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Truly Sir, I cannot but acknowledg that to preserve Order and Peace in so vast a Body as the Church is, there must of ne∣cessity be a Government; and if Government then Subordination and consequently an established Supream Governor. And now methinks reflecting upon Ecclesiastical History, I see clearly that such an order∣ly
Government was settled in the Church by the Apostles themselves. For if, as some among us pretend, the same Apostles had intended no Supereminence of Bishops above Presbyters, and no degrees of au∣thority among Bishops, it could not possibly have happened, that a few unarmed Bishops, not assisted by Secular Power, should, so im∣mediately after the Apostles, have subdued such a world of Presbiters, formerly supposed their equals, to their Iurisdiction, and no marks be left in any antient Writers to shew that those Presbyters resisted, or so much as complained against such an usurpation and tyranny. And the like may be said touching the Subordination of simple Bishops to Metropolitans, Primate, Patriarks; and of all these to the Supream Pastor: Though probably those Titles came into the Church in po∣steriour ages. Therefore upon due consideration I cannot deny but my aversion to such and so qualified an Authority of the Bishop of Rome, as you say is moderated by the Churches Decision, is very much abated.
Since therefore you now see a way how to avoid danger from this (to you formerly) Rock of offence, I may, I suppose, pro∣ceed to the following Points of Controversie touching the Holy Eu∣charist, &c.