final Judgment c. are seldomer taught in their Pulpits than in those of the Conformists Or that the Dissenting Ministers less frequently urge the great duties of Godliness Righteousness Sobriety and a heavenly mind and life upon their Hearers Dos he not know that the Directory requires that ordinarily the Subject of the Minister's Sermon shall be some Text of Scripture holding forth some Principle or Head of Religion Nay dos he not know that the peculiar mysteries of the Christian Religion are so much more frequently inculcated in the Sermons of Dissenters as occasion'd some of 'em to reproach the Conformists with Preaching little but morality and borrowing their Discourses rather from Cicero and Seneca than from the Apostolical Writings and the Conformists to reproach them with turning all Christianity into mysteries and Preaching morality too little I do not recite these criminations as approving 'em for I abhor such general and blind censures but as an evidence that matter of fact is in the general opinion of both sides contrary to the Bp's representation of it Or dos he think it a good argument to prove that 't is hardly possible for our people to learn the necessary Articles of their Faith from our publick Teachings meerly because we are left to our choice as to the Subject we treat on Can he find any scriptural Rule or Example prescribing to ordinary Teachers the exact order in which they shou'd explain the mysteries of Christian Religion to the People and yet was it therefore hardly possible for the people in the first age to learn 'em all from their publick Teachings As if ordinary judgment and prudence were not sufficient to direct every Minister in this part of his duty And whereas he saith that hardly any one man in his life ever goes thro the necessary Articles of Faith or of Practice in his publick Sermons and appeals to our selves herein I must needs tell him all the Ministers that I have discourst with are amaz'd to think what shou'd tempt him to assert what all our Hearers know to be a groundless calumny And whereas he tells us That we have no summary of Principles enjoyn'd to be either read or taught in our publick Assemblys I might here enquire what precept or example he can produce from Scripture requiring our Reading or Teaching such a summary in publick distinct from the H. Scriptures Nay tho we shou'd grant him that the Apostle Paul intends such a summary by the form of sound words mention'd 2 Tim. 1.13 yet how will he certainly prove that it was to be publickly read and taught from Timothy's being charg'd to hold it fast The 39 Articles of Religion the Bp. no doubt takes to be such a form of sound words that is to be held fast and yet they do not think it necessary to be publickly read and taught any farther than the Doctrine of Ministers shou'd be conformed to it But if he intend hereby to accuse the Dissenters as careless of their peoples being instructed in such a summary of the Principles of Religion or as we commonly speak of their being catechiz'd I do not know any Ministers in the world whom he can less justly accuse in this matter And perhaps the Ministers of the North of Ireland and those in Scotland do speaking generally outstrip all others that we know of in the Christian world as to their unwearied diligence in catechizing those under their charge And indeed the Bp's accusations put me on the necessity of doing 'em justice in this point by giving the Reader some account of their general practice To that purpose I must premise that they divide all the persons in their Parishes grown up to years of discretion into Communicants and examinable persons For Communicants they do not only strictly examine them as to their knowledge when first admitted to the Lord's Table but also personally visit each of 'em once a year at least and particularly examin 'em as to their progress both in the knowledge and practice of Religion For examinable persons they divide their Parishes into so many districts and accordingly for every district once a year they publickly appoint the time and place when they intend to catechize 'em and accordingly go thro the whole of the Catechism with ' em Nay they are so punctual and exact herein that if any have been absent they publickly appoint another day for the catechizing ' em So that there is not one of these persons in their Congregations come to years of age who is not once every year constantly instructed in the principles of the Christian Religion and personally examin'd about his knowledge of ' em Now either the Bp. knows this matter of fact or he dos not If he do not Why will he pretend to censure so confidently what he is so entirely ignorant of If he do How can he excuse himself in asserting that there is no security or hardly possibility of the Dissenters learning from the publick Teachings of their Ministers all the great mysteries of their Religion or necessary Articles of their Faith when those very Ministers among whom he resides take so effectual a method that there is not one soul under their care but if he learn 'em not 't is grosly his own fault and cannot be imputed to the neglect of his Minister And if the subtilty of this charge lye in the word publick Teachings I shall only add that these catechizings of the persons contain'd in these several districts are publick Teachings and such days are publickly appointed for 'em on which the people can best convene for that end And I cou'd wish his Lp. cou'd give us as satisfactory an account of the diligence of the Conforming Clergy in instructing all the particular persons under their inspection and charge And