and fo reckon, that if they either do these themselves, or procure and hire another Perfon in holy Orders to do them, that then they answer the Obligation that lies on them: And thus the Paftoral Care, the Inftructing, the Exhorting, the Admonishing and Reproving, the Directing and Conducting, the Vifiting and Comforting the People of the Parish, is generally neglected; while the Incumbent does not think fit to look after it, and the Curate thinks himself bound to Nothing but barely to perform Offices according to Agreement.

It is chiefly on Design to raise the Sense of the Obligations of the Clergy to the Duties of the Paftoral Care that this Book is written. Many Things do concur in our present Circumftances, to awaken us of the Clergy, to mind and do our Duty with more Zeal and Application than ever.

is

It

very visible that in this prefent Age, the Reformation is not only at a Stand, but is going back, and grows fenfibly weaker and` weaker. Some Churches have been plucked up by the Roots, and brought under a total Desolation and Difperfion, and others have fallen under terrible Oppreffions and Shakings. We have feen a Defign formed and carried on long, for the utter Deftruction of that great Work. The Clouds were fo thick gathered over us, that we faw

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and chiefly to be lifting up our Voices like Trumpets, to fhew our People their Tranfgref fions. To be giving them faithful Warning, from which we may expect this bleffed Succefs, that we may at leaft gain upon fuch a Number, that for their Sakes, GOD, who will not flay the Rghteous with the Wicked, may be yet intreated for our Sins; and that the Judgments which hang over us, being quite diffipated, his Gospel, together with Peace and Plenty, may ftill dwell among us, and may fhine from us, with happy Influ¬ ences, to all the Ends of the Earth. And even fuch Paftors as shall faithfully do their Duty, but without any Succefs, may depend upon this, that they fhall fave their own Souls and fhall have a diftinguished Fate, if we fhould happen to fall under a common Calamity: they having on them not only the Mark of Mourners and Interceffors, but of faithful Shepherds: Whereas if an overflowing Scourge fhould break in upon us, we have all poffible Reason, both from the Judgments of GOD, and the present Situation of Affairs, to believe that it will begin at the Sanctuary, at those who have profaned the holy Things, and have made the daily Sacrifice to be loathed.

There is another, and perhaps yet a more difmal Character of the present State of the Age, that calls on the Clergy to con

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fider well both their own Deportment, and
the Obligations that lie upon them; which is i
the growing Atheism and Impiety that is
daily gaining Ground, not only among us,
but indeed all Europe over. There is a
Circulation observed in the general Cor-
ruptions of Nations: Sometimes Ignorance
and Brutality over-runs the World, that
makes way for Superftition and Idolatry:
When Mankind is difgufted with these, then \
fantaftical and Enthufiaftical Principles,
and under these hypocritical Practices have
their Course; thefe being feen through,
give great Occafions to Profaneness, and with
that, Atheism, and a Difbelief of all Religi- |
on, at least of all Revealed Religion, is
nourished: And that is very easily received
by depraved Minds, but very hardly root-
ed out of them: For though it is very eafy
to beat an Enquirer into Things, out of all
fpeculative Atheism; yet when a Disbelief
of Sacred Matters, and a profane Con- |
tempt of them, has once vitiated one's Mind,
it is a very extraordinary Thing, and next
to miraculous, to fee fuch an one reduced.
Now this I am forced to declare, That
having had much free Conversation with
many that have been fatally corrupted that
Way, they have very often owned to me,
that nothing promoted this fo much in
them, as the very bad Opinion which they
took

a 4

took up of all Clergymen of all Sides: 1 They did not fee in them that Strictness of Life, that Contempt of the World, that Zeal, that Meeknefs, Humility and Charity that Diligence and Earneftness, with relation to the great Truths of the Christian Religion, which they reckoned they would most certainly have, if they themselves firmly believed it: Therefore they con(cluded, that those, whose Business it was more strictly to enquire into the Truth of their Religion, knew that it was not fo , certain, as they themselves, for other Ends, endeavoured to make the World believe it was: And that, though for carrying on of 1 their own Authority or Fortunes, which in one Word, they call their Trade, they feemed to be very pofitive in affirming the Truth of their Doctrines; yet they in their own Hearts did not believe it, fince they lived fo little fuitable to it, and were fo much fet on Raising themselves by it; and fo little on Advancing the Honour of their Profeffion, by an exemplary Piety, and a fhining Converfation.

This is a Thing not to be answered by being angry at them for faying it, or by Reproaching fuch as repeat it, as if they were Enemies to the Church; thefe Words of Heat and Faction fignifying Nothing to work upon, or convince any. For how

little Strength foever there may be in this, as it is made an Argument, it is certainly fo ftrong a Prejudice, that nothing but a real Refutation of it, by the eminent Virtues and Labours of many of the Clergy, will ever conquer it. To this, as a Branch or Part of it, another Confideration from the prefent State of Things is to be added, to call upon the Clergy to fet about the Duties of their Calling; and that is, the Contempt they are generally fallen under, the Injuftice they daily meet with, in being denied their Rights, and that by fome out of Principle, and by others out of downright and undisguised Sacriledge. I know a great deal of this is too juftly, and too truly to be caft on the Poverty of the Cler gy: But what can we fay, when we find often the pooreft Clerks in the richest Li-、 vings? whofe Incumbents not content to devour the Patrimony of the Church, while they feed themselves, and not the Flock out of it, are fo fcandalously hard in their Allowance to their Curates, as if they intended equally to ftarve both Curate and People: And is it to be fuppofed, that the People will think themselves under a very strict Obligation of Conscience, to pay religiously all that is due to one, who seems to think him. felf under no Obligation to labour for it? And fince it is a Maxim founded upon na

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