There is a predestination of Men unto Everlasting Life 2. Predestination hath been from Everlasting 3. Not all men but certain are Predestinated to be saved 4. They which are Predestinate unto Salvation cannot perish 5. In Christ Jesus of the meer will and purpose of God some are Elected and not others to Salvation 6. They who are Elected unto Salvation if they come unto years of discretion are called both outwardly by the word and inwardly by the Spirit of God. 7. The Predestinate are both justified by Faith sanctified by the Holy Ghost and shall be glorified in the life to come 8. The consideration of Predestination is to the Godly most comfortable but to curious and carnal persons very dangerous 9. The general promises of God set forth in Holy Scripture are to be embraced of us 10. In our actions the word of God which is his revealed will must be our direction These are the several Doctrines laid down and asserted in this Article Would you have any more Tim. No here is enough and as much as all that ever wrote for Predestination and Election can say and had our Church enlarged this Article to the bulk of the Common Prayer she could not have spoke more to the purpose than she hath in this one Page I wonder the Reverend Fathers of the Church will suffer her Sons to wrong her as they do dayly openly making her speak through their Mouths and often through the louder mouth of the press those Tenets which she never held nay which in the very body of her Articles she so plainly disowns and contradicts Tit. I rejoyce at your Conviction Now these being fundamental points it may not be amiss I think nor time ill spent to see a little for your fuller satisfaction and confirmation what ground and footing each point in this Article hath in holy writ the perfect Rule and Touchstone of all matters of Faith and manners Tim. No sure no loss of time but time well improved and if you will take so much pains I shall thankfully partake of it Tit. For the vindication of our Church reprehension of those men who have subscribed to her and yet oppose her and for thy establishment Tim. I will do it To begin with the first then 1. There is a Predestination of men unto life Everlasting To sit on my Right hand and on my left is not mine to give but shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father For many are called but few chosen But for the Elects sake those dayes shall be Math. 20. 23. Math. 22. 14. Math. 24. 23. Joh. 6. 37. shortned All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me To this truth also doe the Evangelists St. Luke and St. Paul give witness the former saith that of the Gentiles at Antioch so many as were Ordained unto Eternal life believed and the other saith whom he foreknew he also did Predestinate And Paul blesseth God for this saying Blessed Act. 13.48 Rom. 8. 29. be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who c. hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world having Predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself Are not these Texts to the purpose Eph. 1.3 4 5. Tim. As clear as can be Tit. Besides the Example of the Elected Creatures Men and Angels of the two brethren Abel and Cain Isaac and Ishmael Jacob and Esau of the two servants of King Pharaoh of the two Kingdoms of Juda and Israel the two peoples Jews and Gentiles the two Apostles Peter and Judas the two thieves upon the Cross the two men in the fields the women at the Mill are a great illustration to this truth The next is 2. Predestination hath been from Everlasting or before all times Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world which the Apostle understands to be Math. 25. 34. from Everlasting saying God hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Again God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Eph. 1. 4. Jesus before the world began And as good footing on the same word hath the following point viz. 3. Not all men but certain are predestinated to be saved Rejoyce that your names are Luk. 10.20 Joh. 10.14 written in heaven saith our Saviour and I know mine and am known of mine I suffer all things for the Elects sake And our Church in her order for burial of the dead prayes 2 Tim. 2. 10 for the accomplishment of the number of Gods Elect. And again in the same Office come yea blessed receive the Kingdom prepared for you And in the form of Baptism we pray that the infant to be baptized may remain in the number of thine Elect Children c. not all men but a certain number are Elected or Predestinated to life 4. They which are Predestinated unto Salvation cannot perish All that the Father hath Joh. 5.37 given me shall come unto me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand who is greater than all And the gates of hell shall not prevail against them Moreover whom he Predestinated Joh. 10. 28 29. Math. 15.18 Rom. 8 30. Rom. 11.29 them he also glorified The gifts and calling of God are without repentance They went out from us because they were not of us for if they had been of us they would have continued with us So the next point which these men so much stick at is as cleerly taught in Gods word as any of the former namely 5. That of the meer will and purpose of God some men in Christ Jesus are Elected and â—ot others unto salvation a Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God according to Election might stand b Eph. 1.5 Having Predstinated us according to the good pleasure of his will. c 2 Tim. 1.9 Not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace d Exod. 33.19 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy c. f Eph. 1.4 5. He hath chosen us in Christ and Predestinated us through Christ g 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. Ye e Rom. 9. 15. are not redeemed with corruptible things c. but by the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb c. who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you Who hath Predestinated us to the praise of the glory h Eph. 1.5 6. of his grace The Lord hath made all things
