and chiefly to be lifting up our Voices like Trampets, to fhew our People their Tranfgreffions. To be giving them faithful Warning, from which we may expect this bleffed Succefs, that we may at leaft gain upon fuch a Number, that for their fakes, GOD, who will Knot flay the Righteous with the Wicked, may be yet entreated for our Sins; and that the Judgments which hang over us, being quite diffipated, his Gofpel, together with Peace and Plenty, may ftill dwell among us, and may fhine from us, with happy Influences to all the Ends of the Earth. And even fuch Paftors as fhall faithfully do their Duty, but without any Succefs, may depend upon this, that they fhall fave their own Souls; and fhall have a diftinguished Fate, if we fhould happen to fall under a common Calamity they having on them not only the Mark of Mourners and Interceffors, but of faithful Shepherds Whereas if an overflowing Scourge fhould break in upon us, we have all poffible Reafon, both from the Judgments of GOD, and the prefent Situation of Affairs, to believe that it will begin at the Sanctuary, at thofe who have p profaned the holy Things; and have made the daily Sacrifice to be loathed.

There is another, and perhaps yet a more difmal Character of the present State of the Age, that calls on the Clergy, to con

fider well both their own Deportment, and the Obligations that lie upon them; which is the growing Atheism and Impiety, that is daily gaining Ground, not only among us, but indeed all Europe over. There is a Circulation obferved in the general Cor ruptions of Nations: Sometimes Ignorance and Brutality over-runs the World, that makes way for Superftition and Idolatry: When Mankind is difgufted with these, then fantaftical and Enthufiaftical Principles, and under thefe hypocritical Practices have their Courfe; thefe being feen through, give great Occafions to Profaneness,and with that, Atheism, and a Disbelief of all Religion, at least of all Revealed Religion, is nourished: And that is very eafily received by depraved Minds, but very hardly rooted out of them: For though it is very easie to beat an Enquirer into Things, out of all fpeculative Atheism; yet when a Disbelief of Sacred Matters, and a profane Contempt of them,has once vitiated one's Mind, it is a very extraordinary Thing, and next to miraculous, to fee fuch an one reduced. Now this I am forced to declare, That having had much free Converfation with many that have been fatally corrupted that Way, they have very often owned to me, that nothing promoted this fo much in them, as the very bad Opinion which they

took/

took up of all Clergymen of all Sides: They did not fee in them that Strictness of Life, that Contempt of the World, that Zeal, that Meeknefs, Humility and Charity; that Diligence and Earneftness, with relation to the great Truths of the Christian Religion, which they reckoned they would moft certainly have, if they themselves firmly believed it: Therefore they con cluded, that thofe, whose Business it was more ftrictly to enquire into the Truth of their, Religion, knew that it was not fo certain, as they themselves, for other Ends, endeavoured to make the World believe it was: And that, tho' for carrying on of their own Authority or Fortunes, which in one Word, they call their Trade, they feemed to be very positive in affirming the Truth of their Doctrines; yet they in their own Hearts did not believe it, fince they lived fo little fuitable to it, and were fo much set on Raising themselves by it; and fo little on Advancing the Honour of their Profeffion, by an exemplary Piety, and a fhining Conversation.

This is a Thing not to be answered by being angry at them for faying it, or by Reproaching fuch as repeat it, as if they were Enemies to the Church; thefe Words of Heat and Faction fignifying Nothing to work upon, or convince any. For how

Little Strength foever there may be in this,
as it is made an Argument, it is certainly fo
ftrong a Prejudice, that Nothing but a real
Refutation of it, by the eminent Vertues
and Labours of many of the Clergy, will
ever conquer it. To this, as a Branch or
Part of it, another Confideration from the
prefent State of Things is to be added, to
call upon the Clergy to fet about the Du-
ties of their Calling; and that is, the Con-
tempt they are generally fallen under, the
Injustice they daily meet with, in being
denied their Rights, and that by fome out
of Principle, and by others out of down-
right and undifguifed Sacriledge. I know
a great Deal of this is too juftly, and too
truly to be caft on the Poverty of the Cler
gy: But what can we fay, when we find
often the pooreft Clarks in the richest Li-X
vings? whofe Incumbents not content to
devour the Patrimony of the Church, while
they feed themselves, and not the Flock out of
it, are fo fcandaloufly hard in their Allow-
ance to their Curates, as if they intended
equally to ftarve both Curate and People: And
is it to be fuppofed, that the People will
think themselves under a very ftrict Obliga-
tion of Confcience, to pay religiously all
that is due to one, who feems to think him-
felf under no Obligation to labour for it.
And fince it is a Maxim founded upon na-

tural

7

8,9.

tural Equity, That the Benefice is given for the Office; Men will not have great Scruples in denying the Benefice, where the Office is neglected, or ill performed. And as for the too common Contempt that is brought on the Clergy, how guilty foever those may be, who out of Hatred to their Profeffion, defpife them for their Work's fake; yet we who feel our felves under thefe Difadvantages, ought to reflect on thofe Words of the Prophet, and fee how far they are apMal. 2. 7, plicable to us; The Priests Lips should keep Knowledge, and they should feek the Law at bis Mouth, for he is the Mellenger of the Lord of Hofts, But ye are departed out of the Way, ye bave caufed many to ftumble at the Law; Therefore have I also made you contemptible and bafe before all the People, according as ye have not kept my Ways, but have been partial in my Law. If we ftudied to honour ĜOD, and fo to do Honour to our Profeffion, we might juftly hope that he would raise it again to that Credit which is due to it; and that he would make even our Enemies to be at Peace with us, or at leaft afraid to hurt or offend us. And in this we have good Reafon to reft affured, fince we do not find many Inftances of Clergymen, who live and labour, who preach and vifit as they ought to do, that are under any eminent Degrees of Contempt: If fome do defpife.

thofe