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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/32259-8.txt b/32259-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5ea9fa2 --- /dev/null +++ b/32259-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,958 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Modest Remarks upon the Bishop of London's +Letter Concerning the Late Earthquakes, by Anonymous + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Modest Remarks upon the Bishop of London's Letter Concerning the Late Earthquakes + +Author: Anonymous + +Release Date: May 5, 2010 [EBook #32259] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BISHOP OF LONDON'S LETTER *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + MODEST REMARKS + UPON THE + BISHOP OF _LONDON'S_ + LETTER CONCERNING + THE LATE EARTHQUAKES. + + [Price Six pence.] + + + + + MODEST REMARKS + UPON THE + BISHOP OF _LONDON'S_ + LETTER CONCERNING + THE LATE EARTHQUAKES. + + + _By One of the People called_ QUAKERS. + + + _And now, O ye Priests, this Commandment is + for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will + not lay it to Heart, to give Glory unto my + Name, saith the Lord of Hosts, I will even + send a Curse upon you, and I will curse your + Blessings: Yea, I have cursed them already + because ye do not lay it to Heart_.---- + _Therefore I also made you contemptible and + base before all the People, as ye have not_ + kept _my Way, but have been_ PARTIAL _in the + Law_. + + Malachi, ii. 1_st_. 2_d._ and 3_d._ _Verses_. + + + _LONDON:_ + + Printed for T. HOWARD, at the Pamphlet Shop in the + _Temple-Exchange_ Coffee House, _Fleet-street_. 1750. + + + + +TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. + +_Friend_ THOMAS, + +Verily I have perused thy Letter Addressed to the _Clergy_ and +_Inhabitants_ of the Cities of _London_ and _Westminster_ with great +Attention, and must acknowledge to thee with Concern, that I am +exceedingly disappointed in the Expectation I had raised to myself from +that Work. The Solemnity, Friend, of the Occasion, the Seriousness and +Consequence of the Subject treated of, and the Relation thou pretendest to +stand in to the Inhabitants of these Cities, made me believe, that Nothing +would be omitted, that was Necessary to awaken the Conscience, and inform +the Understandings of all Degrees of People, within thy Charge. But how +vain is human Wisdom, and how infinitely short-sighted are its Researches, +when it relies upon itself, and is unassisted by that Spirit, to whom all +Events are known, who searcheth the Hearts and tryeth the Reins of the +Children of Men! + +THY Letter, Friend, instead of awakening the Conscience of the hardened +Sinner, or confirming the Faith of the staggering Believer, has confounded +their Understandings, and led them into a Labyrinth, out of which it is +impossible they should ever extricate themselves by the Strength of the +mere natural Man. + +THOU hast without any Authority, (for thou disclaimest all Inspiration +from the _Holy Spirit_) represented the two Shocks of an Earthquake, +lately felt, as a supernatural Event; and magisterially pronounced them +the Effects of a special Providence, threatning Vengeance upon a wicked +and profligate Generation. Who knoweth the Councils of the Almighty? +Strange and wonderful are all his Works, and his Ways past finding out. +What is Man, that he should dive into the Secrets of his Providence, or +the Son of Man, that he should deal out his Judgments according to his +vain Imaginations? Verily, Friend, Thou wast under no Temptation to make +such an use of that Dispensation of his Providence; and thou mightest have +found sufficient Matter from a natural Effect (as those, for aught we know +to the contrary, certainly were) to have excited thy Readers to a sincere +Repentance, without arrogating to thyself a Knowledge to which thou hast +not the smallest Claim, or furnishing the Ungodly, in the first Line of +thy Work, with Matter of Prejudice against all that thou couldst say; +since they could plainly discover by their natural Understanding, that +without the Gift of the Holy Spirit, thou couldst not, and oughtest not to +have ascribed to a special Providence, what may be rationally explained by +the general Laws that govern Matter and Motion. These Laws are, no doubt, +in the Hands of the Almighty: and the sovereign Disposer of all Things +may, for the wise Purposes of his Providence, stop, alter, or controul +them at his Pleasure. But, because we believe and are assured, that he +hath reserved the Power to himself, must we, weak-sighted Mortals, have +the Arrogance to conclude, that, on every Occurrence, which appears in +the least singular and unusual, this special Power is exerted; and that +the Order of Nature is inverted, as often as our gloomy Imagination is +pleased to think that it ought to be so? + +We are taught from Holy Writ, that Cities and whole Nations have been +destroyed by the especial Vengeance of God for their heinous +Transgressions. But except we had been so told by an infallible Spirit, +and who could not deceive us by false Conjectures, we had no Right, nay, +it would be impious in us so much as to suspect that such Cities suffered +for their Sins by the Hands of a special Providence. _Judge not, lest ye +be judged_, is a Precept of universal Extent, and strongly inculcated by +the Founder of our Holy Religion, who in a particular Manner checked the +_Jews_, who of all Nations were the aptest to explain every Occurrence +into a special and revengeful Providence. "There were present at that +Season some, that told him of the _Galileans_, whose Blood _Pilate_ had +mingled with the Sacrifices; and _Jesus_ answering said unto them, suppose +ye, that these _Galileans_ were Sinners above all the _Galileans_, because +they suffered such things? I tell you Nay, but except you repent ye shall +all likewise perish. Or those Eighteen, upon whom the Tower in _Siloe_ +fell, and slew them, think ye that they were Sinners above all Men that +dwelt in _Jerusalem_? I tell you Nay, but except you repent, ye shall +likewise perish." _Luke_ Ch. xiii, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. + +This, Friend, is the Sense of the Son of God upon a Case almost similar to +what your Subject led you to treat of; and how different is it from the +Sense you would put upon a very natural Occurrence? How much more amiable +is the Picture he gives us of the Father in that Parable that immediately +followeth the above Verses. Verse 6, He speaks also this Parable. "A +certain Man had a Fig-tree planted in his Vineyard, and he came and sought +Fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the Dresser of his +Vineyard, behold these three Years I come seeking Fruit on this Fig-tree, +and find none; cut it down, why cumbereth it the Ground? and he answering +said unto him, Lord, let it alone this Year also, till I shall dig about +it, and dung it: And if it bear Fruit, well; and if not, then after thou +shalt cut it down." How much more amiable, I say, is the Doctrine our +Blessed Redeemer would inculcate by this short Parable, than the Idea we +conceive from explaining every natural Accident as the Manifestation of +the Wrath of an angry, incensed, and avenging God! The _Jewish_ Doctors, +like you, Friend, were willing to explain the Sufferings of the +_Galileans_ into a special Act of Divine Vengeance for their Sins; which +they certainly believed very heinous, as these People differed with them +in some religious Points; and, no doubt, might from thence take some +Occasion to preach up Repentance to the rest of the _Jewish_ Nation. But +he, who could not err, whose Knowledge was infinite, checked their +uncharitable Presumption, teaches them, that they are not to judge of the +Sins of a People by the natural Calamities that fall upon them; nor to +paint the Deity as ready on every Occasion to execute Vengeance against +Sinners. "As I live, saith the Lord, I take no Pleasure in the Death of a +Sinner, but rather that they should repent and turn from their Evil Ways." + +Now, Friend, without supposing the Shocks we felt any other than the +Result of Natural Causes, thou mightst from thence have found sufficient +Matter to have roused the most hardened Sinner from the Lethargy of Sin +and Death, by observing, that, besides the many infinite Casualties to +which Life is exposed, there are yet more terrible Accidents that may +sweep them off without a moments Warning, and plunge them into Eternity, +loaded with the Weight of their Iniquities. By supposing such Events never +to happen, but as particular instances of God's Vengeance against Sinners, +the atrocious Sinner is rather led into Despair, than Repentance. Whereas, +when we believe them the Result of a natural Cause, that may take Effect +every moment of our Lives, of which we can have no Foreknowledge, nor the +least possible Means of Prevention, a rational Creature, whose +Understanding is not intirely blinded, or whose Conscience is not +judicially seared, must be awakened to Repentance, and prepare himself for +the great Change, by _his forsaking evil Ways, and turning to the Lord his +God with all his Heart and Strength_. Thou mightest from thence have +availed thyself of all the Instances, that History, sacred and prophane, +furnishes thee with, of Cities and whole Nations, being destroyed by +dreadful Calamities, without teaching thy Flock that uncharitable +Doctrine, that such natural Disasters were the Effect of the peculiar Sins +of these unhappy People. A very dreadful Earthquake happened in _Jamaica_, +in the Year 92, that destroyed a great part of that Colony, and almost +totally ruined the City of _Port-Royal_. Another within these few years +swallowed up the greatest Part of the Capital of _Peru_; and scarce a Year +passes, but we hear of the dreadful Effects of Earthquakes in _Italy_. +Dost thou, like the Jewish Doctors above-mentioned, think, that these +People were _Sinners above all others_ that escaped that dreadful +Visitation? And yet, by supposing the two slight Shocks we have lately +felt the Effects of a special Providence, that uncharitable Doctrine is +fairly inferred; a Doctrine