sions--GOOD--BAD-AND indifferent.--Irs laws are canons-SOME confirmed by parliamentOTHERS Not-ALL enforced by penal sanctions.ITs support is worldly riches-SAVED out of the shipwreck of that pirate-THE pope.-Irs supreme head is a king-OR a queen-LUTHERAN-PRESBYTERIAN-PRELATICAL--OR popish.-It has existed under all—AND served the views of each. THE officers of this church are all unknown to scripture.-THE same head is both the legislative --AND executive power.-UNDER him by commission are archbishops-wнo superintend diocesan bishops-WHO have under them deansWHO are over canons-AND prebendaries-RECTORS-VICARS-CURATES. THE first create the last AND the last swear obedience to the first.PRELATES are lords of parliament—THEY have a sole power of ordination-CONFIRMATIONCONSECRATION-A secular power to issue out writs in their own names-ro hold courts of judicature -To sentence without a jury-ro transact business relative to marriages--WILLS-ADMINISTRATIONS - AND for these purposes THEY have AND officers CHANCELLORS DEACONS COMMISSARIES-VICARS general-OFFICIALS- SURROGATES-PROCTORS-REGISTERS -APPARITORS, &c.-To describe their names-POWER-EMPLOYMENTS, &c. Would have puzzled the twelve inspired apostles. courts -- ARCH THE public worship of the episcopal church is by a stated liturgy-A defective book in every point of view.-ITs authority entirely human-IT conducted partly by a priest-WHO reads-AND partly by the people-wнo make responses --PARTLY in a desk-PARTLY at the communion table, &c.-IN cathedrals it is chaunted.-IT is composed of genuine-AND apocryphal scripturesCREEDS opposite to each other-PRAYERS of scrip ture-FATHERS-MASS-BOOK-POLITICAL max-INFANTS are ques ims-AND state-designs. tioned-BOYS are taught falshoods AND afterward confirmed-BREAD and wine are consecrated -THE sick are absolved-SERVICES are said for the Stuarts-HERETICKS are execrated &c. THERE are errors of every kind in it-LITERARY PHILOSOPHICAL -PHILOLOGICAL THEO LOGICAL THE very scriptures are burlesqued by being turned into question and answer.- THE whole is unnecessary-and unwarrantable--AND the imposition of it despotical. THE episcopal church claims a right of ordain ing ceremonies-AND practices many-CONSECRATING places-BOWING to the east-AND at the name of Jesus-SPRINKLING infants-SIGNING with the sign of the cross-REQUIRING sponsors-AFFECTING great pomp-AND mystery at what they call the sacrament-KNEELING to receive it.-THE actors all venerate certain habits AS lawn sleeves-SURPLICES GOWNS-CASHOODS &c. OBSERVING beside Lord's days-ONE hundred and fifty holidays each year-CHRISTENING at the west end of their buildings-TAKING their sacrament at the east-READING in one place--PREACHING in another-DE SOCKS P CORATING with pictures-ORGANS-BELLSPUTTING on a ring in marriage- &c.THE whole ritual is unordained by God-UNPROFITABLE in divine worship-EXPENSIVE-HETEROGENEOUS AND hurtful to popular piety-BY employing the little time AND capacities of the common people about trifles-GENERALLY rendered hateful to them by the slovenly manner in which they are performed.-WERE the ceremonies got decently through-THEY would be silly enough to take them for piety-WHICH now they hate for the sake of its pretended garb. Finish-BY accounting for the quiet acquiescence of the bulk of the people in this kind of worship.- OBSERVE that many never goTHAT numbers, who do, are totally ignorantTHAT many are interested, being paid for attending-IN various methods-THAT many peopleYEA priests complain groan-and go on.THAT people, who never once thought of religious liberty, make very good conformists-THAT they who aspire at it are driven away.—THAT divine worship is a sort of system-MADE up of mental excellencies AND expressed by cautious -commanded-obedience-THAT it requires quire these. THAT most men love ease—AND prefer a quiet submission to what is-before a diligent search of what ought to be.-THAT, however, to hold communion on condition of putting out an eye is a reproach-To him who proposes AND to him who yields to it.-NONCONFORMITY then is justifiable. See 1 Samuel xi. 1 &c. I LECTURE VI. History of the times of Charles I. INTRODUCTION. ONE capital artifice of high-churchmen is to impute their own vices to others AND to impute other people's excellencies to themselves.-EPISCOPACY has not varied from the day kings created it. It has always been a hireling state of servitude. -WHEN it serves prerogative it produces national calamities—AND then transfers the guilt to others. WHEN the people force it not to disserve the cause of civil liberty-IT complains at firstAND at last boldly attributes beneficial consequences to itself. Ir generates infidelity and immorality-AND when learned and laborious writers rescue religion from both-IT publishes sixpenny annual sermons-AND a few trite essays-AND runs away with the whole applause. CHARLES came to the crown under great disadvantages-HIS education had been perverted-His capacity was none of the best—HIS temper gloomy -HIS notions of government despotical-UXORIOUSNESS AND favouritism-led him to fill up his measure. His father left him weak statesmenAND wicked churchmen-A council table-A star chamber-AND a high-commission-court-a discontented parliament AND an oppressed people all divided into endless factions-WORK for a wise prince in the hands of a weak one.-THIS was what James's king-craft came to! LAUD-NEILE-MONTAGUE-MANWARING— SIBTHORPE AND other such slavish tools of despotism-endeavoured by all means to render the king absolute-THEY persecuted the puritans— RESTRAINED the liberty of the press-ADVISED the king to reign without law-PALLIATED popery-ELEVATED arminianism-AND drove the nation to side with the puritans-IN order to stem a torrent of civil despotism. CHARLES and LAUD revived the book of sports SUPPRESSED lecturers-AND encouraged ignorance-AIMED to unite the episcopal and papal churches-IMPOSED a liturgy on the Scots.-PuRITANS fled to New England.-THE English were oppressed with proclamations instead of laws.THE Scotch were dragooned-THE Irish massacred.--THE prelates AND the court clergy were the only persons not harrassed-THEY fattened on the vitals of their country.-THEY defeated the reformation the constitution—AND obliged the parliament to suppress prelacy for the nation's safety-AND to take up arms against Charles the patron of prelacy and tyranny-To secure the lives―LIBERTIES AND properties-OF the whole British empire. CHARLES had three favourite schemes-AND all, his administration was directed towards the establishment of them.-1. RAISING the power of the crown above law.-2. EXTENDING episcopacy over all his dominions-As that system of religion -RUINED COMMERCE DISSOLVED |