Arch-Deacon BOULTERs 
 
 CHARGE 
 
 TO THE -f 
 
 Clergy of the County of SURREY.. 
 
CHARGE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 Clergy of the County of SURREY, 
 
 Deliver'd at the 
 
 Town of GUILDFORD, Oct. 1 1. 
 
 And at the 
 
 Burrough of SO^THW^RK, Off. 2 5- 1716 
 
 A T H I S 
 
 PRIMARY VISITATION. 
 
 By HUGH'BOULTER, D. D. 
 
 Arch-Deacon of SVRRE T. 
 
 Publifh'd°at the Requeft of the CLERG Y. 
 
 %bt ©econto CEtiiu'on* 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed by H. Clark, for Timothy Childe at the 
 White-Hart in St. iWs Church-Yard. 
 
r 5 j 
 
 Reverend Brethren 
 
 T is not without fome Concern that 
 I meet this Venerable Affembiy, in 
 which lam fenfible how many there 
 are that might much better "fill this 
 "Place, to which I have been by His 
 Ma jetty's Favour advanced. And I am the more 
 difcourag'd at ending on my Office, when t 
 reft eel: on the great Learning and Abilities of 
 my Predeceflbr, his thorough knowledge of the 
 Ecclefiaftica! Law, his diligence in the difcharge 
 of his Pert, his prudence and difparch in Buii- 
 nets, and his fixt pnrpofe and earned defire on 
 allOccafions faithfully to fervQ rite true Intereft 
 of the Church. Thefe flifymsj I have 
 
 moft juftly removed him to a lbpcriour Station 
 in the C lurch, where his great Capacities and 
 fitiens will find a larger Field to .aft 
 in, to our lofs indeed, but to their benefit over 
 B whom' 
 
CO 
 
 whom he is plac'd, and to the Advantage of our 
 Countrey to which he will be now able to do 
 more Service, whether in his Diocefe, in Con* 
 vocation, or in Parliament. 
 
 But as his great Worth affrights, and difhear- 
 tens me, fo the Example he has fet, whilft in 
 this Office, will excite and (hew me the Method 
 to purfue the fame noble Ends with him, tho r 
 in a low degree. And as I am fure r am truly 
 defirous of advancing the real Welfare of the 
 Churchy and promoting the Publick Good, I 
 hope with his Affiftance and that of other my Su- 
 periors in more difficult Cafes, and the Informa- 
 tion and Counfel of you my Brethren of this 
 County in other Matters, not to be wholly 
 wanting to either Church or State. I chufe to. 
 mention them both together, becaufe every con- 
 federate Man mult allow that they are as to Jnte- 
 reft fo interwoven with- each other, that either 
 the feparating them, or going to advance one to- 
 the Prejudice of the other rauft endanger both.. 
 And it has been the Artifice of the Enemies of. 
 either to reprefent them as inconfiftent, and of 
 fuch who malign both to try to ruin both by 
 letting them one again ft another. 
 
 There are thofe on one Side that wou'd have. 
 the Church in its prefent Settlement efteem'd 
 
 dangerous 
 
(7 ) 
 
 dangerous to tlie State: But certainly by one 
 Laws and Conititutions it is plac'd in that juft 
 Subordination to it, that whilft it's Members 
 keep themfelves within thofe Bounds mark'd out: 
 to them by our Laws both Kcclefiaftical and Civil, 
 they can only be fubfervient to the Prefervation 
 and Happinefs of the State, without any ways 
 endangering it. 
 
 And on the other hand, there are Men- of Evil 
 Intentions^ who reprefent the Church as oppreft 
 by the State, and wou'd make nfe of it as an 
 Engine to overturn our Civil Eftablifhment, 
 which cou'd they compafs, it wou'd in the End 
 effectually ruin our Church, that has hitherto 
 been look'd upon as the great Glory and Sup- 
 port of the Reformation. 
 
 To this End we have had of late Years feveral 
 Doctrines advane'd to countenance, and fet the 
 Church on attempting to arrive at, an Indepen- 
 dency on the State. 
 
 That the Church as to the EfTentials of Chri- 
 stianity is wholly exempt from all Saccular Power, 
 cannot be deny, i. e. It is not in the Power of 
 any Civil Government to require any other 
 Doclrine to be taught in the Church than what 
 is contain'd in the Word of God, or to appoint 
 any new Sacraments, or to abolilh the eld ones: 
 B 2 Becaufe 
 
r » j 
 
 Becaufe the Terms of our Salvation can be efta- 
 blihYd by God alone from whom we are to ob- 
 tain it, and He alone can appoint the Seals of 
 the Covenant who only can either promife or 
 convey Grace to thofe that life them, 
 
 But as to .all Regulations that no ways concern 
 the EfTentials of the Chriftian Religion, and that 
 neither dire&ly nor by neceffary Confequence e- 
 vacuate the Delign of the Gof pel, they may be 
 made moderated or limited by the Civil Power. 
 This is moft certainly the Do&rine of our Church, 
 in Virtue of which the Reformation was begun 
 and fettled here, and in Aflertion of which the 
 Supremacy of our Kings has been moft fully fet- 
 tled by Law. 
 
