other lands contiguous to the parish, &c.) according to the rules of the act of parliament. My friend adds the payers of tithes would buy up or redeem fuch tithes with great readiness; and this plan would be more likely to throw a very large fum of money into the hands of government, than that already adopted for the redemption of the LAND-TAX; and gives fuch reafons for this opinion as, to me, appeared very convincing. Ifhould be very glad if any perfon would fully difcufs this topic, and improve these hints in your useful and excellent miscellany! To THE CLERGY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. IN these times of arrogant impiety and frantic enthusiasm, when men are too wife in their own conceit to "endure found doctrine," much is expected from your labours as "watchmen fet upon the walls of Zion" to preferve "the peace of Jerufalem." I am well aware that the far greater part of the ecclefiaftical body will not be fupine when the enemy is vigilant, nor yield a particle of the truth they are bound to defend, in complaifance to the humour of the day. Yet with this pleasing conviction on my mind, I am not the less fenfible of the neceflity there is for continued exhortations, particular directions, and frequent hints, to affift the clergy in their duty. When an itinerant spirit of fanaticifm is abroad, and under the garb of innocence and of gofpel fincerity feeks to propagate fchifm and error, it becomes the parochial clergy to warn the flocks under their care against the creeping danger. Silly perfons are led aftray by the devices of smoothtongued preachers who pretend to have nothing but the good of men's fouls at heart; when the real fact is, they are engaged to promote their own individual interefts and to encrease a sect. I will not venture absolutely to declare, that they are not employed to spread difaffection to the government, but from the characters of too many of these itinerants, as well as of that of fome of their employers, and what is ftill more striking from the effects which are produced by this novel kind of miffionary zeal, it does appear evident, that in proportion as fchifm advances, a feditious fpirit advances with it. This is in order; for the church doctrine and services are fo uniformly and strongly against all oppofition to the civil government, that while men preferve a veneration for the establishment they are fure to be loyal; but the inftant they give way either to the delufions of infidelity or fectarianifm, they become, if not hoftile, at least lukewarm in their attachment to the conftitution. Now, my reverend brethren, confider these things, and fet yourfelves with a holy zeal to impede the progrefs of that fatal evil a fpirit of fanaticifm. To do this, it is expedient that you attend principally to two points, mentioned by the apostle, namely, "to yourfelves, and to your doctrine." Nothing gives an infidel or a crafty zealot fo much advantage against the church as the being able to mark the foibles of a regular clergyman. Paffing by the numbers of exemplary divines, who adorn our church by their lives as well as by their talents, thefe deceivers inftantly faften upon him, whofe conduct tends to bring a ftain upon his profeflion. And I fhall not fcruple to fay, that the irregularity of such a man will moft certainly do infinitely more damage to fociety by perverting the principles of men, than the labours of a hundred pious clergymen will do good, efpecially in an age fo captious and unfettled as the prefent, "Take "Take heed then to yourselves;" and be ye "lights in a crooked and perverse generation," not only directing men in the right path, but going before them as practical guides; faying, "This is the way, walk ye in it, as ye have us for an example." The next thing to be attended to is "found doctrine.” A common obfervation, and would that it had never any foundation, is this, that the pulpit and reading desk are too frequently at variance. In our devotions we profess to be what the fcriptures conftantly declare us to be, "Sinners who have no health in ourselves," and can only obtain the divine favour through the merits and mediation of Jefus Chrift. Now do you preach this doctrine in the pulpit, after you have profeffed it in the defk? Do you explain this doctrine in all its parts with plainnefs and with affectionate earneftnefs? Or are you contented with juft defcanting upon the attributes of the Divine Being (as fome orators affectedly call the Almighty) point out our obligations to love and to ferve him, and then promife your hearers that provided they do fo, he will certainly reward their honeft endeavours, and pardon their trivial failings? If this is your doctrine, let me tell you that this is not the gospel of Chrift, and that if a zealous itinerant comes into your parish, he will draw from your church every ferious person who has difcernment enough to fee that the Bible and Liturgy do not accord with your difcourfes. Confider this matter well; and if any of you are yet to learn what ought to be the fubjects of your preaching, let me advise you to take the HOMILIES of the Church of England for your model. Study thefe valuable difcourfes, and rather than adopt any of the flowery (falfely called elegant) declamations of the prefent day, fuch as many of thofe of Blair, Enfield, Stern, Fawcett, cum multis aliis, take a good plain Homily in its native state into your pulpit, and your hearers will be edified. I am; with great affection and esteem, your servant in Chrift, IOTA. TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, PERMIT me through the medium of your excellent magazine, to pay my refpects to the bishops and clergy