I proceed now in the Argument before us, and defire You to confider.

likely way.

4. Whether the method You have taken be a likely way to make the Church of England one degree more perfect than it is. Under the laft head I argued upon the fuppofition that it was a But I only supposed this, that you might be the more fenfible of the Unreasonableness of Separation upon the principle I am now examining. I cannot think that You your felves can judge the methods You have taken, at all likely to induce, or force, the Church of England to a farther reformation, and a greater degree of perfection. And if they be not, it must be very unreasonable to make use of them as means to bring about this end. By Perfection, I know, You understand fuch Amend meuts as You have thought reasonable: and not thinking Your felves likely to obtain them by Conformity to the Church, You feparate, in order to obtain them. Let me now ask You, Is it a likely way to obtain any amendments, or any fuch alterations as You defire, in the Established Form of Church-Government, wholly to Jay afide Bishops, and to difcard the

inequallity You know there ever was in the Chriftian Church between them and Presbyters? Is it a likely way to obtain thofe alterations You have thought reafonable in the Established Liturgy, to lay afide Liturgies wholly, and encourage fuch a liberty in publick worship, as must very often be the occafion of much diforder, and imprudence in it? Is it a likely way to Union, to run into the fartheft extreme poffible from those with whom You defire to unite? Is it a likely way to compofe the heats You complain of, and influence the judgments and affections of men to the profecution of Love and Peace, and a mutual agreement, to put your felves at fuch a distance from them, to instruct and educate the People in differing modes of worship, to keep up their prejudices against the Church, and to load the Caufe of Conformity with all the aggravations, and imagined ill confequences poffible to be thought of? Do You fo little understand Humane nature, and the ftrength of Paffion, and prejudice, as to think that men love to be forced and hector'd into compliance and Condefcenfion? Did You find your felves fo

willing to yield upon bad ufage, and violent Contradiction? Doth not oppofition always beget oppofition, and violence produce violence? And are two Extremes often known to meet? To anger and incenfeMen, to move their resentment, and ftir up their paffions, is really, in other words, to raise a Mist before their Eyes, and caft a Cloud before their Understanding; to hinder all the Efforts of their Good Nature, and utterly to fet them against all Terms of Reconciliation, and all Overtures of Peace. And in Truth, You seem to me to have taken the course effectually to indifpofe Men from hearing of any propofals for Accommodation, or from thinking of an Agreement to any alterations you fhall think fit, by the encouragement you have given to Churches fo wholly oppofite to the Established Church in every respect, and to the paffions, and moft unreafonable prejudices of the People against it. You have separated from it, as from a Church with which Conftant Communion is not tolerable; You have drawn many People from it, as you have had opportunity; You have chofen to joyn and unite with, the moft irregular, and imperfect Churches, rather than with this,and

to make your intereft one with theirs, rather than to be thought to prefer this before them; You have written for many years with fuch a concern and heat against it, that you could hardly write with more against the Church of Rome it felf; You have blacken'd Ministerial Conformity to it with such a number of aggravations, as muft make it a Complication of fins of the moft horrid, and unpardonable nature; You have done what tends to alienate the Minds and Hearts of the Nation from the Established Church, and thofe that Minister in it. And you cannot think this the likelieft way to bring those from whom you differ to fuch a Temper of Accommodation, and fuch a yielding Difpofition, as you wish, and as there must be before this farther Reformation can be accomplished. Granting therefore that fome Amendments are highly reasonable in themselves, and that fome Alterations which you (amongst others) have contended for, would make the Church more perfect than it is; yet, before this be done, Men's minds must be difpofed to it, and made cafy and yielding. They must be void of Paffion and Prejudice, for fear they should make fuch

Altera

Alterations as are not reasonable, or refift and prevent fuch as are. Nothing of Hatred, or the leaft degrees of private Resentment and anger, muft have place, where fuch a Defign is on foot. And yet your Method tends to Paffion, and Prejudice, and Refentment; but can never have the leaft part in making Men pliable and easy, in difpofing them to recede from any thing, to make the fmalleft Conceffions, or give up a Point of the least importance. It is true, that, upon the Suppofition that the Church may be made more perfect, nothing will hinder confidering Men from promoting fuch Alterations as will do it. No unreasonableness, or unaccountable behaviour, no aggravations, or invectives, no violence or heat, in any who differ from them, ought to have fuch an Effect upon their Minds, as to render them unwilling, or indisposed to encourage such a farther Reformation; because their failings belong to themselves, and not to the Cause in hand, and can make that neither better, nor worse. If it be reasonable in it felf, it will be fo, whoever espouse it, or by what Methods foever they attempt it: And the perfection of a Church