Philofophers, to disbelieve, or doubt of that Thing, after fuch undoubted Human Authority for the Truth of it; or for others to paliate or excuse their obftinate Unbelief, because Men's Minds are not all alike, and their Brains of different Make? Sir, I wish the Gentlemen, for whofe Sake I have made this Comparison, would confider it, and no longer, under Pretence of Univerfal Charity, and the different Features of Minds, write in fuch Manner of the great Myftery of our Religion, as to confirm our Doubters or Unbelievers in their Scepticifm or Unbelief, and thereby give them Occafion to reject it as uncertain or falfe, rather than be involv'd in the Dreadful Confequence of their Unbelief, fhould it be, as it certainly is, a Divine Truth.

Then, as to the Practical Principles, which I call Precepts, or Commands, they are also as neceffary to be obferv'd, as the other are to be believ'd; and, if I may fo fpeak, are as dear to God as any Article of Faith; and yet there is none of them, which fome Men of Latitude among us will not foften, and trim up into another Senfe, to please the Tranfgreffors of them to their Eternal Ruin.

Thus, Sir, that very Sect, which not only neglects, but defpifes the Two Sacraments as Temporary Inftitutions, or Ritual

Ordinances, appointed only for the Infant State of the Church, are not only allowed the Title of Chriftians, but reckon'd in the ordinary State of Salvation, by fome FreeThinkers, in the Broad Way, which lead- ̈ eth to Destruction. And then, as to the Political Doctrines, or Principles, relating to the Government of the Church; tho' it was the Confentient Belief of all Chriftians for Fifteen Hundred Years, that Bishops were the Succeffors of the Apostles, and as fuch only have Power to Ordain Minifters in the Church; yet have we Men, and Men of no ordinary Figures in the Church, that not only never Preach this Doctrine themselves, but do not love that others fhould Preach it, or Inftruct the Youth in it; because, fay they, It Unchurches the Foreign Churches. But, Sir, in the Name of God, is it this Receiv'd Principle of the Catholick Church that Unchurches Foreign Churches; or do they Unchurch themfelves, in continuing wilful Tranfgreffors of it? As, not to speak more of the Moral Precepts of Chriftianity; Is it, for Inftance, the Doctrine of Sobriety, or Justice, or Temperance, or Purity, or Humility, that damns so many Millions of Chriftians; or do they damn themselves by their wilful Violation of them? The Pofitive Laws of God are all Sacrofan&t, especially thofe he

bath

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bath Ordain'd for Government; and he will in no wife excufe the wilful Neglect, Contempt, or Tranfgreffion of them; but every fuch Tranfgreffion and Difobedience against the Polity of the Chriftian Theocracy, let the Number of Offenders be never fo great, fhall receive a juft Recompence of Reward. And therefore judge, Sir, who act moft like Primitive Chriftians, and the Faithful Servants of Chrift; thofe, who in all Meeknefs and Charity, fet this Receiv'd Principle concerning the Oecumenical Theocracy of the Myftical Ifrael, the Neceffity of Conformity and Obedience, and the Confequences of Difobedience to it, before the other Churches; or thofe, who footh and flatter them in their Error, because they are whole Nations; tho' most of them have abandon'd the Divine Order of Bishops, purely for Human Reasons of State; and particularly, because they have alienated the Revenues, by which they were maintained. Yet, Sir, the fame Perfons, who had rather this Principle were fupprefs'd, than that those Nations fhould, as they speak, be Unchurched by it, would (at least many of them) make no Difficulties to Unchurch Leffer Bodies of Chriftians by it; and let the Confequences which arife from it, have their full Force upon a few, tho' the Trafgreffi

on

on of the Principle, and the Confequences of the Tranfgreffion, equally affect a great as well as a small Number, and condemn whole Nations of Chriftians as much, and as effectually, as fingle Men. But these Gentlemen fhould confider, that they are the Multitudes, and great Numbers, that will be condemned at the Day of Judgment. Furthermore, Sir, you know, what indifpenfible Obligations lie upon all Chriftians, and Chriftian Nations, to profefs the Faith once delivered to the Saints, and to contend earnestly for it; and accordingly, how carefully it was guarded, and how zealously contended for against all Hereticks, who (from the Beginning) oppos'd it, or any Part of it. And therefore, if we muft believe, and contend for Divine Revelations, which have always been oppos'd; why fhould we not as zealously obferve, and contend for that Divine Inflitution, which was never oppos'd for 1500 Years? I mean, that Form of Government which all Chriftianity receiv'd and practis'd for fo many Ages, as that only Ecclefiaftical Polity, which was appointed by Chrift to continue unto the End of the World.

Sir, I have taken Occafion from your Affertion to say thus much in Behalf of Epifcopacy, as a Receiv'd Principle of Chritianity; and from thence to fhew, how it

concerns

concerns all our Divines, especially of the Epifcopal Order, to fet the Dangerous Confequences of Rejecting it, before the Foreign Churches; and thereupon to invite, encourage and exhort, nay, to conjure them in the Name of Chrift, to join the Apoftolical Government to the Apoftolical Faith of the Church; that thereby they may be come wholly Pure and Primitive, and not only in Part, but in Whole, as we are, and all Chriftian Nations ought to be. This,' furely, would better become the Men of Higher Stations and Characters in the Church; than, in finful Complaifance to Foreign Churches, to condemn Books of moft Excellent Inftruction for the Younger Sort at School; because they teach them, that Bishops were Succeffors to the Apoftles in the Church; and only have Power to Ordain, and fend forth Labourers into God's Vineyard. Thefe Gentlemen furely forget, That as the Nature of the Church, as a Sect, confists in Doctrines; fo, as fhe is a Society, it confifts in that Frame of Polity which God hath Ordained for the Government thereof. Wherefore, inftead of Condemning, they fhould rather Recommend all fuch Books, as inftruct the Laity (Young or Old) in Primitive Christianity; and encourage them to read all fuch Tracs and Difcourfes, in their own or any other

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Tongue,