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    ^ Because a coble r chooses to leave fiis stall , of a tailor to descend from his shopboard , and having

    "dubbed himself a divine , pours forth $ n incoherent rhapsody of "vulgarity and nonsense , is the practice of free prayer to be condemned and abandoned ? Surely , because such men disgrace and

    dishonour a solemn and interesting duty , it is not on that account the less excellent in itself . Jf those who intend to take upon themselves the important duties of a dissenting minister , " have either

    a natural incapacity for them , or are too indolent , to apply . themselves to their attainment , let them engage in some other employment . But instead of suiting themselves to the ministry , they

    must suit the ministry to them . They are not content with following the practice of our Saviour and his apostles , but th ^ y must -set to work to improve * and amend it . What has a liturgy done for the established church ? has it

    made zealous ministers and attentive hearers ? This , I believe , will not Tbe contended . On the contrary , has it not rendered many

    of the former indolent , careless , and unconcerned about a preparation for their important office ? and does it not spread listlessness and inattention over the latter ?

    Let the dissenters take warning by this example : let them beware how they discourage free prayer , and introduce written forms apd liturgies . Let them beware , lest 4 Ein adoption of the practice of the church do not lead to the same

    fatal effects , and introduce the « ame levity and unconcern , the $ ame folly and dissipation among

    * ^ urncrs Sermon preached before the academy

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    dissenting miaisters ^ as at present too strongly characterise the cler * , gymen of the establishment , And

    here I cannot but lament the system which is pursued with regard to the divinity students at the York Academy . If I am rightly informed , the practice of free prayer is not only neglected , but

    forbidden , and no prayer except a written one is suffered to be use $ by any of the students . Now , with all possible respect for the eminent talents and unwearied industry of the worthy and learned tutor who is at the head of that

    academy , I cannot help feeling both surprise and regret -at his prohibiting and preventing a mode of prayer , which he knows has prc--vailed most successfully amongst almost all dissenting

    congregations till oi late years , and to which very many sincere and pious Christians are most ardently attached . Surely , in an academy whose just pride it is , that cc its

    only text-book is the Bible , ''* the liberty to choose between free and written prayer ought io be permitted , and that mode which our Saviour and his apostles used , at least , tolerated .

    Another advantage of a liturgy we are told is , that people would know what their ministers are going to say ; whereas now , they are in entire ignorance of the expressions he will choose to adopt * This * in my humble opinion , is

    no disadvantage , but the contrary Where people hear the same words over and over again , Sunday after Sunday , without the possibility of change or variation , they will , we know from experience , hear without attention . Free prayer

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    < S $ t The Question of a Liturgy discussed . — Letter 3 .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1810, page 292, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2405/page/20/