Images de page
PDF
ePub

.

[ocr errors]

.

of Rome, as of the Church of England itself? - Nay, I cannot fee why the Principle you act

upon will not as well permit you to be stated Members of a Mahometan Affembly; where you might avoid worshiping Mahomet, exactly in the fame Way as you now avoid giving fupreme Glory to God, the Son, and Holy Ghoft: And yet, your being conftant Members of a Mahometan Assembly, especially in a Place where Christian Churches were within your Reach, would be an Evidence, in the Apprehenfion of all Mankind, that you were really Mahometans. Thus being conftant Members of an orthodox Church, especially in a Place where Arian Conventicles are within your reach, is, in the Apprehenfion of all Mankind, an Evidence that you are really orthodox too. It is in vain for you to protest against Fact. It only lays open your Self-Contradiction and Hypocrify the more. Suppose a Bill was prefented to a Grand-Fury, charging you with Murder: Suppose all the Jury believed you guilty except myself; what would you think, what would you fay of me, if I fhould be intirely filent, when your Bill ⚫ was before us; and to all outward Appearance feem to give my Confent? Would you not

[ocr errors][merged small]

ardice, and a Want of Friendship? And would you admit it as a fufficient Excuse, that I afterward declared against finding the Bill, when I was gotten into other Company? Would you not say that my Proteft comes too late; and that I fhould have entered my Protest in Season, while the Bill was under Confideration? Let me put another Cafe, which is ftill more exactly parallel: Suppose there are two Mufic-Meetings in the Town where you live, in one of which there is never any Song allowed, but what you are convinced is perfectly confiftent with Truth, Religion and Virtue; while in the other there are fome profane and filthy Songs mingled with the good? Suppose your Daughter voluntarily chofe to attend the latter, and there fhew'd no Diflike to the Profaneness and Immodefty of the Songs, but feemed as much to join with these as with fuch as were innocent, would you not feverely reprove and condemn her, and imagine that she had too much Love to Obfcenity and Impiety? And fuppofe fhe fhould tell you, at home, that when she was at the Mufic-Meeting, and bore a Part in the Tunes, fhe either ftop'd when the filthy Paffage occur'd, or else fung fome other Words; would you admit this as a fufficient Excuse ?

Would

Would you not infift upon it that it was her Duty, there, upon the Spot, to publifh her Diflike, or rather to refolve to go thither no more? And would you not think that her choosing to a void the innocent Club, and to frequent the vicious one, was a Sign fhe was grown in Love with Profaneness and Immorality? And would you not urge, that her protesting against Fact would not ferve her Turn? No more will your protesting against Fact ferve yours. I suppose you may have heard of many Jacobites in thes Kingdom, who still conftantly attend the Service of the Church, in which King George, Queen Caroline, Frederic Prince of Wales, are pray'd for by Name. In thefe Prayers the Ja cobites pretend they cannot in Confcience join; and yet they kneel as in other Prayers, and shew no more Diflike outwardly to thofe than to these. Now I appeal to yourselves; What Cenfure have you been wont to pass upon this Behaviour of the Jacobites? Have you not often severely condemn'd it as abominable Hypocrify? Is there not all the fame Reason to condemn your own Practice, which is exactly like it? If you really look upon the Paffages before recited out of our Liturgy to be contrary to Truth, and to the Holy Scripture, and to contain in them Contradictions and Idolatry, is

there

there not as much Reason that you should leave the Communion of the Church, as that your Daughter fhould avoid profane Mufic-Meetings; and the Jacobites refufe to join with a Church that prays for the King? The Church cannot look upon them or you as found Members: She difowns you, and renounces all Relation to you. Act a confiftent Part; either leave her Worship, which you disapprove, or else fulfil her most earnest Wishes, viz. Learn to believe her moft facred Doctrines, and to adore the awful Myfteries that she teaches: She calls you back from Error, and will gladly receive and own you upon your repenting and making Acknowledgment of the Truth. Leave your Hypocrify: Dare not any longer to trifle with Men, and with a Heart-searching God: Be not afhamed of the Truth in an unbelieving and fcoffing Age: Be faithful to the Death, and you fhall inherit the Crown of Life.

A New FORM of PRAYER.

First printed in 1712. The Author unknown.

[ocr errors]

Thou Bleffed JESUS, who camest into the World not to deftroy Mens Lives, but to fave them; to make the Wolf and the Lamb to feed together, that there might be no more

Hurting

Hurting or Deftroying in all thy holy Mountain: In the Execution of this thy healing Defign, thou didst fuffer meekly ten thousand Injuries from others, but never didst any one thyfelf: The Charms of thy Goodness and Mercy, thy Benevolence, Kindness and Compaffion do endear thy Perfon, and render thy Name lovely to Heaven and Earth.

Thou haft, indeed, enjoin'd upon all thy Followers the fame Temper of Mind, as a Mark of thy true Religion, and of its genuine Profeffors: A Temper which is never to be put off, but when it is to please thee, and ferve the Caufe of that fame Religion: A Religion, which (like thyfelf) is all Sweetness and Love.

Yet, forafmuch as in Order to promote this Religion in others, it is neceffary for us fometimes to forget it ourfelves; needful to forget the Goodness of its Author, and the Sweetness of its Nature: O Thou, who art Love and Goodnefs itself, accept we pray thee for good Service to Thee, and Thy Church, and fuffer us to recommend ourselves to Thee by, the Sacrifice we now offer.

Accept the pious Endeavours, that have at Length procured the Laws we have so long de

[ocr errors]
« PrécédentContinuer »