NOTES Upon the Lord Bishop of Salisbury's Four late DISCOURSES To the CLERGY of his Diocese. PARTICULARLY Upon the Last, relating to the DISSENTERS. In a LETTER to a Friend. Right Prelating is busy Labouring, and not Lording, Bishop Latimer's Sermon of the Plough. Wherefore lift up your Heads, Brethren, and look about with your Eyes, spy what things are to be Reformed in the Church of England! Is it so hard, is it so great a matter for you to see many Abuses in the Clergy, many in the Laity▪ His Sermon before the Convocation. LONDON, Printed in Usum Sarum. MDCXCV. ERRATA. Page 1. line 2. blot out the, p. 7. l. 17. for acted upon read acted by, p. 31 l. 7. in some of the sheets the words in metre should be put in after psalms. NOTES, etc. SIR, I Thank you for Obliging me with the sight of my Lord Sarum's four late Discourses to the the Clergy of his Diocese, the last of which yourself must needs own the worst timed, and the worst linked of any thing in the World. For what reason his Lordship was pleased to reflect upon the Dissenters as Separatists at this time of day, when by Act of Parliament they enjoy (tho' not Equal Advantages) an Equal Establishment with his own Constitution, I will not pretend to determine: Nor perhaps can he himself give any better Account of his tacking a Discourse against them to the rest, than that the same Spirit of Contention which his Lordship hath before now discovered, had in that Moment an Unconquerable Ascendancy over him. His Lordship, it must be confessed, writes with one singular Advantage which the poor Noncons must never expect, he hath the Civil Government for his Security, and free Liberty to vent whatever he pleases; tho' 'tis true, He must have a care how he Misrepresents the Foundations of our Government, his frequent remembering a Vote of Parliament, and Mr. Johnson's most ingenious Notes on a Pastoral Letter, with what the Common Hangman was once employed about in his Lordship's Service, will be of admirable Use to him in this Case. But in Spiritual Matters he may even talk all that is in his Heart, and whatever else he finds agreeable to his Interest; for being himself a Spiritual Lord, one of the six and twenty Lights of the Nation, and a chief among the Guides of the Church, he may hold himself safe from any Contradiction, especially Now he knows the Press is entirely at the devotion of his own Party, and they must very much expose themselves who would get in but one Word against a whole Volume of his Lordships: Thou methinks an Ecclesiastical Peer of all others should be of too generous a Temper, either to call the more Names because he wears a Protection, or to take any Advantage against his Brother of lower degree, that mildly jogging him by his Lawn Sleeves, may happen to tell him, An't please you, my Good Lord, in this thing I humbly conceive you were not a little overseen. A great Champion it must be confessed the Prelatical Church hath in this Salisbury Bishop, and no doubt both He and the Cause he pleads will flourish Eternally, if the Greatness of their Circumstances can but deter all others, as it doth their own Underlings, from questioning their Pastoral Oracles. What success Our Prelate will have against his other Antagonists, I will not Divine, but the Dissenters (I make no question) will hold themselves obliged to him for the Episcopal Confirmation which his weak Management of his own hath given to their Cause, to the Goodness of which this must be imputed, unless this Right Reverend Author hath incurred the same Unhappy Fate from which the great Livy himself was not wholly exempt, that the Last part of his Works should be a sufficient Disgrace to all the rest. These four Discourses coming out together in a body, afford us a Notable Specimen of his Lordship's Abilities; but the Learned World hath been long acquainted with his many Productions, and hath already given them an Universal Applause; yet I am apt to believe they have not at any time seen a more pregnant Instance of his Cunning and Dexterity than appears in his uniting these last Compositions into one Volume, where most Invidiously, and with a strange kind of Impartiality the Atheist leads the Van, and the Dissenter brings up the Rear. It will be no just Cause of Offence (I hope) to this Noble Prelate or his Party, if in our own Vindication we take the Liberty to requite his Lordship's Kindness with a few just and serious Reflections on each Subject of his several Discourses; and I shall choose Sir to begin with that against the Atheists! First then let us Inquire, What is it hath First Discourse against Atheism. given the greatest Occasion to the Rise and Progress of Atheism in the English Nation? Is it not that Men have made Religion, and ☞ the Sacred Function of the Ministry, truckle to the Gratification of their Lusts, especially their Avarice, Pride and Sensuality? But a few