THE

PREFACE

TO THE

CANDID READER.

You must know, my friend, that I am a gentleman in the country, and by craft a SHAVER of very confiderable fcope; notwithstanding Ihave turned preacher of late, and feem to be pretty fuccessful at my preachment, as the fale of this fermon will testify. I have been a great man for the news, as we Shavers commonly are, and, among other papers, I ufually took in the St. James's Chronicle; a paper that is filled in all the four corners; but if you ask with what, on my word, I must refer you to people of greater penetration than I am to find that out. Well I paid and I read to no purpose for a long while; till at last I chanced to Spy An Extract of a Letter from Oxford, and I wot it pleafed me mightily.

A 2

It

It told us how that, Six young men were expelled the univerfity for holding Me-thodistical tenets, and for praying, reading, and expounding the fcriptures in a private houfe. Well thought I, that may work for the good of the church; but then I did not fo much approve of the principal crime of thofe called Methodists, being faid tobe reading and expounding the fcriptures, &c. thought I, that is going fomewhat too far. Could they find nothing worse against them, than praying, reading and expounding the fcriptures in a private houfe? Could not they have proved them drunkards? Or made it evident that they were given to wenching?-(things very common in fome places,) Or could they not have convicted the young fellows of having reviled the miracles of Chrift and of Mofes, that their expulfion might have appeared the more eligible?

Not long after, I happened to fee another account from Oxford, wrote by the Rev. Dr. Oxonienfis; and that account made me refolve upon fomething. For be tells us, that one of the Six was formerly a Publican, another had been a Blacksmith, a third a Barber, and a fourth bad been a Teacher in a School under Wy.

Well,

Well, you must know my grandfather was a publican, my uncle a blacksmith, I myself am a fhaver, which is by interpretation a barber, and my eldeft fon, a promifing lad, is defigned for a Schoolmaster: therefore Seeing the honours of our family caft down into the puddle by the arrogance of Oxonian priests, I began to grow furly upon it; but did not yet think of preaching. What brought me to that was, finding from the learned Dr. Oxonienfis, that thofe young men had preached without orders. Then, thought I, I will even have a trial at it myself. Well, you must know we have a good fort of a fellow to our ParJon; a gentleman who loves bis bottle and his friend, if it was for a whole night together, and there is never a youth in all the parish who will fing a merrier catch, nor tell a prettier ftory than himSelf; for he is what ye may call a merry Parfon. With him I am pretty familiar, and I thought I would even borrow his Sunday's file, and his orthodox plan, knowing him to be a true churchman, and I would try what I could do at preaching. But I had certainly been disappointed in an audience, if an happy imagination bad not befriended me; but no fooner had I beftirred my imagination, than I was wafted from Clarely-common to the great ball at Od, before the V-e C

and

and the Heads of Houses, to whom, after I had mounted the roftrum with the ufual formality, I preached the following fermon, the whole world being fuppofed

bearers:

Concerning which Sermon I would have it obferved,

1. That I pretend not to justify any part of the conduct of the Methodists, befides praying to God, reading, expounding the Scriptures, and finging hymns, &c.

2. That I cenfure none of the clergy, but fuch as are against praying, reading, and expounding the fcriptures, and finging of hymns.

3. That whoever this Coat is found to fit, I would have the gentleman put it on, and wear it as his own; affuring himself that it was made for him, and that, tho a SHAVER, I am his TAYLOR.

4. That, perhaps, in gratitude for my great pains, and the new hints given in this fermon, which may caft a light upon ecclefiaftical biftory, the V-e Cr, and Heads of Houses, may prefent me to fome good benefice. And they may depend upon