% V M .
 
 /, A 
 LET T E R 
 
 FROM A 
 
 BLACKSMITH, 
 
 TO THE 
 
 MINISTERS and ELDERS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CHURCH of SCOTLAND. 
 
 In which the Manner of PUBLIC WORSHIP in that 
 CHURCH is confidered j its Inconveniencies and 
 Defeds pointed out ; and Methods for removing 
 them humbly propofed. 
 
 Be not rafh with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be ba/ty t 
 utter any thing before God: for God is in Heaven, and tboii 
 upon Earth : therefore let thy word* be few. 
 
 $fcJ.v.ac_ 
 
 I will pray with theSpirit t and 1 will pray with the underjlan& 
 ing alfo* 
 
 l Cor. xiv. 15. 
 
 THE FOURTH EDITION. 
 
 DUBLIN: 
 
 Printed byGEOR<?E FAULKNER in 
 M. DCC.LIX.
 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 LONDON EDITOR.- 
 
 IF, in the following fheets, the reader finds 
 the Blackfmith now and then introducing 
 fcraps of Latin, he will be the lefs furprized if 
 he reflects, that in Scotland moft of the me- 
 chanics have a fmattering of that language, 
 which is taught even in the country parifh 
 fchools. It feems the author thought it incum- 
 bent upon him, when he had to do with the 
 clergy, to mufter up all the little learning he was 
 mailer of. With what propriety and judgment 
 his quotations are introduced, is fubmitted to 
 the reader, by his moft obedient fervant, 
 
 The PUBLISHER,
 
 L E T T E R 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 MINISTERS and ELDERS 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 CHURCH of SCOTLAND. 
 
 Right Reverend and Right Honourable, 
 
 I Have prefumed to addrefs you upon a fubjeft, 
 which appears to me of the greateft importance, 
 and worthy of the confideration of the minifters 
 and elders of the church of Scotland ; thank God, I 
 have reafon to hope, from your wifdom, learning, 
 and piety, that I fhall be favoured with a fair and 
 patient hearing, tho* my fphere in life, be low, and 
 my fentiments fet off with no other ad vantages than 
 fincerity and truth, as far as I can diftinguilh it ; 
 for God, and my own heart, bear witnels, that I 
 prefc nt this addrefs with no other view than to pro- 
 mote (as much as I can) the glory of God, the in- 
 tercfts of true religion, and the honour, purity, and 
 peace of the church of Scotland. Could I have 
 found any 'better method of communicating my 
 .& 2 thought* 
 
 2031368
 
 4 L E T T E R to 
 
 thoughts than by a letter, I would willingly have 
 choien it ; or had I hoped ever to have feen a more 
 favourable feafon than the prefent, I would patient- 
 ly have waited for it. But now we are bleffed with 
 a learned body of clergy, with a prince well dil- 
 jpofed to promote true piety among his people, and 
 we have the happinefs to live in an age, in which 
 the prejudices ot parties are moftly worn off, the 
 rage of difpute abated, and men difpofed to hear 
 truth, and obey reafon j fuch peaceful happy days 
 are defigned by heaven, and ought to be employed 
 by men, to repair in religion, what has been pulled 
 down by mad pafllonsj in turbulent times , to re- 
 ftore to its firft beauty, whatever has been defaced 
 by party prejudices in the days of contention, and 
 to recover the purity of our faith, and decency of 
 our worfhip, from the ruft and low fuperftition 
 which they have contracted in the ignorant ages ; 
 and tinctures of enthufiafm they imbibed in the 
 fhock and tumult of the reformation. There was 
 no church that met with greater oppofition, or was 
 more violently agitated than ours -, and tho' (thank 
 God) it ftood out the ftorm, yet rt buffered very 
 feverely ; and when the fury was in fpme degree 
 abated, and men had time to look about them, our 
 church appeared little better than a ruin ; her facred 
 buildings levelled with the ground, or bare mattered 
 walls, the (landing monuments of religious mad- 
 nefsV her 'treafures robbed by facrilegious : hands ; 
 her regifters cleftroyed, or carried off-, her funds ap- 
 plied to profane ufes ; and her clergy left to ftarve : 
 would to God me had fufFered only in thefe lefs ef- 
 fcntial things. 
 
 BUT along with thefe fhe contracted a fmgular 
 and whimfical tafte, her principles of faith grew 
 dark and myfterious, and her method of worfliip 
 defective and unreafonable ; fome of 1 thefe ruins 
 
 ' fhc
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 5 
 flie never can repair ; fome of them indeed time 
 has in a great meafure patched up ; and fome of 
 them remain to be repaired by the prefent rulers 
 of our church, or by fucceeding generations : of 
 this kind is our publick worfhip ; in which there 
 are feveral things that demand your ferious atten- 
 tion, and call loudly for the diligence and learning 
 of the prefent age. I will prefume, with due 
 deference, to point out a few of them -, hoping 
 that my poor endeavours may at leaft obtain 
 pardon, out of refpect to the importance of the 
 fubjecT:, and the fincerity of my intention j and that 
 fome able head and good heart, will take the hint* 
 and fully point out the flaws, in our prefent way 
 of worfhip, and direct us how to amend them. 
 Some unprejudiced, and happy genius, may perhaps 
 appear, whofe perfuafive eloquence, refined expref- 
 fion, and conclufive arguments may command 
 attention, and gain afient ; in fpite of the bigotry 
 of the ignorant, the vain ambition of thofe, that 
 are fond of popularity, and the whimfical opinions 
 of enthufiafts. 'Till fuch an one fhall appear, I 
 hope you will not take it amifs, that I offer my 
 remarks, efpecially as I beg leave to afllire you, that 
 this my addrefs does not proceed from a fondnefs of 
 novelty, much lefs any intention to difturb the 
 peace of the church eftablilhed by law, or indeed 
 from any other or any worfe motive, than that her 
 publick fervice may be fuch as feems bed calculated 
 for promoting the interefts of religion and virtue ; 
 and moft fuitable for reafonable creatures to offer^ 
 and an infinitely wife God to accept. 
 
 FIRST, I fubmit to your ferious confideration, 
 whether a larger portion of the fcriptures mould 
 not be read every Lord's day in our publick af- 
 femblies ; the reading of the fcriptures always 
 made a part of the publick fervice in all the 
 
 churches
 
 6 LETTER to 
 
 charches of God ; the law and the prophets, weft 
 folemnly read * in the fynagogues every labbath 
 day -, our Saviour countenanced and fanctified this 
 practice "j" with his prefence and example ; the 
 apoftle Paul peremptorily commands Timothy to 
 give attendance to reading, as well as to exhor- 
 tation and doctrine ; and the primitive church re- 
 ligioufly obferved this command, as Juftin Mar- 
 tyr || bears witnefs. " Upon the day that is called 
 Sunday (fays he) all that live in the country, or 
 in the towns, aflemble in one place, and the 
 commentaries of the apoftles, or the writings of the 
 prophets are read, 'till the time allotted for them be 
 expired." Nay more, our own directory for 
 Public worfhip, (which perhaps may have more 
 weight with fome, than the example of our Saviour, 
 the command of his apoftles, or the practice of 
 the pureft antiquity) recommends that ordinarily 
 one chapter out of each Teftament mould be read 
 at every meeting. I am at a lofs whether to 
 afcribe the negligence of this efiential part of our 
 fervice to the pride of the clergy, or the perverfe- 
 nefs of the people, perhaps it may be in fome 
 degree owing to both -, the clergy, probably, think 
 that it would not give them a fufficient opportunity 
 to difplay their own talents ; and the people, that 
 it does not fo fully pleafe their ears, always itching 
 with the defire of fomething new : to the firft I 
 fhall only obferve, that tho' we have, as we always 
 ought to have, a very great refpedt for the ob- 
 fer.vations and difcourfes of our fpiritual guides, 
 yet at the fame time we cannot but wi(h to hear 
 what the Spirit faith unto the churches, in his own 
 words ; we have room to wifh for this,, as we are 
 
 told 
 
 * Atts xv. 28. f Luke iv. 17. | Apol. ii. p. 28. Tertul, 
 ad gent. pag. 47. 498.
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 7 
 
 told by the apoftle, that the fcriptures are profitable 
 for dotfrine, for reproof \ for correction, for injlruftion 
 in righteoufnefs -, and that by them the man of God 
 may be perfeft, thoroughly furnijhed unto all good 
 works. It is true you indulge us now and then with 
 ten or a dozen of verfes of pure fcripture in our 
 publick affemblies, but as we * have no regular 
 plan of reading the fcriptures, of confequence we 
 only hear detached places, chofen at the pleafure 
 of the preacher, and applied to what purpofes he 
 thinks fit -, this leaves our underftandings too much 
 in the power of the clergy, and expofes the fimple 
 and ignorant (who make the greateft part of our 
 congregations) to be feduced by the party principles 
 and whimfical opinions of the preacher. It may 
 at firft fight appear, that the whole plan of our 
 worlhip is as happily calculated for making a 
 property of the laity, and keeping their judgements 
 and confciences in the power of the parfon, as 
 any part of the popifh fyftem ; for the minifter 
 needs not read any part of the fcriptures unlefs he 
 pleafes , he may chufe what place he thinks proper, 
 may begin where he inclines, and break off when 
 he has a mind ; he may mangle them in any 
 manner he thinks fit, and make them fay whatever 
 he would have them to fay. 
 
 But allow me to tell you, that as the reading 
 of the fcriptures in public afiemblies is of divine 
 appointment, no power upon earth can difpenfe 
 with the obligation ; as the contain they articles 
 of our faith, and the rules by which we are to 
 regulate our lives, nothing can fupply, and there- 
 fore nothing ought to ufurp their place * and as all 
 
 the 
 
 * Our directory declares that it is requisite that all the can- 
 nonical books be read over in order; but our parfons proceed 
 in a different method.
 
 8 L E T T E R to 
 
 the reformed churches are agreed, that the fcrip- 
 tures are plain in things neceflary to falvation, we 
 ought to hear them as they are, without your 
 gloffes and comments -, nay, what can be more 
 effectual for our falvation, or fo proper for Inftruc- 
 tion, feeing they bear witnefs for themfelves, that 
 the word of God is Jharper than a two-edged fword, 
 piercing even to the dividing afunder of the foul and 
 fpzrit, and is a difcerner of the thoughts and intents 
 of the heart *. That it converts the foul r , and makes, 
 the fimfle wife -f. Is there any thing that can be 
 fubftituted in the place of the fcriptures, from 
 which, fuch great and happy effects may be expect- 
 ed ? But if this (hameful negligence be owing to 
 the perverfe humour of the people, who perhaps 
 may think that the reading of the fcriptures is a 
 dry infipid part of the fervice, you will not, I hope, 
 take it ill if I fay, that amufements are more their 
 errand to church than inft ruction, that they are 
 more defirous of new words than found doctrine, 
 and that in fact their hearts are carnal, and eftranged 
 from the things of the Spirit -, for the apoftle informs 
 us, that the natural man receiveth not the things of the 
 Spirit, for they are foolimnefs to him. Pardon me 
 if I think that your compliance with this humour 
 is like Aaron's to the folly of the Ifraelites -, as he fet 
 up a calf made with his own hands, to be the object 
 of the people's worfhip, inftead of the living God ; 
 fo you fet up your own compofitions, to direct the 
 faith and regulate the manners of the people, in 
 the place of the fcriptures of truth, dictated by 
 the Holy Spirit. The fervice of God in the way 
 of his own appointment ever was, and ever will be 
 difliked by the bulk of the people ; the Jews would 
 willingly have embraced any religion, but that 
 
 which 
 
 * Heb. ir. rz, } : Hal. xix. 7.
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 9 
 
 which was given them from heaven , they would 
 have facrificed in any place but in that pointed 
 out by their Maker , and thought no rites bur- 
 denfome but thofe that God was pleafed to appoint ; 
 but with refpect to thofe the prophet upbraids 
 them with faying, as our people fay, Behold what 
 a wearinefs is it *. It is the bufmefs and duty of 
 minifters to check and refift this humour of the 
 people, and not encourage it by a mean compliance 
 with a vitiated tafte, and a bafe betraying of the 
 truft repofed in them , but, alas ! the tafte of the 
 people in this coincides with the inclinations of the 
 paftor, and flatters his pride and vanity too much 
 to be retrained ; however, with all humility I 
 prefume to beg, that you would be pleafed to con- 
 fider, how you can anfwer to God, to your own con- 
 fciences, and to us your hearers, for fuch a danger- 
 ous and wilful neglect. 
 
 As to praife, we feem to ftudy to give this part 
 of our wormip as much the air of ruitickv, and 
 contempt of God as poflible ; becaufe we thought 
 that the engagement of the heart was (as indeed 
 it is) the effcnce of this part of worlhip, we have 
 whimfically thrown out every thing that helped 
 to engage and elevate the heart , many of the 
 words we ufe are obfolete and low, the verification 
 is mean and barbarous, and the mufick harfh and 
 ill performed ; our harmony, ofherways not very 
 fweet, is entirely loft, and the fenfe broke off at 
 every line -, our pofture too is the moft indecent, 
 negligent, and improper for fmging well, that we 
 could have contrived ; it is true the pofture is of 
 no importance, farther than as it exprefleth our 
 reverence to the God whom we woribip ; yet it 
 is as necefiary that it mould be decent, as that our 
 words fhould be proper, for both are only figns 
 
 of 
 * Malachi i. 13,
 
 io L E T T E R to 
 
 of inward fenfations ; fhould we find a fellow crying 
 very bitterly, and dancing very brifkly, thefe are 
 figns of fo oppofite fenfations, that we would be 
 apt to imagine that he was diffracted ; and what 
 lhall we conclude, when we hear a congregation 
 addreffmg God in fome ardent hymn, or earneft 
 petition, and fee them fitting upon their breech, or 
 lolling with the moft negligent air and pofture 
 upon their feats ? the figns here point to very dif- 
 ferent fenfations! Quintillian Teems to think that 
 there may be a folecifm in gefture as well as in 
 the exprelTion , and if fuch a thing can be, we feerrt 
 guilty of a very great one, in ufing the moft in- 
 different, negligent poiture, when we are employed 
 in the moft interefting and ferious affair, I mean 
 offering praife to the living God. 
 
