not to pay the Salary, which he knows you cannot make him) leaves you, at least, to spend the little Subftance you have, in the wide World, for want of his Commendatory Letter to another Place. Mene buic confidere monftro? - LONG may your Lordfhip live, and fee many happy Days, to reform these Abuses in the Church, and vindicate your own Honour from all injurious Imputations; for it is a Slander and Reproach that falls ultimately upon you, when Men fhall dare to fay, that any of your Officers take exorbitant Fees, and that a large Sum must be paid for a Licence, which the Books we call our Directories tell us, * ought to be difpatch'd gratis, and (except for the Stamps, I fuppofe) without demanding any Money: And a Derogation to the Epifcopal Power, we conceive it is, to pretend, that the Force of a Licence, under the Hand and Seal of a Bishop, dies with him, or upon the Change of an Incumbent; when all his other Actions are authoritative, and ftand good after his Decease. WE know however the Falfhood of this Suggeftion from the laft-recited Canon, for the + exhibiting of all Faculties at the first Vifitation after the Bishop's Acceffion to his Diocefe: Nor fhould we grudge any Money (coft they what they will) provided we could furmount other Difficulties as cafily, and evade their many Contrivances to detain us from them. 1. How long a time may be requifite for the Probation of a Curate, before he be thought warrantable for a Licence, I cannot tell, my Lord; but were I allowed to guefs, I fhould think a Month or two enough, in all Confcience, to give * Vid. The Clergyman's Vade mecum, p. 51. + Vid. Can. 137. the the Parish a Specimen of his Diligence and Dexterity to serve them. I wifh however, that there were fome certain Terms itated; because I can eafily fancy to myself the Uneafiness of a long Probation, and have known fome, that after a Small Courfe of two or three Years Tryal of this kind, have been dismiss'd at last for a pretended Infufficiency. 2. WHAT Obligations a Licence lays upon the Minister, to maintain his Curate, in cafe of Poverty, or Superannuation, I know not. The Bishop of Worcester takes Notice from Lyndwood, *that those who give Titles to others, as their Affiftants or Curates, are bound to maintain them if they want. They are bound indeed, in point of Confcience, when the other have expended the Years of their Strength in their Service, to see that they want not in the Winter of old Age; but I am appriz'd of no human Law that can compel them to it, nor can I perceive, in the prefent Form of Licences, the leaft Claufe, or Hint, or Tendency that Way. And yet this has been urg'd in Excufe for denying Nominations, and modeft Men have declin'd their Pretenfions to them, for fear of seeming to entail a future Charge upon the Incumbent, from a Shame of being thought liable to Poverty, and thereby burdenfome to him; and have rather chose to ftand to his Courtefy, than bring him under any uneafy Obigation, tho' they themselves were the first that liv'd to rue it. 3. BUT of all the Stratagems to prevent the obtaining of Licences, commend me to that of entring Caveats against one another's Curates; a Project of vaft Contrivance, and worthy the renowned Head that firft invented it. By this * Vid. Duties and Rights of Par. Cler. p. 131. means, means, 'tis easy to fee, that if there be bat Confederacy enough among the Incumbents, and Corruption enough in the Officer that receives them, the whole Body of Curates may be demolished at once. 'Tis but changing Hands, my caveating yours, and your caveating my Curate, and then a Fig for the Canon, that require them to be licens'd Preachers.' I HAVE fuch a Dread, my Lord, of a Bishop's Cenfure and Difpleasure, fuch a Commiferation for him that lies under any caufelefs Sufpicions, and fuch a Deteftation of the Man that unjustly occafions them, that I cannot forbear faying, ---- too great Caution can hardly be us'd, how we receive an Accufation against a Brother; and that fome Reasons at least ought to be exhibited along with the Caveat before we admit fuch a Blot upon his Reputation, and fuch a Stop to his future Preferment. Things of this Nature ought not to be jested with nor may any Secretary wantonly ftigmatize a Clergyman's Character, and without the Bishop's Cognizance and Approbation, lay an Embargo upon him (as we may justly call it) when the angry Refentment, or crafty Contrivance of any Man whatever comes to request it of him. Some Sufpicion fhould be had (for Confcience is not always the Motive) of the Temper and Defign of the Party informing; fome Provifion made (for the Accufed is not always guilty) for the neceffaty Vindication of the Party inform'd againft; nd no general Suggeftion fhould be admitted, much lefs fuffered to lie dormant against any í Man, without specifying his Crimes in a prope Declaration. "Tis not the Manner of the Romans, fays the Governour Feftus, to deliver any Man to dies before he which is accufed have the Accufers Face Face to Face, and have Licence to answer for bimfelf, concerning the Crime laid against him. And a Prefumption St. Paul makes it of his Innocence, before the Governor Felix, that the proper Evidences, and fuch as had given Information against him we may fuppofe, had chofe to be abfent; They cannot prove the things As xxiv. whereof they accufe me, fays he; for if they 16. could, they ought to be here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me. I WILL not fay what Temptation we are under to wish the old Roman Government reviv'd among us, that no Man be accus'd, or cenfur'd, or condemn'd, without a fair Hearing; but I cannot but lament our Want of true Roman Courage, and the fordid Pufilanimity, which a continued Oppreffion has fubjected us to, when we fuffer fuch Ufage to pass upon us tamely, and without any manner of Refentment. The Man that lies under a Caveat, lies under (as I apprehend the thing) the Frowns and Difpleafure of his Bishop, under a Note of fome Infamy among his Brethren, under the Condition of his good Behaviour to keep the little Matter he has, and under an utter Incapacity to accept of any thing better; for come never fo many Offers and Prefentations, the poor Creature is performing his Quarentine, and must not ftir. BUT in the Name of God, my Brethren, how long fhall we brook all this? And when at Aaft fhall we fee a Period put to our Patience, and their ill Treatment of us? Our Patience provokes their ill Treatment of us, and perhaps it might be fome Restraint upon them, but bare My to fee that we had once the Courage to remon rate. Remonftrances of a proper Kind, tho they may not relieve our Sufferings, will however cafe our Confciences, and ftand Monuments of their Oppreffion, and Proteftations against to refift. COULD you mollify their Tempers by Compliance, or cause them to deviate a little into better Ufage of you by Subferviency, much might be faid for your Behaviour; but 'tis a wife Maxim of the Politician, and too much verified in your Cafe; inxanno fi gli huomini, credendo con la bumilit a vincere la fuperbia. Ask but your own Experience, what have you got by all your Servility, and abje& Carriage? Have they not defpis'd you the more, the more you feem'd to reverence them? Have they not grown haughty upon your Submiffions, and oblig'd you to keep a greater Distance in Proportion as they faw your Fears, increas'd their Awfulnefs? Have they, in the mean while, either leffened your Labour, or increased your Salaries, or afcertained your Tenure of them? They bind heavy Burdens, and grievous to be born, and lay them Mat. xxiii. on your Shoulders; but they themselves will not move them (except in the light Work of preaching now and then) with one of their Fingers. They join Church to Church, and Parish to Parish, and accumulate to themselves large Re iv. venues, |