ufurpations, have by them been fubjected to the greatest hardships, and even perfecuted unto death; fo that these temporal antichriftian powers are drunk with the blood of thy holy martyrs.

We deeply lament this almost universal departure from the true faith of thy son's gospel, the stop that has by this means been fo long put to the propagation of christianity among jews, mahomedans, and heathens, and the prevalence which it has occafioned of infidelity and profaneness in christian countries.

But we thank thee, who, in thine own due time, wilt, we doubt not, bring light out of all darkness, and order out of all confufion, that, in feveral chriftian countries, many of these corruptions and abuses have been reformed, and that antichriftian tyranny is every where giving place to the power of truth, and the just liberties of mankind, in thinking and acting for themselves in all matters of religion.

For these great and invaluable bleffings we are, under thee, indebted to the ftrenuous labours of thy faithful fervants, who have not accounted even their lives dear unto them; but, for the love of thy truth, have renounced all worldly advantages, boldly afferting their christian liberty, and holding themselves accountable to none but thee, the fole and immediate lord of confcience, and to the great

fhepherd

fhepherd and bishop of fouls, acting by commiffion from thee, Jefus Christ.

We adore the wifdom of thy providence in bringing about the restoration of useful learning, and making it fubfervient to the reformation of thy church; so that thy fervants, having recovered the genuine, but long-forgotten sense of the scriptures, were able to discover the falfe grounds of the reigning fuperftition, and of the ecclefiaftical tyranny of their times. Grant that, by a continued and diligent study of the fame word of thy truth, we may, in due time, be led to the full difcovery of every remaining corruption of our holy religion, and be brought to receive the whole truth in the love thereof.

Haften, we intreat thee, the approach of that glorious time when, according to the faithful and true writings of thy fervants the prophets, our holy religion fhall recover its primitive purity and efficacy; when thou alone, as the only true God, a being of perfect rectitude, spotlefs purity, and effential goodness and mercy, shalt be the object of fupreme worship; when thy creatures of mankind shall have recourse to no method of rendering them felves acceptable to thee, but unfeigned repentance for their trangreffions of thy laws, and a fincere endeavour to conform to them for the future, in a course of upright intentions and worthy actions, through the whole of their lives; and when no apprehenfion

P

apprehenfion of arbitrary decrees fhall alarm the fears of the humble, or encourage the prefumption of the confident.

Difpofe all who profess the christian name to study the fcriptures of truth with unprejudiced minds; and inspire all those who attain to the truth with a iuft zeal for the propagation of it, as far as thy providence fhall give them ability and opportunity to do it. May neither the love of popular applause, of filthy lucre, or any worldly advantage; may neither the fear of man, of reproach, or of death, be a fnare to them, in this work of love; and may they daily rejoice in the teftimony of their confciences, and in the happy fruits of their pious and affiduous labours.

May all those powers of this world, which have ufurped any authority belonging to our only rightful lord and king in his church, become difpofed to relinquish their unjust claims; and may those kings and princes, who will not acknowledge the fovereignty of Jefus in his church, and especially those who obftinately oppofe the reformation of it, be utterly confounded, and, by his power, be broken in pieces like a potter's veffel. Take to thyfelf, O Lord God Almighty, thy great power, and reign; and may the gofpel of Jefus Chrift go forth conquering and to conquer. May the everlasting gofpel, in its primitive purity, be preached to all that dwell on the earth, to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. By the brightnefs of our Lord's appearance, may the man of

fin

fin be utterly confumed, that all the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdoms of our lord and of his Chrift, and may he reign for ever and

ever.

In the mean time, may we thy faithful fervants, in the patient waiting for this coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, be fearless and unwearied in afferting thy truth, be ready to lay hold of every favourable opportunity to promote it, and, more efpecially, be careful to recommend it by a fuitable life and converfation. May we diftinguifh ourselves by having the fame mind that was also in Chrift Jesus, by genuine humility, meeknefs, forbearance, brotherly love, heavenly-mindedness, and habitual chearful devotion; that when our lord shall return, and take account of his fervants, we may be found without fpot and blameless, and not be afnamed before him at his coming.

Now to thee, who alone art eternal, immortal, and invifible, the only wife, living, and true God, be glory, through Jefus Chrift, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE

CONCLUSION.

THIS publication completes the scheme which was begun in the Appeal, and continued in the Triumph of Truth; being intended to be a plain and earneft address to the common people, and especi

ally

ally to those of them who have but little money to fpare for the purchase of books, or time for the reading of them.

I am not fo little acquainted with human nature, as to expect any great fuccefs in this attempt to overturn long-eftablished errors; and leaft of all can I hope to convince those who refuse to read, or to hear (which is the cafe with too many) on whom even miracles could produce no effect; but the reftoration of christianity to its primitive purity and efficacy, after fo long and fo radical a corruption (which was foreseen and lamented by the inspired writers of the New Teftament) is fo great and fo worthy an object, that every man, who has the intereft of religion at heart, will rejoice in every op. portunity that divine providence affords him for promoting it, with respect to ever so few, or even a fingle individual of his fellow-creatures.

A zeal for the truth, and even to contend earnestly for it, does certainly well become a christian. Since, however, the inspiring of a christian spirit is the great purpose to which purity of chriftian faith is fubfervient, I hope that, with respect to myself, I have been careful not to lofe the end, while I have been contending for the means. Of th myread er may be a pretty good judge; fince that zeal which arifes from the love of truth, and of mankind, will eafily be diftinguished from that spirit which actuates those whom Paul calls the dif

puters