 I cannot help thinking, that all the rational 
 people of our communion muft be fhocked with 
 the indecencies, and follies, that attend the admi- 
 niftration of our Lord's fupper, known among the 
 common people by the name of an occafion. We 
 accufe the Roman church of fuperftition, and that 
 very juftly ; but in this inftance me may fairly retort 
 and tell us, that we blame in others, what we ap- 
 prove of, or at lead allow in ourfelves ; for if our 
 people did not imagine that there was fome fupe- 
 rior virtue, in fermons preached upon thefe occafions^ 
 fome fanclity in the place, or fome merit in their 
 attendance, it is unlikely that fuch Numbers, who 
 have no intention to communi cate, Ihould crowd 
 from all quarters, leave their parifh churches almoft 
 empty, and flight as good fermons, which they 
 might hear without the fatigue of travelling, or 
 the inconveniencies that attend a crowd. Superfti- 
 tion in all countries has the fame effect, tho* it may 
 be directed to different objects : in popilh countries, 
 people crowd from place to place to vifit the 
 
 fhrines
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. n 
 
 ftirines of the faints, and pray before the moft 
 famous images-, in Scotland, they run from 
 kirk to kirk as it were after the hoft, and flock 
 to fee a facrament, as thofe to mare in a procefiion ; 
 and too many of our people (with mame we muft 
 confefs) make the fame ufe of our occafiom, that 
 the papifts do of their pilgrimages and proceflions ; 
 that is, to indulge themfelves in drunkennefs, luft, 
 and idlenefs ; moft of the ferv mts when they agree 
 to ferve their mafters in the weftern parts of the 
 kingdom, make a fpecial provifion, that they fhall 
 have liberty to go to a certain number of fairs, or 
 to an equal number of facrament -s ; and as they con- 
 fider a facrament or an cccafton (as they Call the ad- 
 miniftration of the Lord's fupper in a neighbouring 
 parifh) in the fame light in which they do a fair, 
 fo they behave at it much in the fame manner. I 
 defy Italy, in fpite of all its fuperftition, to produce 
 a fcene better fitted to raife pity and regret in a 
 religious, humane, and underftanding heart, or to 
 afford an ampler field for ridicule, to the carelefs 
 and profane, than what they call a field preaching 
 upon one of thofe occafiom: at the time of the ad- 
 miniftration of our Lord s fupper (ye know) that 
 upon the Thurfday, Saturday, and Monday, we 
 have preaching in the fields near the church, which 
 it feems we muft not ufe upon that occafion , I have 
 often thought that the frequency of the fight 
 makes it familiar, and confequently lafs mocking 
 to you, or that being in the inner circle, you feldom 
 have accefs to fee the indecency and abfurdity of 
 the whole fcene, otherways you would not en- 
 courage it. Allow me then tb defcribe it, as it 
 really is : at firft you find a great number of men 
 and women lying together upon the grafs ; here 
 they are deeping and fnoring, fome with their faces 
 towards heaven, others with their faces turned 
 
 down-
 
 12 L E T T E R to 
 
 downwards, or covered with their bonnets ; there 
 you find a knot of young fellows and girls making 
 affignations to go home together in the evening^ 
 or to meet in fome ale-houfe -, in another place you 
 fee a pious circle fitting round an ale barrel, many 
 of which ftand ready upon carts, for the refreih- 
 ment of the faints. The heat of the fummer 
 feafon, the fatigue of travelling, and the greatnefs 
 of the crowd naturally difpofe them to drink j which 
 inclines fome of them to deep, works up the enthu- 
 fiafm of others, and contributes not a little to pro- 
 duce thofe miraculous converfions that fometimes 
 happen at thefe occafiom ; in a word, in thisfacred 
 affembly there is an odd mixture of religion, fleep, 
 drinking, courtlhip, and a confufion of lexes, ages, 
 and characters. When you get a litttle nearer the 
 fpeaker, fo as to be within the reach of the found j 
 tho* not of the fenfe of the words, for that can only 
 reach a fmall circle, even when the preacher is 
 favoured with a calm -, and when there happens to 
 be any wind ftirring, hardly can one fentence be 
 heard diftinctly at any confiderable diftance ; in 
 this fecond circle you will find fome weeping, and 
 others laughing, fome prefllng to get nearer the 
 tent or tub in which the parfon is fweating, bawling, 
 jumping, and beating the delk ; others fainting 
 with the ftifling heat, or wreftling to extricate them- 
 felves from the crowd ; one feems very devout and 
 ferious, and the next moment is fcolding and 
 curfing his 'neighbour, for fqueezing or treading on 
 him; in an inftant after, his countenance is com- 
 pofed to the religious gloom, and he is groaning, 
 fighing, and weeping for his fins ; in a word, there 
 is fuch an abfurd mixture of the ferious and 
 comick, that were we conveened for any other 
 purpofe, than that of worfhipping the God and 
 
 govern-
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 13 
 
 governor of nature, the fcene would exceed all 
 power of face. 
 
 BUT when one confiders, what folemn awe 
 fhould accompany the pronounciation of his name, 
 and what decent gravity attend his worfhip, and 
 fees fuch an unhappy contraft, if his heart be not 
 entirely unacquainted with the feelings of huma- 
 nity, the figh will force its way, and the pitying 
 tear ftart into his eye ; efpecially if he knows, 
 that many of the clergy encourage this abfurdity ; 
 that this is the time, when they vie with one an- 
 other for popularity, and try who can conveen the 
 greateft mob ; that fome of the elders are fo fond 
 of thefe religious farces, that they have threatened 
 to abandon their churches, if the abfurd practice 
 of preaching without doors mould be difcontinued ; 
 and that even thofe of the clergy, who have fenfe 
 to perceive its inconveniencies, and ingenuity to 
 own that it is wrong, yet want courage to oppofe 
 the popular phrenfy, and refolution to reform what 
 in their own hearts they cannot but condemn. 
 Whether we confider this practice in a moral, politi- 
 cal, or religious light, we mail find it attended 
 with very bad confequences ; how much muft it 
 encourage drunkennefs when fuch crowds are con- 
 yeened, from all quarters ; what muft the confe- 
 quence be, when a whole country fide is thrown 
 loofe, and young fellows and girls are going 
 home together by night, in the gayeft feafon of 
 the year -, when every thing naturally infpires 
 warm defires, and filence, fccrefy, and darknefs 
 encourage them ? When I was a young fellow at 
 my apprenticefhip, I was a great frequenter of thefe 
 cccafions^ and know them fo well, that whatever 
 others may think, I would not chufe a wife that 
 had often frequented them, nor truft a daughter 
 too much among thofe rambling faints ; old maids 
 
 may
 
 i 4 L E T T E R to 
 
 niay perhaps be allowed to revenge themfelves of 
 the world, by growing religious at the eafy rate 
 of running from facrament to facrament ; and they 
 who are in pain to be provided with hufbands, 
 may poffibly find their account in frequenting thofe 
 facred aflemblies ; but I would advife others to go 
 but feldom, and never to a greater diftance than 
 that they can return before fun-fet ; left by fre- 
 quenting them too much, they contract an idle dif- 
 pofition of mind, and by flaying too late, they get 
 into a bad habit of body. Nor are the confequences 
 of this practice confidered in a political light, 
 more favourable than in a moral ; our church dif- 
 claims all holy days, and I mould offend at once 
 againft truth and the rules of our church, if I faid 
 that we obferve any fuch-, but I prefume that the 
 number of our idle days will fall very little fhort 
 of that number in the popifh kalendar, and all the 
 difference is., that their holy days are fixt, and, our 
 idle days moveable; theirs are dedicated to fome 
 faint, and ours are devoted to fome occafion \ theirs 
 fofter fuperftition and idlenefs, and fo do ours j theirs 
 are fignalized now and then by miraculous cures, by 
 which the patient's health is feldom bettered ; and 
 ours by miraculous converfions *, by which the 
 convert's morals are rarely mended , and to do the 
 papifts juftice they deal more fairly in their mi- 
 racles than we, for a man can lee if a crooked 
 limb be made ftraight, becaufe it is the object of 
 the fenfe, but a miracle wrought inftantaneoufly 
 in the mind, muft be taken upon the word of the 
 patient or the parfon ; but the truth is, their holy 
 days, and our idle days, whatever miracles they 
 may produce, do hurt to true religion : the peopl? 
 Jofe many labouring days by them, and the. 
 
 country 
 
 * See two volumes publifhed at Glafgow by M. Gillies.
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 15 
 
 country is deprived of the fruit of their induflry. 
 I have feen above three thoufand people at one of 
 thefe occafiom; but fuppofmg that one with 
 another there are only fifteen hundred, and that 
 each of them one with another might earn fixpence 
 a day, every facrament, by its three idle days, will 
 coil the country much about nil. IDS. Sterling, not 
 including the days that they who live at a great 
 diftance muft lofe in coming and going, nor the 
 lofles the farmer muft fuftain, when occafiom happen 
 in the hay, harveft or feed-times; the man of 
 bufinefs, when they chance to fall upon the market 
 days ; or the tradefman when any particular piece 
 of work is in hand that requires difpatch: now 
 fuppofmg the facrament Ihould be adminiftred 
 only twice a year, in all our churches, which if ic 
 be not, it ought to be, thefe occafiom, as they are 
 managed at prefent, will coft Scotland at leaft 
 235,ooo/. Sterling, an immenfe fum for fermons! 
 the greateft part of which might be faved, much 
 diforder and irregularity prevented, would the 
 aflembly be gracioufly pleafed to appoint fome 
 particular Sundays in the four feafons *, for the 
 adminiftration of this facrament, over all the king- 
 dom. We were too fond of novelties, and perhaps 
 eftabliflied practices founded on reafon, and ap- 
 proved by long experience ; and we could hardly 
 have pitched upon a more unnatural method than 
 the prefent, confider it in what light you will , for 
 if the defign of this facrament, next to fetting 
 forth the death of our Lord, be to remain as a 
 pledge of love and charity among chriftians, it 
 cioes npt with us feem at all to anfwer the defign j 
 
 as 
 
 * This was the method for feveral years about the time of the 
 reformation*
 
 i6 L E T T E R to 
 
 as our congregations like difcontented children, take 
 a private hour as it were, and eat their bread by 
 themfelves in a corner ; whereas all the reft of 
 the chriftian world, do chriftian like communicate 
 together three times in the year ; and as they fhew 
 forth the fame meritorious death, they fhew it 
 forth at the fame feafon, and like brethren fit down 
 at once to the fame love feaft, 
 
 BUT befides this, the great noife that we make 
 about thefe occa/ions, leads our people to lay too 
 great a ilrefs upon them, and to imagine that there 
 is fomething meritorious, nay, that the life of re- 
 ligion lies in hearing a great number of facramental 
 fermons"; they ferve nearly the fame ends in our 
 church, that confeffion, and abfolution, do among 
 the papifts ; our people put on a very demure look 
 fome days before the facrament ; the gloom gra- 
 dually gathers upon their faces as it approaches ; 
 and they look like criminals going to execution 
 when the day is come , juft fo may it be feen in 
 popifh countries, 'n the feafons fet apart for con- 
 feffion and penance -, but in both countries the 
 profefled repentance proves only a flam of devotion, 
 and as matters "were made up with the Deity, and 
 all former accounts cleared, the papift foon puts 
 off his penitential countenance, and the Prelbyterian 
 lays by his facramental face, and they and we in 
 a little time are the fame men that we were before. 
 
 AND as thefe occafions make our people lay too 
 great a ftrefs upon the outward means, while they 
 neglect the great end of all religion, I mean to better 
 th? heart, and reform the conduct -, fo they raife 
 contention, heart burnings, envy, and factions 
 among our clergy, while they contend for popula- 
 rity, vie with one another who mall conveen the 
 greateft crowd, and work up the mob to the 
 higheft pitch of cnthufiafm ; and they often fucceed
 
 the M I ft I S T E R S, &c. 17 
 
 fo well, that they bring the weak and ignorant, to 
 the very brink of downright madnefs. I have feen 
 fcenes of this nature, that had much more of the 
 fury of the bacchanalia, than the calm, ferious, fin- 
 cere devotion of a chriftian facrament. It is here 
 that the minifters difplay the falfe eloquence which 
 catches the crowd, and confifts in a ftrong voice, a 
 melancholy tone, and . thundering out at random 
 damnation, death, and hell-fire, and flames, devils, 
 darkneis and gnafhing of teeth ; any one who has 
 good lungs, and can borrow the beggar's cant, and 
 the merry Andrew's action, may become very po- 
 pular, and make a great figure at an occafion : for 
 the contention there is not, who mail reafon moft 
 juftly, deliver moft gracefully, or dired their 
 difcourfe in the beft manner for bettering the heart, 
 and reforming the manners of the audience -, but 
 who mail appear more frantick, cry loudeft, fpeak 
 with the deepeft, ftrangefl and moft hollow tone ; 
 and be moft wrapt up in myftery, and fcholaftick 
 terms. I have known thefe qualifications make 
 nonfenfe triumph over fenfe, ignorance be preferred 
 to learning -, and incoherent, un intelligible, and 
 contradictory rhapfodies, be received with admi- 
 ration by the gazing crowd ; while plain, learned, 
 and pious fermons, delivered with a becoming mo 
 defty and. gravity, have been preached almoft to 
 the empty pews. Quintilian, aligning the reafons 
 why the ignorant orators were heard with more 
 applaufe by the mob, than the ingenious and 
 learned, paints fo juftly the methods by which our 
 minifters contend for popularity at the occafions^ 
 that the paflage is worth tranfcribing, Clamant 
 ubique, et omnia levata (ut ipfi dicunl) manu emugiunt 3 
 inulto difcurfu, anhelilu^ jaftatione^ geft&-> mo tuque 
 capitis furentes mire ad pullatum circulum f ant cum 
 ilk eruditus modejlus et effe, et videri malit at illi bane 
 B vim
 
 i8 LETTER to 
 
 vim appellant, que eft potius violentia *. The art of 
 managing mankind (fays Mr. Addifon, fpeaking of 
 quacks in phyfick) is only to make them ftare a 
 little, to keep up their aftonimment and to let 
 nothing be familiar to them; this art is perfectly 
 well underftood by our parfons, for at thefe occa- 
 fions y they try who mail make the people ftare 
 rnoft , and fometimes they make them ftare fo long 
 and fo eagerly, that the poor people turn almoft ftark 
 flaring mad : we arc damned an hundred times 
 over in one day -, and damned too, without any 
 fort of difcretion ; for moft of our minifters that 
 1 have had occafion to hear, feem to have embraced, 
 and to certainly propagate, Hoadly's notions of 
 the facrament of the fupper ; and yet they go on 
 damning us ftill, when their mafter fays, and they 
 fometimes fay, that the communion is little more 
 than a mere ceremony. Poor lay men I own ought 
 not to prefume to diclate to the parfon, what notions 
 he is to embrace, and teach; but I humbly hope 
 that we have a right to expeft that the parfon be 
 confiftent with himfelf, fo far at leaft as not to 
 damn us, where at other times he teaches us that 
 there is no danger. 
 
 BUT as it is not likely that thefe opportunities of 
 Ipeaking great and fwelling words -j- will be given 
 up, while men are fo prefumptious and fe If -willed ; 
 I fubmit to your confideration, whether it would 
 
 not 
 
 * Quintil. Inft. lib. ii. cap. 12. They always cry loud, and 
 deliver all their difcourfe in a fort of extafy, with a hollow 
 bellowing tone, a frantick adtion, deep fighs, furious geftures, 
 violent tofling of their arms, and mad-like notions of their 
 heads. 'tis wonderful what effet thefe things have upon the 
 furroimding mobj a man of learning fuits his pronunciation 
 and a<5lion to his fubjeft, chufes to be modeft, and to appear 
 fo; they call this delivering their difcpurfe with force, tho' 
 it be rather with force. ' . . . 
 
 , f 2 Peter ik 8,
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 19 
 
 not to be proper to pitch upon the place defigned 
 for the fcene of the field preaching, at lead upon 
 the communion Sunday, at a confiderable diftance 
 from the church ; this would draw off the mob, 
 the contraft between the folem'n action within doors 
 and the comical fcene without, would be lefs ftrike- 
 ing ; the communicants would breathe a freer air, 
 they would be lefs diftracted in their devotions, 
 have eafir accefs to come up to the table or to 
 return to their feats, and the whole might be tranf- 
 afted with lefs buftle and confufion, and with more 
 decency and order. As it is managed at prefent, 
 it is liker any thing than the adminiftration of the 
 fupper of our Lord ; not a man among us would 
 be content with a common meal ferved up in fuch 
 confufion ; I am fure that it is impoflible for me, 
 and I believe it is very difficult for any one, to carry 
 up with him that fedatenefs of foul, and calmnefs 
 of thought, that I prefume to think are necefiary, 
 when he approaches the table of the Lord. How 
 fhould he? when he is forced to wreftle through 
 a crowd, to pufh and to be pufhed, ftunned with a 
 general hubbub, the feats rattling, the galleries 
 founding, the people finging, the communicants 
 joftling one another in the crowded paffages, fomc 
 falling, others fainting, and in all corners of the 
 church, hurry, confufion, and noife. I never fee 
 our tables* filled up, but it gives me an idea of 
 the diffraction at Babel when the confufion of 
 languages began to be felt. I fubmit it, whether 
 the apoftle's cenfure of the Corinthian church 
 B 2 be 
 
 * In the kirks in Scotland they have long tables, at which 
 they fit and communicate ; they will hold about an hundred 
 or more, and when thefe remove to make room for others, 
 there is the utmoft confufion, as the kirk is crowded wi;h 
 fpe&ators, and one part is ftruggling to get from the tablr 
 and the other wreftling to get to it.
 
