in Order or Office as Mr. Humphreys has largely prov'd in a late Book called the Healing Attempt We wou'd humbly desire 'em to use their interest that that unhappy Clause may be ras't out of the Preface to the present Book of Ordination in which 't is so peremptorily asserted That 't is evident to all men diligently reading the H. Scriptures and ancient Authors that from the Apostles time there have been these three Orders in Christ's Church Bishops Priests and Deacons That by three Orders they mean three Offices is plain from the very following words which Offices were evermore had in such Reverend Estimation c. Now it seems to us very unreasonable that all Ministers shou'd be by the Act of Uniformity oblig'd to profess their Assent to this proposition when 't is so contrary to the current judgment of the generality of the most Eminent Protestant Conforming Divines in those 3 foremention'd Reigns to whom we might add several very learned ones in the Reign of K. James the first and K. Charles the first and 2d but especially when 't is a Proposition at best disputable both among learned Protestants and Papists and as far as we can judg rather evidently contrary to the holy Scriptures and to the first and purest ages of Christianity So that we fear that few Ministers can sincerely profess their Assent to this Assertion who have taken the pains to make any impartial enquiry into this matter And we are the more desirous of having this Clause ras't out because this new Opinion of Episcopacy being a distinct Order and Office from Presbytery is the ground of that uncharitable practice of the Establisht Church in requiring Reordination in all such at home as have been ordained by Presbyters i. e. true Scriptural Bishops and Pastors as a necessary condition of being admitted to the exercise of their Ministerial Function nay in urging Reordination too on all the Ministers of Reformed Churches abroad who never had Diocesan Bishops among ' em As if all the administrations of those Eminent Ministers in France who are now so honourable Confessors in the cause of Reformed Christianity were mere Nullitys till Prelatical Hands were laid upon ' em 2. Since the Archbishops and Bishops claim the Government of the Church as their Province we humbly wish they wou'd endeavour to recover the spiritual part of their Authority out of their Chancellor's hands who have so long usurpt the keys of sacred Discipline and have hitherto so scandalously manag'd 'em as to bring the solemn censures of the Church into general contempt And no wonder when they are prostituted to so vile a purpose as that of filthy lucre and thereby the Temple of God is turn'd into a House of Merchandize We do not speak this against the power of the Spiritual Courts in those Civil Causes or in those Ecclesiastical ones which their Majesties in pursuance of their just power circa sacra may authorize 'em to determine but only their assuming the cognizance of all cases of scandal so far as they subject men to the censures of the Church and being entrusted with the infliction of those censures even in reference to all the numerous causes that come before 'em so few of which properly belong to an Ecclesiastical Judicatory For besides that we think That the power of inflicting those censures belongs to Pastors and cannot be delegated by 'em to a Layman it seems a certain and unavoidable tho pernicious consequence of such Spiritual Courts being entrusted with the sentence of Excommunication to enforce all their Decrees that the most awful judgment on earth is like to use my Ld Bacon's expressions to be made an ordinary process to lacquey up and down for fees * Consider for the better establishing the Ch. of Engl. We doubt not their Lp's have read Bp Bedel's Life wrote by the present Bp. of Sarum wherein there is so loud and just a complaint of the gross abuses of this kind and so noble an example set 'em of zeal for the Reformation of ' em And no doubt if they wou'd concur in their imitation of it they might do it with rational prospect of greater success and be happily instrumental to wipe off some part of that stain brought on the Church by her tolerating these corruptions which as the foremention'd Bp of Sarum relates pious Archbishop Usher so greatly lamented and apprehended it wou'd bring a curse and ruine upon the whole Constitution See Bp. Bedel's Life p. 86 87 3. We cou'd heartily wish that when their Lp's have recover'd their own Authority out of their Chancellors hands they wou'd exercise it in concurrence with the Presbyters of their several Dioceses And herein also the foremention'd Bp. Bedel set 'em an excellent pattern Ib. p. 90. And we hope the Bp of Derry will urge 'em to an imitation thereof since he has laid it down as their common Opinion and Judgment p 175. That the Government of