aver to be truth; and I will not affront Dr. Priestley by hesitating whether he would vouch it if he were appealed to by THE AUTHOR." You fee, Gentlemen, OUR INSPECTOR is as keen and adroit in colloquial controversy, as he is reconditely dexterous in his study. I hope he will not be offended at this attempt to fhew him in a new light by his admirer, and your obedient fervant, July 5, 1802. A LONDON CURATE. PS. I beg to refer OMICRON (p. 325.) to the learned work from which I have extracted the above, for fundry obfervations on the methodifms of the Devil. He will there find the entire paffage of Polycarp, to which, it feems, Suicerus refers for afcertaining the different fenfes of the word Madeuw; and he will alfo find another threwd thrust at the Herefiarch. (p.p. 56, 57, 58, note.) ON THE INCREASE OF POPERY. TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, AS watchmen over the fafety and peace of our venerable establishment, every friend thereto cannot but applaud your exertions in detecting and expofing the infidious artifices of the fectaries to fpread error and fanaticifm among the people. But while I feel it a duty incumbent upon me to mention this part of your labours with praise, I am forry to ob1erve that you have not paid equal attention to the extraordinary efforts now making by Roman Catholicks to propagate their delufive tenets among all ranks of the community, on both fides of St. George's Channel. No man is lefs inclined to found the cry of "No popery" than myself, when there are no juft grounds for it; but when evidences ftare us in the face, in every quarter, that the advocates of that corrupt church are as affiduous and fuccefsful in making profelytes, as the modern Puritans, I think there is every reafon why we thould exclaim "No popery," as well as "that the church is in danger." But let us adduce a few plain facts:-In the metropolis it is well known that the number of Roman Catholick chapels has not only confiderably encreased within these few years paft, but that each new one has been built upon a larger scale than the others, a pretty strong prefumption at least of the confidence of the party, that their caufe was not dwindling. I have had the curiofity to go into fome of thofe chapels, and I was greatly surprised to see them fo uncommonly crouded as to render it difficult for a ftranger to get accommodated. It is moreover certain that many chapels have been very recently erected in the populous villages around London, and one particularly at Greenwich, chiefly by the zealous liberality of a gentleman of that perfuafion, who fpares no art, pains or expence, to win over profelytes to his church. The cafe is the fame in almost every part of the kingdom; and the re eftablishment of popery, under the aufpices of Bonaparte in France, has given energy to the zeal of the Romish priests, as well natives as foreigners refident amongst us. I feel myself not adequate to the task of pursuing these inveterate enemies of Proteftantifm, through all their covert windings and ingenious devices to entrap men into their fnares; but I hope that the few hints thus thrown out will influence other perfons to pay a minute attention to to their proceedings. We have every reason to apprehend, indeed we are almoft certain, that in the enfuing parliament, the queftion of Catholick emancipation will be brought forward; and this is alfo certain, that in confequence of the number of new members returned, and likely to be returned throughout the united kingdom, great expectations are formed by the Romanifts that they fhall carry their caufe. To this end they have taken unusual pains in the general election on behalf of those men, who they believe are friends to that measure. The Jacobins are, to a man, zealous sticklers for the emancipation, and for this obvious reafon, because it will neceffarily pave the way for two other objects of confiderable magnitude:-I. The admiffibility of Catholicks to feats in Parliament, and to offices under government. II. The repeal of the corporation and test acts. The confequences of these measures to the church established are too plain to be pointed out to any man who has read hiftory, or who knows the flightest thing of the spirit of Popery and of Republicanifm. I am credibly informed that a certain perfonage of great property and high rank, who has formally abjured Popery, retains notwithstanding, none but Roman Catholicks in his household, and that he has befides priest in his own immediate confidence. The pains taken to prevail upon Proteftant parents to let their children be educated in Popish feminaries; the encouragement given to Popish affiftants in boarding fchools, especially in female ones; and the kind attentions fhewn by the Roman Catholick gentry to fuch of their Proteftant fervants and tenantry as will occafionally attend their religious worfhip, or fubmit to receive instruction in the principles of their faith: added to to the glaring evils of Romish charity fchools and monafteries, all ferve to excite juftly an alarm in the mind of every found Proteftant, and particularly of those who are Members of the great bulwark. of Protestantism, the CHURCH OF ENGLAND.I am, Gentlemen, your's, &c. London, July 12, 1802. IOTA, MISSIONARY SOCIETY, AND SPREAD OF SCHISM. TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, THE HE obfervations of your worthy correfpondent the London Curate on the methodistical miffionaries, are