diametrically opposite to the Spirit of our +Holy Religion. But I have said enough to convince thee, that, in thus +explaining that Event, thou hast followed too much the Devices of worldly +Wisdom; and that thou thyself hast fallen into a greater Error than those +Philosophers, whose little Knowledge thou takest upon thee to despise. + +But thou hast not only, Friend, mistaken the proper Use of thy Text, but +in the Improvement of it thou hast left unsaid many things that ought +naturally to have occurred to thee, whether thou supposedst the Shocks to +be the Effect of a special or a general Providence. Verily, Friend, on +such an awful Occasion, I expected, that thou wouldest have enumerated, +without any palliation or disguise, the many heinous Sins, that in this +wicked Age are even a Disgrace to Human Nature, and, after such an +Enumeration, thou wouldest candidly, and without Respect of Persons, have +pointed out the real Source of all these Iniquities that overwhelm the +Land, and have directed thy Flock to the natural Means of freeing +themselves from the Thraldom of Sin and Death. But in all this verily thou +hast fallen short: For in the List of the Crimes, with which thou hast +charged the People, thou hast forgot the most atrocious, and taken notice +of the most trivial of our Transgressions, and hast missed intirely of the +true Source of our growing Impiety, and left us altogether in the dark as +to the Practical Method of _amending our ways, and turning again unto the +God of our Fore fathers_. + +The First Sin thou takest Notice of, and what, by the Order in which thou +hast placed it, and the Conclusion thou hast drawn from it, would appear +in thy Sense the Source of all our publick and private Transgressions, is +the Number of bad Books with which the Town swarms. This indeed is a +crying Sin, and much to be lamented: but, great as it is, it does not +deserve to lead the Van in a List of National Sins, capable of drawing +down the special Vengeance of the Almighty upon a whole People. Nor is its +Influence so great, as to corrupt the Morals of the Generality of the +Nation. Nine Parts in Ten never read Books of any Sort; and those, that +do, would make but a small Proficiency in Vice, if they had no other +School to learn it in, but Books and unclean Pictures. It is true, Friend, +there are a great many impious Books, and indecent Prints, publickly sold +in our Streets; and they may have their Share in debauching the Morals of +the People: but I would have thee to reflect, that there have been Periods +of Time, when that Evil was more to be complained of than at present. I +verily believe, that there are not the Hundredth Part of irreligious Books +now printed, as were in the Reign of _Charles_ II. There is so little of +the Spirit of Religion now prevailing, that the Subject, even when spoken +of in ridicule, is disagreeable to the Polite of the present Age. But when +thou wast speaking of bad Books, there is one thing thou mightest have +mentioned with as much Propriety as Part of the Sins of the Times; that +is, the Want of good Books, the only proper Antidote against the Venom of +those thou so bitterly complainest against: The Age has not only produced +fewer bad Books, than some former; but it has been likewise remarkably +deficient in producing any thing fit to improve the Morals or +Understanding of the People. And this is not owing to the want of +Encouragement for such Labours: For, bad and wicked as the Age is, I never +heard of a good Book, either of Science, Religion, or Morality, but what +met with proper Encouragement from the Publick: but a Spirit of +Lukewarmness, in Matter of Religion and Devotion, in those, who are well +paid for being its Guardians, prevails so much, that they cannot be +induced to enter the Lists with Error and Infidelity; but satisfy +themselves with exclaiming, in general Terms, against the immoral Writings +of others, without giving themselves the Trouble to impugn their Errors, +or to furnish the People with Preservatives against their mischievous +Effects. And if, at any Time, they are tempted to take up the Pen in +Defence of some favourite Doctrine, the Controversy is handled with so +little Charity or Decency, that an honest, well-meaning, Christian, throws +aside the Book, disgusted at a Spirit so unbecoming the Followers of +_Christ Jesus_. In a Word, Friend _Thomas_, I think this Laziness in +those, endued with all the Advantages of Light and Knowledge, and whose +Time ought to be chiefly employed in such Labours, to be a much greater +Grievance, and a more infallible Sign of the total Decay of the true +Spirit of Christianity, and a greater Reason for the Increase of +Infidelity and Prophaneness, than all the bad Books, obscene Prints, and +Histories of Prostitutes, that have been published for this Century past. +And to shew thee, that if good Books are compiled, there is no fear of +Encouragement even from this profligate Generation, Thou needst only +recollect, that thy _little_ Letter has brought more Money to thy +Bookseller, than all the Impressions of prophane Books, of any Kind, have +brought to the whole Trade for this Twelvemonth past. + +After that thou hast finished thy melancholy Declamation against prophane +Books and Prints, the Excess of our publick Diversions takes the next +Place in the List of deadly Sins. This is exaggerated by an Instance of +fifteen or sixteen Advertisements, even in the Holy Season of Lent; and +thou goest piously on to mention Idleness, Gaming, _&c._ These are +terrible Crimes indeed, Friend. But does not thee think, that there are +many others of a deeper Dye, and of which these are only trivial +Consequences? Yes, thou knowest there are; thou couldst not forget them, +being too glaring to have escaped thy Penetration. Yet, thou hast skipped +them over, or taken but very slight Notice of them. For thou hookest in +but one Crime more, before thou seemest to finish thy grand Charge, and to +begin thy Application. Verily, I could have wished in Charity, that thou +hadst left that one Crime out of thy List on this Occasion. The Crime, I +mean, is the Mention thou makest of the Increase of Popery. Thou art to +remember, Friend, that thou hast supposed the Almighty justy offended at +the Number and Heinousness of our National Transgressions, and that thou +art giving a List of the Transgressions, that thou thinkest capable of +drawing down upon us the special Judgments of the Divine Being. Now, canst +thou in Charity, as a Christian, think, that Popery could be numbered +amongst these deadly Sins? The Errors of that superstitious Church are +many; but God forbid, that we should imagine, that their Errors, in Point +of Faith, are such, as to merit these special Marks of the Divine Wrath. +Had that been the Case, this Island, and all Europe, must many Centuries +ago, have felt the most dreadful Effects of these Calamities. If thou +meanest in that Paragraph those, who continue obstinate in Error, in spite +of Conviction, and the Dictates of their own Conscience, thou sayest +right, and mightst have mentioned all such of every Persuasion in this +Island. But, if thou meanest the gross Body of the Catholicks, whom we are +bound in Charity to believe to act from Principle and Conviction, (and, +indeed, they must be strangely infatuated if they do not;) thou hast +verily been exceedingly to blame, to mention them on this Occasion. For +remember, that from a Principle common to all Protestants, if they act +from rational Conviction, or what appears to them as such, they are as +much entitled to the gracious Mercies of a good God, as thee, or I, is; +and, consequently, the Increase of their Tenets, however erroneous they +may appear to us, cannot, with any Colour of Justice, be reckoned amongst +the List of Sins, capable of drawing down special Judgements upon this +Land. + +The Divisions, that are amongst the Followers of _Christ Jesus_, is indeed +Part of the enormous Wickedness of this Age. These we ought to lament in +general; but its being greatly wanting to that Charity, which is the +distinguishing Badge of Christianity, to mark out any one of the several +Sects, that profess the same essential Doctrines, with such a dreadful +Distinction. But thou hast not only placed the Catholicks as the immediate +Objects of God's avenging Judgments, but thou hast represented some of +their Doctrines in a Light which they do not deserve. Thou wouldst +insinuate, that the Cordial, as thou callest it, of Absolution, is +believed by the Catholicks, to be of Effect, without a thorough and +sincere Repentance. We ought, thou knowest, Friend, ever to speak Truth: +which Truth never stands in need of the Aids of Falshood. Now, the +Catholicks, in all their Writings, lay it down, and teach it as a Tenet of +their Church, that Absolution, however solemn, or by whomsoever +pronounced, is so far from being of any Effect without Repentance, +Amendment, and Retribution, if in their Power, that the thus accepting it +is adding the heinous Sin of Sacrilege to all their other Sins. Now, by +what Means canst thou suppose, that this Cordial of Absolution, however +ineffectual thou and I may think it, could be greedily swallowed by +Persons averse to the wholesom food of Repentance, by which their +spiritual Condition might be gradually mended? If they swallow it, they +must already have digested the Food of Repentance; if they have not, they +know, as well as thee, that they have swallowed a Poison instead of a +Cordial. If thou must needs, at a Time when thou oughtest, instead of +awakening Christian Divisions, to have done all in thy Power to Unite all +its Followers in one Bond of Peace and charitable Union; if thou must +needs, I say, at such a Time, employ thy Rhetoric against the Errors of +that Church, sure thou mightst have pitched upon some one founded in +Truth, and not have mentioned as Fact a Thing so easily red-argued. At +other Times Zeal for the Cause of Truth may, tho' preposterously enough, +prompt a Man to blacken his Adversary with imaginary Crimes, in order, by +a kind of pious Fraud, to prepossess the People against the Errors in his +Doctrine and Practice. + +But on such an Occasion as this, and