There is one Difficulty more, Sir, which I have often revolved, but could never poffibly get over; it seems to hang as a dead and infuperable Weight upon the Frame of your Church; if you can handsomely remove it, you will merit Lambeth for a Reward.

The Church of England and the Church of Chrift feem to be two Societies, abfolutely diftinet, and of a quite different Conftitution, as they have two different HEADS, or FoUNTAINS of Power, whence all Authority, Jurif diction, and Ministrations in the two Churches feverally fpring. In the Church of Jefus Chrift, HIMSELF is fupreme Head, the only Law-giver and Sovereign: To us there is but ONE Lord *. ONE is your Mafter, even CHRIST. Gave him to be HEAD over all Things to the Church‡, ALL POWER is given to ME, in Heaven and in Earth, go ye therefore teach all Nations . CHRIST is the ONLY Fountain of Influence, Jurifdiction, and Power in his Church, by Commiffion from whom alone all its Officers act.

But in the Church of England, you well know, Sir, the King or Queen is SUPREME HEAD, "vefted with all Power to exercise all "Manner of Ecclefiaftical Jurifdiction, and "Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacons, and other "Eccle

ing of the Book of Common Prayer, he fhall, for the firft Of fence, fuffer Imprisonment one whole Year, without Bail or Main prize; and for the fecond Offence fhall be imprisoned du ring his Life."

* 1 Cor. viii. 6. Matt. xxviii. 18, 19.

+ Matt, xxiii. 8.

+ Ephef. i, 22.

Ecclefiaftical Perfons, have no Manner of Ju"rifdiction ecclefiaftical, but by and under the "KING'S Majefty, who hath full Power and

Authority to hear and determine all Manner "of Caufes ecclefiaftical; and to reform, and "correct all Vice, Sin, Errors, Herefies, Enormities, Abuses whatfoever, which by any "Manner of fpiritual Authority or Jurifdiction ought, or may be lawfully reformed *".

At the first Establishment of this Church under Hen. VIII. and Edw. VI. all the Bishops took out Commiffions from the CROWN, for the exercifing of their spiritual Jurisdiction in thefe Kingdoms, during the King's Pleasure only; " and in their Commiffions acknowledge "all fort of Jurifdiction, as well ecclefiaftical "as civil, to have flowed originally from the "REGAL Power, as from a fupreme Head, and a Fountain and Spring of all Magiftracy with"in his own Kingdom +."

Yea, even the Power of Ordination itself, which is reckoned a Peculiar of the epifcopal Office, the first Reformers and Founders of this Church derived from the KING, and exercifed only as by Authority from him, and during his Pleasure. "Thus Cranmer Archbi

Thop of Canterbury, Bonner Bishop of Lon"don, &c. took out Commiffions from the "Crown, importing, that because the Vicegerent (Cromwel, a Lay-person) could not perfonally attend the Charge in all Parts of the King

sr

1 Eliz.

26 Hen. VIII. Cap.i. 37 Hen. VIII. Cap. xvii. Cap.i. + Burnet's Hift. Reform, Part II. Col. p. 91.

"Kingdom, the KING authorifes the Bishop in "his (the King's) Stead, to ordain, within his "Diocese, fuch as he judged worthy of holy "Orders; to collate to Benefices; to give In"ftitution; and to execute all other Parts of "the Epifcopal Authority; and this during "the King's Pleasure only *"

In confequence of this SUPREMACY, the KING OF QUEEN of this Church hath Power to excommunicate from, or to re-admit into it, independent of, yea, in direct Oppofition to, all its Bishops and Clergy. The KING or QUEEN, revoke, if they pleafe, any fpiritual Cenfures of the Bishops or Archbishops; yea, can fufpend, deprive, or even excommunicate, themselves; or can, by their Proclamation only, without the leaft Confeffion, Humiliation, or Satisfaction for their Offence, pardon and restore excommunicated Perfons, the vilest Offenders, to the Church's Bofom again +.

Yea, further; they have Power to forbid all Preaching for a Time; as did K. Hen. VIII. K. Edw. VI. Q. Mary, Q. Eliz.----to limit, inftruct, and prefcribe to the Clergy what they fhall, and what they fhall not preach; as did Q. Eliz. K. James I. K. Charles I. K. William, &c.---Finally, to the King or Queen ONLY does it pertain to declare what is HERESY, and authoritatively to pronounce what Doctrines and Tenets

Vid. Examination of the Codex Juris, &c. Pag. 32, 33. † A Parfon was deprived for Adultery; afterward a general Pardon came, which pardoned the Adultery. It was adjudged that the Parfox was ipfo facto, reftored to his Benefice. Coke 6 Rep. 13.

Tenets are, and what are not, to be cenfured as fuch: Nor have all the Bishops and Clergy, affembled in Convocation, the least Authority to cenfure any Tenet as heretical, if the PRINCE on the Throne refufe his Confent.

Now here, Sir, I am preffed with an infuperable Difficulty how to reconcile this Conftitution of the Church of England with the Conftitution of the Church of Christ. Are they not most indifputably two different Societies, fubject to two different, fomtimes opposite, Autho rities, animated and governed by two different Heads? In CHRIST's Church, HIMSELF is the only Sovereign and Head; HE only hath Power to decree Ceremonies and Rites, to fix Terms of Communion and Authority in Points of Faith Nor hath any earthly Prince Power to make Laws in his Kingdom, which fhall bind the Confciences of his Subjects; or fovereignly to dictate to his Servants and Minifters what they shall believe, and what they fhall preach. Yea, his Subjects are expressly commanded and charged to receive nothing as Doctrine or Parts of Religion, which are only Commandments of Men*

But in the Church of England there is ANOTHER Sovereign, Law-giver, SUPREME HEAD befides JESUS CHRIST; an Authority which commands Things which CHRIST never commanded, which teaches Doctrines HE never taught, which enjoins Terms of Communion, and Rites of religious Worship, which CHRIST

Matt. xv. 9.

CHRIST never enjoined.-What now can I judge, Sir! What do you yourself judge! but that the two Churches are two diftinct and quite different Societies (for in one and the fame Society, furely there cannot be Two Supreme Heads) that they are framed after different Models, confift of different Members, are governed by different Officers, Statutes, and Laws.-Confequently, my SEPARATION or DISSENT from the one, does, by no Means infer my SEPARATION from the other. Yea, what am I to judge but that by the Allegiance I owe to CHRIST my ONLY Supreme Head and King in fpiritual Matters, I am obliged to enter my Protest against the Pretenfions and Claims of any OTHER fupreme Head. For, can a Man ferve two Mafters? Can he be subject at the fame Time to Two fupreme Heads? Can he be faithful to CHRIST, the only KING in the Church, and yet acknowledge ANOTHER King, as a Fountain of all Magiftracy and Power therein? Surely he cannot.

Permit me, good Sir, to exercife your Patience a Moment or two more upon this remarkable Contraft, and I will dismiss the ungrateful Subject.

By the Constitution of the Church of Chrift, 'tis expressly ordered and declared-That the WOMAN fhall not be Juffered publickly to teach, nor to ufurp Authority over the Man *. But by the Conftitution of the Church of England, the WOMAN is permitted publickly to teach, yea,

1 Tim. ii. 12.

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