We do, therefore, brethren, befeech you in the most earneft manner, to look beyond the immediate authors either of your fufferings or fears, and to acknowledge the holiness and juftice of the Almighty in the prefent vifitation. He is righteous in all his ways, and hely in all his works.Affliction springeth not out of the dust.-He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men; and therefore, it becomes every perfon, family, city, and province, to humble themfelves before his throne, to confefs their fins, by which they have provoked his indignation, and intreat him to pour out upon all ranks a fpirit of repentance and of prayer. Fly alfo for forgivenefs to the atoning blood of the great Redeemer, the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than that of Abel. Remember and confefs not only your fins in general, but those prevalent national offences which may be justly confidered as the procuring caufes of public judgments; particularly profanenefs and contempt of God, his name, fabbaths and fanctuary ;-pride, luxury, uncleanness, and neglect of family religion and government, with the deplorable ignorance and fecurity which certainly ought to be imputed to this as their principal caufe. All these are, among us, highly aggravated by the ineftimable privileges, which we have hitherto enjoyed without interruption fince the first fettlement of this country. If in the present day of diftrefs we expect that God will hear our fupplications, and interpofe for our protection or deliverance, let us remember what he himself requires of us is, that our pray. ers fhould be attended with a fincere purpofe, and thorough endeavor after perfonal and family reformation: If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thy hand towards him; If iniquity be in thine band, put it far away, and let nol wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles, Job xi. 13, 14.

The Synod cannot help thinking, that this is a proper time for preffing all of every rank, ferioufly to confider the things that belong to their eternal peace. Hoftilities, long feared, have now taken place,-the fword has been drawn in one province, and the whole continent, with hardly any exception, feem determined to defend their rights by force of arms. If, at the fame time, the British

miniftry fhall continue to enforce their claims by violence, a lafting and bloody contest must be expected: Surely then it becomes thofe who have taken up arms, and profefs a willingnefs to hazard their lives in the cause of liberty, to be prepared for death, which to many muft be the certain, and to every one is a poffible or probable

event.

We have long feen with concern, the circumstances which occafioned, and the gradual increase of this unhappy difference. As minifters of the gospel of peace, we have ardently wifhed that it could, and often hoped that it would have been more early accommodated. It is well known to you (otherwise it would be imprudent indeed thus publicly to profefs) that we have not been inftrumental in inflaming the minds of the people, or urging them to acts of violence and diforder :-Perhaps no inftance can be given on so interesting a subject, in which political fentiments have been fo long and fo fully kept from the pulpit, and even malice itself has not charged us with laboring from the prefs; but things are now come to such a state, that as we do not wish to conceal our opinions as men and citizens, fo the relation we stand in to you feemed to make the prefent improvement of it to your fpiritual benefit an indifpenfible duty. Suffer us then to lay hold of your prefent temper of mind, and to. exhort, especially the young and vigorous, by affuring them, that there is no foldier fo undaunted as the pious man, no army fo formidable as those who are fuperior to the fear of death. There is nothing more awful to think of, than that thofe whofe trade is war fhould be defpifers of the name of the Lord of hofts, and that they fhould expose themselves to the imminent danger, of being immediately fent from curfing and cruelty on earth, to the blafpheming rage and despairing horror of the infernal pit. Let therefore every one, who from generosity of fpirit, or benevolence of heart, offers himself as a champion in his country's caufe, be perfuaded to reverence the name, and walk in the fear of the Prince of the kings of the earth, and then he may, with the most unfhaken firmness, expect the iffue either in victory or death,

Let it not be forgotten, that though for the wife ends of his Providence, it may please God, for a feafon, to fuffer his people to lie under unmerited oppreffion, yet in general we may expect, that those who fear and ferve him in fincerity and truth, will be favoured with his countenance and ftrength. It is both the character and the privilege of the children of God, that they call upon him in the day of trouble, and he, who keepeth covenant and truth forever, has faid, that his ears are always open to their cry. We need not mention to you in how many inftances the event. in battles, and fuccefs in war, have turned upon circumftances which were inconfiderable in themselves, as well as out of the power of human prudence to foresee or direct, because we fuppofe you firmly believe, that after all the counfels of men, and the moft probable and promifing means, the Lord will do that which seemeth him good; nor hath his promise ever failed of its full accomplishment; "the Lord is with you while ye be with him, and if ye "feek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forfake him, "he will forfake you," 2 Chron. xv. 2.

