speciAL coLLecxriONS t)OUQLAS LibRAKy queew's uNiveusiiy AT klNQSHON kiNQSTON ONTARIO CANADA REFORM OR RUIN: 'The Second Edition, PRICE ONE SHILLING. REFORM OR RUIN: TAKE YOUR CHOICE! IN WHICH C!)e Coutiuft of tlje l^ing, • THE PARLIAIMENT;* THE MINlSTRTy THE OPPOSITION, THE NOBILITT AND GENTRT, THE BISHOPS AND CLERGY, l^c. l^c. i5\. IS CONSIDERED : AKD THAT REFORM POINTED OUT, \\ H 1 C H :iLONE CAW SAVE THE COVKTRY! ^ ' THE Sl'.CON'D EDiriON. PRINTED FOR J. HATCHARD, -(from mr.paynf/s, the king's mew's gaje,) NO. 173, OPPOSITE BURLINGTON' HQl'^f , PICCADILLY. 1797- «/l . Hi 7, Sw^ *>^ REFORM OR RUIN: JAKE TOUR CHOICE! TT AM a freeborn Briton, and an independent •^ man : I have no Place nor Penlion ; never was at Court J nor ever intend to go there. I know neither the Minifters, nor thofe who oppofe them. I have a right to think and fpeak for myfeli, and will do fo ; and I call upon all true Britons to hear what I have to lay, and then judge for themfelves. This Country has often been in great danger, but never in greater than now. Thoufands of our Countrymen have perilhed by the Sword, and fiill more by Difeafe. Millions and millions of Money have been fpent. Even our Public Credit, of which we B boafted [ ^ ] boafted fo much, has been fliaken. Stock? never were lower. Our Debt never was fo great. Our, Tars, of w^hom we were fo proud, havft made our hearts ake — And fo have our Fellow Subjedls m Ireland. I allow we have had great Succefs. We have taken many fine Iflands and Colonies from our Enemies. We have beat their Fleets, whenever we could find them ; and taken or deftroyed half their Navy. And what is very remarkable, fcarce a Ship of War of ours has been taken ; and not one foot of BritiJJi Land has been lojl^ in any part of the World ! I admit, alfo, that our Enemies are more diftrelfcd than we are. That the French are the mofl wretched People under the Sun. Their Kix-ig, their Queen, and all the Royal Family, have either been put to death, or driven into foreign Countries ; and fo have their Nobility, and the greateft and bell part of their Clergy. A vaft number of perfons of all ranks. Men, Women, and Children, have been beheaded, fiiot, diowoed, ibbh^(]^ and poifoned. Many t 3 ] Kave fled, and dare not return ; and of tliofe who remain, a great part have loft their Property, and all the comforts and conveniences of Life, Religion, Law, Order, and good Governmentj ieem at an end amongft them. In Spain, the cafe is not much better. Being divided into two Parties, one betrayed the other to the French, who compelled them to declare War againft us ; and the confequence is, they 'have been beat moft dreadfully, and, if they, dare, would cut the throats of all the Frenchmei^ 'in their Country. The Dutch are ftill worle off. Their Trad(? fis deftroyed ; their Coloni£s are in our hands ; the French have drained them of their Money, •their Goods, and almoft ever)" thing they had, iA.nd by French Troops placed in all their ftrong Towns, they are forced to fit out Ships to fight fegainft us, when they had rather by half fight for us. But what are we the better for all this ? In fpite of the dreadful things that have happened to our Enemies ^ in fpite of all the Conquefts ws B 2 have [ 4 ] have made, and the Ships we have taken ; wha* is our State at this hour ? We are threatened with Invafions and Infurredions ; we are loaded with Debts and Taxes ; we are divided and weakened by Parties ; we are funk in Gloom and Defpair. And yet, that French Fleet which was intended to invade us, was difperled, and the objed of the Expedition completely de- feated ; a Body of Troops, which adually land- ed, were inilantly taken prifoners. The Adts paffed againfl Seditious Meetings, feemcd to fupprefs them. The Merchants and Traders fupported our tottering Credit. A plentiful Harveft put an end to a want of Corn, which came very near to a Famine. And let any man- travel from one end of the liland to the other,^ with his eyes open and hi^ ears fliut, and he will fee ev^ry mark of Plenty and Profperity ; every- Village flourifliing and improving; and every Field in a better ftate, and producing more thaa it ever did before. But let him take the fame journey with his eyes fhut and his ears open, and he will hear many perfons talk of nothing but Grievances and Oppreffions, War and Ruin, [ 5 ] Now what is the meaning of all this ? — Ho\y comes it to pals, after all our vvonderful Efcapes, after all our glorious Victories ; in the midft of fo much Plenty and Teeming Profperity ; that we not only think ourlelves upon the brink of Ruin, but perhaps really are fo ? The anfwer is plain and fliort — JVe are not reformed. A tho^ rough Reform would fet all right, and reftore us to Peace and Happinefs. But what is that Re- form which will do this great good ? To anfwer this queflion is my object in writing. — Some think, a Reform in Parliament will alone be fuf. ficient j and that Reform to confifl only in the Members being chofen in a different manner.