when he saith to his Disciples Matth. 5. last Be ye perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Tim. But that is impossible Tit. True as to Equality but not as to Imitation St. Paul was not equal with our blessed Lord for Purity and Holiness but he was an imitator of him as himself testifies saying Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ Nor is it impossible for you to consider seriously the weight and dignity of your Caâ—ling and to take heed thereto as you are exhorted by the Bishop at your Ordination Vid. The Form of Ordering of Priests which if you do as you ought and there promised to do you shall be an able and faithful Minister of the Church of Christ The exhortation runs in these Words YOV have heard Brethren as well in your private Examination as in the Exhortation which was now made to you and in the holy Lessons taken out of the Gospel and the Writings of the Apostles of what Dignity and of how great Importance this Office is whereunto ye are called And now again we exhort you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you have in remembrance into how high a Dignity and to how weighty an Office and Charge ye are called That is to say to be Messengers Watchmen and Stewards of the Lord to teach and to premonish to feed and provide for the Lords Family to seek for Christs Sheep that are dispersed abroad and for his Children who are in the midst of this naughty World that they may be saved through Jesus Christ for ever Have always therefore printed in your remembrance how great a Treasure is committed to your charge For they are the Sheep of Christ which he bought with his Death and for whom he shed his Blood. The Church and Congregation whom you must serve is his Spouse and his Body And if it shall happen the same Church or any Member thereof to take any hurt or hindrance by reason of your negligence ye know the greatness of the fault and also the horrible punishment that will ensue Wherefore consider with your selves the end of your Ministry towards the Children of God towards the Spouse and Body of Christ and see that you never cease your Labour your Care and Diligence until you have done all that lieth in you according to your bounden duty to bring all such as are or shall be committed to your Charge unto that agreement in the Faith and Knowledge of God and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ that there be no place left among you either for Errour in Religion or for Viciousness in Life Forasmuch then as your Office is both of so great excellency and of so great difficulty ye see with how great care and study ye ought to apply your selves as well that ye may shew your selves dutiful and thankful unto that Lord who hath placed you in so high a Dignity as also to beware that neither you your selves offend nor be occasion that others offend Howbeit ye cannot have a mind and will thereto of your selves for that will and ability is given of God alone Therefore ye ought and have need to pray earnestly for his holy Spirit And seeing that you cannot by any other means compass the doing of so weighty a Work pertaining to the Salvation of Man but with Doctrine and Exhortation taken out of the holy Scriptures and with a Life agreeable to the same consider how studious ye ought to be in reading and learning the Scriptures and in framing the Manners both of your selves and of them that specially pertain unto you according to the Rule of the same Scriptures And for this self same cause how ye ought to forsake and set aside as much as you may all Worldly Cares and Studies We have good hope that you have well weighed and pondred these things with your selves long before this time and that you have clearly determined by Gods Grace to give your selves wholly to this Office whereunto it hath pleased God to call you So that as much as lieth in you you will apply your selves wholly to this one thing and draw all your Cares and Studies this way and that you will continually pray to God the Father by the mediation of our only Saviour Jesus Christ for the heavenly Assistance of the Holy Ghost that by daily reading and weighing of the Scriptures ye may wax riper and stronger in your Ministry and that ye may so endeavour your selves from time to time to sanctifie the Lives of you and yours and to fashion them after the Rule and Doctrine of Christ that ye may be wholesom and godly Examples and Patterns for the People to follow Tim. I confess this is very serious and weighty and do acknowledge I never perused or pondered it before Tit. Add to this that daily Prayer at the end of the Confession And grant O most merciful Father for his sake that we may hereafter live a godly righteous and sober life to the glory of thy name Is not the Minister concerned in this as well as the People when he saith and grant that we may c Tim. Yes without dâ—ubt and by Gods help hereafter my Practice shall be more conformable to my Prayers Tit. Pray God it may for evil Ministers 't is the phrase usâ—d in this Article are most odious to God and injurious to his Church of all others One such impious Wretch by his ungodly life gives such a wound to Religion and the Cause of God as many of his Brethren though exemplary both in â—ife and Doctrine are not able to heal Besides I trâ—mble to think of thâ— Reward of such a Minister in another world and what he will be able to plead for himself to the great Bishop of Souls the Lord Jesus at his general and final Visitation Rev. 22. 