will be Convinced that there is any solid Foundation for that Belief, which they see made use of to such vile and sinister Ends! Many are mistaken, if the extravagant Grandeur of Prelates, and other Church Dignitaries, hath not exceedingly contributed to diffuse this horrible Contagion. It would make a Man sick to hear our Prelate declaim against the Poverty of the Inferior Preface, p. 11. Clergy, as a Crying Grievance, and a Scorn put upon the Gospel, when those that enjoy some Thousands a Year (among whom I do not say his Lordship is one) shall yet behold their Poor Brethren who Minister in Spiritual Preface, p. 11 things, so slenderly supplied in Temporals, that nothing but extreme Necessity can induce them to serve in such Cures, who are put to wrestle still with the same Necessity, especially if they have Families that grow upon them. Nor is it less ridiculous, and Criminal in our Prelate, to tantalise them with Hopes of Relief by New Methods, whilst the true Cause and Remedy are so obvious, and yet so much slighted, and in effect renounced. Our Lawmakers (I am of Opinion) will be so kind, to try how far a more equal partition of the Ecclesiastical Revenue will go towards the supply of the poor Clergy, before they lay any more Burdens upon the People on that account. There will be no want of Atheists so long as Churchmen are thus desperately enamoured of Great Benefices, and so Careless of their Cures; while they heap one Steeple upon another till their Heads grow giddy, and they can scarce look low enough to Converse with their Inferior Brethren. They may Preach up Humility and Mortification long enough in their cold, formal, florid Discourses, before they persuade one Atheist that themselves are convinced of its Necessity, while they Vie in Fullness and Gaiety not with the Gentry only, but with the Nobility too. How should Atheism but thrive in a Land, where Men can Declare, and Swear, and Preach, ay, and print Dialogues too, for such a kind of Vide Dr. Burnet's Dialogues Loyalty, as when they are tried they perfectly leave in the lurch, to be redeemed by those that can find in their Hearts to submit to a suffering State, which they might avoid at the same Easy but Unconscionable rate as these Men do. It cannot but be a mighty strengthening to the Atheistical Party, that some Men who Preach up Piety, will not endure the strict exemplary Practice of it, no not in others, whether of their own or a different Communion, much less in themselves, but make it the subject of scorn and ridicule when they are out of the Pulpit. Nor doth it want a share in this malignant influence, that there are so many prints and footsteps yet visible, of those more than Heathenish Barbarities which have been all along acted upon one sort of Christians upon their Protestant Dissenting Brethren. From all this it is undeniably evident, that the Faith, Humility and Self-denial of the Nonconformists, in parting with their Livings, and casting themselves entirely upon Providence, their steadfastness in refusing the Oaths and Subscriptions by them judged unlawful, their Sobriety, and endeavouring to practise what they have preached to others, hath been a standing (not to say the only) Witness to this Generation, That there is a GOD, and that the Convictions ☞ of his Being and Government lie at the bottom of some men's Actions. Secondly, Concerning his Discourse against Second Discourse against Socinians. the Socinians, give us leave to observe what have been the fruits of the Church-mens over-valuing the Rational way of Preaching, as if all Points were capable of being comprehended, and explained by it to a demonstration: It had been better in this respect, if our Rational Divines had contented themselves in many Cases with the direct affirmations of the Scriptures, and paid some more deference to the simple act of believing them; for whilst every thing must be brought down to our Reason, and levelled to our Capacities, they have conjured up the Evil Spirit of Socinianism, ☞ which will exercise all their Skill to get down again. It hath been the constant way of this Church to let in the worst of Evils upon the Witness opposing the Bill of Exclusion. Nation, (as in the late Reigns Popery, and Socinianism now in this) and when they have made themselves and others abundance of Labour, and grievously exposed the Nation, then if they have helped never so little to extinguish the Fire, which but for themselves had never flamed out, nor consumed so many worthy E of Essex, Ld. Russel, Col. Sidney, etc. Patriots, to set up their Crests, and loudly to proclaim their own Achievements, and that too when their Victories are not so complete, nor the Enemy's Defeat so absolute as they themselves do represent. And here, Sir, by the way, I hope you will not forget to inquire in what Communion Atheists and Socinians do most abound: And further, I