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conduct, there is not a nation under heaven that will not rise up against us, and condemn us, at the last day. For no people ever enjoyed greater advantages than we do. If they neglect their advantages, which are inferior to ours, their condemnation will be proportionably lefs. But if they improve them, while we neglect ours, double will be their recompence, and double will be our condemnation. May we all feriously confider these things, the things that relate to our everlasting peace and welfare, before they be for ever hid from our eyes.

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX.

No. I.

The Preface to the Difcourfe on the Refurrection of Jesus.

THE

HE following discourse was compofed while I was at Buxton, in the courfe of the last summer, in confequence of being requested to preach to the company in the affembly-room, after the usual morning prayers of the church of England. Having no fermon with me that I thought. fo proper as I could wish for fo mixed an audience, I compofed this, which I thought would offend no chriftian, but tend to confirm the faith of all; and which I alfo hoped might make a favourable impreffion on unbelievers, fome of whom it was probable would be my hearers. Both thefe objects I have reafon to think were, in some measure, gained; and in compliance with the request of fome who were my hearers at that time, and of many others who have heard the discourse, much enlarged and improved, ince, I now publish it.

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Let any man who is an object of diflike, as 1 am to the clergy of the church of England, conduct himself with ever fo much prudence and caution, I do not think it is poffible for him to avoid giving offence. On this occafion, however, I flattered myself that I had fucceeded; but I have fince found that I did not. A perfon, who I believe may be ftiled a dignitary of the church of England, has been very free with his virulent invectives against me on this most innocent business; afferting, on the authority, he fays, of those who were prefent, and who, it is fuppofed, were also clergymen, that I, in a manner, forced myself upon the audience, by requesting to preach to them, which he calls a moft indecent intrufion*, and that I took the opportunity of infulting the faith and the fervice of those who attended it,' that by defiring to have the litany omitted on that occafion, I fhewed the ' most pointed difapprobation of the fervice, and took upon myfelf to rule and direct the fervice of the church of England;' that my difcourfe gave great offence to feveral perfons of refpectable understanding, who uniformly represented it as calculated to weaken the evidence of our Lord's refurrection as a divine and miraculous

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The paffages marked with inverted commas, are from the clergyman's own letter, which was written with deliberation, on purpofe to be fhewn to me.

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fact, wrought in conformity to the antient prophecies;' that it was fcarcely attended to with 'patience,' and that in oppofition to the folemn fervice which the congregation had juft before offered to the trinity, and in contradiction to those rules of the church, which forbid the maintaining of oppofite doctrines by different 'preachers, I clofed the whole with an unitarian. prayer.' On the whole, he adds I eafily perceive where this would end, if the Doctor's power was equal to the difpofition he has manifefted towards the church of England. There would be as little toleration of those who should ufe the liturgy, as there was in the days of • Cromwell.'

All this, and much more, having, as I have been informed, been faid on the occafion, it may not be amifs to give the following fhort account of the matter; and hundreds who were prefent can witness the truth, or falfehood, of the greatest part of it.

Having, at the unexpected request of the company at the inn where I lodged, read a fermon to them on a Sunday evening; on the Tuesday following, General Stratton, and Mr. Sligo, a gentleman of fortune in Scotland, came to me, deputed, as they said, by the company at the Grand Hotel, and the other houfes near the Baths, to request

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request that I would give them a fermon on the Sunday following. I replied that, if it was the with of the company, I would readily comply with it; and returning my compliments to them, defired them to name the time and place. Some time after this they came to me again, and faid that the company having confidered of it, were of opinion that the most convenient place would be the affembly-room; and that the time that would best fuit them all would be after their usual morning service, which however, with great liberality, they said they did not defire me to attend, as I might not approve of it; and that in this cafe I might be in the adjoining card-room till it

was over,

Now, though I certainly do object, and very feriously, to do any thing that should be construed into a joining in trinitarian worship, or offering to any creature, how diftinguished foever, that homage to which I confider the one true God, the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to be alone entitled, I make no fcruple of attending the worship of any human beings occafionally, as a ftranger and spectator; and I had no intention of absenting myself on the prefent occafion, till I found I could not prevail on the clergyman who read the prayers to fhorten the fervice, which, on

account

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