the Church in such districts as those of our Dioceses ought to be in a Presbytery with a Bishop as President and Governour by Christ's Appointment 4. We wou'd also humbly desire 'em to restore that Godly discipline which the Common-prayer-book tells us was in the primitive Church for bringing such as were convicted of notorious sin to publick profession of their Repentance For since the Church in the Office of Commination yearly declares that the Restoration of the said Discipline is much to be wish't It will look like a mocking of Heaven yearly to repeat such lazy wishes of it when there are no serious attempts made towards it And we can seee no reason why the Curses peculiar to the Mosaical Dispensation shou'd be substituted instead of it 5. We cou'd wish that part of the Office for Visiting the Sick might be review'd which concerns Absolution For since there is no other Absolution own'd in the Reformed Churches but either publishing the conditional offers of pardon in the Gospel or a ministerial releasing those from the Censures of the Church on whom they had been inflicted before We think it dos too much countenance the judicial power of Absolution claim'd by the Romish Priests for the Minister to absolve the uncensur'd in so peremptory terms I absolve thee from all thy sins in the name of the Father c. For they seem to make the Minister pass a more positive judgment of the sick man's Repentance than he is capable to do 6. In order to the more effectual exercise of that godly discipline foremention'd We wou'd earnestly request that the Parish-Ministers may be restor'd to that Pastoral power which Archbishop Usher in his model of Episcopacy shews that they were invested in according to the former Book of Ordination but of which they seem now depriv'd by the many changes made in the new See the Healing Attempt p. 57 58 59 c. 'T is certain they are most capable of a personal inspection of the lives of their Flock and consequently
rather think the Assemblys Catechism is herein excellently suited to the various capacities of Catechumens It has at the end the Creed the Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments as the summary of our Belief desires and practice And in those I hope his Lp. will grant the first and necessary principles of the Oracles of God are plainly laid down And indeed the Church-Catechism contains little more But for those whose capacity is something more emprov'd the Questions and Answers in that Catechism do excellently explain the three fore-mention'd summarys of our Religion and lay down such other Principles as are the most important and needful inferences from ' em And why dos our Author imagin that no form of sound words must comprehend more than what is to be first taught the lowest sort of Catechumens when almost all the Reformed Churches do herein differ from him few of whom compose Catechisms for their people that are not rather longer than the shorter one compos'd by the Assembly And whereas he adds Our Catechism is full of hard words school-terms and abstruse notions no wise necessary to be known nor possible to be understood by children or unlearned persons for whose Edification principally a Catechism ought to be design'd I only add If he had expected any Answer he shou'd have been particular in his accusation and not left us to ghess in the dark what instances he grounds it upon Again He accuses it of being so long and intricate that no one child in ten gets it by heart nor one in 500 retains it as he saith he has found by experience To which I shall only answer that as we have little reason to believe the Bp. has so often tried this matter as to enable him to pass so particular a judgment about it so his experience and ours who have better opportunity of trying it do no way agree For we know there is nothing in this particular computation that comes near to truth in matter of fact And I believe if his Lp. make a more accurate trial he will find as many of the Dissenters children that have got their Catechism by heart as of others that have done so by the Church-Catechism even tho the former be so much larger And if any of 'em forget it again 't is their own fault not their Minister's who more exactly examin 'em in that point than any others that I know of But 2. His severest charge against this Catechism is That notwithstanding its length it is imperfect some of the principles of the Apostle's Catechism being quite left out of it I mean laying on of hands joyn'd with Baptism 6 Heb. 2. A great defect sure in a Catechism to leave out a fundamental of Christianity Answ Is it not strange that the Bp. shou'd have no regard to the reputation of his own Church in such weak censures as these Dos he mean that our Catechism has laid aside the expression of of laying on of hands or the thing signify'd by it If he mean only the expression cou'd he not easily foresee that such an objection against the Assemblys Catechism has no weight in it Nay that the Church-Catechism is liable to the same objection I wou'd desire him to take the pains to read it over and tell us where he can find laying on of hands mention'd in it If he means the thing signify'd by laying on of hands Why dos he not tell us what it is but leave us to blind conjectures what this fundamental Principle is which he charges our Catechism as defective for the omission of Dos he mean such laying on of hands on children as our Saviour us'd when he blest 'em 19 Matth. 