— ^ Some are for lefTcnlng the Power of the Crown. — Some for abolifliing Ty thes — Some for making an immediate Peace with France — Some (though they have not courage to fpeak out) are for efta' blilliing a Republic on the French plan. All thefe, except the lafl, are paltry, partial Reforms, which can do little good, and may do much mifchief. If every man in the Kingdom had a Vote for a Member of Parliament, what would B3 be f 6 ] be the confequence ? — Why each Member iwuld be chofen by a Mob. And whom would a Mob choofe ? — Why the man that made the ioudefl Speech, and the largeft Promifes. And who would this be ? — Why he, that, having neither Property nor Charafter to lofe, was ready to fay any thing, in order to get into the Houfe, in hopes of being paid for breaking every Promife he had made. As to leflening the Power of the Crown, we have tried that already, and therefore can judge what the efFedt would be. Every body knows, that no Man can govern Ten Millions of People, without fome Power. And if he has not lawful Power enough to govern them by; either he won't be able to govern them at all, and then there can be nothing but Confufion and Mifchief; or elfe he mufb govern them by unlawful Means, And I appeal to any Man of common fenfe, whe- ther it is not better, that a King fhould govern according to fixed and fettled Laws, which are known to all the Nation -, than by undue Influ- ence, Bribery, Corruption, and the Hke. But [ 7 ] But fay fome — Reform the Church, and abo- li(h Tithes. I hope to fliew prefently how the Church ought to be reformed ; in the mean time I will only fay, that, unlefs it be reformed, and fpeedily too, it is all over with us. But as to abolifhing Tithes, I fear that won't anfwer; for I truft not in Wrong and Robbery, Befides, re- member what the Devonihire Farmer faid at the Meeting : He aiked, who were to have the Tithes when they were taken from the Parfons ; and being told they would be the Landlord's ; then, faid he " I had rather they fliould hide as they be ; for I can always deal better with the Parfon, than [ can with my Landlord." As for a Republic on the French plan, we may excufe thofe who wilh for it, if they are rather lliy on the fubjed: ; becaufe, if they were not, they might be in danger of a rope. For my part, I really do not wilh for it : Firft, Becaufe (as I faid before) I have no faith in Wrong and Robbery ; and a King has as good a right to his Crown, as 1 have to my Cottage : B4 S^ r s ] Secondly, The People here dont feem to like a Republic : Thirdly, I never yet read of a Republic that 1 fliould Hke to live under : And Fourthly, One may buy gold too dear. It was faid the French Revolution would make the French Nation fi"ee and happy : But it has now gone on for fcven or eight years, and pro- duced Confulion, OppreiTion, Cruelty, Poverty, all lorts of Mifchief and Wickednefs, and no good whatever. And if we are all to have our throats cut, that our Grandchildren may be free and happy i I think that is buying gold too dear. I trufi I have now fhewn that none of the above Plans will anfwer our purpofe : Let us, then, try to find one that will. But, (that I may not be taken for a Quack Dodor) before I pre- fcribe the Curey let me try to find out the Caufcy of our prefent unhappy flate. And in order fo to do, let us take a fhort view of all Ranks of People in this Ifland ; and let us begin with the highefl. Of the King, if I knew ever fo many bad things, I fhould be cautious how I mentioned them 3 [ 9 ] them ; becaufe I have no incHnation to be hanged or tranfported. But, in truth, I know no harm of him. His private Life every body fays is good — And, I think, his pubhc Condu6t has been good alio. He has been guilty of no Cruelty or