 Now the Pattern our Canons propofe to us in 
 this Cafe is, that of the Godly Kings of the Jews, 
 and of the Chrifiian Emperors in the 'Primitive 
 Church. And as among the Jews^ their Princes 
 cou'd not alter anything in the Worfhip appoint- 
 ed, by the Law of Mofes^ithet abrogating the Sa- 
 crifices, or ordering them to be offer'd of another 
 kind, or in another manner than was there writ- 
 ten^ becaufe that wou'd have been violating the 
 exprefs Command of God, but they cou'd lee 
 that thePriefts and Levitesdid their Duty, and 
 cou'd make fuch farther Orders as beft fecur'd 
 
 the 
 
C 9 J 
 
 the Obfervance of the Moiaical, and tended to 
 promote Piety and good Order ; fa have our 
 Kings the fame Power in Things not determined 
 by the Law of Chrilt. 
 
 And as the Clergy enjoy feveral Privileges and 
 Powers, as the Grant of the Civil Powers, fuch 
 as cannot be pretended to be EfTential to the Mi- 
 nifters of the Gofpel, it is plain that the Power 
 which grants theie Advantages or Honours can 
 as they (hall think fit limit and circumfcribe their 
 own Grants, and determine m what manner the 
 Power and Jurifdi&ion by them given (hall beex- 
 ercis'd : Since every rone is Matter of his own 
 Gift to beftow it in what Meafure, and on what 
 Conditions he pleales. 
 
 That the King is Supreme Governour under God 
 hi this Realm and all other his Dominions and Coun~ 
 tries ^ as well in all Spiritual or Ecclefiajlical Things 
 or Caufes as Temporal^ is what we have by our 
 Subfcriptions rnoft fully acknowledg'd. And this 
 Supremacy of the King has not only been own'd 
 and aflerted by variety of A6ts of Parliament, 
 but rnoft (trongly fecur'd by the Canons, which 
 are the immediate Voice of the Church, by in - 
 flicking the higheft Penalty they cou'd^ that of 
 Excommuication on all who deny it. Can. '*'. 
 Whofoever /hall hereafter affirm , that' the -Kings Ma~ 
 
jefiy has not the fame Authority hi Caufes Ecclcjiafti- 
 cal that the Godly Kings had among the jews, and 
 Chrifiian Emperors of the Primitive Church ; or im- 
 peach any Tart of his Legalpupremaey in the [aid 
 <Caufes re[iored to the Crbvon y and by the Laws of 
 this Realm therein cjlablijti d : Let him he Ezcom~ 
 municated Ipfo Fadto, and not reftofd hut only by 
 the Arch'Bt/hop after his Repentance and publick Re- 
 vocation of thoje his wicked Err ours. 
 
 This is the Do&rine of our Church ratify'd by 
 .the moft folemn Sanction; and yet fuch is the 
 Perverfenefs of fotne Men, that they have on this 
 very Canon lately pretended to juftify a Separa- 
 tion from the Eftablifh'd Church, grounded on 
 the denial of the Dodtrine of this very Canon, 
 the denying, I fay, the Power of our Princes to 
 deprive Bilhops on their avow'd DifafTeclion to 
 the Government; which is a Cafe we have an 
 In fiance of in Solomon depriving Abiathar of the 
 High-Priefthood, for having (hewn his Affedion 
 to Adonijah his Rival rather than to himfelf, 
 I Kings ii. a 6 ., 27. 
 
