book; or at least to bring it into neglect, as not entitled to much credit, and as having no authority over the consciences and conduct of mankind; whilst the prevailing maxim is, that it is no matter what men believe, if they behave properly to their fellow creatures. This has been our unhappy progress, during the last century; though christianity has at the same time been set before us, peculiarly unencumbered with superstition or intolerance (and not remarkably deformed by enthusiasm), in its genuine simplicity and amiableness, as suited to render mankind wise, holy, and happy. ---Such is the stamp of modern infidelity in Britain; and we have reason to fear that it will still diffuse its baleful influence more widely among our posterity. As a nation, this seems likely to be our condemnation, "that light is come among us; "and we have loved darkness rather than light, "because our deeds are evil."

2. We may notice the general neglect of God's ordinances, and profanation of his holy day.

Not long since, it was customary to insert in advertisements of stage-coaches and waggons, Sundays excepted; but this decent regard to that day, which the LORD JESUS claims as his own,' is now thought superfluous; and Sundays not excepted, either in setting out, or proceeding on the journey, is avowedly a part of the present plan;'

whilst multiplied Sunday newspapers, publickly sold in the streets, furnish employment for those who amuse themselves at home, and supersede the duties of the closet, the family, or the house of GOD. No wonder that legislators and magistrates care for none of these things; when the LORD's day is generally selected by most of them, and of others in the higher ranks of society, (nay, by many who bear a sacred character,) as the most convenient day for travelling! Whilst not a few of them, call together their acquaintance, for every kind of dissipation, nay, even for gaming, on this day of sacred rest! Thus multitudes are permitted, without molestation, to carry on their business; and still greater numbers of the lower orders flock to scenes of riot or diversion, corrupting each other's morals, and wasting that which should maintain their families. The tradesman, (and even the statesman,) makes the LORD's day his season of relaxation and indulgence; taverns, alehouses, tea-gardens, are thronged, and no means used to prevent it; the places of worship are deserted; and even the form of religion is growing into disuse, throughout the land, but especially in the metropolis and its vicinity!

At the same time many, who seem to be religious, meet their friends at the place of worship, and go home to feast with them: their converse may be about religion, and they may outwardly attend to some of its duties; but their servants

have a double portion of work, to provide for the entertainment: it is to them a day of bustle and fatigue; and they have no time allowed them for the care of their souls, or the duties of religion!

All these things combined together, may well be considered as a plain testimony, how much we have sinned against the light, and how greatly we disrelish the reasonable service of our GoD: for if men will serve the world, the flesh, and the devil, on the LORD's day, they cannot be expected to serve any other master, during the rest of the week.

3. It is obvious, in the next place, to mention that profanation of the holy name of GOD, which marks the character of our age. I do not mean that profane swearing and taking of God's name in vain, which mingles with the common conversation of vast multitudes. This is indeed an atrocious affront to the Majesty of heaven; but it is not peculiar to any age or nation. I advert to the horrid crime of direct perjury; which perhaps never was so frequent in any age of the world, as it is at present. The extreme impolicy of multiplying oaths. on every occasion, that pervades and disgraces the whole of our jurisprudence; and the shameful irreverence, with which they are generally administered, concur in deducting from the solemnity of the transaction; and men are induced to

consider an oath as a matter of course, rather than an express appeal to the heart-searching GOD, to attest the truth and sincerity of what is alleged. Thus, not only men of scandalous lives are involved in the guilt of perjury, but multitudes who are, in other respects, of good repute: so that, it may be apprehended, oaths are often taken by parish-officers, by jurymen, by electors, nay, by those who are elected to serve in parliament, and by many other descriptions of men, without any due consideration of their import, or any proper sense of their obligation! And who can compute how many thousands of times, in the course of a single week, the GoD of heaven is called to witness the truth of what is not known to be strictly true, or known to be false! and the sincerity of men in those engagements, which they never intend literally and exactly to fulfil? It is a form, with which they comply, as others do; and when the engagement is violated, the numbers concerned keep one another in countenance. "because of swearing, the land mourneth;” and the perjuries and profanations of the name of the LORD, which abound in every place, loudly call for divine vengeance; especially as no care is taken to bring the offender to justice, or to remove the occasions of such atrocious impiety.'

Thus,

'How much more rational, to lay down rules, and punish those who act contrary to them! May not the same be said of subscriptions?

4. We must not here pass by that trifling with solemn subscriptions and engagements, which often connects with men's admission into holy orders, or ecclesiastical preferments. To subscribe articles which men do not believe in the obvious sense of the words, and which they mean to oppose; to avow themselves, "moved by the Holy Ghost, "to take on them" the sacred ministry, when secular motives alone induce them to choose that line of life; to ratify this equivocating profession, by receiving the LORD's supper; to read a liturgy, and in their sermons and conversation to contradict what they have uttered on their knees before GOD; and then to palliate and vindicate such a system of prevarication and hypocrisy: this, I say, must constitute a degree of guilt of no common atrocity. And I deem myself the more bound to speak on this subject, because I only describe my own conduct in times past; and I verily believe, that in this respect I added more to the aggregate of our national guilt, than in any other action of my life. '

I

But, indeed, many other things, which continually are practised and connived at, in men's entrance into holy orders, and in their obtaining and holding livings and preferments, are utterly

It may be needful to mention, that I have since been led most cordially to embrace the doctrines I then rejected; or else I should have deemed it my duty to quit the situation which I had surreptitiously obtained in the Church of England.