I may add that in the Meetings of Dissenters here and in England 't is the general practice to catechize publickly on the Lord's-days and the Catechism is usually gone thro once every Summer And I am sure our Catechism is a far more comprehensive summary of the Doctrins and Precepts of the Christian Religion than that us'd in the Establisht Church So little reason reason has he to accuse those that rather set others a Copy worthy their imitation And what his Lp saith of 'em is so contrary to truth that if their people be as willing to learn as they are diligent to teach 't is scarce possible that any of 'em shou'd be ignorant of the necessary Principles of their Faith For the Assemblys Catechism he has some exceptions against it which I shall briefly consider 1. It no ways saith he answers the design of a form of sound words which shou'd contain only the first and necessary Principles of the Oracles of God in such words and method as may make it easily apprehended and attain'd by the weak and unlearned which make up the bulk of the people Answ How can the Bp. expect any Reply to so general a charge I
think 't is very fit that that way of Reading shou'd be also retain'd in our publick Assemblys tho how long an entire portion shall be ordinarily read and in what order must be determin'd by Christian prudence according to the general Rules of Scripture V 'T is granted that the Word of God shou'd be read with great solemnity but there is no particular posture prescrib'd in our hearing of it For tho we read 8 Neh. 5. that the people stood at the opening the Book of the Law yet that posture seems there to refer to the Blessing we read of in the following verse And tho we shou'd grant that the people stood here when the Law was read yet they are elsewhere said to sit Thus 33 Ezek. 30 31. when they came professedly to hear what was the word that came forth from the Lord yet they are describ'd as sitting before him as his people And those assembled in the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day 13 Acts 14 15. are represented as using the same posture as sat down while the Law and Prophets were read VI. For explaining and applying the Scripture by way of Doctrine and Exhortation It was a constant part of their Lord's-day worship in Christian Assemblys in the Apostles time Doctrine is mention'd together with breaking of Bread and Prayers as one branch of their stated devotions 2 Acts 42. 1 Cor. 14 26. Nor do we read of one Christian Assumbly that I remember on that day without it And it appears by the testimony of the Ancients that it was constantly practis'd in the first ages of Christianity as the Bp. himself grants p. 76 their Sermons being usually an explication and practical emprovement of that portion of Scripture which had been read Nor dos what the Bp. suggests p. 75. render it probable that this was not constantly done in Christian Churches For what he produces from 13 Acts 15. concerns the Jewish Synagogues and even the argument drawn from thence is not cogent for tho there had been constant provision for Enlargement yet the Rulers of the Synagogue knowing that the Apostle and his followers pretended to some new Doctrine might send that message to ' em For what he saith from 12 Rom. 6 7 c. That St. Paul supposes him who Teaches and him whose office it was to exhort distinct from him that ruled and ministred And it dos not appear that every Church was furnisht with all these Officers I shall only answer It dos not appear from this place that these four things requir'd four distinct Officers We read only of two ordinary Officers in the Christian Church viz. Elders or Bishops and Deacons See 1 Tim. 3. 1 Tit. 1 Phil. 1. 20 Acts 28. To the latter ministring to the poor belong'd To the former Teaching Exhorting and Ruling and as these were several branches of the same Office so probably since there were many such Bishops or Elders constituted in every particular Church 14 Acts 23. 1 Tit. 5. Some might have their talents and abilities more suited to one part of their work and others to another and accordingly they might ordinarily divide their ministrations and each attend what he was qualify'd for And accordingly the Bp. well observes that that the Apostle Paul conjoyns Doctrine Exhortation in his charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.13 And 't is probable both are included in the Apostle Peter's Exhortation to Elders 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. Lastly I do agree with him that there shou'd be such a summary of the principal doctrines of the Gospel as our Catechisms and Confessions of Faith usually contain Which form of sound words shou'd be held fast Tho that the 6 Heb. 1 2. contains that form mention'd 2 Tim. 1.13 is but doubtful and 't is much more doubtful whether that 6 Heb. 1 2. contain'd six distinct principles or heads of doctrine Of which more afterwards Having consider'd the Directions of H. Scriptures in reference to Hearing I shall now examine the Application the Bp. makes of 'em to the Practice of the Establisht Church and that of the Dissenters IN representing the practice of the Dissenters he promises to do it with the same Candor and Sincerity that he has hitherto endeavour'd to observe What sort of Candor and Sincerity that is the Reader has already had a sufficient tast of and he will find the Bp. dos not in this Chapter vary from the Precedents he had given in the former For how little regard he has had to Truth in the following Accusations will appear upon a particular review of ' em I. He charges the Dissenting Ministers with disregarding Scripture-Rules