12. I beseech you therefore Tim. remember the weight and excellency of your Calling and the solemn Promises in the face of the Congregation made to God then when you were admitted to it Not forgetting your Obligation by Baptism which is the subject of the following Article you are next to read Tim. I give you my hearty thanks and hope these things will make an impression upon me for good Tit. I shall rejoice to see it Go on ART 27. Tim. Baptism is not only a sign of Profession and mark of difference whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not Christened but it is also a sign of Regeneration or New Birth whereby as by an Instrument they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church the Promises of the Forgiveness of Sin and of our Adoption to be the Sons of God by the Holy Ghost are visibly signed and sealed Faith is confirmed and Grace increased by vertue of Prayer unto God. The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church as most agreeable with the Institution of Christ Tit. You see
here what high and noble priviledges are signified and sealed to us by our Baptism Regeneration Adoption and Remission To which our Church explaining this Article in her Catechism adds Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven What Obligations to an holy Life can there be greater or stronger than these Tim. None surely Tit. Add hereto the Covenant on our part to renounce the Devil and all his Works to believe the Articles of the Christian Faith and obediently to keep Gods Holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of our Lives Which Covenant unless we perform and keep we have no right to or benefit by the aforesaid Priviledges Nay our Baptism will prove but an aggravation of our Condemnation in the day of Judgment and an unbaptized Heathen would not change estates at that day with such a baptized Christian Moreover we who are made Ministers do most solemnly devote and dedicate our selves to God to holy services and gaining of souls as the Deputies of Christ in the day that we enter into holy Orders And if none of all these bonds will hold us certainly we are the worst of men and deserve the highest Censures the Church can inflict upon us And our Church will never be glorious till all such Apostates he either throughly reformed or totally ejected out of her Tim. I hope I do forsake all the Works of the Devil Tit. Except Drunkenness and Swearing Tim. Truly 't is very seldom In a passion perhaps an Oath may slip and when I meet with good Company I am loath to part and apt to be merry but 't is rare And bating these I think I have no fellowship with the Works of darkness Tit. But there is another Vice I know not whether you will allow it a Work of the Devil or not you are almost incurably infected with for 't is Chronical Tim. What 's that Tit. That which I think in a Minister as bad as either of the former Tim. I can't imagine what you mean. Tit. I mean Sloth horrible Sloth and Idleness spending little or no time in fitting and improving your self for the difficult and weighty Duties of your Office. And this Vice exposeth you to the rest and all other whatever Besides this makes you so profoundly ignorant that you are not able in any tolerable manner to defend our Religion against Papists and Sectaries and your weak defence of the Truth confirms them in their Errour and makes them cast off all thoughts of reconciliation to our Church Doubtless therefore Idleness in a Minister is a great sin a woful shame and the Mother of many sins And till I see you reform this I shall have small hopes of you as to the rest But this is all I shall hint to you from this Article which puts you in mind of your Priviledges and Obligations by your Baptism Now proceed ART 28. Tim. The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the Love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another but rather it is a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christs Death Insomuch that to such as rightly worthily and with Faith receive the same the Bread which we break is a partaking of the Body of Christ and likewise the Cup of blessing is a partaking of the Blood of Christ Transubstantiation or the change of the Substance of Bread and Wine in the Supper of the Lord cannot be proved by Holy Writ but it is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament and hath given occasion to many Superstitions The Body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the Supper only after an heavenly and spiritual manner