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Friends, that there are fo many of this Character among the Clergy of our Land. I would be far from attempting to leffen your Efteem of fuch; for they merit your Veneration, and ought to be efteemed very highly for their Work's Sake: But

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when, under the fpecious Cover of the Priestly Character, they grafp at undue Power, and act not as Minifters (i. e. Servants) but as Lords over Christ's People; when they depart from the Simplicity and Purity of the Gofpel, and caufe Separations and Divifions in the Chriftian Church, by requiring Things as necessary to Chriftian Communion, which Chrift has left indifferent; when they teach for Doctrines the Commandments of Men, lay a Strefs upon Things upon which the Scriptures have laid none, and would have you believe, that as the immediate Officers and Reprefentatives of Christ on Earth, they have Power to decree Rites, to determine Controverfies in Points of Faith, authoritatively to forgive Sins, and really to give the Holy Ghoft, &c. When any, whether Bifhops or Priefts, thus Atretch themselves beyond their Measure, and think of themfelves not foberly, but more highly than they ought to think, we are then in Duty bound to enter our bold Proteft against them, and to Stand faft in the Liberty wherewith Chrift bath made us free, and not be again intangled with

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any Yoke of Bondage The Duty we owe to God, to Chrift, to our excellent Religion, (which are, all on this Account greatly blafphemed and reproached by Unbelievers) our Duty to our Country, to Pofterity, yea, to the unhappy Perfons, themselves who make these enormous Claims, loudly calls us forth, Christians, strenuously to oppose them. This was the very Mean by which Popery of old opened itself a Way, and crept into, the World and thus it grew up to that dreadful and oppreffive Tyranny, which hath long grie.... voufly corrupted and harraffed the Church. As Providence has broken the heavy Yoke from our Necks, let us not tamely fuffer ambitious and artful Men to flide it on us again. Remember, we are called unto Liberty: By our great Charter, the Gospel, we are freed from all Authority and Power of Men in Matters of Religion: One only is our Mafter and authoritative Director in this great Affair, even Chrift; and all we, Princes and Subjects, Bishops and Mechanicks, Clergy and Laymen, all we are Brethren; we stand all upon the fame Bottom, and none of us can warrantably claim the leaft Superiority or Dominion over his Brother.

If what is here offered gives you jufter Notions of Religion, and Christian Liberty; if it helps

you

you to fee thro' the Designs of crafty, the Arrogance of haughty, and the Weakness of fuperftitious Men; if it takes you off from a wrong Dependence on Ceremonies and Rites, and Things of human Device, and affifts you to place it more upon the Practice of Juftice, Temperance, Godlinefs, and a diffufive Benevolence and Charity to all Men: I fhall count myfelf happy in having in any wife contributed to this; and may God, the Father of Lights, and Jefus, the great Instructor and Head of the Church, fill us with all Wisdom, that we may understand the glorious Liberty inte which he has called us, and walk worthy of it.

To his Grace and Divine Spirit I humbly commend this Attempt towards reviving his primitive and pure Religion, and wiping off that Reproach which the Avarice, the Superftition and Pride of Men have brought upon it: Even to HIM, who out of Weakness can make strong; and who sends by whom he will fend. To Him be the Glory, the Victory, and the Majefty, World without End. Amen.

HIGH

HIGH-FLOWN

Epifcopal and Priestly CLAIMS

FREELY EXAMINED.

IN A

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DIALOGUE betwixt a CountryGentleman and a Country-Vicar.

Gent.

G

OOD-morrow, Mr., whence comes this early Vifit?

Vic. I with you, Sir, a happy Day: The ReaLon of my prefent Vifit is a Letter I laft Evening received from the Bishop, fignifying his Intention to vifit this Part of his Diocese, in order to confirm: I came therefore to give you this early Notice, that your numerous young Family may get themselves prepared..

Gent. I am obliged, Sir, by your kind Intention: But as to the Bufinefs of Confirmation, I

con

confefs I am not well fatisfied; fcarce as to the Lawfulness, much lefs as to the Expedience or Usefulness of it.

Vic. I am furprised to hear this, from a Perfon of your good Senfe and Affection to our Church.

Gent. How great foever your Surprize may be, mine is not lefs, to fee Men of fuch Piety, Learning and Senfe, as many of our Bishops and Clergy are, preffing upon the People, and practising over them this odd, if I might fpeak it without Offence, I would fay this fuperftitious and deluftve Rite. As for my Affection to our Eftablishment, I own I have lately read, with Attention and Pleasure, the Bangorian Controversy; and am thence fully convinced, that no Powers upon Earth, neither Ecclefiaftical nor Civil, no King. nor Parliament, nor Councils nor Synods, have any the leaft Authority in Matters of Religion.That Chrift alone is King in his Kingdom, the Church, and that therefore for any Man, or Bodies of Men, to claim to themfelves a Power to decree Rites and Ceremonies, and Authority in Controverfies of Faith, feems to look like an Invafion of Chrift's Throne. That confequently those who claim this Power feem to be Ufurpers

xxth Article of the Church of England,

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