and Example and with laying aside all those methods of Instruction the Scriptures recommend to us except it be that of Exposition and Exhortation Insomuch saith he that tho a man frequent your Meetings all his life yet he has no security or hardly possibility of learning from your publick Teachings all the great mysteries of his Religion or the necessary principles of his Faith For which he alledges these two things for proof 1. For first your Teachers are entirely left to their choice what place of Scripture they will explain or what Subject they will handle And hence it happens that hardly any one man in his life ever goes thro the necessary Articles of Faith or of Practice in his publick Sermons And for the truth of this he appeals to our selves 2. You have no sumary of Principles enjoyn'd to be either read or taught in your publick Assemblys Answ There are some Accusations so gross and shameless that 't is hard for a man to treat 'em with decency and to such Accusers we are often forc'd to apply the Archangel's language Ep. Jude v 9. But our Author has that peculiar infelicity that the more notorious untruths he delivers he is still the more confident in 'em and nothing will serve him but appealing to thâ—se for the truth of what he says who most certainly know it to be false For with what face can the Bp. say That a man may frequent the Dâ—ssenters Meetings all his life-time and yet have no security or hardly possibility of learning from their publick Teachings all the great mysteries of his Religion or Principles of his Faith and appeal to our selves as witnesses that hardly any one man in his life ever goes thro the necessary Articles of Faith or of Practice in his publick Sermons Dos he indeed hope to persuade the world that the great mysteries and Principles of the Christian Religion Fx. gr the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity the Incarnation of Christ his Offices as our Mediator Faith in him and Repentance towards God or Regeneration and Conversion the priviledges of all Believing Penitents their Pardon and Justification their Adoption and Right to the heavenly Inheritance the office of the H. Spirit as our Sanctifier and Comforter the necessity of his supernatural Aids the different future states of the Righteous and the Wicked the general Resurrection and
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-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-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
heard such slothful people awaken'd by severe reproofs in the Dissenters Assemblys than in theirs So that I suspect those will fail of their design who come to our Meetings in hopes to take a more undisturbed Nap there The Bishop seems p 143. to assert That kneeling in publick Prayer is a duty which we are bound to provide conveniency for But as he wisely takes it for granted instead of proving it so he groundlesly imagins the Dissenters to have some aversion to it whereas I know of no posture more universally us'd by 'em in that duty in their Closets or Familys where they have conveniency for it And I have seen it frequently us'd in those larger Seats in their Meetings that were wide enough to allow room for it So that I perceive his Lordship is as great a stranger to our judgment and practice as if he liv'd in some remote part of the world and yet pretends to give an account of it with as much confidence as if he had continually frequented our Assemblys I think I may pretend to know 'em better and therefore must in justice to 'em add that in those Meetings I have frequented I have observ'd as great an appearance of external Reverence and Devotion of seriousness and gravity as in any other Protestant Churches whatsoever either at home or abroad The Bishop concludes this Chapter with this Observation But the truth of the matter as it seems to me is That your neglecting to kneel at the most solemn of all Christian Ordinances the Lord's-Supper dos harden you against Reverence in the other parts of Divine Worship And it is no wonder it shou'd do so for if Reverence be not thought necessary in that duty it may well seem unnecessary in any other On which words I shall only add That if by Reverence in that Ordinance of the Lord's-Supper he means kneeling while we eat the Bread and drink the Cup I have shew'd him that the Apostles us'd no such Reverence and he may with the same justice reproach them as he dos us But it will by no means follow that we must not use a worshipping-posture when acts of immediate Worship are offer'd because we use it not when no such acts are requir'd as none are during our eating and drinking in remembrance of Christ in that Institution So that I may more justly observe That his Lordship's neglecting so long to reason solidly and to speak Truth concerning the Dissenters has so harden'd him in the contrary practice that he seems resolv'd to go on in it to the end of the Chapter For the practice of the Establisht Church in reference to Bodily Worship I need add nothing to what has been already observ'd p. 123 124 concerning bowing at the name of Jesus standing up at the Reading some part of the Scriptures rather than others Reading in the Cathedrals one part of their Service at the Communion-Table where few of the people can hear it c. For which practices the Bp. must either bring us express scriptural precept or pattern or must censure 'em for his sort of human Inventions and truly some of 'em look too like superstitious ones For they are either us'd and retain'd for no reason at all but meer arbitrary pleasure or for such reasons as include some superstitious