(as they call it) where we have their Money, and they have our Labour, the Business seems to be much upon the par. I could wifh (and have often wondered why I never faw it in any VifitationCharge) that those, who have a proper Authority over them, would remind them of this Equality, and what Candor and kind Deportment ought to be fubfequent upon it. The Author of the Paftoral Care has laid before them their Duty, I think, in very plain Terms: "Those

of an higher Form in Learning, Dignity, and "Wealth, fays he, ought not to despise poor "Vicars and Curates; but, on the contrary, the

poorer they are, they ought to pity and en« courage them the more, fince they are all of "the fame Order, only the one are more happily cr plac'd than the others: They ought therefore "to cherish those that are in worfe Circum"ftances, and encourage them to come often "to them; they ought to lend them Books, "and to give them other Affiftances, in order "to their Progrefs in Learning. 'Tis a bad "thing to fee a Bishop behave himself fuper"ciliously towards any of his Clergy; but it is intolerable in thofe of the fame Degree."

If this is their Duty, and if it be so shamefully neglected (as Informations from every Quarter tell us) I fhall not presume to direct your Lordship's Wisdom; but was going to think it fome part of the Epifcopal Care, to fee that a timely Remedy be provided for this Evil, and going to offer up our joint Petition, that, in your next Inftructions to your Arch-Deacon, your Lordship would be pleafed to remember us; that he may mention fomething of this Nature, and fet before your Clergy, at their fe* Pag. 208.

veral

veral Conventions, the many bad Confequences of their Tranfgreffion in this refpect: Telling them, what a Scandal to our holy Religion, what an Encouragement to others to use us ill, what a Matter of Defpondency to ourselves, and Obftruction to our beft Endeavours it is, to be flighted and disesteemed, to be reviled and villified, to be oppreffed and devoured by one another telling them, that we are all embark'd in the fame Caufe, and engag'd in the fame Warfare; but that the Enemy gains Ground, and makes daily Inroads upon us, while we are wrangling in the Camp, and difputing for Superiority: Telling them, in fhort, that we cannot endure this ufage much longer, and must either quit the Service, or be allow'd better Quarter, because we have Men among us that ftill retain this Sentiment, * Nil deteftabilius dedecore, nil fadius fervitute: ad decus & libertatem nati fumus, ut hæc teneamus aut cum dignitate moriamur.

In this we promise our felves your Lordship's Ear, because the next,

2. PRIVILEGE that we prefume we have a Right to claim, is an equal Share of Favour and Respect from our fpiritual Governours, thofe that are fet over us in the Lord. And indeed, if we confider the Design of Government in general, we cannot but perceive, that the chief Reafons of its Inftitution, was to keep the World in better Order; that the Weaker might not be a Prey to the Strong, nor any one tolerated to to do ill, because he had it in his Power; that Encouragements might be given to laudable Actions, and every one recompenced according to his Merit. For this Reafon, Rulers are called

* Vid. T. Cicer. Phil. 3. p. 426. ex Edit. Job. Bleau.

the

Rom. xiii. the Minifters of God to us for good, if we do that which is praife-worthy; but Revengers, to execute his Wrath upon us, if we do that which is evil.

2 Sam.

xix. 43.

Now the true Reafon for repofing this Power in the Hands of one fingle Perfon, was, not so much in Confideration of his fuperior Qualities, (that is fortuitous) as that there might be a final Refort, and a certain Point fix'd, whither Subjects, under fuch Grievances, or with fuch Expectances, might at any time refort. A Magiftrate; in his perfonal Capacity, can do no more than another Man; but in his publick Capacity, and in the Power and Authority wherewith the Laws have invested him, he can exercife Justice and Judgment, to the Punishment of Wickednefs, and to the Reward and Encouragement of Virtue. In like manner, a Bifhop in his facerdotal Capacity, except in the Matter of Ordination and Confirmation, can do no more than a common Prieft: But in his ruling and prelatical one, he can make Injunctions, inflict Penalties, cenfure, and depofe; or elfe confer his Honours and Preferments upon thofe that are under his Jurifdiction.

