they might be sung 'T is certainly most agreeable to the example of Scripture to turn 'em into metre for the same end and use III. For Responses There is no doubt that in such places of Scripture as the Bp. has alledg'd 7 Rev. from the 9th to the 13th Tho in the paraphrasing this Text 7 Rev. 11 12. his Lp. commits an odd mistake in supposing the Angels and Elders to joyn in saying what we read v. 12. whereas 't is the Angels alone to whom that part belongs tho they stood about the Throne and about the Elders and the 4 Beasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 19 Rev. The instance of Miriam The 24th and 118th Ps and especially in the Song of Solomon which his Lp. seems to have forgot There is an Allusion to dramatick writings But 't is observable that there is some difference in the persons introduc'd as answering one another and in the matter spoken that requir'd this alternate way of singing But I see nothing the Bp. has produc'd to make it probable that this way of alternate singing was the ordinary practice of the Christian Church in the New Testament He do's indeed alledg those words of the Ap. Paul to that purpose 1 Cor. 14.31 For ye may all Prophesy one by one c. which he tells us amounts to praising God by way of Responses because prophesying he saith includes Psalms Doctrines Tongues Revelations and Interpretations p. 11. But 't is strange his Lp. shou'd examine his criticisms no better For if he compare the 26 v. of that Chapter with the 6th he 'll easily find that prophesying instead of including all those things mention'd v. 26. is distinguisht from 'em v. 6th And if he 'll compare this 31 v. with those that precede and those that follow it he cannot but see that it imports only a direction to the Prophets to speak in their due order without interrupting one another since that God in whose name they spake was not the Author of confusion but of peace v. 33. And accordingly some judicious Expositors understand these words v. 32. The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets of those that were inspir'd being capable of refraining to speak even what they had an impulse for till they cou'd do it in regular order IV. For Instruments of Musick there 's no Question of their being us'd in the Worship of the Jewish Church But then it must be consider'd that 't is highly probable these Instruments of Musick belong'd not to the Worship of their Synagogues but only to the service of their Temple And there was a particular Institution for 'em as appears from Numb 10. 32 Levit. 23 24. And those other Instruments of Musick which David appointed 1 Chron. 16.4 5. he is expresly said to have done it upon the Commandment of the Lord by his Prophets 2 Chron. 29.25 And they are on that account call'd God's Musical Instruments 1 Chron. 16.22 and 2 Chron. 7.6 as having the stamp of his Authority Nor dos the single instance of Miriam's Timbrels signify any more to prove that the use of 'em was no part of the Ceremonial Law than the use of Sacrifices before Moses's time can prove that they were not Besides Miriam being there call'd the Prophetess there is just reason to suppose that she us'd those Timbrels upon a particular impulse as David is said to have instituted his upon such a particular command from the inspired Prophets Since then Instrumental Musick belong'd to the Temple-service which was but ceremonial and typical it must be abolisht with that service And we can have no warrant to recall it into the Christian Church without as particular an Institution for it as it had under the Law any more than we have to use other abrogated rites of the Jewish Religion Nor needs there any particular command for laying it aside when the whole Temple-service of which 't is a part is so plainly cashier'd and it was not that we can find us'd in the Worship of the Synagogues from which alone we can pretend to draw any safe Pattern for Evangelical Worship And 't is certain that there 's no mention of it's being us'd in the Worship of the Christian Church And indeed it seems more sutable to divine Worship when there was more of external pomp allow'd in it I confess his Lp. would persuade us the Apostles recommend such musical Instruments because the Ap. James when he exhorts those that were merry to sing Psalms uses the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 James 13. which he tells us signifies in the Original singing with an Instrument p. 13. But sure his Lp. can lay no stress on this Argument when 't is so apparently weak and so often concludes wrong Of which I shall give him a parallel instance of his own He tells us p. 111. