(1244 (late and conflitution of 'their places, and not long of their perfanss that their very proper work is made but a fhaddowand a dream. r a. But though this be but ad hombres, yet really we have had very worthy and excellent perlons to be.Bifhops.; what a man was3ernell? Arch- bifhop Grindal had Godlinefs enough and refolution too to make him odius, and favouredLeetures and Preaching, &v. Enough to bring him down, if Cambden, Godnin or Fuller, ,are to be believed : but ne- ver coulddo this workofdi!cipline, upon one of hundreds or thoufands under him. We had an excellent Arch-Bifhop-Abbot afterwards, good enough tobe reproached' by Heylin, and to fuffer whatI neednot men tion, but never able to do this work. What Learned, Judicious wor- thy men, were his Broth..r Robert Abbot, and after him Davenant, Hilltops of Salisbury ? And how good a man was peaceable Bithop Hall , fo Vfher in Ireland , Moron and many more ? But no fuch thing was done by any of them? what.fhould I lay nowof Bithop Reignolds; and " Bithop Wilkins, Men Learned and extraordinary honed in there times : But let any man enquire whether any fuch thing as the difcipline in queftion is exercifed on the thoufandth Criminal in their Diocefe ? Indeed we- have heard in Bithop Reignolds Diocefe of a great number cenfured for Nonconformity : And it is his praife that it was not his doing; but his Chancellours (though heretofore Judge Advocate in Fairefaxes or Cromtrells Army. ) And tofay .now that it is long of Church-Wardens, Chancellours, sic. Is but to fay that the Church is corrupted, the Epilco- :pal difcipline almolt quite call out, and all the remedy is to fay, It is long of fomebody : Like the Phyfician whofe Praife was, that his patients dyed according to the rules of art ; or the nurfe whofe praife was, that thoughmot}"ofthe Children perifhed, it was long ,ot themfelves orfome- bodyelf. IV. But the.fulleft experience, which fofar fatisfieth me that all the books in the world cannot change me in this, is my own, and the ref( ofmy Brethren in the Minillry. I have lived now ( through Gods won- *wow ne.r- dextul mercy ) threefcore years wanting leffe than four ` In all this y, ,five time, whilft the Bithops ruled, I never heard one man or woman cal- 1 have:ate led openly to. repentance for any fin(; -.nor one ever publikely confefs I, heard 'or lament any fin ? Nor one that was excommunicate in any Coul- on mom.' tr where I came except the .Nonconformifs Nor did I hear y munieated P fir teachrng of any but one man to my remembrance ,. who did formal penance Schooland for Fornication, I doubt rot but there have been more: But the num- bzing mare-ber tray beconj,lured by this. I lived undera great number ofdrun- ricd with ken ana i norant Curates that never preached, and Schoolmaffcrs, m our Gitefe, g P Y and a rhi n d fell, and many more were round about us, that were never troubled with no taufe difcipline, or -call 'our. .I never lived -where drunkards and (wearers named were not common ; but never one of them underwent the Churches' difcipline : But thole that met to fall and pray, and went to hearacA Sermon two miles off, when they had none athome. But yet this is the W late of ivyconviftion.
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