 ! (hall juft obferve, that fuppofing the Inten* 
 ticn of the Canon were what they wou'd pre- 
 tend it is, yet cou'd it have no Effect, fo as either 
 to invalidate the Ads of one they wou'd have 
 ■under Excommunication by this Canon, or to 
 
 bring 
 
bring-any others into any Ecclefuftical Irregular 
 rity by holding Communion with him, except 
 fuchPerfon werefirft pronoune'd Excommunicate 
 by a Competent Judge, and pnblickly denoune'd 
 as Excommunicate to the Faithful; and that not 
 only from the Pra&ife of all Spiritual Courts ; 
 but the terrible Inconveniences of the contrary. 
 For at this rate, the Succeffion of our Orders 
 from the Times of the Apoftles muft be wholly 
 uncertain and precarious; becaufe among the many 
 Canons in Ancient Times that declared the in- 
 f ringers of them Ipfi Fatlo Excommunicate., feve* 
 ral were no doubt in corrupt Ages broken by ma- 
 ny Bifhops, who Ordained and Confecrated o- 
 thers after fuch Infractions, and yet according to 
 this Notion cou'd from that Moment confer no 
 Valid Orders. And again, as other faithful Per- 
 fons, both Clergy and Laity, knowing nothing 
 of their Crimes, and apprehending no Incapaci- 
 ties they were under, or any Danger that could 
 be incurr'd by holding -Communion with them, 
 liv'd on in Communion with them, they muft 
 have unavoidably loft the Benefit of all thofe 
 Spiritual Offices in which they joyn'd underthem, 
 befides incurring Ecclefiaftical Cenfures or Inca- 
 pacities for thus holding Communion with Per* 
 ibns Excommunicate. Which if w 7 e were to fupr 
 
 pcie 
 
r »2 j 
 
 pofe true, it wouM be very hard to know at this 
 diltance from the Apoftle's Time, whether there 
 were any true Bifhop or Presbyter in theChritfi- 
 an World, or" whether there was any one Con- 
 gregation of Believers that don't lie under Ex- 
 communication, , or rhe Guilt of Schifm. 
 
 Not to obferve the great Abiurdity, that muft 
 follow from this, that Perfons who have learn'd 
 what are the Terms of Salvation propos'd by 
 God to Mankind in theGofpel, and who fincere- 
 ly comply with them,(hou'd after all be put out of 
 the Covenant of Grace about Niceties not fo 
 much as hinted at in the Gofpel, and that will 
 puzzle Men of great Learning, and Abilities to 
 fettle. 
 
 But really the Intention of this Canon was 
 effectually to prevent any thing being (aid or 
 taught againft the King's Supremacy in Ecclefl- 
 aftical Matters, as is clear both from the Words 
 of the Canon, and from the Hittory of the 
 Church from the Reformation to ,thcfe Times, 
 by which' it appears that the Controverfy r 
 to in this Canon was abcut the Kirg'sSupri 
 in Spiritual Arm is, deny'd by 'the Bapifts and 
 afierted by. the Proteliants ; and that th s 
 what the Makers of this Canon had in 
 pears from the j ir fpeaking of this Sup 
 .reftor'd to the Crown, viz. J: torn Papal Usurpa- 
 tion., 
 
C «3 ) 
 
 tion, and cjlabUJh'd in the Crown by the Laws 
 of this Realm, by which they evidently mean 
 the feveral Ads of Parliament beginning in Henry 
 the VllltrTs Reign, and made in the following 
 Reigns to that Time. And what the Canon en- 
 deavours is to punifn ail impugners of this Spi- 
 ritual Supremacy, all who deny this Power to be 
 veiled in the Crown., or Per ion pofleffing the 
 Crown, without in the leaft medling with, or 
 designing to decide, who had or had not a 
 Right to the Crown of England, or any ways to 
 determine which way it was to defcend. And 
 the King's Majefty in the Canon muft be as it is 
 in all other Laws, nototherwife exprefly limited 
 by the Words of the Law, the then prefent 
 PoflerTor of the Crown, and whoever after him 
 fhou'd be in Poffeffion of the Crown, the Perfon 
 ovvn'd and acknowledg'd by the Stages as King of 
 this Realm/and in whofe Name, and under whole 
 Authority and Protection Juftice is adminifterM. 
 
 And it may feem a little ftrange to have a 
 Canon alleged in juftifkation of their Schifm by 
 thole, who if we may judge of the Party by the 
 Writings of their Leaders, are very uneafy under 
 the Supremacy of the Crown ; and affert fuch 
 Dodtrines as whoever afTert, by the Letter of the 
 Canon are certainly declar'd Excommunicate. 
 
 I (hall not attempt to fay any thing farther in 
 
 Defence of the Regal Supremacy, after fo many 
 
 C abler 
 
( *4) 
 
 abler Pens that have been employ 'd in it \ and 
 the Work is the more needlefs, as I am fpeaking 
 to thofe, who by their Oaths or Subfcri prions, 
 have acknowledg'd it. 
 
 But I mult with great Sorrow of Mind, and 
 Concern fcr the Breaches in our Siou^ take No- 
 tice of the Growth of that Schifm which has 
 for fome Time feem'd to have lain aileep, but. 
 is now broke out with frefh Vigour, fo that great 
 Numbers are boafted of as gone, or going off to 
 thefe new Conventicles. 
 
