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FARTHER APPEAL

To MEN of

REASON and RELIGION.

I. 1.

PART III.

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OW, what can an impartial Perfon think concerning the Prefent State of Religion in England? Is there a Nation under the Sun which is fo deeply fallen, from the very First Principles of all Religion? Where is the Country, in which is found fo. utter a Difregard to even Heathen Morality? Such a thorough Contempt of Justice, and Truth, and all that should be dear and honourable to rational Creatures.

What Species of Vice can poffibly be named, even of thofe that Nature itself abhors, of which we have not had, for many Years, a plentiful and still increafing Harveft? What Sin remains either in Rome or Conftantinople, which we have not imported long ago (if it was not of our native Growth) and improved upon ever fince? Such a Complication of Villanies of every Kind, confider'd with all their Aggravations, fuch a Scorn of whatever

whatever bears the Face of Virtue, fuch Injustice, Fraud and Falfhood: Above all, fuch Perjury, and fuch a Method of Law, we may defy the whole World to produce.

What Multitudes are found throughout our Land, who do not even profefs any Religion at all? And what Numbers of those who profess much, confute their Profeffion by their Practice? Yea, and perhaps by their exorbitant Pride, Vanity, Covetoufnefs, Rapaciousness or Oppreffion, cause the very Name of Religion, to ftink in the Noftrils, of many (otherwise) Reasonable Men?

2. "However, we have many thousands ftill, of truly Virtuous and Religious Men." Wherein does their Religion confift? In Righteousness and True Holiness? In Love ftronger than Death? Fervent Gratitude to GOD? and tender Affection to all his Creatures? Is their Religion, the Religion of the Heart? A Renewal of Soul in the Image of GOD? Do they refemble him they worship? Are they free from Pride, from Vanity, from Malice and Envy; from Ambition and Avarice, from Paffion and Luft; from every uneafy and unlovely Temper? Alas, I fear neither they (the greater Part at leaft) nor you, know what this Religion means; or have any more Notion of it, than the Peasant that holds the Plough, of the Religion of a Gymnofophift.

'Tis well if the Genuine Religion of Chrift has any more Alliance with what you call Religion, than with the Turkish Pilgrimages to Mecca, or the Popif Worship of our Lady of Loretto. Have not you fubftituted in the Place of the Religion of the Heart, fomething (I do not fay equally finful, but) equally vain, and foreign to the worshipping of GoD in Spirit and in Truth? What elfe can be faid even of Prayer, (Publick or Private) in the Manner wherein you generally perform it? As a thing of course, running round and round, in the fame dull Track, without either the Knowledge or Love of GOD? Without one Heavenly Temper, either attained or improved? O what Mockery of God is this!

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And yet even this Religion, which can do you no Good, may do you much Harm. Nay, 'tis plain, it does It daily increases your Pride, as you measure your Goodness by the Number and Length of your Per formances. It gives you a deep Contempt of thofe, who do not come up to the full Tale of your Virtues. It infpires Men with a Zeal, which is the very Fire of Hell, furious, bitter, implacable, unmerciful; often to a Degree that extinguishes all Compaffion, all good Nature and Humanity. Infomuch that the execrable Fierceness of Spirit, which is the natural Fruit of fuch a Religion, hath many times, in fpite of all Ties, divine and human, broke out into open Violence, into Rapine, Murder, Sedition, Rebellion, Civil War, to the Defolation of whole Cities and Countries.

Tantum hæc Religio potuit fuadere malorum!

3. Now if there be a GoD, and one that is not a mere idle Spectator of the Things that are done upon Earth, but a Rewarder of Men and Nations according to their Works, what can the Event of thefe things be? It was reasonable to believe, that he would have rifen long ago, and maintained his own Caufe, either by fending the Famine or Peftilence among us, or by pouring out his Fury in Blood. And many wife and holy Men have frequently declared, That they daily expected this; that they daily looked for the Patience of GOD to give place, and Judgment to rejoice over Mercy.

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4. Juft at this Time, when we wanted little of filling up the Measure of our Iniquities, two or three Clergymen of the Church of England began vehemently to call Sinners to Repentance. In two or three Years they had founded the fame Alarm, to the utmoft Borders of the Land. Many Thousands gathered together to hear them; and in every Place where they came, many began to fhew' fuch a Concern for Reli gion, as they never had done before. A ftronger Impreffion was made on their Minds, of the Importance of things eternal, and they had more earnest Defires

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of ferving GOD, than they had ever had from their earliest Childhood. Thus did GoD begin to draw them toward himself, with the Cords of Love, with the Bands of a Man.

Many of thefe were in a fhort Time deeply convinced of the Number and Heinoufness of their Sins." They were also made throughly fenfible of those Tempers, which are juftly hateful to GoD and Man, and of their utter Ignorance of God, and entire Inability, either to know, love or ferve him. At the fame time, they faw in the ftrongeft Light, the Infignificancy of their outfide Religion: Nay, and often confefs'd it before GOD, as the most abominable Hypocrify. Thus did they fink deeper and deeper into that Repentance, which must ever precide Faith in the Son of God.

And from hence fprung Fruits meet for Repentance. The Drunkard commenced fober and temperate. The Whoremonger abstained from Adultery and Fornication; the Unjuft from Oppreffion and Wrong. He that had been accustomed to curfe and fwear, for many Years, now fwore no more. The Sluggard began to work with his Hands, that he might eat his own Bread. The Mifer learned to deal his Bread to the Hungry, and to cover the Naked with a Garment. Indeed the whole Form of their Life was changed. They had left off doing Evil and learn'd to do well.

5. But this was not all. Over and above this outward Change, they began to experience inward Religion. The Love of GOD was fhed abroad in their Hearts, which they continue to enjoy to this Day. They love him, because he first loved us, and withheld not from us his Son, his only Son. And this Love conftrains them to love all Mankind, all the Children of the Father of Heaven and Earth, and inspires them with every holy and heavenly Temper, the whole Mind that was in Chrift. Hence it is that they are now uniform in their Behaviour, unblameable in all manner of Conversation. And in whatfoever State they are, they have learned therewith to be content: Infomuch that now they can in every thing give Thanks: They more than patiently acquiefce, they rejoice and are exceeding

glad,