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spiritual matters your Lordship acts as a judge; and no judge is to treat a man as an offender till an accusation come officially before him. When you are pleased to call my doctrines exceptionable, you ought to particularize what is exceptionable in them.

'But, after all, does your Lordship know what my doctrines are? That you may have the most authentic information, I will give it myself. I maintain (not a partial, but) the total and absolute apostacy of man through the Fall; so that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God; and that, works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his spirit, are not pleasing to God; and without doubt they have the nature of sin. I preach Justification by Faith only in the merits, blood, and righteousness of Jesus Christ. I preach the equality of the Son and Spirit with the Father in the Godhead, and that there are three Divine Persons and but one God. I preach the doctrine of Regeneration on the New Birth, the santification, influence, inspiration, adoption, sealing, and testimony of the Spirit. I preach the full assurance of Faith, as the privilege of God's believing people, whereby they know that their sins are forgiven them for Christ's sake; and they are reconciled to the favour and love of God. I insist, moreover, that though we are justified by faith only, without our works or deservings, yet that every true believer will be careful to maintain good works; and that we are not to consider a man as possessed of saving faith, who leads an ungodly life. These, iny Lord, are the doctrines which I must and will ever preach, in defiance of the whole world. I can but smile at your Lordship's threatening to suppress my doctrines! and beg leave on this occasion to relate a matter of fact.

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It is now about 20 years ago, Dr. being Bishop of Clonfert, and Dr. Archbishop of Tuam, that his Lordship of Clonfert, Mr. P-- and Mr. C.-- went to Tuam to consult with his Grace how they might proceed against me; and the Archbishop, with much candour and good humour, was pleased to tell me afterwards what had passed. Do you know,' said he, that your Bishop, your Archdeacon, and your own Curate, having picked up some scraps of your sermons, came galloping over to me to know what they could do to you! And what do you think my advice was?-Said I, Let him alone; for if you bring him to a trial, he will appeal to the Articles and Homilies; and since the Articles and Homilies are as they are, you can do nothing to him; so let him alone.

And now, my Lord, having the authority of the Church of England on my side, confirmed by the word of God, be assured that, to my latest breath, I will bear a faithful testimony to the Constitutional Doctrines of our Establishment, and will expose the inconsistency, the iniquity, the religious juggling, of

those who solemnly subscribe Articles of Faith with their hands, from which they differ fundamentally in their hearts, and maintain diametrically opposite doctrines from their pul-. pits. I am, however, willing and desirous to be on a proper footing with your Lordship, and whilst your deportment towards me is such as is due to a gentleman and a minister of Christ, you will never find me wanting in that respect to which your Lordship's station entitles you; but I see no necessity of submitting to be trampled on by the first man in the kingdom.

Hoping that your Lordship and I shall understand each other somewhat better for the future, I remain,

'My Lord, your Lordship's humble Servant,

• W***** S******?

Evangelicana.

THE CHRISTIAN DRUMMER.

In a Letter from a Minister of the Gospel *.

In the summer of 1800, when travelling in Scotland with Mr. II preaching in the various towns and villages which we visited, we arrived at a considerable town, and stopped at the principal inn. After dinner we requested the master of the inn to send for the bell-man of the town, to give notice of a sermon in the evening, In about a quarter of an hour he reported that neither the bell-man nor his boy were at home. Shortly after, he returned to tell us he had seen a drummer belonging to au English regiment then stationed in the town, whom he had asked to intimate the sermon; and that he was gone to the commanding officer to obtain his permission. In a short time the drummer, about forty years of age, came into our room, wearing a large Hungarian cap. He told us that the commanding officer had no objection to his intimating the sermon; and asked us what he should say. We desired him to inform the inhabitants that there would be a sermon in the middle of the town precisely at seven o'clock in the evening.

When he was gone, we went to take a walk along the banks of the river, which ran at the back of one of the streets. When we came to a part of the river where there was only a high wall between us and the street, the drummer was beating his drum behind it. We stopped to listen to what he would say. After intimating what we had desired him, he made the following address:

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Now, my friends, I hope, you will all come and hear this sermon. The gospel is to be preached as free as from the lips of Jesus Christ himself, for there is to be no collection. Ho! every one that thirsteth, and he that hath no money, come buy wine and milk without money and without price."

'On hearing this intimation, we looked at each other with considerable surprize, and remarked that we certainly should have a large congrega tion; which was the case. The drummer was the only soldier present, owing to the evening parade being at the same hour in the skirts of the town; but the commanding officer had said to him, John, as you are to

* We insert this letter by particular desire, although it has appeared in another periodical publication,

intimate this sermon, I suppose you would like to hear it; so you need not attend parade to-night, but go and hear the sermon.'