very ftriking and judicious*. How the leading men at the head of what is called the London Miffionary Society, could have the affurance to present to his Majefty a vo-` lume fo hoftile to the established church, as the "Account of the first Voyage of the Ship Duff," is aftonishing. If I recollect rightly, one of the gentlemen who attended the levee on that occafion, was the Reverend Dr. Haweis, rector of Aldwinkle, in Northamptonshire. There can be little, if any doubt, that the above mentioned volume was in part digefted by him; and I believe the articles of faith were of his manufacturing. At all events, his connection with the fociety, his attending with the committee to prefent their book to the King, and his frequent harangues in meeting houfes to fet forth the ftate of the miflion, are indubitable evidences, that the articles fo properly expofed by your cor-. refpondent, and the ordinations of miffionaries, have met with the fulleft approbation and concurrence of the rector of Aldwinkle. Now in compari on of him I have no fcruple in holding up Mr. Theophilus Lindsey and Dr. Difney, the leaders of the Socinian conventicle, as more commendable and confiftent characters. These men have renounced their church preferments, and have freely feceded from the establishment; but the rector of Aldwinckle holds fast his living, while he stands at the head of a fect, and draws up, or affifts in drawing up a plan of government, and articles of faith for its miffionaries, directly repugnant to the faith and difcipline of the established church. Whether he has actually gone to the length of laying his hands upon the heads of thefe preachers, I will not take upon me to pronounce: but there can be no doubt of his hav ing commiffioned many of them to officiate in the chapels of the Countefs of Huntingdon. It is a fact that these lay preachers affume the canonical vestments in his prefence, as well as in that of feveral other beneficed clergymen, who occafionally officiate in those conventicles. I fcruple not to call thefe places conventicles, for they are not regular chapels acknowledged by the establishment, nor are they regular meeting houses. The readers are not in orders, and many, if not most of the preachers are mechanics. Lately the public attention was roused to the expectation of a converfion of the Jews, and a forward conceited boy was fet up by the fectaries to preach to them in Duke's Place. But this project fell to the ground, and the puppet after being exhibited by the Doctor and his party, funk into contempt. They have fince formed a fociety for propagating the gofpel at home: itinerant miffionaries are fent into the villages to draw people from the parish churches, and thus confufion is engendered where peace and uniformity were wont to dwell. The spread of fchifm is lamentable, and it is fill more afflicting to confider that the prefent relaxed state of ecclefiaftical difcipline is one great caufe of its fpreading*. I BISHOP HORNE's LETTERS ON INFIDELITY. LETTER V. IOTA. SHALL not purfue any farther, at prefent, the wild ramblings of the fpirit of fcepticism in the Dialogues on Natural Religion. If your diforder should return hereafter, dear fir, we may take another handful or two of the hafty-pudding. Let us advert in the mean time to fomething more mifchievous than the dialogues, becaufe more intelligible to the generality of readers, I mean an Effay on Suicide, in which that practice is vindicated, and recommended to his majesty's liege fubjects, not only as lawful and innocent, but as containing and comprehending, in many cafes, almoft the whole duty of man. The Effay opens with a panegyric on philofophy, as the only remedy for fuperftition. But may not the remedy prove worfe than the difeafe? A young gentleman, fome years ago, fuffered himself to be feduced to Popery. His friends fent him to the fage of Ferney, †for a cure: and a moft effectual one indeed was wrought. He came home a confirmed infidel, This letter should have appeared long fince, according to promise, but that iɛ was miflaid. † Gibbon. EDITORS. and and has employed himself ever fince in writing against Christianity. Po pery may be bad; but irreligion is not better. P. 1. Mr. H. Jaments that "men endowed with the ftrongeft capacity for business and affairs crouch all their lives under flavery to the groffeft fuperftition." Superftition furely is not the failing of the prefent age, in Great Britain. We have reason to with there was a little more of it than there is; fince by "the groffeft fuperftition," philofophers often mean neither more nor less than the Christian Religion. P. 2. "The fair fex feel many of their joys blafted by this importunate intruder." And lo, Mr. H. in his panoply of "found philofophy," fallies forth as their champion, to flay the giant, and deliver the captive damfels.