 20 L E T T E R to 
 
 be not pertinent here, That is not to eat the Lord's 
 /upper*. 
 
 PERHAPS the communicants fhould be left a 
 little more to their own meditations, at leaft for 
 my own part I could wifh, that while the elements 
 are handing aboyt, there were obferved (if it be 
 poflible) a folemn and univerfal filence, that we 
 might have time for our private devbtions, and 
 an opportunity to afk the blefiing of God upon 
 his word and ordinances ; efpecially as it is either 
 forbidden, or become unfafhionable with us, to 
 do fo when we take our feats or finifti the fervice. 
 Thefe Things I have mentioned, and I fubmit my 
 thoughts to the wifdom and candour of the rulers 
 of our church. There Hill remains a very folemn 
 and interefting part of our worfhip, I mean that 
 of public prayer, upon which I beg leave with 
 all fubmiffion to make fome few remarks, earnetlly 
 entreating that they may be confidered with calmnefs 
 and impartiality by your reverences, and the other, 
 members of our church ; and that tho* my fenti- 
 ments fhould not pleafe, yet in charity you will 
 believe that I wilh well to the proteftant caufc, 
 the intereft of religion, and the purity and peace 
 of the church of Scotland. Thefe, I prefume to 
 think, would be greatly promoted, by the compo- 
 fition and eftablimment of fome devout liturgy, or 
 form of prayer, for publick worfhip. Have pati- 
 ence, and hear me out ! I was once as much pre- 
 judiced againft a propofal of this nature as you can 
 be at prefent, and if you will confider the incon- 
 venience that attends our prefent way of worfhip 
 as calmly as I think I have done, you may perhaps 
 fee the neceffity and advantages of a form of prayer 
 as clearly as I do. 
 
 I befeech 
 * t Corinth, ii. 20.
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 21 
 I befeech you then to reflect, that our prefent 
 extemporary way of worlhip is contrary to the 
 practice and opinion of all mankind, in all ages, 
 and of all religions ; until it was introduced 
 amidft the ferment and confufion of the fifteenth 
 century; for before that time, whatever was the 
 object of mens worfhip, whatever the matter of 
 their prayers, or however widely they differed in 
 the articles of their creed, yet they agreed as una- 
 nimoufly in the ufe of forms of prayer for their 
 publick worfhip, as they did in the belief of a God. 
 Greeks and Romans, the Magi and the Mahome- 
 tans, Jews and Chriftians, have all agreed in this 
 practice. I have often heard our Mafs John, honeft 
 man, urge the univerfal confent and opinion of 
 mankind, againft the atheifts, as a proof of the 
 exiftence of a Deity ; if this argument be conclufive 
 when applied to the firft and greateft article of re- 
 ligion, I mean the exiftence of God, fure it will 
 be fo too, with refpect to the belt and fitted way of 
 worfhiping him. But what is ftill more, God 
 himfelf prefcribed this way of worfhip to the Jews, 
 as in the cafes of murder, when the perfon who 
 committed it was unknown ; of fufpicion of adul- 
 tery ; and when the firft fruits were prefented , his 
 fon our Saviour honoured this way of worfhip with 
 his prefence (for the worlhip of the fynagogues 
 was by a form prayer;) he fanctified it by his 
 practice, for in his agony in the garden, he rofe 
 up, awakened, aud rebuked the difciples, returned 
 to the fame place, repeated the fame form of words 
 three times over ; and, before he expired upon the 
 crofs, he offered up his devotions, in the words 
 of the twenty-fecond Pfalm ; he authorized it by his 
 command, for our directory for prayer informs 
 us, that our Lord's prayer, is not only a pattern 
 for prayer, but itfelf a moft comprehenfive prayer; 
 B ib
 
 tt2 LETTER to 
 
 fo that if the command of God himfelf, the exam- 
 ple, practice, and command of his Son be fuffici- 
 ent to point out, in what way he would be wor- 
 fliiped, a form of prayer is pointed ou{ for that 
 purpofe: whereas it cannot be proved that ever 
 God commanded extemporary public prayer ; that 
 ever his Son attended worfhip performed in that 
 Way ; that ever he pradlifed it, or ever commanded 
 it ; nay I am not certain, that there is one exam- 
 ple of extemporary publick prayer in all the Bible, 
 at leaft I am fure there is not an Inftance that will 
 correfpond with our fituation, or authorife us in the 
 ufe of it, when fo many and fo great inconveniencies 
 do attend it. 
 
 WE complain, and very juftjy too, that the 
 popifh clergy are too aiTuming, and claim a fupe- 
 riority over the laity, inconfiftent with the natural 
 rights of mankind, and the relation of brethren 
 formed by the covenant of grace ; pardon me", 
 gentlemen, if I fay that you claim a very extraor- 
 dinary fuperiority over the laity, in the cafe before 
 us ; eve*y one of you claims an exclufive privilege 
 pf manufacturing our publick prayers, and aflumes 
 a right of making us fay to the Deity, whatever 
 he thinks fit. In the moft momentous affair in 
 which we can be concerned upon earth, we muft 
 depend entirely upon the difcretion, honefty, and 
 ability of every private parfon, and take the words 
 and matter of our addreffes to our God and Maker, 
 fuch as he is pleafed to give, without ever feeing, 
 examining, or judging for ourfelves. This is 
 really treating us as if we were children or fools; 
 we allow that you have a right to offer our pray- 
 ers ; and is it not fit that we mould all fpeak, 
 the minifter may be called the mouth of the con- 
 gregation , but the mouth of the congrregation 
 mould fpeak the mind of the congregation. In 
 
 our
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 23 
 our congregations the mouth runs before the 
 mind, and fpeaks without giving us any oppor- 
 tunity of thinking what we ought to fpeak, and 
 often fays things that we mould certainly reject, and 
 fometimes offers petitions that we mould abfolutely 
 abhor, had we time calmly to examine them : our 
 mouth leads us into the grof% blunder of prefenting 
 our addrefles to the Deity firft, and next judging 
 whether they be proper addrefles after they are 
 offered, when we cannot mend what is wrong, or 
 alter, what is improper; we abfurdly begin where 
 we mould end ; for, in the natural order of things, 
 the congregation mould firft be fatisfied that the 
 prayers are proper to be offered, and then the mi* 
 nifter fliould offer them in their name ; juft as a 
 prudent man will think before he fpeaks -, but in 
 our admirable plan of worfhip the congregation 
 fpeaks by its mouth, before it has confidered what 
 it is to fay ; that is, the parfon offers up the peti- 
 tion, and the people may judge of its propriety after it 
 is offered, if they pleafe. 
 
 THE abfurdity here is fo glaring, that it is 
 aflonifhing that it efcapes the obfervation of the 
 laity ; and it would not efcape them in any other 
 inftance. Should the ablefl member in the houfe 
 of commons, propofe to offer an addrefs to his 
 majefty, in the name of the houfe, without com- 
 municating it to the members, the impropriety 
 would be immediately perceived. When theeftates, 
 or counties, defign to addrefs their fovereign, offer 
 your fervice, and tell them, " Pray gentlemen 
 give yourfelves no trouble about the matter, we 
 and our brethren will each of us addrefs the King 
 in our own way, truft the whole affair to us, 
 every individual of the cloth is more than fuffi- 
 cient for the undertaking j it is your bufmefs to 
 approve of whatever we are pleafed t* fay for you ; 
 
 or
 
 24 L E T T E R to 
 
 or at leaft, you may "confider how you like the 
 addrefs, after it hath been' offered," Take this 
 advice, and try if the laity will be as complifant 
 with refpeft to the honour of their prince, and the 
 concerns of their bodies, as they are with refpect 
 to the honour of their God and the interefts of 
 their fouls ; yet one would be tempted to think 
 (if the common confent of this nation were not 
 againft the opinion) that the laity are as much 
 interefted in an addrels to the Deity, as in one to 
 the King ; and that they would be at leaft as loath 
 to truft the firft, as the laft, to the difcretion, abi- 
 lity, or honefty of every man who chanced to put 
 on a black coat or wear a ftarched band. But the 
 grofieft abfurdity will be fwallowed down when it 
 is in fafhion, and I think there can hardly be a 
 grofler one, than that a gentleman mould mount 
 the pulpit, of whofe principles or difcretion we 
 have no knowledge at all, and that this man 
 fhould have a right to dictate the prayers of a 
 whole congregation. If we will believe the author 
 of the Charadteriftics *, who feems to fpeak from 
 experience, there are among you many whofe prin- 
 ciples are very dangerous, and very inconfiftent 
 with the religion of Jefus ; yet thefe men not only 
 lead, but even compofe the devotions of the people, 
 and make us poor lay men addrefs our Maker upon 
 any principles that they pleafe. 
 
 I have come from my houfe a found orthodox 
 chriftian, and have hardly taken my feat in the 
 church, when I have found myfelf praying, or at 
 leaft one was praying in my name, as a rank 
 Socinian. I have been made an Arrian as to my 
 prayers very often ; and in fhort, there has hardly 
 any whimfical opinion been broached among the 
 
 clergy 
 
 * Ecclefiaftical Charafteriftics, publiOied at Glafgow 1756.
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 25 
 clergy for thefe forty years, that I have not fome- 
 time or other found mixed with my public prayers, 
 tho' for my part I am a plain old fafhioned man, 
 and content myfelf with the apoftles creed. Some- 
 times, indeed, for my heart I could not have told 
 upon what particular principles my prayers were 
 offered, they were fo excellently well contrived, and fo 
 free from all narrow notions, that they would have 
 ferved a Jewifli fynagogue, a Mahometan mofque, 
 or a congregation of Perfian magi, as well or better 
 than a Chriftian aflembly. If the minifter that 
 officiates be a fceptic, I am made to pray like a fcep- 
 tic , if an enthufiaft, he addrefies God in my name, 
 according to his own enthufiaftical notions ; when 
 he chances to be a fractious firebrand, or a keen par- 
 ty man, tho' I be a very peaceable tradefman, my 
 prayers breathe faction, my devotions in public 
 are flaming with party heat, and tinctured with 
 the fury of his faction. It is well known, that 
 when any difputes happen, and differences arife 
 among the clergy in their fynods or affemblies, both 
 fides appeal to Heaven in their public prayers, and 
 force the laity to appeal with them (we are not fup- 
 pofed to have any right to judge for ourfelves in 
 thefe cafes ;) and what is even worfe, by an unlucky 
 change of minifters, or by ftepping into another 
 church, I have often been made to appeal to heaven 
 as an advocate for both fides of the queftion, and 
 pray for and againft each of the parties in one day : 
 for tho' our churches have the appearance of the 
 fame worfhip, they are as different as the tempers, 
 principles, and parties of the parfons who manufac- 
 ture it ; and this leads the laity into the dangerous 
 blunder of offering contradictory petition?, and pray- 
 ing at different times, upon principles as oppofite to 
 one another, as light is to darkneis. It is an ufual thing 
 
 amongft
 
 26 LETTER to 
 
 amongft us to pray fpr and againft prefentations in 
 one week ; I have thanked God for his decrees of 
 election and reprobation in the forenoon, and in the 
 afternoon offered my humble thanks that all men 
 have equal accefc to falvation, by faith and virtue. 
 In a word, there is no party, nor different principle 
 among our clergy, with refpect to which I have not 
 been made to play fall and loofe with the Deity, to 
 afk what I did not want, and to pray againft what 
 I moft earneftly wifhed for. This we call worlhip- 
 ing God ! but did we deal fo with our fellow men, 
 they would call it mockery, and take it as a grofs 
 affront : I cannot help thinking, gentlemen, that 
 this will appear, even to yourfelves, hard treatment 
 of the laity, and that you will acknowledge, that 
 their ji;dgment ought not to be fo entirely made a 
 
 Eroperty of, as to oblige them to have their pub- 
 ck worfhip offered upon what principles the parfon 
 pleafes to efpoufe ; or upon opofite principles, as the 
 minifter for the time is of this or the other party. 
 One of your cloth complains that we betray * vifible 
 impatience till prayer be over -, is it any wonder if 
 we do ? for as it is managed at prefent, prayer is 
 to us a very dangerous part of worfhip , for as that 
 judicious gentleman obferves, A great deal more ', a 
 vaft deal more, depends upon our performance of this 
 duty with judgment and propriety , than moft people fam 
 to be aware of. They who are aware of this, cannot 
 help being impatient and uneafy, when a duty of 
 fuch vaft importance is trufted to every individual of 
 the clergy , and they who feldom think of its nature 
 or importance will always efteern it a dry and lifelefs 
 part of our fervice. 
 
 * Mr. Fordice's Edification by publick Inftitutions. 
 
 lam
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 27 
 
 I am apt to think, that it is fometimes happy for 
 our laity that they only hear prayer as they do fer- 
 mons, and cannot, I believe, as it is at prefent per- 
 formed, or lead I am fure do not join in it, for 
 tho' it be criminal not to worfhip God in public, 
 yet it feems to be as great if not a greater crime to 
 offer an irrational worfhip, to infult him with con- 
 tradictory petitions with miniftersof oppofue parties, 
 and to have our devotions tinctured with the fpirit 
 of faction, the wild dreams of enthufiafts, the 
 dangerous notions of fceptics, and the abfurd follies 
 of men whofe heads are filled with vapours and 
 whims. Tho' thefe mould fometimes be mixed 
 with your difcourfes, the hardfhip and danger would 
 not be half fo great. If they did inftrud, they 
 might amufe-, and we needed not embrace your 
 notions unlefs we pleafed *, our own reafon might 
 expel the poilbn. But when they are wrought into' 
 our publick prayers, there remains no remedy ; we 
 muft take thefe as you are pleafed to give them, or 
 go away without public worfhip. 
 
 THE popifh clergy indeed put a great hardfhip 
 uuon the laity, by offering their prayers in an un- 
 known tongue ; but tho' the hardfhip be great, 
 it admits of fome remedies ; they may have their 
 prayers tranflated into their refpeclive languages i 
 they may have them explained by thofe that un- 
 derftand the language , and conftant ufe of the fame 
 forms, may in time enable them to annex proper 
 ideas to the words : but the hardfhip put upon us 
 admits of no remedy -, we muft offer what prayers 
 every clergyman pleafes, we muft underftand them 
 the beft way we can, we muft pick up the words 
 as we can catch them, according to the ftrength. 
 of your voices, the diftindlnefs of your pronun- 
 ciation, and the largenefs of the church j the fall 
 
 of
 
 28 L E T T E R to 
 
 of a Bible, the opening of a feat, or a cough in any 
 corner of the church, will lofe us half a fentence ; 
 and yet if we would pray with the underftanding, 
 we muft collec"l the feveral parts of the fentence, 
 fupply the words that are loft, compare it with what 
 went before, examine, approve, and offer it , and 
 this muft be all done in a breath. I queftion whether 
 the parfon could perform this tafk himfelf j and I am 
 convinced that it is impofiible for the flow and ig- 
 norant part of the audience ; efpecially as fome of you 
 fpeak fo faft, that we cannot keep pace with you 
 barely in hearing what you fay ; others deliver fo 
 flowly, that our memories cannot ferve us to collect 
 the feveral parts of the fentence ; fome are fo fond 
 of new and learned words, that one half of the con- 
 gregation cannot know their meaning ; and many of 
 you have fuch a perplexed, intricate way of exprefling 
 yourfelves, that we find it impoflible to difcover 
 the import of your petitions ; and perhaps would 
 find this a difficult talk, tho* we had an opportunity 
 to confider them at leifure in our clofets. 
 
