Piety in all the Primitive Churches, this is he: For being (if any credit be due to Ecclefiaftical Hiftory) fet in the See of Antioch, which was the Metropolis of Syria, by the Apostles themfelves as a good Governour, he by the Helm of his Prayers and Tears with Fafting, and by the conftancy of his Doctrine and Spiritual Labours, opposed himself to the Flood of all the Attempts of the Adverfaries of Chriftianity, and like a Divine Lamp illuminated the Hearts of the Faithful by his Expofition of the Scriptures, and in all refpects he is represented like an Apostle, both in life and death.

I fhall quote his Words according to Doctor Wake's Tranflation, and to give but a few Palfages in thofe Epifties that are undoubtedly genuine: See first what he wrote to the Trallians. "He faith he) that is within the Altar is pure, "wherefore he is alfo obedient to the Bishop and "Presbyters. And again, ye ought every one "of you to cherish your Bifhop. And having " in his Epiftle to the Magnefians spoken of Damas their Bishop, he exhorts them not to " contemn him for his Age, but (faith he) pay "him all Reverence according to the Will of "God the Father, as I know the Holy Presby

ters do, not looking on the Youth that ap❝pears in him, but the Prudence which he hath "received from the Lord: And to the Phila"delphians thus, Let the Deacons obey their "Priefts, and the Priests their Bishop, and the

Bishop Chrift, as Chrift obeys the Father. By which Paffages any one may apprehend what fort of Church-government there was then in

the

the Churches, and by them, and more efpecially by what follows, is manifeft what notion he had of the Sin of Schifm, and how great he thought its guilt and danger, and it he was not mistaken therein, the Hearts of them that caule Divifions, and of them that follow thofe that caufe Divifions, may juftly bleed and tremble, their Eyes weep to read, or their Ears tingle to hear what his fenfe was of Separate Churches, and of them that communicate with Separate Churches. I will but recite what he faith in two of his Epistles more, hoping that their being to appofite to our Subject as they are, will apologize for the length of the Quotations.

"I fpeak to you (faith he in his Epistle to the Ephefians) as Fellow-difciples with me, being bound for Chrift's Name, yet am I not 'perfect in Chrift Jefus; but forafmuch as Charity fuffers me not to be filent towards you, I have taken upon me to exhort you, that ye would all run together according to the Will of God: For Jefus Chrift, our infe parable Life, is the mind of the Father, as the Bishops appointed even to the utmost bounds of the Earth, are the mind of Jefus Chrift; wherefore it will become you to run together according to the Will of your Bishop, as allo ye do, for your famous Presbyters, worthy of 'God, is fitted as exactly to the Bishop, as the Strings are to the Harp. Therefore in your Concord and agreeing Charity, Jelus Chrift is fung, and every fingle Perlon among you makes up the Chorus; that fo, being all M

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• confonant in Love and Concord, and taking up the Song of God, you may with one Voice, and with a perfect Unity fing to the Father of Jefus Chrift; to the end, that by this mind he may both hear, yea, and perceive by your Works, that ye are indeed Members of his Son, wherefore it is profitable for you to live in an unblameable Unity, that fo ye may always have a Fellowship with God. (and thus he goes on there) How happy must I think you, who are joyned to your Bishop as the Church to Jefus Chrift, and Jefus Chrift to the Father, that fo all things may agree in the fame Unity? Let no Man deceive himfelf; if a Man be not within the Altar, he is deprived of the Bread of God; for if the Prayer of one or two be of fuch force as we are told, Matt. 18. 19. How much more powerful fhall that of the Bishop and the whole Church be? He therefore that doth not come together in the fame place with it is proud, and hath already condemned himself, for it is written, God refifteth the proud. Let us therefore take heed that we do not fet our felves against the Bishop, that we may be fubject to God; for whomfoever the Mafter of the House fends to his Houshold, we ought in like manner to receive him, as we would receive him that fent him. It is very evident, 'that we ought to look upon the Bishop, even

.

as we would upon the Lord Jefus Chrift himfelf; and in the like manner doth the Holy Martyr go on there (not to transcribe too much)

both

both to warn them to take heed of fuch as carried about them the name of Chrift in deceitfulnefs, doing many things unworthy of God, and to commend their good Order and Unity in God, no Herefie dwelling among them (for they stopped their Ears (he faith) to all that would fow any perverfe Doctrine) and to exhort them to perfevere therein to the end; for (faith he) fo long as there is no contention or strife among you to trouble you, my Soul for yours, ye muft needs live according to the Will of God. I have quoted one place before in his Epiftle to the Philadel phians, and I find caufe to take further notice of that Epiftle, where having in his Preface exprelfed his Joy for their Unity with their Bishop, and the Presbyters that were with him, and the Deacons appointed according to the mind of Jefus Chrift. He presently afterwards exhorts them to flee Divifions and talfe Doctrines as becomes the Children of the Light and of the Truth, and where your Shepherd is, there (faith he) do ye (as Sheep) follow after : for there are many Wolves who feem worthy of belief, yet with a falfe and an evil pleature, lead Captive thole that run in the courte of God, but in your Concord they fhall find no place. Abftain therefore (as he goes on) from thofe, evil Herbs, which Jefus Chrift doth not drels, because fuch are not the Plantation of the Father; for as many as are of Je us Chritt are allo with their Bishop, and as many as that with repentance return into the Unity of the Church, ⚫éven thofe fhall be Servants of God, that they M 2

may

may live according to Jefus Chrift: but it any Man follow (fee Reader, fee the Holy Martyr's feverity in cenfuring Separatifts) if any 'Man follow him that makes a Schifm in the Church, he shall not inherit the Kingdom of 'God, and if any one walk after any others Opinion, he agrees not with the Paffion of Chrift. Thus conftantly doth this Apoftolical Pefon make Mens forfaking their Bishop to be the Sin of Schifm, and I may not omit how he argues in the very next Paragraph: Where'fore let it be your endeavour to partake of the fame Holy Eucharift, for there is but one 'Flefh of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and one Cup ( unto the Unity of his Blood, one Altar, as allo there is one Bifhop, together with his Presbyters, and the Deacons my fellow Servants, that to, whatsoever je do, ye may do it according to the Will of God. All which he 'concludes with a proteftation of his Love to them, and their danger if they do not obferve it, even as if Jefus Chrift himself fhould give it them. My Brethren (faith he) the love I have towards you makes me the more large (in the Margin in Dr. Wake's Translation, it is very much poured out) and having great Joy in you, I endeavour to fecure you from danger, or rather not I, but Jefus Chrift, in 'whom being bound, I the more fear as being yet in the way of Suffering.

Diverse other Paffages to the fame purpose there are in thofe admirable Epiftles of this glorious Martyr and Servant of God, and abun

dance