from so distinguished a Hand, we had +Reason to expect, Friend, that every Fact advanced should have been +literally and manifestly true. I remember an Instance known all over +_Europe_, that might have set thee right, if thou wert really ignorant of +the Nature of _Romish_ Absolution. That is, that, notwithstanding the +great Powers of that despotic King, _Lewis_ the XIVth, all his Authority +could not prevail over any one Priest in his Dominions to give him +Absolution, or administer to him the Sacrament whilst he lived in a state +of Uncleanness with Madam _Maintenon_. He was so far from resenting their +supporting an Authority, he thought them legally possessed of, that for +the faithful Discharge of their Duty, he loaded his Confessors with +Bishopricks; and at last at their Instances privately married his +Mistress; and then, and not till then, received Absolution. I, for my +part, Friend, think the Absolution pronounced by thy Church, and that by +the Church of _Rome_, or by any human Creature alive, to be vain and +useless, and the Product of spiritual Pride and Vanity. But the Spirit of +Truth, that is within me, would not permit me to pass over so gross a +Misrepresentation of Fact, without a proper Reprehension. + +This, with a very gentle Touch upon the want of a due Execution of the +Laws, (for which thou dost not forget to ask Pardon) finishes the +Bead-toll of National Sins, that are to draw down the immediate Vengeance +of the most High. Thou then proceedest to hint that a due Execution of the +Laws already in Being, and the particular Care of Masters of Families, may +bring about a Reformation, and avert those Judgments thou supposest to be +threatened by the two very terrible Shocks of an Earthquake. Strange +Chimæra, to think that Wickedness, grown to such a height as to merit the +special Notice of the Divine Being, and interwoven as it were with our +very Nature, should be rooted out by such weak Means! How amazing is it, +that a Physician should pretend to cure a complicated Malady, without once +touching at the Source of the Disorder, by slightly tickling the outwards +Parts, and leaving the Vitals to perish under a mortal Gangrene. + +Every Man's Knowledge, yea, verily, every old Woman's Knowledge, in this +Kingdom, might have picked out a Multitude of Instances, and those much +more flagrant than any thou hast mentioned, of the general Wickedness and +Depravity of the Age we live in. That was no Secret; and we needed neither +Bishop, Prophet, nor Earthquake, to remind us, that the Cup of our +Iniquity is near full, and that nothing but the superabundant Mercy and +long-suffering Patience of the Almighty, could hinder us from falling a +sacrifice to his offended Justice. For it is one of the Sins peculiar to +this Age, that we have been industrious in finding out new Species of +Wickedness, and that we never commit an old Fault, but for want of +Invention to diversify the Crime, and heighten the Relish of Iniquity by +the horrid Novelty of it; and that we are so far from pretending to act +thro' Ignorance or want of Knowledge of our Duty, that the greatest +Pleasure of our Iniquities consists in our Knowledge of their being +prohibited by God, and destructive of our future and eternal Happiness. An +universal Depravation of Manners reigns thro' all Sorts of People in this +sinful Land; and an utter Abhorrence and Detestation of every Thing, that +bears but the smallest Resemblance of Virtue and Piety, have possessed +the Hearts and Minds of this profligate Generation. The Kingdom of God is +not among the wicked Inhabitants of this Island. The Kingdom of Satan +prevails and reigns triumphant in our debauched Streets. Our Nobles +frequent anti-christian Diversions, and forget the Lord their God, and +walk every Man according to the Devices of his own Heart: While a venal +Contagion has seized the whole Body of the People, who worship Money as +their God, and have said unto Silver and Gold, ye are our Deliverers, and +our sure Help in Time of Need. There is nothing so sacred, but what they +willingly barter for filthy Lucre. Justice, Honesty, Right and Wrong, are +no longer understood in this sinful Land; but every thing is weighed in +the Scales of Gain. Their very Souls they bring to the Account of Profit +and Loss, making light of Futurity, and laughing at Hell Torments, as the +Invention of Priests and Statesmen. Whoredom, Adulteries, Fornications, +and all manner of beastly Uncleanness, are openly avowed; and he who does +not plunge himself into all the Debaucheries of the Stews, with a high and +open Hand, is looked upon as a poor narrow-spirited Creature unworthy of +the Company of Men of a noble and exalted Genius. Luxury, Drunkenness, and +Gluttony, have overspread the Tables and Dwellings of all Degrees of +People. We seek the Bowels of the Earth for Jewels to adorn us, and travel +to the most distant Quarters of the World in Quest of whatever may gratify +our vicious Appetites, and yet never think of the God, that furnishes our +unnatural Wants. Our Women are ashamed of Modesty. They deck themselves in +gorgeous Apparel, and expose half their Persons naked to allure the Eyes +of the Wicked. Murder, Robberies, and the most barefaced Perjuries, are +every Day to be met with in our Streets; even Crimes that would shock +Modesty but to mention are as common as Petty Larceny. Yet we are spared, +and the sinful Land stands a Monument of the long-suffering Patience of +the Almighty. + +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_. + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Passages in italics are indicated by _underscore_. + +Long "s" has been modernized. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Modest Remarks upon the Bishop of +London's Letter Concerning the Late Earthquakes, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BISHOP OF LONDON'S LETTER *** + +***** This file should be named 32259-8.txt or 32259-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/2/5/32259/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Modest Remarks upon the Bishop of London's Letter Concerning the Late Earthquakes + +Author: Anonymous + +Release Date: May 5, 2010 [EBook #32259] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BISHOP OF LONDON'S LETTER *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + +<h3>MODEST</h3> +<h1>REMARKS</h1> +<h3>UPON THE</h3> +<h3><span class="smcap">Bishop</span> of <i>LONDON</i>’s</h3> +<h2><span class="gesp">LETTER</span></h2> +<h4><span class="smcap">Concerning</span> the late</h4> +<h3>EARTHQUAKES.</h3> +<p> </p> +<p class="center"><b>[Price Six pence.]</b></p> +<p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> + +<h4>MODEST</h4> +<h2>REMARKS</h2> +<h4>UPON THE</h4> +<h3><span class="smcap">Bishop</span> of <i>LONDON’s</i></h3> +<h2><span class="gesp">LETTER</span></h2> +<h4><span class="smcap">Concerning</span> the late</h4> +<h3>EARTHQUAKES.</h3> +<p> </p> +<p class="center"><i>By One of the People called</i> <span class="gesp">QUAKERS</span>.</p> +<p> </p> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" summary="xyz"> +<tr><td><i>And now, O ye Priests, this Commandment is for you.</i><br /> +<i>If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to Heart,</i><br /> +<i>to give Glory unto my Name, saith the Lord of Hosts,</i><br /> +<i>I will even send a Curse upon you, and I will curse</i><br /> +<i>your Blessings: Yea, I have cursed them already</i><br /> +<i>because ye do not lay it to Heart.——Therefore I also</i><br /> +<i>made you contemptible and base before all the</i><br /> +<i>People, as ye have not</i> kept <i>my Way, but have been</i><br /> +<span class="smcaplc"><span class="gesp">PARTIAL</span></span> <i>in the Law</i>.<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Malachi, ii. 1<i>st</i>. 2<i>d.</i> and 3<i>d.</i> <i>Verses</i>.</span></td></tr></table> +<p> </p> +<p class="center"><span class="gesp"><i>LONDON:</i></span><br /><br /> +Printed for <span class="smcap">T. Howard</span>, at the Pamphlet Shop in the<br /> +<i>Temple-Exchange</i> Coffee House, <i>Fleet-street</i>. 1750.</p> + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i005a.jpg" alt="" /></div> + +<h3>TO THE</h3> +<h2>BISHOP</h2> +<h3>OF</h3> +<h1>LONDON.</h1> + +<p><i>Friend</i> <span class="smcap">Thomas</span>,</p> + +<p> </p> +<p><span class="dropfig"><img src="images/i005b.jpg" style="margin-top: -0.5em; margin-bottom: -1em;" alt="V" /></span>erily I +have perused thy Letter Addressed to the <i>Clergy</i> and +<i>Inhabitants</i> of the Cities of <i>London</i> and <i>Westminster</i> with great +Attention, and must acknowledge to thee with Concern, that I am +exceedingly disappointed in the Expectation I had raised to myself from +that Work. The Solemnity, Friend, of the Occasion, the Seriousness and +Consequence of the Subject treated of, and the Relation thou pretendest to +stand in to the Inhabitants of these Cities, made me believe, that Nothing +would be omitted, that was Necessary to awaken the Conscience, and inform +the Understandings of all Degrees of People, within thy Charge. But how +vain is human Wisdom, and how infinitely short-sighted are its Researches, +when it relies upon itself, and is unassisted by that Spirit, to whom all +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>Events are known, who searcheth the Hearts and tryeth the Reins of the +Children of Men!</p> + +<p><span class="gesp"><span class="smcap">Thy</span></span> Letter, Friend, instead of awakening the Conscience of the hardened +Sinner, or confirming the Faith of the staggering Believer, has confounded +their Understandings, and led them into a Labyrinth, out of which it is +impossible they should ever extricate themselves by the Strength of the +mere natural Man.