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word generally us'd in the New Testament for Worship signifies in the Original to pay homage by kissing the hand And might he not as wisely infer from thence that we are still oblig'd to pay our external homage the same way But if he look again on that passage of the Ap. James he will find this slender criticism too weak a foundation for Organs to stand on because the Apostle cou'd not reasonably suppose all those to have Instruments of Musick by 'em or to be capable of using 'em whom he there exhorts to vent their spiritual joys by singing of Psalms Since then there is no warrant for Instrumental Musick from either precept or example in the New Testament the Bp. is oblig'd by his own principles on that account to turn it out of the Church And indeed for the Cathedral Musick 't is hard to reconcile it with 1 Cor. 14.11 15 26. For the Apostle requires that all things be done to Edification and consequently that no worship be offer'd up but what is clearly understood since if we know not the meaning of the voice of him that speaks he is but a Barbarian to us Now the generality of the people complain that the Chaunters and Choristers are just such Barbarians to 'em because their voice is not so articulate as to enable 'em to understand what they play or sing Secondly Having consider'd the Directions of the Scripture relating to this part of Religious Worship Let us consider the Application thereof to the Praises of God as celebrated in the Establisht Church and in the Dissenters Congregations And before I enter on the Representation that his Lp. gives I shall only briefly suggest That 't is evident from the foregoing scriptural Account That the way of praising God among the Dissenters is exactly suited to the precepts and examples of the New Testament relating to this religious duty For they praise God both 1. By solemn Thanksgivings and those suited to that glorious Revelation of the Gospel and the peculiar Subjects of Praise it furnishes us with not excluding what the Providence of God towards
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
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
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
Purity of Divine Worship among 'em is highly commendable and wou'd deserve their thankful acknowledgments But if the whole of this heavy Charge be so far from being manifestly true that 't is rather apparently groundless and unjust There will be some occasion to suspect that his Lordships Zeal has more of heat then light in it and is but the Zeal of a Party that often transports Men beyond all bounds of Truth when 't is their design to render those odious whom they account their Adversaries And whether this charge be not so apparently groundless and unjust will appear upon the Review of it For do the Dissenters content themselves to meet together for some years and yet hardly ever see any thing of God's immediate Appointment among 'em when they have every Lords-day Prayer Praise Reading and Expounding and Applying the Word of God and frequently Baptism and the Lords-Supper which are all Duties of God's immediate Appointment Or can he tell us of any other parts of Divine Worship besides these that are instituted by God But his Lordship perhaps does not speak so much of these parts of Divine worship themselves as of the manner of performing ' em For when he comes to make good his charge he tells us A Man may frequent your Meeting some years and never hear a Prayer a Psalm or a Chapter which has been immediatly dictated by God c. But why does he charge the Dissenters for never using a Prayer immediately dictated by God If he speak of Psalm Prayers what he saith is notoriously untrue If he speak of Prose-Prayers why does he make it our Crime to use no such Prayers immediately dictated by God when he cannot produce any shaddow of proof of any such Prayers immediatly dictated by God for the use of the Christian Church unless the Lords Prayer Nor is there any clear Evidence of its being dictated as a Form to be used in our Publick Assemblies Or does he think their Collects any more immediatly dictated by God than our free Prayers are I hope he may from the foregoing Discourse find that the latter are more agreeable to the Precepts of the New Testament and much more to the Pattern of the Apostolick Church than stinted Liturgies Again why dos he tell us that the Dissenters may in several years never hear a Psalm immediately dictated by God When Psalms are constantly sung in their Meetings much more than in the Parish-Churches And can he find any other use of 'em prescrib'd to the Christian Church except that of their being read for instruction as they are among us equally with other parts of the Old Testament Or is he so weak as to imagin that a Prose Version of the Psalms is immediatly dictated by God but a Metre-version is not when God has immediatly dictated neither and when the true sense of the original is as much the word of God when in metre as when in prose Again why shou'd he tell us of our not hearing a Chapter immedialy dictated by God when he never immediatly dictated any such division of the Scriptures into Chapters at all nay when an entire portion of Scripture and usually a whole Chapter and sometimes more is so constantly read and expounded besides the reading so many parallel Texts to explain and urge some doctrine or precept of the Christian Religion i. e. when the Scriptures are read all the several