tychs, as they are Regifters and Records both of Church and State, and I think both Deprivation, and the Pillory, to be just Punishments for that Minifter, who dares do fo great and mischievous a Wickedness, or fuffer it to be done.

I fay, I fhould be tempted to fufpect any Clergyman, that fhould write in the Manner you mention, against you, to be one of that corrupt Sort, or at leaft of another, who to court the Favour and Applause of the Diffenters, either never preach in Defence of the Church against them, or if they do, they do it no otherwife than barely to fhew, that the Church of England is a fafe Communion, and that thofe, who thro' Miftake separated from it, would be in no Danger of Damnation if they returned to it. But to fhew that Separation from it is SCHISM, and by Confequence a damning Sin, and that the Separatifts of all forts from it, are, without the extraordinary Mercy of God, in great and apparent Danger of Damnation, thefe Gentlemen love not to touch upon that Point, nor rife to that Heighth, which long before the Revolution occafioned the Diftinction between High and Low Church-men, and the former to be called by ill, or ignorant Men, High-Flyers, Tantivies, and other fuch opprobrious Names. It was, I fuppofe, a

Re

Reflection upon these Men, and the Indignation he had against their double Practices, which Provoked a Divine not very many Years fince, to utter a Sarcasm upon them from the Pulpit, in Words to this Purpose, That fome (at the Time he spoke it) were become Fathers of the Church, who never were her true Sons.

Sir, I wish all Clergymen, who are concerned in either of thefe Remarks, would feriously confider your pious and feasonable Addrefs to us in the Conclufion of your Appendix. We are all concerned, (as you befeech and conjure us to do,) to confider our high and holy Calling to the Priesthood, and to vindicate our unalienable Rights to adminifter the Holy Sacraments, and to let the People understand, that the Miniftration of them is ESSENTIAL to our Office, and our Office effential to the Miniftration of them; and that our long and general Silence in not afferting, and defending this great Truth, bath, as you obferve, been the Ŏccafion of much Ignorance among the People, of the Nature of Schifm, and the direful Con Sequences of it, which fome of our Order. ftill are, as I am fure fome have been, fo averfe (contrary to their Truft, and the Duty of it) to fet before the People. I remember, when fome of the London Clergy, refolving to do this, as you now befeech us,

and

and for the fame Reafons; it was opposed by the free-thinking Divines, especially by one of them, whom I will not name, for no other Reason, but that it would be cenfured as preaching up our felves; a Reason, whereof the Weakness and ill Confequencès are fhewn by an excellent Perfon, in the Preface to his Companion for the Festivals and Fafts of the Church of England; where, to oblige the Clergy to inftruct the People in the great Truth of Sacerdotal Miffion, and Authority to adminifter the Sacraments, he wishes the Catechifm of the Church might be continued, in a few Queftions and Answers, to fhew, who only have Power to adminifter the Holy Sacraments. I need not name this worthy Gentleman, whom God raised up out of the People before you, to defend the Rights and Authority of the Priesthood, and who thinks it no more Dimunition, or Difhonour to him, to be thought one of the People with refpect to the Church, than one of them with refpect to the State.

In your Appendix to your Book, I think you have folidly and fatisfactorily answer'd all the Objections that have been made against the useful Subject of it, fince the firft Edition, taking in your Second Thoughts, and the Explanation of your Defign, and Meaning in fome Paffages of

it to prevent Offence. This, Sir, is an Argument of your great Humility, as well as of your Zeal and Prudence; and your humble and truly Chriftian Temper and Declaration, encourage me to make a few Remarks upon your Appendix, of which you have the Liberty to judge as you please. You have well obferved, that our Church hath provided no Office of Confirmation_for thofe, who receive Baptifm from Lay-Baptizers. And indeed it would have been ftrange, that fhe, which allows of no Baptifm but by a lawful Minifter, should have provided fuch an Office to confirm, or ratifie the Baptifm of those, who, truly fpeaking, were Sprinkled or Washed, but not baptized. But I think, you might with Reafon enough have farther obferved, that the hath provided an Office very proper for baptizing of them, I mean, Sir, THE MINISTRATION OF BAPTISM TO SUCH AS ARE OF RIPER YEARS. This new Office was made prefently after the Restauration, and is Part of the Liturgy that now is confirmed by Act of Parliament. And the general Title of it is: The Miniftration of Baptifm to fuch as are of riper Tears, and able to answer for themselves; And of which it is faid in the Preface before the Book of

Rubricks in the Miniftration of private Baptifm.

Common

Common-Prayer, Which although not fo ne! cellary when the former Book was compiled, yet by the Growth of Anabaptifm, through the Licentioufness of the late Times crept in amongst us, is now become neceffary, and may be always useful for the baptizing of Natives in our Plantations, and others converted to the Faith. Here, Sir, the Church declares the Occafion of making this Office, viz. the Growth of Anabaptifm; and then also obferves how useful it is for the baptizing of Converts to the Faith. But I must observe, that there were other Occafions for making that Office, as well as the Growth of Anabaptifm; as the Growth of Quakerifm, upon which Account it is alfo neceffary: And none of your Adverfaries will deny, but in Parity of Reafon it is as ufeful, and is accordingly ordinarily ufed, for the baptizing of Converts from that monftrous Herefy; and for the fame Parity of Reafon it may be faid, that the Office was alfo intended for fuch. The Preface also, tho' it mentions the Growth of Anabaptifm, doth not fay whether it was intended for Anabap tifts not yet dipped, or Anabaptifts dipped in Water, in the Name of the Father, &c. Tho' I am of Opinion, it was intended for them, as well as the others; because their Miniftration was null and void. There are many other Cafes, in which this Office is neceffary