</p> + +<p><span class="gesp"><span class="smcap">Thou</span></span> hast without any Authority, (for thou disclaimest all Inspiration +from the <i>Holy Spirit</i>) represented the two Shocks of an Earthquake, +lately felt, as a supernatural Event; and magisterially pronounced them +the Effects of a special Providence, threatning Vengeance upon a wicked +and profligate Generation. Who knoweth the Councils of the Almighty? +Strange and wonderful are all his Works, and his Ways past finding out. +What is Man, that he should dive into the Secrets of his Providence, or +the Son of Man, that he should deal out his Judgments according to his +vain Imaginations? Verily, Friend, Thou wast under no Temptation to make +such an use of that Dispensation of his Providence; and thou mightest have +found sufficient Matter from a natural Effect (as those, for aught we know +to the contrary, certainly were) to have excited thy Readers to a sincere +Repentance, without arrogating to thyself a Knowledge to which thou hast +not the smallest Claim, or furnishing the Ungodly, in the first Line of +thy Work, with Matter of Prejudice against all that thou couldst say; +since they could plainly discover by their natural Understanding, that +without the Gift of the Holy Spirit, thou couldst not, and oughtest not to +have ascribed to a special Providence, what may be rationally explained by +the general Laws that govern Matter and Motion. These Laws are, no doubt, +in the Hands of the Almighty: and the sovereign Disposer of all Things +may, for the wise Purposes of his Providence, stop, alter, or controul +them at his Pleasure. But, because we believe and are assured, that he +hath reserved the Power to himself, must we, weak-sighted Mortals, have +the Arrogance to conclude, that, on every<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> Occurrence, which appears in +the least singular and unusual, this special Power is exerted; and that +the Order of Nature is inverted, as often as our gloomy Imagination is +pleased to think that it ought to be so?</p> + +<p>We are taught from Holy Writ, that Cities and whole Nations have been +destroyed by the especial Vengeance of God for their heinous +Transgressions. But except we had been so told by an infallible Spirit, +and who could not deceive us by false Conjectures, we had no Right, nay, +it would be impious in us so much as to suspect that such Cities suffered +for their Sins by the Hands of a special Providence. <i>Judge not, lest ye +be judged</i>, is a Precept of universal Extent, and strongly inculcated by +the Founder of our Holy Religion, who in a particular Manner checked the +<i>Jews</i>, who of all Nations were the aptest to explain every Occurrence +into a special and revengeful Providence. “There were present at that +Season some, that told him of the <i>Galileans</i>, whose Blood <i>Pilate</i> had +mingled with the Sacrifices; and <i>Jesus</i> answering said unto them, suppose +ye, that these <i>Galileans</i> were Sinners above all the <i>Galileans</i>, because +they suffered such things? I tell you Nay, but except you repent ye shall +all likewise perish. Or those Eighteen, upon whom the Tower in <i>Siloe</i> +fell, and slew them, think ye that they were Sinners above all Men that +dwelt in <i>Jerusalem</i>? I tell you Nay, but except you repent, ye shall +likewise perish.” <i>Luke</i> Ch. xiii, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.</p> + +<p>This, Friend, is the Sense of the Son of God upon a Case almost similar to +what your Subject led you to treat of; and how different is it from the +Sense you would put upon a very natural Occurrence? How much more amiable +is the Picture he gives us of the Father in that Parable that immediately +followeth the above Verses. Verse 6, He speaks also this Parable. “A +certain Man had a Fig-tree planted in his Vineyard, and he came and sought +Fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the Dresser of his +Vineyard, behold these three Years I come seeking Fruit on this Fig-tree, +and find<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> none; cut it down, why cumbereth it the Ground? and he answering +said unto him, Lord, let it alone this Year also, till I shall dig about +it, and dung it: And if it bear Fruit, well; and if not, then after thou +shalt cut it down.” How much more amiable, I say, is the Doctrine our +Blessed Redeemer would inculcate by this short Parable, than the Idea we +conceive from explaining every natural Accident as the Manifestation of +the Wrath of an angry, incensed, and avenging God! The <i>Jewish</i> Doctors, +like you, Friend, were willing to explain the Sufferings of the +<i>Galileans</i> into a special Act of Divine Vengeance for their Sins; which +they certainly believed very heinous, as these People differed with them +in some religious Points; and, no doubt, might from thence take some +Occasion to preach up Repentance to the rest of the <i>Jewish</i> Nation. But +he, who could not err, whose Knowledge was infinite, checked their +uncharitable Presumption, teaches them, that they are not to judge of the +Sins of a People by the natural Calamities that fall upon them; nor to +paint the Deity as ready on every Occasion to execute Vengeance against +Sinners. “As I live, saith the Lord, I take no Pleasure in the Death of a +Sinner, but rather that they should repent and turn from their Evil Ways.”</p> + +<p>Now, Friend, without supposing the Shocks we felt any other than the +Result of Natural Causes, thou mightst from thence have found sufficient +Matter to have roused the most hardened Sinner from the Lethargy of Sin +and Death, by observing, that, besides the many infinite Casualties to +which Life is exposed, there are yet more terrible Accidents that may +sweep them off without a moments Warning, and plunge them into Eternity, +loaded with the Weight of their Iniquities. By supposing such Events never +to happen, but as particular instances of God’s Vengeance against Sinners, +the atrocious Sinner is rather led into Despair, than Repentance. Whereas, +when we believe them the Result of a natural Cause, that may take Effect +every moment of our Lives, of which we can have no Foreknowledge, nor the +least possible Means of Prevention, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> rational Creature, whose +Understanding is not intirely blinded, or whose Conscience is not +judicially seared, must be awakened to Repentance, and prepare himself for +the great Change, by <i>his forsaking evil Ways, and turning to the Lord his +God with all his Heart and Strength</i>. Thou mightest from thence have +availed thyself of all the Instances, that History, sacred and prophane, +furnishes thee with, of Cities and whole Nations, being destroyed by +dreadful Calamities, without teaching thy Flock that uncharitable +Doctrine, that such natural Disasters were the Effect of the peculiar Sins +of these unhappy People. A very dreadful Earthquake happened in <i>Jamaica</i>, +in the Year 92, that destroyed a great part of that Colony, and almost +totally ruined the City of <i>Port-Royal</i>. Another within these few years +swallowed up the greatest Part of the Capital of <i>Peru</i>; and scarce a Year +passes, but we hear of the dreadful Effects of Earthquakes in <i>Italy</i>. +Dost thou, like the Jewish Doctors above-mentioned, think, that these +People were <i>Sinners above all others</i> that escaped that dreadful +Visitation? And yet, by supposing the two slight Shocks we have lately +felt the Effects of a special Providence, that uncharitable Doctrine is +fairly inferred; a Doctrine diametrically opposite to the Spirit of our +Holy Religion. But I have said enough to convince thee, that, in thus +explaining that Event, thou hast followed too much the Devices of worldly +Wisdom; and that thou thyself hast fallen into a greater Error than those +Philosophers, whose little Knowledge thou takest upon thee to despise.</p> + +<p>But thou hast not only, Friend, mistaken the proper Use of thy Text, but +in the Improvement of it thou hast left unsaid many things that ought +naturally to have occurred to thee, whether thou supposedst the Shocks to +be the Effect of a special or a general Providence. Verily, Friend, on +such an awful Occasion, I expected, that thou wouldest have enumerated, +without any palliation or disguise, the many heinous Sins, that in this +wicked Age are even a Disgrace to Human Nature, and, after such an +Enumeration, thou wouldest candidly, and without Respect of Persons, have +pointed out the real Source of all these Iniquities that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> overwhelm the +Land, and have directed thy Flock to the natural Means of freeing +themselves from the Thraldom of Sin and Death. But in all this verily thou +hast fallen short: For in the List of the Crimes, with which thou hast +charged the People, thou hast forgot the most atrocious, and taken notice +of the most trivial of our Transgressions, and hast missed intirely of the +true Source of our growing Impiety, and left us altogether in the dark as +to the Practical Method of <i>amending our ways, and turning again unto the +God of our Fore fathers</i>.