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even when it is folemnly Summoned, and the particular Members strictly required by Private Letters not to fail in their Attendance.

If therefore by the Words duly held be understood (as I believe every body befide Dr. K. did understand them) to fignify conftantly meeting at a fet or flated time, and without any relation to the nature of the Affembly when met, I must say it again, that our Convocations are not fo duly held as the Scotch Affembly, the Presbyterian Synods, or the Quakers Meetings. But fays Mr. Dean, as to our Ibid. p.189. Diffenting Brethren, I thought their feveral Schemes of Difcipline were new, and at least not fo worthy our Imitation. And fo do we think too; I know no Clergyman of the Church of England that thinks it fit that we fhould receive their new Difcipline: But we would be very glad to enjoy our own, and in order to it defire that our Convocations may meet at ftated times (as conftantly, for I muft not fay duly, as their Affemblies do) in order to preferve it. And let Mr. Dean reprefent it as he pleases, we cannot but think it a hardfhip upon us, that the feveral Sects and Parties that are but Tolerated fhouldbe allowed thofe Rights and Priviledges that are denied to the Church Eftablished: And that more Regard

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fhould be had to the Rights of the Kirk of Scotland than to thofe of the Church of England. Thus it has been faid, what we plead for is allowed the prefent Scotch Kirk Ibid. p. 192. and more than what we plead for. Who

allows it, fays the Anfwerer, but the Legiflature of the Kingdom? And does not the Legiflature of the Kingdom allow of our Convocations in England as well as of the Affemblies in Scotland? I have never yet heard of any Law that has been paffed to forbid the meeting of a Convocation, so that I conceive the Legiflature of the Kingdom as much allows of a Convocation of the Clergy as it does of the Kirk Affembly.

But let us hear him once more. For the Conclufion of this Argument, and to fhew how unreasonable it was the Church fhould be denied what was allowed to Ibid. p. 194. all Sects amongst us, it was faid, † ball Schifm and Enthufiafm (to say no worse) have the free Liberty of their Confults, for the propagation of their Interests? And shall an Apoftolick and Eftablished Church want it? God forbid! To which this is all the Answer, nay rather God be praised, that an Establishment is yet above an Indulgence; and that our Church has many more fundamental Rights and Privileges than any one feparate Congregation. Was ever any Argument more weak and ridiculous? Because our Church

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upon an Establishment and the Diffen ters have no more than an Indulgence; Because our Church has many more Fundamental Rights and Privileges than the separate Congregations, therefore it is very fit and reasonable that the Liberty of free Confult should be allowed to them and denied to us. If this be Argument, then an Establishment is fo far from being above an Indulgence, that it is a great way below it: And notwithstanding our many more fundamental Rights and Privileges, the Diffenters in this refpect are in a much better Condition than we are. * What is allowed to them is what we* Ibid. p. 192. plead for. And tho' as this Gentleman fays, Princes and Parliaments are not to be directed by us little Pleaders: Yet Princes and Parliaments are very tender of the Rights of every particular Perfon, even of the meaneft, much more may we hope that they will be tender of the Rights of a Body of Men, and of fuch a Body of Men especially as the whole Clergy of England: And tho' it is by no means fit. that they should be directed by us little Pleaders, yet being Juft and Gracious, we humbly hope that they may hear our Plea, and judge our Caufe, and perhaps think it very reafonable that the Church Eftablished should not be permitted to be in any respect whatfoever in a worse

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condition than any Sect or Party in the whole Realm. God be praifed, we have a QUEEN now fitting on the Throne, that is as well Pious and Religious, as Glorious and Triumphant; A Prince adorned with all thofe Virtues and Accomplishments that can make Her beloved by Her Subjects, refpected by Her Allies, dreaded by Her Enemies, and admired by all: A Prince that has an equal regard to Her Subjects Liberties, and Her own Prerogative, that as She will not fuffer Her Prerogative to be Invaded, fo neither will She permit the Rights of any Man, much lefs of any Body of Men to be Impaired: A Prince that altho' She has a tender compaffion for Diffenters, and will not permit their Toleration to be violated, yet has a Cordial Love for the Established Church of England, and will maintain and preferve all its Legal Rights; therefore if we can fatisfy Her Majefty (as I am confident we may eafily do, when She fhall be at leifure to hear us) that none of Her Royal Ancestors or Predeceffors ever denied the Convocation leave to affemble and fit when the Parliament did from the beginning of the Reformation to this time, it is not to be doubted but She will grant the fame Liberty and Freedom to the Convocations Summoned and Chofen by Her own Roy

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al Command. We have a moft Reverend Metropolitan Prefident of our Convocation, who, in my Conscience I believe, has as hearty a fincere Love for the Church over which he prefides, as any of his Predeceffors: One that ftood manfully in the gap in oppofition to Popery and Arbitrary Power, when it was ready to have overwhelmed us: Who has ever declared a moft hearty Zeal for the prefent Establishment both in Church and State: Who has feemed in the opinion of many, more ready to advance than diminish the prerogatives of his See: And therefore we may hope that being made fenfible how much it leffens his Metropolitical Rights, to be prohibited to hold his Convocation after he has received and executed the Royal Mandate to Summon it, how fuch a precedent may render him and his Succeffors as inconfiderable with relation to Provincial Synods as the meaneft of the Inferior Clergy, it is to be hoped that he will fo reprefent this Matter to Her Majefty, that this ancient Right of his See may be reftored to him, and he may tranfmit it to his Succeffors in as full and ample manner as he receiv'd it from his Predeceffors. Have fome of the Clergy not been so submissive to his Grace as he expected? Sure it will not be to his Honour totally to fupprefs Con

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