fiftently with your convictions. Will you say that you are advanced in life---that your habits are fixed--that it is too late for you to think of forfaking the ways to which you have been accustomed from your infancy? And do you really think that fuch an excufe will be admitted by the great fearcher of hearts? An excufe for what? For acting as an hypocrite, and for fupporting thofe grofs corruptions of the gospel which rob it of its beautiful fimplicity, and prove an infurmountable stumbling-block in the way of unbelievers of every denomination. If fuch an apology will acquit you, it will acquit the greatest finner upon earth; for fuch an one can plead that his habits are of too long a ftanding for him to root them up. The fact, however, is, that this confideration, inftead of excufing him, will ferve to aggravate his guilt and increase his punishment. Trifle, therefore, no longer -no longer confefs the truth in words, whilft in actions you deny it affert the fairness and fimplicity of your characters. Let the promise of our lord to thofe difciples who fhould act a confiftent part, animate you to furmount the difficulties which lie in your way. "He that findeth his life fhall lose it, and he that lofeth his life for my fake fhall find it." Matt. x. 39. In the present happy times, the friends of the truth have not thofe dreadful hardships to encounter, which in former days fell to the portion of those who ftood forth in oppofition to prevailing errors. But ftill, if you act agreeably to your convictions, you

muft

must expect to meet with fome reproach and oppofition. "In the world we muft have tribulation: but let us be of good cheer: our lord hath overcome the world." Let his example encourage us. Let us be neither terrified from bearing an unwavering teftimony to the truth, nor irritated against thofe who may condemn us. Ere long they may become our firmeft friends. And if it be otherwife, let us not render evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwife bleffing---in meekness inftructing those that oppose themselves. This is by no means inconfiftent with the most determined zeal for the truth. Let us always remember that it is not the men, but their errors, that we are to oppofe. Of the men, let us endeavour to think as charitably as poffible. Let us avoid putting the most unfavourable conftruction even upon their heat and violence. Let us not be ever ready to impute that behaviour to mere malice, which may really fpring from a fincere attachment to what they believe to be the truth. One fhould hope that the violence of perfecutors may fometimes be afcribed to the mistakes of the head, and not to the depravity of the heart. I trust that fome of thofe who would draw the sword against us on earth, will rejoice to meet us in heaven.

But whilft you exercise the greatest candour towards those who differ from you, permit me to recommend it to you to take every opportunity of attempting to correct their errors, and to give them jufter

notions of the chriftian religion. You, who have been educated. conformists, must enjoy many opportunities of doing this, which do not fall in the way of those whofe connections naturally lie among diffenters from the established church. You likewife are better able to enter into the feelings of churchmen than they are, and can afford a more unequivocal evidence, that a regard to truth, and to confiftency of character, has really some practical influence upon your own minds.

And whilft you are thus exerting yourselves let the excellence of your conduct be anfwerable to the warmth of your zeal. Those who greatly interest themselves in matters of religion, are always watched by the world with the most critical exactness, and are expected to live under the influence of that religion, about which they appear fo much concerned. Let your light, then, so shine before men, that they, seeing your good works, may glorify your father who is in heaven.

AN

ΑΝ

EXHORTATION

TO REFRAIN FROM

TRINITARIAN WORSHIP.

MY CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,

It is upon a matter of great importance that I am now about to address you. I trust you will pay all. poffible attention to what I am going to fay. May God almighty give you a serious, unprejudiced mind! May he open your eyes to the truth as delivered by the bleffed Jefus ! May he enable you to obey the dictates of your confciences, and to follow your honoured and beloved mafter, through evil report, or through good.report, through life or through death! It is under a fenfe of the prefence of the great God and, I trust, with a view to his honour and glory, that I now exhort you to turn from the worship of those who are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, and to confine your religious homage to that ONE GOD, THE FATHER, of whom are all things *.

You know, my brethren, it was foretold by the apoftles, that there fhould be a great falling away from the fimplicity of Chrift, and that the gospel,

1 Cor. viii. 5.

that

Their

that precious jewel, fhould be greatly tarnished, in paffing through the polluted hands of men. prophecy was remarkably fulfilled. Chriftianity was quickly disfigured. It was but about two hundred and fifty years ago, that those doctrines which we term the errors of popery, were firmly held by almost all the chriftian church: and when our forefathers began to discover their mistakes, the corruptions of christianity had gained fo firm a footing, and had been established fo many hundred years, that old gospel truths were looked upon by most men as mere novelties, and nothing was more common than for the catholics to cry out upon the proteftants> "Where was your doctrine before Luther arose ? Where was your church before king Edward's days?"

It was not to be expected, that men should at once obtain an unclouded view of christianity; that they should at once fee through all the errors which had been collecting together for more than a thousand years. Accordingly, though (in the midft of much infult and oppofition) they removed a great deal of rubbish from the fair gospel building, they fuffered no fmall quantity to remain: though they attacked, with all their might, one species of idolatry, they ftrained every nerve to fupport another, perfecuting unto death thofe who would worship no other being than the one GOD and Father of all. So generally has the doctrine of three eternal perfons (each of whom is