13 Or laying on of hands on the sick when they were heal'd 7 Mark 32 Or Imposition of hands on such as the Apostles Baptiz'd in order to the communicating the extraordinary gifts of the H. Spirit to 'em 8 Act 17 Or imposition of hands in order to the setting persons apart to some sacred Office or Charge 6 Acts 6 Or imposition of hands on the Sacrifice 1 Lev. 4. 8 Numb 12. 29 Exod. 15. 2 Chron. 19. v. 23 For Expositors mention all these various senses of the word in their comments on 6 Heb. 2. Now I wou'd entreat him to review 'em and tell me which of these sorts of imposition of hands is spoken of in the Church-Catechism For I hope he dos not mistake the Rubrick about Confirmation for a part of it If none of 'em are mention'd in it for the Instruction of Catechumens why shou'd he charge that as a great defect in our Catechism which is wanting in their own But what if I shou'd tell him 't is highly probable that neither Baptisms nor Imposition of hands are mention'd in that fore-cited summary of Principles 6 Heb. 2. as distinct Principles at all He knows Expositors observe that the Original may be read thus Not laying again the foundation of Repentance from dead works and Faith in God being the Doctrine of Baptisms and Imposition of hands i. e. the Doctrine typify'd by those two rites in the Jewish Religion their legal Washings or Purifications and the Imposition of hands on the head of the Sacrifice For as those legal Purifications were typical of Repentance from dead words so that Imposition of hands on the head of the Sacrifice was typical of Faith in God thro a Mediator and his attoning sacrifice Or we may take both these rites as typical of Faith in God thro the expiatory and cleansing vertue of the Mediator's Sacrifice And I shall suggest three things to strengthen this Exposition First that this Exposition is most agreeable to the scope of the Inspired Writer who was about to treat of this Sacrifice of Christ and its expiatory vertue as the Antitype of the legal Purifications and Sacrifices as appears from the 9th ch of that Ep Secondly because Baptisms in the plural number is never that I know of in all the Scriptures us'd concerning Christian Baptism but is us'd in this very Ep. concerning the Jewish Washings or Purifications 9 Heb. 10. Thirdly because 't is not easily conceivable how any of the other sorts of Imposition of hands shou'd come to be made here by the Inspired Writer a fundamental principle of the Christian Religion For why shou'd the Doctrine of External Baptism or that of Imposition of hands in any of the senses fore-mention'd be any more rank't among Fundamental Articles than the Doctrine of the Lord's-Supper of which there is not the least mention made here But since the Bp. seems to insinuate here as if he took the Confirmation practis'd in the Establisht Church to be one of the Principles mention'd 6 Heb. 2. I wou'd very gladly if he be of that Opinion understand what grounds he has for it For I am prone to suspect that the Order of the Church about Confirmation is an Abuse that needs to be reform'd Were there nothing more in it than a grave Bishop's praying over
children and using this common Jewish custom as our Saviour did of laying his hands on their heads while he prayd I shou'd not much quarrel with it tho why the Parish-Minister's Prayers and Blessing under whose Pastoral care they are shou'd not be as significant I know not But I understand no good reason why the Bishop shou'd be order'd to say in the Collect us'd on this occasion That he lays hands on 'em by the example of the H. Apostles to certify 'em by this sign of God's favour and gracious goodness towards ' em For I take the Arguments which the learned Daillé has produc'd against his Romish Adversaries in his admirable Discourse about Confirmation to prove That the Apostles laid hands on the newly-baptiz'd only to communicate the extraordinary gifts not the ordinary sanctifying influences of the H. Spirit to be unanswerable How come our Bishops then to lay hands on children after their Example when they do not pretend to any such power of communicating those extraordinary gifts as the Apostles had Nay what divine warrant