After this exhortation, which we thought ourselves cal led upon to give you at this time, on your great interest, the one thing needful, we fhall take the liberty to offer a few advices to the focieties under our charge, as to their public and general conduct; and

First, In carrying on this important struggle, let every opportunity be taken to express your attachment and respect to our fovereign king George, and to the revolution. principles, by which his august family was feated on the British throne. We recommend, indeed, not only allegiance to him from duty and principle, as the firft magif. trate of the empire, but esteem and reverence for the perfon of the prince, who has merited well of his fubjects on many accounts, and who has probably been mifled into the late and prefent measures by thofe about him; neither have we any doubt, that they themselves have been in a great degree deceived by falfe information from interested perfons refiding in America. It gives us the greatest pleafure to fay, from our own certain knowledge of all belonging to our communion, and from the beft means of infor

mation, of the far greatest part of all denominations in this country, that the prefent oppofition to the measures of administration does not in the leaft arife from difaffection to the king, or a defire of feparation from the parent state. We are happy in being able with truth to affirm, that no part of America would either have approved or permitted fuch infults as have been offered to the fovereign in Great-Britain. We exhort you, therefore, to continue in the fame difpofition, and not to fuffer opprefhion or injury itself eafily to provoke you to any thing which may feem to betray contrary fentiments: let it ever appear, that you only defire the prefervation and fecurity of those rights which belong to you as freemen and Britons, and that reconciliation upon thefe terms is your moft ardent defire.

Secondly, Be careful to maintain the union which at presents fubfifts through all the colonies; nothing can be more manifeft than that the fuccefs of every measure depends on its being inviolably preserved, and therefore, we hope, that you will leave nothing undone which can promote that end. In particular as the Continental Congress, now fitting at Philadelphia, confift of delegates chofen in the most free and unbiaffed manner, by the body of the people, let them not only be treated with refpect, and encouraged in their difficult fervice-not only let your prayers be offered up to God for his direction in their proceedings-but adhere firmly to their refolutions; and let it be feen that they are able to bring out the whole ftrength of this vaft country to carry them into execution. We would alfo advife for the fame purpose, that a fpirit of candor, charity and mutual esteem be preferved, and promoted towards thofe of different religious denominations. Perfons of probity and principle of every profeffion, fhould be united together as fervants of the fame mafter, and the experience of our happy concord hitherto in a ftate of liberty fhould engage all to unite in fupport of the common intereft; for there is no example in hiftory, in which civil liberty was destroyed, and the rights of confcience prefer. ved entire.

Thirdly, We do earnestly exhort and befeech the focie ties under our care to be ftrict and vigilant in their pri vate government, and to watch over the morals of their feveral members. It is with the utmost pleasure we remind you, that the laft Continental Congress determined to difcourage luxury in living, public diverfions, and gaming of all kinds, which have fo fatal an influence on the morals of the people. If it is undeniable, that universal profligacy makes a nation tipe for divine judgments, and is the natural mean of bringing them to ruin, reformation of manners is of the utmost neceffity in our prefent distress. At the fame time, as it has been obferved by many eminent writers, that the cenforial power, which had for its object the manners of the public in the ancient free states, was abfolutely neceffary to their continuance, we cannot help being of opinion, that the only thing which we have now to fupply the place of this is the religious discipline of the feveral fects with respect to their own members; fo that the denomination or profeffion which fhall take the most effectual care of the inftruction of its members, and maintain its difcipline in the fulleft vigor, will do the -most effential service to the whole body. For the very fame reason the greateft fervice which magiftrates or perfon in authority can do with refpect to the religion or morals of the people, is to defend and fecure the rights of confcience in the most equal and impartial manner.

Fourthly, We cannot but recommend, and urge in the warmest manner, a regard to order and the public peace; and as in many places, during the confufions that prevail, legal proceedings have become difficult, it is hoped, that all perfons will confcientiously pay their juft debts, and to the utmost of their power ferve one another, fo that the evils infeparable from a civil war may not be augmented by wantonnefs and irregularity.

Fifthly, We think it of importance, at this time, to recommend to all of every rank, but especially to those who may be called to action, a spirit of humanity and mercy. Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood. It is impoffible to appeal to the fword without being expofed to many fcenes of cruelty