<^, ■ ^ A^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I 11.25 |3o ^B iiii ■^ 1^ 12.2 ^144 i— lit 1.4 1^ i 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WiST MAIN STREET vfi5TE«,N.Y. 145B0 (716) 872-4903 ^d^^^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Tochnical and Bibiiographic Notas/Notas tachniquaa at bibliographiquaa Tha Inatituta has attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of this copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha reproduction, or which may significantly changa tha usual mathod of filming, ara chackad balow. n D D n n □ Colourad covars/ Couvartura da coulaur Covars damagad/ Couvartura andommag^a Covars rastorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura rastaur6a at/ou palliculia Cover titia missing/ Le titre da couvartura manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couieur □ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couieur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ D Planches et/ou illustrations en couieur Bound with other material/ Relit avac d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or dis*'>rtion along interior margin/ La re iiure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de 'a distortion le long de la marge inttrieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaiites pages blanches ajoutias lors d'une restauration apparaissant dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas M fiimtas. Additional comments:/ Commentairos suppltmentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ la mailleur exemplaira qu'il lui a 6tA possible de se procurer. Les details da cet exemplaira qui sont peut Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographiqua, qui peuvent modifier une image raproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mAthode normala de filmage sont indiquAs ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ D Pages de couieur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagies Pages restored and/oi Pages restauries et/ou pellicultes Pages discoloured, stained or foxe( Pages dtcolordes, tachettes ou piqutes Pages detached/ Pages d6tach6es Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Qualiti intgala de I'impression Includes supplementary matarii Comprend du materiel suppldmentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible I I Pages damaged/ I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ r~~} Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pages detached/ r~^ Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ I I Includes supplementary material/ I I Only edition available/ Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 filmdes d nouveau de fagon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est fiimt au taux de rMuction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X i2X Ills Ju difier me age The copy filmed here hes been reproduced thenke to the generosity of: Library of the Public Archives of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies In printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover erd ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All ether original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. L'exemplaire f ilmA f ut reproduit grAce A la gAnArosit* de: Lji bibliothAque des Archives publiques du Canada Lee images suivantes ont At* reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at de la nettetA de rexemplaire filmA. et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est ImprimAe sont filmAs en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmAs en commenpant par la premiAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —^(meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaTtra sur la dernlAre imnge de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole -^ signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbols y signifie "FIN". IVIaps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de rAduction diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clirhA, il est filmA A partir de ranyte supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. ata Hure, A 3 2X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 R .1 ! IS i^ '' ^'/'l^'^ ^c'^\ / Y REFORM OR RUINs TAKE YOUR CHOICE! \ IN WHICH Cfte CouDuLt of ti)f lining; THE PARLIAMENT, THE MIKISTRT, THE OPPOSITION, THE NOBILirr AND CyENTRr, THE BlbllOPS AND CLERGV, l5c. Uc. l^c. IS CONSIDERED . ANI> THAT REFORM POINTED OUT, w H 1 c n JLONE CAN SJTE THE COVNTRT! tr J3Y JOHN BOWDLER, ESQ, THE FIFTH EDITION. PRINTED FOR J. HATCHARD, PICCADILLY; A N n F. AND C. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL's CHURCH YARD. 1798. -A Jb Mdiy pre Tn Re; tail Ch 3 Cl the of *. I TO HIS GRACE THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, May it pleafe Your GKA CE : WHEN I folicited Permiflion to prefix your Grace's Name to this fmall Tra6l, my Obje6l was—to convince my Readers, that the Principles therein con- tained, are Genuine Doctrines of the Church of England ; and that the Clergy of that Church do not think their Province invaded, by the Effort<; of Laymen in the Cause of Religion. I have the Honor to fubfcribe myfelf, Your Grace's dutiful and obedient hwiille Servant JOHN BOWDLER. ....'.. .<-i t .. -■' Kl J^< •'. .. V,.' I ; > rt a«9 3CS REFORM OR RUIN: TJKE TOUR CHOICE! I*l>«n«l ■h . .. , ■ "» T AM a freeborn Briton, and an independent man : I have no Place or Penfion j I never was at Court, nor ever intend to go there. I know neither the Minifters, nor thofe who oppofe them. But I have a right to think and fpeak for myfelf, and will do fo ; and I call upon all true Britons to hear what I have to fay, and then judge for themfelves. This Country has often been in great danger, but never in greater than now. Thoufands of our Countrymen have perifhed by the Sword, and ftill more by Difeafe. Millions and millions of Money have been fpent. Even our Public Credit, of Which we B boafte^^l [ o bolfted fo much, has been fliakcn. Stocks never were lower. Our Debt never was fo great. Our Tars, of whom we were fo proud, have made our hearts akc — And fo have our Fellow Subjcds in Ireland* I allow wc have had great Succcfs. 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 v^ry remarkable, fcarce a Ship of War of ours has been taken ; and not one foot of BritiJIi Land has been loji, in uny part of the World ! I admit, alfo, that our Enemies are more diflreffed than we are. That the French are the moft wretched People under the Sun. Their King, 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 greatell and bell part of their Clergy. A vaft number of perfons of all ranks. Men, Women, and Children, have been beheaded, fliot, drowned, flabbed, and poifoned. Many have fled,^and dare not return j and of thofe who , leqjain C « 1 remain, a great part have loft their Property^ and all the comforts and conveniences of Life. Religion, Law, Order, and good Government, feem 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 Frenchmen in their Country. ; The Dutch are ftill worfe off. Their Trade is deftroyed j their Colonies are in our hands ; the French have drained them of theijr Money, their Goods, and almoft every thing they had. And by French Troops placed in all their (Irong Towns, they are forced to fit out Ships to fight againft us, when they had rather by half fight for us. But what are we the bettqr for all this ? In fpite of the dreadful things that have happened to our Enemies ; in fpite of all the Conquefts we have made, and the Ships we have taken ; what B 2 is !|; t 4 I is otir State at tliis hour ? We are threatened with Invafions and Infurredions ; wc are loaded with Debts and Taxes; we are divided and weakened by Parties ; wc are funk in Gloom and Defpair. And yet, that French Fleet, wliich was intended to invade us, was difperled, and the objedt of the expedition completely de- feated. A Body of Troops, which actually land- ed, were ififtantly taken Prifoners. The Adls paffed againft Seditious Meetings, feemed to fupprefs them. The Merchants and Traders fupported our tottering Credit. A plentiful Harvcft 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 Ifland to the other, with his eyes open and his ears fliut, and he will fee every mark of Plenty and Profperity ; every Village flourifliing and improving; and every Field in a better ftate, and producing more than 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 Oppreflions, War and Ruin. Now •t i [ 5 J ' Now what is the me.ining of all this ? — How* conies it to pafs, after all our wonclciful Efcapes, after all our glorious Viclories; in the mid ft of To much Plenty and fceming Prolperity ; that we not only think ourfclves upon the brink of Ruin, but perhaps really are fo ? The anlwcris plain and fliort — fVe are not reformed, A tho- rough Reform would fet all right, and reftore