her revenues, will be the leading object of her ministers. The souls of men will be neglected, and exposed to dan ger. God will be greatly dishonoured thereby; and he will shew his displeasure, by raising up other teachers, who shall feed his people according to his design. Such, it is believed, has been the cause of that departure from the establishment, which is every where witnessed; and of that declining state, in which the church is found and in no other way can it be accounted for. On this the declaration of the title page is founded. And the leading object of the author has been, in the following pages, to excite the attention of all concerned, to the alarming subject; that they may return to that from whence they have departed, and thus prevent that ruin, to which the national church, it is to be feared, is rapidly advancing. But however sincere may be the author's design; or however indefensible the evils upon which he has been called to animadvert; he is aware of the prejudice that will be excited against him; nor should he be surprised, were a host of antagonists to buckle on their armour, and make their charge against him on every side. If this conjecture prove true, all he wishes is, that nothing personal may enter into the discussion; but that every thing said or done, may be in such a temper, as will reflect no disgrace, either on our holy profession, or on the character of any concerned. Honest truth requires no dishonest means or unhallowed weapons, in its defence. When such are used, they injure, or ruin the cause in which they are employed, and increase the mischief they are intended to oppose. The author, having no sinister purpose to serve, nor any malignant wish to gratify, trusts that such unworthy motives will not be imputed to him; nor any thing else, which cannot be fairly gathered from the facts of the case. He has published his name, and he hopes that no person will appear against him, who does not adopt the same line. of conduct. Anonymous attacks, he will consider both unchristian and ungentlemanly. Such writers he will not think himself bound to notice; and therefore he hopes that such as these will not appear. Whatever may be the opinions advanced in the following pages, the author wishes it to be distinctly understood, that he alone is answerable for them. In pointing out the abuses which he conceives to exist in the administration of the affairs of the church, he stands separate from any of the parties, into which the religious world is unhappily divided. In executing the task imposed upon himself, his wish has been, neither to provoke an adversary, nor to involve a friend. He has come forward as an independent individual; and he will consider it an act of injustice, to impute to others, that which belongs to himself alone. CONTENTS. I. The Necessity of a Church Establishment to main- tain and perpetuate the Christian Religion through II. The Church of England, as by law established, is, if properly and efficiently administered, peculiarly adapted to maintain and perpetuate the Christian III. Deviations from the Adjustments and Regulations of the Founders of the Church, the Cause of her IV. Necessity of returning to the original intentions of the Founders of the Church, with regard to all the plans which they devised, and the regulations they adopted; in order to render her efficient for the THE CHURCH IN DANGER. CHAPTER I. The Necessity of a Church Establishment to maintain and perpetuate the Christian Religion through successive generations, and to meet the religious wants of the Nation. THE Divine Author of our holy religion, after making this important declaration to his disciples just before he left the world—“ All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth;" laid this injunction upon them-" Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." If this important injunction has any meaning, it is clear that He who dictated it intended that his religion should finally be the religion of all nations. Under this impression, and in obedience to his commands, the Apostles, and others B |