wish all to be cautioned against Arminianism by the prevalency of Socinian Errors; for those who magnify the Power of Man's Will, and those that exalt his Understanding beyond the measures of Truth and Sobriety, are not very far distant from each other. Thirdly, As for Popery, we are sorry to see Third Discourse against Papists. the Church of England so much symbolising with it, and so hard put to it to defend its self upon its own bottom; our concern on this account will appear very just, by making use of the Instance before us: Here is a renowned Prelatical Bishop discoursing vehemently against Infallibility, and at the same time pleading with Might and Main for the power of the Church, in imposing symbolical Ceremonies; but can any thing be more absurd, than that Men who confess themselves fallible, and prove it too both by Word and Deed, to the satisfaction of all the World, should obtrude their Sentiments and Composures (Forsooth) as if they were as Infallible as his Holiness at Rome pretends to be, or our blessed Saviour and his Apostles really were? And is not this done to the height of Arrogance, whilst all that will be beneficed among them, are forced indispensably To Declare, Assent and Consent, to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book of Common Prayer: And all that have refused to comply with their Modes (how much soever against their Consciences) have been Prosecuted with the utmost Severity! How laudable and consistent, when compared with our Prelatical Platform, is the Popish way of first asserting the Infallibility of the Church, and then erecting a Court of Inquisition to defend it? How will this, or any other Prelate, be able to overthrow our Popish Adversary's Arguments for Salt, Oil and spital, when their Ceremonies stand upon the very same Foundation? and will they nill they, our Churchmen shall be constrained to admit them, whensoever their Good Lords and Masters shall think sit to follow the Romish Prelates in the Imposition of them. The Truth on't is, when the Protestant Prelates have to do with the Papists, they are forced to the Dissenters Arguments against themselves, by magnifying the sufficiency of the Scripture Rule; but when the same Men encounter the Dissenters, because the Scripture-sufficiency is but an unpromising Topick, and sure enough to fail them, they shift Hands, and wield the same Weapon against us, which they will by no means allow the Papist, (viz, The Power of the Church) this is no very good sign of a good and defensible Cause; but who can blame the Patrons of it, that attends to the Vide p. 286, 287. Straits and Necessitys to which they are sometime reduced, not excepting the Bishop of Sarum himself! And thus by degrees have we traced our Prelate Fourth Discourse against Dissenters. down to his fourth Discourse, wherein he is pleased to charge the Dissenters with the Gild of a needless Separation, we hope presently to make it appear that his Lordship is Guilty of a much more needless Clamour; but that we may the better discover the unreasonableness of that whole Party, which raises such a dust about Separation, and how unjustly they appropriate to themselves the Title of the Church of England, we shall in few words attempt an impartial stating of this Case. The Church of England is a threadbare term, that may signify many things of a very different Nature, which therefore ought not to be huddled up under one Name, without some little Explication; and since our Author hath not thought it at all advantageous to his Cause to give us any, for your clearer insight into the present Controversy you may please, Sir, to take the following just distinctions. First, The Church of England may very properly signify that part of the Catholic Church of Christ which is resident in England. In this Sense the Church of England is neither one Sect of Christians nor another among us, but every Man that hath given up himself to God in Christ by Baptism, or hath been warrantably devoted by others in his Infancy, and leads a Christian Life, is truly a Member of it: From the Church of England in this sense, we neither do nor can separate, but upon such Grounds as would Separate us from the Body of Christ. The only Separatist here then is He that is No Christian, and any one with half an Eye may see to whose share the greatest part of Separatists of this sort will fall. Secondly, The Church of England may signify the Christians of England, as formed into distinct Societies for the Worship of God, and presential Communion with each other therein. Now that the Dissenters are formed into such worshipping Bodies, and consequently not of this sort of Separatists, is more visible than many would have it, and therefore 'tis undeniable they are a part of the Church of England in this Sense also. The Separatist here then is he only, that though he professeth