 Every one knows there was a Schifm fet on 
 foot after the Revolution, upon the Deprivation 
 of the Nonjuring Bifhops, the Ground of which 
 was laid on this, that Communion could not be 
 held with a fafe Confcience with the Intruders, 
 -as they were pleas'd to call thofe put into the va- 
 cated Bifhopricks by King William. But as the 
 Controverfy was then manag'd by it's chief De- 
 fendants, there was reafon to hope, that at the 
 Death at leaft of thofe deprived Bifhops the Schifm 
 wou'd have expired of it felf: Since it was 
 own'dj that if thofe Bifhops wou'd have volun* 
 tarily relinquifh'd their Bifhopricks to the Per- 
 ions put into them by the Government, the 
 Schifm wou'd have immediately been at an end, 
 or if they woa'd have forbore appointing any 
 SucceiTorsto themfelves; at their Death, notwith- 
 landing the Ju (reefs of the Separation at firft, 
 
 the 
 
C '5 ) 
 
 the Caufes of it wou'd have ceas'd of courfe, and 
 room wou'd have been made for the Coalition of 
 the oppotite Parties, and their Re-union in die 
 Church. 
 
 How far thofe Men were a died with a true 
 Charity for the Souls of Men, whom they £Up- 
 pofed to be out of the ordinary weans of Salva- 
 tion, by a Schifm they cou'd lbeafily have put 
 an end to, or what great regard they had to the 
 Peace and Unity of the Church, to the preven- 
 ting of which they have provided for a new Suc- 
 ceffion of fuppos'd Bifhops to prolong the Schifm, 
 I leave to a«iy impartial Perfon to determine : 
 And whether any great Hurt is to be fear'd from 
 the Cenfures or Anathemas of Men who have 
 continued a Separation that wou'd fo eafily have 
 fell to the Ground,out of Anger and Peeviflwefs, 
 and Difcontent and Differences about Saccular 
 Matters : To thefe 1 impute it, fince it cannot be 
 pretended that either the Eftabliih'd Dc&rine, or 
 Government, or Difciple of the Church have 
 been alter'd in any thing that cou'd juftify a 
 Schifm fince -the Revolution. 
 
 The true Reafon of that Schifm was then very 
 well known to be a Matter purely Secular, the 
 .placing King William on. the Throne by the Con- 
 vention, but the Party had then fo much Mo- 
 defty as not to care to maintain,that a Separation 
 in the Church cou'd be juftify \[ upon a Ditfe- 
 C 2 rence 
 
C i* ) 
 
 rence in the State, and therefore chofe rather to. 
 put it on the Bottom of Lay- deprivation, a thing' 
 that had been pra&is'd at the Beginnings of the 
 Reformation, without giving Offence, or occasion- 
 ing any Scruples in the Members of our Church. 
 
 But there is now rifen up a Set of new 
 Teachers, who are more bold, and deal more 
 openly with us, and own the Caufe of their Se- 
 paration to be our not continuing our Obedience 
 to King James after his Abdication, nor paying- 
 it to his pretended Son fince his Death ; and 
 that this may not feem, as it really is in it felf, a 
 purely Temporal Matter, the Second Canon is 
 brought in, by which we who have fubmitted to 
 the Government of King William^ Queen Anne^ 
 and King George^ are fuppofed to (land Excom- 
 municate ; tho' the Canon cannot with reafon 
 be thought in the leaft to have any relation to 
 the Con trover fy between us and theie Men about? 
 the Government. 
 
 In feems in. Virtue of this Excommunication 
 we are fuppos'd to have incurr'd ; all the Pray- 
 ers we offer up are of no Effect, and the Sacra- 
 ments we Adminifter Null, and the People joyn- 
 iriig with us in any Holy Offices, inftead of reap- 
 ing any Benefit by them, are plunging themfelves 
 in Sin ; and we, whilft we hope we are with a 
 good Confcience difcharging our Paftoral Care, 
 are increafing our Guilt, and inftead of winning 
 
 Souls 
 
( *7) 
 
 Souls to Chrift, we are really every Day making* 
 them more the Children of Hell. This, according* 
 to them, is our State in relation to another World, 
 and what they defign (hall be our State here they, 
 give us room to guefs, when they tell us, that in 
 virtue of this our Sehifm, we are incapable of any 
 Ecclefiaftical Benefice or Promotion, and that any In- 
 ftitution we have had to fuch is Void. Indeed in- 
 this they aft very wifely,by providing forthemfelves, 
 if the Day fhou'd ever be their own, Vacancies of 
 Preferment enough to fatisfy their largeft Ambition. 
 
