I content myself with faying, that public worship was from the very firft ages conftantly performed on the two ftationary days of each week; that all holydays appointed by the church were carefully obferved by the clergy, and the number of them now is not burthenfome: that where you can get a competent number to attend at these times, you will act a very pious and ufeful, as well as regular part: that your own houses will fometimes furnish a small congregation; and what fuccefs you may have with others, nothing but trials, repeated from time to time, can inform you. But they, whofe parishioners are the feweft and the bufieft of all, I hope do not fail of bringing them to church at the leaft on Good Friday, and Christmas Day, befides Sundays. For though in fome of your Answers to my Enquiries, these are not mentioned as prayer days, yet I prefume that this arofe from your taking it for granted I fhould underftand they were. But if in any place they be not, I earneftly entreat they may for at fuch times there can be no difficulty of getting a congregation. I hope likewife, that you are not wanting in due regard to thofe which are ufually called State Holydays: and particularly, that if the public faft, which hath been appointed thefe two laft years, fhould be continued (as we have but too much reafon to apprehend there will be need) I beg you will endeavour, not only to bring your parishioners to church on that occafion; but move them to fuch inward humiliation for their own fins, and fuch fervency of prayer for this moft corrupt and wicked nation, as may avert, if it be poffible, the juft judgments of God which fo vifibly threaten us.

You must have understood, Brethren, in all you have heard, that I am not exhorting you to promote in your parishes a mere form of godlinefs without the power. Outward obfervances, by whatever authority appointed, are only valuable in proportion as they proceed from a good heart and become means of edification and grace. They are always to be reverently regarded, but never refted in: for perfons may obferve without the least benefit, what they cannot omit without great fin. The bufinefs of your parishioners therefore is, fo to use the external part of religion, as to be inwardly improved by it in love to God and their fellow-creatures and in moral felf-government: and your bufinefs is to apply both your public and private diligence, that this happy end be effectually attained. You have under your care great numbers of poor creatures, living very laborious lives in this world, and depending almoft intirely on you for their hopes of another. It is a noble employment to direct their behaviour and lighten their toils here, by precepts and motives which lead them on at the fame time to happiness hereafter. You will be fure of their acknowledgments at leaft in proportion as you fuc'ceed in this work; but you will be rewarded by God in proportion as you endeavour it. Think not therefore, that I am laying burthens upon you, but only stirring up your minds by way of remembrance, and exhorting you fo to watch for the fouls of men as they that must give account, that you may do it with joy and not with grief. It is very little in my power either to increase or leffen your duty. Our bleffed Mafter hath fixed it, you have undertaken it: and were I to release you from ever fo great a part of it, I fhould only bring guilt on myfelf without acquitting you at all. The injunctions of the New Teftament, infinitely firicter than any of

men,

4

men, would continue to bind you as firmly as ever. Take heed therefore to the miniftry which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfil it. Having a fubject of fuch a nature to fpeak to you upon, and being able to speak to you in a body but once in three years, you must not wonder if I go fomewhat beyond the bounds of a common difcourse. There are many other things and very material ones, relating to you as parish minifters, which I could have wished to mention now: but I was willing to treat firft of fuch matters as belong more immediately to the worship of God. If it please him that I live to another vifitation, I fhall in that proceed to the reft. Permit me now to add but one word or two more upon a different fubject and I have done.

Whilft we are ferving Chriftianity here, with the advantage of a legal eftablishment and maintenance, there are vast multitudes of our fellowfubjects in America, their Negro-Slaves, and the neighbouring Indians, amongst whom the knowledge of God is taught, and the exercises of his worship supported, if at all, very imperfectly, and with great difficulty, by the Society for propagating the Gofpel: the income of which depends intirely on the voluntary contributions of good Chriftians; and is now reduced fo low, and burthened with such a debt, that they find it neceffary to propofe, this next year, according to the powers of their charter and with his Majefty's recommendatory letters, a general collection, which they have not had for above 20 years paft, to enable them to go on. Application will probably not be made to every parish feparately. But I hope every minifter will give this excellent defign all the affiftance in his power: fuch, as can afford it, either by becoming ftated contributors and members of the Society; or at leaft by fome occafional benefaction in this time of need; and all, by recommending the cafe to fuch of their people or acquaintance as they have reason to think will pay regard to it. If any perfon defires a more particular acquaintance with the nature and usefulness and prefent condition of this undertaking, I have given some account of these matters in a fermon at their anniverfary meeting lately published by me, and fhall be ready to give any of you farther information, who fhall either now or hereafter apply to me for it, perfonally or by letter.