Oppreflion, that I know of. In the courfe of his long Reign, our Liberty has been jncreafed and fecured. He has encouraged Arts and Manufa6tures, and promoted learned and ingenious Men. So that I believe we may fairly call him one of our very beft Kings, Having no more defire to fee the infide of Newgate than to try the air of Botany Bay, I (hall be cautious in what I have to lay about the Par- liament. It has pafled many good Laws : And though there have been feme ftrong ones of late, I am afraid the Times required them, and that our Conftitution could not have been preferved without fuch. I will, however, beg leave to aik two or three fliort queftions ; — and let thofe whom the cap fits, v.'ear it : When [ lo ] AVhen the Law forbids Bribery, can it be "right to bribe ? When a Man undertakes to a6l for others, can it be right to neglect his Truft ? When afting for others, ought we to confider ^Jieir intereft or our own ? As for the Minillry, I allow that they con- duded Affairs very well, till the War began : — I allow, too, that we have had great Succefles. But yet I am not convinced that things might not have b:en managed better, a id at lefs Expenfe. I (liould, however, be more ready to blame Miniflers, if I were not fully convinced that they have been prevented doing their befl by the Oppofition. And now my patience begins to fail me ; — for what can be more provoking to any Man who really loves his Country, than to fee Men pretending to love their Country and to wifli to fave it, and yet — inftead of doing all in -their power to help things forward — doing all in their power to hinder every meafure propofed^ and at laft quitting their PoRs, at the very mo- ment when (as they themfelves allow) the Coun- [ " ] try is in the utmoft danger poiTible ? — And let any Man read the Speeches, which have been put into the Papers as thole of the heads of the Oppofition ; and confider the conducl: of the Iriih, the Seamen, &:c.; and then fay, whether thofe Speeches did not occafion much of the Mifchief which has happened ? Look at the conduct of the Nobihty, and Gentry in general (including the Officers of the Army and Na\7, and the higher clalTes of Law, Phyfic, and Commerce). Thank God ! you will find among them fome excellent people ; and in general they are willing to affift the Poor, and not to opprefs them. But do not Luxur}^, Corrup- tion, Adultery, Gaming, Pride, Vanity, Idle- nefs, Extravagance, and Diffipation, prevail top generally ? Or, are they diligently employed, as they ougiit to be, either in the fervice of their King and Country, or in regulating their ov/n Families and their Neighbours, in thofe places where their property lies .? Of the Billiops and Clergy, I ihould .be very forry to fay any thing that migb.t lelicn them in the t 12 I the eyes of the Nation -, for if we arc to be prc- ierved, it muft be by their means. The Bifliops are in general learned and good Men ; and much are we indebted to the King, for fettingfuch at the head of the Church. They take more pains, and have more work to do, than is commonly fuppofed. Yet if St. Paul were among them, I think he would work harder than any of them, and adopt fome flronger meafures to bring back to their duty, fuch Cler- gymen as have deferted it : For, (forry I am to fay it) though you will find many among the lower Clergy who do their Duty, and take care of their Flocks ; you will find too many, alfo, who jiegledl both, and fpend their time in Public Places s in Dancing, or Card Playing ; or dang- ling at Court, or elfewhere, in hopes of prefer- ment.— If fuch believe in a Day of Reckoning ; I can only fay, they have a fort of Courage which I have not. Among the Lawyers, Merchants, Traders^ Farmers, and others engaged in Bufinefs ; we find many lioneft, generous, and charitable men j and [ '3 ] and many diftioneft, profligate, or covetous ch$« raclers. But do we not find almofl all of them, as much engrofied by worldly Bufmefs* or Cares, or Amufements, as if they were to live here for ever ? Laftly, look at the Lower ClajQes : — And, though (after due allowance for their little m- flruction and few advantages) they are, perhaps, lefs guilty, than thofe of higher Rank; yet, Ar^ they as honed, fober, and, induftrious, as they ought to be ? Are they ready to obey thofe who have a right to command therci ? Do thev fpend all they earn in feeding