And now, my Lords, I will detain you no longer than to beg, that whatever may be your opinions, whatever may be the success of my work, you will offer up your prayers to the throne of Heaven for acceptance of my endeavours, however unworthy, in the service of God:-and to assure your Lordships, that awake to the arduousness of the situation in which you are placed, feeling that it may require all the great talents your Lordships possess, and all the divine influence we may expect will be shed upon the highest order in Christ's Church, under circumstances, stances, with which from the present aspect of ecclesiastical affairs, you may have yet to contend; deeply impressed, my Lords, with these considerations, that the Almighty may shower down upon your Lordships such abundance of his grace as will support you in every danger, and carry you through every trial, is the daily prayer of, My Lords, Your Graces, And your Lordships Most dutiful and respectful Servant, THE AUTHOR 4th Sept. 1815. ERRATA. Page 5, line 13, for and Secker read and a Secker 10, 10, 10, 39, 51, 136, 140, 15, for our read his 17, for our read his 18, for our lives read his life 18, for flock read flocks 7, for which read not in Italics INTRODUCTION. . Nor only in a religious, but in a political point of view the wellbeing of a state depends greatly upon the due discharge of the sacerdotal office. If the priest be inattentive to his duty, the religion of the people will grow cool or corrupt, their moral conduct will become depraved, and the civil, as well as the ecclesiastical polity, will be in danger. "The priest," says Hooker," is a pillar of that Common B |