their Office, and the Credit of their Order, as to provide a more proper Perfon than (it seems by this Account) has been provided for them.

But the greatest Part of the parochial Cures are in the Gift of the two Univerfities, the Nobility, and Gentry of the Kingdom. The Universities are under fuch Regulations that they are seldom or never known to prefer an unworthy Person, and it is a foul Reproach upon the Nobility and Gentry of England to suppose them fo deftitute of Honour and Confcience, as to abufe fo facred a Trust, as is that of Ecclefiaftical Patronage, by preferring fuch Numbers of unworthy Clergymen as the Enemies of their Order would feem to infinuate. From whence we humbly prefume, that the Charge is falfe, and cannot be fupported; not that we pretend to fay, there is no Ground at all for the Accufation; in fuch a numerous Body as the Clergy of England, there are, no doubt, too many irregular, undeferving Members; and confidering the prefent State of Things, it is morally impoffible it fhould be otherwife. The many indirect Influences to which they stand expofed; the poor Endowments of too many parochial Cures, and the prefent, general, and unavoidable Relaxation of Church-Difcipline, cannot fail to produce feveral Irregularities, which the wifeft and best of their Order condemn and lament, but can neither prevent nor

cure.

Well! (fay you) what then muft be done? Good faith (my Friend) you ask me a very hard Question; I cannot tell what must be done. But I can tell what may be done; and what perhaps in Conscience and

good Policy ought to be done. -Date Cæfari, quæ Cæfaris funt; Deo, quæ funt Dei. What should hinder the restoring the Government and Discipline of the Church to its primitive Inftitution? What poffible Danger can there be in reftoring to the Epifcopal College, who are the Governors and Representatives of the Church, thofe original, inherent Rights and Immunities, which are effential to her as a Society, and which every incorporate Body of Men claim as effential to their very Being, and abfolutely neceffary for their Prefervation. I mean the Power of electing their own Governors and enacting Laws for the better Government of its Members; fo that they be not inconfiftent with the Laws of the Land. I am fanguine enough to imagine, that the State would find their Account in it, upon a political View, as well as the Church, if there were no other Reafon to perfuade or hope for fuch a Change. On which Account, I have often wondered that so many learned and religious Prelates, who have fo near Access to the Throne, have fo long neglected to reprefent this Grievance, in the most dutiful and affecting Manner, to those who have it in their Power to redress it, and who cannot be supposed to want Inclination to do what Religion, Juftice, Policy, and Intereft recommend to their Attention and Regard.

In order to fet this Matter in a clearer Light, let us look back to the original Inftitution of the Church, as a Society intirely diftinct from the Civil Government, and in the Excercife of its fpiritual Powers wholly independent upon it. In the Beginning of this Letter I proposed to take no notice of the Pretenfions of the Clergy to a Divine Establishment, antecedent

to

to any human Charters or Conftitutions. But as it is beyond Difpute, that the Church has been from the Beginning in Poffeffion of such a Claim, which they profess themselves ready to make good against all Oppofers; so it is amply recognized by the Law of the Land; of which our Liturgy, Canons, and Book of Homilies are a Part, in which the independent Power of the Church (in Matters purely fpiritual) is fully and plainly acknowledged. It will be neceffary to look back to that original Charter, by which these divine and spiritual Powers have been conveyed to them. I fee you begin to look arch upon my serious Apology for fpiritual Power; but confider I speak the Language of my Clients, as any unbelieving Counsel would do, if he were retained by a good Fee to plead on this Side of the Question. And if it be thought no Abfurdity for the greatest Infidel to fwear upon the four Gofpels, in Confirmation of the Evidence he fhall give upon any Matter in question, before a Court of Judicature; I hope it will not be thought unreasonable in us to infift upon their Authority, and appeal to them as authentic Records and proper Evidence in the Case before us; which will directly admit of no other, however it may be corroborated by the concurrent Testimonies and uniform Practice of the Church even from the apoftolical Times.

The Gofpels then pofitively and plainly affert, That there is A GOVERNMENT in the Church, and ONE SUPREME GOVERNOR, even JESUS CHRIST; whom all that profess to believe in him acknowledge to be the

SU

SUPREME LORD*, who died for us all, that they which live fhould not henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto him that died for them, and rofe again. The Church therefore † which he hath purchased by his Blood, is hereby made fubject unto him; and he is the Head or chief Ruler of it. The Lord hath given unto him the Throne of his Father David; he fall reign over the House of Jacob for ever; and of his Kingdom there shall be no End. || God hath put all Things under his Feet, and given him to be the HEAD over all Things to the Church. § All Power is given to him both in Heaven and Earth. This Power, before his Afcenfion into Heaven, he delegated to certain Perfons, whom he fent into the World, with the fame extenfive Commiffion which he himself had received from his Father. ** As my Father fent me, even fo fend I you. This Authority and Commiffion the Apostle Paul frequently infifts upon in his Epiftles : And calls it the Authority ++ which the Lord had given him, and the reft of the Apostles. So he tells the Corinthians, that they were not to account of him and the other Paftors of the Church as their Ministers or Servants, but ‡‡ as the Minifters of God, and Stewards of the Mysteries of Chrift. And declares that both he and they were ||| Ambassadors for Chrift; intimating that they had received a full and ample Commiffion immediately from the Fountain of all Power, Jefus Chrift himself, in the fame Extent and to the fame Purposes that he himself had received it

from the Father. This divine Commiffion, by which they reprefented the Perfon of their Mafter, intitled them to a great Degree of Refpect and Obedience from their fpiritual Subjects and Inferiors. On which Account the Apostle to the Hebrews commands them to obey them that had the Rule over them, and fubmit themselves. And that the Obedience required in this Place is not meant to temporal but spiritual Governors, is evident from the following Words: * For they watch for your Souls, as they that must give Account. By virtue of this divine Commiffion, they collected, fettled, and governed the several Churches, which, by their Preaching and Miracles, they had converted to the Faith; and for three hundred Years together, vigorously and gloriously supported the Apoftolical Authority, where the civil Government was fo far from lending the leaft Affiftance or Protection, that they employed all their Rage and Power to perfecute and fupprefs it. And though they were perfectly obedient in civil Matters to the temporal Powers, to whom they preached up Obedience in all Things lawful, under the Penalty of Damnation; yet when they were opposed by the Rulers in the Execution of their Office, and forbid to preach the Gospel to the People, they did by no means think themselves bound to obey, because they wifely judged † it to be more right to hearken to God, rather than to Man. Therefore, notwithstanding all the Oppofition they met with and all the Perfecution they fuffered, from the temporal Powers, in the Execution of their Commiffion; they ceafed not to exercife the Autho→

* Heb. xiii. 17.

↑ A&ts iv. 19.