Some perhaps may fmile at my title, as affecting quaintnefs. I confefs I wish it to ftrike the eye, in these days of Apologies. I have introduced the term "vital religion," for which the excellent Mr. Wilberforce has been fo much ridiculed; and I adopt it, because I would have the Reader at once understand what cause we wish to diffuse by Village Preaching; and because it imports that life, vigour, and warmth in religion, without which the most excellent doctrines are a dead letter; and the perfons who use Modes of Worship most approved among all Denominations, are little better than machines.

I have endeavoured to watch and pray against an improper fpirit, that I might "speak the truth in love." Should, however, any thing occur in the following pages, which may grieve any pious perfon, I intreat fuch an one to be affured, that he mistakes the temper in which the Author wrote.

I have now only to intreat the candour of my Readers, efpecially of my Brethren, whom I have taken the liberty to address. The critical eye will obferve perhaps redundancies, omiffions, faults in the arrangement and the stile, and repetitions of the fame thoughts, which are introduced in various connexions, for the particular purpose of bringing up again and again the ends we had in view by our Village Preaching. As a plea for the exercife of candour, I add, that the whole was drawn up, and prepared for the press, in a state of great bodily weakness, while recovering from a fevere and alarming indifpofition.

SOUTHAMPTON:

OCT. 20, 1798.

W. K.

AN

APOLOGY, &c.

T

O do good to his fellow-creatures is one of the nobleft objects that can excite the generous ambition, or occupy the active mind of man. To attempt to rescue deathless souls from the bondage of ignorance and vice, from the tormenting rage of domineering evil paffions, from the gnawing worm of guilt, and from endless mifery; to render them happy and wife; and to make those who are likely to be pefts, bleffings to fociety, is a fpecies of benevolence which is amiable and praiseworthy, and deferving the approbation and grati tude of all mankind.

This is the grand and gracious end of the Preaching of the Gofpel; the defign of God in the inftitution of this defpifed ordinance; and that which is, or ought to be, the first wish and

the ultimate object (in fubordination to the divine glory) of every one who engages in that arduous employment.

Well then might we ftand mute with aftonishment, did we not know fomething of the "enmity of the carnal mind against God," and the oppofition which has in all ages been made to the glorious Gospel, that the plans lately projected, by ferious and benevolent Chriftians of various denominations, for diffufing the light and power of real, vital, and practical Christianity in dark places, fhould be fo egregiously misreprefented as they are. They have been held up to view as monsters teeming with mischief. There have not been wanting fome, that have faid the defign has been even to fow the feeds of infidelity; others, that" their real object is not religious, "but political; and that this object leads to "alienate the attachment of the people to the "eftablished church, as the ground-work and "foundation of fome fecret defign in the field of "politics." A writer, under the appellation of "a Clergyman of the Diocefe of Salisbury," has -brought forward this cruel charge,* Fain would I hope, for the honour of the Proteftant Clergy, that no one of that refpectable order, in the

* See "An Appeal to the People, on the Alleged Causes of the Diffenters' Separation, " &c. p. 32. N. B. The figures in the text will, for the future, refer to the pages

of the "

Appeal."

Church

1

Church of England, could be capable, first to hatch a scheme fufficiently diabolical and hypocritical to have difgraced the ancient Jefuits, and then to lay it at the door of the Protestant Disfenters. Surely it must have been some enemy who has done it, with the hope to expofe all religion to common ridicule; or fome bigoted fon of the Church of Rome, who imagines himfelf "God's vicegerent and reprefentative;" (p. 20) "and that those people, who, through a defici"ency in their education, are incapable of forming 66 a decifive and correct judgment on fuch im

portant fubjects of religion, would act a fafe and "wife part, implicitly to rely on their ministers, "who are legally established to inftruct them." (p. 25) Is not this ftrongly fcented with popery? Weak and foolish as the charge is, yet, in these days, in which fufpicion and a spirit of party fo much prevail, it is not unlikely that it may be believed by those who are ignorant of us and our principles, and who may be difpofed to imbibe prejudices against all Diffenters, and their defigns, without discrimination. I feel myself called upon to explain and defend the views, motives, and conduct of the itinerants, in these parts of the country, with which I am acquainted; and, I prefume, what will be faid, may be equally applicable to others who labour in the fame way, in different parts of the kingdom.

In the year 1795, the Miffionary Society was formed in London. A plan was ftruck out, and has fince been acted upon, to fend the Gospel to the Heathen, especially into the islands of the Pacific Ocean, &c. * It was objected by many," Have

66

you not Heathens enough at home? Attend to "them." This fuggeftion awakened dormant Confideration. She has opened her eyes, and looked around; fhe has beheld multitudes in our neighbouring villages and forefts, who were far from any means of inftruction, perifhing for lack of knowledge, living without Chrift, without hope, without God in the world. Benign Pity followed Confideration: her heart melted and mourned. Benevolent endeavours were first privately exerted. At length the facred fire expanded it's flame, and was communicated from breaft to breaft, and from place to place. Situations were fought where there was the leaft inftruction. We confefs that "the very dregs of the people we were anxious and in

66

defatigable to convert; men poffeffed of no property, and of understandings weak and unprincipled, without opinion and without thought." (p. 32.) Thefe are the perfons who claimed our pity, who needed our help; and where shall we

* The plan has fucceeded. The fhip Duff, which failed in Oc tober, 1796, after traverfing above twice the circumference of the globe, having left the miffionaries at Otaheite, &c., has returned safe, without the leaft fatal accident.

find