[1491 7. It thereby filleth the Church with fuch wicked men as prove worfe Enemies to the godly than thofe without. 8: In all Eleftions"the Major part of wicked forced Commu- nicants will carry it, to chufe Minifters like themfelves, and car ryChurch Matters according to their wicked minds. 9. Good men feeing this are ready to be frightned out ofthe Church to Separation, as men run out of a ruinous Houle, left it fall on their Heads, or fly from a noifome place with loath- ing. 10. And then the Crowd that thus get Church poffeilion will revile them as Schifmaticks and SeEtaries, and Hypocrites, and perfecute and deftroy them if they can. Arenot all thole fad efle is of turning a Church into a Prifon, and forcing men to íeem to take that which Chrift profeffeth he loth not give them ? And of calling holy things. to Dogs, and Pearls before Swine ; and cramming and drenching thofe with the Body and Blood ofChrift, who have no right till they de- fire and beg it, andcan fell all to buy this precious Pearl ? We dare not Affent, Confent or Swear to fuch a Courfe as this, nor publith anExcommunication againft fuch men on this account. It's an odd thing to caft men out becaufe they will not come in. And I pray you how can Minifters in great Cities and Parithes perform this Canonical Obedience, togive in to the Bilhop or Chan- cellor the names of all that Communicated not at Eafter,' when they know not the hundredth part of the Parifhioners in Come places? I do believe that in the two Parithes that I lait lived in, there are above fourfcore thoufand Souls And is it like that the Mini- fters know twenty thoufand ofthefe ? I have been at their Corn- munion, even at Fairer andWhitfuntide, and I never law five hun- dred there. And if they gave in the names of but twenty. or forty thoufand Non-communicants tho' it's like there are nearer two hundred thoufand) in this Diocefs, what work would the Bithop and Chancellor have ? Cannot you eafily imagine what their Di-é.ipline wouldbe, and how they would exhort each Perfon oneby one to Repentance, and plead with them for .con- viCion, and relolve their doubts ? Dnth not this one . thing tell youwhat the Ènnlifh Diocefan Epifeopacy is, that givethone man. the Difciplining of_many hundredParifhes ?
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=