I own this is my favourite Book: which, if it bas raifed Indignation in the Minds of fome, who are perhaps fenfible that many Things in it touch them in too tender a Part; yet on the other Hand it has brought me fuch Serious Acknow→ · fledgements from many Perfons, to me otherwise unknown but by their Letters, of the Benefit they received by it; that I humbly blefs GOD who made me an Inftrument in any Sort of Promoting HIS Glory, and Edifying HIS Church, by awakning the Confciences of fo many Clergymen to a better Senfe of their Duty, and to more Diligence in the Discharge of it. I am now in the 70th Year of my Age, and as I cannot speak long to the World in any Sort, fo I cannot hope for a more folemn Occafion than this of Speaking with all due Freedom both to the prefent and to the fucceeding Ages: Therefore I lay hold on it to give a free Vent to thofe fad Thoughts that lie on my Mind both Day and Night, and are the Subject of many Secret + Mournings. I dare appeal to that GOD to whom the Secrets of my Heart are known, and to whom I am am hortly to give an Account of my Ministry, that I have the true Interests of this + Church ever before my Eyes, and that I pursue them with a fincere and fervent Zeal; if I am mistaken in the Methods I follow, GOD, to whom the Integrity of my Heart is known, will not lay that to my Charge. I cannot look on, without the deepest Concern, when I fee imminent . Ruin hanging over this Church, and by Confe- Our Ember Weeks are the Burden and Grief of my Life. The much greater Part of those who come to be ordained are ignorant to a Degree, not to be apprehended by those who are not obliged to know it. The eafieft Part of Knowledge is that to which they are the greatest Strangers; I mean the plaineft Parts of the Scriptures, which they far, in Excufe of their Ignorance, that their Tutors in the Universities never mention the Reading of to them so that they can give no Account, or at least a very imperfect one, of the Contents even of the Gospels. Those who have read fome few Books, yet never seem to have read the Scriptures. Many cannot give a tole- rable Account even of the Catechifm it felf, how fhort and plain foever. They cry and think it a fad Difgrace to be denied Orders, tho' the Ig- norance of fome is fuch, that in a well regulated appear that they have read the Scriptures or any one good Book fince they were ordained, fo that the Small Meafure of Knowledge upon which they got into Holy Orders not being improved, is in a Way to be quite loft; and then they think it a great Hardship if they are told, they must know the Scriptures and the Body of Divinity better, before they can be trusted with a Care of Souls: Thefe Things pierce one's Soul, and make him often cry out, Oh that I had Wings like a Dove, for then would I fly away and be at Reft. What are we like to grow to? In what a Cafe are we, to deal with any Adversary, Atheist, Papift, or Diffenters, or in any Sort to promote the Honour of GOD, and carry on the great Concerns of the Gospel, when fo grofs an Ignorance in the Fundamentals of Religion has Spread it felf so much among those who ought to teach others, and yet need that one teach them the first Principles of the Oracles of GOD. Politicks and Party eat out among us not only Study and Learning, but that which is the only Thing that is more valuable, a true Senfe of Religion, with a fincere Zeal in Advancing that for which the Son of GOD both lived and died, and to which those who are received into Holy Orders have vowed to dedicate their Lives and Labours. Clamours of Scandal in any of the Clergy are not frequent, it is true, and GOD be thanked for it: But a remifs unthinking Courfe Courfe of Life, with little or no Application to Study, and the bare performing of that, which, if not done, would draw Cenfures when complained of, without ever purfuing the Duties of the Pa ftoral Care in any fuitable Degree, is but too common, as well as too evident. But if there is too vifible a Coldness among us, in that which requires our greatest Heat and Zeal; there is a great deal of flaming Heat about Matters, in which more Gentleness and a milder Temper would both look better, and more effectually compafs that which is defigned by it it ; I mean the bringing the Diffenters into our Communion. Bitter Railings, and a rough Bebaviour, cannot make many Converts. To study the Grounds of their Separations throughly, to answer them calmly and folidly, and to treat their Perfons with all Gentleness, expreffing no Uneafiness at the Liberty granted them by Law, is a Method that will never fail of fucceeding to a great Degree, especially on the rifing Generation. ther Methods do confirm their Prejudices, and heighten their Averfion to thofe who treat them as Enemies on defign to rain them, and not as Friends on defign to gain them. O GOD be thanked we are delivered from a Remnant of Popery, that stuck too long to us, I mean Perfecution for Confcience fake: For the Breaches on a Man's Liberty or Coods are as really a Perfecution, as that which strikes at his Perfon: They may be in fome Inftances more uneasy; as a fingle Death is not fo formidable, as to be forced to live under great Neceffities, perhaps, with a numerous Family. And if we judge of this Matter by our Saviour's Rule, of doing to others, what we would have others do to us, our Confciences would foon decide the Queftion: If we will but boneftly ask our felves how we would have thofe of another Religion deat with us, if we were living in Countries where we must depart from the Legal Establishment, if we do truly follow the Dictates of our Confcience. But if our Zeal in Point of Conformity feems too Strong, there is no great Reafon to fufpect many of much Zeal, with Relation to Popery, tho' that is our standing Enemy, perpetually imployed in Working our Ruin, with many Hands and much Heat; while we feem to be in a State of Indolence and Infenfibility on that Side, as if there was no Danger from thence. When at any Time we' are in a Fright, we are apt to cry out; but that is no fooner over, than we are in no Apprebenfions of any further Danger. And to their great Comfort, we bave found out a new Divifion to add to thofe we laboured under before; which we know they managed very dextrously for their own Ends, fhifting Sides as a Turn was to be ferved by it: But now the Mine is more fuccesfully played, fince not only the Breach between us and Diffenters is very artfully widened, but we are unhappily broken among our felves, and under the Names of high and low Church, there is a new |