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kindness and love as caused in me some hopes that the love and kindness they fhewed and expreffed in their dealings with me, had fprung from an apprehenfion or conviction in them that the principles of religion which I had embraced in oppofition to theirs were the truth; but I foon found that I was herein mistaken; for it was not long before great offers were made me of making a purfe to fet me up in the world, on condition I would defift going to meetings, and return again to the church wherein I was born and baptized, and not bring fuch difgrace on the holy church, of which my ancestors were fuch noted and eminent members; and befides, that I might not ftain my family by occafioning people's faying that James Barry, who is fon to a spiritual lord, and a father in the church, was turned fanatic; to which they added, the confideration of what a hopeful profpect there was before me of advancement to worldly greatness, in cafe I did not hinder myself by continuing a diffenter from the church, and what hardship and poverty I must expect to wrestle with to my own ruin, and the great dif grace of the whole family, in cafe I refufed the offers made me, and the advice and counfel given for my own good.

To all which I was enabled with an holy magnanimity and becoming fortitude to reply, that the fight and sense I had of a future happiness with God in heaven, had blunted the edge of my ap

petite to these poor, low, and empty vanities, which I question not will prove unspeakably more vain, empty, and tormenting to me than they are in themselves, fhould 1, for the love of them, lofe my foul.

In cafe, faid I, my friends and relations, who seem so greatly concerned for my good, can procure from Heaven an infallible certificate that my clofing with the prefent offer on fuch a condition as is now laid before me, will not provoke the Holy Trinity, and prove a fnare to my immortal foul, I fhall readily comply; but if they cannot, it will, faid I, prove your wifdom to let me alone to rejoice in the choice I have made. Had my relations felt what I have felt for finning against God, and could they taste the joy and fweet comforts of God, which have put me out of conceit and love with the prefent world, they would, I queftion not, be not only unwilling to blame and cenfure me for the choice I have made, but they themselves would readily and heartily make the fame choice for which I am now flighted and judged to be miferable.

My relations, finding how ineffectual their methods proved to gain me, foon turned their fmiles into frowns, and their kind fpeeches, into difcouraging menaces, what fevere courfes fhould be taken with me to reclaim and reduce me to obedience.

My Lord threatened severely that he would have

me

me bound with ropes on a porter's back, and brought into the church in the time of divine service*.

To this I replied, that if his Lordship did not as well gag my mouth as bind my hands and feet, I would certainly roar out, and disturb all the people at their devotion; for fear of which no force of that kind was offered me.

After fome confiderable time my father and Lord finding that neither fair and gentle means would allure and draw me to the liturgy in their church, and that no feverity wherewith they threatened me could drive me from the pure worship of God in the meetings, I was soon attacked with greater and sharper oppofition than I had met with from them before.

First, By my father, who, in the prefence and hearing of at least forty of our family, took me to tafk about my principles, and in regard of the small hopes he had of convincing me by the arguments he used, he openly declared his refolution never to own me for his fon, unless I forfook the meetings, and came to the church and service again as formerly; and this, fir, faid my father, I think fit to tell you before all these friends, to the end you may take it into serious confideration whether of the twain you judge more eligible, to forfake your fanatic opinion and fchifmatical companions, or

*Can this be called worshipping God in the beauty of holinefs?

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to be deprived of the love and affections of a father; and know it, fir, faid he, that I do, by the authority of a father, command and require you to fix on whether of these two you intend to choose, and that within a week; if you refolve to hold your new opinion, I charge you to quit my Lord's house, and provide another lodging; and as for me, I charge you that you come not near my doors, or any of your brethren or fifters' doors; I'll fee, faid he, which of your holy brethren or fifters will take you in *.

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Thou feeft, reader, that a bishop, or lord fpiritual, had not need only to be blameless as the steward of God, but he needs power and authority, not only to abfolve all them that truly repent, but to reftore them also that truly recant. Had the pious bishop fed this new-born babe with the fincere milk of the word; had he fed the flock, and took the overfight according to God; had he been the fervant of Chrift, and of the church for his fake, it is likely his fon would have been the beft worshipper and ftricteft follower of all his charge. However, as a lord over God's heritage, he is determined that his fon's faith fhall ftand in the wifdom of men, not in the power of God; he will offer violence to the Lamb's wife, and attempt to bind the spirit of liberty, but what he will reduce him to obedience; not to the faith of Chrift, for he had got that, nor to the word and worship of God, for he loved both, nor did the bithop mention any thing of this fort to him, but to the church of England, to the fervice, ceremonies, and the liturgy, he must be subject, and subject he fhall be, or ftarve, unless Providence will interfere. It requires a deal of human wisdom to establish a religion, and a deal of the fame fort of power to keep it ftanding, especially when the Spirit of God comes and

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To this I was enabled to reply thus :-Sir, though you refolve, according to your present declaration, to caft me out of your paternal or fatherly affections, and to disown me for your fon, merely for my confcience to God, because I cannot, without greatly offending against God and wounding my conscience, conform to thofe inventions of men, in God's worship, for which I can fee no warrant in all the fcripture; I think and judge it my duty, now the providence of God calls me to be tried, to be as open, free, and plain, in declaring to you, in the prefence and hearing of the fame relations who have heard your's to me, these two things: First, That I hope better things of you than to see you act fo unnaturally in letting your child perifh for want of neceffaries of life, and that because I dare not act against my conscience.

Secondly, That in cafe you do refolve to perfift in this your refolution, I am as fixedly refolved in cafting myself on the promise and providence of God, whatever comes of me in this world.

And, before I will act herein against the light of

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makes breaches, by refcuing the elect from it. As it hath not pleased the Lord to illuminate all bifhops, priefts, and deacons, with the true, knowledge and understanding of his word, I wonder my cousin had not repeated this part of the old cry: "From all blindness of mind, from hardness of heart, and con

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tempt of God's word and commandment; from all fuck envy, hatred, and malice, and from all uncharitableness, "good Lord deliver us." Amen. W.H. S. S.

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