and clothing themfelve* and their Wives and Families ? and do they eara aU they can ? Are the Sundays fpent at Church, or at the Alehoufe ? — abroad, in bad Company, or at home, with their Families ? Do they in^ flrud their Children themfelves ; or accept, with hearty thanks, thofe inftruclions which are provi- ded for them by the bounty of their neighbours ^ Having now turned our eyes on the vaiioas Ciafles of which this Nation is compofed; can we be at a lofs to know what that Reform is, which our cafe requires ? — furely, No. It is as plain. r H ] phin, as plain can be, that the Reform we waftt^ and the only Reform which can fave us, (but which certainly will fave us, if adopted in time) is A Thorough Reform of Principles AND Practices, among all PvANks of* |*E0PLE throughout THE KiNGDOM ! Let the King and Queen continue to fct ah example of Piety, P^egularity, Sobriety, and conjugal Fidelity, to their Children, their Ser- vants, and all their Subjefts. Let them drive from their Councils, and their Court, all Adulte- rers and Adultereffes ; all Gamblers ; all, in fhort, whofe Characters are notorioufly bad^ of either jScx, and of every Rank. Let them avoid even innocent Amufements, . if liable to produce Immorality among others > *'«^'hich, alas ! is too often the cafe. *' Oh hard condition, twin-born with Greatnefs ! *' What infinite Heart's-eafe muft Kinge negled, " That private Men enjoy 1" ^c.uJ pan. tajcemy Sunday evening's walk, chaj: fvlthmy Neighbours, and view the beauties of j.^l^tu^ei gad no.lwni done. Byt if my graciouj^ * SoveT t '5 ] Sovereign could fee but a fmall part of the C011+ fufion, Idlenefs, Drunkennefs, Dif-regard of the Sabbith, and other incalculable ill effefts, which are produced, not only in Windfof, Eton, and the whole Neighbourhood, but even in his Capital itfelf, b)'- his merely appearing on Wind for Terrace ; how gladly would he give up for the good of his People, that heart-felt Satis- faction, which he has fo often felt, from-— " Reading his Pliftory in a Nation's Eyes {'* Let every Member of Parliament, whethcf Peer or Commoner, refled on the awful Truft committed to his care, and attend diligently to the execution of it. Not merely when a poli- tical difpute arifes, but conilantly and uniformly Let no Av5t receive its fiat, without a flricl fcru- tiny into its Merits. Let them revife, curtail, and methodife the whole code of Statute Law j whofe bulk and confufion is fuch, that I fear w& may almoll iay " Mole ruit fua!'* If but a fmall part of that time, and thofc talents, which are wafled in long-winded ha- rangues, aud bitter difputations, were thus ap- plied ^ t i6 1 pried ; our Laws would acquire clearnefs, preci* fion, and vigour. The number, the length, and theexpenfeofour Suits, would no more be the reproach of our Nation. Imagination itfelf can hardly embrace the variety and the magnitude of the national Benefits, which would be thereby produced. "Let thofe, to whom the Adminiflration of the Executive Government is committed, learn by dear-bought and fatal experience, that their own Arm cannot fave them ; and that human Laws and human Power can avail nothing, without found Principles and pure Morals ; and let them therefore, without delay, bend the whole force of their talents to the Reformation of thefe. As for thole, who, from motives of perfonal Ambition, Advancement, or Gain ; from private Pique, or party Prejudice, or any other fmlfler defign ; are ready to facrifice the public good, to their private views ; it is vain to wafte words on them, — their Confciences muft be feared with a hot iron. To thofe, on whom Providence has beflow^ed Rank, or Honour, or Wealth, or any other ufe- [ '7 ] uleful Talent ; and who have not quite forgot, who is the Giver of ail good Gifts ; I next ad- drefs myfelf : earneilly entreating tliem to with- draw their minds, for one moment, from all other purfuits ; and to confidcr their own fituation, and that of their Country and of the furround- ing Nations. Where are now the Rank, the Honours, and the Wealth, of France, of Flan- ders, of Holland, and of Italy ? And where muft thofe of Britain fhortly be ; if their poi- feflbrs will neither take warning from the fate of others, nor from the Judgments of Heaven, juft ready to fall on their own heads ? It is yet in their power to fave their Countr)', and their own Souls ; but not