have they to certify children by this sign of God's favour and gracious goodness towards ' em What promise can they produce of God's annexing his favour to this sign If they can produce such a promise here is a New Sacrament of divine Institution in the Christian Church besides Baptism and the Lord's-Supper If they can produce none here seems to be a new Human Sacrament For according to the definition of the Church-Catechism Here is an outward visible sign viz. The Imposition of hands 'T is a sign of spiritual grace no less than God's favour and gracious goodness The Sign is made a means of conferring it because those that use it profess to do it in imitation of the holy Apostles who did certainly by their Imposition of hands communicate the holy Spirit And 't is expresly made by the Collect a pledge to assure 'em of it Here wants nothing then but Christ's Institution which if it be not produc'd here is in the proper sense of the word a sinful Invention of men in the worship of God And we shall have the greater reason to be jealous of it if our Author advance the doctrine of it into an Essential Article of our Religion However we may hence perceive that 't was not in vain that the Church Catechism puts so wary an Answer into the childrens mouths when that Question is propos'd How many Sacraments are there Answ Two only as generally necessary to Salvation viz. Baptism and the Lord's-Supper But if Confirmation be a Sacrament of divine Institution at all I know not why it shou'd not be as necessary to Salvation as either of the other If it be not Why is it retain'd I know indeed there is a sort of Confirmation which those excellent Divines Mr. Hanmer and Mr. Baxter plead for i. e. They wou'd have adult persons oblig'd publickly to own their Consent to the Baptismal Covenant in order to their Admission to the Lord's-Supper But then they wou'd have this done at such years when they are capable of professing an understanding serious and credible consent to it But this can no way excuse the common practice of the Establisht Church in admitting children to it as soon as they can say the Creed the Lord's-Prayer and Ten Comandments tho no such understanding consent to their Baptismal Engagements can be expected from ' em For this is no better than perverting a most useful practice and agreeable to the general Rules of Scripture into an empty Formality or rather a solemn Trifling and Mockery Having dispatch't the First I come to consider the Bp's II CHarge against the practice of Dissenters which I shall deliver in his own words But the most sad and deplorable defect of your performance of this duty is your casting out the Reading of the Word of God from most of your publick Assemblys directly contrary to God's Institution and Ordinance for the Instruction of his Church Insomuch that in many of your Meetings setting aside a verse or two for a Text or Quotation at the discretion of the Teacher the voice of God is never publickly heard among ' em This is matter of fact and undeniable And in all the Meetings of the North of Ireland in a whole year perhaps there is not so much Scripture read as in one day in our Church by the strictest enquiry I cou'd make c. Sure 't is a sad thing that a man may go to most Meetings many years and never hear one entire Chapter read in ' em Answ T is really deplorable that some men when they write for a Party make so little conscience of Truth as to offer the most barefac't untruths for undeniable matters of fact And I am sorry that the Bp. shou'd be so unfortunate in his Enquirys as to meet with no better Informers than such as have so grossly impos'd upon his credulity in the accounts they have given him of the practice of Dissenters And therefore to ease him of these sad thoughs that he seems possest with on this occasion I must relate matters of fact more truly to him viz. That 't is the general practice of the Ministers in the North of Ireland for about three quarters of the year For in most Meetings the Winter quarter is only excepted to read every morning an entire portion of Scripture usually a whole Chapter or at least so much of one as they can go thro with in an Exposition of half an hours length And upon the best enenquiry I can make he will find very few Meetings if any at all that vary from this practice What Apology then can he make not only for his charging 'em with casting-out the Reading of the Scriptures but for his telling us that perhaps there is not so much Scripture read in all the Meetings in the North of Ireland in a year as in one day in the Establisht Church Let us suppose there are 40 Meetings in the North of Ireland and let us suppose in each Meeting half a Chapter read every Ld's-day for three quarters of the year And this is the least that is really read for they more commonly read a whole Chapter yet by this computation there will be near 800 Chapters read in those Meetings in a year And will his Lordship persuade us that there is as much read in one day in the Church If he mean that there is as much read in one day in all the Parish-Churches in the North there 's nothing like Truth in his Assertion If he mean there is as much read every day in each Parish-Church as his words seem to import what he asserts is so ridiculous that one wou'd think if he had no regard to truth yet he shou'd have some to common sense in his accusations Nay I must add that I look upon his Lordship's charge as so unjust that if we take the Scriptures to be read when-ever they are verbatim recited to the People
