which cannot be perform'd bythose who do not watch over, nor are prefent with their Flock. Therefore this Synod does admonifh and exhort them, that they, remembring the Divine Precepts, and being made an Example to their Flock, may feed and govern them in Righteoufnefs and Truth. Upon this they declare, that < all Bishops, even Cardinals themselves, are obliged to Perfonal Refidence in their Church and Diocefs, and there to dif charge their Duty, unless upon fome fpecial Occafions. By which indeed a Door is opened to as many Corruptions as the Court of Rome thinks fit to difpenfe with. Yet without this none may be abfent above two, or at moft three Months in the whole Year; and even that must be upon a juft Reason, and without any Prejudice to the Flock: And they leave this upon the

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Confciences of fuch as withdraw for fo long a Time, who they hope will be religious and tender in this Matter, fince all Hearts are known to God, and it is no fmall Sin to do his Work negligently. They declare the Breaking this Decree to be a Mortal Sin, and that fuch as are guilty of it cannot, with a good Confcience, enjoy the mean Profits during fuch their Abfence, but are bound to lay them out on the Fabrick, or give them to the Poor:

And all these Provifions and Punishments they do alfo make against the inferior Clergy, that enjoy'd any Benefice to which the Care of Souls was annex'd; and the Execution of that is put in the Bishop's Hands, who is requir'd not to difpenfe with their Refidence, unless upon a very weighty Occafion, above two Months; and in this they give the Bishop fo full an Authority, that no Appeal or Prohibition was to lie againft his Sentence upon Non-Refidents, even in the Court of Rome. By thefe Decrees tho' the Papal Party hindred a formal Declaration of the Obligation to Refidence by Divine Right, that fo Room might be ftill left for the Difpenfing Power; yet they went very near it; they applied Paffages of Scripture to it, and laid the Charge of Mortal Sin upon it. I can a

In the laft Place, I fhall fet down the Decree that was made in the 24th Seffion, Chap. 17. against Pluralities, in thefe Words?

Whereas the Ecclefiaflical Order is peraf verted, when one Clerk has the Offices of many committed to him, it was.thereffore well provided by the Holy Canons,

that no Man fhould be put into two - Churches. But many, led by their de-. f' praved Covetoufnefs,deceiving themselves,

but not God, are not afham'd to elude fthofe good Conftitutions by, feveral Arti

Fufices, and obtain more Benefices than one at the fame time: Therefore the Synod, being defirous to restore a proper Difcipline for the 'Government of Churches, does, by this Decree, by which all Perfons, of what Rank foever, even Cardinals themfelves, fhall be bound, appoint, That, for the future, one Man fhall be capable "of receiving only one Ecclefiaftical Benefice. But if that is not fufficient for the decent Maintenance of him that has it, then it fhall be lawful to give him anothere fimple Benefice, provided that both Benefices do not require Perfonal Refidence. This Rule muft be applied not only to Cathedrals, but to all other Benefices, whether Secular, Regular, or fuch as are ⚫ held by Commendam, or of what Sort or Order foever they may be. And as for fuch as do at prefent poffefs either more Parifh-Churches than one, or one Cathedral and another Parish-Church, they fhall be forced, notwithstanding any Difpenfations or Unions that may fe have been granted them for Term of Life, to refign within the Space of fix Months. sall they do now hold, except one Cathedral, or one Parochial Church; otherwife all their Benefices, whether Paro'chial or others, fhall be by Law efteem'd void, and as fuch they fhall be difpofed

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of to others. Nor may thofe who formerly enjoy'd them receive the mean Profits after the Term of fix Months with a good Confcience. But the Synod wifhes that fome due Provifion might be made, fuch as the Pope fhall think fit, for the Neceffities of those who are hereby oblig'd • to refign.

Thefe were the Decrees that were made by that pretended General Council: And wherefoever that Council is received, they are fo feldom difpensed with, that the Scandal of Non-Refidence, or Plurality, does no more cry in that Church. In France, tho' that Council is not received, yet fuch Regard is had to primitive Rules, that it is not heard of among them. Such Examples are to us Reproaches indeed, and that of the worft Sort; when the Argument, from the Neg lect of the Paftoral Care, which gave fo great an Advantage at firft to the Reform ers, and turned the Hearts of the World fo much from their carelefs Paftors to thofe who fhewed more Zeal and Concern for them, is now against us, and lies the other Way. If the Nature of Man is fo made that it is not poffible but that Offences must come ; yet, Woe be to him by whom they come.

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СНАР.

CHAP. VI.

Of the declared Senfe and Rules of the Church of England in this Matter.

WHatfoever may be the Practice of

any among us, and whatfoever may

be the Force of fome Laws that were made in bad Times, and perhaps upon bad Ends, yet we are fure the Senfe of our Church is very different: She intended to raise the Obligation of the Paftoral Care higher than it was before; and has laid out this Marter more fully and more strictly than any Church ever did in any Age, as far at leaft as my Enquiries can carry me. The trueft Indication of the Senfe of a Church, is to be taken from her Language in her Publick Offices: This is that which the fpeaks the most frequently, and the moft publickly; even the Articles of Doctrine are not fo much read, and fo, often heard, as her Liturgies are. And as this And as this way of Reafoning has been of late made ufe of with great Advantage against the Church of Rome, to make her accountable for all her Publick Offices in their plain and literal Meaning; fo will I make use of it on this Occafion : It is the ftronger in our Cafe, whofe Offices