ways we have any pattern for in the Christian Church Again why dos he make it a Crime that we do not bow our knees to God when we either use that posture or that other of standing which is as much a scriptural posture and equally expressive of our religious reverence in all our immediate addresses to God Again why shou'd he accuse those as never seeing one offering to administer or desiring to receive the food of life in the Lord's-Supper who tho they communicate seldomer than other Dissenters yet ordinarily do it oftner then the Conforming Laity in most parts of the Kingdom One wou'd think his Lp. might have spar'd 'em the labour of so obvious and easie an Apology by forbearing such accusations as have not so much as an appearance of Truth or Justice But if he cannot perceive things that are so clear and plain the Dissenters will in requital of his prayer for 'em bag of Gâ—d that he may open the eyes of his understanding And they hope when those scales are fallen off I mean those unhappy prejudices that hinder him from discerning these things in their true light then these melancholly reflections will quickly vanish with which his mind has been so much disturb'd on this occasion For now if he please he may clearly see the Dissenters enjoy already all those divine Appointments which he is so sollicitous to restore to 'em and whatever others do free from any mixture of sinful human Inventions And as they thank him for his endeavour to instruct 'em so they humbly request he wou'd calmly and impartially consider what is here offer'd for their necessary vindication Which if he do they do not despair but it may recover him to a more favourable opinion of his Brethren and a more charitable temper towards 'em and may oblige him as an evidence thereof not only to retract his former uncharitable exclusion of 'em from the Catholick Church but this super-added injury in charging their Worship with human Inventions and so frequently misrepresenting their opinions and practices contrary to plain evidence in order to the countenancing that groundless Accusation For such Justice and Charity towards our Fellow-Christians is most becoming those that profess to expect that great day when the universal Shepherd will appear and call both Pastors and their Flocks to a strict account at that general and final Visitation APPENDIX To the Remarks I have already made on the Bishop's Discourse I think it necessary to subjoyn these two Additional ones I. THat his Lordship has omitted one material part of Divine Worship about the manner of performing which the Contest between the Establisht Church and the Dissenters dos most directly concern this charge of human Inventions in the Worship of God For of those two Sacraments which are the two parts of positive instituted Worship peculiar to the Christian Religion he has only consider'd that of the Lord's-Supper but has said nothing concerning the other which is as undoubted a part of Divine Worship and the very Sacrament of our initiation into the Christian Church viz. Baptism I confess his prudence and foresight seems very commendable in this wary silence and omission For 't is easier to answer such objections as he himself makes for the Dissenters than those they make for themselves But I cannot so much commend his candour and ingenuity in it For he cou'd not be ignorant that here the Dissenters particularly us'd to fix their charge of human Inventions in the Worship of God which the Bp. has been so far from endeavouring to clear their
be instant in season and out of season to reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine For these latter expressions seem to explain the former And I hope he will allow the Apostle Peter to have preacht in the 2 Acts from the 14th to the 40th ver And yet what he spoke is call'd an Exhortation v. 40. Nay to put the matter out of doubt 't is said of John the Baptist 3 Luke 18. That many other things in his Exhortation he preached unto the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again he saith That interpreting the Scriptures applying 'em and exhorting the people from 'em in a Christian Auditory is never call'd Preaching Now either those many discourses of the Apostles recorded in the Acts are not Preaching or else quite contrary to the Bp's notion Preaching was interpreting the scriptures applying 'em and exhorting the people from ' em For I would fain know what else he can make of the Apostle Peter's Sermon 2 Acts from the 14th to the 40th 3 Acts from the 12th to the end 4 Acts from the 8th to the 20th Of Stephen's 7 Acts. Of the Apostle Peter's 10 Acts from the 34th to the 44th Of the Apostle Paul's 13 Acts in which single instance the Bp. will find almost all his Notions overthrown together For v. 15. After the reading the Law and Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue send to Paul and his company this Message Ye men and brethren if ye have any word of Exhortation for the people say on The Apostle addresses himself to comply with their proposal And accordingly his discourse contains