a moment muft be loft. Let them inftantly quit the Dice Box, the Turf, and the Tavern ; every wicked, and every trilling employment ; and repair each to his proper Station. Let them reform, firft Themfelves, their Expenfes, their Wives and Children, their Servants and Dependents ; and then exert all their influence, as Landlords, as Magiftrates, as Friends, and as Neighbours ; encouraging and protecting the fober and induftrious ; difcourag- •[ i8 ] jng and punifhing, with Candour, but with Vigour, the lawlefs and profligate. Few of thofe, to whom I am now fpeaking, are aware how much mlfchicf they occafion, merely by being in a zvrong Place ; or how much good they miift do, if they would on'y ftay where their lot has fallen. It was the obfervation of a man of much good fenfe and experience, — " That, if every Gentleman would refide on his Eftate, and every Clergyman on his Living, we fliould need no other Reformation." Let thofe, then, who fly to Towns and Cities, to public Plaices, or foreign Countries, in fearch of paltry amufe- ments; or under a falfe pretext, or at beft a mif- taken notion, of repairing their fliattcrcd for* tunes ; no longer think themfelves guilt lefs. — Numbcrlefs are the ways in which their Country is injured by their abfence : If refident at their Family Seats, their Example, their Influenc'&j their Fortune, — every Talent they poffefs, dif- penfes Blefiings on all around them. In any other -place, they almoft unavoidably do'Mif- chief, by adding to the number of thofe, whom the Vices of Cities inevit^vbly corrupt. But [ 19 ] But it purer motives cannot prevail, let Prid«3 plead the caufe of Patriotifm. It has been often faid, that an Engliih Country- Gentleman is the Firft Charader in the World : — ^and truly, when we view him feated in the Manfion of his An- ceftors ; furroundcd by his Family, his Rela- tions, his Servants, his Workmen, his Tenants, and his Neighbours ; all, in their due proportion, partaking of his Hofpitahty and Benevolence !— where (hall we find a more enviable obje6t ? But merely lliift the fcene, and place him in a dirty Lodging, in one of the long and gloomy ftreets of the Metropolis: — where now are his Honours, his Influence, his Refpedtability ? — All vaniihed and gone ! He becomes at once a mere Cypher, without ufe or value : his next neighbour knows him not : and that Income, which before pro- cured him and others ^o much folid and fub- ftantial Comfort, will barely fupply what are deemed the neceflary Ornaments and Amufe- ments of Life. Meantime, his Servants are tainted with the Vices of the Town ; and it is well if the Morals, even of his Wife and Daugh- ters, are preferved uninjured : — their Health cer- C 2 taiiily [ io ] tainly is not. Then the Sea is ordered : a paltry- lodging at Brighton fucceeds a paltry lodging in London ; his Manfion-houfe is deferted in Sum- mer as well as Winter : habits of Indolence are acquired — perhaps, habits of a worfe kind, if worfe can be : and he (who was the Support and Ornament of a confiderable Diilrid ; the fond Parent ; the indulgent Landlord ; the hofpitable Neighbour ; the liberal Benefador -, the refpeft- cd Magiftrate j) finks into ufelefs Infignificance and Contempt 1 Abandoned by their Owners, our Villages might Hill have fome hope left, if they were not alfo abandoned by their Pallors j — by thofd, whofe boiinden. Duty It is to take care of them ;. and whofe breach of duty has this aggravation, that not by Defcent (as in the former cafe), but hy their own folemn Acceptance, this duty attaches. Far be it from me to fpeak difrefped- fully of the Clergy : I reverence their facred Office : I look up to them, as the mofl pious, the mofl learned, and the mofl ufeful Clafs o£ all* As Individuals, they mufl: of courfe vary -, and while ;foi?ie are ably and diligently perform- ing [ " ] ing their duty, others alas ! notorioufly neglect their's. It has too long been the falfe and fhallow poi licy of irreligious and worldly-minded Minifters, to deprive the Clergy of the exercife of thofe Rights, which they received not from Man ; and which Man, therefore, cannot take from them. Itfeems almoft forgotten, inthefe days of novel- ty, when every thing ancient and venerable is defpifed; that Chriftians are a regular Society, formed by Christ himfelf, under Rulers and Officers appointed by him, with authority to