der as a man like yourselves, though honoured and diftinguished by God above all other men? To join habitually in public worship with trinitarians, is countenancing that worship, which you muft confider as idolatrous; and which, however innocent in them, is highly criminal in you. If they think it a point of confcience not to go to mass in popish countries, because, in their opinion, it is idolizing a piece of bread, you ought to make a point of confcience of not worshiping with them, because, in your opinion, it is idolizing a man, who is as much a creature of God as, a piece cf, bread, and just as improper an object of worship. Befides, the great offence to jews, mahometans, and the world at large, being the doctrine of the trinity, it is highly neceffary that focieties of chriftians fhould be formed exprefsly on this principle of the divine unity, that it may be evident to all the world, that there are chriftians, and focieties of chriftians, who hold the doctrine of the trinity in as much abhorrence as they themselves can do. For the converfion of jews or mahometans to chriftianity, while it is fuppofed to contain the doctrine the trinity, no perfon who knows, or has heard of jews or mahometans, can ever expect. 4 You will fay we unitarians are but few, even in large towns, and ftill fewer in villages, and there are no men of leifure or learning among us. But was not this the cafe with the primitive chriftians, and yet this circumftance was no obftruction to the forming of a christian church in any place? We read of churches in private houses. Affemble together, therefore, in the name and in the fear of God, and according to the order of the gospel, every Lord's-day, if there be no more than two or three, or even a fingle family of you in a place; read the fcriptures, and pray together. Alfo read fermons, or other works of moral inftruction, of which there is, happily, no want at this day. Baptize, and administer the lord's fupper among yourselves; and as you grow more numerous, form yourselves upon fome regular plan of church-difcipline, that it may be the means of uniting and keeping you together; and rigorously exclude all perfons whofe conduct would be a reproach to you. As to a learned miniftry, it is acknowledged to be defirable, where it can be had, but it is by no means neceffary. The graveft and most respectable perfons among you, and thofe who have the most leifure, will, in the character of elders, felect and read proper prayers and difcourfes, and perform all the offices of chriftian focieties, juft as well as the elders in the primitive churches, who had no fuch helps as you now have; and miraculous powers were not of long continuance with them. 4 If you be at prefent members of the established church, you will find a reformed liturgy ready prepared for your ufe by Mr. Lindfey. But if you fhould should prefer the mode of worship among the diffenters (but men of sense will not make much account of fuch diftinctions) you may in many authors, especially at the end of Mr. Holland's fermons, find forms of fuch prayers as you have been used to: or you may apply to diffenting minifters of your acquaintance, who will chearfully give you any affistance in their power. All these are trifling obftacles to a great design. It requires indeed a proper degree of christian zeal; but the object is worthy of it. The example has been already fet in Scotland, where it was least of all to be expected; and the fuccefs has been fuch as fhould abundantly encourage fimilar attempts in this country. The baptifts and methodists, not laying much ftress upon a learned ministry, flourish greatly; the independents are now taking the fame methods, and with the fame fuccefs; while the rational diffenters, fancying they would be disgraced by the want of a learned miniftry, are dwindling away almost every where. Whatever inconvenience may arise from mere novelty, it is foon over; and as the methodists are collecting into bodies in all places, a thing of this kind will excite much lefs furprize. But what impreffion ought the cenfure of the world to make upon those who, as chriftians, profefs to be above the world, and to rejoice that they are counted worthy to fuffer fhame in the caufe of Chrift, and to think themselves happy if they be reproached on that ac count count. You should imagine that you hear that awful voice from heaven, recorded in the book of Revelation, ch. xviii. 24. Come out of her, (i. e. myftical Babylon, the great scource of all the corruptions of christianity) my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. name. Be careful, however, to do this in the spirit of christian charity, which fhould be extended to all men, but especially to all that bear the chriftian Confider them as men who are in an error, which is always involuntary. Endeavour to remove the prejudices they unhappily lie under, but forbear all angry reproaches, all infult, and even ridicule ; for religion is a ferious thing, and brotherly love is the very effence of it.. And if this love is to be extended even to enemies, much more fhould it be indulged towards our merely mistaken friends. The author of this addrefs intirely approves of Mr. Lindley's Liturgy, or that which was ufed at the Octagon Chapel in Liverpool; and he would. recommend refponfes, especially to focieties formed in this manner, in which it is particularly defirable, that the members, being nearly on a level, should each bear his part in the fervice. But left fome, from the force of habit, should not be able to reconcile themselves to the use of a liturgy, and object to the scheme on that account, he has drawn up, and published a set of Forms for all the occafions of unitarian focieties.. THE |