</p> + +<p>The First Sin thou takest Notice of, and what, by the Order in which thou +hast placed it, and the Conclusion thou hast drawn from it, would appear +in thy Sense the Source of all our publick and private Transgressions, is +the Number of bad Books with which the Town swarms. This indeed is a +crying Sin, and much to be lamented: but, great as it is, it does not +deserve to lead the Van in a List of National Sins, capable of drawing +down the special Vengeance of the Almighty upon a whole People. Nor is its +Influence so great, as to corrupt the Morals of the Generality of the +Nation. Nine Parts in Ten never read Books of any Sort; and those, that +do, would make but a small Proficiency in Vice, if they had no other +School to learn it in, but Books and unclean Pictures. It is true, Friend, +there are a great many impious Books, and indecent Prints, publickly sold +in our Streets; and they may have their Share in debauching the Morals of +the People: but I would have thee to reflect, that there have been Periods +of Time, when that Evil was more to be complained of than at present. I +verily believe, that there are not the Hundredth Part of irreligious Books +now printed, as were in the Reign of <i>Charles</i> II. There is so little of +the Spirit of Religion now prevailing, that the Subject, even when spoken +of in ridicule, is disagreeable to the Polite of the present Age. But when +thou wast speaking of bad Books, there is one thing thou mightest have +mentioned with as much Propriety as Part of the Sins of the Times; that +is, the Want of good Books, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> only proper Antidote against the Venom of +those thou so bitterly complainest against: The Age has not only produced +fewer bad Books, than some former; but it has been likewise remarkably +deficient in producing any thing fit to improve the Morals or +Understanding of the People. And this is not owing to the want of +Encouragement for such Labours: For, bad and wicked as the Age is, I never +heard of a good Book, either of Science, Religion, or Morality, but what +met with proper Encouragement from the Publick: but a Spirit of +Lukewarmness, in Matter of Religion and Devotion, in those, who are well +paid for being its Guardians, prevails so much, that they cannot be +induced to enter the Lists with Error and Infidelity; but satisfy +themselves with exclaiming, in general Terms, against the immoral Writings +of others, without giving themselves the Trouble to impugn their Errors, +or to furnish the People with Preservatives against their mischievous +Effects. And if, at any Time, they are tempted to take up the Pen in +Defence of some favourite Doctrine, the Controversy is handled with so +little Charity or Decency, that an honest, well-meaning, Christian, throws +aside the Book, disgusted at a Spirit so unbecoming the Followers of +<i>Christ Jesus</i>. In a Word, Friend <i>Thomas</i>, I think this Laziness in +those, endued with all the Advantages of Light and Knowledge, and whose +Time ought to be chiefly employed in such Labours, to be a much greater +Grievance, and a more infallible Sign of the total Decay of the true +Spirit of Christianity, and a greater Reason for the Increase of +Infidelity and Prophaneness, than all the bad Books, obscene Prints, and +Histories of Prostitutes, that have been published for this Century past. +And to shew thee, that if good Books are compiled, there is no fear of +Encouragement even from this profligate Generation, Thou needst only +recollect, that thy <i>little</i> Letter has brought more Money to thy +Bookseller, than all the Impressions of prophane Books, of any Kind, have +brought to the whole Trade for this Twelvemonth past.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>After that thou hast finished thy melancholy Declamation against prophane +Books and Prints, the Excess of our publick Diversions takes the next +Place in the List of deadly Sins. This is exaggerated by an Instance of +fifteen or sixteen Advertisements, even in the Holy Season of Lent; and +thou goest piously on to mention Idleness, Gaming, <i>&c.</i> These are +terrible Crimes indeed, Friend. But does not thee think, that there are +many others of a deeper Dye, and of which these are only trivial +Consequences? Yes, thou knowest there are; thou couldst not forget them, +being too glaring to have escaped thy Penetration. Yet, thou hast skipped +them over, or taken but very slight Notice of them. For thou hookest in +but one Crime more, before thou seemest to finish thy grand Charge, and to +begin thy Application. Verily, I could have wished in Charity, that thou +hadst left that one Crime out of thy List on this Occasion. The Crime, I +mean, is the Mention thou makest of the Increase of Popery. Thou art to +remember, Friend, that thou hast supposed the Almighty justy offended at +the Number and Heinousness of our National Transgressions, and that thou +art giving a List of the Transgressions, that thou thinkest capable of +drawing down upon us the special Judgments of the Divine Being. Now, canst +thou in Charity, as a Christian, think, that Popery could be numbered +amongst these deadly Sins? The Errors of that superstitious Church are +many; but God forbid, that we should imagine, that their Errors, in Point +of Faith, are such, as to merit these special Marks of the Divine Wrath. +Had that been the Case, this Island, and all Europe, must many Centuries +ago, have felt the most dreadful Effects of these Calamities. If thou +meanest in that Paragraph those, who continue obstinate in Error, in spite +of Conviction, and the Dictates of their own Conscience, thou sayest +right, and mightst have mentioned all such of every Persuasion in this +Island. But, if thou meanest the gross Body of the Catholicks, whom we are +bound in Charity to believe to act from Principle and Conviction, (and, +indeed,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> they must be strangely infatuated if they do not;) thou hast +verily been exceedingly to blame, to mention them on this Occasion. For +remember, that from a Principle common to all Protestants, if they act +from rational Conviction, or what appears to them as such, they are as +much entitled to the gracious Mercies of a good God, as thee, or I, is; +and, consequently, the Increase of their Tenets, however erroneous they +may appear to us, cannot, with any Colour of Justice, be reckoned amongst +the List of Sins, capable of drawing down special Judgements upon this +Land.</p> + +<p>The Divisions, that are amongst the Followers of <i>Christ Jesus</i>, is indeed +Part of the enormous Wickedness of this Age. These we ought to lament in +general; but its being greatly wanting to that Charity, which is the +distinguishing Badge of Christianity, to mark out any one of the several +Sects, that profess the same essential Doctrines, with such a dreadful +Distinction. But thou hast not only placed the Catholicks as the immediate +Objects of God’s avenging Judgments, but thou hast represented some of +their Doctrines in a Light which they do not deserve. Thou wouldst +insinuate, that the Cordial, as thou callest it, of Absolution, is +believed by the Catholicks, to be of Effect, without a thorough and +sincere Repentance. We ought, thou knowest, Friend, ever to speak Truth: +which Truth never stands in need of the Aids of Falshood. Now, the +Catholicks, in all their Writings, lay it down, and teach it as a Tenet of +their Church, that Absolution, however solemn, or by whomsoever +pronounced, is so far from being of any Effect without Repentance, +Amendment, and Retribution, if in their Power, that the thus accepting it +is adding the heinous Sin of Sacrilege to all their other Sins. Now, by +what Means canst thou suppose, that this Cordial of Absolution, however +ineffectual thou and I may think it, could be greedily swallowed by +Persons averse to the wholesom food of Repentance, by which their +spiritual Condition might be gradually mended? If they swallow it, they +must already have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> digested the Food of Repentance; if they have not, they +know, as well as thee, that they have swallowed a Poison instead of a +Cordial. If thou must needs, at a Time when thou oughtest, instead of +awakening Christian Divisions, to have done all in thy Power to Unite all +its Followers in one Bond of Peace and charitable Union; if thou must +needs, I say, at such a Time, employ thy Rhetoric against the Errors of +that Church, sure thou mightst have pitched upon some one founded in +Truth, and not have mentioned as Fact a Thing so easily red-argued. At +other Times Zeal for the Cause of Truth may, tho’ preposterously enough, +prompt a Man to blacken his Adversary with imaginary Crimes, in order, by +a kind of pious Fraud, to prepossess the People against the Errors in his +Doctrine and Practice.</p> + +<p>But on such an Occasion as this, and from so distinguished a Hand, we had +Reason to expect, Friend, that every Fact advanced should have been +literally and manifestly true. I remember an Instance known all over +<i>Europe</i>, that might have set thee right, if thou wert really ignorant of +the Nature of <i>Romish</i> Absolution. That is, that, notwithstanding the +great Powers of that despotic King, <i>Lewis</i> the XIVth, all his Authority +could not prevail over any one Priest in his Dominions to give him +Absolution, or administer to him the Sacrament whilst he lived in a state +of Uncleanness with Madam <i>Maintenon</i>. He was so far from resenting their +supporting an Authority, he thought them legally possessed of, that for +the faithful Discharge of their Duty, he loaded his Confessors with +Bishopricks; and at last at their Instances privately married his +Mistress; and then, and not till then, received Absolution. I, for my +part, Friend, think the Absolution pronounced by thy Church, and that by +the Church of <i>Rome</i>, or by any human Creature alive, to be vain and +useless, and the Product of spiritual Pride and Vanity. But the Spirit of +Truth, that is within me, would not permit me to pass over so gross a +Misrepresentation of Fact, without a proper Reprehension.</p> + +<p>This, with a very gentle Touch upon the want of a due Execution of the +Laws, (for which thou dost not forget<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> to ask Pardon) finishes the +Bead-toll of National Sins, that are to draw down the immediate Vengeance +of the most High. Thou then proceedest to hint that a due Execution of the +Laws already in Being, and the particular Care of Masters of Families, may +bring about a Reformation, and avert those Judgments thou supposest to be +threatened by the two very terrible Shocks of an Earthquake. Strange +Chimæra, to think that Wickedness, grown to such a height as to merit the +special Notice of the Divine Being, and interwoven as it were with our +very Nature, should be rooted out by such weak Means! How amazing is it, +that a Physician should pretend to cure a complicated Malady, without once +touching at the Source of the Disorder, by slightly tickling the outwards +Parts, and leaving the Vitals to perish under a mortal Gangrene.