fore, that every part of a liturgy were perfonally applicable to every individual in the congregation; and that nothing were introduced to interrupt the paffion, or damp a flame which it is not eafy to rekindle. Upon this principle, the state prayers in our liturgy fhould be fewer and fhorter. Whatever may be pretended, the congregation do not feel that concern in the fubject of thefe prayers, which must be felt, or ever prayer be made to God with earnestnefs. The ftate ftyle likewife feems unfeasonably introduced into these prayers, as ill-according with that annihilation of human greatnefs, of which every act that carries the mind to God presents the idea. IV. That it contain as few controverted propofitions as poffible.

We allow to each church the truth of its peculiar tenets, and all the importance which zeal can afcribe to them. We difpute not here the right or the expediency of framing creeds, or of impofing fubfcriptions. But why fhould every pofition which a church maintains be woven with fo much induftry into her forms of public worship? Some are offended, and fome are excluded: this is an evil in itself, at least to them and what advantage or fatisfaction can be derived to the rest, from the feparation of their brethren, it is difficult to imagine; unless it were a duty, to publish our fyftem of polemic divinity, under the name of making confeflion of our faith every time we worship God; or a fin, to agree in religious exercifes with thofe, from whom we differ in fome religious opinions. Indeed, where one man thinks it his duty conftantly to worship a being, whom another cannot, with the affent of his confcience, permit himself to worship at all, there feems to be no place for comprehenfion, or any expedient left but a quiet feceflion. All other differences may be compromised by filence. If fects and fchifms be an evil, they are as much to be avoided by one fide as the

other.

other. If fectaries are blamed for taking unneceffary offence, established churches are no lefs culpable for unneceffarily giving it: they are bound at least to produce a command, or a reason of equiva, lent utility, for fhutting out any from their communion, by mixing with divine worship doctrines, which, whether true or falfe, are unconnected, in their nature, with devotion.

CHAP.

CHA P. VI.

OF THE USE OF SABBATICAL INSTITUTIONS.

A

N affembly cannot be collected, unless the time of affembling be fixed and known beforehand; and if the defign of the affembly require that it be held frequently, it is eafieft that it fhould return at stated intervals. This produces a neceffity of appropriating fet feafons to the focial offices of religion. It is alfo highly convenient, that the jame feafons be obferved throughout the country, that all may be employed, or all at leifure together; for, if the recefs from worldly occupation be not general, one man's bufinefs will perpetually interfere with another man's devotion; the buyer will be calling at the shop when the feller is gone to church. This part, therefore, of the religious diftinction of feafons, namely, a general intermiflion of labour and bufinefs during times previoufly fet, apart for the exercife of public worship, is founded in the reafons which make public worship itself a duty. But the celebration of divine fervice never occupies the whole day. What remains, therefore, of Sunday, befide the part of it employed at church, must be confidered as a mere reft from the ordinary occupations of civil life; and he who would defend the inftitution, as it is required to be observed in Chriftian countries, unless he can produce a command for a Chriftian fabbath, must point out the ufes of it in that view.

First then, that interval of relaxation which Sunday affords to the laborious part of mankind contributes greatly to the comfort and fatisfaction of their lives, both as it refreshes them for the time, and as it relieves their fix days labour by the prof

pect

pect of a day of reft always approaching; which could not be faid of cafual indulgences of leisure and reft, even were they more frequent than there is reason to expect they would be, if left to the difcretion or humanity of interefted task-mafters. To this difference it may be added, that holidays, which come feldom and unexpected, are unprovided, when they do come, with any duty of employment; and the manner of spending them being regulated by no public decency or established ufage, they are commonly confumed in rude, if not criminal pastimes, in ftupid floth or brutish intemperance. Whoever confiders how much fabbatical inftitutions conduce, in this respect, to the happiness and civilization of the labouring claffes of mankind, and reflects how great a majority of the human fpecies thefe claffes compofe, will acknowledge the utility, whatever he may believe of the origin, of this diftinction; and will, confequently, perceive it to be every man's duty to uphold the obfervation of Sunday when once established, let the establishment have proceeded from whom or from what authority it will.

Nor is there any thing loft to the community by the intermiffion of public induftry one day in the week. For in countries tolerably advanced in population and the arts of civil life, there is always enough of human labour, and to fpare. The difficulty is not fo much to procure, as to employ it. The addition of the seventh day's labour to that of the other fix would have no other effect than to reduce the price. The labourer himself, who deferved and fuffered moft by the change, would gain nothing.

2. Sunday, by fufpending many public diverfions, and the ordinary rotation of employment, leaves to men of all ranks and profeffions fufficient leifure, and not more than what is fufficient, both for the external offices of Chriftianity, and the retired, but equally neceflary duties of religious meditation and

inquiry.

d

inquiry. It is true, that many do not convert their leifure to this purpose; but it is of moment, and is all which a public conftitution can effect, that to every one be allowed the opportunity.

3. They whofe humanity embraces the whole fenfitive creation will efteem it no inconfiderable recommendation of a weekly return of public reft, that it affords a refpite to the toil of brutes. Nor can we omit to recount this amongst the ufes, which the divine founder of the Jewish fabbath exprefsly appointed a law of the inftitution.

We admit, that none of these reasons show why Sunday should be preferred to any other day in the week, or one day in feven to one day in fix or eight: but these points, which in their nature are of arbitrary determination, being established to our hands, our obligation applies to the fubfifting establishment, fo long as we confefs, that fome fuch inftitution is neceffary, and are neither able, nor attempt to fubftitute any other in its place.

CHAP.