ready and defirous to be confirmed? All these are fufficient Teftimonies that our Church esteems it at least a very useful Ordinance, and which ought by no means to be neglected Yet we are fenfible it is neglected, and that there are thousands in the Kingdom who are at years of Discretion, and yet never have had an Opportunity of being Confirmed. I do not speak this to reflect on any of my Lords the Bishops: I believe we never have had more vigilant Paftors, and fuch as have been more careful and regular in the performance of this particular Office. To fpeak with relation to that particular Diocese wherein I have had the happiness to be fixed from my Childhood. Our former Archbishops have thought it fufficient once in feven years or thereabouts to fend fome other Bishop to Vifit and Confirm for them, this was done by Archbishop Sancroft others as Archbishop Sheldon and Arcbifhop Tillotson have neither come themfelves nor fent any other, but his present Grace of Canterbury, my very good Lord and Patron, has almoft kept to the ftrict Letter of the Canon, and visited us very frequently, and performed the Office of Confirmation with the greatest Order and Solemnity imaginable; not in a hurry or huddle as I have feen it done in fome other places, where hundreds have been Confirmed by the Bishop that neither heard the Exhortation made, nor gave any Answer to the Question put to them, and probably knew nothing of the Matter. But his Grace, my present Lord Archbishop, caufed the Chancel-Doors to be fhut, and admitted the People Parish by Parish, and none came in but in the Company of their own Minister, who, who stood by them whilft the Preface to the Confirmation was read, and when the Queftion concerning their Ratification of their Baptifmal Vow was put to them he took care that every one should answer with an audible Voice according to the Directions of the Liturgy, and fatisfied the Bishop that every one he had brought to be Confirmed did fo Anfwer. And all this was done, and the whole Office read to every Company particularly after they were admitted into the Chancell: So that nothing could be more Solemn, Decent and Regular. However, here lies the misfortune, that his Grace's time would not permit him to Vifit and Confirm at more than four or five principal Towns of his Diocese, so that at least one half of the People could not be brought to receive this Ordinance. And if this be the Cafe of a Diocese which is none of the largest, what shall we think of those that are four times as big? If my prefent Lord Archbishop who has done more than any of his Predeceffors for these hundred years, has not been able to discharge this Duty as it ought to be done, fure it is reasonable to think that his See needs an Affiftant or Suffragan; how much rather then is fuch an one needful in thofe Dioceses which are exceedingly larger? And 'tis not the fault of our Constitution that we have not fuch Suffragans to affift our Diocesan Bishops, for we have (a) an Act of Parliament (4) 26 Hen. 9. that has made provifion for Suffragans, which have 14. been accustomed to be had within this Realm, and all the three Eftates of the Realm at the Reformation thought them very needful for the more fpeedy Adminiftration of the Sacraments (for Confirmation and Order's were then looked upon R 3 as C. as Sacraments) and other good wholesome and devout things, and laudable Ceremonies to the Encreafe of God's Honour, and for the Commodity of good and devout People. And having declar'd this they then proceed to name fuch Towns as fhall be taken and accepted for the Sees of the Bishops Suffragan to be made in this Realm. And this Act was accordingly put in Execu tion. For within two years after March 19. A. D. 1536. (b) Thomas Mannyng Prior of Butley was confecrated at Lambeth by Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury, and made Bishop of Ipswich and Suffragan to the Bishop, of Norwich. (c) And at the fame time John Salisbury, Prior of Horsham was confecrated Bifhop of Thetford, and made alfo a Suffragan to d) Ibid. Fesso. Richard Nix Bishop of Norwich, (d) And in (b) Angl. Sacr. Vol. 1. p. 419. (c) Ibid. 696. 68. Malon Vind. Friglish. p. 90. the fame year William Moore Prior of Worcester, upon the fuppreffion of his Priory, which he had refigned to the King, was confecrated Bishop of Colchester October 22. and made Suffragan to Thomas Goodrick Bishop of Ely, which Dr. Goodrick was one of the Compilers of the Common-Prayer. (e) The next year that is. A. D. 1537. John Hodgeskins was confecrated Suffragan Bishop of Bedford by the Bishops of London, Rochester and St. Afaph. And he affifted as a Bishop afterwards at the Confecration of Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury, and of feveral other Bifhops in the Reigns of Hen. VIII. Edw. VI. and Queen Elizabeth. (f) And Vol. 1. p. 579. about the fame time Robert Sylvefter was made Bishop of Hull, and Suffragan to the Archbi 93. 127, 128. 134 (f) Athen. Oxon. fhop of York. And in Queen Elizabeth's Reign, when the Reformation was fully fettled in the 4) Ibid. p. 606. fame Form, it continues to this day (g). Richard Barns, a Refidentiary Canon of York, was con fecrated fecrated Suffragan Bishop of Nottingham about the year 1569. and the next year was tranflated to Carlisle, and thence to Durham about feven years after. The fame year alfo Richard Rogers was confecrated Bifhop of Dover by Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury, and continued Suffragan to that See by the space of twenty eight years. And as low as the Reign of King James I. (b) Dr. Stern was Suf- (b) Synod. Angfragan Bishop of Colchester, and fufpended for lic. p. 38. not appearing in Convocation, A. D. 1605. I make no Question but there were several other has made a Breach in it. Now the use of Suffragan Bishops is to affift fuch Bishops as have a greater Care and Burthen laid upon them than one Man can go thro' with as he ought. Such a Care and Burthen I am confident feveral of our Bishops have. For firft, his Grace the A. B. of Canterbury has R 4 » a Diocess large enough to Employ a Bishop's whole Care. Tho' as Metropolitan he is to infpect and overlook all the Bishops of the Province, which needs muft require a confiderable Portion of his Time. In the next place, it is neceffary for the good of the Church in general, (which ought to be confider'd first) that he fhould be a Minister of State, and a PrivyCouncellor which muft needs take up another Portion of his time, and that not a little one. So that let him be as diligent and industrious as is poffible, yet can he not perform all Epif copal Functions belonging to a Bishop in his Diocefs. I do not fay that an Archbishopcannot do more than fome of our Archbishops formerly have done, but he cannot do all that is requifite, particularly to Vifit and Confirm every Three Years duly and regularly. This makes a Suffragan or Affiftant necessary for him, and our Law allows him one with the Title of Dover. The Archbishop of York hath a very large Diocess, and the Care of a Province befides, too much for one Man to take care of without Affiftants; and therefore the Law allows him Two Suffragans, one with the Title of Nottingham, and the other of Hull. The Bishop of Lincoln has above 1200 Parishes under his Care, and the Bishop of Norwich near as many, therefore they are allowed the one Four and the other Two Suffragans to divide the Burthen with them. But to fet this matter in the cleareft Light, and to fhew what good Provision our Law has made for the due Exercife of Epifcopal Government; and that no Place may want any Epifcopal Office, I will fubjoin a Catalogue of all our Bishopricks with the |