an Explication of several passages out of the Old Testament relating to the promised seed of Abraham an application of 'em to our Blessed Saviour and an exhortation to 'em from thence to believe in him and not despise and reject him And this very discourse the Apostle calls declaring glad tidings or preaching for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 32. If the Bp. object this discourse was not in a Christian Auditory 't is easily answer'd What can the difference of the Auditory signify to alter the nature of the discourse As if the very same discourse in a Synagogue shou'd be preaching but quite another thing in a Christian Church 'T is plain here that the Apostle preacht when he interpreted the Scriptures relating to Christ applyed 'em and exhorted the people from 'em so that these are the same thing And if he still pretend that such Exposition and Application had some other name given it when us'd in a Christian Auditory than that of preaching I shall to remove this shadow of a pretence farther add I suppose he will not doubt but the Apostle Paul either found or at least planted a Christian Church at Rome long before his two years expir'd and yet he is all that time said to preach the kingdom of God among ' em So no doubt there was a Christian Churâ—h at Ephesus and yet Timothy residing there is exhorted to preach the word to be instant in season and out of season And in the place I first alledg'd the Apostle Paul was desirous to preach the Gospel to those at Rome whose Faith was already so eminent and so publickly known and celebrated And indeed tho the Gospel be in the strictest sense only news to those that first hear it yet it dos not cease to be good tidings or a joyful message for being often repeated So that since the Bp. has so ill hap in every one of his Criticisms I wou'd advise him to be more sparing and deliberate in offering 'em to publick view for his talent dos not seem to lye much that way IV. The Scriptures have left it to human prudence to determine What portion of 'em shall be read in our publick Assemblys and in what order and method To clear this We must consider there are two ways of Reading the Scriptures in order to the peoples instruction from ' em As either 1. When some considâ—rable portion of 'em is read together As some part of a Book or Epistle a Psalm c. For the division of the Scriptures into chapter and verse are but a matter of late Invention 2. When several passages are read out of several Books of the Old or New Testament which are parallel to each other and serve to explain the same Doctrine or clear and enforce the same duty And tho the phrase of Reading the Scriptures be by common custom appropriated to the former yet if we will speak strictly It dos as truly belong to the latter and 't is of this latter way of Reading the Scriptures for the people's instruction that we have the clearest warrant from the examples of the Apostles and the accounts given us in the New Testament of the practice of the Christian Church Nor do those banish either of these ways of reading either an entire portion or several parallel Texts that interpose an explicatory and applicatory Paraphrase between the several parts that are read Nor dos the Bp that I can find so much as pretend to produce any thing from Scripture against the intermixing such a paraphrase in our reading the Scriptures Now if he consult all the Sermons of the Apostles recorded in the Acts he will find that they did read or what is the same did recite verbatim and propose to the consideration of the people several passages of the word of God all tending to illustrate and prove some truth or duty of the Christian Religion And their practice herein was conformable to that of our Blessed Saviour who employd the first Christian Sabbath I mean the day of his Resurrection not in reading an entire portion of Scripture but in expounding to the two Disciples all those passages in Moses and the Prophets that related to himself and his death resurrection and ascention 24 Luke 24 Luke from the 13th to the 28th Nor do I find in that account given of the Worship of Christian Churches 1 Cor. 14 chap. any mention made of Reading the Scriptures as a distinct thing from Doctrine and Interpretation So that I know of no one precept or example in all the New Testament relating to the Christian Church for this way of reading unless what may be inferr'd from the 4 Col. 16. And when this Epistle is read omong you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea But then we must not urge the Inference from these words too far for I know of none that think themselves oblig'd by it to read a whole Epistle at one time tho no doubt it was fit the Colossians shou'd so read this Epistle then as we shou'd be as forward to read a much longer that came newly to us from the same inspired Pen. And yet because reading an entire portion of Scripture was so constantly practis'd in the Old Testament and the reason of it seems in part to extend to us I do
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
