christian charity will judge favourably of any man, whose errors are merely mental, and consequently involuntary) those who in such an age as the present, wilfully shut their eyes, and "love darkness rather than light,"can have "no "cloak for their sin." All professions of faith in Jesus Christ, of glorying in his Cross, without the "good and honest heart," which, as we are assured by our Saviour, constitutes the grand difference between the real and the nominal christian, will only serve the inore completely to cover the professor with confusion at the great day of account. "To whomsoever much is given, of "him shall be much required;" and agreeably to this wise, and equitable rule of judgment, the purest conduct will be expected from those, who have made the highest profession.

But after all the powerful arguments which have been urged, not only in this, but in other works, and which have proved to demonstration, the absolute necessity of a reformation of the established church ; I have little hope that many of her ministers will ever acknowledge their conviction on the subject; or rather I am firmly persuaded, that all effectual reformation will ever be strenuously opposed by the great body of the clergy. An animated effort was indeed made about thirty years since, in which the subject of subscription was most amply discussed by the late excellent Archdeacon BLACKBURNE, in his celebrated work, the Confessional; and in various other works published about the same period. A petition was likewise presented to the House of Commons signed by several very respectable clergymen, for relief in the matter of subscription. Every one is acquainted with its fate. Since that period no farther effort has been

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attempted:indeed it is now deemed unnecessary. All classes of the clergy seem to have "settled on " their lees;"men who hold, who preach, and who `publish the most contradictory sentiments, from the high calvinist, down to the unitarian; find no difficulty in giving their "unfeigned assent, and "consent" to the same articles; and from the conduct of the sacred order in the present instance, an inhabitant of the heathen lands might be led to imagine, that prevarication, and hypocrisy, so far from being considered, as they have been in all civil communities, enormous crimes, were in our national church deemed cardinal virtues! Arguments, in themselves the most solid, convincing, and powerful, appear to have no weight against such a system, supported by ecclesiastical prejudices and interests. That omnipotent voice, which can awaken the dead, and that voice only, can awaken the church of England from that deep, awful, and apparently fatal lethargy, into which she is so unhappily sunk.

The LAITY of the establishment are however, it is to be hoped, more open to conviction than the clergy; some of them I have known, who, shaking off the prejudices of education, have given this work an impartial perusal; the consequence naturally to be expected, followed; ta their honour be it recorded, they professed themselves Protestant Dissenters. The lay members of the established church, who dare to think for themselves, and who are resolved to embrace truth wherever it may be found, and to follow truth wherever it may lead them, may be assured, that they will be well rewarded for whatever pains or attention they may bestow on the work now recommended.

PROTESTANT DISSENTERS likewise, who wish thoroughly to understand their principles, would do well to stir up their pure minds by way of

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remembrance. We live in a degenerate age, in which 100 many nonconformists have departed from the principles, and the piety of their ancestors. Parents, by neglecting to instruct their offspring in the genuine grounds of nonconformity, and who have judged it sufficientif they have led them to a dissenting place of worship, have frequently found, that as their children advanced to manhood, they became indifferent, and that when they settled in the world, and a suitable temptation offered, they threw off the principles and the practice of nonconformity, altogether.

The indifference of some DISSENTING MINISTERS themselves, on this subject, is an additional reason, why dissenters in general, should re-examine their principles. The present age is marked by the apostacy of some, once the distinguished champions of civil and religious liberty; who after being foremost in the ranks, have not only deserted their posts, but have gone over to the enemy. It becomes such men to take a retrospect of their own conduct, and seriously to reflect on their present situation; their former excellent sentiments are on record, and are daily perused by the public; and although they have changed with the fashion of the times, and now inculcate opposite sentiments; as if somewhat ashamed of their conduct, they dare not attempt to answer their former arguments. If the differences between the church. of England, and those who dissent from it are, as these writers now maintain, of such triffing importance, that all discussion on the subject had better be dropped, upon what principle, we may justly demand, do they continue not only dissenters, but PASTORS of dissenting churches ? If they turn to their admired HOOKER, or to

any other consistent writer on the side of the establishment, they will find the guilt of schism, justly charged upon them. If the church ofEngland is a church, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, JESUS CHRIST himself being the chief corner stone; or if she has only deviated in little things; dissent from her, must be a sin of no trifling degree, in the eye of the great head of the church. The gospel woe, denounced against those by whom offences come, rests on the head of that man, who dissents, causes a schism, or makes a rent in the church; merely on - account of what are frequently termed " lesser