conceit in 'em as if some peculiar honour and homage were due to that name of our Saviour above others And greater veneration were due to some part of Scripture above the rest And as if there were either some peculiar sanctity in the prayers or in the place when they are read at the Communion-Table or there were no better way of instructing the people in their obligation to Communicate than by this dumb sign of reading some part of the Communion-Service there Remarks on the Fifth Chapter concerning the Lord's-Supper And here I. FOr the Account he gives us of what the Scriptures prescribe concerning the frequency of Celebrating this Institution I shall very easily agree with his Lp. For tho I think his Reasoning from the time of Celebrating the Passover and from the general Topic of our doing it as often as we have conveniency for it is not very cogent to prove any obligation upon us to celebrate this Sacrament every Lord's-day Yet I do think his other arguments from Scripture are of great weight to prove that in the Apostles time this Ordinance was made one constant part of their Lord's-days Worship and I think it past doubt that this was the universal practice of Christian Churches for several succeeding Ages So that in this respect I fear that the Reformed Churches themselves have not yet come up to the practice of the truly primitive and Apostolical ones as I truly think were highly desirable Many learned Authors both Conf's and N C's have freely deliver'd their judgments to the same purpose and I know of none that have disputed the matter of fact on which their arguments for reviving this practice are founded I know there are other judicious persons that do not think the arguments drawn thence to be demonstrative and do still conceive the words As oft as ye eat this bread c. and do this as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me to leave the frequency of performing this duty to the determination of human prudence And tho their exceptions do not so far weigh with me as to alter my judgment yet I dare not be harsh in censuring such whose apprehensions herein are different from my own All the Debate then remaining between the Bp. and me will be concerning II. The Practice of the Establisht Church and that of the Dissenters For the practice of the Establisht Church I wonder why he shou'd pretend their Church has provided for those that desire to Receive every Lord's-day meerly because of her ordering some part of the Communion-Service to be read every Lord's-day when 't is so publickly known that there is no Bread and Wine provided for such as may be dispos'd to Communicate And why shou'd the people be taught their duty only by such dumb signs as that or part of the Communion-Service be read when there 's no Communion intended He dos indeed very justly observe that the Canons require no more of every Parishioner than that he Receivee thrice a year But why he shou'd lay the blame of their people's Receiving no oftner on the ill example of the Dissenters I cannot imagin For if it appear that the Dissenters generally Receive far oftner than their Canons require It will be very unaccountable how their example shou'd encourage that negligence of the Conforming Laity which it rather reproves I confess for the method of driving men to the Sacrament by punishment if he intend this of the severe penaltys that follow upon a Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo we do not much admire it To be admitted to the Lord's-Table we esteem so great a Priviledg and Honour that we think none shou'd partake of it but
as once a Quarter So that if the Bp. speak here of the generality of Dissenters as we have reason to suppose because he does not here as elsewhere confine his Charge to any part of 'em To reproach them as guilty of rare or no Communion not to be precedented among the most degenerate and barbarous People that were ever called Christians is a Calumny of such a hainous nature that I shall in meer Civility and respect to his Character forbear to treat it as it deserves and shall only desire him to bring the Parish-Churches to that frequency of Communion so generally practised among the Dissenters before he treat us any more with such rude Language as we might with so much advantage retort If his Lordship pretend that he design'd to confine this to the North of Ireland tho' he has exprest no such thing yet how little ground he had for this heavy Charge will appear upon a due Examination of matter of Fact Of which I have this Account given by those that know it much better than he can pretend to do 'T is so far from being true that 't is rare if once in a year or two a Communion be celebrated in their Meetings that it 's universally usual in every Meeting where an ordained Minister is settled to have the Lord's Supper administred constantly Once a year and Twice in the larger Towns And what is more considerable where-ever 't is administred 't is usual for Two Thirds of the Congregation to be Strangers For 't is their Custom in the North to have very large and numerous Communions so that when the Sacrament is administred in one Meeting 't is usual for most of the Members of Neighbouring Parishes to frequent it To which purpose they bring Certificates or Communicatory Letters from their own Ministers So that the generality of 'em as I am assur'd do communicate four or five times in a year many of them do it much oftner and all of 'em have the opportunity of doing it ten twelve or fifteen times a year if they will take the Advantage of receiving it as often as 't is administred within a few miles of their respective