in hand which can import no less than the putting themselves into a bodily posture most sutable to that Ordinance and expressive of due veneration towards God in it 'T is true indeed as to the particular posture they leave the people to that liberty the Scripture has done which tho it recommend several yet dos not confine us to any one to the exclusion of the rest So that his Lp. has palpably misrepresented this Rule of the Directory on that occasion too needful and justifiable that he might have some pretence to find fault with it For as I have here explain'd it to him he may easily see 't is neither contrary to reason nor Scripture but only to a superstitious custom of A. B. Laud's Invention or at least to one authoriz'd and impos'd by him II. Since then the Bp. has no just quarrel with the Principles let 's consider what he has to say against the practice of Dissenters And here he tells us 1. At your Thanksgivings and Praises you neither bow nor stand up Answ If he mean this of our singing of Psalms He knows our posture is the same herein with that us'd in the Parish Churches and liable to no other objections than theirs If he intends it of those Thanksgivings we offer up together with our Prayers what he here asserts if he speak of the Dissenters in general is notoriously untrue and contrary to plain matter of fact as I shall have occasion to observe farther in his charge that refers to our Prayers 2. He charges us with casting out of our Worship the Confessions of Faith themselves which he tells us are a material part of the service of God for which he cites 10 Rom. 9 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has rais'd him from the dead thou shalt be sav'd p. 129. Answ Why dos his Lp. think the bare citation of that Text a sufficient proof of what he here infers from it when he knows well enough that these words are by the stream of all judicious Commentators understood concerning the external profession of the Christian Religion in general which we especially make in our attendance on all the publick Institutions of our Lord but by none that I can meet with besides himself concerning the repetition of a summary of the Christian Faith in our publick Assemblys If they were to be understood of the latter 't is but a very short summary we are here requir'd to repeat and such a one as we never perform any part of Divine Worship without repeating much more But for the repeating that particular summary commonly call'd the Apostle's Creed or any other later one of human composure there 's not one word in this place nor indeed any precept or example in Scripture So that the Rehearsal of such a Confession of Faith is according to the Bp's notion a meer human Invention And yet I am far from condemning the practice of the Establisht Church in rehearsing the Apostle's Creed and have known it retain'd in some Meetings of Dissenters Only I see no reason why those that use it shou'd censure those that do not when there is no clear warrant for it And the Bp. shou'd of all men be least forward to do it 3. He accuses the Dissenters of sitting generally at their publick Prayers Answ If he speak here of the generality of Dissenters in England and in this part of Ireland what he saith is notoriously untrue I know few or none that do it except such as pretend bodily infirmity in which case I suppose the Bp. himself will allow it as much as to a sick man to pray in his bed If he design this charge only in refernce to the Dissenters in the North of Ireland where alone there seems to be any ground given for it I shall first represent to him what account the Ministers there give of this matter and then add my own thoughts in reference to it Now they not only affirm that the better sort of their Hearers do generally stand but that they frequently in their Discourses to 'em recommend that or kneeling as the fittest posture where bodily imfirmity dos not hinder it But they dare not be too peremptory in their censuring those that pretend such infirmity since many of their people travel 3 or 4 miles to their Meetings and may therefore be reasonably suppos'd to be incapable of long standing without danger of discomposing their minds for the Worship of God And for kneeling the places where they meet are usually too much crouded to admit of their using that posture And there are some of 'em think their sitting in such cases warranted by Scriptural pattern particularly the instance of David's sitting before the Lord 2 Sam. 7 8. As to this account I shall only briefly subjoyn that I am truly sorry there are so many that by sitting in publick Prayer have given some occasion for this censure of the Bp's For tho I doubt not real infirmity is a just excuse for not standing yet 't is too probable that too many under that notion too far consult their ease for standing is generally us'd by Dissenters in Englund even in those places where many of the people go as far to their Meetings And for that passage alledg'd 2 Sam. 7 8. I do truly think there is some weight in what the Bp. has offer'd to render it