dging with the
abstract coldness of mere politicians, might doubt whether, by adopting
the measures here recommended, a religious warmth would not be called
into action, which might break out into mischievous irregularities; that
experience proves that an establishment affords, from its very nature,
the happy means of exciting a considerable degree of fervour and
animation, and at the same time of restraining them within due bounds.
The duty of encouraging vital Religion in the Church particularly
devolves on all who have the disposal of ecclesiastical preferment, and
more especially on the dignitaries of the sacred order. Some of these
have already sounded the alarm; justly censuring the practice of
suffering Christianity to degenerate into a mere system of ethics, and
recommending more attention to the peculiar doctrines of our Religion.
In our schools, in our universities, let the study be encouraged of the
writings of those venerable divines, who flourished in the purer times
of Christianity. Let even a considerable proficiency in their writings
be required of candidates for ordination. Let our churches no longer
witness that unseemly discordance, which has too much prevailed, between
the prayers which precede, and the sermon which follows.

But it may be enough to have briefly hinted at the course of conduct,
which, in the present circumstances of this country, motives merely
political should prompt us to pursue. To all who have at heart the
national welfare, the above suggestions are solemnly submitted. They
have not been urged altogether without misgivings, lest it should
appear, as though the concern of Eternity were melted down into a mere
matter of temporal advantage, or political expediency. But since it has
graciously pleased the Supreme Being so to arrange the constitution of
things, as to render the prevalence of true Religion and of pure
morality conducive to the well-being of states, and the preservation of
civil order; and since these subordinate inducements are not
unfrequently held forth, even by the sacred writers; it seemed not
improper, and scarcely liable to misconstruction, to suggest inferior
motives to readers, who might be less disposed to listen to
considerations of a higher order.

Would to God that the course of conduct here suggested might be fairly
pursued! Would to God that the happy consequences, which would result
from the principles we have recommended, could be realized; and above