Habitations And they alledge these two or three Reasons that have induc'd 'em to this Method 1. That hereby the vast Number of Communicants tends to increase the Solemnity of the Institution and represents in a more affecting manner the Communion of Saints 2. That every Parish having usually but one Minister 't is requisite the Ministers of Neighbouring Parishes should assist 'em on that occasion and consequently they usually bring their People along with ' em 3. That the Ministers of particular Congregations prepare their own people for it by visiting 'em round examining every particular Member anew about their spiritual Estate and making due Enquiry about their Conversation all which takes up a considerable time This being a just account of their practice tho' I must freely profess I do prefer the general practice of Dissenters elsewhere of administring the Lord's Supper in each Congregation once a Month and cou'd heartily wish it were made a constant part of the Lord's-day Worship yet I see not with what tolerable Justice the Bp. cou'd upbraid 'em with their rare or no Communion when the Members of their Meetings do generally communicate much oftner than the Members of the Parish-Churches Nay when their Ministers not celebrating it in each particular Meeting is occasion'd by so extraordinary care taken to prepare their People for it Whereas there can be no other Account given why the Parish-Ministers who take no such pains with their People administer it so seldom but either their own Laziness or the People's Indevotion And whereas he saith A man may live among 'em with the reputation of a Professor to Thirty or Forty Years and never receive at all If he mean by a Professor a Person accounted truly Religious they declare they know not of one Instance of that kind And whereas he saith Not one in ten that go to their Meetings receive through the whole course of their Lives they do profess that by the best computation they can make there is not one in ten or rather in 20 or 30 that do not receive except such as are with-held for want of competent Knowledge or on the account of Scandal and those that communicate once do it ordinarily on all following occasions So that upon the whole the Bp. is much more concern'd to find a Precedent for the generality of the Members of parish-Parish-Churches in their rare or no Communion than the Dissenters are for the Members of their Congregations And much more is he concern'd to find a Precedent for himself in his so rarely speaking truth concerning the Dissenters and I fear that he will hardly find any if I may return him his civil expressions except among the most degenerate and barbarous Writers that were ever called Christians I mean those Romish Priests who in their writing against Protestants have acquir'd a peculiar dexterity in the practice of that Unchristian Maxim Calumniare fortiter aliquid adhaerebit Throw dirt enough and some of it will stick REMARKS on the CONCLUSION 1. FOr that part of it which contains his Lp's Advice to those of his own Clergy I shall take no farther notice of it than as it concerns the Dissenters P. 166. He tells 'em They are never to despair whilst they have God's Truth on their side tho' whole Provinces should fall off from the Church as all they in Asia did from St. Paul 2 Tim. 1.15 Tho' none should believe our report as it happened to our Saviour himself Answ This looks too like his former Language when he so uncharitably excluded us from the Catholick Church For does he indeed think that Men's going to the Dissenters Meetings is a defection from Christianity and turning Infidels to the Doctrine of the Gospel as the expressions he alludes to import Since we agree in the Articles of Religion profest by the Establish'd Church to which by the way the Dissenters of the two more strictly adhere since as himself owns p 4. we agree about the inward part of Divine Worship Nay since we agree in the same external parts of it Praise Prayer Hearing and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper and only disagree about the mode of ordering those external Duties Is it not most unreasonable and contrary to Christian Charity and I might add to common sence to speak of such as in these Circumstantial Modes differ from him as fallen off from the Church and dis-believing the Report of the Gospel What is this but to turn the Circumstantial Modes of Worship into Fundamentals and thereby to turn the Reformed Church in this Kingdom into a Sect and Party i. e. to incur the grossest sort of Schism and most opposite to Christian Love I hope I have in these Papers shewn our manner of performing these Duties to be more agreeable to Scriptural Precept and Pattern
and religious have the same violent passion for prescribed Forms 3. We must beg his Lordships pardon if we cannot easily believe 't is only Conscience that makes the Conforming Clergy so generally decline Extemporary Prayers For if by Extempore Prayers he means such as are free and unconfin'd to any prescribed Forms he seems himself to own p. 54. That there are some occasions that require it even in publick p. 54. and I see no ground to doubt but that they are ordinarily more convenient then set Forms if those Prayers be most convenient that tend most to raise true Devotion in the minds of the People But we must much more beg his Lp's pardon for not believing what he adds for Confirmation of this account of their disusing free Prayer For it seems a very surprizing Discovery that he has made to us when he tells us p. 186. 