probable that the word shou'd be translated David stayed or abode and certainly so many plainer and more numerous examples of kneeling or standing are to be rather imitated by us than this doubtful one of sitting So that for such as use this slothful posture without real necessity to endulge their ease I cannot excuse 'em from irreverence in it And hope they will not persist in a practice so offensive to their brethren elsewhere and dislik't by their Pastors And methinks they shou'd be sensible of the indecency of it if they consider that they themselves universally kneel or stand in Closet and Family-prayer and 't is unaccountable why they shou'd not as universally do it in publick prayer where their bodily strength will permit But then I must add as to his Lordship that as he has no reason to reproach the Dissenters in general with this unseemly practice so since the Ministers in the North have so faithfully declar'd to their people their dislike of it they can no more justly be upbraided with it than the Conforming Clergy with all that toying and trifling and that more open irreverence that is too common in many Parish-Churches and much more in the Cathedrals 4. His next Charge is At the Sacrament you sit not only whilst you receive but at the Thanksgiving and Blessing before And this posture he saith the Directory imposes on the Communicants the contrary to scripture in respect of that part which concerns the Prayer and Thanksgiving and without any command or so much as example from Scripture
great source of the deplorable degeneracy and corruption of our Youth And I heartily wish the Clergy were herein more exemplary to the Laity by making their Houses lesser Churches and fruitful Seminarys of Religion I hope the Dissenters of that Diocess as well as in other parts of the Kingdom set 'em herein a Pattern worthy their imitation But why his Lordship shou'd in their Family-Prayers seem to confine 'em to the words of the Church I see no reason unless he supposes those Forms such a Catholicon in Devotion as some boast their Recipe's to be in Physick that will suit all particular Diseases 2. In his exhorting 'em not only to Innocency of life but to Christian moderation too For certainly when our Zeal instead of being lay'd out to promote the great and important Interests of our common Christianity is chiefly spent about lesser matters disputable among truly good men It turns into a praeternatural and feavourish heat that preys on the Vitals of Religion But I must add That I understand not Why Innocency of Life and moderation in the Conforming Laity shou'd any more convince the Non Conformists of the unreasonableness of seperation from them then the like Innocency and moderation of the Non Conformists shou'd convince their Conforming brethren of the unreasonableness of seperation from them And no doubt but all good men on both sides enjoy that Communion of Saints which our Creed speaks of And where their difference of Judgment about some modes of Worship unavoydably occasions that difference of Practise which some improperly call difference of Communion yet there is no reason it shou'd disunite their Affections They retain Communion in the Essentials of Belief Worship and Holiness and are cemented by those common bands of Christian Unity mentioned 4. Eph. 4 5 6. One Body one Spirit one Hope of their Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father And so far as they are acted by the genuine Spirit of Christianity they will endeavour to preserve this Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace by mutual Forbearance as to that diversity of external Rites and Modes about which it cannot be Expected but that the different apprehensions of pious men will occasion diversity in their practise especially where any unnecessary or suspected Rites are imposed IV. For his Advice to the Dissenting Laity of Derry I Shall only offer the following Remarks 1. His Lp. dos well to refer 'em to their Bibles as I have also done in this Discourse and I hope they will herein imitate those noble Beraeans by examining what is said according to that unerring Standard and Test of Divine Truth 2. That Men are more fond of their own Inventions then of God's Commands is a Truth that Experience puts out of all doubt But that all those Popish Corruptions of Image Worship Prayers for the dead Purgatory the Intercession of Saints Half Comunion and Worshipping the Host were meerly introduc't by the violent fondness of the People for 'em against the will of the Church Governours who generally oppos'd and condemn'd 'em is an Observation that I can see little ground for in Church-History As to some of 'em I think it far more probable that they had their rise either from the imprudent Zeal or the politick Contrivance of the Clergy who found 'em Serviceable to squeeze the Purses as well as enslave the Consciences of the People 'T is certain that when those corruptions were once entertain'd the Clergy were generally the most violent defenders of 'em and the most cruel persecutors of all that made any