 So that putting all thefe difficulties together, I 
 imagine that it will appear that the laity of the 
 kirk of Scotland lie under greater hardships, with 
 refpect to public worfhip, than the laity of any 
 church upon earth , and this hardlhip is made ftiil 
 more galling to thofe who have fenfe enough to 
 feel it, by the pompous harangues that we are 
 frequently entertained with, upon the privileges 
 that we poflefs above other chriftians, the religious 
 liberty we enjoy, and the fingular purity of our 
 worlhip. Sure, gentlemen, you muft mean your- 
 fehes, when you afcribe thefe great bleffings to our 
 church, or you infult us in the more cruel manner ; 
 if you mean that you enjoy great privileges, and 
 a moft extenfive liberty, it is very true i for you 
 
 pray
 
 the M I N I S T E R S, &c. 29 
 
 pray what you pleale, you fing what you pleafe, 
 you teach what you pleafe, and our whole public 
 worfhip is fo much of your own manufacturing 
 that there can hardly be found room fora verfe 
 or two of fcripture, and thefe you chufe as you 
 pleafe; in a word, every pariih minifter is a little 
 pope, fubject to none but a general council, and, 
 like the great pope, not fubjedt to that, but when 
 he pleafes: for it feems to be a point as much 
 dilputed in the prefbyterian church, whether a 
 minifter is obliged to fubmit to the fentence of a 
 general aflembly, as it is in the popim, whether his 
 holinefs ought to yield obedience to a general coun. 
 cil. So that it muft be acknowledged, that you 
 enjoy a great many privileges, and a moft cxtenfive 
 liberty. But pray what privileges, do we enjoy, 
 when one man's judgment prefcribes to a whole 
 pariih ? when we muft pray for or againft whatever 
 party the parfon pleafes ? offer our devotions 
 according to the religious or political principles 
 that the minifter for the time chufes to embrace ? 
 fhift fides as your humours change, and addrefs 
 our God, as Arrians, Socinians, or Sceptics, as the 
 
 gentleman in the pulpit is inclined ? Sure, if 
 
 our civil liberty were not fomething more fubftan- 
 tial, we mould be the greateft flaves in Europe ! 
 Again, what purity can there poffibly be in our 
 worfhip, when the paffions, prejudices, and whim 
 fical opinions of every minifter may, and do mix 
 with it ? I have always been at a lofs to determine 
 whether your confidence in entertaining us with luch 
 harangues, and your power of face in keeping your 
 countenances, ftifling the laugh, or our ftupidity in 
 not perceiving the grofs arfront, and patience in not 
 refenting it, were moft to be admired. I cannot 
 imagine you are fo weak as to think with the bulk 
 of our people, that our worfhip muft of confe- 
 
 quencc
 
 30 L E T T E R to 
 
 quence be pure, if it be different from the pradtice of 
 the church of Rome , and that we can only err upon 
 the fide of fuperftition. If this be your opinion, 
 it refembles the conduct of fome germans, of whom 
 I have read, who, for fear of the roman army, ran 
 into a river and were drowned. Juft fo the greateft 
 part of our people (for I believe better things of 
 you) conclude that our worfhip muft be pure, if we 
 do not worfhip images, pray to faints, or adore the 
 virgin Mary, tho* it be mixed with the whimfical 
 notions, enthufiaftic opinions, and filly noftrums of 
 every quack doctor in divinity. It would be happy 
 if you would content yourfelves, with infulting the 
 people only, with fuch harangues ; but you often 
 make them infult their God, or at leaft, you do it 
 in their names, by thanking him for eftablifhing a 
 pure worlhip which he did not eftablifh ; a work 
 which cannot poffibly be pure ; and which even in 
 our own opinion is not pure ; for if the moderate 
 party confifts of fuch miniflers as the author of the 
 Character iftics * (who is faid to be one of your or- 
 der) has reprefented them to the world, God have 
 mercy upon the fouls committed to their care . p and 
 may the Almighty pity and relieve the congregations 
 whofe devotions they compofe, dictate, and offer. 
 Yet in all probability if the moderate men were to 
 write Characteriftics, they would give us as for- 
 bidding a picture of the party that our author is 
 pleafed to call orthodox. What then muft become 
 of us poor lay men, whofe fouls were bandied about 
 between the factions, and our prayers offered fome- 
 times upon the principles of the one, and fome- 
 times upon the principles of the other ? would it 
 not be happy for us, that we had fome pious, 
 
 * Ecclefiaflica! Charafteriftics, published at Glafgow 1756. 
 
 primi-
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 31 
 
 primitive form of' prayer, that would fecure the 
 purity and reafonablenefs of our prayers, let the 
 minillers private opinions be what they would? 
 As things are at prefent, it is impoflible that our 
 iervice can either be reafonable, perfect, or pure ; 
 unlefs we can fuppofe, that our church has a privi- 
 lege, which no church upon earth ever had or ever 
 claimed ; I mean, that no weak or whimfical mi- 
 nifter, no factious fire-brand, no fceptic or enthufiaft 
 can mount our pulpits ; or that after men of thefe 
 characters get into them, they will pray better than 
 they are able, upon principles that they do not be- 
 lieve, or with a calmnefs which they do not poflefs. 
 Now fuppofing, that there are only an * hundred 
 of our minifters of fome or other of the above cha- 
 racters, and that one with another each of them has 
 500 fouls under his charge, there will be 50,000 
 perfons in Scotland, who never worfhip God in pub- 
 lic in the way of his own appointment, and whofe 
 public worfhip muft be dangerous to themfelves, and 
 unacceptable to the deity. Where muft the blood 
 of thefe poor people fall, but upon the rulers of our 
 church ? who, tho* they have found by fatal expe- 
 rience, that all the fubfcriptions in the world will nor 
 hinder men of pernicious principles from creeping 
 into the church, yet will not take the only effectual 
 method to prevent them from doing mifchief there. 
 
 BUT befides the injuftice of aifuming to your- 
 felves a rigfit to dictate to us what prayers you 
 pleafe; befides the abfurdity of making us offer 
 contradictory petitions, and leaving our public 
 
 * This is not an unreafojiable calculation in thefe latter ages, 
 confidering, that there was oue or twelve who proved a traitor, 
 even when our lord wa vilibly prefent with our church. 
 
 worfhip
 
 32 L E T T E R tp 
 
 worfliip expofcd to the whims and follies of the fcep- 
 tic and enthufiaft, there are many other inconve- 
 niences that attend our prefe'nt method. Firft, it is 
 a queftion whether the laity can join at all in our 
 public prayers , for we muft either fuppole that 
 they go along with the miniiter, offering every 
 word as he utters it, or wait until he has finilhed 
 the fentence, and then examine it, and give their 
 afifent. If the firft be their method, it is evident 
 that they place an abfurd and dangerous confidence 
 in the honefty and ability of the parfon, and em- 
 brace in their prayers all the whimfical notions and 
 pernicious principles that he may chance to mix 
 with them : and further, that many of them, will, 
 like parrots, talk what they do not understand, fince 
 many words will occur, whofe meaning and im- 
 portance they are not able all at once to conceive. 
 At leaft I find it fo with myfelf. Perhaps our people 
 may be infpired with more than ordinary penetration 
 in the time of prayer , but, at other times, I find it 
 difficult enough to make many of them comprehend 
 an ordinary mefifage, delivered in the plaineft words 
 that I can poflibly find , and after repeating it over 
 and over again, have the mortification to find, that 
 they mifunderftand me, tho* the whole paflage does 
 not exceed two fentences. Thar thefe men mould un- 
 derftand all the expreflions in an extemporary prayer, 
 and with their underftandings and judgments keep 
 pace with the minifter for half an hour, or twenty 
 minutes, to me appears impofiibie, and I believe, 
 will appear even to you very miraculous. But fup- 
 pofe that our people wait till the minifter has fi- 
 nilhed the fentence, and then compare the feveral 
 parts, examine the whole, and give their afienr, 
 God knows how unfit maay of them are for this 
 tafk ; but let them be ever fo fit, if a word be loft, 
 if one occurs whofe meaning they do not under- 
 
 ftand,
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 33 
 
 ftand, or if the arrangement of the words be per- 
 plexed, it is evident that they cannot give a ratio- 
 nal aflfent : and if they take time to examine what 
 may be fufpicious, to fupply what is loft, or to un- 
 ravel what is pef plexed, let them be as quick as they 
 will, the fubfequent fcntence will be loft. I do not 
 indeed fuppofe that the bulk of our congregations 
 ever dreamt of thefe difficulties, becaufe they give 
 themfelves ho trouble about underftanding, ex- 
 amining, or affenting ; but content themfelves with 
 being humble hearers, and perhaps in all their lives 
 never once gave a fmcere and rational Amen to 
 publick prayers i though hearing another pray, and 
 joining in prayer, be very different things. 
 
 Another inconvenience that attends our way of 
 worfhip is, that young gentlemen, juft come from 
 the univerfity, full fraught with phil&fophy, and 
 fond of mewing their learning, very injudicioufly 
 vent their notions in our public prayers. A young 
 fpruce gentleman the other Sunday converted us in 
 an inftant, from plain country people, into profound 
 philofophers, and thefe too of the dogmatical kind ; 
 for we told God Almighty many things concerning 
 his own works, which the learned gentleman,, it 
 feems, thoughttie did not know before, many things 
 that we neither underil cod nor believed ; we travelled 
 fo high, that o:ir heads began to turn, and after 
 all loft our gentleman, for fifteen minutes, amongft 
 things that he called vortices, and began indeed to 
 fufpecl that he was fwallowed up by them, or had 
 gone where Milton tells us all vain and empty things 
 go, 
 
 - Up whirl* d aloft, 
 
 mFly o'er the backfide of the world far off, 
 Into a limbo large and broad, Jince calfd 
 'The paradife of fools -f . 
 
 f Milt. Parad. Loft, book iii. 495. 
 
 C Whether
 
 )54 L E T t E R tJ T- 
 
 Whether he vifited that place or not we cannot 
 tell,; but we found him at laft upon earth, chafing 
 a mole. Had he been pleafed to tell us thefe things, 
 ftripped of their philofophic garb, in a fermon, 
 fome of them might have been entertaining, fome 
 of them ufeful, and mod of them tolerable ; but 
 to make us inform; the Deity of things that we nei- 
 ther knew nor believed, and as it were inflruct our 
 Maker in the nature, beauty, and order of his own 
 works, (I humbly think) was imprudent and pre- 
 fumptuous. However, he made a fhift, by new 
 coined words, and terms. of art, to be far above the 
 reach of our underftandings ; and to pray with 
 him, wemuft have read Euclid, ftudied Newton's 
 works more than our Bibles, and brought half a 
 dozen dictionaries to church with us, to help us 
 to the meaning of his words. The gentleman how- 
 ever obtained his end, the people flared, and, 
 when they . came out, concluded that he was ad- 
 mirably learned, and that none was fo fit to be their 
 ininifter. Upon this whim, they vigoroufly op- 
 pofe.; the fettlement of a pious and prudent gentle- 
 man,, prefented to the charge by the patron, and are 
 moft pioufly fupported in their wife oppofition by 
 a fet of the clergy, I fuppofe for confcience fake. 
 But I beg pardon, dtgreflTion is a fault. My bu- 
 finefs is only with our public worfliip ; and I flatter 
 myfelf that you -will own, that upon that Sunday 
 it was but poorly performed : yet fuch farces as thefe 
 we are often forced to bear withj and inftead of the 
 humble exprefiions ,of penitents, the concife peti- 
 tions of poor mortals, and the grateful thankfgiv- 
 ings of rational creatures, to their merciful God, 
 our praters- frequently confift of the foolifh dftn- 
 tation of learning, and the harm jargon of hard 
 words. 
 
 NEITHER
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 3 |- 
 
 NEITHER does our worfnip fuffer more by the 
 oftentatious folly and pedantic humour of our 
 young dominies, than by the natural and rte?ef- 
 fary decays of the invention, memory and judg- 
 ment of our a^ed minifters v for as the clergy are 
 foolifh enough to vie in the expences of dreijs, 
 table, and equipage; with the landed gentlemen, 
 moft of them are unable, and all of them arc 
 unwilling to call an afliftant, as long as they are 
 able to creep up to a pulpir, and prattle ouc ' 
 fomething like a prayer ; fo that you will frequently 
 find a man inventing and dictating the devotions 
 of a congregation, who is fuperannuated to all the 
 other affairs of life. This man it feefris has a right 
 to make us addrefs our Maker, in what manner^ 
 and with what words he thinks proper; tho* in 
 common converfation, we cannot help perceiving 
 that his memory has loft its ftrength, that his under- 
 Handing is decayed ; and all the powers of his mind 
 are fadly declined. It would perhaps be cruel, to 
 give inftances of the blunders, blafphemy, and 
 nonfenfe that have been mixed with our prayers 
 by this misfortune, tho* many inftances might 
 be produced;, but it is (I humbly' ' think) more 
 cruel and highly unreafonabley.to.-put the aged 
 minifters under the neceffity. of- expofing. their 
 weaknefs, and dishonouring the. fervice of their 
 Maker; and the laity under the hardfhip, either 
 of offering nonfenfe, or blafphemy, initead, of 
 pious ardentj and exprefiive prayers, or of re/d.ucing 
 their 'minifter, to want and, -beggary in his. old . 
 age, by forcing him to call an afiiftant whether- he 
 can maintain him. or not ; efpecially, as all danger , 
 might be prevented, and alt; deficiencies fupplied, 
 by compofing and eftablilhing a pious form of 
 prayer ; for he might read a prayer very devoutly, 
 and cliftinftly, when he cannot invent readily, or 
 C 2 dictate
 
 3 6 LETTER to 
 
 di&ate an extemporary prayer to the congregation with 
 propriety arid judgment , or if he chanced to blun- 
 der, or pronounce inftinftly, having the form be- 
 fore us, we could eafily fupply the defefts; we 
 could much better put up with trifling in his fermons, 
 and patiently hear him prattle about his fubjeft and 
 about it, becaufe we could fupply our lofs, in fome 
 meafure, by reading fome of the bcft fermons our- 
 felves, or to our. families ; but public prayer is a 
 matter of that importance, that there is no pofllbi- 
 lity of fupplying it by our own induftry, no rectify- 
 ing miftakes after the prayer is offered, and no poffi- 
 bility of preventing very grofs and dangerous blun- 
 ders, while we perform this part of our worfhip 
 after the prefent method : for tho' our aged 'minifters 
 mould retain all the powers of their minds to the 
 laft, which is not the cafe with one in an hundredf; 
 tho' they mould be able to ihvent extemporary 
 petitions, with propriety; yet as the organs of 
 the body decay, it is impoflible that they can 
 cxprefs them with that ftrength of voice, and 
 diftinftnefs of pronunciation, which are neceffary 
 to usj before we can give a very rational afient, 
 if we can at all give a rational affent to prayers that 
 we never have examined ; no, nor yet the minifter 
 himfelf. The weak voice, the trembling body, 
 the want of teeth* and other infirmities incident to 
 old age, do often render the pronunciation fo indif- 
 tincl:, that in our prefent way of worlhip one half of 
 the congregation is at as great a lofs, as if the gentle- 
 man prayed in an unknown tongue ; or at moft they 
 can only pick up a word here and there, without any 
 connexion. Let us fuppofe that among more than 
 a thoufand minifters, there are only eighty whofc 
 underftandings, or bodily organs, are thus de- 
 cayed, and that, one with another, each of the m 
 
 has
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 37 
 
 has five-hundred fouls under his charge ; it would 
 be a misfortune to thofe who are under the care of 
 the firft, if they did join in the public worfhip as it 
 is performed amongft them ; and they who are under 
 the care of the laft cannot poflibly do it ; fo that 
 there muft be in Scotland at leaft forty-thoufand 
 perfons, who are debarred from the moft eflential 
 part of public worfhip, by the old age of our minif- 
 ters, joined with the abfurdity of our prefent plan ; 
 to which if we add the 50,000 1 mentioned before, 
 there will be ninety thoufand perfons in this nation 
 who cannot worfhip God at all in public, or worfhip 
 him a way unworthy of him, and dangerous to them- 
 felves, whofe blood muft be crying to heaven a- 
 gainft the rulers of our church. For whether the 
 above calculations be allowed to be juft or not, there; 
 muft certainly be a very eonfiderable number of our 
 brethren in this diftrefled fituation ; unlefs we fup- 
 pofe, contrary to known matter of f aft, that the mi- 
 nifters of our church are not yet fubjecled to the 
 fame infirmities of body and mind that other men 
 are fubject to , and that they are fecured, by fome fa- 
 cred infallibility, from embracing enthufiaftical or 
 fceptical opinions. 
 