us to Peace and Happinefs. But what is that Reform which will do this great gc xl ? To anfwer this qucftion is my object in writing. — Some think, a Reform in Parfiament will alone be fuffi- cient ; and that Reform to confift only in the Members being chofen in a different manner. — Some are for Icflening the Power of the Crown. — Some for abolifliingTythes. — Some for making an immediate Peace with France. — Some( though they have not courage to fpeak out) are for efti- blifhing a Republic on the French plan. All thefe, except the laft, arc 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 B 3 be ■ Jf »-■ -~Tff- ■w t' m [ « ] be the coafequence ? — Why each Member would be choien by a Mob. And whom would a Mob choofe ? — Why the man that made the loudefl Speech, and the largeft Promifes, And who would this be ? — Why he, that, having neither Property nor Charader to lofe, was ready to fay any thing to get into the Houfe, in hopes of being paia for breaking every Promife he had made, . -. . , As to leffening the Power of the Crown, we have tried that already, and therefore can judge what the effed 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 benothingbutConfufionandMifchief; or elfe he muft govern them by unlawful Means. And I appeal to any Man of common ienfe, whe- ther it is not better, that a King (hould govern according to fixed and fettled Laws, which are known to all the Nation ; than by undue Influ- ence, Bribery, Corruption, and the like. But But [ 7 ] But fay fome — Reform the Church, and abo- liih Tithes. I hope to Hievv prefently how the Church ought to be reformed : in the mean time I will only lliy, that, unlefs it be reformed, and fpeedily too, it is all over with us. But, as to abolilhing Tithes, I fear that won*t anfwer ; for the Tithes belong to the Clerg}% and I have, no faith in Wrong and Robbery. Behdcs, re- member what the Devonlhire Farmer faid at the Meeting : He alkcd, who were to have the • Tithes when they were taken from the Parfqns; and being told they would be the Landlord's 5 then, faid he *' I had rather they fhould bide as t/iey be ; for I can always deal better with the Parfon, than lean with my Landlord." As for a Republic on the French plan, we may cxcufe thofe who wilh for it, if they are rather , Ihy on the fubjeft ; becauic, 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 Robbjry ; and a K ing has as good a right to his Crown, as i have to my Cottage : 1^4 Se. H * il [ 8 ] Secondly, The People here dont Te^qi to like a Republic : f ' ' \ Thirdly, I never yet read of a Republic \hat I fhould like to live under : And Fourthly, One may buy gold too dear. ' It was faid the French Revolution would make the F'^ench Nation free and happy : But it has now gone on for feven or eight years, and pro- duced Confufion, Oppreffion, Cruelty, Poverty, all forts 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 5 I think that is buying gold too dear. I truft I have now fliewn that none of the above Plans will anfwer our purpofe : Let us, then, look for one that will. But, (that I may not be taken for a Quack Do6tor) before I pre- fcribe the Cun, let me try to find out the Caufe^ of our prefent unhappy ftate. And in order fo to do, let us take a (hort view of all Ranks of People in this Ifland; and let us begin with the higheft. Of the King, if I knew ever fo many bad things, I fliould be cautious how I mentioned them j t 9 ] them; becau{e I have no inclination to be hangrd or tranfported. But, in truth, I know no harm of him. His private Life every body fays is good— and, I think, his public Condud has been good alfo. He has been gui'ty of no Cruelty or Oppreffion, that I know of. Jn the courfe of his long Reign, our Liberty has been increafed and fecured, He has encouraged Arts unA Manufadures, and promoted learned and ingenious Men. So that I believe we may fairly call him one of our very bell: Kings. ) . - Having no more dcfire to fee the infide of Newgate than to try the air of Botany Bay, I fhall always be cautious what I fay about the Par- liament. It has paired many good Laws : And though there have been fomc flrong 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 afk two or three ihort queftions j— and kt thofe whom the cap fits, wear it : When — -^r ■ Tr' • r- ' •■ m^imi iijriT-.' j!H(+ioffw-^i»ath- BrcLiking, Ncgled of Public Worlhip, 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 Chriftianity in this