them. And yet of thofe Hereticks there would be fome who would take as much Pains to convert Pagans, as to feduce Chriftians. Among our felves the only Bufinefs of thefe falfe Teachers is to cull a Church out of a Church, to reform upon a perfect Roformation, tho' they never could find a certain Place where they might ftop themselves, and conclude that they had done enough. But there may be fome Policy in this Management too, fince while Mens Heads are always employ'd in fomething that's new and furprifing, it is impoffible they fhould be at Leifure to animadvert ferioufly upon all the Abfurdities their Seducers would put upon them.

If the Laws of a Chriftian Nation take any Notice of them fo far as to bring them under any Penalties, they cry out of Perfecution prefently. It is bitter Perfecution to punish those who profefs the fame Religion with our felves, and it is unreafonable to ftand to ftiffly upon a few trifling and indifferent Things, as for their Sakes to punifh our tender Confcienc'd Brethren. They profefs in fuch a Cafe, to own our common Caufe, and to be very fenfible of the Neceffity there is of Union among all Proteftants against the common Enemy, the Attempts and Invafions of the Church of Rome, and its Emiffaries. Thus fome deal with us, as Jofephus tells us the Samaritans were wont to do with the Jews: When the Jews prof pered and flourished in Favour and Power the Samaritans were always of their Brethren, and neareft Kindred and trueft Friends, and all their Fortunes embark'd with them in the fame Bottom, and there was then nothing but

Love and Peace and Amity to be heard of as mong them: But when the Jewish Profperity began to fink, or their Government to fall under a Cloud, their clofe Friendship and intimate Relation vanish'd prefently, and none fo great as the Samaritans with the Enemies of Jerusalem: Every Syrian or Egyptian was better treated by them than a few; and Down with it, down with it, even to the Ground, was a Word as frequent in the Mouth of a Samaritan with refpect to the holy City or the Temple as in that of an Edomite. If we may make reasonable Conjectures of the Nature of Things by the manner of their Management; we of the Legally eftablish'd Church of England, muft conclude our felves in very dangerous Circumftances as to our Spiritual State. If we may believe the Devotees of the Church of Rome, we are all damnable Hereticks. Those therefore of that Communion who charitably endeavour to extricate us out of the Snares of Herefy, doubtless deferve ferious Thanks at leaft for their good Intentions; and the more active they fhow themselves in that Chriftian Work, the more is their Zeal to be reverenced and admired, if they are not mistaken in the original Caufe of all their Zeal and Activity. Those who separate from us upon other Accounts, our Presbyterians, Anabaptifts, Independents, &c. feem to look upon us as little better than Hereticks too, and fuch Hereticks as for whom they have as little Charity as fome of the red hot Bigots of the Church of Rome exprefs for either us or them, as if there were no Salvation to be had in our Communion: Why elfe do they continue fo refolv'd and

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obftinate against holding Communion with us, unless it be when Communion with us opens a Way to a Wife with a large Fortune, or to get fome profitable Preferment? Why do they how themfelves fo much more ready to join with Papills, tor a treacherous Toleration, (as in a late Reign,) only that by the Help of Rome, they might ruin the establish'd Church of England, the ftrongest Defence of the whole Reformation, than join with us heartily to the rendring all the Pretenfions of the Roman Conclave vain and abortive. Why do they take fuch indefatigable Pains to keep their own Partizans together, and as at this Time, to take away the Legal Securities of our reformed Church, by repealing the Tef, that Papifts, Muhammedans, Infidels, and other Atheists befides themselves may be let loofe among us; and by repealing the Bill againft Schifm, that we may be fure to be worfe over run with Hypocrites, than we are already? And why are they trying fo every Day to pervert and debauch the Members of our Church from their honelt and true Chriftian Principles, and are fill watching every Opportunity to fnatch fome weak or wavering, or lewd Perfon from the National Church? For let them be never fo fcandalous in their general Converfation, provided they will but efpoufe the Good old Cenfe, they are all Saints prefently, and admitted to the Communion of the Godly. We cannot indeed imagine, that it is any very great Lofs to be deprived of fuch Members; but fure it can be no less than a Matter of Salvation which can make them fo careful to lofe no Opportunity of making Pro

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felytes, and that when they can take no wholefom Fish, they can fpend their Time in angling for Effs and Leeches. But all this notwithstanding, when we come to difcourfe with thofe who pretend to the greatest Sobriety and Moderation among them, they tell us, they agree with us in all Matters of Moment: Nay, fome have been fo condefcending as to own, that eternal Life and Salvation is as attaina ble in our Communion, as in their own; which when they acknowledge to be true, they must grant more: And if it be any Fault at all to make Divifions in the Church of God where they can poffibly be avoided, the Crime muft certainly lie heavy at their Doors, who leave the Communion of our Church, without Hopes of Communion with a better.

And what fhall I fay, at laft to thofe of our Brethren, who have of late Years form'd a New Separation, and while they pretend that all the prefent Bishops in England are Schifmaticks, prove themselves really the most dangerous Schifmaticks in the Nation. I cannot with the Bishop of Bangor, admire the long and extraordinaryLenity of the Government to them; much lefs can I think, that He, (tho' he has plunder'd Hobbes, and Lock, and Sydney, and the Authors of the Rights of the Chriftian Church,) has faid any thing that may convince Men of true Piety, good Senfe or an unprejudic'd Underftanding, of the Chriftian Nature of Revolution Principles. I'm fatisfy'd, that they refus'd to take the Oaths propos'd to them at the Revolution, out of a true Principle of Confcience, and because they knew of no Prince, Parliament, Prelate or Presbyter, who could

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abfolve them from the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy, which they had taken to their lawful Sovereign. It was not a factious, hypocritical, treafonable Covenant which they held up as a Shield againft the New Oaths; but it was the Obligation of a lawful Oath, and impos'd by Law, and none can pretend there was any thing in it contrary to the Laws of God, or the Practice of the firft and pureft Chriftians. Much was written by thofe who thought fit to comply with the new Government in Vindication of themfelves, and to fatisfy fuch of their Brethren as ftood out; Some were prevail'd with by one Confideration, and fome by another, which concerns not us to dive in

Seven Bishops, fome of them a kind of Confeffors for the Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom, Men of undoubted Steadiness in the Proteftant Religion, of excellent Learning and of true primitive Courage and Sanctity, and feveral of meaner Titles, and of the inferior Clergy remain'd unfatisfy'd ftill. They could not difpenfe with their former Obligations, and therefore they fuffer'd the Penalties of the Law; their Dignities and Preferments were beftow'd on others, and they themselves fat down quietly by the Lofs. The new Laws had affign'd no greater Penalty then, for refufing the Oaths; and while they underwent That, the Greatnefs of that Favour could not merit any extraordinary Encomiums; And if the Sufferers fhould any of them engage in Rebellion, they are as liable as other Men, by what Names or Titles foever they are dignify'd and diftinguith'd, under any Government, to fuffer in fuch a Manner as the Law has appointed