Your correfpondent T. T. V. II. p. 42. when he fays, " Itinerancy is the badge of Methodism and one of its important duties," will, doubt lefs, agree with me in deriving Methodism from μera, change of place, and odos, a way. Vide Parkhurft. Gr. and Eng. Lex.

The charge of illiberality and want of candour, in the old fashioned fense of the word, I ardently with to avoid. Were the charge proved, it would prove me deficient in one of the brighteft of Chriftian virtues, Charity. If any candid perfon will read certain" Evangelical publications," and mark the general conduct of methodist preachers, I am fure he will not impugn the charity of this epiftle, however he may fmile at my etymology. The tricks and artifices in the work chiefly alluded to, are perfectly ludicrous; but their dangerous tendency muft reprefs every emotion of mirth. If the writers in that truly Methodeian publication, introduce a clergyman into their page, who is not of their caft, it is merely to vilify him, to reprefent him "as greedy of filthy lucre," "a wine-bibber," an extortioner," &c. &c. and he is dignified with the nick name of Rector Filpot, Parfon Doolittle, &c. But every Evange lical minifter, both within and without the eftablishment, is held up as a faint; as a paragon of godlinefs and piety under the title of the Rev. Mr. Meek, Mr. Lovegrace, &c. Hoping that every fresh attack upon our holy faith and our venerable establishment, will roufe its minifters to ftill more and more ftrenuous exertions,

I am, your fincere well wisher,

OMICRON. P. S. Since writing the above, I accidentally met with the following remark. << Methodifm, we now begin to fufpect, derived both its origin and its name from the τας μεθοδείας τε Διαβολο, againft which St. Paul fo emphatically warns the Ephefians." Anti Jacobin Review, April, p. 419.

ON PEACE.

FOR THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHUKCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN,

THOUGH much be faid of the Providence of God, it is to be feared, that its divine operations are not seriously attended to by the generality of mankind. Day and night, feed time, and the time of harvest, fucceed each other with ftri&t regularity, as to their periods, but the events in each are liable to great uncertainty. Here it is that we fail to obferve, and to diftinguish between the regular and fixed, and the uncertain and variable acts of Providence. To-morrow will regularly fucceed to-day; but, how different may be the things that shall happen therein ? He who is the carelefs, hardened finner of to-day, by the grace of God, may, to-morrow fee the error of his ways; or the end of his trial and probation may overtake him in his fins, and death close its everlasting doors upon him. The feafons will continue to return. But, whether we fhall have the rain in due feafon, whether the land fhall yield her increase, and the trees of the field thall yield their fruit; whether we fhall eat our bread unto the full, or again experience a dearth in the land, no human fagacity can forefee. But, though our views into futu rity be circumfcribed with boundaries, dark, and impenetrable; yet are we poffeffed of the powers of memory; a faculty, perhaps, better adapted to our happiness than prescience would have been. Though we

cannot

cannot clearly foresee what is to come, yet by remembering what is past, we may gain a wisdom that will enable us to provide against the future. By reviewing paft dangers, and the extraordinary deliverances from them which we have fo lately experienced, we may learn, that "if the Lord himself had not been on our fide when men rofe up against us, they would have swallowed us up quick when they were fo wrathfully dif pleafed at us." From weighing well the circumstances which probably induced "the Lord himself thus to be on our fide," we may learn to fecure the future protection of him, "who alone maketh wars to cease in all the world."

19

The wonderful events that have happened in our days, might not, perhaps, as they paffed fingly before our eyes, ftrike every mind as the effects of God's immediate interpofition. In the national pride and exultation of heart which fplendid victories occafion, we are but too apt to afcribe the glory to the creature instead of the Creator. We then forget that it is "God who teacheth the hand to war, and the fingers to fight." Under the dread of famine, we are too well engroffed by care for the prefent and fear for the future, to recollect, that plenty and want are both in the hand of God. But now we are, by his mercy, preparing to enjoy the bleffings of peace and plenty, we may review paft events with proper temper and attention; neither dazzled by the glare, nor dejected by the gloom of the moment.

During the whole course of these times of peril upon which we are fallen, the dangers to which we have been exposed, and the relief frorn them which we experienced, have ever been fo wifely balanced against each other, as to thew, manifeftly, that we were in the hands of God. This we may alledge, without detracting from the praise of those who have been the inftruments in or fuccefs. Indeed, every true Chriftian' must have observed with pleasure, that fome of our greatest heroes ascribed their victory immediately to God. David, as his writings abundantly fhew, always gave to God, the glory of his triumphs.

