yours? If they are yours," continues he, "take them with you." And Lactantius admirably well observes, that "Whoever prefers the life of the soul, must of necessity depise that of the body; nor can he aspire to the highest good, unless he despise advantages of an inferior kind. For the all-wise God did not choose that we should attain to immortality in a soft indolent way, but that we should gain that inexpressible reward of eternal life, with the highest difficulty and severest labour +." And that you may not be discouraged, remember the great Redeemer of souls, your exalted Captain, hath gone before you, and we have to do with an enemy already conquered. Let us only follow him with courage and activity, and we have no ground to doubt of victory. And indeed it is a victory truly worthy of a Christian, to subdue the barbarous train of our appetites, and subject them to the empire of reason and religion; while, on the other hand, it is the most shameful bondage, to have the more Divine part of our composition meanly subjected to an ignoble, earthly body. Now, this victory can only be secured by steadfast believing, vigorous opposition to our spiritual enemies, unwearied watching, and incessant prayer. Let prayer be not only the key that opens the day, and the lock that shuts out the night; but let it be also, from morning to night, our staff and stay in all our labours, and enable us to go cheerfully up into the mount of God. Prayer brings consolation to the languishing soul, drives away the devil, and is the great medium whereby all grace and peace is communicated to us. With regard to your reading, let it be your particular care to be familiarly acquainted with the Sacred Scriptures above all other books whatever; for from thence you will truly derive light for your

* Quid terrena hæc amplectimini, quæ nec veræ divitiæ sunt, nec vestræ? Si vestræ sunt, tollite vobiscum.

+ Quisquis animæ vitam maluerit, corporis vitam centemnat necesse est, nec aliter aspirare ad summum poterit bonum, nisi quæ sunt ima despexerit, Noluit enim sapientissimus Deus, nos immortalitatem delicate ac molliter assequi, sed ad illud vitæ æternæ inenarrabile præmium summa cum difficultate et magnis laboribus pervenire.

direction, and sacred provisions for your support on your journey. In subordination to these, you may also use the writings of pious men that are agreeable to them, for these also you may improve to your advantage; and particularly that little Book of A. Kempis, De Imitatione Christi, since the sum and substance of religion consists in imitating the Being, that is the object of your worship.

May our dear Redeemer Jesus, impress upon your minds a lively representation of his own meek and immaculate heart, that, in that great and last day, he may, by this mark, know you to be his; and, together with all the rest of his sealed and redeemed ones, admit you into the mansions of eternal bliss! Amen.

Let us pray.

ETERNAL Creator and Supreme Governor of the world, songs of praise are due to Thee in Zion: nay, as Thou art infinitely superior to all our songs and hymns, even silence in Zion redounds to Thy praise. Let the societies of angels be rather employed in singing Thy praises; but let us with silence and astonishment, fall down at the footstool of Thy throne, while they are taken up in the repetition of their celebrated doxology, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts, who fillest the heaven and the earth with Thy glory! But O that we had within us proper powers for exalting that most sacred Name! that name which, according to their measure, is celebrated by all the parts of this visible world which surround us, the heavens, the stars, the winds, the rivers, the earth, the ocean, and all the creatures therein. Thou surely didst at first implant in us, souls and powers for this purpose superior to the rest of the visible creation; as we were then not only qualified to offer Thee praises founded on the rational conviction of our minds, and animated by the affections of our hearts, but also capable of pronouncing more articulately even the praises that result from all the rest of Thy visible works. But, alas! these heavenly souls, these principles proceeding from a Divine original, we

have most deeply immersed in mire and dirt; nor is any hand able to extricate them out of this mud, or cleanse them from their pollution, but Thine. O most exalted and bountiful Father, if Thou wilt graciously please to grant us this grace and favour, we shall then offer thee new songs of praise as incense, and ourselves thus renewed as a burnt offering: and all the rest of our time in this world we shall live, not to ourselves, but wholly to Him who died for us.

May Thy Church throughout the whole earth, and especially in these Islands, be supported by thy most powerful hand, and continually be made to rejoice in the light of Thy gracious countenance. Let our King be joyful in Thee; as he depends on Thy bounty, let him never be moved; let his throne be established in piety and righteousness, and let peace, and the gospel of peace, be the constant blessings of these kingdoms, through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom, with Thee, and the Holy Spirit, be praise, honour, and glory, now, and for ever

395

A

MODEST DEFENCE

OF

MODERATE EPISCOPACY,

AS ESTABLISHED IN SCOTLAND AT THE RESTORATION OF KING
CHARLES II.

EPISCOPAL government, managed in conjunction with presbyters, presbyteries, and synods, is not contrary to the rule of Scripture, or the example of the primitive Church, but most agreeable to both.

Yea, it is not contrary to that new Covenant, which is pretended by so many as the main, if not the only, reason of their scrupling; and for their sakes it is necessary to add this: for notwithstanding the many irregularities both in the matter and form of that Covenant, and in the illegal and violent ways of pressing and prosecuting of it; yet, to them who still remain under the conscience of its full force and obligation, and in that some are inconvinceably persuaded, it is certainly most pertinent, if it be true, to declare the consistence of the present government even with that obligation.

And as both of these assertions, I believe, upon the exactest (if impartial and impassionate) inquiry, will be found to be in themselves true, so, they are owned by the generality of the Presbyterians in England, as themselves have published their opinions in print, with this title, Two Papers of proposals, humbly presented to His Majesty, by the reverend ministers of the Presbyterian persuasion. Printed at London, anno 1661.

Besides other passages in those papers to the same purpose, in page 11 and 12, are these words: "And as these are our "general ends and motives, so we are induced to insist upon "the form of a synodical government, conjunct with a fixed presidency or episcopacy; for these reasons:

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"1. We have reason to believe that no other terms will be "so generally agreed on, &c.

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"2. It being agreeable to the Scripture and the primitive government, is likeliest to be the way of a more universal "concord, if ever the churches on earth arrive at such a blessing: "however, it will be most acceptable to God and well informed "consciences.

"3. It will promote the practice of discipline and godliness "without discord, and promote order without hindering discipline and godliness.

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4. And it is not to be silenced (though in some respects 66 we are loath to mention it,) that it will save the nations "from the violation of the solemn vow and covenant, without "wronging the church at all, or breaking any other oath, &c."

And a little after, they add, "That the prelacy disclaimed “in that covenant, was the engrossing the sole power of ordi"nation and jurisdiction, and exercising of the whole discipline, absolutely by bishops themselves, and their delegates, chan"cellors, surrogates, and officials, &c., excluding wholly the "pastors of particular churches from all share in it.”

And there is one of prime note amongst them, who, in a large treatise of Church Government, does clearly evidence, that this was the mind both of the Parliament of England, and of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, as they themselves did expressly declare it in the admitting of the Covenant," That they understood it not to be against all Episco

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pacy but only against that particular frame," as it is worded in the article itself *. As for our present model in Scotland,

*Baxter of Church Government, P. III. C. 1. tit. page 275. “An Episcopacy desirable for the reformation, preservation, and peace of the churches, a fixed president, durante vita." See p. 297, and 330, ibid.