7. Is it not customary to make declarations fimilar to this in prayer?

8. If the declarations be made with the fame seriousness, are not the guilt and danger of infincerity the fame in both cases?

9. If there be any difference, is not the guilt of acting in an unchriftian manner, after a folemn verbal declaration of the contrary, more aggravated than after an action that is only construed to imply that declaration? fince a perfon may say, that he could eat and drink in remembrance of Chrift, and recollect, with gratitude and pleasure, what he had done for mankind, without making any promise, at that particular time, of living as becomes a chriftian? It is no where exprefsly faid in the fcriptures, that we do make such a promise at that particular time; and the only mention that is made of communicating unworthily is in a cafe where the guilt is not faid to have confifted in the infincerity of any declaration,

but

but in the improper and indecent manner in which the rite was performed.

10. Admitting that the above mentioned promife is always implied, ought we to make any difference with respect to the qualifications of the perfons who may be permitted or encouraged to join in prayer, and in the celebration of the Lord's Supper?

11. Since we pray, or are exhorted to pray, much more frequently than we communicate, fhould not the warnings against the guilt of infincerity in the former cafe be more frequent and more earnest than in the latter?

12. If the preceding questions be answered in the affirmative, is it not evident that those persons, who join in prayer, in which they profess obedience to the gofpel, and yet dare not receive the Lord's Supper, are

in

influenced by principles that are justly called fuperftitious?

13. Is not the custom of folemn preparation, previous to receiving the Lord's Supper, a proof that it has been placed in too high a rank of importance, with respect to prayer, and other religious exercises?

14. Is not the opinion of the unfitness of a perfon, who has preached and prayed in public many years (but who has not been ordained) to administer either baptism or the Lord's Supper, a proof of the existence of fome fuperftitious notion concerning the facraments?

15. Is not the unwillingness of many Diffenters to receive the bread and wine except from the hands of the minister himself, and fometimes of their own minifier, a confirmation of the fame charge of fuperftition?

16. Is not the cuftom of requiring an account of a perfon's experience in religion,

F

before

before he be admitted to communicate, when the fame person is admitted to pray in public, a proof of the fame fuperfti

tion ?

17. Is it not for the intereft of truth, of christianity, and of virtue, that these fuperftitious notions be traced to their fource, and exploded?

X For my own part, I am fully perfuaded, that all this fuperftition had the fame fource with almost every other corruption of christian doctrine and difcipline, having been introduced by converts from other religions; and that though a great part of this, as well as of other abuses, is now rectified, a great deal yet remains to be done; and I doubt not but, by one inftrument or other, Chrift will at length thoroughly purge his floor of them all, and that all the chaff, bay and stubble, that have been built upon the foundation of the apoftles and prophets, will be utterly confumed.

4

You,

You, Sir, think that my treatise on the Lord's fupper has a very dangerous tendency in a practical view, pref. p. 7. and, thinking in that manner, you do well to caution your readers against it. On the contrary, I think that the tendency of my treatise is to restore to its primitive purity and ufe, an inftitution calculated to unite chriftians together under Chrift their common head; and I meant to affift in throwing down that fuperftitious barrier, which, in a great meafure, forbids its being approached, or made ufe of at all.

As my views, I am confcious, are up

right, and I believe just, I hope I shall not have written without fome fuccefs; and I fhall think fuccefs in any attempts to restore the genuine purity of chriftian faith or practice to be a much nobler object than any other fubject of literary pursuit.

I am, Reverend Sir,

Your

LEEDS, May 16, 1770.

very Humble Servant, JOSEPH PRIESTLEY,