When all the other powers of Europe who were affociated with us, had either fallen before the common enemy, or were forced to accept of difadvantageous peace, this nation and its government, though affailed both by foreign and domeftic foes, ftood, like the rocks on which our island is founded, firm and unfhaken. Though arms are now become the profeffion of a peculiar body of men; though we are not now at the imperious call of fome haughty baron, fummoned to the field to avenge either his, or his country's wrong, yet ftill our national courage has not decreased with the increase of our liberties. When the coasts of our enemy were crowded with troops, arrogantly vaunting our deftruction; when fedition was, almoft publicly, labouring to fap the foundations of government; and infidelity had levelled its poifoned dart at our holy faith, thousands of patriotic Britons, from the quiet fcenes and the peaceful occupations of life, armed in their country's caufe. We might, indeed, grow wanton in the praise both of our foldiers and our feamen. Their efforts have been wonderful. Victory has, almoft univerfally, crowned them with fuccefs. When famine ftared us in the face, under the direction of a wife and active adminiftration, our fleets came home, loaded with the produce of other countries. We have already enjoyed one plentiful harvest, and have the hopeful profpe&t that the next will be equally abundant. Sedition, alarmed at the force that was prepared to oppose

it,

it, and preffed by the rapid movements of government, has flunk into fecrefy. The abettors of infidelity, deprived of their expected fupport, have in a great measure, ceafed to infult both religion and common fenfe with their impious productions. Thus, under the Divine Providence, this nation has been delivered from the horrors of invafion, from the dread of famine, and from that deadly blow which sedition and infidelity had aimed at the welfare both of Church and State.

Let us confider what circumftances might have induced the Almighty thus fo vifibly "to be on our fide." On this subject it behoves us to think with the deepeft humility. Even the flighteft infpection of our national manners, muft, in a moment, fhew our unworthinefs of God's peculiar favour. If we then are fo highly favoured above all the nations of Europe, may we not conclude that it is becaufe God hath been pleased to place his tabernacle among us? To make us, as the Jews were of old, the channel by which true religion is to be conveyed to pofterity? If we then, in respect to our poffeffing the true fpirit of Chriftianity, are the falt of the earth and the light of the world," be it remembered, with fear and trembling, that we are but inftruments in the hands of God, which he will affuredly change for others, as foon as ever we become, by our national vices, unfitted for his fervice. After this manner did God act towards his peculiar people, the Jews." To them were committed the oracles of God." In their hands was placed that invaluable treasure, the promise of the Meffiah. When they became disobedient, they experienced many calamities to recal them to obedience; many wonderful acts of God's mercy, to fhew them who was their protector. Still they proved difobedient. Confequently, "when the fulness of time was come," they were rejected from being the Lord's people. Their nation was difperfed, not deftroyed. They are ftill to ferve the purposes of God. In the mean time, they are a standing monument of God's wrath against a rebellious and wicked people. "For to this very day, like the well-cemented ruins of fome old fortrefs, they exhibit proofs of the most durable contexture; and, however their original use be fuperfeded, adhere together with undiminished force."* If, therefore, we betray the truft that is committed to our charge; if we neglect this pearl of great price," true genuine Chriftianity, we fhall be rejected from being the Lord's people, and fome other nation will be chofen as the ftewards of the mysteries of Christianity." Then fhall we, like the Jews of old, be left to drink to the very dregs, "the cup of the fury of the wrath of God."

But if it be to religion that we are fo much indebted, there arises a queftion of fome importance: Which is it of the many religions in this nation that challenge the title of Chriftian, that can lay a claim to the high honour of drawing down God's favour upon this ifland? From trifling diftinctions in modes of worship through a long fcale of deviations from "the faith once offered to the Saints," we may trace a variety of fects even to the very verge of infidelity. Now we know that "God is not the author of confufion but of peace." True religion has ever been conveyed by means of a regular priefihood. From Adam to Mofes, the office was hereditary in the first born fon. Hence the " profanenefs" of Efau in felling his birthright. From Mofes to Jefus Chrift, a peculiar family

* Eveleigh's Sermons, f• 19.

was

was dedicated to the priestly office. The established clergy of this kingdom claim a regular defcent from the apoftolic age. I cannot follow this fubject. I fhall only beg leave to hint at the additional criminality that must attach to fchifm, if it be true that ours is a real Chriftian establish - ment, and that it is to the poffeffion of the true faith that we are indebted for the bleffings we enjoy. This will alfo overturn a very common notion, that it is the exclufive bufinefs of the clergy to maintain and fupport the credit of religion. If religion has procured us national bleflings, religion must be the intereft of every individual: and it must be by the united exertions both of clergy and people that religion can flourish and increase in the land. OMICRON.

