to worship God as we ought, will abundantly compenfate for this feeming Disadvantage, and render our reafonable Service acceptable to Him, and profitable to ourselves. There is another Obftacle to Devotion, that I fear may be more justly laid to our Charge; which is the careless, hurrying, flovenly Manner, in which fome of our Clergy perform divine Service. A fad and real Grievance this, which must offend and fhock every serious Chriftian! But I hope, and am perfuaded, that this Practice is far from being general. There are many Divines of our Church as eminent for their Decency and Regularity in discharging this important Part of their Office, as for the Soundness of their Doctrine, and the Holinefs of their Lives. And where they fail in this Respect, the Blame be to themselves. A good Chriftian, in Spite of every external Difcouragement, will always feel and cherish such an inward cordial Devotion, as will be wellpleafing to the great Searcher of Hearts; and while he laments the Negligence of the Minifter, he will strive the more earnestly to perform his own Part with close Attention,

and

and fervent Piety. But the Truth is, that in general the People are much more blameable than the Clergy. The wandering Looks, indecent Gestures, impertinent Whisperings, and heedlefs Behaviour of every Kind, so obfervable in all our Churches, are wholly chargeable to the former. And let me add, that fuch Indignities offered to the Majesty of Heaven, whom we pretend to worship, will admit of no Palliation or Excufe. Let us therefore reform our own Conduct in thefe Points, before we prefume to cenfure that of our Paftors. For ourselves we are answerable, not for them.And with respect to our diffenting Brethren, let us exercife that unfeigned Love and Benevolence, that Friendship and Courtesy, towards them, which our holy Religion fo indispensably requires: in Meekness instructing those that oppofe themselves; and letting our Light fo Shine before them, that they, fecing our good Works, may be induced to join with us in glorifying our Father which is in Heaven.

I proceed now to offer a few Words of Advice to that truly valuable and refpectable Body of Men, the orthodox Diffenters. I b

fay,

fay, the orthodox only; because I would not wish to perfuade Heretics of any Denomination to come within the Pale of our Church. No partial Believer, no one who calls in Question, or denies, any of the fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith, can join in our Worship without the greatest Folly and Inconsistency, or the groffeft Hypocrify and Prevarication. To you, therefore, the found and orthodox Profeffors of our holy Religion, who yet feparate yourselves from us, I now address myfelf; and let me befeech you to take in good Part the Admonition of a Friend, who fincerely esteems and honours you. The many Virtues that fhine fo eminently in your Lives and Converfations; your strict Piety; your exemplary Obfervance of the Lord's Day; your punctual Discharge of the feveral relative Duties in your Families; your Diligence in Business ; your Temperance, Chastity, and Sobriety; call aloud for the warmest Commendation. But ftill, permit me to fay, there is one Thing wanting to make your Character compleat. What that is, the Scriptures will beft inform you. Read them without Prejudice,

66

judice, and without any Comment, and fee what Arguments and Obligations they contain, not only to Love, and Harmony, and Concord in general, but to an Agreement in religious Opinions, and divine Worship, in particular. Perufe attentively the Writings of the great Apoftle of the Gentiles, efpecially his first Epistle to the Corinthians, and obferve how earnestly he preffes and enforces this Unity among Chriftians. Imagine him to be directing his Difcourfe to you; and can you forbear crying out, Almoft thou perfuadeft me to return to the Bofom of the Church ?"I fhould hope you would go farther, and refolve to be altogether united to your Fellow-Members of the Body of Chrift-You will not, you cannot, say that the Terms of our Communion are finful. Many of you plainly fhew you think otherwife, by conforming occafionally: and if it is warrantable to conform fometimes, it is certainly right, and your bounden Duty, to conform always. If we agree in Effentials, let us not differ about Trifles.-Give our Liturgy a candid and impartial Reading; try it by the unerring Rule of God's holy Word;

and condemn it, if you can. Some small Blemishes you may poffibly find out fome few Alterations you may wish to have made (for what human Compofition can be faultless?) but, upon the whole, you must allow it to be admirably contrived to help Devotion, and to promote found Faith, and real Holinefs of Life. I grant that you do not offend against the Laws of the Land by your Separation from the Church; but can you say that you do not thereby offend against the Laws of the Gospel?-Is Schifm no Sin? and are you wholly free from it? Are Love and Concord no Duties? and do you practise them in their full Extent? without any Referve or Limitation ?-Confider, my dear Friends, that neither the Act of Toleration, nor any human Indulgence whatsoever, can in the leaft take off from the Force and Obligation of the Laws of God; nor can any Exemption from worldly Penalties deliver you from the Guilt, or fcreen you from the Punishment, of Sin.But there is another Argument which I beg Leave to fubmit to your mature and dispasfionate Deliberation. Suppofing that a Sepa

ration