And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper was not by Christs Ordinance reserved carried about lifted up or worshipped Tit. You may read the two following for they both relate to this ART 29. Tim. The wicked and such as be void of a lively Faith although they do carnally and visibly press with their Teeth as S. Augustin saith the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ yet in no wise are they Partakers of Christ but rather to their condemnation do eat and drink the Sign or Sacrament of so great a thing ART 30. The Cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the Lay-people For both the parts of the Lords Sacrament by Christs Ordinance and Commandment ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike Tit. What is your sentiment of these three Coherent Articles and what do you observe from them Tim. I think they contain very sound Doctrine and I observe our Church throws out Transubstantiation and Half Communion Tit. Nothing else Tim. No What Observations do you make from them Tit. Such as I think reprehend both your Practice and Doctrine Tim. Pray what are they Tit. First this Twenty ninth Article which with the rest you have subscribed â—x animo to be agreeable to the Word of God declares That wicked persons void Vid. Canon 3â— of lively Faith receiving the Sacrament in no wise partake of Christ but rather to their own condemnation And doth not your Conscience tell you you have been oft such a Receiver Tim. I bless God not in the least Tit. I am sorry for it For whoever continues in any known sinful Courses open or secret is a wicked Person Now to omit secret Impieties not observable by Man yet are not by any Coverts to be hid from the notice of God your Swearing and Drunkenness and Idleness are publick sinful Courses and continuing in these as you do hitherto I cannot learn by this Article how you can be a worthy Communicant at this Sacred Ordinance nay I wonder you do not tremble to think of that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. He that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgment to himself Tim. But before I come to the Sacrament I repent of these miscarriages Tit. What Repentance without Reformation This is new Divinity Repent of Sin and not forsake Sin The Scriptures teach us other manner of Repentance than this Repent and turn Ezek. 18. and Let the wicked forsake his way Esa 55. And our Liturgy will tell you in her Confession That true Repentance consists in sorrowing for Sin forsaking Sin and living soberly righteously and godly for the time to come Besides had you this lively Faith in Christ which our Church saith is necessary to make us worthy Receivers I must tell you it would purifie your heart and reform your life 1 John 3. 3. He that hath this hope c. Believe it therefore that Faith and Repentance that consists with the allowed and daily practice of such foul irregularities in the Life will never render you a worthy Receiver at Christs Table on Earth or procure you admittance into his Kingdom in Heaven Often read this Article and take this Reprehension
but a little here and there only as it should please you when you come to read them Tim. And as much too I think as reason can expect Tit. Mighty pretty truly read the next and having had your subscription before hand let us now have your intention when you have perused it Article 21. Of the Authority of General Councels Tim. General Councels may not be gathered together without the Commandment and Will of Princes And when they be gathered together forasmuch as they be an Assembly of men whereof all be not governed by the Spirit and Word of God they may err and sometimes have erred even in things pertaining unto God. Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture Tit. Now what did you think of this at the time of subscription Tim. How could I think any thing of what I never saw read nor heard but now I think 't is sound and good and I own and assent to it though it is like in our time there may be no occasion to make use of it Tit. Then we 'll dismiss it to our Successors and come to the next Article 22. Of Purgatory Tim. The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory Pardons Worshipping and Adoration as well of Images as of Reliques and also Invocation of Saints is a fond thing vainly invented and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture but rather repugnant to the Word of God. Tit. Here I hope your heart shall follow your hand Tim. Ay Sir and more hearts if I had them for all this I stedfastly believe though I am afraid this Faith is going out of fashion Tit. I hope not as long as the Defendor of it lives there is no fear and if Prayers will add to his days he is like to live as long as any that ever sat on his Throne and therefore I hope our Fears will dye before he dyes Tim. Pray God they may and be buried too never to rise more in our Generation or in the Generations after us Tit. Amen Amen And I am joyful to find you so hearty a Protestant I wish they be all such that wear our Livery But what 's the next Article Article 23. Of ministring in the Congregation Tim. It is not lawful for any man to take upon him the Office of Publick preaching or ministring the Sacraments in the Congregation before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same And those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent