CONTENTS T HE Happiness of our Civil and Eccle fiaftical Conftitution Page 2 The Chriftian Temper of our excellent The Author's Design in the whole Letter 3 ib. His Reafons for addreffing to the Bishop of Lon don 4 5 His Hopes and Expectations from its Success And fome Incitements to the Bishop to attend to what he has to faý The Divifion of the whole Work ibid. 7 The first thing that the inferior Clergy think they have a Right to, is Honour and Respect 1. That the Clergy in general have a Right to be refpected, 1. From the Dignity and great Majefty of the Mafter they ferve Bifhops, for this Reafon, ought to be very cautious whom they ordain 8 2. From the Awfulness of their Offices. St. Chryfoftom's Senfe upon this Matter ibid. 3. From their Pains and more abundant Dillgence in their Calling 12 The Minifter and Curate compar'd together under this Confideration 13 And then the Author's Reafons for infifting fo long upon this Privilege of Refpect 14 II. That they have a Right to Refpect and Bene volence from one another N 2 15 This 16 This prov'd from the Rules of Christianity, which 18 19 And, 2. A common Mistake that Curates are 20 This Notion turned directly upon them, and re- 21 Mr. Collier's and Bishop Burnet's Opinion on this 22 Curates hereupon exhorted to maintain their Ho- 23 2. That they have a Right to Favour and Regard 27 From the Proximity of the two Orders, and the 3. From the happy Effects of the thing 28 31 (1.) As it will be a Means to augment the Bi- ib. 33 (2.) And a Matter of great Comfort and Encou- 34 THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK's fingularly good And then a general Exhortation to Bishops to be 4. ib. Those Thofe that officiate therein deferve therefore the The inferior Clergy, on this Account more efpe- But their Sufferings are what should chiefly engage the Government's Pity and Regard 40 II. The fecond thing that the inferior Clergy think they have a Right to, is, a fufficient Maintenance and Support, for their Labour 42 The Provifion that God made for the Jewish ib. The Precepts he gives for the Maintenance of The primitive Manner of the Clergies being fup- An Account of the State of the Church, and Sa- ib. Several Attempts made in PARLIAMENT to aug- ment their Stipends The Incompetency of its Provifion for the fingle, 5 I That Curates, &c. have no way of bettering, or helping out their Scanty Allowances They are feldom advanc'd to any Preferments. 53 Of writing Pamphlets, and other things for Bread ib. And of going beyond Seas to propagate the Gospel, That this mean Provifion for Curates is far from being Encouragement to Parents to breed their For the inferior Clergy are worse provided for than any other Set of Men. Than Popifh Clergy 59 The evil Confequences of fuch incompetent Provi- 1. In the Execution of their Office That their Poverty caufes their Perfons to be 74 The Difficulty that fuch an one is under to fet about ftudying The Jewish Notion of the Qualifications requifite to the Spirit of Prophejy, applied to the Author's Purpofe 75 His Apology thereupon for writing this Letter no better, and for undertaking the whole Work alone ib. How thofe that have not fufficient Helps for Study, may pass for Men of Learning in this Age 77 Our great Happiness in this Regard 78 The Number of Books requifite for a Divine 80 The rich Clergy therefore are qualified to be Defenders of our Church; for the poorer Sort want Materials 81 82 85 ib. That ignorant Curates ought to be difpos'd of in Country Parishes; and those that are fettled in Town to have better Allowances An Objection, that Allowances to Curates were not formerly fo high as they are now, answer'd 85 Whereupon 'tis granted, that there ought to be fome Diftinction between the Clergy, and a Regard had to their Merits But that the Dignities of the Church are fufficient to answer this And then prov'd, that Curates, three or four bundred Years ago, were in a much better Condition than now The fcandalous Allowances of fome, are enough to provoke God to fend a national Judgment upon us The Wisdom of the Government is therefore call'd upon to infpect this Matter Notwithstanding their Allowances are fo fmall, Minifters have great Expectances from their Curates 86 87 ib. ib. |