thus at enmity with God and godliness-thus opposed to the establishment of his true kingdom, and in open rebellion to his will, stand (upon the hypothesis of Mr. Wright, and according to the commonly received opinion) in precisely the same relation to Deity with the Christian church, and with those who are obedient to his will; the one being equally with the other "the objects of his paternal "care," and having equally the privilege to address him in prayer and in religious worship; nay, a writer whom we have already frequently quoted, after contending that God is the father of all mankind, and not of "a highly "favoured few," asks, "Is there not then a reasonableness, a fitness, a propriety, and even a loveliness, which every mind not "dead to moral sensibility must recognize, in the offspring of "this common parent assembling together to express in unison "their grateful sense of obligation to his bounty, their mutual dependance on his universal care and the need which they all "have alike of his paternal support and favour?"*

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This naturally brings us again to the point which we are more expressly discussing--the right of all publicly to pray to God, as standing toward him in the relation of children. It is, as we have seen, contended that religious worship in general, and prayer in particular, are natural obligations, anterior to all revelation, imperative alike upon every individual, and which it is not only the right of all, but the duty of all to fulfil and perform. If, however, there be any force in the above arguments, this is not the case, If God be not, indiscriminately, the father of the human race, then is reli

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* Moore's Inquiry, p. 12.-The writer of this work is, I am informed, a Unitarian Preacher, now in the immediate vicinity of London. The book goes considerably in detail into the subject of social prayer, and is regarded by the defenders of that practice as an unanswerable argument in its favour. The Monthly Repository, of September last, has devoted no less than six pages to extracts, and to an analysis of its contents. Its matter, in some places, they describe as "curious and interesting," its arguments as "valuable;" and they "bespeak the favour of their readers to the publication, as one "entitled to no "small portion of praise." "A small work of this kind," they observe, "much wanted, and they have no hesitation in recommending Mr. Moore's "Inquiry' as a judicious and satisfactory argument for common or joint prayer." A work thus announced and recommended may well be taken, therefore, as fairly and fully speaking the sentiments of the Unitarian body; in the course of the following inquiry I shall find frequent occasion to advert to this performance; having risen from an attentive perusal of it with an impression, however specious may be its arguments and apparently strong the weight of its authorities, that I shall be able to shew, to the satisfaction of every candid mind, that it wholly fails in proving the practise in question defensible either from reason or scripture.

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gious worship a privilege, not a right; and the offering up prayer an advantage not a duty. If prayer, instead of being a possession by right of the whole human race, is a gift by favour only-then must it be subject to laws, to conditions, and stipulations; it can be possessed only by those to whom it is given, and should be enjoyed in that manner alone in which it has been commanded and authorized.

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PRAYER, I have said, or rather the being allowed to pray, with a reasonable hope of its efficaciousness, is a privilege. "For man," (observes Mr. Wright*) "for man, the child of ignorance and imperfection, who knows not what a day, or a night may bring forth, to be permitted to cast his cause on the Lord MUST be a privilege."-"Dependent, as he is, on God, for life and every blessing, it must be a great indulgence to him to "be allowed, with submission to the divine will, to request whatever favour he may want or desire." Another Unitarian preacher, Mr. Gilchrist, (in a sermon on the Lord's "Prayer" with equal truth exclaims, "What a privilege "is access to the throne of grace to address the supreme God! As, by revelation, he speaks to us; by prayer, we speak to "him. As he approaches us, as his children; we approach him as our father.

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That a privilege should (as contended for by Mr. Moore, Mr. Wright, and others) be possessed by the whole human race is an evident solecism in terms. It is clear that a privilege is, that which is enjoyed by a part only; it is equally clear, that it is in the power of Deity alone to confer this privilege; and that those kinds of worship only, which he directs, or of which he signifies his approval, can be reasonably regarded as acceptable to him. Now what he approves we can only know by his express appointment; what he disapproves we can only infer from the censures or the silence of his messengers. In the one case, or the other-whether to act or abstain-that alone can be worship or reverence which he has commanded or sanctioned; and that cannot be worship, that cannot shew reverence- -however rational or useful it may appear in our own eyes-which has no authority from his will, and no origin in his instructions.

If the reason of the thing did not make it self-evident, the whole tenor of scripture would be found, at least inferen

* Essay on Worship, 1805.

