t6o z. If they further expe& that I fhould put it into each Man's hands individual- ly, I may well expe& the liberty of guiding my own A&ions, according to my own Confcience, if I may not guide theirs: It h enough that in fuels Cafes they will refute to be Ruled byme ; they fhould not alfo ufurp the ruling of me : but let us boequal, and let me have my liberty, as I am willing to let them have theirs ; and if I fin they are not guiltyof it: Nor have they any ground to refute theSacrament rather than fo take it. ;. Yet if any of my Paftoral Charge 'hall be unfatisfied, if they will but hear . my Reafons firft, and if thofe Reafons convince them not, if they will profefs,that they think it a Sin againft God for them to Receive the Sacrament unlefs it be put into their hands Kneeling, and Ergo that they dare not in Confcience take it otherwife, I do purpofe to condefcend to their Weaknefs, and fo to give it them. So that no oneof them shall be ever able to fay, that I wrongeda truly tender Con- fcience, or deprived them of that holy Ordinance. My Reafons are, becaufe I take not their Errours tobé fo heinous a thing, as to derrve their total Execufion from the Sacrament. Nor do I fuppofe it a Sin in me fo far to yield to them in cafe of fuch Weaknefs. Though I know Inconveniencies will follow , which they, and not 1, are guilty of. And thus much, as far as is neceffary, I fhould make known. 4. But then thefe Perfons !mutt not expe& that I fhould never give them my Judgment andReafons againft their Opinion: for that wereto ceafe teaching them the Truth, as well as to yield to their Errours. I. And I (hall expe& that at the firft Receiving they will openly profefs that they take not the Bread for the Subftantial Body of Chrift , nor Worship the Bread. 6. But as for thofe that are not of my Paftoral Charge, I muff fay more, whe- ther they live in this Parifh oranother ; Either they are fuck as are Members of fume other particular Church, or of none. For the former fort , r. Ordinarily it is fit and neceffary that they Receive else Sacrament of their own Paftor, and in that particular Churchofwhich they are Members ; or elfe how are they Mem- bers of it ? 2. And inExtraordinary Cafes, I (hall not deny any of them the Sa- crament on there Conditions ; r. If they bring Certificates from the Pallor under whofe Guidance they are, that they are of his Flock, and walk as Chriflians, fup- pofing the Pallor faithful that certifieth it. a.Or if they do not this,yet ifthey will come to nie, and acquaintme who is their Paltor,and what Church they are Mem- bers of, and what Reafons they had to withdrawfrom thisChurch,' IA not refute them, if their account be fach as may juflly fatisfie. But as for thofè of this Parilh that have ( after this two years Invitation and Expe&ation ) refuted to profefs themfelves to be Members of this particular Church, and to take me for their Teacher or Parlor, and yet are not Members of any other Church, nor under any particular Paftor and Difcipline, I fhall de- fire ro fpeak with them before I give them the Sacrament. And if they can give me any tolerable Reafonof it , I shall willingly receive it, and if they prove the blame to be in me, I fhall endeavour to reform ir. But if they give me no fuffi- cient reafon, I cannot admit fach to the Lord's Supper (fpecially ordinarily and the multitude of them) for thefe Reafons following : r. Becaufe I take it to be a heinous, fcandalous fin, to live from under Difcipline, as a Stragler and in Difor- der, having no Pallor, nor being a Member of any particular Church : And therefore I dare not admit fach till they repent, no more than I would do a Drun- kard or Adulterer. as I dare not be an Inftrument of.hindering Reformation, and the Execution of jurt Difcipline, by gratifying the Unruly that fly from it, and fet themfelves again it. And as for all thofe that either will not give me an account, why they live from under Difcipline, or cangive noju(t account,yea, and thofe that think their own Reafons for it good, whets I do not, or on any ground are from under my Paftoral Charge, without my Fault, I fay, for all thefè, I dare not admit them ordinarily to the Sacrament, becaufe I dare not fpend fh much rime on them as is neceffary for Preparation. I may not do it without Come pre- vious Initrusilion; and I havefo much more work already than I can well do, that I have not a minute of time to (pare. And. (exceptin publick or extraordinary Cafes) f take my felfto be more ftri&ly tied to thole of my Charge, than to any others; and having made my felftheirs, I dare not rob them of my Labours, nor negle& them to attend on others that are no part of my Charge , nor will be. If you fay, that if they did become Membersofmy Charge , I mull then as much negleét others for them ; I anfwer, but then I could do it innocently, whenI have the The LIFE of the i I B.
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