 BUT further, our worfhip as it is performed at 
 prefent, is not only corrupted by the contrary 
 petitions of contending parties ; not only tinctured 
 with the heats and animofities that arife in fynods 
 and affemblies ; not only mixed with the whimfical 
 opinions, and pernicious principles of libertines 
 and enthufiafts, that climb up into our pulpits ; not 
 only rendered obfcure and contemptible by the 
 pedantry and affected learning of the younger, 
 and the weakneffes of mind and body of our older 
 minifters; but frequently interlaid with ill-timed 
 compliments to the great, or the minifter's fa- 
 C 3 vourites
 
 $8 L HIT T.E R; to 
 
 yourites, and the groffeft abufes of thofe who 
 have the misfortune to be out of favour. I could 
 produce numerous inftances of both, and, were it 
 hot an inviduous tafk, point out the perfons, 
 places,- and times. Upon the marriage jaf a 
 certain noble peer in this nation, the parfon carried 
 his compliments fo far in the public prayers, 
 (hat he exceeded .all the bounds of decency, and 
 made his female hearers blufh. -, and I would blufh 
 to repeat to the rulers of : our church in a letter 
 the expreffions that he made ufe of to the God of 
 heaven and earth in the face of a congregation ; fo 
 extravagant and ill chofen werp his words, that 
 the lady was forced to direct the clergyman, and 
 intreat him to forbear his rude petitions. A mi- 
 nifter, even in one. of our royal burghs, obferving 
 & young gentleman, fon to one of the magiftrates, 
 in church, after a journey to London, made all 
 the. congregation thank God, that he had brought 
 back their friends from foreign lands. Moft men, 
 I prefume, will' remember how grofsly the royal 
 commander of his majefty's forces, during the kit 
 war, was abufed by having his praifes wrought 
 into our public prayers, by rough and unfkilful 
 hands -, fome allowances, 1 own, are to be made 
 for the clergy in this inftance 5 the augmentation 
 fcheme was then in agitation, and the weaker 
 part of them foolifhly thought, that this would 
 .pave -the way for it. 
 
 ON the other hand, he mufl be a great ftranger 
 in our congregations, or very heedlefs when he 
 comes there, who has not obferved that fometimes 
 a well meant zeal, and fometimes too warm an 
 attachment to party opinions with refpect to re- 
 ligious fubjedls, and private refentments too, have 
 taught minifters of keen pafiions, to ufe feveral 
 expreflions, not only inconfiftent with the charity 
 
 of
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 39 
 
 ofchriftians, but even with the humanity of men; 
 Vex them in thy wrath , and plead with them in thy dif- 
 pleafure through all eternity, was the unchriftian 
 
 pecition of Mr. with a refpeft to papifts y- Pour 
 
 down the vials of thy wrath upon- them^ and burn their 
 flefb with fire, was Mr. C-^-'s ungenerous wifl>. 
 Nothing but heat of zeal and hurry of paffion 
 could have di&ated thefe petitions , and I am - far 
 from thinking that many of our minifters fuflfer 
 themfelves to be driven to fo great lengths. But 
 all of them are fubject to paffions, and what is' 
 left to the difcretion of the minifter, is left alfo 
 to the indifcretion and pafiions of the man -, and 
 we frequently find the two laft, where the ' firft 
 was defigned to take place.. Many in (lances- could 
 be given of the ill-timed flattery of friends, and 
 unchriftian exprefTions with refpe<5t to enemies, that 
 have been vented in our public prayers ; but I am 
 tender of the > reputation of the clergy, and 
 do not chufe to expofe tJaeir errors, farther than 
 is abfolutely necefiary to fhew: the danger and abr 
 furdity of our prefent way of ' worihip ; and to 
 perfuade them to recover and fdcure its purity 
 and decency ; and therefore, I humbly intreat you 
 to eonfider, whether the ill-time4, ill-chofen compli- 
 ments of fycophants upon the pne hand, and the 
 unchriftian expreffions of keen zealots upon the 
 other, do not render our public worihip con- 
 temptible and dangerous -, and whether there be 
 any thing fo likely to prevent them from in- 
 dulging their humours, to the difhonour of God 
 and difgrace of religion, a fomq-wellTchofen,, pious, 
 public form of prayer. 
 
 AFTER flattery we may mention politics, j a 
 which our minifters will be dabbling, in, fpite of 
 grace, nature, and common fenfe, as another very 
 fruitful (ource of blunders in our public worfhip, 
 
 few
 
 TTER to 
 
 few of them have genius, fewer ftill have diffident 
 intelligence, and all of them are at too great a 
 diftance from the feat of government, or to com- 
 prehend the fecret intrigues of courts, or to per- 
 ceive, in fpite of the varnifh by which they are 
 difguifed, the real views of parties -, yet all of them 
 will be meddling, and in every difpute our prayers 
 muft take a fide, and the poor lay-men muft addrefs 
 their Maker, fometimes upon the faith of afoolifh ru- 
 mour, and often upon the credit of a common news. 
 To fay nothing of the times very wittily but very 
 truly defcribed by Butler in his Hudibras, 
 
 .::... ' ,<O>f;On.:. . .;, f--:'331j; 1 .:. . /.J U3 
 
 W'ben gofpel trumpeter, furrounded 
 Hfttb long-ear* d rout, to battle founded 
 And pulpit, dfum ecclefiaftic, 
 ffias beat byfifi inftead of ajlick 
 
 Not (I fay) to mentipn thefe days, whofe hiftory 
 will be an eternal difgrace to our religion, and 
 would furnim as many inftances of nonfenfe and 
 blafphemy vented in our public prayers, as would 
 be fufficient to fill up a large volume ; even in latter 
 days, politics have introduced very grofs abfurdities, 
 into our public fervice. I am not yet an old man, 
 and I remember to have been made to pray, that 
 God would pull down the bloody boufe of ^uftria : 
 during the laft war, I earneftly begged that he 
 would build it up ; now I begin to give broad hints 
 ttat I would have it pulled down again , and am 
 expecting every Sunday, to be made to defire it, in 
 a formal manner. The Interefts and leagues of the 
 ftates of Europe fhift fo frequently, that we are 
 often flung out in our prayers, and pray for our ene- 
 mies as if they were our friends, and againft our friends 
 as if they were enemies. Would our minifters be 
 
 contented
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 41 
 
 contented to make us pray in general for our friends, 
 and againft the devices of our enemies, we mould 
 never be wrong : but they chufe to mention whom 
 they mean, left omnifcient wifdom mould miftake, 
 or at leaft that their people may know that they are 
 great politicians, and very zealous for the public 
 gopd. Many a time have I thanked God for giving 
 ps glorious victories, when we have been fhame- 
 fully beat , for infpiring courage into our troops, 
 when they have run away ; for fuccefs granted to 
 our arms in battles that were never fought ; and 
 for deliverances from plots that were never formed. 
 Our public worfhip, in the prefent way, has al- 
 ways been and will always be tinctured with the 
 fpirit of party, and made the property of faction in 
 church and ftate. When the famous Cambu Hang's 
 converfion was going on (I mail never forget it), 
 one Sunday morning I was made to thank Goa for 
 the manifeftation of his power in that converfion, 
 and intreat him to continue the great work he had 
 begun , in the afternoon, by an unlucky change 
 of minifters, I was made to pray that God would 
 put a (lop to the delufions of the devil, by which 
 the ignorant and fimple were deceived, and give us 
 grace to refift that fpirit of enthufiafm that had 
 gone out into our land : thus what I afcribed to 
 God in the morning, I afcribed to the Devil in 
 the afternoon ; and what I had requefted God to 
 promote, I requefted him too to give me grace to 
 refift. I prayed long and earneftly with Walpole's 
 enemies, before their intrigues and my prayers could 
 pull him down ; and when he fell, I was made to 
 thank God for the great deliverance; though it 
 was foon difcovered, that it was nothing more than 
 a ftruggle for power between parties, and a matter 
 of no moment to me or my country which of the 
 parties was in or out : however, all ranks contri- 
 buted
 
 42 LETTER to 
 
 t>uted fomethingto raife the clamour; the mob 
 made bonfires, the magiftrates rung bells, the mi* 
 niflers gave their prayers, and the mountain 
 brought forth a moufe. 
 
 NAY, I have known the private piques and little 
 quarrels between the parfon and his neighbours, 
 introduced into our public worfhip and made a 
 part of our prayers : even when the parfon was the 
 firft aggreflbr, he had the aflurance to complain tq 
 God (as he called it), and what was (till more unr 
 reafonable, made his parifhoners complain with him, 
 or at leaft, he complained in their names, though 
 mofl of them were very fenfible, that he himfelf 
 had done the injuftice ; how his complaints were 
 received in heaven I cannot tell, but I know that 
 they had their effects upon earth, for his antagonift, 
 unable to bear the flaring of the congregation every 
 Lord's-day, was forced to fit down under the in-: 
 juftice. It is hard to determine in this refpecl, whe- 
 ther you have the meaner! opinion of your God 
 or your hearers , for it feems you think that both 
 are obliged to fhift fides as you are pleafed to di~. 
 reel them, and, right or wrong, be ftill of the party 
 which the parfon tor the time thinks fit to embrace. 
 That you mould treat the laity with fo great con- 
 tempt in this cafe, is not fo furprizing, as you may 
 be convinced from long experience, that they will 
 fwallow down the groffefl abfurdities in their public 
 prayers, and trail the propriety of their worfhip 
 upon Sunday, to the difcretion and ability of a- 
 man, whofe folly and weaknefs perhaps they laugh 
 ^t all the week. But I own it is amazing that you 
 can ufe fuch freedom with the Deity, to defire him 
 to do and undo as the fancy flrikes you, or your de- 
 figns chance to alter. 
 
 OUR prayers are, for the moft part, too hiflori- 
 cal and feem rather defigned to jnflruc"l the con- 
 gregation,
 
 the M I N I S T E R S, &c. 43 
 
 gregation, than to confefs their fins, .exprefs their 
 wants, or offer their grateful thankfgivings.- I do 
 not at all fuppofe that you are ignorant, as our 
 people feem to be, of the difference between preach- 
 ing and praying, or that you are not fenfible that a 
 very good fermon, will make but a very bad prayer ; 
 but I cannot help thinking that you comply top 
 far .with the popular tafte in this refpect, and ftrive 
 to" pleafe, by giving our public prayers as much 
 the air and manner of a fermon as pofiible ; or 
 knowing that . many of your people judge of the 
 propriety and excellency of a prayer by its length, 
 to come up to the common ftandard you are forced 
 to 611 up a gap with what materials come firft to 
 hand ; and this 1 am more apt to believe to be the 
 cafe, becaufe we fometimes find half a dozen of 
 fentences from fcripture poured into our prayers 
 all at once, without the Jeaft connexion among 
 themfelves, or the leaft relation to what went be- 
 fore, or follows after ; and frequently too, with- 
 out the leaft affinity to any of the parts of prayer. 
 What Mr. Fordyce means, by that certain * happy 
 irregularity in our public prayer, which he is pleaf- 
 ed to recommend, I profefs I know not ; but I 
 know very well, that there is a certain unhappy ir- 
 regularity in mbft of ours, that renders them very 
 improper for public worfhip. The feveral parts of 
 prayer are moft abfurdly confounded, though 
 they require very different difpofitions of heart j 
 confefiion is jumbled with thankfgiying ; petition 
 is mixed with narration ; and fometimes we have all 
 the parts of prayer in one fingle fentence. By thefe 
 means the min.d is held in fufpence, and cannot 
 fettle to that humility, conviction, and forrow, that 
 ought to attend confeflion j nor is it raifed to that 
 
 * Edification, &c. page 15. 
 
 warm
 
 44 LETTER to 
 
 warm gratitude, and ardent love, that ought to en- 
 liven our thankfgivings , neither is it filled with 
 that fenfe of dependence, nor formed to that ferious 
 earneftnefs and lively faith, with which our petitions 
 ought to be fent forth. 
 
 INSTEAD of thefe, arrjufed with the novelty of 
 exprefiion, and diftrafted with the quick and irre- 
 gular fucceffions of the feveral parts of prayer, it 
 fluctuates between thefe fenfaticms, and feels not 
 much of any of them. When all the powers of 
 the foul mould be employed in their proper places, 
 and making their greateft efforts to offer a fpiritual 
 worfhip to the Father of fpirits, our curiofity is 
 only awake, and we are liftening to a prayer no 
 otherways than we do to a fermori. I would beg 
 leave further to obferve, that our extemporary wor- 
 fhip in the church, produces very bad effefts with 
 repeft to our worfhip in our families ; for as pray- 
 ing to God extempore is the prevailing famion, 
 and as our people are taught to defpife worfhip of- 
 fered by a form, fo thofe of them who want me- 
 mory, learning, and invention, to exprefs thamfelves 
 extempore with propriety, and have modefty to be 
 afhamed of indecent exprefiions, and reflexion to 
 think of the danger of unreafonable and unchrif- 
 tian petitions, never pray with their families at all. 
 On the other hand, when ignorance and felf-fuffi- 
 ciency meet in the mafter of a family, their wor- 
 fhip of confequence is a miferable mixture of no*n- 
 fenfe, error, and blafphemy. The moft ignorant 
 are always the moft prefuming, and the lefs fenfe 
 that a man has of the nature and importance of 
 prayer, the more readily will he venture upon ex- 
 temporary worfhip. In fadt it is true, that many 
 of our people who can hardly repeat their creed, 
 and know very little more of their religion than 
 a few hard words that they have gleaned out of our 
 
 catechifrat*
 
 the M I N I S T E R S, &c. 4$ 
 
 eatechifms, imitate our parfons in praying extem- 
 pore , and approach their Maker with as great fa* 
 miliarity, as they would do to their neighbours, and 
 with much lefs refpect and reverence than they dare 
 treat their laird. Good God! whatpityful fceneS 
 have I feen of this kind ! what rude and Ihocking 
 exprefiions, what blafphemous petitions have I 
 heard ! how often have I trembled when the igno- 
 rant and proud enthufiaft kneeled down with his 
 family to his extemporary worfhip! how often have 
 I fhuddered at the whimfical notions that he wrought 
 into our prayers, the infblent and unchriftian ex- 
 preflions which he ufcd, and the nonfenfe that he 
 offered in our name. How often has my heart bled 
 in fecret for the fad fituation of many miferable fa- 
 milies, who, by our unhappy attachment to extem- 
 porary prayer, either want family-worfhip altoge- 
 ther, or offer their worfhip in fuch a manner as 
 difhonours God, difgraces religion, and is very 
 dangerous to themfelves ! but I would very far ex- 
 ceed the bounds of a letter, and I am afraid weary- 
 out your patience, if I mould endeavour to lay be- 
 fore you all the inconveniencies that attend our 
 preient way of worfhip ; and I flatter myfelf, if 
 you will add to thefe already taken notice of, the 
 blunders of ignorance, the flights of vanity, the 
 needlefs filly repetitions, the unguarded expref- 
 fions, and the childifh thoughts that are mixed, 
 with our prayers (and muft be mixed with them, 
 unlefs you can fuppofe that all our minifters are 
 men of the greateft abilities, elocution, and pru- 
 dence) you will fee, that our prefent way of wor- 
 fhip is defective, unreafonabie, and dangerous ; 
 and that the hardfhips that the laity labour under, 
 and the danger to which they are expofed, can on- 
 ly be removed by fame devout and approved form 
 of prayer. 
 