Christianity, doth not ordinarily worship God publicly, or with an Assembly united to that End, and of this sort of Separatists the Loose devoties of the Titular▪ Church of England are all that we know. Thirdly, The Church of England may signify the Christian Congregations of England as united under the same Civil Government, and submitting to it; and the Separatists from the Church of England in this sense are chiefly the Jacobites, the generality of whom are so far from belonging to the Dissenters, that they arrogate to themselves the sole Honour of being the True Sons of the Church of England. Yet here indeed it must be confessed, that though the Dissenters have approved themselves the fastest Friends to the Civil Government, they are really separated from some very Considerable Advantages, which it hath thought fit to bestow upon the prelatical Party; for, whereas the Dissenting Ministers and People enjoy no more than the bare Protection of the Civil Magistrate in their Religious Worship, from the Rage of malignant Persecutors, the Prelatists have a very considerable part of the profit of the Land assigned them by Law, for the Maintenance of their Ministry, vastly exceeding in proportion what is left to the poor Laity: The Clergy having a Tenth of the profits of the Land, though 'tis probable they are not one Man to a thousand. All the Separation then that can be found under this Head, among the Dissenting Clergy, is, a Separation from Tithes and Maintenance, from Archbishoprics and Bishoprics, from Deaneries, and Archdeaconeries, from prebend's and Parsonages, from Mastership's and Fellowships, and from other such fat Benefices. Our Laity too are chargeable with a Separation of this very kind, they being separated from all Civil and Military Offices, whether those of Justices or Mayors, Sheriffs or Recorders, Generals or Admirals, Colonels or Captains, or whatever other honourable or profitable Posts can be thought upon: The Sacramental Test having secured all such places to the Members of a distinct Communion. This Separation we doubt not but the Conformists (though they are never like to be guilty of it themselves) will have the Charity to pardon to us, because it redounds so very much to their own Advantage. Fourthly, The Church of England may signify the Christian Congregations of England, thus united under one civil Government, as agreeing or disagreeing with each other in Doctrine, Church Government, or Worship; for there can be no Separation (but that which is local and unavoidable to all) farther than they differ in some one of these. And here, Sir, you must own (1.) As to Doctrine, Doctrine that the dissenting Ministers by their Subscriptions plainly show there is no Separation on their part; and indeed, those that are acquainted with the preaching and writing on both sides, will easily judge who keep closest to the doctrinal Articles. The Separatists from the Church of England then in this sense are on the one hand the Socinians and Arminians, by what Names or Titles soever dignified or distinguished, and on the other hand the poor deluded Quakers, and such like Enthusiasts. (2.) In the Business of Church Government Church Government. the Dissenters are not ashamed to own a Separation, rather do they think they should have great Cause to be ashamed of themselves, and their Churches, if herein they separated not from the prelatical Party. The Dissenters say there's a great deal of Reason, why the power of Governing a Church should be vested in the same person that hath and exerciseth the power of Teaching, and administering the Sacraments therein; and who can this be but its proper Pastor? who best knowing the Diseases of the People, is therefore most fit to apply the Remedy: The power of the Keys is certainly essential to the Office of a Gospel Minister, and whoever ordains him to that Office, must of necessity invest him therewith; and though he should express a contrary Intention, either that Act or the whole Ordination must be a Nullity. Every Minister of Jesus Christ hath Authority from him to govern no less than to teach, but through the Influence of the Ceremonious Party, the Laws of the Land have debarred the Pastors of single Congregations in their own Communion from the Exercise of this Power, and have made them miserable Vassals to the Hierarchy. Here then our Separation is from the Prelates as Creatures imposed upon the Church, and engrossing to themselves that power which belongs to the Pastor of every Congregation, and which 'tis naturally impossible duly to apply while it lodges in so few Hands. And together with the Prelates, the Dissenters acknowledge a Separation from Lay-Chancellors, Officials, Surrogates, Proctors, and the whole Gang of Spiritual Court-men, whom they look upon (as having no Authority from Jesus Christ but) as the Spawn of a monstrous Prelacy, and the most