been their Motive to it, will be required at their Hands.

At first the Right of Patronage was an Appendant of the Eftate in which it was vefted; and was not to be alienated but with it, and then there was ftill lefs Danger of an ill Nomination. For it may be supposed that he who was moft concerned in a Parish, would be to a good Degree concerned to have it well ferved. But a new Practice has risen among us, and for ought I have been able to learn, it is only among us, and is in no other Nation or Church whatsoever. How long it has been among us, I am not versed enough in our Law Books to be able to tell. And that is the Separating the Advowfon from the Eftate to which it was annexed; and the Selling it, or a Turn in it, as an Estate by it felf. This is fo far allowed by our Law, that no Part of fuch a Traffick comes within the Statute against Simony, unless when the Benefice is open. I fhall fay Nothing more on this Head, fave only that whofoever purchases a Turn, or a perpetual Advowson with a Defign to make the Benefice go to a Child, or remain in a Family, without confidering the Worth or Qualifications of the Perfon to be prefented to it, put themselves and their Pofterity under great Temptations. For here is an

Estate

Eftate to be conveyed to a Perfon, if he can but get thro' those flight Examinations upon which Orders are given, and has Negative Virtues, that is, he is free from fcandalous Sin, though he has no good Qualities, nor any fixed Intentions of living fuitably to his Profeffion, of following the Studies proper to it, and of Dedicating himself to the Work of the Ministry; on the contrary, he perhaps discovers a great deal of Pride, Paffion, Covetoufnefs, and an ungoverned Love of Pleasure, and is fo far from any serious Application of Mind to the facred Functions, that he has rooted in him an Averfion to them.

The ill Effects of this are but too vifible, and we have great Reason to apprehend that Perfons who come into the Service of the Church with this Difpofition of Mind, will defpife the Care of Souls as a Thing to be turned over to one of a mechanick Genius, who can never rife above fome low Performances; they will be inceffantly aspiring higher and higher, and by fawning Attendances, and the meaneft Compliances with fuch as can contribute to their Advancement, they will think no Services too much out of their Road, that can help to raise them: They will meddle in all Intrigues, and will cry up and cry down Things in the bafeft Methods,

as

as they hope to find their Account in them. I wish with all my Heart that these Things were not too notorious, and that they did not lay Stumbling-Blocks in Mens way, which may give Advantages to the Tribe of profane Libertines to harden them in their Prejudices againft, not only the facred Functions, but all revealed Religion in general. I fhall end this Head, leaving it on the Consciences of all Patrons, and obtefting them by all that is Sacred, to reflect seriously on this great Truft, that the Law has put in their Hands; and to confider what Account they are to give of it in the great Day.

But if Patrons ought to confider themfelves under ftrict Obligations in this Matter, how much more ought they to lay the Sense of the Duties of their Function to Heart, who have by folemn Vows dedicated themselves to the Work of the Ministry? What Notion have they of running without being fent, who tread in those Steps? Do not they fay, according to what was threatned as a Curfe on the Pofterity of 1 Sam ii. Eli, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the Priest's Offices, that I may eat a Piece of Bread. Do they not feel thefe Words as a Character of what they fay within themselves, when they come up to the Altar? Can they not truft God, and go on fitting themselves in

36.

the

the best Manner they can for holy Functions, waiting for fuch an Interpofition of Providence as fhall open a clear Way to them, to fome Station in the Church; not doubting, but that if God by a Motion of his Spirit called them to holy Orders, he will raise up Inftruments to bring that about, and put it in the Heart of some one or other to give or to procure to them a Poft, without their own engaging in that fordid Merchandize, or defcending to any tho' less scandalous Methods, which bring with them fuch a Proftitution of Mind, that they who run into them, cannot hope to raise themselves the Efteem due to the facred Function, which is the Foundation of all the Good they can do by their Labours. If Things turn cross to them in a Poft, to which fuch Endeavours may have brought them, what Comfort can they have within them? Or what Confidence can they have in God? When their own Confciences will reproach them with this, that it is no Wonder if what was fo ill acquired, fhould profper no better. When they come to die, the Horror of an Oath falfly taken, which they palliated by an equivocating Senfe, will be a terrible Companion to them in their last Minutes: When they can no more carry off the Matter by Evafions or bold Denials, but are to appear

before

before that God, to whofe Eyes all Things are naked and opened. Then all the Scandal they have given, all the Souls that they have loft or neglected, all the Reproaches that they have brought on their Function, and on the Church, for which perhaps they have pretended no ordinary Measure of Zeal, all these, I fay, will come upon them as an armed Man, and surround them with the Senfe of Guilt, and the Terrors of that confuming Fire that is ready to devour them. Men who have by unlawful Methods, and a prevaricating Oath come into a Benefice, cannot truly repent of it, but by Departing from it. For the unlawful Oath will ftill lie heavy on them, till that is done. This is the indifpenfable Reftitution in this Cafe, and unless this is done, they live on and die in the Sin unrepented of. God is not mocked, tho' Men are. I will leave this here, for I can carry itno higher.

As for those who have not prevaricated in the Oath, but yet have been guilty of Practice and Methods to arrive at Benefices, I do not lay this of Relinquishing their Benefices on them: But certainly if they ever come to right Notions of the Matter, they will find juft Ground to be deeply humbled before God for all their Practices that Way. If they do truly mourn for

them