Attempts towards Reformation But the Bp. applys this Observation to Extemporary Prayers which as he supposes to be an human Invention so he tells us The People have brought 'em into practise against the Opinion and Constitution of the Church Covernours and of the first Reformers who all did settle Liturgys in the Churches which they reform'd This Knox did in Scotland whose Liturgy we have ready to produce to the Conviction of those who pretend to be his Successors and yet condemn Forms of Prayer as unlawful This Luther did for Germany and Calvin for Geneva and for the French-Church whose Liturgys are still us'd by ' em Answ I hope I have already sufficiently prov'd That Praying without Forms is as much of Divine Institution as Praying with 'em and consequently the Bishop has no more reason to call the one a Human Invention then the other Nay since there is not the least evidence of any stinted Liturgy prescrib'd or recommended to the Christian Church by Christ or his Apostles but so strong presumption to the contrary that in the Apostolical and I may add in the two or three following Ages even ordinary Pastors us'd free-prayer or prayed in the exercise of their own Abilities There is much more reason to rank such stinted Liturgies among the Bishop's sort of Human Inventions For they have certainly neither precept nor pattern for 'em in the New Testament as us'd in the Christian Church and we do in the use of 'em vary from Apostolical pattern And I take this account he has given us of the Original of what he calls Extempore-Prayers to be a very lame and untrue one For if free-prayer unconfin'd to a stinted Liturgy was the practice of the three first Centuries and Dr. Comber's proofs to the contrary are I think invalidated by his modest and learned Examinator to the full satisfaction of an unprejudic'd Reader Then the Bp. is first concerned to acquaint us how such stinted Liturgies were brought into general use And if he will take the Opinion of the learned Capellus in this matter even in that very Disputation in which he so severely censures the Compilers of the Directory prescribed Liturgies were unknown to the Apostolical and succeeding Ages and were not introduc'd till those Persecutions ceas'd which kept alive the Zeal of the Primitive Christians and till through the favour of Christian Emperors the Number of Christians Encreas'd but the Fervour of true Piety and Devotion was Allay'd And then they were gradually introduc'd for the use of simple and unlearned Ministers who through their Sloth were unfurnish'd with Gifts and through their Ignorance in danger of venting such unsound Notions as subtile Hereticks might instill into ' em †See Thes Sal. p. 657. But it was much later before stinted Liturgies came into general use even in those Ages the Fifth Sixth c. in which the Clergy gradually degenerated into Laziness and Ignorance as well as Worldliness and Pride and true Devotion sunk into Formality and Superstition And hereby the ruling part of the Clergy had the easier opportunity to propagate all their gainful Errors and Superstitions among the People by infusing the poyson of 'em into the Publick Offices of Devotion For such prescribed Liturgies were first set up in Patriarchal and Metropolitan Churches such as Rome Alexandria Antioch Constantinople c. And there was very great diversity of 'em
Authority the Church can appoint Ministers in her name to dedicate men to the service of a crucified Saviour by a Rite or Ceremony of their own when Christ has already appointed one of his own choosing for that end and purpose For if she cou'd why do we quarrel with the Roman Church for adding so many new Sacraments to those two which Christ has Instituted already Nay why do we blame the Romish Church for their additional rites of oyl and salt and spittle and annexing such spiritual signification and use to ' em And 't is yet more inexcusable to make such a human Invention a necessary condition of Christian Communion in this part of the Worship of God For that is to deny men the benefit of God's Institution to which all credible Professors of the Christian Religion and their posterity have a right by the charter of our common Lord because they dare not comply with a meer human Invention for which there is as little if not less to be said than for any of those other rites practis'd by the Roman Church in the celebration of this Ordinance And for the custom of Crossing themselves in common conversation practis'd by the Primitive Christians to distinguish themselves from Infidels we see not what pretence it can afford for this Religious use of the Cross as a dedicating sign in the publick worship of God especially as conjoyn'd with his own viz. Baptism For the use of God-fathers and God-mothers as exclusive of the Parents publick promise of the religious Education of their children there are these two objections lye against it 1. When the 6th Canon of the Church of Ireland ordains that no Parent shall be urg'd to be present nor admitted to stand as God-father for his own Child it plainly