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A SECOND ADDRESS

то THE

MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND,

AND то

PROTESTANT TRINITARIANS IN GENERAL,

"We worship the Father, in fpirit and in truth: for the Father feeketh fuch to worship him."

John iv. 23.

[Re-printed from the fecond edition, 1789. ]

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I TOOK the liberty of exhorting you, in a former addrefs, to turn from the fanciful gods, which, through falfe notions of fcripture, you worship in the place of the one true God, the God and Father of our lord Jefus Chrift. I fhall now fhew you more fully from scripture, that the God and Father of Jesus Chrift is the only true object of worship; proving it to you from the exprefs commands of our faviour, his own practice, and that of his apostles.

I need not premise to you, brethren, that the command and practice of our lord and faviour ought to be the guide of your actions. You profefs to believe in Chrift; you are therefore bound to obey him. Let us then firft examine what he fays refpecting the object of our worship.

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Our faviour, in his excellent fermon on the mount, and again, on the request of his disciples to be inftructed how to pray, gives us a plain rule on this fubject: "After this manner, therefore, pray ye, Our "Father, who art in heaven*." No precept can be clearer; and it is repeated frequently, with promises, that the Father would hear their prayers. "But

"thou when thou prayeft, enter into thy closet, and "when thou haft fhut thy door, pray to thy Father, "who is in fecret; and thy Father who feeth in "fecret, fhall reward thee openly +. Verily, verily, I

fay unto you, whatsoever ye fhall afk of the Father "in my name, he will give it you. And when ye ❝ftand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against 46 any, that your Father alfo, who is in heaven, may "forgive you your trefpaffes §. If ye then, being evil, "know how to give good gifts unto your children; ❝how much more fhall your Father, who is in hea"ven, give good things to them that afk him [. "Again, I fay unto you, that if two of you shall

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agree on earth, as touching any thing that they "shall afk, it shall be done for them of my Father, "who is in heaven¶".

Our faviour, indeed, had no idea of any other object of worship befides the true

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God, and quotes a paffage

+ Matth. vi. 6.

§ Mark xi. 25.

Matt. xviii. 19.

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