"Your loving Friend,
and faithful Servant in Christ Jesus,
Thomas Bristol."
March 21, 1768.
"To the Right Reverend Father in God Thomas Lord Bishop of Bristol, Rector of the Three United Parishes of St. Mary-le-Bow, St. Pancras, and Allhallows, Honey-lane.
"My Lord,
"The first sentence in your Address to our united Parishes gave us inexpressible concern, as we found ourselves charged with some behaviour which had been the occasion of great pain and grief to your Lordship; but we were happily relieved from this distress, as soon as your Lordship condescended to mention the nature of the crime with which we are charged; viz. 'That we had suffered the subscription for the daily prayers to be diminished, and reduced almost to nothing.'
"When we reflect for twenty-four years past you have laboured amongst us in the Lord, we can have no doubt but this endearing connection which has so long subsisted between us will occasion your Lordship to receive with paternal candour every plea we have to offer in our defence.
"Permit us then to remind your Lordship, that, though the attendance on the morning prayers has been generally omitted, and the subscription to them reduced, yet we have hitherto endeavoured to promote the honour and reputation of St. Mary-le-Bow, all that we could. We acknowledge with your Lordship, 'that it is one of the first and most conspicuous Churches in the City,' and we often view its lofty spire both with pride and pleasure; we are happy in 'its being 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 we have always endeavoured, at a great expence, to keep every part of the Church in such good order, as that it might both decently and conveniently accommodate the good company which frequently resort there on the above solemn occasions.—Surely, my Lord, this part of our conduct must convince the world, and your Lordship, that those motives which you have suggested to us have already produced every effect which ought to be expected from them.
"But to enter more particularly into our defence.—Our not attending these subscription prayers is not generally owing either to the want of time, or to the desire of saving the expence, but proceeds from a very different motive—a motive which we cannot urge, till we have again
bespoke your Lordship's affectionate candour. It is this: That we are not convinced of 'the reasonableness, the propriety, the expediency, and necessity of having the daily prayers' at those hours, and under those circumstances, for which your Lordship so warmly recommends a subscription; and there are two reasons on which our doubts are founded.