discharges the Parents from any publick engagement to a duty which God has most expresly enjoyn'd 'em 6 Deut. 6 7.6 Eph. 4. And can any thing be more unreasonable than to forbid them to bind themselves by a solemn publick promâ—se to a duty which God has so strictly bound 'em to by his own Authority when one great design of Baptism wherein we dedicate our selves or our offspring to God is to bring us and them under such external publick bonds to the dutys of God's Covenant 2. God-faâ—hers and God-mothâ—rs absolutely undertake a work that dos not belong to 'em unless upon supposition of the Parents dying and their adopting the child And what is far worse hereby the generality of such Sponsors are commonly involv'd in the guilt of heinous perjury by undertaking positively to do that themselves which not one of many ever performs For besides their Vowing in the child's name to renounce the Devil and all his works c. To believe the Articles of the Christian Faith and obediently to keep God's holy Commands As if such actual Faith and Repentance were requisite to the claim of Infants to the promises of God's Covenant and the Seal of 'em They are also told by the Priest what is their part and duty in pursuance of their promise viz. To see that the Infant be taught so soon as he shall be able to learn what solemn vow promise and profession he has made by them they are to call upon him to hear Sermons and chiefly to provide that he may learn the Creed the Lord's-Prayer and ten Commandments in the vulgar Tongue and all other things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his soul's health and that the child may be vertuously brought up to lead a godly and a christian life c. Now we may safely herein appeal to common experience how few make any more of this than a matter of meer Ceremony and Form And alas how few that seriously consider how hard it is to discharge these dutys aright for their own children wou'd willingly entangle themselves in such solemn engagements to do all this for other men's And yet Parents must have their children excluded from Baptism if they cannot prevail with others to enter into such unreasonable and rash Vows in which the most only trifle with the Almighty God and dissemble with men in so awful a transaction If indeed either these Sponsors were only engag'd conditionally to take care of the child 's holy education in case of the Parent 's dying or were only made witnesses of the credibility of the Parent 's profession of Christianity as some wou'd pretend to salve the matter There were something to be said as an excuse for this practice But 't is evident from what I have already quoted that they enter into a solemn promise of all the dutys foremention'd I might have objected farther that the 14th Canon of the Church of Ireland forbids the Minister to refuse or delay to Christen any child brought to him on Sundays or Holy-days without any exception whereas he shou'd in all reason enquire whether the Parent be a Professed Christian unless it be suppos'd that the children of professed Infidels have a right to this mark of God's Covenant II. The Bishop has taken no notice of human Inventions in the Discipline of the Church about which he knows the Contest between the Establisht Church and the Dissenters chiefly lyes I speak not here of any lawful determinations of human prudence that relate to the exercise of that sacred discipline that Christ has instituted but of sinful corruptions of it by instituting such new Officers in the Church without any warrant as deprive his undoubted Officers of part of that Pastoral power he has invested 'em with and render true Church-government impracticable and by variety of Canons and Constitutions not only unknown to the Scripture but contrary to the Rules there laid down for the preservation of order unity and peace in the Church But since his Lp's discourse dos not lead me to enter on the particular examination of this subject and he may find these matters largely treated in Mr. Baxter's Treatise of Episcopacy the Terms of Christian Concord the Search for the English Schismatick and the Case of Non conformity stated and argued I shall not without greater occasion engage my self in a Controversy I have so little fondness for and expect so little good from any polemical debates about Only since his Lp. is pleas'd to request several things from the Dissâ—nting Ministers of Derry relating to their Discipline as well as Worship in order to the facilitating an Accommodation and begetting a more amicable correspondence I hope his Lp. cannot take it amiss if we use the like freedom in offering with all humility the following Requests to our Reverend Conforming Brethren especially those whose Authority renders 'em most capable to promote the Reformation desir'd in ' em 1. Since as we humbly conceive it was the most generally receiv'd Opinion of the first Reformers in England in K. Henry the 8th's K. Edward the 6th's and of the Conforming Divines in Q. Elizabeth's Reigns that a Bishop and Presbyter differ only in degree not