-But of what kind are the female "joys" here alluded to? Innocent ones are heightened by religion; and thofe that are otherwife ought to be "blafted." Mr. H. we have been told, delighted much in the company of women that were modeft, though the fyftem of morals, with which he favoured the world, was by no means calculated to make, or to keep them fuch. If they were edified by his converfation, I am heartily glad of it" I do rejoice, yea and will rejoice." P. 2. "Superftition being founded on falfe opinion, muft immediately vanish, when true philofophy has infpired jufter fentiments of fuperior powers." But where is this fame "infpiring true philofophy" to be found? In the writings of the ancient heathens? Affuredly not. They were not agreed whether there were many Gods, one God, or no God. In the writings of Mr. H? Alas, his famous Dialogues on Natural Religion fhew, that, by studying their works, he had brought himfelf, and wished to bring his readers, into the very fame uncertainty. "Juft fentiments of fuperior powers" can be "inipired" only by thofe powers. From the apoftacy of the nations to the coming of Chrift, philofophy laboured at the taik in vain, and if she has fucceeded in any refpe&t better fince, it is becaufe the has borrowed light from revelation, and not been honeft enough to own it. Chriftianity is founded not upon "falfe opinions," but facts, the truth of which all Mr. H-'s philofophy has never been able to disprove. P. 3. To the direful effects of fuperftition, enumerated by Cicero, Mr. H. adds one still more direful; that a man under it's dominion," though death alone can put a full period to his misery, dares not fly to this refuge, but ftill prolongs a miferable existence, from a vain fear left he offend his Maker, by uning the power with which that beneficent Being has endowed him. The prefence of God and nature are ravifhed from us by this cruel. enemy, and notwithstanding that one step would remove us from the regions of pain and forrow, her menaces ftill chain him down to a hated being, which the herself chiefly contributes to render miferable." The fuperftition intended by Cicero is pagan fuperftition. But what is that fuperftition which in these times is underftood to prohibit fuicide? Evidently it is the Chriftian Religion. It is this therefore which by Mr. H. is called "the modern European fuperftition." This is the "virulent poifon," the cruel enemy," the "inhuman tyrant," that "chiefly contributes to render life miferable;" and the Deity is complimented by him as "beneficent Being," becaufe he has "endowed a man with power" to cut cut his throat, or blow out his brains, in order to escape. The fame beneficent Being has endowed a man with "power" (if that be all which is wanted) to cut the throat, or blow out the brains of his neighbour, fhould he judge that neighbour to be the caufe of his mifery. Upon the principles advanced by Mr. H. it is no eafy matter to give a good and fufficient reafon why he should not do fo. For if he has a right to kill himfelf when any great evil befalls him, or when he is under the apprehenfion of it, why may he not have an equal right to kill another, who, as he apprehends, has brought evil upon him, or who, as he fears, will do it?-So again, if he may kill himself because he seems no longer of any use to fociety, why not, out of charity, kill another, whom he finds or fancies to be in the fame predicament? If fuch be Mr. H-'s philofophy, the Lord defend us from it, and blefs us with a little common fenfe, and common honesty! P. 5. Mr. H. undertakes to prove that fuicide is no breach of our duty to God: and now let us attend to him. "In order to govern the material world, the Almighty Creator has eftablished general and immutable laws, by which all bodies are "maintained in their proper fphere and function." Without doubt he has established an agency of second caufes, which we call the courfe of nature, operating, under his own fuperintendency, regu-. larly and uniformly, unless when, for special reasons, he fees fit to alter or fufpend it, as on many occafions he has done-Very well; now to proceed. To govern the animal world, he has endowed all living creatures with bodily and mental powers; with fenfes, paffions, appetites, memory, and judgement, by which they are impelled or regulated in that courfe of life to which they are deftined." Here we must stop a little. And firft, we will dismiss the other "animals" from their attendance, because the queftion proceeds folely upon man. This done, we aik, whether there be really no difference between the two cafes; whether man be not endowed with a will to chufe and refufe; and whether he be not accountable for his actions? If not-if he be neceffarily impelled and regulated in his courfe," as a planet is in that marked out for it, by general and immutable laws," there is at once an end of the morality of human actions, and neither fuicide nor any thing elfe can be a crime. You will judge from what follows, how far it is Mr. H-'s intention to inculcate this idea. P. 7. "All events, in one fenfe, may be pronounced the action of the Almighty; they all proceed from thofe powers with which he has endowed his creatures." The murder of Abel " proceeded from thofe powers with which God had endowed his creature" Cain; fince if Cain had not poffeffed fuch powers, he could not have exerted them. But what is the "one fenfe,' in which "that event may be pronounced the action of the Almighty?". The power is from God: but let man be anfwerable for the ufe and abufe of it. P. 7. "When the paffions play, when the judgement dictates, when the limbs obey; this is all the operation of God." The fame fallacy. That the paffions can play, the judgement can dictate, and the limbs can obey, is of God; but that these feveral faculties operate by righteoufnefs unto life, and not by fin unto death, man, aflifted by divine grace, is competent to provide; and it is at his peril that he do provide. Otherwife, God is made the author of all the evil in the world. |