the Lords and Commons of the Realm, THE KING, as fupreme Head, being the chief Corner-ftone.

be

Into the Church of Christ any Perfon may admitted, who submits to the Terms appointed by Chrift: But, into the Church of England, he cannot be admitted, except over and above thefe, he fubmits alfo to Terms which human Authority hath inftituted and devised.

In Chrift's Church the Lord's-fupper is appointed and used ONLY for fpiritual and religious Ends; but, in the Church of England, it is notoriously both instituted and used for political and worldly Ends, to qualify for a Poft. In the former 'twas appointed with Intention, and as a Mean of uniting all Chriftians; and of deftroying all Variance and Distinctions betwixt them. In the latter 'tis appointed with Intention, and as a Mean, of difcriminating and dividing Chriftians; and of making a Distinction betwixt one and another.

In the Chriftian Church, no openly debauched or fcandaloufly wicked Perfon has a Right to. come to the Table of the Lord, or to partake of its Provifions; but in the Church of England, if fuch a Perfon has a Commiffion from the King in the Army or the Fleet, or any profitable Post, this gives him a Right to come to the Communion-Table, a Right to demand the holy Elements at the Priest's Hands, as a Qualification for his Poft.

In the fcriptural Church of Chrift, there are no fuch Officers ever heard of as Archbishops,

Deans,

Deans, Archdeacons, Prebendaries, Cañons, Chancellors, &c.-But there is another Church, you know, Sir, where thefe are Officers of great Influence, of high Importance and Rank. But whence came this pompous Train! From the apoftolic Fountain at Jerufalem, or from the corrupted Source at Rome?

P

The Church of Chrift never excommunicates, nor pretends to exercife its Difcipline upon any but its own Members; For what have I to do, the Apostle fays, to judge them that are without *? But the Church of England extends its ecclefiaftical Authority over those who never belonged to it; and, by a very extraordinary Act of Power, excommunicates such as never were of its Communion; that is, it cafts fuch from, who never were in it. In common Life fuch a Thing would be reckoned marvellous indeed. Should I folemnly threaten, yea actually proceed to caft a Perfon out of my Houfe, who never was in it, I fhould work as great a Miracle as was ever wrought in the Church of Rome: But Miracles of this Kind, Sir, your Church, you know, fometimes works."

Again; the Rod with which the Church of Christ chaftifes its Delinquents is fpiritual, not carnal; but the Rod of the Church of England is carnal, not fpiritual. By the Conftitution of the former, the excommunicated Member is only to be deprived of spiritual Privileges, fuch as Fellowship in Prayer, Singing, Sacraments, &c. As for his civil Property and Rights, it meddles not with thefe; for CHRIST'S Kingdom

I Cor. v. 12.

D

dom is not of this World; but by the Conftitution of the latter, the excommunicated Member is delivered over to the civil Arm, to humble and chaftife him; he is difabled from afferting his natural Rights, from being a Witness, from bringing Actions at Law, and if he does not fubmit in forty Days, a Writ fhall iffue forth to imprifon bim.

In the Church of Jefus Chrift, those who are entrufted with ecclefiaftical Difcipline are folemnly charged before GOD, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, and the elect Angels, to be no Respecters of Perfons, to do nothing by Partiality, and not to prefer one before another: Neither the Gold Ring nor the gay Cloathing †, nor pecuniary Gifts, are to have any Influence upon their ecclefiaftical Proceedings; but the Poor are to receive the fame Measure with the Rich. But is it thus, Sir, in the Church of England? May not a grievous Sinner, according to her Conftitution, be fuffered to commute? to have Pardon for Money, and to fkreen hinfelf by a round Fee from the Stroke of the Church's Rod? Yea, when he is going to be delivered, or actually is delivered, into the Hands of the Devil, and Satan has him in his Keeping, will not an kandfome Sum prefently pluck him thence, and reftore him to the Church's foft and indulgent Bofom again? You remember, Sir, the Heathen Satyrift,

At vos

Dicite Pontifices, in Sacris quid facit Aurum.

Tim. v. 21.

Perfius, Sat. II.

James ii. 2, 3.

And

And you know what was faid, upon a like Occafion, by a much greater than he-Thy Money perifh with thee; because thou hast thought that the Gift of God (Pardon and Abfolution) may be purchafed with Money, thou haft neither Part nor Lot in this Matter *

Some of the most facred Acts of spiritual Jurifdiction, its folemn Cenfures and Excommunications, are exercised in the Church of England by unconfecrated and meer Laymen. Thefe hold the Keys, open or fhut, caft out or admit to it, according to their fole Pleasure. The Chancellors, Officials, Surrogates-who adminifter the Jurif diction of fpiritual Courts, and determine the moft important fpiritual Matters, fuch as delivering Men to the Devil, &c. frequently are, and by express Provifion of Law, always may be Laymen. And truly, Sir, I greatly pity you Gentlemen of the Clergy, that fome of the most tremendous and folemn Parts of your facred Office, fuch as Excommunications, Abfolutions, &c, you are forced to perform, not according to, but fometimes, perhaps, directly against your own Judgments, as you are authoritatively directed and commanded by thefe Lay-perfons. Forced, I fay, to do it, notwithstanding what you urge about your own Concurrence; for if you refuse to concur, you are immediately liable to Sufpenfion ab officio & beneficio; and if continue obftinate, to be excommunicated your ownselves t.

D 2

Acts viii. 20, 21.

you

The

+ There is one Thing, fays Bishop Burnet, yet wanting to compleat the Reformation of the Church; which is to reftore primi.

tive

The Church of JESUS CHRIST never owed its Support (it Scorned to owe its Propagation and Support) to the Powers, Preferments, and Riches of this World; 'twas its Glory, that it made its Way, and was established upon Earth, not only without, but in direct Oppofition to them: It commands its Minifters not to STRIVE, but to be gentle to all Men; in Meeknefs, inftructing those who gainfay-(2 Tim. ii. 24, 25-) But the Church of England, confcious of its Weakness, props itself on every Side with civil Dignities and Emoluments; calls in the Powers and Riches of this World to its Support and Defence; intrenches itfelf deep under Shelter of penal Laws, and from thence thunders out its Excommunications, and Threats of Fines, and Imprisonments, upon any who fhall dare to write or speak any thing derogatory to its Ceremonies and Forms of Worship, or its Articles of Faith *

There

tive Discipline against fcandalous Perfons, the establishing the Government of the Church in Ecclefiaftical Hands, and taking it out of Lay Hands, which have fo long prophaned it; and have exposed the Authority of the Church and the Cenfures of it, chiefly Excommunication, to the Contempt of the Nation; so that the dreadfulleft of all Cenfures, is now become the most scorned and defpifed. Hift. Reform. Abridg. Pag. 367.

* The IV, V, VIth Canons folemnly denounce-" That who"foever fhall affirm that the Form of God's Worship contained " in the Common-Prayer, hath any Thing in it repugnant to the "Word of God-or that any of the XXXIX Articles are in any "Part erroneous, or fuch as may not with a good Confcience be "fubfcribed, let him be ExcoMMUNICATED ipfo facto, and "not be reftored until he repent and publickly revoke his wicked Errors."

And by the Act of Uniformity, it is enacted-" That if any one fhall declare, or fpeak any Thing in the Derogation or deprav

ing