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troverfies, ancient and modern, with the tenets of the feveral fects and herefies; without a competent skill in which he can never be able to elucidate those texts, which are applied in the support of thofe feveral opinions. Belides thefe qualifications, there is one, which all writers on the fubject have fpoken of as indifpenfably requifite, that is, a pious and devout frame of mind; a spirit like that, with which the fcriptures are written; without this, accompanied by a holy, fedate, and contemplative life, all the wifeft and beft of chriftians have agreed, that no man is qualified to expound the oracles of God.-Serious application, continued labour, long experience much study, folid judgment, united with the qualifications above mentioned, might lead us to hope for valuable fruits in a commenta

tor.

Thefe, fir, are fome of the things requifite, and which, indeed, mult be found in every man, who defires his attempts upon the Bible to fucceed. How great then must be the indignation of every fenfible man, and how fincere the concern of every true Chriftian, to fee this, moft venerable of all books, hackneyed through the hands of bookfellers, and retailed daily, not for the great ends of piety, virtue, and knowtedge, but with the most mercenary and felfifh views. Some there are, with grief I fpeak it, who dare to introduce into the world the oracles of truth with a lie in their mouths, with feigned names and falfe titles: Others, who think it enough, if, from the former labours of able and worthy men, they plunder without confcience, and without gratitude patch up their fheet, gain their

fcanty guinea, and dine! wiele others, with unblufhing hypocrify, pretend a zeal for the Lord, and a concern for the falvation of precious fouls; when it is notorioufly known, that they are only the tools of bookfellers, and draw the hireling pen as if the inftruments of fcheming trade! while, without breach of clarity, it may be faid of all, that they are eminently deficient in thofe leading qualifications which are neceflary to confutute a commentator on the holy fcriptures-this-tranflations of which how can they have the arrogance to propose to correct, who, I will venture to aflirm, many of them, cannot even read one of the languages at least in which thofe fcriptures were written.

Thus much, fir, I thought due from me as an honelt man, and a well-wisher to Christianity, in order to undeceive the ignorant, but wellmeaning; to put a check, it poffible, to this fcandalous traffic; to throw a proper contempt upon the low and mercenary dealers in it, injurious as it is to the cause of true religion and virtue; while at the fame time, I would be as forward, and would exhort all within my fphere to be fo, in promoting the labours of any man of known learning, known abilities, known experience, and known piety; but till fuch a one fhall appear amongst us, let us be content with thofe many useful and excellent comments we already have upon the fcriptures, nor be forward to encourage thofe who handle God's word only for hire, and fteal honey from the hives of others, to fupply their own deftciencies. As I know not any reason why I fhould conceal my name, where the word of God, Truth,

an

and Religion, are fo much concerned, I readily fubfcribe it, as ready, if neceffary, to make good what I have advanced.

I am, fir, Surry, Aug. Your humble fervant, 1, 1761. PETER ALDREGE.

of religion, while in England they are fcarcely awakened into a fenfe of its duties, even in circumstances of the greateft distress.

This diffolute and fearless conduct foreigners are apt to attribute to climate and conftitution; may not the vulgar, being pretty much neglected in our exhortations from the

Some remarks on the modern man- pulpit, be a confpiring, caufe? Our

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ner of preaching.

T is allowed on all hands, that our English divines receive a more liberal education, and improve that education by frequent fludy, more than any others of this reverend profeffion in Europe. In general alfo, it may be obferved, that a greater degree of gentility is af fixed to the character of a student in England than elsewhere, by which means our clergy have an opportunity of feeing better company while young, and of fooner wearing off thofe prejudices, which they are apt to imbibe even in the best regulated univerfities, and which may be justly termed the vulgar errors of the literary republic.

Yet with all these advantages it is very obvious, that the clergy are no where fo little thought of, by the populace, as here; and though our divines are foremost, with refpect to abilities, yet they are found laft in the effects of their miniftry; the vulgar, in general, appearing no way impreffed with a fenfe of religious duty. I am not for complaining of the depravity of the times, or for endeavouring to paint a profpest more gloomy than in nature; but certain it is, no perfon who has tavelled will contradict me, when I aver, that the lower orders of mankind in other countries tellify on every occasion the profoundelt awe

divines feldom ftoop to their men capacities, and they who want inftruction moft, find leaft in our religious affemblies.