quar- ter of the World ? And where are the Laws againft thcfc ? Shall I be told that there are fuch already in our Statute Books? The .' ne was faid as to the Laws againll Treafon and S>^- dition J but by whom was it faid } Was it by thofe, who wilhed to prevent fuch crimes ? — or thoie, who, l)y their Writings and Speechc^:, had encouraged them ? C 4 fa ^1 ' lllr ii,-: t ^4 ] • In the Name, therefore, of that God who itiade us ; of that Saviour, who died to re^ deem us; and of that Blessed Spirit, who is ever ready to aflifl our weak but Jincere En- deavours; I call on every Bilhop, Pricfl, and Deacon, who has devoted himfelf to the fervicc of God in the Church of England ; to lay afide every Avocation, and inflantly to exert his utmoft Powers, in the prefervation of our holy Rcligon. — So fhall he fave many Souls from Death, and hide a multitude of Sinr,, If any Lawyers, Merchants, or others en, gaged in worldly Bufinefs, can fpare time and thought for one fcrious Refledion, let that refieiftion be — Hoiv their Account will ft and at the Day of Judgment ? — how they will then anf-^ wer, for having jo'rxod " Night to Day, and Sunday to the Week ;'* in adding fliilling to Ihilling, and guinea to guinea ', inflead of purfu- ing their lawful calling in a lawful manner, and devoting to the fervice of God, that portion of their time and thoughts vjhich he claims ; and which Claim (if they have a juft {cn.^^^ cither of their temporal or eternal interell) they will never more refill. I j •1 ii'^.l lis [ ^.^ ] I now wilh to ad^refs m^felf to all the Iriha, bitants of this Iflaiid, but chiefly to thofe of th^ Lower Qlafs, as it is called :— to thofe, who have neither Rank or Riches, but mufl earn their daily Bread by their daily Labour. You, my Fellow-Countrymen, whether you know it or not, have Souls o be faved j and muft live for ever in another World ; and be there re- warded or punilhed, as you have behaved well or ill in this life. Even here, if you behave ill, you will fqfter for it 3 and if you behave well, God and good Men will afTift you. If you are idle, do you not want Bread } If you are drunken, do not your Wives and Children futfer \ If you are din-ioneft, do you not lofe your Characters ? If you are honeil:, and conteated, and diligent, do you not find you are happy ? By hc'v.g happy ^ I dont mean tliat j^ou have every thing you want, or that you have no fickneis or forrow ! — that is iuch happinefs, as does not fall to the lot of any body in this World. Whatever you lyjay think, the King upon his Throne has more cares and vexations than you have- Many and many anight, when you are found afleep, he and his INJinilL-rs ,f I [ z6 ] Miniders are hard at work, for you, ami me, and all of us : And the cafe is the fame with the Great and Learned. Some of them, indeed, like fome of you, ncglefl tlicir bufmefs, and wade their time in Idlenefs and Vice; but others work as hard or harder than you ; and their work is of z worfe fort.- — Your's preferves your health ; while their's dejlroys their health, and fhortens their lives. God has fo ordered it, that, in this life, no Man fhall be completely happy ; but mofl men, let their fituation be what it will, may be tolerably happy, if it be not their own fault : and every Marvmay be completely happy for ever in another World ; and the fame means which will make him happy in another World > will com- monly make him comfortable in this. Let us, then, inquire what thoie niQans are ; They may be expreifed in two (liort words — , BE GOOD ! God, who made all things, has fo made tliem, that it is inipoffible for a bad Man to be happy. He has given us Laws, and has promifed to re- ward us if we obey them, and to punilh us if we do not. He commands us to love and fear him j ta i;ii U' . ■>SV*ii^^ r 27 ] to pray to him ; to belicv« in Jclus Chrift his Son; to Iionour and obey the King, and all who are in authority under him ; to fubmit to our Mafters, and all lawful Governors. To refped God's Minifters, his Sabbath, and his Church, 'to pay all their dues, whether Tithes, Taxes, Cuftoms, or other things. To obey the Laws of the Country in which we live, To do to others as we would have them do to us. To love our Neighbours, and aflift them as often as it is in our power. To be honeft, fober, modeft, and decent. To work diligentl}'', in order to get our Living. To bear patiently fuch Misfortunes as befal us. To be tljankful for fuch