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If Bossuet was thus considerate, in what regarded faith, it will easily
be supposed, how indulgent his sentiments were, in respect to all, that
merely regarded discipline. A complete confession of faith, being once
obtained from the Lutherans, he was willing, to allow them, if they
required it, communion under both kinds; that their Bishops, should
retain their Sees; and that, where there was no Bishop, and the whole
body of the people, was Protestant, under the care, of a superintendant,
_that_ superintendant, should be consecrated their Bishop; that, where
there was a Catholic Bishop, and a considerable part of the diocese, was
Lutheran, the superintendant, should be consecrated priest, and invested
with rank, and office, that the Lutheran ministers, should be
consecrated priests; that provision should be made for their support;
that such of their bishops, and ministers, as were married, might
retain their wives, and that the consciences of those, who held
possessions of the church, should be quieted, except in respect, to
hospitals, whose possessions he thought, could not conscientiously be
withheld, from the poor objects of their foundations; and that every
other arrangement should be made, by the church and state, which would
be agreeable, to the feelings, and prejudices, of their new brethren.
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