§ 3. My belief of your unfeigned honesty makes one at last pity you, and wonder when you add [What more would you have?] what it was that could tempt you to contract the guilt of defending things of such public and sad an Aspect and prospect, against such light, and after such experience of the effects, and in such a time! 1. Do you believe in your conscience, that the Bishop of York, Norwich, Lincoln, London, or the rest, with a Chancellor, and his Officials and Arch-Deacons, can possibly exercise that Discipline, or the hundredth part of it, which Christ hath appointed, were they never so honest? 2. Do you believe that a Lay-Chancellor, who you confess hath not the power of the Keys, doth or can well execute them? 3. Do you not know how little of the Parish-Government against scandals is exercised by the Bishop; and how almost is done by this Chancellor ⟨p. 75⟩and Officials? 4. Do you not know how unlike their Courts are to fit a sinner for absolution by true Repentance? 5. Did you ever in your life know a sinner brought to a repentance seemingly unfeigned by them? 6. Did you ever hear such worthy men of greatest honesty and Learning as Dr. Lloyd, Dr. Stillingfleet, Dr. Tillotson, Mr. Sharp, &c. name any in the Pulpit or Church by way of public admonition and invitation to repentance, who was not first censured by the Ordinary? 7. Do you think none of them would do it, if they thought it a duty, and the lawful and safe way of Discipline? 8. Do you think their Parishes have no scores or hundreds of Brutists, Atheists, Drunkards, Fornicators, or other scandalous sinners? 9. Do you think they can possibly know any thing of their peoples gross Ignorance, Infidelity, Atheism, yea, or Scandal, who can know so few of the persons? (much less can the Bishop.) 10. Do you think that it is exercise enough of this Discipline, when about 5000 in a year only communicate to leave 20000 or 30000 more, as members of the Church in that Parish, that use not to communicate, or else may come when they will extraordinarily to save them from the Law, though utterly unknown to the Minister? (And so proportionably in Parishes half as big.) And how is it possible this can be amended rebus sic stantibus? And would not so many good men amend it, were it possible? Oh draw not the guilt of so many and such things on your self without cause!
§ 3. My belief of your unfeigned honesty makes one at last pity you, and wonder when you add [What more would you have?] what it was that could tempt you to contract the guilt of defending things of such publick and sad an Aspect and prospect, against such light, and after such experience of the effects, and in such a time! 1. Do you believe in your conscience, that the Bishop of York, Norwich, Lincoln, London, or the rest, with a Chancellor, and his Officials and Arch-Deacons, can possibly exercise that Discipline, or the hundredth part of it, which Christ hath appointed, were they never so honest? 2. Do you believe that a Lay-Chancellor, who you confess hath not the power of the Keys, doth or can well execute them? 3. Do you not know how little of the Parish-Government against scandals is exercised by the Bishop; and how almost is done by this Chancellor ⟨p. 75⟩and Officials? 4. Do you not know how unlike their Courts are to fit a sinner for absolution by true Repetance? 5. Did you ever in your life know a sinner brought to a repentance seemingly unfeigned by them? 6. Did you ever hear such worthy men of greatest honesty and Learning as Dr. Lloyd, Dr. Stillingfleet, Dr. Tillotson, Mr. Sharp, &c. name any in the Pulpit or Church by way of publick admonition and invitation to repentance, who was not first censured by the Ordinary? 7. Do you think none of them would do it, if they thought it a duty, and the lawful and safe way of Discipline? 8. Do you think their Parishes have no scores or hundreds of Brutists, Atheists, Drunkards, Fornicators, or other scandalous sinners? 9. Do you think they can possibly know any thing of their peoples gross Ignorance, Infidelity, Atheism, yea, or Scandal, who can know so few of the persons? (much less can the Bishop.) 10. Do you think that it is exercise enough of this Discipline, when about 5000 in a year only communicate to leave 20000 or 30000 more, as members of the Church in that Parish, that use not to communicate, or else may come when they will extraordinarily to save them from the Law, though utterly unknown to the Minister? (And so proportionably in Parishes half as big.) And how is it possible this can be amended rebus sic stantibus? And would not so many good men amend it, were it possible? Oh draw not the guilt of so many and such things on your self without cause!