</p> + +<p>Every Man’s Knowledge, yea, verily, every old Woman’s Knowledge, in this +Kingdom, might have picked out a Multitude of Instances, and those much +more flagrant than any thou hast mentioned, of the general Wickedness and +Depravity of the Age we live in. That was no Secret; and we needed neither +Bishop, Prophet, nor Earthquake, to remind us, that the Cup of our +Iniquity is near full, and that nothing but the superabundant Mercy and +long-suffering Patience of the Almighty, could hinder us from falling a +sacrifice to his offended Justice. For it is one of the Sins peculiar to +this Age, that we have been industrious in finding out new Species of +Wickedness, and that we never commit an old Fault, but for want of +Invention to diversify the Crime, and heighten the Relish of Iniquity by +the horrid Novelty of it; and that we are so far from pretending to act +thro’ Ignorance or want of Knowledge of our Duty, that the greatest +Pleasure of our Iniquities consists in our Knowledge of their being +prohibited by God, and destructive of our future and eternal Happiness. An +universal Depravation of Manners reigns thro’ all Sorts of People in this +sinful Land; and an utter Abhorrence and Detestation of every Thing, that +bears but the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> smallest Resemblance of Virtue and Piety, have possessed +the Hearts and Minds of this profligate Generation. The Kingdom of God is +not among the wicked Inhabitants of this Island. The Kingdom of Satan +prevails and reigns triumphant in our debauched Streets. Our Nobles +frequent anti-christian Diversions, and forget the Lord their God, and +walk every Man according to the Devices of his own Heart: While a venal +Contagion has seized the whole Body of the People, who worship Money as +their God, and have said unto Silver and Gold, ye are our Deliverers, and +our sure Help in Time of Need. There is nothing so sacred, but what they +willingly barter for filthy Lucre. Justice, Honesty, Right and Wrong, are +no longer understood in this sinful Land; but every thing is weighed in +the Scales of Gain. Their very Souls they bring to the Account of Profit +and Loss, making light of Futurity, and laughing at Hell Torments, as the +Invention of Priests and Statesmen. Whoredom, Adulteries, Fornications, +and all manner of beastly Uncleanness, are openly avowed; and he who does +not plunge himself into all the Debaucheries of the Stews, with a high and +open Hand, is looked upon as a poor narrow-spirited Creature unworthy of +the Company of Men of a noble and exalted Genius. Luxury, Drunkenness, and +Gluttony, have overspread the Tables and Dwellings of all Degrees of +People. We seek the Bowels of the Earth for Jewels to adorn us, and travel +to the most distant Quarters of the World in Quest of whatever may gratify +our vicious Appetites, and yet never think of the God, that furnishes our +unnatural Wants. Our Women are ashamed of Modesty. They deck themselves in +gorgeous Apparel, and expose half their Persons naked to allure the Eyes +of the Wicked. Murder, Robberies, and the most barefaced Perjuries, are +every Day to be met with in our Streets; even Crimes that would shock +Modesty but to mention are as common as Petty Larceny. Yet we are spared, +and the sinful Land stands a Monument of the long-suffering Patience of +the Almighty.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> 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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> 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 <i>Simon Magus</i>, 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 <i>Levi</i>, as in the Tabernacles of the Tribe of <i>Nepthali</i>. 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, +<i>becoming all Things to all Men, that by all Means some may be saved</i>; +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.</p> + +<p>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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> 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.</p> + +<p>But, it is time, my Friend <i>Thomas</i>, 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 +<i>Jesus</i>, 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<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> 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! +<i>Amen.</i></p> + +<p> </p> +<h3><span class="gesp"><i>FINIS</i></span>.</h3> +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i021.jpg" alt="" /></div> + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><b>Transcriber’s Note:</b> The long “s” used in the original text has been modernized.</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Modest Remarks upon the Bishop of +London's Letter Concerning the Late Earthquakes, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BISHOP OF LONDON'S LETTER *** + +***** This file should be named 32259-h.htm or 32259-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/2/5/32259/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Modest Remarks upon the Bishop of London's Letter Concerning the Late Earthquakes + +Author: Anonymous + +Release Date: May 5, 2010 [EBook #32259] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BISHOP OF LONDON'S LETTER *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + MODEST REMARKS + UPON THE + BISHOP OF _LONDON'S_ + LETTER CONCERNING + THE LATE EARTHQUAKES. + + [Price Six pence.] + + + + + MODEST REMARKS + UPON THE + BISHOP OF _LONDON'S_ + LETTER CONCERNING + THE LATE EARTHQUAKES. + + + _By One of the People called_ QUAKERS. + + + _And now, O ye Priests, this Commandment is + for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will + not lay it to Heart, to give Glory unto my + Name, saith the Lord of Hosts, I will even + send a Curse upon you, and I will curse your + Blessings: Yea, I have cursed them already + because ye do not lay it to Heart_.---- + _Therefore I also made you contemptible and + base before all the People, as ye have not_ + kept _my Way, but have been_ PARTIAL _in the + Law_. + + Malachi, ii. 1_st_. 2_d._ and 3_d._ _Verses_. + + + _LONDON:_ + + Printed for T. HOWARD, at the Pamphlet Shop in the + _Temple-Exchange_ Coffee House, _Fleet-street_. 1750. + + + + +TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. + +_Friend_ THOMAS, + +Verily I have perused thy Letter Addressed to the _Clergy_ and +_Inhabitants_ of the Cities of _London_ and _Westminster_ with great +Attention, and must acknowledge to thee with Concern, that I am +exceedingly disappointed in the Expectation I had raised to myself from +that Work. The Solemnity, Friend, of the Occasion, the Seriousness and +Consequence of the Subject treated of, and the Relation thou pretendest to +stand in to the Inhabitants of these Cities, made me believe, that Nothing +would be omitted, that was Necessary to awaken the Conscience, and inform +the Understandings of all Degrees of People, within thy Charge. But how +vain is human Wisdom, and how infinitely short-sighted are its Researches, +when it relies upon itself, and is unassisted by that Spirit, to whom all +Events are known, who searcheth the Hearts and tryeth the Reins of the +Children of Men! + +THY Letter, Friend, instead of awakening the Conscience of the hardened +Sinner, or confirming the Faith of the staggering Believer, has confounded +their Understandings, and led them into a Labyrinth, out of which it is +impossible they should ever extricate themselves by the Strength of the +mere natural Man. + +THOU hast without any Authority, (for thou disclaimest all Inspiration +from the _Holy Spirit_) represented the two Shocks of an Earthquake, +lately felt, as a supernatural Event; and magisterially pronounced them +the Effects of a special Providence, threatning Vengeance upon a wicked +and profligate Generation. Who knoweth the Councils of the Almighty? +Strange and wonderful are all his Works, and his Ways past finding out. +What is Man, that he should dive into the Secrets of his Providence, or +the Son of Man, that he should deal out his Judgments according to his +vain Imaginations? Verily, Friend, Thou wast under no Temptation to make +such an use of that Dispensation of his Providence; and thou mightest have +found sufficient Matter from a natural Effect (as those, for aught we know +to the contrary, certainly were) to have excited thy Readers to a sincere +Repentance, without arrogating to thyself a Knowledge to which thou hast +not the smallest Claim, or furnishing the Ungodly, in the first Line of +thy Work, with Matter of Prejudice against all that thou couldst say; +since they could plainly discover by their natural Understanding, that +without the Gift of the Holy Spirit, thou couldst not, and oughtest not to +have ascribed to a special Providence, what may be rationally explained by +the general Laws that govern Matter and Motion. These Laws are, no doubt, +in the Hands of the Almighty: and the sovereign Disposer of all Things +may, for the wise Purposes of his Providence, stop, alter, or controul +them at his Pleasure. But, because we believe and are assured, that he +hath reserved the Power to himself, must we, weak-sighted Mortals, have +the Arrogance to conclude, that, on every Occurrence, which appears in +the least singular and unusual, this special Power is exerted; and that +the Order of Nature is inverted, as often as our gloomy Imagination is +pleased to think that it ought to be so? + +We are taught from Holy Writ, that Cities and whole Nations have been +destroyed by the especial Vengeance of God for their heinous +Transgressions. But except we had been so told by an infallible Spirit, +and who could not deceive us by false Conjectures, we had no Right, nay, +it would be impious in us so much as to suspect that such Cities suffered +for their Sins by the Hands of a special Providence. _Judge not, lest ye +be judged_, is a Precept of universal Extent, and strongly inculcated by +the Founder of our Holy Religion, who in a particular Manner checked the +_Jews_, who of all Nations were the aptest to explain every Occurrence +into a special and revengeful Providence. "There were present at that +Season some, that told him of the _Galileans_, whose Blood _Pilate_ had +mingled with the Sacrifices; and _Jesus_ answering said unto them, suppose +ye, that these _Galileans_ were Sinners above all the _Galileans_, because +they suffered such things? I tell you Nay, but except you repent ye shall +all likewise perish. Or those Eighteen, upon whom the Tower in _Siloe_ +fell, and slew them, think ye that they were Sinners above all Men that +dwelt in _Jerusalem_? I tell you Nay, but except you repent, ye shall +likewise perish." _Luke_ Ch. xiii, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. + +This, Friend, is the Sense of the Son of God upon a Case almost similar to +what your Subject led you to treat of; and how different is it from the +Sense you would put upon a very natural Occurrence? How much more amiable +is the Picture he gives us of the Father in that Parable that immediately +followeth the above Verses. Verse 6, He speaks also this Parable. "A +certain Man had a Fig-tree planted in his Vineyard, and he came and sought +Fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the Dresser of his +Vineyard, behold these three Years I come seeking Fruit on this Fig-tree, +and find none; cut it down, why cumbereth it the Ground? and he answering +said unto him, Lord, let it alone this Year also, till I shall dig about +it, and dung it: And if it bear Fruit, well; and if not, then after thou +shalt cut it down." How much more amiable, I say, is the Doctrine our +Blessed Redeemer would inculcate by this short Parable, than the Idea we +conceive from explaining every natural Accident as the Manifestation of +the Wrath of an angry, incensed, and avenging God! The _Jewish_ Doctors, +like you, Friend, were willing to explain the Sufferings of the +_Galileans_ into a special Act of Divine Vengeance for their Sins; which +they certainly believed very heinous, as these People differed with them +in some religious Points; and, no doubt, might from thence take some +Occasion to preach up Repentance to the rest of the _Jewish_ Nation. But +he, who could not err, whose Knowledge was infinite, checked their +uncharitable Presumption, teaches them, that they are not to judge of the +Sins of a People by the natural Calamities that fall upon them; nor to +paint the Deity as ready on every Occasion to execute Vengeance against +Sinners. "As I live, saith the Lord, I take no Pleasure in the Death of a +Sinner, but rather that they should repent and turn from their Evil Ways." + +Now, Friend, without supposing the Shocks we felt any other than the +Result of Natural Causes, thou mightst from thence have found sufficient +Matter to have roused the most hardened Sinner from the Lethargy of Sin +and Death, by observing, that, besides the many infinite Casualties to +which Life is exposed, there are yet more terrible Accidents that may +sweep them off without a moments Warning, and plunge them into Eternity, +loaded with the Weight of their Iniquities. By supposing such Events never +to happen, but as particular instances of God's Vengeance against Sinners, +the atrocious Sinner is rather led into Despair, than Repentance. Whereas, +when we believe them the Result of a natural Cause, that may take Effect +every moment of our Lives, of which we can have no Foreknowledge, nor the +least possible Means of Prevention, a rational Creature, whose +Understanding is not intirely blinded, or whose Conscience is not +judicially seared, must be awakened to Repentance, and prepare himself for +the great Change, by _his forsaking evil Ways, and turning to the Lord his +God with all his Heart and Strength_. Thou mightest from thence have +availed thyself of all the Instances, that History, sacred and prophane, +furnishes thee with, of Cities and whole Nations, being destroyed by +dreadful Calamities, without teaching thy Flock that uncharitable +Doctrine, that such natural Disasters were the Effect of the peculiar Sins +of these unhappy People. A very dreadful Earthquake happened in _Jamaica_, +in the Year 92, that destroyed a great part of that Colony, and almost +totally ruined the City of _Port-Royal_. Another within these few years +swallowed up the greatest Part of the Capital of _Peru_; and scarce a Year +passes, but we hear of the dreadful Effects of Earthquakes in _Italy_. +Dost thou, like the Jewish Doctors above-mentioned, think, that these +People were _Sinners above all others_ that escaped that dreadful +Visitation? And yet, by supposing the two slight Shocks we have lately +felt the Effects of a special Providence, that uncharitable Doctrine is +fairly inferred; a Doctrine diametrically opposite to the Spirit of our +Holy Religion. But I have said enough to convince thee, that, in thus +explaining that Event, thou hast followed too much the Devices of worldly +Wisdom; and that thou thyself hast fallen into a greater Error than those +Philosophers, whose little Knowledge thou takest upon thee to despise. + +But thou hast not only, Friend, mistaken the proper Use of thy Text, but +in the Improvement of it thou hast left unsaid many things that ought +naturally to have occurred to thee, whether thou supposedst the Shocks to +be the Effect of a special or a general Providence. Verily, Friend, on +such an awful Occasion, I expected, that thou wouldest have enumerated, +without any palliation or disguise, the many heinous Sins, that in this +wicked Age are even a Disgrace to Human Nature, and, after such an +Enumeration, thou wouldest candidly, and without Respect of Persons, have +pointed out the real Source of all these Iniquities that overwhelm the +Land, and have directed thy Flock to the natural Means of freeing +themselves from the Thraldom of Sin and Death. But in all this verily thou +hast fallen short: For in the List of the Crimes, with which thou hast +charged the People, thou hast forgot the most atrocious, and taken notice +of the most trivial of our Transgressions, and hast missed intirely of the +true Source of our growing Impiety, and left us altogether in the dark as +to the Practical Method of _amending our ways, and turning again unto the +God of our Fore fathers_. + +The First Sin thou takest Notice of, and what, by the Order in which thou +hast placed it, and the Conclusion thou hast drawn from it, would appear +in thy Sense the Source of all our publick and private Transgressions, is +the Number of bad Books with which the Town swarms. This indeed is a +crying Sin, and much to be lamented: but, great as it is, it does not +deserve to lead the Van in a List of National Sins, capable of drawing +down the special Vengeance of the Almighty upon a whole People. Nor is its +Influence so great, as to corrupt the Morals of the Generality of the +Nation. Nine Parts in Ten never read Books of any Sort; and those, that +do, would make but a small Proficiency in Vice, if they had no other +School to learn it in, but Books and unclean Pictures. It is true, Friend, +there are a great many impious Books, and indecent Prints, publickly sold +in our Streets; and they may have their Share in debauching the Morals of +the People: but I would have thee to reflect, that there have been Periods +of Time, when that Evil was more to be complained of than at present. I +verily believe, that there are not the Hundredth Part of irreligious Books +now printed, as were in the Reign of _Charles_ II. There is so little of +the Spirit of Religion now prevailing, that the Subject, even when spoken +of in ridicule, is disagreeable to the Polite of the present Age. But when +thou wast speaking of bad Books, there is one thing thou mightest have +mentioned with as much Propriety as Part of the Sins of the Times; that +is, the Want of good Books, the only proper Antidote against the Venom of +those thou so bitterly complainest against: The Age has not only produced +fewer bad Books, than some former; but it has been likewise remarkably +deficient in producing any thing fit to improve the Morals or +Understanding of the People. And this is not owing to the want of +Encouragement for such Labours: For, bad and wicked as the Age is, I never +heard of a good Book, either of Science, Religion, or Morality, but what +met with proper Encouragement from the Publick: but a Spirit of +Lukewarmness, in Matter of Religion and Devotion, in those, who are well +paid for being its Guardians, prevails so much, that they cannot be +induced to enter the Lists with Error and Infidelity; but satisfy +themselves with exclaiming, in general Terms, against the immoral Writings +of others, without giving themselves the Trouble to impugn their Errors, +or to furnish the People with Preservatives against their mischievous +Effects. And if, at any Time, they are tempted to take up the Pen in +Defence of some favourite Doctrine, the Controversy is handled with so +little Charity or Decency, that an honest, well-meaning, Christian, throws +aside the Book, disgusted at a Spirit so unbecoming the Followers of +_Christ Jesus_. In a Word, Friend _Thomas_, I think this Laziness in +those, endued with all the Advantages of Light and Knowledge, and whose +Time ought to be chiefly employed in such Labours, to be a much greater +Grievance, and a more infallible Sign of the total Decay of the true +Spirit of Christianity, and a greater Reason for the Increase of +Infidelity and Prophaneness, than all the bad Books, obscene Prints, and +Histories of Prostitutes, that have been published for this Century past. +And to shew thee, that if good Books are compiled, there is no fear of +Encouragement even from this profligate Generation, Thou needst only +recollect, that thy _little_ Letter has brought more Money to thy +Bookseller, than all the Impressions of prophane Books, of any Kind, have +brought to the whole Trade for this Twelvemonth past. + +After that thou hast finished thy melancholy Declamation against prophane +Books and Prints, the Excess of our publick Diversions takes the next +Place in the List of deadly Sins. This is exaggerated by an Instance of +fifteen or sixteen Advertisements, even in the Holy Season of Lent; and +thou goest piously on to mention Idleness, Gaming, _&c._ These are +terrible Crimes indeed, Friend. But does not thee think, that there are +many others of a deeper Dye, and of which these are only trivial +Consequences? Yes, thou knowest there are; thou couldst not forget them, +being too glaring to have escaped thy Penetration. Yet, thou hast skipped +them over, or taken but very slight Notice of them. For thou hookest in +but one Crime more, before thou seemest to finish thy grand Charge, and to +begin thy Application. Verily, I could have wished in Charity, that thou +hadst left that one Crime out of thy List on this Occasion. The