good Things as we en- joy i for our Health, and Strength, and daily Bread, and many other BlefTings, which we are too apt not to confider as we ought. They are all the Gifts of God, and ought to be received as fuch. Now I would a/k any fliir Man, if there is any thing hard or unreafonable in all this ? Or whe- ther he is not convinced, that, if we would obey thefeLaws, we fliould be much ha])pier than wc Ai'e ? JFor, fwrry I am to fay it, we do not obey tliem !l i 'il: l^'^ t\ P: [ 28 j them as we ought. Infl-cad of" loving and fearing God, we fcldom think of him. Inftead of pra}'- ii:g to him every night and morning ; Ibme, I fear, never pray at all. Inflead of obeying the King, his Magiftrateb, and his Officers, how many lately have been guilty of infuitiiif^ him and them ! How many have joined in riotous Mobs, and Seditious Clubs, and Meetings ! how many have held up their hands for rude, unmanly, and dif- joyal AddrefTes ! in fliort, how many have been the dupes of a fct of Wretches, who have left .no means untried to ruin our Church, our King, and our Country, and make us Slaves to the French ] Inftead of reipeding God's Minifters and Or- dinances, how many abufe the Clergy, felclom go to Church, and fpend God's Day in doing tlieir own bufincfs, or in jaunting about, or getting drunk J though it is exprefly ordered, that neither we, nor our Servants, nor our Cattle, fliall work on that Day ; and that we fhail keep it /lo/y ! Inflead of paying to all their Dues ; how many tr}' to cheat the Clergy of their Tithes, and the King of his Taxes ; and buy fmuggled goods whenever they can meet with them ! By thefe [ ^9 \ i thefc and many iuch things, they fm at ond^ againll the Laws of Gey would dcferve all the Wages they have, and more too, if tl>ey workecJ as hard by the dny, as they do by the gre^if ; and if they carried all their money to their Wives : but while they carry it to the Alehoufe, more wages would be a curfcand no bleffin^. . . The Conclufion of the whole is this :— God has bleffed this Country beyond all others : Wc have the bed Religion, the beft form of Ciovern- ment, and the mofl plentiful Lard, of any Peo- ple uix)n Earth : But we have made fuch a bad ule of Ihefe bleffings, that we are in great danger of lofing them. We neglect God, his Service, and his Day. We call ourfelves Chrijlwns^ but we hardly know wliat the word means. Few confider, that every Man, who lavs he is a Chriftian, lays as follows :—" I am the Soldier and Servant of Jelus Chrift. I have renounced all .'l II i I-' itl^ tpi t 32 5 hW $i'\ and Wickednefs, and all the Vanities 6^ this World. I have owned that I am a Sinner, and that I can only be faved by the Merits and bufferings of Jefus Chfift ; and in order to re- ceive the Benefits of thele, I muft repent of my Sins J I mud believe in Jefus Chrifl ; and I mufl do what he has commanded. His Commands arc contained in the Gofpel ; I muft, therefore, read i/iaf, in order to learn my Duty; and, when I have learned it, I mud do it faithfully and diligently.'* Oh ! my Countrymen ! if we would do this, vve fliould be fafe, and happy, and profperous ! God would make a hedge about us, and about all we have ; and would defend us from all our Enemies ! We Ihould no longer be divided and weakened by Parties and Oppofitions; for we fliould be all of one mind ; we fliould all fear God, and honour the King, and love one another — and who would dare to invade us ? Why are vve, then, fo blind to our intcreft, as to rejeifl Peace and Profperity, when we might fo eafily obtain them? If you love your Country, if you love your Wives or your Children, if you love your' 6t we fear are Lfily 'OU love [ 33 ] your/elves — reform your Condud before it be too late ! The Judgments of God are in the World : they have fallen u})on France, upon Flanders, upon Holland ! They are ready to fall upon us. If we will not take warning from all that has pafled, and is now pafling, almoft at our doors ; wo have no cxcufe, and therefore no room to hope that we fliall efcape. But even if we could, what would it avail ? The Day of Judgment muji come -, when every one who has not repented and re- formed, will be condemned to fuffer the Tor- ments of Hell for ever ! What thofe Torments are, we know not ; and God grant we never may ! but, if there be any Truth in the Word of Gcxl itfelf, they are far greater, and more dreadful, than any thing Man ever felt, or can conceive. LOOK