| Citation |
MG-A(G.750.019
13 Jun 1750:11,12,21,22 (268)
London. . . [A reprint of the Bishop of London's letter to
the clergy and people of his diocese, on occasion of the
late earthquakes, 160 lines] Is it to be wondered at, after
so much pains taken to corrupt the religion and morals of
the people, that they should be indisposed to attend to any
thing serious, or that they grow sick of religion, which has
no comforts for them; that they fly from the church and
crowd to the playhouse;. . . [8 lines] While I was writing
this I cast my eye upon a news paper of the day, and counted
no less than fifteen advertisements for plays, operas,
music, and dancing, for meetings at gardens, for cock-
fighting, prize fighting, &c. Should this paper, (as many
of our news papers do) go abroad, what an idea must it give
to all the churches abroad, of the manner in which Lent is
kept in this Protestant country? What our Saviour said to
the Jews upon another occasion, You have turned the house of
prayer into a den of thieves, may with a little variation,
be applied to ourselves. We have turned this season
appointed for serious reflections, and humiliation of body
and spirit, into a time of mirth and jollity, of musick,
dancing, and riotous living. . . [51 lines]
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