Hoadly - BX5136 H6

of CONFORMITY. 6 3. That Mr. Baxter's praaice , and the practice of the Independents is for Impofitions. Thefe Confiderations will , I think, contain a fufficient anfwer to all that bath been objehed on this ac- count. i. That the Bithops have authority to prefcribe thefe things which are fo griev- oully complain'd of. This authority, ; we fay, they have, as they received the care of the Church from their Fre- dece%urs ; as they are obliged to take the mold effeaual methods for the prep fervation of Order, and Decency, in the publick worfhip ofGod ; and as it refults from the nature of all Societies, that the Governours of them fhould have a power of ordering what feems to them mofl foi' the beauty, and advantage of them ; that they fhould be the judges of what conduces to this end, and' fhould. have a title to the obedience of the peo- ple under their care, in whatever does not contradi& the Laws of that Society by which they are all to be governed. Nor do I find but that you would have joyned with them, in the impofing and prefcribing fome things. Now then, if I can ¡hew that the very fame objeaions F 2 may

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