Thepherd and bishop of souls, acting by commiffion from thee, Jefus Chrift.

We adore the wisdom of thy providence in bringing about the restoration of useful learning, and making it fubfervient to the reformation of thy church; so that thy fervants, having recovered the genuine, but long-forgotten sense of the scriptures, were able to discover the falfe grounds of the reigning fuperftition, and of the ecclefiaftical tyranny of their times. Grant that, by a continued and diligent study of the fame word of thy truth, we may, in due time, be led to the full difcovery of every remaining corruption of our holy religion, and be brought to receive the whole truth in the love thereof.

Haften, we intreat thee, the approach of that glorious time when, according to the faithful and true writings of thy fervants the prophets, our holy religion shall recover its primitive purity and efficacy; when thou alone, as the only true God, a being of perfect rectitude, spotless purity, and effential goodness and mercy, fhalt be the object of fupreme worship; when thy creatures of mankind shall have recourfe to no method of rendering them. felves acceptable to thee, but unfeigned repentance for their trangreffions of thy laws, and a fincere endeavour to conform to them for the future, in a course of upright intentions and worthy actions, through the whole of their lives; and when no P apprehenfion

apprehenfion of arbitrary decrees fhall alarm the fears of the humble, or encourage the prefumption of the confident.

Dispose all who profess the chriftian name to study the scriptures of truth with unprejudiced minds ; and inspire all those who attain to the truth with a iuft zeal for the propagation of it, as far as thy providence fhall give them ability and opportunity to do it. May neither the love of popular applause, of filthy lucre, or any worldly advantage; may neither the fear of man, of reproach, or of death, be a fnare to them, in this work of love; and may they daily rejoice in the teftimony of their confciences, and in the happy fruits of their pious and affiduous labours.

May all thofe powers of this world, which have ufurped any authority belonging to our only rightful lord and king in his church, become difpofed to relinquish their unjust claims; and may those kings and princes, who will not acknowledge the fovereignty of Jefus in his church, and especially those who obftinately oppose the reformation of it, be utterly confounded, and, by his power, be broken in pieces like a potter's veffel. Take to thyfelf, O Lord God Almighty, thy great power, and reign; and may the gofpel of Jefus Chrift go forth conquering and to conquer. May the everlafting gofpel, in its primitive purity, be preached to all that dwell on the earth, to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. By the brightnefs of our Lord's appearance, may the man of

fin

In be utterly confumed, that all the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdoms of our lord and of his Chrift, and may he reign for ever and

ever

In the mean time, may we thy faithful servants, in the patient waiting for this coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, be fearless and unwearied in afferting thy truth, be ready to lay hold of every favourable opportunity to promote it, and, more especially, be careful to recommend it by a suitable life and converfation. May we diftinguish ourfelves by having the fame mind that was alfo in A jefus, by genuine humility, meeknefs. brotherly love, heavenly-mindedneit, chearful devotion; that when our le and take account of his fervants, we without fpot and blameless, and not be afhaaed before him at his coming.

Facearance,

ad habitual

fhall return,

may be found

Now to thee, who alone art eternal, immortal, and invisible, the ory wife, living, and true God, be glory, through Jefus Chrift, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE

CONCLUSION.

THIS publication completes the scheme which was begun in the Appeal, and continued in the Triumph of Truth; being intended to be a plain and earneft address to the common people, and efpeci

ally

ally to thofe of them who have but little money to fpare for the purchase of books, or time for the reading of them.

I am not fo little acquainted with human nature, as to expect any great fuccefs in this attempt to overturn long-eftablished errors; and leaft of all can I hope to convince those who refufe to read, or to hear (which is the cafe with too many) on whom even miracles could produce no effect; but the reftoration of christianity to its primitive purity and efficacy, after fo long and fo radical a corruption (which was foreseen and lamented by the inspired writers of the New Teftament) is fo great and fo worthy an object, that every man, who has the intereft of religion at heart, will rejoice in every op. portunity that divine providence affords him for promoting it, with respect to ever so few, or even a fingle individual of his fellow-creatures.

A zeal for the truth, and even to contend earnestly for it, does certainly well become a christian. Since, however, the infpiring of a chriftian Spirit is the great purpose to which purity of chriftian faith is fubfervient, I hope that, with respect to myself, I have been careful not to lofe the end, while I have been contending for the means. Of th myread er may be a pretty good judge; fince that zeal which arifes from the love of truth, and of mankind, will eafily be diftinguished from that fpirit which actuates thofe whom Paul calls the dif

puters

puters of this world, a spirit which favours ftrongly of pride, hatred and malice, and which often induces them to have recourfe to unfair and unworthy artifices in order to gain a victory.

Some perfons think that in thefe publications I have attacked too many long-established errors, and that it would have been more prudent to have attempted one thing at once, and to have proceeded gradually and gently. But it should be confidered,' that there are in the world perfons in every poffible ftate of mind with respect to these things; fo that what will stagger fome is calculated to make the ftrongest and beft impreffion upon others. Since, therefore, every thing that is published from the prefs must be distributed promiscuously, we can only take care that what we write be calculated to do good in general; and fince a nice calculation of this kind is exceedingly difficult, it appears to me to be the beft, upon the whole, for every perfon to endeavour to establish what appears to himself to be the whole truth, and not to trouble himself about any confequences. The gofpel-fower must cast his feed promifcuoufly on all kinds of ground, hoping that in fome it may yield a good increase, though he muft lay his account with its being loft, and even worse than loft upon others.

I alfo think it an objection to the flow and cautious proceeding which fome perfons recommend, that the evidence of any truth is exhibited