intolerable Grievance that the Nation this day groans under. And as the Dissenters separate from the subjects of this Church-Government (the Prelates, Lay-Chancellors, etc.) so also do they own a Separation from the Exercise of it, as it proceeds from them, and is managed by them. Themselves in the Preface to the Commination acknowledge their want of a Godly Discipline, and since they have the Front to own this Defect, and never had the Grace to reform it, in all the time that is run out since Edward the sixth's Reformation to septimo Gulielmi tertij, it would be no less than High Treason against Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, not to disown and separate so far at least from this imperfect Church as to supply this want, by a godly Discipline among ourselves. There is this further Disorder among them which will very much account for our Separation, that whereas they distrust, and dishonour the Ordinance of Excommunication, by putting all their Confidence in the carnal Sword, the Dissenters think the Discipline of Christ sufficient to its own End, without such a Supplement as quite enervates the Virtue, and obscures the Lustre of it. This constrains them to separate from many of the prelatical Canons, particularly from those wherein they Excommunicate Persons for saying, That Vide 4, 5, 7. Canons. there is any thing in the Government of the Hierarchy, or in their Articles, or in the Book of the Common Prayer that is repugnant to the Word of God: And above all, the Dissenters hold themselves bound in Conscience to abominate that Canon which excommunicates all those Vide 9, 10, 11, Canons. that shall say such Assemblies as theirs are true Churches. (3.) As for what relates to Worship, let it Worship. be considered, that the whole body of the Dissenters Worship is either found among the Church party, or is generally owned by them as lawful. Free Prayer, Reading the Scriptures, and Expounding them, Praising God by singing of Psalms, Celebrating the Sacraments according to Christ's Institution, with the Gesture which his own Example hath warranted, (in all which ways the Generality of the Dissenters worship the God of their Fathers) are clearly unexceptionable. As for the Ceremonies and the new Gestures, and the prescribed Forms, as they are still used by the prelatical Party, which are the things in this Worship from which we separate, they are at best questionable, and certainly very far from being essential to Gospel Worship. The sum of what hath been said on this head is this, In Doctrine there is no Separation at all on the Dissenters part, rather are they the truest sticklers for the doctrinal Articles. In Church Government they are so far from Separating from the true Scriptural Episcopacy, that in defence of it, they disclaim that Diocesian Prelacy which is inconsistent with it, and hath only made use of its Name to destroy the thing: 'Tis (in a word) no more but a noxions antescriptural prelacy from which the Dissenters separate, together with the pernicious Rabble of its ecclesiastical Dependants, (and if we'll take their own Words for it,) there is nothing among them that deserves the Name or bears the Face of true Christian Discipline. In Worship our Separation is not from the Object, or Medium, or Matter, or End, which are professedly the same in both Parties: We worship the same God, through the same Mediator, in the same Evangelical Duties, in order to the same great End (the Glory of God; and our own Salvation) we separate only from certain dubious or sinful Forms and Ceremonies, of humane devising and imposing. So that here they cannot with the least Truth or Modesty accuse us of any Separation, seeing our worship is the very same with theirs, unless they are disposed to speak improperly, and will mean by their Worship the Ceremonies that clog it, which upon Occasion they themselves have discarded from being any parts of their Worship. This mighty Separation (the Noise of which hath for so many years filled the Pulpits, and which the Prelate of Salisbury is so fond of buzzing afresh into his Clergies Ears) being thus dwindled into a Separation from nothing in the World but from humane Forms, from certain devised Rites and Modes of no value, from usurpation and Church-Tyranny, give me leave, Sir, to inquire how the cause of the Separation (as our Prelate phrases it) does reflect upon the Prelatists themselves. And First, They are the Authors of that Separation, Vide Troubles of Francksort. be it more or less, which they condemn in us, it is most notorious that themselves both began and continue it, and theirs it must be more than ours, because it is not in our power to change our Sentiments about the things imposed, but it is evidently in their Power to forbear the imposing of them, which they may well afford to do, as being (according to their own Confession) no matters of