require 3. That particular Churches their respective Elders and Members ought to have a Reverential regard to their Judgment so given and not dissent therefrom without apparent grounds from the Word of God These are Propositions of the same import with those in the Reflections and they are so far from being inconsistent with any Principle of those call'd Presbyterians that the most eminent of those at London have subscrib'd ' em 'T is true indeed the Presbyterians do assert more then this and the Assembly of Divines in their humble Advice concerning Church Government have some Assertions to which the Congregational Divines do not fully assent But as to these Differences as I have not in the foremention'd Book declar'd my own Judgment so I know no right the Bishop has to declare it for me when he dos not know it I have indeed quoted the Judgment of Archbishop Vsher concerning the Antient Councils which he thought were not for Government but Vnity c. And if he will on this account rank that Venerable Primate among the Congregational Divines they will no doubt think themselves greatly honour'd with his company But for my own Thoughts I shall freely subjoin that I am greatly inclin'd to think That the difference between those that make Synods only Consultative Meetings and those that call 'em Church Judicatories and ascribe a Governing Power to 'em is in a great measure rather verbal then real For those that make 'em Church-Judicatories assign 'em only a Ministerial and Declarative Power and never imagin'd that the People ow'd a blind obedience to their determinations And those that make 'em only Consultative Meetings for preservation of Concord yet assert such a deference due to their Judgment That it shou'd be complied with both by particular Pastors and their Flocks in all things not repugnant to the Word of God Nor do they deny that such Synods may disown such particular Pastors and their Flocks as walk disorderly by rejecting their just and necessary Determinations as no Members of their Association or that they may entirely disclaim Christian Communion with those particular Churches that persist impenitently in maintaining such corruptions in Doctrine and Worship as directly strike at the very Vitals and Essentials of the Christian Religion And I see not what those can justly attribute to such Synods more then this who make 'em Governing Assemblies or Ecclesiastical Judicatories Nor do I know any great difficulty there is in moderate and wise men's joining in all the real use of such Synods in order to the preservation of the Churches peace notwithstanding these different Names or Notions they affix to such Ecclesiastical Assemblies and their Determinations Of which more may occur when I consider what his Lp. objects against the Principles he ascribes to me On the other hand The Bishop has not truly stated the difference between the Presbyterians and Prelatists when he tells us 'T is concerning these particular Districts namely Whether the government over 'em ought to be in a Presbytery with a Bishop as President and Governour by Christ's appointment or in a Colledg of Presbyters absolutely equal Answ Dos not his Lordship know that our Modern Prelates not only pretend to a distinct and superior Office and not meerly a higher degree in the same Office but assume all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to themselves Do they not plainly exclude all Presbyters from any share in it Are not all Church Censures past by the Chancellor solely in the Bishop's name without any concurrence of the Presbyters of the Diocess who have no voice in 'em nor are so much as call'd or requir'd to be present in the Spiritual Court Nay If this be all that our Prelates pretend to viz. To be Presidents in a Diocesan Synod in which the Presbyters of the Diocess share in the Government How came they to reject Archbp. Vsher's model of Episcopacy that allows such a stated Presidency to Bishops when this was offer'd by the Divines call'd Presbyterians at the memorable Savoy Conference as the ground of Accomodation For tho those Divines did not think such