thofe that are faithful to their Truft, yet they muft do it fecretly; they dare not fhew it, as long as their Deportment procures them the Efteem, which we muft confefs does generally follow true Worth, and hearty Labours in the Miniftry.

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These are Things of fuch Confequence, that it may feem a Confideration too full of ill Nature, of Emulation, and of Jealoufie, if I fhould urge upon the Clergy the Divisions and Separation that is formed among us; though there is a terrible Word in the Prophet, that belongs but too evidently to this likewife; The Paftors are be- Jer. 10 11. come brutish, and have not fought the Lord; therefore they fhall not profper, and all their Flocks fhall be Scattered. If we led fuch Exemplary Lives, as became our Character, if we applied our felves wholly to the Duties of our Profeffion, if we studied to out-live, and out-labour thofe that divide from us; we might hope by the Bleffing of God, fo far to overcome their Prejudices, and to gain both upon their Efteem and Affections, that a very fmall Matter might go a great Way towards the healing of thofe Wounds, which have fo long weakned and diftracted us. Speculative Arguments do not reach the Unders ftandings of the greater Part, who are only capable of fenfible ones: And the d ftrongeft

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ftrongeft Reasonings will not prevail, till we, firft force them to think the better of our Church, for what they fee in our felves, and make them wish to be of a Communion, in which they fee fo much Truth, and unaffected Goodness and Worth: When they are once brought fo far, it will be easy to compafs all the Reft: If we did generally mind our Duties, and discharge them faithfully, this would pre pare fuch as mean well in their Separation from us, to confider better of the Grounds on which they maintain it. And that will beft enforce the Arguments that we have to lay before them. And as for fuch as divide from us with bad Defigns, and an unrelent ing Spite, they will have a fmall Party, and a feeble Support, if their were no more Occafion given to work on the Affections of the People, by our Errours and Disorders.

If then either the Senfe of the Wrath of GOD, or the Defire of his Favour and Protection; if Zeal for our Church and Country; if a Senfe of the Progrefs of Atheifm and Irreligion; if the Contempt that falls on us, and the Injuftices that are daily done us, if a Defire to heal and unite, to purifie and perfect this our Church: If either the Concerns of this World, or of the next, can work upon us, and affect us, all thefe Things concur to call on us, to apply our utmoft

utmoft Care and Induftry to raise the Hohour of our boly Profeffion, to walk worthy of it, to perform the Engagements that we came under at the Altar, when we were de dicated to the Service of GOD, and the Church; and in all Things both to adorn our Religion and our Church.

It is not our Boafting that the Church of England is the beft reformed, and the beft conftituted Church in the World, that will fignifie much to convince others: We are too much Parties to be believed in our own Caufe. There was a Generation of Men that cried, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, as loud as we can cry, The Church of England, The Church of England: When yet by their Sins they were pulling it down, and kindling that Fire which confumed it, It will have a better Grace to fee others boaft of our Church, from what they obferve in us, than for us to be crying it up with our Words, when our Deeds do decry it. Our Enemies will make fevere Inferences from them; and our Pretenfions will be thought vain and impudent Things, as long as our Lives contradict them.

It was on Defign to raise in my felf, and in others, a deep Senfe of the Obligations that we lie under, of the Duties of our Functions; of the Extent of them, and of the Rewards that follow them; and to ob

ferve the proper Methods of performing them, fo as they may be of the greatest Advantage both to our felves and others, that I have entred on these Meditations. They have been for many Years the chief Subjects of my Thoughts: If few have writ on them among us, yet we have St. Gregory Nazianzen's Apologetick, St. Chryfoftom's Books of the Priesthood, Gregory the Great's Paftoral, and Bernard's Book of Confideration among the Ancients, and a very great Number of excellent Treatifes, writ lately in France upon them. I began my Studies in Divinity, with Reading thefe, and I never yet grew weary of them; they raife fo many noble Defigns; they offer fuch Schemes, and carry fo much of Unction and Life in them, that I hope an imperfect Effay this Way may have some Effect. For the Searcher of Hearts knows, I have no Design in it, fave this of Stirring up, in my felf and others, The Gift which was given by the Impofition of Hants,

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OF THE

Paltozal Care.

CHA P. I.

Of the Dignity of Sacred Imployments, and the Names and Defignations given to them in Scripture.

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OW low foever the Efteem of the Clergy may be funk in a profane and corrupt Age, and how much foever the Errors and Disorders of Clergy-men may have contributed to bring this not only upon themselves, but upon others who deferve better, but are unhappy in being mixed with fo much ill Company; yet certainly if we either confider the Nature of things in themfelves, or the Value that

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