made them. but the learned and the philosopher have occasion also for the helps and admonitions to the thought and reverence of God, which are furnished by a frequent periodical call to his public worship.

By this we are all happily drawn away from a too eager pursuit of worldly things, and awakened to attend to that kind invisible Being, whose goodness surrounds us continually, and to serious recollection how we may render ourselves acceptable to him. And it has been remarked, that they who are not accustomed thus to worship God in public, are seldom found to think of him in private, or to render him any homage at all.

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God is therefore publicly to be worshipped: to declare to the world our reverence, esteem, and gratitude most due to him; to keep up the knowledge of him in ourselves and others, and to cherish in our breasts that attention to him which is necessary for our present right conduct and comfort, and to qualify us for his favour hereafter.

If you neglect this duty, you go out of the world without bearing your proper testimony to him who made it, and placed you in it; you omit and lose an opportunity of thereby benefitting your fellow-creatures by your example, in a matter of the utmost consequence to them; an opportunity of serving them, for the omission of which you may have cause of most lasting regret in a future world.

Forgive me saying, that the public worship of the

benevolent Author of our beings, and Giver of all good, is a thing so reasonable and self-evident, so satisfactory, and beneficial in so many views, that I know not how to argue with one that does not acknowledge it. I do not know but it is as natural for social intelligent beings, at proper seasons, to seek to unite with each other in prayer and giving thanks to the common Creator, as to worship him alone in private. It is on these accounts perhaps, that we find no particular injunctions concerning it in the earliest times, in our sacred books; it being presumed to be a dictate of reason, God's natural light given to all, and which all would attend to according to their abilities and opportunities.

When, in process of time, one nation was to be separated from the rest, and put under a peculiar, divine protection, we find a public worship of the Crea tor appointed by an express divine command, and a particular day set apart for it every week. But Moses, and the following historians and prophets, did not think it necessary to give any accounts, except on special occasions, of their observance of this divine command, or of their public devotions on their sabbaths.

If any should object, that our Saviour never gave any special command concerning public worship, and that this implied, that it was not needful to be attended to by his followers; it should be considered, that it would have been a thing quite superfluous for him to have made any injunctions concerning it,

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when he found his countrymen remarkably punctual and exact in their observance of the divine command given them by Moses, in this respect; to which he himself also very regularly conformed.

With regard to their synagogue worship, which we are told he never failed to attend every sabbath, although we have no particular description how it was carried on at that time, there is ground to conclude that public prayer made a part of it, as well as the reading and expounding of the scriptures. This we may even gather from the narrative that Justin Martyr gives of the Christians' method of worship, on the weekly day set apart for it in his time, so near that of the apostles; which was in all probability the very method used by them, and copied from that of the Jewish synagogue; and which is not very different from that which is at present used in the church of England.

Indeed, the Holy Jesus appears to have omitted no opportunity of shewing his approbation of the public social worship of God; and his institution of his supper, as a religious ordinance, is an express appointment for it, to those who are persuaded, that it was intended to be of perpetual use to his followers.

The practice also of his apostles gives all the countenance that could be expected to the public social worship of Christians, in the short history which we have of them in the Acts, and in their epistles. St. Paul very particularly informs us, that public prayer made a part of their worship in their religious assemblies,

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assemblies, in (a) one place, where he gives directions. to the Christians of Corinth, concerning their management of the gifts of extraordinary powers, which the Almighty bestowed upon them in that first age, that of prayer in particular, to enable them, ignorant and inexperienced as they were, to carry on with effect their public worship, and the instruction of one another in the truths of the gospel. There are few facts, I confess, that seem to be better established, than that it was the mind of Christ, that his followers should unite in social religious worship. And we are not, Synesius, to be diverted from so important a duty by the abuses made of it, but endeavour to correct those abuses.

SYNESIUS.-I frankly own, replied Synesius, that you have brought together more evidence and

(a) 1 Cor. xiv. 15, 16, 17. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. Which may be thus expressed in different words. "The sum then is this. All public prayers, preaching, and divine hymns, composed by inspiration, ought to be performed in a language known, or interpreted to the congregation because otherwise, whatever petitions or thanksgivings 'any inspired man may offer up to God, the people that know nothing of the language he speaks in can never join with him in them. The man may pray very well as to himself; but the auditory is nothing the better for such prayers," PYLE.

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authority, for it being the will of the Divine Being that mankind should assemble together for his public worship, both from nature's light and revelation, than I had any notion of. And I willingly concede to you, however remiss my own practice has been, that it highly becomes us to join our fellow-creatures in such acts of homage and adoration of our common Creator, as bespeak our sense of his divine perfections, and thankfulness for his continual goodness to us, thereby to fortify these just and right sentiments towards him in ourselves, and to excite and strengthen them in others. But then, you will allow me to say, that this duty may be fulfilled, where these things are understood and declared in general terms, though you may not always approve of the particular manner of expression, or of all the modes of address to the Deity which are used. You may satisfy yourself in uniting with such worshippers, out of the general principle of doing homage to the Creator, and encouraging the same disposition in others. And I conceive, that it is on these principles, and with these views, that you may make yourself quite easy, Volusian, in continuing a member of the church of England, and joining with your friends in her worship, even if it were more exceptionable and obnoxious than you deem it to be.

Perfection, added Synesius, is not to be expected in any thing of man's composition. Where a public establishment of religion promotes piety and a good life, we should not be too nice in criticising particular parts and expressions. If there be any thing