of the Epifcopal Church of Scotland, and to return thanks in particular to the unknown author of "A Layman's Account of his Faith and Practice as a Member of that Church;" a performance which I have read with great delight. But while I acknowledge the fatisfaction which the perufal of that excellent manual afforded me, I cannot help expreffing a degree of concern, that the author did not give his little volume more life and intereft, by prefixing thereto fome account of the venerable church of which he is an ornament. On this fide of the Tweed we know hardly any thing more of the Scotch Epifcopal Church than that the exifts. Many, indeed, who have a profound veneration for the primitive faith and order of church government, entertain indifferent notions of that church, from the want of correct information concerning her history and prefent condition. t Now, gentlemen, let me by your means folicit from fome well-informed member of the Scotch Epifcopal Church, a particular memoir on that subject, ftating the fees, poffeffors, and fuch other particulars relating thereto, as may tend not to gratify an idle curiofity, but to diffufe in all parts of of the united kingdom that refpect for this church to which, by her anti quity, and fufferings and patience, fhe is fo much entitled. I am, &c. BEHAVIOUR AT CHURCH. CORNELIUS. TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, I Am old enough to remember a practice which appears to be omitted in all the churches I go into: the practice, I mean, of the congregations rifing from their feats, when those chapters were read, in which the Lord's prayer is recorded, and the account given of the inftitution of the holy facrament.-This was a becoming practice, to say the leaft of it, and having once been in ufe, ought by no means to be laid afide. Suppofing, in these times, an affembly of people were to neglect to rife from their feats, when the king entered the apartment, would it not be conftrued into a mark of great difrefpect?-Befides, this cuftom ferved to keep alive the attention of the audience, who are but too apt to be negligent and indifferent during the reading of the leffons; and by drawing their regard, in a more particular manner, to that incomparable prayer, and ever blessed ordinance, might in the end be of much fervice-it might even help to bring fome to the holy altar, by occafioning them to notice more attentively the words of their Saviour; his command to all his difciples to partake of the facred elements, and to do fo in remembrance of him-of hiin, who did and fuffered fuch things for them. Let me then earneftly entreat the elder part in all congregations to revive this practice. Their example will be foon imitated by the younger, and I am perfuaded, will be followed by good confequences. At the leaft, it will awaken attention, and tend to excite a juft fenfe of reverence and decorum.* R. BISHOP HORNE's LETTERS ON INFIDELITY. LETTER II. OUR A. obferves, Dear Sir, p. 11. "Whatever might be the force of Mr. H-'s faith, no one, it is conjectured, will charge him with having neglected good works. I do not pretend (adds he) to fay how far thofe are, or are not fufficient." Indeed I believe there will be no abfolute neceffity, upon this occafion, of going deep into the controverfy concerning faith and works. The cha racter in which Mr. H. principally appeared, and on which he chiefly valued himself, was that of an author. He paffed his life in writing; the effects of his writings are vifible in his worthy Apologift, and many others; they are likely to go down to pofterity. An unwearied endeavour to propagate the principles contained in those writings, is what we can never confent to dignify with the appellation of a good work. To worthip, to *We have fome degree of pleasure in afferting that in fome parts of the kingdom, particularly the weft of England, this highly commendable cuftom ftill obtains, and we hope that the feafonable admonition of our esteemed correfpondent will cause it to become general. At the fame time we beg leave to hint the propriety of clergymen's addreffing themselves particularly to their congregations on this fubject and others of a fimilar kind, fuch, for instance, as the indecency of fitting when the pfalms are fung. EDITORS. love, love, and to ferve God, onefelf, is the firft of good works; to teach and incite others to do the fame, is the fecond. To renounce every thing of this kind, onefelf, is the first of evil works; and the fecond is like unto it, to tempt and feduce others, that they may fall after the fame example of unbelief. This is the employment of that perfon, whom the A. mentions, as having joined with the dancing master, and the perfumer, in compounding a fyftem of manners, recommended by the late Earl of Chesterfield. He might poffibly divert himself in that way, at his leifure hours; but when he fet to bufinefs in good earnest, the iffue was, AN ENQUIRY * CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING. The A. is fond of citing two lines, which have been often cited by others, with a similar view For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight, His can't be wrong, whofe life is in the right. The Chriftian faith, at it's first appearance, endured the trial of ten perfecutions, and triumphed over the wit, wisdom, and power of the whole Roman empire. Offered openly to the inspection and examination of the world, it has now ftood it's ground above feventeen hundred years. The A. hardly expects it fhould at length fall before a couplet of Mr. Pope. Poets, he knows, are not upon oath; and one for fenfe, and one for rhyme, is often a fair compofition. The verfes rhyme well; but as