Necessity or good Importance. We do not desire to ravish their Ceremonies etc. from them, (not we truly, even let those that are fond of 'em keep 'em all to themselves, with all our Hearts,) we only wish to enjoy our own Christian Liberty, either in joint local Communion with them, or in distinct Assemblies, according to our present Posture, without being persecuted as the vilest of Men, or (if such a Favour could be granted) without being scandalised with the odious and unjust Titles of Schismatics or Separatists by any English or Scotch Prelatists, whenever the Testy fit takes 'em. Secondly, They are Guilty of a Separation peculiar to themselves, of a very high Nature, and of a Mischievous Tendency: Some are so steeled with Hellish Impudence as to deny Our Ministry and Sacraments; and others there are who refuse to join with us Occasionally, when it might be done without slighting their own Church Order. If any be so wise and charitable to desire the Liberty of Testifying their Agreement with the Dissenters in all that is of absolute Necessity to Salvation, by joining with them Occasionally in their public Worship, 'tis great Odds but he loseth their Favour as much as if he quite relinquished their ☜ Party; such irreconcilable Enemies are some Men to Union, while they would be thought the great Promoters of it: Certainly the Union of which These are ambitious is plainly, that all Men, yea, even the Ark of God its self should bow to the Dagons of their own setting up. Thirdly, The Prelatists are full of Schisms and Separations among themselves: Let them never boast either of their Unity or Uniformity, unless instead of all their Jarring Discords there were a more Harmonious Consent in their own Worship. And here, Sir, I shall take the Liberty of diverting you with two or three Instances of their Good Agreement, which are the more remarkable, as being peculiar to the prelatical Constitution, and which therefore cannot be recriminated upon the Dissenters, in Defence of whose minuter Differences it may be said, that they are the less to be Condemned, for that they were never imposed as absolutely necessary, nor have the Dissenters ever had the Impudence to pretend to that Unity and Uniformity which these men make so much their Boast, with what Reason or Justice ☞ let the following Instances of their own particular Dissensions determine. Some bow at the Name of Jesus, while others of the same Communion pay no more Reverence to that than to the Name of Christ. Some bow to the East or Altar, (which you will,) while others that would be thought as good Churchmen, condemn that Practice as superstitious. Some use the Lords Prayer kneeling, others pay no more respect to that than to any other Prayers. Some are very clamorous in their Responds, others there are more modest, and a less noisy sort still content themselves with an Amen only at the End. Some only say over their Prayers, while a more merry sort sing them out; nay, there are not wanting some Jovial Sparks, that Cant out their very Creed. Some preach in the Surplice, while most pull it over their own Ears before they go into the Pulpit. Some make Prayers in the Pulpit after the Liturgies over, others are only pray wees, that bid Prayer. Some read the Service in the Desk, while others go with a part of it to the Communion-Table. The Communion Table in some Churches is railed about, in many 'tis even left as open as any other part of the Church. In some Topping Churches you shall see huge unlighted Candles, (for what use no Body alive can tell, but) the meaner Churches are forced to shift without them. Some are for a Consort of Music, others only for Organs, some dislike both, and others can get neither. And here, Sir, by the way, 'tis worth your while to observe, that among the Dissenters, the poor and rich Congregations, the larger and the lesser, worship God in the same innocent unceremonious manner; whereas in the prelatical Church the rich Congregations worship with abundance of Pomp, while the Poverty of others obliges them to a like simplicity with the Dissenters. So that a Church of England Courtier is one sort of a Worshipper, a C. of E. Cathedralist of another kind, a C. of E. Citizen yet less theatrical, and a C. of E. Peasant of a sort by himself. In a word, this Diversity of Worship is so very considerable, and makes these pretended Uniformity Men look so little like▪ Members of one and the same Church, that I am very confident, a perfect stranger to them all, at one time visiting the Royal Chapel at high Devotion, and by and by looking into Westminster-Abbey, and anon tracing to St. Lawrence's in the City, and shortly after travelling to some homely Country Church, and strictly observing all their various ways of Worshipping, would be ready to swear, that these men never had an Act of Uniformity read among 'em, but were each of them a much