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Show - ConfiderationJ, touching the Edification, and Pacifica tion; ~NON.-RESIP E~T S~ Touching, And P L U H. A L IT l E S. Fo ·R Non·Refldence, except it be, in Cafe of nectffary Abfence, it feemeth, an Abuje, drayvn out o~ Covetmtfnejje, and sloth: For that Men, fhould Live of the Floclt, that they do ~o t Feed; Or of the Altar, at which they do not Serve_; Is a Thmg! that can hardly receive, jufi: Defence. And to_ Exerctfe, th: O.!f!ce, of a Paftour in Matter of the vVord, and LoCirme, by Deputies~ Is a Thin ~ot warranted , as hath been touched before. 1_ he :2!!_Pjiion~ upon this Point, do a rife, upon the Cafes of Excep1Jitto1~, and Excufation; Which fhall be thought Rea~nable, and su cz-t. And which not. For the Cafe ofChaplarne.r, let me fpeak ~~a~ with your J14ajeflie.r pardon, an'd with Revere~ce, towards the other Peeres, and Grave Perjon.r, ~hofe Ci:.haplames, by Statute!, are priviledged : I fhould ~ht?k, . that the :f\.ttendan c~, which Ch11p! aines give, to your MaJefi"~e.r Cout:t, and m the Houfe.r, & F amilie1, of their .Lerds, were a jufier Reafon, w~y they f11ould have no Eeneftce, then why, they fhould b~ qualltfied, to have Two: For,_ as it ftandetb, with Chriflian Poltcy, tb a.t fu~h ~ttcndance b , in no wife, neglected; Becaufe that good, whtch ~n · fueth ~hereo~ to the Church of.God, n1ay c:x~eed, or countervatlc, that which may follow ofthetr Labours, tnany, thong~ ne ~er fo l;rge, a Congregation; So it ~ere reafonable, that thelr Maz~temmce 1h ould Honoz.wably, and L1.beraUy, proceed thc:n~e, w~en t.:e their Labmsrs be imployed. Neither, ar~ there wa~ttng, m the Church, Dignitiu, and Preferments, not JOyned,. wnh any exact Cure of Soules; By whicht and by the Hope of which, fuch Attendant1 in ordint~ry, (who ought to be, as for the rnofi part they are, of the befi: Gifts, and Sort,) may be, further,encouraged, and rewar· ded . And as for Extraordinar1-1' Attendants f, hth e· y 1m ay, very w ell, retain the Grace' and Countena. nhc e, o .;tr ; etr .p aces, and Duties at times incident thereunto, Wit out Dvcontm~~ance<> or Non-Rejdence, in. their P aft. or all f::ha;gu: Next ,for the C~fe, ofintending,studie.r tn the Vm:verfitzes,tt WIIl,more eafily,rece~ve an Anf wer; For studie.r~do but ferve~ and ten~, ~o the Pra~tf~, of thofe studies; Aud therefore, for that, whtch ts .mofi Pnnct-al1 and Finall to be left undone, for the Attendtng, of t~at, ~hi~h is subfervient, and subminiflrlln·t, feemeth to be, agamft ro ortion, of Reajon. Neither do I fee, but that, they procee_d ~gJfr well, in all Knowledge, which do couple Shtdy, wit~ thctr Pra[ltce ; And do not firfi stud; altogether, and then Pral1~fe altoether · And therefore, they may, very well, Study, at then Be1te-fgi cet 'Thirdly' for the Cafe of Extraordinary \Service of the • ' ' Churcb; of the Church of Englanu. Church; As if fome Pafiour, he fent, to a Ge!!erall Cermc~ll ; O r . he~e, to a Co~vocation; And likt:tWi fe, for the Cafe of N rceffi ty, as_m the part~cular, oflnfirmi.ty of Body, and the like; No man· w~ll contradtlt, but there m.ay be, iome Subftitution, for fuch a Tune. But the General! Cafe, 9f Neceffity,is the Cafe ofP/Jtrtdities; the fPant of P(lflours) and In:fufficiency:. of f:iving.r., confid~r~d, Poj. to, that a Man, doth~ fauhfully, and mce!fantly, cliV Ide, his Labours, betwee'? two Curei;. Which kinde ofNecejfity, I come now, to fpeak of, m the Handling, of rluralitie.r. . For Pluralities, in Cafe, the NTtmber, of Able lllinificr.r, were fuffi . cient, and the Valew of Benefices were fufficient, then Ph~ralitieJ were, in_P? fort, tollerahle. But we mufit~ke h~ed, we defre 110~ C?ntranes. ~or to defire, that every ParHh, 01ould be furnifiied , With a fuffic1ent Prearher; Aud to deiire that Pluraltties be f?rthwith, taken away, is to defir~ Thing; contrary; Co;fid~~ r~Qg, De F allo, there ~re n?t, S1ifltdent P :eachers, for every p arijh: ~hereto ad.de hkewife,_that there .Is nc: t, sufficient Livi11g, and Mat1Jfenance, In many P arijbe.r to m:untain a Preacher· And it_m~k.eth, the lmpojfihility, yet ~uch t~e greater. The ~emedzu) Jn R~rum Natura, are but Three; Vn1o11, Permutation, and supply. ~n10n, of fuch Benefices, as have.t~e Living, too fmaiJ, and the Parifh not too great, and are AdJacent. Permutation to make BeneJi.ces more.compatible, though 1nen be over ruled,' td fame loife<> 1n changmg a B~tter, for. a Nearer. Supply, by Stipozdary Preachers, to be rewarded, with fame Liberal! Stipends to fupply, as they may, fuch places, which are unfurnifhed, offoJ-: ftcient Paflour.r. As ffl!!een Eliztthcth, amongft other her Gracio 1 u A lis, did erefrJ certain of them, in Lancafbire; TC:wards which Penuons, ffee no reafon, but Reading k1inifler.s~ if they have rich Eeneftces:Jfhould be charged. Touching the Provifion~ for fufficient Maintenance, iJz the Church. T~~hing_C~urcb M~intenance,it is ~ell to b~ weighed, what ts,_J~r:.DlVJno,andwh.at, JurePojitrvo. It tsa Conflitution, of the D1111ne L~w) fron1 whtch humane Lawes, cannot derogata ; That thofe,Wh1chfeed the flpc4_,{bould live of the Flock_; That thofe, that ferve, at the A !tar, fhould live of the A !tar; That thofe, which di(Penfefpirituall things, fhould Reap Temporal! Things; Of which it is alfo an .1-ppendix, that the Proportion, of this M4intenance,bf! 1;ot [mall, or necejjitou1, but Plentiful/, aod Liberal/. So then, tha·t alJ the Place.r, and offices, of the church, be provided, offuch a potation, that they may be maintained, according to their feve,rall . . K k 2 · . Degrees. |