keep their proper Stations, (as St. Paul most excellently argues throughout his 12th Chapter of the ift Epistle to the Corinthians) to perform their feveral respective Functions; and to be in Subordination, the Inferior to the Su-. perior, that his Authority may be preferv'd vifible in his Church, and all the Members thereof may refer to him, the Spiritual Benefits they receive through his Inftituted Miniftrations, by attending on, and receiving them, at the Hands of those, whom he has made his Reprefentatives for that purpose: And therefore, 'tis abfolutely neceffary by Chrift's Inftitution, that when we are Baptiz'd, we should receive Baptifm from an Epifcopal Hand, which is Chrift's Officer, and fo far himself, notwithstanding that, in Chrift Jefus there is no Distinction, or Refpect of Perfons.

I CONCLUDE this Appendix, earnestly intreating the most Reverend, the Right Reverend, and Reverend GOVERNORS and MINISTERS of Chrift over his Flock, in all Parts of the UNIVERSAL Church, the PRIESTS of the most High God! who are du ly Authoriz'd to reprefent and make visible to us, the once Visible, but now Invifible PRIESTHOOD of the Great High Priest of our Profeffion Chrift Fefus! who have not taken this Honour unto themselves without being call'd of God, as was Aaron! who are therefore the Delegated AMBASSADORS for Chrift, and appointed STEWARDS of the Mysteries of God,

to

to whom he has given the KEYS, and come mitted the Cuftody of the TWO GREAT SEALS of the Kingdom of Heaven, so that whatfoever they fball bind on Earth, fhall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever they shall loose on Earth, fhall be loofed in Heaven. I humbly befeech them, in the Bowels of Jefus Chrift, to confider the great Dignity of their High and Holy Calling, and their UNALIENABLE Right to Adminifter thofe SACRAMENTS, which the Infinite Wisdom of our great Lawgiver has appropriated to their Sacred Funtion. For, if the Miniftration of the Sacraments is not ESSENTIAT to their Office, and THEIR OFFICE ESSENTIAL to the Ministration of Valid Sacraments, what fignifies the Inftitution of the Priesthood, and to what purpofe did our Bleffed Lord promise to be with his Priests, and concur with their Ministrations to the End of the World? If the prefumptuous Miniftrations of Lay-men acting of themselves, or in oppofition to the Church and her Priests, is not inconfiftent with the Nature and Property of True Sacraments: Or if they can be True and Valid Sacraments when given by their Hands, how, and by what means fhall we be convinc'd of the Neceffity of the Chriftian Priesthood to the Church, by Divine Institution, and its Perpetuity, till the Confummation of all things? How fhall we be perfwaded to value the Ministrations of a Prieft more than those

of

of a Lay-man, and what Arguments can be produc'd for the Preservation of the Unity of the Church, and to keep us from Eternal Schifms and Separations from Her? Your long Silence in not afferting and defending the Dignity of your Office, and the unalienable Nature of thofe Sacraments which Chrift has infeparably annex'd thereto, tho' it may have proceeded from a Notion of Humility and Modefty, that you might not be thought to preach up your feives, but Chrift Jefus the Lord; yet (with fubmiffion be it spoken) seems to have been the occafion of much Ignorance among the Laity, of the Nature of Schifm, and their Duty to you, and confequently of encouraging the Enemies of the Clergy and of their great Master in Heaven, to blafpheme him, and trample the Authority you have from him, under their Feet. Atheism, Deifm, Prophaneness, Blafphemy, and Sacrilege, are now grown Impudent and Bare-fac'd, Bold and Rampant; they scorn any longer to dwell in Obfcurity and Darkness, when they are become the fashionable Ac complishments of our pretended great Wits, and Men of diftinguished Senfe and Judgment. They have a grand Design in hand, (and their Emiffaries have profecuted it but with too much fuccefs) to represent your Office every-where, and to all forts of Men, as Tyranny,Imposture, and Ufurpation; to wreft the Sacraments out of your Hands, that you may become useless and infignificant; to make the giddy Multitude believe, that all you do is nothing but

Prieftcraft, to bring and keep them under a worfe than Egyptian Bondage; to expose you to the Rage and Fury of an ungovernable Mob, and fo at last to his you, and all Reveal'd Religion, off of the Stage of this World. What elfe mean their feveral execrable Books and Pamphlets that are now induftrioufly publish'd, of fet Purpose to decry your Office, and redicule your Miniftrations? How fhall the Ignorant be defended from their Infection, but by the Antidote, which fome of you, both by Books and Sermons, have already begun to apply, couragiously following the Example of the great St. Paul, who magnified his Office, and thereby the Authority of Jefus Chrift who fent him? God be praised for these happy Beginnings, these first noble Performances in maintaining your Office, and in defence of the True Rights of the Chriftian Church, depofited in your Hands by the great Author of our moft Holy Religion: And may he, by the bleffed Influences of his Spirit, ftir up many MORE OF YOU to Cry aloud and Spare not, to lift up your Voices like a Trumpet, to fhew the People their Tranfgreffion, and tho e who strive with the Prieft their Sin,Ifa. lviii. 1. Hof. iv. 4. and Rom. ii. 8. That they may learn to KNOW and fubmit to, thofe who are over them, (in the Lord) and who watch for their Souls,Heb. xiii. 17. That they may esteem them VERY HIGHLY in love for their WORKS fake, 1 Theff. v. 13. Because they are the Minifters of Christ, and Stewards

Stewards of the MYSTERIES of God, 1 Cor. iv. 1. That fo the People may effectually be enabled to mark and avoid thofe, who tho' they come to us in Sheeps-Cloathing, and tranf form themselves into the Appearance of Apoftles of Chrift, and Ministers of Righteousness, are yet inwardly but ravening Wolves, falfe Apostles, deceitful Workers, and Minifters of Satan, in St. Paul's Language; for they caufe Divifions and Offences contrary to the Doctrines which we have learn'd; nay, contrary to the very Principles, or Foundations of the Doctrine of Chrift, of Baptifms, and of Laying on of Hands; and therefore fhould be avoided, that we may keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace: Which that we may all learn to do, and by your confentient CONSTANT WARNINGS be preferv'd from the dreadful Sin of hating found Doctrine, and heaping to our felves Teachers deftitute of the Divine Commiffion, who ferve not our Lord Jefus Chrift, but their own Bellies May God of his Infinite Mercy grant, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be Glory for ever and ever. Amen.

FINI S.