"and to raise up their Souls to God. They were firft drawn up by Dr. SIMON PA"TRICK, who had an excellent Talent "this way; Dr. GILBERT BURNET added "a further Life and Force and Spirit to "them; after this they underwent the "exquifite Judgment of Dr. STILLING

FLEET; the laft and finishing ftroke being "given to them by Dr. TILLOTSON, who "polished over whatever was left rough in "the Compofitions, with his smooth Lan

guage and flowingness of his eafie Elo66. quence. They likewife agreed upon a "new Tranflation of the Pfalms to be read "in the daily Service of the Church, more "agreeable to the Original than the pre"fent is; which Province was affign'd to “Dr. KIDDER, a Perfon excellently well "versed in the Oriental Tongues. Some "few Expreffions and Words, which ly"ing scatter'd about the Liturgy, are "found fault with by its Adverfaries, "were collected by Dr. TENNISON; fuch "clear Expreffions being fubftituted in "their ftead, as were not liable to be ex"cepted against by the moft captious. "There were fome few other things pro"pofed, but which were entirely to be "referred to the Synod. First of all, that "the Crofs in Baptifm fhould be in the E"lection of the Parents either to have it "fign'd in the Childrens Foreheads, or o

"mitted.

The Con

vocation, or English

Synod, 1689.

"mitted. Secondly, If any Nonconformist "Minifter fhould return to the Church, "he was not, as the Cuftom is now; tò "undergo a new Ordination; but to be ad"mitted into the Church by a Conditional "Ordination, like as we are wont to do in "the Baptifm of thofe Perfons, of whom "it is docertain whether they are baptized 66 or now the Bishop's Hands being impo"fed on them, as was the Cuftom amongst "the Ancients, in receiving those Cler16 gy into the Church who had been or"dain'd by Hereticks. Which was the "Method ufed by Arch-Bishop BRAM"HALL, Primate of Ireland, when he gave "Vifitation to any, who had received Pres"byterian Orders in the times of the late Confufion.”

The Convocation foon after affembled, all the Clergy either avowedly or in their Minds highly approving or condemning "what had been done by the Commiffi"oners with relation to the Alterations. "The greater part of the Clergy of the "Convocation being displeased with those "who had declared for the Alterations, were very earneft to make Dr. JANE,

66.

"Dionyf. Alexand. apud Euseb. Hift. Eccl._Lib. 7. "Cap. 2. Con. Nic. 1. Can. 8. Juft. five Author Refp. ad "Orthodox, Refp. 18 Theod. Hift. Eccl. Lib. 1. Cap. 8. "Vid. Bihop Bramhall's Life before his Works. "the

the Regius Profeffor of Oxford, Prolocu "tor of the Convocation. The reft being "Perfons of very great Efteem in the "Church, gave their Votes for Dr. TIL "LOTSON; But being over-power'd by "Numbers, their Attempt in that Affair 66 was but in vain.

"After this the King ordering the Convocation to attend him, he declares his "Mind to them to this purpofe: He gives

them earnest Affurances of his Favour; "and tells them how much it was his De"fire, that all his Subjects should live

peaceably and lovingly one with another, "and unite in one Manner of Worship: "That to this end he had appointed Com"miffioners to prepare, and lay before the "Convocation fuch things as they thought "fit fhould be alter'd: That he heartily "wifh'd a good Agreement among them, "and that the Points in difpute might be "handled with that mild and charitable "Temper which becomes Ministers of the "Gospel.

"But many of the Convocation-men had "entertained an Opinion which was ne66 ver to be eradicated out of their Minds,

That by this Device of Alterations, a "Defign was laid to undermine the Church: "That Epifcopacy being already abolished "in Scotland, there were now Attempts "made against the fame in England. That "they

they were afraid many of the Commiffioners for the Alterations were embark❝ed in the fame unwarrantable Project, 66 or impofed upon by the Fallacies of de"figning Men. That the Dillenters, al"though out of the Church, were already

very formidable Enemies to it, but if let ❝into the Church they would overturn its "Conftitution. That the Church was "fufficiently protected by the Act of Uni"formity, which if once repealed, they "knew not what the then prefent Parlia26 ment, which they thought fhew'd too "much Friendfhip to the Diffenters, might "eftablish in lieu thereof. That they had ❝rather have what was prefent and fafe, "than what was future and uncertain.

"The other Party pleaded thus, That "the unhappy Contentions between the "Nonconformifts and us had too long ra"ged: That now both of us being tired "with quarelling, wifhed for Peace: That "unless the Convocation did offer fome "Terms of Accommodation, the Bishops "would not be able to justifie themselves, "in making good what they had in the "late Reign fo religiously promised. That "it was understood by all who fo highly "approved their Propofitions, that they "made this Offer of Reconcilation with "the Diffenters, in the Name of all the "Members of our Church, and therefore

"it would be an unworthy thing to pro"mife That, in the time of our Adverfity, "which in our Profperity we should re"fafe to make good. That the King be"ing now earneftly bent upon this De"fign, would ufe all his Interest to pro"mote it; but if we fhould provoke him "by making him undergo a Repulfe in "this Attempt, he wou'd not fo eafily be "brought again to comply with it, when "we our felves fhould defire it: That the "King had ordered nothing to be laid be

fore the Parliament, but what should be "before agreed to by the Convocation : "That if the Parliament fhould defign a"ny thing unkind to the Church, they "might eftablish it by a fecular Law for

all that the Convocation could do to "hinder it. And Lastly, Tho' the Non"conformifts fhould obftinately refuse to "come into the Church upon the Con"ceffions which were made for their fakes,

yet nothing was laid before the Con"vocation but what would tend to the 66 greater Honour of the Church: That "by these Alterations the Conftitution of "the Church would be better'd, and all Pre"tence of Separation would be taken away.

"Disputes on both fides were carried on "with great Eagernefs, and at laft the Sy"nod is diffolv'd, without concluding any thing. But no Misfortune fo fenfibly af

" Alicted