The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

FOR THE GAZETTE.

MR. PRINTER,

By giving the following a place in your paper you will oblige your old friend and humble servant,

ALGORICUS.

An address to the independent and presbyterian persuasions, from an anonymous member of the Episcopal church was presented to me, on which I thought fit to make a few observations.

As to forms of prayer, none is better than that which Christ hath given us, who hath very pertinently reprehended and forbid repetitions and long prayers, but all prayers, long or short are an abomination to God, if they originate from a man's natural spirit: All acceptable prayers, therefore, proceed from the image of God formed in the soul, in the exercise of a lively and firm faith in the mediator.

A child of God is never at a loss what petitions to make to his infinitely gracious father.

And what hath a child of God to do with antiquity and tradition? The secrets of the Almighty are with him, and he hath an anointing from the holy one, and knoweth all things that pertain to a virtuous and godly life and eternal salvation.

Antiquity! who knows it? and where is the origin of tradition? Antiquity is enveloped in darkness, and blackness of darkness hath swallowed up the traditions of the holy fathers.

What a miserable shift to run to Egyptian darkness and the confusion of ages to prove our authority, when we have one infallible rule given us by our blessed Lord to try ourselves and others by--by their fruits ye shall know them.

What are the fruits of the Episcopal church? A history of her avarice, pride, idleness and bloodshed filleth volumes; but I shall only observe two things, did not the church of England grow up by teaching kings, that they were above the laws? Are not the emoluments, the tithes, the funds of the Episcopal bishops the fruits of tyranny, bloodshed and conquest, and the miserable emoluments of pious cheats? And is not the whole Episcopal hierarchy built up by blood and war, rapine and mischief?

It is true, it is supposed that that hierarchy is become more mild than formerly, but we believe it owing to want of power.

It is blood, fraud and persecution from the Episcopal hierarchy and her despotic supporters, that lies at the foundation of the settlement of this country, accomplished through the utmost poverty and calamities, occasioned by the cruelties of the British powers, and her holy Pontiffs.

But it is marvellous, that the church of England should at this time try to flatter herself into our bosom, when fourteen years have not elapsed since her bloody attempts upon us, which cost her more than an hundred million sterling, and was miserably vanquished at last: For the king, parliament and hierarchy of England are all of one.

We counsel therefore, that the Episcopal church, the king and parliament of England repent in sackcloth & ashes for their abominable tyrannies, the miseries and bloodshed, as well as lies and blasphemies they have spread, not only thro' England, Scotland, Ireland and America, but through the world, and be reconciled to us in the principles and practice of universal righteousness, charity and tender mercy; then we will not only receive, but embrace them with the arms of amity and benevolence.

N. B. Popes, bishops, ministers and preachers of all ages and persuasions ought to remember, and to keep it constantly in mind, that they have no other way to prove their authority and commission, but to commend themselves to the consciences of mankind in the sight of God, by the purity, the innocence, the excellency, the peaceableness, the glory of their doctrine with correspondent lives.

July 10, 1791.