A CHARGE DELIVERED TO THE CLERGY AT THE PRIMARY VISITATION OF THE DIOCESE OF DURHAM, IN THE YEAR MDCCLI. BY THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD JOSEPH BUTLER, LL.D. THEN LORD BISHOP OF THAT DIOCESE. A CHARGE DELIVERED TO THE CLERGY, &c. IT is impoffible for me, my brethren, upon our first meeting of this kind, to forbear lamenting with you the general decay of religion in this nation; which is now observed by every one, and has been for some time the complaint of all ferious perfons. The influence of it is more and more wearing out of the minds of men, even of those who do not pretend to enter into speculations upon the subject: but the number of those who do, and who profess themselves unbelievers, increases, and with their numbers their zeal. Zeal, it is natural to ask—for what? Why truly for nothing, but against every thing that is good and facred amongst us. Indeed, whatever efforts are made against our religion, no Christian can poffibly despair of it. For he, who has all power in heaven F f and and earth, has promifed, that he will be with us to the end of the world. Nor can the prefent decline of it be any ftumbling-block to fuch as are confiderate; fince he himself has fo ftrongly expreffed what is as remarkably predicted in other paffages of Scripture, the great defection from his religion which should be in the latter days, by that prophetic queftion, When the Son of man cometh, Shall he find faith upon the earth? How near this time is, God only knows; but this kind of Scripture figns of it is too apparent. For as different ages have been distinguished by different forts of particular errors and vices, the deplorable diftinction of ours is an avowed fcorn of religion in fome, and a growing difregard to it in the generality. As to the profeffed enemies of religion, I know not how often they may come in your way; but often enough, I fear, in the way of fome at least amongst you, to require confideration, what is the proper behaviour towards them. One would, to be fure, avoid great familiarities with thefe perfons; especially if they affect to be licentious and profane in their common talk. Yet if you fall into their company, treat them with the regards which belong to their rank; for fo we must people who are vicious in any other refpect. We fhould ftudy what St. James, with wonderful elegance |