amin'd

p. 215

Some Queries put to the Author

concerning the Power of the

State in Confecrations, &c.

p. 219, &c.

The Method he takes to obviate

an Objection against the Magi-

ftrate's Power to confecrate Bi-

Shops, as trifling and false as

the reft, viz. because our Kings

cannot judge in Perfon, there-

fore cannot exercise the Eccle-

fiaftical Function.

Several Authorities to prove that

our Kings have fate and judged

Caufes in their feveral Courts.

P. 221

p. ibid. & 233

An Answer to his Arguments against

the Church's Fower,in the Words

of the Right Reverend Dr.Wake,

Bishop of Lincoln, and the Re-

verend Mr. Archdeacon Kennet.

p. 224, &c.

His Arguments against Church Go-

vernment contrary to Matter of

Fall.

p. 227

As also his Objection of a Pope-

dom being unavoidable from the

Epifcopal Conftitution of the

Church.

p. 228

Reflections upon fome Sayings

which he cites particularly out

of King Ch. II. the Author's

2d Book wherewith he threatens

the Clergy not to be fear'd by

them.

P. 229

His beafting of the Kindness he

has done the World in defending

their Natural Rights taken

notice of.

p. 239

Some of his Contradictions noted,

and the Names he gives the

Clergy.

p. 231, 232

His Objection against the Indepen-

dent Powers being the occa-

fion of all Mischiefs to Man-

kind answer a. p. ibid. 233

An Answer to the Author's Obje-

Etion taken from the King's au-

thorifing 32 Perfons to establish

Ecclefiaftical Laws anfwer'd

out of the Reverend Dean of

Carlifle's 2 Edition of the

Rights and Fowers of an Eng-

lifh Convocation. p. 234

His Notion of National Free-

dom contrary to the Law of

Nations which introduced Sla-

very An Apology for forget-

ting fome things in this Pre-

face, as the Names of the

Answers to the Bishop of Sa-

rum's Expofition of the 23 Ar-

ticle, and Dr. Heylin's Anti-

dotum Lincolnienfe. p. 235

He obviates an Objection which

might be made against him for

what he has faid in this Pre-

face about the Prayer of Obla-

tion.

p. 239

the

His humble Addrefs to

Clergy, and his Parænefis to

the Candidates of the Prieft-

hood.

p. 240

THE

PREFACE.

S

OME Years fince I happened to be in the Country, where a worthy Lady did me the Honour to invite me to her House, and to make some stay there. I had been little more than a Day with her, when I perceiv'd what a venerable Prelate had told me of her some Years before, that she was a Person of great Memory, a clear Understanding, a penetrating Judgment, and much Reading; and that particularly fhe was perfect Miftrefs of the Controverfy between the Church of England, and the Church of Rome, having thoroughlyexamin'd it in almost all the Books, that had been written on both fides in her Mother Tongue. In her younger Years, living among Roman atho licks, fhe was perverted by them about the time of the King's Martyrdom, and lived fome Years in their Communion, but not without Doubts,and Diffatisfactions, which daily encreasing both in number and degree, fhe confeffed them to the Priests, particularly to the famous Father Huddleston; from whom not receiving Satisfaction, fhe returned to her Mother the Church of England; and, like Mr. Chillingworth, was ftill the more able to defend her felf against them, for having been one of them. She wrote her Reasons to Father Huddleston, for which the left

A

left their Communion, in a very civil Letter; but the Father never returned any Anfwer to it: The Force of it was too great for a Reply to fuch a Judg ment, and Understanding as hers, who had a clear View of the Controverfy; and as she did me the Honour to impart a Copy of thatLetter to me in her own Writing, fo at my Request she let me transcribe it, which I did with much Satisfaction, and Delight.

As we talked of things relating to this Controverfy, she told me, fhe thought nothing was fo needful to the understanding of it, or any other Difputes, which the Church of England had with any of her other Adverfaries, as to have a right and compleat Notion of the Church; all Controverfies, as fhe obferved, being about the Doctrine, or Government, or Worship of the Church: And, faid fhe, though, I hope, I have a true, yet I doubt, whether I have a perfect Notion of it. For when I exercise my Thoughts about it, methinks I find fomething defective in my Notion of it, tho' I cannot tell what it is.

I perceived by a little more Difcourfe with her, that by the Notion of a Church, she meant the Notion of it, as a Society, and that it would be useful to her to help her to range the Conceptions she had of it, as fuch; for I fufpected, that tho' they were perfect, yet for want of orderly thinking they might perhaps be confufed. I therefore took the liberty to ask her fome Questions relating to that Subject, in a mathematical fort of Method; in which every following Question was always a Confequent of that which was asked before. She presently perceived my Defign, and was much pleafed with the Order, in which I propounded my Questions; and I found by her Answers to thein, that she wanted nothing requifite to a compleat Idea of the Church, as a Spiritual Society, but a more clear understanding of the Collegiate Government of the Church by Bishops,

and