 I hope thefe Things will raife in us all a juft In- 
 dignation againft Perfons who are pleas'd thus to 
 treat us as Schifmaticks,and to provide for us a Form 
 of Confeffion and Abfolution to admit us into the 
 Catholick Church, and this for no other pretended 
 Crime, but having iubmitted to, and praying for 
 thofe Powers whcm the Providence of God has- 
 placed over us, and who protect us in the peaceable 
 Enjoyment of our Civil Rights and Ecclefiaftical Pri- 
 vileges. 
 
 We find the Prophet Jeremiah directing the Jews 
 to another Behaviour than thefe Men will allow in 
 iiSj towards thofe who had invaded their Countrey, 
 and fubdued it by Force of Arms ; had fpoil'd them 
 of their Goods and Eftates, and carry'd their Per- 
 fons away Captives to a itrange Land, Jer. xxix. 7. 
 Seek the Peace of the City whither I have caufed you to be 
 carry d away Captives, and pray unto the Lord for it % 
 for in the Peace thereof je /hall have Tease. And 
 
C -I* ) 
 
 And St. Paul exhorts that Supplications , Prayers, 
 Intcrcejfions^ and giving of Thanks be made for Kings, 
 and for all that are in Authority, i Tim. il. I. a. And 
 this the Primitive Chriftians pra&is'd, by Praying 
 for the Roman Emperours, without troubling them- 
 selves about the Title they had to the Imperial Dig- 
 nity : And this tho' they lay under a tnoft heavy 
 Perfecution from moft of them. And fliall we make 
 Difficulties of Praying forourGovernours plac'd over 
 .us by the Laws of cur Land, for the Prefervation of 
 our Liberties, 3nd to refcue our Church from that 
 Ruin with which it was threatened juft before the 
 Revolution ; efpecially when under them Juftice 
 rlourifhes, our feveral Properties are preferv'd, and 
 the Church enjoys her Ancient Privileges. 
 
 Before the late Rebellion broke out, and whilft it 
 was (till on foot, we heard little of this Schifm ; the 
 Hopes the Difarfe&ed had of Succefs, and the Affi- 
 itance they expe&ed from too many that came to 
 Church, made them eafy with fuch as took the 
 Oaths and frequented the Publick Worfhip, the bet- 
 ter to gain them to their Side, and I wifh they did 
 not encourage, at leaft I don't find they any ways 
 try'dto prevent the Oaths being taken even by them 
 who efteem'd them unlawful, that they might have 
 the better Opportunity of betraying that Govern- 
 Trent they had Swore to. But mice the Rebellion 
 jTiifcarryd.they have moft induftrioufly fpread their 
 Scruples about frequenting the Parochial Churches, 
 
 and 
 
C 19 ) 
 
 and have gone on forming feparate ArTemblies of open 
 and avowed Enemies to our Eftablilhment, that mail 
 be ready as any Occafion offers to join in the Ruin of 
 our Government. 
 
 I wifh fome amongft us that have too much carefs\i 
 thefe Men, vvou'd at length reflect, what Tools they 
 have been made by them, and what Returns they 
 have received for their Kindnefs from them, by being 
 branded as SchifmaticalTeachers,and having their Peo- 
 ple efpecially their greatehV Admirers drawn away from 
 them : And thajt betide the Indignity ofTer'd them, they 
 would ferioufly conflder the dangerous Confequences 
 of fuch a Schifm, that rents the Church of England 
 in pieces, muft give fo much Scandal to to the former 
 DiiTenters, and fo much Plea fu re to the Papifts, and 
 that is intended to procure the fubverfion of our pre- 
 fent Eftablifhment both in Church and State. It is 
 time for fuch Men to withdra-w their Countenance from 
 thefe Difturbers, or if they think them in the right, 
 it becomes them to ad: the honeft part, and joyn with 
 them in feparating from a Communion they efteem 
 unlawful. Here is no room left for Dlfcontent or 
 Ambition or Party to influence us to wink at an Evil 
 fo Dangerous and fo Growing. Now is the time for 
 us to make a ftand, before the Infe&ion has fpred too 
 far, and taken too deep Root. There is ftil] remain- 
 ing in our People that Efteem and Opinion of us, that 
 if we vvou'd Jpeak out, what we fay might have it's 
 weight : But if we hold our Peace, the Enemy is at 
 
 work 
 
work to Teduce our Flocks, and will reprefent us to 
 them as in our Hearts of their Sentiments, tho' for 
 faecular Jntereft we ad otherwife than they do. And 
 indeed what can our feveral Congregations think of us, 
 but that we are grofs, felfifh Hypocrites, wholly acted 
 by Worldly Views, ir when w r e have taken the Oaths 
 to the Government, and in the Offices of our Liturgy 
 continue conftantly praying for it, we no ways endea- 
 vour to hinder a Separation from the Church on Ac- 
 count of that Government \$e have iworn to and pray 
 for. 
 
