It is not a little burdensome to the thoughts of sober and learned men to consider how frequently, causelessly, absurdly, in the midst of dis- courses quite of another nature and tendency, the author of these epistles, or somebody for him, breaks in upon the commendation of church officers, bishops and presbyters, exalting them with titles of honour to the greatest potentates on earth, and comparing them to God the Father and Son; whereas none of the sacred writers that went before him, nor any of those good and holy meii who, as is supposed, followed after him, do hold the least communion or society with him. ' Avayy-aTov ovv eg-iv, offamo rToiiTri, civiv rov smffKo'Tov /zyibsvTrgdrrsiv b/Mac, Epist. ad Tral. [cap. ii.], whoreunto is immediately subjoined that doctrine concerning deacons which will scarcely be thought to be exegotical of Acts vi. 1-C, As7 dh xai roug d/axovov: ovrag [jj\}6Tri»io)v X^iarou 'irjSoiJ xara rrdvra tpotov d^sgy.siv ov ydo ^^urSov xa! crciSi' tlffi htdxoMoi, dXXd, etc. And T/ ydo scriv iTiffxo'xoc; aXX' rj rrder^c, diyj^g xai st,ovffiag smxuva rrdvroyj x^aruv, [cap. vii.J What the writer of this passage intended to make of a bishop well I know not ; but thus he speaks of him, Epist. ad Magnes. [cap. iii.] : Tl^s-yov ouv sen xai i/jbag brraxoxjuv T(f! ET/ffxo'Xai hfjiiUJv' xai xai-a /j,ri()iv avrtp dvTiXsyiiv. (PoZs^hv ydo sen (.as the apostle speaks concerning God, Heb. x. 1?7) rw roiobruj dvnX'sysiv. Thus, indeed, some wouUl have it, who, to help the matter, have farther framed such an episcopacy as was never thought on by any in the days of Ignatius, as shall afterward be made evident. And in the same epistle tliis is somewhat uncouth and strange, [cap. vi. vii.] : 'E]iu)i)rirB rw iT/ffxocra;, v'TOTueeo/xsvoi T(jj Qiuj 5/' aiiTOv sv XoieToj. "fie'Te^ ovvo Kv^iog aviv rov Ua-
A PKEFACE TO THE READER. 35
r^og olBiV voiiT, ou Suvafjjai yoc^, <P^<^h '^oiiTv kt' sfj^avrov ovdh' outu xai hfj^ilg aviv rou i'ffisx.o'xov /j^rids 'rroiGZ-bn^og, /zrjBs didzovog, /ijjSs Xa/xo's* //,?j5s Ti <paivss6(i) IjJjTv s-oXoyov 'Kaoa, rriv sxiivov yvu/ji^j^v. Whether the Lord Christ hath bound any such burden upon the shoulders of the saints I much question. Nor can I tell what to make of the comparison between God the Father and the bishop, Christ and the rest of the church, the whole sentence, in word and manner, being most remote from the least countenance from the sacred writings. Epist. ad Philadel. [cap. v.] : O) -Tr^isZhrs^oi xal 01 didzovot xa/ 6 Xoi'Tog xXri^og, d/Jba Tavri rw Xaw xai roTg ffr^ar/wra/c, Tiai 7-0/5 a.^')(ji\><si nai rui Kaiffap (well aimed, however), rw ivicc/.rj'Truj niOa^- •yilroidav. The Epistle to the Chui'ch of Smyrna is full of such stuff, in- serted without any occasion, order, coherence, or any colour to induce us to believe that it is part of the epistle as first written. One passage I may not omit [cap. ix.J: T//Aa, ^jjc/v, u/'s rhv ©sif, xai jSaffiXsw sydj ds <pri/jbi (in the language of our Saviour repudiating the Pharisees' corrupted glosses on the law), ri/^a, /j,sv rbv &iov ug a'lriov ruv oXuv xcci Kvoiov, sTtSTiO'^'ov ds ug a^y^is^sa, 0£oD iixova (po^ovvra, xard /msv to d^^siv, Qsou. xard ds ro hoa- rsvitv, X^/croE/* xa/ [x,ird rovrov rifLUv ^e/j %a) paffiX'sa. So Peter's mistake is corrected. His reasons follow: Ovn ydg OsoD rig x^sirruv, ri '^ra^a'zXrjffiog h irdst roi'g ovffiv oun ds h sxxXrisia sff/CxoVoy ti iisYCov /s^u/jl'svov ©sw vTs^ Trig Tou xogimoxj •xavrhg eurri^iag (as was Jesus Christ). And it is added: E/ yd^ 6 ^asiXiudiv sirsysi^ofisvog, xoXdsiMg d^iog dixaiUig ytr/jffSTai, ug ys Tc/oa- Xuuv TTiv XDiiifiv luvci/jjiav, 'TTosui Boxsrrs yfioowg d^iojdrjSsrai Tijxoj^iag 6 dvsu I'rrisxo- 'TTOV TI ToisTv 'TT^oai^obtjjSvog; etc., '/s^uauvyj yd^ sen ro '!rdvruv dyadcriv Iv didpu)~oig dvaQsCrixog. How well this suits the doctrine of Peter and Paul the reader will easily discern. Csesar or the king is, upon all accounts, thrust behind the bishop, who is said to be consecrated to God for the salva- tion of the world ; him he is exhorted to obey ; — and in express oppo- sition to the Holy Ghost, the bishop's name is thrust in between God and the king, as in a way of pre-eminence above the latter; and to do any thing without the bishop is made a far greater crime than to rise up against the king. As this seems scarce to be the language of one going upon an accusation to appear before the emperor, so I am certain it is most remote from the likeness of any thing that in this aftair we are instructed in from the Scripture. Plainly this language is the same witli that of the false impostor, Pseudo-Clemens, in his pretended Apostolical Consti- tutions. At this rate, or somewhat beyond it, have you him ranting : Lib. ii. cap. ii., 'E'Ziaxo'Trov 0sov tu'kov 'iyitv sv dvd^dj-oig, ruv 'rrdnruv doyjiv avSpuTTUv, hosMV, ^affiXsoov, d^y^ivruv, 'Tra-rs^uv, viojn, didaSKdXuv xai ':rdvrc>jv o/Ao-j ruv b'Ttr^xour — " All popes, all sorts of persons whatever, priests, kings, and princes, fathers and children, all under the feet of this ex- emplar of God and ruler of men !" a passage which, doubtless, eminently interprets and illustrates that place of Peter, 1 Epist. v. 1-3, " The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed ; feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly ; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." But yet, as if the man were stark mad with worldly pride and pomp, he afterward, in the name of the holy apostles of Jesus Christ, commands all the laity (forsooth) to honour, love, and fear the bishop w; xvnov, w; dsszorriv, ug diyjsosa. ©=oD, lib. ii. cap. XX. And that you may see whither the man drives, and what he aims ai, after he hath set out his bishop like an emperor or an eastern king, in