of the first and most conspicuous in the City, the principal of the Archbishop of Canterbury's peculiars, the chief Court of Arches, where so many Bishops are confirmed, and so much public business is transacted? And shall such a Church, that ought to be a pattern of regular devotion to others, be the first to set an example of irreligion? I hope you have too much sense of honour, too much sense of religion, to bring such a load of reproach and infamy upon your names and characters: for it would be an eternal reproach and infamy to you in this world and in the world to come; and the piety of your predecessors would 'rise up in the judgment against you, and condemn you.'
"You will say, perhaps, that you have not time to attend the daily prayers. But why have you not time? What are you doing better? Ask God and your own conscience. Scarce more than half an hour is taken up in the daily prayers: and depend upon it, you will find the time not lost, or ill employed; you will proceed to business with the greater cheerfulness, and prosper the better for it. But if you cannot or will not attend the prayers yourselves, yet why should you hinder others who would attend? Why not rather, to make some amends for your own deficiency, contribute something, that others may have opportunities for praying for a blessing upon the community? For what will avail all your
care and attention, all your labour and pains, without the blessing of God to prosper them? And how can you ever expect the blessing of God upon your undertakings, if you neglect and despise, and in effect destroy and abolish his service? The neglect of public worship is soon followed by the neglect of other duties, and it behoves you seriously to consider, whether this may not be the first source and origin, the principal cause and occasion, of so many failures and bankruptcies among you.
"You will urge perhaps that other charges and taxes lie heavy upon you, the price of every thing is advanced, and you cannot afford to do as you have done. But of all charges and expences why must this of the daily prayers be the first to be retrenched? Retrench every vanity and folly, retrench every idle pleasure and diversion, retrench all your superfluous, all your unnecessary expences, rather than what you contribute to the public service of God. But no great matter is required or expected from you. As but a very short portion of your time is taken up in the daily prayers, so a very small part of your substance will be sufficient to support so pious and useful an institution. All that I desire of you is, that of the better sort, every one would subscribe ten shillings a-year, that is half a crown a quarter, and of those in lower circumstances every one would subscribe five or four shillings a year, that
is, at least a shilling a quarter. Some few (to their honour be it spoken) have all along continued to do the very thing that I desire; but I wish the thing to be general, and every one of you to do the same. You cannot surely think so small and inconsiderable a sum any loss or burden to you. You may easily make it otherwise, by riding out a Sunday or two less in a year, or by going an evening or two less in a year to Vauxhall or Ranelagh, to the Tavern or the Play. This you will do, if you are not 'lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;' and what you thus 'lend unto the Lord,' will be paid you in blessings again.
"But I would rather prefer another proposal to your consideration, which probably may be more easy and agreeable to you, as it would be taking nothing immediately out of your own pockets, and certainly would be more easy and agreeable to your Ministers, as it would be less precarious and uncertain, though perhaps not altogether so beneficial. Whatever may be the case of some few individuals, your parishes are in general very wealthy. Your poor's-rate is low in comparison to that of many other parishes, where it is nearly equal to that of the land-tax. You are in possession of several considerable estates left you by the piety and charity of former inhabitants, amounting to 300l. a year or more: and these estates being left without any appropriation
but to the best uses of your parishes, how can any part of them be applied to a better use, or more agreeably to the intention of the pious and charitable donors, than for the public benefit of men in the public service of God? Let me therefore recommend it to you, out of these estates, or in any other method that you may think more proper, to allow to your Rector, that is, not to your Rector properly, but to your Rector for his Curate and Reader of the daily prayers, a salary of five-and-twenty pounds a year, which is no more than three shillings and three-half-pence in a year from every house: and surely you cannot refuse so small a boon for the honour and credit of your parishes, for your own character and reputation, for the good of your own souls and the souls of others. You see I am very moderate and reasonable in my demands, and I hope you will be as reasonable in your compliance. This is not making godliness a gain. Only the labourer is worthy of his hire: and you would not pay to a Clergyman for double service in a day, less than you would pay to a porter.
"Though I have now been your Rector, as I said, these four-and-twenty years, yet I have never in all that time asked any thing of you. I have not sent any person to collect your Easter offerings, as other City Rectors do, and I might also justly have done. I have received nothing from you but what is strictly my due, and what
you are obliged by law to pay: and I shall think I have very little weight and interest with you, I shall think that either I have preached the word of God, or you have heard it, to very little purpose, if after all my services I cannot obtain this favour from you; not that it is any favour to me, but as it is a real benefit to yourselves, and may prove the happy means of your salvation. Your not complying with this request would be such a disparagement and discouragement to my ministry, that I should almost despair of ever doing any further good among you, and could only leave you to your own reflections upon that solemn commination of Christ unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus, Rev. ii. 5: 'Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.' God forbid that this should ever be your case! On the contrary I wish to say with the Apostle, Heb. vi. 9, 10, 11: 'Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed towards his name, in that ye have ministered unto the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the
end:' And with this trust and confidence in you, I remain, Gentlemen,