a stated Presidency of one Person of immediate Divine Appointment yet they thought it such a prudential human Constitution as they cou'd for peace sake submit to But he knows the Bishops rejected that Offer with scorn nay wou'd not stand to the King's Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs that gave 'em much more of power then Archbp. Vshers model So that his Lp. seems not to understand the Principles of his Brethern and I am beginning to hope is of more moderate Sentiments in this point then those Commissioners at that Treaty were It remains only under this Head that I consider what he has to object against those Principles of mine as they are now truly cited from the Reflections For I hope he dos not think me oblig'd to defend Positions that are none of my own Now it is manifest saith he That these Principles of theirs-are much more different from your Principles then ours are And the difference is much greater and more material For it 's possible on your Principles and ours to preserve Vnity and keep up some value for Excommunication since he who is censur'd in one Church cannot be received in another neither with you nor us Whereas in the Congregational way he that is Excommunicated in one Congregation may remove to another or set up one for himself if he pleases At the worst if he shou'd it wou'd be counted but an irregularity These Principles are destructive to the Peace and Unity of the Church as well as to our common Cause Answ For the Congregational Divines I see no difficulty in clearing their Principles from these invidious consequences he draws from 'em for all of 'em assert that he who is justly Excommunicated in one Church ought to be receiv'd by no other whatever But for my own which I am only here concern'd to defend I wou'd desire his Lp. to review his Arguments and tell me where the force of 'em lyes What Vnity of the Church are those Principles lay'd down in the Reflections destructive of Is it destructive to the Churches Unity to assert That the Light of Nature and general Rules of Scripture oblige the Pastors of the Church to associate for it's preservation by their mutual Consultations And that the Judgment of such associated Pastors shou'd be submitted to whenever 't is not repugnant to the Word of God Nor do I disallow but approve of Associations in those lesser or larger Districts and the regular Subordination of the lesser to the greater What then can he find in my Principles destructive of the Churches Unity unless he imagines it to be so That I assert That the People do not owe a blind Obedience to such Synods and that such associated Pastors have their power for Edification and not Destruction And dare he pretend the contrary Dos not the Church of England declare That all Councills may err and will he assign
of enquiring into any scandalous miscarriages among 'em and suiting their admonitions to the case of such Offenders and judging whether there be or be not a credible profession of Repentance made by ' em Nor can there be any danger of their abusing that sacred censure of Excommunication by being too rash in it for that danger is fully obviated by the method propos'd in the foremention'd model of AB Usher which refers the decreeing that sentence to the monthly Synod of the Ministers in that Precinct or part of the Diocess of which the Suffragan or Chorepiscopus is the Moderator In the mean time we cou'd wish that Parish-Ministers were more effectually urg'd to observe the 20th Canon which charges 'em not to admit to the holy Cammunion any of their Cure or Flock which â—e openly known to live in notorious sin without Repentance tho we can expect no very considerable effects of such a temporary suspension when it obliges the Minister to turn Informer against such Offenders in the Spiritual Court where they are sure to be put to great charges by which method he is but like to alienate their hearts from him and frustrate the success of all those admonitions by which he shou'd endeavour to recover 'em to Repentance 7. They wou'd farther humbly desire that some more effectual care may be taken for the tryal of those that are to be admitted into Holy Orders For the 32d Canon enjoyns the Bishop to examin 'em in the presence of those Ministers that shall assist at the Imposition of hands or at least take care that those Ministers shall examin them yet we understand this is too often put off to an Archdeacon or one of his Chaplains and at best but too superficially perform'd And we humbly conceive the Canon it self is very defective in not recommending such particular Tryals as are fit for such Candidates of the Ministerial Function to undergo in order to their giving a sufficient specimen of their proficiency in the study of Divinity and in the knowledge of the holy Scriptures And herein we wou'd