A defence of the vindication of the deprived bishops wherein the case of Abiathar is particularly considered, and the invalidity of lay-deprivations is further proved, from the doctrine received under the Old Testament, continued in the first ages of christianity, and from our own fundamental laws, in a reply to Dr. Hody and another author : to which is annexed, the doctrine of the church of England, concerning the independency of the clergy on the lay-power, as to those rights of theirs which are purely spiritual, reconciled with our oath of supremancy, and the lay-deprivations of the popish bishops in the beginning of the reformation / by the author of the Vindication of the deprived bishops.

§ LXVI. It is not a∣greeable to the mind of GOD, that the Church should so concorporate with the State, as that the Bi∣shops should be deprivable at the pleasure of the Civil Ma∣gistrate. (Book 66)

Indeed the Nature of the spiritual Society as constituted by GOD is such, as that it cannot be thought agreeable to the mind of GOD, that it should so concorporate with the State, as wholly to depend on the Au∣thority of the Civil Magistrate, so as that its Supream Governours, the Bishops, should be subject to him in Spirituals also. It is not agreeable to his mind that the more Noble Society should be subjected to that which is less Noble; that the Interests of Souls which are more valu∣able in his esteem than all the Kingdoms of the World, should de∣pend on the pleasures of particular Princes, and the Interests of their particular little Districts. It is not agreeable, that he should trust a Government of principal importance, in the hands of those who are not likely to regard it, as their principal employment, who make the World their principal Study, and take their understanding that, and its concers throughly to be the principal accomplishment they are capable of, for the discharging of that which they take to be their principal Office, and who either take no pains at all to understand the concerns of Religion, or do it no otherwise than as it is consistent with their other employments, which are not indeed of that importance as matters of Religion are. It is much more likely that he intended that it should continue, as himself had settled it at its first establishment, in the hands of those whose Principal care it should be to mind it as it deserves, That is, Principally, and other things, no otherwise than as they may prove subservient to it. It is no way likely that he would have Religion left to their disposal, who by their Office think themselves obliged to be swayed Principally by their Worldly interests, than which there is hardly any thing more contradictory to the great ends of Religion; to make Reformation of Manners necessary to be begun by Courts, which are usually the Originals of the corrup∣tions of that kind, and the great hindrances to well meant designs of Reformation. An obvious consequence of such a trust would be, that Religion, which Princes do not take for their Principal Work, must be made subservient to their worldly Politicks, which Princes ge∣nerally

take for their Principal employment. And who can think that GOD would ever intend that a Religion at first established in a State of Independency on the secular Power, should afterwards be brought to a State precarious, and depending on the pleasure of the secular Magistrate? GODS establishing it otherwife at first shewed plainly that it was better for the Church to be independent on the State, whensoever there should be any difference between it and the secular Magistrate. This withal we are certain of, that GOD is not changeable as man is; but that whilst the same Reason holds, or when the same Case returns, his mind will be the same as it was before. When ever therefore the Magistrate who has once favoured the Church, shall again desert it, and with∣draw his Protection from it; we must then conclude that the Church is in the same condition she was in before the Magistrate received her into his Protection; and therefore that it is GODS Pleasure also that she should subsist then, as she had done before, on her own Go∣vernment. On her own Government, I say, as well qualified now, as formerly, for continuance, and perpetuity, by its independence on the pleasure of the Magistrate. This is indeed the only way of knowing GODS pleasure concerning a Case, where no now Revelation is so much as pretended, as none is here, even by our Adversaries. This there∣fore being certain, that, in Case of a New breach, GODS pleasure is that the Church should again be independent; it will be also certain, that in the Interval; whilst the good correspondence holds between the two Societies, GOD cannot allow such an Alienation of Power as shall disable her, in Case of a now breach, to persist on her old terms. This will requite that the old Society be preserved with the old Government of Bishops during the Interval. For the Church is not such a Society as other Humane ones, that can be set up at pleasure by the Agreement of the particular Members of which it consists, whenever they are Free from other antecedent inconsistent Obligations. This is a Society erected by GOD, and requires Governours Authorized by him more than other Civil Societies do, for Obliging him to confer spiritual Blessings exceeding the Power of the Members considered in themselve. GOD has given them no reason to expect, when the breach shall fall, that he will extraordinarily empower Men immediatly as he did the Apostles. The only way therefore for securing the continuance of the Church, is to keep up a Body of Governours. Authorized by the Apostles in that Succession, which has been derived from them to our present times, which cannot be, unless the Succession it self be continued on, in all the Interval of good Correspondence. This therefore requires that they do not suffer themselves so to be Incorporated into the State, as to have

no Governours of their own Acting by a highery Authority than what can be derived from the Prince. This consideration alone is sufficient to disprove our Adversaries fancy concerning the coalition of the Two Bodies, under the King as the Common Head of both of them, when, in the mean time, the Church is obliged to continue in her Bishops a power not derivable by any Patents from the KING. This Power therefore not derived from him, must be perfectly independent on him. And indeed no Power but what is so, can justify, and make Practi∣cable, a Resumption of ancient Rights. For what ever depends on the Magistrate, may, and will in course, be taken from the Bishop when the correspondence is interrupted. If therefore, when it is taken away the Bishop has then no Right to Govern, he cannot expect GOD will ratify any exercise of a Power to which he can pretend no Right. But without GOD's ratifying what is done by the Authority, and good reason to presume that GOD is obliged to ractify it, such a Government can signify nothing for keeping the Society in a Body, that has nothing to recommend it, but consideratinos relating to GOD and Conscience. The Alienation therefore of this Power so necessary for securing the So∣ciety, being so plainly against the Mind of GOD in giving the Power, no Act of Alienation of it, can expect a ratification from GOD, and therefore it must be Originally null and invalid.