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bas NO POWER nor AUTHORITY AT ALL to decree Ceremonies in Religion? Do you folemnly fubfcribe one thing, and publickly teach another? Where is the Confiftency and Confcience of this? But let us fee where you lodge this Power.

SECONDLY, They are the Church's PASTORS and GOVERNORS, whom you are pleased to invest with it+; that is, I fuppofe you mean (for you are extremely fhy of Explications) its BISHOPS and CLERGY. But you have not deign'd to fhew me one Text of Scripture, nor one Statute or At of Parliament which vefts them with this Power. I have fhewn you feveral of both, which exprefly diveft them of it, and utterly deny them any fuch Jurifdiction or Authority at all. But for once, we will grant you, That these PASTORS and GOVERNORS have Authority from GOD to make NEW Ceremonies and Rites, and to ordain in CHRIST's Church NEW Terms of Communion. Tell me then; is this POWER vefted folely and only in the BISHOPS; or, muft their Deans and Chapters act in Concert with them? Has every Bishop, within his Diocese, this Power from GOD to enjoin new Ceremonies and Rites; or, may his Archbishop controul him? This latter, I fuppofe, not: For Archbishops, you own, not to be of apoftolic, but of modern Inftitution; whereas Bishops, it fhould feem, are the lineal Succeffors and Reprefentatives of the Apostles; in whom therefore the apoftolic Power of governing the Churches refts. This then, which is of divine, ought not to be controul'd by that which is but of late and buman Inftitution. The Bishop then of every Diocefe, as its Paftor and Governor, has Authority from GOD to decree in his Church what Ceremonies and Rites foever, and to make what Terms of Communion, he thinks edifying and fit. Nor has any neighbouring Bishop, no nor any Power upon Earth, Authority to controul him: For as the APOSTLES were all equal, fo must their Suc↑ I Def. p. 19,

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ceffors, the BISHOPS, alfo be: And as the former were not accountable to any temporal Prince for their Jurifdiction in the Church of CHRIST, the fame Exemption alfo may their Defcendents and Reprefentatives claim. How excellent a Scheme of Government and holy Difcipline this! With what Beauty and Uniformity, Unity and Peace is it calculated to blefs the Church! as we shall presently fee.

But, THIRDLY, Acknowledging this bigh Power to be really vested in the Church's Bishops, as GovERNORS and PASTORS of it, I again afk, How FAR does it extend? Is it limited or unlimited? May they injoin whatever RITES THEY think decent and ornamental; and decree whatever Ceremonies or new Terms of Communion THEY judge conducive to the Edification and Benefit of the Church? As they have now, in the Church of England, decreed, we will fay, four only, to give additional Beauty and Splendor to its publick Worship; may they not, if they think it conducive further to this worthy End, decree four, or even forty, more? Yes, and make that forty, four hundred, if they happen to think them useful, and to promote Decency and Order in the Worship of their respective Flocks. —— But do you not plainly fee, Sir, how dangerous a Power this! A Power which, in all Ages, hath proved the Bane of the Chriftian Church! A Flood-gate which hath let in an horrible and filthy Deluge of Animofities, Corruptions and Superftitions upon it! Hence fprung that enormous Mafs of profane and foolish Rites, which, to the Scandal of the Chriftian Name, now grievously opprefs both the Greek and the Romifh Churches. One good Bishop, or perhaps Junto of Bishops, taking it into his Head that there ought to be a Trine-Immerfion in Baptifm; another the Signation of the Crofs; another an Unction with Oil; another Milk and Honey, and Impofition f Hands immediately after it; another Infufflation or Breathing upon the Perfon's Face to exorcife the De

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vil; another washing of Hands before Prayers thus praying towards the East; Sponsors in Baptifm; kneeling at the Lord's Supper; first the Veneration, then the Adoration of Relicks; Images erected, firft only as Memorials, thence quickly fliding into Objects of Religious Worfhip: Thus, I fay, that Inundation of abominable Corruptions, which at prefent overwhelms both the Greek and Romish Churches, gradually came in at this very Breach which you are now zealously maintaining, namely, the Bishop's POWER to decree Rites and Ceremonies in the Church.

'Tis a most dangerous and important PowER; not fit to be trufted, and therefore, we may be affur'd, never was trufted with any fallible uninfpir'd Men. JESUS CHRIST, furely the SUPREME Bishop and ONLY Head of his Church, well knew what Inftitutions were moft for its Edification; and what Ceremonies and Rites would beft promote the Order and Decency of its Worship; and either by himself, or by his infpir'd Apoftles, has left a perfect Plan of both. For any weak and uninfpir'd Men therefore to rife up in After-ages, and fancy they can improve the Scheme of Worship which CHRIST hath left; that they can add greatly to its Beauty, its Splendor and Perfection by fome Ceremonies of their own, is, to be fure, a rude Invafion of CHRIST's Throne, which every fober Chriftian ought highly to deteft.

