25o The LIBE ofthe LIS. I, make advantage of fuch Meetings, as well as to Taft and pray ? God and wife Men know that thereis fomething more in all fuch Jealoufies of Religious Duties. § 4. Do you really deliire that every Congregationmay have an able, godly Minifter ? Then colt not out thole many Hundreds or Thoufands that are appro- ved filch, for want of Re-ordination, or for doubting whether Diocefans with their Chancellors be. may be fubfcribed to, and fit not up ignorant ungodly ones In their Places. Ocherwile the poor undone Churches of Chrift will no more be- lieve you in fachProfeffrons, than webelieved that thofe Men intended the King's jufl Power and Greatneß, who took away his Life. But youknow not what we mean by Residence, nor bow farcewill extend that Word. TheWord is fo-plain, that it's eafilyunderftood by thole that arewilling : But he that would not know, cannot underhand, as KingCharles told Mr. Henderlo,,. I doubt the People will quickly find that you did not underhand us. And yet I more fear left many a Parish will be glad of Non-refidence, even if Prieft and Cu- rate and all were far enough from them, through whole Fault I fay not. Two Remedies you give us inftead of what we defired for the Reformad. onof Church -Communion : r. Youfay, Confirmation if rightly and folemnlyperfarnu ed wio alone be sufficient as to the point of Inflrnílion. Anfw. But what we deliired was neceffary to the rightand folemn Performance of ir. Doth not any Man that knoweth what hathbeen done in England, and what People dwell there, know that there arenot more ignorant People in this Land than filch as have had, and fuch as deliire Episcopal Confirmation ? Is it Sufficient in point of Infirultion, for a Bishop to come among a company of little Children and other People, whom he he never sawbefore, and of whom he never heard a Word, and of whom he ne- ver asketh a Queflion which may inform him of their Knowledge or Life; and prefently to lay his Hands on them in order, and hastily fay over a fewLines of Prayer, and fo difmifs them ? I was confirmed by honest Bifhop Morton, with a multitude more, who all went to it as a May-game, and kneeled down, andhedif patched us with that short Prayer fo fall, that I fcarce understood one word he faid; much lefs did he receiveany Certificate concerning us, or ask us any thing which might tell him whether we were Chriftians; and I never faw nor heardof much more done by any Englilh Bishop in his courfe of Confirmation. If you fay that more is required in the Rubrick, I fay then it is no Crime for us to deliire it. z. And for your Proviion in the other Rubrick again fcandalous Communi- cants, it enablethnot the Minifter to pinaway any one of them all, fave only the malicious that will not juft then be reconciled. Be not angry with us, if in fur- rowof Heart, we pray to God, that his Churches may have experienced Palters, who have (pent much time in ferious dealing with every one of theirParifhes perfonally, and know what they are and what theyneed, inftead of Men that have converted only with Books, and the Houlesof great Men; or when they do fometimes floop to fpeak to the ignorant, do but talk to themof the Market or the Weather, or ask them, what is their Name. § 6. To your Answer we reply, Thofe Laws may be well made ftri&er: They hindred not the Impofitionofa Book to be read, by all Minifters in the Churches, for the PeoplesLiberty for Dancing, and otherfuchSports on theLord's Day, and this in the King's Name, to the ele&ing or fufpending of thofe Miniffers that durit not read it. And thofeLaws which we have may bemore carefully executed. If you are ignorant how commonly the Lord's Day is prophaned in England by Sporting, Drinking, Revellingand Idlenefi, you are fad Paftors that nobetter know the Flock : Ifyou know it, and deliire not the Reformation of it, you are yet worfe. Religion never prospered any where fo much, as where the Lord's Days have been moil carefully £pent in holy Exercifes. Concerning Chatrch-Government. § y. Had you well read but Gerfom, Bucer, Didoslavias, Parker, Baynes, Selma; fins, Blondeo, be. yea, of the few Lines in Bilhop Usher's Redu&ion which we have offered you or what I have written of it in Difp. r. of Church-Government; youwould have feen jufl Reafen given for oar Dìf/ent from the Ecclefsaftical Hierarchy as :gated in England andhave known that it is unlike the primitiveEpifcopacy: But if that which mull convinceyon, muff be broughtnearer your Eyes, by God's help we undertake todo that fully whenever we arecalled to it 5 8. The
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=