In 1798 A New Year's Gift to the Good People of England was published anonymously. Its full title presented the work as ‘a sermon, or something like a sermon… preached on the Day of public thanksgiving’. It becomes clear, however, that the pamphlet is not what it purported to be; instead, it is a parody containing pointed assessments and criticisms of the thanksgiving-day sermon tradition. The flavour of the tract's message is apparent from its opening passage, which feigned to assert ‘At a time when the nation seemeth still divided, in sentiments, between peace and war, it is the duty of every individual, but more particularly of the vigilant pastor, to throw his weight… into that scale of opinion which he wisheth to preponderate.’ Continuing in this vein, the author discussed his ‘conversion’ from being an opponent to the ‘rash, unnecessary, pernicious war’ with France, abandoning ‘a strict adherence to Gospel-maxims’ in order to go along with ‘the uniform tenor of that multitude of Christian Sermons, which my fellow-ministers have preached and published during these four last years’ in support of the war. This change of heart was intended to promote the author's advancement to a bishopric, and eventually – by delivering ‘a pastoral charge against French infidels, and English heretics’ – he would be ‘instantly translated to a better see; and so from one see to another, until I be translated to Lambeth’. The tone of these opening pages demonstrates not only a criticism of government policy, but also a sharp denunciation of the clergy who used their positions to advocate in support of it.

The reference to, and ridicule of, practices and devices from thanksgiving-day sermons continued throughout the work. The author declared he would deliver ‘a theologico-political Sermon’, and ‘(at your request) to print it’, expecting ‘its rapid circulation’ because he had been careful to use ‘such ingredients, as cannot but be suitable to the palates of every loyal liege, and sound believer, throughout the whole of his Majesty's dominions’. The author noted he had included no main biblical text because it was too difficult to find, or for preachers to stick to, a proper text, though he did explain how the verse on the ‘sword of the Lord, and of Gideon’ would have ‘given me an ample field for pulpit eloquence, and beautiful allegory.