 To
 
 4 6 LETTER to 
 
 To fupport the prefent abfurd practice, to make 
 the laity fit quietly down with the injuftice done 
 them, and to blind their eyes that they may not 
 perceive the difadvantages that they labour under^ 
 and the danger to which they are expofed, it has 
 been faid that a form of prayer will limit the in- 
 fpiration of the Spirit ; that it deadens the devo- 
 tion of people , that all the wants of a chrif- 
 tian congregation cannot be exprefled by a form : 
 and fome have been fo foolifh as to fay, that it is 
 unlawful to worfhip by a form of prayer. Will 
 you pardon my preemption, and hear me with pa- 
 tience, if I humbly offer my thoughts upon thefe 
 heads -, I hope you will. As to the firft, I might 
 boldly appeal to your own confciences, and afk 
 you, In the name iff God Do you believe that you are 
 itjfpired? Have you indeed fo mean an opinion of the 
 underjl finding and judgment of the laity, as to imagint 
 that any of them, who think at all, can ever be brought 
 to believe, that the prayers we commonly hear are dic- 
 tated by the Holy Ghoft ? Or have you fo little regard 
 to the honour of God and the inter efts of religion, as 
 to ascribe your extemporary effufions to the Holy Spirit t 
 No, I am perfuaded that> none but the ranked 
 enthufiafts will ever urge this argument againft a form 
 of prayer ; and I will beg leave to afk fuch, are the 
 \\ords or the matter of your prayers, or both, in- 
 fpired ? That the words are not infpired, is evident 
 from the difficulty that you frequently have to find 
 proper words ; trom the improper and fometimes 
 indecent exprefiions that fall from you -, from the 
 ill-timed paufes that you are forced to make, and 
 that mod uieful fupplement of coughing, groan- 
 ing, and fpitting, that muft come in to your affift- 
 ance. But fuppofing that you were indeed infpired 
 with words, it would be of fmall importance to 
 yourfelves or to us, unlefs the matter of your prayers 
 
 be
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 4? 
 
 be infpired too : and if the matter of them be 
 infpired, your prayers are of equal authority with 
 the fcriptures themfeives, and fhould be entered in- 
 to the cannon. I know not how to excufe the neg- 
 ligence of the people of this nation, in fuffering 
 fo much found dodrine to be loft ; it might have 
 cleared up forne difficult paflages in fcripture, and 
 decided feveral important difputes. 1 know not 
 what to fay for this piece of negligence, unlefs our 
 people think that all things necefiary for chriftians 
 to know, to believe, and to practife, are revailed 
 in the holy fcriptures ; and that they may be taught 
 by them what to afk in prayer, aed how to regu- 
 late their lives , and if this be true, your infpira- 
 tion is a very great gift beftowed for very poor pur- 
 pofes, only to fave you the pains of fearching the 
 Icriptures, and the trouble of compofing a form of 
 prayer by the inftructions and examples contained 
 in them. The heathen poets themfeives had a 
 greater reverence for the Deity than this, for it was 
 a maxim among them 
 
 Nee deus inter fit, nifi dignus vindice no dm 
 Incident * 
 
 I fubmit) whether you do not tranfgrefs againft this 
 rule, by introducing the infpiration of the Holy 
 Spirit, if the fcriptures be fufficient to direct us 
 what to afk in prayer ; and if they be not fuffici- 
 ent for this, the revelation of the will of God for 
 our falvation is defective in a very important point ; 
 and. neither the prophets, nor the apoftles, no nor 
 our Saviour himfelf, though he enterprized it, have 
 taught us how to pray. But fuppofing that it were 
 neceffary, that the words and matter of our prayers 
 
 * Hor. Art. Poet. Never let a god be introduced, unlefs 
 there happens to' be forge difficulty worthy of fuch an agent. 
 
 fl}ould
 
 48 L T T E R to 
 
 mould be infpired by the Holy Ghoft ; why fnighi 
 not a number of pious and learned divines, met to- 
 gether with , fuch an interefling and grtar defign as 
 that of compofing a form of prayer for a whole 
 church, have as much reafon to expect, and be as 
 likely to receive the afliftance of the Holy Spirit^ 
 as a private clergyman inventing the tranfient 
 prayer of a particular congregation ? But this fup- 
 pofed infpiration in our extemporary way, will in- 
 volve us in very great, nay infuperable difficulties? 
 for we mail be as much puzzled where to find our 
 miraculous infpiration, as the papifts are where to 
 fix their wonderful infallibility. For if we fuppofe 
 that this infpiration is confined to any one of the 
 feveral feels that ufe extemporary prayer, we pre- 
 fcribe to the Holy Spirit, and limit him with a wit^ 
 nefs, and mall be fadly perplexed to determine to 
 which particular party this wonderful privilege is 
 given. If we fuppofe that this privilege is com- 
 mon to the minifters of all the fects, then we muft 
 conclude that the Holy Ghoft inipires oppofite pe- 
 titions to men of oppofite principles, and directs 
 one feet to pray againft another: for inilance, if 
 he infpires the Burghers * to pray againft the prin- 
 ciples of their feceding brethren the Antiburghers^ 
 and to cut them off from their communion by ex- 
 communication ; we cannot fuppofe that he infpires 
 the Antiburghers to return the compliment : and if 
 he infpires the minfters of thefe fects to pray againft 
 the principles of the church eftablimtd by law, he 
 does not direct the minifters of the eftablifhed 
 church, in their public prayers, to call the feceflion 
 a dangerous fchifm : that the minifters of the feve- 
 
 * Burgher and Antiburgher are the names of two parties 
 among the Scotch feceders, taken from the ca.ufe of their 
 quarrel, an oath impofed in fome of the royal burroughs in 
 Scotland upon thofe the/ admit into the corporation. 
 
 ral
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 49 
 
 'rat fects do pray for the fuccefs of their feveral par- 
 ties, and that God would hinder the fpreading of 
 the principles of the other fects, is evident to all 
 the world. Now, unlels we would be guilty of the 
 boldeft blafphemy, and fay that the Holy Ghoft 
 chimes in with the principles of the parfori, what- 
 ever they be (as the people are forced to do), we 
 muft conclude that this infpiration is nor. granted 
 but to one of the feels ; and I fhall only requefl each 
 of them to ufe a form of prayer, until they mall 
 be able to prove that this gift of infpiration belongs 
 to them.- And that the eftablifhed church, with 
 which I have to do, may be more willing to hear 
 and grant my requeftj I will produce ibme ftrong 
 preemptions that it does not belong to them : in- 
 deed the inftances that I have given above, arc 
 more than fufficient for this purpofe ; but I fhall 
 further ad$, firft, that if the confefTion of faith be 
 true, none of our minifters are infpired in their 
 prayers -, for there all mankind are divided into two 
 claries, the elect and the reprobates ; yet it is evi- 
 dent beyond all poflibility of difpute, that the elect 
 pray as if it were poffible that they may be damn- 
 ed ; and the reprobates as if it were poffible that 
 they may be laved ; and yet it is impoftible that 
 die Holy Spirit infpires either of them with thefe 
 prayers, urjlefs we be fo impious as to imagine that 
 he directs them to pray upon falfe principles, and 
 infpires them to pray for or againft what he knowjs 
 can never happen; and though fome of you urge 
 this argument of infpiration againft your adver- 
 faries, yet our church has in fact very fairly dif- 
 claimed it, by publiming and authorifing a direc- 
 tory for public prayer; unlefs we would fiippoffc 
 them fo prefumptuous as to direct the Holy Spirk 
 how to pray. In truth, our prefbyterian infpira* 
 tion, is as myfterious and as ufekfs a gift as the 
 D popilh
 
 50 LETTER to 
 
 popifh infallibility. The popifh church has an 'in- 
 fallibility lodged fomewhere, but (he knows not 
 where to find it in time of need -, we prefbyterians 
 have an infpiration among us, but we know not to' 
 which of all the feels it belongs. The infallible 
 church is filled with difputes, which her infallibility 
 cannot determine ; and the infpired church has 
 nonfenfe, contradiction, and whimfical opinions, 
 vented in her public prayers, which her infpiration 
 does not prevent; the infallible church has the 
 moft unreafonable and abfurd creed of any church 
 upon earth ; and the infpired church has, and will 
 have (while fhe adheres to her prefent plan), a 
 very defective, unreafonable, and dangerous kind 
 of public worfhip : and fully, and juftly, does the 
 Providence of heaven confute the vain pretenfions 
 of prefumptuous men. 
 
 Btrr it may be faid, and it has been faid, that 
 this gift of infpiration is not univerfal to all our 
 minifters, nor uniform and conftant to any of them, 
 but granted now and then by fits and ftarts, fome- 
 thing (I fuppofe) like the quakers fpirit. I can- 
 not help thinking, if this be the cafe, that the 
 quakers proceed more judicioufly than we; they pa- 
 tiently wait in filence till they feel, or imagine they 
 feel the influences of the Spirit ; but if he does 
 not come, we venture to do without f him : they 
 humbly fubmit to his will, to infpire whom he 
 pleafeth ; but we confine him to the miniiler : they 
 Hop fhort when his influence ceafes : but we run 
 our glafles, let his influences ceafe when they will. 
 I would therefore humbly propofe, either that, Jike 
 quakers, we fhould wait the Spirit, and permit any 
 one of the congregation, who chanced to be in- 
 fpired, to dictate our devotions ; or that a form of 
 prayer be compofed and authorifed, only to be ufed 
 when the minifter feejs no infpiration. Let him 
 
 have
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 6 i 
 
 have full liberty to depart from the form, when he 
 feels upon his mind the miraculous influences of 
 the Holy Spirit fuggefting the matter of his pray- 
 ers. By this method, we mall gain two very con- 
 fiderable advantages 5 firftj we mall always wprfhip, 
 either by infpiration or by an approved form, and 
 be certain (unlefs the parfon deceives us), that {he 
 ignorance, afire 6tation* ill-timed zeal, pride, or 
 paflions of the man him'felf, cannot tincture our 
 public worfhip) or mix themfelves with our pray- 
 ers. And next, we mall difcover when our par- 
 fons are infpired , for, as things are managed at 
 prefent, this miracle is as much loft in our prefby 
 terian church, as the famous miracle of tranfub- 
 ftantiation is among the papifts. In both churches 
 there is a wonderful manifeftation of almighty 
 power, yet no one is able to perceive it in either. 
 The papifts are convinced that bread and wine are 
 converted into flefli and bjood, though to all the 
 fenfes they remain bread and wine ftill ; we prefby- 
 terians are perfuaded that our minifters are fome- 
 times infpired* though we cannot tell when the in- 
 fpiration begins or ends ; and though our minifters 
 in this cafe, lie under the fame misfortune that 
 Hudibras did, 
 
 When with great eft art he fpoke, 
 Tw'd think, he talked like other folk : 
 
 fo it unluckily fares with them ; when they pray 
 moft by infpiration, they only pray like other 
 people ; and all my attention and fkill has never 
 been able to difcover the infpiration in one fingle 
 inftance. But by the method that I am propofing, 
 we mail difcover that the infpiration immediately 
 begins, when the minifter departs from the efta- 
 blimed form, and perhaps we may make another 
 difcovery ; I mean, that the rage of party, the fpirit 
 D2 of
 
 & L E T E R to 
 
 of pricfe and enthufiafm, as frequently infpirc! our 
 minifters, as the fpirit of peace and love. In a 
 word, let thole minifters who have pride enough to 
 believe, and preemption to affirm that they are in- 
 fpired, and can find people fo ignorant and credu- 
 lous as to believe them, or fo tame and indifferent 
 3s to truft their devotions to an imaginary infpira- 
 t'ion, let thefe I fay, ufe the prefent method, but 
 have pity upon us who fee the difficulty, difadvan- 
 ta'ges, and great danger of our prefent way of 
 worfhip. 
 
 As we cannot find in fcripture any promife of 
 fuch a gift, as we are convinced that there can be 
 no need of it (unlefs we fuppofe that the Holy 
 Ghoft has not fully revealed the will of God for 
 our falvation) , as we are abfolutely certain that 
 you are not all infpired, and have no reafon to be- 
 lieve that any one of you is fo , we prefume moft 
 humbly and moft earneftly to requeft, that fb'me 
 pious form of prayer may be compofed and au- 
 thorifed. The only infpiration that is promifed in 
 fcripture, that is neceffary or that can be ufeful, 
 is that the Holy Spirit will infpire the hearts of the 
 faithful with affections proper for this important 
 duty ; fuch as fhame and forrow in confeflion, an 
 humble chriftian hope of obtaining what we afk in 
 our petitions, gratitude and love in our thankfgiv- 
 ing, and fuch other affections as are fuitabie to 
 the feveral parts of prayer ; and ho man I believe 
 will fay that the Holy Spirit cannot, or prove that 
 he will not, infpire our hearts with thefe affections, 
 as eafily and as readily when we pray by a form, 
 as when we pray without one. And as far as prayer 
 may be confidered as one of the means of in- 
 fpiring thefe affections, a form feems better calcu- 
 lated to anfwer that purpofe, in public affemblies, 
 than extemporary effiifions: for in the extempore 
 
 way,
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 53 
 
 way, the hearer (if he has any fenfe of the nature 
 and importance of prayer) muft begin the duty 
 with a trembling heart, and go through it with a 
 continual diffidence, as he trurts it entirely to the 
 difci^gion of another man ; fometimes to a man 
 whom he never faw before, and always to a man 
 who has not Ib much as calmly confidered it him- 
 felf. He muft often fufpend his affent, when he Is 
 not fatisfied of the propriety of the expreflion ; he 
 mu'ft lofe fhe fenfe, where the fentence is intricate, 
 and through the whole, be in perplexity, fufpi- 
 cion, fear, and real danger. Whereas when 
 prayers are offered by a form, no word needs 
 efcape him, he underftands every word, he per- 
 ceives the conne&ion of every fentence j and let 
 the minifter's judgment be ever fo weak, his learn- 
 ing ever fo little, his manner of exprefling him- 
 felf perplexed, his principles pernicious, his paf- 
 fions ever fo keen, and his party prejudices ever fo 
 violent, yet in fpite of all thefe he offers a reafon- 
 able fervice, and breathes forth the warm feelings 
 of his foul, in decent, devout, heart-affeding, and 
 heart-approved prayers. This obfervation may in 
 a great meafure obviate the fecond objection j I mean 
 that a form of prayer does not fo much enliven the 
 devotion of the people -, but I beg leave further to 
 obferve, that they who are ufed to worfhip in the 
 extemporary way cannot be competent judges in 
 this cafe , becaufe they have not fairly made the 
 experiment, but reafon only from fpeculation. 
 When they drop into a place where forms are ufed, 
 they come in with ftrong prejudices, they are en- 
 tire ftrangers to the form, and are perplexed in all 
 the parts of it. It happens with them in this cafe, 
 as it does with men in every other thing, what they 
 have not been accuftomed to, appears ftrange, 
 what they are unacquainted with', feems perplexed, 
 D 3 and
 
 | 4 LETTER to 
 
 and what they do not know reafons for, is apt tc> 
 appear unreafonable. It may be too, that the ig- 
 norant mifs the unnatural cant, the frantic geftures, 
 and fearful diftortions of the face, that in their 
 opinion are efiential parts of prayer. But let a 
 man of fenfe and candour, make himfelf matter 
 of a form, and try the experiment for- a year or 
 two, by attending carefully to prayers offered irti 
 that way -, and then and not till then, will he 
 be able to determine whether the form, or the ex- 
 temporary method, ha.s the nobleft effect to en- 
 liven his devotions. At leaft it is. certain, that 
 many who have tried bpth, give their opinion in 
 favour of a form ; and that they who. ufe a form of 
 prayer, conftantly affirm that they feel it ten 
 times more enlivening, and better calculated to in- 
 fpire devout affections, than extemporary effufions. 
 And there muft be fomething in it, becaufe the pro- 
 feffors of all religions under the fun have chofen 
 this method -, the chriftian church unjverfally ufed 
 it till the fifteenth century, and indeed may be fai4 
 to dp fo at prefent, for we make luch a ftnall part 
 of the catholic church, that our practice hardly 
 deferves tq be confidered as an exception. 
 