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matters, about which wise and good men dif"fer." But the grand principles of nonconformity, I will venture to affirm, are the purest, and consequently the most essential principles of > christianity. They have formed the ground of action, for the greatest and best of men, in different ages of the church. The primitive christians, who dissented from the established pagan church, acted on these principles. The reformers, who dissented from the established church of Rome, acted upon the same principles. The two thousand ministers, who were banished from the established church of England, by that most abominable act-the act of Uniformity, passed by the profligate CHARLES II. (I beg pardon, I mean the most religious and gracious head "of the church")-an act which our venerable reformers would have started at with horror :this numerous band of persecuted christians,acted upon the same principles :-principles, which in short, the truly excellent of the earth in all ages have, rather than forsake, forsaken house and lands, father and mother, wife and child; liberty, property, the enjoyments of friendship, the sweet endearments of domestic life, yea, life itself! If the principles of nonconformity are therefore only "little things," the conduct of

this illustrious army of christian heroes, must, so far from appearing good, or wise, appear absolutely to border on impiety and insanity !*

Some of our Dissenting ministers are in the habit of deeply lamenting the low state of religion, the want of vital christianity, and of practical piety in their churches and congregations.

* Mr. LOCKE'S opinion of the Act of Uniformity is well known: the abhorrence in which he held it, was becoming a man of his enlightened mind. But what will weigh more with some perfons, is the opinion of a modern writer, Mr. WILBERFORCE; who, notwithstanding his anxiety to be thought a true, found, orthodox churchman, is, even in spite of his own deep rooted prejudices, compelled to acknowledge the iniquity of this act, and that the two thousand minifters, amongst whom were " some of the BRIGHTEST ORNAMENTS OF THE CHURCH, "were shamefully ejected, in violation of the royal word, as well "as of the CLEAR PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE." See, A Practical View, &c. 12mo. p. 239. Is it not surprising that the writer who uses the above language should, at the fame time, so highly panegyrise the church, representing it, as a pure and truly apoftolic church, " long embodied in an establishment, and as intimately blended, and generally and JUSTLY believed to have a common interest with our civil institutions." P. 234. Yes truly, this excellent, pure, apoftolic church, which

has

this common interest with our civil inftitutions," is founded on an act, which this church-panegyrift himself acknowledges to be-A SHAMEFUL VIOLATION OF THE CLEAR PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE!

Having mentioned Mr. WILBERFORCE'S book, I cannot help observing, that the work and its author appear to me, to have been panegyrised far beyond their refpective deferts: that the book contains much excellent matter, I most willingly allow; but the many inconfiftencies, and the habitual conduct of its author, as a fenator, fadly tend to destroy the effect even of the best parts of it. Where shall we find more striking or admirable admonitions, to abstain from every species. of perfecution, and to adorn the chriftian life, by the uniform, practice of every christian grace and virtue, than in the book? Where shall we find a fenator who during a long parliamentary career, has been a more steadfast OPPOSER of the RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE, and supporter of PENAL LAWS in matters of religion; or a more steadfast supporter of war, corruption, cruelty, in short of almost every species of minifterial profligacy? In contemplating fuch a strangely inconfiftent character, the mind teels fome relief in turning to anexception from the general cenfure. I mean the conduct of Mr. W. refpecting the SLAVE TRADE, which he now however must be fully convin ced, can never be abolithed under such administrations as he has been in the conftant habit of supporting.