in Things of everlafting Moment, and to acquit those whom he abhors. Permit me, Sir, in this great Name, and before the World, to demand of you,

1. What Church is it, and where is the Church found, to whom CHRIST has left this high Authority and Power? Is it the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Church of France, or the Church of Rome? Do you here mean by the Church, what your XIXth Article hath defined it, viz. The Congregation of the faithful?-Or, do you underftand it as in your XXth Article, where it is faid to have Power to decree Rites, and Authority in Matters of Faith? If so, I have fhewn in my former Letter, that the Church is no other than the King and Parliament of thefe Realms. The King, indeed, has Power to abfolve all manner of Sinners, penitent or not penitent; and by a fingle 4 of Grace, to vacate and fet afide the Cenfures and Excommunications of all the Bishops, Archbishops, and Clergy of the Land, and to reftore the Offender to the Church's Bofom again. To abfolve, not in Foro Civili only, but in Foro Ecclefias not in the State only, but alfo in the Church. But whether the Kings or Queens of England do this by Authority derived to them from CHRIST? Whether that Church of which THEY are declared the fupreme Heads, be the Church to whom this high Power is given? and whether THEY, as Heads of it, have not this Power dwelling capitally, fupremely, and principally in them; fo as that, what THEY loofe on Earth, is as certainly loofed in Heaven, as any Thing that is loofed by any inferior Members who officiate in the Church under them--Thefe, Sir, are high Points, which without your Affiftance, I . fhall not prefume to fettle. Be fo good, Sir, as to let us know, WHAT CHURCH upon Earth it is, to whom CHRIST hath delegated this important Au

THORITY;

THORITY; and WHERE the Charter or Grant found, by which he gave it the Commiffion? But

2. That CHRIST hath given, can give, no fuch AUTHORITY to fallible uninspired Men, I fhould think abfolutely out of doubt. Because if he hath given Power to any AUTHORITATIVELY to abfolve those who are truly penitent, he must also have given them Power To' KNOW who are truly penitent. Elle 'tis a Power to do nothing, for till they know them to be truly penitent (i. e. till they can fearch their Hearts) they cannot authoritatively abfolve them: But if they cannot do it till then, they cannot do it at all. Befides,"

3. If the Prieft has really from CHRIST this Authority and Power, the Manner in which he is here ordered to apply it, is most certainly wrong. For upon the Sinner's confeffing his Faults, and profeffing his Faith and fincere Repentance, the Prieft is ordered moft folemnly and authoritatively to abfolve him. But are any Promises or Profeffions which a Sinner makes in that Diftrefs, a proper Ground for fuch an abfolute authoritative Abfolution? Are not the most profligate, when Death is thought to approach, wont to feel their Confcience troubled with many weighty Matters, ready to confefs their Sins, to express the deepest Remorfe, and to vow Amendment if fpared? But when the Danger is paft, is there one of a Thousand that remembers his Vows, and that returns not to his Sins with as keen an Appetité as ever? Do not you Gentlemen of the Clergy, loudly complain of this, when you press to prefent Repentance, and warn us not to truft to the Sorrows of a fick Bed? But notwithftanding all this, when the fick Sinner fends for you, confeffes his Sins, profeffes Repentance, and defires Abfolution, you are directed and required with all poffible Solemnity, even in the Name of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, authoritatively

2

to abfolve him from ALL bis Crimes, how many or great foever they have been, and to declare him fully forgiven. Strange! that you can prefume in the Name of the facred Trinity, to ASSURE a Man that he is abfolved from all his Sins, when at the fame Time you know yourselves NOT SURE that he is abfolved? Yea, when the only Grounds of your doing it, are but the fame Signs of Repentance which a thoufand Sinners give, who are neverthelefs held faft under the Power and Guilt of Sin! What would you call that Man, Sir, who in a Court of human Judicature, fhould moft folemnly affirm, and declare in the Name of GOD, an important Fat to be done, which yet at the fame Time he is not fure is done; or who fhould call Heaven to witness to the certainty of that, which he is not at all certain of? But is it lefs dangerous, or less reproachful, thus to trifle and collude in eternal Things than in temporal; in the Court of Almighty GoD, than in that of the King?

