OR

THE PREACHER'S GUIDE;

IN TWO PARTS.

PART I.

THE ART OF GETTING UP SERMONS.

PART II.

DELIVERY AND CANTING.

Transfigam.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR C. CHAPPLE, PALL-MALL, AND J. BLACKLOCK,

*

I AM aware that nothing ever was, nor ever will be written, with a view to expose the follies or imposture of the quacks in any profession, but the galled jades-those whom the cap fits, and who understand the satire feelingly-will endeavour to persuade the Public, that such an exposure of themselves individually, is an attack upon the profession at large. Dr. Solomon would doubtless exclaim, that the medical profes sion was in danger,-physic attempted to be brought into disrepute, should you say that his splendour is supported by the wages of imposture and fraud. And my Lady Sander son's husband, and my lady herself, would assuredly dis cover, that a blow was aimed at the Christian Religion, should his pulpit extravagance be treated with the derision which it merits. I am not, therefore, at all surprised to hear, that there are those who bring against the author of RELIGIONISM-the charge of “ an attack upon the Church." -Such a clamour was to be anticipated. But as no argue ments have yet been brought forward to substantiate the charge; nor has it, indeed, assumed a shape which I think worthy of notice,-I shall not at this time adduce any argu ments to refute it ;-but, conformably with my first reso lution, I will reserve all that I have got to say, in defence

vi

of the work, until it shall have sustained the fury of an attack, and need to be defended.

In this, courteous reader, thou wilt, of course, both allow me the credit of good generalship, (which is never more conspicuously displayed, than when it shews that it has a reserve for every emergency)—and also of dealing very fairly with my jury, the Public, in not attempting to bias their minds before the day of trial.

I shall, at this time, merely state to thee, what is meant by the Church, and when it may be said to be attacked;and leave thee to judge for thyself, whether I am justly chargeable with such an offence. I shall then be upon the same footing with thee, as those who raise the clamour.They cry out" an attack upon the Church." Thou wilt here learn what the expression means. Thou wilt then peruse the work; and I think thou wilt say,—that it deserves no such censure.

"The visible Church of Christ," says the nineteenth article, "is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments be duly administered, according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that are of necessity requisite to the same." Now this definition of the Church includes all faithful men,-clergy or laity, who hold the pure word of God, and receive the sacraments according to the ordinance of Christ ;-that is to say, it is not applied to the clergy exclusively. The clergy are the ministers of the Church, and, as far as they go, and are faithful ministers, are the Church itself: but they have no more claim to that title exclusively, than any other body of faithful men. An attack upon the Clergy at large would therefore not be (ipso facto) an attack upon

-

vii

the Church. The Church can only be attacked through its doctrines and discipline. If any one should maintain that the articles (or any of them) of the Established Church, are not the pure word of God, he would of course be justly chargeable with attacking the Church,-through its doctrines. And if he should maintain, that the sacraments are not duly administered, according to Christ's ordinance, he would commit the offence of attacking it through its discipline. But I maintain, that no attack upon the Clergy, which meddles not with these points, is reprehensible on that ground. If I should assert, that pluralism is a great abomination, and that it is an insuperable obstacle to the growth of true religion (as the people can never, nor ought to be, persuaded, that the Clergy are sincere believers in the doctrines which they preach, while they observe their practice to be so diametrically opposite) I humbly conceive, I should be so far from attacking the Church, that I should be its advocate. For although plurality of benefices be countenanced by the canons, I recollect no canon which makes it heresy for a man to say, that such things ought not to be. And should I affirm, that the mode of preaching, which has long been in use among the Clergy of the establishment, is disgraceful to them, and justly brings upon them the charge of laziness, inability, want of zeal, and want of knowledge, I will not admit, that I should do any violence to the Church. For neither article nor canon has directed, that sermons shall be delivered, after the manner that school-boys deliver their lessons; but this practice was the innovation of an age of profligacy;-and in any other but an age of profligacy, it would be reformed. And if to attack the Clergy at large, would not be (ipso facto) an attack upon the Church; much