But with great Acutenefs you observe," That tho❜ thefe CHURCH-GOVERNORS have Power to decree "Ceremonies and Rites, yet not Fopperies and Su

perftitions." This is extremely pleasant! But when I afk you, by what Criterion to diftinguish Rites from Fopperies, and Ceremonies from Superftitions, you will not, and no Wonder, fatisfy my Curiofity. For I defy all the common Senfe and Ingenuity of the Nation (to borrow one of your own Expreffions) to fhew the Confecration of Earth to cover the Body when dead to be an edifying and decent Rite; but the Confecration of Water to fprinkle it when

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when living to be a ridiculous and foolish Foppery. I defy any Man upon Earth to fay why Spittle and Salt in Baptifm are not as inftructive Ceremonies as the Sign of the Crofs? And, why a Bishop has not as much Power, according to ancient Custom, to exorcife the Devil before Baptifm, as to lay on Hands after it (as you fay he does in Confirmation) to impart the Graces of the Holy Ghost.

SUPERSTITION, Sir, is ever reftlefs, infatiable, incroaching; every good Bishop will be ambitious, of adding fome Rite or Ceremony of his own to beautify divine Worfhip, and render it more brilliant. Thus when your holy Bifhop Laud was Governor of this Church, you had lighted Candles upon its Altars; Copes of Mafs Priefts with Crucifixes and Images of the Trinity upon them; confecrated Knives to cut the facramental Bread; Incenfe Pots; Canifters for Wafers lined with Cambric Lace,

with a deal of other Furniture, all folemnly CONSECRATED for the Service of Almighty GoD, and for the Comfort, Inftruction, and Edification of his Church; to exalt and enliven the Beauties of Holinefs therein. And had it not been for the noble and heroic STAND against this Rite-making Spirit which the Puritans and their Succeffors have all along made, there is little Reafon to doubt, that the Church of England, by this Time, had fallen little fhort in thefe boly Decorations and additional Splendors of the Church of Moscow or of Rome.

I have dwelt the longer upon this, because it is, undoubtedly, the Capital and Fundamental Point on which the Debate betwixt the Church and the Dif Senters entirely turns. Prove your Church, Sir, to have this Power and Authority from GOD which fhe exercises and claims, a PowER to decree new Rites, and Ceremonies in Chriftian Worship, to make new Terms of Communion, and to determine Controverfies of Faith, and you need give yourself no farther Trouble; all other Things in Controverfy, Sponfors, 'Ab

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Abfolution, the Sacramental Teft, and every other thing fhall immediately be given up. Make good but this one Point, and if your Church commands us to fign ourselves all over with a fignificant and inftructive Cross, we will reverently do it. If it bids us worship towards the Eaft, and to think the omniprefent DEITY to be more there than in the Weft; and to bow at the Name of Jesus; we will humbly submit ; ------ or, if it requires us to believe, that an amorous Devil was forced away from his beloved Maid by the Fumes of a Fifh's Liver; or that the vileft Wretch that lives, if the King gives him a Poft, has a Right to eat at the Lord's Table; and that when he dies, he refts in CHRIST, and is taken to GOD in Mercy; we will roundly believe it all. There is nothing your Church can injoin or decree but you will find the Diffenters dutifully fubmitting to it, when you have once clearly fhewn it to have this POWER from GOD; and have told us plainly, and without Referve, what you mean by the CHURCH; and have diftinctly pointed out WHO the Perfons are in whom this Power refides.

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SENTERS,

But it is pitiful and low Trifling, Sir, and indeed confummately ridiculous. to talk of the "CHURCH'S Jurifdiction and Authority over DISof the Subjection we owe IT,---"of the DAMNABLENESS of the Sin of refufing Obe"dience to it." When you have not, durft not, Cinnot openly and plainly tell us wнO and WHAT it is you mean by the Church? Or WHO the Perfons are to whom God hath committed this high and important Truft? Is it the King and Parliament; or, is it not? - Is it the Clergy met in Convocation; or, is it not? Is it each Bishop in his refpective Diocefe; by himself alone, or in Conjunction with his Clergy; or, is it not? Is it the whole Body of Chriftian People, the Congregation of the Faithful; or, is it not? Open your felf freely, Sir, and don't be afraid of TRUTH.

TRUTH