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THE EPISTLE TO THE READER PREFIXED TO THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE CHURCH.

[RICHARD FIELD, D.D.]

As in the days of Noah they all perished in the waters, that entered not into the ark prepared by God's own appointment, for the preservation of such as should escape that fearful and almost universal destruction; so is it a most certain and undoubted truth, good Christian reader, that none can flee from the wrath to come, and attain desired happiness, but such as enter into that society of men which we call the Church, which is the chosen multitude of them whom God hath separated from the rest of the world, and to whom he hath in more special sort manifested himself by the knowledge of revealed truth than to any other. So that nothing is more necessary to be sought out and known, than which and where this happy society of holy ones is, that so we may join ourselves to the same, and inherit the promises made unto it; according to that of the holy patriarch Noah: "Blessed be the God of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant; the Lord persuade Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem." The

consideration whereof moved me, when I was to enter into the controversies of these times, first and before. all other things, carefully to seek out the nature and being of this Church, the notes whereby it may be known, which it is amongst all the societies of men in the world, and what the privileges are that do belong unto it; of all which things I have treated in those four books of that argument, which, not long since, I offered to thy view and censure. Now, it remaineth that in this ensuing book then promised, I show in what sort Almighty God, who sitteth between the cherubim in his holy temple, revealeth himself from off the mercy seat, to such as by the calling of grace he hath caused to approach, and draw near unto himself; and how he guideth and directeth them to the attaining of eternal felicity. Many and sundry ways did God reveal himself in ancient times, as it is in the Epistle to the Hebrews. For sometimes he manifested himself to men waking, by visions; sometimes to men sleeping, by dreams; sometimes he appeared in a pillar of a cloud; sometimes in flaming fire; sometimes he came walking a soft pace among the trees of the garden, in the cool of the day; sometimes he rent the rocks, and clave the mountains in sunder; sometimes he spake with a still and soft voice; sometimes his thunders shook the pillars of heaven, and made the earth to tremble, as in the giving of the Law, when he came down upon Mount Sinai, what time the people by Moses' direction went forth to meet him; but when they heard the thunders, and the sound of the trumpet, and saw the lightnings, and the mountain smoking, they fled, and stood afar off,

and said unto Moses, "Talk thou with us, and we will hear thee; but let not God talk with us, lest we die." This their petition Almighty God mercifully granted; and, knowing whereof they were made, resolved no more to speak unto them in so terrible and fearful manner, but rather to put heavenly treasures into earthen vessels, that is, to enlighten the understandings, and to sanctify the mouths and tongues of some amongst themselves, and by them to make known his will and pleasure to the rest. In this sort, after the giving of the law, he employed the priests and Levites in a set and ordinary course, appointing that the people should seek the knowledge of the same at their mouths; and in case of great confusion, and general defects of these ordinary guides, raised up Prophets, as well to denounce his judgments against offenders, and to reform abuses; as also to foreshow the future state of things, and more. and more to raise in men a desire, hope, and expectation of the coming of the promised Messiah, whom, in the fulness of time, he sent into the world as the happiest messenger of glad tidings that ever came unto the sons of men, and the Angel of the great covenant of peace; causing this proclamation to be made before him, "This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him.”

"In him were hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; " so that it was said of him, "He hath done all things well;" so likewise that "Never man spake as he spake." But because he came not into this lower world to make his abode here perpetually, but to carry up with him into heaven our desires first, and then ourselves; after he had wrought

all righteousness, and performed the work for which he came, he returned back to God that sent him. Choosing out some of them that had been conversant with him in the days of his flesh, that had heard the words of his divine wisdom, and were eye-witnesses of all the things he did, and suffered, and sending them as his Father sent him, who were therefore named Apostles. These had many excellent pre-eminences, proper to those beginnings, and fit for the founding of Christian churches; as immediate calling, infallibility of judgment, general commission, the understanding and knowledge of all tongues, power to confirm their doctrine by signs and wonders, and to confer the miraculous gifts of the Spirit upon others also by the imposition of their hands; in which things, when they had finished their course, they left none to succeed them. Yet out of their more large, ample, and immediate commissions, they authorised others to preach the gospel, administer sacraments, to bind and loose, and to perform other like pastoral duties, sanctifying and ordaining them to this work by the imposition of hands. These they honoured with the glorious title of presbyters, that is, fatherly guides of God's church and people; and, knowing the weight of the burden they laid on their shoulders, added unto them as assistants others of an inferior degree and rank, whom they named deacons or ministers. Amongst these fatherly guides of God's church and people, for the preventing of dissension, the avoiding of confusion, and the more orderly managing of the important affairs of Almighty God, they established a most excellent, divine, and heavenly order, giving unto one amongst the pres

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byters of each church an eminent and fatherly power, so that the rest might do nothing without him; whom, for distinction's sake, and to express the honour of his degree and place, afore and above others, we name a bishop. And farther, by a most wise disposition, provided that amongst bishops all should not challenge all things unto themselves, but that there should be, in several provinces, several bishops, who should be first and chief amongst the brethren; and again constituted and placed certain others in greater cities, who might take care of more than the former. The former of these were named metropolitans; the latter were known by the name of patriarchs, or chief fathers, who also, in order and honour, were one before and after another. By means of this order established by the apostles of Christ among the guides of God's people, and received and allowed by the first and primitive Christians, unity was preserved, the parts of the church holden fast together in a band of concordant agreement, questions determined, doubts cleared, differences composed, and causes advisedly and deliberately heard with all indifference and equity. For how could there be any breach in the Christian churches, when none were ordained presbyters in any church but by the bishop, the rest of the presbyters imposing their hands on them, together with him? None admitted to the degree and order of a bishop but by the metropolitans and other bishops of the province, sufficiently approving that they did to the people over which they set him? None received as a metropolitan unless, being ordained by the bishops of the province, upon notice given of their orderly pro

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