our churches open? Are not our prayers, our sermons, our sacraments, and ordinations, performed in view of the world, that whoever pleases may come and see our manner of proceeding in

them?

But, "we have no common rules of discipline "and worship by which we hold ourselves obliged "to walk; at least, none made public, and laid "before the world for your examination and dis"cussion." "** Yes, Sir, we have an excellent common rule of discipline and worship, by which all our churches hold themselves obliged to walk, even the same which Christ and his apostles, the great founders of the christian church, originally drew up, published, and established for it, and which they left as a common rule, the only perfect common rule, for the use of all future ages, viz. the holy Scriptures: this, therefore, you may discuss with all the freedom you please.

But to descend to some of the many instances in which you much misrepresent us. Your very great mistake, as to our imposing the posture of sitting at the Lord's supper, I have shewn in my former letter. You farther affirm, "that it is "generally held amongst us, that the sacrament "is for none but perfect and consummate christians, such as can give a particular account of "their conversion." Here you walk, Sir, without light. There is not, I am persuaded, amongst the Dissenters in the whole kingdom, a single church, scarcely a single person, that hath this notion of the sacrament, that it is designed only for perfect christians. We universally hold that every sincere christian has a right to the Lord's table.

"As to the duty of fasting, you say, if you are "not mightily deceived, it is thrown away

*Letter II. page 4.

F

+Letter L. page 52.

66

You have not met with any ser

the

" amongst us. 66 mons or treatises, of our ministers, shewing the obligations, and pressing its practice upon people; nor have you ever heard of its being "practised even by the strictest and devoutest ""* amongst us." You are, in truth Sir, mightily deceived for one who sets up for so severe a censor of his brethren. Amongst many others, I refer you only to a most excellent discourse on fasting, in Bennet's Christian Oratory, Vol. II. which I am sure you cannot read without admiring it, blushing, and condemning your own temerity.

66

You are pleased to give us also a very grave and severe reprehension for standing and not kneeling, at our public prayers, and say, "It is "little less than imposed upon our people, inso"much that, should any one presume to kneel "in our churches, we should certainly censure "and condemn him for it. †---That your church "has as good right to impose kneeling in the public worship, upon her members, as Dissen"ters have to impose it upon their children and "servants in family devotions.‡---And that we always practice it in private."§ You are extremely unhappy, Sir, in your intelligence about this strange people, whom you have taken upon you to reprehend. How came you to know what their posture of worship always is in private! Have they taken you into their closets? For my own part I pretend not to have been much with them at their secret devotions, and therefore will not pronounce with such assurance as you do upon the point, but am very strongly persuaded they practice variously in this matter, and do not always kneel.

As to their families and churches, though I have been present at prayers in a great number of both,(which you,I presume, Sir, never have been)

*Letter I. pages 65, 66. Letter I. page 28.

+ Letter II. page: 65, 67.
§ Letter II. Fage 68,

I assure you I never once saw, nor heard any thing like the impositions you mention. In their family devotions, some stand, and some kneel, according as their inclination and convenience serve. And, though in their públic assemblies, many, I believe, over the whole kingdom, kneel at prayer, yet I may venture to say, it never enters into the thoughts of their fellow worshippers to take the least offence at this.

1

You tell me, "you can name a considerable congregation amongst us which is greatly scan"dalised,---and has taken a great and general of"fence, at one of its member's kneeling at public prayer."* But, as in many other points, Sir, it is very notorious you have been ill served by your informers as to our customs and worship, you must give me leave to think that they have here also made too free with your credulity. That we have weak brethren amongst us, and those not a few, I am very ready to own. But a congregation, a considerable congregation too, so weak as to take a great and general offence at such a trifle as this!---You must excuse me if I cannot easily admit it. I think you will do justice, Sir, to name the congregation, that it may either purge itself of the reproach, or stand corrected before the world for its unchristian and imposing temand learn to act more consistent with that liberty and right of private judgment, which, as Dissenters, they profess.

per,

No Sir, Dissenters are not for binding where God has left free. Our brethren of another church are they who think themselves capable of mending Christ's institutions; and, not content to use them in the plainness and simplicity in which divine wisdom left them, must needs embellish and improve them by additions of their

own.

*Letter II. page 68.

66

Thus, for instance, kneeling at public prayers, you very indiscreetly presume to represent as "a great improvement of public worship, and as adding a natural splendour and beauty to it;--"that our worship is debased for want of it,-"that kneeling is a more humble and honourable posture,---much more expressive of our pro"found reverence of God. And the humble pos "ture of kneeling, nature itself so plainly dictates, "and so powerfully prompts us to, that a man, "if he were left to himself, whenever he makes "his requests known to God, will hardly do it in "any other, unless when some affected restraint " is laid upon him."* How towering a flight!" You do not pretend to say that either Christ or his Apostles ever enjoined, or constantly, or mostly used kneeling at public prayer. You mention several instances from scripture, where standing was the posture of some of the most solemn addresses to Almighty God:---Abraham stood before the Lord, † when he offered up that humble intercession for Sodom. Of the Levites and all the priests it is particularly recorded that they stood up; and all the people are also called upon to stand up, and bless the Lord their God, in that solemn address to heaven, Nehem. ix. 9, 3, 4, 5; an address of deep humiliation, confession, deprecation, and covenanting with God; one of the most solemn that stands upon sacred record. It is here no less than four several times expressly mentioned, that standing was the posture in which their worship was offered up. Moses and Samuel are represented as standing before God, when making their most humble and importunate intercessions with him: Jer. xv. 1. When our Saviour, in his parable, represents two men praying in the temple, standing is the posture in which he describes them: Luke xviii.

* Letter II. pages 66, 67, 69, 73. + Gen. xviii. 22.

10, 11. Yea, he has himself, in express words, if not actually enjoined, yet most fully declared his approbation of this gesture: Mark xi, 25 :--When ye stand praying, forgive, &c. Finally, the primitive christians, it is acknowledged on all hands, every Lord's day, and at all other times between Easter and Whitsuntide, universally prayed standing, and never kneeled at their public devotions: (consequently by the way, not at the Lord's supper.) Die Dominico nefas ducimus, &c. says Tertullian.*----On the Lord's day we account it a sin to worship kneeling, which custom we also observe from Easter to Whitsuntide."---With all this evidence glaring full in your face, Sir, you have the assurance, shall I call it, or does it deserve some other name,very smartly to reprehend us for standing at our public prayers, and to call it a debasement of our worship;---to affirm that kneeling is a more humble and honourable posture, much more expressive of our profound reverence of God, a great improvement of public worship, and that it adds a natural beauty and splendour to it. Surprisingly enthusiastic! What, did Abraham and Moses, and Samuel, and Nehemiah, and all the priests and Jewish people, debase the divine worship, when they stood before God, and made their solemn addresses to him! Yea, did Christ himself too debase it by directing men to stand praying!

Had you happened, Sir, to have been of the council of the apostles, you could have helped them to establish christian worship upon a greatly improved, a more beautiful and perfect plan; and have enjoined this more humble and honourable posture, this additional splendour and beauty to public prayer, which it never came into their minds to enjoin upon the disciples. But, as our bibles at present stand, and God and Jesus Christ have left us at full liberty to offer up our *De Coron. Milit. page 340.