O5) r. A Bifhop (efpecially armed with penal terrour) or a Chancellour Court, is not like-to-know of one fcandalous Impenitent perfon of a hundred, which the prefent Pallor is like to know of. For experience t_eileth us that fewhonéu men will accuf their neighbours, where they than but et hatred, and'forefee nomore probality of procuring the per-- - íòns repentance by it And that -ChurchWardensdor.ot and will not .do if, Many men that fear perjury, refute the oath, left theyfhould break it, or fin in keeping it,as it bindeth them to profecute many then for Confcientious Nonconformity : And thofe that take the Oath, be- fore they fear an oath , will make no Confcience at all of breaking it. So that a matter ofnotorious fad is pall difpute. The landknow- ear that notone Swearer, Curler, Fornicator, Adulterer, Railer, Thiel, derider of Scripture and Religion, .. ola multitude, is ever accuf- - edat thekifhops Court. Wh:reas the Prefent Paftor can fcarce choofe but know the greateft part of thefe in his Parifh, by dwelling among them, wherehe {hall have frequent notice ofit. Say as long as you will - that thisis long ofthe Minifler, or Longofthe Church-Warden.,, or of the Apparitor, we know that the thing is fo. 2. And in Church judgments wherea mans repentanceis the caule in queftion, hebath the advantage an hundred fold that is prefent. For the tenor of his life before, and. after, will be of great fignification in -judging of this: A.manthat -never fell into fucha fin before, and that - ,quickly iamenteth it by free confeeffion (known to the Pallor) may eafily be believed to be penitent. but a man that hathmany years con- tinned in a wicked life, and that after all admonition and perfwafions torepent, confeflingonedayand finning the next, and perhaps decid- ing the Pallor, and making a jell of his own confeflions, isrot fo quick- ly to be believed. And yet the ftrartge Diocefens or Chancellour fhall.not know thedifference, nor hear anymore at the bell, than [I repent] And whereas they fay, if he fin again he is tobe accufed again) r. They know de fa&o, that this isfeldome done, except againfl -fome Confèienti- ousNonconformifts.2.Andwhenneighbours fee that the man whom they enraged againfl them by an accufation, cometh home again, by Paying 'Repent, and payinghis fees, and doth but watch toexecute his malice ,.againfl the accufers , they will meddle in fuch Unprofitable work no more. 3. And whereas the ChanceIor or Diocefanemull go upon the witneffi es retort a. The credit of the witneffes will be unknown to thews becaufe it lyeth upon the honefly of the perfons, whom they know not but by other-perfonss nor thofe other but byothers; and theyare forced to take all our flight reports, ufualy from fome flatterers ofthemfelves, almoft the wort}men in the Parifa, accounted by them thebe-ft and molt credible, becaufe they knownot them aright, nor the rAl at all. a. -And how unfatisfadorya thing it is to a mans Confcience, to Judge at tandotn, or uponthe uncertain credit of they fcarce know who, ina c,fe rr«f
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