must not only divert the mind by employing it in transferring the afcriptions of praise, thanksgiving, and adoration from a plurality of Gods, to the one fupreme Being; but the fpirit of devotion must be disturbed and dispersed in the very adjustment of the language; and, added to this, the very expreffions themselves must be very shocking and offenfive to the ear of one, who looks up to God alone, as the object of adoration, without peer or partner.

The cafe of prayer, which is a focial act, and addreffed to God, will not admit of illuftration from the liberty which we very commendably exercife in hearing sermons, when the auditors may receive or reject what they hear, according as they shall be determined by the evidence and arguments produced. The cases are no way fimilar. The preacher delivers his illuftration of a portion of the fcripture, fupports it by argument, draws and applies his inferences according to the best of his ability; but these are no further conclufive upon his hearers than as they meet their judgment and confent. But, in the bufinefs of prayer, the cafe is far different. The mind being previously acquainted with the form of address to the throne of grace, the worshippers of God fhould be intirely confenting, and fully and fingly employed in the prayers, and praises, and thanksgivings there expreffed, in the contemplation of that Being to whom they are made, and in those afpirations which naturally accompany every act of rational and elevated devotion.

That eafy compliance to which you are disposed, in this cafe, is, with many people, the refult of indifference. It would equally excufe your going to mafs in the romifh communion, as to the fervice of the church of England; for the fame reservations which you think keep you clear, in the one, from any implied confent to the doctrine of the trinity, would, in the other, acquit you of believing the doctrine of tranfubftantiation. Upon the principles of your argument, all integrity of heart and mind may be dispensed with, in those very services, where, of all others, they are most becoming, and in which there can be no temptation, which does not arife from indifference, or the moft contemptible and ineffectual hypocrify.

Neither is this all. Your example may be, and, probably, will be contagious; it may prove the means of continuing, and even of spreading the fame difingenuous practice among others; a practice, which allows and familiarifes the profeffion of the groffeft corruptions of chriftian worship, and represents them as being perfectly compatible with the purest faith.

EUGENIUS. In the earneftnefs of your argument, your have forgotten to make any allowance for a certain unwillingness to appear particularly fcrupulous, in a matter, which, though important in itself, the world is not difpofed to think so highly of, as to excufe fuch fingularity of conduc.

THEOPHILUS.

THEOPHILUS. The proper anfwer to this feeble apology, fhall come from yourself, ask then your own heart, whether you ought to place the indulgence of any native bashfulness, or any defire to avoid that fingularity, which you affect to think fo formidable, in competition with the great duty of worfhipping the one God and Father of all, in fincerity and truth ;and of confeffing before men, the doctrines of the great meffenger of glad tidings. You well know on what authority we are told, that whofoever shall confefs Chrift before men, him will be confefs also before his Father, who is in heaven: but whosoever shall deng him, before men, him will be alfo deny before his Father, who is in heaven. (Matt. x. 32, and 33 )

33)

The prayers in which you join, in the public fervice of the church, are not fuch as you either do, or would adopt in your clofet, or in your family. And the reason why you reject the ufe of them in private, is because you think them finful, inafmuch as they are directed to three diftinct beings or perfons, instead of God alone. How then can the fame conduct be innocent, when acted before the world, which is finful in the privacy of your own houfe? or, as the queftion may be more forcibly ftated, how much more reprchenfible is such evil conduct before the world, where it may feduce and corrupt the integrity of others, than when confined to a more private fcene?

Apply the fpirit of this question to any of the

common

1

common tranfactions in life, and you will acknowledge not only the wisdom, but even the expediency of exhibiting that rectitude of principle and behaviour in our own characters, which we look for in others. Without this endeavour on our parts, we really countenance that very duplicity, which we difapprove and condemn. And, in our chriftian calling, we fhould be very careful not to give the most distant occafion of scandal to our profeffion ; but to draw forward and to excite by our mutual example, that inflexible and intrepid integrity which adds grace to the chriftian character, and inspires a fortitude which looks down with indifference upon nothing, but what is not deferving of a wife man's choice or attention.

EUGENIUS. I moft readily concede to you, that that service of prayer which does not honestly exprefs the mind of the worshipper, and is therefore finful, must be equally fo whether offered in private, or in focial worship. This obfervation had occurred to me before, and therefore I qualified my attendance by with-holding my affent to fuch parts of the church liturgy as I did not approve. But this expedient having involved much diftraction of mind, and leaving me in a fituation which held me forth as an example of countenancing, by my prefence, what I did not approve in my heart; I have been occafionally disposed to forego and absent myself from all public worship, because of the irreconcilable difagreement

greement between the tritheifm of the established liturgy, which I now confider as idolatry, and the addreffing all prayer to God alone, which I apprehend to be the religion of nature, and of revelation. I have, therefore, had it in contemplation to confine myself to the duty and exercife of private prayer.

THEOPHILUS. If you fhould perfift in adopting this idea of a filent retreat from a worship, which you fo greatly difapprove, by withdrawing from all focial devotion, I cannot but think that you abufe the talents and opportunities afforded you, and defert the ftandard of the chriftian faith; I alfo think that you will again place the influence of your example in a fituation, where it may do much harm.

Social worship is a very great means of edification, in a variety of ways: it calls men forth to the public avowal of their principles in the face of open day; it. advances brotherly love in an inter-communion in the offices of religion; it concentrates the example of good men, and animates devotion in their neighbours; it keeps alive the principles of religion and piety, and prepares men to act a virtuous part in the fcenes of active life,

Now as, upon your own plan of privacy, the: reafon of your feceffion would not be rightly, or generally known, your abfence from all public worship (because one form of it was exceptionable and offenfive) would encourage the fame open beha