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Text; that I may confider of it with Com pany, and have the Affiftance of others to know whether I have rightly understood it or not: Which if I have not, and be thereof convinc'd, I fhall owe great Thanks to any who shall undeceive me, and do promise a Retractation: For there is nothing of this Kind, none of thefe fort of Marriages by which I have receiv'd any fort of perfonal Prejudice or any of my Relations: So that I am, as to that, perfectly un-prejudic'd in this Caufe; and nothing has mov'd me to this Undertaking, but merely the Importance of the thing it felf, and the Mischiefs I have seen thereby accrue to many Families; especially to one, which affects all.

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But before I enter upon this Enquiry, let me add to that of Marriages another Custom too frequent amongst us ; that is, to admit thofe of oppofite Communions to stand as God-Fathers or God-mothers to Children at their Baptifm. Some have no farther Confideration of them than as Goffops, to help a Merry-making at the Chriftning-Feaft; and therefore have Refpect only to their Quality, that it be proportionable to those who invite them; and to whom they may return the like Civility, when they shall have Occafian: And the common Excufe is, That they engage only to take Care that the Child be inftructed in the general Rules of Christianity, wherein all our feveral Sects and

Divifions

Divifions do agree: And therefor that any of them are fufficiently qualify'd to undertake Such a Charge.

But I wou'd defire such to confider,

I. That all our feveral Sects do allege against our Church her Defection in Some of the Principles of Christianity; for otherwife they cou'd not justifie their Separation from being a Schifm; fince it is allow'd on all Hands, that nothing less than a Defection from fome of the Principles of Chritianity can justifie a Schifm: Therefor thofe that are in a Schifm cannot be good Instructors in the Principles of Christianity.

II. The Charge given to God-Fathers and God-Mothers in our Office of Baptism is fuch as none can undertake and perform with a good Confcience, who are not of our Communion.

1. To call upon the Children, when of Age fufficient, to hear Sermons: By which the Church cannot mean to carry them to Conventicles of Diffenters, to be instructed by their Sermons: And Diffenters ought not to carry Children where they think it not lawful to go themselves.

2. To bring them to the Bishop to be confirm'd; which cannot be done with a good Confcience, by those who are Anti-Epifcopal; nor by Papists to a Proteftant Bishop, as it is certainly intended in that Charge.

III. A Promise made in the Prefence of God, at a folemn Office of the Church, is in the Nature of a Vow, the Performance of which will certainly be requir'd.

IV. Hence ther is, a Spiritual Relation contracted, which carries with it an higher Confederation than that of Gollops, or good Neighbourhood: Ther is a great deal more in the Word God-Father: Such is a Father in things relating to God. In the Church of Rome this Spiritual Relation is reckon d among the Degrees of Confanguinity wherein Marriage is prohibited. But I urge it no farther now than as utterly inconfiftent with thofe of oppofite Communions.

Much more might be faid upon this Matter: But I thought thus much not imperti nent to the Subject we have in Hand. To which therefore I now return: And take the Text I have before mentioned.

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