more distinct sort of Worshippers, and less of a piece than the Dissenters are with the last mentioned, and honestest sort among themselves. From all this we may naturally infer, that either the several Formalities instanced in, which are so much magnified by one Party, and neglected by another of the same Communion, do appertain to the prelatical Church, or they do not; if they do, those separate from it that use them not, if they do not belong to it, those are Separatists that use them; this however is certain, as they differ more or less in these things, so far they separate each from other. If the Church Guides have only recommended these things without enjoining them, and have left them to be observed or omitted, as best agrees with the Judgements and Consciences of others: Why might not the same Course be taken with all the other Ceremonies? Why is not the Gesture at the Supper, why is not the Cross in Baptism, why are not the Surplice and other Vestments, and many things of the like nature, left in their own Indifferency, to be embraced or rejected as every one is determined in his own Mind? If so considerable a Diversity may consist with ☜ Uniformity, and is actually found in the prelatical Church, why might not this be allowed, in Order to so great a Benefit to the Church, as the Union of the two great parties would be? But besides, what hath been already said of their Discord, I dare be so bold to affirm, that abundance who ordinarily join in local Communion with the Prelatists, do mentally and really separate more from them than many others of a distinct Communion. So do all those, both Ministers and People, that pervert the doctrinal Articles, and hold Opinions inconsistent with the most natural and genuine meaning of them. They are in the same Predicament who lead a Vicious Course of Life; for, as the former have separated from the Truth which the Church doth profess, so have these from that Purity which it declares necessary to Salvation. A Dissenter that is sound in all the Articles of Faith, and orders his Conversation accordingly, is ☞ incomparably more of the Church of England than the most exquisite Formalist, that hath learned all his Gates and his Postures, but is neither sound in his Head nor in his Heart. The one separates only from some little particularities that are against his Conscience, and the other from that which is vital and essential both to a Christian and a Church, and which his own Conscience, and the Scripture, and the Consent of all Christians urge upon him as indispensably necessary. Nay, so Obnoxious is the Prelatical Church on the account of Separation, that great Numbers of those who join with them, have as mean an Opinion of their Ceremonies, and in their Judgements and Affections separate as much from them as the Dissenters, having nothing that engages 'em to an Observation of them, but a bare Establishment by the Civil Magistrate, whose Authority in this Case has been rejected by many very great Men: But a legal Establishment is a formal Word that enchants abundance, and it's enough for these that somewhere or other they have met with some word that gives 'em a little Liberty in their own Minds to communicate with the Church: And whilst with very hard shifts this sort of Churchmen have made themselves judge it barely lawful to abide in that Communion, they are loath to leave the Sun-side of the Bank; little thinking in the mean time, that to join with a Church less pure and edifying, when a better may be had, (tho' with Reproach) is to prefer carnal policy before christian Wisdom, Pollution to Purity and Peace with men to Peace with God and our Souls salvation. But lest it should be objected, that these are but Trimmers, or half Churchemen at best, let me observe to you, Sir, that on the other hand there are very many who have the Honour to be of the high Church (as they themselves phrase it) who do yet very substantially separate from the main body. Among these we will first rank the Jacobites, who have private Assemblies and Ministers (if not Prelates) of their own, and who perhaps can be content to wave the Consecration of places, as the Dissenters have done before them: Matters are now come to that pass even among high Churchmen themselves, that the voice is lo here is the Church in one man's mouth! and lo there in another's! in the Judgement of these Churchmen the far greater number of the prelatical Church have deserted its Principles, and have lost the great Characteristic of a true Church of England Man, (viz.) Passive Obedience Loyalty to a jure divino Succession; upon which very account it is, that the abdicated Prelate of Bath and Wells hath scattered his Pastoral Letters against holding Communion with that part of the Church which have taken the Oaths to the present Government. 