ap- point others to fucceed them — and thus our prefent Bifliops and Clergy derive their Authority by regular Succeflion from Him to whom all Power was given, and who, if he had feen fit, could have invefted them with temporal Authority alfo : but this he did not j— on the contrary, He and His Apoflles every where, in the mofl explicit terms, enjoin all Chriflians to fubmit like others to their lawful Governors. In Tem- poral Matters, therefore, our Bifliops and Clergy poffefs only fuch Powers as are given them by the Laws of this Land : but, in all Spiritual Con- C 3 cerns. t " ] cerns, tkey derive their Authority from Hm by whom Kings reign, and are bound to exert it for the benefit of that body over whom they arc appointed. With all poflible deference, I fubmit it to the confideration of our Governors, both in Church and State, whether any Society can long flourifh, or even exift, Vvithout Regulation and Reform ? and whether the Church of England can form an exception to ihis rule ? I earneftly entreat them to confider the prefent flate of Religion and Morals in this Kingdom — To confider how im^ poflible it is for human Laivs to coerce a people, who have lofl all fenfe of the Divine Lazv ; who are no longer reftrained by the dictates of Con- fcience ; and who, confequently, abftain from no Crimes, but fuch as are prohibited by the Law of the Land,— and from thofe, only when the danger of Punifhment is fo apparent, as to over- come the force of corrupt PafTions and pam- pered Appetites ! Whatever may be the refult of fuch an inG[uiry, it furely mull be admitted, that the enforcing the Kefidence of our Parochial Clergy is indifpenfabiy requifite j and that the times [ ^3 ] times call for uncommon exertion in all j efpecially in thofe, who have the care of our Principles and our Morals. Never did the Powers of Darknefs exert themfelves more, or with more fuccefs. — Do other Powers exert themfelves as m.uch to counteract them ? Treafon, Sedition, and Mu- tiny, have appeared ; and new Laws have been made to prevent their growth ^ and we all feel^ and moft of us achiozvledge, that this was right and fit. But do not Adultery, Gaming, Sabbath- Breaking, Negled: of Public Worfliip, and above all, Lukewarmnefs and Indifference about Reli- gion itfelf, prevail, to a degree unknown in any former age ? — to a degree, which feems to por- tend the eradicating Chriflianity in this quar- ter of the World ? And where are the Laws againft thefe ? Shall I be told that there are fuch already in our Statute Books ? The fame was faid as to the Laws againft Treafon and Se- dition ; but by whom was it faid } Was it by thofe, who wilhed to prevent fuch crimes ? — or thofe, who, by their Writings and Speeches, had encouraged them ? C 4 In t 24 ] In the Name, therefore, of that God who made us ; of that Saviour, who died to re- deem usi and of that Blessed Spirit, who is ever ready to affift our weak but fincere En- deavours; I call on every Bifliop, Prieft, and Deacon, who has devoted himfelf to the fervice of God in the Church of England j to lay afide every Avocation, and inftantly to exert his utmoft Powers, in the prefervation of our holy Religon. — So fhall he fave many Souls from Death, and hide a multitude of Sins. If any Lawyers, Merchants, or others en- gaged in worldly Bufmefs, can fpare time and thought for one ferious Refledlion, let that refleftion be — How their Account willjland at the Day of 'Judgment ? — how they will then anf- wer, for having joined " Night to Day, and Sunday to the Week ;" in adding fhilling to fhilling, and guinea to guinea : inftead of purfu- ing their lawful calUng in a lawful manner", and devoting to the fervice of God, that portion of their time and thoughts zvhich he claims ; and which Claim (if they have a jufl fenfe, either of their temporal or eternal intereft) they will never more refift. [ ^-s J I now wifh to addrels myklf to all the Inha- bitants of this Illand, but chiefly to thofe of the Lower Clafs, as it is called : — to thofe, who have neither Rank or Riches, but muft earn their daily Bread by their daily Labour. You, my FeIlow-Ccuntr}'men, whether you know it or not, have Souls to be faved ; and muft live for ever in another World ; and be there re- v/arded or punifhed, as you have behaved well or ill in this life. Even here, if you behave ill, you will fuffer for it , and if you