have a Right to, is a legal Security for their Salaries 90 ib. A true State of the Question, and how it is that they come to want a proper Security What Power Bishops have to afcertain the Salaries of Curates 91 The Practice of the Church in the Time of the antient Britons in this Regard In the Time of the Saxons 92 ib. The Erection of Parish Churches, and Divifion of Parifbes 93 ib. The Bishop's Confent hereunto, his Interpofition in their Revenues, and Appointment of their Minifters, before the Conquest After the Conqueft, the Monks Behaviour in engroffing Advowfons; in hiring Mercenaries for a Time only 95 In finting their fated Curates, and obtaining Appropriations 96 97 Their Agreement herein with the Pluralifts of our Age An Obfervation that Bishops in thofe Days were accounted the fole Paitors of their Dioceses; and the Clergy all alike no more than Curates to them ib. 98 The Happiness of fuch an Oeconomy in the Church, and the great Difparity as things are now manag'd The Senfe of the Church of England fince the Reformation, as to the Bishop's Power in the Matter of Licences The particular Statute of the 21ft of Hen. VIII, the Form of Difpenfation for Pluralities, and the Canons of the Church confidered ib. 99. And how thefe Canons ought to be read once every Year 100 The Senfe of the Statute-Law, and the Opinion of the learned Stillingfleet to the fame Purpose ΙΟΣ 102 103 Reasons why Licences fhould be granted 108 109 ib. The Care that our Church has taken to prevent III 114 The great Benefit that accrues to the Curate hereby ib. 116 His Condition for want of a Licence, worse than 118 ས་༡ 3. The pretended Obligation to maintain Curates in cafe of Want or Superannuation 125 4. Entring Caveats against one another's Curates 126 The Barbaroufness of this Practice expos'd, and the inferior Clergy hereupon warmly exhorted to rescue themselves from this inhuman Ufage 127 IV. The Thing that the inferior Clergy think they have a Right to claim, is, Juftice and Equity when they appeal to their spiritual Rulers; and Mercy and Lenity when they have offended 132 The primitive Clergy forbid to appeal to fecular Judicatures, both by Scripture and their Ca nons 133 That Ecclefiaftical Courts, as now manag'd by Lay-Officers, are properly fecular Judicatures 136 That Bishops cannot delegate the Bufinefs of arbitrating between Clergymen to others, prov'd from Scripture And from the Canons and Offices of our prefent 137 138 ib. Church The Clergies Right to appeal to their Bishop prov'd from Scripture And their Right to expect Justice and Impartiality when they do appeal 139 1 Tim. v. and 21. to this Purpose largely com mented on The ufual Obftructions of Justice are 14I 142 1. Anger and Refentment in the Judge 2. Suggestions and falfe Informations from others 145 3. The mean and poor Condition of the Appellant 149 4. Or his want of a Licence, which makes him be rejected 150 Differ 151 Differences between Clergymen ought to be recona ciled before they proceed toofar St. Paul's pacifick Letter to Philemon The Author of the Chriftian Hero's Comment upon it 152 ib. 155 ib. ib. The Practice of Primitive Bishops, and the Canons of the Church, to the fame Purpose 153 The Vth Thing that the inferior Clergy_think they have a Right to, is, Mercy and Lenity when they have offended The antient Difcipline of the Church how to be applied, in cafe it were restored The inferior Clergy not fo culpable upon many Accounts, as are the fuperior And that the contrary Opinion proceeds from Malice or Mifconception But fuppofing them guilty, they have ftill a Right to Lenity, from the Practice of our blessed Saviour and his Apoftles 157 Why St. Paul threatened the Corinthians with Sharpness 158 Delivering unto Satan, what is meant by it, and the Apoftles great Readiness to rescue Delinquents from that Sentence ib. 160 A brief Character of St. Paul upon this Occafion 161 The Practice of the Church in After-Ages, and the Moderation of our own confidered 162 And how conformable this is to Scripture, and the true Intereft of Religion 163 The laft Point that the Author infifts on (and why he infifts on it now) is what he conceives may be of use to remedy the great Hardships of the inferior Clergy (1.) Such is Refidence of Bishops (2.) Frequent Vifitations of their Dioceses 165 166 167 The 168 The great Usefulness of Suffragan Bishops. (3.) Refidence of Minifters, and a Prohibition of Pluralities 171 (4.) Not admitting too many into Holy Orders ib. (5.) Allowing the People to have fome Share in the Choice of their Readers and Curates 172 (6.) Making Collections for fuch as are extremely poor (7) Making them Parish-Clerks as Vacancies happen 173 174 175 (8.) Giving them Books, and a little better Apparel, as they want it (9.) Inviting them fometimes to Dinner, by way of Encouragement ib. (10.) And promoting them in the Church according to their Merit The Conclufion. $77. |