After sermon we invited the drummer to call upon us at the inn. When he came, Mr. H. offered him two shillings for his trouble in giving the intimation. He looked rather surprised at being offered any remuneration, and said, Sir, I will not have money. I am as much interested

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in the propagation of the gospel as you are. I never went with so much pleasure through a town with my drum in all my life. I thought within myself when you were published to preach,-now God may perhaps convert some persons by this sermon. We have two short sermons in this town on Sabbath; I do not know what is preached; but sure I am that it is not the gospel.'

We then asked him to sup with us? He answered, 'I must go and consult my wife; if she has no objection, I am sure I have none.' He returned in a few minutes. We then requested, that as many of the family as could attend divine worship would come up. The family, waiters, servants, ostlers, and two or three ladies from the neighbourhood attended. As usual, we read a chapter in the Bible, gave a short address from it to the company present, and went to prayer..

After supper we requested the drummer to give us his history; which he did with great modesty, in nearly the following words :

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"I have been (said he) twenty-four years in the navy and army together. Till four years ago, I was the wickedest wretch in either. Our regiment was then lying at Hull. I was seized with an unaccountable melancholy; it was not about religion; I do not know what it was; but I was miserable. One evening, as I was walking on the common, very unhappy, I observed a church lighted up, which convinced me that there was to be a sermon preached in it; but I durst not go, lest my comrades should laugh at me for attending a sermon on a week-day. I knelt down on the common, and prayed to God to give me courage to go to church. When rose from prayer, I went directly to church. The minister was preaching on Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Immediately when I was seated, the minister said, If it could be of the smallest service to the meanest person present, I would come down from the pulpit, and, on my bended knees, beseech that person to believe on the Lord Jesus.' Thought I, this must be a mighty matter surely, that a gentleman would come down from the pulpit, and on his bended knees beseech a poor drummer to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That, with the remainder of his sermon, made a deep impression on my mind. I went home to my wife: she met me at the door. I said to her, Jane, we are all wrong; we are living like beasts; we know nothing about believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Poor thing! she trembled, for she thought I had lost my reason: but (said I) Jane, I am not mad; but you and I are going to destruction. I understand that the Bible will tell us every thing: but we have not a Bible; and if we had, we cannot read it. Oh,' said she, we can buy a Bible; and our little boy, who is only twelve miles off, can read it to us.' Accordingly we sent for our boy, and also bought a Bible. When he came home we desired him to begin at the first page, and so proceed to the end of the book. We often gave him two suppers, to keep him from sleep, for he became drowsy with reading.

"I used to rise very early in the morning to hear more of the Bible; but I would say, It is cruel to wake my boy so early; and would give him another hour of sleep. Then he arose, and began to read where he had stopped the preceding night; and we both sat listening to our boy reading the book. He read slowly, for he had many words to spell. At length God opened my poor blind eyes to see that Jesus Christ was the very Saviour that I stood in need of. O how happy I was! Our boy read onward; and, after some time, the Lord was pleased to open the

poor blind eyes of my wife, so that she saw in Jesus Christ just what I saw. Now we became one of the happiest families in all

Hull.

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I put myself to school, that I might learn to read; and, in a few months, I was able to read nearly as well as my little boy. I determined that my house should be a house of prayer, and my door open to all who should chuse to come. I told my comrades that I had now begun to pray to God, and read his word, every morning and evening; and that I should be glad of their company. Several attended to make sport. When I could not make out a long word, then they all laughed; but I thought, Now a few months ago I should have laughed at these things as well as they; but if God opens their eyes as he has mine, they will laugh no more at such things. I read on as well as I was able. By and by some of them became serious; but drink and wicked company did them much injury. One of them, however, remains very steadfast to this day."

Mr. H. had intimated after his sermon, that I should preach at the same place next morning, precisely at nine o'clock. This, unknown to us, was the place and hour of parade every morning. At the officers' mess, in the evening, a waiter whispered to one of the officers at table, that there was to be a sermon on the parade-ground next morning, and a congregation to hear the sermon. I think,' said the officer, we shall have no parade; but shall go with our men and hear the sermon: which they did accordingly.

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It is probable that all this countenance given to the preaching of the gospel, proceeded from the prudent conduct of the pious drummer.Much of the private opposition made to the gospel has arisen from the imprudent conduct of some of its professors.'

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J. C.

