humble authority, and modeft refolution, and meek integrity, and prudent zeal. To infift upon this, will be called preaching up ourselves, and magnifying our office; and perhaps the fubject might be treated to more advantage by those who are not personally concerned in it. But thus much, without breach of decency, we may foftly infinuate, and the sober part of the world will bear witness to it-that we ufurp no dominion over men's confciences, or perfons, or purfes; that we pretend not to what every Prieft of the Romish Church affumes, every gifted Saint, and illuminated Fanatic. And yet, for want of a better objection, we have been accused of formal state, and spiritual pride, and of bearing ourfelves as Emballadors of heaven, a phrase which we never much affected. For this, the Drunkards make fongs upon us, and grimacing Ridicule aims at fomething, that is meant for a jeft. They will not grant us, it seems, what the Devil paid to Paul and Silas, when he said, Thefe men are fervants of the Moft High God, which fhew unto us the way of falvation. But it is to fmall purpose to expoftulate with perfons, whofe Politeness hath refined away their manners, and whofe Tafte hath eaten up their understanding; and it is altogether unneceffary to warn them, not to make an ill use of their Wit. Happy would they be, if they were as fecure from all other danger; for, in this refpect, they may fairly claim a place amongst thofe, to whom little has been given; and of whom, confequently, little will be required. "But," it may be said, "after all, over-bearing haughtiness and folemn pride are bad things, and deferve blame." Very true; nor are we backward to disapprove them. We are not unwilling to condemn all pride in general; and in particular that poor and filly pride, which makes a man exalt himfelf on account of his ftation, and thereby confefs that he has nothing better to be proud of: Nor have we any thing to plead in behalf of cold and distant airs, or of that forbidding gravity, which has been called, well enough, "a myftery of the Body, invented to conceal the imperfections of the Understanding." There are particular feafons and occafions for particular exhortations; as when a person is advanced to any high ftation in the Chriftian republic: It is then expedient that he fhould be admonished to beware of himself, and to remember what God and men expect from him; and every one who deferves fuch a station, will take it kindly, to be thus reminded of his duty. In St. Paul's exhortations to Timothy and to Titus, there is fomething, which, according to our modern ideas of civility, muft appear ftrange. To exhort fuch perfons that they avoid what is evil, and practise what is good, feems to us a tacit infinuation, that they are deficient in their duty, or, at least, a kind of fuperfluous profufion of counfel. But, in the opinion of St. Paul, no man was too fkilful, or too high, or too holy, to be exhorted and advised. In the Apoftolical writings we fee an unaffected fim plicity plicity of fentiment and diction, which, when it is found in other ancient authors, never fails to please the judicious; and ufually furpaffes ftudied thoughts and laboured fentences, as much as Nature is fuperior to Art.- One good man admonishes another with a candid freedom, and gives him a leflon of caution and humility, upon the fuppofition, that none is entirely fafe and quite remote from all fpiritual danger, whilft he is in a state of probation. The divine Wisdom, which would not level threatenings against impoffibilities, has made a folemn commination,-When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness which is enough to make a righteous man tremble. A perfon may continue fuch for a confiderable time; fo far true to his duty, as to contract no very foul fpot; till at length fome imperious Temptation demands admittance; and then Virtue, Conscience, Honour, Religion, fall before her, to the surprise of men, and to the grief of Angels. Admonition therefore is right and fit; and fo judges our Church, and has made a provision for it in the Office of Confecration. It may be thought that the Admonition in the Office is a proper fubject to be affumed and enlarged upon in a discourse; and so it would, if it were in fuitable hands. The elders, fays St. Peter, I exhort, who am alfo an elder. It is impoffible to attempt it in the prefence of one, who, as in all A a 4 other other refpects, fo, in eminence of ftation, is far better qualified to perform it. Shall we then difcourfe concerning the Degrees of facred offices, and the form of Church government which is here established; and vindicate it from the rude afperfions of fome, and the weak prejudices of others? This is a discouraging fubject, for it has been frequently and fully difcuffed, and nothing new can be offered upon it worthy to engage attention. But from the mention of it we may take occafion to admonish and exhort men, to set a just esteem upon the religion which the kind Providence of God has preferved amongst us, and by which we are as advantageously distinguished as we can reasonably expect; for Perfection davells not here below. Whofoever knows, even fuperficially, what paffes and has paffed in the Christian world, knows what has been the spirit and the conduct of fome Synods and Affemblies, will not fay any thing harder of Proteftant brethren; and what the imperiousness of that Church, which calls herfelf the Mother and the Mistress of all Churches; and what the procedures of the Inquifition; which he who has feen, has beheld a * Of one who has been in the Inquifition, it might be faid, Tænarias etiam fauces, alta oftia Ditis, Et caligantem nigrå formidine lucum Ingreffus, Manefque adiit, Regemque tremendum, I VIRG. Georg. IV. 467. more This might ferve for a faint representation. more formidable reprefentation of the infernal regions, than even poetic fancy ever painted. It is to be hoped that our love for our own Church has been rather increafed than diminished, by the apprehenfions which we had, not long ago, of her falling into the hands of her worft enemies. Our eyes then viewed her, as they pursue the mild and gentle light of the setting fun :* we then began to understand her value, because we then feared to lofe her. Shall I proceed to speak more particularly concerning the person now appointed to the Epifcopal function? Inclination draws that way, and words present themselves unfought; and it is a pleasure to utter them, when the heart and the tongue confpire together, and Truth guides them both: But the Cenforious would pronounce it Flattery, and the Severe would call it injudicious Gratitude. It is better to be filent, than to be fufpected of offering what is not fit for the one to give, and the other to receive. Shall we then rather fpeak in general of the discreet choice which is made of perfons to prefide over us in Church and State? Many would fay that this was paying compliments to the Age, at the expense of truth. It were no hard task to confute them; but, declining this, for several Ut effe folis gratius lumen folet reafons, |