to adopt the Prefbyterian doctrine and difcipline, nor would the detail be unentertaining; but it would lead me too far from my fubject. Many too were the caufes which in England led to a different System. The feveral circumftances which procrastinated the full fettlement of the Reformation among us, the capricioufnefs of Henry, the Minority and early death of Edward, the bigotry of Mary, and the wary caution of Elizabeth; all these seem to have been directed by the gracious wifdom and goodness of Providence, to the most falutary ends. The daily advancement and progrefs of Learning had furnish'd a supply of most able Divines; they had leifure to trace up the feveral corruptions of Popery to their respective fources; and the fucceffive changes of the times had taught them a most inftructive leffon of moderation. They perceiv'd that the Church of Rome, however debas'd and corrupted, was ftill the Church of Chrift: Chriftianity lay at the bottom, how much foever disfigur'd and adulterated. The substance of the garment was yet whole and entire, though so lamentably diftain'd by spots, and deform'd by wrinkles. They refolv'd therefore to proceed with the utmost caution, left by their too hafty and violent attempts to obliterate the spots and smooth the wrinkles, they should unfortu

nately tear the original web. In short, to drop the figure, they determin'd to adhere fcrupulously to this important fundamental maxim, to depart no farther from the Religion of Rome, than the Religion of Rome had deviated from the primitive Religion of Christ.

Respecting the Government of the Church, they were fully fenfible that every nation had an indefeasible Right to fettle and appoint it's own, independently of any foreign Power. Renouncing then all obedience to the Pope, and wishing to avoid that Solocifm in Politics, of a government within a government, they acknowledg'd the Sovereign of the State to be the Head of the Church, ftyling him, over all perfons, and in all causes, as well ecclefiaftical as civil, in thefe his dominions fupreme. The Hierarchy they found to have taken place at a period by many years prior to the Papal ufurpations; and moreover conceiving it peculiarly adapted to our civil constitution, they of courfe retain'd it; vefting the ministration of all fpiritual offices in the order of Priests, save only thofe of Confirmation and Ordination, which were referv'd to the higher order of Bishops; the nomination of whom, as alfo of two Archbishops, was left to the King: and the Prelates retain'd their ancient

ancient privilege of fitting and voting with the temporal Peers in the houfe of Lords, as conftituent members of that highest Court of Judicature. The inferior Clergy had also a house of Convocation, to which they elected Clerical Members, in the fame manner as the Laity return'd their Reprefentatives to the houfe of Commons; while the Archbishops and Bifhops compos'd the upper houfe of Convocation, analogous to the House of Peers: but that part of the original Church-government has within the prefent century funk into difufe; no Convocation fitting, and the Clergy promifcuously voting with the Laity for members of the house of Commons. Ecclefiaftical Courts were constituted for the cognizance of some particular causes, chiefly matrimonial and teftamentary; but ever fubject to the fuperior controul of common and statute Law: and the Clergy, divefted of all temporal power, were confin'd to the miniftration of the word and facraments, to teaching and preaching, and the cure of Souls.

Refpecting the Liturgy of the Church, with it's various forms and offices, our Reformers retain'd as much of the Romish as was found and ortho-dox, rejecting only fuch parts as were idolatrous and fuperftitious; pruning away an immense num

ber of idle and abfurd Ceremonies, and continuing only a few of the most fignificant; and those too not as effential, but merely for the fake of order and decency. To avoid diversity and contrariety of doctrine, they promulgated what are called the thirty-nine Articles of Religion, containing the fense of the Church on various points; and to which they requir'd fubfcription from all fuch as should be call'd to any office or administration in the fame and therein gave the finishing blow to all the errors and corruptions of the Romish Church, by the ever memorable affertion in the fixth Article, that "Holy Scripture containeth "all things neceffary to falvation: fo that what"foever is not read therein, nor may be proved

thereby, is not to be requir'd of any man,. "that it fhould be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requifite or neceffary to "falvation."

Such is the outline of the Church of England, as fettl'd by our first Reformers; and fuch as it exifts at this day; fave only the alteration I before noticed, respecting the houses of Convocation; and to which I may add, that as our civil liberties became better understood, and more firmly fecur'd, the rigours of the Act of Uniformity were

done

done away by the Act of Toleration. You will observe, that hitherto I have related only; not vindicated. That remains yet to be done; but previously thereunto, I am to call your attention to that fundamental doctrine at present so furiously attack'd, of the Divinity of Chrift. A point on which I fcruple not to affert, that whatever Church prefumes to controvert or deny it, that Church is fo far from being free from spot or wrinkle, that it is one univerfal blot. In abhorrence whereof, may we ever cordially unite in giving all laud and glory to God the Father, to God the Son, and to God the Holy Ghost.