down, O God of all Mercy, on this Land ! Open our eyes, that we may fee thy Judgments hanging over our heads and ready to fall on us ! Give us a juft fcnfe of our Guilt, ancj rjracc to amend our Lives; and let our timely P Re- mr- [ 34 ] Repentance make us fit objc(5ls of thy Mercy, and prevent the deftrudioii 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 Countrj^ j that they may fee and know, that neither our own Arm, nor our own Devices can fave us ; and may learn fo look up to Thee, O God of Jiofls, for Thine almighty Aid. Give a double portion of thy Spirit* to the Bifliops and Paftors of thy Church ; that they may devote themfelves entirely to thy Service ; boldly rebuke Vice j and by their Diligence and Zeal, by the Soundnefs of their Dodtrine and Holinefs of their Lives ; may turn the Hearts of this Nation, from the Lufls 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 ihofe, to whom thou hafl:. com- mitted Wealth, or Power, or Learning, or any ufeful Talents ; may ever remember from whom they received them, and employ them for the good !f! Lve us ; God of to the at they Service ; nee and ine and Hearts efh, the y Gain, i of the [ 35 ] good of all ; that fo they may give in their ac- count with joy at the laft Day. And, finally, we befeech Thee, to make us humble and peaceable, fober and diUgent, juft and merciful ; pious towards Thee our God ; loyal to our King, obedient to our Governors, relped- ful to our Superiors, and kind and aflfedionate to all Men : That being protedcd by thy Almighty Power, we ma/ pafs our time here in Peace and Comfort ; and be made partakers hereafter, of eternal Happinefs ; through the Merits and InterceffioA of our blefled Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift . ■ ■ ■ 'And let every t;rue Britgn fay, AMEN. X com- , or any a whom for the good D 2 POST. * i i i*. II s;{; V 1 II POSTSCRIPT* m» Should any one, who has a (hare in the Legiflature or Government of this Land, perufe thefe Pages j let him reflect feriouily 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, muft bring us to Deftrudlion. If he wants Refolntion, he is unfit for his Station. Let him no longer fear the Scoffs of a few impious Wretches ; but uniting wirh 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 leaft attempt to check them. Adultery rages : — and, whilft our Law gives large Damages to the injured Man^ no Atone- ^ '■ J I 37 ti^eht whatever is made to our Injured God ! nay, both He, and his Law, are inlultcd : for the Adulterer aud Adultercfs are let go free, and are even allowed to enter into unholy Wedlock. By the Jewilli Law (which was the Law of God), they were both to die. LTnder the pure Chriftiau Difpenfation, lliall they not only cfcvipe, but be put on a level with the Virtuous? Surely the Woman, at leaft, ought to be marked with iomc perfonal Infamy; and inf no cafe be permitted to marry again. Gaming, though not perhaps fo direa an Infult on God, is no lefs pernicious in its effeds.— It feems to defy the exifting Laws, and therefore calls for new ones. " Becaufe of Swearing, the Land mourncth." -— " Swear not at all." — " Above all things, my Brethren, fwear not." — Such are the flrons; ex- proflions of our Sacred Code. How then can we i'.o.;e to be excufed or pardoned, when we mul- tiply Oaths by every new Law, till they are be- come almoll Words of Courfe ; and have loft all Uiat Reverence which was formerly annexed to Ml ; I ; ■,.[ t 38 ] them; and without which, they can only in* creafe our Condemnation. A Cuftom-houfe Oath is already proverbial^ and a Tax Oath is in great danger of becoming fo. Were no Oath adminiftered, but in a public Court, by the Judge himfelf, and with the utmoft poflible folemnity ; it would imprefs both the Witnefs and the Audience with a jufl fenfe of its awful nature. In \\^ other cafes, the figning a Declaration of the tri of the evidence given, and thejuftnefs of the Punifliment to be incurred if it prove falfe 5 would be far more decent, and at lead as effedlual, as the Oath nowadminifteredu " Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it -HOLY." — " In it thou flialt not do any Work i Thou, nor thy Son, nor thy Daughter, thy Man fcrvant, nor thy Maid fervant, nor thy Cattle." — " Whofoever doth any Work on the Sabbath day, he (liall furely be put to Death"— Such is GocTs Law, But what is our PraEfice ? Look at our Streets and Roads ; and fee them crowded, not