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Id songs of wonder celebrate his name , Who spread the skies and built the starry frame ; Or thence , descending view this globe'below , And praise the Source of every bliss we know . In artcient times , when heaven was to
be prais'd Our humble ancestors their voices rais'd , And hymns of thanks from grateful bosoms flowed , For ills prevented , or for good bestow'd : But as the Church increas ed in power and pride , The pomp of sound the want of sense suddIvM ; supply d ;
Majestic organs then were taught to blow , And plain religion grew af ruree show : Strange ceremonious whims , a numerous race , Were introduc ed , in Truth ' s and Virtue's place , Mysterious turnpikes block up heaven ' s highway ^ And for a ticket , we our reason pay .
These superstitions quickly introduce Contempt , neglect , wild satire , and abuse Religion and its priests by every fool Were thought a jest and turn'd to ridicule ; Some few indeed found where the medium And kept the coat , * hut tore the fringe
away . Of preaching * well if you expect the fame , Let Truth and Virtue he your first great aim . Your sacred function often call to mind , And think how great the trust , to teach mankind !
Tis yours in useful sermons to explain , Both what we owe to God , and what to
man ; Tis yours the charms of Liherty to paint , His country ' s love in every breast to plant j Yours every social virtue to improve , Justice , Forbearance , Charity , and Love ; Yours too the private virtues to augment , ^ f Prudence , Temperance , Modesty , Content . ** hen such the man how amia 1 > le the
priest ! Of all mankind the worthiest , and the best Ticklish the point , I grant , and hard to find , 'o please the various tempers of mankind . * ome love you should the crabbed points explain , w texts with texts til dreadful war
maintain : Some love a new , and some the beaten IT ? ; 1011113 please some , and others points of faith ; * Vide Martin in the Tale of a Tub .
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But he's the . man , he's the admir'd divine , In whose discourses Truth and Virtue join : These are the sermons which will ever live , By these our Tonsons-f and our Knaptons-fthrive ; How such are read , and p rais'd , and how they sell , Let Barrow ' s , Clarke ' s and Butler's Set mons tell . Preachers should make us either good
or , Him thai does neither , who but must despise ? - , If all your rules are useful , short and plain , We soon shall learn them , and shall
longretain : But if on trifles you harangue , away We turn our heads , and laugh at all you say . But priests are men , and men are prone to err , On common failings none should be se-. vere ^ All are not masters of the same good sense , Nor blest with equal powers of eloquence . 'Tis true , and errors with an honest mind Will meet with easy pardon from mankind j But who persists in wrong with haughty
pride , Him all must censure , many will deride , Yet few are judges of a fine discourse , Can see its beauties , or can feel its force 3 With like indulgence some attentive sit ,
To sober reasoning-, and to shallow wit . What then ? because your audience most are fools , Will you neglect all method , and all rules ? Or since the pulpit is a sacred place , Where none dare contradict you to your
face , Will you presume to tell a thousand lies ? If so , we may forgive , but must despise . In jingling Bev'ridge if I chance to see One word of sense , I prize the rarity : But if in Hooker , Sprat or Tillotson , A thought unworthy of themselves is shewn , I grieve to see it , but ' tis no surprise , The greatest men are not at all times wise . Sermons , like plays , some please us at the ear ,
But never will a serious reading bear : Some in the closet edify enough , That from the pulpit seena'd but sorry stuff . 'Tis thus : There are who by ill preaching ; spoil Youug- ' s pointed sense , or Atterbury ' s
style j ¦ + Whilst others by the force of eloquence , Make that seem fine , which scarce is common sense .
Two noted booksellers in London
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Poetry . 379
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1815, page 379, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1761/page/51/
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