 Our Adverfaries have now put the Inue of the Schifm 
 on the Lawfulnefs of our fubmitting to the prefent 
 Eftablifhment ; where it truly lyes. For he muft be 
 very weak indeed who imagines any Perfon feparates 
 from our Church for fear of incurring Excommunicati- 
 on from the Second Canon ; but their fo doing is ow- 
 ing to that DifafTeftion that has been work'd up in our 
 People again ft the Government, by all the Lies, Ca- 
 lumnies, Mifreprefentations, groundlefs Jealoulies, and 
 fa lie Terrors, that Ambition, Revenge and Malice can 
 invent ; and the People are firft debauch'd from their 
 Allegiance to the King, and in virtue of that brought 
 to (eparate from the Church. 
 
 If then we wou'd make a fuccefsful Stand againft 
 this new Schifm, it muft be by inftru&ing our Hear- 
 ers in the Duty they owe His Majefty, and the Sub- 
 mi ffion due to His Government : And if we wou'd but 
 with an united Voice declare to the People what we 
 
 muft 
 
(ai ) 
 
 rnuft think of thefe Matters., if we have in upright- 
 neis of Heart, and with a good Confcience taken 
 the Oaths, it wou'd go a great way towards (topping 
 the Growth of this Separation. 
 
 How far this DifafFe&ion has fpred, we meet 
 with too flagrant Inftances,in the Diligence and Pica- 
 lure with which ah Lyes about the Government are 
 propagated, in the Perfonal Abufes caft on His Ma- 
 jefty and his Family, in the frank Declarations of 
 many for the Pretender, and in the Seditions Riots 
 ^nd Tumults we have feen in our Streets ; on many 
 of which Occasions there has appear'd a Rage and 
 Malice, that one can fcarce think confident with the 
 plain Honefty, and good Nature that was formerly 
 thought the Growth of our Countrey, but mufr have 
 been rais'd and fomented by Popifh Emiffaries ming- 
 led amongft us in all Difguifes and Profeffions. 
 
 That our Divisions and Animoflties fhou'd be 
 ftir'd up from that Quarter, whofe Work we are do- 
 ing, whilft we are tearing and rending each other, 
 and thereby deftroying our common Mother the 
 Chuich,is not at all ftrange: But that any profefling 
 rhemfelves Proteftants fhou'd be as active and zea- 
 lous as they in promoting fo fatal a Work, is a Con- 
 fideration very melancholy, but too vilible to be 
 deny'd. 
 
 But the Diligence and Zeal of our open Enemies, 
 
 or pretended Friends, to widen our Breaches and 
 
 weaken our Government^ fhou'd increafe our Con- 
 
 D cera 
 
C« ) 
 
 ccny and awaken our utmoft Induftry to Counter- 
 work their Defigns, and repair the Breaches they 
 make. And one of the furelt Ways by which we can 
 do this, is by trying to infufe into our People (ready 
 Principles of Loyalty to His Majefty King GEORGE. 
 
 I fhall not go about to enter into the Merits of 
 that Controverfy about theLawfulnefsof the prefent 
 Eftablifhment ; or to determine which of the feve- 
 ral Grounds on which different Perfons have juftify'd 
 their compliance with our Settlement feems eafieft to 
 defend, or can give the fulleft Satisfaction to the 
 Confcience; but what I wou'd recommend is, That 
 we wou'd endeavour to fix in the Minds of our Peo- 
 ple fome folid Foundation on which they might 
 lafely proceed in their Loyalty, and fo convince 
 them of it's Truth, that they might come to a fet- 
 tled Perfuafionof the Lawfulnefs of complying with 
 the Government, and not remain in perpetual 
 Doubts and Uncertainties. It is for want of this, I 
 fear, the Jacobites have had fo plentiful an Harveft 
 among our People,and make their boafts of the Num- 
 ber? they are likely to carry off from our Church. 
 
