Were it not that I have spoken of these things afterwards, and fear being tedious, I should have showed, that 7. Baptizing, 8. Congregating the Assemblies, 9. Administering the Lords Supper, 10. Guiding the Assembly in the whole public worship, 11. Blessing the people at the dismission, and 12. Absolving the penitent; and more then all these were the works of the ancient Episcopal function. And now I leave it to the Conscience of any man that hath a grain of Conscience left him, whether one man be able, were he never so willing, to do any one of all these duties, much less to do all of them for many hundred Parishes? Can a Bishop teach them all, and Catechise •nd confer with all, and counsel, and comfort, and admonish all, and Govern all, and try all cases of every scandalous impenitent person of so many thousand, and Censure, and Absolve, and Confirm, and Try them for Confirmation, and receive all the Churches stock, and be the Overseer of all the poor, and take care of all the Orphans and Widows, and visit, counsel, and pray with all the sick, and guide every Congregation in public worship, and give the Sacrament to all, and pronounce the Blessing in every Assembly, &c. and this for a whole County or more? O wonderful, that ever this should become a Controversy among men, that vilify others as unlearned and unwise in comparison of them? I must lay by respect to man so far, as plainly to profess, that I take these for such errors as must need proceed from want of Piety and Conscience, and practice of the duties that are pleaded for. If these men did not talk of Governing a Church, as those talk of Governing a Navy, an Army, or a Commonwealth, that never set their hand to the work, it is not possible sure that they should thus err. O how many Bishops never tried what it is to Govern the Church, or faithfully perform any one of all these works! I solemnly profess, that with ⟨p. 28⟩the help of three more fellow Presbyters, and three or four Deacons, besides the greater help of abundance of Godly people here in their places, I am not able to do all this as it should be done, for this one Parish. And y•t the greatest part of our trouble is taken off, by the refusal of the multitude of the ungodly to come under Discipline, or be members of our Pastoral charge. Sirs, these are not scholastic speculations!
Were it not that I have spoken of these things afterwards, and fear being tedious, I should have shewed, that 7. Baptizing, 8. Congregating the Assemblies, 9. Administring the Lords Supper, 10. Guiding the Assembly in the whole publick worship, 11. Blessing the people at the dismission, and 12. Absolving the penitent; and more then all these were the works of the ancient Episcopal function. And now I leave it to the Conscience of any man that hath a grain of Conscience left him, whether one man be able, were he never so willing, to do any one of all these duties, much less to do all of them for many hundred Parishes? Can a Bishop teach them all, and Catechise •nd confer with all, and counsail, and comfort, and admonish all, and Govern all, and try all cases of every scandalous impenitent person of so many thousand, and Censure, and Absolve, and Confirm, and Try them for Confirmation, and receive all the Churches stock, and be the Overseer of all the poor, and take care of all the Orphans and Widdows, and visit, counsail, and pray with all the sick, and guide every Congregation in publick worship, and give the Sacrament to all, and pronounce the Blessing in every Assembly, &c. and this for a whole County or more? O wonderful, that ever this should become a Controversie among men, that vilifie others as unlearned and unwise in comparison of them? I must lay by respect to man so far, as plainly to profess, that I take these for such errors as must need proceed from want of Piety and Conscience, and practice of the duties that are pleaded for. If these men did not talk of Governing a Church, as those talk of Governing a Navy, an Army, or a Commonwealth, that never set their hand to the work, it is not possible sure that they should thus err. O how many Bishops never tryed what it is to Govern the Church, or faithfully perform any one of all these works! I solemnly profess, that with ⟨p. 28⟩the help of three more fellow Presbyters, and three or four Deacons, besides the greater help of abundance of Godly people here in their places, I am not able to do all this as it should be done, for this one Parish. And y•t the greatest part of our trouble is taken off, by the refusal of the multitude of the ungodly to come under Discipline, or be members of our Pastoral charge. Sirs, these are not scholastick speculations!
