This, Friend, is a Supplement to the List of thy deadly Sins; and dost not thee think, that it makes a most dreadful Appearance, and that some of them merited to be mentioned in a more serious Manner than thou hast done? And yet there is one Evil under the Sun, which I have not hitherto descanted on; and that Evil is as great, perhaps, as all the rest put together: And the Spirit moveth me to think, and deliver unto thee, that this Evil, I am now going to expose, is the Spring, Source, and Fountain Head, of all the black Crimes I have rehearsed, and of many more, that could not come within the Compass of my Knowledge.
I would willingly, if I durst, prevaricate, and conceal this fatal Evil; but as the Eyes of the People are upon us, as their Fears are awakened, and they seem in some Measure willing to find out a Way to rid them of this Load of Sin, that stands as a Wall of Brass between them and the Mercy of their God, it is necessary, since we have pointed out the Malady, that we should display the Source, in order to direct them to a Cure.
Thou wouldst have a Reformation begin in Private Families: but alas! thou art fatally mistaken. The Thing is impossible. It is building downwards. A great many People in this Island are so unhappily situated, that they must continue to be wicked, and to administer to Vice, or cease to eat. In short, their Circumstances are so connected with the prevailing Vices, that they have no other Choice left, but either to starve here, or submit to be damned hereafter. This is a dreadful Case, Friend, and hardly credible: yet a little Knowledge of the World, and Acquaintance with the present Times, will furnish innumerable Instances of Wretches in this unhappy Dilemma. What must such People do? Dost think a Sermon, or a Pastoral Letter, can persuade them to starve here for the sake or an happy Hereafter? No! Appetites are strong; and as this Class of Men have many great Examples to follow, they are no ways intimidated by what either Thou hast, or I could utter unto them on this tremendous Occasion. Before then the Body of the People can be reformed without a Miracle, it is necessary, that these Publick Vices should be plucked up by the Roots; and that the Reformation should begin amongst those of higher Rank, amongst our Rulers, and the Grandees of the Land: but more especially, amongst that Order of Men, the worldly and dissolute Example of some of whom have most contributed to taint the Morals, and pervert the Judgment of the Community. I mean, Friend, thy Brethren, the Clergy. Start not, my Brother! I am not going to bring a railing Accusation against thee in Person, or to Accuse thy Fraternity in a Lump. I verily believe there may be a great Number of thy Profession, who make a Conscience of their Duty; and as much as lyeth in their Power, both by Precept and Example, endeavour to stem the Torrent of Vice and Immorality. But thou knowest as well as I, that there are many in the World, who are Wolves in Sheeps Cloathing, who destroy the Flock they should feed, and poison by their Example the pure Streams of the Gospel, with which they ought to water the Vineyard of the Lord. Its not to be concealed, nor palliated, that there is no Vice, however odious, practised by the blind Laity, but what is likewise committed by some of their more enlightened Teachers: This, Friend, is the great Evil I hinted at above. This is the Source of all our Woes, and here, and no where else, the Reformation must begin.
How is it possible for thee to think, that though the Clergy were to preach as with the Voice of Angels, that their Discourses should have any Effect upon the Minds or Morals of the People, as long as they see these very Clergy, or a great Number of them, acting diametrically opposite to the Doctrines they teach; and living in such a Manner, as if they themselves did not believe one Word of the sacred Truths they are inculcating.
