translation, saying, seniors and clared," that a governor could make priests, as ancient, when we find it so in Latin: being well well as bishops." And Mr. Whitaker tells us, assured, that by sundry words he meant but one "that there are no priests now in the Church of thing, as in Greek it is but one. St. Hierom Christ;" page 200, advers. Camp. that is, as he reads, Presbyteros ego compresbyter, (e) in 1 ad interprets himself, page 210, "this name priest Gal., proving the dignity of priests and yet is never in the New Testament peculiarly ap- in the 4th of the Galatians, he reads according plied to the ministers of the Gospel." And we to the Vulgate Latin text: Seniores in vobis rogo are not ignorant, how both King Edward the consenior et ipse: whereby it is evident, that Sixth, and Queen Elizabeth, made bishops by senior here, and in the Acts, is a priest; and not, their letters patent only, let our Lambeth re- on the contrary, presbyter, an elder. cords pretend what they will: to authorize which, it is no wonder, if they made the scripture say, "when they had ordained elders by election," instead of "priests by imposition of hands;" though contrary to the fourth Council of Carthage, which enjoins, " that when a priest takes his orders, the bishop blessing him, and holding his hand upon his head, all the priests also that are present, hold their hands by the bishop's hand, upon his head. (c) So are our priests made at this day; and so would now the clergy of the Church of England pretend to be made, if they had but bishops and priests able to make them. For which purpose, they have not only corrected this error in their last translations, but have also gotten the words, bishop and priest, thrust into their forms of ordination: but the man that wants hands to work with, is not much better for having tools.

(2) MOREOVER, some of our pretenders to priesthood, would gladly have holy order to take

(a) Twenty-fifth of the Thirty-nine Articles. (b) See Dr. Burnet's Hist. of the Refor.; see Stillingfleet Irenicon, p. 392.

(c) Council 3, anno 436, where St. Augustine was present, and subscribed.

:

(3) In this place they thrust the word minister into the text, for an ecclesiastical order: so that, though they will not have bishops, priests, and deacons, yet they would gladly have bishops, ministers, and deacons; yet the word they translate for minister, is diaxóvoo, diaconus; the very same that, a little after, they translate deacon. (e) And so because bishops went before in the same chapter, they have found out three orders, bishops, ministers, and deacons. How poor a shift is this, that they are forced to make the apostles speak three things for two, on purpose to get a place in the scripture for their ministers! As likewise, in another place, (f) on purpose to make room for their ministers' wives, for there is no living without them, they translate wife instead of woman, making St. Paul say: "Have not we power to lead about a wife ?" &c., for which cause they had rather say grave than chaste.

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(1) BECAUSE Our pretended reformers teach, "That order is not a sacrament;"" that it has neither visible sign," (what is imposition of hands ?) nor ceremony ordained by God; nor form; nor institution from Christ;" (a) consequently, that it cannot imprint a character on the soul of the person ordained; they not only avoid the word "priests," in their translations, but, the more to derogate from the privilege and dignity of priests, they make the scripture, in this place, speak contrary to the words of the prophet; as they are read both in the Hebrew and Greek, φυλάξεται ἐκζητήσωσιν,

the fathers conceive a great excellency of this word angel; but our Protestants, who measure all divine things and persons by the line of their human understanding, translate accordingly; making our Saviour say, that "John was more than a prophet," because he was a "messenger." Yea, where our blessed Saviour himself is called Angelus testamenti, the Angel of the testament; there they translate, the " messenger of the covenant."

,where it is as plain as can be spoken ; ישמרו יבקשו

that "the priest's lips shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth;" which is a wonderful privilege given to the priests of the old law, for true determination in matters of controversy, and rightly expounding the law, as we may read more fully in Deuteronomy the 17th chapter, where they are commanded, under pain of death, to stand to the priest's judgment: which, in this place, verse 4, God, by his prophet Malachi, calls, "His covenant with Levi," and that he will have it stand, to wit, in the New Testament, where St. Peter has such privilege for him and his successors, that his faith shall not fail; and where the Holy Ghost is president in the councils of bishops and priests. All which, the reformers of our days would deface and defeat, by translating the words otherwise than the Holy Ghost has spoken them. And when the prophet adds immediately the cause of this singular prerogative of the priest: "because he is the angel of the Lord of hosts," which is also a wonderful dignity to be so called; they translate; "because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." So do they also, in the Revelations, call the bishops of the seven churches of Asia, messengers.

(2) AND here, in like manner, they call St. John the Baptist, messenger; where the scripture, no doubt, speaks more honourably of him, as being Christ's precursor, than of a messenger, which is a term for postboys and lacqueys. The scripture, I say, speaks more honourably of him; and our Saviour, in the Gospel, telling the people the wonderful dignities of St. John, and that he was more than a prophet, cites this place, and gives this reason, "For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my angel before thee:" which St. Hierom calls, meritorum, avno, the "increase and augmenting of John's merits and privileges." (b) And St. Gregory, "He who came to bring tidings of Christ himself, was worthily called an angel, that in his very name there might be dignity." And all

(a) Twenty-fifth of the Thirty-nine Articles. Roger's Defence of the same, p. 155.

(b) St. Hierom, in Comment. in hunc locum. St. Greg., Hom. 6. in Evang.

St. Hierom translated not nuntius, but angelus; the church, and all antiquity, both reading and expounding it as a term of more dignity and excellency. Why do the innovators of our age thus boldly disgrace the very eloquence of scripture, which, by such terms of amplification, would speak more significantly and emphatically? Why, I say, do they for angel translate messenger? for apostle, legate or ambassador, and the like? Doubtless, this is all done to take away, as much as possible, the dignity and excellency of the priesthood. Yet, methinks, they should have corrected this in their latter translations, when they began themselves to aspire to the title of priests; whose name, however, they may usurp, yet could not hitherto attain to the authority and power of the priesthood. They are but priests in name only; the power they want, and therefore are pleased to be content with the ordinary style of messengers; not yet daring to term themselves angels, as St. John did the bishops of the seven churches of Asia.

(3) BUT, great is the authority, dignity, excellency, and power of God's priests and bishops: they do bind and loose, and execute all ecclesiastical functions, as in the person and power of Christ, whose ministers they are. So St. Paul says: "that when he pardoned or released the penance of the incestuous Corinthian, he did it in the person of Christ;" (c) they falsely translate, "in the sight of Christ;" "that is, as St. Ambrose expounds it, "in the name of Christ;" "in his stead," and as "his vicar and deputy ;" and when he excommunicated the same incestuous person, he said, "he did it in the name, and by virtue of our Lord Jesus Christ." (d)

And the fathers of the Council of

Ephesus avouch, "that no man doubts, yea, it is known to all ages, that holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the apostles, the pillar of faith, and foundation of the Catholic Church, received from our Lord Jesus Christ the keys of the kingdom; and that power of loosing and binding sins was given him; who, in his successors, lives and exercises judgment to this very time, and always." (e)

(c) 2 Cor. ii. 10. (d) 1 Cor. v. 4. (e) Part 2, Acts iii.

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Acts of the Apoз. chap. xx. verse 28.

Attendite vobis et Take heed to

universo gregi, in

quo vos Spiritus
Sanctus posuit" epis-
copos regere eccle
siam" Dei.

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yourselves, and to Holy Ghost hath Holy Ghost hath
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the whole flock, made you

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wherein the Holy seers, to feed the seers, to feed the Ghost hath placed congregation" of church" of God. "bishops to God. (3) κόπες ποιμαινειν τὴν rule the church of ἐκκλησίαν το Θεέ.(3) God.

'Enio- you

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