and flop the mouths of Hereticks and contradi&ers, and confirm the troubled and wavering minded in the faith : not by fire and fword, nor by a quick prohibition of others to preach ; but by lober conferences, and weight of evi- dence, and by Epiflles as Paul did, when they are not at hand, yea even to other Churches : and as one that is gentle to all men, apt to teach, patient, in meeknefs inflrulling them that oppofe themfelves, if Godperadventure willgive them repentance to the acknowledgingofthe truth, 2 Tim. 2.24, 25. And than theBifhop do this for many hundred Churches ? While he is' defending the poor flock againfl Papifls, Quakers, Arrians, Socinians, Infidels (alas how numerous are the deceivers !) at Newark, or Gainsborough,or Bofton,what thall they all dá between that and Barnet, or the remote& part ofBuclingham[bire ? II. The fecond part ofthe Bifhops office is tobe the peoples Priefllyguides in Gods worthip : principally in the publickAffemblies, and oft in private, viz. . To confefs thepeoples fins and their own: To be their ownand the Churches mouth in prayer thankfgiving and the praifes of the Lord. And in howmany hundred Congregations-at w wilt ct cy dbthis ? 2. To confecrate and dili:ribute the Sacrament ofCommunion ; and confe- qúentiy todifeern who are fit for it. And in how many Churches at once will be do this ? 3. To biers the Congregation at the end of every meeting. All thefe I have before proved that the ancient Bifhops did ; and Dr. Hammondfaith, No other inScripturetimes; Andwhat 'ubiquitary (hail do this. 4: And in private it is theBithop that mull vifit the lick, that muff be fent for by them all, and mull praywith them. As Dr. H. at large proveth,Annot. in yam. 5. I have told youbeforehow well and for how many he is able to do this, in one of our Diocefes. If that ferve not turn, I pray you if you are foreigners, ask' Englifh men what number it is oflick men in a Diocefe that are vifited and prayed with by theBithop?Compare them with the Bills ofMor- talky in London, and judge proportionablyof the reg, whether he vifit one of many thoufands ofinch as die, to fay nothingofall the lick thatdo recover. 5. And it is the Bithops work,to receive all theofferings, firf-fruits, tythes, and other maintenanceof the Church, as the Canons before cited fay. And fee Dr. H. on Ali: 2. e. and A£l. 4. 33,34,35,&e. 6. It was the Bithops work to take careofall the Poor, 'Orphans, Widows, Strangers, as the Canons cited Phew ; And Dr.H. on a Cor. r 2. 28. c. faith [ The fu reme tro4l amd charge was refirved to the Apoflles and Bifhops of the Church.] So in Can. 41. Apnfl. A Bifhop mull have the care of the moneys, fo that by his power all be difpenfed to the poor, Oc. where he citeth 3uí1. Mart. and Polycarp. for a particular care. I have before toldyou that if thepoor ofevery parüh be not relieved till the Bifhoptake notice of them, few of the poor in England would be any more for Bifhops, than for famine; nake"dnefs, and death. III. But theprincipal thing which I reckon impoffible, and is, and mull be deßroyed by Diocefanes, is the Government ofall the ,particular Churches, ( or Pari(hes ) in the Diocefe. Where
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