was not at all obligatory as a Law upon the Confciences of Chriftians; they might, or they might not practise it, without finning against GOD. Even the Apoftles had no Dominion over the Faith and Practice of Chriftians, but what was given them by the Special Prefence and Spirit of CHRIST, the only Lawgiver, Lord, and Sovereign of the Church. They were to teach only the Things which he fhould command them. Whatever they injoined under the Influence of that SPIRIT, was to be confidered and obeyed as the Injunction of CHRIST. But if they injoined any Thing in the Church (which I can by no means admit) without the pe culiar Influence and Direction of this Spirit, (i. e. as merely fallible unaflifted Men) in that Cafe their Injunctions had no Authority over Confcience: Every Man's own Reafon had Authority to examine and dif cufs their Injunctions, and as they approved themfelves to his private Judgment, to obferve them, or nor. Should we grant then what you ask-"That "the Church in the prefent Age, has the fame

Authority and Power as the Church in the apofto"lic Age, confidered as not being under any imme

diate and extraordinary Guidance of the Holy "Ghoft."-What will you gain by it? This fame Authority and Power, is you fee, Sir, really no Power nor Authority at all.

I proceed next to the Point of DISCIPLINE, "the Want of which you fay, is objected to your “Church; but you will represent the real State of "it, and then fhew that we really as much want it "ourselves. We will attend your own Account of it, which to be fure is not too fevere You acknowledge that the Difcipline of the Church is

of great Moment towards the Edification able

of its "Members; and that the Fault is unpardonable "when Church Governors let it fall, through at "fupine Careleffnefs and Neglect-That there is a

1

great Proftration of Difcipline in the Church of "England-That it is ruined amongst you-That "the Distempers of the Times are evidently too "ftrong for it-That those who fit at the Helm, "find it prudent not to bear up too much against "the Impetuofity of the Storm, but to give Way "till the Madness of the People be ftill-That the "Difcipline of the Church has not been carried to

any Degree of Perfection-And now lies under "a general Relaxation.-That your People are "often indulg'd in all their unreasonable Demands "and diforderly Ways, to prevent their putting in "Execution their Theats, that they will go to the "Meeting-And finally, That you have at leaft, "the Shadow and Form of Difcipline, and truft in "GOD that thefe dry Bones will one Day lived"

you

This, it must be owned, is very ingenuously and frankly spoken. And can you blame then the Dif fenters, Sir, for joining themfelves to Churches, where that godly Difcipline is obferved, which confefs to be of fo great Moment to the Edification of Chriftian People; and which your Church is continually WISHING, but never attempts to have refored. But here you retort, and intimate as great a Want of Difcipline amongst us. "What are there "no fcandalous Sinners, you ask e, no Fornicators, "Adulterers, Extortioners, &c. received into your "Churches! I muft beg your Pardon if I demur 66 upon this. For I could never perceive the Doors "of the Meeting were ever fhut against any. And "if fuch profligate Perfons be not admitted to fit at the Lord's Table, they need not fear being ad"mitted to all other Parts of your Worship."

And is not this, Sir, exactly right? Ought not our Church-doors to be always kept open, that whoever will may come, and be Witness to our Way of Worship. Such profligate Perfons therefore may

& Lett. III. pag 12, 13, 14, 17, 22, 28, pag. 23.

come, * Letter 111,

come, if they pleafe, and hear their Sins reproved, and be exhorted to Repentance and Amendment of Life. They are then, where they ought to be, under the preaching of the Word; the Means, appointed by GoD, to convince and reclaim the proAligate and corrupt. Were not the Doors of the Church at Corinth kept open in the Apostle's Days, for Infidels to come in, and be prefent at their Worfhip. Vid. 1 Cor. xiv. 23. But to the Table of the LORD, to partake of the Children's Bread, you feem convinced that in our Churches, fach profliAnd is not gate Perfons are not fuffered to come.

this the true Order and Difcipline of the Chriftian Church? But Is it the fame, Sir, in your Church? Are not fome of the most profane and abandoned of Men, Rakes, Debauchees, Blafphemers of GOD, and Scoffers at all Religion, often feen upon their Knees around your Communion Table, eating the Children's Bread, and partaking of the holy Elements to qualify for a Poft? Dare your Minifters refuse them! No, they dare not refuse the most impious Blafphemer the three Kingdoms afford, when he comes to demand it as a Qualification for an Office in the Army or Fleet,