ON THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION IN FRANCE. TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN,

FEW

EW events that have happened in our times can be more ftriking to the reflecting mind than the late re-establishment of Religion in France. This you have very properly noticed in the latter part of your Magazine for April, 1802, p. 217, and in that, and fome of the following pages, you have given your numerous readers fo juft and accurate an account of the "Convention between the French Government and his Holines PIUS VII." as muft needs be very interefting to them. Perfectly juft is your obfervation in the page above cited, that after a state of ATHEISM and IRRELIGION had been fufficiently "weighed in the balances of religion and humanity it was found wanting." The indifpenfible neceflity of fome kind of religion, and that a national one, has at laft forced itself on the minds of the leaft reflecting; and the fenfe of this neceflity has at length re-inftated religion in that fo long distracted kingdom, and allowed her to refix her powerful principles on the hearts and confciences of those who have exalted themselves against her.

The times in which we live have unfolded to our view great and wonderful events, which have been brought about fuddenly and unexpectedly, fo as to aftonish the nations of the earth; but in the common courfe of things vaft changes are wrought in a more flow and gradual manner, The first part of this obfervation may be applied to the revolution in politics and religion which was effected fome years fince in France, when an ancient monarchy was overturned, and republicanism erected on its ruins; the fecond part of the remark may be referred to the very recent reíforation and re-establishment of religion in that country. The former of thefe events was accompanied by violence and bloodshed, the latter by flow and careful negociation between the first Conful and the prefent Pope, which hath ended in the entire re-eftablishment of the Roman Catholic Religion; though fuch regulations and reftraints have been impofed on it as have made it a complete creature of the flate.

From the most entire ftate of ATHEISM the French government hath lately returned to a fenfe of religion, and an acknowledgement of the Providence of a God. They begun by acknowledging the exiftence of a God, and ended by confeffing the neceffity of fome national religious eftablishment. The religion of Rome hath been declared by the prefent ruler. of France to be moft congenial of all others to the genius and temper of *Through the organ of the orator PORTALIS,

Vol. II. Churchm. Mag. June, 1802.

U u

Frenchs

Frenchmen, and accordingly that is become the established religion of the state. We, who in this kingdom profefs the PROTESTANT REFORMED FAITH, have determined long fince that this religion was full of error and fuperftition, and for that reafon our ancestors withdrew themselves from it. It must however be acknowledged, that any thing which can be called religion is infinitely preferable to that horrible ftate of IMPIETY and IRRELIGION which lately prevailed in France, and if they cannot obtain the beft religion, they must be content to have that which they can procure*; and it is confeffed by wife and candid men that even bad establishments of religion are better than none at all." On this ground therefore we fincerely rejoice to hear that a fenfe of religion is re-established in France, and we may confidently hope that the best effects will in the course of time be produced from it.

66

It naturally occurs to the reflecting mind that religion was reftored to France for political reafons, and not on account of any regard which the First Conful had for it. Self-intereft, not affection, was the cause which produced the effect we have fo lately feen brought about. The reafons which induce this belief arc, in the first place, that he hath fo ordered the new religious code which he hath introduced, that his own aggrandizement, and the maintenance and increase of his power, feem alone to have been confulted in it; whilft the POPE, who used to be poffeffsed of such immense power, (ufurped indeed it must be confeffed) both in temporals and fpirituals, is, in the prefent convention, a mere man of ftraw," an inftrument in the hands of BUONAPARTE," fet up for the exprefs purpofe of performing his good will and pleafure. And, in the fecond place, because the incidents in the life of this man in power, and particu larly that action of leaving the army in Egypt in the manner that he did, and the fubfequent one by which he obtained the fituation he at prefent poffeffes, must convince all impartial perfons that a regard for religion was never the moving spring of his actions; but his own aggrandizement was his uniform principle, and the paramount motive in every ftep he hath hitherto taken.

66

The ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION, confidered as a maxim of state policy, is undoubtedly the beft fitted for the purposes of the Chief Conful of any that could be devifed, and its having been the old eftablished religion under the late monarchy, might naturally be fuppofed to facilitate the re-establishment of it under the prefent ufurpation. CONFESSION, as it is managed in the Church of Ron, must be an excellent engine to develope any plots or confpiracies againft the ftate. For the father-confeffors will naturally prefs it on the confcience of their penitents to confefs to them their knowledge of any fecret confpiracy (of which we need not doubt there will be an abundant crop) against the exifting government, and, by the oath which is contained in the 6th article of the CONVENTION, the bithops engage, "if in their diocefe or elsewhere, they fhould hear of any plot tending to the injury of the ftate, they will make it known to the government.' Who does not know the wonderful power of SuPERSTITION on the human mind; and how effectually may this powerful engine be managed to further the political views of the chief Conful!

All the accounts from PARIS tend uniformly to acquaint us with the

Or, as you obferve p. 220 of your Mag. for April, what they are capable of affenting to, and most likely to adopt."

ultimate