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(a) 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," 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, quλagilai ingnmoxon, jupa, 1970w); where it is as plain as can be spoken, that, "The priests' 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, where they are commanded, under pain of death, to stand to the priest's judgment: which in this place, ver. 4. God, by his prophet Malachi, calls, "His covenant with Levi," and that he will have it to 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 they also, in the Revelations, call the bishops of the seven churches of Asia, messengers.

(b) 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 aužnow, the "Increase and augmenting of John's merits and privileges." 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 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."(c)

(c) St. Hierom translated not Nuncius, 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 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 stile of messengers; not yet daring to term themselves angels, as St. John did the bishops of the seven churches of Asia.

(d) 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 :" 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."§-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."||·

* 25th of the 39 articles. Rogers' Defence of the same, page 155. † St. Hierom. in Comment. in hunc locum. St. Greg. Hom. 6. in Evang. 2 Cor. 2. ver. 10. § 1 Cor. 5. ver. 4. || Part. 2. Acts 3.

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(a) Ir is certain, that this is a false translation; because the prophet's words (Mich. 5. cited by St. Matthew) both in Hebrew and Greek, signify only a ruler or governor, and not a pastor or feeder. Therefore, it is either a great oversight, which is a small matter, compared to the least corruption; or else it is done on purpose; which I rather think, because they do the like in another place, (Acts 20.) as you may see below. And that to suppress the signification of ecclesiastical power and government, that concurs with feeding, first in Christ, and from him in his apostles and pastors of the church; both which are here signified in this one Greek word, waive; to wit, that Christ our Saviour shall rule and feed,* yea, he shall rule with a rod of iron; and from him, St. Peter, and the rest, by his commission given in the same word, wopane, feed and rule my sheep; yea, and that with a rod of iron: as when he struck Ananias and Sapphira with corporal death; as his successors do the like offenders with spiritual destruction (unless they repent) by the terrible rod of excommunication. This is imported in the double signification of the Greek word, which they, to diminish ecclesiastical authority, rather translate "feed," than "rule or govern."

(6) For the diminution of this ecclesiastical authority, they translated this text of Scripture, in king Henry VIII. and king Edward VI. times; "Unto the king as the chief head," (1 Pet. 2.) because then the king had first taken upon him this title of "Supreme head of the church." And therefore they flattered both him and his young son, till their heresy was planted; making the holy Scripture say, that the king was the "Chief head," which is all the same with supreme head. But, in queen Elizabeth's time, being, it seems, better advised in that point, (by Calvin, I suppose, and the Magdeburgenses, who jointly inveighed against that title;† and Calvin, against that by name, which was given to Henry the VIIIth) and because, perhaps, they thought they could be bolder with a queen than a king; as also, because then they thought their reformation pretty well esta blished; they began to suppress this title in their translations, and to say, "To the king, as having pre-eminence," and "To the king, as the superior;" endeavouring, as may be supposed by this translation, to encroach upon that ecclesiastical and spiritual jurisdiction they had formerly granted to the crown.

But however that be, let them either justify their translation, or confess their fault: and for the rest, I will refer them to the words of St. Ignatius, who lived in the apostles' time, and tells us, "That we must first honour God, then the bishop, then the king; because in all things, nothing is comparable to God, and in the church, nothing greater than the bishop, who is consecrated to God, for the salvation of the world; and among magistrates and temporal rulers, none is like the king.”‡ (c) Again, observe how they here suppress the word "Bishop," and translate it "overseers;" which is a word, that has as much relation to a temporal magistrate, as to a Bishop. And this they do, because in king Edward the VI. and queen Elizabeth's time, they had no episcopal consecration, but were made only by their letters patent ;§ which, I suppose, they will not deny. However, when they read of king Edward the VIth making John à Lasco (a Polonian) overseer or su perintendant, by his letters patent; and of their making each other superintendants, or pastors at Frankfort, by election; and such only to continue for a time; or so long as themselves, or the congregation pleased; and then to return again to the state of private persons, or laymen; Vid. Hist. of the Troubles at Frankfort; and also of king Edward's giving power and authority to Cranmer ;* and how Cranmer, when he made priests, by election only, I suppose, because they were to continue no longer than the king pleased; whereas priests truly consecrated, are marked with an indelible character, pretended to no other authority for such act, but only what he received from the king, by virtue of his letters patent. Fox tom. 2. an. 1546, 1547.

And we have reason to judge, that Matthew Parker, and the rest of queen Elizabeth's new bishops, were no otherwise made, than by the queen's letters patent; seeing that the form devised by king Edward VI. being repealed by queen Mary, was not again revived till the 8th of queen Elizabeth. To say nothing of the invalidity of the said form; as having neither the name of bishop nor priest in it, the like doubt of their consecration, arises from the many and great objections made by Catholic writers¶ against their pretended Lambeth records and register; as also from the consecrators of M. Parker, viz. Barlow, Scorey, &c. whom we cannot believe to have been consecrated themselves, unless they can first show us records of Barlow's consecration; and secondly, tell us, by what form of consecration Coverdale and Scorey were made bishops; the Rom. Cath. ordinal having been abrogated, and the new one not yet devised, at the time that Mason says they were consecrated; which was Aug. 30, 1551. And as for the suffragan, there is such a difference about his name, ** some calling him John, some Richard; and about the place where he lived: some calling him suffragan of Bedford,tt some of Dover,‡‡ that it is doubtful whether there was such a person present at that Lambeth ceremony. But these things being fitter for another treatise, which, I hope, you will be presented with ere long, I shall say no more of them in this place.

*Psalm. 2. Apocalyp. 2. v. 27. Job. 21. † Calvin in cap. 7. Amos, Magdebur. in Præf. Cent. 7. fol. 9, 10, 11. Ep. 7. ad. Smyrnenses. § K. Edw. VI. Let. Pat. Jo. Utenti. p. 71. Regist. Eccles. peregr. Londin. Calvin. p. 327. Resp. ad. Persecut. Angl. Hist. Fra. pag. 51, 60, 62, 63, 72, 73, 74, 87, 97, 99, 125, 126, &c. ¶ Fitzherb. Dr. Champ. Nullity of the English Clergy prot. demonst. &c2 ** See Dr. Bramhall, p. 98. †† Mason, Bramhall, &c. # Dr. Butler Epist. de Consecrat. Minist.

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