Select Vestries (1719)

But, since there good old Customs are, in a great measure, abolifh'd and the Government of the Out-Parishes is foun ded in Peace, as Dominion is in Grace, the two Church Wardens, assisted by a couple of Jufices Clerks; or, perhaps, one who has the Honour to serve two Masters, shall meet together in private, at some little hedg Tavern, most proper for their Purpose, and there, over their Cacklers, Fish-Suppers, and Quarts or Canary, contrive new Schemes, under the plausible Insinuation of what their worshipful Directors call, a Pound Rate, to bubble the Parish, and impose Hardships upon all such Inhabitants who refuse to countenance their illegal Innovations, first encourag'd, and introduc'd by Occasional Conformists, or those that from their Cradles have been educated Enemies to the true establish'd Church of this Kingdom, an abhorrence of which, at this present, is, by some Men, esteem'd as a cardinal Vertue, even commendable in a Bishop.

When the publick Vestries, which were formerly call'd by the Minister of the Parish, and always notify'd in the Church, were chang'd into such sort of Meetings, as afore-mentioned, which could not, without misnomy, assume the Title of a Select Vestry, because they are appointed by the worshipful Mr. Quorum, or Mr. Quibus, in Contempt of the Clergy, and privately kept at some mungrel Tavern, inslead of the Parish-Church, except some Tun-Belly'd Brother-Officer happens to keep an Ale-house, and then, perhaps, our Parochial Governours may condescend to meet over Hot-Pots, or a Bowl of Punch, and content themselves to Dine, or Sup upon Beef-Stakes, or Surloins.

In this Private Manner, tho' in some Publick-House, our Parish Governours, who are oftner Occasional Conformists, if not downright Dissenters, than true Churchmen, hold their Select Meetings, where, under the Countenance of a couple of Middlesex Esquires, or at least their Clerks, who, in the knowledge of Business, have generally the Whip-hand of their Malters, they Rate the Books in hugger-mugger, Favour their Party- Friends, Oppress all that are not of their own Kidney, and Punish whom they please, with such exorbitant Assesments, that Parochial Authority, as it is now manag'd, is not much better than a Spanish Inquisition; and that the Reader may be acquainted with the Manner of their Proceedings, I shall open the Secret a little further, by descending to Particulars, which I know to be Fact.