Difcourfe I plainly perceived feveral Things could not be obtained. However, he promis'd to appoint a Time of Meeting, but I have not heard from him fince. I am unwilling my Name should be used in this Matter, not but that I do most heartily defire an Accommodation, and fhall always endeavour it; but I am Jure it will be a Prejudice to me, and fignifie nothing to the effecting of the Thing, which as Circumstances are, cannot pass in either Houfe without the Concurrence of a confiderable part of the Bishops, and the Countenance of his Majefty, which at prefent I fee little Reason to expect.

I am

Your affectionate Brother
and Servant,

J. TILLOTSON.

The Terms agreed on were much of the fame Nature with thofe delivered the Year before by Mr. BAXTER to the Earl of ORRERY; the Chief of which were these,

on between

Noncon

"That no Covenant, Promife, or Oath, Propofals "fhould be required to Ordination, Infti- for a Uni"tution, or Induction, but the Oaths of Confor "Allegiance and Supremacy. The Sub-mifts and "fcribing to the Doctrine and Sacraments formifts. "of the Church of England, as exprefs'd' "in the 39 Articles, and a general Decla"ration against Rebellion and Sedition. "That till the Nonconformifts could be "bet

D 3

"better provided for by Vacancies, they "fhould have Liberty to be School"Masters, or Affiftants to Incumbents,

or to preach Lectures in their Churches; "either fuch Lectures as were already en"dow'd with Maintenance, or such as the "People fhould be willing to maintain; "and that in the mean time their Meeting "Places that were convenient, fhould be "continued in ufe as Chapels. That Li

berty be allowed for Neighbours joyn"ing together in praying to God, and praifing him, and repeating Sermons, "in their private Houfes without mole"ftation. That for the Liturgy, &c. "none be obliged to read the Apocryphal "Leffons: That it be enough if an Incum"bent once in a Quarter or Half Year, "read the greateft part of the Service for "that Time; and that it be at other times "done by his Curate or Affiftant. That "Lecturers be not obliged to read the Ser"vice; or at moft, that it be enough, if

66

once in half a Year they read the great"eft part of what is appointed for that "Time. That Parents have Liberty to "dedicate their own Children to God in "Baptifm, without being obliged to find "Godfathers and Godmothers. That the "Ufe of the Sign of the Cross be left to "the Minifters Inclination and Difcretion. "That Minifters be not forced to baptizę

a

" a Child whofe Parents are denied the "Communion of the Church, unless fome "ferious Chriftian undertake for its Edu"cation, according to the Chriftian Cove

"nant. That none be forced to receive "the Sacrament while unfit or averfe. "That Minifters be not forced to deliver "the Sacrament to any unbaptized Per"fons: Or to fuch as will not own their "baptifmal Covenant, and publickly pro"fefs their Adherence to it; or to fuch as "are guilty of fcandalous Immoralities, "till they have profeffed Repentance. "That Minifters be not forced to publish " an Excommunication, or Absolution a"gainst their Confciences, upon the De66 cree of a Lay-Chancellor, &c. or har"rafs'd by attending their Courts, to "bring Witneffes against those to whom "they have refufed the Sacrament upon "the aforefaid Reasons. That it be left. "to the Discretion of Minifters, whom "they will abfolve in Sickness, and to "whom they will give the Sacrament, "and over whom they at their Interment "will use those few Words which import "the Juftification and Salvation of the "deceased: And that the Sick and Dying "have the liberty of choofing what Mini❝fters they will to attend and affift them "without reftraint. That no Ministers "be forced to deny the Sacrament to fuch

D 4

66

as

"as think it unlawful to take it kneeling. "That the Ufe of the Surplice be left in"different. And that People who live "under an ignorant or fcandalous Mini❝fter, have liberty to joyn with those "with whom they can better profit, in

any neighbouring Church in the fame "Diocefe, paying the Incumbent his dues. "That no ordained Minifters be put up

on renouncing their Ordination, but 66 upon Proof of their fitness for the Mi"niftry, receive by Word, or a written "Inftrument, a legal Authority to exer"cife their Miniftry in any Congregation "in his Majesty's Dominions, where they fhall be lawfully called. That no ex"communicate Perfon as fuch, be impri

foned or ruined. And that after all, "Chriftian Lenity be used to all confci"entious Diffenters; and that the tolera"ble be tolerated, under Laws of Peace "and Safety. Upon the whole he added, "That if the Sacraments were but left "free to be adminiftred, and received by "none but Voluntiers ; and Liberty grant"ed to Minifters to preach in those "Churches where the Common Prayer "was read by others: And the Subfcrip"tions contained nothing that a confcien"tious Man might need to fcruple: He "thought it might take in all, even the "Independents as well as Presbyterians.?

Mr.

Mr. BAXTER gave the Earl of Orrery these Propofals; but he, after fome time, return'd them with Bishop MORLEY'S Strictures and Animadverfions upon them, and they came to nothing.

I have already acquainted the Reader, He publi es Bifbop that Bishop WILKINS at his Death, was Wilkins pleafed by his laft Will to commit all his his Book Papers to Dr. TILLOTSON'S Care and Dif- of Natural Religion. pofal, out of which, in the Year 1675. he published that learned Treatife, Of the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion, in Two Books, with an excellent Preface, giving an Account of the Work. Every thing this eloquent and learned Prelate has writ, is of fuch ineftimable Value, that it would be an irreparable Lofs to the Publick, fhould one Word of his Works be forgotten: Therefore I hope it will not be thought improper to infert at large that useful prefatory Difcourfe which he prefixed to this excellent Book; alfo his Prefaces to the pious and learned Dr. BARROW's Works, and Mr. HEZEKIAH BURTON'S Discourses, which he likewife publifhed.

The Preface to the Principles of Natural Religion is as follows:

"TH

Preface to

Bp

E enfuing Treatife is fufficiently w recommended to the World by kins's the Name of the Author, and needs no- Natural • thing Religion.