merely with the Carriages of the Great, but with Stages full of Travellers, aij/d Waggons ill [ 39 1 goaded with Goods, Surely when we are dlf- 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 fource of Immorality. And if no Public Houfes, except Inns on great Roads, were fufFered to be open on Sundays, it would prevent fome Murders, many Robberies, and infinite Mifchief. ' IF any Perfon fhould be inclined to think th« prefent ftate of Things in this Country, notfuch as to warrant the Anxiety and Alarm expreffed in the preceding Pages : let him read attentively the following Extrafts from the Writings of two of the ablcft and beft men of our Age ; and, having fo done, let him confider the Events which have fmce happened, and the Alteration which has fince taken place in our National Principles and Morals ; and then fay— Wliat their Sentiments would now be ? " Seldom l! [ 40 j ** Seldom any State is ruined, but there are evident Signals and I^refages of it. In general, without the Spirit of Prophecy, it is no difficult matter to perceive v/hen Cities and Kingdoms are tending towards their final Period and Diffolution. There are as certain Tokens and Symptoms of a Confumption and De- cay in the Body Politic, as in the Body Natural. I would not prefage ill to my Coun- try ; but, when we confider the many hei-. nous and prefumptuous Sins of this Nation; the IJcentiouinefs, and Violation of all Order and Dlfcipline ; the daring infolencc of Robbers imd Smugglers, in open defiance c i Law and Juftice ; the Fadlions and Divifions ; the Vena- lity and Corruption J 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 intereib ; the Luxury and Gaming and Diflblutenefs in high Life, and the Lazi- nefs and Drunkcnncfs and Debauchery in low Life ; and above all, that barefaced ridicule of all Virtue and Decency ; and that fcandalous Ncglcdj and I wiili I could not fay Contempt of [ 41 1 all public Worfliip and Religion : — When "^c confider thefe things, theie Signs of the TimeSy the floutefb and moil languine of us all muft tremble at the natural and probable confcqucnccs of them. God give us Grace, that we may knozv, at leaft, in this our day^ the things %:hick belong unto our Peace, before they are hid from cur eyes. Never may fuch blindnefs happen to us as befell the Jews ; but may WG/eek tlie Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while h^ is near ; and return unto the Lord, and he vsili have mercy upon us, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon,'** — Bijbop Newton, on the Pro- phecies, Vol. //. ^. 239. i ** If you behold a Nation diftinguiQied by Irreligion and Contempt of Things Sacred ; b;^ Licentiouiiiefs, Fadion, Luxury, Dlffipation, and Effeminacy j be aflured that, without a Reformation, and a return to firfl Principles, the Conqueft of that Nation by fome other is be- coming more and more feafibic every clay ; the fame Vices, which provoke Divine Vengeance, preparing the way for its execution. Such fi jSi i' [ 4* T were the charafteriftics of the ancient People of Cod, in -h^ times preceding their feveral capti- vitip««. Su ^ was the cafe, when the old Afly- ria Empire periflied with Sardanapalus ; when Babylon was furprized by Cyrus ; when Darius was overthrown by Alexander -, when Greece fell under the dominion of the Romans ; when thefe laft were overwhelmed by the Northern Nations, and when Conftantinople was taken by the Turks, Every man, who has the prof- perity of the Country at heart, (hould very feri- ouily confider, how far thefe Tokens are to be found upon ourfelvcs ; and what can be done to prevent the farther fpreading of the Infedion i and to eradicate the feeds of the Diforder." Bijhop Home's Sixteen Sermons ^ page 162. m^ TUE END. A. J-m ■ ,.!• ' ^ t I i.- ' nr; i Jujl PuhliUd, the EI.EVENTH Edition of REFORM OR RUIN ABRIDGED. I , I N W H I C H EVERY MAN MAY LEARN TUB .TRUE STATE OF THINGS AT THIS TIME : AND WHAT THAT REFORM IS, WHICH ,-' ■ : ;•' ALONE CAN SAVE THE COUNTRY f Sold by J. liatchavd^ PlccadiHy : and F. ^ C. Rf-vi}igton, St. Perls Chmch Yard. [Price 3d. or 2s. 6J. per Dozen.] H H Where alfo may he hudy The Scholar armed ngainjl the Errors of the Ti)ncs : Being a Collection of Tracts, on the Principles and Eyidencea of Chriilian- it}', tbe Conflitution of the Church, and the Authority of Civil Government : two vols. *" 8vo. Price in Boards, Twelve Shillings. ^^. •^^,. ¥ r / he )n II- Is. '^'^-u, *••««