An inordinate Love of Money is a reigning Sin of the Age. Now, let all the Clergy of this Island join with one Voice in the Pulpit to preach it down, dost thee think the Playing of their Lungs would be of any Significancy, as long as the People see, that these Men set as great a Value upon the ungodly Mammon, as the meanest of them can possibly do? When they see these pretended pious Preachers, like Simon Magus, purchasing and selling the Holy Ghost for Money; swallowing Oaths for the Sake of Preferments, that for Years they had declared to be against their Consciences; hunting eargerly after fat Livings, Tithes, and Pigs, and heaping up Pluralities, and Commendams, to gratify their Pride and Avarice: When at the same Time they grudge the least Indulgence to the Drudges, to whose Care they commit the Souls of the People. With what Face can they preach against Luxury, and Sensuality, when they themselves wallow in the Fat of the Land, and loll about in their Leathern Conveniencies, in sadly unedifying Pomp, Pride, and Vanity? Chastity, Sobriety, and Temperance, are Virtues, perhaps as much Strangers in the Tents of Levi, as in the Tabernacles of the Tribe of Nepthali. But Pride, Spiritual Pride, the worst of Pride, and the Itch of Domination have taken full Possession of the Cassock, and left the Laity but a faint Mimickry of that ugly Habit of the Soul; And as for Charity, and Christian Benevolence, those seem to be no Part of the Creed of a modern Priest. Instead of healing the Divisions amongst Christians, bearing with the Weakness and Infirmities of their Brethren, and, like the Apostle, becoming all Things to all Men, that by all Means some may be saved; instead of yielding in Matters of Indifference, and endeavouring to bring about a Christian Coalition, they are obstinate in Trifles, tenacious of the Rags, Fringes, and Patches of Religion, and damn all that won’t go to Heaven by the direct Path that they have marked out for them, but which they themselves seem resolved by their daily Practice never to travel.
When the People, Friend, observe, (and their Eyes are quicker than their Understanding) that the Parson of the Parish winks at the Immorality of his Patron, because he has great Livings in his Gift; when they see him join in his sensual Excesses, and administer to him the most Holy Rites of their Religion, tho’ he knows him to live in open Uncleaness, perhaps in Adultery, and to betray, sell, and ruin his Country, I say, Friend, when a Flock sees this Shepherd thus prostituting his Profession, and casting holy Things before Swine, and this only for the Hopes of a Plurality, or Commendam, or Dignity to feed his spiritual Pride with, is it possible for them to conclude those Sins so heinous? Does not his Example influence those of his Family, and the Examples of these those of the Village, till the dreadful, black, Contagion spreads, like a Pest, over a whole County? Who then are to blame for this? Why, verily, none but the profligate venal Clergyman. For if he exerted his Ecclesiastical Power, with as much Zeal against Vice and Prophaneness, as he does in the Recovery of his Tythes, the Great would be obliged to quit their open Sins, and the little ones would not be led astray by his scandalous Example.
But, it is time, my Friend Thomas, to draw towards a Conclusion. A Reformation is certainly necessary. For whether we are punished by an Earthquake or not, the natural Tendency of Vice is such, that a few Years longer Continuance of it must bring along with it Plagues enow to punish us grievously here, as we shall certainly meet a dreadful Reward hereafter. Let me advise thy Brethren, the Clergy, in all Charity and Meekness, to begin the great Work themselves. Purge and make clean the House of the Lord, and drive all Pollution from his Sanctuary. Let the Priesthood that are proud become humble, meek, and lowly, even as was Jesus, whose Servants they are. Let them put away the false Gods from amongst them, and destroy the Idol they have set up in their Hearts; that is, let them banish the Love of Money, the Itch of Power and Dominion, either over the Minds or Temporalities of the People. Let him, that has two Livings, give one to his poor Brother; let him, that performeth the Labour of the Vineyard, receive also the Wages; and let not the Drone eat up the Meat of the Industrious Servant. Let them exert their Power without respect of Persons, yet with all Humility and Meekness, not out of Malice, or to gratify their Spleen, but for the Love of Truth and Purity. In a Word, Friend, when they believe what they have sworn at their Ordination to believe, and maintain; when they teach only what they believe, and act as they teach, then without the Gift of Prophecy I can foretell, that this Land will return to the Lord, and his Wrath will be turned from this Generation, and his Blessings multiplied upon our Childrens’ Children, even unto the latest Ages of the World. But, Friend, till either thy Brethren do this of themselves, or are compelled to it by their Superiours, nothing less than a divine Miracle can redeem this Land from the Slavery of Sin. May Somebody begin a thorough Reformation somewhere, that we may have Peace in our Days. The God of Peace be with thee, Friend! Amen.
FINIS.