*

LET us then fee what part we have in these great Rulers and Guardians of our Church; and whether our Words, upon this Occafion ought not to be fiercer than the Words of thofe that would deftroy our Credit with them, and engrofs their Favours.

1. OUR bleffed Saviour has given us this Character of himself, and in it a Precept for all Matt. xx. Church-Governors to obferve: The Son of Man came not to be miniftred unto, but to minifter: He himself condefcended to wash his Difciples

28.

*

Quid facit Epifcopus, excepta Ordinatione, quo Presby ter non faciat? Hier. ad. Evagr. Ep.

Feet;

1 Tim. v.

I.

Feet; and has thereby fymbolically taught us, that the lowest Condefcenfion in the greatest Ecclefiafticks is no more than ftrict Duty: For the John xiii. Servant is not greater than his Lord; neither is 16. be that is fent, greater than he that fent him. St. Paul, who profeffed himself an utter Enemy to all fuch as affected Pre-eminence in the Church, obliges Timothy, who was then Bishop of Ephefus, to do every thing impartially, with 1 Tim. v. out preferring one before another; in his Behaviour 21. to be gentle and patient toward all Men; and in 2 Tim. ii. his Reproof, to ufe great Candor, not to rebuke 24 an Elder, but intreat him as a Father, and the younger Men as Brethren, And St. Peter, in his Exhortation to the Elders of the Churches, seems to have comprized all that we can defire: Feed 1Pet. v. the Flock of God, fays he, which is among you, 2, 3, 4. taking the Overfight thereof; not by Conftraint, but willingly; not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready Mind; neither as being Lords over God's Heritage (or not using a defpotic Authority over the Clergy in your Diocefes) but being Examples to the Flock, (Examples of Kindness and Condefcenfion) and when the chief Shepherd hall appear, ye shall receive a Crown of Glory, that fadeth not away.

NOTHING, I think, can be more evident than what these Paffages do imply, viz. That every Bishop fhould look upon himself as a common Father to his Clergy, and as bound to carry all Matters with an even and impartial Hand among them. And indeed, why does the Scripture ftile them Bishops, but that their Of fice is to infpect carefully the State and Condition of thofe who are fubordinate to them in the Constitution of the Church, yet ought to be efteemed by them as Fellow-Labourers, and Fellow-Servants? Why Stewards, but that they

are

47.

are appointed to provide for the whole HouLuke xii. fhold, and to divide to every one his Portion of Meat in due Seafon? Why Angels, but that they are fent forth to minifter in an higher Order and Capacity, and to take the leaft, as well as the greateft, under their Guardianship and Protection? Above all, why does it fo frequently call them Paftors and Shepherds, but that they are more immediately concerned to take care of the Impotent and Weak. And accordingly our Church, in her final Exhortation to the newlyconfecrated Bishop, gives him these pathetic Admonitions*: "Be to the Flock of Chrift a Shepherd, not a Wolf; feed them, devour "them not; hold up the Weak, heal the Sick, "bind up the Broken, bring again the Out"cafts, feek the Loft." The Words are taken from the Prophet Ezekiel, where God complains of the Shepherds of Ifrael, who had acted counter to all these Injunctions, and abus'd their Authority to Tyranny and Opppeffion.

Chap.

xxxiv.

2. MIGHT it be deem'd no Prefumption, and were we allow'd to make the best of our Plea for what we fo much covet and defire, we mgiht fay, that, befides thefe Scripture-Indications, we have a farther Title to Respect and Eftimation from our fpiritual Rulers, viz. The Proximity of our Order, and the near Approaches that the Dignity of the Priesthood makes to that of the Prelacy. For tho' I am far from thinking, that there is any Weight in the Arguments of thofe Men who would blend and confolidate these two Orders into one, after what the learned Hammond in his Differtations, and the great Vindicator of St. Ignatius's Epiftles, have faid upon this Subject; yet I can

Vid. Confecration-Office, ad finem.

not