The Pattern of Social Prayer given by Jesus to his Disciples. A sermon preached at Worship Street, before the annual assembly of general Baptists, 1812, by James Gilchrist. See page 7.

tially, to support this position. The language of God to the children of Israel, respecting their worship, was "Whatsoever I command ye, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." Again" ye shall not add unto the word "which I command ye, nor diminish from it." The ark and the sanctuary; the tabernacle and the temple; the house of God, and the worship by which it was sanctified, were equally and alike framed according to the express directions of Deity. It was the praise of David, in his early days-" Behold I have found the son of Jesse, a man to my mind, who will perform all my will." It was the language I do nothing of myself, but as my father hath instructed me I speak.' THY WILL be done on earth as it "is in heaven" was one of the petitions which Jesus taught his disciples to put up to their heavenly father; and he was with them forty days explaining and revealing to them the things "pertaining unto his kingdom;"-a labour which would have been superfluous if those who were not its subjects previously possessed by nature equal privileges; and if every man was to be left in that kingdom to decide by his own views of right and expediency what modes of worship would be acceptable, and what kind of reverence should be paid to its king.*

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If it be censurable to neglect the worship of God in the way which he has sanctioned, it becomes criminal to pursue that worship in a manner expressly opposed to his commands. The sin of the sons of Aaron, who were suddenly destroyed from the earth, was-that they "offered strange fire before the "Lord, which he commanded them not ;" and the denunciation of Jesus, directed against the traditions and the ceremonies of the Pharisees, was this-that "every plant which his "heavenly father had not planted should be rooted up."+ What then adopting the figurative phraseology of the scriptures-what is the fire which he has really commanded? What are the plants which he has actually planted? Or, in plain language, what is the worship acceptable to him? What the modes of shewing him reverence, respect, and gratitude; which, whilst they are reasonable in themselves, and useful in their exercise, have the sanction of his will and the encouraging seal of his permission?

* See Deut. iv. 2; xii. 32. Heb. viii. 5. Exod. xxv. 40. Acts xiii. 22. John viii. 28. Mat. vi. 9.

With a view to the answering these important questions, I propose, in the first place, taking a rapid and comprehensive survey of the several forms of genuine worship, which, on the one hand, have in various ages existed in the world, by the express permission or command of Deity, as recorded in the scriptures; and, on the other, of those false and pernicious principles and practices which have prevailed and do prevail on this subject, without the authority of, or in opposition to, the revealed will of God-principles and practices which have had their origin either in the ignorance and indolence of mankind, or in the interestedness and ambition of their priests and rulers. This historical survey, if it may be so called, will form the subject of a second Essay; and in the course of it, for future inquiry, a difficult and most important question will necessarily arise: namely, Whether a practice, in our own days almost universal, and which for ages past has been prevalent amongst the nations calling themselves Christian-the practice of praying socially and in public; at stated seasons and by the means and mediation of a priest-whether this practice be or be not founded in reason, sanctioned by the authority of Jesus, and justified by the revealed will of God as established by the apostles in the first Christian churches? Much has been said in favour of this practice, and little hitherto in its dispraise; it carries with it, indeed, "the sanction of ages;" but "the sanction "of ages" has, ere now, been bestowed upon ignorance, error, and imposture; and, in the present instance, it is pleaded in favour of a practice, which, after all that its advocates have said in its support, I cannot but think as absurd in itself, and as pernicious in its moral consequences, as it is void of foundation in the scriptures. and indefensible from the principles of revelation. By reason and by scripture, indeed, and not upon mere authority, this practice, at last, like every other religious institution, must stand or fall; by these tests it is my wish and intention to try the practice. Its best friend, if but sincere and honest, could wish it no better trial. Of this and of every Christian institution I would say, indeed, what was once well said of Christianity itself. If this counsel, or this work, be of men it will come to nought: "but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found to fight against God."

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EXTRACT FROM A CHURCH REPORT.

THE Christian, commonly called the Freethinking Christian, church, having, at this time, branches existing in London, and in other parts of England, are in the practice, halfyearly, of mutually exchanging REPORTS of their proceedings; these, so far as they contain statements of their internal regulations and discipline, can be little, if at all, interesting to any but the members of their own body; but they also necessarily contain moral remarks and exhortations, which, as being connected with important principles of action, may be considered as more generally interesting. The following extract from one of the most recent of these Reports, addressed from the London to the country branches of the church, may further serve to give an idea of the practical views of Christianity entertained by the body. The diffusion and establishment of moral principles like those taught by Jesus and his apostles, and their introduction into the lives and characters of its members being, indeed, as they conceive, the chief end and object of the establishment of the Christian church.

"ADDRESSING ourselves, in conclusion, to our friends collectively, we seize the occasion once and again to remind them of the value, and (with the love and earnestness of brethren) to exhort them to the duty of applying our exalted and enlightened principles. It is not enough to profess these. It will be to our shame and to our misery merely to profess them. The false props of fanaticism itself are not more dangerous, or more fatal, than that strong delusion' which leads a man to repose upon correct theoretical principles, without their being implanted in his heart, and without his bringing forth their fruits in his conduct. Let us, my friends, endeavour by all means to gain those glorious ends. Let us shew forth, by our lives and our conversation, the real value of our calumniated but noble principles. Putting off the old man,' with all the pursuits, and all the prejudices which mark the worldly character, let us, in the truly scripture sense, be born again' to virtue, principle, and knowledge. Let us not stop coldly to calculate how little of principle will suffice, or how much of worldly habits we can with safety retain; but remember that to our weak and imperfect nature there is no safety but in humility, in

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