WHereas there are Three Parties of Protestants in the Nation, the Episcopalian, the Presbyterian, and the Independent (or Congre­gational Men, which are of di­verse sorts) who do, and will ever differ in their Opinions about the Church, and Discipline of it, in the Question, which is of Christ's Insti­tution; or, Whether the One, or the Other, is most consonant to Scripture: it is not our Disputes about the Church as Particular (which are rather to be mutually forborn, and every Party left herein to their own Perswasion) but a Common Agreement in what we Can Agree, and that is in the Church as National, must Heal our Divisions.

It is here we must lay the Foundation-Stone of Union.

When the Parliament then shall set about This Business to purpose, A Bill should be brought in for Declaring the Constitution of Our Church of England.

A Parliament is the Representative of the whole People of England, and I doubt not, but by Consent and Agreement, they might Make a New Constitution of the CHURCH, as it is National; and much more may they Declare the Constitution of it.

The Papists are for one Universal Organical Church throughout the world, whereof the Pope is Head by Christ's Appointment; and whoso­ever consequently is not of this Roman Catholick-Church, and Governed by him, must be Damn'd. There are some of our late Prelatists are for the same Church, but under the Diocesan Bishops of the whole Earth, who being Convened in a General Council, are the Head that must give Laws to it; and whosoever refuse to be Govern'd by the Laws of these General Councils, are Schis­maticks. I am much rather therefore, in my mind, for the Notion (which is that in the Embryo the Revered Dean of St. Pauls seems to me to aim at, if it could be once well formed) of an Independent National Church Political, but not to be held, as the Congregationalist supposes his Particular Indepen­dent [Page 5] One, and They their Catholick, to be of Divine, but of Humane Institution; for it is mani­festly a thing Accidental to the Church of Christ, that the Supreme Magistrate, and the whole Body of a Nation, are Christian.

It should be declared then in such a Bill or Act of Parliament, that the Church of England consists of the KING as the Head, and all the several Assemblies of the Protestants as the Body.

A Discrimination between the Tolerable and Intolerable, is never to be gain-said by any Wise Man.

It is not for me, or any One person, but a Con­vocation, or Parliament, to prescribe the Terms of National Communion; but I would have all our Assemblies that are Tolerable, to be made Legal by such an Act, and thereby parts of the National Church, as well as the Parochial Congregations.

That the Bishops should be declared Ecclesi­astical Officers under the KING, acting Circa Sacra only, by Vertue of His Authority and Com­mission.

As Jehoshophat appointed Officers for Govern­ment in the Matters of God, and the Kings Matters: So should the Bishops be in Our Ecclesiastical, as the Judges are in Civil Matters, the Substitutes of His Majesty, and Execute His Jurisdiction.

Upon this Account, if any of the Eminent among the Non-conformists were Chosen to be Bishops, they could not refuse it.

Let Dr. Owen and Mr. Baxter be the Two next that are called to this Function upon such an Act, and commanded to Hold it, and then would UNION indeed Commence.

Their Work in general, should be to Supervise the Churches of both sorts in their Diocesses, that they all Walk according to their own Or­der, agreeably to the Gospel, and the Peace of one another.

I am sensible unto what Distress a Congrega­tional Minister may be brought in the exercise of Discipline over some potent, turbulent, and refractory Members; and what Relief he might find in such an External Ecclesiastical Officer as this.

This shall Advance, and not Lessen, the outward Power and Honour of the Bishops.

I humbly Motion a Third Clerk for the Con­vocation, to be added to the Two in every Dio­cess, and chose out of the Non-conformists for the Unanimous prosecution of Holiness and Con­cord throughout all the Churches: And the two Provinces of Canterbury and York should Unite in this Convocation, for the making them one Na­tional [Page 7] Church, and not two Provincial ones in a di­verse Assembly.

I should expect then such Canons to be made, as would render us all happy in the satisfaction of both Parties.

An Act of Parliament to this purpose, would make the Church of England to be in Earnest, such a Church, as the Church-men would have us still think it, the Best Constituted, the most Exemplary, and the most Glorious of any that is, or indeed, that well can be in this World.

And thus I have offered my Mite to the Sanctu­ary; that is, so much as I have, and what I think fit for Cultivation by Others, whom GOD shall make Wise-hearted, and Concern'd, for the Wel­fare of Syon.

There is Room also here left for the far­ther Invention of Such, in regard to many the like things as these: For they that will, may see some­thing more in a few Sheets, in part Entituled, Animadversions upon the Debate between Dr. Stillingfleet and Mr. Baxter, Concerning the National Church, and Head of it. Unto which this Paper may be Stitched.