 I mail not dwell long upon the fpeculative argu- 
 jrnents that are offered by either fide, becaufe in- 
 genious men will always find fomething plaufible 
 to fay in defence of a practice that anfwers their 
 purpofes. They who ufe forms, fay that their 
 minds are free from all diffraction, and fear, and 
 have nothing elfe to do but attend to the object 
 of their prayers, and maintain upon their minds 
 a conftant and lively fenfe of the importance of the 
 bufinefs in which they are engaged, free from thq 
 care of examining every fentence before they offer 
 it as their petition ; fecure that no indecent or un- 
 chriftian expreffion can mix with, their devotions, 
 
 bein
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 55 
 
 being already fatisfied of the propriety of the whole 
 form. They fay that the mind of man is not able 
 to attend to many things at once, and that in our 
 way of worfhip, if the people, offer a reafonable 
 fervice, they muft examine every fentence, Irear 
 every word, and underftand every word they hear ; 
 that they muft remember what went before, if 
 they would conceive the connexion, that they muft 
 unravel what is exprefied in a perplexed manner, 
 if they would pray with judgment; and in fine, 
 that they muft give their Amen to their prayers, 
 with a more fuperfkial examination of them, and 
 a much lefs perfect knowledge of their contents, 
 than they would venture to fet their fubfcription to 
 an addrefs to their fuperiors upon earth. 
 
 WE anfwer, that the novelty and variety of the 
 expreffion in our extemporary method, help to fix 
 phe mind and keep up the attention. They afk us, 
 upon what is the mind fixed, upon the object and 
 matter of our prayers, or upon the novelty and 
 variety of exprefiion ? If we fay upon the object 
 and matter of our prayers, they will tell us, that 
 there are in thefe, neither novelty nor variety to 
 afllft us ; becaufe our prayers are always addrefled 
 to that Being who is the fame to-day, yefterday, and 
 for ever ; and the matter of our prayer^ in public 
 muft always be nearly the fame : but if our minds 
 be fixed upon the variety of the exprefiion, or novelty 
 ofthephrafe, they fay (and I fear they fpeak truth) 
 that this is not prayer, but mere amufement ; fuch 
 as the mind receives from mufic, a fong, or an 
 entertaining piece of hiftory ; that it might per- 
 haps prepare the mind for prayer, but is not prayer 
 any more than a fermon is prayer. 
 
 IT is evident that many of our minifters are 
 fenfible, that their people attend only to the out- 
 ward circumftances of their prayers, and that the 
 v? D 4 way
 
 & BETTER to 
 
 way to be popular is to tickle their ears with ftrangfl 
 founds, or pleafe their eyes with antic geftures ; 
 elfe why do. many of them affect fuch an unmanly 
 whining cant? Why ufe fuch difmal heavy tones, 
 and draw out their words to fuch an immoderate 
 length ? Or why do they affect fuch diftortions in 
 their faces ? All the world will Acknowledge, than 
 thefe are neither neceflary nor ufeful parts of prayer, 
 unlefs to pleafe the fiUy vulgar, who regard little 
 more than the found and circumftances of bur 
 prayers. 
 
 BUT whatever weight may be in the fpeculative 
 arguments upon either fide, experience and matter 
 of fact are fairly againft us ; for they who fay that 
 forms of prayer enliven devotion, feem, by a certain 
 decency obfervable amongft them in time of fervice, 
 to confirm what they fay -, while the vifible inatten- 
 tion and indifference of our congregations, flatly 
 contradict our arguments, and prove to the very 
 fenfes, that our extemporary prayers do not enliven 
 our devotions. In afiemblies where forms are ufed, 
 there is at leaft the appearance of devotion, and an 
 air of ferioufoefs. None of them are feen flee ping 
 in time of fervice, few of them gazing about them, 
 not one of them ever prefumes (unlefs in a cafe of 
 abfolute necefllty) to remove till the whole fervice 
 be ended ; and they frequently meet in public for 
 the bufinefs of prayer, which * Mr. Fordyce juftly 
 complains we never do, and feems to think that it 
 would be very difficult to perfuade our people to it. 
 Thus the practice of thofe who ufe forms of prayer, 
 proves to me more effectually than all the fpecu- 
 lative arguments that can be offered, that they have 
 an higher opinion of the great duty of public prayer, 
 feel a greater pleafure from it, or are fome way or 
 
 * Edification by public Iqftittitions. 
 
 other
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 57 
 
 other more affected by it, than our people are. 
 Whereas in our affemblies there is not fo much a* 
 the air of devotion, not even the outward appear- 
 ance of ferioufnefs and attention ? many are fleep- 
 ing, more gazing about them, and all of them -f 
 betray a vifthle impatience till prayer is over^ that they 
 may be entertained with fomething more to their liking. 
 When iermon is over do we not fee them remove in 
 crowds, tho 5 one half of our fervice, and that the 
 moft folemn half, ftill remains ? Perhaps it may be 
 thought, that this is not a fair account of the mat- 
 ter, and that I mifreprefent things. Will you be- 
 lieve your own brethren ? they mall vouch what I 
 have faid ; let us firft hear Mr. Bennet's report of the 
 devotion of our brethren in England ; That care- 
 lefs air (Jays he) which fits upon the face of a con- 
 gregation, when engaged in prayer, mews how 
 little they know of the matter, and how few ferioufly 
 join in public and folemn prayer ; fome gaze about 
 
 them, others fall afleep others fix their eye it 
 
 may be on the minifter, and are affected with what 
 he fays ; but then they only hear him pray, and are 
 moved with the prayer, juft as they hear fermons 
 and are moved thereby (a moft lively picture of our 
 
 public worlhip ! ) I jnuft profefs to you, fhould 
 
 the enemies of our way of worfhip be prefent to 
 obferve us, there is nothing I fhould be fo much 
 afnamed of, as our exceeding carelefs, irreverent, 
 indevout manner of joining in public prayer.** So 
 far Mr. Bennet bears witnefs to the want of devo- 
 tion in congregations in England, where extempo- 
 rary prayers are ufed. Let us now fee if this 
 way of worfhip, has any better fuccefs or happy 
 effects amongft us here in Scotland. Alas it is 
 
 f- Edification by public Inftitutions. 
 
 $ Sermon upon joining in public prayer, p. 112. 
 
 every
 
 5 8 LETTER to 
 
 every where the fame unnatural, unreafonable, Hfe- 
 lefs thing. L,et Mr. Fordyce fpeak for the Scotch 
 congregations: " I doubt not my brethren (fpeak- 
 ing to the clergy J but you have frequently obfcrved 
 when the minitter of God has been addrefiing'fiim 
 in the name, and as the mouth of the people, 
 the greateft part of them feem to be doing any 
 thing, Tather than joining in folemn fervice ; in 
 reality there is no exercife of a fpiritual nature 
 which the generality feem to regard fo little, or to 
 attend fo liftlefsly ; feem did 1 fay, the expreflion is 
 much too feeble ; their infenfibility, their irreverence 
 in this refpect are, from the whole of their deport- 
 ment, moft mamefully diftinguimable and fla- 
 grant." * If this be true, as indeed it is the very 
 trutb^ I may be allowed to add, that it is moft 
 fhamefully impudent in us to alledge that forms of 
 prayer deaden the devotion of th? people, and that 
 our extemporary method enlivens it. The little 
 refpect, n^y vifible contempt, that our peope mew 
 of public prayers, prove more clearly than all fpe- 
 culative arguments that can be offered, that our pre- 
 ient way ot worfhip is very ill calculated for enliven- 
 ing the devotion of the people: I. have proved by 
 two unexceptional witneffes, and had it been con- 
 fiftent with the brevity I propofed, could have pro- 
 duced many more,, to prove, that our devotion is 
 not only dead, but wants even all appearance ~of 
 life. In truth it needs no proof, for every Sunday 
 will mew that we want attention, and reverence, to 
 this moft important duty ; and every impartial 
 heart will tell its owner (if he underftands the na- 
 ture of prayer), that it is very difficult to join in 
 our -public worihip as it is at prefent performed ; 
 that it is impoffible to do it rationally ; that it cannot 
 
 * Edification by public InftitutionS.
 
 Ae M I N I S T E R S, &c. 59 
 
 be attempted without great danger , and that in 
 fact he does it very feldom, and even then in a very 
 faint and lifelefs manner. 
 
 ALLOW me next to confider the third objection 
 offered againft forms of prayer. I mean chat the 
 wants of a congregation cannot be fo fully exprefied 
 in that way, as by the extemporary method. This 
 objection fuppofes, that a number of the moil learned 
 and pious men of the age (for fuch I imagine would 
 be employed) deliberately compofing a form of 
 prayer, calmly recollecting the matter of it, fre- 
 quently reviewing the whole, furnifhed with all the 
 antient and modern liturgies, directed by all that 
 has been written on the fubjecl:, and affifted by 
 every one that wilhes well to religion and virtue, 
 ^re more likely to omit fome necefiary petition, 
 than a fingle perfon perhaps of very indifferent ta- 
 lents, and a very moderate education, trufting en- 
 tirely to an extemporary invention, and to his own 
 memory. The man who can fuppofe this, hardly 
 deferves to be reafoned with j for it is evident, that, 
 in the firft cafe, our prayers will be brought as near 
 perfection as poffible ; that in the fecond, many 
 things muft be omitted, many injudicioufly expreff- 
 cd, many needlefsly repeated, and the whole tinc- 
 tured with weaknefs, pafilons, and party principles 
 of the fpeaker, and that his beft performances will 
 ^>e as much inferior to a general form of prayer, as 
 he himfelf is in difcretion, learning, and judgment, 
 to the greateft men that have wrote upon the fub- 
 ject, and to a number of men of the beft hearts, 
 and calmeft, ableft heads, conveened to compofe 
 the form. The wants, and confequently the matter 
 of the petitions of a chriftian congregation, muft in 
 the main be always the fame ; they will at all times 
 have fins to confefs, ftill have need to afk pardon, 
 and to implore the divine grace to direct their 
 thoughts, words, and actions j it will ever be their 
 
 duty
 
 60 LETTER to 
 
 fiuty, to pray for all ranks of men, &c. If any 
 general calamity fhould happen, fuch as war, fa- 
 mine, or peftilence, proper forms may be provided ; 
 in private cafes, perhaps it might be more for the 
 honour of our religion, and decency of our worfhip 
 that we did not deicend to the particular circum- 
 ffcinces, fo much as we do. It is needlefs to de- 
 fcribe the difeafe to an omnifcient God -, moil cafes 
 of this nature, might be comprehended under the 
 general names of ficknefs and diftrefs; but if it be 
 thought proper to deal with God Almighty as w 
 do wkh an ordinary doftor, and to lay the cafe be- 
 fore him at full length, methods may be found to 
 indulge the humour of the clergy, in this refpeft, 
 without leaving our whole worihip to their difcre- 
 tion, and putting all our public petitions in their 
 power. 
 
 SHOULD the fpiritual condition of a congregation 
 foe altered (if it pofTibly can alter fo much, that 
 the eftablimed form could not comprehend the cafe, 
 yvhich in my humble opinion cannot happen, if the 
 form be well cornpofed) let the prefbytery, fynod, 
 or commiflTion of the aflembly be applied to, and 
 the cafe being calmly conftdered, its nature and 
 tendency d> liberately examined, and its truth and 
 certainty afcertained ; let a torm of prayer be com-."- 
 pofcd fuitable to the cafe: but this is too delicate, 
 too dangerous, and difficult an affair, to be trufted 
 to the difcretion or capacity of any one clergyman ; 
 for weaknefs, or villainy, in this refp'ect, has more 
 than once difhonoured our public prayers, with the 
 grofTeft enthufiafm, perverted them to ferve very 
 bad purpofes, and expofed the moft folemn part 
 f our lervice, as well as religion itfelf, to the ridi- 
 cule of infidels. 
 
 IN a word, the ordinary wants of a chriftian con- 
 gregation may, nay muft be more fully exprefled by 
 
 a forrnt
 
 the MINISTERS, ,&c. 61 
 
 a form of prayer, than by extempore effufions *- an^ 
 extraordinary cafes, after they are difcovered and 
 examined, may eafily be provided for, and it is not 
 only poffible, but very eafy, to provide for all cafes 
 that ought to be particularly mentioned in our pub- 
 lic prayers, in the nrft compofition of them. But 
 to prevent all wrangling upon this fubjeft, and (\( 
 poffible) to content the moft felf fufficient clergyman* 
 let there be a proper place in this propofed torm of 
 prayer, where the minifter may have liberty to pray 
 for all extraordinary cafes, in what words he thinks 
 proper. It is better, that a fmall part of our wor- 
 fhip be expofed to the indifcretion, ignorance, and 
 pafllons of the parfon, than that the whole mould 
 be liable, as it is at prefent, to be made the pro- 
 perty of faction, to be tinctured with the prejudices 
 and whimfical opinions of every private minifter, 
 and offered upon the pernicious principles of the 
 deift, or the extravagant notions of the enrhufiaft.' 
 
 I SHALL not dwell long upon the laft objection; 
 I mean that forms of .prayer are unlawful, becaufe 
 1 believe it never will be offered by men of fenfe or 
 learning ; and it is lofing time and pains to reafon 
 with fuch as are deftitute of both. I mail only beg 
 leave to obferve, that they who fay that forms of 
 prayer are unlawful, in facl fay, that God Almighty 
 commanded, that our Saviour attended, ui'ed, and 
 taught his difciples an unlawful way of wcrfliip ; 
 for that he did fb, I have proved already, and our 
 own directory for public worfhip acknovv leges 
 that *' Our Lord's prayer is not only a 'pattern for 
 prayer ; but itfelf a moft comprehenfive prayer.'* 
 Here I cannot help obferving with regrctj that 
 wherever our directory directs well, there our clergy 
 have defpifed our directory ; for inftance, it recom- 
 mends that the Lord's prayer be ufed in our public 
 worfhip i that ordinarily a chapter out of each Terra- 
 mem be read at every meeting : the firft is neglecled 
 
 by
 
 62 LETTER to 
 
 by mod, aad the laft by all of them. It direds thatdur 
 worfhip begin with prayer, but now it begins with 
 praiife ; that the minifter before worfhip (hall folemnly 
 exhort the people to the worshiping of the great name 
 of God ; but at prefent we rum. into a very folemn part 
 ofwormip, without a word of previous exhortation, 
 and I fear very often without a ferious thought. It 
 is eafy to find out the reafon why the Lord's prayer 
 and the reading of the fcriptures have been jollied 
 out of our fervice ; they have been forced out to 
 make room for Mafs John's more mafterly performances-, 
 but why the other alterations have been made, the 
 clergy, who directs all things, can only tell. To them 
 I leave it, and refume my fubjecl. If forms are 
 unlawful, we are unlawfully baptized, for that is 
 done by a form ; and all the extemporary prayers 
 which we ufe upon that occafion are not effential to 
 the facrament, and are additions of men. We ad- 
 minifler the Lord's fupper in an unlawful manner, 
 for we doit by a form, I mean the words of the 
 firfl inftitution : we are difmifled every Lord's day 
 with an unlawful blefling , for one of the folemn 
 forms with which the apoftles conclude their e- 
 piftles, is always ufed upon that occafion : fo that 
 nothing can be more inconfiftent with ingenuity and 
 common fepfe, than for us to cry out againft forms, 
 when the moft folemn and important parts of our 
 religion and wofhip are performed in that way, and 
 when we neither baptize, nor communicate, nor 
 blefs our congregations in a lawful way, unlefs forms 
 be lawful; nor do thefe things in the bell manner, 
 unlefs doing them by a form be the befl, 
 
 BUT further, If forms of prayer be not accept- 
 able tp God, and an ufeful way of worfhip for our^ 
 felves, we groQy offend every time that we meet 
 in church: for it is impoflible to fing eighteen 
 pr twenty lines of a pfalm, but we offer fome 
 
 im portanl
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 63 
 
 important petition by a form -, and fome pfalms 
 might be pointed out that are almoft continued 
 prayers ; fo that unleis we will affirm, that our 
 prayers are acceptable to God, and ufeful to our- 
 ielves when they are fung, but otherwife when they 
 are faid by a form, we muft allow that we are'in- 
 confiftent with ourfelves when wfc cry out- againft 
 forms , and that our minifters impofe upon us, when 
 they fpirit us up againft that way of worfhip, that 
 they may have the better opportunity to gratify 
 their own vanity, to manufacture our prayers after 
 their own manner, and to mix them up with their 
 own private opinions. 
 
