Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/428

 Chap, XL O .F M A N CIH E< S T E R. #3 ■£.. unknown were brought into it. The varied treafures of our foil Were now fifft difcovered or were better colle&ed. Our fo- cieties were combined into cities, our manners Were refined into politenefs, and our miiids were enlightened with learning.' And agriculture manufactories and commerce were introduced among the natives of Lancashire and of Manchefter. Thefe were very confiderable advantages refulting to the county. But they were attended by another which was for fuperior to them all,' and in comparifon of which all thefe united together muft abfolutely fink into nothing. This was that great that momentous event, the introduction of Chriftianity among the Siftuntii. Beneath the government of the Romans, and fpeeded by; the communication which their "empire had opened betwixt Judaea :and Britain,/ was Chriftianity introduced among the na- tives of the north. Beneath that government and fpeeded by that communication' did this Sun of Righteoufnefs arife upon the benighted inhabitants of Lancaihire. The religion of an atoning Jefos was now proclaimed in the ftreets of Manchefter. The religion of an accepting Jehovah was now propbfed to the inha- bitants of Mancunium. And they were called upon to turn away from that deep night of ignorance, and to (hake off thofe heavy chains of depravity, in which they had unhappily conti* nued from their firft fettlement among the .woods and mofles of this diftri£t* When by the dread, fin of our great representative in paradife corruption was firft admitted into the moral world, ignorance Was equally admitted with it into the intelle&ual. And as cor- ruption proceeded in her work, gradually tainting the principles of the moral Ufe, ignorance followed regularly behind, and as gradually clouded the powers of the morat diicernment. In this ftate, of* the * human conftkution # the heart fuming up to the head, and vicioufnefs in the one dififufing darknefs over the other; the original religion of man muft fbon have been coloured with folly. • The mind, chained down to fenfitivc gratifications and brooding pfer^etually over 'ftnfttive ideas, muft foon begin tolofe the rtmhins- eff 'its 1 native- elafticity of fpirit in the consideration
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