 There can be no Doubt, but as w r e are Mini Iters of 
 •the Gofpel we throughly know the Sacred Obligati- 
 on of an Oath., and as we have all taken the Oaths, 
 info doing we have acled on thofe Principles that 
 wou'd fatisfy our People they might with a good 
 Confcience follow our Example in this Affair: And I 
 don't queftion but. we retain that Senfe of the Bond 
 
 with 
 
( ^ ) 
 
 with which we have bound our Souls, as to be reaay 
 to bear all true Allegiance to King GEORGE, but we 
 fall ihort of the Allegiance we owe Him in our Stations, 
 if we do not endeavour to difpofe our People to pay 
 Him the fame : And one great ftep towards this wou\i 
 be, if we wou'd in good earneft difcountenance allfalfe 
 and malicious Reports fpread Abroad to render HisMa- 
 jefty's Perlbn and Government odious, and to create 
 Jealoufies and Di virions amongft His Subjects. This is 
 but a low degree of Loyalty, and yet wou'd go a great 
 way towards allaying our prefent Heats. 
 
 Among other Seditious Rumours, the Adverfaries of 
 our Coulfitution have made great life, and to great 
 Advantage, of an Outcry of the imminent Danger of 
 the Church from the Government : This is barbarous 
 Ufage of a Prince, who has at his Coronation folemnly 
 fvvorn to protedt and defend the Church, and has by 
 repeated Declarations from the Throne, and on other 
 Occafions, given us new AfTurances of his doing lb, 
 without having done, or attempted, any thing to it's 
 Prejudice lince his Acceffion to the Crown : And yet 
 thus we ufe a Prince, whole Behaviour has always been 
 luch,as to make his Faith efteem'd the greater! Security, 
 by all Princes who have had any thing to do with him. 
 
 It would go a great way towards fortifying People 
 
 againft this falfe Alarm, if we wou'd acquaint them 
 
 from which Side any great Danger to the Church mud 
 
 come ; that in our prefent Circumftances there is no 
 
 .lie Choice betwixt King GEORGE and the Pre- 
 
 D 2 tender, 
 
C h) 
 
 tender j that the Pretender is an open profeft bigotted 
 Papift; that if he fucceeds in his Defigns^ the Church 
 is not barely in danger but certain of ruin & that the 
 PopiiT) Religion is fuch as to permit no other where it 
 has itrength enough to root them out with fafcty ; that 
 it allows of noPromifes^ no Oaths, no Stipulations to 
 ftand in the way of advancing that Church; that on the 
 contrary it looks on all breach of Faith given to bring 
 about it's Purpoies as meritorious, where it is done for 
 promoting the Holy Catholick Faith as they call their 
 Errors j that to convert Nations to this., MalTacreSj 
 CroifadoeSj Inquifitions., Racks., Gibbets., and the moft 
 terrible Torments are proper and allowable Means > 
 fo that there is no room for the natural Goodnefs or 
 merciful Difpofition of a Prince of that Perfwafion to 
 intercede in behalf of his heretical Subjeds, where he 
 has it in his Power to convert them by Force. Thefe 
 things with the direel: Opposition of Popery to the true 
 Spirit of Chriftianity, and the great Defign of the Gof- 
 pel that o£ making Men jfincerely Holy and Virtuous, 
 are what our People feem wholly to have taken their 
 Eyes from., and to have banilh'd from their Thoughts. 
 Now it requires very little Reflection to know, that the 
 Pretender never can be fettled here, without the Ar 
 lliftance of a Foreign Force, as things now. (land j and 
 that when he has carryed his point with an Army of 
 outlandim Papifts, and has kill'd in the Field the chief 
 AfTertors of our Liberty., or driven them out of the 
 Nation., he will have then no Meafures to obferve with 
 
 the 
 
( *5 r 
 
 the remainders of our deluded People, but may begin 
 their Convcrfion afloon as and in what manner he plea- 
 fes ; nor will there then be any Prince or State willing 
 or able to aflift us. Our Ingratitude to our Deliverers- 
 at and fince the Revolution will difcourage all others 
 from attempting to help us : and that victorious Army 
 that muft have plac'd him on the Throne, if he ever ai- 
 cends it, will cafily prevent or fupprefs all Struggles at 
 Home, whatever Oppreflions we lye under, or what^ 
 ever becomes of our beloved Religion and Church. 
 
 Of the ill Dctigns of Popery both againft our Religi- 
 on and Civil Liberties, the Nation was fufficiently fen* 
 iible at the latter End of King Jawes's Reign ^ and in or- 
 der to preferve them both was the Revolution brought 
 about, and to continue the Enjoyment of both to us 
 and to our Pofterity has the Succefllon to the Crown 
 been limited to the Proteftant Branches of the Houfe 
 of Hanover by feveral A6ts of Parliament both in the 
 Reign of King William and Queen Anne. 
 