'T is manifest that Extemporary Prayers wou'd be much more easy to most of us and less burthensom then the service we use You may think otherwise but assure your selves that you are mistaken And I dare appeal to those that have tried both whether is most easie There are such both amongst you and us that have made the experiment And I dare refer it to 'em to declare on their Consciences which of the two Services they look on to be the greater burthen to him that performs ' em Whatever you may think if we wou'd indulg our selves It were no hard matter for the meanest of us to pass an Extemporary Prayer on our Auditory or turn the heads of our Sermon into one Ans We pay a great deference to his Lp's Judgment but we cannot without offering great violence to our own understandings bring 'em to assent to so incredible a Paradox meerly because 't is deliver'd with so extraordinary an Air of assurance much less can we entertain that as a manifest Truth which to us seems so contrary to common sense For we cannot imagine what unsupportable burthen it shou'd be for a man to read the Service of the Church when he has the Book before him unless when he is pain'd with sore eyes or terribly hoarse with a great Cold For then it may possibly be some considerable Trouble to him But for a Minister to deliver a free Prayer in a Publick Assembly And the Bp. knows the Dissenters are seldom accused for theirs being too short requires both serious Meditation before hand to suit it to the occasion and to the state of his People and the Laborious Exercise of his Judgment his Invention and Memory which is a real burthen and difficulty to those that are not by deep Study and frequent Exercise habituated to it Nay tho the Dissenters shou'd Pray in that new way his Lp. has contriv'd for 'em by patching together several pieces of old Forms to make a new dress of it yet this wou'd require some Exercise of their Judgment and Memory to tack 'em right together and to repeat 'em without hesitation And this sure is not so easie a matter as what he cannot deny every School-boy to be capable of viz. to turn over the leaves and Read what is usually in a fair and large Print His Lp. may if he please appeal from common sense to Experience but by all that I have yet convers'd with on this Subject his assertion seems as strange to them as it does to us Nor can I meet with any of these Vertuoso's in Devotion that pretend upon any Experiments they have made to give their suffrage to his new Observation We do not indeed doubt of his Lp's Abilities but he must allow us to doubt of those of the body of the inferior Clergy who I fear wou'd think it a severe imposition upon 'em if their Diocesans shou'd oblige 'em to the frequent Exercise of their Talents this way For I have heard several Clergy-men of no mean parts complain of the unhappy inability for free Prayer that general disuse had brought upon 'em and I believe I might herein with much better reason appeal to Experience But since his Lp's hand is in for Paradoxes I think he shou'd have added one more viz. That 't is manifest that 't is a far greater burden for the Clergy to Read the Homilies of the Church or other Mens Sermons than to Preach Sermons of their own and I doubt not he may with as much reason appeal to the Experience of those that have tried both to attest the Truth of it And if he can make good the Truth of these two Paradoxes the N.C. Ministers will hence forward pass for lazy Drones while the poor Readers of the Church are accounted the truest Labourers But to give the latter their due the most of 'em take too much pains for that sorry hire that 's allow'd 'em by such of their Brethren as are laborious enough to engross Church-Livings but too far consult their ease to make the Duties of their Function any burthen to ' em Lastly For his Request to the Dissenting Laiety That they wou'd believe he heartily desires and studies the good of their Souls I hope they are willing to gratify him herein as far as rational Charity can allow Only it wou'd greatly facilitate their Belief of it if they found him more tender of their good Name and just Reputation And they are sory to find that notwithstanding all his professions of good-will he shou'd shew so little regard to that not only in a continued Series of unjust Accusations through his whole Book but especially in the following words in which he has drawn up a comprehensive Summary charge sufficient to render 'em odious if it be believ'd but they are confident too apparently groundless to gain credit with any that will pass a Righteous and Impartial Judgement on these matters His Lp's words are For how is it possible that any Man that has a Zeal for the Purity of God's worship shou'd not have his Spirit mov'd within him to see a well meaning People so strangely mis-led as to content themselves to meet together perhaps for some years with a design to worship God and yet hardly ever see any thing of God's Immediate Appointment in their Meetings Now to my thoughts this is manifestly the case of many of you since a Man may frequent some Meetings among you for some years and never hear a Prayer a Psalm or Chapter which has been imediately dictated by God and never be call'd on to bow his knee to God or see either Minister or People Address themselves to him in that humble posture Lastly never see any body offer to Administer or desire to Receive the Food of Life in the Lord's Supper These are melancholy Reflections to me who believe that God has requir'd these in his Worship And therefore I hope you will take it in good part that I Endeavour to Restore them to you Ans If the Case of the Dissenters be truly such as the Bp. Represents it His Zeal to recover the