 IF extemporary worfhip be preferable, what good 
 reafon can be given why the minifters do not fing 
 pfalms\extempore in our names, as weJt as .offer ex- 
 temporary prayers ? for we are as much concerned 
 to join in the laft as in the firft ; a blunder in the one 
 is as dangerous as in the other, and we could as well 
 go along with him in our hearts, when he fung an 
 extemporary pfalm, as we can do when he fays an 
 extemporary prayer. This inconfiftency in our 
 worfhip has not entirely efcaped the obfervation of 
 our bethren, for many of them have warmly in- 
 fifted upon it, that the Spirit of God is retrained iy 
 ufing the pfalms of David *, and therefore propofed, 
 that we mould fing as well as pray extempore: and 
 upon the fuppofition, that public worlhip in' the 
 extemporary way is moft rational, they were cer- 
 tainly in the right , for no good reafons ran be 
 given for praifing God by forms, that will not be 
 equally good for praying to him in the. fame way; 
 and no objection can be offered againft the laft, that 
 will not be as ftrong againft the firft ; for inftanoe, 
 if we fay that praying to God by forms deadens 
 the devotion of the people, fo will praifing him bj 
 * Heylin's hiftory of" the prefbyterians. 
 
 forms
 
 64 LETTER to 
 
 forms too. If Forms of prayer reftrain the infill 
 cnces of the Holy Spirit, fo mud forms 'of praife. 
 If forms of prayer cannot exprefs all the wants of 
 a chriftian congregation, neither will forms of 
 praife comprehend all the caufes for which a chrif- 
 tian congregation may have reafon to praife God ; 
 efpecially, as tKe forms we ufe were compofed 
 feveral thoufand years ago, and calculated chiefly 
 for the Jewifh religion and worfhip. If forms of 
 prayer be unlawful in themfelves, fo muft our 
 forms of praife, becaufe, as I have obferved before, 
 they are often real prayers. 
 
 SUPPOSING that extemporary worfhip was more 
 acceptable to God, and ufeful to ourfelves, no man 
 in a congregation can reap the benefit of it but the 
 parfon. Our laity are mod grofly miftaken, if 
 they imagine that they pray extempore by our pre- 
 fent method ; for if they pray in the words of the 
 minifter (and in his words they muft pray if they 
 join at all in public worfhip), they are as much 
 confined to a form as any other people. For ex- 
 ample, if the minifter fays, mof gracious God forgive 
 tfs ourjtns^ preferve us from danger, and provide for 
 our nece/tties ; if the people repeat thefe words, 
 either in their minds, or with their mouths, or 
 both, it is evident that they pray as much by a 
 form, as if the prayer had been compofed a thou- 
 fand years ago ; in fa<5t it is impoflible for a con- 
 gregation to join in worfhip otherways than by a 
 form ; and all the difference is, that we worfhip by 
 a form with which we are entirely unacquainted ; 
 a form that- we have never feen nor examined be- 
 fore ; a form that is trufted to the difcretion and 
 ability of the parfon for the time, and which the 
 minifter himfelf has never once read over, nor ex- 
 a-nined, even in the flighteft manner. It is h'ard to 
 determine whether his preemption in putting a 
 
 form
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 65 
 
 form of a prayer into our mouths, that he has 
 never examined, or our complaifance in ufing a 
 form that neither we nor our minifter have ever 
 once read over, is moft unaccountable. Eut that 
 either we or he mould imagine, that to worfhip 
 God in this manner is moft rational for us, or moft 
 acceptable to him, is fuch an inftance of the 
 ftrength of prejudice, and the effefts of education, 
 as no man could have thought pofiible, had it not 
 been proved by experience. For in fact, it is to 
 imagine that our worlhip is the more rational, the 
 more we are ftrangers to the words and matter of 
 our prayers, and the whole accefs we have had tola- 
 tisfy ourfelves of the property of our petitions, and 
 the more confidence we repofe in another man, 
 
 THAT our worfhip will be the more acceptable 
 to the Deity, the lefs care and pains that is taken 
 about the words or matter of it by the parfon, or 
 the people, and that our prayers will be fo much 
 the fooner heard, the lefs chance they have to be 
 exprefied in proper words, or to confift of pious 
 and reafonable petitions. We may fometimes have 
 a better, or worfe form, according to the judg- 
 ment and capacity of the minifter, but we mull 
 always have a very defective one, and our very beft 
 form muft be as far inferior to a national well-com- 
 pofed liturgy, as the learning, judgment, and me- 
 mory of the one man, is to the abilities and calm re- 
 flection of a number of the moft learned and ju- 
 dicidus men of the age. I muft confefs that I 
 have often beheld with indignation the parfon pull- 
 ing out his papers for the fermon, when he trufted 
 the prayer to his invention and memory * not that I 
 have any prejudice againft reading of fermons, or 
 am not convinced that it is the beft method, unlefs 
 the minifter be a man of extraordinary parts, of 
 extenfive learning, and bleffed with a very good 
 E memory ,
 
 66 LETTER fo 
 
 memory; but that I look upon it as an affront 
 offered to God and the congregation, and very ab- 
 furd in this inftance, as it fhews that the minifter 
 is lefs concerned about the propriety and decency 
 of his addrefs to his God, than to his people , and 
 that he is more afraid of a blunder in his ler- 
 mon, than in his wormipi or at lead, that he 
 thinks, either that a miftake in the laft is of lefs 
 confequence than in the firft, or that it is an eafier 
 matter to pray than to preach well. I own that he 
 has realbn to believe that any thing like a prayer 
 will pafs with the bulk of the people, becaufe in. 
 truth they do not regard it much ; but this mould 
 never induce him to mew that he is as carelefs about 
 the matter and words of their prayers as they are 
 themfelves, and that he takes more care and pains 
 to pleafe them by his fermons, than to offer their 
 prayers in a concife and proper manner. 
 
 1 have often heard the members of our church, 
 when the difficulties and dangers of our prefent 
 way of worfhip have been fairly laid before them, 
 fatisfy themfelves by faying, that moil of our 
 minifters had a form of prayer which they ufed, 
 and with which, by length of time, their people 
 became very well acquainted. I believe it may be 
 true, that moft of them naturally fall into a form ; 
 but, if we will believe themfelves (and they cer- 
 tainly know the be ft) it is rather by chance than by de- 
 fign, and of confequence more by good luck, than 
 good management, or much care, if the forqi 
 they fall into be a good one. However, it is here 
 granted, that the worfhiping God by a form, is 
 not only lawful and reafonable, but alfo necelVary -, 
 and if this be cafe, why fliould not our worfhip be 
 rendered uniform by an eftablifhed general form of 
 prayer ? why fhouid it not be brought as near per- 
 feftion as pofliblc, by the judgment, piety, and 
 
 learning
 
 the M I N I S T E R S, &c. 67 
 
 learning of our abkft minifters, and other mem- 
 bers of our church, conferring together upon the 
 fubjcft? why mould not this form of prayer be 
 communicated to the laity, that we may examine 
 and approve of it ? is the parfon's form fuch a fe- 
 cret that we may not fee and examine it for our- 
 felves? is it an advantage to our wormip that he 
 may alter, curtail, or enlarge it, as his paflions or 
 prejudices chance to direct, and warp into his form 
 any whimfical opinions that he chances to embrace ? 
 we muft, notwithftanding of his form, go to the 
 church with a trembling heart, as we know not 
 but fome minifter may officiate whofe form of 
 prayer we never have heard, our own minifter may 
 have changed his, or fome unlucky and indecent 
 petition may be thrown in, as he has it in his 
 power to do as he pleafes. 
 
 AT the lame time it is true, that our minifters, 
 who carefully compofeand constantly ufe a form 
 of prayer, do as much as they can, in their preient 
 circuniftances, to render our wormip pure and ra- 
 tional, and to afiift the devotions of their people ; 
 and therefore deferve their efteem and thanks ; but 
 yet it is evident, that thefe private forms have no 
 great chance of being fo full and perfect, and that 
 they have but few of the advantages of a general 
 eftablimed form of prayer, and many of the dif- 
 ad vantages of the extemporary method. ,, 
 
 IT has been often urged in defence of extempore 
 public prayers, that the apoftles ufed that way of 
 wormip. If they did fb, they did more than their 
 mafter either taught them, or gave them an exam- 
 ple of, as far as we can judge. But fuppofing that 
 it were proved (which it has not yet, been, and I 
 doubt never will be) that the apoftles *ufed extem- 
 porary public prayer, I am afraid, we mail not 
 be able to infer frpm. thence, .that pur minifters 
 & 2 ihould
 
 68 L E T T E R to 
 
 Ihould pray extempore, or that the people fhould 
 truft every one of them with the corripofition, and 
 direction of their public worfhip , unlefs it could be 
 alfo proved, that every one of them is directed by 
 immediate infpiration. I have otfen blulhed for 
 our minifters, when I have heard them urge this 
 argument, as it is fo weak and inconclufive in it- 
 felf, and betrays fo much preemption and felf- 
 fufficiency in them; for in fact it is putting our 
 prefent minifters upon a level with the apoftles. 
 Some days ago I was pafling by Bedlam, and ob- 
 ferved one of its wretched inhabitants wreflling 
 with a great iron gate ; I afked him what he was 
 about? he told me, with an air of importance, that 
 his name was Sampfon, and that he meant to carry 
 lip that gate to the top of an oppofite hill, as his 
 name-fake did the gate of Gaza. I did not ftay 
 to convince him that Sampfon was endued with 
 miraculous ftrength, but I could not help thinking 
 that there was a great refemblance in his way of 
 reafoning, or rather running mad, to the argument 
 in hand ; for the apoftles were endued with mira- 
 culous gifts as much fuperior to the abilities of our 
 prefent minifters, as Sampfon's ftrength was to 
 that of the poor bedlamite: they live.d in an age 
 in which miraculous gifts by the goodnefs of God 
 were common in the church ; but in our time there 
 is nothing miraculous unlefs it be the felf-fuffi- 
 ciency and prefumption of the clergy, in taking 
 upon them to offer an extemporary addrefs to their 
 Maker ; and each of them claiming a right to make 
 a whole parifh pray as he pleafes ; and the abfurd 
 confidence 4-epofed in them by the laity ; and the 
 tame fubmiflion by which they fuffer every man 
 that chances to fill their pulpits, to manufacture 
 and mix up their prayers as he chufes. Thefe in- 
 deed are miraculous things, fuch as no age, no 
 
 country,
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 69 
 
 country, no religion, ever produced examples of* 
 and it is (till more furprizing that the clergy them- 
 feives (as I have proved before) fee, and publifh 
 to the world, that the people do not join in public 
 worlhip , and the mod learned and fenfible part of 
 the laity feel and acknowledge that it is very difficult 
 and dangerous for them to join in it, as it is per- 
 formed at prefent , and yet that none of our clergy 
 have companion and humility to propofe, nor any 
 of the laity refolution to demand a change, but 
 that all of them fit down with an abfurd and dan- 
 gerous way of worfhip, introduced partly by ne- 
 ceffity, and partly by enthufiafm, in the diftract- 
 ed days of our reformation ; difapproved of by 
 our ableft reformers from the beginning, as wit- 
 nefs John Knox, who compofed and ufed a form 
 of prayer ; and only approved of and fupported by 
 the filly ignorant vulgar, who have fo little know- 
 ledge, either of the nature, or importance of 
 prayer, that they would not give themfelves the 
 trouble to go to church, unlefs it were to hear a 
 fermon ; and by the turbulent and felf-fufficient 
 part of the clergy, who find that it gives them a fair 
 opportunity to low difcord, propagate faction, and 
 proftitute our worfhip to their foolifh fondnefs for 
 popularity. That the mob who place great merit 
 in hearing many fermons, and think preaching the 
 mod important part of public worfhip, fhould be 
 fond of our preient method, is no wonder at all, 
 for our extemporary effufions are rather fermons 
 than prayers. It is natural too for the ambitious, 
 cnthufiaftical, and libertine part of our clergy to 
 be warmly attached to our prefent way of worfhip ; 
 it moft effeclually anfwers their feveral purpofes ; it 
 affords the ambitious a large field for difplaying 
 their popular talents, and an excellent opportuni- 
 ty to preach them/elves; it gives enthufiafts and 
 
 libertines
 
 70 L E T T E R to 
 
 libertines fair fcope to vent their whimfical and per* 
 nicious principles : indeed nothing can be better 
 calculated for propagating fedition, herefy, enthu- 
 fiafm and party principles, than our prefent way of 
 worfhip, fince every minifter has the compofition 
 of moft of it, and the choice and management of 
 the whole; fo that it is no wonder if men ofthefe 
 characters be fond of it, nay it would be very fur- 
 prizing if they could be perfuaded to give up our 
 prefent method. 
 
 BUT it is not eafy to conceive why the learned, 
 orthodox, and pious part of our clergy, who have 
 no other views but the good of fouls, and the glory 
 of God, have not endeavoured to remedy thefe ills, 
 by compofing and authorizing fuch a form of 
 prayer as might enable every congregation in the 
 kingdom to offer their prayers upon truly chriftiaij 
 principles : or how it comes to pafs that the fen- 
 fible and pious part of our laity (though they can 
 hardly mifs to fee, that it is inconfiftent with re- 
 ligion, and common fenfe, to truft the moft folemn 
 part of our worfrnp to the diicretion, honefty, and 
 ability often of ftrangers whom they have never 
 feen before, and always of individuals, of whofe 
 weaknefs and folly they have many inftances) chufe 
 to run fuch a terrible rifk. 
 
 I have contributed my poor mite to deliver the 
 laity from the hard (hips and danger to which they 
 are expofed by our prefent way of worfhip ; and 
 as (I think) I have made it obvious, that the pre- 
 fent method is attended with great inconvenien- 
 cies and eminent danger to us poor lay men : I 
 may likewife hope that the rulers of our church 
 will lay our cafe to heart, and take fuch methods 
 as may enable us to offer a rational fervice to the 
 great fource of reafon, and to lift up holy hands 
 without perplexity, fear, or danger. While our 
 
 cafe
 
 the MINISTERS, &c. 71 
 
 cafe continued as it is, our churches may indeed be 
 crowded by thofe who have not fenfe to fee their 
 danger, nor attention to perceive upon how many 
 oppofite principles they are made to pray ; perfons 
 who have never perhaps in all their lives reflected 
 upon the nature and importance of prayer, and 
 come to church partly becaufe it is the cuftom, or 
 at mod to hear a fermon; but they who confider 
 the nature and importance of public worfhip will 
 hardly chufe, in a thing of fo great confequence, 
 to be blindfolded and led by the parfon. 
 
 WITH all humility and due deference I fubmit 
 the whole to your* confideration, more extenfive 
 learning, and better judgment, and to the candid 
 reflection of all pious chriftians, and am, with the 
 greateft refpect, 
 
 Reverend Father* 
 
 your ifioft obedient , 
 
 and mojl humble fervant, 
 
 Inverary, 
 
 Way 8th, 1758. 
 
 A. T. Blackfmith, 
 
 FINIS.
 
 A 000 027 756