A discourse of licenses to preach occasioned by a question propounded, viz., why many officers of the Church of England in the episcopal visitations urge the incumbents to take licenses to preach / replied to by Ja. Metford in a letter to the proposer ; published for the consideration of the clergy to whom it is of no small importance.
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- Title
- A discourse of licenses to preach occasioned by a question propounded, viz., why many officers of the Church of England in the episcopal visitations urge the incumbents to take licenses to preach / replied to by Ja. Metford in a letter to the proposer ; published for the consideration of the clergy to whom it is of no small importance.
- Author
- Metford, James.
- Publication
- London :: Printed for H. Hindmarsh,
- 1698.
- Rights/Permissions
-
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- Subject terms
- Church of England -- History.
- Church of England -- Clergy.
- Cite this Item
-
"A discourse of licenses to preach occasioned by a question propounded, viz., why many officers of the Church of England in the episcopal visitations urge the incumbents to take licenses to preach / replied to by Ja. Metford in a letter to the proposer ; published for the consideration of the clergy to whom it is of no small importance." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A50759.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 15, 2024.
Pages
Page [unnumbered]
TO THE Righ Reverend Father in God, JAMES by Divine Providence Lord Bishop of Lincoln.
My Lord,
WE can never be enough Thankful to his Sacred Majesty, the great Patron of this Church; that He was pleased to honour Us, with a Bishop, taken from among our Selves, to fill the Chair of this Ancient See of Lincoln: who is neither Ignorant of our Per∣sons, nor our Needs, nor unwilling to Hear and Resolve our Doubts. This small Dissertation therefore, comes in all Humility, and with most profound Respect, to shew your Lordship, the Sense of most of your Clergy, about an odd Custom, introduced in these later Ages, of Oblig∣ing Incumbents to take Licenses to Preach. And that, even after they have received Ordination, and Institution.
We believe that your Lordship intends not to elumbate the Dignity of Preisthood: nor to di∣vulse its Essential, (or at least Integral) Parts,
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from each other. And accordingly that you will never permit, any Consideration, to gain that Ascendency in your Thoughts, as to conti∣nue a Custom, utterly unknown to the Primi∣tive, and middle times; and unuseful in these. And can furnish Us with nothing but Scruples in our Selves, and Objections against us in our Adversaries.
We know that you have Kindness enough, to forgive the Weakness of Management; and Wisdom enough to strengthen its defects, where it needs; and therefore do humbly submit the whole matter to your sound Judgment: in full assurance, that you will add to the Blessing of our publick Peace, by giving us private satis∣faction, in withdrawing this Custom, or at least to Instruct us in the necessity of its Continuance, who have no other Design, but to be Dutiful, whatever is determined: and to be taught what we do not understand; which will be abun∣dantly obliging to All, but more especially to
My LORD,
Your Devoted Subject and most Humble Servant, J. M.