 1 fhou'd hope if we throughly convine'd our People 
 of thefc Things, and fhew'd them on what Side the great 
 Danger of our Church lay, and likewifc reminded 
 them of their Oaths by which they have either fworn 
 Allegiance to King GEORGE or abjur'd the Pretender, 
 we might fo fettle their minds in true Loyalty to the 
 King, as not to be ihaken by every falie rumour, ill 
 grounded fear or malitious fuggeftion ; and that inftead 
 of being drawn away by every trifling fcruple from the 
 Church in which they have been educated, nothing but 
 
 the 
 
( 2 6) 
 
 the fhew of Demonftration cou'd move them by any 
 Separation to weaken the true Intereft of their Coun- 
 trey both in Church and State. 
 
 It might pofTibly -have its influence on fome who at 
 jprefent are drawn away by the Enemies to the Govern- 
 ment, if we took Notice to them of the Hand. of God, 
 that has hitherto almoft vifibly appear'd for His Ma- 
 jefty, by infatuating the Couniels of his Enemies, by 
 tilling their Minds with Fearful nefs and Cowardice,and 
 by removing in the Moment they wanted them,thofe on 
 whole Affiftance they depended in their rebellious At- 
 tempts. So that ftruggling againft his Government 
 feems fighting againft the Decrees of Heaven, and la- 
 bouring to depofe him whom God has Anointed, and 
 made (b ftrong for himfelf. And thofe remainders of 
 Hopes they have been ftill willing to keep up, are al- 
 moft extinguiuYd by thofe Diviflons the fame good 
 Providence has rais'd amongft thofe Abroad, who were 
 ■mod likely to engage in the Caufe of the Pretender. 
 
 And indeed as the Caufe of King G E K G E is the 
 Caufe of the Reformed Religion in general, which 
 muft (rand or fall, according to all Humane Means, as 
 he is able or unable to fupport himfelf; God teems to 
 have taken the Matter into His own Hand. And we 
 may hope that the prefent reftlefs Endeavours of our 
 Enemies to difturb his Government, will prove the laft 
 expiring Effort of Popery to regain this Land, by that 
 Profpect there is of Proteftant SuccefTours ftiil to Main- 
 tain and Defend our moft Holy Faith in this Kingdom. 
 
 But 
 
( 27 > 
 
 But I am fenfible I am fupplying thofe with Conli- 
 derations to difpofe the People to Loyalty, who, I 
 hope are not without an Inclination, and cannot want 
 Skill to do it in the moft effe&ual manner. But I have 
 been carry 'd on beyond the Bounds I at firfl: proposed 
 to my felf, by a tender Regard to the Welfare of our 
 Church, which is in danger of being torn by inteftine 
 Divifions, and by my Concern for the Happinefs of 
 our Nation, which but for our unreafonable Quarrels 
 amongftour lelves,might be thebleffed Abode of Peace 
 and Profperity, the Bulwark of the Reformation, and 
 the Afylum of the OpprefTed. 
 
 And I doubt not but the fame Love of our Church 
 will likewife animate you all to endeavour to ftop 
 the Beginnings of this unhappy Schifm founded in Ja- 
 cobitifm, and fo manifeftly ferving the Caufe of Pope- 
 ry ; by influencing your refpe&ive Flocks to a willing 
 SubmifRon to the prefent Eftablifhment, and making 
 them fenflble of the great Bleffing of enjoying the true 
 Light of the Gofpel. 
 
 I have little more to add than to exhort us all by 
 the Goodnefs of our Lives to do Juftice to the Holi- 
 nets of the Dodtrines taught by our Church ; and by a 
 conffant and regular Complyance with it's Rules, to 
 recommend its Government and Difcipiine. 
 
 And I heartily wifh, that laying afide all Diftindrions 
 amongft our felves, which have been fet on foot, and 
 are kept up by the Adverfaries of our Sion, we would 
 follow the Things that make for Peace, and have a fer- 
 vent 
 
(a8) 
 
 vent Charity for one another \ this is the diftmgoifh- 
 Ing Character by which our BleiTed Saviour wou'd 
 liave his Difciples known, even by their loving one 
 another ; this is the beft Commendation of the Reli- 
 gion we profefs, and the fur eft Method of advancing 
 the Profperity of. our Church. 
 
 And may we likewife by pradtillng and promoting 
 Loyalty to His Majefty King G £0 RG E, endea>- 
 vour to extinguifh the Seeds of this new Schifm we 
 are at prefent threatened with, and to deliver down 
 fafe to our Pofterity thofe ineftimable Bleilings of the 
 True Religion and Civil Liberty we have through £o 
 oiany -Hazards recetv'd from our Anceftours. 
 
 finis. 
 
/' 
 
 

 ■nm 
 
 t