Whatever may become of the higher orders of mankind, who are generally poffeffed of collateral motives to virtue, the vulgar fhould be particularly regarded, whofe behaviour in civil life, is totally hinged upon their hopes and fears. Thofe who conftitute the basis of the great fabrick of fociety, should be particularly regarded; for in policy, as in architecture, ruin is moft fatal when it begins from the bottom.

Men of real fenfe and understanding prefer a prudent mediocrity to a precarious popularity; and, fearing to overdo their duty, leave it half undone. Their discourses from the pulpit are generally dry, methodi cal, and unaffecting; delivered with the most infipid calmnefs, infomuch, that fhould the peaceful preacher lift his head over the cufhion, which alone he feems to addrefs, he might, difcover his audience, inftead of being awakened into remorfe, acinally fleeping over his methodical and laboured compofition.

This method of preaching is, however, by fome called an addrefs to reafon, and not to the paffions; this is filed the making of converts from conviction; but fuch ara indiferently acquainted with human nature, who are not fenfible, that

men

men feldom reafon about their debaucheries till they are committed; reafon is but a weak antagonist when headlong paffion dictates; in all fuch cafes we should arm one paffion against another; it is with the human mind as in nature, from the mixture of two oppofites the refult is moft frequent neutral tranquillity. Thofe who attempt to reafon us out of our follies, begin at the wrong end, fince the attempt naturally prefuppofes us capable of reafon; but to be made capable of this, is one great point of the cure.

There are but few talents requifite to become a popular preacher, for the people are eafily pleafed if they perceive any endeavours in the orator to please them; the meaneft qualifications will work this effect, if the preacher fincerely fets about it. Perhaps little, very little more is required, than fincerity and affurance; and à becoming fincerity is always certain of producing a becoming affurance. Si vis me flere, dolendum est primum ipsi tibi, is so trite a quotation, that it almost demands an apology to repeat it; yet tho' all allow the juftice of the remark, how few do we find put it in practice; our orators with the most faulty bafhfulness, feem impreffed rather with an awe of their audience, than with a juft refpect for the truths they are about to deliver; they of all profeffions feem the most bafhful, who have the greateft right to glory in their commiffion.

The French preachers generally affume all that dignity, which becomes men who are ambaffadors from Chrift; the English divines, like erroneous envoys, feem more folicitous not to offend the court to which they are fent, than to drive home the interefts of their employer.

The bishop of Meffillon, in the first fermon he ever preached, found the whole audience, upon his getting into the pulpit, in a difpofition no way favourable to his intentions; their nods, whispers, or drowsy behaviour, fhewed him that there was no great profit to be expected from his fowing in a foil fo improper : however, he foon changed the difpofition of his audience by his manner of beginning: "If, " fays he, “a caufe, the most important that could be conceived, were to be tried at the bar before qualified judges; if this caufe interested ourselves in particular; if the eyes of the whole kingdom were fixed upon the event; if the most eminent counsel were employed on both fides, and if we had heard from our infancy of this yet undetermined trial, would you not all fit with due attention, and warm expectation to the pleadings on each fide? Would not all your hopes and fears be hinged upon the final decifion? And yet, let me tell you, you have this moment a caufe of much greater importance before you, a caufe where not one nation but all the world are fpectators, tried not before a fallible tribunal, but the aweful throne of heaven, where not your temporal and tranfatory interefts are the fubject of debate, but your eternal happiness or mifery, where the caufe is itill undetermined; but, perhaps, the very moment I am speaking, may fix the irrecoverable decree, that hall lafi for ever; and yet, notwithstanding all this, you can hardly fit with patience to hear the tidings of your own falvation; I plead the cause of heaven, and yet I am fcarcely attended to, &c." This file, the abruptnefs of a beginning like this, in the clofet would appear abfurd,

but

but in the pulpit it is attended with the most latting impreffions; that Byle, which in the clofet might juftly be called flimiey, feems the true mode of eloquence here. I never read a fine compofition under the title of a fermon, that I do not think the author has mifcalled his piece, for the talents to be ufed in writing well, intirely differ from thofe of fpeaking well. The qualifications for fpeaking, as has been already obferved, are eafily acquired; they are accomplishmentswhich may be taken up by every candidate who will be at the pains of ftooping. Im prefled with a fenfe of the truths he is about to deliver, a preacher difregards the applaufe or the contempt of his audience, and he infenfibly affumes a juft and manly fincerity. With this talent alone we fee what crowds are drawn around enthufiafts, even defiitute of common fenfe; what numbers converted to Chriftianity. Folly may fometimes fet an example for wifdom to practife, and our regular divines may borrow inftruction from even Methoditis, who go their circuits, and preach prizes among the populace. Even Whitfield may be placed as a model to fome of our young divines; let them join to their own good fenfe his earneft manner of deli

very.