humbly recommend to 'em the excellent method propos'd by the Westminster-Assembly in their Propositions relating to Church-Government and Ordination viz. That such Candidates be examin'd touching their skill in The Original Languages by Reading the Hebrew and Greek Testaments and rendring some portion of 'em into Latin They are to be examin'd also what Authors in Divinity they have read and trial shall be made of their knowledge of the grounds of Religion and ability to defend the Orthodox Doctrine in 'em against all unsound and erroneous Opinions especially those of the present Age of their skill and sense in the meaning of such places of Scripture as shall be propos'd to 'em in cases of Conscience and in the chronology of the Scripture and in the Ecclesiastical History They are to expound some difficult place of Scripture they are to frame a discourse in Latin upon some common-place or controversy in Divinity and maintain a Dispute upon it and they are to Preach a practical Sermon before the people those concern'd in their Ordination being present This method is so exactly follow'd among the Dissenters that those they ordain commonly pass twice thro these Tryals both when they are first allow'd to Preach as Candidates and at their Ordination And as 't is the most effectual that can be propos'd for preventing an ignorant and insufficient Ministry so 't is the more requisite that the like care shou'd be taken in the Establisht Church where so many are tempted to croud into the Sacred Office by the lure of secular interest and so many Parents from the prospect of preferment thrust those of their Children upon the service of the Church whom they are at a loss how to dispose otherwise of 8. We cou'd heartily desire some more effectual course were taken for the Reformation of such of the Clergy whose scandalous lives stain the honour of their profession For the infectious examples of such Clergymen are far more powerful to spread the contagion of wickedness and vice among their Flock than their doctrine to propagate piety and holiness And 't is no wonder that either the offerings of the Lord are abhorr'd by the people when they see 'em presented by so unhallow'd hands or that they run without restraint into all excess of Riot when they do but herein follow their spiritual Guides 'T is great pitty therefore that the 42d Canon which threatens such scandalous Clergymen with Ecclesiastical censures is not more faithfully executed And it seems unaccountable why it shou'd not as expresly order the suspension and deposition of such as are found incorrigible as other Canons of the Church of England order their suspension and deposition for no greater faults than Omitting the use of any form of Prayer or any other Rite or Ceremony prescrib'd by the Service-Book or appointing or keeping Fasts either in publick or in private houses without the Bp's leave For this is to lay greater stress on the Churches Injunctions than on God's commands and to punish non-conformity to the former more strictly than disobedience to the latter We shall only add that if the Law of Moses so carefully provided that its Preists shou'd have no blemish or deformity on their bodys sure much greater care shou'd be taken that those who serve at the Christian Altar shou'd not be persons of deformed souls and of a tainted conversation And we are heartily glad that their Majesties by their Royal Commission have begun so necessary a work in this Kingdom as the purging the Church from such scandalous Clergymen as have too long been the blemishes of their holy profession and hope it may extend to all other parts where there is the like necessity for it as there appears to have been in the Diocess of Down and Connor 9. They wou'd also earnestly desire that so gross a corruption as that of Pluralitys and Non-Residence so universally complain'd of may be at last effectually reform'd In order whereto they desire it may be seriously consider'd whether our Canons themselves do not rather confirm than reform these Abuses For by the 36th Canon every Master of Arts that is a publick and sufficient Preacher is capable of Pluralitys The Time which he that enjoys 'em is to reside in each of his Benefices is not determin'd And by the 41 Canon of the Church of England I find no other bounds set to the number of Benefices than that they must not be more than thirty miles asunder And tho every such Bluralist be requir'd to have under him in the Benefices where he dos not reside a lawful and sufficient Preacher yet it is both unreasonable in it self that such a sufficient Preacher shou'd sacrifice his painful labours to pamper the avarice and ease of another And 't is too notorious that such Pluralists for the most part give so despicable and stingy allowance to their poor Curates that it cannot reasonably