SIR,

T

HE laft letter I received from you, acquainted me with your defign of going into holy orders, which, I hope, is not yet put in execution; and if you will be perfuaded by me, it never fhall. You may be furprised at this expreffion, especially when I tell you, that I am now from my heart ferious in it. I think verily, that hitherto, during the course of our friendship, you have never had any reason to fufpect my concern for your welfare my advice, intereft, and every fervice in my power, have always been at your command; and from what you have experienced, I affure myself that you are fully convinced, that, in all things I confult your advantage. But I must tell you, I expect no deference to my opinions, merely from that willingness and inclination I have always fhown to promote your affairs; but wholly and folely to the goodness and sufficiency of the reafons I lay before you, why I N 4 would

would not have you undertake the facred employment; which I fhall proceed, without any further ceremony, to offer to your confideration: Only if you can refute any thing which I alledge, do fo by all means. Good reafons thould of courfe give way to better; and believe me, that I have such a value for you, as earnestly to defire to have your conduct regulated by the beft.

1. In the first place then, I cannot see the abfolute neceffity of the office, as far as it relates to preaching; being of opinion, that preaching the gofpel does not confift in making fermons, or explaining texts. This is, indeed, now the chief, as well as the most gainful branch of the minifterial duty; and if a man has the happiness of a clean delivery, or a good knack, as fome people call it, he rarely fails of making his fortune in the church. But the bufinefs feems to me to be fuperfeded by the publication of the gofpels and epiftles. After these were written and difperfed abroad, the evangelists part was performed, where they were received, and fo ceased of course. To preach the gofpel in the fcriptural fenfe, is, to acquaint the world that Chrift is come, and the purpofes he came for. This affair needs not many words, is very plainly told by the writers of the New Teftament; the meaneft understandWhere this is ing may comprehend it. known,

known, enough is known. We ftand in no want of fuch a number of preachers, lecturers, &c. The divine anthors are either plain and perfpicuous, or not. If they are not fo, to what end were they written? If they are, to what purpose fuch multitudes of licensed interpreters? Here is no need of you.-We are already stocked with persons enough, whose only business it is to tell us the fame thing over and over again. It would be better if it were not done with such great uncertainty and variation. — In short, 'tis juft as one fays, "As if a husbandman "fhould once tell his fervants what they are to "do, when to fow, when to reap; and after"wards one should come and tell them, twice or "thrice a day, what they know already.-You "muft fow your wheat in October.-You must "resp your wheat in Auguft."

2. But should I, in the next place, allow that the office may perhaps be of fome fervice to mankind, efpecially to the illiterate and fuch as cannot read. Nevertheless, as the negligence of the ordainers is fuch, and their enquiries into the qualifications of the young perfons they fuffer to be admitted into the miniftry, fo trivial and very fuperficial; I am much afraid it may appear to have more bad than good confequences.What raw, indigefted ftuff have I not heard from pulpits? What abfurd expreffion! Quaint metaphor! and monftrous violation of the fa

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