Crime, I +mean, is the Mention thou makest of the Increase of Popery. Thou art to +remember, Friend, that thou hast supposed the Almighty justy offended at +the Number and Heinousness of our National Transgressions, and that thou +art giving a List of the Transgressions, that thou thinkest capable of +drawing down upon us the special Judgments of the Divine Being. Now, canst +thou in Charity, as a Christian, think, that Popery could be numbered +amongst these deadly Sins? The Errors of that superstitious Church are +many; but God forbid, that we should imagine, that their Errors, in Point +of Faith, are such, as to merit these special Marks of the Divine Wrath. +Had that been the Case, this Island, and all Europe, must many Centuries +ago, have felt the most dreadful Effects of these Calamities. If thou +meanest in that Paragraph those, who continue obstinate in Error, in spite +of Conviction, and the Dictates of their own Conscience, thou sayest +right, and mightst have mentioned all such of every Persuasion in this +Island. But, if thou meanest the gross Body of the Catholicks, whom we are +bound in Charity to believe to act from Principle and Conviction, (and, +indeed, they must be strangely infatuated if they do not;) thou hast +verily been exceedingly to blame, to mention them on this Occasion. For +remember, that from a Principle common to all Protestants, if they act +from rational Conviction, or what appears to them as such, they are as +much entitled to the gracious Mercies of a good God, as thee, or I, is; +and, consequently, the Increase of their Tenets, however erroneous they +may appear to us, cannot, with any Colour of Justice, be reckoned amongst +the List of Sins, capable of drawing down special Judgements upon this +Land. + +The Divisions, that are amongst the Followers of _Christ Jesus_, is indeed +Part of the enormous Wickedness of this Age. These we ought to lament in +general; but its being greatly wanting to that Charity, which is the +distinguishing Badge of Christianity, to mark out any one of the several +Sects, that profess the same essential Doctrines, with such a dreadful +Distinction. But thou hast not only placed the Catholicks as the immediate +Objects of God's avenging Judgments, but thou hast represented some of +their Doctrines in a Light which they do not deserve. Thou wouldst +insinuate, that the Cordial, as thou callest it, of Absolution, is +believed by the Catholicks, to be of Effect, without a thorough and +sincere Repentance. We ought, thou knowest, Friend, ever to speak Truth: +which Truth never stands in need of the Aids of Falshood. Now, the +Catholicks, in all their Writings, lay it down, and teach it as a Tenet of +their Church, that Absolution, however solemn, or by whomsoever +pronounced, is so far from being of any Effect without Repentance, +Amendment, and Retribution, if in their Power, that the thus accepting it +is adding the heinous Sin of Sacrilege to all their other Sins. Now, by +what Means canst thou suppose, that this Cordial of Absolution, however +ineffectual thou and I may think it, could be greedily swallowed by +Persons averse to the wholesom food of Repentance, by which their +spiritual Condition might be gradually mended? If they swallow it, they +must already have digested the Food of Repentance; if they have not, they +know, as well as thee, that they have swallowed a Poison instead of a +Cordial. If thou must needs, at a Time when thou oughtest, instead of +awakening Christian Divisions, to have done all in thy Power to Unite all +its Followers in one Bond of Peace and charitable Union; if thou must +needs, I say, at such a Time, employ thy Rhetoric against the Errors of +that Church, sure thou mightst have pitched upon some one founded in +Truth, and not have mentioned as Fact a Thing so easily red-argued. At +other Times Zeal for the Cause of Truth may, tho' preposterously enough, +prompt a Man to blacken his Adversary with imaginary Crimes, in order, by +a kind of pious Fraud, to prepossess the People against the Errors in his +Doctrine and Practice. + +But on such an Occasion as this, and from so distinguished a Hand, we had +Reason to expect, Friend, that every Fact advanced should have been +literally and manifestly true. I remember an Instance known all over +_Europe_, that might have set thee right, if thou wert really ignorant of +the Nature of _Romish_ Absolution. That is, that, notwithstanding the +great Powers of that despotic King, _Lewis_ the XIVth, all his Authority +could not prevail over any one Priest in his Dominions to give him +Absolution, or administer to him the Sacrament whilst he lived in a state +of Uncleanness with Madam _Maintenon_. He was so far from resenting their +supporting an Authority, he thought them legally possessed of, that for +the faithful Discharge of their Duty, he loaded his Confessors with +Bishopricks; and at last at their Instances privately married his +Mistress; and then, and not till then, received Absolution. I, for my +part, Friend, think the Absolution pronounced by thy Church, and that by +the Church of _Rome_, or by any human Creature alive, to be vain and +useless, and the Product of spiritual Pride and Vanity. But the Spirit of +Truth, that is within me, would not permit me to pass over so gross a +Misrepresentation of Fact, without a proper Reprehension. + +This, with a very gentle Touch upon the want of a due Execution of the +Laws, (for which thou dost not forget to ask Pardon) finishes the +Bead-toll of National Sins, that are to draw down the immediate Vengeance +of the most High. Thou then proceedest to hint that a due Execution of the +Laws already in Being, and the particular Care of Masters of Families, may +bring about a Reformation, and avert those Judgments thou supposest to be +threatened by the two very terrible Shocks of an Earthquake. Strange +Chimaera, to think that Wickedness, grown to such a height as to merit the +special Notice of the Divine Being, and interwoven as it were with our +very Nature, should be rooted out by such weak Means! How amazing is it, +that a Physician should pretend to cure a complicated Malady, without once +touching at the Source of the Disorder, by slightly tickling the outwards +Parts, and leaving the Vitals to perish under a mortal Gangrene. + +Every Man's Knowledge, yea, verily, every old Woman's Knowledge, in this +Kingdom, might have picked out a Multitude of Instances, and those much +more flagrant than any thou hast mentioned, of the general Wickedness and +Depravity of the Age we live in. That was no Secret; and we needed neither +Bishop, Prophet, nor Earthquake, to remind us, that the Cup of our +Iniquity is near full, and that nothing but the superabundant Mercy and +long-suffering Patience of the Almighty, could hinder us from falling a +sacrifice to his offended Justice. For it is one of the Sins peculiar to +this Age, that we have been industrious in finding out new Species of +Wickedness, and that we never commit an old Fault, but for want of +Invention to diversify the Crime, and heighten the Relish of Iniquity by +the horrid Novelty of it; and that we are so far from pretending to act +thro' Ignorance or want of Knowledge of our Duty, that the greatest +Pleasure of our Iniquities consists in our Knowledge of their being +prohibited by God, and destructive of our future and eternal Happiness. An +universal Depravation of Manners reigns thro' all Sorts of People in this +sinful Land; and an utter Abhorrence and Detestation of every Thing, that +bears but the smallest Resemblance of Virtue and Piety, have possessed +the Hearts and Minds of this profligate Generation. The Kingdom of God is +not among the wicked Inhabitants of this Island. The Kingdom of Satan +prevails and reigns triumphant in our debauched Streets. Our Nobles +frequent anti-christian Diversions, and forget the Lord their God, and +walk every Man according to the Devices of his own Heart: While a venal +Contagion has seized the whole Body of the People, who worship Money as +their God, and have said unto Silver and Gold, ye are our Deliverers, and +our sure Help in Time of Need. There is nothing so sacred, but what they +willingly barter for filthy Lucre. Justice, Honesty, Right and Wrong, are +no longer understood in this sinful Land; but every thing is weighed in +the Scales of Gain. Their very Souls they bring to the Account of Profit +and Loss, making light of Futurity, and laughing at Hell Torments, as the +Invention of Priests and Statesmen. Whoredom, Adulteries, Fornications, +and all manner of beastly Uncleanness, are openly avowed; and he who does +not plunge himself into all the Debaucheries of the Stews, with a high and +open Hand, is looked upon as a poor narrow-spirited Creature unworthy of +the Company of Men of a noble and exalted Genius. Luxury, Drunkenness, and +Gluttony, have overspread the Tables and Dwellings of all Degrees of +People. We seek the Bowels of the Earth for Jewels to adorn us, and travel +to the most distant Quarters of the World in Quest of whatever may gratify +our vicious Appetites, and yet never think of the God, that furnishes our +unnatural Wants. Our Women are ashamed of Modesty. They deck themselves in +gorgeous Apparel, and expose half their Persons naked to allure the Eyes +of the Wicked. Murder, Robberies, and the most barefaced Perjuries, are +every Day to be met with in our Streets; even Crimes that would shock +Modesty but to mention are as common as Petty Larceny. Yet we are spared, +and the sinful Land stands a Monument of the long-suffering Patience of +the Almighty. + +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_. + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Passages in italics are indicated by _underscore_. + +Long "s" has been modernized. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Modest Remarks upon the Bishop of +London's Letter Concerning the Late Earthquakes, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BISHOP OF LONDON'S LETTER *** + +***** This file should be named 32259.txt or 32259.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/2/5/32259/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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