'Twould do well if his Brother of Sarum and he could concert this affair, at least we desire that our Prelate (before he addresses any more discourses against the Dissenters) would free himself and his party from that Gild of a sinful separation which the Jacobite Sons of the Church are daily reflecting upon them. But besides these high Church Separatists, there are not wanting a considerable Number of another sort, who would willingly exclude some of those Offices which themselves and their Congregations statedly perform: How glad would many of this strain be to have conceived Prayer before Sermon, and singing of Psalms totally suppressed? but they know well enough, should not these be parts of their Service, great Numbers would soon desert 'em: Tho' how they can reconcile this kind of Prayer, and Singing, with ☜ their own solemn Promise to use the Liturgy, and no other Form, I leave to their own Consciences to determine! Nay, it is further considerable, that where they are agreed to practise alike, 'tis upon such very different Principles, and so destructive of each other, that from hence 'tis notoriously evident, how powerful a worldly Interest is to make contrary Principles sweetly conspire to its own support. Let the several opposite Principles upon which the Hierarchy is built be our Instance, the poor simple vulgar, and many of a better sort that would be thought Champions for the Church, take it for granted, that all the Learned Men on their side do firmly believe our English Episcopacy to be Jure Divino, and in this they think them most unanimous: But (alas!) they little imagine how very differently and inconsistently sometimes their great Doctors, and those that wear Lawn Sleeves all at once, shall argue in its defence. Give me leave, Sir, to name two or three several Opinions on this very Head: (1.) SOME Churchmen tell us, that a Bishop and Dr. Hammond etc. a Presbyter were all one in the Scripture-times, and that the Bishops afterwards made the Distinct order of Presbyters or Priests, as they are now called. This (I humbly conceive) you will say was a great piece of Boldness, and certainly it can be called no less, for any Men to make a New subordinate Office in the Church without Authority from the Great Bishop of our Souls, the Lord JESUS CHRIST. (2.) OTHERS of the same Church, (and those the most before Laud's time,) used to say, that by Divine Institution there were no Bishops over Presbyters, but Prebiters to avoid Divisions set up one among themselves above the rest, and gave him the Title of Bishop, by way of eminency. But this sort of Episcopacy is a little too low and mean for our modern Prelates to content themselves with. (3.) MANY of this high Church think that Diocesan Mr. Dodwell, etc. Episcopacy is jure divino, and that an uninterrupted Succession of such Bishops is absolutely necessary to the being of a Church, and to the Validity of every Minister's Ordination: TO these I might add, no small names among them who differ from Bps. Gunning, Bramhal, etc. their Brethren in this, that they would have the Universal Church governed by a College of Bishops (by Letters Missive or in Council) and the Pope as prime Patriarch to be the Principium Unitatis. Are not these very hopeful Churchmen think you? and done't they put us in the ready way to Catholic Unity? Roman Catholic I mean? (4.) THERE are yet OTHERS of this very Dr. Stillingfleet, etc. Church who think that there is not any particular form of Church-government of divine Institution, but that in the Communion or Subordination of Churches we can only follow the general Rules of Scripture, and the common Principles that belong to the Conservation of Societies. This Sort of all others contributes most effectually ☜ to the destruction of that common conceit, that our Diocesan Episcopacy is of divine Right: And of these some ascribe more to the power of Magistrates in this point, and some more to the Agreement of Churches among themselves: Yet all these must and do subscribe (but God knows how!) to one and the same Position, ☞ that it is evident to all that have diligently read the Scriptures, and the Ancient Fathers, that Bishops, Priests, and Deacons have been three distinct Offices, ever since the Apostles Times. I would to God the whole Levitical Tribe of this divided Communion, would seriously lay to heart this one thing. But at present I spare our Prelate any further Trouble of this kind, and the rather because I am confident by this time you are fully convinced, and will with me readily conclude, That this goodly Church of England, (which notwithstanding all its Boasts of Unity and Uniformity, does next to the Popish, abound with the most Schisms and Separations of any in the world) is the least qualified, and has the poorest Title of any that ever pretended to be the Standard, and Centre of Union to all other Churches whatsoever. And in this Faith I subscribe myself SIR, Yours, etc. FINIS.