It will be perhaps objected, that by contining the excellencies of a preacher to proper affurance, earneftnefs, and openness of ftile, I make the qualifications too trifling for eftimation: there will be fomething called oratory brought up on this occafion; action, attitude, grace, elocution, may be repeated as abfolutely neceliary to compleat the character; but let us not be deceived, common fenfe is feldom

fwayed by fine tones, mufical Periods, juft attitude, or the display of a white handkerchief; oratorial behaviour, except in very able hands indeed, generally finks into aukward and paltry affectation.

It must be obferved, however, that thefe rules are calculated only for him who would inftruct the vulgar, who ftand in moft need of inftruction; to addrefs philofophers, and to obtain the character of a polite preacher among the polite, a much more ufelefs, though more fought-for character, requires a dife ferent method of proceeding. All fhall obferve on this head is, to entreat the polemic divine, in his controverfy with the Deifts, to act rather offenfively than to defend; to puth home the grounds of his belief, and the impracticability of theirs, rather than to spend time in folving the objections of every op ponent. It is ten to one, fays a late writer on the Art of War, but that the affailant who attacks the enemy in his trenches, is always victorious.

Yet upon the whole, our clergy might employ themselves more to the benefit of fociety, by declining all controverfy, than by exhibiting even the profoundest skill in polemic difputes; their contefis with each other often turn or fpeculative trifles, and their difpates with the Deifts are almost at an end, fince they can have no more than victory, and that they are already poffeffed of, as their antagonists have been driven into a confeffion of the neeefity of revelation, or an open avowal of atheifin. To continue the difpute longer would only endanger it: the fceptic is ever expert at puzzling a debate which he finds himself unable to continue," and,

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and which alone will carry every thing elfe along with it; which is, to recommend, in the most folemn and ferious manner, the ftudy and - practice of religion, to all forts of men, as that which is both the light of the world, and the falt of the earth. Nothing does fo open our faculties, and compofe and direct the whole man, as an inward fenfe of God, of his authority over us, of the laws he hath fet us, of his eye ever upon us, of his hearing our prayers, affifting our endeavours, watching over our concerns, and of his being to judge, and reward or punifh us, in another ftate, according to what we shall do in this. Nothing will give a man fuch a deteftation of fin, and fuch a fenfe of the goodness of God, and our obligations to holinefs, as a right understanding, and a firm behief of the Chriftian religion; nothing can give a man fo calm a peace within, and fuch a firm fecurity against all fears and dangers without, as the belief of a kind and wife Providence, and of a future ftate. An integrity of heart gives a man courage and confidence, that cannot be fhaken. A man is fure, that by living according to the rules of religion, he becomes the wifeft, the beft, and happiest creature, that he is capable of being. Honeft induftry, the employing his time well, and a conftant fobriety, an undefiled parity and chaliity, with a quiet fe.

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prove the greateft of all bleflings to a nation. But, by Religion, I underftand fomething more, than the receiving fome doctrines, though ever fo true, or the profeffing them, and engaging to fupport them, not without zeal and eagerness. What fignify the best doctrines, if men do not live fuitable to them; if they have not a due influence upon their thoughts, their principles, and their lives? Men of bad lives, with found opinions, are felf-condemned, and lie under a highly aggravated guilt; nor will the heat of any party, arifing out of intereft, and managed with fury and violence, compenfate for the ill lives of fuch falfe pretenders to zeal, while they are a difgrace to that which they profef-, and feem fo hot for. By Religion, £ do not mean an outward compliance with forms and cuftoms, in going to church, to prayers, to fermons, and to facraments, with an external show of devotion; or even with fome inward forced good thoughts, in which many fatisfy themfelves, while thefe have no visible effect on their lives, nor any inward force to fubdue and rectify their appetites, paffions, and fecret designs." Thofe cuftomary perform.nces, how good and useful foever when well underfood and rightly directed, are of little value when men rett on them, and think that becaufe they do them, they have therefore acquitted the mfelves of their duty, though

they

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