Of CONFORMITY. 119 Drunkennefr, without the lean fign ofRe- pentance, or acceptance with God;; were thefe exprefjìons defign'd for him ? Can the Canon which refpe&s this, be fuppo- fed to command the ufe of thisform, any otherwife than as it was defigned by the Church ? Do anyofour Governours, or did they ever inl[I upon obedience to the let- ter of this Canon in fuch cafes ? not as I know of; and if they did, I íhould ven- ture any.penalty rather than obey : be- caufe my confcience would not let me fay, I hoped the dead perfon refis inChrifl, when there cannot be the leaft ground for hope ; and becaufe I cannot reconcile fuch an obedience with the obligations I am under to the Church. But , as for omitting what was never intended by the Church for fuch occafions, I could do it with a very eafy confcience : having by no vow, declaration, or fubfcription, as I apprehend, obligedmy fell' to the ufe of any thing againíl the plain intent of that Church in which I miniller. And did it appear, that, it was the defign of this Church, and of the Governours of it, to oblige thole who mini/ier in it to declare in publick,. that they hope commonSwear- ers, Drunkards, Adulterers, Murtherers, 14 Bkafpbee
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