or metaphyfic fubtleties, or ignorant mifrepresentations, or unwarranted affertions, as unanswerable arguments against revelation; and a very flight reflection will convince you, that it will certainly be for your reputation, to employ the flippancy of your rhetoric, and the poignancy of your ridicule, upon any subject, rather than upon the fubject of Religion. I TAKE my leave with recommending to your notice, the advice which Mr. Locke gave to a young man, who was defirous of becoming acquainted with the doctrines of the Christian religion. Study the holy fcripture, especially the new Teftament: Therein are contained the words of eternal life. It has God for it's author; Salvation for it's end; and Truth without any mixture of error for it's matter*. A LETTER, &c. MY LORD, Y OUR Grace, by confecrating me a Bishop, has not encreased my zeal to ferve the cause of Christianity, but you have afforded me a better opportunity of doing it, than I could poffibly have had as a private man; for this addrefs, which it might have been thought great prefumption in me to have offered before, may now, I hope, be presented to your Grace, without my curring the imputation of intruding into matters not appertaining to my situation in life. in It would be doing great injustice to your Grace's well-known candour and regard for every thing refpecting the good of the Church, to entertain the leaft doubt of your giving an unprejudiced attention to what I have to offer; but to conciliate a fimilar attention from minds less liberally difpofed, it may be neceffary to declare, which I now do, in the most folemn manner, that I have no private view, direct or indirect, in what I am about to propose: Nor is the matter now hastily conceived by me, in consequence of my promotion, nor introduced from a filly vanity of being looked upon as a Reformer; a character which in all ages has met with as much detraction as praise; but it has long dwelt upon my mind; I have revolved it in various ways; I have canvaffed it in converfation, inter Sylvas Academi, with men of difinterested probity, true Chriftian fimplicity, and excellent erudition; and from the most serious conviction of duty, I am emboldened to make the attempt of promoting, as in my confcience I am perfuaded, the interefts of the Chriftian Religion, and the true dignity of the Establifhed Church. - Thefe, it may be faid, and it is truly faid, are but different expreffions for the fame thing; for there can be no true dignity in any Church Establishment, except what is derived to it from it's being the most useful mean of inculcating the |