which be chosen and called to this work by men who have publick authority given unto them in the Congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lords Vineyard Tit. I suppose we need not stay long here neither Tim. No for I know none but Quakers Lay-elders and such holders forth as the Apostle describes That creep into Houses and lead captive silly women c. but can digest this Article well enough I am sure there is never an Orthodox Divine nay scarce a right Presbyterian but will subscribe to it Tit. Presbyterian yes for Ordination by laying on of hands is a Doctrine they stiffly maintain both in their Sermons and Writings yea and many of them have admitted of Episcopal Ordination rather than run before they were sent Tim. I know they have but for all the rest of the Dissenters they had as lieve Old Ketch should goll them as a Bishop Tit. Why then are the Presbyterians decryed as the great bane and pest in Church and State when at least in respect to others they are men of some orders Tim. O Sir because they are the leading faction Tit. Leading do you call them I am sure they lead the smallest number of any Dissenters this day in the Nation yet unhappy men that they are all that do any ways oppose or undermine the Government either in Church or State are cryed down under that new frightfull and abominable title Presbyterians for my part though I know they are not in infallible yet I cannot but pity them Tim. But I can't what pity a crew of Knaves and Villains Tit. Take heed Tim. for they come nearest the Church of England of any other Dissenters and upon a small abatement could joyn with her which the rest of the Dissenters would not and are they the worse Knaves and Villains for this Tim. Yes much the worse but pray say no more of them for I abhor the very name and cannot hear it repeated with Patience Tit. I would not provoke you too much but I would gladly hear your reasons Tim. That I can't do without thinking of them at least and the very thoughts of them put me into such aâ— heat as utterly confounds my reason Tit. We use to say break my head and shew me a reason but it seems they must be content to be called Knaves Villains and what not without reason Tim. Yes for this once they must and shall and that for this reason because I can't stay now to give my reasons Tit. Are they so very long then Tim. Yes much longer I see than the next Article which I am just going to read Tit. Well Tim. I perceive 't is an hard matter to force reason from you proceed as you will. Article 24. Of speaking in the Congregation in such a Tongue as the people understandeth Tim. It is a thing plainly repugnant to the VVord of God and the custom of the Primitive Church to have publick Prayer in the Church or to minister the Sacraments in a Tongue not understood of the People Tit. There is nothing you can dislike in this Tim. No 't is very Orthodox and according to the Apostles direction 1 Cor. 14. 6. to 19. Tit. So I percieve you have some Scripture at command Tim. Yes but this Text I cannot but remember For at one of the conferences appointed by the right Reverend Father in God the B. of L. where the subject was against Praying c. in an unknown tongue the Dr. that Preached in our division cited this place so often that I shall never forget it Tit. You gives good account how you came to have it so ready at hand proceed to the next Article 25. Of the Sacraments Tim. Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian mens profession but rather they be certain sure witnesses and effectual signs of grace and Gods good will towards us by the which he doth work invisibly in us and doth not onely quicken but also strengthen and confirm our faith in him There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel that is to say Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. Those five commonly called Sacraments that is to say Confirmation Penance Orders Matrimony and Extreme Vnction are not to be accounted for Sacraments of the Gospel being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures but
yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism and the Lords Supper for that they have not any visible Sign or Ceremony ordained of God. The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon or to be carried about but that we should duly use them And in such onely as worthily receive the same they have a wholsom effect or operation but they that receive them unworthily purchase to themselves damnation as St. Paul saith Tit. You may read on for I know not but you'r sound in this and I shall not charge you but where I know you are guilty Artic. 26. Of the unworthiness of the Ministers which hinder not the effects of the Sacraments Tim. Although in the visible Church the evil be ever mingled with the good and sometime the evil have chief authority in the ministration of the VVord and Sacraments yet forasmuch as they do not the same in their own name but in Christs and do minister by his Commission and Authority we may use their Ministry both in hearing the VVord of God and in the receiving of the Sacraments Neither is the effect of Christs Ordinance taken away by their wickedness nor the grace of Gods gifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly do receive the Saeraments ministred unto them which be effectual because of Christs institution and promise although they be ministred by evil men Nevertheless it appertaineth to the Discipline of the Church that enquiry be made of evil Ministers and they be accused by those that have knowledge of their offences and finally being found guilty by just judgement be deposed Tit. your opinion of this Tim Tim. I have a very good opinion of it as of any I have yet read Tit. But if I mistake not there is that in the close of it toucheth your copy-hold Tim. What is that Tit. 