And if in any other Cafe, the Priest denies the Sacrament to the most infamous Sinner dwelling in his Parish, if the Man, upon an Appeal to the ecclefiaftical Court, can fecure the Favour of the LayChancellor, he may fecurely defy both the Minifter and the Bishop to keep him from the Lord's Table. The Chancellor's Determination fhall ftand in Law, though contrary to the Bishop's; and the Minifter be liable to a Sufpenfion, for refufing Compliance; and if he is contumacious, and will not give the Man the Sacrament, even to Excommunication itself. How, Sir, do you reconcile this with affirmyour ing, "That your Parish Prieft has as much Power

as any Presbyterian or congregational Minifler to "repel open and feandalous Sinners from the

-"Lord's

"Lord's Table f ?" Or how with your 66 Repre "fenting the Lay-Chancellor as a Person only af"fumed by the Bishop, not to do any Act that is "purely Spiritual, but only to be his fiftant in his "ecclefiaftical and judicial Proceedings &?"

Is not the Chancellor fupreme and uncontrouled in his Gourt, not liable to be reftrained or directed by the Bishop in his judicial Proceedings? Does he not finally and abfolutely determine on Cafes of Excommunication, fovereignly direct who shall be received to, and who caft out from Chriftian Fellowship and Worthip at the Table of the LORD? And is not this an Act as purely fpiritual, as important and momentous, as any done in the Church? Muft not his Sentence take Place without Controul, and is the Minifter in publishing it any other than bis Servant, appointed by Law to put it in Execution?

Will you pleafe to hear, Sir, the Sentiments of a great Prelate h of your own Church, upon the Point in Debate. If there be any Thing in

the Office of a Bifhop to be challenged peculiar "to themselves, certainly it should be this (fpeak"ing of Excommunication) yet this is in a Manner

quite relinquished to their Chancellors; Laymen, "who have no more Capacity to fentence or ab"folve a Sinner, than to diffolve the Heavens or "the Earth. And this pretended Power of the

Chancellor, is fometimes purchased with a Sum "of Money. Their Money perish with them! Good "GOD! what a horrid Abufe is this of the divine

Authority? But this notorious Tranfgreffion is "excufed, as they think, by this, that a Minifter "called the Bishop's Surrogate, but is indeed the "Chancellor's Servant, chofen, called, and placed "there by him, to be his Crier in the Court, no "better that when he hath examined, heard, and fentenced the Caufe, then the Minifter, for

F

f Lett. III. pag. 33. g Ibid. pag. 38. Crofts, Bishop of Hereford, Naked Truth, &c, pag. 58.

"footh,

-h Dr.

"footh, pronounces the Sentence. Juft as if the "Rector of a Parish Church fhould exclude any "of his Congregation, and lock him out of the "Church, then comes the Clerk, fhews and jingles "the Keys, that all may take Notice that he is "excluded. And by this his Authority, the Chancellor "takes upon him to fentence not only Laymen, but

Clergymen alfo brought into his Court for any "Delinquency. And in the Court of Arches, they "fentence even Bishops themselves."

"I remember when the Bishop of Wells, hear"ing of a Caufe corruptly managed, and coming "into Court to rectify it, the Chancellor, Dr. Duck,

fairly and mannerly bid him be gone, for he had "no Power there to act any Thing; and there"withal pulled out his Patent, fealed by this Bi "fhop's Predeceffor, which frighted the poor Bishop

out of the Court."--Behold! this is the Perfon, Sir, whom you have the Courage to reprefent as only affumed by the Bishop, not to do any Alt that is purely SPIRITUAL, but ONLY to be his ASSISTANT in his judicial Proceedings.

1

But as we are now upon the Head of Difcipline, and the Law called the TEST is a Battery which has beat down all its Fences around your Church, and you are a zealous Advocate for that Law, you will permit me here, Sir, to enlarge a little upon that Point and to ask-How you can bear to fee the terrible Defolation it has made of your godly Dif cipline, without Refentment and Grief? Can you be jealous, Sir, for the Profperity and Honour of your Church, and yet patiently view it lying in this polluted and common State? Its Inclofures broken up, and a Way opened by Law for the most fla gitious of Men, for Atheists, profeffed Deifts, and the moft open and avowed Sinners, to lie fecurely in its Bofom, to fuck at its Breasts, to be numbered and cherished amongst its holiest and most beloved Children, and to be acknowledged before the World