36 The - L I F L of .11'e Part lìi. 7, Becaufe in.many families the* are nonemite car read or pray, or call to remembrance what theyhave beard to edify tbemfelves and fiend the Lords day in holy Exereafes, andmany of theft live fo far from the Church, that theygo more fel+dom th.m the rest, and therefore bavegreat need of the gljftance of their Neighbours, it isnot to be taken for a Conventicle or unlawful meetingwhen Neighbours'Jhall peaceablyjoyn together inreadiag the Scriptureor any good books, or repeatingpublsck Sermons, and praying, and e,ngingFfilms toGod, ohil a thy do it under the infpeltionof the h inifter, andnot in oppofition to the publick.Affembles. Nor yet that meeting where the N.inifter 'hall privatelyCatechize his Neighbours, or pray with them, when they are in ficknefs, danger, oh diftrefs, the perfons offeveral Families ¡hall be prefent. 8. Whereas the Canon andRubrick forbid the ad ciftiion ofnotorious fcandalous fsnners to the Lords table, be it enalied that thofe who are proved to deride or (corn at Cbriftianity, or the holy Scriptures, or the Life of Seward and Pun vent, or the feriases pralticeof a Godly Life, and frill obedience to Gods Commands, fhall be numbered with the Scandalous . fsnners mentioned in the Canon and Rubrick, andnot admitted, before repentance, to the boy Communion. , $ 69. Thefollowing paper will give you the reafons of all OUT alterations of their form of Words : But I mull add this, that we thought not the form of Subfcrip- tionfuficient to keep out a Papift from the eftabliihed Miniftery (much lefs from a 'Toleration, which we medled not with). And here and inother alterations I bore the blame, and they told me that noMan wouldputin filch doubts but I. And I will here tell Pofterity this Truth as a Myftery (yet only to theblind) which muff not now befpoken, that I believe that I have been guilty of hindering our own Liberties in all Treaties that ever I was employ'd in: For I remember not one in which there was not fome crevice, or contrivance, or terms offered, for fuck a Toleration, as would have let inthe moderate Papi/ts with us: And if we would but have opened the Door to let the Paptfts in, that their Tolerationmight have been charged upon us; as beingfor our fakes, and by our requeft or-procurement, Ive might in all like- lihood have had our part. But though, for my ownpart, I . am not for Cruelty againft Papii to, anymore than others, even when they are molt cruel co.us, hutcould allow them a terrain degree of liberty, on Terms that (hall fecure the common Peace, and the People's Souls; yet I Ihall never beoneofthem that by any renewed pref- fures or feverities, Ihall be forced to petition for thePapifts liberty ; it theymuft have it, let them Petition for it themfelves : No craft of3efuits or Prelates, Ihall thunder hie, cudgel me, or cheat me intothe Opinion, that it is now neceffary for our own Miniftry, Liberty, or Lives, that we, I fay, we NonconformiJts, be the famedIn- 'troducers ofthe PapiftsToleration; that fo neither Papilla, nor Prelatiltsmay bear the odium ofit, but may lay it all on us. God dowhat he will with us, his way is beft, but I think that this is not hts way. 5 7o. Upon thefe Alterations, l was put to give in my Reafons of them ; which were as followed], The J eafarts of our Alterations ofyour. Propofalr. x. T Put in [Prefidents] &e. .to avoid Difpute, whether fuch were meet Presbyters, or (as fume think) Bìfhops. z. 1 leave out [times of diforder, ] becaufe it will elfe 'exclude allthat were Ordained byPresbyters fine the Kingcame in. 3. Iput in [ Infbitu- tedand Authorized] to intimate that it is not an Ordination to the .Neiniftr Inge his but adefagnation to a particular Charge, and a legal Licenfe, Le. q.. .[By y Majelby, (t e.] becaufe it bs notfor us to offer our felves to a Diocefans Impofition of Hands an that manne. ; but ifyou put it in other Wards, we cannot help it. 3. There are three things which the Nonconformifts hereforuple. r . Renouncing their Ordination ; z. Reordi- nation (which tie like Rebaptization.) 3. Owning the Diocefan Species ofPrelacy; ( for the Presbyterians are againft all Prelacy, and the Epifenpal Nonconformi/is are againft the Enelilh Frame, as contrary to that in the time ofCyprian, &c.) Therefore becaufe theft Words fo much fern to exprefs a Re-ordination by Diocefans, i. by thefgn ofInapofatson of Hands, 2. By the o utborïftng Words, 3. and put in ofpurpofe to fattcfle them that the
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