behave well, God and good Men will aflift you. If you are idle, do you not want Bread } If you are drunken, do not your V/ives and Children fuffer } If you are difhoneft, do you not lofe your Chara and prevent the deftruftion of our Nation. Blefs thy Servant our King, with long Life and Peace. Give true Wifdom to all thofe who have any fhare in the Government of our Country ; that they may fee and know, that neither our own Arm, nor our own Devices can fave us ; and may learn to look up to Thee, O God of Hofls, for Thine almighty Aid. Give a double portion of thy Spirit, to the Bifhops and Paftors of thy Church ; that they may devote themfelves entirely to thy Service; boldly rebuke Vice ; and by their Diligence and Zeal, by the Soundnefs of their Dodlrine and Holinefs of their Lives ; may turn the Hearts of this Nation, from the Lufts of the Flefh, the 'Vanities of Life, and the defire of earthly Gain, to the Knowledge and Love of Thee and of the Gofpel of thy Son. Grant that thofe, to whom thou hafl com- •mitted Wealth, or Power, or Learning, or any ufefu! Talents ; may ever remember from whom they received them, and employ them for the ^ood [ 35 1 good of all ; that fo they may give in their ac- count with joy at the lall Day. And, finally, we befeech -Thee, to make us humble and peaceable, fober and diligent, juft and merciful ; pious towards Thee our God ; loyal to our King, obedient to our Governors, refpecl- fuj to our Superiors, and kind and affectionate to all Men : That, being protected by thy Almighty Power; we may pafs our time here in Peace and Comfort ; and be made partakers hereafter, of eternal Happinels ; through the Merits and Interceffion of our bleffed Lord and Saviour Jefus: Chrift — And let every true Briton fay, 4MEN P : I'OST- POSTSCRIPT. Should any one, who has a (hare in the Legiflature or Government of this Land, perufe thefe Pages ; let him reflect ferioufly how he can anfwer to God and his Country, for fitting tame- ly by, without attempting to reprefs thofe grofs Crimes, which, if fufFered to continue, mufl bring us to Deftrudlion. If he wants Rejolutmiy he is unfit for his Station. Let him no longer fear the Scoffs of a few impious Wretches ; but uniting with other ferious and adlive Men ; and avoiding all Heat and Enthufiafm on the one hand, and all Lukewarmnefs and Timidity on the other ; let them confider what are the reign- ing Vices, and at leafl attempt to check them. Adultery rages : — and, whilft our Law gives large Damages to the injured Man, no Atone- r 37 ] ment whatever is made to our injured God * — ' nay, both He, and liis Law, are infulted : for the Adulterer aud Adulterefs are let go free, and arc €ven allowed to enter into unholy Wedlock. By the Jewilli Law (which was the Law of God), they were both to die. Under the pure Chriflian Difpenfation, fliall they not only efcape, but be put on a level with the Virtuous? Surely the Woman, at leaft, ought to be marked with lome perfonal Lafamy ; and in no cafe be permitted tq marry again. Gaming, thougli not perhaps {o direct an Infult to God, is no lefs pernicious in its effects. — It feems to defy the cxifting Laws, and therefore calls for new ones. " Becaufc of Swearing, the Land mourneth.'" - — *' Swear not at all." — " Above all things, my Brethren, fwear not." — Such are the flrong ex- preflions of our Sacred Code. How then can we hope to be excufcd or pardoned, when we mul- tiply Oaths by every new Law, till they are be- come almoft Words of Courfe ; and have loft all that Reverence which ^\"as formerly annexed to [ 38 ] them; and without which, they can only in- (creafe our Condemnation. A Cuftom-houfe Oath is already proverbiat^ and a Tax; Oath is in great danger of becoming {b. Were no Oath adminiftered, but in a pubhc Court, by the Judge himfelf, and with the utmoft pofiible folemnity ; it would imprefs both the Witncfs and the Audience with a juft fenfe of its awful nature. In all other cafes, the figning q. Peclaration of the truth of the evidence given, and the juftnefs of the Punilhment to be incurred if it prove falfe ; would be far more decent, and at lead as efFediual, as the Oath now adminiftered^ ** Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it.' HOLY." — " In it thou (halt not do any Work { Thou nor thy Son, nor thy Daughter, thy Man fervant, nor thy Maid fervant, nor thy Cattle."