P ART II. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 397 their Repentance by Name, or to judge who is to be cart out of the Communion of the Church, or to be Abfòlved, nor to deny the Sacrament to any, unlefs for a, . particular time, when he is jut} going. toAdminifter it , he fee any there that are notorioully guilty, and he take them then alide, and they will not fo much as fay, We will do better : And iris uncertain whether he may Sufpend any -of thefe, but: the Malicious that will not be reconciled: So that the Minifiers may read Prayers and Preach,and may read an Excommunication or Abfolution when it is fent them, andmay, if they pleafe, joys with theChurchwarden.as Informers; to prefent fome Men to the Bishops Court, but Church-Government is denied them. The Government then of all chele Churches, and Exercife of Holy Difcipline, belongethto the Bishops in Title ; but the Bithopsdo and muff Exercifeit in their. Courts or Confsuories. In every Diocefs there is one of there Courts, where the -Ordinary Judge is the Bilhop's Chancellour, a Lay-man, and a Civil Lawyer (though in many Cafes the Bilhop may fit himfelf ifhe pleafe),: The Court hath allo a Regifter,and Pro&ors to plead Mens Caufes; as Counfellers in Civil Courts:: And they have fome Fellows called Apparators, who are their Meffengers for Ci- tation, betides the Churchwardens Presentments, who bringdaern:inCullom-This Court is to hear all conliderable Caufes, and determine them by Excommunications or Abfolutions, and to fend their Excommunications or Abfolutions written to the Parilh Prieft, who is to read them. Butpro forma when theLay Chancellour hach refolved who (hall be Excommunicated, they have a Clergy Presbyter prefent to fpeak the Sentence in the Court, who yet hash no power, but of neeer Pronuncia- tion, bur is a Ceremony to put off theOdium front the Lay-Judg r. And ifhe have power as a Presbycer,why do theBishops appropriate it to themfelves ? If one that is no hilltop may exercife it when a Bilhop bidshim, then is it not a thing appro. priatetothe Bilhop's Office. Betides there there are Arch Deacons, who by them - felves, or their Officials, holdlbme kind of Infusions- Court, which dealeth in Id- ler Matters : Some Dioceffes have one Arch- Deacon, fome two, fome few three or four. TheBishops fhould go vife once a year, and the Arch-Deacon oftner : When they vifit they go toCome chief Town in the County , and call all the Mi- nifters to meet them, where they hear a Sermon,and Dine together ufually. They yearly compile a Book of Articleswhich Churchwardens are Iworn to enquire af- ter, and to prefent the Names of the Offendersaccordingly to the Bithop'sCourt. In brief, this is the Franceofour Diocefan Government. To which I only add, That Fees and Money for Commutation of Penance are much cf their Officers Maintenance; and that filch as they Excommunicate in molt: Cafes, are by a Writ De Excommunicate Capiendo to be laid in the Jail, till upon their Repentance theyhave made their Peace, and are abfolved. § g t 3. Having told you what our Government is, let me tell you what the Exe- cution of it is. The Books of Articles are fitted fomewhat to the Canons , by thofe Bithops that are molt moderateand cautelous, and therefore by the Engliflr Canons they may be known : fome of them ufually are againft Drunkards and Fornicators ; but the main bent of theist is againff thole that wear not the Sur- plice, that Baptizewithout the Crofs, that omit the Common Prayer, that refute to Baptize any Infant ; or that deliver the Lord's Supper to any that kneel not in receiving it ; or that fo receive it without kneeling ; that Band not up at the Gof- pet, that bow not at the. Name fefsa, (though they may lit when the fame words . are lead in the Chapter, and are not required to bow at the Name [,Chris, God]. &c.) Alfo about the Repair of the Church, the Surplice, the Books; that none pifs up to the Church-wall, &c. with many fuch things. It is a rare thing for the Churchwardens to prefent any, except Nonconformilts, that .ufe.not Ceremonies, err. Swearers, Drunkards, and Whoremongers are feldom prefeneed, left Neigh- bours be difpleafed : but Puritans have fomeone or other that is more, eager in look- ing after them. When any Scandalous Pet fonisprefènted, he hash:no other Spi_ titual Conviélion or Exhortation to Repentance, -tending to Convert his Soul, than at anyCivil Court ; But telling them that he is Sorry, and paying his Fees or Coin- mutation Money, he comes home: But when Confcientious Nonconformiltsare before them, whofe Confciences will not let them (ay that they are Sorry ( viz, for prayingor exhortingothers in their Hontes, for giving the Sacrament to them that hand or fit, dre.) they are ufually Excommunicated. I have been in molt parts.of England, and in Fifty years time I never faw one do Penance, or confefs.his Sin in publick, for any Scandalous Crime ; nor ever heard but of two in the Coun- try where I lived ( that flood in a White-iheet for Adultery) (except in tha tpace when Bilhopswere do , and then I have heard many that have penitently corn felled
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