PA RT II. Reverend Mr. Richard. Baxter. 287 § r33. As to the Appointment offucb a number of Suffragan Bifhops in every.Diocefs' tJnum: as is necellary to the due performanceof the Work, there was never a one appointed inl' " any one Diocefs in the Land, that ever I heard cf ; but yet this may be thus far ex- cufed, that theParliament having done fo-much of the Work of Church- Difcipline themfelves, as to cart out 1800 of us at once, there was the lets needof Suffragans afterwards ; and the Bithops themtèlves were lif&cient to cafe our, or keep,out the reft, if ever any rich more aswe Should reek to get into the Miniftry. § 134. That no Bilhop fhall ordainor cxercif any part of furifdution, &c. without p. t r. the Advice andAffiance of the Presbytery, may be performed, for ought I know ; for perhaps theBilhop ( or Chancellor ) bath the Advice of his Chaplain in private to do it himfelf, and I believe many of his Presbyters atlilt him by their Information, yelling himwho they be that feruple Ceremonies, and who meet in privatetoWor- fhip God, and what nonconformable Ministers prefume to preach the Gofpel. § r 3 S. That no Lay Chancellor, Commiffaries, or Officials as filch /hall eucómmuni. p. u.. cate, abfolve, &c. may for ought I know be fulfilled : For though they do it Fa- miliarly, as they did before, and fewCountries have not fome that are excomrnuni- cased by them, for not receiving the Sacrament againft their Confciences, or Tome fach Matter : Yet whether they do it [ ar filch] or in any other unknown Capa- city, is more than a Stander-by can tell, and they fay, that when it comes to the Sentence of Excommunication, fome of them ufe a Prieft pro Formâ. § 1 ;6. Nor did I ever yet hear of an Archdeacon whoexercifid his furifdiflion by the Advice and Alliftance of fix Miniftera chofen as is there mentioned (p. § 537. Nor did I ever hear that an equal Number (to the Canons and Prebends) were annually, (orever once ) chafer, in any one Diocefs by the Vote of the Presby- P. t a. tern to be always appling to the Bifhop in allChurcb-cenferes, &c. But indeed the Suf- fragans did never exercife their 7nrifdielion without them; becaufe inch Suffragans ne-]x sa ver were. § 1;8. Nor did I ever hear that the Minifters Confnt was defired for the Confirm- p. se. ing of any in his Parifh; nor of any other than the old way of Confirmation, that is for any that will run into the Church, though never fo unknown, to kneel down and have the fewWords mentioned in the Liturgy laid with the Bifhop's Hand on his Head. § 539. Nor did I yet ever hear of anyone, who before he was admitted to they. sa. Sacrament, was called to any other [credibleProfeeon of Faith] and Promife of Obe- dience, than to Band up at the Creed, or to be prefent at the Common - Prayer: Nor of refufíìng Scandalous Offenders till they have openly declared themfelves to have tru- ly repented and amended theirformer naughty Lives. But I have oft heard them threat - ned for not receiving. § 14o. Much leû did I ever hear of any fuch thing as a Rural Dean with his p. s3 Neighbour-Minifter meeting monthly, or ever once, for any -of thofe' excellent Works there mentioned : 'Nor of any Attempt of rich a thing. § 54e. As for the Bifhop's trot Ming Arbitrary Power, but according to the known y. s4. Law of the Land, I fuppofe they take the Canons to be the Law of the Land, or ac- cording to it, which other Men never dream'd of, that deftred that Provi- fron. § 141. And whether ever the Alterations mentioned were made of the Liturgy and the additional FormsinScripture Phrafe fuited to the Natureof the feveral Parts of Worthip, you may know by perueng it, and by that which here followeth. § 143. Yet I think that chore Men are reproveable whofay, that nothing but De. ceit andJugling was from the beginning intended : For who knoweth other Mens Intents but God ; Charity requirethus to think that they fpeak nearer to theTruth, who fay, that while the DiocefanDoors were at Breda, they little dreamt that their way to their higheft Grandeur was fofair, and therefore that then they would have been glad of the Terms of the Declaration of Breda ; and that when they came in, it was neceffary that they Ihould proceed fafely, and feel whether the Ground were folid under them, before they proceeded to their StruEture : TheLand had been but lately engaged againtt them : The Covenant had been taken even by the Lords and Gentlemen of their own Party at their Compofition : There was the Army that brought them in ( who were Presbyteriansas to the molt of the ru- ling part) to -be disbanded ; and how knew they what the Parliament would do ? Or that therewould be' none to conceit againtt them in the Convocation? How could they know thefe things beforehand ? Therefore it was neceffary that mode- rate things fhould be propofed and promifed ; and no way was'fo fit asby a Decla- ration, which being no Law, is a temporary thing, giving place to Laws : And it
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=