* -^^^ Whofoever doth any Work on the Sabbath day, he (hall furely be put to Death" — Such is. God^s Law. But what is our Pra£lice f Look at our Streets and Roads ; and fee them crowded, not merely with the Carriages of the Great, but., with Stages full of Travellers, and Wag2;or|§ [ 39 ] leaded with Goods, Surely when we are dit- treffed for new Taxes, a heavy Sunday Toll might be laid throughout the Ifland ; to check at leaft, if we will not prohibit, the grofs pro- fanation of the Lord's Day, that fertile fourceof Immorality. And if no Public Houfes, except Inns on great Roads, w^ere fufFered to be open on Sundays, it would prevent fome Murders, many Robberies, and infinite Mifchie£ IF any Perfon fiiould be inchned to think the prefent ftate of Things in this Country not fucli as to warrant the Anxiety and Alarm exprefled in the preceding Pages : let him read attentively the following Extrads from the Writings of two of the ablcft and bed men of our Age ; and, having fo done, let him confider the Events which have fince happened, and the Alteration which has fince taken place in our National Principles and Morals; and then fiiy— What iheir Sentiments would «oze; be ? « Scldoca. t 40 ] ^' Seldom any State is ruined, but there afd> evident Signals and Prefages of it. In general, without the Spirit of Prophecy, it is no difficult matter to percieve when Cities and Kingdoms are tending towards their final Period and Diflblution. There are as certain Tokens ^nd Symptoms of a Confumption and De- cay in the Body Politic, as in the Body Natural. I would not prefage ill to my Country ; but, when we confider the many^ heinous and prefumptuous Sins of this Nation ; the Licentioufnefs, and Violation of all Order g,nd Difcipline , the daring infolence of Robbers and Smugglers, in open defiance of all Law and Juftice ; the Fadtions and Divifions ; the Vena- lity and Corruption ; the Avarice and Profufion of all Ranks and Degrees among us ; the total want of Public Spirit, and ardent paffion for pri- vate ends and interefts ; the Luxury and Gaming. and DiiTolutenefs in hi2;h Life, and the Lazi- nefs and Drunkennefs and Debauchery in low Life ; and above all, that barefaced ridicule of all Virtue and Decency; and that fcandalous- Negled, and I wi(h I could not fay Contempt of. [ 41 J all public Worfhip and Religion : — When we confider thefe things, thefe Signs of the Times, the ftouteft and mod fanguine of us all muft tremble at the natural and probable confequences of them. God give us Grace, that v.e may- know, at lea ft y in this our day^ the things which belong unto our Peace, before they are hid from our eyes. Never may fuch blindnefs happen to us as befell the Jews ; but may w^feek the Lord witik he may he founds and call upon him while Jit is near y and return unto the Lord,- and he zvill have mercy -upon us, and to our God, for he zvill abundantly pardon^ — Bijkop Newton, on the Pr-o- phecies. Vol. IL p. 239. " If you behold a Nation diftinguifhed by Irreligion and Contempt of Things Sacred ; by Licentioufnefs, P'aftion, Luxury, Diflipation, and Effeminacy ; be aflured that, without a Reformation, and a return to firft principles, the Conqueft of that Nation by fome other is be- coming more and more feafible eveiy dayi the fame Vices, which provoke Divine Vengeance, preparing the way for its execution. Suck [ A^ ] were the charadteriftics of the ancient People of God, in the times preceding their feveral capti- vities. Such was the cafe, when the old Affy- rian Empire periilied with Sardanapalus ; when Babylon was furprized by Cyrus ; when Darius was overthrown by Alexander s when Greece fell under the dominion of the Romans ; when thefe Lift were overwhelmed by the Northern Nations, and when Conftantinople was taken by the Turks. Every man, who has the prof- perity of his Country at hearty fliould very feri- oufly confider, how far thefe Tokens are to be found upon ourfelves ; and what can be done to prevent the farther fpreading of the Infection ;l and to eradicate the feeds of the Diforder." Bijho^ Home's Sixteen Sermons, page i62< THE END. 3^ /;/ a few Days will he Puhlijhed, Price Three Pence ^ Or 2s. dd. per Dozen, to thofe who buy a "Number to d'ljiribute, REFORM OR RUIN; ABRIDGED. IN WHICH Every Man may learn the true State of Thingi at this Time ; AND What that Reform is. Which alone can Save the Country,