to fense, that is another queftion. Their author fomewhere tells us, that in reading religious controversy, he ftill found himself to agree with the last author he perufed. One cannot therefore well take him for a guide in these matters. The bright fon of the morning fell from his exalted station in the heavens; and he, who penned MESSIAH, was afterwards unfortunately duped by the fophiftry of Bolingbroke. "Evil communications corrupt good manners." As to the verfes in hand, I know not that they were defigned to extend by any means fo far as, by the present application, the A. means to extend them. If they were, the propofition contained in them will be this; that provided a man difcharge the relative and focial offices, it matters not what deity he acknowleges and worthips; or whether he acknowlege and worship any. I am forry I fhould be obliged to go back to a thing fo vulgar and antiquated, as my CATECHISM. But fo it happens-I cannot forget, that, when a boy, I learned two things, my duty towards God, and my duty towards my neighbour. And, from that day to this, it never entered into my head, that the performance of the latter would atone for the neglect of the former. Surely one might as well fay, the performance of the former would atone for the breach of the latter. But the A. will never allow one; and we cannot fubmit to allow the other. What? Shall we make a confcience of discharging our duty to men like ourselves, and none of difcharging that to our Maker, our Redeemer, our God? Is it reckoned praise worthy, generous, noble, great, and good, to love and celebrate an earthly parent or benefactor; and can it be deemed a point of indifference, whether we believe or deny, whether we blefs or blafpheme our heavenly and eternal Father and Friend, who gives us life, and breath, and all things, in this world, and invites us to a far more happy and glorious state of exiftence in another? May we adore Jehovah, or Baal; the Creator of the *P. 112. "A fyftem which seems to have been pillaged from the dancing mafter, the perfumer, and the devil." Vol. II. Churchm. Mag. Feb. 1802. N Universe, Univerfe, or a monkey, or matter, or chance, or nothing, as the whim takes us, and be blameless? Tell it not to the believers; publish it not among the Christians! The matter of fact is-that life cannot be in the right, which is spent in doing wrong. And if to question all the doctrines of religion, even to the providence and existence of a God, and to put morality on no other foot than that of UTILITY-if to do this, be not to do wrong-then farewell all diftinction between right and wrong, for evermore. To maintain and diffufe the truth of God, is to do his will; to deny, corrupt, or hinder it, is to work iniquity; and a life fo employed is a wicked life-perhaps the most wicked, that can be imagined. For what comparison is there between one who commits a crime of which he may repent, or, at worst, it may die with him; and one who, though he do not himself commit it, teaches and encourages all the world to commit it, by removing out of the way the strongest fanctions and obligations to the contrary, in writings which may carry on the bleffed work from generation to generation? Let not these errors be called errors of Speculation only. Action flows from fpeculation. No man ven tures upon fin, till he has, for the time at least, adopted fome falfe principle. And when men begin to look about for arguments in vindication of impiety and immorality, fuch fpeculations as thofe of Mr. Hume become interefting, and can hardly fail of a powerful and numerous patronage. The corrupt judge; the proftituted courtier; the statesman, who enriches himfelf by the plunder and blood of his country; the petty-fogger, who fattens on the fpoils of the fatherless and widow; the oppreffor, who, to pamper his own beaftly appetite, abandons the deferving peafant to beggary and defpair; the hypocrite, the debauchee, the gamefter, the blafphemer-all prick up their ears, when they are told, that a celebrated author has written effays, containing fuch doctrines, and leading to fuch confequences." Weighed against a conduct like this, the moralities of focial life (a system of which, by the way, according to Mr. H. every man is left to compound for himself) are duft upon the balance; they are like the falutation of Joab, when he fmote Amafa to the heart-" and Joab faid to Amafa, art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amafa by the beard with the right hand, to kifs him. But Amafa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand; fo he fmote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground."*-In fhort, if faith in God be not the effect of superstition and impofture, which no man has yet proved it to be, we are bound to regard it as our most valauble poffeflion, and to eftcem those who would rob the world of it as the worft of thieves, however, towards each other, they may practise what the A. ftyles the duties, the decencies, and the charities*. P. 12. " Perhaps it is one of the very worst circumftances against Christianity, that very few of it's profeffors were ever either fo moral, fo humane, or could fo philofophically govern their paflions, as the fceptical David Hume." And yet, we do not every day hear of a Chriftian running round a counter with his drawn fword after a Reviewer, or quitting a room on the entrance of his antagonist. It appears, from a variety of inftances, that Mr. H. when his literary character was concerned, could by no means "govern his paffions fo philofophically" as his A. wishes to have it believed. But it is not my defire to depreciate any thing that might be 2 Sam. xx. 9. really |