This Bishop, Sir, the Multitudes, who come to be confirm'd, are taught to confider as an Ambafador of CHRIST, a Succeffor of the Apoftles, and a Special Minifter of GOD: when they hear then, this facred Perfon, fo folemnly declaring that they are fully juftified, pardoned, and regenerated by the Holy-Ghoft, can you blame them if they believe it ? and rest satisfied that their Souls are in a fafe and happy State? And as full Remiffion of Sins, and the Favour of GOD, are to be had on fuch eafy Terms; can you wonder, fhould you fee thousands eagerly flocking from all Quarters to accept it? Or that Perfons of very vile and profligate Characters fhould often thrust themfelves in to partake of thisBenefit; and be seen receiving upon their Knees epifcopal Abfolution, and folemn Affurances of God's Favour and Grace?

You know the Aptnefs of Mankind, Sir, to deceive themselves with falfe Hopes; and to fubftitute good Purposes, Profeffions, and Vows in the Place of real Repentance and Amendment of Life; and you know this, Sir, (and have no doubt often declared it from your Pulpit) to be one of the chief Hindrances of Men's becoming truly good. Now fhould your Office for Confirmation be found thus powerfully and directly tend ing to cherish thefe falfe Hopes; you must excufe me if I then fhould think it fo far from conducing to Holinefs of Life, as that in my Confcience I fhould believe it to be rather greatly OBSTRUCTIVE to it; and extremely delufive and injurious to the Souls of Men. Let me further ask you, Sir, on this Head Is it any Breach of Charity, to fuppofe that amongst the vaft Crouds which prefent themselves on fuch Occafions, there are often many, whom God, who knows their Hearts, knows to be Perfons of a corrupt and wicked Mind, and to be still under the Power and Tyranny of Sin? Can the good Bishop himfelf, in any Judgment of Charity, fuppofe there are not fome fuch amongst The Thousands he confirms? Candidly tell me then, Sir,

upon

upon what Grounds he abfolutely and without Referve, fdeclares to the eternal God concerning them ALL, that I he hath fully forgiven thefe his Servants, when God at that Time knows many of them not to be his Servants, and that he hath not at all forgiven them? Or, lays his Hand on each individual Perfon to affure him of God's Favour, and of his Regeneration by the HOLYGHOST; when, in Truth, fome of thofe he thus affures are abfolute and entire Strangers to the renewing Influ ences of God's Spirit, and faft bound in their Sins? To me, Sir, I affure, you, this appears, I do not fay a very fhocking, but I muft fay a very unaccountable Solemnity; and should be glad to know how to reconcile it to the Reverence you owe to God; or to the Faithfulness and Charity due to the Souls of Men.

Near akin to this, but of a yet more obnoxious Nature, is another Office of your Common-Prayer. The Abfolution of the Sick. To this you know, Sir, Diffenters have always ftrongly objected, as too much refembling the folemn Tricks of the Church of Rome; by which they pretend to fend Men to Heaven, without real Amendment and Holinefs of Life. But this you very prudently pafs over in perfect Silence; for what indeed could fo ingenious an Advocate offer, on fo extremely abfurd and indefenfible a Point?

Being come to the fick Perfon, (no Matter what or bow wicked his former Life hath been) the Priest is directed, after fome pious Exhortations, to examine "Whether he believes the Articles of the Apostles Creed ; "and truly repent him of his Sins; and be in Charity with "all the World: And to move him to make a special Con"feffion of bis Sins, if he feels his Confcience troubled with 86 any weighty Matters." After which Confeffion, the Prieft is order'd to ABSOLVE bim (if he humbly and heartily defire it) after this fort.

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who bath left Power to his Church to abfolve all Sinners who truly repent and believe

in

in him, of his great Mercy forgive thee thine Offences And by the AUTHORITY committed to ME, I ABSOLVE thee from ALL THY SINS, in the Name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY-GHOST. Amen.

The Form is extreamly folemn, Sir, and the Matter of the last Importance. You had need therefore be fure you go upon good Grounds, left you be found to trifle with the Name of GOD, and in Things of everlasting Moment, and to acquit those whom he abhors. Permit me, Sir, in this great Name, and before the World, to demand of you,

for

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 understand it as in your XXth Article, where it is faid to have Power to decree Rites, and Autbority in Matters of Faith? If fo, I have fhewn in my mer 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 Act of Grace, to vacate and set aside 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 abfolus, not in Foro Civili only, but in Foro Ecclefia; 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 whe ther 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

Members who officiate in the Church under them.... Thefe, Sir, are high Points, which without your Afsistance, 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 AUTHORITY; and WHERE the Charter or Grant is found, by which be gave it the Commiffion? But

2. That CHRIST hath given, can give, no fuch Authority to fallible uninfpired Men, I fhould think abfolutely out of doubt. Because if he had 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 Elfe 'tis a Power to do nothing, for till they know them to be truly penitent (i. e. till they can Search 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 most folemnly and au thoritatively to abfolve him. But are any Promifes or Profeffions which a Sinner makes in that Diftrefs, a proper Ground for fuch an abfolute authoritative Abfolution? Are not the moft profligate, when Death is thought to approach, wont to feel their Confcience troubled with many weighty Matters, ready to confefs their Sins, to exprefs the deepest Remorfe, and to vow Amendment if fpared? But when the Danger is past, is there one of a Thoufand that remembers his Vows, and that returns not to his Sins with as keen an Appetite as ever? Do not you, Gentlemen of the Clergy, loudly complain of this, when you prefs to prefent Repentance, and warn us not to truft to the Sorrows ci a Sick Bed? But notwithstanding all this, when the fick Sinner fends for you, confeffes his Sins, profeffes Repentance,

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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 to abfolve him from ALL his 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 thousand Sinners give, who are nevertheless 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 Fact to be done, which yet at the fame Time he is not Jure 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 lefs 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 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 high Powers, which they are fure Gop 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 cther Offices with Ridicule and Difrespect ?

And now, Sir, having prefented you with fome of the true Grounds of our diffent, many of which you have

not