I cannot fay, Sir, in what Light you view this Order of your Church, nor what Obedience you" pay it, but am humbly of Opinion, that 'tis this ftraining the facerdotal Character, which has funk it into fome Contempt; and that if it continues thus ftrained, lower, much lower, 'twill continue to fink. For when Men fee you claiming from GOD, awful and bigh Powers, which they are fure GOD has never given you'; and hear you with great Solemnity authoritatively abfolving in the Name of the Holy Trinity, when at the fame Time they know the Holy Trinity never gave you any Authority fo to do, how natural is it for them to deride the priestly Character on which thefe Claims are founded, and to treat your other Offices with Ridicule and Dif refpect?

And now, Sir, having prefented you with fome of the true Grounds of our diflent, many of which you have not at all, and the reft but flightly touchD

ed,

ed, in your three long Letters, I proceed to your Attempts to reflect back cur own Pleas and Objec tions upon ourselves, and to prove us felf-condemned.

Here you complain "that you walk almost "without Light-that our Churches are fo fecret in all their Ways, that there is icarce any know"ing what they are-that you muft grope and feel "for them as in the Dark-and that you are fome"thing like one fighting with a Ghoft k." This feems, indeed, a very juft Description of your Cafe, for you greatly mifreprefent both our Principles and our Practice. But the Blame of this Darkness, Sir, be wholly to yourself. Are not our Churches open? Our Prayers, our Sermons, our Sacraments and Ordinations performed in View of the World, that whoever pleafes may come and fee our Manner in them?

But we have no common Rules of Difcipline "and Worship, by which we hold ourselves "obliged to walk; at least none made public and

laid before the World, for your Examination

and Difcuffion!." Yes, Sir, we have an excellent COMMON RULE of Difcipline and Worship, by which all our Churches bold themselves obliged to walk, even the fame which CHRIST and his Apoftles, the great Founders of the Chriftian Church, origi nally drew up, published, and established for it; and which they left as a common Rule, the ONLY common Rule, and a PERFECT common Rule, for the Use of all future Ages, viz. the HOLY SCRIPTURES: This therefore you may difculs with all the Freedom you please.

But to defcend to fome of the many Instances in which you much misreprefent us. Your very great Mistake, as to our impofing SITTING at the Lord'sSupper, I have fhewn in my former Letter. You farther affirm" That it is generally held amongst us, that the Sacrament is for none but perfect

" and

and confummate Chriftians, fuch as can give a particular Account of their Converfion m," Here you walk, Sir, without Light. There is not a fingle Church, I am perfuaded, amongst the Diffenters in the whole Kingdom, hardly a single Perfon, who hath this Notion of the Sacrament. We univerfally hold, that every fincere Chriftian has a Right to the Lord's-Table.

"As to the Duty of Fafting, you say, if you are not mightily deceived, it is thrown away " amongst us. You have not met with any Sermons or Treatifes of our Minifters, fhewing the Obligations, and preffing its Practice upon the "People; nor have you ever heard of its being "practifed, even by the ftricteft and devouteft among us "." You are mightily deceived, Sir, a great deal too mightily, for one who fets up for fo fevere a Cenfor of his Brethren. Among many others, I refer you only to a moft excellent Difcourfe on Falting, in Bennet's Chriftian Oratory, Vol. II: which I am fure you cannot read without admiring it, blushing, and condemning your own Temerity.

You are pleased to give us alfo a very grave and Severe Reprehenfion for Standing, and not Kneeling at our public Prayers; and fay, "It is little lefs than imposed upon our People, infomuch that fhould any one prefume to kneel in our Churches, "we fhould certainly cenfure and condemn him for ito. That your Church has as good Right to "impofe Kneeling in the public Worship upon her Members, as Diffenters have to impofe it upon their Children and Servants in their Family De❝votions P-And that we ALWAYS practise it in ❝ private 9.". You are extreamly unhappy, Sir, in your Intelligence about this range People, whom you have taken upon you to reprehend. How came you to know, what their Pofture of Worship al

D 2

ways

o Lett. II.

m Lett. I. pag. 52. n Lett. I. pag. 65, 66. pag. 65, 67. P. Lett. 1. pag. 28. a Lett. II, pag. 68.