from what quarter those invectives come, and to what causes they are owing, that they do not appear to have made the slightest impression on any unprejudiced mind, and, for want of ground to support them, are sinking hourly into oblivion. If a life spent like archbishop Secker's, and a spirit such as breathes through every page of his writings, are not a sufficient confutation of all such idle calumnies, it is vain to think that any thing else can be so. All that his friends have to do, is to wait a little while with patience and temper. Time never fails to do ample justice to such characters as his; which, if left to themselves, will always rise by their own force above the utmost efforts made to depress them, and acquire fresh lustre every day in the eyes of all considerate and dispassionate

men*.

Lambeth, 1770.

* The experience of near forty years which have now elapsed since the archbishop's death, has amply confirmed the truth of this prediction. 1806.

AN

EARNEST EXHORTATION

TO THE

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE

OF

GOOD-FRIDAY:

IN A

LETTER

TO THE

INHABITANTS OF LAMBETH PARISH.

FIRST PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1776.

This little Tract has been for many years in the

Catalogue of The Society for promoting Christian Knowledge.

AN

EARNEST EXHORTATION,

&c.

My very good Friends and Parishioners,

THE little regard that has for some years past been paid in several parts of this kingdom to that holy day, which we distinguish by the name of Good-Friday, has given great concern to many serious persons, and has more than once drawn severe animadversions on the church of England and its governors in the public papers. But these censures (like most others which come through such channels) are very unjustly applied. The blame rests not on the clergy. The church requires a very solemn observance of the day; its ministers set the example of doing their duty, but they are followed by much smaller numbers

of