THE late Rev. Dr. Nisbet, celebrated for his profound erudition and ready wit, being asked, How he would define modern philosophy, replied, that it consists in believing every thing but the truth, and exactly in proportion to the want of evidence; or, to use the word of a poet, In making windows that shut out the light, and passages that lead to nothing.'

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USEFULNESS OF RELIGIOUS TRACTS.

A RESPECTABLE merchant of the neighbourhood of P returned from a tour on the Continent, plunged into the most dreadful sins, devoted to the principles of Voltaire, and anxious f the spread of infidelity. During the last seventeen years, his sins and his sentiments have so dreadfully prevailed, as to writhe his soul with uncommon anguish, and make him wish himself any thing but a man dying and accountable. He never attended any place of worship. A Tract, brought to the house by his children, lay upon the table one Sabbath morning. Distracted with horrid thoughts, he snatched it up, to drive them away. It was the Life of Colonel Gardiner.' At first he read with indifference. His curiosity was soon excited. His attention was fixed as he proceeded; and at length his whole soul was engaged by the narration of the Colonel's abandoned life before conversion. It suited his case; it spoke his feelings. Absorbed in attention, and trembling with agitasion, he came to the Colonel's conversion. He could read no more; heart was full. Bursting with similar impressions, he stole up stairs, locked his door, and, for the first time for eighteen years, he fell on his bended knees, and cried for mercy! Constrained to attend divine service that evening, the Lord deepened the work, and has since enabled him to live to his glory, and become as active for the interest of Jesus as he once was in the service of hell.

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Obituary.

MRS. MARTHA ROBINS, WIFE of Mr. W. R. of Fetter Lane, died June 3, 1811, in the 37th year of her age. Her decease took place at an early period of her confinement with her tenth child; seven of whom, including the infant, survive her. Mrs. R. gave a good evidence of her being a partaker of divine grace for several years past; and in October, 1810, was united to the Baptist Church in Tetter Lane, under the pastoral 'care of Mr. Austin. In her domestic relations, in her friendly connexions (and for the short time it continued in her union with the church) she was highly and justly respected; but such is the uncertainty of all earthly enjoyments, such the inroad that sin makes on

our best comforts, and so mysterious are the ways of the Most High, that she was suddenly removed from a sphere of usefulness, to the great loss of her family and friends, who (though they doubt not she has entered into peace) cannot but deplore the painful separation. Her remains were interred in the burialground at Elim-chapel; and the affictive providence improved by Mr. Austin, on the evening of the ensuing Lord's Day, from Ps. xviii. 46 (chosen by herself) The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock; and let the God of my salvation be

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exalted.'

A. A.

ELIZABETH BURTON DIED at Godmanchester June 6th, 1811, aged 59 years. She was one of the poor of this world, whom God has chosen to be rich in faith, and to be an heir of glory. In the early part of her life she attended the ministry of Messrs. Berridge and Venn. After their removal to a better world,' she worshipped with the Dissenters; and, at the formation of the church at Godmanchester, was received into Christian fellowship. Most truly it may be said, that she was an ornamental member' of the church

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to which she belonged. The familiar observation, Cleanliness is next to Godliness,' had its proper She was effect upon her mind. often afflicted, and always poor; but the neatness of her appearance, and the cleanliness of her cottage, were at once calculated to command respect from her superiors, and to reprove many of her equals.

For the last six years she laboured under an asthmatical complaint, which, in severe weather, was exceedingly trying. But her dissolution was immediately preceded by a complication of disorders, which, at times, occasioned her to suffer excruciating pain.

On the 3d of June her pastor was requested to visit her immediately, when he asked her why she particularly wished to see him? She replied, with an expressive smile,

I wanted you, and all the world, to hear what Christ can do for a soul? She then repeated, with much pathos, the 2d and 3d verses of the 40th Psalm: He hath. brought me,' &c.

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So much did she rejoice in the Lord, and triumph in her God,' that, notwithstanding her weakness, she repeated portions of hymns, and earnestly requested that one or two might be sung, in which, notwithstanding her weak state, she joined with much devotional feeling. Her views of herself were just what a Christian should cherish and express. She remembered her sins, and was humble; - she knew her deserts, and was patient in tribulation ;'she recollected her mercies, and was grateful. She often said, 'I have been a poor needy faithless creature, but the Lord has supplied my every want.' Upon one occasion, when speaking, of her unshaken confidence, her husband said, You can now run faster in the Christian race than we;' to which she replied, I have nothing to boast; it is all of grace. When her pastor of ce tioned the possibility of her re

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