'T is this nevertheless it appertaineth to the Discipline of the Church that enquiry be made of evil Ministers and that they be accused by those that have knowledge of their offneces and finally being found guilty by jâ—st judgment be deposed Can you heartily consent to this Tim. Yes why not Tit. Here is no body present but our selves therefore I will be plain with you and tell you the ground of my Question Were you not long since presented and accused to your Diocesan by the Church-wardens of the Parish where you officiate Tim. Yes there was a Puritanical Fanatical Church-warden did present me like a splenetick Knave as he was Tit. But pray what was your Crime Tim. A small matter onely sitting up too late and playing the Good-fellow a little too much one Saturday night being to administer the Sacrament the next morning and the Rascal told his Lordship 't was a thing frequent with me so to do Tit. And what did the Bishop say to you Tim. He gave me a grave Admonition and told me if that wrought not upon me Suspension should follow Tit. He spake like himself yet if he had done it as well as said it it might have been better for I don't hear that his Fatherly Admonition hath wrought in you the least reformation What you did before I am credibly inform'd you do still nay that you mend as fowr Ale in Summer insomuch that the far greater part of the Parish are so scandalized at you that they resolve never to receive the Sacrament at your hands more Tim. 'T is a sign they are a company of nice squeemish Ideots and know nothing else they would understand that neither my Vices nor my Vertues signifie any thing to them in my Preaching the Word or Administring the Sacrament Tit. Then whether you are holy or wicked sober or disorderly in your Life it must he the same thing to the People Tim. Yes must and is in this Case for doth not this Article say That he that ministers doth the same not in his own name but in Christs and by his Commission and Authority And that the effect of Christs Ordinance is not taken away by his viz. the Ministers wickedness nor the Grace of Gods Gifts diminished from such as by faith do rightly receive the Sacraments ministred unto them Tit. True these are the Words of the Article and they contain a great Truth Should a faithless wicked man receive the Sacrament at the hands of the holiest man living the Holiness of him that administers would nothing avail such an unworthy Receiver so the contrary But our Church never intended this as an encouragement to Profaneness in her Ministers as she plainly declares by the close of the Article and you make a very ill use of it who shall take such liberty from it Besides Tim. give me leave to tell you that though the ill living of some Ministers and their slight and irreverent Administration of the Holy Sacrament cannot obstruct the Grace of God towards a worthy Receiver yet this is a shrewd bar to keep off sober and serious Persons from that Ordinance especially in those Places where they must receive from the hands of such Ministers or not receive it at all For what Person that hath any sense of God and Religion and the weight of that sacred Ordinance upon his mind though he strives what he can to conquer all prejudices of this kind can receive the Elements at the hands of a profligate and irreverent Minister with that satisfaction that he can at the hands of one who by his heavenly Life and exemplary Devotion in the Sacrament shall excite and quicken the Zeal and Devotion of all that are to partake with him No let me discharge my Conscience this once I heartily wish and pray that those Reverend Fathers who have the Discipline of the Church would narrowly inspect the Lives and Manners of such Persons in the Church as you are who by your disorderly Conversations and slight irreverent and slovenly Administration of Holy Ordinances I must tell you without flattery are a dishonour to God a scandal to the Gospel a reproach to the Ministry the causers of Division and Faction the Promoters of Atheism and Prosaneness and the bane of all true Godliness and Religion 'T is you and such as you that open the mouths of our Enemies that turn the glory of our Church into shame and trample her honour in the dust 'T is you and such as you that make many sick and dying sinners go out of the world without Ghostly Counsel and Absolution the notoriousness of your Crimes raising in them a disgust against you both living and dying and who if any of them miscarry must answer for those Souls Tim. I shall not if they send not for me Tit. But who shall answer for the cause of your not being called at such a time Tim. What you would have Ministers live like Angels Tit. Ministers are called Angels in Scripture and what if I should say they ought to live like Angels for Purity and Holiness I am sure our Saviour propounds to us an higher Pattern