But I must not yet conclude, without mentioning also the Society for promoting Chriftian knowledge: who are carrying on the fame good work in the East Indies, which that for propagating the Gospel is in the Weft; and at the fame time are promoting the cause of religion many ways here at home: particularly by felling at very low rates, Bibles, Common-Prayers, and numbers of other religious books, chiefly of fmall fizes, for the ufe of the poor. This they also are fupported in by voluntary benefactions: to which whoever is able to contribute, will do a very good work: and whoever can only purchase a few of their books for the ufe of his parishioners, fhall have both my best assistance in it, and my hearty thanks for it.

I do not mean at all in speaking of these things to prescribe to you the methods of your charity: but only to lay before you two very deferving ones, which may poffibly have escaped the notice of fome of you; and ta endeavour, that the cause of our Lord and Mafter may be served in as many ways as it can; for you must be fenfible how very great need

there

there is that none be neglected. By zealously making use of such as are presented to us, we may poffibly be of much more fervice to others than we expect but we shall be fure of doing infinite fervice to ourfelves. And may God ftir up the wills of all his faithful people, that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works may of him be plenteously rewarded through Jefus Christ our Lord (a).

(a) Collect for the 25th Sunday after Trinity.

A CHARGE

** CANNOT fpeak to you thus affembled, without congratuI lating you in the first place on the happy fuppreffion of that unnatural rebellion, which, fince we met laft, hath threatened our religion and liberties. Nor will either my duty, or my inclination, fuffer me to omit returning you my heartieft thanks, for the unanimous zeal, you expreffed against it; and I doubt not were ready to express, even before the exhortation to do so, which I was directed to fend you, and which you received with fo obliging a regard. Your behaviour, and that of the whole Clergy, on this trying occafion, hath abounded with fuch proofs of loyalty and affection to the government, under which

God's

God's mercy hath placed and continued us, that his Majefty hath,declared, he fhall ever have the ftrongeft fenfe of what you have done for the support of his throne, and gladly fhew his gratitude by any proper methods of extending his royal favour to you and to religion. It may be hoped also, that our fellow-fubjects will remember, what they owe, to our long-defpifed and reproached labours; and learn, how effential a part of the church of England is of our prefent establishment. Indeed, not only the more candid of thofe, who thought, amifs of, us, have acknowledged our merit now; but the lying lips are put to filence, which dif dainfully and defpitefully spoke against us (a). And let us go on, Brethren, to exprefs the warmest and most prudent zeal for what we doubly felt the value of, when we feared to lose it: and fo behave in this and all re¬ fpects, that they who are of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to fay of us (b). For however imperfectly men may do us juftice, our reward from God is fure.

I

10

I have recommended to you, in the courfe of my former vifitations, various parts of your duty first in general, as Ministers of the Gofpel in a vicious and profane age; then more particularly, as Incumbents of your refpective parishes. Under this latter head, I began with what immediately relates to the worship of God: and now proceed to another point, of a temporal nature indeed, as it may feem, but feveral ways connected with spirituals; the care you are bound to take of the incomes arifing from your benefices. Thefe endowments are facred to the purpofes of piety and charity and it is neither lawful for us to employ them unfuitably ourselves, nor to let any part of them become a prey to the avarice of others. The few that may appear to be larger than was neceflary, are in truth but needful encouragements to the breeding up of youth for holy orders. And were they leffened, either an infufficient number would be deftined to that fervice, or too many of them would be of the lowest rank, unable to bear the expence of acquiring due knowledge, and unlikely to be treated with due regard. Befides, the most plentiful of these revenues may be well applied to religious uses and therefore, as they have been dedicated, ought to continue appropriated, to them. But the generality of them, it will furely be owned, are finall enough: and a very great part left fo utterly incompetent, by the ravages of former times, that the little which remains, demands our Arictest care now. For, without it, poor Incumbents will not be able to maintain themselves decently, much lefs to exercife hofpitality and charity towards others. Yet on these things both their fpirit and their fuccels in doing their duty greatly depend. And therefore how indifferent fo. ever any of us may have caufe to be about our own interefts; we ought to confider ourselves as trustees for our fucceffors. We all blame our predeceffors, if they have not transmitted the patrimony of the church undiminished into our hands. Let us think then what others hereafter will fay of us, and with what reafon, if we are guilty of the fame fault; and give away for ever, what we should count it facrilege in any one elfe to take from us.

Indeed some perfons imagine or pretend that the only danger is of the Clergy's encroaching on the properties of the Laity, not neglecting their

(a) Pfal. xxxi. 20.

(b) Tit. ii. 8.

own.